Important Current Affairs 28th August 2018

                                                  (International News, Agreement)

Government of India and the World Bank sign $300 Million Agreement

 
The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $220 million Loan Agreement and a $80 million Guarantee Agreement for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program. 
The Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), will help scale-up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity, and enhance its access to commercial financing.
The $220 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to EESL, has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years. The $80 million IBRD guarantee will partially cover re-payment risks to commercial lenders or investors, to enable EESL to raise funds for its program.
The Key Components of the Operation include: 
Creating sustainable markets for LED lights and energy efficient ceiling fans; facilitating well-structured and scalable investments in public street lighting; 
Developing sustainable business models for emerging market segments such as super-efficient air conditioning and agricultural water pumping systems; strengthening the institutional capacity of EESL. 
Also the Program will help to increase private sector participation in energy efficiency, including through private sector energy service companies. 

The Government of India, Government of Rajasthan and World Bank sign a $250 Million Agreement

The Government of India, the Government of Rajasthan and the World Bank signed a $250 million Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support the Government of Rajasthan in improving the performance of its Electricity Distribution Sector under the State’s 24x7 Power for All program. 
The Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. The First Loan closed in March 2017.
The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 3-year grace period, and a maturity of 21 years.
The key areas that the program will support include: 
Strengthening Governance in the Distribution Sector in the State by establishing Annual Performance MoUs between the DISCOMs and the State Government; 
Financial Restructuring and recovery in the Sector by transferring considerable amounts of the DISCOMs debt to the State; 
Taking initiatives in reducing the costs of energy procurement; 
Improving the operational performance of the DISCOMs through initiatives like publishing feeder level energy audits and increased usage of IT among others.

                                                         (Day & Dates)

National Sports Day on 29 August

National Sports Day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand. 
About Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand born on 29 August 1905 and died on 3 December 1979 was an Indian Hockey player, who is considered as the greatest Hockey player in the history of the sport. He is known for his extraordinary goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals (1928, 1932, and 1936) in field hockey, during an era where India was the most dominant team in Hockey. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1956.

                                                     (Science & Research)
EU, India to collaborate on developing next generation influenza vaccine
 
The European Union and India will collaborate in research and innovation for developing a next generation influenza vaccine to protect people worldwide and they have earmarked about Rs 240 crore for the project.
The EU and the Indian government's Department of Biotechnology have committed 15 million Euros each to fund this joint project. The EU is funding is under its programme for research and innovation 'Horizon 2020'.
Objective:
Aim at advancing the efficacy, safety, duration of immunity, and reactivity against an increased breadth of influenza strains and to develop cost-effective and affordable influenza vaccine rapidly without compromising quality.

Ganga drying up in summers due to groundwater depletion: Study
 
Ganga, the 2600-km-long trans-boundary river of Asia, has witnessed "unprecedented low levels of water in several lower reaches" in the last few summer seasons.

This is as per a study was undertaken by a professor of IIT-Kharagpur. Abhijit Mukherjee, associate professor of Geology in IIT-Kharapur, along with researchers Soumendra Nath Bhanja from Canada and Yoshihide Wada from IIASA Austria, found out that the drying of the river in the recent years during the summer seasons was "possibly related to the groundwater depletion in the Gangetic aquifers".

The study used a combination of satellite images of groundwater levels of Ganga, numerical simulations and chemical analyses to draw the conclusion. The study asserted that the decline of groundwater inflow (base flow) is also impacting the health of the river. The study also observed that in the forthcoming summers, for the next 30 years, groundwater contribution to river Ganga will continue decreasing.

                                                          (International News)
A new platform for Indic language publishers Navlakha launched by Google
 

The search giant wants to bring India's 135,000 local language publishers online by making web hosting smooth and simple.

At the fourth 'Google for India' event, the internet search giant unveiled Project Navlekha - its new initiative to bring India's 135,000 Indic language publications online in a hassle-free manner.

Navlekha, which means 'a new way to write' in Sanksrit, will allow local publishers who do not have websites to make their offline content fit for online publishing in less than a minute. They can simply scan documents or PDFs and create instant web pages on the platform. No expert digital knowledge is required in the process, claims Google.

First SAARC Agri Cooperative Business Forum begins in Kathmandu
 
The First South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agri Cooperative Business Forum began in Kathmandu on 28th August. 
The theme of three-day Forum is the 'Organizing and Strengthening Family Farmers’ Cooperatives to attain the Sustainable-Development-Goals-1 and 2 in South Asia'. 
It is being co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Asian Farmers’ Association with the support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development. 
Significance
South Asia is home to around a quarter of the global population and majority of whom live in the rural areas and depend on natural resources like land, freshwater, coastal fisheries and forests. Much of the agricultural production in the region is undertaken by small landholders. 
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population and 3.8% (US$2.9 trillion) of the global economy, as of 2015.

Satya Tripathi appointed Assistant Secretary-General & Head of New York Office of UNEP 
 
UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed veteran Indian development economist and UN official Satya S Tripathi as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago, has since 2017 served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP. 

About Satya S Tripathi
A development economist and lawyer with over 35 years of experience, Tripathi has worked for the United Nations since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on strategic assignments in sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs. Tripathi was previously the Director and Executive Head of the United Nations Office for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India and Bulgaria in the field of tourism

 
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bulgaria for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism.

The main objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are:

•    To expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector
•    To encourage cooperation between tourism stakeholders including Hotels and Tour operators,
•    To   establish   exchange   programme   for cooperation   in   Human   Resource Development.
•    Foster bilateral cooperation through film tourism for promoting the two countries as attractive tourism destinations.

Background:

India and Bulgaria had previously signed an Agreement on cooperation in the field of tourism on 26.05.1994. Bulgaria is a potential tourism markets for India (India received approximately 5288 tourists from Bulgaria in 2017). The signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Bulgaria will be instrumental in increasing arrival from this important source market.

                                                                    (Sports)
Asian Games 2018 Updates:
 
In Athletics, Manjit Singh won gold in men's 800 metres while Jinson Johnson took silver. 
India bagged two medals in Kurash, a form of wrestling indigenous to central Asia, with Pincky Balhara winning silver and Malaprabha Yallappa Jadhav bagged a bronze, both in women's 52 kg. Category.
Asian medallists Bhavesh Kattimani (52kg) and Ankit Khatana (60kg) settled for bronze medals in the world youth boxing championships after losing their semifinal bouts. 

Important Current Affairs 28th August 2018

                                                              (National News)

Committee on review of penal provisions of Company Act 2013 submits final report 

The Committee constituted by Government of India in July 2018 to review the existing framework dealing with offences under the Companies Act, 2013 and related matters and make recommendations to promote better corporate compliance, has submitted its report to the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley by Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Shri Injeti Srinivas, who chaired the committee. 
The main recommendations of the Committee are as follows:
(i)    Restructuring of Corporate Offences to relieve Special Courts from adjudicating routine offences
(ii)   De-clogging the NCLT
(iii)  Recommendations related to corporate compliance and corporate governance.

Government announces regulations for drones
 
The Government announced regulations which will enable the safe, commercial usage of drones. The regulations will be effective from 1st of December this year. 
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said, the regulations are intended to enable visual line-of-sight daytime-only and a maximum of 400 feet altitude operations. 

Also air space has been partitioned into Red Zone in which flying is not permitted, Yellow Zone that is controlled airspace and Green Zone for automatic permission.

These progressive regulations will encourage a vast Made in India drone industry. He expressed confidence that many new and exciting applications will emerge which will take India’s economy forward.
 

MoU signed for skill development of Arogyamitras under the PMJAY

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) to ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation. 
As per the MoU, NSDC will ensure quality training of Arogyamitra through its network of Skill Development Centres functioning under PMKVY and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras(PMKK). All the currently recruited/ deputed Pradhan Arogyamitras will be certified by health care sector skill council, the body notified as non-statutory body for health sector under the aegis of NSDC.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) 
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is an Indian not-for-profit company set up to address the need for providing skilled manpower across various industry sectors. It was founded in 2009 by the Ministry of Finance, and is currently under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India.
Important
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is the Minister of skill Development and entrepreneurship & Petroleum and Natural Gas and Shri J.P.Nadda, Minister of Health and family Welfare

Railways planning to enable WiFi in 6 thousand railway stations

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal addressing a Smart Railways Conclave in New Delhi has said that the railway is planning to enable wifi in six thousand railway stations in the next 6 to 8 months. 

Figure & Facts

Currently railway is offering free wi-fi service at more than 700 stations across the country. 
Government is taking fibre optics to country's remotest corners and on the other hand, Railways is working to get technology across the Railways network. 

In May 2014 the optic fibre cable was about 358 kilometres and today it is about two lakh 30 thousand kilometres in four years. Also 60 per cent of villages are already connected with optic fibre. 

Centre signs MoU with 6 states for Lakhwar Yamuna basin project in Uttarakhand

The Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the six Upper Yamuna basin states for the construction of Lakhwar multi-purpose project in Uttarakhand. 

The states are Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,  Haryana,  and Delhi.  Union Minister for Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari inked the MoU with the Chief Ministers of these states in New Delhi for the project worth 3966.51 crore rupees.   

Lakhwar Project

The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a 204-metre high concrete dam across river Yamuna in Uttarakhand with a live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metre, MCM.

This storage will provide 78.83 MCM water for domestic and industrial use in the six basin states. It will also irrigate  33,780 hectares of land and generate 300 Megawatt of power.  

Background:
 
Upper Yamuna refers to the stretch of River Yamuna from its origin to the Okhla Barrage in Delhi. The six Upper Yamuna Basin states had signed a MoU on 12th May 1994 regarding allocation of surface flow of River Yamuna. 

                                                            (International News)

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calls on Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha

The Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Bangkok. The delegation led by Mrs Sitharaman also called on the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Thailand. 

Both the leaders discussed matters concerning strengthening India-Thailand strategic ties. Earlier, Smt Sitharaman inspects the Guard of Honour in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Fourth Asian electoral stakeholders forum in Colombo 
 

Sri Lanka, the fourth Asian electoral stakeholders forum (AESF-IV) will begin in Colombo tomorrow to discuss the state of elections and democracy in the region. The two-day forum is being held for the first time in South Asia with support from the Election Commission of Sri Lanka and the Asian network for free elections (ANFREL). The AESF will be attended by more than 250 delegates from 45 countries. 

The theme is, 'Advancing Election Transparency and Integrity: Promoting and Defending Democracy Together'. The forum gives an opportunity for Asian election commissions, election observers, non-government organizations, and interstate bodies to gather and discuss the state of elections and democracy in the region. India is being represented by Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Ashwini Kumar and an NGO.

Nashik Police Commissioner Ravinderkumar Singhal wins the Ironman triathlon

Nashik Police Commissioner Ravinderkumar Singhal has successfully completed the Ironman triathlon which involves a set of physically gruelling activities.

The event, which includes cycling for a staggering 180 km, swimming for around 4 km and a 42-km full marathon, was held in France.

Singhal, 53, completed the triathlon in 15 hours and 13 minutes as against the stipulated time of 17 hours.

Earlier, model-turned-actor Milind Soman had successfully completed the race in 2015 and Maharashtra's senior IPS officer Krishna Prakash participated in it last year.

                                                      (Sports News)
Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra becomes first Indian to win gold in javelin throw
 
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin-thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal as he shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m in Jakarta. The 20-year-old’s winning throw came in his third attempt. He began with 83.46m and fouled the second attempt.
Neeraj Chopra’s gold is only the second medal India has won in javelin throw in Asian Games history after Gurtej Singh won bronze in 1982 in New Delhi.
Neeraj won the Federation Cup in March with 85.94m, clinched a gold in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with a throw of 86.47m. He was the 2016 IAAF World U20 Champion and holds world junior record setting 86.48 m at the U20 championships. 

Asian Games: P V Sindhu becomes first Indian shuttler to win Silver medal

PV Sindhu became the first Indian to win a Silver medal in Badminton at the Asian Games.
In the Gold medal match at the 18th Asiad in Indonesia, Sindhu seeded 3rd, lost to world number one Tai Tzu-Ying of Chinese Taipei in straight games, 13-21, 16-21 to give India its third Silver of the day. Earlier, India bagged two Silver medals in Archery. 
About PV Sindhu
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu born on 5 July 1995 is an Indian professional badminton player. She became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal, and one of the two Indian badminton players to ever win an Olympic medal – other being Saina Nehwal. Sindhu won silver in Women's singles at Commonwealth Games 2018 . She was also a silver medalist at the 2017 BWF World Championships and 2018 BWF World Championships consecutively.
 

Important Current Affairs 27th August 2018

                                                           (International News)

Indian Ocean conference on August 27, 28 in Vietnam
 
The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference is set to begin on August 27 at Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The theme of the two- day conference will focus on 'Building Regional Architectures', particularly with regards to trade and commerce, security and governance, on better cooperation, strategic collaboration and governance architectures. 
This conference will serve a platform to the countries to come closer and exchange better views on the economic and strategic importance of the region and neighborhood.
Key People 
The key speakers include Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vietnam H.E. Pham Bihn Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health & Population, Nepal, H.E. Upendra Yadav and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, H.E. Vivian Balakrishnan along with other notables. Representatives from Indian and foreign Think Tank will also grace the conference.
Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj along with other dignitaries will inaugurate the conference on August 27.
Important:
The Indian Ocean Conference initiated by India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is an annual effort to bring together Heads of States/Governments, Ministers, Thought Leaders, scholars, diplomats, bureaucrats and practitioners from across the region.
Two successful editions of the Conference have been hosted so far in 2016 and 2017 in Singapore and Sri Lanka respectively. 

2nd Protocol Amending India – Singapore CECA Signed
 
India and Singapore has signed the Second Protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in New Delhi. 
Signing of the Second Protocol formally brings to closure, the negotiations on second review of CECA, which began on 11th May, 2010. Both sides agreed to expand the coverage of tariff concessions, liberalize the Rules of Origin, rationalize Product Specific Rules and include provisions on Certificate of Origin and Cooperation on its verification.  These measures will further facilitate trade between India and Singapore and also improve utilization of CECA.
The CECA was the first comprehensive agreement covering trade in goods, services and investments, which India had signed with any of its trading partners.  The CECA was signed on 29th June, 2005 and its first review was concluded on 1st October, 2007.
Important:
Singapore is the second largest trading partner of India within ASEAN and India is the largest trading partner of Singapore in South Asia, with a bilateral trade of USD 17.7 billion in 2017-18.  Singapore’s trade with India constitutes about 21.8% of our total trade with ASEAN and 2.3% of our global trade.  India had a trade surplus of USD 2.73 billion with Singapore in 2017-18. 

India - Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in Nairobi
 

The 8th meeting of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 22nd – 25th August, 2018. 
The meeting was co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhuand Mr. Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Government of Kenya.
The discussions during the meetings covered India’s contribution in implementation of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda – food security, affordable housing, universal healthcare and manufacturing, expansion and diversification of bilateral trade.
Kenya’s readiness to join the International Solar Alliance, implementation of Lines of Credit, of over US$ 220 million, extended by Government of India in power transmission were discussed.
 At present, India is one of Kenya's largest trade partners and the second largest foreign investor in Kenya. Indians are the third-largest group of tourists to Kenya. The last meeting of Joint Trade Committee was held in New Delhi in February 2015.
Important:
Kenyan President is Uhuru Kenyatta, and Deputy President is Mr. William Ruto. 

                                                     (National News)

Launch of ‘Speedex’ Contract by IAF

The Stores, Proactive, Efficient and Expeditious Despatch of Extra Size/ Wt Consignment (SPEEDEX) contract was formally launched.
The contract with acronym ‘SPEEDEX’ has been concluded on 28 Jun 18 with M/s Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd and M/s Ashok Travel and Tours for the Air & Surface component respectively. 
About (SPEEDEX) contract
Aim of the contract is to overcome the delay in piecemeal dispatch of consignment and to move operationally urgent stores by air and normal consignments by surface mode.  This would include door to door pickup and delivery facility with fixed timelines, lesser than Speed Post. This contract will enhance support to IAF maintenance activities and improve operational preparedness.

BNHS to open its regional Centre

 The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s premier avian research institutes, will start operating its regional centre on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near Chilika Lake from Monday.
The BNHS has been active in avian research in the Chilika Lake, which hosts nearly one million birds with 97 species being intercontinental migratory in nature during the winter season. The avifauna observatory will be inaugurated by BNHS director Deepak Apte.
The centre will carry out research on avian disease by collecting samples and monitor the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, said Susanta Nanda, Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority.
Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservationand biodiversity research.  It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.

                                               (National News, Defence)    
INS Vikramaditya to be have marine hydraulic systems
 
INS Vikramaditya, Indias only aircraft carrier, is going to be fitted with marine hydraulic system for the first time as part of its upgrade that will give an edge to the air-capable wing of the ship.
The systems would be fitted by Russia’s Rostec State Corporation through its subsidiary, Technodinamika.
Technodinamika specializes in development, manufacture and after-sale servicing for systems and equipment for civil and military airplanes and helicopters.
Important:
The GS-1MF and GS-3 marine hydraulic systems are used for refuelling, cleaning and pressurization of hydraulic systems of aircraft and helicopters which form part of the air-capable wing of INS Vikramaditya.
GS-1MF hydraulic system is used for helicopters while GS-3 are used for aircraft. The upgradation would take place in India only and would include installation supervision, commissioning and sea trials of the ship.
INS Vikramaditya 
INS Vikramaditya meaning "Brave as the Sun" is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013. She has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India.
Currently it is most powerful aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. It was built in 1987 and had served the Soviet navy named as Baku.

IAF Trans Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition (The MTB)
    
Indian Air Force is celebrating its 86th Anniversary on 08 Oct 2018. To commemorate this event, IAF has launched a unique event in the form of Trans-Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition (THE MTB). 

The team for the expedition consists of 18 Air warriors (12 riders and 06 support staff) which also includes two women officers. The expedition started on 17 Aug 18 from Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh for Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh. DBO and Kibithu are the two forward most outposts of India in the North and in the East with DBO being the highest Airfield at 16614 feet. The team will cover a distance of more than 4500 Km through mountain terrain of the states of J&K, HP, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
 The Adventure ride that the team is undertaking involves camping and living outdoors, managing and surviving on their own in snow, rain and extreme climatic conditions throughout the expedition. This is the first time that a mountain terrain biking expedition of such a magnitude is being undertaken by IAF. The expedition is led by Wg Cdr S Sharathchandra. The aim of this expedition is to promote spirit of adventure among Air Warriors to undertake daunting challenges and ‘Go Green’ initiative

DAC Approves Procurement for Services amounting to Nearly Rs. 46,000 Crores 
 
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Hon’ble Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, accorded approval for procurement for the Services amounting to approximately Rs. 46,000 crores.
 
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in a landmark decision, approved procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs. 21,000 crores.  
This is the first project under the MoD’s prestigious Strategic Partnership (SP) Model that aims at providing significant fillip to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ programme. 

In further quest for modernisation of the Armed forces the DAC also granted approval to a few other proposals amounting to approximately Rs. 24,879.16 crores, which included approval for procurement of 150 numbers of Indigenously Designed and Developed 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 3,364.78 crores. 
 
 

India's first biofuel-powered flight
    
India's first biofuel-powered flight that aims to reduce costs of air travel by replacing the costly aviation turbine fuel was successfully tested today. A 72-seater SpiceJet aircraft, powered by biofuel, took off from Dehradun for Delhi today on 27 August.
The biofuel is made partially from renewable resources such as agricultural residues, non-edible oils and bio-degradable fractions of industrial and municipal wastes. Biofuel flights could make air travel cleaner and more efficient, thus drastically reducing the cost of airline operations by reducing the dependency on aviation turbine fuel.
SpiceJet's biofuel is a mix of the oil extracted from the seeds of Jatropha plant and aviation turbine fuel. Five hundred farmer families in Chhattisgarh are involved in the production of the partially-refined biofuel used in today's flight.
While twenty five per cent of the right engine of the aircraft will have the biofuel mix, the left engine will run on aviation turbine fuel. The efficiency of the engine running on biofuel is expected to be slightly higher than that of the other engine.
If today's test brings success, India could join a select few countries such as USA and Australia who have had biofuel-operated commercial aircraft.

New train service Naini-Doon Jan Shatabdi Express between Kathgodam- Dehradun
 
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal  flagged off Kathgodam-Dehradun Naini-Doon Janshatabdi Express via video conferencing from Rail Bhavan.
The new train will be providing direct connectivity between two important hill stations of Uttarakhand-- Mussoorie and Nainital. It will operate five days a week except for Thursday and Sunday, making five stops between the source and destination.

Important Current Affairs 26th August 2018

ECONOMY & BANKING

Finance Ministry ranks PNB as best PSU bank for digital transactions

A central government report has ranked Punjab National Bank (PNB) as the best PSU bank in the overall digital transactions category in India. This report has been prepared by the Ministry of Finance.

As per the Department of Financial Services (DFS) findings, PNB’s average percentage of technical declines is only 0.83 per cent of the total transactions. It has been rated as the sixth best in the overall category amongst all banks in India for digital performance. The bank is rated as ‘Good’ by the government with a score of ’71’ which is the highest category of performance.

About the Department of Financial Services

The mandate of the Department of Financial Services covers the functioning of Banks, Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies and the National Pension System. It oversees several key programs/initiatives and reforms of the Government concerning the Banking Sector, the Insurance Sector and the Pension Sector in India. The key flagship schemes being currently run/managed by the Department include the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) and the Stand Up India Scheme.

AWARDS

Head of panchayat school bags best teacher award

R. Sathy, headmistress of the Madukkarai Panchayat Union Primary School in Malumichampatti village in Coimbatore district, has won the national award for best teacher for 2017. She received a communication from the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) through e-mail on Friday, stating that the accolade included a certificate of merit, a cash award of ₹50,000 and a silver medal.

The award would be presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu at a function in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on September 5, which coincides with Teachers Day. Prior to that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address the awardees on September 4, the communiqué said. Ms. Sathy is the only teacher from Tamil Nadu among the 45 candidates nominated for the national award.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA probe captures first images of asteroid Bennu

NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft has captured the first glimpse of its distant target — asteroid Bennu — after almost two years of journey.

Launched on September 8, 2016, the OSIRIS-REx, which is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, is scheduled to arrive at Bennu on December 3. It will help unveil the mysteries of our solar system’s formation. After arrival at Bennu, the spacecraft will spend the first month performing flybys of Bennu’s north pole, equator and south pole, at distances ranging between 11.8 and 4.4 miles (19 and 7 km) from the asteroid. The spacecraft will extensively survey the asteroid before the mission team identifies two possible sample sites, which will allow the team to pick one for sample collection, scheduled for July 2020. After the sample collection, the spacecraft will head back towards Earth before ejecting the “Sample Return Capsule” for landing in the Utah desert in September 2023.

About Asteroid Bennu

101955 Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid in the Apollo group discovered by the LINEAR Project on September 11, 1999. It is a potentially hazardous object that is listed on the Sentry Risk Table with the second-highest cumulative rating on the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale.

OBITUARY

John McCain, U.S. war hero and presidential candidate, dies at 81

Sen. John McCain, who faced down his captors in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp and later had a 35-year political career that took him to Congress and the Republican presidential nomination, died on Saturday after battling brain cancer for more than a year. He was 81.

On Aug. 13, Mr. Trump signed into law a $716 billion defence policy bill named in honour of the senator. Mr. Trump signed the John S. McCain National Defence Authorisation Act in a ceremony at a military base in New York without one mention of McCain.

Former Bengal captain Gopal Bose passes away

Former Bengal cricket captain Gopal Bose died after suffering a cardiac arrest at a Birmingham hospital. An opening batsman, Bose had scored 3757 runs in 78 first-class games with eight hundreds and 17 fifties. He also took 72 wickets with his handy off-breaks including one five-wicket haul.He was the first cricketer from Bengal to play an ODI against England in 1974, which was incidentally only the second ODI that India played.Interestingly, Bose was the manager of the Virat Kohli-led India U-19 team that won the colts World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2008.

SPORTS

Asian Games 2018 Update: India’s Medal Tally reaches 36 after 8^th Day

India's sprint queen Dutee Chand clinched silver in a photo finish after Hima Das and Muhammed Anas gave India two silver medals in the 400m.

Earlier India’s Lakshmanan Govindan had won bronze in 10,000 m but was disqualified for stepping out of the track.

Fouaad Mirza became the first Indian to win an Asian Games individual medal in the equestrian event since 1982 besides guiding the country to a second-place finish in the team competition here. The Indian team, comprising Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik and Jitender Singh apart from Mirza, also claimed the silver with a score of 121.30, the feats coming days after their last-minute arrival owing to infighting in the Equestrian Federation of India.

India now has 36 medals in which 7 are Gold, 10 are silver and 19 are bronze

Important Current Affairs 25th August 2018

SPORTS

Tajinder Singh Wins India’s 7^th Gold in Asian Games 2018

Tajinderpal Singh Toor clinched gold medal with a Games Record throw of 20.75m in men's shot put after Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghosal settled for bronze in squash.

India has now won a total of 29 medals out of which 7 are gold, 5 are silver and 17 are bronze.

India finishes in eight position on the medals table today after winning four medals.

India on IAAF's radar for holding Diamond League

India might get to host the Diamond League of athletics as the glitzy showpiece, which features the top stars of the sport, needs to be taken to all major cities of the world, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said today.

About the Diamond League

The Diamond League is a 14-leg series in which top athletes compete for prize money and points.It was established in 2010 to replace the Golden League to take the sport beyond Europe and as IAAF's contract with the event sponsors draws to an end, discussions are being held to take it to new cities. Apart from Europe, Asian countries such as China, Qatar and Morocco are already hosting Diamond League events.

NATIONAL NEWS

Onam Festival Celebrated in Kerala Amidst Flood Relief

The floods that dampened Onam 2018, the harvest festival of the southern state, did not, however, dampen the spirit of the state that remained in the news not just for the havoc the heavy rain created but for its reprising sense of humanity in a time of grief. This was echoed in the Onam wishes across the country.

The Kerala government earlier this month cancelled Onam celebrations, a first in the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan then announced diversion of the Rs. 30 crore, set aside for the festivity, to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief fund.

About Onam

Onam is an annual Hindu festival with origins in the state of Kerala in India. It falls in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which in Gregorian calendar overlaps with August–September.

Govt clears procurement of 111 naval helicopters at a cost of Rs 21K cr

In a major decision, the Defence Ministry today gave its nod to acquisition of 111 utility helicopters for the Navy at a cost of over Rs 21,000 crore besides approving separate procurement proposals worth nearly Rs 25,000 crore, according to officials. The utility helicopters will be used in attack missions as well as for search and rescue and surveillance operations.

The procurement of the naval utility helicopters will be the first project under the ambitious strategic partnership (SP) model which provides for roping in private firm to build select military platforms in India in partnership with foreign defence manufacturers.

About the SP Model

In May last year, the defence ministry had finalised the SP model under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines, fighter jets and choppers in India in partnership with foreign entities. The policy envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian defence majors through a transparent and competitive process wherein they would tie up with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. Initially, the strategic partners will be selected in four segments - fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines and armoured fighting vehicles/main battle tanks. It is expected to be expanded to other segments at a later stage.

APPOINTMENTS

G Satheesh Reddy Takes Over As Chief Of Top Defence Research Organisation

Distinguished aerospace scientist G Satheesh Reddy was appointed as the Chairman of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and Secretary in the Department of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D)

Mr Reddy succeeds S. Christopher, who retired in June. The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved Mr Reddy's appointment for a period of two years

Mr Reddy received the prestigious Indian Science Congress Association Homi J. Bhabha Memorial award. He is the first defence scientist working in India to receive the Silver Medal of Royal Aeronautical Society, UK, and has been selected for the first IEI (India) and IEEE (USA) joint award for Engineering Excellence.

About DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation is an agency of the Republic of India, charged with the military's research and development, headquartered in New Delhi.

Satyadev Narayan Arya takes oath as new Haryana Governor

Satyadev Narayan Arya was today sworn in as the Governor of Haryana in a simple ceremony held at Raj Bhawan here today. The Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court Krishna Murari administered the oath of office to Arya.

Mr. Arya has replaced Kaptan Singh Solanki.

Mr. Arya is now the 17^th Governor of the state of Haryana which was carved out from Punjab on 1 November 1966.

Important Current Affairs 24th August 2018

SPORTS

Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan notched up their maiden men's doubles gold medal

Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan notched up their maiden men's doubles gold medal at the Asian Games. Bopanna and Sharan defeated Aleksander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-4 in 52 minutes.

India have claimed the men's doubles gold on four occasions at the Games, the last pair being Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh in the 2010 Guangzhou edition.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes remain the most successful Indian men's doubles pair in the Asian Games history, having claimed back-to-back gold medals in the 2002 and 2006 Games.

In 2014, Saketh Myneni and Sanam had ended with a silver medal.

Virat Kohli regains top spot in ICC Test Rankings
 

India captain Virat Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC Test Rankings after his brilliant show in the third Test against England.
Kohli scored 97 and 103 in the third Test at Nottingham, which India won by 203 runs.
Kohli now has 937 points, which is the 11th best ever in terms of rating points. 

Indian rower Dushyant bags Bronze medal: Asian Games

Indian rower Dushyant today bagged a Bronze medal in the Men's Lightweight Single Sculls category, Dushyant finished third to give India a Bronze medal at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia. 

Important:

This is also the first medal for the country in rowing at the Games. Previously Dushyant won international medals for India were silver and a bronze in Italian Regatta Championships in 2014.

Hockey India announces U18 men's & women's teams for Youth Olympic Games
 

Hockey India announced the Indian Under-18 men's and women's teams for the Hockey 5's competition to be held at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games from 6th to 18th October. 

The men's team will be led by midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad, and the captaincy of the women's team has been given to defender Salima Tete.

Youth Olympic Games

The 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, officially known as the III Summer Youth Olympic Games, and commonly known as Buenos Aires 2018, is a forthcoming international sports, cultural, and educational festival for teenagers that will be hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

NATIONAL NEWS

VVPAT Machines Ready to use during forthcoming polls

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat has said that Election Commission is ready for hundred per cent use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines (VVPAT). 
Election Commission has ordered 17.5 lakh VVPAT machines and received 10 lakh out of them by now. 

VVPAT

A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allowvoters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results.

Important:

General elections are due to be held in India in April or May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. Assembly elections of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Telangana will be tentatively held simultaneously with this general election.

Five thematic reports on Indian Himalayan Region
 

NITI Aayog has released five thematic reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region. It was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and member Dr V K Saraswat in New Delhi. 

The themes include Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security, Sustainable Tourism, Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation, Strengthening Skill and Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas. Listing challenges in all five thematic areas, the reports said, nearly 30 per cent of springs crucial to water security of people are drying and 50 per cent have reported reduced discharge. 

What this Report Says:

Reports said, Himalayan Tourism which is growing annually at 6.8 per cent has crated huge challenge related to solid waste, water, traffic, loss of bio-cultural diversity. According to an official release, the call for action includes setting up of a Himalayan Authority for coordinated and holistic development of entire Himalayan region and launching of Himalaya Calling: An Awareness to Action Campaign as people’s movement.

AJ Paulraj submits its 5G steering committee Report
 

The steering committee headed by Stanford University professor A.J. Paulraj submitted the report, making India 5G ready, to telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan.

The report suggested the government should announce its 5G policy by the end of December, besides setting up a standing committee to advise on building the infrastructure for spectrum technology.

It gave wide-ranging recommendations to drive India’s 5G adoption entailing areas like spectrum policy, regulatory policy, standards and education

Background: 

A panel was set up by the Department of Telecom in September 2017 to prepare a roadmap for rollout of 5G telephony in India expects the service to be operational by 2020.

Commerce Ministry developing National Logistics Portal
 

A National Logistics Portal is being developed to ensure ease of trading in the international and domestic markets, as India eyes lowering logistics cost from14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022.

The portal will link all the stakeholders of export-import, domestic trade and all trade activities on a single platform.

Purpose:

The portal will be implemented in phases and will fulfill the commitment of the Government of India to enhance trade competitiveness, create jobs, boost India's performance in global rankings and pave the way for India to become a logistics hub

Figure and Facts:

India's logistics sector is highly defragmented and the aim is to reduce the logistics cost from the present 14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022.

The country's logistics sector is very complex with more than 20 government agencies, 40 partnering government agencies (PGAs), 37 export promotion councils, 500 certifications, 10,000 commodities and USD 160 billion market size.

It also involves12 million employment base, 200 shipping agencies,36 logistics services, 50 IT ecosystems and banks and insurance agencies. Further, 81 authorities and 500certificatesare required for EXIM.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China imposes 25 % taxes on US products worth 16 billion dollars

Washington has imposed 25 percent tariffs on 16 billion dollar worth of Chinese goods coming into the US, with Beijing immediately imposing retaliatory taxes on the same value of American products. 

The move brings the total amount of goods flowing between the countries, subject to tariffs, up to 106 billion dollars, which is roughly 17 per cent of all of the bilateral trade.

RIL first Indian firm to hit Rs 8 trillion market cap

Reliance Industries (RIL) has become the first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion in market capitalisation. The stock gained 1.9 per cent to close at Rs 1,270; valuing the Mukesh Ambani-led firm at Rs 8.05 trillion ($115 billion at current exchange rate of Rs 70.11 for a dollar).
Tata group flagship Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) also is nearing the same milestone. Currently, the technology giant is valued at Rs 7.8 trillion ($111 billion), 2.6 per cent away from the Rs 8-trillion mark.

Treasurer Scott Morrison will be Australia's new prime minister

Treasurer Scott Morrison will be Australia's new prime minister after winning a three-way battle for the leadership of the Liberal party Morrison, who will be Australia's sixth prime minister in less than 10 years, emerged victorious from a three-way race with former home affairs minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Scott John Morrison 

Scott John Morrison was born on 13 May 1968 is an Australian politician who is to be the 30th Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of the Liberal Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Division of Cook in New South Wales.

Important:

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician who is the outgoing 29th Prime Minister of Australia.

Opening Ceremony Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018
 

Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018, the latest in 'Peace Mission' series formally started on 24 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Russia. The opening ceremony was conducted in Chebarkul, Russia with military contingents of the all eight SCO member nations participating in this exercise.
Objectives of the Exercise:
The exercise will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of SCO nations to train in counter terrorism operations in urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment.  The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threat in urban counter terrorist scenario.
 
The Russian Army has the major participation of 1700 personnel followed by China with 700 & India with 200 personnel. The SCO Peace Mission Exercise is one of the major defense cooperation initiatives amongst SCO nations and will be a landmark event in the history of SCO defence cooperation.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai Pact  is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter, formally establishing the organisation, was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.

Important Current Affairs 23rd August 2018

OBITUARY

Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar Passed Away
 
Eminent journalist and author Kuldip Nayar, who fiercely fought for press freedom and protecting civil liberties, passed away early today. He was 95. 
Kuldip Nayar 
Kuldip Nayar was born on 14 August 1923,  was a veteran Indian journalist, syndicated columnist, human right activist, author and ex-High commissioner of India to United kingdom noted for his long career as a left-wing political commentator. He was also nominated as a Member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament in 1997.

NATIONAL NEWS

UGC directs to ban sale of junk food in all varsities & higher education institutions
 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all varsities and higher education institutions to ban sale of junk food on their campuses. 
The purpose is to set new standards for healthy food, making the students live better, learn better and reduce obesity levels. The circular was issued after a directive from the HRD ministry, asking the UGC to ban the sale of junk food on premises of higher education institutions.
University Grants Commission
The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body set up by the Indian Union government in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 under Ministry of Human Resource Development, and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education. It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognised universities and colleges. Its headquarters is in New Delhi, and six regional centres in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore.

Govt allows oxytocin sale through private chemists
 

The ministry in its notification dated April 27 had stated that sale of oxytocin through private retail chemists would be banned from July 1 and that the drug would be sold only in government hospitals and clinics.
Later, it deferred the implementation of the ban till September 1. Now all retail sale shops are permitted to sell oxytocin. 
State-owned Karnataka Antibiotics Pvt Ltd (KAPL) will be the only company to manufacture and distribute oxytocin in India from September 1.
Important to Know
Oxytocin is a naturally-occurring hormone that causes uterine contractions during labour and helps new mothers lactate.

But its misuse is widespread in the dairy industry where livestock are injected with oxytocin to make them release milk at a time convenient to farmers. The hormone is also used to increase the size of vegetables such as pumpkins, watermelons, brinjals, gourds and cucumbers.

The government has already banned the import of oxytocin and its formulations.

Arun Jaitley re-appointed as Finance Minister
 

Arun Jaitley, who stepped aside as Finance Minister in mid-May to undergo a kidney transplant, was today reappointed as Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs.
The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed to assign the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs to Arun Jaitley, in his absence ministerial charges were given to Piyush Goyal on an interim basis.

ICOMOS launch to save cultural heritage damaged in flood-hit Kerala
 

The ICOMOS, a global monument conservation body, has launched an initiative to assess the damage to the rich cultural and built heritage in flood-devastated Kerala and set up an emergency response platform.
International Council on Monuments
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a prestigious non-government organisation dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology and scientific techniques for conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage across the world.

DAYS AND DATES

World Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on 21st of August
 
The World Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on 21st of August every year. It was first proclaimed on 14th of December in the year 1990, by the United Nations General Assembly. The holiday was celebrated for the first time on October 1, 1991.
The day is acknowledged to raise awareness about the factors and issues affecting older people, such as deterioration with age and to examine issues that affect their lives such as abuse of elderly people. It is also a day to recognize and appreciate the contributions that older people make to society.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Iran unveils first domestic fighter jet: KOWSAR 
 
Iran unveiled its first domestic fighter jet at a defence show in Tehran named KOWSAR. 

About It:
It is a fourth-generation fighter, with "advanced avionics" and multi-purpose radar and it was "100-percent indigenously made". It resembles US-made F-5F Tiger (first flew in 1974), which is variant of 1950s-era US Northrop F-5 fighter that is a long-time mainstay of Iranian Air Force. It can be used for short aerial support missions. It is equipped with systems that promote precision targeting.

Important:
President of Iran is Hassan Rouhani and Defence Minister is Amir Hatami.

Fourth BIMSTEC summit to be held on 30th and 31st of this month in Nepal's capital Kathmandu
 
Fourth Summit of Heads of State/Government of Bay of Bengal Initiativefor Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held at Kathmandu in Nepal on August 30 and 31. 
In this two-day Summit, leaders of member states will review progress achieved so far in the areas of cooperation and provide guidance to the future work of the BIMSTEC.

BIMSTEC
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven nations of South Asia and South East Asia, The BIMSTEC member states—Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal—are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
Important 
The President of Nepal is Bidya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister of Nepal is KP Sharma Oli.
India's Ambassador to Nepal is Manjeev Singh Puri.

35% of cyber-attacks on Indian sites from China: official report
 
According to a report sent to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and other security agencies by a department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has said that the maximum number of cyber-attacks on official Indian websites is from China, US and Russia.
The report, prepared by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which comes under the ministry, analysed cyber-attacks from April-June 2018. 
CERT-In
CERT-In is the nodal agency which deals with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. It collects analyses and disseminates information on “cyber incidents”, and also issues alerts on “cyber security incidents”.
Important
“The cyber-attacks from China made up 35% of the total number of cyber-attacks on official Indian websites, followed by US (17%), Russia (15%), Pakistan (9%), Canada (7%) and Germany (5%),”

SPORTS

Ankita Raina wins bronze in women's singles tennis
 
Indian tennis player Ankita Raina wins bronze in Women's Singles semi-final. India has won 4 gold, 3 silver and 9 bronze medals.
Ankita Raina became just the second Indian woman after Sania Mirza to medal in the singles event at the Asian Games after losing 4-6, 6-7 (6) to world number 34 Zhang Shuai in the semi-finals.
Sania Mirza had won silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2010.

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.

Important Current Affairs 21st August 2018

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US 'Legion Of Merit' Award To Former Army Chief General Dalbir Singh 
 
Former Army chief Genral Dalbir Singh has been awarded with United States (US) 'Legion of Merit'.

The President of the United States of America POTUS, authorised by Act of Congress, July 20, 1942, awarded the LegionOfMerit (Degree of Commander) to Gen Dalbir Singh (Retired), IndianArmy, for exceptionally meritorious service as COAS from August 2014 to 31 Dec 2016.

Dalbir Singh Suhag
Dalbir Singh Suhag, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC who was born on 28 December 1954 was the 26th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, who assumed office on 31 July 2014, following the retirement of General Bikram Singh. He served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) before taking charge as Chief of the Army Staff. He retired on 31 December 2016.

President to inaugurate “International Buddhist Conclave 2018”

 
The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the “International Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018” in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 23rd August, 2018. 
The Ministerial level delegation from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka will participate in the conclave. The delegates from the following 29 countries are participating in the International Buddhist Conclave.
The Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
International Buddhist Conclave 2018 will have a religious / spiritual dimension, an academic theme and a diplomatic and business component. 
Background:
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has been organizing the International Buddhist Conclave biennially. The earlier International Buddhist Conclaves were organized in New Delhi and Bodhgaya (February 2004), Nalanda and Bodhgaya (February 2010), Varanasi and Bodhgaya (September 2012), Bodhgaya and Varanasi (September 2014) and in Sarnath/Varanasi and Bodhgaya (October 2016).

NATIONAL NEWS

Cyclone Warning Centre to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram 
 
With several incidents of tropical cyclones and severe weather events striking over Kerala and Karnataka coasts in the recent times, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences is proposing to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. 
The Ministry is planning to set up the Centre in another one month. At present, IMD has cyclone warning centres only at Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
The Ministry is also planning to set up another C-Band Doppler Weather Radar at Mangalore by end of 2019, which will cover the northern parts of Kerala. At present, there are two Doppler Weather Radars in the state, at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. 

Gopalkrishna Gandhi conferred with Rajiv Sadbhavana Award
 
Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi was honoured with this year's Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award for promoting communal harmony and peace. The award was presented on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Gopalkrishna Devdas Gandhi 
Gopalkrishna Devdas Gandhi was born on 22 April 1945 is a retired IAS officer and diplomat, who was the 22nd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. As a former IAS officer he served as Secretary to the President of India and as High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka, among other administrative and diplomatic posts. He was the United Progressive Alliance nominee for Vice President of India 2017 elections  and lost with 244 votes against NDA candidate Venkaiah Naidu, who got 516 votes.
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award is an Indian award given for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace. The award was instituted by All India Congress Committee of the Indian National Congress Party (INC), in 1992 to commemorate the lasting contribution made by the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, carries a citation and a cash award of Rs. ten lakhs. It is given on 20 August, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, which is celebrated as Sadbhavna Diwas (Harmony Day).

IIT Kharagpur to set up Re-Water Research Center
 
The IIT Kharagpur will set up a Re-Water Research Center, seed-funded by two alumni members named Aneesh Reddy & Aditya Choubey to replenish and rejuvenate water resources, a statement issued by the institute.
Objective:-
The move is to tackle the challenge of resolving two burning issues faced by urban India sewage disposal and access to clean potable water, it said on the 68th Foundation Day of the premier institution.
It is named as 'Aditya Choubey Center for Re-Water Research' that would be networking with government bodies to take up this technology and the process and meet the water challenge in various cities. The pilot plant is expected to be ready by March 2019.
The institute is setting up an on-campus plant which will convert 1.35 million litre of sewage water from the hostels to 1.2 million litre of potable water, on a daily basis.

New set of warnings on tobacco products
 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified a new set of specified health warnings for all tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after September 1 to be displayed on the packets.
The new set of specified health warning for all tobacco product packs has been brought in by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 vide GSR 331(E) dated April 3, 2018, “Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products [Packaging and Labelling] Second Amendment Rules, 2018”.

SPORTS

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat clinches Gold at Asian Games 2018
 
Vinesh Phogat created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, brushing aside her rival from Japan’s Yuki Irie with remarkable ease in the 50 kg category.
About Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat was born on 25 August 1994 who is an Indian wrestler who comes from a successful background of wrestling with her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, both international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medalists as well.
She became the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth and Asian games.

Saurabh Chaudhary clinches Gold in the 10m air pistol: Asian Games
 
Saurabh Chaudhary, 16 year old became only the fifth Indian shooter to claim gold in the Asian Games history, beating a field of multiple world and Olympic champions in the 10m air pistol finals to snatch the lead from 2010 World Champion Tomoyuki Matsuda on the penultimate shot in the 24-shot final. 
Shooter Abhishek Verma settled for the bronze in the same event. 29-year-old Rohtak-based Abhishek, also making his international debut, shot 219.3 to secure bronze. 

Indian women’s team was crowned champions of the SAFF U-15 Championship
 
The Indian women’s team was crowned champions of the SAFF U-15 Championship after defeating defending champions Bangladesh by a solitary goal in the final at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.
The 2017 SAFF U-15 Women's Championship was 1st ever edition of the SAFF U-15 Women's Championship, an international football competition for women's under-15 national teams organized by SAFF. 
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), founded in 1997, is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia and is part of the larger Asian Football Confederation. 
Its founding members are Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 
Bhutan joined the federation in 2000 and Afghanistan in 2005. In February 2015, Afghanistan had officially left the SAFF for the new Central Asian Football Association.

INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India, Japan agree to expand maritime co-operation in Indo-Pacific region
 
India and Japan have resolved to expand their maritime cooperation and work together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. 
Important:
Defence Minister of India is Nirmala Sitharaman and Defence Minister of Japan is Itsunori Onodera. 
Indo-Pacific region:
The Indo-Pacific, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific, is a biogeographic region of Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia.
The term is especially useful in marine biology, ichthyology, and similar fields, since many marine habitats are continuously connected from Madagascar to Japan and Oceania, and a number of species occur over that range, but are not found in the Atlantic Ocean.
 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

Chandrayaan-I data confirms presence of ice on Moon
 

Using data from the Chandrayaan-I space craft, that was launched by India 10 years ago, NASA said that scientists have found frozen water deposits in the darkest and coldest parts of the Moon's polar regions. 
Scientists used data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, launched in 2008 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to identify three specific signatures that definitively prove there is water ice at the surface of the Moon. 
What this study says?
The study says with enough ice sitting at the surface within the top few millimetres water would possibly be accessible as a resource for future expeditions to explore and even stay on the Moon. 

Most of the new found water ice lies in the shadows of craters near the poles, where the warmest temperatures never reach above minus 156 degrees Celsius.   

Due to the very small tilt of the Moon's rotation axis, sunlight never reaches these regions.
Chandrayaan-1
Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to Moon, was launched successfully on October 22, 2008 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. The spacecraft was orbiting around the Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon. 

Important Current Affairs 20th August 2018

                                                                                 (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.