International News
Sudan suspended for no Civilian rule in Country
- The African Union's Peace and Security Council has suspended Sudan as there is no civilian rule established in the country.
- The decision was taken at AU's Peace and Security Council meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
- The AU's suspension followed the forceful dispersal of the month-long sit-ins.
- About the African Union(AU):
- The AU was founded on 26th May 2001 and was launched on 9th July 2002.
- The AU aims to achieve greater unity, cohesion, and solidarity between the African countries.
SriLankan Airlines named 'World's Most Punctual Airline'
- SriLankan Airlines named as the 'World's Most Punctual Airline' for the second consecutive time with over 90 percent of its flights in May being on time.
- This status was achieved for the second time in less than 12 months.
- SriLankan Airlines said achieving this status in May was impressive due to the challenges caused by heightened security at the airline's hub at the Bandaranaike International Airport in capital Colombo following the April 21 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 250 people.
National News
Rajnath Singh to chair Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is to chair the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs in the second term of the NDA government.
- Decisions on all the parliament matters will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
- Apart from these 4 committees, he is also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
Bihar to waive off 50% of Taxes on e-rickshawas
- The announcement was made by the deputy chief minister of state Sushil Kumar Modi.
- 3 cities of Bihar namely Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur are placed among the most 20 polluted cities of the world in a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Seven departments of the state government have collectively prepared an integrated action plan to tackle the menace of pollution in the polluted cities of Bihar.
Bancha, the First Solar Kitchen only Village in India
- Bancha in Betul district in Madhya Pradesh is the first village in India to have zero wooden stoves and almost no use for LPG cylinders with all its 75 houses relying on solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs.
- There are places in India where solar plates are used sporadically for cooking, but with the help of a team from IIT Mumbai, a special solar stove was developed.
- No trees are cut by the villagers now for lighting their stoves.
- The Central government's decision to choose Bancha has changed has set an example which can be replicated to make other villages smoke and pollution free.
Pink Sarathi Vehicles Launched by Karnataka Government
- Karnataka government has launched 'Pink Sarathi' vehicles that are procured by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and it will use the vehicles to attend to the grievances of women passengers in city buses.
- It was launched by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
- The BMTC now has a fleet of 25 Pink Sarathi vehicles fitted with GPS and public announcement systems.
- It will also take on other tasks such as manning traffic movement at bus bays making sure that drivers stop at the designated stops, taking action against bus crew when they fail to close the door once the vehicle is in motion, and ensuring that men are not occupying seats reserved for women.
ASI declared Chaukhandi Stupa as of National Important Monument
- Chaukhandi Stupa, an ancient Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, has been declared as a Monument and Protected Area of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty mound of brick whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal tower.
- It was built to mark the place where Lord Buddha met his first disciples as he traveled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath.
- About the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):
- ASI was formed on 1861 and is headquartered at New Delhi, India.
- It functions under the Ministry of Culture.
India & Portugal to set up National Maritime Heritage Museum
- India has partnered with Portugal to set up a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal in Gujarat.
- Details:
- The Indian Navy will be the stakeholder in the project and the Portuguese Navy will assist as they have experience in it by administering the maritime museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Implementation of the Project:
- In March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project and the Government of India has allocated a grant for building the maritime museum.
- Partnership and plans for the Museum:
- The initial discussion about the partnership was held during the visit of Portuguese Defence Minister João Gomes Cravinho to India in April 2019.
Bihar to punish Children for abandoning Elderly Parents
- The Bihar State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has approved the proposal to punish sons and daughters, who abandon their elderly parents, with a jail term.
- Such cases will be registered under the non-bail able section after receiving complaints from elderly parents.
- The decision is expected to have a huge impact in society in taking care of the elderly, who are at times neglected or abandoned by their wards.
IRSDC enters into Tripartite Agreement with French Railways & AFD
- The Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) entered into a Tripartite Agreement with French National Railways (SNCF) & AFD, a French development agency in order to support Railway Station Development Program in India.
- Under the Tripartite Agreement, AFD will provide in-kind grant financing up to €700,000 to French Railways (SNCF), to provide technical know-how to Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC), which is the station development arm of Indian Railways.
- Significance of this Tripartite Agreement:
- The recently signed Tripartite Agreement will go a long way in further strengthening cooperation between India and France, as well as help Indian Railways in positioning its stations in accordance to world class standards.
Banking
Interest Rates Reduced RBI by 25 basis Points to 5.75%
- The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced interest rates by 25 basis points to 5.75% with immediate effect amid slowing economic growth and rising global uncertainty, for the 3rd time in a row.
- The reduction is expected to bring down the EMIs on home and auto loans and reduce the debt repayment burden on corporates.
- What is repo rate?
- It is the rate at which the central bank of a country, that is RBI, lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds.
RBI scraps NEFT and RTGS Transaction Charges
- The Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) is meant for large-value instantaneous fund transfers while the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) System is used for fund transfers up to Rs 2 lakh.
- RBI expects the banks to pass on the benefits of this move to customers.
- Also, the RBI has decided to set up a committee to review the charges levied on the use to ATMs as the usage by the public has been growing significantly.
RBI imposed Rs. 2 cr penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Kotak Mahindra Bank for not furnishing information about the dilution of promoter shareholding.
- The penalty was imposed by the RBI in exercise of powers vested in it under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
- About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
- It was established on 1st April 1935.
- The current Governor of RBI is Shaktikanta Das.
Reports
Gujarat tops Annual Fish Production of 7.8 lakh tonnes
- Gujarat topped the country with annual fish production of 7.8 lakh tonnes, followed by Tamil Nadu (7.02 lakh tonnes) and Kerala (6.43 lakh tonnes) according to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
- The Fisheries Resources Assessment Division (FRAD) of CMFRI had collected random sampling data across the state and finalized the provisional figure.
- Fish export in 2018:
- While Cuttlefish (Cephalopods), prawns, Pomfrets, crabs and fishes belonging to the family of Percidae were exported, the protein-rich Sardines and Anchovies were sold in the local markets.
Appointments
| Name of the Person | Designation |
| Tijjani Muhammad-Bande | President of UN General Assembly |
| Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel | Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court |
| Mrutyunjay Mohapatra | Chief of India Meteorological Department (IMD) |
| RK Chibber | Interim Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank |
| Romila Thapar | International Member of the American Philosophical Society |
| Virendra Kumar | Pro-Tem Speaker of Lok Sabha |
| Kassym-Jomart Tokayev | President of Kazakhstan |
| Thawarchand Gehlot | Leader of Rajya Sabha |
Awards and Honours
| Award | Awardee |
| 'Nishan Izzuddin'- Maldives' award | Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
| Distinguished Alumni Award | Nirmala Sitharaman and S. Jaishankar |
| Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award | Priyanka Chopra |
Important Days
| Date | Day | Theme |
| 8th June 2019 | World Oceans Day | Theme: "Gender and Oceans" |
| 12th June 2019 | World Day Against Child Labour | Theme: Children shouldn't work in fields, but on dreams! |
Science and Technology
Google Maps Launches Three New Public Transport Features
- Google has invented three new features- Bus travel times from live traffic in 10 of the largest cities in India, Live train status for Indian Railways trains and Mixed-mode commute suggestions that now combine auto-rickshaw and public transport.
- Google Maps enable users to know how long a bus trip will take when factoring in live traffic conditions.
- This feature is launched in 10 cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chennai, Mysore, Coimbatore and Surat.
- Interesting to know:
- India is the top three countries for Google Maps transit usage.
New Species of Dung Beetle found in Arunachal Pradesh
- The new discovery named 'Enoplotrupes Tawangensis' is a 27-mm-long insect, relatively bigger than most dung beetles.
- The shining dark blue insect was first examined by two scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) - Kailash Chandra and Devanshu Gupta.
- The species plays an important in agriculture and tropical forests.
- They bury and consume dung and in turn improves nutrient recycling and soil structure.
IAF signs Rs 300 cr deal to buy 100 more SPICE bombs
- It is manufactured by Israeli defence firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.
- One must know:
- SPICE bombs were used by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to attack the madrasa of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26, in response to the terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel.
India's First Dinosaur Museum-Cum- Park in Gujarat
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated India's first Dinosaur-Museum-cum-Park in Balasinor city in the Mahisagar district.
- The museum is located in Raiyoli area in Balasinor city which exhibit remains of various dinosaurs and fossil records.
- About the Dinosaur-Museum-cum-Park:
- It is equipped with modern technology like 3D projection, virtual reality presentations, interactive kiosks and life-size dinosaur replicas.
- It is a world-class tourism spot and will prove useful to students as well as experts.
Cabinet approved the setting up of DSRO
- The approval is aimed to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to fight wars in space.
- Members of DSRO:
- DSRO would constitute a team of scientists which would be working in close coordination with the tri-services integrated Defence staff officers.
- Functions of DSRO:
- DSRO will provide technical and research support to its parent organization, the Defence Space Agency (DSA).
- About DSA:
- The aim of setting up of DSA is to help the country fight wars in the space.
- DSA is being set up under an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer in Bengaluru.
Manipur man detects WhatsApp bug enters FB 'Hall of Fame'
- Facebook, the social media giant honoured 22-year-old Mr. Sougaijam, by including him in Facebook Hall of Fame 2019 and also awarded $5000.
- About the WhatsApp Bug:
- During a voice call via WhatsApp, the bug instilled used to allow a caller to upgrade it to a video call even without the authorisation and knowledge of the receiver.
- The WhatsApp caller was then able to see what other person on receiving end is doing, thus violating the privacy of the receiver.
Sports
Indian Jr. Women's Hockey Team wins Cantor Fitzgerald U21
- Mumtaz Khan finished as the highest goal scorer of the tournament.
- Ireland created three PCs over the period of the final quarter was thwarted by a resolute Bichu Devi and the Indian defense to ensure that the team ended up with a clean sheet.
IAAF changes its Name to "World Athletics"
- The members of IAAF council have approved the rebranding at an IAAF Council meeting held in Monaco on 8th June.
- Purpose of this rebranding:
- It will see the organisation take on its new name and a re-designed logo after the 2019 World Athletics Championship in Doha in October.
- One must know:
- When it was founded the name it had was International Amateur Athletic Federation.
- It was then changed to International Association of Athletics Federations in 2001.
