Important Current Affairs 13th June 2017

Current Affairs 13th June 2017: DEFENSE 

Army’s Super-40 initiative

Army Chief today met and complimented the students from Army’s Super-40 coaching initiative that has been training local children to take Engineering Entrance Examination. 
●    Army’s Super - 40 initiative for coaching the J&K youth for Engineering Entrance Exams broke all previous records when 26 boys and two girls from the state cracked the IIT-JEE Mains Exam 2017.  
●    Nine students have successfully qualified the IIT Advanced Exam, the results of which were declared on 11 June 17.
●    The coaching is conducted at Srinagar by Army, its training partner Centre for Social Responsibility & Learning (CSRL) and Petronet LNG. 
●    This was also the first batch in which five girls from Kashmir valley were coached, out of which two had qualified in the JEE Mains.

Current Affairs 13th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS 

India to be Co-Partner Country in ANUGA 2017

Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal today addressed a Joint Press Conference with the organizers of ANUGA - an international business platform for Food Industry to be held in Cologne, Germany. 
●    She also signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Participation in the ANUGA Exhibition with Ms Katharina C Hamma, Chief Operating Officer, Koelnmesse GmBH (Organizers of ANUGA).
●    Minister of Food Processing Industries said that it was an honour for India to be a co-partner country in such a prestigious international event. 
●    “It gives us the opportunity to showcase our strengths and opportunities to an international audience”. 
●    The Minister also said that Food Processing Sector has lots of challenges to deal with but due to the transformation happening in this sector in the last 3 years, the industry is ready to overcome the obstacles. 
●    Smt Badal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri  Narendra Modi, in the last 3 years,  our Government has started nine Mega Food Parks; strengthening cold chain infrastructure; implementing Kisan-SAMPADA scheme with allocation of Rs 6000 crore; creation of corpus of Rs. 2000 Crore with NABARD for priority lending to the food processing industries; rationalising taxes; allowing 100% FDI in retail market for Food sector, etc. 
●    These steps will help the Government in achieving its vision of making India a Global Food Factory rather than being a market place only. “Brand India will be standing parallel with Brand ANUGA in Cologne, Germany”, said the Minister. Smt Badal said infact Germany could be invited to partner in World Food India to be organized shortly by the Government of India. 
●    The Minister recognised the importance for India to be showcasing its strength in Food Processing Industries by participating in various International Food Exhibitions like SIAL in France and ANUGA in Germany.

Panama cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan, establishes relations with China

Central American nation, Panama has cut its long-standing ties with Taiwan, choosing to establish diplomatic relations with China instead. 
●    The Panamanian government said that it recognised there was "only one China" and considered Taiwan part of it.
●    The switch was made official with Panama’s foreign minister signing a communiqué with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 13 June 2017 in Beijing. 
●    The move leaves Taiwan with just 20 diplomatic allies.
●    Confirming the development, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela stated during a media address that Panama was upgrading its commercial ties with China and establishing full diplomatic links with the second most important customer of its key shipping canal.
●    He further added saying that signing up to Beijing’s “One China” principle would generate a great potential in all areas including investment and job creation.

Current Affairs 13th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS 

51 EMR Schools made Functional during The Last three years

Ministry of Tribal Affairs has actively initiated various efforts during the last three years to make more Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) functional. As a result, 51 new EMRS were made functional during the last three years. 
●    161 EMR Schools are functional right now, while this figure was at 110 in the year 2013-14. More than 52 thousand tribal students are taking education in 161 EMR Schools of 26 States.
●    Eklavya Model Residential School Scheme was started in 1998 and first school was started in the year 2000 in Maharashtra. 
●    A total of 259 schools have been sanctioned during the last 17 years, out of which, 72 EMRS were sanctioned during last three years. EMRSs have been functioning as institutions of excellence for tribal students. 
●    Results of these schools have been generally better than other Government schools in the tribal areas. Average pass percentage of students in Class Xth and XIIth in these EMRS is above 90%. 
●    Many EMRS students have been reported to be faring well in higher studies and competitive examinations.
●    In order to further educational opportunities for more ST children, Government seeks to extend the facility of EMRSs in all the 672 Blocks where ST population is more than 50% of the total population in a span of next five years.

Meeting on Draft Ganga Bill Held 

The committee constituted to review the provisions of the draft National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill, 2017 held its meeting in New Delhi today. 
●    The meeting held under the chairmanship of Director General, NMCG Shri UP Singh  discussed various aspects of the  Bill specially the preamble, definitions and some others chapters. 
●    Shri Sanjay Kundu, Joint Secretary (PP) of the Union Water Resources Ministry, Shri Purushaindra Kaurav, Advocate General, Madhya Pradesh and Shri Arun Kumar Gupta, Advocate, Allahabad High Court attended the meeting. 
●    This committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation to examine the salient features of the draft National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill, 2017.
●    The bill addresses the critical issues pertaining to River Ganga on its cleanliness (Nirmalta) and un-interrupted e-flow (Aviralta) and provides corresponding penalty provisions thereof. 
●    The committee also recognized the enormous challenges being faced to maintain the wholesomeness of the River perpetuated due to over stressed water demand from agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors.

Punjab government okays 33% reservation for women in state jobs

In a major decision, the Punjab cabinet has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs.
●    The decision was taken in the first cabinet meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, said an official spokesperson.
●    He added women will be given the reservation also in the contractual appointments of the state government.
●    Reaffirming the Punjab Congress's commitment towards empowerment of women, the cabinet also decided to increase their representation in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent, the spokesperson said.
●    A series of decisions were also taken for the benefit of freedom fighters.The cabinet has decided to provide a house to every freedom fighter in the place he resides, besides allocating 300 units of free electricity every month, he said.
●    It was also decided to provide one out-of-turn tube well connection to the freedom fighters and to exempt them from paying toll tax for state highways, the spokesperson added.

New Planet Is Largest Discovered That Orbits Two Suns

Astronomers have discovered two new gas giant planets, orbiting a star located about 138 light years away from the Earth.
●    One of the two worlds is a Saturn-mass planet, while the other one is a cold exoplanet several times more massive than Jupiter, researchers said.
●    The two planets orbit a star HD 27894, which was first detected in 2005 and is about 20 per cent less massive than the Sun. Researchers led by Trifon Trifonov of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany analysed the archival and new data to find additional planets in the HD 27894 system. 
●    The study detected the presence of two gas giant exoplanets, which received designations HD 27894 c and HD 27894 d.
●    HD 27894 c has a mass of about 0.16 Jupiter masses, an orbital period of 36 days and is circling its host at a distance of 0.2 Astronomical Units (AU), 'Phys.org' reported.
●    HD 27894 d has a mass of about 5.4 Jupiter masses. It takes the planet over 14 years to complete one full orbit, as it is located almost 5.5 AU from the host. "The co-existence of a massive, distant, and moderately eccentric Jovian planet and a possibly resonant inner pair of massive planets makes the HD 27984 system truly unique," the researchers said.
National 

Centre to set up 100 AYUSH hospitals across country

Centre to set up 100 AYUSH hospitals The Centre has approved proposals for setting up of 100 Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) hospitals across the country.
●    The same was revealed by the Minister of state for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik. 
●    The Minister said that during the last three years the Union government had approved posting of 4000 AYUSH doctors in primary health centres across the country. 
●    He added that their salaries are being paid by the Union government.
●    The minister further stated that an AYUSH hospital equivalent to AIIMS would be opened within a month in New Delhi.
●    Besides this, the Union Ministry had approved setting up of two 50-bedded integrated AYUSH hospitals at Theni and Tiruvannamalai districts in Tamil Nadu.
●    Further, a total of Rs 283.6 lakh has been released out of sanctioned amount of Rs 563 crore for conservation and development of medicinal plants across Tamil Nadu.

Important Current Affairs 12th June 2017

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: DEFENCE 

Joint IAF-HPTDC Multi adventure Expedition

Indian Air Force in coordination with Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) is undertaking a Joint Multi Adventure Expedition from 12 Jun 17 to 17 Jun 17. 
●    The expedition includes Parasailing, Paramotor over Shimla Airport (Jubbar hatti). 
●    A joint team of IAF and HPTDC would participate in Mountain Terrain Biking (MTB) competition at Shimla, Paragliding at Joginder Nagar (Bir Billing), Trekking at Beas Kund and River Rafting at Pirdi (Kullu). 
●    A team of 25 talented air warriors, including four women officers, led by Wing Commander SS Malik will participate in the activities. 
●    The aim of the expedition is to inculcate a spirit of adventure and team work among air warriors. 
●    The joint expedition with HPTC will give exposure to our air warriors and will promote the motto 'Join the IAF with Pride' and will provide wide publicity to Indian Air Force.

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS 

Govt. Make changes to benefit small businesses

The GST Council on 11 June 2017 reduced the GST Rates of 66 items including insulin, pickles, printers, agarbattis, school bags, and cashew nuts.
●    However, the GST rates for telecom services, marbles, granite and spectacles were retained. 
●    The GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, went beyond the equalisation principle of maintaining the current tax incidence in certain cases.
●    All goods and services, under the GST regime, are broadly placed in five tax slabs — 0, 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent.
●    Revised GST Rates of few Goods and Services
●    The GST Rates on insulin, cashew nuts and agarbattis were lowered to 5 per cent from 12 per cent proposed earlier.
 

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: OBITUARY

Veteran Telugu poet, writer C Narayana Reddy passes away

Noted Telugu and Urdu poet and writer C Narayana Reddy passed away on 12 June 2017 in Hyderabad. 
●    He was rushed to a private hospital in the early hours of morning following health complications and was pronounced dead. He was 85.
●    Reddy is known to have written more than 80 publications that include poems, songs, lyrical dramas, ballets, essays, travelogues, ghazals -both original and in translation and literary criticism. 
●    He is survived by four daughters.
●    Born on 29 July 1931 in anumajipet, Karimnagar District, Hyderabad state (now in Telangana), Reddy was one of the most distinguished Telugu poets of his generation.

Batman actor Adam West dies at 88

Adam West, the actor best known for playing Batman in the 1960s television series, has died aged 88 of leukaemia. 
●    He is remembered by fans for his kooky, exaggerated portrayal of the superhero in the ABC show, which ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1968.
●    West once said that he played Batman “for laughs, but in order to do [that], one had to never think it was funny. You just had to pull on that cowl and believe that no one would recognise you.”
●    Tributes have poured in from the media world. David Walliams tweeted: “Thank you AdamWest for being the funniest superhero of all time as Batman.” 
●    Many of those expressing their sadness shared the fact that West’s portrayal of the Caped Crusader had been their childhood hero. 
●    Author Neil Gaiman tweeted: “Rest in peace Adam West. We met once in 1987 and I was too embarrassed and too foolishly ‘cool’ to tell you what you meant to my childhood.”
 

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Scientists discover rare two-dimensional magnets

Scientists have for the first time discovered two-dimensional magnets that are formed by a single layer of atoms.
●    A team led by the University of Washington (UW) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US has for the first time discovered magnetism in the 2D world of monolayers.
●    Scientists have for the first time discovered two-dimensional magnets that are formed by a single layer of atoms and may pave the way for more compact and efficient devices.
●    Magnetic materials form the basis of technologies that play increasingly pivotal roles in our lives today, including sensing and hard-disk data storage.
●    For smaller and faster devices, researchers are seeking new magnetic materials that are more compact, more efficient and can be controlled using precise, reliable methods.
●    A team led by the University of Washington (UW) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US has for the first time discovered magnetism in the 2D world of monolayers, or materials that are formed by a single atomic layer.
●    The findings, published in the journal Nature, show that magnetic properties can exist even in the 2D realm - opening a world of potential applications.

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: SPORTS

French Open 2017: Jelena Ostapenko beats third seeded Simona Halep

Jelena Ostapenko on 10 June 2017 grabbed her first ever grand slam title by beating the match favourite, third-seeded Simona Halep in the final of French Open 2017.
●    Ostapenko, after losing the first set 4-6, made a stunning comeback with two straight wins 6-4 and 6-3, making way for one of the biggest Grand Slam upsets. 
●    With the win, she became the first Latvian to ever win a Grand Slam singles title.
●    Ostapenko rallied up to the finals beating world no. 9 Timea Bacsinszky in the semi-final, former world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-final and Olympic champion Monica Puig and former finalist Sam Stosur in the qualifying rounds.

England beat Venezuela to win FIFA U-20 World Cup for first time

England on 11 June 2017 lifted the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time ever.
●    England defeated Venezuela 1-0 in the summit clash held in Suwon, South Korea.
●    The only goal of the match, played at the Suwon World Cup Stadium here, carried the signature of Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin 34 minutes in the game.
●    Serbia, the 2015 champions, were not able to defend their title as they failed to reach the final round of the UEFA qualifying tournament. 
●    In doing so, they became the fifth consecutive incumbent title holder to fail to qualify for the subsequent tournament.
 

Current Affairs 12th June 2017: ECONOMY

Railways to Induct 40000 Refurbished Coaches for Rs 8000 Cr

The Indian Railways is all set to induct about 40000 revamped coaches at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 Cr to provide world-class comfort to passengers.
●    The new coaches will reportedly come with improved interiors and upgraded facilities. 
●    The coaches will be retrofitted with refurbished interiors, improved seating arrangement and newly designed bio-toilets among other facilities.
●    The total estimated cost of retrofitting would be about Rs 30 lakh per coach.
●    The target is to complete the process of refurbishing of coaches with improved interiors and modern facilities in the next five years.

Important Current Affairs 11th June 2017

Current Affairs 11th June 2017: SPORTS

Manchester United tops Forbes' list as most valuable soccer club

It's been a stellar season for Real Madrid after winning La Liga and the Champions League, but the Spanish club suffered a rare defeat Tuesday -- off the pitch.
●    Manchester United is now officially the world's most valuable football club, usurping Real at the top of the Forbes annual rich list for the first time in five years.
●    Jose Mourinho's men might have recorded a lowly sixth place finish in the Premier League, but the club is valued at $3.69 billion, up 11% on last year.
●    United generated record revenues of $765 million -- over $75 million more than Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid -- aided by an unprecedented domestic television deal, global commercial reach and an Adidas uniform sponsorship arrangement with a reported $90 million per year.
●    The club, owned by the American Glazer family, is also substantially the most profitable, posting operating income of $288 million -- more than fellow English clubs Arsenal ($122 million), Chelsea ($52 million, Liverpool ($29 million) and Tottenham Hotspur ($68 million) combined.

French Open: Bopanna-Dabrowski win mixed doubles title

Bopanna-Dabrowski wins mixed doubles title of French OpenIndia’s Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian teammate Gabriela Dabrowski on 8 June 2017 won the mixed doubles title at the 2017 French Open of Tennis. 
●    In the finals played at Philippe-Chatrier Court of Paris, France, the Indo-Canadian pair defeated the pair of Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Colombia's Robert Farah by 2-6, 6-2, 12-10.
●    This was their maiden French Open mixed doubles title for this Indo-Canadian pair of Bopanna and Dabrowski.
●    Sai Praneeth clinches 2017 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold
●    To enter the finals, the seventh-seeded Bopanna and his Canadian partner shocked third seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5, 6-3 in the semi-finals.
 

Current Affairs 11th June 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOG

Indian-American among 12 new astronauts chosen by NASA

NASA on 7 June 2017 announced names of 12 new astronauts, including an Indian-American Lt Col Raja Grinder Chari. 
●    They, the new astronauts, were chosen from a record number of over 18000 applicants.
●    The new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a NASA research pilot. 
●    The seven men and five women comprise the 22nd class of American spaceflight trainees since 1959.
●    Indian American Lt Col., US Air Force Raja Grinder Chari (39) is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the Director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 
●    He hails from Waterloo, Iowa who graduated from the US Air Force Academy with bachelor’s degrees aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
●    The other 11 selected astronaut candidates include Zena Cardman, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim, Frank Rubio, Matthew Dominick, Warren Hoburg, Robb Kulin, Kayla Barron, Bob Hines, Loral O' Hara and Jessica Watkins.

Current Affairs 11th June 2017: APPOINTMENT

Sam Pitroda resigns as Technical Advisor to Odisha Government

Prominent telecom engineer and policymaker Sam Pitroda on 7 June 2017 resigned as the Technical Advisor to the Odisha Government. 
●    Pitroda's resignation was accepted by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
●    His position as technical advisor to the state government was that of 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 party BJP after he was named as the Chairman of Congress Overseas Cell.
●    Pitroda was expected to play a crucial role in developing the IT sector of Odisha and launching of a roadmap for telecom, IT and ITes (IT enabled services) in the state at a time when the government is preparing a Vision Document 2036 to mark 100 years of formation of the linguistic state.
 

Current Affairs 11th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Nepal's first woman Chief Justice Sushila Karki retires

First woman Chief Justice of Nepal Sushila Karki retired on 8 June 2017 after attaining the age 65 years. 
●    She was appointed as the Chief Justice of Nepal Supreme Court on 10 July 2016. 
●    She was 25th Chief Justice of Nepal Supreme Court. 
●    Justice Karki was succeeded by Justice Gopal Parajuli, who is now the senior most judge of the Supreme Court of Nepal.
●    Initially working as an assistant teacher in Mahendra Multiple Campus of Nepal, Sushila Karki jumped into legal profession in 1979.
●    She was appointed as the Ad-Hoc Justice of Nepal Supreme Court in January 2009 and was promoted as the Permanent Justice in November 2010.

‘History made’ as Britain elects first female Sikh MP

Both Labour, Preet Kaur Gill, 44, will represent Birmingham Edgbaston and Tan Dhesi will represent Slough.
●    The results have been celebrated as ‘historic’ in an election where Labour did much better than many had expected.
●    It was heralded as ‘victory for Sikh representation in the UK parliament’.
●    Ms Gill won over 6,000 more votes than the Tories, while Mr Dhesi won a huge majority of 16,998.
●    ‘More good news from the Sikh community in the UK,’ American professor Simran Jeet Singh tweeted. ‘Inclusion and representation matter.’
●    He described it as ‘a long overdue achievement for the Sikh community in England and an incredible step up for Sikh women everywhere!’

Current Affairs 11th June 2017: ECONOMY

India announces mounting of a National Mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilization

India announces mounting a National Mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation at a total cost of US $ 238 million and setting up of two Centres of Excellence on Clean Coal Technologies at US $5 million each. 
●    In its quest for cleaner fuels, a National Mission on methanol and di-methyl ether is being mounted. 
●    A new centre on solar photovoltaic, thermal storage and solar fuels research has been approved ~ US $ 5 million. 
●    Funding opportunities have been announced in the area of energy storage, clean coal, waste water treatment amounting to US $ 10 million. 
●    This announcement was made at the 2nd Mission Innovation Ministerial and 8th Clean Energy Ministerial at Beijing, China. 
●    India also announced two MI-centric Funding Opportunities in Smart Grid and Offgrid Access at US $ 5 million each. 
●    Joint virtual Clean Energy Centre with UK and Indian Government funding of UK £ 5 million each has been initiated. 
●    Under the Indo – USJoint Clean Energy Research (PACE – R) the new collaborative public – private programme on Smart Grids & Energy Storage has been approved. 
●    India has also embarked upon a joint programme on renewable energy with Norway.

Important Current Affairs 10th June 2017

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Scientists have found the hottest planet in the universe

Scientists have discovered the hottest planet so far in the universe.
●    Surface temperatures on KELT-9b reach 4,327 Centigrade - more than 1,100 Centigrade than the previous record.
●    The huge gas giant is 650 light years away and is so close to its host star its orbit takes just a day and a half.
●    KELT-9b lies in the constellation of Cygnus and is hotter than most stars.
●    Bizarrely the discovery of the scorched world may help astronomers search for extraterrestrial life.
●    Professor Scott Gaudi, of The Ohio State University, said: “The astronomical community is clearly focused on finding Earth like planets around small, cooler stars like our sun.
 

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India, Pakistan Become Full Members Of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

India and Pakistan today became full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the first-ever expansion of the China-dominated security grouping that is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.
●    India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China. 
●    With the first expansion of the grouping since its inception in 2001, the SCO will now represent over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of the global GDP.
●    As an SCO member, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region.
 

Theresa May to form new government with help of DUP

British Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to form a government that will provide "certainty" and guide the country through Brexit, after voters delivered her party a huge blow at the polls.
●    May, who visited Buckingham Palace to meet with Queen Elizabeth II Friday, said she would work with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which she described as her "friends and allies"
●    Promising to move towards a Brexit deal, enabling Britain to exit the European Union, May said the new government would "be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom."
●    But Brexit talks -- which are due to start in 10 day's time -- could be delayed and the Prime Minister's personal authority undermined by the shock result.
 

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Minister of Railways Inaugurates 1st Indian Railways Human Resources Round Table Conference

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated Indian Railways' 1st HR Round Table Conference here today. 
●    Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, Member Staff Shri Pradeep Kumar, other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion.
●    On the occasion, Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that Railway is a large organisation & for every big organisation, it is necessary to revisit the basic issues, introspect them and bring a change to be competitive, versatile & efficient. People in the organisation has to take a decision of change. 
●    Organisational change can happen only if the shortcomings are realised. Railways is a complex organization. 
●    It has commercial role, social role and welfare role and has to meet expectations of people which are unique and conflicting. 
●    It also has to play a role of national transporter. Railways is the most important strategic asset of country. 
●    It is important for economic, social aspect which cannot be overlooked. Organisation must constantly revisit its objective and try to cater to the needs of people. 
●    For development of Railways, people in the organisation should be created to face the challenges. Railways need to clearly define the corporate goals, it should create the organised structure then it should place the right people in the organisation. 
●    The change should start from the top level so it should be discernible to the people. Railways as an organisation should cater to the larger corporate goals, corporate goals should cater to societal priorities. 
●    The action & attention should be at Divisional level, Railway Divisions as a business unit should be a focal point of the changes.
 

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: ECONOMY

Centre clears Kambala Bill, legalising the Buffalo race

The Union Ministry of Law and Justice has cleared the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2017, legalising Kambala, a traditional race involving buffaloes.
●    The bill will now be sent to the President for his assent, after which it would become a law. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have been in huge favour of sports such as Kambala that have a strong link with the local culture.
●    In November 2016, the Karnataka high court banned kambala (annual buffalo race) along with bull-cart race in the state while hearing a case filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) citing animal cruelty.
●    The high court had stayed these traditional sports in view of the Supreme Court’s ban on jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport of Tamil Nadu.
 

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: SPORTS

Muttiah Muralidaran inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Legendary off-spinner Muttiah Muralidaran was on 8 June 2017 inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame by ICC Chief Executive David Richardson after the India versus Sri Lanka ICC Champions Trophy match at The Oval.
●    With this, Muralidaran became the first Sri Lankan to be inducted into the prestigious list. 
●    He is the 83rd player overall to be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
●    He was awarded the honour along with Arthur Morris, George Lohmann and Karen Rolton by fellow ICC Cricket Hall of Famers.
●    Muralidaran is the most successful Test bowler in Tests and One Day Internationals with 800 wickets in 133 matches.
●    He has taken 67 five-wicket innings hauls and 22 10-wicket match hauls in Test matches.
 

Current Affairs 10th June 2017: OBITUARY

Eminent social rights activist Mehrunnisa Dalwai no more

Mehrunnisa Dalwai, eminent social activist, author and wife of the late thinker and Marathi writer Hamid Dalwai passed away at her residence on 8 June 2017. She was 87.
●    Mehrunnisa worked for justice and equal rights for Muslim women and spearheaded a march in Mumbai seeking abolition of triple 'talaq'. 
●    She also founded Islamic Research Institute and Maharashtra Talaq Mukti Morcha.
●    Her body will be donated as per her wishes.
●    She was born in Pune on 25 May 1930.
●    She married one of Maharashtra’s most remarkable and formidable social reformers, Hamid Dalwai in 1956.
●    Hamid, the author of the classic –Indhan, devoted himself completely to the cause of uplifting the status of women within the Muslim community.
●    The couple together worked tirelessly to liberalise the Muslim community and take a stand against Brahminical Hinduism and fanatical Islamism.

Veteran Congress leader, P Govardhan Reddy passes away after cardiac arrest

Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Palvai Govardhan Reddy passed away on 9 June 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 80.
●    Govardhan Reddy is reported to have suffered the attack early in the morning, while he was on his way to Manali to attend a parliamentary standing committee meeting. He was immediately rushed to a government hospital in Shimla, where he is reported to have passed away. 
●    He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
●    Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his shock and grief over the Congress leader's sudden demise. 
●    Rao also directed Chief Secretary SP Singh and Resident Commissioner Arvind Kumar to make arrangements to bring Reddy's mortal remains back to Hyderabad from Kulu.
 

Important Current Affairs 9th June 2017

Current Affairs 9th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India receives 2018 edition of the QS world University Rankings

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings brought out by the Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) today (June 9, 2017) at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President urged EPSI to continue the efforts they are making in the education sector. 
●    He said that he was happy to find three Indian institutions – IIT Delhi and IISc Bangalore, which were already in the top 200, and the latest entrant IIT Bombay securing ranks within the coveted top 200 and IISc Bangalore being now ranked 6th globally for Citations per Faculty. 
●    The President said that while in terms of infrastructure there has been considerable expansion in the higher education sector, quality of education in many institutes remains a matter of concern. 
●    In ancient times, we had renowned seats of higher learning – Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramashila, Valabhi, Somapura and Odantapuri – that dominated the world higher education system for eighteen hundred years beginning sixth century BC. 
●    Scholars from around the globe flocked to these centres of learning in search of knowledge.

President of India launches mobile app ‘Selfie with Daughter’

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee launched a mobile Application ‘Selfie with Daughter’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (June 9, 2017).
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated Shri Sunil Jaglan on the launch of the mobile-app ‘Selfie-with-Daughter’. 
●    He said that Shri Jaglan’s efforts in initiating this campaign in Haryana are praiseworthy. Selfie-with-Daughter has become a world-wide movement against female foeticide and sex selection. 
●    He hoped that this would eventually help in dealing with the problems arising out of gender imbalance. 
●    He stated that the App is an innovative concept and an act of gentle persuasion. He urged people to take photographs with their daughters and upload on the App to make the campaign a success.
●    The ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign was started by Shri Sunil Jaglan in June 2015 in village Bibipur, Jind, Haryana. 
●    A former Sarpanch, Shri Jaglan has been working in the field of women empowerment and village development. 
●    The aim of the campaign is to motivate society to feel proud to be parents of a girl child which will result in improving the child sex ratio.

Second edition of National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga held in New Delhi 

The second edition of National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga was inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge), Shri Shripad Yesso Naik at National Media Centre in New Delhi today.
●    The conference was organized by Ministry of AYUSH in association with the Press Information Bureau (PIB), M/o Information & Broadcasting; and Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (M/o AYUSH) as a part of celebrations of the 3rd International Day of Yoga on 21st June, 2017. 
●    The theme of this year’s conference was “Yoga for Health and Harmony”.
●    Addressing the participants, Shri Shripad Naik said that the International Day of Yoga is perhaps the only occasion where people across the globe come together in such a large number and take active participation. 
●    The interest and zeal of participation in yoga is increasing considerably year by year due to which today yoga has become a household name in the real sense, the Minister added. 
●    Shri Shripad Naik said that the credit of increasing popularity of yoga also goes to media may it be print, electronic or social media.
●    The AYUSH Minister stated that yoga has earned the global recognition in promoting positive health among people. 
●    Since treatments in the modern media hospitals are becoming expensive affairs for the people, yoga is gradually making new inroads into the health care system, he elaborated. 
●    The Minister further stated that yoga not only makes people healthy but also helps to reduce the burden on the health care delivery system of the country.
 

Sagarmala A Game Changer in Country’s growth: First Workshop Held in Capital

The Ministry of Shipping organized a workshop on its flagship programme titled, “Accelerating Sagarmala Implementation – Engaging with States” in New Delhi today.
●    The main objective of the workshop was to enhance the engagement among Ministry of Shipping, other line ministries and various maritime states of India for Sagarmala Programme. 
●    The workshop was presided over by Sh. Rajive Kumar, Secretary (Shipping) and the key note address was delivered by Sh. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. 
●    Speaking on the occasion Sh. Kant said, that ports can act as the catalyst of growth and help in achieving 10% consistent growth rate for the country, hence making Sagarmala programme the game changer for the country’s development. 
●    Exemplifying, the success stories of China, Korea, Japan and Singapore, where the ports have led the country’s growth strategy, Shri Kant said that there is a need for conglomeration of all the stakeholders for proper execution and have an export focused strategy. 
●    For India to increase its current growth rate of 7.6%, it’s essential to penetrate the global markets which only ports can drive. 
●    He pointed out that land is not a challenge and all what is required is optimum utilisation of available resources.

Thaawarchand Gehlot Inaugurates ‘Eastern Regional Conference’ on issues relating to Empowerment of persons with Disabilities

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the “Eastern Regional Conference of Eastern Region States on issues relating to Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities” organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment here today. 
●    Representatives from the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal participated in the Conference. 
●    Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri N.S. Kang, Secretary, DEPwD and senior officers from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the participating States were present.
●    In his inaugural address, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot said that the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has expanded the horizon of the rights of persons with disabilities vis-a-vis the repealed PwD Act, 1995 and casts increased responsibilities on the States/UTs to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others. 
●    The State Governments are also required to take measures to provide institutional mechanism for registration of institutions working in the disability sector. 
●    It is needless to say that the new Act has penal provisions for violation of its provisions.

Current Affairs 9th June 2017: ECONOMY

GST Council constitutes 18 Sectoral Groups for smooth roll-out of GST

As decided in the 14th Meeting of the GST Council held on 18th-19th May, 2017 in Srinagar, J&K, 18 Sectoral Groups have been constituted representing various sectors of the economy in order to ensure smooth roll-out of GST. 
●    These 18 Sectoral Groups representing various sectors of the economy and containing Senior Officers of the Centre and the States are being set-up to ensure smooth implementation of GST by timely responding to the issues and problems of their respective Sector(s).
●    In fact, they are being with the following objectives:
●    Interact and examine representations received from trade and industry associations/bodies of their respective sector.
●    Highlight specific issues for the smooth transition of the respective sector to the GST regime.
●    Prepare sector specific draft guidance.
●    These Sectoral Working Groups consist of Senior Officers from the Centre and the States.
 

New Projects Inaugurated at Kamarajar Port in Tamil Nadu

The Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that an investment of Rs 2 lakh 50000 crore is being made in Tamil Nadu under Sagarmala. 
●    Of this Rs.39,000 crore will be for port modernization, Rs.55,000 crore for port connectivity and Rs.1,50,000 crore for port led industrialization. 
●    The minister said this at Kamarajar Port in Chennai today, where he inaugurated several new projects. 
●    The projects include a New Container Terminal worth Rs.1270 crore, a new multi cargo terminal worth Rs.151 crores, Railway line to Container and Multi cargo terminal worth Rs. 60 crore, and RFID system worth Rs.11.82 crore. 
●    Shri Gadkari said the work being done under Sagarmala is estimated to create about 2 lakh direct jobs in the state in the next two years. 
●    The Development of New Container Terminal project will provide more container handling facility for traders, it will also facilitate the new industries and ancillaries in the vicinity of the port, provide new job opportunities and will give boost to local economy.
 

The Union Finance Minister to chair the 16th Meeting of the GST Council on Sunday, 11th June, 2017

The Union Minister for Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley will chair the 16th Meeting of the GST Council scheduled to be held on Sunday, 11th June, 2017 at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital. 
●    The one day Meeting will also be attended among others by the Finance Ministers of different States and UTs (having elected assembly) being the members of the GST Council. 
●    Main agenda items of the 16th GST Council Meeting include confirmation of the minutes of the 15th GST Council meeting held on 3rd June, 2017, approval of amendments to draft GST Rules and Rate Adjustment, if any, based on the representations received from different trade and industry and their associations. 
●    This meeting will be important in the sense that the GST Law is going to be rolled-out with effect from 1st July, 2017.

Important Current Affairs 8th June 2017

Current Affairs 8th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Yogi Adityanath Government Announces Reward Of Rs 10,000 to top performing students

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state has announced Rs 10,000 reward for 1 lakh meritorious girl students who clear Class X examination.
●    The move is a big boost to the central government’s ‘beti bachao beti padhao’ scheme.
●    UP’s deputy CM Dinesh Sharma made the announcement.
●    In a review meeting, Sharma said that it will be a one-time payment to about 1 lakh meritorious girls clearing Class X examination. 
●    The result of UP Board for class 10 is yet to be announced.

Dr Jitendra Singh announces “Hill Area Development Programme” for Northeast 

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh announced the launch of, “Hill Area Development Programme” (HADP) for Northeast in Imphal (Manipur) today.
●    Dr Jitendra Singh was addressing a meet of Investors and Entrepreneurs, organised by NEDFi (North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd), with joint participation of the Union Ministry of DoNER and the Government of Manipur represented by Chief Minister, Shri N Biren Singh and other senior State functionaries. 
●    Secretary NEC Shri Ram Muivah and a large number of prominent prospective entrepreneurs were present on the occasion.
●    Elaborating on the new scheme, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the hilly areas of Manipur, Tripura and Assam have a distinct geo-physical entity and are lagging in socio-economic development. 
●    As a result of peculiar topography, he said, there is a wide gap between the hill and valley districts in terms of infrastructure, quality of roads, health and education etc. 
●    The Hill Development Programme, he said, is inspired with a serious research and deliberation of all these factors.

NCERT books mandatory for UP Board students

The Aditya Nath Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has made National Council of Research and Training (NCERT) books mandatory for all schools affiliated to the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) from academic session 2018-19.
●    The decision will impact more than 35 lakh students and comes in the wake of the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) move to make NCERT textbooks compulsory for all schools affiliated to it from this academic year itself.
●    "It is a bid to bring UP Board academic activities on a par with the CBSE. 
●    However, the task of providing textbooks to lakhs of students would be quite daunting. 
●    At present, over 35 lakh students study in around 23,900 government, aided and unaided schools affiliated with the UP Board,".

Current Affairs 8th June 2017: ECONOMY

India to provide $318 million line of credit to Sri Lanka for development of its railway sector

India on 6 June 2017 signed an agreement to provide fresh assistance of USD 318 million line of credit to Sri Lanka for the development of the railway sector in the country. 
●    The agreement was signed in Colombo, the capital city of the island nation.
●    Signatories of the agreements included RHS Samaratunga, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, and David Rasquinha, Managing Director of India’s Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank). 
●    The Sri Lanka Railways will implement the projects under the supervision of Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
●    India has already provided four Lines of Credit for the development of railway sector in Sri Lanka through its EXIM Bank amounting to approximately USD 966 million.
 

Ministries to decide on FDI proposals within 60 days: Finance Ministry

The government on Tuesday said post the abolition of the FIPB, ministries will have to decide on FDI proposals within 60 days of the application and any rejection will need concurrence of the DIPP. 
●    India had last month scrapped the 25-year old foreign investment advisory body FIPB as it looks to attract more FDI by providing quick approvals under a single-window clearance system.
●    In an office memorandum, the Finance Ministry said subsequent to the abolition of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), concerned administrative ministries have been allotted the work of granting approval for foreign investment in the specific sector. 
●    The Industry Ministry, in consultation with the administrative ministry, will come out with a detailed guideline for processing of the FDI proposals and ensure a “consistency of treatment and uniformity of approach”.
●    The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall involve the process of inter-ministerial consultation for the examination of FDI proposals, wherever necessary, it said. 
●    “The SOP will also recognise that ordinarily FDI applications, including those related to non resident Indian (NRI)/ Export Oriented Unit (EOU), food processing, single brand retail trading and multi brand retail trading proposals, should be decided in 60 days,” the office memorandum said.
 

Current Affairs 8th June 2017: APPOINTMENT

Deuba takes oath as Prime Minister of Nepal

Sher Bahadur Deuba took the oath as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the fourth time on 7 June 2017. 
●    He was elected as the nation’s 40th Prime Minister on 6 June 2017.
●    The oath taking ceremony was administered by Nepal’s President, Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Rashtrpati Bhawan in Kathmandu. 
●    Seven other ministers including three Deputy Prime Ministers have also taken the oath.
●    Deuba, President of Nepal's oldest party- the Nepali Congress, won an overwhelming majority by securing 388 votes out of the total 558 votes cast in the parliamentary vote.
●    Deuba elected as 40th Prime Minister of Nepal 
●    Deuba was the only contender in the election.
●    The 70-year-old would be succeeding Maoist leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who resigned last month to honour a power-sharing deal.
 

Current Affairs 8th June 2017: SPORTS

Sachin Tendulkar joins UN campaign ‘Super Dads’

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar will be joining the likes of Noval Djokovic and David Beckham for a United Nations campaign/initiative titled Super Dads.
●    The UNICEF initiative Super Dad highlights the critical role played by fathers in children’s early development. 
●    The initiative that was launched on 6 June 2017, few days ahead of the Father’s Day (18 June), will celebrate fatherhood by highlighting the importance of love, play, protection and good nutrition for the healthy development of young children’s brains.
●    Other participants of the Super Dads campaign include Mahershala Ali, the All Blacks, Daniel Cormier, Lewis Hamilton, Hugh Jackman, Thalía and Chris Weidman.
 

Current Affairs 8th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Japan makes exception; signs historic civil nuclear deal with India

Shedding its reservations, Japan on Friday made an exception to sign a landmark civil nuclear deal with India, opening the door for export of its atomic technology and reactors, after adding features like safety and security keeping in mind its sensitivities on the issue.
●    The nuclear deal, described as historic by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was part of the 10 agreements signed between the two countries in various areas after he held talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the second day of his three-day visit.
●    The nuclear agreement comes after tough negotiations for over six years between the two countries and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said the nuclear deal was similar to the agreements signed with the US and other countries with added features on safety and security in keeping with Japan’s sensitivities.
●    At the joint media interaction with Modi, Abe said he was delighted over the signing of the agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy.
●    “This agreement is a legal framework that India will act responsibly in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and also in Non-Proliferation regime even though India is not a participant or signatory of NPT,” he said.
 

Current Affairs 7th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves agreement between India and Cyprus on Merchant Shipping

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the Agreement between India and Cyprus on Merchant Shipping, which was signed in April 2017.
●    The Agreement in Merchant Shipping will pave the way for cooperation in eliminating any hindrances which may hamper the development of sea trade between the two nations. 
●    The MoU will encourage participation in the transport of goods between the countries, and also from third countries. 
●    The MoU further seeks to enhance cooperation for employment, improvement of conditions of work and for the welfare of seafarers employed on each other’s vessels.

India and Mali for standardization and conformity assessment 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the 
●    Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India and Direction Nationale De Industries (MLINDI), Republic of Mali on Standardization and Conformity Assessment.
●    The MoU aims to facilitate closer cooperation and provide a mechanism by which India and Mali can work together
●    It can work towards the common aim of strengthening standardization and conformity assessment activities in order to facilitate sharing of expertise and mutual trade.
 

Health Secretary inaugurates ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre 

Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) inaugurated the ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre at the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), here today. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, Shri C K Mishra congratulated the LHMC, Delhi for this initiative and said that this would be the largest human milk bank and lactation counselling centre available under the public sector in North India. 
●    The Health Secretary further added that it is envisaged that with this donor human milk bank, all newborns in and around Delhi will have access to life saving human milk regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Mr Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Ambassador of Norway to India, was also present at the occasion. 
●    “Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh” is established in collaboration with the Norwegian government, Oslo University and Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI). 
●    Speaking at the function, Shri Mishra said that even when we know the potential of mother’s milk for a child, breastfeeding rates are low in India. 
●    He informed the participants that the early initiation of breastfeeding is only 40%, even when the institutional delivery has increased to 78.9%. “In view of this, we launched Mothers Absolute Affection (MAA) programme to create awareness regarding breastfeeding as being the most cost-effective way of enhancing the child’s immunity,” Shri Mishra stated.
 

Kerala Government implements 'green protocol' for weddings

The Government of Kerala has implemented a ‘green protocol’ to make auspicious occasions such as weddings more nature-friendly.
●    With the implementation of the protocol, the use of plastic and other non-degradable articles including disposable glasses, plates and thermocol decorations would be prohibited at marriage functions.
●    Instead, people would be encouraged to use tumblers, plates and utensils made from glass and other environment-friendly metals.
●    To ensure proper implementation of the protocol, inspections will be held at marriage halls, convention centres, hotels and other venues of the wedding ceremony.
 

Current Affairs 7th June 2017: ECONOMY

Cabinet approves Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Securities and Exchange Board of India and European Securities and Markets Authority

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to the 
●    Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in relation to Mutual Co-operation.
●    The MoU is likely to establish cooperation arrangements as a precondition for ESMA to recognize Central Counter Parties (CCPs) established in India 
●    It will be supervised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to provide clearing services to clearing members or 
●    trading venues established in the European Union and to provide ESMA with adequate tools to monitor the on-going compliance by the Covered CCPs with the Recognition Conditions.

India’s Seafood Export at all-time High in 2016-17 :MPEDA

Riding on a robust demand for its frozen shrimp and frozen fish in international markets, India exported 11,34,948 MT of seafood worth an all time high of US$ 5.78 billion (Rs 37, 870.90 crore) in 2016-17 as against 9,45,892 tons and 4.69 billion dollars a year earlier, with USA and South East Asia continuing to be the major importers while the demand from the European Union (EU) grew substantially during the period.
●    Frozen shrimp maintained its position as the top item of export, accounting for 38.28 per cent in quantity and 64.50 per cent of the total earnings in dollar terms. 
●    Shrimp exports increased by 16.21 per cent in terms of quantity and 20.33 per cent in dollar terms. 
●    Frozen Fish was the second largest export item, accounting for a share of 26.15 per cent in quantity and 11.64 per cent in dollar earnings, registering a growth of 26.92 per cent in terms of value.
●    USA imported 1,88,617 MT of Indian seafood, accounting for 29.98 per cent in terms of dollar. Export to that country registered a growth of 22.72 per cent, 33 per cent and 29.82 per cent in terms of quantity, value in rupee and US dollars, respectively. 
●    South East Asia remained the second largest destination of India’s marine products, with a share of 29.91 per cent in dollar terms, followed by the EU (17.98 per cent), Japan (6.83 per cent), the Middle East (4.78 per cent), China (3.50 per cent) and other countries (7.03 per cent). 
●    Overall, exports to South East Asia increased by 47.41 per cent in quantity, 52.84 per cent in rupee value and 49.90 per cent in dollar earnings.
 

Current Affairs 7th June 2017: SPORTS

Ramkumar Ramanathan wins ITF Futures title in Singapore

Indian player Ramkumar Ramanathan lifted the $15,000 ITF men's Futures tennis title after outplaying Raymond Sarmiento of the USA in straight sets here.
●    The top seeded Indian hardly broke a sweat on his way to a 6-2, 6-2 win over the second seeded player from USA in the final of event last night.
●    It was the first title of the season for Ramkumar and 15th of his career.
●    Ramkumar, a regular in India's Davis Cup team, had recently competed in the qualifying event of the French Open but failed to make it to the main round of the Grand Slam tournament.
 

Current Affairs 7th June 2017: APPOINTMENT

Government to appoint Nyaya Mitras to accelerate pending cases

The Union government would be appointing Nyaya Mitras across the country to speed up the hearing of cases that have been pending in the lower courts for the last 10 years.
●    The same was confirmed by Union Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while addressing a function at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to inaugurate the Tele Law Service through Common Service Centers on 6 June 2017.
●    The Minister announced that retired judges will be appointed as Nyaya Mitras to expedite over seven lakh fifty thousand cases that are pending across the country. 
●    He further stated that the government is committed to providing justice to the poor people in a fast, smooth and affordable manner.

Important Current Affairs 6th June 2017

Current Affairs 6th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

J P Nadda launches ‘Skill for Life, Save a Life’ initiative to promote skill development in the health sector 

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare launched the ‘Skill for Life, Save a Life’ initiative at a function, here today. 
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Nadda said that India enjoys a demographic dividend as more than 65% youth are below the age of 35 years and the Government is determined to seize this opportunity by providing adequate skills and employability to the youth for a strong foundation for continued and sustainable growth. 
●    ‘Skills for Life, Save a Life’ Initiative’ aims to upscale the quantity and quality of trained professionals in the healthcare system. 
●    Under this initiative various courses are planned to be initiated targeting specific competencies for healthcare professionals as well as for general public.
●    Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri C.K. Mishra, Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) and Dr. Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India were also present at the occasion.
●    Speaking at the function, Shri Nadda said that skilling the youth enhances the employability and skilled India will help the nation reap rich dividends. 
●    “This shall reduce the gap between expectations of employment of the youth and the actual job they get”, Shri Nadda added. 
●    The Health Minister further pointed out that skill enhances economy of the country, too by reducing the gap between demand and supply of trained and skilled manpower in every field. 
●    The potential for skilled healthcare workers and professionals is immense in the country. Such courses ensure that the health sector gets the adequate skilled health workers.

National Trust under M/O Social Justice & Empowerment launches ‘Inclusive India Initiative’

The National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in collaboration with key partners organised the conference “Inclusive India Initiative: Towards an Inclusive India” for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) here today.  
●    The ‘Inclusive India Initiative’ of National Trust is specifically catering to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; with an objective to include these people in the mainstream and in all important aspects of social life, namely education, employment and community ‘Inclusive India’ in about changing the attitudes.
●    The conference was inaugurated by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment amongst the presence of Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State (I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports and Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, Mr. Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator, Shri N.S. Kang, Secretary, DEPwD, M/o SJ&E, Shri Kamlesh Pandey, Chairman, National Trust and Shri Mukesh Jain, CEO, National Trust and officials from Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.  
●    A vision document on ‘Inclusive India Initiative’ was released and a few MoUs of the National Trust signed with key partners were exchanged on the occasion.

Railways to give passengers only confirmed tickets from July 1

Effective July 1, the Indian Railways will have many changes in its existing rules and regulations that will benefit millions of passengers.
●    The main highlight of these changes are refund on Tatkal ticket, confirmed ticket facility for train passengers among others.
●    Beginning July 1, passengers will get refund amount of 50 percent on cancellation of tatkal tickets.
●    Timing for booking tatkal will also be changed. From July 1, tatkal window for AC coach will be open between 10 am and 11 am while for sleeper coach it will be open from 11 am to 12 pm.
●    Waiting list will come to an end from July 1 for Suvidha trains. Tickets shall be issued only for confirmed and RAC passengers accommodation. There shall be no provision for waiting list in the train.
●    From July 1 the number of coaches on Rajdhani and Shatabdi will be increased.
●    Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will have paperless tickets from July 1. Mobile tickets will be valid on these trains.
●    Railways will also start ticket booking on various language.
●    From July 1, Premium trains will come to an end.
●    For cancellation of Suvidha train tickets, passengers can get half refund.
●    50 percent refund of fare on cancellation charge of rupees one hundred for air-conditioned-II tier/first class, rupees ninety for air-conditioned III-tier/3 economy/air-conditioned chair car and rupees sixty for sleeper class will be granted.

Habibganj Railway Station to become India’s first private railway station

Habibganj Railway Station Habibganj Railway Station, located in the suburbs of Bhopal, will become India’s first railway station to be redeveloped in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
●    The station redevelopment work in the railway station will be launched on 9 June 2017 by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.
●    The project aims at developing Habibganj Railway Station as a as a world-class transit hub equipped with all amenities.
●    The operation and maintenance of the railway station has been given to Bhopal-based Bansal Group for a period of eight years.
●    The Bansal Group plans to completely overhaul the station and develop four commercial land parcels to make Habibganj a commercial hub with shops, offices and hotels, all within three years.
●    The environment-friendly railway station will be powered by solar energy.
●    The station will also have facilities for disabled. It will have lifts, escalators and travelators and underpasses.
●    The station will be redesigned in such a way that the premises, in case of a emergency, can be evacuated in four minutes and passengers can reach designated points of safety in six minutes.
 

Current Affairs 6th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Adani’s Australia coal mine project gets final approval

After battling environmental protests and legal and regulatory hurdles for seven years, Adani Enterprises Ltd said on Tuesday that it is finally ready to proceed with the $16.5 billion Carmichael mine and rail projects in central Queensland, Australia.
●    The company’s board has given its final go-ahead to the project, chairman Gautam Adani said in a statement.
●    “I am proud to announce the official start of one of the largest single infrastructure and job creating developments in Australia’s recent history,” Adani said, calling it a historic day for Queensland and for Indian investment in Australia.
●    Investors cheered the announcement. Shares of Adani Enterprises rose 8.63% to Rs127.80 on BSE on a day the benchmark Sensex fell 0.38% to 31,190.56 points.
●    Adani, which has already invested $3.3 billion in the project, including buying the bulk coal handling port at Abbot Point, has battled protests by environmentalists who claim the coal project would increase carbon pollution and cause irreparable damage to the Great Barrier Reef marine park in northern Queensland.

 

World's fastest elevator to be installed in skyscraper complex building in China

The world's fastest elevator that can operate at a record breaking speed of 1260 metres per minute is set to been installed in a skyscraper complex building in China.
●    The record-breaking speed was recorded during a test of the elevator at the CTF Finance Center, a 530-meter tall skyscraper in the city of Guangzhou, China.
●    The test was conducted for technology development of Hitachi elevators. However, the elevator in Guangzhou will only run at its rated speed of 72 kilometers per hour when it is in service.
●    The elevator has been developed by the Japanese tech company Hitachi.
●    In May 2016, the ultra-high-speed elevator had reached 1200 metres per minute as its rated speed.
●    The achievement was recorded by China's National Elevator Quality Supervision and Inspection Centre, a public accreditation body of elevators.
 

Current Affairs 6th June 2017: SPORTS

Sai Praneeth clinches 2017 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold

Indian third seed B. Sai Praneeth on 4 June 2017 captured the Men’s Singles title in the USD 120000 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton championship.
●    Praneeth defeated Indonesian fourth seed Jonatan Christie 17—21, 21—18, 21—19 in an hour and 11 minutes in the final match played at Nimibutr Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand.
●    Born on 10 August 1992, Sai Praneeth Bhamidipati is an Indian badminton player hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana.
●    At the 2016 All England Super Series Premier, he stunned the 2nd seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the 1st Round 24-22, 22-20 in straight sets.
●    He is the winner of the 2016 Canada Open Grand Prix Men’s Singles title.
●    In April 2017, he defeated Kidambi Srikanth 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 to clinch his maiden Super Series title in the Singapore Open final.
 

Real Madrid becomes first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles

Real Madrid made history on 3 June 2017 as they became the first team ever to win back-to-back Champions League titles.
●    Real Madrid defeated Juventus 4–1 to win a record-extending 12th title. With this victory, Real Madrid became the first team to successfully defend their title in the Champions League era, and the first to do so since Milan in 1990.
●    The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosted the final.
●    Real Madrid is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain.
●    It was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club.
●    The club is one of the most widely supported teams in the world.
●    In domestic football, the club has won a record 33 La Liga titles, 19 Copa del Rey, nine Supercopa de España, a Copa Eva Duarte, and a Copa de la Liga.
●    In European competitions, the club has won a record 12 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Cups and three UEFA Super Cups.

Important Current Affairs 5th June 2017

World Environment Day 2017 

World Environment Day on 05 Jun 2017 marks three years of the launch of Green Initiatives Drive of Indian Navy. 
●    The past three years have seen a unified approach by rank and file in Indian Navy towards pursuance of green goals. 
●    The energy optimisation measures in IN cover its entire spectrum – operations, infrastructure and maintenance. 
●    Concerted efforts are being undertaken to reduce energy use (both electricity and fuel) through self-driven conservation measures.
●    In addition to Smart LED Street Lighting in Naval stations, conventional lighting on operational platforms is also progressively migrating to LED lighting, which signifies the scope of policy outreach. 
●    Further, fuel optimisation measures have been enforced onboard ships without compromising on the operational tempo.
●    With innovation driving military technology, a maiden attempt has been made towards use of Renewable Energy onboard a naval platform, with solar panels fitted on top of Helo Hangar of one of the ships towards producing electricity for battery charging.
 

Current Affairs 5th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Government to implement India’s first Rural LED Street Lighting Project in Andhra Pradesh 

Government of India, through the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under the Ministry of Power, would be retrofitting 10 lakh conventional street lights with LED lights in Gram Panchayats of 7 districts in Andhra Pradesh. 
●    This is the first project for rural LED street lighting in the country under the Government of India’s Street Lighting National Project (SLNP). In the first phase, the replacement will be undertaken in gram panchayats of the districts of Guntur, Prakasham, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor.
●    This replacement drive in rural areas will help the gram panchayats to cumulatively save approximately 147 million units of electricity annually and lead to reduction of 12 crore tonnes of CO2. 
●    The entire upfront capital cost of this project is being funded by French Development Agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD). 
●    As part of the project, EESL would be carrying out the entire annual maintenance and warranty replacement in these gram panchayats for a period of 10 years.

NMCG Approves Projects Worth Rupee 1900 cr Hundred Percent Sewage Treatment for Haridwar, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Varanasi, Allahabad and Delhi

Giving another major push to Namai Gange programme National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved projects worth Rs 1,900 crore for the creation of sewage treatment infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and UT of Delhi. 
●    With approval of these projects hundred percent sewage treatment facility will be made available for Haridwar, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Varanasi, Allahabad and NCT of Delhi. 
●    These projects were approved in the third meeting of the Executive Committee of NMCG held in New Delhi last month. 
●    A comprehensive project of interception, diversion and treatment of sewage in Naini, Phaphamau and Jhunsi sewerage zones of Allahabad at an estimated cost of Rs 767.59 crore has been approved. 
●    Apart from construction of a 42 MLD (million litres per day) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Naini, the project also encompasses building up of eight sewage pumping stations among other works. 
●    None of the three zones have any sewerage schemes or any sanctioned STPs as yet. 
●    These approved projects along with the existing ones would take care of sewage management of the core city of Allahabad bounded by rivers Ganga and Yamuna. 
●    The projects would also arrest flowing waste water of 18 drains into the rivers to ensure pollution free water for bathing at Sangam during Ardh Kumbh mela 2019. 
●    With approval of these projects 100% sewage treatment capacity can be achieved in Allahabad.

Handbook, Module & Guidelines on Safe Childhood Programme for Gram Panchayats Released

A Handbook along with Module & Guidelines on protection of Child Rights at Gram Panchayat level was released jointly by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Ministry of Panchayati Raj and UNICEF at New Delhi today. 
●    The Handbook, Module & Guidelines will be useful for the functionaries of the Panchayati Raj Institutions in protecting the rights of children at the village level. 
●    Releasing the Handbook, Secretary of Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Jitendra Shankar Mathur called it as a landmark occasion. 
●    He said, “Unless and until communities are involved, making a difference in the lives of children at the village level is an uphill task.” Shri. Mathur also said that the beneficial legislations which are available in the country should be implemented in reality to empower the children of the country. 
●    He suggested that the initiative by NCPCR and UNICEF should be “pursued vigorously” for quick outcomes. 
●    NCPCR Chairperson, Smt. Stuti Kacker, who spoke about the importance of community support which was available in earlier times said that today, with changing socio-economic conditions, children are not always safe. 
●    Therefore, she said, involvement of Gram Panchayats will go a long way for a safe and secure childhood. Smt. Kacker said keeping that in view, the Handbook, Module & Guidelines have been prepared in collaboration with UNICEF. 

M.Venkaiah Naidu launches ‘Segregation of Municipal Waste at Source Initiative for NCR’

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Union Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu launched a campaign on source segregation of municipal waste for National Capital Region (NCR) here today.
●    Speaking on the occasion, Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu urged all the citizens to participate in this campaign for its success. 
●    He said that bins with different colors, shall be used to segregate waste in every house and shop. Green bins shall be used for wet waste and Blue bins for dry waste, he added. 
●    The Minister pointed that the incorrect disposal and burning of solid waste results in emission of climate change causing Greenhouse gases like Methane and Carbon Dioxide to the tune of 12.69 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide in the country per year. 
●    He also said that a recent study has revealed 15 diseases, such as Hepatitis, Cholera and Malaria, caused due to the improper solid waste management. 
●    Shri Naidu said that a number of policy interventions have been introduced by the Government to encourage processing of municipal solid waste to compost and energy. 
●    He said that to promote conversion of ‘Waste to Energy’, purchase of electricity so generated has been made mandatory by DISCOMs and to promote ‘Waste to Compost’, a subsidy of Rs 1,500 per ton will be provided by the Government.

Current Affairs 5th June 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial 6-8 June, 2017 Beijing China - Dr. Harsh Vardhan to lead the Indian Delegation

An Indian delegation led by Dr. Harsh Vardhan,  Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change will be participating in the Second Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial along with Senior Officials from the Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Power.
●    Eighteen months ago on 30th November 2015 leaders of 20 countries came together to launch Mission Innovation (MI), a landmark 5-year commitment to accelerate the pace of innovation and make clean energy widely affordable and accessible worldwide. 
●    MI now comprises 22 economies and the European Commission, representing the European Union, and collectively accounts for more than 80 percent of the world’s total public financing of clean energy R&D.
●    There is a concerted effort by 22 Member countries and EU to enhance the pace of innovation and scale of transformation through this clean energy revolution launch to meet the requirement for economic, energy security and goals in timely manner.
 

Current Affairs 5th June 2017: APPOINTMENT

Sharad Jain new DG NWDA

Dr. Sharad Kumar Jain has assumed the additional charge of Director General, National Water Development Agency (NWDA) under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. 
●    Shri Jain is presently working as Scientist G with National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee. 
●    Shri Jain succeeds Shri S. Masood Husain who has moved over as Member (WP&P), Central Water Commission.
●    NWDA is responsible for fair distribution of water all across the country.
●    It works towards clean water management and distribution.
 

Current Affairs 5th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Nepal, China ink mega hydropower agreement

To build 1,200MW Budhi-Gandaki hydroelectric project Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the largest hydroelectric plant in the impoverished landlocked country, which suffers from a chronic energy shortage.
●    Nepal’s Energy Minister Janardan Sharma on Sunday signed the agreement for the China Gezhouba Group Corporation to build the long-mooted 1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki hydroelectric project.
●    Estimates put the project cost at $2.5 billion. A financing agreement will be signed later, Ministry spokesman Dinesh Kumar Ghimire said.
●    Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse, but instead it imports much of its electricity from neighbouring India.
●    Experts say it could be generating 83,000 megawatts, but its total installed generation capacity currently stands at less than 2% of that.
●    Demand for electricity has long outstripped supply in Nepal due to chronic underinvestment and inefficiencies in the power network. The result has been crippling for domestic industry and deterred foreign investment. 
●    Crucial infrastructure development has flagged in the years of political paralysis that followed the end of the Maoist insurgency in 2006 and the overthrow of the monarchy two years later.

Important Current Affairs 4th June 2017

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: DAYS AND DATES

New Bridge Constructed in Record Time of 165 Days on Savitri River 

An old Masonry Arch Bridge on Savitri and Kal river near Mahad in Maharashtra having width of 5.90 m and length of 184 m constructed in 1928 collapsed due to heavy unprecedented rainfall on the night of 2nd August , 2016. 
●    The Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari immediately announced to construct new bridge at this location within 6 months. 
●    As announced by the Shri Gadkari, the project has been speedily rebuild on a record time of 165 days before the onset of monsoon rain with a total Cost of Rs.35.77 Cr. 
●    The Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister of Maharashtra will inaugurate the newly constructed Savitri Bridge and throw it open for the public on 05th June, 2017. 
●    The New Bridge is 16 meter wide and 239m long with lighting arrangement, footpath, flood alarm system, anti-corrosive steel, Road safety measures and painted with carbonation paint. 
●    The work on the construction of bridge started on war footing. 
●    The Survey, design and detailed estimate was prepared by the State PWD in-house within 3 weeks and submitted to MoRTH, New Delhi on 20th August, 2016. 
●    The Ministry of RT&H sanctioned the estimate on 2nd September, 2016 and on the same day tenders were called by NH wing of State PWD. 
●    The lowest tender was accepted and agreement was signed on 1st December, 2016. The appointed date for the project was issued on 15th December, 2016.

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

S.S. Ahluwalia leads Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Norway 

Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, led an Indian Parliamentary delegation on a three-day visit to Norway for promoting and strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries. 
●    The visit, which concluded late last night, is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between India and Norway.
●    During the visit, the Indian delegation met Ms. Monica Mæland, Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms. Marit Berger Røsland, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Government of Norway, Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Policy and Defence and Mr. Gunnar Gundersen, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Business and Industry of Parliament of Norway and also visited the Norwegian Institute of Bio-economy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway.
●    Shri Ahluwalia, in his meetings with Norwegian dignitaries,   stated that both India and Norway should work towards strengthening cooperation in areas such as, combating international terrorism, maritime cooperation, climate change, renewable energy, waste management, fisheries, agriculture, exchange of technology on horticulture and organic farming etc.
 

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft co-founder unveils world's biggest plane

The world’s biggest plane, boasting a 117-metre wingspan, has been launched by the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
●    The six-engine, dual-hulled Stratolaunch aircraft is designed to launch satellites into orbit. 
●    Launching the satellites on rockets while the Stratolaunch is in flight has the advantage of saving fuel comparing to sending them into orbit from a launchpad.
●    It is designed to carry a rocket and payload with a combined weight of up to 250,000 kg and when in development was expected to cost $300m – although whether it came in on budget has not been revealed.
●    Satellite networks, based on low-cost spacecraft, are the fastest-growing segment of the global satellite industry which reported more than $208bn in revenue in 2015, according to a Satellite Industry Association report.
●    The Stratolaunch was built by Scaled Composites and is similar in form and function to Scaled’s aircraft built to ferry spaceships into the air and release them for independent rocket rides beyond the atmosphere, a service Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic intends to offer to paying passengers.
●    There are no plans for the Stratolaunch to carry humans for business or research. 
●    The twin-fuselage plane incorporates engines, landing gear, avionics and other parts from a pair of Boeing 747 jets coupled with a frame, wings and skin handmade of lightweight composites. It has 28 wheels.
 

Rajasthan High Court wants cow declared national animal

The Rajasthan High Court today directed the state government to coordinate with the Centre and take necessary steps to declare cow as a national animal.
●    A single-judge bench of Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma said the chief secretary and advocate general of the state will be the legal custodians of the cow.
●    “Nepal is a Hindu nation and has declared cow as national animal. 
●    India is a predominant agriculture country based in animal rearing. 
●    As per Article 48 and 51A (g) it is expected from the state government that they should take action to get a legal entity for cow in this country,” he said in his order.
●    While Article 48 of the Constitution says the State should take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle, Article 51A(g) speaks of protecting natural environment and having compassion for living creatures.
 

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: ECONOMY

Demonetisation pulls down India GDP growth rate to 6.1%

India’s economic growth slowed for the fourth consecutive quarter in the three months ended March, mirroring the impact of demonetisation on key sectors including construction and financial services.
●    Gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to 6.1% in the fiscal fourth quarter from 7% in the third, according to data released by the government on Wednesday.
●    The slowdown may put pressure on the Reserve Bank of India, whose monetary policy committee meets next week, to cut policy rates to balance its inflation-targeting focus with the need to stimulate economic growth.
●    Real gross value added (GVA), another measure of economic activity that is arrived at by excluding net indirect taxes from GDP, slowed to a growth pace of 5.6% in the March quarter, also the fourth consecutive quarterly decline.
●    The Central Statistics Office maintained its earlier full-year growth estimate for 2016-17 at 7.1% on top of revised 8% growth in the previous financial year.
●    The growth numbers reflected the lingering effects in the March quarter of the government’s demonetisation of high-value banknotes with effect from 9 November, which triggered a cash crunch and disrupted business, especially in the unorganized sector. 
●    The labour-intensive construction sector contracted as a result of the cash shortage and regulatory changes, and financial services grew at an anaemic single-digit pace.
 

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Dangal earns record₹1,000 crore in China

Aamir Khan’s Dangal has created an unrepresented landmark in China by becoming the 33rd film in Chinese cinema history to cross one billion Yuan Renminbi. 
●    The revenue in Indian currency amounts to about Rs 1,000 crore.
●    According to Maoyan, a popular ticketing website in China, “Dangal’s gross earnings it joining the exclusive club of just 32 films in China cinema history.”
●    “It is an unprecedented success for an Indian film and an important landmark, making Dangal a super hit Indian film,” said Prasad Shetty, partner of Strategic Alliance, a Chinese firm promoting Indian films in China.
●    The film which became big hit since it was released on May 5 slipped to second place in the Chinese box office on Sunday after staying on top for over a fortnight. Hollywood film Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is now at the top position.
●    “Dangal is still playing in about 9000 screens,” Mr. Shetty said. The film has also made Aamir Khan, 52, the most popular Indian star on Chinese social media, where he has over 6.55 lakh followers.
 

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: APPOINTMENT

Shashi Sekar Vempati appointed as CEO of Prasar Bharati

Shashi Shekar Vempati was on 2 June 2017 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati. 
●    He will have a tenure of five years from the date of assumption of office. 
●    He was appointed on the recommendation of the three member committee headed by Vice President M Hamid Ansari.
●    Vempati is currently serving as a Part Time Member of the Prasar Bharati Board.
●    An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Vempati has over two decades of experience as a technocrat with specialization in areas of corporate management, technology consulting and digital media.
●    He served in tech giant Infosys for more than 10 years as a Product Strategist and Digital Innovator in North America. 
●    He holds two patents in his name: Real Time Business Event Monitoring, Tracking and Execution Architecture and System; and Method for Monitoring and Management of Inventory of Products and Assets in Real Time.

Current Affairs 4th June 2017: SPORTS

Sarita Singh sets new national record in Federation CupSarita Singh of Uttar Pradesh set a new national record in the women's hammer throw with an effort of 65.25m to claim the gold medal at the 21st Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships at the NS-NIS athletics ground on Thursday.
●    Sarita broke the previous national record of 62.74m recorded by Manju Bala in 2014. Sarita whose previous best before this edition of the Federation Cup was a throw of 61.81m recorded in 2016, was in red hot form today.
●    She improved on her personal best with her first throw today and broke the old national record in her second throw itself with a throw of 63.58m.She would keep improving on that mark before setting the new national record on her final throw.
●    Gunjan Singh finished second with a throw of 61.95 while Nidhi Kumar took bronze with a throw of 57.99m.
●    R Anu of Kerala broke a 15-year old meet record even as she won the women's 400m hurdles event here.
●    Anu recorded a time of 57.39 seconds to shatter the old mark, set by ShahebaniOram in Chennai in 2002. Running in lane five, Anu was challenged all the way to the finish by Odisha's Jauna Murmu in lane four, who also ran under the old meet record, clocking a time of 57.51 seconds. Arpitha M of Karnataka took bronze after recording a time of 57.64 seconds.
●    The result was also a personal best for Anu, bettering her previous mark of 57.79seconds recorded two years back at the 2015 Asian Championships.