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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Centre approves proposal for Greenfield Electronic Park in Odisha
i. Union Government gave its final approval for setting up of a Greenfield Electronic Park which is a dedicated IT hub near Bhubaneswar.
ii. The park, to be set up under Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) scheme of the Centre, will come up on 203 acres of land at a cost of Rs 205 crore out of this centre will give Rs 95 crore with the rest will borne by the Odisha government.
iii. The park intends to provide employment potential of 10,000 to 12,000 persons and common facilities for training, incubation and R & D activities to the interested entrepreneurs.
Government to open Yoga departments in six universities
i. Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani announced during the National Seminar on Yoga that government has decided to open Yoga departments in six central universities of the country during 2016-2017.
ii. These universities that will come up the Yoga Department. These recommendation was made by a panel headed by Professor H R Nagendra.
♦ Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University of Uttrakhand,
♦ Visva Bharati University of West Bengal,
♦ Central University of Rajasthan,
♦ Central University of Kerala,
♦ Indira Gandhi National Tribal University of Amarkantak
♦ Manipur University.
iii. These Universities will start offering bachelors, masters, and postgraduate diploma, PhD and certificate courses in yoga from the new academic session this year.
Centre gives nod to form 10 coastal police stations
i. Union government cleared decks for formation of 10 coastal police stations in the coastal states of the country with jurisdiction over Exclusive Economic Zone.
ii. The move likely to boost coastal security over crimes committed that included crimes of piracy in the high seas, investigation of any apprehensions made by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, any other major and minor crimes.
iii. Currently India had only one coastal police station, Mumbai’s Yellow Gate police station, which had jurisdiction over all the crimes committed in India’s EEZ in the west coast and east coast.
Exclusive Economic Zone:
♦ Sea waters up to 12 nautical miles are called territorial waters, while waters from 12 nautical miles to 225 nautical miles are categorised as Exclusive Economic Zone over which a country has sovereign rights.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa Visited India from 10th June to 12th June 2016
Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa landed in New Delhi on 10th June on a three day visit to India
Purpose:
♦ Discussion with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on bilateral Issues
♦ Attended the Convocation of the South Asian University in New Delhi
Features of the Visit:
♦ This is the fifth Visit to India by Nepal Minister
♦ Deputy Prime Minister had “High Level Political meetings” in New Delhi
♦ The two Nations signed nine agreements in areas of transport, connectivity and cooperation in the energy sector.
Thailand Prime Minister Chan-o-cha’s Three-day visit to India
Thailand Prime Minister Chan-o-cha made visit to India and arrived in New Delhi starting from 16th June to enhance bilateral cooperation between two nations
Focus: Enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of
i. Trade and Investment
ii. Defence
iii. Security
iv. Tourism
♦ Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha and his wife Naraporn Chan-o-cha receive a memento at the Rajghat memorial for Mahatama Gandhi in New Delhi
♦ India, Thailand agreed to build Joint Collaboration in Counter-terrorism, Defence, Maritime security.
♦ India and Thailand signed key pacts in the field of culture and education.
♦ Axis Bank of India and Kasikorn Bank of Thailand inked pact for trade and investment
♦ Thailand Prime Minister visited Bodh Gaya and offered prayer at Mahabodhi Temple
♦ Prime Minister of India announced new Visa rules for Thailand tourists to facilitate double entry e-tourist visas in order to attract more tourists
♦ Thailand companies planned to construct five high-end hotels for Buddhist circuit
President Pranab Mukherjee made visit to three-nation tour to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Namibia
Pranab Mukherjee has became the First Indian President to Visit Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire and became the second Indian President to visit Namibia after a gap of 21 years.
Highlights of Three Nation’s Visit:
♦ India and Ghana signed three bilateral agreements to tighten co-operation in various fields
♦ Offered floral tributes at the Mausoleum of Ghana’s Founder and Father of the Nation, Kwame Nkrumah and he also responsible for formation of Non Aligned Movement with then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
♦ Opened a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the University of Ghana and conferred a Joint Business Forum to highlight ‘Brand India’
♦ Enhance scholarship in ITEC slots from 250 to 300 and ICCR scholarships from 16 to 40 and announced of 1 million USD for the India – Ghana Kofi Annan Centre for IT excellence
♦ Indian President has been conferred with the highest national honour of the Grande Croix Commandeur by Cote d’Ivoire Country
♦ The Agreements were approved between CII & CEPICI and Tata Motors & SUTRA for supply of 500 buses.
♦ EXIM Bank inaugurated representative office in Abidjan
♦ India’s EXIM Bank to provide loan of $176.3 million to Ivory Coast
♦ India, Namibia signed two MoUs on capacity building for civil servants, centre of excellence in ICT.
Ganges-Danube Cultural Festival of India inaugurated by Tourism & Culture Minister Mahesh sharma in Hungary
i. Union Tourism minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the Ganges-Danube Cultural
ii. The Minister also inaugurated Yoga workshop on 18th June. Hungarian artists, proficient in Indian art forms took part in the programme.
iii. The Festival will showcase Indian culture, i.e. dance, music, yoga, film and exhibitions. Indian martial art experts and puppet artists are also performing.
Hungary:
♦ Capital: Budapest
♦ Currency: Hungarian forint
♦ President: Janos Ader
♦ Prime Minister: Viktor Orban
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visits China ahead of NSG plenary in Seoul
i. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar made a unannounced visit to China to gain support for India’s for membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
ii. The Secretary had made a two-day visit on 16-17 June to Beijing which came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the 48-nation NSG bloc scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24.
iii. The visit comes from India as obvious opposition from China which arguing that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Nuclear Suppliers Group:
♦ NSG is a group that has 48 members of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visiting St Petersburg to represent India at the SPIEF
i. Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan visited St Petersburg, Russia to represent India at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). SPIEF is an annual international conference dedicated to economic and business issues.
ii. In St Petersburg, Pradhan met his Russian counterpart Mr Alexander Novak and CEOs of Rosneft, Gazprom, Gazpromneft, Lukoil and Novatek.
iii. He had participated in a panel discussion on the subject New Global Petroleum Market Realities. The visit brings opportunity to discuss bilateral relations particularly in the field of hydrocarbon sector between India and Russia.
BANKING & FINANCE
Two-day ‘Rajswa Gyansangam’, an annual conference of tax administrators held in New Delhi
ii. This was the first time that two Revenue Boards Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) & Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) are holding the conclave at the same time.
iii. The purpose of the move is to prompt the revenue officers towards achieving high standards in taxpayer friendly services.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Kannada film ‘Thithi’ wins best film award at Shanghai International Film Festival
i. Kannada film Thithi has won the Best Film and Best Script Writers Award at the ongoing 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai.
ii. The film Thithi was directed by Raam Reddy’s and it is about 3 generations reacting to the death of the oldest in the clan.
iii. The film has earlier bagged 2016 National Award for Best Feature film in Kannada and also won three awards at the Karnataka State Film Awards. The film was also selected for 2016 New Directors/New Films in New York.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
US Scientists make world’s first 1,000-processor microchip
i. US Scientists has developed world’s first microchip called KiloCore that equipped with 1,000 processors and is thought to be the fastest chip designed in a university lab.
ii. The microchip which is designed by a team at the University of California’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and fabricated by IBM using their 32nm CMOS technology.
iii. The energy-efficient chip and has a maximum computation rate of 1.78 trillion instructions per second and contains 621 million transistors and chip’s each processor core can run its own small programme independently of the others.
Europe’s Ariane 5 launches two satellites into space
i. Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully took off with two telecoms satellites 
ii. Echo Star XVIII was the third launch of the year for satellite service provider Dish Network, and BRIsat for Rakyat Indonesia bank. The satellite is designed to provide direct broadcasting services for 15 years to the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii for Dish Network.
iii. Satellite BRIsat is the first telecommunications satellite committed to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
South Pole CO2 levels cross 400 ppm first time in 4 million years
i.The South Pole of the Earth carbon dioxide levels exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 4 million years.
ii.The South Pole has shown continuous upward trend in carbon dioxide (CO2) as the rest of world, but its remote location means it is the last to register the impacts of amassed emissions from fossil fuel consumption, the primary driver of greenhouse gas pollution.
iii.The southern hemisphere was the last place on earth where CO2 had not yet reached this mark the CO2 also this upsurge is caused totally by human activities.
SPORTS
106-year-old Aida Gemanque becomes oldest Olympic torch bearer
ii. Gemanque broke the record formerly held by Alexander Kaptarenko, who was 101 when he took part in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics relay.
iii. She when aged 103 entered the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the ‘oldest skydiver’, earning her the nickname extreme granny.
iv. The 95-day long torch relay will pass through 325 cities in Brazil which include 12,000 sprinters before ending at Rio`s Maracana Stadium for the set alight of the Olympic cauldron on August 5.
OBITUARY
Former Maharashtra DGP Suryakant Jog passes away
i. Erstwhile Maharashtra Director General of Police Suryakant Jog passed away in Mumbai. He was 90 year old. He served as the DGP of the state from 1985 to 1987.
ii. Jog who joined the IPS service in 1953, after leaving from service in 1987, started a residential school in Chikhaldara in Vidarbha.
iii. Jog implemented some of the projects which include collecting rainwater drained from the narrow village roads, construction of small bunds in Amravati.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
i. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is observed on June 19 annually to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence,
ii. The day is witnessed to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives to and lost their lives in standing up for the eradication of these crimes.
iii. The date was coined on 19 June 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly.
