Exclusive AUGUST 2018 GA Refresher - Bsc4Success
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Exclusive AUGUST 2018 GA Refresher
Banking & Economy
Third Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2018-19
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Third Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2018-19 on Aug
01, 2018. The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to
increase the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5% due to inflation concerns.
The reverse repo rate has been adjusted to 6.25 per cent.
Inflation is projected at 4.6 per cent in Q2, 4.8 per cent in H2 of 2018-19 and 5.0 per cent in Q1:2019-20, with
risks evenly balanced (Chart 1).
RBI has retained GDP growth for 2018-19 at 7.4% as projected in the April policy.
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Indian economy to grow by about 7.5% in 2018 and 2019
According to Moody’s Investors Service Global Macro Outlook for 2018-19, the Indian economy is expected to
grow by about 7.5% in 2018 and 2019 as it is largely resilient to external pressures like those from higher oil
prices.
The rating agency expects the India’s economy to grow at a higher rate of 7.7% in the first quarter of 2018. Apart
from this, Moody’s put G-20 growth at 3.3% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches Overdraft facility for MSEs
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd, launched an overdraft
(OD) facility for micro and small enterprise (MSE) customers across its branches nationally.
The OD facility is offered to all MSEs with a turnover of Rs 50 lakh or more, at a competitive rate of interest.
India to grow at 7.5% in 2018, 2019
According to the recent report by Moody's Investors Service, the Indian economy is expected to grow by around
7.5% in 2018 and 2019. It comes as it is largely resilient to external pressures like those from higher oil prices.
Moody's put G-20 growth at 3.3% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019.
The advanced economies will grow 2.3% in 2018 and 2% in 2019, while G-20 emerging markets will remain the
growth drivers at 5.1% in both 2018 and 2019.
Injeti Srinivas committee submitted final report
The committee, chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas, has submitted final report on review of
penal provisions of Company Act 2013 to the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley.
The report makes recommendations for de-clogging the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) through
significant reduction in compounding cases before the Tribunal.
World Bank launches World's 1st Blockchain Bond
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The World Bank has launched ‘bond-i', the world’s first bond to be created, allocated, transferred and managed by
using distributed ledger technology. This two-year bond successfully raised 110 million Australian dollars (USD
80.48 million). It was the first time that investors supported the World Bank’s development activities in a
transaction that is fully managed using the blockchain technology from start to finish.
RIL becomes first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion in market cap
Reliance Industries has0 become the first company to cross Rs 8 trillion in terms of market capitalisation (market-
cap), becoming the country's most valued firm. RIL's market capitalisation (m-cap) stood at Rs 8.01 trillion.
The stock ended at Rs 1,266.90 on the NSE, up 1.6%, extending its gains over the past four trading days.
Arun Jaitley back as Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister
Union Minister Arun Jaitley has resumed charge as the Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister after a three-
month interval. He was recuperating from a kidney transplant surgery in May last.
In the absence of him, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took care of Finance and Corporate Affairs.
India Banking Conclave 2018 held in New Delhi
India Banking Conclave (IBC) 2018 has been organised by Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) along
with its knowledge partner and government Think Tank, NITI Aayog held in New Delhi.
It aimed at making India’s banking sector more adaptable to face multiple future challenges in the coming years.
CEPR, based in London, UK, is network of over 1100 researchers who are based mainly in universities
throughout Europe and collaborate in research and its dissemination.
Paytm partners with Alibaba to launch AI cloud service
Paytm parent One97 Communications has partnered with Alibaba to launch its artificial intelligence (AI) cloud
computing platform Paytm AI Cloud for developers, start-ups, and enterprise.
Paytm AI Cloud will offer a suite of business-centric applications including ready-to-use services that will allow
businesses to automate their workflow, integrate payments, and provide messaging, customer engagement tools.
Home Ministry notifies new SoPS for refilling of ATMs
The Union Home Ministry issued new Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for cash refilling of automated teller
machines (ATMs) after certain time period.
It comes in view of rising incidents of attacks on cash vans, cash vaults, ATM frauds and other internal frauds
leading to increased sense of insecurity. It will come into effect from Feb 08, 2019.
It sets deadline of replenishing cash in ATMs before 9pm in cities and 6pm in rural areas.
Only 23% of rural income from farming
According to National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development’s (NABARD) All India Rural Financial
Inclusion Survey 2016-17, agriculture (farming) generates only 23% of rural income i.e. not even quarter of rural
household incomes in India. The reference period of survey was 2015-16.
Just over 43% of their average income comes from cultivation of crops and rearing of animals.
It estimates that total number of rural households in India at 21.17 crore.
Its definition of 'rural' is broad, covering revenue villages and semi-urban centres with population of less than
50,000. At least one member is self-employed in farming with annual value of produce at more than Rs 5,000.
PSBs to come out of PCA framework by end of 2018
The Union Government is expecting that public sector banks (PSBs) placed under RBI’s Prompt Corrective
Action (PCA) framework will come out of it by the end of this year. 11 out of 21 state-owned banks are currently
under PCA framework.
Prompt corrective action (PCA) framework is supervisory tool of RBI, which involves monitoring of certain
performance indicators of banks to check their financial health as early warning exercise and to ensure that banks
don’t go bust.
Investment in P-notes hits 9-year low
Investments through participatory notes (P-notes) into Indian capital markets- equity, debt, and derivatives
plunged to over nine-year low of Rs 80,341 crore till Jul 2018-end.
This is the lowest level since Apr 2009 when the cumulative value of such investments stood at Rs 72,314 crore.
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Participatory Notes (P-notes) are offshore/overseas derivative instruments (ODIs) issued by registered foreign
portfolio investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be part of the Indian stock market without registering
themselves directly.
Bharti Axa ties up with Airtel Payments Bank
Bharti Axa Life Insurance and Airtel Payments Bank entered into an alliance to offer the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan
Jyoti Bima Yojana’ (PMJJBY), a government-backed life insurance scheme.
Airtel Payments Bank also becomes the first payments bank in India to offer the Govt of India-backed life
insurance scheme, the company said in a statement.
The product (PMJJBY) provided by Bharti Axa Life Insurance offers Rs 2 lakh life insurance cover for a nominal
premium of Rs 330 per annum and can be purchased by all existing or new Airtel Payments Bank savings bank
account holders between the ages of 18-50.
PhonePe to facilitate convenient payments on IRCTC app
India's fastest growing payments platform, PhonePe has announced entering into a partnership with Indian
Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to facilitate convenient, fast and secure payments through
PhonePe on the IRCTC Rail connect Android app.
It will enable PhonePe's 100 million plus users to now pay directly from their bank accounts using UPI, credit and
debit cards and also the PhonePe wallet for their travel bookings.
SBI ranks the most patriotic brand
The State Bank of India (SBI) has been ranked as the most patriotic brand as per survey conducted by UK-based
online market research and data analytics firm YouGov.
SBI followed by Tata Motors, Patanjali, Reliance Jio and BSNL.
In the financial sector, SBI lead the chart with 47% of the sector-share, followed by LIC with 16%.
In the auto sector, Tata Motors emerged as the most patriotic brand, followed by Bharat Petroleum (BP) and
Maruti Suzuki.
In terms of food brands, Amul grabbed the top slot with one-third Indians considering it, followed by Patanjali.
Nirma emerged as the most patriotic brand in the homecare products category.
In the beverages category, Tata Tea grabbed the top rank with 35% respondents voting for it, followed by Taj
Mahal with 18%.
India to grow 7.2% in 2018-19: Ind-Ra Outlook
Rating agency India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) in its Mid-Year FY19 Outlook has revised India’s growth to
7.2% from its earlier projection of 7.4% for 2018-19 (FY19).
Private final consumption expenditure is projected to grow at 7.6% in 2018-19 compared to 6.6% in 2017-18,
while expansion of government final consumption expenditure is expected to slow down to 8.6% from 10.9%
during the same period.
NPCI launches UPI 2.0 with overdraft facility
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched an upgraded and renwed version of Unified Payments
Interface (UPI), UPI 2.0 by adding four new features to make it attractive and safer for users.
These new four additional services in UPI 2.0 are Overdraft facility, One Time Mandate, Invoice in The Inbox
and Signed Intent and QR.
UPI is payments system that allows multiple bank accounts belonging to any participating bank to be controlled
via single mobile app. It was launched by NPCI in April 2016 to allow easy, quick and hassle free money transfer
between any two parties. NPCI is the umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India.
It is being promoted the Reserve Bank of India.
Rupee for first time hit historic low of Rs. 70 mark against USD
Indian rupee for the first time in history plunged to record low of Rs. 70.07 against US dollar on Aug 14 2018.
It recovered later at around Rs. 69.84 after heavy intervention by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Turkish lira has been in free fall following political and economic problems in Turkey, combined with fresh
trouble on the external front. It has slid by almost 50% against dollar in past one year.
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Rupee has been on downslide in 2018 and has slipped 9% in 2018 as foreign investors sold $6.8 million and $5.15
billion in equity and debt markets respectively.
Rupee is one of the worst performing emerging market currencies and hardest hit in Asia due fall in Turkish lira.
IMF forecasts 7.3% GDP growth for India in 2018-19 & 7.5% in 2019-20
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report projected India’s GDP growth 7.3% in the 2018-19 fiscal and
7.5% in 2019-2020 on strengthening of investment and robust private consumption.
India’s near-term macroeconomic outlook for India is broadly favourable.
It is projected to rise to 5.2% in fiscal year 2018/19, as demand conditions tighten, along with recent depreciation
of rupee and higher oil prices, housing rent allowances and agricultural minimum support prices.
Current account deficit (CAD) is projected to widen further to 2.6% of GDP on rising oil prices and strong
demand for imports.
Bajaj Allianz General, Vijaya Bank enter bancassurance tie-up
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance entered into a bancassurance deal with Vijaya Bank.
It will enable distribution of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance products through the bank’s network of 2,129
branches across the country.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance will offer personal lines of insurance products such as health, personal accident,
home, motor and travel along with a commercial line of insurance products.
PayU and Reliance Money announced Strategic Partnership For Instant Loan
India's best pay later option PayU and Reliance Money has entered into strategic partnership for instant app-based
personal loans via LazyPay to provide loan amount start from as low as Rs. 100 and will extend up to Rs.
1,00,000 with a duration varying from 15 days to 24 months.
PayU, headquartered in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, is a fintech company that provides payment solutions to online
merchants. Reliance Securities is a broking arm of Reliance Capital.
Axis Bank introduces iris authentication for Aadhaar-based transactions
Axis Bank becomes the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar-based
transactions through its micro ATM tablets.
This service, which requires a customer to scan their iris on a tablet, will boost the bank's financial inclusion
efforts by making Aadhaar authentication process hassle-free and offering easier access to digital banking for
consumers especially in the rural parts of the country.
PayPal, HDFC Bank partner
PayPal, a global technology platform and digital payments leader, has announced its strategic partnership with
HDFC Bank to offer safer, faster and convenient payment experiences for the bank's card holders.
The HDFC cards will be presented as a payment option during enrollment and subsequent payments, with the
ability for consumers to easily open PayPal accounts and set it as their preferred payment method.
HSBC launches online platform MyDeal
HSBC has launched a new digital platform—MyDeal to simplify capital raising process through capital markets
by providing real-time access to information such as investors’ feedback, profiles, client orders and deal pricing.
In its pilot phase, MyDeal has raised over $25 billion in the first seven months through over 30 transactions
globally.
RBI to pay Rs. 50,000 crore dividend to Govt for FY18
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) transferred surplus (dividend) of Rs. 50,000 crore to Govt for year ended in Jun
2018, over 63% more than Rs 30,659 crore which it transferred in 2017.
With increase in RBI surplus by close to Rs 20,000 crore, Centre’s prospect of meeting fiscal deficit target
(pegged at 3.3% of GDP this financial year) has improved based on fiscal consolidation and budget assumptions.
For year 2015-16, RBI board had approved transfer of surplus amounting to Rs 65,876 crore to govt and for
year 2014-15, it had paid Rs 65,896 crore, which came as boon to Govt in covering fiscal deficit target.
The surplus transferred to govt was Rs 52,679 crore in 2013-14.
SBI launches unified payment terminal
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com India’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) launched its Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device
(MOPAD) for digital payments convenience of merchants and consumers.
It aims to provide digital convenience to customers and ease of doing business for merchants at the same time.
SBI will roll-out this new initiative on all SBI PoS terminals in a phased manner.
Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device (MOPAD) aims at providing convenience to merchants by eliminating
multiple machines that they keep in order to facilitate transaction from different sources.
NITI Aayog and CII launch partnership on SDGs
The NITI Aayog and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed MoU on Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and entered into three-year partnership.
It was signed during Govt and Business Partnership Conclave, jointly organised by NITI Aayog, CII and United
Nations, held in New Delhi.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), headquartered at New Delhi, is an association of Indian businesses which
works to create environment conducive to growth of industry in India.
Govt raises import duty on 328 textile products to curb imports
The Union Govt doubled import duties on 328 textile products to 20% from existing rate of 10% under Section
159 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Earlier in Jul 2018, Govt had doubled import duty on over 50 textile products — including jackets, suits and
carpets to 20%.
It will help to promote ‘Make in India’ as imports of these goods had surged drastically in last one year especially
post GST.
Govt launches Niryat Mitra mobile app
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched Niryat Mitra mobile application for exporters and
importers of the country.
It was developed by the largest exporters organisation of the country, Federation of Indian Export Organisations
(FIEO).
Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), headquartered in New Delhi, is apex and largest trade
promotion organisation in India.
GST Council proposes cashback incentive
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has decided to start a pilot project to give cashbacks to consumers in
order to incentivise digital payments in the country.
Under the project, consumers will get a 20 per cent cashback subject to a cap of Rs 100 on all UPI and USSD
transactions as well as transactions made using RuPay card and BHIM app.
The GST Council also decided to form a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Minister of State for
Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla to deliberate on issues facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Mauritius's SBM gets RBI approval for subsidiary
Mauritius-based SBM Group has received Reserve Bank of India’s approval to operate in the country through a
wholly-owned subsidiary route — the first foreign lender to receive such a licence after local incorporation was
introduced in 2013.
SBM, which has been in India since 1994, currently operates through four branches, in Mumbai, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.
It plans to open six new branches in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and Jaipur by next year.
Singapore’s DBS Bank is another lender which is awaiting final approval from the RBI to convert its 12 branches
into a wholly owned subsidiary.
Union Govt constituted Pradeep Kumar Sinha committee
The Union Government constituted a high level empowered committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary, Pradeep
Kumar Sinha, to address the issues of stressed thermal power projects.
Core industries growth quickens to 6.7% in Jun 2018
As per the recent data released by Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, index of eight core industries
expanded to 7-month high of 6.7% in Jun 2018. The expansion was due to better performance by cement, refinery
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.comand coal sectors of the index. The growth rate in May 2018 was 4.3%. The previous high was witnessed in Nov
2017 at 6.9%.
The combined index of eight core industries stands at 129.8 in Jun 2018 and was 6.7% higher as compared to the
index of Jun 2017.
Growth in the core industry is considered by two factors, viz; govt investment in infrastructure projects is going
up and other is petroleum products are mainly exported and drive to increase exports will be pushing this up.
Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04%)
Electricity generation (19.85%)
Steel production (17.92%)
Coal production (10.33%)
Crude Oil production (8.98%)
Natural Gas production (6.88%)
Cement production (5.37%)
Fertilizers production (2.63%)
National News
Germany to provide Euro 120 million soft loan for Clean Ganga Mission
Germany announced to provide soft loan of euro 120 million (Rs. 990 crore approximately) to India to strengthen
sewage water treatment infrastructure in Uttarakhand in an effort to clean River Ganga under Clean Ganga
Mission.
German development agency GIZ has prepared ‘Ganga Box’ aimed to target schools-going children and inform
them about the river.
Ganga book has been prepared on lines of ‘Danube Book’ when cleaning of European river was undertaken.
IBM partners with Indian IT companies
Global IT giant IBM has partnered with Indian IT companies for its 'Call for Code' initiative that aims to build
global solutions for disaster management. Indian IT companies that will partner with IBM for Call for Code
initiative include Persistent Systems, Invest India, Wipro, Capgemini and NASSCOM.
It aims to bring startup, academic and enterprise developers together to respond to and recover from natural
disasters.
IBM and David Clark Cause are joining forces to benefit their charitable partners such as United Nations Human
Rights and American Red Cross.
India inks $346 million loan agreement with ADB
India inked $346 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance Karnataka State
Highways Improvement III Project (KSHIP-III) for improvement of over 400 km of state highways in Karnataka.
It will help in enhancement of connectivity and access to economic centres across 12 districts in Karnataka.
KSHIP-lll project will upgrade about 419 kilometers of state highways to two-and four-lane with paved shoulders.
Govt launches third edition of Smart India Hackathon 2019
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched the third edition of Smart India
Hackathon 2019 (SIH-2019).
Smart India Hackathon is world’s biggest open innovation model which aims to provide students with platform to
solve some of pressing problems faced by people in their daily lives.
It seeks to inculcate culture of product innovation and mindset of problem-solving among young children.
HRD Ministry launches Innovation Cell at AICTE
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development established Innovation Cell at AICTE premises in New
Delhi. It aims to systematically foster culture of innovation in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the
country.
Environment Ministry releases India’s National REDD+ Strategy
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released National Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) strategy for India.
It aims at achieve climate change mitigation by incentivizing forest conservation.
It will soon be communicated to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Union Govt introduces Atal ranking for institutions to promote innovation
The union ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has introduced Atal Ranking of Institutions on
Innovation Achievements (ARRIA) to systematically rank education institutions and universities primarily on
innovation related indicators. It aims to promote culture of innovation and research in higher education.
Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARRIA) is named after former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.
Govt constitutes 21-member Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council
The Union Govt has constituted 21-member advisory panel on science, technology and innovation called Prime
Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). It will be headed by Principal
Scientific Advisor to government K Vijay Raghavan. It will replace earlier Scientific Advisory Committee to
Prime Minister and to Cabinet. The council will advise PM on science, technology, as well as innovation.
PM-STIAC has nine members, including Chairperson. Apart from nine members, it will also have twelve special
invitees — eleven ex offficio secretaries 10 central ministries, related to science, technology, energy and
education, are special invitees to the panel.
Google unveils new platform for Indic language publishers
Search engine giant Google has unveiled Project Navlekha to make online content relevant for more Indian users
especially in local languages.
It has been unveiled along with host of upgrades of Google’s other products at fourth 'Google for India' event held
in New Delhi.
India is important market for Google as it is second largest population of internet users in the world.
At present, amount of online content in Indian languages is only 1% of what is English.
Navlekha is word derived from Sanskrit meaning 'a new way to write.'
Under Navlekha project, Google will help these publishers to receive training and support and a branded page
domain for the first three years.
NVIDIA made deep learning technology partner of NITI Aayog for MoveHack
The Union Govt’s premier think tank NITI Aayog made computer chip manufacturer NVIDIA its deep learning
technology partner to support its MoveHack event.
MoveHack is global mobility hackathon event organized by NITI Aayog to crowdsource solutions aimed at the
future of mobility in India.
NVIDIA will help NITI Aayog to solve grand challenge of making innovations in mass mobility matter of
national importance using Artifical Intellegence (AI) and deep learning.
Govt asks States to ban e-cigarettes
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories to not
allow manufacture, sale and advertisement of e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
(ENDS).
Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar already have prohibited
manufacture, import, sale and distribution of e-cigarettes and ENDS.
ENDS are devices that heat solution to create aerosol, which also frequently contains flavours, usually dissolved
into propylene glycolor and glycerin.
e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are most common prototype of ENDS.
India's first biofuel flight powered by jatropha seeds
India’s first-ever environment friendly biofuel powered flight between Dehradun and Delhi was propelled by
blend of oil from jatropha seeds and aviation turbine fuel.
The 43-minute flight was operated by SpiceJet’s Bombardier Q-400 aircraft, with 20 officials and five crew
members on board.
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com This plane had carried blend of 25% of bio jet fuel (derived from jatropha seeds) and 75% of aviation turbine fuel
(ATF) in one of the two engines of plane, while other carried only ATF.
International standards permit a blend rate of up to 50% biofuel with ATF.
The blend of bio jet fuel and ATF has potential to reduce fuel costs by 15-20%.
International Water Colour Festival 2018 held in Ranchi
The International Water Colour Festival 2018 has been held at Audrey House in Ranchi, which is organized by
the Jharkhand Art Culture and Tourism Department in Audrey House.
It aims to bring local artists in touch with the international art and promote the rich art and culture of Jharkhand.
During the water colour festival, the visiting artists will interact with school students and local artists on various
themes including 'nature' and 'modern/abstract'.
Govt inks $300 million agreement with World Bank
The Union Govt has inked $220 million Loan Agreement with World Bank to scale-up Inida’s Energy Efficiency
Program. It also signed $80 million guarantee agreement with World Bank.
The loan will be provided to EESL by World Bank through its lending arm International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD). It has maturity of 19 years and 5-year grace period.
The $80 million IBRD guarantee will partially cover re-payment risks to commercial lenders or investors to
enable EESL to raise funds for its program.
It will be implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
Govt inks $250 million loan agreement with World Bank for Electricity Distribution Sector Reforms in Rajasthan
The Central Govt along with Govt of Rajasthan has signed $250 million Development Policy Loan (DPL)
agreement with World Bank for Electricity Distribution Sector Reforms in Rajasthan.
It will be provided by World Bank’s lending arm International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD). It has maturity of 21 years and 3-year grace period.
It will support Rajasthan Government in improving performance of its electricity distribution sector under State’s
24×7 Power for All program.
TRIBES India Outlets to open at Ahmedabad, Udaipur and Kolkata airports
Airport Authority of India (AAI) allotted space to Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
Limited (TRIFED) for opening of Tribes India outlets at Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Udaipur (Rajasthan) and Kolkata
(West Bengal) airports.
Tribes India Outlets will provide good opportunity to market tribal products and help to promote tribes India as
brand among target customers.
TRIFED, headquartered in New Delhi, is multi-State Cooperative Society under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Neta App launched
Former President Pranab Mukherjee has launched National Electoral Transformation (NETA) mobile application
that allows voters to rate and review their political representatives.
The app is a brainchild of 27-year-old entrepreneur Pratham Mittal.
It is the first of its kind platform in India that allows voters to rate and review the political representatives in their
constituencies. It aims to foster political accountability and transparency among leaders.
Home Ministry revokes security clearance to Qatar-based English news channel Al Jazeera
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked security clearance of Qatar govt’s state-funded English
news broadcaster Al Jazeera.
It is believed that main reason for this revocation is considered to be over documentary made by Qatari channel
on militancy in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which Indian Govt viewed as 'biased'.
India’s first interstate connected wind power project commissioned in Bhuj
The 126 MW wind power capacity, part of India’s first inter-state transmission system (ISTS) auction, has been
commissioned in Bhuj, Gujarat. It was part of India’s first ISTS auction.
It was conducted by state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) in Feb 2017.
The energy generated from this project is being purchased by Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com It also marks beginning of capacity additions in wind power based on market discovered tariffs, in line with the
Govt’s plan of having 175 GW renewable energy by 2022.
India’s first biofuel flight to fly from Dehradun to Delhi
India’s first flight using biofuel will fly from Dehradun (capital of Uttarakhand) to Delhi.
The first ever biofuel test flight has been conducted by SpiceJet on its turborporp Q-400 plane.
India, with this, will join elite club of nations who have operated flight on alternative energy source like biofuel.
Developed countries like Canada, Australia and US have already conducted these test flights.
India will be first developing nation to experiment biofuel test flight.
SpiceJet operated first such biofuel flight from Dehradun to Delhi using alternative environment friendly fuel for
10 minutes over Dehradun.
UIDAI makes face recognition feature mandatory for Aadhaar authentication
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced new measure to make facial recognition mandatory
for every authentication that requires Aadhaar.
The facial recognition will come as additional feature along with regular authentication process that includes
identification of an individual based on fingerprints or eye scans.
NGT appoints Justice S J Vazifdar as Chairman of Panel to Decide Vedanta's Plea
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice S J
Vazifdar as head of a three-member committee to decide mining company Vedanta's plea challenging closure of
its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin.
Govt unveils Draft UDAN Scheme for International Routes
The Union Govt has unveiled a draft scheme for extending the affordable air travel programme UDAN to
international circuits, with state governments identifying the routes for operation.
The draft International Air Connectivity (IAC) scheme envisages to increase the international ticketing to 20 crore
by 2027.
NITI Aayog releases 5 Thematic Reports On Indian Himalayan Region
The policy think tank of the Govt of India, NITI Aayog released five thematic reports on Sustainable
Development in Indian Himalayan Region.
It has been released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and member Dr V K
Saraswat in New Delhi.
The themes include Inventory and Revival of Springs in the Himalayas for Water Security, Sustainable Tourism,
and Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation, Strengthening Skill and Entrepreneurship Landscape in the
Himalayas.
5G steering committee headed by AJ Paulraj submits its report
The 5G steering committee chaired by Stanford University’s Professor Emeritus AJ Paulraj has submitted its
recommendations to the Department of Telecommunication.
It gave wide-ranging recommendations to drive India’s 5G adoption entailing areas like spectrum policy,
regulatory policy, standards and education.
Govt developing National Logistics Portal
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry is developing National Logistics Portal to ensure ease of trading
in international and domestic markets.
The portal will link all stakeholders of EXIM (export and import), domestic trade and movement and all trade
activities on single platform.
Raveena Tandon appointed as brand ambassador of Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Maharashtra Govt appointed Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon as the brand ambassador of Mumbai city-based
Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
She has been appointed to spread awareness among fellow citizens as she is environmentally-conscious citizen
and respected member of the community.
ICOMOS launches Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com The global monument conservation body, International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has
launched Kerala Heritage Rescue Initiative to assess damage to rich cultural and built heritage sites in flood-
devastated Kerala.
It aims at setting up platform for emergency response to cultural heritage damaged by the floods in Kerala.
ICOMOS, headquartered in Paris, France, will assess damage and risks to rich tangible, intangible, movable and
immovable heritage that has been adversely affected by foods, including monuments, historic buildings, museum
collections and artefacts of important significance.
UGC directs universities and higher education institutions to ban sale of junk food
University Grants Commission (UGC) issued circular directing all varsities and higher education institutions to
ban sale of junk food on their campuses.
The ban will set new standards for healthy food, making students live better, learn better and reduce obesity
levels. University Grants Commission (UGC) functions under Ministry of Human Resource Development.
FSSAI notifies standards for honey and its products
Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) notified food safety standards for honey and its products in bid to
curb adulteration. It will be applicable to both domestic manufacturers and importers.
It will help farmers to fetch better prices for their products.
35% of cyber-attacks on Indian sites from China
According to recent report by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), maximum number of
cyber-attacks on official Indian websites is from China, US and Russia. It had analysed cyber-attacks from Apr-
Jun 2018.
Cyber-attacks originating from China account for largest 35% of total number of cyber-attacks on official Indian
websites followed by US (17%), Russia (15%), Pakistan (9%), Canada (7%) and Germany (5%).
International Buddhist Conclave 2018 held in New Delhi
The International Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018 has been inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in New
Delhi with the theme "Buddha Path – The Living Heritage".
This was the sixth edition of International Buddhist Conclave.
It was organized by Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh. Japan is the Partner Country for IBC-2018.
HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS Platform
State-owned aerospace and defence manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public
sector enterprise to make transaction on RXIL TReDS platform.
It executed its first digitised invoice discounting transaction on RXIL TReDS platform by accepting digital
invoice uploaded by Nasik-based MSME (micro category) vendor Narendra Udyog.
This transaction was financed by Bank of Baroda.
Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) is online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the
financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers.
Govt designates NCRB to curb online child pornography and sexual violence
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) as nodal
authority to curb online child pornography, sexual violence and rape videos.
NCRB can act on such online child pornography, sexual violence and rape videos content either on the basis of
complaints or by taking suo motu cognizance.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), headquartered in New Delhi, is nodal agency under Home Ministry for
authentic source of data on crime on various parameters including accidents, suicides from across all the states of
the country and prisons for policy matters and research.
Govt to set up Cyclone Warning Centre in Kerala
The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences announced to set up Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala. It has also proposed to set up C-band Doppler weather radar at Mangalore, Karnataka.
Cyclone Warning Centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure including forecasting tools to
provide daily weather alerts, issue weather warnings and coastal warnings or bulletins (for fishermenetc).
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com It will further strengthen to present forecasting activity in India Meteorological Department’s existing office in
Thiruvananthapuram.
At present, IMD has six cyclone warning centres, four along east coast at Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam
(Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Kolkata (West Bengal), and two along west coast at Ahmedabad
(Gujarat) and Mumbai (Maharashtra).
AII launches 'Our Safety, Our Rights' campaign
The Amnesty International India (AII) launched a new campaign 'Our Safety, Our Rights' to create awareness
among children to help them understand and identify sexual abuse.
The AII has collaborated with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), People’s Action for Rural Awakening
(PARA), Institute of Social Education (ISE) to engage with children in 400 schools, across four Indian states –
Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The campaign will culminate on 2018 International Day of the Girl Child (Oct 11).
Sept 2018 will be observed National Nutrition Month
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development announced to observe Sept 2018 as the National Nutrition
Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.
The campaign will be undertaken with an aim of reaching every household with message of nutrition — 'har ghar
poshan tyohar' (every house a celebration of nutrition).
According to National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 38% of India’s children aged less than 5 years are
stunted (less height for their age), 21% are wasted (less weight for their height) and 35.7% are underweight.
India also ranks low 100th out of 119 countries on 2017 Global Hunger Index (GHI).
Govt already has embarked on Rs 9000-crore to Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission) to fight
malnutrition.
The target of mission is to bring down stunting among children up to age of six years from 38.4% to 25% by
2022.
Health Ministry notifies new sets of specified health warnings
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco
product packs.
It has made amendments in Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008.
The first set will be used on tobacco products from Sept 01, 2018 for period of 1 year, whereas second set of
images will be used from Sept 01, 2019.
NOTA option cannot be permitted in Rajya Sabha polls
The Supreme Court has scrapped the use of ‘None of The Above’ (NOTA) option in the coming Rajya Sabha
elections.
A bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra held that the NOTA option is meant only for universal
adult suffrage and direct elections and not polls held by the system of proportional representation by means of the
single transferable vote as done in the Rajya Sabha.
IIT Kharagpur to set up Re-Water Research Center
IIT Kharagpur decided to set up a Re-Water Research Center to replenish and rejuvenate water resources.
It will be seed-funded by two alumni members – Aneesh Reddy & Aditya Choubey.
The purpose of the ‘Aditya Choubey Center for Re-Water Research’ is to tackle the challenge of resolving two
burning issues faced by urban India – sewage disposal and access to clean potable water.
The institute will set up an on-campus plant which will convert 1.35 million litre of sewage water from the hostels
to 1.2 million litre of potable water, on a daily basis. The pilot plant is expected to be ready by Mar 2019.
Govt bans pet coke import for fuel use
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry banned import of
petcoke for use as fuel.
But it has allowed its import of only for use as feedstock in some select industries such as cement, lime kiln,
calcium carbide and gasification industries. India is the world’s biggest consumer of petcoke.
It gets over half its annual petcoke imports of around 27 million tonnes from United States.
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com Local producers include Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corp.
Cement companies in India account for about three-fourths of country’s petcoke use.
FSSAI constitutes B Sesikeran committee to review food labelling standards
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) constituted three-member committee, headed by B
Sesikeran, to look into draft food labelling and display regulations-Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and
Display) Regulations 2018.
FSSAI had released draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations 2018 in Apr 2018.
Insurers to cover mental illness under medical insurance policy
The apex insurance body, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has asked insurers to cover
mental illness under medical insurance policy from immediate effect, treating it at par with physical illness.
At present, insurers exclude mental illness from ambit of medical insurance policies.
IRDAI’s directive follows Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 enacted by Parliament and came into force from May
2018.
As per Ministry of Law and Justice, mental illness is defined as substantial disorder of thinking, mood,
perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs behaviour, judgment, capacity to recognise reality or
ability to meet ordinary demands of life.
Govt constitutes Bhaskar Ramamurthy Committee for JEE (Advanced) reforms
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) proposed to set up five-member committee, headed
by IIT-Madras director Bhaskar Ramamurthy, to suggest changes to JEE (Advanced) in the wake of an inadequate
number of candidates qualifying entrance test this year.
Other members will include Abhay Karandikar (Director of IIT-Kanpur), Vineet Joshi (Director General of
National Testing Agency) and Professor Kannan Moudgalya of IIT-Bombay.
Home Ministry to relax terms in agreement signed on repatriation of Bru persons to Mizoram
The Union Home Ministry agreed to relax conditions laid down in ‘four-corner agreement’ signed with Bru
migrants for their repatriation from Tripura to Mizoram.
It was signed between Government of India, Governments of Mizoram and Tripura and Mizoram Bru Displaced
People’s Forum (MBDPF) in Jul 2018.
The agreement covers 5,407 Bru families (32876 persons) presently staying in temporary camps in Tripura to
repatriate them to Mizoram before Sept 30, 2018.
SC accepts Centre’s proposal for use of coloured stickers
The apex court of India has accepted Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) proposal to use
hologram-based coloured stickers on vehicles, plying in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) to indicate the
nature of the fuel used.
It has asked govt to implement use of coloured stickers on vehicles plying in Delhi-NCR by Sept 30, 2018.
It also clarified that this colour-coding will only be applicable in Delhi and NCR.
Delhi will be first city in India to have hologram-based coloured stickers on according to fuel they run on.
N Raghuram becomes first Indian to get elected as Chair of International Nitrogen Initiative
Indian scientist-academician N Raghuram has become the first Indian and Asian to get elected as Chair of
International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a global policy making initiative.
He will succeed Mark Sutton of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh.
Besides him, David Kanter of the New York University was elected as Vice-Chair.
The new chairs will formally take up their roles on Jan 01, 2019.
iCRAFPT held in Thanjavur
International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT) has been held at
Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT), Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu with the theme 'Doubling
farmers' income through food processing'.
Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), headquartered in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu is premier
national institute working under administrative control of Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
Ministry of Agriculture proposes to UNFAO to declare 2019 as 'International Year of Millets'
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to declare the
upcoming year as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
For this, the minister wrote to Jose Graziano da Silva, the Director General of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO).
The Union Govt recently increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of millets by more than 50 percent of cost
of production which is an important component of efforts to achieve the national commitment of doubling
farmers’ income by 2022.
Special film festival on theme 'Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters'
The special film festival on the theme 'Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters' has started in Mumbai On the
occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018.
The festival has been organized by Films Division of India (FDI), a film production house belonging to the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B).
It was inaugurated by Rama Khandwala, nonagenarian freedom fighter and Indian National Army (INA) veteran.
Smitha V. Crishna tops list of India’s wealthiest women
Smitha V. Crishna, a third-generation heir of the Godrej family, ranks first in the Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading
Wealthy Women 2018 list with an estimated wealth of ₹ 37,570 crore. She owns one-fifth of the Godrej Group.
Roshni Nadar, CEO and executive director at HCL, ranks second in the list with an estimated wealth of ₹30,200
crore.
The chairperson of the Times Group, Indu Jain, ranks third in the list. Her wealth is estimated at ₹26,240 crore.
Central govt constitutes Narendra Kumar committee
The Central govt has constituted coordination committee headed by the Central Water Commission Chairman,
Narendra Kumar to coordinate the discharge of floodwaters from inter-State projects involving Kerala and Tamil
Nadu, including Mullaperiyar and Aliyar.
BSNL launches VOIP based service 'WINGS'
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched a VOIP based service 'WINGS'.
The WINGS service offers unlimited free audio/video calling for one year. The service can be activated with a
one-time fee of Rs. 1,099 (Rs 1,297 with GST). There is no SIM or cable wiring as it is a VOIP service through
an app.
First project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme North East Circuit launched
The first project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme 'North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom' has been launched
in Manipur. The project covers two sites i.e. Kangla Fort and Khongjom in Manipur.
Union Tourism Ministry carried out works such as restoration and improvement of outer and inner moat of old
Govindajee Temple and rejuvenation of sacred ponds, reconstruction of old rampart, among others.
Kangla Fort is one of the most important historic and archaeological site of Manipur located in the heart of the
capital city Imphal.
Swadesh Darshan Scheme has been launched by Union Tourism Ministry with an objective to develop theme-
based tourist circuits in the country.
FSSAI launches RUCO initiative
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil)
initiative to enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to enable collection of used cooking oil.
According to FSSAI regulations, maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at
25%, beyond which the cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.
FSSAI is a nodal statutory agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health in India through
regulation and supervision of food safety.
Prasar Bharati ties up with Google and YouTube to telecast the 72nd Independence Day programme
Prasar Bharati tied up with Google and its video sharing platform YouTube to telecast the 72nd Independence
Day programme live online on Aug 15 2018 to increase digital presence.
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati stated that the live stream window will be seen on the homepage of
Google itself so that people do not have to look for a separate link to go to the Youtube channel.
This is the first-of-its-kind digital drive in which PM Narendra Modi’s speech from Red Fort is live streamed on
both Google and YouTube.
This service was first used by Google to telecast the inauguration ceremony of US President Donald Trump in Jan
2017.
NITI Aayog launches Pitch to MOVE competition
NITI Aayog launched mobility pitch competition Pitch to MOVE to provide budding entrepreneurs of India
unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to distinguished jury.
The competition is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers (SIAM).
India grants Rs 470 million to Nepal
India released additional Rs. 470 million (Nepali) grant for Phase I of Postal Highway Project being constructed
in Southern Plains of Nepal.
The amount will help to maintain fund liquidity for ongoing construction of 14 road packages under Postal
Highway Project.
India is providing financial assistance to Nepal since 1950 for infrastructure development as part of its multi-
sectoral India-Nepal Economic Co-operation Programme.
India so far has released Rs 2.35 billion to Nepal out of total grant assistance of Rs. 8.00 billion committed to
implement 14 packages under Packages 2-6 of Phase I of Postal Highway Project.
Hackers steal Rs 94 crore from Pune’s Cosmos Cooperative Bank via ATMs
Hackers have stolen (illegally withdrawn) Rs .94 crore from Pune’s Cosmos Cooperative Bank via ATMs in 28
countries. This is first of its kind coordinated digital attack on Indian bank.
Rs 78 crore were illegally withdrawn in more than 12,000 ATM transactions in 28 countries.
Rs 2.5 crore were made in different places within India with another 2,800 transactions.
Rs 13.5 crore was transferred to Hong Kong-based entity using the Society for Worldwide Interbank
Telecommunications (SWIFT) facility.
India celebrates 72nd Independence Day
India has celebrated the 72nd Independence Day on Aug 15, 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s
71st Independence Day.
This was the fifth Independence Day speech of Modi as Prime Minister, from the ramparts of Red Fort.
He announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan, a national healthcare scheme that will
'impact 50 crore Indians' on Sept 25, 2018.
He also announced India’s first manned space mission ‘Gaganyaan’ for 2022.
Govt notifies rules for unlocking Rs 66,000 crore compensatory afforestation funds
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified rules for utilisation of more
than Rs 66,000 crore afforestation funds by states/UTs and for setting up authorities to monitor its use for
afforestation and conservation.
The fund is accumulated amount which user agencies have been depositing as compensation for diverting forest
land for non-forest purposes such as setting up industries or creating infrastructure, over the past 10 years.
India’s first genetic bank for wildlife conservation inaugurated in Hyderabad
The National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank has been inaugurated at Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology’s (CCMB) Laboratory of Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) facility in Hyderabad,
Telanagana.
It is India’s first genetic resource bank where genetic material will be stored for posterity which will further the
cause of conservation of endangered and protected animals.
It will cryopreserve living cell lines, gametes and embryos of endangered wild animal species in India.
IFFCO forays into food processing, forms JV with Spainish firm
www.bsc4success.com www.bscacademy.com mailto:bsc4success@gmail.com Fertiliser major IFFCO entered into joint venture with Congelados De Navarra to set up food processing plant at
Ludhiana in Punjab with an investment of Rs 325 crore.
With this joint venture, co-operative IFFCO for first time will foray into food processing sector.
Congelados De Navarra company based in Spain is pioneer in quick frozen (IQF) technology.
IFFCO will have 30% stake while Congelados De Navarra will have the remaining 70% stake.
The proposed plant will source produce like potatoes, peas and cauliflower from farmers and then process them
for sale in domestic and exports market.
It will also contribute in the government’s goal to double farmers income by 2022.
‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ releases
The document ‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ released by Union Minister for Electronics & Information
Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad in Guwahati, Assam.
The Union govt will invest nearly Rs. 10,000 crore in the region over the next 4 years to implement more than
400 projects.
The vision document identified a total of 8 thrust areas to enhance connectivity, including telecom infrastructure,
electronics manufacturing units, BPOs and cyber security, besides promotion of digital innovations.
The Vision Document aims to empower the people of the North Eastern region.
The first electronics manufacturing cluster in the northeastern region in Guwahati has been inaugurated.
Santhali becomes India’s first tribal language to get own Wikipedia edition
Santhali become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santhali
Wikipedia went live earlier this month.
The Santhali Wikipedia got approval from the language committee of the Wikimedia Foundation on June 28 and
went live on Aug 02.
Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content to make this page possible.
Projects for Defence Industrial Corridor launched in Aligarh, UP
The projects for defence industrial corridor in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh have been launched recently by Union
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
It has been launched as part of the Union Government’s efforts to develop specialised zones dedicated to defence
production in the state.
As part of defence corridor in UP, six nodal points, Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Chitrakoot and Jhansi have
been identified.
In 2018-19 Union Budget, Government had announced setting up of two corridors – one in Tamil Nadu and
other in UP- exclusively for defence manufacturing.
Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting to offer 3-year Santoor women’s scholarship
The Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting is going to offer 3-year Santoor women’s scholarship for higher education
to girls from economically weaker families in the three southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana.
Approx 900 girls from the 3 states will be given Santoor scholarship, with Rs 24,000 for each of them per annum
to do under-graduation.
The students can apply for the scholarship on “www.santoorscholarships.com” till Sept 15 or in state-run colleges
across the three states. The scholarship is an attempt to empower women to change their life and the world.
Santoor is the leading brand name of Wipro’s toilet soap.
FSSAI launches 'RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil)'
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched an initiative 'RUCO (Repurpose Used
Cooking Oil)' that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
The maximum permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25%, beyond which the
cooking oil is unsafe for consumption.
Operation Madad and Sahyog launches
Indian Navy launched Operation Madad, major rescue and relief operation in flood-hit Kerala.
Indian Army launched Operation Sahyog to rescue people in flood-hit Kerala.
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