Latest Current Affairs – August 09 & 10 2018
1. Triple Talaq bill deferred to next session of Parliament
The government has decided not to table the Triple Talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, deferring it to the next Parliament session. The Lok Sabha cleared the bill last year but needs to pass it again due to amendments made by the Cabinet. The Cabinet approved a provision to grant bail to those found guilty of giving instant Triple Talaq.
2. US to create Space Force by 2020
The US Defence Department will create a Space Force as the sixth branch of the military by 2020, Vice President Mike Pence announced. Advancements in space technology made it clear that space is the new battlefield for the 21st Century, Pence said. Pence also announced plans to establish the US Space Command and the Space Development Agency.
3. Kerala, Maharashtra, K’taka, TN get 60% of total remittances
Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu together received nearly 60% of the total remittances in 2016-17, according to an RBI survey. Over 70% of all reported transactions were of more than $500. UAE emerged as the top source of remittances with a share of 26.9%, followed by the US (22.9%), Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%).
4. 20-yr-old Neeraj Chopra to be India’s flag-bearer at Asiad
Neeraj Chopra, the first-ever Indian to win gold in javelin throw at Commonwealth Games, has been chosen as India’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2018. The 20-year-old, who holds the national record in javelin throw, had won two international gold medals last month. Asian Games will be held from August 18 to September 2 in Indonesia.
5. Google launches video Q&A app Cameos aimed at celebrities
Technology major Google has launched a video-focussed question and answer (Q&A) app Cameos which allows users to answer questions about themselves. The app also allows celebrities to see the top questions on the internet, so they can pick and choose which of those they want to answer. Currently, Cameos can be accessed only through invite and is available on iOS.
6. Indian telescope discovers the most distant radio galaxy
Breaking a 20-year-old distance record, a team led by PhD student Aayush Saxena has found a radio galaxy from a time when the universe was only 7% of its current age, at a distance of 12 billion light-years. The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune was used to identify the galaxy while the distance was determined using US-based telescopes.
7. RS Sharma re-appointed as TRAI Chairman till September 2020
The government has reappointed Ram Sewak Sharma as telecom regulator TRAI’s Chairman till September 2020 when he turns 65. His reappointment comes on the last day of his current three-year term. Sharma, who recently shared his Aadhaar number on Twitter, also served as UIDAI’s Director General between 2009-2013 and even wrote the first software for UIDAI for enrolment.
8. Santali 1st Indian tribal language to get own Wiki edition
Santali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santali Wikipedia went live earlier this month, according to a report. Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content for the page, officials said. Santali is written in Ol Chiki script and spoken by 6.4 million people in India.
9. India will be source of global growth for next 30 years: IMF
International Monetary Fund’s mission chief for India Ranil Salgado has said that India will be a source of global growth for the next 30 years. “India can be almost what China was for the world economy for a while,” he added. Salgado further said India has three decades before it hits the point where the working-age population starts declining.
10. Marie Curie tops BBC poll of women who changed the world
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, has topped a BBC History magazine poll, which listed “100 women who changed the world”. Albanian-Indian Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa was placed 20th on the list while former PM Indira Gandhi was ranked 49th. Other notable names included former UK PM Margaret Thatcher and Indian poet Sarojini Naidu.
11. Ex-Chile Prez Bachelet to be next UN human rights chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the world body’s new High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN said on Wednesday. The 193-member UN General Assembly is due to meet on Friday to approve her appointment. She would replace Jordan’s Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, whose four-year term ends this month.
12. Nepal, Bangladesh sign MoU to enhance cooperation in power sector
Nepal and Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in power sector.
Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barsha Man Pun and Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh, Nasrul Hamid signed the MoU in Kathmandu. It aims to increase collaboration in electricity generation, grid connectivity, energy efficiency, renewable energy and development of hydro power for mutual and regional benefit.
13. Lok Sabha passes four amendment bills related to GST
Four amendment bills related to GST were passed by Lok Sabha. Several legislative changes have been incorporated to enhance ease of doing business for owners of MSMEs.
The Lok Sabha also passed the Representation of the People Amendment Bill to give proxy voting rights to overseas Indians. The bills passed included GST Amendment Bill, Integrated GST Amendment Bill, Union Territory Amendment Bill and GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill.
14. President inaugurates ‘One District One Product’ Summit
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday inaugurated the ‘One District One Product’ Summit in Lucknow. The summit has been organised by the Uttar Pradesh government to promote traditional industries and spur local trade.
The President expressed confidence that the ‘One District One Product’ scheme will enhance skills of local people as well as increase the reach to products, which will in turn result in economic progress of artisans of Uttar Pradesh.
15. PM Modi unveils National Biofuel policy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that biofuels will help boost farm income, aid India’s energy security and create jobs, in a cleaner environment. Speaking at an event to mark the World Biofuel Day, Prime Minister Modi said the government’s focus was to make the village economy stronger. Government plans to set up 12 modern biofuel refineries across the country.
16. IMF forecasts India’s GDP to grow at 7.5% in 2019/20 fiscal
India’s GDP is poised to grow by 7.3 per cent in the 2018-19 fiscal and 7.5 per cent in 2019-2020 on strengthening of investment and robust private consumption, the IMF said in its latest projection. Growth is forecast to rise to 7.3 per cent in fiscal year 2018/19 and 7.5 per cent in 2019/20 on strengthening investment and robust private consumption.
17. NMCG asked SBI to make arrangements to donate to the CGF from ATMs
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) asked the State Bank of India (SBI) to make it possible to donate to the Clean Ganga Fund (CGF) from ATMs. It is aimed at making the donation easier for the public to participate in the efforts. NMCG, an affiliate of the Union Water Resources Ministry, government’s Rs.20,000 crore and CGF, a separate corpus made up corporates and individuals donations, holds Rs.250 crore for the commitment to clean the Ganga.
18. An invasive agriculture pest Fall Armyworm is found in Karnataka
The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) discovered an invasive agricultural pest Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Karnataka. Shivamogga’s University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences Entomologists C.M. Kalleshwara Swamy and Sharanabasappa suspected the unusual happening in maize crops in Shivamogga this year.
A major maize pest in North America, the Fall Armyworm arrived in Africa in 2016. It has threatened the continent’s maize crop, a staple which feeds 300 million people. The pest feeds on around 100 different crops, such as vegetables, rice, and sugarcane and it spreads in no time. The Karnataka finding is the first report of the pest in Asia.
19. S Gopakumar appointed as Director and General Manager In UIIC
Gopakumar was serving GIC Housing Finance Ltd as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. United India Insurance Company (wholly owned by the Government of India) is the 2nd Largest General Insurance company with a premium of Rs.16000+ Crore in India. The Gross Domestic Premium for the Financial Year 2017-18 is above Rs.17300 crores.
20. Project ‘SWAYAM’ launched By HRD Ministry
‘Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’ (SWAYAM), aims to provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses. This course covers all higher education subjects and skill sector courses. The main objective is to ensure that every student in the country has access to the best quality higher education at the affordable cost.
21. NDA candidate Harivansh Singh elected Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman
The BJP-led NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected the Rajya Sabha’s Deputy Chairman post, which fell vacant after the retirement of Congress’ PJ Kurien on July 1. Harivansh got 125 votes, while Congress-led UPA’s candidate BK Hariprasad got 105 votes. Harivansh Singh is a member of the Janata Dal (United), the BJP’s ally in Bihar.
22. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu launched Mobile App Niryat Mitra
The app developed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is available both on Android and on IOS platforms. The app provides a wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from the policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures.
23. Indian-American high schooler won International Geography Bee World Championship
Indian-American high school student Avi Goel won the world championship at the International Geography Bee’s junior varsity division which was held in Berlin. He won a gold medal in seven out of the 10 medal event and a silver medal in two of the events topping the overall medals table.
24. Lok Sabha passed The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill
Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, outlawing talaq-e-biddat. According to the Bill, talaq-e-biddat has been made a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
Three provisions of the Bill:
♦Instant triple talaq is illegal
♦It imposes a jail term of up to three years and fine
♦It provides additional safeguards from the Act being misused
It also provides for subsistence allowance to Muslim women and custody of minor children as may be determined by the magistrate.
