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ISRO to launch its own Space Station by 2030 Suman Rao crowned Miss India 2019 India hosted Meeting on Kimberley Process 2019 India beats South Africa to win FIH Series Finals 2019 160 Children dies due to Encephalitis in Muzaffarpur Om Birla became the new Lok Sabha Speaker US topples China as India’s largest Trade Partner Sanctions against India to host International Sporting Events lifted

ISRO to launch its own Space Station by 2030

• The Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K Sivan announced that Indiawill have its own Space station by 2030. This will help ISRO to send more astronauts to space.
• A space station is like a habitable artificial satellite that is designed to remain in space and is capable of being inhabited by crew members for an extended period of time.
• The Project is an extension of Gaganyaan mission. Under Gaganyaan project, India is planning to send three astronauts to outer space for seven days, it could even include women. A GSLV Mk-lll will be used to carry the orbital module which will have necessary provisions 
• Apart from the partner countries involved with the International Space Station, only China, Russia and the US have operated orbital homes away from home.
• European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts are already training in China in anticipation of the Chinese space station Tiangong becoming operational in 2022.
• Russia plans to build a successor to the Mir (which was decommissioned in 1998 after many highly productive years in orbit).

Further Reading

Suman Rao crowned Miss India 2019

• Suman Rao, a resident of Rajsamand, Rajasthan was crowned Miss India 2019. She was crowned by Miss India 2018 Anukreethy Vas from Tamil Nadu.
• She will represent India in the coveted Miss World 2019 which is going to be held in Pattaya, Bangkok in December 2019.
• Chhattisgarh’s Shivani Jadhav, an engineer, was crowned Miss Grand India 2019.

Further Reading

India hosted Meeting on Kimberley Process 2019

• India is hosting the Inter-sessional meeting of Kimberley Process (KP) from 17th to 21st June 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) Intersessional Meeting 2019 is an annual mid-year event of KPCS- a tri-partite mechanism that unites participating governments, diamond industry and civil society.
• India is the founding member of KPCS and is the chair of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for the year 2019 with the Russian Federation as Vice Chair.
• Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) :
  • The Kimberley Process (KP) is an international certification scheme mandated by UN that regulates trade in rough diamonds.
  • It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds.
  • The KP is open to all countries that are willing and able to implement its requirements. Currently, KP has 55 participants representing 82 countries, with the European Union and its Member States counting as a single participant.
  • The KP is tripartite forum, which includes participating countries, diamond industry as well as civil society coalitions. 

Further Reading

India beats South Africa to win FIH Series Finals 2019

• In the FIH (Federation Internationale de Hockey) Men’s Series Finals hockey tournament 2019, India thrashed South Africa with 5-1 in a summit clash at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• The points scored with this win will place India in the top five of the FIH World Rankings.
• India and South Africa had already qualified for the final round of the Olympic qualifiers.
• Manpreet Singh won the Best Player of the Tournament Award.

Further Reading

160 Children dies due to Encephalitis in Muzaffarpur

• 160 children have lost their lives due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and heat wave.
• AES outbreaks in Muzaffarpur have been reported since 1995, National Centre for Disease Control officials say. The cause of death in most this year has been attributed to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar level).
• It is alleged that Lychees contain toxins that inhibit the body’s ability to produce glucose, which could affect young children whose blood sugar levels were already low because they were not eating dinner.
•  Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES):
  • AES affects central nervous system, mostly in children and young adults.
  • It can be caused by virus, bacteria, fungi, and a range of agents. Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the most common cause of AES in India.
  • It is locally known as Chamki Bukhar.

Further Reading

Om Birla became the new Lok Sabha Speaker

• A two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Rajasthan’s Kota district, Om Birla was unanimously elected as the new Speaker of 17^th Lok Sabha.
• He will succeed Sumitra Mahajan (2014-2019) and pro-tem speaker of 17th Lok Sabha Virendra Kumar.

Interesting Facts about Speakers of India

• The first woman Speaker in the history of the Indian Parliament is Meira Kumar, who presided over the 15th Lok Sabha session beginning in 2009.
• The first Speaker in India was G V Mavlankar, who presided over the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1956. He is known as the Father of Lok Sabha, for his immense contribution in redesigning the country’s parliamentary proceedings with intricate impartiality.
• The only Speaker to have presided over the Parliament in two consecutive terms, for the full five-year periods was Balram Jakhar.
• Speaker Rabi Ray is popularly called the Son of Soil, due to his immense straightforwardness and eye for detail in the workings of the Parliament.
• One of the most eloquent Speakers in the history of the Indian Parliament to this day is, P A Sangma.

List of Lok Sabha Speakers

Speakers	From year	To year
Sh. Om Birla	19/06/2019	Incumbant
Smt. Sumitra Mahajan	06/06/2014	16/06/2019
Smt. Meira Kumar	04/06/2009	04/06/2014
Shri Somnath Chatterjee	04/06/2004	31/05/2009
Sh. Manohar Joshi	10/05/2002	02/06/2004
Sh. G.M.C. Balyogi	24/03/1998 22/10/1999	19/10/1999 03/03/2002
Sh. P.A. Sangma	23/05/1996 10/07/1991	23/03/1998 22/05/1996
Sh. Shivraj V Patil	10/07/1991	22/05/1996
Sh. Rabi Ray	19/12/1989	09/07/1991
Sh. Bal Ram Jakhar	22/01/1980 16/01/1985	15/01/1985 18/12/1989
Sh. K.S. Hegde	21/07/1977	21/01/1980
Sh. Bali Ram Bhagat	15/01/1976	25/03/1977
Sh. G.S. Dhillon	08/08/1969 22/03/1971	17/03/1971 01/12/1975
Sh. N. Sanjiva Reddy	17/03/1967 26/03/1977	19/07/1969 13/07/1977
Sardar Hukam Singh	17/04/1962	16/03/1967
Sh. M. A. Ayyangar	08/03/1956 11/05/1957	10/05/1957 16/04/1962
Sh. G.V. Mavalankar	15/05/1952	27/02/1956

Further Reading

US topples China as India’s largest Trade Partner

• The US overtook China to once again become India’s top goods trading partner in 2018-19. India’s trade surplus with the US declined to $16.8 billion from $21.2 billion a year ago.
• India’s exports are playing in a stronger position with its trade deficit with China dropping to $53 billion in 2018-19, down from $63 billion a year ago. India’s dependency on Chinese imports also declined to $70 billion from $76 billion a year ago.
• The decline in India’s trade surplus with the US comes amid a year-long trade war. US President Donald Trump has resorted to protectionism by imposing higher tariffs on imports from its trading partners such as China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, in an attempt to protect its economy and create jobs.

Further Reading

Sanctions against India to host International Sporting Events lifted

• A non-governmental sports organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, IOC (International Olympic Committee) lifted its sanctions imposed on Indian Olympic Association (IOA) hosting international sports events.
• The decision was taken after finally receiving a letter of guarantee from the Government that it will allow all eligible athletes, sportspersons, and officials in events held in the country.
• Pakistan shooters were denied visa by the Indian government for participation in the International Shooting Sport Federation Shooting World Cup 2019 that was held in New Delhi in the wake of the terror attack in Pulwama, Kashmir.

Further Reading

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