• Veteran French novelist David Diop has won the prestigious International Booker Prize for the year 2021.
• He has been chosen for his book translated into English as “At Night All Blood is Black” based on World War I.
• The Paris-born writer is the first French novelist to win the prize.
• The book has been translated into English by Anna Moschovakis.
• The Prize carries a prize money of £50,000 ($70,850), which will be split equally among the author and the translator.
• The International Booker Prize is an international literary prize awarded every year for a single book that is translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.

• Kerala-based Thomas Vijayan, who is now settled in Canada, has won 2021 Nature TTL Photography Awards for his photo of an Orangutan clinging to a tree.
• The photograph is titled ‘The World is Going Upside Down’.
• Vijayan was adjudged as the overall winner of the competition from over 8,000 entries for Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021, which carries grand prize of 1,500 pounds (Rs.1.5 lakh).
• Nature TTL is the world’s leading online nature photography resource.

• The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, GoI, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been awarded with the ‘WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award’ for his accomplishments in the area of tobacco control.
• Dr Vardhan was awarded on May 31, 2021, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.
• His leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
• The WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award is presented every year by WHO to recognise individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control.

• Three Indian peacekeepers, who laid down their lives while serving in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions in 2020 have been chosen to be awarded the prestigious UN medal posthumously for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
• These three peacekeepers are among 129 military, police and civilian personnel selected for the honour from across the globe.
• The three peacekeepers from India who have been honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal are Corporal Yuvraj Singh, who served with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and two civilian peacekeepers, Ivan Michael Picardo (who served with UNMISS), and Mulchand Yadav (who worked for the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)).

• Cricket all-rounder, commentator and coach, Ravi Shastri is now making his publishing debut, as he has penned a book titled ‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’.
• The book is being published by HarperCollins India. It is been co-authored by Ayaz Memon.
• It is expected to be released on June 25, 2021.
• In the book, Shastri has written about some 60 extraordinary talents he has met from across the world who have inspired him.

• Decorated historian and author Vikram Sampath has come out with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”.
• The book will hit the stands on July 26, 2021, under the publication of Penguin Random House India.
• The first volume, “Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past” was released in 2019 and covered Savarkar”s life from his birth in 1883 to his conditional release from prison in 1924.
• The second volume will bring to light the life and works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, from 1924 to 1966, the year he died.

• Union government has extended validity period of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) qualifying certificate from 7 years to lifetime with retrospective effect from 2011.
• According to Education Minister, this is a positive step which will increase employment opportunities for candidates who seeks to make a career in teaching field.
• Now, respective state government and union territories will take action to revalidate or issue a fresh TET certificates for candidates whose period of 7 years have expired already.
• This decision will make changes in guidelines of February 11, 2011 of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) which provided that, TET would be conducted by state governments and validity of TET Pass certificate was 7 years from date of passing TET.

Teachers Eligibility Test (TET)

• TET is an essential qualification for person who seeks appointment as a teacher in schools. Earlier, validity of TET pass certificate was 7 years which has now been extended to lifetime. There is no restriction on number of attempts a person can take this exam to acquire a certificate. TET is conducted by each state separately while, Central TET or CTET is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

• The Department of Higher Education under Ministry of Education, has launched a new initiative called ‘YUVA-  Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors’
• YUVA stands for Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors.
• It is an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors, below 30 years of age to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.
• The National Book Trust, India under the Ministry of Education will be the Implementing Agency for the scheme.
• A total of 75 authors will be selected through an All India Contest, that will be conducted through https://www.mygov.in/ from 1 June – 31 July 2021.
• The young winning authors will be trained by eminent authors/mentors.
• A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme.

• A new AI-driven platform called ‘XraySetu’ has been developed to help in early detection of COVID 19, with the help of Chest X-ray. The solution will be beneficial for early detection especially in rural areas, where RT-PCR tests and CT-Scans are not easily available.
• XraySetu will operate through WhatsApp. It will identify COVID positive patients even from low-resolution Chest X-Ray images sent over Whatsapp-based Chatbot.
• The solution has been developed by ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park), a not-for-profit foundation established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), GOI, in collaboration with Bangalore based HealthTech startup Niramai and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Working of XraySetu 

• Doctor will need to visit www.xraysetu.com and click on the ‘Try the Free XraySetu Beta’ button.
• They will then be redirected to another page, from where they can choose to engage with the WhatsApp-based chatbot either through web or smartphone application.
• Alternatively, doctor can even send a WhatsApp message to the phone number +91 8046163838 to start the XraySetu service.
• After this, they just need to click the picture of the patient’s X-ray and upload it on the chatbot, from where they will obtain the 2-page automated diagnostics with annotated images in a few minutes.

• The UN health agency, World Health Organisation (WHO), has given easy-to-say labels to two variants of the Covid-19, first found in India.
• The two variants are B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2.
• The B.1.617.1 variant of the Covid 19 has been named as ‘Kappa’ while the B1.617.2 variant is named as ‘Delta.’
• The naming of these variants do not aim at replacing the existing scientific names of these #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs), but is aimed at helping the public discussion about VOI/VOC.

• World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on June 05 every year to raise awareness and encourage action for the protection of our environment. 
• The theme for World Environment Day 2021 is “Ecosystem Restoration”. 
• The host country for 2021 World Environment Day is Pakistan. 
• WED was first established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to tackle the emerging environmental issues of pollution, global warming, human overpopulation, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. 
• The first WED was held in 1974.

• The World Day Against Speciesism is marked on June 5 every year, to stop discrimination based on species membership.
• The term “speciesism” refers to the assignment of different rights, values, or special consideration to individuals solely on the basis of their species.
• For example
  Considering humans superior to other animals, granting only humans rights.
  Considering certain animals to be superior to other animals because of a similarity, familiarity, or usefulness to humans.
  Deliberately harming or refusing aid to animals
• World Day Against Speciesism is supported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), and other animal rights groups to promote this idea among the general public.

• The International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is organised every year on 5 June by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to protect the fisheries sector and highlight efforts taking place globally, regionally and nationally to combat illegal fishing.
• The day was recognised by the United Nations General Assembly on 5 June 2017.
• The first International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing was celebrated globally on 5 June 2018.
• UN has declared the year 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, to help focus attention on the small-scale fishermen and women who comprise 90 percent of the world’s fisheries work force.

• The World Health Assembly of the WHO has declared to officially observe ‘World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day’ from now onwards on January 30 every year.
• This decision was unanimously agreed upon by the member states on May 28, 2021 during the 74th World Health Assembly, held from May 24th to June 1st 2021.
• The proposal to recognise the day was made by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• The first World NTD Day was celebrated informally in 2020.
• In 2021, the new NTD road map for 2021–2030 was launched on January 28, 2021.

About World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

• The World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day will commemorate the launch of the first NTD road map as well as the London Declaration on NTDs on 30 January 2012.
• On 30 January 2012, pharmaceutical companies, donors, endemic countries and non-government organisations came together to sign the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, forming the world’s biggest public–private sector partnership, to control, eliminate or eradicate ten NTD diseases by 2020.
• The World NTD Day will bring together a wide range of partners at global, national & local level to help accelerate the end of NTDs & the suffering associated with these devastating diseases.
• Some NTDs include snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.

• World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed every year on 31 May, globally to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco  and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.
• Theme of the 2021 WNTD is ‘‘Commit to quit.’’
• The Day was created by the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed ace fighter pilot Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
• Chaudhari will replace incumbent Air Marshal HS Arora who will superannuate on June 30, 2021.
• Chaudhari presently commands the Western Air Command, which is also known as the sword arm of the force, as it handles the sensitive borders with both Pakistan and China in sensitive areas.

• The noted Gandhian, and freedom fighter, T.M. Kalliannan Gounder, who was the last surviving member of the first parliament of India, has passed away. He was 101.
• Tamil Nadu based Kalliannan Gounder joined the Indian National Congress at 19, and also participated in the Quit India movement.
• He was elected to the Indian Constituent Assembly at the very young age of 28.
• Besides being the member of India’s first provisional parliament, 1950–1952, he was also the youngest member in the Indian Constituent Assembly then.

• The International Dairy Federation (IDF) has unanimously elected Dr. R S Sodhi, as its board member, to represent India.
• Mr. Sodhi is the Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF),  that sells Amul branded products in India.
• He was appointed on June 01, 2021, during the General Assembly of the Board, and eventually also the World Milk Day.
• Headquartered at Brussels, Belgium, IDF is an international non-governmental, non-profit association to represent the global dairy sector.
• IDF ensures that right policies, standards, practices and regulations monitor the production of dairy products globally.

• Magma Fincorp Limited (MFL), Mumbai based non-banking financial company, has appointed Adar Poonawalla as its Chairman.
• MFL is registered with the Reserve Bank of India as an Asset Finance Company with registered office in Kolkata.
• Adar Poonawalla is also the CEO of the Serum Institute of India (SII), the manufacturer of the Covishield vaccine.
• MFL is now a subsidiary of Adar Poonawalla owned and controlled Rising Sun Holdings Private Limited (RSHPL), the financial services arm of the Poonawalla Group.
• RSHPL acquired controlling stake in MFL through an equity infusion of Rs 3,456 crore in May 2021.
• Magma Fincorp and its subsidiaries will now be rebranded as Poonawalla Finance.

• The Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), and Nausena Medal (NM) holder, has been sworn in as the the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on June 01, 2021.
• He replaces Vice Admiral MS Pawar, a Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), AVSM, Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) holder, who superannuated on May 31, 2021.

• The former Supreme Court Judge Justice Arun Mishra has been sworn in as the new Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India.
• The post of the NHRC Chief was lying vacant since December 2020, when Justice H L Dattu, ex-Chief Justice of India, had completed his tenure.
• Justice Mishra joined the apex court as judge on July 7, 2014, and demitted office in September 2020.

NHRC

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established on 12 October, 1993,  under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.
• Section 2(1)(d) of the PHRA defines Human Rights as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

• Veteran Israeli politician, Isaac Herzog, has been elected as the President of the country on June 01, 2021, during the 120 member parliamentary election for 2021.
• The 60-year-old Herzog will be the 11th President of Israel, assuming office with effect from July 09, 2021.
• He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who is set to complete his tenure in July 2021 after seven years in office.

Israel

• Capital: Jerusalem; 
• Currency - Israeli Shekel

• Dr Patrick Amoth, the acting Director-General for Health, Ministry of Health of Kenya has been appointed as the Chairman of World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board, for a period of one year.
• The announcement was made during 149th session of the WHO Executive board, on June 02, 2021, by the outgoing Chair Dr Harsh Vardhan.
• Mr. Amoth replaces Union Health Minister, Government of India, Dr Harsh Vardhan, who completed his tenure as Chairman of WHO Executive Board on June 02, 2021.
• Dr Vardhan will continue to be a member of the Executive Board of WHO till 2023.
• The chairman’s post is held on rotation basis for one year among regional groups.

• The Indian Broadcasting Foundation(IBF)[renamed as Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF)] has appointed Justice (Retd.) Vikramjit Sen as the Chairman for the newly formed Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC).
• The Council comprise of six other eminent industry members, namely:

1. Nikkhil Advani – national award-winning filmmaker
2. Deepak Dhar – CEO and founder, Banijay Group
3. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari – Prominent artist, filmmaker and writer
4. Tigmanshu Dhulia – Creative writer and innovative director
5. Ashok Nambisan – General Counsel, Sony Pictures Pvt. Ltd
6. Mihir Rale – Chief Regional Counsel, Star and Disney India

• The DMCRC is a self-regulatory body formed as per the mandate of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to create a credible, robust and practical code for content, with an inclusive and fair governance structure for media and entertainment industry as well as the OTT platforms.

• Jagannath Bidyadhar Mohapatra, a member of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has been given the additional charge as the Chairman of CBDT, for a period of three months.
• Mohapatra, a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, has been appointed in place of Prakash Chandra Mody, whose tenure came to an end on May 31, 2021.
• JB Mohapatra shall discharge the duties and responsibilities of the CBDT Chairman, in addition to his own duties, for a period of three months or till appointment of a regular chairman, whichever is earlier.

• T V Narendran, the Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Steel, has been elected as the new President of industry chamber, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2021-22.
• He replaces Uday Kotak, the CEO and MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• Narendran had also been the president designate of CII for 2020-21. 
• Apart from this, Pawan Munjal, chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., has been roped in as vice- president of CII for 2021-22.

• Poul Schlueter, the former Prime Minister of Denmark, has passed away.
• He was 92.
• Schlueter served as the prime minister of the country from 1982-1993.

Denmark

• Capital: Copenhagen
• Currency: Danish krone

• Jagjit Pavadia, the former Narcotics Commissioner of India, has been elected as the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
• Pavadia, a retired officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs), is the first Indian to be appointed as the Chief of the international organization and the second woman to hold this office.
• She has served s the Narcotics Commissioner of India, Central Bureau of Narcotics for six years from 2006-2012.
• Also, Pavadia has been a member of the INCB since 2015, where she was elected as the Vice-President of the board in 2016.
• International Narcotics Control Board Headquarter - Vienna, Austria.

• In yet another first for women in the Indian military, Aashritha V Olety, an officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF), has graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School to become the first woman flight test engineer in the country.
• As a flight test engineer, Olety will be responsible for evaluating aircraft and airborne systems before their induction into the armed forces.
• Hailing from Karnataka, Olety is among only about 275 graduates who have ever cleared this Flight test course, since the course began in 1973.
• Olety was commissioned as a Flying Officer in the IAF in 2014.

• In Tennis, the world No. 1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated world No. 255 Alex Molcan (Slovakia), 6-4, 6-3, in the final to win the men’s singles final of Belgrade Open tournament and eventually lift his 83rd ATP trophy.
• This was the first edition of the tournament.
• With 83 career titles, Djokovic has now become the fifth-most successful player of all time, after Rafael Nadal (88), Ivan Lendl (94), Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109).

• The 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships was held from 24 to 31 May 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Indian heavyweight boxer Sanjeet Kumar defeated Olympic silver-medallist Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan, in the 91kg final to win gold medal at the tournament.
• He was the lone gold medal winner among the Indian men’s contingent.
• The 19-member Indian contingent, including both men and women, secured 15 medals comprising 2 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze.
• In Men’s category, apart from Sanjeet Kumar, top-seed Amit Panghal (52kg) and Shiva Thapa (64kg) won Silver Medal while Vikas Krishan Yadav (69kg) and Varinder Singh (60kg) secured bronze medals.

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027 and 2031, will once again be a 14-team, 54-match tournament.
• Earlier in 2019 World Cup, only 10 teams contested, compared to 14 teams in 2015 World Cup.
• These 14 teams will split into two groups of seven Top three from each group will be progressing to a Super Six stage, followed by semifinals and final.
• ICC has also decided to expand the men’s T20 World Cup to 20 teams. The tournament will take place every two years from 2024-2030.

• India’s Pooja Rani won the gold medal in the 75kg Women’s Middle category final at the 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, in Dubai.
• She was the lone Indian woman boxer to strike gold at the 2021 Asian Championships.
• Indian women secured overall ten medals, including one gold, three silver and six bronze.

Silver Medal Winners

• Mary Kom – 51 kg Flyweight
• Lal Buat Saihi – 64 kg Light welterweight
• Anupama Kundu – 81+ kg Heavyweight

Bronze Medal Winners

• Monika – 48 kg Light flyweight
• Sakshi Chaudhary – 54 kg Bantamweight
• Jasmine – 57 kg Featherweight
• Simranjit Kaur – 60 kg Lightweight
• Lovlina Borgohain – 69 kg Welterweight
• Saweety Boora – 81 kg Light heavyweight

• Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the final, to lift 2020-21 UEFA Champions League title, on May 29, 2021, played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal.
• German forward Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the football match.
• This is the second Champions League title for Chelsea, after winning the first won in 2012.

• Hockey India has been honored with FIH Honorary Awards by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as part of its 47th FIH Congress, for its outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey.
• Hockey India won the Etienne Glichitch Award in recognition of its remarkable contribution to the growth and development of Hockey.
• The Etienne Glichitch Medal is awarded by the Executive Board of FIH once every two years for significant contribution to the growth and development of the sport at local, continental, national or international level.
• Apart from this, V. Karthikeyan Pandian, the IAS officer and Private Secretary to Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik, has been recognised with FIH Presidents Award during the Congress.
• Karthikeyan was awarded for his contribution towards the development and promotion of hockey in Odisha.
• The President’s Award is usually awarded to individuals, who are not members of the FIH, for their long and valuable services to hockey, whether direct or indirect, or services that have had an indisputable beneficial effect for hockey at international level. 

• The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference is scheduled to be held from 14-16 October 2021, in Beijing, China.
• Earlier the conference was scheduled to take place from 5-7 May 2020, in Beijing, China, but was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, will follow up on the first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, held in 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
• The conference is organised by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) to bring together key stakeholders from government, the UN system and other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society to discuss the opportunities, challenges and solutions towards achieving sustainable transport objectives.
• The second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference will focus attention on the opportunities, challenges and solutions towards achieving sustainable transport worldwide, to help achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change in the Decade of Action.

• The External Affairs Minister of India, Shri S Jaishankar chaired the virtual meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers on June 1 2021.
• It must be noted that India is the chair of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) for 2021. The theme for 2021 is ‘BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus’, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of BRICS Grouping.
• The meeting of the foreign ministers of five-nation grouping extensively focussed on combating the COVID-19 pandemic, besides discussing issues of global and regional concerns like sustainable development and countering terrorism.
• The BRICS foreign ministers meeting was attended by Wang Yi (Chinese foreign minister), Sergey Lavrov (Russian foreign minister), Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor (minister of international relations of South Africa) and  Carlos Alberto Franco (Brazilian foreign minister).

• Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that the treatment cost of Covid patients belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category would be borne by the state government.
• Earlier, the government had announced a financial assistance of up to Rs 35,000 to BPL patients.
• All BPL families, who are not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, will be eligible for free treatment in private hospitals. Deputy Commissioner will ensure that the financial help reaches the needy.
• The Chief Minister was apprised that about 10,000 oxygen cylinders had been delivered to patients on their doorstep to date.
• So far, 378 NGOs have been registered on oxygenhry.in supply cylinders.

• In view of the Covid pandemic, children too are forced to stay at home and this is affecting them mentally.
• In view of this, the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare has started a project ‘Rajya Bal Kalyan Parishad Ka Saath Dosti Ka Haath, Phone Se Baat’ under the Child Advice and Welfare Centre across the state.
• Giving information in this regard, Honorary General Secretary, Haryana State Council for Child Welfare, Parveen Atri said anyone in the state facing problems regarding social, emotional, personal life, education related, peer group relations, domestic and surrounding environment or had queries in the context of parenting methods could consult experts under this project.
• Announcing the mobile number 9416108132 for the benefit of people across the state, Malik said individuals could seek psychological help while sitting at home over the phone. 

• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the setting up of the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) on the lines of the bodies established in Gurugram and Faridabad.
• He said it would help in executing an integrated development plan. He said Panchkula was a part of the tricity, but lagged behind Mohali.
• Panchkula would be developed as a hub of medical, education and tourism facilities and industrial investment.
• To promote Panchkula as a destination for real estate, external development charges (EDC) and infrastructure development charges (IDC) were slashed by almost one-third in Panchkula, bringing these on a par with those in Mohali and Zirakpur.
• There are two sites for big hospitals, one in Sector 32 and the other in Sector 5-C, which would be auctioned soon.
• A food and drug testing lab is being opened in Sector 3 at a cost of Rs22 crore.
• At Thapli in Morni, a panchkarma centre is being set up under the AYUSH Department.
• A nursing college is also being planned for the city while the National Institute of Fashion Technology is coming up in Sector 23.
• Efforts are being made to develop Barwala as an industrial township and the IT Park in Panchkula would be operated in collaboration with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).
• Morni would be developed as a tourist destination. Paragliding activities would start at Morni on June 20. Besides, 10 trekking routes have been identified.
• There is a proposal to set up Nakshatra Vatika, Sugandh Vatika and Rashi Van on 20 acres along the Morni road from Panchkula.
• Focusing on Pinjore, a film city is being planned on 60 acres.

• State farmers can now access their ‘fard’ online at jamabandi.nic.in instead of visiting the offices of patwaris.
• This was stated by Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Sanjeev Kaushal while addressing the progressive farmers of Faridabad district.
• To access their ‘fard’ online, one would simply have to enter the name of their village and ‘rakba’ on the official website.
• The ACS directed Horticulture Department officials to arrange for progressive farmers of Faridabad to tour facilities such as packing centres established to give a boost to farming in Ambala and Kurukshetra districts among others.

• In order to provide telemedicine services to citizens, Naraingarh SDM Dr Vaishali Sharma and local IMA members have come out with the ‘Hello Doctor’ initiative at the sub-division level.
• They have engaged private practitioners to provide free teleconsultation. Doctors will give consultation through WhatsApp in two shifts of five hours a day.
• The SDM, who has served as medical officer in the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre of the Bulandshahr District Hospital, observed that there was a lot of panic among the general public about medicines, oxygen cylinders and other things. They were irrationally taking steroids, antibiotics and antivirals because they were not able to take proper consultation from a skilled doctor. Government doctors were overburdened with vaccination, sampling and door-to-door visits to monitor the home-isolated that even they were not able to devote much time to the OPD consultation. So the district administration thought of involving local private practitioners for teleconsultation.
• Naraingarh IMA came forward to support the district administration and give their services for free. They have made a roster so that various specialist doctors can give their services for a defined duration.
• Doctors will be available five hours a day from 10 am to 1 pm and then from 4 pm to 6 pm. After consultation, the prescription will be sent through WhatsApp.
• It will help in curbing the panic, reduce stress in hospitals and also provide timely consultation to residents as per their convenience.