Latest Current Affairs – August 28 2018
1. Google launches ‘Navlekhā’ for Indian language publishers
Google has unveiled Project Navlekhā to help Indian language publishers take their content online. “When you search in Indian languages, the content available is just 1% of what’s available in English,” Google said. The new platform will allow 1.35 lakh Indian publishers to digitise their offline content by creating instant web pages using scanned documents or PDFs.
2. Manjit Singh wins Asiad gold in 800m, 9th gold for India
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. 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.
3. India’s 1st manned space flight to send 3 persons for 7 days
India’s first manned space flight is expected to send a three-member crew for seven days into space, said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space. “The programme is expected to be completed before 2022 with the first unmanned flight within 30 months,” Singh said. The launch will use ISRO’s three-stage heavy-lift rocket GSLV Mk III, he added.
4. Indian economist appointed UNEP Assistant Secretary-General
Satya Tripathi, an Indian development economist and lawyer, has been appointed the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Tripathi has worked at the UN on assignments over the issues of sustainable development and human rights. He has served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP.
5. Mukul Deoras named Chairman of Colgate-Palmolive India
Consumer goods company Colgate-Palmolive India announced the appointment of Mukul Deoras as Chairman with effect from September 1. Deoras, an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, was the Chief Marketing Officer of the US-headquartered parent since 2015. He had also served as MD of India unit from January 2010 to January 2012 and worked at Hindustan Unilever from 1984 to 2004.
6. Tez rebranded as Google Pay, to offer instant bank loans
Google rebranded its India-based payments app Google Tez into Google Pay and has partnered with four private banks to offer consumer loans online. The US search giant said that customers will get instant, pre-approved loans “right within Google Pay in a matter of seconds”. Google has claimed that it has 2.2 crore monthly active users on Google Pay.
7. India bag 1st ever table tennis medal in Asian Games history
India clinched their first-ever table tennis medal in the history of Asian Games as the men’s team bagged bronze after losing in the semi-finals. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Sharath Kamal Achanta and Anthony Amalraj lost their respective matches as South Korea whitewashed India 3-0. India had clinched men’s table tennis team gold at Commonwealth Games earlier this year.
8. Centre, 6 states sign MoU for ₹4,000cr Yamuna basin project
The Centre and six states have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Lakhwar multi-purpose project on Yamuna basin that will cost nearly ₹4,000 crore. The project involves construction of 204-metre high concrete dam in Uttarakhand with live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metre. Besides generating power for Uttarakhand, it will cater to water needs of the six basin states.
9. Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin elected DMK’s 2nd ever President
Late Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin was elected President of the DMK at the party’s General Council meeting. The 65-year-old is only the second President of the party after Karunanidhi, who held the post for 49 years. Stalin was appointed the party’s Working President in January last year, and was declared the heir apparent in 2013.
10. Universal Influenza vaccine identified
Scientists of NIAID’s influenza research program have found a potential universal influenza vaccine which could protect people against most strains of the virus.
A strong antibody response to a structure on the surface of flu viruses called the Hemagglutinin (HA) stalk. It has the potential to be developed into a universal flu vaccine. Unlike the current seasonal flu vaccines, it could be given a few times over a lifetime to provide protection potentially similar to a tetanus vaccine.
11. Supreme Court clarified Second marriage is valid even if plea against divorce is pending
Interpreting section 15 of Hindu Marriage Act, SC bench observed that restriction placed on the second marriage in Section 15 of the Act till the dismissal of an appeal would not apply to a case where parties have settled and decided not to pursue the matter.
Section 5(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act places a bar on marriage by a person who has a spouse living at the time of the marriage.
Section 11 makes such a marriage null and void.
Section 15 tells when a divorcee can marry again.
12. Scotland 1st country in the World to give students free sanitary products
Scotland has become the world’s first country to provide free sanitary products to all students in a bid to tackle “period poverty”.
Scottish government approved a £5.2 million ($6.7 million) initiative that will make sanitary products free at all schools, colleges and universities. Nearly 4 lakh pupils and students are expected to benefit from the Scottish government’s scheme.
13. Kolkata, Bhopal Top Among Indian Cities In Clean Transport: CSE Survey
Kolkata emits least among six megacities due to high usage of public transport and walking. The analysis titled The Urban Commute was released in Kolkata.
The Top 3 in Overall emissions and energy consumption:
1: Bhopal
2. Vijayawada
3. Chandigarh.
The Top 3 in Pre-travel trip emissions and energy consumption:
1. Kolkata
2. Mumbai
3. Bhopal.
14. Japan Won first Ever Title at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018
Japan completed the trifecta of Women’s World Cups by winning the FIFA U-20 title to add to the 2011 World Cup and 2014 FIFA U-17 titles, becoming the first nation to win all three crowns. The 3-1 win over Spain in the final was remarkable as the European champions had defeated Japan 1-0 in the group stage and looked to have a slight edge going into the final.
