Current affairs notes on 10/06/2018

1.India's first indigenous, long-range artillery gun 'Dhanush' has cleared its final test and is ready to be inducted into the Indian Army. Earlier this month, fifty rounds of shells each were fired from six Dhanush guns, which are reportedly called 'desi Bofors'. The gun also passed the tests in cold, humid, and hot conditions.

2.Eight States and four Union Territories have signed MoUs with the Union Health Ministry to implement the government's ambitious national health protection mission - Ayushman Bharat. Ayushman Bharat aims to provide a cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually to 10 crore vulnerable families. The scheme will be available at the point of service in public and private empanelled hospitals

3.Madhu Seth is Counsellor in the High Commission of India, London, at present. She has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cuba. She will take up the new assignment.

4.Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced setting up of a committee to give recommendations on formation of an Asset Reconstruction Company. The committe will give recommendations in two weeks for faster resolution of stressed accounts. The committee will be formed under Sunil Mehta, non-executive chairman of Punjab National Bank.

5.Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport will become India's first airport to have an automated smart facial recognition system at its entry, security and boarding points. The initiative, which is part of the DigiYatra scheme, will ensure quicker entry into airports by facilitating automated check-ins.

6.Indian and Denmark signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Sustainable and Smart Urban Development. The MoU will create employment in the areas of integrated solid waste management including waste to energy, sustainable transport systems, water and sanitation management, energy efficiency, resource mobilization.

7.India and China signed two bilateral agreements following the meeting between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. The agreements include continuing to share Brahmaputra water data during flood season and exporting non-Basmati rice to China. 

8.Rudrendra Tandon is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1994 batch. He is currently Joint Secretary at Headquarters. He has been appointed as next Ambassador of India to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

9.India and Pakistan will take part in a joint military exercise for the first time courtesy the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The exercise, which is aimed at countering terrorism and will be conducted in Ural region of Russia. Member states of the SCO will participate in the joint military drill 'Peace Mission 2018' to promote mutual trust, cooperation and coordination against terrorist.

10. Faizan Mustafa, VC of NALSAR University analyses Supreme Court’s recent verdict on reservation in promotions.the Supreme Court has given an interim order permitting the Centre to provide reservation in promotionfor SC/ST employee “as per law”.however, the reservations in promotions can be challenged on the basis of conditions laid down by earlier judgements.. According to Article 141, these judgements are law declared by Supreme court and binding on all courts.


11.The UN Security Council has selected Indonesia as a non-permanent member.Indonesia has been elected as a non-permanent member for a two-year term on the Security Council starting on Jan. 1, 2019.other newly elected non-permanent members include Germany, Belgium, Dominican Republic and South Africa.