Important Current Affairs 22nd August 2018

Important Current Affairs 22nd August 2018

NATIONAL NEWS

Centre releases Rs. 600 crore assistance to flood-affected Kerala
  
Central assistance of Rs.500 crore, as announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and Rs.100 crore, announced by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, for flood affected Kerala has been released to the Government of Kerala. 

Draft scheme for extending UDAN to international circuits
 
Centre has unveiled a draft scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits, with state governments identifying the routes for operation. 

The draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme envisages to increase international ticketing to 20 crore by 2027. 
The draft scheme stated that it is to be made operational only for states, which demonstrate commitment to implement and provide the requisite support for promoting operations under the scheme. 
The scheme has proposed to set up an International Air Connectivity Fund (IACF) -- a dedicated fund for providing subsidy support under the scheme. 

It will be created through the contributions of state governments. 
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme was launched in 2016 to make air travel affordable for people through subsidised ticket rates and to provide air connectivity to smaller towns.

NCRB to track complaints on sexual violence
 
A high-level meeting was convened to discuss recommendations on ways to curb “sexual violence” videos involving women and children.
It was decided in the meeting that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) would be the designated nodal agency for monitoring the complaints received on a government portal that records child pornography and sexual violence videos.
The NCRB would coordinate with service providers such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp and ask them to block malicious videos and contents.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
The National Crime Records Bureau, abbreviated to NCRB, is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC). NCRB is headquartered in New Delhiand is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. The current Director of NCRB is Ish Kumar (IPS), who replaced Shri Radha Krishna Kini A (IPS) in January 2017. It was formed on 11 March 1986.

Supreme Court Offcuts NOTA option for Rajya Sabha polls
 
The Supreme Court scrapped the use of ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option in the coming Rajya Sabha elections.

A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra held that the NOTA option is meant only for universal adult suffrage and direct elections and not polls held by the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote as done in the Rajya Sabha.

None of the above

"None of the above", or NOTA for short, also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates in a voting system. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s visit for Argentina

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is leaving for trip to Argentina and Silicon Valley. There is G20 IT minister's conference of G20 in Argentina from coming August 23 to 25 where there will be discussions on development of inclusive digital economy.

Important:

Argentina Capital: Buenos Aires
Argentina Currency: Argentine peso
President- Mauricio Macri
Vice President- Gabriela Michetti

HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS

 
The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) said Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the "TReDS platform".

What is TReDS?

TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple financiers. The TReDS Platform will enable discounting of invoices/bills of exchange of MSME Sellers against large Corporates including Govt. Departments and PSUs, through an auction mechanism, to ensure prompt realization of trade receivables at competitive market rates.

Who is RXIL?
•    Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL), is a joint venture promoted by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the apex financial institution for promotion and financing of MSMEs in India and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), the premier stock exchange in India. RXIL has been incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 on February 25, 2016. RXIL operates the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) Platform as per the TReDS guideline issued by RBI on December 3, 2014.
•    RXIL is the first entity to receive the approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 01, 2016 to launch India's First TReDS Exchange.

SPORTS

Rahi Sarnobat becomes first Indian woman to shoot Asiad gold
 

Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Asian Games gold medal as she triumphed after prevailing in a double shoot-off against Naphaswan Yangpaiboon of Thailand in the Women’s 25m Pistol event in Palembang, Indonesia. 

The 27-year-old shot a games record score on her way to winning gold at the Jakabaring Shooting Range.

Important:

Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat is a female athlete from India who competes in the event of 25 metres pistol shooting. She won her first gold medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. She is the first woman to win a gold medal in shooting in an Asian Games for India; she won the Gold at 2018 Jakarta Palembang in Women's 25 meter pistol event.
 

APPOINTMENT 

Appointment of Seven states new governors by President

President Ram Nath Kovind appointed seven new governors the details are below:

Appointment of Bihar’s governor Satya Pal Malik as the new governor of Jammu and Kashmir who will take place of N.N. Vohra;
Lalji Tandon, senior BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, as the governor of Bihar; senior BJP leader from Bihar Satyadev Narayan Arya as the governor of Haryana; party colleague Baby Rani Maurya from Uttar Pradesh as the governor of Uttarakhand.
Ganga Prasad, the governor of Meghalaya, was appointed as governor of Sikkim; Tathagata Roy, the governor of Tripura was named the governor of Meghalaya; and Kaptan Singh Solanki, the governor of Haryana, was made the governor of Tripura.