DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 19 & 20, 2018

Daily Current Affairs (August 19 & 20, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

PFRDA sets up panel on cyber safety

The Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) has set up a standing committee to suggest steps to deal with cybersecurity challenges to protect the interest of subscribers.

The committee on ‘Information Systems and Technology and Cyber Security’ will suggest steps to align PFRDA’s technology with best industry practices.

PFRDA is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament to promote old age income security.

It develops, promotes and regulates the pension industry under National Pension System and also administers the Atal Pension Yojna.

India successfully tests indigenously Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ in Pokhran

India has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan.

The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer.

The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock on Before Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world.

All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) released by NABARD

NABARD has released the results of its All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS).

Among other things, the survey estimates 2015-16 farmers’ income levels.

Based on household-level data, NAFIS estimates that an average Indian farming household earned Rs 8,931/month (Rs 1,07,172/year) in agriculture year 2015-16.

About 26 per cent of agricultural households and 25 percent of non-agricultural households were found to have been covered under insurance.

Similarly, 20.1 percent agricultural households as against 18.9 percent non-agricultural households have subscribed to pension schemes.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog released the NAFIS report.

INTERNATIONAL

Panini language laboratory inaugurated in Mauritius to promote Hindi

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj has inaugurated ‘Panini Language Laboratory’ at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.

The lab is gifted by the Indian government and it will help MGI in teaching Indian languages in Mauritius.

The Education Minister of Mauritius Leela Devi Dookun and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Mauritius

Capital: Port Louis

Currency: Mauritian rupee

Pitch Black 2018 Exercise concludes in Australia

The Indian Air Force, IAF was invited for the first time to participate in Exercise Pitch Black – a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This exercise was conducted in Australia’s Darwin.

The participating Indian contingent in this three-week exercise consisted of 145 air-warriors, with 4x Su-30 MKI, 1x C-130, 1x C-17, Garud Commandos and observers with diverse specialisations.

More than 4,000 Australian and international personnel along with 140 aircraft belonging to 16 countries took part in the exercise.

APPOINTMENTS AND RETIREMENTS

Indiabulls HF appoints Mundra as a director

Subhash Sheoratan Mundra has been appointed as Independent Director on the Board of Indiabulls Housing Finance for a period of three years.

Mundra, a Post-Graduate from the University of Poona, used to be the Chairman of Bank of Baroda and an Executive Director at Union Bank of India. He is also the former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He left the RBI in July 2017.

He is presently on the Board of the Bombay Stock Exchange and DSP Blackrock Investment Managers.

Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson announced retirement from all forms of cricket

The Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

He had played a vital role in helping Perth Scorchers clinch the 2016-17 edition of the Big Bash League where he claimed 13 wickets at 15.46. He was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup in the Indian Premier League in 2018.

Imran Khan becomes the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Cricketer-turned-politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The oath-taking ceremony was administered by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House in Islamabad.

Khan bagged 176 votes, while his opponent and Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif managed to secure 96 votes.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

General Dalbir Singh Suhag awarded US ‘Legion of Merit’ 2018

The former army chief gen Dalbir Singh has been awarded with United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit’.

The award was given to Singh for exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff from August 2014 to December 2016.

The Legion of Merit is awarded in four degrees; Degree of Chief Commander, Degree of commander, Degree of the officer, Degree of Legionnarie.

SPORTS

Kiki Bertens defeats World No 1 Simona Halep to win Cincinnati WTA title

The Dutch challenger Kiki Bertens defeated Simona Halep to score the biggest win of her career.

This is her first defeat since Wimbledon to lift the the WTA Cincinnati title.

The Cincinnati Masters is an annual outdoor hardcourt tennis event held in Mason near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Djokovic beats Federer at Cincinnati

Novak Djokovic finally clinched Cincinnati title after defeating Roger Federer .

The Wimbledon champion is the first to claim the Career Golden Masters, having won all nine titles in the elite series that began in 1990.

Djokovic has won his last three matches against Federer and now holds a 24-22 advantage in their long rivalry.

India Wins SAFF U-15 Championship Defeating Bangladesh

India defeated Bangladesh in the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship in Thimpu, Bhutan.

This is the second edition of the Championship. Bangladesh had won the inaugural edition last year, beating India, 1-0 in the final played at Dhaka.

The Finals was held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Asian Games 2018:

Shooting: India opens medal count with bronze in rifle mixed team

India opened its account in the 18th Asian Games with a bronze medal after Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar cracked under pressure to finish third in the rifle mixed team shooting event.

Chinese Taipei’s Yingshin Lin and Shaochuan Lu claimed the gold, scoring 494.1.

Wrestling: Bajrang Punia opens India’s gold account

The Wrestler Bajrang Punia won India’s first gold medal on the opening day of the 18th Asian Games.

Punia clinched the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 65-kg category defeating Daichi Takatani of Japan 11-8 in the final.

It was Bajrang’s second successive gold medal at the Asian Games after his triumph in Incheon 2014 in the 61-kg category.

Sirojiddin Khasanov of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s Sayatbek Okassov took the bronze medals.

Shooting: Deepak Kumar bags Silver medal in 18th Asian Games

Deepak claimed the Silver in the Men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points. China took home the Gold, while Chinese Taipei won the Bronze.

The other Indian in the event, Ravi Kumar ended at the fourth spot.

IMPORTANT DAYS

15th World Humanitarian Day 2018 observed globally

The World Humanitarian Day is a day dedicated to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.

World Photography Day – 19 August

The World Photography Day 2018 is celebrated in order to inspire photographers to share their work.

The birth of this day dates back to 1839 when Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s associate Louis Daguerre developed a daguerreotype process the details of which were introduced the same year.