Current Affairs May 31, 2017: “NAVIC”, INDIA’S VERY OWN GPS SUBSTITUTE WILL BE OPERATIONAL FROM 2018:

NATIONAL

AMITABH BACHCHAN LED TOILET USAGE CAMPAIGN:

For promotion of toilet usage across the country’s villages, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has come out with an aggressive new campaign called “Darwaza Band”. The campaign has been supported by the World Bank and is being rolled out countrywide immediately after the launch.

• Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation:Narendra Singh Tomar.
• Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis.

GADKARI LAYS FOUNDATION OF RS 1,117 CR PROJECTS AT JNPT:

To boost port infrastructure, Shipping Minister Nitin laid foundation stone of eight connectivity projects worth Rs 1,117.03 crore at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

These projects will enhance connectivity of the hinterland to the port. Port connectivity is among the four pillars of the Ministry of Shipping’s flagship Sagarmala programme.

Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister: Nitin Gadkari

Constituency: Nagpur, Maharashtra

GOA BANS THIN PLASTIC BAGS TO TACKLE GARBAGE:

The Goa government has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns from July, to tackle the garbage and litter menace in public places.

The law will be implemented starting with fine of Rs. 500 and then the fine will be subsequently raised to Rs. 5,000 depending upon the success.

Goa

Capital: Panaji

Goa Chief Minister: Manohar Parrikar

Governor: Mridula Sinha

“NAVIC”, INDIA’S VERY OWN GPS SUBSTITUTE WILL BE OPERATIONAL FROM 2018:

 The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) with an operational name of NavIC is currently being tested for its accuracy and is most likely to be available in the market for public use early 2018.

NavIC stands for NAVigation with Indian Constellation. The System will cover the entire country, Indian Ocean and its surroundings.

AMUL INKS MOU WITH ISRO:

 Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has signed an agreement with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for fodder acreage assessment using satellite observation and space technology. GCMMF markets its products under the brand name of Amul.

TAJ MAHAL ONLY INDIAN MONUMENT TO FIGURE IN TOP 10 GLOBAL LANDMARKS:

Taj Mahal has made it to the top 10 landmarks in the world by securing fifth position in the list. According to the Asia list, Taj Mahal was at No. 2 spot after Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap (Cambodia) topped the list followed by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center(2^nd) in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba in Cordoba (3^rd) in Spain and St Peter’s Basilica (4^th) in Vatican City (Italy).

MAHARASHTRA LAUNCHED SAMWAD SABHA SCHEME:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a ‘Shivar Samwad Sabha’ to reach out to farmers in the state and address their issues. The 4-day initiative is being launched amid the rising resentment among farmers across the state over delay in procurement of tur this year.

FIRST SCORPENE SUBMARINE INS KALVARI TO BE COMMISSIONED BY JULY:

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said that first of the six Scorpene submarines being built in India under technology transfer is likely to join the Navy by end of July.

Six Scorpene submarines are being built under Project-75 by Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) with technology transfer from France.

UP CM YOGI ADITYANATH LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO ERADICATE JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS:

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched a campaign to eradicate Japanese Encephalitis (JE) immunisation drive in 38 districts in the state.

It was first launched from Kushinagar district. He also launched a toll free number to get or provide any information about encephalitis. The number is 18001805544.

INTERNATIONAL

INDIA-KAZAKHSTAN PACT ON PRISONERS:

A treaty signed by India and Kazakhstan for transfer of each other’s sentenced prisoners has come into effect on May 26^th with the ratification of the agreement by both the countries.

• Union home minister: Rajnath singh
• Constituency: Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Kazakhstan

Capital: Astana

Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge

Prime minister: Bakytzhan Sagintayev

President: Nursultan Nazarbayev

 INDIA-AUSTRALIA PACT TRANSFER OF PRISONERS COMES INTO EFFECT:

An India-Australia pact for transfer of each other’s sentenced prisoners has come into effect on May 26^th with the ratification of the treaty by both the countries.

The pact was signed by India and Australia on November 18, 2014 and the agreement was ratified by India on December 16, 2015 and by Australia on November 21, 2016.

CABINET APPROVED JDI BETWEEN GERMANY AND INDIA:

Cabinet has approved the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between Germany and India regarding cooperation in the sector of alternative medicine.

The signing of the joint declaration will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional and alternative medicine. It enhanced employment opportunities in the AYUSH sector.

FIRST WOMEN’S TV CHANNEL LAUNCHED IN AFGHANISTAN:

Women in Afghanistan now have their own television channel. Zan – or Women’s – TV began airing this month, with a staff of all female presenters and producers.

Afghanistan:

Currency: Afghan Afghani

Capital: Kabul

Prime minister: Abdullah Abdullah

President: Mohammad Ashraf Ghani

 NATO SUMMIT 2017 IN BRUSSELS:

The 28^th edition of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit has started in Brussels, Belgium. The top agenda of the meeting was terrorism. The Main aim is to fight against Islamist terrorism.

The 2018 NATO summit will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

About NATO:

• Founded: April 4^th, 1949
• Secretary General: Jens Stoltenberg
• Chairman of the Military Committee: Petr Pavel

U.S SUCCESSFULLY TESTS ICBM DEFENCE SYSTEM FOR FIRST TIME:

The U.S Missile Defense Agency said it was the first live-fire test against a simulated ICBM (Intercontinental ballistic missile) for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), managed by Boeing Co (BA.N).

The U.S. military fired an ICBM-type missile from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands toward the waters just south of Alaska. It then fired a missile to intercept it from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Banking & Business

RBI TO INTRODUCE NEW RE 1 CURRENCY NOTE:

The new one rupee currency note will have an overall colour scheme of pink and green, in combination with other under The Coinage Act, 2011.Secretary, Ministry of Finance: Shaktikanta Das

Features:

• The new Re 1 note will be 7 by 8.3 cm and in a pink and green colour theme. Its previous avatar was of an indigo colour.
• The note will have ‘Bharat Sarkar’ on its masthead, with ‘Government of India’ printed below that. All other currencies have ‘Bharatiya Reserve Bank’ and ‘Reserve Bank of India’ printed on them.
• The one-rupee note has always been issued by the central government while all the other denominations are issued by the RBI.
• The watermarks of the Re 1 note will include the Ashoka Pillar, the hidden numeral “1” and the hidden word “Bharat (in Hindi)”.
• The note will also feature a replica of the one rupee coin and an image of the ‘Sagar Samrat’ oil exploration rig.

INDIAN BANKS’ BAD LOANS MAY RISE TO 15% BY MARCH 2018: S&P

Indian banks’ stressed assets are likely to increase to 15% of total loans by March 2018 even as their regulatory capital requirements will continue to rise till 2019, S&P Global Ratings.

 S&P Global Ratings

• President & CEO: Douglas L Peterson
• Headquarters: New York

INDIA RETAINS WORLD’S HIGHEST FDI RECIPIENT CROWN:

In a “fDi Report 2017” compiled by fDi intelligence said that India retained its No.1 position of being the world’s top most Greenfield FDI investment destination for the second consecutive year.

Report Highlights:

• India attracted USD 62.3 billion in 2016.
• India has remained ahead of China and the US as far as FDI inflows were concerned in the last year.
• FDI by capital investment saw an increase of 2% to USD 62.3 billion in 809 projects during 2016 in India.

AWARDS

PRIYANKA CHOPRA TO RECEIVE DADASAHEB PHALKE ACADEMY AWARD:

Actress Priyanka Chopra will be conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon.

INDIAN PEACEKEEPERS BRIJESH THAPA AND RAVI KUMAR HONOURED WITH UN MEDAL:

Rifleman Brijesh Thapa who served with the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Private Ravi Kumar who was deployed with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be honoured with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers to be observed on May 29.

APPOINTMENTS

BANKS BOARD BUREAU GETS 2 MORE MEMBERS:

The government has expanded the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) by adding two more members.

Former Allahabad Bank chairperson and managing director Shubhalaxmi Panse and private equity player Pradip Shah have been inducted into the board as independent members.

• Banks Board Bureau (BBB) head: Vinod Rai
• The Bureau started functioning from April 01, 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body.

KERALA BJP LEADER GEORGE KURIAN APPOINTED VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MINORITIES:

Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party leader George Kurian has been appointed Vice-Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities or NCM.

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

 AIR MARSHAL PN PRADHAN TAKES CHARGE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF INTEGRATED DEFENCE STAFF:

Air Marshal PN Pradhan has been appointed as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations).

Integrated Defence Staff was created in 2001 following the recommendation of GoM which was set up after the Kargil war to review India’s defence management.

 ANURAG TRIPATHY APPOINTED AS SECRETARY OF CBSE:

Senior bureaucrat Anurag Tripathy was appointed as the secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

He has been appointed to the post for a period of five years by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

SPORTS

KOHLI ONLY INDIAN IN TOP 10 OF ICC ODI RANKINGS:

India captain Virat Kohli is the only cricketer from the country to feature in the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for ODIs as he managed to hold on to his third spot in the batsman’s chart.

Top three batsmen –

• South Africa’s AB de Villiers
• Australian David Warner
• Virat Kohli

LIONEL MESSI WINS FOURTH GOLDEN SHOE AWARD:

Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi won the European Golden Shoe for a record fourth time for finishing as the top goal scorer in the season across all European first division leagues. He drew level with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo with the fourth honour.

 N’GOLO KANTE NAMED ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Chelsea midfielder and Frenchman N’Golo Kante was named Player of the Year by the English Premier League.

He has already been named Player of the Year by the Football Writers Association and the Professional Footballers Association.

HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE DAY

MAY 31: WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY:

Every year, on 31^st May, World Health Organisation (WHO) asked to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) highlights the health and additional risks associated with tobacco use, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

The theme of 2017 is “Tobacco – a threat to development”.

OBITUARY

EX-MINISTER & FILM DIRECTOR DASARI NARAYANA RAO DEAD:

Film director and former Union Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao is no more.

Telangana

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

 FORMER GREEK PM CONSTANTINE MITSOTAKIS PASSES AWAY:

Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of Greece’s most prominent veteran politicians died at the age of 98. Mitsotakis served as prime minister between 1990 and 1993.

 Greek:

• Capital: Athens
• Currency: Euro
• Prime Minister: Alexis Tsipras