VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 27^th,  2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 27^th , 2019

1.     India is going to host the Conference Of Parties (COP) 14, of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification from 2nd to 13th September 2019. 

a.      Last time, the meeting was hosted by China. India will take over from China this year as host and President for 2 years. 

b.     The event will see participation of over 3000 representatives from over 200 countries which will include Ministers from around 100 countries.

c.      The Conference will focus on desertification and degradation of land.

d.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the mega event. 

2.     The United States today claimed helping reduce India-Pakistan tension is one of the five big takeaways from the just-concluded G7 Summit. 

a.      Promoting the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and developing stronger trade with Europe were also among the 'takeaways'.

3.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India after completing his 3 nation visit to France, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. 

a.      His visit projected India's role in the global arena as well as in the Asian Region. 

b.     India's prominent stand on protecting environment, climate and digital technology was lauded at the G-7 Summit.

4.     In Nepal, for the 1st time, a cabinet meeting was held through video conferencing.

a.      Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli took part in the meeting from Singapore through video conferencing today.

5.     The 2019 Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference will be held in Thailand’s capital city Bangkok. 

a.      India will be represented by Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of the Air Staff- Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

b.     Theme of conference Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference 2019 : “Collaboration in a free and Open Indo – Pacific”.

6.     The govt today announced that over 3 crore 70 lakh people have joined the nationwide Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

a.      The government had launched the ambitious initiative on 1st of July to enhance water security, especially in water stressed districts. 

b.     During the past two months, the initiative has delivered over 5 lakh local water conservation infrastructures in 256 districts.

c.      Jal Shakti Minister : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat 

7.     The government today announced that there has been more than 80 per cent decline in new HIV infection cases in the country since its peak in 1995. 

a.      The global average of decline in new infection is estimated at 47 per cent.

b.     Health Minister : Dr Harsh Vardhan

8.     The National Aids Control Organization (NACO)  today signed an MoU with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for prevention and control of HIV related diseases. 

a.      The MoU intends to create awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of drugs abuse on the individual, family, workplace and society at large.

b.     It aims to reduce stigmatization of and discrimination against, groups and individuals dependent on drugs in order to integrate them back into society.

9.     State-run Canara Bank has launched India's 1st One-Time Password (OTP) facility for ATM withdrawals. 

a.      The facility, which is activated for cash withdrawals over ₹10,000 per day at its ATMs, will protect the card-holders from unauthorised withdrawals.

10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that the Central Board has accepted Bimal Jalan Committee recommendations and decided to transfer a sum of ₹1,76,051 crore to the government. 

a.      The sum comprises ₹1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-19 and ₹52,637 crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF).

11.                       To examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF). 

a.      The 4 member body is reconstituted and rejigged version of erstwhile Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.

b.     Chairman : T M Bhasin (Former Vigilance Commissioner)

c.      Members :

i)      Madhusudan Prasad (former Urban Development Secretary)

ii)    D K Pathak (former Director General of Border Security Force) 

iii) Suresh N Patel (former MD and CEO of Andhra Bank) 

12.                       The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today shared a lunar surface image taken by the Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) of Chandrayaan-2. 

a.      The image showed craters such as Jackson, Mach, Korolev and Mitra. 

b.     Note : The Mitra crater on Moon is named after Padma Bhushan awardee late Indian Professor Sisir Kumar Mitra, known for his work in the field of radiophysics among others.

13.                       India's 1st woman Director General of Police (DGP), Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed away.

a.      She was also the 2nd lady IPS officer of India. 

b.     The 1973 batch IPS officer, made history when she was appointed the DGP of Uttarakhand in the year 2004. 

c.      She retired on October 31, 2007. 

14.                       Karnataka will have 3 Deputy Chief Ministers for the first time after the newly formed BJP government appointed Govind Makthappa Karajol (Public Works), CN Ashwath Narayan (Higher Education) and Laxman Sangappa Savadi (Transport) to the post.