CURRENT AFFAIRS AUGUST 2017 PDF

AWARDS AND HONOURS

NAME OF THE AWARD AWARD WINNER KEY POINTS TO NOTE Bharat Gaurav – East Bengal’s Dhanraj Pillay He is Former India hockey captain highest honour National Geographic Sergio Tapiro Velasco For photographing Mexico’s Colima Photographer of The Year volcano Prem Nazir’ award Actor Sharada She is national award winner World’s Highest Paid Author by JK Rowling ─ Forbes Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Sardar Singh (Hockey awards player) ─ Devendra Jhajharia (Paralympian) Asia Society Game Changers Dev Patel He is Indian-origin actor Award Best Skilling India award on ASSOCHAM NACER Indian of the Year Debraj Shome India Leadership Conclave Title of National Champion Sravanth Malla 2017 South Asian Spelling Bee Hindu Playwright Award 2017 Gerish Khemani and Akshat In Search of Dariya Sagar Nigam Hugo Award for Best Novel N.K. Jemisin For her work “The ObeliskGate”. 2017 Green Marketer’ Award Hindustan Unilever Marquee Awards 2017 AAAI Lifetime Achievement Roda Mehta Award 2017 Environment Excellence National Aluminium Appreciation Award in large mines Awards 2016-17 Company (NALCO) category Marconi Lifetime Award Thomas Kailath He is Pune -born Stanford Professor Kesari Media Award T J S George Veteran journalist Sena Medal Gallantry award Major Mitali Madhumita The first woman officer to receive Best performance Corporation Bank Conferred by NABARD Best performer award Karnataka Vikas Grameen Conferred by NABARD bank 7th Dr. Ambedkar award Bappi Lahiri ─ Prestigious Agriculture Telangana Chief Minister K For his innovative services rendered Leadership Award 2017 Chandrashekhar Rao to the welfare of farmers Arjuna Award 2017 Oinam Bembem Devi Durga of Indian football Miss India America 2017 LaRoda Los Angeles, California 2017 Biju Patnaik Award Digambar Behera. For Scientific Excellence 2017 DigitAnalysis’ award Tata Docomo For best Wi-Fi services in North India Women Transforming India Laxmi Agarwal, Safeena NITI Aayog, in partnership with Awards 2017 Husain, Kamal Kumbhar, MyGov and the United Nations, Subasini Mistry, Arunima announces winners Sinha, Jamuna Tudu

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Saraswati Samman Mahabaleshwar Sail Eminent Konkani writer Dhyan Chand Award 2017 Samurai Tete Former India Women’s Hockey captain

APPOINTMENTS

NAME DEPT/ FIELD Sameer Garde President for SAARC operations Dhirendra Swarup Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sanjaya Baru secretary general of FICCI Devendra Chawla COO of Walmart India Harmanpreet Kaur DSP of Punjab government Hassan Rouhani President of Iran S Aparna Executive Director of World Bank Rajiv Kumar Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog Akshay Kumar Brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission in UP Air Marshal Hemant Narayan Bhagwat Air Officer-In-Charge Administration Of Indian Air Force Prabhat Kumar Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan Mohammad Mustafa CMD of SIDBI Ushanath Banerjee Chairman of Transfers Dispute Committee Venkaiah Naidu 13th Vice President of India Woody Johnson US Ambassador to UK Justice Dipak Misra Next Chief Justice of India Madan Lal Head of DDCA Cricket Affairs Committee Indian American Dilip Chauhan Deputy Comptroller for Minority Affairs in New York Vinay Dube CEO of Jet Airways Uhuru Kenyatta Kenya President Prasoon Joshi Censor board chief I V Subba Rao Secretary to Vice President David Rasquinha MD of Exim Bank Milkha Singh WHO’s goodwill ambassador SY Quraishi Administrator of Archery Association of India P.B. Balaji CFO of Tata Motors Group Shashi Shekhar Vempati Chief of Rajya Sabha TV Santosh Sharma CMD of Hindustan Copper Limited Sankara Rao IFCI Chief Executive Neil Chatterjee Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Sankara Rao Chief Executive of IFCI Sandhu-Rojon UN deputy representative for West Africa Neymar da Silva Santos Goodwill ambassador of Handicap International Nikolay Kudashev Russia’s envoy to India Vishpala Reddy Chief People’s Officer of Uber Dharmendra Kumar DG of Railway Protection Force Sohail Mahmood Pak’s High Commissioner to India Sanjiv gupta President and MD of General Motors India Dr. Mamta Suri Executive director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Ajay Vipin Nanavati Chairman of Syndicate Bank N B Gupta Director of Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC)

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Rajiv Bansal Interim Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani CMD of Railway Board Chairman Nandan Nilekani Chairman of Infosys Board Justice Dipak Misra 45th Chief Justice of India Roopa Purushothaman Chief Economist & Head of Policy Advocacy Mohammad Mustafa Chairman of SIDBI Ashish Chauhan CEO of BSE Board Dara khosrowshahi CEO of Uber Surina Rajan Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards Rajiv Kumar Secretary, Department of Financial Services N. Baijendra Kumar Chairman & Managing Director, National Mineral Development Corporation Anita Karwal Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education Ranjan Kumar Ghose Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General Sunil Arora Election Commissioner R.K. Raghavan High Commissioner of India to Cyprus Rajiv Gauba Union Home Secretary

INDIAN AFFAIRS

NITI Aayog Vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya steps down

Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya has resigned from his position and said he will return to academia. He said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relieve him of his duties by August 31 as he was not getting an extension of leave from Columbia University.

The 62-year-old Panagariya is an Indian-American economist and Professor of Economics at Columbia University. It is known for his market-friendly views and is a close associate of well-known trade economist Jagdish Bhagwati.

‘RAJASWA GYANSANGAM’ scheduled to be held at vigyan bhawan in New Delhi

‘Rajaswa Gyansangam’ is going to be held on 1st and 2nd September, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate this two day Conclave on the 1st day of September, 2017.

The main reason of this inauguration will be on GST as well as on unearthing black money. The Tax Officers of the State Governments will also be invited for discussion for the first time on the GST related issues during the 1st day of the two day Conclave

SWACHH SURVEKSHAN-2018 launched toassess sanitation in all 4,041 cities, towns

Union Government launched ‘Swachh Survekshan-2018’ to rank all the 4,041 cities and towns in the country based on infrastructure development for improved sanitation services and their sustainability, outcomes, citizen connects and visible impact on the ground.

Under the survey launched by Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, 500 cities withmore than 1 lakh population and state and UT capitals will have all-India ranking. Also, 3,541 cities with less than 1 lakh population will have state and zonal rankings.

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Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches Jiyo Parsi Publicity Phase-2″ in Mumbai

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that the NDA Government has been working with commitment to “inclusive growth” and “Antyodaya” to ensure prosperity, security and dignity of the last person of the society.

The main objective of the “Jiyo Parsi” scheme is to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, stabilize their population and increase the population of Parsis in India.

Supreme Court no to use of heavy metals in firecrackers

Citing health hazards, the Supreme Court asked firecracker manufacturers not to use heavy metals like lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead and chemical elements like antimony “in any form whatsoever” in their products.

The apex court held that it is the responsibility of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) toensure compliance with ban order particularly in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu where there are a large number of firecracker manufacturers.

Mukesh ambani Asia’s second richest with $34.8 bn

Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s second-richest man second-richest man and the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited(RIL) added $12.1 billion to his wealth in 2017.

Jio Network took just nine months after launching with a free introductory offer to rope in 117.3 million users and become India’s fourth-largest operator, according to Government data. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was established in 1966 in Maharashtra.

Government Forms Panel To Suggest Data Protection Framework

The government has constituted a 10-member committee to recommend a framework for securing personal data in the increasingly digitised economy as also address privacy concerns and build safeguards against data breaches.

The formation of the panel comes amid concerns over personal information being compromised with increasing use of biometric identifier Aadhaar in an array of services – from filing tax returns to availing government doles.

Govt launches e-RaKAM portal for selling agri produce

The government has launched a portal, e-RaKAM, to provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. The portal is a joint initiative by state-run-auctioneer MSTC and Central Warehousing Corporation arm CRWC.

Launching the portal with Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the effort should be to auction 20 lakh tonnes of pulses in the first phase through the platform.

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Establishment of Research Institute in Yoga and Naturopathy in Karnataka and Haryana

An autonomous Research Council, namely, Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN) is working under the Ministry of AYUSH as the apex body for Research and Education in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy.

The Government has approved establishment of Post Graduate Institutes for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy at Nagmangla (Karnataka) and Jhajjar (Haryana) at a total cost of 59.67 crore and 52.04 crore respectively.

Justice Krishna to head expert group on Data Protection Framework for India

Recognising the importance of data protection and keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India has, on 31st July 2017, constituted a Committee of Experts under the Chairmanship of Justice B N Srikrishna.

The committee will also suggest a draft Data Protection Bill. Protection of Data is expected to provide big boost to Digital economy of the country.

Jharkhand cabinet clears Anti-conversion bill

The Raghubar Das Cabinet in BJP-led Jharkhand ohas approved the draft anti-conversion Bill that forbids religious conversion through allurement or coercion and has penal provisions.

According to an official release, Section three of the Bill prohibits forceful conversion. In the event of violation of section three, there will be up to three years imprisonment or Rs 50000 penalty or both.

Lok sabha passes bills to extend GST to J&K

The Lok Sabha has passed legislation to extend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to Jammu and Kashmir, making it part of the “one nation, one tax” regime.

The first bill provides for the extension of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017 to Jammu and Kashmir.

Under this different constitution procedure, President Pranab Mukherjee introduced two ordinances regarding the introduction of the GST.

India Permitted To Construct Kishanganga, Ratle Projects: World Bank

India is permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on these rivers subject to constraints specified in Annexures to the treaty. Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India is permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions

CIC reconstitutes bench to hear complaints against political parties

Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur has constituted a larger bench to hear complaints against six national political parties not adhering to the CIC order bringing them within the ambit of the RTI Act.

The bench will replace a three-member panel headed by Sridhar Acharyulu which was hearing the matter since July 22, 2016 until one of its members Bimal Julka decided to recuse himself citing workload. After his recusal, Mathur had put the matter in abeyance till further notice.

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Use of smart phones banned for teachers in Haryana schools

The Haryana government has barred school teachers from stepping inside the classrooms with mobile phones and decided to hold head of the school “accountable” for violation of this norm.

There are about 25 lakh students in the government-run schools, from primary to plus two, across the state, while over 90,000 teachers are posted in these schools.

Maharashtra Government launches two online portals MahaDBT, MahaVASTU

Maharashtra Government launched two online portals MahaDBT and MahaVASTU to streamline the process of direct benefit transfer (DBT). It is the first state in the country to launch such a system that will provide direct benefits with Aadhaar authentication.

MahaDBT portal: It is an Aadhaar-authenticated electronic mechanism that will enable direct transfer of benefits for over 40 schemes currently implemented.

MahaVASTU portal: It is an online building permission management system, through which construction approvals will be sanctioned with full transparency.

Lok Sabha passes bill to raise Nabard’s capital to Rs 30000 crore

A bill to enable exit of RBI from NABARD and increase authorised capital of the development institution six times to Rs 30,000 crore was passed by the Lok Sabha.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 also seeks to amend certain clauses in the light of reference of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Act, 2006 in the proposed legislation.

Lok Sabha passes Banking Regulation Bill 2017

The Lok Sabha has gave its nod for a Bill to replace the NPA Ordinance promulgated on May 7 this year. The Bill – The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017 – sought to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, for this purpose.

NCLT approves Airtel-Telenor merger

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the proposed merger between Bharti Airtel and Telenor India. The tribunal has instructed the companies to hold a meeting of equity shareholders and unsecured creditors.

The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company had announced in February that it would acquire the businessof Telenor India for an undisclosed sum. Airtel covers its spectrum in all seven circles namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam.

BigBasket gets nod for FDI in food retail

After Grofers and Amazon India, online grocery firm BigBasket has received the government’s nod for foreign direct investment to undertake retailing of food products, which are manufactured or produced in India, Hari Menon, co-founder and CEO.

The start-up, which applied for FDI in September last year, will have to spin off a new entity to start this business since 100% FDI is only applicable for food products manufactured or produced in India, whereas

6 | Page www.DayTodayGK.com CURRENT AFFAIRS AUGUST 2017 PDF currently BigBasket sells other household products such as soap, shampoos etc through its e-commerce channel.

Army launches app for soldiers

The Indian Army has developed a mobile application through which serving soldiers can track details like postings and promotions.

Through the ‘Humraaz’ app, soldiers can also view their monthly salary slips and the Form 16 and also download them.

The mobile app has been developed in-house by the Army and will be launched in the second week of August for prompt communication of information to junior commissioner officers and other personnels.

Chabahar Port likely to be operational by 2018: Nitin Gadkari

Amid deepening Indo-Iranian ties, the government is hopeful that the strategic Chabahar Port will be operational by 2018.

The Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister will represent India at the oath taking ceremony Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Nasscom, Arcesium set up first digital literacy centre in Telangana

Nasscom Foundation and post-trade technology firm Arcesium jointly established the first rural digital literacy centre in Telangana, in Peddashapur village, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The Centre trains people in use of computers and mobile phones so that they will be able to register for Aadhar, ration, PAN cards, pay bills, send emails and use the internet for multiple utilities.

The initiative is under the ePradhan Mantri Gamin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan. Arcesium is supporting the training infrastructure and the trainers at the centre with the help of its implementation partner, Nirmaan Organisation.

Aadhaar number has been made mandatory for the registration of death from 1st of October

The government has made Aadhaar number mandatory for issuance of death certificates. The rule comes into effect on 1st October.

The rule will come into force across the country except Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya. It will provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud.

7 August 2017: National Handloom Day

National Handloom Day is being observed on 7 August 2017 to encourage people to use hand-made loom in the country. The main event will be held in Guwahati to celebrate the third National Handloom Day.

National Handloom Day, to be celebrated every year due to its significance in India’s history, as ‘Swadeshi Movement’ was launched in 1905 on this day. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.

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Mughalsarai railway station rename as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya

The centre has approved a proposal to rename the Mughalsarai railway station in Uttar Pradesh after RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.

The proposal was given by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to revive the legacy of Upadhyaya, who died in 1968 at the junction itself.

The station contains the largest railway marshaling yard in Asia. It is 12.5 km long and handles around 1,500 wagons daily. The largest wagon repair workshop of the Indian Railways is also located.

Justice Srikrishna committee on Institutionalization of Arbitration Mechanism

A High-Level Committee set up to review the Institutionalization of Arbitration Mechanismin India submitted its report to the Union Law Ministry. It was headed by Justice (retired) BN Srikrishna.

The Union Government is committed to the speedy resolution of commercial disputes and to make India an international hub of Arbitration. Ravi Shankar Prasad is the current Union Minister holding Law and Justice and Ministry of Information Technology portfolio in the Government of India.

Bengaluru will soon have India’s first helicopter-taxi service

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport will become the first airport in India to have a helicopter taxi service. The helicopter service will commence within three months.

The first flight route will connect the city’s IT hub, Electronic City to the airport, and is estimated to complete the journey within 15 minutes. Two helicopters have been designated for the purpose with plans to commission more when the demand increases.

Govt launches a new scheme to boost agri startups

Joining hands with the IIM Ahmedabad, India’s premier farm research institute – Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have launched a central scheme to promote agri startups in the country.

The programme known as AGRI UDAAN Food and Agribusiness Accelerator 2.0 will help select innovative startups to scale up their operations in agri value chain for effective improvement in agriculture.

UP Cabinet changes name of scheme launched by SP government

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved renaming of another Samajwadi Party (SP) government-run scheme, and the Samajwadi Sarvhit Kisan Bima Yojna will now on be known as the Mukhymantri Sarvhit Kisan Bima Yojna.

At the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it was also decided to change several rules for recruitment of police constables.

One major rule that has already been done away with vis-a-vis police recruitment is addition of physical test marks in the final results; now on, the marks of physical test will not have any bearing on the final results.

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Kerala, Haryana top sanitation survey

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation released the findings of the survey of 1.4 lakh rural households, undertaken by the Quality Council of India (QCI) between May and June this year.

Northeastern States of Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland were top performers with 95% rural households covered by toilets.

BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and NDA-ruled Bihar were among the worst performers in terms of rural sanitation.

Coconut regains `tree status in Goa as Assembly passes bill

The Goa Legislative Assembly has passed a bill which reclassifies coconut as a `tree, ensuring legal protection for it.

Goa Forward Party, a partner in the Manohar Parrikar-led government, had promised to reclassify coconut.

The previous Laxmikant Parsekar-led government had changed classification of coconut tree to a `palm.

NITI Aayog selects 3 States for transformative change in Health & Education sectors

NITI Aayog has announced partnership with three States each to radically transform their Health and Education sectors. NITI Aayog has selected Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka to improve healthcare delivery and key outcomes in these States.

In Education, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand have been selected for support to better learning outcomes. The six States have been chosen after a rigorous competitive process based on comprehensive metrics to determine potential for impact and likelihood of success.

Govt declares entire Assam as ‘disturbed’ area under AFSPA for another month

The Centre has declared entire Assam as a “disturbed” area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.

The Union home ministry also declared Meghalaya’s border areas adjoining Assam, and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh as “disturbed” under the AFSPA for two more months with effect from August 3.

Dawn of Cruise Tourism In India’ Inaugurated In Mumbai

A special event, ‘The dawn of cruise tourism in India’ was inaugurated in Mumbai. The preparedness of Mumbai Port and Ministry of shipping to host cruise vessels in the country is revealed to a worldwide audience at the event. It also saw the launch of three reports, “Mumbai Port SoP’s for cruise operations”, “Road map for Sea cruise tourism” and “Cruise terminals in India”.

ONGC Videsh to pump $150 million in Colombia, Kazakhstan & Bangladesh

ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp, plans to invest $150 million in exploration this fiscal year to drill more wells in Colombia, where it just made a commercial discovery, as well as in Kazakhstan and Bangladesh.

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ONGC Videsh which operates the CPO-5 block of Colombia has made a commercial discovery in its exploration well Mariposa-1. It includes a producing block whose current output is 35,000 barrels per day. The company has also entered Namibia’s oil and gas sector with a purchase of 30% interest from Tullow Oil in the African country’s three oil blocks.

FMCG Britannia To Set Up Largest Plant In Maharashtra

India’s leading FMCG Britannia Industries would set up its largest plant in Maharashtra in a food park at Ranjangaon. There will be an investment of Rs 1000 crore at the Ranjangaon food park over a period of four to five years with an employment potential for 3000 people.

The largest plant is the Ranjangaon food park in Maharashtra. The chairman of Britannia Industries is Nusli Wadia.

Gujarat first state to implement coal utilisation between power units

The Gujarat government issued a tender for power developers to receive cheap coal marked for the state in return for selling coal-based power at less than Rs 2.82 a unit.

Through the auction, Gujarat will transfer the coal allocated to power generating stations owned by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) to more fuel-efficient private power plants.

The aim is to reduce the cost of fuel for financially ailing distribution companies and ensure effective distribution of domestic coal.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath flagged off ‘Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra’ from Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the ‘Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra’ from his official residence in state capital Lucknow. The ‘Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra’ is being organised by the Uttar Pradesh Home Guards. Namami Gange Jagriti Yatra’ will conclude on September 6.

CM Yogi Adityanath had on April 28 said that his government would take further the ambitious `Namami Gange‘ program on the lines of ongoing Narmada conservation programme in Madhya Pradesh.

NCERT Launches Web Portal For Supply Of Textbooks

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) launched a web portal that will enable schools to place orders for their books online. Very soon, individual buyers will also be able to place their orders by logging onto the portal and books will be delivered at their doorstep.

E-commerce sites, which deliver general books free of cost, levy steep delivery charges on NCERT books.

Four Indian Cities In Top 5 Fastest Growing

Delhi will have the fastest growth of any city in Asia, with the economy to be almost 50 percent larger in 2021 than it was at the end of last year. Indian cities are set to expand the most across the region, with growth speeding up from the past 5 years, according to a new study from Oxford Economics, which ranked Asia’s 30 largest cities.

With financial and business services projected to be the fastest growing sector in India, Delhi’s dominance in this industry will lead to higher growth and higher incomes.

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NGT bans use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an interim ban on use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in the entire national capital.

They issued a fine of fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found in possession of non-bio degradable plastic bags less than 50 microns, which is the thickness of a human hair. It also imposed an environment compensation of Rs. 10,000 on vegetable vendors and slaughter houses for throwing garbage in public places.

Telangana CM initiates ₹2000-crore Sriram Sagar modernisation project

In an effort to modernize the SriramSagar project and increase the area served,Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao initiated a Rs.2,000-crore project that seeks to modernize the project.

This project on the Godavari river has the potential to serve several districts in the state. Under the Sriram Sagar project revival and restoration initiative, water from the Pranahitha river, which joins the Godavari, will be diverted at Medigadda and pumped into the Sriram Sagar project.

Govt launches video of National Anthem in sign language

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has launched an Indian National Anthem video in sign language, featuring disabled and partially disabled children.

The film is conceptualised by Satish Kapoor, Founder Director, We Care Film Festival. We Care Film Festival produced the Film under the aegis of Brotherhood, an NGO. It is directed by Govind Nihalani and the music is scored by late Aadesh Shrivastava.

Government approves 10 Namami Gange projects worth Rs 2,033 crore

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 10 projects in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh worth about Rs.2,033crore. These projects were approved in the 5th meeting of the Executive Committee of NMCG.

NMCG is the implementation wing of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga (referred asNational Ganga Council). It has a two tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee. Both of them are headed by Director General(DG).

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

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched ‘Gaj Yatra’, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day. The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.

World Elephant Day is an annual global event celebrated across the world on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants.

African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species. As per the available population estimates, there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants.

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Ministry of Culture organizes Sankalp Se Siddhi Programme in Coimbatore

To take forward the initiative for a New India movement from 2017 – 2022, a Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve) Programme was organized at Coimbatore on 12 August, 2017.

The New India Movement 2017-2022 envisages an India free of Poverty, Corruption, Terrorism, Communalism, Casteism and Un-cleanliness.

Nabin Tan Mon Bikash Yojana launched

Heritage Conservation Society has launched a scheme – ‘Nabin Tan Mon Bikash Yojana’ – in memory of Nabin Sharma. The scheme is especially for school children. After August 15 the members will visit schools in the entire region to promote the scheme.

To promote health habits among children like correct standing and sitting posture, songs and rhymes for different musical drill of Sisu Prami Nabin Sharma are now preserved by Adviser Gayatri Goswami in Digital form.

Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) To be launched

The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)”as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NRLM).

The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas. This will help to provide safe,affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities.

Jharkhand Assembly Passes Religious Freedom Bill

Jharkhand Assembly has passed Religious Freedom Bill 2017. It aims to stop the forced conversions in the state. The bill will now be sent to the governor, following whose approval it would go to the President for assent.

The Bill has provision for imprisonment of three years and fine of 50,000 rupees or both, and four year imprisonment and 1 lakh rupee fine, or both, if the person converted is a minor, woman or a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.

Gujarat Government to Give ‘Namo’ Tablets

Around 3.5 lakh college students in Gujarat will get tablets at a subsidised rate of Rs 1,000 each under a state government scheme launched by chief minister Vijay Rupani in Ahmedabad.

Under this scheme, the first year college students in the state will get 7-inch ‘NAMO E-Tab’ tablets, which have a market value of Rs 8,000 each, by just paying Rs 1,000.

Make in India Seminar Held in New Delhi

Second Seminar on ‘MAKE’ projects for Indian Army was held atIndia Habitat Centre, New Delhi jointly under aegis of Indian Army and Confederation of Indian Industry (Cll).

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During the course of the seminar, a round table interaction of various Directorates of Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army) with industry reps was also held at the same venue. The seminar was attended by Senior Officers of the Army as well as from Ministry of Defence.

PM Launches website to Honour Gallantry Award Winners

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a website to honour all the gallantry award winners since Independence

In remembrance of our heroes who have been awarded gallantry awards since Independence, launched the site http://gallantryawards.gov.in.

Rajnath launches live Twitter wall on ‘Bharat Ke Veer’

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the live twitter wall for promoting Bharat Ke Veer portal on the eve of 71st Independence Day. On the occasion, Mr Singh and Ministers of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Kiren Rijiju contributed their one month salary for Bharat Ke Veer corpus.

Mr Singh has handed over a cheque of 1.59 lakh rupees to the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi in New Delhi.

India’s first railways disaster management centre to come up near Bengaluru

Trains falling into rivers and coaches catching fire will be common sights in the country’s first ‘railways disaster management village’ expected to come up on the outskirts of Bengaluru by December next year.

A senior official of the railways ministry said “overaged rolling stock” will be used to replicate train accidents so that real time rescue operations could be carried out to improve such efforts.

Maharashtra Chief Minister launches Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra an initiative providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai.

There are various schemes like farmers weekly market, farmers mobile market and mother’s tiffin, under this Yuva Rojgar Kendra and Mumbaikars can get fresh and healthy food, as well as farm, produce procured directly from farmers.

This app was also launched by the Chief Minister. BJP’s state president Raosaheb Danve, Mumbai president Ashish Shelar, Agriculture minister for state Sadabhau Khot were present on the occasion.

India’s first online course on Infusion Therapy launched

Infusion Nurses Society (INS) — a global authority in infusion therapy launched India’s first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses, under which it aims to train over 3,000 nurses in the vital medical procedure.

Announcing the initiative, which will boost nurses even in rural parts of India, INS said that utilising the reach and ease of the digital platform, the course will enable members to access the various infusion therapy modules and presentations through its website.

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India’s first aviation university to open in UP’s Rae Bareli

The country’s first aviation university at Fursatganj in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district is all set for inauguration on August 18.

Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, his deputy Jayant Sinha, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress vice-president and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, among others are expected to attend the inaugural event.

Odisha govt and Facebook launches ‘SheMeansBusiness’ programme

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik launched ‘She Means Business’ programme of Facebook for women entrepreneurs in Odisha. Under the scheme 25, 000 women entrepreneurs and self-help group (SHG) members will be given training on digital marketing skills within next one year.

Odisha government’s partnership with Facebook aimed to reduce the digital divide and empower nearly 25,000 women entrepreneurs and SHGs.

Lord Krishna-themed coin to be released by Chad on Janmashtami

A limited edition silver coin on Lord Krishna will be released on Janmashtami on August 15 by the Republic of Chad in commemoration of the 5,244th birth anniversary of the Hindu God. This full- dimensional 3D coin weighs 100 grams and has been made of pure silver, numismatist Alok K Goyal, the designer of the coin.

Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’ commissioned in Goa

Indian Coast Guard ship “Shaurya”, the fifth in the series of six 105-metre offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) commissioned in Goa by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

The OPV, which draws 2,350 tonne and is propelled by 9100 kilowatt diesel engine, has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd and is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machineries.

Odisha: Special programme to prevent spread of malaria

A special programme would soon be launched to prevent the spread of malaria in remote areas of Odisha’s Ganjam district. The programme has been christened as “Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran” (DAMON).

The health officials have identified over 135 remote villages under the jurisdiction of five community health centres as malaria prone areas. The community health centres have been identified as Patrapur, Adapada, Badagada, Dharakote and Gallery

India opens first partition museum

India ‘s first museum will open this week in Amritsar Punjab, as India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years as independent nations. The museum will include photographs, newspaper clippings, donated personal items, and screens showing video interviews with survivors.

It will have ‘The Gallery of Hope’, where visitors can scribble messages of love and peace.

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Ravi shankar prasad lauds SC efforts for transparency in court appointments

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has lauded the Supreme Court’s initiative to make trial court appointments more transparent and appealed to states, opposing the proposed centralised selection mechanism, to reconsider their stand.

The Supreme Court indicated that it was inclined to go ahead with a proposal for the central government- funded Centralised Selection Mechanism,(CSM) even if there was no amicable consensus among various high courts and the states.

The apex court is examining a proposal for having a singular examination under CSM to select judicial officers to fill up vacancies in subordinate judiciary, which stands at over 20 per cent of the sanctioned strength.

Maharashtra Launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra, a farmers’ market on wheels, which aims at delivering farm-fresh organic produce at reasonable prices. A total of 125 farm-to-home delivery vans will tour the city to sell the produce. So far, 10 vehicles with fresh farm produce have been rolled out in the city.

The remaining 115 vehicles to be launched within a month. The vegetables sold in the mobile vans will be priced 25% lower than the average market rate. The initiative aims to generate jobs for uneducated youth and women.

Maha cm inaugurates next gen projection mapping system

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the next generation projection mapping system at the iconic Gateway of India in south Mumbai. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated as the next generation projection mapping system at the iconic Gateway of India in south Mumbai.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, business tycoon Anand Mahindra, ministers Subhash Desai, Ram Shinde, Jaykumar Rawal were also present on the occasion.

India moves to revive tapi gas pipeline

India will host the next steering committee meetingof the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan-India(TAPI) gas pipeline, senior officials on both sides confirmed. The decision was came during the sixth joint Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation.

The meeting was followed by a meeting between visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

The pipeline first proposed in 1995 will transport natural gas from energy rich Caspian Sea (Galkynysh gas-fields) fourth largest in the world.

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August 15 to be celebrated as ‘Sankalp Parva’: Govt

The 70th Independence Day on August 15 to be celebrated as the Sankalp Parva. The Centre has decided to observe this Independence Day as ‘Sankalp Parva’ and asked the people to dedicate themselves to social causes and share their ideas to make a new India.

Terming ‘Quit India Movement’ as an important milestone, the government has asked people to take a pledge to create a new India that is strong, prosperous and inclusive. The Quit India Movement or ‘August Kranti’ began on August 9, 1942. “Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, people across India, in every village, city, transcending all barriers came together with a common mission to uproot imperialism.

NCRB merged with bureau of police research

The government merged the National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) – which, over the years, has been the principal source of reference by policy makers, police, criminologists, researchers and media – both in India and abroad, with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).

The ministry of home affairs issued an order on Friday evening placing NCRB’s functions under the Director General of BPR&D, who will now oversee all the data collection related to Crime in India, Accidental Deaths and Suicides, Prison Statistics and Fingerprints.

India placed at 43rd among 45 nations in global innovation index

India ranks abysmally at 43rd out of 45 countries in a global innovation index, according to a report released by US Chambers of Commerce which cited the country’s “anaemic” intellectual property rights (IPR) policy and patent act as challenges to innovation.

In the 5th annual International IP Index ‘The Roots of Innovation’ by the US Chambers of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC), there is slight improvement in India’s performance — it was ranked last or next-to-last in the previous four years.

‘Indira canteen scheme’ launched in bengaluru

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has launched the Indira Canteen scheme a state government initiative named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi aimed at providing food at low cost to the urban poor.

The canteen, located in Kanakana Palya (Jayanagar) in Bengaluru, is one of 101 such that opened across various locations in Bengaluru.

Government bans export of gold items above 22-carat purity

The government has banned exports of gold jewellery, medallions and other articles above 22- carat purity in a bid to check round tripping of the precious metal.

According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), certain provisions of the foreign trade policy (2015-20) are amended to allow export of gold Jewellery and articles containing gold of 8 carats and above up to a maximum limit of 22 carats only from domestic tariff area and export-oriented units, electronics hardware technology parks, software technology parks and bio technology parks.

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Govt extends tax exemption for industry in north east, hilly states

As many as 4,284 industrial units in the North East and Himalayan States will get GST relief in the form of refund of Central share of CGST and iGST. The eligible industrial units located in State of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the North Eastern States including Sikkim.

TRIFED celebrates World Honey Bee Da

To create awareness about Beekeeping and uses of its products including Honey, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is celebrating World Honey Bee Day (WHBD) on 19.08.2017 in the Country.

In Delhi, this would be celebrated in TRIBES India Showrooms at Dilli Haat, Mahadev Road and Baba Karak Singh Marg on 18.08.2017. The main theme of celebrating WHBD is to save Indian honey bee.

India’s first world peace university inaugurated in MIT, Pune

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated Dr Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University (MITWPU). MIT World Peace University is an entirely new concept and a model for moulding global citizens.

The inauguration ceremony was held at the Swami Vivekananda Mandap at the MIT World Peace University’s Kothrud Campus.

NHAI launches mobile app myfastag and fastag partner

National Highways Authority of India has launched two mobile Apps, MyFASTag and FASTag Partner. These mobile apps will help in the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection. MyFASTag is a consumer App can be downloaded from the App Store for both Android and iOS systems.

FASTag Partner is a merchant App agencies like Common Services Centre, banking partners, and vehicle dealers can sell and enroll FASTag through this App.

CM Yogi Adityanath launches Clean and Healthy UP campaign

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was launch the ‘Swachh Uttar Pradesh, Swasth Uttar Pradesh’ campaign about the importance of sanitation and hygiene in combating diseases. Common man needs to take the initiative in this sanitation drive. People need to be aware about how to maintain and promote hygiene.

GeM and CII sign MoU to establish GeMSamvad

An MoU was signed between Government eMarketplace (GeM) SPV and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in the presence of Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce & Industry Minister at Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.

This MoU between GeM and CII is aimed at establishing GeM Samvaad- a participative and collaborative approach with the industry for promoting Indian industry and entrepreneurship.

Ministry of Defence approves delegation of Powers to Border Roads Organisation

The Ministry of Defence has decided to delegate administrative and financial powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) right upto the level of Chief Engineer and Task Force Commander, so as to avoid

17 | Page www.DayTodayGK.com CURRENT AFFAIRS AUGUST 2017 PDF delays on account of references between the Chief Engineer and HQ DGBR and also between HQ DGBR and the Ministry.

Functioning under the control of the Ministry of Defence since 2015, the BRO is engaged in road construction to provide connectivity to difficult and inaccessible regions in the border areas of the country.

Rajasthan govt signed JV agreement for refinery project with HPCL

Rajasthan government and state owned oil firm HPCL inked an agreement to form a joint venture company for Barmer petroleum refinery and petrochemical complex. In a new firm, HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL), state government will have 26% and HPCL will have 74 per cent of partnership.

The agreement was a follow up MoU signed between both the stakeholders in April, 2017 and comes a day after government of India gave its approval for the project.

Pune farm sees country’s first calf born to surrogate cow in mobile lab

India’s first calf delivered by a surrogate or recipient cow through InVitro Fertilisation(IVF) technology carried out in a mobile laboratory in Pune. This is for first time IVF procedure was successfully implemented at the farm level with the help of mobile laboratory.

The purpose of producing surrogate calf was to protect indigenous cow breeds in its original form which have been destroyed due to cross-breeding.

SDMC launches ‘terminator train’

A special train called the ‘mosquito terminator’ was pressed into service by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), in collaboration with the Northern Railway, to spray anti-larval chemicals along the tracks to control mosquito breeding.

To fight vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, insecticide will be sprayed using power sprayers, which will be attached to trucks placed on the train.

Prakash Javadekar Launches Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat’ Initiative

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar has said the Modi Government aimed at strengthening the education sector in the country through empowerment of general education.

“Ensuring quality education for all is one of the main objectives of the Central Government. We will eliminate the ‘aana, khana and jaana’ (come, eat and go) system. Special training courses will be made mandatory for teachers to enhance the quality of teaching in schools.

Cloud seeding begins in Karnataka

Karnataka Government launched clouding seeding Project Varshadhari in Bengaluru under which an aircraft will spray chemicals to induce rainfall. It aims to condense small water particles by clouds (size less than 10 microns) to droplets of50 microns, which can constitute rains.

Cloud seeding (also known as weather modification technique) is an artificial way to induce moisture in the clouds so as to cause a rainfall.

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NITI Aayog to launch “Mentor India” Campaign

NITI Aayog will launch the Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can guide and mentor students at more than 900 Atal Tinkering Labs, established across the country as a part of the Atal Innovation Mission.

The idea is to engage leaders who will nurture and guide students in the Atal Tinkering Labs. These labs are non-prescriptive by nature, and mentors are expected to be enablers rather than instructors.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh launches digital police portal

A digital police portal under the CCTNS project, which aims to create a national database of crimes and criminals, launched by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The portal is a smart policing initiative of the Government to provide services to citizens and aid efficient police investigation. It is a portal of a platform for citizens to file online crime related complaints and also request for antecedent verification.

IOC to Invest Rs 52,000 cr in Paradip Refinery Post Pact with Odisha Govt

State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will invest about Rs 52,000 crore in expanding Paradip refinery and setting up petrochemical complex after the Odisha government agreed to restore part of tax incentives.

The state government has agreed to give Rs 700 crore per annum of an interest-free loan for 15 years to make up for the withdrawn incentive of 11-year deferment on payment of sales tax on Paradip refinery products sold in the state.

Andhra Pradesh first to implement Bharat QR digital payments

Andhra Pradesh’s Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd (EPDCL) and the Southern Power Distribution Corporation of AP Ltd (SPDCL) have become the first state-owned distribution companies in India to accept payments through Bharat QR.

The world’s first interoperable quick response code acceptance solution launched by the Reserve Bank of India. As part of the ‘Vizag less–cash city’ initiative underway between Visa and the Andhra Pradesh government, the state has witnessed a slew of initiatives aimed at increasing the rate of digital payment adoption across the masses.

SC strikes down instant triple talaq

The Supreme Court banned a controversial Islamic practice of instant divorce as arbitrary and unconstitutional, in a landmark verdict for gender justice that will stop Muslim men calling off a marriage on a whim.

In a split verdict, three of the five all-male judges on the case said the practice of saying “talaq”, or divorce, three times in one go – sometimes even over email and WhatsApp – violated women’s right to equality and was not integral to Islam.

Transgender beauty pageant to be held in Gurugram

The first edition of Miss Transqueen India, a beauty pageant for transgenders, will take place in Gurugram. At the final event, 16 contestants from Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Karnataka and other states will compete to win the Miss Transqueen India title. Miss Transsexual

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Australia 2017 Laeticia Phylliscia Raveena will be crowning the first Miss Transqueen India. The winner will go to Thailand for Miss International Queen, the first runner-up will compete at Miss Transsexual Australia.

‘Food ATM’ installed for poor and needy in Kolkata

‘Food ATM’, a 320-litre refrigerator laden with leftovers, is ensuring that the poor and needy in the city do not go hungry, thanks to an initiative by a restaurateur. Asif Ahmed, the co-owner of Sanjha Chulha restaurant chain, started the ‘Food ATM’ with the support of three organisations (Rotary, Round Table, JITO) in front of one of his outlets in Park Circus to help curb food wastage and feed the needy.

17th Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC held

The seventeenth Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) held in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister Arun Jaitley. The meeting was attended by RBI Governor Dr. Urjit R. Patel, SEBI chairman, IRDA Chairman along with heads and other senior officers of the Government.

FSDC is a super regulatory body for regulating financial sector which is a vital for bringing healthy and efficient financial system in the economy.

UIDAI launches door step Aadhar enrolment in Delhi

UIDAI has joined hands with CSC India for launching door step enrolment facility in the national capital for the elderly, patients and others who cannot travel the Aadhar centres.

A mobile van in partnership with CSC India will go and enroll people who are unable to travel to Aadhaar centers for enrollment like elderlies, patients, small children. The van was flagged off by Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

National Sports Museum to be established in New Delhi

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is going to establish National Sports Museum, first of its kind, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The decision was taken three months back and after a series of meetings and his personal visits to several locations in the capital, the current venue for museum was finalized by the Sports. To aim of the Museum is to popularise the sports as a way of life within the country.

TRAI inks cooperation pact with Malaysia telecom regulator

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has inked an agreement with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to deepen bilateral cooperation in telecom and broadcasting regulation.

The two telecom regulators have signed a letter of intent (LoI), under which they will exchange information and regulatory best practices. TRAI chairman RS Sharma and MCMC chairman Halim Shafie were signatories to the pact, which will enhance cooperation and bilateral ties between the two entities.

Environment minister launches “harit diwali, swasth diwali” campaign

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr.Harsh Vardhan, launched the“Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” campaign.

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The Minister impressed upon the children the importance of their contribution towards reducing pollution by not bursting harmful fire crackers during Diwali.

Government to conduct ‘world’s largest sample survey’ for students

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has announced November 13 as the date for conducting its National Assessment Survey (NAS) for the students of class 3, 5, and 8.

During several rounds of the survey, a total of 4.45 lakh students has been tested for various learning outcomes. Approximately 30 lakh students will be assessed in the year 2017-18 making it the world’s largest sample survey of student learning achievement.

Air India’s maiden direct flight to stockholm, all women crew

Air India has launched direct flights from here to Stockholm, making the Swedish capital its tenth destination in Europe. Air India launched direct Delhi-Stockholm flights on 16thAgust, with an all-women crew operating the Dreamliner Boeing 787.

Olympic shooter Gagan Narang and cricketer Harbhajan Singh were among the passengers on board the maiden flight, which was launched in the presence of Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani. Air India is expected to launch flights to Danish capital Copenhagen next month.

Central ministers, bureaucrats to getelectric cars from November

The government plans to get 1,000 electric cars for the ministers in the country by November. The decision comes as India, which is the world’s third largest oil consumer, has decided to join the Electric Vehicle (EV).

Notably, to make the plan a success, global bids have been set up to install 10,000 battery operated cars and 4,000 charging stations in NCR.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh kant to launch ‘Mentor India campaign’

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant launch the Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders who can nurture and guide studentsat more than 900Atal Tinkering Labs.

CEO NITI Aayog,Shri Amitabh Kantunveiled the online nationwide initiative in New Delhi. Mentor India is aimed at maximizing the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs, possibly the biggest disruption in formal education globally.

Closure of loss-making bharat wagon approved

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the closure of loss-making Bharat Wagon and Engineering Company (BWEL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways. The CCEA decision will stop the flow of financial support from public funds for carrying on the operations of BWEL Resulting in savings.

The Company was referred to BIFR (Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction) in December 2000 and was declared sick in the year 2002.

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5% GST Applicable on selling of space for advertisement in print media

Union Government clarified that five percent Goods and Service Tax (GST) is applicable on selling of space for advertisement in print media if an agency buys space from the newspaper and sells the same to clients on its own account.

However, the GST rate will be 18 percent of the sale commission, if the agency works as an agent of the newspaper on a commission basis.

Supreme Court rules right to privacy as fundamental right

The Supreme Court of India pronounced that individual privacy is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution.

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar ruled that the right to privacy is intrinsic to life and liberty, thus coming under Article 21, and comes to thevarious fundamental freedoms in PART III of the Indian Constitution.

With this now India has total seven fundamental rights. The Fundamental rights are Right to equality, Right to freedom, Right against exploitation, Right to freedom of religion, Cultural and Educational rights, and Right to constitutional remedies are the 6 fundamental rights of India.

Karnataka ties up with Microsoft to develop India’s first farm price forecasting model

Karnataka Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with software giant Microsoft India to develop a unique price forecasting model. The proposed initiative is claimed to be the first-of-its- kind in the country.

The farm price forecasting model will use latest IT tools in a bid to help farmers, administrators, and other stakeholders to understand market behavior.

Grid-connected rooftop solar projects launched: Odisha government

The potential to generate more than 5,000 MW of solarpower, the State Government has set a target to tap 8 MW of the clean energy in the current financial year.

In a bid to popularise grid-connected rooftop solarpower plant, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a web portal www.rtsodisha.gov.in, which will provide an opportunity to the stakeholders to interact with customers for timely delivery of services online.

The program is being implemented by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency(OREDA).

Right to privacy is Fundamental Right under Constitution, Declares Supreme Court

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has declared that the right to privacy is “intrinsic to life and liberty” and an inherent part of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in Part III of the Constitution.

Reading out the common conclusion arrived at by the nine judges on the Bench, Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said the court has overruled its own eight-judge Bench and six-judge Bench judgments of MP Sharma and Kharak Singh delivered in 1954 and 1961, respectively, that privacy is not protected under the Constitution.

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Vice President to launch Sports Talent Portal on August 28

Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu will officially launch the Sports Ministry’s much- awaited National Sports Talent Search Portalat the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on August 28.

The portal will provide a three step simple process for registration, profile creation and upload of achievements.

It will be available in English and other regional languages so that it is easier for any boy or girl who is talented in a particular sport to upload his or her achievements from any part of the country.

Govt said to Examine Gm Crops’ Impact Before Rollout Decision

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that no Genetically Modified(GM) crop should be introduced unless the bio-safety and socio economic desirability is evaluated in a transparent process.

The recommendation was made by the department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology and environment and forest.The Committee also recommended that the Environment Ministry (MoEFCC) should examine the impact of GM crops regularly.

Sushma inaugurated first Videsh Bhavan

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will inaugurate the country’s first Videsh Bhavan, assimilating all Regional Passport Offices under one roof, at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

As a first pilot project, four offices of MEA – Regional Passport Office (RPO), Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office, Branch Secretariat and Regional Office of ICCR – have been assimilated and brought under one roof at the state-of-art office.

CCEA nod to rename food processing scheme as PM Kisan Sampada

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved renaming the new central food processing scheme SAMPADABSE 4.95 % as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with an aim to benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5.30 lakh jobs by 2020.

The objective of the PMKSY is to supplement agriculture by promoting processing and reducing farm wastage. The scheme with an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore is expected to leverage investment of Rs 31,400 crore.

Government finalises new cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s proposed cadre allocation policy on the lines of its overarching theme of “One Nation”, has drawn criticism from the serving and retired members of the Indian bureaucracy.

Under the new policy, officers from all India services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) will have to choose their respective cadre from among the five zones comprising of 26 existing cadres.

Jammu and Kashmir Government to Set Up First Eco-Park

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to build an Eco-Park on over 34 acres of land reclaimed from encroachers in the state’s Rajouri district.

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The park is a first-of-its-kind project in the region. It will have a botanical garden, a cactus garden, a cafeteria and other amenities.

The project has been planned under the convergence of local resources and it is expected to be completed by end of this year.

Air Force Chief inaugurates 56th annual aerospace conference

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa inaugurated the 56th annual three-day conference of Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru.

He highlighted the Institute’s role in “the progress made in Night Vision Goggle training” in his speech, calling it “an example of the support aerospace medicine has made to the evolving flying environment”.

CA Institute Signs MoU with ICA Nepal

The CA Institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN).

Nilesh Vikamsey, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Prakash Jung Thapa, President–ICAN exchanged the MoU in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Government notifies changes in Banking Regulation Act

The government has notified the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act under which it can authorise the RBI to issue directions to banks to initiate insolvency resolution process to recover bad loans.

The banking sector is saddled with non-performing assets (NPAs) of over Rs 8 lakh crore, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is with public sector banks (PSBs). Earlier this month, Parliament had approved the Act, which replaced an ordinance in this regard.

Karnataka tourism dept launches Dasara package on Golden Chariot

Karnataka’s Department of Tourism has announced Dasara Special Tour Packages. The department, through its arm KSTDC, plans to launch the ‘Dasara Special Tour Package’ in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train, to promote the state festival.

The Golden Chariot is South India’s first and only luxury tourist train run by KSTDC. With its exquisite accommodation, décor inspired by dynasties from Karnataka’s past, fine dining and service by liveried attendants, the Golden Chariot gives you a glimpse of the rich heritage of Karnataka and a feel of royalty on wheels.

Jaitley launches BEML’s metro manufacturing facility

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has launched BEML’s third Line ultra modern metro manufacturing facility to enhance the production of metro cars for the forthcoming metro projects in India.

Earlier in the morning, he inaugurated the indigenously designed and developed biggest ever diesel excavator BE1800D and crawler dozer BD475-1 and T-72 hull, meant for fitting into tanks, at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) unit of Bharath Earth Movers Limited.

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Arun Jaitley Hands Over LRSAM To Indian Navy

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley handed over the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) jointly developed by India and Israel, to the Indian Navy, at Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL). LRSAM is an advanced combat suit for missile defence against air targets and missiles, and has full capabilities of air and surface surveillance, threat alert and fire control.

The minister also dedicated a first-of-its kind 50-tonne Rocket Motor Static Test Facility. He inaugurated the ASTRA Manufacturing Unit at the BDL’s Bhanur unit.

IRDAI Launches Central Database Of Insurance Sales Persons

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has launched a Central Database of all Insurance Sales Persons in the country.

Aimed as `Envoy’, the database will ensure that all licensed insurance sales persons working for insurers and intermediaries including entities such as insurance agents, broker qualified persons, specified persons of corporate agents do not work with multiple insurers and intermediaries in the same business category.

Rajnath Singh inaugurates YUVA – a skill development programme

The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the YUVA – a skill development programme and an initiative by Delhi Police under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The aim of these kinds of initiatives improves the image of the police among common man.

The ‘YUVA’ initiative by Delhi Police aims to connect with youth by upgrading their skill as per their competencies. It will help them to get a gainful employment under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna under the Ministry of Skill Development.

Delhi Police has tied up with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for providing mass job linked skill training for the selected youth.

Wellness India 2017 Expo

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has initiated Wellness India 2017 Expo.

The opening day of the 3-day “Wellness India 2017 Expo” for individuals who did not have any disease but suffered from lack of physical or mental well-being which compromised their output and performance thus not allowing them to achieve the best of their potential.

PM Modi inaugurates and does Bhoomi Poojan for NH projects worth Rs.15,100 crores in Rajasthan

Prime Minister Modi has said that his government is fully committed to timely completion of work. The PM was to mark the inauguration and Bhoomi Poojan for National Highways projects worth Rs 15,100 crores in Udaipur in Rajasthan.

Modi inaugurated 12 National Highways projects worth Rs 5610 crores and did Bhoomi Poojan for 11 projects worth Rs 9490 crores. These highways will help farmers, give a boost to tourism and open up economic opportunities for the local people.

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Kerala CM launches U-17 world cup logo for kochi venue

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the logo for Kochi, one of the venues of FIFA U-17 World Cup. The logo represents and reflects Kochi’s identity and will be a valuable tool in linking the local community in a global World Cup.

The tournament will be hosted in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium of the city. It is the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Karnataka to merge health schemes, launch ‘Arogya Bhagya

In a move to ensure medical benefits to entire population of Karnataka, the State government has decided to merge various health schemes and launch unified ‘Arogya Bhagya’ to cover all the 1.4 crore households.

The Universal Health Coverage scheme would help the card holder get treatment in all the empanelled private hospitals besides government hospitals to get treatment without paying any cash. The main theme of the ‘Arogya Bhagya’ scheme is “Treatment First and Payment Next”.

Government to hold pan-India handloom, handicraft camps

The textiles ministry would organise camps across the country from October in handlooms and handicrafts clusters to provide different services including issuance of credit facilities to weavers and artisans.

These camps, to be organised from October 7 to 17, will be organised under the initiative ‘Hastkala Sahyog Shivir’. It is proposed to organise the camps in more than 200 handloom block level clusters and weavers’ service centres and more than 200 handicraft clusters in collaboration with states.

Gobindobhog rice gets geographical indication status

Gobindobhog rice,a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal, has got the geographical indication (GI) status. The state government had applied for GI status for Gobindobhog rice on August 24, 2015.

The region of Burdwan (now divided into the districts of east and west Burdwan) is known as the rice bowl of Bengal.

As a result of getting the GI tag, as the certification is also called, rice from other regions or rice of other varieties cannot be branded as ‘Gobindobhog’.

Narendra Modi inaugurates ‘hanging bridge’ in Kota

Prime Minister Narendra Modi threw open to traffic Rajasthan’s first six-lane cable stayed (CS) bridge in Kota via video conferencing from Udaipur

The bridge, over Chambal River, has the longest main span of 350 metre in the country and will also act as a bypass to Kota City.

Meanwhile, large LED screens had been put at the bridge to broadcast the PM’s speech from Udaipur and a large number of people arrived at the bridge to witness the ceremony.

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EPFO to cut investments in AAA bonds: minister Bandaru Dattatreya

Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to invest about Rs3,000 crore in high-rated corporate bonds this financial year.

The employees provident fund manager at a recent meeting decided to cut the current investment of Rs.15,000 crore in AAA-rated bonds by Rs.3,000 crore and invest that amount in AA+bonds.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal launches Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries launched Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots (Small Onions) in Chettikulam village in Perambalur District of Tamil Nadu through video conferencing.

Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Thanjavur for their initiatives to help double farmers' income by 2022.

This Central Processing Center for Shallots in Perambalur will ensure that no shallots are getting wasted, increase farmers' income and also ensure availability of shallots to consumers. This Onion processing technology should be taken to all parts of India.

Friday declared ‘Day of Helping Hand’ in Andhra Pradesh by CM Naidu

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has declared Friday as the day of the week when he will meet with the poor and underprivileged sections of Andhra Pradesh society to hear their grievances and try to resolve them.

The day has been declared as the "Day of Helping Hand". Recently, an amount of nearly Rs.9 lakhs was disbursed from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the poor.

'Yalla Kerala' launched to attract Arab travellers

The Kerala Tourism department has launched a campaign called ‘Yalla Kerala’ (Yalla means lets go) targeting tourists from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

This comes on the back of a promotional campaign launched in Dubai recently aimed at Arab travellers by showcasing the state's backwaters and waterfalls on their city taxis.

CABINET APPROVALS

Cabinet to take up scrapping of no-detention policy in schools

States will soon be able to conduct exams for students of class 5 and 8 who fail in the annual exams to give them another chance to pass with the Union cabinet likely to take up a proposal of scrapping the ‘no- detention policy’.

Under the proposal, students of classes 5 to 8 who do not pass the examination in March will be given a chance in May or June.

An enabling provision will be made in the RTE amendment bill that will allow states to conduct examinations in class 5 and class 8 and detain students if they fail.

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Cabinet approves MoU between india-brics to set up BRICS Agriculture research platform

Cabinet has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and BRICs countries to set up BRICS Agriculture Research Platform

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for a MoU signed among India and various BRICs countries for establishment of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP).

CCEA approves new rail tracks in Tamil Nadu, Kerala

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved doubling of tracks of three railway lines and their electrification in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Committee has approved the constructionof a electrified second line between Vanchi-Maniyachchi- Nagercoil via Tirunelveli, Madurai-Vanchi and Maniyachchi-Tuticorin, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Kanyakumari.

The estimated cost of the Vanchi-Maniyachchi-Nagercoil via Tirunelveli project will be Rs 1,003.94 crores. All the three projects are expected to be completed by the year2020-2021.

Cabinet approves new mechanism to speed up strategic disinvestment

To accelerate strategic disinvestments in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) mandated a panel headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley to oversee the asset sale process.

In this regard, the proposal was forwarded by the Department of Investment and public Asset Management (DIPAM). DIPAM is the nodal agency of Union Finance Ministry mandated to advise the Union Government in the matters of the financial system.

Union cabinet approves creation of a single non-lapsable corpus fund for secondary

The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for the creation of a non-lapsable pool in the Public Account for secondary and higher, education is known as” Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh” (MUSK) which all proceeds of “Secondary and Higher Education Cess” are credited.

The funds arising from MUSK will be utilized for schemes in the education sector which will be available for benefit of students of secondary and higher education.

Cabinet approves MoU between India, Sweden on IPR

The Union Cabinet cleared MoU signed between India and Sweden on intellectual property right (IPR) cooperation, aimed at benefiting entrepreneurs, investors and businesses. This will enable India to exchange experiences in innovation and IP ecosystems.

The MoU establishes a wide-ranging and flexible mechanism through which both countries can exchange best practices and work together on training programmes and technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect intellectual property rights.

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Union cabinet clears stalled north koel reservoir project in Bihar

The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to complete the balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project in Bihar, stalled since 1993. Under the revived project, storage of water in Mandal dam to be constructed under it will be will be restricted at a lower level than envisaged earlier.

The project is situated on the North Koel river, a tributary of Sone River. It aims to provide irrigation to 111,521 hectares of land annually.

Cabinet gives in-principle approval for Public Sector Banks to amalgamate through an Alternative Mechanism (AM)

The Union Cabinet has given in-principle approval for Public Sector Banks to amalgamate through an Alternative Mechanism (AM). The decision would facilitate consolidation among the Nationalised Banks to create strong and competitive banks.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Nepal on Drug Demand Reduction

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and precursor chemicals and related matters.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Nepal for Bridge over Mechi River at Indo-Nepal border

The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed between India and Nepal for laying down implementation arrangement on Cost sharing, Schedules and Safeguard issues for starting construction of a new Bridge over Mechi River at Indo-Nepal border.

The estimated cost of construction of the bridge is Rs. 158.65 crore, which would be funded by Government of India through ADB loan.

Cabinet approves setting up of a Commission to examine the Sub-Categorization within OBCs

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for setting up of a Commission under article 340 of the Constitution to examine the issue of sub-categorization of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The Commission shall submit its report within 12 weeks from the date of appointment of the Chairperson of the Commission. The Commission shall be known as the Commission to examine the sub- categorization of Other Backward Classes.

Cabinet approves New Central Sector Scheme – “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana”

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the renaming of the new Central Sector Scheme – SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) as “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) ” for the period of 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle.

The objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-Waste.

Cabinet approves Closure of loss making Bharat Wagon and Engineering Company

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of Ministry of Railways to close the Bharat Wagon and Engineering Company Limited (BWEL) – a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under Ministry of Railways.

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626 employees of BWEL will be benefitted from the voluntary retirement scheme to be offered at 2007 pay scale. This measure will stop flow of financial support from public funds for carrying on the operations of sick/loss making BWEL resulting in savings for the Government.

Union cabinet approves creation of a single non-lapsable corpus fund for secondary

The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for the creation of a non-lapsable pool in the Public Account for secondary and higher, education is known as” Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh” (MUSK) which all proceeds of “Secondary and Higher Education Cess” are credited.

The funds arising from MUSK will be utilized for schemes in the education sector which will be available for benefit of students of secondary and higher education.

Cabinet renames Sampada scheme as PMSKY

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the renaming of the new Central Sector Scheme- SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) as “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)”for the period of 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle.

The new Central Sector Scheme- SAMPADA was approved in May 2017 with same allocation and period. The objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agri-Waste.

Cabinet approves plans to merge some state-run banks

The government has decided to set up an Alternative Mechanism to oversee the proposals for consolidation of public sector banks (PSBs) with a view to creating fewer but stronger lenders.

The Alternative Mechanism will be decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the Union Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet gave in-principle nod to the constitution of the mechanism which will clear proposals of banks for mergers and amalgamation.

Cabinet approves MoU with the Election Management Bodies of other countries/International Agencies

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Election Commission of India to enter into MoU on cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration with the Election Management Bodies of other countries/International Agencies. These are as follows:

• The National Electoral Council of Ecuador; • The Central Election Commission of Albania; • The Election Commission of Bhutan; • The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan; • The National Independent Electoral Commission of Guinea; • The Union Election Commission of Myanmar; and • The India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Cabinet approves MoU with Myanmar for the Conservation of Earthquake-Damaged Pagodas at Bagan

The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas at Bagan, Myanmar.

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The MoU will be signed during the visit of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Myanmar during 6-7 September 2017.

Cabinet approves promulgation of the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Ordinance, 2017

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal of the Finance Ministry to promulgate an ordinance to suitably amend the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017.

The approval would allow to increase the maximum rate at which the Compensation Cess can be levied from 15% to 25% on: a) motor vehicles for transport of not more than thirteen persons, including the driver [falling under sub-headings 870210, 8702 20, 8702 30 or 8702 90]; and b) motor vehicles falling under headings 8703.

Cabinet approves MoU on “India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund”

The Union Cabinet hasi approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on “India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)”. The MoU was concluded in July, 2017.

India and Israel will make a contribution of four million US Dollars each for the Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for five years. The Innovation Fund will be governed by a joint Board which will consist of four members from each country.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Brazil for cooperation in the fields of Zebu Cattle Genomics and Assisted Reproductive Technologies

The Union Cabinet was apprised of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Brazil for cooperation in the fields of Zebu Cattle Genomics and Assisted Reproductive Technologies. The MoU was signed in October, 2016.

The MoU will strengthen the existing friendly relations between India and Brazil and promote development of Genomics and Assistant Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) in Cattle through joint activities to be implemented through mutually agreed procedures.

Cabinet apprised of jointly issue of postage stamps between India and Canada

The Union was informe that India and Canada have mutually agreed to jointly issue a set of two Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-Canada: Joint Issue on the theme “Diwali”. The joint stamps will be released on 21st September, 2017.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed signed between Department of Posts and Canada Post for this joint issue. India and Canada have a longstanding close relationship, based on shared values of democracy, pluralism, equality for all and rule of law.

Cabinet approves equivalence of posts in Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the norms for establishing equivalence of posts in Government and posts in PSUs, PSBs etc. for claiming benefit of OBC reservations.

This addresses an issue pending for nearly 24 years. This will ensure that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations, on par with children of people serving in lower categories in Government.

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BANKING AND FINANCE

RBI becomes 1st central bank in Asia to cut rates this year

The Reserve Bank of India cut its main policy rate by a quarter percentage point to a more than 6-1/2 year low, saying a slump in inflation opened room for monetary easing, while pinning further action on upcoming economic data.

The rate cut is the RBI’s first easing move since one of the same size in October and the first by a central bank in Asia since December – a show of confidence in a country that has experienced a surge in foreign investments into debt and shares this year.

RBI slaps ₹3-cr penalty on Union bank for non-compliance with KYC norms

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty aggregating ₹3 crore on Union Bank of India for non-compliance with the regulatory direction on ‘know-your-customer’ (KYC) norms.

KYC is a process by which banks obtain information about the identity and address of customers.This process helps to ensure that banks’ services are not misused.

Flipkart completes eBay India merger

E-commerce major Flipkart has completed the merger with eBay India’s operations. With this, eBay.in will now be a Flipkart Group company.

The deal was announced in April when the Flipkart group raised $1.4 billion from global technology majors eBay, Tencent and Microsoft.

In exchange of an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay had made a cash investment of $500 million and sold its eBay.in business to Flipkart.

Airtel Payments Bank ties up with HPCL for ATM services

Airtel Payments Bank, which has achieved 10 million customer bases since launch, has tied up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited for enabling all its petrol stations that are typically cash surplus to be used as ATM points for customers of the bank.

In order to grow scale and reach a larger customer base which may be unbanked, CEO Shashi Arora tells Gulveen Aulakh that the government should do away with the requirement of filling Form 60 for users who have annual income less than Rs 2 lakh

SBI, Samsung collaborate to advance Digital India initiative

The State Bank of India (SBI) and Samsung India announced the availability of Samsung Pay for higher variants of SBI debit card, giving a major boost to government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative.

It is currently available on Samsung smart phones. It enables consumers to make offline payments without the need for a physical Card. It works on 2.5 million Point of Sale (POS) Card machines across the country through its Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology.

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RBI widens Basel-III-compliant asset base of banks

Ahead of the implementation of the stringent capital requirements under the Basel-III regime from 2019, the Reserve Bank amended a slew of previous regulations on the same, helping banks shore up their capital buffers and improve liquidity coverage ratios.

Accordingly, the new amendments widen the assets of banks such as the excess CRR; excess G-secs holdings in SLR; and also excess g-secs under marginal standing facility, which all would now be included in the stock of liquid assets without any limit as also without applying any haircut, the central bank said in a notification.

SEBI forms committee on fair market conduct

Regulator Sebi has set up a committee on ‘fair market conduct’ which will suggest measures for improving surveillance of the markets and strengthen rules for algo trades, among other norms.

The panel, under the chairmanship of former law secretary T K Viswanathan, would suggest measures for improvement in PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) norms, PFTUP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) regulations and mainly related to ‘trading plans’ and handling of unpublished price sensitive information’ during takeovers.

BSE’s India INX to commence gold options from Aug 30 at GIFT IFSC

The international exchange from BSE, IndiaINX, received an approval from the regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to commence trading in Gold Options contracts – the first for India at GIFT IFSC.

The underlying asset for the options will be IndiaINX Gold Futures, while the instrument type will be OPTCOM. Current Contract value with Strike price+ Premium will be $ 32, and Contract Size will be One India Inx Gold Futures contract.

NCLT Admits reliance communications’s petition for aircel merger

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) was admitted Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom)’s petition for merging its wireless division with telecom firm Aircel Ltd. The tribunal has also admitted RCom’s petition for a 51% stake sale in its telecom tower arm to Canada-based Brookfield Infrastructure. The tribunal will issue final orders on 13 September.

The new company will have earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of Rs.15,000 crore based on current trends.

Flipkart to help employees achieve personal aspirations

Online marketplace Flipkart has launched “Budding Star Programme’, an exclusive programme aimed at Flipkart employees to help them achieve their dreams by providing them financial assistance and paid leave. This initiative will allow Flipsters (Flipkart employees), to unleash their talent beyond work and participate in opportunities that will help them achieve success in their personal aspirations.

Flipkart will provide financial assistance to employees who wish to participate in any national or international competition pertaining to any field of interest.

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Amazon to offer training, aid to Telangana weavers

Amazon India has signed an agreement with the Telangana government to promote handlooms on the e- commerce platform. As part of the agreement, the firm will educate, train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to its customers in India.

Amazon India and the Department of Handlooms and Textiles will conduct training programmes to help them get ready for sales on a different window. The training programme would also have sessions on computers and Internet.

Mastercard, PayPal expand partnership into Asia Pacific

Mastercard and PayPal have extended their partnership into Asia Pacific to enhance the consumer experience and make Mastercard a clear payment option with PayPal. The deal will expand PayPal’s presence at the point of sale and enable Masterpass for Braintree merchants in the region.

Additionally, both companies will collaborate to create opportunities to leverage Mastercard’s new payment flow technologies, providing increased value to Mastercard cardholders, financial institutions, and PayPal customers.

Kotak Bank launches debit card offer for zero balance account

Private sector Kotak Mahindra Bank will offer debit card at a special price of Rs 99 for the first year for customers who will open account under its zero balance account scheme till September 15.The usual annual fee for debit card procured by 811 account holders (zero balance) is Rs 299.

To mark the 70th anniversary of country’s independence, the special edition debit card will be available to customers who open an 811 account from August 8, 2017 to September 15, 2017

Luxury cars, SUVs to cost more as GST Council approves cess hike

Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and luxury cars, which became cheaper after the 1 July rollout of the goods and services tax (GST), may cost more with the GST Council, federal indirect tax body, planning to raise cess on them from 15% now to up to 25%.

An official statement from the finance ministry said that after GST was introduced, the total tax incidence on motor vehicles comprising the GST rate and the cess came down compared to the total tax incidence in pre-GST regime.

Vijaya Bank opens self-employment training institute in Indore

Vijaya Bank has disbursed loan sanction letters to beneficiaries who were trained at the Vijaya Bank Self Employment Training Institute (VIBSETI) in Bhenslay Village, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. VIBSETI trains youth for starting their own enterprises. Kishore Sansi, Managing Director and CEO, Vijaya Bank, inaugurated the new premises recently.

The bank has sponsored three VIBSETIs at Mandya and Haveri in Karnataka and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, where free residential training is provided to low-income groups/ rural youth.

IDFC Bank partners with Zeta for e-payments solution

Private sector lender IDFC Bank has partnered with digital payments company Zeta, to launch ‘IDFC Bank Benefits’ – a payment solution for corporates that digitises employee spends and claims, making the process simple, real-time and paperless.

The end-to-end digital solution comprises an IDFC Bank Benefits Card and Zeta app which integrates the full suite of allowances and reimbursements offered by an employer into one preloaded card.

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ICICI Bank Launches Instant Credit Card Service

ICICI Bank has announced the launch of Instant Credit Card Service, which will enable its savings account customers to get a credit card instantly, in a completely digital and paperless manner. This is the first-of- its-kind offering in the Indian banking industry.

Using the Instant Credit Card Service, pre-qualified customers can apply and get credit card number and other important details online, using which, he/she can immediately start shopping online, without having to wait for the physical card to arrive.

BitBay launches trading platform for digital currency

BitBay, one of the top ten cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world, has launched a dedicated platform for trade and exchange of digital currencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, ether, Lisk, monero, dash and gamecredits.

The company will also work towards creating awareness about digital currencies and also removing misconceptions related to these currencies in a market like India. Sylwestor Suszek, CEO, BitBay, said the company would also try to attract potential investors and offer an all-round platform to trade as well as exchange multiple cryptocurrencies at BitBay.

SEBI launches online registration for custodians of securities

Markets regulator SEBI has introduced an online registration mechanism for custodians of securities to make it convenient for them to do business. The new system would help custodian of securities to complete registration and other regulatory filings with Sebi much faster and in a cost-effective manner.

The custodian of securities seeking approval as Designated Depository Participant (DDP) in terms of Sebi (FPI) regulations shall also apply through this portal.

Canara Bank unveils two new digital services

Canara Bank unveiled two new digital services for online payments.Bharat QR (Quick Response)is for payment settlement at merchant locations and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)is an integrated bill payment system for net banking customers.

The first service is a mobile application, which enables a merchant to accept payments as settlement for sale of goods or services. The second product (BBPS), an initiative of the RBI offers bill payment services to the bank’s net banking customers with network of agents.

PNB introduces biometric attendance register

Punjab National Bank (PNB)has introduced biometric attendance in the place of the existing system of signing attendance in the attendance register.

The new system of marking attendance will be implemented in branches/offices with immediate effect. Manual attendance system will run parallel up to August 31, to streamline the process. In exceptional cases, but in no case more than three occasions in a month, an employee may be permitted a grace margin of up to 15 minutes.

SEBI ties up with Securities & Exchange Organization (SEO) of Iran for technical assistance

Markets regulator SEBI has entered into a pact with its counterpart in Iran to promote technical assistance and facilitate cross-border co-operation in the area of securities regulations.

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It will facilitate mutual assistance, contribute towards efficient performance of the supervisory functions, and enable effective enforcement of laws and regulations governing the securities markets.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launches ‘Plan Your Goal’ website

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched a new website ‘PlanYourGoal.com’ to help users plan their investments according to their future financial goals. The website guides the users to plan their big spends, tax investments as well as the corpus required during retirement. The website also provides recommendations based on calculations.

State bank of India gives leg-up to CSR initiatives

State Bank of India launched a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative,SBI Gram Seva, which will work in the areas of health, education, environment and rural infrastructure.

The SBI Foundation will identify and partner with NGOs to carry out CSR initiatives under which it adopts five villages each from 10 village panchayats with each village getting around Rs 2.40 crore over the next three years.

City union bank offers instant credit cards

City Union Bank is going to offer instant credit cards and customers can generate a credit card online. The bank introduced the option of an “instant credit card” for free for its Net banking customers.

The physical delivery of the card will take a day or two. In the meantime, the card-holder can use it for online purchases. CUB has tied-up with MasterCard for the instant credit card.

SBI gives leg-up to CSR initiatives, adopts 50 villages

The nation’s largest lender State Bank of India has launched a CSR initiative, SBI Gram Seva, which will work in the areas of health, education, environment and rural infrastructure.

The SBI Foundation will identify and partner with NGOs to carry out CSR initiatives under which it adopt five villages each from 10 village panchayats with each village getting around Rs 2.40 crore over the next three years.

NABARD sanctions Rs 1,350-cr loan to Rajasthan govt

The National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan assistance of Rs 1,349.55 crore to the Rajasthan government for creation of rural infrastructure in the state under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

The sanction includes assistance for construction of two rural drinking water supply projects, strengthening/ rehabilitation of 1,614 rural roads and modernisation of three major irrigation projects.

Nestle ties up with Amazon India to launch Maggi’s new range

Nestle India has joined hands with ecommerce major Amazon India to exclusively sell the newly launched Nutri-Licious range of Maggi noodles on the latter’s market place, a move aimed at getting quick traction for the product before it hits brick and mortar stores later this year.

The product will be launched on August 20 on Amazon.in, and will be available in three variants. As part of the special launch offer, Amazon Prime members will get a 33% discount on the new range.

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Banks should link home loan rates to repo rate: RBI appointed committee

Reserve Bank of India appointed committee on Household Finance suggested that banks link their home loan rates to the RBI’s repo rate, the rate at which it lends to banks.

In the past three years, the central bank has reduced the policy rate by 200 basis points, but the weighted average lending rates have fallen by 145 basis points.

Two Regional Rural Banks Record Over ₹150-cr profit in Fy17

Out of the 56 regional rural banks (RRBs), Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank and Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank recorded net profit of more than Rs 150 crore during 2016-17.

These are among the 49 RRBs that recorded a profit in 2016-17. According to the Reserve Bank of India’s ‘Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India’,45 of the 56 RRBs earned profits without carrying any accumulated losses during 2015-16.

RBI launches Rs 200 note; promises to ramp up supply

The Reserve Bank has launched the bright yellow Rs 200 notes and said it will shortly ramp up the supply of the new currency note across the country.

Long queues of people were witnessed at RBI offices to get the new Rs 200 currency note that has been introduced for the first time by the central bank.

As per the new policy on theme-based currency notes, the Rs 200 bill bears motif of Sanchi Stupa to depict India’s cultural heritage.

HDFC Bank Launches All-in-one PoS Machine

HDFC Bank announced a software upgrade to create a single point-of-sale (PoS) machine which will accept payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI), BharatQR, SMS Pay and the bank’s mobile wallet, in addition to the traditional mode of swiping cards.

The merchant has to do is to update his/her machine with a software at no cost. The new software will work only on HDFC Bank-issued PoS machines, but will accept any card or app from any bank/service provider.

Banks to Pay 3% IGST on Gold Imports

Banks importing gold and precious metals will have to pay3 per cent tax under the GST which can be claimed as input tax credit.

Under GST 3% Integrated-GST is payable on all imports of precious metals in addition to the basic customs duty. IGST paid can be taken as input tax credit by the banks.

NPCI approves Spice Digital’s operation under Bharat Bill Payment System

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has given a nod to Spice Digital Ltd. for processing bill payments under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU).

The BBPS through its centralised bill payment system will allow the users to use a single website or outlet to pay all their monthly or repetitive bills such as mobile phone and electricity.

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Bill payments is a major component of the retail payment transactions in India, and is characterized by the presence of large number of billers, and aggregators, who provide a variety of payment options to customers.

Airtel ties up with Symantec

The country’s largest telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel, entered into a partnership with Symantec Corp, the world’s leading cyber Security Company, to serve the growing cyber security requirements of businesses in India.

It will provide protection and prevention of online threats in an increasingly digitally connected world. According to the agreement, Airtel will be the exclusive Cyber Security Services partner for Symantec in India, and will distribute Symantec’s enterprise security software.

NTPC Signs Rs 3,000-cr Term Loan Agreement With ICICI Bank

State-owned NTPC has signed a term loan agreement for Rs 3,000 crore with ICICI Bank for partially funding its capital expenditure.

A term loan agreement for Rs 3,000 crore was signed with ICICI Bank Ltd on August 29," NTPC said in a statement. The loan which has a door-to-door tenure of 15 years will be utilised to part finance the capital expenditure of NTPC,

Ujjivan SFB Received Scheduled Bank Status from RBI

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Limited included in the second scheduled to the RBI Act 1934 on 30th Aug 2017.

This grants the ‘Scheduled Bank’ status to Ujjivan Small Finance Bank’ from the date of notification.

Currently, Ujjivan SFB has 65 full-fledged brick and mortar branches in eight states and two Union Territories.

Canara HSBC Oriental Life Launched ‘PoS’ product

Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company (CHOICE) has come up with a ‘Point- of-Sale’ product targeted at the mass-market segment.

The product — ‘PoS - Easy Bima Plan’— is the first PoS product for the company and is a pure term insurance plan that not only gives life cover but also returns all premiums paid during the payment term on survival till maturity

MERGER AND ACQUISITION

Hike Messenger Acquires Tech Startup CREO

Homegrown messaging and social media technology company Hike Messenger has acquired Bengaluru- based tech startup CREO for an undisclosed amount. The CREO team constitutes over 50 members and was founded in December 2013 by Sai Srinivas Kiran G and Shubham Malhotra. In the past, CREO has launched hardware products that include streaming media dongles and smartphones.

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FOREIGN RELATIONS

India-Bhutan trade & transit pact come into force

India and Bhutan mutually decided to bring into force the ‘new’ bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit with effect from this July 29.

The agreement provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan. The agreement also provides for duty-free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries.

India and Somalia sign agreement on transfer of sentenced persons

India and Somalia have signed a bilateral agreement for the transfer of sentenced persons, thus deepening humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Yusuf Garaad Omar.Diplomatic contacts between India and Somalia participated in the 2015 India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi.

Dhaka to open diplomatic station in Chennai

Bangladesh will soon open a new diplomatic station in Chennai. Bangladesh has said the new post was likely to focus on medical tourism and educational centres that drew thousands of Bangladesh citizens to India every year.

The main focus of the new diplomatic station in Chennai will be to address the needs of Bangladeshi citizens who visit India for medical and educational purposes. Medical treatment, especially super- specialty treatment of kidney, eye and neurological issues available in southern India, is the best in the region, which draws our citizens to India in large numbers.

India ratifies 2nd commitment period of Kyoto Protocol

India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action. India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said that India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Convention on Climate Change.

Qatar offers visa-free entry to 80 countries, including India

Qatar announced has a programme to allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries to encourage air transport and tourism amid a two-month boycott imposed on the Gulf state by its neighbors. Nationals from dozens of countries in Europe and elsewhere including India, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States will now receive tourist visas on arrival to the gas-rich country which hosts the soccer World Cup in 2022.

India-ASEAN Youth Summit in Bhopal from Aug 14-19

Over 100 delegates from 10 ASEAN countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – will participate in the India-ASEAN Youth Summit to be held in Bhopal from August 14-19. A statement from the India Foundation said the think tank in collaboration with the ministry of external affairs and the ministry of youth affairs and sports will organise the first- of-its-kind event.

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The exercise will mark the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership in the ongoing year and also the commemorative year’s theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny“.

India, Russia to Hold Major Tri-Service ‘Indra’ Combat Exercise in October

India and Russia will hold a mega war game in October involving their armies, navies and the air forces for the first time to further ramp up military ties. It will be for the first time India will participate in a tri- services exercise with a foreign country with such a large scale participation by the Navy, the Army and the Air Force.

The exercise Indra, which will be held in Russia from October 19 to 29, will primarily focus on achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri- services integrated theatre command scenario

India, China to join Indian Ocean exercise

The Indian Navy would join the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in a maiden maritime search and rescue exercise to be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in November this year.

Bangladesh, the current Chair, is scheduling a maiden International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) in November in the Bay of Bengal to be attended by ships and aircraft of the members and observers of the IONS.

5 Indian-origin persons in Fortune’s annual ‘40 under 40’ list

Five Indian-origin persons,including Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, have featured in Fortune’s annual list of 40 young and influential people in the field of business.

Fortune’s 2017‘40 Under 40’ listis an annual ranking of the most influential young people who are under 40 in business. The list has been topped by 39-year-old French President Emmanuel Macron “France’s youngest leader since Napoleon”.

FDI jumps 37% to $10.4 billion during April-June 2017

The Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country grew by 37 percent to USD 10.4 billion during the first quarter of the current financial year. According to the figures of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), India had received USD 7.59 billion FDI during April-June 2016-17.

The main sectors which attracted the highest foreign inflows include services, telecom, trading, computer hardware and software and automobile. FDI is a major source of non-debt financial resource for the economic development of India.

Nepalese PM Deuba to begin four-day visit to India

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will arrive on August 23, 2017 on a four-day trip during which he will hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on issues of mutual interest.

Deuba, who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, will also call on the President and the Vice- President.

Tata Power JV synchronises 186 MW hydro project in Georgia

Tata Power its joint venture company Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL) synchronized 186 MW Shuakhevi Hydro Project in Georgia. AGL is a Tata Power joint venture with Norway’s Clean Energy Invest AS Norway (Clean Energy) and IFC InfraVentures (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

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It is is the largest hydro power plant to be built in Georgia over the past 50 years, and its investment cost exceeded USD 420 million.

India, Nepal ink 8 MoUs; Modi says committed to neighbour’s growth

India and Nepal have inked eight pacts, including on cooperation in countering drug trafficking. The pacts were signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on strategic bilateral and regional issues.

India and China announce end of Doklam standoff

The 71-day military standoff at Doklam, on the tri-junction of the Indian, Chinese and Bhutanese borders, has been defused without armed confrontation and bloodshed.

In a coordinated announcement, the Indian and Chinese foreign ministries both announced that troops were disengaging at the Doklam bowl, where they have been in eyeball-to-eyeball contact since June 16, when the Indian Army moved hundreds of soldiers and two bulldozers into the disputed area to block road construction by China.

India, Germany ink pact to boost green energy ties

India has entered into a pact with Germany to improve parameters for grid integration of renewable energies.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH India on behalf of Germany signed an agreement on technical cooperation under the “Indo-German Energy Programme – Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC)”.

Government imposes Anti-Dumping Duty on Sodium Nitrite imports from China

The Finance Ministry has imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on Sodium Nitrite imports from China.

Deepak Nitrite Ltd had filed the petition, which was also supported by Punjab Chemicals & Crop Protection Ltd, seeking sunset review investigations on Sodium Nitrite imports from China.

There are two more producers of Sodium Nitrite in the country – National Fertilisers Ltd and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited.

Two-day Indian Ocean Conference in Colombo from Aug 31

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Colombo to participate in the two-day Indian Ocean Conference to be held from August 31 in which Sri Lankan prime minister and president are among key speakers.

Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank, will host the IOC 2017 in collaboration with RSIS, Singapore, and NIFS, Colombo–both research and study centres–and the theme of the conference is peace, progress and prosperity.

This will be second IOC conference. The first was held in Singapore last year in partnership with think tanks from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

10th India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue

The 10th India-European Union Counter Terrorism Dialogue was held at New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism at the Ministry of External

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Affairs of India, while the European Union’s delegation was led by Mr. Pawel Herczynski, Director for Security Policy, European External Action Service.

During the Dialogue, both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and underscored the need for deepening cooperation to combat terrorism in a long term, sustained and comprehensive manner.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Scientists just created a flexible bio-glue for healing wounds

Scientists have developed a super strong, flexible adhesive material inspired by the glue secreted by slugs that sticks to biological tissues – even when wet – without causing toxicity.

The “tough adhesive” is biocompatible and binds to tissues with a strength comparable to the body’s own resilient cartilage.

The key feature of our material is the combination of a very strong adhesive force and the ability to transfer and dissipate stress, which have historically not been integrated into a single adhesive

IISC Researchers develop low-cost, sensitive CO sensor

Indian Institute of Science researchers have developed a highly sensitive nanometre-scale carbon monoxide sensor by employing an innovative fabrication technique.

It is known that carbon monoxide (CO) can have adverse effects on the health of people exposed to it. Hence, it becomes necessary to have good, low-cost carbon-monoxide sensors.

Hubble detects exoplanet with glowing water atmosphere

An international team of researchers, led by the University of Exeter, made the new discovery by observing glowing water molecules in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-121b with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

In order to study the gas giant’s stratosphere – a layer of atmosphere where temperature increases with higher altitudes – scientists used spectroscopy to analyse how the planet’s brightness changed at different wavelengths of light.

ISRO to develop full-fledged Earth observation satellite

A new set of future satellites called hyperspectral imaging satellites is set to add teeth to the way India is gleaned from about 600 km in space. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says it plans to launch a full-fledged niche Earth observation (EO) satellite called the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite or HySIS — using a critical chip it has developed.

Facebook launches YouTube competitor called Watch

In an apparent bid to take on Google-owned YouTube, Facebook has rolled out ‘Watch’ – a redesigned video platform for creators and publishers. Watch is a platform for all creators and publishers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work. In the first phase“Watch’’will be introduced to a limited group of people in the US and plan to bring the experience to more people soon.

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Oxford launches Tamil, Gujarati online dictionaries

After the Hindi version, Oxford University Press (OUP) has launched online dictionaries in Tamil and Gujarati as part of its special focus on Indian languages. Oxford Global Languages (OGL) is a major initiative from Oxford Dictionaries aims to build dictionaries and lexicographical resources for round 100 of the world’s languages and to make them available online.

NASA’s cassini set to embark onfinal five orbits around saturn

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is set to embark on a set of ultra-close passes through Saturn’s upper atmosphere with its final five orbits around the planet. Cassini will make the first of these five passes over Saturn at 12:22 a.m. EDT on August 14, NASA said.

The spacecraft will enter new territory in its final mission phase, the Grand Finale, making the first of the five passes over Saturn on August 13. The spacecraft’s point of closest approach to Saturn duringthese passes will be between about 1,630 and 1,710 kilometres above Saturn’s cloudtops.

Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’ commissioned in Goa

Indian Coast Guard ship “Shaurya”, the fifth in the series of six 105-metre offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) commissioned in Goa by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. The OPV, which draws 2,350 tonne and is propelled by 9100 kilowatt diesel engine, has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd and is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machineries.

Scientists discover the largest volcanic region on earth, and it’s under Antarctica

Scientists have uncovered the largest volcanic region on Earth – consisting of almost 100 volcanoes– two kilometres below the surface of the vast Antarctic ice sheet. The largest volcanic region on Earth, with nearly 100 volcanoes, has been discovered two km below the surface of the vast ice sheet in West Antarctica.

Scientists develop injectable tissue bandage to repair hearts

Scientists have developed an injectable tissue bandage smaller than a postage stamp that can repair damaged hearts. Scientists from the University of Toronto, Canada have developed an injectable tissue bandage dubbed as AngioChip, smaller than a postage stamp can repair damaged hearts.

The AngioChip is a tiny patch of heart tissue with its own blood vessels and heart cells beating with a regular rhythm. It is made out of the biocompatibility, biodegradable polymer.

Android Oreo released by Google

Keeping up its tradition of naming its Android upgrades with delectable desserts, Google has launched its version 8.0 of the operating system as Android Oreo.

The Oreo boasts of a two times faster boot speed, autofill option, and a longer battery life.The new update comes with a Picture-in-Picture feature that allows the user to see two apps simultaneously.

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ISRO, NASA to collaborate on space-based sensors, radar systems

India’s space agency, ISRO, and NASA of the US are working on the development of advanced space- based sensors and radar systems that can help sharpen earth observation applications in the future, according to Tapan Misra, Director of the Ahmedabad-based Satellite Application Centre (SAC).

One of the focus areas of the joint venture called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is making sensors in the L&S band. These can help in observations such as deformations in the land surface, details of the coastline and depths of the ocean, to aiding in disaster response.

World’s largest data centre to be built in Arctic Circle

A small town in the remote north of the Arctic Circle is set to be home to the world’s largest data center. The Kolos facility is being developed by a US-Norwegian partnership, also called Kolos, who say the site will eventually draw on a record-setting 1000 megawatts of power. The company added that Kolos will be a “fortress for data”.

NASA launches satellite to help astronauts talk to Earth

NASA has launched the latest in a series of satellites aimed at ensuring astronauts at the International Space Station can communicate with Earth. The $408 million Boeing-made Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M) soared into space atop an Atlas V rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 8:29 am (1229 GMT).

Walmart and Google partner on voice-based shopping

Walmart and Google are announcing a new partnership that will enable voice shopping through Google Assistant, Google’s virtual assistant that lives on devices like its smart speaker, Google Home.

Specifically, consumers will now be able to take advantage of Walmart’s “Easy Reorder” feature through an integration with Google’s shopping service, Google Express.

Microsoft launches ‘Project Brainwave’ For Real-Time AI

Software giant Microsoft has announced its Project Brainwave deep learning acceleration platform for real-time artificial intelligence (AI). With the help of ultra-low latency, the system processes requests as fast as it receives them.

The ‘Project Brainwave’ uses the massive field-programmable gate array (FPGA) infrastructure that Microsoft has been deploying over the past few years.

Google brings free WiFi to Indonesia

Google is extending its successful Google Station program to Indonesia. The company is partnering with internet service providers (ISPs), venue owners, and system integrators in Indonesia to provide consumers with free access to Wi-Fi at railway stations, universities, and other public areas.

The expansion of the program, which was first launched in India 18 months earlier, could bring more users online, expanding Google’s global footprint.

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₹500-crore space weather radar to be built in Arctic

The most advanced space weather radar in the world is to be built in the Arctic by an international partnership including the UK, thanks to new investment, including in the region of £4 to £6m from NERC.

The EISCAT_3D radar will provide UK scientists with a cutting-edge tool to probe the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space, helping them understand the effects of space weather storms on technology, society and the environment.

Coast Guard Training Ship Varuna Decommissioned

The Indian Coast Guard Ship Varuna, which was part of the First Training Squadron of the Navy, was decommissioned with full armed forces honours at a ceremony held at the south jetty of the Southern Naval Command.

The ship had an illustrious service spanning about 30 years. Inspector General K.R. Nautiyal, Commander of the Coast Guard Region (West), presided over the traditional ceremony.

Uber introduces 2 new features

Ridesharing app Uber has announced a phased rollout of two new features, namely ‘In-app chat’ and ‘multi-destination’.

The in-app chat feature aims to help riders and driver partners get in touch with one another to provide information such as their exact location, while the multi-destination feature enables riders add multiple stops along their route.

DRDO-IAI to deliver medium range Missile MRSAM System to Indian Army By 2020

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed Rs.17,000 crore deal with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for producing advanced medium range surface to air missile (MRSAM) system.

The deal envisages developing 40 firing units and around 200 missiles. The MR-SAM, a land-based version of long range surface to air missile (LRSAM) of Indian Navy strike range of up 70 kilometers.

Twitter launches digital education programme for media agency professionals in Asia Pacific

Twitter has kicked off its new media agency programme called #TweetToTheTop in India. Eleven agencies from global media and advertising networks including Dentsu, GroupM, IPG and Omnicom will be participating in this initiative.

#TweetToTheTop is Twitter’s first year-long agency engagement programme dedicated to media executives in five countries in Asia Pacific: India, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia. #TweetToThetop aims to attract hundreds of young media planne.

Unicity Launched World’s First ever Genomeceuticals Range of Products in India

Unicity International, headquartered in Orem, Utah, United States has launched world's first ever Genomeceutical (gene controlling) range of products to India.

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Unicity India said human DNA makes every individual unique. It contains the biological code that defines every single protein in the body.

DNA undergoes a process called transcription or gene expression that creates a "messenger" molecule, telling the body to make a specific protein. Each protein that is made in the body carries out a crucial function that keeps us healthy.

ISRO to launch IRNSS-1H navigation satellite from Sriharikota

India is set to launch its eight navigation satellite IRNSS-1H from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The satellite, which will be launched, will replace the IRNSS-1A satellite as its rubidium atomic clocks have failed. It may be noted, the clocks are important to provide the accurate positional data.

Launch mission has not succeeded. Heat shield has not separated as a result of which satellite is inside the 4th stage.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Trump awards Medal of Honor to Army medic 48 years later

An Army medic who “ran into danger” to save wounded soldiers during a Vietnam War battle despite his own serious wounds became the first Medal of Honor recipient under President Trump, 48 years after the acts of bravery for which James McCloughan is now nationally recognized.

McCloughan was a 23-year-old private first class who had been drafted into the Army when, in 1969, he found himself in the middle of the raging, dayslong Battle of Nui Yon Hill.

John Kelly Sworn In as White House Chief of Staff

John Kelly was sworn in as President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, tasked with bringing order to an often chaotic White House and jump-starting the President’s stalled legislative agenda.

Republicans on Capitol Hill hope Kelly, a retired United States Marine Corps general known for his fastidious nature, will bring order to a White House where disorder — in the eyes of those on the Hill — has led to few legislative victories and slumping poll numbers.

Typhoon Haitang strikes China, two lakh people evacuated

Over 2 lakh people have been evacuated after Typhoon Haitang struck China’s eastern Fujian Province with incessant rain battering different parts of the region. Typhoon Haitang, the 10th typhoon this year, made landfall at 4.40 pm on Sunday in Pingtung on the island of Taiwan,

China opens first overseas base in Djibouti

China has formally opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti with a flag raising ceremony and military parade.Five Chinese formations and Djibouti’s Three Services Honor Guard took part in the launch ceremony on 1 of August 2017.

The event marked the 90th anniversary ofthe Chinese military Services. Djibouti is a tiny East African nation of around 887,000 people, is between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.

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US Senate confirms christopher wray as new FBI director

The US senate on 1 August 2017 confirmed the appointment of Christopher Wray as the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Wray was elected to the post by winning 92-5 votes of the Senate.With this, Wray succeeds James Comey, whowas unexpectedly fired by US President Donald Trump in May 2017 in the midst of the investigation into Russian meddling in US Presidential Elections 2016. Since then, Andrew McCabe has been serving as acting FBI director.

Donald Trump signs Russia sanctions Bill into law

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia into law,

The U.S. Congress voted last week by overwhelming margins for sanctions to punish the Russian government over interference in the 2016 presidential election, the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and other perceived violations of international norms.

The new law allows Congress, which passed the measure to punish Russia over interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, to halt any effort by Trump to ease sanctions on Russia.

BRICS trade ministers meet concludes in Shanghai

The 7th Meeting of Brazil Russia India China and South Africa (BRICS) Countries with the corresponding Trade Ministers was held in Shanghai, China. A six-member delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman along with Ambassador J.S. Deepak, PR to WTO participated in the meetings.

Mr. Zhong Shan, Minister of Commerce from China, presided over the meetings. The 8th BRICS Summit held on 16th October 2016 at Goa.

Qatar to approve permanent residency for some expats

Qatar plans to allow some expatriates to obtain permanent residency. A draft law approved at a cabinet meeting will allow permanent residence to the children of Qatari women married to non-Qataris, as well as expatriates who provide outstanding services to Qatar

Gulf Arab countries have a high number of expatriate workers but do not allow naturalisation of foreigners, except in rare cases.

US issues ban on tourist travel to North Korea

A ban on travel by U.S. passport holders to North Korea will take effect on Sept. 1 and Americans in the country should leave before that date, the U.S. State Department.

U.S. citizens wishing to travel to North Korea would have to obtain a special validation for their passports, which would only be granted in limited circumstances.

Qatar to become first Arab state to offer permanent residency to some non-citizens

Qatar’s Cabinet approved a draft law making permanent residency available to some non-citizens of the country. Under the new law, Residency permits will be granted to children of Qatari women married to foreigners. Gulf Arab countries have a high number of expatriate workers but do not allow naturalization of foreigners except in rare cases.

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World’s biggest solar thermal power plant just got approved in Australia

Australian state government has approved the world’s biggest single tower solar thermal powerplant, a150-megawatt structure to be built in South Australia by 2020. Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to concentrate the Sun’s light at the top of a tower.

This heats the stored molten salt and the heat is then used to operate steam turbines. The Aurora Solar Energy Project will be built and managed by Solar Reserve Company.

Nepal, china sign three pacts to boost energy, economic ties

Nepal and China have signed three pacts to further boost their ties in power and energy sectors and undertake a feasibility study to excavate natural gas and petroleum in the Himalayan country, including in the southern Terai plains.

The agreements cover three different domains namely economic and technological cooperation, a framework agreement on the promotion of investment and China-aid oil and gas resources survey project.

China bans iron, seafood imports from North korea

China halts iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea, following through on new UN sanctions over its ally’s nuclear program. The United Nations Security Council, including permanent member Beijing, approved tough sanctions against Pyongyang that could cost the country $1 billion a year. China, which is suspected of failing to enforce past UN measures, accounts for 90% of North Korea’s trade.

Norway has world’s fastest mobile internet

According to global leader in broadband testing Ookla, Norway has the fastest mobile Internet in the world. The Netherlands and Hungary are ranked number two and three on the list of the world’s fastest mobile networks. In only 13 months, Norway has jumped from 11th to first place on the list of world best providers of fast Internet connection.

World’s most liveable cities: Melbourne ranked Number 1

Melbourne has once again been named the world’s most liveable city by The Economist, receiving a perfect score for healthcare, education and infrastructure. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Liveability Index ranks 140 cities each year on those topics, as well as stability, culture and environment. Vienna once again came second and Vancouver third.

Adelaide was the next best Australian city finishing in fifth spot, followed by Perth at number seven. Sydney was ranked 11th. It was a record seventh time in a row in the top spot for Melbourne, which scored 97.5 out of a possible 100.

UN declares Somalia free of polio

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) was said had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years, declaring the country polio free. The WHO said the country recorded the last case of polio in 2014 in the central part of the country but has since then remained free of the paralyzing disease. The UN health agency, however, warned Somalia remained vulnerable, calling for continued vaccination campaign.

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Qatar launches new direct sea route to Pakistan as Gulf blockade continues

Qatar has launched a new direct route between the country’s Hamad Port and Pakistan’s port of Karachi. The new route was launched and it will boost trade between the two countries. It will also offer “fast and secure” corridor for importers and exporters, with transit time of six days from Qatar to Karachi and eight days back.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt imposed land, air and sea blockade on Qatar since 5 June, accusing it of financing extremist groups and allying with the Gulf Arab state’s arch- foe Iran.

Italy to host G7 interior ministers’ summit on security

Italy will host a summit of G-7 interior ministers centered on security issues. According to Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti, the meeting is being organized at the request of Italy’s G-7 partners namely Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. The summit is expected to be held in October.

Parsi New year 2017: Here’s why India celebrates Navroze in August

Parsi NewYear, Navroz is being celebrated across the world. The festival is celebrated by follows of Zoroastrianism in Middle-East, USA and South Asian countries such as India and Pakistan.

The vibrant festival began 3,000 years back by the mighty emperor Jamshed, who introduced the new calendar in Persia. The day is celebrated to gain health, wealth, prosperity, and productivity. Four ‘Fs’ – Fire, Fragrance, Food, and Friendship play an important role in the celebration.

US designates Hizbul Mujahideen as terrorist group, slaps sanctions

The United States named Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.

The Hizb is one of the two most active Pakistan-based terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, and claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Kashmir.

Italy to host fall G-7 interior ministers summit on security

Italy will host a summit of Group of Seven interior ministers centered on security issues in the fall. Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti says the meeting is being organized at the request of Italy’s G-7 partners: Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States. Italy currently holds the rotating helm of the G-7 industrialized nations.

Saudi Arabia’s king orders reopening of Qatar border for Hajj pilgrims

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered the reopening of the border with Qatar to facilitate the annual haj pilgrimage in the first signs of a thaw after the region’s worst diplomatic crisis in years.

Saudi Arabia is going to open up its border and airports for those attending the annual Haj pilgrimage. Saudi Press Agency (SPA) announced that the Salwa border point would be open for Qatar is performing the Haj, which this year runs from late August to early September.

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Qatar and Pakistan launch new direct ship route

Mwani Qatar announced the launch of a new route between Hamad Port and the Port of Karachi in Pakistan. It will boost trade between the two countries. It will also offer “fast and secure” corridor for importers and exporters, with transit time of six days from Qatar to Karachi and eight days back.

US, Japan Vow To Boost Defence Cooperation With India, S Korea, Australia

The US and Japan have agreed to advance their multilateral security and defence cooperation with India, South Korea and Australia in view of North Korea’s dangerous provocative behavior.

The threat posed by North Korea was discussed by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, Defence Secretary James Mattis and his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera.

Nobel peace prize winner Malala yousafzai to study at oxford

Pakistani Nobel Prize winner MalalaYousafzai will study at Oxford University. The 20-year-old will study philosophy, politics and economics. In April, she became the youngest-ever UN Messenger of Peace.

Notable Oxford alumni include Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Myanmar’s pro- democracy campaigner Aung San SuuKyi as well as former British Prime Minister David Cameron and his one-time Labour opponent Ed Miliband.

12-yr-old Indian-origin boy crowned as UK’s ‘child genius’

A 12-year-old Indian-origin boy has been crowned as the UK’s ‘Child Genius’ in a popular television quiz competition, days after he became an overnight sensation after answering all questions correctly.

Rahul Doshi won the Channel 4 show ‘Child Genius’ by beating his nine-year-old opponent – Ronan – 10- 4 in the programme’s finale. The schoolboy from north London clinched the title by answering a question on 19th Century artists William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.

Alibaba Founder Jack Ma becomes Asia’s richest person

A huge rise in Alibaba Group’s earnings and the stock price has propelled its founder and executive chairman Jack Ma back to the top of the list of Asia’s wealthiest people. According to Forbes Real-time Billionaires List, Ma is now worth $37.4 billion.

Another Chinese internet billionaire, Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng, also known as Pony, dropped to second with a fortune worth $36.7 billion. The two businessmen have been trading places at the top of Asia’s rich list.

First regional centre of NDB opens in S Africa

The first regional centre of the New Development Bank, set up by India and other BRICS nations, was officially opened by South African President Jacob Zuma and the bank’s Indian head K V Kamath.

The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) with an initial authorised capital of the bank is USD 100 billion.

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ICMR, Min of Health sign pact with S Koreas IVI for vaccine

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Ministry of Health inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Vaccine Institute.

The signing of the MoU is a continuation of India’s partnership with IVI to provide safe, effective and affordable vaccines for people around the world.India is a vaccine industry powerhouse that supplies 60% of the world’s vaccines.

President Donald Trump signs Memo Banning Transgender Recruits from US Military

President Donald Trump has reversed an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgenders inthe US military, a decision Democrats said was “cruel” and meant to “hurt and humiliate” the soldiers.

The Obama administration in June 2016 changed long standing policy declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals. Around 2,500 transgender personnel may be serving on active duty, and 1,500 in there serves.

Brazil Opens Amazon National Reserve for Mining

The Government of Brazil has abolished a vast national reserve in the Amazon to open up the area to mining. The area covers 46000 sq km and straddles the northern states of Amapa and Para.

The area is believed to be rich in gold, zinc, phosphate, manganese and other minerals. The government went on to state that nine conservation and indigenous land areas within it would, however, continue to be legally protected.

S. imposes first economic sanctions against Venezuela

Trump administration restricted Venezuela’s ability to borrow money from American creditors, a prohibition intended to starve President Nicolás Maduro’s troubled government of much-needed cash.

The Treasury Department, following through on President Donald Trump’s threat of economic sanctions, banned debt trades for bonds issued by the Venezuelan government and its state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA, the economy’s financial driver.

Taiwan Launches First Homegrown Satellite From US Air Base

Taiwan has launched Formosat-5, the first homegrown observation satellite, from an air base in the US, the island nation’s National Space Organisation (NSO) announced.

The octagonal satellite – 2 metres high and 1.2 metres in diameter – cost some 3 billion Taiwanese dollars ($100 million) and made contact with a station in Norway.

The satellite is equipped with Complementary Metal-oxide-semiconductor sensors to observe the Earth. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen called the launch a great leap that demonstrates Taiwan’s technological progress.

Kenya just imposed the world’s toughest law against plastic bags

Kenyans producing, selling or even using plastic bags will risk imprisonment of up to four years or fines of $40,000, as the world’s toughest law aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect.

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The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.

Many bags drift into the ocean, strangling turtles, suffocating seabirds and filling the stomachs of dolphins and whales with waste until they die of starvation. Kenya’s law allows police to go after anyone even carrying a plastic bag.

Island of Tuvalu World’s Least Visited Country: UN Report

According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the island of Tuvalu was the least visited country in 2016.

According to the report, 2,000 people visited Tuvalu in 2016, while 1,000 people visited the country in 2014. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu is 4.6 meters above sea level and has a population of 11,000 people.

UN nuclear watchdog opens uranium bank in Kazakhstan

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. global nuclear watchdog, opened a uranium bank in Kazakhstan, a $150-million facility designed to discourage new nations from enriching the nuclear fuel.

The Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank in the city of Oskemen, in eastern Kazakhstan, will store up to 90 tonnes of the fuel, enough to power a large city for three years, and sell it to IAEA members if they are unable to procure it elsewhere.

Lebanon gets first animal protection law

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has signed the country's first animal welfare bill into law, guaranteeing that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse.

The bill is the culmination of years of lobbying for the protection of animals in the Mediterranean country.

The law, passed by parliament on August 16, outlines requirements for keeping domestic pets, regulations for zoos and pet shops, and penalties for violations -- including jail time and fines.

SPORTS

WINNER TITLE SPORT/ VENUE

India Jordan Open Table tennis title Indian shuttler C Rahul Yadav Lagos Open Nigeria Manju Kumari (Bronze) Junior World Wrestling Tampere, Finland Vijender Singh WBO Oriental Super Middleweight title Ankur Mittal Asian Shotgun Championship Astana, Kazakhstan Real Madrid European Super Cup UEFA Europa League Amit Kumar Saroha World Para Athletics ─ Championship

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IAAF World Athletics ─ African Wayde van Niekerk Championships 2017 Maheshwari chauhan (Bronze) Asian shotgun championship Kazakhstan Lakshya Sen Bulgaria open international series Sofia, Bulgaria. title India world dwarf games Canada Shapath Bharadwaj Bronze at Junior Shotgun World Porpetto, Italy. Cup Cristiano Ronaldo UEFA Player of the Year award Season for 2016-2017 England Held in London’s Queen 2018 ITTF Team World Cup Elizabeth Olympic Park Lewis Hamilton Belgian Grand prix ─ Indian U-15 football team SAFF Championships Title Kathmandu, Nepal P V Sindhu (Silver) World Badminton Championship Glasgow, Scotland 2017 Gaurav Bidhuri (India) World Boxing C’ships 2017 Hamburg, Germany Tomokazu Harimoto ITTF men’s singles tournament. Düsseldorf, Germany

• Flight Lt Shikha Pandey, a member of the Indian women’s cricket team, was felicitated by Indian Air Force chief BS Dhanoa for her sterling performance at the recent World Cup. • Forbes recently released its list of the highest-paid female athletes, and to no-one’s surprise, Serena Williams is right at the top and leads by a significant margin. • England’s record goalscorer Wayne Rooney announced that he is retiring from international football with immediate effect after manager Gareth Southgate tried to recall him to the squad. • Barcelona forward Lionel Messi scored a second-half brace against Alaves, becoming the first ever player to score 350 goals in La Liga.

OBITUARY

NAME OF THE PERSON FIELD

Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar Maestro of Hindustani classical music Sam Shepard Actor and Pulitzer-Winning Playwright Robert Hardy Harry Potter actor Yisrael Kristal Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man Vijay nambisan poet and write Ruth Pfau German nun Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ S Paul Veteran photographer MK Damodaran Former Advocate General of Kerala

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Jerry Lewis Comedy icon and telethon host Rishang Keishing Former Manipur Chief Minister Brian Aldiss Famed British scientific writer Former Marshall Islands foreign minister Tony De Brum Champion of Paris Climate Agreement Ramana Da Sengupta India’s Oldest Cinematographer

IMPORTANT DAYS

DATE OBSERVED DAY OBSERVED THEME / PURPOSE

Sustaining Breastfeeding – 1st August Week World Breast feeding Week Together! 1st Sunday of August International Friendship Day The day aims to end nuclear August 6 Hiroshima Day testing and to promote peace and security August 7 World Sanskrit Day First established at 14th of August 8 World Senior Citizen's Day December in the year 1990 by the United Nations General Assembly The International Fund For August 8 World cat day Animal Welfare International day of the World’s August 9 A Decade for Action and Dignity Indigenous day Together for Peace: Respect, Safety August 9 Nagasaki Peace Day and Dignity for All Sankalp se Siddhi (The attainment August 9 Kranti Diwas (Quit India Movement) through Resolve) To create awareness about non August 10 World Bio Fuel Day fossil-fuels (Green Fuels) It is the world’s largest deworming programme covering 340 million August 10 National Deworming Day children under-19 years of age across 36 states/ UTs. August 11 National Daughter’s Day August 12 International Youth day Youth Building Peace August 13 Organ Donation Day

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To raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance August 19 World Humanitarian Day worldwide and the people who risk their lives in order to provide it. To create positive change in the August 19 World Photography Day world through photography. Protect Yourself from Mosquito August 20 World Mosquito Day Bites August 20 Sadbhavana Diwas (Harmony Day) Birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi International day Against Nuclear A strategic tilt towards nuclear August 29 test weapons To marks the birthday of Dhyan August 29 National Sports day Chand To facilitating the growth of small August 30 National Small Industry Day enterprise

IMPORTANT BOOKS AND AUTHORS

BOOK NAME AUTHOR I Do What I Do: On Reform, Rhetoric & Resolve Raghuram Rajan

FORBES /LIST

S.No Forbes list Person 1. World's Most Powerful People Vladimir Putin 2. Asia's Power Businesswomen Nita Ambani 30 Under 3. World's Most Powerful Women Angela Merkel 4. Global 2000 Leading Companies ICBC 5. World's Most Innovative Companies Salasfrode.com 6. Most Valuable Brands Apple 7. World's Billionaires Bill Gates 8. India's 100 Richest Mukesh Ambani 9. Best Countries For Business Sweden 10. Best Countries For Business and careers Denver City in Colorado 11. World's Highest Paid Athletes Cristiano Ronaldo

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR EXAMS!!!

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