Latest Current Affairs of August 2018

Drone Regulations 1.0

To take effect from: 01 Dec 2018

Points to remember

  1. Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) or Drones have been classified into 5 categories depending upon the weight namely nano, micro, small, medium and large.
  2. Operations of RPAS to be enabled through Digital Sky Platform. The RPAS operations will be based on NPNT (No Permission, No Take off).
  3. Air space has been divided into three zones viz. Red Zone: flying not permitted, Yellow Zone (controlled airspace): permission required before flying, andGreen Zone (uncontrolled airspace): automatic permission.
  4. Area around airports; near international border, Vijay Chowk in Delhi; State Secretariat Complex in State Capitals, strategic locations/vital and military installations; etc. are defined as No Drone Zones.
  5. All RPAS except nano and those owned by NTRO, ARC and Central Intelligence Agencies are to be registered and issued with Unique Identification Number (UIN).
  6. Drones are allowed to fly only during daytime and upto a maximum of 400 ft altitude.

India's first biofuel powered flight

From : Dehradun to Delhi

Operated by: Spicejet Airlines

Fuel developed by: Dehradun-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum

Biofuel composition: Mix of the oil extracted from the seeds of Jatropha plant and aviation turbine fuel


Neta App

Purpose: To rate and review political representatives.

Launched by: Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India

Developed by: Pratham Mittal of Outgrow.co

Platforms: Android, iOS

Languages available: 16



3rd Indian Ocean Conference

Venue: Hanoi (Vietnam)

Dates: 27 and 28 August 2018

Chairperson: Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, PM of Sri Lanka

Inaugurated by: Smt Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India

Theme: Building Regional Architechtures


Blockchain Bond - Bond-i

Launched by: World Bank

Name: Bond-i, (Blockchain Operated New Debt Instrument)

Points to remember

  1. Blockchain platform built by: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
  2. Tenure of the bond: 2 years from 28 Aug 2018 to 28 Aug 2020.
  3. Rate of interest: 2.20%
  4. Amount raised: $80.4 million.
  5. Technological support for running the bonds: Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service

Kuldip Nayar - Veteran Journalist

Date of Birth: 14 August 1923

Date of Death: 23 August 2018

Positions held: High Commissioner to UK and Rajya Sabha member

Books authored: Beyond the lines (Autobiography); India – The Critical years; Distant Neighbours – A tale of the subcontinent; India After Nehru; The Judgement:Inside story of the emergency in India; Wall at Wagah – India Pakistan Relations; Without Fear: The Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh


6th International Buddhist Conclave 2018

Venue: Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi and Aurangabad (Maharashtra)

Dates: 23 to 26 Aug 2018

Points to remember

  1. Launch of website: indiathelandofbuddha.in
  2. Ministerial level delegation from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are participating in the conclave.
  3. Delegates from 25 other countries are also participating in the conclave
  4. Delegates would be taken for site visits to Aurangabad, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and Sarnath.
  5. Partner country for the conclave: Japan
  6. Theme: Buddha Path – The Living Heritage

Kofi Annan - 7th UN Secretary General

Date of Birth: 08 April 1938

Date of Death: 18 August 2018

UN Secretary General from 1997 to 2006

Nationality: Ghana

Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 along with UNO


Test firing of HeliNa

HeliNa - Helicopter launched Anti-tank Guided Missile

HeliNa is a helicopter launched version of anti-tank missile Nag developed by DRDO

Range - 7 to 8 km

Test fired at - Pokhran, Rajasthan

Test fired from - HAL built helicopter Rudra


11th World Hindi Conference

Dates: 18 to 20 Aug 2018

Venue: Mauritius

Inaugurated by : Mauritius PM Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

Theme: Hindi Vishwa Aur Bharatiya Sanskriti


Ease of Living Index

Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 13th August 2018

Assessment carried out by - M/s IPSOS Research Private Limited in consortium with M/s Athena Infonomics India Private Limited and Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

Total number of cities studied - 111

Top 5 cities - 1. Pune; 2. Navi Mumbai; 3. Greater Mumbai; 4. Tirupati; 5. Chandigarh

Bottom 5 cities - 107. Bhagalpur; 108. Bihar Sharif; 109. Patna; 110. Kohima; 111. Rampur


2018 Global Liveability Index

Released by: Economist Intelligence Unit, London

Top 5 cities - 1. Vienna (Austria); 2. Melbourne (Australia); 3. Osaka (Japan); 4. Calgary (Canada); 5. Sydney (Australia)


Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Born: 25 December 1924

Death: 16 August 2018

Prime Minister of India from: 16.05.96 to 01.06.96; 19.03.98 to 10.10.99; 10.10.99 to 22.05.2004

Minister of External Affairs: 26.03.1977 to 28.07.1979

Birth Place: Gwalior

AWARDS: Bharat Ratna: 2015; Padma Vibhushan: 1992; Outstanding Parliamentarian Award: 1994; Bangladesh Liberation War Honour: 2015

Events during his tenure as the PM of India:

  1. 2nd Nuclear Test named Smiling Buddha carried out by India at Pokhran in May 1998
  2. Historic Delhi - Lahore bus service was started in February 1999
  3. Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan took place from May to July 1999
  4. Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked and India had to return Masood Azhar and other terrorists in exchange for passengers.
  5. Terrorist attack on Indian Parliament took place on 13 Dec 2001
  6. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were launched.

Shri Ajit Wadekar - Cricketer

Born: 01 April 1941

Death: 15 August 2018

Points to remember

  1. First Captain of India's ODI team
  2. Awarded Arjuna Award in 1967 and Padma Shri in 1972
  3. Awarded BCCI's CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012
  4. Tests played - 37 and ODIs played - 2

Documentary on President's Bodyguard

Produced by: National Geographic

Directed by: Shri Robin Roy

Narration by: Shri Amitach Bachchan

The documentary tells the story of the President’s Bodyguard, the oldest surviving mounted unit and one of the senior most regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment was founded in 1773 and was known as the Governor General's Bodyguard during the British Raj.



Report on Station Cleanliness

Conducted by: Quality Council of India (QCI)

Rankings: A1 category stations (out of 75)

  1. Jodhpur/North-Western Railway
  2. Jaipur/North-Western Railway
  3. Tirupati/South-Central Railway

Rankings: A category stations (out of 332)

  1. Marwar/North-Western Railway
  2. Phulera/North-Western Railway
  3. Warangal/South-Central Railway

Zonal Railway rankings

  1. North Western Railway
  2. South Central Railway
  3. East Coast Railway

Note: This is the third survey of its kind. First survey conducted by IRCTC in 2016 by conducting interviews of passengers at the stations on various parameters of cleanliness and rating them on these bases. The second survey in 2017 was conducted by Quality Council of India.


Lead the Competition Latest Video


Shri Somnath Chatterjee

Born: 25 July 1929

Death: 13 August 2018

Speaker of the Lok Sabha from: 2004 to 2009

Outstanding Parliamentarian Award: 1996


Launch of Parker Solar Probe

Launched by : NASA

Launched on : 11 August 2018

Launched from : Cape Canaveral

Launch Vehicle: Delta IV-Heavy with Upper Stage

Purpose: To probe the outer corona of the Sun. It will be the first spacecraft to fly into the low corona. It will fly as close as 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface.


Shri VS Naipaul

Born: 17 August 1932 (Trinidad and Tobago)

Death: 11 August 2018

Nationality: British

Booker Prize: 1971 for "In a Free State"

Nobel Prize: 2001

Notable works: A House for Mr Biswas; A Flag on the Island; In a Free State; A Bend in the River; An Area of Darkness; India: A Wounded Civilization India: A Million Mutinies Now


Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha - Election

NDA Candidate: Harivansh Narayan Singh (won - 125 votes).

Joint opposition candidate - BK Hariprasad (lost - 105 votes).

Former Dy Chairperson: Prof PJ Kurien


Registration Mark for battery operated vehicles

The Central Govt has notified amendments to Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 relating to registration mark on battery operated vehicles.

Transport vehicles: Yellow colour on green background.

All other battery operated vehicles: White colour on green background.


Current Affairs 2018

Current Affairs of July 2018 Current Affairs of June 2018 Current Affairs of May 2018 Current Affairs of April 2018 Current Affairs of March 2018 Current Affairs of February 2018 Current Affairs of January 2018

Important Days of August

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 09 August 2018

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First observed: 1995

Theme: Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement

International Youth Day: 12 August 2018

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First observed: 2000

Theme: Safe Space for Youth

World Elephant Day: 12 August 2018

Designated by: Patricia Sims and Elephant Reintroduction Programme of Thailand

First observed: 2012

Theme: Bringing the world together to help elephants

World Humanitarian Day: 19 August 2018

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First observed: 2009

Theme: #NotATarget

International Day against Nuclear Tests: 29 August 2018

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First observed: 2010

International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances: 30 August 2018

Designated by: United Nations General Assembly

First observed: 2011


Outstanding Parliamentarian Award 2013-17

Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards for the years 2013 to 17 were presented by the President on 01 August 2018.

2013 - Smt Najma Heptullah

2014 - Shri Hukmdev Narayan Yadav.

2015 - Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad.

2016 - Shri Dinesh Trivedi.

2017 - Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab.


New Governors (wef 23.08.2018)

Jammu and Kashmir: Shri Satya Pal Malik

Bihar: Shri Lalji Tandon.

Tripura: Shri Kaptan Singh Solanki

Haryana: Shri Satyadev Narayan Arya

Meghalaya: Shri Tathagata Roy

Sikkim: Shri Ganga Prasad

Uttarakhand: Smt Baby Rani Maurya


Fields Medal 2018 Winners

Awarded by: International Mathematical Union.

Awarded for: Outstanding contribution to mathematics by mathematicians under 40 years of age

Awarded at: International Congress of Mathematics, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Winners

  1. Caucher Birkar, University of Cambridge, UK
  2. Alessio Figalli, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
  3. Peter Scholze, University of Bonn, Germany.
  4. Akshay Venkatesh, Stanford University, USA


Launch of GI Logo and Tag line

Union Industry Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu unveiled the Geographical Indications (GI) Logo and tag line.

The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) had launched a Logo and a Tagline Contest for Geographical Indications of India on 18th October, 2017, through mygov.in platform.

Winning tagline: अतुल्य भारत की अमूल्य निधि (Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India) by Akancha Tripathi.

Winner for logo design: Adri Chatterjee.


Acquisition of IDBI Bank by LIC

The Union Cabinet has approved conveying of no objection to reduction in Government of India shareholding in IDBI Bank Limited to below 50% by dilution. It has also approved acquisition of controlling stake by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) as promoter in the bank.

The process will be completed through preferential allotment / open offer of equity, and relinquishment of management control by the Government in the bank.

The Govt of India holds 85.96% of shares in IDBI Bank as on 30.06.18. The share will be brought to less than 50% by preferential allotment/open offer of equity to LIC which is wholly owned Govt undertaking.


Shri M. Karunanidhi

Born: 03 June 1924 Died: 07 aug 2018.

Points to be noted

  1. Served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 5 times
  2. Popularly referred to as Kalaignar meaning artist in Tamil
  3. He worked as a screenwriter for films, his first film being Rajakumaari.
  4. He was awarded honorary doctorate by Annamalai University
  5. Books written by him: Thenpandi Chingam, Payum Puli Pandara Vanniyan, Ponnar Sankar


Move Hack

What is it? - Global Mobility Hackathon to crowdsource solutions aimed at the future of mobility in India.

Launched by - NITI Aayog

No of legs (stages) - 3 (Online, Singapore and Delhi)

Winners will be announced at - Move Summit in Delhi on 7 and 8 Sep 2018

In partnership with - Govt of Singapore

Knowledge Partner - PwC

Strategic Partner - NASSCOM



Constitution (One hundred and twenty third) Amendment Bill, 2017

Purpose: To accord constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes

The position prior to the bill

Article 338 of the Indian Constitution establishes National Commission for Scheduled Castes and lays down its duties and powers in that respect.

Article 338A (Inserted by Const. Amendment Act, 2003) establishes National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and lays down its duties and power in that respect.

Article 342 deals with President's powers to specify tribes as Scheduled Tribes

The position after the current bill

Article 338B is inserted after 338 which establishes National Commission for Backward Classes and lays down its duties and powers in that respect.

Article 342A is inserted after 342 which deals with the President's powers to specify socially and educationally backward classes.

Amendment of Article 366 by insertion of clause 26C which defines socially and educationally backward classes.

Note: The amendment bill has introduced alongside National Commission for Backward Classes (Repeal) Bill, 2017 which repeals National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 which had established the National Commission for Backward Classes.



Universities identified for starting Yoga Departments

A committee under the chairpersonship of Prof. H.R. Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru (S-VYASA) for making recommendations on Yoga Education in Universities has identified 6 universities for introduction of yoga departments.

  1. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Uttarakhand
  2. Visva Bharti Shantiniketan, West Bengal
  3. Central University of Rajasthan
  4. Central University of Kerala
  5. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Madhya Pradesh and
  6. Manipur University

Mohun Bagan Awards 2017-18

Mohun Bagan Ratan - Pradip Chowdhury

Best Footballer Award - Shilton Paul

Best Cricketer Award - Sudip Chatterjee

Best Youth Footballer Award - Sourav Das

Special Award - Rahim Ali


World Badminton Championships 2018

Venue: Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Sports Park Arena in Nanjing, China.

Dates: 30 July to 5 August 2018.

Mens's Singles title winner - Kento Momota (Japan)

Mens's Singles title runner-up - Shi Yuqi (China)

Womens's Singles title winner - Carolina Marin (Spain)

Womens's Singles title runner-up - PV Sindhu (India)


Women's Hockey World Cup 2018

Venue: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, London

Dates: 21 July to 5 August 2018.

Winner - Netherlands (record 8th time)

Runner-up - Ireland


SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill,2018 has been passed by the Indian Parliament recently.

Background : The directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court in their judgment dated 20.03.2018 in Dr. Subhash Kashinath Mahajan Vs the State of Maharashtra and Another amount to amending the PoA Act and have diluted the provisions of the PoA Act.

The directions of the Hon’ble Court to conduct a preliminary inquiry within seven days by the Dy. S.P. concerned to find out whether the allegations make out a case under the PoA Act and that arrest in appropriate cases may be made only after approval by the S.S.P., would delay registration of First Information Report (FIR) and will impede strict enforcement of the provision of the POA Act.

All this would adversely affect the very objective of the Act to prevent commission of atrocities against members of SC and ST and be severely detrimental especially in heinous offences like sexual exploitation of SC/ST women including rape, gangrape, acid attacks and murder etc.

Point-wise details: Section 18A has been inserted which states that:-

(1) For the purpose of the PoA Act,-

  1. preliminary enquiry shall not be required for registration of a First Information Report against any person; or
  2. the investigating officer shall not require approval for arrest, if necessary, of any person, against whom an accusation of having committed an offence under the PoA Act has been made and no procedure other than provided under the PoA Act or the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall apply.

(2) The provision of section 438 of the Code shall not apply to a case under the Act, notwithstanding any judgment or order or direction of any Court.


Abbreviations in News

ARIAA:Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements

Books in News

Moving On, Moving Forward - Shri Venkaiah Naidu

Atalji ne Kaha - Brijendra Rehi


PDF Downloads

Current Affairs of August 2018 Current Affairs of July 2018 Current Affairs of June 2018 Current Affairs of May 2018 Current Affairs of April 2018 Current Affairs of March 2018 Current Affairs of February 2018 Current Affairs of January 2018

Current Affairs Questions

1. For which of the following missions has the Union Cabinet recently approved raising of funds as Extra Budgetary Resources?

  1. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
  2. Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)
  3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
  4. MGNREGA

2. What is the theme of letter writing competition named Dhai Akhar organised by the Department of Posts?

  1. Letter to My Motherland
  2. Swachh Bharat
  3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
  4. Jai Jawan Jai Kisan

3. Who is the director of the film Halkaa which has been made under the aegis of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)?

  1. Konkona Sen Sharma
  2. Anurag Kashyap
  3. Mahesh Manjrekar
  4. Nila Madabh Panda

4. Which of the following has been recently included in the UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves?

  1. Khangchendzonga
  2. Agasthyamalai
  3. Dehang-Dibang
  4. Manas

5. Who of the following has been chosen for the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award 2018?

  1. Rajmohan Gandhi
  2. Tushar Gandhi
  3. Gopal Krishna Gandhi
  4. Arun Gandhi

6. Which country has been in news for having used Novichok, a deadly nerve agent against its former intelligence officer?

  1. Russia
  2. Iran
  3. North Korea
  4. Venezuela

7. Lombok island which was hit by a devastating earthquake on Aug 5 killing more than 300 people is in which country?

  1. Philippines
  2. Indonesia
  3. Japan
  4. Australia

8. In which city has Ikea, the Swedish furniture manufacturer opened its first store in India?

  1. Bengaluru
  2. Pune
  3. Gurugram
  4. Hyderabad

9. President of which of the following countries survived a drone attack on his life recently?

  1. Brazil
  2. Venezuela
  3. Columbia
  4. Cuba

10. Which of the following states has launched a smartphone distribution scheme called Mobile Tihar?

  1. Rajasthan
  2. Madhya Pradesh
  3. Chhattisgarh
  4. Uttarakhand

11. Which State has become the first in the country to implement the National Policy on Biofuels?

  1. Rajasthan
  2. Tamil Nadu
  3. Kerala
  4. Maharashtra

12. Of which country has Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa been elected the President?

  1. Uganda
  2. Liberia
  3. Zimbabwe
  4. Ethiopia

13. To how many beneficiaries have cooking gas connections been distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana till date?

  1. One crore
  2. Two crores
  3. Three crores
  4. Five crores

14. Which country recently launched its first hypersonic aircraft name Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2)?

  1. China
  2. Japan
  3. South Korea
  4. North Korea

15. With which country does India conduct the joint military exercise Maitree?

  1. Singapore
  2. Sri Lanka
  3. Thailand
  4. Indonesia

16. What is the cashback (on GST amount) offered for Digital Transactions done via BHIM, Rupay or USSD mode as announced by the GST Council?

  1. 20% upto Rs. 100
  2. 10% upto Rs. 200
  3. 20% upto Rs. 200
  4. 10% upto Rs. 100

17. Which State has launched One District, One Product scheme to enhance skills of local people and provide employment?

  1. Rajasthan
  2. Gujarat
  3. Maharashtra
  4. Uttar Pradesh

18. Justice Gita Mittal was recently sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of High Court of -

  1. Jammu and Kashmir
  2. Delhi
  3. Uttarakhand
  4. Chandigarh

19. Balramji Dass Tandon who passed away on 14 August 2018 was the serving Governor of which State?

  1. Jharkhand
  2. Chhattisgarh
  3. Odisha
  4. Telangana

20. Who of the following has won the Rogers Cup Tennis tournament 2018?

  1. Roger Federer
  2. Rafael Nadal
  3. Novak Djokovic
  4. Stefano Tsitsipas

21. Who of the following has been chosen as the Road Safety Brand Ambassador by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways?

  1. Akshay Kumar
  2. Salman Khan
  3. Shah Rukh Khan
  4. Aamir Khan

22. Usha Ananthasubramanian, who was dismissed from service on the last day of her retirement was the CEO/MD of which bank?

  1. Bandhan Bank
  2. Punjab National Bank
  3. Bank of India
  4. Allahabad Bank

23. Genome sequencing of which of the following has been achieved by worldwide scientists recently?

  1. Wheat
  2. Maize
  3. Rice
  4. Cotton

24. Which company has launched VoIP service named WINGS?

  1. Airtel
  2. Reliance
  3. BSNL
  4. Vodafone

25. To which political party does Mr. Imran Khan, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan belong?

  1. Awami League
  2. National Peoples Party
  3. Tehreek-e-Insaf
  4. Republican Party

26. Who of the following has become the first player to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments?

  1. Roger Federer
  2. Novak Djokovic
  3. Rafael Nadal
  4. Andy Murray

27. Whose autobiography is titled 281 and Beyond?

  1. VVS Laxman
  2. Rahul Dravid
  3. Ravi Shastri
  4. Saurav Ganguly

28. In which of the following cities was the first Humboldt Penguin chick born in India?

  1. Kolkata
  2. Delhi
  3. Mumbai
  4. Chennai

29. Dr. G Satheesh Reddy has recently been appointed as the Chairman of which of the following organisations?

  1. Indian Space Research Organisation
  2. NITI Aayog
  3. State Bank of India
  4. DRDO

30. Which month has been chosen to be observed as Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) by the Govt of India?

  1. August
  2. September
  3. October
  4. November

31. Which company has become the first Indian company to cross 8 trillion rupees in market capitalisation?

  1. Reliance Industries
  2. TCS Ltd
  3. HDFC Bank
  4. Hindustan Lever

32. Scott Morrison is the new Prime Minister of which of the following countries?

  1. Canada
  2. Ireland
  3. New Zealand
  4. Australia

33. In which country was the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Peace Mission Exercise held from 22 to 29 August 2018?

  1. China
  2. Kazhakstan
  3. Russia
  4. Tajikistan

34. Which Australian cricketer's autobiography is titled No Spin: My Autobiography?

  1. Shane Warne
  2. Ricky Ponting
  3. Brett Lee
  4. Craig McDermott

35. Which of the following cities was the venue of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit held from 30 to 31 August 2018?

  1. New Delhi
  2. Kathmandu
  3. Bangkok
  4. Dhaka

36. Which of the following companies has launched a project named Navlekha to allow Indian vernacular news publishers to get their content online?

  1. Microsoft
  2. Google
  3. Amazon
  4. Apple

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