1. RBI imposed Restrictions on Bank Loans against Gold
i. The Reserve Bank of India on 27 May 2013 imposed restrictions on banks and NBFCs for providing loans against gold coins as well as units of gold ETFs and mutual funds to curb demands for gold.
ii. Also banks were asked to ensure that the amount of loan to any customer against gold ornaments, gold jewellery and gold coins (weighing up to 50 grams) should be within the board approved limit.
iii. Banks are currently permitted to grant advances against gold ornaments and other jewellery and against specially minted gold coins sold by banks.
iv. However, no advances can be granted by banks for purchase of gold in any form, including primary gold, gold bullion, gold jewellery, gold coins, units of gold exchange traded funds and units of gold mutual funds.
v. Government has taken several steps recently, including raising import duty, to curb the inbound shipments of gold.
vi. RBI too had put restrictions on banks on gold imports, which has led to forex outflow and widening of the Current Account Deficit.
vii. In a separate notification, RBI stated that no advances should be granted by NBFCs for purchase of gold in any form, including primary gold, gold bullion, gold jewellery, gold coins, units of gold ETF and units of gold Mutual Funds.
2. Film on Tarapur Atomic Power Station bags award
i. A short film based on the project- affected people of Tarapur Atomic Power Station has won the 'Yellow Oscar' award at the Uranium Film Festival at Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil.
ii. Indulkar, a resident of Thane, and a villager from Tarapur, Chandrasen Arekar, accepted the award. Made in 2012, the film depicts the woes of the people displaced by the nuclear power plant built in 1960s.
iii. It could not be released in India due to certain objections raised by the Censor Board.
iv. Indulkar had sent the film to the Uranium Film Festival.
v. Indulkar said: "I dedicate this award to all farmers and fishermen who lost their lands, their homes and their lives for nuclear power plants all over the world,"
NOTE: i.The International Uranium Film festival was founded in 2011 in Santa Teresa, the famous artist quarter in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.
ii. The aim of the festival is to inform the public, from a neutral position, about nuclear power, uranium mining, nuclear weapons and the health effects of radioactivity.
iii. The festival showcases documentaries, fiction, animation, short and feature films on the nuclear issue.
3. Rita Toto first woman graduate from Toto tribe
West Bengal appoints Toto as social worker….
i. The West Bengal government announced here on Monday the appointment of the first woman graduate from the endangered Toto community in north Bengal as a social worker in the Backward Classes Welfare Department.
ii. “The State government has decided to appoint Rita Toto. It is a historical decision because it will help Ms. Toto to provide services to her own community,”
iii. “It is the most important decision taken at the 50 meeting of the Cabinet of the Trinamool Congress government.
iv. Ms. Toto completed her graduation in the humanities stream from Prasanna Deb Women’s College under North Bengal University in Jalpaiguri district in 2010.
v. The 25-year-old is the daughter of a group D employee in a local bank.
vi. Totos, one of the primitive tribes of India, live in Totopara, a village along the Indo-Bhutan border under the Madarihat block of Jalpaiguri district.
NOTE: i. There are only 1,346 persons in the Toto community that is near extinction she said on May 21, adding that her government has started providing free food grains to members of the community.
4. Tributes paid to Veer Savarkar on 130th birth anniversary
i. Rich tributes were paid to revolutionary leader Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on Tuesday at his birth place Bhagur in the district on his 130th birth anniversary.
ii. Nashik Mayor Yatin wagh, political leaders and members of Abhinav Bharat Society paid tributes to Savarkar.
iii. Born at Bhagur on 28th May, 1883, Savarkar formed 'Abhinav Bharat Society', an organisation of international fame, in May 1904.
iv. He went to London on 9th June, 1906, and passed the examination of barrister, but refused to take its degree.
v. Following a failed attempt to escape while being transported from Marseilles, Savarkar was sentenced to two life terms amounting to 50 years' imprisonment and moved to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
vi. He wrote the famous song 'Jayostute', which is popular even today. Savarkar's house at Bhagur has been developed as a museum by the government.
5. Sri Lankan Prez begins 6th China visit
i. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in China on Monday for a 4-day state visit, his sixth, with Colombo
ii. This is Rajapaksa's first visit after the new leadership headed by Xi Jinping assumed power.
iii. China was expected to announce more aid for various development projects in Sri Lanka in addition to heavy infrastructure projects like Hambantota port in Rajapaksa's home town.
iv. Sri Lanka perceives China's rise as an opportunity, while some of China's neighbours remain skeptical toward Beijing's growing power, state-run news agency said, referring to India's concerns over growing influence of China in the island nation.
v. China backs Sri Lanka in Colmbo's efforts to ward off pressure from the international community over probe into the killings of civilians during the last stages of the war against LTTE.
vi. In March, China supported Sri Lanka against a US-backed resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, while India backed the resolution. China has provided loans to the war-ravaged country to develop infrastructure and Chinese enterprises are active in building highways, railroad systems, harbours as well as energy facilities in the country.
6. First Sukhoi fighter plane base in southern India inaugurated
i. India's capabilities to protect its vast interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and to tackle any threat there received a boost with the setting up of a Sukhoi fighter aircraft base in Tamil Nadu, the first such station in the southern part of the country.
ii. Inaugurating the air base on Monday, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "The establishment of the premier fighter base is important in the view of the current geo-political scenario and threat perception in the peninsular region and in the Indian Ocean..
iii. A full squadron of 16 to 18 Su-30MKI combat aircraft will be deployed at the base by the end of 2017-18, which will giveIndia the capability to keep a close vigil on the IOR.
iv. The IAF also has plans to deploy its Israeli Searcher or Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at the air base in the future
v. The airbase was first constructed in 1940 by the Royal Air Force. During the period 1942-45, the RAF operated Hudson,Wellington 1C, Hurricane and Thunderbolt aircraft from this airfield.
7. England to stage 2019 Cricket World Cup
i. England's staging of the 2019 Cricket World Cup has been rubber-stamped as the International Cricket Council confirmed the same on Monday.
ii. It was originally announced in 2006 that England would stage what will be the 12th edition of cricket's leading one-day international tournament.
iii. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) signed the host agreement to stage the 2019 World Cup.
iv. The tournament will be held throughout June 2019 and be played at 10 venues.
v. The 2019 World Cup is scheduled to involve 10 teams and will be the first World Cup played in Britain since 1999, with the UK having staged the first three editions in 1975, 1979 and 1983.
vi. It will start with a match between South Africa and India in Cardiff on 6th June and end with a final at Birmingham's Edgbaston ground in central England, on 23rd June.
vii. England have never won the World Cup despite appearing in three finals.
8. Odisha & Haryana clinched 3rd National Sub-Junior Hockey Title
i. Odisha on 27 May 2013 clinched the boy’s titlewhile Haryana won the girl’schampionship at the third National Sub-Junior Hockey tournament.
ii. Odisha crushed Jharkhand, 8-0 while Haryana beat Madhya Pradesh, 3-2 in the finals played at Bhopal ’s Aishbagh stadium.
iii. Earlier, Jharkhand defeated Chandigarh 2-1 to claim the third position in women category.
iv. In the men's category Punjab defeated Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 1-0 in a hard-fought match to get the third position.
9. Sergei Bubka to run for IOC president
i. Pole vault great Sergei Bubka of Ukraine is expected to be the sixth declared candidate in the race to become the next International Olympic Committee president.
ii. The 49-year-old former Olympic and world champion has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday, where he’s expected to announce that he will stand in the election to succeed Jacques Rogge, who steps down in September.’
iii. Bubka is expected to be the final candidate to nominate, completing a record six-man field, for the Sept. 10 election in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
iv. The field already includes IOC vice presidents Thomas Bach of Germany and Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, finance commission chairman Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico, amateur boxing association chief C.K. Wu of Taiwan, and international rowing federation head Denis Oswald of Switzerland.
v. Bubka, who will be the youngest candidate in the race, is holding his news conference on the sidelines of the Sport Accord Convention in St. Petersburg and one day before the opening of IOC executive board meetings.
vi. A six-time world champion, Bubka set a total of 35 world records inside and out during his career. He still holds the outdoor (6.14 meters) and indoor (6.15 meters) records in the event.
vii. Bubka has also been a vice president of the International Association of Athletics Federations since 2007.
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