AWARDS AND HONOURS
Bihar’s
‘Project Jal Sanchay’ chosen for National Award
- Project Jal Sanchay a water
conservation model is successfully adopted in Nalanda district of
south-central Bihar, chosen for the national award for excellence in the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP) by
the Ministry of Rural Development.
- As a result of the
implementation of the project, availability of water got improved
drastically impacted the farm production in the district.
- Nalanda being an agriculture-oriented district remained affected by drought-like conditions that hampered the farming activities in the district.
- Popular Bollywood actors Shah
Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar are among the ‘World’s
Highest-Paid Celebrities’ list.
- Salman Khan at the 71st spot
with $37 million earned in 2016-2017.
- Akshay Kumar is at 80th position
with $35.5 million.
- Top three names in the list are-
- Sean Combs with the pay of $130
Million (Musicians),
- Beyonce Knowles with the pay of
$105 Million (Musicians),
- J.K. Rowling with the pay of
$95 Million (Authors).
BANKING AFFAIRS
Reserve
Bank of India issues New Batch of Rs 500 Notes with Inset Letter 'A'
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
issued a new batch of Rs 500 notes with inset letter 'A' in both the
number panels in both the number panels, bearing the signature of Dr.
Urjit R. Patel Governor with the year of printing '2017' on the reverse.
- The new series earlier released
and currently, in circulation has the inset letter "E".
- The notes will bear Swachh
Bharat logo on the back side of the banknote and that some of the notes
would carry an additional character in the space between the prefix and
the number of the banknote.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) signs Agreement with the Metal
Industries Development Institute (MIDI), Ethiopia
- The Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) signed an agreement with Europe-based Metal
Industries Development Institute (MIDI) to implement a winning program.
- CSIR will enhance the capacity
and capability of MIDI to enable it to contribute more efficiently towards
the development of Metals and Engineering sectors in Ethiopia.
- The agreement was signed by the
Director of National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur (CSIR-NML) on
behalf of the participating CSIR Laboratories, and the Director General of
Metals Industry Development Institute (MIDI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- These laboratories have
demonstrated expertise in minerals and metals extraction, casting, forming
and shaping of metals, manufacturing processes and process controls,
electronics and instrumentations, soft skills and quality management
systems.
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
June 13th: International
Albinism Awareness Day
- On 18 December 2014, the General
Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming, with effect from 2015, 13 June
asInternational Albinism Awareness Day.
- Albinism is a genetic condition
resulting in little or no pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes.
- The United Nations Human Rights
Council adopted a resolution in 2013 calling for the prevention of attacks
and discrimination against persons with albinism.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
World’s
largest floating Solar Farm launched in China
- China launched world’s largest
floating solar farm in Anhui
province.
- The 40-megawatt power plant has
160,000 panels resting on a lake.
- As per the Reports, China has
been the world's largest investor in clean energy since 2012, spending $88
billion on the wind and solar power in 2016.
- The plant is built in Huainan
City, Anhui Province, by Sungrow Power Supply, a Chinese company
specialised in renewable energy.
Panama agrees Diplomatic ties with China and
breaks away with Taiwan
- Panama established formal
diplomatic ties with China and broke all of its relationship with Taiwan.
- Panama’s President Juan Carlos
Varela announced that his country upgraded its commercial ties with China
and has established full diplomatic links with China.
- It recognizes ‘One China’ in the
world and considers Taiwan to be an inalienable part of China’s territory.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Union
Minister Sripad Naik announced proposal to set up 100 AYUSH hospitals
- Minister of state for AYUSH
Shripad Yesso Naik announced proposals for setting up of 100 Ayurveda,
Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) hospitals across the country.
- Union government had approved
posting of 4000 AYUSH doctors in primary health centres across the
country.
- The Ministry has approved
setting up of two 50-bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals at Theni and Tiruvannamalai
districts in Tamil Nadu.
Arunachal
CM Pema Khandu demands separate Time Zone for North Eastern states
- Arunachal Pradesh chief minister
Pema Khandu has demand for a separate time zone for the north-eastern
states to improve work efficiency and save electricity in the region.
- According to the government,
several daylight hours are getting wasted as government offices open only
at 10 am and closes as early as 4 pm.
- India currently follows a time
that is 5-1/2 hours ahead of the International standard, Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT).
- The proposed new time zone would
put the North-Eastern states six hours ahead of GMT.
MHA panel to examine rules on people’s movement
near Indo-Myanmar Border
- Ministry of Home Affairs formed
an expert committee to examine the rules which allow free movement of
people near Indo-Myanmar border.
- Indian and Myanmar’s citizens
are permitted free movement within 16 km of the international border, but
these rules are widely exploited by militants for smuggling arms, drugs,
and fake Indian currency.
- India’s 1,643-km border with
Myanmar touches four states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur
and Mizoram.
- This is for the first time that
meeting with the state governments has been called to discuss the issues
concerning the Myanmar border.
Indian Railways to induct 40,000 refurbished
coaches by 2023, earmarks Rs 8,000 crores
- The Indian Railways is planning
to induct about 40,000coaches by 2023.
- Railways also expect to
manufacture 15,000 new coaches with modern features during 2018 -19 and
2022 -23 periods.
- The work plan started of 1000
coaches in the current financial year the number will increase to 3000 in
the next fiscal and 5,500 coaches in subsequent years.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Jitu
Rai-Heena Sidhu won gold in ISSF World Cup
- Indian shooters Jitu Rai and
Heena Sidhu won the gold medal in mixed team 10m air pistol event of the
International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup held at Gabala,
Azerbaijan.
- France beat Iran to win the
bronze in the event.
- China won six medals, including
three gold.
- There are 430 athletes from 45
countries participated in the whole event.
Lewis Hamilton wins Canadian Grand Prix for Sixth
Time
- Lewis Hamilton won Canadian
Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. It is
Hamilton’s sixth victory at the Canadian Grand Prix.
- It is his third victory this
season and the 56th of his career.
- The Canadian Grand Prix is an
annual motor racing event held in Canada since 1961.
Vietnam GM Nguyen won Mumbai Mayor Chess Title
- Vietnam Grand Master Nguyen
DucHoa won 10th Mumbai Mayor’s Cup International Open Chess Tournament.
- He defeated Indian GM Neelotpal
Das.
- The prize money is Rs 3 lakhs,
while top-ranked Tajikistan GM Farrukh Amonatov (ELO 2635) got a cheque of
Rs 2 lakhs.