IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 30^th, 2018

                         IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 30^th , 2018

1. India’s Economic Growth Rate To Grow At 7.4% in 2018-19: RBI

i. The Reserve Bank of India has released its annual report in Mumbai. It was mentioned in the report that due to the evolving economic conditions, real GDP growth for 2018-19 is expected to increase to 7.4% from 6.7% in the previous year.
ii. The RBI stated that its monetary policy will continue to be guided by the objective of achieving medium-term target for retail inflation of 4%. 

2. ISRO To Outsource Production Of PSLVs and SSLVs To Private Industries 

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will outsource the production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs) to private Industries. The Indian Space agency Chairman K Sivan made this announcement. 

ii. The ISRO will launch Gaganyaan, India’s first manned mission to outer space in 2020. As per the announcement, the Indian Air Force will identify six persons who can be trained to be astronauts. 

3. Cabinet Approves Earth Sciences Ministry’s Umbrella Scheme ‘O-SMART’ 

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART)’. 

ii. The CCEA approved the scheme for implementation during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 at an overall cost of Rs 1623 crore. The scheme covers a total of 16 sub-projects, which address ocean development activities such as services, technology, resources, observations and science. 

4. India and ADB Sign $375 Million Loan to Improve Irrigation Efficiency in Madhya Pradesh 

i. The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $375 million loan agreement to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.
ii. The Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project will develop 125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, benefiting over 800,000 people in Madhya Pradesh. 

5. MoU Signed Between Department of Biotechnology and International Energy Agency 

i. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) signed an MoU on Enhancing Innovation for Clean Energy Transition. 

ii. The MoU seeks to deepen co-operation in support of clean energy innovations to accelerate the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of clean energy technologies in India and will help support the generation of data for policymaking and improve knowledge of good policy practices for innovation in India and around the world. 

6. Google Unveils New Platform Named 'Navlekha' For Indian Publishers 

i. Google announced Project Navlekha at its 4th edition of Google for India Event held in New Delhi. Project Navlekha has been launched to enable Indian publishers of regional languages to publish their content online, without facing the trouble of selling printed copies. 

ii. The official website of Navlekha can be easily interpreted by users. Users can also obtain help from experts to set up their publication website. 

7. 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018 Starts in Kathmandu

i. The 4th BIMSTEC Summit began in Kathmandu, Nepal. The two-day Summit will be held with the main focus on countering terrorism, enhancing regional connectivity and boosting trade. 

ii. The theme of the summit is 'Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with leaders of BIMSTEC countries on the sidelines of the summit.
8. Arpinder Singh Wins Gold In Triple Jump 

i. Arpinder Singh ended India's 48-year long wait for a gold in triple jump at the Asian Games with an effort of 16.77m. India's last Asian Games gold medal in men's triple jump had come in 1970 from Mohinder Singh Gill. 

ii. Arpinder, who has been without a medal in multi-sporting events since winning a bronze in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, produced his best jump of 16.77m in his third attempt.
9. Swapna Barman, 1st Indian Heptathlete To Win Gold In Asian Games

i. Swapna Barman created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold in Indonesia, a feat she achieved despite a toothache. 

ii. The 21-year-old Barman logged 6026 points from the seven events competed for two days. En route to the title, she won the high jump (1003 points) and javelin throw (872 points) events and finished second-best in shot put (707 points) and long jump (865 points). 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 29^th, 2018

                                IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST  29^th  , 2018

1. National Sports Day: 29 August 

i. The National Sports Day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand. 
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted all sports enthusiasts and stated that this year has been great for the sporting fraternity, with the Indian athletes excelling in various tournaments including Asian Games 2018 and Commonwealth Games.

Life of Major Dhyan Chand in Brief: 

1. The legendary hockey player was born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. 
2. He is widely considered as the greatest field hockey player of all time.
3. He had started playing hockey only after joining the Army at the age of 16.
4. He was famously known as ‘The Wizard’ for his superb ball control and had scored more than 1000 goals during his international career. 

2. India And World Bank Sign 300 million dollar Loan Agreements 

i. The Central government and the World Bank have signed 300 million dollar loan agreements for India Energy Efficiency Scale up Programme. They signed 220 million dollar Loan Agreement and an 80 million Guarantee Agreement for the Efficiency Scale-Up Program. 

ii. The Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), will help scale-up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity, and enhance its access to commercial financing. 

3. World Bank To Provide $250 million Loan To Rajasthan 

i. The Union Government, Rajasthan and the World Bank signed a USD 250 million Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support Rajasthan in improving the performance of its Electricity Distribution Sector under the State’s ‘24x7 Power for All’ program. 

ii. The loan from the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 3 year grace period and a maturity of 21 years.

4. Important Cabinet Approvals: 29th August 2018 

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows-

ii. The Cabinet has approved- 

1.  Signing of MoU between India and Bulgaria in the field of tourism,
2. Apprised of the MoU between India and Republic of Korea on the cooperation in the field of railways.


5. 3rd Edition of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019’ Launched 

i. The third edition of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model - Smart India Hackathon 2019 - was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.
ii. MHRD, AICTE, Persistent Systems and i4c have joined hands to make a hat trick with their highly popular and innovative Smart India Hackathon initiative (SIH). 

iii. For the 1st time, Private industry/organisations and NGOs can also send their problem statements to students under SIH-2019. 

6. Government Constitutes New Science And Technology Council To Advise PM

i. The Union Government has constituted a 21-member science and technology council to advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on matters related to science, technology and innovations. 

ii. The council will be headed by K Vijay Raghavan, the principal scientific adviser to the Union Government. The council has been named as Prime Minister's Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Committee (PM-STIAC).

7. 1st SAARC Agri Cooperative Business Forum Begins In Kathmandu 

i. The First South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agri Cooperative Business Forum has begun in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

ii. The theme of three-day Forum is the ‘Organizing and Strengthening Family Farmers’ Cooperatives to attain the Sustainable-Development-Goals-1 and 2 in South Asia’. 

8. Satya S Tripathi Appointed Assistant Secretary-General & Head of New York Office of UNEP 

i. Veteran Indian development economist Satya S Tripathi has been appointed as the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by UN Chief Antonio Guterres. He will replace Elliott Harris. 

ii. Tripathi has worked for the United Nations since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on strategic assignments in sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs.
9. Asian Games 2018: Manjit Singh Wins Gold In 800m Race 

i. India's 28-year-old sprinter Manjit Singh won the gold medal in the men's 800m event at the 2018 Asian Games, securing the ninth gold for the country. 

ii. Another Indian sprinter Jinson Johnson, who is ranked first in Asia, won the silver at the event. Meanwhile, Dutee Chand secured herself a place in the women's 200m finals, while Hima Das was disqualified. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 23^rd, 2018

                                IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST  23^rd  , 2018

Q.1 President Kovind Inaugurates International Buddhist Conclave in New Delhi 

i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the International Buddhist Conclave in New Delhi. The theme of the conclave is 'Buddha Path – The Living Heritage'. 

ii. The Ministerial level delegation from ASEAN countries will participate in the conclave along with delegates from 29 countries including US, UK, Germany, France and Russia. This year Japan is the partnering country for the Buddhist conclave. 
Q.2 PM Inaugurates Various Projects In Junagadh, Gujarat 

i. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated various projects in Junagadh district of Gujarat. These included the Government Civil Hospital, a milk processing plant and some buildings of the Junagadh Agriculture University.

ii. There were nine initiatives, worth over Rs 500 crore, which were either being dedicated, or their foundation stones were being laid.

Q.3 Iran Unveils 1st Domestic Fighter Jet 'Kowsar'
i. Iran unveiled its first domestic fighter jet named 'KOWSAR' with President Hassan Rouhani. 
ii. The new "Kowsar" is a fourth-generation fighter shown at the National Defence Industry exhibition in Tehran. It was "100-percent indigenously made" for the first time. 

Q.4.  4th BIMSTEC Summit To Be Held in Kathmandu 

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

ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the summit. During the two-day Summit, leaders of member states will review progress achieved so far in the areas of cooperation and provide guidance to the future work of the BIMSTEC. 

Q.5 Forbes’ List Of World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2018: George Clooney Tops, Akshay Kumar Ranks 7th

i. Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan have made it to the Forbes’ list of World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2018, which was topped by George Clooney. Akshay and Salman made it to spot seven and nine, respectively. 

ii. The world’s 10 highest-paid actors tallied a combined $748.5 million between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, before fees and taxes. The list this year was topped by George Clooney.

iii. Top 3 on Forbes’ list of the world’s best-paid male actors 2018: 

1. George Clooney: $239m

2. Dwayne Johnson: $124m

3. Robert Downey Jr: $81m.
Q.6 Kempegowda International 2nd Fastest Growing Airport In The World 

i. The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has emerged as the second fastest growing airport in the world in the first half of 2018 in terms of actual growth in the number of passengers. It has recorded 1,58,50,352 flyers during the six-month period. 

ii. Only Tokyo's Haneda International has bettered KIA's growth. The report was published by RoutesOnline, a company focussing on the quality and standards of aviation globally. New Delhi's  Indira Gandhi International Airport is placed sixth.

Q.7. RIL 1st Indian Company To Cross Rs 8 Trillion Market Capital 

i. The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion market capitalization after its shares surged nearly 37% in 2018. 

ii. RIL share prices rose 1.31% to hit a record high of Ra1,262.50, pegging its market cap at Rs8.01 trillion after data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) showed Reliance Jio continued to add subscribers at a healthy pace.
Q.8. HAL Becomes 1st PSU To Transact On TReDS: RXIL 

i. The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) announced that Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the "TReDS platform".
ii. According to the NSE-SIDBI joint venture, TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers. 

Q.9 Arun Jaitley Resumes Charge As Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister 

i. Union Minister Arun Jaitley is back as the Finance Minister after a three-month interval to recuperate from a kidney transplant surgery.

ii. In Mr Jaitley's absence, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was holding the additional charge of the Finance and Corporate Affairs portfolio. 

Q.1. David Beckham To Receive 2018 UEFA President's Award 

i. Former England captain David Beckham will receive the UEFA President's Award for his contribution to football and promoting the sport in "every corner of the planet". 

ii. David Beckham will become the third Englishman to receive the UEFA President's Award. Sir Bobby Robson (2002) and Sir Bobby Charlton (2008) are the previous English winners.
Q.11 Veteran Journalist Kuldip Nayar Passes Away 

i. Eminent Indian writer and journalist Kuldip Nayar passed away in New Delhi following a brief illness. He was 95. Mr. Nayar was originally born in Sialkot in 1923.

ii. His famous autobiography was "Beyond The Lines". He was also the High Commissioner of India to the U.K. and nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 22^nd , 2018

                                IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST  22^nd , 2018

1. Ram Nath Kovind Appoints 7 New Governors: All You Need To Know 

i. President Ram Nath Kovind appointed governors for seven states Bihar, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Tripura.
ii. The newly appointed Governors of 7 states are as follows- 

1. Satya Pal Malik - Jammu & Kashmir (Replaced NN Vohra)

2. Tathagata Roy - Meghalaya (Replaced Ganga Prasad) 

3. Lalji Tandon - Bihar (Replaced Satya Pal Malik)

4. Ganga Prasad - Sikkim (Replaced Shriniwas Patil)

5. Kaptan Singh Solanki -Tripura (Replaced Tathagata Roy)

6. Satyadev Narayan Arya - Haryana (Replaced Kaptan Singh Solanki)

7. Baby Rani Maurya - Uttarakhand (Replaced K K Paul).
2. Chhattisgarh Announces Renaming Of Naya Raipur To Atal Nagar 

i. In a tribute to the late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chhattisgarh Cabinet approved the proposal to rename Naya Raipur as 'Atal Nagar'. Chief Minister Raman Singh made the announcement after a Cabinet meeting. 

ii. The Bilaspur University will be known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee University while the Narrow Gauge Line will be called Atal Path. The Central Park, which is being constructed beside collectorate, will be named as Atal Park. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

·                     Naya Raipur is the proposed administrative capital of Chhattisgarh. 

·                     Anandiben Patel is the present Governor of Chhattisgarh. 

3. 1st Ever IAF-RMAF Joint Air Exercise Begins In Malaysia 

i. The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia. 

ii. India has been eyeing a foothold at the strategically important Subang Air Base. The main aim of the exercise seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

·                     Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa is the present Chief of Air Staff. 

4. Forbes Released List Of Highest Paid Female Athletes: Serena Williams Tops, PV Sindhu Ranks 7th 

i. Serena Williams (with earnings of $18.1 million) was the highest paid female athlete for a third consecutive year in 2018, according to "List Of Highest Paid Female Athletes 2018" published by Forbes. 

ii. Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who captured her maiden grand slam title at Australian Open 2018, was second on the list with combined earnings of ($13 million). Indian badminton player P.V. Sindhu was at seventh place with earnings of $8.5 million. 

iii. The Top 3 Highest Paid Female Athletes On The List Are: 

1. Serena Williams ($18.1 million), 

2.  Dane Caroline Wozniacki ($13 million),

3. Sloane Stephens ($11.2 million). 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

·                     Forbes- American Business Magazine, Founded in- 1917.

·                     Headquarters- New York City, USA.

5. Warne's Autobiography 'No Spin' To Come Out In October 

i. Spin legend Shane Warne will talk about his extraordinary cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling several unknown facts in his autobiography titled 'No Spin' which will be published in October 2018.

ii. "No Spin" is the true story behind the headlines, in Warne's own voice, and challenges some of the enduring myths and untruths that surround him. 

6. VVS Laxman Pens Autobiography '281 And Beyond' 

i. Veteran cricketer VVS Laxman, known for the suppleness of his wrists, has penned down his autobiography titled, "281 and Beyond". The book will be released this year in November. 

ii. The book will be released by the Westland Publications. The title has been borrowed from the Hyderabad stylist's fabulous series-turning innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001. 

7. Rahi Sarnobat 1st Indian Female Shooter To Win Asiad Gold 

i. Shooter Rahi Sarnobat won the women's 25m Pistol event at Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia. With this, she becomes the first ever Indian female shooter to win gold in the history of Asian Games. 

ii. Manu Bhaker who had won gold at Commonwealth Games 2018, finished sixth in the event. India has now two gold medals in shooting at the Asiad 2018. 

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 21^st , 2018

                                IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST  21^st , 2018

Q.1 NOTA Option Not Applicable For Rajya Sabha Elections: Supreme Court 

i. The Supreme Court ruled that the ‘None of The Above’ (NOTA) option will not be applicable for voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. The ruling was made by a bench of Justices comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.  

ii. The bench held that the NOTA option is meant only for universal adult suffrage and direct elections and not for the polls held by the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote as done in the Rajya Sabha. 

Q. 2. Historic Esala Maha Perehera Festival Begins in Sri Lanka 

i. In Sri Lanka, the ten-day festival of the historic Esala Maha Perehera began in Kandy with a grand procession. The procession set off from the biggest Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka,  Sri Dalada Maligawa at an auspicious time.
ii. The Esala Perahera is one of the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers and lavishly decorated elephants. 

Q.3  Paytm Partners With Alibaba 

i. Digital payments firm Paytm has partnered with China's Alibaba to launch AI-based cloud computing platform 'Paytm AI Cloud'. 

ii. The platform will offer business-centric apps to developers, startups and enterprises that need cloud-computing solutions including customer engagement and easy-to-integrate payments. It will process and store all consumer data locally in servers located only in India. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

·                     Alibaba’s Cloud computing business, which opened its first India data centre in Mumbai in January. 

·                     Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the Founder of Paytm. 

·                     Jack Maa is the founder of Alibaba. 

Q. 4 Novak Djokovic Wins Western and Southern Open 2018 

i. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) in straight sets, high-profile championship match at the 2018 Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. 

ii. With this win, Djokovic became the first men's tennis player in history to win all nine Masters 1,000 tournaments after finishing as the runner-up in Cincinnati five different times.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

·                     Cincinnati is a city in Ohio, on the Ohio River.

Q.5 Saurabh Chaudhary Wins 10m Air Pistol Gold 

i. 16-Year-Old Saurabh Chaudhary became only the fifth Indian shooter to claim a gold in the Asian Games history, beating a field of multiple world and Olympic champions in the 10m air pistol finals in Indonesia

ii. Another Indian making his international debut, 29-year-old Abhishek Verma, shot 219.3 to secure bronze.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for RRB PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

·                     The Host cities for Asian Games 2018 are Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. 

·                     Bhin Bhin, Kaka, and Atung are the mascots of the 2018 Asian Games.
Q. 6 Vinesh Phogat, 1st Indian Woman Wrestler To Bag Gold At Asian Games 

i. India got its second Gold medal at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia when Vinesh Phogat defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie in the final of freestyle 50 kg category in Women’s Wrestling. 

ii. With this victory, Vinesh created history as she is the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in the Asian Games.