1. Indian engineer Nitesh Kumar Jangir wins Innovation Award in UK for neonatal breathing device

• An Indian engineer whose low-cost neonatal breathing device has saved the lives of new-born babies across small towns of India, has won the 2019 Commonwealth Secretary-General's Innovation for Sustainable Development Award in London.
• Nitesh Kumar Jangir, who created Saans as a breathing support device to tackle avoidable deaths of premature babies from respiratory distress syndrome due to a lack of immediate access to complex medical equipment, received his award in the 'People' category alongside 14 other innovators from across the 53 member-countries of the Commonwealth.
• "In countries like India, with erratic electricity supply and limited resources at public hospitals, this neonatal breathing support equipment can be used without any complex training. So, anyone, anywhere can use this device and deliver crucial support to premature babies," he explained.

Foot Notes:

• Prime minister: Theresa May
• Capital: London
• Currency: Pound sterling

2. President’s rule in J&K extended for 6 more months

• The Union Government given its approval for the extension of President’s rule under article 356(4) of Indian Constitution In Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) for six more months beginning July 3, 2019.
• Under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution the state was under Governor’s rule on J&K on June 20, 2018, then President’s rule in December 2018.
• The amendment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, extends 3 percent reservation to people living on the international border in the state. The reservation will benefit about 3 lakh 50 thousand people living in 70 villages of Kathua, 133 villages of Samba and 232 villages of Jammu.

Foot Notes
About Jammu & Kashmir:

1. Capitals: Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
2. National Parks: Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Salim Ali National Park.
3. Lakes: Mansar Lake, Dal lake, Anchar Lake, Khushal lake, Tarsar Lake.

3. Nagaland occupies the top position in the unemployment rate: NSSO Survey

• According to the survey, “The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18” by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) huge variations among the states in terms of the unemployment rate. The overall unemployment rate pegs at 6.1%.
• Nagaland has the highest unemployment rate among the states with 21.4% followed by Goa (13.9%)and Manipur(11.6%), while Meghalaya has the lowest rate at 1.5%.Chhattisgarh and Sikkim also have the lowest rates.
• Urban areas witnessed higher unemployment (7.8%) than the rural areas (5.3%).Male Vs Female: Females have the lowest unemployment rate (5.7%) in comparison to males (6.2%).Union territories: Nagaland still gets top in the list of union territories while Dadra and Nagar Haveli with a low rate of 0.6%.
• Goa and Kerala are high in female unemployment at 26.0% and 23.3%respectively, but their respective male unemployment rates are three times lower at 8.1% and 6.2%.

Foot Notes:
About Nagaland

1. Capital: Kohima
2. Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio
3. Governor: Padmanabha Acharya

4. Flow of raw sewage into river Ganga will be stopped by 2022

• Union Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat asserted that flow of raw sewage into the river Ganga will be completely stopped by 2022 and thegovernment is working on a Mission Mode to achieve this target. Addressing a National Conference-cum-Exhibition & Awards- “Innovative Water Solutions” here, the Minister said that the States of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have already achieved this feat and promised to make Ganga fit for holy rituals by this December. He said, everybody from common men to Corporates have to come on board to achieve this mission, as India can’t afford the duality of scarcity of safe drinking water on one hand and wastage of 25 odd litres of water in shower bath.
• Shri Shekhawat said that he is ready to sit with the Corporates to chalk out a viable strategy for industrial use of water and discharge of untreated industrial waste into the rivers. He also asked ASSOCHAM to find out what portion of CSR funds are being spent on water issues, which he pointed out that it is a meagre 3 percent.
• India is ranked 122nd in the World in terms of contamination.i. States of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have already achieved this and they have promised to make Ganga fit for holy rituals by December 2019.

Foot Notes

About ASSOCHAM

1. Headquarters: New Delhi
2. Founded: 1921
3. President: B.K.Goenka

5. Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar authored a book titled “A Prime Minister to Remember,” released

• Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar authored a book named as “A Prime Minister to Remember- Memories of a Military Chief” released. The book is published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi
• The book talks about his distinguished career in the Indian Navy during the Kargil War and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee when Operation Parakram was launched after the terror attack on the Indian Parliament.
• It also talks about the Admiral, who served with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1998 to 2001.

6. Statistics Day 2019 observed on June 29

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) and Ministry of Planning, Rao Inderjit Singh inaugurated the 13th Statistics Day on June 29, 2019 at VigyanBhawan, New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, President of Indian Statistical Institute, Shri Pravin Srivastava, Chief Statistician of India-cum-Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation along with senior officers of Central/ State Governments and other stakeholders.
• The theme for Statistics Day 2019 is “Sustainable Development Goals”.

Foot Notes:
About Statistics Day

1. The Government has been celebrating the Statistics Day, to popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitize the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies. It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis who was born on June 29, 1893, in recognition of his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System.

7. Indian Crypto Exchange Koinex Shuts down its operation

• India's Largest cryptocurrency exchange, Koinex terminating its digital asset trading set-vices and other crypto-related operations citing regulatory uncertainty and disruption.
• It was facing problems with its payment services and gateways, along with non-crypto related transactions like payment of salaries, rent, and purchase of equipment. It started its digital assets exchange services in August 2017
• It executed over 20 million orders in trading volume on its platform so far.The country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), barred banks from serving companies dealing in cryptocurrency exchanges.

Foot Notes:
About Koinex

1. Founders: Rahul Raj, Rakesh Yadav, Aditya Naik
2. Sector: Digital assets

8. NASA announced a new mission to explore Saturn's largest moon

• NASA announced a new mission to explore this fascinating world with a helicopter drone. The mission, called Dragonfly is the latest in NASA’s New frontier program. NASA has earlier launched explorations of Pluto, Jupiter, the asteroid Bennu, and now, Titan.
• Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a lot in common with Earth. It has a thick, nitrogen-dense atmosphere and features like rivers, lakes, mountains, and, potentially volcanoes. The atmosphere of Titan is four times as dense as the Earth’s and there’s less gravity which makes it a prime location in the solar system to deploy a drone.
• Dragonfly is planned to launch in 2026 and arrive at Titan in 2034. With its eight rotors, Dragonfly will be able to fly tens of miles in a given day. It is powered by a plutonium battery.
• Two-year mission, Dragonfly will travel hundreds of miles across the surface. sampling the chemistry of the moon and studying its geology and atmosphere. It will also look out for signs of life.

Foot Notes:
About NASA

1. Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
2. Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
3. Founded: 29 July 1958, United States

9. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy observed 'Swachhta Pakhwada' Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

• The institutions successfully observed Swachhta Pakhwada (cleanliness fortnight) from June 1-15 2019. The campaign inaugurated by Secretary, MNRE Shri Anand Kumar
• The Minister participated in tree plantation drive in CGO Complex, New Delhi.
• The MNRE various initiatives like Shramdan (cleanliness drive), "Swachhata Pledge", organization of Seminar on Biogas/Biomass- Waste to Energy .

Foot Notes:

About MNRE

1. Headquarters: New Delhi
2. Founded: 1992
3. Minister In-Charge: Raj Kumar Singh

10. Sharad Kumar Saraf is appointed as the new President of FIEO

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has elected Sharad Kumar Saraf as its new president. Saraf will succeed renowned exporter Ganesh.
• Saraf in his earlier stints at FIEO has served twice as vice-president and four times as regional chairman. He is chairman and founder of Technocraft Industries (India).

Foot Notes:
About Federation of Indian Export Organisations

1. Headquarters:New Delhi
2. Founder: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
3. Founded: 1965
4. Agency executives: Ganesh Kumar Gupta, President; Dr. Ajay Sahai, DG & CEO