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Click here to try Current Affairs Quiz : June 18 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Union Government launched e-Nivaran scheme to deal with real tax grievance
The Union Government initiated a step to launch “e-Nivaran” Scheme to deal with Tax related issues of the public on test mode.
Venue: Rajasva Gyan Sangam, New Delhi
Delegates: Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Senior Tax Officials
Version: First
Organised by: Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise and Customs
Feature of the Scheme: Officials have created a website to examine tax reforms.
Microsoft & AICTE signed agreement to build app for HRD Ministry’s SWAYAM platform
All Indian Council for Technical Education(AICTE) signed agreement with Microsoft and chosen Microsoft as their Technical partner for Online Courses.
Features of the app:
♦ The Online Course programme is named as SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Mind)
♦ About 2,000 Massive Open Online Courses to be started.
♦ Over 3 Crore Students and public will be nurtured under the Courses.
PM Modi, Sri Lankan President inaugurate Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna renovated by India
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, 
jointly inaugurated the newly renovated Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna through video-conferencing from New Delhi.
ii. The stadium was kept unused since 1997, has been renovated by the Indian government at a cost of over Rs 7 crore.
iii. The Duraiappah Stadium, named in honour of a former Mayor of Jaffna late Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah.
Sri Lanka
♦ Capitals: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
♦ Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
♦ Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
♦ President: Maithripala Sirisena
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India, South Korea launch ‘Korea Plus’ for FDI
i. Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Joo Hyunghwan, the Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy, Korea launched an iniative called Korea Plus to promote and facilitate Korean Investments in India.
ii. This initiative comes as an effect of MoU that was inked during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to South Korea 2015.
iii. Korea Plus, which encompasses representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, Korea and representative from Korea Trade Investment and Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and three representatives from Invest India.
South Korea
♦ Capital: Seoul
♦ Currency: South Korean won
BANKING & FINANCE
Union Government made initiative to make NRIs to join National Pension System through eNPS
The Finance Ministry launched the scheme that Non Resident Indians can open National Pension System Accounts online if they bear Aadhaar Card or PAN Card
NPS account can be opened both on Repatriable and on Non-Repatriable basis
Repatriable Basis: An NRI will have to remit the amount through his/her NRE/FCNR/NRO account
Non-repatriable Basis: NRIs can join NPS through their NRE/FCNR/NRO accounts at the time of maturity or during partial withdrawal.
NPS funds would be deposited only in their NRO accounts.
State Bank of India creates a dedicated Rs 200 crore fund for Fintech startups
i. India’s largest public sector lender State Bank of India has created IT innovations and startup fund and have allotted Rs 200 crore for investment in promising startups.
ii. The fund would be covering upto Rs 3 crore for any India registered entity for their business promotion in India using information technology for banking.
State Bank of India:
♦ HQ: Mumbai
♦ Chairperson: Arundhati Bhattacharya
♦ Slogan: The Banker to Every Indian
Max Life, Max Fin Services to merge into HDFC Standard Life
i. HDFC Standard Life and Max Life and Max Financial Services are entered into merger agreement that will create the largest private player in India’s insurance sector.
ii. The proposed merger between the companies will create an entity with assets worth over Rs 1 lakh crore.
iii. A combination of the entities would be overtaking ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd
iv. The agreement facilitates for a commonly agreed exclusivity period for due diligence and discussions between the parties in relation to a proposed transaction.
BUSINESS
Boeing, Tata to set up joint aerospace facility in Hyderabad
i. Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar laid the foundation stone of Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) which will be set up under the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in Hyderabad.
ii. Upon this American player Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) jointly to set up a facility to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages and other aero structures at the aerospace Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Adibatla in Hyderabad.
iii. The production facility will eventually be the only producer of AH-64 which is the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopter and used by the US forces as well as many other countries, including India.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Kerala Tourism bags four awards at ‘FilmAT’ International Film Festival in Poland
i. Kerala Tourism has bagged four awards at the 11th edition of the festival FilmAT, a 
film festival dedicated to tourism, art and ecology, in Poland.
ii. Three of the honors were given to a single campaign. ‘Responsible Tourism’ initiative started by Kerala and the Best Promotional Social Campaign and in the Protection of Nature and Eco-Food, categories for, respectively, the New Worlds films Sowing the Seeds of the Future and A Taste of Life.
iii. The fourth award for the tourism board’s ad film ‘The Great Backwaters of Kerala’ won the ‘Best Editing Award’ which showcased life in and around the legendary backwaters.
APPOINTMENTS
First batch of three female fighter pilots commissioned in the Indian Air Force
Creating the significant success stone for the first time in the Indian Air Force by injecting three female Pilots into combat roles
First batch of three female pilots:
♦ Avani Chaturvedi
♦ Bhawana Kanth
♦ Mohana Singh
Three female fighters will be inducted to fly fighter Jets like the Sukhoi and Tejas after the completion of the Stage III training at Bidar in 2017.
Major General Sanjeev Kumar Sharma is new General Officer Commanding of Tiger division
i. Major General Sanjeev Kumar Sharma is set to take over as a General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Jammu-based Tiger Division. He succeeds Maj Gen Sanjeev Narain.
ii. Sanjeev is a distinguished officer has an illustrious career spanning over three decades. He is an alumni of the Defence Services Staff College and has also appeared the prestigious higher defence management course and the national defence course.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indigenous trainer aircraft HTT-40 makes inaugural flight
i. India’s indigenous basic trainer aircraft, Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT–40) developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited made its inaugural flight in Bengaluru in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru.
ii. The two-seater aircraft designed for training for all flying cadets of the three services, HTT-40 aircraft weighs about 2,800 kg and has Turbo Prop engine of 950 shp class.
iii. The HTT-40 programme intends both IAF and HAL to ensure development of the trainer.
CSL delivers Fast Patrol Vessel “ICGS” to Indian Coast Guard
i. Cochin Shipyard handed over the Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Aryaman to Indian Coast Guard which will be operated from the Coast Guard Station at Kochi.
ii. The ship is the 18th vessel in the series of twenty Fast Patrol Vessels under construction for the Indian Coast Guard notably the Cochin Shipyard delivered it ahead of schedule.
iii. This vessel is responsible for safeguarding the Nation’s Coasts by patrolling within the Exclusive Economic Zone and Coastal Patrol, carrying out anti-smuggling, antipiracy and search and rescue operations, and for fisheries protection and monitoring.
SpaceX successfully launches two commercial satellites into orbit, but its Falcon 9 rocket crashed
i. California headquartered Aerospace Company SpaceX successfully deployed two 
satellites but the Falcon 9 rocket that carried them into orbit then crashed into its drone ship while touching down in the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad.
ii. The project intended to build a reusable rocket engine that can deploy its cargo and return safely to Earth and also the rocket can be prepped for another launch in a short amount of time.
iii. The reusable rockets could save the company $60 million per launch.
SPORTS
Champions Trophy Hockey : India settle for silver medal after Australia win penalty shoot-out
India finished with Silver Medal in the 36th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy after losing to Australia in the final. Both teams were goalless after regular time and Australia defeated India 3-1 to win their 14th title after a penalty shoot-out at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London.
| Gold medal | Australia |
| Silver medal | India |
| Bronze medal | Germany |
♦ The apex body for hockey in India, announced a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh each for the players and Head Coach Roelant Oltmans and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for all other coaches and support staff on the account of brilliant performance finish in the tournament and winning a silver medal.
♦ With this reward the body announced additional prize of Rs 1 Lakh for Harmanpreet Singh as he was adjudged as the Best upcoming Junior Player of the Tournament.
