NATIONAL

GOVT LAUNCHES MEASLES-RUBELLA VACCINATION CAMPAIGN ACROSS INDIA, 3.3 CR CHILDREN COVERED:

The government has launched the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in a phased manner for across the country to reduce measles morbidity and mortality; the Lok Sabha was informed.

Health minister J P Nadda said the MR vaccination campaign will cover children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years. Eight states and UTs – Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Uttarakhand will be part of this phase.

           “The campaign has started in February 2017 from five states and UTs Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Goa and Lakshadweep and about 3.33 crores children have been vaccinated during this campaign.

NHAI UNDERTAKES MASSIVE PLANTATION DRIVE: OVER 2.5 LAKH TREES PLANTED LAST YEAR:

In order to make National Highways green, clean and pollution free, the National Highways Authority of India has planted 2.59 lakh plants in last one year.

It has also been decided to institutionalize plantation as an integral part of highway development. A PMIS portal is also being developed for monitoring of the plantation progress.

          Chairman, NHAI Shri Deepak Kumar has directed all Regional Officers to ensure plantation of at least 1 lakh plants during the current monsoon season.

“ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY IMPLEMENTING TWO MAJOR AFFORESTATION SCHEMES IN THE COUNTRY”: DR HARSH VARDHAN:

To achieve the targets mentioned in the National Forest Policy to maintain 33% forest and tree cover in the country the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is implementing two major afforestation / tree plantation schemes i.e. National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme and National Mission for a Green India (GIM). While NAP is being implemented for afforestation of degraded forest lands, GIM aims at improving the quality of forest/increase in forest cover, besides cross-sectoral activities on landscape basis.

CHILDREN AGED BELOW 14 NOT ALLOWED PARTICIPATING IN ‘DAHI HANDI’ FESTIVAL: BOMBAY HC

The Bombay High Court accepted Maharashtra government’s statement that it would not allow children below the age of 14 years to participate in the ‘Dahi Handi‘ festival.

A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and M S Karnik, however, refused to impose restrictions on the height of human pyramid formation during the festival.

NITI AAYOG ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH 6 STATES TO TRANSFORM HEALTH & EDUCATION SECTORS:

NITI Aayog has shortlisted Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka under its ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital’, SATH initiative to handhold them and transform their health sector. The Aayog has also selected Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha under its SATH initiative to transform their education sector.

 ILLEGAL MINING: ODISHA EXPECTS TO COLLECT RS 17,000 CR AS PENALTY

Odisha government has said, it is expecting to collect 17000 crore rupees fine from the mine owners who have extracted minerals illegally. The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Adtiya Prasad Padhi in Bhubaneswar on the basis of a empowered committee estimate.

Odisha

  • Capital: Bhubaneswar
  • Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
  • Governor: C. Jamir

RAIPUR BECOMES INDIA’S FIRST CITY TO BUILD A MICRO-FOREST, WANTS TO CREATE AN OXY-ZONE:

Nineteen acres of land which housed around 70 government office buildings in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur is being converted into India’s first micro forest in order to create an oxy-zone. The micro forest will provide fresh air to Raipur which is the seventh most polluted city in the world. It will reportedly be open to the public in the next 8 months.

Chhattisgarh

  • Capital: Raipur
  • Chief Minister: Raman Singh
  • Governor: Balram Das Tandon

 PM NARENDRA MODI ASKS PEOPLE TO WORK TO CREATE ‘NEW INDIA’ BY 2022:

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Quit India movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged a pledge by all citizens to “free India from poverty, dirt, corruption, terrorism, casteism, communalism” and create a ‘new India’ by 2022. The PM launched a ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’, or ‘New India Pledge’ campaign to work shoulder to shoulder “to create the India that our freedom fighters would be proud of”.

 DU COLLEGE BECOMES FIRST TO GET AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATION:

Delhi University’s PGDAV (Evening) College is set to get a fully automatic Air Quality Monitoring Station, in collaboration with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).  The college said it was the first educational institute to have such a monitoring station. The station will cost about Rs 2 crore and is likely to start functioning by the second week of September.

INTERNATIONAL

FIFTH CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF THE REGIONAL GROUP ON TRADE COMMERCE AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURE (TCI CBM):

The eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce & Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was hosted by India, as the Lead Country, in New Delhi.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Acting Director General, Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Hassan Soroosh, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Dr. Deepak Mittal, and attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organisations, including India ,Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the UK, the US, the EU and the UN.

BANKING & BUSINESS

AMAZON TO OFFER TRAINING, AID TO TELANGANA WEAVERS:

Amazon India has said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Department of Handloom and Textiles, to educate, train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon customers across the country.

 ONGC VIDESH TO PUMP $150 MILLION IN COLOMBIA, KAZAKHSTAN & BANGLADESH:

ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp, plans to invest $150 million in exploration this fiscal year to drill more wells in Colombia, where it just made a commercial discovery, as well as in Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. ONGC Videsh, has made a commercial discovery in its exploration well Mariposa-1.

Bangladesh

  • Capital: Dhaka
  • Currency: Bangladeshi taka

AXIS BANK CUTS SAVINGS RATE TO 3.5 PERCENT FOR DEPOSITS UP TO ’50 LAKH’:

Axis Bank lowered the interest rate on savings accounts (SAs) of up to Rs 50 lakh by 50 basis points (bps) to 3.5 per cent. The bank will continue to pay 4 per cent interest on savings accounts with balances of more than Rs 50 lakh.

The cut follows a similar move by State Bank of India (SBI) on July 31 for deposits of up to Rs 1 crore. As on June 30, Axis Bank had a savings-account base of Rs 1.22 lakh crore, up 22 per cent from the year-ago period, but 3 per cent lower than the March-end figure of Rs 1.26 lakh crore.

Axis Bank

  • Headquarters: Mumbai
  • Chairman: Shikha Sharma

APPOINTMENTS

INDIAN-AMERICAN APPOINTED DEPUTY COMPTROLLER FOR MINORITY AFFAIRS OF NASSAU COUNTRY:

Indian-American Dilip Chauhan has been appointed to a senior position focusing on increasing outreach to the minority communities in Nassau Country.

Chauhan was named Deputy Comptroller for Minority Affairs by Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos.

HRITHIK ROSHAN INKS RS 100 CRORE DEAL WITH STARTUP CURE.FIT:

Health and wellness startup Cure.fit has signed on actor Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador in what is touted as one of the largest endorsement deal signed by an Indian startup.

The five-year association, valued at Rs 100 crore, includes the actor’s equity stake in the company in lieu of cash investment, promotions and royalty from his personal brand HRX’s specialised workout plan.

JUSTICE DIPAK MISRA SET TO BECOME 45TH CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA:

The Centre on August 8, 2017 cleared the file for appointment of Justice Dipak Misra as the 45th Chief Justice of India with effect from August 28, 2017.

Justice Misra, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court after the current CJI, Justice J.S. Khehar, who is retiring on August 27, 2017, will have a tenure of about 14 months till October 2, 2018.

AWARDS

ACTOR DEV PATEL GETS ASIAN GAME CHANGER AWARD:

Indian-origin actor Dev Patel is to be honoured by a leading educational organisation for making a “transformative and positive” difference for the future of Asia and the world.

London-born Dev Patel, who became popular with his debut film Slumdog Millionaire, will be felicitated with the Asia Society 2017 Asia Game Changers Award at a ceremony to be held at the United Nations, New York, in November.

SPORTS

WORLD ATHLETICS C’SHIPS: WAYDE VAN NIEKERK RETAINS MEN’S 400M TITLE

In World Athletics Championships, Olympic Champion Wayde Van Niekerk (South African) won the men’s 400 meters event and retained his title in London.

 British

  • Currency: Pound sterling
  • Capital: London
  • Prime minister: Theresa May

 KYNAN CHENAI WINS BRONZE AT 7TH ASIAN SHOTGUN:

Indian shooter Kynan Chenai won a bronze in men’s trap event, his first international medal at the senior level, at the 7th Asian Championship Shotgun at Astana, Kazakhstan.

          Abdulrahman Al Faihan of Kuwait, who bagged the gold for a new Asian finals record and another Kuwati Talal AlRashidi, who bagged the silver in the event.

Kazakhstan

  • Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge
  • Capital: Astana

RAVINDRA JADEJA BECOMES TOP-RANKED TEST ALL ROUNDER FOR FIRST TIME:

          Ravindra Jadeja was already the top ranked Test bowler in the ICC Test rankings but now he is also World No 1 in all rounder’s after eclipsing Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh in the latest rankings announced following the conclusion of England’s series win over South Africa.

Meanwhile R Ashwin has been removed from his second spot in ICC Test rankings for bowlers with Jimmy Anderson’s seven wickets propelling him to World No 2.

HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE DAY

NAGASAKI DAY: AUGUST 9TH

The weapon dropped over Nagasaki, on August 9, 1945, weighed five tons and was known as the Fat Man.

When an atomic bomb was deployed over the Japanese city of Nagasaki 72 years ago.

Japan

  • Capital: Tokyo
  • Currency: Yen
  • Prime minister: Shinzō Abe

OBITUARY

BJP MP FROM AJMER & FORMER UNION MINISTER SANWAR LAL JAT PASSES AWAY:

BJP’s Member of Parliament from Ajmer and former Union minister Prof Sanwar Lal Jat passed away in New Delhi. He was 62.

He served as Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation till July last year.

EX-MP VISHVJIT P SINGH PASSES AWAY:

Rajya Sabha mourned the death of its former member Vishvjit P Singh. He had represented Maharashtra for two consecutive terms from April 1982 to April 1988 and April 1988 to April 1994.

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