NATIONAL NEWS

Justice Ranjan Gogoi appointed as next Chief Justice of India
 
The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India. He will assume the office of Chief Justice on 3rd October, 2018 after the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra.
About Ranjan Gogoi:
Born on 18th November, 1954, Justice Gogoi was enrolled as an advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters. He was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28th February, 2001. On 9th September, 2010, he was transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court on 12th February, 2011. He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 23rd April, 2012.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches National Scholarship Portal Mobile App

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the country's first "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" (NSP Mobile App) here today.
National Scholarship Portal Mobile App:
“National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor and weaker sections.
All the scholarships are being given directly into bank accounts of the needy students under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode through the National Scholarship Portal which has ensured that there is no scope for duplication and leakage.

First Tribal Circuit Project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme to be inaugurated in Chhattisgarh 
 
Shri. K.J Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India has inaugurated the project “Development of Tribal Circuit: Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur- Maheshpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon- Nathiya Nawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh” implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh on 14th September 2018. 
This is the second project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme being inaugurated in the country.
Swadesh Darshan scheme
Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of the flagship schemes of the Ministry of tourism, for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner. The scheme was launched in 2014 -15 and as on date the Ministry has sanctioned 74 projects worth Rs. 5997.47 Crore to 31 States and UTs. 30 projects / major components of these projects are expected to be completed this year.
 

BEML launches India's first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck
 
BEML has launched an indigenously designed & developed nation's first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (Model BHQOS-E).
This will address the growing demand for higher capacity equipments in the Mining Industry.
BH205E
BH205E is an electric drive rear dump truck for large scale mining operations. Indigenously designed and developed BHZOSE Dump Truck is powered by Tier II emission compliant Modular Common Rail Electronic Engine with 2300 HP. The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road performance with reduced maintenance.

Udhayveer Singh wins individual gold in jr. men's 25m pistol event in S Korea
 

Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men's 25 metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea.
The 52nd ISSF World Shooting Championships are held in Changwon, South Korea from 2 to 14 September 2018.

ISSF World Shooting Championships:
The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. World Shooting Championships began in 1897, after the successful 1896 Summer Olympics, and although the ISSF was not founded until 1907, these early competitions are still seen by the organization as the beginning of a continuous row of championships. By this logic, the 2006 competition in Zagreb was called the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships. These championships, including all ISSF shooting events, are held every four years since 1954.

Suresh Prabhu to take part in G-20 meet in Argentina 
 

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will participate in G-20 trade and investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina.
Important:

Issues including increasing protectionism, challenges to promote global commerce and new industrial revolution are expected to be discussed at the meeting.
The meeting assumes significance as countries including the US has significantly raised customs duties on products including steel and aluminium.
The G20 members include India, Argentina, Brazil, China, the US, EU, France, Gemaany among others.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EAM Sushma Swaraj to co-chair 23rd meeting of IRIGC-TEC with Russian Dy PM
 
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will co-chair the 23rd meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov in Moscow.
IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

Hindi Divas being celebrated across country
 
Hindi Divas is being celebrated across the country today on 14th September. It was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari as the official language of the country.
Background:
Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India.
On the 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on 14 September 1949, the efforts came to fruition following adoption of Hindi as the official language. This decision was ratified by the Constitution of India that came into effect on 26 January 1950. Under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, Hindi written in Devanagari script was adopted as the official language. In all, there are 22 Scheduled languages of India, of which, two are officially used at Union government of India level: Hindi and English.
Hindi is spoken by 250 million people as the original language and it is the fourth language of the world.

Jharkhand govt introduces electric cars for official use
 
The state government of Jharkhand on September 12, 2018 introduced electric vehicles for official use. The energy department of the state got 20 such cars for its use. The information was shared by the state’s Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
The state’s energy department received 20 cars in the first phase. The cars were procured by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), which is a joint venture of the PSUs under the Ministry of Power.

Important To Know:
With the development, Jharkhand has become the fifth state of India and the first state in eastern India to procure the eco-friendly vehicles for government use.
Prior to Jharkhand, the governments of Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have procured electric cars for official purpose.
Under the agreement signed between EESL and JBVNL, EESL would give this fleet of 50 cars, along with drivers, to JBVNL on a lease for six years. JBVNL would pay Rs 40,000 per car per month.
The EESL has set up three charging stations at JBVNL corporate headquarters at HEC Township, its Kushai complex and near Raj Bhavan for these cars.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha passes State Commission for SC Bill
 

The Haryana Legislative Assembly on September 11, 2018 passed the Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018, for development and safeguarding the interests of people belonging to the community. The bill was passed on the last day of the state assembly’s session.

Objective
The Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018, has been passed to set up a commission for scheduled castes in the state for the overall development and welfare of the community and to safeguard their interests.
The commission would also check and curb the atrocities committed on the people belonging to the scheduled caste community.

Important Current Affairs 13th September 2018   

 (International News)

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Brunei Darussalam 

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Brunei Darussalam on Cooperation in the operation of Telemetry Tracking and Telecommand station for satellite and launch vehicles, and for cooperation in the field of Space Research, Science and Applications. The MoU was signed in New Delhi on 19th July 2018.
Benefits:
The MoU enables India to continue to operate, maintain and augment its ground station meant for supporting India’s launch vehicle and satellite missions.  This will also help India to share its experience and expertise in space activities through training of officials and students from Brunei Darussalam on space technology applications.

(National News)

LK Advani renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha
BJP leader L K Advani was renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha. He was renominated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. L K Advani represents Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency from Gujarat.
It formulates Code of Conduct for members and suggest amendments to it from time to time. It also oversee moral and ethical conduct of Members. It examines complaints related to any unethical conduct by members of Lower House of Parliament. It can also initiate suo motu investigation into matters related to unethical conduct of a member and make recommendations, as it may deem fit.

Government makes demat mandatory for issue and transfer of shares
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has mandatory for unlisted public companies to issue new shares or transfer of all shares in dematerialised or demat (i.e. in electronic form) form beginning October 2, 2018. With this, major benefits of dematerialisation of securities will now be available to unlisted Public companies.
Facts
The Companies Act 2013, provides for government to mandate that as in case of listed public companies other classes of public companies should also issue securities only in dematerialised form. MCA’s latest step is seen as measure for further enhancing transparency, investor protection and governance in the corporate sector.

Cabinet approves Policy Framework to Promote and Incentivize Enhanced Recovery Methods for Oil and Gas
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Policy framework to promote and incentivize Enhanced Recovery (ER)/ Improved Recovery (IR)/ Unconventional Hydrocarbon (UHC) production Methods/techniques to improve recovery factor of existing hydrocarbons reserves for augmenting domestic production of oil and gas. The ER includes Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR), Unconventional Hydrocarbon (UHC) production methods include Shale oil and gas production, tight oil and gas production, production from oil shale, gas hydrates and heavy oil.

Haryana signs MoU with Indian Oil for an ethanol plant

The Haryana government on September 10 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs. 900 crores. The initiative at village Bohali with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season, an official release said.

NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate to set up a Model International Center for Transformative AI (ICTAI)
NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) announced on 7th September that they are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led application-based research projects. This initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ Discussion Paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI in the country through private sector collaboration.
 

Important Current Affairs 11th September 2018               

                                                         (National News)
Apsara – U Reactor Becomes Operational at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay
 
Apsara, the first research reactor in Asia that worked nearly five decades before shutting down in 2009, is now operational as 'Apsara-U' on Trombay campus of Maharashtra.
"Nearly sixty-two years after Apsara came into existence, a swimming pool type research reactor "Apsara-upgraded", of higher capacity was born at Trombay on September 10," 
About as Apsara-U
According to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Apsara is a light water swimming pool-type reactor with a maximum power output of one megawatt thermal (MWT) and is utilized for various experiments, including neutron activation analysis, radiation damage studies, forensic research, neutron radiography, and shielding experiments.
The reactor can also be used for research and production of radioisotopes for medical application and would also be extensively used for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding.
This development helped the Indian scientists and engineers to build complex facilities for healthcare, science education and research.

Launch of a web portal “Rail Sahyog”
 
The Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal launched a web portal www.railsahyog.in . The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility funds. 
Rail Sahyog:
This portal will provide an opportunity for Industry/ Companies/ Associations to collaborate with Railways. This portal will not only be beneficial for passengers but also for neighborhood of Railway vicinity.” Salient feature of this portal is its simplicity & transparency.

Union Agriculture Minister releases a profile booklet titled ‘NCDC- Assisting Cooperative. Always!’
 
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh released a booklet titled ‘NCDC-Assisting Cooperatives. Always!’ highlighting the role and activities assisted by National Cooperative Development Corporation in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
NCDC is the most preferred financial institution in the world of cooperatives and aligning itself with the Mission of New India 2022, NCDC has embarked on Sahakar 22, a Mission for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022.
National Cooperative Development Corporation  
NCDC is a statutory Corporation set up under an Act of Parliament on 13th March 1963.
 Aims and Objectives of NCDC
The objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock and certain other notified commodities and services on cooperative principles and for matters concerned therewith or incidental thereto.

Notification for bringing the HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 in force
 
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a notification for bringing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 in force from 10th September, 2018. 
The Act, safeguards the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. The provisions of the Act address HIV-related discrimination, strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability, and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances.
What this Act seeks?
The Act seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS. The Act lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them is prohibited. 

These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to:
(i)    Employment, 
(ii)    Educational establishments, 
(iii)    Health care services,
(iv)    Residing or renting property, 
(v)    Standing for public or private office, and 
(vi)    Provision of insurance (unless based on actuarial studies)

PM Narendra Modi announces remuneration hike for ASHA, Anganwadi workers
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, 2018 announced an increase in remuneration for those involved with the government’s Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) scheme and Anganwadi scheme. 
The announcement, which will be effective from next month, was made by the Prime Minister during his video bridge interaction with lakhs of ASHA, Anganwadi and auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) workers.
Significance

The hike in the remuneration has been a long-standing demand by ASHA and Anganwadi workers. They had also participated in the farmers’ protest in Delhi this month in demand of the same.

Key Highlights
The Prime Minister during his interaction announced that the Union Government would be doubling the routine incentives given to the ASHA workers. 
In addition, he announced that all ASHA workers and their helpers would be provided free insurance cover under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana.
The prime minister also announced a significant increase in the honorarium given to the Anganwadi workers. 
With the development, those receiving Rs 3000 so far, would now receive Rs 4500 and those receiving Rs 2200 would now get Rs 3500. 
The honorarium for Anganwadi helpers has also been increased from Rs 1500 to Rs 2250.

The Anganwadi workers and helpers using techniques such as Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) would be getting additional incentives based on their performance, ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 500.

Prohibition and restriction of manufacture, sale and distribution of Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs)
 
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare  announced prohibiting the manufacture for sale or distribution for human use of 328 Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) drugs with immediate effect.
It has also restricted the manufacture, sale or distribution of six FDCs subject to certain conditions, the Ministry said in a statement. FDCs are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form.
Background:
The Centre, in March 2016, had prohibited the manufacture for sale and distribution of 349 FDCs but this was contested by the affected manufacturers in High Courts and the Supreme Court.
Complying with the December 2017 Supreme Court judgment, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) examined the matter and, in its report to the Centre, recommended prohibition of the FDCs saying there was no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in them and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings.
Earlier, an expert committee appointed by the Centre too had made similar observations.
Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs)
Combination products, also known as fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs), are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dosage form. 

                                                       (International News)
TCIL, MEA sign MOU for pan Africa e-Network project
 
Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) signed an agreement with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the implementation of e-VBAB (e-Vidya Bharati and e-Aarogya Bharati) Network Project for a total value of Rs. 865 Crores.
The e-VBAB Project is fully funded by MEA, GoI and is envisaged to be implemented in 9 months followed by 5 years of operations and maintenance. Indian Education (Vidya Bharati) and Indian Medical services for human wellbeing (Aarogya Bharati) under the flagship e-VBAB Network Project of MEA, is a step towards capacity building in the field of education and medical science for all the 54 African Nations.
The project aims to provide an opportunity for local employment and opens the door for access to education and medical expertise from India to African students, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. It will also give an opportunity for Global acceptance of Indian University Education system and Indian medical Health services.
Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL)
TCIL, a pioneering Public Sector ICT company, under Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India, have to their credit, successful execution of many large Telecom projects in India and abroad. They are well accepted in Africa, Middle East and South East Asia, for their skills in Telecom and IT. They have done number of infrastructure Projects of Fiber, ICT and Microwave in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and Algeria.

India focus country in Izmir International Trade Show
 
The ‘Source India’ Pavilion was inaugurated by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India’s Ambassador to Ankara, Turkey. 
The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) led a75-member Indian delegation for the ongoing 87th Izmir International Trade Show in Turkey.
What is Source India?
SOURCE INDIA is a global trade show cum BSM (Buyer Seller Meet) designed by Department of Commerce, Government of India & Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) for promoting Indian Exports in Most Potential International Markets in most efficient and economical manner. Source India has a focused approach to reach potential buyers which help Indian businesses to penetrate in new markets in the world in a most effective way. 
The platform is based on intense in-house research, deep knowledge base, effective research and resource capabilities which helps businesses to find right products and sectors around the world. It is a great opportunity to meet, connect and build rapport with prospects and customers in a most economical way.

Important Current Affairs 10th September 2018

                                                        (International News)                                                          

Nepal Army to not participate in joint military exercise of BIMSTEC 
 
The Nepal Army will not participate in the first ever joint military exercise of BIMSTEC nations in India next week.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. BIMSTEC was set up in 1997, the theme includes counter-terrorism in semi-urban terrain and cordon and search, and each side will bring in some 30 soldiers.

Bengaluru airport set to use face recognition as ‘boarding pass’ next year

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru is set to become the first airport in Asia next year to use face recognition as the boarding procedure for passengers to board flights and move across different sections of the airport.

Hari Marar, CEO of Bengaluru International Airport Ltd. (BIAL), which operates KIA, and Miguel Leitmann, CEO of Vision Box, a Portuguese software firm, signed an agreement to this effect in Lisbon on September 5 to introduce face recognition technology at the airport from 2019. The agreement was signed in the presence of Indian-origin Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and India’s Ambassador to Portugal Nandini Singla.

4TH WORLD SUMMIT ON ACCREDITATION HELD IN NEW DELHI

Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the Fourth World Conference on Accreditation (WOSA-2018) in New Delhi. 

The theme of the event was "Challenges and Opportunities in Outcome Based Accreditation".

Important:

•    Higher education secretary is R. Subrahmanyam

•    Dr. Anil Sahasrabuddhe is the President of All India Technical Education Council and President of National Accreditation Board.

                                                                    (Sports)

Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro to win title
 
In the US Open Tennis, Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men's singles final. He defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in straight sets. It was Djokovic's 14th Grand Slam title and the third US Open title.With this win, he has equalled Pete Sampras's mark of 14 Grand Slams. He is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the record 20 held by Roger Federer. 

                                                               (National News)
Hima Das to be Assam sports ambassador, confirms CM
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has confirmed that Indian Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first sports ambassador of the state.

The announcement came after Hima Das recently became the first Indian woman to win gold at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships.

The 18-year-old made the country proud as she scripted history by clinching the top spot in the women's 400 m final race at the Championships which was held in France.

Snow Leopard Spotted In Himachal Pradesh Sanctuary

A snow leopard was spotted at a height of about 4,000 metres in Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The rare sighting was captured by a camera-trap installed by the state wildlife department.
It was only last year that the snow leopard improved from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' in terms of conservation status. The recent findings have ascertained that snow leopards inhabit new areas.
 

Important Current Affairs 9th September 2018

 (International News)

India, France ink agreement to collaborate for Gaganyaan mission
India and France have signed agreement to collabor ate for ISRO’s first human space mission Gaganyaan to be launched in 2022. Both countries have also announced working group for Gaganyaan. The announcement was made at sixth edition of Bengaluru Space Expo (touted to be largest space conference in Asia and held in Bengaluru). So far, French-Indian space cooperation was in the domain of climate monitoring, with fleet of joint satellites devoted to research and operational applications.

Pakistan could become world’s 5th largest nuclear weapons state

According to recent report, Pakistan could become world’s 5th largest nuclear weapons state after Russia, United States, France and China in terms of possession of total nuclear warheads. Pakistan currently has 140 to 150 nuclear warheads and its stockpile is expected to increase to 220 to 250 by 2025 (surpassing United Kingdom) if its current proliferation trend continues.

Key Findings of Report

The current estimate of 140 to 150 nuclear weapons with Pakistan exceeds projection made by US Defense Intelligence Agency in 1999 that Pakistan would have 60 to 80 warheads by 2020.

India and France sign implementation agreement on Mobilise Your City
India and France have signed implementation agreement on Mobilise Your City  (MYC) to support three pilot cities – Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad for reducti on of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to urban transport. It was signed between Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Agence Française de Développement (AfD).

(National News)

Logo design contest for the Awards launched
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited nominations for the National Children Awards 2018. This national recognition, which is conferred by the President of India, is given to children with outstanding achievements in the fields of innovation, scholastic achievements, sports, arts and culture, social service and bravery. The last date to submit nominations is now September 30, 2018.

Odisha Assembly passes resolution for creation of Legislative Council 
The Odisha State Assembly has passed resolution seeking creation of Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad or second house of legislature).  The resolution was passed with as many as 104 of total 147 legislators casting their votes in its favour. The resolution now will be sent to Central Government (Union cabinet) for approval, following which it will be tabled in both houses of the Parliament. Thereafter, presidential assent is required to make it Act.

Government doubles monetary limit for filing cases 
Union Finance Ministry has doubled pecuniary limit to Rs. 20 lakh from Rs.10 lakh for filing loan recovery ap plication in Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT) by banks and financial institutions. It means that bank or financial institution or consortium of banks or financial institutions cannot approach DRTs if pecuniary limit amount due is less than Rs 20 lakh. This move is aimed at helping reduce pendency of cases in DRTs.

Important Current Affairs 8th September 2018

   (International News)

Waking of Kepler space telescope
Kepler space telescope has woken up from sleep mode and has restarted its scientific operations. The Kepler team is planning to collect as much science data as possible in its remaining time and beam it back to Earth before the loss of the fuel-powered thrusters.
About 
Kepler is a space observatory launched by NASA to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler, the spacecraft was launched on March 7, 2009, into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit.

Nepal gets access to 4 China ports  
On Friday’s meeting, China and Nepal finalised Transit and Transport Agreement. It has provided access to 4 Chinese ports(Tianjin, Shenzhen, Lianyungang and Zhanjiang ) to Nepal.   
According to the agreement, Nepalese can use rail or road to access seaports.
This agreement will reduce Nepal’s dependence on India since a prolonged blockade of its border crossing with India in 2015 and 2016 left the country short of fuel and medicines for several months.

(National News)

Trust status granted to ‘Bharat Ke Veer’
The government has granted the trust status of ‘Bharat Ke Veer’.
About “Bharat Ke Veer”
It is a private initiative which aids families of paramilitary personnel that got martyred. Akshay Kumar and former national badminton champion Pullela Gopichand are in its  trustees.  
The public can contribute by visitng its website or application. One can donate directly to individual braveheart's account (upto max of 15 lakhs) or may donate to the Bharat Ke Veer corpus.
Management 
Bharat Ke Veer corpus would be managed by a commitee made up of eminent persons of repute and senior government officials, in equal number, who would decide to disburse the fund equitably to the bravehearts family on need basis.
‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’
NITI Aayog organized ‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’ in New Delhi, in collaboration with various ministries and industry partners.

Themes

1.    Maximising asset utilisation and services.
2.    Comprehensive electrification and alternative fuels.
3.    Reinventing public transport.
4.    Goods transport and logistics.
5.    Data analytics and mobility.
Aim 
To co-create a public interest framework to revolutionize transport. In addition to it government also wanted to make it safe, clean, shared and connected, affordable, accessible and inclusive.

Aero India 2019
The Government has decided to hold the Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru from 20-24 February 2019. Besides global leaders and big investors in aerospace industry, the show will also see participation by think-tanks from across the world.

(Environment)

The world's first omnivorous shark 
The bonnethead shark is the world's first omnivorous shark, according to new research.
About
The bonnethead shark - which is a smaller cousin of the more famous hammerhead shark - resides in shallow, coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico, and the US's Pacific and Atlantic coast. These areas have plenty of seagrass, along with the shrimp and crabs scientists thought was the shark's preferred sustenance.

Extinction of 8 species of Avian 
The macaw is one of eight species, including the poo-uli, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl and the cryptic treehunter, that can be added to the growing list of confirmed or highly likely extinctions, according to a new statistical analysis by BirdLife International. It is included in the first avian extinctions of the 21st century. 
About
Birds, also known as Aves, are a group of endothermic vertebrates, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws.
Birdlife International
It is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity.
Establishment - 1922
Headquarters - Cambridge, United Kingdom

Important Current Affairs 7th September 2018

                                                               (International News)

87th Izmir International tradeshow in Turkey    
 
India is the Partner Country in the 87th Izmir International tradeshow which begins in Turkey from Friday, September 7, 2018.
In this tradeshow India will also be launching a mega business pavilion ‘Source India’ hosting 75 Indian companies with the aim of tie-ups in order to increase India’s exports to Turkey and other neighbouring countries.
This is part of a series of Source India pavilions that the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is hosting in important tradeshows across the world for boosting India’s exports.
Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI)
TPCI is the trade and investment promotion organization of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce &Industry, Government of India, and works to open new areas for co-operation in trade and investment between India and rest of the world.
Izmir International Fair 
The İzmir International Fair is the oldest tradeshow in Turkey, considered the cradle of Turkey's fairs and expositions industry, and is also notable for hosting a series of simultaneous festival activities. The fair and the festival are held in the compound of İzmir's vast Inner City Park named Kültürpark in the first days of September, and organized by İZFAŞ, a depending company of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. 

India and France agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY” (MYC)
 
India and France have signed an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY” (MYC). MYC aims at supporting three pilot cities viz. Nagpur, Kochi and Ahmedabad for reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions related to urban transport.
The three pilot cities selected under the programme as well as MoHUA will benefit from the Technical Assistance activities. The main components of the proposed assistance are:
(1) To support planning and implementation of sustainable urban transport projects,
(2) Support to strengthening institutional capacity for regulating, steering and planning urban mobility, and
(3) Learning and exchange formats with other cities across India for exchanges on best practices.
 
Mobilise Your City (MYC)
Mobilise Your City (MYC) is part of an international initiative which is supported by the French and the German Governments and was launched at 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) meeting in December, 2015. Based on a proposal made by AFD in 2015, the European Union has agreed to provide funds of Euro 3.5 million through the AFD to contribute to specific investments and technical assistance components within the Mobilise Your City (MYC) programme in India.

Six Hundred Global Buyers to Participate Indusfood- II 2019
 
The Dhaka based India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (IBCCI) will participate with a strong contingent of F&B buyers in Indusfood-II 2019 to source their food and beverage requirements from India.
TPCI is expecting around 600 global buyers from 50 countries and over 350 Indian exporters and producers to participate at this World Food Supermarketin Indusfood-II being held on 14th – 15thJanuary, 2019 in Greater Noida, NCR, Delhi.
Background 
Indusfood-I, held in early 2018, saw participation of leading importers from 43 countries and 320 Indian exporters and generated an estimated business of $650 million. The international buyers and Indian sellers from 12 categories of Food & Beverage industry experienced a unique opportunity of a B2B dialogue and insight into the large basket of brands, private labels and bulk purchase of raw items that India could offer to the world.

India will participate in PISA 2021
 
Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource and Development assured that India would take part in the PISA test in the year 2021. PISA stands for Programme for International Students Assessment. Earlier, the government of India shunned the test and now the government is making plans to participate in the test.
What is PISA Test?
PISA test was introduced by Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD). The main objective of the PISA test is to assess the academic performance of 15-year old students in the subjects like Mathematics and Science. The reading test is also a part of PISA. Usually, PISA test takes place for every three years.
Background:
The government of India in the year 2012 and 2015 officially boycotted the test and the reason was its miserable performance in the year 2009. 

                                                         (Defence)

India to participate in joint exercise SLINEX-2018
 
Indian navy ships and aircraft have arrived in Sri Lanka to take part in the joint exercise SLINEX-2018 to be held with Sri Lankan navy at Trincomalee from 7th September. 

The exercise which was previously held biannually has been converted to an annual event from this year to enhance cooperation in the maritime domain and to further strengthen mutual trust and interoperability between the two navies. 

The exercise to be conducted in two phases, namely the Harbour and Sea Phase, will involve conduct of joint training, exchange of expertise, helicopter and maritime patrol aircraft operations, search and rescue, and maneuvers at sea. 

It would also involve sports fixtures and cultural events which would provide an opportunity for personnel from both navies to learn from each other and to build individual bonds of friendship and camaraderie.
SLINEX
SLINEX (Sri Lanka India Naval Exercise) are a series of naval exercises between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy.

                                                            Appointment

Poonam Khetrapal Singh nominated for 2nd term as WHO SEAR regional director
 
World Health Organisation (WHO) said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been nominated for a second five-year term as regional director of its South-East Asian Region.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, an Indian national, became the first woman to assume the office of WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia on 1 February 2014. 
She served for over two decades as a civil servant in India as member of the Indian Administrative Services. She was the Health Secretary of the State of Punjab, with a population of 27 million and a health budget of US$ 350 million.

                                                               (Sports)
 Saurabh Chaudhary clinches gold in ISSF World Championship
 
India's Saurabh Chaudhary continued clinched the 10 metres Air Pistol Junior gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shooting World Championship in Changwon, South Korea. 

The 16-year-old produced an impressive show in the final to clinch the gold with a new junior world record. 

Arjun Singh Cheema claimed bronze in the same event with a score of 218 while Korea’s Hojin Lim clinched silver.

                                                  (Science & Technology)

Google launched New Search Engine for the Use of Scientific Community
 
Google launched a new search engine for the scientific community that will help them make sense of millions of datasets present online
The service, called Dataset Search, will help scientists, data journalists and geeks find the data required for their work and their stories — or simply to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. 
The new search engine will work like Google Scholar, the company’s popular search engine for academic studies and reports.
 

Important Current Affairs 6th September 2018    

                                                         (International News)

Cyient JV bags an order from the Indian Army for SpyLite mini UAV systems

Cyient Solutions & Systems Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between IT firm Cyient and BlueBird Aero Systems of Israel, has bagged an order from the Indian Army to supply mini UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems for high altitude aerial surveillance. The order is for the SpyLite mini UAV systems.

SpyLite mini UAV systems

SpyLite is an advanced, combat-proven, electric, mini unmanned aerial system that is fully autonomous.

From launch to accurate parachute recovery, it delivers enhanced reliability even in severe weather conditions, assuring long endurance and high operational availability.

It has high performance; diverse capabilities, high reliability, low lifecycle cost and ease of use were the features of SpyLite.

The firm provides Unmanned Aerial System -based intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities for defence, homeland security and civilian applications.

Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets will be produced in India

The wings of Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets will be produced in India, the American security and aerospace giant announced, in a major boost to the 'Make in India' initiative.

Maryland-based Lockheed Martin has entered into an agreement with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for the production of the wings. 
Lockheed recently submitted a comprehensive, fully compliant 600-plus page Request for Information (RFI) response to the Indian Air Force.

Producing F-16 wings in India will strengthen Lockheed Martin's strategic partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited and support the 'Make in India' initiative of the government, officials of the company said.

F-16 Block 70

The F-16 Block 70 features advanced avionics, a proven Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modernised cockpit, advanced weapons, conformal fuel tanks, an automatic ground collision avoidance system, an advanced engine and an industry-leading extended structural service life of 12,000 hours.

To date, 4,604 F-16s have been procured by 28 customers around the world. Approximately 3,000 operational F-16s are flying today with 25 leading air forces, including the US Air Force.

Vice President to visit participate in 2nd World Hindu Congress

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu to visit United States of America on September 8-9, 2018 to address the 2nd World Hindu Congress being held in Chicago on the occasion of 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Historic Speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893.
 The Vice President will also participate in a programme organized by 14 Telugu Associations of the US at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. He will also participate in bilateral discussions with several world leaders, who are attending this event, on the sidelines of this Congress.

About WHC
The World Hindu Congress (WHC) is a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another, and impact the common good. It offers Hindus an opportunity to introspect towards improvement and tap into our collective resources to seek tangible solutions to the most pressing issues of our age. It is held once every four years.
WHC 2014
The inaugural WHC, held in November 2014, saw 1800 delegates from 53 countries. Guided by the Hindu principle of Sangachchhadhwam Samvadadhwam or “Step together. Delegates represented the best and brightest from a wide array of fields -- the arts; academia; business; community, social, and humanitarian organizations; government; industry; media; medicine; science; and technology. 

 
                                               (Science and Space)

Japan Will Soon Conduct the First Test of Elevator Movement in Space

A Japanese team working to develop a “space elevator” will conduct a first trial this month, blasting off a miniature version of the apparatus and monitoring equipment on satellites to test the technology.

The test equipment, produced by researchers at Shizuoka University, will hitch a ride on an H-2B rocket being launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency from the island of Tanegashima next week.

The “elevator” in the test is a box only six centimeters (2.4 inches) long and three centimeters (1.1 inches) high and wide (at full scale, the box will be large enough to transport actual supplies to space).

India and France to Collaborate On Human Space Mission 'Gaganyaan'

 
India and France have announced a working group for Gaganyaan, ISRO's first manned mission announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day.
The announcement was made at the sixth edition of the Bengaluru Space Expo by French space agency president Jean-Yves Le Gall.
India plans to send three humans to space before 2022. The Indian Space Research Organisation's mission is significant as it would make India one of the four countries in the world after Russia, US and China to launch a manned space flight.
National Centre for Space Studies 
The National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) is the French government space agency. Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research.
ISRO and CNES, the French space agency, will be combining their expertise in fields of space medicine, astronaut health monitoring, life support, radiation protection, space debris protection and personal hygiene systems.

                                                                (National News)
Cabinet approves establishment and operationalization of permanent campus of seven new IIMs 

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the establishment and operationalization of permanent campus of seven new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Nagpur, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Vishakhapatnam and Jammu, and their recurring expenditure at a total cost of Rs 3775.42 crore (Rs 2999.96 crore asNon-Recurring and Rs 775.46 Crore as Recurring Expenditure). 

These IIMs were established in the year 2015-16/2016-17. These institutes are presently functioning from transit campuses.

Tourism Ministry Sanctions Projects of Rs. 80.37 Crores for Development of Rural Circuit in Kerala

 The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned the project “Development of Rural Circuit: Malanad Malabar Cruise Tourism Project’ in Kerala under Swadesh Darshan Scheme for Rs. 80.37 Crores. 
The project focuses on development of water based thematic cruise experiences in and around Valapattanam and Kuppam Rivers of Kannur District. The three thematic cruises developed under the project are as follows:
a) Malabari Cuisine and Culinary Cruise in Valapattanam River (Muthappan Cruise) - Cruise starts from Valapattanam to Munambu Kadavu in Valapattanam River with an effective Cruise Length of 40 km.
b) yyam Cruise in Valapattanam River - Cruise starts from Valapattanam to Pazhayangadi in Valapattanam River with an effective length of 16 km.
c) Mangrove Cruise in Kuppam River - Cruise starts from Pazhayangadi to Kuppam in Kuppam River with an effective Cruise length of 16 km.

BEL bags order to supply surface-to-air missiles
 
State-run Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has bagged an order worth Rs 9,200 crore for supply of seven Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) systems to Mazagon Dock and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. The contract takes BEL's order book to over Rs 50,000 crore.
"The company has entered into contracts worth about 9,200 crore with Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) to supply LRSAM systems to be fitted onboard seven ships to be built by these two shipbuilders. According to the BEL, this is the highest-ever single value order it has bagged so far.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, abbreviated as GRSE, is one of India's leading shipyards, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels. Presently GRSE has also started building export ships in a mission to expand its business.

GM mustard trials may get nod soon
 
The environment ministry is set to convene this month a “special meeting” of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to decide on field-trial approvals for the controversial transgenic mustard developed by the University of Delhi’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP)
The CGMCP had earlier applied to grow transgenic mustard (DMH-11) in plots in Delhi and Punjab to test the plant’s effects on honeybees after the GEAC, which had initially cleared the GM crop for “commercial cultivation”, backtracked and demanded more tests and additional data on honeybees and other pollinators and on soil microbial diversity.
WHAT IS GM MUSTARD? 
Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 or DMH-11 is a genetically modified variety of mustard, developed by a team of scientists at Delhi University led by former vice-chancellor Deepak Pental under a government-funded project.
It uses a system of genes from soil bacterium that makes mustard — generally a self-pollinating plant — better suited to hybridisation than current methods.
GM mustard is modified so it is able to absorb huge amounts of herbicide known as glufosinate, a known neurotoxin.

Supreme Court verdict on Section 377

 
The Supreme Court decriminalised a portion of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial era provision that criminalises private consensual sexual acts between same sex adults.

What is Section 377 of IPC?
Section 377 of the IPC states: “Whoever voluntarily has carnal inter¬course against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with 1 [imprisonment for life], or with impris¬onment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.” This archaic British law dates back to 1861 and criminalises sexual activities against the order of nature.
Background:

In 2009, in a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court described Section 377 as a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. 
The Supreme Court in 2013 overruled the Delhi High Court’s order and reinforced criminalisation of homosexuality stating that Parliament’s job was to scrap laws. 
This judgment by the apex court was highly criticised by the LGBTQ community in India and was seen as a setback for human rights.
In January 2018, the Supreme Court said a larger group of judges would re-consider the previous judgment and examine Section 377’s constitutional validity. Revisiting their 2013 verdict, the top court added that it will decide on a curative petition by five persons. The Supreme Court had then said: “The section of people who exercise their choice should never remain in a state of fear.”

                                                     (International News)

The International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 

 
The International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 was inaugurated by the Vice President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Pun in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal on September 3, 2018.
Nepal’s Vice President emphasised upon empowering women in all areas including social, political and economic. 
The three-day event is being organised by the South Asian Women Development Forum. It is expected to witness participation from delegates belonging to 27 countries including China and the SAARC, ASEAN, EU, African and Arab countries.
The Theme of the International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018: ‘Equality begins with Economic Empowerment’

Objective of the Summit
The main objective of the summit is to bring together achievers, women business leaders, professionals, international service providers, resource organisations, experts, government representatives and other stakeholders with a focus on innovative economic transformation through discussions and collaborations.

Arif Alvi elected Pakistan President

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Dr Arif Alvi has become the 13th President of the country.
Alvi was the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and was contested by PML-N and other opposition parties — MMA leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman and PPP’s Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan.
About Arif Alvi
Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi was born on 29 July 1949 is a Pakistani politician who is the President-elect of Pakistan and will assume office on 9 September 2018.
He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2018 and again from August to September 2018. A founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), He studied at the University of Michigan and the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, as well as in Lahore, before making a career as a dentist and then entering politics.

Asia Index launches S&P BSE Private Banks Index 

Asia Index Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between S&P Dow Jones Indices and BSE Ltd, announced the launch of an index designed to measure the performance of private banks. 

The S&P BSE Private Banks Index is drawn from the constituents of the S&P BSE Finance Index, the Asia's oldest exchange said in a statement. 

Only common stocks classified as Banks by the BSE Sector Classification model and that are not classified under the BSE scrip category as a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) are eligible, it added.

The S&P BSE Private Banks Index is designed to provide market participants with a transparent and rules-based benchmark that measures the performance of private banks listed in India.

Curtain Raiser: Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise KAZIND 2018 
 
Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise 'KAZIND' will be conducted between the Indian and Kazakhstan Army from 10 to 23 Sep 2018 in Otar region, Kazakhstan. 
This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of extensive cooperation in the defence arena. The second edition of the exercise was held in India last year.
Aim: 

The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army. The exercise will also serve as a platform for exchange of drills and procedures.

The fourteen days exercise with the Kazakhstan Army will follow a graduated continuum from orientation to a full scale mock exercise; the aim being to achieve optimum integration among the two contingents through enhanced mutual comprehension of each other’s tactics, techniques and procedures. The vast experience and expertise of Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Kazakhstan Army. The conduct of the joint exercise will set the stage for greater defence cooperation and consequently will manifest in stronger ties between the two great nations.

6th East Asia Summit and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting held in Singapore 
 
Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu attended the 6th East Asia Summit- Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) in Singapore. Singapore is currently holding the Chair of ASEAN.
6th East-Asia Economic Ministers’ Meeting
The 6th East-Asia Economic Ministers’  Meeting was chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and was attended by Economic Ministers from  10  ASEAN countries  and their eight  dialogue partners,  Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States of America. 
The Ministers agreed to the importance of keeping markets open and fair as well as improving transparency and predictability of the business environment. The meeting recognized the importance of ongoing work to maximize the opportunities of, and address the challenges presented by, the digital economy and the rise of regional and global value chains, as part of their efforts to promote economic growth and integration in the region.
15th ASEAN Economic Ministers
The 6th EAS–EMM was followed by the 15th ASEAN Economic Ministers - India Consultation. It was co-chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, India. The meeting attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN countries took stock of the current level of trade and economic engagement between India and ASEAN and reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen ASEAN-India economic relations. ASEAN has emerged as the second largest trade partner of India in 2017-18 with bilateral trade valued at USD 81.33 billion, comprising 10.58% of India’s total trade with the world.
Important:
It was also announced in the Singapore meeting that the next ASEAN-India Business Summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2018 with the theme “Towards Building Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and India in the Era of the 4th IR and Digital Economy” which will be followed by the 4th India-ASEAN Dialogue Partner Expo and Summit scheduled for 21-23 February 2019, in New Delhi.

                                                                (Sports)

Sakshi Choudhary clinches gold medal at World Youth Boxing in Budapest

In boxing, former junior world champion boxer Sakshi Choudhary added the youth crown to her cabinet in the 57-kilogram category, claiming the gold at the World Youth Boxing in Budapest.
 
She beat Croatia's Nikolina Cacic. Manisha and Anamika settled for silver medals in the 64 kg and 51 kg. categories.

                                                   (National News)

Justice Ranjan Gogoi to take charge as the 46th Chief Justice of India

After Supreme Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra recommended the Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor to take charge as the 46th Chief Justice of India.
He is likely to assume the office of the Chief Justice of India on October 3, and will continue in that position for 13 months till November 17, 2019. 

Ranjan Gogoi 
Justice Ranjan Gogoi is a judge of the Supreme Court of India since April, 2012. Prior to his present post, he was the Chief Justice, Punjab and Haryana High Court. His father Keshab Chandra Gogoi was a Chief Minister under the Indian National Congress regime in the state of Assam in the year 1982.

Dipak Misra 

Justice Dipak Misra is the current and 45th Chief Justice of India. He is a judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chief Justice of the Patna and Delhi High Courts. He is the nephew of Justice Ranganath Misra, who was the 21st Chief Justice during 1990-91. He succeeded J. S. Khehar, the 44th Chief Justice.

Suresh Prabhu launches Coffee Connect app, Coffee KrishiTharanga services for coffee stakeholders
Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Suresh Prabhu on September 4, 2018 launched Coffee Connect mobile app and digital mobile extension services ‘Coffee KrishiTharanga’ for coffee stakeholders. 

About Coffee Connect mobile app

The ‘Coffee Connect’ mobile app has been developed to ease the work of field functionaries and to improve the work efficiency. 

The application provides solution by harnessing the power of mobility comprising the latest technology in easing the whole process of the field activities like digitisation of Coffee Growers & Estates with Geo Tagging, collecting the Plantation details.

It will also help in boosting transparency in the activities of the extension officers and officials, transparency in subsidy disbursement and real time report generation.

About Coffee KrishiTharanga services

The Coffee KrishiTharanga services are aimed at providing customised information and services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. 

The “Coffee KrishiTharanga” was pilot tested in the Chikmagalur and Hassan districts of Karnataka, covering 30000 farmers during the first year and will now be extended to remaining growers in a phased manner. NABARD has partly funded the Pilot project. 

These services will help to reach maximum growers in limited period; improve the efficiency through digitization; and leverage existing mobile reach for wider delivery of improved technology.

Pilot projects 
Suresh Prabhu also launched pilot projects on data analytics, artificial intelligence, IOTS and blockchain.

The Coffee Board identified technological solutions to address some of the perennial coffee production and coffee farming issues such as rainfall, pests and diseases. 

Coffee Board in collaboration with EKA Analytics, a global leader in the data analytics and artificial intelligence, developed the hyper local weather forecast, pest (white stem borer) identification and leaf rust disease forecast applications for pilot testing.

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot will attend the 3rd ASEM Conference

Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment left for Seoul Korea.  He is heading a 3-member Indian Delegation to attend the 3rdASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’ jointly organised in Seoul during 5th to 7th September, 2018 by the Republic of Korea and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
Asia–Europe Meeting 
The Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an Asian–European political dialogue forum to enhance relations and various forms of cooperation between its partners. It was officially established on 1 March 1996 at the first summit in Bangkok, Thailand, by the then 15 members of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission, the then 7 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the individual countries of China, Japan, and Korea. A series of enlargements saw additional EU members join as well as India, Mongolia, Pakistan and the ASEAN Secretariat in 2008, Australia, New Zealand and the Russian Federation in 2010, Bangladesh, Norway, and Switzerland in 2012, as well as Croatia and Kazakhstan in 2014. 
The main components of the ASEM process rest on the following 3 pillars:
•    Political & Security Pillar
•    Economic & Financial Pillar
•    Social, Cultural & Educational Pillar

HRD Ministry’s rankings of national institutes for 2018
 
The Ministry of Human Resource Development released its ranking of national institutes for 2018 on Tuesday. The MHRD has adopted the National Institutional Ranking Framework, which ranks the best colleges and universities in India.
Here are the top three institutions in each category:
Overall
Rank    Institute
1    Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
2    IIT Madras
3    IIT Bombay
Engineering institutions
Rank    Institute
1    IIT Madras
2    IIT Bombay
3    IIT Delhi

Management institutes
Rank    Institute
1    IIM Ahmedabad
2    IIM Bangalore
3    IIT Calcutta

Universities
Rank    Institute
1    Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
2    Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
3    Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Medical institutions
Rank    Institute
1    All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
2    Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
3    Christian Medical College, Vellore
Colleges
Rank    Institute
1    Miranda House, New Delhi
2    St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi
3    Bishop Hebar College, Tiruchi

Important Current Affairs 4th September 2018

                                                           (International News)

India to take part in tsunami mock drill 
India along with 23 other nations would be participating in a major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock exercise (drill) on September four and five, which would involve evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas in over half a dozen states.
About the Exercise:
The exercise, known as IOWave18, is being organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, which coordinated the setting up of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) in the aftermath of December 26, 2004 tsunami.
The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), based out of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The purpose of exercise is to increase tsunami preparedness, evaluate response capabilities in each state and improve coordination throughout the region.
The exercise would involve the evacuation of more than 1,25,000 people from the coastal communities of Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Goa, the release said.

India, Cyprus ink two MoUs on financial intelligence sharing and environment
India and Cyprus have signed two MoUs in the field of sharing of financial intelligence and environment. The MoUs were signed between the two countries after delegation-level talks in Nicosia. 

India and Cyprus agreed for the revision in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement made in 2016 to further enhance investment partnership to grow by strengthening the institutional framework to facilitate investment cross flows. 

Important Takeaways:

President invited Cyprus to become part of International Solar alliance. He said India and Cyprus can also cooperate in the field of generic medicine and vaccine and Healthcare where India has made significant advances. 
Also enhance business collaboration in the field of IT and IT-enabled services, tourism, shipping and renewable energy.

China pledges $60 bn to Africa, waives debt for certain countries
China  pledged $60 billion of financial assistance to Africa and announced it would waive the debt for certain countries in the continent amid the mounting criticism and suspicion about Beijing's "debt diplomacy".

Important To Know:

During the last summit in Johannesburg in 2015, China had announced the monetary assistance of a similar amount which was more or less implemented.

"China will extend $60 billion financing to Africa in the form of government assistance as well as investment, financing by financial institutions and companies," Xi said in his address at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

China is Africa's biggest trade partner. Officials and leaders from 53 countries of the continent attended the Summit. Of the 54 nations, only Eswatini is not attending the forum as it does not have diplomatic ties with China due to its recognition of Taiwan as a country.

Beijing has been heavily investing in the continent and building a variety of infrastructure projects, ranging from schools to hospitals and football stadia to parliament buildings.

Ukraine-NATO Joint Military Exercises 
Ukraine  launched joint military exercises with the United States and a string of other NATO countries. The annual Rapid Trident military exercises, taking place in the western Ukrainian village of Starychi from September 2nd to 15th, involve some 2,200 soldiers from 14 countries.
The drills start a week before Russia holds its biggest military exercises VOSTOK 2018 since the Cold War, in the east of the country and with the participation of China and Mongolia.
Rapid Trident
Rapid Trident is an annual, multinational exercise that serves as the validation for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense unit currently undergoing at the Ukrainian-led Combat Training Center, under the advisement of allied and partner nations.

                                                         (National News) 
Health Ministry releases draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies

The Union Health Ministry on September 1, 2018 released draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies to regulate online sale of medicines across the country.
The draft rules on "sale of drugs by e-pharmacy" state that no person will distribute or sell, stock, exhibit or offer for sale of drugs through e-pharmacy portal unless registered

Objective
The rules aim to provide patients access to genuine drugs from authentic online portals.

Other Details
• The new draft rules prohibit the sale of tranquilizers, psychotropic drugs, narcotics and habit-forming drugs through the online portals.
• The draft also prohibits the e-pharmacies from advertising any drug on radio, television, print or internet or any other media for any purpose.
• The draft also has provisions of suspension and cancellation of registration of the e-portal if the latter contravenes any provision of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Background
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, governs the sale of medicines in India. Medicines can be sold from licensed premises only.
The Act, however, does not cover e-pharmacies at present and the government had decided to appoint a sub-committee, after receiving complaints of violations.
The draft released on September 1 is based on the sub-committee's recommendations.

September being celebrated as National Nutrition Month 

The National Nutrition Month is being celebrated across the country to mark the fight against malnutrition. 
Objective
In this National Nutrition Month, various programmes have been organized by the Women and Child Development Ministry to spread broad awareness on the issues related to malnutrition like stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children.
The Nutrition Month will also focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers to eliminate the deficiencies prevailing in the Health sector. 
Background
The decision to celebrate September as the National Nutrition Month every year was taken during the second meeting of National Council on India's Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan held in July this year. With the aim to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022, POSHAN Abhiyaan- the National Nutrition Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8th this year in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. 

 Mauritius tops India’s FDI charts
  
Mauritius remained the top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India in 2017-18 followed by Singapore, whereas total FDI stood at $37.36 billion in the financial year, a marginal rise over the $36.31 billion recorded in the previous fiscal, according to RBI data.
While FDI from Mauritius totalled $13.41 billion as against $13.38 billion in the previous year, inflows from Singapore rose to $9.27 billion from $6.52 billion. FDI from the Netherlands declined marginally to $2.67 billion as against $3.23 billion a year earlier.

                                                               (Sports)

Most Valuable Player' of Asian Games

Japanese swimmer Ikee Rikako has been named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the recently-concluded 18th edition of the Asian Games.
The 18-year-old, who bagged six gold and two silver medals in the tournament, became the first female athlete to win the MVP title.
Rikako Ikee 
Rikako Ikee born on 4 July 2000 is a Japanese competitive swimmer. She is the national record holder in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly, and the junior world record holder in the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly long-course events, and the 50- and 100-meter butterfly, and 100-meter individual medley in short course.
Rikako became the fourth Japanese athlete to win the MVP award since its inception during the 1998 Bangkok Games.

First set of Indian shooters to secure quota places for 2020 Olympics
Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela have become the first set of Indian shooters to secure quota places for the 2020 Olympics.

Moudgil finished second on the podium and won a silver in the women's 10m air rifle event of the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) World Championship in Changwon, South Korea. 

Chandela finished fourth in the same event. The 24-year-old Moudgil shot a total of 248.4 in the eight-woman final to open the Indian senior squad's medal account in the prestigious tournament. 

International Shooting Sport Federation
The International Shooting Sport Federation, also known with the acronym ISSF, is the governing body of the Olympic Shooting events in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun disciplines, and of several non-Olympic Shooting sport events. ISSF’s activities include regulation of the sport, Olympic qualifications and organization of international competitions such as the ISSF World Cup Series, the ISSF World Cup Finals, the ISSF Separate World Championship in Shotgun eventsand the ISSF World Championship in all events.