Important Current Affairs 20th August 2018

Important Current Affairs 20th August 2018

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                                                                                 (National, Defence)

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan. 

The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer. 

Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW)

The DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon currently being developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to be capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kilometres (62 mi).

                                                      (National News)

Telangana Govt launches Disaster Response Force vehicles

The Telangana Government has launched Disaster Response Force (DRF) vehicles in Hyderabad to combat situations like flash floods, heavy rains, building collapse and fire mishaps.

The vehicles will be parked at 24 locations with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) DRF staff and will be pressed into action at the time of need.

                                                        (Day & Dates)

World Humanitarian Day celebrated on 19th August

Every year on 19 August, World Humanitarian Day brings citizens of the world together to rally support for people living in crises and to pay tribute to the aid workers who help them.

World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is a day dedicated to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as part of a Swedish-sponsored GA Resolution A/63/L.49 on the Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations, and set as 19 August. 

                                                     (International News)

Inauguration of Panini Language lab in Mauritius

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on 19th August inaugurated 'Panini Language Laboratory’ (पाणिनि भाषा प्रयोगशाला) at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius. The lab, gifted by the Indian government, will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.

What is Panini language lab?

The lab has 35 computers and equipment along with advanced software of various Indian languages installed by Indian IT professionals to aid students of junior, middle and high schools to imbibe new techniques of language learning and getting them acquainted with four language mantras–hearing, prounciation, reading and writing through easy and scientific ways.

The objective of the lab is to promote reading and writing Hindi amongst young generation and its further development.

WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award to S.K. Arora 
Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora has been awarded the prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control.

Tobacco prevalence in Delhi has come down by 6.5% in the past six years, which is more than the rest of India average figures, 

The National Health Policy 2017 has set targets of relative reduction in tobacco prevalence by 15% by 2020 and 30% by 2025.

WHO World No Tobacco Day Award

Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards and World No Tobacco Day Awards.

                                                              (Science)

Scientists decode complex wheat genome
A team of international researchers, including 18 from India decoded the wheat genome, considered insurmountable so far. The information generated will help to identify genes controlling complex agronomic traits such as yield, grain quality, resistance to diseases and pests, as well as tolerance to drought, heat, water logging and salinity.

About it:

The DNA sequence has been ordered and it represents the highest quality genome sequence generated to date for the bread wheat. The reference genome covers 94% (14.5 Gb) of the entire wheat genome. The bread wheat has a complex hexaploid genome which is 40 times larger than that of the rice genome and 5 times larger than the human genome.

Important to know:

More than 200 scientists from 73 research institutions in 20 countries. A team of 18 Indian scientists co-authoring this paper, led by Dr. Kuldeep Singh at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana, Professor J. P. Khurana at the University of Delhi South Campus, and Professor Nagendra Singh at ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, contributed to the decoding of Chromosome 2A of the wheat genome. This project was financially supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
 

                                                     (International News, Defence)

Indo – Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree 2018 

Exercise Maitree 2018, a two week long platoon level joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army culminated on 19 August 2018. 
The Exercise Maitree is an annual event designed to strengthen the partnership between Royal Thai Army and Indian Army and the exercise commenced on 06 August 2018 in Thailand. 
Objective of training:-
To enhance the cooperation between two armies & bonhomie between troops, conduct of tactical level counter terrorist operations, a 72 hour joint exercise on planning and execution of series of tactical operations like raid, pursuit, establishing Military Check Post and cordon and search operations.
It is also involving familiarization training between two armies to evolve drills and procedures involved in counter insurgency & counter terrorist operations in urban, rural and jungle terrain under UN mandate. 

Exercise Pitch Black 2018, RAAF Base Darwin, Australia Conclusion

Ex Pitch Black a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise was hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 24 Jul 18 to 18 Aug 18 in Darwin, Australia.
Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the exercise as observers and this was for the first time that IAF participated with air assets in the Exercise Pitch Black (PB-18). 
With participation of 16 nations and more than 140 aircraft, the current edition was the largest Pitch Black ever conducted by Australia. 
Objective & Aim:
The objectives for the exercise were to foster closer relationship between the participating friendly forces and to promote interoperability through exchange of knowledge and experience. 
The aim for participating crew and specialist observers was to expose them to op environment in international scenarios. 

                                                                   (Sports)

Silver medal to Shooter Deepak Kumar in 18th Asian Games

Shooter Deepak Kumar today bagged a Silver medal in the 18th Asian Games being held in Indonesia. Deepak claimed the Silver in the Men's 10-metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points. 
This was India's second medal in Shooting and it now has 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. Earlier Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar won bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event to get India going but finished behind China and Chinese Taipei.

While Bajrang Punia has won India's first gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. Bajrang defeated Takatani Daichi in the Gold Medal of the 65 kg Men's Freestyle event.

Djokovic wins Cincy title
 
Novak Djokovic ended a career-long jinx, lifting the trophy in Cincinnati at last to complete a matched set of Masters 1000 titles.

Djokovic, who came up empty in five prior Cincinnati finals, defeated seven-time winner Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

The former world number one became the first man to win all nine of the ATP's Masters 1000 events in the elite series' current configuration.

Cincinnati Masters:

The Cincinnati Masters is an annual outdoor hard court tennis event held in Mason near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city.