07 June 2018 - Daily Current Affairs
1. Anupam Kher to receive IIFA Lifetime Achievement award 2018
- Veteran actor Anupam Kher (63-year) will be given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honour at the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony in Bangkok for his contribution in the field of cinema.
- Mr Kher has worked in over 500 films spanning across languages along with projects both in India and abroad for over three decades.
- Kher will be presented with the honour on June 24 at the 19th edition of IIFA.
Note:
- The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards) are a set of awards presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood.
- The 1st IIFA Utsavam was held on 24 – 25th January 2016 at the Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad, India.
National Appointments
2. Centre constitutes a group to suggest changes in SEZ policy
- The Union Govt. has constituted a group headed by Industrialist ‘Baba Kalyani’ (Bharat Forge Chairman) to study the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Policy of India.
- The group will evaluate the SEZ policy, suggest measures to cater to the needs of exporters in the present economic scenario and make the SEZ policy WTO compatible.
- An SEZ is an area with economic regulations different from other areas of the same country and are generally export hubs.
- Companies operating in SEZs receive tax benefits and an opportunity to pay lower tariffs.
Banking and Finance
3. RBI to allow the transition of urban cooperative banks into Small Finance Banks
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to allow the voluntary transition of Urban Cooperative Banks meeting certain prescribed criteria into Small Finance Banks.
- According to the RBI deputy governor ‘N S Vishwanathan’, High Powered Committee on Urban Cooperative Banks (chaired by R. Gandhi) had recommended the voluntary conversion of large Multi-State UCBs into Joint Stock Companies and other UCBs which meet certain criteria into Small Finance Banks.
- The RBI release mentioned that the detailed scheme will be announced separately.
- The RBI has also revised the Priority Sector Lending guidelines for housing loans with Affordable Housing definition under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- RBI has decided to revise the housing loan limits for Priority Sector Lending eligibility from existing 28 lakh rupees to 35 lakh rupees in metropolitan and from existing 20 lakh rupees to 25 lakh rupees in other centres.
National Affairs
4. India records 22% reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio since 2013
- India has registered a significant decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) recording a 22% reduction in such deaths since 2013.
- According to the Sample Registration System bulletin, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined from 167 (in 2011-2013) to 130 (in 2014-2016).
- The latest figures reveal that India has gone beyond the UN Millennium Development Goals of the MMR.
Note:
- The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is a key performance indicator for efforts to improve the health and safety of mothers before, during, and after childbirth per country worldwide.
- The statistics are gathered by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division.
5. National Consultation on Accelerating Implementation of Tobacco Control Measures
- Minister of State for Health ‘Ashwini Kumar Choubey’ has inaugurated the National Consultation on Accelerating Implementation of Tobacco Control Measures for the achievement of Goals under National Health Policy, 2017 in New Delhi.
- The two-day consultation will focus on capacity-building of the National Tobacco Control Progamme Nodal Officers.
- The Ministers also released the Global Adult Tobacco Survey -2 India Report, 2016-17 and guidelines for establishing tobacco cessation centres in dental colleges.
6. Ravi Shakar Prasad releases Bhagat Singh’s jail diary book in New Delhi
- Union Minister of IT and Law Ravi Shakar Prasad has released Bhagat Singh’s jail diary book at a function in New Delhi.
- The jail diary book is a compilation of Bhagat Singh's writings.
- Bhagat Singh had written (own handwriting) the diary during September 12, 1929, to March 22, 1931.
- After the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh (March 23, 1931) the diary was handed over to Kultar Singh.
- This probably is the first authentic and most detailed reproduction of Shaheed-e-Aazam’s diary notes written in his own handwriting.
7. Nirmala Sitharaman Flags-in NIMAS expedition team to Mt Everest
- Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman flagged-in the expedition team to Mt. Everest conducted successfully by National Institute for Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh.
- She congratulated the team led by Director and Team Leader Col Sarfraz Singh for their remarkable achievement.
- It is for the first time that any National Institute expedition team has put eight members on the top of Mt. Everest in their maiden attempt.
- All the eight members of the team successfully scaled the peak on 19 and 20 May 2018 without any casualty or cold injury.
8. Election Commission launches its online RTI Portal
- The Election Commission of India has launched its online RTI Portal ‘rti.eci.nic.in’ to facilitate applicants seeking information under the Right to Information Act.
- Applicants seeking information from the Commission under the RTI Act can make use of the online portal.
- There is also a gateway for making online payment of requisite fees under the RTI Act.
- There will be timely notification alerts to RTI applicant via SMS and E-Mail.
Note:
- The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India.
- The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
