Current Affairs Today July 2 2018

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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

Aadhar enabled e-PAN card service launched by Income Tax Department
On July 2, 2018, The Income Tax Department has launched instant Aadhaar-based e-PAN allotment service for individuals seeking PAN (Permanent Account Number) service for the first time.
Eligibility:
i. The pan service is only available for valid Aadhar card holders.
ii. Eligible only the only for resident individuals and not for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), firms, trusts and companies.
About the e-PAN service:
i. This facility is free of cost and is available for a limited period on first-come, first-served basis.
ii. The e-PAN will be allotted on basis of one-time password (OTP) sent on mobile number linked to Aadhaar number of a person.
iii. It will have the same name, date of birth, gender, mobile number and address as in Aadhaar card.
iv. Once e-PAN is allotted to applicant through his electronic Aadhaar-based verification system in few seconds, the applicant will be sent the PAN card by post.
v. This process is done via the official website of the IT dept
About PAN Card:
♦ PAN is a ten-digit alphanumeric number, issued by the Income Tax Department of India in form of a laminated tamper proof card. It was introduced to facilitates linking of various documents, including payment of taxes, assessment, tax demand, tax arrears etc for tax detection and combating tax evasion.
♦ It is unique to each and every individual or entity and is valid across India.

 “National Workshop on Skill Development for PwDs” to be organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
On July 2, 2018, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced that a “National Workshop on Skill Development for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)” will be organized on July 3,2018.
Dignitaries present in the event :
i. The event will be inaugurated by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.
ii. The guest of Honor will be: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
iii. Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, MoS for M/o SJ&E will address at the workshop. Representatives from Corporate Sectors (both in Private and Public), State Governments and Empanelled Training Centres of DEPwD will also be present.
Objective:
To provide a platform to all stakeholders ranging from training partners to the policy makers as well as employers.
Key Points:
i. The workshop will focus on the issue and challenges faced in the skill development for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and will come out with a workable solution to them.
ii. The workshop will consist of 5 sessions. They are:

• Inaugural Session –  To be attended by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment; Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and Minister of State for SJ&E.
• Session I – Topic: Skill Mapping Viz. a Viz. Categories of PwD – Presentation and Panel Discussion by Directors of National Institutes, Representatives from MSDE & NSDC.
• Session II – Topic: Placement Opportunities in Private/Public Sector including Mechanism to regulate Post Training Placement – Presentation and Panel Discussion by Representatives from Industry Body, PSUs & Leading Private Sector Companies.
• Session III – Topic: Skill Mapping Viz. a Viz. Categories of PwD – Presentation and Panel Discussion by ETPs and Skill Council for Persons with Disabilities.
• Interactive Session –  Questions and Replies/Summing Up.

About Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:
♦ Union Minister: Thaawarchand Gehlot.
♦ Minister of State: Krishnan Pal Gurjar, Vijay Sampla , Ramdas Athawale.

Union Agriculture Minister chairs inter-session meeting of consultative committee on “Marine Fisheries-Mariculture in India” at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu
On July 2, 2018, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh announced the “National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017” in the inter-session meeting of the consultative committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on “Marine Fisheries-Mariculture in India” in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
i. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to discuss and deliberate various issues related to “Marine Fisheries – Mariculture in India”.
Dignitaries Present:
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Smt. Krishna Raj, Shri Parshottam Rupala; Minister of State for Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Members of the Consultative Committee were present on the occasion.
Objective:
It will guide the development of marine fisheries sector for the next 10 years.
Key Points:
i. Under this scheme, traditional fishermen, their associations/organizations or self-help groups are provided with central financial assistance upto 50% of the cost of the vessels i.e. Rs 40 lakh for ‘Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels’.
ii. For implementation of this scheme, Rs 312 crore of central share has been released in the first year (2017-18) .
iii. The government has also included a sub-component namely, ‘Assistance for Deep-Sea Fishing’ under ‘Blue-Revolution. It has decided to promote ‘marine culture fisheries’ and included the sub-components of ‘Mariculture’ under ‘Blue Revolution’ Scheme.
iv. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DADF) has formulated a document on Mission Mariculture-2022 with the main objective of enhancing fish production from marine sector promoting mariculture including open sea cage culture activity in all maritime States and UTs.
v. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad which functions under the Ministry has provided financial assistance of Rs 114.73 lakh to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in 2011 for implementation of a technology upgradation project on demonstration of open sea cage farming in 14 locations along the coasts of almost all maritime states on pilot basis.
About Krishi Kalyan Abhiyaan:
The Ministry of Agriculture and farmers’ welfare  has launched the Krishi Kalyan Abhiyaan from 1st June, 2018 till 31st July, 2018 so as to aid, assist and advice farmers on how to improve their farming techniques and raise their incomes. The Krishi Kalyan Abhiyaan will be undertaken in 25 villages with more than 1000 population each in Aspirational District identified in consultation with Ministry of Rural Development as per the directions of NITI Ayog. In districts where number of villages (with more than 1000 population) is less than 25, all villages will be covered. It is in line with PM Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.

Election Commission of India to hold a National Consultation on Accessible Elections with focus on Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
On July 2, 2018, The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it has organized a two-day “National Consultation on Accessible Elections,” from the 3^rd July, 2018 in New Delhi.
Dignitaries to be present in the event are:
Chief Electoral Officers of all states, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the area of empowerment of the differently abled Union Ministries of Social Justice & Empowerment, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, Youth Affairs and Sports, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Central Public Works Department and the National Literacy Mission Authority.
Objective:
The event is a part of the ECI’s pursuit of its mission ‘leave no voter behind,’ with special focus on “Persons with Disabilities” (PwD).
Key Points:
i. The “National Consultation on Accessible Elections,” will be having three technical sessions over the course of the two days. The best practices on ‘Accessible Elections’ that were practiced in six states during their last Assembly Elections will be shared in the meeting.
ii. The meet is expected to contribute significantly to evolve a policy on “Accessible Elections,” that will help in making electoral processes more accessible.
iii. The national event is the culmination of a nearly three-month long series of district and state level consultations aiming to identify the barriers or gaps in the inclusion of PwD’s in the electoral process.
iv. The theme of “Inclusion of PwD’s” has been given a special focus in the ECI’s Strategic Plan 2016-2025. Besides, “Accessible Elections” has been adopted as its central theme for this year’s National Voters’ Day celebrations.
v. Additionally, a dedicated portal for the ECI’s ‘Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation’ (SVEEP) initiative will also be launched.
Election Commission of India:
♦ 22^nd Chief Election Commissioner: Om Prakash Rawat.
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi.

Ravindra Dholakia committee: Government forms panel to upgrade norms for state, district level economic data collection
On July 1,2018, The government has set up a 13-member committee for Sub-National Accounts will be headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a retired professor of IIM Ahmedabad.
Objective:
To upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation.
Key Points:
i. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) will change the base year to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers from the current 2011-12 with an aim to capture changes in the economy.
ii. It would review the concepts, definitions, classifications, data conventions, data sources and data requirements for preparation of State Domestic Product (SDP) and District Domestic Product (DDP).
iii. It will also suggest measures for improving SDP and DDP in the country, suggest state-level annual/benchmark surveys.
iv. It was suggested that same principles and concepts should be used while calculating SDP and DDP across the country to make data comparable.
v. The panel would submit its report within one year.
About Central Statictics Office (CSO):
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), MOSOPI, revises the base year of the macroeconomic indicators, as a regular exercise, to capture structural changes in the economy and improve the quality and representativeness of the indices. The CSO had last updated base year for GDP calculation to 2011-12 from January 2015, replacing the old series base year of 2004-05

Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 notified by the government
On July 1,2018, The Government notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 via Gazette Notification.
Features of the Electoral Bonds:
i. Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India.
ii. Electoral Bonds can be bought individually or jointly with other individuals.
iii. Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
iv. Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of Representation of People Act, 1951 & which secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in last General Election or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive Electoral Bonds.
v. The Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day.
vi. Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.
vii. State Bank of India (SBI), in the 3rd phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 11 Authorised Branches (as per list enclosed) w.e.f. 01.05.2018 to 10.05.2018.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

9th meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Indo-Nepal relations held in Kathmandu.
On July 2, 2018, The 9^th  and final meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on India-Nepal relations concluded in Kathmandu.

Dignitaries present in the meeting:
From the Indian side was Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Jayant Prasad, Bhuvan Chandra Upreti and  Mahendra P. Lama. 
The Nepalese side was represented by Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, Nilamber Acharya, Rajan Bhattarai and Surya Nath Upadhyay.
Key Points:
i. They discussed on various bilateral issues including 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty, trade, transit and border.
ii. The Group will submit the joint report prepared in the two day meeting to the respective Prime Ministers of the countries involved.
About EPG Meeting:
♦ The EPG is a joint mechanism consisting experts and intellectuals from India and Nepal.
♦ It was set up in February 2016 to make suggestions for updating all existing bilateral treaties and agreements between both the countries.
♦ The EPG is completing its two-year tenure next month

BANKING & FINANCE

LIC gets IRDAI’s nod to buy stake in IDBI Bank
On June 30,2018, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approved Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India’s proposal to hike its stake to 51 per cent in IDBI Bank from 10.8 per cent.
i. LIC is expected to infuse Rs 13,000 crore into IDBI Bank.
About the Deal:
i. An additional 40.2 per cent stake for IDBI Bank will cost LIC Rs 9,229 crore at the current share price of nearly Rs 55.
ii. According to BSE, currently the government holds 81% of the IDBI Bank.
iii. LIC-IDBI Bank deal will lead to a series of exemptions to be given by three regulators — Irdai, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
iv. LIC would be exempted from the provisions in the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015, and the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, that bar insurers from holding more than 15% in any company.
v. Thus,the permission is subject to the corporation bringing down its holding to 15 per cent in future.
vi. This acquisition is expected to boost business through the bancassurance channel.
Reasons for the deal:
i. In the Budget for 2016-17, the government had said it could consider trimming its stake in IDBI Bank below 50% but the government cannot bring down its share below 51% without amending Banking regulation Act 1949.
ii. The deal will save the government from having to infuse more funds into IDBI Bank, which had received as much as Rs 10,610 crore last fiscal, the most by any public-sector bank (PSB).
Other deals of LIC:
LIC had picked up a 28 per cent strategic stake in Corporation Bank, which is now currently down to 13 per cent

NSE & Nasdaq to work together for post-trade delivery technology
On July 2, 2018, NSE signs an agreement with Nasdaq for a suitable platform and technology backbone to effectively tap post–trade delivery capabilities.

They also signed an MoU on business opportunities across listings, corporate and market services and data and innovations in products, processes and technology.
i. Earlier, NSE’s current clearing and settlement system operated by National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL).
ii. Under this agreement, Nasdaq will deliver a customised real-time clearing, risk management and settlement technology to one of the world’s largest stock exchanges.
iii. It has also sealed a deal with NSE IT to make use of its capability in implementations and project augmentation globally.
iv. The state-of-the-art architecture using Nasdaq Financial Framework, will enable all asset classes to be cleared and settled in one system.
About NSCCL:
NSCCL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NSE.
NSE :
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai.
♦ Founded: 1992.
♦ CEO: Vikram Limaye.
♦ Market cap: US $2.27trillion.

Indian banks improving their banking practices using AI enable technology
On July 2, 2018, Indian public and private banks have started using AI improve efficiency, detect human behaviour and reduce operational costs.
Key Points:

♦ SBI:
Tagline: With you all the way, Pure Banking Nothing Else, The Nation’s banks on us.
♦ Bank of Baroda:
Tagline: India’s International Bank.
♦ Allahabad Bank:
Tagline: A tradition of trust.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

First stainless steel bodied Mainline Electric Multiple Unit(MEMU) launched by Integral Coach Factory
On June 30,2018, The first three phase energy efficient Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) coaches built with stainless steel bodies were rolled out by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
i. The train was flagged off by Senior Section Engineer Saseedharan in the presence of former railway board officials B Dasarathy and Vijaya Kanth.
ii. ICF General Manager S Mani was also present in the inauguration.
About the MEMU :
i. The MEMU train consists of eight coaches and two driving motor coaches.
ii. The carrying capacity of trailer coaches is 325 with 84 seats, while the motor coaches which has 55 seats can carry upto 226 passengers.
iii. Thus, the rake can carry about 2,402 passengers per trip.
iv. The first rake is to be sent to Southern East Central Railway.
Benefits provided in the MEMU train:
i. The MEMU rake has modular toilets in every coach.
ii. It will run on self-propelled 25 kv AC Overhead Traction, supported by Regenerative braking system.
iii. It will save energy consumed up to 35 per cent compared to conventional EMU and MEMU trains.
iv. The coaches have been provided with CCTV for enhanced passenger safety and GPS based Passenger Information System (PIS) and Passenger Address System (PAS) also have been provided in all coaches.
v. Its maximum speed is 110kmph.
About Integral Coach Factory(ICF):
Integral Coach Factory is a manufacturer of rail coaches located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1952, is owned and operated by the Indian Railways.

NRL becomes 1st oil PSU to introduce online legal compliance
On July 2, 2018, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Assam has become the first oil public sector undertaking (PSU) to adopt an online legal compliance system by introducing ‘Legatrix’.
The cloud-based compliance management system was inaugurated by Managing Director S K Barua at the companys corporate office in Guwahati.
About Legatrix:
i. It is a onestop solution for effectively managing the organisations legal and regulatory compliances through monitoring control at different levels.
ii. It covers the requirements of laws like labour, taxation, IT, commercial, export-import, corporate laws and other industry-specific laws.
NRL:
The 3 MMTPA Numaligarh Refinery Limited was dedicated to the nation by the erstwhile Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri A. B. Vajpayee on 9th July, 1999.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Artist Anjolie Ela Menon conferred the Kalidas Award for visual arts
On 30^th June 2018, artist Anjolie Ela Menon received the National Kalidas Samman in Delhi for visual arts from the Madhya Pradesh government.

Anjolie Ela Menon – Kalidas Award for visual arts:
i. Anjolie Ela Menon is 78 years old. She has been awarded the Kalidas Award for her sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women in her paintings.
ii. She made her first solo exhibition in Delhi in 1958. She has received the Padma Shri award.
iii. She has received various national and international awards. She had received a doctorate from Rabindra Bharati University, recently. Artist A. Ramachandran was also awarded the Kalidas Award.
Some national parks in Madhya Pradesh:
♦ Bandhavgarh National Park
♦ Ghughua Fossil Park
♦ Madhav National Park

Himachal Pradesh gets national award for best performance under PMSMA
Himachal Pradesh has been named first among states for its performance under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritav Abhiyan (PMSMA) in India.
Himachal Pradesh – best performance under PMSMA:
i. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda prsesented the award and it was received by Additional Chief Secretary, Health, BK Agarwal on behalf of Himachal Pradesh, at an event in New Delhi.
ii. Himachal Pradesh has been given this award for bringing maximum number of women for ante-natal check-up to the PMSMA clinics.
iii. Himachal Pradesh government had launched PMSMA in August 2016. Nearly 495 clinics were established in which ante-natal check-ups were conducted by doctors.
iv. Out of 1,28,058 women registered between August 2016 to May 2018, 87,414 (68.26%) were successfully brought to the special PMSMA clinics for antenatal check up.
iv. This proportion is the highest in India. Under PMSMA, pregnant women get antenatal check up on 9^th of every month.
Some stadiums in Himachal Pradesh:
♦ HPCA Cricket Stadium – Dharamshala
♦ Indira Gandhi Stadium – Una

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican Leftist elected as Mexico’s new President
On July 1,2018, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador won Mexico’s presidency with the widest margin in a presidential election since the 1980s.

i. He won 30 points ahead of his nearest rival.
ii. He replaced President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Mexico :
♦ Capital: Mexico City.
♦ Currency: Peso

Elevation of 15 Executive Directors as PSU Bank MDs: The Banks Board Bureau
On July 2, 2018, The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recommended 15 executive directors to be elevated as managing directors (MD) at various public sector banks.
i. The panel was headed by former Department of Personnel and Training Secretary B P Sharma.
ii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the final decision in this regard.
About the appointments:

About the BBB:
♦ It is the advisory body formed by the government for selection of candidates for top level board appointments.
♦ It was announced by Union Government in August 2015 as part of seven point Indradhanush Mission to revamp PSBs and based on recommendations of RBI-appointed Nayak Committee.
♦ The first BBB was set up in February 2016 under chairmanship of former CAG Vinod Rai.
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai.

SBI appointed Arijit Basu as MD
On July 2, 2018, The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) has selected Arijit Basu as Managing Director of the bank.
i. He will be in charge of commercial credit and IT, and will also hold additional charge of stressed assets resolution group.
ii. He will fill in the post vacated by Rajnish Kumar, who has been elevated as the chairman of the bank.
iii. He will hold the post till 31 October, 2020, the date of his superannuation, or until further orders.
iv. Prior to becoming deputy managing director, he served as managing director of SBI Life Insurance.
iv. He was a graduate in Economics and a Master of Arts in History, Basu started his career with State Bank of India in 1983 as a probationary officer.
Other Appointments of SBI:
i. Recently Anshula Kant has been appointed in the post as well after the former MD B.Sriram has been appointed as MD and CEO of IDBI Bank.
ii. As per the SBI Act, the bank can have four managing directors.

Saraswati Prasad assumes charge as SAIL CMD
On 30^th June 2018, Saraswati Prasad was appointed the new chairman and managing director (CMD) of SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited).
Saraswati Prasad – chairman and managing director of SAIL:
i. Saraswati Prasad is the special secretary and financial advisor in the steel ministry. He has been given additional charge of SAIL CMD.
ii. He succeeds incumbent CMD P K Singh who has retired. P K Singh assumed office as SAIL chairman in 2015. Earlier, he was the chief executive officer of SAIL’s Durgapur Steel Plant.
About SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited):
♦ Status – Maharatna Company
♦ Corporate Office – New Delhi

P K Shrivastava new director general and chairman of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)
P K Shrivastava took charge as the new director general and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) with effect from 1^st July 2018.
P K Shrivastava – new director general and chairman of OFB:
i. Earlier, P K Shrivastava was the additional director general of ordnance factories and member of OFB.
ii. Also, he was in-charge of OFB’s Armoured Vehicles headquarters at Avadi, Chennai.
iii. He joined Indian Ordnance Factories’ Service in 1982. He has served in Ammunition Factory Khadki, Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Ordnance Factory Varangaon, Ordnance Factory Khamaria, Armoured Vehicles headquarters and at OFB headquarters as member of personnel division.
iv. He has also written a book named ‘Total Quality Management’.
About Ordnance Factory Board:
♦ Formed – 1979
♦ Headquarters – Kolkata

DDCA elects Senior journalist Rajat Sharma as president
On July 2, 2018, Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) on its polls for the post of president elected Senior journalist Rajat Sharma as its president.
The election was held on June 30,2018.
i. He won by 54.40% of votes in his favour.
ii. Sharma’s tenure as the DDCA President is for three years.
iii. Sharma’s team will consist of Rakesh Kumar Bansal who has been elected as the vice-president with 48.87% votes in his favour.
iv. Sharma is currently the Chairman and Chief Editor of Hindi news channel INDIA TV.
v. He was conferred with Padma Bhushan award in 2016.
About Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA):
♦ The Delhi & District Cricket Association is the governing body of Cricket activities in the Delhi state of India and the Delhi cricket team. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
♦ Headquarters: Delhi.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI gives nod for Bharti Infratel & Indus Towers merger
On July 2, 2018, Bharti Airtel-owned telecom tower company Bharti Infratel Limited got an approval from the Competition Commission of India to merge with Indus Towers Limited.

i. As per the deal, Bharti Infratel will offer 1,565 shares for every one share of Indus Towers.
About Indus Towers Limited:
i. It is the largest tower company in India with around 27 per cent market share.
ii. Indus Towers is 42 per cent owned by Bharti Infratel and Vodafone each, while Idea Cellular Limited holds 11.15 per cent. The rest is held by private equity firm Providence.
Bharti Airtel:
♦ CEO: Gopal Vittal.
♦ Headquaters: New Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India’s most potent missile Agni-V to be inducted soon
India is currently in the process of inducting the first batch of its intercontinental ballistic missile system Agni-V.
India’s most potent missile Agni-V to be inducted soon:
i. Agni-V will bring targets across China within its range. Agni-V missile system has a strike range of 5,000 km.
ii. It has the capacity to carry nuclear warhead. They are inducted into the elite Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
iii. User trials are being conducted before it is handed over to the SFC. The missile can bring targets across China including cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong under its range.
iv.Agni-V was successfully test-fired off the coast of Odisha recently. Very few countries like US, China, Russia, France and North Korea have intercontinental ballistic missiles.
v.At present India has Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with a 2,000-km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2,500 km to more than 3,500-km range.
vi. Indian government is also working on integrating the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on 40 Sukhoi combat aircraft.
vii. The air-launched variant of the Brahmos is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile.
viii. It was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet on 22^nd November 2017.
ix. The fleet of 40 Sukhoi jet is going through structural modifications at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
About Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL):
♦ Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Suvarna Raju
♦ Corporate Office – Bengaluru

Successful launch of SES-12 satellite to help fast-track Digital India
Deepak Mathur, Executive Vice-President, Global Sales at SES Video, said that, the successful launch of SES-12 satellite recently will help India’s direct-to-home (DTH) TV market.

Successful launch of SES-12 to help fast-track Digital India:
i. Deepak Mathur said that, in line with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recent directive to allow mobile and Internet services in Indian airspace, the satellite’s concentrated beams could also offer cost-effective capacity to enable inflight connectivity services.
ii. SES-12 is designed with advanced wide beams and high throughput beams. It was successfully launched onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US, in June 2018.
iii. It would replace and augment the services currently provided by SES NSS-6 satellite. Along with SES-8, SES-12 will reach 18 million TV homes.
iv. The advanced technology satellite will offer coverage from the Middle East to Australia.
v. This combines 2 satellites into 1. It offers powerful Ku-band wide beams for broadcast and media applications, high throughput spot beams for internet connectivity, reliable cellular services and content targeted at specific language groups.
vi. SES-12 is one of the largest geostationary satellites of SES. It also has a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that increases payload flexibility to offer much more customisable bandwidth solutions to customers.
vii. Over India, SES has 5 satellites: NSS-12, SES-8, NSS-6, SES-7 and SES-9. SES-12 will replace NSS-6 as the largest satellite to offer services over India.
viii. SES-12 spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space. It joins SES network of 7 geostationary satellites and 16 medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
About SES:
♦ Headquarters – Luxembourg
♦ Primary customer in India – Antrix, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

SPORTS

India wins six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai title in Dubai
On 30^th June 2018, India won the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai title in Dubai.

India wins six-nation Kabaddi Masters title in Dubai:
i. India defeated Iran 44-26 in the finals and became champions of the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai.
ii. Indian team was led by captain Ajay Thakur. The six-nation invitational tournament was organised by International Kabaddi Federation along with Star Sports and Dubai Sports Council.
About International Kabaddi Federation:
♦ President – Janardan Singh Gehlot
♦ Purpose – international governing body of Kabaddi

Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix in Austria
On 1^st July 2018, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix in Austria.

Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix in Austria:
i. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished in the second spot. Following him Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished in the third spot.
ii. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton retired from the race due to a mechanical issue in his car. Mecredes’ Valtteri Bottas also retired from the race due to mechanical issues with his Mercedes car.
Some important museums in India:
♦ Parliament Museum – New Delhi
♦ Teen Murti Bhavan – New Delhi
♦ Sanskriti Kendra Museum – Delhi

2018 Malaysia Open (badminton)
From 26^th June to 1^st July 2018, the 2018 Malaysia Open, officially named the CELCOM AXIATA Malaysia Open was held at Axiata Arena in   Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Total Prize money of the tournament was $700,000.
Winners of the 2018 Malaysia Open:

• Men’s Singles – Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
• Women’s Singles – Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei)
• Men’s Doubles – Takeshi Kamura, Keigo Sonoda (Japan)
• Women’s Doubles – Misaki Matsutomo, Ayaka Takahashi (Japan)
• Mixed Doubles – Zheng Siwei, Huang Yaqiong (China)

India’s P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth lose in semi finals:
i. P V Sindhu lost 15-21 21-19 11-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying in the women’s singles semifinals.
ii. Kidambi Srikanth lost 13-21 13-21 to Japanese Kento Momota in the men’s singles semifinals.
About Badminton Association of India:
♦ President – Himanta Biswa Sarma
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Sports Journalists Day – July 2
On 2^nd July 2018, World Sports Journalists Day was celebrated all over the world.

World Sports Journalists Day:
i. World Sports Journalists Day is celebrated on July 2 every year to honour the services of sports journalists towards the promotion of sports.
ii. World Sports Journalists Day was established by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in 1994 to mark the 70th anniversary of its foundation.
iii. The International Sports and Press Association (AIPS) was formed in 1924 during the Paris Summer Olympics.
About International Sports and Press Association (AIPS):
♦ Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
♦ President – Gianni Merlo

World UFO day – July 2
On 2^nd July 2018, World UFO (Unidentified Flying Objects) day was observed all over the world.
World UFO day:
i. World UFO day is celebrated on 2^nd July every year. The first World UFO Day was celebrated in 2001.
ii. This day is dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO). This day is celebrated to create awareness about the existence of UFO’s.
iii. This day is also observed for encouraging governments to officially declare their knowledge about UFO sightings.
About ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation):
♦ Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
♦ Chairman – Dr. K. Sivan

WAPCOS celebrates 50th foundation day
On 3^rd July 2018, the 50th Foundation Day celebration of Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) will be held at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.
WAPCOS celebrates 50th foundation day:
i. Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari will be the chief guest of the event.
ii. Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Water Resources and Energy Ministers from Burundi, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Afghanistan and other countries will also  take part in the event.
iii. In 1969, WAPCOS was incorporated as a Public Sector Enterprise by the Indian Government.
iv. It is a techno-commercial organization. It functions under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
v. It is one of the best performing Mini Ratna-I CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprise) of India.
vii. WAPCOS has performed Survey & Investigation/Pre-Feasibility/DPRs for over 550 Projects in Irrigation, Water Resources and Agricultural etc.
viii. It does consultancy assignments in countries of Asia, Africa, Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. It operates in over 45 countries.
About Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS):
♦ Head Office – New Delhi
♦ Chairman-cum-Managing Director – R.K. Gupta