Current Affairs Updates - 23rd June 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 23rd June 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 23rd June 2018 has all the important headlines marked in bold. These have further been explained with some points below in details. Aspirants should go through these to get a clear understanding of the topics involved in such cases. We hope that this article will be of immense help to you as they are important for exams like bank, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL and other clerical examinations. Also, do follow our One Liner GK and Current Affairs along with the Current Affair Quiz on a daily basis.

Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs

B Sriram of SBI appointed MD & CEO of IDBI Bank

• He has been appointed in place of incumbent Mahesh Kumar Jain who was recently named Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

National Affairs

PM lays foundation stone for new, green and modern Vanijya Bhawan to come up at a cost of 226 crore rupees

• Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the construction of Vanijya Bhawan will be completed before December 2019. He added that earlier, construction pace was tardy, but now construction is completed in a pre-determined time frame and full accountability is fixed. PM Modi also said that speedy completion of various works shows the government's commitment.

The Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS), a well-funded start-up in skill development for maritime and shipbuilding sector, has announced setting up of 24 labs -6 in Mumbai and 18 in Vizag campus.

• The labs being set up include Product Design & Validation, Advance Manufacturing, Hull Design, Automation, Welding Technology, Robotics, Virtual Reality, Advance Machine & Robotics, Electrical and several others. 

India raises import duties on agriculture, steel products to protest US tariff hike

• India has increased import duties on some agricultural and steel products that are imported from the United States in retaliation against Washington's new global tariff on steel and aluminium

Dismissing the possibility of any third-party playing a  role in resolving the Kashmir dispute, the United States reiterated that it is for India and Pakistan to determine any discussion on the issue. 

• The US response assumes significance in the wake of Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui’s suggesting trilateral cooperation between India, China and Pakistan under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

In an effort to increase the number of women in senior levels in the Information Technology (IT) industry, Nasscom unveiled its 'Women Wizards Rule Tech' programme for women techies

• This programme is designed to support women who are moving up the career ladder, while also paving the way for potential leaders of the future

NHRC notice to Centre, Haryana, Rajasthan over 'massive deforestation' in Aravallis

• The NHRC has issued notices to the Centre and the governments of Rajasthan and Haryana over reported "massive deforestation" in the Aravalli hills "causing dust storms" in the national capital region.

International Affairs

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich resigns over relationship with employee

• Intel has announced that CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned from the company effective immediately. 

Canada becomes second nation in the world to legalize marijuana

• Canada is only the second country in the world -- and the first G7 nation -- to implement legislation to permit a nationwide marijuana market. In the neighboring US, nine states and the District of Columbia now allow for recreational marijuana use, and 30 allow for medical use.

Defence & Railway News

South Central Railway introduces ‘Train Captain’ service in Venkatadri Express

• Venkatadri Express which started from Kacheguda towards Chittoor became the first train across South Central Railway (SCR) to have a ‘Train Captain’. 

Schemes / Programme

The Gujarat government announced wind-solar hybrid power policy - 2018, aiming to make optimum utilisation of the land and grid.

• The policy, which will have a coverage period of five years, provides encouragement to renewable power producers supplying to the grid as well as to those having captive use.

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom on 21 June said that its subsidiary Nikiret has signed an agreement with Indian engineering services firm Core Energy Systems Pvt Ltd for the promotion of its technical security equipment in India.

• Rosatom, who are the technical consultants and equipment suppliers for the Nuclear Power Corp of India-operated Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, said in a statement here that under the contract, Mumbai-headquartered Core will "buy technical security equipment from Nikiret and promote it in India as an integrated security solution".

India and the United States will hold an inaugural 2+2 dialogue on July 6 in Washington DC to discuss bilateral defense and security cooperation.

• The meeting will focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defence cooperation with respect to the evolving global challenges.

India and Tajikistan have reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations and agreed to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in sustainable water development

• Indian Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is on a two-day official visit to Tajikistan, held wide-ranging talks with Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Muhridin in Dushanbe, with both underlining the need to give further impetus to the ongoing bilateral cooperation in various fields and enhancing mutual cooperation in the area of sustainable water development.

Summit /Conference / Events

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on June 25-26 in Mumbai.

• The two-day event will be held at the Hotel Trident/Oberoi and NCPA. In the past, AIIB annual meetings have been held in Beijing, China, in 2016 and in Jeju, South Korea, in 2017.

7th India Minerals and Metals forum was inaugurated in New Delhi. 

• The forum seeks to come up with solutions to leverage in the sector with the changing global scenario.

Awards & Honours: Sports

Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has received the ‘Sportsperson of The Year’ title at an event organised by sports media brand, Sports Illustrated.

• The 25-year-old was honoured for his stupendous performance in 2017, which included 4 superseries crowns apart from ending the last season as World No. 2.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Syrian child activist Bana Alabed who live-tweeted her experiences in war-torn Syria will be honoured for "defending freedom".

• US-based think tank Atlantic Council said that the nine-year-old used "social media to bring attention to the plight of children in Syria". Alabed also featured on the TIME magazine's list of 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2017.

Master of cinema Martin Scorsese to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Rome Film Fest

• Veteran director Martin Scorsese will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rome Film Fest.

Yoga session at Kota enters Guinness Book of World Records

• Rajasthan witnessed a world record by conducing the largest yoga session to mark the 4th International Yoga Day at Kota where over one lakh people together performed the yogic exercises. 

Obituary 

Charles Krauthammer, conservative commentator and Pulitzer Prize winner, dead at 68

• His death had been expected after he wrote a heartbreaking letter to colleagues, friends and viewers on June 8 that said in part “I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months. 

Five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson dies at 88

• Hailed as a hero to some and as golf royalty to others, Peter Thomson, a five-time winner of the British Open and the only player in the 20th century to win the tournament for three straight years, died Wednesday. He was 88.