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INDIAN AFFAIRS
India gets its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE
i. On June 30, 2018, At the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain , India’s nomination of the “Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai ” was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
ii. As recommended by the World Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”.
iii. This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World Heritage List…………………………………………………………………….Click here to read more
Fourth National Consultation of Ministers of States & UTs In-charge of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer affairs chaired by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan was held in New Delhi
On June 29, 2018 ,The fourth National Consultation Meeting of Ministers of States & UTs, in-charge of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs was held in New Delhi and was chaired by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, and Food & Public Distribution.
Sectors participating in the event are:
Besides States, Union Ministries dealing with essential commodities viz., Agriculture, Chemicals & Fertilizers, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Food Processing Industry, Health & Family Welfare, Petroleum & Natural Gas and Textiles will also be participating in the daylong event.
Objective:
To improve consumer protection and welfare including availability of essential food items at stable prices, Public Distribution System etc., and chart a future course of action.
Key Points:
i. Discussion on measures required to maintain and manage prices of essential food items at reasonable level through appropriate policy intervention.
ii. Improving the spread, coverage and strength of price reporting centres, which report the prices of 22 essential food items daily for robust submission of data.
iii. The need for setting up of State Level PSF for addressing the state-specific concerns. Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) as an instrument to tackle inflationary trends in important agri-horticultural commodities.
iv. Dicsussions would also include issues like :
- Issues like enforcement of the provisions of Essential Commodities Act and Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act;
- modernization and reform of the Legal Metrology Departments in the States for effective implementation of Legal Metrology Act & Rules;
- redressal of the concerns raised by the 3 Member Committee of Supreme Court for facilitating the functioning of State Commissions and Consumer Forum;
- integration of National Building Code brought out by BIS in building by-laws of State/UTs and local-bodies .
- Functioning of grievance redressal and monitoring mechanism of National Food Security will be dicsusssed.
- Progress in the scheme of end-to-end computerisation of TPDS operations of State/UT level, including Aadhar seeding and installation of e-PoS devices at Fair Price Shops for authentication of beneficiaries and electronic capturing of transactions.
- Status of implementation of the revamped scheme for SC/ST hostels and welfare institutions so that all the States/UTs avail benefit of the schemes targeted at the most vulnerable sections of society.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and Food & Public Distribution:
♦ Union Minister: Shri Ram Vilas Paswan.
♦ Minister of State: Chhotu Ram Chaudhary.
MoS for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced linkage of 22,000 rural markets to e-NAM portal by 2020 in AgriVikas 2018 event in Bhubaneswar, Odisha
On June 29,2018, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced that 22,000 rural markets would be linked to the Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) by 2020 as part of its drive to double the income of farmers.
This was announced the “AgriVikas 2018”, a conclave on agriculture and allied sectors in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Key Points:
i. 22,000 rural haats will be upgraded to Gramin Agricultural Markets and linked with the e-National Agriculture Market to enable farmers sale directly to potential buyers.
ii. 585 e-mandis were already connected to the e-NAM under agricultural market reforms.
iii. This would helpin direct contact with the buyers for the farmers and is also committed to realizing centre’s scheme of doubling farmers income by 2022.
Other announcements in the AgriVikas event:
i. Odisha’s agrarian economy is lagging behind despite immense potential due to lack of skill development.
ii. Government would set up a model for a kewda cluster along the 480 KM coastline of Odisha. It is an extract from the male flowers of screw-pine tree, which is used for flavouring food.
iii. It was also announced that turmeric from Odisha’s Kandhamal district can be exported abroad and it will benefit the farmers.
About AgriVikas 2018:
i. AgriVikas 2018 is being supported by the ministries of agriculture, food processing, petroleum and natural gas, skill development and entrepreneurship, commerce and industry, and micro small and medium enterprises (MSME).
ii. Over 1,000 participants including farmers, horticulturists, agriculture scientists, entrepreneurs and students from various states are participating in the two-day event.
About e-NAM Portal:
The e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal, a network of the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. The portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services.
Telangana CM lays foundation stone for Rs 554-crore Gattu irrigation project
On 29th June 2018, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid foundation stone for Gattu irrigation project in Jogulamba Gadwal district, Telangana.
Telangana CM lays foundation stone for Rs 554-crore Gattu irrigation project:
i. The Gattu irrigation project will provide water to 33,000 acres in 4 mandals of Jogulamba Gadwal district. Nearly 2.8 tmc of water will be supplied to 41 tanks.
ii. K Chandrasekhar Rao said that, the government will spend Rs 554 crore for the project.
Some wildlife sanctuaries in Telangana:
♦ Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary
Odisha, RIMES sign MoU for effective disaster management
On 29th June 2018, the Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for effective management of disasters.
Odisha, RIMES sign MoU for effective disaster management:
i. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) signed an MoU with RIMES for improving early warning system for effective management of all types of disasters in Odisha.
ii. This agreement will lead to development and pilot implementation of decision support systems for automating risk assessment, advisory generation and dissemination.
iii. This will enable OSDMA to assess and manage risks from flood, tsunami, drought, heat wave, lightning and road accidents.
iv. These tools will be built with open-source software platforms and public domain data sets, with complete involvement of OSDMA and its line departments and collaborating agencies.
v. Initially, the agreement will remain in act for 5 years with a cost involvement of nearly Rs 8 crore.
vi. RIMES and OSDMA collaboration will contribute to global efforts for increasing the availability and access to multi-hazard early warning systems as per the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
vii.The agriculture department also signed 3 more MoUs for welfare of farmers and to improve their production.
viii. An MoU on Doubling Farmers’ Income in Odisha Intervention will help 2 lakh small and marginal farmers in the next 3 years in 9 districts of Odisha.
ix. An MoU on the promotion of ecologically sound agricultural practices and water management was signed to restore common land and water bodies through village institutions and federations in all the districts of Odisha.
x. An MoU was signed to promote competition among farmers and agricultural workers to develop innovations in agriculture and to reduce the workload of farmers, especially the workload of women in farming.
About Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES):
♦ Based in – Thailand
♦ Type – UN registered international and inter-governmental institution
♦ Owned & Managed by – 48 members and collaborating states
♦ Purpose – building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning information
Central Reserve Police Force launches 24 hour ‘Madadgaar helpline’ in Jammu & Kashmir
On June 29,2018, The Central Reserve Police Force launched ‘Madadgaar Helpline’, a distress helpline for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Objective:
It aims to provide immediate assistance to the people amidst the war-torn region
Key points:
i. The helpline number is : 14411.
ii. It is a 24 hour helpline giving assistance ranging from medical help to financial help.
iii. This is the first one of a kind helpline and mainly focuses to serve and protect children and women of the region from any harassment or assault being faced by them.
iv. This is also available to pilgrims and tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir and students residing in the region.
National Parks in Jammu and Kashmir:
Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Salim Ali National Park.
Jodhpur Institute of Hospitality Management inaugurated by Tourism Minister Shri K.J. Alphons
On June 30,2018, The Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism Shri. K.J. Alphons inaugurated the Institute of Hospitality Management in Jodhpur .
i. India is among the fastest growing Tourism economy in the world.
ii. In 2017, the Indian tourism receipts went up by 20.8% against a global growth rate of 7%.
iii. It is expected that in three years India will be able to double the revenue from foreign tourists.
Bhitarkanika national park has become the largest habitat of the endangered estuarine crocodiles in India
Bhitarkanika national park in Odisha has become the largest habitat of the endangered estuarine crocodiles in India with a record number of 101 nesting sites.
Bhitarkanika national park – largest habitat of the endangered estuarine crocodiles in India:
i. A total of 101 nesting sites of estuarine crocodiles were found by enumerators. In 2017, 80 nesting sites were spotted.
ii. A 25 % increase in nesting sites has been witnessed. A female crocodile lays 50 to 60 eggs.
iii. At least 1698 crocodiles, including albino species, were counted in 2018 along the water-bodies of Mahanadi delta region. In 2017, this count was 1682.
iv. Estuarine crocodiles are also spotted in Sundarban areas of West Bengal. This region has India’s largest mangrove cover.
v. The mangrove wetlands in Andaman Islands are home to the estuarine crocodiles.
Some wildlife sanctuaries in Odisha:
♦ Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Balimela Wildlife Sanctuary
♦ Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary
Mumbai Airport Among Least Punctual Airports In The World: Study by OAG
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, the second busiest in India, has been ranked as the fifth least punctual airport in the world, as per a study conducted by OAG, a global leader in providing flight information.
Mumbai Airport Among Least Punctual Airports In The World:
i. Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi, the 16th busiest airport in the world, has secured 451st position among the 513 airports worldwide, in flight punctuality.
ii. No major Indian airport appeared in the top 200 in ‘on-time performance’ (OTP). But, Port Blair airport in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands got the worldwide rank of 65, with punctuality rate of 84.6 %.
iii. OTP for Delhi was 70.7 %. Nagoya Komaki Airport in Japan has topped the global ranking list with OTP rate of 94.5 %.OTP for Mumbai was 60 %.
iv. Hyderabad airport was ranked 246, Bengaluru airport – 262 and Kolkata – 270.
v. The OAG study’s reference period was around 1 year between June 2017 to May 2018. It focused on delays arising out of arrivals.
vi. It covered the OTP of airlines also. Air India secured 131st spot with a punctuality rate of 58.4 % among the 137 airlines worldwide.
viii. Port Blair airport with OTP of 84.6 % was given a 4 star rating. Delhi airport got a 2 star rating. Mumbai airport got a 1 star rating.
ix. Other OTPs:
- Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport – 68 %
- Beijing Capital International Airport – 67 %
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport – 66.4 %
- Guangzhou airport in China – 66.7 %
- London Gatwick Airport – 65.4 %
x. Pakistan International Airlines got the 126th rank with OTP of 59.7 %. IndiGo was named the best on-time performer among Indian carriers with 33rd place and OTP of 82 %.
xi. South Korea’s T’way Air topped the global ranking with an OTP of 95.6 %.
Tag lines of some banks:
♦ Indian Bank – Your Tech-friendly bank
♦ Indian Overseas Bank – Good people to grow with
♦ IDBI Bank – Banking For All, Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa
BANKING & FINANCE
BSE & BME tie-up to develop commodity derivatives markets
On June 30,2018, Premier stock exchange BSE has entered into an agreement with the Bombay Metal Exchange (BME) for the growth and systematic development of commodity derivatives markets.
Objective:
They will work jointly on initiatives to deepen the understanding of commodity market among stakeholders.
Key Points:
i. With its domain knowledge and unique stakeholders ranging from importers, traders to corporates, the BME will assist the BSE in designing new and innovative deliverable products in commodities like aluminium, copper, zinc, nickel and lead among others.
ii. The BSE can take advantage of the expertise of the stock exchange’s educational programmes to enter the commodities markets .
iii. The agreement will also help in launching new and innovative products, adding more value to the existing commodities value chain and ecosystem with the objective of developing and strengthening commodity derivatives market.
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE):
i. It is Asia’s first stock exchange.
ii. Founded : 9 July 1875.
iii. The BSE is the world’s 10th largest stock exchange with an overall market capitalization of more than $2.3 trillion on as of April 2018.
Bombay Metal Exchange (BME):
♦ BOMBAY METAL EXCHANGE LTD., an Apex Body of Non-ferrous Metals Trade & Industry has been functioning incessantly for the promotion of the nonferrous metals trade for the last 5 decades.
♦ President: Rikab V.Mehta.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Tata Steel starts a JV with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp to create new Europe’s 2nd largest steel giant
On June 30,2018, Tata Steel agreed to a 50-50 joint venture with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp to create Europe’s second-largest steel company after Lakshmi Mittal’s ArcelorMittal.
i. The new steel company will have a total workforce of 48,000 employees spread across 34 sites, producing about 21 million tonnes of steel a year with revenues of around Euro 15 billion.
ii. The joint venture will create a strong pan-European steel company that is structurally robust and competitive.
iii. In case of an initial public offering (IPO) of the JV, Thyssenkrupp will receive a higher share of the proceeds, reflecting an economic ratio of 55/45. Thyssenkrupp said it also has the right to exclusively decide on the timing for a potential IPO.
iv. The JV will be managed as one integrated business through a holding company headquartered in the Amsterdam region of the Netherlands. Thyssenkrupp & Tata Steel will have a two-tier governance structure that comprises a supervisory board and a management board each with six members, on which Thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel will have equal representation.
v. The economic viability of the new company and the expected annual recurring synergies (savings) of approximately EUROS 400 to EUROS 500 million.
TATA Steel:
♦ Chairman: Natarajan Chandrasekaran.
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai.
Thyssenkrupp:
♦ Headquarters: Essen, Germany
♦ CEO: Heinrich Hiesinger.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
ICC elects 3 Board Associate Member Directors
On 29th June 2018, Imran Khwaja, Mahinda Vallipuram and Tony Brian were elected as the associate member directors on the International Cricket Council (ICC) board at the ICC annual conference.
Associate member directors of ICC:
i. Imran Khwaja hails from Singapore. Mahinda Vallipuram is from Malaysia. They both have retained their position as associate member directors.
ii. Tony Brian from Scotland has been appointed the new associate member director. He succeeds Namibia’s Francois Erasmus.
iii. The newly-elected directors will be on the ICC board for a term of 2 years. They were elected by the voting associate members of ICC and the regional representatives.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
♦ Chairman – Shashank Manohar
♦ CEO – David Richardson
♦ Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Indian American Seema Nanda appointed CEO of Democratic National Committee (DNC) of United States
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) of United States has appointed Indian American Seema Nanda as its new CEO.
Seema Nanda – CEO of DNC:
i. Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the decision-making body of the Democratic Party in the United States.
ii. Seema Nanda has become the first Indian American to be appointed as operational head of a major American political party.
iii. She is at present the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, United States.
iv. As CEO of DNC, she will manage its day-to-day operations. The DNC coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party’s candidates for local, state and national office.
Some important international airports in India:
♦ Calicut International Airport – Kozhikode, Kerala
♦ Trivandrum International Airport – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
♦ Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport – Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Harmeet Singh — the first Sikh to become a newscaster in Pakistan
Harmeet Singh has become the first Sikh man to be hired as an anchor by a news channel in Pakistan.
Harmeet Singh — the first Sikh to become a newscaster in Pakistan:
i. Harmeet Singh is a resident of Chakesar city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He has joined the Public News channel.
ii. Recently, Manmeet Kaur had become the first female Sikh reporter of Pakistan.
iii. Harmeet Singh completed his masters in journalism from Federal Urdu University, Karachi. He started his carrier as a reporter.
Some important lakes in India:
♦ Chandubi Lake – Assam
♦ Chapanala Lake – Assam
♦ Haflong Lake – Assam
BoM MD and CEO Ravindra Marathe and executive director R K Gupta divested of duties
Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) MD and CEO Ravindra Marathe and executive director R K Gupta have been divested of all their functional responsibilities with immediate effect.
BoM MD and CEO Ravindra Marathe and executive director R K Gupta divested of duties:
i. This decision was taken in an emergency board meeting held on 29th June 2018. This decision has been taken following their arrests made by the economic offences wing of the Pune police for allegedly violating RBI norms in granting a loan to a real estate developer. They are currently on bail.
ii. Another Executive Director A.C. Rout has been given the responsibilities of MD and CEO of Bank of Maharashtra.
iii. MD and CEO Ravindra Marathe, executive director R K Gupta and other top officials of BoM were arrested in connection with a cheating case filed against D S Kulkarni and his wife Hemanti.
iv. In May 2018, Pune police had filed a 37,000-page charge sheet against D S Kulkarni and Hemanti. As per the charge sheet, the total scam is worth Rs 2,043.18 crore.
About Bank of Maharashtra (BoM):
♦ Headquarters – Pune
♦ Tag line – One family one bank
K B Vijay Srinivas appointed Director& GM of United India Insurance Company
On 30th June 2018, United India Insurance Company announced that it has appointed K B Vijay Srinivas as its Director and General Manager with effect from 1st July 2018.
K B Vijay Srinivas – Director& GM of United India Insurance Company:
i. Before this, K B Vijay Srinivas was serving as Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager of National Insurance Company Ltd.
ii. K B Vijay Srinivas has over 37 years of experience. He has also written articles in journals of insurance, tax and other subjects.
iii. He has received various awards. He is also an associate member of Insurance Institute of India.
About United India Insurance Company:
♦ Head Office – Chennai
♦ Formed – 1938
SPORTS
The 58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships (NISSAC)
i. The 58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships (NISSAC)
was held at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati, Assam from June 26 to June 29.
ii. It had 52 events for men and women.
iii. Dutee Chand broke her 100m national record to become the fastest woman of the meet.
iv. Hima Das clinched her second gold by posting a personal best in the 400m……………………………………..Click here to Read more
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Doctors’ Day – July 1
On 1st July 2018, National Doctors’ Day was celebrated throughout India.
National Doctors’ Day:
i. In 1991, the Indian government declared July 1 as National Doctors day. This day marks the birth and death anniversary of the most famous physician of India Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (Dr. B C Roy).
ii. Dr. B C Roy was born on 1st July 1882. He had received the Bharat Ratna Award in 1961. He was the second Chief Minister of West Bengal.
iii. Dr. B C Roy had played a major role in the formation of Indian Medical Association in 1928 and also in the formation of Medical Council of India (MCI).
iv. MCI had constituted the Bidhan Chandra Roy Award in 1976 in the memory of Dr. B C Roy.
v. National Doctors’ Day highlights the role of doctors in our lives and values their contributions to the society.
vi. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared the theme for Doctors’ Day 2018 as: ‘zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishment’.
vii. IMA has also decided to observed July 1 to 8 as ‘Safe Fraternity Week’.
About Indian Medical Association (IMA):
♦ National President – Dr Ravi Wankhedkar
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
International Joke Day – July 1
On 1st July 2018, International Joke Day was celebrated all over the world.
International Joke Day:
i. International Joke Day is celebrated every year on 1st July.
ii. International Joke Day is said to have officially started in the United States. The first joke is often attributed to the Greeks.
Nicknames of some Indian cities:
♦ Mundi (Madhya Pradesh) – Power Hub City
♦ Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) – City of Rivers
♦ Panipat (Haryana) – City of Weavers, Eco-City
1st July 2018 celebrated as ‘GST day’, to commemorate the first year of the unprecedented reform of Indian taxation
On 1st July 2018, Indian Government celebrated the 1st Anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as GST day.
GST day – July 1:
i. GST was launched on the 1st July 2017 at a grand ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.
ii. Union Minister for Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal presided over as the Chief Guest of the event. Minister of State for Finance, Shiv Pratap Shukla was the Guest of Honour.
iii. The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 was introduced in the Parliament on 19th December 2014. It was enacted as Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016.
iv. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council was notified with effect from 12th September 2016.
v. The GST Council consists of the Union Finance Minister as Chairman, the Minister of State (Revenue) and the State Finance/Taxation Ministers as members.
vi. The council makes recommendations to the Union and the States on all GST related issues. The Council has met 27 times so far.
vii. Four Laws called CGST Act, UTGST Act, IGST Act and GST (Compensation to States) Act were passed by the Parliament and were notified on 12th April 2017.
viii. All the other States (except Jammu & Kashmir) and Union territories with legislature have passed their respective SGST Acts.
ix. On 8th July 2017, Jammu and Kashmir also passed the SGST Act and the Central Government also extended the CGST Act to Jammu and Kashmir.
x. Under this model, tax is levied concurrently by the Centre and States on a common base – supply of goods or services or both.
xi. GST levied by the Centre is called Central GST (Central tax / CGST). GST levied by the States is called State GST (State Tax / SGST).
xii. State GST (State Tax / SGST) is called UTGST (Union territory tax) in Union Territories without legislature.
xiii. CGST & SGST / UTGST is levied on all taxable intra-State supplies. Inter-State supply of goods or services is subjected to Integrated GST (Integrated tax / IGST).
xiv. IGST enables the Centre to levy IGST (Integrated Goods and Service Tax) that is CGST plus SGST, on all inter-State supply of goods or services or both.
About About Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC):
♦ Chairman – S. Ramesh
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
