VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 2^nd, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JUNE 2^nd, 2019

1.      (2nd June) is International Sex Workers Day.

a.       This day honours sex workers and recognises their often exploited working conditions.

2.      India, US, Japan and Australia have come out in strong support of an ASEAN-led mechanism to preserve and promote rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region where China is flexing its muscles.

a.       At a meeting held in Bangkok yesterday, senior officials of the 4 countries also highlighted their efforts to maintain universal respect for international law and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

b.       The 10-nation Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region. 

c.       India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

d.       China has been trying to expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, which is a bio-geographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

3.      The UN Security Council has extended an arms embargo and sanctions on South Sudan for a year, despite resistance from African countries, Russia and China.

a.       A US-drafted resolution was adopted yesterday by a vote of 10 in favour with five abstentions. 

b.       Note : Resolutions in the 15-member council require a minimum of nine votes for adoption.

4.      A plastic bag ban comes into force in Tanzania as Africa leads efforts to stem the tide of plastic pollution. 

a.       Tanzania is banning the importation, production, sale and use of plastic bags.

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

c.       Note : Globally, 127 countries have some sort of plastic bag legislation. 91 of these include a ban or restriction on manufacturing, importation and retail distribution, according to the UNEP.

5.      The state of Telangana is celebrating the 5th anniversary of its foundation. 

a.       Telangana is 29th state of India, which came into being on June 2nd 2014, after Andhra Pradesh was split into two states — Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

b.       Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao hoisted the National Flag at a ceremonial programme held on the lawns of Jubilee Hall at Public Gardens in Hyderabad.  

c.       He appealed to the people to play a greater role in the implementation of three new legislation in the offing including the New Revenue Act, Municipal Act and the Panchayat Raj Act in making the governance in the state corruption-free and transparent.

d.       Important Points to Note :

i)       Capital : Hyderabad

ii)     Total Districts : 33

iii)   Official Languages : Telugu, Urdu

iv)   Chief Minister : K Chandrasekhar Rao

6.      The Punjab and Haryana High Court has accorded the status of "legal person or entity" to all animals in Haryana, granting them the "corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person". 

a.       Note : The verdict comes nearly a year after Uttarakhand High Court passed a similar order "to protect and promote greater welfare of animals".

7.      Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath imposed a ban on the use of mobile phones during cabinet meetings. 

a.       The decision was taken so that ministers could focus on issues discussed in the meetings and not get distracted by their phones. 

8.      The Centre has shortlisted 5 cities, Delhi, Shimla, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Ranchi to hold National Programme of the International Yoga Day this year.

a.       It will be the government's 1st mega public event after Mr Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for the second consecutive term.

b.       Names of these cities have been sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) which will finalize the venue of the main function to be held on June 21.

c.       If selected, the national capital would be hosting the event for the second time.

9.      Himachal Pradesh government has decided to provide 10 percent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections among the general category.

a.       The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held in Shimla under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur yesterday. 

b.       It has been decided that reservation will be given in Class-I, II, III and IV posts in government sector.

c.       The benefit will be given to those candidates whose family gross income is below 4 lakh rupees and are not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for the SC, ST and OBC.

d.       The Cabinet also gave its nod to implement ‘Mukhya Mantri Roshni Yojana’ as per the budget announcement of the Chief Minister.

                                           i.      Under the scheme, 17550 free electricity connections will be provided to poor families during the current financial year.

10. The Elephanta Festival of art and culture kicked off at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai yesterday.

a.       The gala event is organised on the Elephanta Island and promoted by the Maharashtra government. 

b.       Noted singers like Rahul Deshpande, Swapnil Bandodkar and Priyanka Barve will perform on the occasion while noted wright Achyut Palov, painter Vasudev Kamat, cartoonist Nilesh Jadhav and Shil Kumbhar will give live demonstrations on 'Avishkar Live'. 

c.       Elephanta Caves located on the Elephenta island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

d.       They are a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to Lord Shiv.

11. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is going to observe Financial Literacy Week across the country from 3rd to 7th June 2019. 

a.       Theme of Financial Literacy Week 2019 : 'Farmers and how they benefit by being a part of the formal banking system'. 

12. According to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms, 51 Union Ministers are crorepatis, with Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal being richest with assets over ₹217 crore. 

a.       Railways Minister Piyush Goyal is 2nd-richest with over ₹95 crore assets, followed by the  Independent Minister of Statistics Rao Inderjit Singh,, at ₹42 crore. 

b.       Note : PM Modi is 46th richest with assets over ₹2 crore.

13. PepsiCo India is going to invest nearly ₹500 crore to build a Food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh. 

a.       PepsiCo, the makers of Lay's chips and Kurkure snacks, said it is part of its efforts to expand capacity in India's growing packaged foods market. 

14. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s $8.8-billion James Webb Space Telescope, the world's largest and most expensive one, has successfully passed final thermal vacuum test, making its parts cleared for use in space. 

a.       The 6.5-metre diameter telescope has 18 gold-coated mirrors and a tennis court-sized sun-shield to gather light and protect its instruments. 

b.       The telescope, set to launch in 2021, took 20 years to build.

15. The United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon starting 2020, for its 2024 human lunar mission, for the first time since the 1970s, NASA said. 

a.       NASA has chosen 3 American commercial Moon landing service providers for the same. 

b.       Each company has developed lunar landers of different sizes and shapes to deliver up to 23 payloads.

16. Former ISRO chief Dr. Kasturirangan led Committee submitted the draft National Educational Policy (NEP) to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in New Delhi today.

a.       The policy draft recommends incorporation of Indian knowledge systems in the curriculum, constituting a National Education Commission and curbing arbitrary fees hikes by private schools.

b.       The expert panel also proposed massive transformation in Teacher Education by moving all teacher preparation and education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities or colleges.  .

c.       Note : The existing National Educational Policy (NEP) was framed in 1986 and revised in 1992.

17. Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Spain forward José Antonio Reyes (35) died in a car crash. 

a.       Reyes had made his professional debut for Sevilla aged 16 in the 1999/00 season and moved to Arsenal in January 2004.

18. Veteran industrialist and Williamson Magor Group (WMG) patriarch B M Khaitan (92)passed away.

a.       Khaitan had recently retired as Chairman from the boards of Eveready Industries and the world's largest producer of tea McLeod Russel, both WMG companies. 

19. Nayib Bukele has been sworn-in as the President of Central American country of El Salvador. 

a.       Bukele was sworn-in by the Speaker of the National Assembly in downtown San Salvador. 

b.       Delegations from 83 countries attended the ceremony.

20. Damodar Gautam Sawang, a 1986-batch IPS officer, took charge as new Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police. 

21. Senior IIS officer K S Dhatwalia today assumed the additional charge of the post of Director General of Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi.

22. Indian-origin Anita Bhatia has been the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships.

23. India is one of the 3 countries which have expressed interest to host the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s Asian Cup football tournament for Women to be held in 2022.

a.       Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan are the other countries in contention to host Asia's premier women's competition.

b.       The three countries will now be invited to nominate their proposed venues for the tournament, with the host expected to be announced by the second quarter of 2020. 

c.       Note : Earlier, India hosted the event in the year 1980 at Kozhikode.