IPCI Info

15 June

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15 Jun

International news Affairs

  • Today (15th June) is ASEAN Dengue Day.
  • 2017 ASEAN Dengue Day Theme : “United Fight Against Dengue”
  • Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).
    • This day was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.
    • The purpose of this day is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
    • Theme of WEAAD 2017 :  “Understand and End Financial Abuse of Older People: A Human Rights Issue”
  • India 60th most innovative globally, China at 22nd – Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017
    • India has ranked 60 on the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017. The index has been co­authored by Cornell University, INSEAD and World Intellectual Property Organisation.
    • Global Innovation Index 2017 – Top 5:

Rank Country

1 Switzerland

2 Sweden

3 Netherlands

4 United States of America

5 United Kingdom

 

NATIONAL NEWS Affairs

 

  • Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurated the 16th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference at Imphal today.
    • The conference will deliberate on themes such as ‘North East and Look East Policy’, ‘Special plan for development of railways and airways for speedy economic development of North East region’, and ‘Setting up of a chapter of Speaker’s Research Initiative (SRI) in the region’.

 

  • The Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a Twitter handle called Bharat Ke Veer for a fund to help the families of paramilitary personnel martyred while fighting extremists.
    • Note : The app and website ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ was launched in April by the Home Minister with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.
  • Union Health Ministry launches Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) across country to reduce child deaths due to
    • Through this initiative, Ministry will mobilize health personnel, State govts and other stakeholders in controlling disease which one of the most common childhood illnesses.

 

  • Employees who got jobs using forged scheduled or backward caste certificates will be dismissed, the Centre has announced today.
    • All government departments have been asked to collect details about such appointments from organizations under them.
    • The move assumes significance as over 1,800 appointments, majorly in financial sectors, were allegedly secured through fake caste certificates, official data revealed.

 

MOUs & Agreements

 

  • India and South Korea today signed an agreement for$10 billion assistance for infrastructure development projects in India, including smart cities.
    • Note : With this agreement, South Korea has become one of the first non-G-7 countries to become an ODA contributor in India.
  • South Korea :

♦ Capital: Seoul

♦ Currency: South Korean won

  • The Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum today signed an agreement to jointly set up the world’s largest refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

 

Science & Technology

 

  • Asgardia, the first-ever country planned to be floated in space would be launching its maiden satellite in August, billionaire founder Igor Ashurbeyli announced today.
  • The satellite launch is aimed to test the concept of long-term data storage in space, off Earth limits.
  • People can sign up to become “Asgardians” and send their data into space, said Ashurbeyli.

 

  • China launched its first-ever X-ray space telescope, also its second space telescope, today to study the evolution of black holes.
  • The 2.5-tonne telescope was sent into an orbit of 550 km above Earth.
  • The telescope would also help scientists study how to use pulsars (fuel-exhausted rotating stars) for spacecraft navigation, and look for gamma-ray bursts corresponding to gravitational waves.

 

 

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

  • Israeli author David Grossmanhas won the Man Booker International Prize for his novel “A Horse Walks Into a Bar“.
  • With this, he has become the first Israeli author to win the Man Booker International Prize.
  • He will share the £50,000 ($64,000) award money with his translator Jessica Cohen.
  • Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair won the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award for the film Queen of Katwe at this year’s Women In Film Crystal + Lucy Awards.
  • Elizabeth Banks won the Crystal Award for Excellence in Film and Tracee Ellis Rosswon the Lucy Award for Excellence in Television.

 

Banking, Business & Economic news

 

  • The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the second time this year, citing continued economic growth.
  • The US central bank voted to raise its key rate target to a range of 1% to 1.25%, the highest level since 2008 financial crisis.
  • The bank further said it would begin cutting its bond holdings and other securities this year.
  • India has waived off a cumulative₹3.1 lakh crore ($49.1 billion) in farm loans till date, a report by data journalism firm India Spend has revealed.
  • The amount is 2.6% of the country’s GDP in 2016-17, or 16 times the amount sanctioned for rural roads in 2016-17.
  • However, waivers have had little to no impact on farmer suicides, the study revealed.
  • The government is contemplating daily revision of CNG prices similar to daily fuel price revision, which is going to be implemented across the country from June 16.
  • Currently, oil marketing firms fix the prices of diesel, petrol and CNG on a fortnightly basis.
  • According to the ‘One Family at a Time’ study conducted by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Indians working across the world had sent home USD 62.7 billion in 2016 making India the top remittance-receiving country surpassing China.
    • Top Remittance Receiving Countries :
      • India
      • China
      • Philippines
      • Pakistan
    • Top Remittance Sending Countries :
      • US
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Russia

 

New Appointments

 

  • Law expert Neeru Chadha has been elected to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS).
  • With this election, she has become the first Indian women to be appointed as a judge at the ITLOS.
  • TCS executive Ramanathan Ramanan to head Atal Mission under NITI Aayog
  • Under the Niti Aayog Ramanathan Ramanan has appointed as the Mission Director of the Atal Innovation Mission.

Key Notes:

  • Ramanan is presently working with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
  • He has been appointed to the post “without pay and allowances” but with the provision of entitlement for government accommodation at New Delhi and all other official expenses including travel.
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment in the rank of Additional Secretary to Government of India.
  • He has been appointed on secondment basis from the TCS, initially for a period of two years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) .

About Atal Innovation Mission

  • The Atal Innovation Mission is the Centre’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Its objective is to serve as a platform for promotion of world­class innovation hubs, startup businesses and other self­employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas.

 Current Sports Affairs

 

  • Yuvraj Singh has became the 5th Indian and the 19th overall to feature in 300 ODIs, after facing Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy semifinal today.
  • Yuvraj, who began his ODI career in the Champions Trophy in 2000, has scored over 8,500 runs and picked over 100 wickets in his 17-year-long ODI career.