General Awareness

Daily G.K. - Top Stories

17 Jun 2019

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Massive Protest Chokes Hong Kong

Hong Kong citizens marched for hours in a massive protest that drew an apology from the city's top leader for her handling of an extradition bill that stoked fears of expanding control from China in the former British colony.
Well after dark, crowds gathered outside the police headquarters and Chief Executive Carrie Lam's office.
Lam suspended her effort to force passage of the bill, which would allow some suspects to be sent for trial in mainland China. The move did not appease residents who see it as one of many steps chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms and legal autonomy.
The chief executive apologises to the people of Hong Kong for this and pledges to adopt a most sincere and humble attitude to accept criticisms and make improvements in serving the public.
US President Donald Trump would raise the issue of Hong Kong human rights with China's President Xi Jinping at a potential meeting at the G20 summit in Japan in June.

The New York Times Accused of Treason

President Donald Trump accused The New York Times of "a virtual act of treason" after it reported that the US is stepping up digital incursions into Russia's electric power grid.
Officials have described the classified deployment of American computer code inside Russia's power grid and other targets, the Times had reported.
The action is intended partly as a warning but also to leave the US poised to conduct cyberstrikes in the event of a major conflict between the US and Russia.
Trump tweeted that the accusations were "NOT TRUE", calling the media "corrupt" and repeating accusations that journalists are "the enemy of the people".

Pak Airspace to Stay closed

Pakistan extended the ban on its airspace for all Indian flights till June 28, 2019. Towards the end of May, Pakistan had extended for a fortnight the airspace closure for a fortnight which expired on June 14.
Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after an Indian Air Force carried out aerial airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

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ENVIRONMENT

G20 Agrees to Tackle Ocean Plastic Waste

Group of 20 environment ministers agreed to adopt a new implementation framework for actions to tackle the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale.
Environment and energy ministers of the Group of 20 major economies met in Karuizawa, northwest of Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, on June 28-29.
One of the top issues was ocean plastic waste as images of plastic debris-strewn beaches and dead animals with stomachs full of plastic have sparked outrage, with many countries banning plastic bags outright.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he wants his country to lead the world in reducing marine plastic trash, including developing biodegradables and other innovations.
The new framework is aimed at facilitating further concrete action on marine waste, though on a voluntary basis, after the G20 Hamburg Summit in Germany adopted the "G20 action plan on marine litter" in 2017.
Under the new framework, G20 members will promote a comprehensive life-cycle approach to prevent and reduce plastic litter discharge to the oceans through various measures and international cooperation.

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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

ONGC to Auction over 60 Small Fields to Private Companies

Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) will shortly auction more than 60 of its discovered small and marginal fields to private companies.
The fields will be auctioned under the production enhancement contracts (PEC) mechanism, followed by global energy firms to enhance production from mature oil fields. Under PEC, the private company invests and introduces comprehensive technologies to improve production, while the ownership of the fields rests with ONGC.
In January 2019, the government allowed state-owned explorers to rope in the private sector to raise production to better exploit its hydrocarbon resources and cut dependence on foreign oil.

Top PE Firms Look to Invest in Yes Bank

Private equity investors Blackstone Group, Apax Partners and Warburg Pincus are seeking more details of Yes Bank Ltd's exposure to stressed loan accounts before committing to an equity infusion, potentially delaying the private lender's fund raising plan.
The buyout firms are looking to invest between $500 million and $750 million in Yes Bank, depending on the final valuation.
Yes Bank is considering an equity infusion from private equity funds along the lines of the Bain Capital-Axis Bank deal in 2017, which saw Axis Bank raise Rs. 11,625.8 crore through a private placement of shares to a clutch of investors led by Bain Capital.
An equity infusion is expected to help Yes Bank boost investor confidence and improve its ability to absorb future losses at a time when the bank's chief executive officer Ravneet Gill is effecting a cleanup of its balance sheet, resulting in the lender reporting its first quarterly loss of Rs. 1,506 crore.
The cleanup may have been necessitated because of the bank's high exposure to struggling non-bank lenders and real estate companies.

DoT Backs ₹ 3,050-cr Fine on Airtel, Vodafone Idea

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has backed penalties of Rs. 3,050 crore on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for allegedly denying Reliance Jio Infocomm adequate points of interconnection (PoIs) in 2016.
That would uphold the regulator's recommendations in one of the most heated disputes in the sector's recent history.
The telecom department's view is set to be taken up by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the highest decision-making body of the department, at a meeting in June.
With the three senior-most DoT officials having endorsed the regulator's recommendation, the DoT is now taking it to the DCC.
The DCC, previously called the Telecom Commission, is an inter-ministerial body and its members include secretaries from the ministries of IT, finance and department of industry, among others, and is headed by the telecom secretary, currently Aruna Sundararajan.

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SPORTS

Joshna Wins Crown

Joshna Chinappa has a clear picture of playing her first ever Senior National tournament, 20 years ago, and she will now have another lucid memory of lifting her 17th title.
The 32-year old made a record for the most number of national titles won after beating her Tamil Nadu state-mate Sunayna Kuruvilla 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5 at the Amanora Mall Glass Squash court.
Joshna broke an age-old landmark set by Bhuvneshwari Kumari who held the record for 27 years, winning consecutive titles from 1976 to 1991. And she did it comfortably, as Sunayna, 19, never posed a serious threat.

India make it 7-0 vs Pak

Rohit Sharma delivered a batting masterclass for the ages as a ruthless India maintained their unbeaten record at World Cups against Pakistan at Old Trafford on 16 June 2019.
Captain Virat Kohli chipped in with a determined 77 to build on Sharma's 140 as India ended their innings at 336/5 in 50 overs.
In reply, Pakistan were tottering at 166/6 in 35 overs when rain stopped play and the target was revised to 302 in 40 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
India won by 89 runs as Pakistan's innings folded up at 212/6.
Kohli became the quickest player to 11,000 ODI runs, reaching the milestone in 222 innings as compared to Sachin Tendulkar's 276.

New Coach of Juventus

Maurizio Sarri was named as new coach of Juventus after his exit from Chelsea was confirmed by both clubs, following a troubled single season in London.
Sarri returns to Italy on a three-year deal just a season after leaving Napoli for Stamford Bridge, where he failed to garner fan support despite winning the Europa League and returning the Blues to the Champions League thanks to a third placed finish in the Premier League.
The Europa League win last month was Sarri's first major trophy as a coach, but he will be expected to deliver far more in Turin. Juventus have won Serie A for the past eight seasons, denying Sarri during his time at Napoli despite posting a club record points tally in each of his three years in charge.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

First Session of 17th Lok Sabha

The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will begin on 17 June 2019 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitching for consensus among all political parties to push crucial legislations, including a bill that seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims.
The session, which will conclude on July 26, will see the tabling of the triple talaq bill and a legislation to allow the voluntary use of Aadhaar as an identity proof for opening bank accounts and getting mobile phone connections.
The Union Budget will be presented on July 5.
The fresh bill to ban instant triple talaq will be introduced in Parliament to replace an ordinance issued in February. Under the proposed law, instant triple talaq will be illegal and attract a jail term of three years.
The previous bill lapsed as it was passed in the Lower House but could not be cleared in the Rajya Sabha.
The first two days of the Budget session will be devoted to oath-taking by members of the 17th Lok Sabha, administered by pro tem speaker Virendra Kumar.
The election for the Speaker of the Lok Sabha will be held on June 19 followed by a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 20, when President Ram Nath Kovind will deliver an address.
The BJP has not yet announced the name of its candidate for the Speaker's post, but people aware of the developments said that pro tem Speaker Kumar could be among the probables.
Among other names that the party is understood to have considered are former Union ministers Radha Mohan Singh and SS Ahluwalia, Lok Sabha MPs from Bihar and West Bengal, respectively. Another name doing the rounds is that of former Union minister Maneka Gandhi.
The other legislations to be tabled include the Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2019 and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.
The government is expected to push laws to replace about 10 ordinances or executive orders during the session.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a majority of 353 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. But the government is dependent on the Opposition for legislative support in the Rajya Sabha, where it lacks a majority.
However, there was no word on whether the government will table the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The bill seeks to make it easier for non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to get Indian citizenship.
It triggered protests in the north-east ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha elections, with indigenous groups saying the bill will encourage more migrations from Bangladesh while an exercise is underway to identify and deport undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.
The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in January, but it lapsed as the government was unable to push it through the Upper House.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the bill during campaigning in the region and said the BJP was committed to passing it once the NDA returned to power.

20,000 Govt Hospital Doctors to go on Strike

Around 20,000 resident doctors from government hospitals in the national capital will go on strike on 17 June 2019 demanding a central law to protect those in the medical profession.
The call for the strike was given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a representative body for doctors. Private hospital doctors are yet to confirm participation. Doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said that while services won't be affected, they will take out a protest march.
The strike is likely to hit outpatient clinics and other routine services (like diagnostics). Emergency services, however, won't be affected, doctors assured.
The strike is a fallout of an assault by relatives of a patient on doctors at a government hospital in West Bengal after the patient died during treatment on 10 June 2019 .
The incident sparked protests from doctors across the country. While Kolkata doctors went on strike from 11 June 2019, resident doctors from AIIMS and Safdarjung worked with a bandage on head and wearing helmets as part of the protest
The doctors are demanding a central law to protect doctors, along with immediate provisions for safety for doctors in West Bengal as well as other parts of the country.
Members of FORDA had gone on a strike on 15 June 2019 and decided to continue the protest on 17 June 2019 after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) gave a call for nationwide strike.
The IMA called for a withdrawal of non-essential services across the country on June 17 demanding a comprehensive law for dealing with violence against doctors and other healthcare workers.
Doctors from AIIMS and Safdarjung, who had gone on a strike earlier, had given a 48-hour deadline to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to meet the demands of the striking doctors from the state.
Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had written to the chief ministers of all the states requesting them to enact specific legislations for protecting doctors and medical professionals and forwarded a draft act prepared by the IMA.

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DEFENCE

India, Myanmar to Act against Militant Groups along Border

After Myanmar Army captured and prosecuted at least 38 Indian insurgents, including those belonging to NSCN(K) in military operations in May, Naypyidaw and New Delhi have decided not to allow armed militant groups inimical to either country to operate along the shared boundary, according to people familiar with the matter.
Coordinated by national security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and director general military operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Anil Chauhan, India and Myanmar have conducted two synergised operations against insurgents on either side of the border under Operation Sunrise.
The first phase began in February and the second in mid-May, with both armies deploying liaison officers in the operations room for full transparency.
The groups targeted included anti-India outfits such as NSCN(K), ULFA, NDFB and PLA, as well as anti-Myanmar entities including in Arakan and other insurgents in Chin State bordering Mizoram.
NSCN(K) is the SS Khaplang-led faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland.
The Indian Army is providing military provisions on the ground and tactical support in the form of UAV and satellite imagery to the Myanmar units on the ground.
The first phase used "hammer and anvil" tactics with the Indian army holding strong on its side of the border and Myanmar's forces taking action against groups that have not signed a ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw and are not part of the peace process.
The second phase was focused largely on anti-India insurgents, with the Myanmar army action forcing the insurgents to cross over and surrender to their Indian counterparts.

Bill Moved in US Senate to Bring India On a Par With NATO Allies

Two top US senators have moved an amendment to change the US Armed Controls Export Act to bring India on a par with NATO allies, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Korea for purposes of selling military items under the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) list.
The bipartisan amendment moved by Democrat Senator Mark Warner and Republican Senator John Cornyn seeks to bring the change through an amendment to the relevant sections on foreign military sales in the National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) 2020.
This will now kickstart the process of deliberations for the conference process in which the Senate and House versions of the NDAA will be reconciled. If the amendment makes it through this process, then it will signal a big shift in Indo-US relations.
There are two technology control lists in the US system – one is under the Export Administration Regulations, which places controls on the sale of dual-use items that have both civil and military uses and the second is the ITAR list.
The civil nuclear deal paved the way for India to access items on the first set of lists.
The Major Defence Partner status allowed the Pentagon to move on sales of highly sensitive military items to India. However, the licensing and approval process was quite elaborate.
Also, the Department of State, which goes by the Arms Export Control (AEC) Act would raise questions.
The AEC Act governs the ITAR list. The only countries where the President enjoys considerable executive freedom for such sales are the NATO allies, Australia, Israel, New Zealand and Korea.
This is how inventories also remain wellstocked in these countries for realtime operations.

Forces Demand Extension of AFSPA

Security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations in Assam want the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA to remain in force in the entire state for at least one more year.
AFSPA, which empowers the armed forces to enter any premises or arrest any person without a warrant, among others, was imposed in Assam at the height of insurgency in 1990 and it has been repeatedly extended, most recently till August 2019.
There is a demand from various quarters to withdraw the Act since insurgency is at its lowest ebb in the state.
The Indian Army is part of the unified command, the country's prime counter-insurgency strategy making body which includes civil administration, police personnel and other security agencies.
The state police too has favoured continuation of AFSPA, especially since the sensitive process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is on and the final NRC is expected to be published on July 31.
While AFSPA has been lifted in Tripura and Meghalaya, in Nagaland there is widespread demand to withdraw the Act from the state.
In Manipur, AFSPA is in force, except in seven assembly constituencies of Imphal.

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PERSONS IN NEWS

New Chief of Pak's ISI

Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed has been named the new chief of Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI.
He replaces Lt Gen Asim Munir, who was appointed as ISI chief only in October 2018 after the retirement of his predecessor Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.
It was not clear what prompted the change in appointments as the director general of the spy agency usually serves for three years.
On April 12, the Pakistan Army promoted then-major general Hameed to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed him adjutant general at the General Headquarters (GHQ) later.
He was previously serving as the head of the counter-intelligence wing of the ISI.
The army announced a number of changes to postings of its top generals. Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been appointed as adjutant general at GHQ.
Lt Gen Aamir Abbasi has been named as quarter master at GHQ. Lt Gen Moazzam Ejaz has been named engineer-in-chief at GHQ.

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GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION

IGNOU to Offer Yoga Certification

Days ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) launched a certificate programme, which will start from July 2019.
The programme will be offered by the university's School of Health Sciences under SP Arora, the school's director.
After studying the programme, the learner will be able to understand basic principles and practice of yoga. The programme also aims to make applicants aware about the history and the contributions of various yogis in the field of Yoga and improve the practitioners' physical as well as mental health.
The university is also planning to start an undergraduate and postgraduate programme next year as well due to all the interest surrounding yoga.
Students need to have completed their Class 12 from any recognised board to be eligible for the course, which will be offered at regional centres in Delhi, Dehradun, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Ladnun, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune.
Applicants would need to pay Rs. 10,000 for the programme, which could last from a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years.
The programme will have a total of three courses—introduction to yoga and yogic texts; yoga and health; and Shat Kriyas, Yogic Kriyas, Asanas, Pranayama, Mantra Japa.
While the first two are theory courses, the third is a practical course.

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ART AND CULTURE

Water System Key to Prosperity in Ancient Vadnagar

A water harvesting mechanism could have been the key to sustenance and prosperity of Gujarat's Vadnagar when cities were abandoned because of harsh climate across the country between the 4-5th century AD and 10th century AD, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)'s excavations have found in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home town.
ASI has since 2014-15 excavated around 54 water bodies representing the mechanism within a 10km radius in Vadnagar.
The system could have helped the town's inhabitants survive during the time when paleoclimate studies have shown weather was not conducive with marginal rainfall and mass drought across the country.
Vadnagar is one of the few towns from that era to have survived, findings from the site have shown.
ASI's excavation branch-V deputy superintending archaeologist, Abhijit Ambekar, who has been carrying out excavations in Vadnagar, said the water system was different from the one found at Harappan-era sites.
Despite the general drought conditions around the country, the harvest conditions in Vadnagar made it a major trade centre.
In addition to the water system, coins of 28 varieties dating back to six different periods found in Vadnagar corroborate the findings about the town's prosperity.
Save for one coin without any carvings, Ambekar said the coins belong to the site's Rampart (from 2nd Century BC to 1st Century AD), Kshatrapa (1st to 4th Century AD), Post-Kshtrapa (5th to 10th Century AD), Sultanate-Mughal (14th to 17th Century AD) and Gaekwad periods (from 18th to 19th Century AD).

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General Awareness

Daily G.K. - Top Stories

17 Jun 2019

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Massive Protest Chokes Hong Kong

The New York Times Accused of Treason

Pak Airspace to Stay closed

ENVIRONMENT

G20 Agrees to Tackle Ocean Plastic Waste

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

ONGC to Auction over 60 Small Fields to Private Companies

Top PE Firms Look to Invest in Yes Bank

DoT Backs ₹ 3,050-cr Fine on Airtel, Vodafone Idea

SPORTS

Joshna Wins Crown

India make it 7-0 vs Pak

New Coach of Juventus

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

First Session of 17th Lok Sabha

20,000 Govt Hospital Doctors to go on Strike

DEFENCE

India, Myanmar to Act against Militant Groups along Border

Bill Moved in US Senate to Bring India On a Par With NATO Allies

Forces Demand Extension of AFSPA

PERSONS IN NEWS

New Chief of Pak's ISI

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION

IGNOU to Offer Yoga Certification

ART AND CULTURE

Water System Key to Prosperity in Ancient Vadnagar

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