Important Current Affairs 8th January 2018

Important Current Affairs 8th January 2018

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: NATIONAL NEWS

Haryana launches HRP portal

●    Haryana has become first state in the country to launch High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Portal. 
●    This portal helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases.
●    State health minister Anil Vij launched the portal.
●    The Mission Director, National Health Mission is Amneet P. Kumar.

Arunachal to have India’s 2nd FTII

●    Arunachal Pradesh is going to get its first Film and Television Institute.
●    This would be the second FTII in the country. 
●    The first FTII was set up in Pune.
●    It is an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Tirumurti appointed eco. relations secy

●    T S Tirumurti has been appointed as the Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry.
●    He is Indian High Commissioner to Kuala Lumpur.
●    He has been appointed in place of Vijay Keshav Gokhale.
●    Tirumurti is a 1985-batch officers of IFS.
●    He became High Commissioner of India to Malaysia on December 20, 2013.

The third meeting of the Business Development and Promotion Council was held today in New Delhi

●    Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu chaired the third meeting of the Business Development and Promotion Council in New Delhi today.
●    The Lord emphasized the importance of creating a favorable environment for promotion of exports.
●    He said that there was a need to develop state and district level strategies.
●    He said that districts should be made new units of development and plans related to them should be made.

Ananth Kumar inaugurated the 18th All India Whip Conference in Udaipur, Rajasthan

●    Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Anant Kumar today inaugurated the 18th All India Whip Conference in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
●    The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia chaired the inaugural session as the chief guest.
●    In this two-day conference, about 90 representatives from 19 states and the Center are participating.
●    The conference will conclude on January 9, 2018.

Govt cancels ₹32,000-cr Make in India warship project

●    The government has cancelled the project to construct 12 advanced minesweepers.
●    It was a Rs 32,000 crore project.
●    It was going to be  in collaboration with South Korea at the Goa Shipyard.
 

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: DEFENCE

INS Arihant left crippled after ‘accident’ 10 months ago

●    Nuclear submarine was damaged after water entered its propulsion chamber few months back.
●    The submarine is built under the Advanced Technology Vessel project (ATV).
●    It is being repaired.
●    On July 26, 2009, Gursharan Kaur launched it in Visakhapatnam.
●    She is wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: SCHEMES

Punjab launches farm debt waiver scheme

●    Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh launched farm loan waiver scheme.
●    5.63 lakh farmers would benefit in first phase.
●    It was one of the promise of the Congress party before elections.

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: AWARDS

SPB to get LV award

●    On January 12, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam will  receive the LV Lifetime Achievement award.
●    He is the Playback singer and music composer.
●    It will mark 75th birth anniversary of music director and violin artist L. Vaidyanathan.
 

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: ECONOMY 

Global debt over 3 times the size of world economy: Study

●    Global debt became highest ever of $233 trillion in the third quarter of 2017.
●    It’s over three times of the global economy.
●    It’s more than $16-trillion extra than 2016. 
●    World's per capita debt is over $30,000.

'Three Billboards...' named Best Picture at Golden Globes

●    Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the Best Motion Picture Drama award.
●    It was announced on 75th annual Golden Globes. 
●    Only A24 got more than one Lady Bird was named Best Picture Comedy or Musical and scored a Best Actress win for Saoirse Ronan, and James Franco won Best Actor Comedy/Musical for The Disaster Artist.
●    The film stars McDormand.

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: GLOBAL NEWS

World's largest ice festival kicks off in China

●    The world's largest ice festival has started.
●    It started in Harbin, northeastern China.
●    Its 34th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.
●    It’s going to began on January 5.

Dormant volcano in Papua New Guinea erupts for 1st time

●    A surprise eruption from a dormant volcano covered the village below with dust and ash.
●    Volcanic eruption took place over Kadovar Island off the northeastern coast of Papua New Guinea.
●    Approximately 600 people left the island.

Mahathir to lead Malaysia’s Opposition

●    Malaysia’s opposition named Mahathir Mohamad as candidate for prime minister.
●    He is 92 years old.
●    Election is going to be held by August.
●    Current prime Minister is Najib Razak.
●    He is 64 years old. 

China to build naval base in Pakistan

●    China is planning to build its second overseas naval base near Pakistan Gwadar port.
●    Gwadar port is a key part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
●    China began construction of base in Djibouti in 2016.
●    It is to be used to resupply navy ships taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in Yemen and Somalia.

Current Affairs 8th January 2018: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

SpaceX launches 'secret' satellite on its 1st flight of 2018

●    SpaceX has launched a secret satellite code-named Zuma.
●    It’s the first flight of the 2018. 
●    The Falcon rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
●    Northrop Grumman provided the satellite.
●    The Govt. which provided the satellite, was not announced. 
●    The name Zuma is of a Southern California beach.
●    Last year SpaceX launched 18 satellites.