30 June 2018 - Daily Current Affairs

30 June 2018 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Suresh Prabhu launches mobile app ReUnite to trace missing, abandoned kids

• The Union Minister Suresh Prabhu (Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation) has launched a mobile application 'ReUnite', helps to track & trace missing and abandoned children in India.
• The app is multiuser where parents and citizens can upload pictures of children, and provide detailed description like name, birthmark, address, report to the police station, search and identify missing kids.
• The app is available for both Android and iOS.
• The photographs will not be saved in the mobile phone's physical memory.
• An NGO (Non-government organisation) Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Capgemini have developed this app.

2. Govt to celebrate July 1 as ‘GST Day’ on the first anniversary

• The Union Government has announced that it will celebrate 1^st July as Goods and Services Tax (GST) Day.
• GST was launched on 1^st July 2017 in a majestic ceremony held in the Central Hall of Parliament at midnight of June 30, 2017.
• The first year of GST has been an example to the world of the readiness of the Indian taxpayer to be a partner in this unprecedented reform of Indian taxation.

Note:

• Goods and Service Tax (GST) is an indirect tax (or consumption tax) levied in India on the supply of goods and services.
• GST is levied at every step in the production process but is refunded to all parties in the chain of production other than the final consumer.

3. Kathmandu-Varanasi direct flight flagged off

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off a direct flight between Varanasi and Kathmandu.
• The flight will fly twice a week on Monday and Friday.
• The first flight took off from the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur (Varanasi).

4. NITI Aayog releases first Delta Ranking of Aspirational Districts

• The NITI Aayog has launched the first Delta Ranking (Incremental Progress) of the Aspirational Districts in the country between 31st March to May 31, 2018.
• The data was received on five developmental area Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.
• The objective of the of Delta Ranking of Aspirational Districts is to spur a sense of competition among the dynamic teams in the districts.
• Dahod district (in Gujarat) improved 19.8 points to rank first and west Sikkim district (in Sikkim) stood second with 18.9 points.
• While among the worst performer districts are Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir), Begusarai (Bihar), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Simdega (Jharkhand), Khagadia (Bihar).

5. Govt to link 22,000 rural markets to the e-NAM portal

• The union govt. has announced that 22,000 rural markets would be linked to the Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) by 2020 as part of its drive to double the income of farmers.
• These 22,000 rural markets or haats will be upgraded to Gramin Agricultural Markets and linked with the e-NAM to enable farmers sale directly to potential buyers.
• The e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal, a network of the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
• The portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services.

6. IRDAI allows LIC to invest up to 51% in IDBI Bank

• The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to invest up to 51% in IDBI Bank.
• This is a special case dispensation that has been given to LIC and the 15% equity investment cap still remains.
• According to the regulator's norms on investment, insurance companies cannot hold more than 15% stake in any company.
• LIC holds 10.8% in IDBI Bank and will buy the additional stake using the policyholder account funds.
• As per Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) norms, IDBI Bank will have to seek an exemption from a panel under section 11 of the Takeover Code to make an open offer.

7. Indian & Indonesian navies participate in PASSEX 2018

• The navies of India and Indonesia participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX-2018).
• This exercise was decided during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia for enhancing maritime cooperation.
• From the Indian side, INS Shakti and INS Kamorta under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet participated in the event.
• From the Indonesian side, Indonesian Naval Ship (INS) KRI Madidihang (855) a Stingrays Class Fast Patrol Craft participated in the event.

National Appointment

8. ICICI Bank appoints Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as non-exec part-time chairma

• ICICI Bank has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as an additional (independent) director effective for a period of 3 years.
• Current chairman MK Sharma will retire today.
• ICICI Bank's current chief executive Chanda Kochhar is on indefinite leave.
• Former bureaucrat Mr Chaturvedi holds an M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries) degree from London School of Economics.

9. Gehlot elected IKF chief for next four years

• India’s Mr Janardan Singh Gehlot has been elected as the president of the International Kabaddi Federation for four years.
• The England Kabaddi Association, headed by Ashok Das, was disaffiliated because of anti-federation activities.

Note:

• The International Kabaddi Federation is the international governing body of Kabaddi.
• The Kabaddi game consists of three major disciplines:  Kabaddi (Traditional style), Beach Kabaddi (Beach style) and Circle Kabaddi (Circle style)