Current Affairs!

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1. Forbes releases World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2016 list

a) German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped the Forbes '100 Most Powerful Women' list. This list includes the world's smartest and toughest female personalities from business women & entrepreneurs to scientists and politicians.

b) This list also includes four Indian women, namely SBI Managing Director Arundhati Bhattacharya, Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, ICICI Bank MD Chanda Kochhar & HT Media head Shobhana Bhartia. Arundhati Bhattacharya is at the top among Indian women at 25th spot.

c) German Chancellor Angela Merkel has secured the first place for the sixth consecutive year. US Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton bagged the 2nd rank.

2. Mirza Imtiyaz Judicial Commission constituted to probe Mathura violence

a) A judicial probe was recently ordered by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to look into the recent Mathura violence. Retired Allahabad High Court judge, Justice Mirza Imtiyaz Murtaza will head this judicial commission and submit report in two months.

b) The recent armed conflict between state police and followers of 'Swadhin Bharat' in the Jawahar Bagh Public Park in Mathura claimed 24 lives including two police officials.

c) The commission will inquire into the reasons of origin of such violent incident and lapses on the part of police and intelligence bodies. It will review planning and readiness of the state and district administrative machinery for future.

3. India signs MoU with US to facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians to US

a) India & US has recently signed a memorandum of understanding to provide expedited security clearance which will ease the immigration process for Indian entering into US.

b) This MoU will further support to grow the people to people ties in both the countries which will further strengthen the bilateral relationship between India & US.

c) Currently, the Global Entry Programme is available at 12 pre-clearance locations in the US and more than 40 US airports. By this date, more than 1.8 million people have already enrolled for this programme.

4. AYUSH minister inaugurates National Health Editors' meet on Yoga

a) Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik has inaugurated the National Health Editors' meet on Yoga. The theme of this conference was 'Yoga for Holistic Health - Recent Researches'.

b) The objective of this conference was to propagate benefits of Yoga. The Minister has also announced the introduction of a new International Yoga Award Scheme.

c) This meet was organised by Ministry of AYUSH in association with Press Information Bureau. It is part of a planned series of events before the upcoming International Yoga Day on 21st June, 2016.

5. Centre to form new reserve battalion named after Maharana Pratap

a) A new reserve battalion in Rajasthan is set to be named as Maharana Pratap Battalion.

b) Maharana pratap was the ruler of Mewar, He was a fearless warrior and great military strategist who fought against till his death during the efforts of saving his people.

6. US returns 200 artifacts worth $100 mn to India

a) The US has recently returned around 200 cultural artifacts worth Rs. 100 million to India.

b) These artifacts include religious statues, bronzes and terra cotta pieces, some dating back 2,000 years, looted from some of India's most treasured religious sites. It also contains, a valuable statue of a Hindu Mystic and poet Saint Manikkavachakar. This statue is worth 1.5 million.

c) This statues were seized by US Homeland Security Investigation called Operation Hidden Idol. Subhash Kapoor, Owner of Art of the Past Gallery, had imported this shipment. He is currently under Indian custody and awaiting trial.

7. NPCI and Westinghouse agree to begin engineering work on 6 N-reactors

a) Nuclear Power Corporation of India & US firm Westinghouse recently signed agreement to start engineering and site design work for six AP1000 nuclear power reactors in India.

b) The project will further strengthen India-US civil nuclear agreement and provide assistance to India to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

c) The two organisations will finalise agreement by June, 2017.

8. India, US set up 2 clean energy financial support programmes for $60 mn

a) Inda along with US has announced establishment of two new financial assistance programmes worth $60 million in order to provide necessary financial assistance to India's clean energy initiatives, including the solar power and other initiatives.

b) US & India will also prove their equal support to creation and maintenance of the US-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) initiative worth $20 million & US-India Catalytic Solar Finance Programme worth $40 million.

c) Both the countries are committed to establish a US-India Clean Energy Hub as a coordinating mechanism to increase renewable energy investments in India.

9. Queen Elizabeth to honour Indian-origin professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharya

a) Indian-origin Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya will receive the prestigious Regius Professorship in Manufacturing by Queen Elizabeth II.

b) Lord Bhattacharyya is currently the chairman and founder of Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). He founded WMG in 1980 with an aim to energise UK's manufacturing sector with modern ideas. He has advised the UK government on manufacturing innovation, and technology, including former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

c) The Regius Professorship is approved by the Queen herself after ministerial advice.

10. American mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice passes away

a) Renowned mixed martial art fighter Kimbo Slice recently passed away at the age of 42.

b) He began his journey as a football player and strip club bouncer. Later, he became an online sensation while competing in unsanctioned street fights during the early 2000s.

c) He started his career in mixed martial arts in 2005 and rose to fame.

11. Eden Gardens to host India's first pink ball match

a) Eden Gardens ground in Kolkata is set to host India's first pink ball match in June 2016.

b) A pink Kookaburra ball will be used in the finals of the local super league. This super league is held to select the players for the Bengal state's Ranji Trophy team.

c) Pink balls were developed in the 2000s to enable Tests and first-class matches played at night. The red ball is unsuited to night tests due to poor visibility, and the white ball is unsuited to first-class cricket because its rapid deterioration.

12. India to host Junior Men's Hockey World Cup in December

a) Lucknow will be hosting the Junior Men's Hockey Cup this year in December.

b) The event will feature 16 teams - defending champions Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, England, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Spain.

c) Before this tournament, the women's Hockey Junior World Cup will take place in Santiago, Chile, from 24th November to 4th December.

13. LISA Pathfinder mission demonstrates ways to detect gravitational waves

a) LISA Pathfinder, a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with contributions from NASA, has successfully tested a key technology needed to build a space-based observatory for detecting gravitational waves.

b) These tiny ripples in the fabric of space which were predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago, were seen last year for the first time by the ground-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

c) The primary goal of ESA's LISA Pathfinder mission is to test current technology by flying around an identical pair of 1.8-inch (46 millimeter) cubes made of a gold-platinum alloy, a material chosen for its high density and insensitivity to magnetic fields.

14. Veteran Journalist KK Katyal passes away

a) Veteran journalist K K Katyal has passed away at the age of 88.

b) He served The Hindu for 28 years and took care of the paper's political and diplomatic reporting.

c) He previously worked for News Chronicle, The Statesman & Hindustan Times.

15. Maria Sharapova receives two-year suspension for failing drug test

a) International Tennis Federation has suspended veteran Tennis player Maria Sharapova for 2 years for using a prohibited drug.

b) She was found guilty for violating the Article 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

c) Due to her prompt admission of her violation, that period of ineligibility might be back-dated and end on 25 January 2018.

16. WHO validates elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in four countries including Thailand

a) World Health Organization (WHO) on 8 June 2016 recognised Thailand, Armenia, Belarus and Moldova for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis.

b) The achievement is a step forward in Thailand's aggressive campaign to reduce new cases of the Aids virus, but experts warn many other problems still exist - including a rising rate of new HIV infections among gay men and transgender people.

c) WHO and partners in 2014 developed a global criteria to validate the elimination of transmission of both infections through a rigorous review of country progress. Last year, Cuba was the first country to have successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

d) Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis is key to the global effort to combat sexually transmitted infections and to end AIDS by the year 2030.

17. Internet Saathi launched in West Bengal

a) A joint initiative of Google and Tata Trust called Internet Sathi was recently launched in Kolkata, West Bengal.

b) This initiative aims to empower women from the rural India by providing basic training for internet usage. It will help in reducing the digital gender gap in rural areas of India such as Purulia.

c) The programme was launched in five different Indian states from July 2015. Google helps in training the Saathi's and provides data-enabled devices along with the training material. Tata trust supports the local NGOs to conduct training classes for these women.

18. NATO launches biggest ever Joint Military Exercise Anaconda-16 in Poland

a) The biggest-ever joint military exercise called Anaconda-16 was recently launched by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Poland.

b) The exercise has been launched at the crucial time when Eastern and Central European countries are concerned over the Russian progressions in the region.

c) This exercise was organised and coordinated by Polish military's operational command. It will involve some 31000 troops from Poland, the US and 17 other NATO member nations and from five partner nations out of which 12000 of the troops are from Poland, almost 14000 from the US and some 1000 from Britain. 

[maniza.siddique]

1. World Bank cuts global growth forecast to 2.4 %

a) The World Bank has lowered its forecast for the global growth in 2016 to 2.4%, warning that the world economy is facing stronger headwinds. India will remain one of the fastest growing major economies, ahead of China, for the next three years, the report said.

b) According to the report, developing economies are forecast to expand by 3.5% in 2016, 0.6 percentage point lower than its January's projection; advanced economies are expected to grow 1.7% this year, 0.5 lower than its January's forecast.

c) Global falldown and fall in prices have reduced the world trade projections. While India has benefitted from the reduction in oil prices, ts exports have shrunk for 17 consecutive months.

2. India ranked 141 on Global Peace Index, Syria least peaceful

a) In a recent report, India ranked 141st on the Global Peace Index out of 163 countries on the list.

b) Syria has been named as the least peaceful. Syria is followed by South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. Iceland has been ranked as the most peaceful country which is followed by Denmark and Austria at number 2 and 3 positions, respectively.

c) The tenth edition of GPI report highlights the distinct differences between most and least peaceful countries and that the gap between the two countries to increase. India deteriorated by 5% in the last decade while three of the five biggest declines in peace occurred in the region including Yemen, Libya and Bahrain.

3. India overtakes Japan to be the third largest oil consumer

a) India has surpassed Japan to become the third largest consumer of oil globally. With a demand of 4,1 million barrels a day, India accounted for 4.5 per cent of world oil consumption in 2015.

b) Oil remained the world's leading fuel, accounting for 32.9 per cent of global energy consumption and is gaining market share for the first time since 1999. Coal came in as the second-largest fuel by market share (29.2 per cent).

4. ADB approves $100 mn loan for irrigation system in TN

a) Asian Development Bank said it has approved a USD 100 million (around Rs. 660 crore) loan to strengthen a key irrigation system and improve water management in the Vennar sub-basin of Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu.

b) The project will strengthen the embankments of six major irrigation water channels in Vennar system to make them more resilient to floods and upgrade water regulators, sluices, and pump stations.

c) This project will also support both physical improvements and stronger water management, giving a significant boost to the lives of coastal communities who often go without sufficient irrigation water.

5. Pakistan tops in 2016 Malware Infection Index

a) Microsoft Asia announced the launch of its Malware Infection Index 2016 (MII2016), which identifies the key malware threats in the region and ranks markets in Asia Pacific according to how much they are affected.

b) According to the index, India ranks 8th while Pakistan tops the list. Asia pacific appears to be the most vulnerable with emerging markets most at risk of malware threats.

c) Of the top five locations across the globe most at risk of infection, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, top the rankings at first, second, fourth and fifth places respectively.

d) The top three most encountered malware include Gamarue, a malicious computer worm that is commonly distributed via exploit kits and social engineering; and Skeeyah and Peals which are trojans that try to look innocent to convince you to install them. They can steal personal informations, download more malware or give a malicious hacker access to the computers.

6. IUPAC adds 4 new elements to the Periodic Table

a) International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recently added four new elements to the Periodic table. Nihonium, Moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson are the recommended names for elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 respectively.

b) Nihonium, named after Japan (Nippon is a Japanese word for Japan), with an atomic number of 113. Its symbol is Nh. Moscovium (Mc), element 115, named after the Russian capital city. Tennessine (Ts), 117, named after the state of Tennessee. And 118 is oganesson (Og), bears the name of Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian, who led several elemental discoveries.

c) The names were proposed in January this year and will be confirmed after five months of public review.

7. Putin awards UN chief Ban Ki-Moon with the order of friendship

a) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been honored with Russia's Order of Friendship.

b) He was for special merits in strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples.

c) Among those awarded are Prince Michael of Kent, Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of the Brazilian capital, and former President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge.

d) The order, set up in 1994, is meant to reward Russian citizens and foreign nationals for outstanding accomplishments in strengthening peace and cooperation with Russia, as well as for charity activities.

8. Naresh Goyal Re-Elected To IATA Board Of Governors

a) Chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to IATA's Board of Governors which will be his fifth successive tenure at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Board of Governors.

b) The only representative from India, Goyal will serve a term of three years lasting until the close of IATAs 75th AGM in 2019.

9. G Kalyanakrishnan took over as New Chief Executive for Nuclear Fuel Complex

a) G Kalyanakrishnan, Distinguished Scientist, has been appointed as the Chief Executive to Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad

b) He will succeed N Saibaba, who has retired on completion of two years of extended period of service.

c) He will also serve as the Chairman of the NFC board prior to which he was the Deputy Chief executive.

10. Former Kerala Assembly Speaker T S John passed away

a) Former Speaker and Minister passed away at the age of 76 due to prolonged illness.

b) An advocate by profession, he represented the Kallooppara Assembly constituency four times. He was Speaker of the Assembly during 1976-77 and Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the A.K. Antony-led Ministry in 1978. He became Minister in the succeeding Ministry led by P.K. Vasudevan Nair.

c) He received the Golden jubilee Award of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) from the President of India in May 1997 for his remarkable contribution to the cause of the working class.

11.India-US inked 8 MoUs to bolster economic growth & sustainable development

a) India and the United States (US) signed/ finalized eight agreements/ Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields including exchange of Terrorist Screening Information, cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change among others.

b) The MoUs include:

a. Arrangement for the exchange of Terrorist Screening Information

b. MoU to enhance cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy and Climate Change

c. MoU to enhance co-operation on Wildlife Conservation, management and Combating Wildlife Trafficking

d. MoU for the Development of an International Expedited Traveler Initiative (the Global Entry Programme)

e. Technical Arrangement concerning Unclassified Maritime Information Sharing

f. MoU for Cooperation in Gas Hydrates

g. Information Exchange Annex (IEA) to the Master Information Exchange Agreement concerning Aircraft Carrier Technologies

h. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement

12. Major General Per Lodin appointed to head UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

a) United Nation's secretary Ban-Ki-Moon has given green signal to the appointment of Per Lodin, Major General of Sweden, as the Head of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

b) Major General Lodin will succeed Major General Delali Johnson Sakyi of Ghana. Major General Delali Sakyi will complete his two year term as the head of UNMOGIP on 2nd July, 2016.

c) Major general Lodin is currently serving as the head of Strategic Material Management at Forsvarets materielverk (FMV), the Swedish Defence Ministry's procurement and logistics arm.

d) Major Lodin has also served as the head of the task force centre of Kosovo Force (KFOR), the multi-national peacekeeping mission led by NATO in 2006-2007.

13. Paralympic committee of india gets recognition

a) The Paralympic committee of India has recently recognised by The International Paralympics Committee (IPC).

b) The Paralympic committee of India is led by Rao Inderjit Singh as it's president.

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1. Researchers in Assam developed two rice variants, Ranjit Sub-1 & Bahadur Sub-1, for submerged areas

a) Two new rice varieties namely Ranjit Sub-1 & Bahadur Sub-1 was recently developed by researchers at Assam Agricultural University. These rice varieties will give better yields under submerged conditions in Assam state mainly in Barak valley.

b) These rice varieties are suited for the submerged areas in Kharif season. They are the better versions of the Ranjit and Bahadur rice varieties. To develop this new varieties, the researchers have incorporated a new gene which will ensure the increase in productivity even if the crops remain submerged in the flash floods.

2. NIIF, Qatar Investment Authority signed MoU to facilitate investment in Indian infrastructure sector

a) National Investment and infrastructure fund (NIIF) has recently signed an MoU with Qatar investment authority to attract investments from Qatar under the umbrella of NIIF.

b) The MoU was signed by Mr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, CEO of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Mr. Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs on behalf of NIIF Ltd.

c) The Qatar investment authority will study the investment opportunities in the infrastructure sector in India and develop a framework for exchange of information with regard to such investments opportunities, in order to enable both sides to decide on joint investments.

3. India signs Europe-led clampdown on tax evasion and corruption

a) India has recently joined a group of 40 nations by signing a Europe led clamp down on tax evasion and corruption. These signatories have committed to automatically exchange information on beneficial ownership.

b) The group is working towards development of a global standard for this exchange of beneficial ownership data between law enforcement agencies and tax authorities of partner countries. Some countries outside of Europe are also in the list of signatories which include Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico and the UAE.

c) Most of the European countries have signed this agreement except a tax haven like Switzerland.

4. Union Government releases the Road Accidents in India 2015 Report

a) Union minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has recently launched 'Road accidents in India 2015' report. This report is made by the Transport Research Wing.

b) As per the report, the total no. of accidents have increased by 2.5% in 2015 as compared to the statistics of 2014. The total no. of persons killed in 2015 have also increased by 4.6% in 2015. Road accident injuries have increased by 1.4%.

c) Every day around 1374 accidents and 400 deaths take place on Indian roads. 15-34 year old people killed in road accidents are around 54.1% of total. Around 86.7% of road accidents are mostly from thirteen Indian states namely Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Haryana.

d) Among cities, Mumbai has the highest no. of road accidents. Delhi has the highest no. of road accident deaths. The main cause of these road accidents across the country are due to the 'driver's fault' mostly.

5. PM Modi concluded five-nation tour to Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the USA and Mexico

a) Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has recently concluded his 5 nations tour to Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the USA and Mexico.

b) Modi inaugurated Afghan-India friendship dam which is built by India for irrigation, power generation and to supply drinking water. Mr. Modi was conferred with Afghanistan's highest civilian honour, the Amir Abdullah Khan award.

c) India & Qatar signed seven bilateral agreements in total in various fields. Both the countries have also garred to constitute a high level inter ministerial joint committee to review the bilateral matters.

d) Switzerland supported India's membership in the 48 member NSG group. They also agreed to support India in fighting against the black money and tax evasion. The country also agreed to set up new vocational and educational training centres.

e) Modi attended a joint session in US congress and 40th US India Business Council in Washington. India and US have launched a 20 million dollar US-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) initiative to mobilize up to 400 million dollar to provide clean and renewable energy to upto 1 million households by 2020. India and US have signed six bilateral agreements and 2 documents in total in various fields.

f) Foreign ministers of India and Mexico are instructed to develop a roadmap of Privileged Partnership suitable for the 21st Century, in the framework of the Seventh Mexico-India Joint Commission Meeting to be held in Mexico in 2016.

6. Suresh Prabhu flags off Champaran Satyagrah Express train in Bihar

a) Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the weekly Champaran Satyagraha Express at Motihari, Bihar.

b) He had also inaugurated six new rail facilities in Bihar which includes three Road Over Bridges (ROBs) at Danapur (Patna), Motihari and Begusarai railway stations, the broad gauge conversion work of Banmankhi-Purnea rail section, besides converting Piprahan station into a crossing station.

c) The champaran Satyagraha was the first satyagraha in the country which was led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 in Champaran. This train is launched to mark the completion of 100 years to the historic moment of Champaran Satyagraha.

d) The train will run between Bapudham, Motihari and Anand Vihar, Delhi.

7. Axis Bank launches India's first certified green bond at London Stock Exchange

a) Axis Bank has launched India's first certified green bond at London Stock Exchange with an aim to finance the climate change solutions across globe. Axis Bank raised a $500 million at London stock exchange.

b) Axis Bank said the proceeds of the bond will be invested in green energy, transportation and infrastructure projects, reinforcing India's commitment to produce 175,000 MW of renewable power by 2022.

c) London Stock Exchange is a world leader in green bond listings, home to international green finance from India and China.

8. Maharashtra to observe 21st of every month as Yoga Day

a) 21st day of every month will be observed as the Yoga day across all schools, colleges and universities in the Maharashtra State. 21st day of every month is chosen as the international yoga day is celebrated on 21st June.

b) Every year a Yoga Mahotsav will also be celebrated in the state from 12 Jan t0 21st Jan. Every district in the state will have to set up a Yoga Day Committee to celebrate Yoga Mahotsav. A state level committee will also be formed to monitor the district level Yoga committees.

9. Centre announces new Print Media Advertisement policy

a) The Union Information and Broadcasting ministry has recently released a new print media advertising policy for directorate of advertising and visual publicity (DAVP).

b) The basic objective of this policy is to bring transparency and accountability in issuing of advertisements in print media.

c) The Policy has introduced a new marking system based on 6 objective criteria with different marks to incentivize the newspapers.

d) The newspaper applying this policy will have a better professional standing and can get their circulation verified by Audit Bureau of Circulations or registrar of newspapers for India.

e) The policy mandates that DAVP will release payment of advertisement bills in the name of newspaper or company account directly through ECS or NEFT. It has classified newspaper and journals in three categories namely

I) small: publishing upto 25,000 copies per day, II) medium: between 25,001 and 75,000 copies

III) Big: 75,000 copies or more.

10. FCI inks pact with Adani Group

a) Adani group of infrastructure and Food Corporation of India has recently inked an infrastructure pact. As per this agreement, the Adani Group will build two silos to store wheat, at an estimated cost of about Rs 80 crore.

b) This two silos have the storage capacity of 75,000 tonnes combined. These silos will be build at Kotkapura in Punjab and Katihar in Bihar in the next two years.

c) A silo is a steel structure, comprising large size cylindrical shape bins normally each with a capacity of about 12,500 tonnes, where grains can be stored without jute bags for longer duration.

11. Tata Power Solar bagged the MNRE award

a) Ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) award was bagged by Tata Power Solar. They received this award for in the Channel Partner/EPC contractor category at the National Excellence Awards 2016 instituted by MNRE for the first time.

b)Tata Power Solar won this award for their rooftop solar power initiative. Tata Power Solar has commissioned 112.5 MW of rooftop projects till 2016.

c) Central government has set up a target of bearing around 100 MW solar capacity by 2022. Rooftop solar power plants constitute around 40% of this target.

12. MTNL chairman Narendra Yadav steps down

a) Narendra Kumar Yadav, Chairman and Managing director of state run MTNL will soon be step down from his position owing to the completion of his tenure.

b) Director (finance) P K Purwar has been given additional charge of the CMD's post.

13. Akhil Sharma wins €100,000 Dublin International literary award

a) Veteran American author of Indian origin Akhil Sharma has recently won the Dublin International Literary award for his second novel 'family life'.

b) Dublin International Literary award is considered as the world's richest literary award as it offers 1,00,000 Euro to the winner. This award is given to the books published in English or English translation and which are nominated by public libraries from around the world.

c) Akhil Sharma has also bagged the 2015 Folio Prize worth 40,000 pounds for his autobiographical novel.

14. World's highest-paid athletes: Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes 2016 list

a) Forbes magazine has recently released a list of world's highest paid athletes in 2016. With earnings of 88 million in total, ace football player Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list.

b) Americans and baseball players dominated this list. With earnings of 81.4 million US dollars Argentinian football player Lionel Messi stood at the 2nd position. NBA's Lebron James is at the third position in this list.

c) Roger Federer is the highest earning athlete in individual athlete category. Novak Djokovic has also made in top 10 for the first time.

d) Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are only two female athletes to receive a spot in this list.

15. BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2016 released

a) BP Statistical Review of World Energy for the year 2015 was released on 8 June 2016. The review provides an objective global overview of energy production, consumption, trade, reserves and prices.

b) Highlights of the BP Statistical Review

. Rise of 1 percent in Global primary energy consumption in 2015, similar to the below-average growth recorded in 2014 (+1.1 percent) and well below its 10-year average of 1.9 percent.

. Oil remained the world's leading fuel which was accounting for 32.9 percent of global energy consumption. It gained market share for the first time since 1999.

. Global oil consumption grew by 1.9 million barrels per day (b/d), or 1.9 percent which was nearly double the recent historical average (+1 percent) and significantly stronger than the increase of 1.1 million b/d seen in 2014.

. Natural gas market share of primary energy consumption was 23.8percent.

. Global crude runs rose by 1.8 million b/d (+2.3 percent) which was more than triple their 10-year average growth, although there were declines in South & Central America, Africa and Russia.

. 1.7 percent increase in World natural gas consumption which was a significant increase as compared in 2014 but still below the 10-year average of 2.3 percent.

. 1.3 percent increase in global nuclear output with China (+28.9 percent) accounting for the increase. China leads to become the fourth-largest supplier of nuclear power.

. Renewable energy sources reached 2.8 percent of global energy consumption in 2015, a rise of 0.8 percent in a decade.

16. Gordie Howe, legendary ice hockey player dies

a) Veteran Ice hockey player Gordie Howe recently passed away at the age of 88.

b) He was considered among the greatest ice hockey players of all time. He was nicknamed as Mr. Hockey.

c) He played for Detroit Red Wings and led to them to win 4 Stanley cup titles. He played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA).

17. Iceland scientists turn CO2 into Stone under CarbFix Project

a) Researchers in Iceland have discovered a new way to trap the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) deep underground by changing it into rock.

b) As per the CarbFix project, injecting CO2 into volcanic rocks triggers a reaction that rapidly forms new carbonate minerals-potentially locking up the gas.

c) This carbon capture and storage (CCS) technique gives a new hope for handling the CO2 emissions safely and disposing it in a more reliable way. It is identified as a potential way to combat climate change.

18. AAI conferred national award for best performing central PSU for Green Energy initiatives

a) The Airport Authority of India was recently conferred with National award for best performing central PSU for Green Energy initiatives. AAI received this award for Rooftop Solar Power initiatives.

b) AAI started their Rooftop Solar Power initiatives back in 2010 with a visionary approach called 'Invest in the Sun'. With these solar power based initiatives, the carbon emissions are considerably reduced.

c) AAI has also installed 4.8 MWp rooftop solar plants at 13 Airports. They are also working on for 4.9 MWp at 14 airports.

19. Govt forms panel on PSU executives pay revision

a) Central government has recently constituted a committee to make recommendations on revisions in pay scale of executives of central public sector undertakings. The panel is chaired by retired justice Satish Chandra.

b) The committee will submit its report within next six months. In this report, the committee will recommend on the matter to the government, covering Board level functionaries, below-Board level executives and non-unionized supervisory staff of CPSEs. While making these recommendations, the committee will also consider the report of 7th Pay Commission.

c) Jugal Mohapatra, Ex-IAS Officer; Manoj Panda, Director, Institute for Economic Growth Delhi and Shailendra Pal Singh, Executive Director (HR), NTPC Ltd. are also part this 3rd pay revision committee.

20. Telangana to set up 12,500-acre Pharma City near Hyderabad

a) As per the recent order given by state government of Telangana, a Pharma city will soon be established on 12,500 acres of land in Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts of the state.

b) Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) will soon send a detailed project proposal for this city to state government.

c) Being a bulk drugs capital of India, around ⅓ of the total drug production is carried out in Telangana. This newly proposed pharma city will become a hub of pharmaceutical companies with most modern facilities available.

21. Machilipatnam Town-Sanctioned For Development Under AMRUT Scheme

a) Rs. 37.5 crores are signed by Union Urban Development Ministry for the development of the Machilipatnam town under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.

b) The allocated funds will be used mainly for the beautification of the town and establishing amusement parks. The funds will also be used of development of cemeteries.

22. FICCI to be national partner at 8th Vibrant Gujarat Summit

a) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) will be the national partner for the eighth edition of the biennial industrial global summit called Vibrant Gujarat 2017. FICCI will partner jointly with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

b) The core theme of the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Summit is 'Connecting India to the World'.

23. SBI, CaixaBank ink pact to fund Indo-Spanish joint ventures

a) Recently a financial pact was inked between State Bank of India and CaixaBank with an aim to provide loans to Indo-Spanish joint ventures.

b) Both the banks will jointly fund the Indo-Spanish joint ventures and Indian local enterprises by expanding bank's guarantee transactions.

c) Both the banks will also collaborate to introduce new business opportunities and partnering possible infrastructure funds. The areas of mutual interests would be syndicated loan business, guarantee transactions, trade finance and export credit agency finance, infrastructure finance and networking services, among others.

24. 'Sansad Ratna' awards conferred on 5 MPs

a) Former RBI Governor C Rangarajan gave away Sansad Ratna awards to five Members of Parliament for their performance in parliament.

b) BJP's PP Chaudhary, representing Pali in Rajasthan, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, BJP MP from Nandurbar, Shrirang Appa Barne, Shivsena MP from Maval and Congress MP Rajeev Shankarrao Satav from Hingoli and CPI (M) leader from Kerala, P Rajeev, were also honoured for their work.

c) Prime Point Foundation and emagazine Presence instituted this award on the suggestion of India's former president Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. These 5 MPs received this award for their participation in several debates, moving a number of private member bills, raising over 300-500 questions individually and a high attendance percentage in Parliament.

25. Karnataka Bank former chairman MS Krishna Bhat passes away

a) Former Chairman of Karnataka Bank M S Krishna has recently passed away. He was chairman of Karnataka Bank from 1995 to 2000.

b) He started Capital expansion programme in the bank in October, 1995 by way of public issue of shares at a premium. During his tenure, he brought the bank to new heights.

[maniza.siddique]

1. Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra passes away

a) Eminent journalist Inder Malhotra recently passed away in New Delhi.

b) He began his career as a journalist with United Press of India after completing his graduation from Punjab University. He later worked for Statesman and Times of India. He also wrote for international newspaper The Guardian from 1965-95.

c) Till now, he had published books like Indira Gandhi: A Personal & Political Biography (1989), Dynasties of India And Beyond (2003), and a fresh biography of Indira Gandhi (2006).

2. Satya Pal Jain appointed as Law Commission member

a) Former parliamentarian and additional solicitor general of India Satya Pal Jain has been recently appointed as a part time member of Law Commission of India.

b) This appointment is an addition to his duty as the additional solicitor general of India. Mr. Jain is well known lawyer and senior member of the BJP. Previously, he had served as dean of law faculty of Punjab University.

c) The 21st law commission of India was constituted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on 14th September, 2015. Retired judge of SC, Justice BS Chauhan is the chairman of this law commission. Retired judge of Gujarat HC Ravi R Tripathi and the director of Gujarat National Law University B N Patel are among the other members of Law commission.

3. Union Ministry of Civil Aviation proposes passenger centric amendments to CARs

a) The Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju presided over a presentation made by DGCA related to passenger centric initiatives. The first set of amendments was made in first category of CARs regarding the 'refund of air tickets'. As per the proposed amendments, the refund process should be completed within 15 working days in case of domestic travel and 30 working days in case of international travel. Also, statutory taxes and user development fee/airport development fee/passenger service fee shall be refunded in case of cancellation of tickets.

b) The 2nd category of CARs is related to 'Denied Boarding, flight cancellation and flight delays'. The third category of CARs relating to facilities to be provided to 'Persons with reduced mobility'.

c) With regard to checking baggage charges, the Ministry has proposed that the Airline should restrict additional baggage charge Rs.100 per kg for baggage between 15 to 20 kg.

4. India, Japan, and the US begin Malabar Exercise near the South China Sea

a) India, Japan & US has recently begun their marine exercise called Malabar Exercise near the near Okinawa Island - about 400 kilometres from the contested Senkaku Islands.

b) This exercise is annually held at Malabar between India and US. This year the overall control of the exercise will be with Japan. Over 100 assets of warships, fighters and surveillance aircraft will take part in this exercise. One key elements of the exercise is anti-submarine warfare where three forces will create a scenario of hunting down Chinese submarines.

c) The location chosen for this exercise has a strategic importance due to the current chinese incursions in the area. China had already claimed many islands in the Eastern and southern Chinese sea. China had also completely ignored the protests from Japan, USA, EU & Australia and established an Aircraft Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.

5. Norway becomes first country to ban deforestation

a) Norway Parliament recently pledged to make government's public procurement policy deforestation-free. With this, Norway becomes the first country in the world history to ban deforestation.

b) This means that the parliament will no longer award government contracts to any company that cuts down and destroys forests. Norway had pledged to do that at the U.N. Climate Summit in 2014, alongside Germany and the United Kingdom.

c) This step is taken with an intent to save rainforests which play important role in absorption of carbon dioxide and stability of ecosystem. Norwegian lawmakers are also committed to find a way to source essential products such as palm oil, soy, beef and timber so that they leave little to no impact on their ecosystems.

6. International Albinism Awareness Day observed worldwide

a) International Albinism Awareness day was observed globally on 13th June, 2016. This day is celebrated to recognize the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of albinism in order to fight against global discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism.

b) Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited difference present at birth. It is a lack of pigmentation (melanin) in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.

c) The United Nations in its 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda includes people with albinism which pledges to leave no one behind. On this second International Albinism Awareness Day, it also appointed the first Independent Expert on the human rights of people with albinism.

7. Kishore Tiwari-headed Task Force on Farmers submitted its report to Maharashtra Government

a) Maharashtra state government has recently launched a task force named as Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM). VNSSM will be headed by agriculture field expert Kishor Tiwari who will submit his report to the Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

b) The core objective of this mission is to bring at least 80% of the farmers under the purview of institutional credit net. For this, the mission has given a five point agenda.

c) They have suggested a crop loan helpline in 14 suicide prone district of Vidarbha. As per their suggestion, village and taluka; level crop committees should be set up to make a list of hardships faced by credit starved farmers. This committee should be comprised of sarpanch, tehsildars, block development officers, taluka agriculture officers and other government and bank officers. This committee should also be empowered to take necessary action for the disbursement of loan.

d) A certain action should be taken against banks which do not comply with government norms of disbursing loan.

8. Veteran Theatre Achyut Lahkar passed away

a) Achyut Lahkar, noted playwright and actor, passed away at the age of 85 in his hometown Pathsala following a protracted illness.

b) A theatre enthusiast, he is the founder of Nataraj Theatre, the first mobile theatre company of Assam in 1963.

c) He earned many awards like Kamal Kumari National Award , Bhaben Barua Award, Mancha Prabhakar Award and Brajanath Sarma Award.

9. Priyanka Chopra nominated for Choice TV Breakout Star in 2016 Teen Choice Awards

a) Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has bagged the Choice TV Breakout Star at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards.

b) She received this award for her fabulous work as FBI trainee Alex Parrish in an American tv series called Quantico. She had also won the Favourite Actress title in a New TV series award at the People's Choice Awards for the same role.

10. China launches 23rd BeiDou Navigation Satellite

a) To support its global navigation and positioning network China has recently launched it's 23rd BeiDou satellite. This satellite is being developed as an alternative to US GPS.

b) The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre from Sichuan province in South China. It was the 229th launch of the Long March carrier rocket.

11. Saina Nehwal lifts Australian Open Super Series Badminton trophy

a) India's ace badminton player Saina Nehwal emerged victorious in the finals of Australian Open Super Series Badminton trophy 2016.

b) She defeated veteran Chinese badminton player Sun Yu by 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 in a 72 minute long thrilling match at the Sydney sports centre.

c) This is Saina's 2nd Australian open title, with this she has become the first shuttler in the world to win the Australian open twice.

12. Forex reserve hit record high of $363.46 billion

a) India's foreign exchange reserves hit a record high at $363.46 billion.

b) It is due to the central bank's taking delivery of it's forwards dollar contracts and dollar buying in spot foreign exchange market.

13. Uk nobel winners speak in favour of remaining in EU

a) UK's top thirteen scientists have backed the campaign to remain in the EU and oppose Brexit.

b) A letter signed by these scientists was made public after a dramatic new poll boosted the momentum behind the Brexit campaign less than two weeks before the June 23 referendum.

c) Nobel award winner Peter Higgs (after whom the Higgs Boson name is given) have also signed in this letter.

14. Essar power to start 500 MW Hazira plant

a) Private utility Essar Power is planning to start operations for it's 500 MW natural gas based power plant at Hazira in Gujarat.It is a natural gas-fired combined-cycle captive power plant.

b) The Bhander Power-Hazira plant was commissioned in 2006 and commenced full commercial operations in October 2008. But it was closed down as he company could not spare the high prices of the fuel.

15. Anilda Thomas baggs gold in women's 400m

a) Former winner of Federation Cup Indian Athlete Anilda Thomas has bagged gold in women's 400m Sprints & Riley cup.

b) She defeated the Romanian team member Adelina Pastor by giving her best and clocking 52.60s.

16. Veteran cricket player Donald carr passed away

a) The former captain of the English cricket team Donal Carr has recently passed away at the age of 89.

b) He played first class & international cricket from 1945 to 1986 for Oxford University, Derbyshire and England. In the span of his vast career he scored around 20,000 runs and taken 328 wickets with left arm spin.

c) In 1960 he was named as the Wisden cricketer of the year. He had also served as the assistant secretary of MCC. From, from 1974 to 1986, he served as the secretary of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) and the Cricket Council.

17. USA wins FINA Women's Water Polo World League Super Final

a) Defending champion US has defeated spain by 13-9 at the 2016 FINA women's water polo world league super final. Australia bagged the bronze medal by defeating China by 11-3.

b) USA's player Courtney Mathewson was named the most valuable player, the best scorer went to Spain's Roser Tarrago and Australia's Lea Yanitsas was named the best goalkeeper.

18. The Rise of Environmental Crime Report released by UNEP and INTERPOL

a) United Nations Environmental Programme and INTERPOL has jointly released a report titled as 'The Rise Environmental Crime'. This report notifies the 26% growth in the environmental crime than the previous estimates from 2014.

b) After drug smuggling, counterfeiting, human trafficking the environmental crime is considered as the 4rth largest criminal enterprise. The report focuses on the illegal trade in wildlife, corporate crime in the forestry sector, the illegal exploitation and sale of gold and other minerals, illegal fisheries, the trafficking of hazardous waste and carbon credit fraud.

c) As per this report, the weak laws and poor funding of security forces ae enabling international criminal network and armed rebels. The report recommends the world to come together to take strong national and international action to combat environmental crime.

d) A per the report, transnational organized criminal networks are using environmental crime to launder drug money. This decade has seen the environmental rise by 5-7% the environmental crimes are growing 2-3% faster than global GDP.

[maniza.siddique]

Daily Current Affairs - 15th June, 2016, Wednesday

1. 14 June: World Blood Donor day

a) World Blood Donor day is observed worldwide on 14th June every year with an intent to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to appreciate blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.

b) The theme of the 2016 World Blood Donor Day campaign is Blood connects us all. The slogan for 2016 WBDD is Share life, give blood. The slogan focuses on voluntary blood donation systems. It plays an important role in encouraging people to care for one another and promoting community cohesion.

c) World Blood Donor day was first established in the year 2004 to raise awareness for safe transfusion and encouraging blood donations. The date also collides with the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner (founder of Blood group system).

2. India, and Ghana sign three pacts

a) India and Ghana signed three bilateral agreements to strengthen co-operation in varied fields.

The agreements were signed during the six-day African tour of President Pranab Mukherjee to Ghana.

b) The three agreements signed with Ghana, after delegation level talks between Mr. Mukherjee and his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama, included one for visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports and one for setting up a Joint Commission.

c) The commission will periodically review various aspects of the multidimensional ties between the two countries. A mutually convenient date for its first meeting will be decided later.

d) After hosting the third India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in New Delhi in October 2015, India is working on a plan to consolidate and further strengthen its engagement with Africa.

3. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched Child Labour Tracking System

a) Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recently inaugurated 'Child Labour Tracking System (CLTS)' with an intent to keep a track of rescued child labour for their proper rehabilitation. Also, a financial help of Rs. 25,000 will be given to every rescued child from Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

b) The money credited in children's account will instil a sense of confidence and security in the child. Also, the rescued child tracking system would assure if the child is pushed back into the trap again.

c) The prominent demands of rescued children are - more schools with all facilities, residential schools for such children, training facilities in order to get job, a year (from Aug. 15, 2016 to Aug. 14, 2017) be declared and celebrated as child year etc.

4. Indian Railways launches Janani Sewa, optional catering Scheme on pilot basis

a) Railways minister Suresh Prabhu has launched three passenger service initiatives-a Janani Sewa for mothers, optional catering in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains on a pilot basis and a children's menu on trains.

b) Janani Sewa includes hot milk, hot water and baby food which will be available at 25 railway stations including New Delhi, Mumbai, Howrah, Chennai, Surat and Lucknow. Originally, the service was meant to have been introduced on trains.

c) The catering charges of Rs.340 for 1 AC and Rs.295 on 2AC/ 3AC would be deducted from the cost of the Rajdhani ticket for passengers opting out from catering services. Similarly for Shatabdi ticket, Rs.260 and Rs.220 for executive and chair car categories would be deducted respectively.

d) The railways have launched items like french fries, noodles, burgers and meal combos through IRCTC to enhance the travelling experience of children. Food items can be ordered by the passengers through the e-catering website of IRCTC, a specified phone number, SMS, mobile app or a four digit all-India toll free number-1323.

5. Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26bn

a) Microsoft struck a landmark deal to acquire LinkedIn for $26 bn. This deal is one of the biggest tech deals in history.

b) The deal combines Microsoft, which dominates the global market for computer systems, with LinkedIn, known as the main social network for professionals.

c) Microsoft wants to use LinkedIn as a database of professional information and distribution channel for its software systems. LinkedIn gains additional financing and access to millions of people who could potentially join its network.

d) The purchase of LinkedIn will allow Microsoft to link the professional network with its intelligent digital assistant, Cortana, and its customer relationship management software.

6. Israel for the first time wins UN committee chair

a) Israel won an election to chair the United Nations' legal committee. It is the first time that it will head one of the world body's six permanent committees since joining the U.N. in 1949.

b) Also knows as sixth committee, the committee oversees issues related to the international law. The General Assembly has six standing committees that report to it, on: disarmament, economic and financial issues, human rights, decolonization, the U.N. budget, and legal issues.

c) Israel was a candidate for the regional Western European and Others Group (WEOG) and received a comfortable majority of votes - 109 out of 175 valid votes cast in the 193-nation assembly. Sweden was runner-up with 10 votes.

7. Gujarat island Shiyal Bet gets electricity after 70 years of independence

a) Shiyal Bet, an island located off Pipavav port in Amreli district, got electricity for the first time since Independence. Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel inaugurated the Rs 18.35-crore project to supply grid power to the island through marine cables.

b) The 18.5 crore project completed in two years span mainly involved laying of cables in high density polyethylene pipes on the seabed, installation of transformers, transmission and feeder lines and 500-2000 power connections.

c) Located around 1.5 kms away from Pipavav port in Amreli, state-run Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) is supplying power to the island through a 6-km undersea cable through Chanch island in neighbouring Bhavnagar district.

8. Maharashtra reports India's 1st case of Harlequin Ichthyosis

a) India's first case of Harlequin Ichthyosis reported in Nagpur at Lata Mangeshkar hospital. The baby girl was born to a farmer family.

b) Harlequin Ichthyosis is a rare genetic disorder in which the child is born without external skin. The baby was covered with hardened cracked skin and her internal organs were visible.

9. Ranu Langthasa - first woman chairperson of NCHAC Assam

a) Ranu Langthasa was unanimously chosen as the chairperson of the NC Hills Autonomous Council in Assam at a special session held in the NCHAC.

b) With this, she will be the first woman chairperson to be appointed to the post since the formation of N C Hills Autonomous Council in 1951.

10. Justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad takes charge as Chief Justice of Manipur HC

a) Justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad has been appointed as the Chief Justice of Manipur HC. He is the senior most Judge of Manipur HC.

b) He will succeed Laxmikant Mohapatra, who retired on 9th June, 2016.

11. RBI introduces Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets

a) With a view to further strengthen the lender's ability to deal with stressed assets and to put real assets back on track by providing an avenue for reworking the financial structure of entities facing genuine difficulties, the Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines on a 'Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets'.

b) Highlights of the Scheme:

. RBI formulated the Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets

(S4A) as an optional framework for the resolution of large stressed accounts.

. The S4A envisages determination of the sustainable debt level for a stressed borrower.

. It also envisages bifurcation of the outstanding debt into sustainable debt and equity/quasi-equity instruments which are expected to provide upside to the lenders when the borrower turns around.

. To ensure the transparency of exercise, S4A envisages that the resolution plan will be prepared by credible professional agencies.

. An Overseeing Committee will independently review the processes involved in preparation of the resolution plan for reasonableness and adherence to the provisions of these guidelines. It will be set up by the Indian Banks Association and will comprise of eminent experts.

. The scheme is meant for projects that have started commercial operations having an outstanding loan of over 500 crore rupees.

12. Jal Marg Vikas Project on river Ganga to enable commercial navigation

a) 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project, which envisages developing a fairway between 1,620km Allahabad and Haldia stretch, has taken off with a $3.5 million funding from the World Bank.

b) The project involves construction of multi modal terminals, jetties, river information system, channel marking, navigational lock, river training and conservancy works. The project is expected to be complete in six years.

c) The fairway with three metres depth is expected to enable commercial navigation of at least 1500 ton vessels on the river.

13. Eminent Hindi writer Mudrarakshasa passes away

a) Famous Hindi novelist and critic Mudrarakshas passed away at the age of 82 following old age related causes.

b) Born on June 21, 1933 in Lucknow, his original name was Subhash Chandra, who wrote novels and other forms of Hindi prose besides producing literature for children with his pen name. He had also edited Hindi journal Anuvarta and was also associated with All India Radio. His write-ups invariably hinged on various vital social causes and issues.

c) His works of theatrical criticism includes Rang Bhumikayen and a book on Nemichandra Jain.

14. Jupiter-like planet, Kepler-1647b, orbiting two stars discovered

a) Scientists, using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, have discovered a Jupiter-like planet orbiting a system of two stars, making it the largest such cosmic body ever found.

b) Kepler-1647 is 3,700 light-years away and about 4.4 billion years old and it also has one of the longest orbits ever recorded for a transiting planet, taking 1,107 days to complete its circuit.

c) Kepler-1647b is a gas giant making the planet unlikely to host life. Yet if the planet has large moons, they could potentially be suitable for life.

15. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day observed

a) The World Elder Abuse Awareness day is observed on 15th June every year with an aim to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders.

b) The purpose of the WEAAD is to encourage people to identify the problem of elderly abuse, and for countries to create policies that foster respect for elders and provide them the tools to continue to be productive citizens.

c) It was first observed in 2012, and was marked by meetings and conferences at the UN headquarters in New York. In addition to the WEAAD, the UN also observes an International Day of Older Persons on October 1 every year to recognize the contributions of older persons and to examine issues that affect their lives.

16. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski wins Peru's Presidential Election

a) Peruvian economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has been elected to become Peru's next President.

b) With 95.5% of votes counted, 77-year-old former World Bank executive Pedro Pablo Kuczynski had a lead of 0.28 percentage points over Keiko Fujimori.

17. Gunit Chadha quits as CEO of Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific Region

a) Gunit Chadha resigned from the post of CEO of Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific Region. His successor will be announced in due course of time.

b) Under his leadership, Deutsche Bank had started its investment banking, retail banking and institutional broking business in India. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he was CEO of IDBI Bank Ltd.

18. Tata Power signed agreement to acquire Welspun Renewables

a) In a bid to expand its clean energy portfolio, Power Producer Tata agreed to acquire renewable energy company Welspun Renewables Energy Pvt. Ltd.

b) It is the largest transaction in renewables space in India to be made at an enterprise value of 9249 crore rupees.

c)The company has about 1,140 mw of renewable power projects which includes about 990 mw solar power projects - largest solar projects in the country and about 150 mw of wind power projects spread across ten states in India.

19. Usain Bolt wins the 100m in 9.88 seconds at Racers Grand Prix 2016

a) Top ace Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt has bagged the men's 100 metres at the inaugural Jamaica National racers grand prix.

b) He completed the distance in just 9.88 seconds giving his second best timing ever.

c) Nickel Ashmeade (9.94s) & Yohan Blake (9.94s) came at the second and third position respectively.

20. Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Canadian Grand Prix of Formula 1

a) Veteran F1 racer Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Formula 1 Canada Grand Prix 2016 title. He defeated his competitor Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari in the final race held in Montreal, Canada.

b) This is Hamilton's fifth win in his career and 2nd win in the row. He has recently won the Monaco Grand Prix this year. Previously, he had secured titles in 2007, 2010, 2012 & 2015.

21. Peter Thomson of Fiji elected as President of 71st session of United Nations General Assembly

a) Permanent representative of Fiji, Peter Thompson is elected as president in it's upcoming 71th session.

b) He defeated Andreas Mavroyiannis of Cyprus in a rare secret ballot vote. Peter Thompson will replace the current General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft.

c) Mr. Thompson id the Fiji's permanent representative to the UN since 2010. Previously, he had also served as President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS).

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1. President Mukherjee receives the highest civilian award of Ivory coast

a) President Pranab Mukherjee was honoured with the National Order of the Republic of Ivory Coast, the highest civilian award of the West African country at the Presidential Palace by Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara in Republic of Cote D'ivoire, Abidjan.

b) It is the first such honour accorded to him by a country. The President was honoured during his two days visit to the Country from 14 June to 15 June 2016.

c) Highlights of President's Visit:

. Agreement for re-establishment of Exim bank regional headquarters in the Ivory Coast was signed by both countries.

. The Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces highlighted the common concerns of both the countries to combat international terrorism and other key issues including disarmament, climate change and sustainable development.

. The Head of the State assured the commitment of India towards the South-South Cooperation through developmental assistance and sharing resources for the development in Africa.

. He appreciated the naming of an IT park after Mahatma Gandhi in Abidjan naming him the true son of India and Africa.

. The President also promised India's partnership in assisting Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) for its economic development and growth and trade between the two nations to reach 1 billion US dollars in few years.

2. Union Ministry of Railways signs JV Agreement with Odisha Government

a) Ministry of Railways signed a joint venture agreement with government of Odisha for development of state railway infrastructure.

b) Highlights of the JV Agreement:

. The MoU envisages formation of a Joint Venture company having 51 percent stake of the State Government and 49 percent stake of Ministry of Railways.

. The company will primarily identify projects and possible financing avenues for the same.

. After finances for a project are tied up, project specific special purpose vehicles shall be formed.

. These SPVs can have other stakeholders from Industries, Central PSUs, State PSUs etc. However, the JV companies shall be mandatory stake holders with a minimum 26 percent share.

. A concession agreement of 30 years with the project SPV for safe and sound operation, revenue sharing and providing technical & marketing logistics to the SPV will be signed by Railways Ministry.

. At the end of concession period, the railways will have option to take over the assets at a nominal price.

. The most important aspect of this MoU is that the ownership of the land shall vest with the SPVs which is a departure from previous practice. This will give financial leverage to the company to exploit commercial potential of the land.

3. Florida's Stonegate Bank to issue first US credit card for use in Cuba

a) First US credit card intended to be used in Cuba has been launched by Florida's Stonegate bank, which will make travelling and work easier for Americans.

b) The US travelers will be able to use its Mastercard to charge purchases at Cuban state-run businesses and some private businesses after 15th June 2016. Initially, the bank will issue only 1000 cards with an artwork by celebrated Cuban painter Michael Mirabal.

c) The card will help the US visitors to avoid the Cuban 10-percent penalty on the dollar. Pompano-beach based Stonegate is also the first US bank to introduce a debit card for use in Cuba.

4. India to provide Rs 48 mn aid for college building in Nepal

a) India vowed a financial aid of Rs. 48 mn to Kathmandu for building and development of colleges.

b) Ambassador of India to Nepal Ranjit Rae laid the foundation stone of the building for Koteshwor Multiple Campus in Kathmandu district. The campus building is constructed through aid from India and the project is being executed through District Development Committee of Kathmandu.

c) The India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme has an outlay of over Rs 76 billion with more than 529 large and small development projects completed or being implemented in almost all the districts of Nepal mainly in the sectors of education, health and infrastructure development.

d) Previously, India had provided a sum of Rs 501 million to Nepal in the financial year 2015-2016 to help the quake-struck country restore and upgrade its various religious, cultural and educational institutions.

5. Union Government approves Measures for Conservation & Preservation of Lakes in Bengaluru

a) The Government recently approved a series of measures for the abatement of pollution and for the conservation and preservation of lakes in Bengaluru.

b) The decision was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Ananth Kumar and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar.

c) The initiative will involve 24x7 online monitoring of all sewage water plants and the lake water quality. Lakes will be restored in a bio-diverse manner in Public-Private Partnership mode.

d) Some of the other actions that have been agreed upon include:

. All residential group housing projects/apartments with >20 units and total build-up area of 2000 sq.mtr. to install STP.

. Re-use of treated sewage for various purposes and dual piping system to be prescribed in apartments/commercial establishments for re-use of treated sewage.

. Regular monitoring of STPs to be carried out by State Pollution Control Board.

. Retrofitting of existing STPs to meet the revised effluent norms.

. Proper management of plastic waste to ensure that it is not dumped in the lakes.

. Madivala lake to be developed as a biodiversity park on the lines of Yamuna Biodiversity Park under the guidance of Karnataka Knowledge Commission.

. Lake Wardens to be appointed for involvement of public in lake conservation.

. CSR funds to be tapped for conserving and developing lakes.

e) The progress will be monitored every six months.

6. Popcorn-like fossils give evidence of environmental influence on species richness

a) According to a new study, fossils resembling miniaturised popcorn that date back millions of years, provide the first statistical evidence that number of species on Earth depends on how the environment changes.

b) Researchers from University of Southampton in UK have observed that the environmental changes put a cap on species richness.To get this observation, they analysed analysing the fossil record of microscopic aquatic creatures called planktonic foraminifera.

c) Evolutionary ecologist of University of Southampton Dr. Thomas Ezard was the lead author of this study. This observations are published in a journal called 'Ecology Letters'.

d) The study denotes the environment is responsible to the upper limit to the biodiversity. For example, the tropical environment is capable of altering the spatial gradient of more number of species than the arctic environment. This research examines the co-dependence of these factors on how species interact.

e) As per the observations, the idea of fixed rules for competition is not valid, instead the limit to the number of species that can co-exist on Earth is much more dynamic. Also, the number of species was almost certainly controlled by competition among themselves and probably kept within a finite upper limit.

7. Central Port Authorities Act, 2016 drafted to replace the Major Port Trust Act, 1963

a) the Union Ministry of Shipping has recently prepared a draft bill of 'The Central Port Authorities Act' 2016 '. This bill will replace the current 'Major Port Trust Act, 1963'.

b) The new bill is aimed at giving more autonomy and flexibility to the major ports and to bring in a professional approach in their governance.

c) Highlights of the bill :

• The board will consist of nine members including 3 to 4 independent members instead of 17-19 under the Port Trust Model.
• As per the section 3 (2), 3 new functional heads Major Port as Members in the Board apart from a Government Nominee Member and a Labour Nominee Member.
• The new bill also adds provisions like, the disqualification of the appointment of the Members of the Board, duties of the Members and provision of the meetings of the Board through video conferencing and other visual means.
• It defines the port related and non port related use of land in terms of approval of leases.
• The Port Authorities are empowered to lease land for Port related use for up to 40 years and for non-port related use upto 20 years.

8. Cabinet approves SBI takeover of units

a) Union Cabinet approved the merger of five associate banks of SBI & Bhartiya Mahila Bank into the State Bank of India.

b) This move will benefit the SBI and its customers with further possible rationalisation of branches, common treasury pooling and proper deployment of a large skilled resource base.

c) With this merger the SBI's assets will be worth $550 billion which will give it a seat in the world's top 50 banks.

d) SBI's five associate banks are: State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBB&J), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore (SBT). SBI already fully owns SBH and State Bank of Patiala, and has majority stakes in the other three.

9. Union Government Launches Scheme for setting up 1000 MW CTU- connected Wind Power Project

a) A new scheme for setting up of 1000 MW Wind Power Project connected to transmission network of Central Transmission Utility (CTU) was recently launched by Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

b) This scheme is aimed at supply of wind power to the non-windy states at a price discovered through transparent bidding process. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will act as a nodal agency for implementation of this scheme.

c) This scheme will encourage the competition through scaling up of project size and introduction of efficient and transparent e-bidding and e-auctioning processes.

d) It will also facilitate fulfilment of Non-Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) requirement of non-windy states.

10. Maharashtra Government decides to use plastic waste in building roads

a) Maharashtra state government has decided to use plastic waste in building new roads. The plastic waste will be used with tar to improve the durability and longevity of asphalt roads to improve the quality.

b) For every 100 kg of tar, around 3-6 kg of plastic will be used. As this plastic will be from garbage, it will also reduce the soil pollution.

c) Plastics waste have great potential for use in bituminous construction as its addition in small doses, about 5-10 per cent by weight of bitumen, helps in substantially improving the Marshall stability, strength, fatigue life and other desirable properties of bituminous mix, leading to improved longevity and pavement performance

11. Haryana government approves Rs. 25 Cr agriculture project

a) Haryana state government has approved a agriculture project worth 25 crores to make agriculture production system more flexible to climate change.

b) Chairman of state level steering committee, chief secretary D S Dhesi approved the detailed project report. This project will be implemented in Northern Haryana and it will benefit to around 75,000 in the state.

c) This project will help farmers to adopt climate resilient technologies to enhance the production of the crops without deteriorating soil health. The project will be beneficial to the farming community of haryana mostly the women farmers.

12. DCB Bank launches Aadhaar enabled ATM in Bengaluru

a) The Development Bank of Singapore Limited (DCB Bank) has recently launched an Aadhar based ATM machine in Bengaluru. The ATM accepts Aadhaar number and Aadhaar fingerprint (biometric) instead of ATM / debit card and PIN for cash transactions.

b) The bank had, in April launched a pilot Aadhaar-based ATM in Mumbai. This was followed by launch of Aadhaar-based ATMs in Odisha and Punjab.

13. Pan-India Ramayana & Krishna Circuit under Swadesh Darshan Scheme approved

a) Under the chairmanship of Union minister of tourism and Culture Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the 1st meeting of National Committee on Ramayana Circuit & Krishna Circuit under Swadesh Darshan Scheme was held.

b) The national committee has approved 11 Ramayan circuits which are, Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur & Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh, Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga in Bihar, Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, Bhadrachalam in Telangana, Hampi in Karnataka, Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

c) The national committee has approved 12 Krishna circuits which are, Dwarka in Gujarat, Nathdwara, Jaipur & Sikar in Rajasthan, Kurukshetra in Haryana, Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon & Govardhan in Uttar Pradesh, Puri in Odisha.

d) To develop the theme based tourist circuits in India, Ministry of Tourism has launched Swadesh Darshan Scheme in 2014-15 on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.

e) Till now, under Swadesh Darshan Scheme total thirteen circuits are identified. They are, North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

14. DBS Bank appoints Neeraj Mittal as institutional banking head

a) Neeraj Mittal is appointed as the managing director and Head of Institutional banking for DBS (The Development Bank of Singapore Limited).

b) Neeraj Mittal has previously worked at The Royal Bank of Scotland NV (RBS), where he served as its Managing Director and Head of institutional banking business (North India).

15. RBS India chief Brijesh Mehra to head RBL corporate banking

a) Indian Chief of Royal Bank of Scotland Brijesh Mehra is appointed as the head of RBL bank, formerly known as the Ratnakar Bank Ltd.

b) The appointment comes within a month of RBS announcing its withdrawal from customer facing activities in India. Mehra has around 3 decades of experience in Banking sector.

16. India set for the maiden show at U17 Futsal World Cup

a) India is invited by the sport's governing body, the Association Mundial de Futsal (AMF), by a wild card entry to take part in U17 Futsal World Cup.

b) The event will be held in month of July from 11 July to 20th July. Total 12 competing countries will take part in this tournament.

17. India won three-match ODI Series against Zimbabwe, 3-0

a) India on 16 June 2016 won the three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Zimbabwe 3-0. In the third and final match played at Harare, India defeated Zimbabwe by 10 wickets.

b) The title for Man of the series was given to Lokesh Rahul.

c) Including this match, India got it's a third successive series clean-sweep in Zimbabwe after the triumphs in 2013 and 2015. The ODI series will be followed by 3 Twenty-20 matches that will begin on 18 June 201

18. Underwater Robots to be used to Study Indian monsoon: Scientists

a) With an intent to give better forecasting of monsoons, scientists from India and Britain will release underwater robots into the Bay of Bengal, critical to the millions of farmers reeling from two consecutive droughts.

b) Scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) will release seven underwater robots from an Indian ship next week to study how ocean processes influence monsoon rainfall.

c) Also, colleagues from the University of Reading and climate experts in India will use instruments on board the plane flying from the southern city of Bangalore to measure heat and moisture in the air.

d) Better forecasting will improve the livelihoods of India's more than 200 million farmers and agricultural labourers, who are reeling from devastating drought.

19. American Literary Translator Gregory Rabassa dies

a) Gregory Rabassa, prominent translator of spanish and portuguese, died at the age of 94 following prolonged illness.

b) Rabassa is known for his translations of several well-known Latin American writers, including Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortazar, Octavio Paz, Clarice Lispector and Jorge Amado.

c) Rabassa received a lifetime achievement award from the PEN American Centre for contributions to Hispanic literature in 2001 and a National Medal of Arts in 2006 for translations.

20. Margaret Atwood awarded 2016 PEN Pinter Prize

a) Canadian Novelist and Poet, Margaret Atwood was recently awarded with PEN Pinter Prize 2016. She will receive her award at a public event at the British Library on 13 October 2016.

b) The prize was founded by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter in 2009.

c) Previous winners include Tom Stoppard, Salman Rushdie and the poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. Atwood is the first non-British writer to win the award, which from this year is also open to writers from the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the UK.

d) Shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times, winning once for her novel The Blind Assassin, her finest of works include The Handmaid's Tale, The Robber Bride, The Year of the Flood among others.

21. BHEL commissions 195 megawatt unit at Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Plant

a) A 195 megawatt (MW) unit thermal power plant station was recently commissioned by public sector power equipment manufacture company BHEL. b) This power plant is located in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. This is the 2nd 195 MW thermal power plant commissioned by BHEL at the 2x195 MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station Stage-II of Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL). The first 195 MW plant was commissioned by BHEL in 2015.

c) KBUNL is the joint venture of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL).

[maniza.siddique]

Daily current Affairs - 17th June, 2016, Friday

1. India, Taiwan MoU/Agreements on bilateral relations approved

a) Union cabinet has recently approved two major pacts with Taiwan in agricultural and aviation sector. An Air services agreement was signed between India-Taipei Association in Taipei (India's representative office in Taiwan) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (Taiwan's representative office in India). This agreement is considered to bring greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two parties.

b) A MoU between Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India and India Taipei Association in Taipei also recieved nod from Union Cabinet, Taiwan for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied Sector.

c) This MoU will facilitate mutual cooperation between India & Taiwan in the fields of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Food Processing, Genetic Resources as well as Environmental Sustainability.

d) To identify the priority areas of mutual interest a joint working committee will also be formed under this MoU.

2. India's membership of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program approved

a) Union Cabinet has given a green signal for India's membership in the International Continental Science Drilling Programme consortium. With this approval, the signing of a MoU with the GFZ - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (German Research Centre for geosciences) is possible.

b) The MoU will in force for next 5 years and it will enable India in engaging internationally renowned experts with profound expertise in different aspects of scientific drilling.The drilling investigations will be conducted in Koyna region in Maharashtra.

c) After becoming the member, India will get a seat Executive Committee (EC) and Assembly of Governors (AOG). ICDP will provide technical and operational support for capacity building. ICDP will also support workshops for the Koyn scientific deep drilling project.

d) Being a member of ICDP, India can access all data results from ICDP projects which will help in understanding the process of earthquake.

3. India, ISA contract for exploration of Polymetallic Sulphides in Indian Ocean Region approved

a) Union cabinet has recently approved for the signing of a 15 year contract by the the Ministry of Earth Sciences with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for undertaking exploration and other developmental activities related to Polymetallic Sulphides in Indian ocean.

b) It will be done in parts of Central and Southwest Indian Ridges (SWIR), located in the Indian Ocean.

c) The contract confirms India's exclusive rights for exploration of Polymetallic Sulphides in the region.

d) Deep seabed Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS) containing iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, platinum in variable constitutions are precipitates of hot fluids from upwelling hot magma from deep interior of the oceanic crust discharged through mineralized chimneys.

4. Bramble Cay melomys is first mammal declared extinct from human-caused climate change

a) As per the Australian researchers, Bramble Cay melomys from the great barrier reef islands is first mammal declared extinct from human-caused climate change.

b) As per the report compiled by researchers from the University of Queensland, sea-level rise caused by human-induced climate change destroyed the habitat on the island and possibly drowned the melomys.

c) The Bramble Cay melomys, or Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat was a species of rodent in the family Muridae.

5. Railways flags off 1st time-tabled freight train

a) Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off an inaugural time tabled freight train named 'Cargo Express'.

b) The train ran from Domestic Container Terminal (Okhla) to Bengaluru.

c) To allow allowing differently-abled persons to avail concessions while traveling alone and liberalised a new policy called 'Comprehensive Parcel Leasing Policy' (CLIP) is also launched by Railway ministry.

6. Russia launches most powerful nuclear icebreaker Arktika

a) the world's biggest and most powerful icebreaker Arktika was recently launched by Russia at St. Petersburg.

b) The Arktika is 568 feet long and 34 meters wide. It can break through ice 13 feet deep. It has dual-draft design which makes it possible to use it in Arctic waters and in estuaries of polar rivers.

c) Arktika is powered by two next generation RITM-200 nuclear-reactors. These reactors will be supplied with nuclear be produced by the TVEL fuel company.

7. Union Government launches Vidyanjali Mobile App for volunteer work at government schools

a) Union HRD minister Smriti Irani launched Vidyanjali Scheme to boost community participation by inviting volunteers to hold public speaking, storytelling, play acting sessions and participate in other co-scholastic activities.

b) 21 states and 2,200 schools will be participating in the pilot launch of the programme. The activities would include reading to children, helping them with creative writing, public speaking, play acting and preparing story books with children. Under the scheme, schools will be able to through an app contact people who are willing to volunteer for their services to children.

c) Vidyanjali will also cover initiatives under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

8. Anne Hathaway appointed as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador

a) Anne Hathaway, appointed as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, will now promote gender equality and empowerment of women.

b) American actress and singer, Hathaway has previously served as an advocate for Nike Foundation. She travelled to Kenya and Ethiopia to raise awareness on child marriage.

c) Hathaway will join Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson and Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand as fellow women's goodwill ambassadors.

9. 3,049 people perform largest Karma dance in Madhya Pradesh enters Guinness world records

a) To celebrate the culture and history of Gond tribes, an amazing 3,049 people took part in the Largest Karma Naach dance ever at a recent event in Madhya Pradesh in India.

b) Organised by District Administration Mandla, the participants formed 61 large circles of 50 people and performed the traditional tribal dance in spectacular synchronicity.

c) The choreographed Karma Naach dance sequence continued for a minimum of five minutes in accordance with the Guinness World Records guidelines. All the participants were dressed in traditional clothing to complete the attempt, and the folk dance was accompanied by live music.

10. Kiran Bedi launches a mobile app to help senior citizens in distress

a) HelpAge India has launched a security app named "HelpAge SOS App for elders to mark the celebration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day which was celebrated on 15th June every year.

b) The app provides an SOS-Save our Seniors button to immediately reach to the counsellor desk of Help Age for rendering emergency help and assistance, apart from health related information. It has 24x7 functionality and aims at helping elders in distress at any given time.

c) The app is intended to provide primary one-click emergency service to the elders. It can be downloaded from www.helpageindia.org or from the Google Play Store.

11. Uber enters into pact with Tata group

a) Uber Technologies Inc and the Tata Group recently announced a partnership in which Tata will provide a comprehensive vehicle and ownership solution to Uber's drivers.

b) As a part of the agreement, Uber's drivers can buy Indica and Indigo cars from Tata Motors at discounted rates, with loans offered by Tata Capital Financial Services and Tata Motors Finance at attractive terms, and affordable insurance provided by Tata AIG.

c) This is a pan-India initiative, which has been rolled out first in Hyderabad. Over the next one year, the initiative aims to fuel micro-entrepreneurship across India by enabling over 20,000 drivers to start their own business on the Uber platform.

12. Indian Diabetes specialist Shashank S Shah wins Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award 2016

a) Top diabetes specialist Shashank S Shah has been honoured with the American Diabetes Association's Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award 2016 for his pioneering research on the disease in South Asia.

b) He was selected for his research titled gastric bypass vs medical/lifestyle care for type 2 diabetes in South Asia with BMI 25_40 kg/m2 __The COSMID randomised.

c) One of the pioneering bariatric surgeons in India and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in Asia, the Solapur, Maharashtra, born medico is currently Director of Laparo_-Obeso Centre in Pune.

d) The ADA's meeting is the world's largest conference which provides participants with an access to more than 2,500 original research presentations, interactions with leading diabetes experts and other joint academic sessions.

13. Assam Pradesh Congress President Anjan Dutta passes away

a) Assam Congress Chief, Anjan Dutta passed away at the age of 64 following a cardiac failure .

b) He was three times MLA from the Amguri Constituency. He had also served as the president of the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress Committee and chairman of the North East Youth Congress Co-ordination Committee.

14. 'A new world' is the Official slogan for Rio Olympics

a) The Rio Olympics organizing committee has revealed the official slogan for the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in South America: "A New World".

b) The motto and manifesto for Rio Olympics 2016 was revealed in a ceremony at Barra Olympic Park.

c) For Rio 2016, the core values of the slogan and the manifesto are unity, respect for diversity and the will for change.

15. Famous TV actress Ann Morgan Guilbert dies

a) Th4 Nanny star, Ann Morgan Guilbert passes away at the age of 87 following complications from cancer.

b) Best known for her five season sitcom, she began her TV career in the 1960s, appearing on popular programmes such as I Dream of Jeannie, My Three Sons, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Partridge Family, Love, American Style, and The New Andy Griffith Show.

c) Guilbert had an active TV presence even recently, her last performance having come this year on CBS's Life in Pieces.

16. Senior IAS officer Supriya Sahu appointed as Director General of Doordarshan

a) Indian administrative service (IAS) officer Supriya Sahu has been appointed as the full-time director general of the state broadcaster Doordarshan.

b) Doordarshan has been under acting heads for almost two years due to a delay in the regular appointments. Former director at Film and Television Institute of India, Tripurari Sharan was the last full-time director general at Doordarshan who stepped down in July 2014.

c) Currently, Doordarshan is being headed by Aparna Vaish. She was earlier the senior-most additional director general (ADG) at Doordarshan.

d) She was also associated with the Say no to plastics campaign to protect the ecosystem of the hill station, Ooty, during her tenure as District Collector of the Nilgiris district.

17. Veteran Odia actress Manimala Devi passes away

a) Renowned Odia actress Manimala Devi passed away at the age of 90 following age related complications.

b) Manimala was amongst the first generation artistes in the state. She worked in over 40 films of which 14 bagged the national award. Her film career began in 1960 with the classic Odia film- Sri Loknath.

c) For her outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture, she was honoured with many prestigious awards such as the state's highest cine award 'Jayadev Purashkar' in the year 2000 and the national award 'Sri Loknath' among others.

18. North America to have its first sanctuary for dolphins

a) First ever sanctuary for marine mammals will be built in North America. Baltimore's National Aquarium announced its plan to create an Oceanside dolphin sanctuary.

b) After years of research on dolphin behavior and under pressure from animal rights groups, the National Aquarium in Baltimore has decided to move the marine mammals to a sanctuary.

c) The aquarium will move its colony of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to an outdoor facility with natural seawater by 2020. The venue will lie in a tropical or subtropical location will also contain natural stimuli for the dolphins, such as fish and sea plants.

19. Indian-origin Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir nominated as US Ambassador to Malaysia

a) US President Barack Obama has nominated Kamala Shirin as US Ambassador to Malaysia.

b) Indian origin diplomat Lakhdhir will replace Joseph Y Yun.

c) Graduate From Harvard college, Lakhdhir served as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Beijing, China from 2001 to 2005.

20. World Day to Combat Desertification 2016 observed

a) The United Nations' World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 every year to highlight the urgent need to curb the desertification process. It also aims to strengthen the visibility of the drylands issue on the international environmental agenda.

b) The global observance event for this year was held in Beijing, China, hosted by the State Forestry Administration of China (SFA).

c) Inclusive cooperation among all actors is key for making Land Degradation Neutrality a fundamental solution for achieving SDGs. The slogan, "Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People." addresses the importance of comprehensive participation and cooperation in working towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality.

d) The day was first observed in 1994 by United Nations General Assembly. The theme for the 2015 WDCD was Attainment of food security for all through sustainable food systems.

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1. NASA spots Single Methane Leak from Space using Hyperion spectrometer

a) First time ever, a methane leak is measured on Earth's surface with an instrument onboard of an orbiting spacecraft called Earth Observing -1 (EO-1).

b) EO-1's Hyperion spectrometer has proved it's ability to measure and monitor emissions of this potent greenhouse gas from space.  The current leak is observed over Aliso Canyon near Porter Ranch in California.

2. Former Indian football team coach Syed Nayeemuddin to be conferred with Mohun Bagan Ratna

a) Syed Nayeemuddin will be honoured with Mohun Bagan Ratna for his overall contribution to the club and the country both as a player and as a coach.

b) He is the only sportsperson to win both the Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards for football.

c) The Mohun Bagan Ratna is awarded annually to great football players which is presented to the winners on 29 July, which is celebrated as Mohun Bagan Day.

d) In 2015, Karuna Sankar Bhattacharya was honoured posthumously with the Mohun Bagan Ratna.

3. LIGO team announced second detection of gravitational waves

a) Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) team has recently announced their second detection of gravitational waves while witnessing the merging of a second black hole pair.

b) These detections are made from their twin wave detectors located at Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington in US on 26th December, 2015. The entire signal coming from 1.4 billion light years away, lasted just one second.

c) These two black holes are of approximately 14 & 8 times the mass of the sun. During their cataclysmic merging, they have released around one solar mass within short interval.

d) Two black holes spiraled toward each other in deep space with their tremendous mass warping space time and propagating gravitational waves across the fabric of the universe at light-speed.

4. Karnataka Bank gets award

a) CFBP (Council for Fair Business Practices) Jamnalal Bajaj award  was recently conferred upon Karnataka Bank.

b) Karnataka Bank bagged this award  for fair business practices under the category 'service enterprises - large'.

c) This award was received by Chief General Manager of the Karnataka Bank Mahabaleshwara MS  from Ajay Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Group.

5. National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 released

a) Union government recently replaced the decade old rules  of allowing new domestic airlines set up in India to fly on international routes.

b)  National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 aims to  provide  safe,  secure,  affordable  and  sustainable air travel  for passengers  and  air  transportation  of  cargo  with  access to various parts of India and the world.

c) Highlights of the NCAP 2016:

. Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS): Charges for one hour flight between two cities will not exceed Rs. 2,500/-

. Code-share agreements: Indian carriers will be free to enter into code-share agreements with foreign carriers for any destination within India on a reciprocal basis.

. Encourage Private Security: Use of private security agencies at airports for non-core security functions will be encouraged.

. No-Frills Airports: They will be built at an indicative cost of 50 crore to 100 crore rupees.

. Viability Gap Funding (VGF): It will be shared between MoCA and the State Government in the ratio of 80:20 while it is 90:10 for the North Eastern States.

. 5/20 Rule: The requirement for 5/20 is modified and all airlines are allowed to carry international operations if they deploy 20 aircraft or 20 percent of total capacity.

. Bilateral Traffic Rights: Under this, government will enter into an 'Open sky' ASA on a reciprocal basis with SAARC countries and countries with territory located entirely beyond a 5000 kilometers radius from New Delhi.

. India has Air Service Agreements (ASA) with 109 countries covering aspects relating to the number of flights, seats, landing points and code-share.  

. Upgradation of Airports: Airport Authority of India (AAI) will modernize the existing airports and upgrade the quality of its services. It will also maintain an ASQ  rating  of  4.5  or  more  across all airports  which  have  a throughput above 1.5  mppa and ASQ rating  of 4.0 or more for the rest.

. Ground Handling Agencies (GHA): The airport operator will ensure that there will be three Ground Handling Agencies (GHA) including Air India's subsidiary/JV at all major airports as defined in AERA Act 2008 to ensure fair competition.

. Advanced Cargo Information system: It will be implemented in a phased manner after a universally accepted international template has emerged.

. Growth of helicopters: number of helicopters will be increased for remote area connectivity and separate regulations for helicopters will be notified by DGCA.

6. Railway Ministry launched Liberalised Policies on Parcel Leasing and Parcel Cargo Train Express

a) Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched two policies related to Parcel Leasing and Parcel Cargo Train Express.

b) These policies were launched as part of Rail Budget announcement of the fiscal year 2016-17. It aims to make the policy related to Parcel more liberalized and customer friendly.

c) Liberalised Comprehensive Parcel Leasing Policy (CPLP): Duration of parcel leasing scheme has been increased from 3 years to 5 years , to insulate parcel from budgetary hike it provides for (a) assured leased rates with fixed escalation @10% from 4th year; and (b) realistic assessment of bids,  powers have been delegated to zonal railways to fix the reserve price downwardly.

d) Liberalised policy on Parcel Cargo Express Trains (PCET):   Duration of contract is being increased from 3 years to 6 years, to insulate parcel from budgetary hike it provides for (a) assured leased rates with fixed escalation @10% from 4th year; and (b) realistic assessment of bids, minimum composition of PCET reduced to 15 vans for first 6 months of the contract period to give  time to the leaseholder in the initial stage to develop business.

7. Union Cabinet approved Bill to fast track recovery of bad loans

a) Union cabinet recently approved the bill intended to amend the debt recovery laws with an overall objective of improving the ease of doing business, facilitate investment leading to higher economic growth and development.

b) The bill seeks to amend four existing legislations namely Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002, Recovery of Debts due to Banks and Financial Institutions (RDDBFI) Act, 1993,  Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and Depositories Act, 1996.

c) Highlights of the Bill

. Amendments to the SARFAESI Act, 2002:  The SARFAESI Act permits secured creditors to take possession over a collateral, against which a loan had been provided, upon a default in repayment. This can be done with the assistance of the District Magistrate

. The Bill provides a timeline of 30 days for the completion of process by the District Magistrate.

. In addition, the Bill empowers the District Magistrate to assist banks in taking over the management of a company, in case the company is unable to repay loans.

. This will be done in case the banks convert their outstanding debt into equity shares, and consequently hold a stake of 51 percent or more in the company.

. It empowers the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to examine the statements and any information of Asset Reconstruction Companies related to their business.

. The Bill further empowers the RBI to carry out audit and inspection of these companies.

8. Scientists announces Human Genome Project-Write to synthesize entire genome

a) In a project called Human Genome Project Write (HGP-Read), a team of 25 scientists published their proposal to synthesize entire human genome from scratch.

b) The core objective of this project is to reduce the engineering the DNA segments in library. This project will be implemented through a new non profit organization called the Center of Excellence for Engineering Biology.

c) This project will facilitate growing new human organs for transplant and development of new vaccines. It will also make possible the engineered immunity against viruses via genome wide recording.

d) This might also make possible to engineer cancer resistance into new therapeutic cell lines and accelerating high-productivity, cost-efficient vaccine and pharmaceutical development using human cells and organoids.

9. Government approves Rs 2,070-crore highway project in Punjab

a) A 2,070 crore highways project in punjab in hybrid annuity mode was recently approved by Union Cabinet. This highway project is aimed to faster movement of traffic between Chandigarh & Ludhiana.

b)  The current highway is only two lane. With this a 76 km highway stretch will be created. out of the total, 54 km will be widened to six lane and the remaining 22 km will broadened to four lanes.

c) The project was later reconstructed in two parts -- Chandigarh-Kharar and Kharar-Ludhiana -- due to non-viability.  The Chandigarh-Kharar section has already been awarded on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.

10. Andhra Pradesh to start Internet-based phone service

a) Andhra Pradesh will soon become the first state in India to launch an internet based phone service. The state government has acquired a telecom licence and soon they are planning to issue phone numbers starting with the 797 series this year.

b) The state has obtained permission from the Telecom Ministry for starting its own IPTV - Internet Protocol based Television network - as part of its Fibre Grid project.

11. Sunil Mittal elected chief of International Chamber of Commerce

a) The founder chairman of Bharti Airtel Sunil Bharti Mittal has been recently elected as the head of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), based in Paris, France. He is the 3rd Indian Business leader to head ICC.

b) He will replace Terry McGraw Chairman Emeritus of S&P Global, who will now become ICC's honorary chairman.

c) Mittal is currently serving as the Chair of the World Economic Forums (WEF) Telecommunications Steering Committee. He is also a member of the India-US, India-UK and India-Japan CEO Forums.

12. Suresh Chandra appointed as Union Law Secretary

a) Suresh Chandra, senior legal service officer was appointed as the Union Law Secretary.

b) Suresh Chandra is currently serving as the additional secretary in the department. G Narayana Raju, Legislative Secretary, was holding additional charge of the post of Secretary, Legal Affairs.

13. Piyush Goyal launches Vidyut Pravah and Urja Mobile App in Goa to enhance consumer connectivity

a) A new mobile called Urja - Urban Jyoti abhiyan was recently launched by Union Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal.

b) The app is developed by Power Finance Corporation on behalf of Ministry of Power for Urban Power Distribution Sector. The app is aimed at enhancing the consumer connect with the Urban Power Distribution sector by providing information of IT enabled towns on important parameters which concern the consumers like outage information, timely release of connections, addressing complaints, power reliability, etc.

c) Piyush Goyal has also launched the Pradhan Mantri UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for all) Yojana in Goa with a target of replacing approximately 15 lakh LED, bulbs impacting nearly five lakh households. Under the scheme, consumers are entitled to three LED bulbs of 9 w each at a subsidised rate of Rs. 25/- as against the market price of Rs. 300-350.

d) An app called Vidyut pravah was also launched during this event. By covering banking mechanism and and the medium term procurement of Power it is possible to expand the scope of "DEEP" (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) e-Bidding and e-Reverse Auction Portal.  

14. Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit facility becomes operational between India and Bangladesh

a) India Bangladesh Transit facility has recently became operation between Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura. This transit facility is under the revised Inland Water Transit & Trade Protocol.

b) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed the transit facility when he was on the Bangladesh's tour in June, 2015 to facilitate trade and movement of goods through Bangladesh.

c) The trans-shipment operations were launched at the Ashuganj port with a cargo vessel unloading the maiden consignment to be transported to Tripura through Bangladeshi territory. The first ship carrying 1000 tons of steel and iron sheets reached Ashuganj river port from Kolkata.

15. China to operationalise the exascale supercomputer Tianhe -3 by 2020

a) As per the recent announcement of Xu Dazhe, the director of the China National Space Administration, China's Mars exploration program has been formally approved by the central Chinese authorities.

b) The core module for the space station would be called the Tiange-1 which is the Chinese word for galaxy or Milky way. This core module will be launched in 2018 and China will have it's permanent manned space station in service by 2022.  

c) China plans to send a rover to Mars around 2020, and land by 2021, to explore the Red Planet and launch 150 long range carrier rockets in the next five years for its ambitious space missions. The Mars probe will orbit the red planet, land and deploy a rover all in one mission.

16. SBI floats Rs.200 crore fund to assist fintech firms

a) To provide assistance to the startups in the fintech space, State Bank of india has floated Rs. 200 crore.

b) The fund named 'IT Innovation Start-up Fund' will consider assistance of up to Rs. 3 crore to a firm registered in India for promoting their business innovations using technology in financial services.

c) SBI has also formed a mentoring team to assist start-ups, which will support, monitor and make a report on the progress and the utilisation of the funds by the venture.

17. Review meeting of Indo-EU 'Water4crops' project held

a) A review and planning meet on the Indo-EU 'Water4crops' project was recently held in New Delhi. Water4crops Project is a 9 million euro Indo-EU project on water-scarce agricultural sector.

b) This review meeting was held on the occasion of completion of 4 years of the project.

c) Water4Crops stands for "integrating bio-treated wastewater reuse and valorization with enhanced water use efficiency to support the Green Economy in Europe and India". Through the department of Biotechnology under the ministry of science and technology, the government of India has co funded this project.

d) The project was framed in 2012 under KBBE.2012.3.5-03: Biotechnological wastewater treatments and reuse in agronomical systems. Through the 7th framework programme funded 6 million euro and Indian government funded 3 millions. The project facilitates the development of new techniques for wastewater treatment at the local scale and it's possible use in agriculture.

18. RAPID, five-point charter for tax administrators, outlined by Narendra Modi

a)  A new five point mantra called RAPID was recently given by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating a two day annual conference of senior tax administrators in New Delhi called Rajasva Gyan Sangam.

b) The mantra, RAPID means R for Revenue, A for Accountability, P for Probity, I for Information and D for Digitization.

c) It will help people to respect the rule of law as well as fear of the long arm of the law for those who evade taxes.

19. India signs two MoUs with Namibia on capacity building for civil servants, centre of excellence in ICT

a) India has recently signed two important MoUs with Namibia. Out of which one MoU is for the capacity building for the civil servants of Namibia and another one for the setting up of Centre for excellence in information & communication technology (ICT).

b) Namibian govt. have expressed their commitment to the pact signed with India in 2009 to supply Uranium to India.

c) India and Namibia have also discussed further path of mutual co-operation in mining and and exploration of other minerals including zinc and marble.

[tuhindutta200]

How many tennis players have won more grandslams than Novac Djocovik? Please confirm.. This question was asked in UIIC AO exam.

[maniza.siddique]

Daily Current Affairs - 20th June, 2016, Monday

1. Renowned Educationist Jeppiaar passes away

a) Renowned educationist and founder of Jeppiaar Educational Trust Jeppiaar passed away at the age of 85 in Chennai following a chest congestion.

b) Originally named as Jesadimai Pangiraj, he had a major contribution in the setting up of private engineering institutions in Tamil Nadu and was the founder chancellor of Sathyabama University.

c) He began his career as a policeman. He also served as AIADMK secretary of the Chennai District from 1972 to 1987 and was a Special Envoy to the Chief Minister MG Ramachandran .

d) He produced seven Tamil movies, directed one in Tamil and was played a hero in a Tamil flick.

2. India, South Korea launches Korea Plus, an initiative to strengthen relations

a) With a view to boost Korean investments in India, South Korea and India have launched a special initiative named 'Korean plus'. It was done by Commerce & Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and Mr. Joo Hyunghwan, the Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy, Government of the Republic of Korea.

b) MoU for establishing was signed earlier in January 2016 which came after PMs visit to South Korea in 2015.

c) Key Highlights of the initiative: (i)covers the entire investment spectrum including supporting Korean enterprises dealing with India for the first time.

(ii) It will play as mediator for arranging meetings, assisting in public relations and research/evaluation.

(iii) It will counsel the investors and provide necessary information while investing in India.

(iv) It will handle issues faced by Korean companies doing business in India and policy advocacy to the Union Government on their behalf.

3. Bipin R Patel appointed as President of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry

a) Businessman Bipin R Patel took over as the new president of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for the term 2016-17.

b) He succeeded Rohit J Patel. In another development, Shailesh Patwari took over as the new senior vice-president of the chamber.

4. SpaceX successfully launches two commercial satellites

a) US based private space transport service company SpaceX successfully launched two commercial satellites namely EUTELSAT 117 West B and ABS-2A. This mission was SpaceX's second dual-satellite launch.

b) The launch was using SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket which had lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US.

c) These geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) satellites will provide global communications services to their users. However in this mission, the reusable rocket was lost before it could land on a drone ship platform in the Atlantic Ocean.

5. Endangered species of bird comes into view after 178 years

a) A team of ornithologists from the Bird Education Society and the Nepalese Ornithologists Union (NOS) recently spotted a rare and endangered species of bird, red-faced Liocichla of Liocichla Phoenicea spices at Chisapani in Dahakhani in the district.

b) This rare and endangered species of bird which was first spotted in Chitwan by a foreigner ornithologist some 178 years ago and was not seen thereafter has come to view yet again.

c) With this discovery, Chitwan now boasts being a home to 631 species of birds. Simrikane Lito Shila' is the nepali name for this bird.

6. World Refugee Day observed on 20 June

a) United Nations World Refugee Day is observed globally on 20th June each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.

b) The UN Refugee Agency's (UNCHR) logo is often associated with the day. The colors used are either white on a blue background or blue on white background.

c) The logo features olive branches that symbolize peace surrounding or protecting two hands facing each other, and in the middle a figure of a person protected by these hands.

d) The UN general assembly decided to observe World Refugee day on 20th June where it adopted resolution 55/76 in which it noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June.

7. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict observed

a) 19 June 2016 was marked as the First International day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict with a view to raise awareness for the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence.

b) The date was chosen to commemorate the adoption on 19 June 2008 of Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), in which the Council condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peace building.

c) Launched in 2007, it represents a concerted effort by the United Nations to 'deliver as one' - improving coordination and accountability, amplifying advocacy and supporting country-level efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and respond more effectively to the needs of survivors.

8. NASA unveils X-57 Hybrid Electric Research Plane

a) Experimental electric plane designated as X 57 has been launched by NASA. The hybrid electric research plane will have 14 electric motors to turn the propellers located on the long narrow wings.

b) The X series first product, also known as Maxwell, is named behind James Clerk Maxwell, the 19th century Scottish physicist who did groundbreaking work in electromagnetism.

c) It incorporates new propulsion technology which not only makes planes quieter but also more efficient and environmentally friendly. The planes will function only using batteries thus completely eliminating carbon emissions.

9. Rio declares 'Public calamity' few weeks ahead of Olympics

a) The state of Rio de Janeiro has declared a "state of public calamity" due to severe financial difficulties less than 50 days before the start of the Olympic Games.

b) The crisis has meant that public sector workers and pensioners in Rio state are owed wages in arrears, and hospitals and police stations have been unable to get basic supplies.

c) The state's declaration will have no negative impact on the games said an official statement from Rio 2016 organizing committee.

[maniza.siddique]

Daily Current Affairs - 21st June, 2016, Tuesday

1. ICC suspends Sri Lankan pacer Shaminda Eranga for illegal bowling

a) The International Cricket Council has banned Sri Lankan pace bowler Shaminda Eranga from in international cricket. This decision was taken after assessment of his bowling.

b) The assessment revealed that all deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under regulations. The test was performed at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough.

c) In accordance with Article 6.1 of the regulations, Eranga's international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all national cricket federations for domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction. But, he can play domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, with the consent of the country's cricket board.

2. Draft national Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy 2016 released

a) The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released the Draft National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy 2016. This policy will help India reach the target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity from renewable energy sources by 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar and 60 GW from wind.

b) The policy also aims to encourage new technologies and methods involving combined operation of wind and solar PV plants.

c) Superimposition of wind and solar resource maps indicate that there are vast stretches of areas where both wind and solar have high to moderate potential. Existing wind farms have scope of adding solar PV capacity and similarly there may be wind potential in the vicinity of existing solar PV plant.

d) Under the category of wind-solar hybrid power plants, wind and solar PV systems will be configured to operate at the same point of grid connection.

e) Government will encourage development of wind solar hybrid systems.

3. Centre notifies 10 coastal police stations extending their jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles

a) The Union Government has allowed police stations on land to extend their jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles (from the existing 12 nautical miles) into the high seas.

b) Post 26/11 terror attacks, the coastal police was given the responsibility to guard coastal waters. Thus, the extension of jurisdictional limits will help the local police dealing with cases of smuggling and terrorism to guard the 7516-km long coastline.

c) On the other hand, the Union Home Ministry has also approved the Maharashtra CM's proposal to create a Central Marine Police Force for patrolling and protecting the coastline.

4. Microsoft & AICTE sign pact to build app for HRD ministry's SWAYAM platform

a) Microsoft & AICTE have signed an agreement to build an app for Indian HRD Ministry's SWAYAM platform. The platform will launch 2000 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) for over three crore students in 2016.

b) Microsoft has signed a deal of Rs.38 crore with the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to create and run the app for three years. Later, it will be taken over by AICTE.

c) The ministry has approved UGC (Credit Framework for online learning courses through SWAYAM) Regulation, 2016 for successful implementation of the app.

d) Physical facilities like laboratories, computer facilities, library, etc. will be available for free by the parent institution. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the MOOCs by the parent institution and issued through the host institution.

5. India wins silver at Archery World Cup in Antalya

a) The Indian mixed recurve team of Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das has won silver at the Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.

b) In the final crash, however, India lost to South Korea.

6. Nico Rosberg wins 2016 Europe Grand Prix

a) German F1 driver Nico Rosberg has won the European Grand Prix championship which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

b) The Mercedes driver defeated compatriot and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel in the final race. With this, Rosberg has bagged his second career Grand Slam.

7. Australia wins Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2016

a) Australia has won Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2016 at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London. It defeated India 1-0 in a shoot-out.

b) With this, Australia has claimed the Champions Trophy title for the 14th time. Germany defeated Great Britain to win the bronze medal.

8. First batch of three female fighter pilots commissioned

a) Recently, the Indian Air Force commissioned its first batch of three female pilots - Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh.

b) Earlier, six women were shortlisted for initial training. Having cleared the first two stages successfully and gained over 150 hours of flying experience each, the trio will now proceed for a six-month Stage-III dedicated fighter training on Advanced Jet Trainer, the BAE Hawk at Bidar in Karnataka.

c) On completion, they will be assigned different fighter aircraft and will join mainstream fighter squadrons.

9. NRIs can now join NPS online through eNPS

a) As the finance ministry's announcement, non-resident Indians (NRIs) can now open National Pension Savings (NPS) accounts online. For this they need to have Aadhaar Card or PAN card.

b) Till now, NRIs could open an NPS account only through paper applications by approaching banks.

c) They will be able to open NPS accounts both on repatriable (ability of an asset to be transferred from a foreign country back to an investor's home country) and on non-repatriable basis.

10. SBI creates a Rs 200 crore fund for start-ups

a) State Bank of India has created a dedicated IT innovation and start-up fund and set aside Rs.200 crore for investment in promising start-ups.

b) It will be used for any India registered company to promote its business using information technology.

11. Former cricketer Chetan Chauhan named NIFT Chairman

a) Former cricketer Chetan Chauhan has been appointed as the chairman of the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology.

b) Chauhan, who is the vice-president of Delhi and District Cricket Association and a senior BCCI official, also runs a cricket academy and a printing press. He has also been a BJP MP twice.

12. Kannada film 'Thithi' wins best film award in 19th Shanghai International Film Festival

a) Kannada film Thithi has bagged top awards at the ongoing 19th Shanghai International Film Festival.

b) Thithi has won the Best Film and Best Script Writers in the Asia New Talent Awards at the festival.

13. Subhash Chandra Bose's statue unveiled in Malaysia

a) A bronze statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose has been unveiled at the Indian Cultural Centre in Malaysia. This was witnessed by nine Indian National Army (INA) veterans, including three women. It marked a historic moment for INA, the Rani of Jhansi regiment, Balak Sena and the veterans of the INA in Malaysia.

b) PM Modi had announced renaming of the Indian Cultural Centre here as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre during his visit to Malaysia last year.

c) The High Commission of India hosted the first-ever Festival of India in Malaysia last year. The bronze bust of Netaji was sculpted by Ram Sutar and sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

14. PM Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan President inaugurate Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna

a) PM Modi jointly inaugurated Duraiappah stadium with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Jaffna.

b) Named in the honour of a former mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah, the stadium has been renovated by the Indian government at a cost of more than Rs 7.1 crore.

c) With a seating capacity of 1,850, the stadium will provide necessary infrastructure to promote sports and assist overall development of the youth of the war-torn Northern Province.

15. International Day of Yoga 2016 observed across the world with release of a new Yoga Geet

a) Centre has celebrated an event called the National Event of Mass Yoga Demonstration at the Capitol complex in Chandigarh to mark the International Yoga Day celebrated globally.

b) The UN General Assembly adopted 21st June as the International Yoga Day.

c) AYUSH minister Shripad Naik released a Yoga geet which was shortlisted from around 1,000 entries. The three-minute-and-15-second song has been written and produced by Dheeraj Saraswat. Gandhar T D Jadhav and Gatha Jadhav have sung the song and Sumanto Ray is the composer.

16. Punjab launches Mukh Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund

a) Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal recently launched a fund called 'Mukh Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund' with Initial contribution of Rs.20 crores to provide free treatment to patients affected by Hepatitis C.

b) With this, Punjab has become the first state in India to provide free treatment for Hepatitis C.

17. Centre bans use of Potassium Bromate as food additive

a) The Union government has decided to ban Potassium Bromate as food additive.

b) This step was taken as a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has shown that 84% of 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads, including pav and buns, tested positive for potassium bromate and potassium iodate.

c) According to CSE studies, 'Potassium bromate increases dough strength, leads to higher rising and uniform finish to baked products while potassium iodate is a flour treatment agent.'

d) The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned Potassium Bromate. The recommendation for removal of Potassium iodate is referred to the scientific panel.

18. Martian crater named after Nepal quake-hit village Langtang

a) The International Astronomical Union has named a Martian crater after 'Langtang', one of the worst-hit villages in the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

b) Langtang is a popular trekking site which was destroyed when an earthquake-triggered avalanche swamped the village.

19. Centre introduces Radical changes in FDI Policy regime; approves 49% FDI in defence

a) To boost employment opportunities and job creation, the Union Cabinet has radically liberalised the FDI policy regime.

b) Cabinet has decided to permit 100% FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in food products manufactured or produced in India.

c) In the defence sector, FDI above 49% has been permitted through government approval route in cases resulting in modern technology. The new FDI limit has also been made applicable for Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions covered under Arms Act 1959.

d) In Broadcasting Carriage Services, 100% FDI is allowed in teleports, DTH services, cable networks, mobile TV, headend-in-the sky (HITS) operators, etc.

e) The existent policy on pharmaceutical sector provides for 100% FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharma and FDI up to 100% under government approval in brownfield pharma.

f) 100% FDI is permitted in aviation under automatic route in brownfield projects. FDI up to 49% is now permitted under automatic route in private security agencies sector and FDI beyond 49% and up to 74% would be permitted with government approval.

g) FDI in animal husbandry (including breeding of dogs), pisciculture, aquaculture and apiculture is allowed 100% via automatic route under controlled conditions.

20. India, Thailand sign 2 agreements on cooperation in culture and education sectors

a) India and Thailand has signed two agreements to enhance mutual cooperation in culture and education. These agreements were signed during Thailand's Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's recent visit.

b) One of these agreements aims to extend the cultural programme for 2016-19.

c) An MoU was also signed between Nagaland University and Thailand's Chiang Mai University.

d) India & Thailand also discussed other issues like maritime security, cyber security, military and intelligence cooperation, etc.

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1. SBI named in Hall Of Shame list of banks funding cluster bomb producers

a) State Bank of India (SBI) figures in an index titled 'Hall of Shame' which comprises 158 banking and financial institutions that have invested millions of dollars in companies which are making cluster bombs. The list has been globally published by Dutch campaign group PAX

b) This list includes giant companies like JP Morgan, Barclays, Bank of America & Credit Suisse. These companies have invested over $28 billion in seven producers of cluster munitions between June 2012 and April 2016.

c) The convention on cluster munitions (CCM) was signed by 94 signatories in 2008 which prohibits use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Most of the names enlisted in the PAX's list are not among the signatories of this convention.

d) Highest number of banks i.e. 74 are from the US, followed by China (29) and South Korea (26). SBI is the only financial institution from India which is mentioned in this list. It is because, SBI had made available $87 million to 'Orbital ATK' which is one of the world's largest manufacturers of ammunition and leading supplier of electronic warfare.

2. Virginia Raggi becomes first female Mayor of Rome

a) Anti-establishment Five Star movement candidate Virginia Raggi has become the first female Mayor of Rome.

b) She received around 2/3rd of votes against Roberto Giachetti of Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (DP).

c) Five Star movement (M5S) emerged as the main opposing force against the Matteo Renzi, Italy's Prime Minister. This result is a blow to the Renzi's bloc and bright prospect for the M5S, the anti-establishment party founded by comedian turned politician Beppe Grillo.

3. HAL unveils indigenous basic trainer aircraft HTT-40

a) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has inaugurated indigenous basic trainer aircraft HTT-40 in Bengaluru.

b) Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) is a two seater aircraft designed and developed by HAL. It is used for the first-stage training for all flying cadets of the three services. The programme aims to achieve its operational clearance by 2018.

4. China's Sunway Taihu Light declared world's fastest supercomputer

a) China's Sunway Taihu Light has been declared the world's fastest supercomputer. It has topped the list of 500 supercomputers around the world, thereby thrusting China to top the list for the seventh consecutive time. It has been developed by the National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology (NRCPC).

b) This supercomputer can make 93 quadrillion calculations per second with its processing capacity of 125.436 petaflops (PFlops) per second. It is the first supercomputer to achieve speeds in excess of 100 PFlops.

5. Anand Desai Committee on Specific Relief Act, 1963 submits report

a) An expert committee headed by Anand Desai, set up to examine the Specific Relief Act, 1963 has submitted its report to Union Law and Justice minister Sadananda Gowda.

b) The committee stressed on the need for change in the present scheme of act so that specific performance is granted as a general rule and grant of compensation or damages for non-performance remains as an exception.

c) Modifications proposed by the committee are as follows:

i.To change the approach, from damages being the rule and specific performance being the exception, to specific performance being the rule, and damages being the alternate remedy.

ii.To provide guidelines for reducing the discretion granted to courts and tribunals while granting performance and injunctive reliefs.

iii.To introduce provisions for rights of third parties (other than for Government contracts).

iv.To consider addressing unconscionable contracts, unfair contracts, reciprocity in contracts etc., and implied terms.

6. Andhra's Mori village chosen for development as smart village

a) Mori village from East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh has been chosen to be developed as a smart village of global standards. Under this project the Mori village will be developed as a self-contained sustainable business model.

b) The prototype of the project will be ready by mid-December, 2016. The project will incorporate the use of digital tools, real-time information and uninterrupted fibre optic internet connectivity with 15 Mbps speed.

c) This cashew exporting village in Andhra Pradesh will recieve e-commerce facility and 24x7 uninterrupted power supply. The project will encourage use of organic farming for shrimp hatcheries in the village.

d) The project involves the Innovation Society of the Andhra Pradesh Government, the University of California at Berkeley, Google, Cisco, IBM, Ericsson, etc.

7. Nikesh Arora resigns as President and COO of SoftBank Group

a) Nikesh Arora has recently resigned as the representative director, president and chief operating officer of SoftBank group. He will assume an advisory role from 1 July, 2016.

b) He will also resign as the chairman of Yahoo Japan and as director of Sprint as the SoftBank group has stakes in these two companies.

c) Arora left Google as their Chief Business Officer in 2014 and joined SoftBank group as vice-chairman.

8. Noted Telangana poet and lyricist Guda Anjaiah dies

a) Veteran Telugu poet & lyricist from Telangana Guda Anjaiah recently passed away at the age of 61.

b) He was popular for his Ooru manadi ra, ee vada manadi ra, which was translated into multiple languages. His songs Rajiga ori Rajiga and Ayyoniva nuvvu avvoniva were used in 'Poru', a film based on the Telangana movement.

c) He has also written a novel called Polimera which talks about the days during the 1975 emergency.

9. ISRO launches record 20 satellites from Sriharikota

10. Andhra postal circle releases stamps on Yoga booklet

a) To mark second anniversary of International Day of Yoga, Andhra Pradesh postal circle has released "Information booklet, Stamps on Yoga" and "12 stamps on Suryanamaskarams".

b) The booklet contains illustrations and descriptions of 24 yoga asanas (postures) along with a brief description on the various Yoga postures depicted in the original stamps.

c) The booklet contains four commemorative stamps released in 1991 on various yoga postures-Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Ushtrasana and Utthita Trikonasana.

10. Centre approves proposal for greenfield electronic park in Odisha

a) Department of Electronics and Information Technology has approved setting up of a greenfield electronic park within the Infovalley complex, a dedicated IT hub, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

b) The park will be set up under Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) on 203 acres of land. The estimated cost for this development is 205 crores of which 95 crores will be given by the government of India, rest will be invested by the state government.

c) Apart from developed land, road, power, water and recreation facilities, the park intends to provide common facilities for training, incubation and R&D activities to the interested entrepreneurs.

[maniza.siddique]

Daily Current Affairs - 23rd June, 2016, Thursday

1) Tata, Boeing establish aerospace facility in Hyderabad

a) Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems have launched a new facility in Hyderabad for its joint venture TATA Boeing Aerospace Ltd (TBAL).

b) The joint venture aims to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages and other aerostructures, as well as to pursue integrated systems in aerospace.

c) The Hyderabad production facility will eventually be the sole producer of AH-64 fuselages globally. The Apache has been flown or selected for acquisition by the US and 15 other nations, including India.

2) ISRO launches record 20 satellites from Sriharikota

a) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently launched a record 20 satellites in 26 minutes. The rocket blasted off from the southern spaceport of Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

b) The 20 satellites including India's latest earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 was launched onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-34. The other 19 satellites were from the US, Germany, Canada and Indonesia. Two satellites were from Sathyabama University, Chennai, and the College of Engineering, Pune.

c) Most of the satellites that entered the orbit are intended to observe Earth's atmosphere while the other will provide service for amateur radio operators.

d) With this, ISRO has broken its own record of launching 10 satellites in 2008. However, Russia leads the pack with the launch of 37 satellites in single mission in 2014.

3) Assam government launches Maitri Ek Gyan Yatra to link primary schools to colleges

a) Maitri Ek Gyan Yatra is an initiative launched to link primary schools to high schools to colleges in Assam's Sivasagar district.

b) The programme intends to improve the quality of school students. College teachers will take up classes in high school and high schools teachers will teach in primary schools voluntarily.

c) The implementation of this programme is also to change the mindset of teachers as in some places in the state teachers of a school considered it below their dignity to teach the lower level students. It is meant to increase the synergy in education sector.

4) Scientists make world's first 1,000-processor microchip

a) Scientists from University of California have designed the world's first microchip that has 1,000 processors and is deemed to be the fastest chip designed in a university lab.

b) Fabricated by IBM, this chip is energy efficient and has a maximum computation rate of 1.78 trillion instructions per second and contains 621 million transistors.

c) Named as KiloCore, it has the highest clock-rate processor and also is individually clocked which shuts down when not in use thus saving energy.

d) The KiloCore was presented at the 2016 Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits in Honolulu recently.

5) BCCI suspends Goa Cricket Association officials for misappropriation of funds

a) BCCI has suspended and issued show cause notices to the Goa Cricket Association President Chetan Desai and Secretary Vinod Phadke.

b) The two were arrested for alleged misappropriation of organisation funds (sum of Rs.3.13 crore).

c) BCCI has decided to investigate into the matter. Also, a span of 15 days (effective from 18th June 2016) has been given to the two to submit written replies to the BCCI.

6) Six Indian WW1 warriors honoured in Digital Archive of UK

a) Britain has launched a new digital archive which mentions inspiring stories of war heroes which includes six Indians. The archive is a part of UK government's centenary celebrations to mark World War I.

b) 175 soldiers from 11 overseas countries were awarded with the highest British award for valour, the Victoria Cross (VC) during the war. This list includes six soldiers who were honoured in a commemorative plaque given in 2014 to India.

c) The six Indians to be honoured are: Risaldar Badlu Singh from Punjab, Sepoy Chatta Singh from U.P, Lance Naik Lala from Himachal Pradesh, Naik Darwan Singh Negi and Rifleman Gabar Sing Negi from present-day Uttarakhand, Lance-Dafadar Gobind Singh from Rajasthan.

d) Apart from India, the other countries to be included in the archive are: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the US, Pakistan, Nepal, Denmark, Belgium and Ukraine.

7) Maharashtra Cabinet approves minority status for Jews

a) The Maharashtra cabinet has granted minority status to the Jew community. This decision aims to benefit students from these communities to avail scholarships. It also aims to enable setting up of educational institutions.

b) The decision was made on the basis of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission Act, 2004, which vests the government with the power to grant minority status to a community.

c) The Jewish community can now take advantage of government schemes, get their marriage registrations done with ease, set up educational institutions and practise and promote their own culture.

8) NASA discovers K2-33b, a newborn Exoplanet around a young star

a) Astronomers at NASA have detected a newborn fully-formed exoplanet, (planets that orbit stars beyond the Sun) for the first time detected around a young star.

b) The discovery was made using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope and its extended K2 mission. The newfound planet named K2-33b is a bit larger than Neptune and whips tightly around its star every five days.

c) Of the 3,000 exoplanets discovered so far with their age ranging in few billion years, this planet is only five to ten million years old and will help us better understand how planets form, which is important for understanding the processes that led to the formation of the Earth.

9) Bone artefacts used by early humans discovered in Kuumbi Cave

a) Bone tools were used for hunting, and even as poison arrow tips, in eastern Africa over 13,000 years, suggests a recent study in Kuumbi Cave, Zanzibar. Kuumbi Cave is one of a group of caves that underlie a flight of marine terraces in Pleistocene limestone in eastern Zanzibar.

b) The research findings suggest that bone technology was a central element to the Kuumbi Cave's inhabitants over 13,000 years ago. This technology was a crucial element to people from Stone Age around 60,000 years ago.

c) By analysing the artefacts with a camera and microscope, the results showed that the bone projectile points are likely to have been used for poison arrows, partly due to the slender and short nature of the arrow heads, and partly supported by a previous discovery of charcoal from the Mkunazi plant, which is known to have poisonous fruit. The research was published in the journal Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa.

10) Hamid Ansari inaugurates a two-day international conference on yoga

a) Vice President Hamid Ansari recently inaugurated a two-day conference on 'Yoga for Body and Beyond' organised by Ministry of AYUSH as a part of International Yoga Day celebrations.

b) The conference witnessed a participation of over 70 delegates over 35 countries. The countries include Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria, Malaysia, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Australia, Belgium, China, Egypt, Iceland, Japan, Kuwait, Korea, Kenya, Slovenia, Uzbekistan and U.A.E.

c) The nine technical sessions of the conference will have eminent yoga gurus, exponents and experts elaborate upon various themes such as "Yoga and Physical Well Being", "Insights from Yoga Scholars", "Integration of Yoga in Healthcare Delivery System", "Yoga for Mental health", "Yoga for Body and Beyond". There will also be a panel discussion and an open ended session on experience sharing by Foreign delegates.

11) Jaitley releases silver coin to mark Martyrdom Day of Banda Singh Bahadur

a) A commemorative silver coin to mark the 300th martyrdom day of Sikh military commander Banda Singh Bahadur was released on 21st June by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

b) Releasing the coins manufactured in association with MMTC, he mentioned the need to educate people about the rich history and tradition of Punjab including its leaders like Banda Singh Bahadur.

c) Banda Bahadur established his rule to protect honour and tradition of his people, by defeating Mughals in 1710. Later in 1716, at the age of 46 he was captured and executed by Mughals in Delhi.

12) Assam: Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple to begin today

a) The four-day annual Ambubachi Mela began in the Kamakhya Temple with several lakh pilgrims already arriving from different parts of the country. The authorities are expecting over 25 lakh pilgrims in the next four days.

b) The state tourism department has mounted a massive campaign to showcase the Ambubachi Mela as a major attraction for pilgrims as well as other visitors from across the country.

c) Kamakhya is also the most important centre for practice and study of tantra and shaktism is also an added attraction.

[maniza.siddique]

Daily Current Affairs  - 24th June, 2016, Friday

1) Ken Miyauchi takes charge as President and COO of SoftBank Group

a) Ken Miyauchi has been appointed as the President and COO of SoftBank Group. He will replace Nikesh Arora.

b) Ken currently serves as the head of the group's Japanese telecommunications operations.

2) AIFF to launch 'Mission 11 Million' for football

a) The All India Football Federation is set to launch a football programme targeting 11 million children across India.

b) 'Mission 11 Million' will start in October 2016 and will be launched across 30 cities.

c) AIFF hopes to tap the Indian diaspora in countries that already have a strong football infrastructure (Germany, US, Australia).

d) The success and popularity of the under-17 World Cup, which India is hosting in October 2017, will be incidentally a year after 'Mission 11 Million' and may indeed be shaped by this programme.

3) Aadhaar to be linked with caste, domicile certificates

a) To speeden the allotment of scholarships and to avoid harassment to SC/ ST students, all state governments have been asked to link Aadhaar with caste and domicile certificates that are issued to school students.

b) A first of its kind initiative, it will help students avail benefits or concessions and facilities available to the category of students concerned.

c) The state government may also try to get the information of students fed into the meta data to be made online and may link it to Aadhaar enabled data.

d) The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) issues Aadhaar which is a 12-digit number that acts as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in the country.

4) BCCI appoints Anil Kumble as head coach of Indian Cricket Team

a) BCCI has appointed Anil Kumble as the Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team.

b) Kumble, former India Test captain and the country's most successful bowler will begin his one-year tenure with India's four-Test tour of the West Indies in July.

c) Anil Kumble will replace former coach Ravi Shastri whose contract ends this year.

5) A Life in Diplomacy authored by MK Rasgotra

a) A Life in Diplomacy, written by former Indian diplomat Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra, has been released.

b) The book provides a view of the beginnings of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, the last years of the Cold War, the negotiations on the formation of SAARC, Indira Gandhi's assassination and the Bhopal gas disaster.

c) Rasgotra served several important posts in Indian diplomatic missions abroad and in the Ministry of External Affairs. He also worked as the Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board between 2005 and 2007.

d) His other books include - America in the Asian Century, The New Asian Power Dynamic and Science and Technology in China: Implications and Lessons for India.

6) LIC Chairman S K Roy resigns

a) Chairman of Life India Insurance (LIC) S K Roy has resigned from his post recently.

b) He was appointed as the LIC's Chairman on 29th June, 2013 for a five year term.

c) S K Roy joined LIC in 1981 as direct recruit officer.

7) Aveek Sarkar resigns as Chief Editor of ABP Group of Publications

a) Aveek Sarkar has resigned from the post of Editor-in-Chief of the ABP Group Pvt Ltd. He has also resigned as the Editor-in-chief of The Telegraph and AnandBazar Patrika.

b) He will take up the position of vice-chairman. R.Rajagopal has been appointed as the editor of The Telegraph; Anirban Chattopadhyay as the editor of Anadabazar Patrika, and Ebela.

8) Andy Murray wins record fifth Queen's Club title

a) Britain's Andy Murray has bagged 2016 Queen's Club title for the fifth time in his career, defeating Canada's Milos Raonic.

b) Murray won the final match 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3.

c) With this, he has equalled the record of winning the Queen's Club title five times with veteran tennis players like John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Roy Emerson.

9) Darjeeling zoo to receive snow leopard from London's Dudley Zoological Gardens

a) One of the highest high altitude zoos in the country, the Padma Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in Darjeeling will soon receive a snow leopard from London's Dudley Zoological Garden.

b) This snow leopard is named as Makalu. He is named after the world's highest peak at 27,765 feet situated on the southeast side of Mount Everest.

c) Snow leopard (Panthera uncial) is listed as endangered species in International Union of Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list.

10) Artemi Panarin wins 2015-2016 Calder Memorial Trophy

a) Hockey winger of Russian Hockey team Artemi Panarin has bagged the 2015-16 Calder Memorial Trophy. Artemi plays for Chicago Blackhawks team.

b) He received votes on all 150 ballots and he was the top choice on 88 for 1258 voting points. Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers stood at the second position and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers bagged the third place.

c) In the total 80 matches played by Artemi in 2015-16, he scored 30 goals, 47 assists, 77 points, 8 power play goals, 24 power play points and 7 game winning goals.

d) He also created history by becoming the fourth rookie in franchise history to reach the 30-goals milestone.

11) World Hydrography Day 2016 observed

a) World Hydrography Day 2016 is annually observed on 21st June.

b) The theme for the WHD 2016 was 'Hydrography - the key to well-managed seas and waterways' which drew attention to the fundamental importance of hydrography.

c) The day also demarcates the 95th anniversary of the establishment of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO).

12) International Widows' Day 2016 observed on June 23

a) International Widows' Day, first recognised by the UN in 2010, is observed on 23 June.

b) It was introduced to address poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries.

c) It was initiated by the Loomba Foundation in 2005 in the welfare of widows.

13) United Nations Public Service Day 2016 observed

a) United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated annually to mark the invaluable contribution and efforts of the public servants and administrators throughout the world.

b) The 2016 United Nations Public Service Day was celebrated at the UN Headquarters in New York with a high-level knowledge-sharing panel onLeaving No One Behind: Innovative Institutional Approaches and Public Service Delivery.

c) Africa Public Service Day is celebrated in Africa to coincide with the United Nations Public Service Day.

14) PayPal appoints Anupam Pahuja as India Country Manager and MD

a) Global payments platform, PayPal has appointed Anupam Pahuja as Country Manager and MD for its India operations.

b) Pahuja has been with the company for six years and was head, technology for Paypal in the APAC region. He will be responsible for all aspects of PayPal's business in India and for further strengthening the company's operations.

15) Pakistani Sufi singer Amjad Sabri shot dead in Karachi

a) Renowned Pakistani singer Amjad Sabri was shot dead in the southern city of Karachi.

b) According to reports, Sabri, 45, was travelling in a car with an associate in a car when unknown gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at his vehicle in the city's Liaquatabad area. His driver has also been reportedly shot and is critical.

c) Sabri was the son of renowned qawwali Ghulam Farid Sabri whose family is famous in the subcontinent for their contribution to this Sufi art and mystic poetry. Known for his soul-stirring renditions of mystic poetry, he was one of the finest Pakistani qawwali singers.

16) Union Cabinet approves MoU between India and Germany

a) The Union Cabinet recently approved an MoU with German company Steinbeis GmbH Co. KG for Technologietransfer on technology resourcing in manufacturing, including sub-sectors of capital goods.

b) This Mou was signed during the Industrial Exhibition Hannover Messe 2016 in Hannover, Germany.

c) The two parties will collaborate in profiling of specific technologies, technology road-mapping for specified capital good sub-sectors, assessment of technology status of Capital Goods Cluster, cooperation in events on technology, upgrading existing technology institutes / setting up Greenfield institutes in India and other technology related co-operation and collaboration.

17. EU reached agreement on new border force to tackle migrant crisis

a) An agreement for setting up a new Border and Coast Guard Force to curb the influx of migrants recently received a nod from European Union.

b) The EU parliament will soon take up a vote on this issue.

c) This force is considered as the expansion of the size and task of the existing Warsaw based Frontex border agency. This force will bear the right to intervene in front line countries like Greece and Italy.

18. Tech Mahindra Ltd acquires UK-based BIO Agency Ltd

a) UK based BIO Agency was recently acquired by Tech Mahindra in an all cash deal of an enterprise value value of up to 45 million pounds.

b) BIO services brands across financial services, retail, property, travel, and technology sectors. BIO Agency was incorporated in April, 2006. For year 2015-16, it had revenues of 12.3 million pounds.

19) Nagpur and China's Jinan become 'sister cities'

a) Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Jinan, Municipal People's Republic of China, have signed an agreement to develop sister city relationship between the two cities. This is for the first time that a city has developed sister city concept with any foreign city.

b) The agreement, which will be executed for five years, also allows Nagpur to seek financial assistance from Jinan to execute development projects.

c) Jinan has an urban population of over 46 lakh similar to Nagpur in terms of agriculture produce market, textile industry, flour mills, steel units, IT industry and educational facilities. Thus the concept is to have a regular exchange in various areas.

d) The pact is signed as a part of a 2013 agreement between the two countries to develop the concept of sister cities.

20. Mercer's Cost of Living Survey 2016 released; Mumbai costliest in India

a) As per the recently released Mercer's Cost of Living Survey 2016 Mumbai is still most expensive city in India. Mumbai (82nd position) is followed by New Delhi & Chennai. Kolkata is the India's cheapest city to live.

b) As per the report, Hong Kong is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates. It has pushed Angola's capital Luanda to the 2nd position. The 3rd and 4th position is given to Zurich and Singapore.

c) The data helps Mercer derive the cost of living allowance for expatriates coming into the country .Data is collected each year in March and the rankings are released in May-June.

21. Britain decided to exit from European Union

a) In a historic referendum, 51.9% voters of UK have voted for Brexit. Over 48.1% of UK voters have favoured to remain in European Union.

b) Northern Ireland, London and Scotland were staunchly supporting to stay back with the EU. Wales and English shires supported the brexit instead.

c) The brexit might weaken Europe's unity and stability which is required to face the issues like Greek's financial crisis and huge influx of refugees in Europe.

d) This move of UK has triggered all the major stock markets in the world to fall down. The international price of oil has decreased ut the price of gold has shown a sharp rise.

e) India BSE sensex index has also notified a fall upto 4.04 percent. Indian rupee has also fallen to its lowest since february 2016 to 68.14 against a dollar.

f) The PM of UK David Cameron has announced his resignation few hours after the brexit vote. Cameron and his conservative party advocated to remain with the EU.

[maniza.siddique]

1) UNCTAD releases World Investment Report 2016

a) The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has released the World Investment Report 2016 - Investor Nationality: Policy Challenges.

b) It analyses international production by multinational enterprises (including sales, exports, employment and value-added), and their ownership structures and control of affiliates.

c) According to the report, in terms of FDI inflow in 2015, the USA surpassed China & Hong Kong with $380 billion. India has maintained its 10th position with $44 billion.

d) Considering total global investment, FDI inflows rose by 38% to their highest level since the global economic crisis in 2008-09. Inward FDI flows to developed economies nearly doubled to $962 billion. The report expects upcoming decline by 10-15% in 2016.

e) Asia has shown a record breaking 16% growth as regards FDI inflows through investment due to strong performance of east and south Asian countries.

f) The report advises policy makers to work towards striking a balance between liberalisation and regulation in pursuing the ultimate objective of promoting investment for sustainable development.

2) International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed

a) The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed on 26 June. The theme for this year was Listen First.

b) 'Listen First' aims to increase support for prevention of drug use. The initiative is based on science and thus an effective investment in the well-being of children and youth, their families and their communities.

c) On this occasion, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also released the World Drug Report 2016.

d) The Punjab Frontier of Border Security Force organised a cycle rally comprising 65 BSF personnel to spread the message of dedication to national security, awareness against drugs and of physical fitness among citizens, especially the youth.

3) Railway minister flags off Danapur-Saharsa Janhit Express

a) Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off a new train service between Danapur and Saharsa in Bihar to increase connectivity.

b) He also announced the extension of three trains in Bihar and Jharkhand.

c) While the daily service of Jaynagar-Saharsa Janki Express was extended up to Katihar, Patna-Murliganj Koshi Express was extended up to Purnea Court.

4) Olympian Anju Bobby George resigns as president of Kerala Sports Council

a) Olympian Anju Bobby George quit the post of President of the Kerala Sports Council.

b) The star long jumper who was the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in World Athletics Championships has been accused of corruption by the state sports minister EP Jayarajan.

c) Among her many achievements, George earned the Arjuna award in 2002 and a gold medal at the Asian Games in Busan.

5) G D Birla award for Sanjay Mittal from IIT Kanpur

a) IIT-Kanpur professor Sanjay Mittal has bagged the prestigious G D Birla Award for Scientific Research for 2016.

b) Mittal (48) is a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and has been chosen for his contribution in the area of Mechanics.

c) Mittal has made significant contribution to development of finite element algorithms for high performance computing (HPS).

6) Nagaland Governor launches women's helpline number '181'

a) Nagaland Governor has launched women's helpline number 181 and a one-stop centre named 'Sakhi' intended to support women affected by violence both in private and public spaces.

b) The helpline and centre will provide integrated assistance, medical, legal and psychological counselling to women affected by violence.

c) The two initiatives aim to bolster women's safety and reduce violence against them.

7) Nokia appoints Sanjay Malik as India head

a) Sanjay Malik has been appointed as the head of Nokia's India operations with effect from August 1. He will replace Sandeep Girotra.

b) Currently, he serves as the Head of Network Implementation (NI) at Nokia Global Services.

c) Previously, he was heading Bharti GCBT, where he led the transformation of business.

8) Quiz Master Neil O'Brien dies at 82

a) Quiz master and former MP of Lok Sabha Neil O'Brien passed away at the age of 82.

b) He was former chairman of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination and the Inter State Board of Anglo-Indian Education.

c) Neil O'Brien conducted the first well-organised, formal quiz in 1967 at Christ the King Church Parish Hall in then Calcutta (now Kolkata).

9) BCCI to host mini IPL in September

a) BCCI is set to introduce a mini IPL in September 2016 outside India including all the eight teams.

b) Also known as overseas IPL, it will be held every September and is expected to finish within a two weeks with less number of matches.

10) DRDO inks MoU with Kolkata's JU to establish Rs.100 cr research centre at Jadavpur University

a) The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) is joining hands with Jadavpur University to launch a research centre worth Rs.100 crore at Jadavpur varsity to develop technologies related to cyber security and robotics for the defence forces.

b) The centre will focus on pursuing collaborative advanced research, starting with secure systems and cognitive technologies, directed energy, unmanned and robotics technologies and later venturing towards other futuristic technologies.

c) The centre is expected to be ready in the next two years and will act as a self-accounting unit of the DRDO.

11) Mahasthangarh declared as SAARC cultural capital for 2016-17

a) Mahasthangarh, the 3rd century BC archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh, has been declared as the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation SAARC cultural capital for 2016-17.

b) As a SAARC cultural capital, the historic place will host festivals on literature, films, foods and dances from October 2016 to September 2017.

c) The year 2016-17 has also been declared as the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage.

d) Mahasthangarh is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites discovered in Bangladesh.

12) ADB extends $500-million loan for river bridge in Bihar

a) The Asian Development Bank has approved $500 million for the construction of bridge across the Ganga.

b) The 9.8 km bridge to be built in Bihar will be India's longest.

c) It would provide vital transport links between the northern and southern parts of the state and with neighbouring country Nepal.

d) The project will run for four years and is expected to be complete by December 2020.

13) Sri Lanka's parliament votes in favour of right to information bill

a) The Sri Lankan parliament has unanimously passed the Right to Information Bill which aims to restore transparency and good governance in the country plagued by corruption and misrule.

b) It will allow the citizens to access public information except for personal data, national security information, financial and commercial policy decisions, intellectual property and medical reports.

c) The RTI bill is likely to make moderate changes to uphold transparency in the functioning of the state.

14) Day of the Seafarer 2016 observed

a) Day of the Seafarer 2016 was observed worldwide on 25th June. The theme for this year is 'At Sea For All'.

b) The theme has a clear link with the 2016 World Maritime Day theme, "Shipping: indispensable to the world", emphasising that seafarers are also "indispensable to the world".

c) The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) designated 25 June as the Day of the Seafarer and it was first observed in 2011.

15) US to provide Afghan forces $3 billion for 2018-2020 and also donates $20 million to UN for Fallujah refugees

a) The United States plans to provide more than $3 billion a year in support for the security and reconstruction of Afghanistan from 2018 through 2020.

b) It is also contributing $20 million in humanitarian aid to the United Nations' effort to help the thousands of refugees who have fled fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

c) The UN Central Emergency Relief Fund released 17.5 million dollars to help. The US also urged other countries to help meet the UN's call for more money to help the refugees.

16) South India Bank launches Remit2 India Service

a) Remit2 India, a secure online money transfer service for NRIs, has been launched by the South Indian Bank.

b) NRI customers will get a cashback of Rs. 600 for the first three transactions as a part of the inaugural offer.

c) This facility is available for remittances from Europe, Australia, the UAE and Singapore.

17) IWAI and IPGPL ink MoU on Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project

a) The Inland Waterways Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with India Ports Global Private for projects worth Rs. 476 crore to facilitate connectivity and trade.

b) Ministry of external affairs is administering the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) in Myanmar. This project is aimed at facilitating facilitating connectivity between the mainland and the North-East through maritime shipping, inland waterways and roads of Myanmar.

c) Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is appointed as the Project development consultant by Ministry of external affairs. for implementation of the Port and Inland Water Transport (IWT) component of the Kaladan Project.

d) India Ports Global Private (IPGPL) has been established as a joint venture between the Kandla Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust for the purpose of development of ports overseas.

[omidichwalkar (Onkar Dichwalkar)]

1) Chile beat Argentina to win 2016 Copa America Football tournament

a) Chile emerged victorious against Argentina in the finals of 2016 Copa America tournament.

b) No goals were scored during regulation time and extra time. The match went to the penalty shootout to decide the results.

c) In shootout, Chile dominated over Argentina and won the cup with a 4-2 total. Lionel Messi and Lucas Biglia missed their spot kicks for Argentina.

2) International Indian Film Academy awards 2016 presented

a) The 17th edition of International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony was recently held in Madrid, Spain.

b) The list of awardees is as follows:

Best Film: Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani

Best Actor (Male): Ranveer Singh for Bajirao Mastani

Best Actor (Female): Deepika Padukone for Piku

Best Actor in Supporting Role (Male): Anil Kapoor for Dil Dhadakne Do

Best Actor in Supporting Role (Female): Priyanka Chopra for Bajirao Mastani

Best Actor in Negative Role: Darshan Kumar for NH10

Best Performance in Comic Role: Deepak Dobriyal for Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Best Story: Juhi Chaturvedi for Piku

Best Playback Singer (Female): Monali Thakur for Moh Moh Ke Dhaage

Best Playback Singer (Male): Papon for Moh Moh Ke Dhaage

Best Lyrics: Varun Grover for Moh Moh Ke Dhaage

Special Award: Woman of the Year - Priyanka Chopra

Best Cinematography: Sudeep Chatterjee for Bajirao Mastani

Best Screenplay: Kabir Khan, Parveez Shaikh, V. Vijayendra Prasad for Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Best Background Score: Sanchit Balhara for Bajirao Mastani

3) Centre launches India's first pilot programme to run two-wheelers on CNG

a) The Union government has launched a pilot programme to run two-wheeler vehicles on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in New Delhi.

b) Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar & Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan launched this project.

c) Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) & GAIL India Ltd is jointly implementing this programme under Hawa Badlo movement (to curb air pollution).

d) Two-wheelers will get installed with the new 50 CNG kits, which are approved by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) as well as Delhi's Transport Department.

e) The CNG cylinders will have 4.8 litres of water capacity and each can be filled up with 1 kg of CNG. In a single fill, the vehicles can travel up to 120 km.

f) These two-wheelers will emit 75% less hydrocarbon and 20% less carbon monoxide than those running on petrol.

4) Noted Malayalam theatre artist Kavalam Narayana Panicker passes away

a) Kavalam Narayana Panicker, veteran Malayalam theatre artiste, recently passed away at the age of 88 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

b) Madhyamaka Yogam, Kalidasa's Vikramorvasiyam, Shakuntalam, Karnabharam, Bhasa's Urubhangam, Swapnavasavadattam and Doota Vakyam are some of his notable works.

c) He had also directed two movies in Kutiyattam form, namely Mani Madhava Chakyar: The Master at Work, and Parvati Viraham.

d) He was awarded with Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1983 and with Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship in 2002. He also received the Padma Bhushan in 2007.

5) Sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics

a) India's sprinter Dutee Chand finally won her battle against the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and got qualified for the 100m event in the Rio Olympics.

b) She was prevented from competing in 2014 for failing a hormone test under the IAAF's rules on hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces higher than normal testosterone levels in women.

c) IAAF has suspended the regulation for two years in order to gather evidence on whether athletes with hyperandrogenism do gain any performance advantage.

6) International Olympic Day celebrated on June 23

a) To mark International Olympics Day and spread word on the importance of Olympics, over 160 national Olympic committees from different nations and various sports organisations recently launched a series of events.

b) To mark this day, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil's unveiled the Athlete's Village.

c) International Olympics Day was initiated in 1948 to commemorate the beginning of the first-ever Olympics games on 23rd June 1894.

7) Nepal bans citizens from working in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya

a) Nepal has banned its nationals from working in Afghanistan, Iran & Syria. This government initiated this move after 13 Nepali security guards were killed by a Talibani suicide bomber in Kabul.

b) PM K P Oli has ordered a parliamentary panel to track down traffickers who send a large number of Nepali migrants to these war torn countries for employment.

c) Over 30% of the country's GDP is due to remittances sent by Nepali workers working in Middle East, India and Malaysia.

8) Indian-origin lawyer Yasmin Sooka to chair panel on human rights in South Sudan

a) Indian-origin lawyer and human rights activist of South Africa Yasmin Sooka was recently appointed to chair a UN commission to monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan and suggest measures for improvement.

b) She will serve the commission along with Kenneth Scott from the US and Godfrey Musila of Kenya.

c) The commission aims to provide guidance to the South Sudan government on transitional justice, accountability and reconciliation issues.

d) Sooka is currently the Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) in South Africa. She had previously served the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) established by former President Nelson Mandela from 1996-2001. She was also a part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone from 2002-2004, as well as advising the UN Secretary General on accountability for war crimes committed during the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka.

9) Union Cabinet approves largest-ever spectrum auction

a) The Union Cabinet has approved the sale of all available spectrum which could bring around Rs. 5.5 lakh crores.

b) The 700 MHz band will be put on offer at a reserve price of Rs. 11,485 crore per MHZ pan India.

c) Apart from the 700MHz band, the airwaves will be sold in the frequencies of 800MHz, 900MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,100MHz, 2,300MHz and 2,500MHz.

10) Rare stone inscription on Kapalikas found

a) A professor of Kannada University recently discovered a 1000-year old rare stone inscription on Kapalikas.

b) Kapalikas were the worshippers of Bhairava, an incarnation of Shiva. The mysterious cult is believed to have practised human sacrifice and immolation.

c) The stone inscription found in Raichur district is presumed to have been be written around 1000 AD in ancient Kannada language.

d) This inscription refers to a 'Kankala Gorava' who had mastered Soma Siddhanta or Kapalika Siddhanta. This inscription will be very useful in throwing a light on Kapalikas cult where there are very less evidences available on them.

11) Legendary photographer Bill Cunningham passes away

a) Legendary street-style fashion photographer Bill Cunningham has passed away aged 87 in New York.

b) He worked for the New York Times for around 40 years. Being a street fashion photographer, Bill memorialised trends ranging from fanny packs to Birkin bags, gingham shirts and fluorescent biker shorts.

12) China launches first Dark Sky Reserve in Tibet to limit light pollution

a) China recently launched its first ever Dry Sky reserve in Ngari Prefecture in Tibet to limit light pollution and to preserve sites for making astronomical observations.

b) This dry reserve covers an area of 2,500sq.km. It is above 4,500 metres above sea-level in northwest Tibet which is why it is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observations.

c) This dark reserve is jointly launched by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and the regional government of Tibet.

13) Anju Bobby George & Pullela Gopichand taken as members of Khelo India

a) Indian athlete Anju Bobby George and veteran badminton player Pullela Gopichand were named as the members of Khelo India.

b) Khelo India is a national programme launched by central government with an aim to develop sports in country.

c) Bothe the players are included in the seven member committee of Khelo India which is headed by sports secretary Rajiv Yadav.

14) International Day in Support of Victims of Torture observed

a) The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was observed on 26th June.

b) On 12 December 1997, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 26 June as the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. It is observed to campaign for eradication of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

c) In 2016, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture also marks its 35th anniversary. It is a victim-focused mechanism that channels funding for the assistance of victims of torture and their families. It is administered by the UN Human Rights office in Geneva.

15) Lionel Messi retires from Argentina after Copa America loss to Chile

a) After the stunning defeat from Chile in the finals of Copa America 2016, Argentinian football ace Lionel Messi has announced his plans to retire from International football.

b) Messi made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and has hitherto played 113 matches for the team. He has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Spanish side Barcelona.

16) Colombia government, FARC rebels sign ceasefire pact

a) The leftist FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels and the Colombian government have signed a ceasefire deal, thereby ending over five decades of conflict.

b) The ceremony was witnessed by Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, FARC chief Timolen Timochenko Jiménez, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, Cuban president, Ral Castro and Venezuela's Head of State, Nicolás Maduro.

c) The Cuban president, Ral Castro; while Venezuela that had the observer status played an important role in encouraging FARC to the negotiating table.

d) The peace talks had five core areas-reforms, the rebels' future role in political life, a definitive end of hostilities, fighting the illegal drug trade and the situation of the victims.

17) Cabinet approves Rs.6,000 cr package for textiles

a) Union cabinet recently approved a Rs.6,000 crore special package for the textiles & apparel sector to attract investments worth $11 billion. This is with the aim of increasing exports worth $30.4 billion and to create 1 crore new jobs in 3 years.

b) The package includes incentives for duty drawback scheme for garments, flexibility in labour laws to increase productivity as well as tax and production incentives for job creation in garment manufacturing.

c) As the garment industry has around 70% women workforce, new jobs will mostly be for women.

18) Cabinet approves four-laning of Hubli-Hospet section of NH-63 in Karnataka

a) The Union Cabinet has given its nod for the four-laning of Hubli-Hospet section of NH-63 in Karnataka.

b) The total length of the road to be developed is approximately 144 kms. The work will be done under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis.

c) This project will help to ease traffic and reduce travel time between Hubli to Hospet.

19) Cabinet approves pact for avoidance of double taxation with Belgium

a) The Union Cabinet gave green signal for the signing of a protocol amending the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Belgium.

b) The aim is to curb the tax evasion and tax avoidance between the countries. This protocol will broaden the scope of the current framework of exchange of tax-related information between the two countries.

20) Union Cabinet approves establishment of Fund of Funds for start-ups

a) The Cabinet has approved establishment of Fund of Funds for Start-ups (FFS) at Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

b) The fund aims to contribute to various Alternative Investment Funds (AIF), registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) which would extend funding to start-ups.

c) It is a part of India's ambitious Start-up India Action Plan launched by the government in January 2016.

d) The corpus of FFS is Rs.10,000 crore. It is expected to provide employment to around 18 lakh people.

e) Further provisions will be made as grant assistance through Gross Budgetary Support by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) which will monitor and review performance in line with the Start-up India Action Plan.

[maniza.siddique]

1. Scientists develop bio-ink for 3D printing with stem cells

a) Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed a new kind of bio-ink, which could eventually allow the production of complex tissues for surgical implants.

b) The new stem cell containing bio-ink allows the 3-D printing of living tissues which is known as bioprinting.

c) The research findings are featured in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.

d) The research could possibly lead to the ability to print complex tissues using the patient's own stem cells for surgical bone or cartilage implants, which in turn could used in knee and hip surgeries.

2. India became 35th full member of Missile Technology Control Regime

a) To enhance its non proliferation credentials, India has joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

b) The instrument of accession to MTCR for India was signed in New Delhi by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. The entry also marks India's first entry into any multilateral export control regime.

c) India's inclusion to the Missile Technology Control Regime means strengthening its own export controls, which will help it to justify transferring sensitive technology to India in front of other MTCR members. MTCR membership will enable India to deal in high-end missile technology.

3. Union Government approved setting up of District Level Advisory and Monitoring Committees

a) Union government gave it's nod to the proposal of setting up of District Level Advisory & Monitoring Committee to be formed by state governments.

b) These committees will be formed to promote people-centric planning and execution of new urban development schemes launched by the Centre.

c) The district committee will review and monitor the implementation of implementation of various government schemes in urban region such as affordable housing and urban poverty alleviation programmes, Swachh Bharat Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana, etc.

d) The seniormost member of the parliament in the district will be appointed as the chairperson of the committee by state government. Two more MPs, one each from the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, would be the co-chairpersons. This committee will also comprised of All MLAs from respective districts representing the urban local bodies, mayors and chairpersons of civic bodies and chief executives of urban development authorities in districts.

4. Union HM Rajnath Singh inaugurates 22nd meeting of Eastern Zonal Council at Ranchi

a) The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh headed the 22nd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council held at Ranchi, Jharkhand.

b) The Eastern Zonal Council, including the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, discussed the issues like modernisation of State Police Forces, measures to curb communal tension and Left Wing Extremism (LWE), curbing of drug trafficking, measures for bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India, issues relating to fisheries, productivity of livestock and poultry to usher Blue Revolution.

c) Issues of internal security, sharing of water of major rivers, development of Railways, construction of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and Multi Sectoral Development Programme in the Eastern Zone were also discussed.

5. AIIB approves first loans for projects in four countries

a) The China led Asian Infrastructure Investment bank (AIIB) has announced four loans of total $509 million with three of them co-financed with other multilateral development banks.

b) The four approved loans include the following,

• $165 million for a power distribution system in Bangladesh.
• $100 million for a section of a highway in Pakistan, co-financed with Asian Development Bank and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.
• $27.5 million for improving a border road in Tajikistan, co-financed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
• $216.5 million for a slum upgrading project in Indonesia, co-financed with the World Bank.

6. BHEL commissions two hydel units in Afghanistan

a) State run Bharat Heavy Electronics has recently commissioned two hydel units at Salma Hydro electric project in Afghanistan.

b) Each of these units are of 14 MW capacity.

c) India's prime minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated Salma Dam or India-Afghanistan Friendship dam during his recent visit to Afghanistan. This project has been funded under Government of India's grant to Afghanistan.

7. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar awarded Honorary Fellowship in UK

a) An honorary fellowship was bestowed on the spiritual guru shri shri Ravi Shankar by national Indian students and alumni union (NISAU).

b) He was honored for his contributions to world peace and culture. NISAU mentioned Guru Ravi Shankar's efforts towards a violence-free society, his social and cultural contributions to India and for furthering Yoga, Meditation and Spiritual Studies in a global context.

8. N Srinivasan re-elected as TNCA president for 15th term

a) N Srinivasan, the former BCCI president and former International Cricket Council president is selected as the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for the 15th time.

b) KS Viswanathan is selected as the secretary of the TNCA.

9. Argentina women win record seventh FIH Champions Trophy title

a) Argentinian women's team has claimed their seventh Champions trophy over reigning World and Olympic champions, The Netherlands, in the finals. The Final was played at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.

b) They recorded a win over the Netherlands with 2-1.

c) In the bronze medal game, USA battled to a shootout victory over Australia, giving the team a first Champions Trophy medal since winning bronze at the 1995 event in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

10. Odisha Government launches Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojana

a) Chief Minister of Odisha state, Naveen Patnaik has launched a new scheme called Kalinga Shiksha Sathi Yojana. The scheme is aimed at providing education loan at one per cent interest to students for pursuing higher studies.

b) State government of Odisha will provide the Rs. 500 crore fund for this scheme. This scheme will prove beneficial to the poor students of Odisha while pursuing the higher education.

c) Naveen Patnaik dedicated this scheme to Biju babu on his birth centenary who had instituted 'Kalinga UNESCO' award for the popularisation of science when he was only 35 years old.

11. Sujoy Bose appointed as CEO of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund

a) Senior world bank official Sujoy Bose as the CEO of national Investment and infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

b) Presently, he is working as the Director and Global Co-Head, Infrastructure and Natural Resources, International Finance Corporation(IFC), Washington DC.

12. UP government declares all natural calamities will be treated as state disaster

a)As per the recent declaration by Uttar Pradesh government, all the all natural calamities including unseasonal heavy rain, lightning, Loo and storm etc will be treated as state disaster.

b) So, from now onwards the victims of these disasters will be given relief as per the provisions made under State Disaster Relief Fund by the Union government.

c) The compensation provided by the local authorities to the victims of these natural disasters is quite less. The state disaster relief fund will provide and ample compensation and it will prove beneficial to the victims.

13. Newly expanded Panama Canal reopens after 9 years of work

a) Newly expanded Panama canal is open for business now. The Chinese-owned container ship Cosco Shipping Panama was the first ship to cross the canal.

b) The Panama canal expansion project is called as the third set of Locks project which began in 2007.

c) The project has built two new sets of locks, one each on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, and excavated new channels to the new locks. It has doubled the capacity of Panama canal. It has also raised the maximum operating water level of Gatun Lake.

d) Due to this expansion, the canal can allow larger no. of ship for transport. Larger ships can also pass through the canal due to the increase in the width and depth of newly expanded Panama canal. The new larger size of ships is called New Panamax.

14. Jitu Rai wins silver in ISSF World Cup

a) India's shooter Jitu Rai won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was his 6th world cup medal.

b) Felipe Almeida Wu of Brazil received the gold medal and Jin Jongoh of Korea came third.

c) It was the second medal in a World Cup this season for the 28-year-old Jitu, who had won the free pistol gold in the first World Cup in Bangkok.

15. Sweden inaugurates world's first electric road

a) World's first ever electric road is recently built by Swedish government in conjunction with truck manufacturer Scania. It a 2 km freeway in central Sweden with power lines attached.

b) Hybrid trucks specially fitted with a device called a 'pantograph power collector' can drive underneath the lines and tap into the power. When connected to the lines, they run completely on electricity. When they drive out of the right lane, the onboard engine kicks on, as it reverts back to hybrid mode.

16. Gudni Johannesson wins Iceland's presidential election

a) A history professor, Gudni Johannesson has recently won the Iceland's presidential election.

b) He was benefitted with the anti establishment sentiment among the voters of iceland after the infamous Panama papers leak which implicated many top Icelandic officials.

c) With 39.1% votes, he won the election against Halla Tmasdttir, a businesswoman without party affiliation who recieved 27.9% votes.

d) Jhannesson will now replace lafur Ragnar Grímsson, 73, who served 20 years as head of state.

17. Xerxes Sapur Desai, founder of Titan passes away

a) The founder of Titan pvt ltd has recently passed away at the age of 79 in Bengaluru.

b) Desai played a key role in introducing India to its first quartz watch in the late 80s when he set up Titan Co. Ltd (part of Tata Sons).

c) Before setting up Titan, Desai has spent four decades working across the Tata Group-TAS, Tata Press & Taj Hotels.

18. PM Narendra Modi launches Projects for 20 Smart Cities in Pune

a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched India's flagship programme smart City Mission in 20 cities across the country from Pune.

b) He said, "Apart from projects in pune, as many as 69 such works will be launched on the same day in the other 'smart cities' entailing a total investment of about Rs 1,770 crore."

c) These projects are related to solid waste management under Swachh Bharat Mission, water supply projects, sewage treatment plants and development of open and green spaces under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

19. Excessive blue light emitted by LED can adversely impact human health: AMA

a) According to a report recently released by the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health, excessive blue light emitted by light emitting diodes (LED) can adversely affect human health.

b) The human eye perceives the large amount of blue light emitted by some LEDs as white. Blue light directly affects sleep by suppressing the production of the hormone melatonin, which mediates the sleep-wake cycle in humans.

c) According to the report, compared with conventional street lighting, the blue-rich white LED street lighting is five times more disruptive to sleep cycle. Glare forms a veil of luminance that reduces the contrast, thus in turn reducing the visibility of a target. The report also notes that unshielded LED lighting causes papillary constriction, leading to "worse night-time vision between lighting fixtures." Intense blue spectrum can even damage the retina.

20. World Bank releases India Development Update 2016

a) According to the World Bank's latest India Development Update, India's economy expanded at a faster pace in FY 2016.

b) It is a biannual report on the Indian economy and its prospects. As per the report findings, the economy was lifted to a higher growth path by demand from urban households and public investments, despite the fact that other key growth engines had stalled.

c) Regarding the Indian financial sector, it is performing extremely well as compared to the last three decades.

d) Implementation of 14th Finance Commission on India's states resulted in varied gains throughout the states. While health and education expenditures increased in almost every state, Rajasthan and Kerala stood out as spending over 70 percent of additional resources on health, education, and infrastructure. Uttar Pradesh spent over one-third of its additional resources on health and education.

[deepthil]

Hi, Please follow "KPSC Karnataka" this group if you are from karnataka and a govt job Aspirant for discussions and updates of Kpsc exam. All the best.

[ranga.abhishek (Abhishek ranga)]

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has elected Ethiopia, Bolivia, Sweden and Kazakhstan as the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). These newly-elected countries will have two-year term starting from 1 January 2016 till 31 December 2018. They will replace Spain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Angola and Venezuela

[ranga.abhishek (Abhishek ranga)]

The Union Government has appointed NS Vishwanathan as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi .

The RBI has four deputy governors - two from within the ranks and one commercial banker and an economist to head the monetary policy department.

Previously they were appointed by a panel headed by RBI Governor. But now they are appointed based on recommendations of the Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee (FSRASC) headed by Cabinet Secretary that also includes RBI Governor.

Present Deputy Governors of RBI are the other being R Gandhi, S S Mundra) and Urjit Patel (an economist).