Notes:
The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority has initiated a ‘water literacy’ campaign with the involvement of 70,000 students aiming to create awareness about the importance of water conservation in the State. As per the campaign, every student will take classes about water conservation for 15 families in their locality. Approx 10 lakh people will be benefited from the campaign, which is scheduled to be held from June 20 to September 20. The purpose of the campaign is to improvising the knowledge of students as well as people regarding importance of water, prevention of water pollution, water conservation and laws related to water management.

Notes:
India will host the 23rd European Union Film Festival (EUFF-2018) at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi from 18 – 24 June. The festival will improve cultural ties between India and European countries. Approx 24 latest European movies from 23 European countries will be screened. The festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, partnering with the delegation of the European Union and embassies of EU Member States.

Notes:
Smriti Mandhana, an Indian Women’s Cricket team opener, will become the first Indian player to appear in the Kia Super League, the women’s cricket super league in England. The League will begin from July 22, 2018. Smriti was signed by Western Storm and will represent the side in the upcoming edition of the tournament that features six teams. She has appeared in 40 T20Is so far and has a highest score of 76. In May 2018, she captained IPL Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge, which took place ahead of IPL Qualifier one. Smriti has also featured in the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat.

Notes:
Russia has successfully launched a Glonass- M positioning satellite by using a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk space center on June 17, 2018. The Glonass network provides real-time positioning data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the globe, at an accuracy reportedly at par with the U.S. Global Positioning System.

Notes:
Adiraju Venkateswara Rao (80), the veteran journalist and author, has passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana on June 15, 2018. Popularly known as Adiraju, Venkateswara Rao was born in 1938 at Panditapuram village in Khammam district. In a career spanning over five-and-a-half decades, he worked for several Telugu and English dailies and news agencies including Andhra Jyothi, Udayam, Deccan Chronicle, Indian Express, Himachal Times and Hindustan Samachar at Hyderabad and Delhi.

Notes:
Ivan Duque Marquez , the Conservative political newcomer, has been elected as the new President of Colombia and will assume office on August 7, 2018. He won the 2018 presidential election by 54% of the vote on June 17, 2018. His running mate, Marta Lucía Ramirez, will become first female Vice-President of the country.

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The World Sustainable Gastronomy Day (WSGD) is observed every year on June 18 to focus the world’s attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can play. The day also reaffirms that all cultures and civilizations are contributors and crucial enablers of sustainable development. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) designated 18 June as Sustainable Gastronomy Day by adopting its resolution A/RES/71/246 on 21 December 2016. The decision acknowledges gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world.

Notes:
On June 18, the 2018 National Yoga Olympiad has organized by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) at in CIET in New Delhi to create awareness about a scientific and holistic way of living. Approx 500 students from 26 States and 4 RIEs are participating in the 3-day Olympiad. The purpose of the Olympiad is to create positive attitude among all human beings and promote peaceful living in the society. It was inaugurated by Mr. Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative of the New Delhi Cluster Office for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The NCERT is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India that was established on 1st September 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies’ Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860). Dr. Hrushikesh Senapaty is director of the NCERT since September 2015.

Notes:
Anukreethy Vas from Tamil Nadu has been crowned fbb Colors Femina Miss India World 2018 at a function held in Mumbai on June 19, 2018. Anukreethy, who beat 30 contestants to bag the honour, will now represent India at this year’s Miss World. While Haryana’s Meenakshi Chaudhary was announced the first runner-up, Shreya Rao Kamavarapu of Andhra Pradesh was adjudged the second runner-up in the beauty competition. The ceremony was hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana. The judges panel included 2017 Miss World Manushi Chhillar, cricketers Irfan Pathan and Lokesh Rahul and actors Malaika Arora, Bobby Deol and Kunal Kapoor.

Notes:
The conference “National Consultation on Making Agriculture Sustainable and Profitable’ will be inaugurated by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Pune, Maharashtra on June 21, 2018. The 2-day conference is being organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in the context of the ongoing debate and efforts at various levels to double farmers’ incomes by 2022. Naidu, as Vice-President is chairman of the IIPA institute. Agriculture experts and agri-economists at the conference will deliberate upon creating an enabling policy framework, agricultural trade policy, transfer of technology from labs to land and agricultural credit and insurance. The conference on farm sector issues is the second in the Swarajya to Surajya’ series of national consultations initiated by the IIPA on the behest of vice president. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh, agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan, economist Ashok Gulati, farm scientists, representatives of farmers unions, CII, FICCI and other stakeholders will also attend the event.