Awards
The former Tribune journalist, at present with Huffington Post who has been awarded the prestigious RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the Year’ for her far-reaching expose during Calendar 2018 on the functioning of the Unique Identification Authority of Indian (UIDAI) and its Aadhar data cache – Rachna Khaira
The Bengaluru based NGO which has been chosen for the BBC World Service Global Champion Award – Akshaya Patra
The former Indian President who has been conferred the Order of the Aztec Eagle (the highest civilian award to foreigners) by Mexico – Mrs. Pratibha Patil
Defence
The Indian Coast Guard officer who has been chosen to be the next Director General of Coast Guard replacing DG Rajendra Singh on 30 June 2019 – Krishnaswamy Natrajan
The operation launched by the Indian Navy in Gulf of Oman to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area is named – Operation Sankalp
Persons
The new Chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chosen to succeed Shri Anil Dhasmana – Shri Samant Goel
The former President of Egypt from June 2012 to July 2013 who passed away on 17 June – Mohamed Morsi
The BJP MP from Kota-Bundi constituency of Rajasthan who has been elected the 17th Speaker of the Lok Sabha – Shri Om Birla
The BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh who has been appointed the Leader of the House – Rajya Sabha, replacing Shri Arun Jaitley – Thawarchand Gehlot
The Chairman of the six-member committee to review the overall patterns of usage of ATMs and assess the impact, if any, on charges and interchange fees – VG Kannan
The popular Tamil theatre and film comedian and playwright who passed away on 10 June 2019 – Crazy Mohan (Mohan Rangachari)
The BJP MP who has been chosen to be the Protem Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha – Dr. Virendra Kumar
The former Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army who has been elected its Prime Minister by Thailand’s new Parliament – Prayuth Chan-ocha
The renowned scientist and cyclone warning specialist who has been appointed the new chief of Indian Meteorological Department – Dr. Mrutyanjay Mohapatra
The world famous folk dancer of Rajasthan who passed away in a road accident on 02 June 2019 – Queen Harish
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India who has been elected as the external auditor of World Health Organisation for a term of 4 years from 2020 to 2023 – Shri Rajiv Mehrishi
The present National Security Advisor who has been reappointed for another 5-year term with a cabinet rank status – Shri Ajit Doval
Places
The cities of Italy which have been chosen to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games – Milan and Cortina
The venue of G-20 Summit held from 28 to 29 June 2019 – Osaka, Japan
The Indian state which has been gifted a museum of peace by Japan to mark 75 years of a fierce battle in 1944 – Manipur
The venue of meeting of Council of Heads of State (CHS) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held from 13 to 14 June – Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic)
The country which has honoured the Indian PM Shri Narendra Modi with its highest honour Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen – Maldives
The venue of 2nd Global Disability Summit held from 06 to 08 June 2019, India represented by Union Minister Shri Thawarchand Gehlot – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sports
The chess player from Karnataka who has become 63rd person from India to become Grandmaster – Girish A Koushik
The team which was defeated by Indian women’s hockey team in the finals to win the FIH Series Finals Hockey tournament in Hiroshima hockey stadium in Japan – Japan
The number of ODIs in which Virat Kohli has reached 11000 runs becoming the fastest to do so beating Sachin Tendulkar’s record of doing it in 284 ODIs – 230
Miscellaneous
The theme of National Statistics Day 2019 observed on 29 June 2019 – Sustainable Development Goals
The theme of Finance Literacy Week observed by Reserve Bank of India from 03 to 09 June 2019 – Farmers and how they benefit by being a part of the formal banking system
The public sector undertaking which has become the most profitable public sector company overtaking Indian Oil Corporation for the financial year 2018-19 – Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Miss India 2019
Venue of the pageant: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Mumbai
Miss India 2019: Ms Suman Rao (Rajasthan)
Miss Grand India 2019: Ms Shivani Jadhav (Chhattisgarh)
Miss India United Continents 2019: Ms Shreya Shankar (Bihar)
Union Council of Ministers
Prime Minister, Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions: Shri Narendra Modi
Minister of Defence: Shri Rajnath Singh
Minister of Home: Shri Amit Shah
Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs: Smt Nirmala Sitharaman
Minister of External Affairs: Shri S Jaishankar
Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises : Shri Nitin Gadkari
Minister of Textiles and Minister of Women and Child Development: Smt Smriti Irani
Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry: Shri Piyush Goyal
Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers: Shri DV Sadananda Gowda
Minister of Tribal Affairs: Shri Arjun Munda
Minister of Food Processing Industries: Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: Shri Ram Vilas Paswan
Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Comunications and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Steel: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
Important Days of June Global Day of Parents: 01 June 2019 Designated by: United Nations General Assembly First observed: 2012 |
World Milk Day: 01 June 2019 Designated by: Food and Agricultural Organisation First observed: 2001 Theme: Drink Milk Today and Everyday |
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression: 04 June 2019 Designated by: UN General Assembly First observed: 1983 |
World Environment Day: 05 June 2019 Designated by: United Nations General Assembly First observed: 1974 Host Country: China Theme: Beat Air Pollution |
World Food Safety Day: 07 June 2019 Designated by: United Nations General Assembly First observed: 2019 Theme: Food Safety – Everyone’s Business |
World Ocean Day: 08 June 2019 Designated by: UN General Assembly First Observed in: 2009 Action focus: Gender and the Ocean |
World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June 2019 Designated by: International Labour Organization First Observed in: 2002 Theme: Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams |
World Blood Donor Day: 14 June 2019 Designated by: World Health Organisation First Observed in: 2004 Theme: Blood donation and universal access to safe blood transfusion Slogan: Safe Blood for All |
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15 June 2019 Designated by: UN General Assembly First Observed in: 2012 |
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: 17 June 2019 Designated by: UN General Assembly First Observed in: 1995 Theme: Let’s Grow the Future Together |
International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict: 19 June 2019 Designated by: United Nations General Assembly First Observed in: 2015 |
World Refugee Day: 20 June 2019 Designated by: UN General Assembly Theme: Step with Refugees – Take a Step on World Refugee Day First Observed in: 2001 |
International Day of Yoga: 21 June 2019 Designated by: United Nations General Assembly Theme: Climate Action First Observed in: 2015 |
Olympic Day: 23 June 2019 Designated by: International Olympic Committee First Observed in: 1948 Observed to : Celebrate the foundation of the International Olympic Committee at the Sorbonne, Paris, on 23 June 1894. |
Healthy States, Progressive India
Report released by: NITI Aayog A composite health index based on key health outcomes and other health systems and service delivery indicators
. Rank | Larger States | Smaller States | UTs |
1. | Kerala | Mizoram | Chandigarh |
2. | Andhra Pradesh | Manipur | Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
3. | Maharashtra | Meghalaya | Lakshadweep |
Global Peace Index 2019
Released by: Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace
Rank | Country | Rank | Country |
1. | Iceland | 15 | Bhutan |
2. | New Zealand | 72 | Sri Lanka |
3. | Portugal | 76 | Nepal |
4. | Australia | 101 | Bangladesh |
5. | Denmark | 141 | India |
Note: India was ranked 136 in 2018. Pakistan is ranked at 153.
Girish Karnad
19 May 1938 to 10 June 2019
Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright
Director of the Film and Television Institute of India: 1974–1975
Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi: 1988–93
Awards for literature
Sangeet Natak Akademi award – 1972
Padma Shri – 1974
Padma Bhushan – 1992
Kannada Sahitya Parishat Award – 1992
Sahitya Academy award – 1994
Jnanpith Award – 1998
Kalidas Samman – 1998
In addition to the above, he won several awards for screenplay and acting in films.
French Open 2019
Title | Winner | Runner-up |
Men’s Singles | Rafael Nadal (Spain) | Dominic Thiem (Austria) |
Women’s Singles | Ashleigh Barty (Australia) | Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic) |
Men’s Doubles | Kevin Krawietz and Andires Mies (Germany) | Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin (France) |
Women’s Doubles | Timea Babos (Hungary) and Kristina Mladenovic (France) | Duan Yingying and Zheng Saisai (China) |
Mixed Doubles | Latisha Chan (Taiwan) and Ivan Dodig (Croatia) | Gabriel Dabrowski (Canada) and Mate Pavic (Crotia) |
Note: Rafael Nadal has won 12 French Open titles which is the highest for any player.