CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 7&8, 2018

NATIONAL

Indian Railways HRD and S&T Ministry inks MoU on Technology Mission

  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Technology Mission for Indian Railways (TMIR) was signed by the ministries of railways, human resource development (HRD), and science and technology.
  • It was signed at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi for joint funding of Technology Mission for Indian Railways.
  • The MoU aims to facilitate co-financing of TMIR for identified railway projects for applied research.
  • The funding component of the railways ministry is 30 percent, the HRD ministry is 25 per cent and the department of science and technology (DST) 25 per cent.
  • The Technology Mission will take up research and development projects in the areas of heavy haul, safety, energy, environment and urban railways.
  • It is headed by Prof. NS Vyas of IIT Kanpur as Chairman and Alok Kumar as Co-chairman.

Akshay Kumar to Promote Survekshan 2018

  • Film actor Akshay Kumar has partnered with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to promote cleanliness in Mumbai as part of the Swachh Survekshan 2018.
  • The Swachh Survekshan 2018 will rank urban and rural areas of the country on the basis of cleanliness.
  • It will be carried out between January 4 to March 10 by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
  • The objective of this survey is to create awareness amongst all the sections of society about working towards making towns and cities a better place to live in.

Union Sports Minister Rathore Launches ‘Khelo India’ Logo

  • The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore launched the simple yet vibrant Khelo India logo at the Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
  • The three-stroke Khelo India logo was designed by Ogilvy India.
  • The twin objectives of Khelo India is mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports.
  • Khelo India School Games will begin from January 31,2018.

Central Govt Releases Rs. 20 crore to Codissia

  • The Union Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the release of Rs. 20 crore to the Coimbatore District Small Industries’ Association (Codissia).
  • It has been released for setting up a Defence Innovation Centre in coimbatore.
  • The defence park is to assist small industries in manufacturing components for the defence sector.
  • The establishment comes under make in India programme for the growth of MSMEs.

Codissia President : V Sundaram

Indian Navy signs MoU with Cochin Port Trust

  • Indian navy inked a pact with Cochin port trust for utilising the Port berthing facility at Mattancherry wharf for Naval ships.
  • It aims to increase the berthing capacity of naval ships in Kochi.
  • The MoU was signed between the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of Southern Naval Command Commodore Deepak Kumar and Gautam Gupta, Traffic manager of the Port Trust, at the Naval Base.
  • This is the first agreement that has been signed between the Navy and CPT.

Haryana launches High Risk Pregnancy portal

  • Haryana becomes the first state in the country to launch High Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Portal.
  • This portal helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to the basic level and also ensures their timely referral to the civil hospitals for further management and delivery by specialists.
  • It had been initiated by the Niti Ayog and the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
  • This initiative will definitely increase the pace of decline in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).

Haryana Health Minister : Anil vij

Haryana

Capital: Chandigarh

Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar

Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki

INTERNATIONAL

Saudi Arabia agreed India’s plan to Haj pilgrims

  • Saudi Arabia approved India’s plan to allow Haj pilgrims to travel via sea route to Jeddah.
  • Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah minister Dr Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten signed the agreement in Mecca.
  • The transport of Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways existed earlier but was stopped from 1995.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

SBI to raise up to $2 bn via overseas bonds

  • India’s largest lender State Bank of India plans to raise upto USD 2 billion (over Rs 12,600 crore) by issuing bonds in US dollar or other convertible currency.
  • The bonds could be issued in single or multiple tranches of up to $2 billion.
  • The fund-raising will take place through a public or private offer.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

Golden Globe Awards 2018

  • The 75th Golden Globe Award ceremony was held in Los Angeles, the USA.
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the “Best Motion Picture, drama” award.
  • Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama is Frances McDormand.
  • Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama is Gary Oldman.

SPORTS

Brisbane International 2018

  • Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina secured her first WTA title in women’s singles by defeating Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. This is her 10th title on the women’s elite tour.
  • Australian Nick Kyrgios won in Men’s single by defeating American Ryan Harrison.
  • Men’s Doubles winner: Henri Kontinen and John Peers.
  • Women’s Doubles winner: Kiki Bertens  and Demi Schuurs.
  • It was played on outdoor hard courts in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Gilles Simon wins inaugural Tata Open title

  • Gilles Simon of France has clinched the inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis trophy.
  • The event held at Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune. He defeated Kevin Anderson to clinch the title.
  • Simon’s ranking is 89 in the world, while Anderson is ranked Fourteen.
  • It is the first title for Simon, since his win at Marseille in February 2015.
  • This tournament is India’s only ATP event.

Federer-Bencic Lead Switzerland to Hopman Cup Title

  • Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic by defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber.
  • It was Federer’s second Hopman Cup triumph after victory in 2001 when teamed with Martina Hingis.
  • The Hopman Cup is an annual international eight-team indoor hardcourt tennis tournament held in Perth, Western Australia. Mixed-gender teams will play on a country-by-country basis.

OBITUARY  

Former WTO Director General Peter Sutherland passed away

  • Former World Trade Organization Director General Peter Sutherland passed away.
  • He also held top posts in the European Union and the United Nations.
  • Sutherland became founding director-general of the WTO in 1993, and in 2006 was named the U.N. envoy on international migration.

World champion powerlifter Saksham Yadav passed away

  • Powerlifting world champion Saksham Yadav passes away in an accident in New Delhi.
  • He has won a gold medal for India at powerlifting world championship held in Moscow in December 2017.
  • Saksham had also won a gold medal in the junior category in 2016.

NASA’s Astronaut John Young Passed Away

  • Legendary American astronaut John Young, passed away.
  • He is America’s ‘most experienced astronaut’ who walked on the Moon during the Apollo programme and commanded the first space shuttle mission.

 

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