1. Nirmala Sitharaman To Present First Union Budget On 05th July

• The new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her first Union Budget (for FY20) on 5 July, the government decided on Friday.
• A day before the Union Budget, Sitharaman will table in Parliament the Economic Survey 2018-19 authored by chief economic adviser Krishnamurthy Subramaniam and his team.
• The date of presenting full budget for FY20 by the NDA government was finalized at a meeting of the union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, according to an official announcement.

Foot Notes:

Important Facts

1. The election for Lok Sabha Speaker will take place on 19th June’19.
2. The Economic Survey, which gives the status of the country’s economy, will be presented in Parliament on 04th July’19.
3. Nirmala Sitharaman is the only woman to hold the portfolio (Minister of Finance) after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
4. The Modi government had presented the interim Budget on 01st February 2019 in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

2. First session of 17th Lok Sabha from June 17

• The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will commence on 17th of June. The Rajya Sabha will have its sitting from 20th onwards.
• Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi last evening, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar said, the session will continue till 26th of July.
• The election for the Speaker of the Lower House will be held on 19th of June. The President will address the Joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament on the 20th. The Economic Survey will be tabled on the 4th of July and the Union Budget will be presented on the 5th of July.

Foot Notes:

About Rajya Sabha

1. Chairperson: Venkaiah Naidu
2. Seats: 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated by the President); 1 Vacant (1 Elected Seat)
3. Founder: Constituent Assembly of India
4. Chairman (Vice President):Venkaiah Naidu

About Lok Sabha

1. Seats: 545 (543 elected + 2 Nominated)
2. Leader of the House:  Narendra Modi
3. Speaker: Sumitra Mahajan

3. Indian-origin Anita Bhatia appointed UN Deputy Executive Director

• Indian-origin Anita Bhatia, a veteran in strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and management, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Deputy Executive Director in the global body’s agency focussed on women empowerment and gender equality.
• She has been appointed the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships, a statement from the UN Spokesperson’s Office.
• Ms. Bhatia served for several years as Director of Global Partnerships for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group’s private sector arm.

Foot Notes:

About  United Nations

1. Secretary general: António Guterres
2. Headquarters: New York,United States
3. Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States
4. Founders: United States, India, Venezuela, Australia, Brazil.

4. Union Cabinet approves the extension of PM-KISAN scheme

• The newly-sworn in NDA government at the Centre has taken four major decisions related to farmers’ and traders welfare in the first meeting of the Union Cabinet.
• It has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) to all the farmers in the country. Earlier the benefit of the scheme was applicable to farmers having two hectares of land.
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated that nearly 14 crores 50 lakh farmers will be now covered under the revised scheme. Total burden on the exchequer will be over 87,000 crore rupees for the year 2019-20. Over three crore farmers have been benefited so far. Six thousand rupees per year is being given in three installments to the farmers, under the scheme.

Foot Notes:

About PM-KISAN Scheme

1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
2. Ministry:Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
3. Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: Narendra Singh Tomar
4. Established: 1 February 2019
5. Budget:75,000 crore

5. Yoga Instructor, Namrata Menon appointed as brand ambassador to promote yoga in Goa

• State Health Department of Goa announced the appointment of Panaji-based, Namrata Menon, Yoga Instructor, and fitness expert, as brand ambassador to promote yoga in Goa.
• She is appointed to promote the ancient system of physical and mental practices to raise awareness about the benefits of yoga so that people follow it on a daily basis.
• She has been practicing yoga for 17 years.The main objective of this initiative is to increase awareness about the benefits of yoga and encourage people to inculcate a healthy lifestyle.

Foot Notes:

1. Yoga Day: 21 June.

6. Former Indian President of India Pratibha Patil conferred the Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca Award

• Former Indian President Pratibha Patil has been conferred the "Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca" (Order of the Aztec Eagle), the highest civilian award of Mexico given to foreigners, on 1 June 2019.
• The Ambassador of Mexico to India, Melba Pria, conferred the award on Patil, who created history as this country's first woman President (2007-2012), at a special ceremony held in the MCCIA Bhavan, Pune.

Foot Notes:

About Order of the Aztec Eagle Award

1. The royal eagle is Mexico's national animal, sacred to the ancient Aztecs and it is present on the National Emblem of the Mexican flag. It is an essential symbol that links their Aztec past with the modern nation.
2. It is of gold and turquoise and is given to express the respect and admiration of the Mexican people.
3. The award was created by a decree in 1993 by the President of Mexico, Abelardo L. Rodriguez, it is awarded to prominent heads of state or government, ambassadors after they have served in Mexico, important personalities who have made a major contribution in various fields, service to the country or its people.
4. The award comes in five degrees namely Collar, Sash of Special Category, Sash, Plaque, Venera and Insignia.

Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca is for

1. Mexico's highest distinction for foreigners is in recognition of their outstanding services to the Mexican nation or humanity, significant contributions to strengthening the bilateral relations between Mexico and other countries.

Other India Awardees

1. Ms. Patil, 85, becomes the only second Indian head of state to get the award. Earlier, the late President S. Radhakrishna had been conferred this honour.
2. Other Indian recipients in various categories include Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, renowned artist Satish Gujral, industrialist Raghupati Singhania, Consul-General of Mexico in Mumbai Rajju Shroff and others.

7. Punjab to ban online delivery of food without hygiene rating as per FSSAI guidelines

• Punjab State government plans to ban online delivery of food without hygiene rating as per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.
• The announcement was made by the Health Minister Brahm Mohindra announced on 30 May. The decision was taken under the 'Tandarust Punjab Mission'.Health Minister of the State Brahm Mohindra has issued directions to all online food order and supply companies to display the hygiene rating of the food business operators registered with them.
• The State has given three months for compliance with the law. After the deadline, no online food order will be delivered in the state without the hygiene rating.
• The online food companies can take orders from consumers and deliver it after procuring the hygiene rating from the Food Business Operators associated with them.

Foot Notes:

About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

1. Formed on: August 2011
2. Headquarters: New Delhi
3. Chairperson: Rita Teotia
4. CEO: Pawan Kumar Agarwal
5. Parent Organization: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
6. It is established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
7. It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

8. Cabinet approves Rs 3,000 pension scheme for small shopkeepers, retail traders

• The newly-inducted Union Cabinet approved a new scheme which assures minimum monthly pension of 3,000 per month to small shopkeepers, retail traders and the self-employed people after attaining the age of 60 years.
• This is being done as part of the Modi government’s efforts to offer universal social security.
• The scheme will benefit three crore retail traders and shopkeepers.Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years.

9. PepsiCo to build Rs 500 crore food plant in Uttar Pradesh

• PepsiCo India will invest nearly 500 crore to build a food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh.It will invest $2.1 bn in India by 2022, which is part of the $5.5 bn it had promised in November 2013.
• The makers of Lay's chips and Kurkure snacks, PepsiCo will invest along with its local bottling partner. PepsiCo, which sells Tropicana, 7Up, Mountain Dew and Kurkure chips, among other services the domestic market through 62 food and beverage plants.
• The bottling operations are owned by its local partner Varun Beverages.The packaged snacks and foods market in India is expected to grow 22.3% between 2018 and 2022.

Foot Notes:

About Uttar Pradesh

1. Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
2. Capital: Lucknow
3. Governor: Ram Naik

About PepsiCo

1. CEO: Indra Nooyi
2. Headquarters: Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States
3. Founder: Caleb Bradham
4. Founded: 28 August 1898, New Bern, North Carolina, United States.

10. Rs 21,738 Crore Naval Helicopters to be new Govt's First Defence Buy

• The Rs 21,738-crore procurement of 111  light Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) for the Navy is on track to be the first big procurement of the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
• At least three international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as “strategic partner” (SP).
• The proposal for building 111 helicopters allows the OEM to deliver the first 16 from its home production facility, but at least 95 helicopters must be manufactured in India with an ambitious level of 60 per cent indigenisation stipulated.This NUH acquisition, which the defence ministry green lighted on August 25, is the first one being processed under the SP procurement model.

Foot Notes:

About National Democratic Alliance

1. Chairperson: Amit Shah
2. Founder: Bharatiya Janata Party
3. Founded: May 1998
4. Members: Bharatiya Janata Party, Biju Janata Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.