13th June 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Ahead of the first UN Yoga Day to be observed on 21st June 2015, India-China Yoga college has been inaugurated at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming.
• • This was the first such government institution in China.
  • Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh along with Vice Governor of Yunnan Province Ding Shaoxiang unveiled the plaque of this college.
  • Note : The MoU for establishing the Yoga College was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China last month.
  • Indian Ambassador to China : Ashok Kantha

National Affairs

• The Bibek Debroy Committee on the proposed restructuring of Indian Railways has recommended establishment of Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI), a independent regulator to decide on tariffs to revamp the cash-strapped railways.
• • The committee said, once the changes of the first five years are implemented, including the resolution of the social cost issue, the Railway Budget should be phased out with gross budgetary support to Indian Railways.
  • Note : This high-level committee was formed in September last year to restructure the Railways and suggest ways for resource mobilisation.
• Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation Mr Birender Singh has announced that  government would provide facility of
  
  toilet in 11 crore houses of the country by 2019.
• •  Five crore houses have already been provided toilets.
  • Note : Also a target has been fixed to cover 90 per cent of the population to supply piped water by 2022. 
• A total of 687 cadets were inducted into the Indian army as officers after a passing-out parade at the prestigious Indian Military Academy.
• • The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan reviewed the parade which was held on Drill Square in front of the historic Chetwood building amidst tight security.
  • 71 Foreign Gentleman Cadets also graduated from the academy, with 44 cadets from Afghanistan, 12 cadets from Tajikistan and 4 from Bhutan.

Business & Economy

• China has launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe, opening a new trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms.
• The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest oil producer in 2014.
• • Russia with 10.8 million bpd oil production was placed third.
  • Note : India has recorded the highest growth in energy consumption among major economies.
• The government has launched an Insurance Pool to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore which is mandatory under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND) in a bid to offset financial burden of foreign nuclear suppliers.
• • This was announced by Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh, noting that several projects such as the long-pending Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojna (GHAVP) that were held up in its absence, are now expected to move forward after setting up of the pool.
  • Under the Rs 1,500 crore pool, set up by General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) and 11 other non-life insurers including New India, Oriental Insurance, National Insurance and United India Insurance from the public sector apart from private insurance companies, policies offered will be a nuclear operators liability insurance policy and a nuclear suppliers' special contingency (against right to recourse) insurance policy.
• The Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) along with the Tamil Nadu Government have launched the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Chennai. 
• • Note : This is fourth such Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in India set-up by MOIA.
  • This MRC will provide information, guidance, advise and counselling on all aspects of overseas employment including legal and regulatory requirements; documentation and procedures; policies; and problems faced while working aboard to intending migrants and overseas Indian workers.

People in News

• Twitter Inc CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Dick Costolo has announced his retirement amid increasing scrutiny of the company's slow user growth and inability to attract advertisers at the same rate as its competitors.
• • Costolo will be replaced by co-founder Jack Dorsey on an interim basis.
• A month and a half before the end of his term as Director of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), scientist Bimal Roy, who was conferred Padma Shri earlier this year, has been unceremoniously removed.
• • In an order issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Dr. Roy has been accused of “indiscipline” and the communication expresses apprehension that he may indulge in acts of “administrative and financial impropriety”.
  • Note : He has been replaced by director-designate Sanghmitra Bandyopadhyay, who was supposed to take charge of the institute on 1st August 2015.

Awards & Honors

• Legendary West Indian pace-bowler, Sir Wesley Hall, was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame, becoming the 18th cricketer from the Caribbean to feature in the celebrated list.  
• • Note : Hall is the fourth cricketer this year to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe, who were inducted earlier this year during World Cup.

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