17th June 2019 Current Aairs PDF 1. Pune: Social activist Makarand Tilloo receives ‘Save Water Hero Award’ Social activist Makarand Tilloo received the ‘Save Water Hero Award’ for his efforts to raise awareness about water conservation in the city. A Laughter Yoga trainer and motivational speaker by profession, Makarand Tilloo started a campaign to save water by replacing leaking taps with new ones. He also started an NGO, Jalrakshak Prabodhini. He was felicitated by the HridayMitra Foundation in the presence of writer and philanthropist Ramchandra Dekhane, Kothrud MLA Medha Kulkarni and foundation president Shrikant Mundada. 2. Suman Rao from Rajasthan Crowned Miss India 2019 Suman Rao from Rajasthan won Femina Miss India World 2019 Title. The ceremony held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. Shivani Jadhav, Chhattisgarh won Femina Miss Grand India 2019 title. Shreya Shanker, Bihar won Miss India United Continents 2019 title. The judges were designer duo Falguni Shane Peacock, Miss World 2018 Vanessa Ponce de Leon, actors Huma Qureshi, Chitrangda Singh, Aayush Sharma, choreographer-lmmaker Remo D’Souza, sprinter DOuntelien eChand and football captain Sunil Chhetri. The show was hosted by Bollywood lmmaker Karan Johar and actor-anchor Manish Paul along with Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar. Suman Rao is a CA Student who is studying at Rajasthan. Chhattisgarh’s Shivani Jadhav an engineer crowned management student Shreya Shanker. Telangana’s Sanjana Vij won as Miss India Runner Up 2019. 3. Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as Slovakia´s rst female president Former President of Slovakia Lady Kiska handed over the new state to President Zuzana Captova on June 15, “I did not come to rule but was serving people,” said Caputova in his inaugural address. “By taking a constitutional oath, I accept all the commitments and obligations of public service. I have not come to rule, I have come to serve citizens, residents, Slovakia. I will serve the good of national minorities and ethnic groups living in the Slovak nation, the Slovak Republic, “said Caputova. Captova also highlighted the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia, which was nancially due to the lack of one-third of the foreign currency reserves of Slovakia’s central bank, after the breakdown, the successful entry zone of Slovakia for the European Union and Schengen, And claimed the loyalty of Slovakia’s European pro and Atlantic support orientation. 4. India’s trade decit widened to USD 15.36 billion in May month India’s exports grew by 3.93 percent to USD 30 billion in May on account of healthy growth in sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and engineering, according to commerce ministry data. Imports too rose by 4.31 percent to USD 45.35 billion, widening the trade decit to USD 15.36 billion in May. The decit, the difference between exports and imports, was USD 14.62 billion in May 2018. Oil imports rose by 8.23 percent to USD 12.44 billion and non-oil imports expanded by 2.9 percent to USD 32.91 billion during the month under review. Gold imports rose by 37.43 percent to USD 4.78 billion. Cumulatively, exports in April-May 2019-20 was up by 2.37 percent to USD 56 billion. Imports rose by 4.39 percent to USD 86.75 billion, registering a trade decit of USD 30.69 billion. 5. India is home to the world’s 2nd largest internet user base According to Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2019 report, India accounts for 12% of the world’s internet users. Almost 3.8 billion people or more than half of the world’s population is on the Internet. China continues to be on top of the list, accounting for 21% of the total Internet users. The United States continues to occupy the third position with 8%, after being toppled by India in 2016. 6. HCL to roll out “Tech Bee” programme HCL Technologies is all set to roll out “Tech Bee”, a company initiative under which it trains and hires students who have completed Plus Two, across several states. The pilot programme of “Tech Bee”, which was taken up two years ago in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu yielded good results. As many as 700 students have now become employees of the company while some of them are pursuing higher studies as part of the initiative. 7. Uttar Pradesh govt hikes old-age pension In Uttar Pradesh, the state government has hiked old-age pension in the age group 60 to 79 years by rupees 100 monthly. Now the old-age pensioners would receive 500 rupees per month from the existing 400 rupees. Currently, the people who are above 80 years are already getting 500 rupees per month pension that are fully sponsored by the Union Government. The newly hiked pension will benet around 44.21 lakh people in the state. 8. 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay to be celebrated India will be celebrating this year the 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay also called Kargil Vijay Diwas for over three days from 25 July to 27 July 2019 at Dras and New Delhi. The day is observed to commemorate victory in the Kargil war with pride, honour, and inspiration. The day will be celebrated with the theme- Remember, Rejoice and Renew. Key Highlights Objective: to evoke a feeling of nationalism and patriotism especially amongst youth with scheduled nationwide campaigns and also to pay homage to valiant soldiers. Remembrance: The Kargil conict will forever be remembered for its strategic and tactical surprises, the self-imposed national strategy of restraint (because of which war was kept limited to only Kargil-Siachen Sectors) and also swiftly executed tri-services military strategy and plans. It will also be remembered for determination, courage, daring junior leadership and raw courage of our jawans at a tactical level. Celebrations: The celebrations in National Capital of India will begin from 14th of July, with the lightning of a Victory Flame from National War Memorial, New Delhi, which will travel across 11 towns and cities, to nally culminate at Dras (a town in Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir) wherein the ame will be merged with the eternal ame at Kargil War Memorial, which is built by Indian Army. 9. Fact Sheet: India to have its own Space Station K. Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently announced that the country is planning to launch its own space station and modalities for it will be worked out after Gaganyaan Mission (India’s maiden manned mission to space). Key Highlights Mastering Technology: Although ISRO made an announcement of space station recently. It has been quietly working on a key technology such as space docking & berthing technology for which it has also got Rs.10 crore sanctioned earlier. Once the agency will master this technology it will help join two separate free- ying space vehicles and also transfer materials and humans from one another that will enable this future space station and is also the key for a space station. Extension: India’s space station project will be an extension of Gaganyaan Mission, which involves sending three Indian astronauts to space for 7 days in lower earth orbit (of 120-400 km). The government has already approved a cost of Rs.10,000 crore for Gaganyaan mission. Before the maiden ight with crew sometime in August 2022, there would be two unmanned (without crew) ights from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The detailed project report on setting up India’s space station will also be submitted to the government after Gaganyaan. No Collaboration: India will not be collaborating with any other country for its space station project. United States (US), Russia, China and a consortium of nations that own the International Space Station (ISS) are the only countries that have had space stations so far. After its successful launch, India would become a 4th country to launch a space station..