NATIONAL West Bengal Santragachi-Chennai Central Antyodaya Express A new Antyodaya train Santragachi - Chennai Central Antyodaya Express (Weekly) flagged off from Kolkata will provide better connectivity to East & South India. Haryana 15-day paternity leave for government employees The Haryana government has announced a 15-day paternity leave to all male government employees. The move makes Haryana the first state to grant paternity leaves to its employees. INTERNATIONAL First driving licences to women Saudi Arabia began issuing its first driving licences to women in decades. Singapore re-sanctifies 148-year-old Hindu temple The Sri Krishnan Temple was established in 1870 in Waterloo Street, which was then known as Church Street. Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran and priests flown in from India led some 10,000 devotees at a ceremony to re-sanctify a 148-year old Hindu temple. SCIENCE First inorganic blue in 200 years 1
YInMn Blue or Mas blue, an inorganic blue pigment that was accidentally discovered by Professor M A Mas Subramanian in the year 2009, has today become a billion-dollar product. YInMn Blue stands for yttrium, indium oxide and manganese. YInMn Blue is chemically stable, does not fade, and is non-toxic. BUSINESS & ECONOMY World saw largest rise in renewable energy capacity in 2017 Renewable power accounted for 70 per cent of net additions to global power generating capacity in 2017, the largest such increase in modern history. China, Europe and the US accounted for nearly 75 per cent of global investment in renewables in 2017. India gets cheapest LNG from Russia s Gazprom India received its cheapest LNG under a long-term deal as Russia began shipping natural gas at a delivered price of close to $7 per million British thermal unit. MOU, AGREEMENTS & CABINET APPROVALS MoU for the Development of Ayush Enterprises Ministry of MSME and Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU in the presence of the Ministers of AYUSH and MSME in New Delhi. The objective of this partnership is to position India as a world leader in Holistic Healthcare. SUMMITS & CONFERENCES Two-day Conference of Governors and Lt. Governors The two-day Conference of Governors and Lt. Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan with the inaugural address of the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. 2
This is the 49 th such Conference held in Rashtrapati Bhavan and the second Conference presided over by President Kovind. Informal Gathering of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministers Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu, attended an Informal Gathering of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministers in Paris on 31 May 2018. Twenty-Eight (28) member countries of the WTO and the Director General of the WTO attended the informal meeting. BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting The External Affairs Minister will participate in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers Meeting on June 4, 2018 which is expected to lay the foundation for the annual summit of the grouping in Johannesburg next month and chair the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Foreign Ministers Meeting. DEFENCE Exercise Malabar 2018 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar, off Guam, USA from 07 to 16 June 2018, will have the participation of navies from India, the US and Japan. The Indian Navy will be represented by the two indigenously designed and built ships, the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and Anti- Submarine Warfare corvette, INS Kamorta, Fleet Tanker INS Shakti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I. SCHEMES Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan being implemented in 25 villages in each of the 111 Aspirational Districts from 1st June to 31st July, 2018. 3
Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan undertakes various activities to promote best farming practices and enhance Agricultural income. JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA Government launches JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). Affordable sanitary napkins at Rs. 2.50 per pad now available at over 3600 Janaushadhi Kendras functional in 33 States/UTs across India. Ganga Praharis Ganga Praharis to Boost Bio-Diversity conservation to educate, motivate and ensure protection of aquatic species of river Ganga over Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Around 210 Sensitization Programs, Village Level Meetings, Trainings and Workshops already conducted. Three-Day Campaign for Blue Flag Certification SICOM conceived an integrated coastal management scheme named BEAMS (Beach Management Services). SICOM under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has embarked upon a programme for Blue flag certification of one Blue Flag beach in each of the 13 coastal States /UTs under the World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP). APPOINTMENTS Abdel Fattah al-sisi President of Egypt Akshay Kumar - Brand ambassador for road safety awareness campaign launched by the government SPORTS 3rd Asia Cup International Bridge Championship 4
India will host the 3rd Asia Cup International Bridge Championship starting from June 4-11 in Goa and will see participation from countries including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Japan and Korea. 5