Current Affairs 8th June 2018

Current Affairs 8th June 2018 - Important Points

• Election Commission launches its online RTI Portal on - 6th June 2018
• EFC extended timeline of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project to 2020 on - 7th June 2018
• Coast Guard interceptor ship commissioned on - 7th June 2018
• World Oceans Day 2018 observed across the world on - 8th June 2018
• Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated Jammu &Kashmir sportspersons on - 7th June 2018

Current Affairs 8th June 2018 -  Details

Election Commission launches its online RTI Portal on - 6th June 2018

The Election Commission of India released an online Right to Information web Portal to benefit claimants looking forward data under the Right to Information Act, on June 6 th , 2018.
Chief Election Commissioner O.P.Rawat, Election Commissioners Sunil Arora and Ashok Lavasa witnessed the occasion.
Key Highlights

• The web portal can be retrieved by the general public on the commission's website “eci.nic.in”.
• There is also online payment link for making payment of requisite-fees under the Right to Information Act.
• The web portal also enables online reply to applications and also for making the 1st petition and replying to the similar.
• In-time notification alarms will also be sent to Right to Information applicant via SMS and e-mail.
• The online Right to Information applications filled in the past in the portal of DOPT were downloaded and all such submissions barring a few have been disposed of with an appropriate reply to the applicants.
• The outstanding applications and 1st appeals will be disposed of shortly.
  Significance
• The web portal would be supportive for applicants looking forward data from the Commission under the Right to Information Act.
• Though the online portal has been announced, the offline method of applications will remain as earlier.

Coast Guard interceptor ship commissioned on - 7th June 2018

The Indian Coast Guard introduced an interceptor boat- Indian Coast Guard Ship C-439 at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, on June 7th , 2018. The ICGS C-439 was introduced by Additional Director General K.Natarajan, Coast Guard Commander of Western Seaboard. The function was witnessed by senior dignitaries from central, state government as well as the armed forces.
Key Features of the boat

• The Indian Coast Guard Ship C-439 is outlined by the Larsen & Toubro Marine and Ship Design Division.
• The ship is 27.4 meters long with a displacement of 136 tonnes. It can attain a supreme speed of 45 knots.
• It has complete aluminium-alloy hull for compact weight and is powered by twin water jet propulsion system to facilitate quick response.
• It is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment and medium ranged armament.
  Crew Composition

The ship’s squad consists of 1 officer and 11 workers, all of whom trained to perform coastal surveillance, search & rescue, anti-smuggling operations in close coast less intensity maritime operations.
The ship will work under the operational and administrative control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No 2 Mumbai and will further augment the operational competences to undertake diverse tasks including surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and medical evacuations of the region.

EFC extended timeline of Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project to 2020 on - 7th June 2018

The Expenditure Finance Committee sanctioned the reviewed cost estimate of the Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project for Rs 3466 crore on June 7th, 2018 and protracted time period for conclusion of the project till June 2020. The sanction came at a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Expenditure that was organised to contemplate the proposal of Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for reviewed cost estimate of the Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project.
The meeting was witnessed by officials of Ministry of Power, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, NITI Ayog and Ministry of Environment.
Aim

• It goals to attain rehabilitation of older dams in the nation that may be are in necessity of attention for ensuring their structural safety and operational competence.
• The project also goals to fortify the institutional capacity and project management in this area.
• To permit the same, the project has been involved in bringing greater mindfulness on dam safety matters and finding innovative solutions by pooling the best technologies, knowledge and experience available worldwide.
  Implementing Agencies:
•  Kerala Water Resources Department.
•  Kerala State Electricity Board
•  MP Water Resources Department.
•  Orissa Surface Water Resources Department. 
• Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department.
•  Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation.

World Oceans Day 2018 observed across the world on - 8th June 2018

The World Oceans Day is celebrated worldwide on June 8th , 2018 to lime light the major part of the oceans in day-to-day life.
World Oceans Day celebrations

• To retell everyone of the major role the seas have in day-to-day life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing maximum of the oxygen that we breathe.
• To notify the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean.
• To progress an international movement of inhabitants for the ocean.
• To activate and unite the world’s population on a development for the sustainable management of the around the world's oceans. They are a foremost source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere.
• To celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the potential of the ocean.
• The UNs General Assembly via its resolution 63/111 of December 5th , 2008 selected 8 th June as the World Oceans Day.
• The notion of a World Oceans Day was 1st planned in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to observe world’s shared ocean and to advance awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives.
• The United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea actively organizes various activities of the World Oceans Day.

Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated Jammu &Kashmir sportspersons on - 7th June 2018

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh honoured sports-persons inSrinagar, J&K, on 7th June 2018.
Key Highlights:

• On June 7 th , 2018, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Srinagar on his 2 days visit
  to Jammu & Kashmir.
• He joined the sports meeting in Srinagar where more than 3,000 sportspersons, students
  and concerned people took part.
• The sports-persons who were honoured during the function include Parvez Rasool for cricket, Manzoor Ahmad Pandav for cricket, Mehraj Uddin Wadoo for football, Real Kashmir Club for football, Ms Palak Kaur and Ms Balween Kaur for the gymnastics.
  National parks in J&K:
  1. Hemis National Park
  2. Kazinag National Park
  3. Kishtwar National Park