Current Affairs 17th June 2019

Current Affairs 17th June 2019 - Important Points

• 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay to be celebrated  from - 25th July 2019
• World’s Highest Weather Stations mounted on - Mt Everest
• Pacific International Billiards Championship secured by -  Peter Gilchrist
• World Blood Donor Day celebrated  on - 14th June 2019
• RBI asks banks to grout ATMs to a structure for Security by - 30th September 2019
• NGO Akshay Patra secured BBC Award  on - 14th June 2019
  Current Affairs 17th June 2019 - Details

20th anniversary of Operation Vijay to be celebrated  from - 25th July 2019

India will be observing this year the 20th anniversary of Operation Vijay, which is also known as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ for more than 3 days from 25th-27th July 2019 at Dras & New Delhi. The day is celebrated to honour victory in Kargil war with pride, honour & inspiration. The day will be celebrated with theme of “Remember, Rejoice & Renew”.
Key Highlights

• To evoke sensation of nationalism & patriotism especially amongst youngsters with programmed nationwide campaigns & also to pay respect to valiant soldiers.
• The Kargil war will forever be remembered for its strategic & tactical surprises, self-imposed national stratagem of restraint & also quickly implemented tri-services military strategy & plans.
• It will also be recollected for determination, courage, daring junior leadership & raw courage of our troops at tactical level.
• The celebrations in National Capital of India had started from 14 July, with the lightning of a Victory Flame from National War Memorial, New Delhi, which will travel across 11 towns & cities, to lastly culminate at Dras, in Kargil District of J&K, wherein the flame will be merged with the eternal flame at Kargil War Memorial, which is constructed by Indian Army.
• On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a Wreath Memorial Ceremony will also be held at site of Kargil War Memorial in Dras to honour brave-hearts who laid down their lives during the Operation Vijay.

World’s Highest Weather Stations mounted on - Mt Everest

The National Geographic Society, a United States based non-profit scientific & educational groups declared successful setting up of world’s highest operating weather stations on Mt Everest. This sett up was part of National Geographic & Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Extreme Expedition to Everest.
Key Highlights

• Climate researchers & the multi-disciplinary team made the history by installing world’s highest operating weather station at Mt Everest’s Death Zone, some other computerized stations on other parts of the mountain.
• These world’s 2 highest working automated weather stations were fitted at Balcony area at 8430m & South Col at 7945m that can endure extreme winds & cold weather. 3 other weather stations were also mounted on Mt Everest at Camp II at height of 6464m, Everest Base Camp at height of 5315m & Phortse at 3810m.
• Balcony area weather station is 1st weather station mounted at elevation of above 8000m thus, it will also be first to sample stratosphere.
• It will provide researchers, climbers, & public with near real-time data about mountain conditions. Each weather station will record information on temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, and wind direction.
• They will also guide researchers’ direct observations to understand jet stream, & will assist them understand how the Himalayas are getting affected by climate alteration.
• Information so collected from these weather stations will benefit communities respond to climate risks that threaten lives & livelihoods of above 1 billion people in region.

Significance
The stations setting up is focused at breaking new grounds in monitoring & understanding of climate change as they will assist continuously monitor upper reaches of atmosphere, which is critical to tracking & predicting weather patterns worldwide.

Pacific International Billiards Championship secured by -  Peter Gilchrist

Multiple times world champion Peter Gilchrist beaten India’s Sourav Kothari in final to secure the 2019 Pacific International Billiards Championship played at the Yarraville Club in Melbourne, Australia.

Key Highlights

• Controlling WBL world billiards champion from Kolkata, Sourav Kothari lost an end-to-end title against expert Peter Gilchrist of Singapore who won the 2019 Pacific International Billiards Championship with an impressive display.
• Kothari entered into the final of Pacific International Billiards after securing over Dhvaj Haria in Semi-Final match. But in final match, Peter Gilchrist was at his best to tame Indian cueist with 1500-706.
• With this victory, Gilchrist retaliated his 2018 WBL World Billiards Championship defeat in the finals in Leeds in England, United Kingdom.
• In early June 2019, Kothari become the 1st Indian billiard player to secure a Triple Crown programme by catching the International Reventon Classic Snooker Championship, a Triple Crown programme of Australia.

Did you know?

He is a 50-year-old English-born Singaporean English billiards player who won World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association World Championships in 1994, 2001 & in year 2013. He clutches the world record for highest break in billiards, which is 1346, under modern rules, at New Zealand Open Billiards Championships in year 2013.

RBI asks banks to grout ATMs to a structure for Security by - 30th September 2019

The RBI has enquired banks to make sure their ATMs are mortared to a structure preferably wall, pillar/floor by 30th September 2019 in a move to improve security of cash vending machines.

Key Highlights

In October 2016, Reserve Bank of India had formed a Committee on Currency Movement, under the chairmanship of D K Mohanty, Reserve Bank of India’s ED to review the whole gamut of security of treasure in transit. Based on the sanctions of Mohanty panel, Reserve Bank of India has now released guidelines focused at augmenting security & mitigating risks in Automated Teller Machines operations.

Key Sanctions

• All Automated Teller Machines shall be mortared to a structure, wall or pillar or floor, by end of September 2019, except for those Automated Teller Machines which are mounted in highly secured premises/places which have adequate CCTV coverage & are guarded by state/central security personnel.
• As part of security actions undertaken by the central bank all Automated Teller Machines shall be working for cash replenishment only with digital One Time Combination locks.
• Banks may also roll-out a comprehensive e-surveillance mechanism at Automated Teller Machines to make sure timely alerts & quick response.
• These newly suggested measures are to be implemented by banks shall be in addition to current directions, practices & direction released by Reserve Bank of India & other law enforcement agencies.
• Reserve Bank of India has also advised all banks that non-adherence of timelines and non-observance of these guidelines would result into regulatory action including levy of strict consequence.

World Blood Donor Day celebrated  on - 14th June 2019

The World Blood Donor Day was celebrated worldwide on 14th June 2019. Theme for 2019 was- Safe blood for all.

More about World Blood Donor Day

• In May 2005, during 58th World Health Assembly, ministers of health around the world universally announced their commitment & support towards voluntary blood donation & with resolution WHA58.13, they elected World Blood Donor Day as a yearly programme which will be organised each year on 14th June.
• Later in 2009, specialists in field of transfusion medicine, policy-makers & non-governmental representatives from more than 40 nations formed Melbourne Declaration, which recognized a goal for all nations to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary blood donors by 2020.
• It is to commemorate the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner on June 14th, 1868. He is known for Development & classification of blood group system, discovery of Rh factor, discovery of polio virus among others. He is also known as the father of transfusion medicine.

Objective behind this day-

To raise awareness about the necessity for regular safe blood donations for ensuring that all individuals or communities have access to reasonable as well as timely supplies of safe & quality-assured blood & all blood products. It is also renowned to thank voluntary blood donors for their life-saving gifts.

The day serves as a significant occasion for all governments, national health authorities & national blood services all around world to provide satisfactory infrastructures so as to upsurge collection of blood from regular unpaid blood donors.

NGO Akshay Patra secured BBC Award  on - 14th June 2019

Akshaya Patra, a Bengaluru-based NGO running one of the world’s largest school meals project in India was presented British Broadcasting Corporation, World Service Global Champion Award for the program.

The Akshaya Patra Non-Governmental Organisation was nominated by an international panel of judges from recommendations sent in by British Broadcasting Corporation World Service audience worldwide. The Award was bestowed to Akshaya Patra at the British Broadcasting Corporation Food & Farming Awards in Bristol in London, United Kingdom.

More about Akshaya Patra’s School Meals Project

• Akshaya Patra Foundation is a Non-profit Organisation in India was initiated by Madhu Pandit Dasa in 2000. Since its founding it is running mid-day meal program across India. Almost 20 years ago, it begun with delivering 1500 free school lunches every day & currently, it feeds 1.75 million children all over India with freshly cooked meals.
• With the motto of-Unlimited Food for Education, its specified mission is to make sure that no child is underprivileged of education because of hunger.
• For many children, Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal program will be their chief source of nutrition & keep them in education.