Important Current Affairs 12th August 2017

Current Affairs 12th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey launches Indian National Anthem video in sign language.

Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the Indian National Anthem video in sign language at Films Division Auditorium, New Delhi today.
●    The video features Mr Amitabh Bachchan along with children with disability singing the National Anthem in sign language at the backdrop of the Majestic Red Fort. 
●    The film is conceptualised by Satish Kapoor, Founder Director, We Care Film Festival. We Care Film Festival produced the Film under the aegis of Brotherhood, an NGO. 
●    It is directed by Govind Nihalani and the music is scored by late Aadesh Shrivastava.
●    Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has a vision that India's development will be complete when our divyangjan become an integral part of it and come forward in the nation building. 
●    Shri Modi had suggested that the term 'divyang' (divine body) instead of 'viklang' be used for persons with disability. 
●    He further said that we must create an environment for the disabled people by which they can be able to earn a livelihood and live an independent life like any other citizen. 
●    It is our responsibility to mainstream them into all walks of life, and to make things accessible to them so that they can be fully integrated into national life.

India ranks 43rd in 2017 Global Retirement Index

India in the first week of August 2017 was ranked at the last position of 43rd in the 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI).
●    The Index is published by French asset management company Natixis Global.
●    The Global Retirement Index ranks 43 countries on the basis of four factors, which are the material means to live comfortably in retirement (Material Well-being), access to quality financial services to help preserve savings value and maximize income (Finances), access to quality health services (Health), and a clean and safe environment (Quality of Life).
●    The 43 countries included in the index are the members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), International Monetary Fund (IMF) advanced economies and the BRIC (Britain, Russia, India and China) countries.
●    The 2017 Global Retirement Index was topped by Norway, followed by Switzerland and Iceland.
 

Current Affairs 10th August 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The United Nations on 7 July 2017 adopted the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 
●    This is the first legally-binding international agreement to comprehensively eliminate nuclear weapons.
●    For those nations that are party to it, the treaty prohibits an array of activities - development, testing, production, etc. Besides, the treaty prohibits the assistance and encouragement to the above mentioned prohibited activities. 
●    It is against this backdrop, it is pertinent to understand the significance and the response of different nations, including India, to the treaty.
●    The adoption of the historic pact by the United Nations is of much significance to the global community due to the following reasons.
●    It is the first multilateral legally-binding instrument for nuclear disarmament. The countries, which signed and ratified the treaty, should abide by the provisions of the treaty. 
●    In case of violation, the erring countries will attract sanctions by the United Nations.

Jacob Zuma survives opposition’s no-confidence motion

Jacob Zuma South African President Zuma survives no confidence vote!
●    Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, survived yet another no confidence vote in the parliament. 
●    The country’s ruling party, African National Congress (ANC) voted against opposition’s motion demanding for Zuma’s removal.
●    Zuma’s career in politics has been rigged with controversies and allegations. 
●    Corruption charges followed him into his presidency and have continued to haunt him hence. 
●    An anti-corruption probe last week raised fresh allegations of misconduct against him.
●    This is the third no- confidence vote that Zuma has survived in less than a year and fifth since 2012.
●    Opposition leader Mmusi Maiman (Democratic Alliance) appealed to the members of the ANC party to vote against their leader.
 

Current Affairs 10th August 2017: OBITUARY

Former Union minister and BJP MP Sanwar Lal Jat passes away

BJP MP from Ajmer 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.
●    The minister was being treated at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital. 
●    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.
●    However, he had to be airlifted to AIIMS from Jaipur after his condition turned critical.
●    He slipped into coma shortly later.  
●    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.
 

Important Current Affairs 11th August 2017

Current Affairs 11th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC sets off in Kathmandu

The 15th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) ministerial meeting was held at Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu, Nepal on 10 August 2017.
●    The two-day meet was inaugurated by Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara. 
●    The meeting was preceded by the 18th BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), which was chaired by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi.
●    The main agenda of the meeting was to finalise a free trade agreement among the BIMSTEC members including negotiations on market access for professionals and reducing the duty on trading goods.
●    It also meant to finalise the date of the fourth BIMSTEC Summit that will be hosted by the Nepal, the current chair of the sub-regional forum.

Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as 13th Vice President of the country

Former Union Minister Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu has sworn in as the 13th Vice President of India on 11 August 2017. 
●    He has been administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a special function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
●    After the ceremony, Naidu took charge as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha at Parliament House and presided over the proceedings in the Upper House.
●    Before proceeding to the Parliament House this morning, Naidu paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, Deen Dayal Upadhyay at DDU Park and Sardar Patel at Patel Chowk.
●    Naidu was elected as the Vice President on 5 August 2017 by defeating opposition candidate Gopal Krishna Gandhi.

Lok Sabha passes bill to ensure wage payments through e-transfer, cheques

Employers will soon be able to pay wages solely via cheque or bank transfer, with the Lok Sabha on Tuesday passing a bill to remove a provision in the law that requires workers’ consent for non-cash wage payments.
●    The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s ongoing drive to create a less-cash economy.
●    Under the Payment of Wages Act 1936, employers can use cheque or bank transfers to pay wages only with written authorization from the employee. 
●    Tuesday’s amendment bill, once it becomes an Act, will replace the old legislation and allow employers to pay in cash, cheque or credit the amount directly to a bank account, even without a worker’s approval.
●    “The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill got Lok Sabha approval today and the ministry shall try to pass this in the Rajya Sabha in the next two days,” said a media officer in the office of labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya. 
●    The first leg of the budget session ends on 9 February.

Punjab Police to set up SPG to combat terrorism, infiltration

Punjab Police would soon get a 270-member special protection group (SPG), specially trained in Israel and equipped with best weapons to combat terrorism and neutralize armed aggressors, counter infiltration, hijacking, hostage-taking and other such threats.
●    The state police's proposal was given an in-principle approval in a meeting chaired by chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday.
●    Formal proposal for setting up of the SPG would be placed in the next cabinet meeting. 
●    The chief minister suggested that SPG's small core team could be sent to Israel for the state of art counterinsurgency training.
●    As per the plan, the SPG would be headed by an ADGP rank official with IG and a DIG rank officers to assist him. 
●    The team would be divided into three squads, each headed by a SP rank officer of less than 35 years of age. 
●    The DSP rank officers in the team would be younger than 30 years and other ranks would be in the age group of 18-25 years.
 

Current Affairs 11th August 2017: SPORTS

India drop place to 97th in FIFA rankings

India dropped a place in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday to stand at number 97. 
●    In July, India had reached their best FIFA ranking in the last 21 years as they stood at 96, the second highest ranking for the country ever.
●    The Blue Tigers did not play a single International match in the last one month, which resulted in a dip in the ranking. 
●    Stephen Constantine’s side, however, remained in the top 100 rankings. They last played against Nepal in a friendly on June 2 and defeated them 2-0 at home.
●    India currently stand at 341 points on the 97th position, four points behind 96th placed Zambia. 
●    The team has progressed brilliantly under the English manager Constantine, who started coaching the team when it was ranked 171st in the world. 
●    This is his second stint with India after taking charge. 
●    India have been on a seven-game winning streak.

Shuttler HS Prannoy jumps to 15th spot in BWF rankings

Indian shuttler H.S Prannoy jumped a couple of places to be at 15th spot in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Thursday.
●    Prannoy’s former World No. 12 compatriot Sourabh Verma, who was the star performer at the New Zealand Open, also vaulted five places to sit at the 32nd spot while Parupalli Kashyap jumped one place to be at 46th.
●    Guntur player Kidambi Srikanth, who is in prime form in the current season, remained at the eighth spot.
●    In women’s singles, Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu and London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal continued to be at fifth and 16th spot respectively.
●    In women’s doubles category, Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy were placed at the 25th spot.

Important Current Affairs 10th August 2017

Current Affairs 10th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Ten Namami Gange projects of Rs. 2,000 crore Approved

National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved ten projects in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to the tune of about Rs 2,033 crore. 
●    Eight of the ten projects pertain to sewage infrastructure and treatment, one to river front development and one to Ganga Knowledge Centre. 
●    These projects were approved in the 5th meeting of the Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga.
●    In Bihar, three major sewage infrastructure projects with total estimated cost of Rs 1461 crore in Barh, Kankarbagh and Digha have been approved. 
●    These projects will create additional sewage treatment capacity of 161 MLD (100 MLD in Digha, 50 MLD in Kankarbagh and 11 MLD in Barh). 
●    In Kankarbagh and Digha sewerage zones of Patna, presently there is no STP. 

1000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras to be opened in Uttar Pradesh

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh Lal Mandviya, presided over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Union Government and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for opening 1000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Kendras in the State. 
●    The ceremony took place in the presence of Minister of Health of Uttar Pradesh Shri Siddharth Nath Singh and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mahendra Singh, in Lucknow today. 
●    The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, signed the MoU on behalf of Government of India with State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHIS) representing Government of Uttar Pradesh.
●    Addressing the media during the event, Shri Mandaviya said that according to the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Government’s priority under the PMBJP scheme is to provide quality medicines at affordable rates to the poor and marginalized sections of society. 
●    The Minister further said that the drugs available under this scheme meet the highest quality benchmarks and are made available by the Government at costs much less than their expensive branded counterparts. 

India ratifies second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol

India on 8 August 2017 ratified the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol on containing the emission of Green House Gases (GHGs).
●    In a brief statement, India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) stated that India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Convention on Climate Change.
●    With the ratification, India became the 80th country to accept the amendment relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
●    The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty, which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
●    It was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997.
●    It entered into force on 16 February 2005.
●    At present, there are 192 parties to the Protocol. However, Canada withdrew from the protocol in December 2012.

Supreme Court issues notice to five states in case of High Security Number plate

The Supreme Court on 8 August 2017 sought response from five states on a plea alleging non- compliance of order related to ensuring High Security Registration Plates for all vehicles.
●    A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices Adarsh Goel and D Y Chandrachud issued notice to Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh and sought their replies in four weeks.
●    The installation of HSRP is statutory command which is not only in the interest of the security of the State, but also serves a much larger public interest.
●    In 2012, the Supreme Court asked several states and Union Territories to ensure High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) for all vehicles or face contempt of court proceedings.
●    It directed that all states, to fully implement the scheme of HSRP positively by 30 April 2012 for new vehicles and by 15 June 2015 for old vehicles.

Three Indian firms among Forbes' most innovative companies

Three Indian firms -- Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, and Bharti Airtel -- are among Forbes' list of the world's 100 most innovative companies, where Salesforce.com has replaced Tesla Motors on the top position. 
●    While HUL and Asian Paints have moved up in their ranks to seventh and eighth respectively (from 31st and 18th last year), Bharti Airtel has entered the ranking at 78th position. 
●    Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Sun Pharma and Larsen & Toubro were also on the 2016 list but they failed to make the cut this year, bringing down the total number of Indian firms from five to three. 
●    The annual 'World's Most Innovative Companies' are the ones that investors expect to be innovative now and in the future. 
●    Besides, to be included in the list, firms need seven years of public financial data and $10 billion in market cap. 

Current Affairs 10th August 2017: AWARDS

Actor Dev Patel honoured with Asian Game Changer Award 2017

Actor Dev Patel honoured with Asian Game Changer Award 2017 Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel was honoured with the Asian Game Changer Award 2017 by the Asia Society for making a transformative and positive difference for the future of Asia and the world.
●    As per the Asia Society, Dev Patel's roles in 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Lion' challenge the audiences to view India's poor as individuals instilled with hopes, dreams and opportunities, not as teeming and desperate masses.
●    Patel has also established lasting ties with India with his #lionheart campaign that has raised over USD 250000 to support homeless children in India.
●    The other Asian Game Changer awardees of 2017 are Tadashi Yanai, the founder of clothing retailing chain UNIQLO; Mongolian Eagle huntress Aisholpan Nurgaiv and Afghan rapper Sonita Alizadeh.
 

Current Affairs 10th August 2017: OBITUARY

Actor Sitaram Panchal of ‘Peepli Live' fame passes away

Acclaimed Bollywood actor Sitaram Panchal passed away early morning on 10 August 2017 after battling kidney and lung cancer. He was 54.
●    The actor, best known for his unconventional roles in films like Peepli Live, Slumdog Millionaire, Paan Singh Tomar and Jolly LLB, passed away at his residence in Mumbai after celebrating his 26th wedding anniversary with his wife Uma Panchal and son Rishabh Panchal.
●    In his last days, the actor faced severe financial issues. He had even put up a post on social media seeking financial help for his cancer treatment last month. 
●    The Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) had come forward to help the actor. Panchal was discharged from the hospital last month.
●    The actor made his Bollywood debut in 1994 with ‘Bandit Queen’.
●    He was a graduate of National School of Drama.
●    He featured in several critically acclaimed films including Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, Rajkumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.
●    Even after the diagnosis, he filmed Shyam Benegal’s TV series, Samvidhan, while undergoing treatment in a Mumbai suburb, Mumbra.
 

Important Current Affairs 9th August 2017

Current Affairs 9th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India hosts ‘At Home’ for freedom fighters on the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement 

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind hosted an ‘At Home’ reception for freedom fighters on the occasion of the 75th   anniversary of the Quit India Movement today (August 9, 2017) at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 
●    On the occasion, the President honoured and felicitated 93 freedom fighters from across the country in the presence of the Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari; Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi; Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries.
●    Each of the freedom fighters was gifted an electric kettle with a personal message from the President.  
●    In his message, the President said “I extend warm greetings to you on the 75th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement.  
●    The nation is proud of our freedom fighters and salutes them.  
●    This small token is our people’s appreciation of your successful struggle against colonialism.  
●    I wish you happiness, good health and a long life.”

NCERT launches its Web Portal for supply of NCERT Textbooks 

Shri Upendra Kushwaha, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has launched a NCERT’s Web portal for supply of textbooks to schools and individuals in New Delhi today. 
●    The portal will ensure better distribution of textbooks across the country and will also address the apprehensions, on the part of schools and parents, regarding unavailability of NCERT textbooks.  
●    The schools will be able to log on to the portal, by entering their respective Boards’ affiliation numbers and other details, till 8th September 2017 for placing their orders for the session 2018-19. 
●    The Web Portal can be accessed at www.ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in.
●    At the time of placing the orders, the schools are not required to make the payment; the payment can be made just before the supply. 
●    The schools will also have the option of directly procuring textbooks either from their nearest NCERT vendors or from the Regional Production-cum-Distribution Centres (RPDCs) of the NCERT’s located at Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Bengaluru.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma Inaugurates Exhibition ‘Quit India’ and ‘Azad Hind Fauj – 75th Anniversary (1942-2017)

On the occasion of 75th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement and the Azad Hind Fauj, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated an exhibition “Quit India and Azad Hind Fauj – 75th Anniversary (1942-2017)” in the National Archives of India, Janpath, New Delhi today. 
●    Addressing on the occasion, Dr Sharma said that the ‘Quit India Movement’ was an important milestone in the Indian Freedom Movement which made the entire nation determined to attain freedom from the British rule. Millions of Indians responded to Mahatma Gandhi’s clarion call and the mantra of ‘Do or Die’. 
●    Gandhi Ji and prominent freedom struggle leaders were all arrested on 9th August, 1942. Dr Sharma said that the Prime Minister, in his ‘Man ki Baat’ of 30 July 2017, said: ‘Our young generation must know what had happened on the 9th of August 1942.’ 
●    The forthcoming exhibition is just such endeavour.
●    The exhibition will continue till 1st September 2017. 
●    The exhibition is based on public records, private papers, photographs, newspaper reports and proscribed literature banned by the British Government which came out during the last phase of freedom movement.  Some of original papers are on display in this exhibition.

Construction of Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor 

The 2nd meeting of Council of Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP) was held in New Delhi on 05.01.2017. Commerce & Industry Ministers of eight States who are Members of the Council, representatives of other 16 States and Heads of Trade Bodies like FIEO/ FICCI/ CII participated in the meeting.
●    During the course of the meeting, a reference about Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor came up for discussion from Government of Tamil Nadu. 
●    Government of Tamil Nadu requested for expediting detailed planning as well as the environmental impact assessment studies in respect of Ponneri Industrial Node for speedy implementation and also to keep the State Government closely associated at all stages of the project. 
●    The State Government also requested for adequate flexibility in the institutional structure for the governance of Industrial Nodes.
●    Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), the nodal agency for Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor has already initiated the process for Master Planning of three identified Nodes, namely, Ponneri (Tamil Nadu), Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) & Tumkur (Karnataka).

Approval of Industrial Parks in Andhra Pradesh 

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has approved two projects under ‘Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS)’ for development of industrial clusters at Hindupur and  Bobbili in the respective districts of Anantapur and Vizianagaram of Andhra Pradesh.
●    The objective of  the above projects is to provide quality and reliable infrastructure to industrial units located in these clusters; specifically these projects aim to provide  road network, drainage, power and water supply networks and some other common services like  health centres, canteens, crèches, dormitories, parking areas, etc. 
●    These projects are likely to be functional by 31st March, 2018.
●    These projects  have employment potential of about 5500 persons (direct) and 8500 persons (indirect).
●    This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister  Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Health Ministry set for 2nd round of National Deworming initiative to tackle Worm Infections in children 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is all geared up for its 2nd  round of National Deworming Day (NDD) 2017 on 10th August in 33 States/Uts followed by mop-up activities on 17th August targeting 31 crore children. 
●    A total of 7.8 crore children are targeted in private schools and 3.5 crore out of school children will be covered in this program through Anganwadi workers and ASHAs.
●    This is one of the largest public health programs reaching large number of children during a short period. 
●    The first NDD round of 2017 implemented in February covered 26 crore children with a coverage of 89%.
●    The NDD program has been launched in 2015 as WHO estimates that 220 million children below 14 years of age are at risk of STH infections in India. 
●    National Deworming Day is organised twice in a year covering all the children from 1-19 years of age except the States of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where deworming is carried out once in a year. 
●    The Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) prevalence in these two States is less than 20%. 
●    All the children are provided deworming tablet in schools and anganwadis. The deworming has the potential to improve nutritional status of children. 
●    The deworming tablet called ‘Albendazole’ is a safe and efficacious drug for controlling worm infestation.

Ahmed Patel, Amit Shah & Smriti Irani win RS seats

In a dramatic turn of events Tuesday in the high stakes Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, the Election Commission of India (ECI) invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to revoke the decision of its Returning Officer (RO) in the state and declare invalid the votes cast by two Congress MLAs.
●    Until early Wednesday, the EC announcement of the results was awaited. But there was word that BJP’s Amit Shah and Smriti Irani had won. 
●    The poll panel’s intervention was prompted by a Congress complaint that two of its MLAs, Bhola Bhai Gohel and Raghavji Bhai Patel, had turned rebel and violated Rule 39A and Rule 39AA under the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961 by disclosing their choice to an unauthorised person, other than the party’s election agent.
●    The EC studied the video footage of the two legislators casting their votes and found merit in the Congress complaint. 
●    Revoking the RO’s decision, the Election Commission at 11.25 pm ordered that the votes cast by the two MLAs be rejected by segregating the ballot papers concerned at the time of counting.
 

Current Affairs 9th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Citizens of 80 countries including India can now enter Qatar without visa

The Qatari government on 9 August 2017 announced that citizens belonging to 80 countries including India, Canada, US and UK can now enter Qatar without the need of applying for a visa.
●    The Qatari officials stated in a release that Citizens of 80 countries including India, UK, US, Canada, South Africa, Seychelles, Australia and New Zealand wishing to visit Qatar will no longer need to apply or pay for a visa.
●    The release further stated that the visitors from the select countries would be issued a multi-entry waiver, completely free-of-charge, at the point of entry upon presentation of a valid passport having a minimum validity of six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket.
●    The waiver will either be valid for 180 days or for 30 days, depending upon the nationality of the visitor, entitling the person to spend only those many days in the country.
●    The visitor would however, be given a window for applying for an extension of the waiver for an additional 30 days.
 

Important Current Affairs 8th August 2017

Current Affairs 8th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

GMR to develop greenfield International Airport at Mopa in Goa 

The GMR Goa International Airport Limited, an SPV formed by the GMR Airports Limited has signed Concession Agreement with Government of Goa for development and operation of Greenfield International Airport at Mopa on 8th November 2016. 
●    The GMR Airports Limited has won the project through international competitive bidding process with highest revenue share of 36.99%. 
●    The project will operate in hybrid till model with 30% cross subsidy, and is to be implemented in four phases. 
●    The total estimated cost of Phase I of the project is Rs, 3,100 crores. 
●    This information was given by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Shri Jayant Sinha in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Swachh Bharat launches Swachh Survekshan Gramin 2017 

As the Swachh Bharat Mission approaches the third anniversary of its launch by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation today launched a third party verification survey report to take stock of the progress already made by the Mission in rural India. 
●    The Quality Council of India (QCI) has conducted a transparent third-party assessment of the present status of rural sanitation in all States and UTs, called Swachh Sarvekshan Gramin 2017.
●    Under the Swachh Sarvekshan Gramin 2017, QCI surveyed 1.4 lakh rural households across 4626 villages, and found the overall toilet coverage to be 62.45%. 
●    At the time of the survey, i.e. May-June 2017, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) MIS reported the coverage to be 63.73%. 
●    The survey also observed that 91.29% of the people having access to a toilet, use it.  
●    The Swachh Sarvekshan Gramin 2017 report was launched at a press conference today in New Delhi by the Union Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, and the Secretary, Shri Parameswaran Iyer.

Britannia to invest ₹1,000 crore in Maharashtra

Britannia Industries is planning a ₹1,000-crore investment to set up a mega food park at Ranjangaon in Maharashtra.
●    The company will relocate its upcoming croissant-making facility from Tamil Nadu to the proposed integrated food-park (in Maharashtra), while it ramps ups international business by exploring the setting up of own facilities at Nepal and in African markets.
●    “There has been a change in strategy (for the croissant-making facility). Instead of Tamil Nadu we are looking at Maharashtra now where we are setting up food park,” Varun Berry, Managing Director, Britannia, told BusinessLine, adding that fiscal “incentives” was the reason for this change in strategy.
●    Berry was in Kolkata for the company’s 98th Annual General Meeting.
●    Britannia had entered into a joint venture with Chipita SA, a Greek company for manufacture and sale of croissants.
●    Meanwhile, investments in the green-field project at Ranjangaon are expected across four to five phases. Work will begin this year.

Grameen Marathon for the youth of rural regions in Delhi 

Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports here today organized the first Grameen Marathon for the youth of rural regions in Delhi. 
●    The marathon started from Nizampur village in Delhi with around 11,000 participants.
●    Arjun Awardee and ace badminton coach Pullela Gopichand was the Chief Guest at the flag off ceremony. 
●    He encouraged the young participants and said that this a unique initiative by the Sports Ministry under the leadership of Sports Minister Vijay Goel. 
●    Gopichand further stated that this will enable us to scout for hidden talent in rural regions and train them for future. 
●    Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel had earlier mentioned that such initiatives would go a long way in providing a platform to talented youngsters to represent India. 
●    Shri Goel had stated that a major chunk of our players come from rural and tribal regions and hence it is vital for us to organize such sporting events that help them grow and provides us chance to train them further so that they represent India.
 

Current Affairs 8th August 2017: SPORTS

Cricket Association of Bengal Announces award For Jhulan Goswami

Indian women's cricket team pacer Jhulan Goswami is set to be rewarded with a cash prize Rs 10 lakh and a plaque by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
●    Jhulan guided India to the final of the Women's World Cup in England. 
●    She hails from Bengal and has captained the national team before.
●    The 34-year old recently scripted history by breaking the record of Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick to become the highest wicket taker in women's One Day Internationals.
●    Jhulan also returned figures of 3/23 in the summit clash restricting the hosts to 228/7 in 50 overs. 
●    But the batter failed to keep her nerves and frittered away a golden opportunity to capture their maiden World Cup title. India eventually lost by nine runs.

Vijender Singh defeats Chinese boxer Zulpikar Maimaitiali

Boxer Vijender Singh, who on Saturday defeated China's Zulpikar Maimaitiali in the unified WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight title, has dedicated the victory towards peace and harmony between India and China, more particularly in the backdrop of the Doklam stand-off.
●    "Want to dedicate this victory towards peace and harmony between India and China! Jai hind," Vijender Singh took to Twitter on late Saturday night.
●    Singh earlier in the day maintained his unbeaten streak by defeating Maimaitiali.
●    Singh won his second title and ninth consecutive pro bout as he beat his Chinese opponent on points by a unanimous decision.
●    He, however, returned the title saying, "I don't want this title, because I don't want tension at the border”.
●    Speaking about the much-awaited encounter, Vijender had earlier trolled his opponent and said that he would try to finish the bout as soon as possible as "Chinese products don't last long".

Andy Murray Maintains Top Spot In ATP Rankings

Britain's Andy Murray has maintained his position on top of the men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday, with 7.750 points.
●    There were no changes in this week's rankings, with Spain's Rafael Nadal on the second spot, followed by Switzerland's Roger Federer on third, reports Efe.
●    However, with Murray out of action because of a hip injury.
●    Nadal has the opportunity to take top spot for the first time since July 2014 if he reaches the semi-finals of the Coupe Rogers Tournament in Montreal, which kicks off this week.
 

Current Affairs 8th August 2017: DAYS AND DATES

National Handloom Day observed across India to promote welfare of weavers

The 3rd National Handloom Day was observed across India on 7 August 2017, in order to promote indigenous creations and honour the handloom weavers of the country.
●    The day mainly aims to highlight the contribution of handloom to the socioeconomic development of the country and promote handlooms to increase the income of weavers and also to bring their undying skill and hard work out in the limelight.
●    The Union Textiles Minister, Smriti Irani addressed a gathering at Ahmedabad to mark the occasion. 
●    Various programmes were held in universities, schools and other institutions as well.
●    The main function to celebrate the day this year was held at Guwahati and it was presided over by Union Minister of State, Textiles, Ajay Tamta. 
●    Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Government of India was taking various initiatives for the welfare of handloom weavers.
●    He continued saying that he personally not only appreciates but also salutes the handloom weavers for their commitment, dedication and skill.

Important Current Affairs 7th August 2017

Current Affairs 7th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

29 Indian cities and towns highly vulnerable to earthquakes

Twenty-nine Indian cities and towns, including Delhi and capitals of nine states, fall under “severe” to “very severe” seismic zones, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
●    A majority of these places are in the Himalayas, one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
●    Delhi, Patna (Bihar), Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), Kohima (Nagaland), Puducherry, Guwahati (Assam), Gangtok (Sikkim), Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Imphal (Manipur) and Chandigarh fall under seismic zones IV and V.
●    The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has classified different regions in the country into zones II to V, taking into consideration earthquake records, tectonic activities and damage caused, the director of the NCS, Vineet Gauhlat, said.

Reliance Communications close to sealing Sistema deal

Reliance Communications is likely to close its merger with Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd (SSTL) this week, as the company expects to get the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) approval in a day or two. 
●    A formal announcement is also expected soon, if not this week.
●    Rcom is expecting the DoT, the country’s telecom licensor, to clear the deal this week itself.
●    The approval is expected as the company had paid ₹400 crore to the DoT last week, which includes a ₹390-crore bank guarantee and ₹10-crore spectrum payment, sources close to the development said.
●    In November 2015, Russia’s public diversified holding company Sistema had announced plans to merge its Indian telecom subsidiary SSTL with Rcom.

Supreme Court bans use of heavy metals in firecrackers to prevent air pollution

The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on the use of five harmful heavy metals like lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead in the manufacturing of firecrackers as they cause air and noise pollution.
●    The Supreme Court order came on a 2015 petition filed by three Delhi children who had requested the court to intervene to regulate the use of crackers and fireworks during festivals like Diwali.
●    The Supreme Court maintained that it is the responsibility of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to ensure compliance of ban order to ensure compliance of ban order particularly in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu where there are a large number of firecracker manufacturers.
●    The court also asked CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and PESO to make collaborative efforts for setting up standards with regards to air pollution caused by the bursting of firecrackers.

Tiger count in Uttarakhand gone up 

The count of tigers in Uttarakhand has gone up to 242 with an increase of 63 big cats this year, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said. 
●    Also 11 cubs were found in the two tiger reserves, he had said on Wednesday releasing the latest figures for the year 2016 -17.
●    Uttarakhand has two tiger reserves – the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Chief minister Rawat congratulated the forest department for the great work being done for the conservation of tigers and added that in terms of area and tiger population ratio, Uttarakhand is the number one state behind Karnataka which has 400 big cats.
●    According to the data, at least 208 tigers have been identified in Corbett Tiger Reserve, up from last year’s 163. 
●    Also six cubs were identified there. At least 34 tigers have been identified in Rajaji Tiger Reserve in 2016-17, up from previous year’s 16, he said, adding five cubs were also found there.

Cabinet approves revision of cost of Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of Department of Rural Development for revision of cost of Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011). It provides for:
●    Revising the cost of SECC 2011 to Rs. 4893.60 crore from the approved estimated expenditure of Rs.3,543.29 crore within the indicative cost of Rs.4,000 crore as approved by the Government.
●    Approval of time and cost overrun and consequential revision in the upper limit of cost per record to the consortium of Central Public Sector Undertakings. 
●    The SECC -2011 project has been concluded on 31.3.2016. 
●    The cost has already been committed and the project has met all its milestones.

Current Affairs 7th August 2017: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Arab countries to negotiate with Qatar

The four Arab countries isolating Qatar have reiterated their call for Doha to agree to a framework of six broad “principles” which they say will set the parameters for future talks on how the crisis is resolved.
●    The emphasis on these principles — rather than the 13 specific demands originally issued to Qatar — could indicate that the quartet is now more willing to engage in the mediation process led by Kuwait and backed by the United States, United Nations and European powers.
●    “I don't see this as a softening of the quartet's position on Qatar per se, as much as a measure taken to restart the negotiation process,” said Mohammed Alyahya, a Saudi analyst of Gulf politics and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.
●    “It is clear that the boycotting nations are prepared to play the long game with Qatar, but there is no doubt that a speedy resolution of the crisis will be in everyone's interest,” he said. 
●    “These six principles are best viewed as an effort to set the foundation for meaningful negotiation process.”

Bolivia Declared 'Total Independence' from World Bank and IMF

Since 2006, a year after Morales came to power, social spending on health, education, and poverty programs has increased by over 45 percent.
●    Bolivia's President Evo Morales has been highlighting his government's independence from international money lending organizations and their detrimental impact the nation.
●    "A day like today in 1944 ended Bretton Woods Economic Conference (USA), in which the IMF and WB were established," Morales tweeted. "These organizations dictated the economic fate of Bolivia and the world. Today we can say that we have total independence of them."
●    Morales has said Bolivia's past dependence on the agencies was so great that the International Monetary Fund had an office in government headquarters and even participated in their meetings.
●    Bolivia is now in the process of becoming a member of the Southern Common Market, Mercosur and Morales attended the group's summit in Argentina last week.
●    Bolivia’s popular uprising known as the The Cochabamba Water War in 2000 against United States-based Bechtel Corporation over water privatization and the associated World Bank policies shed light on some of the debt issues facing the region.

Important Current Affairs 6th August 2017

Current Affairs 6th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

All ASI-protected monuments declared polythene free zones

All monuments and archaeological sites protected by the ASI have been declared as polythene free zones, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told Lok Sabha on Monday. 
●    A total of 3,686 historical monuments and archaeological sites have been declared protected as that of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
●    Replying to questions, Sharma said ASI has declared all the monuments and archaeological sites protected by it as polythene free zones. 
●    The Culture Ministry has written letters to all chief secretaries of states for their active cooperation in making centrally protected monuments as polythene free zone, he sai“All the field offices of ASI have been directed for necessary compliance,” the minister added. Sharma said Rs 80.47 crore worth revenue has been received through sale of tickets at monuments and site museums up to September of the current financial year. 
●    During the same period, revenue through other heads stood at Rs 3.33 crore, he added.

Haryana bans govt school teachers from taking mobile phones to classrooms

The Haryana government on Thursday barred school teachers from stepping inside the classrooms with mobile phones and decided to hold head of the school “accountable” for violation of this norm.
●    There are about 25 lakh students in the government-run schools, from primary to plus two, across the state, while over 90,000 teachers are posted in these schools.
●    “Henceforth, no teacher will be allowed to take along mobile phone to the classroom,” Virender Singh, joint secretary (school education) told Hindustan Times.
●    He added, “In case any substantive complaint is received from students or general public that the latest guidelines are being violated in any campus, then the head of that school will be held squarely accountable.”
●    This restriction of going to the classroom without mobile phones also applies to the head of school.
●    The education department has directed that all inspecting officers, whether on regular inspection or surprise inspections, will check whether these instructions are being followed in letter and spirit.

Haryana submitted report on ‘Mhara Gaon Jagmag Gaon’

The Haryana Government had launched a voluntary scheme ‘Mhara Gaon - Jagmag Gaon’, aimed at providing 24-hour uninterrupted power supply to rural domestic consumers and improving electricity bill collections in order to reduce huge accumulated losses of power utilities.
●    Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that the State has become first in the country to launch such an innovative scheme.Giving details about the scheme at a Press conference, the Chief Minister said at present rural consumers were being supplied electricity for only 12 hours daily. 
●    In the first phase of the scheme, 83 feeders have been identified covering 310 villages having minimum line losses between 25 to 70 per cent and which have made payment of their electricity bills.
●    Power supply has been ensured for 15 hours in these villages instead of 12 hour power supply they were getting. 
●    The consumers in these 310 villages falling under these 83 feeders have now urged to install their meters outside their houses and get their old electricity wires replaced with insulated wires, said the Chief Minister.

Union Government launches e-RaKAM portal for selling agricultural produce

The Union Government on 1 August 2017 launched a portal, e-RaKAM, to provide a platform to sell agricultural produce.
●    The portal is a joint initiative by state-run-auctioneer MSTC and Central Warehousing Corporation arm CRWC.
●    The platform is a digital initiative that aims to bring together the farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease the selling and buying process of agricultural products.
●    The e-RaKAM is a first-of-its-kind initiative that leverages technology to connect farmers of the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet and e-RaKAM centres.
●    While launching the portal, the Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan stated that the effort should be to auction 20 lakh tonnes of pulses in the first phase through the platform.
●    With the help of the platform, various crops whose price increases due to rainfall or bad weather conditions will be managed and get the market.

Jharkhand Cabinet approves Religious Freedom Bill 2017

Jharkhand Cabinet on 1 August 2017 approved Religious Freedom Bill 2017. 
●    The bill named as Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill, 2017 seeks to bring the stringent anti-conversion law in place under which forceful or allurement induced religious conversion will be a non-bailable criminal offence.
●    According to an official release, Section three of the Bill prohibits forceful conversion. In the event of violation of section three, there will be up to three years imprisonment or Rs 50000 penalty or both.
●    The release says that if the crime involves a minor, woman or person from SC or ST community than the prison term would be up to four years and a penalty of one lakh rupees.
●    Allurement for religious conversion has been well defined in the bill, where cash or economic benefits for religious conversion are included. 
●    The bill would be tabled in the upcoming monsoon session of Jharkhand Assembly.

Current Affairs 6th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

US Senate confirms Christopher Wray as FBI Director
The US senate on 1 August 2017 confirmed the appointment of Christopher Wray as the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Wray was elected to the post by winning 92-5 votes of the Senate.
●    With this, Wray succeeds James Comey, who was unexpectedly fired by US President Donald Trump in May 2017 in the midst of the investigation into Russian meddling in US Presidential Elections 2016. 
●    Since then, Andrew McCabe has been serving as acting FBI director.
●    Wray, a former high-ranking official in President George W Bush's Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud, takes over the FBI at such a challenging time when Trump expelled Comey, who was admired within FBI.

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Sanjaya Baru appointed as Secretary General of FICCI

Sanjaya Baru was on 1 August 2017 appointed as the Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with effect from 1 September 2017. 
●    He succeeds A Didar Singh, who served as Secretary General for 5 years. 
●    However, Didar Singh will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to Pankaj Patel, President of the FICCI.
●    Baru had earlier served as the media advisor to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
●    Baru served as media advisor and chief spokesperson of Manmohan Singh from May 2004 until August 2008.
●    Later, he was appointed as the Editor of Business Standard, a position he served from January 2010 to October 2011.

Important Current Affairs 5th August 2017

Current Affairs 5th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Flipkart completes merger with eBay India

E-commerce major Flipkart on Tuesday said it has completed the merger with eBay India’s operations.
●    With this, eBay.in will now be a Flipkart Group company.
●    The deal was announced in April when the Flipkart group raised $1.4 billion from global technology majors eBay, Tencent and Microsoft. 
●    In exchange of an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay had made a cash investment of $500 million and sold its eBay.in business to Flipkart.
●    The announcement comes a day after smaller rival Snapdeal said it was terminating all discussions of a potential merger. 
●    While Snapdeal did not name Flipkart, it had been widely reported that both were negotiating a merger for the last five months.
●    “Effective immediately, Flipkart will own and operate eBay.in, which will remain an independent entity as part of Flipkart,” Flipkart said in a statement.
●    Besides, the companies will also partner to leverage opportunities in cross-border trade, it added.

Union Cabinet clears proposal to extend proxy voting for NRIs

Cabinet clears proxy voting for NRIs=The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to extend proxy voting to overseas Indians by amending electoral laws. 
●    This was informed by a senior government functionary.
●    For overseas Indians, the Representation of the People Act needs to be amended to include proxy voting as other means to cast their votes. 
●    While NRIs and overseas Indians are free to cast their votes in constituencies where they are registered, according to the proposal, they will also be allowed to use the option of proxy, which as of now is only available to service personnel.
●    An expert committee in the Election Commission working on the issue had, in 2015, forwarded the legal framework to the law ministry to amend electoral laws to allow overseas Indians use proxy voting.

Bihar government decides compulsory retirement for non-performing teachers & officials above 50

The Bihar Government on 3 August 2017 informed that it has decided to compulsory retirement to the non-performing head masters, teachers and education department officials above the age of 50 years.
●    The decision was taken after the review of the education department by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. 
●    The review meeting was attended by Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, education minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, development commissioner Shishir Kumar Sinha and principal secretary, department of education, RK Mahajan among others.
●    The Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said the state government is in process of identifying non-performing institutions and all those responsible for the poor show will be given compulsory retirement. 
●    He informed that those teachers having failed thrice in assessment test would be removed or will be given compulsory retirement, as per government norms.
●    In addition, a committee headed by RK Mahajan is working to identify such non-performing headmasters, teachers, block education officers or district education officers.

Current Affairs 5th August 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Qatar passes landmark law to grant permanent residency to expats

Qatar, facing a Saudi-led boycott, approved a landmark law with the potential to ultimately transform Gulf societies by granting permanent residency cards -- and new rights -- to some of the foreigners who dominate its population. 
●    The move would be the first in the Gulf region, where the privileges of nationals have been zealously guarded and expatriates’ access to public services and property rights are sharply curtailed. 
●    Under the new law, cardholders will be treated like Qatari nationals and will benefit from elements of the state’s generous welfare system, including education and health-care services, the official Qatar News Agency reported late Wednesday. 
●    They will also be given priority, after locals, for military and civilian public jobs and would be allowed to own property and run certain commercial activities without a local partner, QNA reported. 
●    Those eligible for the card include children of Qatari women married to foreigners, people with special talents “needed by the state,” and others who have extended notable services to the country, it said. Citizenship, however, will remain off-limits to foreigners.

Paris to host 2024 Olympics

Los Angeles announced its intent to host the 2028 Olympics, paving the way for Paris to host in 2024 in a deal hailed as a win-win-win for both cities and the Olympic movement.
●    "I am proud to announce the Olympic Games are coming back to the United States of America," Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said at ceremony at the StubHub Center stadium. 
●    "In 2028, we are bringing the Games back to LA, one of the great capitals of the Olympic movement. A city that has always been a Games changer and will be again in 2028." 
●    Garcetti downplayed any risk involved in taking on the Olympics so far in advance, saying political or economic setbacks in the interim, or even a natural disaster such as an earthquake, wouldn't prove fatal to the preparations.
●    "Los Angeles is resilient," Garcetti said. "I'm not worried about those things. We aren't going to see sports go away. We're not going to see stadiums disappear. 
●    When you look at those risks, sure in some scenario if the entire Earth falls apart probably the Olympics aren't happening in Los Angeles."
●    "But short of that," Garcetti said, "We're going to have a great Games here in LA."

US Senate confirms appointment of three Indian Americans

Three Indian-Americans picked by President Donald Trump have been confirmed by the US Senate to key governmental posts.
●    While Neil Chatterjee was confirmed on 3 August as the member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a body that oversees electricity, natural gas and oil at the national level, Vishal Amin got confirmed as the Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement Coordinator in the Trump administration.
●    The third Indian-American to get confirmed to a key governmental position was Krishna R Urs, who was confirmed as the US Ambassador to Peru.
●    Urs, who is a career foreign service officer since 1986, is the second Indian-American to have been selected for an ambassadorial position by the Trump administration, only after Nikky Haley (US ambassador to the United Nations)

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: OBITUARY

Renowned scientist Pushpa Mitra Bhargava passes away

Pushpa Mitra (PM) Bhargava, a veteran molecular biologist and a ardent critic of Genetically Modified crops, passed away on 1 August 2017 following a prolonged illness. He was 89.
●    Bhargava was the Founder-Director of Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
●    Bhargava was born in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
●    He studied at Theosophical College, Lucknow and Queen's College, Varanasi and completed his BSc in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in 1944.
●    He obtained his MSc in organic chemistry in 1946 and received his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the Lucknow University.
●    He went to the USA in 1953 and worked as a project associate at a laboratory for cancer research.
●    He was one of the leading scientists who led to the discovery of 5-fluorouracil, an anticancer drug.
●    He founded the CCMB in 1977 as an institution for research in basic biology and for seeking its application for the benefit of society.

Important Current Affairs 4th August 2017

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Supreme Court denies immediate ban on ‘NOTA’

After rejecting the demands of political parties to do away with NOTA in the coming Rajya Sabha elections by poll panel, today Supreme Court refused a plea on immediate ban on None of the Above (NOTA). 
●    Notably, NOTA allows a voter to reject all candidates and was introduced in 2014.
●    A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra questioned the petitioner for approaching the court late since the EC had taken a decision in January 2014 and in November 2015.
●    “When it suited you, you didn’t come to court, but you came to court, when it affected you,” the bench observed.
●    The court also said since the EC’s decision pursuant to the apex court’s verdict in PUCL case in 2013, NOTA was allowed in several elections and being a conscious political leader, the petitioner should have challenged the EC circular in 2015.
●    “We are not going to stay. We will only hear the constitutional issue, “the bench said asking the EC to file its reply by September 13.

Lok Sabha passes Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill for resolution of non-performing assets

The Lok Sabha on 3 August 2017 passed the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by voice vote. 
●    The Banking Regulation Bill 2017 seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and replace the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which was promulgated on 4 May 2017.
●    The bill seeks to empower the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue directions to the banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating the recently enacted Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
●    The bill seeks to insert provisions for handling cases related to stressed assets of banks. 
●    Stressed assets are loans where the borrower has defaulted in repayment or where the loan has been restructured.

L&T bags Rs 3375-crore Mauritius metro order

Engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro in August 2017 announced Rs 3375 crore (18.8 Bn MUR) worth metro order from the Mauritius government. 
●    The projects will be fully funded through a grant by Union Government and line of credit.
●    In a press statement, the company said, “L&T has won the order from Metro Express Limited which is owned by the Government of Mauritius to design and build an Integrated Light Rail-based Urban Transit System in the African island nation.”
●    The project comprises of a 26-kilometer route, which will connect Curepipe to Immigration Square in Port Louis.
●    The metro line will feature 19 stations, 2 of which will be state-of-the-art elevated stations.

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: SPACE SCIENCE

Israel launches its first environmental research satellite Venus

Israel launched its first environmental satellite into space in the early hours of Wednesday morning from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana, along with a second satellite on a reconnaissance mission for Italy's defense ministry.
●    The country's first environmental satellite's name -- Venus -- is not a reference to the planet; it is rather the acronym for Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro Satellite, and is dedicated to monitoring the effects of climate change on vegetation.
●    It is an earth observation and exploratory mission of the Israel Space Agency (ISA) -- a government body sponsored by the country's Ministry of Science & Technology -- and the French CNES space agency .
●    The satellite will monitor fields and plots of land from space for environmental research purposes, while monitoring the state of land, vegetation, reforestation, agriculture, quality of water reservoirs and more.

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: SPACE SCIENCE

Manju Kumari secures bronze at Junior World Wrestling

India's Manju Kumari won the bronze medal with a 2-0 victory over Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine in the Junior World Wrestling Championship in Tampere, Finland on Thursday.
●    However, Divya Tomar (44kg), Nandini Salokhe (51kg) and Pooja Devi (67kg) failed to make it to the medal round.
●    Manju, competing in 59kg, started her campaign off with a dominating 5-1 victory over Bulgaria's Aleksandrina Nikolaeva Kashinova in the 1/8 stage but was outclassed 0-10 by Japan's Yuzuru Kumano in her quarterfinal bout.
●    However, with the Japanese girl advancing to the final, Manju got another life in the form of repechage and she did not waste the opportunity.

Sardar Singh, Devendra Jhajharia recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Devendra Jhajharia today became the first paralympian to be recommended for India's highest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna -- along with celebrated former hockey captain Sardar Singh.
●    Javelin thrower Jhajharia, the first Indian to win two Paralympic gold medals, was the first choice of the awards selection committee headed by Justice (Retd) C K Thakkar.
●    The committee has picked 31-year-old midfielder Sardar as its second nominee for the top honour and has suggested that both Jhajharia and Sardar be considered for the award jointly.
●    The 36-year-old Jhajharia two gold medals came in the 2004 Athens Games and last year's Rio Paralympics and he set new world records on both the occasions. He also won a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships.

Current Affairs 4th August 2017: APPOINTMENTS

Mohammad Mustafa appointed as CMD of SIDBI

Senior bureaucrat Mohammad Mustafa was on 3 August 2017 appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). 
●    His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a period of three years.
●    Prior to this appointment, Mustafa was working as a Joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services.
●    Mustafa is 1995 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
●     Mohammad served as the Chairman of the Board of National Housing Bank in 2014-2015.
●    He has been a Non-Executive Nominee Director of Bank of Baroda since November 2014.

Important Current Affairs 3rd August 2017

Current Affairs 3rd August 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

MoU signed between Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) & IRCON International Limited for Redevelopment of Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station

Ministry of Railways has entrusted the work of redevelopment of Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station to IRCON along with RLDA by leveraging the commercial potential of the railway land around the station including RLDA’s office as well as air space above the railway station. 
●    In the gracious presence of Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Minister of Railways, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), a Statutory Authority under Ministry of Railways, Government of India signed an MoU for this purpose with IRCON International Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under Ministry of Railways.
●    Shri Rakesh Goyal, Vice Chairman RLDA and Shri S. K. Chaudhary, CMD IRCON signed the MOU. 
●    Delhi Safdarjung station is proposed to be developed on self-financing model for which finance will be raised through marketing of the commercial built-up area that will be developed on the surplus railway land and air space as part of the Station development project. 
●    The land and the constructed buildings will continue to remain under the ownership and control of RLDA and only the commercial built-up area will be leased for upto 45 years by RLDA . 
●    IRCON will carry out design, construction and marketing of the project. 
●    The Phase-I of the project will come up on the Moti Bagh side of the Station and is targeted for completion by January 2019.

IRCTC Launches pay on delivery scheme

●    People can now pay later for tickets booked under the tatkal quota on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) website, it was announced on Wednesday.
●    Till now, this service was available only for general reservations. For tatkal bookings people had to pay first via the standard online payment gateways before the IRCTC portal confirmed their ticket.
●    For tatkal tickets, IRCTC users will be able to pay via cash, debit card or credit card by opting to have tickets delivered at their doorstep, said IRCTC payment provider Anduril Technologies.
●    IRCTC processes 130,000 tatkal transactions daily. 
●    A majority of these tickets is booked within minutes of the quota opening.

India permitted to construct Kishanganga, Ratle projects under Indus Water Treaty: World Bank

India is allowed to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the World Bank has said. 
●    The World Bank's comments came as officials from India Pakistan concluded the secretary-level talks over the IWT.
●    Pakistan opposes the construction of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants being built by India in Jammu and Kashmir, the global lender said in a fact sheet issued yesterday. 
●    Noting that the two countries disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants contravene the treaty, the World Bank said the IWT designates these two rivers as well as the Indus as the "Western Rivers" to which Pakistan has unrestricted use. 
●    "Among other uses, India is permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on these rivers subject to constraints specified in annexures to the treaty," the Bank said in its fact sheet.

Current Affairs 3rd August 2017: OBITUARY 

Congress veteran Santosh Mohan Dev dead

Congress veteran and former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev died at a nursing home in Silchar at about 6am on Wednesday. 
●    He was 83.
●    Hospital sources said Dev died of multiple organ failure. He is survived by his wife, former MLA Bithika Dev, and four daughters. 
●    Sushmita, his youngest daughter, is the MP from Silchar.
●    Dev, a seven-time MP and five-time Union minister, was admitted to Valley Hospital and Research Centre on July 26 after he suffered a heart attack. 
●    The government will perform Dev's last rites with full state honours, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted. 
●    He also declared August 3 as a local holiday in the Barak Valley as mark of respect to Dev.
 

Current Affairs 3rd August 2017: ECONOMY

RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to 6%, loans may get cheaper

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday finally cut interest rates, in line with what the Street was expecting. 
●    Repo rate - the rate at the which the central bank lends short-term money to banks - was cut by 25 basis points to 6 per cent from 6.25 per cent. 
●    RBI's move comes on the back of inflation running well below its target for consecutive quarters. 
●    The central bank had last cut key rates in October 2016. 
●    The current rate of 6 per cent is the lowest since November 2010.
●    A significant moderation in retail inflation over the past three months had reinforced calls for further monetary policy easing from the RBI, which changed its stance to neutral from accommodative at the beginning of the year. 
●    The central bank on Wednesday said it would retain its neutral stance, warning it expected inflation to rise but pinning further moves on the economic data.

Current Affairs 3rd August 2017: APPOINTMENT

Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur to be appointed DSP by Punjab Government

The Punjab state government has initiated the process of appointing Indian all-rounder cricketer, Harmanpreet Kaur to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police.
●    The young star, whose astounding knock of 171 against Australia in the semi-finals steered India into the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 final, said that it was her childhood dream to work with the state police.
●    Kaur met Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on 2 August 2017 who directed the state Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora to complete the necessary formalities for her appointment. 
●    DGP Suresh Arora said that after Kaur’s appointment to the force, they would be setting up a cricket team within the police department.

Current Affairs 3rd August 2017: WORLD NEWS

Donald Trump announces new immigration policy

President Donald Trump is touting new legislation to overhaul the US immigration system, drastically cutting the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country and implementing a "merit-based" visa scheme.
●    If passed, the RAISE Act would cut the number of immigrants allowed into the United States by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. 
●    It would eliminate diversity lottery visas and crack down on so-called "chain immigration" – visas provided based on family connections, rather than jobs skills.
●    Mr Trump promoted the act alongside Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue on Wednesday, claiming it would "reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars".