CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR JUNE 2017 – HIGHLY USEFUL FOR IBPS PO/IBPS CLERKS/KVB AND OTHER PRIVATE BANKS OFFICERS/CLERKS RECRUITMENT --JUNE 9 TO 16, 2017

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CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR JUNE 2017 – HIGHLY USEFUL FOR IBPS PO/IBPS CLERKS/KVB AND OTHER PRIVATE BANKS OFFICERS/CLERKS RECRUITMENT --JUNE 1 TO 8, 2017

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http://www.sbank.in/2017/07/current-affairs-for-june-2017-highly.html  (JUNE 1 TO 8 2017)

9^th June 2017

WHO revises Protocol for Antibiotics

In an effort to curb antibiotic resistance, the World Health Organization has divided the drugs into 3 categories — access, watch and reserve. This is the biggest revision of the antibiotics section in the 40-year history of the essential medicines list. The new categorisation will further guide countries in ensuring access to appropriate antibacterial agents and support.

1 Million Dollar Fund for BRICS Media

The Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping has signaled its intent to expand its footprint in the global media space, with the injection of a $1 million fund. The plan will promote six objectives, including “balanced reporting”— a view shared by several speakers at the forum who called for alternative media narrative, which did not take the cue from Washington or London.

2nd National Health Editors’ Conference

The second National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga began on June 9 in New Delhi. The conference aims at giving insight to the journalists about the scientific aspects of yoga and its benefits for health. The theme of conference is Yoga for Health and Harmony.

TN signs MoU with Centre for UDAN

Towns like Hosur and Neyveli in Tamil Nadu are set to have low-cost flight services in the first phase of implementation of the Centre’s UDAN scheme which seeks to promote regional air connectivity. UDAN aims at making regional connectivity easy at low cost so that common people could opt for air travel. UDAN was launched on 27 April 27, 2017.

Bopanna-Dabrowski Wins French Open

Rohan Bopanna lifted his maiden Grand Slam title by winning the French Open mixed doubles trophy with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski, becoming only the fourth Indian. They defeated  Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Colombia’s Robert Farah. The 2017 tournament was the 116th edition.

India signs OECD to check tax evasion

India signed the OECD multilateral convention that aims to check cross-border tax evasion by multinational companies. More than 65 countries, including India, signed the convention. The OECD/G20 BEPS project delivers solutions for governments to close the gaps in existing international rules that allow corporate profits to “disappear”.

India to partner with UNOSSC

India and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation have launched a partnership fund to promote sustainable development projects across the developing world. This will be the first time that India has entered into a partnership with the UN in a triangular cooperation with fellow developing countries. It was launched on World Oceans day.

Microsoft acquires Hexadite

Microsoft has confirmed that it has acquired Hexadite, an Israeli startup that uses AI to identify and protect against attacks. Hexadite will develop security solutions for commercial Windows 10 customers, specifically with Windows Defender Advanced Threat. Other security acquisitions Microsoft has made in Israel include Aorato, Adallom and Secure Islands.

Krishi Rin Samadhan Yojana Launched

Madhya Pradesh govt has launched a new debt relief scheme – Krishi Rin Samadhan Yojana for farmers. Under the scheme, the interest rate on loans would be less, which would in turn also help defaulting farmers get loans. Government has also allocated 1000 crore Rupees for the implementation of this scheme. It has been launched as Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been protesting since a week

Law Ministry clears Kambala Bill

Union Ministry of Law and Justice has cleared Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2017 for the Kambala. Karnataka HC had banned Kambala along with bull-cart race while hearing a case filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals citing animal cruelty. Kambala is the traditional slush track buffalo race that is held annually in coastal districts of Karnataka.

Cabinet approves MoU b/w India and Korea

Union Cabinet has approved the proposed MoU between Export-Import Bank of India and Korea for export credit of USD 9 billion. It is aimed for infrastructural development in India and for supply of goods and services as part of projects in third countries. Export credit will be utilised through lending by EXIM Bank for promoting projects including smart cities and power generation in India.

Pitroda resigns as technical advisor

Prominent telecom engineer Sam Pitroda resigned as the technical advisor to the Odisha government. As a technical advisor to the government he was enjoying the status of a cabinet rank minister. However he did not avail any facilities and took a token salary of Re 1 a month. Pitroda’s resignation was demanded by opposition BJP after he was named as the chairman of AICC’s overseas cell.

Independent Directors of IPPB

K G Karmakar and Gauri Shankar have been appointed as the Independent Directors of India Post Payments Bank. Their appointment to the post on the board of directors of the bank is for a period of three years. The IPPB has been incorporated as a public sector bank under the Department of Posts with 100 per cent equity of the government of India.

First World Pest Day launched

The first World Pest Day was launched in Beijing,China. Its objective is to increase awareness of pest-borne diseases and safeguard public health through scientific and professional pest control methods. More than 30 national and international organisations have signed to support the initiative. The inaugural of World Pest Day was initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association.

Kohli in list of highest paid athletes

Virat Kohli is the sole sportsperson from India to feature among the world’s 100 highest paid athletes in the latest Forbes list. Kohli has been ranked 89th on Forbes list of World’s highest paid athletes’ with a total pay of USD 22 million. Kohli earned USD 3 million from salary and winnings and 19 million from endorsements. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list followed by LeBron and Messi.

HDFC Bank starts fees on UPI transaction

HDFC bank will start charging its customers for transactions made via the Unified Payments Interface from 10 July. Fees will be imposed on all outward UPI transactions. Transactions from Rs 1 to Rs 25,000 will be charged Rs 3 plus taxes while those above Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh will be charged Rs 5. These charges make small value payments over UPI more expensive than those on NEFT.

Chauhan appointed CEO of GeM

Radha Chauhan has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Government e- Marketplace (GeM). GeM is an online platform for central and state government departments for purchase of goods and services. Chauhan is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present President and CEO of National e-Governance Division under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

World’s most valuable club

Manchester United has been named the world’s most valuable football club by Forbes for the first time in five years. United replaced Real Madrid who led the way for the last four years. According to Forbes, United generated revenues of $765 million during the 2015-2016 season. United is also the most profitable team in the world with an operating income of $288 million.

World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day takes place every June 8 to remind everyone of the major role oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe. World Oceans Day was officially recognized by UN in 2008. Oceans cover about two-thirds of surface of the Earth and are the very foundations of life. Theme for World Oceans Day 2017 is Our Oceans, Our Future.

Biodegradable prepaid gift cards

Axis Bank announced biodegradable prepaid gift cards on World Environment Day. The cards are made up of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol. These cards have a large positive impact on the environment as they can be broke down safely and quickly into raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment. Axis Bank has become the first bank to introduce biodegradable cards in India.

10^th June 2017

Malls, Restaurants to provide free water

Bengaluru civic agency, BBMP has issued a circular to all multiplexes mandating them to ensure that customers have access to free drinking water on their premises. All eateries including those in malls and hotels in Bengaluru will have to provide free drinking water to all customers. BBMP has also asked to display boards at strategic points, saying drinking water is available.

Aviation Ministry to roll out DigiYatra

Ministry of Civil Aviation is adding a Digital experience for Air Travellers through DigiYatra Platform. It aims to bring together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver customers a seamless and paperless experience. It will allow passengers to plan their trips efficiently by identifying price trends and estimate future airfares at the time of ticket booking.

‘Selfie with Daughter’ Mobile App

President Pranab Mukherjee launched ‘Selfie with Daughter’, a mobile application aimed at raising awareness about female foeticide and sex selection. The campaign was started by former sarpanch Sunil Jaglan in June 2015 at Bibipur village in Haryana. The aim of the campaign is to motivate society to feel proud to be parents of a girl child, which will result in improving child sex ratio.

EU imposes new anti-dumping duties

European Union has imposed new anti-dumping duties on steel products from China. EU took the action against China for allegedly flooding global markets in violation of international trade agreements. EU has imposed duties of up to 35.9% on Chinese hot-rolled flat steel used in shipbuilding, and gas containers. In January, commission had slapped anti-dumping duties on stainless steel tube.

New events for Tokyo Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has approved new events for the 2020 Tokyo Games, including a number of mixed-gender competitions. The decision will lead to a net increase of 15 events and the highest representation of female athletes in Olympic history. The Tokyo Games would include 321 events, up from 306 at Rio 2016. The number of mixed events will double from nine in Rio 2016 to 18.

SATH program launched by NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a program providing Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital with State Govt. The vision of the program is to initiate transformation in the education and health sectors. SATH aims to identify and build three future ‘role model’ states for health systems. The program will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey & Company and IPE Global consortium

Wipro declares Trump as potential threat

Wipro has become the first Indian business house to declare the President of the United State, Donald Trump a potential threat to business. The label comes after American President had brought in curbs to the H1-B professional visa, that is widely used by the Indian IT industry. Trump’s protectionist policies have been of great concern for IT firms.

Admission to AYUSH courses through NEET

Admission to various AYUSH courses will be conducted through the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test from the next academic session. The decision was taken to standardise the admission procedure and attract meritorious students to the AYUSH stream. With the introduction of NEET, private examinations would not be conducted to fill seats in any of the AYUSH colleges.

SEBI clears Limaye as NSE chief

Market regulator SEBI has given conditional approval for the appointment of Vikram Limaye as the MD and CEO of the NSE. However, the appointment is subject to Limaye being relieved as one of members of the Supreme Court appointed committee that is currently running BCCI. He was named the NSE chief for a period of five years in February. At present he is the MD and CEO of IDFC.

SBI reduces interest rate on home loan

State Bank of India has decided to reduce interest rates on home loans above Rs 75 lakh by 10 basis points to 8.6% per annum. Revised rates would be effective from June 15 2017. For salaried women borrowers, rates have been changed to 8.55% per annum. This was 2nd reduction in interest rates undertaken by SBI in the last 2 months. SBI’s home loan portfolio rose by 16.82% during 2016-17.

Facebook Launches ‘Disaster Maps’

Facebook has launched disaster maps, an initiative aimed at helping humanitarian organisations save lives in emergencies. Maps will reflect the movements and location of people before, during and after disasters to help aid agencies work out where they should deliver food, water and medical supplies. Facebook is currently beta testing the product with World Food Programme, UNICEF, and IFRC.

Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme

Punjab govt. has launched “Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme” to provide technical education to meritorious and poor students. Under the scheme, students scoring 60-70% marks in Class 10 will get 70% fee waiver, 80% fee waiver for those getting between 70% and 80% marks and 90% for those scoring 80-90% marks. Students with 90-100% marks will get free education.

RedInk Awards for best journalists

Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk Awards for Excellence in Indian Journalism, 2017 were presented at the National Centre for Perfoming Arts. Veteran journalist Vinod Dua was recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Raj Kamal Jha was presented the Journalist of the Year award. With 15 categories, they are the biggest journalism awards in India where winners are chosen by their peers.

Nepal’s 1st woman Chief Justice retires

First woman Chief Justice of Nepal Supreme Court Sushila Karki has retired after attaining the age 65 years. She was 25th Chief Justice of Nepal Supreme Court. She handled many important cases including impeachment of Chief of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. Justice Gopal Parajuli, the senior most judge of Nepal Supreme court, has assumed charge as acting Chief Justice.

Nepal Honours Dharmashaktu

Nepal has felicitated Love Raj Singh Dharmashaktu who became the first Indian to scale Mt. Everest for a record 6 times. He was appointed a Tourism Ambassador of Nepal to north India during the function. He is a Padma Shri recipient who hails from Uttarakhand and works with Border Security Force. He first scaled Everest in 1998 and received Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2003.

Oldest fossil mushroom discovered

World’s oldest fossil mushroom dating back to about 115 million years has been discovered in Brazil. It has been named Gondwanagaricites magnificus and belongs to Agaricales order. It is about 5 cm tall and has gills under its cap rather than pores. 115 million years ago, when super- continent Gondwana was breaking apart, the mushroom fell into a river and began an improbable journey.

BaNCS App Development Kit launched

Tata Consultancy Services has launched “BaNCS App Development Kit”. It will enable banks to fast design and build their own apps and deploy it across devices and desktops seamlessly. BaNCS ADK will help banks to design and deploy both enterprise and consumer apps in a hybrid architecture. It’s vision is to transfer flexibility and increase speed of development to the Bank.

Indian receives Diana Legacy Award

Nikhiya Shamsher, a student from Bengaluru recently received The Diana Legacy Award from The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William and Prince of Wales, Prince Harry. She was awarded for her exemplary achievement of providing quality education to the underprivileged. She was the only Indian to win the award from amongst 12,000 nominations received from all over the world.

Canara Bank, New India tie up

Canara Bank and New India Assurance Company have entered into a corporate agency arrangement for distribution of insurance products. Under the agreement, New India Assurance will offer leading general insurance products to the customers of Canara Bank. Tie-up will also offer personal products such as motor insurance, home insurance besides commercial policy coverages like fire insurance.

First HR Round Table conference

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu inaugurated Indian Railways’ 1st HR Round Table Conference in New Delhi. He said that Human Resource policy of the railways ought to be revisited as most often wrong people have been assigned with the wrong jobs. This initiative is focused towards providing Indian Railway with exposure to the management practices in accordance with the current times.

11^th June 2017

GST Council lowers tax rates of 66 items

Goods and Services Tax Council has revised rates of 66 items from what was originally stated in the 4 slab indiret tax structure. Under the revised tax rates insulin, school bags, printers and agarbattis are set to get cheaper. Finance minister added that under the GST, traders and manufacturers with turnover of up to Rs 75 lakh can avail the composition scheme, against Rs 50 lakh earlier.

First underwater metro in India

Kolkata will get India’s first underwater metro system which will pass through Hooghly river. It will be connecting 2 main terminals: Howrah and Sealdah, each of which has a footfall of about 10-12 lakh passengers per day. The 1st tunnel which has been completed is built 30 m below earth’s surface near Howrah Bridge. It is the first time that a tunnel has been made under a flowing river.

Internet users to double to 829 million

According to a report Internet users in India will double by 2021 to 829 million users from 373 million users in 2016. Overall IP traffic is expected to grow 4-fold at a compounded annual growth rate of 30%. The report further explained that mobile to mobile connections will represent 22% of total 2 billion devices and connections and will account for 5% of IP traffic by 2021.

World’s smallest & cheapest private jet

Aviation company Cirrus Aircraft has launched world’s smallest and most affordable private jet called ‘Vision Jet’ for ₹12.62 crore. It can cruise at 345 mph, which will take passengers from New York to Miami in about 3 hours and has a maximum operating altitude of 28,000 feet. Cirrus has already accepted 600 orders of  Vision Jet, which accounts for over $1 billion in revenue.

Aadhaar Must For Filing Tax Returns

CBDT has made it clear that Aadhaar will be a must for filing of IT Returns or for obtaining a new PAN from July 1. Only a partial relief has been given to those who do not have Aadhaar or who do not wish to obtain Aadhaar for time being, tax authorities will not invalidate their PAN. If PAN is cancelled, then a person cannot carry out his financial operations and hence the relief is given.

UN holds first Ocean Conference

United Nations held its first-ever Ocean Conference to renew member nations’ commitment to combatting rising sea levels, pollution, and harmful fishing practices for the protection of world’s waterways. The conference ended with the adoption by consensus of a ’14-point Call for Action’ to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Ostapenko wins French open

Jelena Ostapenko overpowered favourite Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in finals to win the French Open final and become first Latvian Grand Slam champion. Ostapenko, ranked 47th had never won a Tour-level title before and was playing in only her 8th Grand Slam. She is the first unseeded woman to win at Roland Garros since 1933. She is also the lowest-ranked champion in French Open history.

Chatterjee to get Legion of Honour

Soumitra Chatterjee will be awarded France’s highest civilian award, the Legion of Honour. His mentor and internationally acclaimed director Satyajit Ray was also awarded the Legion of Honor. Ambassador of France to India Alexandre Ziegler will present the honour to the veteran actor in Kolkata. He has also won Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2012 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2004.

Ayush Ministry launches yoga awareness

Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy under the Ministry of AYUSH, has initiated a Yoga Awareness Drive through Mascots and Flash Mobs prior to International Yoga Day. It is being done to increase popularity of Yoga especially among the youth. Human-size IDY Mascots are running the campaign & spreading the message of Yoga Day in Delhi NCR, Lucknow and Haryana.

Second MI Ministerial in Beijing

World’s Energy Leaders gathered in Beijing for 2nd Mission Innovation Ministerial and 8th Clean Energy Ministerial. India announced 2 MI-centric Funding Opportunities in Smart Grid and Offgrid Access at US $5 million each. While MI focuses on research and development for new technologies, Clean Energy Ministerial focuses on scaling the deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions.

Adam West dies at 88

Adam West, the US actor best known as the star of the 1960s hit TV series Batman, has died aged 88. West died peacefully in Los Angeles after a short but brave battle with leukaemia. He is widely known for his role as Batman in the 1960s ABC series Batman. West also supplied the voice of Mayor Adam West, the oddball leader of Quahog, Rhode Island, on the animated series “Family Guy.”

Govt sets up 18 sectoral groups

The government has set up 18 sectoral groups, comprising senior members from the Centre and the States, to ensure the smooth rollout of the Goods and Services Tax. They will ensure a timely response to the problems of their respective sector. The 18 sectors that will be represented by these groups include banking, telecom, exports, IT & ITeS, transport and logistics, textiles and others.

India awards road contract for Kaladan

Govt. is on course to complete the $484-million Kaladan multi-modal transport projects in Myanmar that will offer connectivity to Mizoram in India. ₹1,600 crore contract has been awarded for building 109-km road connecting Paletwa river terminal to Zorinpui in Mizoram border The construction is expected to start in October. Kaladan was the first major project taken up by India in Myanmar.

Next High Commissioner of India to SA

Indian diplomat Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of South Africa. She is the topper of the 1987 batch of the Indian Foreign Services, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO-Paris. She has also held eminent positions at the High Commission of India in Mauritius and at the Indian Embassy in Paris.

European Union Film Festival kicks off

22nd European Union Film Festival kicked off in New Delhi with an aim to improve cultural ties between India and European countries. The film festival will screen 22 films from 22 European countries to serve the purpose of knowing and understanding each other better. Beginning in Delhi, the festival will also travel to Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata, Ranchi, Coimbatore and Puducherry.

Siemens signs MoU with Karnataka govt.

Siemens Industry Software has signed a MoU with Karnataka Govt Tool Room and Training Center and DesignTech Systems to establish 4 Centers of Excellence across the state. Partnership paves way for a world-class integrated skill development infrastructure and benchmarked technical education curriculum with the core focus on Industry Automation. Total cost of the project is Rs 2031.80 crore

India and Mauritius sign pact

India and Mauritius has signed a pact to institutionalize cooperation between Parliaments of the two countries. MoU was signed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Speaker of National Assembly of Mauritius Santi Bai Hanoomanjee. Sumitra Mahajan said there is a lot to be learnt by sharing the best practices and experiences as parliamentary democracies.

IOB launches retail mart

Indian Overseas Bank has launched Retail Mart, a retail lending concept in Thiruvananthapuram. It has been designed with an aim to complete all pre-release formailities at the customer’s door step and sanction quality retail loans at a competitive rate of interest. The new facility will expeditiously entertain and process housing loans, vehicle loans and other mortgage loans.

UK elects its first ever female Sikh MP

Preet Gill has become the first female Sikh MP to be elected to the UK’s Houses of Parliament while Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi became the First Turbaned Sikh MP in the UK Parliament. Preet Gill won Birmingham Edbaston seat by 24,124 votes while Dhesi won a huge majority of 16,998. Both Preet and Tanmanjeet are from Labour Party.

Tesla surpasses BMW

Share of Tesla climbed 1.4% boosting its market capitalization to $61.6 billion, about $280 million more than BMW AG. Tesla is now the world’s fourth-most valuable automaker, behind Toyota, Daimler, and Volkswagen. Tesla delivered less than 80,000 vehicles last year and has only reported two profitable quarters since it was founded.

12^th June 2017

Govt launches Tele Law

The Ministry of Law and Justice has launched the ‘Tele-Law’ initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to provide legal aid services to the marginalized communities and citizens living in rural areas. It will be first launched in UP and Bihar. A new portal called ‘Tele Law’ will also be made available.

Indira Gandhi A life in Nature launched

The book “Indira Gandhi – A life in Nature” was launched by Congress president Sonia Gandhi at Indira Gandhi Memorial. Book is authored by Jairam Ramesh and published by Simon & Schuster. It also showcases how Indira Gandhi led India to the path of conservation and made it a priority of economic development. It also highlights unexplored aspect of her life and love for nature.

Rafael Nadal wins 10th French Open title

Rafael Nadal defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in the Paris final to win 10th French men’s Tennis Open title. He became the 1st man in history to win same major 10 times. This is his 15th Grand Slam title overall, surpassing Sampras to be placed 2nd in all-time list behind Federer’s 18. He is now just 1 short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 11 titles at a single grand slam event.

Amit Sinha to be COO of Paytm Mall

Paytm Mall, the e-commerce arm of One97 Communications has appointed Amit Sinha as the Chief Operating Officer. Sinha, who most recently served as vice president of business at One97, will be responsible for overall operations, hiring, category management and logistics. Paytm recently demerged its e-commerce business into a separate entity called Paytm E-Commerce which runs Paytm Mall.

Boxx.ai gets $500K from Unicorn India

Bangalore based artificial intelligence startup Boxx.ai has raised $500K from Mumbai-based venture capital firm Unicorn India Ventures and a clutch of investors. The company builds products that use artificial intelligence to solve critical analytics problems. Its proprietary algorithms predict what customer is likely to buy in future and then deliver personalised customer experiences.

Lewis Hamilton wins Canadian GP

Lewis Hamilton won the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix title in Montreal. It is his 6th Canadian Grand Prix title as well as his third this season and 56th of his career. Hamilton has cut down Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 12 points. Hamilton won by nearly 20 seconds from Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finishing third.

Puerto Rico votes to become US state

Puerto Rico voted in favour of becoming the 51st US state with 97% voters supporting the referendum. US Congress will now have to decide whether it wants to expand the nation’s borders and accept the Caribbean island into the Union. Puerto Rico has been under the control of the US since 1898 and was taken in the Spanish-American war. Suffering from a large deficit and 12% unemployment rate.

C Narayana Reddy passes away

Eminent poet, litterateur and Jnanpith awardee C. Narayana Reddy passed away. He was popularly known as CiNaRe. He was known for his use of Telugu in its pure form, and would not be swayed by filmmakers on the use of the language. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. His compilation of poems, titled ‘Viswambhara’, got him the Jnanpith award in 1988.

Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year

Sickle Cell 101, an organisation that specialises in Sickle Cell education has honoured Dr Sudam Kate for his extraordinary work in sickle cell screening and research with prestigious Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year award. He is the first Indian to receive this award and has screened more than 2 lakh people for sickle cell. Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary defect confined to RBC.

Hill Area Development Programme

Dr Jitendra Singh announced launch of, “Hill Area Development Programme” (HADP) for Northeast in Imphal. It is aimed at giving a focused attention to the lesser developed hilly areas and will be initiated on a pilot basis in the hilly districts of Manipur. It also aims to bridge the gap between the hill and valley districts in terms of infrastructure, quality of roads, health and education.

Record breaking drone swarm

China has launched a record breaking swarm of 119 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles breaking previous record of a swarm of 67 drones. Swarm intelligence is regarded as the core of artificial intelligence of unmanned systems and future of intelligent unmanned systems. According to a report Chinese military is also testing to launch mass armed drones as a new technique in battle conditions.

England win Under-20 World Cup

England defeated Venezuela 1-0 to win the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea. It is the first time England have ever won the Under-20 World Cup and the first time since 1966 that the country has been involved in a Fifa World Cup final. Ademola Lookman brought a decent save from Farinez before Calvert-Lewin wrote his name into the history books with what proved to be the winning goal.

EU, France grant 3.5m euros

To reduce emissions and promote sustainability to help India’s smart city programme, France and European Union have extended a grant of 3.5 million euros under Moblise Your City initiative. Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad will get grant as part of EU’s commitment under Paris Climate agreement. MYC aims to extend help to 100 cities globally to reduce Green House Gas emissions

India drags US to WTO

India has complained to WTO that US has failed to drop anti-subsidy duties on certain Indian steel products after losing an earlier ruling. US failed to meet the deadline to comply with WTO ruling that faulted it for imposing duties on hotrolled carbon steel products from India. If the dispute is not resolved within 2 weeks India could then ask a WTO dispute resolution panel to adjudicate.

Harrison-Venus wins French open doubles

Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus won their first Grand Slam tennis title with a victory in men’s doubles final in the 2017 French Open. US-New Zealand pair won 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3 against Santiago Gonzalez and Donald Young. With this win Michael Venus became New Zealand’s first Grand Slam champion since 1974 and is New Zealand’s second Grand Slam winner in the modern era after Onny Parun.

Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann passes away

Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, former Foreign Minister of Nicaragua and former President of the UN General Assembly, passed away on 8 June 2017. As the President of the United Nations General Assembly from September 2008 to September 2009, he presided over the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He was also nominated as Libyan Representative to the UN in March 2011.

Nguyen Hoa bags Mumbai Mayor Chess title

Vietnam Grand Master Nguyen Duc Hoa clinched a decisive win against Indian GM Neelotpal Das to emerge as the champion of 10th Mumbai Mayor’s Cup International Open Chess Tournament. He went home richer with the top prize of Rs 3 lakhs . Indian Grand Masters Diptayan Ghosh and Neelotpal Das finished with identical 7.5 points and were placed third and fourth respectively.

Lendingkart raises Rs 50 crore debt

Financial technology start-up Lendingkart Group has raised a debt of Rs 50 crore from Yes Bank. Lendingkart had earlier raised an undisclosed amount in debt from DCB Bank and is in talks with other banks for more. The company has so far raised more than Rs 250 crore in debt from the two banks and various NBFCs. Founded in 2014, Lendingkart lends to small and medium businesses.

Kutwal wins gold medal

Shashikant Kutwal has won the gold medal at the 17th World Individual Chess Championship for differently-abled held in Slovakia. He is a railway employee and has been representing Central Railway, Indian Railways and India at various chess competitions. In the World Championship, held by Physically Disabled Chess Association, Kutwal won gold medal after scoring 7.5 points from a possible 9.

Mehrunnisa Dalwai passes away at 87

Mehrunnisa Dalwai, noted social activist, author and wife of one of modern Maharashtra’s most remarkable and formidable social reformers Hamid Dalwai, passed away at her residence. She married Hamid Dalwai in 1956 and worked with him for justice and equal rights for Muslim women. She had spearheaded a march to ‘Mantralaya’ in Mumbai seeking abolition of triple ‘talaq’.

13^th June 2017

RBI to issue new batch of Rs 500 notes

Reserve Bank of India will issue new batch of 500 rupee banknotes with inset letter “A” in both the number panels, bearing the signature of RBI Governor Dr. Urjit R. Patel. The notes will have the year of printing ‘2017’ on the reverse. The design of these notes is similar in all respects to the 500 rupee banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series which were released post demonetization.

SBI’s paid up capital rises to Rs 863 cr

State Bank of India’s paid up capital has increased to Rs 863 crore following Rs 15,000 crore share sale through qualified institutional placement route. The paid up equity share capital of the bank stands increased from Rs 810 crore to Rs 863 crore. Bank alloted 52.21 crore shares of face value of Re 1 at price of Rs 287.25 per share aggregating to Rs 15,000 crore to 61 eligible investors.

India’s retail inflation hits record low

Driven by cooling food prices, India’s annual consumer price inflation eased further to 2.18 per cent in May, from 2.99 per cent in April. This is the lowest inflation rate since India started publishing an economy-wide consumer price index in 2012. It remains well below the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4 per cent for the seventh month in a row.

Project Jal Sanchay wins national award

Project Jal Sanchay, a model of water conservation adopted by authorities in Nalanda district of Bihar has been selected for national award for excellence in MGNREGP by ministry of rural development. It has not only improved availability of water but has also positively impacted farm production. Under the project check dams were built and traditional water bodies were desilted and renovated.

Jitu-Heena pair wins gold in World Cup

Ace shooters Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu won the gold medal in mixed team 10m air pistol event of the International Shooting Sports Federation World Cup held at Gabala, Azerbaijan. They defeated Russia 7-6 in finals to clinch the gold medal while France defeated Iran to win the bronze in the event. The pair had also won gold at the ISSF World Cup held in New Delhi earlier this year.

UP has highest number of child labourers

According to CRY’s Report, more than 8 lakh children between the age group of 5 and 6 years in India are engaged in child labour. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 2,50,672 children engaged in labour, followed by Bihar and Maharashtra. High level of poverty and unemployment coupled with a lack of adequate social security net compel parents to allow their children to work.

MHA panel to examine rules on movement

Centre has set up an expert committee to examine the rules which allow free movement of Indian and Myanmarese citizens within 16 kms of the border. The committee would be headed by the special secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The international border with Myanmar is porous with cross-border movement of insurgents and smuggling of arms and ammunition is common.

7th largest exporter of agri products

According to Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia, India has emerged as 7th largest exporter of agri-products globally. She said there is a significant increase in the exports of food products from the country and it represents more than 12 percent of total exports. Vietnam, UAE, Saudi Arabia, USA, Iran, Iraq and Nepal are the major destinations for export of Indian food products.

Arunachal wants separate time zone

Arunachal Pradesh CM, Pema Khandu, reiterated demand for a separate time zone for the north-eastern states. Demand is made to improve work efficiency and save electricity in north-eastern states. Khandu has demanded that northeastern states be allowed to advance their clocks by some time (0.5-1 hour approx) to save more daylight hrs. It will give a fillip to economic activity in the city.

India to ratify key global conventions

India is set to ratify two key global conventions on combating child labour. India will ratify Minimum Age Convention, 1973 and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999. Minimum Age Convention has been ratified by 169 member states and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention by 180 member states so far. Around the world there are still 168 million children in child labour.

Centre to set up 100 AYUSH hospitals

Centre has approved the proposals for setting up of 100 Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy hospitals across the country. Posting of 4000 AYUSH doctors have been approved by Union Govt in last 3 years. An AYUSH hospital equivalent to AIIMS would be opened within a month at New Delhi. Ministry has also approved setting up of two 50-bed integrated AYUSH hospitals at Theni and Tiruvannamalai.

Railways to induct refurbished coaches

Railways is planning to induct about 40,000 coaches with improved interiors and upgraded facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore to provide world-class comfort to passengers. The aim is to make available 40,000 new look coaches in the railway fleet by 2023. Coaches will be retrofitted with refurbished interiors, improved seating arrangement and bio-toilets among other facilities.

Padmalaya Nanda creates history

12 year old Padmalaya Nanda has created history by becoming the youngest girl to bag Little Miss Universe Internet 2017 and Little Miss Actress crowns at Little Miss Universe 2017 in Georgia. It is the 1st time that a 12 year old Indian girl has won this beauty pageant title. She stood 1st in the talent round and showcased Indian culture by performing Sambalpuri Dance at Royal Anthro Party.

Panama cuts ties with Taiwan

Panama has cut long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, in a diplomatic coup for Beijing. The Panamanian government said it recognised there was “only one China” and considered Taiwan part of it. A joint communiqué establishing ties was also signed by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Panama’s Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo in Beijing.

International Albinism awareness day

International Albinism Awareness day is observed every year on June 13 across the globe with an aim to stop the brutalities against people with albinism. Hundreds of albinos have been brutally murdered and mutilated in African countries in past decades. Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in little or no pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes. It was adopted by UNGA on Dec 18, 2014.

CSIR signs pact with MIDI

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has entered into an agreement with Metal Industries Development Institute, Ethiopia to implement a twinning programme. It is one of the largest programmes (in terms of contractual amount) b/w a CSIR institute and a foreign entity. CSIR will enhance capacity and capability of MIDI towards development of Metals and Engineering sectors in Ethiopia.

R.K. Sharma to administer Sahara Life

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has announced taking over the management of Sahara India Life Insurance Company. IRDAI in an order said that Subrata Roy run insurer was acting in a manner prejudicial to interest of subscribers. IRDAI appointed one of its general managers, R K Sharma, as administrator to manage the affairs of the insurer with “immediate effect”

Warriors crowned NBA champions

Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 in Game Five of the NBA Finals to clinch the series 4-1 and be crowned the NBA champions. The victory was the Warriors’ second in three years, after claiming the title in 2015. Kevin Durant was named winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Warriors to the 2017 championship.

1st HC judge To Retire While Absconding

Calcutta High Court Judge CS Karnan, who has been missing since he faced arrest under the Contempt of Courts Act, retired, becoming the first HC judge to retire while absconding. In May, a 7 judge bench found him guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to 6 months in jail. Before West Bengal Police could arrest him, he reportedly left for Chennai and has been untraceable ever since.

World Day Against Child Labour

The World Day Against Child Labour is held every year on June 12. It is intended to foster the worldwide movement against child labour in any of its forms. It is an International Labour Organization sanctioned holiday aiming to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour. World Day Against Child Labour 2017 Theme is “In conflicts and disasters, protect children from child labour”.

14^th June 2017

Rs. 10000 immediate relief for farmers

The state government decided to provide immediate financial assistance of up to Rs10,000 to all the small and marginal farmers to start sowing operations for the ensuing kharif season. The government would be providing bank guarantee to nationalised and district central cooperative banks. The amount will be adjusted later when they avail fresh crop loan.

MoU between India and Armenia

The government has approved an MoU between India and Armenia for cooperation on youth matters. The MoU was signed in April, 2017. This MoU shall remain in force for a period of five years. The objective of the MoU is to strengthen and encourage cooperation between the two countries on youth matters through participation in events and activities organized by the parties etc.

Online sale of cattle

The Telangana government launched a website to facilitate the buying and selling of cattle online. The state said that the website – pashubazar.telangana.gov.in – would save the farmers transportation costs, as they need not keep taking them to markets. Each registration on the website will only be valid for 30 days, following which it will be removed automatically.

Google ranked as the most valuable brand

Google has topped the 2017 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list, with a brand value of over $245 billion. Further, US tech giants Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook were also among the five most valuable brands. Amazon rose three places after achieving the highest dollar value growth, increasing by $40.3 billion to $139.3 billion.

CSO to change GDP base year to 2017-18

The Statistics Ministry is set to change the base year of national accounts to 2017-18 from 2011-12 after completion of the household consumer expenditure survey and labour force data by the end of 2018. Earlier in 2015, the Central Statistics Office changed the base year for tabulating the Gross Domestic Product or size of economy to 2011-12 from 2004-05. The WPI has been changed to 2011-12

Book on Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has unveiled ‘Yug Purush, Bharat Ratna, Atal ji’ which chronicles the life of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The book was presented to President Pranab Mukherjee. The book is 450 pages long and will be launched soon.

DRDO Successfully Test-fires Nag Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has successfully test fired anti-tank ‘Nag’ missile in Rajasthan. The missile is one of the five missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization under the integrated guided missile development programme. The Nag missile is a third generation anti-tank guided missile which works on “fire and forget” principle.

India’s first canal top solar PV system

NTPC has energised 150 kWp canal top solar PV System on cooling water channel inside power station premises at its 2,320 MW, Mouda Thermal Power Project, near Nagpur. This novel Solar PV system makes use of side walls of CW channels as load bearing structure thereby significantly decreasing cost of civil and mounting structure. It also helps in conserving land and water.

AUSINDEX-17 Bilateral Maritime Exercise

Indian warships have reached Australia’s port city of Freemantle to take part in a week-long naval exercise off the Western Australian coast. Exercise Australia-India (AUSINDEX) was first conducted off the East Coast of India in September 2015. The exercise exercise aims to enhance interoperability and professional interaction between two navies. The exercise will be held from June 17-19.

Subsidy on short-term crop loans

Farmers will continue to get short-term loan of up to Rs 3 lakh at a subsidised interest rate of 7%, & prompt repayers will get it at 4% as the government extended the subsidy to banks for 2017-18. Under the scheme, a subvention of 2% per annum is provided for short-term crop loan of up to Rs 300000 per farmer. For 2017-18, the target of agriculture credit has been raised to Rs 10 lakh crore.

Sand scheme after Sonia Gandhi

Puducherry government plans to offer cement at subsidised rates to low and middle income people, and name the scheme after Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Since puducherry does not have industries manufacturing cement, so it will be procured from outside and sold at subsidised price. Due to shortage of sand in Puducherry people have to depend on Tamil Nadu for sand.

Anti-dumping duty on items from China

India has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of ceramic table and kitchenware items from China. It has been imposed to protect domestic industry against goods being sold at below normal value. Duty of $1.04 per kg have been imposed on import of ceramic tableware and kitchenware, excluding knives and toilet items. Duty imposed shall be levied for a period not exceeding 6 months.

Ola raises $50 mn

OLA has raised about $50 million hedge fund Tekne Capital Management LLC, as part of the company’s ongoing funding round. It will push Ola’s valuation to about $3.65 billion from $3.5 billion in February. Last month OLA had raised Rs 670 crore in a fresh round of funding from Ratan Tata’s venture fund RNT Capital Advisers LLP and US hedge fund Falcon Edge Capital LP.

Sikkim signs MoU with British Council

HRD department of Sikkim govt has signed an MoU with British Council to enhance quality of education in the state. MoU will improve educational structure of the schools and will revolutionise Sikkim’s education. It aims is to support aspirations of young people through collaborative projects in area of English, education & skills by strengthening capacity of teachers and other professionals.

NASA honours Michael A’Hearn

NASA has posthumously awarded Exceptional Public Service Medal to Michael A’Hearn, one of the world’s leading comet scientists. The Medal is for fundamental work on comets and small bodies of solar system, leadership in space missions, and ensuring public access to data from NASA missions and related projects. He was widely known as the principal investigator of NASA’s Deep Impact mission.

Option trading in commodity futures

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has allowed option trading in commodity futures for deepening the market. SEBI has permitted each exchange to launch these contracts for only one product initially. Options could be launched on futures contract of only those commodities that are among the top five in terms of total trading turnover value of previous 12 months.

World Blood Donor Day

Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. It is observed to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. It is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by World Health Organization. The theme for 2017 is Give Blood. Give Now. Give Often.

IDBI to get ‘high’ rating

According to Code Compliance Rating of banks done by BCSBI only one out of 26 public sector banks got ‘high’ rating for their adherence to code compliance. IDBI Bank was the only public sector bank that got ‘high rating in two successive surveys. Code compliance rating is based on 5 parameters – Information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer-centricity and feedback.

Virat Kohli tops ICC ODI rankings

Virat Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batsmen following the conclusion of the last round of league matches in the Champions Trophy. Kohli had entered the tournament 22 points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers of South Africa, who had been No.1 and 19 points behind Australia’s David Warner. Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is ranked 23rd, Umesh Yadav 41st.

Forbes list of highest paid celebrities

Forbes released its list of the world’s 100 highest-paid entertainers of the past 12 months, and author J.K. Rowling was third, earning $95 million last year. First on the list is musician Diddy, who really is all about the Benjamins, as his 1997 single proclaimed. Diddy earned $130 million. Singer Beyonce is No. 2 with $105 million. Shah Rukh Khan is ranked 65th with $38 million.

15^th June 2017

India to co-partner in ANUGA 2017

India will be the co-partner with Germany to organize the ANUGA food festival which will be held in Cologne, Germany from October 7-11. The acronym of ANUGA is Allgemeine Nahrungs- und Genussmittel-Ausstellung or General Food and Non essential Provisions Exhibition. ANUGA offers an extensive supporting programme with Lectures, Special exhibition and attractive industry events.

India, S Korea to increase investments

India and Korea decided to stimulate investments to push infrastructure development and bilateral trade as they sought to ward off threats of rising protectionism. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley co-chaired the fifth India-Korea Financial Dialogue in Seoul with South Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon. The two also signed agreements to establish $9 billion in credit

NERCPA conference inaugurated

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurates the 16th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference in Imphal. The conference deliberated on issues related to problems in North East India. It will be held at the assembly premises here till June 18.

Fin Resolution & Deposit Insurance Bill

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce a Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017. The Bill would provide for a comprehensive resolution framework for specified financial sector entities to deal with bankruptcy situation in banks, insurance companies and financial sector entities. The Bill seeks to reduce time in solving disputes.

Verizon acquires Yahoo

Verizon has completed its $4.48 billion acquisition of Yahoo’s core internet business and said that Marissa Mayer is stepping down. The assets, which include Yahoo Finance, will be combined with AOL brands such as the Huffington Post under a new subsidiary called Oath. Mayer, Yahoo CEO since July 2012, is expected to receive a “golden parachute” payment worth more than $23 million.

Pakistan qualify for CT finals 1st time

Pakistan delivered an inspired all-round performance to rout a ragged England team by eight wickets in a one-sided Champions Trophy semi-final. It was a major disappointment for England, who won all three group matches in their bid to claim a first global 50-over title and had beaten Pakistan in 12 of their last 14 one-day internationals. It may play India or Bangladesh in the finals.

IOC,BPCL &HPCL to build largest refinery

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum has have signed the joint venture agreement to jointly set up the world’s largest refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Indian Oil Corp will hold 50% stake and the rest between the two companies. The complex will have a 60 million tonnes refining capacity.

First Indian Women for ITLOS elected

Neeru Chadha has been elected to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas. ITLOS comprises of 21 independent members who are elected based upon their reputation for being a person with integrity. The person should also have necessary competence in the field of the law of the sea. ITLOS was established on December 10, 1982 and is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

Chhetri becomes 4th best active scorer

Sunil Chhetri became the fourth best active international scorer in the world, surpassing England’s Wayne Rooney with his 54th international goal. Chhetri’s goal helped India beat Kyrgyz Republic in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier. Notably, Chhetri’s goals per match ratio of 0.57 is better than Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi.

India Tops Remittance Destinations

India has become the biggest remittance economy in the world, surpassing China. A new United Nations report says that Indians working across the globe have sent $62.7 billion in 2016 to make India the top remittance destination in the world. The study was conducted by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development titled “One Family at a Time”.

RBI restricts Central Bank of India

The RBI has placed Central Bank of India under prompt corrective action which puts restricts on banking activities such as from lending, hiring and expanding branches. The RBI has said that the PCA has been triggered in view of negative return on assets and high ratio of bad loans. The PCA was initiated since it reported losses for two years and had negative return on assets.

Kajal Singh is Executive V-P of GSTN

Kajal Singh was appointed as Executive Vice-President (Services) in Goods and Services Tax Network. Singh, a 1992 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), has been appointed to the post for a period of three years. The GSTN is a special purpose vehicle set up to provide Information Technology infrastructure for implementation of the GST.

India appoints new envoys

India has announced a number of new diplomatic appointments in its missions abroad, including envoys to the European Union, Italy and Denmark. Gaitri Issar Kumar was named as India’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union. Reenat Sandhu was named as India’s new Ambassador to Italy and Ajit Vinayak Gupte has been named India’s Ambassador to Denmark.

Haryana village to be named after Trump

            Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak has announced that an open defecation-free village in Mewat will be named after the US President Donald Trump. Sulabh believes the move will help draw the attention of the world towards India’s cleanliness campaign. The organisation is currently working in some villages of Mewat to make them ODF, one of which will be named after Trump.

David Grossman wins Man Booker Prize

Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize for his novel A Horse Walks Into a Bar.  He has become the first Israeli writer to receive this prestigious award. The novel is focused entirely on the act of comedian Dovaleh Greenstein. The award has a prize of 50,000 pounds ($64,000) that is split evenly between Mr. Grossman and translator Jessica Cohen.

Ramanan to head Atal Mission under NITI

Govt. has appointed a senior executive of TCS to head Atal Innovation Mission. Ramanathan Ramanan, senior vice president at TCS, has been appointed as mission director of Atal Innovation Mission, under NITI Aayog, in the rank of additional secretary. His appointment will be “without pay and allowances. Atal Innovation mission aims to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Yes Bank partners with TerraPay

TerraPay has partnered with Yes Bank in a Rupee Drawing Arrangement which enables TerraPay’s network partners to make instant cross-border money transfer to bank accounts in India. Indians worldwide can walk into TerraPay’s partner outlet and send money to their family back home, instantly in their bank account. This 24×7 service is backed by Yes Bank’s API Banking platform.

Emkay and DBS ink pact

Emkay Global Financial Services has entered into a exclusive pact with DBS Bank arm DBS Vickers Securities. Agreement involves sharing of knowledge, co-branding of research and its distribution to the global clients of DBS Vickers. It will augment the capabilities of DBS Vickers in servicing its clients in the emerging markets better, by empowering them with insightful India equity research.

North Korea releases American citizen

North Korea has released American citizen Otto Frederick Warmbier on humanitarian grounds. He was detained in January last year and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to steal an item with a propaganda slogan. He has landed back in the United States after more than 17 months in detention in North Korea. According to his parents Warmbier has been in a coma for over a year.

Mega LED screens for Champions Trophy

Sports Minister Vijay Goel has inaugurated Mega LED screens at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium, New Delhi for free public viewing of ICC Champions Trophy matches. It has been done to utilize free space in the stadium. Sports ministry is also considering to install mega screens on permanent basis. The idea is to initiate sports culture among public and optimum utilization of the stadiums.

16^th June 2017

Nalanda University signs MoU

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Nalanda University and Academy of South Korean Studies in Patna for academic linkages and collaborations. The two universities agreed to enhance their bilateral ties through joint research programmes, faculty and student exchange etc. The MoU will be in effect for five years.

2D magnet created

Researchers at the University of Washington and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a 2D magnet that is just one atom thick for the very first time. This breakthrough could radically alter the way we use magnetic materials. The scientists used chromium tri-iodide, or CrI3 to show that it has magnetic properties in its monolayer form. The research was published in Nature.

New counter-terrorism office approved

The United Nations General Assembly has approved the establishment of a new United Nations office of counter-terrorism to help Member States implement UN’s global counter-terrorism strategy. With the creation of the new office the UN will transfer the relevant functions out of the UN Department of Political Affairs into the new body. The new Under-Secretary-General would Chair the Task Force

Justice PN Bhagwati passes away

Former Chief Justice of India Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati who is considered as a pioneer of Judicial Activism has passed away. He introduced the concepts of Public Interest Litigation and absolute liability to the Indian judicial system. Justice PN Bhagwati served as the 17th Chief Justice of India from July 1985 to December 1986.

Free education to transgenders in TN

The Tamil Nadu Government has announced free education for the transgender community in all the colleges of state’s Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. The decision will be implemented from this academic year. One seat in every course of all the colleges affiliated to the university has been reserved for the transgenders.

US to conduct naval drill in Qatar

Two US Navy vessels arrived in Doha to take part in a joint military exercise with the Qatari Emiri Navy. Notably, Qatar hosts the biggest US military base in the Middle East with more than 11,000 troops deployed or assigned to Al-Udeid Air Base. Qatar has also signed a agreement to purchase F-15 fighter jets from the US with an initial cost of $12 billion.

Virat Kohli scores the fastest 8000 runs

Virat Kohli has become the quickest batsman to score 8000 runs in one-day international cricket, beating AB de Villiers’ mark in seven fewer innings. Kohli crossed the 8000-run mark in his 175th innings, during the course of his unbeaten 96 off 78 deliveries against Bangladesh on June 15. AB de Villiers needed 182 innings to get to 8000 runs in August 2015.

RIL-BP to invest $6 bn in new gas fields

Reliance Industries and its partner BP plc announced an investment of $6 billion in developing new gas fields in the KG-D6 block after an eight-year hiatus. RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani said two firms have also agreed on a strategic cooperation on new opportunities for conventional and unconventional fuel trading It will also work for developing solar energy projects.

Real Madrid-Barcelona Legends game in WB

Kolkata will host an exhibition match between Real Madrid Legends and Barcelona Legends on September 15. The match, the venue for which is yet to be decided, will be a tribute to Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff. Former Real Madrid players Fernando Morientes and Michel Salgado have confirmed their participation, while Koke Contreras and Ivan Perez are also likely to feature

Controversial anti-terror law passed

Japan passed a controversial anti-terror law that sparked street protests and warnings from critics that it would stomp on citizens’ privacy rights and lead to over-the-top police surveillance. The government argues it is necessary to prevent terrorism ahead of the 2020 Olympics. The legislation would criminalise plotting and preparing to commit 277 “serious crimes”.

IIT Kharagpur develops wearable tech

A team of experts at the Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur has fashioned a hybrid material based on silk protein called silk fibroin. This novel material has the potential to spawn prototype textile-based smart electronic devices for soldiers and defence personnel as well as for biomedical applications. The USP of the material is that it is flexible, streachable etc.

MoneyTap raises Rs. 80 crore

MoneyTap, a lending app, has raised $12.3 million (about Rs. 80 crore) in a round led by Sequoia Capital India Advisors to expand its consumer credit line. MoneyTap was founded in September 2015 by Bala Parthasarathy, former managing partner and founder of Prime Venture Partners, a Bengaluru-based seed fund. Through the app working professionals can avail instant loans.

Mira Nair wins Directors Award

Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair won the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award for the film Queen of Katwe at this year’s Women In Film Crystal + Lucy Awards. Queen of Katwe’s lead actress Lupita Nyong’o presented the award. Further, Elizabeth Banks won the Crystal Award for Excellence in Film and Tracee Ellis Ross won the Lucy Award for Excellence in Television.

Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi awarded

The Bhupen Hazarika National Award, 2017 has been conferred upon the noted writer Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi. The award has been instituted by Sarhad, a Maharashtra-based organisation.The award honours an outstanding literary work at national and international level. Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi belongs to the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

India to consume 11GB data by 2022

Fuelled by fast smartphone adoption, changing users’ behaviour and disruptive pricing strategies, the data traffic per smartphone user in India will reach 11GB per month by 2022. According to the “Ericsson Mobility Report 2017”, the total mobile data traffic in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 40%. VoLTE subscriptions are projected to reach 4.6 billion.

India climbs global innovation charts

India continued to rise in the Global Innovation Index rankings for the second year in succession. In this year’s rankings released in Geneva, India improved its position from 66 to 60. Last year, it had improved from 81 to 66. The GII was first developed 10 years ago by the business school INSEAD in Paris as a way of benchmarking countries and their innovative capacities.

Health Ministry launches IDCF

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) in order to intensify efforts to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea. Through this initiative, the Ministry will mobilize all stakeholders to prioritize investment in control of diarrhea. It aims to create mass awareness about the most effective and low-cost diarrhoea treatment.

AIIB grants $150 Mn loan to India

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved $150 million equity investment loan to the India Infrastructure Fund, the bank’s first such loan to fund private projects. The Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank who met in Jeju in South Korea has approved the loan. The Infrastructure Fund aims to invest in mid-cap infrastructure companies in India.

Telescope launched to study black holes

China successfully launched its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. A Long March-4B rocket carried the 2.5-tonne telescope into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi Desert. The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, named Insight, will allow scientists to observe magnetic fields and the interiors of pulsars.

$500 million approved for Afghanistan

The World Bank approved financing worth more than $500 million for Afghanistan to support a string of programs to boost the economy and help improve services in five provincial capitals. The largest chunk of the package, some $205.4 million, will go toward supporting communities affected by refugees returning from Pakistan. The rest will go to building hospitals, schools etc.