WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE - Edjuvo
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EDJUVO
WEEKLY
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
MAGAZINE
JUNE 10 - JUNE 16 2019
,
VISIT: WWW.EDJUVO.COMCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
National
1. I&B Ministry instituted AYDMS to be given to commemorate International Yoga
Day.
To recognise the contributions made by media in spreading awareness about Yoga and
for promotion and commemoration of International Yoga Day which is held every year
on June 21, The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) headed by the Minister
Prakash Javadekar instituted a new award called Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media
Samman (AYDMS) from year 2019.
Key Points:
33 Sammans under Three categories will be conferred.
11 Sammans will be conferred in 22 Indian languages and English under category “Best
Media Coverage of Yoga in Newspapers”.
11 Sammans will be conferred in 22 Indian languages and English under category “Best
Media Coverage of Yoga in Television”.
11 Sammans will be conferred in 22 Indian languages and English under category “Best
Media Coverage of Yoga in Radio”
2. 15th Finance Commission held a meeting with representatives of ADCs of
Meghalaya.
On June 4, 2019, 15th Finance Commission headed by the Chairman Shri N.K. Singh
held meeting with the representatives of Autonomous Development Councils (ADCs) of
Meghalaya as part of its visit to the State.
There are 3 ADCs in Meghalaya namely the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council,
the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District
Council.
Key Points:
The Commission was informed that the entire state is covered by the District Councils,
except for a small part of the area which is under the Shillong Municipality.
Term of the District Councils is 5 years and the last elections to the ADCs were held in
February, 2014.
3. India’s first Dinosaur Museum inaugurated in Gujarat.
On June 8, 2019, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the new Dinosaur
Museum-cum-Park at Raiyoli village in Balasinor town of Mahisagar district.
India's first Dinosaur MuseumThis is the first such park in the country and also the
world’s third park which exhibits remains of various dinosaurs and fossil records.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
Key points:
3D projection, 360 degrees virtual reality presentations, interactive kiosks, gaming
consoles are the facilities equipped with the museum.
The ten galleries of the museum exhibit the history of dinosaurs, which existed 65 million
years ago, from origin to extinction.
The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd created the whole infrastructure of the museum.
Raiyoli is familiar as it is the third largest fossil site and the second largest dinosaur
hatchery. It contains several dinosaur fossil and egg finds in the 1980s.
The state Government will allocate 10cr financial assistance to tourism to promote the
site.
About Gujarat:
Capital: Gandhinagar
Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
Governor: Om Prakash Kohli
4. India & Portugal to set up National Maritime Heritage Museum in Lothal.
On June 8, 2019, Government of India announced that it will join hands with Portugal to
set up maritime museum near ancient Harappans civilization at Lothal in Gujarat.
It will be a similar model of the museum which is at Lisbon, Portugal administered by the
Portuguese Navy.
Key points:
In March 2019, The foundation stone of the museum was laid down by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
It will be built in a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It will display India’s rich
heritage of inland waterways, trade through the water route, ancient shipbuilding and
navigational technologies developed by India.
It is going to be implemented by the Union Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala
programme with the support of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Gujarat State
government, Indian Navy and number of stakeholders.
About Portugal:
♦ Capital: Lisbon
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Prime Minister: Antonio Luís Santos da Costa
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
♦ President: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
5. ASI declared Chaukhandi Stupa as Monument of National Importance.
On June 10, 2019 , Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared Chaukhandi Stupa
as a “Monument of national importance”. The ancient Buddhist site situated in Sarnath,
Uttar Pradesh.Chaukhandi StupaKey points:
Construction: It is said that Chaukhandi stupa was a terraced temple constructed between
4th to 6th century of the Gupta period.
Stupa’s Significance: It was built to mark the site where Lord Buddha and his first
disciples met when traveling from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath.
Shape of Stupa: It was given by the Govardhan, the son of Raja Todarmal.
Excavations site: During excavations Some Buddha and other statues were founded at
Chaukhandi Stupa.
Background:
Section 4 of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 empowers the
Government to declare ancient monuments or archaeological sites which are of historical,
archaeological or artistic interest and which have been in existence for not less than 100 years as
of national importance.
6. MHA allows all states to setup Foreigners Tribunals.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India empowered district
magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up Foreigners Tribunals (FTs).
In this regard, it has amended the Foreigners Tribunals Order, 1964 by the Foreigners
Tribunal Order,
It is to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. The power
to constitute Foreigners tribunal was only with the central government earlier.
Key points:
It allows all States and Union Territories to constitute their own FTs, earlier it was
applicable only to Assam, to address the citizenship of a person.
It allows the individuals to approach Tribunals if they didn’t find their name in the final
list.
About Foreigners Tribunals
They are quasi-judicial bodies to determine if the person staying illegally is “foreigner” or not.
Recently, Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned around 1,000 Tribunals to set up in Assam in the
wake of publication of the final NRC (National Register of Citizens ) by July 31, 2019.
7. Election Commission grants national party status to NPP.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
The Election Commission of India granted the National party status to National People’s
Party(NPP) led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
It becomes the first Party from North East region to get this tag.National People's Party
Key points:
With this tag, it becomes the eighth national party in the country among All India
Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), BSP, CPI, Communist Party of India
(Marxist), Indian National Congress (INC) and NCP parties.
It has fulfilled eligibility criteria as laid down in paragraph 6B (iii) (the party is
recognized as State party in at least four States) to become a national party.
It is getting status of the state party in four states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Meghalaya CM’s father and former Lok Sabha Speaker, late Purno Agitok Sangma has
founded the party in
Eligibility criteria: As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order,
1968, a political party should be recognized as a national party if candidates of the party
secure at least 6 percent of votes which is polled in four or more states in Lok Sabha
election or assembly elections.
About Meghalaya:
♦ Capital: Shillong
♦ Chief Minister: Conrad K. Sangma
♦ Governor: Tathagata Roy
8. Clean Drinking water to all by 2024: Centre.
On June 11, 2019, The minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced that
central Government committed to provide clean drinking water to all citizens by 2024,
which is one of the polls promises given by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Key points:
The ministry assured that there are over14 crore households will be benefitted by the
plan.
Present Status: Now only 18 per cent of rural households have accessed drinking water.
Drinking water coverage: This is less than 5 percent in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, while Sikkim has 99 percent.
Recently, The scheme “Nal se Jal” launched by the Jal Shakti ministry, which aims to
provide drinking water by 2024.
Background: During 17th Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had promised to create an integrated ministry to deal with water-related issues.
9. IRSDC signed a Tripartite Agreement with SNCF and AFD.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) entered into a Tripartite
Agreement with French National Railways (SNCF)and French Development Agency
(AFD).
Under this agreement, a grant up to 7 lakh euros will be provided to boost capacity
building for railway station development program in India.
Key Points:
It was signed in the presence of Suresh Angadi, Minister of State of Railways, and Jean
Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Alexandre
Ziegler, Ambassador of France in India and other senior officers of French Embassy and
Indian Railways.
AFD, a French agency, will finance up to 7,00,000 EURO, through French National
Railways (SNCF)-Hubs and Connexions as a Technical Partner to IRSDC.
There will be no financial liability on IRSDC or on Indian Railways.
About ISRDC:
♦ ISRDC was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on 12 April 2012.
♦ Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal
About SNCF/ French National Railways:
♦ SNCF stands for Société nationale des chemins de ferfrançais.
♦ Headquarters: Saint-Denis, France
About AFD:
♦ AFD stands for Agence française de développement.
♦ Headquarters: Paris, France
10. Kazakh-Indian Investment Forum held in Ahmedabad.
Kazakh-Indian Investment Forum was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on June 7, 2019, to
attract investments.
It was organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in India with the support of the Honorary
Consulate of Kazakhstan in the state of Gujarat Dilip Chandan, the National Company-
Kazakh Invest and Jain International Trade Organization.
Key Points:
The event witnessed the participation of the leaders of more than 30 Indian companies.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
Preliminary agreements were given during the B2B (business-to-business), also known as
e-biz, meetings.
Forum participants were provided with detailed information on business opportunities in
Kazakhstan, conditions, state support, and competitive advantages for attracting foreign
investments. Details of the priority investment projects were also given.
Indian companies were encouraged to participate in the implementation of investment
projects in Kazakhstan.
About Kazakhstan:
♦ Largest City: Almaty
♦ Official Languages: Kazakh, Russian
11. Bancha became the first solar kitchen village in India.
Bancha in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh became the first village in India to have zero
wooden stoves.
There was no use for Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders as all 75 houses relied on
solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs.
The solar-powered stoves were developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Mumbai. The project of installing plates, solar-powered batteries and stoves in all the
houses was started in September 2017 and was completed by December 2018.
12. Central Government approved to set up DSRO.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
approved to set up the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO), a new agency which
will develop sophisticated weapon systems and technologies.
It will enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to fight wars in space.
Key Points:
The agency will consist of a team of scientists. They will work in close coordination with
the tri-services integrated defence staff officers.
It will provide research and development support to Defence Space Agency (DSA).
DSA is being set up in Bengaluru, Karnataka under an Air Vice Marshal-rank Officer. It
will eventually take over the space-related capabilities of the three forces namely Indian
Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.
Central government has set up agencies to tackle space and cyber warfare along with
Special Operations Division to address the need for special operations required to be
carried out in India and abroad.
About CCS:
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
It is the final decision-making body on senior appointments in the national security apparatus,
defence policy and expenditure, and generally all matters of India’s national security. It is
chaired by the Prime Minister of India and includes Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of
Defence, Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Finance.
13. Central India got its First Sikh Museum in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
On June 7, 2019, Central India got its First Sikh Museum in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The
museum Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Sikh Museum is located at Gurudwara Gurusingh Sabha
in Guru Nanak Nagar.
It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Bagel on the ‘Shahidi
Divas’ of the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjun Dev.
Key Points:
The museum has a library and visitors are illuminated about the ten Sikh gurus and other
personalities related to the religion.
They can read books on Gurus and on Sikh religion. They can enlighten themselves about
the community’s history by watching movies in the home theatre of the museum in its
5,000 square feet premises.
About Chhattisgarh:
♦ Governor: Anandiben Patel
♦ National Parks: Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi
Das (Sanjay) National Park
♦ Festivals: Rajim Kumbh Mela, Bhagoriya Festival, Bhoramdeo Mahotsav Festival,
Chakradhar Festival, Goncha Festival, Kajari Festival, Madai Festival, Bastar dashhara
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Achanakmar WLS, Badalkhol WLS, Bhoramdev WLS, Sarangarh-
Gomardha WLS, Semarsot WLS, Sitanadi WLS, Tamor Pingla WLS, Udanti Wild Buffalo
WLS, Pamed Wild Buffalo WLS, Bhairamgarh WLS, Barnawapara WLS
14. Japan will invest Rs 13,000 crore in North-East in infrastructure projects.
On June 12, 019, The Government of Japan has decided to invest an amount of 205.784
billion Yen, nearly Rs 13,000 crore in several ongoing as well as new infrastructure
projects in the North-East Region.
This was announced after a meeting which the Development of North-East Region
(DoNER) Minister Dr Jitendra Singh had with the Japanese delegation led by
Ambassador Mr Kenji Hiramatsu.
Key Points:
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
Japan will invest in projects like Guwahati Water Supply Project and Guwahati Sewage
Project in Assam, Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project spread
over Assam and Meghalaya, Northeast Network Connectivity Improvement Project in
Meghalaya, Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project in Sikkim,
Sustainable Forest Management Project in Tripura, Technical Cooperation Project for
Sustainable Agriculture & Irrigation in Mizoram, Forest Management Project in
Nagaland.
The contributions of Japan in the development and transformation of the North-East in
the last 3-4 years were appreciated by the Minister of DoNER.
About Japan:
♦ Capital: Tokyo
♦ Currency: Japanese Yen
♦ Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
15. ‘E-Governance Initiatives for ST Welfare Schemes’ launched by Shri Arjun Munda,
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs.
On June 12, 2019. The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda launched
“E-governance initiatives for ST Welfare schemes” at a function organized by Ministry
of Tribal Affairs in presence of Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State for Tribal
Affairs, Ms. Anusuiya Uikey, Vice Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled
Tribes (NCST), Shri Ramesh Chand Meena, Chairperson of The Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and Shri Deepak Khandekar,
Secretary, Minister of Tribal Affairs.
Key Points:
e-governance initiatives will work for the betterment of tribal communities across the
nation.
The Ministry has developed 2 online portals namely DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer)
Tribal (https://dbttribal.gov.in/) and NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) Grants
Online Application & Tracking System (https://ngograntsmota.gov.in/) to ensure e-
Governance in the implementation of welfare schemes for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
There are 3 main modules in DBT Tribal portal for Pre-Matric and Post-Matric
Scholarship. Data Sharing module is mainly meant for sharing beneficiary-data by States.
In Communication module, the States have facility to upload documents and raise query.
DBT data uploaded by States is used for faster release of funds. Monitoring module has
facility of Management Information System (MIS) reports & Dashboards.
Under Fellowship scheme and Grievance Module, it has also developed a module for
verification of students by Universities and Colleges for all stakeholders including
beneficiary students in 3 Central Sector schemes and Institutions.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
The NGO portal is developed to implement the scheme of Aid to Voluntary
Organizations working for the welfare of STs.
It is fully revamped and redesigned with simplified Application form, Inspection Report
and Fund Processing module and has been re-opened for FY 2019-20 for NGOs and
States for online application.
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
♦ Founded: 1999
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
16. Farmers contribution to be Rs 100 per month to PM-Kisan Pension Yojana.
On June 13, 2019, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced that farmers
in the country are expected to contribute Rs 100 per month under the Pradhan Mantri
(PM) Kisan Pension Yojana.
It seeks to provide a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 on the attainment of 60 years
of age.
The central government will also contribute an equal amount to the pension fund.
Key Points:
a. Pension Fund will be managed by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). It
will be responsible for the pension payout.
b. The Pension Scheme will provide social security to small and marginal
farmers.
c. With an entry age of 18 to 40 years, it aims to cover around five crore
beneficiaries in the first three years.
d. In order to attain complete transparency, the government will set up an
online grievance redressal system.
e. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh
Tomar chaired a meeting with Agriculture Ministers of all States and
Union Territories via Video Conference and urged them to roll out the
programme at the earliest.
About PM- Kisan Yojana:
PM- Kisan Yojana is an income support scheme for farmers. It is a 100% central sector scheme
which will give farmers Rs. 6000 per year in 3 equal instalments. From 01.04.2019, the scheme
has been extended to cover all farmers, the total beneficiaries will be 14.5 crores.
17. Government reduced the ESI contribution rate to 4% from 6.5%.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
On June 13, 2019, the Government reduced the Employees State Insurance (ESI)
contribution rate to 4% from 6.5%. This will benefit 36 million workers and 1.28 million
employers and will lead to an estimated annual saving of around Rs 5,000 crore for firms.
The reduced rates will be effective from July 1, 2019.
The Central government through the Ministry of Labour & Employment decides the rate
of contribution under the ESI Act.
Key Points:
a. The Labour Ministry stated that there will be a reduction of 1.5% in employers’
contribution to 3.25% from 4.75% and 1% reduction in employees’ contribution
to 0.75% from 1.75%.
b. In 2018-19, 12.85 lakh employers and 3.6 crore employees contributed Rs 22,279
crore towards the ESI scheme.
c. Reduction in the share of contribution of employers will reduce the financial
liability of the establishments leading to improved viability of these
establishments and will enhance Ease of Doing Business.
d. The Employees’ State Insurance Act 1948 (the ESI Act), administered by the
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), provides for medical, cash,
maternity, disability and dependent benefits to the Insured Persons under the Act.
e. The ESI Act 1948 under the labour ministry covers employees with salary up to
Rs 21,000.
About Ministry of Labour & Employment:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Minister In-charge: Santosh Kumar Gangwar (MOS independent charge
18. Central Government granted the approval to set up of e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-FT)
in Assam.
Central Government has permitted to set up e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-FT) in Assam. It is a
quasi-judicial authority which assesses the question of authenticity of a person’s
citizenship.
It should be set up by July 31, 2019 when the final list of National Register of Citizens
(NRC) is published. The people left out in the final NRC can challenge their exclusion
through these tribunals.
Key Points:
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of e-FT Mission is Anand Prakash Tiwari.
It will help in effective monitoring and resolution of cases registered with Foreigner
Tribunal.
It will help to strengthen the Judiciary in the disposal of cases and assist the Police
organization in faster detection, prosecution and detention.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
The main aim of the project is to maintain a statewide biometric and biographic data in
order to capture the illegal migrants’ data to computerize data flow for all the
stakeholders. Along with this, it will also help in the legalization of eligible beneficiaries
for welfare schemes.
About Assam:
♦ Capital: Dispur
♦ Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
♦ Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
♦ National Parks: Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National
Park, Nameri National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amchang WLS, Barail WLS, Chakrashila WLS, Lawkhowa WLS, Marat
Longri WLS, Nambor WLS, Porbitora WLS, Pani-Dihing Bird WLS, Sonai Rupai WLS etc
19. Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2019 held in Gurugram.
The two day event of Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2019(MISW 2019)
hosted by the Indian Navy under the aegis of the Information Fusion Centre-Indian
Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)held in Gurugram,Haryana on June 12,2019.
Key points:
The workshop was inaugurated by Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Deputy Chief of the Naval
Staff.
Participation: It saw the participation of more than 41 delegates from 29 countries of
Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond.
Objectives: It was aimed at make aware of all participants about IFC-IOR .It was also
aimed at promoting and sharing regarding the security and safety challenges faced by
IOR.
Highlighted issues: Several talks regarding maritime challenges in Indo-Pacific region
were discussed. It also highlighted significance of maritime domain as well as the
challenges faced by region such as piracy, maritime terrorism, humanitarian assistance &
disaster relief, human & drug trafficking as well as legal perspective of combating these
challenges.
About Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)
It was launched in December 2018 by then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at
Gurugram.
It was established with vision of strengthening maritime security in the Indo-Pacific
region.
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
20. DGT partnered with Cisco & Accenture for skilling programme.
On June 14, 2019, Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) joined hands with Cisco and Accenture,
private sector companies, to skill youth for digital economy through Industrial Training
Institutes (ITIs). The implementation partner is Quest Alliance.
Key Points:
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Dr. K. P
Krishnan, Secretary, MSDE by DGT’s Director General Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Shri
Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Public Affairs and Strategic Engagements, Cisco
India and SAARC, Ms Kshitija Krishnaswamy, Director, Corporate Citizenship,
Accenture in India and Shri Aakash Sethi, CEO, Quest Alliance.
Nearly 15 lakh students across all the ITIs in India can use the digital learning module via
the Bharat Skills portal.
The program consists of tailor-made curriculum with modules for digital literacy, career
readiness, employability skills and advanced technology skills such as data analytics, and
a blended learning model enabled by a combination of online self-learning via the Bharat
Skills portal and in-classroom modules.
The initial phase is the classroom training programme. It is rolled out across 227 ITIs in
Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar and Assam and will deliver more than 240 hours of training
to impart critical 21st century skills, including digital literacy and digital fluency. The
online module is optimized for mobile phones. It will enable on the-go self-learning and
the toolkit will include train the trainer resources.
Cisco will provide access to Networking Academy courses directly to ITI students.
About MSDE:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Minister Incharge: Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey
About Cisco:
♦ Headquarters: San Jose, California, US
♦ CEO: Chuck Robbins
About Accenture:
♦ Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
♦ CEO: David P. Rowland
21. Fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
On June 15, 2019, The fifth meeting of the Governing Council of The National Institution for
Transforming India (NITI) Aayog was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
This was the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government. The guiding
principle of Union Government is “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwaas”.
Focus should be given to fisheries, animal husbandry, horticulture, fruits and vegetables in order
to fulfill the commitment to double incomes of farmers by
Prime Minister said the goal to make India a five trillion dollar economy by 2024.
22. Female labour force fell in India: Report.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data published by the National Sample Survey Office
(NSSO) reported that female labour force declined in India in 2017-18.
It is one among the world’s bottom In 2011-12, India was placed at 12th from the bottom
globally.
India’s female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) pointed out that three out of four women
over the age of 15 in India were neither working nor seeking work. Bihar had the lowest rate of
female workforce participation whereas the southern and eastern states did better.
As per the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, during April-June 2018, the
average employed Indian woman worked for 4 hours per week as against the developing
country average of 35-36 hours.
23. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formed committee to work on modalities of revising pension
under OROP.
On June 14, 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formed a committee to work on modalities
and methodology on the implementation of the next revision of pension to over 25 lakh ex-
servicemen and widows under One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme.
Key Points:
a. The newly constituted committee is headed by the Controller General of Defence Accounts
(CGDA), Shri Sanjiv Mittal and consists of representatives from the three services.
b. It will submit its report in a month.
c. iii. OROP was implemented by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government
during its first term with effect from July 1, 2014.
About Ministry of Defence:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Founded: August 15, 1947
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
State
24. Mekathoti Sucharitha appointed as the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) YS Jaganmohan Reddy appointed Mekathoti
Sucharitha, aged 45, a representative from Prathipadu (SC) reserved constituency in
Guntur district, as the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
She became the first Dalit woman home minister of Andhra Pradesh after the formation
of Telangana.
Key Points:
In 2009, for the first time, CM’s father late YS Rajasekhara Reddy had appointed P
Sabita Indra Reddy as first home minister of united Andhra Pradesh.
A two-time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and wife of Dayasagar, an Indian
Revenue Service (IRS) officer posted as Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals),
Mumbai, was assigned the home and disaster management portfolio.
Sucharitha, who hails from Poondla village near Bapatla, completed her studies at
Phirangipuram in Guntur and holds a BA in Political Science (1990).
About Andhra Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Amaravati
♦ Chief Minister: Y S Jaganmohan Reddy
♦ Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan
♦ National Parks: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Papikonda
National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Coringa WLS, GundlaBrahmeswaram WLS, Kambalakonda WLS,
Kolleru WLS, Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam WLS, Rollapadu WLS etc.
25. Goa cabinet approves 10% quota for economically backward sections.
On June 10, 2019, The Goa cabinet chaired by the Chief minister Pramod Sawant
approved the amendment of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections of a
general category in education and employment.
The state cabinet also assured the reservation for Muslims and Christians, who are not
covered under the quota.
Key points:
www.edjuvo.comCurrent Affairs - Weekly Edition PDF
(June 10 – June 16, 2019)
Currently, reservation for ST, SC, OBC , persons with disability, ex-servicemen having
2%,12%,27%,4%,2%
The Parliament had cleared the reservation bill in January 2019 with the qualification
criteria of those with income below Rs 8 lakh per annum considered as a weaker section
of the society. However it excluded those with having 5 acres or more agriculture land,
residential flat of 100sqm and above, the residential plot of 6 sqm and above, and
residential plot of 167.2sqm and above.
The Union Government of India introduced the OBC reservation from 1993 while the
quota for OBC in Goa started in 1996 with the reservation of 5%. Then it was increased
to 27% in 2014.
About Goa:
♦ Capital: Panaji
♦ Chief minister: Pramod Sawant
26. Karnataka Government Launches “Pink Sarathi vehicles”.
On June 9, 2019, The state government of Karnataka launched “Pink Sarathi vehicles”
for women safety. This was launched by the Chief Minister of Karnataka,
H.D.Kumaraswamy. The vehicles were procured by the Bangalore Metropolitan
Transport Corporation (BMTC) under the ‘Nirbhaya’ scheme.
Key points:
The BMTC will use the 25 vehicles which are fitted with GPS and Public announcement
systems to attend to the grievances of women passengers in city Buses.
Under the ‘Nirbhaya scheme’, BMTC has received Rs.56.07 crore from the central
Government.
The state government has also taken up various measures for the safety of women
passengers.
About Nirbhaya Fund
It is an Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by Government of India in its 2013 Union
Budget to protecting the dignity and ensuring the safety of women in India.
About Karnataka:
♦ Capital: Bengaluru
♦ Governor: Vajubhai Vala
♦ Wildlife Sanctuary: Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra
Wildlife Sanctuary, Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary.
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27. First meeting of Andhra Pradesh cabinet approves several key Decisions.
On June 10, 2019, The new cabinet meeting chaired by the Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has approved some key decisions.
The cabinet approves hike of old age pension from 2,000 to Rs 2,250.
It approves salaries of Aasha workers (health workers in rural areas) from Rs.3,000 to
Rs.10,000 per month and also increased the salary of community health workers under
the Tribal Welfare Department from current Rs 400 to Rs 4,000 a month.
It gives nod to increase 27 percent IR (Interim Relief) increment to the government
employees in the state.
The cabinet decided to form the committee over the termination of contributory pension
scheme (CPS) for State government employees.
It also decides to implement “YSR Rythu Bharosa” from 15th October to pay Rs.12,500
per annum to farmers.
The Cabinet has also discussed on Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(APSRTC) with State Department merger.
About Andhra Pradesh:
♦ Governor: E. S. L. Narasimhan
♦ Districts: 13
28. Amasebailu becomes Karnataka’s first solar-powered Gram Panchayat.
On June 11,2019, Amasebailu in Kundapura Taluk of Udupi district has been named as
the Karnataka’s first solar-powered Gram Panchayat.
The allocation of fund between the Centre and State Government in the ratio of 30: 20,
and the rest is given by the Panchayat and charitable organizations.
Key points:
About 1858 houses connected with the solar power at a total cost of 2.13 crore .
The lamps have the guarantee up to five years while the faulty one replaced by guarantee
period.
About Karnataka:
♦ Chief minister: H. D. Kumaraswamy
♦ Capital: Bengaluru
♦ National parks: Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park
29. Kerala Sahithya Akademi awardee, Poet and lyricist Pazhavila Ramesan passed
away at the age of 83 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
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Pazhavila Ramesan, Poet and lyricist passed away at the age of 83 in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He hailed from Perinadu in Kollam district of Kerala.
o He worked as the co-editor in K. Balakrishnan’s Kaumudi Weekly.
o He worked as the Director at the Kerala Bhasha Institute (State Institute of
Languages).
o He penned Pazhavila Rameshante Kavithakal, Mazhayude Jalakom and Njan Ente
Kadukalilekk (poetry collections); Ormayude Varthamanam, Mayatha Varakal
and Nervara (essays). He wrote lyrics for a few Malayalam film songs including
those from the films Njattadi (1979), Aashamsakalode (1984), Uncle Bun (1991),
Malootty (1992) and Vasudha (1992).
o He won Kerala Sahithya Akademi award in 2017.
30. Bihar Government launches Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojna.
On June 14, 2019, The State Government of Bihar launched Mukhyamantri Vriddha
Pension Yojna for poor people above 60 years of age which is effective from April 1,
This was launched by the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Key points:
Under the Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojna, Poor people above the age of 60 years
will get Rs 400 per month and those people above the age of 80 years will get Rs. 500 per
month.
Retired government employees will not be covered under the scheme.
The state government had allocated a fund of Rs 18,000 crore for the scheme.
About Bihar:
Governor: Lalji Tandon
Capital: Patna
31. Green Mizoram Day celebrated on June 11, 2019.
In Mizoram, Green Mizoram Day was celebrated throughout the state on June 11, Chief
Minister of the state Zoramthanga planted saplings at the premises of the Assam Rifles
headquarters in Aizawl.
This day has been observed since June 11,
Key Points:
The day was observed with the distribution, planting trees and taking a pledge to work for
a green environment and maintain ecological balance.
Over 46 lakh saplings were distributed among the people for planting between 1999 and
2018.
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International
32. G20 Ministerial Meeting held in Japan.
The G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy was held on June 8 and 9,
2019 in Tsukuba city, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
It is one of the eight Ministerial Meetings. Trade and Economy Ministers of the Group of
20 major economies discussed the ways to reorder trade rules and finances in an era of
technological change and protectionism.
The Indian delegation for G20 Ministerial Meeting was led by the Union Minister of
Commerce and Industry & Railways,Piyush Goyal.
He participated in the discussions related to increasing trade and cooperation to harness
the potential of digital economy.
G-20 surveillance note expected that Indian economy will grow 7.3% in 2019 and 7.5%
in 2020. This was prepared by the staff of International Monetary Fund (IMF).
33. As per UNICEF, 1 in every 5 boys married off before they turn 15.
After the first-ever in-depth analysis of child grooms, the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) study revealed that an estimated 115 million boys and men around the world
were married as children.
Of which 1 in 5 children (23 million) was married off before the age of 15.
The Central African Republic had the highest number of child marriage among males
which accounted for 28%, followed by Nicaragua with 19% and Madagascar with 13%
The total number of child brides and child grooms were 765 million.
34. ‘National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031’ adopted by the Cabinet of UAE.
On June 9, 2019, The Cabinet of United Arab Emirates (UAE) adopted a 12-year strategy
‘National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031’ during its meeting at the Presidential Palace in
Abu Dhabi.
It will be chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime
Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Key Points:
The newly adopted strategy has 2 objectives:
To make UAE a world leader in quality of life by launching 90 new projects that will
improve the physical, psychological and digital health of future generations.
To promote an integrated concept of well being by supporting UAE Vision 2021 and
UAE Centennial 2071.
‘National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031’is the development of the first ‘National Well
being Observatory’ to support the policy-making process.
It is based on a national framework of 3 main levels namely individuals, society and the
country. It comprises of 14 components and 9 strategic objectives, which help in
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enhancing people’s well being by promoting healthy and active lifestyles, promoting
good mental health and adopting positive thinking.
Along with the formation of a National Wellbeing Council to manage and coordinate the
national strategy, it will monitor a number of indicators of wellbeing in the UAE, submit
regular reports to the UAE Cabinet, propose training programs for government
employees and launch of the Academy of Wellbeing future generations.
About UAE:
♦ Capital: Abu Dhabi
♦ Currency: UAE Dirham
35. African Union suspends Sudan, Demands civil Administration.
The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has announced that it has suspended
Sudan’s participation in all AU activities until the productive establishment of Civilian
Government in the country.
The decision was taken at the Peace and Security Council meeting held in Addis Ababa.
The suspension comes after Sudan’s military launched a brutal attack on protesters in the
capital, Khartoum.
Key points:
AU body warned that further action will be taken place if power is not transferred to
civilian authority, a demand of pro-democracy protesters.
The military leadership had taken control over the country after the ouster of Sudan
President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 after months of mass protests.
About African Union:
It is pan-Africa continental union consisting of 55 countries.
It is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It was founded in May 2001 launched in July 2002 in South Africa.
It has official bodies such as Peace and Security Council and Pan-African Parliament.
36. First Arctic train service launched by Russia.
On June 6, 2019, Russia has launched its first tourist train service passing through
Russia’s Arctic region. It begins a journey from Saint Petersburg station to Norway with
91 passengers aboard.
Key points:
The train has been named as Zarengold (“The Tsar’s gold” in German).
It has two restaurant cars and the trip will be expected to take 11 days.
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The tourists will get off the train at Murmansk, and continue by bus to Kirkenes in
Norway before ending their journey with a boat trip to Oslo or by air to the island of
Spitsbergen.
The passengers came from seven countries including the US, Germany, Norway, and
Russia for the inaugural journey.
The train is expected to run twice in 2020 and four times in 2021.
By new trading routes, Russia wants to become the top economic and military power in
the Arctic region.
37. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited the Republic of Maldives on June 8-9, 2019 at the
invitation of Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of Maldives to strengthen
the bilateral ties, reflecting the importance India attached to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
This was the first overseas visit of the Prime Minister after his re-election. PM was received at
Male airport by Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President
of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih jointly inaugurated Coastal Surveillance Radar
System(CSRS) which was built by India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the
Maldives’ highest honour “Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen” by the President of Maldives. “
Prime Minister Modi visited Sri Lanka on June 9, 2019, at the invitation of Mr. Maithripala
Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. On the second leg of PM’s
first foreign visit to Sri Lanka, he was received by the Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe
at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
38. Global Food Production affected by Climate change: Study.
According to recently released research in the journal “PLOS ONE”, stated that Climate change is
adversely affecting the global production of crops such as wheat and rice.
The research was based on study conducted by scientists from the University of Oxford in the
UK and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. They used weather and databases of the crop
to evaluate the impact of climate change.
Key findings:
83% of calories produced by the World’s top ten crops such as wheat, barley, maize, oil palm,
cassava, rice, sorghum, rapeseed, soybean, and sugarcane.
The study shows that a significant yield variation is caused by the Climate change ranging from a
decrease of 4% for oil palm to an increase of 3.5% for soybean, which yields an average
reduction of about 1 percent of consumable food calories.
The findings indicate that the effect of Climate change on food production is negative in Europe,
Southern Africa, and Australia, positive in Latin America, and mixed in Asia and Northern and
Central America.
Meanwhile, certain crops in Upper Midwest United States shows a positive yield by the
exposure of climate change.
39. India ranked 113 out of 176 countries in End of Childhood Index 2019.
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According to the 3rd End of Childhood Index, a part of Changing Lives in Our Lifetime –
Global Childhood Report 2019, India was ranked 113 in 176 countries on the wellbeing
of children with 769 score out of 1000.
The Index was released on May 28, 2019 by ‘Save the Children’, a United Kingdom
(UK) based non-profit organisation which works for child rights.
In 2018, India was ranked 116 among 172 countries.
The Index was topped by Singapore with the score of 989 and 8 European countries
figured among the top 10. South Korea stood at the 10th position.
40. G20 Finance Ministers meeting and Central Bank Governors meet held in Fukuoka,
Japan.
As a part of setting the stage for 2019 G20 Summit, to be held in Osaka, Japan, from 28-
29 June 2019, a G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meet was held in
Fukuoka, Japan on 8-9 June.
It was one of the 8 ministerial meetings taking place in Japan before 2019 G20 summit.
This is for the first time that Japan is hosting the G20 Summit & Ministerial Meetings at
its eight different locations.
The Indian side was led by Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala
Sitharaman which was comprised of Subhash C. Garg, Finance Secretary & Secretary
Economic Affairs, Dr. Viral Acharya, Deputy Governor of RBI and other officers
The ministers have called for the creation of a digital tax for multinational technology
companies in order to prevent tax evasion and to modernise policies. Its details will be
finalized in 2020.
41. Gandhi peace rally held in Saudi Arabia.
On Jue 7,2019, To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Embassy
organized the ‘Gandhi Cycle Rally for Peace’, in Saudi Arabia.
The rally was organized in association with the Diplomatic Quarter Authority and Saudi
Cycling Federation.
Key points:
The rally was flagged off by the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Dr.Ausaf Sayeed.
The Saudi nationals, diplomats, Indian Diaspora attended the rally.
This was the first time this kind of rally held in Diplomatic Quarters in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
About Saudi Arabia:
♦ Capital: Riyadh
♦ Currency: Saudi riyal
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♦ King: Salman of Saudi Arabia
42. 2nd Global Disability Summit held at Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The 2nd Global Disability Summit was held at Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 6 to
June 8, 2019.
The objectives of the summit were to deliberate on issues across the world concerning
empowerment and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and to work out a
mechanism for enabling them to live an independent and dignified life.
Key Points:
Indian delegation was headed by the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment
Shri Thaawar chand Gehlot and it comprised of Secretary, Department of Empowerment
of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Smt Shankutala Gamlin, Joint Secretary, DEPwD,
Dr. Prabodh Seth and Shri Neeraj Semwal, Private Secretary to Union Minister.
The Global leaders at the summit expressed their commitments towards eliminating
stigma and discrimination against PwDs. They also committed to working towards
promoting inclusive education, economic empowerment, technology and innovation in
assistive devices, data desegregation for them.
On June 9 and 10, 2019, the Indian delegation also participated in the bilateral
discussions with the Government of Argentina in order to develop a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between 2 countries.
The 1st Global Disability Summit, hosted by UK Department for International
Development (UK DFID)along with the co-hosts International Disability Alliance (IDA)
and Government of Kenya, was held at London, United Kingdom (UK) in 2018.
About International Disability Alliance (IDA):
It is an umbrella organization focused on improving awareness and rights for individuals with
disabilities around the globe. It was created in 1999. At present, the Chairman of IDA is Ana
Lucía Arellano.
43. El Salvador Legislative Assembly Declares “Forests as Living Entities”.
The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has recognized forests as living entities on the
World Environment Day( 5th June, 2019).
Its citizens will now be required to preserve forests and respect them as more than just
property.
Key points:
Since 1960s, El Salvador has lost about 85 % of its native forests and the planet as a
whole have lost about 80 percent of its native forests.
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A coalition in El Salvador named “Yes for the Rights of Nature” (Sí por los Derechos de
la Naturaleza), has environmentalists and social leaders called for recognizing forests as
living entities.
About El Salvador
♦ Capital: San Salvador
♦ Currency: United States Dollar
♦ President: Nayib Bukele
44. India designated as guest country at Guadalajara International Book Fair in
Mexico.
India has been designated as the guest country in the 33rd Feria Internacional del Libro
de Guadalajara (Guadalajara International Book Fair), in Mexico. The nodal agency,
under the Ministry of Human Resource and Development claimed it to be the largest
book fair in the Spanish speaking world.
The fair will be organised from 30th November to 8th December, 2019.
Indian Pavilion will show case the Ancient and rare manuscripts including
“Mahabharata” and “Ramayana” along with photo books, handicrafts and paintings in the
event.
The exhibition will also feature art by 40 renowned Indian women artists including
Arpana Caur, Paula Sengupta, and Seema Kohli.At the same time another event, titled
“Festival of India” will showcase folk, classical and contemporary cultural programmes.
Indian films like “Dangal”, “Chennai Express” and “Omkara” will also be featured in the
film festival that will be organised at the Mexico International Book Fair.
About Guadalajara International Book Fair:
♦ Inaugurated – 1987
♦ Organized by – University of Guadalajara
45. PM Modi to attend the G7 Summit in France as a special invitee.
French President, Emmanuel Macron has invited Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to
attend the 45th session of the G7 Summit in Biarritz in France as a special invitee.
The summit of the G7 group of countries scheduled to take place from August 24 to
August 26.
Key points:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation for the summit.
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The Seven (G7) countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
France ‘s Minister of state for foreign affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne is recently visting
India for the first time.
The G7 Summit 2018 (44th Summit) was held in Quebec, Canada.
About France:
♦ Capital: Paris
♦ Prime minister: Edouard Philippe
46. 16th Asia Media Summit held in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.
The 16th Edition of Asia Media Summit (AMS) 2019 was held in Siem Reap province,
Cambodia from June 12 to June 14, 2019.
It was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen. AMS was
held under the topic “Media Digitalization Focusing on Developing Markets” and it gave
a call to fight against fake news and cyber-crimes.
Key Points:
It was organized by Cambodian Ministry of Information in collaboration with the Asia-
Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).
An information ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the summit agreed to launch
Angkor Fake News Initiative. It a year-long research project to find out appropriate
measures to counter fake news.
47. India ranked 141 in global peace index, Iceland remains Peaceful
Australian think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) released the report, ‘Global
peace index 2019’ stated that India ranked 141 among 163 countries on the Global Peace
Index. Iceland topped the in the list.
Key findings:
The ranking of India in 2018 was the 136th.
Most peaceful: Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has
held since 2008. Other countries at top of the Global Peace Index (GPI) are New Zealand,
Austria, Portugal, and Denmark.
Least peaceful: Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world now replacing
Syria, which is the second least peaceful. South Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the
remaining five least peaceful countries
South Asian countries status: Bhutan (15th), Sri Lanka (72), Nepal (76), Bangladesh(
101) and Pakistan (153) on the index.
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About Global Peace Index (GPI):
♦ Established: 2007
♦ The GPI was founded by Steve Killelea, an Australian technology entrepreneur and
philanthropist.
48. India constitutes 12% of global internet users.
According to the report on internet trends released by the venture capitalist Mary Meeker
stated that India ranks second by witnessing 12% world internet users (close to 455
million).
China leads the chart with 21% of global internet users while U.S (United States) placed
third with 8%.
Key points:
Now the total internet users (88 billion)is more than half the world’s population.
The growth in internet users in India was mainly driven by low price data plans
introduced by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and cheaper smartphones.
The report points out that, the number of people active online in 2018 was approximately
8 billion or 51% of the world’s population compared to 2017 with 3.6 billion people or
49% of the world’s population.
The report also states that Asia Pacific contributed the most number of internet users,
53% of the global population, followed by Europe and Africa.
49. Canada to curb single use plastics from 2021.
On June 10, 2019, The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced to ban single
use plastics from
The products which are expected to be banned are cotton swabs, cutlery, plates, straws,
bags and drink stirrers. The goal of the government is “Zero plastic waste (from) coast to
coast”. This is done to reduce ocean waste.
Key Points:
The estimated figures show that one million birds and over 100,000 marine mammals die
or get injured when they get caught in plastic or ingest it.
The decision was made following the establishment of an Ocean Plastics Charter at the
G7 conference
50. Venezuela to roll out three new banknotes due to Hyperinflation.
On June 12, 2019, The Venezuelan government announced that it will issue new
banknotes due to racketing hyperinflation which eroded the currency’s value.
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The central bank of Venezuela will release new Banknotes of 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000
bolivar denominations.
Key points:
The decision aims to control the prevailing hyperinflationary situation that reached more
than 3 million percent and strengthen the payment system and commercial transactions in
the country.
The highest bill in circulation was 500 bolivar note before the announcement.
The largest denominations banknotes of 50,000 bolivars are worth about Rs.560 ($8)
which is more than the minimum wage of 40,000
About Venezuela:
♦ Currencies: Venezuelan bolivar, Sovereign Bolivar
♦ Capital: Caracas
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Banking & Finance
51. Paytm Payments Bank ahead of major banks in digital transaction target with
501.16 crore digital transactions .
Paytm Payments Bank with 501.16 crore digital transactions for the financial year 2019-
20 is ahead of major banks including HDFC Bank, Industrial Credit, and Investment
Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank and Punjab National Bank (PNB) in digital transaction
target set by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Key Points:
It is only behind the State Bank of India (SBI) which has the highest target for digital
transactions.
Only 5 banks have received a target of more than 100 crore transactions. They are HDFC
Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, PNB and Union Bank of India (UBI).
In FY 2018-19, Paytm payments bank had crossed the target of 354 crore transactions
and recorded 393 crore digital transfers. It has a market share of 19% and 32%
respectively in terms of mobile banking and Unified Payments Interface
(UPI)transactions.
It processes over Rs 3 lakh crore worth of digital transactions on an annual basis.
In terms of deposits, it has more than Rs 500 crore deposits in savings accounts as of
April 2019. It is largest among the payments bank in India.
About Paytm Payments Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
♦ Chairman: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
♦ Tag line: Simplifying Payments for India
52. State Bank of India to introduce repo-linked home loan product from July 1.
On June 7, 2019, State Bank of India (SBI) announced to introduce repo-linked home
loan product from July 1, 2019. It has become the first bank to offer this facility. It means
any changes in the key interest rate by the central bank would be passed on directly to the
customers.
Key Points:
The home loans up to Rs 75 lakh will be priced at 2.65% over the repo rate of 5.75%
resulting in the interest rate of 8.40%. At present, it offers home loans linked to its
MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate) at 8.55%.
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