Current Affairs Update – 8th June, 2016

Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs of 8th June, 2016. These are important for the upcoming SBI Clerk & SBI PO Mains 2016 Exams.

Current Affairs at a Glance – 8th June, 2016
  1. India and the US
    today announced the setting up of two financial assistance programmes worth $60 million
    for supporting India’s much-needed clean energy initiatives including in solar
    power and other renewables.
  2. ICICI
    Bank on Wednesday said it has
    added five more features, including instant tax payment and rail ticket
    booking, on its mobile banking app, ‘iMobile’.
  3. State Bank of India on Wednesday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jain Farm Fresh
    Foods Ltd (a subsidiary of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd)
    to help farmers
    associated with the latter to avail of finance against receivables due from the
    company.
  4. Software major Infosys
    Ltd would provide its core banking solution Finacle
    to e-commerce platform Paytm for its payments bank business, the firm
    said on Wednesday.
  5. Multilateral lending agency Asian
    Development Bank (ADB)
    on
    Wednesday said it has approved a $100
    million (around Rs 660 crore) loan to strengthen a key irrigation system and
    improve water management in the Vennar sub-basin of
    Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu
    .
  6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Union Government on
    3 June 2016 signed the Loan Agreement
    for 200 million US dollars to upgrade 176 Kilometres of State roads in Jharkhand
    .
  7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
    meeting on Tuesday with President Obama began on a propitious note as members
    of the Missile
    Technology Control Regime (MTCR),
    agreed
    to admit India, in a triumph for the prime minister.
  8. India on 4 June 2016 became the
    co-chair of Working Group on Maritime Situational Awareness under Contact Group
    on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).
  9. India on 4 June 2016 signed a
    Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America (USA) to facilitate
    hassle-free entry of Indians into America at selected airports
    . It will
    provide quick security clearances for pre-approved, low-risk travellers from
    India.
  10. Himachal Pradesh on 5 June 2016 became the first Indian state to have a
    State Data Centre (SDC).
    The
    centre was launched by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in
    Shimla.
  11. Rajasthan Government on 5 June 2016 launched mobile application RajVayu
    for sharing information about Air Quality Index of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur.
    The app was launched by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on the eve of
    World Environment Day.
  12. Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal
    launched Surya
    Mitra mobile App
    at National
    Workshop on Rooftop Solar Power in New Delhi on 7 June 2016.
  13. Exercise Desert Eagle II, which
    was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between Indian Air Force
    (IAF) and United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAE AF), was concluded on 3 June
    2016.
  14. Fashion designer and AIDS
    activist Kenneth
    Cole
    was named an international goodwill ambassador by the head of the UN’s
    AIDS-fighting organisation
    .
  15. Russian Tennis player Maria Sharapova was suspended for two years on Wednesday for testing
    positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.
  16. The World Oceans Day was observed globally on 8 June 2016 with the
    theme Healthy oceans, healthy planet. The main focus of this year’s theme is on
    curbing the plastic pollution.
  17. Forbes on 6 June 2016 released the list of World’s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2016 showing women who impacted
    businesses, media, philanthropy, politics and more. The world’s most powerful
    woman in the list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fetched the first spot for the sixth
    consecutive year.

Finance/Banking/Economy –
India, US set up 2 clean energy financial support programmes for $60 mn

  • India and the US today announced
    the setting up of two financial assistance programmes worth $60 million for
    supporting India’s much-needed clean energy initiatives including in solar
    power and other renewables.
  • An announcement in this regard
    came after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack
    Obama in the Oval Office.
  • This includes the creation of a
    $20 million US-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) initiative, equally
    supported by the US and India.
  • This is expected to mobilise up
    to $400 million to provide clean and renewable electricity to up to 1 million
    households by 2020.
  • The White House said India and
    the US committed themselves to establish the US-India Clean Energy Hub as the
    coordinating mechanism to focus the US government’s efforts, in partnership
    with leading Indian financial institutions, to increase renewable energy
    investment in India.

ICICI Bank’s ‘iMobile’ app gets an upgrade

  • ICICI Bank on Wednesday said it
    has added five more features, including instant tax payment and rail ticket
    booking, on its mobile banking app, ‘iMobile’.
  • India’s largest private sector
    bank said customers can also add an extra layer of security to their
    cheque-based transactions with ‘Positive Pay’, apply for a personalised Expressions
    Debit Card and purchase travel and motor insurance as well as mutual funds via
    its banking app.
  • In a statement, the bank said,
    users can now avail themselves of over 150 services on ‘iMobile’.

SBI ties up with Jain Farm to extend loans to farmers associated with
co

  • State Bank of India on Wednesday
    said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jain Farm Fresh
    Foods Ltd (a subsidiary of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd) to help farmers
    associated with the latter to avail of finance against receivables due from the
    company.
  • Under the tie-up, India’s largest
    bank will use the corporate’s ecosystem data to digitally enable lending
    solutions to customers. Farmers’ past performance data with the associated
    anchor company will be used to assess eligibility and enable loan sanction.
  • This solution, unlike traditional
    agri-lending products, moves away from lending based on the farmers’ assets,
    land holding and financial history. Instead, it uses proprietary historical
    performance data and information from the public domain to assess the farmer’s
    eligibility and credit worthiness to sanction the loan.
  • The new product relies on minimal
    documentation and liquid assets as security and helps reduce the time involved
    in sanctioning. A proprietary digital tool has been developed by SBI to
    facilitate this centralised electronic sanctioning.
  • Rajnish Kumar, MD – National
    Banking Group, SBI said, his bank is seeking to harness the combined potential
    of the rural economy, disruptive digital innovation, and leverage the strength
    of corporate partnerships.

Infosys Finacle to power Paytm banking

  • Software major Infosys Ltd would
    provide its core banking solution Finacle to e-commerce platform Paytm for its
    payments bank business, the firm said on Wednesday.
  • The flagship banking product is
    part of the company’s subsidiary EdgeVerve Systems.
  • The application programme
    interfaces of Finacle will enable Paytm to integrate payments bank services to
    its wallet business at a reduced cost and simplify its banking operations.
  • Finacle’s scalability will allow
    Paytm to meet growth needs and manage expansion in the scale of its operations.

ADB approves $100 million loan for irrigation system in Tamil Nadu

  • Multilateral lending agency Asian
    Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a $100 million (around
    Rs 660 crore) loan to strengthen a key irrigation system and improve water
    management in the Vennar sub-basin of Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu.
  • This project will support both
    physical improvements and stronger water management, giving a significant boost
    to the lives of coastal communities who often go without sufficient irrigation
    water.
  • The Vennar irrigation network is
    no longer able to meet the needs of many of its poorest farmers particularly in
    coastal areas and the climate extremes that have been battering the country and
    are expected to worsen mean there is a pressing need to upgrade it.
  • To boost management, more
    community members will be tapped to take part in planning and delivery of water
    services, training will given to state water resource department officers,it
    said.
  • The Cauvery delta, on the east coast
    of Tamil Nadu, is known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the state, with over 70% of the
    delta population engaged in farming and fishing, but access to water is
    unreliable and flooding common during the monsoon season.

ADB and Union Government signed Loan Agreement to upgrade 176 Km of
roads in Jharkhand

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
    and the Union Government on 3 June 2016 signed the Loan Agreement for 200
    million US dollars to upgrade 176 Kilometres of State roads in Jharkhand.
  • The agreement was signed by Raj
    Kumar. Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic
    Affairs, Ministry of Finance and by M. Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB’s
    India Resident Mission.

Highlights of the agreement
  • It will upgrade existing sections
    of four State roads to two lane standard and will also support improvements in
    the design, safety and maintenance of the network.
  • Besides upgrading 176 km of
    roads, the project will help the State develop an international standard road
    safety master plan for promoting road safety in Jharkhand.
  • It will enhance the State’s
    ability to systematically identify, analyze, develop and prioritize critical
    road safety measures, which will benefit all road users.

India –
India joins elite Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
    meeting on Tuesday with President Obama began on a propitious note as members
    of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), agreed to admit India, in a triumph
    for the prime minister.
  • A deadline for members of the
    34-nation group to object to India’s admission had expired on Monday without
    any raising objections. Strong US backing set India up nicely for membership as
    rival China does not belong to this elite club of 34 countries that control
    trade in missile and space technology.
  • This will give India access to
    high-end missile technology from across the world and will allow India to
    purchase top-of-the-line missile systems.The MTCR will also pave the way for
    India to sell its supersonic BrahMoscruise missiles, which it developed jointly
    with Russia to third countries. It’s a feather in Modi’s cap, that the
    development will make India a significant arms exporter for the first time.
  • The Obama administration has
    strongly backed India’s membership into MTCR and three other export control
    regimes — the Australia Group, Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Wassenaar
    Arrangement.
  • Rome had earlier objected to
    admitting India into the missile control group because of its spat with India
    over an Italian marine.

India becomes co-chair of Working Group on Maritime Situational
Awareness under CGPCS
  • India on 4 June 2016 became the
    co-chair of Working Group on Maritime Situational Awareness under Contact Group
    on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS).
  • This decision was taken through a
    consensus during the 19th Plenary Session of the CGPCS that took place in Mahe,
    Seychelles during 31 May – 3 June 2016.

Steps taken by Indian Navy to ensure safety at Somalian Coast and in
the Indian Ocean Region
  • The Indian Navy and Coast Guard
    have played a very important role by enhanced patrolling in the high seas and
    providing armed naval escorts to ships moving in the area.
  • To protect Indian ships and
    Indian citizens employed in sea-faring duties, Indian Navy commenced
    anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden from 23 October 2008.
  • In addition to escorting
    Indian-flagged ships, ships of other countries have also been escorted by the
    Indian Navy.
  • Merchant ships are currently
    being escorted along the entire length (490 nm long and 20 nm wide) of the
    Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) which is heavily patrolled
    by Indian Navy.
  • To maintain high degree of
    alertness in the region, around 19 coastal security operations and exercises
    have been undertaken over the past year.

India signed MoU with USA to facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians to
US
  • India on 4 June 2016 signed a
    Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America (USA) to
    facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians into America at selected airports. It
    will provide quick security clearances for pre-approved, low-risk travellers
    from India.

Features of the Agreement
  • The Agreement was signed as a
    part of America’s International Expedited Traveller Initiative which is also
    known as the Global Entry Programme. India became the ninth country to sign the
    agreement with US.
  • It was signed between India’s US
    Ambassador Arun K Singh and Kevin K McAleenan, deputy commissioner of US
    Customs and Border Protection..
  • The agreement will have positive
    impact on all kinds of people-to-people exchange between the two countries as
    the programme at the US airports will enable further easing of travel
    environment for the approved travellers.

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Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to launch green-concept based
State Data Centre

  • Himachal Pradesh on 5 June 2016
    became the first Indian state to have a State Data Centre (SDC). The centre was
    launched by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in Shimla.
  • The SDC is designed using green
    data centre concept. The centre will offer 101 people-oriented service online
    through an integrated data base.
  • CM Virbhadra Singh directed all
    government departments to make use of SDC for hosting e-Governance applications
    instead of creating their own infrastructure.
  • Now, departmental applications
    can be hosted centrally in SDC free of cost and HIMSWAN connectivity could be
    provided in field offices to access departmental applications.

Key highlights of the State Data Centre
  • The SDC was launched at an
    expenditure of 58-crore rupees.
  • The centre will integrate the
    websites of various departments.
  • All services could be accessible
    through the integrated data base. It will save time and money spent on creation
    of infrastructure.
  • The centre will help in reducing
    the burden on state exchequer and at the same time help in the integration of
    online databases of various departments.

Rajasthan Government launches
Mobile App RajVayu on Air Quality Index

  • Rajasthan Government on 5 June
    2016 launched mobile application RajVayu for sharing information about Air
    Quality Index of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur. The app was launched by Rajasthan
    Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on the eve of World Environment Day.
  • With this, Rajasthan became first
    state in country to launch such app for sharing information about air quality
    index of cities.

Highlights of RajVayu App
  • Information provided on RajVayu
    app is based on the data collected by sophisticated air quality monitoring
    equipment and weather sensors.
  • The app has been designed by
    Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) jointly with Indian Institute
    of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
  • It will share details about the
    air quality, such as levels of pollutants likes SOx, NOx, CO, Ozone particles and
    Particulate Matter (PM) with the city residents and tourists.

Union Government launched Surya Mitra Mobile App

  • Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal
    launched Surya Mitra mobile App at National Workshop on Rooftop Solar Power in
    New Delhi on 7 June 2016.
  • The App will be very useful in
    the field of Renewable energy to serve customers at their doorsteps with
    quality installation, repair, and Observations and Measurements (O&M)
    services.

About Surya Mitra Mobile App
  • The Mobile App was developed by
    National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) which is an autonomous institution of
    Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
  • It is a high end technology
    platform that can handle thousands of calls simultaneously and can efficiently
    monitor all visits of Suryamitra’s.
  • The trained Suryamitra’s who opts
    for entrepreneurship have joined in the Mobile App in several states.

Mirza Imtiyaz Judicial Commission constituted to probe Mathura violence
  • Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
    Akhilesh Yadav on 7 June 2016 appointed a judicial commission to probe into the
    recent Mathura violence hours.
  • The Judicial commission will be
    headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Mirza Imtiyaz Murtaza. It
    has been asked to submit its report in two months.
  • The commission was formed after
    the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking a CBI probe into the
    incident.

Course of Action for the Judicial Commission
  • The commission has been mandated
    to conduct the inquiry on six points of reference.
  • Among other aspects it will find
    out the reasons because of which such a big incident occurred, the lapses on
    the part of police and intelligence failure if any.
  • It will look into the plan and
    preparedness of district administration and its effectiveness.

Rajiv Gauba Committee on Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi submitted
report
  • The Rajiv Gauba Committee on
    Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi on 5 June 2016 submitted its report to the
    Union Ministry of Urban Development.
  • To ensure a safe, sustainable,
    affordable, equitable, comfortable, accessible and environmental friendly
    public transport system in the city, the Committee recommended a 4-pronged strategy
    with the components of –
  • i. Improving Public Transport and
    Disincentivising use of private vehicles
  • ii. Promoting Road Safety and
    efficient Traffic Management
  • iii. Setting up Unified
    Metropolitan Transport Authority and enhancing institutional capacity
  • iv. Promotion of Transit Oriented
    Development through integrated land use and transportation planning

Exercise Desert Eagle-II concluded

  • Exercise Desert Eagle II, which
    was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between Indian Air Force
    (IAF) and United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAE AF), was concluded on 3 June
    2016.
  • This was a ten-day air combat
    exercise in which the IAF and the UAE Air Force undertook air exercises from
    Al-Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi starting from 22 May 2016.

About Exercise Desert Eagle II
  • Exercise Desert Eagle-II saw the
    IAF Su 30 MKI participating along with Mirage 2000-9 and F-16 block 60 of the
    UAE Air Force.
  • Mission commanders from both
    sides participated in the Exercise and availed this opportunity to the maximum
    to draw valuable operational lessons.
  • Despite the predominantly hot and
    arid conditions with temperatures well beyond 40 deg Celsius, IAF maintenance
    support staff succeeded in maintaining high serviceability state of aircraft
    and equipment.

Appointments –
Kenneth Cole named UNAIDS international goodwill ambassador

  • Fashion designer and AIDS
    activist Kenneth Cole was named an international goodwill ambassador by the
    head of the UN’s AIDS-fighting organisation.
  • The yesterday’s appointment by
    UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe came on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s
    high-level meeting on ending AIDS today through Friday.
  • Cole told reporters at a news
    conference at UN headquarters he hopes to combine his United Nations work with
    his work at The Foundation for AIDS Research, known as amfAR, and its goal of
    finding a cure for the disease by 2020.
  • He said it’s as important as ever
    to continue bringing about awareness of AIDS because a cure is within reach
    even as calls for pulling back funding for AIDS research increase.

Sanjay Saxena appointed Crime Branch chief Mumbai

  • Special Inspector General of
    Police Sanjay Saxena was on Tuesday appointed as the chief of the Mumbai Police
    Crime Branch.
  • Mr. Saxena was heading the Force
    One, the State’s paramilitary force formed after the Novembr 2008 terror
    attacks in Mumbai.
  • Mr. Saxena will take charge of
    the post vacated by Additional Director General of Police Atulchandra Kulkarni,
    who took over as the head of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad after his
    promotion last month.
  • An Indian Police Service officer
    of the 1993 batch, Mr. Saxena has served as Superintendent of Police in Manmad,
    and Deputy Commissioner of Police in Bhiwandi, before being transferred to
    Mumbai, where he served as DCP, Zone VIII.

Shahid Rasool takes charge as
Director of Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia
  • Shahid Rasool, a communication
    technology specialist, on 7 June 2016 took charge as the Director of the
    Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA).
  • Rasool will guide CEMCA in its
    mission to ensure effective utilisation of educational media resources for
    distance education.
  • He was earlier the Director of
    the Educational Multimedia Research Centre, University of Kashmir. He earned
    his MS Degree in Communication Technology from Syracuse University and has a
    doctorate in mass communication and journalism from the University of Kashmir.

Sports –
Tintu Luka won silver at Josef Odlozil Memorial Athletics Meet in
Prague

  • Tintu Luka, the Rio
    Olympics-bound Indian track and field athlete, on 7 June 2016 won a silver
    medal in 800 meters in the Josef Odlozil Memorial Athletics Meet in Prague,
    Czech Republic.
  • To win the medal, she covered the
    distance with her season’s best timing of 2:00.61 (2 minutes point Six One
    seconds).
  • The reigning Asian champion was
    second behind 2013 World Youth Championship gold winner Anita Hinriksdottir of
    Iceland who ran the distance in 2:00.54 (2 minutes point five four seconds).

Maria Sharapova suspended for 2 years for doping

  • Russian Tennis player Maria
    Sharapova was suspended for two years on Wednesday for testing positive for meldonium
    at the Australian Open.
  • The five-time Grand Slam champion
    was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in
    early March, when she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she
    failed a doping test in January.
  • Sharapova said then she was not
    aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had barred athletes from using
    meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of Jan 1.
  • Her lawyer, John Haggerty, said
    Sharapova took the substance after that date.

Days –
World Oceans Day observed across the world

  • The World Oceans Day was observed
    globally on 8 June 2016 with the theme Healthy oceans, healthy planet. The main
    focus of this year’s theme is on curbing the plastic pollution.
  • Plastic pollution is a serious
    threat because it degrades very slowly, polluting waterways for a very long
    time. In addition, plastic pollution impacts the health of aquatic animals
    because animals including zooplankton mistake the microbeads for food.
    Scientists also fear health impacts for humans.
  • The United Nations celebrated
    World Oceans Day 2016 by recognizing the winners of the Annual World Oceans Day
    Oceanic Photo Competition at an event at the United Nations Headquarters.

Lists/Reports –
Forbes released World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2016 list

  • Forbes on 6 June 2016 released
    the list of World’s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2016 showing women who impacted
    businesses, media, philanthropy, politics and more.
  • Four metrics: money (net worth,
    company revenues or GDP), media presence, spheres of influence, and impact,
    were analysed to prepare the list.

Highlights of the List
  • The world’s most powerful woman
    in the list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fetched the first spot for
    the sixth consecutive year.
  • The top three most powerful in
    the list are politicians: Germany’s Angela Merkel, U.S. presidential candidate
    Hillary Clinton and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
  • Mary Barra, CEO of General
    Motors, tops the list in the automotive section.

Indian Women in the list
  • Four Indians have been named in
    Forbes list including Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chair-Managing Director of State
    Bank of India (SBI), who stood at 25th position.
  • Chanda Kochhar, MD and CEO of
    ICICI Bank, was placed at 40th position.
  • Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw,
    Founder-chair of Biocon Limited, was placed at 77th position.
  • Shobhana Bhartia, Chair, HT
    Media, was placed at 93rd position.

World –
International Monetary Fund approved 1.5 billion US dollar loan to Sri
Lanka
  • The International Monetary Fund
    (IMF) on 7 June 2016 approved 1.5 billion US dollar loan to Sri Lanka. IMF has
    already transferred 168 million US dollars as the first Instalment with
    immediate effect to support the country’s economy.
  • The Executive Board of the IMF
    accepted this 36-month extended arrangement under its Extended Fund Facility
    (EFF) with Sri Lanka under special drawing rights.
  • An early disbursement of about
    168.1 million US dollars will be made immediately.
  • The remaining amount will be
    settled in six installments on quarterly reviews.

Obituaries –
Chess Grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi dies

  • Viktor Korchnoi, regarded as one
    the greatest chess players, passed away on 6 June 2016 in Wohlen,
    Switzerland.  He was 85.
  • Korchnoi played in three matches
    that produced the World Champion, but in each case lost to Anatoly Karpov. It
    made Korchnoi the strongest player never to have won the title.

Amber Gurung, composer of Nepali National Anthem, passes away

  • Amber Gurung, the legendary
    Nepali musician and composer of the country’s national anthem, died on 7 June
    2016. He was 78.
  • He was suffering from diabetes
    and Parkinson’s disease.
  • He was cremated in Kathmandu with
    full state honours, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence
    Minister Bhim Rawal. A contingent of the Nepal Army offered a final salute.

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This post was last modified on July 19, 2019 2:05 pm