 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three Indian digital payment systems - RuPay, BHIM app and UPI by SBI at the 'Business, Innovation and Community Event' in Singapore. With the launch, India's RuPay digital payments system was linked up with Singapore's 33-year old Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS). The move will enable RuPay users to make payments at all of NETS acceptance points across Singapore. Whereas, holders of Singapore NETS will be able to make online purchase on any National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) e-commerce merchant website in India, using 2.8 million RuPay point of sale terminals in India. |
| Source- DD News |
 The Indian economy grew 7.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017-18. The GDP had expanded 5.6%, 6.3% and 7%, in the first three quarters of 2017-18, according to the data released by Central Statistics Office. As per the Data, robust performance in manufacturing, construction and service sectors, as well as good farm output, contributed to the overall growth. The previous high GDP growth of 8.1% was recorded in the first quarter of 2016-17. |
| Source- AIR World Service |
 Trilateral Naval Exercise Malabar 2018 between India, Japan and United States will be held off the coast of Guam in Philippine Sea from June 6-15, 2018. It will be 22nd edition of the naval exercise. The exercise comes at time of increased friction between China and US along with nations bordering resource rich South China Sea (SCS) as China is militarising reclaimed islands in it to further strengthen its claim. |
| This edition of annual exercise will focus on high-end war fighting skillsets, subject matter expert and professional exchanges. It will also include combined carrier strike group operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, damage control, helicopter operations and visit, board, search and seizure operations. Indian Navy participation in this year’s exercises will include indigenous stealth frigate INS Sahyadri, fleet tanker INS Shakti, anti-submarine corvette INS Kamorta and P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft. Japan is deploying its helicopter carrier JDS Ise along with Kawasaki P-1 aircraft maritime patrol aircraft and Soryu class conventional submarines. US is sending its aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan along with strike complement of destroyers, nuclear attack submarines and support ships in addition to P-8A maritime patrol aircraft. |
| Malabar Exercise was started as Indo-US bilateral naval war drill in 1992. Since then it is held annually. Japan had formally joined the exercise as permanent participant in 2015, making it trilateral exercise. The primary aim of this multilateral exercise is to increase interoperability amongst navies of three countries and develop common understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations and deepen defence relations between them. In 2007, the exercise also saw participation of Australia and Singapore. All the participating nations in the exercise have clarified earlier that the Malabar series is not aimed at any specific country. |
 The Union Ministry of Tourism for first time issued guidelines for Adventure Tourism in India in an effort to make adventure sports safer. These guidelines were launched Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) K. J. Alphons in New Delhi. In past few years, adventure tourism has grown rapidly India. It has been playing vital role in economic growth of the country as well as attracting large number of travellers from across globe to country. |
| The Ministry of Tourism has formulated guidelines on Safety and Quality Norms for Adventure Tourism in India along with Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI). The set of guidelines list out basic minimum standards required for adventure tourism activities in India. The sole aim of these guidelines is to help adventure tour operators understand and execute safety guidelines in better manner. These guidelines cover land, air and water based adventure activities which include mountaineering, bungee jumping, trekking, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, river rafting and many other sports. |
 The United States has renamed its oldest and largest military command, US Pacific Command, or PACOM, to Indo-Pacific Command, according to the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. The decision has been taken in recognition of the growing importance of the Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking. The Trump administration had also renamed Asia Pacific as Indo-Pacific and identified India as one bookend of the region. |
| Source- AIR World Service |
 Tata Motors (India's largest automobile company by revenues) signed a MoU with the State Government of Maharashtra for deployment of 1000 Electric Vehicles (EV) across its range of passenger and commercial vehicles in the State. The company also partnered Tata group company, Tata Power Ltd to set up of EV Charging Stations in the State. The MoU boosts the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy 2018 in accelerating the adoption of EVs in Maharashtra. |
| Source- The Hindu |
 An IAS office Amit Khare assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on superannuation of Narendra Kumar Sinha. Prior to his appointment, Mr Khare was Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Jharkhand. |
| Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB) |
 Statistics and Programme Implementation Minister Vijay Goel conferred FICCI Smart Policing Awards 2018 to police officials of central armed police force and states police in New Delhi. The 3rd edition of the event was part of a two-day long conference on Homeland Security-Cyber Crime Management. The conference aimed at showcasing smart initiatives and best practices taken by the police to combat crimes in their respected area. |
| Source- FICCI |
 President Ram Nath Kovind presented the 'Santokbaa Humanitarian Award' to Child rights activist and Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and space scientist A S Kiran Kumar, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Surat, Gujarat. The award was instituted by Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF) and led by diamond baron Govind Dholakia. The award includes a trophy and a prize money of Rs 1 crore each to the awardees. |
| Source- The Hindu Business Line |
 Kendrick Lamar received the Pulitzer Prize in music for his album “Damn.” Lamar is the first rapper in history to be given the award. Previous recipients included Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and Duke Ellington. Lamar had received this award at Columbia University. |
| Source- The Guardian |
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