Daily Current Affairs, 13th June 2019

1) Union Cabinet clears NDIAC Bill, 2019

•The Union Cabinet has cleared the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019. The Bill provides for setting up of an independent and autonomous body for institutional arbitration.

•It also aims to acquire and transfer the undertakings of International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution to New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) w.e.f 2nd March 2019.

2) India successfully test fires hypersonic cruise missile

India successfully conducted a first test flight of the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from a base off the Odisha coast. The only other countries that possess this technology are the US, Russia and China.

•The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet (allowing supersonic combustion) demonstration vehicle that can cruise up to a speed of mach 6 (or six times the speed of sound) and rise up to an altitude of 32 km in 20 seconds.

•It has a range of uses, including missiles of the future, and energy-efficient, low cost and reusable satellite-launch vehicle.

3) JNU to confer alumni award to Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar

•Jawaharlal Nehru University will confer the distinguished alumni award to Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Executive Council of the University has approved a proposal in this regard. The two ministers will be awarded during the third convocation of JNU to be held in August this year.

•Ms. Sitharaman had completed her MA and M Phil degrees while Mr. Jaishankarcompleted his M Phil and doctoral research form JNU.

4) New app to help students wishing to study in U.S.

•The U.S. Embassy organised its fifth annual ‘Student Visa Day’ and launched ‘EducationUSA India’. It is a mobile application to provide Indian students with “current, comprehensive and accurate information about studying in the U.S.”.It was launched by the Embassy in collaboration with the United States-India Educational Foundation.

5) Amitav Ghosh becomes first english writer to get Jnanpith award

•Renowned author Amitav Ghosh was awarded the 54th Jnanpith Award for his contribution to the enrichment of Indian Literature in English. He was conferred the award by former governor of  West Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

6) Priyanka Chopra to be honoured with humanitarian award by UNICEF

•Priyanka Chopra, a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights is going to be honoured with Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award by UNICEF at the UNICEF SNOWFLAKE BALL.

7) India accounts for 12% of world’s internet users

•According to annual report on internet trends by venture capitalist Mary Meeker, Indiaaccounts for 12% world’s internet users.

•China has the largest base, accounting for 21% of all internet users globally, and the US comes third at 8%.

8) DU scientists discover frog in Assam and name it after Northeast

•A team of scientists from Delhi University and the Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with researchers from Indonesia and the US, have discovered a new species of ‘paddy frog’ from Northeast India, primarily Assam.

•The frog belongs to the microhylid genus Micryletta, a “group of narrow-mouthed frogs”. The new species has been named ‘aishani’, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘aishani’ or aisani meaning Northeast.