Daily Current Affairs, 02nd June 2018

1) Government Launches New Scheme ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’

•The Union Ministry of Culture introduced a new scheme called ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ to reimburse the central share of CGST and IGST on items for food/prasad/langar/bhandara offered free of cost by charitable religious institutions.

•The scheme has been launched for financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 crores.

2) PM Modi 3 Nation Visit: India, Singapore Exchange 8 Key Agreements

•PM Modi is in Singapore on the last leg of his 3 nation tour, talks between Prime Ministers Narendra Modiand his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong led to the signing of 8 agreements between the two sides which covered areas as wide as military cooperation and connectivity. 

•They reviewed bilateral economic ties and agreed to build on defence cooperation. The 8 key fields under which the agreements were exchanged are:

1. Naval cooperation,
2. Economic co-operation,
3. Fintech,
4. Cybersecurity,
5. Nursing,
6. Combating Narcotics smuggling & Human Trafficking,
7. Personnel Management and Public Administration,
8. MoU between the NITI Aayog and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on Cooperation in the Field of Planning.

3) PM Modi 3 Nation Visit: Gives Padma Shri Award To Tommy Koh

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the Padma Shri award, one of India's highest civilian awards, to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh. Koh was among 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) receipts of the prestigious award this year.

•Koh, 80, has served as Singapore's ambassador to the US and the UN, and as president of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1981 and 1982. He is currently chairman of the board of governors of the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore.

4) Maneka Gandhi Laid Foundation Of India's 1st Advanced DNA Forensic Lab

•Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi laid the foundation stone of India's first advanced DNA forensic laboratory in Chandigarh as part efforts to reduce the backlog of cases needing advanced forensic analysis.

•Built at a cost of Rs 99.76 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund, the state-of-the-art 'Sakhi Suraksha' lab, will come up at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory campus to assist in investigation and prosecution of crimes including those committed against women and children. At present there are 6 Central Forensic Science Labs (CFSLs) in Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Bhopal and one State Forensic Science Lab in each State/UT.

5) Ordinance To Set Up Country’s 1st National Sports University Gets President’s Assent

•President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to an ordinance to set up the country’s first national sports university in Manipur. The Union Cabinet had approved an ordinance in May 2018 in this regard. National Sports University Ordinance, 2018 will be on the lines of the National Sports University Bill, 2017 which was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2017.

•The University will a first of its kind, to promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching besides functioning as the national training centre for select sports disciplines by adopting the best international practices.

6) Giuseppe Conte Sworn In As Italian PM To New Populist Government

•Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government. Conte, an academic and political novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.

•The 53-year-old was sworn in alongside his cabinet, which will see M5S leader Luigi Di Maio and League chief Matteo Salvini in key ministerial posts. 

7) Income Tax Department Launches New Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme

•The Income Tax Department has issued a new reward scheme titled “Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018” to seek people’s participation in the Income Tax Department’s efforts to unearth black money and to reduce tax evasion.

•The scheme is aimed at encouraging people to give information about benami transactions and properties as well as income earned on such properties by such hidden investors and beneficial owners.