27th June 2017 - Current Affairs Today

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National Current Affairs

Latest Developments pertaining to Goods and Services Tax (GST)

FM Chairs 17th meeting of GST Council in New Delhi and sets tax rate on state-run lottery at 12% and govt-authorised pvt lottery at 28%
GST Council has laid out a relaxed timetable and exemption from penalties and late fees to industry while filing GST returns in the first two months.
Government notified 18 sections relating to registration of current central excise, service tax and VAT payers with the GST-Network (GSTN). Besides, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has also notified two rules — registration and composition levy.

K Kasturirangan heads panel on National Education Policy

The National Policy on Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992.
The government has now appointed a committee to draft the final policy document.

Indian Army rethinking on Sahayak system, may induct civilians in peace stations

Indian Army is actively considering recruiting civilian staff in peace stations to do away with the colonial-era Sahayak system, in the wake of some army jawans openly voicing their anger against it.
Sahayaks are soldiers and their duties include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment and helping them in carrying out their responsibilities.
In recent months, a number of videos had surfaced wheresome army jawans were seen voicing their anger over the Sahayak system with some even alleging that they are treated as servants by the officers whom they are attached to.
Army officials have said the option of deploying civilian staff at peace stations instead of Sahayaks will help the Army in economising on its man power. However, Sahayaks cannot be replaced in field units.
As of now, Army officials have stated that Sahayaks will continue be deployed in key bases and field areas as they have defined military duties.

Arunachal Pradesh govt raises retirement age of employees to 60 years

The government observed that there are various categories of employees who are already having the benefit of retirement age of 60 years.
The state government decided to implement the retirement age of such employees from existing 58 to 60 years.

Aadhaar details mandatory for subsidy on Delhi e-rickshaws: State govt

Delhi government has made Aadhaar card details compulsory for those seeking subsidy on e-rickshaw registered in the city.
It has been done in order to “prevent duplicacy” in grant of the financial assistance.
As per latest figures, there are over 31,000 registered e-rickshaws in the city.
Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has streamlined the process of registration and grant of subsidy to e rickshaws and avoid duplicacy, by making Aadhaar card details mandatory.
As per the government the registered owners of e-rickshaws in Delhi will be considered for a subsidy of Rs 30,000 after providing their Aadhaar card details.
All the registered e-rickshaw owners whose subsidy claims are pending are now required to submit the photo copies of their Aadhaar card and registration certificate at the office of concerned motor licensing officers (MLO) by June 30.
The claims of subsidy will not be considered if the Aadhaar card and registration certificate copies are not submitted by the due date.
Delhi government in its current financial year budget has earmarked Rs 1.06 crore for providing subsidy to e-rickshaw owners.

3 day MODI Fest in Panaji

It is a program for taking the achievements of the government to the common people.
The MODI Fest showcases the progress of various policies and programs of the central government and its achievements in the last three years.
It also includes economic and infrastructure development, budget reforms, women empowerment, skill development for youth, Digital India, financial inclusion and incentives for the farming sector.

International Current Affairs

China’s fastest bullet train makes debut

Fuxing is a CR400AF model which boasts a top speed of 400 kilometres per hour and a consistent speed of 350 kilometres an hour.
It took 5 hours 45 mins to reach Shanghai from Beijing, covering 1200 km.
Beijing-Shanghai is China’s busiest route used by 5 lakh passengers daily.
The new bullet trains, also known as electric multiple units (EMU) and on its way, it stopped by 10 stations, including Jinan, Shandong province and Tianjin.
It includes a sophisticated monitoring system that constantly checks its performance and automatically slows the train in case of emergencies or abnormal conditions.
China has the world’s longest railway network with 22,000 km by the end of last year, about 60% of the world’s total.

Business & Economy

World Bank Clears $250-Million Loan to Train India’s Job Seekers

World Bank has cleared a USD 250-million loan, referred to as Skill India Mission Operation (SIMO) for making Indian youth more employable through reskilling.
World Bank has cleared a USD 250-million loan, referred to as Skill India Mission Operation (SIMO) for making Indian youth more employable through reskilling.
SIMO will be implemented through the National Skill Development Mission and will specifically target labor market entrants.
Under the program, adults in 15-59 years of age, underemployed or unemployed, will get the skill training.
It will also include the 1.2 crore youngsters in the age group of 15-29 years who are entering the labor market every year.
As per the Bank’s estimate, skill development capacity of the system would increase by the end of the program so that at least 8.8 million youth with relevant training have an improved employment opportunity to raise their earnings.
The program will benefit approximately 15,000 trainers and 3,000 assessors.

People in News

J-K Governor N N Vohra appointed as president of IIC

N N Vohra was appointed as the president at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The India International Centre (IIC) is a well known non-official organisation located in New Delhi, India.
Its foundation stone was laid in 1960 by Japanese prince Akihito, future Emperor, and it was inaugurated in 1962.
It serves as a meeting place for the various cultural and intellectual offerings the city has to offer, while maintaining its non-official character, non-aligned motivations and remains uncommitted to any particular form of governmental, political, economic or religious affiliation

Awards

Manushi Chhillar from Haryana wins the title of Miss India 2017

Manushi Chhillar from Haryana won Femina Miss India 2017 title.Sana Dua from Jammu and Kashmir is the first runner-up and the second runner-up is Priyanka Kumari from Bihar.
Following a new format this year, the beauty pageant toured 30 states/UTs across India and young girls from various states including Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand participated in the contes

Science & Technology

SpaceX successfully completes two Falcon 9 landings in one weekend

SpaceX has successfully launched and landed the second Falcon 9 rocket in roughly 48 hours.
It’s the company’s ninth launch of 2017, and, six months in, are the most completed by SpaceX in a single year.
It delivered 10 satellites into orbit for the communications company Iridium.
SpaceX’s marks the 13th successful landing overall and its 8^th at sea.
The successful delivery of 10 Iridium satellites to space brought Iridium’s satellite count up to 20.

Environment and Ecology

NASA’s opportunity Mars rover finds evidence of Ancient Lake

NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover is examining the edge of a crater on the red planet that may once have been a lake of liquid water.
The Opportunity rover found rocks at the edge of Endeavour Crater that were either transported by a flood or eroded in place by wind.
The crater is about 22 kilometers across.
Researchers plan to drive Opportunity down Perseverance Valley after completing a “walkabout” survey of the area above it.
The Opportunity mission has been investigating sites on and near the western rim of Endeavour Crater since 2011.
Another possibility is that the area was fractured by the impact that created Endeavour Crater and then rock dikes filled the fracture that’s why these effects of wind erosion on those filled fractures are to be seen.
The valley extends down from the crest into the crater at a slope of about 15 to 17 degrees for a distance of about two football fields.

World mayors urge G20 leaders to ‘save the planet’

In a joint text distributed to media outlets worldwide and posted online, the C-40 mayors of the world’s great cities urged leaders from the Group of 20 to deliver on their respective commitments to tackle climate change.
The joint statement added that in light of US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate change pact the resolve of the other 19 leaders at the upcoming G20 Summit to safeguard the future of our planet is more important than ever.
The world city mayors, led by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said they were inspired by the courage shown by more than 300 mayors in cities across the United States who have committed to upholding the Paris Agreement despite Trump’s decision.

Sports Current Affairs

Srinivas Gokulnath becomes first Indian to solo finish Race Across America

Srinivas has completed the toughest cycle race in the world in 11 days and 11 hours in the 18-49 age categories.
The time given was 12 days to complete the race that is 13 hours earlier than the scheduled time.
Srinivas completed the race from West coast to East coast of the US in his second attempt.

India’s Yashaswini Deswal bags gold in 10m air pistol

Yashaswini Singh Deswal of Chandigarh has won Gold Medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol at the end of day two of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship Rifle/Pistol
On course to winning the Gold, Yashaswini Deswal equalled the junior world record score of 235.9.
She won gold medal with a difference of 4.1 points over second position Korean shooter Woori Kim. Guilia Campostrini of Italy won the Bronze in the event.
This is Yashaswini’s ninth final at the youth and junior level over the past three years and her first Gold. She had last year won Silver at the Junior World Cup stage at the same venue and an Asian Championship Bronze back in 2014.

Doon girl Bhumika Sharma wins Miss World title in bodybuilding championship

Bhumika is from Dehradun and gained maximum points in three categories – individual posing, body posing.
The championship drew 50 competitors from different countries.

Boxer Ankush Dahiya wins gold in Ulaanbaatar Cup

Ankush Dahiya (60kg) clinched a gold medal and L Devendro Singh (52kg) got a silver medal in Ulaanbaatar Cup boxing tournament
19-year-old Ankush, who is a former Asian youth silver-medallist, defeated Korean Man ChoeChol.
India got 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medal from the tournament.
K Shyam Kumar (49kg), Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg) and Priyanka Chaudhary (60kg), lost semifinal and settle with bronze medals.
This is Ankush’s first international medal at the senior level.