1.SBI launches
online forex platform
i)State
Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank, has launched SBI eforex, an
Internet-based platform that enables customers to book their foreign exchange
transactions online.
ii)
This smart platform facilitates the customers of the bank to obtain forex rates
without having to physically visit the branch.
iii)
SBI eforex is an innovative platform incorporating robust security features and
is designed to be user-friendly, fast and convenient. It is a highly flexible
product offering the facility to the customers to customise and set their own
limits for deal size, daily transaction limits etc. Details of all deals done
are made available to the users on a real-time basis.
iv)
Under the forex segment, SBI had recently launched 'Fx Out' which enables
sending of foreign currency remittances from any its branches in India.
2.Gandhi medals to
mark his 33 years of freedom struggle
i)
Now among the various Gandhi souvenirs and memorabilia that has been sold and
collected for over the past half a century, will be added a set of
limited-edition medallions highlighting milestones in his 33 years (1914-1947)
of freedom struggle.
ii)
Alok Goyal, a Kolkata-based numismatic dealer, has created a series of medals
on Father of the Nation. So far, he has marketed five such medals beginning
with Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1914.
iii)
The sixth in the series to will hit the market on June 20 to commemorate 75
years of Netaji's last meeting with Gandhiji before leaving India in early
1941. Each of the series will have just 500 medals and are being sold at Rs.
1,000 a piece.The next two in the series would be on Gandhi-led civil
disobedience movement and the movement against untouchablility.
iv)Goyal-designed
Gandhi medals were being manufactured a private German mint. He earlier had
marketed commemorative coins with divine icon of Lord Venkateswara, in
association with a Lichenstein company Coin Invest Trust and under a license
from the Republic of Palau.
3.China and
Australia formally sign free trade agreement
i)China
and Australia have signed a trade agreement that is set to increase market
access for Australian beef and wine exporters while boosting Chinese carmakers
and electronics producers who wish to sell their goods to Australians.
ii)
One flashpoint is the inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)
clause, which grants foreign companies the right to sue governments for
breaching commitments in such agreements.
The
Australian union movement has also raised concerns about the access to be
granted to Chinese citizens under labour market provisions.
iii)
The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the agreement would give each
nation “unprecedented access to each other’s markets” and pointed to the
reduction in tariffs imposed on trade.
“It
removes barriers to Australian agricultural exports across a range of products,
including beef, dairy, lamb, wine, horticulture and seafood,”
4.India offers
Tanzania expertise in natural gas sector
i)
India on Friday offered its expertise to Tanzania in development of its
potentially rich natural gas sector and decided to extend e-tourist visa to
people of the African nation even as the two countries signed eight MoUs to
expand engagements in diverse areas.During extensive talks Prime Minister
Narendra Modi had with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, both the
countries also decided to establish a Joint Working Group to strengthen
cooperation in counter terrorism.
ii)The
MoUs signed included a loan agreement between Exim Bank and Tanzanian
government on a line of credit for $ 268.35 million for extension of a pipeline
project and cooperation in the field of hydrology, tourism and
agriculture.India is the largest trading partner of Tanzania in Africa with
bilateral trade in 2013-14 being more than $4 billion.
5.Union Government
launched weather alert service NOWCAST
i)
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched a weather alert service
named NOWCAST.NOWCAST will be used to send SMS alerts on extreme weather data
like hailstorm, thunderstorm and squall originated by India Meteorological
Department (IMD) to over one crore farmers whose mobile numbers are registered
on government’s mKisan portal.Further, the mKisan portal will send warning SMSs
to farmers located in affected district/blocks. These warnings will help the
farmers to take precautionary measures as needed and feasible.
ii)The
SMS will be sent in English, Hindi and regional languages as per farmers’ request.This
technological break-through is a collaborative effort between mKisan Portal
developed by DAC, weather technologies adopted by IMD and GIS Portal of
NIC.
iii)Radha
Mohan Singh also launched Insurance Web-Portals for Farmers
(www.farmer.gov.in/insurance)
that will enable farmers to insure their crops under three schemes.
iv)Prevailing
provisions under which farmers can insure their crops are
•
National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS)
•
Modified National Insurance Scheme (MNAIS)
•
Weather based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS)
Besides,
Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) also is applicable in some parts of the
country.
6.Aakar Patel
appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty International India
i)
Journalist and writer Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty
International (AI) India. He will head AI India’s operations and its efforts to
end human rights abuses in India and worldwide.Patel as the organization’s
chief political advisor, strategist and spokesperson will give direction to its
goal of being an independent, effective, and deep-rooted organization in India.
ii)
Patel’s previous work includes
•
India: Low Trust Society (2015)
•
Rights and Wrongs, a report on the 2002 Gujarat riots which he co-authored
•
Worked as a columnist with publications in India and Pakistan
•
Television and radio work as an independent expert
7.India set for
World Yoga Day on 21 June 2015.
i)
International day of yoga is also called as the world yoga day. United Nations
General Assembly has declared 21st of June as an International Yoga Day on 11th
of December in 2014.Launching a particular date of practicing yoga all across
the world and celebrating as yoga day was initiated by the Indian Prime
Minister to the United Nations General Assembly.
ii)
Official name of this day is UN International Yoga Day and also called as Yoga
Day. It is a worldwide event celebrated by the people of all countries through
practicing yoga, meditation, debates, meetings, discussions, variety of
cultural performances, etc.World Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga would be
celebrated by the people throughout the world first time on 21st of June in
2015, at Sunday.
iii)
In a country-wide campaign, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is
organising yoga sessions for India Inc on Sunday (June 21), the International
Day of Yoga. Thousands of representatives of industry, including CEOs,
employees and family members, are rolling out their yoga mats to participate in
the event.