Current Affairs June 1, 2017 – 70th World Health Assembly (WHA70) in Geneva:

NATIONAL

Union Ministry to launch ‘Deep Ocean Mission’:

Shri M Rajeevan, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences announced through video conference in the workshop arranged by National Institute of Oceanography in goa.

India is all set to launch Deep Ocean Mission by January 2018. This will improve India’s position in ocean research field.

Sankhyiki Bhawan, the new office of NSSO inaugurated in New Delhi:

Minister for Statistics & Programme Implementation Shri D.V.Sadananda Gowda inaugurated the new office building of National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Sankhyiki Bhawan in New Delhi.

It is a global statistical initiative that supports inter-country comparisons of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its components using Purchasing Power Parity.

India reject Australia request to join Malabar exercise:

India move to “reject” a request from Australia to join this year Malabar naval exercise which involves India, Japan and the US is usually held in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean or West Pacific maritime regions.

The Malabar exercise was started in 1992 with the US and India in the Indian Ocean; Japan joined in 2007.

Delhi Police Launches Bicycle Patrols for Better Policing:

The Delhi Police launched a bicycle patrol scheme to increase police presence in congested areas of the city.

It was flagged off by Union Minister of State for Home from the Yamuna Sports Complex in east Delhi.

    • Union Minister of State for Home: Hansraj Gangaram Ahir

 

  • Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

 

  • Governor: Lt. Governor Anil Baijal

Arun Jaitley inaugurates Telangana solar plant:

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated a grid-connected solar power plant of 16 MW capacities at the Ordinance Factory in Telangana’s Medak.

The solar power plant at Medak has been set up at a cost of Rs 105 crore by Bharat Electronics Limited.

He also dedicated a 9 MW capacity windmill project installed at Dammur in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 53 crore by BEML, a defence PSU.

 

  • Finance Minister: Arun Jaitley

 

BEL

Telangana

  • Capital: Hyderabad
  • Chief minister: Chandrasekaran Rao
  • Governor: E S L Narasimhan

Delhi to host 3-day Indian Mobile Congress in September:

India is now setting the stage for the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) in September.

The minister was hopeful that the event will also help to attract investment in the country and facilitate the government’s flagship programmes like Digital India, Make in India and others through knowledge-sharing. 

 

  • Communications Minister: Manoj Sinha 

 

BEL plans 2,500 cr. spend on defence R&D:

 

Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) plans to spend 2,500 crore on R&D to develop and enhance indigenous products and technologies for the military by 2020

 

BEL

 

  • Founded:1954

 

  • Chairman: M V Gowtama

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the CPEC power plant:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the first 660-MW unit of the Sahiwal coal power project in Punjab province. With a total expected capacity of 1320 MW, the plant is considered an early harvest project under the $46-billion CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor).

 

 

70th World Health Assembly (WHA70) in Geneva:

70th World Health Assembly (WHA70) was held from 22nd to 31st may 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.

 

First time India became partner country in International Economic Forum:

PM Narendra Modi attends the St Petersburg International Economic Forum held in Russia. This will be the first time that India will be a partner country in this business event. As a part of the summit, India will be hosting an exclusive India-Eurasian economic and business breakfast.

 

 

China launches cyber security law:

China launched a controversial cyber security law claiming to ensure its national security, amid criticism from foreign companies which say it might hamper their operations.

 

 

India, Spain call for ‘zero tolerance’ to terrorism

India and Spain stressed that there should be “zero tolerance” to terrorism and called on the international community to end “selective or partial” approaches in combating the menace which posed the gravest threat to international peace and stability.

Seven MoUs were signed between the two countries on cooperation in

  • Agreement for Transfer of Sentence Persons
  • Organ Transplantation
  • Cyber
  • Renewable Energy
  • Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation
  • Agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports
  • Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain.

Banking & Business

FPI inflow $9 billion to India crosses FDIs in March:

Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in India has reached a 26-month high in March with investments by portfolio investor’s surpassed foreign direct investment (FDI).

In March, foreign portfolio investment at $9 billion was more than double the $3.8 billion FDI that flowed in last year. The fiscal year ended with $60 billion of foreign direct investment (gross).

 

 

Anjuly Chib Duggal committee to select CEOs for four financial institutions:

    A committee headed by financial services secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal will now select CEOs for four financial institutions where the posts are lying vacant now.

This committee was established after the government decision to take away the task of selecting candidates to run state-run financial institutions from the Banks Board Bureau (BBB).

 

 

ICRA downgrades Oriental Bank of Commerce bonds:

Rating agency Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA HQ: ‎Gurugram‎) has downgraded the bonds of state-run lender Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) following weak financial performance in 2016-17 as bad loans surged.

 

PNB gets ADB’s first tranche for solar rooftop fund of $100 million:

The Punjab National Bank (PNB HQ: New Delhi) has received $100 million (about Rs645 crore) as the first tranche of the Asian Development Bank (ADB HQ: Mandaluyong) multi-million dollar funding for installation of rooftop solar systems in India.

This is the first tranche loan of the $500 million multi-tranche finance facility Solar Rooftop Investment Programme (SRIP) approved by the ADB in 2016.

Nine Indian Cities in JLL’s latest ‘Global 300’ rankings:

Mumbai, Delhi and 7 other Indian Cities have featured in the list of top 300 global cities which are the focus of commercial activity and interest. This list was released by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

New York has ranked 1st in the list based on commercial attraction index and Tokyo has placed 1st in term of economic size.

Those Nine Indian cities in JLL Global 300 list in term of economic size

City rank
Mumbai 17
Delhi 22
Kolkata 63
Bangalore 75
Chennai 81
Ahmedabad 92
Surat 111
Hyderabad 147

ADB provides $616 million loan to Bangladesh:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $616 million loan to Bangladesh to help the south Asian nation meet its goal of providing 100% access to electricity to its citizens by 2021.

ADB is providing a market-based loan of $600 million and a concessional loan of $16 million while the government will contribute $441 million. The total cost of the project signed between ADB and Bangladesh is nearly $1.1 billion.

Tata Motors awarded for contribution to Skill India Mission:

Tata Motors was awarded ‘HR Innovation of the Year’, for its significant contribution to skill development in the automotive sector at the Asia-Pacific Excellence Awards held in Hong Kong recently.

 

  • Founded:1945

 

  • Headquarters: Mumbai, India
  • Chairman: N Chandrasekaran

 

 

Science & Technology

NASA solar probe to touch Sun atmosphere in 2018:

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the launch of its spacecraft named as “Solar Probe Plus” will aim to fly for the sun in 2018. Solar Probe Plus will fly within four million miles of the sun’s surface right into the solar atmosphere.

 

 

IIT Kharagpur researchers develop new technology to manufacture biofuel:

Researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed a new technology which will change the way biofuel is manufactured by making the process cheaper, and pollution-free.

“2g bioethanol can be produced from various naturally available ligno-cellulosic components.

IIT Kharagpur

    • Director: Partha Pratim Chakraborty

 

  • Founded: 1951

 

Appointments & Resigns

Ramachandra Guha quits from BCCI’s panel of administrators:

Historian and author Ramachandra Guha resigned from BCCI’s panel of administrators. Guha was appointed to BCCI’s panel of administrators by the Supreme Court in January this year.

Nirupama Rao appointed public policy fellow to top US think-tank:

Former Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao has been appointed as a public policy fellow to a Washington-based think-tank where she will work on a project on the Sino-India ties.

 

 

Aleksandar Vucic sworn in as Serbian President:

    Aleksandar Vucic was sworn in as Serbia’s President, pledging to work for peace and stability in the war-weary Balkans while strengthening the country’s armed force

Serbia

 

  • Capital: BELGRADE

 

Currency: Serbian dinar

 

Vinay Dube named Jet Airways CEO:

Jet Airways has announced the appointment of Vinay Dube as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

 

 

 

AWARDS

Author Jhumpa Lahiri Wins 2017 PEN/Malamud Award:

Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri has been announced as the recipient of the 2017 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story.

She will receive the award and read at a ceremony held at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C

 

 

  • Native: London, UK

 

  • Currency: pound sterling

 

 

SPORTS

Kohli, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Raina in ESPN World Fame 100 lists:

India captain Virat Kohli (13th spot), former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (15th) and Yuvraj Singh (90th) and Suresh Raina (95th) have found places in this year’s ESPN World Fame 100 list that made its debut last year.

In the list, top spot is occupy by Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (1st) while NBA great Lebron James(2nd), another soccer star Lionel Messi (3rd) and tennis ace Roger Federer (4th) are the top four athletes in that order.

 

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