Current affairs : August 29, 2016
Aug 29 is Sports Day:
National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29 to mark hockey legend Dhyan Chand's birthday.
- Dhyan Chand, considered as the greatest player in hockey, played a key role in India's three consecutive Olympic triumphs in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
- Notably, the government gives away awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards on this day.
MHA asked Finance Ministry to surrender powers
to monitor NGOs
The Home Ministry has asked the Finance Ministry to surrender its powers to monitor non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under the Foreign
Exchange Management Act (FEMA). This move is aimed at bringing all NGOs which
receive foreign contributions under one umbrella for better monitoring and regulation.
ISRO successfully test-fires scramjet engine
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently successfully tested its own scramjet engines from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The mission was successful.
- In this mission, the ISRO has successfully demonstrated its capabilities in critical technologies like ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems.
- With this, India became the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of a scramjet engines. This mission is a milestone for ISRO’s future space transportation system.
China
launched first cargo train to
Afghanistan
China recently launched its first cargo train to Afghanistan. The
train carrying 84 containers departed from Nantong City, east China’s Jiangsu
Province, to the Afghanistan city of Hairatan.
Mehbooba Mufti launches UJALA scheme in Jammu and Kashmir
CM, Mehbooba Mufti has formally launched the Ujala Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir with the distribution of LED bulbs.
- The National LED programme was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2015 with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED bulbs.
India plans anti-terror drive at NAM
Ahead of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly,
India is planning a major diplomatic outreach in order to push through the ‘Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism’ (CCIT).
- In this regard, India is expected to launch a campaign during the September 13-18 Non Aligned Movement summit in Venezuela.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurates IIT in Dharwad
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar formally inaugurated the institute in Dharwad.
- The inauguration, which was planned last month end, had to be postponed due to the Kalasa Banduri agitation.
- The first batch of IIT-Dharwad began on August 1 with 120 students.
India, U.S. to sign logistics agreement
India and the US are set to sign a key logistics agreement during
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s upcoming visit to the country which will
enable both militaries to use each other’s assets and bases for repair and
replenishment of supplies.
- The agreement is known as ‘Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement‘ (LEMOA). The agreement was announced during the visit of Carter to India in April this year.
NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Completes Its First, And Closest, Jupiter Flyby
NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently successfully completed the first of its 36 orbits of Jupiter. At the closest point in its orbit around the gas giant, Juno flew at a distance of just 2,600 miles above Jupiter’s atmosphere. This flyby, during which the spacecraft was traveling at a breakneck speed of 130,000 miles per hour, is the closest Juno will get to Jupiter during its prime mission.
Doha Bank opens branch in Kerala
Qatar's based Doha Bank has opened a branch, the Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the branch.
- Doha Bank is one of the largest commercial banks in the State of Qatar.
Nico Rosberg wins 2016
Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany
has won the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix of Formula One.
- It was Rosberg’s overall tenth championship title of F1 in his career and the sixth win in the 2016 season.
- Earlier, he had won Australian Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix, Chinese Grand Prix and Russian Grand Prix.
Western Railway wins all
India railway athletic championship
Western Railway won the overall team
championship in the 82nd All India Railway athletic Championship held at
Tiruchirapalli Tamil Nadu.
- Central railway stood 2nd and Southern Railway 3rd in the overall team category. Best athlete award in men’s category was given to Jasdeep Singh of Northern Railway and best women athlete award to Dutee Chand of Northern Railway.
West Indies won the two-match series 1-0 in Florida:
The second T20I was abandoned due to rain after India
bundle out West Indies for 143
- West Indies won the series 1-0 by virtue of their dramatic one-run victory in the first game at the same venue.
- While it’s a regular bilateral series between two nations, the venue makes it special. This is for the first time a BCCI-backed Indian team will play on American soil.
