Daily Current affairs - July 24th, 2018 for all competitive exams
India and Rwanda signed eight
agreements following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali.
- The
two countries signed agreements in the fields of Defence, Trade,
Agriculture, Leather and allied products and Dairy.
- India
also extended two Lines of Credit of 100 million US dollars each – one for
development of industrial parks and Kigali Special Economic Zone, and the
other for three agricultural projects in Rwanda.
- Mr
Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Rwanda on the
first leg of his three-nation tour to Africa.
- PM
Modi also gifted 200 cows to villagers as a part of Rwandan
Government's Girinka Programme.
Government reduced Minimum annual deposit under
Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme
Union Government has reduced the minimum annual deposit
requirement for accounts under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana from Rs 1000 to Rs
250. The minimum initial deposit to open the account has also been reduced
to Rs 250.
- The
move is aimed at enabling more people to take advantage of the girl child
savings scheme. The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Account
Rules, 2016 for the purpose.
The Sukanya Samriddhi scheme was launched by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on January 22, 2015, as a part of the Union Government’s
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
Sukanya
Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small
deposit scheme for the girl child launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao’ campaign.
It is
currently 8.1 per cent and provides income-tax benefit under section 80 C of
the Income Tax Act,1961. Even the returns are tax free in the scheme.
A Sukanya
Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after the birth
of a girl till she turns 10, with a minimum deposit of Rs 250 (Earlier it was Rs 1,000). In subsequent years, a minimum
of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the ongoing
financial year.
The account
will remain operative for 21 years from the date of
its opening or till the marriage of the girl after she turns 18.
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Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched in January, 2015. The scheme is aimed at promoting gender equality and the
significance of educating girls.
The Scheme
is targeted at improving the Child Sex Ratio through multi sectoral interventions including prevention
of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls’ education and her
holistic empowerment.
It is a tri-ministerial effort of
Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and
Human Resource Development.
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Government sets up high level committee to
check Mob lynching
Considering the increasing incidents of mob
lynching, the Union Government constituted a High-Level Committee chaired
by the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to deliberate in the matter and
make recommendations.
- The
Secretary, Department of Justice; Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs;
Secretary, Legislative Department; and Secretary, Social Justice and
Empowerment are the members of the committee.
Loksabha passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017
Lok Sabha has
passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to reduce the number of cheque dishonour cases
pending in courts.
- The
bill amends Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 to primarily address
issues of dishonor of cheques and deal with unnecessary delay in disposal
of such cases.
- The
Act defines promissory notes, bills of exchange, and cheques. It also specifies penalties for bouncing of cheques, and other violations with
respect to such negotiable instruments.
- The
Bill inserts new Section 143 A in parent Act to allow court trying offence
related to cheque bouncing to direct drawer (person who writes cheque) to
pay interim compensation to complainant. This compensation may be paid
under certain circumstances, including where drawer pleads not guilty of
accusation. It will not exceed 20% of cheque amount and will be paid by
drawer within 60 days of trial court’s order to pay such compensation.
Loksabha passed NCTE amendment Bill
The Lok Sabha
has passed the National Council for Teacher Education
(Amendment) Bill to grant retrospective recognition to
Central/State institutions that are conducting teacher education
courses without NCTE approval.
- This
has been done as a one-time measure to ensure that the future of
students studying in these institutions is not jeopardised.
- Retrospective
recognition of certain teacher education institutions: The Bill seeks to grant retrospective
recognition to institutions that have been notified by central government,
funded by Central Government or State/UT government and but do not have
recognition under the parent Act. Besides, these institutions must have
offered teacher education courses on or after establishment of NCTE until
academic year 2017-2018.
- Retrospective
permission to start new courses: The
Bill grants retrospective permission these institutions to start new
course or training in teacher education to institutions.
Regional Rail training institute inaugurated at
Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha
inaugurated Regional Rail Training Institute (RRTI) in Ghazipur, Uttar
Pradesh.
- The
Rail Training Institute (RRTI) was inaugurated with an aim to strengthen
the expertise and capabilities of the employees of North-Eastern Railways.
Nitin Gadkari launches development projects in
Madhya Pradesh
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari launched development projects worth over 5400 crore
rupees in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.
- He
addressed the gathering during Vikas Parv and farmers’
convention in the district.
- The
minister also laid the foundation stones of five national highway projects
stretching 226 km at an investment of Rs 3,583 crore.
Olympic Medalists to now receive Rs20,000
pension per month
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced
that the rate of pension for sportspersons who have won medals in
international competitions and have retired from active sports has
been doubled from April.
- At
present, the government gives lifelong pension to 588 players under the
scheme of ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons.'
- According
to the revised rates, Olympic and Para Olympic medallists will get a
sum of Rs 20,000 per month each, while gold medallists at World Cups
and World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines will
receive Rs 16,000 per month.
- Silver
and bronze medallists at World Cups in Olympic and Asian
Games disciplines will receive a sum of Rs 14,000 per
month and an equal amount is payable to gold medallists of the Asian
Games, Commonwealth Games and Para Asian Games.
NITI Aayog signs SoI with Lupin foundation for
collaborating in Aspirational districts
A Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed between NITI
Aayog and Lupin Foundation to collaborate in Aspirational Districts
Programme.
- The
SoI was signed by Yaduvendra Mathur, Additional Secretary, NITI
Aayog and Sita Ram Gupta, Executive Director, Lupin Foundation.
- As
per the terms of the SoI, Lupin Foundation, with the NITI Aayog, will
work in three states - Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan to
facilitate the creation of an ideal template to develop economic strength,
technological viability and moral leadership across three districts in
these states.
Aspirational
Districts Launched in January this year, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational
Districts’ programme aims to
quickly and effectively transform some of the most
underdeveloped districts of the country.
The broad
contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers &
District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven
by a Mass Movement or a Jan Andolan.
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Delhi AIIMS signed MoU with IIT Kharagpur for
education and research purposes
AIIMS has signed a MoU with the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, for collaboration in education,
research outreach and medical services.
- The
agreement included initiating joint degrees such as PhD, M.D.-PhD,
M.Sc-PhD and coordinated internship programmes.
China offered a gift of USD 295 million to Sri
Lanka
Chinese President Xi Jinping offered a gift of
$295 million to Sri Lanka, as Beijing tries to expand its influence in the
island nation.
- President
Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka, a partner in China’s Belt and Road
project, made the announcement at a ceremony to mark the start of
construction of a Chinese-funded kidney hospital in his home constituency
of Polonnaruwa. China has gifted $295 million for the utilization of the
project.
Pakistan gets its 1st woman Chief Justice of
High Court
Pakistan has got its first-ever woman Chief Justice of a high
court. Justice Tahira Safdar was named as the Chief Justice of the
Balochistan High Court by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.
- Justice
Safdar had made history in 1982 when she became the first woman civil
judge in Balochistan.
SpaceX launched world’s heaviest communications
satellite
Elon Musk-led space startup
SpaceX launched the Telstar 19 Vantage satellite, the world’s heaviest
commercial communications satellite weighing over 7,000 kg, through its Falcon
9 rocket.
- The
satellite has been produced by Space Systems Loral (SSL).
- Goal:-
To provide high-throughput broadcast and internet services from Brazil to
the northernmost regions of Canada.
Banks, Financial Institutions sign agreement to
speed up resolution of bad loans
Nearly two dozen Banks and Financial Institutions, including
SBI and LIC, have signed the inter-creditor agreement
(ICA) framework to speed up the resolution of stressed assets which are
under the 500-crore rupee bracket.
- The
framework is part of the Project SASHAKT, the report on bad bank
drafted and submitted by the committee headed by Non-executive
Chairman of PNB, Sunil Mehta.
- The
objective of ICA is to resolve stressed assets fast, and will primarily
focus on NPAs in the 50 crore to 500 crore bracket.
1st meeting of India-Bangladesh joint committee
on Border haats concludes
The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint
Committee on Border Haats concluded in Agartala, Tripura.
- Extensive
discussions were held on issues related to review of operations of the
four functional Border Haats and suggestions for improvement, timeline for
setting up the six additional Border Haats that had earlier been agreed to
by both sides and the roadmap for further expansion of Border Haats.
Border
Haats are market places organised by the two countries one day each
week. It is not only a market for buying daily commodities but also
a reunion spot for families living on both sides.
The border haats aim at promoting the wellbeing
of the people dwelling in remote areas across the borders of two countries,
by establishing traditional system of marketing the local produce through
local markets.
Currently, four border haats are operational along the
India-Bangladesh border. Two border haats are located in Meghalaya
at Kalaichar and Balat and two are located in Tripura at Srinagar and
Kamalasagar.
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates
National Traders’ Conclave in New Delhi
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated
the three day National Traders’ Conclave at Constitution Club of India, in New
Delhi.
- National
Traders’ Conclave is organised by the Confederation of All-India
Traders. He said that, in the next two-three years India’s economy will be
among the top five. Also, by 2030 India would enter the world’s Top Three
economies.
Sahapedia’s India Heritage Walk fete wins PATA
award
India Heritage Walk Festival, a collaboration
of Sahapedia and YES Arts & Culture, has been awarded the PATA Gold
Award 2018.
- The
award has been announced by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in
Bangkok under the ‘Heritage-Culture’ category.
- It
was sponsored by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Bargiel became the first person to ski down the
world’s 2nd highest mountain
Poland’s Andrzej Bargiel became the first
person to ski down the world’s second-highest mountain, the 8,611-metre high K2
peak in Pakistan.
- K2
also known as “Savage Mountain” is considered to be a more
challenging climb than the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen or
Chhogori at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) above sea level, is the second highest
mountain in the world, after Mount Everest, at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft).
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Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic
Jonathan Gold passes away
Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning
restaurant critic Jonathan Goldpassed away at 57
- He
became the first restaurant critic to win a Pulitzer for criticism in
2007. Gold died of pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed with the
disease.
World Junior Squash championships begins in
Chennai
The Men’s team event of the World Junior Squash
Championships has begun in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- A
total of 24 countries, divided into eight groups, are taking part. India,
placed in Group-E alongside Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, is seeded
fifth.
- Egypt has
been given the top billing and is in Group-A. Canada has been seeded
second and England third. Pakistan has been placed 11th.
Fakhar Zaman, Quickest player to reach 1000
runs in ODIs
Fakhar
Zaman recently scored a double century for Pakistan against Zimbabwe
and became the first player from Pakistan to score a double century in a
one-day international.
- He
became the quickest player in history to reach 1,000 runs in the
format. Fakhar Zaman took 18 innings to reach the 1000 mark.
Tokyo 2020 committee officially launches
Olympic Mascots
The Tokyo 2020 Organising
Committee officially launched its Olympic
mascots 'Miraitowa' and Paralympic mascot 'Someity' at
a ceremony attended by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Committee’s
President Yoshiro Mori.
- The
name of the blue-checked Olympic mascot ‘Miraitowa’ is derived
from a combination of the Japanese words for future and eternity and seeks
to "promote a future full of eternal hope in the hearts of people all
over the world".
- The pink-checked
Paralympic mascot 'Someity' owes its name to a type of cherry tree
blossom and exhibits enormous mental and physical strength.
Indian Shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched gold medal
at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2018
Sixteen-year-old Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen
secured a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships after defeating
World junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in straight games in the
final.
- He
scored 21-19, 21-18 and won over Vitidsarn in the final which clocked 46
minutes.
2018 Badminton Asia Junior Championships is
the 21th edition of the Asia continental junior championships to crown the
best U-19 badminton players across Asia. This tournament was held in Bintaro,
Jakarta, Indonesia between 14–22 July 2018
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