Current Affairs 22nd June 2018: Daily GK Update

National News

1. PM Modi Laid Foundation Stone of Paperless Vanijya Bhawan 

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Paperless Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi. Once ready, the new building will house Department of Commerce. The building will accommodate about 1000 officers and staff.
ii. It will be a completely paperless office with state of the art facilities such as smart access control, central air-conditioning, video conferencing, and completely networked systems. The Department of Commerce is currently housed in Udyog Bhawan.

2. CEMS Sets Up First-Of-Its-Kind Labs in Mumbai and Vizag

i. The Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS), a well-funded start-up in skill development for maritime and shipbuilding sector, has announced setting up of 24 labs -6 in Mumbai and 18 in Vizag campus. 
ii. CEMS has established one of the first of its kind of infrastructure in Asia Pacific region with 24 labs. CEMS aims to build competency in the field of maritime & shipbuilding sector through skill development in the latest manufacturing technologies for shipbuilding/ repair and ancillary sectors.

3.Gujarat Launches Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Policy

i. The Gujarat government announced wind-solar hybrid power policy - 2018, aiming to make optimum utilisation of the land and grid.
ii. The policy provides 50% concession for cross-subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge when the generated energy is sold to a third party. Gujarat currently generates over 5,500 MW of wind power and 1,600 MW of solar power.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018-

• Gujarat CM- Vijaybhai R. Rupani, Governor- Om Prakash Kohli.

4. PM Modi To Inaugurate 3rd AIIB Meeting In Mumbai

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Mumbai. In the past, AIIB annual meetings have been held in Beijing, China, in 2016 and in Jeju, South Korea, in 2017.
ii. The theme for this year's meeting is "Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration" that will see leaders from varied organizations and levels of government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018-

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President- Liqun Jin.
• AIIB Headquarters in Beijing, China.

International News

5. President 3-Nation Visit: Arrived In Cuba On Final Leg

i. President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Cuba on the final leg of his three-nation tour to Greece, Suriname and Cuba. He is accompanied by a delegation including Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai. Mr Kovind was received in Santiago by Vice President of Cuba, Ms Beatriz Johnson.
ii. The President was escorted first to the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery where he witnessed Change of Guards ceremony. He then paid respects to Jose Marti Memorial. Jose Marti was Cuba’s legendary poet who led the 1895 Cuban revolution. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI Clerk/PO Exam 2018-

• Cuba Capital- Havana, Currency- Cuban Peso, President-Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. 

6.  SIPRI Yearbook 2018 Released, Number of Peacekeepers Declined

i. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) launches the findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2018, which assesses the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security. 
ii. Key findings include the following: 

1. All the nuclear weapon-possessing states are developing new nuclear weapon systems and modernizing their existing systems; 

2. The number of personnel deployed with peace operations worldwide continues to fall while the demand is increasing.

iii. At the start of 2018 nine states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) - possessed approximately 14,465 nuclear weapons. 

7. Russia To Supply Technical Security Equipment to India

i. Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) had announced that its subsidiary Nikiret has signed an agreement with Indian engineering services firm Core Energy Systems Pvt Ltd for the promotion of its technical security equipment in India.
ii. The partnership will explore opportunities in the Indian government’s Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) project.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018-

• Russia Capital- Moscow, Currency- Russian ruble, President- Vladimir Putin.

Appointments

8. B Sriram Appointed IDBI Bank's MD And CEO

i. State Bank of India's (SBI) Managing Director B Sriram was appointed as the IDBI Bank's CEO and Managing Director for a temporary period of three months.
ii. He has been appointed in place of incumbent Mahesh Kumar Jain who was recently named Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018-

• IDBI Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.

Obituaries

9. Pulitzer Prize-Winning Political Commentator Charles Krauthammer Passes Away

i. United States political commentator and Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer passed away at the age of 68. The columnist died of cancer of the small intestine.
ii. Krauthammer’s column has been published in The Washington Post since 1984.

10. Australian Golfer Peter Thomson Passes Away

i. Australian golfing legend Peter Thomson has passed away aged 88 following a battle with Parkinson's disease.
ii. Thomson won five British Open titles in the 1950s and 1960s and is the only player since the turn of the 20th century to win golf's oldest major championship three times in a row.