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Important Current Affairs 22nd August 2017

Important Current Affairs 22nd August 2017

Current Affairs 22nd August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog to launch “Mentor India” Campaign


NITI Aayog will launch the Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students at more than 900 Atal Tinkering Labs, established across the country as a part of the Atal Innovation Mission. 
тЧП    CEO NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant will unveil the online nationwide initiative in the capital tomorrow on Wednesday, 23rd August.
тЧП    Mentor India is aimed at maximizing the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs, possibly the biggest disruption in formal education globally. 
тЧП    The idea is to engage leaders who will nurture and guide students in the Atal Tinkering Labs. 
тЧП    These labs are non-prescriptive by nature, and mentors are expected to be enablers rather than instructors.

Finance Minister Sh Arun Jaitley chairs the 17th meeting of FSDC 

The seventeenth Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was held in New Delhi today under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Finance, Shri Arun Jaitley. 
тЧП    The meeting was attended by Dr. Urjit R. Patel, Governor, RBI; Shri Ashok Lavasa, Finance Secretary, Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ms. Anjuly Chib Duggal, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Shri Tapan Ray, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser, Shri Ajay Tyagi, Chairman, SEBI; Shri T.S. Vijayan, Chairman, IRDAI; Shri Hemant G Contractor, Chairman, PFRDA; and other senior officers of the Government of India and financial sector regulators.
тЧП    Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) made a presentation on the state of economy. 
тЧП    The Council noted that India has macroeconomic stability today on the back of improvements in its macro-economic fundamentals, structural reforms with the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), action being taken to address the Twin Balance Sheet (TBS) challenge, extraordinary financial market confidence, reflected in high and rising bond and especially stock valuations and long-term positive consequences of demonetization. 
тЧП    The Council also discussed the issues and challenges facing the Indian economy and Members agreed on the need to keep constant vigil and be in a state of preparedness of managing any external and internal vulnerabilities.


O Panneerselvam Sworn In As Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister


Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam(OPS) was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai, under the merged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government in the state, in presence of Governor CV Rao.
тЧП    He is also given the additional charge of Finance and Housing Ministry.
тЧП    Earlier, in what can be dubbed as a political turnaround in a state that was embroiled in a political drama till not so long ago, the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by Chief Minister E. Palanisamy (EPS) and the other by OPS - announced a merger, citing that "MGR always wanted to see us united, not split."
тЧП    The striking part of the merger is that EPS has taken a backseat in the party, declaring OPS as the convenor; EPS will be the co-convenor.

McDonald’s terminates franchise agreement in North, East India


The long-standing legal tussle between American burger chain McDonald’s Corporation and its estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi has further intensified.
тЧП    On Monday, McDonald’s India Pvt Ltd (MIPL), the Indian subsidiary of the company, announced termination of its franchise agreements with Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited (CPRL), which runs 169 restaurants in North and East India. 
тЧП    It has also asked CPRL to cease from using any of the intellectual properties of McDonald’s at these restaurants within 15 days of the termination notice. 
тЧП    CPRL is a 50:50 joint venture between McDonald’s India and Bakshi. 
тЧП    The partners have been mired in a legal tussle since 2013.
тЧП    The move comes a month after the National Company Law Tribunal reinstated Bakshi as Managing Director of CPRL.

Current Affairs 22nd August 2017: SPORTS

Rafael becomes number 1

Rafael Nadal said his climb back to being world number one for the first time in three years was “unbelievable.” 
тЧП    The latest ATP rankings were released on 21 August.
тЧП    The Spaniard, who learned he was going to reclaim the top spot a week ago, was ranked number one last in July 2014.
тЧП    Nadal, who won his 15th Grand Slam this year at the Roland Garros, deposes Britain's Andy Murray – who withdrew from tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati due to a hip injury – from the spot.
тЧП    The 31-year-old, who was ranked number one for 141 weeks, has struggled with knee injuries since first clinching the spot in August 2008 after a Cincinnati semi-final run.

Shapath Bharadwaj wins bronze at Junior Shotgun World Cup


Teenager Shapath Bharadwaj on Sunday won a bronze medal in the double trap event while Lakshay Sheoran and Manisha Keer combined to win a bronze in the mixed team trap competition at the ISSF Junior Shotgun World Cup in Porpetto, Italy.
тЧП    The 15-year old Bharadwaj, from Meerut, shot a 48 in the final to finish behind gold-medal winning Briton James Dedman and Finland's Miki Ylonen.
тЧП    Dedman, in fact, smashed his own junior world record in the event, finishing with a final score of 70, while Miki had 66.
тЧП    Shapath had qualified in second place for the final, shooting 131 out of 150. 
тЧП    Ahvar Rizvi had also shot 124 but went down in the shoot-off to the eventual silver medalist Ylonen 2-1, for the sixth and final qualifying spot.

Current Affairs 22nd August 2017: APPOINTMENT

Dharmendra Kumar appointed Director General of RPF

CISF ADG Dharmendra Kumar has been appointed as director general of the Railway Protection Force.
тЧП    Kumar, who is a 1984 batch IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, took charge today.
тЧП    Before being appointed additional director general (ADG), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Kumar was serving as special commissioner (Special Unit) in the Delhi Police.
тЧП    After the retirement of S K Bhagat in June this year, the additional charge of DG, RPF, was being handled by National Security Guard (NSG) DG, Sudhir Pratap Singh.
тЧП    Kumar will retire on September 30, 2018.

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Important Current Affairs 21st August 2017

Important Current Affairs 21st August 2017

Current Affairs 21st August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Home Minister launches the Digital Police Portal under CCTNS project


The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said the Ministry of Home Affairs will undertake steps to integrate the various organs of the Criminal Justice System such as the Police, Courts, Prisons, Prosecution, Forensic Laboratories, Finger Prints and Juvenile Homes with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) database. 
тЧП    Launching the Digital Police Portal under the CCTNS project here today, he said this Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will be a useful resource for all stakeholders including the policy makers. 
тЧП    Shri Rajnath Singh said at present out of the 15,398 Police Stations under the CCTNS project, 14,284 Police Stations are using CCTNS software. 
тЧП    Out of these 14,284 Police Stations, 100% FIRs are being generated under this software in 13,775 Police Stations. 
тЧП    The Union Home Minister said the pace of implementation of the CCTNS project is satisfactory in all States. 
тЧП    He said that out of 15,398 Police Stations across the country, connectivity is enabled at 13,439 Police Stations. 
тЧП    Out of 36 States/UTs, 35 States/UTs are sharing CCTNS database containing seven crore records that includes 2.5 crore FIRs, he added. 
тЧП    Shri Rajnath Singh said the MHA has released Rs.1,450 crores, out of which Rs. 1,086 crores has been spent by States/UTs.


Piyush Goyal addresses the 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress


Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, addressed a distinguished gathering of delegates attending the 3-day 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress here today. 
тЧП    The Minister also gave away Energy and Environment Foundation Global Excellence awards 2017 during the inaugural session of the conference.
тЧП    The annual conference is visualized and planned in the backdrop of India's vision on achieving "Energy Independence and Power for all by 2022". 
тЧП    It focusses on new Green Technologies to ensure clean, reliable and affordable Renewable Energy supplies. 
тЧП    It provides an opportunity and open forum to exchange information, share experiences and best practices by bringing together experts, investors and other multi stake holders of i.e. Public and Private Sector, Advisory Groups, Governments, NGOs, Non-Profit organizations Environmentalists and Academia.


Festival of India being Organized in Cote D’ivoire, Liberia and Guinea from 15 August, 2017 – 28 January, 2018


A Festival of India is being organized in Cote d’Ivoire and concurrently accredited countries of Liberia and Guinea from 15 August, 2017 – 28 January, 2018. 
тЧП    The Festival will showcase diverse Indian culture, i.e. classical and folk dances. The events will be held in four cities of Cote d’Ivoire, namely, Abidjan, Yamassoukro and Grand Bassam and Daloa and capital cities of Monrovia of Liberia and Conakry of Guinea. 
тЧП    Following events will be showcased:-
тЧП    Bharatnatyam Dance Group led by D. Bhavani Shankar (15-16 August, 2017).
тЧП    Mohiniattam Dance Group led by Aswathy Nair (22-25 September, 2017) – The group will also perform in Morovia, Liberia.
тЧП    Folk Dance of Arunachal Pradesh Rinchin Droma (27-30 October, 2017) – The group will also perform in Conakry, Guinea.
тЧП    Manipuri Dance Group led by B. Sanjita Devi (26-28 January, 2018).


Commissioning of Second Ship of Landing Craft Utility MK-IV 
‘IN LCU L52’(GRSE Yard 2093) at Port Blair


Dr. Jagdish Mukhi, Lieutenant Governor, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, commissioned IN LCU L52 into the Indian Navy today at Port Blair. 
тЧП    IN LCU L52 is the second Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class to be inducted into the Indian Navy. 
тЧП    The ship has been indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.
тЧП    The commissioning of L-52 is yet another manifestation of the potential of the country’s indigenous design and ship building capability.
тЧП    LCU MK-IV ship is an amphibious ship with the primary role to transport and deploy Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore. 
тЧП    These ships would be based in the Andaman and Nicobar Command and can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and replenishment and evacuation from distant islands.


National Workshop on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights 

The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), a professional body under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, is organizing a three-day workshop on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) from 22nd – 24th August, 2017, in New Delhi.
тЧП    Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Home Affairs, will grace the occasion  as the Chief Guest in august prescence of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (I/C), Commerce & Industry, and Shri Kiren Rijijiu, Minister of State, Home Affairs at the inauguration of the workshop.
тЧП    Enforcement agencies like police, Customs, as also the prosecution wing, have a major role to play in effective enforcement of IPRs in the country. 
тЧП    Creating awareness about IPRs amongst officials of these agencies, while strengthening the enforcement regime, will also assist them in handling cases relating to IPRs in their day to day activities.

Delhi govt's proposal to take over 449 private unaided schools gets LG nod


The Delhi government's proposal to take over 449 private unaided schools, after they failed to refund excess fee charged from parents despite government orders, has been given the official nod by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. 
тЧП    According to officials in the Delhi government, the proposal, as approved by Baijal, allows the schools to first reply to a show cause notice in two weeks on why the school should not be taken over by the government. 
тЧП    Baijal has also cautioned the government to ensure that studies in the current term remain unaffected. 
тЧП    The 449 schools, that include several top notch schools running in the city, too have the option of going to the court to get a stay on the matter.

Important Current Affairs 21st August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Russia's Rosneft Oil Company acquires India’s Essar Oil 

Russia's Rosneft Oil Company and its partners on 15 October 2016 acquired India’s second biggest private oil firm Essar Oil in an all-cash deal valued at about 13 billion US dollars.
тЧП    Rosneft Oil Company's partners include Rosneft Oil Company, Netherlands-based commodities trader Trafigura and private investment group United Capital Partners. 
тЧП    The acquisition was announced during the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa. 
тЧП    Rosneft will have a 49 percent stake in Essar Oil’s refinery, port and petrol pumps.
тЧП    Trafigura Group Pte and United Capital Partners will split 49 percent equity equally. 
тЧП    The remaining 2 percent is held by minority shareholders after delisting of Essar Oil.
тЧП    The deal includes 10.9 billion US dollars for Essar Oil’s Vadinar refinery of Essar Group and 2 billion US dollars for a port terminal that helps feed refinery.
 

Important Current Affairs 21st August 2017: OBITUARY

Jerry Lewis, Comedy Legend, Dies at 91


Jerry Lewis, the brash slapstick comic who became a pop culture sensation in his partnership with Dean Martin and then transformed himself into an auteur filmmaker of such comedy classics as “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy,” has died in Las Vegas. He was 91.
тЧП    Lewis died at his home in Las Vegas at about 9:15 a.m. Sunday morning, his agent confirmed.
тЧП    For most of his career, Lewis was a complicated and sometimes polarizing figure. 
тЧП    An undeniable comedic genius, he pursued a singular vision and commanded a rare amount of creative control over his work with Paramount Pictures and other studios. 
тЧП    His legacy also includes more than $2.5 billion raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Associati

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Important Current Affairs 20th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 20th August 2017

Current Affairs 20th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Home Minister inaugurates office and residential premises of NIA in Lucknow

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the office and residential premises of National Investigation Agency (NIA) at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) today.
тЧП    The Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath was also present on the occasion. 
тЧП    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh said that NIA has been playing a vital role in curbing terrorism. 
тЧП    He asserted that incidents pertaining to terrorism and naxalism have come down in last three years. 
тЧП    He said that being an autonomous body, NIA performs its duties without any interference. 
тЧП    The NIA has played a crucial role in checking the funding to terrorism, said Shri Rajnath Singh.
тЧП    Addressing in the programme, Yogi Adityanath said that ATS of the State has been coordinating with NIA to curb terrorism related incidents.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi flags off 1st batch of 300 Haj pilgrims from Mumbai Airport


Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that the Central Government had completed all the entire process related to Haj 2017 well in time to ensure best facilities to Haj pilgrims.
тЧП    Shri Naqvi flagged off the first batch of 300 Haj pilgrims from Mumbai at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here today.
тЧП    Shri Naqvi congratulated to Haj pilgrims and extended best wishes to them for their pilgrimage. 
тЧП    A total of 5600 Haj pilgrims are going to Haj this year from Mumbai.
тЧП    Shri Naqvi said that Haj 2017 has been completely successful till date as the Central Government had completed preparations for Haj this year well before in time to ensure smooth pilgrimage.


CEOs Conference at New Delhi 

A two day Chief Electoral Officers’ Conference of all States and Union Territories commenced in New Delhi today. 
тЧП    It was inaugurated by Shri. A.K. Joti, Chief Election Commissioner of India and Shri. O.P. Rawat, Election Commissioner of India.
тЧП    Addressing the Chief Electoral Officers of the States and Union Territories, Shri. A.K. Joti, Chief Election Commissioner stressed on the need of providing E-services to stakeholders and emphasised the requirement to develop E-Payment gateways for various election services of Election commission of India. 
тЧП    He underlined the need for extensive training programmes on VVPAT as ECI has decided to conduct all future elections using VVPAT along with EVMs. 
тЧП    CEC also stated that “SVEEP” be developed as core area of election management.
тЧП    Shri. O.P.Rawat, Election Commissioner of India invoked all CEOs to avail the opportunity to share the experiences and good practices of each other and learn election management related issues from senior practitioners. 
тЧП    He stated that all electoral practitioners must work together to reach the higher scale on electoral integrity with further strengthening Indian democracy.

Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 passed in the Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha has passed the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced last month to replace the existing ordinance promulgated in May this year to empower the Reserve Bank of India to deal with stressed assets.
тЧП    Replying to a debate on the bill on Thursday, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the process of resolution of bad loans will start shortly.
тЧП    The finance minister said the Reserve Bank of India had already identified top 12 loan defaulters and more cases will be taken up for resolution.
тЧП    The ordinance had provided for more powers to the RBI to deal with stressed assets. “No one can claim the right of equality in not paying banks back. 
тЧП    RBI has taken up some difficult cases... I am sure they will take up more,” he added.

TRAI to impose penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh on telcos


Telecom regulator TRAI today issued stringent guidelines to curb call drops along with a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh on service providers if they fail to meet the benchmark for three consecutive quarters. 
тЧП    “We have proposed financial disincentive in the range of Rs 1-5 lakh. 
тЧП    It is a graded penalty system depending on the performance of a network,” TRAI Chairman RS Sharma told reporters here.
тЧП    TRAI Secretary (Acting) SK Gupta said if an operator fails to meet call drop benchmark in consecutive quarter, the penalty amount will be increased 1.5 times and in the third consecutive month it will doubled. 
тЧП    “However, there is cap of Rs 10 lakh on financial disincentive,” Gupta said. Under the previous Quality of Service Rule, penalty on call drop was Rs 50,000 per violation. 
тЧП    After the revision, the regulator has made measurement of call drop rate more granular from circle level to mobile towers in a circle.
 

Current Affairs 20th August 2017: OBITUARY

Former Union minister and BJP MP Sanwar Lal Jat passes away

Sanwar Lal Jat, former Union minister and BJP MP from Ajmer, passed away in New Delhi on 9 August 2017. He was 62.
тЧП    The minister was being treated at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital. 
тЧП    He had suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during a meeting chaired by BJP party president Amit Shah at Jaipur in July, following which he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the city’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital.
тЧП    However, he had to be airlifted to AIIMS from Jaipur after his condition turned critical. 
тЧП    He slipped into coma shortly later.  
тЧП    According to the doctors at AIIMS, the cardiac arrest had caused damage to Jat’s brain and he had to be put on a ventilator.

Current Affairs 20th August 2017: SPORTS

Manju Kumari bags bronze at Junior World Wrestling Championship


Manju Kumari was the lone Indian woman to have won a medal in women’s wrestling after clinching a bronze in 59kg category at the Junior World Wrestling Championship in Tampere, Finland here.
тЧП    Manju registered a 2-0 victory over Ilona Prokopiuk of Ukraine in her bronze medal play-off bout last night to finish on the podium.
тЧП    En-route to her third-place finish, Manju defeated Aleksandrina Nikolaeva Kasinova of Bulgaria 5-1 in the 1/8 stage before she was outclassed 0-10 by Japan’s Yuzuru Kumano in the quarterfinals.
тЧП    However, with the Japanese girl advancing to the final of 59kg, Manju got another life in the form of repechage and she did not waste the opportunity.
 

Current Affairs 20th August 2017: DISCOVERY 

Scientists develop world’s first plant-based Zika vaccine


Zika triggered travel warnings, with pregnant women being urged to postpone non-essential trips to affected countries during a surge in cases which revealed the mosquito-borne virus could cause birth defects.
тЧП    Governments, academic laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies invested heavily in stopping the virus.
тЧП    The committed public health efforts paid off, with Brazil declaring an end to its Zika emergency in May after a drop in cases.
тЧП    However the World Health Organisation has warned that tens of millions of people could still be infected in the Americas in the coming years.
тЧП    There are currently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat Zika, although a $100m US government-led clinical trial is underway.

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Important Current Affairs 19th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 19th August 2017

Current Affairs 19th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves closure of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Limited (ANIFPDCL), Port Blair


The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the closure of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Forest and Plantation Development Corporation Limited (ANIFPDCL), Port Blair, a Central Government Undertaking and discharging the liabilities of all the employees.
тЧП    The closure will help to stop unproductive loans to ANIFPDCL from Gol and would enable a more productive utilization of assets.
тЧП    This would be achieved by offering Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) / Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) package to willing employees and by retrenchment under Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 of those not opting for VRS/VSS including settlement of other liabilities, if any.
тЧП    At present, there are 836 employees on the rolls of the Corporation.


Second Bullet Train to be started in Punjab, Amritsar to Delhi


A Second Bullet train will be started in Punjab. 
тЧП    An Indian Railways bullet train will take you from Delhi to Amritsar via Chandigarh in the coming years. 
тЧП    The speed of this bullet train is 300km/hour. 
тЧП    The bullet train would complete the 458-km long train journey in 2 hours. Presently, the Delhi to Amritsar Shatabdi Express train takes around 6 hours. 
тЧП    The train travel time from Delhi to the Golden Temple town would come down to one-third. second bullet train
тЧП    The bullet train will also stop at Panipat, Ambala, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. 
тЧП    The 258 kms distance between Delhi to Chandigarh will be covered in 1 hour and 12 minutes. 
тЧП    The official said that a base fare of Rs 4.5 per kilometer has been recommended at the 2015 price level. 
тЧП    This means that you will have to shell out a minimum of Rs 2061 for the Delhi-Amritsar trip. 
тЧП    second bullet train Rajya Sabha MP Malik said that the Union Government and the Ministry of Railways have approved the project to start the bullet train. 
тЧП    The project is likely to cost around Rs 1 lakh crore. 
тЧП    This project will be completed in 2024. He also said that the fare of this bullet train will be equivalent to Shatabdi.

Cabinet approves raising Extra Budgetary Resources upto Rs. 9020 crore for Long Term Irrigation Fund during the year 2017-18 


тЧП    The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has given its approval for raising Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) of upto Rs. 9020 crore as per the requirement during 2017-18 by NABARD through issuance of Bonds for ensuring lending rate of 6% per annum (pa) in respect of borrowings for implementation of Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) works of 99 ongoing prioritized irrigation projects along with their command area development (CAD) works under PMKSY. 
тЧП    A large number of major and medium irrigation projects taken up under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) were languishing mainly due to inadequate provision of funds. 
тЧП    During 2016-17, 99 ongoing projects under PMKSY- AIBP were identified for completion in phases by December-2019.
тЧП    To cater to the large fund requirement and ensure completion of these projects, the Union Finance Minister, during his Budget speech 2016-17, announced creation of dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) in NABARD with an initial corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore for funding of Central and State share for the identified ongoing projects under PMKSY (AIBP and CAD).

Govt extends tax exemption for industry in North East, hilly states


As many as 4,284 industrial units in the North East and Himalayan States will get GST relief in the form of refund of Central share of CGST and iGST.
тЧП    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday gave its nod for a new scheme to refund the Central share of Central GST (CGST) and integrated GST (iGST) to these units in lieu of the excise exemption lost due to the onset of goods and services tax (GST) and scrapping of excise laws from July 1 this year.
тЧП    A budgetary support of тВ╣27,413 crore for this scheme has been approved for the period from July 1, 2017 till March 31, 2027, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here after a Cabinet meeting. 
тЧП    He said the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) will notify the scheme, including detailed operational guidelines for implementation within six weeks.


RBI makes Aadhar linkage mandatory for farmers to avail short-term crop loans in 2017-18

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 16 August 2017 made Aadhar linkage mandatory for farmers who wish to avail short-term crop loans in 2017-18.
тЧП    In its, notification RBI has said, “To ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under Interest Subvention Scheme, the banks are advised to make Aadhar linkage mandatory for availing short-term crop loans in 2017-18.
тЧП    RBI has clarified that farmers can avail of short-term crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at the subsidised interest rate of 7 per cent that could go down to 4 per cent on prompt repayment.
тЧП    Highlights of RBI’s notification related to Interest Subvention Scheme for Short Term Crop Loans during the year 2017-18.
тЧП    An interest subvention of 2 per cent per annum will be offered to lending institutions viz. Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Private Sector Commercial Banks (in respect of loans given by their rural and semi-urban branches only) on the use of their own resources. 
тЧП    This subvention will be provided on the short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers at an interest rate of 7 per cent per annum during the year 2017-18.

Current Affairs 19th August 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Putin appoints Nikolay Kudashev as Russia’s new envoy to India


Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed career diplomat Nikolay Kudashev as Russia’s new ambassador to India, the country’s embassy here said on Saturday.
тЧП    Kudashev, a specialist in South East Asia, is currently the Deputy Director General Secretariat of the ministry of foreign affairs of Russia.
тЧП    “President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin by the executive order appointed Nikolay Kudashev as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India,” the Russian Embassy here said in a statement.
тЧП    The appoint of Kudashev comes nearly seven months after the death of Russia’s previous ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin.
тЧП    Kadakin, a fluent Hindi-speaking career diplomat considered a great friend of India, passed away on January 26 at a hospital in New Delhi after a brief illness. He was 67.
тЧП    Kudashev was the Russian Ambassador to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands in 2014-2015.


Cabinet approves MoU between India and Sweden on IPRs 


The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sweden on cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property (IPRs).
тЧП    The MoU establishes a wide ranging and flexible mechanism through which both countries can exchange best practices and work together on training programs and technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect intellectual property rights.
тЧП    The MoU will enable India to exchange experiences in the innovation and IP ecosystems that will substantially benefit entrepreneurs, investors and businesses on both sides. 
тЧП    The exchange of best practices between the two countries will lead to improved protection and awareness about India's range of Intellectual creations which are as diverse as its-people. 
тЧП    It will be a landmark step forward in India's journey towards becoming a major player in global Innovation and will further the objectives of National IPR Policy, 2016.

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Important Current Affairs 18th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 18th August 2017

Current Affairs 18th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen won the Bulgaria Open title

Lakshya Sen on Thursday clinched the Bulgaria Open International Series title after notching up a hard-fought win over Croatia’s Zvonimir Durkinjak in the men’s singles final in Sofia, Bulgaria.
тЧП    The Uttarakhand shuttler, who celebrated his 16th birthday on Wednesday, defeated second seed Zvonimir 18-21, 21-12, 21-17 in a 57-minute match. 
тЧП    He had beaten Sri Lanka’s Dinuka Karunaratna 21-19, 21-14 in the semi-finals yesterday.
тЧП    World Junior No 1 was recently sent to train under former All England champion Peter Gade, who is currently the head coach of French national team.
тЧП    Lakshya had earlier reached the finals of Senior National championship in February.


India signs Grant Agreement with the World Bank

A Grant Agreement from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the World Bank of USD 24.64 million for “Ecosystem Service Improvement Project” was signed here today by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Hisham Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director for India on behalf of the World Bank. 
тЧП    The Project Agreements were signed by Dr Neelu Gera, DDG (Research) on behalf of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), Shri Amitabh Agnihotri, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests on behalf of Madhya Pradesh Government and Shri R.B.P. Sinha, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests on behalf of Chhattisgarh Government with the Acting Country Director for India, World Bank.
тЧП    The size of Project is USD 24.64 million which entirely will be financed by the World Bank out of its GEF Trust Fund. The project’s duration is 05 years.


Five Indian-origin persons in Fortune's '40 Under 40' list


Five Indian-origin persons, including Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, have featured in Fortune's annual list of 40 young and influential people in the field of business inspiring others with their work.
тЧП    Fortune's 2017 '40 Under 40' list is an annual ranking of the most influential young people who are under 40 in business, whom the magazine termed as "disruptors, innovators, rebels and artists" inspiring others.
тЧП    The list has been topped by 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron "France's youngest leader since Napoleon" who swept the presidential elections in May "obliterating the two-party system that had governed the country for generations."
тЧП    The Indian-origin persons on the list are 26-year-old Divya Nag, who oversees Apple's ambitious ResearchKit and CareKit programmes that encourage developers to build health-related apps, Rishi Shah, 31, and Shradha Agarwal, 32, who helm more than 10-year-old health-tech firm Outcome Health and CEO and founder of non-profit Samasource 31-year-old Leila Janah.


Veteran photographer S Paul died

S Paul, the veteran photographer who was described as 'The Henry Cartier-Bresson of India' by B&W Magazine of US, died in New Delhi on 16 August 2017. 
тЧП    He was 88.
тЧП    He died at a private hospital after undergoing a surgery a few days ago.
тЧП    A self-taught photographer, Paul discovered his passion for the art as a teenager. 
тЧП    He joined The Indian Express in the 1960s and retired from the newspaper in 1989.
тЧП    Paul received recognition and fame as a professional photographer when his pictures were selected for publication in three renowned British publications -- Amateur Photographer, Miniature Camera and Miniature Camera World.

BSNL launches mobile wallet 

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has launched its mobile wallet in partnership with MobiKwik, reported a national news agency. 
тЧП    The mobile wallet will enable one-tap bill payment for BSNL's over 100 million subscribers. Besides, the subscribers will also be able to use the digital wallet at over 1.5 million merchants across India. 
тЧП    According to the company's statement, the digital wallet, developed by MobiKwik for BSNL, is in line with the telecom corporation's intent to take the reach of digital payments to semi-urban and rural India. 
тЧП    The app will allow users to pay for online recharges, make bill payments, shop and book bus and train tickets. 

Current Affairs 18th August 2017: DEFENSE

Defense Ministry clears proposal to procure 6 Apache attack helicopters for Army


Defence Ministry on 17 August 2017 cleared a proposal to procure 6 Apache attack helicopters for Army. 
тЧП    The acquisition of the helicopters, equipment and training will cost around four thousand 168 crore rupees.
тЧП    The approved proposal is different from India’s purchase of 22 Apache and 15 Chinook helicopters from Boeing in 2015 for Rs 13 952 crores for the Air Force.
тЧП    As per reports, the decision on procuring 6 Apache attack helicopters was taken in Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi
тЧП    The helicopters are being bought under an option clause of 50 percent repeat order in the previous deal under which 22 Apache attack choppers were bought for the IAF. 
тЧП    The deadline for using the option clause is to end on 28 September 2017.

Current Affairs 18th August 2017: APPOINTMENT

Vishal Sikka resigns as Infosys CEO

Vishal Sikka on 18 August 2017 resigned as Managing Director and CEO of Infosys. 
тЧП    The board has accepted his resignation with immediate effect.
тЧП    Infosys in a notice to stock exchanges said Sikka will remain with Infosys as executive vice-chairman. 
тЧП    The position is a newly created position at Infosys.
тЧП    Infosys, second largest software exporter of India, has appointed chief operating officer UB Pravin Rao as interim managing director and CEO.
тЧП    In June 2014, Indian-American Vishal Sikka took over as the first non-founder Chief Executive of Infosys.

Current Affairs 18th August 2017: ENVIRONMENT

Union Environment Ministry launches Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali Campaign


Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan on 17 August 2017 launched the “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” campaign.
тЧП    The Ministry also administered a Pledge for a Green and Healthy Diwali to the gathering of students.  
тЧП    The Pledge will be widely circulated to the schools, colleges and other educational institutions. 
тЧП    The ministry launched the campaign while addressing a gathering of about 800 children from schools of Delhi and NCR.
тЧП    The campaign is aimed at enlightening the children about harmful firecrackers.

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Important Current Affairs 17th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 17th August 2017

Current Affairs 17th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

PM addresses Young Entrepreneurs at the "Champions of Change" initiative organised by NITI Aayog


The Prime Minister today interacted with Young Entrepreneurs at the "Champions of Change" initiative organised by NITI Aayog at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra.
тЧП    Six groups of Young Entrepreneurs made presentations before the PM on themes such as - Soft Power: Incredible India 2.0; Education and Skill Development; Health and Nutrition; Energizing a sustainable tomorrow; and Digital India; New India by 2022.
тЧП    Appreciating the new ideas and innovations envisaged in the presentations made by the entrepreneurs, the Prime Minister said, that in times past, social initiatives had catered to the requirements of people at large, and these movements were spearheaded by eminent people in society.
тЧП    The Prime Minister described the "Champions of Change" initiative as one effort to bring together diverse strengths for the benefit of the nation and society.


Upgraded Passenger Terminal Building of Jammu Airport Inaugurated 


The upgraded passenger terminal building of Jammu Airport was inaugurated by Shri P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir today. 
тЧП    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Raju, said, “We believe in augmenting infrastructure of our airports to enhance connectivity. 
тЧП    With the upgraded Jammu Airport, we would be better prepared to give improved services to air travelers visiting this city of temples.” 
тЧП    Appreciating the upgraded terminal building of Jammu Airport, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti, said, “We have been witnessing promising growth in number of air travelers to and from Jammu. 
тЧП    The upgraded terminal of Jammu Airport is in line to enhance capacity and will contribute to the economic growth of Jammu – the gateway to the State.” 
тЧП    Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS, PMO and Shri Jayant Sinha, MoS Civil Aviation, Members of Parliament and senior officials were also present on the occasion.


Environment Minister Launches “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” Campaign; urges children to celebrate Pollution-Free Diwali this Year


Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr.  Harsh Vardhan, launched the “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” campaign, here today. 
тЧП    Addressing a gathering of about 800 children from schools of Delhi and NCR, the Minister impressed upon the children the importance of their contribution towards reducing pollution by not bursting harmful fire crackers during Diwali.  
тЧП    Congratulating the teachers and students, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that it is heartening to see that children have taken on the leadership role in combating air and noise pollution caused by burning of fire crackers during Diwali celebrations.  
тЧП    The Minister added that whenever children take up any task, they do not spare any effort in ensuring its success.  
тЧП    He urged the children to also learn about the chemicals present in the fire crackers and the impact of these chemicals on various parts of the human body.    

NHAI takes steps to facilitate availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection


In order to facilitate the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection, NHAI has taken two revolutionary steps in consultation with RBI and NPCI . 
тЧП    These include Online sale of FASTags and offline sale through  Common Services Centre (CSC) near toll plazas.
тЧП    FASTag can also be purchased online from Issuer Banks websites / NHAI website / IHMCL website and will be delivered by courier at the door step of the purchaser. 
тЧП    It is expected that this move will increase the sale of FASTags by improving availability and access.
тЧП    Apart from the online sale,  from tomorrow, 18th August, 2017, FASTags can also be bought from sale points of  Common Services Centre (CSC) to be set up near toll plazas. 


Union Cabinet approves new Metro Rail Policy


The Union Cabinet on 16 August 2017 approved new Metro Rail Policy focussed on compact urban development, cost reduction and multi-modal integration.
тЧП    This new Metro Rail Policy seeks to enable realization of growing metro rail targets of a large number of cities.
тЧП    The policy enables private investments across a range of metro operations making Public-Private Partnership (PPP) component mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects. 
тЧП    Private participation either for complete provision of metro rail or for some unbundled components will form an essential requirement for all metro rail projects seeking central financial assistance.


Supreme Court panel to examine why 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases closed


A “supervisory body” of two retired Supreme Court judges will scrutinise the closure by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of 241 cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. 
тЧП    The SIT had been constituted by the Union Home Ministry in February 2015 to reinvestigate “serious cases” during the riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi. 
тЧП    A three-judge Bench, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, Wednesday said the committee will examine whether the decision of the SIT to close the cases was correct or not. 
тЧП    It will submit its report in three months and the court will take up the matter again on November 28.
тЧП    The court did not name the judges of the committee and said it will be added to the order.
тЧП    On March 24 this year, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to produce files of anti-Sikh riots cases that the SIT set up by the Home Ministry had decided to close.

Central Government imposes $ 264 million fine on Reliance Industries


The government has imposed a new penalty of $ 264 million (about Rs 1,700 crore) on Reliance Industries Ltd and its partners for producing less than the targeted natural gas from eastern offshore KG-D6 fields in 2015-16.
тЧП    The total penalty now, which is in the form of disallowing recovery of cost incurred for missing the target during six years beginning April 1, 2010, stands at $ 3.02 billion, an oil ministry official said.
тЧП    The Production Sharing Contract (PSC) allows RIL and its partners BP PLC of the UK and Canada’s Niko Resources to deduct all capital and operating expenses from the sale of gas before sharing profit with the government.
тЧП    Disallowing costs will result in government’s profit share rising.
тЧП    The government has claimed an additional $ 175 million as its profit share after the cost disallowance, the official said.

Current Affairs 17th August 2017: PERSON

Bill Gates becomes the biggest donor of the year 2017


Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, has donated $4.6bn (£3.6bn) in the Microsoft founder’s biggest gift to charity since he set up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
тЧП    Gates donated 64m Microsoft shares according to a US Securities & Exchange Commission filing. 
тЧП    The recipient of the gift was not specified but it is expected that the money will be directed to the foundation he and his wife set up in 2000 with $5bn funding to improve global healthcare and reduce extreme poverty. 
тЧП    The foundation did not respond to requests for comment.
тЧП    The shares donated represent about 5% of his current $90bn fortune. 
тЧП    The gift reduces Gates’s stake in Microsoft, which the 61-year-old co-founded in 1975, to just 1.3% from 24% in 1996.
тЧП    Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $35bn since 1994. They donated $16bn worth of Microsoft shares in 1999 and followed it up with another $5.1bn a year later. 

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Important Current Affairs 16th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 16th August 2017

Current Affairs 16th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Sweden on IPRs


The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sweden on cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property (IPRs).
тЧП    The MoU establishes a wide ranging and flexible mechanism through which both countries can exchange best practices and work together on training programs and technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect intellectual property rights.
тЧП    The MoU will enable India to exchange experiences in the innovation and IP ecosystems that will substantially benefit entrepreneurs, investors and businesses on both sides. 
тЧП    The exchange of best practices between the two countries will lead to improved protection and awareness about India's range of Intellectual creations which are as diverse as its-people. 
тЧП    It will be a landmark step forward in India's journey towards becoming a major player in global Innovation and will further the objectives of National IPR Policy, 2016.


Cabinet approves completion of balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project


The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has given its approval to the proposal to complete the balance works of the North Koel Reservoir Project in Jharkhand and Bihar at an estimated expenditure of Rs.1622.27 crore to be incurred during three financial years from the start of the project. 
тЧП    The Cabinet also approved storage of water in dam restricted at lower level than envisaged earlier to reduce the submergence and to protect Betla National Park and Palamau Tiger Reserve.
тЧП    The project is situated on North Koel river which is a tributary of Sone river finally joining the river Ganga.  
тЧП    The North Koel Reservoir is located in the most backward tribal areas in Palamau and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand State. 
тЧП    The construction was originally started in the year 1972 and continued till 1993 when it was stopped by the Forest Department, Govt. of Bihar. Since then, the work on dam is at a standstill. 


Cabinet approves procedure and mechanism for Strategic Disinvestment 


The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the strategic disinvestment of the following:
тЧП    For setting up an Alternative Mechanism (AM) consisting of the Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Minister of Administrative Department, to decide on the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale from the stage of inviting of Express of Interests (Eols) till inviting of financial bid; and
тЧП    For empowering the Core Group of Secretaries (CGD) to take policy decisions with regard to procedural issues and to consider deviations as necessary from time to time for effective implementation of decisions of CCEA.
тЧП    The approval will help in speedy completion of strategic disinvestment transactions.

EESL and IOCL, BPCL & HPCL sign MOUs for distribution of Energy Efficient appliances


Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) for distribution of energy efficient appliances under the flagship Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and appliances for All (UJALA) scheme. 
тЧП    According to the agreement, Oil Marketing Companies- IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will take up distribution of LED Bulbs, LED Tubelights and energy efficient Fans from select retail outlets across the country. 
тЧП    The distribution of these energy efficient appliances will be conducted in a phased manner across these select outlets. 
тЧП    In the first phase, distribution will commence from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
тЧП    The MoUs were signed with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in the august presence of Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC)  for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, and Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (IC) for Petroleum and Natural Gas here.

Current Affairs 16th August 2017: APPOINTMENT

Dr. (Ms.) Mamta Suri takes charge as Executive Director, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).


Dr. (Ms.) Mamta Suri took charge as Executive Director, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in New Delhi today.
тЧП    Before joining IBBI, Dr. Suri was serving as Chief General Manager, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India.
тЧП    Dr. Suri has obtained her Ph.D. in Finance from University of Delhi and M. Sc.in Insurance Risk and Management from City University, London. 
тЧП    Dr. Suri is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, and she has completed her graduation in law. 
тЧП    She has also received Honorary membership for High Scholastic Achievement from USA.
 

Current Affairs 16th August 2017: WORLD NEWS

Italy to host fall G-7 interior ministers summit on security
Italy will host a summit of Group of Seven interior ministers centered on security issues in the fall.
тЧП    Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti says the meeting is being organized at the request of Italy's G-7 partners: Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States.
тЧП    Italy currently holds the rotating helm of the G-7 industrialized nations.
тЧП    Minniti said at a news conference Tuesday that while the terror alert level remains high in Italy, there is "no trace of an imminent threat" or attack.


Largest volcanic region on Earth discovered under Antarctica
Scientists have uncovered the largest volcanic region on Earth - consisting of almost 100 volcanoes - two kilometres below the surface of the vast Antarctic ice sheet.
тЧП    Researchers at Edinburgh University in the UK revealed a staggering 91 volcanoes, adding to the 47 others that had been discovered previously, with the highest as tall as the Eiger, which stands at almost 4,000 metres in Switzerland.
тЧП    The newly discovered volcanoes range in height from 100 to 3,850 metres. All of them are covered in thick layers of ice.
тЧП    These active peaks are concentrated in a region known as the west Antarctic rift system, which stretches 3,500 km from Antarctica's Ross ice shelf to the Antarctic peninsula, researchers said.
тЧП    "We had not expected to find anything like that number. We have almost trebled the number of volcanoes known to exist in west Antarctica," Robert Bingham, from University of Edinburgh, told 'the Guardian'.

Current Affairs 16th August 2017: OBITUARY

Shobha Sen, Actress And Theatre Veteran, Dies At 93


Actress and veteran theatre personality Shobha Sen, wife of late actor Utpal Dutt, died in Kolkata on Sunday. 
тЧП    Ms Sen died at her residence in South Kolkata. She was 93. 
тЧП    The actress died because of heart failure on Sunday morning. 
тЧП    Ms Sen was suffering from age-related health conditions, family members of the late actress. 
тЧП    Apart from her plays, Shobha Sen co-starred with Utpal Dutt in films such as 1961's Bengali drama Megh, also directed by Mr Dutt, Mrinal Sen's 1972 movie Ek Adhuri Kahani and 1983's Pasand Apni Apni. 
тЧП    Shobha Sen and Utpal Dutt married in 1960. 
тЧП    Shobha Sen is survived by her daughter Bishnupriya Dutt.

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Important Current Affairs 15th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 15th August 2017

Current Affairs 15th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Justice Dipak Misra set to become 45th Chief Justice of India

The Centre on August 8, 2017 cleared the file for appointment of Justice Dipak Misra as the 45th Chief Justice of India with effect from August 28, 2017.
тЧП    Justice Misra, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court after the current CJI, Justice J.S. Khehar, who is retiring on August 27, 2017, will have a tenure of about 14 months till October 2, 2018.
тЧП    Justice Misra was elevated to the Supreme Court on October 10, 2011. 
тЧП    He enrolled as an advocate on February 14, 1977 and appointed an Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court in 1996. 
тЧП    After a stint in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, he became a Permanent Judge in December 1997 before assuming charge as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court in 2009 and, later on, served as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
тЧП    As the current Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Justice Misra embarked on a programme to turn State Legal Services Authorities' offices into hubs providing facilities that enable litigants under legal aid to access court documents, case status and connect to their advocates online and through dedicated phone numbers. 
тЧП    The facility called 'Legal Assistance Establishments' or Nyaya Sanyog will cater to poor litigants and the families of undertrials languishing in jails to get quick access to justice.

Gaj Yatra campaign to protect elephants launched


Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, recently launched the 'Gaj Yatra' campaign.
тЧП    On the occasion, the Environment Minister also released the All India Census 2017 Report on elephants along with the Agreed Points of Action on Trans-Boundary Conservation of Elephants by India and Bangladesh and a document titled 'Right of Passage' on elephant corridors in India.
тЧП    The Gaj Yatra is a nationwide campaign to protect elephants and is scheduled to cover 12 elephant range states.
тЧП    Over the next 15 months, artists and craftsmen will create life-size works on the theme of elephants in places along the route of the roadshow, covering 12 states that have wild elephants, using local art and craft
тЧП    Specially fabricated vehicles will be deployed to display these on predetermined routes with campaigners.
тЧП    The 'Gaju' mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be helm the campaign


Question paper should be uniform in each language in the proper examination: Supreme Court


The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its earlier order not to set aside the 2017 Neet examination and to stay the ongoing counseling for medical admissions across the country. 
тЧП    The court asked the CBSE to have uniform question papers in English, Hindi and regional languages from 2018 as this year it did not want to disturb the process. 
тЧП    A bench of Justices Dipak Misra, Amitav Roy and A.M. Khanwilkar told senior counsel Indira Jaising, and other counsel appearing for a batch of students that it would be difficult to disturb the admission process particularly when over six lakh students had passed the Neet, out of 11.74 lakh students who appeared for it. 
тЧП    The bench, however, pulled up the CBSE for having different question papers for English, Hindi and regional languages and wondered how evaluation of standards of students is possible. “We want a commonality in exam and identical papers for English Hindi and regional languages next year. 
тЧП    We want you to consult experts and file an affidavit as to how you are going to implement uniformity in standards.”
тЧП    Additional solicitor Maninder Singh submitted that the difficulty level in English, Hindi and other languages was same as experts in those languages evaluated it.


Shia Waqf board files affidavit in Supreme Court


Seeking that the mosque be built in a Muslim-dominated area maintaining a reasonable distance from Lord Ram's birth place, the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB) on Tuesday filed an affidavit in Supreme Court in the ongoing Ayodhya case even as Shias and Sunnis have been divided over the issue.
тЧП    The Board also told the apex court in an affidavit that the Babri Masjid site was its property and only it was entitled to hold negotiations for an amicable settlement of the dispute.
тЧП    The 30-page affidavit assumes significance as it has been filed within few days of the apex court agreeing to fast track the hearing on a batch of appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict on the land dispute in the case.
тЧП    The Waqf Board has sought time from the top court for setting up of a committee for exploring an amicable resolution of the vexatious issue.

Govt forms Anomalies Panel to look at CPSE pay revision issues


The government has constituted an Anomalies Committee to look into the issues and problems that may arise in the course of implementation of its decision on revision of pay scales of executives working in central PSUs.
тЧП    The Anomalies Committee will have a tenure of two years with effect from August 1, 2017. 
тЧП    It comprises secretaries from the Department of Public Enterprises, Department of Expenditure and the Department of Personnel and Training, according to a memorandum issued by the Department of Public Enterprises.
тЧП    The Cabinet, last month, cleared a 15% hike in salaries of board-level and below board-level executives and non-unionised supervisors working in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).
тЧП    It had approved implementation of the recommendations of the 3rd Pay Revision Committee constituted for the purpose.
тЧП    The commission had recommended a 15% increase in emoluments, the lowest so far. Higher wages are effective from January 1, 2017.


Jharkhand passes anti-conversion Bill


The Jharkhand Assembly on Saturday passed the anti-conversion Bill brought by the BJP-led government amid demand by opposition parties to send the Bill to a select committee, a demand the government turned down. 
тЧП    The Religious Freedom Bill-2017 will now be sent to the Governor, following whose approval it would go to the President for assent. 
тЧП    While ruling NDA MLAs hailed it as a legislation that should have been implemented right when Jharkhand became a state, Opposition members pointed out that penal provisions already exist in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
тЧП    The Bill has provision for imprisonment of three years and fine of Rs 50,000 or both, and four year- imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine, or both, if the person converted is a minor, woman or a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. 
тЧП    It also says that a person converting willingly will have to inform the Deputy Commissioner about details such as time, place and the person who administers the conversion proceedings.
тЧП    Starting the discussion, Stephen Marandi, senior MLA of Opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), requested that the Bill be referred to the select committee. 
тЧП    “The Constitution gives freedom to practice and profess one’s religion. 
тЧП    There are already penal provisions in IPC for those indulging in coercive conversion or using allurement. So what is the need for a separate Bill,” he asked.

Current Affairs 15th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Earthquake of magnitude 7 on Richter scale struck China


A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale struck China on 8 August 2017. 
тЧП    The quake that struck a remote, mountainous part of Sichuan province has claimed lives of at least 19 people, including six tourists, and injured about 250 people.
тЧП    According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake's epicentre was located in the popular tourist destination of Jiuzhaigou at an estimated depth of 20 kilometres.
тЧП    Jiuzhaigou or Jiuzhai Valley is a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations. 
тЧП    It is located on the edge of the Plateau in northern Sichuan province, which is a home to many Tibetan and other ethnic minority villages.
тЧП    The state-run Xinhua news agency said as many as 31500 tourists had been evacuated from the quake zone. 
тЧП    Officials said that a total of 108 aftershocks were recorded, all below 4.0 magnitude. Police and firefighters are rescuing people trapped in the rubble.


Extreme weather could kill 150,000 people each year in Europe by the end of the century


More than 150,000 people could die as a result of climate change each year in Europe by the end of the century, shocking new research has found.
тЧП    The number of deaths caused by extreme weather events will increase 50-fold and two in three people on the continent will be affected by disasters, the study – that serves as a stark warning of the deadly impact of global warming – found.
тЧП    The research by European Commission scientists lays out a future where hundreds of thousands of people die from heatstroke, heart and breathing problems, and flash flooding. 
тЧП    It describes a world where droughts bring food shortages, people are at an increased risk of being killed by disease and infection, and the countryside is ravaged by wildfires.

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Important Current Affairs 14th August 2017

Important Current Affairs 14th August 2017

Current Affairs 14th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Website for Gallantry Awardees since Independence Launched 


An online portal dedicated to the gallantry award winners, bestowed since Independence, has been launched today. 
тЧП    The domain name of the portal is http://gallantryawards.gov.in.
тЧП    The website gives details of the Chakra Series awardees i.e., Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra. 
тЧП    The portal contains information such as name, unit, year, citations and photographs of awardees till date. 
тЧП    The Ministry of Defence would welcome any feedback or suggestion for further improvement.


85 lakh milk producing animals identified and their data uploaded on INAPH data base. 

Pashu Sanjivni component under National Mission on Bovine Productivity scheme was initiated by the Government in November 2016. 
тЧП    88 million milk producing animals out of 300 million cattle and buffaloes are being identified using polyurethane tags with 12 digit unique identification (UID) number. 
тЧП    Data of the identified animals is being uploaded on Information Network on Animal Health and Productivity (INAPH) data base. 
тЧП    As on date 85 lakh milk producing animals have been identified and their data has been uploaded on INAPH data base.
тЧП    The Pashu Sanjivni is crucial for control and spread of animal diseases, scientific management of animals, enhanced production and productivity, improvement in quality of livestock & livestock products, increase in trade of livestock and livestock products by meeting our sanitary and phytosanitary issues.


Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launches live twitter wall on ‘Bharat Ke Veer’


The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the live twitter wall for promoting Bharat Ke Veer portal here today on the eve of Independence Day 2017. 
тЧП    On this occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh and Ministers of State for Home Affairs Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Shri Kiren Rijiju contributed their one month salary for Bharat Ke Veer.
тЧП    Shri Rajnath Singh said that the Security Forces have made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and the people need to stand by their families to support them. 
тЧП    This social media awareness campaign will display all tweets with hashtag Bharat Ke Veer (#BharatKeVeer), at Connaught Place, CGO complex and Khan Market in New Delhi where huge LED display screens have been installed. 
тЧП    Emoji has also been created for this hashtag.
тЧП    Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, OSD Shri Rajiv Gauba and Senior Officers of MHA were present on this occasion.

Gurdeep Singh Sappal Resigns As Rajya Sabha TV CEO

Gurdeep Singh Sappal has resigned as Rajya Sabha TV CEO and Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been given the additional charge of the post.
тЧП    "Consequent upon acceptance of resignation of Gurdeep Singh Sappal, CEO, RS TV, with effect from August 12, 2017, he is directed to hand over the charge of CEO, RSTV to Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati," an order of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.
тЧП    Rajya Sabha TV is owned and operated by the upper house of Parliament and the vice president is its chairman.
тЧП    M Venkaiah Naidu was yesterday sworn in as the 15th vice president. His predecessor Hamid Ansari had two successive terms.
In 2008, Rajya Sabha decided to start its own 24x7 TV channel and three years later, the decision was taken to hand over the reins of the proposed channel to Mr Sappal, who was appointed as its CEO

Current Affairs 14th August 2017: SPORTS

Maheshwari Chauhan bags bronze for India at Asian Shotgun Championship

Shooter Maheshwari Chauhan secured a bronze at the Asian Shotgun Championship to earn India’s first women’s skeet individual medal at a top international competition here.
тЧП    It was made sweeter when she led her country to the team silver alongside compatriots Rashmmi Rathore and Saniya Sheikh.
тЧП    The trio shot a total of 190, finishing behind Gold medallists China, who shot 195. Hosts Kazakhstan won the bronze shooting 185.
тЧП    India’s day was all about Maheshwari though, when she shot 68 out of 75 earlier in the day to finish on top of the qualification pile of 22-shooters.
тЧП    She led a group of six shooters into the final round. Among them was teammate Rashmi Rathore who qualified sixth with a score of 64.
тЧП    It was a quality top six in the final rounds having the likes of Olympic finalists and World Cup Gold medallists Meng Wei of China and Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit of Thailand among others.
 

Current Affairs 14th August 2017: OBITUARY

Padma Shri Dr Bhakti Yadav passes away in Indore


Dr Bhakti Yadav, Madhya Pradesh's first woman doctor and recipient of Padma Shri, passed away following age-related ailments at her residence in Pardeshipura area on Monday morning. She was 92.
тЧП    In April, 2017, Dr Yadav was conferred Padma Shri award for her exemplary services in the field of medicine.
тЧП    Dr Yadav was examining patients till November last year, when she fell down and suffered fractures. 
тЧП    She was bedridden since then.
тЧП    Dr Yadav had offered free treatment for the last 68 years and was known for her close association with her patients.
тЧП    Born on April 3, 1926, in Mahidpur town of Ujjain district, Dr Yadav completed her primary education in Garoth town. 
тЧП    She completed her schooling from Ahilya Ashram School in Indore, while staying with her uncle.
 

Current Affairs 14th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

UN declares Somalia free of polio


The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years, declaring the country polio free.
тЧП    The WHO said the country recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country but has since then remained free of the paralyzing disease.
тЧП    The UN health agency, however, warned Somalia remained vulnerable, calling for continued vaccination campaign, Xinhua reported.
тЧП    The head of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean, which covers Somalia, Mohamed Fiqi said that massive vaccination campaigns and commitment from government and international actors had ensured the polio virus did not recur in the Horn of Africa country.

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Important Current Affairs 13th August 2017

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Current Affairs 13th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Thaawarchand Gehlot Inaugurates ‘Inclusive Independence Day Celebrations of National Trust’ 


Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the ‘Inclusive Independence Day celebrations’ organised by the National Trust here today. Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Krishna Pal Gurjar also graced the occasion. 
тЧП    Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi and Shri K K Sharma, Director General, Border Security Force were the Guests of Honour.
тЧП    Addressing on the occasion, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot said that his ministry is fully committed to the welfare of Divyangjans and several new schemes and programmes have been initiated during past three years. 
тЧП    He said that the categories of Divyangjans have been increased from Seven to Twenty One to cover more Divyangjans. 
тЧП    He praised the National Trust for organizing such an Inclusive Independence Day celebrations, as a part of its ‘Inclusive India Initiative’, an awareness campaign with the participation of around 2500 people from all walks of life along with 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 
тЧП    The Inclusive Independence Day celebrations is a pan-India effort and similar activities were also conducted at Bangalore, Guntur, Jorhat, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kanyakumari, Trivendrum, Varanasi, Patna, Raigarh, Ahmadabad, Udaipur, Dhanbad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Hoshiarpur, he added.


Environment Minister launches ‘Gaj Yatra’ to mark World Elephant Day 2017


Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched ‘Gaj Yatra’ here today, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day. 
тЧП    The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.
тЧП    Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Dr. Vardhan urged the people to prepare a strategy for a more even distribution of the elephant population in all the states of the country. 
тЧП    The Minister emphasised that an attempt must be made to bring to an end the chapter of man-animal conflict. 
тЧП    He added that a war must be waged against poachers and hunters who harm elephants and other wildlife. 
тЧП    Calling for proactive, innovative and out-of-the-box ideas, Dr. Vardhan said that efforts for elephant conservation must bring about a qualitative improvement by the next World Elephant Day.

No renewal of insurance for vehicles without pollution certificate, says Supreme Court


In a bid to curb pollution, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued a directive that insurance of a vehicle will not be renewed unless the owner provides pollution under control (PUC) certificate.
тЧП    Among the other slew of directions, the bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur also asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ensure that all fuel refilling centres in the National Capital Region (NCR) have PUC centres.
тЧП    The apex court granted four weeks time to the Centre to ensure that there are functional PUC centres in NCR to ensure that vehicles plying have PUC certificate.
тЧП    The court considered the suggestions given by Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).
тЧП    The bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta way back in 1985 dealing with various aspects of pollution.


Kerala has the highest lifespan of 74.9 years


Post-60 life expectancy is highest in a state you would least expect -J&K. People of this state who are 60 years old will live for another 21.1 years on an average. 
тЧП    At the other extreme is Chhattisgarh, where such life span is 15.6 years.On an average, in India, a man will live for another 17 years and a woman for 19 years after turning 60.
тЧП    These facets of life and death across all states, and over the years, emerge from recently released ' Life Tables ' which showcase yearly mortality data collected from a sample of about 7.4 million people across the country. 
тЧП    This work is done by the Sample Registration System (SRS) under the Census office. The most recent data is from 2010-2014. 
тЧП    Life expectancy can be calculated at birth or at various points in life. `At birth' calculations average out death rates at all subsequent ages.
тЧП    This is usually said to be life expectancy of people in any country or a state within a country ," demographer P M Kulkarni, formerly of JNU, said.

Government to develop green airports in Andhra Pradesh


As a part of Government of India’s initiative to develop green airports, two airports in Andhra Pradesh- Tirupati and Vijayawada are going to go completely green!
тЧП    The work on the same has already begun with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) commencing the process of installing 1 Mega Watt solar power plant at both the airports.
тЧП    The AAI has set up Solar Power Plants at various locations/airports for its captive power consumption based on the capacity permissible under Net-Metering policy of States.
тЧП    It has also completed installation of solar power plants at 29 airports/locations with a total capacity of 12.84 MWp.
тЧП    The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in Kerala is the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy.


 

Current Affairs 13th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Israel launches first environmental research satellite 'Venus'


Israel has successfully launched its first spatial environmental research vehicle designed for orbital monitoring of Earth's vegetation, the Israel Space Agency (ISA) said on Wednesday. 
тЧП    The Venus satellite (Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro-Satellite) is an earth-observation micro-satellite designed jointly by Israel's agency and France's National Centre for Space Studies ( CNES), Efe news reported. 
тЧП    Venus has a dual mission: one scientific and the other technological. The scientific mission will monitor Earth's vegetation using a camera capable of recording 12 narrow spectral bands. 
тЧП    The technological mission will test the operation of an innovative electric propulsion system based on the Israeli-designed Hall Effect Thrusters. 
тЧП    A Hall-effect thruster (HET) is a relatively low power device used to propel a spacecraft after entering orbit or farther out into space. 
тЧП    Venus' launch took place on board an Arianespace Vega launcher from Kourou, French Guyana, in a joint project between ISA and France's space agency CNES. 
тЧП    It will be inserted into a near polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 720 km with a two-day flyover revisiting time.
 

Current Affairs 13th August 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Milkha Singh appointed WHO’s ambassador for physical activity


Sprint legend Milkha Singh has been appointed as the World Health Organisation’s goodwill ambassador for physical activity in South-East Asia Region (SEAR), the global health body said on Friday.
тЧП    As WHO goodwill ambassador, Singh, also known as ‘the Flying Sikh’, will promote WHO SEAR’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevention and control action plan which seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10 per cent and NCDs by 25 per cent by 2025, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia said.
тЧП    “Promoting physical activity for health is an important intervention, which is expected to get a significant boost in the region with the support of octogenarian Milkha Singh, a champion for the cause,” she said. 
тЧП    According to her, an estimated 8.5 million people die due to non-communicable diseases every year in WHO South-East Asia Region and many of these deaths are premature and nearly all are lifestyle related.


Prasoon Joshi appointed Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification


The Union Government on 11 August 2017 appointed lyricist Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of three years. 
тЧП    With this appointment, Joshi has replaced former Chairman Pahlaj Nihalani.
тЧП    In addition to this, the government has also reconstituted the existing CBFC with immediate effect for a period of three years or until further orders.
тЧП    Government has appointed Prasoon Joshi as the chairman of the CBFC by exercising its powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952) read with rule 3 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983.
тЧП    Information and Broadcasting Ministry in a release said, there are 12 members of the new board, which include Gautami Tadimalla, Narendra Kohli, Naresh Chandra Lal, Vivek Agnihotri and Vidya Balan.


 

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