DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 29, 2018
Want to Become a Bank, Central / State Govt Officer in 2020?
Join the Most awarded Coaching Institute & Get your Dream Job
Now Prepare for Bank, SSC Exams from Home. Join Online Coure @ lowest fee
Lifetime validity Bank Exam Coaching | Bank PO / Clerk Coaching | Bank SO Exam Coaching | All-in-One SSC Exam Coaching | RRB Railway Exam Coaching | TNPSC Exam Coaching | KPSC Exam Coaching
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: AUGUST 29, 2018
NATIONAL
JP Nadda launches logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme
The Union health minister JP Nadda launched logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme and also uneviled unique quick response (QR) code that will be sent on September 5 to each identified family to avail of an annual cashless health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
The pilots for Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (AB-PMJAY) – have started in 16 states and union territories, and others will also start pilots before fully launching the scheme on 25h September.
Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, known as Modicare, provides cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation to 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families who have been identified using the socio-economic caste census 2011.
ISRO unveils Gaganyaan Mission to put Indians in space before 2022
The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO has unveiled India’s Gaganyaan programme for manned space flight before 2022 as announced by the Prime Minister on the Independence Day.
The manned mission to space will be having 3 crew members in space for 5-7 days. It will be launched with the help of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.
The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.
India will be the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to send humans to space.
Government signs MoU with 6 states for construction of Lakhwar Multi-Purpose Project in Uttarakhand
The Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six states for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with water crisis.
Under the agreement, the 204-metres high project will be constructed near Uttarakhand’s Lohari village with live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metres (MCM).
The total project is worth Rs 3,966.51 crore. About 90 per cent of the project will be funded by the Centre while the remaining amount will be paid by the six states.
The project will also generate 300 mw of power and will be executed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).
An MoU signed for skill development of Arogyamitras under the PMJAY
A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(PMJAY).
It aims to ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation.
As per the MoU, NSDC will ensure quality training of Arogyamitra through its network of Skill Development Centres functioning under PMKVY and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras(PMKK).
PMJAY programme will provide financial protection to 10.74 crore poor, deprived families who will get a benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per family. Arogyamitras will be important link in providing quality care.
New committee formed to advise PM on science, tech-related policy issues
The Narendra Modi Government has constituted a high power committee to advise it on policy matters related to science, technology and innovation.
It is named as PM-STIAC (Science, Technology, Innovation Advisory Committee). The 21-member committee will be chaired by K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government.
It will facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions, provide action-oriented and future preparedness advise and assist in directing S&T to solve the socio economic problems in the country.
BANKING AND ECONOMY
Union Government, World Bank and Rajasthan sign agreement to improve power distribution in Rajasthan
The World Bank will provide a $250 million loan facility to Rajasthan for improving the performance of its electricity distribution sector.
The ‘Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan’ for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. The First Loan closed in March 2017.
The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 3-year grace period, and a maturity of 21 year.
Government inks $300 million agreement with World Bank to scale-up Energy Efficiency Program
The government, World Bank and state-owned EESL has inked a $220 million loan agreement and $80 million guarantee pact to push energy efficiency programme in India.
The $220 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years.
The programme will help scale up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors.
World Bank
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
CEO: Kristalina Georgieva
Tez Rebranded As Google Pay To Offer Instant Bank Loans
The Google for India has rebranded its payments app for India Google Tez as Google Pay, and also launched its new features.
The company has announced that users will now be able to avail instant loans using Google Pay app. Google Pay will work with all banks that support BHIM UPI (Unified Payments Interface).
It has tied up with private lenders like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Federal Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank to offer customised loans, which will involve minimum paperwork.
APPOINTMENTS
India’s Satya Tripathi appointed as UNEP Assistant Secretary-General
The UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed veteran Indian development economist and UN official 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. He has since 2017 served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP.
UNEP
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Head: Erik Solheim
Manu Ginobili, four-time NBA champion with San Antonio Spurs, retires
Manu Ginobili retired aged 41 after a “fabulous journey” in which he helped the San Antonio Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.
He is an Argentine retired professional basketball player. Over a 23-season career, he became one of only two players, along with Bill Bradley, to have won a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal.
SPORTS
North Korea To Host Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships
The 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships will be held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
North Korean sports administrators have been hoping the country would be able to host international events after combining with South Korea in several sports at this year’s Winter Olympics and Asian Games.
North Korea
Capital: Pyongyang
Currency: North Korean won
Asian Games:
Athletics: In Men’s 800m, Manjit Singh clinches gold
Manjit Singh won the gold in the men’s 800 metres event while Jinson Johnson clinched the silver medal in men’s 800 metres.
With these two medals, India’s medal tally now stands at 49 with 9 gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze.
Manjit Singh finished the race in 1:46.15 minutes while second-placed Jinson Johnson clocked 1:46.35 minutes. Qatar’s Abdalla Abubaker came third with a time of 1:46.38 minutes.
Kurash: Pincky Balhara wins silver in Women’s 52 kg
The 19-year-old Pincky Balhara won the silver medal in women’s 52 kg Kurash at the Asian Games.
Balhara lost to Uzbekistan’s Gulnor Sulaymanova 0-10 in the finals. Earlier, Yallappa lost to Sulaymanova 0-10 in the semifinal to claim the bronze.
Badminton:P.V Sindhu wins silver in Women’s Singles
PV Sindhu ensured India’s best-ever finish in badminton at the Asian Games and history for India with two medals in badminton alongside Saina Nehwal who won the bronze medal.
By beating Sindhu, Tai Tzu Ying became first shuttler to win gold for Chinese Taipei.
Men’s Compound Archery team and the Women’s Compound Archery team win silver
Both the Indian men’s and women’s compound archery teams settled for silver medals at the 18th Asian Games. The two teams were defeated by Korean Teams.
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Sports Day
The National Sports Day is celebrated every year on August 29 on the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
The man known for his extraordinary goal-scoring skills, has won three Olympic gold medals during the time Indian hockey was the most dominant.
