Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2018

Notes:
The Assumption Island is a small island in the Outer Islands of Seychelles north of Madagascar, with a distance of 1,135 km southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. It is in news recently because the deal for an Indian military base in the Island was declared as ‘dead’ by Seychelles President Danny Faure. He said that Seychelles would develop military facilities at the island on its own. Mr. Faure made it clear that he would have no further discussions on the subject with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited India on June 25 and 26, 2018. The plans for an Indian military base in Seychelles stirred up public protests by activists who believe that the islands must stay away from the brewing India-China regional conflict. The decision by the Seychelles President to drop the deal in the face of protests over a perceived loss of sovereignty is a blow to the Indian government’s “SAGAR” (Security and Growth for All in the Region) programme, announced by Mr. Modi during a visit to Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries in March 2015.

Notes:
On June 18, the annual Asia and Oceania Region Inter-Governmental Ministerial meeting on anti-doping has started in Colombo, Sri Lanka with representatives from 29 countries including India. The 15th such annual gathering is also being attended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to discuss important anti-doping issues that will help in the fight for clean sport. It is chaired by Faiszer Musthapha, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports. The two-day meeting will discuss how to make the most of government engagement, ensure compliance with the world anti-doping code, support capacity building and a range of other topics.

Notes:
The Goa Revolution Day (GRD) has celebrated on 18th June 2018 to pay tributes to the martyrs of the state’s liberation struggle. On this day in 1946, freedom fighter Dr Ram Manohar Lohia gave a clarion call to the people of the state to unite and fight against the Portuguese colonial regime. The revolutionary call provided a spark to Goa’s freedom struggle and the state was finally liberated on 19th December 1961. Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for 451 years, before the State was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961.

Notes:
To negotiate the text of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), the meeting between the team of specialists from United States and with their counterparts on the Indian side has started in Delhi from June 18-20, 2018. The meeting is a part of preparations for the 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of India and the US in Washington in July 2018. So far, India has signed only one of the foundational agreements, called the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA). The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA) and COMCASA are the two remaining pacts that were not signed due to severe criticism from within the government. The COMCASA is a “foundational” military communications agreement. It essentially provides a legal framework for the transfer of communication security equipment from the US to India that would facilitate interoperability between Indian and US forces — and potentially with other militaries that use US-origin systems for secure data links.

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.

Notes:
The 840MW Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (HTPS) is a coal-fired power station at Korba in Chhattisgarh. The power station is owned and operated by Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company, a publicly owned generation utility formed in 2009 following the restructuring of the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board.

Notes:
US golfer Brooks Koepka has won the 118th edition of the US Open golf championship at the Shinnecock Hills course in New York on June 17, 2018. Koepka has created history by becoming the first man since Curtis Strange in 1989 to successfully defend his U.S. Open title.

Notes:
On June 19, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened norms for Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) by making quoting of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) mandatory even for transactions below $25,000. Under the LRS, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to 2,50,000 US dollar per financial year for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both. Earlier, a system for daily reporting of individual transactions under the LRS by banks was been put in place. This system enables the banks to view the remittances already sent by an individual during the financial year, thus improving monitoring and ensuring compliance with the LRS limits.

Notes:
A R Rahman, the renowned music composer, has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim government. He will promote and project the state’s achievements nationally and globally. Sikkim, with its natural and pristine beauty, has over the last two decades emerged as a world famous eco-tourism destination, besides attaining a distinct identity as the first fully organic farming state of the country. Earlier, in 2018, the state government made Rahman its Brand Ambassador of tourism and business.

Notes:
On June 19, the United States has withdrawn from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and condemned alleged hypocrisy of its members and bias against Israel. The announcement came after the top UN human rights official criticised Washington for separating migrant children from their parents who are seeking asylum after crossing into the country from Mexico. It must be noted that Washington’s withdrawal is the latest US rejection of multilateral engagement after it pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It’s not first time that the US has opted to stay out of the UNHRC. When the Council was established in 2006, the administration of George W. Bush withheld its membership over similar concerns. The U.S. joined the body only in 2009 under President Barack Obama. The UNHRC is composed of 47 members — and this is the first time a sitting member country has voluntarily decided to leave. Though, Libya was suspended in 2011 after a government crackdown on unarmed protesters.