W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.

1) International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is observed every year throughout the world on
13 June, with the aim of raising public awareness on albinism and to prevent attacks and
discrimination against persons with albinism. Theme for IAAD 2019 was- Still Standing
Strong. It calls upon people around the globe to recognize, celebrate and stand in solidarity
with all albinism patients. About Albinism: It is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited
disorder present at birth. It is a congenital disorder characterized by partial or complete
absence of pigment melanin in skin, hair, and eyes. In almost all types of albinism, both
parents (who are carrier) even if they do not have albinism themselves must carry gene for it
to be passed on. The albinism condition is found in both sexes regardless of ethnicity and in
all countries worldwide. There is no cure for absence of melanin that is predominantly central
to albinism. The lack of melanin in skin makes albinos more prone to sunburn and also skin
cancers. It is also associated with eye related problems such as photophobia, amblyopia
(lazy eye), nystagmus, etc. Due to lack of melanin in skin as well as eyes of persons with
albinism, they often have permanent visual impairment which mostly leads to disabilities.
They also face discrimination due to their skin colour and thus are often subjected to multiple
and intersecting discrimination on grounds of both disability and colour. Background: A
Canadian NGO named Under the Same Sun (UTSS), on an international level joined Yusuf
Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, late Ambassador of Mission of Somalia to United Nations (UN), in
his effort to pass a resolution for promoting and protecting rights of persons with albinism.
Such a resolution came about when on June 13 2013 United Nation Human Rights Council
(UNHRC) adopted 1st ever resolution on albinism. Thereafter, on 26 June 2014 UNHRC in its
resolution 26/10 recommended 13 June to be proclaimed as International Albinism
Awareness Day by United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA). Later, UNGA adopted
resolution 69/170 on 18 December 2014 and proclaimed 13 June with effect from 2015 to be
observed as International Albinism Awareness Day. Why this date? The 13 June date was
chosen is reminiscent of UN’s first ever resolution which was passed on 13 June year before.

Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.
2) The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the extension of
President’s rule under article 356(4) of Indian Constitution, in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for a
period of 6 more months, beginning from 3 July 2019. The decision was based on prevailing
situation in state as stated in report of Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik. The
present term of President’s Rule is expiring on 2 July 2019 but as recommended by J&K
Governor, the President Rule in State may be extended for a further period of six months with
effect from 3 July 2019 if it gets parliamentary approval. Implementation: A resolution seeking
approval of parliament for extending President’s Rule in J&K will be moved in both houses of
parliament during the upcoming session. Background: J&K was placed under Governor’s
Rule after Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) pulled out of coalition government with J&K’s Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in June 2018. This Governor’s Rule was proclaimed under Section
92 of Constitution of J&K with concurrence of President of India. It had resulted in Governor
assuming to himself functions of Government as well as Legislature of J&K. During this time,
State Assembly was initially suspended due to breaking of coalition government and was
later dissolved by Governor in November 2018. The President’s Rule under Article 356 of
Indian Constitution was imposed in J&K after Governor’s rule imposed in June 2018 had
ceased after six months period in December 2018.  It was imposed because under Section
92 of J&K Constitution, there is no provision for further continuation of such Proclamation
after six months period. Later, resolution imposing President rules in J&K was approved by
Parliament, (separately by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha). Way Forward: The Election
Commission of India (ECI) stated that under Article 324 of Indian Constitution and other
extant laws/rules etc. it took unanimous decision of holding of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
elections later in this year. The EC now confirmed that election schedule for state will be
announced after the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra in August 2019. The Commission will also
keep regular and real-time monitoring of situation in J&K as well as taking inputs from all
necessary quarters for successful conduction of election. About President’s Rule: Article 356
of constitution of India empowers President to issue a proclamation of Present’s Rule (or
State Emergency), if he is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which government of a state
cannot be carried on in accordance with provisions of Constitution. Thus, President’s rule is
also called Constitutional Emergency as it deals with failure of constitutional machinery in
State. The President can act in accordance with or without the report of Governor of state.
President’s Rule in a state can continue for a period of 6 months at a time and after this
period it can be extended for another term with approval of both houses of Parliament (Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha) but for a maximum period of 3 years.
3) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee led by Bimal Jalan (former RBI governor)
constituted for considering guidelines for transfer of central bank’s surplus funds to
government delayed submitting its report after lack of consensus among its members. The
panel was originally supposed to submit its report in April 2019. Background: The RBI
committee was appointed in December 2018 to review Economic Capital Framework (ECF)
for central bank after then Union Ministry of Finance under Arun Jaitely advised RBI to
transfer surplus funds to central government. Arguments by Finance Ministry:  The finance
ministry was of view that the buffer of 28% of gross assets maintained by RBI bank is well
above global norm of about 14%. Thus, RBI board in its meeting held on 19 November 2018,
decided to constitute a panel to examine Economic Capital Framework (ECF). This led to
loggerheads between government and RBI under its previous governor Urjit Patel (who later
resigned) over Rs.9.6 lakh crore surplus capital that central bank keeps with itself. About ECF
Panel: Members: The six member committee headed by Bimal Jalan includes- Rakesh
Mohan (former deputy governor of RBI) as vice-chairman, Subhash Chandra Garg (finance
secretary), N S Vishwanathan (RBI deputy governor), and lastly RBI central board members
Sudhir Mankad and Bharat Doshi. Objective: The panel was entrusted to review best
practices followed by central banks throughout the world in making assessment and
provisions for risks. Timeline: The ECF panel was required to submit its report to RBI within
90 days of its first meeting. The 1st meeting of ECF took place on 8 January 2019 following
which the panel was given a 3 month extension. Way Forward- The Bimal Jalan led panel will
now meet one more time before submitting its report by end of June 2019 and the delay in
finalising report which may be over difference of opinion will also be discussed.
4) India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted maiden test of
an indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from
launch pad number-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha Coast.
About HSTDV- It is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft. It is designed to cruise at
Mach 6 speed with scramjet engine. Background: In 2008, DRDO stated that through HSTDV
project idea was to demonstrate performance of a scram-jet engine at an altitude of 15 km to
20 km, is on. Thus under this project, DRDO developed a hypersonic vehicle that will be
powered by a scram-jet engine. Applications: HSTDV is dual-use technology thus with a
scramjet engine, HSTDV can cruise at Mach 6 speed and can have multiple civilian
applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost and can also be available for
long-range cruise missiles of future. Key Highlights of Test- Method: In test conducted, a
missile mounted with technology demonstrator vehicle is launched and vehicle is released
only after missile reaches a certain altitude and velocity. Reason for launch: The launch of
technology demonstrator vehicle was undertaken to prove a number of critical technologies
for futuristic missions and to validate several technologies including HSTDV. Analysis: The
HSDTV was supposed to fire and fly on its own after being carried to an altitude of around
30-40 km by solid rocket motor of an Agni-I ballistic missile in test but after launch, Agni-I
booster went into an uncontrolled mode and could not achieve desired altitude. Some
technologies have been validated while some remained inconclusive of which data is being
analysed. Scram-jet system v/s Ram jet system: In scram-jet technology, fuel combustion
takes place in a chamber in missile at supersonic speeds while in a ram jet system, the
system collects air it needs from atmosphere during flight at subsonic speeds and propellants
burn in combustion chamber.
5) The Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) entered into a Tripartite
Agreement with French National Railways (SNCF) & AFD, a French development agency in
order to support Railway Station Development Program in India. Key Highlights- Under the
Tripartite Agreement, AFD will provide in-kind grant financing up to €700,000 to French
Railways (SNCF), to provide technical know-how to Indian Railway Station Development
Corporation (IRSDC), which is the station development arm of Indian Railways. The technical
know-how will be provided by French National Railways (SNCF)-Hubs and Connexions as a
Technical Partner to IRSDC therefore, this will not impose any financial liability on IRSDC or
Indian Railways. Background: India and France have a strong, prosperous and long-standing
partnership in Railway sector. The past association between French National Railways
(SNCF) with Indian Railways includes conducting station development of Ludhiana and
Ambala Railway stations and undertaking speed upgradation study to enable 200 kmph
speed run on 245 km long Delhi-Chandigarh corridor, one of busiest routes in northern India.
Way Forward: The recently signed Tripartite Agreement will go a long way in further
strengthening cooperation between India and France, as well as help Indian Railways in
positioning its stations in accordance to world class standards.
6) The Indian Navy is hosting a Maritime Information Sharing Workshop 2019 edition under the
aegis of the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram,
Harayana. The two-day event was inaugurated by Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Deputy Chief of
the Naval Staff in 12 June 2019. Key Highlights- Participants: More than 41 delegates from
29 countries of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond participated in the workshop. During
the MISW 2019 event Deputy Chief of Naval Staff stressed the need for greater maritime
collaboration and for developing bonds based on trust between partner countries in IOR. He
also requested delegates to participate actively in MISW. Several talks regarding
contemporary maritime challenges in Indo-Pacific region and highlighting significance of
maritime domain as well as the challenges faced by region were held at the event. Purpose:
In course of 2 days, the MISW aims to acquaint all participants about IFC-IOR and its
information sharing mechanisms. It also aims to promote sharing of best practices in this field
so as to yield better response to myriad security and safety challenges that IOR faces. Issues
undertaken: participants would look into issues such as piracy, maritime terrorism,
humanitarian assistance & disaster relief, human & drug trafficking as well as legal
perspective of combating these challenges. The delegates would also participate in an
information sharing exercise scheduled on 13 June 2019. This is to practice and validate
some of the concepts and procedures that have been evolved during workshop. About
Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)- Background: It was launched on
22 December 2018 by then Honourable Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, at
Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) Gurugram, Haryana. Objective: The
aim was to work closely with multi-national constructs and other information fusion centres so
as to further maritime security and safety in Indian Ocean Region. Need: With over 75% of
world’s maritime trade and 50% of global oil consumption passing through Indian Ocean
Region, the region is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many nations. Mandate:
It works towards capability building in IOR, coordinating in time incident response and
disaster relief, and also sharing submarine safety information. So far the centre has
established linkages with more than 16 countries and 13 international maritime security
agencies.
7) Actor Priyanka Chopra will be awarded Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award by United Nations
International Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) American chapter at their Snowflake Ball in
December 2019. Priyanka Chopra- She is known for her contribution to social causes and for
being a voice for children’s education. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and most
recently she visited Ethiopia as part of it. She also has been a part of United Nation’s global
“Girl Up” Campaign. She is also associated with several NGOs in India to raise awareness
about ways to improve the education, health and safety of girl child in India. About United
Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF): It is special program of UN devoted to aid
national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children. It
was established in 1946 to provide relief to children in countries devastated by World War II.
It is headquartered in New York City, United States. It was formerly known as United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund. Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award: It is named after
actor-philanthropist Danny Kaye. He was an American actor, singer, dancer, comedian,
musician, and philanthropist. He was UNICEF’s first Goodwill Ambassador in 1954.
8) Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched DBT Tribal web portal to streamline and expedite the
process of releasing scholarship grants directly into bank accounts of beneficiary students.
DBT Tribal web portal- The portal provide single common platform to states to upload data
related to beneficiaries, raise queries and give feedback. It has uniform 29-column data
sharing format, related to personal and location details of beneficiaries. It is linked with
Aadhaar and the Public Financial Management System, thus help to reduce the chances of
duplication of beneficiary and manipulation. Significance: It is binding on all states and Union
territories to upload data on this portal in prescribed format. It will enable central government
to monitor who are receiving scholarship benefits in which state, district, block or school and
how many grievances have been received and addressed. It will provide beneficiary data for
monitoring purposes as the entire system has been digitized in uniform format. Background-
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs is currently running various schemes to bridge the gap
between Scheduled Tribe (ST) and general category students. There are total five
scholarship schemes funded by Central Government and implemented by State
Governments. Two main scholarship schemes: They are for pre-matric and post-matric
education. They are being implemented through states. For higher education: It runs “Top
Class Education For ST Students” scheme in which 246 prestigious institutions, such as IITs
and IIMs, participate. Around 1,000 students avail benefits under the scheme every year. For
Mphil and PhD programmes: It is running national fellowship scheme for 750 beneficiaries.
Overseas education: It is running scholarship scheme for tribal students willing to pursue
higher studies overseas. Under it, 30 students can avail benefit every year. Total
Beneficiaries: Under these five schemes, so far 1.58 crore beneficiaries have received
scholarships worth Rs 7,900 crore across 31 states/UTs in the past five years. Responsibility
of states: They are responsible for identification and verification of beneficiaries and timely
disbursement of scholarships. Currently some states are doing it manually, while others have
their own direct benefit transfer portals.
9) The Central government has set a target of providing clean drinking water to all by 2024. It
includes increasing coverage of piped water to households from current 18 to 100% by 2024.
Water Status in India- Over the years per capita availability of water has fallen drastically.
From 5,000 litre per capita availability of water in 1950 we now only have nearly 1,400 litre
per capita availability of water. Thus even though the population has increased three times
since 1950, per capita availability of water has reduced considerably and is about one-third
(33%) of that amount now. In states like Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Odisha and West Bengal (WB) the coverage of clean drinking water is less than 5%. It is only
in Sikkim that 99% of households get tapped water. About the Clean Drinking Water to All
2024- Need: With almost all of rural India depending on monsoon for agricultural and
domestic purposes, there is a desperate need for viable water management and conservation
so as to end the water woes in the country. Citing the widening gap between water supply
and demand, newly constituted Jal Ministry notified that apart from increasing coverage of
piped water to households’ emphasis will also be laid on water conservation. Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti recently held discussions with officials and Ministers
from several states looking after water-related issues. Way Forward: As per the 7th Schedule
of Indian Constitution, Water is a State Subject under Entry 17 in State List, thus collective
efforts and a public movement is needed to achieve the desired target. About Jal Ministry- It
has been newly created in the second term of the Modi government. It has been made by
reorganising Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
which was held by Nitin Gadkari in previous Modi government (2014-2019). The Ministry of
Drinking Water and Sanitation has also been added to it Jal Ministry. This Ministry will cater
to many aspects relating to water such ensuring clean water and top class irrigation water
facilities for farmers.
10) Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) and B. Sriram, former managing
director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI
Bank) were appointed part-time members of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
K Subramanian, an Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad professor was appointed
chief economic adviser for a period of 3 years in December 2018. Their appointment was
approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which is composed of Prime
Minister of India (who is Chairman), Union Minister of Home Affairs and the order for
appointment was issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). About Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Board of India- IBBI, an insolvency regulatory agency was established on 1
October 2016. It was given statutory powers by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the
bankruptcy law of India which was passed by Lok Sabha on 5 May 2016. The IBC 2016
established Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), to oversee insolvency
proceedings in India and to regulate entities registered under it. The IBBI Governing Board
consists of 10 members, including representatives from the Ministry of Finance (MoF),
Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of corporate affairs (MCA), and Reserve Bank of India
(RBI). IBBI act as a regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities such as
Insolvency Professionals (IP), Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPA) and Information
Utilities (IU) in India. IBC covers Individuals, Companies, Partnership firms and Limited
Liability Partnerships and handles cases under it using tribunals namely National company
law tribunal (NCLT) and Debt recovery tribunal (DRT).
11) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a high-level committee under the
chairmanship of VG Kannan, Chief Executive of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to review the
entire gamut of ATM charges and fees. Key Highlights- Background: There are around 2 lakh
ATMs in India. At end of April 2019, there were over 88.47 crore debit cards and 4.8 crore
credit cards in function, and as per RBI data during April only 80.9 crore transactions were
done through debit cards on ATM. Need: Over the years, uses of ATMs have grown
significantly and there have been persistent demand of changing ATM charges and fees.
Thus amid demands for reviewing the levies by bank, RBI constituted high-level committee.
Constitution: The six member committee chaired by of VG Kannan, will consist of members
namely- Dilip Asbe (CEO, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)), Giri Kumar Nair
(CGM, State Bank of India (SBI), Sanjeev Patel (CEO, Tata Communications Payment
Solutions (TCPSL)), S Sampath Kumar (Group Head, Liability Products, HDFC Bank), and K
Srinivas (Director, Confederation of ATM Industry (CATMi)). Function: It will examine existing
patterns of costs, charges and interchange fees by banks for automated teller machines
(ATMs) transactions. It will review overall patterns of usage of ATMs by cardholders and also
assess impact (if any) on charges and interchange fees levied by banks. It will assess entire
range of costs in respect of ATM ecosystem within the country. It will make recommendations
on optimal charge or interchange fee structure and pattern. Timeframe: It will submit its report
to RBI within two months from date of its first meeting.
12) Zonel Sougaijam, a civil engineer from Manipur was included in Facebook Hall of Fame
2019, for detecting a WhatsApp bug that violated privacy of a user. Key Highlights-
Facebook, the social media giant honoured 22-year-old Mr. Sougaijam, by including him in
Facebook Hall of Fame 2019 and also awarded $5000. His name is currently at 16th position
in a list of 94 people who are included in Facebook Hall of Fame for this year. WhatsApp
Bug: During a voice call via WhatsApp, the bug instilled used to allow caller to upgrade it to a
video call even without the authorisation and knowledge of receiver. The WhatsApp caller
was then able to see what other person on receiving end is doing, thus violating the privacy
of receiver. Sougaijam discovered this bug and reported the matter in March 2019 to Bug
Bounty Program of Facebook, which deals with matters of violation privacy. The Facebook
Security team acknowledged his report and its technical department fixed the bug within 15-
20 days. Facebook, the social media giant is owned by Mark Zuckerberg, who purchased
WhatsApp messaging service in February 2014 for a staggerring $19 billion.
13) S Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs flags off the first batch of pilgrims (yatris)
from New Delhi, for this years’ Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The duration of pilgrimage is 24
days for each batch including 3 days in Delhi for preparatory work. The pilgrimage which
started in 1981 now sees participation of thousands of devotees every year. About Kailash
Mansarovar Yatra- The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is undertaken by two routes, via- Lipulekh
Pass in Uttarakhand– This route passes through a very mountainous area. Nathu La Pass in
Sikkim– This route opened a few years ago in Sikkim is fully motorable. It requires minimum
walking and therefore helps senior citizens who are unable to undertake arduous trekking, to
participate in yatra. Itinerary: The Yatra involves a treacherous route that crosses territorial
boundaries of India, Nepal and China. According to Yatra scheduled this year, 18 batches of
60 pilgrims each will trek across the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand and 10 batches consisting
of 50 pilgrims each will go via the Nathula route to Sikkim. Importance: This pilgrimage plays
an important step towards promoting people to people exchanges, strengthening friendship
and understanding between India and China. Organised by: The yatra is organised with
support from governments of Delhi, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and also with cooperation of
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The Government of China also extended the support in
organising the annual yatra. The logistical support and facilities for pilgrims in India is
providea by Uttarakhands’ Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), Sikkim Tourism
Development Corporation (STDC) and their associated organisations.
14) A team of scientists from Delhi University (DU) and Wildlife Institute of India (an autonomous
institution under Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change), in collaboration
with researchers from the United States and Indonesia, have discovered a new species of
‘Paddy Frog’ from Northeast India, primarily in Assam. Key Highlights- Background: The first
known species of genus Micryletta was originally described from island of Sumatra (in
Indonesia). As of now, there are only 4 recognised species in this group and newly
discovered Micryletta aishani becomes the 5th. Nomenclature: The newly discovered species
has been named Aishani, which is derived from Sanskrit word ‘aishani’ or aisani meaning
Northeast. Scientists Involved: The study was conducted by Sonali Garg and S D Biju (of
DU), Abhijit Das (of Wildlife Institute of India) Eric N Smith (from University of Texas, US) and
Amir Hamidy (from Indonesian Institute of Sciences). Their study was published in PeerJ, a
peer-reviewed journal. Key Findings: The DNA samples analysed of this species suggested
that other undescribed species belonging to this genus could be existing in regions such as
Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Features: The frog belongs to genus Micryletta, (a small genus
of microhylid frogs). The microhylid genus is a group of narrow-mouthed frogs that are more
commonly known as paddy frogs and are primarily and widely distributed in Southeast Asia
(SEA). Characteristics: This new species strikingly differs from other narrow-mouthed paddy
frogs. Its characteristics includes- its back is reddish-brown in colour, on lateral sides it has
prominent dark streaks and ash-grey mottling, shape of snout (nose and mouth) is unique,
and web on its feet is absent. Habitat: Micryletta aishani is currently endemic to Northeast
India but it could be present in neighbouring regions of Bangladesh and Myanmar also. The
species was discovered from a degraded forest area in Cachar district of Assam but as per
the study says it is also present in Tripura and Manipur. Also, it is likely to be more widely
distributed in Northeast India, particularly Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region (that lies
south of Brahmaputra River). To the surprise of researchers the new species is not found far
from human habitations. Way Ahead: But despite new discoveries, the actual number of frog
species in Northeast India is much higher than the current estimates.
15) Thawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment was recently
appointed as Leader of Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The Leader of the Rajya Sabha is
appointed by the party in power at Centre. This position was occupied by senior BJP leader
and former Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley in previous Narendra Modi-led government
(2014-2019). About Thawarchand Gehlot- The 71-year-old Gehlot, is leader from Madhya
Pradesh has almost four decades of legislative experience. Apart from being an experienced
parliamentarian, he is a member & general secretary of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He belongs to Scheduled Caste and is a Dalit face of saffron party. He has been a member of
state legislative assembly for several terms and has also served in Lok Sabha as well as
Rajya Sabha. He became a Rajya Sabha member in 2012 and was re-elected to Rajya
Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in 2018. This new term of his will end in 2024. A member to
Upper House of Parliament has a term of 6 years. Leader of Rajya Sabha (Upper House of
Parliament)- A Leader of House is a Rajya Sabha member who either holds a rank of cabinet
minister or another nominated minister. The Leader has a seat next to ex-officio Chairperson
of Rajya Sabha (the Vice President of India), in the front row. The term Leader of the House
has been defined in Rule 2(1) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya
Sabha. Gopalaswami Ayyangar was the 1st Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.
16) The Bharatiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Madhya Pradesh Dr
Virendra Kumar will be the Pro-tem Speaker of 17th Lok Sabha. Key Highlights- The 65 year
old Virendra Kumar, is a seven-term MP. He won the 17th Lok Sabha election from
Tikamgarh Lok Sabha constituency. Tikamgarh is one of the 29 parliamentary constituencies
in Madhya Pradesh. He served as Minister of State (MoS) in previous Narendra Modi
government (2014-2019). The 1st all-party meet will be convened on 16 June 2019, before
the 1st session of 17th Lok Sabha that will be held from 17 June to 26 July 2019. Function:
As Pro-tem Speaker, he will preside over the 1st sitting of newly constituted Lok Sabha,
administer the oath of office to newly elected MPs, and also oversee the election of LS
Speaker. In the first week of session of 17th Lok Sabha, the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker to Lok Sabha will be elected. About Pro-tem Speaker- The word Pro-tem is a Latin
phrase which in English means ‘for the time being’ of ‘temporary’. Thus a Pro-tem Speaker
performs the duties of office of Speaker from commencement of 1st sitting of newly
constituted Lok Sabha till the election of the Speaker. This is because Speaker of last Lok
Sabha vacates his office before the 1st meeting of newly elected Lok Sabha. The Article 94
of constitution states that previous Speaker must resign immediately before 1st sitting of the
new Lok Sabha. Article 93 of constitution states that, a Speaker and Deputy Speaker to
Lower House of Parliament must be elected in 1st sitting of Lok Sabha. The appointment of
Pro tem speaker is a convention and there is no provision mentioned in the Constitution for
this position. President appoints and administes the oath of a member of Lok Sabha as Pro-
tem Speaker. By convention a seniormost Lok Sabha member is usually is selected. A Pro-
tem Speaker has powers same as a Lok Sabha Speaker. His main duty is to administer oath
to newly elected members of parliament and election of new Speaker. The office of Pro-tem
Speaker ceases to operate once new Speaker is elected by members.

Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.
17) As per a closely-watched review by United Kingdom (UK) based energy giant BP, titled “The
BP Statistical Review of World Energy”, the global carbon emissions grew by 2.0% in 2018,
the highest rate since 2010-2011. BP is a London based, British multinational oil and gas
company. Key Findings of Study- The study called that the current trend of increasing carbon
emissions is putting world on an ‘unsustainable’ path. There is a growing mismatch between
societal demands for action on climate change i.e. for cutting a country’s net greenhouse
(GHG) emissions to zero and the actual pace of progress being made in the domain. The
energy demand and carbon emissions are currently growing at their fastest rate for years.
The global energy demand grew by 2.9%. A part of this rise was met by increasing shale rock
reserve exploitation in United States (US), which recorded fastest rise of oil and natural gas
production in world, in recent times. Although the use of renewable forms of energy globally
grew by 14.5% in 2018 but it still accounted for just 33% of total rise in power generation in
2018. Significance: The study highlights that a focus on green/renewable forms of energy will
not be able to achieve net-zero GHG emission targets, rather the governments should to do
more towards cutting the use of polluting coal and oil. This means that It should not be a race
to renewables, but a race to reduce carbon emissions across many fronts. About BP
Statistical Review of World Energy- It is viewed as an energy industry standard. It pools data
on everything such as from the size of countries’ oil reserves to their production of renewable
energy and various consumption rates. Global efforts taken for CO2 Emissions- Globally,
governments are coming under intensifying pressure from campaigners to set deadlines by
which they will cut their net greenhouse (GHG) emissions to zero. Britain’s top advisory body
on climate change has recommended that British government must target for cutting their net
GHG emissions to zero by 2050. This is the same deadline adopted by some other European
governments. The progressive wing of US Congress is pushing for year 2030 as a deadline
for US government to cut their net GHG emissions to zero. Although most analysts view this
target as unattainable and prohibitively expensive to reach.
18) An 8 year old Indian origin student named Nia Tony was honoured during 22nd edition of
Emirates Recycling Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). She won the award in the
paper section in individual category for collecting a total of 14,914 kg of paper waste. Key
Highlights- Ms. Tony was honoured with Eco Champions of Recycling award for her efforts in
keeping the environment clean by collecting paper waste. She collected nearly 15,000 kg of
paper waste in Gulf’s United Arab Emirate (UAE) as part of a nationwide recycling campaign.
She campaigned around her residency area to collect paper, so that it can be recycled. Every
week, she used to go out for collecting newspapers, magazines, and other paper that people
threw away or didn’t wanted to keep. About Emirates Recycling Awards- The campaign was
organized by the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a non-governmental professional
working group based in UAE. The Emirates Recycling Awards were conducted to celebrate
World Environment Day (observed on 5 June). The event was held under the Patronage and
in esteemed presence of H.E. Engr. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman
of Department of Civil Aviation and Honorary member of EEG. Categories: This eco-friendly
drive in UAE was based on three categories- (1) corporations, (2) academic institutions and
(3) individuals/families. The materials that were collected during campaign included paper,
plastic, glass, cans, mobiles, among other items. Significance: Through this nationwide
recycling campaign, EEG was able to reduce projected carbon emissions by about 73,393
metric tonnes.
19) Britain’s Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won Formula One Canadian Grand Prix 2019 at the
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This was Hamilton’s seventh win on
the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and now made him equalled Michael Schumacher’s record. Key
Highlights- Lewis Hamilton was followed by Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel of Germany in
2nd place and Charles Leclerc of Monaco in 3rd place. Hamilton emerged victorious after a
controversial penalty made by Sebastian Vettel gifted him a milestone win. Penalty:
Sebastian Vettel made an error on the limit and went off track on lap 48 of circuit, running
across grass before rejoining and forcing off Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who later emerged
championship leader and eventual winner. For this he was hit with a 5-second penalty which
ultimately led to his loss. The next Grand Prix, is scheduled to be run in France on June 23 at
the Le Castellet raceway. It will be 8th of the 21 that make up world circuit of 2019 FIA
Formula One World Championship. About 2019 Canadian Grand Prix- It is a Formula One
motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. It was 7th round of 2019 FIA
Formula One World Championship.
20) The 2019 French Open was the 123rd edition of a Grand Slam tennis tournament. It was held
from 26 May to 9 June 2019, at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It is played on outdoor
clay courts. The tournament comprises of singles, doubles and mixed doubles play matches.
Men’s Singles title at French Open tennis- Spain’s Rafael Nadal won a historic 12th Roland
Garros title or Men’s Singles title at French Open tennis and 18th Grand Slam crown with a 6-
3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over his opponent Dominic Thiem of Austria. With this win, 33-year-old
Nadal becomes 1st player, man or woman, to win same Slam 12 times. Spaniard now stands
just 2 behind Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 majors and 3 ahead of Novak Djokovic
who was defeated by Dominic in semi-finals of French Open. Nadal, the World Number 2
took his Paris record to 93 wins and just 2 losses having previously won title in 2005-2008,
2010-2014, 2017 and 2018. Men’s Doubles title: Andreas Mies & Kevin Krawietz of Germany
defeated Fabrice Martin & Jérémy Chardy of France in final with in final 6–2, 7–6(7–3) to win
Men’s Doubles title at French Open tennis. Women’s Singles title- Ashleigh Barty of Australia
knocked off Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in final with 6-1, 6-3 to win her 1st
Women’s Singles title at French Open tennis 2019. Women’s Doubles title- Hungary’s Tímea
Babos & France’s Kristina Mladenovic defeated Zheng Saisai & Duan Yingying of China in
final with 6–2, 6–3 to win Women’s Doubles title at French Open tennis. Mixed Doubles title-
Chinese Taipei’s Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodi goof Croatia defeated Gabriela Dabrowski of
Canada & Mate Pavić of Croatia in final to win Mixed Doubles title at French Open tennis.
21) World athletics’ governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
will re-brand itself as World Athletics. The rebranding would be operational from October
2019. Key Highlights- IAAF’s new brand identity as World Athletics will begin its rollout in
October 2019 following the completion of world championships in Doha, Qatar and after
congress grants approval of change to federation’s legal name. IAAF Council: The decision
for rebranding of name was taken at IAAF Council, meeting in Monaco (IAAF’s Headquarter).
The participants agreed that ‘World Athletics’ made sport more accessible to a wider
audience at same time while giving global governing body an opportunity to more clearly
communicate its mission as leader of world’s most participatory sport. The council hopes that
new brand will help towards attracting and engaging a new generation of young people to
athletics. World Athletics: The term World Athletics is built upon IAAF’s restructuring and
governance reform agenda it has undertaken in past four years. It represent a modern, more
creative and positive face for the sport. About International Association of Athletics
Federations- The IAAF was initially founded on 17 July 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, as
International Amateur Athletic Federation, following the closing ceremony of Olympic Games
in the Swedish capital. It was founded as world governing body for sport of track and field
athletics. It took its present name of International Association of Athletics Federations in
2001. It is currently presided over by Sebastian Coe, two-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist
of Britain, UK. With 215 member federations, IAAF is an international governing body for
sport of athletics.
22) India extended a financial aid of 1.6billion Nepalese Rupees (NPR) to Nepal government for
rebuilding earthquake-hit houses in two district that were most hit. This sustained and
generous humanitarian support extended by India for post-earthquake reconstruction was
appreciated by Nepal. Key Highlights- Background: In February 2016, a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Nepal for grant worth USD 100 Million
to be provided by India, for supporting reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in two districts
of Himalayan nation namely Nuwakot and Gorkha that were most damaged in earthquake
that hit Nepal in 2015. The devastating earthquake which struck Nepal in April 2015, claimed
more than 9,000 lives and damaged over 800,000 houses. The epicenter of earthquake was
central Nepal’s Gorkha district. Financial Aid: Manjeev Singh Puri, India’s ambassador to
Nepal handed over financial aid cheque to Rajan Khanal, Finance Secretary of Nepal for
undertaking reconstruction work in Himalayan nation. The amount was released towards
reimbursement of part payment of first and second tranches of housing reconstruction
extended by Government of India to 50,000 housing beneficiaries in two districts. Importance:
The move showed that India remained committed to partnership between two nations and
also to completion of post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal. Other grants by India:
So far a total of Rs 4.5 billion Nepalese rupees have been granted Nepal to India under
housing reconstruction projects. India has partnered with United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for providing
socio-technical facilitation to people who lost their houses to ensure that they rebuild their
homes in accordance with Nepal government’s earthquake resilient norms.
23) Interim President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, won the country’s snap
Presidential elections with nearly 71%. He was also the chosen successor of veteran ruler
and former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. Key Highlights- After Nursultan Nazarbayev
resigned from as Presidential post of Kazakhstan in March 2019, the Presidentship was
transferred to the then Speaker of the Senate (Upper House), Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Shortly after assuming the charge of interim President of Kazakhstan, Tokayev in his address
to nation announced that elections would be conducted earlier than anticipated. Snap
Election: In recently held snap election, a total of seven candidates ran for Presidency which
also included Daniya Yespayeva, the first woman candidate to do so in country’s history. The
voter turnout in elections was 77.4% and Tokayev’s nearest rival Amirzhan Kosanov of
United National Patriotic Movement (‘Ult Tagdyry’) received about 16% of votes. Significance:
For the first time in almost thirty years, the Kazakh presidential elections held in 2019 paved
the way for a new candidate coming to power. Tokayev’s predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev
was serving as Kazakh President since the independence of country in 1992 until his
resignation in March 2019.
24) The renowned playwright, actor and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad died at the age of 81 at
his residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He succumbed to multiple-organ failure. To honour
the well-known writer who brought 7th Jnanpith to Kannada, Karnataka Government declared
a holiday for schools and colleges and a 3-day State mourning as a tribute. About Girish
Karnad- He was born in May 1938. He became one of the most prominent theatre
personalities in priod of 1960s and 1970s, which was regarded as Renaissance of Indian
theatre. Playwright: He wrote his first play Yayati in 1961 when he was a Rhodes scholar
(world’s oldest fellowship program) in England, UK. He worked with mythology, history and
gave them a contemporary resonance in plays like Tughlaq and Hayavadana. He translated
most of his plays himself. His last play was Rakshasa Tangadi, (a Kannada play on the Battle
of Talikota) which was published in 2018. Director and Actor: he made his acting debut in the
classic movie- Samskara. He made his name not only in parallel cinema but was also
celebrated for his roles in mainstream films in multiple languages. He directed around 12
films and documentaries in Kannada and Hindi. Awards: He was recipient of Padma Shri
(1974) for his contributions to theatre and Padma Bhushan (1992) in recognition of his
contributions to arts. He was also conferred Jnanpith Award in 1998.

Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.
25) With commencement of annual festival of Kheer Bhawani Mela on Zeasht Ashtami, hundreds
of Kashmiri Pandit devotees prayed at famous Ragnya Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir’s
(J&K) Ganderbal district. An elaborate security arrangement was made by J&K administration
so that mela passed off peacefully for devotees who thronged temple from across the
country. Key Highlights- Every year on Zyeshta Ashtami (this year fell on 10 June),
thousands of Kashmiri Pandits visit temple, located about 14 km east of Srinagar, to pay their
obeisance. Zyestha Ashtami is celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits across the country and
outside as the day marks commencing of annual pilgrimage. Temples Visited: Over 60,000
displaced Kashmiri Pandits from various parts of India as well as abroad visited five famous
temples of Tulmulla (in Ganderbal district), Tikker (in Kupwara), Laktipora Aishmuqam (in
Anantnag) and Mata Tripursundri Devsar and Mata Kheerbhawani Manzgam (in Kulgam
district) in Kashmir valley during Mela Kheerbhawani. About Mela Kheer Bhawani: It is one of
the biggest religious functions of displaced community of Kashmiri Pandits, who were
forcefully evicted from Valley in 1990s by militants. The devotees carry rose petals, walk
barefoot, offer tribute to goddess and offer milk and kheer (pudding) at sacred spring. Belief:
The colour of water in spring, which flows below temple, is believed to be an indication of the
valley’s well-being i.e. the colour foretells the events that will unfold in next 12 months till next
festival. Black or darkish colour of water in spring is believed to be a sign of inauspicious
times for Kashmir valley. This time, the water in spring was of clean and milky white colour.
Significance: The pilgrimage has become a symbol of communal harmony and brotherhood
as Muslims in locality make all kinds of arrangements for the Kashmiri Pandits devotees,
such as setting up of stalls for flowers and other offerings, offering milk in small earthen pots
to devotees coming to pray.
26) Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs participated in G20
Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors and associated events during 8-9
June 2019 held at southwestern city of Fukuoka, Japan. Key Highlights- This meeting took
place alongside with G20 Ministerial meet on Trade and Digital Economy (on 8-9 June 2019)
at Tsukuba city, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Features: It aimed towards forging consensus on
range of issues to be endorsed by leaders who will be meeting in late June in Osaka, Japan.
The meet also focused on current situation in global economy and current trade and
technology dispute between US and China. Besides this participants also discussed issues
related to tax challenges for addressing digitalisation of economy, ways for improving taxation
and measures to ensure sustainable growth. India at G20: Smt. Sitharaman, Union Finance
Minister of India noted the urgency of fixing issue of determining right nexus and profit
allocation solution for taxing profits made by digital economy companies, as with each
passing day the work on tax challenges arising from digitalisation of economy is entering a
critical phase. India strongly supported that potential solution to aforementioned problem
should be based on concept of significant economic presence of businesses, by taking into
account evidence of their purposeful and sustained interaction with economy of country in
question. This concept was piloted by India and had been supported by large number of
countries including G-24. Union Finance Minister expressed confidence that a consensus-
based global solution that should also be equitable and simple, would be reached by 2020.
India welcomed the beginning of Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information
(AEOI) on a global basis, which was used by over 90 jurisdictions in 2018 for successfully
exchanging information. This move would ensure that tax evaders could no more hide their
offshore financial accounts from tax administration. India urged global forum of G20 to further
expand network of AEOI by identifying jurisdictions including developing countries as well as
financial centers that are relevant but have not yet committed to any timeline. To address the
need for taking appropriate action against non-compliant jurisdictions, India called upon
international community to agree on a toolkit of defensive measures that can be taken
against such non-compliant jurisdictions. India also raised need for international cooperation
on dealing with fugitive economic offenders (FEO) who flee their countries to escape from
consequences of law and urged all member states to draw closer collaboration and
coordinated action so as to bring such economic offenders to face law. About G20: G20 (or
Group of 20) was formed on 26 September 1999 as meeting of Finance Ministers and Central
Bank Governors of member states in aftermath of Southeast Asian (Tiger economies)
financial crisis. Since its inception group has played a key role in responding to global
financial crisis situations. In 2008, 1st G20 Leaders’ Summit was held in Washington DC,
United States. Members: includes 19 countries and European Union (EU) which collectively
representing two-third of world’s population, 85% of global GDP and 80% of international
trade. The 19 countries are India, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada,
France, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, US, South
Africa and United Kingdom. Function: It is premier forum for international economic
cooperation, decision-making and deliberations on global economic issues and other
development challenges faced by its member nations. Even though there are no binding
commitments in G20, it sets agenda for multilateral trade relations.
27) India’s leading civil services training institution, National Center for Good Governance
(NCGG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maldives Civil Services
Commission for capacity building (training) of 1,000 civil servants of Maldives over next five
years. This agreement was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Male
(Maldives capital). Key Highlights- Background: In April 2019, NCGG had trained 28 Maldives
civil servants, thus this successful engagement encouraged two countries to enter into an
agreement and take their capacity building collaboration forward. Other than Maldives, NCCG
had also successfully conducted training programmes for civil servants of Bangladesh,
Myanmar and Gambia. Expenses: All expenses of training programme will be borne by Union
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Nodal Agency: As per the MoU, NCGG will be nodal
institution for designing and implementation of customised training modules that will be
undertaken during training, and it must take into account all requirements of Maldives Civil
Services Commission. Training Areas: The training programme areas will include: public
policy and governance, public administration, information technology (IT), e-governance and
service delivery, agro-based practices, best practices in fisheries in coastal areas, urban
development and planning, self-help group (SHG) initiatives, ethics in administration and
challenges in implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Selection: Maldives
will nominate suitable civil servants in senior/executive/middle management levels as per the
agreed timelines. Civil Services Training Institute, a subsidiary of Maldives Civil Services
Commission, will get the required assistance from NCGG, for developing training
programmes and materials and also for organising exchange of experts as needed by
Commission.
28) According to a notification issued by Union Ministry of Culture, Chaukhandi Stupa, an ancient
Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has been declared as ‘protected area of
national importance’ by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). For declaring the stupa as
protected area government sought public feedback on 8 March 2019 for a period of two
months. About Chaukhandi  Stupa- Name: The Stupa is known as ‘Chaukhandi’ becaause of
its four armed plan. The stupa is an ancient Buddhist site which evolved from burial mounds
and served as a shrine for a relic of Buddha. It appears to be in ruins and was originally
constructed in 5th Century AD. It also finds mention in account of Hiuen Tsang, celebrated
Chinese traveler of 7th century AD. Architecture: It is widely belived that Stupa was originally
built as a terraced temple during Gupta period (4th-6th centuries AD) to mark the site where
Lord Buddha traveling from Bodh Gaya to Sarnath was reunited with panchavargiya bhikshus
(Budhha’s five companions) who had previously deserted him at Rajgir. After Gupta’s the
stupa’s architecture was altered by Govardhan, son of Raja Todarmal, who modified stupa to
its present shape by building an octagonal tower in commemoration of Humayun (Mughal
ruler) visit. Current Structure: Stupa is a high earthen mound covered with brickwork, to which
stands atop a terraced rectangular plinth and it is capped by an octagonal Mughal tower. It is
maintained, conserved and preserved by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Art: Some
images of Buddha, such as the image of buddha in dharmachakra pravartana mudra and
other statues found during excavations at this Stupa are believed to be rare artefacts and
classic examples of art from Gupta period.
29) India and Portugal will cooperate in setting up of a national maritime heritage museum at
ancient Indian site of Lothal in Gujarat. Lothal (literally means the mound of dead) was one of
port cities of Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization). Key Highlights- Background: In
March 2019 Government of India allocated a grant for building maritime museum and
foundation stone for project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Then during
Portuguese Defence Minister João Gomes Cravinho visit to India in April 2019, initial
discussions were held between India and Portugal for developing maritime museum. Feature:
The proposed maritime museum in Indian is likely to come up on lines of similar museum at
Lisbon, which is administered by Portuguese Navy. Implementing agencies: Museum Project
will be implemented by Union Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme, along
with involvement of State government, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other
stakeholders. Indian Navy is also keen to be a stakeholder in project and Portuguese Navy
has agreed to assist the former with their experience of administering maritime museum in
Lisbon. Purpose: It will showcase and preserve India’s rich and diverse maritime heritage. It
also seeks to highlight ancient shipbuilding and navigational technologies developed by India.
Why Portugal? Portugal is home to the Navy Museum (a maritime museum) in Lisbon, which
is administered by Portugal Navy. So the two countries discussed that India could also follow
the similar mode. Soon a Defence Ministry-led delegation would also be visiting Portugal to
study existing museum in Lisbon.
30) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena gifted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a
Samadhi Buddha statue (Buddha in meditation posture), during latter’s visit to Island nation.
Key Highlights- Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sri Lanka for a day-long visit, during which he
met with President Sirisena and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest. His visit is
considered as a sign of India’s affirmation of solidarity with island nation in aftermath of the
deadly Easter terror attacks in April 2019. PM Modi is first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka
after Easter attacks. About Samadhi Buddha Statue- The masterpiece replica of Samadhi
Buddha statue presented to PM Modi has been hand carved using white teak and took
almost two years to complete. This is considered to be one of best sculptures of
Anuradhapura era (377 BC to 1017 AD) which is the first established kingdom in ancient Sri
Lanka. The original statue was sculptured between 4th to 7th centuries AD. The Prime
Minister’s Office (PMO) called the Samadhi Buddha statue as ‘special gift from special friend’.
31) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena gifted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a
Samadhi Buddha statue (Buddha in meditation posture), during latter’s visit to Island nation.
Key Highlights- Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sri Lanka for a day-long visit, during which he
met with President Sirisena and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest. His visit is
considered as a sign of India’s affirmation of solidarity with island nation in aftermath of the
deadly Easter terror attacks in April 2019. PM Modi is first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka
after Easter attacks. About Samadhi Buddha Statue- The masterpiece replica of Samadhi
Buddha statue presented to PM Modi has been hand carved using white teak and took
almost two years to complete. This is considered to be one of best sculptures of
Anuradhapura era (377 BC to 1017 AD) which is the first established kingdom in ancient Sri
Lanka. The original statue was sculptured between 4th to 7th centuries AD. The Prime
Minister’s Office (PMO) called the Samadhi Buddha statue as ‘special gift from special friend’.
32) Imports from Pakistan to India have declined by 92% amounting to USD 2.84 Million in March
2019 after imposition of 200% customs duties on all products. The strong economic action
against Pakistan was taken following Pulwama terror attack. Key Highlights- Background: On
February 2019, in aftermath of Pulwama terror attack for which Pakistan based JeM terror
group claimed responsibility, India revoked the MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status given to
Pakistan. This further led to strong economic action against Pakistan such as India raised
customs duty to 200% on all goods imported from Pakistan. During 2018-19 fiscal year for
January-March period, the imports from Pakistan declined by 47%, about USD 53.65 Million.
India’s Export: In March 2019, India’s exports to Pakistan also dipped by about 32%
amounting to over USD171 million. However, Indian exports grew by 7.4% (over USD 2
billion) during 2018-19. Commodities Imported: India raised 200% custom duty on goods
imported from neighbouring country, including cotton, fresh fruits, cement, petroleum
products and mineral. But the main commodities imported during month of March 2019 from
Pakistan includes knitted fabrics, wool, articles of apparel and clothing, preparation of
vegetables spices, chemicals, man-made filaments, and plastics. Exception: As per some
experts, keeping in mind that importing goods at 200% customs duties would not be viable for
anyone, thus government has allowed few domestic manufacturing exporters to avail Nil(0%)
import duty benefit under Advance Authorisation Scheme to import products, especially raw
materials from Pakistan. About Most Favoured Nation Status- Under the MFN pact, a World
Trade Organisation (WTO) member country is obliged to treat other trading nation (to whom it
has granted MFN status) in a non-discriminatory manner, especially with regard to customs
duty and other levies. The MFN status was granted by India to Pakistan in 1996, but India
was not granted the same from Pakistan.

Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.
33) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet adopted a National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031
during its meeting at Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital). About National Strategy
for Wellbeing 2031- Objectives: The strategy has two pronged objectives as follows: To
make UAE a world leader in quality of life by undertaking various strategic objectives and
initiatives. To promote an integrated concept of wellbeing, thereby supporting vision of UAE
Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071. Focus: on strengthening family ties and working
towards improving quality of life in cities across country so as to attract more residents to
those areas. End goal: of 12-year strategy is a developed country, a cohesive society and
prosperous individuals. Chairman: It will be chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Salient Features- Levels:
National Wellbeing Strategy is based on a national framework of three main levels-
Individuals, Society and the Country. Components: It includes 14 key areas and 9 strategic
objectives, which includes enhancing people’s wellbeing by promoting healthy & active
lifestyles and good mental health and adopting positive thinking. Under the strategy 90 new
projects will be launched that will target more than 40 priority areas and will improve physical,
psychological and digital health of future generations. National Wellbeing Observatory: One
of the most important initiatives in wellbeing strategy is development of first National
Wellbeing Observatory, which will support policymaking process. Tasks undertaken by
observatory will include: monitoring a number of indicators of wellbeing in UAE, submitting
regular reports to UAE Cabinet, proposing training programmes for government employees
and will launch Academy of Wellbeing future generations. In addition to this observatory is
also charged with formation of a National Wellbeing Council to manage and coordinate
national strategy.
34) Prime Minister Modi was conferred with Maldives’ highest honour- ‘Order of the Distinguished
Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen‘ in Male, (Maldives capital) during his two-day state visit to the
island country. The prestigious award of Most Honourable Order of the Distinguished Rule of
Nishan Izzuddeen is Maldive’s highest honour accorded to foreign dignitaries. India-Maldives
Relation- Background: Maldives is a valued partner of India with whom it shares deep bonds
of history and culture. In February 2018, relations between India and Maldives deteriorated
after the then President Abdulla Yameen took certain decisions which did not go down well
with New Delhi such as imposing emergency, impositing restrictions on work visas for Indians
and signing of a new Free Trade Agreement with Beijing. However, ties were restored under
the incumbent Solih’s presidency. Recent Visit to Maldives: Although PM Modi visited
Maldives in November 2018 to attend President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih‘s swearing-in, but
the current visit is the first by an Indian prime minister at a bilateral level in past eight years.
The two-day state visit undertaken by PM Modi was aimed at further cementing ties with
Indian Ocean archipelago. Two countries held delegation-level talks as well as signed a slew
of agreements to strengthen bilateral ties in a number of key areas including defence. India’s
concern: China views Maldives as key to its Maritime Silk Road (MSR) project in Indian
Ocean Region (IOR) for which China has already acquired Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and
Djibouti in Horn of Africa. Thus to keep check on China’s ambitious expansion in IOR, India
needs to continue its good relations and partnership with its neighboring countries having
strategic importance in IOR.
35) G20 Ministerial meeting on Trade and Digital Economy is being held from 8 June- 9 June
2019 in Japanese city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Tsukuba is Japan’s one of main
academic and research centers. Key Highlights- Background: Japan has assumed its 1st
ever rotating presidency in G20 thus a series of various ministerial meetings are being held in
Japanese cities in 2019. Japan’s presidency will be culminating during G20 summit in Osaka
on 28-29 June 2019. Chairman: Two day meet was chaired by Masatoshi Ishida, Japanese
Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy,
Trade and Industry. Objective: to discuss how economies of G20 countries can promote trade
and investment and maximize benefits from development of digital economy and
technologies so as to ensure sustainable growth of global economy. Feature: Over 50 Trade
and Digital Economy Ministers got together for 1st time in G20 history in Tsukuba, Japan.
G20 Trade Ministers deliberations will form part of G20 Summit Leaders agenda in formal
discussions and will also be a part of Summit Declaration. The meet discussed importance of
Digitalization that is expected to continue to create benefits for economies and societies as a
whole and will also help achieve inclusive, innovative and human-centred future society
‘Society 5.0’. Discussions: Issues related to free trade dominated discussion in meeting
against backdrop of ongoing trade war between United States (US) and China and US
President Donald Trump’s policy of creating trade barriers and imposing tariffs. Ways to
reorder trade rules and finances in an era of technological change and protectionism were
also discussed. India and G20 Meet- Background: Ever since G20 was founded in 1999,
India has been actively participating in its meetings. Indian delegation for G20 Ministerial
meeting on Trade and Digital Economy is being led by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of
Commerce and Industry & Railways. Discussion: Indian Commerce Minister will discuss
developments in World Trade Organisation (WTO) matters, global trade situation, Digital
trade and will also hold dialogue with other participating Trade Ministers on issues related to
current international trade and investments. Significance: This is for first time that Ministers of
Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Union Ministry of
Commerce (MCA) will participate in a joint session on Digital Economy at G20 Ministerial
Meeting.
36) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has extended service of Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha for a further period of three
months. This was third extension given to IAS officer Sinha, whose tenure was increased by
one-year each in 2017 and 2018. This exceeds term of four year cap for total term of Cabinet
Secretary mandated under All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958.
However, to allow extension of PK Sinha’s beyond four year term Government has amended
these rules. New Rules- It has inserted subrule 1A under rule 16 of All India Services (Death-
Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958. It provides that Central Government may in public
interest give an extension in service for a further period, not exceeding three months, beyond
the period of four years to the Cabinet Secretary. About Cabinet Secretariat- It functions
directly under the Prime Minister. It is allocated business under Government of India
(Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. It provides Secretarial assistance to Cabinet and
Cabinet Committees and Rules of Business. Cabinet Secretary is administrative head of
Cabinet Secretariat. Functions: (i) It is responsible for administration of Government of India
(Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and Government of India (Transaction of Business)
Rules, 1961. Thus, it facilitates smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments. (ii)
It also assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-ministerial coordination,
irons out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus. (iii) It
manages major crisis situations in the country. Cabinet Secretary: He is administrative head
of Cabinet Secretariat. He is also ex-officio Chairman of Civil Services Board. He is the top-
most executive official and senior-most civil servant (mainly for IAS cadre) of the Government
of India. N R Pillai was the first cabinet secretary of independent India and served from
February 6, 1950 to May 13, 1953. Y N Sukthankar had served as cabinet secretary for
longest duration from May 14, 1953 to July 31, 1957.
37) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has extended service of Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha for a further period of three
months. This was third extension given to IAS officer Sinha, whose tenure was increased by
one-year each in 2017 and 2018. This exceeds term of four year cap for total term of Cabinet
Secretary mandated under All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958.
However, to allow extension of PK Sinha’s beyond four year term Government has amended
these rules. New Rules- It has inserted subrule 1A under rule 16 of All India Services (Death-
Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958. It provides that Central Government may in public
interest give an extension in service for a further period, not exceeding three months, beyond
the period of four years to the Cabinet Secretary. About Cabinet Secretariat- It functions
directly under the Prime Minister. It is allocated business under Government of India
(Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. It provides Secretarial assistance to Cabinet and
Cabinet Committees and Rules of Business. Cabinet Secretary is administrative head of
Cabinet Secretariat. Functions: (i) It is responsible for administration of Government of India
(Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and Government of India (Transaction of Business)
Rules, 1961. Thus, it facilitates smooth transaction of business in Ministries/ Departments. (ii)
It also assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-ministerial coordination,
irons out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus. (iii) It
manages major crisis situations in the country. Cabinet Secretary: He is administrative head
of Cabinet Secretariat. He is also ex-officio Chairman of Civil Services Board. He is the top-
most executive official and senior-most civil servant (mainly for IAS cadre) of the Government
of India. N R Pillai was the first cabinet secretary of independent India and served from
February 6, 1950 to May 13, 1953. Y N Sukthankar had served as cabinet secretary for
longest duration from May 14, 1953 to July 31, 1957.
38) China launched a space rocket named “Long March 11” from a mobile launch platform in
Yellow Sea off Shandong province (China) for the first time. With this China became 3rd
nation following the U.S. and Russia to successfully demonstrate ability to launch satellites
into orbit from a floating platform. Key Highlights- Background: In 2003, China became only
3rd nation to have capability of launching humans into space and in early 2019 became 1st
nation to land a rover on far side of moon. The Long March rocket first flew in 2015, and this
was its 7th launch but was China’s first attempt at an offshore launch of rocket into Earth
orbit. About: The Long March 11 rocket was launched by China from a ship deployed in
Yellow Sea, making it first time that China has tested a launch vehicle at sea. This maiden
sea launch by China has now unveiled its ambitious plans to build a research base on lunar
surface, send a probe to Mars and build a space station in Earth orbit in coming future. Also,
China now spends more than Russia and Japan on its civil and military space programmes.
Payload: The space rocket carried 2 experimental satellites (named Bufeng-1A and Bufeng-
1B) and 5 commercial ones. Advantages: Launching rockets from sea has a number of
advantages over land-based rocket launches, like ability to send off rockets from a variety of
locations on Earth, and benefit of reduced costs and risks (as rocket can lift off closer to
equator,). Significance: With sea launches, China now has ability to deploy satellites from a
mobile platform and is latest step in China’s push to become a major space power.
Importance: This successful launch marks another win for Beijing’s space programme and
opened a new launching mode for China to enter space quickly.
39) The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has comprehensively extended
ambit of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) to all land holding eligible farmer
families who will avail benefits under the scheme (but subject to existing exclusion factor).
The revised scheme is expected to cover around 2 crore more farmers and increase total
coverage of PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries. It also costs Central Government
around Rs. 87,217.50 crores for year 2019-20. Key Features of PM-KISAN- It was
announced in interim Budget for the year 2019-2020 and launched on 24th February 2019 in
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh where the first rounds of instalments was paid to several farmers.
It provides beneficiary farmers income support of Rs. 6000. This amount is released in three
four (quaterly)-monthly instalments of Rs.2000 each over the year. It is credited directly into
the bank accounts of the beneficiaries held in destination banks through Direct Benefit
Transfer mode. The previsions criteria for small and marginal landholder farmer families to
avail this benefit was cultivable land holding upto 2 hectare across the country. So far, 1st
instalment to 3.11 crore beneficiaries and 2nd instalment to 2.66 crore beneficiaries have
been credited directly to the bank accounts of the farmer families.
40) The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Pension Yojana, a new Central Sector Scheme (CSS), to provide pension cover to
farmers. This decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting after formation of new
Government (second term) of Modi Government. Key Features of Scheme- It is voluntary and
contributory pension scheme for all Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) across the country.
Eligibility: Entry age of 18 to 40 years with provision of minimum fixed pension of Rs.3,000 on
attaining the age of 60 years. Contribution: Beneficiary farmer of this scheme is required to
contribute Rs 100 per month at median entry age of 29 years. Central Government will also
contribute to Pension Fund an equal amount as contributed by eligible farmer. After
subscriber’s death (while receiving pension), spouse of SMF beneficiary is entitled to receive
50% of pension received by beneficiary as family pension, provided he/she is not already an
SMF beneficiary of this scheme. In case of death of subscriber happens during period of
contribution, the spouse shall have the option of continuing scheme by paying regular
contribution. Synergy between PM Kisan Scheme: Beneficiary farmers of this scheme can
opt to allow his/her monthly contribution to be made from benefits drawn from Pradhan Mantri
KisanSAmman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme directly. Alternatively, beneficiary farmer can pay
his monthly contribution by registering through Common Service Centres (CSCs) under
Union Ministry of Information and Technology (MeitY).
41) Union Cabinet has approved new initiative (scheme) to control Foot and Mouth Disease
(FMD) and Brucellosis to support the livestock rearing farmers and improve the health of
animals. Key Features of Scheme- Objective: This initiative aims to fully control these
diseases amongst livestock in the country in next five years and subsequently eradicate
these diseases. Cabinet has cleared a total outlay of Rs. 13,343 crores for this scheme and
entire cost will be now borne by Central Government. In case of FMD: It envisages
vaccination coverage to 30 crore bovines (cows-bulls and buffaloes) and 20 crore sheep/goat
and 1 crore pigs at six months’ interval along with primary vaccination in bovine calves.
Brucellosis control programme: It will extend to cover 100% vaccination coverage of 3.6 crore
female calves. Significance: It will benefit crores of livestock rearing farmers and improve
health of animals. Threat of FMD and Brucellosis- These diseases are very common amongst
the livestock – cow-bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs etc. If cow/buffalo gets infected with
FMD, it results in milk loss is upto 100% which could last for four to six months. In case of
Brucellosis milk output reduces by 30%, during entire life cycle of animal. It also causes
infertility amongst animals. It can also be transmitted to the farm workers and livestock
owners. Both of these diseases have direct negative impact on trade of milk and other
livestock products.
42) Indian Air Force (IAF) signed Rs.300 crore deal with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense
Systems, an Israeli defence firm to procure a batch of SPICE 2000 guided bombs. Key
Highlights- The order for bombs was placed under Special Financial Powers given by
government to armed forces for emergency purchases. The bombs are expected to be
supplied within next three months. IAF used SPICE bombs for a non-military, pre-emptive
strike on terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s
Balakot region on February 2019. This Indian strike on JeM camp was conducted 12 days
after JeM claimed responsibility for suicide attack on CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s
Pulwama region in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Background- Following Pulwama
attack in February 2019, government granted emergency powers to all three defence
services (Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy) for procuring weapons and military
hardware so as to enhance their operational preparedness along border with Pakistan.
Government also eased certain rules to cut delays in military purchase such as allowing three
services to procure required weapons and equipment from a single vendor. About SPICE
2000- The SPICE stands for Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective. It is guidance and
maneuvering kit manufactured by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. SPICE can
overcome errors in locating target, GPS jamming and also reduces collateral damage. SPICE
kit adds a sophisticated guidance system that consists of satellite guidance, inertial
navigation and electro-optical sensors which can be used for pinpoint accuracy and adds
control fins to a conventional unguided bomb (called as free-fall bomb/gravity bomb). It is
reportedly biggest conventional bomb that can be delivered by IAF and is used on French-
origin Mirage-2000 jets. The SPICE kit has two variants SPICE-1000 kit and SPICE-2000 kit.
These two are difficult to detect by most ground-based radars. SPICE-1000: meant for 500kg
bombs and has glide range of about 100km. SPICE-2000: meant for 1,000kg bombs and has
a glide range of about 60km.
43) The African Union (AU) suspended Sudan until establishment of a civilian-led transition to
democracy and also demanded to resolve an entrenched and bloody crisis. The decision was
taken at AU’s peace and Security Council meet in Addis Ababa, (Ethiopia’s capital). Key
Highlights- Background: Since December 2018 Sudan has been rocked with anger over
increasing bread prices and shortages, which then turned into protests against Omar al-
Bashir (7th President of Sudan) and culminated in military removing him after a three-decade
rule where he became a pariah in eyes of Western world. The military leadership then took
control of Sudan after ouster of Omar in April 2019, but it had failed to hand over power to
civilians. Trigger: The call for action to be taken by African Union was mounted after recent
military crackdown on protesters campaigning outside Army headquarters in Khartoum
(Sudan’s Capital) killed dozens of individuals. As per a doctors’ group around 40 bodies were
pulled from rive Nile, taking the total toll to at least 108. Thus African Union’s Peace and
Security Council with immediate effect suspended participation of Sudan in all AU activities
until effective establishment of a Civilian-led Transitional Authority, as only way to allow
Republic of Sudan to exit from current crisis. This move by AU intensifies global pressure on
Sudan’s new military leaders to stand down after witnessing worst violence since Bashir’s fall.
AU also urged foreign powers to refrain from interference in Sudan’s affairs. The decision of
AU in Sudan was by endorsed European Union (EU). About African Union (AU)- It was
established in 2002. It is a continental union with headquarter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Members: 55 countries located on African continent (expect territories possessed by
European located in Africa). The highest decision-making organ of AU is Assembly of African
Union, a semi-annual meeting of heads of state and government of its member states. AU’s
secretariat, called African Union Commission is based in Addis Ababa. Official bodies within
AU, includes AU Peace and Security Council and the Pan-African Parliament (a
representative body). Some of AU’s Objective is- promoting unity and solidarity among
African States; coordinating and intensifing cooperation for development; safeguarding
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and promoting international cooperation
within framework of United Nations (UN).
44) The Women Sangams (groups) of Deccan Development Society (DDS) were honoured with
Equator Prize 2019 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their contribution
to ecology and innovations in rainfed millet cultivation. Key Highlights- The Equator Prize
2019 was awarded to six women farmer belonging to Deccan Development Society (DDS)
sanghams. They became only Indian group to have won 2019 award. Although women
working with DDS sanghams are mostly non-literate, dalit, and under-privileged yet more
than three decades of their work in farming sector following age-old practices is now being
recognized globally. Achievement: They were awarded in recognition of efforts of building
their own seed banks and growing millets in predominantly rain-fed villages of Sangareddy
district, Telangana. Their effort showcased an outstanding example of a local, nature-based
solution to climate change and sustainable development. To mark their achievement DDS
felicitated women for their contribution to ecology and innovations in rainfed millet cultivation.
About Deccan Development Society- It is Indian agriculture based Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO) in Medak district in Telangana. It was founded in 1983 and since then
works towards various crop improvement programs and activities helping local farmers. Since
decades DDS has been offering a global solution to climate change, a crisis being faced
worldwide. Significance: Women belonging to DDS have been working relentlessly for past
three decades to protect environment by following their traditional methods and systems. This
has helped in ensuring food security and achieving food sovereignty. Their efforts have
proved that gender and caste discrimination will not come in way of achieving self-reliance
and autonomy. The women have ensured food security and have achieved food sovereignty.
About Equator Prize- The award was established in 2002. Since its inception, out of a total
223 awards, only 9 awards have been bagged by India so far. It is awarded biennially by
Equator Initiative of UNDP in recognition of community efforts to reduce poverty via
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The winners are selected by independent
Technical Advisory Committee of UN and are awarded US$10,000. In 2019, United Nations
(UN) received a total of 847 nominations from over 127 countries. Out of them, only 20 were
given this prestigious award, including DDS Sangams women too.
45) The Women Sangams (groups) of Deccan Development Society (DDS) were honoured with
Equator Prize 2019 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their contribution
to ecology and innovations in rainfed millet cultivation. Key Highlights- The Equator Prize
2019 was awarded to six women farmer belonging to Deccan Development Society (DDS)
sanghams. They became only Indian group to have won 2019 award. Although women
working with DDS sanghams are mostly non-literate, dalit, and under-privileged yet more
than three decades of their work in farming sector following age-old practices is now being
recognized globally. Achievement: They were awarded in recognition of efforts of building
their own seed banks and growing millets in predominantly rain-fed villages of Sangareddy
district, Telangana. Their effort showcased an outstanding example of a local, nature-based
solution to climate change and sustainable development. To mark their achievement DDS
felicitated women for their contribution to ecology and innovations in rainfed millet cultivation.
About Deccan Development Society- It is Indian agriculture based Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO) in Medak district in Telangana. It was founded in 1983 and since then
works towards various crop improvement programs and activities helping local farmers. Since
decades DDS has been offering a global solution to climate change, a crisis being faced
worldwide. Significance: Women belonging to DDS have been working relentlessly for past
three decades to protect environment by following their traditional methods and systems. This
has helped in ensuring food security and achieving food sovereignty. Their efforts have
proved that gender and caste discrimination will not come in way of achieving self-reliance
and autonomy. The women have ensured food security and have achieved food sovereignty.
About Equator Prize- The award was established in 2002. Since its inception, out of a total
223 awards, only 9 awards have been bagged by India so far. It is awarded biennially by
Equator Initiative of UNDP in recognition of community efforts to reduce poverty via
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The winners are selected by independent
Technical Advisory Committee of UN and are awarded US$10,000. In 2019, United Nations
(UN) received a total of 847 nominations from over 127 countries. Out of them, only 20 were
given this prestigious award, including DDS Sangams women too.
46) Eminent historian and writer Romila Thapar has been elected as international member of
American Philosophical Society (APS) at its Annual Spring Meeting. About Romila Thapar-
She is Professor Emerita of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. She is
renowned for her careful scholarship on emperor Aśoka, epigraphy of Mauryan period, and
ground-breaking studies and multiple historiographies surrounding contested Hindu and
Muslim history of Somnath. She not only embraced contemporary philosophical debates,
producing a model of open-minded and inclusive history but also advanced both theory and
practice of Indian historiography. Dr. Thapar was among 1,013 members elected to APS at
its spring 2019 meeting. Her APS citation reads- ‘she is the greatest living historian of India’.
About American Philosophical Society- It is the oldest learned society in United States (US).
It was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin (American polymath and one of Founding
Fathers of US) for purpose of ‘promoting useful knowledge.’ It provides a forum for free
exchange of ideas while holding conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are
inherently in best interest of public.

Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Current Affairs – 08 June 2019 To 14 June 2019.
47) Russia’s annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is being held from
6-8 June 2019. It is an annual international forum that discusses key economic issues facing
Russia, emerging markets and world at large stage. The Saint Petersburg is Russia’s former
imperial capital. Key Highlights of SPIEF- Background: The first SPIEF was held in 1997.
Now over past two decades, it has become one of leading global platforms for
communication between business representatives and discussion of crucial global economic
issues. Since 2006 it has been held under auspices and participation for Russian President
Vladimir Putin. The SPIEF 2018 edition brought together around 17,000 participants from
more than 140 countries. At the event Russia tries to boost its appeal to international
businesses and investors. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019: brought
together high-profile politicians, leaders from participating countries, leaders of International
organisation, representatives of major international companies and organisations as well as
experts from various fields. In 2019 session delegations from nearly all European Union (EU)
countries, including Hungary, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Finland,
Greece, Belgium among others and also senior officials from Cambodia, Vietnam, South
Africa, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Central African Republic (CAR) are taking part in various
business sessions of forum. Chinese President Jinping will also attend SPIEF 2019 edition.
Theme for SPIEF 2019: Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda. Key Features-
Following Rusian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and role in pro-Russian uprising in Ukraine,
the country has been hit by five years of international sanctions on its economy. It is also not
immune to effects of U.S-China trade war which is putting brakes on global growth. The
Western sanction over Russia is now followed by Russia’s pivot to the east with gradual
dependence on China. The Chinese President Xi Jinping visit to SPIEF 2019 marks a new
era of friendship between China and Russia and reinforcement of economic ties that had
benefitted from Moscow’s isolation from West. This visit holds milestone significance in
development of bilateral relations. Both countries show strong political mutual trust such as
politically they seem consistently aligned and often vote in unison as permanent members of
UN Security Council (UNSC). They also support each other firmly on issues concerning each
other’s core interests and major concerns.
48) Jimmy Carter, Ex-President of United States of America (USA) won the inaugural George H.
W. Bush Award for Statesmanship in recognition of his contributions to relations between
U.S. and China. About George H. W. Bush Award- It is conferred by George H. W. Bush
Foundation for U.S. China Relations. Jimmy Carter will receive inaugural George H. W. Bush
Award for Statesmanship in U.S.-China Relations at a private award ceremony scheduled for
12 June 2019 at Carter Center in Atlanta, US. Objective: The award is conferred to people
who have made profound contributions towards development of constructive and mutually
beneficial relations between U.S and People’s Republic of China. About Jimmy Carter- He
was former governor of Georgia (1971-1975) and later served as 39th president of United
States from 1977-1981. During his tenure, Joint Communiqué on Establishment of Diplomatic
Relations was signed on 1 January 1979 which stated official beginning of Diplomatic relation
between US and China and that two countries would even open Embassies on 1 March
1979. He also announced withdrawal of all U.S. military personnel from Taiwan and end to
Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty signed with China.

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