Current Affairs 10 June ,2017  – Pranab launches ‘Selfie with Daughter’ app:

NATIONAL

Pranab launches ‘Selfie with Daughter’ app:

    President Pranab Mukherjee launched the ‘Selfie with Daughter’ mobile application, aimed at raising awareness of female foeticide and sex selection.

The campaign’s aim is to motivate society to feel proud to be parents of a girl child, which in turn, will result in improving the child sex ratio.


Indian Railway conducts first HR Round Table conference:

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu inaugurated Indian Railway 1st HR Round Table Conference in New Delhi. Conference was organized around three themes i.e. Stakeholders Expectations from HR, The Future of Work – HR Role and Creativity Within Constraints. Each theme was in form of a Round table discussion amongst HR experts and leaders of industry.


GST Council forms 18 sectoral groups:

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has constituted 18 sectoral groups for ensuring smooth transition into the new tax regime on July 1.

    The 18 groups pertain to sectors such as banking and insurance, textiles, exports, information technology, transport, and oil and gas. The newly constituted groups headed by senior officers of the centre and the states.


Second edition of National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga held in New Delhi:

The 2nd edition of National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga was inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge), Shri Shripad Yesso Naik at National Media Centre in New Delhi.

The conference is organized by the Ministry of AYUSH in association with Press Information Bureau (PIB), Central Council for Research in Yoga and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

  • Theme of the conference: “Yoga for Health and Harmony”

 Petrol, diesel rates to be revised daily from June 16:

From June 16, retail selling prices of petrol and diesel are set be revised every day by the three state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) across the country.

    Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp had started a pilot project from may 1 in five cities: Udaipur, Jamshedpur, Puducherry, Chandigarh and Visakhapatnam.

Headquarters

  • IOC: New Delhi
  • Hindustan Petroleum Corp: Mumbai
  • Bharat Petroleum Corp: Mumbai

SATH program launched by NITI Aayog:

    NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a program providing ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital’ with the State Governments. It aims to identify and build three future ‘role model’ states for health systems.

The program will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey & Company and IPE Global consortium. To select the three model states, NITI defined a three-stage process: expression of interest, presentations by the states and assessment of commitment to health sector reforms.


INTERNATIONAL

India, UNOSSC launch partnership fund to promote sustainable development:

    India and the UN Office for SouthSouth Cooperation (UNOSSC) have launched a partnership fund for support the sustainable development projects across the developing world to reduce poverty and hunger, quality education, and give clean water, energy and livelihoods.

The fund was launched on the occasion of the World Oceans Day at a special ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in the presence of:

  • M J Akbar: Minister of state for External Affairs
  • Jorge Chediek: UNOSSC Director and Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation
  • Syed Akbaruddin: India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador
  • UNOSSC Headquarter: New York

China, Kazakhstan sign deals worth over $8 billion:

Chinese President Xi Jinping signed at least 24 deals with Kazakhstan, valued at more than $8 billion during his visit in Kazakhstan.

The deals aimed for cooperation between the two countries in the energy, mining, chemical, mechanical manufacturing, agriculture and infrastructure industries.


UK election: 2 Sikh MPs add to record Indian set in House of Commons

In Britain election 2017, two Sikh community members Preet Kaur Gill – the first Sikh woman MP and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesithe first turban-wearing Sikh MP won in the Britain election. With this, total presence in the House of Commons increases the Indian-origin group from 10 to a record 12.


Theresa May to form govt:

    British Prime Minister Theresa May with the support of the Democratic Unionists (DUP) will cling to power, despite her party’s unexpectedly poor performance in the snap general election, as the Conservative Party drew on support from its Northern Irish ally.

British

  • Currency: Pound sterling
  • Capital: London

India, Pakistan admitted to SCO as full members:

    India became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), ending an administrative process that began two years ago. India’s membership at the SCO was announced by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who also welcomed Pakistan as a member into the organisation.

Pakistan

  • Currency: Rupee
  • Capital: Islamabad
  • Prime Minister: Nawaz Sharif
  • President: Mamnoon Hussain

Banking & Business

SBI lowers housing loan rates:

The country’s largest lender decided to reduce the rates for loans above 75 lakh by 10 basis points (bps) to 8.6%, with effect from June 15. For women borrowers, the rate will be 8.55%.

SBI

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Tagline: Pure banking nothing else; With you all the way; The Nation banks on us; A Bank to the common man; A banker to every Indian.
  • Chairman: Arundhati Bhattacharya

LIC buys SBI stake worth Rs 5,700 crore in QIP issue:

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), India’s largest insurance company, has acquired shares worth Rs. 5,700 crore in State Bank of India’s Rs 15,000 crore qualified institutional placement (QIP).

LIC

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • CEO – V K Sharma

SoftBank to buy robotics businesses from Alphabet Inc:

    SoftBank Group Corp would buy two firms that build walking robots from Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc, adding to the Japanese company Schaft growing artificial intelligence portfolio.

Soft Bank

  • Headquarters: Minato, Tokyo, Japan
  • CEO: Masayoshi Son

Allahabad Bank reduces MCLR:

Kolkata-based public sector lender Allahabad Bank, announced reduction of its benchmark lending rate by 10 basis points at 8.50 per cent for one year and by 15 basis points at 8-8.40 per cent for a less than a year tenure. It will be effective from June 12th.

Allahabad Bank

    • Headquarters: Kolkata
    • CEO: Usha Ananthasubramanian
    • Tagline: A tradition of trust

 


Boeing, Dassault racing for Rs 50,000-cr Navy deal for 57 fighter jets:

American aerospace giant Boeing and France’s Dassault Aviation are among the four entities that have responded to the Indian Navy’s ‘Request for Interest (RFI)’ to provide 57 multi-role carrier borne fighters.

The other two are Sweden’s SAAB and Rosoboronexport of Russia. The deal is valued over Rs 50,000 crore.

Naval Chief: Sunil Lanba

Dassault Aviation

  • Headquarters: France
  • CEO: Eric Trappier

Canara Bank ties up with New India Assurance:

    Canara Bank and the New India Assurance Company have entered into a corporate agency arrangement for distribution of insurance products.

The pact allows Canara Bank to offer non-life insurance products to its customers across metros and tier II and III cities through the bank’s extensive network of over 6,000 branches.

Canara Bank:

    • Headquarters: Bangalore
    • CEO: Rakesh Sharma
    • Tagline: Together We can

New India Assurance Company (NIA)

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • CEO: Shri G. Srinivasan

TCS launches app development kit for banks:

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) launched “BaNCS App Development Kit” (ADK) that will enable banks to fast design and build their own apps and deploy it across devices and desktops seamlessly.

 

    “BaNCS ADK” will help banks to design and deploy enterprise and consumer apps in hybrid architecture, adopting modern principles of responsive web design.


Microsoft to buy Israeli security firm Hexadite:

 

    Microsoft confirmed that it will acquire Hexadite, an Israeli start-up that uses AI to identify and protect against attacks. The deal might be worth around $100 Million.


Walmart Tops Fortune 500 List:

    Walmart was placed top position for 5th consecutive years in the America top 500 companies list.

Top 5 companies in the Fortune 500 list

  1. Walmart stores
  2. Berkshire Hathaway
  3. Apple
  4. ExxonMobil
  5. McKesson

Science & Technology

World’s oldest fossil mushroom discovered:

The World Oldest fossil mushroom has been discovered in Brazil dating back about 115 million years. The Mushroom has been named as Gondwanag Aricites Magnificus. It belongs to the Agaricales order.


Appointments

Limaye must quit CoA role to head NSE:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given conditional approval to the appointment of Vikram Limaye as the managing director and chief executive officer of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

NSE has been without a full-time chief for the last six months since Chitra Ramkrishna resigned on December 2. He was relieved of his assignment with the Committee of Administrators (CoA) overseeing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

SEBI

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

NSE

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • CEO: J. Ravichandran 

Sushila Karki Chief Justice of Nepal retired:

Sushila Karki, first women chief justice of Nepal Supreme Court retired after attaining the age 65 years.

She was the 25th Chief Justice of Nepal’s judiciary. With Karki’s retirement, senior most Justice Gopal Parajuli will become the acting Chief Justice. 

 


AWARDS

Poland’s Zagajewski wins Spain Asturias Award for Literature:

    Polish poet and author Adam Zagajewski won Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Award 2017 for Literature. The awards are given in the field of science, humanities, and public affairs.

  • Poland Currency and Capital: Polish Zloty and Warsaw
  • Poland Prime Minister: Beata Szydlo

Book & Author

The Book “Crisis Within” released:

A book titled ‘The Crisis Within’ authored by Ganesh Devy was released. The Book argues that it is of critical importance that the plight of educational institutions and the need to generate knowledge appropriate to India are addressed without any delay.


SPORTS

Lovlina bags bronze at President’s Cup boxing:

    Indian boxer Lovlina Boroghain (75kg) settled for a bronze medal at the President’s Cup after losing in the semifinals in Astana, Kazakhstan. Lovlina lost to Kazakhstan’s Shakimova in the last-four stage.


Stan Wawrinka oldest French Open finalist in 44 years:

Stan Wawrinka became the oldest French Open finalist in 44 years with win over world number one Andy Murray in semi final of the French Open.

He will face nine-time winner Rafael Nadal in the final match of the tournament.


OBITUARY

Naga leader Khaplang dies in Myanmar:

    S.S. Khaplang, chief of National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCNK), died after a prolonged illness at the outfit’s camp at Taga in Myanmar. He was 77.

Myanmar

  • Currency: Kyat
  • Capital: Naypyidaw

Nagaland

  • Capital: Kohima
  • Chief Minister: Shurhozelie Liezietsu
  • Governor: Padmanabha Acharya

AWARDS

Automated plant watering system’ wins CSI-InApp national award:

An automated plant watering system designed by Aditya Engineering College, Surampalem, West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, has been adjudged the best in sixth CSI-In App National Student Project Awards contest.

    Amarnath Raja, CEO of Technopark-based InApp, inaugurated the sixth contest at a function organised here by the local chapter of the Computer Society of India (CSI).


Banking & Business

IndusInd Bank to raise $225 mn for MSME lending:

    IndusInd Bank has entered into an agreement with Overseas Private Investment Corporation to raise $225 million loan to support expansion of its micro, small and medium enterprise lending programmes across India.

At least 25 per cent of the proposed facility will support women entrepreneurs and reach the part of the population who previously had no access to banking facilities.

    • Headquarters: Mumbai
    • CEO: Romesh Sobti
    • Tagline: We Make You Feel Richer