Current Affairs - June 16, 2019 Current Affairs

The Indian football team remained static at 101st place in the FIFA rankings. India had finished third in the King's Cup in Thailand. The Indian team is at 18th spot among the Asian countries led by Iran (20th), Japan (28), Korea (37), Australia (43) and Qatar (55) form the top five in Asia.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved to set up the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRA), a new agency which will develop sophisticated weapon systems and technologies. It will enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to fight wars in space. The agency will consist of a team of scientists. They will work in close coordination with the tri-services integrated defence staff officers.It will provide research and development support to Defence Space Agency (DSA).

India's largest and fastest growing consumer lending technology company ZestMoney, partnered with Digit Insurance to offer EMI insurance to the company's five million customers. The policy will cover EMI cost in the event of hospitalization, death or permanent disability. The insurance product is specifically designed for ZestMoney's customers which can be availed while applying for a loan on the digital platform.

Assam government will set up a Skill University at the cost of 850 crore rupees at Darrang district. This will be perhaps the first skill university of the country with a capacity of 10 thousand seats. The International Yoga Day will be observed at 459 centers of the Skill Development Mission.

Dr Virendra Kumar, seven-time Lok Sabha MP from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh took oath as Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha on June 17, 2019. Kumar will preside over the first sitting of the Lok Sabha and administer the oath of office to the newly elected Lok Sabha MPs. He will also oversee the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Shivani Jadhav from Chhattisgarh was crowned Femina Miss Grand India 2019.

In Slovakia, anti-corruption campaigner Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as country's first female president. Caputova scored a convincing victory against Smer-SD candidate Maros Sefcovic. Her allies from the Progressive Slovakia/Together party hope to use the momentum to unseat the ruling party in a 2020 general election.

India's rank has slipped five places to 141 among 163 countries on the Global Peace Index 2019, while Iceland remains the most peaceful country and Afghanistan the least peaceful nation, as per the report by Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace. It ranks countries according to their level of peacefulness based on three thematic domains - the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. Afghanistan is now the least peaceful country in the world, replacing Syria, which is now the second least peaceful.

The Intersessional meeting of Kimberley Process (KP) will be hosted by India from 17th to 21st June 2019 in Mumbai. Beside this, two special forums regarding Diamond Terminology and Artisanal Mining - Small Steps to Larger Outcomes, will be held during the Intersessional. India is one of the founder members of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and is the Chair of Kimberley Process for the year 2019 with Russian Federation as Vice Chair.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog today at Rashtrapati Bhavan, keeping up the spirit of new motto of Modi 2.0 Government - "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwaas". The Vice Chairman, Members, CEO and senior officers of the NITI Aayog will take part in the proceedings of the Governing Council meeting.

The Sahitya Akademi announced name of 22 winners for Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 23 winners for Yuva Puraskar. The winners of both the awards will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000. Eleven books of poetry, including works by Anuj Lugun (Hindi), Sagar Nazir (Kashmiri), Anuja Akathoottu (Malayalam); six of short stories by authors, including Tanuj Solanki (English), Ajay Soni (Gujarati), Keerti Parihar (Rajasthani); five novels by Moumita (Bengali), and Salman Abdus Samad (Urdu) among others won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2019.

HDFC has sold over 4.22% stake in subsidiary Gruh Finance Ltd (Gruh), which is proposed to be amalgamated with Bandhan Bank for ₹899.43 crore. Post the completion of the aforesaid sale of shares, Gruh would cease to be a subsidiary of the Corporation. Gruh is engaged in the business of providing home loans and is registered with the National Housing Bank as a housing finance company.

Akshaya Patra, a non-profit organisation, has been awarded the BBC World Service Global Champion Award. It runs one of the world's largest school meals project in India.

The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) launched a training programme. It is of Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaptation to Climate Change (SLACC) to help Rural Poor Farm Holds adapt to Climate Change and sustain their livelihoods. Total 638 drought and flood-prone villages of MP and Bihar are being covered on pilot basis under this first of its kind initiative.

Chairman of the Yash Birla group, Yashovardhan Birla, also known as Yash Birla, has declared a 'wilful defaulter' by Kolkata-based UCO Bank. UCO Bank claimed that one of Yashovardhan's group companies, Birla Surya, defaulted on loans of Rs 67.65 crore. As per the UCO bank's statement given to the media, Yash Birla was sent several notices regarding the repayment of the loan. His company was given a credit limit of Rs. 1 billion to manufacture multi-crystalline solar photovoltaic cells.