Current Affairs Update 07 July 2018

Current Affairs is an important part for many exams. Be prepared for this section with ByScoop which brings all the important Current Affairs in one place. 07 July 2018.

1st Meeting of e-Commerce Task Force Held in New Delhi

The first meeting of the task force on e-commerce was chaired by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia in New Delhi on July 6.

The task force has been set up to recommend a framework for comprehensive national policy on e-commerce.
The meeting was held to take inputs for the proposed policy framework for the sector from suggestions provided by other Ministries and Departments, for which the meetings was held in June 2018 on wide-ranging issues such as cross-border data flows, taxation, trade facilitation, logistics, FDI and competition issues.
The government had in April begun the exercise to frame a national policy on e-commerce, with a think-tank constituted on the issue under the chairmanship of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu. It was decided to set up a task force in the first meeting of the think tank, on the framework for national policy on e-commerce.

JEE Main, NEET to be conducted twice a year by NTA

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that JEE (Mains) and NEET examinations will be conducted twice a year. JEE (Mains)- January and April; NEET- February and May.
National Testing Agency will conduct NEET, JEE, UGC NET and CMAT exams from now. Earlier, the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) was the nodal agency responsible for conducting JEE Main and NEET examinations.

Nagpur gets Rly’s first state-of-the-art air-conditioned MEMU

The Railways has dispatched its first state-of-the-art air-conditioned commuter train to Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The stainless steel-bodied mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU) has been developed by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. It features 3-phase on-board electrics and modular toilets in every coach.
As many as 139 people can sit in each coach, while the ‘standing capacity’ is 412. This MEMU train can carry upto 2,402 passengers.

Sambalpur Division becomes the first to eliminate all unmanned Level Crossing Gates in Indian Railways

With the aim of eliminating all unmanned Level Crossing Gates over Sambalpur Division, East Coast Railway launches highest ever 6 (six) Limited Height Subways (LHS) in Sambalpur Division and completed it in a single block of four and half hours on 5^th July, 2018.
Launching of 6 Limited Height Subways in Sambalpur Division is a first of its kind not only in East Coast Railway, but also in the entire Indian Railways. In view of the launching of six Limited Height Subways, seven unmanned Level Crossing gates will be totally closed in Bhawanipatna-Lanjigarh Road Section of Kalahandi area of Odisha.

International Round Table Conference on “Data for New India’’ to be held in New Delhi

The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will organise a two-day International Round Table Conference at New Delhi during 9-10^th July, 2018.
The objective of the Round Table Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced countries like Canada, UK and Australia. Such a Conference is being organized in India for the first time.

AIFs cannot convert open-ended plans into closed-ended ones: Sebi

SEBI has clarified that Alternative investment funds (AIFs) cannot convert their existing open-ended schemes to closed-ended and vice-versa.
AIFs are funds established or incorporated in India for the purpose of pooling in capital from Indian and foreign investors for investing as per a pre-decided policy. The regulator has divided AIFs into three categories.
The open-ended schemes offer units to the investors on a continuous basis and do not have a fixed maturity period. Close-ended funds are offered to investors for a limited period only.

UN cuts peacekeeping budget by $610 mn to $6.69 billion for 2018-19

The UN has cut its peacekeeping budget by $610 million for 2018-19 starting July 1 to $ 6.69 billion. Last year the budget was $7.3 billion.
However the payment to each peacekeeper will increase by $96 per month. The peacekeepers will each now get $1,428 per month, up from last accounting year’s $1,332, an increase of 7.2 per cent that will benefit the 6,172 Indian personnel serving in UN operations. This increase is due to closing down of some peacekeeping operations.
The US pays 28.47 per cent of the peacekeeping budget.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg becomes world’s third-richest person: Bloomberg Billionaires Index

Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has overtaken Warren Buffett as the world’s third-richest person according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Jeff Bezos of Amazon is on top followed by Bill Gates.The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people.

Atul Khare to head Department of Operational Services (DOS)

Atul Khare will take over the newly-created Department of Operational Services (DOS) of the UN with a greater role in providing logistical support to all of the UN, especially in international hotspots.
He is the highest-ranking Indian at the UN. Khare is an under-secretary-general and a member of the Senior Management Group, the UN Secretariat’s high-level body chaired by the Secretary-General — the only Indian at that level.

Veteran journalist J N Sadhu passes away

Veteran journalist J N Sadhu passed away at 94.
He worked with The Indian Express for nearly 35 years. After his retirement, he was working as a free lance journalist.

July 7: International Day of Cooperatives 2018

The International Day of Co-operatives is an annual celebration observed on the first Saturday in July.

The Day presents a co-operative model as a solutions to deal with rising inequality in income around the world, since the model contains aspects of sustainable development at its core and is based on ethical values and principles.
The theme for International Day of Co-operatives 2018 is ” Sustainable Societies Through Cooperation”

Current Affairs Update – 07 July 2018