Daily Current affairs - June 13th, 2017 for all competitive exams
BirdLife International, a conservation organisation, has recognized three new sites in
Goa as hotspots for protection. The sites have been added to
their list of “Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas”.
- The inclusion of these ecological hotspots in a new
book come after systematic data collection by the Goa Bird Conservation
Network (GBCN).
- The list has now added Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Navelim Wetlands and
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary.
- BirdLife International is the official Red List authority for birds, for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Panel to study free movement
along Myanmar border
The Union Home Ministry has
constituted another committee to examine methods to curb the misuse of free
movement along the Myanmar border, indicating a significant shift in India’s
policy towards Myanmar, a friendly country, with which it shares unfenced
borders and unhindered movement of people across the border.
- The formation of Myanmar as a separate State in 1935
and decolonisation of the sub-continent in 1947 divided ethnic communities
living along the Indo-Myanmar border.
CSIR signs Agreement with the
Metal Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia
The Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into an agreement with the Metal
Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia to implement a twinning
programme. The MoU is aimed at R&D capacity building of MIDI.
- CSIR has clinched this multi-million US dollar
assignment through a process where many international organisations were
considered.
- The twinning
is one of the largest programs (in terms of contractual amount) between a
CSIR institute and a foreign entity.
‘Back
to School’ programme launched
Krishna district in Andhrapradesh collector has
Inaugurated a week-long campaign against child labour and ‘Back to School’
programme.
- Motto: All children aged below 14
years should be in school under the Right to Education Act, 2009, and
stern action would be taken against those who violated the Act.
- The programme
was organised as part of the “World Day Against Child Labour” by the
National Child Labour Project (NCLP).
Goa
advisory asks tourists to stay off water
The Goa government has asked tourists visiting Goa to
stay safe and follow guidelines issued for the monsoon season (July-September).
- Tourists have
been advised to keep a close eye on their children and not allow them into
the waters unattended.
Meghalaya
House demands recall of cattle trade order
The Meghalaya Assembly unanimously passed a resolution
opposing the Centre’s notification banning the sale and purchase of cattle at
animal markets for slaughter and demanded its withdrawal as it would “impact
the economy of the State and the food habit of its people”.
- The Ministry
of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 on May
23.
Nalanda model of water
conservation chosen for national award
A model of water
conservation adopted successfully by the authorities in Nalanda district of
south central Bihar, has been selected for the national award for excellence in
the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee programme (MGNREGP), by
the ministry of rural development.
- The award for excellence will be conferred on
‘Project Jal Sanchay’, the water conservation model.
- ‘Project jal sanchay’ was launched under MGRNREGP,
to offer farmers a wide spectrum of solutions to water crisis.
World’s largest floating Solar
Farm launched in China
China has launched world’s largest floating solar
farm in Anhui province. The 40-megawatt power plant has
160,000 panels resting on a lake that emerged after the collapse of a coal mine
in central Anhui province.
- As per the
Reports, China has been the world's largest investor in clean energy since
2012, spending $88 billion on the wind and solar power in 2016.
Venezuela
court rejects call to stop constitution rewrite
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has rejected the chief
prosecutor’s motion to stop President Nicolas Maduro’s push to rewrite the
Constitution.
- The court
announced it has declared Luisa Ortega Diaz’s request inadmissible because
she did not present sufficient legal grounds.
Yeh
Ballet to be screened at London Indian Film Festival
Yeh Ballet, a virtual reality (VR) documentary, directed
by Sooni Taraporevala is set to be screened at London Indian Film Festival.
- The film documents the journey of two boys living in
the chawls of Navi Mumbai, pursuing their dream of dance through
scholarship. Yeh Balletcaptures the story of the boys in three
phases.
World’s smallest & cheapest
private jet ‘Vision Jet’ launched in USA
The World’s smallest and cheapest private
jet 'Vision Jet' was launched in the USA recently.
- The Vision
Jet can haul five adults up to 1,150 miles at 28,000 feet.
- It is the
first Private Jet with a single engine and can be conveniently operated by
a single pilot, thus keeping production and maintenance costs low for the
users.
- The jet can fly at a speed of 345mph and has an operating altitude of 28,000 feet.
CPI
inflation slows to lowest since 2012
Retail inflation in May, at 2.18%, eased to its lowest
level since the Centre began measuring it on a nationwide basis in 2012, driven
in large part by cooling food prices, according to a latest government release.
- Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
was even slower than the 2.99% seen in April, the previous record low.
Within the index, food and beverages category witnessed a contraction of
0.2% in May, compared with a growth of 1.3% in April.
Centre
seeks to defer GST e-way bill
Union government is in favour of postponing by a few
months the implementation of the e-way bill, which requires movement of goods
above Rs. 50,000 to be pre—registered online.
- However, with
states unwilling to defer the provision, the GST Council agreed to rope in
the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to work along with the GST-Network
to assess if an all India e-way bill system can be created in a short
timeframe
IRDAI’s
R.K. Sharma to administer Sahara Life
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) has appointed R.K. Sharma, one of its officials as administrator for
managing the affairs of Sahara India Life Insurance Company Ltd. with immediate
effect.
- The
regulator said the administrator shall “conduct management of the business
of the insurer as per applicable provisions under the Insurance Act,
1938.”
- IRDAI has reasons to believe that Sahara India Life is acting in a manner [that is] likely to be prejudicial to the interests of holders of life insurance policies.
Indian girl bags Little Miss
Universe Internet 2017 crown at Little Miss Universe in Georgia
A 12-year-old Padmalaya
Nanda from Odisha has created history by becoming the youngest
girl to bag the "Little Miss Universe Internet 2017" and "Little
Miss Actress" crowns at the Little Miss Universe 2017 at the port
city of Batumi in Georgia.
- This is the first time that a 12 yr Indian girl has won this beauty pageant title. She will now participate in the "Little Miss World 2017" competition that will be held at Greece from Sept 25 to Oct 1, 2017.
Veteran Telugu Poet, Writer C
Narayana Reddy Passes Away
Legendary Telugu poet and writer C Narayana
Reddy passed away. He was 85. He was honored with Padma Shri in 1977 and
Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Government of India.
- He had received the Jnanpith Award for the year 1988. He was also the president of the Telangana Saraswatha Parishath. He was also a former Rajya Sabha MP.
Jitu Rai-Heena Sidhu clinch
gold medal in ISSF World Cup
India’s Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu combined to clinch
the gold medal in mixed team 10m air pistol event of the ISSF
World Cup, beating Russia in the final in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
- France
beat Iran by an identical score to win the bronze in the event.
- 430 athletes from 45 countries are competing for medals in the ongoing World Cup, which is the last chance for rifle and pistol shooters to qualify for the ISSF World Cup Finals.
Lewis Hamilton wins Canadian
GP for sixth time
Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix for the sixth
time. He won against Sebastian Vettel’s overall championship and lead to 12
points.
- It was Hamilton’s third victory of the season and also his third in a row. It was the three-time champion’s sixth victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It was the 56th title of his career.
