Important Current Affairs 17th August 2018

Important Current Affairs 17th August 2018 

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National News

India to launch first manned space mission by 2022

India will send a human to space by 2022, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day speech.
The project would cost about Rs 100 billion. If India succeeds, it will be the fourth country to achieve this landmark.
Isro is planning to send a human being to an orbit in the space for seven days. Unmanned flights will be sent to space two years from now. The organisation is in the process of developing a life-support system for the human mission.

Tribunal awards 13.42 tmcft Mahadayi water to Karnataka
 

The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal  awarded 13.42 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water to Karnataka as against its demand for 36.66 tmcft.

The tribunal has allocated Karnataka 13.42 tmcft, Goa 24 tmcft and Maharashtra 1.3 tmcft in its final decision.

The Tribunal has assessed that 188.06 tmcft water is available at 75 per cent dependability.
Of the 13.42 tmcft water for Karnataka, 5.5 tmcft is meant for use within the river basin (1.5 tmcft) and for diversion to Malaprabha reservoir (4 tmcft).

Important:
The three-member Tribunal, headed by Chairman Justice J.M. Panchal, Justice Viney Mittal and Justice P.S. Narayana, submitted its final recommendation to Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari .

SBI Ranked as India’s Most Patriotic Brand
 

State Bank of India (SBI) is considered to be the most patriotic brand, according to a survey.

Around 16 per cent respondents ranked SBI to be the most patriotic brand overall, followed by Tata Motors and Patanjali with 8 per cent each, and Reliance Jio and BSNL with 6 per cent each, the survey conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics firm YouGov. 

In terms of sectors, the financial sector topped the chart of the most patriotic brands with two leading names -SBI and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) – followed by auto, consumer goods, food and telecom sectors.

Important:
SBI Chairman is Rajnish Kumar, Headquarters is situated in Mumbai, Established on- 01st July 1955

Ease of Living Index 2018: India
 

Pune is the most liveable city, followed closely by Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai in a ranking of 111 Indian cities with the national capital ranked at a lowly 65 on the Ease of Living Index released by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Thane is the fourth Maharashtra city that made it to the top 10 in the list. Other cities ranked among the best 10 are Tirupati, Chandigarh, Raipur, Indore, Vijayawada and Bhopal.

Important:
Pune, Rank 1
NAVI MUMBAI, RANK 2
GREATER MUMBAI, RANK 3
TIRUPATI, RANK 4
CHANDIGARH, RANK 5

K S Srinivas takes over as MPEDA chief
 

IAS officer K S Srinivas has taken over as the Chairman of the city-based Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), an agency under the Union Commerce Ministry.

K S Srinivas
Prior to his new assignment, he had served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare in the Ministry of Agriculture, an MPEDA.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a Government of India company headquartered at Kochi. It was constituted on 20 April 1972, under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act 1972 (No.13 of 1972).

The role envisaged for the MPEDA under the statute is comprehensive - covering fisheries of all kinds, increasing exports, specifying standards, processing, marketing, extension and training in various aspects of the industry.

Permanent commission would be granted to serving women officers of the Armed Forces
 
Permanent commission would be granted to serving women officers of the armed forces will change the career paths of more than 3,700 women officers in the three services, besides providing full-length career opportunity for women aspirants in the future.

Women officers who have been selected through the Short Service Commission in our defence forces will now have the option to take up permanent commission.

Figures and Facts:
Women are inducted in the armed forces only as officers and not in subordinate ranks, and currently, there are 1,561 women officers in the Army, 1,594 in the IAF and 644 in the Navy.
The announcement came four months after the government told the Supreme Court that it was considering granting permanent commission (PC) to short service commission (SSC) women Army officers.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Aerogel a super-insulating gel may help build Mars habitats

Scientists have developed a transparent heat-resistant gel using beer waste that may one day be used to build greenhouse-like habitats for human colonised on Mars.

The "aerogel," which looks like a flattened plastic contact lens, could also be used on buildings on Earth to help make huge savings on energy costs. 

The "aerogel," is so resistant to heat that you could put a strip of it on your hand and a fire on top without feeling a thing, according to researchers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Australia recommences its adoption programme with India
 

The Government of Australia has decided to recommence the Adoption Programme with India, as per Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption. The adoptions from India had earlier been put on hold by the Government of Australia eight years ago, on the reported charges of trafficking of children for Inter-country adoption by some of the recognized Indian placement agencies (the Adoption agencies mandated to place children in Inter-country adoption at that point of time).
The regulation of Inter-country adoptions has been made strict by the Government of India with the enactment of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and notification of Adoption Regulations, 2017. The Ministry of Women & Child Development along with Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) have been constantly engaging with Australian Government for recommencement of the Adoption Programme. The recommencement of the adoption programmes will now enable large number of prospective adoptive parents including those of Indian origin settled in Australia in fulfilling their desire of adopting a child from India.

25th anniversary of the maritime bilateral exercise of Indian, Singapore navies 
 
The navies of India and Singapore will conduct joint exercises next month to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the maritime bilateral relations between the two countries. 
This was stated by the Indian High Commissioner, Jawed Ashraf in Singapore. He said the excellent defense relationship between both the countries is a reflection of deep mutual trust and a shared vision for the region. 
He said the bilateral naval exercise will be the longest uninterrupted naval exercise that India has with any country in the world. Mr Ashraf said the two nations are working together in the fields of technology and innovation solutions for the weak and vulnerable.
 
SPORTS 

Viraj Madappa Becomes Youngest Indian Golfer Winner of Asian Tour Title
 
Indian golfer Viraj Madappa has become the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour. He won his first title on the Asian Tour at taking Solutions Masters in Bengaluru. 

Viraj Madappa scored a total of 16-under 268 at the Asian Tour event. Earlier this record was held by Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Invitational when he was 21 years and three months old. 

Viraj Madappa is also the first rookie and youngest player to win on the continental Tour this season.