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Current Affairs Pocket PDF

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approvals Cabinet Approvals on August 2, 2018

• On August 2, 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the following: Cabinet approves Extension of Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS) Cabinet approves Raising of Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) amounting up to Rs. 15,000 crore

during the financial year 2018-19 Cabinet approves Policy Framework for exploration and exploitation of Unconventional

Hydrocarbons Cabinet approves issue of fresh equity to the extent of 15% of the paid up equity capital by

Hindustan Copper Limited Cabinet approves Re-structuring of the Agricultural Scientists’ Recruitment Board (ASRB).Click

here to read more. Cabinet Approvals on August 10, 2018

• On August 10, 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the following proposals. Cabinet approved extension of the term of the Commission to examine the issue of Sub-

categorization of Other Backward Classes in the Central List Cabinet approved creation of two posts equivalent to Joint Secretary level in the Interpreters’

cadre of the Ministry of External Affairs Cabinet approved transfer of Central Hospital at Karma, Jharkhand under the Labour Welfare

Organisation for setting up a new Medical College Cabinet approved Concession Agreements & Land Lease Agreements for revival of Gorakhpur &

Sindri units of FCIL and Barauni unit of HFCL by HURL Cabinet approved raising of four additional battalions of National Disaster Response Force Cabinet approved release of pulses under Price Support Scheme to States with Central Subsidy of

Rs. 15 per Kg for utilization under Welfare Schemes Cabinet approved construction of New 4 – Lane Bridge on Kosi river at Phulaut , Bihar Cabinet approved continuation and revision of “Post Matric Scholarship for OBC Students for

studying in India”. Click here to read more. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana extended beyond 12th 5 year plan

• On August 11, 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi,approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) beyond the 12th five year plan period.It has an estimated cost of Rs. 84,934 crore.

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Cabinet Approvals as on August 29, 2018 • On August 29, 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the following: Cabinet approves Revised Cost Estimate for setting up of India Post Payments Bank Cabinet approves additional 2 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees

and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1st July, 2018 Cabinet approves Umbrella scheme “Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources

Modelling and Science (O-SMART)” of Ministry of Earth Sciences. Cabinet clears 46 amendments to GST laws

• On August 1, 2018, In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amendments of GST Laws were approved. It includes hiking threshold limit to Rs.1.5 crore , allowance of employers to claim input tax credit on food, transport and insurance provided to employees under any law.

STATE WISE NATIONAL NEWS Andhra Pradesh Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam: Andhra Pradesh Government launches unemployment allowance scheme

• On August 3, 2018, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu launched ‘Mukhya Mantri-Yuva Nestham’ scheme to allowance to unemployed youth in the state.The allowance will be of Rs 1000 per month.

The world’s first-ever high energy storage device has been built in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh • On August 6, 2018, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled the world’s first-ever thermal battery

in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh state. It has been manufactured by the Bharat Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST). It had an estimated cost of Rs 660 crore.

Arunachal Pradesh 3 new districts created via passing of Arunachal Pradesh Re-Organisation of Districts (Amendment) Bill 2018

• On August 31, 2018, the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly passed a bill for the creation of three new districts namely- Pakke-Kesang, Lepa Rada and Shi Yomi, in the state.The name of the bill is the Arunachal Pradesh Re-Organisation of Districts (Amendment) Bill 2018.

Assam Assam releases final NRC draft, 40 lakh declared ‘illegal citizens’ of India

• On July 31, 2018, Assam government released its final draft of National Registry of Citizens of Assam. 40.07 lakh people who have not made their name to the list have been declared ‘illegal immigrants’.According to the release, Out of 3,29,91,384 (3.29 crore) total applicants, 2,89,83,677 (2.9 crore) people have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens.Click here to read more.

‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ released by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad • On August 12, 2018, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar

Prasad released ‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ in Guwahati. Inauguration of a new BPO at world’s largest river island Majuli was done.

Assam Government extends AFSPA in the state for 6 more months • On August 31, 2018, the state government of Assam sought extension under Section 3 Armed Forces

(Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) for another 6 months declaring entire state as ‘Disturbed Area’. Bihar Bihar CM Nitish Kumar launched Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana for empowerment of girls

• On August 8, 2018, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana for empowerment of women. A sum of Rs 7221 crore will be spend in a year on the programme.It will be run by three departments — education, health and social welfare.

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Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh CM & actress Kangana Ranaut launch mobile distribution scheme ‘Mobile Tihar’

• On 30th July 2018, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and actress Kangana Ranaut launched ‘Mobile Tihar’, a smartphone distribution scheme under the Sanchar Kranti Yojna (SKY) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh first state to provide Right to Skills’ Development to youth • Chhattisgarh has become the first state in India to provide Right to Skills’ Development to the youth.He

flagged off 15 Skill Chariots to launch the government’s ‘Skills on Wheels’ project in Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh government pays tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Naya Raipur to be renamed Atal Nagar

• On August 21,2018 Chhattisgarh Cabinet approved the proposal to rename Naya Raipur , capital of Chhattisgarh as ‘Atal Nagar’.Moreover, on November 1, the statehood day, ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sushasan award’ will be given to panchayats and urban bodies for good governance.

Gujarat Overview of Prime Minister’s Gujarat Visit on August 23, 2018

• On August 23,2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Surat,where he was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.During his day long visit, he addressed the 4th convocation of Gujarat Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar.Laid foundation stone of Astole Water Supply Scheme for providing clean drinking water at the cost of Rs.586 crore in Kaprada region in Valsad district.Click here to read more.

India’s First ISTS connected Wind Power Project Commissioned • On 24th August 2018, a part capacity of 126 MW wind power of India’s first Inter-State Transmission

System (ISTS)auction, was commissioned in Bhuj, Gujarat, by Ostro Kutch Wind Private Ltd. Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) had conducted India’s first auction of wind power projects in February 2017.

Centre approves proposal for setting up water aerodromes for improved air connectivity • On August 13, 2018, the Civil Aviation Ministry has approved a proposal for setting up of water

aerodromes in the country.With an Objective to enhance air connectivity through amphibian planes. In the first phase the places chosen for the development of such facilities are: Chilika Lake in Odisha, Sardar Sarovar Dam and Sabarmati River Front in Gujarat.

Haryana Haryana government launches online portal for disbursal of departmental funds

• On 8th August 2018, Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu launched an online portal for releasing grant-in-aid to government departments. He released Rs 84.58 crore to the health department under the National Health Mission.

Parijat Urja Chakra launches campaign to educate farmers about ill effects of crop residue burning • On August 10, 2018, Parijat Urja Chakra in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) organized a

special campaign at Fatehgarh village of Ambala in Haryana. It aims to create awareness about the ill effects of crop residue burning and management.

Jharkhand 5 day International water colour festival held in Ranchi from 23rd-27th August: Jharkhand

• From August 23-27, 2018, Jharkhand government held the International water colour festival at the Audrey House in capital city of Ranchi.With an Objective to promote rich culture and art of Jharkhand and international art and give recognition to local artists.

Karnataka ‘Swachha Meva Jayate’: cleanliness campaign launched by Karnataka government

• On August 2,2018, Karnataka government launched ‘Swachha Meva Jayate’ campaign.It was launched by Dr G Parameshwara, deputy chief minister of Karnataka.The department of Rural Development also released the logo of the campaign: a little boy and a little girl standing in front of the map of Karnataka.

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has emerged as the second fastest growing airport in the world-Routesonline


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• On August 22, According to Routesonline, global airlines events organiser’s Survey Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport Secured Second Spot and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Secured Sixth Spot as fastest growing airport in the world during January to June this year.

Kerala Operation ‘Madad’ by Southern Naval Command

• On 9th August 2018, Operation “Madad” was launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi, in Kerala, to assist the Kerala state administration and to carry out disaster relief operations due to the floods.

Centre says Kerala floods ‘calamity of severe nature’ • On August 21 2018 , Centre has declared the Kerala floods as a calamity of “severe nature”. The central

government has also scaled up its relief and rescue operations. Cyclone Warning Centre to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram at Kerala

• On August 21 2018, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences is proposing to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala which will provide regular coastal bulletins and heavy rainfall alerts. It is expected to be serviceable within a month.Already we have 6 cyclone warning centres at Chennai,Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Madhya Pradesh Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh gets GI tag

• On August 3, 2018, the famous Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh has now got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.The application was made in the category of “Meat Product, Poultry & Poultry Meat“, was approved on July 30.

Manipur 2 committees constituted to monitor illegal immigrants : Manipur Govt

• On August 6, 2018, after the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Manipur government has constituted two committees to deal with illegal migrants. The first is State Level Monitoring Committee which will monitor the entry or presence of illegal immigrants in the state.The second is : the District Level Monitoring Committee with respective deputy commissioners as its chairman.

‘North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom’ : First project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme inaugurated in Manipur

• On August 14, 2018, governor of Manipur Dr. Najma A. Heptulla, inaugurated project “Development of North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom” implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism in Imphal, Manipur. It is the first project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme being inaugurated in the country.

Maharastra Maharashtra govt approves over Rs 7,000 crore for water projects

• On August 1 2018, Maharashtra state minister informed that Maharashtra govt. has approved over Rs 7,000 crore to fulfill the drinking water projects in scarcity hit regions.The government has approved Rs 7,952 crore to finish 6,624 water projects in 10,583 villages under the National Rural Drinking Water Scheme.

Maharashtra Government announces special assistance of Rs 500 crore for OBC community • On 7th August 2018, Maharashtra Government announced a special assistance of Rs 500 crore for OBC

community to help them develop employment opportunities for the youth. Special film festival themed “Freedom Struggle & Freedom Fighters” held in Mumbai

• On 15th August 2018, a special film festival on the theme “Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters” was held to mark India’s 72nd Independence Day, in Mumbai.

Meghalaya Shri Shripad Yesso Naik lays the foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of construction of NEIAH in Shillong

• On July 29, 2018, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of Construction of North East Institute of Ayurveda &




Homeopathy (NEIAH) at NEIAH Campus in Mawdiangdiang, Shillong. The estimated cost of the construction is Rs 40.80 crore.

Meghalaya hosted 5th Act East Business Show -2018 to strengthen business ties between ASEAN countries

• From 20th to 23rd June 2018, 5th Act East Business Show -2018 was held in Shillong, Meghalaya. Aim: to strengthen business ties between ASEAN countries and northeastern states. Also, to explore the potential of Meghalaya and its neighboring states.

NewDelhi Swachh Survekshan 2019, ODF+ & ODF ++ Protocols, Ease of Living Index launched by MoSHUA Shri Hardeep Puri

• On August 10, 2018, Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Housing & Urban Affairs launched Swachh Survekshan 2019,SBM ODF Plus and ODF Plus Plus Protocol, Ease of Living Index in New Delhi.

India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist operations inducted in Delhi Police

• On 10th August 2018, Delhi Police has inducted India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist operations. The all-woman SWAT team was formally inducted by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. This team is specialized in building interventions, counter ambush and VVIP security.

Rajnath Singh Inaugurates NDMC Smart City Projects • On 13th August 2018, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated several Smart City projects

undertaken by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), in New Delhi. MTNL’s (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) hi-speed Broadband on Optical Fiber and Hi-Speed Wi-Fi were also launched in Connaught Place.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched road safety awareness video in collaboration with Akshay Kumar and R Balkhasve

• On August 15, 2018, minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched road safety awareness video with Brand ambassador of road safety campaign actor Akshay Kumar in New Delhi.

President inaugurated “International Buddhist Conclave 2018” • On 23rd August 2018, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the “International Buddhist

Conclave (IBC), 2018” at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This is the 6th International Buddhist Conclave. Theme of this conclave is: “Buddha Path – The Living Heritage”. Partner Country for IBC 2018 is Japan.

India Banking Conclave 2018 held in New Delhi • On 23rd and 24th August 2018, India Banking Conclave 2018 was held in New Delhi.The India Banking

Conclave 2018 was organized by Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Knowledge Partner of the conclave was NITI Aayog.

Overview of 4 day visit of China’s Defence Minister Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe in New Delhi • On August 21, 2018, the Defence Minister of China Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe visited New Delhi for

an official visit for 4 days till August 24, 2018. The two sides are likely to deploy troops from both sides informing each other before carrying out any patrolling on the disputed areas along the 3488-km border.Click here to read more.

Odisha Odisha Govt to Set Up world-class Interpretation Centre at Bhitarkanika National Park

• On August 21 2018 ,Odisha government has decided to set up a state-of-the-art interpretation centre at Bhitarkania National Park to showcase its flora, fauna and rich biodiversity.The estimated cost of the project is Rs.3 crore.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a few projects and announced the upcoming investor summit in November 2018

• On August 24, 2018, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated several projects through video conferencing.In this summit, Japan will be the ‘partner country’ and State Bank of India will be the banking partner. The first edition of investment summit ‘Make in Odisha Conclave’ was in 2016. It saw the State receive investment intent of more than Rs.2 lakh crore across 10 diversified sectors.

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) opens its first regional centre near Chilika Lake


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• On August 27, 2018, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) opened its first regional centre in Chilika.The regional branch was inaugurated in the premises of the Wetland Research and Training Centre (WRTC) of the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) at Chandrapur in Chilika.BNHS has been promoting conservation of nature in India since its establishment in 1883.

Odisha ranks 2nd after Andhra in implementation of AMRUT scheme: National Level Rating Framework • On August 30, 2018, in the National Level Rating Framework assessment, Odisha ranked second with a

score of 53.19 in implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme . Andhra Pradesh scored highest with 54.11 score.

Odisha partnered with 2 US based agencies to eradicate malaria • On August 30, 2018, Odisha government signed an MOU with two US-based agencies to eradicted

malaria. The 2 agencies are: ‘Malaria No More’ and ‘Malaria Elimination Trust’. The state has an existing anti-malaria campaign called: the Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN) Scheme that has brough down 85% of the malaria cases.

‘One District, One product’ scheme launched in Odisha : MSME Minister • On August 31, 2018, Union MSME Minister Giriraj Singh announced the launch of ‘One District One

Product’ scheme in Odisha at a function of the SC-ST State Conclave cum Exhibition under National SC-ST Hub.With an Objective to provide market link to farmers and make small industries successful in the state.

Punjab ‘Tatkal Sewa’ for property registration across the state introduced by Punjab Government

• On August 13, 2018, the Punjab government started a ‘Tatkal sewa’ for property registration across the state. Under this, people can seek appointment for ‘tatkal’ (instant) registration for properties for an hour-long slot from 9 am to 10 am.The facilitation charges for the service would be Rs. 5000.

Punjab Cabinet okays amendments to CrPc & IPC to make sacrilege punishable with life imprisonment • On August 21st 2018, The Punjab Cabinet approved amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well

as the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to make disrespect of religious texts punishable with life imprisonment.The Cabinet has approved insertion of section 295AA to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to provide that – whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be punished with imprisonment for life.

Punjab Cabinet approves formation of State Higher Education Council • On 21st August 2018, the Punjab Cabinet approved the formation of the state higher education council

to offer quality education. A bill regarding this will be introduced in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The Council will be headed by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Punjab Cabinet approves bill for price stabilisation fund • On August 24, 2018,the Punjab cabinet approved a bill for creation of a price stabilisation fund. This

decision was taken by the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Amendments will be made to sections 25 (A), 26 and 28 of the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961.

PUDA 360: Punjab’s e-properties module launched by CM of Punjab • On August 31, 2018, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh launched PUDA360 module to facilitate

online property transactions.The facility has been provided by Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA).

Rajasthan Rajasthan becomes first State to implement Centre’s ‘Biofuel Policy’

• On August 1, 2018, Rajasthan becomes the first state to implement Centre’s ‘Biofuel Policy.’ For this Rajasthan has established a Centre of Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in alternate fuels and energy sources. State Rural Livelihood Development Council will also encourage women’s self-help groups (SHGs) to have additional income through supply of biodiesel.

India’s Largest Business Incubator “Bhamashah Techno Hub” launched in Jaipur by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje

• On August 24, 2018, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje launched India’s largest Business Incubator “Bhamashah Techno Hub” In Jaipur. The Rajasthan government announced setting up of a Rs 500-crore startup fund – Bhamashah Techno Fund. Out of the total amount, Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for green startups and Rs 100 crore for women startups.


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SikkimKhangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve : 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to be Included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO

• On August 9, 2018, UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves(WNBR) included Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in its list. It is India’s 11th Biosphere Reservethat has been included so far. The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated a WorldHeritage Site in 2016 under the ‘mixed’ category.

Tamilnadu Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K.Palanisamy launches app, website on plastic pollution free Tamilnadu

• On 23rd August 2018, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palanisamy launched an app and a website on plastic pollution free Tamilnadu(www.plasticpollutionfreetn.org).He inaugurated a campaign to highlight the impact of plastic pollution. He appointed actor Vivek as the brand ambassador of the project. TamilNadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami lays foundation stone for Special Investment Region (SIR) at

Krishnagiri • On 25th August 2018, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for developing

a Special Investment Region (SIR) in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. The SIR is estimated to cost Rs2,420 crore. It will be completed in 7-8 years. It will attract investments of nearly Rs 5,000 crore.

Telangana B-Hub: country’s first hub for biotech, pharma sector set up in Telangana

• On August 6, 2018, the Telangana government will set up a biotech and pharma facility, B-Hub, India’sfirst organised cluster for life sciences Research & Development at Genome Valley.With an Objective tosupport manufacturing activities for bio-pharma R&D.

National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB): India’s only lab for conservation of endangered species inaugurated by Dr Harsh Vardhan in Hyderabad

• On August 13, 2018, Union minister of science and technology Harsh Vardhan inaugurated anddedicated first scientific and most modern national wildlife genetic resource bank for conservation ofEndangered Species at Hyderabad.

Telangana CM launched 2 schemes for people of the state on 72nd Independence day • On August 15, 2018, on the eve of 72nd Independence Day, Telengana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar

Rao launched two major schemes:Rythu Bima: insurance to farmers, Under this scheme, every farmerwould be provided with life insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.Kanti Velugu: free eye screening for all citizens.

Telangana Government launches Disaster Response Force (DRF) vehicles • Telangana Government has launched Disaster Response Force (DRF) vehicles in Hyderabad to handle

situations like flash floods, heavy rains, building collapse and fire mishaps. Hyderabad is the second cityto have an exclusive Enforcement Vigilance Disaster Management wing.

Telangana government increases free power units for SC/ST families from 50 Unit to 101 Units • On 24th August 2018, Telangana State Government increased the free electricity supply to the families

of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for domestic purpose from the current 50 units to 101units. It has also decided to increase the retirement age of Archakas in Temples to 65 years from thecurrent 58 years.

Uttar Pradesh ‘One District one Product’ Summit inaugurated by President of India in Uttar Pradesh

• On August 10, 2018, President of India inaugurates ‘One District one Product’ Summit in Lucknow, UttarPradesh. It is a first of its kind summit in the country to boost trade of the MSMEs.With an Objectiveto promote traditional industries and spur local trade.

Nirmala Sitharaman & Yogi Adityanath launch defence industrial corridor in Aligarh • On 11th August 2018, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi

Adityanath inaugurated the first phase of UP Deference Corridor in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.6 nodalpoints have been identified for the corridor: Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Chitrakoot and Jhansi.

Uttar Pradesh government to name upcoming Bundelkhand Expressway as Atal path • Uttar Pradesh government has decided to name the upcoming Bundelkhand Expressway as ‘Atal

Path’ to honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajyapee. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath


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had also announced that the Uttar Pradesh government will build 4 memorials in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name in Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur and Balrampur.

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand Cabinet approves revised policy on adventure sports

• On 8th August 2018, Uttarakhand Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat approved a revised policy on adventure sports.It has imposed a total ban on smoking and substance abuse by enthusiasts when they perform rafting, kayaking or canoeing in Uttarakhand.

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

• On August 28, 2018, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 6 states(Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan , Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi) for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin. The total project is worth Rs 3,966.51 crore.

WestBengal Israel opens Visa Application Centre in Kolkata

• On August 12, 2018, Israel opened a visa application centre in the city of Kolkata for tourists from West Bengal and north eastern states. The visa application categories include : employment, business, tourism, meeting and conferences, students.

Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme: West Bengal Government removed family income ceiling. • On August 16, 2018, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee lifted family income ceiling for the beneficiaries

of women welfare scheme ‘Kanyashree’.This would cost the state government an additional Rs 200 crore.The state had already incurred an annual expenditure of Rs 1200 crore under the scheme in 2017.

Other Important National Affairs ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ released by BEE and AEEE

• On August 2, 2018, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’.It was launched by Mr. A.K. Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power; Dr Ajay Mathur, DG, TERI in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry and BEE. States are categorised based on their efforts as ‘Front Runner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’.

Front Runner States

Achiever States

Contender States Aspirant states

Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra , Punjab.

Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana.

Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand.

West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh

Seva Bhoj Yojna: new scheme worth Rs.325 crore launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

• On August 2, 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Government of India launched the new scheme Seva Bhoj Yojna. Total outlay of the scheme is Rs. 325.00 Crores for financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20.The Objective of the Scheme is to reimburse the CGST and IGST to Religious/Charitable Institutions who provide Food free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.

Logo, tagline for GI launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu • On August 2, 2018, the Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu launched

a logo and tagline for Geographical Indications (GI).With an Objective to create awareness about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).The slogan for the GI tag is: Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India.Some of the GI tagged products are: Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina.




Piyush Goyal Approves a New Promotion Policy for Railway Sportspersons • Union Minister of Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Piyush Goyal has approved a new policy

for promotion of Railway Sportspersons. As per this new policy, in addition to the sportspersons who won a position or medal in Olympics, all the sportspersons and coaches who have been awarded with Padma Shri will also be promoted as officers.

MSME launches Mission Solar Charkha for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across India • The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched Mission Solar Charkha for

implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters throughout India. The budget for this mission is: Rs 550 crore for 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Textile ministry launches SAATHI initiative • On August 3, 2018 Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Power have joined hands under the initiative

SAATHI(Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries) in order to sustain and accelerate the adoption of energy efficient textile technologies in the powerloom sector.

Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 gets President’s assent • On 5th August 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill,

2018, that will prevent offenders from avoiding legal process and escaping the country. 122 New Research Project selected at a cost of Rs 112 Crore under IMPRINT-2 : HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar

• On August 5, 2018, the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved 122 new research projects at a cost of Rs 112 crore under IMPRINT-2.With an Objective for advancing research in the high education institutions.

Govt imposed 120% tariffs on 29 US imports effective from September 18 • On August 5, 2018, India imposed new higher tariffs of 120% against 29 goods imported from

the United States.These will come into effect from September 18,2018.The products include: almonds, walnuts and apples.

Parliament passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 • On 6th August 2018, the Parliament passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that ensures

severe punishment for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age. This bill will replace the Criminal Law Ordinance, promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on 22nd April 2018.

NGT constituted a committee to monitor Ganga rejuvenation project; headed by a former Allahabad High Court judge

• On 6th August 2018, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), constituted a committee, to be headed by a former Allahabad High Court judge, to monitor the rejuvenation project of Ganga from Haridwar to Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will be the nodal agency to coordinate with the committee. It will coordinate and provide inputs to the panel.

India imposed safeguard duty on solar cells imports from China and Malaysia for two years • On August 1, 2018, India imposed safeguard duty on solar panels imported from China and

Malaysia for 2 years.With an Objective to protect domestic players from losing the market to them. Parliament passes Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill

• On 7th August 2018, Parliament passed the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill regarding the compensation payable for acquisition of immovable property by the Centre for defence and security purposes.

Swaminathan panel report being implemented for better livelihood of farmers: Agriculture minister • On August 9, 2018, the agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh announced that government would

implement Swaminathan Committee’s report to improve living standards of farmers and upliftment of farm sector.

Parliament passes National Sports University Bill, 2018 • On 9th August 2018, Parliament passed the National Sports University Bill 2018, as the Rajya Sabha

approved it. This Bill aims to set up a first-of-its-kind National Sports University in Manipur to promote sports.Regional centres of the university will also be set up in other parts of India and other countries.

Parliament passes SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 • On 9th August 2018, Parliament passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of

Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018. Section 18A has been inserted to eliminate the need for a preliminary enquiry before registration of an FIR, or obtain approval of any authority before arrest of an accused, and to restore the provisions of Section 18 of the Act.




“PARIVESH” – an environmental single window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ clearances launched

• On 10th August 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day. It also follows the Minimum Government and Maximum Governance ideology.

India Science Technology and Innovation portal launched by Vigyan Prasar • On August 11, 2018, the Union science ministry’s communication wing, Vigyan Prasar launched

the India Science Technology and Innovation portal. It would invest Rs. 15 crore for development and upgradation of portal.The portal follows a launch of India Science ( indiascience.in ), an Internet-based science channel, to showcase the developments in science and technology in India.

Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 passed; Allowing death sentence for rape of children below 12 years

• On August 12, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, that provides death penalty for convicts accused of raping girls below the age of 12 years.It will further amend the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed by Parliament • On August 12, 2018, Parliament has passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment)

Bill,2018 with the Rajya Sabha’s approval. The Bill seeks to clarify that allottees under a real estate project should be treated as financial creditors.

NGT forms committee on natural conservation zones • On August 13, 2018, the National Green Tribunal has formed a committee with Ministry of Environment

and Forests acting as the nodal agency of the committee.With an Objective to monitor consistency of the sub-regional plans for protection of Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) as per regional plan prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board.

2 new Space Research Technology Centres to come up in Jammu and Agartala • On August 13, 2018, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North

Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh announced that Jammu will be the first city in North India to get a full-fledged Space Technology Research Centre. Another Space Technology Research Centre will be set up in Agartala, Tripura in the Northeast.

Jodhpur emerged as the cleanest Railway station in India: survey by QCI • On August 13, 2018, railway minister Piyush Goyal announced that Jodhpur in Rajasthan topped in

the cleanest railway stati` on in the recent ranking of the ‘Swach Rail’. In the A1 category, Jodhpur has emerged as the cleanest station overtaking the spot from last year’s winner Visakhapatnam. Marwar in Rajasthan topped the list in A category.

Rs 66,000 crore fund released by Centre to increase India’s green cover • On August 14, 2018, Centre has approved more than 66,000 crore rupees to increase the country’s

forest cover. 80 percent of the compensatory afforestation amount will be utilized by the states in 13 activities. The remaining 20 percent will be used for 11 listed works to strengthen forest and wildlife protection related infrastructure.

7 member group headed by IRDAI CGM constituted by IRDA to analyze and amend norms for insurance surveyors

• On August 14, 2018, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) constituted a 7 member working group for norms regarding insurance surveyors.The group will headed by Yegna Priya Bharat, Chief General Manager (Nonlife), IRDAI. The group will work on theareas pertaining to licensing, renewal and others as per the existing regulatory framework for Surveyors and Loss Assessors.

New Central Sector scheme for promoting Pharmacovigilance of AYUSH Drugs released by AYUSH ministry

• On August 14, 2018, Ministry of AYUSH introduced new Central Sector scheme for promoting pharmacovigilance of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) Drugs. Government has sanctioned grant of Rs 10.60 Crore for the establishment of pharma covigilance network.

“Digital Screens” launched by Ministry of Railways to spread awareness about Indian Railways Heritage • On August 16, 2018, Ministry of Railways launches “Digital Screens” to spread awareness about Indian

Railways Heritage.Addirionally, QR code based posters on Railway Heritage are also being displayed at these stations.


http://indiascience.in/



Campaign against sexual abuse of children launched by Amnesty International India • On August 17, 2018, Amnesty International India launched a new campaign named ‘Our Safety, Our

Rights’, among children against sexual abuse.The campaign will culminate on October 11 – International Day of the Girl Child.With an Objective to help them understand and identify sexual abuse.

Panel headed by B Sesikeran to review red-labelling draft of FSSAI • On August 17, 2018, bill for red-labelling of packaged products containing fat, sugar and salt has been

halted by the government as per FSSAI’s report.The group is headed by B Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) as well as the current director Hemalatha and doctor Nikhil Tandon.

UIDAI announces phased rollout of live face 2 step authentication with TSPs from September 15 • On August 18, 2018, UIDAI announced a phased rollout of live face recognition feature with telecom

service providers from September 15.The ‘live face photo’ capture would be done to obtain eKYC for issuance of mobile SIMs.

Supreme Court accepts Centre’s proposal for use of coloured stickers to indicate nature of fuel • On 13th August 2018, Supreme Court accepted the proposal of the ministry of road transport and

highways (MoRTH), on usage of hologram-based colour coded stickers on vehicles to indicate nature of fuel.Light blue-petrol and CNG fuel, Orange-Diesel.MoRTH had issued a draft notification on 15th May 2018, proposing a number plate with green background for electric vehicles.

PFRDA set up panel for advice on cyber safety to protect subscribers • On August 19, 2018, Pension fund regulator, Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority

(PFRDA), set a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cyber security challenges.The focus area of the committee is on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified a new set of specified health warnings for all tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after September 1. Health ministry ordered all packs of tobacco products must have “tobacco causes cancer” and “tobacco causes painful death”written in white on a red background, and the words “quit today call 1800-11-2356” in white on a black background.

Centralised secretariat at Panchkula for 5 Northen staes and 2 UTs to tackle drug menace • On 20th August 2018, 5 Northern States: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand

and Union Territories: Delhi and Chandigarh decided to set up a centralised secretariat at Panchkula, in Haryana, to tackle drug menace.

IIT Kharagpur launches ‘Aditya Choubey Center for Re-Water Research’ • On 17th August 2018, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kharagpur) launched ‘Aditya

Choubey Center for Re-Water Research’ to treat and convert sewage water into potable water. NOTA option cannot be permitted in Rajya Sabha polls, says Supreme Court

• On August 21,2018 None of The Above (NOTA) option will not be available for elected MPs and MLAs voting in the coming Rajya Sabha elections, with the Supreme Court cancelling an Election Commission notification which had provided such option in Upper House.

Home Minister assigned NCRB to curb “sexual violence” videos involving women and children • On August 21,2018 ,An important meeting was held under the head of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to

discuss recommendations on ways to curb “sexual violence” videos involving women and children.A notification has been issued to NCRB under the Information Technology Act, 2000 to enable us take action against such videos and to ask the service providers to block the content.

JEE Advanced: IITs reject Government proposal to reform exam format • On August 21,2018, Indian Institute of Technology rejected the proposal of Human Resource and

Development ministry for setting up a panel to recommend changes in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE- Advanced).

Overview of Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera’s visit to India • The Defence Minister of Japan Mr. Itsunori Onodera visited India for the first time for 2 days at the

invitation of the Defence Minister of India Smt Nirmala Sitharaman from 19 to 20 August 2018.With an Objective to further strengthen defence and security cooperation under the ‘Japan-lndia Special Strategic and Global Partnership’.Click here to read more.


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Strong wage policies needed to promote inclusive growth in India: as per ‘India Wage Report: Wage policies for decent work and inclusive growth’

• On 20th August 2018, ILO (International Labour Organization) released its ‘India Wage Report: Wage policies for decent work and inclusive growth’. This report states that, India needs to improve its wage policies to promote inclusive growth. As per the report, nearly 33 % i.e. 62 million workers were paid less than the indicative national minimum wage. Also, the rate of low pay was higher in women.

Government unveils Draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme for extending affordable air travel programme UDAN to international circuits

• On 21st August 2018, Central Government launched Draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme to extend affordable air travel programme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) to international circuits.

Government imposed standard environment clearing conditions for 25 sectors; Expert committee has been constituted

• On August 24, 2018, to give proper general guidance to companies seeking environment clearance, the government has given standard environment clearing conditions for 25 sectors which include: iron, steel, cement, coal, petroleum refineries industry, paper and pulp industries, hydro-electric projects, industrial estates, among others.

5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region launched by NITI Aayog • On August 24, 2018, NITI Aayog released the 5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian

Himalayan Region that had been prepared by the 5 Working Groups (WGs) in June 2017. The 5 themes include:Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security,Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan Region,Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation,Strengthening Skill & Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas and Data/Information for Informed Decision Making.

Committee of Secretaries approved setting up National Logistics Portal as a e-marketplace • On August 24, 2018, A committee of secretaries has approved a proposal by department of commerce

(DoC) to setup a National Logistics Portal (NLP). The portal is being planned in three phases:development of a logistics e-marketplace whose test run is being planned by March,single window certification by bringing in 81 authorities on board and integrating financial services on the platform.

Various states and institutions renamed themselves after Late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee • The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) announced its decision to rename its School of Management and

Entrepreneurship as Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship. Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh renaming upcoming capital of the state Naya Raipur as Atal Nagar.Upcoming airport at Deoghar as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Airport Deograh,

5G steering committee headed by AJ Paulraj submitted its report to DoT; India to get 5G by 2020. • On August 25, 2018, high-level 5G Forum headed by Stanford University’s Professor Emeritus AJ

Paulraj, submitted its 62-page report to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and suggested the following measures to be taken. Earmarking additional airwave bands that may have an economic impact of more than $1 trillion

by 2035, Most guidelines on regulatory matters must be promulgated by March 2019to facilitate early 5G

deployment, Additional financial support may be offered to internet service providers (ISPs), technology

companies, local governments to participate in the trials.India is likely to see the first 5G commercial launch in 2020.

Bhopal and Kolkata topped in CSE rankings of ‘Urban Commute’ on clean transportation • On August 26, 2018, the New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment

(CSE) released its analysis – titled The Urban Commute in Kolkata on pollution in urban commute.In the Overall emissions and energy consumption category: Bhopal topped and Delhi ranked last (14th).In the Per-travel trip emissions and energy consumption category: Kolkata topped and Hyderabad ranked last (14th).

Committee chaired by Secy, Corporate Affairs on review of penal provisions of Company Act 2013 submitted its final report to Shri Arun Jaitley

• On August 27, 2018, the Committee constituted by Government of India in July 2018 to review framework dealing with offences under the Companies Act, 2013 submitted its report to the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley.With an Objective to promote better




corporate compliance. This report is presented by the Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Shri Injeti Srinivas, who chaired the committee.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister launches online portal for Common Carrier Capacity booking on GAIL’s pipelines, a first of its kind in Indian natural gas sector

• On 27th August 2018, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched an online portal for enabling easy, efficient and transparent booking of Common carrier capacity for natural gas transmission services under GAIL’s pipelines.

Bombardier Q400 turboprop: India’s first biofuel flight from Dehradun to Delhi operated by Spice Jet took off

• On August 27, 2018, SpiceJet would fly India’s first biofuel-powered flight from Dehradun to Delhi on its Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft from Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport.It‘s a mix of the oil extracted from the seeds of Jatropha plant.The government will make an environment friendly aviation action plan till 2035.

Government announces regulations for safe commercial usage of drones • On August 28, 2018, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu announced the Drone

Regulations 1.0. These regulations will enable the safe, commercial usage of drones starting December 1, 2018. They are intended to enable visual line-of-sight daytime-only and a maximum of 400 ft altitude operations.

Corporate sports policy for CPSEs under Steel Ministry to provide support for sports • On August 28, 2018, Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, unveiled the corporate sports

policy for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under the Ministry of Steel.With an Objective to provide a framework for promotion of sports by Steel Ministry CPSEs.

National Anti-profiteering Authority launched consumer helpline to file GST profiteering complaints • On August 28, 2018, the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) launched a helpline number for

complaints regarding GST rate cuts.With an Objective to encourage consumers to file complaints against the companies that are not passing GST rate cut benefits. The helpline number is : 011-21400643 .

NMCG Approves Projects Worth Nearly 150 Crore Rupees for Cleaning the River and Its Banks • On 28th August 2018, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved projects worth Rs 150

crores in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal under the Namami Gange programme, in its 5th Executive Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

NVIDIA made deep learning technology partner of NITI Aayog for “MoveHack” • On 28th August 2018, computer chip manufacturer NVIDIA collaborated with NITI Aayog as its Deep

learning technology partner to support NITI Aayog’s “MoveHack” hackathon. Deep learning technology comes under machine learning (ML) in artificial intelligence (AI). It has networks capable of learning unsupervised from data that is unstructured or unlabelled.

Centre sanctions Rs 730 cr for Narmada project • On August 30, 2018, the Centre sanctioned Rs 730 crore for the Gujarat’s Sardar Sarovar Dam project on

the Narmada river. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs.13000 crore.It’s area covers 17 districts, is spread over 27,000 square km.It is considered one of India’s 99 major irrigational projects.

PM-STIAC: 21 member committee formed To Advise PM On Science, Tech-Related Policy Issues • On August 30, 2018, the Government has constituted a 21 member high power committee to advise it

on policy matters related to science, technology and innovation.The name of the committee is : PM-STIAC (Science, Technology, Innovation Advisory Committee).It is chaired by K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government.

Government puts restrictions on export of bio-fuels: DGFT • On August 30, 2018, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced that the government

had imposed restrictions on export of bio-fuels including the same for imports.The restriction on import and export of bio-fuels include ethyl alcohol and other denatured spirits, bio-diesel, petroleum oils.

Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) to promote innovation launched by HRD ministry

• On August 31, 2018, the Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the introduction of Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), an initiative of the union ministry to promote innovation. India has already been improving on global stage in terms of Innovation ranking from 86th place, 5 years ago, to 57th place this year.




National Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) plus strategy launched by Dr Harsh Vardhan

• On August 31, 2018, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan introduced the ‘National REDD+(“Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation”)Strategy India’ for the implementation of the REDD+ strategy.With an Objective to help build sustainable livelihood of local communities and conserve biodiversity.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Makes India’s First Standardised Modern Ship Design for Ganga a Reality

• On 31st August 2018, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) made public 13 standardised advanced ship designs suitable for large barge haulage on river Ganga (National Waterway-1). The Government is implementing Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) for capacity enhancement of navigation on NW-1 (Varanasi-Haldia stretch) at a cost of Rs 5369.18 crore.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS World’s First Intertidal Art Gallery Opened in Maldives

• The Intertidal art gallery called Coralarium is located at the Fairmont Madives Sirru Fen Fushi resort. The Art Gallery is filled with around 30 Sculptures acting as a habitat for coral and other marine species.

4 day Visit of External Affairs Minister to Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Uzbekistan (August 2- 5, 2018)

• On August 5, 2018 External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj concluded her 4 day visit to three nations.It is her first trip to these countries as External Affairs Minister.Click here to read more.

2 day Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 held in Birgunj, Nepal • On August 14, 2018, Chief Minister of Province 2 Mohammad Lalbabu Raut of Nepal inaugurated the 2

day Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 in Birgunj. The event was organised by Nepal India Co-operation Forum.

India releases additional funds for Nepal’s Postal Highway • On 14th August 2018, Indian Government released additional NPR 470 million for the Postal

Highway being constructed in Southern Plains of Nepal.This amount has been released for the ongoing construction of 14 road packages under Postal Highway Project.

24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing, China for the first time • On August 13, 2018, the 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) was held in Beijing, China for

the first time.The theme for this event is: “Learning To Be Human”.It is organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and Peking University.

Esala Maha Perehera festival begins in Sri Lanka • On 16th August 2018, the historic Esala Maha Perehera festival started in Kandy, Sri Lanka.The Festival

started with a grand procession from Sri Dalada Maligawa, the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. 35% of cyber attacks on Indian sites from China:Report by CERT-In

• On August 23, 2018, according to a report by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the maximum number of cyber attacks on official Indian websites are from China, US and Russia.

9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival 2018 held in Bhutan • From 23rd to 25th August 2018, 9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival 2018 was held

in Thimphu, Bhutan. The festival focused on Spirituality and Philosophy, Performing Arts, Environmental Conservation, Food, Film & Theatre, etc.

Foreigners barred from flying drones in India: RPAS • On August 30, 2018, as per the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) regulations, foreigners have

been barred from flying drones in India.For commercial purpose, they need to lease RPAS to an Indian entity who in-turn will obtain UIN and UAOP from DGCA.Furthermore, micro drones could be allowed during night subject to various conditions and up to a height of 200 feet above ground level.


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BANKING & FINANCE

RBI in News RBI releases its Third Bi-monthly Policy on August 1, 2018

• On August 1, 2018, a 3 day 6 member meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee headed by Governor Dr. Urjit Patel concluded where RBI released its 3rd bi-monthly policy.The Next meeting will be scheduled from October 3-5, 2018.

Policy rates 2nd bi-monthly in June 6th 2018

3rd bimonthly in August 1,2018

Repo Rate 6.25% 6.50% Reverse Repo Rate 6.0% 6.25% Marginal Standing Facility (MSF)

6.5% 6.75%

Bank Rate 6.5% 6.75% Reserve Ratios

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

4% 4%

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)

19.5% 19.5%

Mauritius-based SBM Group the first foreign lender has received Reserve Bank of India’s approval to operate in the country as SBM Bank (India)

• On August 2, 2018, RBI has given approval to State Bank of Mauritius to operate in the country through a wholly-owned subsidiary route under the name SBM Bank(India).It is the first such bank to get such approval. Currently it has 4 operational branches in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.

RBI bars Fino Payments Bank from enroling new customers • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Fino Payments Bank from adding new customers after it

observed anomalies regarding deposits in the existing accounts. Recently, Paytm Payments Bank was also barred by RBI to add new customers after violation of KYC process.

Umbrella Organisation’ to revive Urban Co-op Banking: RBI • On August 5, 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-fund-based Umbrella

organisations(UO) at State levels to revive India’s co-operative banking sector.It would conduct non-fund activities in the areas of training, capacity building and IT infrastructure and research.Gujarat is the first State in the country to have an UO for the UCB sector.

UAE top source of inward remittances in 2016-17: RBI











• Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17 has stated that, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the top source of inward remittances, and Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad. It is followed by the United States (22.9%), Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%).

RBI to pay Rs 50,000 cr dividend to govt for FY18 in line with Budget estimate for the July 2017-June 2018 financial year

• On August 11, 2018, RBI announced that the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, at its meeting held on August 8, 2018, approved the transfer of surplus amounting to Rs. 500 billion or Rs.50,000 crore for the year ended June 30, 2018 to the Government of India.

RBI Annual Report stated that India remains preferred destination for FDI • On August 29, 2018, according to RBI Annual Report, India remains a preferred destination for foreign

direct investment (FDI). India received $37.3 billion capital inflow in 2017-18 as compared to $36.3 billion in the previous fiscal. During the 2015-16, the country received $36.06 billion. FDI inflows were mostly from Mauritius and Singapore with almost 61% of total equity investments.

99.30% of demonetized money worth Rs.15.31 lakh crore back in the system: RBI annual report • On August 30, 2018, in the annual report published by RBI, it announced that 99.30% of all of the

demonetized currency notes have been counted and accounted for by the central bank. Rs 15.31 lakh crore worth currency notes have now been returned, since November 8, 2016.The total worth of notes that was in circulation at the time of demonetization was : Rs 15.41 lakh crore.

India’s economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018-19: RBI • On August 30, 2018, its annual report, RBI stated that India’s economic growth rate will grow at 7.4 per

cent in the current financial year.It was 6.7 percent in the previous year. RBI will work toward the medium term target for retail inflation of 4 percent.

Loans issued by banks/others

Loan issued by Received by Amount Points to be noted

NABARD Haryana Rs 722 crore For eight water projects in the rural areas of Haryana. Additionally, the state government has sent three more project proposals, costing Rs 236.85 crore, to NABARD for financial assistance.

State Bank of India (SBI)

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

Rs 25,000 crore This is the largest amount of loan that has been sanctioned to NHAI in one shot. Also, this is the largest long term unsecured loan sanctioned by SBI at a time to any entity.

IBRD of World Bank

Government of India

$300 million The program will be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).This is one of the several steps being taken by the Government of India to meet its climate change commitments to reduce carbon intensity by 33-35 percent by 2030.




Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Government of India

$375 million To double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh. It will cover 2 large irrigation systems: the Kundalia irrigation project, the existing Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Project.


Government of lndia

$346 million To finance Karnataka State Highways lmprovement lll Project (KSHIP-lll)

World Bank Government of India and Government of Rajasthan

$250 million For Development Policy Loan (DPL) for Rajasthan. The name of the loan is : The Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan.

German envoy Jasper Wieck on behalf of Germany

Government of lndia

Euro 120 mn The purpose of the project is to reduce the inflow of untreated waste water in River Ganga and improve the water quality of the river.


West Bengal state

$245 million With an Objective to provide safe, sustainable, and inclusive drinking water service.

MoU/Agreements in Banking & Finance Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance tie up with Fincare Small Finance Bank for bancassurance

• On August 4, 2018, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance has tied up with Fincare Small Finance Bank to offer specialised product offerings to the bank customers. It aims to push life insurance to the rural population.As per the MoU, two products will be offered: Point of Sale (POS) product and a protection product.

HDFC Life inks pact with Vijaya Bank to sell insurance products • On August 4, 2018, HDFC Life Insurance and Vijaya Bank signed an MoU where the bank will sell the

insurer’s products through its branches. HDFC Life already has 163 bancassurance partners. StarAgri Finance signs MoU with Karur Vysya Bank to aid traders and farmers

• On August 1, 2018, To provide financial assistance to commodity traders and farmers, StarAgri Finance signed MoU with private lender Karur Vysya Bank.Micro-lending would be provided to traders and farmers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Reliance Jio, SBI ink pact to boost digital transactions • On August 3, 2018, State Bank of India (SBI) has inked a pact with Reliance Jio Infocomm to integrate its

digital banking solution Yono with MyJio application. It is a 30:70 joint venture between SBI and Reliance.

Blockchain: Exim Bank signs MoU with BRICS development banks • On August 12, 2018, Exim Bank of India signed an MoU with member development banks of BRICS on

collaboration in Blockchain Techonology. A joint research working group will be constituted by the signatories for formulating the research agenda and targeted outcome.




APPS Launched by Banks Mobile apps/portal Launched by Purpose MOPAD State Bank of

India It is a Point of Sale (PoS) terminal that will allow to facilitate transactions from cards to QR code based payments.

MyDeal HSBC To simplify capital raising process through capital markets by offering real-time access to information like investors’ feedback, profiles, client orders and deal pricing.

Rates changed by Banks Indian Bank revises interest rates on FCNR(B) deposits

• On 1st August 2018, Indian Bank has revised interest rates on Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Banking) – FCNR(B)deposits with immediate effect.

Deposit period Revised Interest Rate

Previous Interest Rate

1 year and above but less than 2 years (in US Dollar terms)

3.68 % 3.59 %

2 years and above, but less than 3 years

3.88 % 3.77 %

3 years and above but less than 4 years

3.97 % 3.89 %

4 years and above but less than 5 years

3.99 % 3.92 %

up to 5 years 4 % 3.93 % HDFC Bank raised fixed deposit rates by up to 0.6%

• On August 6, 2018, HDFC increased fixed deposit rates on various maturities by up to 0.6 per cent. Tenors Final increased rates (in %) 6 months to 9 months 6.75 9 months three days to 1 year 7 1 year to 2 years 7.25 2 years to 5 years 7.10

ICICI Bank Hikes Fixed Deposit (FD) Interest Rates • On August 14, 2018, private sector lender ICICI Bank hiked its fixed deposit or FD interest rates across

select maturities and amounts with effect from 14th August. Tenure Period Rate of Interest (% p.a.) w.e.f

August 14, 2018 General Senior Citizen*

7 days to 14 days 4 4.5 15 days to 29 days 4.25 4.75 30 days to 45 days 5.5 6 46 days to 60 days 5.75 6.25 61 days to 90 days 6 6.5 91 days to 120 days 6 6.5 121 days to 184 days 6 6.5 185 days to 289 days 6.5 7 290 days to less than 1 year 6.75 7.25 1 year to 389 days 6.75 7.25 390 days to 2 years 7 7.5 2 years 1 day upto 5 years 7.25 7.75 5 years 1 day upto 10 years 7 7.5 5 Years Tax saver FD(Max upto Rs. 1.50 lac) 7.25 7.75




IDBI hiked MCLR rate by up to 0.10% on various tenors • On August 15, 2018, IDBI Bank increased the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by up

to 0.10 per cent for various tenors. Tenors New Interest Rate (in %) Overnight 8 One month 8.25 Three months 8.45 Six Months 8.60 One year 8.85 Two years & Three years

8.90

Andhra Bank raised MCLR by 0.15% for various tenors • On August 16, 2018, Andhra Bank raises MCLR by 0.15% for various tenors.

Tenors New Rates (in %) Overnight 8.15 One Month 8.20 Three months 8.40 Six months 8.55 One year 8.70

Other Important Banking & Finance News Bandhan Bank surpasses YES Bank market capitalisation; becomes 7th most valued bank

• On 1st August 2018, Bandhan Bank surpassed YES Bank’s market capitalisation (m-cap) and became the sixth most valuable private sector bank and seventh most valued listed lender. As on 1st August 2018, HDFC Bank, SBI and Kotak Mahindra Bank occupied the top three positions respectively, based on market capitalization.

Vikas Bonanza 456: a new deposit scheme launched by Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) • On August 3,2018, Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) launched a new deposit scheme

called Vikas Bonanza 456.The scheme is of a tenure of 456 days with interest rate of 7.10 per cent for public and 7.60 per cent for senior citizens.It also offers annualized return of 7.35% for the general public and 7.89% for senior citizens.

Rs 4,989.55 crore collected from customers in FY18 by 24 banks for not maintaining minimum account balance

• On August 6, 2018, 21 public sector banks and 3 major private sector lenders collected Rs 4,989.55 crore from customers for non-maintenance of minimum balance in their accounts in 2017-18.SBI collected Rs.2433 crore nearly half the amount raised by the 24 banks put together.

PayPal & HDFC Bank partner to offer seamless payment experiences to card holders • On August 9, 2018, PayPal and HDFC Bank partnered to offer safer, faster and convenient payment

experiences to bank’s card holders.This would enable consumers to easily open PayPal accounts and set it as their preferred payment method.

PayU & Reliance Money announce strategic partnership for instant personal loan • On August 9, 2018, PayU India partnered with Reliance Money to offer personal loans via LazyPay.With

an Objective to reach out to the underserved consumers in India. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Vijaya Bank entered into a bancassurance deal

• On August 10, 2018, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance entered into a bancassurance deal with Vijaya Bank.Insurance products such as health, personal accident, home, motor and travel along with a commercial line of insurance products will be offered.

1st of its kind iris authentication for Aadhaar-based transactions introduced by Axis Bank • On August 10, 2018, Axis bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan

Authentication feature for Aadhaar -based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.This is being run as a pilot project in 8 branches of rural Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Urban co-op lender SVC Bank partnered with DHFL Pramerica Life, Aditya Birla Health for bancassurance

• On August 11, 2018, Insurers DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance and Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co announced their bancassurance partnership with SVC Co-operative Bank Limited. It aims




to offer easy access to simple life insurance products and strengthen the distribution network of DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance.

SBI ranked as India’s most patriotic brand: Survey by UK based YouGov • On August 13, 2018, the survey conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics

firm YouGov announced SBI to be the most patriotic brand.It is Followed by Tata Motors,Patanjali,Reliance Jio and BSNL.

Cosmos Bank’s server hacked; Rs 94 cr transferred off in 2 days via Visa and Rupay payment gateways • On August 14, 2018, Cosmos bank announced that the server of Pune-based bank was under a malware

attack for 2 days between August 11 and August 13 and an amount of Rs 94 crore has been transferred off. The cards of the cooperative bank customers that were cloned were of Visa and Rupay.

Bharti AXA & Airtel Payments Bank partnered to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana • On August 16, 2018, Bharti AXA, Airtel Payments Bank team up to offer Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti

Bima Yojana.It will give Rs 2 lakh life insurance cover for an annual premium of Rs 330. Sarvatra technologies launches 450th cooperative bank – ‘Sevalia Urban Co-operative Bank’

• On August 17, 2018, Sarvatra Technologies has launched ‘Sevalia Urban Co-operative Bank’ as 450th co-operative bank on National Financial Switch (NFS). It aims to add another 50 plus co-operative banks by FY 2019.

Investment in P-notes hits 9-year low at Rs 80,341 crore since 2009 • On August 18, 2018, according to SEBI data , investments through participatory notes into Indian

capital markets declined to over nine-year low of Rs 80,341 crore till July-end.This is the lowest level since April 2009 when the cumulative value of such investments stood at Rs 72,314 crore.

Home Ministry notifies new Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for refilling of ATMs • Home Ministry has specified new Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for refilling of ATMs

(Automated Teller Machine), which will come to effect on 8th February 2019. As per the new SoPS, Cash loading of the ATMs or cash transportation activities will not be done:After 9 pm– in urban areas,After 6 pm– in rural areas,Before 9 am or after 4 pm– in districts notified by the central government as Left Wing Extremism affected areas or Naxal-hit areas.

Ujjivan SFB launched overdraft facility for medium and small enterprises • On August 23, 2018, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank announced the launch of its overdraft facility for micro

and small enterprises (MSE). It would be offered to all MSEs with a turnover of Rs 50 lakh or more. This interest rate on the overdraft is for one year with a minimum credit of Rs 11 lakh to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh renewed on an annual basis.

NABARD All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) 2016-17 • On 16th August 2018, NABARD All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) report was released by Dr.

Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog at an event, in New Delhi. This is the first edition of this survey. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has proposed to perform this survey every 3 years.Click here to read more.

Bondi bond : world’s first blockchain public bond launched by World Bank • On August 25, 2018, the World Bank has launched the world’s first public bond created and managed

using only blockchain technology. It has been named : Bondi Bond stands for Blockchain Operated New Debt Instrument.The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the sole manager of the deal that has been priced by the World Bank at A$100 million ($73.16 million) with a two-year maturity.

Punjab National Bank tops in digital transaction: Department of Financial Services • On August 27, 2018, according to a report of Department of Financial Services, Punjab National

Bank has been rated as number one state-owned bank in terms of digital transactions. Current account deficit to hit 2.8% of GDP in FY19: SBI report Ecowrap

• On August 27, 2018, according to a report named Ecowrap published by SBI, the current account deficit of the country will rise to 2.8% of the GDP in the current financial year. The merchandise trade imbalance is also expected to rise to USD 188 billion in FY19, compared with USD 160 billion in FY18.

Axis Securities launched commodity trading with MCX • On August 28, 2018, Axis Securities launched commodity broking services with MCX and became the

first bank subsidiary to enter the commodity broking business. All existing Axis Direct customers can now trade in 29 commodity futures and contracts through a one-time online registration process.


https://www.affairscloud.com/nabard-all-india-financial-inclusion-survey-nafis/



BUSINESS & ECONOMY Japan overtakes China to become world’s second-largest stock market: Bloomberg

• On August 5, 2018, according to Bloomberg’s data Japan is now the world’s second-largest stock market.It has overthrown China as its total equity is $6.17 trillion and that of China’s is $6.09 trillion.The United States is the world’s biggest market for stocks, with total worth just over $31 trillion.

India’s GDP growth to rise by 7.5% this fiscal, says Morgan Stanley • Morgan Stanley has predicted, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 7.5 % in this financial

year 2018 – 2019. Morgan Stanley’s report forecasts Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to remain above the inflation target of 4 % and the current account deficit below 2.5 % of GDP.

Startup India launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme • Startup India launched the “Startup Academia Alliance programme”, which is a special mentorship

opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains. Aim: to minimize the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications to enhance the impact of these technologies.

Import duty on 328 textile products doubled to 20% to boost production: CBIC • On August 8, 2018, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Custom (CBIC) doubled import duty

on 328 textile productes to 20% under Section 159 of the Customs Act, 1962.Earlier, the government had last month doubled import duty on over 50 textile products– including jackets, suits and carpets to 20 per cent.

IMF forecasts India’s GDP to grow at 7.5 % in 2019/20 fiscal year • On 7th August 2018, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India’s GDP (Gross Domestic

Product) to grow at 7.5 % in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. India’s GDP forecast is 7.3 % in fiscal year 2018/19 and 7.5 % in 2019/20.

REC inked pact with German bank for 200 mn euro loan for energy projects in India • On August 15, 2018, Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) inked a loan agreement with German

bank KfW in Frankfurt for EUR 200 million. This is REC’s fourth line of credit under Indo-German development cooperation.

GDP likely to expand by 7.4% in FY’19: Ficci’s Economic Outlook Survey’ • On August 15, 2018, as per Ficci’s survey ‘Ficci’s Economic Outlook Survey’, the Indian economy is

expected to grow at 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal. It projects that GDP will grow at 7.4 per cent for 2018-19, with a minimum and maximum range of 7.1 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively.

India Ratings decreases growth forecast to 7.2% from 7.4% for FY19 • On August 16, 2018, according to India Ratings, growth forecast of India has been cut to 7.2% from

7.4% for FY19.The private final consumption expenditure to grow 7.6% in FY19 compared to 6.6% in FY18.

Government bans pet coke import for fuel use • India banned the import of pet coke as fuel use but it will be allowed to use as feedstock in some

industries. Cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries are only allowed to use import of pet coke as the feedstock or in the manufacturing process on actual user condition.India is one of the world’s largest consumers and imports over 27 million tonnes from the United States.

PhonePe partners with IRCTC app Rail connect to facilitate convenient payments • On August 16, 2018, PhonePe announced partnership with IRCTC app ‘IRCTC Rail Connect’, to facilitate

convenient, fast and secure payments.This will enable PhonePe’s 100 million plus users to now pay directly from their bank accounts using UPI, credit and debit cards and also the PhonePe wallet.

TCS piped RIL to become most valued Indian company: BSE • On August 17, 2018, according to BSE data, TCS overtakes RIL to become most valued Indian

company.Earlier, on July 31st 2018, RIL was ranked the top company according to m cap crossing the USD 100-billion market capitalisation mark.

RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil): FSSAI’s initiative to collect & convert used cooking oil into biofuel • On 10th August 2018, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose

Used Cooking Oil) initiative for collection and conversion of used cooking oil into bio-diesel.As per FSSAI regulations, the maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) is 25 %. Beyond this limit, the cooking oil is not safe for consumption.




India’s CAD is expected to widen to 2.8 pc of GDP in FY19: Nomura • On August 19, 2018, according to a report by Nomura, India’s current account deficit (CAD) is expected

to widen to 2.8 per cent of the GDP in FY19 from 1.9 per cent of GDP, in 2017-18 fiscal.Moody’s have predicted the CAD to be 2.5% of the GDP of FY19.

Germany surpasses Japan again with world’s largest current account surplus: Ifo • On 20th August 2018, the Ifo institute said that, Germany’s current account surplus will remain the

world’s largest in 2018, in spite of increased trade tensions. Germany’s current account surplus will remain the world’s largest for the third year in 2018 at $299 billion. It is followed by Japan in second position with $200 billion.

IRDAI directs insurance companies to cover mental illness in policies • Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has directed all insurance companies

to create provision to cover mental illness in policies.IRDAI has notified all insurance companies to comply with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 that came to effect on 29th May 2018, and make provisions for medical insurance of treatment for medical illness with immediate effect.

HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS: RXIL • The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) informed that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) became

first Public Sector Unit to transact on RXIL Trade Receivable e-Discounting System (TReDS) platform. US imposes preliminary anti-dumping duties of over 50.55 % on India-made metal pipes

• The United States has imposed preliminary anti-dumping duty of 50.55 % on India-made metal pipes.Preliminary anti-dumping duties for the other countries are China – 132.63 %,Greece – 22.51 %,Canada – 24.38 %,South Korea – 14.97 to 22.21 %,Turkey – 3.45 to 5.29 %.

India’s growth in 2018, 2019 predicted at 7.5%: Moody’s • On August 23, 2018, according to Moody’s Investor services report called Global Macro Outlook for

2018-19, the Indian economy will grow by around 7.5 per cent in 2018 and 2019. Retail inflation in India has been predicted to be around 5% and core inflation has risen to 6.2%. The growth of the G-20 countries together has been predicted to be 3.3 per cent in 2018 and 3.1 per cent in 2019.

Fortune’s 4th ‘Change the World’ list 2018 has been released; Reliance Jio tops the list • On August 24, 2018, Fortune released its 4th annual ‘Change the World’ List 2018. Reliance Jio tops the

list followed by Merck and Bank of America.Apart from Reliance Jio, another Indian Company that has ranked is Mahindra and Mahindra in 23rd position.

Paytm Partners with Alibaba to launch “Paytm AI Cloud for India” • Paytm has launched “Paytm AI Cloud for India” for developers, start-ups, and enterprises in partnership

with Alibaba, a global tech giant.The data centre and cloud service are provided in partnership with Alibaba.

Reliance Power unit wins dispute and gets $56 million international arbitration award • On August 26, 2018, Reliance Power Netherlands BV, a wholly owned subsidy of Reliance Power won an

international arbitration award of $56 million (Rs 390 crore) from the Arbitration Tribunal regarding a dispute.

Indian economy to grow at 7.4% in FY19: NCAER • On August 31, 2018, according to National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) report

for 2018-19, India’s growth forecast for the current fiscal is at 7.4 per cent . Call for Code initiative: IBM partners with Indian tech firms to develop global solutions for disaster management

• IBM, Persistent Systems, Invest India, Wipro, Capgemini and Nasscom have joined the ‘Call for Code’ Global Initiative to involve startups, academic and developers to respond to and recover from natural disasters.




MOUs/AGREEMENTS

MoUs between Countries

No. MoU between Field 1 India and Germany On financial and technical

cooperation.According to this agreement, Germany will give nearly Rs 8,500 crore (1,055 million Euros) for development of India. This will focus on sustainable urban development and renewable energy in areas of sanitation, solid waste management and promotion of urban mobility.

2 India & Japan Bamboo sector in Tripura.They took part in a workshop called ‘Bridging Japan and India by Bamboo’.Rs 1000-crore soft loan agreement is going to be signed between JICA and Tripura Government.

3 India and Indonesia Health cooperation

4 India and Korea Trade Remedy Cooperation

5 India and Canada On collaboration among Chartered Accountant Institutions

6 India and Indonesia Scientific and Technological Cooperation

7 India and South Africa Joint issue of postage stamp

8 India and Bulgaria In the field of tourism

9 India and United Kingdom and Northern Ireland

In the fields of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

10 India and Republic of Korea In the field of railways

11 India and Morocco Air Services Agreement

12 India and Rwanda Trade Cooperation Framework

13 India and USA Insurance regulatory sector

14 India and Singapore The Two Countries signed the Second Protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in New Delhi. Singapore is the second largest trading partner of India within ASEAN.




MoUs – States wise No State MoU with Field/Purpose 1 Andhra Pradesh Holytech For setting up electronics manufacturing plant. It

will have cost of Rs. 1400 crores.

2 Telangana State Information Technology

Tech Mahindra To launch India’s first Blockchain district in Telengana at the International Blockchain Congress 2018.

3 UP government Amazon To provide support MSME entrepreneurs across nine districts.This will be a part of Amazon India’s Kala Haat programme which aims to help traditional industries to enter in to ecommerce business.

4 Odisha National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC)

To enhance technology adoption in MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) to enhance skills of youths in Odisha. Also, Dharmapada Bhawan, an Integrated Marketing Development Centre (IMDC) was inaugurated in Bhubhaneswar.

Other MoUs

No Organization MoU with Field/Purpose 1 Lucknow Metro

Rail Corporation (LMRC)

BSNL For extending benefits in customer services. BSNL will use the smart card services of LMRC for collection of post-paid bills.

2 PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)

Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI)

To promote Indian investment in Nepal, work with Indian ventures in Nepal to tackle problems faced by them, enhance industrialization in Nepal and train Nepali entrepreneurs.

3 Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED)

National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)

To promote primary level value addition to MAPs produce from forest area.

4 Prasar Bharati Mizzima Media Group of Myanmar

For cooperation and collaboration in broadcasting and content sharing in New Delhi.This would include culture, entertainment, education, science, news and sports along with other areas of mutual interest.

5 Indian Railways M/s GAIL (India)

For supply of Natural Gas to Indian Railways Workshops, Production Units and Depots at Rail Bhavan in New Dehi.With an Objective to replace Industrial gases like Dissolved Acetylene, LPG, BMCG and Furnace Oil / High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil with environment friendly Natural Gas.




APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

National Name Appointed As Entity/Place Points To Be Noted Man Mohan Bhanot Ambassador

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India

Republic of Equitorial Guinea

He will be the first resident Ambassador of India to the Republic of Equitorial Guinea.He is presently Ambassador to Syria.

D Bala Venkatesh Varma Ambassador of India Russia He is currently serving as Ambassador of India to Madrid.He will succeed Pankaj Saran who has been appointed as the deputy National Security Advisor.

Partha Satpathy Ambassador of India Ukraine Srikumar Menon Ambassador of India Democratic

Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

Currently, he is the Ambassador of India to Angola.

Sandeep Kumar Ambassador of India Ireland He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1985 batch. Currently, he is the Ambassador of India to Croatia.

Raveena Tandon Brand ambassador Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)

SGNP is rich in flora and fauna. It provides water to a major portion of Mumbai.

Rekha Sharma Chairperson National Commission for Women (NCW)

Ram Sewak Sharma Chairperson Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

He was also Director General and Mission Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) or Aadhaar.

Manjula Chellur Chairperson Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL)

She was the first woman Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court. She has served as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and the first female judge of the Karnataka High Court.

N Raghuram Chair International Nitrogen Initiative (INI)

He is the first Indian and Asian to be elected as Chair of INI. He will succeed Mark Sutton as chair of INI.

K S Srinivas Chairman Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)

He had served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Dr. G Satheesh Reddy Chairman(DRDO) & Secretary(DoDRD)

Department of Defence Research and Development & DRDO

He is currently serving as the scientific advisor to the defence minister and is also the Director General of the strategic missile division. He will replace Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.

Ashish Kumar Bhutani Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

He is an IAS officer of the 1992 batch of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.He has been appointed the CEO of PMFBY till 9th May 2020.




Imtaiyazur Rahman Chief Executive Officer (CEO)(Acting)

UTI Mutual Fund He Succeeds Leo Puri

Anup Maheshwari Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and chief investment officer (CIO)

IIFL Mutual Fund

Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani

Chief Justice Madras High Court She replaced Justice Indira Banerjee who has been appointed as Supreme Court judge.

Gita Mittal Chief Justice Jammu and Kashmir High Court

She succeeded Ramalingam Sudhakar. She became the first-ever woman Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Aniruddha Bose Chief Justice Jharkhand High Court

He was an advocate of Bar Council of West Bengal in 1985.He practised in the Calcutta High Court and was elevated to the Bench in 2004.

Rajendra Menon Chief Justice Delhi High Court. He was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court. He had also served as a judge in the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

M R Shah Chief Justice Patna High Court He was a judge of the Gujarat High Court. He became a judge of the Gujarat High Court on March 7, 2004 and was confirmed as permanent judge on June 22, 2005.

Kalpesh Satyendra Jhaveri

Chief Justice Orissa High Court He will succeed Chief Justice Vineet Saran, who has been elevated to the Supreme Court.

Harivansh Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha She was previously a member of NCW. She was holding the additional charge of chairperson after Lalitha Kumaramangalam stepped down from the position in September 2017.

C B Ananthakrishnan Director (Finance) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)

Earlier, C B Ananthakrishnan was the Executive Director (Finance) at HAL Corporate Office.

S Gurumurthy and Satish Marathe

Directors(Part Time) Reserve Bank of India

They were appointed by Cabinet’s Appointments Committee for a four-year term.

Akshay Kumar Singh Director (Pipelines) Indian Oil Corp (IOC)

He joined GAIL in 1985. He was made Executive Director (Project) of GAIL in 2013.

S Gopakumar Director and General Manager

United India Insurance Company

Earlier, S Gopakumar was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIC Housing Finance Ltd.

Chanda Kochhar Director ICICI Securities.

Arun Jaitley Finance Minister India He replaced Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal who was appointed in May.

Anandiben Patel Governor Chhattisgarh He was Governor of Madhya Pardesh

Ramesh Powar Head coach Women’s national He is former India spinner




cricket team by BCCI

L.P.Kabir Mathur Head Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

He is a former director with US fund KKR & Co. L.P.

Oscar Kerketta High Commissioner of India

Republic of Rwanda Oscar Kerketta is Additional Secretary in the Foreign Service Institute (FSI)

Prashant Agrawal High Commissioner of India

Republic of Namibia

He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1998 batch. At present he is Joint Secretary at Headquarters.

Ruchi Ghanashyam High Commissioner of India

United Kingdom She succeeds YK Sinha who had assumed the charge as the Indian High Commissioner in the UK in December, 2016.

Subhash Sheoratan Mundra

Independent Director Indiabulls Housing Finance

He is a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) till July 2017.

Abhaya Prasad Hota Independent Director Indiabulls Ventures He is a former managing director at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). He had worked with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for 27 years.

KM Joseph, Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran

Judges Supreme Court They were earlier posted as Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice KM Joseph,Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Orissa HC Chief Justice Vineet Saran

Egon Zehnder International

Knowledge Partner Indian Banks’ Association

It will help to design, implement and institutionalise a flagship leadership development strategy for public sector banks in India.

Anurag Sachan Managing Director Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL)

Sachan, a 1981-batch officer of Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE), is at present Chief Administrative Officer of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.

Prachi Mishra Managing director and chief India economist.

Goldman Sachs She was the head of the strategic research unit at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from February 2016 to May 2017. She was also a specialist adviser at the RBI between November 2014 and February 2016.

Ajay Data Member Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO)

He has become the first Indian to be made member of the Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO).

Aditya Vikram and Pramod Chandra Mody

Member Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

Aditya Vikram is a 1981 batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer. He is the principal director general (logistics) in Delhi.Pramod Chandra Mody is a




1982 batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer. He is the principal chief commissioner, Mumbai.

Anil Kumar Pathak Member (Planning) Airports Authority of India (AAI)

Earlier, Anil Kumar Pathak was Executive Director of Planning and Engineering at the headquarters.

R. G Anand Member National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

Thothala Narayanasamy Manoharan.Gopalaraman Padmanabhan.

Non-Executive Chairman

Canara Bank & Bank of India

Canara Bank: Thothala Narayanasamy Manoharan.Bank of India: Gopalaraman Padmanabhan.

Deepak Parekh Non-Executive Director

HDFC J.J. Irani and Keki Mistry were reappointment as directors to HDFC’s board.Upendra Kumar Sinha and Jalaj Ashwin Dani were also appointed as independent directors.

Akila Krishnakumar and Anil Tiwari

Non-executive independent directors

IndusInd Bank

Uday Kumar Varma Secretary General Industry chamber Assocham

He will succeed DS Rawat.He is former Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Kalpana Sampat Senior Executive Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer (COO)

DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance (DPLI)

Earlier, Kalpana Sampat was the Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re India.

Subrata Dutta Vice president South West Asian Football Federation (SWAFF)

He is a vice president of All India Football Federation (AIFF)

International Name Appointed as Entity/place Points to be noted Satya S Tripathi Assistant

Secretary General and Head of the New York Office

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

He will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago.

Ehsan Mani Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board

Najam Sethi quits from the post of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman.

Lalchand Rajput Head coach Zimbabwe He is likely to remain in charge for the 2020 World T20 and beyond.He was earlier appointed as the interim head coach of Zimbabwe in May.

India President Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)

India won for the first time against Iran. Sri Lanka was elected as vice-chair.

Emmerson President Zimbabwe Earlier he was the Vice-President




Mnangagwa Ivan Duque President Colombia He replaced Juan Manuel Santos and became

the youngest president in Colombia’s recent history.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

President Mali He won 67 percent of the vote and defeated his opponent Soumaila Cisse in the presidential election.

Mario Abdo Benítez President Paraguay He replaced Horacio Cartes.He belongs to the conservative Colorado Party.

Scott Morrison Prime minister Australia He was serving as Australia’s treasurer. Josh Frydenberg was sworn in as the treasurer after Scott Morrison sworn in as P.M.

Other important Appointments NASA names Sunita Williams, 8 others, for first space flights on commercial spacecraft

• Indian-origin U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams is among the 9 astronauts selected by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to fly the first missions into space on commercial spacecraft, starting in 2019.The astronauts will launch on Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Dragon capsules to the International Space Station starting in 2019.

President Ram Nath Kovind appoints 7 new Governors; Satya Pal Malik replaces NN Vohra in J&K • On August 21,President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Governors for seven States viz Bihar, Haryana,

Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. Senior BJP leader Lal Ji Tondon has been appointed as the new Governor of Bihar.He Succeeds

Satyapal Malik. Satyadev Narayan Arya was appointed as the Governor of Haryana.He succeeds Kaptan Singh

Solanki. Bihar governor Satya Pal Malik was appointed as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.He

replaces N.N.Vohra. Former Agra mayor and ex-member of National Commission for Women (NCW) Baby Rani

Maurya was appointed as the Governor of Uttarakhand.She Replaces K.K.Paul. Tripura governor Tathagata Roy has been appointed as Governor of Meghalaya.He replaces

Ganga Prasad. Governor of Meghalaya,Ganga Prasad has been appointed as Governor of Sikkim.He Succeeds

Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil. Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki has been appointed as Governor of Tripura,He succeeds

Tathagata Roy. NGT appointed ex-judge Justice SJ Vazifdar as chairman of panel to decide Vedanta’s plea challenging closure of Sterlite copper plant

• On August 23, 2018, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed retired judge S J Vazifdar as head of a three-member committee.This decision was taken by a bench headed by chairperson A K Goel.He is a former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice

Resignation Paresh Sukthankar resigned from HDFC Bank’s deputy managing director position

• On August 11, 2018, Paresh Sukthankar, deputy managing director of HDFC Bank resigned from his post. Prior to joining HDFC Bank, he was at Citibank for nine years. He was recently appointed to an RBI Committee for a medium-term action plan for improving financial inclusion.

Allahabad Bank MD & CEO sacked on last day in office • On August 14, 2018, Allahabad Bank‘s MD and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian was fired on her last day

in office. She had served as the CEO and Managing Director of PNB from 2015 to 2017.Before that, she had also served as PNB’s Executive Director from 2011 to 2013.




Government accepts NHB MD Sriram Kalyanaraman’s resignation • The government has accepted the resignation of National Housing Bank (NHB) Managing Director

Sriram Kalyanaraman.He was the first private sector candidate to be appointed as MD &CEO of NHB in 2015. He was appointed for a five-year term.

Infosys CFO MD Ranganath quits • On 18th August 2018, Infosys’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO) MD Ranganath resigned from his position.

He has worked in the areas of consulting, finance, strategy, risk management and M&A. He has been involved in formulating and executing strategic priorities for Infosys.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Name of Awards Award Winner Field Points to be noted Shalaka Samman for 2017-18

Javed Akhtar lyricist The lyricist has also been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007.He is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his collection of poems entitled Lava.

International Contributions Award

K.Anvar Sadath Administrator

He is the first Indian to receive this award.He also won Science Literature Award (2005)given by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), and he also received Dr. C.P. Menon Memorial Award (2012).

Women in Business: Making a Difference Award

Aruna Vishwanathan

At the 19th annual Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) gala, in Houston, United States.Other 2 women are Carlecia Wright (American),Jewel Smith (American).

Most influential woman in history by BBC History Magazine

Marie Curie Physicist and Chemist

Top 5 persons in the list are:Marie Curie (Nobel Prize-winning scientist),Rosa Parks (US civil rights activist),Emmeline Pankhurst (leader of the British suffragette movement),Ada Lovelace (early computer programmer),Rosalind Franklin (British chemist).

Hindu Playwright Award 2018

Annie Zaidi Writer For her play Untitled-1, at the launch of the 14th edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest at the Taj Coromandel, in Chennai.

Shaurya Chakra Aditya Kumar Rifleman Aurangzeb and Major

Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh has been conferred with Kirti Chakra posthumously.

Nao Sena Gallantary medals

6 women crew members of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini

Nao Sena Gallantary medals were also announced for marine Lt Cdr Anil Raina and Kunal Saini for anti-insurgency operations.

India’s wealthiest women list for 2018,by Kotak Wealth-Hurun Report.

Smitha Crishna She is Followed by Roshni Nadar, Indu Jain.




2018 Albany Medical Center Prize

James Allison, Carl June and Steven Rosenberg

Scientists. It is the second-highest value prize in medicine and biomedical research, awarded by the Albany Medical Center.

Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

Dalbir Singh Suhag Indian Army (Retired General)

Its the second time that an Indian military officer has been awarded this award. Earlier, General Rajendrasinghji Jadeja was awarded this in 1946.

WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018

S.K. Arora Health Sector(Delhi government’s additional director of health)

He was presented the award by Henk Bekedam, WHO India country head.

24th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

Gopalkrishna Gandhi

Politician He received the award for promoting communal harmony and peace. The award includes a citation and a cash award of Rs 10 lakh.He is former West Bengal Governor

2018 UEFA President’s Award

David Beckham Footballer In recognition of his remarkable career and humanitarian efforts.

J C Bose Fellowship of Department of Science and Technology by the Government.

Appa Rao Podile Scientist, Educator

This fellowship has been awarded as a recognition of his work in plant-microbe interactions and induced resistance in plants.

Game Changer of the Year title of the 2018 Asia Game Changer Awards

Indra Nooyi

world’s best bank for digital innovation by Global Finance magazine

DBS Bank Bank It is the first Asian bank to receive the accolade.In 2017 ING Bank won the award.

Praful Bidwai memorial award 2018

Ulka Mahajan The award was presented to her by social activist Medha Patkar.

Fortune 500 list 2018 features 7 Indian companies; RIL tops in the Indian Private sector • On August 2, 2018, 7 Indian companies have been listed in Fortune’s 500 list 2018 of world biggest

corporations.IOC is the highest ranked company from India followed by RIL which jumped 55 places & ranked 148th .IOC ranked 137th in 2018 with a significant jump from 168th position from 2017.

President gives away Outstanding Parliamentarian awards from 2013-2017 • On 1st August 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for

the years 2013-2017, in New Delhi. Award Winner For the Year Dr Najma Heptullah 2013 Hukum Dev Narayan 2014 Ghulam Nabi Azad 2015 Dinesh Trivedi 2016 Bhartruhari Mahtab 2017

Santhali: India’s first tribal language to get own Wikipedia edition in its own Ol Chiki script • On August 12, 2018, Santhali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its

own script. Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content. The home page of the Santhali edition of Wikipedia carries an article on Raghunath Murmu, who created the Ol Chiki script.




President’s Police Medal for Gallantry for CRPF Head Constable Mohd Tafail and CRPF Constable Sharief Ud Din Ganaie

• On 14th August 2018, the government announced service medals for 942 state police and paramilitary personnel for the upcoming 72nd Independence Day. Constable Sharief-ud-din Ganaie and Head Constable Mohd Tafail of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) have been conferred the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) posthumously.

Madhya Pradesh to have 3 awards after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Shivraj Chouhan • On August 19, 2018, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan announced that the state

government will name three awards after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.One award will be for poets (as former PM was also a poet).The second award will be for the outstanding contribution in the field of journalism and the third award would be for good work in administration.

Assamese film ‘ Xhoixobote Dhemalite’ bags another award at US fest • “Xhoixobote Dhemalite” (Rainbow fields), an Assamese film directed by Bidyut Kotoky has won an

award for screenplay at Treasure Coast International Film Festival in Florida. Forbes Marshall Lanka winner of Golden Flame Award in the Sri Lanka National Efficiency Awards 2018

• On August 21, 2018, the Sri Lanka National Efficiency Awards 2018 commenced in Colombo. Forbes Marshall won the Gold Flame Award in the Energy Efficiency Improvement category of the Best Energy Services Companyfor its contribution to reduce energy use through energy management efforts.

Luka Modric named UEFA Player of the Year 2018: UEFA Awards • On August 31, 2018, in the UEFA Awards, Croatia captain Luka Modric was voted the best player in

Europe. He also won the Midfielder of the Season. The best women’s player award was won by Pernille Harder of Denmark and Wolfsburg.

Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das receive Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar given by Daily India Media On 30th August 2018, actors Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das and 13 others were awarded the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar, in New Delhi. They were awarded for their contribution to the society and their fight for equity, social justice and human welfare

Recognitions Forbes released its 2018 top 10 highest paid lists:P.V. Sindhu,Akshay Kumar,Salman Khan ranked in top 10

• On August 23, 2018, Forbes released its top 10 highest list on different categories and professions. Akshay Kumar has emerged as the seventh highest-paid actor in the world by earning $40.5 million in 2018. Salman Khan has been ranked in the ninth place with $38.5 million in the Top 10 highest paid Actor while Indian badminton player P. V. Sindhu ranked in 7th place in the Top 10 highest paid Women SportsPerson category.

World’s smallest medical robot sets Guinness record • Scientists have made a new Guinness World Record by developing the world’s smallest medical

robot.The robot is only 120 nanometres in size. It would help in cancer and Alzheimer’s treatments in the future.

Bolivian woman Julia Flores Colque might be world’s oldest at nearly 118 • Julia Flores Colque of Bolivia is 117 years and 10 months old. She would be the oldest woman in Bolivia

and the world.But a Guinness World Record on her as world’s oldest person has not been confirmed yet.

CONFERENCE/SUMMIT

No. Name of Summit/Conference Place Facts about the summit /conference 1 Nepal-India Think Tank Kathmandu, Nepal With an Objective to foster greater

collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the two countries.

2 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC)

Mauritius Main theme of the Conference was “Hindi Vishwa Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti” (Hindi World and Indian Culture).Click here to read more

3 Investors’ Conference for the New Delhi The Conference is organized by NITI Aayog


https://www.affairscloud.com/11th-world-hindi-conference-held-in-mauritius/

https://www.affairscloud.com/11th-world-hindi-conference-held-in-mauritius/



Holistic Development of Islands along with the respective UT Administration.

4 Sustainable Growth through Material Recycling: Policy Prescriptions

New Delhi. It is inaugurated by the Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri. Nitin Gadkari .With an Objective to Development and growth of material recycling in India, creating jobs , reducing exports and protecting the environment.

5 International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT)

Thanjavur The theme of the conference is: ‘Doubling Farmers Income through Food Processing’.

COMMITTEE/MEETING

No. Name of Committee/Meeting Place Facts about the summit /conference

1 G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting

Argentina(Salta’s Fine Arts Museum, and Salta Convention Centre in Salta)

The theme for the 2018 meeting was : ‘Building consensus for fair and sustainable development.

2 First South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agri Cooperative Business Forum

Kathmandu, Nepal 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’.

3 8th meeting of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee

Nairobi, Kenya India is one of Kenya’s largest trade partners and the second largest foreign investor in Kenya. Indians are the third-largest group of tourists to Kenya.

4 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Singapore Singapore’s proposal to convene a Track 1.5 symposium on counter-terrorism in October 2018 titled, “The 2018 Southeast Asia Counter-Terrorism Symposium: A Collective Approach” was accepted.

5 Asian electoral stakeholders forum (AESF-IV)

Sri Lanka(Colombo) The Theme of AESF-IV was ‘Advancing Election Transparency and Integrity: Advertising and marketing and Defending Democracy Together’

RANKINGS

India in Rankings Index/Report/Field Position Points to be noted Global Innovation Index 2018 (GII- 2018)

57 The theme for GII 2018 is: “Energizing the World with Innovation”




States/Cities in Ranking

Index/Report/Field Position Points to be noted N-SIPI (State Investment Potential Index) series by economic think-tank NCAER

Delhi

Delhi has topped the list and has replaced Gujarat. Top 10 Positions: 1.Delhi,2.TamilNadu,3.Gujarat,4.Haryana,5.Maharashtra,6.Kerala,7.Andhra Pradesh,8.Telangana,9.Karnataka,10.WestBengal.

Air quality index (AQI) by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Gurugram(Most polluted city)

Ease of Living Index 2018 Pune It is followed by Navi Mumbai,Greater Mumbai,Tirupati.The survey was carried out in 111 cities in India.

Vienna tops to be the world’s most liveable city: Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2018

• On August 14, 2018, Vienna for the first time topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index as ‘world’s most pleasant city to live in’. Earlier the 1st spot was owned by Melbourne, Australia seven times which now ranked at 2nd spot. Osaka, Calgary and Sydney ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th.Among Indian Cities,New Delhi tops the Index by attaining 112th Position,Mumbai Ranks next at 117th Position.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS Cabinet approved LIC-IDBI deal of LIC acquiring 51% stake at IDBI Bank

• On August 1,2018, The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , cleared the purchase of 51 per cent controlling stake in IDBI bank by state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). According to the deal the bank will get Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 13,000 crore depending on the share price.

Paytm acquired Bengaluru-based Balance Technology • On August 11, 2018, digital payments major Paytm acquired Bengaluru-based savings management

start-up, Balance Technology, for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is expected to be about $2 million.This would enhance its user and merchant interfaces with customised and intuitive user experiences.

Walmart completes acquisition of 77% stake in Flipkart for $16 bn • On August 19, 2018, Walmart and Flipkart announced the completion of the $16-billion deal.Walmart

now holds 77 per cent stake in the Indian firm.Walmart will appoint five members to the eight-member board of Flipkartout of which 2 will be independent directors.

Tapzo acquired by Amazon in a $35-40 million deal • On August 30, 2018, Amazon announced that Amazon Pay, the payments arm of Amazon India, will

acquire Sequoia-backed Tapzo. The deal values at about $35-40 million.Tapzo has so far raised over $20 million from Sequoia Capital and American Express Co.

India’s largest mobile operator Vodafone Idea Ltd merger completed • On August 31, 2018, Idea Cellular and Vodafone completed their merger of India operations. This deal is

valued at roughly a $23 billion (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakh crores). The name of the merged entity is: Vodafone Idea LTd




DEFENCE Exercise Maitree: Annual Joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army conducted between 06 to 19 August 2018 in Thailand

• On August 7, 2018, the opening ceremony of Exercise Maitree, a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army , was held in Chachoengsao province , Thailand. It will be conducted between August 6-19th 2018.

“Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18)” started in Kathmandu, Nepal • On 6th August 2018, Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18), a communication exercise under the Multinational

Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP) begun in Kathmandu, Nepal. Main objective: to develop common communications operating procedures to enable military forces in the Asia Pacific region to work together in times of disaster.

Curtain Raiser: Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018 • From 22nd August to 29th August 2018, SCO Peace Mission Exercise 2018 will be conducted by Central

Military Commission of Russia at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia. India is participating for the first time in the exercise after becoming a full member of the SCO in June 2017.

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia • On August 20 2018, The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the the

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia. This is the inaugural bilateral exercise between IAF & RMAF.

Iran unveils first domestic fighter jet:Kowsar • On August 21,2018 Iran unveiled its first domestic fighter jet “Kowsar” which means river in paradise in

Islam,at the National Defence Industry exhibition in Tehran,which is 100 percent indigenously made. Barak 8: India-Israel missile defence system to be procured by Israeli Navy

• The multi-purpose Barak 8 missile defence system, jointly developed by India and Israel, will be procured by the Israeli Navy. It is referred to as Barak-8 by Israel and LR-SAM (long-range surface-to-air missile) by India. It has variants with maximum ranges of 70km and 150km.

India successfully tests indigenously developed Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ • On 19th August 2018, India successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter

launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile(ATGM) ‘HELINA’ from Army helicopter in Pokhran, Rajasthan. HeliNA (Helicopter-launched Nag) is helicopter launched version known of NAG ATGM.The Strike Range of HeliNa is range of 7–8 km.

India successfully tests indigenously developed Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) • On 19th August 2018, the indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield

Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF (Indian Air Force) aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. SAAW can destroy various ground targets through precision navigation.

‘Speedex’ Contract launched by IAF for speedy delivery of consignments • On August 25, 2018, Air Marshal RKS Shera, Air Officer-in-charge Maintenance, IAF formally

launched The Stores, Proactive, Efficient and Expeditious Despatch of Extra Size/ Wt Consignment (SPEEDEX) contract. The theme of the contract is : ‘lift, shift and move’ , that on all principles of Military Logistics.

DAC clears procurement proposal worth over Rs 46,000 cr for services for Indian Army and Navy • On August 27, 2018, Defence Acquisition Council, DAC chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala

Sitharaman approved approximately 46,000 crore rupees for procurement of services.These include:procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over 21,000 crore rupees, 150 Indigenously Designed and Developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the Indian Army at a cost of around 3,365 core rupees.

SCO military drill in Russia from 22-29 August: Indian,Pakistani troops take part for the first time • On August 22, 2018, for the first time, the militaries of India and Pakistan are taking part in a mega anti-

terror drill of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) named The Peace Mission 2018 in Russia. Indian Navy’s Biggest Ship, INS Vikramaditya will get an upgrade for Its Air Wing by Russian company




• On August 24, 2018, India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya will be upgraded and fitted with a marine hydraulic system to boost the air operations of the ship for the first time. Hydraulics technology uses fluid pressure to power machines and the systems to be installed are named “GS-1MF” and “GS-3”.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Mobile apps/portal Launched by Purpose FOCAL(Forum of Cargo-Owners and Logistics-Operators)

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)

To connect cargo owners and shippers with real time data on availability of vessels.

“WOW” (Wellness of Women)

Women’s wing of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

This platform allows users to talk to doctors through video conferencing or connect with them via voice or email.

Shaur Nahin Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur

With an Objective to stop unnecessary noise pollution.

Swachh Manch web portal Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Housing & Urban Affairs

Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) and Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage.

Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari

They are aimed at expediting pre construction processes relating to bidding and land acquisition.

Mycall & DND 2.0 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

With an Objective to reach out to the consumers and to safeguard their interests.

Niryat Mitra Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Aviation Suresh Prabhu

It provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade. It will help promote export in the country and increase the ease of doing business.

E-pay,e-courts services, NSTEP

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

e-courts services: e-filing along with user manual,E-pay : making digital payments,NSTEP (National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes): service of judicial notices.

Dial 100 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

To help the needy at the time of emergency.

UPI version 2.0 RBI Governor Urjit Patel The new version has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).It will allow the customers to use overdraft limit for making payments for merchants.

Neta app Former President Pranab Mukherjee

It will enable users to rate their MLAs and MPs. It is billed as an instrument to measure voter sentiment in Indian constituencies.The app is developed by Pratham Mittal, a 27-year-old entrepreneur.

2Gud Flipkart For refurbished goods, including mobile phones, laptops and tablets.It is aimed to bring affordability, accessibility and availability to the refurbished market.




Navlekha Google Navlekha, which means ‘a new way to write’ in Sanksrit. Project Navlekha has been launched to enable Indian publishers of regional languages to publish their content online, without facing the trouble of selling printed copies.

Other Science and Technology News of National & International Chinese researchers ‘create’ world’s first single-chromosome yeast

• Chinese scientists have created the first single-chromosome yeast without affecting the majority of its functions. Molecular biologists at the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, China used CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing to develop a single-chromosome yeast strain.

Rashmi: India’s first humanoid robot, can speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi • Ranjit Srivastava has developed Rashmi, India’s first humanoid robot, which can speak Hindi, Bhojpuri,

Marathi and English.He uses linguistic interpretation (LI), artificial intelligence (AI), visual data and facial recognition systems. It gives facial, eye, lips, and eyebrow expressions. It can move its neck.

China successfully tests first hypersonic aircraft: Xingkong-2 or Starry Sky-2 • On 3rd August 2018, China successfully tested “Xingkong-2” or “Starry Sky-2”, its first waverider

hypersonic aircraft that could carry nuclear warheads and penetrate any current generation anti-missile defence systems.

ISRO’S 5700kg GSAT-11 satellite the heaviest one will launch from French Guiana’sspaceport in November 30,2018.

• On August 7, 2018, ISRO announced that it would launch the heaviest communication satellite GSAT -11 from French Guiana onNovember 30, 2018.This satellite weighs over 5.7 tonnes or 5700 kg .It will be launched from the European spaceport Arianespace.This will help in increasing internet speed of the country of 14 gigabit per second data transfer speed.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe: World’s first mission to touch the Sun lifts off • On 12th August 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the world’s first mission to touch the Sun, was

launched from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in United States. The Parker Solar Probe was carried by a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket.

Chandrayaan-2 Lander to be named ‘Vikram’ after the father of Indian space programme • On August 13, 2018, the Space Commission has approved ISRO’s proposal of naming

the Chandrayaan-2 lander ‘Vikram’ after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space programme. Sarabahi was awarded (posthumously) the Padma Vibhushan in 1972, Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar medal in 1962.

Fateh Mobin: Iran’s next generation short-range ballistic missile • On 13th August 2018, Iran has successfully test fired and unveiled the latest generation of its

Fateh ballistic missile named Fateh Mobin or Bright Conqueror. It is a short-range ballistic missile.It has a range between 300-500 kilometers.It is capable of striking targets on land and sea.

Aditya – L1: First Indian mission to study the Sun to be launched in 2019 • ISRO’s Aditya-L1 mission, India’s first mission to study the solar corona, is planned to be launched in

2019-2020, by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. World’s most wear-resistant metal alloy created by US Scientists; 100 times more durable than steel

• On August 19, 2018, a platinum-gold alloy has been engineered by US scientists from Sandia National Laboratories, that may be the most wear-resistant metal in the world.

International team of scientists including 18 Indians decode complex wheat genome • On August 19 2018, A team of international researchers have decoded the wheat genome. Eighteen

Indian scientists from that team played a crucial role in cracking the genetic code of wheat – the world’s most widely cultivated crop.

World’s first 4D printing for ceramics developed • On August 20 2018,Scientists have developed the world’s first 4D printing for ceramics, that can be

used to create complex, shape-changing objects. Chandrayaan-I data confirms presence of ice on Moon: NASA

• NASA informed that Scientists have found frozen water deposits in the darkest and coldest parts of the Moon’s polar regions using data from the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft, that was launched by India ten years ago.




European wind survey satellite “Aeolus” launched from French Guyana • On August 23, 2018, Europe launched a rocket named “Aeolus” from French Guyana. It is the

world’s first space mission to acquire profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale. Aeolus is the fifth of the ESA’s planned Earth Explorer missions.

IIT-Hyderabad launches First of its kind in India, Fabless Chip Design Incubator (FabCI) • On 21st August 2018, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, announced the launch of Fabless Chip

Design Incubator (FabCI) exclusively for startups in chip design.FabCI is said to be the first-of-its-kind in India. It focuses on developing an ecosystem for supporting startups in chip design.

Researchers develop “ReMix”, an ‘in-body GPS’ system to track tumours • Scientists have developed a wireless ‘in-body GPS’ system named “ReMix” that can accurately locate

ingestible implants and track tumours inside the body. ReMix could be used in proton therapy, a type of cancer treatment through bombardment of tumours with beams of magnet-controlled protons.

EU-India join hands to develop new Influenza vaccine:“Horizon 2020” • On 28th August 2018, Indian government and the European Union (EU) partnered for Rs. 240

crore research programme to develop a Next Generation Influenza Vaccine to protect people throughout the world.The first information event was held in New Delhi on 27th August 2018.

NASA’s 2 virtual reality apps: NASA Selfies app and NASA’s Exoplanet Excursions, lets you click selfies with galaxies

• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has designed 2 virtual reality applications named: NASA Selfies app and NASA’s Exoplanet Excursions, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Spitzer Space Telescope.The NASA’s Exoplanet Excursions takes the users on a virtual guided tour of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system.

BeiDou 3: Twin navigation satellites aboard Long March-3B carrier rocket launched by China • On August 26, 2018,China successfully sent twin BeiDou 3,navigation satellites into the space on

the Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.This was the 283rd mission of the Long March-3B carrier rocket.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft catches its first image of its target Bennu asteroid • NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith

Explorer), an asteroid sampling spacecraft, caught its first image of asteroid Bennu, last week after a 2-year journey.OSIRIS-REx is the first mission of NASA to visit a near-Earth asteroid. It will survey the surface, collect a sample and deliver it to Earth.

NASA set to launch Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) to track Earth’s melting ice • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch Ice, Cloud and land Elevation

Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) in to the space on 12th September 2018, to measure the changes in the heights of Earth’s polar ice.

Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO unveils plans for India’s manned space flight mission • On 28th August 2018, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), unveiled India’s Gaganyaan

programme for manned space flight that will be launched by 2022. It will be executed using GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle. India will be the 4th country after the USA, Russia and China to send humans to space.

Google Tez rebranded as Google Pay; ties up with banks to offer instant loans • Google has rebranded its payment app Google Tez to Google Pay to improve its growth in India to add

more features. Google has partnered with 4 banks: HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and Federal Bank, to enable instant disbursement of pre-approved loans to user’s account.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot reveals signs of water: NASA • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists have detected signs of water above

Jupiter’s deepest clouds. This will supplement the information collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft as it circles Jupiter from north to south once every 53 days.

ENVIRONMENT

World’s oldest cheese discovered from Egyptian Tomb




• World’s oldest cheese was found in the tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of Memphis in Egypt during the 13th century BC. His tomb was first unearthed in 1885. It was lost under drifting sand, and was rediscovered in 2010. Archeologists found a jar with a solidified whitish mass inside the tomb.

99 million-year-old beetle trapped in amber discovered in Myanmar • On August 19, 2018, Scientists discovered a two-millimeter-long beetle trapped in amber that dates

back to 99 million year. The study published in the journal Current Biology. Never-Before-Seen Megalithic Mass Grave From 5,000 Years Ago Discovered in Kenya

• It was 5,000 years ago. In Africa’s shifting environment, an early society came together on the shores of Kenya’s Lake Turkana, and they built something so rare and remarkable.The mortuary cavity of a platform mound measuring 30 metres (almost 100 ft) in diameter, an estimated minimum of 580 individuals was buried – including men, women, children, and the elderly.

The Oldest, Thickest Arctic Sea Ice Is Breaking For the First Time on Record • Some of the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic Sea has broken down for the first time in recorded

history. As per NASA data, September Arctic sea ice, which is usually its lowest, is reducing at a rate of 13.2 % per decade.

Three unknown ancient primates: Ekwiiyemakius walshi, Gunnelltarsius randalli and Brontomomys cerutti identified

• Scientists from United States have identified 3 new species of ancient primates that were earlier unknown, and have named them: Ekwiiyemakius walshi, Gunnelltarsius randalli and Brontomomys cerutti.

SPORTS

Badminton BWF World Championships 2018

• From 30th July to 5th August 2018, BWF World Championships 2018 also known as TOTAL BWF World Championships 2018 was held at Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Sports Park in Nanjing, China. Mascot: was named “Yu Bao”.Click here to read more.

2018 Vietnam Open (badminton) • From 7th to 12th August 2018, the 2018 Vietnam Open officially known as YONEX-SUNRISE Vietnam

Open 2018, was held at Nguyen Du Cultural Sports Club in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Event Winner Runner-Up Men’s Singles Shesar Hiren Rhustavito (Indonesia) Ajay Jayaram (India) Women’s Singles

Yeo Jia Min (Singapore) Han Yue (China)

Men’s Doubles Ko Sung-hyun, Shin Baek-cheol (South Korea)

Lee Sheng-mu, Yang Po-hsuan (Chinese Taipei)

Women’s Doubles

Misato Aratama, Akane Watanabe (Japan)

Nami Matsuyama,Chiharu Shida (Japan)

Mixed Doubles Nipitphon Phuangphuapet, Savitree Amitrapai (Thailand)

Alfian Eko Prasetya, Marsheilla Gischa Islami (Indonesia)

Cricket Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson announced retirement from all forms of cricket

• On August 19, 2018, 36-year-old Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson retire from all forms of cricket.He retired from international cricket during the Test series against New Zealand in Perth in November 2015.

Emirates Cricket Board to host 2018 Asia Cup: BCCI • On August 17, 2018, BCCI officially handed over its hosting rights to the Emirates Cricket Board for the

upcoming Asia Cup 2018.The tournament would be held from September 15 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.Countries participating in the event are :Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka .They will be joined by a sixth team — the winner of the Asian Cricket Council qualifier event.

Rishabh Pant becomes fourth Indian wicket-keeper to take five catches on Test debut


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• On 19th August 2018, Rishabh Pant became the 4th Indian wicket-keeper to take 5 catches on Test debut during the second day of the third cricket Test against England, in Nottingham, England. Other Indians who had achieved this feat of taking 5 catches on Test debuts: Naren Tamhane, Kiran More and Naman Ojha.

Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami retires from T20Is • Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami has announced her retirement from Twenty-20 Internationals

(T20Is).She will only play ODIs hereafter.She represented India in 68 T20Is and has taken 56 wickets at an economy rate of 5.45.At present, she is the leading wicket-taker in the women’s ODI format. She is also the first woman cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets.

Pakistan’s Mohammed Irfan bowls 23 Dot Balls, sets record for Most Economical Spell in T20 history • On August 27, 2018, Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Irfan set the world record for the most

economical four-over bowling figures in the history of T20 cricket.This record was previously shared by South Africa’s Chris Morris and Sri Lanka’s Chanaka Welegedara.

Virat Kohli becomes second-fastest Indian to score 6000 Test runs • On 31st August 2018, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli became the second-fastest Indian to score 6,000

runs in Test cricket.He has achieved this feat in his 119th Test. The fastest Indian to reach the 6,000-run mark was Sunil Gavaskar, who made it in 117 innings.

James Anderson becomes 1st bowler to take 100 wickets at Lord’s • On 12th August 2018, English cricketer James Anderson became the first player to take 100 wickets at

Lord’s. He took the wicket of Murali Vijay in the second over of India’s second innings to achieve this feat. Also, this was his 550th Test wicket.

Football WAFF(West Asian Football Federation Cup) Under16 2018 title: Indian team won the title by defeating Iraq

• Under-16 team of India defeated Iraq by 1-0,held in Amman,Jordon.The sole goal in the Under 16 team was given by Bhuvenesh.This win goes down in history Since,India had won for the first time against Iraq in any football format and in any age group.

Germany’s Mario Gomez retired from international football • On August 7, 2018, Veteran German striker Mario Gomez announced his retirement from international

football . He scored 31 goals in 78 international appearances.He also represented his country at the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and 2018 and the Euro Cup in 2008 and 2012.

David Silva : Spanish International Player and Manchester City Midfielder retired • On August 15, 2018, Manchester City midfielder 32 year old David Silva announced his retirement from

international football. He is also known as “Spain’s Lionel Messi”.He was in the Spanish team which won the 2010 World Cup as well as the 2008 and 2010 European Championships.

COTIF Cup(under-20):Argentina Won the Tournament by defeating Russia • On August 8,Argentina’s U-20 football team won COTIF Tournament,held at Valencia, Spain

by defeating Russian team in the Extra Time by 2-1 goals.Indian team won over Argentina in the final group stage match,which held on August 5th, 2018 by 2-1 & Created History by defeating the 6 time Champion.

Lionel Messi assumes Barcelona captaincy • On 10th August 2018, Lionel Messi was made the captain of Barcelona football team. Sergio Busquets

and Gerard Pique will be his lieutenants. Lionel Messi will lead the team in the Spanish SuperCup.He has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award five times.

India improve to world no 96 in FIFA rankings • On 16th August 2018, Indian football team improved a rank and secured 96th position in the latest FIFA

world rankings,they share the 96th position with Georgia.Top 5 countries are, Rank Country 1 France 2 Belgium 3 Brazil 4 Croatia 5 Uruguay

2018 SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship (football)




• From 9th to 18th August 2018, the 2018 SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship was held at Changlimithang Stadium, in Bhutan. Six countries participated: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Indian U-15 women’s team emerged as champions of the SAFF U-15 Championship.

FIFA takes control of Uruguayan football association (AUF) • FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) has taken temporary control over the

Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) due to governance issues. Uruguay campaigns with Argentina and Paraguay to host the 2030 Football World Cup.

Japan wins its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title in France (Football)

• On 24th August 2018, Japan won its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title at the La Rabine Stadium in Vannes, France. Japan defeated Spain 3-1 in the final and won its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.England defeated France 4-2 and finished in the third position.

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy and Chelsea defender Gary Cahill Retires from England international Football Team

• On 28th August 2018, Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill announced their retirement from England international Football Team.Jamie Vardy is a striker with Leicester City team. He is 31 years old. He entered international football in 2015. He had scored 7 goals in 26 appearances for England.Gary Cahill is a defender in the Chelsea team. He is 32 years old. He made his international debut in 2010.

Japan wins its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title in France (Football) • On 24th August 2018, Japan won its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title at the La Rabine Stadium

in Vannes, France. Japan defeated Spain 3-1 in the final and won its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.England defeated France 4-2 and finished in the third position.

Tennis Karman Kaur Thandi became the sixth Indian woman tennis player to crack the top-200 rankings in singles; ranked 200th in WTA

• On August 3, 2018, Karman Kaur Thandi became the sixth Indian woman tennis player to crack the top-200 rankings in singles in the WTA chart.She is now ranked 200.

Los Cabos Open 2018 • From 30th July to 4th August 2018, Los Cabos Open 2018 also known as the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis

Mifel presentado por Cinemex was held in Los Cabos, Mexico. Italy’s Fabio Fognini won the men’s singles title. El Salvador’s Marcelo Arévalo and Mexico’s Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela won the men’s doubles title.

Rafael Nadal maintains 1st spot in ATP rankings • Rafael Nadal maintained his top position in the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world

singles rankings released on 6th August 2018.Followed by Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev. Washington Open (tennis) 2018

• From 28th July to 5th August 2018, Washington Open (tennis) 2018 or Citi Open 2018 was held at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington DC, United States.Winners of Washington Open (tennis): Event Winner Runner-up Men’s Singles Alexander Zverev (Germany) Alex de Minaur (Australia) Women’s Singles

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) Donna Vekić (Croatia)

Men’s Singles Jamie Murray (United Kingdom), Bruno Soares (Brazil)

Mike Bryan (United States), Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France)

Women’s Doubles

Han Xinyun (China), Darija Jurak (Croatia)

Alexa Guarachi (Chile), Erin Routliffe (New Zealand)

ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament in Indonesia • From 6th August to 12th August 2018, ITF men’s Futures tennis tournament was held in Indonesia.

Event Winner Runner Men’s Singles Niki Kaliyanda

Poonacha (IND) Michael Look (AUS)

Men’s Doubles Justin Barki (INA) / Christopher Rungkat (INA)

Francis Casey Alcantara (PHI) / Kaito Uesugi (JPN)

Cincinnati Masters 2018 or Western & Southern Open 2018




• Cincinnati Masters also called Western & Southern Open for the year 2018 took place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, a northern suburb of Cincinnati, in the United States.

Name of the title Winner Runner Men’s single Novak Djokovic of

serbia Swizerland’s Roger Federer

Women’s single Kiki Bertens of Netherland

Romania’s Simona Halep

Men’s Doubles Brazil’s Bruno Soares and United Kingdom’s Jamie Murray

Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah

Women’s Doubles Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka and Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova

Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Netherland’s Demi Schuurs

Other Sports News World Junior Squash Championships 2018 held in Chennai, India

• From 18th to 29th July 2018, World Junior Squash Championships 2018 was held in Chennai, India. Egypt national junior squash team defeated England 2-0 in the final and emerged as the 2018 World Junior Squash Champions. India finished in 11th position. Event Winner Runner-up Men’s Individual Mostafa Asal (Egypt) Marwan Tarek (Egypt) Women’s Individual Rowan Elaraby (Egypt) Hania El Hammamy(Egypt) Men’s Team Egypt England

Asian Nations Cup Chess Tournament 2018 • On July 28th to August 3, 2018, the biennial Asian Nations Cup Chess Tournament was held in Hamadan,

Iran. It was organized by Iran Chess Federation on behalf of Asian Chess Federation. India won 5 medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze.India ranked 2nd in the overall ranking.

FIH rankings: Indian men’s hockey team jumps one spot to 5th • Indian men’s hockey team has improved one rank and has reached the 5th spot and Australia topped the

chart in the latest FIH rankings chart released on 7th August 2018. In the women’s rankings, the Indian team improved one spot to and reached 9th position. Netherlands remained in the top position of women’s FIH rankings. It is followed by England, Australia, Argentina and Germany.

Tokyo 2020: First Olympics to deploy facial recognition technology to increase security • On August 8, 2018, it was announced that the Tokyo 2020 will be the first Olympics to deploy facial

recognition technology to increase security.The Olympic organizers have partnered with NEC, a Japanese telecommunications and information technology firm, to develop the first system of this kind.

Hong Kong Junior Open Championship 2018

• From 8th August to 11th August 2018, the Hong Kong Junior Open Championship 2018 was held at Discovery Bay Golf Club in Hong Kong. Hitaashee Bakshi won the Hong Kong Junior Golf Championship title in the girls 13-14 years age category.Kartik Sharma finished second and Sunhit Bishnoi finished third in the Boys 15-17 years age category.

Viraj Madappa becomes youngest Indian golfer to win on Asian tour • On 12th August 2018, Indian golfer Viraj Madappa became the youngest Indian to win on the Asian

Tour, as he won his first title on the Asian Tour at Take Solutions Masters in Bengaluru. He is 20 years old and has become the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour.Earlier this record was held by Gaganjeet Bhullar.

TNPL 2018 Final: Madurai Panthers win first title with dominant win over Dindigul Dragons • On 12th August 2018, Madurai Panthers won their first Tamil Nadu Premier League 2018 title, at the

MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Madurai Panthers’ Arun Karthik scored his sixth fifty of this season and remained the highest run scorer in the tournament.

Odisha is to host 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup for the First Time • Odisha for the First time is Organizing the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup,which will be the 14th edition

of the Hockey World Cup field hockey tournament.It is scheduled to be held from 28 November to 16 December 2018, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India.

Kho-Kho gets recognition from Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)




• Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has given recognition to Kho-Kho, India’s indigenous sport. This was announced at the General Assembly of the OCA on 19th August 2018. Kho-Kho will be included as a demonstration sport in the Asian Indoor Games.

Manu Ginobili, four-time NBA champion with San Antonio Spurs, retires at 41 (basketball) • On 27th 2018, Manu Ginobili, Argentine basketball player, announced his retirement from

basketball.Ginobili helped the Spurs win NBA titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.He also was a gold medalist with Argentina in 2004 and won EuroLeague Finals most valuable player honors in 2001. He was a two-time All-Star and was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2007-08 season.

Asian Games 2018

• 18th Asian Games also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 held from 18 August to 2 September 2018. India finishes with biggest ever medal tally of 69 Medals.Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was the flag bearer for India at the opening ceremony of the Games.And Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal was selected as India’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremony.Click here to read more.

Sports/Tournament/title Winner Points to be noted Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis

Hamilton of Mercedes This is the 67th career victory for Lewis Hamilton. Daniel Ricciardo was named Driver of the Day by Formula One for finishing at fourth position after starting from the 12th position.

European Tour title Gaganjeet Bhullar Australia’s Anthony Quayle finished in the second position. South Africa’s Ernie Els finished at tied third with Australia’s Ben Campbell. Another Indian Ajeetesh Sandhu finished at tied 43rd position.

Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018,Netherland

The Netherlands Netherlands defeated Ireland 6-0 in the finals.The Netherlands have emerged as the world champions in Women’s hockey for a record 8th time.

Toronto Masters title Rafael Nadal He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).

Abu Dhabi Masters Nihal Sarin He became India’s 53rd Grandmaster (GM)

2018 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Aigle, Switzerland.

Esow Alben He won India’s first medal (a silver medal). Czech Republic’s Jakub Stastny won gold medal.

FIFA eWorld Cup Saudi Arabia’s Mosaad Aldossary

He defeated Belgium’s Stefano Pinna 4-0 on aggregate in the two-legged FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final.

Belgian Grand Prix 2018 at Spa-Francorchamps Track in Belgium

Sebastian Vettel Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished in the second position. He was followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the third position.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book Name Author Other Information ‘Jewellery’, ‘Ghats of Banaras’and ‘Untold Story of Broadcasting’

Jewellery’ was written by Dr. Gulab Kothari, Ghats of Banaras’ was written by Dr. Sachidanand Joshi and ‘Untold Story

Minister of state for Culture (I/C), Dr. Mahesh Sharma released the book.


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of Broadcasting’ was written by Dr. Gautam Chatterjee.

Bebak Baat Vijay Goel Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu released the book

Exam Warriors Narendra Modi It was earlier released in English and Hindi in February 2018. Union Minister for Oil and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Odia edition of the book.

No Spin Shane Warne Shane Warne plan to release his extraordinary cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling several unknown facts in his autobiography ‘No Spin ‘which will be published on October 2018.

281 and Beyond VVS Laxman

Sea Prayer Khaled Hosseini A tribute to Alan Kurdi.Earlier “Sea Prayer” was produced in collaboration with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and released as a Guardian virtual film on 1st September 2017.

Atal Ji Ne Kaha Brijendra Rehi This is a book on former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Weather Information Portal for Indian Power System

R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy released this book in Power System Operation Corporation limited (POSOCO), New Delhi.

OBITUARY

NATIONAL Name of the person who passed away

Field Points to be noted

Krishna Shripadrao Deshpande

library scientist The state government had honoured him with the Rajyotsava award.He is also the recipient of the prestigious Kaula-Ranganath award.

Rajinder Kumar Dhawan Politician He is former Congress MP.He was personal secretary to Indira Gandhi when she was Prime Minister of India from 1962 to 1984.

Mony K. Mathew Senior financial journalist

He was a senior assistant editor at The Hindu BusinessLine.He had worked with The Indian Express and The Financial Express before joining The Hindu BusinessLine.

M Karunanidhi Politician He was a Chief Minister in 1969,1971,1989,1996 & 2006.Maanavanesan was his first manuscript magazine.In 1971 he created history by winning 184 Assembly constituencies.

Sumatheendra R. Nadig Kannada writer, poet, critic and translator

He had won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award 3 times in 1994, 1997 and 1999. He had also received other awards like Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti,




Dinakara Pratisthana Prashasti, V.M. Inamdar Prashasti, and M.V. Si. Puraksara.

Somnath Chatterjee Politician He was a barrister by profession.He was given the “Outstanding Parliamentarian Award” in 1996.He was a former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and 10 time MP

Balramji Dass Tandon Politician In 1953, he became a Corporator in Amritsar Municipal Corporation. He was a six-time MLA.He was also deputy chief minister of Punjab.He is Governor of Chhattisgarh.

Hakam Singh Athlete He had won gold medal in 20 km race walk event at the 1978 Asian at Bangkok and created a new Record.He received the Dhyan Chand Award in 2008.

Chemmanam Chacko Poet He had won several awards, including those by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Sanjayan Award, Kunjan Nambiar Kavitha puraskaram, P Smaraka Puraskaram and Mahakavi Ulloor Award.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Politician He was the first BJP leader to become the prime minister of India. He was a three-time Prime Minister of India.Click here to read more.

Ajit Wadekar Cricketer He was India’s first ODI (One Day Internatioanl) captain.He retired from the international cricket in 1974.He received the Arjuna Award in 1967 and Padmashri in 1972.

Chennupati Vidya Politician She was elected to the Parliament as a Congress contestant from Vijayawada constituency in 1980 and 1989.She had won the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in honour of her services to women.

Gurudas Kamat Politician He was a Member of Parliament from the Mumbai North West Constituency in 2009 and Mumbai North East Constituency in 1984,1991,1998 and 2004.

Jadunath Das Mohapatra Politician He was also made education minister in the cabinet of late Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik in 1985.

Kuldip Nayar

Journalist He was a former editor at The Indian Express. In 2015, he was honoured with the Ramnath Goenka Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to journalism.

Gopal Bose Cricketer He started his career with the first-class cricket in the 1968-69 season and accumulated 3757 runs at an average of 30.79.He was bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cricket Association of Bengal(CAB).

Nand Lal Passi Politician She is former MLA and Samajwadi Party leader

INTERNATIONAL Name of the person who passed away

Field Points to be noted

Jarrod Lyle Australian golfer He had won the feeder Web.com tour two times. He had played 121 US PGA Tour tournaments in his career.

Nicholas Bett Athlete In 2015 IAAF World Championship held in Beijing, he won gold medal.He had made a Kenyan record of 47.79. In Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia, he finished at 8th position in the 400m hurdles event.

VS Naipaul Writer He received the Booker Prize in 1971 and Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 1989.


https://www.affairscloud.com/insights-of-atal-bihari-vajpayees-life/



Aretha Franklin US singer In the late 1960s, she earned the title “Queen of Soul”.She performed at the inaugurations of three US Presidents: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Kofi Annan Politician He was the seventh UN secretary general and also the first black African secretary-general. He served two terms between 1997 and 2006.He received the Nobel peace prize in 2001.

Neil Simon Playwright He had received: 4 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, the Kennedy Center honors (1995), 4 Writers Guild of America Awards, an American Comedy Awards Lifetime Achievement honor, Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2006).

John McCain Politician He was a 6-term Republican senator and presidential nominee.He was one of the most influential US politicians of his generation. Before entering politics in 1980s, he served as a pilot in the US Navy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Observed date/week

Day Other information

28th July 2018 Nature Conservation Day It is observed to create awareness about the exploitation and to protect natural resources.India has taken a few steps towards conserving nature such as:Shift to renewable energy: Aim to achieve 175 GW of power by 2022.

1st August 2018

Earth Overshoot Day Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when we all have consumed more from nature than our planet can renew in the entire year.

6th August 2018

Hiroshima Day It marks 73rd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.On this day in 1945, the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb nicknamed ‘Little Boy’ ever used in military combat on Hiroshima.

7th August 2018

National Handloom Day (NHD-2018)

The National Handloom Day was launched in 2015. It marks the day on which Swadeshi movement was launched.

9th August 2018

76th anniversary of Quit India movement named as August Kranti Day

To observe the anniversary of Quit India movement, President Ram Nath Kovind hosted the freedom fighters at an At-Home reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

9th August 2018

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

This day is observed to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.The theme for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2018 is: Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement.

10th August 2018

World Biofuel Day The Objective of the World Biofuel Day is to raise awareness about the significance of non fossil fuels which can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels. The Prime Minister also released a booklet on“National Policy on Biofuels 2018”

12th August 2018

International Youth Day It is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. The Theme for IYD 2018 is: “Safe space for Youth”.

12th August 2018

World Elephant Day It was first conceived by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand.

13th August 2018

International left handers day

It aims to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of the left handers.The day was first observed in the year 1976 by




Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Lefthanders International, Inc.

14th August 2018

Shaheed Saman Diwas Madhya government had decided to honour families of martyrs of Madhya Pradesh origin, who sacrificed their lives during war, military action and internal security.

15th August 2018

72nd Independence Day This day remembers and honours all those who fought and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that, India’s manned space mission will be launched by 2022.

19th August 2018

World Humanitarian Day It is observed to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives for humanitarian services. #NotATarget is the Campaign for the 2018.

19th August 2018

World photography day It is celebrated in order to inspire photographers to share their work and to celebrate the art of photography.The inventor of the first practical process of photography is Louis Daguerre.

20th August 2018

World Mosquito Day This day is a honor of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Mosquitoes have been around for over a hundred million years.

20th August 2018

Sadbhavana Diwas 2018 The Sadbhavana (means having good feelings for others) Diwas or Harmony Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the earlier Prime Minister of India named Rajiv Gandhi.

21st August 2018

International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism

To observe the first International Day, the Permanent Missions of Afghanistan, Belgium, Iraq, Nigeria, and the United States, along with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED) will launch a multimedia exhibit at the Exhibition Hall, Visitors’ Lobby at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

21st August 2018

World Senior Citizen Day The history of International Senior Citizens Day comes from the period of 1988.The main aim of observing the World Senior Citizens Day is to raise awareness of the condition of elder people and support them through the process of senescence.

23rd August 2018

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition

This day was first celebrated in a several countries including Haiti on 23rd August 1998.This day remembers the tragedy of the slave trade in memory of the affected people.

29th August 2018

International Day against Nuclear Tests

The first International Day against Nuclear Tests was observed in 2010.

29th August 2018

National Sports Day This day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Every year on National Sports Day, Arjuna and Khel Ratna awards are conferred by the President to extraordinary Indian athletes.

30th August 2018

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 30th August as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. This day was first observed on 30th August 2011.

National Nutrition Month to be observed in September • The month of September will be celebrated as the National Nutrition Month every year to mark India’s

fight against malnutrition.The programmes will be focused on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.It is announced at the second meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under the Poshan Abhiyaan on 25th July 2018.

India pitches for declaring 2019 as International Year of Millets




• India has proposed to declare 2019 as “International Year of Millets” to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. This proposal aims to create awareness about millets among consumers, policy makers, industry and R&D sector.

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