Current Affairs Daily Digest – August 28 2019
1. Statue of Unity on TIME’s greatest places in world list
The 182-metre-tall Statue of Unity in Gujarat has been featured in Time magazine’s ‘World’s Greatest Places 2019’ list. The list comprises 100 “new and newly noteworthy destinations to experience right now”. “Excellent news vis-à-vis the Statue of Unity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, adding that a record 34,000 people visited the site in a single day a few days back.
2. IAF’s Shalija Dhami becomes India’s 1st female flight commander
Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Wing Commander Shalija Dhami scripted history by becoming country’s 1st female officer to be appointed as flight commander of a flying unit. She took over as flight commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
3. Maitri mobile app: to connect old-age homes and orphanages, win tech prize in US
Five Girls from Amity International School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh developed a mobile application called ‘Maitri’ that connects children at orphanages with senior citizens in old-age homes. The innovation by this all-girls team called “Tech Witches” fetched them a bronze medal at global tech competition called ‘Technovation Challenge’ held in San Francisco, United States.
4. ONGC CMD honoured with Distinguished Fellowship of IOD 2019
Shashi Shanker, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was honoured with Distinguished Fellowship of Institute of Directors (IOD), 2019 during 29th Institute of Directors (IOD) Annual Day Ceremony held in New Delhi.
5. Shaheen VIII: Pakistan-China aerial exercise held in China’s Hotan City
Pakistan and China are conducting joint bilateral aerial exercise Shaheen VIII (Eagle VIII) in Chinese city of Holton, close to the Indian border near Ladakh. It was eight edition of this aerial exercise, which is conducted annually by India’s two neighbours since 2011.
6. Jio becomes India’s top operator with 31.7% revenue market share
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has become India’s largest telecom operator by revenue market share in the April-June quarter, TRAI data analysed by ICICI Securities showed. Jio recorded adjusted gross revenue of ₹10,900 crore giving it a 31.7% market share. Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel came second with 30% market share and Vodafone Idea was third with a 28.1% share.
7. Indian documentary wins top award at We Care Film Festival
Indian documentary ‘I’m Jeeja’ on the top award in the ‘Under 30 minute’ category at the We Care Film Festival on Disability Issues. The film tells the story of specially-abled activist Jeeja Ghosh who suffers from cerebral palsy. A total of 36 films were selected for the finals out of which 10 films were awarded in different categories.
8. IIP sets up plant to turn plastic waste into diesel
The Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) has set up a plant turn plastic waste into diesel. The plant was inaugurated by the Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on 27 August.
The plant setting up of the plant is a good move towards freeing the environment from plastic. It will also reduce the country’s dependence on other countries for petroleum products. The plant will produce diesel out of plastic waste on a large scale.
9. Microsoft to train 5000 govt employees on AI cloud
Microsoft India launched a scheme to provide 5000 government employees over the next year on AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud computing skills. The program, called ‘Digital Governance Tech Tour’, will comprise of physical and virtual workshops.
10. Cantona to be honoured with UEFA President Award
Former Manchester United and France legend Eric Cantona to receive the UEFA President’s Award at the Champions League draw in Monaco.
The 53-year-old, who won five English championships with Leeds and Manchester United in the 1990s and two French titles with Marseille, joins an illustrious list of previous recipients which includes Johann Cruyff, Alfredo Di Stefano and Eusebio.
11. Shri PRAMOD AGRAWAL IAS selected for Chairman Coal India
PESB has recommended the name of Shri PRAMOD AGRAWAL, Principal Secretary, IAS for the post of Chairman and Managing Director, Coal India Limited (CIL).Shri Pramod Agarwal, a 1991 batch IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre is currently principal secretary for urban development and housing department in Madhya Pradesh. He will take over after the present chairman A K Jha retires in January 2020.
12. India, Australia & France to jointly create inclusive Indo-Pacific
India, France and Australia, in a major strategic move, plans trilaterals that would help to rebalance China in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing Indo-French & Indo-Australia & Australia-France partnership across the vast region.
The first meet of this initiative that would contribute to making the Indo-Pacific region inclusive is expected to be organised later this year in France, ET has learnt. Earlier, the three have held Track 1.5 dialogue to identify security challenges and sustainability issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
13. Bhubaneswar gets provisional clearance for 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
Roma Khanna, the FIFA tournament director of the local organising committee confirmed here that the city had become the first venue to get a provisional clearance for the FIFA U-17 event, which will be the first FIFA competition for women in the country.
14. Feroz Shah Kotla to be renamed Arun Jaitley stadium
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) decided to rechristen Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the memory of its former president who passed away on august 24.
15. US approves USD 3.3bn sale of anti-ballistic missiles to Japan
Washington approved the USD 3.3 billion sale of anti-ballistic missiles to Japan, following close behind a series of new ballistic missile tests by North Korea that could threaten the US ally.
Japan will buy up to 73 of the Raytheon-made SM-3 Block IIA missiles, which are designed to be fired by the ship-board Aegis system to intercept incoming ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said.
16. Mamata scheme for PVTG women in Odisha extended for five years
The Odisha government has extended benefits of the Direct Cash Benefit “Mamata” scheme to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in the state for another five years, an official said.
While pregnant women of other communities can avail the conditional cash transfer maternity benefit scheme only up to two live births, PVTG women are barred from the limit.
17. India creates history at World Skills event in Russia, bags 4 medals
Indian contingent won four medals and 15 medallions of excellence at the just concluded World Skills Kazan 2019, taking India to the 13 the position out of 63 countries that participated in the international skilling event.
