Latest Current Affairs – September 06 2018
1. Qatar first Gulf nation to grant permanent residency to expats
Qatar has become the first Gulf nation to offer permanent residency to expatriates. The country’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has issued a decree allowing a maximum of 100 expatriates to gain permanent residency each year. Children of Qatari mothers, and skilled expatriates who have lived in the country for more than 20 years will be given priority.
2. India, France set up working group for ISRO’s Gaganyaan
India and France announced a working group for Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first manned space mission Gaganyaan. The mission would make India one of the four countries in the world after Russia, China, and the US to launch a manned space flight. The two countries also have plans to work on Mars, Venus, and asteroids.
3. India, US agree to work together on India’s NSG membership
Following the inaugural 2+2 talks with the US, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that both the countries have agreed to work together towards India’s entry in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). China has been opposing India’s bid for NSG membership on the grounds that the country is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
4. Google launches new search engine for scientists
Google launched a new search engine called ‘Dataset Search’ to help scientists, data journalists and others find data required for their work. It will let people find “datasets wherever they’re hosted, whether it’s a publisher’s site, a digital library,” Google said. The search engine’s initial release will cover environmental, social sciences and government data, among others.
5. Telangana dissolves 1st state assembly 9 months before tenure ends
The first state assembly of Telangana has been dissolved nine months before the term of the House expires, based on the recommendation of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Cabinet. Governor ESL Narasimhan has asked Rao and his Cabinet to continue as a caretaker government till the new government is formed. CM reportedly wanted early state assembly polls in December.
6. Cabinet doubles Jan Dhan overdraft cap to Rs 10,000
The government has doubled the overdraft cap from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. The scheme, which earlier aimed to provide a bank account to every Indian household, will now provide a bank account to every individual, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. The age limit for availing overdraft has been increased to 65 years.
7. India, US sign deal on advanced technology exchange
India signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) with the US during the 2+2 talks in Delhi. The deal will enable India to access advanced technologies from US. Both the countries also committed to work together on regional and global issues, including in bilateral, trilateral, and quadrilateral formats.
8. Facebook to open its 1st ever Asian data centre in Singapore
Facebook said it will invest over $1 billion to build its first Asian data centre in Singapore, which is expected to open in 2022. The 11-storey data centre will span 170,000 square metres and “support hundreds of jobs”, according to the social media giant. Like its global counterparts, the data centre will be fully powered by renewable energy.
9. Homosexuality not a crime in India anymore: SC on Section 377
The Supreme Court scrapped parts of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the 1862 law which criminalised homosexuality. The Delhi High Court had decriminalised homosexuality in 2009, but the decision was overturned by Supreme Court in 2013. “Section 377 is irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary,” said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
Justice Indu Malhotra, who was a part of Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench that decriminalised homosexuality, said history owes an apology to LGBT community and their families for the years of stigma imposed on them.
10. India supports Mauritius’ claim on Chagos Islands under UK
India at the International Court of Justice has supported Mauritius over its claim on Chagos Islands, which are under the United Kingdom’s control in the Indian Ocean. “The process of decolonisation of Mauritius remains incomplete…as long as the Chagos archipelago continues to be under UK’s colonial control,” India said. Chagos is home to UK and US’ military base Diego Garcia.
11. ISRO plans to set up its First Overseas Ground Station at North Pole
The ground station will augment the Indian Remote Sensing (Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) operations crucial not just for civilian needs like disaster management but also for the armed forces. However, ISRO has already two ground stations-IMGEOS at Shadnagar and AGEOS in Antarctica.
12. India to buy 18 bullet trains from Japan for Rs 7,000 crore
Each train will have 10 coaches and would be able to cruise at the speed of 350 km per hour. The purpose is to launch India’s first bullet train by 2022. The 508-km high speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad at an estimated cost of Rs 1,10,000 crore is expected to be operational by 2022. National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) will be responsible for executing the project of the high-speed train corridor.
13. Dr Poonam Singh Nominated For 2nd Term As Regional Director WHO South-East Asia
Dr Poonam Singh is the first woman to have been elected to the position of Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region after an illustrious career in the Indian civil service, World Bank and WHO. World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health.
14. Indian boxer Mary Kom signed as brand ambassador by BSNL for 2 years
State-run telecom firm BSNL roped in Indian boxer MC Mary Kom as its brand ambassador for two years. BSNL will run television commercials, print advertisements and tariff plan endorsement with Kom.
