Current Affairs Compendium - August 2018: International

CURRENT AFFAIRS COMPENDIUM – AUGUST 2018
INTERNATIONAL
Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018
Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018, the latest
in 'Peace Mission' series formally started on 24 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Russia.
The opening ceremony was conducted with military contingents of the all eight SCO
member nations participating in this exercise. The exercise will provide an
opportunity to the armed forces of SCO nations to train in counter terrorism
operations in urban scenario in a multinational and joint environment.
Vietnam to host Indian Ocean conference

The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference is set to begin on August 27 at Hanoi,
the capital of Vietnam. The theme of the two- day conference will focus on ‗Building
Regional Architectures‘. This year‘s conference will see 43 countries as participants
while 28 ministers and officials are set to address the event.
4th BIMSTEC Summit

The 4th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) kicked off at Kathmandu, Nepal. The theme of
the summit is ―Towards Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal
Region‖. Current BIMSTEC Chairperson and Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma
Oli inaugurated the summit in the Nepalese capital.
Points to Remember:
 This sub-regional organisation came into being on June 6, 1997, through the
Bangkok Declaration comprising seven member states.
 Five of them: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are from South
Asia and two: Myanmar and Thailand from Southeast Asia.
Indian Naval ship Sahyadri reaches Darwin, Australia for exercise KAKADU
2018
After having been deployed to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean for over four
months, which included representing Indian Navy in multinational exercises
MALABAR 18 at Guam and RIMPAC 18 at Hawaii, INS Sahyadri entered the Port of
Darwin, Australia on 29 Aug 18 to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018.
Exercise KAKADU, which started in 1993, is the premier multilateral regional
maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and
supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The exercise is held biennially
in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas (NAXA).
Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a
protected area in the northern territory of Australia, 171 km south-east of Darwin.
KAKADU 2018, the 14th edition of the exercise, is scheduled from 29 Aug – 15 Sep
18 and would see participation from 23 warships, one submarine, 45 aircraft, 250
marines and approx 52 foreign staff from over 25 different countries.
11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius

The 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC) was held at Swami Vivekanand
International Convention Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius. It 11th World Hindi
Conference (WHC) was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, India in
collaboration with the Government of Mauritius. It was inaugurated by Mauritius
Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. Main theme of the Conference was ―Hindi
Vishwa Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti‖ (Hindi World and Indian Culture).
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The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur. A special logo has
been designed for the conference this year which depicts the national birds of India
and Mauritius, peacock and dodo respectively.
Tower in Mauritius to be named after late PM Vajpayee

During the World Hindi Conference being held in Mauritius, the Mauritian PM
Pravind Jugnauth announced that the cyber tower which Atal Ji had contributed to
set up in Mauritius will henceforth be named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee tower.
Exercise Pitch Black 2018

Ex Pitch Black a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise
was hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 24 Jul 18 to 18 Aug 18 in
Darwin, Australia. Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the exercise as
observers and this was for the first time that IAF participated with air assets in the
Exercise Pitch Black (PB-18). With participation of 16 nations and more than 140
aircraft, the current edition was the largest Pitch Black ever conducted by
Australia.
Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Panini Language lab in Mauritius

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 'Panini Language
Laboratory' at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius. The lab, gifted by the
Indian government, will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.
First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia

The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the Royal
Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia. The exercise
seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.
Joint cycling cum Trekking expedition by Indian Army & Royal Bhutan Army
A joint Cycling cum Trekking Expedition of Indian Army and Royal Bhutan Army
was conducted to commemorate ―Fifty years of Establishment of Diplomatic
Relations between India and Bhutan‖. The expedition began on 31 July from Haa
Dzong in Bhutan and was flagged-in at Thimpu on 07 August 2018.
A total of seventeen personnel of both armies participated in the expedition which
covered a total of 384 kms of distance across challenging mountainous terrain in
both India and Bhutan.
NASA launches mission to 'touch the Sun'

US space agency NASA has launched its mission to send a satellite closer to the
Sun than any before. The Parker Solar Probe rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral,
Florida. The probe is set to become the fastest-moving manmade object in history.
Its data promises to crack longstanding mysteries about the Sun's behaviour.
It is the first space craft to be named after a living person - astrophysicist Eugene
Parker, 91, who first described solar wind in 1958.
Australia recommences its adoption programme with India

The Government of Australia has decided to recommence the Adoption Programme
with India, as per Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption. The adoptions
from India had earlier been put on hold by the Government of Australia eight years
ago, on the reported charges of trafficking of children for Inter-country adoption by
some of the recognized Indian placement agencies (the Adoption agencies mandated
to place children in Inter-country adoption at that point of time).

The regulation of Inter-country adoptions has been made strict by the Government
of India with the enactment of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and notification of
Adoption Regulations, 2017.
India ranks 96th in UN‟s E-Government index 2018

India ranks 96th in the biannual United Nation‘s E-Government Index 2018 among
193 countries released by UN. Denmark ranked first in both E-Government index
and E-Participation sub-index.
Exercise Maitree 2018

Exercise Maitree is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai
Army which was conducted from 06 to 19 August 2018 in Thailand. It is a platoon
level exercise which comprises of infantry component.
The exercise will emphasize to hone the tactical and technical skills in joint counter
insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN
mandate.
India elected as president of AIBD

India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years. F. Sheheryar (Director
General of All India Radio) was re-elected as Chair of the executive board while Sri
Lanka was elected as vice-chair.
About AIDB:
 The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is regional
inter-governmental organization serving countries of United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in field of
electronic media development. It was established in the 1977 under auspices of
UNESCO. It is hosted by Government of Malaysia and its secretariat is located
in Kuala Lumpur.
 Broadcasters from 26 countries in the Asia-Pacific region including India are
full members of the organization.
Scarlett Johansson is the highest paid actress with USD 40.5 million: Forbes
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has become the best-paid actress in the world,
according to Forbes magazine.
Global Innovation Index, GII- 2018 launched in India

Global Innovation Index 2018 (GII- 2018) was launched in India in New Delhi. The
event was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) along with the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). CII is one of the founding partners of GII.
Global Innovation Index 2018 is the 11th edition of GII. The theme for GII 2018 is:
―Energizing the World with Innovation‖. The GII 2018 analyses the energy
innovation landscape of the next decade and identify possible new technological
breakthroughs and innovative approaches and their sources at the country, region,
or firm level.
India‘s rank on the Global Innovation Index (GII) is 57 in 2018. It has improved
from 60 in 2017. India has been consistently improving in GII ranking in the last 2
years. The index was topped by Switzerland. Netherlands, Sweden, United
Kingdom and Singapore are placed on second, third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Vienna tops to be the world‟s most liveable city: Economist Intelligence Unit‟s
Global Liveability Index 2018
Vienna for the first time topped the Economist Intelligence Unit‘s Global Liveability
Index as ‗world‘s most pleasant city to live in‘. Earlier the 1st spot was owned by
Melbourne, Australia seven times which now ranked at 2nd spot. Osaka, Calgary
and Sydney ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th.
Among Indian Cities, New Delhi tops the Index by attaining 112th Position,
Mumbai Ranks next at 117th Position. Damascus retained last place, which follows
Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria. This year‘s survey did not include
Baghdad and Kabul among others.
About the Index:
 It is an annual survey of 140 urban centres across the globe since 2004.
 It scores out cities on 100 on a range of factors such as living standards, crime,
transport infrastructure, access to education and healthcare, as well as
political and economic stability.

NATIONAL
Pranab Mukherjee launches „NETA‟ app
Former President Pranab Mukherjee has launched the National Electoral
Transformation or NETA mobile application. It is a platform where voters can
review and rate their elected representatives and hold them accountable as well.
This app is the brainchild of 27-year-old entrepreneur Pratham Mittal.
International Buddhist Conclave 2018

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the ―International Buddhist
Conclave (IBC), 2018‖. The 4 days long Conclave has been organized by the
Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra,
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta
(Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and
Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
India to join elite club with first biofuel flight

India joined the elite club of nations who have operated a flight on alternative
energy source like biofuel. SpiceJet is operate a flight from Dehradun to Delhi
using biofuel, which would be first such experiment in India. While developed
countries like Canada, Australia and US have already conducted these test flights,
India would be the first developing nation to experiment that.
ISRO to send first Indian into Space by 2022

As announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day
address, India‘s first Indian human mission will be launched by Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) by 2022. This was stated by the Union Minister
Jitendra Singh. The ISRO Chairman, Dr. K. Sivan said that ISRO has the
capabilities to accomplish this task by the given timeframe. The programme will
make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission.
So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight
missions.
INS Teg Lends Assistance to MV Vela in the Gulf of Aden

INS Teg, a warship of the Western Naval Command, received a call from a
Combined Task Force aircraft for providing assistance to MV Vela, a Norwegian
owned ship with an all Indian crew. INS Teg quickly dispatched a specialist team to
carry out an assessment of the situation and provided assistance for recovery of the
anchor and cable. Concerted efforts over three days finally resulted in the
successful recovery of the anchor along with the entire 330 m of cable.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in Jan 2019

Chandrayaan-2, ISRO's "most complex mission", is scheduled to be launched in
January next year after experts suggested changes to avert failure, its chief K Sivan
said. He said the project was reviewed by eminent experts who suggested some
changes in entering the orbit and in landing the rover. The window period to
launch the mission starts on January 3, 2019 and ends on February 16, 2019.
No free rail insurance from Sep 1

The Indian Railways will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers starting
September 1. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has
decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1 and ―the free insurance
will be optional‖. Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile

application will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel
insurance.
'Gold' first Bollywood film to release in Saudi Arabia

Akshay Kumar-fronted "Gold" has become the first Bollywood film ever to release in
Saudi Arabia. The Reema Kagti-directed sports film is only the second movie after
Rajinikanth's hit social drama, "Kaala" to hit the theatres in the Gulf country.
Saudi Arabia has recently lifted the ban on Movie theatres.
Agriculture minister proposes UNFAO to declare an upcoming year as

“International Year of Millets”
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh has
written to Mr. Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General, United Nations Food &
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and proposed the declaration of an upcoming year
as ―International Year of Millets‖. The Union Agriculture Minister stated that India
is celebrating 2018 as the National Year of Millets and is promoting cultivation by
amending cropping pattern of areas which are especially susceptible to climate
change.
FSSAI sets up panel to review red-labelling draft

Bill for red-labelling of packaged products containing fat, sugar and salt has been
halted by the government as per FSSAI‘s report. Additionally, a group of experts
from health and nutrition background has been set up to look into the issue of
labeling. The group is headed by B Sesikeran, former director of National Institute
of Nutrition (NIN).
Successful Flight Tests of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon

Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon
(SAAW) were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range. The
weapon system was integrated with live warhead and has destroyed the targets
with high precision. The telemetry and tracking systems captured all the mission
events. This weapon is capable of destroying variety of ground targets using
precision navigation.
MP Government to name three awards after late former PM Vajpayee

Madhya Pradesh Government will name three awards after the late former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a tribute. ―One will be for poets, second will be for
outstanding contribution in the field of journalism, and third for good work in
administration‖, said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
INS Khanjar visits Yangon, Myanmar

INS Khanjar a Missile Corvette of Indian Navy was on a three-day visit to Yangon,
Myanmar to undertake operational turn around (OTR) and as part of goodwill visit
from 18 to 20 Aug 18. On arrival at Yangon, the Commanding Officer called-on
Captain Tet Lwin Run, Fleet Commander 1st Fleet and the Indian Ambassador to
Myanmar Vikram Misri.
President to inaugurate “International Buddhist Conclave 2018”

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind was inaugurate the ―International
Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018‖ in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 23rd August,
2018. The Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration
with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd –

26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to
Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
Chhattisgarh to rename its new capital Atal Nagar

Chhattisgarh‘s new capital, Naya Raipur, will be renamed ―Atal Nagar‖ after late
former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajapyee. The decision was taken at a meeting of
Chhattisgarh Cabinet chaired by chief minister Raman Singh in Raipur. Naya
Raipur is India‘s sixth planned city after Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Bhubaneswar
(Odisha), Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat), Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana), and Navi
Mumbai (Maharashtra).
Atal Bihari Vajpayee memorial to be built in Mumbai

The Maharashtra government would build a memorial for former prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mumbai. The Government also distributed urns containing
ashes of the former prime minister to BJP leaders for immersion in 14 rivers in the
state.
Cabinet approves joint issue of postage stamp between India and South Africa
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of
joint issue of Postage Stamps on India-South Africa on the theme, "20 Years of
Strategic Partnership between India and South Africa". The joint stamps were
released in June 2018. The Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-South Africa:
Joint Issue depicts image of Deendayal Upadhyaya and Oliver Reginald Tambo of
South Africa.
Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018

As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) initiatives, SCO Peace Mission
Exercise is conducted biennially for SCO member states. The joint exercise for the
year 2018 was conducted by Central Military Commission of Russia from 22
August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia. This will be a
historic occasion due to the maiden participation of India post becoming a full
member of the SCO in June 2017.
This exercise marks a major milestone in the multilateral relations of SCO member
nations. The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international
counter insurgency or counter terrorism environment under SCO Charter.
“PARIVESH” – an environmental single window hub launched

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and
Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window
Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day. PARIVESH is a Single-Window
Integrated Environmental Management System, developed in pursuance of the
spirit of ‗Digital India‘ initiated by the Prime Minister and capturing the essence of
Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.
'Sarabhai Centenary' programmes begin

Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that Jammu will be the first city in
North India to get a full-fledged Space Technology Research Centre, devoted to
research, academics and post-graduation study. The Centre will function under the
aegis of the Central University Jammu. In addition to Jammu, the other town
selected for opening a Space Technology Research Centre is in the Northeast in
Tripura, where it would function under the aegis of National Institute of Technology
(NIT) Agartala.

This was disclosed on the occasion of the beginning of year-long "Sarabhai

Centenary" programmes of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), that is, the
99th birth anniversary of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the first Chairman of ISRO and the
founding father of India's Space Programme.
Pune best city to live in, Bengaluru ranked 58th

Bengaluru does not figure even in the top 25 Indian cities in the Ease of Living
Index, which rates Pune as the best city to live in. Bengaluru was rated 58th
among major cities surveyed to assess living conditions of urban areas in the
country. Navi Mumbai bagged the second place followed by Greater Mumbai.
Tirupati was ranked fourth in the country. The survey was commissioned by the
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 111 major cities.
Santhali becomes India‟s first tribal language to get own Wikipedia edition
Santhali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its
own script. Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the
content to make this page possible.
About Santhali Language:
 It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India in the constitution.
 It is written in Ol Chiki script and spoken by 6.4 million people, according to
the 2001 census, in India alone.
 Major speakers are from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. It is also
spoken in Bangladesh and Nepal. The Santhali Wikipedia got approval from the
language committee of the Wikimedia Foundation on June 28 and went live on
August 2, 2018.
Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to MT Kamet

In pursuit of achieving greater heights in the field of mountaineering, Indian Army
is planning to attempt Mt Makalu (8485M), the fifth highest mountain peak in the
world in 2019. As a precursor to it, an expedition to Mount Kamet (7756M),
Joshimath District Chamoli, Uttarakhand is being conducted under the aegis of
Army Adventure Wing in August-September 2018. The expedition was flagged off
from Delhi by Director General of Military Training on 13 August 2018. Mt Kamet is
the 3rd highest peak of India after Kanchanjanga & Nandadevi and is the only
highest peak available to climb within the country.
The Walled City of Jaipur is the next proposed site for UNESCO World
Heritage recognition
The site namely ―The Walled City of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India‖ has been proposed
for World Heritage. As per Operation Guidelines 2017, only one site can be
nominated by the state party each year. The recognition of World Heritage is a
matter of great pride. It impacts the local economy by giving a boost to domestic
and international tourism leading to increased employment Generation, creation of
World class infrastructure and augmentation of sale of local handicrafts,
handlooms and heritage memorabilia. Besides, it adds to the prestige of the
country as well as prescribed site. There are a total of 37 World Heritage sites in
India at Present.
Rajasthan becomes first State to implement Centre‟s „Biofuel Policy‟

Rajasthan becomes the first state to implement Centre‘s ‗Biofuel Policy.‘ For this
Rajasthan has established a Centre of Excellence in Udaipur to promote research
in alternate fuels and energy sources. To expand ethanol production, it has allowed
using sugarcane juice and starch containing materials for production of ethanol.

The state installed a biodiesel plant of capacity of 8 tonnes a day with the financial
assistance of Indian Railways. These steps will help in increase in production of oil
seeds and reduce country‘s oil import. State Rural Livelihood Development Council
will also encourage women‘s self-help groups (SHGs) to have additional income
through supply of biodiesel.
National Policy of Biofuels:
 It categorizes the biofuels called Basic Biofuels into 3 categories viz. First
Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel , ―Advanced Biofuels‖ – Second
Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels and
Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG among others to enable extension of
appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category.
 In order to increase farmers income use of surplus food grains for production of
ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel
Coordination Committee.
 It provides a funding scheme of 2G ethanol Bio refineries an amount of
Rs.5,000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher
purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.
Rajya Sabha Passes Bill to Grant Constitutional Status To OBC Commission

A key bill to provide constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward
Classes (NCBC) secured Parliament's approval with the Rajya Sabha passing the
measure that will give the panel full powers to safeguard the rights and interests of
the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill
2017 was passed after a spirited debate during which several members urged the
Centre to make public the findings of the caste census and implement reservation
accordingly. It was cleared by the Lok Sabha on August 2 superseding the
amendments earlier carried out by the Rajya Sabha.
Gurugram India‟s most polluted city

Gurugram, which has been NCR‘s most polluted for the past three days, was
declared the most polluted among 62 cities in the country surveyed by the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with air quality index (AQI) crossing the 300 mark.
The world‟s first-ever high energy storage device has been built in Amaravati,
Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled the world‘s first-ever thermal battery
in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh state. It has been manufactured by the Bharat
Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST). It had an estimated cost of Rs
660 crore. It has a capacity of 1,000 MW and would be enhanced to 10 GW in the
next six to seven years. The plant in Andhra Pradesh is expected to start
commercial operations by May 2019.
About the Project:
 It is the first of its kind cell aimed at boosting up renewable sources of energy
production.
 It will be used to store energy for telecommunication, commercial
establishments, electric vehicles and highway charging stations.
 It can be accessed in remote locations, such as hilly terrains and islands.
 Also batteries for telecommunications, mini or microgrids and electric buses
would be manufactured in the first phase.
 Under this project, electric buses, produced by Bilva Motors will deliver an 800-
kilometre range with a single charge of BEST‘s thermal cells.
 These cells can have output ranging between 5Kwh and 1 Mwh.

 The potential capacity of the new innovation in India has been estimated to be
$60 billion by 2020 which will increase to $100 billion by 2030.
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve: 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to

be Included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO
UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) included
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in its list. This decision was taken at the 30th
Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB)
Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia. It is India‘s 11th Biosphere
Reserve that has been included so far. The core zone – Khangchendzonga National
Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‗mixed‘ category.
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in
the world, reaching elevations of 1, 220 metres above sea-level. Over 118 species of
the large number of medicinal plants found in Dzongu Valley in north Sikkim are of
ethno-medical utility. The core area of the Biosphere Reserve is a major
transboundary Wildlife Protected Area.
Parliament passes SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018

Parliament passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018. On 9th August 2018, the bill was passed by
Rajya Sabha through voice vote. It was passed in Lok Sabha on 6th August 2018.
Section 18A has been inserted to eliminate the need for a preliminary enquiry
before registration of an FIR, or obtain approval of any authority before arrest of an
accused, and to restore the provisions of Section 18 of the Act. The amended bill
has removed the provision to obtain prior permission for the arrest of those
committing atrocities against Dalits. Under the legislation, there is a provision to
set up special courts to handle cases related to atrocities against SCs and STs. The
Bill has removed provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities
against SC/STs. It states that, no preliminary inquiry will be needed to register a
criminal case and an arrest under this law will not be subject to any approval.
Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 passed; allowing death sentence for
rape of children below 12 years
President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act,
2018, that provides death penalty for convicts accused of raping girls below the age
of 12 years. It has been deemed to have come into force on the 21st day of April,
2018. It will further amend the Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences Act, 2012. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12
years.
The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from seven
years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. In case of rape of a girl under 16
years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years,
extendable to life imprisonment. The punishment for gang rape of a girl below 16
years will be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict.
Provision for speedy investigations and trial which should be mandatorily
completed within two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in
rape cases has also been prescribed. There will also be no provision for anticipatory
bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed by

Parliament
Parliament has passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment)
Bill, 2018 with the Rajya Sabha‘s approval. The Bill seeks to clarify that allottees
under a real estate project should be treated as financial creditors. Home buyers
will get due representation in the Committee of Creditors and make them an
important part of decision making process. Setting up of a special dispensation for
small sector enterprises has also been made. It allows the withdrawal of a
resolution application submitted to the National Company Law Tribunal under the
Code with the approval of 90 per cent of the committee of creditors. Action against
the big defaulters who have taken loan from the bank but did not repay it. All cases
are led to resolution instead of liquidation. It should be approved by a panel of
creditors by a vote of not less than 66 per cent. The average resolution time has
been reduced to 1 year from 3 years and cost has been decreased from 9% to 1%.
Increase of the strength of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to
address the pendency of cases so that it can do speedy resolution of about 40,000
cases. NCLAT was an independent body and the government does not interfere in
its functioning.
NOTA option cannot be permitted in Rajya Sabha polls, says Supreme Court
None of The Above (NOTA) option will not be available for elected MPs and MLAs
voting in the coming Rajya Sabha elections, with the Supreme Court cancelling an
Election Commission notification which had provided such option in Upper House.
A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra held that the NOTA option
is meant only for universal right of voting and direct elections and not polls held in
the Rajya Sabha. The Bench had reserved for judgment on a petition filed in 2017
by Gujarat Congress leader Shailesh Manubhai Parmar to do away with the ‗NOTA‘
option in Rajya Sabha elections. The option of NOTA for Lok Sabha and assembly
elections was prescribed by the SC in 2013. The option of NOTA in Rajya Sabha
polls was introduced by the EC in 2014.

ECONOMICS
3rd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Review 2018-19
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic
situation at its meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to increase
the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points
to 6.5 per cent. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted
to 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate
to 6.75 per cent.
Current RBI Policy Rates 2018:
 Repo Rate: 6.50%
 Reverse Repo Rate: 6.25%
 Marginal Standing Facility(MSF): 6.75%
 Bank Rate: 6.75%
 Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4%
 Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 19.5%
Definition of rates:
 Repo Rate: It is the rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks.
 Reverse Repo rate: It is the rate at which RBI borrows money from commercial
banks.
 Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The share of net demand and time liabilities
(deposits) that banks must maintain a cash balance with the Reserve Bank.
 Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The share of net demand and time liabilities
(deposits) that banks must maintain in safe and liquid assets, such as,
government securities, cash, and gold.
 Bank Rate: It is the rate at which the Reserve Bank is ready to buy or
rediscount bills of exchange or other commercial papers for the long term.
 Marginal Standing Facility Rate (MSF): The rate at which the scheduled
banks can borrow funds from the RBI overnight, against the approved
government securities is termed as MSF.
RIL first Indian firm to hit Rs 8 trillion market cap

Reliance Industries (RIL) has became the first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion
in market capitalisation. The stock gained 1.9 per cent to close at Rs 1,270, valuing
the Mukesh Ambani-led firm at Rs 8.05 trillion.
Tata group flagship Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) also is nearing the same
milestone. Currently, the technology giant is valued at Rs 7.8 trillion.
HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS

The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) said Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has
become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the "TReDS
platform". TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the
financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME)
through multiple financiers.
PayPal enters into pact with HDFC Bank

Global technology platform and digital payments leader, PayPal, and HDFC Bank,
the largest credit card issuer in India, have entered into a partnership. It will result
in a safer, faster and more convenient payment experience for HDFC Bank
cardholders and help drive incremental digital spend. This agreement will take
effect immediately; with new experiences available to customers that are designed
to drive incremental digital spend.

UAE top source of inward remittances in 2016-17: RBI

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the top source of inward
remittances, while Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad,
according to the Reserve Bank of India‘s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17.
UAE‘s share in total remittances was 26.9%, followed by the United States (22.9%),
Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%).
According to the survey, 82% of the total remittances received by India originated
from eight countries — UAE, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the
United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Among destinations, Kerala has the highest share with 19%, followed by
Maharashtra (16.7%), Karnataka (15%), Tamil Nadu (8%) and Delhi (5.9%).
PNB scam: Govt dismisses Usha Ananthasubramanian from service

Nearly three months after Allahabad Bank divested its MD & CEO Usha
Ananthasubramanian from all functional responsibilities, the government has
dismissed her from service. Ananthasubramanian is the former CEO & managing
director of scam hit Punjab National Bank. Ananthasubramanian was named in a
CBI charge-sheet in the Rs 14,000 crore PNB fraud. She was to superannuate on
13 August but has been dismissed from the service.
„Umbrella Organisation‟ to revive Urban Co-op Banking

India‘s co-operative banking sector is set to undergo a transformation with the
concept of Umbrella Organisation (UO) of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) seen
as an answer to issues plaguing the sector. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
allowed non-fund-based umbrella organisations at State levels, where respective
State federations will take the lead. Gujarat is the first State in the country to have
an UO for the UCB sector.
PM Modi to launch India Post Payments Bank on Aug 21

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21 launched long-awaited India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB) that will have at least one branch in every district and focus
on financial services in rural areas. IPPB will leverage reach of 1.55 lakh post office
branches to provide banking and financial service to people in rural area. Last
week, IPPB CEO Suresh Sethi said that IPPB will go live with 650 branches in
addition to 3,250 access points co-located at post offices and around 11,000
postmen both in rural and urban area will provide doorstep banking services.
Indra Nooyi ends 12-year run as PepsiCo‟s CEO

Indra Nooyi is stepping down as chief executive officer (CEO) of food and beverage
giant PepsiCo. Nooyi will leave the role in October and remain chairman until early
2019.
Ramon Laguarta who has been a candidate to take over since a promotion last year
to president, will be just the sixth CEO in the 53-year history of the company.
India‟s economic growth rate to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018-19: RBI
In its annual report, RBI stated that India‘s economic growth rate will grow at 7.4
per cent in the current financial year. It was 6.7 percent in the previous year. The
reasons cited for better GDP are: Increased industrial activity and Good Monsoon.
According to the report, agricultural production is likely to remain strong. The
headline inflation may increase in the remaining portion of the year. RBI will work
toward the medium term target for retail inflation of 4 percent.

Bondi Bond: world‟s first blockchain public bond launched by World Bank
The World Bank has launched the world‘s first public bond created and managed
using only blockchain technology. It has been named: Bondi Bond stands for
Blockchain Operated New Debt Instrument. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia
is the sole manager of the deal that has been priced by the World Bank at A$100
million ($73.16 million) with a two-year maturity. The price for the ―kangaroo‖ deal
at 23 basis points above benchmark rates. This will be the first time that capital is
raised from public investors through a legally valid bond using blockchain
technology. This would enable to collapse the manual allocation process to a faster
and cheaper automation process.
Background:
 Kangaroo bonds are bonds issued in Australian dollars by foreign institutions.
 Australian Securities Exchange plans to switch to blockchain technology to
clear and settle equities trades from 2020 to help cut costs.
 Earlier this year Russia‘s MTS, a telecoms operator, and Sberbank claimed a
world-first blockchain bond with a deal value of 750 million roubles ($11.20
million) of 182-day paper placed privately.
Google Tez rebranded as Google Pay; ties up with banks to offer instant loans
Google has rebranded its payment app Google Tez to Google Pay to improve its
growth in India to add more features. This announcement was made at the 4th
edition of Google for India event in New Delhi on 28th August 2018. Google has
partnered with 4 banks: HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and
Federal Bank, to enable instant disbursement of pre-approved loans to user‘s
account. If a user has pre-approved loans from one of these banks, they can use
Google Pay, to mention the amount they want to borrow and input time period
needed to repay. The amount will then be credited to the user‘s account. Google
Pay is extending its operations to physical stores like BigBazaar, kirana stores etc.
Google Pay functions in 18 countries.
About Google Tez:
 Launched in: September 2017 in India
 Built over: Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
IMF forecasts India‟s GDP to grow at 7.5 % in 2019/20 fiscal year

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India‘s GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) to grow at 7.5 % in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. IMF has stated in its report
that, this growth is attributed to strengthening of investment and strong private
consumption. It has said that, the near-term macroeconomic outlook for India is
broadly favourable. India‘s GDP forecast is 7.3 % in fiscal year 2018/19 and 7.5 %
in 2019/20. Headline inflation is projected to increase to 5.2 % in fiscal year
2018/19 due to tightening of demand conditions, recent depreciation of the rupee
and higher oil prices, housing rent allowances and agricultural minimum support
prices.
India‟s growth in 2018, 2019 predicted at 7.5%: Moody‟s

According to Moody‘s Investor services report called Global Macro Outlook for
2018-19, the Indian economy will grow by around 7.5 per cent in 2018 and 2019.
The main reason behind this is: strong urban and rural demand and improved
industrial activity, also due to the rise in energy prices the Headline inflation would
rise as well temporarily. Earlier in May, Moody‘s cut the GDP from 7.5% to 7.3%.

Tapzo acquired by Amazon in a $35-40 million deal

Amazon announced that Amazon Pay, the payments arm of Amazon India, will
acquire Sequoia-backed Tapzo. The deal values at about $35-40 million. Tapzo has
so far raised over $20 million from Sequoia Capital and American Express Co.
India‟s largest mobile operator Vodafone Idea Ltd merger completed

Idea Cellular and Vodafone completed their merger of India operations. This deal is
valued at roughly a $23 billion (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakh crores). The name of the
merged entity is: Vodafone Idea LTd.
It is the country‘s largest telecom operator by subscribers and revenue. The
combined entity will have a revenue share of about 40 percent in the market and a
total customer base of around 408 million. The board will have 12 directors
including 6 independent directors, with Kumar Mangalam Birla as chairman and
Balesh Sharma as chief executive officer. Himanshu Kapania, managing director of
Idea Cellular would be a non-executive director on the merged entity‘s board.

APPOINTMENTS
Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy appointed DRDO Chief
The Government has appointed eminent scientist Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy as the
Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The top
post of the DRDO had been vacant since May after the then Chief Dr. S.
Christopher stepped down.
A missile scientist, Dr. Reddy was holding charge as the Scientific Advisor to the
Defence Minister and also as Director General of the strategic missiles division.
Scott Morrison is new Australian PM

Scott Morrison has become Australia's new prime minister after Malcolm Turnbull
was forced out by party rivals in a bruising leadership contest. Mr Morrison, the
treasurer, won an internal ballot 45-40 over former Home Affairs Minister Peter
Dutton - who had been Mr Turnbull's most vocal threat. Mr Turnbull is the fourth
Australian PM in a decade to be ousted by colleagues.
U K Varma appointed ASSOCHAM Secretary General

Industry chamber ASSOCHAM has appointed former bureaucrat Uday Kumar
Varma as its new Secretary General. He succeeds DS Rawat who held the position
for nearly 14 years, Assocham said in a statement.
Varma was retired from the position of Secretary, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, Government of India on June 30, 2013.
Ganga Prasad sworn in as Sikkim Governor

Ganga Prasad has sworn in as the 16th Governor of Sikkim at a function held at
Raj Bhawan. Justice Meenakshi M Rai, Acting Chief Justice of High Court of
Sikkim, administered the oath of office to Prasad. Ganga Prasad has served as a
Member of Legislative Council of Bihar for 18 years. Ganga Prasad succeeds
Shriniwas Patil as the 16th Governor of Sikkim.
Maurya sworn in as new Uttarakhand governor

Baby Rani Maurya was sworn in as the new governor of Uttarakhand. The oath of
office and secrecy was administered to Maurya by the acting Chief Justice of the
Uttarakhand High Court Rajiv Sharma. Maurya, a former mayor of Agra, was
nominated as governor of Uttarakhand on August 21. She replaces Krishna Kant
Paul whose five-year tenure ended recently.
Satya Tripathi appointed Assistant Secretary-General & Head of New York

Office of UNEP
UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed veteran Indian development
economist Satya S Tripathi as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New
York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago, has since 2017
served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at
UNEP. Tripathi has worked for the United Nations since 1998 in Europe, Asia and
Africa on strategic assignments.
Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as new Zimbabwe President

Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken the oath as Zimbabwe's president, after winning
last month's bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since
Robert Mugabe was removed from power. Mnangagwa pledged to ―protect and

promote the rights of Zimbabweans‖ in his oath. He took the oath before Chief
Justice Luke Malaba.
Ramesh Powar Appointed Head Coach of Indian Women's Team

Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar was officially appointed head coach of the
India women's team, until ICC World Twenty20. The 40-year-old Powar was initially
appointed interim coach last month. Powar carries the experience of figuring in 2
Tests and 31 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for India.
Ashish Kumar Bhutani appointed CEO of PM crop insurance scheme

Senior bureaucrat Ashish Kumar Bhutani has been appointed Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Bhutani has been
appointed to the post till May 9, 2020. Launched in 2016, the PMFBY is in line with
one nation – one scheme theme.
D Bala Venkatesh Varma appointed Ambassador to Russia

Senior diplomat D Bala Venkatesh Varma was appointed as India's next
ambassador to Russia. Varma is currently serving as Indian envoy in Spain. He will
succeed Pankaj Saran who has been appointed deputy National Security Advisor.
Imran Khan to take oath as Pakistan's 22nd PM

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan took oath as the 22nd prime minister of
Pakistan. Khan won a simple majority in Pakistan's National Assembly with 176
votes, beating his rival Shahbaz Sharif who got 96 votes. A member of the National
Assembly needs 172 votes to become prime minister-elect.
Mario Abdo Benitez sworn in as the 50th President of Paraguay

Mario Abdo Benitez took office as Paraguay's 50th president, four months after
playing down close family ties with the South American country's late dictator to
win a tight election race. The 46-year-old conservative took the oath of office at a
ceremony in the capital Asuncion, attended by hundreds of dignitaries including
seven heads of state.
Keita re-elected Mali president

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected for a five-year term
after winning election. The elections have been closely watched abroad, as Mali is a
linchpin state in the jihadist insurgency raging in the Sahel. Keita picked up
67.17% of the vote against 32.83% for former finance minister Soumaila Cisse.
Seven new governors are appointed:

President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed seven new governors, the most
significant of which was the appointment of Bihar‘s governor Satya Pal Malik as the
new governor of Jammu and Kashmir. The appointment is crucial for the state as it
is under President‘s rule.
The other appointments include:
 Lalji Tandon: Bihar
 Satyadev Narayan Arya: Haryana
 Baby Rani Maurya: Uttarakhand
 Ganga Prasad: Sikkim
 Tathagata Roy: Meghalaya
 Kaptan Singh Solanki: Tripura

NDA‟s Harivansh Narayan Singh elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman

NDA candidate and JD(U) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected as the
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Harivansh got 125 votes as against
opposition‘s BK Hariprasad who polled 105 in the House with a majority mark of
119. The election was necessitated after former Deputy Chairperson and Congress
leader PJ Kurien retired from the House on July 1.
Rekha Sharma appointed chairperson of NCW

NCW member Rekha Sharma, who recently stoked a controversy by suggesting
abolition of confessions in churches, has been appointed as the chairperson of the
National Commission for Women. Sharma was earlier a member of the Commission
and was holding the additional charge of chairperson after Lalitha
Kumaramangalam demitted office in September last year.
TRAI chairman gets two year extension

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has extended the term of Telecom
Regulatory Authority (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma till September 2020. Sharma
was appointed TRAI chief for three years in July 2015. Before that he was Secretary
to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.
Jammu and Kashmir gets first woman Chief Justice

Justice Gita Mittal took oath as the first woman Chief Justice of Jammu And
Kashmir High Court. The ceremony was administered by Governor Narinder Nath
Vohra at Srinagar. Mittal had been previously appointed as the Chief Justice of the
Delhi High Court on April 14, 2017, after the retirement of Chief Justice Gorla
Rohini.
New Chairperson of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity

Smt. Justice Manjula Chellur took Oath as Chairperson, Appellate Tribunal for
Electricity, Ministry of Power. Prior to this, Smt. Justice Manjula Chellur was Chief
Justice of Bombay High Court. She was the first woman Chief Justice of Calcutta
High Court.
Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador for Road Safety Campaigns

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari launched three short films for
generating public awareness towards road safety. Film actor Akshay Kumar has
featured in these films, which are directed by R.Balki. In a function Union Minister
Nitin Gadkari announced the appointment of Akshay Kumar as Road Safety Brand
Ambassador.
Anandiben Patel given additional charge as governor of Chhattisgarh

President Ram Nath Kovind gave Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel
additional charge of Chhattisgarh following the demise of Balramji Dass Tandon.
Patel will discharge the additional duties until the regular arrangements for the
office of governor of Chhattisgarh are made.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Y.C. Deveshwar appointed non-official directors in Air

India
Renowned industrialists Kumar Mangalam Birla and Y.C. Deveshwar were
appointed as non-official independent directors in Air India. It is perhaps for the
first time that big industrialists like them have been named on the board of a
public sector enterprise. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by

Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment of Mr. Birla and Mr.
Deveshwar as non-official independent directors in Air India for a period of three
years.
India elected president of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development

India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years. India got elected
against Iran during voting which took place at the 44th annual gathering of AIBD
in Colombo. Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar was re-elected as
chair of the executive board while Sri Lanka was elected as vice-chair.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Rashmi: India‟s first humanoid robot, can speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi
Ranjit Srivastava has developed Rashmi, India‘s first humanoid robot, which can
speak Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi and English. Ranjit Srivastava hails from Ranchi.
He has developed Rashmi, which is said to be the Indian version of ‗Sophia‘ (a
social humanoid robot developed by a Hong Kong based company). Ranjit
Srivastava claimed Rashmi as the world‘s first Hindi speaking realistic humanoid
robot and India‘s first lip-synching robot. Rashmi uses linguistic interpretation (LI),
artificial intelligence (AI), visual data and facial recognition systems. It gives facial,
eye, lips, and eyebrow expressions. It can move its neck.
Ranjit Srivastava is the Proprietor of Lotus Communication, a software company
based in Ranchi. He has developed several software for various departments of the
state government.
GSAT-11 satellite will launch from French Guiana‟s space port

ISRO announced that it would launch the heaviest communication satellite GSAT -
11 from French Guiana on November 30, 2018. This satellite weighs over 5.7
tonnes or 5700 kg. It will be launched from the European spaceport Arianespace.
This will help in increasing internet speed of the country of 14 gigabit per second
data transfer speed. It will provide multi-spot beam coverage over the Indian
mainland and nearby islands.
NASA‟s Parker Solar Probe: World‟s first mission to touch the Sun lifts off
NASA‘s Parker Solar Probe, the world‘s first mission to touch the Sun, was
launched from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in
United States. The Parker Solar Probe was carried by a United Launch Alliance
Delta IV Heavy rocket. The Parker Solar Probe has been sent on a 7 year long
mission to study the Sun‘s outer atmosphere and its effects on space weather. The
spacecraft is of the size of a car. It will directly travel into the Sun‘s atmosphere,
nearly 4 million miles from its surface and more than 7 times closer than any
spacecraft has gone before.
The spacecraft has an innovative Thermal Protection System. The heat shield has
been designed to withstand radiation equivalent to up to 500 times the Sun‘s
radiation here on Earth. The mission costs USD 1.5 billion. It will make the closest-
ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun‘s outer atmosphere
which is called the corona.
Corona is a region of the Sun that is only seen from Earth when the Moon blocks
out the Sun‘s bright face during total solar eclipses. Corona is nearly 300 times
hotter than the Sun‘s surface. It will make 24 passes through the corona during
the 7 year mission. It has a range of instruments to study the Sun both remotely
and directly.
Chandrayaan-2 Lander to be named „Vikram‟ after the father of Indian space

programme
The Space Commission has approved ISRO‘s proposal of naming the Chandrayaan-
2 lander ‗Vikram‘ after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space programme.
Apart from this, as part of the centenary celebrations of Vikram Sarabhai next year,
It has planned a series of lectures at the national and international level. An
international innovation award named after Sarabhai has been approved worth
Rs.50 crore. ISRO would set up Sarabhai chairs at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Cambridge University and Gujarat University. As part of its
science outreach programme, ISRO is planning to launch its own TV channel.

Sarabahi was awarded (posthumously) the Padma Vibhushan in 1972, Padma

Bhushan in 1966 and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar medal in 1962. ISRO will soon
open its spaceport in Sriharikota to public to witness live space launches in the
facility. ISRO also plans on launching a magazine and creating space galleries
across the country.
Aditya – L1: First Indian mission to study the Sun to be launched in 2019
ISRO‘s Aditya-L1 mission, India‘s first mission to study the solar corona, is planned
to be launched in 2019-2020, by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) from
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Aditya – L1 will be inserted in a halo orbit around the
Lagrangian point 1 (L1) that is 1.5 million km from the Earth. Solar corona is the
outer layer of the Sun. Lagrangian point is a point where the attraction by the Sun
and the Earth becomes equal. This point does not experience gravitational force.
This satellite will observe the Sun‘s Photosphere and the Chromosphere and will
also conduct additional experiments. Aditya – L1 will have 6 additional payloads.
Aditya in Sanskrit means the ‗sun‘.
Payloads of Aditya – L1:
 Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)– to study the diagnostic parameters
of solar corona and dynamics and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections
 Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)– to image the Solar Photosphere and
Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet (200-400 nm) and measure solar irradiance
variations
 Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) – to study the variation of solar
wind properties and its distribution and spectral characteristics
 Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA)– to understand the composition of
solar wind and its energy distribution
 Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)– to monitor the X-ray flares to
study the heating mechanism of solar corona
 High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)– to observe the dynamic
events in the solar corona and estimate the energy used to accelerate the
particles during eruptive events
 Magnetometer– to measure the magnitude and nature of the Interplanetary
Magnetic Field
European wind survey satellite “Aeolus” launched from French Guyana

Europe launched a rocket named ―Aeolus‖ from French Guyana. This satellite will
be put into orbit at an altitude of 320 kilometres (200 miles) above the Earth which
will track global winds, allowing for improved weather forecasting. It is part of the
Copernicus project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the European
Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief
operations. The new mission is also Arianespace‘s 50th launch for the European
Space Agency.
About Aeolus:
 It is the world‘s first space mission to acquire profiles of Earth‘s wind on a
global scale.
 Aeolus is equipped with a single instrument: a Doppler wind lidar — an
advanced laser system designed to accurately measure global wind patterns
from space.
 The Doppler lidar would transmit short, powerful pulses of laser light toward
Earth in the ultraviolet spectrum.
 Once per orbit, data will be downloaded to a ground station in Svalbard,
Norway.
 Aeolus is the fifth of the ESA‘s planned Earth Explorer missions.

Gaganyaan Mission: ISRO unveils plans for India‟s manned space flight
mission
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), unveiled India‘s Gaganyaan
programme for manned space flight that will be launched by 2022. The manned
mission to space will have 3 crew members. It will be in space for 5 to 7 days and
conduct experiments on micro-gravity. After the takeoff, the manned flight will
reach the orbit in 16 minutes. When the crew returns to the Earth, it might land in
the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast or in the Bay of Bengal or even on land. The
mission would be executed 6 months prior to India‘s 75th Independence Day. It will
be executed using GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle. The spacecraft will be placed in a
low earth orbit of 300-400 km. The programme is estimated to cost less than Rs
10,000 crores.
Operation „Madad‟ by Southern Naval Command

Operation ―Madad‖ was launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi,
in Kerala, to assist the Kerala state administration and to carry out disaster relief
operations due to the floods. Several parts of Kerala have been flooded due to
continuous rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki and other dams. Naval
helicopters are used for ferrying divers, power tools, axes and relief material to the
flooded areas to speed up the relief operations.
Barak 8: India-Israel missile defence system to be procured by Israeli Navy

The multi-purpose Barak 8 missile defence system, jointly developed by India and
Israel, will be procured by the Israeli Navy. Barak 8 has been developed by Israel
Aerospace Industries (IAI), India‘s DRDO, Israel‘s Administration for the
Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael
and few other Indian defence companies. It is referred to as Barak-8 by Israel and
LR-SAM (long-range surface-to-air missile) by India. It has variants with maximum
ranges of 70km and 150km. It is an operational air and missile defense system
used by the Israeli Navy and the Indian Navy and air forces. It has already entered
Indian Navy service on board the Kolkata class of destroyers.
Israeli Navy‘s Sa‘ar-6 corvettes will use Barak-8 to protect Israel‘s exclusive
economic zone and strategic facilities that face various threats in the marine arena.
It will provide wide range of aerial and point defence against various threats to the
marine arena from the air, sea or land. It can defend against a variety of short-to-
long-range airborne threats, like fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, drones and
projectiles. It has an advanced phased array multi-mission radar, two-way data
link, and a flexible command and control system. It enables users to
simultaneously engage multiple targets day and night and in all weather
conditions.

AWARDS
Indra Nooyi to be honored with Asia Society‟s Game Changer of the Year 2018
award
PepsiCo‘s India-born CEO Indra Nooyi will be honoured with the Game Changer of
the Year award by a global cultural organisation in recognition of her business
achievements, humanitarian record and advocacy for women and girls around the
world. The 2018 Asia Game Changer Awards will be given in October to individuals
and institutions who have broken barriers and in inspired their fellow citizens of
the world. Nooyi has this month announced she would be stepping down as CEO of
PepsiCo after 12 years at the helm.
Delhi government official wins WHO award on tobacco control initiative

An official of the Delhi government's health department has been awarded the
prestigious WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary
contribution towards tobacco control. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2
(GATS 2, 2016-17), the prevalence of tobacco use has reduced by 27 per cent in
Delhi as compared to 17 per cent for the rest of India on an average.
General Suhag awarded US „Legion of Merit‟

The United States government has awarded the Legion of Merit (Degree of
Commander) to General Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retired), of the Indian Army, for
exceptionally meritorious service as chief of the Army staff, Indian Army. The award
was presented to General Suhag on August 17, 2018, at Pentagon, Washington DC.
The Legion of Merit to General Dalbir Singh was announced by the US Government
in March 2016.
Gopal Krishna Gandhi to get Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award

Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi has been selected for this
year's Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award. It was decided in the meeting
held on July 28 that the 24th Rajiv Gandhi National Goodwill Award will be given
to Gopalakrishna Gandhi for the contributions made to promote communal unity,
peace and harmony. Rajiv Gandhi National Goodwill Award is given on the occasion
of birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
President of India Presents Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the years

2013-2017
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Outstanding
Parliamentarian Award for the years 2013-2017 in New Delhi. Speaking on the
occasion, the President congratulated all those being conferred with the
Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.
 Smt Najma Heptulla: 2013
 Hukmdev Narayan Yadav: 2014
 Ghulam Nabi Azad: 2015
 Dinesh Trivedi: 2016
 Bhartruhari Mahtab: 2017
Indian-origin mathematician Akshay Venkatesh gets prestigious Fields Medal

Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four
winners of mathematics‘ prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel Prize for
math. New Delhi-born Venkatesh who is currently teaching at Stanford University,
has won the Fields Medal for his profound contributions to an exceptionally broad
range of subjects in mathematics.

Other 3 winners of Fields medal are: Caucher Birkar, Peter Scholze and Alessio
Figalli. The Fields medals are awarded every four years. Eminent mathematicians
under the age of 40 are awarded. Fields medal was inaugurated in 1932 at the
request of Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields.
Fortune 500 list 2018 features 7 Indian companies

7 Indian companies have been listed in Fortune‘s 500 list 2018 of world biggest
corporations. IOC is the highest ranked company from India. IOC ranked 137th in
2018 with a significant jump from 168th position from 2017.
RIL is the top private sector company in India. It ranked 148th in 2018 from 203rd
from 2017. ONGC ranked 197th in 2018 which not even featured in 2017.
The list was topped by Walmart.

SPORTS
Jhulan Goswami announces retirement from T20I
Veteran Indian women's team pacer Jhulan Goswami has announced her
retirement from T20 Internationals, effectively ruling her out for the ICC World T20
in West Indies in November. She played 68 T20 Internationals and took 56 wickets
at an economy rate of 5.45. The 35-year-old will only play ODIs, in which format
she is the world's highest wicket-taker with 200 scalps from 169 games.
Neeraj Chopra wins India's first javelin gold medal in Asian Games history
Neeraj Chopra continued his impressive run in 2018 as he bagged gold in men's
javelin throw at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. Chopra
managed a personal best throw of 88.06 to win the top prize in javelin throw. This
was also India's first-ever gold medal in javelin throw at the Asian Games and the
first medal in the sport since 1982, where India bagged bronze.
Nihal Sarin becomes India‟s 53rd Grandmaster

Nihal Sarin became India‘s 53rd Grandmaster after attaining his third and final
GM-norm in the Abu Dhabi Masters. Having already reached the stipulated rating
of 2500, Sarin has now met the requirements to be a Grandmaster.
Pakistan Cricketer Nasir Jamshed Banned For 10 Years for Spot-Fixing

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed a 10-year ban to Nasir Jamshed on
17 August. The ban was imposed by the board's Anti-Corruption Tribunal for his
involvement in the spot-fixing row during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2016-17
season. The ban means Jamshed will be out from any form of cricket during the
aforementioned period. Jamshed was banned for the second time in the last two
years.
PV Sindhu 7th highest paid female athlete in the world: Forbes

PV Sindhu broke into the top 10 paid female athletes list in the world, according to
an annual list published by Forbes. Sindhu, at 7th, is the only Indian female
athlete in the top 10 list that is predominantly dominant by tennis players. The list
is headed by Serena Williams for the third consecutive year.
Teenage Saudi gamer wins FIFA eWorld Cup

An 18-year old Saudi national has been crowned champion of the FIFA eWorld Cup
Grand Final, taking home the competition‘s $250,000 prize. The gamer, Mosaad
Aldossary, won 4-0 on aggregate against Belgium‘s Stefano Pinna in the two-legged
final.
Lewis Hamilton wins 6th Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the 6th time, at the
Hungaroring circuit, in Hungary. This is the 67th career victory for Lewis Hamilton.
Daniel Ricciardo was named Driver of the Day by Formula One for finishing at
fourth position after starting from the 12th position.
BWF World Championships 2018

From 30th July to 5th August 2018, BWF World Championships 2018 also known
as TOTAL BWF World Championships 2018 was held at Nanjing Youth Olympic
Games Sports Park in Nanjing, China.
The Mascot for Championship was named ―Yu Bao‖. Its head resembled a
badminton shuttlecock and the figure was holding a rocket in hand.

The Emblem for championship was a personified shuttlecock. It featured Nanjing‘s

―City Wall‖ on its headband.
The Motto for the championship was ―Sports of Inspiration, City of sensation‖.
Winners:
 Men‟s Singles: Men‘s single title was won by Kento Momota (Japan). He
defeated Shi Yuqi (China).
 Women‟s Singles: Spain‘s Carolina Marin defeated PV Sindhu 21-19, 21-10 in
the women‘s singles finals and won the gold medal.
 Men‟s Doubles: Li Junhui (China) and Liu Yuchen (China) defeated Takeshi
Kamura (Japan) and Keigo Sonoda (Japan) in the Men‘s Doubles finals.
 Women‟s Doubles: Mayu Matsumoto (Japan) and Wakana Nagahara (Japan)
defeated Yuki Fukushima (Japan) and Sayaka Hirota (Japan) in the Women‘s
double title.
 Mixed Doubles: Zheng Siwei (China) and Huang Yaqiong (China) defeated
Wang Yilü (China) and Huang Dongping (China) in the Mixed doubles.
Highlights:
 India‘s PV Sindhu won silver medal in Women‘s Singles event.
 This is Carolina Marin‘s third World Championship title. Earlier, PV Sindhu
had won three medals consisting of two bronze and one silver at the world level.
 Kento Momota became the first Japanese man to win badminton singles world
title.
 Saina Nehwal became the first woman to reach the quarter-finals of BWF World
Championships for 8 consecutive times.
 Saina Nehwal was defeated by Spain‘s Carolina Marin 21-6, 21-11 in the
quarter-finals.
Women‟s Hockey World Cup 2018: Netherlands crowned world champions for
record 8th time
From 21st July to 5th August 2018, Women‘s Hockey World Cup 2018 was held in
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. Defending champions the Netherlands
defeated Ireland 6-0 in the finals and won the Women‘s Hockey World Cup 2018
title.
The Netherlands have emerged as the world champions in Women‘s hockey for a
record 8th time. They have extended their unbeaten performance in all
competitions to 32 matches.
Kitty van Male, one among the 6 different goal scorers emerged as the top scorer of
the tournament with 8 goals. Spain won the third place match by defeating
Australia 3-1 and won their first World Cup medal. India finished the tournament
at 8th position.
Odisha is to host 2018 Men‟s Hockey World Cup for the First Time
Odisha for the First time is Organizing the 2018 Men‘s Hockey World Cup, which
will be the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup field hockey tournament. It is
scheduled to be held from 28 November to 16 December 2018, at the Kalinga
Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. 16 Teams are to be participated in the
Tournament.
The Hague in Netherland hosted the Previous tournament in the year 2014,in
which Australia won the title which is their third title and the Netherland became
the Runner Up. Only 12 Teams Participated in the Tournament.
Ahead of this tournament Odisha government has decided to launch a build-up
campaign in 17 cities from August 29. The campaign will be organised in Rourkela,
Mumbai, New Delhi, Bhubaneswar and other important cities and hockey states.

Asian Games 2018:

Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event. It will be
conducted every four years from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the
Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the 1951 Asian Games, officially known as the
First Asian Game in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games.
The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are
described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. Forty-
six nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded
from the Games after their last participation in 1974.
Points to remember:
 Cenderawasih, a rare species of a bird in Indonesia had been selected as
emblem for the 2018 Asian Games.But later this has been dropped and three
new mascots were unveiled.
 Motto: ―Energy of Asia‖
 Mascots: Bhin Bhin – a greater bird of paradise, Atung – a Bawean deer, Kaka
– a Javan rhinoceros
 The mascots Bhin Bhin, Atung, and Kaka represent the Eastern, Central, and
Westernregions of Indonesia and also strategy, speed and strength respectively.
 There are 45 nations have participated in 18th Asian Games. There are 465
events in 40 sports.
 The opening and closing ceremonies of the Games will be held at Gelora Bung
Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta.
 Lucia Francisca Susy Susanti is a retired Indonesian badminton player who
carried torch light at the 18th Asian Games.
 The sport of bridge has been introduced for the first time in the Asian Games
2018.
Important Facts related to Asian Games 2018:

 Neeraj was the flag Bearer in the Opening Ceremony and Indian women‘s
hockey team captain Rani Rampal was India‘s flag-bearer for the closing
ceremony.
 India achieved its highest ever medal tally at the Asian Games. India won a
total of 69 medals which comprises: 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze medals.
 China finished on top of the medal tally with 289 medals.
 India has surpassed its previous highest tally of 65 medals achieved at the
2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. Also, India has matched the gold
medal tally from the first-ever Asian Games in 1951.
 19th Asian Games which will be held in 2022 scheduled to take place in
Hangzhou, China.
 In 2014 Asian Games has conducted in Incheon, South Korea. India ranked
8th in 2014 Asian Games. India bagged 57 medals including 11 Gold, 10 Silver
and 36 Bronze in 2014 Asian Games.
 Rahi Sarnobat from Maharashtra became the first Indian woman shooter to win
gold at the Asian Games against Naphaswan Yangpaiboon of Thailand in the
Women‘s 25m Pistol event in Palembang.

2018 Asian Games Medal Table

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 132 92 65 289
2 Japan 75 56 74 205
3 South Korea 49 58 70 177
4 Indonesia 31 24 43 98
5 Uzbekistan 21 24 25 70
8 India 15 24 30 69

OBITUARY
Former Tamilnadu CM and leader of DMK Mr. M Karunanidhi Passed away
DMK chief and five-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi died at the
age of 94 in Chennai. Mr Karunanidhi became a Chief Minister in
1969,1971,1989,1996 & 2006. He was popularly referred to as Kalaignaror the
artist. Maanavanesan was his first manuscript magazine. In 1971 he created
history by winning 184 Assembly constituencies.
Nobel prize-winning author V S Naipaul Passed away

Indian-origin British author VS Naipaul died at his residence in London. V S
Naipaul was 85 years old. He was born as Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul on 17th
August 1932 in Trinidad. He received the Booker Prize in 1971 and Nobel Prize in
Literature in 2001. He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 1989. Some
of his popular books are: A House for Mr Biswas, An Area of Darkness, India: A
Million Mutinies Now, The Middle Passage and The Overcrowded Barracoon.
Communist veteran Somnath Chatterjee passes away

Former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and 10 times MP, Somnath Chatterjee died
following multiple organ failure, in Kolkata. Somnath Chatterjee was 89 years old.
He was a barrister by profession. He was the first and the last communist leader to
be elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He held that position from 2004 to 2009.
He was central committee member of CPI (M) from 1998 to 2008. He was also the
leader of CPI (M) in the Parliament from 1989 to 2004. Chatterjee was given the
―Outstanding Parliamentarian Award‖ in 1996.
Longest serving speaker of Lok Sabha is Balram Jakhar. He served twice as
Speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989,
Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon dies

Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon, died following a heart attack, in
Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Balramji Dass Tandon was 90 years old. He was born on 1st
November 1927. In 1953, he became a Corporator in Amritsar Municipal
Corporation. He was a six-time MLA. He was also deputy chief minister of Punjab.
He was jailed from 1975 to 1977 during Emergency. He was one of the founding
members of Jan Sangh, BJP‘s parent organization. He became the Governor of
Chhattisgarh in July 2014.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister, passes away at 93

Former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, passed away following a long
term illness, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
Political career:
 He was one of the founding members of Jan Sangh, the parent organization of
BJP, in 1951. In 1957, he won his first election to Parliament from Balrampur.
 He became the president of Jan Sangh in 1968 following the death of
Deendayal Upadhyaya.
 He was elected 10 times to the Lok Sabha from 4 different States from 1957 to
2009. He was the Member of the Rajya Sabha twice.
 In 1977, Jan Sangh merged with other opposition parties to form Janata Party.
In the 1977, Janata Party won the general elections and Morarji Desai became
India‘s first non-Congress prime minister. Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the
External Affairs Minister on his cabinet.
 He became the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in the UN
Assembly in Hindi.

 In 1977, Janata Party was dissolved after Morarji Desai‘s resignation as prime
minister.
 In 1980, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and
other RSS, Jan Sangh members formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Atal
Bihari Vajpayee became BJP‘s first president.
 In 1996, Atal Bihari Vajpayee became Prime Minister of India. However, he held
the position for only 13 days due to lack of majority.
 In 1998, he was again elected as Prime Minister. But his term ended in 13
months, due to lack of stable majority.
 In 1999, he was re-elected as Prime Minister and served a full five-year term.
He was the first non-Congress Prime Minister to serve a full five-year term.
 He was also the first BJP leader to become Prime Minister of India. He also
served three terms as Prime Minister of India (first term: 1996, second term:
1998–1999, third term: 1999–2004).
 In 2005, he retired from politics.
Atal Bihari Vajpyee‟s Accomplishments as Prime Minister:
 On 11th May 1998, India made its first official nuclear tests in Pokhran,
Rajasthan, under the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpyee.
 In 1998, he launched the ―Sada-e-Sarhad‖, a bus service between New Delhi
(India) and Lahore (Pakistan). Later, the service was, stopped after the 2001
terror attack on the Indian parliament.
 In 1999, after his government‘s compensation to families of Kargil martyrs and
public funerals for soldiers, then US President Bill Clinton ordered Pakistan to
withdraw their troops.
 In 2004, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf
met in Islamabad, Pakistan. This led to Musharraf‘s commitment of not
allowing terrorists to use territory under Pakistan‘s control to act against India.
Awards and Honours:
 Padma Vibhushan – 1992
 Outstanding Parliamentarian Award – 1994
 Bharat Ratna – 2015 (Along with Madan Mohan Malviya)
 About Bharat Ratna:
 Bharat Ratna, the country‘s highest civilian award instituted in 1954, is
given in recognition of exceptional service, performance of the highest order
in any field of human endeavour. Any person without distinction of race,
occupation, position or sex is eligible for this award.
 The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to
the President. The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of
three in a particular year.
 On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate)
signed by the President and a medallion.
 The award does not carry any monetary grant. The award cannot be used as
a prefix or suffix to the recipient‘s name.
 However, should an award winner consider it necessary, he or she may use
the following expression in their biodata or letterhead or visiting card etc. to
indicate that he or she is a recipient of the award: ‗Awarded Bharat Ratna by
the President‘ or ‗Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award‘.
 Educationist Madan Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee are the 44th and 45th distinguished personalities who have been
conferred with country‘s highest civilian award.

 Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sanmanona (Bangladesh Liberation War honour) –

2015
 His birthday (December 25) is observed as the ‗Good Governance Day‘ in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this day in 2014.
Former India Test captain Ajit Wadekar passes away

Former Indian cricket captain Ajit Wadekar, died following a long term illness, at
the Jaslok Hospital in South Mumbai. Ajit Wadekar was 77 years old. He was born
in Mumbai. He made his international cricket debut in 1966. He was India‘s first
ODI (One Day International) captain. He had scored 2,113 runs in his Test career.
He retired from the international cricket in 1974. After retirement, he served as
India‘s coach/manager in 1990s when Mohammad Azharuddin was the captain. He
is the only cricketer apart from Lala Amarnath and Chandu Borde to have served
as captain, manager, and selector in Indian cricket. He received the Arjuna Award
in 1967 and Padmashri in 1972.
Kofi Annan, former UN secretary general, dies at 80

Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, passed away following a short term
illness, at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland. He was the seventh UN secretary general
and also the first black African secretary-general. He served two terms between
1997 and 2006. He received the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work jointly
with the UN as an organisation in 2001. He was the chairperson of The Elders, an
independent group of global leaders working for peace and human rights. The
Elders was founded by Nelson Mandela. In 1962, Kofi Annan started as an
administrative officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva.

DAYS
1 August: Non-cooperation movement Day
Purpose: The non-cooperation movement was a decisive step in the independence
movement
Organization: Government of India
6 August: Hiroshima Day

Purpose: The US dropped an atomic bomb called ―Little Boy‖ on Hiroshima on this
day
Organization: Japan Government
7 August: National Handloom Day

Purpose: To encourage people to use hand-made loom in the country and
‗Swadeshi Movement‘ was launched in 1905. The National Handloom Day was
launched in 2015.
Organization: Indian Government
9 August: 76th anniversary of Quit India Movement

Purpose: Quit India Movement was an important milestone in the Indian freedom
struggle. The movement started from Gawalia Tank in Mumbai.
Theme:
10 August: World Biofuel Day

Purpose: To create awareness about non fossil-fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol,
biogas, etc.
Important Facts: On the occasion, Prime Minister launched web portal PARIVESH,
a single window for environmental, wildlife, forest and Coastal Regulation Zone
clearances. The Prime Minister also released a booklet on ―National Policy on
Biofuels 2018‖. For the Significant use of Biofuel, the Government has also
approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018 in June 2018. The policy has the
objective of reaching 20 per cent ethanol blending and 5 per cent biodiesel blending
by 2030.
12 August: International Youth Day

Purpose: Aimed at celebrating young people‘s contributions in preventing conflicts
and to bring about transformations along with incorporation, social justice and
sustainable peace. The first International Youth Day was observed on 12 August,
2000.
Theme: Safe space for Youth
Organization: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
15 August: 72nd Independence Day of India

Purpose: to remembers and honours all those who fought and sacrificed their lives
for the freedom of India. This year the Indian Navy was the coordinating service for
Independence Day celebrations. The Guard of Honour was commanded by
Commander PR Jagan Mohan of the Indian Navy.
Important announcements made by PM:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that, India‘s manned space mission will
be launched by 2022. He also launched Ayushman Bharat-National Health
Protection Scheme, the world‘s largest government-funded healthcare programme.

16 August: World Humanitarian Day

Purpose: To pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service
Theme:
Organization: UNGA
20 August: Sadbhavana Diwas

Purpose: To commemorate the birth anniversary of the earlier Prime Minister of
India named Rajiv Gandhi.
28 July: Nature Conservation Day

Purpose: To create awareness about the exploitation and to protect natural
resources.
India has taken a few steps towards conserving nature such as:
 Shift to renewable energy: Aim to achieve 175 GW of power by 2022.
 Schemes such as: Nagar Van Udyan Scheme, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Project
Tiger, Mangroves for the Future, The National Wetlands Conservation
Programme.
29 August: National Sports Day

Purpose: In order to honour Major Dhyan Chand this day is celebrated as National
Sports Day

BOOKS
Shane Warne to come out with autobiography „No Spin‟ in October 2018
Australia Cricketer and bowling spin legend Shane Warne plan to release his
extraordinary cricketing career and his life off the pitch besides unveiling several
unknown facts in his autobiography ‗No Spin ‗which will be published on October
2018. Andrew Goodfellow, deputy publisher at Ebury press announced that
Warne‘s memoir ―No Spin‖ will have a global release on October 4 2018.
VVS Laxman pens autobiography “281 and Beyond”

Indian cricketer VVS Laxman, known for the suppleness of his wrists, plans to
release his emotional journey as cricket player through his autobiography ―281 and
Beyond‖ on November 20, 2018. The title has been borrowed from the Hyderabad
stylist‘s fabulous series-turning innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden
Gardens in 2001. Laxman announced his retirement from international cricket in
2012.
Atal Ji Ne Kaha: A book on Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched

―Atal Ji Ne Kaha‖ a book on former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Atal Ji Ne Kaha has been written,
compiled and edited by Brijendra Rehi. It has Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s select speeches
on economy, policies, small industries, social development, nuclear programme,
science and technology, terrorism etc.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS COMPENDIUM – AUGUST 2018

Vietnam to host Indian Ocean conference

4th BIMSTEC Summit

11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius

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Tower in Mauritius to be named after late PM Vajpayee

Exercise Pitch Black 2018

Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Panini Language lab in Mauritius

First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia

NASA launches mission to 'touch the Sun'

Australia recommences its adoption programme with India

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India ranks 96th in UN‟s E-Government index 2018

Exercise Maitree 2018

India elected as president of AIBD

Global Innovation Index, GII- 2018 launched in India

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International Buddhist Conclave 2018

India to join elite club with first biofuel flight

ISRO to send first Indian into Space by 2022

INS Teg Lends Assistance to MV Vela in the Gulf of Aden

Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in Jan 2019

No free rail insurance from Sep 1

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'Gold' first Bollywood film to release in Saudi Arabia

Agriculture minister proposes UNFAO to declare an upcoming year as

FSSAI sets up panel to review red-labelling draft

Successful Flight Tests of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon

MP Government to name three awards after late former PM Vajpayee

INS Khanjar visits Yangon, Myanmar

President to inaugurate “International Buddhist Conclave 2018”

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Chhattisgarh to rename its new capital Atal Nagar

Atal Bihari Vajpayee memorial to be built in Mumbai

Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018

“PARIVESH” – an environmental single window hub launched

'Sarabhai Centenary' programmes begin

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This was disclosed on the occasion of the beginning of year-long "Sarabhai

Pune best city to live in, Bengaluru ranked 58th

Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to MT Kamet

Rajasthan becomes first State to implement Centre‟s „Biofuel Policy‟

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Rajya Sabha Passes Bill to Grant Constitutional Status To OBC Commission

Gurugram India‟s most polluted city

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Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve: 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to

Parliament passes SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018

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Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed by

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RIL first Indian firm to hit Rs 8 trillion market cap

HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS

PayPal enters into pact with HDFC Bank

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UAE top source of inward remittances in 2016-17: RBI

PNB scam: Govt dismisses Usha Ananthasubramanian from service

„Umbrella Organisation‟ to revive Urban Co-op Banking

PM Modi to launch India Post Payments Bank on Aug 21

Indra Nooyi ends 12-year run as PepsiCo‟s CEO

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IMF forecasts India‟s GDP to grow at 7.5 % in 2019/20 fiscal year