IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF
AUGUST 13th, 2018
1.
(13th August) is International Lefthanders Day.
a. This day was first
observed on the 13th of August, in the year 1976.
b. People observe this day
to promote awareness of the inconveniences faced by left-handers in
a predominantly right-handed world.
2.
The North and South Koreas today agreed
to hold an inter-Korean summit in North's capital Pyongyang in
September 2018.
a. The leaders of the two
countries had first met in April and agreed to sign a peace treaty to end
the 65-year-long Korean War.
3.
A special meeting of Senior Officials of the Bay of
Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) was held in Kathmandu (Nepal) today.
a. The meeting was organised
as part of preparations for the 4th BIMSTEC Summit, which is going to
be held in Kathmandu during 30th & 31st August 2018.
b. Senior officers from all
member states and Secretary General of BIMSTEC attended the meeting.
c. A wide range of issues
including BIMSTEC structure, mechanisms and procedures, enhancing visibility of
BIMSTEC, collaboration with other regional and international organisations with
similar aims and purposes and establishment of a BIMSTEC Development Fund were
discussed in the meeting.
d. About BIMSTEC :
e. BIMSTEC is a regional
economic bloc comprising 7 member states lying in the littoral and adjacent
areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
f. The group was formed
in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
g. Nepal is the current
chair of BIMSTEC.
4.
India has handed over 404 houses built for Indian-origin
people in Sri Lanka’s tea plantation areas at Dunsinane
Estate in Nuwara Eliya city.
a. This is first lot of
houses built under Indian Housing Project in Plantation Areas
in Sri Lanka.
b. Note : With grant of over US
$350 million, it is India’s largest assistance project in any country.
5.
Pune (Maharashtra) has emerged as the number one city in the Ease
of Living Index 2018 released by the government of India today.
a. The Index was launched
by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
b. The Ease of Living Index
help cities assess their liveability in relation to global and national
benchmarks.
c. Top 10 Cities in Ease of
Living Index 2018
i) Pune
ii) Navi Mumbai
iii) Greater Mumbai
iv) Tirupati
v) Chandigarh
vi) Thane
vii)Raipur
viii)
Indore
ix) Vijaywada
x) Bhopal
6.
The Muslim festival of Bakrid (Id-Ul-Zuha),
will be celebrated in India on August 23, the Jama Masjid in New
Delhi has announced today.
a. The festival includes the
sacrifice of an animal which is feasted upon along with friends and
family.
b. It is celebrated in
different countries on varying dates.
7.
The Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal today
announced a 50% reservation for women in the upcoming recruitment
of up to 10,000 Railway Police Force jawans.
a. He also announced
that 13,000 jobs are also coming up in Railways for which
a Computer-Based Test will be conducted and no
interviews will be taken.
8.
Union Civil Aviation Ministry has given in-principle approval to
set up Water Aerodromes (a small airport or airfield for
sea planes) in India.
a. It has identified five
states for development of water aerodromes. They are :
i. Odisha,
ii. Gujarat,
iii. Maharashtra,
iv. Andhra Pradesh
v. Assam
9.
The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh
Vardhan today inaugurated the National Wildlife Genetic
Resource Bank in Hyderabad (Telanagana).
a. It is India’s
first genetic resource bank where genetic material will be stored
for posterity which will further the cause of conservation of endangered and
protected animals.
10.
The lander of India's second lunar exploration mission 'Chandrayaan-2',
scheduled for next year, will be named 'Vikram' in honour
of ISRO Founder Vikram Sarabhai.
11.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is announced it
plans to launch ISRO TV, a TV channel to promote scientific
temper among people and conduct training camps for school students.
12.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee (89)
passed away.
a. Chatterjee, who has
served for over four decades in active politics, had served as the Lok
Sabha Speaker from 2004 to 2009.
13.
The Rrupee hit an all-time low
of 69.62 against the US dollar today.
a. The ongoing financial
crisis in Turkey and weakness in other emerging market currencies
are the reasons for this decline.
14.
Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani today sworn in as
the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
a. With this, she became the
third woman appointed to the position.
15.
Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi today became the most
decorated player in Barcelona's history, by winning
his 33rd trophy for the club as defending La Liga champions
beat Sevilla to win their 13th Spanish Super Cup today.
a. Note : This match was also
Messi's first as club's first captain.
16.
The 2018 Vietnam Open badminton tournament recently
held at Nguyen Du Cultrual Sports Club in Vietnam.
a. Indian shuttler Ajay
Jayaram finished as runner-up in the men's singles event by losing the final to
Indonesian shuttler Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.
i) Men's Singles : Shesar Hiren Rhustavito
(Indonesia)
ii) Women's Singles : Yeo Jia Min (Singapore)
iii) Men's Doubles :
(1)Ko Sung-hyun (South
Korea)
(2)Shin Baek-cheol (South
Korea)
iv) Women's Doubles :
(1)Misato Aratama (Japan)
(2)Akane Watanabe (Japan)
v) Mixed Doubles :
(1)Nipitphon Phuangphuapet
(Thailand)
(2)Savitree Amitrapai
(Thailand)
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