Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2019

Notes:
The US aircraft maker Boeing co and national airports body Airports Authority of India (AAI) have signed a technical assistance agreement for developing a comprehensive roadmap for modernisation of air traffic services in the country. The air traffic services comprise Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) and Air Traffic Management (ATM). The 10-year modernisation roadmap will be undertaken with a grant from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA ). The agreement is aimed at developing a roadmap for AAI to use as guidance in the modernisation of the Indian National Airspace System (NAS) based on global and local best practices to optimally utilize airspace capacity, enhance CNS/ATM. Under the agreement, Boeing will analyse current technologies and processes to identify efficiency improvements that can be implemented while maintaining a practical and safe airspace system.

Notes:
Indian-American Congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal has become the first South Asian American woman to preside over the US House of Representatives. She is a Democrat from Washington DC. The 116th Congress broke records with women and lawmakers crossing racial and religious barriers, including an all time high for Asian American lawmakers. A record number of 17 Asian Americans serve in Congress, with 14 in the House and three in the Senate.

Notes:
Indian tennis player Sidharth Rawat defeated Rio Noguchi of Japan to win his first title in the $25,000 ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament on June 2, 2019. With the ATP points being restored for events of this level, he will be able to improve his current rank of 510. He had a career-best rank of 430.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently reconstituted the federal policy think-tank National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog by introducing key Cabinet ministers as members as ex-officio members. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, Home minister Amit Shah, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar are now ex-officio members of the think tank that is headed by Mr. Modi. Rajiv Kumar will continue to be the vice-chairperson, along with full time members—Ramesh Chand, VK Saraswat and VK Paul.On 15th June 2019, Prime Minister will chair the 5th meeting of NITI Aayog’s Governing Council to discuss various issues concerning water management, agriculture and security. The council includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of union territories, several union ministers and senior government officials. This will be the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government. NITI Aayog was constituted via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on 1st January 2015 & replaced the erstwhile planning commission.

Notes:
After linking its short-term loans and large savings deposits rates to the repo rate, the State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to introduce a repo rate-linked home loan product from July 1. The home loans under this product will be priced at 2.65% over the repo rate of 5.75%. So, the home loan interest rate will work out to 8.40%. Currently, SBI offers home loans, which are linked to its marginal cost of funds, at 8.55%. The lender has also reduced the interest rate on cash credit /overdraft customers (limits above Rs1 lakh) after RBI cut its repo rate from 6% to 5.75%. Now the effective Repo-Linked Lending Rate (RLLR) for CC/OD customers is 8%. Repo rate is the key interest rate at which commercial banks borrow short-term funds from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Notes:
India’s first dinosaur museum and fossil park has recently inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Raiyoli village near Balasinor town of Mahisagar district. The new museum will create a prehistoric-like era environment when dinosaurs might have roamed around freely in Raiyoli. As many as 50 sculptures of dinosaurs, including a life-size one of Rajasaurus Narmadensis that was found in Gujarat, have been erected at the museum. The museum would have 3D projection, 360 degrees virtual reality presentations, interactive kiosks, gaming consoles and other facilities. According to government officials, Raiyoli is globally known to be the third largest fossil site and the second largest dinosaur hatchery from where about 10,000 dinosaur eggs have been found.

Notes:
India is planning to conduct its first-ever simulated space warfare exercise titled ‘IndSpaceEx’ in the last week of July under the aegis of the Integrated Defence Staff of the defence ministry. All military stakeholders, including those from the scientific community, will participate in it. The purpose of the exercise is to understand the possible challenges in space warfare and to counter China’s growing influence in this domain, which poses a major threat to India’s national security interest.

Notes:
On 9 June, Interim President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has won the 2019 Presidential election of Kazakhstan with 70.96% of the vote. He was recognised as the elected president by the Central Election Commission (CEC) and will take an oath of office June 12. Earlier, on 20th March 2019, Tokayev took office as the Interim President of Kazakhstan & succeeded Nursultan Nazarbayev who served as the President from the country’s independence in 1992 until his resignation. The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the head of state, commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Notes:
A team of scientists from Delhi University (DU) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in collaboration with researchers from Indonesia and the US, have discovered a new species of ‘paddy frog’ from Northeast India, primarily Assam. The frog belongs to the microhylid genus Micryletta. It is a group of narrow-mouthed frogs that is primarily and widely distributed in Southeast Asia. Currently, there are only four recognized species in this group. The newly discovered Micryletta frog from Northeast India was confirmed as a new species by detailed comparison of both DNA and morphology with all previously known members across Southeast and East Asia. The new species has been named ‘aishani’, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘aishani’ or aisani (meaning North – east), referring to the Northeast regions of India where this frog was discovered. The frog has reddish-brown coloration on the back, prominent dark streaks and ash-grey mottling on the lateral sides, shape of snout and no web on its feet.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a high-level committee under IBA Chief Executive V G Kannan to examine ATM charges and fees by banks amid demands for reviewing the levies. The use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) has been growing significantly and there have been persistent demands to change ATM charges and fees. The 6-member panel will review the existing structures and patterns of costs, charges and interchange fees for ATM transactions. The committee will also review the overall patterns of usage of ATMs by cardholders and assess the impact, if any, on charges and interchange fees. Besides, it will assess the entire gamut of costs in respect of the ATM ecosystem and make recommendations on the optimal charge/interchange fee structure and pattern. The committee will submit its report within two months from the date of its first meeting.