Important Current Affairs 18th June 2017

Important Current Affairs 18th June 2017

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Current Affairs 18th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India lays foundation stone of super specialty hospital of BRS Health & Research Institute at Udupi

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of a Super Specialty Hospital of BRS Health & Research Institute at Udupi, Karnataka today (June 18, 2017). 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that while advances in modern medicine and investment in health infrastructure have made many diseases such as cholera, small pox, plague, tuberculosis etc. curable and eradicated others, yet there remains a huge gap in our country in terms of access to medicine and health care. 
●    This brings us to the larger and more serious question of the skewed nature of health care in India – both in terms of infrastructure and personnel. 
●    Against the international norm of one doctor per thousand population, we have one doctor for 1700 people in our country. The ratio thus stands at 0.7:1000. 
●    The situation is all the more alarming in the vast hinterland of rural India.

Mahesh Sharma launches implementation of ‘National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India’ from Govardhan Block, Mathura 

Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture & Tourism launched the implementation of the ‘‘National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India’ at Goverdhan Block, Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh in a day long, Block level mega talent hunt programme (Sanskritik Pratibha Khoj Samaroh) yesterday. 
●    Shri Srikant Sharma, Energy Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ministry’s Senior officials and various renowned artists including Padma, Sangeet Natak Akademi and State Awardees were present. 
●    This Mission is part of the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ umbrella. Ministry of Culture launched it in the year of commemoration of the birth centenary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, who hailed from Mathura.
●    Artists in large number participated in this Block level event where they also registered themselves following which a registration certificate/slip/code was provided to all the artists who registered. 
●    A stage was provided to the registered artists for performance and displaying their talent. A panel of renowned artists were invited for judging the participants in different art forms. 
●    Registration was directly on the portal culturalmappingofindia.nic.in. For those artists who, for some reason, could not register themselves and their art forms, enumeration teams had been sent to all the 47 villages of Govardhan Block for geo mapping of artists and their art forms. 
●    Any person who claims to be an artist can register at the initial level.

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi kickstarts Yoga Day celebrations at anganwadi centres across the country

The Minister of Women and Child Development , Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi kickstarted the International Day of Yoga 2017 celebrations in Anganwadi Centres by taking part in a yoga session with Anganwadi children and the official Mascot Yogiraj of IDY 2017 at an Anganwadi Centre at Peeragarhi in New Delhi today morning. 
●    About 150 children participated in today’s Yoga awareness and celebration event at the Anganwadi centre .
●    The officials of Ministry of Women and Child Development also participated in Yoga sessions enthusiastically . 
●    Anganwadi centres across the country will be participating in the International Day of Yoga celebrations. 
●    The Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken up the initiative of imparting awareness about the benefits of yoga to about 100 million beneficiaries through 13.52 lakhs anganwadi centres nationwide. 
●    Not only this, the children at the Anganwadi centres will also be instructed to practice yoga on a regular basis to ensure a healthier future. 
●    All the CCIs in the States/UTs have also been instructed to observe this international day for stress free and healthy life.

President of India dedicates the Metro Phase –I Project to the people of Karnataka & Bengaluru

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended a function at Bengaluru for dedication of the Metro Phase –I project to the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru as Chief Guest today (June 17, 2017). 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that originally known as the Garden City, Bengaluru has slowly transformed itself into the Silicon Valley of India. 
●    As per global rankings, it has been rated as the most dynamic city of the world ahead even of the Silicon Valley. 
●    He said that he was happy to dedicate the Metro Phase -I project to the people of the city and Karnataka State. 
●    The President said that in warming up to and finally adopting Metro as a viable mode of public transport, we in India were late by several decades. 
●    The first metropolitan railway started in London in the year 1863. By early 20th century, almost entire Europe, North America and countries in South America had metro rail networks in all their large cities. 
●    We started with the First Metro Network in Kolkata in 1984 and then once we started in Delhi in the year 2000, there was no looking back for Metro in India.

Final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam cleared by Narmada Control Authority

Final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam cleared by Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has cleared the final raising of Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) in Gujarat by lowering of gates and impounding of water in the reservoir up to its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of EL 138.68 mts. 
●    The NCA which met here yesterday under the Chairmanship of Dr. Amarjit Singh, Secretary (WR, RD & GR) considered all aspects of environmental and Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) issues. 
●    It may be recalled that the last time raising of SSD was cleared on June 12,2014, wherein permission for Phase-I construction of piers, overhead bridge and installation of gates in open or raised position was granted. 
●    At that time, the effective height of SSD remained at EL 121.92 mts. with backwater levels of EL 134.32 mts. at dam site. With lowering of gates of SSD, the live storage capacity would increase from 1565 to 5740 MCM i.e. by 4175 MCM (267%). 
●    The clean (hydro-power generation) would increase by present 1300 MW to 1450 MW with increase in annual generation by about 1100 Million Units (i.e. about Rs.400/- crore per annum). In addition, this additional storage would irrigate about 8 lakh hectares. Additionally, about one crore population would get assured drinking water. 

Announcement for President election done

The Presidential Election of India will be held on 17 July 2017, as per the announcement made by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on 7 June 2017.
●    The term of President Pranab Mukherjee will come to an end on 24 July 2017. 
●    Mukherjee assumed the office of President in July 2012.
●    The nominations for Presidential Election will begin from the 14 June 2017 and will end on 28 June 2017.
●    This will be followed by the scrutiny of nomination papers that will take place on 29 June 2017. 
●    The last date for withdrawal of candidature is 1 July 2017. 
●    The counting of votes will take place on 20 July 2017, if required.

Current Affairs 18th June 2017: Awards

Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi chosen for Bhupen Hazarika Award 2017

Eminent litterateur Yeshe Dorje Thongchi was on 15 June 2017 chosen for the Bhupen Hazarika Award 2017. 
●    The award will be conferred on Thongchi at a function to be held in Jammu and Kashmir in September 2017 by Pune-based social organization Sarhad.  
●    Yeshe Dorjee Thongshi belongs to the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
●    He graduated from Cotton College, Guwahati and did his MA from Guwahati University. 
●    Although his dialect was Sherdukpen, however, he started writing in Assamese.
●    His first poem called Jonbaai (The Moon) appeared in an Assamese children’s magazine by the same name in 1967.
●    His well-known novels are Mauna Oonth Mukhar Hriday and Sav Kata Manuh.
●    His novel Mauna Onth Mukhar Hriday won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2005. 
●    He joined the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service in 1977 and was elevated to the IAS in 1992. 

Current Affairs 18th June 2017: SPORTS

Pakistan defeat India by 180 runs to lift Champions Trophy title

A fearsome burst of pace bowling from Mohammad Amir consigned India to a horror 180-run defeat at The Oval on Sunday as Pakistan won their maiden ICC Champions Trophy title with plenty to spare.
●    Chasing Pakistan’s 338 for four, India went down without a fight as the defending champions lost three in-form batsmen in the first nine overs. 
●    Hasan ‘bomber’ Ali took three wickets for 19 to polish off the Indian tail. Pakistan won with 117 balls to spare.
●    Hardik Pandya’s 43-ball 76 was the lone bright spot in India’s batting, but his run out gave Pakistan an easy passage to victory.
●    Mohammad Amir, who reported fit just in time for the mouth-watering final, wiped out the top order with clever use of the seam and length as Pakistan attacked like a pack of hungry dogs.
●    Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman scored 114 in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India.
●    On Saturday morning, the Indians were practising ‘banana’ freekicks. On Sunday, Mohammad Amir literally bent the ball like Beckham to catch Rohit Sharma plumb in front of the wicket and then got the better of an indiscreet Virat Kohli.
●    Kohli had been preaching the message of composure throughout the Champions Trophy but on a big day, the captain lost control even after enjoying a life the previous ball.