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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 8^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 8^th, 2019

1.       (8th June) is World Oceans Day.

a.       This day was officially recognized by the United Nations in late 2008.

b.       Theme of World Oceans Day 2019 :  "Gender and Oceans"

2.      Today is World Brain Tumor Day.

a.       This day was initiated by German Brain Tumor Association in the year 2000.

3.      Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Maldives on his 1st overseas visit after assuming the office for a second term. 

a.       During this visit, he will hold talks with Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

b.       Modi presented the President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih a cricket bat signed by Team India playing at the ICC World Cup 2019. 

4.      The Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, having a population of around 1.1 lakh, has become the smallest ever nation to be elected to the United Nations Security Council. 

a.       4 other nations, namely, Estonia, Niger, Tunisia, Viet Nam, were also elected for a 2-year term. 

b.       These countries will take up their seats as non-permanent members in January 2020.

5.      Russia has launched 1st Arctic train service running from St. Petersburg station headed to Norway. 

a.       The inaugural trial journey of first tourist train traveling through Russia’s Arctic region and on to Norway will be a 11-day trip with 91 passengers aboard.

6.      Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the main event of the 5th International Yoga Day to be held on June 21 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. 

a.       Around 30,000 people are expected to participate in the main event. 

7.      The SriLankan Airlines has been named as the world’s most punctual airline with 90.75 per cent of its flights in May 2019 being ‘on-time’ throughout its route network.

8.      The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed its Mars Helicopter has entered the final phase of testing before its scheduled launch aboard the space agency's Mars rover in July 2020. 

a.       The small, autonomous helicopter will be the 1st vehicle in history to attempt to establish viability of heavier-than-air vehicles flying on another planet.

b.       It is expected to reach Mars in February 2021.

9.      A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for data exchange between two regulatory organizations and to tighten regulatory oversight.

a.       The MoU was signed by K.V.R. Murty, Joint Secretary (MCA) and Madhabi Puri Buch, Whole Time Member of SEBI in presence of senior officers from both organisations.

10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has diluted its earlier guidelines on bad loans and has now mandated banks to undertake a review of a borrower account within 30 days of default. 

a.       The resolution plan should be implemented by the lenders within 180 days after the initial review period. 

b.       The previous circular mandated lenders to start resolution even if there was a one-day default.

11. 3 Indian-origin techies have featured in Forbes list of America's 80 richest self-made women. 

a.       Ranked 18th with $1.4 billion net worth, Jayshree Ullal is CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks, and Neerja Sethi, ranked 23rd with $1 billion net worth, cofounded IT consulting firm Syntel. 

b.       Neha Narkhede has been ranked 60th with a net worth of $360 million.

12. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today fined Kotak Mahindra Bank ₹2 crore for not furnishing details about the shareholding of its promoter and its plans for complying with stake dilution norms. 

13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today conferred 'The Most Honourable Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen' (Maldives' highest honour accorded to foreign dignitaries), during his visit to the island nation. 

14. Jimmy Carter, Ex-President of United States of America (USA) won the inaugural George H. W. Bush Award for Statesmanship in recognition of his contributions to relations between U.S. and China.

15. A 16-year old climate activist, Greta Thunberg of Sweden won Amnesty International’s ‘Ambassador of Conscience’ Award 2019 for mobilising world public opinion global warming.

16. The National Assembly of Thailand (Thailand’s Parliament) today elected 2014 coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as the new Prime Minister after military-backed party that nominated Prayuth won 2nd-highest number of seats in House of Representatives (lower house of Thailand’s Parliament) in a general election held in March 2019.

17. The Jammu and Kashmir government today removed J&K Bank Chairman Parvez Ahmad and appointed R K Chibber as interim chairman of the lender.

18. Saket Kumar, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, has been appointed as Private secretary to Union Home Minister Amit Shah until July 2023.

19. The American Philosophical Society has elected Professor Romila Thapar as an international member at its Annual Spring Meeting. 

20. Former India captain M S Dhoni can't wear wicketkeeping gloves with Army 'balidaan' (sacrifice) badge after ICC rejected BCCI's request. 

a.       The regulations for ICC events don't permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment, ICC said. 

b.       The logo also breaches the regulations in relation to what is permitted on wicketkeeper gloves, it stated.