Daily Current affairs - June 23rd,24th and 25th, 2018 for all competitive exams
International Widows' Day is a global
awareness day that takes place annually on 23rd June.
- The
United Nations General Assembly decided to observe International
Widows’ Day on 23 June each year to give special recognition to the
situation of widows of all ages and across regions and cultures.
- Theme
for this year is “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”
International Widows Day was established by The
Loomba Foundation to raise awareness of the issue of widowhood. The
significance of 23 June is that it was on that day in 1954 that Shrimati
Pushpa Wati Loomba, mother of the foundation's founder, Lord Loomba, became a
widow.
To give special recognition to the situation of
widows of all ages and across regions and cultures, the United Nations
General Assembly decided to observe International Widows’ Day on 23 June each
year through its resolution A/RES/65/189 adopted on 21 December 2010.
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President 3-Nation visit: India & Cuba sign
MoUs
India and Cuba have signed two MoUs in
the field of biotechnology, traditional medicine and homoeopathy.
- The
agreements were inked following delegation-level talks
between President Ram Nath Kovind and his Cuban counterpart Miguel
Mario DÃaz-Canel in Havana.
- Cuba
also reiterated its support to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in
UN Security Council. The President is in the Latin American country on the
final leg of his three-nation tour to Greece, Suriname and Cuba.
Government to make 24 degrees Celsius as
default setting for AC
Union Power Ministry has
launched a campaign to promote energy efficiency in the area of
air-conditioning.
- This
initiative is launched on voluntary basis to increase
awareness and encourage consumers to adopt the guidelines. It will save
energy and reduce greenhouse gases.
- Union
Ministry of Power has considered a proposal in making 24 degrees Celsius
as mandatory default setting and labeling of air conditioners within few
months.
- It
has been planned after six months campaign launched to promote energy
efficiency in the area of air-conditioning.
- The
campaign was launched on voluntary basis to increase awareness and
encourage consumers to adopt the guidelines. It will result in substantial
energy savings and also reduce greenhouse gas emission.
Manufacturers
have also been advised to keep the default setting of air conditioners at 24
degree Celsius and also to carry out labelling indicating the optimum temperature setting for the
benefits of consumers both from financial and their health points of view.
These temperatures setting will be in the range of 24-26 degree Celsius.
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HRD nod to inter-university yoga centre in
S-VYASA varsity
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has
approved setting up an inter-university yoga centre at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana
Samsthana in Bengaluru.
- The
announcement was made by Union HRD Minister Prakash
Javadekar on the fourth International Yoga Day.
Government announced FFFO of Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund
The government
has announced the first Further Fund Offer (FFO) of Bharat 22 Exchange Traded
Fund (ETF). This is in pursuance of its disinvestment policy targeting an
initial amount of Rs.6,000 crore.
- Bharat
22 consists of 22 stocks of CPSE’s, PSB’s & strategic holding of
SUUTI. Bharat 22 is a well Diversified portfolio with 6 sectors (Basic
Materials, Energy, Finance, FMCG, and Industrials & Utilities).
- The
Bharat 22 Index will be rebalanced annually. ICICI Prudential AMC will be
the ETF Manager and Asia Index Private Limited (JV BSE and S& P
Global) will be the Index Provider.
- The
fund which is part of the Narendra Modi government's divestment programme
has 22 firms as its constituents. The government plans to raise up to Rs
8,400 crore.
In
November last year, the government launched the Bharat 22 ETF Bharat 22 which
received subscriptions worth Rs 31,817 crore of which the government decided
to retain Rs 14,500 crore and return the rest to subscribers. A discount of 3
per cent was offered to all categories of investors.
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Gujarat CM launches Suryashakti Kisan Yojana
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched the Rs 870-crore
pilot project of Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY).
- Under
the Yojana, farmers can generate electricity using solar energy and sell
the surplus to the electric grid. As per the new scheme, a farmer signing
up for it will have to spend only 5 % amount of the total expenditure for
installing the solar project (including solar panels and inverters).
- The
central and state govts will bear 60% of share of total cost of the
project and 35% share will be repaid by farmers in 7 years period.
- Under
the first phase of project, the state government would provide
financial assistance to 12,400 farmers out of the
state’s total 15 lakh farmers to generate an estimated 175 MW of power.
- The
government would also enter in a 25-year power purchase agreement with the
farmers. Till the farmers repay their loan, the distribution companies
would buy electricity from them at the rate of Rs 7 per unit and at Rs 3.5
per unit once the loans are settled. After that, the farmers would get
ownership of the solar system.
Annual Ambubachi Mela started in Assam
The annual Ambubachi Mela started at Nilachall hillock where
the Kamakhya temple is situated, in Assam. Over 10 lakh devotees are expected
to attend the mela.
- Ambubachi
Mela, a four-day fair to mark the annual menstruation of the goddess is
being held at Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.
- The
Ambubachi Mela symbolises the fertility
cult of goddess Kamakhya.
- There
is no idol in the temple, the goddess is
worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone over which a natural spring
flows.
- The
festival is also known as ‘Mahakumbh of the East’ as it draws lakhs of devotees from all over the world.
Plastic ban in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
government recently began enforcing a ban on plastic, a decision it announced
in March.
- The
government had given the manufacturers, distributors, and consumers a
period of three months to dispose their existing stock and come up with
alternatives to plastic usage.
- Under
the notification products manufactured from plastic and thermocol have
been covered under the ban. As a result usage of plastic bags with a
handle and without handle, disposable cups, and plates, spoons, forks,
glasses, and containers is prohibited in the state. Plastic packaging used
to wrap and store the product is also included in the ban.
- Officials
from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and district and local
administration have been authorised to implement it. For regulating this
law at tourist locations, tourism police, or Maharashtra Tourism
Development Corporation has been made responsible.
3-day annual Sindhu Darshan festival begins in
Ladakh region
The three-day annual Sindhu Darshan
Festival celebrates on the bank of Indus River started
in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The
Festival was organised by Sindhu Darshan Yatra Samiti and
Ladakh Phandey Tsogspa, Leh.
- This
year marked the 22nd Sindhu Darshan festival and it was started
by the former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in 1997.
Chipko movement in Delhi
To save about
16,500 fully grown trees from being chopped down in the city, locals and social
organizations have come together to hold a campaign on the lines of Chipko
movement for tree protection in Delhi.
- The
participants hugged the trees that are to be felled, tied green ribbons
around the trees symbolising rakhis and shouted slogans. They carried
placards with messages urging people and the government to save trees.
Free saplings were also distributed.
Haryana CM announces to set up Yog Aayog in
state
On the occasion of the 4th International Day of
Yoga, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has
announced to set up a ‘Yog Aayog’ in the state.
- The
‘Yog Aayog’ will promote yoga in the state. Practising yoga leads to
physical, mental and spiritual development and is helpful in all round
development of one’s personality.
Haryana village 1st to pass no Toilet, no Bride
resolution
Haryana’s Godikan village panchayat has passed
a ‘No Toilet, No Bride’ resolution, becoming the first panchayat in the country
to do so.
- According
to the resolution, girls from Godikan will not be married off in houses
without a toilet.
Delhi Metro network set to become 5th largest
in world
The over 11-km Mundka-Bahadurgarh section of
Delhi Metro’s Green Line, connecting the capital to Haryana, was inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Addressing
the gathering through videoconferencing, the Prime Minister said the
expanding Metro network in Delhi would soon be the world’s fifth largest
after Beijing, London, Shanghai and New York.
AAI proposed setup water aerodrome in Chilika Lake
The Airports
Authority of India has proposed to set up a water aerodrome in Chilika Lake for
starting amphibious aircraft operations in Odisha.
- It
is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in
the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef in New Caledonia.
- It
is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on
the Indian sub-continent.
- It
is one of the hotspot of biodiversity in the country, and some rare,
vulnerable and endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List of
threatened Animals inhabit in the lagoon for atleast part of their life
cycle.
- On
account of its rich bio-diversity and ecological significance, Chilika was
designated as the 1st “Ramsar Site” of India.
Saudi ARAMCO, ADNOC signed MoU for refinery
project of Maharashtra
Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
(ADNOC) have signed an MoU to jointly develop and build an integrated
refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
- The
MoU was signed by Amin H. Nasser, Saudi Aramco President and CEO
and Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State & ADNOC
Group CEO.
- Earlier,
Saudi Aramco had joined the Ratnagiri Refinery project by signing an
MoU with the Indian consortium in April 2018 on the sidelines
of the 16th International Energy Forum Ministerial.
Seychelles President's visit to India: List of
MoUs Signed
Seychelles President Danny Faure is on his
first bilateral visit to India. He held the talks with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and reviewed the wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries,
including in the fields of defence and security.
Here is the list of MoUs signed between the 2
countries:
1. MOU
between India and Seychelles regarding Indian Grant Assistance for
Implementation of Small Development Projects through Local Bodies,
Educational and Vocational Institutions,
2. Twinning
Agreement on the Establishment of Friendship and Cooperation between
the Corporation of the City of Panaji (Municipal Corporation) and the City
of Victoria of the Republic of Seychelles,
3. MOU
between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in), Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology, India and the Department of
Information Communications Technology of Seychelles on Cooperation in
the area of Cyber Security,
4. Cultural
Exchange Programme between India and Seychelles for the years 2018-2022,
5. Technical
Agreement on Sharing White Shipping Information between the Indian Navy and the
National Information Sharing and Coordination Center of Seychelles,
6. MOU
between the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs
of India and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Seychelles
India, Bangladesh Navies to join hands
India and
Bangladesh have agreed to institute a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual
feature between the two Navies.
- The
commencement of CORPAT is a major step towards the enhanced operational
interaction between both Navies.
- It
is aimed to consolidate bilateral defense relations between India and
Bangladesh and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation.
- The
Navy regularly conducts CORPATs with Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. It
also conducts EEZ surveillance of Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles on
their request.
Mongolia launched first strategical oil refinery in Dornogovi province
Mongolia has
launched construction of its first strategically important oil refinery funded
by India in southern Dornogovi province.
- The
strategically important oil refinery will make Mongolia independent from
energy imports and stabilise fuel and commodity prices in its domestic
markets.
OPEC agrees to increase oil production
Organization
of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has agreed to increase its daily
output to address the problem of rising crude oil prices. The cartel’s output would be increased by about a
million barrels a day beginning in July.
- Countries
across the world have been vocal in recent months about the need to bring
down rising oil prices that threaten to put the global economy under
stress. Emerging markets such as India that have been affected by the
rising cost of oil imports, have also been exerting pressure
The
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a group of
oil-producing nations that was first established in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1961.
OPEC is one of the most powerful international organizations in the world and
was a major player in the shift towards state control over natural resources.
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Unispace+50
UNISPACE+50
were held recently to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first United
Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and
highlight past and future Agency activities in support of the UN’s
space-related actions.
- UNISPACE+50
were celebrated at the Vienna International Centre, bringing together the
international community, and reflecting on the past and future of space
activities around the world.
- It
was a chance to assess results following the three prior UNISPACE conferences,
held in 1968, 1982 and 1999, and consider how the future course of global
space cooperation can benefit everyone on Earth.
- The
event aimed at shaping the UN’s comprehensive ‘Space2030’ agenda. The
Space2030 agenda will map out how spaceflight and space-related activities
can help achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing
overarching, long-term development concerns, through the peaceful
exploration and uses of outer space.
NASA plans to protect Earth from Giant asteroids
NASA has
released a report outlining the federal government’s response in the event that
an asteroid or comet flying through space should ever impact Earth.
- The
National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan shows how the U.S. federal government
would protect and prepare the planet for such an event, and outlines five
strategic goals for reducing the risk of an impact.
The five
strategic goals include:
1. Enhance
NEO detection, tracking, and characterization capabilities.
2. Improve
NEO modeling prediction, and information integration.
3. Develop
technologies for NEO deflection and disruption missions.
4. Increase
international cooperation on NEO preparation.
5. Establish
NEO impact emergency procedures and action protocols.
NASA and its
partners have identified more than 95% of all asteroids that are large enough
to cause a global catastrophe, and none of those found poses a threat within
the century.
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Microsoft acquires AI startup Bonsai
Microsoft announced that it has signed an
agreement to acquire Bonsai, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup based in
San Francisco, to boost its AI and machine learning capabilities.
- It
is based in Berkeley, California, Bonsai was founded in 2014 and has
around 42 employees.
RBI revises upwards housing loan limits under
priority sector
The housing loan limits for eligibility under
priority sector lending will be revised to Rs 35 lakh in metropolitan centres
Rs 28 lakh earlier (with population of ten lakh and above), and to Rs 25 lakh
from Rs 20 lakh earlier in other centres, provided the overall cost of the
dwelling unit in the metropolitan centre and at other centres does not exceed
Rs 45 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, respectively.
- The
existing limit for family income of Rs 2 lakh per annum for loans to
housing projects for home construction economically weaker sections and
low income groups, is revised to Rs 3 lakh per annum and Rs 6 lakh per
annum respectively in alignment with the income criteria specified under
the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
2018 All India conference of Directors of
finger prints bureaux 2018 held in Hyderabad
The 19th all India Conference of Directors of
Finger Prints Bureaux 2018 has been inaugurated by Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, in Hyderabad.
- Telangana
Police hosted the conference. It aims to discuss and deliberate the
challenging issues faced by fingerprint fraternity.
- It
is a forum to evolve better solutions for the problems faced by FP experts
in the course of their duty.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan re elected as the Turkish
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had won a 52.54%
share of the national vote and re-elected as the Turkish
President, extending his 15-year grip on power.
- Erdogan
has won several consecutive elections to become Turkey’s longest-serving
leader.
Arijit Basu appointed SBI's new Managing
director
The government appointed Arjit
Basu as Managing Director of the country's largest lender State Bank
of India (SBI).
- He
will fill the position that fell vacant following the elevation of Rajnish
Kumar as the chairman.
- Now,
after this, the SBI will have four managing directors. As per the SBI Act,
the bank can have four managing directors. Mr Basu has held several key
positions in various circles of SBI including the bank's office
in Tokyo, Japan.
FICCI awarded at X International IT forum in
Russia
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
(FICCI) along with several industry members and senior government
officials and academia, recently participated in X International IT Forum
at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
- Organised
by the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra region, the
forum brought together industry leaders from BRICS and SCO nations as well
as other countries to a single platform to interact and discuss
collaboration in the fields of information technology and digital
transformation.
Vasundhara Raje conferred with ‘CM of the Year’
award
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was conferred
the ‘Chief Minister of the Year’ award for her remarkable work in
e-governance.
- The
award was given at the 52nd Skoch Summit held in New Delhi.
- Union
Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh was the chief guest at the
function. The award was received by Raje’s OSD in advisory council Dr Anuj
Saxena and joint director of IT department R L Solanki on her behalf
from Skoch Group chairman Sameer Kochhar.
Ministry of
Women & Child Development received SKOCH Award
Ministry of
Women & Child Development has received the ‘Best Performing Social Sector
Ministry’ SKOCH Award for its Achievements and Initiatives.
- The
Skoch Awards celebrate human excellence and agents of change in Indian
society. They are the highest independently instituted civilian honours in India. Only
end-user departments and domain ministries may apply including State
undertakings.
The Skoch
Awards have become the only independent benchmark of best practices in India
in the fields of governance, finance, banking, technology, corporate
citizenship, economics and inclusive growth.
Skoch
Consultancy Services is a think tank dealing with socio-economic issues with
a focus on inclusive growth.
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Award-winning poet Donald Hall passes away
Award-winning American poet and writer Donald
Hall passed away at the age of 89.
- He
was the United States Poet Laureate for 2007-’08 and
received the Robert Frost Medal in 1991 and the National
Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honour for artists, in
2010.
Archer Deepika Kumari wins Gold at Salt Lake
World Cup
Archer Deepika Kumari won her first individual
gold medal in six years at the Salt Lake World Cup, in the USA. She
defeated Germany’s Michelle Kroppen in the recurve final.
- The
win ensured Deepika will represent the country at the season-ending
Archery World Cup Final in Samsun, Turkey in October 2018.
Sandeep Sejwal wins Gold in Singapore national
Swimming championships
Indian swimmer Sandeep Sejwal put up an impressive
performance to clinch the gold medal in men's 50m breaststroke event at
the Singapore National Swimming Championships in Singapore.
- Besides,
Virdhawal Khade grabbed a creditable silver medal in the 50m freestyle
event with a timing of 22.68 seconds.
India’s R Praggnanandhaa becomes World’s 2nd
youngest Chess grand master
India’s R Praggnanandhaa has become
the country’s youngest and the world’s second youngest Grand Master
at the age of 12 years, 10 months and 13 days after reaching the final round of
the ongoing Grendine Open in Italy.
- The
Chennai-based player was paired with Grand Master Prujjsers Roland in the
final round, which ensured that he would achieve the feat. Ukraine’s
Sergey Karjakin remains the youngest ever GM, having achieved the
feat at the age of 12 years and seven months in 2002.
