Current Affairs 2nd June 2015

Current Affairs 2nd June 2015 - Important Points

• Who is appointed as President of Uber Technologies Inc's India Operations - Amit Jain

• Who is appointed as Executive Director of RBI - Meena Hemchandra

• First woman President of Mauritius - Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

• Who is scheduled as Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air) - Philipose G Pynumootil

• Who has inked the agreements with Sweden - Pranab Mukherjee

• Who is appointed as Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR - P Kunhikrishnan

• Who is appointed as Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO - S Somanath

• Who is appointed as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO - K Sivan

Current Affairs 2nd June 2015 - Details

Who is appointed as President of Uber Technologies Inc's India Operations - Amit Jain

On 31st May 2015, Amit Jain was appointed as the President of US-based taxi hailing app Uber's India. In this position, Amit will be responsible for running all business strategy, operations, and growth in a market of global strategic importance for Uber.

Earlier to this appointment, Jain was sertving as the president of a property portal in the US named Rent.com.

About Uber

In 2013, Uber cab service was launched in India and today outside the United States it has largest market in India by providing millions of consumers with a safe, dependable and appropriate mode of transport.

Who is appointed as Executive Director of RBI - Meena Hemchandra

On 1st June 2015, Meena Hemchandra was appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In the role of ED, she will look after Department of Non-Banking Supervision, Department of Co-operative Banking Supervision and Department of Banking Supervision.

She has replaced Chandan Sinha, who will now look after Financial Markets Regulation Department (including Market Intelligence), Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Foreign Exchange Department and Department of Information Technology.

Earlier to this appointment, Hemchandra was in charge of Department of Supervision. She has also been served as the Principal of the Pune's Reserve Bank’s College of Agricultural Banking.

First woman President of Mauritius - Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

On 1st June 2015, The Government of Mauritius announced Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as new President of the Indian Ocean island nation.

Ameenah will be the first woman to hold the ceremonial position of President of Mauritius. She is an internationally-renowned scientist and biologist. Now the parliament will approve her appointment which is expected to be done by 4th June 2015.

After final nod from the Parliament, Ameenah will be the first female president of the nation, which gained independence from Britain in 1968.

Who is scheduled as Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air) - Philipose G Pynumootil

On 1st June 2015, Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil was appointed as the Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air). Earlier to this appointment, Pynumootil served as the Principal Director of Aircraft Acquisition.

Being a Flag officer, he has commanded the Guided Missile Frigate INS Brahmaputra, INS Nashak, the missile corvette INS Kirpan and the 1241 RE corvette. He has flown broadly during Operation Restore Hope, Somalia and Operation Pawan, Sri Lanka.

On 1st January 1986, Pynumootil was commissioned in the Indian Navy. He is an old graduate of the National Defence Academy and Lawrence School, Lovedale. He holds an M Phil degree in Strategic Studies and is a post graduate in Defence Studies.

Who has inked the agreements with Sweden - Pranab Mukherjee

On 1st June 2015, India and Sweden signed 6 agreements to restart the bilateral strategic dialogue and boost ties. In presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, who is on a state visit to Sweden the agreements were inked.

List of agreements/MoUs signed

• Memorandum of Intent (MoI) on cooperation in ageing research and health
• MoI between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), India and the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA)
• Agreement on Visa Exemption for diplomatic passports
• Letter of Intent on Collaboration in Polar and Ocean Research
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development
• MoU on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Who is appointed as Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR - P Kunhikrishnan

On 1st June 2015, P Kunhikrishnan was appointed as the Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR. He has replaced MYS Prasad, who passed away in May 2015.

Prior to this appointment, he was the Deputy Director at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He has made remarkable contributions in the area of Checkout Systems for various Launch Vehicles of ISRO and System level Quality Assurance of Avionics, Electrical Integration .

In June 2010, he was also the Project Director of PSLV Project and has successfully executed 13 PSLV Missions as Mission Director including PSLV-C19 that carried RISAT-1, the heaviest Indian remote sensing satellite launched by PSLV to Sun Synchronous Orbit so far; PSLV-C25 that launched India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft and the four PSLV missions that launched first four satellites of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

SDSC SHAR is located on an island off Sullurupeta, a small town in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh and works under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Who is appointed as Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO - S Somanath

On 1st June 2015, S Somanath was appointed as the Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). LPSC is located at Trivandrum, Kerala and works under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

He has replaced K Sivan, who took over as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). Prior to this appointment, he was an Associate Director (Projects), VSSC as well as Project Director of GSLV Mk-III.

He has specialised in launch vehicle systems and is an expert in a host of disciplines including designing of launch vehicle. He incorporated with PSLV Project during its early development phase and was a team leader for the first and second developmental flights of PSLV.

He has joined GSLV Mk-III Project in 2003 and authored the Project report of GSLV Mk-III (also known as LVM3). Later in 2010, he became the Project Director of GSLV Mk-III.

Who is appointed as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO - K Sivan

On 1st June 2015, K Sivan was appointed as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), an organisation that works under Indian Space Research Organisation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

He took the charge on the day of his appointment and replaced M Chandradathan, who passed away in May 2015. Prior to this appointment, he was the Distinguished Scientist and Director at Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

In 1982, ISRO was joined by Sivan for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Project and has made rich contributions towards end to end mission planning, mission design, mission integration and analysis which have become the foundation for ISRO launch vehicles like Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), GSLV Mk-III, as well as Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator(RLV-TD).

e is the chief architect of 6D trajectory simulation software SITARA which is the backbone of the real time and non real time trajectory simulations of all ISRO launch vehicles. He evolved and executed an innovative way of launching wind biasing strategy which has made possible rocket launch on any day of the year under any weather and wind conditions.