Important Days:
1. Aug 1- Earth Overshoot Day 2018
was observed. It marks the date when we all have consumed more from
nature than our planet can renew in the entire year. The date of Earth
Overshoot Day is calculated from data of Global Footprint Network. Global Footprint
Network is an international research organization that is changing how the
world measures and manages its natural resources.
National:
1. A MoU was signed between Common
Service Center (CSC) and National Health Accounts (NHA) to implement the
Ayushman Bharat scheme through 3 lakh Common Service Centers (CSCs) across the
country. CSCs will help beneficiary to identify his name
in Health Ministry database and his entitlement for the scheme. It will also
help beneficiary to scan and upload his KYC documents for verification of his
identity and claim his entitlement. Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection
Scheme (NHPS) aims cover over 10 crore poor vulnerable families (approximately
50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage of up to Rs. 5 lakh (per family per
year) for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
2. The neelakurinji flower will
bloom in the Anamalai hills near Munnar, Kerala after 12 years.Spread
over 3,000 hectares of rolling hills, Munnar is home to this rarely occurring
neelakurinji flower plants.These plants take another 12 years for the
seeds to sprout again and grow up to 30 to 60 centimetres high.
3. Startup India Yatra began on
July 30, 2018 in Raipur. The Startup India
van will travel to various cities of Chhattisgarh like Bilaspur, Korba, Koria,
Surguja, Jashpur, Raigarh, Balodabazar, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Balod, Dhamtari,
Kanker, Kondagaon, Jagdalpur and Dantewada. Startup India Yatra van is
equipped with facilities for individuals and startups to pitch their ideas.
Students queued up in large numbers to register for the first boot camp at
Raipur. It will hold boot camps in the Government Engineering colleges
and Polytechnic Institutes.The boot camps will include presentations on
Startup India and Chhattisgarh Startup Policy followed by extensive ideation
workshops.
4. The Delhi government on July 31,
2018 approved a proposal of its Social Welfare Department to do away with the
requirement of linking the 12-digit Aadhaar number with bank accounts to avail
the benefits of welfare schemes including old age, disability and widow
pensions. The Social Welfare department will
now remit all the pensions stopped due to lack of Aadhaar linkage. The
increased pension will be remitted with effect from April 2018, to all beneficiaries
who are getting the pension on old rates so that beneficiaries are not
penalised for system related reasons.
5. Lucknow
Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) and BSNL have signed an MoU for extending benefits
in customer services. BSNL will use the smart card services of LMRC
for collection of post-paid bills.
6. ‘Mobile Tihar’- a smartphone
distribution scheme under the Sanchar
Kranti Yojna (SKY) was launched
by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and actress Kangana
Ranaut in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. As a part of this scheme, 556 new mobile
towers will be set up in Chhattisgarh. The scheme has been launched to
distribute smartphones to women and students. It will benefit more than 50 Lakh
people.
7.
FOCAL(Forum of Cargo-Owners and
Logistics-Operators)- a dedicated portal to connect cargo owners and shippers with real time data on
availability of vessels has launched by
the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on August 1,2018. It
has been designed and developed by IT Department and the Traffic Wing of IWAI. This would ensure direct interaction among the vessel operators, shippers
and cargo owners.
8. The foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of Construction of North East Institute of Ayurveda &
Homeopathy (NEIAH) at NEIAH Campus in Mawdiangdiang, Shillong was laid by the Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik. NEIAH is the hub for researches in Ayurveda and folk
medicine for the entire South East Asia. The institute will focus on
cultivation and preservation of valuable medicinal plants in the region and
would promote and preserve the traditional knowledge of folk medicine.
International:
1. First ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit held in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 31, 2018 to
foster greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the
two countries. It
was jointly organized by the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs and Nehru Memorial
Museum Library. The summit will be hosted alternatively in Nepal and
India annually. It consisted of 4 sessions. They are :1st
session-Building innovative cooperation between Indo-Nepal think tanks,2nd
session- Bolstering bilateral economic ties for the shared prosperity,3rd session- Managing
security dilemma and 4th session- Redefining Nepal-India relations in
21st century.
2.
India and Germany signed an agreement on financial and
technical cooperation. This will focus on sustainable urban
development and renewable energy in areas of sanitation,
solid waste management and promotion of urban mobility. This cooperation will help reduce the greenhouse gases emission. 2018
marks 60 years of bilateral development cooperation between India and Germany.
Science & Technology:
1. Scientists from National Brain
Research Centre (NBRC) have successfully identified molecular and cellular
mechanisms by which Zika virus causes microcephaly.
Babies born with microcephaly have significantly smaller head size compared with
normal babies. Zika virus is vector borne disease transmitted primarily by
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which also transmits dengue. It can also spread
through blood transfusion and sexual contact.
2. NASA’s new planet hunting
Spacecraft Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has become operational
and has started collecting data after its successful launch in April 2018.
TESS mission is led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Kavli
Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. Now, the TESS spacecraft will
firstly scan patch of sky in southern hemisphere covering 2,300 degrees from
south ecliptic pole to near ecliptic plane.
Economy/Banking:
1. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(Amendment) Bill, 2018 has passed by Lok Sabha to bring relief to the home
buyers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Bill replaces ordinance promulgated in this regard and amends the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Insolvency is situation where individual or company
is unable to repay their outstanding debt.
2. A
safeguard duty of 25% on import of solar
cells (whether or not assembled in modules or panels) from China and Malaysia
has imposed by Union Government. The decision by Union Government follows
long deliberation by Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which
recommended safeguard duty structure after considering application by Indian solar
cell manufacturers. The move is aimed at helping domestic solar cell
manufacturing sector. But it could affect existing projects dependent on cheap
imports and hike solar power tariffs in India since around 90% of panels sector
uses solar cells made in China and Malaysia.
3. The index of eight core
industries (comprising of coal, crude oil, natural gas, petroleum refinery
products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity) expanded to 7-month high
of 6.7% in June 2018 as per the data released by Union Ministry of Commerce and
Industry. This was due to better performance by cement,
refinery and coal sectors of the index. The previous high was witnessed in
November 2017 at 6.9%. The growth rate in May 2018 was 4.3%. This growth in the
core industry is considered by two factors.One is that government investment in
infrastructure projects is going up, driving industries such as steel. The
other is petroleum products are mainly exported and drive to increase exports
will be pushing this up.
4.
The
Supreme Court overruled its 21-year-old verdict and held that benefit of any
ambiguity in notification related to tax exemptions must be interpreted in
favour of the State. A five-judge
Constitution bench said that benefit of ambiguity in exemption notification of
the government, which is subject to strict interpretation, cannot be claimed by
the assessee. In 1997, the apex court said that in case of any
ambiguity in a tax exemption provision or notification, it must be interpreted
in favour the assessee claiming the benefit of such exemptions. It,
however, reiterated that if in the event of ambiguity in a taxation liability
statute, the benefit should go to the subject or assessee.
5. StarAgri
Finance signed
an MoU with private lender Karur Vysya Bank to provide financial assistance to
commodity traders and farmers. Micro-lending would be provided to traders
and farmers in Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
6. The amendments of GST Laws were approved in
a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, 2018. It has 46 amendments.
Amendments to the Central GST law, Integrated GST law, and compensation Cess
law are yet to be tabled.
7. Investors’
Conference for the Holistic Development of Islands
is going to host by NITI Aayog at
Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi on 10th August 2018. This
Conference will be inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
It is expected to gain investment for the sustainable development of
eco-tourism projects in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
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First in State/ India/
International:
1. Rajasthan became first state in
the country to implement National Policy on Biofuels unveiled by Union
Government in May 2018. Under this policy, State
Government will lay emphasis on increasing production of oilseeds and establish
Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in fields of alternative
fuels and energy resources.
Appointments/ Resignations:
1.
C
B Ananthakrishnan was appointed as the Director (Finance) of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
Sports:
1. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission
Programme of Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Youth
Affairs & Sports is celebrating Swachhta Pakhwada from August 1 to 15, 2018.
The Ministry aims to make all five SAI Stadia namely Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium
Complex, Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range and Dr. SPM Swimming Pool Complex as
“Plastic Free Zone”.
2. World Junior Squash
Championships 2018 was held in Chennai from 18th to 29th July 2018. Egypt national
junior squash team defeated England 2-0 in the final and emerged as the 2018 World Junior Squash Champions.
India finished in 11th position.
3. Lewis Hamilton of
Mercedes, United Kingdom wins 6th Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix. This is the 67th career
victory for Lewis Hamilton. Daniel Ricciardo of Red
Bull of Australia was named as the Driver of the Day by Formula
One for finishing at fourth position after starting from the 12th position.
Formula One’s next race is the Belgian Grand Prix. It will be held on 26th August 2018.
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