current affairs capsule (august 2018) · 2018-10-25 · triumphant institute of management...

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CURRENT AFFAIRS CAPSULE (AUGUST 2018)

India, Germany sign pact on financial and technical cooperation focusing on sustainable urban development and renewable energy India and Germany have signed an agreement on financial and technical cooperation focusing on sustainable urban development and renewable energy.

UAE launches amnesty programme for foreign workers overstaying permits The UAE has launched a landmark three-month visa amnesty programme which will benefit hundreds of illegal foreign workers, including Indians, overstaying their permits by allowing them to leave the country without penalties and giving them six months to find a job.

India elected president of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years.

Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar was re-elected as chair of the executive board

South Sudan's Warring Leaders sign peace deal to share power South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel opposition leader Riek Machar have signed a peace deal to share power in a transitional government, to end a five-year civil war.

UK announces new organ donation plan to address Indian-origin shortages The UK government has announced new plans to change the law for organ and tissue donation to address the urgent need for organs within the Indian-origin communities in the country. The proposed new system of consent for organ and tissue donation is expected to come into effect in England in 2020.

US President re-imposes economic sanctions on Iran US President Donald Trump has reimposed sanctions on Iran, which were lifted as part of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. However, he also said that he remains open to forging a new nuclear deal with Iran that addresses the full range of issues. Saudi Arabia freezes trade ties with Canada over its interference in Gulf Kingdom's internal affairs Saudi Arabia has stated that it is freezing all new trade and investment with Canada over its interference in its internal affairs. The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement stating that it is expelling the Canadian ambassador and recalling its own envoy in Canada. Indo - Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree 2018 begun Exercise Maitree, a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army has begun in Thailand on Monday August 6 and will go on till 19 August 2018. It is a platoon level exercise which comprises of infantry component.

Indonesia earthquake toll crosses 400 The death toll from an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has topped 400 as bodies were still being recovered from the ruins of destroyed buildings.

India releases 470 million Nepali rupess grant for Terai roads project in Nepal The Government of India has released 470 million Nepali rupess grant for Terai roads project in Nepal.

US extends $39 million military finance to Sri Lanka to boost maritime security United States has announced to grant $39 million as part its foreign military financing to Sri Lanka to boost maritime security.

President of UAE orders formation of emergency committee to provide aid to Kerala President of UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has announced the formation of a national emergency committee to provide relief assistance to people affected by flash floods in Kerala.

Fourth BIMSTEC summit to be held in Kathmandu Fourth Summit of Heads of State/Government of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held at Kathmandu in Nepal on August 30 and 31.

India,Singapore sign 2nd Protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement to boost bilateral trade India and Singapore have signed the Second Protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in New Delhi which will boost bilateral trade between the two countries.

G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting held in Salta, Argentina The G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was held in Salta, Argentina.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Building consensus for fair and sustainable development'. Indus waters treaty talks between India and Pakistan to resume in Lahore India and Pakistan will resume their talks on various aspects of the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore, it’s the first bilateral engagement since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office.

First SAARC Agri Cooperative Business Forum begins in Kathmandu The First South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agri Cooperative Business Forum began in Kathmandu. The theme of three-day Forum is the 'Organizing and Strengthening Family Farmers’ Cooperatives to attain the Sustainable-Development-Goals-1 and 2 in South Asia'.

Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India and Bulgaria in the field of tourism The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bulgaria for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism. Russia, China set to launch joint military exercises China will join Russia in a giant military exercise named “Vostok 2018” sending a message of deterrence to the U.S. The five-day Vostok 2018 exercises, to be held from September 11.


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UIDAI advises people to refrain from posting Aadhaar number on internet Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has advised people to refrain from publicly putting their Aadhaar numbers on the internet and social media and posing challenges to others. Rajasthan first State to implement biofuel policy Rajasthan has become the first State in the country to implement the national policy on biofuels unveiled by the Centre in May this year.

Govt. plans ‘ISRO-like’ ocean mission The Centre has drawn up a five-year with an outlay of ₹8,000 crore to explore the deep recesses of the ocean. The Union Earth Sciences Ministry has been tasked with coordinating the exercise and has unveiled a blueprint of the ‘Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)’.

MSME launches Mission Solar Charkha for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the country The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the Mission Solar Charkha for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the country. The scheme aims to generate direct employment to nearly one lakh people.

LS passes commercial courts Bill The Lok Sabha passed the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018. It will designate some courts as commercial courts for speedy disposal of commercial disputes and will reduce the pecuniary jurisdiction of these courts from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 3 lakh.

Centre launches logo, tagline for 'Graphical Indication' certified products The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has launched a logo and tagline for Geographical Indications (GI) to increase awareness about intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the country.

The logo has tagline “Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India” printed below it. The winning logo was designed by Adri Chatterjee and the winning tagline was coined by Akancha Tripathi.

Nationwide ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ released The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’, which assesses state policies and programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency across various sectors. The nationwide Index is a joint effort of the NITI Aayog and BEE.

The ‘Front Runner’ states in the inaugural edition of the Index are: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Rajasthan based on available data. Lok Sabha passes National Sports University Bill The Lok Sabha has passed the National Sports University Bill 2018 which seeks to establish a first-of-its-kind sports university in Manipur to promote sports in the country. TRAI calls for zero telecom equipment imports by 2022 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the setting up of a Rs. 1,000 crore fund for

promoting research and innovation in the sector. This intiative is aimed at net zero imports of telecommunications equipment by 2022.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Government achieves 5 crore Free LPG Connections Target Union Government has announced that it has reached target of providing 5 crore free LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) almost eight months ahead of schedule (i.e. in 27 months instead of 35 months). Facebook launches Digital Literacy Library Social networking giant Facebook has launched “Digital Literacy Library” to help young people build skills they need to safely enjoy online technology. SC has three women judges for the first time With the elevation of Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee as the Supreme Court judge, the apex court has created a new record in the Indian judicial history. For the first time, the top court will have three sitting woman judges, that includes Justices R Bhanumathi and Indu Malhotra — the most woman judges the apex court has had. Rashmi, India's first humanoid robot, can speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi! Ranchi-based software developer Ranjit Srivastava is developing the world's first Hindi-speaking humanoid robot, claimed to cost just Rs50,000 so far. Named Rashmi, the AI-powered robot can also speak Bhojpuri, Marathi, and English.

‘Paryatan Parv’ to be organized nationwide from 16th

to 27th September,2018

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in collaboration

with other Central Ministries, State Governments and

Stakeholders is organizing a “Paryatan Parv” across the

country from the 16th to 27thSeptember 2018.

FICCI launches WOW mobile app to create awareness on preventive healthcare FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), the women’s wing of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has launched WOW (Wellness of Women) mobile application aimed at creating awareness on preventive healthcare for women across the country.

Launch of India’s second moon mission postponed

The launch of India’s second mission to the moon,

Chandrayaan-2, may be delayed till January 2019,

according to a top official from ISRO.

Parliament passes Criminal Law Amendment Bill, providing death sentence for raping girls below 12 years of age The Indian Parliament passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The bill stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 12 years and death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years. Gangrape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death.


Parliament passes Bill to give constitutional status to NCBC Parliament has passed the Constitution (One Hundred Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2018 seeking constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes with the Rajya Sabha passing it.

Startup India Launched Startup Academia Alliance Start Up India has launched the Startup Academia Alliance Programme providing a unique opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains.

Access to Andaman Islands eased The Union Home Ministry decided to lift restrictions on Andaman Islands as the government intends to boost tourism. Foreigners now no longer need a Restricted Areas Permit to visit 29 inhabited islands in the Andaman and Nicobar chain. With this 11 other uninhabited islands will also be thrown open to foreigners.

Govt asks citizens not to use national flags made up of plastic The Centre has urged all citizens not to use national flag made up of plastic and asked states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance of the flag code.

Govt amends Act for acquiring land for defence, security The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017, was passed by the Rajya Sabha. The Bill amends the regulations governing the compensation that has to be paid for the acquisition of an immovable property by the Government of India for purposes related to defence and security.

Nation observes 76th anniversary of Quit India movement August 09 is observed as the 76th anniversary of the Quit India movement. On this day in 1942, father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi gave the clarion call of Do or Die to all Indians to drive away Britishers from the country. This day is observed as August Kranti Day every year.

Delhi High Court decriminalizes begging in the national capital Delhi High Court has declared 25 sections of Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959 which have been extended to Delhi, as “unconstitutional”. With this, it has struck down legal provision criminalizing begging in national capital.

NRIs cannot file RTI applications: Government Government has informed Lok Sabha that Non-Resident Indians (NRI) cannot file Right to Information (RTI) applications to seek governance-related information from Central government departments.

NITI Aayog and CII launch partnership on SDGs The NITI Aayog and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and entered into three-year partnership.

PM Modi announces setting up of 12 modern biofuel refineries Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of 12 modern biofuel refineries worth ten thousand crore rupees across the country while addressing an event on the occasion of World Biofuel Day 2018 in New Delhi.

Centre asks States, UTs to inspect child shelters The Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked the State governments to inspect all child care institutes and submit a report by September 15.

Operation Madad and Operation Sahyog launched to rescue people in flood-hit Kerala

Indian Navy has launched Operation Madad, major rescue and relief operation in flood-hit Kerala. Indian Army also has launched Operation Sahyog to rescue people in flood-hit Kerala. Both operations will support rescue and relief efforts of civil administration and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF).

Lok Sabha passes Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to allow proxy voting to overseas Indians Lok Sabha has passed Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017 by voice vote to extend the facility of ‘proxy voting’ to overseas Indians, on the lines of service voters. Cabinet extends tenure of Commission constituted to examine issue of OBC sub-categorization Union Cabinet has approved extension of term of Commission to examine the issue of Sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central List till November 2018. Centre unlocks over 66 thousand crore green fund to increase country's forest cover The Centre has unlocked more than 66,000 crore rupees to increase the country’s forest cover. The fund is an accumulated amount of money which user agencies have been depositing as compensation for diverting forest land for non-forest purposes, including industries and infrastructure, over the last 10 years. Delhi Police inducts India’s first all-woman SWAT team for anti-terrorist operations Delhi Police has inducted India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist operations. India to launch its 2nd lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on January 3 next year India will launch its second lunar mission "Chandrayaan-2" on January 3 next year to land on the moon with a lander and rover.

Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicates India’s only lab for conservation of endangered species Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences & Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated India’s only facility for conservation of endangered species. The Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a dedicated facility of CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad uses modern biotechnologies for conservation of endangered wildlife.

Chandrayaan-2 Lander to be named ‘Vikram’ after Sarabhai The lander on the Chandrayaan-2 mission, to be launched early next year, will be named ‘Vikram’ after Vikram Sarabhai, father of the Indian space programme. ISRO has got clearance from the Space Commission.


Jodhpur beats Visakhapatnam to emerge as the cleanest Railway station in India According to a survey conducted by the Quality Council of India (QCI) on the 407 major railway stations (75 A1 category and 332 A category stations), two railway stations in Rajsthan, Jodhpur and Marwar, have emerged as the cleanest railway stations in the third cleanliness survey.

Chhattisgarh first to provide Right to Skills' Development to youth Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh along with Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde flagged off fifteen Skill Chariots to launch the government's project of 'Skills on Wheels' in the state. This initiative is the first among the 28 other states in the country to provide Right to Skills' Development to the youth.

Disclose panels on sexual harassment, companies told The Centre has made it mandatory for companies to disclose whether they have constituted an internal complaints committee (ICC) to probe such allegations in order to ensure better implementation of the law against sexual harassment at workplace.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme: First project North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom launched The first project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme ‘North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom’ was inaugurated in Manipur.

The project covers two sites i.e. Kangla Fort and Khongjom in Manipur

CJI launches mobile apps for e-filing of cases Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra heralded the launch of a host of smartphone apps to help litigants, including convicts, from all parts of the country file cases and even make e-payments to courts.

Pictorial warning must on 85% space of tobacco packets, says Supreme Court Tobacco products will continue to carry pictorial warning covering 85 per cent of the packaging space, the Supreme Court notified.

Government proposes new financial model for building greenfield airports The Centre proposed a new financial model for building greenfield airports aimed at making air travel more affordable and addressing disputes related to tariff. Under the new financial model, the concession fee given by the airport operator to the concessioning authority will be based on a “per passenger aeronautical model”.

PM Modi unveils Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the launch of world's largest government-funded programme - the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan. It will be launched on the birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay on 25th of next month.

Women army officers recruited through Short Service Commission to get opportunity for permanent commission Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced that women officers commissioned in short service in the Armed Forces will get the opportunity for permanent commission like their male counterparts.

Manned space mission taking Indian astronauts to space on board 'Gaganyaan' by 2022 ISRO Chairman K Sivan has reiterated Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s Independence Day announcement that an Indian astronaut will be sent into space by 2022 on board Gaganyaan.The space agency had already developed the necessary technology for the mission.

Reduce water level in Mullaperiyar to 139 ft, orders SC The Supreme Court of India told Tamil Nadu and Kerala that an effort has to be made to bring the water level [in the Mullaperiya dam] to 139 feet so that people downstream (of the dam) do not live in constant fear.

Country Gets Its First India-Born Penguin On Independence Day In Mumbai Zoo India's first Humboldt penguin was born in Mumbai's Veer Jijamata Udyan. The zoo authorities have declared that the baby penguin is stable and under observation.

FSSAI sets up expert panel to look into draft labelling regulation The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to form a three-member committee to look into the draft food labelling and display regulations. The expert panel will be led by B Sesikeran,

UIDAI announces phased roll-out of facial recognition Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI has finally announced the phased roll-out of face recognition feature as an additional mode of authentication, starting with telecom service providers from September 15.

India bans pet coke import for use as fuel India banned the import of pet coke for use as fuel, but said shipments for use as feedstock in some industries was allowed.

India building new fighter jet The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s next indigenous fighter, is expected to make its first flight by 2032.

India Successfully Tests Anti Tank Missile And Smart Anti Airfield Weapon Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) and anti-tank guided missile Helina were successfully tested at separate firing ranges in Rajasthan

Rules revised on IIT foreign student fees The Board of Governors of each Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will now decide what fees foreign students will have to pay in order to study here.

Telangana Govt launches Disaster Response Force vehicles The Telangana state government has launched Disaster Response Force (DRF) vehicles in Hyderabad to combat situations like flash floods, heavy rains, building collapse and fire mishaps.

Centre unveils draft scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits The Centre has unveiled a draft scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN(Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to international circuits, with state governments identifying the routes for operation.

Supreme Court scraps NOTA option for Rajya Sabha elections The Supreme Court of India ruled that there cannot be a None of the Above (NOTA) option for MLAs voting in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The bench underlined that the NOTA option should only be exercise in direct elections.


New Chhattisgarh capital to be named Atal Nagar in memory of late PM

Chhattisgarh government has decided to re-name state's new capital city of Naya Raipur as “Atal Nagar” in memory of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Centre rules out total ban on firecrackers The Centre has ruled out a national ban on firecrackers and suggested the production of “green crackers,” community fireworks events in major cities and a freeze on the production of series crackers or laris as alternative measures to curb pollution during Diwali.

NCRB to track plaints on sexual violence The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) would be the designated nodal agency for monitoring the complaints received on a government portal that records child pornography and sexual violence videos.

Kerala to get cyclone warning centre: IMD The Centre has proposed to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram in the wake of tropical cyclones and severe weather events in Kerala and Karnataka coasts.

Govt imposes restrictions on import of bio-fuels The government has imposed restriction on import of bio-fuels including ethyl alcohol and other denatured spirits, bio-diesel, petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals other than crude, through an amendment in import policy.

UGC directs all varsities & higher education institutions to ban sale of junk food on their campuses The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all varsities and higher education institutions to ban sale of junk food on their campuses.

September 2018 will be observed National Nutrition Month Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has announced to observe September 2018 as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

Swachh to target open urination too Under new norms, cities and towns wanting to be declared ODF+ (Open Defecation Free Plus) must also be free of public urination and not just open defecation. This is the first time that the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) is officially including the elimination of public urination in its agenda.

ICOMOS launches Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) launched Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative to assess damage to rich cultural and built heritage sites in flood-devastated Kerala.

CEC OP Rawat rules out possibility of holding simultaneous elections Chief election commissioner OP Rawat has ruled out the possibility of holding simultaneous elections to the state assemblies and Lok Sabha polls anytime soon. He said, a legal framework is needed to be in place for holding simultaneous polls.

President inaugurates sixth edition of International Buddhist Conclave 2018 President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the sixth edition of International Buddhist Conclave 2018 in New Delhi.

Centre allows oxytocin sale through private chemists In a turnaround, the Union Health Ministry has allowed private retail stores to sell the life-saving hormone oxytocin from September 1. State-owned Karnataka Antibiotics Pvt Ltd will be the only company to manufacture and distribute oxytocin in India from September 1.

App launched to rate, review your 'Neta' Former President Pranab Mukherjee launched Neta App that allows voters to rate and review their political representatives.

TRIBES India Outlets to open at airports soon The Airports Authority of India has allotted space for the opening of Tribes India outlets at various airports.

The aim is to bring about a multi-dimensional transformation of the tribal society and a shift in the perception of their existing image.

India’s first interstate connected wind power project commissioned The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy today said 126 MW wind power capacity, part of country’s first interstate transmission system (ISTS) auction, is commissioned in Bhuj.

Commerce Ministry developing National Logistics Portal A committee of secretaries has approved a proposal by department of commerce (DoC) to setup a National Logistics Portal (NLP) to ease transportation of goods across the country and those meant for export.

INS Vikramaditya for first time to be fitted with marine hydraulic system India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya for the first time will be fitted with marine hydraulic system to boost the air operations of the ship. It will be fitted with two marine hydraulic systems whose technical terms go by “GS-1MF” and “GS-3”.

BNHS to open its first regional center near Chilika Lake The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s premier avian research institutes, will start operating its first regional center or avifauna observatory on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near Chilika Lake (Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon), Odisha.

Odisha approves proposal for legislative council The Odisha government has approved a proposal for setting up a legislative council in the state. A resolution will be brought in the monsoon session of the Odisha legislative Assembly.

India’s first biofuel flight to fly from Dehradun to Delhi India’s first flight using biofuel will fly from Dehradun (capital of Uttarakhand) to Delhi. The first ever biofuel test flight was conducted by SpiceJet on its turborporp Q-400 plane.

Government announces regulations for safe commercial usage of drones Government has announced regulations for safe commercial usage of drones. The regulations will be effective from 1st of December this year.

Jatropha powers India’s first biofuel flight A blend of oil from jatropha seeds and aviation turbine fuel propelled the country’s first ever bio jet fuel-powered flight between Dehradun and Delhi.


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Government inks $300 million agreement with World Bank to scale-up Energy Efficiency Program Union Government (Finance Ministry) has inked $220 million Loan Agreement with World Bank to scale-up India’s Energy Efficiency Program. The loan will be provided to EESL by World Bank through its lending arm International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

Centre signs MoU with 6 states for Lakhwar Yamuna basin project Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six states for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with water crisis.

MoU signed for skill development of Arogyamitras under the PMJAY A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) to ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation.

Union steel ministry launches Corporate Sports Policy for CPSEs The union steel ministry has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative through a Corporate Sports Policy for its Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The move will help nurture the country’s sports talent and groom sizeable number of medals hopes for the Olympics in 2024.

Ladakh commissions Tesla-made pump to tackle garbage problem Ladakh has commissioned a ‘Black HOLE’ pump designed by Tesla to tackle its ever-compounding waste problem.

The plant converts all the waste collected, except glass, to ash. It also does not use any fuel or electricity to carry out its task.

2 new projects for Punjab, Tripura under swadesh darshan scheme The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned two new projects under heritage and northeast circuits of swadesh darshan scheme for Rs. 164.95 Crores in Punjab and Tripura.

Government constitute 21-member Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council Union Government has constituted new 21-member advisory panel on science, technology and innovation called Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). It will be headed by Principal Scientific Advisor to government K Vijay Raghavan. Government asks States to ban e-cigarettes Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued advisory to all states and Union Territories to not allow manufacture, sale and advertisement of e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).

Centre issues an advisory to protect children from the suicidal online game MOMO challenge The Centre has issued an advisory to protect children from the suicidal online game, MOMO challenge. In its advisory, Information and Technology Ministry has outlined the signs and symptoms that the child can show if they are under the influence of the game.

HRD Ministry launches 3rd edition of Smart India Hackathon-2019 The third edition of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model - Smart India Hackathon 2019 was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.

ISRO to outsource production of PSLV and SSLV to private Industries The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO will outsource the production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and Small Satellite Launch Vehicles to private Industries.

Centre launches new rankings based on innovation The Centre has announced the launch of another annual ranking of higher educational institutions, based on how they fare in terms of innovation. The new ranking named Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) will be formally launched on October 15, the birth anniversary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Shipping Ministry signs new wage agreement benefiting one lakh 35 thousand port & dock workers Shipping Ministry has signed a new wage agreement benefiting one lakh 35 thousand port and dock workers and pensioners.

AIIA inks MoU IIT Delhi to boost research in traditional medicine All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), a premier institute of Ayurveda under the AYUSH Ministry has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Delhi to boost research in traditional medicine and streamline hospital care facilities in the country.

Supreme Court overrules its 21-yr-old verdict on tax exemption notification The Supreme Court has overruled its 21-year-old verdict and held that benefit of any ambiguity in notification related to tax exemptions must be interpreted in favour of the State.

RIL Reclaims Most Valued Co status in m-cap, Replaces TCS Reliance Industries regained its status as the country's most valued firm by market capitalisation (m-cap), replacing Tata Group's crown jewel TCS from the top slot. TCS is now at the second position in m-cap ranking followed by HDFC Bank with an m-cap of Rs 5,75,185.44 crore, HUL (Rs 3,74,827.99 crore) and ITC (Rs 3,63,149.63 crore). Mauritius’s SBM gets RBI approval for subsidiary Mauritius-based SBM Group has received Reserve Bank of India approval to operate in the country through a wholly owned subsidiary — the first foreign lender to receive such a licence after local incorporation was introduced in 2013.

HDFC awarded best performing lending institution in CLSS schemes Leading mortgage lender HDFC has been awarded the best performing primary lending institution in credit linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) for the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and LIG (Low Income Group) category.


Government imposes safeguard duty on solar cell imports for two years India imposed safeguard duty on solar cells imports from China and Malaysia for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in the inbound shipments of the product.

Eight core sector industries' growth climbs to 6.7 per cent in June According to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry, eight core sector industries registered seven-month high growth of 6.7 per cent in June this year.

Culture Ministry launches scheme to reimburse central share of CGST and IGST on food, prasad, langar or bhandara The Union Ministry of Culture today launched a scheme to reimburse central share of CGST and IGST on food, prasad, langar or bhandara offered by religious and charitable institutions.

SBI ranked as India’s most patriotic brand: Survey According to a survey conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics firm YouGov,, country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is considered to be the most patriotic brand, followed by Tata Motors, Patanjali, Reliance Jio and BSNL.

RBI's Third Bi-Monetary Policy 2018: The Reserve Bank of India in its third bi-monthly policy of the current fiscal has raised the interest rate by 0.25 per cent on inflationary concerns. It raised benchmark repo or the short term rate at which it lends to other banks, by 0.25 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

Policy rates: Repo rate: 6.50% Reverse Repo rate: 6.25% Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 6.75% Bank Rate: 6.75%

Reserve Ratios: CRR: 4% SLR: 19.5%

RBI plans internal group to review timings of various market segments The Reserve Bank of India is planning to set-up an internal group to comprehensively review timings of various market segments including currency futures and foreign exchange.

Union Cabinet clears purchase of 51 per cent controlling stakes in IDBI Bank by LIC The Union Cabinet has cleared the purchase of 51 per cent controlling stake in IDBI Bank by state-run Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). As per the proposal, the debt-ridden bank will issue preferential shares to LIC to raise capital.

IRDAI Regulator bats for tech in policy pricing, risk assessment An IRDAI working group on InsurTech has indicated support for the use of technology that aids in more scientific pricing of insurance policies and facilitates ease of business for both the insurer and the insured.

Fino told by RBI to hold off new accounts The RBI has asked Fino Payments Bank not to open new accounts after finding some of the accounts had more than Rs. 1 lakh.

7 Indian firms in Fortune 500 list Seven Indian companies feature in the US magazine Fortune 500 list of the world's largest firms, with state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) remaining the top-ranked Indian company in the 2018 rankings and Reliance Industries (RIL) improved by 55 places to 148, from being the 203rd last year. American retail giant Walmart tops the latest Fortune listing, while Indian Oil jumped to 137th position, from its 168th rank last year.

India's GDP growth to rise to 7.5% this fiscal, says Morgan Stanley According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley, the Indian economy is likely to pick up further in the April-June period and the country is expected to clock GDP growth of 7.5 per cent in 2018.

RJio, SBI ally for digital services RIL’s telecom subsidiary Reliance Jio and country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) are entering into a partnership to extend next generation digital banking and payments services to customers.

Bandhan Bank pips Yes Bank in market cap to become 7th most valuable bank According to data from BSE, Kolkata-based Bandhan Bank Ltd became the seventh most valued listed lender, beating Yes Bank, Bandhan Bank had a market capitalization of Rs 84,289.56 crore.

HDFC Bank Ltd remained the country’s most valuable bank with a market capitalization of Rs 5.70 trillion, followed by State Bank of India and Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd with market capitalization of Rs 2.63 trillion and Rs 2.5 trillion.

Tech Mahindra, Government of Telangana collaborate to launch India's first blockchain district The Telangana State Information Technology, Electronics and Communication department (ITE&C) has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the global digital transformation provider Tech Mahindra to launch India's first Blockchain District in the state of Telangana.

Apple becomes world’s first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion Apple has become the world’s first publicly traded company to be valued at USD 1 trillion. DIPP starts programme for startups in energy sector The commerce and industry ministry said Invest India has joined hands with energy companies to offer its three-month programme for startups in the sector. The selected start-ups will receive a cash prize grant of up to Rs 5 lakh along with an opportunity to pilot their product with corporates. Adani emerges biggest winner of city gas licenses Billionaire Gautam Adani’s group emerged as the biggest winner of gas retailing licenses, winning rights to sell CNG in 11 cities, including Allahabad. Japan dethrones China to become world’s second-biggest stock market Japan has pipped china as the world’s second largest stock market. Both Japan, China markets are ranked after the US which is the world’s largest at just over $31 trillion.


Delhi Replaces Gujarat On Top Spot of Investment Destination Index Delhi has toppled Gujarat from the top spot in a list of 21 states and union territories with the most investment potential, according to a report by economic think-tank NCAER.

The national capital is followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and West Bengal. NHAI signs MoU with SBI for unsecured loan worth Rs 25,000 crore National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with States Bank of India to receive Rs 25,000 crore as a long-term, unsecured loan for 10 years. Additional 180-day window for resolution of stressed power firms proposed Additional 180 days could be provided for resolution of 34 stressed power projects with a view to avoiding potential value erosion of operating plants. With this banks would get about a year for restructuring their power sector loans of about Rs 1.74 lakh crore. PM Modi to inaugurate India Post Payments Bank on August 21 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch long-awaited India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) on August 21 that will have at least one branch in every district and focus on financial services in rural areas. SBI, HDFC and other banks collect Rs 5,000 crore from customers in FY18 for not maintaining minimum balance According to banking data, as many as 21 public sector banks and three major private sector lenders collected a whopping Rs 5,000 crore from customers for non-maintenance of minimum balance in their accounts in 2017-18.

State Bank of India led the pack in penalising its customers for not maintaining minimum account balance.

After SBI, the largest amount of charges was collected by HDFC Bank.

Maggi attains over 60% market share, touches pre-crisis level in value terms Nestle India’s instant noodles brand Maggi has attained more than 60% market share and almost touched the pre-crisis level in value terms, Lok Sabha approves Rs 11,698 cr additional expenditure The Lok Sabha has passed the Supplementary Demands for Grants – the First Batch of 2018-19 in which Government had sought additional expenditure of 11,698 crore rupees. It involves net cash outgo of 5,951 crore rupees and additional expenditure of 5,745 crore rupees.

Over 13 thousand NGOs cancelled during last 3 years for violation of various provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act The Union Government said that registration of over 13 thousand NGOs have been cancelled during the last 3 years for violation of various provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

Government introduces 4 GST amendment Bills The Union government introduced four Bills seeking to amend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) laws that will make return forms simpler and raise the turnover threshold for availing composition scheme to Rs. 1.5 crore. The threshold for composition scheme was being raised from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 1.5 crore.

The amendment Bills — the Central GST (Amendment) Bill, the Integrated GST (Amendment) Bill, the GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill and the Union Territory GST (Amendment) Bill — were primarily aimed at helping the MSME sector and small traders.

Banks take about Rs. 70,000-cr. hit due to frauds in last 3 years As per the RBI data, Indian banks reported a total loss of about Rs. 70,000 crore due to frauds during the last three fiscals up to March 2018. The extent of loss in fraud cases reported by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 was Rs. 16,409 crore, Rs. 16,652 crore and Rs. 36,694 crore.

Ola drives to U.K. in challenge to Uber Ola is set to enter the U.K. market as the Indian ride-hailing app operator steps up competition with rival Uber. Ola had obtained a license to operate in South Wales and Greater Manchester and would start operations within the next month. The start-up hopes to expand across the rest of the U.K. by year end.

India is a source of growth for the global economy for the next few decades says IMF International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said India is a source of growth for the global economy for the next few decades. The IMF report states that India contributes 15 per cent of the growth in the global economy in purchasing power parity measures which is next to only China and the United States.

Centre to get Rs. 50,000 cr. from RBI The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer Rs. 50,000 crore surplus to the government for the year ended June 30, 2018, which is 63 per cent more than last year’s dividend of Rs 30,659 crore.

Govt appoints S Gurumurthy, Satish Marathe as part-time directors on RBI board

The Union government has appointed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate S.Gurumurthy and Satish Marathe as part-time directors on the Reserve Bank of India board.

CCI approves Walmart, Flipkart deal The Competition Commission had approved U.S. retail giant Walmart’s proposed acquisition of Flipkart. In May, Walmart announced the acquisition of 77% stake in Flipkart, the biggest takeover by the U.S. company till date.

SBI launches digital transaction initiative MOPAD State Bank of India (SBI) has launched one more digital initiative called MOPAD (Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device) which will enable customers to make payments through cards, Bharat QR, UPI and SBI Buddy (e-wallet) on a point of sale (PoS) terminal.

Government launches Niryat Mitra mobile app Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched Niryat Mitra mobile application for exporters and importers of the country.


The app provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures.

IMF forecasts India's GDP to grow at 7.3% in current fiscal The International Monetary Fund says India's GDP is poised to grow by 7.3 per cent in the 2018-19 fiscal and 7.5 per cent in 2019-20 on strengthening of investment and robust private consumption

UAE top source of inward remittances in 2016-17: RBI The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the top source of inward remittances, while Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17.

Paypal enters into pact with HDFC Bank Global digital payments major PayPal has partnered with HDFC Bank to offer a safer, faster and more convenient payment experience for HDFC Bank card holders and help drive incremental digital spend.

Panel favours powers for SEBI to intercept phone calls The Committee on Fair Market Conduct set up by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) under the chairmanship of former law secretary T.K. Viswanathan has recommended giving the capital market regulator direct powers to intercept phone calls for better investigation while strengthening the regulations to act against perpetrators of financial statements fraud.

HDFC Bank seeks clarification on exclusive security, yet to sign ICA HDFC Bank, the second largest private sector lender in the country, is yet to sign the Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) — an understanding among lenders to resolve stressed assets quickly. It has sought a clarification from the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) on ‘exclusive security’, wherein, if a security of a borrower is exclusively pledged to one particular bank in a consortium, then what will be the solution in case lenders decide to liquidate all the securities that are pledged.

Axis Bank first to introduce iris authentication for Aadhaar-based transactions Axis Bank became first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets. Iris scan technology is completely contactless and provides up to 98.2% authentication success rate and offers edge over other prevalent biometric modes.

Index of Industrial Production (IIP): Industrial output records 5-month high growth of 7% in June 2018 According to data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had increased 7% in June 2018, five-month high. This was on account of higher output in mining, manufacturing and power generation segments.

Parliament passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 Parliament has passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to bring relief to home buyers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The Bill recognizes home buyers as financial creditors in the real estate project and giving them due representation in the Committee of Creditors (CoC), thus providing significant relief to home buyers. Lok Sabha passes Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 The Lok Sabha has passed Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to help India become hub for domestic and global arbitration for settling commercial disputes.

The Bill establishes Arbitration Council of India (ACI) as an independent body for promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation and other alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. Education loan NPAs on the rise According to data from Indian Banks Association, bad loans in the education sector have shown a rising trend in the past three financial years with non-performing assets (NPA) increasing to 9% of the outstanding by March 2018. Retail inflation slows to 9-month low at 4.17% According to official data released, retail inflation eased to a nine-month low of 4.17% in July as food inflation cooled to its lowest level since July 2017. Egon to help BBB in PSB leadership programmes The Indian Banks’ Association has appointed Egon Zehnder International as a ‘Knowledge Partner’ to the Banks Board Bureau to design, implement and institutionalise a flagship leadership development strategy for public sector banks in India.]] Centre dismisses former MD Usha Ananthasubramanian of scam-hit PNB, Allahabad bank from service The Union government has dismissed Usha Ananthasubramanian, a former managing director of scam-hit Punjab National Bank and Allahabad Bank, from service. HDFC Bank won’t have a deputy MD after Sukthankar’s departure: Puri HDFC Bank will drop the post of deputy managing director — a position held since December 2013 by Paresh Sukthankar who decided to put in his papers. The deputy MD role was created for Paresh Sukthankar valuing his contribution made to the bank.

NITI Aayog Launches 'Pitch to MOVE' NITI Aayog has launched “Pitch to MOVE” - a mobility pitch competition that aims to provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a distinguished jury. Startups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments.

‘Tata remains most valuable brand’ The Tata brand remained India’s most valuable brand this year as per the latest findings by Brand Finance, a U.K.-based independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.

WPI inflation slows to 5.09% in July Wholesale inflation eased to 5.09 per cent in July on account of cheaper food articles, especially fruits and vegetables, according to government data.


Rupee breaches 70 against dollar for the first time The rupee breached the psychological barrier of 70-to-a-dollar for the first time as the sharp fall in the Turkish lira continued to affect all emerging market currencies.

Rubber futures to trade on MCX The Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), the country’s largest commodity exchange in terms of market share, will commence trading in rubber futures contracts from August 16.

Qatar to invest 15b in Turkey's financial markets and banks Qatar has pledged to make direct investment in Turkey and announced a 15-billion US dollar investment into the country's financial markets and banks

RBI scrutinising 200 stressed accounts The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started scrutiny of 200 large accounts to assess the level of stress and provisioning done against them by respective banks.

Equity MFs see inflows of Rs. 10,585 cr. In July According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India, investors have pumped a staggering Rs. 10,585 crore in equity mutual funds in July, mainly driven by strong corporate earnings and a near normal monsoon.

NPCI unveils more secure UPI with overdraft facility The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has upgraded the unified payments interface (UPI) with enhanced security features and overdraft facilities. The new unveiled UPI version 2.0 which will allow customers to use overdraft limit for making payments for merchants.

India Ratings cuts growth forecast for FY19 to 7.2% India Ratings & Research has revised down its growth estimate for Indian economy to 7.2 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.4 per cent for 2018-19.

Bharti AXA Life, Airtel Payments Bank tie up to offer Jeevan Jyoti Bima Private life insurer Bharti AXA Life Insurance and Airtel Payments Bank have entered a tie-up to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) to the latter's customers

IRDAI has directed all insurance companies to cover mental illness in policies. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has directed all insurance companies to make provision to cover mental illness in policies.

Walmart completes acquisition of majority stake in Flipkart for $16 bn Walmart, the world's largest retailer, has completed the acquisition of majority stake in India's leading e-commerce marketplace, Flipkart.

Investment in P-notes hits 9-year low at Rs 80,341 crore since 2009. Investments through participatory notes into Indian capital markets plunged to over nine-year low of Rs 80,341 crore till July-end amid stringent norms put in place by the SEBI to check misuse of these instruments.

Half of farm households indebted: NABARD study According to a recent survey by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), more than half the agricultural households in the country have outstanding debt, and their average outstanding debt is almost as high as the average annual income of all agricultural households.

The average debt of an indebted agricultural household stood at Rs. 1,04,602 in comparison to Rs. 76,731 for indebted non-agricultural households.

The average annual income of an agricultural household is Rs. 1.07 lakh.

Indiabulls HF appoints Mundra as a director Indiabulls Housing Finance (IBHFL) the country’s second-largest housing finance company, appointed Mr. S.S. Mundra, former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, as an independent director on the board of the company.

Greece emerges from eurozone bailout programme Greece has successfully completed a three-year eurozone emergency loan programme worth €61.9bn (£55bn; $70.8bn) to tackle its debt crisis.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), only four countries have shrunk economically more than Greece in the past decade: Yemen, Libya, Venezuela and Equatorial Guinea. Germany to trump Japan again with world’s largest current account surplus: Ifo According to Ifo estimates, Germany's current account surplus will remain the world's largest for the third year running in 2018 at $299 billion, followed by Japan with $200 billion. The Netherlands are likely to come in third with a current account surplus of roughly 110 billion dollar. Southern States outshine rest of India in mobile banking, says BCG report According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Southern States are outshining the rest of India in mobile banking adoption in savings accounts. Telangana tops the table with 10% of savings bank accounts having at least one mobile banking transaction in the last six months of FY18.

Paytm parent unveils cloud platform One97 Communications, which owns the Paytm brand, has introduced ‘Paytm AI Cloud for India’ — a cloud computing platform aimed at developers, start-ups and enterprises.

Turkey initiates dispute complaint with WTO against US Turkey has initiated a dispute complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States for imposing additional tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Turkey.

No ATM to be replenished with cash after 9 pm from next year In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said that no ATM will be replenished with cash after 9 PM in cities and 6 PM in rural areas from next year. The deadline for putting money in the ATMs located in Naxal-hit areas is 4 PM.

India Banking Conclave 2018 held in New Delhi India Banking Conclave (IBC) 2018 was held in New Delhi. It was organized by Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) along with its knowledge partner and government Think Tank, NITI Aayog.

India to grow at 7.5% in 2018, 2019: Moody’s According to Moody’s Investors Service, the Indian economy is expected to grow by about 7.5% in 2018 and 2019 as it is largely resilient to external pressures like those from higher oil prices.

https://www.thehindu.com/tag/336-244/japan/?utm=bodytag#_blank


NCLT may receive new cases worth Rs. 70,000 crore Many big corporate debtors, with loans collectively exceeding Rs. 70,000 crore, are likely to be headed to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) next week for resolution as the deadline set by the RBI for the banks to resolve the cases expires on August 27.

SEBI to review MF expense ratio limits The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) might soon review the expense ratio limits for mutual funds to address the concerns related to concentration of profits among a few large fund houses.

RIL’s market value crosses Rs. 8 lakh crore Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross the Rs. 8-lakh-crore market capitalisation mark while its stock hit a fresh 52-week high.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches overdraft facility for micro, small enterprises Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd, has launched overdraft (OD) facility for micro and small enterprise (MSE) customers across its branches nationally.

Kabir Mathur joins ADIA to head India investments Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the world’s second largest sovereign wealth fund, has hired private equity veteran Kabir Mathur to head operations in India.

World Bank Launches World's 1st Blockchain Bond The World Bank launched ‘bond-i', the world’s first bond to be created, allocated, transferred and managed by using distributed ledger technology

Bond-i is an acronym standing for Blockchain Offered New Debt Instrument and also refers to tourist famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

Forex Reserves dip by $33.2 mn to $400.8 bn India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $33.2 million to $400.84 billion in the week to August 17 mainly due to a fall in foreign currency assets, according to RBI data.

Time added for stock borrowing, lending The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed stock exchanges to extend timings for the stock lending and borrowing (SLB) segment to facilitate physical settlement in equity derivatives.

Stock exchanges can set the trading hours in the SLB segment between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

India’s largest business incubator Bhamashah techno hub launched in Jaipur In a big step forward to strengthen the startup ecosystem in Rajasthan, the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched India’s largest business incubator the Bhamashah Techno Hub in Jaipur.

PSU banks plan closure of 70 overseas offices in FY18 Public sector banks are in the process of closing or rationalising about 70 overseas operations as part of capital conservation exercise.

Unlisted firms may have to issue shares only in demat form The government will soon make it mandatory for unlisted companies to issue new shares only in the dematerialised form amid intensified efforts to fight the black money menace.

Besides, the unlisted corporates would have to ensure that shares are transferred only in dematerialised (demat) or electronic form.

PNB ranked as top PSU bank in online transactions in India: FinMin repor Department of Financial Services report has rated PNB as number one state-owned bank in terms of digital transactions.

The bank is rated as 'Good' by the government with a score of 71 which is the highest category of performance.

FDI in country rises 23 % to about 13 bn dollars in first quarter of this fiscal Official data shows that Foreign Direct Investment, FDI in India rose 23 percent, to 12.8 billion dollars during the April to June quarter of this fiscal.

Singapore was the largest source of FDI during April to June quarter with 6.52 billion dollars.

DBS named world's best bank in nod to its digital innovation DBS Bank has been named the world's best bank by Global Finance magazine, in a reflection of its ability to invest in digital innovation while still maintaining stable operations for its customers.

Google Tez rebranded as Google Pay Google for India rebranded its payments app for India Google Tez as Google Pay, and also launched its new features.

India's economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 % in current financial year: RBI The Reserve Bank expects India's economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 per cent in the current financial year on pick up in industrial activity and good monsoon.

Income-tax returns filed this year registered 60 per cent rise compared to corresponding period last year The Income Tax Returns filed this year so far has crossed the five crore mark, a rise of over 60 percent compared with filings a year ago.

Yes Bank MD to contincue till further notice: RBI The Reserve Bank of India has approved Rana Kapoor’s continuation as Yes Bank’s MD and CEO, till further notice.

Kochhar reappointed to ICICI Sec board Chanda Kochhar has been reappointed as a director on the board of ICICI Securities with ICICI Bank, which has a 79.22% stake in the broking and investment banking entity, voting in favour of the reappointment.

MRPL to merge with HPCL ONGC-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) plans to merge its subsidiary Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) with itself.

Operators must pay attention to cyber security, customer charges: RBI Chief Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel has urged payment system operators to ensure adequate attention is paid to ensuring cyber security and redressing customer grievances.

Proposal for city-level GDP under study The Union government is planning to bring out city-level GDP data with urban India responsible for an increasingly large share of the national GDP these days.

Sarvatra launches 450th cooperative bank Sarvatra Technologies, a leading end-to-end payments and banking solutions provider, announced that they have successfully on-boarded ‘Sevalia Urban Co-operative Bank’ as 450th co-operative bank on National Financial Switch (NFS).


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Gallantry Awards on the eve of Independence Day The President has approved 131 gallantry awards to armed forces personnel and members of paramilitary forces, which include one Kirti Chakra, 20 Shaurya Chakras, 96 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). Albany Med Prize given to three persons for their work in cancer immunotherapy Three scientists whose work in the underdeveloped field of immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment are the recipients of this year's Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research. The 2018 awardees hail from around the US nation: James P. Allison, of the University of Texas ; Carl June, of the University at Pennsylvania and Steven A. Rosenberg, of the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute in Maryland. S.K. Arora awarded the prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora has been awarded the prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control.

Madhya Pradesh to name 3 awards after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the state government will name three awards after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi to be honoured with Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award The 24th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award to be given to Gopalkrishna Gandhi for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.

Former FTII director and Film maker John Sankaramangalam passes away Veteran film personality John Sankaramangalam, a former director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, died.

Indian-Origin Professor Wins Fields Medal, The "Nobel of Mathematics" Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four winners of mathematics' prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel prize for math. The other three winners are: Caucher Birkar, a Cambridge University professor of Iranian Kurdish origin; Germany's Peter Scholze, who teaches at the University of Bonn and Alessio Figalli, an Italian mathematician at ETH Zurich.

Emmerson Mnangagwa of ZANU-PF party wins Presidential election in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former ally of ousted President Robert Mugabe, has won country's landmark Presidential election.

Venezuelan Prez Nicolas Maduro survives drone assassination attempt Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has survived an assassination attempt involving explosive drones. The attempt was made when Mr Maduro was speaking at the event to mark the 81st anniversary of the National Army.

Senior Congress leader R.K. Dhawan passes away Senior Congress leader RK Dhawan died in New Delhi. 81-year old Dhawan died of age-related ailments. He was a close aide of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Indra Nooyi to step down as PepsiCo chief executive PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi is to step down after 12 years at the helm. Mrs Nooyi, has been with the company for 24 years. Current president Ramon Laguarta will succeed her.

DMK Chief M Karunanidhi passes away DMK Chief and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi passed away in Chennai.

M Karunanidhi started his career as a screenwriter in Tamil film industry to being five-term Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

S Gopakumar joins United India Insurance as Director & GM Public sector non-life insurance company United India Insurance Company announced the appointment of S Gopakumar as its Director and General Manager with immediate effect.

Ivan Duque sworn in as Colombia's next president Colombia's youngest elected President Ivan Duque has been sworn in as the country's 60th president.

Chile's Michelle Bachelet appointed as next UN Human Rights Chief UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Michelle Bachelet, Chile's twice-serving president as the world body's next human rights chief.

Harivansh elected as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha NDA candidate Harivansh has been elected as Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha defeating opposition nominee B K Hariprasad. Rekha Sharma appointed chairperson of NCW NCW member Rekha Sharma, has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women.

R S Sharma re-appointed TRAI chairperson till 2020 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved reappointment of Ram Sewak Sharma as chairperson of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for further period beyond August 2018 upto September 2020

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passes away Former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran communist leader Somnath Chatterjee passed away following multiple organ failure

Ashish Kumar Bhutani appointed CEO of PM crop insurance scheme Ashish Kumar Bhutani has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY),


Mario Abdo Benítez sworn in as new President of Paraguay Right-wing former Senator Mario Abdo Benítez has been sworn in as the new president of Paraguay after narrowly winning the presidential election in April.

Anandiben Patel Takes Oath As Governor Of Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has been given the additional charge of Chhattisgarh following the death of governor Balramji Dass Tandon.

D. Bala Venkatesh Varma appointed Ambassador to Russia Senior diplomat D Bala Venkatesh Varma was appointed as India's next ambassador to Russia, considered a high-profile posting due to expanse of strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Centre accepts NHB MD Sriram Kalyanaraman's resignation National Housing Bank (NHB) Managing Director Sriram Kalyanaraman has resigned amidst allegations of favouring housing finance companies.

Former India captain Ajit Wadekar passes away Former Indian cricket captain Ajit Wadekar passed away at the age of 77 in Mumbai after suffering from prolonged illness.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita re-elected Mali president with landslide Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected for a five-year term after winning a landslide in a runoff ballot

US singer Aretha Franklin passes away

US singer Aretha Franklin has died at the age of 76. The "Queen of Soul" has made her debut in 1961.

She received the Grammy Award 18 times and was the first female vocalist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passes away Former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders, died following prolonged illness. Vajpayee was the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term in office. Vajpayee's first became Prime Minister in 1996, then a second stint in 1998 and then in 1999.

Former UN chief and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan Passes away Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has passed away at the age of 80. Annan, who was the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, served at the UN from 1997 to 2006.

Scarlett Johansson becomes world's highest paid female actress Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has become the best-paid female actor in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Former Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh awarded with US 'Legion of Merit' Former Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh has been awarded with United States (US) 'Legion of Merit'. The award was given to Singh for exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff from August 2014 to December 2016.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau To Run For Re-Election In 2019 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has formally announced his bid to run for re-election in the 2019 legislative polls.

Srikumar Menon appointed the next Ambassador of India to Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe Srikumar Menon was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

Serena tops Forbes list of highest paid female athletes Serena Williams was the highest paid female athlete for a third consecutive year in 2018, according to an annual list published by Forbes that was dominated by tennis players.

George Clooney Tops The World's Highest-Paid Actors 2018 George Clooney tops the 2018 Forbes' list of highest-paid actors with $239 million in pretax earnings.

Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar passes away Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Kuldip Nayar passed away after a brief illness.

His early books, Between The Lines, India: The Critical Years and Distant Neighbours: A Tale of the Subcontinent are considered valuable insights on the unstable post-Nehru decade.

Arun Jaitley resumes charge of Ministries of Finance & Corporate Affairs Union Minister, Arun Jaitley today resumed the charge of the Ministries of Finance and Corporate Affairs after a gap of more than three months.

Morrison sworn in as Australia’s new PM Scott Morrison was sworn in as Australia’s seventh Prime Minister in 11 years, after a stunning party revolt against Malcolm Turnbull.

G Satheesh Reddy appointed chairman of DRDO The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has appointed distinguished missile scientist Dr. G Satheesh Reddy as Secretary of Department of Defence R&D (DDR&D) and Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

U K Varma appointed Assocham Secretary General Industry chamber Assocham appointed former bureaucrat Uday Kumar Varma as its new Secretary General. He succeeds DS Rawat who held the position for nearly 14 years.

US Senator John McCain dies US Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran unsuccessfully for president as a self-styled maverick Republican in 2008 and became a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, died.

Satya Tripathi appointed as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of UNEP Indian development economist and environment expert Satya S. Tripathi has been appointed assistant secretary general of United Nations and will head New York office of UN Environment Programme (UNEP).


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Ruchi Ghanashyam Appointed India's Next High Commissioner To UK Senior diplomat Ruchi Ghanashyam has been appointed as India's next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Himalayan state of Sikkim was included in UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), making it 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to achieve this recognition.

The world's most livable cities in 2018 Vienna has dislodged Melbourne for the first time at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Livability Index,

Damascus retained last place, followed by the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria.

Pune tops Ease of Living index, Three cities in Maharashtra — Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai — top the first Ease of Living Index brought out by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Jammu, Agartala to get Space Research Technology centres Jammu and Tripura will get the country’s first full-fledged Space Technology Research Centre. While the first centre in north India will function under the aegis of Jammu-based Central University, the Tripura centre will work under the aegis of Agartala-based National Institute of Technology (NIT).

9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literature Festival begins in Thimphu The ninth edition of Mountain Echoes Literature Festival began in Thimphu, Bhutan.

This year, the festival celebrates 50 years of Indo-Bhutanese relations and will see participation by 75 eminent speakers who will discuss a wide range of topics including environment, music, theatre, and art.

Lahiri and Shubhankar in WGC field Golfers Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma will make it the first time in the same World Golf Championships (WGC), the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Chess: Vaibhav Suri wins Biel title Grandmaster Vaibhav Suri won the Biel Masters chess title. The event attracted 70 GMs and participants from 31 countries, Suri won five games and drew the rest to tally seven points.

Asian Nations Cup Chess: The Indian men team won silver and women the bronze The Indian teams came back strongly to reach the podium at the Asian Nations Cup chess tournament. The men won the silver and the women the bronze.

Women's Hockey: Netherlands crowned world champions for record 8th time The Netherlands women's hockey team have been crowned the world champions for a record eighth time. It recorded a stunning 6-0 victory over Ireland in the summit clash in London.

P.V.Sindhu settles for Silver in World Championships' women's singles title clash Indian shuttler P V Sindhu lost to Carolina Marin of Spain 19-21 10-21 in the World Championships' women's singles title clash at Nanjing, China.

Golf: Gaganjeet Bhullar grabbed his maiden European Tour title India's Gaganjeet Bhullar won his maiden European Tour title.

He now becomes the most successful Indian player on Asian Tour, overtaking the tally of eight tour wins by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa.

Centre urges all States to enforce 2011 Sports Code The Union government has urged all states to enforce the 2011 Sports Code so that it is followed by the state federations.

Football: Indian U-20 team defeat Argentina in Cotif Cup in Spain The Indian Under-20 football team created history when they defeated Argentina, 2-1 in their final match of the Cotif Cup in Spain.

Germany's Mario Gomez Retires From International Football Veteran German striker Mario Gomez announced his retirement from international football. He made his debut for Germany in 2007, scored 31 goals in 78 international appearances.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Facial recognition to be used to boost security Tokyo 2020 will be the first Olympics to use facial recognition technology to increase security at venues, say the event's organisers. The system will focus on more than 300,000 athletes, Games staff, volunteers and the media.

Neeraj Chopra to be India’s flag-bearer at Asian Games opening ceremony Javelin thrower star Neeraj Chopra will be India’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the upcoming Asian Games 2018.

Viraj Madappa becomes youngest Indian golfer to win Asian Tour title Indian golfer Viraj Madappa won his maiden title on the Asian Tour at Take Solutions Masters in Bengaluru. Thus he became the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour which was earlier held by Gaganjeet Bhullar.

James Anderson first bowler to take 100 wickets at Lord's James Anderson became the first player to take 100 wickets at Lord's stadium during day four of the second Test versus India. Anderson took 23 Test matches to reach the landmark

Ramesh Powar named head coach of women's national team Former India spinner Ramesh Powar was named head coach of the women's national team till the ICC World T20, scheduled to be held in November.

Arjun become country’s 54th Grand Masters E. Arjun became India’s 54th Grand Master in the Abu Dhabi Masters tournament at the age of 14 years, 11 months and 13 days. India’s latest GMs, before Arjun, were R. Praggnandhaa and Nihal Sarin.


Teen cyclist Esow Alben creates history by claiming India's first ever medal Teen cyclist Esow Alben has created history by claiming India's first ever medal - a silver- at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland.

FIFA rankings: India improve to world no 96 Indian football team improved a spot to be placed at the 96th position in the latest FIFA world rankings. Asian Games begin in Indonesian capital Jakarta The 18th edition of the Asian Games officially kick off in Indonesian capital Jakarta

BCCI, Emirates Cricket Board sign agreement for hosting of Asia Cup The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Emirates Cricket Board signed an agreement for the United Arab Emirates to host the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup. Indian girls crowned SAFF U-15 champions India defeated Bangladesh in the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women's Championship in Thimpu, Bhutan. Asian Games: Bajrang Punia wins 1st gold medal for india in final of Men's Freestyle 65 kg Bajrang Punia opened India's gold medal account by defeating Japan's Daichi Takatani 11-8 in the final of Men's Freestyle 65 kg. Category. Mitchell Johnson announces retirement from all forms of cricket Former Australian fast bowling sensation Mitchell Johnson has announced his retirement from all levels of cricket.

Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian woman wrestler to win Asian Games gold Vinesh Phogat created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal with remarkable ease in the 50kg category at the Asian Games. Djokovic downs Federer to win Cincinnati crown Novak Djokovic completed a matched set of Masters 1000 titles with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Roger Federer in the Cincinnati final. He became the first man to win all nine of the ATP’s elite Masters 1000 events since the ATP was formed in 1990. Asian Games: Saurabh Chaudhary wins India's first shooting gold; Debutant teenager Saurabh Chaudhary clinched India's first shooting gold of the 18th Asian Games in men's 10m air pistol collecting a Games record score of 240.7. Asian Games 2018: Rahi Sarnobat becomes first Indian woman shooter to win Asiad gold Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian woman shooter to win gold at the Asian Games Odisha to launch Hockey World Cup build-up campaign Ahead of the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup Tournament in the state, Odisha government has decided to launch a build-up campaign in 17 cities from August 29.

Jhulan Goswami announces her retirement from

T20 Internationals

Indian women's team fast bowler Jhulan Goswami has

announced her retirement from T20 Cricket Internationals.

Virat Kohli regains top spot in ICC Test Rankings

India captain Virat Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the

latest ICC Test Rankings after his brilliant show in the third

Test against England.

Shot-putter Tejinder Pal Singh Toor wins India’s first

Gold medal in Athletics at 2018 Asian Games

Shot-putter Tejinder Pal Singh Toor (24) won Gold medal

in men’s shot put final at 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian

Games held in Indonesia

Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan win gold medal in Men’s Doubles tennis at 2018 Asian Games Indian tennis pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan won gold medal in Men’s Doubles tennis at 2018 Asian Games Indian women clinch crown in fifth Carrom World Cup Indian women outplayed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the team championship final of the fifth carrom World Cup.

China crowned Arena of Valor champion as eSports

makes ‘historical’ Asian Games debut

China defeated Taiwan to win the first ever Arena of Valor

gold medal, as ports made a splashy debut as an

exhibition event at the 2018 Asian Games.

North Korea to host Asian youth weightlifting

championships

The 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting

Championships will be held in the North Korean capital

Pyongyang.

Swapna Barman becomes first Indian heptathlete to win gold in Asian Games Swapna Barman became the first Indian heptathlete to win a gold

Manjit Singh wins gold, Jinson Johnson bags silver in men's 800m In Athletics, Manjit Singh won gold in men's 800 metres while Jinson Johnson took silver.

PV Sindhu becomes first Indian to win silver in

Badminton

PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian to

win a Silver medal in Badminton. She lost 21-13 21-16 to

Taiwanese world number one Tai Tzu Ying.

Nitu clinches second successive gold

Defending champion Nitu (48kg) claimed her second

successive gold at the World youth boxing championship

with a gritty performance in the final.

Modric named UEFA player of the year

Luka Modric of Real Madrid and Croatia received the

accolade of UEFA Player of the Year after his Champions

League exploits.


MISCELLANEOUS Chinese scientists create first single-chromosome yeast Chinese scientists claimed to have created the first single-chromosome yeast while not affecting the majority of its functions, a breakthrough that could help in furthering research related to aging and diseases in humans.

Indian-American high schooler wins International Geography Bee World Championship Indian-American high school student Avi Goel has won the world championship at the International Geography Bee's junior varsity division which was held in Berlin.

August 9th: International Day of The World's Indigenous Peoples The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed across the world on August 9 with an aim to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous peoples.

The theme of 2018 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was ‘Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement’.

US unveils plans for new Space Force by 2020 to counter China and Russia threat The US has outlined plans to prepare for the next battlefield by creating a new "Space Force" to counter the threat of China and Russia.

World Biofuel Day: August 10 World Bio-fuel Day (The International Biodiesel Day) is observed every year on August 10 to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels i.e. Green Fuels or Bio-fuels an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.

International Youth Day – August 12 August 12 is observed International Youth Day every year to raise awareness about the challenges and problems facing the youth of the world. The theme this year is 'Safe Spaces for Youth'.

World Elephant Day – August 12 The World Elephant Day is observed every year on August 12 to create awareness of urgent plight of African and Asian elephants.

NASA launches Parker Solar Probe mission to 'touch the Sun' US space agency NASA has launched its mission to send a satellite closer to the Sun than any before. The rocket carrying the Parker Solar Probe lifted off from Space Launch Complex in Florida in the US.

Australia lifts ban on adoptions from India Australia has lifted a ban on adoption of children from India, imposed eight years ago after a major trafficking scandal was exposed.

India pitches for declaring 2019 as International Year of Millets The Union Ministry of Agriculture has written to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of United Nations (UN) proposing declaration of year 2019 as “International Year of Millets India is celebrating 2018 as National Year of Millets.

Eleventh World Hindi Conference begins today in Mauritius The 11th World Hindi Conference will begin in Port Louis, Mauritius. Mauritius Prime Minister Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference.

Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Panini Language

Laboratory at Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Mauritius

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated

"Panini Language Laboratory" at Mahatma Gandhi

Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.

World Photography Day observed on 19th August

The World Photography Day celebrated on 19 August

every year. This day is celebrated to pay homage to the

history of photography.

World’s most wear-resistant metal alloy created

US scientists claim to have engineered a platinum-gold

alloy that may be the most wear-resistant metal in the

world.

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the the Royal Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia. World Senior Citizen Day 2018 observed on 21st of August every year

The World Senior Citizens Day is celebrated on 21st of August every year.

Chandrayaan-I data confirms presence of ice on

Moon

Using data from the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft NASA said

that scientists have found frozen water deposits in the

darkest and coldest parts of the Moon's polar

regions.These ice deposits are patchily distributed and

could possibly be ancient.

World's first 4D printing for ceramics developed

Scientists have successfully developed the world's first 4D

printing for ceramics, that can be used to create complex,

shape-changing objects.

VVS Laxman pens autobiography to hit stands in Nov

Westland Publications announced the release of the

former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman's autobiography

titled, "281 and Beyond".

Shane Warne to come out with autobiography in

October

Spin legend Shane Warne will talk about his extraordinary

cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling

several unknown facts in his autobiography “No Spin”

which will be published this October. Iran unveils first domestically manufactured fighter jet Iran has unveiled first domestically manufactured fighter jet nicknamed Kowsar. It was unveiled at defense show held in the capital city of Tehran.


Reliance Jio tops Fortune list for widening internet access Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led telecom startup Reliance Jio has been ranked number one on Fortune's global list for rapidly expanding access to the Internet. European wind survey satellite launched from French Guyana Europe launched a rocket from French Guyana, to put a satellite into orbit which will track global winds, allowing for improved weather forecasting. The "Aeolus" satellite -- named after the guardian of wind in Greek mythology -- will be placed at an altitude of 320 kilometers (200 miles) above the Earth. 35% of cyber attacks on Indian sites from China: official report According to a report prepared by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has said that the maximum number of cyber attacks on official Indian websites are from China, US and Russia. The cyber attacks from China made up 35% of the total number of cyber attacks on official Indian websites, followed by US (17%), Russia (15%), Pakistan (9%), Canada (7%) and Germany (5%) Myanmar media group inks MoU with Prasar Bharati Prasar Bharati and Mizzima Media Group of Myanmar signed an MoU to realize cooperation and collaboration in broadcasting and content sharing. Sweden launches ‘feminist foreign policy’ manual Sweden has released a handbook of its “feminist foreign policy” for rights groups and foreign governments,

showcasing lessons from the Scandinavian nation’s flagship approach to promoting women’s rights globally. Horizon 2020: India, EU join hands for research programme to develop a next generation influenza vaccine Union Government and European Union (EU) have collaborated for research programme named Horizon 2020 to develop Next Generation Influenza Vaccine to protect citizens across the globe. For this research programme, India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and EU have committed Euro 15 million (Rs. 240 crore). Google launches Project Navlekha Understanding the importance of regional languages in India, search giant Google has announced a new program that will empower offline newspapers and magazines in India to bring their content online. Announced during the fourth edition of 'Google for India' event, the Project Navlekha claims to bring offline content online in just a few clicks. August 29th: National Sports Day The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29 August each year. This day marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand Singh, the hockey player who won gold medals in Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936 UK starts work on satellite system to rival EU's Galileo The UK government would start work on an alternative satellite system to the European Union's Galileo project to ensure its national security if it is barred from equal access to the EU programme after Brexit.

current affairs capsule (august 2018) · 2018-10-25 · triumphant institute of management...

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