Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2019

Notes:
The 16th Asia Media Summit 2019 has started in Siem Reap, Cambodia on June 12. The theme of the summit this year is Media Digitisation with a focus on developing markets. Over 600 delegates from 42 countries are participating in the 3-day summit which is hosted by the Ministry of Information, Cambodia in partnership with Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). One of the highlights of the summit is a round table among CEOs of broadcasting networks which will discuss digitisation and its impact on media credibility. The Asia Media summit is one of the leading international broadcasting events. It gives the opportunities to Information Ministers, broadcasters, media practitioners, industry leaders, academia, researchers, experts and media policymakers throughout the globe to gather and discuss on developing media’s quality and to cope with challenges during the times of high technological revolution.

Notes:
Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, has been appointed the Leader of the House for the Rajya Sabha. He will replace senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley who opted out of the government citing health reasons. Gehlot is an experienced parliamentarian from and a Dalit face of the saffron party. He was a member of the Madhya Pradesh state assembly for several terms and has served in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Railways and Commerce Piyush Goyal will take charge as the Deputy Leader for the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. The Rajya Sabha has been convened to meet for the Budget Session from 20 June, the day President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of Parliament. The session will continue till 26 July. In all, there will be 27 meetings of the upper house of the Parliament.

Notes:
The Sashakt Committee, headed by PNB non-executive chairman Sunil Mehta, has recommended changes in existing Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) to incorporate revised voting threshold and other changes for decision making stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It will enable expeditious implementation of the new framework on stressed assets. Under the RBI’s new framework, it is a mandatory requirement for lenders to enter into an Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) during the review of the borrower account within 30 days from date of first default to any lender. The New Framework further lays down some parameters to be included in the Inter-Creditor Agreement including decision-making by lenders holding 75% (by value of total outstanding facilities) and 60% by number and protection of dissenting lenders. The Inter-Creditor Agreement is required to be executed by all lenders covered under the New Framework and asset reconstruction companies. The New Framework applies to all banks, term financial institutions, small finance banks, systemically important non-deposit taking non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) as well as deposit taking NBFCs.

Notes:
Dr. I V Subba Rao, a 1979 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh, will continue as secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on a contract basis in the rank and pay of a secretary of the Government of India (GoI). His tenure will be co-terminus with the tenure of the vice president.

Notes:
The ‘Mela Kheer Bhawani’ is one of the biggest religious festivals of the displaced community of Kashmiri pundits, and is associated with Hindu Goddess Ragnya Devi. It is recently celebrated with religious fervor and gaiety at Tulmulla area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Kupwara with thousands of Pandith devotees participated in the function. The annual festival is held on Jesht Ashtami (May-June) when Kashmiri pandits visit the place in large number to offer prayers to seek the blessings of the deity. The devotees carry rose petals, walk barefoot and offer tribute to the goddess, and also offer milk and kheer (pudding) at the sacred spring. It is believed that the colour of the water in the spring, which flows below the temple, is an indication of the valley’s well-being. Black or darkish colour of the water is believed to be a sign of inauspicious times for Kashmir. However, the water in the spring this time was clean and milky white. The mela has become a symbol of communal harmony as Muslims in the locality make all the arrangements for the devotees, including setting up of stalls for flowers and other offerings.

Notes:
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has decided to confer its Distinguished Alumni Award to Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The award will be presented at JNU’s third convocation to be held in August. Ms Sitharaman had completed her MA and M Phil degrees while Mr Jaishankar completed his M Phil and doctoral research form JNU.

Notes:
India is one of the founder members of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and is the Chair of Kimberley Process for the year 2019 with Russian Federation as Vice Chair. The Inter-sessional meeting of Kimberley Process (KP) is being hosted by India from 17th to 21st June, 2019 in Mumbai. Besides meetings of different Working Groups and Committees of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), two special forums regarding Diamond Terminology and Artisanal Mining – Small Steps to Larger Outcomes, will be held during the Intersessional. Around 300 delegates from the Government of India (GoI) and other participating countries, industry and civil society will be attending the 5-day Meeting. At present, KPCS has 55 members representing 82 countries including EU with 28 members.

Notes:
The Kargil Vijay Diwas (KVD) is celebrated every year on July 26 to commemorate India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan. The day is named after the success of Operation Vijay. In 2019, India will celebrated the 20th anniversary of victory in Kargil war with pride, honour and inspiration from 25th to 27th of July at Dras and New Delhi. The Kargil War is a saga of strong political, military and diplomatic actions. The purpose of these celebrations is to evoke feeling of nationalism and patriotism through nationwide campaigns especially amongst youth and to pay homage to the valiant soldiers. This year, the Kargil Vijay Diwas (KVD) is being celebrated with the theme ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’. It will always be remembered for its strategic and tactical surprises, the self-imposed national strategy of restraint in keeping the war limited to Kargil – Siachen Sectors and swiftly executed tri-services military strategy and plans.

Notes:
The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed on the 15th of June every year to voice opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted on elderly people. According to the United Nations (UN), around 1 in 6 older people experience some form of abuse. It is predicted to rise as population’s age worldwide. Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences. It is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world. It is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations. The global population of people aged 60 years and older will more than double, from 900 million in 2015 to about 2 billion in 2050.

Notes:
The Autistic Pride Day (APD) is observed every year on 18th of June to recognise the importance of pride for autistics and understands it not as a disease but as a difference. Autism or Autism Spectrum Disability is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, restrictive and repetitive pattern of behaviour. It is a lifelong condition which usually occurs in the first three years of life. The exact cause of autism is not known but it is known to be associated with genetic and environmental factors. Autistic Pride Day was initiated by Aspies For Freedom, a group that raises public awareness about autism rights.