Daily Current Affairs Update August-21 2017

1. The US and South Korea began a 10-day-long annual military exercise. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill is a computer-simulated defensive exercise designed to enhance readiness and maintain stability on the Korean peninsula.

2.  In his first foreign visit after assuming office, Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will arrive INDIA  on a four-day trip. 

3. The Ministry of Defence has decided to delegate administrative and financial powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to avoid delays on account of references between the Chief Engineer, HQ DGBR and the Ministry.

4. British scientists have developed the worlds smallest surgical robot which could transform daily operations for tens of thousands of patients.
The robot, called Versius, mimics the human arm and can be used to carry out a wide range of laparoscopic procedures.

5. A 12-year-old Indian-origin boy named Rahul Doshi has been crowned as the UK’s ‘Child Genius’ in a popular television quiz competition, days after he became an overnight sensation after answering all questions correctly.

6. The country’s largest lender, SBI, accounts for over 27 per cent of the total amount owed to public sector banks by wilful defaulters.

8. Veteran American entertainer Jerry Lewis died aged 91. One of the most popular comic actors of the 1950s and ’60s, Lewis perfected the role of the quirky clown in slapstick comedies like “The Nutty Professor” but also won acclaim as a writer, actor, and philanthropist.

9. Indian Navy’s second CU (landing craft utility) Mark IV L52 ship was commissioned at Port Blair, capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

10. The Union Finance Ministry (Revenue Department) has imposed anti-dumping duty on certain “textured toughened (tempered) glass” imported from China.

11. Scientists Los Alamos National Laboratory, US have discovered a potential new state of matter that may help explain phenomena like superconductivity.

12. India’s first calf delivered by a surrogate or recipient cow through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology carried out in a mobile laboratory was born in Indapur, Pune (Maharashtra). It has been named as Vijay.

13. The Law and judiciary department has issued an order for setting up of the first three of 24 fast track courts for Maharashtra in two of its most popular cities. While one of the courts would be set up in Mumbai, the other two would be set up in Thane. The courts would be dealing with heinous crimes like rape and murder.

14. A small town in the remote north of the Arctic Circle is set to be home to the world’s largest data center.

15. Japan launched the Michibiki No. 3 satellite of its new quasi-zenith satellites to improve the global positioning system (GPS) navigation services in the country.

16. China is relaunching one of the world’s fastest bullet trains, capable of running at 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour.

The trains will service the route from Beijing to Shanghai 

17. In Assam, State government launching a new Scheme called, Scheme for Compassionate Family Pension (CFP) in lieu of Compassionate Appointment.

Sarbananda Sonowal became the Assam's first chief minister 

18. Shapath Bharadwaj won a bronze medal in the mixed team trap competition at the ISSF Junior Shotgun World Cup in Porpetto, Italy.

19. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda will launch 15 medical outlets of AMRIT Deendayal in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab through Video Conference.

Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment, AMRIT Deendayal Pharmacy is the flagship program of Government of India.

20. The five Harley-Davidson Street 750s were brought by the Kolkata Police Department for Rs 5.5 lakh each.

21. To develop Ghantasala village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh as one of the prime Buddhist tourist spots in the State, decks have been cleared for the construction of a Rs. 1.5-crore project, which envisages construction of 70- ft statue of Buddha.

22. The Assam government has proposed ambitious project to improve rural road connectivity.  Managing Director of Assam State Transport Corporation A P Tiwari said that government is mulling to start Chief Minister’s Lok Parivahan Yojna.

23. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will invest about Rs 52,000 crore in expanding Paradip refinery and setting up petrochemical complex after the Odisha government agreed to restore part of tax incentives

24 In a major fillip to urban transport, the Union government is all set to double the metro rail network over the next 18 months, adding three new cities to the metro map. The biggest gainers would be cities in BJP-ruled states, viz. Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Nagpur. Lucknow Metro would be the first off the block as it has received safety clearance and would be inaugurated within this month.

25. The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), a professional body under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, is organizing a three-day workshop on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) from 22nd – 24th August, 2017, in New Delhi.

26. Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, addressed a distinguished gathering of delegates attended 8th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress in New Delhi. 

27. The mergers of regional rural banks that are ordered by the government are now exempt from seeking CCI approval, according to a notification a move that will lead to faster closure of such transactions. The exemption has been granted for a period of five years.

28. The government has extended till March a cash back scheme that offers incentives of up to Rs.1,000 to merchants for accepting payments through the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) application.

29. Oinam Bembem Devi, the flag bearer of Indian women’s football over the past two decades was named the winner of the prestigious Arjuna Award. Bembem becomes the second Indian woman footballer to win the award, the first being Shanti Mullick in 1983.

Bembem, nicknamed the ‘Durga of Indian Football,’

30. The Centre has approved a nearly Rs 32,000 crore plan for the Coast Guard that will give more teeth to the maritime security agency in maintaining vigil on coastal waters.

31. Dr Nanda Kumar Jairam, CEO, Chairman and Group Medical Director, Columbia Asia Hospitals, India, has been awarded the ‘Healthcare Personality of the Year’ award.

Dr Jairam was given the award at the ninth Healthcare Excellence Awards instituted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

32. 20th August: World Mosquito Day

Theme of 2017:”Protect Yourself from Mosquito Bites”.

33. The government has decided to offer 40% reservation for girls at 100 Navodaya-type schools and five higher education institutes it plans to set up for minority community students.

34. As much as Rs42,000 crore has already come in as taxes so far in the first monthly filing under the new Goods and Services Tax

35. Union Home Minister launches the Digital Police Portal under CCTNS project

36. HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launches ‘Swasth Bachche, Swasth Bharat’ 

37.  Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off eleven Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar.

38. Qatar, the host nation of 2022 FIFA World Cup, is going to build a stadium shaped like an Arabian skull cap for the World Cup quarter-final match.

39. The National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan assistance of Rs 1,349.55 crore to the Rajasthan government for creation of rural infrastructure in the state under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

40. India's PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will be in focus when the World Badminton Championships begin at Glasgow in UK.

41. Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian champion Bajrang Punia will spearhead the Indian challenge at the World Wrestling Championships, starting in Paris.

42. Retired IAS officer P V R K Prasad, who was Additional Secretary and Media Advisor to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, passed away.

43. I am HIV Positive, so what"? Claims Mr World bronze medal winner, Pradikumar Singh, a bodybuilder hailing from Manipur.

44. RBI Financial Stability Report warned that the banking system’s gross bad loan ratio could rise to as high as 10.2% of the total loan book by March 2018 from 9.6% in March 2017.

45 Goa govt has launched 3 biofuel-powered buses on a pilot basis.

46. Sports Ministry has dropped para-sports coach Satyanarayana from the list of this year’s Dronacharya awardees.

Satyanarayana’s name was chucked off the list due to a criminal case pending against him

• Satyanarayana has coached Mariyappan Thangavelu, who won a gold in Rio Paralympics.

47. With 2.47 lakh applications, Indians continued to be largest group of H-1B visa aspirants during first nine months of the current US financial year.