Daily Current affairs - June 1st and 2nd, 2018 for all competitive exams
World Milk Day has been
observed on June 1 each year since 2001.
- Theme: Drink Move Be Strong
- World Milk Day is a day established by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the
importance of milk as a global food. The day is intended to provide an
opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the
dairy sector.
Indian economy grows 7.7%
in 4th Quarter: Central statistics data
Indian economy
grew 7.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017-18. The GDP had expanded
5.6%, 6.3% and 7%, in the first three quarters of 2017-18, according
to the data released by Central Statistics Office.
- As per the Data, robust performance in
manufacturing, construction and service sectors, as well as good farm
output, contributed to the overall growth.
Government launches new
scheme ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’
Ministry of Culture,
Government of India has introduced a new scheme namely ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ with a
total outlay of Rs. 325.00 Crores for Financial Years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
- The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central
Government share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated
Goods and Service Tax (IGST)so as to lessen the financial burden of such
Charitable Religious Institutions who provide Food/Prasad/Langar
(Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to
Public/Devotees.
- The scheme has been launched for financial years
2018-19 and 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 crores.
Income Tax Department
launches New benami transactions informants reward scheme
Income Tax Department has
issued a new reward scheme titled “Benami Transactions Informants
Reward Scheme, 2018” to seek people’s participation in the Income Tax
Department’s efforts to unearth black money and to reduce tax evasion.
- The scheme is aimed at encouraging people to give
information about benami transactions and properties as well as
income earned on such properties by such hidden investors and beneficial
owners.
- Under the Benami Transactions Informants Reward
Scheme, 2018, a person can get reward up to Rs. One crore for giving
specific information in prescribed manner to the Joint or Additional Commissioners
of Benami Prohibition Units (BPUs) in Investigation Directorates of Income
Tax Department about benami transactions and properties as well as
proceeds from such properties which are actionable under Benami Property
Transactions Act, 1988, as amended by Benami Transactions (Prohibition)
Amendment Act, 2016.
- Foreigners will also be eligible for such reward.
Identity of the persons giving information will not be disclosed and
strict confidentiality shall be maintained.
Maneka Gandhi laid
foundation of India's 1st advanced DNA forensic lab
Union Minister for Women and
Child Development Maneka Gandhi laid the foundation stone of India's first
advanced DNA forensic laboratory in Chandigarh as part efforts to
reduce the backlog of cases needing advanced forensic analysis.
- Built at a cost of Rs 99.76 crore from the
Nirbhaya Fund, the state-of-the-art 'Sakhi Suraksha' lab, will
come up at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory campus to
assist in investigation and prosecution of crimes including those
committed against women and children.
Home Minister launched
Online analytical tool to monitor foreign contributions under FCRA
Union Home Minister Rajnath
Singh launched an Online Analytical Tool to facilitate closer
monitoring of the flow and utilisation of foreign contributions received by
various organisations registered or permitted under the Foreign
Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010.
- This web-based tool enables decision-makers in
various Departments of Government to scrutinise source of foreign funds
and their actual use in India.
- It gives them capacity to take data-driven and
evidence-based decisions regarding the compliance of the provisions of the
FCRA, 2010. It has analytical features to conduct big data mining and data
exploration. Its dashboard will be integrated with the bank accounts of
the FCRA-registered entities through the Public Financial Management
System for updation of transactional data on a real-time basis.
Facebook ties-up with
National Women Commission to launch Digital literacy programme
Social networking giant
Facebook partnered with the National Commission for Women
(NCW) to launch a Digital Literacy Programme (DLP).
- The DLP will be launched in collaboration with
the Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF).
Cyber Peace Foundation is
a Ranchi, Jharkhand-based civil society organisation involved in training
related to all aspects of cybersecurity.
NCW is a statutory body
established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. It was
established in January 1992 to review the constitutional and legal safeguards
for women.
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Ordinance to set up
country’s 1st National Sports university gets President’s assent
President Ram Nath
Kovind has given his assent to an ordinance to set up the country’s
first national sports university in Manipur.
- The Union Cabinet had approved an ordinance in May
2018 in this regard.
- National Sports University Ordinance, 2018 will be
on the lines of the National Sports University Bill, 2017 which was
introduced in Lok Sabha in 2017.
Andhra Pradesh nod for
unemployment allowance
Andhra Pradesh government
has decided to pay Rs 1,000 a month as unemployment allowance to eligible youth.
- Approximately, 10 lakh graduates/diploma holders
will benefit, IT Minister Nara Lokesh said. A final decision would be
taken after eliciting suggestions from the youth.
Andhra Pradesh gets its
own symbols
Neem and black
buck have been declared as the state tree and
animal respectively of Andhra Pradesh.
- The rose-ringed parakeet will be
the state bird while jasmine will be the state
flower.
- The announcement was made by the Principal
Secretary of Environment and Forests G Anantha Ramu.
PM Modi 3-nation visit:
launches International Rupay Card, Bhim app and UPI in Singapore
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched three Indian digital payment systems - RuPay, BHIM app
and UPI by SBI at the 'Business, Innovation and Community
Event' in Singapore.
- With the launch, India's RuPay digital payments
system was linked up with Singapore's 33-year old Network for
Electronic Transfers (NETS).
- The move will enable RuPay users to make
payments at all of NETS acceptance points across Singapore.
India, Singapore exchange
8 key agreements
PM Modi is in Singapore on
the last leg of his 3 nation tour(Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), talks
between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and his counterpart Lee
Hsien Loong led to the signing of 8 agreements between the two sides which
covered areas as wide as military cooperation and connectivity.
- The 8 key fields under which the agreements
were exchanged are: Naval cooperation, Economic co-operation,
Fintech, Cybersecurity, Nursing, Combating Narcotics smuggling & Human
Trafficking, Personnel Management and Public Administration, MoU between
the NITI Aayog and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on Cooperation
in the Field of Planning.
India to go ahead with
S-400 defence deal with Russia
India will push ahead with
its deal to buy the S-400 air defence systems from Russia despite opposition
from the US, defence ministry officials said on condition of anonymity.
- According to them, the defence ministry will
approach the apex Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approval to
purchase five units of Russian S-400 air defence systems.
- They added that the ministry has received no
instructions as of now to stall the contract in the wake of the US
red-flagging the $5.5 billion deal.
India to send Sukhois and
C-17 aircraft for multi-lateral ‘Pitch Black’ exercise in Australia
India will be dispatching
four Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets and a C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift
aircraft to the country to participate in the multi-lateral “Pitch Black” air
combat exercise.
- This will be India’s first participation in the
Black Pitch exercise by Australia once every two years.
- The exercise, which will witness participation by
over 100 aircraft, will take place at the Royal Australian Air
Force bases at Tindal and Darwin from July 27 to August 17
this year.
Exercise Pitch Black is a
biennial warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The exercise is normally held in Northern Australia, primarily at RAAF Bases
Darwin and Tindal. The aim of the exercise is to practice Offensive Counter Air
(OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat, in a simulated war environment.
It traditionally consists of a 'red team' and a 'blue team' based at separate
locations, with one attacking the other.
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US Pacific Command Renamed
As Indo-Pacific Command
United States has
renamed its oldest and largest military command, US Pacific
Command, or PACOM, to Indo-Pacific Command, according to
the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
- The decision has been taken in recognition of the
growing importance of the Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking.
- The Trump administration had also
renamed Asia Pacific as Indo-Pacific and identified India as one
bookend of the region.
China signs deals worth
$390 bn with ‘Belt and Road’ countries
China has inked trade deals
worth $390 billion with the countries participating in its ambitious Belt and
Road Initiative.
- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet initiative
of Chinese President Xi Jinping was proposed in 2013.
- The BRI aims to build trade and infrastructure
networks connecting economies around the globe along with the ancient Silk
Route.
Denmark bans Burqa in
public spaces
Danish Parliament has
passed a law banning the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces, becoming the
latest European country to do so.
- Anyone who wears a garment that hides the face in
public will be punished with a fine says the law, which was passed by 75
votes to 30.
Pakistan signs $1.5
billion defence deal with Turkey
Pakistan has signed a deal
with Turkey for the purchase of 30 attack helicopters estimated to be worth
about $1.5 billion.
- The confirmation of the deal that had been in the
pipeline for more than three years was made in the manifesto released by
Turkey.
- This will also be the largest defence deal between
Turkey and Pakistan, which has turned to countries such as Russia for
military hardware following sharp cuts in military aid from the US.
Tata Motors signs MoU with
Maharashtra to promote e-Mobility
Tata Motors (India's
largest automobile company by revenues) signed a MoU with the State
Government of Maharashtra for deployment of 1000 Electric Vehicles
(EV) across its range of passenger and commercial vehicles in the State.
- The company also partnered Tata group company, Tata
Power Ltd to set up of EV Charging Stations in the State.
PayPal joins Temasek in
$125 million round for Pine Labs
PayPal has made its
maiden investment in India with a bet on point-of-sale (PoS) payments
provider Pine Labs as part of a $125-million funding round in the
company.
- Singapore government’s sovereign wealth
fund Temasek has jointly led the financing.
- The payments firm had raised $82 million (around Rs
530 crore) in March, led by emerging markets investor Actis.
Nirmala Sitharaman
inaugurated 1st IAF commanders conference
The First biannual Indian
Air Force Commanders’ Conference was inaugurated by Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.
- The Exercise ‘Gagan Shakti’ was mentioned
as the landmark exercise for IAF. The two-day conference discussed
operational, maintenance and administrative takeaways identified during
the Exercise and the way ahead.
- Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash
Bhamre, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa were among those who were
present at the conference.
India has been placed at
113th position in “End of Childhood Index 2018”
India has been placed at
113th position in the list of 175 countries in “End of Childhood Index 2018”
indexed by global child rights group, Save the Children.
- The child marriages in India have come down to 15.2%
from 21.1% in 2017. India jumped three positions up from 116 last year
with improvement in India’s overall score by 14 points from 754 to 768 on
a scale of 1000.
- More than half the world’s children – 1.2 billion –
live in countries affected by widespread poverty, conflict and
discrimination against girls, threatening their chance for a childhood.
- Singapore and Slovenia are placed at the top sharing
the first place in the index and Niger figures at the end of the list at
175.
Pakistan’s ex-chief
justice to become the interim prime minister
Pakistan’s former chief
justice Nasir-ul-Mulk is set to be sworn in as the caretaker prime
minister for a period of two months.
- It is only the third time in Pakistan’s history that
the National Assembly finished its five year term.
- Mulk will run the interim government from June 8
until the July 25 vote.
Giuseppe Conte sworn in as
Italian PM to New Populist Government
Giuseppe Conte was sworn in
as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government.
- Conte, an academic and political
novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment
Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.
- The 53-year-old was sworn in
alongside his cabinet, which will see M5S leader Luigi Di Maio and League
chief Matteo Salvini in key ministerial posts.
Fortis board appoints Ravi
Rajagopal as chairman
Fortis Healthcare has
appointed Ravi Rajagopal as the chairman of the company’s board with immediate
effect.
- Rajagopal (63), a chartered
accountant, is currently a non-executive independent director on the
Fortis board.
- Rajagopal, in his 35 year-long
careers, has worked in various entities like ITC, Ranbaxy Laboratories and
Diageo.
Amitabh Bachchan has
become the face of Central Railways` anti-trespassing campaign
Veteran actor Amitabh
Bachchan has become the face of Central Railways` anti-trespassing campaign. T
- respassing on railway tracks is a
major cause of deaths on Mumbai suburban rail network.
- Central Railway has launched an
initiative `Ek Safar Rail Ke Saath`, where celebrities will share their
experience about Indian Railways and their journey in a short film.
Amit Khare assumes charge
as I&B secretary
An IAS office Amit
Khare assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting on superannuation of Narendra Kumar Sinha.
- Prior to his appointment, Mr Khare
was Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand.
Vijay Mallya resigns as
Force India F1 director
Co-owner Vijay
Mallya has resigned as a director of the Force India Formula
One team but will continue to serve as principal and shareholder.
- Mallya, who lives in Britain, is
fighting a court battle to prevent his extradition to India to face
charges of fraud.
- The 62-year-old Indian, who denies
wrongdoing, stands accused of fraudulently palming off losses from his now
defunct Kingfisher Airlines.
Indian Oil most profitable
PSU for 2nd straight year
Indian Oil Corporationhas
emerged as India’s most profitable state-owned company for the second
consecutive year.
- Indian Oil posted a record profit
of Rs21,346 crore in 2017-18, followed by ONGC, whose profit stood at
Rs19,945 crore.
Kerala cartoonist Thomas
Antony wins International award
Kerala cartoonist Thomas
Antonyhas won an international award, in the best caricature category.
- Antony is among the nine winners
at the 13th edition of the World Press Cartoon
awards, instituted by an organisation based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Kendrick Lamar receives
Pulitzer Prize in Music
Kendrick Lamar received
the Pulitzer Prize in music for his album “Damn.” Lamar is the
first rapper in history to be given the award.
- Previous recipients included
Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and Duke Ellington. Lamar had received this award
at Columbia University.
Kailash Satyarthi and ISRO
Chief gets 'Santokbaa Humanitarian' award
President Ram Nath
Kovind presented the 'Santokbaa Humanitarian Award' to Child rights
activist and Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and space scientist A S
Kiran Kumar, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Surat,
Gujarat.
- The award was instituted
by Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF) and led by
diamond baron Govind Dholakia.
FIFA lifts suspension on
Guatemala
FIFA lifted a suspension
imposed on Guatemala 18 months ago over its failure to comply with
anti-corruption rules.
- The suspension prevented
Guatemalan teams from participating in international competitions such as
the Gold Cup, the Central American Games and the CONCACAF Champions
League.
- FIFA sanctioned Guatemala in
October 2016 after it failed to authorize the normalization committee
after an international corruption scandal that rocked world football.
