Important Current Affairs 1st July 2017

Important Current Affairs 1st July 2017

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Current Affairs 1st July 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

DDA launched new housing scheme with 12,000 flats 

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA)’s much-awaited new housing scheme with 12,000 flats on offer will be rolled out on Friday, officials said on Thursday.
●    Top DDA officials said the scheme is slated to be launched by Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu at Vikas Sadan, the housing authority’s headquarters, on Friday afternoon.
●    “We are all set for the launch of the new scheme. Brochure for the scheme is ready. We have printed adequate number of copies. 
●    Out of the total number of flats, most of them are in Rohini, Dwarka, Narela, Vasant Kunj and Jasola. 10,000 unoccupied flats were from a 2014 housing scheme, while 2,000 flats had been lying vacant.

Govt approves amendments in Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011

The Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has approved amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, that will come into effect from January 1, 2018.
●    Under the new amended rules products on e-Commerce platforms have to display declarations required under the amended rules.
●    Use of proper, accurate and standard weights and measures are very important for effective functioning of any economy, as it plays an indispensable role in consumer protection as protection from malpractices of underweight or under-measurement, is an important function of the Government.
●    The Legal Metrology (packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 are framed to regulate the pre-packaged commodities. 
●    Under these rules, the pre-packaged commodities    have to comply with certain   mandatory labelling requirements.

Harsh Vardhan and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurate Swasth Saarthi Abhiyaan and Fuel Conservation Workshop 

Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, together, inaugurated the Swasth Saarthi Abhiyaan (SSA) today at Siri Fort Auditorium.
●    The Swasth Saarthi Abhiyaan (SSA) is a two month long mega campaign focusing on providing preventive healthcare to the auto, taxi and bus drivers of the region. 
●    SSA, an initiative of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), was inaugurated in the presence of various dignitaries including Members of Parliament, Officials of Delhi Police and other Senior Officials of the Ministry. 
●    The SSA event is a unique initiative to address the major issues being faced by public transport drivers of the region, with almost all of them being users of CNG.
●    Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in his address said that the drivers in the capital region are partners in the growth story of gas used as fuel in vehicles. 
●    CNG is used in vehicles for transport, domestic use, autos etc. He said that approx.. 4.5 Lakh vehicles which use CNG contribute to the Rs 3000 Cr business of IGL. 
●    He said that new aim should be to increase this business from Rs 3000 Cr to Rs 30,000 Cr.

Vivo retains title sponsorship for Indian Premier League (IPL) for five years

Chinese mobile handset manufacturer Vivo has retained the title sponsorship for Indian Premier League for the five-year period of 2018-2022 with a bid valuation of Rs. 2,199 crore, it was revealed by the cash-rich league. 
●    This is a jump of 554% on the previous successful title sponsorship bid made by Vivo for two seasons.
●    BCCI had invited bids for the title sponsorship earlier this year and the tender process was open till June 21 with the applications acceptable till noon on June 27. 
●    “Interested parties can collect the tender documents for the bids between 1 June and 21 June from the BCCI office in Mumbai upon payment of Rs3 lakh,” stated the invitation to tender document. 
●    Vivo had bagged the title sponsorship rights of the T20 League for two years – 2016 and 2017 – or the ninth and tenth edition of the league – at a reported cost of Rs 100 crore per year which was a jump of Rs 20 crore annually from what beverage giant Pepsi had paid through an earlier agreement beginning 2013.

Current Affairs 1st July 2017: APPOINTMENT 

A K Jyoti of Gujarat cadre will be next Chief Election Commissioner

Achal Kumar Jyoti will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner of India. He would take over from Nasim Zaidi who is due to retire on July 6. 
●    Zaidi took over as the 20th CEC of India on April 19 2015.
●    A K Jyoti of Gujarat cadre will be next Chief Election Commissioner
●    A K Jyoti is currently the Election Commissioner of India along with O P Rawat. Jyoti born on 23 January 1953 is an IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre. 
●    The 64 year old Jyoti has also served as the Chief Secretary of Gujarat. 
●    He has also served as the Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004 and Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL). 
●    After retiring as the chief secretary in January 2013, he was appointed as the State Vigilance Commissioner of Gujarat.

RK Pachnanda appointed new Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police

RK Pachnanda, Indian Police Service officer of the 1983 batch, West Bengal cadre has been appointed as the new Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP). 
●    The Officer is currently serving as Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), India’s specialised force for responding to natural disasters and CBRN emergencies. 
●    He will be taking over from Krishna Chaudhary, who is set to retire in June this year.
As mentioned on the official website, has previously served as Additional Director General (Operations & Works), CRPF,  Commissioner of Police, Kolkata,  Director General of Police (SCRB), West Bengal,    Additional Director General (HQ), CISF, New Delhi, Additional Director General (Airport Sector), CISF, Inspector General (HQ)& IG (Training)BSF, IG (South Bengal Frontier), BSF, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), BSF, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Division, Kolkata.
 

Current Affairs 1st July 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

EU prolongs economic sanctions by six months on Russia

On 28 June 2017, the Council prolonged economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until 31 January 2018. 
●    This decision follows an update from President Macron and Chancellor Merkel to the European Council of 22-23 June 2017 on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. 
●    This paved the way for the renewal of sanctions for a further six months. 
●    The Council formalised this decision today by written procedure and, in line with the rule for all such decisions, unanimously. 
●    The measures were originally introduced on 31 July 2014 for one year in response to Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine. 
●    They were strengthened in September 2014. They target the financial, energy and defence sectors, and the area of dual-use goods.

Washington approves USD 1.42 billion arms sale to Taiwan

Donald Trump's administration has approved $1.42 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan, a US government official said Thursday, in a move likely to provoke the ire of Beijing which considers the island a rebel province.
●    The US official emphasized that there is "no change to our longstanding 'One China' policy" -- stating that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of it -- which Beijing says is a prerequisite for maintaining relations.
●    Announcement of the sale comes at a sensitive moment for the US and China, as President Trump is working to establish a partnership over trade differences and efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
●    Taiwan is a self-ruling democracy but China sees it as part of its territory to be reunified, by force if necessary.
●    The US is the island's most powerful ally and arms supplier despite having no official relations with Taipei after switching recognition to Beijing in 1979.
●    The latest plans are consistent with terms of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the US official said, under which Washington keeps trade ties and sells Taipei weapons to "maintain a sufficient self-defense capability".
●    Taiwan thanked the US for its continued commitment under the legislation and said the deal "increases Taiwan's confidence and ability to maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait".