21st June 2019 Current Affairs
NITI Aayog has proposed to sell only e-vehicles after 2030
- The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, think tank of the government, has proposed that only Electric Vehicles (EVs) should be sold after 2030.
- This is proposed in order to expand the scope of the clean fuel technology beyond two and three-wheelers.
- The panel headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant had suggested earlier that only EV (three-wheelers and two-wheelers) with an engine capacity of up to 150 cc should be sold from 2025 onwards.
Note:
About NITI Aayog
Formed: 1 January 2015
Jurisdiction: Government of India
Headquarters: New Delhi
CEO: Amitabh Kant (Jan 2015– Till date)
NHA, ICICI Foundation to skill 15,000 personnel to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme
- National Health Authority & ICICI Foundation have signed an agreement to train 15,000 state & district personnel & Arogya Mitras to streamline delivery of health services under AB –PM JAY.
- Arogya Mitras serves as the first-point contact for beneficiaries.
- The MoU between NHA and ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth is aimed at capacity building of health personnel at state and district levels.
Note:
About ICICI
CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi (15 Oct 2018–Till Date)
Headquarters: Mumbai
Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India
Founded: June 1994, Vadodara
Bangladesh emerged as the fastest economy in Asia-Pacific: Asian Development Bank
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) stated that Bangladesh emerged as the fastest growing economy among the 45 countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
- Higher public sector investment, stronger consumption demand, revival in exports, improved power supply and higher growth in private sector credit were the key factors of the high growth performance of Bangladesh.
Note:
About Bangladesh:
Capital: Dhaka
Currency: Bangladeshi Taka
Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Manila,Philippines
President: Takehiko Nakao
DBS revises India GDP forecast for FY20 down to 6.8 per cent
- DBS Bank has revised India’s GDP growth for the fiscal year 2020 downwards to 6.8% year-on-year (YoY) from 7%.
- The bank has expected inflation to remain 3.8% YOY versus 3.4% in FY 19.
- The Reserve Bank of India’s policy stance was changed from neutral to accommodative, opening the door to further easing, wrote Radhika Rao, Economist at DBS Group Research, pointing out the 75 bps repo rate cut so far this year.
Note:
About DBS
Headquarters: Singapore
CEO: Piyush Gupta (9 Nov 2009– Till Date)
RBI panel on MSMEs headed by U K Sinha recommended to double collateral-free loans limit to Rs 20 lakh
- The 8 member panel on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in January 2019, headed by the former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman U K Sinha submitted its report to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on June 17, 2019.
- The panel was formed to suggest long-term measures for the economic and financial sustainability of the MSME sector.
- The Committee suggested doubling collateral-free loans for MSMEs to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh.
- This is also applicable to Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (Mudra) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Note:
About RBI
Bank rate: 5.75%
Headquarters: Mumbai
Founder: British Raj
Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
SEBI permits stock exchanges to introduce futures on commodity indices
- On June 18, 2019, The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed the stock exchanges with Commodity Derivative Segment (CDS) to introduce futures on commodity indices.
- This will facilitate mutual fund and institutional participation in commodity exchanges.
- The stock exchanges should take prior approval from SEBI to launch such contracts.
- They will have to submit data of the index constructed at least for the past 3 years, along with data on monthly volatility, roll-over yield for the month and monthly return.
Note:
About SEBI
SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India
Founded: 12 April 1992
Headquarters: Mumbai
Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi
PU Chitra and Sreeshankar strikes Gold & Johnson wins silver at Folksam Grand Prix 2019
- Asian champion PU Chitra (Palakkeezhil Unnikrishnan Chithra) of India won a gold medal in women’s 1500m at Folksam Grand Prix 2019 held in Sollentuna, Sweden.
- She ran her season best by clocking 4 minutes 12.65 seconds (4:12.65s).
- National record holder Murali Sreeshankar won the men’s long jump gold comfortably with an impressive opening effort of 7.93m at the Copenhagen Athletics Games in Denmark.
- He equalled his season-best effort which came in Lyon, France.
Note:
About Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Currency: Swedish krona
Nitesh Kumar Jangir wins Innovation Award in UK
- Nitesh Kumar Jangir has won the 2019 Commonwealth Secretary – General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London.
- He created Saans as a breathing support device to tackle avoidable deaths of premature babies from respiratory distress syndrome.
- “Our mission is to try and ensure that babies don’t lose their lives due to the lack of access to a piece of technology.
Note:
About UK
Capital: London
Currency: Pound sterling
International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 across the world
- Fifth International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.
- The 2019 theme of the day is ‘Yoga for Climate Action’.
- This year’s main event in India was held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Note:
About Jharkhand
Capital: Ranchi
Chief minister: Raghubar Das
Sri Lanka launched its first satellite ‘Ravana-1’ into orbit
- On June 17, 2019, Sri Lanka successfully launched its first satellite ‘Ravana-1’ into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) along with two other BIRDS 3 satellites from Japan and Nepal.
- It was deployed to the 400-km of orbit at an inclination of 51.6 degrees using the JAXA (Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency) owned Kibo experiment module.
- The satellite was designed and developed by two Sri Lankan engineers – Tharindu Dayaratne and Dulani Chamika – studying space engineering at Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology.
Note:
About Sri Lanka
Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe
Former Mizoram minister and MNF leader, Lalrinchhana dies at 84
- On June 19, 2019, Lalrinchhana, Former Mizoram minister and MNF (Mizo National Front) leader passed away after battling with cancer.
- He was 84.
- The MNF leader was suffering from cancer.
- Three-time minister, Lalrinchhana, had joined the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1966.
Note:
About Mizoram
Capital: Aizawl
Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
Chief minister: Zoramthanga
Formation: 20 February 1987†
India’s first solar-powered cruise boat to be rolled out in December
- Kerala is gearing up for the launch of India’s 1st solar-powered cruise boat by December.
- It will be rolled out in Alappuzha.
- The hybrid vessel will be powered by a motor that can source energy from solar panels.
- Its battery will have 80 KWh power backup.
Note:
About Kerala
Formed: 1 November 1956
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
Punjab Government set to launch a universal health insurance scheme from July 2019
- On June 13, 2019, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced that the State Government is set to launch its flagship universal health insurance scheme named “Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY)” with effect from July 1, 2019.
- This Health scheme will be the first of its kind in the state and provide annual health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family to 43.18 lakh families of Punjab.
Note:
About Punjab
Capital: Chandigarh
Chief minister: Amarinder Singh
Governor: V.P. Singh Badnore
Try out the quiz ?
1. NITI Aayog has proposed that only Electric Vehicles (EVs) should be sold after 2030. Who is the CEO of NITI Aayog?
NITI Aayog has proposed to sell only e-vehicles after 2030. The panel headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant had suggested earlier that only EV (three-wheelers and two-wheelers) with an engine capacity of up to 150 cc should be sold from 2025 onwards.
2. NHA has joined hand with which foundation to skill 15,000 personnel to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme?
National Health Authority & ICICI Foundation have signed an agreement to train 15,000 state & district personnel & Arogya Mitras to streamline delivery of health services under AB –PM JAY.
3. According to Asian Development Bank, which country economy has emerged as the fastest growing economy in Asia-Pacific region?
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) stated that Bangladesh emerged as the fastest growing economy among the 45 countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
4. What will be India's GDP growth for the fiscal year 2020 according to DBS Bank?
DBS Bank has revised India's GDP growth for the fiscal year 2020 downwards to 6.8% year-on-year (YoY) from 7%.
5. Who is the head of 8 member panel on MSMEs, constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in January 2019?
The 8 member panel on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in January 2019, headed by the former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman U K Sinha submitted its report to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on June 17, 2019.
6. Who has permitted stock exchanges to introduce futures on commodity indices?
On June 18, 2019, The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed the stock exchanges with Commodity Derivative Segment (CDS) to introduce futures on commodity indices.
7. Who has won gold medal in women’s 1500m at Folksam Grand Prix 2019?
Asian champion PU Chitra (Palakkeezhil Unnikrishnan Chithra) of India won a gold medal in women’s 1500m at Folksam Grand Prix 2019 held in Sollentuna, Sweden.
8. Commonwealth Secretary – General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award has won by......
Nitesh Kumar Jangir has won the 2019 Commonwealth Secretary – General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London.
9. International Yoga Day has celebrated on June 21. What is the theme for this year?
Fifth International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. The 2019 theme of the day is ‘Yoga for Climate Action’.
10. Sri Lanka has launched its first satellite into orbit. What is the name of that satellite?
Sri Lanka successfully launched its first satellite ‘Ravana-1’ into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) along with two other BIRDS 3 satellites from Japan and Nepal.
11. Lalrinchhana has passed away. He was the leader of which of the following party?
Lalrinchhana, Former Mizoram minister and MNF (Mizo National Front) leader passed away after battling with cancer.
12. which state will rolled out India’s first solar-powered cruise boat?
Kerala is gearing up for the launch of India’s 1st solar-powered cruise boat by December.
13. Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY) to be rolled out from 1st July 2019 by which state?
Punjab Government set to launch a universal health insurance scheme from July 2019 On June 13, 2019, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced that the State Government is set to launch its flagship universal health insurance scheme named “Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY)” with effect from July 1, 2019.
