Top 10 Weekly Current Affairs: 28 May to 2 June 2018

E-Way Bill system for intra-state goods movement comes into force in seven more states, UTs

• The e-Way Bill system for intra-state movement of goods came into effect in seven more states and Union Territories from May 28, 2018.
• The states and UTs include Maharashtra, Manipur, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.
• With this, the number of States, where the system is being implemented, will go up to 27.
• As per the decision of the GST Council, e-Way Bill system was rolled out from April 1, 2018.

Sangeeta Bahl: Oldest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest

• Sangeeta Bahl, at the age of 53, has become the oldest Indian woman to scale the Mount Everest.
• She scaled the peak on May 19, 2018, with the help of 2 Sherpas.
• She carried a banner to the peak advocating early detection of breast cancer in women & funding for the same.
• She has already conquered 6 out of the 7 highest peaks of the world.

Tripura Government to phase out plastic carry bags

• The Tripura government has set August 15 as the deadline to phase out plastic carry bags completely from the state, as part of the ‘Himalayan Cleanup’ programme.
• The government urged people to replace their plastic bags with biodegradable ones.
• The Himalayan Cleanup campaign was launched in 12 mountain states in the country to end plastic pollution in the hilly areas.

RBI appoints Sudha as its first Chief Financial Officer

• Sudha Balakrishnan was appointed as the first Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Prior to this appointment, Balakrishnan, a chartered accountant, was serving as the Vice-President of the NSDL, India’s first and largest depository.
• She will be the 12th executive director at RBI, and will serve a three-year term.

India releases Rs 33.10 crore to Nepal for 2 road projects

• India has released Rs 33.10 crore to Nepal for two road packages of Birgunj-Thori Road that are being implemented under Postal Highway Projects in Nepal with grant assistance from the Indian Government.
• The Indian Government has so far released a total of Rs 117.63 crore to the Nepal Government for the implementation of 14 packages of the Postal Highway Projects.
• Since 1950, the Government of India has been supporting infrastructure development of Nepal and has provided financial assistance for construction of various highways, roads, bridges, airports, as a part of its multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.

Madras HC directs CBSE to ensure no school prescribes non-NCERT textbooks

• The Madras High Court on May 29, 2018 issued a direction to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure that even private schools affiliated to it, follow only NCERT textbooks and not those of private publishers.
• The court passed interim orders on a writ petition filed by advocate M Purushothaman, who accused private schools of dumping too many subjects and books on children.
• Justice N. Kirubakaran, in a sharp criticism of the burden on very young school children, ordered that no school in the country, irrespective of the educational board, prescribe homework for children in Classes I & II.

Indian singer Zubeen Garg to receive PETA award

• India singer Zubeen Garg would be honoured with the 'Hero to Animals Award' from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for his recent appeal to end animal sacrifice at the Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
• Zubeen had expressed his anguish over the ritual of animal sacrifice and appealed for putting an end to the practice while performing at a Bihu function near the temple recently.
• The priests of the Kamakhya Temple had subsequently criticised Zubeen for his statement and demanded an apology from him at the earliest.
• Last year, following various efforts by PETA India and People for Animals, the Municipal Council of Kullu had issued an executive order refusing to grant permission for animal sacrifices that were scheduled to take place on the last day of the Kullu Dussehra festival.

1.5 lakh affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY (urban)

• The Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of another 1.5 lakh affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.7,227cr with central assistance of Rs.2,209 cr.
• The approval was given in the 34th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee, held in Delhi on May 30, 2018.
• While Andhra Pradesh has been sanctioned 56,512 houses in 22 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 3184cr with central assistance of Rs 848 cr, Uttar Pradesh got 23,060 houses in 110 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 870cr and central assistance of Rs 346 cr.

CWG gold medallist weightlifter Sanjita Chanu fails dope test

• Two-time Commonwealth Games champion weightlifter Sanjita Chanu, who had won a gold in the women's 53kg category in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, was tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, testosterone.
• As a consequence, the Athlete would be provisionally suspended in the view of a potential anti-doping rule violation.
• Sanjita had taken part in the 53kg class in the World Championship in Anaheim (US) in November last year, finishing 13th with a total lift of 177kg.
• She had lifted a total of 192kg to win the gold in 53kg in Gold Coast. She had also won a gold in the 48kg category in the 2014 CWG at Glasgow.

Haryana to have one-stop centres for women affected by violence

• In Haryana, each district will now get one-stop centres to facilitate integrated services for women affected by violence.
• A spokesperson for the women and child development department has said that at present seven one-stop centres are functional in many districts and now Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has accorded approval for the setting up of 15 more centres in other districts.
• The aim of the centres is to facilitate integrated services for women affected by violence.
• The services would include police assistance, medical aid, psycho-social counselling, legal aid and counselling and temporary stay for five days.
• One stop centre is hundred per cent centrally sponsored scheme under the Nirbhaya Fund.