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IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 8^th, 2018

 IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF JULY 8^th, 2018

1.  Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay is on a three-day visit to India.

a.   Aim of this visit : To discuss about economic cooperation and security ties.

b.   During this visit, he met PM Narendra Modi and discussed issues of mutual interest and enhancing special friendship between the two countries.

2.  The 2nd meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism Cooperation between India and Nepal was concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

a.   Both sides agreed to jointly promote Buddhist and Ramayana circuits and Adventure tourism. 

b.   The meeting also decided to set up an industry-led India Nepal Tourism Forum.

3.  The United Kingdom has launched new visas that will be open to overseas scientists and researchers, including Indians, to encourage growth of the country's research sector. 

a.   This will enable them to work and train in the UK for maximum period of two years. 

4.  Thetford, a small town in the United Kingdom will be converted into a twin city of Amritsar in the memory of the last king of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh. 

5.  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today met with North Korean officials in Pyongyang to discuss Nuclear disarmament and improving bilateral relations. 

a.   The US delegation aims to persuade North Korea to follow through on promises made during a landmark summit between US President Donald Trump and Korean President Kim Jong Un in June.

  6.  The Himachal Pradesh government has banned the use and sale of Thermocol Cutlery including cups, plates, glasses, spoons or any other item in the state. 

a.   The state government has set a deadline of three months for manufacturers to dispose of their stocks.

7.  The National Board of Wildlife has recommended that states use Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, during wildlife emergencies. 

a.   The provision will be used to "prevent people gathering in large numbers, which aggravates wildlife emergency situations".

8.  Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh-led BJP government has defeated the no-confidence motion that the Congress moved against it in the state assembly.

   9.  Japanese city Tokyo unveiled the world’s first all-digital art museum. 

a.   This museum features around 50 kaleidoscopic installations triggered by motion sensors, which are projected across every surface of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit space with the help of lights. 

10. Richard Branson-led commercial spaceflight Virgin Galactic has announced that it is going to launch its commercial space flights from Italy. 

a.   It has partnered with Italian Space Agency-owned company Altec and Sitael, Italy's private space company to develop a framework for how spaceflights will be conducted. 

  11.              Russia's Central Bank has announced that they will mint Commemorative Half-Rouble Coins if the host nation reaches the semi-finals stage of the FIFA World Cup 2018 tournament.

a.   The bank posted pictures of the proposed silver-coloured coins bearing the inscription 'FIFA 2018 Soccer World Cup in Russia'. 

b.   Important Note : Half-rouble coins do not exist in Russia.

12. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal to expand the scope of the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) to mobilize Rs 1 lakh crore for research and academic infrastructure for higher education institutions by 2022.

a.   In a first, KendriyaVidyalayas /NavodayaVidyalayas will also get funding from HEFA. 

b.   IITs, NITs, IISERs and other Central universities as well as AIIMS and other medical colleges will also get funds from HEFA.

13. The government has approved extension of recapitalization scheme for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for next three years up to 2019-20 with an aim to strengthen their lending capacity.

a.   Note : The recapitalization scheme started in 2010-11 and was extended twice in 2012-13 and 2015-16. The last extension was up to March, 2017.

14. Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia today announced that the GST Council is considering bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST).

15. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani today announced that Reliance is India’s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the Private Sector.

16. PM Narendra Modi today inaugurated 13 infrastructure projects worth ₹2,100 crore in Rajasthan. 

a.   These include water supply and sewerage projects in several cities like Sikar and Mount Abu, and an elevated road project in Ajmer.

   17.              Steve Ditko (90), the Marvel Comics artist who co-created the superhero Spider-Man, has passed away.

a.   Note : Ditko, along with writer Stan Lee, had introduced Spider-Man in an issue of Amazing Fantasy in 1962.

   18.              The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today appointed one of it's joint secretaries Manoj Kumar Pingua as the acting Managing Director of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). 

a.   His appointment comes five months after previous MD Nina Lath Gupta was sacked. 

19. Shareholders of Reliance Industries have approved giving Mukesh Ambani another five years as the Chairman and MD of the company. 

a.   Mukesh Ambani was made the Chairman of the company after the death of his father Dhirubhai Ambani in July 2002.

20. Girish Pillai has taken over as the new Member Traffic, Railway Board.

a.   Prior to this, he was General Manager, West Central Railway, Jabalpur from September 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018.

     21.              2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia emerged champion at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in the 65kg category by defeating Iranian wrestler Mehran Nasiri in the final in Georgia. 

22. England defeated Sweden in the quarters today to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990.