Current Affairs 10th June 2019

Current Affairs 10th June 2019 - Important Points

• G20 Ministerial summit on Trade and Digital Economy in - Japanese city of Tsukuba
• Space Rocket from Yellow Sea for 1st time launched by - China
• All farmers Cabinet extended by - PM-KISAN
• Sudan, deming end to Military Rule suspended by - African Union 
• Who has been elected as member of American Philosophical Society ? - Romila Thapar
  Current Affairs 10th June 2019 - Details

G20 Ministerial summit on Trade and Digital Economy in - Japanese city of Tsukuba

G20 Ministerial summit on Trade and Digital Economy is being organised from 8th June-9th June 2019 in Japanese city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Tsukuba is Japan’s one of main academic and  research centres.
Key Highlights

• Japan has expected its 1st ever rotating presidency in G20 thus, a series of various ministerial summits are being organised in Japanese cities in 2019. Japan’s presidency will be ending during G20 summit in Osaka on 28th-29th June 2019.
• 2-day summit was led by Masatoshi Ishida, Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications & Hiroshige Seko, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
• Its aim was to debate how economies of G20 nations can promote trade and investment and maximize advantages from development of digital economy and technologies so as to make sure sustainable growth of worldwide economy.
  Feature
• More than 50 Trade and Digital Economy Ministers got together for 1st time in G20 history in Tsukuba, Japan.
• G20 Trade Ministers debates will form part of G20 Summit Leaders agenda in official debates and will also be a part of Summit Declaration.
• The summit debated significance of Digitalization that is anticipated to continue to produce benefits for economies and societies as a whole and will also assist accomplish inclusive, innovative and human-centred future society ‘Society 5.0’.
• Issues concerned to free trade subjugated discussion in summit against backdrop of continuing trade war between USA and China and United States President Donald Trump’s policy of creating trade barriers and  imposing tariffs.

Space Rocket from Yellow Sea for 1st time launched by - China

China released a space rocket termed “Long March 11” from a mobile launch platform in Yellow Sea off Shandong province, China for the 1st time. With this China became third nation after the United States and Russia to efficaciously demonstrate ability to introduce satellites into orbit from a floating platform.
Key Highlights

• In 2003, China became only third nation to have capability of launching humans into space and in early 2019 became 1st nation to land a rover on far side of moon. The Long March rocket 1st flew in 2015, and  this was its seventh launch but was China’s 1st attempt at an offshore launch of rocket into Earth’s orbit.
• The Long March 11 rocket was released by China from a ship organized in Yellow Sea, making it 1st time that China has tested a launch-vehicle at sea.
• This maiden sea release by China has now revealed its ambitious plans to size a research base on lunar surface, send a probe to Mars and build a space station in Earth orbit in future.
• The space rocket took 2 experimental satellites termed Bufeng-1A and Bufeng-1B and 5 commercial ones.
• Launching rockets from sea has a number of benefits over land-based rocket launches, like ability to send off rockets from a variety of locations on Earth, and advantage of reduced costs and risks.
• With sea launches, China now has capability to position satellites from a mobile platform and is latest step in China’s push to become a major space power.

All farmers Cabinet extended by - PM-KISAN

The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has comprehensively stretched ambit of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi to all land holding qualified farmer families who will avail assistances under the scheme, but subject to current exclusion factor.
The revised scheme is believed to cover about 2 crores more farmers and upsurge total coverage of Prime Minister KISAN to around 14.5 crore recipients. It also costs Central Government about Rupees
87217.50 crores for year 2019-20.
Key Features of PM-KISAN

• It was declared in interim Budget for the year 2019-2020 and released on 24 February 2019 in Gorakhpur, UP where the 1st rounds of instalments were paid to various farmers.
• It provides recipient farmers income support of Rupees 6000. This amount is issued in 3-4 monthly
  instalments of Rupees 2000 each over the year. It is issued directly into the bank accounts of the
  recipients organised in destination banks via Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
• The previsions criteria for small and marginal landholder farmer families to gain this benefit was cultivable land holding up to 2 hectares across the nation.
• So far, 1st instalment to 3.11 crore recipients and 2nd instalment to 2.66 crore recipients have been
  released directly to the bank accounts of the farmer families.

Sudan, deming end to Military Rule suspended by - African Union 

The African Union suspended Sudan until formation of a civilian-led transition to democracy and also
demanded to resolve an engrained and bloody crisis. The decision was approved at African Union’s peace and  Security Council summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
Key Highlights

• Since December 2018 Sudan has been rocked with anger done increasing bread prices and shortages, which then became protests against Omar al-Bashir 7th President of Sudan, and concluded in military removing him after a 3-decade rule where he became a pariah in eyes of Western world.
• The military leadership then took control of Sudan after ouster of Omar in April 2019, but it had
  unsuccessful to pass power to civilians.
• The call for action to be taken by AU was mounted after recent military crackdown on protesters
  campaigning outside Army HQ in Sudan’s Capital, Khartoum killed dozens of people. According to a doctors  group about 40 bodies were pulled from rive Nile, taking the total toll to a minimum 108.
• Thus, AU's Peace and Security Council with instant effect postponed involvement of Sudan in all African Union activities until effective formation of a Civilian-led Transitional Authority, as only way to permit Republic of Sudan to exit from present crisis.
• This initiative by African Union intensifies global pressure on Sudan’s new military leaders to stand down after witnessing wickedest violence since Bashir’s fall.
• African Union also advised foreign powers to refrain from interference in Sudan’s affairs. The decision of African Union in Sudan was by endorsed European Union.

Who has been elected as member of American  Philosophical Society ? - Romila Thapar

Eminent historian and writer Romila Thapar has been selected as international member of American
Philosophical Society at its Annual Spring Summit. She is Professor Emerita of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is well known for her careful scholarship on emperor Asoka, epigraphy of Mauryan period, and  revolutionary studies and multiple historiographies surrounding questioned Hindu and Muslim history of Somnath.

She not only comprised contemporary philosophical debates, producing a model of open-minded and  comprehensive history but also advanced both theory and practice of Indian historiography.
Dr.Thapar was among 1013 members selected to American Philosophical Society at its spring 2019
summit. Her American Philosophical Society citation reads- ‘she is the greatest living historian of India’.
More about American Philosophical Society

• It is the oldest learned society in United States of America.
• It was started in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for motive of ‘promoting useful knowledge.’
• It delivers a forum for free exchange of ideas while grabbing conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in best interest of public.