Important Current Affairs 3rd June 2018

• Deccan Queen completes 88 years of service
  • India’s first superfast train, Deccan Queen express from Mumbai to Pune has completed 88 years on June 1, 2018.
  • Also known as ‘Queen of Deccan’ the train started on June 1, 1930.
  • This was the first deluxe train introduced on the railway to serve 2 important cities of the region.

  
  
• Conference of Governors, LGs 
  • A two day Conference of Governors and Lieutenant Governors (LGs) will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan from 4th June.
  • This will be the 49th such Conference which will be presided by President Ram Nath Kovind.
  • The first Conference of Governors was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1949. It was presided over by C. Rajagopalachari, then the Governor General of India.

  
  
• US vetoes Arab-backed UN draft resolution
  • The United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for measures to protect the Palestinians.
  • Ten countries including China, France and Russia voted in favor of the draft put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries at the Security Council.
  • Four countries Britain, Ethiopia, the Netherlands and Poland abstained.

  
  
• Egypt Prez sworn in for 2nd term in office
  • In Egypt, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in for a second four-year term in office.
  • Sisi won 97% of valid votes in the March presidential election.
  • Sisi ousted Egypt’s first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi and won his first term in 2014 with an overwhelming majority of the vote.

  
  
• Cuba, US to restore direct postal service
  • Cuba and the US have agreed to permanently restore the direct postal service between the two countries.
  • This service allows the postal delivery of mail, parcels, and express courier deliveries on direct flights between Cuba and the United States, and through post offices in both countries.
  • The direct postal service between the two neighbouring nations was suspended by Havana in 1968.

  
  
• Sushma Swaraj to visit South Africa
  • External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has left for South Africa on a five-day visit.
  • During the visit, Mrs Swaraj is expected to have meetings with top leadership of South Africa.
  • The Minister will participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on 4th and chair the IBSA Foreign Ministers Meeting.

  
  
• Indian Navy sends ship to Socotra island
  • Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Nistar’ to evacuate 38 stranded Indians around Socotra island located close to the horn of Africa between the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
  • The Navy has already deployed its ship INS Sunayna as part of the ‘operation Nistar’ to evacuate the Indians.
  • Indian seafarers have been stranded due to Cyclone Mekunu.

  
  
• Maharashtra govt unveils ‘sandbox’
  • The Maharashtra Government has announced the opening up of a ‘sandbox’ to boost start-ups.
  • Sandbox is seen as a safe zone to test financial innovation which sees a limited rollout of new products to select customers.
  • Reserve Bank panel had recommended introducing a “regulatory sandbox” to foster financial technology innovation.

  
  
• Nasscom to set up cyber security CoE 
  • The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), an arm of the Nasscom, has signed an agreement with the Telangana government to set up the Centre of Excellence for cyber security.
  • The CoE will accelerate Telangana’s cyber security momentum and make the State a hub for cyber security in the next 5 years.
  • This CoE will help increase State’s cyber security preparedness.

  
  
• Successful launch of observation satellite
  • China successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite which will be mainly used in agricultural resources research and disaster monitoring.
  • A scientific experiment satellite named Luojia-1 was sent into space at the same time.
  • The Gaofen-6 satellite was launched on a Long March-2D rocket.

  
  
• Env ministry to have resource efficiency cell
  • The Environment Ministry signed an MoU with TERI for setting up a resource efficiency cell.
  • The MoU to set up the cell at the ministry aims to provide mainstream resource efficiency in public policy.
  • An industry consortium on ‘Waste-Proofing the Future’ to identify the institutional and policy interventions needed to sustainably manage waste was also launched at the event.

  
  
• Andhra introduces scheme for natural farming
  • The Andhra Pradesh government launched a Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) scale-out scheme, aimed at benefitting around six million farmers by 2024.
  • The state agriculture department also signed a MoU in this regard, with the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF).
  • The SIFF will extend financial and investment support to the farmers.

  
  
• Infosys completes acquisition of WongDoody
  • The country’s second largest IT services firm Infosys has completed the acquisition of US-based WongDoody.
  • WongDoody Holding Company is a US-based digital creative and consumer insights agency.
  • WongDoody has clients across industries like telecommunications, consumer electronics, healthcare and consumer packaged goods.
  • WongDoody is headquartered in Seattle and has an office in Los Angeles.

  
  
• EESL, Telangana partner to adopt E-mobility
  • Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) signed up to lease electric vehicles and install EV chargers.
  • The vehicles will be procured by EESL under the Centre’s National E-Mobility Programme.
  • This will not only reduce the costs of hired cars, but also substantially reduce emissions.

  
  
• Lamar Gets His Pulitzer Prize for ‘DAMN’
  • Kendrick Lamar received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN”.
  • Lamar became the first nonclassical or jazz musician to win a Pulitzer for music.
  • Lamar had also notched four Grammys including best rap album this year for “DAMN”.

  
  
• Tata Motors inks MoU to deploy 1,000 EVs
  • Tata Motors has inked a pact with Maharashtra government to deploy 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) from its range of passenger and commercial vehicles across the state.
  • Tata Motors along with Tata Power will also facilitate setting up of EV charging stations in the Maharashtra.
  • The MoU boosts the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy, 2018.

  
  
• Giuseppe Conte sworn in as Italian PM
  • Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government.
  • Conte will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.
  • The first populist coalition in a founding EU member has raised concerns in some European quarters.

  
  
• Padma Shri award given to Tommy Koh
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the Padma Shri award, one of India’s highest civilian awards, to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh in Singapore.
  • Koh was among 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) receipts of the prestigious award.
  • Koh has served as Singapore’s ambassador to the US and the UN.

  
  
• Odisha govt launches health insurance scheme
  • The Odisha government launched a health insurance scheme, called “Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana”. for working journalists.
  • In the first phase, as many as 3,233 working journalists will get health insurance coverage up to Rs 2 lakh a year.
  • At least five members of the journalists family will be covered under the scheme.
  • The scribes will get their health insurance card.

  
  
• Pedro sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister
  • Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez has been sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister by King Felipe VI.
  • Spain is the eurozone’s No. 4 economy and an influential member of the European Union (EU).
  • Mr. Sanchez (46) is Spain’s seventh Prime Minister since the return to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975.