SALEM INSTITUTE of BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 NATIONAL NEWS

SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 NATIONAL NEWS

Centre plans to add 500 GW of renewable energy to its electricity grid by 2030

• The Centre plans to add 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy to its electricity grid by 2030 . The plan aims to clean up air in its cities and lessen the rapidly growing economy’s dependence on coal. • The Ministry of new and renewable energy has planned to install 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 without taking into account large hydro and 225 GW including large hydro. • India is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases . The country has pledged to cut emissions and have clean energy account for at least 40 percent of its installed capacity by 2030, up from 21.4% now, while looking to manage its energy appetite as its population becomes more prosperous. • Minister of New and Renewable Energy: Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge).

World Bank commits $31.58 mn loan for Uttarakhand Public Financial Management Strengthening Project

• Government of India, the State Government of Uttarakhand and the World Bank signed a loan Agreement of $31.58 million (about Rs 221 crore) for Uttarakhand Public Financial Management Strengthening Project. • It improves the State’s ability to manage its Financial Systems and there is better Utilization of Development Resources. The loan agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khahe and Savin Bhasale on behalf of the Govt of Uttarakhand. • The main aim of the project is to benefit the citizens of Uttarakhand in public finances.This loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

About Uttarakhand

• Capital: Dehradun Governor: Baby Rani Maurya Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh Rawat

Home Ministry reported that 64 people died and over 1.4 lakh hectare crop area affected due to cyclone Fani in Odisha

• The Home Ministry reported that 64 people died and over 1.4 lakh hectare crop area affected due to cyclone Fani in Odisha. There was no loss of human lives in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. • Cyclone Fani affected three states namely Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Cyclone Fani:

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The records of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the Cyclone Fani is the first severe cyclonic storm to have formed in April in India’s oceanic neighbourhood since 1976. • The cyclone is a consequence of global warming and it is formed due to the warming of the Bay of Bengal basin atleast 28°C to support the formation of a cyclone. Tropical cyclones in the Indian neighbourhood begin as depressions or a gradual build-up of warm air and pockets of low pressure.

7th India-Brunei Darussalam Foreign Office Consultations held in New Delhi

• 7th Foreign Office Consultations between India and Brunei Darussalam held on New Delhi. India led by Smt. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary(East) Brunei led by Mrs. Hajah Siti Norishan Haji Abdul Ghafoor, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brunei Government. • The consultations provide an opportunity to review the bilateral relations including political, trade and investment, defense, cultural and people. The two sides exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues. • The political level exchanges and the current state of relationship and cooperation.They agreed to explore in the areas of cooperation in energy, health and pharmaceuticals, higher education and agricultural sectors. • Brunei delegation on investment opportunities in India it mainly decided to convene the next round of Consultations in Brunei.

About Brunei:

• Capital : Bandar Seri Begawan • Currency : Brunei dollar • President : Hassanal Bolkiah

Meeting of Expert Working Group of Paris Pact Initiative to be held in New Delhi

• The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is hosting a Meeting of Expert Working Group on Paris Pact Initiative in New Delhi. The meeting focuses on Illicit Financial Flows deriving from the trafficking of Opiates originating in Afghanistan. • The Meeting is being organised with the support of United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes. The Meeting will be attended by the representatives of the Member Countries of Paris Pact, Regional Representatives of UNODC and Senior Officers of the Indian agencies like DRI, ED and NCB.

Director General of UNODC : Yury Fedotov . BSES launches energy saving app

• BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) tied up with several private organisations to launch a slew of initiatives including a ‘behavioural energy saving app’ to reduce electricity consumption.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The app ‘SustHome’ developed by BYPL and TERI to bring about a behavioural change in how consumers use electricity. It will track energy consumption patterns. • The power discom selected cooperative housing societies such as Mayur Vihar to use the app. The initiative will be scaled up to cover over two lakh residential consumers in the second phase. • The app will guide enlisted consumers in reducing their energy consumption, carbon footprint and electricity bills by influencing their behavioural patterns. • It will also provide customized solutions to make all such units energy-efficient. • The main aim is to save around 72 million units (MUs) and help consumers save up to 10% in energy bills.

Haryana government announced an annual of Rs.5 lakh to Loktantra senanis

• The Haryana State government has announced an annual financial assistance of Rs.5 lakh to loktantra senanis or their spouse for treatment at private or government hospitals. The term “emergency victim” on their identity cards would be replaced with “loktantra senani”. • The announcement was made by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while addressing the Loktantra Senanis from across the state at the state-level Loktantra Senani Samman Samaroh organized at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh.

Loktantra senani

• Loktantra senanis are those people who were imprisoned during the 1975-77 (Satyagraha Movement) Emergency under preventive detention laws.

Lok Sabha passed the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019

• Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State, Ministry of AYUSH presented the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha. It passed the Bill on 27 June. • Once Rajya Sabha passes the Bill, it will replace the ordinance issued in the same regard by the previous government. This was the second bill to be passed in Lok Sabha, in the second term of NDA government, after the Special Economic Zone (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019:

• The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 enables the government to extend the tenure of the Board of Governors (BoGs) for a further period of one year , with effect from May 17, 2019 . • The BoGs have been entrusted with the affairs of the Central Homeopathy Council.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh honoured on his 180th death anniversary

A sculpture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled around 40 years in the early 19th century. It was unveiled at the historic Lahore Fort in Pakistan. This embarks to mark his 180th death anniversary.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The total duration to complete the eight-feet tall statue of the Sikh ruler is about 8 months. His horse named Kahar Bahar. It was a gift from Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barazkai dynasty. • The sculpture installed at the Sikh Gallery of the Mai Jindan Haveli in the Lahore Fort. The statue was made by artists from Lahore’s National College of Art and Naqsh School of Art.

Go Tribal campaign by Tribes India launched in New Delhi

• Go Tribal Campaign program launched by Tribes India. Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Smt. Renuka Singh in the presence of Shri R.C. Meena, Chairman, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India and other dignitaries joined in New Delhi • It is used to institutionalize collaborations and partnerships with different organizations to promote tribal products. It is in association with Amazon Global Marketing. • It is launched in TRIBES India products globally through Amazon platform . TRIFED in association with Ms. Ruma Devi showcase a new range of ethnic fashion wear. • She is the recipient of Nari Shakti Puraskar from the President of India . • The heritage range of traditional tribal handloom, handicrafts and naturals collection of the country like Madua, Jowar, Bazra, Red Rice, Honey, Lac products, Spices, Coffee, Tea, Handmade Soaps produced by Tribals in various parts of the country.

Lok Sabha has approved the extension of President’s rule in J&K for a further period of six months

• The Lok Sabha has approved the resolution seeking an extension of President rule in Jammu and Kashmir for a further period of six months with effect from 3rd July 2019. • The lower house also gave its approval to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Bill 2019 . On seeking Lok Sabha’s nod to extend President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has spent Rs. 2,307 crore to security apparatus.

About J&K Extension:

• The reservation bill will amend Sections 5 and 9 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. Once it becomes an Act, it will provide reservation to Gujjars and Baker wals living in the area adjoining the international border leads to extension.

Singhey Khababs Sindhu Festivals

• In Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, tourist’s promotional festival – Ladakh Singhey Khababs Sindhu Festivals is being celebrated today on the bank of Indus River at Leh. Governor Sayta Pal Malik inaugurated the festival by hoisting the National Flag. Mr Malik also attended the all religious meeting. • Our correspondent reports that the festival presents the Indus River as a symbol of the multi-dimensional cultural identity of India that got its name from the Indus River. Folk songs and dances are performed and local handicrafts and ethnic foods are being exhibited before the tourists during the festival.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Ravi Shankar Prasad to launch commemoration of four years of Digital India initiative

• Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad planned to launch the commemoration of four years of Digital India initiative .The event will take in New Delhi . • The main aim of this initiative is to bridge the digital divide and create awareness about Information Technology. These digital services are offered by the government as well as the private sector. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched various initiative of Digital India on 1st of July, 2015. The Digital India plan comprises various initiatives that are targeted to prepare India for becoming a knowledge economy. • To bring good governance to citizens through synchronized and coordinated engagement of the entire government. The Digital India Project main aim to connect all gram panchayats by broadband connectivity. It works under Bharat Net Project to promote e- governance.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy successfully observed ‘ Swachhta Pakhwada’

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy observed ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The institutions successfully observed Swachhta Pakhwada (cleanliness fortnight) from June 1-15 2019. • The campaign inaugurated by Secretary, MNRE Shri Anand Kumar. The Minister participated in tree plantation drive in CGO Complex, New Delhi. • The MNRE various initiatives like Shramdan (cleanliness drive), “Swachhata Pledge”, organization of Seminar on Biogas/Biomass- Waste to Energy

About MNRE

• Headquarters: New Delhi • Founded: 1992 • Minister In-Charge: Raj Kumar Singh

Telangana hosts the triennial International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Congress in Hyderabad

• Telangana is hosting the triennial International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Congress in Hyderabad. ISTA congress is being held for the first time in Asia. The Congress is being held from 26 June to 3 July 2019.

ISTA Congress meet:

• Congress will have the main event for three days and technical committee meetings/sessions over the next 5 days. The Congress will have a symposium on seed technology and quality in a changing world.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • It would discuss recent developments in seed research and in technology related to seeds. The workshops would focus on varietal identification, seed sampling, Purity, germination and moisture. The latter workshop will held from July 5 to 12.

Tamil Nadu declared ‘Tamil Yeoman’ or ‘Tamil Maravan’ as its state butterfly

• ‘Tamil Yeoman ‘, a kind of butterfly found in Western Ghats .It is declared as Tamilnadu state butterfly . It is also known as ‘ Tamil Maravan ‘. • Tamil Nadu is the fifth state in the country to announce its state butterfly . • Its scientific name was Cirrochroa thais . Maharashtra is the first state to declare Blue Mormon (Papilio polgmnestor) as its state butterfly. • It is followed by Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern bird wings) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock) .

Tamil Yeoman

• Scientific name – Cirrochroa thais. • It is known as Tamil Maravan means ‘ warrior’ • Habitat: It is endemic to Western Ghats. • It is found in moist deciduous, evergreen forests and along streams. • It can be found in groups in large numbers at a few places.

Five-year vision plan EQUIP finalised and released by HRD Ministry

• Prime Minister of India finalized a five-year vision plan for each Ministry . • The Department of Higher Education of HRD Ministry finalized and released a five-year vision plan named Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP) . • The ten Expert Groups drawn from senior academicians suggested more than 50 initiatives transform the higher education sector completely. The Groups have set the following goals for higher education sector: • Double the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education . • They resolve the geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions in India • Around 50 Indian institutions among the top-1000 global universities . • The governance reforms in higher education for well-administered campuses to improve quality. • For each initiative, the Groups recommended modalities for implementation, investments and timelines.

Lok Sabha passed the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Bill 2019

• The Lok Sabha passed the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill 2019 in 1 July 2019 . The Bill seeks to replace an Ordinance which was issued in March . • The House unanimously passed the Bill . The opposition demanded the bill to be referred to the standing committee for a comprehensive review. • The Bill will reiterate the government’s commitment towards reservation and to give equal opportunity to all as per the Constitution. • This bill will give enough scope and opportunities in higher education sector in the country. • The Bill will help fill about 7,000 existing vacancies in 41 Central universities . • It aims to provide for reservation in appointments by direct recruitment of persons belonging to the SC, ST, Socially and Economically Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to the teachers’ cadre in certain Central Education Institution .

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a clarion call for water conservation

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi called to start a mass movement for water conservation. The main aim is to resolve to save every drop of water among several parts of the country. • The campaign should be started focus on water-related problems also propagate ways to save water. Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio for the first time after resuming office for the second term. • The society must be united and people belonging to social and cultural organizations lead this movement. He requested the people to share traditional methods that have been in use over the centuries for the conservation of water. The people to pay a visit to Porbandar to see a 200-year-old water tank . • The information concerning people who are making significant contributions towards water conservation. #JanShakti4JalShakti to share their content on the matter. • The initiatives taken by the people for water conservation in many parts of the country to deal with water crisis throughout the country. • He added a Jal Shakti ministry to allow faster decision-making on all subjects related to water. • All Sarpanchs and Gram Pradhans to convene a meeting of the Gram Sabhas and discuss the solution to water problem with the villagers. Yoga assumed such an iconic form that over the Himalayas across the Indian Ocean, from air-force to aircraft carriers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia extended its ban on food products from the European Union up to 31 December 2020

• Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed for extending Moscow’s Embargo on food products from European Union (EU) upto 31 December 2020 . This is due to Russia’s retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine. • The decree prohibits a number of imports from various countries for one year which includes agricultural products, raw materials and other food items. • Russia primarily targeted their restrictions on finance, energy and defence sectors of Russian economy. Russian economy is affected by pushing up the food products.

About Russia:

• President: Vladimir Putin • Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev • Capital: Moscow • Currency: Russian ruble

Malayalam film ‘Veyilmarangal’ won an award at Shanghai International film festival

• At the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival, Director Bijukumar Damodaran received the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award for the film, Veyil Marangal (Trees under the Sun). • This is for the first Indian film to win a major award at the festival. The film is one among the 3,964 entries submitted from 112 countries in the prestigious Golden Goblet Award competition. The jury chairperson at the Fest was the Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

About Shanghai International Film Festival

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • Location: Shanghai, China • Founded: 1993 • Awards: Golden Goblet

Next British PM will be announced on 23 July

• The British government has announced that the next Prime Minister and the leader of Britain’s ruling Conservatives will be announced on July 23. • Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and Britain’s current top diplomat, Jeremy Hunt were chosen from a field of 10 by the Conservative party’s 313 MPs, and are now seeking to woo an estimated 1,60,000 party members who will make the final choice. • Postal ballots will be sent out between July 6 and 8 . The deadline for returning them has been set at 5 p.m. on July 22 . The announcement of the next leader of the Conservative party is expected to be made on 23 July.

BIMSTEC Day- 2019 celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh

• The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member countries consisting of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan celebrated the BIMSTEC Day- 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. • Dr. A K Abdul Momen, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh was the chief guest of the event.Bishwadip Dey, Acting High Commissioner represented India in the BIMSTEC founding day event. • The Secretary-General of BIMSTEC M. Shahidul Islam stated that BIMSTEC will be able to achieve further progress in various sectors of cooperation

About BIMSTEC: • Founded: 1997 • HQ: Dhaka, Bangladesh

U.S. President to hold talks with Prime Minister Modi to discuss India’s retaliatory tariffs

• U.S. President Donald Trump said that India’s high tariffs on American products are unacceptable . Trump has asked India to withdraw the tariffs it levied on 28 US goods.

India levied tariffs:

• Ministry of Commerce has announced to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods that will be effective from June 16 onwards. The retaliatory tariffs on 28 goods imported from the U.S. • The Ministry initially decided to impose tariffs in 2018. The decision is ahead of the meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan. The move made by the trade ministry was approved by the Ministry of External Affairs.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The tariffs will be applied on $220-290 million worth of goods that are imported from the US, and will have about the same impact as the tariffs imposed by Washington on India in 2018.

India and World Bank signed USD 400M loan agreement to eliminate TB

• The World Bank and the Government of India signed a loan agreement of $400 Million for the Program Towards Elimination of Tuberculosis (TB) to kill half a million people in India every year. • The program will cover nine States of India . The Loan Agreement signed by Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance . • It supports the government’s National Strategic Plan to end TB in India by 2025 . Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) given to the patients for acquiring the critical nutrition needed during treatment. • Around $ 400 Million loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 19-year maturity . • It includes a 5-year grace period .

Indian Crypto Exchange Koinex Shuts down its operation

• India’s Largest cryptocurrency exchange, Koinex terminating its digital asset trading set- vices and other crypto-related operations citing regulatory uncertainty and disruption. • It was facing problems with its payment services and gateways, along with non-crypto related transactions like payment of salaries, rent, and purchase of equipment. It started its digital assets exchange services in August 2017. • It executed over 20 million orders in trading volume on its platform so far. • The country’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), barred banks from serving companies dealing in cryptocurrency exchanges.

About Koinex:

• Founders: Rahul Raj, Rakesh Yadav, Aditya Naik • Sector: Digital assets

Abu Dhabi to host first ISA’s joint security exercise ISALEX19

• Representatives of 50 law enforcement agencies of the International Security Alliance are taking part in the first joint security exercise in Abu Dhabi beginning today. • The participants include representatives from tactical teams, rapid intervention units, communications, civil defence, and explosive ordnance disposal, teams. • The International Security Alliance, launched in 2017 in Abu Dhabi, is an international working group to confront organised, transnational and extremist crimes. • The alliance now comprises nine countries, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, France, Italy, Spain, Senegal, Singapore, and the Slovak Republic.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 US deploys F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar for 1st time

• The United States has deployed F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar for the first time, its military said yesterday. The announcement adds to a buildup of US forces in the Gulf amid tensions with Iran. • The US Air Forces Central Military Command stated that the Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been deployed to defend American forces and interests. The number of hi- tech planes sent was not specified. • Tehran and Washington have been locked in an escalating standoff since US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a multi-party 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic republic. • Tensions spiked last week when Iran shot down a US drone over sensitive Gulf waters following a series of tanker attacks that Washington blamed on Tehran, which has denied involvement. • In May, the US Air Force deployed several nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers and an aircraft carrier task force to the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia increased India’s Haj quota by 30,000

• Saudi Arabia increased India’s Haj quota by 30,000. It was like the third hike in 3 years. It is increased from 1,70,000 to 200,000. • Indians get a chance to visit annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca . It is a city in Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. • The issue discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • The Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the ongoing G20 Summit in Osaka Japan. In 2017, Saudi Arabia increased India’s Haj quota by 35,000. • It was hiked by 5,000. • Haj subsidy provided by the government withdrawn following the Supreme Court order of 2012. It allowed women to go on Hajj without ‘Mahram’ or male companion. • Bilateral meeting between India and Saudi Arabia regarding the cooperation in trade and investment, energy security and counter-terrorism. • Haj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

About Saudi Arabia:

• Capital: Riyadh • Currency: Saudi riyal

Aparna Kumar created history by becoming the first civil servant and IPS officer to achieve the 7 Summits challenge

Aparna Kumar created history by becoming the first civil servant and IPS officer to achieve the incredible and rare feat of completing ‘7 Summits’ challenge’.

Kumar hoisted India’s tricolour on Mount Denali in Alaska, USA. Mount Denali is the highest peak of North America standing at 20,310 ft. She scaled the summit in her third attempt.

Mount Denali:

Mount Denali is considered the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. ANKING/RRB/SSC/TNPSC/TET 32nd Bakkiyam cmplx,Sankari Main Road,Tiruchengode Page 10

SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world; Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. It is also the tallest peak outside of Asia.

Seven Summits:

The seven listed summits in the challenge are:

1) Mount Everest in Nepal/China

2) Aconcagua in Argentina

3) Denali in the US

4) Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

5) Mount Elbrus in Russia

6) Mount Vinson in Antarctica

7) Puncak Jaya and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia

India abstained from voting on a General Assembly resolution aimed to end trade in goods that are used for capital punishment and torture

• India was abstained from voting on a General Assembly resolution aimed to end trade in goods that are used for capital punishment and torture. • India said that it is unacceptable to place death penalty on par with torture. • India also said that this current resolution may start a duplicative parallel process related to ‘goods’ used for torture and capital punishment and create ambiguity by conflating different issues.

United Nations General Assembly:

• Founded on: 1945 • Headquarters: New York, United States • President: María Fernanda Espinosa • Subsidiaries: UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations System Staff College.

RANKING & INDEX

MHA released the rankings of Police Stations for 2018; Rajasthan tops the list

• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released the rankings of police stations for the year 2018. It covered 15,666 police stations. 20% weightage was assigned to the police station’s infrastructure and citizen feedback on the performance of the police personnel posted at the police station and they were evaluated on the basis of crimes against women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes & property related offences. • The scores were calculated based on the number of FIRS (First Information Reports) chargesheeted within 60 days.The Kalu police station in Bikaner district of Rajasthan was ranked the best police station in the country.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • It was awarded the first rank for its performance in crime prevention, investigation and disposal of cases, crime detection, community policing and maintenance of law and order, women help desk facility, drinking water facility and WiFi. • The Campbell Bay police station in Nicobar district of Andaman & Nicobar Islands ranked second. It has facilities like a separate woman help desk, a child-friendly room, an IT (Information Technology) room and a proper waiting room for the complainants and visitors. • Farakka police station in Murshidabad, West Bengal was ranked third for its facilities like air- conditioners, a gymnasium and playground that provides a comfortable environment for public-police interaction, CCTV cameras, fire safety facilities and oxygen cylinders. • Other stations are Nettapakkam in Puducherry, Gudageri in Dharwad,Karnataka, Chopal in Shimla, Lakheri in Bundi, Rajasthan, Periyakulam in Theni, Tamil Nadu.

India topple England, go top of ODI rankings by June 28th report

• India on Thursday dethroned England to rise to the top of One-Day International rankings, just three days ahead of their blockbuster World Cup clash. As per the latest rankings released by the ICC, India led the chart with 123 points, followed by World Cup hosts England (122) and New Zealand (114). • The first team to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing edition, defending champions Australia are placed fourth with 112 points. However, if India lose to the West Indies on Thursday, they will slip one point behind England.

Mumbai in top 20 most expensive cities in Asia for expatriates: Mercer

• Mumbai is India’s most expensive city and among the top 20 costliest cities surveyed in Asia for expatriates, as residential housing prices remain among the highest in the world, a survey by global consulting leader Mercer says. • According to Mercer’s 25th Annual Cost of Living Survey , Mumbai fell 12 spots and was ranked at the 67th position out of 209 cities surveyed. • Regarding Mumbai, the report said, “costs of items such as eating out and utilities show decline, however, residential housing costs remain among the most expensive in the world, contributing to its top rankings in Asia and globally”. • Other Indian cities in the list include New Delhi at 118th place, Chennai (154), Bengaluru (179) and Kolkata (189). All the four cities have moved down from last year.

Nagaland occupies the top position in the unemployment rate: NSSO Survey

• According to the survey, “The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18” which is conducted by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO). • The huge variations among the states in terms of the unemployment rate. The overall unemployment rate is around 6.1. Nagaland has the highest unemployment rate among the states with the percentage of 21.4%. It is followed by Goa (1 3.9%) and Manipur(1 1.6%)

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • Meghalaya has the lowest rate at 1.5%.Chhattisgarh and Sikkim have the lowest rates. Urban areas witnessed higher unemployment (7.8%) than rural areas (5.3%). Females have the lowest unemployment rate (5.7%) in comparison to males (6.2%). • Nagaland top in the list of union territories while Dadra and Nagar Haveli with a low rate of 0.6%. Goa and Kerala are high in female unemployment at 26.0% and 23.3%respectively.

India slips to place to 74th in terms of money in Swiss Banks

• The annual banking statistics report compelled by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), India slipped to 74th place in terms of money with Swiss banks. UK (United Kingdom) remained top in the list of the survey. • India holds 6% in 2018 to 955 million Swiss francs (about Rs.6,757 crore). A second lowest level in over two decades.

The top-ranked countries in the list are:

UK, the US (United States).

2. West Indies, France, and Hong Kong.

India placed at 75th position in the year 2015 it obtained 61st in 2014

• India ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004. • The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients across the world about 4 percent to CHF 1.4 trillion (about Rs 99 lakh crore) in the year 2018. • The United Kingdom accounted at CHF 372 billion. • It is over 26% of the total foreign funds till December 2018. USA remains second with CHF 144 billion accounts 10.3% of foreign funds. • India lowest ranked among the BRICS nations . Russia is ranked the highest (20th) followed by China (22nd), South Africa (60th) Brazil (65th). • India’s neighboring nations ranked lower with Pakistan(82nd), Bangladesh (89th), Nepal (109th), Sri Lanka (141st), Myanmar (187th) and Bhutan (193rd).

About Swiss National Bank:

A central bank of Switzerland is responsible for the monetary policy of the nation of Switzerland and also for the issuing of Swiss franc banknotes.

• Chairman: Thomas Jordan • Headquarters: Bern and Zurich

DEFENCE NEWS

IAF turned the Gwalior air base virtually into a conflict theatre to commemorate 20 years of the Kargil War

• To commemorate 20 years of the Kargil War , the IAF turned the Gwalior air base virtually into a conflict theatre, with dramatic re-enactment of some of the milestones of the operation in 1999. • It recreated the crucial events of the war. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa was the chief guest for the event. In a symbolic ‘recreation’ of the Tiger Hill attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Drass-

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Kargil area, the air force used the Mirage 2000 aircraft and explosives were blown up on a ‘model hill’. • The Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations for the year 2019 will be spread over three days from 25-27 July 2019 and will be organized at Dras and New Delhi. However, as part of the build up to the main event, numerous activities are planned to be organized all over the country with effect from first week of July 2019.

India has signed Rs.200 crore deal with Russia to acquire Strum Ataka

• India has signed Rs.200 crore deal with Russia to acquire Strum Ataka. The anti-tank missile will be added to the fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers of Indian Air Force (IAF). • This deal comes in wake of an IAF’s attempt to keep itself battle-ready in situations like post-Balakot aerial strikes. • The Strum Ataka anti-tank missile would give an added capability to Mi-35 attack choppers of IAF to take out enemy tanks and other armoured elements. • Mi-35s are set to be replaced with Apache gunships being acquired from United States (US) and slated to be delivered from August onwards.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI committee suggested Rs.5,000 crore asset fund for MSMEs

• A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee, chaired by U.K. Sinha, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has suggested a Rs.5,000 crore stressed asset fund for domestic Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). • It aims to provide a relief to small businesses hurt by demonetization, the goods and services tax (GST) and an ongoing liquidity crunch. It also assured that the fund could operate on the lines of the Textile Upgradation Fund Scheme.

Other Seggestion by the committee:

• The committee also suggested to form a government-sponsored Fund of Funds of ₹10,000 crore. This aims to support venture capital and private equity firms investing in MSMEs as India’s 63.38 million MSMEs contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth. • It also recommended expanding the role of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The committee suggested that the PSBLoansIn59Minutes.com portal to cater the new entrepreneurs, who may not necessarily have information like GSTIN, income-tax returns and bank statement. • The committee plans to introduce adjusted priority sector lending guidelines for banks to specialize in lending to a specific sector. The committee asked RBI to double the collateral-free loan limit to ₹20 lakh. • It suggested RBI to provide insurance coverage to MSME employees by the government.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 RBI has asked the public to continue to accept the coins of various denominations

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the public to continue to accept the coins of various denominations pumped into circulation regularly. The RBI puts into circulation coins minted by the central government. • RBI said that the coins have distinctive features which are being introduced from time to time with various themes like economic, social and cultural, in order to meet the transaction needs of public. Currently, coins of 50 paise, ₹1, ₹2, ₹5 and ₹10 denomination of various sizes, theme and design are in circulation. • Because of the continuous complaints about non-acceptance of coins by bank branches, RBI has asked all banks not to turn away customers who come to exchange coins at their branches.

RBI monitors the asset-liability gap, liquidity position, and repayment schedules of housing finance companies

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) , as per its announcement, has started monitoring the asset-liability gap, liquidity position, and repayment schedules of housing finance companies (HFCs) . It will be monitored on a daily basis after the liquidity crisis which hit these firms, resulting in defaults. • National Housing Bank regulates the mortgage lenders . But RBI is of the view that there are possibilities that the liquidity crisis of the HFCs could have a spill over effect on the other segments in the financial sector, including banks. This can affect financial stability which makes it necessary to monitor these entities on a regular basis • The Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) particularly the mortgage lenders are fighting a crisis of confidence with banks. Because of the debt default by IL&FS in September 2018, the banks have stopped lending to these entities.

RBI launched Complaint Management System to facilitate grievance redressal process

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched Complaint Management System (CMS) , on its website for facilitating RBI’s grievance redressal process and also to improve customer experience in timely redressal of grievances.

Complaint Management System (CMS): • CMS is a software application launched by RBI for lodging complaints against any regulated entity with public interface such as commercial banks, urban cooperative banks (UCBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). CMS is also provided with various dashboards which will help RBI to effectively track progress in redressal of complaints. • It is expected that the CMS will maintain trust and sustain the confidence of consumers in the banking system and other financial service providers (FSPs) , prompt and effective grievance redressal mechanism together with customers empowerment through education is a must.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Max Bupa partners with MobiKwik for health insurance

• Max Bupa, a standalone health insurer entered into a strategic partnership with MobiKwik, a fintech platform to promote affordable and convenient bite-sized group health insurance products for MobiKwik’s 107 Million customers across the country. • Max Bupa come up with a slew of innovative offerings, including a Cancer cover at a nominal premium. A HospiCash product for MobiKwik’s vast customer base. • Max Bupa’s HospiCash product provides for a pre-defined daily allowance on the basis of number of days of hospitalisation irrespective of the actual expense incurred by the customer. • HospiCash will offer ₹500 per day hospital allowance for up to 30 days in a year. The main aim to enable financial inclusion by making pocket-size health insurance solutions available through the Mobikwik platform. The plan to acquire 1 million Mobikwik customers over the next 3-4 years.

CBDT directs I-T dept to share info of loan defaulters with banks

• CBDT informed the Income Tax Department to share “public interest” details of assets. The policy move is aimed to tighten the noose on such entities and extract recovery of public money. • The tax department will get information from the Income Tax Return (ITR) of an assesse. They frame a policy for the I-T department issued an order in this context to its entire field. • The order states that “tax dues” of defaulter before the taxman shares such information with the bank. A number of high-value bank loan frauds come in the recent past including prominent ones like the Rs 13,000 crore including businessman and liquor baron Vijay Mallya and others.

SEBI tightens the rules for mutual funds to secure investors

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced more checks and balances for debt mutual funds (MFs) to secure investors and stem systemic risks on 27 June. • The move will help revive the confidence of investors, especially those investing in debt MFs. The regulator, among other things, has increased security cover for loans against shares, brought down sectoral investment limits, and mandated certain schemes to have a fifth of their exposure in government securities (g-sec). • Defaults or payment deferments by high-profile corporate groups including Zee and DHFL have plagued the Rs 25-trillion MF industry. The regulator has changed the valuation methodology for debt and money market instruments to mark-to-market, doing away with amortisation.

Govt. to celebrate 2 years of GST on July 1st

• Government of India organized an event on July 1 to celebrate the second anniversary of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The event will be addressed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The event will be held in Ambedkar Bhawan.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The event will be attended by senior officers of the central and state tax authorities. The two years presentation of GST and the road ahead for the indirect tax regime will be published. • The pilot of new return filing replaces the current system of GSTR-3B (summary returns) and GSTR-1 (supplies return) launched on July 1, 2019. The generation of e-way bill for transporting goods over Rs 50,000. • GST has 17 local levies rolled out on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1, 2017. The ceremony held in the central hall of the parliament. GST transformed India into ‘One Nation, One Tax’ that binds the country into an economic union. • GST simplified with tax rates being lowered for nearly 500 products and return filing system streamlined.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Lok Sabha passed the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019

• The Lok Sabha passed the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on 26 June. The amendment of sub-section (v) of Section 2 of the SEZ Act, 2005 will make a trust or any entity notified by the Central government eligible for consideration of grant of permission to set up a unit in special economic zones. • The Bill aims at improving and encouraging more investments and introducing features including single-window clearance and to ease imports and exports.

Ordinance:

• The Bill will replace the ordinance promulgated in February 2019. The ordinance seeks to amend the definition of a person under the SEZ Act 2005, which will enable a trust to be considered for grant of permission to set up a unit. • Exports from SEZs rose 21% on year to Rs 7 lakh crore in FY19. As of March 31, there were 232 SEZs, of which 25 are multiproduct and the rest are sector specific, with 5,109 approved units.

MoRTH plans to introduce Universal smart card driving licences to curb fake or bogus licenses

• The government plans to introduce Universal smart card driving licences . The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has decided to modify the current format of driving licenses to laminated card without chip or smart card type driving licences and which will include nationwide standardised format of placement of Information, standardization of fonts etc. • For this purpose, RTOs (Regional Transport Offices) should issue a uniform format of driving licenses across nation. It aims to curb fake or bogus licenses.

SARATHI:

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • This Ministry will accomplish the mission through its flagship application called SARATHI, for driving license, developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) . NIC has a common countrywide database of all driving license holders. • Almost 15 crore driving license records are available in its central repository. The SARATHI application has the feature to identify duplicate records online in real time and access information about the challans if any.

MieTY reported that 2.22 crore villagers are given Digital Education under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)

• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology reported that 2.22 crore villagers are given Digital Education under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA). • The report was submitted by Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad in Rajya Sabha.

About PMGDISHA:

• To increase the Digital Literacy rate in India, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan (PMGDISHA) was launched as an integral part of the ‘Digital India’ initiative. • The vision of this scheme is that one person in every household digitally literate, and train them to operate digital devices such as Tablets, Smartphones et cetera. Bridge the digital divide, specifically targeting the rural population It also ensures high-speed internet access for all, though a secure ecosystem. • The Centre allocated Rs.100 crore in 2017-18, Rs.438 crore in 2018-19 and Rs.400 crore in 2019-20 for the PMGDISHA scheme. The total outlay for this project so far has been Rs.2,351 crore.

Centre has approved Rs.13,343 crore for the National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD and Brucellosis

• The Centre has approved Rs.13,343 crore for the National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis for the next five years. • It was announced by the Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan . The amount of Rs.2683 crore is proposed for the Financial Year 2019-20.

FMD and Brucellosis:

• These diseases are very common among the livestock cow-bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs etc. If a cow/buffalo gets infected with FMD , the milk loss is upto 100% which could last for four to six months. • If it is affected with Brucellosis the milk output reduces by 30%, during the entire life cycle of animal. Brucellosis also causes infertility amongst the animals. The infection of brucellosis can also be transmitted to the farm workers and livestock owners.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • Both the diseases have a direct negative impact on the trade of milk and other livestock products.

West Bengal introduces free crop insurance scheme Bangla Shashya Bima for farmers

• West Bengal Government launched a crop insurance scheme, Bangla Shashya Bima (BSB). The reason for the launch of 2019 ‘Kharif’ season is to protect farmers from losses due to natural disasters. • Their main aim is to provide a steady income in case of unstable market prices. The scheme launched in collaboration with Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC). • The crop insurance scheme is “free of cost for farmers” as the state government would pay the entire premium. The crops include Aman and Aus paddy, jute and maize under the scheme. • This scheme is applicable for farmers in 15 districts. Those districts include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim aardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Malda, Hooghly, Nadia, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas. About West Bengal • Capital: Kolkata • Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee

‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme will be available across the country from July 1, 2020

• Central government’s ambitious project of ‘ One Nation One Card ‘. A beneficiary can buy subsidized food grains from any ration shop. The scheme will begin on 1 July 2020. • The Central government given states and Union Territories till June 30, 2020, to use point of sale (POS) machines in the ration shops and the scheme can be implemented. Around 77% % of the ration shops across the country have POS machines. • Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura are the states which provide the portability of Public Distribution System (PDS) entitlements. • The government is implementing the National Food Security Act(NSA) under which food grains are supplied every month. They are supplied every month at highly subsidized rates of Rs 1-3 per kg to over 80 crore people.

AGREEMENTS & MOU

Korean Ambassador to India Bong-kil Shin signed agreement with BMVSS and launched ‘Jaipur Foot Korea’

• Korean Ambassador to India Bong-kil Shin aunched ‘Jaipur Foot Korea’. A collaborative initiative between Korea and Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS). • This agreement Korea will provide financial and technical assistance to further research and development collaboration in the med-tech sector specifically in the area of prosthetic limbs, bionic arms, 3-D printing-based Flat foot solution, and mobility solutions. • The Korean ambassador visited the Jaipur Foot centre with experts agreement will open up access to Korean med-tech students. The job is to join the various prosthetic fitment camps

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 in various countries. These countries participate in certificate programs offered by Jaipur Foot.

MOA signed between Ministry of Shipping and IIT Kharagpur to set up CICMT

• A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between Ministry of Shipping and IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), Kharagpur to set up Centre for Inland & Coastal Maritime Technology (CICMT) at IIT Kharagpur. CICMT is the first of its kind centre in India. • The main aim is to focus on indigenisation of ship designing, building and testing. The MOA signed by IIT Kharagpur Director, Professor Partha P Chakraborty and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, Kailash Kumar Aggarwal in New Delhi. • The total cost of the project is Rs.69.20 crore. It is funded under Sagarmala programme. It is for 5 years after which revenues generated from the end users. Four European countries namely Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Belgium have model testing facilities for ships. • Make in India initiative mainly will focus on ship design for coastal or inland waterways, shipbuilding technology cryogenic cargo handling, green/renewable energy harvesting from coastal and inland waters. Automation and artificial intelligence (A1) for maritime operations.

Korean Ambassador to India Bong-kil Shin signed agreement with BMVSS and launched ‘Jaipur Foot Korea’

Andhra Pradesh government has formed a committee on the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)

• The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a committee on the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) on 1 July. • The committee will review, negotiate and reduce the high wind and solar power purchase prices and submit its report in 45 days. • The Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMS) in Andhra Pradesh State are in financial crisis as the power purchase dues amounted to ₹20,000 crore. The crisis is due to the abnormally priced wind and solar PPAs entered in the recent years. • The committee will provide affordable power to consumers and pull DISCOMS of the crisis. • It will also factor the lowest wind and solar energy rates in the corresponding years in the country, current rates, opportunity cost for power from AP-Genco plants, existing thermal contracts and Central generating station allocations.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Telecom Ministry constituted a committee to revive Telecom sector

• Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had constituted a committee chaired by Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to spell out revival plans for Telecom sector. • The committee headed by Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan would submit its report in 2 weeks’ time . • Aruna Sundararajan is India’s Telecom Secretary and Chairman of the Telecom Commission. Aruna Sundararajan Committee will look into the entire issue of removing ambiguities in ease of doing business and also to revisit the whole issue of SUC. • The committee will review levies, including spectrum usage charge (SUC), and promote Ease of Doing Business (EDB) in telecom sector. Reduction of levies and fees, as licence fee, SUC and universal service levy, has been a long-standing demand of Telecom industry. • In case of any issues which require clarity, committee has been directed to seek views of Solicitor General. Committee would also look into previous recommendations provided by sectoral regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) on the issue. • The Government of India is also looking into revival plan for state-owned BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited).

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Senior Chief K Natarajan to be the new director general of Indian Coast Guard

• Krishnaswamy Natarajan appointed as the next director general of Indian Coast Guard. He replaces Rajendra Singh who is retiring after three and a half years of service. • Natarajan joined the Coast Guard on January 18, 1984. He holds a Master’s Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University. He held various important command and staff appointments, both afloat and ashore.

• The flag officer commanded all classes of ICG ships namely Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) Sangram, Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Veera, Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) Kanaklata Ba rua and Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) Chandbibi.

Max Bupa partners with MobiKwik for health insurance

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Amitabh Kant gets two-year extension as Niti Aayog CEO

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of Kant’s tenure for a further period of two years beyond June 30, 2019, i.e. up to June 30, 2021, on the same terms and conditions. • Kant, a 1980 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, took charges as the first full-time CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog on February 17, 2016, after his superannuation as Secretary in Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), formerly known as Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Sharad Kumar Saraf is appointed as the new President of FIEO

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has elected Sharad Kumar Saraf as its new president . Saraf will succeed renowned exporter Ganesh.

Sharad Kumar:

• Saraf in his earlier stints at FIEO has served twice as vice-president and four times as regional chairman. He is chairman and founder of Technocraft Industries (India).

FIEO:

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations Interface between international trading community of India and Centre and state government , railways, ports, surface transport, financial institutions.

Samant Goel appointed as the new Chief of Research and Analysis Wing

• Centre appointed Samant Goel , IPS officer, as the new Chief of Research and Analysis Wing. The appointment comes after Samant Goel’s key role in India’s counter-attack on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan’s Balakot. • Goel is of the 1984 batch and hold the rank of Director General. He is from the Punjab cadre. The appointment was finalized and approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). • ACC is headed by PM Narendra Modi and comprising Home Minister Amit Shah.

Head of Amazon India, Amit Agarwal appointed as the Chairman of IAMAI

Amit Agarwal, Amazon India Senior Vice-President and Country Head named as the new Chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). He succeeds Rajan Anandan

• He was the former Google India Managing Director (MD). Dhruv Shringi, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yatra appointed as the Vice Chairman of IAMA. • He succeeds Deep Kalra, Founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip. • Satyan Gajwani, vice-chairman of Times Internet appointed as the new Treasurer of the IAMAI. Subho Ray continues as the President of the association.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The tenure of the new council is 2 years.

About IAMAI

• Headquarters: Mumbai • Founded: 2004

Arvind Kumar is appointed as Director of Intelligence Bureau

• Arvind Kumar, Senior IPS officers, is appointed the new Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB) . He is the IPS officer of 1984 batch. His appointment is confirmed by the Home Ministry. • Arvind Kumar will succeed Rajiv Jain as IB Chief and will assume his charge on 30th June 2019. Previously Arvind Kumar was involved in tackling the Left Wing Extremism at IB. • He is considered to be an expert on Kashmir issues. The Director of the Intelligence Bureau or the IB Chief is the senior most ranked IPS officer in the IB and the senior most IPS officer in the country also.

Acharya sworn in as the Governor of Manipur on 27 June

• Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya sworn in as the Governor of Manipur on 27 June . Justice Lanusungkum Jamir of the High Court of Manipur administered the oath of office to Acharya at the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan, Manipur. • Acharya will discharge the functions of the Governor of Manipur, in addition to his current duty as the Governor of Nagaland , during the absence of Dr Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur. After swearing in Acharya said that the governor is the constitutional head of state and that he will discharge his constitutional duties.

Article 153 of Constitution:

• It says that there shall be a Governor for each state. • The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 has facilitated the appointment of the same person as a governor for two or more states.

Author Amish Tripathi appointed as the Director of Nehru Centre in London

• Author Amish Tripathi named as the director of London’s Nehru Centre. Author of best- selling books like the Secret of the Nagas and Sita – Warrior of Mithila, Tripathi take over from diplomat Srinivas Gotru. • Gotra’s four-year tenure ended this year. Tripathi appointed for the post followed by an interview with a selection panel, ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabudhe. • The Nehru Centre founded in 1992. Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its founder director.

About Amish Tripathi

• He is an Indian author.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • His famous works are The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras, Scion of Ikshvaku and Sita: Warrior of Mithila.

Sarada Kumar Hota took over as NHB MD

• Government of India, Canara Bank General Manager (GM) Sarada Kumar Hota assumed charge as the National Housing Bank (NHB) Managing Director. It lasted for a period of three years. He succeeds Sriram Kalyanaraman. • He served as the managing director of Can Fin Homes, a subsidiary of Canara Bank. NHB wholly owned by the Government. Last week, NHB tightened rules on leverage and capital adequacy ratio for HFCs, by capping the borrowing limit of these companies at 12 times the net owned fund as on 31 March, 2022 NHB is now 100% owned by the government.

About NHB

• Founded: 9 July 1988 • Headquarters: New Delhi

Keshni Anand Arora appointed Chief Secretary of Haryana

• The Haryana government appointed senior IAS officer Keshni Anand Arora as the State’s new Chief Secretary on June 30. Arora, 58, replaces D.S. Dhesi, who retired on June 30, an official order said. • Arora previously served as Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana government, and Financial Commissioner, Department of Revenue and Disaster Management and Department of Consolidation.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Rachna Khaira of The Tribune News Service won the 2019 Journalist of the Year

• Rachna Khaira of The Tribune News Service won the Redlnk Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism Journalist of the Year 2019 . She is currently working for The Huffington Post.

Awarded for:

• The award is for her expose during 2018 on functioning of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and its Aadhaar data cache. The investigation that was conducted by Rachna Khaira confirmed that personal data of millions of citizens were at risk of being hacked/traded for a price. • The journalists ran a series of sting operations regarding the isssue and it helped to raise serious doubts over government claims that Aadhaar data stored on UIDAI servers was safe and secure.

Other awardees:

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019 was jointly awarded to two retired senior journalists, Dinu Ranadive , who retired from the Maharashtra Times, and Photojournalist Sebastian D’Souza, who served as Photo Editor of Mumbai Mirror. Ranjeet Jadhav was awarded the Redlnk ‘Star Mumbai Reporter’ award for 2019.

Sameer Gulati bags Rs. 3 lakhs for ‘world’s best coder’ at TechGig Code Gladiators 2019

• 6th Edition of TechGig Code Gladiators 2019 Ex-champion, Sameer Gulati won the title as ‘world’s best coder’. He won prize money of Rs 3 lakhs a trophy and a certificate • The event was held at Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai.The event featured 10 hackathon theme rounds on technologies which includes Chatbots, Robotic Process Automation, Fintech, Software Testing, and New Commerce. • Around 2.6 lakh coders fought for 87 days to claim the title this year. Around 21 per cent (55,633 out of 2,62,906) were female coders.

TechGig Code Gladiators 2019

• Industry: Competitive programming • Headquarters: Gurgaon, India

India born Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title for 2019

• India born Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title for 2019. Serrao edged past 26 other women from across the country in Melbourne to win the title on 27 June. She will now represent Australia in the Miss Universe Australia 2019 . • Australian-Ugandan Bella Kasimba was announced the first runner-up in the finale. She is a law graduate who currently works in Department of Jobs, Precincts and regions in Melbourne.

Nirmala Sitharaman among 100 most influential women driving UK-India relationship

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is among the 100 most influential women driving the UK-India relationship forward alongside one of Britain’s senior-most Cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt. • The ‘100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations: Celebrating Women’ list was launched by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to mark India Day in the Houses of Parliament in London on Monday. • It credited Sitharaman, also the Minister of Corporate Affairs, as one of India’s most “powerful women” who plays a “pivotal” role in the bilateral relationship – as India’s former defence minister and now finance minister.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Sir Mark Tully was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 at UK-India Awards in London

Veteran British journalist Sir Mark Tully was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 at UK-India Awards in London. The award celebrates special talents and organisations who use their worldwide influence to strengthen UK-India ties.

Other Awardees:

Market Entrant of the Year category– Oyo, Indian hospitality.

Social Impact category– British Telecom (BT).

Global Indian Icon of the Year– Kunnal Nayyar, best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on US sitcom. The Big Bang Theory Special Significant Contribution to UK-India Relations Award- To Indian-origin peer and Cobra Beer founder. Lord Karan Bilimoria Start-up of the Year Award- Maanch, a new platform that matches up funders and receivers to accelerate global sustainable development.

Nitesh Kumar Jangir Indian Engineer won innovation award in UK

• An Indian engineer, Nitesh Kumar Jangir won the Commonwealth Secretary –General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award 2019. • The award won in the “ People ” category in London, UK (United Kingdom) • It is for the creation of a low-cost neonatal breathing device named “ Saans “. • The main use for saving the lives of newborn babies. • The award was presented by Prince Harry, Youth Ambassador of Commonwealth and Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA’s Curiosity rover confirmed the presence of Methane in Mars

• NASA has confirmed that the Curiosity rover, the NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, recently detected the largest amount of methane ever measured during the mission. Curiosity’s methane reading came to 21 parts per billion units by volume. It is thrice the amount it sniffed out during a surge in 2013. • During a follow-up test later, though, scientists found that the methane levels around the rover already dropped sharply. Curiosity detected normal methane levels, which are 1 part per billion by volume , following the sudden elevation. It suggested that the abnormally high values came from transient methane plumes.

Methane:

• Methane is a gas formed by both geological and biological processes. It is the main constituent of natural gas. It is a group-14 hydride and the simplest alkane with the chemical formula CH4.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The methane concentration in earth’s atmospheric has increased by about 150% since 1750. Methane accounts for 20% of the total radiative forcing from all of the long-lived and globally mixed greenhouse gases.

Three astronauts landed after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

• Oleg Kononenko with the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Anne McClain of NASA and Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques landed aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft on June 24. • The landed after spending more than six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada had completed their maiden flights. • The expedition commander Oleg Kononenko of Russia has ended his fourth space mission. All three spent 204 days in space.Soyuz MS-11 was the 57th Russian Soyuz spacecraft to fly to the International Space Station. • It traveled a total of 86.4 million miles (139 million kilometers) over the course of 3,264 orbits of Earth. The crew members participated in space walks , performed a lot of experiments and performed a good amount of repair work.

Oracle launches Crime Mitigation solution for smaller banks

• A multinational software firm in the United States Oracle introduced a new tool that will help small & mid-sized banks to tackle fraud. The Oracle Financial Services “Anti Money Laundering Express Edition (AMLXE)” designed to detect, investigate, and report suspected money laundering and terrorist financing activity. • They targeted at smaller banks to comply with regulatory norms with a limited budget. It uses new architecture principles to offer quick deployment on premise or on cloud infrastructures allowing firms to transition at reduced implementation costs. • The solution includes an in-built library with scenarios have the ability to detect money laundering behaviours. The solution designed to allow visual scenario configuration, reducing coding overheads, and enabling easy adaption to ever-changing compliance demands.

About Oracle

• Founded: 16 June 1977 • Headquarters: Redwood City, California, U.S • Founders: Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates

NASA announced a new mission to explore Saturn’s largest moon

• NASA announced a new mission to explore this fascinating world with a helicopter drone. The mission, called Dragonfly is the latest in NASA’s new frontier program. NASA has earlier launched explorations of Pluto, Jupiter, the asteroid Bennu, and now, Titan.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Titan:

• Titan, the largest moon of Saturn , has a lot in common with Earth. It has a thick, nitrogen- dense atmosphere and features like rivers, lakes, mountains, and, potentially volcanoes. • The atmosphere of Titan is four times as dense as the Earth’s and there’s less gravity which makes it a prime location in the solar system to deploy a drone.

SPORTS NEWS

Italy won the bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged at the Italian venue of Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo . The Winter Games will happen from 6 February to 22 February in 2026. • Italy beat off a bid from Stockholm/Are in Sweden. Italy won the bid by the approval of the IOC members by 47 votes to 34. Italy has twice previously hosted the Winter Olympics twice. It first hosted Olympics in 1956 in Cortina d’Ampezzo and then in 2006 in Turin. • It has been estimated that the Games will generate five billion euros ($5.69 billion) and create 20,000 jobs. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be staged in Beijing .

Sofia Kenin won the Mallorca Open Title 2019

• Sofia Kenin of the United States won the Mallorca Open Title 2019. Belinda Bencic of Switzerland with 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-4 points in the finals. • The 4th edition of the tournament was held at Santa Ponsa Tennis Club in Mallorca, Spain. This was her second WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) singles title of the season.

About Mallorca Open Title 2019

• Champion: United States Sofia Kenin • Runner-up: Switzerland Belinda Bencic

Virat Kohli becomes the fastest cricketer to score 20,000 international runs

• Virat Kohli becomes the fastest cricketer to score 20,000 international runs. • The 417 innings to reach the milestone and bettered the time taken by legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. • India captain reached the milestone the score of 37 in India’s 6th match in World Cup tournament against West Indies. • He scored 18,963 runs in international cricket before the innings and needed a further 37 to reach the 20,000 run mark. • He has 416 innings (131 Tests, 223 ODIs and 62 T20Is).

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 Narinder Batra elected as IOC member

• Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee. He secured 58 votes out of 62. • Narinder Batra has a rare distinction of becoming a member of the IOC, he is heading a National Olympic Committee. He also belongs to the international federation. He is the first Indian to have this distinction About Indian Olympic Association • Headquarters: New Delhi, India • President: Narinder Dhruv Batra • Secretary-General: Rajeev Mehta

Girish Koushik is India’s 63rd Grandmaster

• Girish A. Koushik has taken the long road there but he has finally arrived at the destination of his dreams. Last week, the 22-year-old from Mysuru became India’s 63rd Grandmaster at the 37th Balaton International Chess Festival in Hungary . • Girish had completed his second GM norm in Mallorca late in May, and the third in Budapest the following week. Only 11 Elo rating points separated him from the figure of 2500 (live), and he duly crossed the line in Balatonlelle.

Marcus Trescothick announces retirement from professional cricket

• Former England star Marcus Trescothick on Thursday announced he would retire at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a 27-season career with county side Somerset . • The 43-year-old opening batsman , who played 76 Tests and 123 one-day internationals, has scored a total of 26,234 first-class runs since making his debut for Somerset in 1993 . • Trescothick , whose international career was ended by anxiety attacks, still holds an ambition to win his place back in the first XI of the title-chasing side before the end of the season.

Veer Chotrani wins U19 Asian squash title

• The talented youngster Veer Chotrani annexed the u-19 boys’ title in an all-India final with higher seeded Yash Fadte settling for silver medal. Veer won 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7. • Veer is now the third Indian to win this prestigious title after Ravi Dixit and Vela Senthilkumar earlier. Veer — son of former national champion Manish Chotrani — was the U-13 winner five years ago in Iran. • Two other finals featuring Indians did not yield gold. Neel Joshi settled for silver in the boys’ u-17 category as did Yuvna Gupta in the girls’ u-15 section.

Max Verstappen won 2019 Austrian Grand Prix

• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix . He defeated Ferrari’s, Charles Leclerc. Mercedes Valtteri Bottas met continuous win and finishes with the third one. • Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel became fourth. Five-time world champion Mercedes Lewis Hamilton won fifth place.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 About 2019 Austrian Grand Prix

• 2019 Austrian Grand Prix which is formally known as the Formula 1 my World Großer Preis von Österreich 2019 was a Formula One motor race.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi pens her first novel ‘The New Delhi Conspiracy’

• BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi written her debut novel under the Delhi’s political landscape and decided to bear influencing the course of the nation’s political trajectory. • New Delhi Conspiracy, co-authored with Krishna Kumar. It was published by HarperCollins India. It is yet to release of July 8, 2019. The current socio-political context as an unusual storyline, full of intrigue and adventure that shifts from Hong Kong to Delhi. • Fiction is a format has a wider readership with collaboration to take for the book. The biggest USP of The New Delhi Conspiracy’ is its scintillating storyline that is both entertaining as well as informative. • Krishan Chopra, publisher at HarperCollins India. The book talks of a malicious man with a dangerous agenda.

Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar authored a book titled “A Prime Minister to Remember,” released

• Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar authored a book named “ A Prime Minister to Remember- Memories of a Military Chief” got released. • The book is published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi. • The book explains about a distinguished career in the Indian navy. This incident happened during the Kargil War and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. • Operation Parakram launched after the terror attack on the Indian Parliament. It also talks about the Admiral.

IMPORTANT DAYS

June 27 – Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day

• The General Assembly, recognizing the need to improve small business access to microfinance and credit, decided to designate 27 June as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day. • The goal is to encourage member states to facilitate observance of the day by increasing awareness and actions to support small business. • The resolution was introduced by the delegation of Argentina, co-sponsored by 54 member states and adopted without a vote by the 193-member General Assembly on 6 April 2017.

Statistics Day is observed on 29th June

• Statistics Day is observed on June 29th . Its main aim is to popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life. They plan to sensitize the public where Statistics subject helps in shaping and framing policies.

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • The theme of 2019 Statistics Day is ‘Sustainable Development Goals’. The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis for his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System. • Minister of Statistics and Program Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh chair the main function to be held in New Delhi. The winner of Prof. C R Rao Award 2019 for notable contribution in the field of Statistics.

International Day of the Tropics observed on 29 June

• The United Nations observe 29 June as International Day of the Tropics. This day celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities the Tropical nations face. • The Tropics are a region of the Earth defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. The other factors contribute to climatic variation; tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. • The important feature of the Tropics is the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. • The Tropics account for 40 percent of the world’s total surface area. They host to approximately 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and much of its language and cultural diversity.

30 June – World Asteroid Day

• World Asteroid Day is an event observed on 30 June to provide online education about asteroid. This event is held on the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska event that took place on 30 June, 1908. • It is a most harmful known asteroid related event on Earth in recent history. The United Nations passed a resolution for celebrating 30 June as Asteroid Day

July 1 – The National Doctors Day

• The National Doctors Day was created to accommodate the services of doctors and individuals for the community. The First Doctor’s Day was celebrated in India in the year 1991. • July 1 happens to be the birth and death anniversary of the most famous physician of India – Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. It is hence a tribute to his contributions to the health domain in the country. • The theme of National Doctor’s Day 2019 is “Zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishment”. E very year the theme was announced by the Indian Medical Association. • The theme will raise awareness about the violence happening with the doctors across India. The week of July 1 to Jul 8, 2019, will also be celebrated as ‘Safe Fraternity Week’.

July 2 – World UFO Day

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SALEM INSTITUTE OF BANKING (IBPS /SBI -PO/Clerk/SO, RBI, RRB,TNPSC NIACL, OICL, NABARD, ) Current Affairs – June 28 to July 03 • World UFO Day is celebrated every year on July 2. • The day reminds us of the possible existence of aliens in the Universe. In summer 1947, the Roswell UFO incident reminds us of world-renowned conspiracy theory about the existence of aliens. • A farmer discovered unidentifiable debris in his sheep fields just outside Roswell, New Mexico. • A local Air Force base claimed the debris came from a crashed hot air balloon but many people thought that they were remnants of a flying saucer. • World UFO Day is celebrated to increase awareness among people to keep watch on the skies for any signs of aliens who may come to visit our world. • The term ‘UFO’ for Unidentified Flying Object was coined by US Air Force officer Edward Ruppelt. • World UFO Day was organized by WorldUFODay.com in 2001, and was put together to bring together enthusiasts of UFO’s and the evidence they’ve all gathered to support their existence.

OBITUARIES

Goa freedom fighter & Social Activist Mohan Ranade passes away

• Veteran freedom fighter & famous social activist from Goa and Padmashri winner Mohan Ranade passes away after a prolonged illness. • Mohan Ranade was a member of the Azad Gomantak Dal , a group of revolutionaries who believed in the doctrine of armed attacks against the Portuguese colonial rule and participated in ambushes on several Portuguese installations in Goa. He served 14 years in prison on account of his struggle for Goa’s independence.

Famous Actor-director Vijaya Nirmala passes away

• Veteran South Indian film actor and director Vijaya Nirmala passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad on June 26 night. She is survived by her husband and hero of yesteryears Krishna. She was 73. • Nirmala, born in Tamil Nadu, made her debut at the age of seven as a child artiste in a Tamil movie Machcha Rekhai (1950). She entered the Telugu film industry through the film Rangula Ratnam and acted in over 200 films in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. • Though she began her career as an actor, later she took many roles in her career as producer and director.

Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passes away

• Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passed away here on Thursday, said Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) sources. He was 82. • Mitra, who captained Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, was an elegant right-hand batsman and a part-time medium pacer. • He scored 3058 runs, comprising seven centuries, at an average of over 50 in 59 first class matches between 1958-59 and 1971-72. He also took 15 wickets. He was conferred the Karthick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award by CAB.

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