1) India’s communication satellite GSAT-17 successfully launched
•India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-17 has been successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana. GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg carries payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.
•The Satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites. This was third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions launched from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
2) 6th Joint Trade Committee Meeting between India and Myanmar held in New Delhi
•The 6th India - Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) Meeting co-chaired by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce & Industry from India and Dr. Than Myint, Union Commerce Minister from Myanmar was held in New Delhi.
•The Joint Trade Committee plays a key role in facilitating issues related to the enhancement of the bilateral economic partnership between the two countries. Myanmar shares a long land border of over 1600 Kms with India as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal.
3) India’s first blood bank for Cattle to come up in Odisha
•Odisha is all set to become the first state in the country to have a blood bank for the cattle. Acc. to the Vice-chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) Surendra Nath Pasupalak, it is the first of its kind blood bank established on the premises of OUAT at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.25 crore.
•Mr. Pasupalak said a proposal in this regard was earlier submitted to the (NADP). After approval from the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP), the OUAT is now awaiting approval from the state government. The project will have a 60:40 sharing between the Centre and the state government.
•The cattle farmers will provide blood voluntarily. The blood bank will also go and collect blood from centers. This will prevent the death of cattle during deliveries and other ailments.
4) Election Commission joins hands with Facebook to Launch First Time Nationwide “Voter Registration Reminder”
•The Election Commission of India (ECI) has joined hands with Facebook to launch nationwide voter registration reminder aimed at reminding eligible Indian voters to register themselves on the electoral rolls.
•As a part of the initiative, Facebook will activate a unique ‘Register Now’ button reminding all the eligible Indian users to enroll themselves as voters. The reminder will be made available for four days beginning July 1. When the users click the button, they will be redirected to National Voters’ Services Portal, where they can register themselves as voters.
5) Kaushik Basu takes over as president of International Economic Association
•Former chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu has taken over as president of the International Economic Association (IEA). Basu's three-year term started from June 23.
•Mr. Basu has also served as senior vice-president and chief economist at the World Bank from 2012 to 2016 and as the chief economic adviser to the Government of India from 2009 to 2012. He is currently the C. Marks Professor of International Studies at Cornell.
6) Sharjah named 'World Book Capital 2019' by UNESCO
•Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates was named 'World Book Capital for the year' 2019 by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee which met at the Headquarters of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) at La Haye.
•The city was selected because of the very innovative, comprehensive and inclusive nature of the application, with a community-focused activity program containing creative proposals to engage the very large migrant population. The program runs with a slogan ‘Read - you are in Sharjah’. It focuses on six themes: inclusivity, reading, heritage, outreach, publishing, and children.
