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Current Affairs Magic

Weekly Current Affairs Update

Current Affairs Magic June 20 to 25, 2018 www.globalias

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For the Week: June 20 to 25, 2018

HEADLINES

Section A: INDIA

Govt sets up CM‘s group to coordinate policy for farm sector, MGNREGS

Indian Medical Association to support AB-NHPM

Handbook on legal processes for Police in respect of Crime against Children launched

5th National Standards Conclave organised in New Delhi

WWF-India launches first-ever nature-themed comic book

Resignation of YSRCP MPs accepted

Anukreethy Vas crowned Femina Miss India 2018

Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

President Ram Nath Kovind visits Greece, Suriname and Cuba

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visits Italy, France, Luxembourg and Belgium

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visits Mongolia

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari visits Tajikistan

India hits back at US with higher import duties on farm, steel products

Nepal‘s agriculture minister visits India

India, Bangladesh navies to start Coordinated Patrol

Section C: WORLD

US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

World Refugee Day observed on June 20

United Nations United Nations Public Service Day observed on June 23

US extends sanctions on North Korea for a year

President Trump signs order to end family separations at U.S. border

Pakistan has more nuclear warheads than India: SIPRI

South Korea, US suspend major military exercise

China, Nepal to build Tibet-Kathmandu railway link

Canada legalises recreational use of marijuana nationwide

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern becomes second elected leader to give birth in office

Ex-South Korean PM Kim Jong-pil dies at 92

Veteran Pak diplomat Jamsheed Marker dies at 95

Celebrated Urdu satirist Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi dies in Pak at 94

Koko, the gorilla who knew sign language, dies at 46

World‘s oldest Sumatran orangutan dies aged 62 in Australia

Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IBM computer debates with humans

ISS deploys satellite to clear up space junk

Norway tests 2-seater electric aircraft

Section E: AWARDS

India Smart Cities Awards conferred

Vishwas Mandalik in Nasik, Yoga Institute in Mumbai recipients of PM award

UK-India Awards conferred

Sahitya Akademi announces winners for Bal Sahitya, Yuva Puraskar for 2018

Smart India Hackathon 2018 Hardware Awards conferred



Current Affairs Magic June 20 to 25, 2018 www.globalias June 20 to 25, 2018

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Indian contingent, part of UN peacekeeping mission, awarded

WCD Ministry conferred with ‗Best Performing Social Sector Ministry‘ award by SKOCH

Vasundhara Raje conferred with ‗Chief Minister of the Year‘ award at Skoch Summit

Arunachal Pradesh wins ‗SKOCH Order-of Merit‘ Award

Ugandan scientist wins Africa Engineering Prize

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wins PEN Pinter prize

Preti Taneja wins Desmond Elliott Prize

Italy‘s Osteria Francescana is world‘s best restaurant

Black Panther wins big at MTV Awards

Kalki Koechlin conferred with French honour

Tim Robbins to receive Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary Festival

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI tightens remittance norms

RBI directs banks to upgrade software at ATMs by June 2019 or face penalty

Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held in Mumbai

SEBI eases norms for share buy-backs, IPOs

SEBI scraps IPO grading, safety net

Further Fund Offer (FFO) of Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund launched

RITES IPO subscribed over 66 times

Bank of Maharashtra CMD Ravindra Marathe arrested in 30-bn DSK Group scam

Arijit Basu to be State Bank of India‘s new Managing Director

B. Sriram of SBI appointed MD & CEO of IDBI Bank

N. S. Kannan appointed as ICICI Prudential‘s MD and CEO

Ananta Barua appointed as SEBI whole-time member

Section G: ECONOMY

Forex reserves decline by USD 3.03 bn to USD 410.07 bn

India Infrastructure Expo 2018 organised in Mumbai

Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian resigns

Section H: CORPORATE

Air India set to have ‗Maharaja‘ class seats on international flights

Sri Sri Tattva launches apparel brand BYOGI

NASSCOM launches programme to support women techies

Centre to use ‗Turnitin‘ software to curb Ph.D plagiarism

AC manufacturers to keep default setting at 24 degree Celsius

HCL launches app dedicated to Indian classical music

Ducati drives in Multistrada 1260 in India at Rs 1.6 million

Instagram reaches one billion active users

Google announces training programme for journalists in India

Microsoft buys student video discussion platform Flipgrid

YouTube offers creators new ways to earn money

Paul Polman appointed new Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich quits

Kazuo Kashio, co-founder of Casio, dies at 89

Amazon‘s Jeff Bezos now world‘s richest with $141 billion net worth: Forbes

Section I: STATES

President approves imposition of Governor‘s rule in J&K

Sindhu Darshan Festival begins in Ladakh




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Haryana gives star rankings to panchayats on 7 parameters

Haryana govt. to set up ‗Yog Aayog‘

Guinness World Record set at State Level yoga celebration in Kota

Happiness curriculum in Delhi govt schools from July

PM Modi launches Mohanpura Irrigation project in MP

Punjab offers saplings through mobile app

Plastic ban comes into force in Maharashtra from June 23

Legal heir or wife of martyred soldiers from Maharashtra to get two hectares land

Gujarat unveils Suryashakti Kisan Yojana to encourage farmers to use, produce solar power

World‘s first International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics launched in Gujarat

AIIMS in Tamil Nadu to come up near Madurai

Life size statue of General K M Cariappa unveiled at OTA

Kerala‘s 4th international airport at Kannur to open in September

HRD Ministry approves inter-university yoga centre in S-VYASA varsity in Bengaluru

Shillong 100th city to be selected under Smart Cities Mission

Visva-Bharati setting up ‗Yoga Gram‘ with central grant

Meghalaya: Cong MLA resigns; party loses ‗single largest party‘ tag in Assembly

Sikkim govt announces A R Rahman as its Brand Ambassador

Poetess Sujatha Devi dies in Thiruvananthapuram at 72

Veteran rock climber and mountaineer dies Gautam Kanjilal at 69

Legendary mimicry artiste Venumadhav dies at 85

Section J: SPORTS

Ulaanbaatar Cup Boxing: India win 1 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals

Chemistry Cup Boxing: India win 2 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals

Kidambi Srikanth named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

England posts highest ever ODI total

Sandeep Sejwal clinches gold at Singapore National Swimming Championships

Australian golfer Peter Thomson dies at 85

Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One French Grand Prix

Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Austin Krajicek win Men‘s Doubles at Ilkley Challenger tennis

Karman Kaur Thandi wins Women‘s Singles title on ITF Pro circuit in Hong Kong

Borna Coric wins Men‘s Singles title at Halle Open tennis

R. Praggnanandhaa becomes India‘s youngest Grand Master

Amit Saroha wins gold at World para athletics GP

India-Spain women‘s hockey series ends 2-2

Olympic Day celebrated on June 23




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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

Govt sets up CM’s group to coordinate policy for farm sector, MGNREGS

The government on June 19, 2018 said it has constituted a chief ministers‘ sub-group to coordinate policy approaches for agriculture and MGNREGS with the

Madhya Pradesh CM Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan as the convener. Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim along

with NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand are the members of the subgroup. The move comes against the backdrop of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra

Modi towards doubling farmers‘ income by 2022 which requires a multi-dimensional and inclusive approach, it added.

According to the statement, the terms of reference of the sub-group include suggesting a wider choice of state-specific interventions both for pre-sowing

and post-harvest to further improve the thrust on incomes, water conservation and waste to wealth.

Other terms of reference include making recommendations on interventions of MGNREGS that can facilitate reduction of agrarian distress including work

availability, wage rates and seasonality as also to explore the possibilities of MGNREGS as a livelihood resource for development and diversification of income

of small and marginal farmers specially belonging to SC/ST households. The sub-group will submit its report within three months from its date of

constitution.

Indian Medical Association to support AB-NHPM

Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO, Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Mission and Dr. R. N. Tandon, Honorary Secretary General, Indian Medical Association

(IMA) met to discuss the potential collaboration in implementing Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM).

According to a press note issued by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry on June 22, 2018, the IMA representatives agreed to extend their support for

better implementation of AB-NHPM especially in field of empanelment of hospitals, spreading awareness and beneficiary identification processes. Key issues

like timely payments to the hospitals, feedback & grievance mechanism, ease of setting up of IT infrastructure at hospitals for paperless transactions etc. were

deliberated on, and constructive suggestions were made during the meeting.

AB-NHPM is designed to provide financial protection and prevent catastrophic health care expenditures to over ten crore poor and vulnerable families and

endow a cover for cashless hospitalization services of upto Rs. 5 lakh per family per year

Handbook on legal processes for Police in respect of Crime against Children launched

Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on June 19, 2018 launched the ―Handbook on legal processes for Police in

respect of Crime against Children‖ in New Delhi. The Handbook is a composite tool which will aid Police personnel to chart a step-by-step procedure to be

adopted in cases of crime against children. Legislations and the latest rulings of Courts are also mentioned in the book. A team led by Dr. P.M. Nair of the

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has developed this comprehensive, user-friendly, process oriented document published by the Bureau of Police

Research and Development (BPR&D) in partnership with TISS.

5th

National Standards Conclave organised in New Delhi

The 5th

National Standards Conclave–Implementing the Indian National Strategy for Standardization was organised in New Delhi on June 19-20 2018 by

Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu released the national strategy for

standardisation. He said that India‘s quest for providing best quality begins with identifying standards.

WWF-India launches first-ever nature-themed comic book

Aiming to foster love for the nature and raise awareness about its protection among children, the WWF-India has launched its first-ever comic book that also

celebrates the geographical diversity of the country. ‗The Great Indian Nature Trail with Uncle Bikky‘ follows the travels of its protagonists Uncle Bikky,

Chunmun and their dog Duggu as they learn about wildlife across India, and uses a humorous approach towards raising knowledge and awareness for

wildlife protection and conservation. Divided into over 16 chapters, the book has been the joint work of Rohan Chakravarty and Bijal Vachharajani.

Resignation of YSRCP MPs accepted

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on June 21, 2018 accepted the resignation of five YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MPs, 76 days after they submitted

resignations on April 6. The delay in accepting the resignation now rules out any possibility of a bypoll in the five seats since the Lok Sabha elections are now

less than a year away. As per the Lok Sabha notification, the resignations have been accepted with effect from June 20.




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RECENT BOOKS

FICTION

Look: Here, There and Everywhere by Sudha Murty

Goodbye Freddie Mercury by Nadia Akbar

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The Conqueror: The Thrilling Tale of the King Who Mastered the Seas, Rajendra Chola I by Aditya Iyengar

The Night Ferry by Lotte Hammer, Søren Hammer (translated by Charlotte Barslund)

The Glass House: A Year of Our Days by Chanchal Sanyal

Eleventh Hour by S. Hussain Zaidi

Jangam: A Forgotten Exodus in which Thousands Died by Debendranath Acharya (translated by Amit R. Baishya)

Return To Jammu by V. Raghunathan

Koi Good News by Zarreen Khan

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi (translated by Jonathan Wright)

NON-FICTION

Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle by Saifuddin Soz

Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian

Kannur: Inside India‘s Bloodiest Revenge Politics by Ullekh N.P.

In Pursuit of Proof: A History of Identification Documents in India by Tarangini Sriraman

How Democracy Ends by David Runciman

Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens & Begums of the Mughal Empire by Ira Mukhoty

The Sensational Life & Death of Qandeel Baloch by Sanam Maher

NEWSMAKERS

Anukreethy Vas crowned Femina Miss India 2018

Anukreethy Vas, a 19-year-old college student from Tamil Nadu, was crowned fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2018 in Mumbai on June 20, 2018. Meenakshi

Chaudhary, 21, from Haryana was declared the first runner-up while Andhra Pradesh‘s Shrey Rao Kamvarapu, 23, stood as the second runner-up.




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Section B: INDIA & THE WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

President Ram Nath Kovind visits Greece, Suriname and Cuba

President Ram Nath Kovind went on a three-nation tour of Greece, Suriname and Cuba from June 18 to 22, 2018.

GREECE

On June 18, Kovind met his Greek counterpart, President Prokopis Pavlopoulos at the Presidential Mansion in Athens. Kovind informed the Greek delegation

that India had accepted the invitation to participate in the prestigious Thessaloniki International Fair, 2019 as the ―Honoured Country‖. The President also met

the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras and the two leaders discussed different issues of mutual interest to both nations.

Three MoUs were signed- (i) the MoU between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and National Quality Infrastructure System/Hellenic Organization for

Standardization on Cooperation in the Fields of Standardization; (ii) MoU between Foreign Service Institute (FSI), India and Diplomatic Academy, Greece on

Cooperation in Diplomatic Training and (iii) the Programme of Cultural Cooperation for the year 2018-2020. Kovind laid a wreath at the Phaleron Indian

Cremation Memorial where the remains of the 74 soldiers of undivided India who sacrificed their lives during World War II were laid to rest.

On June 19, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed a gathering of diplomats, policymakers and academics in Athens on the subject ―India and Europe in a

Changing World‖. The event was organised by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) – a leading foreign policy think tank in

Greece and in Europe.

SURINAME

Kovind landed at the Johan Adolf Pengel International airport in Paramaribo on June 19, 2018.

On June 20, Kovind attended a luncheon banquet hosted in his honour by the President of Suriname Desire Delano Bouterse. He also addressed a community

reception in Paramaribo. This was the first ever visit of an Indian President to Suriname. Kovind addressed the National Assembly of Suriname. He announced

that India will extend concessional financing of US Dollars 20 million for setting up a solar project to provide clean energy to a cluster of 49 villages in

Suriname.

On June 21, Kovind, participated in the 4th

International Yoga Day celebrations in Suriname‘s capital Paramaribo along with the Bouterse. He also laid the

foundation stone of an Indian Cultural Centre in Paramaribo. The Centre will be dedicated to the promotion of Hindustani music and culture.

CUBA

Kovind arrived in Santiago de Cuba on June 21. He visited the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery to pay his tributes to national heroes of Cuba – Jose Marti, Fidel

Castro, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes and Mariana Grajales. Subsequently, the President landed in Havana on the same day. On June 22, Kovind held talks with

his counterpart President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The two countries sign two MoUs – one on Traditional Medicine and Homeopathy and second on

Biotechnology. The President addressed the students of Havana University before leaving for New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visits Italy, France, Luxembourg and Belgium

BELGIUM

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on June 22, 2018 met European Union high representative Federica Mogherini in Brussels, Belgium and held

discussions on a range of issues including security, trade and investment. Swaraj also met her Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders. She also met President of

European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on June 22 in Brussels. Swaraj arrived in Belgium on June 20 from Luxembourg on the last leg of her four-nation

tour. Earlier, she had visited France and Italy.

LUXEMBOURG

On June 20, Swaraj called on Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, space

and people-to-people relationship. Swaraj, who arrived in Luxembourg on June 19, also made a courtesy call on Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri Albert

Gabriel Felix Marie Guillaume. Swaraj then had a meeting with Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn. Swaraj had arrived in

Luxembourg for a two-day visit from France

FRANCE




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Swaraj arrived in Paris from Rome on June 18, said that India will construct a war memorial at Villers Guislain, a town around 200 km from Paris, to highlight

the contribution of the soldiers of the undivided India to the freedom of France in the World War I. Swaraj met her counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and the

two sides reviewed the bilateral relations. India and France are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership.

ITALY

India and Italy on June 18 agreed to boost cooperation in counter-terrorism and cybersecurity as Swaraj met the top Italian leadership including Prime

Minister Giuseppe Conte and her Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi in Rome.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visits Mongolia

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid an official visit to Mongolia from June 21 to 24, 2018. During the visit, Home Minister called on the President of

Mongolia, K. Battulga and held talks with Prime Minister U. Khurelsukh and other cabinet members on wide-ranging issues of bilateral interest, including

cooperation between India and Mongolia in disaster risk reduction, border management, and capacity building programmes in security domain. During the

visit, Singh presided over the ground-breaking ceremony of Mongolia‘s first petrochemical refinery project. The refinery will be built with a Line of Credit of

US$ 1 billion extended by India, which was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to Mongolia in 2015. It will reduce Mongolia‘s

dependence on foreign gasoline imports, particularly from Russia. Nearly all of its petroleum products come from Russia.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari visits Tajikistan

India and Tajikistan have reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations and agreed to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in sustainable

water development. This was announced after Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport

& Highways and Shipping, held talks with Sirodjidin Muhridin, Foreign Minister of Tajikistan in Dushanbe on June 20, 2018. Gadkari was on a two-day official

visit to the central Asian republic to represent India at the high level global conference on ―International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable

Development‖.

India hits back at US with higher import duties on farm, steel products

India increased duties on a slew of farm products, steel and iron imported from the United States, joining the European Union and China in retaliatory action

against President Donald Trump‘s tariff hikes on steel and aluminium. In tariff rates issued on June 20, 2018, the Union Commerce Ministry named some

varieties of apples, almonds, chickpeas, lentils, walnuts and artemia that would carry higher import taxes. Most of these are purchased from the United States.

India also raised duties on some grades of iron and steel products. In May 2018, India launched a complaint at the World Trade Organisation against the

United States over the steel and aluminium duties after it failed to win an exemption. Some of the new Indian rates will take effect immediately while the

others would go into force on August 4.

Nepal’s agriculture minister visits India

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh met his Nepalese counterpart Chakra Pani Khanal, Minister for Agriculture, Land

Management and Cooperatives, in New Delhi on June 19, 2018 and assured him of India‘s support to further Nepal‘s agriculture sector. Khanal was on a 5-

day visit from June 19-23, 2018. He visited Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa and National Centre of Organic Farming, Ghaziabad.

India, Bangladesh navies to start Coordinated Patrol

India and Bangladesh have agreed to institute a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) as an annual feature between the two navies. The first edition will be

inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba during his visit there from June 24 to 29. The Navy regularly conducts CORPATs with Indonesia, Myanmar and

Thailand. It also conducts EEZ surveillance of Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles on their request.




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Section C: WORLD

NEWS ROUND UP

US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

The US has quit the United Nations Human Rights Council, America‘s Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced on June 20, 2018, calling it a ―cesspool

of political bias‖ that targets Israel disproportionately while ignoring atrocities in other countries.

The Geneva-based Human Rights Council is a 47-member inter-governmental body within the UN system tasked with upholding human rights.

The move to quit UN came down one day after the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed the separation of children from their

parents at the US-Mexico border as ―unconscionable.‖

In 2017, the Trump administration had notified the UNESCO, another UN body, of the US decision to withdraw from the organisation, citing Washington‘s

concerns with mounting arrears at the UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organisation, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.

World Refugee Day observed on June 20

The World Refugee Day was observed on June 20, 2018. The day is observed on 20 June every year to draw attention to the plight of displaced people

around the globe. Inaugurated by the UN Refugee Agency, the occasion was first observed in 2001. ―We are at a watershed, where success in managing

forced displacement globally requires a new and far more comprehensive approach so that countries and communities aren‘t left dealing with this alone,‖

said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

World Music Day celebrated on June 21

World Music Day, also known as Fête de la Musique, was celebrated on June 21, 2018. The day is held on June 21, the summer solstice in the Northern

Hemisphere. The day sees the encouraging of people in hundreds of cities around the world to play music in public spaces, with free concerts and other

events held to celebrate.

International Widows’ Day observed on June 23

International Widows‘ Day was observed on June 23, 2018. Although accurate information is limited, it has been estimated that there are some 258 million

widows around the world, with over 115 million of them living in deep poverty.

United Nations United Nations Public Service Day observed on June 23

United Nations Public Service Day was observed on June 23, 2018. The UN Public Service Day celebrates the value and virtue of public service to the

community; highlights the contribution of public service in the development process; recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages young people

to pursue careers in the public sector.

US extends sanctions on North Korea for a year

United States President Donald Trump on June 23, 2018 extended the sanctions on North Korea for a year, saying Pyongyang posed an ―unusual and

extraordinary‖ threat by its nuclear arsenal. The decision came after Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at Singapore for a historic summit on

June 12. In the meeting, Kim committed to ‗complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula‘, while Trump pledged ‗security guarantees‘ to the North.

President Trump signs order to end family separations at U.S. border

United States President Donald Trump backed down on June 20, 2018 on an immigration policy that sparked huge outrage at home and abroad by signing

an executive order to end the separation of children from their parents when immigrant families are caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The

order requires that immigrant families be detained together when they are caught entering the country illegally. It also moves parents with children to the

front of the line for immigration proceedings. The order does not end a ―zero tolerance‖ policy that calls for criminal prosecution of immigrants crossing the

border illegally. Trump has made a tough stance on immigration central to his presidency. In recent days, the Republican President had insisted that his

hands were tied by law on the issue of family separations.

Pakistan has more nuclear warheads than India: SIPRI

Pakistan continues to be ahead of India when it comes to possessing nuclear warheads, with China having double the quantity, according to a report by

Swedish think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Pakistan is believed to have 140-150 nuclear warheads this year, 10 more than




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2017. In contrast, India is said to have 130-140 nuclear warheads, according to the annual nuclear forces data by SIPRI. Russia and the US hold over 92 per

cent of the total warheads.

South Korea, US suspend major military exercise

South Korea and the US on June 19, 2018 decided to suspend the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise slated for August, amid dialogue efforts to

denuclearize North Korea. Shortly after his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12, US President Donald Trump unveiled his

plan to stop ―provocative, inappropriate and expensive‖ war games with the South.

China, Nepal to build Tibet-Kathmandu railway link

China and Nepal have agreed to build a strategic railway link connecting Tibet with Kathmandu, which Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli sees as an

alternative trade route for supply of commodities to the landlocked Himalayan nation. Oli held talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang,

following which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to build the railway link through the arduous Himalayan terrain on June 21, 2018, along

with 14 cooperative documents. This is the second significant initiative by Oli, after he signed a transit trade treaty with China during his brief previous tenure

in 2016 to reduce dependence on India for transportation of goods to Nepal.

Canada legalises recreational use of marijuana nationwide

Canadian Senate has passed a landmark law that legalises the recreational use of marijuana nationwide. The Cannabis Act passed its final hurdle on June 20,

2018 in a 52-29 vote in the Senate. The bill controls and regulates how the drug can be grown, distributed and sold. Canadians will be able to buy and

consume the drug legally as early as this September. The country is the first in the G7 to legalise the drug‘s recreational use.

NEWSMAKERS

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern becomes second elected leader to give birth in office

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to her first child, a girl, in Wellington on June 21, 2018. Ardern, 37, became New Zealand‘s youngest

Prime Minister when she took office through a coalition deal in 2017 after an inconclusive election. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has stepped in as

acting Prime Minister and will run the country for the next six weeks. Ardern is the second elected leader to give birth while in office. Pakistan‘s Benazir

Bhutto gave birth while she was Prime Minister in 1990.




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Ex-South Korean PM Kim Jong-pil dies at 92

Former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil died in Seoul on June 23, 2018 at the age of 92. Kim created and headed the Korean Central Intelligence

Agency, a predecessor of the current National Intelligence Service, before serving as prime minister from 1971 to 1975. He quit politics in 2004 after his now-

defunct United Liberal Democrats suffered crushing defeats in parliamentary elections.

Veteran Pak diplomat Jamsheed Marker dies at 95

Veteran Pakistani diplomat and world record-holder Jamsheed Marker passed away in Karachi on June 21, 2018 at the age of 95. Marker served as Pakistan‘s

top envoy to the United States and more than 12 other countries for over three decades. He has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under

the title of ―World‘s longest-serving ambassador‖, starting from 1965, and also being the ―ambassador to more countries than any other person‖. The Hilal-e-

Imtiaz recipient was also an accomplished cricket commentator and was fluent in English, Urdu, Gujarati, French, German and Russian.

Celebrated Urdu satirist Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi dies in Pak at 94

Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, celebrated Urdu satirist and humourist of the Indian subcontinent, died in Karachi on June 20, 2018 at the age of 94. Born in Jaipur

in 1923 and educated at the Aligarh Muslim University, Yousafi migrated to Pakistan in 1956 and became a career banker. His work ‗Chiraagh Talay‘ (1961)

had established him as a humorist. His other popular works include ‗Khakam Badahan‘ (1970), ‗Zarguzasht‘ (1976) and ‗Aab-i-Gum‘ (1990). Yousufi was

awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1999 and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2002 by the Pakistan government.

Koko, the gorilla who knew sign language, dies at 46

Koko, a female gorilla who mastered sign language, died at the age of 46 in California‘s Santa Cruz mountains on June 19, 2018. Koko was born at the San

Francisco Zoo, and Dr Francine Patterson began teaching the gorilla sign language that became part of a Stanford University project in 1974. Koko appeared

in many documentaries and twice in National Geographic.

World’s oldest Sumatran orangutan dies aged 62 in Australia

The world‘s oldest Sumatran orangutan died aged 62 on June 18, 2018 at a zoo in Perth, Australia where she had lived since being gifted by Malaysia in 1968.

Named Puan, she had 11 children and a total of 54 descendants in the United States, Europe, Australasia and the jungles of Sumatra. Born in 1956, she was

noted by the Guinness Book of Records as being the oldest verified Sumatran orangutan in the world. Female orangutans rarely live beyond 50 in the wild.




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Section D: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IBM computer debates with humans

IBM has pitted a computer against two human debaters in the first public demonstration of Artificial Intelligence technology.

The company unveiled its Project Debater in San Francisco on June 18, 2018, asking it to make a case for government-subsidised space research a topic it

hadn‘t studied in advance but championed fiercely with just a few awkward gaps in reasoning.

―Subsidising space exploration is like investing in really good tyres,‖ argued the computer system, its female voice embodied in a 5-foot-tall machine shaped

like a monolith with TV screens on its sides. Such research would enrich the human mind, inspire young people and be a ―very sound investment,‖ it said,

making it more important even than good roads, schools or healthcare.

The computer delivered its opening argument by pulling in evidence from its huge internal repository of newspapers, journals and other sources. It then

listened to a professional human debater‘s counter-argument and spent four minutes rebutting it.

After closing arguments, it moved on to a second debate about telemedicine.

An IBM research team based in Israel began working on the project not long after IBM‘s Watson computer beat two human quizmasters on a ―Jeopardy‖

challenge in 2011.

ISS deploys satellite to clear up space junk

The first-ever satellite to test possible solutions in cleaning up space junk has been deployed by the International Space Station (ISS) and would soon begin

experiments in orbit. The satellite mission, dubbed RemoveDEBRIS, is one of the world‘s first attempts to tackle the build-up of dangerous space debris

orbiting the Earth.

Norway tests 2-seater electric aircraft

Norway tested a two-seater electric plane and predicted a start to passenger flights by 2025 if new aviation technologies match a green shift that has made

Norwegians the top buyers of electric cars. Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen took a flight around Oslo airport in the plane built by Slovenia‘s Pipistrel.




12

Section E: AWARDS

India Smart Cities Awards conferred

Nine awards in three categories, i.e., Project Award, Innovative Idea Award and City Award were announced on June 20, 2018 under the India Smart Cities

Awards.

Surat Smart City was selected for ‗City Award‘ for showing great momentum in implementation of projects especially in the categories of urban environment,

transport and mobility and sustainable integrated development.

The Innovative Idea award is being given to a project/idea particularly remarkable for its innovative, bottom-up and transformative approach towards

achievement of sustainable integrated development. Joint winners in this category are Bhopal for their Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and

Ahmedabad for Safe and Secure Ahmedabad (SASA) Project.

The Project Awards are being given to most innovative and successful projects in seven categories that have been completed by April 1, 2018. The Projects

selected are: PMC Care from Pune under ‗Governance‘ category; Smart Place Making from Pune under ‗Built Environment‘; Smart Class rooms from NDMC

and Jabalpur, Smart Campus from Visakhapatnam, Lighthouse from Pune under ‗Social Aspects‘ category; B Nest Incubation Centre from Bhopal and

Conservation of Rajasthan School of Arts from Jaipur under ‗Culture and Economy‘ category; Public Bike Sharing from Bhopal, Pune, Coimbatore and Waste

to Energy Plant in Jabalpur under ‗Urban environment‘ category; Integrated Transit Management System (TMS) from Ahmedabad and Surat under

‗Transport and Mobility‘ category and Smart Water Management through SCADA from Ahmedabad under ‗Water and Sanitation‘ category.

Vishwas Mandalik in Nasik, Yoga Institute in Mumbai recipients of PM award

Vishwas Mandalik from Nasik (in the category Individual National) and the Yoga Institute in Mumbai (in the category Organisation National) were on June 20,

2018 declared winners of the Prime Minister‘s award for outstanding contribution for promotion and development of yoga. The selection was done from

among 186 nominations received under different categories. The winners would receive a trophy, certificate and a cash award. The value of each cash award

was Rs 25 lakh.

Vishwas Mandalik acquired knowledge of Patanjali and Hatha Yoga, Bhagwad Gita and Upanishad by study and research of ancient scriptures. In 1978, he set

up first branch of Yoga Vidya Dham, and as of today there are 160 centres in India. He established an institute called Yoga Vidhya Gurukul in 1983 for yoga

education. He wrote 42 books and developed 300 CDs to cover various training courses.

The Yoga Institute, established in 1918 by Yogendraji, completed its 100 years serving the society. It produced more than 50,000 yoga teachers and had over

500 publications to its credit. The institute contributed to the promotion and development of holistic yoga for over 10 decades, serving all sections of the

society.

UK-India Awards conferred

The London Stock Exchange‘s role in the listing of numerous ‗Masala Bonds‘ to raise funds for India‘s infrastructure needs and Standard Chartered Bank‘s

corporate social responsibility projects were among the big winners at the UK-India Awards in London on June 22, 2018. While London Stock Exchange

bagged the State Bank of India (SBI)-sponsored Financial Services Organisation of the Year award, Standard Chartered was presented with the Social Impact

Project of the Year by British Asian Trust.

The awards given also included a special Global Icon Award for actress Shilpa Shetty and a Significant Contribution to UK-India Relations Award for British

Council India.

Other big winners at the awards, included Manchester India Partnership as Trade and Investment Promotion Organisation of the Year, Trilegal as Law Firm of

the Year, and Sannam S4 as Consultancy Firm of the Year. The Partition Museum in Amritsar won the Media, Arts and Culture Award, and Carbon Clean

Solutions bagged the Science, Technology and Innovation Award.

Pat Saini, Partner & Head of Immigration at Penningtons Manches LLP, was named Professional of the Year for her outstanding contribution to UK-India ties

and the UK-India Deal of the Year was awarded to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) for the first Green Masala Bond by a financial

institution.

The UK-India Awards organised by UK-based media house India Inc are held annually to celebrate ―innovative and path-breaking individuals and

organisations‖ making a significant contribution to the bilateral partnership.

Sahitya Akademi announces winners for Bal Sahitya, Yuva Puraskar for 2018




13

Sahitya Akademi on June 22, 2018 announced a list of 23 winners for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 21 recipients for the Yuva Puraskar for this year. While the

Bal Puraskar will be conferred upon the winners on November 14, Children‘s Day, the day for Yuva Puraskar is yet to be decided.

Ten collections of poetry including works by Aasteek Vajpeyi (Hindi), Samragnee Bandopadhyay (Bengali), Esha Dadawala (Gujarati), Tongbram Amarjit Singh

(Manipuri), Dushyant Joshi (Rajasthani), and Muni Rajsundar Vijay (Sanskrit) have won the Yuva Puraskar. Three collections of short stories, two novels and

one play have also been selected for the award. While the jury for the Yuva Puraskar found ―no suitable book‖ for English, the winner for Bodo language will

be declared on a later date.

The winners of both the awards will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000.

Smart India Hackathon 2018 Hardware Awards conferred

A device that helps school children with dyslexia has bagged the top honours at the Smart India Hackathon 2018 Hardware Edition under the Smart

Communication‘ category held at the CSIR-CEERI in Pilani on June 23, 2018. Developed by students from KCJ College of Engineering, Chennai, the device

assists dyslexic kids who find it difficult to read, write or interpret words, letters and other symbols. The second and third spots went to the teams from Delhi

and Bengaluru respectively for coming up with a solution to the problem of lost baggage at airports. This was the second edition of the hackathon, a national

level technical event conducted by the Union Human Resources Development Ministry to harness the creativity and energy of the country‘s youth and boost

the Digital India initiative.

Indian contingent, part of UN peacekeeping mission, awarded

The 7 Garhwal Rifles Infantry Battalion Group was on June 21, 2018 awarded the United Nations Medal for ―selfless service‖ in the peacekeeping mission in

South Sudan. The Indian Battalion in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) played an active and decisive role in ensuring peace and stability in

Jonglei State.

WCD Ministry conferred with ‘Best Performing Social Sector Ministry’ award by SKOCH

The Ministry of Women and Child Development was on June 22, 2018 adjudged the Best Performing Social Sector Ministry‘ by a think-tank that deals with

socio-economic issues. SKOCH, a New Delhi-based think-tank, gave the award to Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi.

Vasundhara Raje conferred with ‘Chief Minister of the Year’ award at Skoch Summit

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was on June 23, 2018 conferred the ‗Chief Minister of the Year‘ award for her remarkable work in e-governance.

The award was given at the 52nd

Skoch Summit held in New Delhi.

Arunachal Pradesh wins ‘SKOCH Order-of Merit’ Award

Arunachal Pradesh bagged the ‗SKOCH Order-of Merit‘ Award for the Measles-Rubella Vaccination campaign and also for the Chief Ministers Free Cancer

Chemotherapy Scheme being implemented in the state. The award was conferred to the state at the 52nd SKOCH Summit held at New Delhi on June 21,

2018. Skoch Group is a think-tank dealing with socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997.

Ugandan scientist wins Africa Engineering Prize

25-year-old Ugandan computer scientist Brian Gitta has won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The award by the Royal Academy of Engineering in

Britain comes with 25,000 euros (USD 32,940). Gitta won the prize for developing a non-invasive malaria test kit. The reusable test kit is known as Matibabu

(Swahili word for ―treatment‖). The new malaria test kit works by shining a red beam of light onto a finger to detect changes in the shape, colour and

concentration of red blood cells, all of which are affected by malaria. The results are sent within a minute to a computer or mobile phone linked to the device.

Malaria is the biggest killer in Africa, and the sub-Saharan region accounts for about 80 per cent of the world‘s malaria cases and deaths.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wins PEN Pinter prize

Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the 2018 PEN Pinter prize. She was hailed by Harold Pinter‘s widow, the biographer Antonia

Fraser, as a writer who embodies ―those qualities of courage and outspokenness which Harold much admired‖. Her 2004 debut Purple Hibiscus won the

Commonwealth writers‘ prize, Half of a Yellow Sun won her the Orange prize in 2006, and Americanah took the US National Book Critics Circle award in 2014.

The PEN Pinter prize is intended to honour a writer of ―outstanding literary merit‖ who – in the words of Pinter‘s speech on winning the Nobel prize in 2005 –

casts an ―unflinching, unswerving‖ gaze upon the world and shows a ―fierce intellectual determination … to define the real truth of our lives and our

societies‖. Adichie will be awarded the prize on 9 October.

Preti Taneja wins Desmond Elliott Prize




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Preti Taneja won the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists for her novel ‗We That Are Young‘ in UK on June 22, 2018. The award carries a cash prize of

£10,000. The runners-up are Gail Honeyman, for Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and Paula Cocozza, for How to Be Human. Preti Taneja is the co-

founder of Visual Verse, an online anthology of art and words, and the campaigning collective, ERA Films.

Italy’s Osteria Francescana is world’s best restaurant

Italy‘s Osteria Francescana was crowned the world‘s best restaurant on June 19, 2018 at the World‘s 50 Best Restaurants awards given by British trade

magazine Restaurant. The restaurant in Modena, Italy is run by chef Massimo Bottura.

Black Panther wins big at MTV Awards

Black Panther won four honours, including two awards for its star, Chadwick Boseman, at The MTV Movie and TV Awards. Stranger Things was the top

television honouree, winning four awards including a repeat win for best show. Boseman also won the award for best performance in a movie for his role in

‗Black Panther‘. Michael B. Jordan won best villain award for his role in the same movie.

Kalki Koechlin conferred with French honour

Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin was conferred with the French distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l‘Ordre des Arts et des

Lettres) on June 22, 2018, for her contribution in enhancing Indo-French ties in cinema. The award was presented by the Ambassador of France to India,

Alexandre Ziegler, in Mumbai.

Tim Robbins to receive Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary Festival

Actor Tim Robbins will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). The

honour will be presented to 59-year-old Robbins at the 53rd edition of the festival, which is held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Robbins

won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in ―Mystic River‖ in 2003.




15

Section F: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI tightens remittance norms

The RBI on June 19, 2018 tightened norms for Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) by making quoting of permanent account number (PAN) mandatory even

for transactions below USD 25,000.

Under the LRS, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year for any permissible current or

capital account transaction or a combination of both.

Individuals can avail of foreign exchange facility for the purposes within the limit of USD 2,50,000 only.

Further, in the context of remittances allowed under LRS for maintenance of close relatives, it has been decided, in consultation with government, to align the

definition of relative‘ with the definition given in Companies Act, 2013 instead of Companies Act, 1956.

Earlier, a system for daily reporting of individual transactions under the LRS by banks was been put in place. This system enables the banks to view the

remittances already sent by an individual during the financial year, thus improving monitoring and ensuring compliance with the LRS limits.

RBI directs banks to upgrade software at ATMs by June 2019 or face penalty

With banks failing to upgrade software in automated teller machines (ATM) despite repeated reminders, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has now directed the

banks to complete the process in a phased manner latest by June 2019. The banking regulator pointed out that many ATMs were still running on Windows

XP and other unsupported software. RBI had asked banks to upgrade the ATMs first in March 2017 and then in November.

RBI said the vulnerability arising from the ATMs operating on unsupported version of operating system and non-implementation of other security measures,

could potentially affect the interests of customers and the banks‘ image.

Banks have been asked to upgrade 25% of the ATMs by September 2018, 50% by December 2018, 75% by March 2019 and all by June 2019. Security

measures should be implemented by August 2018 and anti-skimming and white-listing solutions by March 2019.

RBI warned banks of penalty if they failed to adhere to the deadline. ―It may be noted that any deficiency in timely and effective compliance with the

instructions contained in this circular may invite appropriate supervisory enforcement action under applicable provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949

and/or Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007,‖ RBI said.

Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held in Mumbai

The third Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was organised in Mumbai on June 25-26, 2018. The theme for this year‘s meeting

was ―Mobilizing Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration‖. The meeting saw leaders from varied organizations and levels of government to

share ideas and experiences for creating a sustainable future through sound infrastructure investment. India is the second largest shareholder of the AIIB

after China and is the largest recipient of concessionaire finance for various infrastructure projects with nearly 25% of the total funds committed to projects in

India, both in the government sector and the private sector. Goyal informed that the board of AIIB has approved $100 million investment in the National

Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF).

Beijing-headquartered agency, which started operations in January 2016, has approved $4.4 billion investments so far, including $1.2 billion in India, making

the country the largest beneficiary so far.

Asked about India‘s reservations about China‘s Belt and Road Initiative, which includes China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that goes through Pakistan-

occupied-Kashmir, AIIB Vice-President Danny Alexander said that the AIIB was an apolitical organisation that invested in projects as per a board policy that

was decided by the member-states. He added that he would not be able to comment on internal relations of member-states. AIIB has 86 countries as its

members.

SEBI eases norms for share buy-backs, IPOs

As part of its attempts to rationalise stock market regulations, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the rules related to public

issues, takeovers and buy-backs based on feedback received from various market participants.

The board of the capital markets regulator, which met on June 21, 2018, decided to give companies more time for the upward revision of open offer price

and announcing the price band for an initial public offer (IPO).




16

SEBI chairman Ajay Tyagi said that the aim was to remove redundancies, simplify language and factor in the changes in the Companies Act and also the

circulars/FAQs issued by SEBI.

While raising funds through an IPO, a company can now announce the price band just two days before the opening day of the issue instead of the earlier

requirement of five days.

Further, financial disclosures now need to be mentioned only for three years instead of five. Also, companies making a rights issue have to submit a draft

document only if the issue size is more than Rs. 10 crore. Currently, the threshold limit in such cases is Rs.50 lakh.

Meanwhile, disclosure requirements related to group companies have been made more specific in the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements)

Regulations.

In what would be welcome news for the SME IPO segment, the minimum anchor investor size has been reduced to Rs. 2 crore from the existing Rs.10 crore.

SEBI scraps IPO grading, safety net

More than 12 years after it was introduced in the Indian capital market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has brought the curtains down on

what could perhaps be termed one of its most criticised moves in the primary market —grading of initial public offers (IPOs).

The board of the capital market watchdog, which met in Mumbai on June 21, 2018, approved the deletion of all the provisions related to IPO grading from

the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations.

IPO grading was first introduced as an optional feature in April 2006, but later made mandatory in May 2007. Again, it was made voluntary in 2013.

The IPO grading process did not take into account the price of the public issue and factored in only the company fundamentals, management quality and

financial and business risks among other parameters.

An internal analysis by SEBI in 2010 had showed that there was no correlation between the IPO grades and the post-listing performance of the stock, putting

a question mark on the efficiency and utility of the whole exercise, the cost of which had to be borne by the IPO-bound company.

The SEBI Board also approved the deletion of the provisions related to the safety net feature, which was introduced in 2013. The feature was basically

brought in as a deterrent against alleged aggressive pricing of IPOs by merchant bankers, but its mechanism came under sharp criticism.

Further Fund Offer (FFO) of Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund launched

The Further Fund Offer (FFO) of Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), managed through ICICI Prudential Fund was successfully launched by the

Government of India targeting an initial amount of Rs.6,000 crore. The FFO concluded on June 22, 2018.

The Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) comprises 16 CPSEs covering six sectors, three Public Sector Banks and three private companies where SUUTI has

stakes. The Bharat 22 ETF was initially launched by the Government in financial year 2017-18. This is the first FFO of the said ETF.

The units of the scheme will be allotted to various category of investors including Anchor Investors, Retail Institutional Investors, Retirement Funds, Qualified

Institutional Buyers (QIBs) and Non Institutional Investors.

The issue seen resounding success with the FFO attracting applications aggregating nearly Rs.14,000 crore. The Government of India reserves the right to

retain the oversubscribed portion to the extent of Rs.2,400 crore. The initial FFO size was 6000 crore and thus the issue has been subscribed by more than 2.3

times the initial size.

RITES IPO subscribed over 66 times

The initial public offering (IPO) of PSU firm RITES, was subscribed 66.75 times on June 22, 2018. The government is selling 12.6 percent stake or 2.52 crore

equity shares, including 12 lakh shares to employees. The Government is expected to raise Rs 466 crore from the RITES issue. Price band for the issue has

been fixed at Rs 180-185 per share, with a discount of Rs 6 for retails investors and employees. RITES is the first CPSE to launch an IPO in the current fiscal

besides being the first Railway CPSE to be listed on the stock markets after CONCOR in 1994-95.

NEWSMAKERS

Bank of Maharashtra CMD Ravindra Marathe arrested in 30-bn DSK Group scam




17

In a sudden development on June 20, 2018, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Pune arrested Ravindra P. Marathe, the Chairman and Managing Director

of Bank of Maharashtra, in a case of Rs 30 billion fraudulent loans extended to Pune‘s DSK Group. The EOW has also arrested the bank‘s Executive Director

Rajendra K. Gupta, Zonal Manager Nityanand Deshpande from Ahmedabad and former CMD Sushil Muhnot from Jaipur. Also arrested was vice president

Rajiv Newaskar of the engineering department of Kulkarni‘s firm, D S Kulkarni Developers Ltd (DSKDL).

The Pune-based DSK Group‘s owners D.S. Kulkarni and his wife Hemanti were arrested in February on charges of cheating over 4,000 investors of over Rs 11.5

billon and diverting bank loans of nearly Rs 29 billion.

As a follow-up in the case, in May 2018, the Maharashtra government had ordered attachment of more than 120 properties, 275 bank accounts and four

dozen vehicles belonging to the owners and the company invoking the provisions of Maharashtra Protection of Interests of Depositors Act, 1999.

According to the investigators, the bank executive and officials colluded with the DSK Group ―with dishonest and fraudulent intentions to sanction and

disburse the amount of the bank (BoM)‖ under the garb of loans and the money was later siphoned off. All the arrested accused have been charged under

various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws pertaining to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust.

Arijit Basu to be State Bank of India’s new Managing Director

The government on June 22, 2018 appointed Arjit Basu as managing director of State Bank of India. He will fill the position that fell vacant following the

elevation of Rajnish Kumar as the chairman. Now, after this the SBI will have four managing directors. As per the SBI Act, the bank can have four managing

directors. The government has appointed Basu as managing director with effect from the date of taking over charge till his superannuation in October 2020.

A graduate in Economics and a Master of Arts in History, Basu started his career with State Bank of India in 1983 as a probationary officer.

B. Sriram of SBI appointed MD & CEO of IDBI Bank

State Bank of India‘s Managing Director B. Sriram was on June 20, 2018 appointed as the MD and CEO of IDBI Bank for a temporary period of three months,

according to an official order. He has been appointed in place of incumbent Mahesh Kumar Jain who was recently named Deputy Governor of the Reserve

Bank of India (RBI). IDBI Bank‘s gross bad loans stood at Rs 55,588 crore, up from Rs 44,753 crore in March 31, 2017, according to the bank‘s latest report.

N. S. Kannan appointed as ICICI Prudential’s MD and CEO

Following the appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi as ICICI Bank Chief Operating Officer, the private lender on June 19, 2018 appointed N.S. Kannan as the

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company.

Ananta Barua appointed as SEBI whole-time member

Ananta Barua, Executive Director of SEBI, was on June 23, 2018 elevated as the markets regulator‘s third Whole-time Member. The post of Whole-time

Member fell vacant after S Raman, who handled the legal and investigation departments at SEBI, retired in 2017. Currently, the SEBI board consists of Ajay

Tyagi, Chairman; G Mahalingam and Madhabi Puri Buch, both Whole-time members; besides Subhash Chandra Garg, Injeti Srinivas, NS Vishwanathan and

Arun P Sathe as part-time members. Besides the Chairman, SEBI can have three Whole-time Members.




18

Section G: ECONOMY

Forex reserves decline by USD 3.03 bn to USD 410.07 bn

India‘s foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 3.039 billion to USD 410.070 billion in the week to June 15, due to fall in foreign currency assets, Reserve

Bank data showed on June 22, 2018.

The foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, dipped by USD 3.058 billion to USD 385.333 billion. Expressed in US dollar terms, the

foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves.

Gold reserves rose marginally by USD 38.9 million to USD 21.228 billion in the reporting week.

The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dropped by USD 8.7 million to USD 1.491 billion.

The country‘s reserve position with the IMF also declined by USD 11.7 million to USD 2.017 billion.

India Infrastructure Expo 2018 organised in Mumbai

The India Infrastructure Expo 2018 was organised in Mumbai on June 25-26. The 2-day expo was organised by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry

of Finance, Government of India, in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on the sidelines of the annual

meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Some of the key flagship programs that were showcased at this Exposition include Smart Cities,

Sagarmala, Bharatmala, Ganga Rejuvenation Plan and the River Linking project. The Government of Chhattisgarh & Government of Gujarat were the partner

States to the Exposition while the Government of Maharashtra was the host State to the Exposition.

NEWSMAKERS

Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian resigns

Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian has stepped down from his post and will return to the United States, Union Minister Arun Jaitley

announced on June 20, 2018.

Jaitley said the adoption of macroeconomic strategy of higher public investment in the 2015-16 Union Budget was due to Subramanian‘s early diagnosis of

the twin balance-sheet. He also said Subramanian conceptualised JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile) as a database for availing public benefits and contributed

to the debate of federalism. The Minister further claimed that Subramanian‘s four ―Economic Surveys‖ were treated by several independent critics as one of

the best ever produced, and was considered as ―basic teaching material‖ all over the country.

Subramanian, whose term was to end on October 16, 2017, was given a year‘s extension by the Centre. The principal author of the annual Economic Survey,

Subramanian took over as the CEA on October 16, 2014, owing to a vacancy post the appointment of Raghuram Rajan as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

governor in September 2013.

.




19

Section H: CORPORATE

Air India set to have ‘Maharaja’ class seats on international flights

Passengers on most of Air India‘s international flights are all set for a new experience as the airline will soon introduce ‗Maharaja‘ business class seats, variety

cuisines and new uniforms for crew. This was stated by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha in New Delhi on June 20, 2018. The existing first class

and business class seats on its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft fleet would be revamped for the Maharaja business class seats. These planes operate short and

long haul international routes. Currently, Air India has 17 per cent market share on international routes. It has over 2,500 international prime-time slots per

week spread across 43 overseas destinations.

Sri Sri Tattva launches apparel brand BYOGI

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar‘s consumer goods venture Sri Sri Tattva has launched an in house apparel brand – BYOGI. Banking on the hype related to

yoga, BYOGI will have ranges of ethnic wears, yoga wears and yoga accessories like mats.

NASSCOM launches programme to support women techies

In an effort to increase the number of women in senior levels in the Information Technology (IT) industry, NASSCOM on June 19, 2018 unveiled its ‗Women

Wizards Rule Tech‘ programme for women techies. This programme is designed to support women who are moving up the career ladder, while also paving

the way for potential leaders of the future. The Women Wizards Rule Tech was announced in March 2018 at the NASSCOM Diversity and Inclusion Summit in

Chennai as a joint initiative by the NASSCOM Sector Skills Council and the Data Security Council of India.

Centre to use ‘Turnitin’ software to curb Ph.D plagiarism

The Union government has decided to take help of ‗Turnitin‘ software to clamp down on the practice of plagiarism in Ph.D theses, HRD Minister Prakash

Javadekar said on June 23, 2018. He also said that those people whose dissertations have plagiarised content would not get the doctorate degree in the

coming days.

AC manufacturers to keep default setting at 24 degree Celsius

Government has advised AC manufacturers to keep default setting at 24 degree Celsius. It may also consider making this mandatory at a later stage. This was

stated by Power Minister R K Singh while holding a meeting with major air-conditioner manufacturers in New Delhi on June 22, 2018. Singh said, every one

degree increase in the air-conditioner temperature setting results in saving of 6 per cent of electricity consumed. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has carried

out a study and has recommended that the default setting in the air-conditioning should be at 24 degree Celsius.

HCL launches app dedicated to Indian classical music

HCL has launched a free music app on Indian classical music. Called ―HCL Music‖, the app is available for both Android and iOS users. The app features

recordings of live performances from legendary artists, high quality studio recordings featuring maestros, forgotten collections of legends and an assortment

of crowd sourced music by young and aspiring artists. The app houses a collection of Indian classical music across genres including Hindustani, Carnatic and

fusion music.

Ducati drives in Multistrada 1260 in India at Rs 1.6 million

Italian super bike maker Ducati on June 19, 2018 launched Multistrada 1260 in India priced at Rs 1.6 million (ex-showroom). The company also introduced a

variant of the bike — Multistrada 1260 S, priced at Rs 1.8 million. Ducati already sells Multistrada 950 and Multistrada 1200 models in the country.

Instagram reaches one billion active users

Instagram said it now has more than one billion active users, as it unveiled a new long-form video feature in a bid to attract ―creators‖ like those on YouTube.

It becomes the fourth Facebook platform to hit the billion-user mark, including the namesake social network with more than two billion users, and the

messaging applications WhatsApp and Messenger. Instagram chief executive Kevin Systrom announced the milestone as he unveiled the new video

application known as IGTV. IGTV will enable any user to upload long-form videos and will also include ―channels‖ from video creators, similar to a format

employed by Google-owned YouTube which has given rise to a number of YouTube stars.

Google announces training programme for journalists in India




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Technology giant Google on June 19, 2018 announced the launch of a training programme for journalists, aimed at raising awareness against misinformation

and providing new tools to the fourth estate against fake news. ―The Google News Initiative India Training Network will provide training to 8,000 journalists in

English and six other Indian languages in the next one year,‖ Google said in a statement.

Microsoft buys student video discussion platform Flipgrid

As part of its attempt to win over students and educators, Microsoft has acquired video discussion platform Flipgrid which is used by more than 20 million

teachers and students across the world. This was announced by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, on June 18, 2018. Flipgrid was created with the aim of

helping educators recast the role of video in the classroom, from a passive experience to a tool that empowers and amplifies every student‘s voice.

YouTube offers creators new ways to earn money

YouTube, often criticised for not compensating creators well enough, will allow them to set up paid channel memberships. Viewers will pay $4.99 a month for

channel memberships giving access to exclusive content on channels with more than 1,00,000 subscribers.

NEWSMAKERS

Paul Polman appointed new Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, will step down as International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Chairman, following the

completion of his two-year tenure. Mittal will be succeeded by Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. Mittal will assume the role of ICC Honorary Chair from July 1,

2018.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich quits

Intel Corp Chief Executive Brian Krzanich resigned on June 22, 2018 after a probe found his consensual relationship with an employee violated company

policy. The board named Chief Financial Officer Robert Swan as interim CEO and said it has begun a search for a permanent CEO, including both internal and

external candidates.

Kazuo Kashio, co-founder of Casio, dies at 89

Kazuo Kashio, one of the four brothers who founded Casio Computer Co, the Japanese company behind G-Shock watches, died on June 18, 2018 at the age

of 89. Kashio is credited with making the calculator an everyday product through Casio Mini. He also helped popularize G-Shock, which has grown into an

internationally recognized brand since its 1983 debut.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos now world’s richest with $141 billion net worth: Forbes

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world with a net wealth of $141.9 billion, the Forbes World‘s Billionaires list showed

on June 18, 2018. Bill Gates, the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation, is the second-richest man in the world with $92.9 billion. Warren Buffet, one of

the most successful investors in the world, trailed in the third place with a total of a wealth of $82.2 billion.




21

Section I: STATES

President approves imposition of Governor’s rule in J&K

President Ram Nath Kovind on June 20, 2018 approved the imposition of Governor‘s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. On June 19, Governor Narinder Nath Vohra

forwarded his report to the President of India for the imposition of Governor‘s Rule under Section 92 of the Constitution. This came after Mehbooba Mufti

resigned as Chief Minister following the Bharatiya Janata Party‘s (BJP) exit from its alliance with the People‘s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The BJP and

PDP formed a coalition government in 2015 after the state elections threw up a hung assembly. The BJP had 25 seats in the 87 seat Assembly, while the PDP

had 28. The National Conference (NC) has 15 seats, the Congress 12 and others seven.

IAS officer B V R Subrahmanyam was appointed as the Chief Secretary of the state in place of B. B. Vyas, who along with K Vijay Kumar, a former IPS officer

and an anti-naxal expert, were named advisers to Governor Vohra. Kumar‘s experience ranges from jungle warfare and security detail to counter-insurgency.

Kumar, 65, had shot to fame when he headed the Special Task Force (STF) for a long time and led operations that culminated in the elimination of the

dreaded forest brigand Veerappan after an encounter in Tamil Nadu in October 2004. He served as Director General of CRPF from 2010 to 2012.

The Governor also placed the legislative assembly in suspended animation till the proclamation of Governor‘s rule is revoked or varied by a subsequent

proclamation, according to a gazette notification. The six-year term of the current Assembly ends in March, 2021.

Sindhu Darshan Festival begins in Ladakh

The three-day annual Sindhu Darshan Festival started in Ladakh region of J Jammu and Kashmir on June 24, 2018. The festival is celebrated on the bank of

Indus River and is organised by Sindhu Darshan Yatra Samiti and Ladakh Phandey Tsogspa, Leh. The programme is focused at national integration, communal

harmony and national pride. This year marks the 22nd

Sindhu Darshan festival and it was started by the former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in 1997

Haryana gives star rankings to panchayats on 7 parameters

In a novel initiative, Haryana has decided to give star rankings to its panchayats on the basis of seven social parameters under the state‘s 7-Star Gram

Panchayat Rainbow scheme. As many as 1,120 villages of the state have achieved the rankings under the scheme, launched in January 2018. Speaking at a

State level Panchayat Performance Assessment Committee (SPPAC) meeting in Chandigarh on June 19, 2018, Haryana Agriculture minister O P Dhankar said

the panchayats will be judged on sex ratio, education, hygiene, environment preservation, governance and social participation. The selected villages will be

honoured at an award ceremony in July. The minister added that Ambala topped the star ranking with 407 stars followed by Gurugram with 199 stars and

Karnal with 75 stars.

Haryana govt. to set up ‘Yog Aayog’

On the occasion of the 4th

International Day of Yoga Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on June 21, 2018 announced to set up a ‗Yog Aayog‘ in the

state. Presiding over a state-level yoga programme in Jhajjar, the chief minister said practising yoga leads to physical, mental and spiritual development and

is helpful in all round development of one‘s personality.

Guinness World Record set at State Level yoga celebration in Kota

A Guinness World Record for largest number of people performing yoga at one place at the same time was set in Kota, Rajasthan on International Yoga Day

on June 21, 2018 when around one lakh 60 thousand people performed yoga at the RAC Ground. Representatives of Guinness World Record handed over the

certificate of world record to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Baba Ramdev. In 2017, 55 thousand people of Mysore had set a world record performing

yoga at one place at the same time.

Happiness curriculum in Delhi govt schools from July

A day after it ended its sit-in at lieutenant governor‘s office, the AAP government on June 20, 2018 announced introduction of a ―happiness curriculum‖ in

Delhi‘s government schools from the coming academic session. The ―happiness curriculum‖ is ready and it will be launched by the Dalai Lama on July 2,

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said. The final draft of the curriculum was approved at a meeting chaired by Sisodia, who is also the education minister

in the Kejriwal government.

PM Modi launches Mohanpura Irrigation project in MP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 23, 2018 launched the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh. The Rs 3,866-crore project

includes a dam and a canal system. It will benefit 727 villages in the state.

Punjab offers saplings through mobile app




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To increase the State‘s green cover, the Punjab government on June 19, 2018 launched a smartphone application that lets users order free plant saplings. The

‗i-Hariyali‘ app under ‗Mission Tandarust‘ can be downloaded from the app store for free.

Plastic ban comes into force in Maharashtra from June 23

The Maharashtra government‘s state-wide ban on the use of plastic items, including carry-bags and thermocol, came into effect from June 23, 2018. For the

first time offenders, the fine will be Rs 5,000. For second time offenders, the fine will be Rs 10,000. Those who violate it for the third time will face a fine of Rs

25,000, along with imprisonment of three months. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that his government has banned the kind of plastic that cannot be

collected, regulated and recycled.

On March 23, the state government had imposed a ban on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials. The government had given

three months time for the disposal of the existing stocks. All kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness, tea cups, glasses, thermocol glasses,

thermocol used for decoration, plastic used in hotels to parcel food like boxes, spoons have been banned.

Thermocol used by manufacturing companies, materials used in hospitals like saline bottles, and boxes used to store medicines, plastic pens, milk pouches

that are above 50 microns in thickness have been exempted from the ban.

Legal heir or wife of martyred soldiers from Maharashtra to get two hectares land

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state will give two hectares of agricultural land to the legal heir of martyred soldiers,

in case their spouses are not alive, as compensation. In March 2018, the Maharashtra government had decided to give two hectares of land to the wives of

martyred soldiers. A statement from the Chief Minister‘s office on June 24 said that legal heir has also been included in the list and in case the spouse of the

martyred soldier is not alive, the land the land could be given to the legal heir of the soldier. The district collector has been vested with the right to provide

such land free of cost to the wife or legal heir of a soldier martyred in war, terror attacks or in missions abroad.

Gujarat unveils Suryashakti Kisan Yojana to encourage farmers to use, produce solar power

In an attempt to promote solar energy, the Gujarat government on June 23, 2018 announced Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY) scheme under which farmers

would be given financial incentives to generate electricity and sell their surplus to power distribution companies. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the

scheme in Gandhinagar in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Energy Minister Saurabh Patel.




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World’s first International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics launched in Gujarat

The world‘s first International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics was launched at Gandhinagar in Gujarat on June 20, 2018. It is a joint venture of the Regional

delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in India, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives and also Gujarat Forensic Science University. The launch

of the Centre was followed by an International Symposium on Humanitarian Forensics.

AIIMS in Tamil Nadu to come up near Madurai

Tamil Nadu government on June 20, 2018 said the much-anticipated All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) facility announced for the state by the

Centre will come up at Thoppur near Madurai at an estimated Rs 1,500 crore. Chief Minister E. Palaniswami said that the facility will also have 100 MBBS seats.

Life size statue of General K M Cariappa unveiled at OTA

A life size bronze statue of the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, Field Marshal K M Cariappa, was unveiled at the Officer‘s Training Academy in

Chennai on June 23, 2018. The statue was donated by alumni of the 5th Short Service Commission course, to commemorate the golden jubilee of their

Commissioning from the academy. They had passed out from the academy in June 1968.

Kerala’s 4th

international airport at Kannur to open in September

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu on June 23, 2018, following a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, announced the opening of

the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) in September. With this, Kerala will be the only state in the country to have four international airports with the

others at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

HRD Ministry approves inter-university yoga centre in S-VYASA varsity in Bengaluru

The Ministry of Human Resource Development on June 21, 2018 approved setting up an inter-university yoga centre at Swami Vivekananda Yoga

Anusandhana Samsthana in Bengaluru. The announcement was made by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on the fourth International Yoga Day.

Shillong 100th

city to be selected under Smart Cities Mission

Shillong has been selected as the 100th city to receive funding under the Centre‘s flagship Smart Cities Mission after evaluation of the proposal submitted by

it, the Housing and Urban Affairs ministry said on June 20, 2018.

The ministry had, till now, kept on hold the final slot for the Smart Cities Mission for the Meghalaya capital, which was selected for its inclusion in the scheme,

as the city could not submit its proposal due to state elections on February 27.

In January 2016, 20 cities were announced under the Smart Cities Mission, followed by 13 cities in May 2016, 27 cities in September 2016, 30 cities in June

2017, and nine cities in January 2018.

With the selection of Shillong, the total proposed investment in the finally selected 100 cities under the Smart Cities Mission would be Rs 2,05,018 crore.

Under the scheme, each city will get Rs 500 crore from the Centre for implementing various projects. An equal amount, on matching basis, will have to be

contributed by the state or urban local bodies.

The 100 Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.

Under the mission, the selected cities would take up various project, including ‗smart‘ roads, rejuvenation of water bodies, building cycle tracks, walking

paths, smart classrooms, skill development centres, upgradation of health facilities and pan-city projects like integrated command control centre.

Visva-Bharati setting up ‘Yoga Gram’ with central grant

The Visva-Bharati has received a central grant of Rs 5 crore for setting up a ‗Yoga Gram‘ in the university campus. This was stated by its Head of Department

of Yogic Art and Science in Kolkata on June 19, 2018. Work for the first phase of the project has started on 15 acres of land in the compound of the ‗Vinay

Bhavan‘, the Institute of Education of the central university. The authorities had submitted project details before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

also the Chancellor of Visva-Bharati, to the university in May 2018.

NEWSMAKERS

Meghalaya: Cong MLA resigns; party loses ‘single largest party’ tag in Assembly




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The opposition Congress lost the status of the single largest party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on June 21, 2018 after one of its MLAs, Martin M

Danggo, quit his membership in the House. It has effectively left the Congress strength to 20, equal to that of the ruling National People‘s Party (NPP), which

is running a coalition government in the north-eastern state with the BJP and some regional parties. The election for the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly

was held in February 2018. Danggo represented Ranikor (ST) assembly constituency.

Sikkim govt announces A R Rahman as its Brand Ambassador

Renowned music composer A R Rahman has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim government. This was announced in Gangtok on June

18, 2018. The state government had earlier this year made Rahman its Brand Ambassador of tourism and business.

Poetess Sujatha Devi dies in Thiruvananthapuram at 72

Poetess and winner of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award, B Sujatha Devi, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on June 23, 2018 at the age of 72. Sujatha

Devi, also a well known travel writer, had served as English professor in various government colleges in the state, including the Maharaja‘s college in Kochi.

Veteran rock climber and mountaineer dies Gautam Kanjilal at 69

Veteran rock climber and mountaineer Gautam Kanjilal died in Kolkata on June 22, 2018 at the age of 69 in Kolkata. He underwent training at the Himalayan

Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling and took part in the expedition to hitherto unclimbed Sudarshan in 1978. A keen rock climber, Kanjilal explored quite a

few rock routes in the hills of Bankura and Purulia districts and one of them is named after him (Kanjimal) which he pioneered along with three other rock

climbers during late 1970s.

Legendary mimicry artiste Venumadhav dies at 85

Renowned mimicry and ventriloquism artiste Nerella Venumadhav died in Warangal on June 19, 2018 at the age of 85. Hailed as the pioneer and maestro of

mimicry, Venumadhav was the first Indian mimicry and ventriloquism artiste to have performed at the UN headquarters. He was honoured with the Padma

Shri award in 2001. Venumadhav had served as a nominated Member of Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh from 1972 to 1978. In December 2017, a

special postal cover was released as a tribute to Venumadhav for his contribution to the art of mimicry.




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Section J: SPORTS

Ulaanbaatar Cup Boxing: India win 1 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals

India ended the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia on June 24, 2018 with one gold, four silver, and four bronze medals. Mandeep Jangra (Men‘s 69kg) was the

lone Indian boxer to win a gold medal.

Silver medals were won by Sonia Lather (Women‘s 57kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (Women‘s 69kg) and Himanshu Sharma (Men‘s 49kg) and Etash Khan (Men‘s

56kg). Mandeep beat Mongolia‘s Otgonbaatar Byamba-Erdene in the final. Sonia lost to Mongolia‘s Tumurkhuyag Bolortuul. Lovlina was out-witted by

Chinese Taipei‘s Nien Chen Chen. Himanshu lost to Omid Ahmadisafa of Iran. Etash lost to Mongolia‘s Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar.

Ending with bronze medals were Shiva Thapa (60kg), debutant Vanhmlimpuia (75kg), Ashish (64kg), and Bina Devi Koijam (48kg), a direct entrant into the

last-four stage owing to the small size of the women‘s draw.

Chemistry Cup Boxing: India win 2 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals

Gaurav Solanki (Men‘s 52kg) notched up his second successive international gold medal, along with Mohammed Hussamuddin (Men‘s 56kg) as India ended a

strong campaign with six medals at the Chemistry Cup Boxing tournament in Halle, Germany on June 23, 2018. The Indian contingent picked up two gold, a

silver and three bronze medals in all. Solanki defeated Cuba‘s Jorge Alejandro Merencio in final. Hussamuddin defeated Madan Lal in an all-Indian final. The

bronze medals were claimed by Amit Panghal (Men‘s 49kg), Dheeraj Rangi (Men‘s 64kg) and Narender (Men‘s +91kg). Amit had lost to Cuba‘s Damian Arce

Duarte while Dheeraj had lost to Jordan‘s Obada Alkasbeh. Narender was knocked out by American Richard Torrez.

Kidambi Srikanth named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

Men‘s Singles Badminton player Kidambi Srikanth was adjudged Sports Illustrated ‗India’s Sportsperson of the Year‘ for his stupendous performance in

2017. Other winners included the women‘s cricket team, which bagged the ‗Team of the Year‘ award while national football team coach Stephen

Constantine clinched the title of ‗Coach of the year‘. Tennis veteran Leander Paes was awarded ‗Outstanding contribution to Sport‘ while I-League side

Aizawl FC were named Editor’s Choice for Excellence (Team) and Commonwealth gold medallist Jitu Rai - Editor’s Choice for Excellence (Male). Young

paddler Manav Thakkar and golfer Shubhankar Sharma were named ‗Young Sportsperson of the Year‘ and ‗Gamechanger of the Year‘ respectively.

Legendary hockey player Dhanraj Pillay was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

England posts highest ever ODI total

England broke its own all-time record for the highest total scored in a men‘s ODI when it posted 481 for six against Australia on June 19, 2018 in Nottingham.

England broke its own record of 444 for 3 against Pakistan in 2016 at the same venue.

Sandeep Sejwal clinches gold at Singapore National Swimming Championships

Indian swimmer Sandeep Sejwal put up an impressive performance to clinch the gold medal in men‘s 50 meter breaststroke event in 27:59 seconds at the

Singapore National Swimming Championships in Singapore on June 23, 2018. Besides, Virdhawal Khade grabbed a creditable silver medal in the 50 meter

freestyle event with a timing of 22.68 seconds.

Australian golfer Peter Thomson dies at 85

Australian golfing great Peter Thomson, who won the British Open five times, died aged 88 in Melbourne on June 20, 2018. Thomson was the first Australian

to win the British Open, claiming the famous claret jug on five occasions between 1954 and 1965, including three consecutive wins. Only American Tom

Watson in the modern era has matched the feat.

Lewis Hamilton wins Formula One French Grand Prix

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the French Grand Prix for Mercedes at Le Castellet on June 24, 2018. Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and Kimi

Raikkonen of Ferrari finished second and third respectively.

Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Austin Krajicek win Men’s Doubles at Ilkley Challenger tennis

India‘s Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and his partner Austin Krajicek won the Men‘s Doubles title at the Ilkley Challenger tennis in UK on June 24, 2018. The Indo-

American pair beat the German team of Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

Karman Kaur Thandi wins Women’s Singles title on ITF Pro circuit in Hong Kong




26

India‘s Karman Kaur Thandi won the Women‘s Singles title on ITF Pro circuit in Hong Kong on June 23, 2018. She defeated China‘s Jia-Jing Lu in the final 6-1,

6-2.

Borna Coric wins Men’s Singles title at Halle Open tennis

Croatian Borna Coric beat Switzerland‘s Roger Federer in the final on June 24, 2018 7-6, (8/6), 3-6, 6-2 to win the Men‘s Singles title at Halle Open tennis in

Germany on June 24, 2018. Federer also lost the number one spot in ATP rankings to Rafael Nadal.

R. Praggnanandhaa becomes India’s youngest Grand Master

R. Praggnanandhaa has become India‘s youngest and the world‘s second youngest Grand Master at the age of 12 years, 10 months and 13 days during an

event in Italy on June 24, 2018. Ukraine‘s Sergey Karjakin remains the youngest ever GM, having achieved the feat at the age of 12 years and seven months in

2002. In 2016, Praggnanandhaa became the youngest International Master at the age of 10 years, 10 months and 19 days. To become a Grandmaster, a chess

player has to manage a favourable result against at least three GMs and 2,500 Elo points. The youngest Indian GM previously was Parimarjan Negi at 13

years, four months and 22 days.

Amit Saroha wins gold at World para athletics GP

India‘s Amit Kumar Saroha clinched the gold medal in the men‘s club throw F51 event at the World Para athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia. The wheelchair-bound

athlete produced the season‘s best performance of 29.42m to bag gold.

India-Spain women’s hockey series ends 2-2

Rani Rampal led Indian women‘s hockey team hosts thrashed Spain 4-1 in the fifth and final match in Madrid to level the series 2-2.

Olympic Day celebrated on June 23

The Olympic Day was celebrated on June 23, 2018. An initiative stemming from the International Olympic Committee, Olympic Day was created in 1948 to

commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894. On that day, delegates from 12 countries unanimously approved a proposal by

Baron Pierre de Coubertin to revive the Olympic Games, and two years later the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Now,

Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 every year all over the world.