Latest Current Affairs – September 07 & 08 2018
1. HDFC Life’s Amitabh Chaudhry named Axis Bank’s new MD & CEO
HDFC Life’s 54-year-old MD and CEO Amitabh Chaudhry has received the RBI’s approval to be appointed as the MD and CEO at Axis Bank. Chaudhry, who will be succeeding Shikha Sharma, will take over the position from January 1, 2019. Chaudhry, who worked with the insurance company since 2010, has resigned from his position.
2. Anshula Kant appointed Managing Director of SBI
State Bank of India (SBI) said the government has appointed Anshula Kant as Managing Director of the bank. Kant will remain in the position until the date of her superannuation on September 30, 2020 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Kant, who joined SBI as a Probationary Officer in 1983, was serving as Deputy MD and CFO.
3. ‘Boogie Nights’ actor Burt Reynolds passes away at 82
Burt Reynolds, known for films like ‘Boogie Nights’, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and ‘Striptease’, passed away at the age of 82 in Florida. The cause of death is reportedly cardiopulmonary arrest. He was nominated for an Oscar for ‘Boogie Nights’ and won an Emmy for the TV series ‘Evening Shade’. He had opened the Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre.
4. Google rolls out ‘Blog Compass’ app for Indian bloggers
Technology giant Google launched a new app ‘Blog Compass’ to help Indian bloggers manage their site and find topics to write about. The app, which is ‘only available in India’, works as an analytics and recommendation platform. It provides users with suggestions about topics based on their interests and posting history.
5. Qatar 1st 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.
6. SBI Mutual Fund appoints Ashwani Bhatia as Chief Electoral officer
She takes over from Anuradha Rao after she returned to State Bank of India (SBI) as Deputy Managing Director. Prior to joining SBI Mutual Fund, Bhatia was in charge of revamping the credit structure and processes of the bank.
7. India ranks 19th in ‘Theft Rankings’ regarding Nuclear Materials Security
Nuclear Security Index (NSI) published a report on theft rankings of ‘weapon-usable’ nuclear materials, in which India holds a score of 46 out of 100. It is followed by Pakistan on the 20th position with 44 points. Australia and Switzerland are on the first position with a score of 94 each, followed by Canada with 89, Germany and Japan with 88 out of a total of 100.
8. India successfully carried out first ever mid-air refuelling of Tejas combat jet
A Russian-built IL-78 MKI tanker transferred fuel to a Tejas MK I aircraft. The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates nine Tejas fighters built to an Initial Operating Clearance (IOC) standard. These jets are being flown by No. 45 Squadron, the Flying Daggers, based at Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu.
9. Delhi Metro is second-most unaffordable in world
A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that after the fare hike last year, Delhi metro has become the second-most unaffodable transport network in the world after Hanoi in Vietnam. The affordability is defined as the percentage of commuters’ total income spent on travel. Last year, the Metro fares almost doubled after two hikes in May and October. The maximum fares escalated from Rs 30 to Rs 50 and then to Rs 60.
10. First 2-day India Idea Summit held in Mumbai by USIBC
The theme of the conference is ‘US and India connecting our future’. This is the first time that US India Business Council (USIBC) is holding its annual general body meeting in India. The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) was formed in 1975.
11. Gujarati Author and Journalist Bhagwati Kumar Sharma passes away
The best novels include ‘Aarti ane Angara’ published in 1957, ‘Man Nahi Mane’ in 1962, ‘Rikta’ in 1968, ‘Vyaktamadhya’ in 1970, ‘Samaydvip’ in 1974 and ‘Urdhvamool’ in 1981. He received Ranjitram Suvarna Chandraka in 1984 and Sahitya Academy award in 1988 for his novel ‘Assoryalok’.
12. Indo-Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND 2018
KAZIND 2018 will be held in Otar region, Kazakhstan from 10 to 23 September 2018. This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries. The second edition of the KAZIND exercise was held in India in 2017. Aim is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army.
13. France to collaborate on India’s first human space mission ‘Gaganyaan’
India and France inked an agreement to collaborate on Gaganyaan, ISRO’s first human space mission. ISRO and CNES, the French space agency, will be combining their expertise in fields of space medicine, astronaut health monitoring, life support, radiation protection, space debris protection and personal hygiene systems. The two space agencies also plan to work on Mars, Venus and asteroids. India plans to send three humans to space before 2022. It would make India one of the four countries in the world after Russia, US and China to launch a manned space flight.
14. Akshay Kumar becomes first Honorary Ambassador of Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Foundation
Actor Akshay Kumar has been known to be a vocal supporter of the Indian Armed Forces (jawan) as well as the farmer (kisan) community. Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Foundation is the social organisation founded by the family of India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the motto of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.
