International News
Sudan suspended for no Civilian rule in Country
- The African Union's Peace and Security Council has suspended Sudan as there is no civilian rule established in the country.
- The decision was taken at AU's Peace and Security Council meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
- The AU's suspension followed the forceful dispersal of the month-long sit-ins.
- About the African Union(AU):
- The AU was founded on 26th May 2001 and was launched on 9th July 2002.
- The AU aims to achieve greater unity, cohesion, and solidarity between the African countries.
SriLankan Airlines named 'World's Most Punctual Airline'
- SriLankan Airlines named as the 'World's Most Punctual Airline' for the second consecutive time with over 90 percent of its flights in May being on time.
- This status was achieved for the second time in less than 12 months.
- SriLankan Airlines said achieving this status in May was impressive due to the challenges caused by heightened security at the airline's hub at the Bandaranaike International Airport in capital Colombo following the April 21 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 250 people.
National News
Rajnath Singh to chair Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is to chair the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs in the second term of the NDA government.
- Decisions on all the parliament matters will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
- Apart from these 4 committees, he is also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
Bihar to waive off 50% of Taxes on e-rickshawas
- The announcement was made by the deputy chief minister of state Sushil Kumar Modi.
- 3 cities of Bihar namely Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur are placed among the most 20 polluted cities of the world in a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Seven departments of the state government have collectively prepared an integrated action plan to tackle the menace of pollution in the polluted cities of Bihar.
Bancha, the First Solar Kitchen only Village in India
- Bancha in Betul district in Madhya Pradesh is the first village in India to have zero wooden stoves and almost no use for LPG cylinders with all its 75 houses relying on solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs.
- There are places in India where solar plates are used sporadically for cooking, but with the help of a team from IIT Mumbai, a special solar stove was developed.
- No trees are cut by the villagers now for lighting their stoves.
- The Central government's decision to choose Bancha has changed has set an example which can be replicated to make other villages smoke and pollution free.
Pink Sarathi Vehicles Launched by Karnataka Government
- Karnataka government has launched 'Pink Sarathi' vehicles that are procured by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and it will use the vehicles to attend to the grievances of women passengers in city buses.
- It was launched by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
- The BMTC now has a fleet of 25 Pink Sarathi vehicles fitted with GPS and public announcement systems.
- It will also take on other tasks such as manning traffic movement at bus bays making sure that drivers stop at the designated stops, taking action against bus crew when they fail to close the door once the vehicle is in motion, and ensuring that men are not occupying seats reserved for women.
ASI declared Chaukhandi Stupa as of National Important Monument
- Chaukhandi Stupa, an ancient Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, has been declared as a Monument and Protected Area of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty mound of brick whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal tower.
- It was built to mark the place where Lord Buddha met his first disciples as he traveled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath.
- About the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):
- ASI was formed on 1861 and is headquartered at New Delhi, India.
- It functions under the Ministry of Culture.
India & Portugal to set up National Maritime Heritage Museum
- India has partnered with Portugal to set up a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal in Gujarat.
- Details:
- The Indian Navy will be the stakeholder in the project and the Portuguese Navy will assist as they have experience in it by administering the maritime museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Implementation of the Project:
- In March 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project and the Government of India has allocated a grant for building the maritime museum.
- Partnership and plans for the Museum:
- The initial discussion about the partnership was held during the visit of Portuguese Defence Minister João Gomes Cravinho to India in April 2019.
Bihar to punish Children for abandoning Elderly Parents
- The Bihar State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has approved the proposal to punish sons and daughters, who abandon their elderly parents, with a jail term.
- Such cases will be registered under the non-bail able section after receiving complaints from elderly parents.
- The decision is expected to have a huge impact in society in taking care of the elderly, who are at times neglected or abandoned by their wards.
IRSDC enters into Tripartite Agreement with French Railways & AFD
- 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.
- 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.
- Significance of this Tripartite Agreement:
- 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.
Banking
Interest Rates Reduced RBI by 25 basis Points to 5.75%
- The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced interest rates by 25 basis points to 5.75% with immediate effect amid slowing economic growth and rising global uncertainty, for the 3rd time in a row.
- The reduction is expected to bring down the EMIs on home and auto loans and reduce the debt repayment burden on corporates.
- What is repo rate?
- It is the rate at which the central bank of a country, that is RBI, lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds.
RBI scraps NEFT and RTGS Transaction Charges
- The Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) is meant for large-value instantaneous fund transfers while the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) System is used for fund transfers up to Rs 2 lakh.
- RBI expects the banks to pass on the benefits of this move to customers.
- Also, the RBI has decided to set up a committee to review the charges levied on the use to ATMs as the usage by the public has been growing significantly.
RBI imposed Rs. 2 cr penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Kotak Mahindra Bank for not furnishing information about the dilution of promoter shareholding.
- The penalty was imposed by the RBI in exercise of powers vested in it under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
- About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
- It was established on 1st April 1935.
- The current Governor of RBI is Shaktikanta Das.
Reports
Gujarat tops Annual Fish Production of 7.8 lakh tonnes
- Gujarat topped the country with annual fish production of 7.8 lakh tonnes, followed by Tamil Nadu (7.02 lakh tonnes) and Kerala (6.43 lakh tonnes) according to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
- The Fisheries Resources Assessment Division (FRAD) of CMFRI had collected random sampling data across the state and finalized the provisional figure.
- Fish export in 2018:
- While Cuttlefish (Cephalopods), prawns, Pomfrets, crabs and fishes belonging to the family of Percidae were exported, the protein-rich Sardines and Anchovies were sold in the local markets.
Appointments
| Name of the Person | Designation |
| Tijjani Muhammad-Bande | President of UN General Assembly |
| Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel | Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court |
| Mrutyunjay Mohapatra | Chief of India Meteorological Department (IMD) |
| RK Chibber | Interim Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank |
| Romila Thapar | International Member of the American Philosophical Society |
| Virendra Kumar | Pro-Tem Speaker of Lok Sabha |
| Kassym-Jomart Tokayev | President of Kazakhstan |
| Thawarchand Gehlot | Leader of Rajya Sabha |
