Current Affairs PDF

Current Affairs Today June 2 2018

AffairsCloud YouTube Channel - Click Here

AffairsCloud APP Click Here

We are here for you to provide the important current affairs June 2 2018 which have unique updates of all daily events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, India Today, Indian Express, Business Standard, all Government official websites. Our complete current affairs helps you to get more marks in Banking, insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railway and all other competitive Exams.

Click here to try Current Affairs Quiz : June 2 2018

Current Affairs Today June 2 2018

Click Here to Read Current Affairs May 2018

 INDIAN AFFAIRS

President of India to preside over two-day Conference of Governors and Lt. Governors on June 4-5, 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan
On June 2,2018, the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind would preside over the two-day  49th Conference of Governers and Lt. Governers which will be held in June 4-5 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan .
Governors and Lt. Governers of all State and Territories will attend the Conference .
Objective:
To discuss various important issues .
Key points:
i. The first day would be the inauguration day. The second day will be regarding the presentations of the schemes and flagship programs of the government .
ii. The presentations would be made by Vice Chairman and CEO of NITI Aayog  and National Security Advisor.
iii. The third session will comprise of the theme of higher education in state universities and skill development . The presentations will be made by the Secretary , Higher Education and the Secretary , Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
iv. The Fourth session will be regarding the steps to be taken on the report of  ‘Rajyapal – Vikas ke Rajdoot Catalytic Role of Governors as Agents for Change in Society’.
v. The fifth session will discuss how to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Presentations on Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Swachhata Internship  will be made.
vi. In the Sixth and final session , presentations on the deliberations in the previous thematic sessions will be made by the convenor Governors.

NMCG undertakes cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat in Delhi
On 2nd June 2018, as a part of activities for the World Environment Day 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) along with Yes Bank organised a cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on river Yamuna in New Delhi.
NMCG undertakes cleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat in DelhiCleanliness drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat on river Yamuna:
i. The main focus of the cleanliness drive was to remove plastic waste and other solid wastes from Kalindi Kunj ghat.
ii. This is the third time in the last two months NMCG has conducted a  Swachhta drive at Kalindi Kunj ghat.
iii. Volunteers from NMCG and other stakeholders headed by Director General, NMCG, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra carried out the cleaning activities.
iv. Over 300 officials from organisations like NMCG, Yes Bank, World Bank, GIZ, IL&FS, Jamia Millia Islamia, South Delhi Municipal Corporation etc. participated.
v. Cleaning of Yamuna River is part of the Namami Gange programme as it is the tributary of Ganga River.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
♦ Director General, NMCG – Rajiv Ranjan Mishra

India makes unprecedented progress in coconut cultivation from mid 2014 to 2018 & becomes the leading country in coconut production and productivity
On June 2 , 2018, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare announced that India has made huge progress in coconut cultivation from mid 2014- 2018 .
Key points:
i. India became the leading country in coconut production and productivity.
ii. Productivity increased from 10122 in 2013-14 to 1151 in 2014-18.
iii. from 2014-2018 13,117 hectares of cultivation has emerged as compared to 9561 hectares during 2010-14.
iv. India has been exporting coconut oil to Malaysia , Indonesia, Sri Lanka since April 2017. In 2017-18, India exported coconut worth Rs 1602.38 crore while imports stood at Rs 259.70 crore.
v. In 2014-18, 5115 coconut production committees, 430 Coconut Growers Federation and 67 coconut producing companies have been constituted which in 2010-14 was 4467, 305 and 15 respectively .
vi. Under the skill development program for coconut sector ‘Friends of Coconut Tree’, 33228 unemployed youths have been trained as compared to 27770 in 2004-14.

Earth Science ministry introduces new forecast model to give accurate prediction for generating more accurate and area specific forecast of extreme weather
On June 2,2018, the Ministry of Earth Sciences launched a new forecast model called the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS).
Earth Science ministry introduces new forecast model to give accurate prediction for generating more accurate and area specific forecast of extreme weatherObjective:
To give accurate and area specific forecast of extreme weather events like rain, heat wave and cold wave.
Salient Features of EPS:
i. The EPS would be able to give forecasts 5 days before the event and also the probability of occurrence of extreme weather event with its level of intensity .
ii. The area of resolution has been decreased to 12km from 23 km which will give a district level warning .
iii. The EPS has been developed by – Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology all under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
iv. The introduction of a new supercomputer of 8.0 petaflops produced at a cost of Rs.450 was responsible for the new EPS.

Centre forms Cauvery Water Management Authority
On June 2,2018, Under the Supreme Court’s order of February 13th the Centre formed a Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
Centre forms Cauvery Water Management AuthorityObjective:
To address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerela and Puducherry.
Key points:
i. The CMA would comprise a Chairman, a Secretary and members. Out of the 8 members , 2 each will be full and part time members and the rest would be part time members from the four states concerned .
ii. The chairman would either be a senior and eminent engineer with an experience of water resource management or an IAS officer with experience in water resource management.
iii. He will have a tenure of years until he reaches 65 years of age .
iv. It would formulate schemes and supervise operation of reservoirs and regulation of water releases and if any member state is found guilty of non cooperation and shortfall the authority would take appropriate action.
v. The authority at the beginning of the water year (June 1 each year) would determine the total residual storage in the specified reservoirs.
vi. The authority would also advise the member states to suitable measures to improve water use efficiency by micro-irrigation, change in cropping pattern , improved agronomic practices etc.
vii. The total corpus allotted for the functionality of the authority is Rs.2 crore.
viii. The authority will meet every  10 days during the months of June and October when the South-West and North-East monsoon arrives.

The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday launched a Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) scale-out scheme
On June 2,2018, The government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) scheme for benefitting the farmers by 2024.
Key points:
i. The scheme was launched by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu.
ii. MOU was signed between the state’s agriculture department and Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF).
iii. The investment for the ZBNF scheme is Rs. 16,134 crores over the next years.
iv. Presently 1,63,034 farmers are practicing ZBNF and the state wants to incorporate all the farmers by 2024.
About SIFF:
It is an initiative with the partnership of United Nations Environment Program, The World Agroforestry Center and the BNP Paribas. It will be financing the farmers for the scheme .

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3 nation Visit to Indonesia , Malaysia and Singapore.
This 3 nation tour is to strengthen better cooperation with the ASEAN nations on the wake of China’s domination in the South Asian Region.
PM Indonesia Visit (May 29-31,2018)
i. Indonesia, India to develop strategic Indian Ocean port
ii. CII, Tata inks agreement with Indonesia to deepen business ties
iii. CII, Indonesia’s KADIN ink agreement to promote economic cooperation
iv. 15 MoUs signed between India and Indonesia
v. India, Indonesia to set up task force to enhance connectivity between Andaman and Sabang
Malaysia Visit (May 31,2018)
i. On May 31,2018, PM Modi met his Malaysian counterpart 92 year old Mahathir Mohammad.
ii. The Two leaders discussed about the various economic and cultural relations .
Singapore Visit (May 31-June 2,2018)
i. PM Modi visits Innovation exhibition in Singapore
ii. PM Narendra Modi launches RuPay card, BHIM and SBI apps in Singapore
iii. India, Singapore ink 14 MoU
iv. India to soon start tri-lateral exercise with Singapore: PM Modi
v. On June 2, 2018, the PM of India would address the Shangri-La Dialogue which is an annual security meet among 28 Asia –Pacific states . 
vi. PM modi gave Padma Shri award to former Singaporean Diplomat.
vii. An orchid was named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate his visit to the National Orchid Garden of Singapore.
viii. PM Modi unveils Mahatma Gandhi plaque at Clifford Pier in Singapore………………………………………………………………… Click here to Read more 

Saudi Arabia reshuffles cabinet with eye on culture
On 2nd June 2018, Saudi Arabia announced a cabinet reshuffle with main focus on culture and religion.
Saudi Arabia reshuffles cabinet:
i. This is the second major government change since the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king, as heir to the throne.
ii. Prince Mohammed is deputy prime minister under his father, King Salman. King Salman had replaced the Saudi Arabia’s labour, Islamic affairs and culture ministers.
iii. Also, a royal commission has been set up for the holy city of Mecca. The commission will welcome Muslim pilgrims for the annual hajj in August. The commission will be chaired by Prince Mohammed.
Tag lines of some banks:
♦ Oriental Bank of Commerce – Where every individual is committed
♦ Punjab National Bank – The Name you can Bank Upon
♦ Punjab & Sind Bank – Where Service Is A Way Of Life

INDOPACOM: US Pacific Command gets renamed
On 30th May 2018, United States Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced that U.S. Pacific Command or PACOM is renamed as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
INDOPACOM: US Pacific Command gets renamedU.S. Pacific Command renamed as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command:
i. The U.S. Pacific Command has been renamed as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a move to highlight India’s importance to the US military in the middle of tensions with China over the militarisation of the South China Sea.
ii. This is the oldest and largest military command of the United States. It was formed after World War II.
iii. Jim Mattis commented on the name change at the change of command ceremony in Pearl Harbor for incoming INDOPACOM commander Adm. Phil Davidson.
Some important sea ports in India:
♦ Marmagao port- Goa
♦ Panambur Port- Karnataka
♦ Paradip Port- Odisha

BANKING & FINANCE

IMF releases $250 mn of Sri Lanka loan, seeks airline shake-up
On June 2,2018, International Monetory Fund (IMF) released its loan of $252 million to the island nation of Srilanka.
Key points:
i. This loan is a part of a deal of amount $1.5 billion that was to be loaned by the IMF to SriLanka.
ii. The move of price increase of fuel was welcomed. The cooking gas and lamps has doubled.
iii. The gasoline price has been increased by 15 %.
iv. The restructuring of loss making SriLankan Airlines was proposed.
v. It has accumulated loss and debts of over $ 2 billion .

SBI, PNB, ICICI Bank raise lending rates
On June 2,2018, India’s major banks SBI, PNB and ICICI bank raised the lending rate making the loans costlier.
Key points:
i. They increased their benchmark lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points or by 0.1 %.
ii. SBI  has increased its lending rate by 10 basis points for all tenors upto 3 years.
iii. The MCLR for overnight and one month tenors is for 7.9% and for  the three years tenor is 8.45%.
iv. PNB has raised tenors for 3 and 5 years to  8.55% and 8.7%
v. PNB has also raised the base rate of 9.15% to 9.25%.
vi. ICICI has raised MCLR for 5 year tenors to 8.70% and also changed tenors for three and one year.
vii. Lending rates for three month tenors of ICICI remains unchanged .
viii. HDFC has raised the Retail Prime lending rate (RPLR) by 10 basis points .
ix. Karnataka Bank has raised interest rates on Deposits. Interest on domestic and NRE rupee term deposits for a period of one year to two years stands revised to 7.25 per cent from 7.10 (for deposits up to Rs 10 crore) representing a hike of 15 basis points.
x. Home and Auto loans fall under the MCLR.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Socialist Pedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish PM
On 2nd June 2018, Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister.
Socialist Pedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish PMPedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish PM:
i. Pedro Sanchez has taken charge as seventh head of government of Spain since it returned to democracy in the late 1970s.
ii. Pedro Sanchez has replaced Mariano Rajoy. Mariano Rajoy was stepped down due to a corruption scandal.
iii. Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Spanish prime minister before King Felipe. He belongs to the Socialist Party.
Some important museums in India:
♦ Gaya Museum – Gaya, Bihar
♦ Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh Museum – Darbhanga, Bihar
♦ Chandra Shekhar Singh Museum – Jamui, Bihar

Egypt’s Sisi sworn in for second term in office
On 2nd June 2018, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in for a second 4 year term as Egyptian President.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi – Egyptian President:
i. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had won 97 % of valid votes in the presidential election held in March 2018.
ii. Earlier Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was army chief. He ousted Egypt’s first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi after mass street protests in 2013 and won his first presidential term in 2014.
Some important bird sanctuaries in India:
♦ Kutch Bustard Sanctuary – Gujarat
♦ Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary – Gujarat
♦ Porbandar Bird Sanctuary – Gujarat

Palo Alto names former SoftBank exec Nikesh Arora CEO
On 1st June 2018, Palo Alto Networks Inc, a Cybersecurity firm, appointed former SoftBank Group Corp president Nikesh Arora as chief executive officer and chairman.
Palo Alto names former SoftBank exec Nikesh Arora CEONikesh Arora  – CEO and chairman of Palo Alto Networks Inc:
i. Nikesh Arora is 50 years old. He replaces Mark McLaughlin as CEO and chairman of Palo Alto Networks Inc.
ii. Nikesh Arora was Google’s highest paid executive in 2012. He worked with SoftBank from 2014 to 2016.
About SoftBank:
♦ Chairman & CEO – Masayoshi Son
♦ Founded – 1981

Former Bihar Chief Sec appointed advisor to CM
Anjani Kumar Singh, the former Bihar chief secretary has been appointed the Advisor, Policy and Programme Implementation, to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Former Bihar Chief Sec appointed advisor to CM:
i. Anjani Kumar Singh is an IAS officer of 1981 batch. He retired in February 2018. But he was given an extension for 3 months.
ii. As Anjani Kumar Singh’s extension period ended, Deepak Kumar took charge as the new chief secretary of Bihar.
iii. Deepak Kumar is an IAS officer of the 1984 batch. As per the notification issued by the cabinet secretariat department, Anjani Kumar Singh will receive the status of a minister of state.

State-owned ITI Limited today announced that K Alagesan assumed additional charge as its Chairman and Managing Director
ITI Limited announced that K Alagesan has taken additional charge as its Chairman and Managing Director on 31st May 2018.
K Alagesan – additional charge as Chairman and MD of ITI Limited:
i. K Alagesan has been given additional charge as its Chairman and Managing Director of ITI Limited following the retirement of S Gopu.
ii. An order from the ministry of communications, department of telecommunications, said that Alagesan is director (production and human resource) of ITI Limited.
iii. He has been working for ITI Limited since January 1982. He joined the company as assistant executive engineer.
About ITI Ltd:
♦ Established – 1948
♦ It is India’s first Public Sector Unit (PSU)
♦ Registered & Corporate Office – Bangalore

M Venkatesh takes over as Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) MD
On 1st June 2018, M Venkatesh took charge as the Managing Director & CEO of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL).
M Venkatesh – MD & CEO of MRPL:
i. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC).
ii. M Venkatesh is 53 years old. He succeeds H Kumar. Earlier M Venkatesh was Director (Refineries) at MRPL.
iii. He has been appointed as MD & CEO of MRPL for a term of 5 years. This can be extended till his superannuation in January 2025.
About Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC):
♦ Chairman & Managing Director – Shashi Shanker
♦ Registered Office – New Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China successfully launches Gaofen-6 satellite, a new earth observation satellite
On 2nd June 2018, China successfully launched Gaofen-6 satellite, a new Earth observation satellite, on a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.
China successfully launches Gaofen-6 satellite, a new earth observation satelliteGaofen-6 satellite:
i. The Gaofen-6 satellite will focus on agricultural resources research and disaster monitoring.
ii. Also, a scientific experiment satellite named Luojia-1 was sent into space at the same time. It was the 276th mission of the Long March rocket series.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
♦ Chairman – Dr. K. Sivan
♦ Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka

SPORTS

Dinesh Karthik replaces injured Wriddhiman Saha for Afghan Test
On 2nd June 2018, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) named Dinesh Karthik as replacement for Wriddhiman Saha in the Afghanistan Test.
Dinesh Karthik replaces injured Wriddhiman Saha for Afghan Test:
i. Wriddhiman Saha failed to recover from a thumb injury he faced during the second qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018.
ii. BCCI has said that he will take 5 to 6 weeks to recover. The one-off Paytm Test against Afghanistan will be held in Bengaluru from 14th June 2018.

Nepal, Scotland among 4 teams inducted in ICC ODI rankings
On 1st June 2018, the ICC included Nepal, Netherlands, Scotland and the UAE in their ODI rankings list in addition to the 12 existing countries.
Nepal, Scotland among 4 teams inducted in ICC ODI rankingsNepal, Scotland among 4 teams inducted in ICC ODI rankings:
i. Scotland has been ranked in 13th position with 28 points . The UAE has 18 points and has secured 14th position. The Netherlands have 13 rating points.
ii. Nepal and the Netherlands have to play four matches more to get into the table.
iii. The positions of the 12 Test playing countries, who were already on the table, are not affected by the introduction of these new teams.
iv. The table is topped by England. India is ranked second. Pakistan is in sixth place.
v. The initial rankings for the four new teams are based on:

  • All ODIs played since May 2015 by Scotland and the UAE against Full Members and against each other
  • Non-ODIs played by the Netherlands and Nepal against Full Members, Scotland and the UAE as part of the ICC World Cup Qualifying tournament 2018

About ICC (International Cricket Council):
♦ CEO – Dave Richardson
♦ Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

IMPORTANT DAYS

Telangana statehood day
On 2nd June 2018, Telangana celebrated its statehood day.
Telangana statehood day:
i. Telangana celebrates its fourth year of formation this year. It became India’s 29th state on 2 June 2014, following its separation from Andhra Pradesh.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his wishes to Telangana people on this day.
Some National Parks in Telangana:
♦ Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park
♦ Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park
♦ Mrugavani National Park