Current Affairs

India's Childhood Index Ranking Goes Up To 113, But Is Still Far Behind Countries Like China (

While 113 might seem like a very poor ranking for India in comparison to other countries in the Childhood Index Ranking, it is still an improved from the 116th place it stood at last year.

India finds space at 113 in Save the Children’s "End of Childhood Index 2018” which ranked 175 countries this year against indicators to determine the quality of childhood children have access to.

Ranked at 116 last year, the improvement in India’s overall score by 14 points from 754 to 768 on a scale of 1000, is being attributed to reduced rate of child marriage.


The Index this year ranked 175 countries with regards to where childhood is threatened as a result of poor health, malnutrition, exclusion from education, child labour, child marriage, early pregnancy and extreme violence.



FIFA lifts suspension of Guatemalan Football Association

IFA has today lifted the suspension that was imposed on the Guatemalan Football Association (FEDEFUT).

The decision follows a letter sent to FIFA on 30 May 2018 by the Chairman of the FEDEFUT Normalisation Committee, Juan Carlos Ríos, in which he confirms that the said committee, which was appointed by the Bureau of the Council on 18 May 2018, is fully operational.

An International Steering Committee composed of the following members will be responsible for overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the FEDEFUT Normalisation Committee’s mandate:

Pedro Chaluja, President of the Panamanian Football Association (FEPAFUT) and FIFA Council member
Luis Hernández, President of the Cuban Football Association and FIFA Council member
Decio de María, President of the Mexican Football Association
If any of the decisions taken by the Bureau of the Council are contravened, FEDEFUT will be automatically suspended once again.



Giuseppe Conte Sworn In As Italian Prime Minister

ROME: Giuseppe Conte was sworn in on Friday as Italy's prime minister, heading western Europe's first anti-establishment government bent on overhauling European Union rules on budgets and immigration.

Conte, a little-known 53-year-old law professor, is backed by the 5-Star Movement which grew out of a grassroots protest network, and the right-wing League who have issued a budget-busting agenda of sweeping tax cuts and higher welfare spending.

The government was formed after three months of political deadlock following inconclusive March 4 elections, with the pre-election rivals striking a last-minute deal on Thursday to avert a fresh vote in high summer amid growing market turmoil.

Widespread voter disenchantment has seen anti-establishment parties upset mainstream politics across the continent, including Germany and France, but it is the first time they will run the government of a major western European country.



Italy reaches a deal on a new government, ending a crisis that rattled global markets

 Italy appeared Thursday to step back from the brink of a continent-rattling political crisis , with officials agreeing to a deal that averts the threat of fresh elections and puts two populist parties in charge of the euro zone’s third-largest economy. 

The agreement was the latest twist in a topsy-turvy week for Italian politics, one that on Tuesday had sent global markets tumbling amid jitters that the country was careening toward a new vote and a possible euro exit. Investors feared an even greater populist surge if a fresh election were held.

But negotiations Wednesday and Thursday yielded an unexpected breakthrough, culminating in a presidential announcement late Thursday night that the country’s new government will be sworn in Friday.



Patanjali withdraws its messaging app ‘Kimbho’, will be launched later

While the world is crazy about the messaging app Whatsapp, Yoga guru Ramdev decided to give it a competition with its Swadeshi app called Kimbho. On Wednesday, Baba Ramdev launched a new messaging application called Kimbho under his flagship company Patanjali. However, a fresh update says that Patanjali has withdrawn its Messaging App saying "Technical Work In Progress". The company said it was just a "one-day trial", Ramdev's Patanjali said messaging app Kimbho will be officially launched soon.

Yesterday, Patanjali's spokesperson SK Tijarawala tweeted, "Now Bharat will speak. After launching sim cards, Baba Ramdev has launched a new messaging application called Kimbho. Now Whats App will be given a competition. Our own #SwadeshiMessagingplatform. Download it directly from Google Play store." Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as "Ab Bharat Bolega".



Mariano Rajoy: Spanish PM forced out of office

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been forced out of office by a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, who filed the motion after Mr Rajoy's party was implicated in a corruption scandal, will become prime minister.

"We're going to sign a new page in the history of democracy in our country," Mr Sánchez said ahead of Friday's vote.

Mr Rajoy is the first prime minister in modern Spanish history to be defeated in a no-confidence motion.

The leader of the conservative People's Party has been prime minister since 2011.



Government Launches Online Tool To Monitor Foreign Contributions

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday launched a web-based analytical tool to closely monitor the flow and utilisation of foreign contributions received by different organisations registered or permitted under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

"The tool enables decision-makers in various government departments/Ministries to scrutinise the sources of foreign funds and their actual use in India. It gives them the capacity to take data-driven and evidence-based decisions regarding compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while launching the tool.



Shri Amit Khare assumes charge as Secretary I&B

New Delhi : Shri Amit Khare, IAS (Jharkhand: 1985) today assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on superannuation of Shri Narendra Kumar Sinha, IAS. Prior to his appointment, Shri Khare was Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand.

During a career span of more than 33 years, Shri Khare has held various field postings and has worked from grassroots to the higher levels of governance in both State and Central Governments.  Prior to being Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand Shri Khare served as Principal Secretary, Finance & Planning Department, Government of Jharkhand.

He has served as Member Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India and Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development.



Grounded: Govt’s ambitious Air India stake sale fails to take off

The government has drawn a blank on the 76% stake sale in Air India (AI) with not a single player putting in an expression of interest (EoI) to buy the state-owned carrier before the deadline ended on Thursday.

There is no plan to extend the deadline and a spokesperson for the government said on Thursday a “further course of action will be decided appropriately”.

Industry watchers said those interested in buying AI were probably spooked by the government’s insistence on retaining a 24% stake despite suggestions it should exit the airline completely. Although this was a minority holding, buyers feared a lot of interference.



Press Council of India reconstituted

The government has reconstituted the Press Council of India for a three-year term but the names under medium newspaper category have not been announced as the matter related to it is sub judice.

According to a gazette notification, members of the newly reconstituted body under the category of ‘Working Journalists-Editors’ are Chandramani Raghuvanshi, Uttam Chandra Sharma, Pradeep Kumar Jain, Om Prakash Khemkarni, Sayed Razza Husain Rizvi and Baldev Raj Gupta.

In the category of ‘Working journalists-Other than Editors’, the nominated members are Amar Devulapalli, Balwinder Singh Jammu, Sarat Chandra Behera, Pravat Kumar Dash, M A Majid, Kamal Nain Narang and Chhayakanta Nayak. Mr. Uttam Chandra Sharma, Mr. Dash and Mr. Nayak were nominated for the second term in the revamped PCI, the notification said.