DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 23RD JUNE 2017
(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1.
RAILWAYS TO LAUNCH OPERATION SWARN TO REVAMP RAJDHANI, SHATABDI TRAINS
i. The Railway Ministry
will launch “Operation Swarn” to improve services in Rajdhani and Shatabdi
Express trains. The move has come as a response to repeated complaints of
deteriorated services, low quality of food and poor sanitation in these trains.
ii. ‘Operation Swarn’
will be conducted in a phased manner. Under the 1st phase, the Mumbai-Delhi
Rajdhani Express and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express have been selected for
upgradation, for which the work will start from September 2017.
ii. An amount of Rs 50
lakh will be allotted to each Shatabdi and Rajdhani train on various routes for
the revamp.
2.
EPFO SIGNS MOU WITH HUDCO UNDER NEW HOUSING SCHEME OF EPF & MP ACT-1952
i. EPFO, a retirement
fund body will sign a pact with the Housing and Urban Development Corp.
ii. Under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana it enables members of its housing scheme to avail subsidy
and interest subvention. According to statement the MoU will be signed in the
presence of Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Housing & Urban Poverty
Alleviation Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
iii. The agreement is
regarding coverage of EPFO subscribers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
iv .It will provide them
various benefits like cheap loans for buying homes. Under the housing scheme,
the Employees Provident Fund Organisation allows its subscribers from societies
for withdrawing up to 90% of their EPF accumulations to buy homes.
3.
UTTARAKHAND AND HARYANA DECLARED 4TH AND 5TH ODF STATES IN THE COUNTRY
i. Uttarakhand &
Haryana have become the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free state in the country
which was announced by Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar .
ii. Earlier, Himachal
Pradesh, Sikkim and Kerala had declared themselves Open Defecation Free.
iii. Uttarakhand’s 13
districts, 95 blocks, 7,256 gram panchayats and 1,5751 villages, while Haryana
has 21 districts, 124 blocks, and 6,083 gram panchayats have declared as open
defecation free.
4.
2017 BIO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION HELD IN US
i. 2017 Biotechnology
Innovation Organization International Convention was held in the San Diego
Convention Centre, San Diego, US.
ii. Indian delegation
taking part in 2017 BIO International Convention, was led by Minister of State
for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Y S Chowdary.
iii. Y S Chowdary also
released a 60-page India Biotech Handbook 2017, showcasing the strengths of
India’s fast-growing $42 billion Bio-Economy.
5.
RBI ANNOUNCES NAMES OF MEMBERS OF OVERSEEING COMMITTEE
i. Reserve Bank of India
announced names of the members of Overseeing Committee which was given an
expanded mandate after the promulgation of the new NPA ordinance.
ii. OC earlier was a
2-member committee consisting of former State Bank of India chairman Janki
Ballabh and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar.
iii. Another 3 members
have been added – former Canara Bank chairman MBN Rao, former L&T Finance
Holdings Chairman YM Deosthalee and SEBI whole time member S Raman whose
appointment will be effective from 7th Sept, 2017.
iv. Pradeep Kumar has
been named as the chairman of this 5-member committee.
6.
ANTI-HUNGER HERO ANKIT KAWATRA TO BE HONOURED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
i. Anti-hunger activist
Ankit Kawatra has been selected for prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award
with 60 others from all 53 Commonwealth countries.
ii. He will be honoured
by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony to be held in the Buckingham Palace, UK.
iii. The Queen’s Young
Leader Award recognises and celebrates exceptional people aged 18-29 from
across the Commonwealth, who are taking the lead in their communities and using
their skills to transform lives.
7.
KENNETH I JUSTER SET TO BECOME AMERICA’S NEW AMBASSADOR TO INDIA
i. Kenneth I Juster is
set to be America’s new ambassador to India. Kenneth I Juster is a 62-year-old
who is the Deputy Assistant to the US president for International Economic
Affairs and Deputy Director of his National Economic Council.
ii. Kenneth I Juster
would replace Richard Vermaif. According to the Walters Ken has been selected
for this post because Ken has a strong and positive relationship with everyone
in the White House, including the president.
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS BASED
ON TODAY’S NEWS
Q1.
WHICH OPERATION WILL BE LAUNCHED BY INDIAN RAILWAYS TO IMPROVE SERVICES IN
RAJDHANI AND SHATABDI EXPRESS TRAINS?
a) ’Operation Swarn’
b) ’Operation Clean-up’
c) ’Operation New Look’
d) ’Operation Swachh’
Q2.
WHICH ENTITY SIGNED A MOU WITH HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR
FACILITATING “HOUSING FOR ALL BY 2022″?
a) FICCI
b) NABARD
c) EPFO
d) SIDBI
Q3.
WHICH AMONG THE FOLLOWING HAS BECOME 3RD INDIAN STATE TO BE ‘OPEN DEFECATION
FREE’?
a) Telangana
b) West Bengal
c) Kerala
d) Gujarat
Q4.
2017 BIOTECHNOLOGY INNOVATION ORGANIZATION INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION WAS HELD
IN?
a) Germany
b) US
c) China
d) UK
Q5.
KENNETH I JUSTER, IS SET TO BE _______ NEW AMBASSADOR TO INDIA?
a) France’s
b) UK’s
c) Russia’s
d) US’s
ANSWERS:
1 - A 2 - C 3 - C 4
- B 5 - D
