Current Affairs 25th June 2019

Updated : 25-Jun-2019

Current Affairs 25th June 2019 - Important Points

• Vaishno Devi Shrine to have its own Disaster Response Force by -  September 2020
• RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya quits - 6 months before his term
• IOC formally opens new Headquarters in - Switzerland
• Japan gifts Manipur a Peace Museum built on -WWII memories
• 1st Arab nation to get full FATF membership -  Saudi Arabia 
• FIH Series Finals won by -  Indian Women’s Hockey Team

Current Affairs 25th June 2019 - Details

RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya quits - 6 months before his term

Viral Acharya Deputy Governor RBI, has resigned from his post six months earlier the end of his term citing reason as unavoidable personal circumstances.
Acharya, joined Reserve Bank of India on 23rd January 2017 for a 3 years term period, was youngest deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India after economic liberalisation. He may now return to New York University Stern School of Business in August 2020, instead of February 2020.
Key Highlights

• Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral Acharya resignation is 2nd high-profile resignation at
  RBI. In December 2018, Urjit Patel former Reserve Bank of India governor, also resigned about 9
  months prior end of his schedule term citing personal reasons.
• Acharya’s resignation is also noteworthy as he resigned shortly before Bimal Jalan committee is to
  submit its report on whether Reserve Bank of India reserves could be relocated to Centre
  government or not.
• Mr. Acharya, who was in-charge of the monetary policy department, formed a disagreement in
  October 2018 by strongly mentioning to encroachment on autonomy of Apex bank of nation by
  government.
• One of the main tension points he lime-lighted was treatment of Reserve Bank of India reserves.
• Reserve Bank of India is left with only three Deputy Governors including N.S. Vishwanathan, B.P.
  Kanungo and M.K. Jain.
• Dr. Acharya has been differing with Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das in past 2
  Monetary Policy Committee meetings on both growth and inflation.
• In latest monetary policy meeting also, Reserve Bank of India Governor Das and Deputy Governor Acharya differed sturdily on state of fiscal deficit and how to account for that.

Vaishno Devi Shrine to have its own Disaster Response Force by -  September 2020

Mata Vaishno Devi shrine situated in J&K will get an enthusiastic in-house disaster response force
by September 2020. For this purpose, National Disaster Response Force and Shri Mata Vaishno
Devi Shrine Board had inked a MoU in early 2019.
Key Highlights

• The MoU inked between National Disaster Response Force and shrine board in early 2019 was
  keeping in mind hilly terrain of region and stressed the urge for imparting Advanced Disaster
  Management Training to shrine board staff in batches, so as to keep them in state of readiness for
  successfully and sharp responding to any disaster situation.
• The first respondents in case of any possibility will be staffs of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine
  Board.
• The training of board staffs has already started at HQ of 7th battalion of National Disaster
  Response Force in Punjab.
• The Shrine board employees who are fit and have about 15-20 years of service balance will undergo
  this training process. It includes staff from security, medical and assistance wings, sweepers,
  receptionists, salesmen and catering providers and many more.
  Training Undertaken
  National Disaster Response Force is not taking any fees for training of shrine’s board staff that is
  being trained for making sure a quick response in case of any fire/earthquake/landslides or any
  other emergency situation.
  The 6 weeks training of first batch of 25 staff that began on 18th May 2019 is almost heading for
  completion. Now, the shrine board strategies to train 180 employees by September 2020 to
  formulate a dedicated disaster response force for shrine.

The board also strategies to form an Emergency Operation Centre as part of its disaster
preparedness.

IOC formally opens new Headquarters in - Switzerland

On the Olympic Games’ 125th anniversary, International Olympic Committee has officially opened
its new HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland. The inauguration of new HQ comes accurately 125 years
after Olympic Games were revived.
Key Highlights

• The IOC was initiated by Pierre de Coubertin, who was a great visionary and brought together
  complete world together in one peaceful competition.
• The Olympic Games are a symbol of hope and peace for all mankind, to indicate this rooftop of HQ
  takes the shape of a dove which is another universal symbol of peace.
• The Olympic House has been constructed on site of former Olympic HQ, and 95 per cent of old
  materials were reprocessed and recycled.
• The renewable energy provided to building is provided using solar panels on roof and pumps accepting water from Lake Geneva.
• Signature Feature of building is a central staircase connecting together Five Olympic rings. It is
  outlined by architecture firm 3XN of Denmark, the energy-efficient building has secured
  international awards for sustainability.
• It brings more than 500 International Olympic Committee employees together under one roof. The
  new HQ costs 145 million United States Dollars.

Japan gifts Manipur a Peace Museum built on -WWII memories

Japan gifted India’s north eastern state, Manipur, a Museum of Peace constructed on the memories of Battle of Imphal, one of the fiercest battles of World War-II. The inauguration of Imphal Peace Museum marked 75th anniversary of Battle of Imphal.
Key Highlights

• The Imphal Peace Museum was opened at Red Hill which lies around 20 kilometres southwest of
  Imphal, capital of Manipur.
• The museum is sponsored by Nippon Foundation, a private, non-profit grant-making firm based in
  Japan.
• Among the highlights of museum including diaries and other souvenirs of those who returned to
  Japan safely, is a enclosed calligraphy by Shinzo Abe Japan’s PM, which reads heiwa that means
  peace in Japanese.
  Reason behind Red Hill
• Around 70000 Japanese soldiers, alongside those of Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra
  Bose, deceased in battles with British-led Allied forces in areas around Imphal and Kohima from
  March-June 1944.
• The last of these battles was fought at Red Hill in Imphal.
• In 1994 Japanese War Memorial was also constructed at Red Hill to mark 50th anniversary of battle.

1st Arab nation to get full FATF membership -  Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia has become first Arab nation to be approved full membership of Financial Action
Task Force subsequent the Financial Action Task Force’s Annual General Meeting organised in
Orlando, Florida in US.
Saudi Arabia and FATF

• Since November 2004, Saudi Arabia has been a founding member of Middle East and North
  Africa arm of Financial Action Task Force group. At the commencement of 2015, Saudi Arabia had
  got an invitation from Financial Action Task Force as an observer member.
• Now, the kingdom’s agreement came as international money laundering watchdog observed 30th
  anniversary of its first meeting organised in Paris, France in 1989.
• The full membership to Saudi Arabia comes following it was reported that Kingdom had done
  perceptible development for its efforts in implementing Financial Action Task Force’s guiding
  principle.
  More about FATF
• It was found in 1989, with HQ in Paris, France.
• Financial Action Task Force includes 37-member jurisdictions and Two Regional Organisations
  termed Gulf Cooperation Council & European Commission.
• With kingdom becoming a Financial Action Task Force member, the number of permanent members in group is now 39.
• Financial Action Task Force Plenary is Financial Action Task Force’s decision making body which
  meets 3 times/year.

FIH Series Finals won by -  Indian Women’s Hockey Team

India secured the women’s FIH Series Finals Hockey Tournament by beating hosts Japan by 3-1
in summit clash at the Hiroshima Hockey Stadium, Japan.
Key Highlights

• The World No.9 Indian women hockey team had put a hard-fought victory over the Asian
  champions.
• Captain Rani Rampal gave India lead in third minute earlier drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur struck twice
  45th and 60th minutes, late in match to make victory.
• In last minutes of match Gurjit, the top scorer of tournament, scored her 2nd goal of match via
  penalty corner to make it 3-1 and closed the victory for India.
• Kanon Mori scored only goal for Japan in 11th minute.
• By entering final of FIH Series, Indian women’s team have already protected its place in final
  round of 2020 FIH Olympics qualifiers.
  Women’s FIH Series
• The 2018–19 Women’s FIH Series Finals that were organised in June 2019 are second stage of
  2018–19 editions of Hockey Series.
• The occasion witnessed the participation of 24 teams and matches played were 52.
• The venue was in 3 host cities including Hiroshima, Banbridge in Ireland and  Valencia in Spain.
• The top 2 teams from each programme qualified for 2019 FIH Olympic Qualifiers.