current affairs capsule (june 2019)

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CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE (JUNE 2019)

Sri Lankan presidential polls to be held between Nov 15 and Dec 7: EC Election Commission of Sri Lanka said that the Presidential elections would be held between November 15 and December 7.

U.S. visa process needs social media profiles now In a significant move to increase surveillance of those seeking to enter the United States, Washington will require most individuals applying for visas to provide details of their social media handles going back five years.

Algeria's Constitutional Council cancels presidential elections Algeria's Constitutional Council has extended interim President Abdelkader Bensalah's powers. Therefore the presidential elections scheduled next month have been cancelled by the Constitutional Council.

Left-wing opposition bloc wins General Election in Denmark The left-wing opposition bloc in Denmark has won the General Election of the country, leaving behind the ruling liberal Party. Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen conceded defeat after his Liberal party came second with 75 seats in the Parliament as against the 91 seats of the Social Democrats.

Hong Kong marchers fill the streets in protest at extradition bill Hong Kong was plunged into a fresh political crisis after thousands of people took to the streets to thwart a proposed extradition law that would allow suspects to be sent to Mainland China to face trial.

Guatemala votes for new president amid tensions over violence, migration Guatemala, a Central American Country, has began voting for a new president.

Nineteen candidates are competing in the election, which is expected to yield no outright winner, forcing the top two contenders to face off in a second round on 11th August.

FATF warns Pak to complete action plan on terror financing by October 2019 The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has said that Pakistan failed to complete its action plan on terror financing. It strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan by October 2019 or face consequences.

Sri Lanka extends state of emergency by another month Sri Lanka has extended by another month, the state of emergency imposed after the Easter Sunday attacks.

Asia-Pacific Group unanimously endorses India’s candidature for non-permanent seat of UNSC Fifty-five countries of the Asia-Pacific group at the United Nations have unanimously endorsed India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the Security Council for a two-year term in 2021-2022.

US House approves funding bill for migrant care at border with Mexico In the United States, Republican-led Senate approved bipartisan legislation to address the humanitarian crisis along the US-Mexico border with more than 4 billion dollars in supplemental funds and new requirements for the care of detained migrants, especially children.

Council of Europe restores Russia′s voting rights Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted in favour of restoring Russia's voting rights, five years after they were revoked over its illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

India welcomes ASEAN's outlook on Indo-Pacific The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has officially disclosed its outlook for the Indo-Pacific, viewing the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions not as contiguous territorial spaces but as a closely integrated and interconnected region.

China, US agree at Xi-Trump meeting to restart trade talks US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to re-launch the stalled negotiations to end the trade war.

India, Australia, Japan, US call for an open Indo-Pacific region India, Australia, Japan and the US discussed cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development at Bangkok and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Iran's stocks of nuclear materials still within limits: IAEA Iran's stocks of key nuclear materials are still within the limits set by a 2015 deal with world powers as per the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report.

Netanyahu thanks Modi for vote against Palestinian group Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for voting in favour of a decision introduced by Israel that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian group at the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Kasturirangan committee submits new draft education policy to HRD Ministry Former ISRO chief Dr. Kasturirangan led Committee submitted the draft National Educational Policy (NEP) to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in New Delhi.

ICMR recommends ban on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended a complete ban on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, saying their use can initiate nicotine addiction among non-smokers.

PM Modi hikes National Defense Fund scholarship assistance Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved changes to the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme for wards of deceased defense personnel under the National Defense Fund.

The rates of scholarship have also been increased from Rs. 2000 per month to Rs. 2500 per month for boys and from Rs. 2250 per month to Rs. 3000 per month for girls.

Assam govt hikes parental income limit under fee waiver scheme Assam government has waived admission fees for students taking admission up to Post Graduate level whose parental income is less than 2 lakh rupees per year.


Telangana Formation Day: 02nd June Telangana Formation Day is celebrated on the formation of Telangana State on 2nd June every year since 2014.

IIT Guwahati signs MoU with ISRO to set up space technology Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati has signed an MoU with The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC).

Binny, India’s Only Orangutan Dies in Odisha Zoo “Binny” a 41-year-old orangutan at Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park died following a prolonged illness.

Centre shortlists five cities for International Yoga Day The centre has shortlisted five cities, Delhi, Shimla, Mysuru, Ahmedabad and Ranchi to hold National Programme of the International Yoga Day.

Indian Navy steps up anti-piracy patrol In an expansion of its Mission Based Deployments (MBD) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy deployed its P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden.

Ajit Doval reappointed NSA with Cabinet rank The Union government reappointed retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ajit Doval as National Security Adviser (NSA), according him a Cabinet rank. He becomes the first NSA to get Cabinet status in the table of precedence.

Delhi CM offers free travel to women in public transport Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that the Delhi government intended to subsidise travel in public transport for women commuters in the Capital.

Navy chief issues guidelines on austerity and equality In a far-reaching initiative, the newly-appointed Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh has issued elaborate directives aimed at curbing subservient behaviour, restricting certain ceremonial practices and ensuring equality among the ranks.

India, France to hold mega air exercise in July The Indian and French Air Forces will carry out a two-week-long mega air exercise named ‘Garuda’ beginning July 1 in France in a boost to military-to-military ties between the two countries.

Panel to focus on employment The Union government has set up a 10-member Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairman.

The panel on employment is one of two Cabinet committees set up to spur economic growth and rackle unemployment.

610 political parties won no seat in LS elections According to Election Commission’s data, a total of 610 mostly regional and small political parties across the country failed to win even a single seat in the Lok Sabha election while 530 got nil vote share.

A total of 13 parties managed to bag one seat each. The parties which drew a blank in the polls include the Forward Bloc, INLD, JJP, SDF, SJPA.

PM Modi approves reconstitution of NITI Aayog Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the reconstitution of National Institution for Transforming

India, NITI Aayog. Mr Modi will be the chairperson of the Aayog and Rajiv Kumar will be the Vice Chairman. V K Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and Dr V K Paul will be the full-time members of the NITI Aayog. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the Ex-Officio Members.

Govt effects changes in committees of Union Council The Union government has effected changes in the Committees of Union Cabinet and included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in most of the Committees. The government had also reconstituted eight Cabinet Committees. These are, Appointments Committee, Cabinet Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Security, Investment and Growth and Employment and Skill Development.

As per the revised list, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading six committees, while Home Minister Amit Shah is heading the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and is part of all the remaining seven.

Can’t hide illness when buying policy: SC The Supreme Court of India has held that the failure on the part of a person to reveal past history of disease is a valid ground for repudiation of his insurance policy benefits.

Andhra Pradesh: Jagan Mohan Reddy appoints five Deputy CMs in Cabinet In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to have five Deputy Chief Ministers under him in a full 25-member Cabinet.

Main event of International Yoga Day celebrations to be held in Ranchi The main event of International Day of Yoga 2019 celebrations will be held at Prabhat Tara in Ranchi on 21st of this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the main function.

Govt notifies extension of PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers The government has notified its decision to extend the benefit of six thousand rupees per year to eligible farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The decision will benefit all 14.5 crore farmers, irrespective of the size of their landholding, in the country.

Cabinet approved new initiative to control FMD and Brucellosis Union Cabinet has approved new initiative (scheme) to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis to support the livestock rearing farmers and improve the health of animals.

ISRO gears up for Chandrayaan-2 mission The Indian Space Research Organisation has marked mid-July for the take-off Chandrayaan-2, the country’s first moon lander and rover mission. The lander is named Vikram

Draft National Education Policy proposes formal education from age of three All Indian children could soon enter the formal education system at the age of three, with the draft National Education Policy projecting an expansion of the Right To Education Act to cover the three years of preschool before Class 1.


The draft policy also wants early childhood education to be overseen and regulated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) as part of the school system.

PM Modi accepts Macron's invite to attend outreach session of G7 Summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the outreach session of the G7 Summit in Biarritz as a special invitee.

The summit of the G7 group of countries will be held in August,2019 in France.

BS-VI norms released for two-wheelers Bharat Stage-VI (BS - VI) norms for two-wheelers have been released.

In order to curb air pollution through the vehicular emissions, the government has decided to implement the BS VI norms with effect from 1st April 2020.

PM Modi asks target oriented five-year plan document for each Ministry Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked top bureaucrats to prepare a five-year plan document for each Ministry with well-defined targets and a significant impactful decision in each Ministry for which approvals will be taken within 100 days.

New agency to develop space warfare weapon systems To enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to fight wars in space, the union government has approved the setting up of a new agency called Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO) which will develop sophisticated weapon systems and technologies.

The Defence Space Agency is being set up in Bengaluru under an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer.

All States can now constitute Foreigners Tribunals The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.

President’s rule in J&K extended The Union Cabinet has approved an extension of President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir for six more months beginning July 3.

Navy hosts information sharing workshop The Indian Navy is hosting a maritime information sharing workshop under the aegis of the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram.

Over 41 delegates from 29 countries of the IOR are participating in the two-day event.

Cabinet approves two months extension of Commission to examine issue of sub-categorization of OBCs The Union Cabinet has accorded ex-post facto approval for the extension of the term of the Commission to examine the issue of Sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes by two more months upto 31st July this year.

Centre sets target of providing clean drinking water to all by 2024 Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that the Centre has set a target of providing clean drinking water to all by 2024.

DRDO tests tech demonstrator The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted the test of an indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) along with several critical technologies.

India Planning To Launch Own Space Station By 2030, Says ISRO Chief K Sivan Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K.Sivan has stated that India is planning to launch its own space station. ISRO is targeting 2030 as the date to launch a 20 tonne space station.

Tribal affairs ministry launches e-governance website DBT Tribal to track and fulfill welfare schemes Arjun Munda, the Union minister for tribal affairs, has launched e-governance initiatives for welfare schemes for scheduled tribes in the form of two digital portals — DBT Tribal and NGO Grants Online Application and Tracking System.

Assam govt to set up Skill University at Darrang district 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.

ISRO opens its laboratories for Indian school students The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has, for the first time, opened its laboratories for Indian school students to undergo two-week training from this year.

PM announces high-level task force on structural reforms in agriculture Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the creation of a high-level task force on structural reforms in agriculture. This committee will be formed in near future and report will be submitted in next 2 to 3 months.

The committee emphasis is on how to increase production and marketing in the agriculture sector

World Food India to be held in New Delhi from Nov 1: Harsimrat Kaur Badal Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has said that World Food India event will be held in New Delhi from 1st of November this year.

India, Myanmar conduct joint operation to destroy militant camps in Northeast The armies of India and Myanmar carried out a three-week-long coordinated operation called “Operation Sunrise 2” from May 16 in their respective border areas, targeting several militant groups operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.

Govt decides to remove requirement of minimum educational qualification for transport vehicle drivers The Union government has decided to remove the requirement of minimum educational qualification for transport vehicle drivers. At present, according to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, a transport vehicle driver needs to have passed class eight.

Govt compulsorily retires 15 senior officials of Customs, Central Excise The Union government has ordered the compulsory retirement of 15 senior officers of the Indian Revenue Service, Customs and Central Excise on charges of corruption and professional misconduct.


Panel will study the ‘1 nation, 1 poll’ issue The Union government will form a committee to study the feasibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "One Nation, One Election".

IIT-Bombay Named Top Indian Institute in QS World University Ranking 2020 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, was ranked as India's top university in the QS University Ranking 2020, it has bagged 152th rank in overall world ranking.

Further, IIT Delhi and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore have scored 182 and 184 ranks in the global top 200 institutes.

The top three universities featured in the QS World University Ranking 2020 are from the United States - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Harvard University.

Bangladesh, South Korea to show DD India The Indian government has signed agreements with Bangladesh and South Korea, under which Doordarshan India will be available in those countries.

Indian Navy to build 6 submarines The Indian Navy issued an ‘Expression of Interest’ for shortlisting potential strategic partners for the construction of six P-75 (I) submarines costing nearly Rs. 45,000 crore.

India, France decide to deepen cooperation in cyber security sector India and France have decided to deepen cooperation in the cyber security sector and jointly work towards curbing the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes and online radicalisation.

Environment Minister asks states to consider inclusion of bamboo and medicinal plants in afforestation activities Environment Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that his ministry has issued letters to all states to consider the inclusion of bamboo and medicinal plants in the afforestation activities being undertaken on degraded forest land and contiguous areas.

Operation Bandar, code name of Balakot strike The air strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, was code-named ‘Operation Bandar’ but was known to very few. There was no particular reason in the choice of the name.

Govt set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras to double farmers' income by 2022 The Government has set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and 684 Agricultural Technology Management Agencies at the district level in the country for dissemination of technologies among the farming community.

This is aimed at meeting the target of doubling the farmers' income by 2022.

Civil Aviation Minister inaugurates Air Traffic Flow Management - Central Command Centre Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Inaugurated Air Traffic Flow Management, ATFM - Central Command Centre at Vasant Kunj in New Delhi.

Odisha comes up with a flood atlas Odisha has come out with a unique flood hazard atlas aided by satellite imagery, which is expected to help the coastal state manage floods more efficiently.

India rejects US international religious freedom report India has rejected a US religious freedom report, making it clear that a foreign government has no locus standi to comment on the state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights.

ILS develops antibodies against Chikungunya infection The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), which functions under the Department of Biotechnology, has entered into a non-exclusive license for product commercialisation after having successfully developed antibodies against the Chikungunya viral (CHIKV) infection.

CJI writes to PM for removal of Allahabad High Court judge Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a motion for the removal of Allahabad High Court judge, Justice S.N. Shukla, who was found guilty of misconduct by the in-house panel. Indira Banerjee, S.K. Agnihotri and P.K. Jaiswal.

Govt develops National Strategic Plan to eradicate TB by 2025 Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey has said that the union government has developed a National Strategic Plan with the goal for ending Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.

Passports with advanced security features soon The Union government is on its way to integrate all the diplomatic missions and posts into the Passport Seva Project shortly.

Passport booklets with advance security features being produced at the India Security Press, Nashik. These booklets would have chips installed for security.

Govt. bringing back artefacts from abroad The Union government is in the process of bringing back 40 artefacts, including 27 from Tamil Nadu, that had been taken to different countries illegally.

Korean ambassador signs agreement for providing assistance in prosthetic limbs sector Bong-kil Shin, South Korean Ambassador to India launched Jaipur Foot Korea, a collaborative initiative between South Korea and Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a Jaipur-based prosthetic limb non-profit organization.

Anupam Kher pens his autobiography: “Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly” Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is coming out with his autobiography, "Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly" that is set to hit stands on August 5.

Kerala tops the list for best performing State in health Kerala continued to top the list for the best performing State in the health sector among the 21 large States, while Uttar Pradesh retained the worst performer tag, according to the second edition of NITI Aayog’s Health Index.

31.4% of Indian children will be stunted by 2022 Almost one in three Indian children under five years will still be stunted by 2022 going by current trends, according to an analysis of the country’s food and nutrition security.

‘Impressive’ tortoise discovered in Arunachal Pradesh A tortoise considered beautiful enough to be named ‘impressed’ has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.

Disability pension for military personnel to be taxed Disability pension for military personnel who retired normally from service and not invalidated will now be taxed, according to a notification issued by the Finance Ministry.


IAF to participate in Indo-French joint air exercise The Indian Air Force is participating in a bilateral exercise between Indian and French Air Force named Exercise ‘Garuda-VI’ France from 1st of next month. It will continue till 12th of July.

MoA signed to set up Centre for Inland & Coastal Maritime Technology at IIT Kharagpur A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the Ministry of Shipping and IIT, Kharagpur for setting up the Centre for Inland and Coastal Maritime Technology. This Centre will focus on indigenisation of ship designing, building and testing.

Over 250 officers appointed in-charge of water-stressed districts Over 250 officers, including Additional and Joint Secretaries, have been appointed as in-charge of water-stressed districts in the country to plan ways to conserve the natural resource.

They have been appointed as Central Prabhari Officers of 255 water-stressed districts for coordinating the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), which will be launched from the 1st of July.

Civil Aviation Minister inaugurates Air Traffic Flow Management - Central Command Centre Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has inaugurated Air Traffic Flow Management, ATFM - Central Command Centre at Vasant Kunj in New Delhi.

Govt proposes to establish Five Sainik Schools in Rajasthan, UP, UK, Odisha and Telangana Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has informed the Lok Sabha that the Union government proposed to establish Five Sainik Schools in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Telangana.

India signs USD 400M loan agreement with World Bank to eliminate TB India has signed a loan agreement worth 400 million dollar with the World Bank to help treat and eliminate Tuberculosis from the country. The World Bank supported program will cover nine States and will support the central government's National Strategic Plan to end TB in India by 2025.

Renuka Singh to Launch ‘Go Tribal Campaign’ by Tribes India Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Smt. Renuka Singh will launch the “Go Tribal Campaign” to promote the use of tribal handicrafts and natural products.

Tribes India and Amazon Global Marketing will launch TRIBES India products globally through Amazon platform.

Indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-II test fired successfully India successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-II as part of a user trial by the Indian Army from a test range off the Odisha coast. The trial of the surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km.

FSSAI plans colour-coded label for packaged food products with high fat, sugar and salt As per the draft regulations proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI, packaged food companies will be required to label high fat, sugar and salt content levels on the front side of the package with red-colour-coding.

The idea behind the new labelling regulations is to enable citizens to know more about the composition of food products.

New Supreme Court roster allows top five judges to hear PIL matters Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has notified a new roster of work which said top five judges of the apex court will be hearing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) matters. Earlier, fresh PIL matters were notified to be heard only by the CJI and the second senior-most judge after the CJI.

Around 2.22 cr villagers given Digital Education under PMGDISHA: Ravi Shankar Prasad Electronics and Information Technology Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that around 2.22 crore villagers are given Digital Education under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA).

Centre releases action plan on higher education The Central government has released a five-year vision and action plan to transform higher education by doubling enrolment and employability, addressing inequalities of access, and revamping governance and funding mechanisms.

The Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP) is likely to involve investment of ₹1.5 lakh crore over the next five years, much of which will have to be raised from the market.

Govt to launch ‘One Nation One Ration Card’, access to ration shop anywhere in the country The central government is working on a plan to launch a “One Nation One Ration Card” scheme for beneficiaries, especially migrant workers, to access the Public Distribution System from any PDS shop across the country.

India sign Rs.200 crore deal with Russia to acquire Strum Ataka India has signed Rs.200 crore deal with Russia for acquiring Strum Ataka anti-tank missile for its fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers of Indian Air Force (IAF).

Roll out 'one nation, one ration card' by June 2020: Govt to states, UTs Government is all set to implement one nation-one ration card scheme across the country by the end of June 2020.

Admiral Karambir Singh takes over as Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh took over as the Chief of Naval Staff. With a career spanning over 37 years, Karambir Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the headquarters in New Delhi before moving to Vishakhapatnam last year as the Eastern Naval Commander.

Cyclone man Mrutyunjay Mohapatra appointed IMD chief Renowned scientist and cyclone warning specialist Mrutyunjay Mohapatra was appointed chief of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Veteran actor Dinyar Contractor passes away Veteran actor and theatre legend Dinyar Contractor, who appeared in films such as Baadshah and Khiladi, passed away. He was awarded the Padma Shri earlier this year.

Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel Takes Oath as New CJI Of Delhi High Court Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

IPS V.S. Kaumudi appointed as Director General of BPR&D The Centre government has appointed senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer V.S. Kaumudi as Director General of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).


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Veteran actor Girish Karnad passes away in Bengaluru Noted actor, dramatist and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad passed away in Bengaluru.

Former Puducherry CM R V Janakiraman passed away DMK leader and former chief minister of Puducherry R V Janakiraman passed away in Puducherry.

Comedy legend Crazy Mohan passed away Tamil writer, comedian and actor, Crazy Mohan, (Mohan Rangachari) passed away.

Senior BJP leader J P Nadda appointed as party's working President Senior BJP leader J P Nadda has been appointed as the BJP working President.

Om Birla elected unanimously as Speaker of Lok Sabha NDA nominee and Rajasthan MP Om Birla was unanimously elected speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Meenakshi Lekhi pens debut novel, to release on July 8 BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi has written her debut novel ''The New Delhi Conspiracy'', which talks of undercurrents of Delhi's political landscape and attempts to lay bare what is influencing the course of the nation's political trajectory.

Rajasthan BJP president M.L. Saini passes away BJP’s Rajasthan unit president Madan Lal Saini died after a brief illness. Saini, also a Rajya Sabha member. He was appointed BJP state president last year.

Amitabh Kant gets two-year extension as Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant was given a two-year extension as Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog.

Arvind Kumar Is New Intelligence Bureau Head, Samant Goel Next RAW Chief The Union government has appointed new chiefs of the country's two intelligence units. Samant Goel, who was in charge of operations of the country's external intelligence agency -- the Research and Analysis Wing or RAW will take over as its chief, replacing Anil Dhamsana.

Arvind Kumar, the number two at the Kashmir desk of the Intelligence Bureau, will replace Rajiv Jain at the top post.

Veteran actor, director Vijaya Nirmala passes away Veteran South Indian film actor and director Vijaya Nirmala passed away.

Acharya sworn in as Manipur Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was sworn in as the Governor of Manipur. Justice Lanusungkum Jamir of the High Court of Manipur administered the oath of office to Acharya.

Malayalam director Babu Narayanan passes away Malayalam director Babu Narayanan passes away. He directed several Malayalam hits such as ‘Kudumba Vishesham’ and ‘Welcome to Kodaikanal’.

Mumbai's traffic flow worst in world, Delhi at fourth spot According to a report prepared by location technology specialist TomTom, traffic flow in Mumbai is the worst in the world while Delhi is close behind at fourth position.

Former Doordarshan, All India Radio News Editor Laldingliana Sailo passes away Former Doordarshan and All India Radio News Editor Laldingliana Sailo passed away.

Virendra Kumar is Pro-tem Speaker BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh Virendra Kumar will be the Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mr. Kumar is a seven-term Member of Parliament.

As Pro-tem Speaker, he will preside over the first sitting of the Lok Sabha, administer the oath of office to the newly elected MPs, and oversee the election of the Speaker.

GDP growth slows to five-year low at 5.8% in January-March quarter India's economic growth rate slowed to five-year low of 5.8 per cent in January-March 2018-19, due to poor performance in agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

Growth of core infrastructure sectors slows to 2.6 pc in April The growth of eight core infrastructure sectors slowed down to 2.6 per cent in April this year, due to negative growth in crude oil, natural gas and fertilizer output.

US ends special trade treatment for India amid tariff dispute The US will end preferential trade status for India next week, President Donald Trump has confirmed amid a deepening row over protectionism. India had been the largest beneficiary of a scheme that allows some goods to enter the US duty-free.

Nirmala Sitharaman To Present First Union Budget On 05th July The new government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present its first Budget on 05th July 2019 by Nirmala Sitharaman, who is Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs.

RBI to observe financial literacy week from June 5-9 The Reserve Bank of India will observe Financial Literacy Week across the country from 3rd to 7th June. The theme this year is - 'Farmers and how they benefit by being a part of the formal banking system'.

GST revenue collection crosses Rs One lakh cr in May The GST revenue collection has crossed one lakh crore rupees in May this year, which is a growth of 6.67 per cent over the revenue collected in the same month last year.

Overseas investors pump over Rs 9,000 crore into Indian capital markets in May Overseas investors pumped more than 9,000 crore rupees into the Indian capital markets in last month .

Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) infused around 7,920 crore rupees into equities and 1,111 crore rupees in the debt market during second to -31st of May, taking the cumulative investment to around 9,031 crore rupees.

ONGC topples IOC to regain most profitable public sector company ONGC, India's top oil and gas producer, has toppled Indian Oil Corp (IOC) to regain crown of being the country's most profitable public sector company. ONGC reported a 34 per cent jump in its 2018-19 fiscal net profit to 26,716 crore rupees.


RBI sets banks’ group exposure limit at 25% of capital base The Reserve Bank of India has decided to reduce banks’ exposure to a group of connected parties to 25% of its capital base, while the exposure to a single party has been capped at 20%. However, bank boards can allow an additional 5% exposure in ‘exceptional cases.’

RBI approves appointment of Rakesh Makhija as Chairman of Axis Bank The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Rakesh Makhija as chairman of the Axis bank. The board of the bank in March had approved appointment of Makhija as chairman subject to RBI clearance.

Global growth to slow in 2019, says WB The World Bank Group has downgraded global real GDP growth to 2.6% for 2019, down by 0.3 percentage points from its previous forecast in January.

India’s growth forecasts are projected to be 7.5% per annum in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Bank of China starts India operations Bank of China, one of the four largest state-run commercial banks of China, has started India operations with a maiden branch in Mumbai.

Sahara forays into electric vehicles Sahara India has forayed into electric vehicles (EVs) by introducing a platform under the brand name ‘Sahara Evols’ to capitalise on the demand for clean mobility in the country.

Nirmala to attend G-20 meeting in Japan Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and central bank governors in Japan on June 8 and 9. This will be Ms. Sitharaman’s first overseas visit as Finance Minister.

Non-life PSU firms may get Rs. 4,000 crore The Department of Financial Services will seek about Rs. 4,000 crore in the Budget for fund infusion in these insurance companies —National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and United India Insurance Company.

FDI in services sector up 37% in 2018-19 According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the services sector grew 36.5% to $9.15 billion in 2018-19, This sector attracted FDI worth $6.7 billion in 2017-18.

FPIs pump in record sums of money in April and May In the first two months of the current fiscal, FPIs have invested a net amount of Rs. 29,113 crore in Indian equities, the highest-ever in the last 17 years since data became available.

Solar installations down 49 pc in Jan-Mar 2019: Report According to Mercom India Research’s ‘Q1 2019 India Solar Market Update’ report,

solar installations in India during January-March period of this year stood at 1,737 megawatt (MW), registering a year-on-year decline of 49% mainly owing to difficulty faced by installers in getting the required approvals due to general elections.

Monetary Policy: RBI reduces repo rate by 25 basis points The Reserve bank of India in its bi-monthly monetary policy review reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 per cent from 6.0 per cent with immediate effect.

The reverse repo rate stands adjusted to 5.50 per cent, and the marginal standing facility rate and the Bank Rate to 6.0 per cent.

The RBI has pegged the inflation rate at 3.0-3.1 per cent for April-September and 3.4-3.7 percent for the October-March period.

The RBI has lowered the GDP growth forecast for 2019-20 to 7 percent from 7.2 percent.

Third-party premium for cars and bikes to rise from June 16 The cost of car and two-wheeler insurance is set to cost more from June 16 with regulator IRDAI increasing the mandatory third party (TP) motor insurance premium by up to 21% for certain category of vehicles.

Jammu and Kashmir govt appoints RK Chibber as interim chief of J&K Bank The Jammu and Kashmir government has removed J&K Bank Chairman Parvez Ahmad and appointed RK Chibber as interim chairman of the lender.

Forex reserves swell by $1.8 bn to $421.8 bn India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 1.875 billion to USD 421.867 billion in the week ending 31st May 2019.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail acquires Jaypore Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL), which retails brands such as Louis Philippe, Peter England and Van Heusen, has acquired ethnic apparel and lifestyle retailer Jaypore for ₹110 crore.

RBI waives off charges for transactions using NEFT, RTGS With an aim to encourage digital transfer of funds, the Reserve Bank has waived off all charges for transactions using National Electronic Funds Transfer - NEFT and Real Time Gross Settlement - RTGS systems.

RBI has advised banks to pass on the benefits to their customers with effect from 1st July, 2019.

GST council to introduce new GST return system The GST Council has decided to introduce a new GST return system to facilitate taxpayers. As per the plan, a prototype of the offline tool has already been shared on the common portal to give the look and feel of the tool to the users.

Reserve Bank of India relaxes norms for no-frills accounts The apex bank RBI has eased regulations for Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) Accounts, popularly known as 'no-frills' accounts. Banks will now provide cheque books and other facilities to basic account holders

As per the BSBDA norms, account holders are not required to maintain minimum balance and get certain minimum facilities for free. These facilities include, four withdrawals from ATMs in a month, deposit of cash at bank branch, and ATM Card or ATM-cum-Debit Card.

Former Corp Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray appointed MD of Gift City Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (Gift City) has appointed former Corporate Affairs Secretary Tapan Ray as its Managing Director.

Sashakt Committee recommends changes in Inter Creditor Agreement The Sashakt Committee has recommended that the existing Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) to incorporate the revised voting threshold and other changes for decision making as stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India.


It noted that this will enable expeditious implementation of the new framework on stressed assets.

PV sales at new low, sector seeks govt. help According to the data released by the industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the domestic passenger vehicle sales declined by 20.55% in May 2019, which is the steepest fall in nearly 18 years, prompting the industry to seek government support.

Indiabulls Housing shares tank 8% Shares of Indiabulls Housing Finance tanked 8% on following a writ petition filed in the Supreme Court against its promoter Sameer Gehlaut for siphoning off Rs. 98,000 crore, which, the company has denied.

Jalan panel report on RBI reserves by June end The Bimal Jalan committee, which is looking into the size of capital reserves that the RBI should hold, will have one more meeting before finalising its report to be submitted to the apex bank by the month-end.

Industrial growth recovers, CPI inflation up According to official data released by the government, industrial activity rebounded in April 2019 to grow to a six-month high of 3.4%, driven by a turnaround across all the sectors measured.

Centre reduces contribution rate for ESI The Union government announced a cut in contributions made by employers and employees toward the health insurance scheme of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to 4 per cent from the existing 6.5 per cent, a move which would lead to an estimated annual saving of around Rs 5,000 crore for firms.

With this intiative, the employer’s share cut was reduced to 3.25%, from 4.75%, and the employee’s contribution lowered to 0.75% of wages, from 1.75%.

Japan to invest around Rs 13,000Cr in various projects in India's NE states The Government of Japan has decided to invest an amount Rs.13,000 Crore in several ongoing as well as new projects in different states of India's North- Eastern region.

Reserve Bank to pump in Rs. 12,500 crore on June 20 The Reserve Bank of India will infuse Rs. 12,500 crore into the financial system through bond purchases on June 20.

SEBI directs rating agencies to disclose probability of default The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has prescribed guidelines including probability of default (PD) benchmarks in a bid to strengthen the disclosures made by credit rating agencies to enhance the rating standards.

Auto, telecom to remain subdued in FY20: ICRA According to ICRA's performance review and outlook for the Indian corporate sector, auto, auto components and telecom sectors are likely to remain subdued in financial year 2020 (FY20), while cement, construction and steel sectors are likely to pick in FY20.

Adani gets final nod for mining project The Adani Group has received the go-head to start work on its ambitious but controversy-hit Carmichael coal mine project in Australia with the Queensland State authorities approving its groundwater management plan.

Prime Minister Modi, Kyrgyzstan President Jeenbekov jointly inaugurate India-Kyrgyz Business Forum PM Narendra Modi and Kyrgyzstan President Jeenbekov have jointly inaugurated Indian-Kyrgyz Business forum.

India to impose retaliatory tariffs on 29 US goods from June 16 After extending the deadline for several times, India has decided to impose additional customs duties on 29 US products, including almond, walnut and pulses, with effect from June 16.

RIL, HDFC among 57 Indian companies on Forbes Global 2,000 list According to the Forbes magazine, as many as 57 Indian companies have found place in a list of the world's 2,000 largest public companies.

The overall list has been topped by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for the 7th year in a row.

From India, Reliance Industries(71st rank globally) is the only one in the overall top-200 list and is followed by HDFC Bank at 209th, ONGC at 220th, Indian Oil at 288th and HDFC Ltd at 332nd place.

Exports up 3.93% in May; trade deficit widens to 15.36 bn dollars According to the Union Commerce Ministry data, India's exports grew by 3.93 per cent to around 30 billion dollars in May.

Whereas the imports have also rose by 4.31 per cent to 45.35 billion dollars. The trade deficit has widened to 15.36 billion dollars in May.

FDI flows to India grew 6% in 2018 to 42 billion: UN report According to the the World Investment Report 2019, released by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the foreign direct investment to India grew by 6 percent to 42 billion dollars in 2018.

The report ranked India among the top 20 host economies for FDI inflows in 2017-18.

WPI inflation eases to 22-month low of 2.45 per cent in May Inflation measured by the wholesale price index eased to a 22-month low in May, driven down by manufactured items and fuel where prices have cooled.

Exim Bank inks $245 mn loan agreement with Ghana, Mozambique to support agri, rail projects Export Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) will provide line of credit worth USD 245 million to Ghana and Mozambique for agricultural and railway projects.

SEBI bars Prannoy, Radhika Roy from NDTV board The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has barred Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy from holding any directorship in New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV) for a period of two years.

HDFC sells over 4.22% stake in Gruh Mortgage lender HDFC had sold more than 4.22% stake in subsidiary Gruh Finance Ltd. (Gruh), which is proposed to be amalgamated with Bandhan Bank, for Rs.899.43 crore.

Bhola Nath Shukla appointed CMD of Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd Bhola Nath Shukla was appointed Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd.

RBI asks banks to grout ATMs to wall, pill or floor to enhance security Based on the recommendations of the Committee on Currency Movement (CCM), the Reserve Bank have directed banks to ensure their ATMs are grouted to a wall, pillar, or floor by September-end.


FPIs remain net buyers in June, invest 11,132 crore rupees Foreign investors remained net buyers in the domestic capital markets in June, pouring in a total of 11,132 crore rupees on a net basis this month so far.

SBI-led consortium of lenders decides to take Jet Airways to NCLT State Bank of India-led consortium of lenders has decided to send the grounded Jet Airways to the National Company Law of Tribunal (NCLT) as they have not yet received any concrete proposal for the airline.

DoT panel approves levy of penalty on Airtel, Vodafone Idea The Digital Communications Commission, the highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecom, has given its approval for imposing penalty on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for denial of interconnection to Reliance Jio when the latter had entered the market.

Piramal sells entire stake in Shriram Transport for around Rs 2,300 crore Piramal Enterprises, which owns equity stakes in three Shriram Group companies, has started the process of exiting the Chennai-based financial services group by selling its entire 9.96 per cent stake in Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC) for Rs 2,300 crore to a clutch of 26 investors.

No relief for blackmoney cases under new I-T rules The Income Tax (I-T) department have issued revised guidelines for persons making serious offences under the black money and benami laws generally non-compoundable. This means that a person or entity would not be able to settle a case of tax evasion by just paying the tax demand, penalty and interest.

SEBI permits stock exchanges to introduce futures on commodity indices Capital markets regulator SEBI has permitted stock exchanges with commodity derivative segment to introduce futures on indices.

Libra is Facebook’s cryptocurrency Facebook Inc. unveiled plans to launch a cryptocurrency called Libra, in a move that could diversify its business from advertising while expanding into financial services market.

Revolt unveils its first electric bike Electric two-wheeler start up Revolt Intellicorp unveiled its first electric motorcycle — the RV400.

Apollo Munich to merge with HDFC ERGO HDFC Ltd. has signed a definitive agreement with Apollo Munich Health Insurance to buy out the entire Apollo Hospitals Group’s stake of 50.8% for Rs. 1,136 crore and another 0.4% stake held by a few employees for Rs. 10.84 crore.

Renault unveils Triber globally in India Renault globally unveiled its compact multi-purpose vehicle Triber in India, where it aims to double sales by 2022.

Bangladesh has emerged as fastest growing economy among 45 countries of Asia-Pacific region: ADB Bangladesh has emerged as the fastest growing economy among the 45 countries of the Asia-Pacific region according to Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Mexico ratifies US-Mexico-Canada agreement Mexico has ratified the US-Mexico-Canada agreement which makes it the first country to give the new North

American trade deal final approval despite recent tensions with the US. It now falls to Canada and the US to ratify the deal.

SEBI sets up panel to review margins on derivatives Based on the feedback that the existing margin requirements in the derivatives segment is pushing up cost of trading while not managing risk in the most efficient manner, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to review the current framework of margins in the futures and options segment.

The capital markets regulator has set up a working group, headed by NSE Clearing Ltd., to look into the issue and submit its recommendations to the Secondary Market Advisory Committee.

Retail forex trading platform to be ready on Aug. 5 The Reserve Bank of India has stated that the foreign exchange trading platform (FX-Retail) for retail participants will be ready for roll-out by the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL) on August 5.

Moody’s downgrades Tata Motors and JLR to negative outlook Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded Tata Motors Ltd’s (TML) corporate family rating (CFR) and senior unsecured instruments rating to Ba3 from Ba2.

Tech Mahindra signs contract with Airbus IT firm Tech Mahindra has signed a multi-year contract with Airbus for cabin and cargo design engineering.

Sundaram Finance to buy out BNP in JV Sundaram BNP Paribas Home Finance Ltd. (SBPHFL) is set to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sundaram Finance Ltd. (SFL). SFL will be acquiring the remaining stake of 49.9% from BNP Paribas Personal Finance S.A. France for Rs. 999.67 crore, subject to all regulatory approvals.

Introduction of manual checks in IGST refunds aimed to prevent unscrupulous exporters from defrauding exchequer: CBIC The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said that introduction of manual checks in IGST refunds is aimed at preventing unscrupulous exporters from defrauding the exchequer.

IRDAI okays standalone own-damage policy The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed insurers, with effect from September 1, to issue standalone annual own damage (OD) cover for cars and two-wheelers, both new and old.

NTPC, PGCIL sign MoU to enter Power Distribution Business The Indian Public Sector Undertaking’s (PSUs) National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd) and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) have signed an agreement to set up National Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCL).

CCI approves Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi Vilas Bank merger Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger of the Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi Vilas Bank.

Foreign investors pump in Rs 10312 crore in June so far As per the latest depositories data, overseas investors (foreign portfolio investors) have infused more than 10,000 crore rupees in the domestic capital markets this month so far, with debt segment accounting for the lion's share.


Pakistan gets $3 billion from Qatar Cash-strapped Pakistan secured a bailout package of USD 3 billion from oil-rich Qatar.

RBI launches CMS for filing online complaints against banks, NBFCs The Reserve Bank of India has launched an application on its website for lodging complaints against banks and NBFCs with a view to improve customer experience in timely redressal of grievances. The Complaint Management System (CMS) is a software application to facilitate RBI's grievance redressal process.

Defaulter count in PSBs has risen 60% since FY15 The Union government has stated that the number of wilful defaulters in nationalised banks has increased by more than 60% to 8,582 to March 2019 from 2014-15.

NHAI to raise Rs. 5,000 cr. in new bid for toll roads The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) aims at raising nearly Rs. 5,000 crore in the third round of bidding inviting private players to collect toll and operate roads.

RBI's panel on MSMEs bats for Rs 5,000-crore stressed asset fund The eight-member expert panel, headed by former Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman U K Sinha, has also suggested creating a stressed asset fund of Rs 5,000 crore to protect the sector from distress caused by external circumstances.

Cash in circulation fell post note ban Demonetization, coupled with increased digital transactions and the reduced cash usage in the informal economy, led to a reduction in currency in circulation by ₹3.4 lakh crore, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Japan: Osaka gears up to welcome leaders of world's 20 largest economies In Japan, Osaka is fully geared up to welcome leaders of the world's 20 largest economies. The G20 Summit is the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”. The 14th G20 summit is being held in Osaka from 28th to 29th June.

Bangladesh receives highest ever net FDI amounting to 3.61 bn dollars According to a report by by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), Bangladesh received net foreign direct investment (FDI) amounting to 3.61 billion dollars in 2018, which is its highest ever.

Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill cleared amid protests The Lok Sabha passed the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019, making 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.

Data related to payments to be stored only in India: RBI The Reserve Bank of India said all data related to payments must be stored in systems located only in India and data processed abroad will have to be brought back to the country within 24 hours.

RBI advises all banks to accept coins of all denominations The Reserve Bank of India has advised all banks to immediately direct all their branches to accept coins of all denominations.

RBI begins monitoring HFCs The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started monitoring the liquidity position, asset-liability gap and repayment schedules of housing finance companies (HFCs) on a daily basis after the liquidity crisis hit these firms, resulting in defaults.

WTO panel rules in India's favour in renewable energy case against US A WTO dispute resolution panel has ruled in favour of India in a case against the US saying that America's domestic content requirements and subsidies provided by eight of its states in the renewable energy sector are violative of the global trade norms.

SEBI tightens norms for MF investments The markets regulator SEBI has tightened investment norms for liquid mutual funds to protect investors from credit risks arising out of defaults by borrowers. SEBI said liquid funds can invest a maximum of 20% of their assets in a single sector as against the current cap of 25%, and must keep aside at least a fifth of their assets in cash equivalents (Such as government securities (g-secs), and Treasury bills) to meet sudden redemption pressures.

Government revamps WPI revision team The Union government has reconstituted the working group tasked with revising the current wholesale price index (WPI).

The current series of wholesale price index with 2011-12 as base year was introduced in May 2017.

NPAs down, credit growth picking up: RBI The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its half yearly Financial Stability report has stated that Gross non-performing assets in the banking system have declined for the second consecutive half year, while credit growth is picking up.

Gross NPA ratio declined to 9.3% as on March 2019. It was 10.8% in September 2018 and 11.5% in March 2018.

FDI from China in five years: Goyal Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India has received $1.81 billion (around Rs 12,474 crore) foreign direct investment from China during April 2014 to March 2019. The sectors which received maximum inflows from China during the period include automobile industry ($876.73 million), electrical equipment ($152.5 million) and services sector ($127 million).

Current account deficit tapers India’s ’s current account deficit (CAD) for the January-March period narrowed to 0.7% of the GDP, or $4.6 billion, compared with 1.8%, or $ 13 billion recorded during the same period of the previous year. The deficit narrowed due to a lower trade deficit.

RBI allows ARCs to buy financial assets from peers The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) to acquire financial assets from other ARCs in a bid to accelerate timely resolution of stressed assets.

RBI sets average base rate at 9.18% for NBFC-MFI borrowers for the quarter beginning July 1, 2019 The Reserve Bank of India has set an average base rate of 9.18 per cent for non-banking financial companies and micro finance institutions to be charged from their customers for the quarter beginning July 1, 2019.

India abstains from voting on Torture Goods India has abstained from voting on United Nation General


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Assembly (UNGA’s) resolution aimed at examining options to end trade in goods which are used for capital punishment and torture.

Telecom Ministry forms committee to spell out revival plans for Telecom sector Acknowledging that country’s telecom industry was under financial stress, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had constituted a committee chaired by Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to spell out revival plans for Telecom sector.

G-20 nations resolve to work together for global economic growth G-20 nations have agreed to make united efforts to address major global economic challenges. The countries have affirmed to work together to foster global economic growth while harnessing the power of technological innovation, in particular digitization and its application for the benefits of all.

Nilekani panel suggests measures to encourage digital payments In order to encourage digital payments, the Nandan Nilekani committee has suggested a host of measures, including elimination of charges, round the clock RTGS and NEFT facility and duty-free import of point-of-sales machines.

Food grains production for agricultural year 2018-19 estimated at over 283 million tonnes According to the Agriculture Ministry, food grains production for the agricultural year 2018-19 has been estimated at over 283 million tonnes which is higher by over 17 million tonnes than the previous five years average production of foodgrain.

The rice production is estimated at an all-time-high of over 115 million tonnes during 2018-19.

Production of wheat is also estimated at record over 101 million tonnes. The total pulses production is estimated at over 23 million tonnes.

Amazon India best place to work in the country, Microsoft next, says study As per a Randstad Employer Brand Research, E-com player Amazon India has been rated as the country’s most ‘attractive employer brand. Microsoft India emerged as the runner-up, followed by Sony India. GST Council simplifies rules for registration The GST Council has simplified rules for registration and Aadhaar will now be used by businesses for registration under GST.

Azim Premji to retire as Executive Chairman of Wipro in July IT Industry icon Azim Premji will retire as Executive Chairman of Wipro with effect from 30th July this year. He led the company for 53 years. But he will continue to serve on the board as Non-Executive Director and founder Chairman. His son Rishad Premji, Chief Strategy Officer and a board member, will take over as the Executive Chairman of the company.

RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya quits Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral Acharya has put in his papers about six months ahead of the completion of his term. His resignation comes about six months after Urjit Patel quit as RBI Governor.

Maldives to confer its highest award ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ on PM Modi Maldives will confer ‘Nishan Izzuddin’ award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the highest award to honour foreign nationals.

I&B Ministry institutes Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has instituted a new award called Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) from year 2019 to recognize contribution made by media in spreading awareness about Yoga and for promotion and commemoration of International Yoga Day, held every year on 21 June.

Automobile Major Mahindra Wins Gold award in South Africa Automobile major Mahindra won the Gold Award in South Africa for fairing on various indicators, including level of satisfaction among its network of dealers and the manner of allocation of vehicles to them.

Amitav Ghosh conferred Jnanpith Award Author Amitav Ghosh was felicitated with the 54th Jnanpith Award for his “outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Indian Literature in English.Mr. Ghosh is the first English language writer to become a Jnanpith laureate.

Akshaya Patra wins BBC award 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 Tribune’s Journalist Rachna Khaira wins RedInk Award Rachna Khaira of The Tribune News Service has bagged prestigious RedInk Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism ‘Journalist of the Year’ 2019 for her expose during 2018 on functioning of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and its Aadhaar data cache.

UK-India Awards 2019: Mark Tully gets Lifetime Achievement Award Veteran British journalist Sir Mark Tully was conferred with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at UK-India Awards in London for his contributions to UK-India Awards in London for his contributions to UK-India relationship.

NALCO to get President’s award for excellent CSR in social development National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), an Odisha-based Navaratna Company has been selected for President’s award for utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund in social development. NALCO was selected for its Aliali Jhia Scheme.

Indian-origin Anita Bhatia appointed as UN-Women’s Deputy executive director Indian-origin official Anita Bhatia, a veteran in strategic partnerships and resource mobilisation, has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Deputy Executive Director in UN Women.

Nayib Bukele sworn in as president of El Salvador In the Central American country of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele has been sworn-in as the nation’s President.


Romila Thapar becomes American Philosophical Society member Eminent Indian historian and writer Romila Thapar has been elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society (APS), the oldest learned society in the United States.

Nigeria's envoy to UN elected President of 74th session of UNGA Nigeria's Ambassador to the United Nations Tijjani Muhammad-Bande was elected as President of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

CAG Rajiv Mehrishi elected external auditor of WHO Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi has been elected as external auditor of the World Health Organization (WHO) for four years from 2020 to 2023.

Mehrishi is currently also on the Board of Auditors of the United Nations and Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of External Auditors.

Peru Prez wins confidence vote Peru's President Martin Vizcarra has won a confidence vote in the country’s Congress, reviving debate over his flagging effort to pass anti-corruption measures.

Thai parliament elects Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister Thailand Parliament has elected 2014 coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as Prime Minister.

Prayuth was the candidate of the military-backed Palang Pracharath party.

UK Foreign Office Board gets first Indian-origin member Kumar Iyer has been appointed by the UK government as the Chief Economist of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), making him the first Indian-origin member of the department’s management board.

In a first, US Air Force allows Sikh-American to keep turban on active duty A Sikh airman Harpreetinder Singh, has been allowed by the United States Air Force to serve with a beard, turban and unshorn hair, making him the first active-duty airman to be granted such a religious accommodation.

Six-Time Grammy-Winning Musician Dr John Passes Away Six-time Grammy-winning musician Malcolm John Rebennack, better known as Dr John, passed away aged 77.

Three Indian-origin women among America's richest self-made women: Forbes Three Indian-origin women have been named by Forbes among America's 80 richest self-made women.

President and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks Jayshree Ullal, cofounder of IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel Neerja Sethi and CTO and cofounder of streaming data technology company Confluent Neha Narkhede are in the Forbes list of 'America's Richest Self-Made Women 2019'.

Theresa May officially steps down as leader of Conservative Party British Prime Minister Theresa has officially stepped down as the leader of the Conservative Party but will remain as Prime Minister until her successor is chosen.

Kazakhstan elects new leader as hundreds arrested in protests Kazakhstan has elected interim leader Kassym-Jomart

Tokayev, the hand-picked successor of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari arrested In Pakistan, former President Asif Ali Zardari was arrested in the fake bank accounts case by the country's top anti-corruption body National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

China appoints veteran diplomat Sun Weidong as new envoy to India China has appointed veteran diplomat Sun Weidong as its new envoy to India.

He will succeed Luo Zhaohui, who has been appointed as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Renowned Indian-Origin Writer Ahmed Essop Dies at 88 Renowned author and former educationist of Indian origin, Ahmed Essop, has died in South Africa.

Zuzana Caputova sworn in as president of Slovakia In Slovakia, anti-corruption campaigner Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as country's first female president.

Italian opera director Franco Zeffirelli dies aged 96 Franco Zeffirelli, who directed the world’s greatest opera singers and brought Shakespeare to the cinema-going masses, has died.

Hong Kong leader apologises for causing conflict and disputes Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has apologised for the way her administration tried to pass a law allowing extraditions to China, which is the cause of unprecedented protests and clashes this week.

Bhutan PM says China must maintain status quo on Doklam Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering has called China to maintain status quo in the Doklam region, and further added that no side should do anything near the trijunction point between India, China and Bhutan unilaterally.

Egypt′s former President Mohammed Morsi dies in court Former president of Egypt Mohammed Morsi died after collapsing during a session in court.

Pak. Army chief gets more say in economic matters In a move that would further expand the powerful Pakistani military’s influence, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been made a member of the newly-formed National Development Council (NDC) headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The military is now set to play a greater role in economic matters of Pakistan.

Czech Republic: Protesters take to streets demanding resignation of PM Andrej Babis In the Czech Republic, hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the capital city of Prague demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

Mauritania's Ghazouani declared presidential vote winner Mauritania's ruling party candidate Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has won the presidential election with 52 percent of the vote.

Qu Dongyu becomes first Chinese national to head UN food and agriculture agency Qu Dongyu has became the first Chinese national to be elected to head the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, clinching the post in the first round of voting.


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Kyrgyz lawmakers vote to lift immunity of former president Almazbek Atambayev In Kyrgyzstan, lawmakers have voted to lift the immunity of a former president Almazbek Atambayev, paving the way for a prosecution that could provoke a political crisis in the Central Asian state.

India’s acting High Commissioner to Bangladesh pays respects to Padmashree Awardee Jharna Dhara Chowdhury India’s acting High Commissioner to Bangladesh Bishwadip Dey has paid his respects to the eminent Gandhian and Padmashree Awardee Jharna Dhara Chowdhury who passed away in Dhaka at the age of 80.

Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur to win Champions League trophy Liverpool breezed past Tottenham at Madrid to win the Champions League for the sixth time.

India emerges champion again The Indian team maintained its impressive record of not dropping a set in 20 matches as it beat Czech Republic 4-0 in the super league and retained the title in the 21st USIC World Railways tennis championship.

Vijay Kumar passes away Former Karnataka opening batsman V.S. Vijay Kumar, who played a key role in the State’s first Ranji Trophy victory in the 1973-74 season, passed away.

Indian Jr. women's hockey team clinch Cantor Fitzgerald U21 The Indian junior women's hockey team clinched the Cantor Fitzgerald U21 International 4-Nations title after beating Ireland 1-0 in the final at Dublin, Ireland.

UK’s Anthony Joshua Loses Heavyweight Titles to Andy Ruiz in a Huge Upset Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr has scored one of the biggest upsets in modern heavyweight boxing history as he defeated UK's former Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua via a seventh-round TKO at Madison Square Garden.

China will host 2023 Asian Cup, confirms AFC China will stage the 2023 Asian Cup football after South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia dropped their bids.

Sunil Chhetri becomes most capped India player Sunil Chhetri became the most capped India player by surpassing Bhaichung Bhutia's 107 international matches.

Gianni Infantino re-elected as FIFA President until 2023 Gianni Infantino was re-elected FIFA president unopposed at the 69th FIFA Congress of world football’s governing body in Paris. He will be the President of FIFA until 2023.

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Starts in France The 8th edition of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, will be held in nine cities across France.

Former CEC Gopalaswami named BCCI's electoral officer for AGM Former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami has been appointed as an electoral officer for the BCCI's Annual General Meeting.

Indian archers’ bag four berths for Tokyo Paralympics Indian archers secured two quota places each in the recurve and compound sections for next year's Tokyo Paralympics.

Hamilton wins 7th Canadian GP after Vettel penalty Lewis Hamilton secured a record-breaking seventh win at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix, after a penalty for Sebastian Vettel, who finished first on the road, demoted the German to second in the standings.

French Open: Rafael Nadal lifts Men's Singles title for 12th time Rafael Nadal has lifted the French Open Men's Singles title for the 12th time. He defeated Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to win at the Roland Garros for the third straight year.

Thus he became the first player to win 12 Singles titles at the same Grand Slam and has now won 18 majors overall.

Yuvraj Singh Announces Retirement from International Cricket Yuvraj Singh announced retirement from international cricket, ending a roller-coaster career during which, he became the hero of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph and fought a gritty battle with cancer.

Virat Kohli remains sole Indian in Forbes list of highest-paid athletes India cricket team captain Virat Kohli has once again become the sole Indian in the Forbes 2019 list of world's highest-paid athletes.Virat Kohli is ranked last on the list of top 100 athletes which is headed by Barcelona and Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi followed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

United States claim biggest ever Women's Fifa World Cup win The United States recorded the biggest-ever victory in the Fifa Women's World Cup when they crushed Thailand, 13-nil in a Group-F match at Reims in France.

Indian men's archery team secure Olympic quota for 2020 Tokyo Games Indian men's archery team secured the Olympic quota for the 2020 Tokyo Games by storming into the quarterfinals of the World Championships with a 5-3 win over Canada in the Netherlands.

Cancer-hit Malaysian Badminton star Lee Chong Wei announces his retirement Cancer-hit Malaysian Badminton star Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement, ending a career in which he bagged a swathe of honours. Lee was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer last year.

India static at 101st in FIFA rankings The Indian football team remained static at 101st place in the latest FIFA rankings.

Belgium continued to top overall world rankings, followed by France, Brazil, England and Portugal.

Carlsen takes Armageddon route to Altibox Norway victory Magnus Carlsen secured his second Norway Chess title with a round to spare.

Archery World Championships: Indian men's recurve team bags Silver Medal The Indian men's recurve team has bagged a silver medal in the Archery World Championships at Den Bosch in The Netherlands.


Indian trio of Tarundeep Rai, Atanu Das and Pravin lost to Chinese team 6-2 in the summit clash.

Woodland bags his first Major title Gary Woodland won the 119th US Open capturing his first Major title with a 13-under total to deny two-time defending champion Brook Koepka's bid for third time.

Senior National Squash Championship: Joshna Chinappa wins record 17th title, Mahesh Mangaoker clinches men's crown Joshna Chinappa has won the national squash title for a record 17th time after she outplayed her Tamil Nadu rival Sunayna Kuruvilla in the final.

Mahesh Mangaonkar outplayed second-seeded Abhishek Pradhan 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 to win the men's title.

Archery Association of India de-listed by world body Archery's world body has de-listed the Archery Association of India (AAI) as a member and given it a month's time to either get its house in order or face suspension.

HCL inks agreement with Cricket Australia HCL Technologies has signed a multi-year deal with Cricket Australia, the national governing body for the game in that country.

Javelin: Bronze for Annu Rani at IAAF event Asian silver medallist Annu Rani has won the women’s javelin throw bronze in the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet, an IAAF World Challenge event, in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Shooting out, women’s cricket in for CWG 2022 Shooting was left out of the 2022 Commonwealth Games programme, dealing a big blow to India which won as many as 16 medals, including seven gold, at the 2018 edition in Gold Coast.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has approved the inclusion of women’s cricket, beach volleyball and para table tennis in the Games programme for the Birmingham edition.

WA appoints Bindra to sort out AAI mess World Archery (WA) appointed Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra as an independent person to look into the selection matters in the Archery Association of India (AAI).

Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres announces retirement Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has announced his retirement from football.

Pankaj Advani clinches men's Asian Snooker Championship Pankaj Advani has clinched the 35th men's Asian Snooker Championship in Doha to complete a career grand slam in cue sports.

Pranati Nayak wins bronze at Asian Artistic Gymnastic Championship India's Pranati Nayak has clinched a bronze medal in vault event at the Senior Asian Artistic Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Indian women's hockey team clinches FIH Series Finals Indian women's hockey team beat Asian Games champions and hosts Japan 3-1 in the summit clash of the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima.

International Olympic Committee opens new headquarters in Switzerland The International Olympic Committee(IOC) has formally opened its new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, exactly 125 years after the Olympic Games were revived. The new headquarters costs 145 million US Dollars.

The Olympic House has been built on the site of the former headquarters, and 95 per cent of the old materials were reused and recycled.

Boxing: India's junior women's team adjudged best in Black Forest Cup India's junior women pugilists clinched seven medals, including five gold, while the team was adjudged the best of the tournament in the Black Forest Cup in Villingen, Schwenningen, Germany.

Roger Federer beats David Goffin in straight sets to win record-extending 10th title Roger Federer beat Belgium's David Goffin in straight sets to win a record-extending 10th title at the ATP event in Halle.

Coca-Cola and Chinese Dairy firm Mengniu sign Olympic Sponsorship Coca-Cola and Chinese dairy firm Mengniu have signed a multi-year global Olympic deal to become joint sponsors (beverages and dairy) of Olympic Games starting from 2021 to 2032.

Girish Koushik is India’s 63rd Grandmaster Girish Koushik has became India’s 63rd Grandmaster at the 37th Balaton International Chess Festival in Hungary.

India bids to host 2023 IOC session India proposed to host the 2023 IOC session in Mumbai, which is expected to choose the host city for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

IOC strips world boxing body AIBA of Olympic status The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Olympic status from the troubled world boxing body, the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA).

Narinder Batra elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Batra now has a rare distinction of becoming a member of the IOC, while heading a National Olympic Committee as well as an international federation. He is the first Indian to have this distinction.

India beats England in ODI rankings As per the latest rankings released by the ICC, India dethroned England to rise to the top of One-day International rankings, just three days ahead of their blockbuster World Cup clash.

India led the chart with 123 points, followed by World Cup hosts England (122) and New Zealand (114). Australia are placed fourth with 112 points.

Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passes away Former Bengal cricketer Shyam Sundar Mitra passed away. Mitra, who captained Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, was an elegant right-hand batsman and a part-time medium pacer.

Rahul Dravid to takes Head of Cricket Former India captain and junior coach Rahul Dravid will move to a bigger cricketing role he will take charge of the


MISCELLANEOUS

National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on a two-year contract. Former India leg-spinner Rakesh Shukla passes away Rakesh Shukla, former India leg-spinner, passed away in Delhi. He had represented Delhi and Bihar in First-Class cricket and earned his Test cap against Sri Lanka in 1982.

World No-Tobacco Day: 31st May Every year, on 31st May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD).

Tanzania latest African nation to ban plastic bags A plastic bag ban comes into force in Tanzania as Africa leads efforts to stem the tide of plastic pollution. Tanzania is banning the importation, production, sale and use of plastic bags.

It becomes the 34th African country to implement such restrictions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

World Milk Day: 01st June The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) selected June 1st as World Milk Day, which celebrates the important contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, livelihoods, and nutrition.

The theme for World Milk Day 2019 is “Drink Milk: Today & Everyday.”

10% drop in H-1B visa approvals in 2018: U.S. There was a sharp 10% decline in the approval of H-1B visas by the U.S. in the fiscal year 2018, which experts attributed to the aggressive policies of the Trump administration to clamp down on the use of the work visa programme.

Russia launches first Arctic train service The first tourist train traveling through Russia's Arctic region and on to Norway, set off from St. Petersburg station with 91 passengers aboard for the inaugural trial journey.

The train, named as 'Zarengold', with two restaurant cars will travel from Saint Petersburg.

UN chief praises India's commitment to South-South cooperation United Nation's Secretary General Antonio Guterres has praised the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for championing greater prosperity for all through its myriad projects benefiting the least developed, landlocked and small island nations.

75 years of D-Day landings by Allied troops observed in France In France, hundreds of veterans have gathered to honor the sacrifice of those who died in the D-Day landings by Allied troops, drawing to a close two days of commemorations. World Food Safety Day: 7th June World Food Safety Day is observed every year on 7th June. The theme for World Food Safety Day 2019 is ‘Food Safety, Everyone’s Business’.

'Gandhi Cycle Rally for Peace' organized in Saudi Arabia To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Embassy in Saudi organized ‘Gandhi Cycle Rally for Peace’ in association with the Diplomatic Quarter Authority and Saudi Cycling Federation. World Oceans Day: 8th June World Oceans Day takes place every 8 June. They are The theme of World Oceans Day 2019 is ‘Gender and the Ocean’. G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy is being held from 8 June- 9 June 2019 in Japanese city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. UAE Cabinet adopts "National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031" The UAE Cabinet has adopted the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. The National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 aims to make the UAE a world leader in quality of life through a number of strategic objectives and initiatives. Cananda to ban single use plastics from 2021 Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that single-use plastics will be banned in the country from 2021. 16th Asia media summit kicks off in Cambodia; deliberates on issues pertaining to media & broadcasting industry The 16th Asia media summit has kicked-off in Cambodia which is deliberating on many issues pertaining to the media and broadcasting industry.

The theme of the summit is Media Digitalization Focusing on Developing Markets. World Day Against Child Labour 2019 observed on June 12 The World Day Against Child Labour is observed on 12th June every year to raise awareness about the plight of child labourers worldwide.

This year’s theme is 'Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams'.

India slips to 141 in annual Global Peace Index According to a report by prepared by an international think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), India has slipped by four points in an annual global index on peacefulness this year, finishing at 141 among 163 countries, while Iceland remained at the top position.

World Blood Donor Day 2019 observed on June 14 World Blood Donor Day is celebrated each year on June 14 to raise awareness about blood donation, since its inception in 2005.

The host country for World Blood Donor Day 2019 is Rwanda and the theme for World Blood Day 2019 is 'Safe blood for all'.

India to actively curb ‘conflict’ diamonds India, which became the chair of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) for 2019, will work with governments, the global diamond industry and civil society for strengthening the Kimberley Process (KP), which prevents the supply of conflict or blood diamonds in the world trade of the precious stones.


World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2019 observed on June 17 The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on June 17th to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The 2019 theme is “Let’s Grow the Future Together”

India Will Overtake China As Most Populated Country In 8 Years: UN Report According to a United Nations report titled ''The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights'', India will overtake China to become the world's most populated country in just eight years(ie by 2027).

India extends 15 million dollars grant assistance to Niger in support of organizing of AU summit India has extended 15 million dollars grant assistance to Niger in support of organizing of the African Union summit scheduled from 7th of next month in capital Niamey.

Saudi journalist Khashoggi victim of premeditated extrajudicial execution: UN Report A United Nations Special Rapporteur said in a report that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was the victim of a premeditated extrajudicial execution, for which the State of Saudi Arabia is responsible.

Thousands protest against the Guthi Bill in Kathmandu In Nepal, thousands of people came onto roads in capital Kathmandu against the controversial “Guthi Bill”.

The community members are protesting against the controversial bill, claiming that the bill had provisions in favour of land mafias and could be a threat to the centuries-old culture and traditions of Nepal.

Voluntary Euthanasia becomes legal in Australian state Victoria has become the first state in Australia to enact Euthanasia laws that would now allow terminally ill patients suffering from intolerable pain to legally ask their doctor for lethal drugs to end their lives.

Japan rejects South Korean proposal over wartime forced labourers Japan has rejected a South Korean proposal to set up a joint fund to compensate wartime forced labourers. Japan claims the proposed fund would not solve the issue, terming it unacceptable.

Pak. to set up courts to deal with gender violence Pakistan’s top judge has vowed to set up more than 100 gender-based violence courts in the country.

5th International Yoga Day being celebrated on June 21 International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on 21st June to raise awareness worldwide about the benefits of Yoga in daily life. This year the main Yoga Day event will be held in Ranchi in Jharkhand.

India placed on ‘Tier 2’ in human trafficking report The US has retained India in Tier 2 list of countries in its annual report on human trafficking, arguing that the country does not fully meet the minimum standards for its elimination even as it is making progress.

PM Modi to attend 14th G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28 and 29 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 14th G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan on 28th and 29th of this month. Former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu will be India's sherpa at the summit.

Saudi Arabia becomes 1st Arab country to get full FATF membership Saudi Arabia has become 1st Arab country to be granted full membership of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Facebook launches world’s most detailed 'population density maps' for Bangladesh, other countries of Asia Pacific Facebook has launched the world’s most detailed and advanced “population density maps” using artificial intelligence (AI) for Bangladesh and other countries of Asia Pacific.

Saudi launches residency scheme to boost revenue Saudi Arabia launched a new special residency scheme aimed at luring wealthy expats as the petro-state seeks to boost non-oil revenue.

Russia extends ban on EU Food Imports until end of 2020 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree for extending Moscow’s embargo on food products being imported from the European Union (EU) to the end of 2020.

BIMSTEC Day celebrated in Dhaka The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) celebrated 22 years of its establishment on June 25th,.

Bangladesh govt decides to make dope test compulsory for government jobs Government of Bangladesh has decided to make dope test compulsory for government jobs.

International Asteroid Day: 30 June The United Nations observe 30 June as International Asteroid Day.

International Day of Parliamentarism: 30 June The United Nations observe 30 June as the International Day of Parliamentarism.

29 June: National Statistics Day National Statistics Day is observed every year on 29 June to popularize use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitize public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies. 2019 is the 13th edition of National Statistics Day.

Theme for 2019 National Statistics Day- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

current affairs capsule (june 2019)

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