DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 25, 2018

NATIONAL

DAC Approves Procurement for Services amounting to Nearly Rs. 46,000 Crores

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Hon’ble Defence Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, met on 25 Aug 2018 and accorded approval for procurement for the Services amounting to approximately Rs. 46,000 crores.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in a landmark decision today, approved procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs. 21,000 crores.

Launch of ‘Speedex’ Contract by IAF

• The Stores, Proactive, Efficient and Expeditious Despatch of Extra Size/ Wt Consignment (SPEEDEX) contract was formally launched today by Air Marshal RKS Shera, Air Officer-in-charge Maintenance in the presence of senior IAF officers, MoD dignitaries and CEOs of the companies.
• The contract with acronym ‘SPEEDEX’ has been concluded on 28 Jun 18 with M/s Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd and M/s Ashok Travel and Tours for the Air & Surface component respectively.

TRIBES India Outlets to open at Ahmedabad, Udaipur and Kolkata airports

• The Airport Authority of India has allotted space at Ahmedabad, Udaipur and Kolkata airports for opening of Tribes India outlets. Besides, TRIFED has been offered spaces at International Airports at Dehradun, Varanasi, Pune, Goa, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Amritsar and Gangtok for setting up of Tribes India Outlets.
• Presence of Tribes India Outlets at these Airports will not only be a good opportunity to market tribal products but also would help promote “Tribes India” as a brand among target customers.

Committee of Secretaries approved setting up National Logistics Portal as a e-marketplace

• The first phase of the National Logistics Portal (NLP) — a digital platform to bring all stakeholders in the logistics sector on board to cut down transaction cost and time for businesses — is likely to be implemented by March, a government official said.
• “The Department of Commerce, which is designing the portal, has already received an approval of the ‘proof of concept’ from a Committee of Secretaries and is now working on the detailed project report,” a government official associated with the project.

Neta App launched to rate and review elected representatives

• The former President Pranab Mukherjee has gone and launched the National Electoral Transformation (NETA) mobile app.
• The app allows voters to rate and review their political representatives.
• This app happens to be a brainchild of the 27-year-old entrepreneur Pratham Mittal.
• The main aim of the app is to foster political accountability as well as transparency amongst leaders.

INTERNATIONAL

Opening Ceremony 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 in Chebarkul, Russia with military contingents of the all eight SCO member nations participating in this exercise.
• The contingents were addressed by Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin, Chief Commander Central Military District, Russia. The formal parade by military contingents was performed at the camp location of Combined Arms Range in Chebarkul, Russia.

India, Singapore Sign 2nd Protocol Amending Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement

• India and Singapore has signed the second protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which will boost bilateral trade, with both sides agreeing to expand the coverage of tariff concessions.
  
• The provisions of the second protocol will come into effect from September 14, 2018.

IMPORTANT DAYS

The MTB: IAF launches Trans Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition

• Indian Air Force is celebrating its 86^th Anniversary on 08 Oct 2018. To commemorate this event, IAF has launched a unique event in the form of Trans-Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition (THE MTB).
• The team for the expedition consists of 18 Air warriors (12 riders and 06 support staff) which also includes two women officers.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 23, 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 22, 2018