Current Affairs - May To Dec 2018 PDF

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Current Events: Most Important MCQs

(January to December 2018)
1. A new-generation stealth combat unmanned aerial vehicle UAV-CH7, was unveiled by which
of the following countries?
a. Japan
b. South Korea
c. China
d. The USA
2. Where was the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting, held?
a. Dhaka
b. Colombo
c. Durban
d. Kolkata
3. “Dharma Guardian” is the first joint military exercise between India and
a. Bangladesh
b. Australia
c. Japan
d. France
4. India has recently signed a loan agreement with Japan for construction of Turga Hydel Project.
It is located in
a. Meghalaya
b. West Bengal
c. Sikkim
d. Odisha
5. Who among the following has been recently inducted into International Cricket Council’s (ICC)
Hall of Fame?
a. Sachin Tendulkar
b. Rahul Dravid
c. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
d. Javagal Srinath
6. Which country has recently launched a high orbit satellite to boost its BeiDou global satellite
navigation system?
a. Russia
b. China
c. Japan
d. European Union
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7. Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is related with which of the following?
a. UK Brexit deal
b. Iran nuclear deal
c. India-EU free trade agreement
d. Paris climate agreement
8. The Election Commission of India has decided to set up 'Sangwari’ polling stations in which
among the following states, to encourage women Voters?
a. Rajasthan
b. Madhya Pradesh
c. Chattisgarh
d. Odisha
9. NASA recently retired its space mission called Kepler. What is Kepler?
a. a mars orbitor
b. a space telescope
c. a navigation satellite
d. a lunar rovar
10. SWAS, SAFAL and STAR, which have been developed by the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR), are the names of
a. unmanned aerial vehicle
b. Green fire crackers
c. Space Telescope
d. Bio fuels
11. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has recently organised seminar on Gandhian
thoughts and Swachhta to make India a Swacch Bharat by 2019, at which among the following
places?
a. Ahmadabad
b. Pune
c. Wardha
d. Porbandar
12. Which organisation released the biennial Living Planet Report 2018?
a. World Wide Fund (WWF)
b. UNICEF
c. Zoological survey of India (ZSI)
d. Conservation International
13. The Statue of Unity, world's tallest statue which is recently being unveiled, is built on the
river?
a. Tapti
b. Narmada
c. Sabarmati
d. Godavari

14. Which among the following countries launched the world's first sovereign Blue bond?
a. Singapore
b. Seychelles
c. Chile
d. Japan
15. Name the first engine-less semi-high speed train released by India, that was developed by
Integral Coach Factory, Chennai?
a. Train 15
b. Train 24
c. Train 18
d. Train 28
16. What is the name given to the Lander of the Chandrayaan-2 mission?
a. Vikram
b. Satish
c. Akash
d. Abdul
17. Which among the following was launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC) to promote and motivate people to celebrate diwali in an environment
friendly manner?
a. Harit Diwali Swasth Diwali
b. Saaf Diwali- Swasth Diwali
c. Harit Diwali- saaf Diwali
d. Humari Diwali- Harit Diwali
18. Which campaign was launched by Government of India to create awareness about Safe
Food, on the Occasion of the World Food Day 2018?
a. Swastha Bharat Yatra
b. Swacch, Bharat Yatra
c. Safe Food Better Life
d. Food Safety Campaign
19. Which organisation’s website has been recently dedicated to former president Dr APJ Abdul
Kalam, with the theme ‘The Kalam Vision - Dare to Dream’?
a. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
b. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
c. NITI Aayog
d. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
20. Who has been recently conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize 2018?
a. Barack Obama
b. Narendra Modi
c. Raghuram Rajan
d. Vladimir Putin

21. What is the India’s rank in the latest UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) report 2018?
a. 130
b. 132
c. 134
d. 136
22. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has recently commissioned which indigenously built patrol vessel?
a. Tarmugli
b. Vijaya
c. Chetlat
d. Baratang
23. The first Lion Safari of Rajasthan has come up at which of the protected areas?
a. Nahargarh Biological Park
b. Ranthambore National Park
c. Keoladeo National Park
d. None of the above
24. Who has been sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Sudan?
a. Bakri Hassan Saleh
b. Moutaz Mousa Abdallah
c. John Garang
d. Omar al-Bashir
25. Which country’s team has lifted the 2018 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup?
a. Bhutan
b. India
c. Maldives
d. Bangladesh
26. Which Indian personality has been inducted into the board of the US-India Strategic
Partnership Forum?
a. KS Rastogi
b. RP Gopalan
c. S. Jaishankar
d. None of these
27. What is the theme of the 2018 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer?
a. Ozone: All there is between You and Earth
b. Keep Cool and Carry On : The Montreal Protocol
c. Ozone and Climate: Restored by a World United
d. Ozone: The Mission to Protect World
28. ISRO has recently launched its first space technology incubation centre in which State?
a. Maharashtra
b. Odisha
c. Tripura
d. Tamil Nadu

29. Who of file following have won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2018?
a. Hima Das and Monika Batra
b. Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu
c. Jinson Johnson and Savita Punia
d. Neeraj Chopra and Jiwanjot Singh Teja
30. Which of the following movies has been chosen as the India’s official entry to Oscars 2019 ?
a. Kadvl Hawa
b. Raazi
c. Village Rockstars
d. Hichki
31. Who has been appointed new chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)?
a. Manu Ahuja
b. Shekhar Basu
c. Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas
32. Who is the newly appointed chairman the Steel Authority of India (SAIL)?
a. V. Gopi Suresh kumar
b. Anil Kumar Chaudhary
c. PK Rath
33. The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) has rolled out from
which city?
a. Raipur
b. Jaipur
c. Bhopal
d. Ranchi
34. Who has won the 2018 Presidential Election of Maldives?

a. Mohamad Waheed Hassan
b. Abdulla Yameen
c. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
d. Mohamed Nasheed
35. Who has been named the 2018 Best FIFA Men’s player?
a. Lionel Messi
b. Luka Modric
c. Cristiano Ronaldo
36. Which air pollution control device has been recently launched by the Union government for
traffic junctions?
a. VAYU
b. WAYU
c. VAN

d. MANUSH
37. Who has been awarded with the UN’s highest environmental honour ‘Champions of the
Earth 2018’?
a. Sonam Wangchuk
b. Maneka Gandhi
c. Chandi prasad Bhatt
d. Narendra Modi
38. Project Unnati is related to

a. eradication of poverty in rural areas
b. Upliftment tribals by improving connectivity
c. development of ports
d. development of railways in hilly areas
39. Which of the following cities were jointly declared as the ‘Best Heritage City’ at the National
Tourism Awards for 2016-17?
a. Mumbai and New Delhi
b. New Delhi and Agra
c. Kolkata and Udaipur
d. Ahmadabad and Mandu
40. India’s first Methanol-based alternative cooking fuel is to be established in which State?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Rajasthan
c. Himachal Pradesh
d. Assam
41. Who has been appointed the new Director General of Border Security Force (BSF)?
a. KK Sharma
b. Rajni Kant Mishra
c. SS Deswal
42. Which city has launched India’s First Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (FFEWS)?
a. Chennai
b. Kolkata
c. Hyderabad
d. Kochi
43. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been jointly awarded to
a. James P. Allison and Tasuka Honjo
b. Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello
c. Francois Jacob and Jacques Monod

44. India’s first AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy is to be set-up in which city?
a. Jaipur
b. Thiruvananthapuram
c. Baroda
d. Guwahati
45. Which Indian origin has been named chief economist of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF)?
a. Sashi Cheliah
b. Shand Panesa
c. Gita Gopinath
d. Guruswamy Jayraman
46. Which new initiative has been launched by the government of India to promote use of
Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG)?
a. CBG-U
b. SATAT
c. STAAR
d. AMOKSH
47. Which of the following women physicists has won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics?
a. Lisa Randall
b. Ada Yonath
c. Donna Strickland
d. Tara J. Cale
48. Which national level entrepreneurship awareness campaign has been launched by SIDBI?
a. Youth for Work
b. SAFAR
c. Udyam Abhilasha
d. e-Udyam
49. What is the theme of the World Habitat Day 2018?

a. Cities and Climate Change
b. Housing at the Centre
c. Municipal Solid Waste Management
d. Cities, Magnets of Hope
50. The world’s largest dome has recently inaugurated in, which country?
a. Israel
b. Iran
c. India
d. Bangladesh

51. Who has been appointed as the Chief Statistician of India (CSI)?
a. TA Vina
b. Nipun Singh
c. Pravin Srivastva
d. Malti Saxena
52. India’s first ‘Methanol Cooking Fuel Programme’ has been launched in which State?
a. Assam
b. Manipur
c. Jammu and Kashmir
d. New Delhi
53. Which gynaecologist has been named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2018?
a. Dennis Mukwege
b. Evelyn Varnado
c. Tara J. Cole
d. Blanca Duncan
54. Which country won under-19 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament 2018?
a. Bangladesh
b. India
c. Pakistan
d. Sri Lanka
55. Who was appointed as new head of IDBI Bank?

a. Mahesh Kumar Jain
b. Sunil Mehta
c. B. Sriram
d. Rakesh Sharma
56. Which State was ranked the best State as per the ranking undertaken by ‘Swachh
Survekshan Grameen 2018’?
a. Odisha
b. Haryana
c. Bihar
d. Uttar Pradesh
57. The 36th National Games 2019 will be held in which State?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Goa
c. Maharashtra
d. Sikkim
58. Which State’s Alphonso mango recently got GI tag?

a. Bihar
b. Maharashtra
c. Mizoram
d. Uttar Pradesh

59. Who assumed the role of CEO of global beverage giant Pepsico?
a. Denis Mukwege
b. Raman Laguarta
c. Indra Nooyi
d. Ruhan Rajput
60. Who has been appointed as chairman of working group committee of World Federation of
Exchange (WFE)?
a. Ajay Tyagi
b. Sandeep Bansal
c. Vikram Limaye
d. Amit Tandon
61. India’s first National Dolphin Research Centre will soon be opened in which city?
a. Lucknow
b. New Delhi
c. Patna
d. SuTat
62. Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been sworn-in as ---- Chief Justice of India on October 3, 2018
a. 48th
b. 46th
c. 46th
d. 47th
63. Who were awarded the Nobel Prize 2018 in Chemistry?

a. France H. Arnold
b. George P. Smith
c. Sir Gregory P. Winter
d. All of the above
64. Who became the new President of Hockey India?

a. Himaht Biswa Shamna
b. Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad
c. Harsh Bhanwala
d. Sardar Singh
65. Who won Russian Grand Prix F1 Race 2018?

a. Valtteri Bottas
b. Sebastian Vettel
c. Nico Rosberg
d. Lewis Hamilton
66. Typhoon Trami hits which country recently?

a. Japan
b. China
c. The USA
d. Indonesia

67. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Movement has been inaugurated at

a. Satna
b. Panna
c. Dhankya
d. Bilaspur
68. The famous Indra Jatra festival is celebrated in which country?

a. Sri Lanka
b. Bhutan
c. India
d. Nepal
69. What is the India’s rank in Economic Freedom Index Report 2018?
a. 92nd
b. 96th
c. 90th
d. 88th
70. Which country hosted 5th World Internet Conference 2018?

a. China
b. India
c. The USA
d. France
71. The NITI Aayog has launched which mobility pitch competition for budding start-ups in the
mobility field?
a. Pitch to Mob
b. Pitch to Move
c. Pitch to Start
d. Pitch to Gear
72. India’s first genetic bank for wildlife conservation was opened up in which city?
a. Mumbai
b. Hyderabad
c. Ahmadabad
d. Pune
73. PM Narendra Modi launched which scheme on Independence Day, which is the flagship
project of Ayushmaan Bharat?
a. Medicare
b. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
c. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan
d. Pradhan Mantri Jan Yojana
74. Which of the following cities was the venue of the 11th World Hindi Conference 2018?
a. New Delhi
b. Port Louis
c. Johannesburg
d. Paramaribo

75. Which Indian sportsperson has clinched India’s first Gold in the 18th Asian Games 2018?
a. Mary Kom
b. Bajrang Punia
c. Apurvi Chandela
d. Neeraj Chopra
76. The Amnesty International India has launched which campaign to create awareness among
children to identify sexual abuse?
a. Save Child, Save Future
b. Our Safety, Our Rights
c. Goats Set
d. Safety is in Your Hands
77. Which former Indian Army chief has been awarded the United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit’?
a. Bipin Rawat
b. Vijay Kumar Singh
c. Dalbir Singh Suhag
d. Bikram Singh
78. Which Indian personality has been conferred the WHO World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award?
a. Nilesh Mishra
b. Anish Rajan
c. SK Arora
d. Kailash Kumar
79. Recently tested Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘Helina’ is helicopter-launched version of which
missile?
a. Akash
b. Nag
c. Prithvi
d. Agni
80. Country’s biggest centre equipped with the ultra-modern technology Bhamashah Techno
Hub was inaugurated in which city?
a. Raipur
b. Jaipur
c. Gwalior
d. Panna
81. Who has been appointed the new Governor of Jammu & Kashmir?
a. Satya Pal Malik
b. Tathagata Roy
c. SatyadevArya
d. Baby Rani Maurya

82. Which space agency has confirmed presence of ice on Moon using data from the
Chandrayaan-I spacecraft?
a. JAXA
b. NASA
c. Roscosmos
d. CNSA
83. Who has become the first-ever Indian woman to win an individual gold in shooting at the
2018 Asian Games?
a. Manu Bhaker
b. Ankita Raina
c. Mehuli Ghosk
d. Rahi Sarnobat
84. Which of the following cities was the venue of 4th summit of Heads of State/Government of
4th BIMSTEC 2018?
a. Kathmandu
b. New Delhi
c. Colofnbo
d. Thimpu
85. Which country has launched its first state-of-the-art domestic fighter jet ‘Kowsar’?
a. Pakistan
b. Iran
c. North Korea
d. Israel
86. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has given recognition to India’s which indigenous sport?
a. Kabaddi
b. Javelin Throw
c. Cricket
d. Kho-Kho
87. Former President Pranab Mukherjee launched which application to rate MPs and MLAs?
a. NETA
b. Abhineta
c. Leader
d. Leadership
88. Which India’s aircraft carrier will be fitted with a marine hydraulic system to boost the air
operations of the ship?
a. INS-Vikram
b. INS-Tarini
c. INS-Vikramaditya
d. INS-Taruna

89. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of DRDO?

a. G. Satheesh Reddy
b. S. Christopher
c. AK Jain
d. AK Sivan
90. Who was appointed as new Secretary General of ASSOCHAM?

a. Usha Ananth Subramaniyan
b. Uday Kotak
c. Lakshman Sen
d. Uday Kumar Verma
91. Who heads the steering committee which recently submitted ‘Making India 5G Ready’
report to government?
a. Aruna Sundrarajan
b. Vinod Tawde
c. Waqar Ali
d. AJ Paulraj
92. The Copernicus project, under which wind-sensing satellite ‘Aeolus’ has been launched
recently, is a joint project of?
a. European Union and European Space Agency
b. ISRO and JAXA
c. NASA and ISRO
d. Roscosmos and ISRO
93. The world’s first public block chain bond ‘BOND-l’ has recently launched by which
international organisation?
a. AIIB
b. ADR
c. World Bank
d. IMF
94. Which Indian economist has been appointed Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the
New York office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?
a. Nikhil Seth
b. Atul Khare
c. Rahguram Rajan
d. Satya S. Tripathi
95. Who became the first-ever Indian javelin-thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal?
a. Shivpal Singh
b. Neeraj Chopra
с. Parsa Singh
d. Arjun Meghwal

96. G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was held in which city?
a. Beijing (China)
b. Tokyo (Japan)
c. Salta (Argentina)
d. New York (USA)
97. The ISRO is planning to use which launch vehicle to send Gaganyaan in space by 2022?
a. GSLV Mk-V
b. GSLV Mk-ll
c. GSLV Mk-III
d. GSLV Mk-IV
98. Who was officially sworn-in as the new President of Zimbabwe?

a. Robert Mugabe
b. Emmerson Mnangagwa
c. Canaan Banana
d. Constantino Chiwenga
99. The Central government constituted a new 21-member advisory panel on science,
technology and innovation Who will be heading this panel?
a. Dipak Mishra
b. KJ Joseph
c. Vijay Sharma
d. K. Vijay Raghavan
100. Who has become the first Indian poet invited to record his poems at the Library of
Congress in Washington DC in ‘The Poet and the Poem’ series conducted by poet Grace
Cavalieri?
a. Abhinav Karan
b. Abhay K
c. Manav Sharma
d. Abhi Sharma
101. Who created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold?
a. Soma Biswas
b. Rurnima Hembram
c. Swapna Barman
d. Pramila Aiyappa
102. Who has been appointed as Vodafone Idea’s first CEO?

a. Scott Morrison ’’
b. Neil Anderson
c. Vikas Chaturvedi
d. Balesh sharma

103. Who has been named for this year’s prestigious Dr. BC Roy National Award?
a. R. Reddy
b. Rama Reddy
c. T. Rajagopal
d. BK Mishra
104. Who were awarded the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar in New Delhi for their
contribution to the society and championing the cause of equity, social justice and human
welfare?
a. Nandita das and Shabana Azmi
b. Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma
c. Shabana Azmi and Rekha
d. Disha Patani and Nandita Das
105. Which country hosted the 6th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM)?
a. Singapore
b. New Zealand
e. Malaysia
d. Japan
106. Who has been elected as the new Chairman of Indian Banks Association (EBA)?
a. Mahesh Kumar Jain
b. Rajnish Kumar
c. PS Jayaram
d. Sunil Mehta
107. Which government has declared the Singphan widlife Sanctuary as an elephant reserve
making it the 30th reserve for jumbos in the country?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Maharashtra
c. Mizoram
d. Nagaland
108. Who was crowned as Miss Universe India 2018?

a. Shraddha Shashidar
b. Apeksha Singh
c. Naha Malik
d. Nehal Chudasama
109. Which Ministry organised National Nutrition Month across the country to mark the fight
against malnutrition?
a. Agriculture
b. Women and Child Development
c. Corporate Affairs
d. Defence

110. Who was sworn in as new President of Pakistan?

a. Mamnoon Hussain
b. Asif Ali Zardari
c. Dr. Arif Alvi
d. Nawaz Sharif
111. The UNSC has adopted which resolution to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan?
a. Resolution 2428
b. Resolution 2426
c. Resolution 2425
d. Resolution 2427
112. Who has won the women’s singles title at the Wimbledon tennis tournament 2018?
a. Maria Sharapova
b. Simona Halep
c. Angelique Kerber
d. Serena Williams
113. World’s largest visa centre has been opened in which of the following cities recently?
a. New Delhi
b. Dhaka
c. Islamabad
d. Bangkok
114. Which of the following IITs of India has unveiled world’s first remotely operable Local
Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) microscope?
a. IIT Kharagpur
b. IIT Madras
c. IIT Bombay
d. IIT Delhi
115. Which country has topped the 2018 ‘Soft Power 30’ index?
a. France
b. United States
c. Australia
d. United Kingdom
116. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AHA) has recently organised the Conference of Heads of
AYUSH National Institutes. Where is the headquarters of AIIA?
a. Jabalpur
b. Raipur
c. New Delhi
d. Patna

117. The NMCG has organised ‘Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan’ in which of the following main
stem Ganga basin States?
a. Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh
b. West Bengal
c. Bihar and Jharkhand
d. All of the above
118. Which country to host the biennial multinational large force employment warfare exercise
Pitch Black 2018?
a. India
b. Australia
c. Canada
d. Japan
119. Which city is hosting the 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting 2018?
a. Durban
b. Moscow
c. New Delhi
d. Beijing
120. Which State government has launched an online portal ‘Aabhaar Aapki Sewa Ka’ for
pensioners?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Chhattisgarh
c. Rajasthan
d. Uttar Pradesh
121. What is the theme of the 10th edition of the Delhi Dialogue 2018?
a. ASEAN-India Relations: Peaceful Village
b. ASEAN-India Relations: Way for next 25 years
c. Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation
d. Strengthening India-ASEAN Eco-Social Cooperation
122. Myanmar has become the 68th signatory to the Framework Agreement of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA). Where is the headquarters of ISA?
a. Australia
b. France
c. Belgium
d. India
123. What is the theme of 2018 World Youth Skills Day?

a. skills for All
b. Improving the image of TVET
c. Skills Development to Improve Youth employment
d. World Skills for peace and prosperity

124. Which country has announced plans to explore concepts to save UNESCO World Heritage-
listed Great Barrier Reef?
a. Indonesia
b. Malaysia
c. Maldives
d. Australia
125. Which country to host the 4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018?

a. Bangladesh
b. Nepal
c. Sri Lanka
d. Myanmar
126. Who has been named as the 2017 AIFF Player of the Year in the men’s category?
a. Anirudh Thapa
b. CR Srikrishna
c. Sunil Chhetri
d. Subrata Pal
127. The NABARD has launched South East Asia’s first-ever Centre for Climate Change (CCC) at
which Indian city?
a. New Delhi
b. Udaipur
c. Shimla
d. Lucknow
128. Which of the following is the official mascot for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games?
a. Someity
b. Keito
c. Zabivaka
d. Miraitowa
129. Which typhoon has recently hit Chinese financial hub Shanghai and disrupted transport and
shipping?
a. Typhoon Ampil
b. Typhoon Maria
c. Typhoon Jelawat
d. Typhoon Ketsana
130. Who has been named the first-ever female High Court Chief Justice of Pakistan?
a. Asifa Quraishi
b. Riffat Hassan
c. Maria Ulfah
d. Tahira Safdar

131. Which State government has released its first-ever tribal atlas to highlight the tribal
demography of the State?
a. Manipur
b. Madhya Pradesh
c. Odisha
d. Tamil Nadu
132. Who has won the 2018 Formula 1 German Grand Prix tournament?
a. Kimi Raikkonen
b. Sebastian Vettel
c. Valtteri Bottas
d. Lewis Hamilton
133. Which country is hosting the 10th edition of BRICS Summit 2018?
a. South Africa
b. Brazil
c. Russia
d. China
134. Which city hosted the Global Disability Summit 2018?

a. New Delhi
b. Paris
c. London
d. Geneva
135. What is the theme of the 2018 World Hepatitis Day (WHD)?
a. Hepatitis: Think Again
b. Eliminate Hepatitis
c. Test Treat, Hepatitis
d. Know Hepatitis-Act now
136. The 2018 International Tiger Day (ITD) is observed on which date?
a. July 29
b. July 28
c. July 30
d. July 31
137.Fakhar Zaman, who has become die fastest player to score 1000 ODI runs, is belong to
which country?
a. Bangladesh
b. Australia
c. Pakistan
d. South Africa
138. Which of the following countries is/are hosting the 2018 International Army Games (IAG)?
a. Iran
b. Armenia
c. Russia
d. All of these

139. What is the theme of the 2018 World Day against Trafficking in Persons?
a. Protect rights of human trafficking victims
b. Act to protect and assist trafficked persons
c. Unite to eradicate human trafficking
d. Responding to the trafficking of children and young people
140. Which city hosted the first ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit?
a. New Delhi
b. Kathmandu
c. Udaipur
d. Varanasi
141. The first cow sanctuary of Rajasthan will come up in which district?
a. Bikaner
b. Jodhpur
c. Jaipur
d. Hanumangarh
142. What is the current repo rate, as per 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy review for of 2018-19
of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)?
a. 6.50%
b. 6.00%
c. 6,25%
d. 6.75%
143. Which State government has approved an unemployment allowance scheme

‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam’?
a. Telangana
b. Karnataka
c. Andhra Pradesh
d. Kerala
144. Which Indian golfer has won the 2018 Fiji International Golf title?
a. Gaganjeet Bhullar
b. Arjun Atwai
c. Ajeetesh Sandhu
d. Shiv Kapoor
145. Which State government has launched a rural cleanliness and sanitation campaign
‘Swachhameva Jayate’?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Rajasthan
c. Goa
d. Karnataka

146. Who has been appointed the new Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI)?
a. Ram Sewak Sharma
b. Vikram Limaye
c. Rajan Mathews
d. D. Shivalingaiah
147. What is the theme of the 2018 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples?
a. Indigenous Peoples’ migration and movement
b. Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education
c. Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Health
d. Ensuring indigenous peoples' health and well-being
148. Which of the following has become the first Defence PSU to be activated on the TReDS
platform?
a. Bharat Dynamics
b. Dredging Corporation of India
c. Central Electronics Limited
d. Garden Reach Ship-builders and Engineers
149. Who has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Commission for Women
(NCW)?
a. Lalitha Kumaramangalam
b. Jayanti Patnaik
c. Alphons Kannanthanam
d. Rekha Sharma
150. What is the current number of India’s Biosphere reserves included in the World Network of
Biosphere Reserves?
a. 8
b. 9
c. 10
d. 11
151. Recently, Justice Gita Mittal has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of which of the following
High Courts?
a. Punjab and Haryana
b. Jammu and Kashmir
c. Rajasthan
d. Uttar Pradesh
152. Who has been voted the most infuential woman in history as per the recent Readers of BBC
History magazine poll?
a. Florence Nightingale
b. Marie Curie
c. Mother Teresa
d. Marilyn Monroe

153. UNESCO has included which / Indian biosphere reserve in the list of World Network of
Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) at the 30th Session of the Man and Biosphere International
Coordinating Council?
a. Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
b. Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
c. Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
d. Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
154. Who has been elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
a. Harivansh Narayan Singh
b. BK Hariprasad
c. Ananth Kumar
d. Ram Gopal Yadav
155. Who has won the men’s singles title of the Wimbledon Championships 2018?
a. Roger Federer
b. Novak Djokovic
c. Andy Murray
d. Rafael Nadal
156. Simona Halep won the women’s singles title at the French Open 2018 by defeating
a. Sloane Stephens
b. Serena Williams
c. Garbine Muguruza
d. Madison Keys
157. Which of the following institutions have developed the world’s 1st Artificial Intelligence
Psychopath ‘Norman’?
a. California Institute of Technology
b. Google
c. Microsoft
d. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
158. Where was the 18th SCO summit held?

a. Moscow
b. Astana
c. Kingdao
d. Yekaterinburg
159. Which country’s women’s cricket team scored the highest total (490) in the ODI match so
far?
a. West Indies
b. New Zealand
c. England
d. South Africa

160. Legendary tennis player Maria Bueno dies at 78. Which country did she belong?
a. Germany
b. Brazil
c. Spain
d. The USA
161. Which Indian Sate’s groundwater was contaminated with uranium?

a. Kerala
b. Jharkhand
c. Chhattisgarh
d. Rajasthan
162. Anthony Bourdain (USA) was a celebrity

a. Actor
b. Astronaut
c. Chef
d. Scientist
163. Which country recently ordered the closure of seven mosques and ordered 60 Imams to
leave the country?
a. France
b. Spain
c. Austria
d. Australia
164. Who has become the 3rd Indian cricketer to reach the coveted milestone of playing 500
international matches?
a. MS Dhoni
b. Virat Kohli
c. Rohit Stiarma
d. Ravichandrah Ashwin
165. Which one of the followings is related to the Hague Treaty?

a. Secularism and pluralism
b. Child labor product restriction
c. inter country abduction of children by the parents in case of bad marriage
d. Action against the persons settling abroad after marriage
166. Which company has recently launched Cream ‘Dermique’ to reduce the impact of aging?
a. Hindustan Unilever
b. ITC
c. Patanjali
d. Dabur
167. According to the QS University Ranking 2019, which is the highest ranking university of
India?
a. IISc, Bengaluru
b. IIT Delhi
c. IIT Kanpur

d. IIT Mumbai
168. In the case of solid waste management, the city of Vengurla has got the highest score.
Vengurla city is located in the State of
a. Kerala
b. Maharashtra
c. Karnataka
d. Tamil Nadu
169. Which armed force launched ‘Operation NISTAR’ to rescue 38 Indians who were stranded
in the Socotra Island?
a. Indian Navy
b. Indian Air Force
c. Indian Army
d. Air India
170. In June, 2018 the Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points
a. After two and a half years
b. After three and a half years
c. After four and a half years
d. After five years
171. The first-ever UN’s International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated on

a. June 30
b. June 26
c. June 25
d. June 29
172. Which unique app has been launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for people
to report model code violations?
a. cVIGIL
b. pVIGIL
c. eVIGIL
d. mVIGIL
173. Which country’s researchers have developed the world’s smallest computer ‘Michigan
Micro Mote’?
a. United States
b. China
c. Japan
d. Germany
174. Gautam Kanjilal, who passed away recently, was pioneer in which field?
a. Hockey
b. Rock climbing
c. Judo
d. Mimicry

175. Which movie has won the Best Picture Award at the UFA awards 2018?
a. Tumhari Sulu
b. Hindi Medium
c. Mom
d. Newton
176. Which city is hosting the 4th National Review and Consultation on Swachh Iconic Places?
a. Hyderabad
b. Kurnool
c. Allahabad
d. Murshidabad
177. Which country to host the ICC Women’s World T20 tournament 2018?
a. England
b. New Zealand
c. West Indies
d. South Africa
178. Which State is hosting the 58th National Interstate Senior Athletics 2018?
a. Assam
b. Kerala
c. Gujarat
d. Rajasthan
179. Who has been crowned as the India’s first Tribal Queen?
a. Panchami Majhi
b. Rashmirekha Hansdah
c. Tulasi Munda
d. Pallavi Durua
180. Which Indian Naval Ship is participating in the 26th edition of world’s largest multilateral
naval exercise ‘RIMPAC -2018’?
a. INS Satpura
b. INS Sahyadri
c. INS Vikramaditya
d. INS Kamorta
181. Who of the following have won the World Food Prize 2018?
a. BR Barwale & Surinder K. Vasal
b. Robert F. Chandler and John Niederhauser
c. Lawrence Haddad and David Nabarro
d. Hans Rudolf Herren and Gurdev Khush
182. According to data on language released as part of Census 2011, which is the most spoken
language in India?
a. Marathi
b. Bengali
d. Telugu
d. Hindi

183. Who has been sworn-in as the first-ever visually impaired judge of Pakistan?
a. Yawar Ali
b. Sana Afzal
c. Yousaf Saleem
d. Zubair Sabir
184. Which district has been ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s Delta ranking of Aspirational
Districts Programme?
a. Bijapur
b. West Sikkim
c. Asifabad
d. Dahod
185. Which State government has been awarded for reducing maternal mortality under Prime
Minister’s Safe Motherhood Campaign?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Rajasthan
c. Uttar Pradesh
d. Punjab
186. Who will lead Indian women’s team for the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup tournament
in London?
a. Sunita Lakra
b. Rani Rampal
c. Nikki Pradhan
d. Gurjit Kaur
187. The Gangrel Dam is built across which river in Chhattisgarh?
a. Son
b. Ganga
c. Mahanadi
d. Narmada
188. Which nation has agreed to reduce tariffs on its imports of Indian medicines?
a. US
b. Japan
c. China
d. Germany
189. Which Bollywood personality has been conferred with the French distinction of Knight of
the Order of Arts and Letters?
а. Deepika Padukone
b. Kalki Koechlin
c. Priyanka Chopra
d. Kareena Kapoor

190. Who has won the French Grand Prix Fl tournament 2018?
a. Valtteri Bottas
b. Lewis Hamilton
c. Max Verstappen
d. Kimi Raikkonen
191. UN MSME Day is celebrated on

a. June 25
b. June 26
c. June 27
d. June 28
192. Which state government has launched Kanya Van Samruddhi Yojana recently?
a. Rajasthan
b. Maharashtra
c. Gujarat
d. Karnataka
193. Which app has been launched by government in June, 2018 to track and trace missing and
abandoned children in India?
a. ReUnite
b. Scout
c. Rummage
d. Pathway
194. India’s rank in Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018 is

a. 32
b. 35
c. 39
d. 42
195. Who has been elected the new Director General of International Organisation for Migration
(IOM)?
a. Christine A. Elder
b. Abraham Hanson
c. Antonio Vitorino
d. George Crennan
196. The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of which Indian city has recently declared as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site?
a. Puducherry
b. Panaji
c. Kochi
d. Mumbai

197. Which Indian cricketer has recently inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame?
a. Sachin Tendulkar
b. Saurav Ganguly
c. VVS Laxman
d. Rahul Dravid
198. According to US State Department which country has been tagged “worst human
trafficking nation”?
a. Iraq
b. Pakistan
c. North Korea
d. Myanmar
199. The NITI Aayog has partnered with GNFC Limited to implement fertilizer subsidy
disbursement through which technology?
a. Internet of Things
b. Block chain
c. Cryptocurrency
d. Counterparty
200. Who has been appointed new Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for UN Military
Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)?
a. Stephanie T. Williams
b. Jose Eladio Alcain
c. Per Gustaf Lodin
d. Antony K. Luce
201. Which is the second nation to open embassy in Jerusalem?

a. USA
b. Russia
c. China
d. Guatemala
202. WHO's comprehensive plan to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023 is

a. HEALTH
b. REPLACE
c. CHANGE
d. TRANS HEALTH
203. Delhi will be the most populous city in the world by

a. 2019
b. 2023
c. 2028
d. 2033

204. As per a report by Mercom Communications, what is the position of Indian in the solar
market?
a. 3rd
b. 2nd
c. 5th
d. 4th
205. The Punjab government has decided to extend the free dengue tests for how many health
centers?
a. 20
b. 15
c. 25
d. 33
206. Who has been honoured with the 26th P C Chandra Puraskaar 2018?
a. Mithun Chakravarti
b. Sonu Nigam
c. Sharmila Tagore
d. Asha Bhosle
207. Which Bank launched humanoid IRA 2.0 in Bengaluru recently?

a. SBI Bank
b. ICICI Bank
c. HDFC Bank
d. Axis Bank
208. Which city hosted the 2018 International Buddhist Conference?

a. Dharmshala
b. Varanasi
c. Kathmandu
d. Lumbinl
209. Who of the following has been recommended for Arjuna Award by the Badminton
Association of India?
a. Gadde Ruthvika Shivani
b. Pradnya Gadre
c. Ashwini Ponnappa
d. N. Sikki Reddy
210. National Highways Authority of India has entered into a pact with.......... for road projects
under highway monetization drive.
a. Morgan Stanley
b. Macquarie
c. IMF
d. World Bank

211. The Ayushman Bharat Diwas has 2018 celebrated on

a. April 30
b. April 26
c. April 28
d. April 29
212. Odisha Skills 2018 was organised by

a. National Skill Development Corporation
b. Ministry of Labour and Employment
c. Industrial training institute
d. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
213. Recently Kavinder Gupta was appointed as the Deputy CM of

a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Gujarat
c. Jammu & Kashmir
d. Bihar
214. Which railway station ranks to be 3rd in country to have airport-like facilities?
a. Chennai
b. Surat
c. Kolkata
d. Hyderabad
215. This country will host the multi-nation counter-terrorism exercise ‘Peace Mission 2018’.
a. Japan
b. India
c. Russia
d. Singapore
216. Who clinched the 2018 Barcelona Open tennis tournament?

a. Dominic Thiem
b. Rafael Nadal
c. Kei Nishikori
d. Stefanos Tsitsipas
217. Which state to promote cultural tourism at Darjeeling hills?

a. West Bengal
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Kerala
d. Andhra Pradesh
218. Who won a silver medal in the sabre event of the Toumoi World Cup Satellite Fencing
Championship, in Reykjavik, Iceland?
a. CA Bhavani Devi
b. Valentina Vezzali
c. M. Granbassi
d. GiovannaTrillini

219. Which Indian player won maiden title on Tennis Challenger Circuit recently?
a. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan .
b. Saketh Myneni
c. Sumit Nagal
d. Prajnesh Gunneswaran
220. Which is the 2nd nation to open embassy in Jerusalem?

a. The USA
b. Russia
c. China
d. Guatemala
221. Who has been approved as the secretary of state by the US senate?
a. Mike Pompeo
b. Bernie Sanders
c. Paul Ryan
d. Ted Cruz
222. Which country bans banks from using crypto currencies?

a. Iran
b. Iraq
c. Pakistan
d. Indonesia
223. Mario Abdo Benitez has been appointed as the President of which country?
a. Bolivia
b. Argentina
c. Brazil
d. Paraguay
224. Who has been named by Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament as its new Prime Minister?
a. Mukhammedkaliy Abylgaziyev
b. Roza Otunbayeva
c. Askar Akayev
d. Temir Sariyev
225. Who has succeeded Raul Castro as the new president of Cuba?
a. Jose Ramon Ventura
b. Hugo Chavez
c. Ramiro Valdez
d. Miguel Diaz Cartel
226. Who become the 13th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA)?
a. Markwayne Mullin
b. Tom Cole
c. Mo Brooks
d. Jim Bridenstine

227. Name the person who took charge as Prime Minister of Armenia on May 8, 2018.
a. Serge Sargisyan
b. Nikol Paehinyan
c. Armen Sarkissian
d. Karen Karapetyan
228. Which country has announced 50 million euro humanitarian aid for Syria?
a. France
b. Italy
c. UK
d. Spain
229. Supreme Court disqualifies from public office for life for disqualification of law
maker.
a. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
b. Zahid Hamid
c. Ishaq Dar
d. Nawaz Sharif
230. Which country has approved the issuance of law on Equal Wages and Salaries for men and
women in April, 2018?
a. South Korea
b. Canada
c. Turkey
d. UAE
231. Viktor Orban has been elected as Prime Minister of which country?
a. Bulgaria
b. Hungary
c. Spain
d. Poland
232. ..... and Malaysia concluded joint military exercise Desert Tiger 5.
a. India
b. China
c. UAE
d. USA
233. Which country allows women to volunteer for national service for the first time ever?
a. Iraq
b. Kuwait
c. Qatar
d. Sudan
234. Who has been elected as President of Sierra Leone?

a. Samura Karnara
b. Julius Maada Bio
c. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
d. Siaka Stevens

235. Who has been elected as president of Costa Rica?

a. Otton Solis
b. Carlos Alvarado
c. Otto Guevara
d. Laura Chinchilla
236. Which among the following countries have kicked off joint military exercise ‘Foal Eagle’?
a. India and
b. USA and South Korea
c. China and Russia
d. India and UAE
237. Name the first female who has been appointed as Chief of United Nations Department of
Political Affairs (DPA)?
a. Jeffrey Feltman
b. Taye-BrookZerihoun
c. Rosemary DiCarlo
d. Miroslav Jenca
238. India ranked .....in World Press Freedom Index 2018 compiled by Reporters without
Borders (RSF).
a. 136th
b. 148th
c. 138th
d. 140th
239. In which country, the 6th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium was held?
a. Iraq
b. Iran
c. Turkey
d. Oman
240. According to the report of World Bank, which country has emerged as the highest recipient
of remittances globally in 2017?
a. Mexico
b. China
c. India
d. Philippines
241. Which country has been recording the highest growth rate among BRICS nations according
to KPMG Report?
a. Brazil
b. India
c. Russia
d. China

242. India's is the world’ ......largest economy, according to IMF.

a. 5th
b. 7th
c. 6th
d. 9fh
243. India has been ranked....... in the Commonwealth innovation index 2018.
a. 10th
b. 14th
C. 6th
d. 15th
244. In which city Eighth Theatre Olympics concluded?

a. Chennai
b. Hyderabad
c. Mumbai
d. Patna
245. India stands at which position in manufacturing of crude steel, according to SUFI?
a. 1st
b. 3rd
c. 7th
d. 2nd
246. The 5th Indo-Kyrgyzstan joint training exercise KHANJAR V was held in which state?
a. Karnataka
b. Arunachal Pradesh
c. Mizoram
d. Assam
247. Who successfully fired air-to-air BVR Missile?

a. LCA
b. ISRO
c. Argonne National Laboratory
d. Oak Ridge National Laboratory
248. Name the government ministry who has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area
Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years.
a. Communications
b. Tourism
c. Home Affairs
d. External Affairs
249. Who launches e-Gsec platform for bringing retail participation in government Securities?
a. National Stock Exchange
b. Income Tax Department
c. Election Commission
d. National Green Tribunal

250. Which among the given smart cities has become the first city of India that runs on 100%
renewable energy during the daytime?
a. Bengaluru
b. Diu
c. Ahmedabad
d. Chennai
251. Which Indian fencer has won silver in the sabre event of the Tournoi World Cup Satellite
Fencing Championship in Iceland?
a. Nandani Magesh
b. Ruchi Trikha
c. CA Bhavani Devi
d. Geeta Singh
252. Who has been honoured with the 26th PC Chandra Puraskaar 2018?
a. Mithun Chakravarti
b. Sonu Nigam
c. Sharmila Tagore
d. Asha Bhosle
253. Which State government has signed a MoU with the British Council to strengthen
educational and cultural cooperation?
a. Punjab
b. Kerala
c. Tamil Nadu
d. Maharashtra
254. Who is the author of the book ‘My Journey from Marxism- Leninism to Nehruvian
Socialism’?
a. CH Hanumantha Rao
b. Bimal Jalan
c. Amartya Sen
d. Kaushik Basu
255. As per a report by Deutsche Bank, Indian Economy is likely to register Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth of what percent in financial year 2018-19?
a. 7.5%
b. 7.6%
c. 7.9%
d. 7.4%
256. Who was chosen for the 2017 Saraswati Samman?

a. Sitanshu Yashaschandra
b. Ramakant Kumar
e. Vijay Tendulkar
d. Mahesh Bhumi

257. LCA Tejas successfully tested which missile by firing from the aircraft?
a. NAG
b. Israeli Derby Air-to-Air BVR
c. Prithvi
d. Agni
258. International Buddhist Conference 2018 was held in which country?

a. India
b. Thailand
c. Nepal
d. China
259. Which state has emerged as best in the country in prevention of parent-to-child
transmission of HIV?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Kerala
c. Odisha
d. West Bengal
260. India and China recently agreed to implement a joint economic project in which country?
a. Afghanistan
b. Sri Lanka
c. Nepal
d. Maldives
261. Which country is not the full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?
a. India
b. Israel
c. Pakistan
d. Russia
262. Which African country recently legalised the marijuana for medical purposes?
a. Liberia
b. Serbia
c. Zimbabwe
d. Nigeria
263. India recently entered into a legal agreement with which international organisation for
cooperation in biopharmaceuticals?
a. Asian Development Bank
b. New Development Bank
c. United Nations.
d. World Bank
264. Who became India’s longest serving Chief Minister of India?

a. Pawan Chamling
b. Jyoti Basu
c. Raman Singh
d. Shivraj Singh Chauhan

265. Which Indian city hosted the Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop of the UN Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD)?
a. Mumbai
b. New Delhi
c. Surat
d. Gandhinagar
266. What is the India’s growth rate for 2019, as per IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook
report?
a. 7.4%
b. 7.8%
c. 7.5%
d. 7.3%
267. Who has taken charge as new Director General of National Cadet Corps (NCC)?
a. Vinod Vashisht
b. A. Chakravarty
c. BS Sahrawat
d. PP Malhotra
268. The Facebook (FB) page of which / State’s Chief Minister has been ranked as the top ranked
Facebook pages of government bodies in India?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Rajasthan
c. Gujarat
d. Assam
269. The USA and France have called for a new nuclear deal with which nation?
a. North Korea
b. Germany
c. The UK
d. Iran
270. Who has become the first woman lawyer to be appointed as Supreme Court Judge?
a. Ranjana Desai
b. Sujatha Manohar
c. Ruma Pal
d. lndu Malhotra
271. Name the northeast State from which the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 was
completely removed recently?
a. Meghalaya
c. Assam
d. Manipur

272. The NASA is going to start building a platform that will serve as a gateway for astronauts
travelling to and from which space body?
a. Mars
b. Saturn
c. Moon
d. Venus
273. Which Union Ministry has launched Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0?
a. Home Affairs Ministry
b. Rural Development Ministry
c. Human Resource Development Ministry
d. Urban Development Ministry
274. Which country was the highest recipient of remittances in 2017, as per World Bank’s
‘Migration and Development Brief?
a. India
b. China
c. Philippines
d. Mexico
275. PM Narendra Modi launched the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in which state?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Uttarakhand
d. Rajasthan
276. The Supreme Court has sought government’s response on a plea against which section of
the Indian penal code?
a. Section-375
b. Section-499
c. Section-300
d. Section-377
277. The Union Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade- old Protected Area Permit
regime in certain north-eastern states. Which among the following states is still a protected area
and is not included in the exemption?
a. Nagaland
b. Mizoram
c. Manipur
d. Sikkim
278. Who was conferred with the 2017 Dadasaheb Phalke Award posthumously?
a. Vinod Khanna
b. Sridevi
c. Shashi Kapoor
d. Reema Lagoo

279. Who has been appointed as the youth ambassador for the Commonwealth?
a. Prince William
b. Prince Harry
c. Kate Middleton
d. Meghan Markle
280. Which state recently announced setting up of child protection committees?

a. Uttar Pradesh
b. West Bengal
c. Andhra Pradesh
d. Tamil Nadu
281. Which portal was launched recently by Union Human Resource Development Ministry to
cover all aspects relating to studying in India for foreign students?
a. Invest in India
b. Study in India
c. Educate in India
d. Jobs in India
282. Which state’s Chief Minister has launched Pocket Cop project?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Haryana
c. Gujarat
d. Rajasthan
283. The Supreme Court of which nation has disqualified a former Prime Minister from holding
public office for life?
a. South Africa
b. Pakistan
c. India
d. New Zealand
284. Who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service 2018?
a. The New York Times and The New Yorker
b. The New Yorker and Reuters
c. Reuters and The Washington PosT
d. The Washington Post and The New York Times
285. Which nation’s Supreme Court has restricted the deportation of convicted immigrants?
a. The US
b. Pakistan
c. India
d. Japan

286. The NASA launched which mission recently to discover new planets outside the solar
system?
a. CHESS
b. BLUE
c. PRKS
d. TESS
287. Which country has launched a website to report foreign spies?

a. Russia
b. North Korea
c. United States
d. China
288. Which Gulf nation has approved a draft law on property ownership by foreigners?
a. Saudi Arabia
b. Qatar
c. Kuwait
d. UAE
289. Which reserve forest is likely to be declared a Ramsar Site as West Bengal State
Government has given approval to its State Forest Department to apply for recognition under
the Ramsar Convention?
a. Sunderban Reserve forest
b. Mudumalai Reserve forest
c. Sambalpur Reserve Forest
d. Sariska Reserve Forest
290. Name the person who has become the first Woman fire fighter appointed by Airports
Authority of India (AAI).
a. Sanya Shrinivas
b. Taniya sanyal
c. Anu Aravindan
d. Pallavi Singh
291. India and Finland have reached an agreement on the dispute between Indian Income Tax
Department and which Finnish Telecom firm, under the Mutual Agreement Procedure?
a. Vodafone
b. Ericsson
c. Nokia
d. Samsung
292. Who received the Pride of Indian Cinema award in the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence
Awards 2018?
a. Amitabh Bachchan
b. Sri Devi
c. Shah Rukh Khan
d. Sanjay Dutt

293. Name the small molecule that has been discovered by researchers from Indian Institute of
Technology (EX) Roorkee that exhibits good antiviral activity against chikungunya virus.
a. Pep-ll
b. Pep-I
c. Peptase
d. Crypton
294. Which company became the first listed Indian IT firm to hit $ 100 billion market
capitalisation mark?
a. TCS
b. Reliance Industries
c. Aditya Birla
d. Adani
295. In which country, the 6th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium was held?
a. Iraq
b. Iran
c. Turkey
d. Oman
296. What was the theme of the 29th Road Safety Week?
a. Swasth Sadak - Swasth Jeevan
b. Savdhani Hatti - durghatna ghati
c. Sadak Suraksha - Jeevan Raksha
297. Who won the Paraguay Presidential Elections 2018?

a. Efrain Alegre
b. Jaime Bestard
c. Horacio Cartes
d. Mario Abdo Benitez
298. Which state observed the Khongjom Day to pay tribute to the great warriors?
a. Manipur
b. Meghalaya
c. Mizoram
d. Nagaland
299. Which country received the highest remittances of $ 69 billion from its diaspora in 2017?
a. China
b. India
c. Japan
d. USA

300. The discovery of cracks on the surface of which planet has revealed evidence of lakes that
dried up nearly 3.5 billion years ago?
a. Venus
b. Mars
c. Saturn
d. Jupiter
301. Which country is to host 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)?
a. Japan
b. South Korea
c. China
d. Denmark
302. India’s longest elevated road ‘Hindon elevated Road’ has come up in which State?
a. Karnataka
b. Madhya Pradesh
c. Rajasthan
d. Uttar Pradesh
303. Who has been chosen for the prestigious JC Daniel award 2017?
a. Satyan Anthikkad
b. KG George
c. Sreekumaran Thampi
d. Adoor Gopalakrishnan
304. Who has been appointed the protem Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi?
a. CS Krishna Setty
b. ML Srivastava
c. TS Thakur
d. NK Khan
305. CV Rajendra, who passed away recently, was the famous personality from which field?
a. Journalism
b. Science
c. Sports
d. Film Industry
306. Which State government has rolled out ‘Rupashree Scheme’ for marriage of poor girls?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Odisha
c. West Bengal
d. Assam
307. What is the theme of the 2018 World Autism Awareness Day?
a. Empowering women and girls
b. Toward autonomy and self determination
c. Opening doors to inclusive education
d. Employment: The Autism Advantage

308. Who is the newly appointed President of National Association of Software and Service
Companies (NASSCOM)?
a. Ravi Kumar
b. ES Krishna Shetty
c. R. Chandrashekar
d. Debjani Ghosh
309. What is the India’s rank in global start up ecosystem in 2017, as per latest start up blink
report?
a. 37th
b. 44th
c. 24th
d. 17th
310. Which country to host 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)?
a. Japan
b. South Korea
c. China
d. Denmark
311. Who bagged India’s first medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games 2018?
a. Mirabai Chanu
b. Virdhawal Khade
c. Srihari Natraj
d. P. Gururaja
312. The Union Cabinet has approved for mulation of a new Integrated scheme for school
education by subsuming which of the following schemes?
a. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
b. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
c. Teacher Education
d. All of the above
313. Who has been elected as the new President of egypt?

a. Moussa Mostafa Moussa
b. EL-Sayyid el-Badawi
c. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
d. Ahmed Shafik Sisi
314. Which State government has recently raised retirement age of State government
employees from 60 to 62 years?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Rajasthan
c. Punjab
d. Uttar Pradesh

315. The Rangit dam is build across which tributary of Tista river in Sikkim?
a. Rangpo river
b. Rangit river
c. Lachung river
d. Ring Yong Chhu river
316. The first mega food park of Rajasthan has come up in which city?
a. Kota
b. Ajmer
c. Jaipur
d. Udaipur
317. Who has been appointed as the new Director-General Border Roads (DGBR)?
a. SK Shrivastava
b. Deepak Jain
c. Harpal Singh
d. Sanjeev Kumar
318. The ISRO has successfully launched GSAT-6A satellite from which rocket vehicle?
a. GSLV-F07
b. GSLV-F09
c. GSLV-E05
d. GSLV-F08
319. What is the theme of the 2018 International Day of Forests?

a. Forests and Water
b. Forests and Energy
c. Forests and Sustainable Cities
d. Forests and Life
320. Who has been appointed as the new Director-General of the National Testing Agency
(NTA)?
a. Ritik Ranjanam pandy
b. B. Kishore
c. Vineet Joshi
d. Nitishwar Kumar
321. India’s first Insect Museum has opened in which State?

a. Kerala
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Assam
d. Odisha
322. Which high-powered committee has been formed by the Union government to examine
CBSE’s exam conduct process?
a. Nirmal Jain Committee
b. VS Oberoi Committee
c. Sundaram Das Committee
d. Mithali Kumar Committee

323. What is the Zero Discrimination Day Compaign for year 2018?
a. What never
b. What not
c. What if
d. What sure
324. Which Indian naval command has conducted tri-services maritime exercise ‘Paschim Leher
(XPL-18)’ in the Arabian Sea?
a. Eastern Naval Command
b. Western Naval Command
c. Southern Naval Command
d. Andaman and Nicobar Command
325. The Department of Posts has launched cool EMS Service between India and which country?
a. Brazil
b. China
c. Japan
d. United States
326. Which State has highest number of fully covered tribal habitations with, the safe drinking
water?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Odisha
c. Rajasthan
d. Jharkhand
327. The Murrum Sili Dam is located in which State?

a. Punjab
b. Mizoram
c. Chhattisgarh
d. Uttar Pradesh
328. The 42nd Civil Accounts Day (CAD-2018) is celebrated on which in India?
a. February 28
b. March 1
c. February 21
d. March 2
329. The 2018 Cultural Festival ‘India by the Nile’ held in which country?
a. Nigeria
b. South Sudan
c. Egypt
d. Tunisia

330. Which ministry along with ' Ministry of Culture and Archaeological ‘Survey of India (ASI) has
launched ‘Adopt a Heritage Project’?
a. Social Justice and Empowerment
b. Tourism
c. Science and Technology
d. Development of North Eastern Region
331. Who has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Serbia?
a. Subrata Bhattacharjee
b. Mahesh Bhattacharjee
c. Surendra Kumar
d. Rajesh Kumar
332. Who won the men’s singles title at the Miami Open tennis tournament 2018?
a. John Isner
b. Alexander Zverev
c. Glenn Rosario
d. Alexander Paolo
333. When was the Odisha Formation Day also known as Utkal Dibasa or Utkal Divas celebrated?
a. April 2
b. April 1
c. March 30
d. March 31
334. Which bank has launched voicebot ‘Keya’, the first artificial intelligence-powered voicebot
in Indian banking sector?
a. Postal Payment Bank
b. IDBI Bank
c. SBI
d. Kotak Mahindra Bank
335. Which country successfully test fired indigenously developed Submarine Launched Cruise
Missile (SLCM) BABUR?
a. China
b. India
c. The USA
d. Pakistan
336. Name the newly discovered organ in human being.

a. Mitochrodiam
b. Oseogium
c. Interstitium
d. Elastidium

337. Which State government launched ‘181-Sakhi’, a toll-free helpline number for women?
a. Manipur
b. Meghalaya
c. Assam
d. Punjab
338. Which Indian State has the highest number of1 tribal habitations fully covered with the
safe drinking water supply?
a. Maharashtra
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Odisha
d. Madhya Pradesh
339. Which State has got Geographical Indications (GI) tag for Kadaknath, a chicken breed
whose black meat is in demand in certain regions of the State?
a. Goa
b. Maharashtra
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Bihar
340. In which State, the Government Senior Secondary Girls school is renamed as Shaheed
Major Vikas Yadav Senior Secondary School?
a. Bihar
b. Jharkhand
c. Uttarakhand
d. Haryana
341. India received its first shipment of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from which country under a
20-year deal?
a. The UAE
b. US
c. China
d. Malaysia
342. SAUBHAGYA scheme is related to which of the following?

a. Farmers
b. Women empowerment
c. Electrification programme
d. Agriculture
343. Who was appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ayushman Bharat National
Health Protection Mission?
a. Kurian Joseph
b. Navin Sinha
c. lndu Bhushan
d. Ranjan Gogoi

344. In which State Greentech Mega Food Park was inaugurated?

a. Tamil Nadu
b. Rajasthan
c. Karnataka
d. West Bengal
345. Name the first female UN Political Chief?

a. Rosemary Dicarlo
b. Sarah Palin
c. Tammy Baldwin
d. Carol Moseley
346. In which Indian city, Defence Investiture Ceremony was held?

a. New Delhi
b. Kolkata
c. Mumbai
d. Pune
347. In which State, India’s first insect museum was inaugurated?

a. Kerala
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Karnataka
d. Odisha
348. Which city hosted the SARAS Aajeevikamela 2018?

a. New Delhi
b. Mumbai
c. Patna
d. Surat
349. ‘Greeting and Training Exercise’ was carried out between the USA and which country?
a. China
b. Sri Lanka
c. Egypt
d. India
350. When is World Theater Day celebrated all over the world?
a. March 26
b. March 27
c. March 28
d. March 29
351. Who has been sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of Bangladesh?
a. Md. Muzammel Hussain
b. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
c. Mohammad Shafiul Alam
d. Syed Mahmud Hussain

352. Which Union Ministry has launched Green Good Deeds campaign?
a. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
b. Ministry of Women and Child Development
c. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
d. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
353. The unique, first-of-its-kind, floating market has come up in which city of West Bengal?
a. Siliguri
b. Jalpaiguri
c. Kolkata
d. Medinipur
354. Which Union Minister has launched a new start up incubation centre ‘Centre for
Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL)’ in Mangaluru?
a. Arun Jaitley
b. Prakash Javadekar
c. Nirmala Sitharaman
d. Ravi Shankar Prasad
355. Which team has won the Ranji Trophy Cricket tournament 2017-18?
a. Hyderabad
b. Gujarat
c. Chhattisgarh
d. Vidarbha
356. The 2018 World Cancer Day was observed on which date?
a. February 5
b. February 3
c. February 4
d. February 2
357. In the Union Budget 2018, the Central government has allocated Rs.48000 crore for which
scheme to encourage farmers for solar farming?
a. KUSUM
b. KUTSUB
c. KUSUN
d. KUTUB
358. Who is the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC)?
a. Dinesh Srivastava
b. Garima Singh
c. Nitin Chopra
d. Vikram Jha

359. After Sikkim, which North-East State has been officially declared Open Defecation Free
(ODF)?
a. Manipur
c. Nagaland
d. Mizoram
360. Which country has launched the world’s largest human genome research project?
a. China
b. Japan
c. Brazil
d. Russia
361. Sudha Karmarkar, the veteran theatre artist has passed away. She hailed from which State?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Karnataka
c. Goa
d. Maharashtra
362. Who has been bestowed with the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award 2018?
a. Shatrughan Sinha
b. Anurag Kasbyap
c. Vishal Bhardwaj
d. Shyam Benegal
363. Which city is hosting the 2018 Kala Ghoda Arts festival?
a. New Delhi
b. Kochi
c. Mumbai
d. Kolkata
364. The Assam government has signed an MoU with National Building Construction
Corporation (NBCC) for construction of Twin Tower Trade Centre in Guwahati. Where the
headquarters of NBCC is located?
a. New Delhi
b. Kochi
c. Chennai
d. Kanpur
365. Which country’s team has won the 12th edition of ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2018?
a. Australia
b. New Zealand
c. West Indies
d. India

366. Which country has launched the world’s longest zip line?
a. Oman
b. UAE
c. France
d. China
367. Which task force has been constituted by the Union government to study use of Artificial
Intelligence (AI) in military?
a. Gulshan Rai task force
b. Natarajan Ghandrasekarara task force
c. Ravi Shankar Prasad task force
d Alphons Kannanthanam task force
368. Who has taken charge as the new Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG)?
a. Sudeep Lakhtakia
b. Sarath Chand
c. Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar
d. VS Vagede
369. In the Union Budget 2018, the Union government has announced to build a tunnel through
the Sela Pass. The Sela pass is located in which State?
a. Sikkim
c. Manipur
d. Himachal Pradesh
370. Which country has joined Ashgabat Agreement?

a. India
b. China
c. Israel
d. Iraq
371. Who has been honoured with the 2018 Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman award?
a. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai
b. Rahul Sankarnarayan
c. Shesh Anand Madhukar
d. Visvanatha Satyanarayana
372. Which city hosted the 2nd edition of Nobel Prize Series-India 2018?
a. Panaji
b. Chandigarh
c. New Delhi
d. Kochi

373. Mary Kom has won gold in which weight category at the 2018 India Open boxing
Tournament?
a. 64 kg category
b. 60 kg category
c. 54 kg category
d. 48 kg category
374. Srihari Natraj has grabbed gold medal in 100 m Backstroke category in swimming at the
Khelo India School Games. He hails from which State?
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Uttarakhand
c. Maharashtra
d. Karnataka
375. Which State government has launched Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) project to
promote organic farming?
a. Punjab
b. Himachal Pradesh
c. West Bengal
d. Assam
376. Which country has become the world’s largest steel producer in 2017, as per latest report
published by World Steel Association (WSA)?
a. Japan
b. India
c. The USA
d. China
377. What is the theme of the 2018 World Leprosy Day?

a. Zero Child Leprosy
b. Leprosy defeats, Live transform
c. Zero Disabilities in girls and boys
d. To live is to help to live
378. What is the India’s rank in the 2017 EIU Global Democracy Index?
a. 42nd
b. 64th
c. 33rd
d. 21st
379. Which city hosted the 7th India Energy Congress (IEC) 2018?
a. Jaipur
b. New Delhi
c. Bhopal
d. Shimla

380. Anu Kumar has grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games in 1500 m. He
hails from?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Jharkhand
c. Uttarakhand
d. Rajasthan
381. Which Indian-American personality has been elected as the Vice Chairman of the US-India
Strategic and Partnership Forum?
a. Shantanu Narayen
b. Ajay Singh
c. Mukesh Aghi
d. Sayak Banerjee
382. What is the India’s rank in the 2018 Global Talent Competitiveness Index?
a. 81st
b. 98th
c. 102nd
d. 88th
383. Who has been honoured with the India’s highest peacetime military decoration ‘Ashoka
Chakra’ at the 69th Republic Day?
a. Khairnar Milind Kishor
b. Nilesh Kumar Narayan
c. Devendra Mehta
d. Jyoti Prakash Nirala
384. India has signed how much amount of loan agreement with ADB for construction of over
6200 km rural roads in five States?
a. $550 million
b. $450 million
c. $250 million
d. $750 million
385. Who has won the men’s singles title at the 2018 11 Even Sports National Senior Table
Tennis Championship?
a. Sharath Kamal
b. G. Sathiyan
c. Manav Thakkar
d. Anthony Amalraj
386. Who has been elected as the new President of Finland?

a. Tuula Haatainen
b. Sauli Niinisto
c. Laura Huhtasaari
d. Pekka Haavisto

387. Which State government has launched Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojana for distressed
sections?
a. Karnataka
b. Punjab
c. Meghalaya
d. Kerala
388. What is the India’s rank in the list of wealthiest countries, according to a new report by
New World Wealth?
a. 11th
b. 6th
c. 9th
d. 4th
389. India’s first ever ‘Khadi Haat’ has launched in which city?
a. Lucknow
b. Patna
c. Ahmedabad
d. New Delhi
390. Who has won the women’s singles title at the Indonesia Masters badminton tournament
2018?
a. Carolina Marin
b. Tai Tzu-ying
c. Saina Nehwal
d. PV Sindhu
391. Sandeep Lamichhane has become the first Nepal cricketer to get IPL contract. He will play
under which IPL team?
a. Kolkata Knight Riders
b. Kings XI Punjab
c. Delhi Daredevils
d. Chennai Super Kings
392. Which State government has launched ‘Shakti’ app for women’s safety in the State?
a. Himachal Pradesh
b. Punjab
c. Haryana
d. Uttar Pradesh
393. Which State hosted the 2018 National Handloom Expo (NHE)?
a. Manipur
b. Assam
c. Arunachal Pradesh
d. Jharkhand

394. Which state’s tableau has won the best tableau award at the 69th Republic Day Parade
2018?
a. Assam
b. Maharashtra
c. Karnataka
d. Chhattisgarh
395. What is the theme of the 8th National Voters Day (NVD-2018)?
a. Ethical Voting
b. Empowering young, and future events
c. Accessible Elections
d. Authentic Elections & Voting
396. Who has been sworn-in as the new President of the Republic of Honduras?
a. Salvador Nasralla
b. Juan Orlando Hernandez
c. Luis Orlando Zelaya
d. Xiomara Castro
397. Which International organisation will launch a new Global Centre for Cyber security to
safeguard the world from hackers?
a. World Economic Forum
b. International Telecommunication Union
c. UNICEF
d. International Maritime Organisation
398. Jawai Dam, which is built across Luni River, is located in which State?
a. Gujarat
b. Rajasthan
c. Maharashtra
d. Uttar Pradesh
399. Who has created a national record in the 63kg women’s category at the 33rd Women
Senior National Weightlifting Championships?
a. Amandeep Kaur
b. S. Thasana Chanu
c. Karnam Malleswari
d. Rakhi Halder
400. Name the India’s first indigenously developed vaccine to be pre-qualified by World Health
Organisation (WHO)?
a. Rabishield
b. Rotavac
c. Elovac-B
d. Abhay-Tag

401. CHAMAN project is being implemented by Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre
using which technology?
a. Hybrid
b. Networking
c. Remote sensing
d. Irrigation
402. Which folk artist gets ‘Kalakar Puraskar’ Award 2017?

a. Papor
b. Shubha Mudgal
c. Gopal Gowda
d. Kailash Kher
403. Jagdish Mohan, the renowned Hindustani, vocalist of Kirana Gharana passed away. He
hailed from which State?
a. Uttarakhand
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Rajasthan
404. Who has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan?
a. Gajendra Singh Shekhavat
b. Azar AH Khan
c. NK Singh
d. Arvind Mehta
405. Who has been chosen for the 27th edition of Vyas Samman 2017
a. Vishwanath Tripathi
b. Mamta kalia
c. Surinder verma
d. Mannu Bhandari
406. Which committee has been set-up by the National Commission for Minorities to study
minority States for Hindus in 7 States and a Union Territory?
a. Syed Ghayorul Hasan Committee
b. George Kurien Committee
c. Ashvini Upadhyaya Committee
d. P. Gir Das Committee
407. Which Indian athlete has won bronze at 2017 Indoor Archery World Cup stage 2
tournament?
a. Ankita Bhakat
b. Nivetha Ganesan
c. Laishram Bombayla Devi
d. Deepika Kumari

408. What is the theme of World AIDS Day 2018?

a. Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV infections
b. Leave no one behind
c. Universal Access and Human Rights
d. Know your Status
409. In which State, India’s largest floating solar power plant has been set-up?
a. Kerala
b. Odisha
c. Andhra Pradesh
d. Telangana
410. Which Arabian peninsula announced that it has formed a new economic and partnership
group with Saudi Arabia?
a. Yemen
b. Oman
c. United Arab Emirates
d. Qatar
411. Which State inaugurated the first International exhibition and conference on AYUSH and
wellners sector, AROGYA 2017?
a. New Delhi
b. Gujarat
c. Punjab
d. Haryana
412. In which country the four day International conference on climate change was held?
a. Myanmar
b. Napal
c. Bhutan
d. Sri Lanka
413. Name the cyclone which originated near Sri Lanka over the Bay of Bengal and moved over
the Arabian sea through Kanyakumari?
a. Ockhi
b. Vardha
c. Neelu
d. Neelam
414. Who is the author of the English novel ‘Two’?

a. Gulmeez
b. Jemson
c. Fertcer
d. Gulzar

415. In which country, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2017 was held?
a. China
b. Russia
c. Japan
d. Canada
416. India’s first crypto-currency exchange ‘coinome’ has launched by which payment gateway?
a. Direcpay
b. Citrus pay
c. Billdesk
d. Payzippy
417. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Air India?
a. Rajiv Bansal
b. Ashwani Lohani
c. Pradeep Singh Kharola
d. Rituraj Singh
418. Who has been appointed the Chairman of the newly constituted National Anti Profiteering
Authority (NAA) under GST regime?
а. JC Chauhan
b. Bijay Kumar
c. Badri Narain Sharma
d. R. Bhagyadevi
419. Who has won the sportsman of the year award at the first edition of Indian Sports
Honours?
a. Virat Kohli
b. Pankaj Advani
c. R. Ashwin
d. Kidambi Srikanth
420. Under whose chairmanship the 15th Finance Commission has been constituted by the
Union government?
a. Arvind Mehta
b. Ramesh Chand
c. NK Singh
d. Shaktikanta Das
421. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has been crowned the Miss Universe 2017. She hails from which
country?
a. Jamaica
b. Cambodia
c. Colombia
d. South Africa

422. Which of the following will be India’s first Solar Mission to take off in 2019?
a. Aditya - LL Mission
b. Aditya - LI Mission
c. Aditya - XL Mission
d. Aditya - XI Mission
423. Which bank has launched a unified integrated app YONO for financial services?
a. Punjab National Bank
b. ICICI Bank
c. State Bank of India
d. HDFC Bank
424. Who become the new President of Zimbabwe?

a. Patrick Chinamasa
b. Emmerson Mnagagwa
c. Joice Mujuru
d. Phelekezela Mphoko
425. Who has become the first ever female pilot to be inducted into the Indian Navy?
a. Sakthi Maya S
b. Astha Segal
c. Roopa A
d. Shubhangi Swaroop
426. Who has been honored with 2017 Big Little Book Award in Bengali language category?
a. Kartik Ghosh
b. Amarendra Chakravorty
c. Nabneeta Dev Sen
d. Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
427. What was the theme of the 8th edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES-
2017)?
a. Women First, Prosperity for AII
b. Go Digital
c. Live Together for Prosperity
d. Join Hands for Global Economy
428. The exercise code-named India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX) was concluded in
which State?
a. Himachal Pradesh
b. Sikkim
c. Maharashtra
d. Meghalaya
429. Who is the author of the book ‘Age of Anger : A History of the Present’?
a. Milan Vaishnav
b. Nabaneeta Dev sen
c. Shashi Tharoor
d. Pankaj Mishra

430. Which country hosted the 4th Global Conference on sustained eradication of child labour?
a. Germany
b. South Africa
c. New Zealand
d. Argentina
431. Who has been appointed as the President of the 36th International Geological Congress
(IGC-2020)?
a. Vishwapati Trivedi
b. Vijay Prasad Dimri
c. ML Khan
d. Krishna S. Chaturvedi
432. Who is the first ever female, appointed as UK’s Ambassador to the UN?
a. Diane Sawyer
b. Karen Pierce
c. Hu Shuli
d. Avani Ghaturvedi
433. Whidh insurance company has become the first private life Insurer in India to implement
Electronic National Automated Clearing House (e-NACH) service of the National Payment
Corporation of India?
a. HDFC Life
b. Bajaj Allianz
c. ICICI Prudential Life
d. Aviva India
434. Who was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award, at the Chandigarh Lit Fest Literati-2017?
a. Ruskin Bond
b. Anushka Ravishankar
c. Poile Sengupta
d. Salman Rushdie
435. The 12th meeting of the standing committee of Inter State Council (ISC) was held at
a. Delhi
b. Mumbai
c. Pune
d. Patna
436. Name the world’s first 3D Sanskrit Film, which was screened at 2017 IFFI Goa.
a. Arundati
b. Anurakthi
c. Balumahi
d. Aarunya

437. Which country hosted the 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space for the first time?
a. China
b. The USA
c. Canada
d. India
438. Name the app launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inaugural ceremony of the
global conference for cyber space.
a. MITHRA
b. SANKALP
c. SRISHTI
d. UMANG
439. In order to protect the marine ecology, what was banned on the mechanised fishing
vessels?
a. LED lights
b. Halogen lights
c. Krypton lights
d. Stern light
440. Where did the 13th meeting of the parties for the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 13) and the 2nd
meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement (CMA2) held?
a. Bern
b. Beijing
c. Bonn
d. Amsterdam
441. Consider the following statements regarding the Miss World 2017 contest.
I. Manushi Chhillar is the fifth Indian woman to win the Miss World title.
II. India has won the Miss World 2017 title 17 years after Priyanka Chopra won the title in
2000.
III. Andrea Mega from Mexico was the first runner-up and Stephanie Hill from England was
second runner-up. Which of the above statements is/are true?
a. I and II
b. II and III
c. I and III
d. None of these
442. Identify the correct statemtents :

a. Every year, ‘World Toiler Day’ is celebrated on November 19 across the globe.
b. Theme for ‘World Toilet Day’ 2017 was Sanitation for All
c. Both of the above

443. State-sum lender Bank of Baroda launched digital supply chain finance solution which aims
to accelerate working capital loan opportunities for which among the following?
I. Small enterprises
II. Medium enterprises
III. Large corporates
a. Only I and II
b. Only I
c. Only lII
d. All of these
444. Which movement has been awarded the most visited place of the world by ‘World Book of
Record’ (WBR), a London based organisation?
a. Bara Imambara
b. Jahtar Mantar
c. Jama Masjid
d. Golden Temple
445. With which country Indian Cabinet signed the agreement on scientific and technological
cooperation?
a. Greece
b. Poland
c. Belarus
d. Malta
446. What is the rank of India in IMD World Talent Ranking 2017?
a. 39
b. 41
c. 51
d. 53
447. Where did the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium IMMSAREX-17 held?
a. Bay of Bengal
b. Arabian Sea
c. Indian Ocean
d. Arctic Ocean
448. Where was the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship held?

a. Iraq
b. Iran
c. Sweden
d. Norway
449. What is the objective of SAUBHAGYA scheme launched in Manipur?

a. Jobs for the youths
b. Electrification in all parts of India
c. Free WiFi connection to all railway station
d. Education to all

450. Who is appointed as the first Women Secretary General of the Lok Sabha?
a. Uma Bharat
b. Maneka Gandhi
c. Snehlata Srivastava
d. Ram Devi
451. The Union Cabinet has recently approved setting up of a Central Tribal University in which
of the following states?
a. Odisha
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Jharkhand
d. Chhattisgarh
452. The researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (DT Madras) have designed
India’s first indigenous microprocessor called
a. Shikhar
b. Shakti
c. Sambal
d. Shaurya
453. United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has recently formed a strategic partnership
with which of the following Multinational companies to eliminate world hunger?
a. Walmart
b. Amazon
c. Alibaba
d. Reliance
454. K9 Vajra, which is being inducted into the Indian Army, is a

a. Self propelled artillery gun
b. Nuclear submarine
c. Unmanned aerial vehicle
d. Ballistic missile
455. Which of the following cricket stadiums has been renamed as ‘Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari
Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium?
a. Ekana International Stadium Lucknow
b. Feroz shah kotla, Delhi
c. Green Park Stadium, Kanpur
d. Holkar Stadium, Indore
456. Which of the following is India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine?

a. INS Arihant
b. INS Vikrant
c. INS Vikramditya
d. INS Vishal

457. The World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed every year across the world on
a. October 5
b. October 7
c. November 5
d. November 7
458. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is setting up a digital repository to capture loan information of
individuals and Corporate borrowers. What is it 7 called?
a. Credit Registry of India
b. Public Credit Registry
c. Credit Data Bank
d. Public Credit Repository
459. Jair Bolsonaro, has won the 2018 Presidential elections of

a. Venezuela
b. Brazil
c. Mexico
d. Equador
460. What was the theme of 2018 World Science Day for Peace and Development observed on
10 November?
a. Science, the Future of Tomorrow
b. Science, a Human Right
c. Science, for Human Development
d. Science, a Basic Need
461. ‘Notes of a Dream’, written by Krishna Trilok, is a biography of

a. Lata Mangeshkar
b. Rahul Dravid
c. AR Rahman
d. Prakash Padukone
462. Which state Government has launched ‘Mo Bus’ services for urban areas?
a. Kerela
b. Odisha
c. West Bengal
d. Gujarat
463. Moody’s, a credit rating agency, in its report titled ‘Global Macro Outlook 2019-20' stated
that Indian economy will grow at what percent in 2019?
a. 7.3%
b. 7.5%
c. 7.7 %
d. 7.9 %

464. India has recently approved signing of an Extradition Agreement with which of the
following countries?
a. Morocco
b. Mexico
c. Italy
d. Columbia
465. Which State government has launched Saura Jalnidhi scheme to encourage use of solar
energy in irrigation by farmers?
a. Rajasthan
b. OdiSha
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Karnataka
466. Which State government has decided to convert Indian Navy’s longest-serving aircraft
carrier INS Viraat, into India’s first-ever moored maritime museum-cum-marine adventure
centre?
a. Gujarat
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Maharashtra
d. Tamil Nadu
467. Who has been named chairperson of electric car pioneer Tesla, replacing Elon Musk?
a. Robyn Denholm
b. Sean Anderson
c. James Murdoch
d. Pradeep Sindhu
468. Which country has launched the world’s largest human genome research project to
document the genetic makeup of one lakh people to help generate the precision medicines for
the future?
a. Japan
b. US
c. Australia
d. China
469. Which district has been renamed as Ayodhya by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath?
a. Ghaziabad
b. Faizabad
c. Allahabad
d. Muradabad
470. Which Municipal body has recently launched QR-enabled fridge magnets for digital
payment of bills?
a. New Delhi Municipal Council
b. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
c. The Greater Chennai Corporation
d. Pune Municipal Corporation

471. When was International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and
Armed Conflict observed?
a. November 5
b. November 6
c. November 7
d. November 9
472. Who will be awarded the 2018 Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award by the Press Council of India
(PCI)?
a. N. Ram
b. Malini Parthasarthy
c. Siddharth Varadarajan
d. Shekhar Gupta
473. Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved the strategy for
operationalisation of Operation Greens, as per which MoFPI will provide what percentage of
subsidy for transport and storage of TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato)?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 60%
d. 75%
474. Who has been elected as the president of International Boxing Association (AIBA)?
a. CK Wu
b. Gafur Rakhimov
c. Jacques Rogge
d. Serik Konakbayev
475. Where was the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting
held?
a. Dhaka
b. Columbo
c. Durban
d. Kolkata
476. Which Asian city has been ranked first in the Sustainable Cities Index of, design and
engineering firm Areadis?
a. Singapore
b. Hongkong
c. Seoul
d. Taipei
477. What is the rank of India in terms of web-borne threats, according to a recent report by
global cyber security company, Kaspersky Lab?
a. 10
b. 12
c. 14
d. 16

478. The Changsha Declaration, recently seen in news, is related to

a. Trade and Commerce
b. Anti-Terrorism
c. Poverty and Hunger
d. Nuclear Disarmament
479. Who became the first ever gymnast to win 13 world gymnastics championship gold
medals?
a. Susan Mayer
b. Simone Biles
c. Rachael Parker
d. Aly Raisman
480. Which state/union territory has launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana’ to give
free tourism package for senior citizens?
a. Gujarat
b. Goa
c. Delhi
d. Madhya Pradesh
481. ‘Dharma Guardian’ is the first joint military exercise between India and
a. Bangladesh
b. Australia
c. Japan
d. France
482. India has recently signed a loan agreement with Japan for construction of Turga Hydel
Project. It is located in
a. Meghalaya
b. West Bengal
c. Sikkim
d. Odisha
483. Where was the India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) 2018 held?
a. Dubai
b. Abu Dhabi
c. Mumbai
d. Bangalore
484. What was India's rank in recently released World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB)
2018 rankings?
a. 76
b. 77
c. 99
d. 100

485. In a tourist-friendly measure, which UT government has launched a special police force,
with distinct blue-coloured head gears, to ensure the safety of visitors?
a. Dadra Nagar Haveli
b. Daman
c. Puducherry
d. Andaman & Nicobar
486. Which city topped in public transport, as per a study named ‘Ease of Moving Index’ by Ola
Mobility Institute?
a. Pune
b. Kolkata
c. New Delhi
d. Bengaluru
487. Which State government has launched a ‘SMiLE Virtual Tour Guide’ site for boosting
tourism?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Kerala
c. Karnataka
d. Andhra Pradesh
488. Where was the 1st Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health held recently?
a. Paris
b. Rio de Janeiro
c. Geneva
d. Kigali
489. The 171st Araadhanai Music Festival observed in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu. The festival
inaugurated by Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Over 1000 musicians from all over the world came
to pay homage to Saint Thygaraja, The festival is observed for how many days?
a. 3
b. 5
c. 7
d. 9
490. The entire Nagaland has been declared as ‘disturbed area’ for six more months i.e. till June
end of 2018, with effect from December 30, 2017 for the purpose of that Act The declaration
comes under which act?
a. AFSPA
b. ASFPA
c. APFSA
d. AASFP
491. Which place began its first historic legal sales of recreational marijuana recently?
a. Oakland
b. California
c. United States
d. Alt of these

492. Who has been named as the brand ambassador of the 10th edition of AIBA Women’s
World Championship to be held in New Delhi?
a. MC Mary Kom
b. Sarita Devi
c. Vijendra Singh
d. Sakshi Malik
493. Which country will be India’s partner country in the 25th DST-CII Technology Summit to be
held in 2019?
a. Ukraine
b. Hungary
c. United States
d. Netherlands
494. Which State government has recently launched the ‘Samruddhi Scheme’ to promote
entrepreneurship among the SC/ST youth?
a. Maharashtra
b. Karnataka
c. Bihar
d. Andhra Pradesh
495. Which State would be the theme State for the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts
Melagoing to be organised at Surajkund?
a. Haryana
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Maharashtra
d. Bihar
496. Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister Mali ?
a. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
b. Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga
c. Ibrahim Boubacar Maiga
d. Soumeylou Boubeye Keita
497. Who will be conferred with the 2018 Gleitsman Award by Harvard University?
a. Kailash Satyarthi
b. Malala Yousafzai
c. Nadia Murad
d. Amal Clooney
498. Who among the following has recently resigned from the chairmanship of the Film and
Television Institute of India (Fill)?
a. Anupam Khar
b. Gajendra Ghauhan
c. Shabana Aazmi
d. Naseeruddin Shah

499. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has recently organised a seminar on
Gandhian droughts and Swachhta to make India a Swacch Bharat by 2019, at which among the
following places?
a. Ahmedabad
b. Pune
c. Wardha
d. Porbandar
500. Which entity launched a ‘Digital Literacy Library’ providing safety tips for users in 6 Indian
languages?
a. Google
b. Microsoft
c. Facebook
d. Yahoo
501. Which organization released the biennial Living Planet Report 2018?
a. World Wide Fund (WWF)
b. UNICEF
c. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
d. Conservation International
502. The Statue of unity, world’s tallest statue which is recently being unveiled, is built on the
river
a. Tapti
b. Narmada
c. Sabarmati
d. Mahi
503. Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr Nitin Gadkari laid the
foundation stone of India’s largest Dry Dock at which among the following places?
a. Haidia
b. VishaKapattnam
c. Cochin
d. Paradip
504. Where was the India’s fitst gallery on robotic dinosaurs inaugurated recently?
a. Kapurthala, Punjab
b. Amravati, Andhra Pradesh
c. Kutch, Gujarat
d. Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
505. Which among the following countries launched the world's first sovereign Blue bond?
a. Singapore
b. Seychelles
c. Chile
d. Japan

506. Where was the 1st edition of North East Olympic Games held, in October, 2018?
a. Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
b. Shillong, Meghalaya
c. Imphal, Manipur
d. Gangtok, Sikkim
507. Which state signed the ‘Host City Contract’ With the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) for
the 39th National Games 2022?
a. Odisha
b. Meghalaya
c. Punjab
d. Kerala
508. Which country is Asia’s most investment savvy economy, according to a new Standard
Chartered study-‘The Emerging Affluent Study 2018- Climbing the Prosperity Ladder’?
a. China
b. Japan
c. India
d. Indonesia
509. Mammals of India (MaOI) is a first of its kind repository of Mammals in India. It is
developed by
a. Zoological Survey of India
b. Bombay Natural History Society
c. National Center for Biological Sciences
d. Indian Veterinary Research Institute
510. Who among the following was the head of the panel of governors constituted by President
Ram Nath Kovind that submitted its report ‘Approach to Agriculture : A Holistic Overview’ on
approach to agriculture for doubling farmer’s income?
a. Raghuram Rajah
b. Ram Naik
c. Urijit Patel
d. OP Kohli
511. Which city with over 1 crore population accorded the ODF status?
a. Mumbai
b. Hyderabad
c. Both (a) and (b)
d. None of these
512. Krishi Kumbh 2018 has been r organised at which among the following places?
a. Lucknow
b. Kanpur
c. Allahapad
d. Varanasi

513. Where did Union Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurate the 3-day 10th Edition of BIOFACH
INDIA, the largest show on the ‘Organic Sector’ in India?
a. Chennai
b. New Delhi
c. Allahabad
d. Hyderabad
514. Oumuamua, which is recently seen in news, is the

a. world's largest volcano
b. world's oldest mammal
c. first interstellar object to pass through solar system
d. smallest object in our solar system
515. Which state has topped the TAG (Teen Age Girls) index, which compares the performance
of each State based on the status of their teenage girls, as per The Teen Age Girls (TAG) Report,
prepared by Project Nanhi Kali?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Kerala
d. Goa
516. Who has been conferred with the 2018 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the
Eueopean parliament?
a. Daniel Castellano
b. Ben Richardson
c. Carlos Sollis
d. Oleg Sentsov
517. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the
web portal of the Scheme IMPRESS in New Delhi. What does ‘I’ represent in IMPRESS?
a. Indian
b. International
c. Internal
d. Impactful
518. Who among the following was awarded the 19th Lai Bahadur Shastri National Award for
Excellence in Public Administration?
a. P. Sathasivam
b. Fali S. Nariman
c. Harish Salve
d. Shanti Bushan
519. The Druzhba 2018 was a joint military exercise held between
a. India and Iran
b. India and Russia
c. Pakistan and Russia
d. PakMan and China

520. India has excluded which country from the list of South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) member countries with whom it will be connecting, its state-of-the-art
National Knowledge Network (NKN) for sharing scientific databases and remote access to
advanced research facilities?
a. China
b. Pakistan
c. Afghanistan
d. None of these
521. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of
Rural Development (MoRD) signed a MoU with which institution to establish Roshni-Centre of
Women Collectives led Social Action?
a. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
b. Lady Irwin College, New Delhi
c. Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru
d. All India Institute of Medical Sciences
522. Which campaign was launched by Government of India to create awareness about Safe
Food, on the Occasion of the World Food Day 2018?
a. Swastha Bharat Yatra
b. Swacch Bharat Yatra
c. Safe Food Better Life
d. Food Safely Campaign
523. What is the rank of India among 140 countries, in the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Index
on Most Competitive Economy for 2018?
a. 45
b. 55
c. 68
d. 58
524. Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has become the 5th airport in
India having CAT m landing system. The facility also includes visual guidance through taxiway
centreline lights up to aircraft parking stands. Choose which airport got this up gradation
earlier?
a. Delhi
b. Chandigarh
c. Lucknow
d. All of these
525. The NTH Aayog has recently signed an MoU With which company to deploy artificial
intelligence (AI) technologies to address challenges in agriculture and healthcare in India ?
a. Google India
b. Microsoft India
c. Wipro
d. TCS

526. Who has been named as the best Central Bank Governor in Asia-Pacific for 2018?
a. Ravi Menon
b. Heng Swee Keat
c. TS Tirumurti
d. Asghar Khan
527. The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs 2018 with the theme
‘Reef for Life’ was held in
a. Bangaram Island
b. Madagascar
c. Australia
d. Great Nicobar
528. In which among the following countries is the world’s longest sea bridge recently
inaugurated?
a. United States of America
b. China
c. Japan
d. India
529. Who among the following has been recently conferred with the Tagore Award for Cultural
Harmony?
a. Ram Vanji Sutar
b. Indu Jain
c. Heisnam Kanhailai
d. Satish Gujral
530. Which state has launched the ‘Khadya Sathi’ scheme to ensure food security to more than
8.5 crore people of the state?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. West Bengal
c. Bihar
d. Odisha
531. The scientist of which Indian organisation has recently developed less polluting fire
crackers named- SWAS, SAFAL and STAR?
a. DRDO
b. CSIR
c. BARC
d. PSRO
532. The area known as ‘Scarborough School’ Sometimes appear in the news in the context of
the events related to
a. East China Sea
b. Sea of Japan
c. Yellow Sea
d. South China Sea

533. An endangered Tribe ‘Senti nelese’ are inhabitants of

a. Kalahari Desert
b. Newsealand
c. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
d. Lakshadweep
534. The project ‘SAKSHAM’ , sometimes seen in the news, is associated to

a. Beti Bachao,beti Padhao yojana
b. Goods and service Tax
c. Pradhan mantra mudra yojana
d. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
535. What is the India’s rank in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index, 2018?
a. 77th
b. 98th
c. 87th
d. 45th
536. The First ever Indo- Japan joint military exercise ‘Dharma Guardian- 2018’ has started in
which of the following states?
a. Mizoram
b. Nagaland
c. West Bengal
d. Odisha
537. Which Union Ministry has launched the India for Humanity initiative?
a. External Affairs
b. Railways
c. Rural Development
d. Defence
538. ‘Operation Green’ announced in Union budget 2018-19 has put top priority on
a. Rice, Maze and Sugarcane
b. Tomatoes, potatoes, and onions
c. Bamboo production
d. Coarse grain production
539. With reference to Environment Performance Index 2018, consider the following
statements
1. It was released by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
2. India is ranked at 177th place.
3. Switzerland is ranked at number one position
Which of the above statements are correct?
a. 1 and 3
b. 2 and 3
c. 1 and 2
d. 1, 2 and 3

540. India has launched which humanitarian assistance operation to provide assistance to the
earth quake and Tsunami victims in Indonesia?
a. Operation Trident
b. Operation Samudm Parekram
c. Operation Maitri
d. Operation Samudm Maitri
541. With reference to ‘INSPIRE Scheme’, Consider the following statements

1. It is an initiative of Ministry of Science and Technology
2. It selects only those research scholars who are below 32 years.
3. It offers selected researchers a salary of 80000 a month as well as annual research grant
worth 7 lakh for five years
Which of the above Statements are correct?
a. 2 and 3
b. 1 and 2
c. 1 and 3
d. 1, 2 and 3
542. According to the news report, Day zero crisis is looming large on the cape Town city. What
is Day zero crisis?
a. El-Nino crisis
b. Air pollution crisis
c. Water crisis
d. Extreme warming crisis
543. Where was the International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 held?
a. Toronto (Canada)
b. Kathmandu (Nepal)
c. New Delhi (India)
d. Beijing (China).
544. Which country has announced the Hope mission or Arnal, to be launched in 2020 and orbit
Mars in 2021?
a. In doresia
b. United Arab Emirates
c. Egypt
545. Which among the following states has become partner state at 2013 Goa International Film
Festival (GIFF)?
a. Jharkhand
b. Himachal Pradesh
c. Assam
d. Mizoram

546. On Birthday of which researcher and Freedom Fighter, ‘Unani Day’ is celebrated?
a. Hippocrates
b. Maulvi Ahmedullah
c. Hakim Ajmal Khan
d. Maulvi Shariyatullah
547. Who is the author of the book named “The Paradoxical Prime Minister : Narendra Modi
and his India”?
a. Shashi Tharoor
b. Sanjay Baru
c. Shanti Bushan
d. Sakshi Malik
548. Which State government has decided the set up anti-terrorist force ‘Kavach’?
a. Arunachal Pradesh
b. Haryana
c. Jammu and Kashmir
d. Sikkim
549. Who has been sworn-in as the first female High Court Chief Justice in Pakistan?
a. Tahira Safdar
b. Maria Hassan
c. Riffat Quraishi
d. Asifa Ulfah
550. Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharmashala which is in news recently, is located on the
banks of?
a. Bagmati river
b. Trishuli river
c. Tamur river
d. Seti Gandaki river
551. Which State government has launched a free household power connection scheme named
‘Prakash Hai to Vikas Hai (the barometer of development is light)’ for the poor in the State to
mark former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary?
a. Bihar
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Uttarakhand
d. Rajasthan
552. Domier 228 will become the first Made in India plane to be used for civilian flights. Who
made this plain?
a. Reliance India Limited
b. Sahara India Limited
c. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
d. All of the above

553. Typhoon Tembin caused a series of flash flooding and landslides in the month of December,
2017 in which countries?
a. Philippines
b. Vietnam
c. Malaysia
d. Both (a) and (b)
554. Who won gold in 49kg category at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing tournament?
a. K. Shyam Kumar
b. Naman Tanwar
c. Satish Kumar
555. Consider the following statements:

I. The Atal Jan Aahar Yojana has been started to make a nutritious full meal accessible to
the needy, in a phased manner.
II. The scheme was started at kiosks in five different locations of south Delhi.
III. The menu offers puri, chapattis, rice, rajma, vegetables, chhole and halwa.
IV. The meal will be available for sale at 10 daily from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Which of the above statements is/are true?
a. Only I
b. Only II and III
c. I, II and III
d. All of the above
556. Union government has drawn up tailor-made action plans for how many identified ‘most-
backward’ districts in the country to improve their soldo-economic’ profiles by making available
basic services like healthcare, sanitation and education as well as basic physical infrastructure
like roads and drinking water supply in a time-bound manner?
a. 110
b. 115
c. 123
d. 97
557. Government of Rajasthan is setting up Automatic service ATMs Le. E-Mitra Plus at nearly
how many Atal Seva Kendras situated across the State?
a. 2500
b. 4500
c. 8900
d. 9900
558. Darjeeling did host a five-day Teesta Rangit Tourism Festival 2017 recently, which held in
phases in different hill towns across the two districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong Who
organised this festival?
a. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)
b. Darjeeling State tourism Department
p. Darjeeling Information and Cultural Affairs Department
d. All of the above

559. Cultural authorities at United. Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) have recognised the artisans of Panama for their, which distinctive thing?
a. Pot
b. Jacket
c. Woven hats
d. Shoes
560. With the successful ascent of Mt. Vinson, which defence organisation became the first in
India to achieve this unique feat?
a. Indian Navy
b. Indian Air Force
c. Indian Army
d. None of these
561. Who is appointed as Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau recently?

a. RR Bhatnagar
b. Abhay
c. Deepak Shukla
d. None of these
562. Who has been named PETA’s Person of the Year 2017 by animal rights organisation People
for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for her efforts to help protect dogs from fireworks?
a. Jacquelin
b. Anushka
c. Parineeti
d. Katrina
563. Who has been selected for prestigious ‘Harivarasanam’ Award 2017 in recognition of her
contribution to propagate the spirit of secularism, equanimity and universal brotherhood?
a. KS Chitra
b. Shreya
c. Alka Yagnik
d. Kavita Krishnamurthy
564. Who was appointed as Zimbabwe’s Vice-President in Harare recently?

a. Constantino Chiwenga
b. Emmerson Mnangagwa
c. Emmerson Chiwenga
d. Constantino Mnangagwa
565. The 2nd India-Afghanistan air cargo route was officially launched by Afghan and Indian
officials at the Hamid Karzai international airport, Kabul. It links from which place to, which
place?
a. Kabul to Delhi
b. Kabul to Kolkata
c. Kabul to Chennai
d. Kabul to Mumbai

Current Events: Most Important MCQs

#2 (January to December 2018)
1. The Union Cabinet on November 22, 2018 approved continuation of ACROSS for better
weather forecasting. ACROSS is Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Systems & Services.
(a) Ordering
(b) Occasion
(c) Opening
(d) Observing
(e) Operating
2. Who among the following won gold medal for India in 48 kg category at AIBA World Women’s
Boxing Championships in New Delhi in November 2018?
(a) Sonia Lather
(b) Aruna Mishra
(c) Simranjit Kaur
(d) MC Mary Kom
(e) Usha Nagisetty
3. China has completed the deployment of its home grown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System
(BUS). It is the Chinese term for which constellation?
(a) Andromeda
(b) Big Dipper
(c) Pegasus
(d) Centaur
(e) Taurus
4. Classical musician Ustad Imrat Khan died recently. He was well-known exponent of which
musical instrument?
(a) Sitar
(b) Violin
(c) Tabla
(d) Guitar
(e) Sarangi
5. Performance of India’s Dipa Karmarkar at the vault event in the Artistic Gymnastics World
Cup in Cottbus, Germany in November 2018:
(a) Gold
(b) Silver
(c) Bronze
(d) Fifth Place
(e) Fourth Place

6. Which country won Davis Cup tennis title in November 2018?

(a) France
(b) Serbia
(c) Russia
(d) Croatia
(e) Czech Republic
7. Who among the following won Men's Singles title at the Syed Modi International Badminton
in Lucknow in November 2018 ?
(a) Manu Attri

(b) H. S. Prannoy
(c) Sameer Verma
(d) Pranaav Chopra
(e) Parupalli Kashyap
8. The Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend the transition period for
maintaining a CCB of 0.625 per Cent by one year.
CCB is :
(a) Capital Conservation Buffer
(b) Capital Classification Buffer
(c) Capital Calibration Buffer
(d) Capital Central Buffer
(e) Capital Credit Buffer
9. Nahid Afrin of Assam has been appointed as the first ‘Youth Advocate’ of the north eastern
region by:
(a) UN Women
(b) UNESCO
(c) UNICEF
(d) UNFPA
(e) UNDP
10. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on November 25, 2018 unveiled 70 feet tall statue of Lord
Buddha at which of the following places?
(a) Kushinagar
(b) Sarnath
(c) Lumbini
(d) Vaishali
(e) Rajgir
11. Which state government has launched 11-digit ‘Bhudhaar’ for enabling easy identification of
land parcels ?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka.
(d) Kerala
(e) Goa

12. Which district in Bihar is hosting the month-long Sonepur Mela, Asia’s biggest cattle fair, in
November-December 2018 ?
(a) Saran
(b) Sheohar
(c) Saharsa
(d) Samastipur
(e) Sheikhpura
13. Airport in which of the following has been renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee?
(a) Shimla
(b) Jaipur
(c) Lucknow
(d) Dehradun
(e) Chandigarh
14. Which of the following announced it opened 500 retail stores in rural parts of India on.
October 29 and created a Guinness record for opening the maximum number of stores in one
single day?
(a) Samsung
(b) Xiaomi
(c) Huawei
(d) Oppo
(e) Nokia
15. Government has launched which of the following to enable air passengers to resolve their
problems and register grievances using social media?
(a) AirSewa
(b) AirMitra
(c) AirSaral
(d) AirSaathi
(e) AirSamadhan
16. What is India's rank in IMD World Talent Ranking of 63 economies launched by International
Institute for Management Development (IMD) in November 2018?
(a) 23rd
(b) 33rd
(c) 43rd
(d) 53rd
(e) 63rd
17. Who among the following is the Chairman of a group of eminent persons constituted by the
Government of India to study the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Policy of India?
(a) Ratan Tata
(b) Baba Kalyani
(c) Jaiprakash Gaur
(d) Anand Mahindra

(e) Anil Manibhai Naik
18. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on November 22, 2018 approved that...... of the
food grains shall be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags.
(a) 20%
(b) 40%
(c) 60%
(d) 80%
(e) 100%
19. Which of the following has won the 2018 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development?
(a) WWF-India
(b) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(c) Indian Space Research Organisation
(d) Centre for Science and Environment
(e) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
20. Who among the following was elected new President of Interpol in November 2018?
(a) Kim Jung-hoo
(b) Kim Young-jin
(c) Kim Seong-kyu
(d) Kim Hyeong-jin
(e) Kim Jong-yang
21. Millie Bobby Brown was named UNICEF’s youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador in November.
She is well-known:
(a) Actor
(b) Painter
(c) Violinist
(d) Sculptor
(e) Gymnast
22. Maldives has decided to rejoin which of the following after withdrawal in 2016?
(a) SAARC
(b) Commonwealth
(c) United Nations
(d) World Trade Organisation
(e) Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
23. Which of the following is the joint military exercise between India and the US held in
Rajasthan in November 2018 ?
(a) Astra Prahar
(b) Vajra Prahar
(c) Maitri Prahar
(d) Shakti Prahar
(e) Prabal Prahar

28. The UK India Business Council released its annual Ease of Doing Business report on
November 20, 2018. The report found that of UK businesses, saw-corruption as a major barrier
for investing in India in 2018.
(a) 15%
(b) 25%
(c) 35%
(d) 45%
(e) 50%
29. Which of the following has signed agreement with Russia’s Rosoboron export for
construction of two Talvar-class missile frigates for the Indian Navy ?
(a) Goa Shipyard
(b) Cochin Shipyard
(c) Hindustan Shipyard
(d) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
(e) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
30. President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled a statue of at the Jubilee Park in Parramatta, near
Sydney during his visit to Australia in November 2018.
(a) Gautam Buddha
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Swami Vivekananda
(d) Rabindranath Tagore
(e) Atal Bihari Vajpaye
31. Which of the following introduced India’s first "sewer cleaning machine” in November 2018
end the unsafe practice of manual scavenging?
(a) Saral International
(b) Safal International
(c) Sahaj International
(d) Sulabh International
(e) Swayam International
32. The Women & Child Development Ministry launched online platform ‘SHe-box’ to enable
women employees to file complaints related to sexual harassment at the workplace. In SHe-box,
‘e’ refers to;
(a) Empowered
(b) Electronic
(c) Effective
(d) Essential
(e) Easy
33. Which of the following has been selected by the UN to participate in its Global Sustainable
Cities 2025 initiative in the “University City” category?
(a) Greater Noida
(b) Faridabad
(c) Gurugram
(d) Manesar
(e) Gangtok

34. Which of the following hosted the 4-day India International Cherry Blossom festival in
November 2018?
(a) Guwahati
(b) Agartala
(c) Shillong
(d) Imphal
(e) Aizawl
35. Which of the following has become third state in the country after Gujarat and Maharashtra
where hookah bars or lounges are banned through law?
(a) Goa
(b) Bihar
(c) Odisha
(d) Punjab
(e) Haryana
36. Which state was declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) by its Chief Minister on November
15, 2018?
(a) Bihar
(b) Jharkhand
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Madhya Pradesh
37. Who among the following resigned as non-executive Chairman of YES Bank recently?
(a) Vinod Gupta
(b) Ashok Chawla
(c) Gireesh Banerjee
(d) Chandrajit Pradhan
(e) Pramod Deosthalee
38. Who among the following has topped 2018 Fortune Business Person of the Year list ?
(a) Tricia Griffith
(b) Pat Gelsinger
(c) Jensen Huang
(d) Michelle Gass
(e) Kasper Rorsted
39. Who among the following is the creator of Spider-Man and Iron Man? He died on November
12 at the age of 95.
(a) Jay Poe
(b) Stan Lee
(c) John Perry
(d) Steve Kirby
(e) Martin Ditko

40. National Company Law and Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has approved the takeover of which
of the following for Rs. 7900 crore by UltraTech Cement in November 2018?
(a) JK Cement
(b) India Cements
(c) Binani Cement
(d) Vikrain Cement
(e) Madras Cements
41. Which of the following launched India’s first interactive credit card with buttons in
partnership With US-based Dynamics Inc?
(a) Yes Bank
(b) Axis Bank
(c) Federal Bank
(d) Induslnd Bank
(e) Bandhan Bank
42. BSE has decided to end its joint venture with which of the following for managing and
operating Sensex?
(a) Fitch
(b) Deloitte
(c) Moody’s
(d) Dun & Bradstreet
(e) Standard & Poor’s
43. Which of the following was named as Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries in November
2018?
(a) Truth
(b) Toxic
(c) Content
(d) MeToo
(e) Cybercrime
44. Who among the following has been appointed as the new Director of Enforcement
Directorate (ED) in November 2018 ?
(a) Dhananjay Kumar Jain
(b) Sanjay Kumar Mishra
(c) Vijay Kumar Sharma
(d) Sujay Kumar Meena
(e) Ajay Kumar Gupta
45. Which of the following is the asset management company (AMC) set up by a bankers’ panel
led by PNB’s Sunil Mehta for resolving large bad loans ?
(a) Swayam India Asset Management
(b) Sashakt India Asset Management
(c) Shresth India Asset Management
(d) Sarnarth India Asset Management
(e) Saksham India Asset Management

46. Romesh Sobti won the ‘financial services personality of the year’ honour at the Money
control Wealth Creator Awards 2018 in Mumbai on November 16, 2018. He is the MD & CEO of:
(a) Yes Bank
(b) Axis Bank
(c) Federal Bank
(d) Induslnd Bank
(e) Bandhan Bank
47. The world’s standard definition of the kilogram has been changed after more than 100
years. It will now be based on......... constant.
(a) Tesla
(b) Planck
(c) Einstein
(d) Rutherford
(e) Oppenheimer
48. The launch of ISRO’s GSAT-29 communication satellite on November 14, 2018 was from :
(a) Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
(h) Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
(c) Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
(d) Arianespace, Kourou, French Guyana
(e) Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
49. Senior Khmer Rouge leaders have been convicted by a United Nations-backed court for
genocide in which country in the 1970s ?
(a) Thailand
(b) Vietnam
(c) Malaysia
(d) Myanmar
(e) Cambodia
50. The United Nations Security Council has agreed to lift sanctions against which African
country after nine years. They were imposed in 2009 on claims that the country supported al-
Shabab militants in Somalia.
(a) Chad
(b) Eritrea
(c) Morocco
(d) Djibouti
(e) Swaziland
51. Who among the following athletes has been appointed, as youth ambassador of United
Nations Children’s Rind (UNICEF) India?
(a) HimaDas
(b) Dutee Chand
(c) Neeraj Chopra
(d) Arpinder Singh
(e) Jinson Johnson

52. The Indian Navy handed over refitted ship Huravee to coast guard of which country in
Visakhapatnam on November 15y 2018?
(a) Fiji s
(b) Maldives
(c) Mauritius
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) Bangladesh
53. Which of the following is the first India-Indonesia bilateral naval exercise organised from
November 12-16,2018?
(a) Samudra Shakti
(b) Samudra Maitri
(c) Samudra Sahayog
(d) Samudra Manthan
(e) Sampdra Parakram
54. IRCTC’s Sri Ramayana Express was flagged off on November 16, 2018. The train started its
journey from which railway station in Delhi?
(a) New Delhi railway station
(b) Safdarjuttg railway station
(c) Sarai Rohilla railway station
(d) Anand Vihar railway station
(e) Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station
55. Maha Vir Chakra awardee Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri died on November 17. He
became well known for his bravery in which of the following ?
(a) Kargil conflict of 1999
(b) Sino-Indian War in 1962
(c) Indo-Pakistan War in 1965
(d) Indo-Pakistan War in 1971
(e) IPKF operations in Sri Lanka
56. The Ministry of Law and Justice has proposed to set up how many Fast Track Special Courts
to dispose of pending Cases of rape and those under the POCSO Act across the country.
(a) 723
(b) 823
(c ) 923
(d) 1023
(e) 1123
57. Rafale fighter is a twin-engine MMRCA India is buying from French aerospace company
Dassault Aviation. MMRCA is :
(a) Major Multi Role Combat Aircraft
(b) Master Multi Role Combat Aircraft
(c ) Modern Multi Role Combat Aircraft
(d) Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft
(e) Modified Multi Role Combat Aircraft

59. Who among the following became is the first Indian wrestler to be ranked No. 1 in his weight
category by United World Wrestling in November 2018?
(a) Bajrang Punia
(b) Praveen Rana
(c ) Mausam Khatri
(d) Yogeshwar Dutt
(e) Narsingh Yadav
60. A new Guinness World Record of over three lakh (3,01,152) earthen lamps lit up
simultaneously was set up on banks of which river on November 6, 2018 ?
(a) Alaknanda
(b) Gandaki
(c ) Sarayu
(d) Gomti
(e) Koshi
61. Which district of Uttar Pradesh was renamed as Ayodhya in November 2018 ?
(a) Mughalsarai
(b) Faizabad
(c) Lucknow
(d) Aligarh
(e) Budaun
62. Which company announced in November 2018 that it will provide seven pairs of customized
shoes to Asiaxi Games gold medallist Swapna Barman ?
(a) Nika
(b) Bata
(c ) Puma
(d) Reebok
(a) Adidas
63. Which of the following news agencies unveiled an Artificial Intelligence-powered news
anchor at the World Internet Conference organised in Wuzhen, China from November 7 to 9,
2018 ?
(a) Xinhua
(b) Yonhap
(c) Anadolu
(d) RIA Novosti
(e) Agencia Brasil
64. Who among the following was appointed as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission
of India in November 2018?
(a) Rajesh Kumar Sharma
(b) Ashok Kumar Gupta
(c) Vijay Kumar Meena
(d) Satish Kumar Jain
(e) Vinod Kumar Sen

66. The Women and Child Development Ministry has set up online marketing portal for unique
organic products of the women farmers and entrepreneurs
(a) Stri-E-Haat
(b) Nari-E-Haat
(c) Mahila-E-Haat
(d) Pratibha-E-Haat
(e) Vasudha-E-Haat
67. The Union Cabinet on November 8, 2018 approved the filling of Padur Strategic Petroleum
Reserves (SPR) at by overseas National Oil Companies (NOCs).
(a) Padur
(b) Mumbai
(c) Chandikhol
(d) Mangalore
(e) Vishakhapatnam
68. Which of the following on November 8, 2018 ruled that lottery falls within the purview of
betting and gambling ?
(a) Delhi High Court
(b) Madras High Court
(c) Bombay High Court
(d) Calcutta High Court
(e) Allahabad High Court
69. World's largest supercomputer called The Spiking......... Network Architecture’, which has
been designed to work in the same way as 132 the human brain, became operational in UK in
November 2018.
(a) Soul
(b) Bionic
(c) Human
(d) Neural
(e) Block chain
70. India was elected as Member of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council
recently. ITU is based at:
(a) Berne
(b) Basel
(c) Zurich
(d) Geneva
(e) Lausanne
71. Which of the following is the focus state at the 49th International Film Festival of India
(JLFFI) organised in Goa in November 2018 ?
(a) Bihar
(b) Sikkim
(c) Odisha
(d) Assam
(e) Jharkhand

72. Which of the following conducted its first deterrence patrol recently making India’s nuclear
triad operational ? A ’nuclear triad' power is a country that has the capability to launch nuclear
weapons from land, air and sea.
(a) INS Trishul
(b) INS Pravah
(c) INS Arihant
(d) INS Sagarika
(e) INS Samudra
73. On November 9, 2018, M777 A2 Ultra Light Howitzers, K-9 Vajra-Tracked Self Propelled Guns
and 6x6 Filed Artillery Tractors were inducted into the Indian Army. The induction ceremony
was held in which state?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Gujarat
(d) Odisha
(e) Maharashtra
74. What was India’s performance at the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Under-15
Championship held in Nepal recently?
(a) Gold
(b) Silver
(c) Bronze
(d) 4th place
(e) 5th place
75. Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on October 29
inaugurated the first Mega Food Park of Gujarat in.........district.
(a) Bhuj
(b) Surat
(c) Anand
(d) Bharuch
(e) Bhavnagar
76. An airport in which state was named after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai recently ?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Gujarat
(d) Odisha
(e) Maharashtra
77. The foundation for the country’s largest dry dock was laid at by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
on October 30, 2018.
(a) Cochin Shipyard
(b) Hindustan Shipyard
(c) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
(d) Reliance Naval and Engineering
(e) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers

78. Which state has decided to convert decommissioned carrier INS Viraat into a floating
museum ?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Gujarat
(d) Odisha
(e) Maharashtra
79. Which state announced an electricity surcharge of 10 paise per unit on industrial and
commercial consumers to finance its scheme to provide 25,000 solar pumps to farmers ?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Gujarat
(d) Odisha
(e) Maharashtra
81. Which of the following is the sponsor of Men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar from
November 28 to December 16 ?
(a) SAIL
(b) JSW Steel
(c) Tata Steel
(d) Essar Steel
(e) ArcelorMittal
82. India’s first engine-less semi-high speed train “Train 18” was rolled out on October 29, 2018
by :
(a) Electric Locomotive Factory- Madhepura
(b) Chittaranjan Locomotive Works- Howrah
(c) Diesel Locomotive Works- Varanasi
(d) Integral Coach Factory- Perambur
(e) Rail Coach Factory-Kapurthala
83. Which spacecraft of NASA broke the record of Helios 2 spacecraft of 1976 by reaching
closest to the sun in 2018 ?
(a) Worker Solar Probe
(b) Marker Solar Probe
(c) Starker Solar Probe
(d) Parker Solar Probe
(e) Warner Solar Probe
84. India’s first container vessel movement on the river Gangs (National Waterways-I) began on
October 30, 2018, with the Inland Waterways Authority of India transporting container cargo
from Kolkata to Varanasi. This vessel is :
(a) MV Mother Teresa
(b) MV Mahatma Gandhi
(c) MV Swami Vivekananda
(d) MV Rabindranath Tagore
(e) MV Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

85. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 2 announced that public sector companies will
be required to compulsorily procure of their total purchases from MSMEs (Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises).
(a) 25%
(b) 30%
(c) 35%
(d) 40%
(e) 45%
86. The Reserve Bank has initiated steps to set up which of the following to capture details of all
borrowers in order to check financial delinquencies ?
(a) Public Credit Registry
(b) Partial Credit Registry
(c) Private Credit Registry
(d) Personal Credit Registry
(e) Preferential Credit Registry
87. Environment friendly SWAS cracker developed by CSIR is :

(a) Safe Wet Releaser
(b) Safe Web Releaser
(c ) Safe Warm Releaser
(d) Safe Water Releaser
(e) Safe Waste Releaser
88. What was India’s rank among 190 economies in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report
launched in October 2018 ?
(a) 67th
(b) 77th
(c) 87th
(d) 97th
(e) 107th
89. Who among the following was elected new President of Brazil in October 2018 t
(a) Jose Samey
(b) Itamar Franco
(c) Jair Bolsonaro
(d) Tancredo Neves
(e) Fernando Henrique Cardoso
90. Which space telescope of NASA that was launched in 2009 retired after running out of fuel in
October 2018 ?
(a) Kepler
(b) Hubble
(c) Doppler
(d) Herschel
(e) James Webb

91. Which of the following became 48th country to ratify the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in
October 2018?
(a) Japan
(b) Thailand
(c) Vietnam
(d) Cambodia
(e) South Korea
92. Which is the only Indian film included by BBC in its list of 100 best foreign language films?
(a) Pather Panchali
(b) Apur Sansar
(c) Charulata
(d) Aparajito
(e) Devi
93. Which country is ranked first among 190 economies in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business
report launched in October 2018?
(a) Norway
(b) Denmark
(c) Singapore
(d) Hong Kong
(e) New Zealand
94. Indian Navy’s INS Tarangini is a :

(a) Frigate
(b) Fleet tanker
(c) Minesweeper
(d) Sail Training Ship
(e) Offshore Patrol Vessel
95. The US government withdrew duty-free concessions on import of around 50 Indian products
under its System of Preferences (GSP) scheme.
(a) Green
(b) Generic
(c) Graded
(d) Globalised
(e) Generalised
96. India and Japan have agreed to a Bilateral Swap Arrangement that would allow their central
banks to exchange local currencies for up to
(a) $25 billion
(b) $50 billion
(c) $75 billion
(d) $100 billion
(e) $125 billion

97. Who among the following resigned as chairperson of Pune-based Film and Television
institute of India in October 2018 ?
(a) Rishi Kapoor
(b) Anupam Kher
(c) Dharmendra Deol
(d) Amitabh Bachchan
(e) Mithun Chakraborty
98. Who among the following was appointed as the new Director General of the Indo-Tibet
Border Police (ITBP) in October 2018?
(a) S. S. Biswal
(b) S. S. Deswal
(c) S. S. Jamwal
(d) S. S. Dhariwal
(e) S. S. Chhatwal
99. Justices R. Subhash Reddy, Mukesh Kumar Rasikbhai Shah and Ajay Rastogi were on
November 2, 2018 sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court.
(a) AmarMeena
(b) Yogesh Sinha
(c) Hemant Gupta
(d) Dhananjay Jain
(e) Venkat Sundaram
100. Which sculptor designed the ‘statue of Unity’ of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that was
inaugurated in Gujarat on October 31 ?
(a) Himmat Shah
(b) Sunil Kundilur
(c) Uttam Pacharne
(d) Ram Vanji Sutar
(e) Harsha Vardhan Patel
101. Which portal and app was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 24 to
enable IT professionals and organizations to contribute towards social causes?
(a) MainNahinAap
(b) Main Nahin Turn
(c) Main Nahin Hum
(d) Main Nahin Sabhi
(e) Main Nahin Swayam
102. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on October 27 approved up gradation of which of
the following aircrafts for the Indian Coast Guard?
(a) Tejas
(b) Saras
(c) Dhruv
(d) Dornier
(e) Chetak

103. Which European country’s citizens approved removal of blasphemy as an offence from the
Constitution in a referendum in October 2018?
(a) Italy
(b) Spain
(c) Ireland
(d) Romania
(e) Portugal
104. Who among the following was appointed as the first female President of Ethiopia in
October 2018?
(a) Mahder Tekle
(b) Atsede Kidanu
(c) Sahle-Work Zewde
(d) Sinknesh-Gobena Ejigu
(e) Yemodish-Senedu Gebre
105. Who among the following Chief Ministers won the Policy Leadership Award at the Global
Agriculture Leadership Awards in October 2018 ?
(a) Vijay Rupani
(b) Pinarayi Vijayan
(c) Devendra Fadnavis
(d) K. Chandrasekhar Rao
(e) N. Chandrababu Naidu
106. Who among the following won the first World Agriculture Prize, instituted by the Indian
Council of Food and Agriculture, in October 2018?
(a) Pallava Bagla
(b) R.A. Mashelkar
(c) Goverdhan Mehta
(d) M S. Swaminathan
(e) Raghbir Singh Khandpur
107. Which state has won in the “Innovation Incubation" category at the Commonwealth
Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) Awards in October 2018?
(a) Bihar
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Madhya Pradesh
108. Who among the following lawyers received the 19th Lai Bahadur Shastri National Award for
Excellence in Public Administration on October 22?
(a) Harish Salve
(b) Mukul Rohatgi
(c) Fali S. Nariman
(d) Prashant Bhushan
(e) Gopal Subranxanium

109. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on October 24, 2018 approved an increase in
supervisory visit charges for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) facilitators to per visite
from October onwards.
(a) Rs.300
(b) Rs.350
(c) Rs.400
(d) Rs.450
(e) Rs.500
110. Who among the following has been appointed as the new Director of Enforcement
Directorate (ED)?
(a) Dhananjay Kumar Jain
(b) Sanjay Kumar Mishra
(c) Vijay Kumar Sharma
(d) Sujay Kumar Meena
(e) Ajay Kumar Gupta
111. BSNL has signed an agreement with which of the following to jointly deploy smart poles
that will detect pollution levels?
(a) Nokia
(b) Alstom
(c) Siemens
(d) Ericsson
(e) Schneider
113. Who among the following won the World Billiards' Championship title at Leeds (UK) in
October 2018?
(a) Dhruv Sitwala
(b) Pankaj Advani
(c) Rupesh Kumar
(d) Sourav Kothari
(e) Ashok Shandilya
114. Who among the following won the tournament in New Delhi on October 28, 2018?
(a) Shiv Kapur
(b) Khalin Joshi
(c) Ajeetesh Sandhu
(d) Gaganjeet Bhullar
(e) Jeev Milkha Singh
115. Who won silver medal in men’s 65 kg freestyle wrestling" at the World Wrestling
Championship in Budapest (Hungary) in October 2018?
(a) Bajrang Punia
(b) Praveen Rana
(c) Mausam Khatri
(d) YOgeshwar Dutt
(e) Narsingh Yadav

116. India C beat India B by 29 runs to win the 2018-19 at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New
Delhi on October 27. Identify the name of the trophy.
(a) Irani Trophy
(b) Ranji Trophy
(c) Duleep Trophy
(d) Deodhar Trophy
(e) Vijay Hazare Trophy
117. Which of the following public sector undertaking get the infusion of Rs.1000 crore from
National Small Savings Fund?
(a) NALCO
(b) Air India
(c) FCI
(d) BHEL
(e) Mishr Dhatu Nigam
118. Which of the following launched ‘Library oh Wheels’ on October 15, 2018'?
(a) South East Central Railway
(b) South Central Railway
(c) East Coast Railway
(d) Western Railway
(e) Central Railway
119. Who among the following former RBI Governors is the author of the book ‘India Ahead:
2025 and Beyond’ released recently?
(a) Bimal jalan
(b) Y.V. Reddy
(c) D. Subbarao
(d) C. Rangarajan
(e) Raghuram Rajan
120. M.J. Akbar resigned as the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs on October 17, 2018.
He was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from
(a) Bihar
(b) Karnataka
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Madhya Pradesh
121. India and Myanmar signed MoU for the appointment of a private operator of the Sittwe
Port. This port will Connect -India's landlocked north-east region to the Bay of Bengal
through.......
(a) Meghalaya
(b) Nagaland
(c) Mizoram
(d) Manipur
(e) Sikkim

122. Which of the following has been ranked first in the Global Competitiveness Index of the
World Economic Forum (WEF) released in September 2018?
(a) Finland
(b) United State
(c) Denmark
(d) Singapore
(e) The Netherlands
123. What is India’s rank in the Global Competitiveness Index Of the World Economic Forum
(WEF) released in September 2018?
(a) 38th
(b) 48th
(c) 58th
(d) 68th
(e) 78th
124. Which of the following saw the inauguration of world's longest sea bridge of 55 km length
in October 2018?
(a) Qatar
(b) Macau
(c) Brunei s
(d) Singapore
(e) Luxembourg
125. Who among the following won the Man Booker Prize 2018 for his/her book Milkman?
(a) Anna Burns
(b) Esi Edugyan
(c) Daisy Johnson
(d) Rachel Kushner
(e) Robin Robertson
126. ‘‘Mayurakshi” won the best feature film Award at Singapore South Asian International Film
Festival in October 2018. It is a movie in which language?
(a) Assamese
(b) Marathi
(c) konkani
(d) Bengali
(a) Odia
127. Which of the following submitted Analysis Report of “Top 100 Bank Frauds” to this
government in October 2018?
(a) Reserve Bank of India
(b) Enforcement Directorate
(c) Central Vigilance Commission
(d) Central Bureau of Investigation
(e) Comptroller and Auditor General

128. RBI has released guidelines for interoperability between Prepaid Payment Instruments
(PPIs). Where PPIs are issued in the form of wallets interoperability shall be enabled through:
(a) Unique Payment Interface
(b) United Payment Interface
(c) Unified Payment Interface
(d) Uniform Payment Interface
(e) Unstructured Payment Interface
129. Balkrishan Goenka was appointed President of industry chamber ASSOCHAM in October
2018. He is the Chairman of which corporate group?
(a) Dabur
(b) Nirma
(c) Emami
(d) Torrent
(e) Welspun
130. Paul Allen died at the age of 65 on October 15, 2018. He was the co-founder of which of
the following well-known companies?
(a) Apple
(b) Oracle
(c) Google
(d) Microsoft
(e) Facebook
131. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet recently approved a proposal to rename, which of the following
cities as Prayagraj ?
(a) Allahabad
(b) Faizabad
(c) Lucknow
(d) Aligarh
(e) Budaun
132. Narayan Datt Tiwari died in New Delhi at 93 on October 18, 2018. He served as Congress
Chief Minister of which of the following states?
I. Uttar Pradesh
Il. Uttarakhand
III. Himachal Pradesh
(a) Only I
(b) I and II
(c) II and III
(d) III and I
(e) I II and III
133. Which country topped the medals tally at the Youth Olympic Games organised in Buenos
Aires in October with 29 gold, 18 silver and 12 bronze medals
(a) France
(b) Russia
(c) China
(d) Japan

(e) Italy
134. What was India’s position in the medals tally at the Youth Olympic Games organised in
Buenos Aires in October?
(a) 7th
(b) 17th
(c) 27th
(d) 37th
(e) 47th
135. Who won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in October 2018?

(a) Delhi
(b) Mumbai
(c) Hyderabad
(d) Karnataka
(e) Tamil Nadu
136. Who among the following UPA Ministers and Congress leader is the author of ‘The
Paradoxical Prime Minister' released recently?
(a) Kapil Sibal
(b) Shashi Tharoor
(c) Jairam Ramesh
(d) P. Chidambaram
(e) M. Veerappa Moily
137. Great Britain won the Under-19 Men's Sultan of Johor Cup ......... tournament on October
13, 2018.
(a) Rugby
(b) Cricket
(c) Hockey
(d) Football
(e) Basketball
138. Manu Bhaker won gold for Indian at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in October 2018 in
which of the following sports event
(a) Shooting
(b) Wrestling
(c) Swimming
(d) Squash
(e) Athletics
139. India finished ......... in the medals tally at the Asian Para Games that concluded in Jakarta
on October 13, 2018.
(e) 3rd
(b) 5th
(c) 7th
(d) 9th
(e) 11th

140. Sikkim won the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Gold Award in October 2018 for its
achievements in the field of organic farming.
(a) Farm Policy
(b) Future Policy
(c) Nature Policy
(d) Sustainable Policy
(e) Agriculture Policy
141. What is India's rank on the Human Capital Index of 157 countries launched by the World
Bank in October 2018?
(a) 75th
(b) 85th
(c) 95th
(d) 105th
(e) 115th
142. Who among the following was appointed as the Solicitor General of India recently?
(a) Maninder Khera
(b) Ranjit Bhushan
(c) Tushar Mehta
(d) Neeraj Kaul
(e) Pankaj Vij
143. India was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October.
Countries are elected to serve on the UNHRC for a term of how many years?
(a) One year
(b) Two years
(c) Three years
(d) Four years
(e) Five years
144. Which of the following has topped the Human Capital Index of 157 countries launched by
the World Bank in October 2018?
(a) Finland
(b) Sweden
(c) Singapore
(d) Switzerland
(e) Netherlands
145. Which country suffered the greatest economic loss in 1998-2017 due to climate-related
disasters according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction?
(a) Indonesia
(b) Japan
(c) China
(d) India
(e) USA

146. What is the joint naval exercise between India and Indonesia in October 2018 named?
(a) HANS
(b) INDRA
(c) CORPAT
(d) VARUNA
(e) EKUVERIN
147. What is India's rank out of 119 countries on the Global Hunger Index 2018 released by
Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide?
(a) 73rd
(b) 83rd
(c) 93rd
(d) 103rd
(e) 113th
148. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed economic

integration agreement amongst Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea and India.
(a) AU
(b) EU
(c) GCC
(d) ASEAN
(e) MERCOSUR
149. Who among the following was appointed as the new Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-
Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2018?
(a) Naveed Mukhtar
(b) Salman Akhtar
(c) Rizwan Bashir
(d) Asim Munir
(e) Jalil Abbas
150. Who among the following has been appointed as the new Director- General of the Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)?
(a) Gopal Kundu
(b) Bhaskar Saha
(c) Sanjeev Mishra
(d) Shekhar Mande
(e) L.S. Shashidhara
151. IPS Officer who won the ‘Leadership in Human and Civil Rights’ award from the
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in October 2018 :
(a) Suresh Yugandhar Rawat
(b) Yogesh Bansidhar Silawat
(c) Rajesh Ramdhar Champawat
(d) Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat
(e) Gyanesh Shashidhar Shekhawat

152. Who among the following was appointed as the new Chairperson of the Association of
Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) in October 2018?
(a) Akhil Gupta
(b) Nimesh Shah
(c) jatin Kamath
(d) Sumant Sinha
(e) Puneet Dalmia
153. Which of the following has partnered with NITI Aayog to offer internship programme to top
performing students selected by the Atal Innovation Mission?
(a) IBM
(b) Intel
(c) Cisco
(d) Google
(e) Microsoft
154. Which of the following started world’s longest non-stop flight connecting Singapore to New
York in October ?
(a) Qatar Airways
(b) Etihad Airways
(c) Southwest Airlines
(d) Singapore Airlines
(e) Continental Airlines
155. Prime Minister unveiled a 64-foot-tall statue of Sir Chhotu Ram in Haryana’s Rohtak district
on October 9, 2018. This statue has been sculpted by:
(a) Himmat Shah
(b) Sunil Kundilur
(c) Uttam Pacharne
(d) Ram Vanji Sutar
(e) Harsha Vardhan Patel
156. Who among the following is the co-winner of the Nobel Prize-for Economics 2018 with Paul
Romer?
(a) Lloyd Shapley
(b) Richard Thaler
(c) Edward Prescott
(d) William Nordhaus
(e) Thomas Burlington
157. Who among the following is the joint winner of 2018 Nobel. Peace Prize with Denis
Mukwege?
(a) Noor Badawi
(b) Nadira Yunus
(c) Nagma Akhtar
(d) Nadia Murad
(e) Nasrin Saiyyed

158. The Tsukiji.....market in Tokyo, considered as largest in the world, was closed permanently
on October 6, 2018 after 83 years.
(a) Toy
(b) Fish
(c) Fruit
(d) Flower
(e) Food grain
159. India and Russia on October 5, 2018 signed the agreement to purchase S-400 Triumf which
is:
(a) Helicopter
(b) Aircraft carrier
(c) Transport aircraft
(d) Landing Craft Utility
(e) Air defence missile system
160. Who among the following has been appointed as Chief Economist of the International
Monetary Fund?
(a) KhranDeora
(b) Gita Gopinath
(c) Vasudha Nadar
(d) Himani Chandra
(e) Alka Satyanarayana
161. Voters in Macedonia agreed to rename the country as North Macedonia in a referendum
held in October. Which country had demanded this renaming?
(a) Italy
(b) Serbia
(c) Greece
(d) Albania
(e) Romania
162. Which of the following will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
(a) The United States-Brazil-Canada Agreement
(b) The United States-Chile-Canada Agreement
(c) The United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement
(d) The United States-Bolivia-Canada Agreement
(e) The United States-Argentina- Canada Agreement
163. What was the theme of the fourth India International Science Festival organized in
Lucknow from October 5 to 8, 2018?
(a) Science for Transformation
(b) Science for Advancement
(c) Science for Development
(d) Science for Awakening
(e) Science for Health

164. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics has been won by Gerard Mourou, Donna Strickland and:
(a) Michael Kosterlitz
(b) Serge Haroche
(c) Arthur Ashkin
(d) Rainer Weiss
(e) Albert Kurtz
165. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been jointly won by James Allison of
the US and:
(a) Craig Mello, USA
(b) Tasuku Honjo, Japan
(c) Shinya Yamanaka, Japan
(d) Yoshinori Ohsumi, Japan
(e) Elizabeth Blackburn, USA
166. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for which of the
following?
(a) Discovery of a new biological principle of infection
(b) Discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain
(c) Discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation
(d) Discovery of a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites
(e) Discovery of genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death
167. Which of the following was the Best District at the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen
2018 awards?
(a) Pune
(b) Satara
(c) Nashik
(d) Nanded
(e) Ahmednagar
168. which of the following is the national level entrepreneurship awareness campaign launched
by SIDBI?
(a) Udyam Samriddhi
(b) Udyam Abhilasha
(c) Udyam Akanksha
(d) Udyam Unnati
(e) Udyam Uttam
169. Who among the following was appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of ICICI Bank in October 2018?
(a) Ajay Gupta
(b) Sandeep Bakhshi
(c) Jayant Sundaram
(d) Yogesh Bhatnagar
(e) Ghanshyam Agarwal

170. Data on Agriculture Census 2015-16 was released in October 2018. What is the average size
of operational holding?
(a) 0.8 hectare
(b) 1.08 hectare
(c) 2.08 hectare
(d) 3.08 hectare
(e) 4.08 hectare
171. The government has launched an initiative to use compressed biogas as automotive fuels.
SATAT is Sustainable ...... Towards Affordable Transportation,
(a) Action
(b) Alternative
(c) Adaptation
(d) Application
(e) Advancement
172. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on October 1, 2018 laid the foundation stone of the
first world-class educational institute established with the assistance of the Ministry of Minority
Affairs in.... district of Rajasthan.
(a) Pali
(b) Alwar
(c) Ajmer
(d) Nagaur
(e) Jodhpur
173. The Centre has approved the setting up of National Institute of Mental Health
Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at.....in MP.
(a) Rewa
(b) Ujjain
(c) Dewas
(d) Sehore
(e) Ratlam
174. Which state's first airport was inaugurated at Pakyong by the Prime Minister on September
24, 2018?
(a) Meghalaya
(b) Nagaland
(c) Mizoram
(d) Manipur
(e) Sikkim
175. The government of Punjab hat signed MoU with which neighbouring state to set up a
ropeway between religious sites of Sri Anandpur Sahib and Mata Naina Devi?
(a) Jammu & Kashmir
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Haryana
(e) Uttar Pradesh

17. The Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency
Situations) Bill, 2016 received the President’s assent on September 30, 2018. The state has
become the first to provide legal protection to people who help accident victims.
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Kerala
177. Who among the following was appointed as the brand ambassador of Tribes India, an
initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs?
(a) Neeraj Chopra
(b) M.C. Mary Kom
(c) Sakshi Malik
(d) P.V. Sindhu
(e) Hima Das
178. NITI Aayog has joined hands with......Apollo Hospitals and Strides Pharma Sciences to battle
the issue of counterfeit drugs in India.
(a) Cisco
(b) Oracle
(c) Google
(d) Microsoft
(e) Facebook
179. Which of the following on September 28, 2018 launched a project that aims to preserve the
cultural heritage of the Indian Railways? The project is titled “The Railways-Lifeline of a Nation”.
(a) Cisco
(b) Oracle
(c) Google
(d) Microsoft
(e) Facebook
180. 51% stake in GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) is currently owned by five private
financial institutions. These are HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co, LIC
Housing Finance Ltd and:
(a) RBI
(b) IFCI
(c) SIDBI
(d) HDFC
(a) Axis Bank
181. The government has decided to rename Telecom Commission as:

(a) Digital Connectivity Commission
(b) Digital Cooperation Commission
(c) Digital Coordination Commission
(d) Digital Collaboration Commission
(e) Digital Communications Commission

182. Which bank has been restrained by the RBI from opening new branches for not meeting
the licensing conditions recently?
(a) Yes Bank
(b) Axis Bank
(c) Federal Bank
(d) Induslnd Bank
(e) Bandhan Bank
183. Which of the following is the app launched by the Finance Minister in September to enable
people to locate bank branches, banking correspondents, ATMs, common service centres and
post offices easily ?
(a) Jan Dhan Mitra
(b) Jan Dhan Vahan
(c) Jan Dhan Sahayak
(d) Jan Dhan Darshak
(e) Jan Dhan Rakshak
184. Which of the following was ‘Best State for Comprehensive Development of Tourism at
2016-17 National Tourism Awards?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Kerala
185. Narendra Modi and ..... have jointly won 2018 Champions of the Earth Award of the UN in
Policy Leadership category.
(a) Xi Jinping
(b) Theresa May
(c) Vladimir Putin
(d) Donald Trump
(e) Emmanuel Macron
186. Air pollution control device WAYU, launched by the Environment Ministry in September
2018, is Wind Purifying Unit.
(a) Adaption
(b) Assimilation
(c) Amelioration
(d) Acculturation
(e) Augmentation
187. The G4 nations are four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on
the United Nations Security Council. G4 does not include:
(a) Germany
(b) Pakistan
(c) Brazil
(d) India
(e) Japan

188. Which island of Indonesia suffered- an earthquake and tsunami in September 2018 that-
killed more than 800 people?
(a) Bali
(b) Java
(c) Sulawesi
(d) Sumatra
(e) Kalimantan
189. The report “Reinvigorating Trade and Inclusive Growth” was jointly launched by IMF,
World-Bank and in September 2018.
(a) EGB
(b) WEF
(c) WTO
(d) OECD
(e) UNCTAD
190. On September 24, 2018, Metro Rail became the second largest metro network in the
country after Delhi with 46 km Service.
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Bengaluru
(c) Kolkata
(d) Chennai
(e) Mumbai
191. US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the formation of an
alliance with India in September to combat which disease in India?
(a) Cholera
(b) Malaria
(c) Swine Flu
(d) Tuberculosis
(e) Japanese encephalitis
192. The Centre has approved Rs. 8,606 crore for projects under the Border Infrastructure and
Management (BIM) scheme. India’s longest border is with which country?
(a) China
(b) Nepal
(c) Myanmar
(d) Pakistan
(e) Bangladesh
193. Who among the following was appointed as the new Director General of the Sashastra
Seema Bal (SSB) in September 2018?
(a) Rajni Kant Mishra
(b) S.S. Deswal
(c) S.S. Jamwal
(d) Arun Kumar
(e) S.S. Chhatwal

194. Indian Navy sailor Abhilash Tomy withdrew from Golden Globe Race (GGR) after suffering
injury. His boat was named:
(a) Swarajya
(b) Thuriya
(c) Prajaya
(d) Maurya
(e) Nurya
195. N. Ravi was elected Chairman of Press Trust of India in September 2018. He is the publisher
of:
(a) Prajavani
(b) The Hindu
(c) Dinamalar
(d) Mathrubhumi
(e) Malaysia Manorama
196. Who among the following was appointed as the new Director General of the Border
Security farce (BSF) in September 2018?
(a) S.S, Deswal
(b) Arun Kumar
(c) Mani Kant Sarma
(d) Rajni Kant Mishra
(e) Shakti Kant Marwah
117. Test firing of Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) was conducted by IAF on
September 26, 2018. What is the missile named?
(a) Surya
(b) Vajra
(c) Astra
(d) Prahar
(e) Rustom
198. A five-judge Constitution bench on September 26 ruled that Aadhaar is not compulsory for:
I. Allotment of Permanent Account Number
II. Obtaining mobile connections
III. Getting school admissions Which of the above is/are correct?
(a) Only I
(b) I and II
(c) II and III
(d) III and I
(e) I, II and III
199. Andhra Pradesh topped the chart in the ‘Ease of Living Index’ rankings under AMRUT - Atal
Mission for and Urban Transformation.
(a) Redevelopment
(b) Restoration
(c) Regeneration
(d) Rejuvenation
(e) Rehabilitation

200. Centre decided to enhance its contribution in the State Disaster Response Rind (SDRF) to
........from April 1, 2018.
(a) 80%
(b) 85%
(c) 90%
(d) 95%
(e) 100%
201. The country’s first tribal circuit project was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for
Tourism K.J. Alphons in which state?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Jharkhand
(e) Rajasthan
202. Which state's Governor on September 15, 2018 declared the state Open Defecation Free
(ODF)?
(a) Jammu & Kashmir
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Rajasthan
(e) Haryana
203. Which state’s Chief Minister flagged off the ‘Swachh Dhara' programme on September IS,
2016, with an aim to provide clean drinking water across the state ?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Kerala
204. Who among the following was appointed as the new Chairman & Managing Director of
United India Insurance Company ?
(a) Nilesh Surendran
(b) Prabhas Jayakumar
(c) Girish Radhakrishnan
(d) Uday Kalyanaraman
(e) Srikanth Subramanian
205. Which company announced its commitment to become a carbon neutral company by 2040
on September 13, 2018?
(a) Bajaj Auto
(b) Tata Motors
(c) Hero MotoCorp
(d) Ashok Leyland
(e) Mahindra & Mahindra

206. India has ranked third globally in terms of the number of family-owned businesses. This has
been revealed in a study conducted by:
(a) UBS
(b) Credit Suisse
(c) JPMorgan Chase
(d) Julius Baer Group
(e) Zurich Cantonal Bank
207. The Tourism Ministry has decided to include the words “The land of....” in the logo of
‘Incredible India’.
(a) Vedas
(b) Heritage
(c) Gandhi
(d) Buddha
(e) Vivekananda
208. Which of the following will be replaced by JSW Steel in the 50 share NSE Nifty index from
September 28?
(a) Cipla
(b) Lupin
(c) Alembic
(d) Wockhardt
(e) Sun Pharma
209. The Centre is setting up 2 National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres, one in Andhra Pradesh
and other in....... for the conservation of indigenous breeds.
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Jharkhand
(e) Madhya Pradesh
210. The government has increased the honorarium given to Anganwadi workers. Those
receiving Rs.3,000 per month so far, will now receive.... per month.
(a) Rs.3,500
(b) Rs.4,000
(c) Rs. 4,500
(d) Rs.5,000
(e) Rs.5.500
211. Which portal was launched by Indian Railways In September 2018 for contribution of
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds by companies for improving amenities at stations?
(a) Rail Dost
(b) Rail Dhan
(c) Rail Mitra
(d) Rail Sahyog
(e) Rail Sahodar

212. The UNDP Human Development Index released in September 2018 has put India into which
category ?
(a) Very high human development
(b) Medium human development
(c) High human development
(d) Low human development
(e) None of the above
213. The government has decided to review FPI investment norms. Currently investment in a
single corporate entity by a FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investor) cannot exceed .....of its (FPI’s) total
Corporate bond portfolio.
(a) 10%
(b) 20%
(c) 30%
(d) 40%
(e) 50%
214. Which of the following has been adjudged Steel Industry Leader globally by the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index 2018 (DJSI)?
(a) Liberty House
(b) Arcelor Mittal
(c) Jindal Steel
(d) Tata Steel
(e) SAIL
215. India’s oldest research reactor recommissioned after upgradation on September 10 by

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre:
(a) Kamini
(b) Apsara
(c) Dhruva
(d) Purnima
(e) Kohinoor
216. NITI Aayog,....... and Tata Institute of fundamental Research (TIFR) announced collaboration
in September 2018 for setting up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial
Intelligence (ICTAI).
(a) IBM
(b) Intel
(c) Google
(d) Facebook
(e) Microsoft
217. September 15 was celebrated as Engineers’ Day in India to observe the birth anniversary
of........
(a) J.R.D. Tata
(b) Sir C.V. Raman
(c) Vikram Sarabhai
(d) Sir M. Visvesvaraya
(e) Homi Jehangir Bhabha

218. Which of the following will host the 15th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2019?
(a) Agra
(b) Kanpur
(c) Varanasi
(d) Lucknow
(e) Allahabad
219. Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) has started buses connecting Bodhgaya
and Kathmandu and Patna and .......in Nepal.
(a) Birgunj
(b) Chitwan
(c) Pokhara
(d) Janakpur
(e) Bhaktapur
220. What was India’s rank among 189 countries in the UNDP Human Development Index
released in September 2018 ?
(a) 129
(b) 130
(c) 131
(d) 132
(e) 133
221. Which of the following is the indigenously built patrol, vessel commissioned by the Indian
Coast Guard in Chennai on September 14 ?
(a) Jaya
(b) Vijaya
(c) Abhaya
(d) Samaya
(e) Nirbhaya
222. Which paramilitary force contributed Rs.8.5 crore towards the Prime Minister’s National
Relief Fund? The amount was raised through the contribution from its personnel.
(a) JRBF
(b) BSF
(c) CISF
(d) GRPF
(e) ITBP
223. A mobile application facilitating easy access to scholarships for minority, community
students was launched recently. 3Es of the Ministry of Minority Affairs refers to Education,
Employment and :
(a) Entrepreneurship
(b) Empowerment
(c) Emancipation
(d) Enforcement
(e) Evaluation

224. Which state has the highest number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in India, according to
latest data by Health and Family Welfare Ministry?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Karnataka
(e) Gujarat
225. Which of the following is the helpline number launched for beneficiaries of Ayushman
Bharat- National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM)?
(a) 11555
(b) 12555
(c) 13555
(d) 14555
(e) 15555
226. Completion of Shahpurkandi dam would help reduce the quantum of India’s share of.....
waters flowing into Pakistan
(a) Ravi
(b) Beas
(c) Indus
(d) Jhelum
(e) Chenab
227. Who among the following will take charge as Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank from
January 2019?
(a) Vikas Malhotra
(b) Rajiv Mohapatra
(c) Amitabh chaudhry
(d) Prabhat Bannerjee
(e) Guruprasad Ranjan
228. Which e-commerce company has become the first to launch a Hindi version of its mobile
website and app in India?
(a) Shopclues
(b) Infibeam
(c) Snapdeal
(d) Amazon
(e) Flipkart
229. Airtel Payments Bank is providing cardless cash withdrawals at ATMs using the USSD
technology. USSD stands for
(a) Usable System Service Data
(b) Uniform Secondary Service Data
(c) Updated sequenced Service Data
(d) Unencrypted System Service Data
(e) Unstructured Supplementary Service Data

230. The national Aerospace Laboratories has inked a pact with Mesco Aerospace for the design,
Development production and marketing of which aircraft?
(a) Saras
(b) Mayur
(c) Hansa
(d) Jatayu
(e) Pushpak
231. The government has raised the monetary limit for filing loan recovery application in the
Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRT) by banks and financial institutions to :
(a) Rs. 20 lakh
(b) Rs. 40 lakh
(c) Rs. 60 lakh
(d) Rs. 80 lakh
(e) Rs. 100 lakh
232. Global Mobility Summit was organised in New Delhi on September 7-8, 2018. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi outlined vision for future of mobility based on 7 C’s. The 7 C’s include:
(a) Clear
(b) Close
(c) Comfort
(d) Connected
(e) Comprehensive
233. Accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) after August 28,
2018 will provide free accident insurance cover of:
(a) Rs. 1 lakh
(b) Rs. 1.5 lakh
(c) Rs. 2 lakh
(d) Rs. 2.5 lakh
(e) Rs. 3 lakh
234. Quantity of gold purchased by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in financial year 2017-18 :
(a) 1.46 tonne
(b) 4.46 tonne
(c) 6.46 tonne
(d) 8.46 tonne
(e) 10.46 tonne
235. RBI has released new guidelines for refund of damaged notes of Rs. 2000 denomination.
The undivided area of the single largest piece of the note, for a damaged Rs. 2000 note must be
.......for a full refund.
(a) 58 square cm
(b) 68 square cm
(c) 78 square cm
(d) 88 square cm
(e) 98 square cm

236. Who among the following was elected as Pakistan’s new President in September 2018 ?
(a) Arif Alvi
(b) Hamid Mir
(c) Saqib Nisar
(d) Aitzaz Ahsan
(e) Fazlur Rehman
237. The Embassy of India in Israel held a ceremony on September 6, 2018 to mark the
Centenary of the Battle of..........
(a) Haifa
(b) Tel Aiv
(c) Netanya
(d) Jerusalem
(e) Ramallah
238. United States returned the antique statue of ‘Lingodhbhavamurti’ to India in September
2018. This 12th century statue dates back to which dynasty?
(a) Chola
(b) Chera
(c) Pallava
(d) Chalukya
(e) Satavahana
239. The first Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue was organised in New Delhi on September 6, 2018. The two
Union Ministers who participated in this dialogue were Sushma Swaraj and:
(a) Nirmala Sitharaman
(b) Suresh Prabhu
(c) Rajnath Singh
(d) Piyush Goyal
(e) Arun Jaitley
240. Who among the following has been named as His successor by Chief Justice of India (CJI)
Dipak Misra?
(a) Justice Ranjan Gogoi
(b) Justice Kurian Joseph
(c) Justice Madan B. Lokur
(d) Justice Ashok Bhushan
(e) Justice Jasti Chelameswar
241. Which of the following was launched by Indian Railways to stop elephants from being hit by
speeding trains in the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR)?
(a) Plan Bee
(b) Plan Bat
(c) Plan Bird
(d) Plan Beetle
(e) Plan Beacon

242. Who among the following former sportspersons was appointed trustee of 'Bharat Ke Veer’
trust set up to aids families of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel killed in action ?
(a) Pullela Gopichand
(b) Abhinav Bindra
(c) Dhanraj Pillay
(d) Milkha Singh
(e) Kapil Dev
243. Who among the following actors was appointed trustee of 'Bharat Ke Veer’ trust set up to
aids families of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel killed in action ?
(a) Ajay Devgn
(b) Aamir Khan
(c) Anupam Kher
(d) Akshay Kumar
(e) Amitabh Bachchan
244. The first ever mid-air refuelling of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas
(Tejas LSP8) Was successfully carried out on September 10, 2018. This, fuel was taken from
which aircraft?
(a) Mirage 2000
(b) Ilyushin IL-76
(c) Antonov AN-32
(d) Lockheed C-130 Hercules
(e) Boeing C-l 7 Globemaster III
245. Government-owned companies in which sector have decided to set up Apex Sports Body
(ASB) to contribute towards development of sports in India ?
(a) Steel
(b) Power
(c) Fertilsers
(d) Petroleum
(e) Construction
246. What was India’s position in the medals tally at the 18th Asian Games that was topped by
China?
(a) Ninth
(b) Tenth
(c) Eighth
(d) Seventh
(e) Eleventh
247. Who among the following was the flag bearer of the Indian contingent at the closing
ceremony of the 18 th Asian Games in Jakarta on September 2, 2018?
(a) Neeraj Chopra
(b) Jinson Johnson
(c) Vinesh Phogat
(d) Bajrang Punia
(e) Rani Rampal

248. The 18th Asian Games were organised in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and:
(a) Serang
(b) Bandung
(c) Surabaya
(d) Palembang
(e) Banjarmasin
249. What was the motto of the 18th Asian Games organised in Indonesia?
(a) Youth of Asia
(b) Energy of Asia
(c) Future of Asia
(d) Potential of Asia
(e) Dynamism of Asia
250. Consider the following regarding the three mascots of 18th Asian Games.
I. Atung: Deer
II. Kaka: Rhinoceros
III. Bhin Bhin : Monkey
Which of the above pairs of mascots and their species is matched correctly?
(a) Only I
(b) I and II
(c) II and III
(d) I and III
(e) I, II and III
251. The third indigenously designed and built Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) for the Coast Guard
was formally launched hear Chennai on August 28, 2018. It has been built by:
(a) Bharati Shipyard
(b) Larsen & Toubro
(d) Mahindra & Mahindra
(d) Reliance Infrastructure
(e) Garden Reach Shipbuilders
252. ARRIA launched by Union HRD Ministry in August refers to Atal Ranking of Institutions on
.....Achievements.
(a) International
(b) Indigenous
(c) Innovation
(d) Invention
(e) Industrial
233. India has signed MoU with Cambodia for the restoration and preservation of the world
heritage site of the Temple of .....dedicated to Lord Shiva.
(a) Baphuon
(b) Angkor Wat
(c) West Mebon
(d) Hariharalaya
(e) Preah Vihear

254. Pakistan has objected to India’s Pakal Dul dam and Lower Kalnai hydropower project at the
talks on Indus Waters Treaty in August. These projects are on which river?
(a) Ravi
(b) Beas
(c) Indus
(d) Jhelum
(e) Chenab
255. The Indian government and the European Union have decided to develop Next
Generation...... Vaccine under a program named Horizon 2020.
(a) Malaria
(b) Hepatitis
(c) Influenza
(d) Swine Flu
(e) Pneumonia
256. India will be the partner country at the Ambiente 2019 fair at Frankfurt (Germany) in
February 2019. This fair is for products of which sector?
(a) Electronics
(b) Jewellery
(c) Textiles
(d) Books
(e) Food
257. Who among the following has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to the
United Kingdom?
(a) Kriti Mahanta
(b) Mala Bakhshi
(c) Kavita Sundaram
(d) Ruchi Ghanshyam
(e) Seema Bhandarkar
258. The Rs. 500 and Rs.1000 notes junked because of demonetisation Announced in 2016 are
known as :
(a) Decirculated Bank Notes
(b) Scrapped Bank Notes
(c) Classified Bank Notes
(d) Specified Bank Notes
(e) Junked Bank Notes
259. How much is the surplus transferred by the RBI to the government during the financial year
ended June 30, 2018?
(a) Rs. 10,000 crore
(b) Rs. 20,000 crore
(c) Rs. 30,000 crore
(d) Rs. 40,000 crore
(e) Rs. 50,000 crore

260. The Reserve Bank of India is planning to introduce banknotes on which........ is applied after
printing on a field trial basis to increase their life.
(a) Coconut Oil
(b) Turpentine
(c) Formalin
(d) Varnish
(e) Grease
261. Which country was the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India in 2017-
18, according to RBI’s Annual Report released in August 2018?
(a) Japan
(b) United States
(c) Singapore
(d) Mauritius
(e) United Kingdom
262. Which sector attracted the largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India in 2017-
18, according to RBI’s Annual Report released in August 2018?
(a) Retail and wholesale trade
(b) Communication services
(c) Financial services
(d) Manufacturing
(e) Real estate
263. Who among the following the MD & CEO of the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) which
started functioning from September 1 ?
(a) Rohit Pel
(b) Suresh Sethi
(c) Ajay Purohit
(d) Vineet Paliwal
(e) Sachin Mahajan
264. UIDAI has directed banks to ensure that daily minimum number of Aadhaar enrolments
and updations in identified branches should be....... from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019.
(a) 8
(b) 10
(c) 12
(d) 16
(a) 18
285. Who among the following was elected as the new Chairman of Indian Bank’s Association
(IBA) for 2018-19?
(a) Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
(b) Deepak Parekh
(c) Rajnish Kumar
(d) Madhav Nair
(e) Sunil Mehta

268. The Committee constituted by Government to review the existing framework dealing with
offences under the Companies Act, 2013 submitted its final report on August 27, 2018. This
committee was chaired by:
(a) M. S. Sahoo
(b) Injeti Srinivas
(c) Chetan Ghate
(d) Deepak Mohanty
(e) Gangadhar Darbha
267. The Centre and six States signed an agreement for construction of the Lakhwar dam in the
Upper Yamuna basin on August 28. This dam will be built in:
(a) Delhi
(b) Haryana
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Uttarakhand
(e) Himachal Pradesh
268. Which of the following has launched Navlekha project to enable conversion of any PDF
containing Indian language content into editable text ?
(a) IBM
(b) Intel
(c) Google
(d) Facebook
(e) Microsoft
269. Which of the following successfully operated India’s first test flight partially powered by
bio-fuel on August 27 from Dehradun to Delhi ?
(a) Jet Airways
(b) Spicejet
(c) IndiGo
(d) Vistara
(e) GoAir
278. Which of the following is providing Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform
Development Policy Loan for Rajasthan worth $250 million?
(a) World Bank
(b) New Development Bank
(c) Asian Development Bank
(d) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(e) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
271. Which state is buying 5 lakh smart phones for use by ‘saadhikara Mitras' to create public
awareness about its various welfare schemes ?
(a) Kerala
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Telangana
(e) Andhra Pradesh

272. Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the widows' home ‘Krishna Kutir’ at:
(a) Gokul
(b) Barsana
(c) Vrindavan
(d) Nandgaon
(e) Govardhan
273. The Kerala government has decided to appoint which of the following as project consultant
partner for rebuilding the state ravaged by massive floods?
(a) PwC
(b) KPMG
(c) Deloitte
(d) AT Kearney
(e) Ernst & Young
274. The........Assembly passed a bill for the creation of three new districts Pakke-Kesang, Lepa
Rada and Shi Yomi - in the state?
(a) Mizoram
(b) Manipur
(c) Nagaland
(d) Meghalaya
(e) Arunachal Pradesh
275. Zokhawthar land check-post was recently opened on the border with Myanmar in which
state as an authorised immigration centre for entry into and exit from India ?
(a) Mizoram
(b) Manipur
(c) Nagaland
(d) Meghalaya
276. The Supreme Court disqualified the option of None Of The Above (NOTA) cannot be
permitted in elections in:
(a) Lok Sabha
(b) Rajya Sabha
(c) Legislative Council
(d) Legislative Assembly
(e) None of the above
277. Iran unveiled its first domestic......named ‘Kowsar’ in August 2018.

(a) Tank
(b) Missile
(c) Frigate
(d) Aircraft
(e) Submarine

278. Who among the following became Australia’s new Prime Minister in August?
(a) Scott Morrison
(b) Barnaby Joyce
(c) John Howard
(d) Tony Abbott
(e) Kevin Rudd
279. State Bank of India (SBI) has asked its customers to get their ATM-cum-debit cards with
magnetic stripe replaced with the one with EMV chip before December 31. EMV is.......
Master Card and Visa.
(a) Euromoney
(b) Eurocash
(c) Eurocard
(d) Europay
(e) Eurobill
280. India’s first wind power project under Inter-state Transmission System (ISTS) was
commissioned in.......Gujarat in August.
(a) Bhuj
(b) Surat
(c) Anand
(d) Bharuch
(e) Bhavnagar
281. Reliance Jio has topped the ‘Change The World’ list that ranked companies using the profit
motive to help the planet and tackle social problems. This list has been published by:
(a) Time
(b) Forbes
(c) Fortune
(d) The Economist
(e) Financial Times
282. Which of the following became first listed company in India to cross market capitalisation
of Rs 8 lakh crore on August 23 ?
(a) HDFC Bank
(b) ONGC
(c) L&T
(d) TCS
(e) RIL
283. Which Indian IT company is acquiring Czech Republic-based engineering services firm Inter-
Informatics ?
(a) HCL
(b) TCS
(c) Wipro
(b) Infosys
(e) Tech Mahindra

284. Which mobile phone company has launched its sub-brand POCO in India ?
(a) Samsung
(b) Xiaomi
(c) Oppo
(d) Vivo
(e) LG
285. UP government has decided to name the upcoming...... Express way as ‘Atal Path’ after late
PM Atal Bihart Vajpayee.
(a) Bundelkhand
(b) Baghelkhand
(c) Mithilanchal
(d) Rohilkhand
(e) Purvanchal
286. Kiran Nadar, Satyanarayana Bachiraju, Hema Deora, Gopinath Manna, Himani Khandelwal
and Rajeev Khandelwal won mixed team bronze medal for India in which sport at the 2018 Asian
Games?
(a) Bridge
(b) Wushu
(c) Rowing
(d) Shooting
(e) Equestrian
287. Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Malik, Jitender Singh and Fouaad Mirza won silver for India in team
event of which sport at the 2018 Asian Games ?
(a) Bridge
(b) Wushu
(c) Rowing
(d) Shooting
(e) Equestrian
288. Consider the following pairs of Governors and the states to which they were recently
appointed.
I. Baby Rani Maurya : Uttrakhand
II. Kaptan Singh Solahki: Tripura
III. Satyadev Narayap Arya: Rajasthan
Which of the above is/are correct?
(a) Only I
(b) I and II
(c) II and III
(d) I and III
(e) I, II and III
289. India and Singapore signed the Second Protocol amending which trade treaty?
(a) Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
(b) Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)
(c) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
(d) Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA)

(e) Broad-based Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)
290. “No Spin” is the autobiography of which former bowler?

(a) Anil Kumble
(b) Shane Warne
(c) Bishan Singh Bedi
(d) Derek Underwood
(e) Muttiah Muralitharan
291. The Ebola virus takes its name river from a river in which of the following countries?
(a) Chad
(b) Congo
(c) Guinea
(d) Gabon
(e) Sierra Leone
292. Which SAARC country's leader has announced resumption of death penalty after 42 years ?
(a) Bhutan
(b) Pakistan
(c) Maldives
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) Bangladesh
293. Who among the following was appointed as Chairman of DRDO in August?
(a) Tessy Thomas
(b) M. Annadurai
(c) Avinash Chander
(d) A. Sivathanu Pillai
(e) G Satheesh Reddy
294. The Defence Ministry and .....signed MoU on August 24 to set up telemedicine nodes in
critical places across the country
(a) ISRO
(b) BSNL
(c) AIIMS
(d) DRDO
(e) Railways
295. Which e-commerce company has launched the portal ‘2Gud’ for refurbished goods in
August ?
(a) Shopclues
(b) Infibeam
(C) Shapdeal
(d) Amazon
(e) Flipkart

296. The upcoming capital city in which state is being named Atal Nagar in memory of former
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Jharkhand
(e) Rajasthan
297. Which state’s Chief Minister launched an mobile app and a website for curbing plastic
pollution and appointed actor Vivek as the brand ambassador?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Telangana
(e) Kerala
298. The Central Government declared the floods in Kerala a “calamity of ...... nature”.
(a) Harsh
(b) Severe
(c) Rigorous
(d) Relentless
(a) Devastating
299. Narender Grewal, Santosh Kumar, Surya Bhanu Partap Singh and Roshibina Devi won
bronze medals in for India in which sport at the 2018 Asian Games ?
(a) Bridge
(b) Wushu
(c) Rowing
(d) Shooting
(e) Equestrian
300. Rohan Bopanna and............ won gold medal in men’s doubles tennis at the 2018 Asian
Games.
(a) Purav Raja
(b) Divij Sharan
(c) Sanam Singh
(d) Vishnu Vardhan
(e) Prajnesh Gunneswaran
301. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2018 announced the
launch of ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan.......... Abhiyaan’ on September 25. It is the flagship project of
Ayushman Bharat.
(a) Sewa
(b) Sehat
(c) Chetna
(d) Arogya
(e) Swasthya

302. Helina missile was successfully tested by DRDO in Rajasthan on August, 19, 2018. It has
been designed to destroy:
(a) Tanks
(b) Drones
(c) Frigates
(d) Helicopters
(e) Submarines
303. Which party was started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Deendayal Upadhyaya and Shyama
Prasad Mookerjee in 1951?
(a) Janata Party
(b) Swaraj Party
(c) Hindu Mahasabha
(d) Bharatiya Jana Sangh
(e) Bharatiya Janata Party
304. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced appointment of......as Road Safety Brand.
(a) Ajay Devgn
(b) Aamir Khan
(c) Anupam Kher
(d) Akshay Kumar
305. A bronze Buddha statue stolen from a museum in Nalanda, Bihar in 1961 was returned to
India by United Kingdom. This statue dates back to:
(a) 6th century
(b) 8th century
(c) 10th century
(d) 12th century
(e) 14th century
306. Australia has decided to recommence the Adoption Programme with India after a gap of
eight years. Inter-Country Adoptions of children are governed by the rules of the......Convention.
(a) Berlin
(b) Madrid
(c) Lisbon
(d) Geneva
(e) The Hague
307. Which is the world’s most liveable city according to the annual Liveability Ranking of 140
cities conducted by Economist Intelligence Unit in August 2018 ?
(a) Vienna
(b) Sydney
(c) Toronto
(d) Auckland
(e) Melbourne

308. Imran Khan was sworn in as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister in August 2018. He is the leader
of which party?
(a) Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid e Azam Group)
(b) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(c) Pakistan Peoples’ Party
(d) Awami Muslim League
(e) Jamhoori Watan Party
309. Kirti Chakra winner at the Gallantry awards announced on Aug. 14,2018:
(a) Major Akhil Raj
(b) Naik Narender Bisht
(c) Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh
(d) Havildar Rabindra Thapa
(e) Riflmeman Jaiprakash Oraon
310. The President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), the country’s highest police gallantry
medal, was awarded to two personnel posthumously on August 15, 2018. They are from:
(a) RPF
(b) BSF
(C) CISF
(d) CRPF
(e) ITBP
311. The ..........Payments Interface (UPI) 2.0, developed by the National Payments Corporation
of India (NPCI), Was launched on August 16, 2018.
(a) Unstructured
(b) Uniform
(c) Unified
(d) United
(q) Unique
312. Which of the following is the mobility pitch competition organised by NITI Aayog in
collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) for
Startups?
(a) Pitch to Run
(b) Pitch to Rise
(c) Pitch to Plan
(d) Pitch to Race
(e) Pitch to Move
313. Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry released the ‘Ease of Living Index’ of 111 cities in
August 2018. The top three cities are from which state?
(a) Punjab
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Karnataka
(d) Gujarat
(e) Andhra Pradesh

314. Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry released the ‘Ease of Living Index’ of 111 cities in
August 2018, Which of the following is ranked last in the list?
(a) Sambal
(b) Bagaha
(c) Rampur
(d) Amroha
(e) Firozabad
315. The Railway Station cleanliness rankings were released on August 13, 2018. Top-ranked
among A-1 category stations is:
(a) Ajmer
(b) Dausa
(c) Nagaur
(d) Jodhpur
(e) Chittorgarh
316. The Railway Station cleanliness rankings were released on August 13, 2018. Top-ranked in
Zonal Railway rankings is :
(a) South East Central Railway
(b) North Western Railway
(c) South Central Railway
(d) East Coast Railway
(e) Central Railway
317. Who among the following took oath as Chairperson of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity
(APTEL) on August 13, 2018?
(a) Justice Lata Saxena
(b) Justice Vinita Gurtu
(c) Justice Anjana Goel
(d) Justice Manjula Chellur
(e) Justice Ranjana Prakash
318. Which state has launched Rythu Bima programme of providing Rs. 5 lakh life insurance
cover to farmers ?
(a) Kerala
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Telangana
(e) Andhra Pradesh
319. Chief Minister of which of the following states launched “CM Dashboard” in August 2018 to
ensure proper monitoring of government schemes in a transparent manner?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Manipur
(c) Mizoram
(d) Nagaland

320. Relief and rescue campaign launched by Indian Air Force in flood-hit Kerala:
(a) Operation Karuna
(b) Operation Sahara
(c) Operation Sahyog
(d) Operation Sahodar
(e) Operation Hamdard
321. Who won India’s first gold medal at the Asian Games in Indonesia in men’s 65 kg freestyle
Wrestling ?
(a) Bajrang Punia
(b) Praveen Rana
(c) Mausam Khatri
(d) Yogeshwar Dutt
(e) Narsingh Yadav
322. Who among the following was the flag bearer of the Indian contingent at the opening
ceremony of the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta on August 13, 2018?
(a) Kidambi Srikanth
(b) Neeraj Chopra
(c) Dipa Karmakar
(d) Manu Bhaker
(e) P. V. Sindhu
323. Former Indian cricket team captain Ajit Wadekar died at 77 on August 15, 2018. He was an
employee of which bank?
(a) Punjab National Bank
(b) Central bank of India
(c) State bank of India
(d) Bank of Baroda
(e) Indian Bank
324. “The Unending Game", written by Vikram Sood, was released on August 13, 2018. He is the
former chief of:
(a) Intelligence Bureau (IB)
(b) Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
(c) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
(d) Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI)
(e) Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)
325. Parliament passed a Bill to provide constitutional status to, the National Commission for
Backward Classes on August 6. This was :
(a) Constitution (83rd Amendment] Bill 2017
(b) Constitution (93rd Amendment) Bill 2017
(c) Constitution (113th Amendment) Bill 2017
(d) Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017
(e) Constitution (133rd Amendment) Bill 2017

326. The government recently announced 50% reservation for women in recruitment of jawans
in which of the following?
(a) RPF
(b) BSF
(o) CISF
(d) CRPF
(e) ITBP
327. Post Matric Scholarship for Other Backward Classes Students for studying in India (PMS-
OBC) -will, be continued till 2019-20. Annual parental income for eligibility under the scheme
has been increased to:
(a) Rs. 7 lakh
(b) Rs. 3 lakh
(c) Rs. 6 lakh
(d) Rs. 1.5 lakh
(e) Rs. 4.5 lakh
328. Who among the following Bihar Rajya Sabha MPs was elected as the Deputy Chairman of
the Upper House on August 9?
(a) Gopal Narayan Singh
(b) Ravindra Kishore Sinha
(c) Bashistha Narain Singh
(d) Harivansh Narayan Singh
(e) Ramchandra Prasad Singh
329. Who among the following has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National
Commission for Women (NCW) ?
(a) Meena Gupta
(b) Rekha Sharma
(c) Jyoti Bhatnagar
(d) Lata Sundaram
(e) Pratibha Agarwal
330. Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) is India’s 11th Biosphere Reserve included in
the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR). KBR comprises 41% of the entire
geographical area of:
(a) Sikkim
(b) Manipur
(c) Mizoram
(d) Nagaland
331. Which of the following Biosphere Reserves was the first to be included in the UNESCO’s
World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) in 2000?
(a) Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
(b) Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
(c) Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
(d) Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
(e) Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

332. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has decided to return to India a stone
sculpture of Durga Mahishasuramardini dating back to the 3rd century. It originally belonged to
which state?
(a) Himachal Pradesh
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Rajasthan
(e) Haryana
333. Who among the following was appointed as the next UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights for a four-year term by the UN General Assembly on August 10, 2018?
(a) Anna Alban
(b) Lenin Moreno
(c) Michelle Bachelet
(d) Alejandro Guillier
(e) Sebastian Pinera
334. V. S. Naipaul died at the age of 85 in London on August 11, 2018. He won Nobel Literature
prize in the year:
(a) 1997
(b) 1999
(c) 2001
(d) 2003
(e) 2005
335. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National Wildlife
Resource Bank in Hyderabad.
(a) Genetic
(b) Protection
(c) Indigenous
(d) Preservation
(e) Conservation
336. The mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun was launched from Cape Canaveral in USA on
August 12. It has been named :
(a) Darker Solar Probe
(b) Parker Solar Probe
(c) Yorker Solar Probe
(d) Marker Solar Probe
(e) Barker Solar Probe
337. Which private bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan
Authentication feature for Aadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets ?
(a) Axis Bank
(b) ICICI Bank
(c) Kotak Bank
(d) HDFC Bank
(e) Induslnd Bank

338. The NITI Aayog has entered into a three-year partnership with.........to facilitate industry’s
contribution towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
(a) ASSOCHAM
(b) PHDCCI
(c) FICCI
(d) IMC
(e) CII
339. Which of the following launched a Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device (MOPAD) for
merchants on August 8, 2018 ?
(b) Central Bank of India
(c) State Bank of India
(d) Bank of Baroda
(e) Indian Bank
340. Mobile app........... developed by FIEO, was launched by Commerce & Industry Minister
Suresh Prabhu on August 8, 2018. The aim is to enable exporters and importers to access
information and rules relating to trade.
(a) Niryat Guru
(b) Niryat Mitra
(c) Niryat Shree
(d) Niryat Bandhu
(e) Niryat Sahayak
341. Operation launched by Indian Army to rescue flood-affected people in Kerala:

(a) Madad
(b) Sahara
(c) Sahyog
(d) Suraksha
(e) Hamdard
342. The turnover threshold for availing the GST Composition Scheme by traders has been
raised to
(a) Rs. 1.5 crore
(b) Rs. 2.5 crore
(c) Rs. 3.5 crore
(d) Rs. 4.5 crore
(e) Rs. 5.5 crore
343. World Biofuel Day was celebrated on August 10, 2018. India has a target of...........ethanol
blending in petrol by 2030.
(a) 5%
(b) 10%
(c) 15%
(d) 20%
(e) 25%

344. Who among the following Chief Ministers unveiled the world’s first-ever high energy
storage device made by Bharat Energy Storage Technology (BEST) cm August 6, 2018 ?
(a) Vijay Rupani
(b) Pinarayi Vijayan
(c) Devendra Fadnavis
(d) K. Chandrasekhar Rao
(e) N. Chandrababu Naidu
345. Which of the following announced joint venture with Spain's Congelados De Navarra to set
up a food processing plant at Ludhiana in Punjab?
(a) KRIBHCO
(b) MAHYCO
(c) NAFED
(d) IFFCO
(e) NFL
346. Ramon Laguarta would succeed Indra Nooyi as CEO of..........from October 3, 2018.
(a) Nestle
(b) Danone
(c) Red Bull
(d) PepsiCo
(e) Coca Cola
347. Which Summit was organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in Lucknow on August 10-
12, 2018 to promote MSMEs ?
(a) One State One Brand
(b) One Town One Brand
(c) One District One Brand
(d) One Town One Product
(e) One District One Product
348. Which High Court has ruled that the ban on begging was unconstitutional?
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Allahabad
(c) Madras
(d) Patna
(e) Delhi
349. The Delhi Police inducted India’s first all-woman SWAT team for anti-terrorist Operations
recently. SWAT is:
(a) Special Weapons and Technology
(b) Special Weapons and Training
(c) Special Weapons and Targets
(d) Special Weapons and Tactics
(e) Special Weapons and Tasks

350. Which Union Minister of State is the author of the book ‘Bebak Baat’ released on August 9,
2018 ?
(a) Vijay Goel
(b) Krishna Raj
(c) Sudarshan Bhagat
(d) Arjun Ram Meghwal
(e) Mansukh Mandaviya
351. Operation launched by Indian Navy to rescue flood-affected people in Kerala :

(a) Madad
(b) Sahara
(c) Sahyog
(d) Suraksha
(e) Hamdard
352. Which of the following will be set up to promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
mechanism for resolving commercial disputes?
(a) Resolution Council of India
(b) Arbitration Council of India
(c) Settlement Council of India
(d) Alternative Council of India
(e) Adjudication Council of India
353. M. Karunanidhi passed away in Chennai on August 7, 2018 at the age of 94. He was the
Chief of which party?
(a) Pattali Makkal Katchi
(b) Tamil Maanila Congress
(c) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(d) Mammalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(e) All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
354. Who among the following is only the second Indian sports person after Saina Nehwal top
have been appointed member of the Athletes Commission of the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) ?
(a) MC Mary Kom
(b) Sushil Kumar
(c) Vikas Gowda
(d) Neeraj Chopra
(e) Abhinav Bindra
355. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released in August 2018, Swacbh
Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) will result in preventing more than three lakh deaths due
to.......and Protein energy malnutrition in 2014-2019.
(a) Pneumonia
(b) Diarrhoea
(c) Diphtheria
(d) Malaria
(e) TB

356. Pingali Venkayya is remembered for which of the following ?

(a) He designed the map of India after the integration of princely states following
independence
(b) He designed the first postage stamp of independent India
(c) He designed the national flag of independent India
(d) He designed independent India’s first currency note
(e) He designed the national emblem of India
357. The US government has placed India in which of the following lists to facilitate the export
of high-tech items?
(a) Syndicated Trade Authorisation
(b) Strategic Trade Authorisation
(c) Selected Trade Authorisation
(d) Security Trade Authorisation
(e) Special Trade Authorisation
358. Which of the following is the naval exercise organised by Egypt in the Red Sea with the US
and other countries that concluded on August 4, 2018?
(a) Hawk Response 2018
(b) Eagle Response 2018
(c) Falcon Response 2018
(d) Vulture Response 2018
(e) Sparrow Response 2018
359. Which of the following is the free desktop software launched by the IT Ministry to enable
editing of text printed on scanned documents ?
(a) e-Ankayan
(b) e-Aksharayan
(c) e-Bhashayan
(d) e-Lekhayan
(e) e-Sampadayan
360. Which SAARC nation has been designated as a nodal centre for preparing flash-flood
forecasts by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ?
(a) India
(b) Bhutan
(c) Maldives
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) Bangladesh
361. Which of the following is the global mobility hackathon launched by NITI Aayog on August
2, 2018 to crowdsource solutions for the future of mobility in India ?
(a) Rise Hack
(b) Plan Hack
(c) Wave Hack
(d) Move Hack
(e) Walk Hack

362. Students at which IIT were in news for developing microprocessors named RISECREEK
under Project Shakti ?
(a) IIT Delhi
(b) IIT Bombay
(c) IIT Madras
(d) IIT Kanpur
(e) IIT Kharagpur
363. Indian-Australia mathematician who is among the four winners of mathematics’ Fields
medal announced in August 2018:
(a) Prabhu Aiyyar
(b) Akshay Venkatesh
(c) Vaibhav Kumaresh
(d) Vikram Sathydnathan
(e) Shankkar Gopikrishnan
364. Who among the following has won the 2018 Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana National Award ?
(a) ArunaRoy
(b) Motilal Vora
(c) Harsh Mander
(d) Gopalkrishna Gandhi
(e) Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
365. Consider the following after RBI’s bi-monthly monetary policy review on August 1, 2018.
I. Repo Rate : 6.5%
II. Reverse Repo Rate : 6%
III. Marginal Standing Facility Rate : 6.75%
Which of the above is/are correct?
(a) Only I
(b) I and II
(e) II and III
(d) I and III
(e) I, II and III
366. QIP in terms of raising funds from the capital markets is :

(a) Quality Investment Placement
(b) Quality Institutional Placement
(c) Qualified Investment Placement
(d) Qualified Institutional Placement
(e) Quantified Institutional Placement
367. Delhi was ranked first on the 2018 State Investment Potential Index released in August
2018. This index has been created by :
(a) World Bank
(b) NITI Aayog
(c) NCAER
(d) CRISIL
(e) CM3E

368. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill allows promoters of MSMEs
to bid for their stressed firms if their request is accepted by at least .......of the creditors.
(a) 50%
(b) 60%
(c) 70%
(d) 80%
(e) 90%
369. The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High
Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 1, 2018. It reduces the
pecuniary jurisdiction of commercial courts from Rs. 1 crore to............
(a) Rs. 1 lakh
(b) Rs. 2 lakh
(c) Rs. 3 lakh
(d) Rs. 4 lakh
(e) Rs. 5 lakh
370. Which state is the second largest beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) LPG
connection scheme after Uttar Pradesh?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Haryana
(e) Bihar
371. Which of the following was announced as ’‘Principal Sponsor” of Indian wrestling for three
years in partnership with Wrestling Federation of India ?
(a) Tata Motors
(b) Indian Oil Corp
(d) Reliance Industries Ltd
(e) Oil and Natural Gas Corp
372. Which of the following has launched ‘Ask Motabhai’, an Artificial Intelligence based
chatbot, in partnership with Microsoft and Shephertz on Aug 1,2018 ?
(a) NSE
(b) BSE
(c) MCX
(d) SEB1
(e) NCDEX
373. Which of the following became world’s first triilion-dollar public company to exceed market
capitalisation of $1 trillion on August 2, 2018 ?
(a) Apple
(b) Walmart
(c) Microsoft
(d) General Electric
(e) Royal Dutch Shell

374. The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in Assam on July 30,
2018. Persons whose names appear in any of the electoral rolls up to March 24.......... and their
dependents are to be included in the current NRC.
(a) 1970
(b) 1971
(c) 1972
(d) 1973
(e) 1974
375. Which of the following is the scheme for gird child launched by the Bihar government on
August 5, 2018? The scheme will provide Rs. 54,100 from the birth of a girl child till her
graduation.
(a) Mukhyamantri Kanya Kalyan Yojaha
(b) Mukhyamantri Kanya Unnati Yojana
(c) Mukhyamantri Kanya Pragati Yojana
(d) Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojaha
(e) Mukhyamantri Kanya Protsahan Yojana
376. Which High Court has ruled the denial of maternity leave to a government servant for her
third child as unconstitutional ?
(a) Patna
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Allahabad
(d) Madras
(e) Madhya Pradesh
377. Madhya Pradesh has won the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Kadaknath, a black-
feathered chicken which is found in ........district.
(a) Datia
(b) Seoni
(c) Bhind
(d) Jhabua
(e) Balaghat
378. Justice...........was appointed as the first woman Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High
Court in August 2018.
(a) Bindu Sinha
(b) Meena Rastogi
(c) Veena Sahay
(d) Geeta Mittal
(e) Sindhu Sharma
379. Which state’s first medical college named Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical
Sciences (TRIHMS) began its academic session from August 1, 2018 ?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Manipur
(c) Mizoram
(d) Nagaland

380. Which IT company has signed MoU with Telangana government to India’s first Blockchain
District in the state ?
(a) HCL
(b) TCS
(c) Wipro
(b) Infosys
(e) Tech Mahindra
381. A bill seeking to establish a National Sports University in............. was passed by the Lok
Sabha on August 4, 2018.
(a) Sikkim
(b) Manipur
(c) Mizoram
(d) Nagaland
382. National Viral Hepatitis Control Program was launched in New Delhi on July 28, 2018. The
government has set a target of ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat by ...............in the
country.
(a) 2020
(b) 2025
(c) 2030
(d) 2035
(e) 2040
383. ISRO signed MoU with the............ National Space Agency on Cooperation in the
Exploration and uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes in July 2018.
(a) Angolan
(b) Ugandan
(c) Randan
(d) Nigerian
(e) South African
384. Through the...........Bhabha partnership India and the United Kingdom are jointly delivering
cutting edge science and Technology solutions to ‘societal challenges.
(a) Hawking
(b) Newton
(c) Faraday
(d) Darwin
(e) Turing
385. Which of the following hosted the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors
of G20 nations on July 22, 2018?
(a) Beirut
(b) Brasilia
(c) Bucharest
(d) Bujumbura
(e) Buenos Aires

386. Who among the following is among the six winners of the 2018 Ramon Magsaysay award
announced in July 2018?
(a) Ketan Hirani
(b) Bharat Vatwani
(c) Mayank Hetwani
(d) Hemant Khilnani
(e) Jaiprakash Wadhwani
387. Which of the following International Airports has won UN’s Champion of Earth Prize-2018
for operating the world’s first fully solar-powered airport ?
(a) Bangalore
(b) Mumbai
(c) Chennai
(d) Kolkata
(e) Cochin
388. The Parliament passed a bill in July 2017 that will allow a court to order for payment of an
interim compensation to those whose cheques have bounced due to dishonouring parties. This
interim compensation cannot exceed ...........of the amount of the cheque that was dishonoured.
(a) 10%
(b) 20%
(c) 30%
(d) 40%
(e) 50%
389. According to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill
introduced in Lok Sabha in July 2018, a 'small Enterprise’ would be the one whose annual
turnover is more than.............but less than Rs. 75 crore.
(a) Rs. 5 crore
(b) Rs. 10 Crore
(c) Rs. 25 crore
(d) Rs. 40 crore
(e) Rs. 50 crore
390. Which of the following has launched “Mission Satyanishtha” aimed at sensitizing its
employees about the need to adhere to good ethics and to maintain- high standards of integrity
at work?
(a) India Post
(b) Railways
(c) ONGC
(d) NHAI
(e) CISF
391. Charitable foundation of which pharma company has signed MoU with NITI Aayog adopt
Dholpur, Vidisha and Nandurbar as part of government’s Aspirational Districts Programme ?
(a) Cipla
(b) Lupin
(c) Alembic

(d) Wocjdiardt
(e) Sun Pharma
392. Which of the following has won a contract to supply vehicles for carrying Army’s Russian-
built Smerch Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL)?
(a) Volvo Eicher
(b) Tata Motors
(c) Daimlef Benz
(d) Ashok Leyland
393. The merger of Vodafone and Idea Cellular was approved by the government on July 26,
2018. The merged company will be the largest and has market share of..........in mobile services
in the country.
(a) 25%
(b) 35%
(c) 45%
(d) 55%
(e) 65%
394. Which state's Tourism Development Corporation has started construction of India's first
public sector hotel run entirely by women for women ? The hotel is named Hostess.
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Telangana
(d) Maharashtra
(e) Andhra Pradesh
395. Which state's Assembly on July 26, 2018 unanimously passed a resolution to change the
state’s name ?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Tripura
(c) Odisha
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
396. India’s first Mobile Open Exchange Zone (MOX), whose foundation was laid by the Prime
Minister on July 28, will be set up in:
(a) Faridabad
(b) Gurgaon
(c) Manesar
(d) Rohtak
(e) Noida

397. Which is the best-governed state in the country according to the Public Affairs Index 2018
released by Bengaluru-based Public Affairs Centre (PAC)?
(a) Goa
(b) Kerala
(c) Telangana
(d) Maharashtra
(e) Andhra Pradesh
398. Which state’s Assembly on July 26, 2018 passed the Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2018,
keeping CM out of its purview in matters relating to public order ?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Tripura
(c) Odisha
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
399 Who among the following has become the face of the Western Railway's campaign on
checking trespassing, Women’s safety and cleanliness ?
(a) V.V.S. Laxman
(b) Rahul Dravid
(c) Virender Sehwag
(d) Sachin Tendulkar
(e) Mahendra Singh Dhoni
400. India’s Neeraj Chopra Won gold medal in men’s javelin throw at the Savo Games........ in on
July 29, 2018.
(a) Japan
(b) France
(c) Canada
(d) Finland
(e) New Zealand
401. Which state will soon get world’s cheapest clean drinking water through the concept of
‘Sulabh Jal’ by Sulabh International Ltd ?
(a) Delhi
(b) Punjab
(c) Bihar
(d) Haryana
(e) Uttar Pradesh
402. Who among the following is the head of the committee set up by the government to
revamp and strengthen NCC (National Cadet Corps) .and NSS (National Service Scheme) ?
(a) Swapan Pandey
(b) Ranjit Bhushan
(c) Prakash Saran
(d) Anil Swarup
(e) MihirRoy

403. Which state’s police will set up ‘Digital Annies’ of prominent residents to keep a vigil on
inflammatory posts and rumour-mongering on social media ?
(a) Punjab
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Haryana
(e) Madhya Pradesh
404. Which state is best governed state according to Public Affairs index recently?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Kerala
(c) West Bengal
(d) Tamil Nadu
(e) Madhya Pradesh
405. An Army .........College, for children of serving and retired Army personnel, was inaugurated
near Pune on July 16, 2018,
(a) Law
(b) Medical
(c) Commerce
(d) Engineering
(e) Management
406. Which of the following has on July 19, 2018 launched an online portal and mobile app
called Aabhaar-Aapki Seva Ke for its pensioners?
(a) Chhattisgarh
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Jharkhand
(d) Rajasthan
(e) Bihar
407. NABARD announced the launch of the Centre for Climate Change in on July 20, 2018 to
extend professional support for designing climate related projects.
(a) Chennai
(b) Lucknow
(c) Bengaluru
(d) Hyderabad
(e) Ahmadabad
408. Akshay Kumar and ...... are the two Indians in the annual Forbes global Celebrity 100
released in July 2018.
(a) Aamir Khan
(b) Salman Khan
(c) Shahrukh Khan
(d) Priyanka Chopra

409. Which of the following has decided to sell its entire 49% stake in helicopter service provider
Pawan Hans ?
(a) IOC
(b) BHEL
(c) NTPC
(d) ONGC
(e) Air India
410. Which of the following was slapped with a penalty of 4.34 billion euro by the European
Union on July 18, 2018 for abusing the dominance of its operating system?
(a) IBM
(b) Apple
(c) Oracle
(d) Google
(e) Microsoft
411. The Lok Sabha passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 on July 19, 2018. The apex
agency to implement this law will be:
(a) Central Bureau of Investigation
(b) Central Vigilance Commission
(c) Indian Banks Association
(d) Enforcement Directorate
(e) Reserve Bank of India
412. The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2016. What is the
minimum amount required to open an account under the scheme?
(a) Rs. 100
(b) Rs. 250
(c) Rs. 500
(d) Rs. 1500
(e) Rs. 2000
413. Which of the following has signed an agreement with the All India Institute of Ayurveda
(AHA) on July 17, 2018 to give “scientific validation” to the ancient medical science ?
(a) IIT Kharagpur
(b) IIT Bombay
(c) IIT Madras
(d) IIT Kanpur
(e) UT Delhi
414. Which capital hosted the Summit of Presidents of United States and Russia on July 16,
2018?
(a) Copenhagen
(b) Stockholm
(c) Reykjavik
(d) Helsinki
(e) Oslo

415. United Nations observed Nelson Mandela International Day on ........2018.

(a) July 17
(b) July 18
(d) July 19
(d) July 20
(e) July 21
416. Which SAARC country flagged off an expanded emergency ambulance service financed by
India on July 21, 2018 ?
(a) Nepal
(b) Bhutan
(c) Maldives
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) Bangladesh
417. Dada J.P. Vaswani, head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, died in Pune on July 12, 2018 at the
age of 99. He was recipient of the.........Peace Award in 1998.
(a) U. Thant
(b) Trygve Lie
(c) Kurt Waldheim
(d) Dag Hammarskjold
(e) Javoer Perez de Cuellar
418. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) has been dissolved by the Centre. It was
constituted in the year:
(a) 1975
(b) 1980
(c) 1985
(d) 1990
(e) 1995
419. The Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Corruption {Amendment) Bill, 2013. A bribe giver
will not be charged with the offence if he reports the matter to law enforcement authorities
within ......... days.
(a) 3
(b) 7
(c) 10
(d) 14
(e) 21
420. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on July 22, 2018 selected 734 athletes for a scholarship
programme under Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme. Each athlete will get
an annual stipend of
(a) Rs.1 lakh
(b) Rs. 1.2lakh
(c) Rs.1.4 lakh
(d) Rs.1.6 lakh
(e) Rs. 1.8 lakh

421. India’s Lakshya Sen clinched the Men’s Singles title at the Asia Junior ......... Championships
in Jakarta on July 22, 2018.
(a) Golf
(b) Tennis
(c) Squash
(d) Badminton
(e) Table tennis
422. A state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System called SAFAR {System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting) was inaugurated on July 21, 2018 in Delhi. It has been
developed indigenously by:
(a) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
(b) Centre for Science and Environment
(c) National Geophysical Research Institute
(d) Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
(e) National Centre for Earth Science Studies
423. Which state announced that it will appoint athlete Hima Das as its sports ambassador ?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Tripura
(c) Odisha
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
424. Which of the following on July 19, 2018 signed MoU with the Bangalore Metro Rail
Corporation limited (BMRCL) for the construction of a station in Bengaluru?
(a) Tata Trusts
(b) Infosys Foundation
(c) Vedanta Foundation
(d) Reliance Foundation
(e) Tech Mahindra Foundation
425. Which of the following shut down its internet-based instant messaging service on July 17,
2018 after 20 years ?
(a) Yahoo
(b) Google
(c) Snapchat
(d) Facebook
(e) Microsoft
426. Five central oil PSUs signed an agreement in Guwahati on July 20, 2018 for executing the
North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid. The five does not include:
(a) Indian Oil Corp
(b) Old India Ltd.
(c) Numaligarh Refineries Ltd.
(d) Gas Authority of India Ltd.
(e) Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd.

427. The Goods and Services Tax Council decided on July 21, 2018 that small traders will now
need to fife returns on a quarterly basis while paying tax on a monthly basis. This will be
applicable to those with an annual turnover of less than
(a) Rs. 50 lakh
(b) Rs. 1 crore
(c) Rs. 3 crore
(d) Rs. 5 crore
(e) Rs. 7 crore
428. GST on which of the following is 28% after revision in rates announced by Goods and
Services Tax Council on July 21, 2018?
(a) Refrigerators
(b) Air conditioners
(c) Vacuum cleaners
(d) Washing machines
(e) Lithium-ion batteries
429. The Reserve Bank Jul 19, 2Q18 said it will soon issue new 100 rupee notes in lavender
colour having motif:
(a) Rani-ki-Vav at Patan, Gujarat
(b) Rook Shelters of Bhimbetka
(c) Red Fort Complex, Delhi
(d) Sun Temple, Konarak
(e) Taj Mahal, Agra
430. The 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF) award for long-time contribution to Indian
Football was awarded to which company in July 2018?
(a) Bajaj Auto
(b) TVS Motors
(c) Tata Motors
(d) Hero MotoCorp
431. Nepal-China military exercise held in September 2018 is known as :

(a) Lhotse Friendship
(b) Manaslu Friendship
(c) Sagarmatha Friendship
(d) Kangchenjunga Friendship
(e) Swayambhtmath Friendship
432. According to an agreement signed in July 2018, students from Bangladesh will immediately
get a minimum ......... year visa after their enrolment in colleges in India.
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 4
(e) 5

433. Indian Air Force (LAF) is participating in which warfare exercise in Australia in July-August
2018?
(a) Pure Vistas
(b) Pitch Black
(c) Point Blank
(d) Parallel Horizon
(e) Thunder Down Under
434. Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj died in Delhi on July 19 at 93. Awards won by him include
which of the following ?
I. I Padma Shri
II. Padma Bhushan
III. Padma Vibhushan
(a) Only I
(b) I,II and III
(c) I and II
(d) II and III
(e) I and III
435. Rajya Sabha Members can now speak in any of the........... languages listed in the 8th
schedule of the Constitution in the House with the availability of simultaneous interpretation
service from July.
(a) 16
(b) 18
(c) 20
(d) 22
(e) 24
436. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the........Canal Project to the Nation in Mirzapur
(UP) on July 15, 2018.
(a) Jalsagar
(b) Sursagar
(c) Devsugar
(d) Bansagar
(e) Marusagar
437. According to the 2011 Census data, the second most spoken language after Hindi is :
(a) Odia
(b) Tamil
(c) Telugu
(d) Marathi
(e) Bengali
438. The Union Cabinet on July 4, 2018 approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif
crops for the year 2018-19. Crops covered do not include:
(a) Cotton
(b) Wheat
(c) Paddy
(d) Jowar

(e) Ragi
439. Which of the following will not come under the purview of the newly formed National
Testing Agency (NTA) ?
(a) JEE Advanced
(b) JEE Main
(c) CMAT
(d) GPAT
(e) NET
440. Who among the following won the Golden Boot award for scoring most goals at the FIFA
World Cup in Russia in July 2018?
(a) Harry Kane
(b) Romelu Lukaku
(c) Denis Cheryshev
(d) Cristiano Ronaldo
(e) Antoine Griezmann
441. Which of the following has launched “Launchpad Accelerator” to nurture Indian startups
working in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) ?
(a) IBM
(b) Intel
(c) Google
(d) Facebook
(e) Microsoft
442. Who was ranked first among 126 economies in the Global Innovation Index released by the
WIPO, INSEAD and Cornell University in July 2018?
(a) Singapore
(b) Hong Kong
(c) Switzerland
(d) South Korea
(e) The Netherlands
443. Which of the following has topped the ease of doing annual business ranking of States and
Union Territories by the World Bank and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
in July 2018 ?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Telangana
(e) Kerala
444. The government has increased the threshold monetary limits for filing Departmental
Appeals in tax disputes. The tax department can now file appeals in ITAT/CESTAT only if the tax
amount involved is...........or more
(a) Rs. 10 lakh
(b) Rs. 20 lakh
(c) Rs. 30 lakh

(d) Rs. 40 lakh

(e) Rs. 50 lakh
445. ISRO on July 15, 2018 said it successfully conducted a ground test of its high thrust version
of the Engine that would improve the payload capability of the space agency’s launch vehicles.
(a) Vyom
(b) Vijay
(c) Vikas
(d) Viman
(e) Shikhar
446. Malala Day was celebrated on July 12, 2018. Malala Yousafzai is a winner of which of the
following awards ?
(a) Nobel Peace Prize
(b) Stockholm Water Prize
(c) Right Livelihood Award
(d) Ramon Magsaysay Prize
(e) Goldman Environmental Prize
447. The UN Security Council on July 13, 2018 imposed an arms embargo on........
(a) Congo
(b) Rwanda
(c) Somalia
(d) Sierra Leone
(e) South Sudan
448. Who among the following is not include in the group of four nominations made by the
President on the advice of the Prime Minister to the Rajya Sabha ?
(a) Ram Shakal
(b) Rakesh Sinha
(c) Raghunath Mohapatra
(d) Sonal Mansingh
(e) Raghav Agarwal
449. According to the 2011 Census data, Hindi-speaking people comprise of the country's total
population.
(a) 33.63%
(b) 43.63%
(c) 53.63%
(d) 63.63%
(e) 73.63%
450. Which state launched Anna Canteens in July 2018 that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner for
Rs.5 a plate on week days ?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka
(d) Telangana
(e) Kerala

451. Which state has launched ‘l am not afraid of English’ programme for training leathers to
help students improve their English?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Haryana
(e) Punjab
452. Which state government in July 2018 asked multiplex owners to permit movie-goers to
bring their own food items ?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Odisha
(c) Gujarat
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
453. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the Foundation Stone of the 340 km long Poorvanchal
Expressway in.......on July 14, 2018.
(a) Agra
(b) Aligarh
(c) Amroha
(d) Azamgarh
(e) Allahabad
454. Which of the following was world’s most expensive office location property consultant
CBRE’s report released in July 2018 ?
(a) Pudong, Shanghai
(b) West End, London
(c) Hong Kong, Central
(d) Finance Street, Beijing
(e) Midtown Manhattan, New York
455. Which of the following was India’s most expensive office location property consultant
CBRE's report released in July 2018 ?
(a) Khan Market, Delhi
(b) Connaught Place, Delhi
(c) Nariman Point, Mumbai
(d) BandraKurla Complex, Mumbai
(e) Central Business District, Bangalore
456. Which of the following has inked an agreement with South Korea's KB Financial Group to
set-up financing corridor and development of digital payment eco system ?
(d) Bank of Baroda
(e) Indian Bank

457. Which of the following has started an e-coimnerce platform for farmers in partnership with
Singapore-based technology firm iMandi?
(a) KRIBHCO
(b) MAHYCO
(c) NABARD
(d) NAFED
(e) IFFCO
458. What is India’s rank among 126 economies in the Global Innovation Index released by the
WIPO, INSEAD and Cornell University in July 2018 ?
(a) 47th
(b) 57th
(c) 67th
(d) 77th
(e) 87th
459. According to the World Bank India emerged as the world’s sixth largest economy in 2017.
Which of the following had a higher GDP than India in 2017?
(a) Italy
(b) Brazil
(c) France
(d) Germany
(e) All of these
460. The Telecom Commission approved net neutrality rules on July 11, 2018. What is OTT in
this context?
(a) Over-the-top
(b) Over-the-tariff
(c) Over-the-telecom
(d) Over-the-tax
(e) Over-the-tie
461. Which of the following signed an Moll with Indian Army for Defence Salary Package on July
12, 2016 ?
(d) Bank of Baroda
(e) Indian Bank
462. Which of the following has taken over from RBI the responsibility Of computation and
dissemination of reference rate for USD/INR and other major currencies from July 2016 ?
(a) Financial Benchmark Indie Pvt Ltd.
(b) Securities Benchmark India Pvt Ltd.
(c) Monetary Benchmark India Pvt Ltd.
(d) Derivatives Benchmark India Pvt ltd.
(e) Money Market Benchmark India Pvt Ltd.

463. Which of the following has taken the place vacated by exit of United States from the United
Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) ?
(a) Denmark
(b) Hungary
(c) Norway
(d) Iceland
(e) Latvia
464. The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) formally inducted. India as
its 69th member on July 11, 2018. President of EBRD is
(a) Ruma Bandopadhyay
(b) Suma Chakrabarti
(c) Numa Bannerjee
(d) Juma Goswami
(e) Buma Guha
465. Who broke the record for the highest individual score in a Twenty20 International on
July 2, 2018?
(a) Chris Gayle
(b) Aaron Finch
(c) David Miller
(d) Richard Levi
(e) Faf du Plessis
466 High Court on July 5, 2018 declares the “entire animal kingdom including avian and
aquatic” as legal entities.
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Uttar Pradesh1
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Rajasthan
(e) Punjab
467. Airport in which city will be named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore ?
(a) Guwahati
(b) Agartala
(c) Shillong
(d) Imphal
(e) Aizawl
468. Which of the following set up a panel comprising eminent writers and language experts to
choose an official song for the state in July 2018?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Kerala

469. Which of the following inaugurated the world’s largest mobile phone factory in Noida on
July 9,2018?
(a) LG
(b) Nokia
(c) Apple
(d) Oppo
(e) Samsung
470. The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the scheme. of recapitalization of
Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Ml 2019-20. RRBs are required to maintain the minimum prescribed
Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) at:
(a) 9%
(b) 8.5%
(c) 9.51%
(d) 8.75%
(e) 9.25%
471. Which is world’s most expensive city for expatriates according to the 2018 Cost of Living
Survey by Mercer
(a) Luanda
(b) London
(c) Windhoek
(d) Singapore
(e) Hong Kong
472. India is the world’s most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual
violence by which of the following recently?
(a) Maplecroft
(b) Bloomberg
(c) Thomson Reuters
(d) Gallup International
(e) Pew Research Center
473. Who among, the following won Golden Man Booker Prize in July for his novel The English
Patient’?
(a) Yann Martel
(b) Roddy Doyle
(c) Barry Unsworth
(d) Michael Ondaatie
(e) William Burlington
474. Which of the following countries has refused to extradite Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who
is allegedly wanted in India for terror-related activities and hate speech?
(a) Oman
(b) Malaysia
(c) Indonesia
(d) Saudi Arabia
(e) United Arab Emirates

475. Who among the following has been appointed Chairperson of die National Green Tribunal
(NGT) in July 2018 ?
(a) Justice J. Chelameswar
(b) Justice L Narsimha Reddy
(c) Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel
(d) Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar
(e) Justice Madan Bhimarao Lokur
476. Who among the following, lawyers is the author of ’God Save the Honourable Supreme
Court’ released recently?
(a) Harish Salve
(b) Mukul Rohatgi
(c) Fali S. Nariman
(d) Prashant Bhushan
(e) Gopal Subramanium
477. Who among the following Chairpersons of ISRO is the Chairperson of the committee set up
by the Union HRD Ministry for preparing final draft of/National Education Policy
(a) U.R. Rao
(b) K. Kasturirangan
(c) G. Madhavan Nair
(d) K. Radhakrishnan
(e ) Shailesh Nayak
478. The CBDT on June 30, 2018 extended the deadline for the PAN Aadhaar linking to ......
(a) June 30,2019
(b) March 31,2019
(c) January 31, 2019
(d) October 30, 2018
(e) December 31,2018
479. Whose birth anniversary was observed as Doctor’s Day on July 1, 2018 in India?
(a) Bidhan Chandra Roy
(b) Pawan Kumar Bose
(c) Akhil Chattopadhyay
(d) Suhhasis Shankar Ben
(e) Mrinal Chandra Bannerjee
480. India defeated Iran in the final to emerge as the Kabaddi Masters 2018 champion in ...... on
June 80, 2018.
(a) Doha
(b) Dubai
(c) Sharjah
(d) Muscat
(e) Abu Dhabi

481. Which state announced “religious minority” status for Jews in June 2018 ?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Odisha
(c) Gujarat
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
482. The use of LED bulbs and tube lights has been made mandatory in all offices
of......government by August 15, 2018.
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Haryana
(e) Punjab
483. Which state on June 29, 2018 entered into collaboration with the Regional Integrated
Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for automating risk management
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Odisha
(c) Gujarat
(d) Assam
(e) Goa
484. From July 1, 2018 the PSU, Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (KAPL), will be the
sole manufacturer of Oxytocin formulations in the country. This public sector undertaking is
based in
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Telangana
(d) Karnataka
(e) Kerala
485. Climate change could cost India 2.8% of GDP by 2050. This was stated in a...... report titled
‘South Asia’s Hotspots. The Impact of Temperature and Precipitation Changes on living
Standards’,
(a) ADB
(b) WEF
(c) UNEP
(d) Greenpeace
(e) World Bank
486. The government has approved two new Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) in which of the
following states after the SPRs in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in June 2018 ?
(a) Maharashtra, Gujarat
(b) Odisha, Karnataka
(c) Gujarat, Odisha
(d) Assam, Karnataka
(e) Goa, Gujarat

487. Which of the following has been allowed by IRDAI to acquire up to 51% stake in
government-owned IDBI Bank ?
(a) SBI life Insurance
(b) New India Assurance
(c) Life Insurance Corporation
(d) National Insurance Company
(e) General Insurance Corporation
488. The RBI on June 25, 2018 proposed that all Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) having
deposits of over......will have to set up a Board of Management within one year.
(a) Rs. 10 crore
(b) Rs. 25 crore
(c) Rs. 50 crore
(d) Rs. 75 crore
(e) Rs. 100 crore
489. India was.........in terms of money parked by its citizens and companies with Swiss banks in
2017.
(a) 63rd
(b) 73rd
(c) 83rd
(d) 93rd
(e) 103rd
490. Noted artist Anjolie Ela Menon has been selected for the Kalidas Samman by the state
government of:
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Haryana
(e) Bihar
491. According to the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), India has won “most
improved jurisdiction” award given by
(a) Bank for International Settlements
(b) International Monetary Fund
(c) Global Restructuring Review
(d) Financial Action Task Force
(e) World Bank
492. Chairperson of the government appointed Task force on Artificial Intelligence (AI):
(a) Azim Premji
(b) K. Natarajan
(c) Nandan Nilekani
(d) Bhaskar Pramanik
(e) N. Chandrasekaran

493. Which is the most expensive city for expatriates in India, according to the 2018 Cost of
Living Survey by Mercer ?
(a) Chennai
(b) Kolkata
(c) Mumbai
(d) New Delhi
(e) Bengaluru
494. Nigeria has the largest number of poor people in the world followed by India. This was
stated in a study published by US based think tank:
(a) Cato Institute
(b) Rand Corporation
(c) Brookings Institution
(d) Smithsonian Institution
(e) Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
495. Which of the following has placed Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 for failing to curb
terror financing ?
(a) Financial Action Task Force
(b) Financial Analysis Task Force
(c) Financial Appraisal Task Force
(d) Financial Assessment Task Force
(e) Financial Appropriation Task Force
496. The.........and Art Deco Ensembles Of Mumbai” was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage
list in June 2018.
(a) Norman
(b) Victorian
(c) Edwardian
(d) Elizabethan
(e) Anglo-Saxon
497. Which of the following aircrafts Was gifted by India to Seychelles during the visit, of
Resident Danny Faure in June 2018 ?
(a) Tejas
(b) Saras
(c) Jaguar
(d) Dornier
(e) Mirage
498. The government has decided to replace the University Grants Commission with Higher
Education .......of India.
(a) Regulator
(b) Authority
(с) Committee
(d) Commission
(e) Corporation
499. The Guinness World Record for ‘largest number of people performing yoga at one place at
the same time’ was set in which state on June 21, 2018 ?

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Haryana
(e) Punjab
500. Who among the following received the Sportsperson of the Year Award given by Sports
Illustrated India Magazine in June 2018?
(a) P.V. Sindhu
(b) Manu Bhaker
(c) Sakshi Malik
(d) Sunil Chhetri
(e) Kidambi Srikanth

2018 Most Important Current Affairs

(January to December)
Polity and Governance
1. Recently, Andhra Pradesh demand for Special Category Status (SCS) was refused by
Centre. The Constitution does not include any provision for categorization, but some
regions in the country are historically disadvantaged in comparison with others. And
these historically disadvantaged states are recognized as SCS. The concept of a Special
Category State was first introduced in:
1969 by the 5th Finance Commission (based on the Gadgil formula)
2. Recently, government awarded certificates of appreciation to 34 central government

ministries for implementing “e- office” (intends to make transition of government
functions from manual to digital) in departments. It is a core Mission Mode Project
(MMP) under
e- Kranti: National e-Govemance Plan (NeGP) 2.0
3. Recently, Law Commission released a white paper on Simultaneous Elections. In this

method, elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies are synchronized together under
which voters in a particular constituency vote for both State Assembly and Lok Sabha
the same day. Simultaneous Elections were held in India till
1967 (disrupted from 1968)
4. Recently, Supreme Court held that National Commission for Minority Education
Institutions (NCMEI) has original jurisdiction to determine an establishment as a minority
education institution. NCMEI was established through an ordinance promulgated in
2004 and NCMEI Act later under
Ministry of Human Resource Development
5. The Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) was recently used in
Chengannur (Kerala) Assembly by poll. It provides an alternative method of quick
dispatch of Postal Ballot paper electronically to the entitled Service Voters (by using OTP
or PIN in real time). It was first used in
Nellithope (Puducherry) by-elections in 2016

6. Union Cabinet has approved the Protection of Human J Rights (Amendments) Bill, 2018.
It proposes to add a woman Member in/the composition of the Commission. It proposes
to include which Commission as deemed Member of the Commission?
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
7. National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill proposes to overhaul the medical

administration in the country. NMC Bill intends to replace “Medical Council of India”
(MCI) with “National Medical Commission” (NMC), as the chief regulator for medical
education. It proposes to replace final MBBS examination into
National Exit Test (NEXT) (to ensure a standardized potency for practice)
8. Central Government (DoPT) had invited applications for senior-level positions via lateral
entry. First ARC had pointed out the need for specialization as far back as in 1965. Which
other committee/committees had suggested the same?
Surinder Nath Committee (2003), Hota Committee (2004) and Second ARC (2005)
9. Parliament has passed Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Third Amendment) Bill,
2017 that seeks to provide constitutional status to the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC). Earlier, it was a legal body. NCBC was constituted by (in)
National Commission for Backward Classes Act of 1993
10. The Law Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge, B.S. Chauhan, published
a consultation paper recommending that, it is time to re-think or even repeal the
provision of Section 124A from the Indian Penal Code. This section deals with
Sedition law in India
11. The government has decided to collect data on Other Backward Classes during Census
2021, although a Socio- Economic Caste Census (SECC) was conducted in 2011
separately from the census. The last census that included the castes in census was
1931 Census (by British Government)
12. The Law Commission of India submitted a report to the government and suggested that
since it is impossible to stop illegal gambling, the only viable option left is to regulate
gambling in sports. The First Law Commission was established in
1834 by the British Government under Lord Macaulay

13. Recently, SC increased Karnataka’s share of the Cauvery water than what was awarded
by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in February 2007. Which article empowers
Parliament with the power by law provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other
court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint.
Article 262(2)
14. According to the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution, states are required to constitute
Panchayats at three tiers. Goa, Manipur, Sikkim, D & N Haveli, Daman & Diu and
Lakshadweep do not have intermediate Panchayat. Which state recently has passed a
bill to do away with the Anchal Samiti (Intermediate level) and set up a two- tier system
in the state
Arunachal Pradesh
15. The Union Cabinet recently approved the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill,
2018. It will facilitate speedy appointment of arbitrators through designated arbitral
institutions by the Supreme Court or the High Court. It was proposed, on the
recommendation from High Level Committee (HLC) headed by
Justice B.N. Srikrishna
16. The Union Cabinet has recently approved the proposal of the Ministry of Finance to
introduce the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018. According to this bill, Fugitive
Economic Offender is
a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled
offence
17. Recently, Union Cabinet has approved to expand the Scheduled Areas in some areas of
Rajasthan. The Scheduled area has more than 50 per cent tribal population. The
interests of Schedule Tribes outside the North East are protected under
Schedule-V of the Constitution of India
18. Vice president of India/ Presiding Officer (PO) in Rajya Sabha has rejected the
impeachment motion passed to remove the CJI. The ground for impeachment of a
Supreme Court judge (including CJI) is
Proved misbehaviour or incapacity under Article 124(4)
19. Law Commission of India (LCI) in its 275th report has recommended to bring BCCI under
RTI act, as it resembles as Public Authority. Public authority’’ (means any authority or

body or institution of self- government established or constituted- under the

Constitution; by Parliament; by state legislature or by notification) is mentioned under
Section 2(h) of RTI Act
20. In recent Karnataka legislative assembly elections, post poll alliance was not called first
by Governor to form the government. The committee and Supreme Court judgement
that provided for the sequence of alliance to be called to form government in case of no
single party has the clear majority was
Sarkaria Commission and Rameshwar Prasad v Union of India, 2005
21. The Parliament has passed the Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The amendment
introduces new concept, in which a party who is affected by the breach of contract can
choose to get the contract performed by a third party, or by its own agency at the cost
of the contracting party at default. It is named as
Substituted Performance
22. Lok Sabha passes Fugitive Offenders Bill, 2018. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill is
aimed at preventing culprits from evading the legal process and fleeing the country.
Who is ‘Fugitive Economic Offender’?
a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled
offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution
23. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, is mooted on the floor of the House, that will
replace the present ordinance which aims to provides for stringent punishment
including death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below
Age of 12 years
24. Cabinet approves DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation BUI 2018, for
expanding the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support and
strengthen the justice delivery system. What is DNA profiling (STR analysis)?
It is a method used to identify an individual from a sample of DNA by looking at

unique patterns in their DNA with Microsatellites
25. Supreme Court scrapped ' None Of The Above’ (NOTA) in Rajya Sabha polls. NOTA
option is available for citizens during general elections. It now will not be an option for
MLAs in Rajya Sabha. The Election Commission announced in January 2014 that the
provisions of NOTA be included in the Rajya Sabha elections too. NOTA was made
available for general elections in 2013

26. The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) BUI, 2018 has been passed by Punjab state
Assembly. It has inserted which section to the UPC to provide that, “whoever causes
injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Gita, Holy Quran
and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be
punished with imprisonment for life.”
Section 295AA in Indian Penal Code
27. In a ‘Consultation Paper on Family Law Reforms' released by the Law Commission, it has
taken a stand in favour of "equality ‘within communities' between men and women"
(personal law reform), "rather than ‘equality between' communities (Uniform Civil
Code)". It said that uniform civil code is not desirable now. Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
comes under
Article 44 of the Directive Principles (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution
28. Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Ordinance 2018 is issued by the
Central Government which will be applicable to all states but J&K. It makes any
pronouncement of ‘talaq’ by a Muslim husband to his wife in any manner, spoken or
written, shall he void, illegal and punishable offence. It has a provision of jail term for
Three Years or more
29. The Madras High Court has upheld the Speaker's disqualification of AIADMK MLAs of
Tamil Nadu Assembly on the grounds of defection. The Tenth Schedule - popularly
known as the Anti-Defection law - was included in the Constitution by
52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985
30. Recently Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 was issued to amend
the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and dissolving the Medical Council of India (MCI)
and replacing it with
Board of Governors (BOG)
31. The Supreme Court is hearing petitions challenging the validity of Art 35A. It empowers
J&K to define a class of persons as constituting “permanent residents” of the State. Art
35A was inserted as part of the amendments made through
The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 (Presidential order
under Article 370)

32. The Supreme Court has made it mandatory for politicians, their spouses and associates
to declare their sources of income, along with their assets, in order to qualify for
contesting elections. Such disclosure is a part of fundamental rights of the voter under
Article 19(1)(a), which was laid down in the case of
Union of India vs Association for Democratic Reforms & Another (2002)
33. Madras high court has ruled an outstanding judgement on natural guardian. In divorce
situations, the parent with custody of the child is considered the natural guardian. The
opposite of a natural guardian is
an appointed guardian or legal guardian, who will be authorized by a court or a will to

care for and make decisions on behalf of a minor child
34. Article 15(4), 16 (4), 16 (4A), 16 (4B) etc., allows State to make special provision for the
advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for SCs
and STs. The Supreme Court has permitted Central government for reservation in
promotion to SC/ ST employees working in the public sector in “accordance with law”.
The guideline followed for this purpose was laid down in
M Nagaraj Case 2006
35. Delhi government has again decided to demand for full statehood for Delhi with a public
campaign. Delhi has special provision of a Chief Minister and a popularly; elected
unicameral legislature with Lt. Governor as its Chief Executive (and also a High Court in
Delhi). The Constitutional amendment which is responsible for this provision is
69th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1991
36. Supreme Court sets aside several key Lodha panel recommendations for BCCI, including
one state one vote, No full memberships to associations with no state entity etc. The
Lodha Panel was constituted by Supreme Court to reform the BCCI, the earlier
committee constituted for the same was
Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee
37. The Mahadayi River Water Tribunal ended 50-Year-Old dispute on Mahadayi Water by
distributing due amount to the states. The Mahadayi water issues have often led Goa
and Karnataka to engage in a bitter battle of words between them. Mahadayi River rises
from which Sanctuary?
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi district (Western Ghats,

Karnataka)
38. The Supreme Court on August 20, 2018 mooted the idea for stopping criminals from
contesting polls by empowering the Election Commission to deny symbol to political

parties who field criminals as candidates. The most important committee first raised this
issue and constituted for this purpose is
Vohra Committee (under the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra) 1993
39. The Supreme Court directs the State that it can stop government doctors from taking
voluntary retirement in public interest. The concept of public interest can also be
invoked by the government when voluntary retirement sought by an employee will be
against public interest. The State governments had an obligation to make an endeavour
to look after the provisions for health and nutrition under
Article 47 of Indian Constitution
40. Supreme Court has allowed a partial window to bum fire crackers and ordered only
firecrackers with reduced emission and decibel levels will be permitted during all
festivals. Though the Central government ruled out a national ban on firecrackers. The
Court appealed for Green Crackers to use for all festivals. The important green crackers
announced by scientists are
Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal
Aluminium (SAFAL)
41. The 46th Chief Justice of India, who has been appointed as the CJI (according to the
convention, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court is recommended by the sitting
CJI) after the retirement of Justice Dipak Misra is
Ranjan Gogoi
42. Article 123 of the Constitution can only be invoked when Parliament is not in session,
and it requires the satisfaction of the President that circumstances exist for immediate
action but at present large number of ordinances are being promulgated by
government. The case of Supreme Court that deals with this issue is
D.C. Wadhwa Vs. State of Bihar (1987)
43. The Supreme Court unanimously struck down an adultery law that makes it a punishable
offence for men and advised the government to make a gender neutral law for the
purpose. It was defined in which law?
Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code
44. Recently, the Election Commission (EC) said that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will
come into effect from the day the premature dissolution of an Assembly in a State or a
Union Territory is announced. The case of Supreme Court that deals with the dissolution
of the state assembly was
SR Bommai versus Union of India case, 1994

45. Which Supreme Court case provided the basic definitions of sexual harassment at the
workplace and provided guidelines to deal with it? It became the cornerstone for the
enactment of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013
Vishakha and others v State of Rtyasthan (1997)
46. Supreme Court in July 2018 directed to ensure transparency in the appointment of
Director General of Police (DGP) of the state. SC restrained the State governments from
appointing DGPs without first consulting UPSC. It was recommended as one of the seven
guidelines by Supreme Court in case
Prakash Singh v. Union of India Judgement (2006)
47. Supreme Court of India allows live-streaming of court proceedings and directed the
centre to frame rules for the same purpose. Which countries has already allowed for live
streaming of court Proceedings?
Australia, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom and New Zealtmd (only recording not
broadcasting)
48. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in 2018 gave a landmark decision that
decriminalised all consensual sex among adults in private, including homosexual sex. It
typecasts Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) individuals as sex-
offenders. This judgement case is named as
Navtej Singh Johor & Others vs. Union of India
Plan & Policy
49. It is a Pension Scheme for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above. The Scheme
provides an assured return of 8% p.a. payable monthly for 10 years which is payable at
the end of each period, as per the frequency chosen by the pensioner at the time of
purchase.
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
50. The Union Cabinet has recently approved the proposal for closure of two Autonomous
Bodies. The functions are proposed to be vested in Department of Health & Family
Welfare (DoHFW). One is Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (JSK) and other is
Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)

51. Government recently launched the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’

programme’ that aims to quickly and effectively transform the chosen 115 districts, with
at least one from 28 states. Which state is not included in this scheme?
Goa
52. 12. The PM of India launched Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan on the Panchayati Raj Day.
It is a centrally sponsored scheme which aims at making rural local bodies self-
sustainable, financially stable and more efficient. This scheme is an upgraded version of
Rajiv Gandhi Pane hay at Sashaktikaran Abhiyan
53. The tourism ministry last year launched the 'Adopt a Heritage' scheme. This was an
attempt to increase public- private partnership in conservation and maintenance of
heritage sites. It invited private and public sector companies to become as
'Monument Mitras'
54. Union Agriculture Minister has released Model Agriculture Produce and Livestock
Contract Farming and Services (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2018. The Act will provide
adequate confidence to farmers and incentives to the sponsors to enter into a contract.
This Contract Farming will be outside the ambit of
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act
55. Which integrated scheme has been launched for school education extending support to
States from pre-school to senior secondary levels for the first time. It is regarded as a
paradigm shift in the conceptual design of school education by treating ‘school’
holistically as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and
senior secondary levels.
Samagra Siksha Scheme
56. Cabinet has approved continuance of 8 existing schemes (an umbrella scheme) of
Ministry of Home Affairs for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates up to
March 2020, which includes rehabilitation of Bru and Reang families from Tripura to
Mizoram. Reangs speak
Reang dialect of Kokborok language or Kau Bru (of Tibeto-Burmese origin)
57. Government launched several new initiatives under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation
and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission. Under this, the CITIIS
Challenge (Cities Investment to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain) process is being applied
for
Implementation of the Smart Cities Mission in line with the NITI Aayog guidelines

58. On implementing the bio fuel policy, the state government prepared its line of action as
there will be a greater focus on raising the production of oilseeds. The first state in India
that moved ahead with the production and use of bio fuels on a major scale (first state
to implements Bio-fuel policy)
Rtyasthan
59. Indian Drone Policy published, the commercial use of drones starts from December 1,
2018. The agency responsible and published final guidelines for operating drones or
remotely piloted aircraft systems by ordinary citizens (on August 27, 2018) is
Civil aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)
60. The drone regulator (DGCA) imposed restrictions on drone use and listed 12 categories
of “no-drone zones”. These include the area up to 5 km from the perimeters of the high-
traffic airports of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata. Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Other
areas are
Up to 3 kms of airports and closer than 25 kms of international borders
61. To strengthen the research ecosystem in the country, Minister of Human Resource
Development launched the web portal of two schemes namely
Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) & Scheme for Promotion of
Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)
62. The Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Ministry in October 2018 released a
policy on biometric based digital processing of passengers at airports (to develop
standards for digital processing of passengers at airport to ensure uniform
implementation and passenger experience across Indian airports through a connected
ecosystem). The scheme is called as
Digi Yatra
63. The central government launched a campaign, Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas on Mahatma
Gandhi's birth anniversary (October 02, 2018), aiming
To involve people at the grassroots while preparing structured Gram Panchayat

Development Plans (GPDP), along with audit of the works done in the last few years
Committee & Report
64. Recently the Corruption Perception Index was released. The index has found that more
than two-third of the countries have scored below 50 with an average score of 43. India

ranked 81st with a score of 40. New Zealand topped the list and Somalia ranked lowest.
This index is released by
Transparency International
65. The HRD Ministry granted "Institutions of Eminence (IoEs)" status to six institutions (IIT-
Delhi, IIT-Bombay and IISc- Bengaluru in public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher
Education, BITS Pilani and Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation in the private sector). The
Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) which suggested name for IoEs was headed by
N Gopalaswami
66. The Centre has launched the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018, a nationwide survey of
rural India to rank the cleanest and dirtiest states and districts on the basis of qualitative
and quantitative evaluation. This is the first comprehensive survey for Rural India. The
ministry that is responsible for survey is
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
67. The reports that recommended for safeguards to prevent illegal collection and use of
DNA data; to provide safeguards to prevent the proposed body from misusing the same
(2012) and also for maintenance of strict confidentiality with regard to keeping of
records of DNA profiles and their use (2003) are
P. Shah Committee Report (2012), Malimath Committee Report (2003)
68. The Committee of Experts on Data Protection Frame work for India was constituted in
August 2017 to examine issues related to data protection in India. This committee was
headed by
Justice B. N. Srikrishna
69. The committee on Data Protection submitted its report to Ministry of Information
Technology that became the basis for draft of a bill called Personal Data Protection Bill,
2018. The submitted report was titled as
A Free and Fair Digital Economy - Protecting Privacy, Empowering Indians
70. The committee on Data Protection recommends giving ‘Data Principals' (persons whose
personal data is being processed), the ‘right to be forgotten’. What does this mean?
It is a restriction on the disclosure of data after the purpose served or consent is

withdrawn for processing by the concerned person

71. Government launched the State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index (SEEPI) wherein
five states came in the top most category of ‘front runner’ states and five have been
categorised in the second-best category of ‘achiever states’. The leading state in the
front runner is
Andhra Pradesh
72. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Ministry of Power (MOP) prepared the State
Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index. The index has indicators across Building, Industry,
Municipality, Transport, Agriculture and DISCOM with 4 cross-cutting indicators. The
index has
63 indicators
73. 'Ease of Living' has no standard definition, it is fundamentally tied to physical amenities
such as water supply, solid waste management, parks and green space etc., for others it
relates to cultural offerings, career opportunities, economic dynamism or safety. The
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry released the results of its survey on the Ease of
Living in cities. The overall top three cities are
Pune (highest rank) followed by Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai (all in
Maharashtra)
74. The railways had conducted a third-party survey by the Quality Council of India (QCI) for
assessment of cleanliness. The survey was conducted covering 407 major railway
stations 75 in A1 category and 332 in A category stations. According to this index, top
three stations (in A1 category) are
Jodhpur, Jaipur and Tirupati
75. India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and health care,
according to the first-ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human
capital. The study, published in journal The Lancet and the study is based on analysis of
data from sources, including government agencies, schools, and health care systems.
The study, conducted by
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (1HME) on the request of the World
Bank
76. Which committee was constituted to recommend amendments to the Criminal Law to
provide for quicker trial and enhanced punishment for criminals accused of committing
sexual assault against women? It submitted its report on January 23, 2013.
Verma Committee (headed by Justice J.S. Verma)
77. Law Commission of India (LCI) submitted its 277th report titled “Wrongful Prosecution
(Miscarriage of Justice): Legal Remedies” to Government. India has one of the highest

under trial populations in the world (67.2%) and more than 4 lakhs prisoners.
Internationally, obligation on signatory states imposed by
Article 14(6) of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 (ICCPR)
Other State News
78. Assam is the only State in the country that prepared an NRC in 1951 following the
census of that year. This is to detect Bangladeshi migrants who may have illegally
entered Assam after the midnight Of March 24, 1971. This cut-off date was originally
agreed in
1985 Assam Accord
79. The Karnataka government decided to recommend to the Centre to grant religious
minority status to the Lingayat community. The Lingayats are strict monotheists. They
instruct the worship of only one God, namely, Linga (Shiva). The community actually
evolved from a 12th century movement led by
Social Reformer and Philosopher Saint Basavanna
80. The AFSPA gives power to army and central forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill
anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a
warrant. Recently, the Centre has revoked AFSPA from
Meghalaya
81. Prime Minister inaugurated the Zojila tunnel project in New Delhi. The 14 km long Zojila
tunnel will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel. It will
provide all-weather connectivity to
Srinagar, Kargil and Leh
82. According to a Parliamentary question on complaints of sexual harassment of women at

work, Delhi saw the second highest number of complaints (total 314) in every year since
2015. Overall, 2,164 complaints were registered all over India since 2015. The largest
number of complaints were registered in
Uttar Pradesh (total 627)

National Security
83. It is a convention of the council of Europe on cybercrime. It is the first international

treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks and deals
with issues such as infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child
pornography and violations of network security. India has recently signed it, which is
known as
A Budapest Convention on cybercrime
84. Recently, Ministry of Defence released the draft Defence Production Policy 2018 (DProP
2018). Under this, Indigenous Defence production policy targets 2025 for becoming self-
reliant in 13 weapons platforms. The policy aims to
make India among the top five countries of the world in Aerospace and Defence
industries
85. The Government initiated to set up a defence production corridor in Tamil Nadu. The
government, in Budget 2Q18, announced establishment of two defence corridors- one in
Tamil Nadu called Tamil Nadu Defence Production Quad connecting Chennai, Salem,
Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli to Bengaluru and other is in
Uttar Pradesh (from Agra to Chitrakoot)
86. Recently, the biennial eight-day exercise 'Milan' was organized. The Indian Navy also
conducted a tri-service maritime exercise named ‘Exercise Pashchim Leher (XPL)’ in the
Arabian Sea. ‘Milan 2018’ was 10th edition and having largest participation till date
(including at least 16 nations). It was organized at
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
87. A recent report released by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently redrew the red
corridor by bringing down the number of districts affected with Naxal violence from 106
to 90. The prime criteria for removing the districts and including new ones was
“Incidents of violence”
88. Recently, top 34 global technology and securities firms, have signed a "Cyber security
Tech Accord" to defend people from malicious attacks by cybercriminals and nation-
states. This initiative is led by
Microsoft and Facebook

89. The first Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) started in 2008 on India’s initiative,
aimed at providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant
maritime issues. The recent (sixth) edition of IONS and Conclave of Chiefs (CoCs) was
held in
Tehran
90. The military exercise, in which, India and Pakistan will participate together for the first
time in a multi-nation counter-terrorism exercise is
Peace Mission (by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Ural Mountains of
Russia)
91. Government has decided to set a joint logistic node at the India’s only tri-services
command to provide logistical support to all three defence services and to improve
utilisation of resources, manpower and remove duplication. It will get set up at
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
92. CRPF has constituted a new battalion of local recruits to deal with the Naxals. This is a
newly formed battalion of the CRPF that consists of 549 recruits, all of whom are
exclusively from the 4 districts of Bastar region. It is named as
Bastariya Battalion
93. According to report Indian companies are investing more on securing their data (Cyber
Security budgets of Indian Companies tripled). The report remarks that the cyber-attacks
from China made up 35 % of the total number of cyber-attacks on official Indian
websites, followed by US (17%), Russia (15%), Pakistan (9%), Canada (7%) and Germany
(5%). The nodal agency for the purpose and report prepared by
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT- In)
94. The State Government, who has taken the first step towards setting up a varsity (a
dedicated University) dedicated to mitigating cyber threats, which will train 3,000
professionals to fight online space cyber-attacks, internet crimes, and conduct cyber
forensics and will also impart training in 15 other Internet of Things (IoT) areas such as
Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), is
Maharashtra
95. The first of its kind National Sex Offenders’ Registry launched on September 20, 2018
has names and details of more than 4 lakh people convicted of various sexual offences
across the country. The tracking of whether the State police were updating the records
on time or not and database maintenance will be done by
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

96. The Centre has increased its outlay under Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
It has three primary objectives, to create infrastructure, provide economic opportunities
to the border people, and to instil a sense of security among them. The BADP was
initiated as early as in
1987 (as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme)
97. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under Ministry of Defence has approved
Implementation guidelines for the Strategic Partnership Model. This model visualises
designating a few private companies as Strategic Partners (SPs) that would not only
assume the role of system integrators but also lay a strong defence industrial
foundation. This concept was first suggested by
Dhirendra Singh Committee
98. The Indian Navy participated in the Rim of Pacific Multi-national Naval Exercise
(RIMPAC) in Hawaii. RIMPAC is the world’s largest set of international maritime war
games. The 26th edition of RIMPAC, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
(INDOPACOM) and the theme of RIMPAC 2018 was
Capable, Adaptive, Partners
99. Recent political debates and incidental links of Bhima- Koregaon brought the debate on
the concept of “Urban Naxalism” in light. This term was first introduced in
2004, a CPI (Maoist) document titled ‘Urban Perspective: Our Work in Urban Areas’
elaborated on Urban Naxalism Strategy
100. Union Home Minister inaugurated the smart border fencing pilot projects, under
which the robust and integrated system that is capable of addressing the gaps in the
present system of border security by seamlessly integrating human resources, weapons,
and high-tech surveillance equipment, named as
Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) Programme
101. Exercise Kazind 2018 (3rd edition) of Joint military exercise between the Indian
and Kazakhstan Army and Nomadic Elephant 2018, a bilateral military exercise between
Indian and Mongolian armies held at
Otar region of Kazakhstan and Ulaanbaatar (capital of Mongolia)

Science and Technology
102. An initiative that initiated to promote Compressed Bio- Gas (CBG) as an

alternative, green transport fuel. Under which, Compressed Bio-Gas plants are proposed
to be set up in a phased manner, with 250 plants by the year 2020, 1,000 plants by 2022
and 5,000 plants by 2025-
SAT AT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation)
103. A non-profit society jointly set up by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)
and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to promote Green Buildings in India-
GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment)
104. To reduce LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption, about 80% of which is
imported, India is looking at conversion of coal, petroleum and natural gas to
Methanol
105. Name the nodal agency in India for ‘Mission Innovation’ of which India is a
founding member that was launched at COP21 of UNFCCC in Paris in November 2015, a
global platform of 23 countries and European Union aimed at accelerating clean energy
innovations?
Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
106. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced medium and
long term offshore wind energy target of 5GW by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030, respectively
and has invited Expressions of Interest (Eol) for the first 1 GW offshore wind project to
be established at
Gulf of Khambat, Gujarat
107. The Govt, has amended the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules of 1959 and
defined petroleum as "naturally occurring hydrocarbon in the in the form of natural gas
or in a liquid, viscous or solid form, or a mixture thereof". However, it will not include
Coal, Lignite and Helium occurring in association with petroleum or coal or shale

108. An upgraded version of India’s first and oldest research reactor, the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has launched -
Apsara- Upgraded (U)
109. A draft policy, released by NITI Aayog and having four key objectives; access at
affordable prices, improved security and independence, greater sustainability and
economic growth is
Draft National Energy Policy
110. “India’s Energy Storage Mission” is a report that outlines a strategy for India to
become a global hub of battery manufacturing prepared by-
NITI Aayogy Rocky Mountain Institute
111. India was ranked 78th in the Energy Transition Index 2018 out of 114 countries.
Which organization releases this Index?
World Economic Forum
112. India has the largest government-mandated renewable energy programme, with
a target of 175GW renewable energy capacity by 2022, and it announced plans to shift
completely to by 2030?
Electric Vehicles
113. Which organization releases Global Energy Architecture Performance Index

(EAPI)?
Geneva- based World Economic Forum (WEF)
114. A limit that is now accepted to be approximately 1.4 times the mass of the sun;
any white dwarf with less than this mass will stay a white dwarf forever, while a star that
exceeds this mass is destined to end its life in that most violent of explosions: a
supernova -
Chandrasekhar Limit

115. An Earth observation programme headed by the European Commission (EC) in

partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), under which India will get free, full
and open access to the data. From this programme’s family of six satellites will provide
free, full and open access to the data from ISRO’s land, ocean and atmospheric series of
civilian satellites-
Copernicus Programme
116. A device that uses air molecules from top of the atmosphere instead of using on-
board propellant, then it gives these molecules an electric charge and accelerates them,
finally, it eject the ionized molecules back into space which causes thrust. It reduces the
weight of the satellite, and consumption of fuel, it extends the stay of satellites in space
to almost indefinite time and also opens the doors for deep space exploration-
Air-Breathing Electric Thruster or Ion Thruster
117. A space observatory of die European Space Agency (ESA) designed for
astrometry: measuring the positions and distances of stars with unprecedented
precision and to construct by far the largest and most precise 3D space
GAIA (Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics)
118. Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, has spotted for the first time a
distant planet (EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b) revolving around a hot star (EPIC
211945201 or K2-236) about 600 light years away by using "PRL Advance Radial-velocity
Abu-sky Search" (PARAS) spectrograph at which observatory?
Gurushikhar Observatory in Mount Abu, Rajasthan
119. A future mission of NASA that will explore the boundary of the heliosphere, a
sort of magnetic bubble surrounding and protecting our solar system?
Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)
120. Name the telescope located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at
Hanle in Ladakh which is the country’s first robotic telescope and the first one designed
to observe dynamic or transient events in the universe?
Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH-India)
121. First mission to Mars by any Arab country with its main objective to study the
Martian Atmosphere that will have an Imager, an Infrared Spectrometer and an
Ultraviolet Spectrometer
“Hope Mars Mission” by United Arab Emirates

122. Space Capsule Recovery Experiment, Crew module Atmospheric Recovery

Experiment, Pad Abort Test, etc. are related to which mission of ISRO?
Gaganyaan
123. This Mission has been launched by NASA to find worlds beyond our solar system,
including some that could support life. It has a transit method of detecting exoplanets
and looks for dips in the visible light of stars, and requires that planets cross in front of
stars along our line of sight to them-
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Mission
124. India’s first manned space mission Gaganyaan will reach to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
and return for a water-landing. In which orbit most of the satellites, the International
Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope are in?
Low Earth Orbit (commonly called "LEO”)
125. Light does not always travel in straight lines. Einstein predicted in his Theory of
General Relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself. When light
passes one of these objects, such as a cluster of galaxies, its path is changed slightly. This
effect is called
Gravitational Leasing
126. NASA’s parker Solar Probe will study the solar atmosphere (to know that why is
the sun’s atmosphere so much hotter than its surface), called -
Corona
127. What is RH-300 MKII that was launched by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (IRSO)
from Thumba, a location close to the magnetic equator and used for probing the upper
atmospheric regions and for space research?
Sounding Rocket
128. The moon takes 28 days to go around the Earth and 28 days to rotate once
around its axis. This results in the same face of the Moon always facing the Earth- The
name given to the situation when an object's orbital period matches its rotational
period, a great example of which is our own Moon is,
Tidal Locking
129. A part of NASA's Earth Observing System, a satellite mission for measuring ice
sheet elevation and sea ice thickness, as well as land topography and vegetation
characteristics
ICESat-2

130. BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet
Mercury
131. Positioned at far beyond Pluto and the most distant edges of the Kuiper Belt,
while the planets of our solar system orbit in a flat plane, it is believed to be a giant
spherical shell surrounding the Sun, planets, and Kuiper Belt Objects is
Oort Cloud
132. Name the ISRO launcher that can send satellites weighing upto 10 tonnes in Low
Earth Orbit and up to 4 tonnes in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit that uses a cryogenic
engine for the final stage?
GSLVMKHI
133. All techniques that attempt to obtain a pregnancy by handling the sperm or the
egg outside the human body and transferring the gamete or the embryo into the
reproductive tract of a woman (the most common form of this is In Vitro Fertilization
(IVF) and Surrogacy), is termed as
Assisted Reproductive Technology
134. What is the code name for an unknown pathogen which may cause disease and
potentially an epidemic in future, which was added to the list of Blueprint priority
diseases as a "known unknown" by the World Health Organization in 2018?
Disease X
135. A recently found new human organ, earlier considered as dense connective
tissues but are fluid filled compartments found beneath the skin, as well as lining the
gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by
a mesh of strong, flexible proteins
Interstitium
136. The current permitted level of trans-fat is 5 per cent (by Weight) in India. FSSAI
has further proposed to limit the maximum amount of trans fat in vegetable oils,
vegetable fat and hydrogenated vegetable oil to 2 per cent to make India trans-fat free
by
2022
137. "Horizon 2020" is a research program for which India and the European Union
(EU) have joined hands, and it aims at developing a next generation vaccine for
Influenza

138. Allison and Honjo’s Nobel-winning work rests upon the concept of harnessing
the immune system to attack tumor cells by inhibiting two specific brakes - to switch on
our immune response called
CTLA-4 and PD-1
139. WHO calls on governments to use this action package which provides six
strategic actions to ensure the prompt, complete, and sustained elimination of
industrially- produced trans fats from the food supply
REPLACE
140. A disorder that defined in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of
Diseases (ICD-11) as a pattern of gaming behaviour (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”)
characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over
other activities
Gaming Disorder
141. According to National Health Profile 2018, released by the Central Bureau of
Health Intelligence (CBHI), which was the most lethal communicable disease that
claimed highest figure of deaths? -
Rabies
142. Increase Life Expectancy at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025; Reduce infant
mortality rate to 28 by 2019; Reduce Under Five Mortality to 23 by 2025; To reduce
premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic
respiratory diseases by 25 per cent by 2025 -are some key targets of.
National Health Policy 2017
143. A zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans and was first identified in
an area of Malaysia in 1998 from where it derives its name) and the fruit bat is natural
host of the virus but can also infect pigs or any domesticated animals and also to
Humans. It is called as
Nipah Virus
144. An action plan of WHO which shows how countries can reduce physical inactivity
in adults and adolescents by 15% by 2030 and recommends a set of 20 policy areas,
which combined, aim to create more active societies and for people of all ages and
abilities
Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030

145. A worldwide strategy to expand interdisciplinary collaborations and

communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment
and which is every year commemorated on 3rd November
One Health
146. A body test by which a foreign substance that causes a fever (temperature
elevation) in an animal’s body was replaced by Bacterial Endotoxin Test (BET) by the
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in its Eighth Edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia
(IP-2018)
Pyrogen Test
147. What is 90:90:90
The target of National Health Policy 2017 to achieve the global target of HTV-2020
148. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India has released National
Trachoma Survey Report and also declared India Trachoma free under WHO GET2020
program however it has not been yet announced by The World Health Organization
(WHO). Which is the first Trachoma-free country in South East Asia?
Nepal
149. The blue print that has been brought out by the NITI Aayog to create a
centralized health record for all citizens of the country in order to streamline the health
information and facilitate effective management of the same, termed as
National Health Stack
150. Name the two vaccines, one for Rotavirus (included in National Immunisation
Programme) and one for typhoid to which World Health Organisation (WHO)
prequalified?
ROTAVAC and Typbar-TCV
151. A twisted knot1 of DNA in living cells which was first discovered by researchers in
the 1990s, but up until now had only ever been witnessed in vitro, not in living cells,
called
Intercalated Motif (i-motif) Structure
152. According to India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative (2017) study which
disease burden increased from 30 per cent to 55 per cent between 1990 and 2016?
Non - Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

153. While the disease that has been declared as a ‘notifiable’ disease in 2012, the
Union Health Ministry has introduced penal provisions for clinical establishments
Tuberculosis
154. Under which Ministry does the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
comes under that regulates, monitors the prices of drugs and has power to impose
penalties in the case of excess charged by the pharmaceutical companies?
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
155. WHO has asked the governments to be alert for the outbreak of a fever whose
bacteria generally spreads by the rodent (especially Rats), and when rodents urinate in
water, these bacteria can transmit to humans through cuts on the body, wounds,
through eye membrane, etc.
Rat Fever or Leptospirosis
156. A yardstick, used globally for disease burden which gives the measure of the
number of productive years lost due to Disease and is calculated as the sum of the Years
of Life Lost (YLL) due to premature mortality in the population and the Years Lost due to
Disability (YLD)
Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY)
157. A “centrally sponsored scheme” (60:40 ratio of funds contribution between

Center and States) that will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes –
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme
(SCHIS)
Ayushman Bharat
158. Name the project launched to establish the alternative communication network
for exclusive use by defence services to boost their communication capabilities, which is
being implemented by state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)?
Network for Spectrum
159. A malware, which is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) - evolves and does
long-term damage, and able to work silently and it can gauge the temperature of the
CPU and ascertain if the device is carrying out high intensity activity, like a malware
search, and act to evade detection
Gravity RAT
160. Machine learning (ML) is a category of algorithm that allows software

applications to become more accurate in predicting outcomes without being explicitly
programmed. Name the aspect of artificial intelligence (AI) that is concerned with

emulating the learning approach that human beings use to gain certain types of
knowledge.
Deep Learning
161. Name the forum constituted by the Government of India to keep pace with the
global rollout of 5G?
5G India 2020 Forum
162. Affordability Driver’s Index (ADI) has been developed by A4AI to assess the
country about its rules related to Internet Affordability and India has moved from 23rd
rank in 2016 to 8th rank in 2018 as per ADI. Which organization serves as the secretariat
of A4AI?
World Wide Web Foundation
163. Name the policy that aims to achieve Broadband for all; enhancing the
contribution of the Digital Communications sector to 8% of India’s GDP from 6% in 2017;
propelling India to the Top 50 Nations in the ICT Development Index of ITU from 134 in
2017 and ensuring Digital Sovereignty by 2022.
National Digital Communications Policy-2018
164. A central task force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the chairmanship of
Professor V Kamakoti has suggested creating a National Artificial Intelligence Mission (N-
AIM) that will serve as a nodal agency for coordinating AI related activities in the
country. Which Union Ministry has set up this committee?
Union Commerce Ministry
165. OLED is in the makeup of the LED materials; the ‘O’ in OLED stands for organic,
and refers to the organic materials used in light producing part of the pixel stack that
gradually suffer bum-in under the most excruciating viewing scenarios but in case of
Micro LED technology, it uses a material that gives, superiority over OLEDs?
Inorganic Gallium Nitride, (GaN)
166. India is taking tentative steps towards restarting research into it, some 25 years
after it was shut down at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) following global
criticism. It seeks to produce nuclear energy without harmful radiation, complex
equipment and the application of very high temperatures and pressures
Cold Fusion/ Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR)

167. The rarest metals on the earth and belongs to the platinum group, has atomic
number 44 and is mostly used in the electronics industry for chip resistors and electrical
contacts and it is the fourth element to have unique magnetic properties at room
temperature other than - iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni)
Ruthenium (Ru)
168. SWA'S (Safe Water Releaser), STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker), SAFAL (Safe Minimal
Aluminium) are the names of the crackers developed by
CSIR-NEERI
169. A method used in protein engineering that mimics the process of natural
selection to steer proteins or nucleic acids toward a user-defined goal that concept won
Chemistry Nobel 2018 along with another concept- phage display of peptides and
antibodies
Directed Evolution (DE) of Enzymes
170. India’s first underwater robotic drone developed at Maker Village, Kochi, can be
navigated up to a depth of 50 meters to take real-time HD video images to examine ship
hulls or undersea cables or bridge moorings, eliminating the need for costlier and riskier
manual inspection by divers
EyeROV TUNA
171. The first humanoid robot developed by Ranjit Srivastava, a Ranchi-based

software engineer, that can speak Hindi language and also in English, Marathi and
Bhojpuri
Rashmi
172. The unit of Mass (Unit-Kilogram) is one of the Fundamental Units of

measurement was earlier defined upon the mass of Iridium and Platinum alloy which is
kept in high security vault at France. Now scientists have voted to define it in terms of
Planck ‘s Constant
173. Which programme has been launched by the Union Ministry of Science &
Technology in collaboration with the World Bank under National Biopharma Mission to
create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous
manufacturing in the Biopharmaceutical sector?
Innovate in India (i3)

174. A project that details genome-sequence draft of every eukaryote species

(organisms with a defined nucleus and to which belong all plants and animals) that will
reveal unexpected, evolutionary connections among the genus, orders and families that
make up the so-called Tree of Life
Earth BioGeno/ne Project (EBP)
175. The National Centre for Disease Control and the Indian Council of Medical
Research carry out Anti-Microbial Resistance surveillance but they only collect data but
now, die Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has authorised this organization to
function as a bio-repository for multidrug-resistant microbes/infective agents and it will
receive, store, maintain, preserve and characterise these microbes
National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) at National Centre for Cell Science
(NCCS)
176. A genetically modified herbicide tolerant mustard, created by the scientists from
Delhi University by adding genes from soil bacterium-that makes them self- pollinating
DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-U Agronomy
177. What is the tag line of the logo having a circle (O) representing global holistic
wellness, the green leaf representing nature, the tick mark representing the product is
FSSAI certified as organic and the green colour representing environment?
Jaivik Bharat
178. Name the internet based electronic service offered by APEDA to the
stakeholders for facilitating process certification for export of organic products from
India which comply with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or the
US National Organic Program (NOP) standards?
TraceNet
179. It is a quality assurance initiative outside the framework of third party system of
certification, which is a prerequisite to enter export market of organic produce. It is
supported by Paramaparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme and supports domestic
demand for organic produce. It also trains the farmers in certification process and
prepares them to opt for third party certification, if he wishes to go for export -
Participatory Guarantee System -India (PGS-India)

180. The Agriculture Ministry has identified 10 varieties of Millets for promoting its
consumption- ‘Kuttu’ (Buck-wheat), Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet
(Ragi/Mandua), Minor Millets i.e. Foxtail Millet (Kangani/Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena),
Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/ Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki) and
Ameranthus (Chaulai) and renamed them as
Nutri Cereals
181. A hybrid silk, which is cultivated in temperate region such as China, Japan and
Thailand and can withstand the high temperature stress and high humidity as prevalent
in India, so, the Central Silk Board is stepping up production of variety of its hybrid
through crossbreeding
Bivoltine Silk
182. IMD has launched a system, to provide probabilistic weather forecasts up to next
10 days, under which the area of spatial resolution, which is 23 km presently, will reduce
to 12 km, enabling the meteorological department to give district-level warning
Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS)
183. India is globally the biggest source of ammonia emission; nearly double that of
NOx emissions. But at the current rate of growth, NOx emissions will exceed amirtonia
emissions and touch 8.8 tonnes by 2055 according to a report by India Nitrogen Group.
Which sector is the largest contributor to nitrogen emissions in India?
Agriculture
184. A Drone based agricultural technology research project, formulated by the

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the Indian Agricultural Research
Institute (IARI) to develop indigenous prototype for drone based crop and soil health
monitoring system using hyper-spectral remote sensing (HRS) sensors is
SENSAGRI: SENsor based Smart AGRIculture
185. A type of food, in which nutrients are added at higher levels than what the
original food provides to address micronutrient deficiencies; ‘Sampooma Poshan Swasth
Jeevan’ is the tagline of the logo (+F) which is mandatory on the packs of such food
items (Wheat Flour, Rice, Edible Oil, Double Fortified Salt and Milk) as prescribed by
FSSAI
Fortified Food
186. In a fillip to the National Nutrition Mission, the International Research Institute
for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad has developed country’s first bio fortified
sorghum
Prabhani Shakti

187. The first World Agriculture Prize was given to Professor M.S. Swaminathan
founder of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at the 11th Global
Agriculture Leadership Summit held in New Delhi. Which organization gives this award?
Indian Council of Food and Agriculture
188. The FSSAI prescribes Maximum Residue Level (MRL) Off 1-0 mg/kg for the
presence of Glyphosate (herbicide) in 'which crop?
Tea
189. A new pest to India scientifically known as Spodoptera frugipedra and native to
the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, the pest prefers maize but can feed
on more than 80 additional species of plants, including rice, sugarcane, vegetable crops
and cotton
Fall Army worm
190. An award, which is also called “Oscar for best policies” conferred by the Food
and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Future Council
(WFC) and IFOAM - Organics International; India’s “100 per cent organic state” Sikkim
has won the Gold award for 2018
Future Policy Award
191. India’s first missile tracking ship that has been built by Hindustan Shipyard
Limited (HSL), under the supervision of PMO. India will be the fifth country to have this
missile-tracking ship after USA, China, Russia, and France after its induction-
“VC11184”
192. An Israeli fourth-generation fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile and anti-

personnel missile with a tandem- charge HEAT warhead. Now India has decided to
purchase these missiles from Israel-
Spike

Environment and Ecology
193. Which country was awarded with the Certificate of Commendation from CITES
for its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade at the 69th Standing
Committee meeting of CITES held in Geneva?
India (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau)
194. The Ministry of Environment has written to all coastal states seeking to develop
100 model beaches over the next 3 years. What is the name of the certification which
sets criteria that a beach area should not be affected by industrial, waste-water, or
sewage-related discharges and the water should comply with specified limits for
physical, chemical and microbial contamination?
Blue Flag
195. Name the scheme implemented by the Ministry of Environment, which aims to
create a young pool of trained environmental managers, ecologists and socio-
economists, thus, generating information on physical, 'biological, managerial and human
aspects of Himalayan Environment and development
Himalayan Research Fellowship Programme
196. Name the Indian state which is promoting Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)
as developed by Subash Palekar where farming is done without use of chemicals and
with zero cost of production due to utilization of natural resources
Andhra Pradesh
197. A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report listed 11 world cities that were
most likely to run out of drinking water in which an Indian city was ranked 2nd. That city
is
Bengaluru
198. The National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) is a Central
Sector Scheme, which aims setting up 65,180 biogas plants in the current year to provide
a clean source of lighting in rural and semi urban areas of the country. Name the
ministry which promotes this central sector scheme
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy

199. Recently, an India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is proposed to be

established in Tamil Nadu section of the Western Ghats. About a year ago, NGT has
suspended the environmental clearance granted to the INO as the proposed site lies
close to which National Park?
Mathikettan Shola National Park
200. GreenCo rating system, introduced in railways, is a first-of-its-kind rating in the

world to enhance green performance of the companies applicable both in
manufacturing & service sectors with 4 level of rating and 10 performance parameters
with assigned weights. This rating system was introduced by the Ministry of Railways in
collaboration with
Confederation of Indian Industry
201. Scientists have identified a new phase named as the Meghalayan Age, which is
the subdivision of the Holocene Epoch, began about 4,200 years ago. Name the specific
site where the Meghalayan Stage has been well-defined
Mawmluh caves
202. Recently, an Indian Ocean Research Vehicle (IORV) started its journey as a part of
India-US expedition seeking to find answers to vagaries of Bay of Bengal fed South-West
Monsoon. Name this ice-strengthened multidisciplinary vessel which is operated by the
National Institute of Ocean Technology, India
Sagar Nidhi
203. In India, around 75 % of the large dams are more than 25 years old and about
164 dams are more than 100 years old. Name the project which was started in April
2012, for repair and rehabilitation of 225 Dams. At present 198 Dams are scheduled for
completion in 2018
Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Plan (DRIP)
204. The Soil Moisture Map is a form of joint exercise by IIT Gandhinagar and the
India Meteorological Department (IMD) which provides soil moisture forecast at seven
and 30-day lead times. The, termed ‘Experimental Forecasts Land Surface Products’, has
been developed using which hydrological model to provide soil moisture prediction
Variable Infiltration Capacity model

205. Recently, a report was published by a joint venture of the Global Soil Biodiversity
Initiative and the European Commission Joint Research Centre which placed India among
countries whose soil biodiversity faces the highest level of risk. Title of the report is
Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas
206. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a medium term national level strategy
to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across die country. The overall objective is
to ensure a comprehensive management plan for prevention, control and abatement of
air pollution. Name the Ministry which has formulated the NCAP
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
207. Recently, Researchers from the Central University of South Bihar, Patna, have
isolated bacteria from the Ganges plains that can treat arsenic present in groundwater.
The two types of bacteria AK1 and AK9 belonging to the genus Pseudomonas can break
down arsenie-III, implicated in arsenic poisoning, to its benign form, arsenic-V by a
process called
Bioremediation
208. Name the Government of India constituted panel which has presented a 15-
point agenda to aid car manufacturers to switch from Internal Combustion Engines
(IECs) to Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Y.S. Malik Pane
209. Name the bonds which are used as debt instruments like normal bonds, but the
proceeds are used for renewable energy projects, or for services that are ecologically
sustainable. In recent context, huge amounts from India are stuck in this bond because
of rising interest rates and global uncertainties
Green Bond
210. Name the recently unveiled indigenously developed advanced system created by
the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and operational zed by IMD, which
will measure the Sun’s UV-Index, PM1 and Mercury in addition to monitoring and
forecasting regular air quality
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR)

211. Which Government of India committee has decided to ban the use of 18
pesticides wherein the complete ban of 12 pesticides would come into effect
immediately while the rest 6 would be banned from December 31, 2020?
Anupam Verma Committee
212. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released a “report titled “The
urban Commute”. This report has collected data on pollution from 14 cities. According
to this report, which city has received the top spot for lowest overall emission and
energy use from urban commute?
Bhopal
213. An indigenously developed device to reduce air pollution at high traffic zones is,
Wind Augmentation Purifying Unit -WAYU (developed by CSIR-NEERI)
214. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) published a report on Status of Ambient
Noise Level in India, 2017 which collected data from 7 cities, namely, Bengaluru,
Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai. According to this report,
which city was ranked as the noisiest?
Delhi
215. This report, produced jointly by the United Nations University (UNU). The
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Solid Waste
Association (ISWA), revealed that India’s electronics industry played an important role in
the generation of e-waste, producing 2 metric tonnes (Mt) in 2016, due to the large
population.
Global E-waste Monitor 2017
216. Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are created using floating rafts that support
plants grown hydroponically (like Tulsi & Ashvagandha). These rafts float on a wet pond
water surface and can be used to improve water quality. The FTW was launched in
which lake located in Hyderabad on the World Wetland Conservation Day?
Neknampur Lake (Renga Dist., Andhra Pradesh)

217. The Union Ministry of Environment has amended which rule, with the aim to
formalize the e-waste recycling sector by channelizing the E-Waste generated towards
authorized dismantlers and recyclers with the help of Producer Responsibility
Organization?
E-Waste Management Rules, 2016
218. This recent amendment aims to phase out the use of chlorinated plastic bags
and gloves by March 2019 in hospitals
Amendment in E-Waste Management Rules, 2016
219. This amendment aims to establish a new central automated registration system
by CPCB and phase out manufacture and use of non-recyclable/ non-energy recoverable
plastic
Plastic Waste Management Rule 2016
220. Name the new think-tank which is formed under the aegis of NMCG (National
Mission for Clean Ganga), and its objectives is to make India a world leader in river and
water science
cGanga
221. A new innovative biological water purification technique has been developed
where a perennial plant is used in this system (Typha latifolia) which naturally absorbs
pollutants. The plant boosts oxygen content of the watery medium around its roots to
cleanse the dirty water. This method is developed by
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
222. “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan” has been started by the National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG) with the aim to bring greater awareness among people and other
stakeholders regarding the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga
Rejuvenation. The state forest departments are acting as the nodal agencies. This has
been started in five main stem Ganga basin states of
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal
223. The National Mission for Clean Ganga has laid down the flow specifications for
river Ganga to maintain a minimum river flow or ecological flow/ E-flow (which mimics
the natural flow pattern). Name the designated authority which shall collect relevant
data and submit reports on a quarterly basis to the NMCG
Central Water Commission

224. The World Sustainable Development Summit, 2018 was held in New Delhi with
the theme of-“Partnership for a Resilient Planet”. This summit sought to bring together
global leader and thinkers on a common platform on various issues of sustainable
development such as transition to clean energy, effective waste management
mechanisms, combating air pollution etc. This is a flagship forum of which research
organization?
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
225. On the sidelines of the World Sustainable Development Summit, 2018, a new
high-level, multi-stake holder platform with experts from diverse fields to suggest
pathways for energy and electricity sector transitions in India was created. Name this
newly formed platform
Energy Transitions Commission (ETC)
226. In the arid vastness of Oman of the Arabian Peninsula, rocks naturally react with
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it into stone. Researchers say that this
process can be harnessed, accelerated and applied inexpensively on a huge scale it could
help fight climate change. It is called as
Carbon Mineralization
227. This international organization has released a report titled “South Asia’s
Hotspots: The Impact of Temperature and Precipitation changes on Living Standards”.
This report estimates how changes in temperature and monsoon pat-terns will affect
GDP and living standards in South Asian region. Name the international organization
behind the report.
World Bank
228. A recent study found that the impacts of climate change on India’s Coasts in
terms of coastal sediment transport, shoreline erosion and overall coastal vulnerability
could be far worse than previously understood. This study was conducted by which
Indian Institute of Eminence (IoE)?
IIT Bombay

229. Government of India released a draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) which
focuses on Sustainable Cooling through Thermal Comfort for All. This Action Plan was
created by Ozone Cell and released on the 24th World Ozone Day (16 September).
Which Ministry of India formulated this Action Plan?
Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change
230. Name the UN body which has recently released a special report titled “Global
Warming of 1.5°C”
Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
231. Recently, President of India cleared an ordinance amending the Indian Forest Act
(IFA) 1972, to exempt which perennial plant grown in non-forest areas from the
definition of trees?
Bamboo
232. What is the name of the patches of evergreen tropical and subtropical moist
broadleaf forests which is mainly found in Southern India (Nilgiri, Palani, Annamalai
region) and also in the Western Ghats associated ranges?
Sholas
233. At present, the number of protected areas are 729 which cover around 4.89%
(162,072 sq. km) of India’s geo-graphical area. These National parks and sanctuaries are
areas of significant ecological, floral, faunal or natural significance. They are notified by
the State Governments; and are protected by the Forest Departments under the
provisions of which Act?
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
234. Recently, which state has drafted a Private Conservancy Rules in a bid to
increase forest area through private land wherein under the rules, anyone who has a
minimum of 100 acres of land bordering a national park can convert it to a Wildlife
Private Conservancy (5% can be used to construct buildings for ecotourism; the rest has
to be kept for flora and fauna)
Karnataka

235. Which National Park is now divided into two administrative division (the existing
Eastern Assam Wildlife and the new Biswanath Wildlife) by the Environment and Forest
Department of Assam with the aim to curb poaching and other illegal activities in the
area?
Kaziranga National Park
236. Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with HT Madras have been developing
computer-modelled reef structure which is cast in ceramic (an inert material similar to
the calcium carbonate). The live corals will be transplanted within the artificial reef,
where it will grow and colonize the structure. This process of biodiversity restoration will
take place at
Vaan Island in Gulf of Mannar
237. The ‘Chiru goat’ is also known as the Tibetan antelope which is endemic to China
(Tibet, Xinjiang region) and India (North Eastern Ladakh region) and regionally extinct in
Nepal. In 201.7, it has been included in which category by the IUCN
Near Threatened
238. The Vulture Conservation Board Centre (VCBC) in Assam at Rani has 104
vultures. At present, these vultures are facing serious threat in battling chemicals in
livestock carcasses. The digestive system of vultures are vulnerable to which chemical
which is injected in cattle as a pain killer?
Diclofenac
239. Recently, Elusor macrurus aka Mary River’s Turtle was added to the Edge of
Existence list of endangered species compiled by the Zoological Society of London. As
per IUCN Red list, they are under which category?
Endangered species
240. There is a recent rise in the population of Irrawaddy Dolphin which lives in both
salt and fresh water, and is found in a few locations in South East Asia. These Dolphins
are also found in India in which lake?
Chilika Lake

241. A rare jumping spider was rediscovered from the Way anad Wildlife Sanctuary in
the Western Ghats, Kerala by a team of researchers from Centre for Animal Taxonomy
and Ecology (CATE) after 150 years. Name the spider which was thought to be extinct
but has been now rediscovered,
Chrysilla Vollupe
242. Gangetic river dolphin has been categorized as endangered on the Red List of
Threatened Species by the IUCN. These Dolphins represents the health of the rivers and
is also considered as the
National Aquatic Animal of India
243. According to a recent study published in Ecological Engineering journal, which

animal could lose approximately 60% of their habitats, from the 2030s, in regions of
Tamil Nadu’s Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and the wildlife sanctuaries of
Peppara, Neyyar, Schenduruny and Srivilliputhur?
Nilgiri Tahr
244. Which endemic tree from South India (Palakonda and Seshachalam hill ranges of
Andhra Pradesh and also found in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) has been reclassified as
near threatened from the earlier status of endangered by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?
Red Sanders (Pterocarpus Santalinus)
245. Recently, UNESCO announced the registration of 23 other new sites in the World
Network of Biosphere Reserves. From India which Biosphere Reserve was included in the
UNESCO ‘s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) under the Man and Biosphere
Programme (MAB)?
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Sikkim
246. An international team of scientists successfully sequenced the whole genome of

a tree-dwelling marsupial animal mainly found in the coastal region of eastern Australia.
This animal is not considered as a bear in general. The animal is
Koala Bear

247. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the nodal agency for the
Cheetahs reintroduction plan. Recently, Madhya Pradesh forest department sought to
revive the plan to reintroduce Cheetahs in which sanctuary?
Nauradehi Sanctuary
248. Which wildlife Sanctuary located in Mon district of Nagaland has been declared
as an Elephant Reserve as per Nagaland government with the approval of central
government?
Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary
249. The Ministry of Environment has developed a National Action Plan for
Conservation of Migratory Birds and their Habitats along the Central Asian Fly way (CAF),
one of the nine fly ways in the world, for the period of
2018 to 2023
250. A study conducted by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) has found
that nearly one-third of the country’s coastline is severely eroded. Which state is termed
as the most vulnerable by the report with 63 % of its shoreline affected by erosion?
West Bengal
251. There are nine hornbill species in India out of which four are found in the
Western Ghats. Recently, an interactive web interface was launched which allowed a
person to report on hornbills anywhere in India. The initiative is called,
Hornbill Watch Initiative
252. Name the scheme, which was approved for continuation by the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs beyond the 12th Plan period from 2017-18 to 2019-20,
which is a centrally sponsored umbrella scheme consisting of Project Tiger, Development
of Wildlife Habitats and Project Elephant
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH)
253. Swachh Survekshan is an extensive sanitation survey to check the progress and
impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with the notion to harness competition among-states.
As per the result of the third survey of SS, 2018 Indore topped the list. Which ministry
conducts this survey to encourage urban sanitation?
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

254. Recently, a new study by researchers published in the Environmental Science &
Technology Letters, has found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from
aquifers in 16 Indian states. Name the states which has majority of high-uranium levels
as per this report
Rajasthan, parts of Punjab, Haryana & Gujarat
255. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is issued by Germanwatch. The
countries are ranked across four categories-GHG emissions, renewable energy, and
energy-use and climate policy. What was the rank of India out of the 56 countries in
CCPI, 2018?
14th
256. Permaculture can be described as the integration of landscape and people

providing their food, energy, shelter, and other needs in a sustainable manner. The 13th
International Permaculture Convergence was held at
Hyderabad
257. The Environmental Performance Index is a biennial index produced jointly by the
Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic
Forum. The JBPI ranks countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 issue
categories. What was the rank of India out I of 180 countries in the recently released EPI,
2018?
177th
258. 238. The Ministry of Environment (MoEFCC) released the biennial State of Forest
Report (ISFR) 2017, which revealed that India has 24.39% of the land area under $ forest
and tree cover with a target to achieve 33% of area under forest cover. Name the
organization which biennially prepares the ISFR.
Forest Survey of India (FS1)
259. According to a recent census conducted in the Kaziranga National Park, which is
the home of 70% of the world one-homed rhino population, the population of the one-
horned Rhino has risen from 2401 in 2015 to 2413 in 2018. The Census was conducted
by
Assam Forest Department

260. The United Nations World Water Development Report, 2018 titled Nature-based
Solutions for Water, was launched on 19th March, 2018 during the 8th World Water
Forum, which was in conjunction to the World Water Day. This report was released by
the UN-Water and is annually produced by
World Water Assessment Programme
261. As per the recent State of the Global Climate Report, 2017 was the second
warmest year on record after 2016, and the warmest non-EL Nino year. Name the
specialized agency of the United Nations which has released this report.
World Meteorological Organization
262. The 8th Regional Forum, was organized jointly by India and Japan, and United
Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) with the theme of- ‘Achieving Clean
Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency - A 21st Century
Vision for Asia - Pacific Communities,’. In 2018, it was held at
Indore, MP (India)
263. The 16th biennial International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting (IEF) was
hosted with the support of China and Korea from 10th to 16th April, 2018 with the
theme of- “The Future of Global Energy Security : Transition, Technology, Trade and
Investment”. This event was held in
New Delhi
264. According to the State of the World’s Birds Report, 2018, around 40% of the
world’s 11,000 bird species are in decline and one in eight species of birds faces the
threat of extinction. This report contains a five-year compendium of demography &
population data on birds. It is published by
Birdlife International (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
265. According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI), 21 Indian cities
including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by
2020. Name the government agency which has prepared the index.
NITI Aayog

266. India was the global host of the World Environment Day (June 5, 2018) with the
theme of-“Beat Plastic Pollution”, reflecting world commitment to combat single-use
plastic pollution. India has committed to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by
2022
267. Name the Ministry which collaborated with United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to prepare a national disaster risk index which would map hazards
and vulnerabilities including economic vulnerabilities across 640 districts and all states
including UTs
Ministry of Home Affairs
268. Scientists have discovered new species of Ant named Tetramorium Krishnani &
Tetramorium Jarawa. These ants dwell in leaf litter in evergreen forests. Name the
region where they are endemic to
Havelock Island of Andaman Archipelago
269. Scientists have discovered new night frog “Mewasinghi” belong to the
Nyctibatrachus genus. It is closely related to Athirappilly night frog (found south of the
Palakkad Gap in Thrissur and Idukki) and the Kempholey night frog (found in the
northern Western Ghats of Kerala and Karnataka). It was discovered in
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kozhikode
270. The world’s smallest land fern named Malvi’s Adder’s- tongue fern
Ophioglossum malvidae, measuring 1-1.2 cm was discovered in the Western Ghats
located in Gujarat region’s Deng district. This discovery was done in which forest?
Ahwa Forests
271. Recently, scientist confirmed the presence of Eurasian otter in Western Ghats.
They are carnivorous mammals and adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from marine
to freshwater environments. In which region of the Western Ghats these otters have
been spotted?
Coorg in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri & Palani hill ranges

272. The Eels are found mostly at the bottom of rivers and seas. In India, the number
is around 125. In which region Scientists have discovered three new species of eel
named Gymnothorax pseudotile, Gymnothorax visakhaensis, Enchelycore propinqua
Northern Bay of Bengal coast
273. Scientists have found new species of water striders named Ptilomera nagalanda,
Jehamalar and Chandra from which river located in the Peren district of Nagaland?
River Intanki
274. 21 A. Researchers have reported a discovery of new plant species in Ponmudi,

Western Ghats. Name this new grass-like plant belonging to the Cyperaceae family with
critically endangered status prescribed by the IUCN criteria
Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis
Disaster Management
275. Government of India organized International Workshop on Disaster Resilient

Infrastructure (IWDRI 2018) in New Delhi. This International workshop is organized by
the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with?
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
276. The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is a real-time seismic
monitoring network of 17 broadband seismic stations to detect tsunami genic
earthquakes. It is a 24 x 7 operational tsunami warning centre which provides timely
advisories to vulnerable community. The ITEWC is currently established at
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS), Hyderabad
277. Which non-constitutional body has directed the Ministry of; Environment to
finalize the National Policy on forest fire based on a report titled Forest Fire Disaster
Management prepared by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
National Green Tribunal (NGT)

278. " Google will collaborate on which government body where I w it will share its
technical expertise in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Geospatial
Mapping and Analysis of Hydrological Observation Data to pool resources on water
resources and flood management?
Central Water Commission (CWC)
279. To mitigate disaster, a project was started in the South Lhonak Lake where high
density polyethylene (HOPE) pipes have been installed to siphon off water from the
glacial lake. Name the phenomenon which causes floods due to outbursts of such lakes
Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
International Relations
280. A fifth edition of a conference, was held in November 2017. This was hosted by
India in New Delhi with the theme of “Cyber4All: A Secure and Inclusive Cyber space for
Sustainable Development”. This was also considered as the world’s largest conference
on cyber space and related issues. The conference is,
Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCCS)
281. An India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit was held in I New Delhi to mark the
25th anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. A declaration was signed regarding
counter terrorism, physical & digital connectivity, cooperation in maritime
transportation, aviation, and outer-space, known as
Delhi Declaration
282. The 4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference was held at Rajgir in Nalanda
district, Bihar. The theme of the conference was “State and Social Order in Dharma-
Dhamma Traditions”. The conference was held as commemorative events to mark 25
years of
ASEAN-India dialogue partnership

283. Which country’s Prime Minister inaugurated the 3rd edition of Raisina Dialogue
in New Delhi to address the most challenging issues faced by the global geo-politics &
geo-economics with the theme of “Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions
and Idioms”
Benjamin Netanyahu (PM of Israel)
284. The India-Wiesbaden Conference, 2018 was held in New Delhi in cooperation
with Government of India & Germany with United Nations Office for Disarmament
Affairs (UNODA). Which non-governmental, not-for- profit organization was the industry
partner for this event?
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
285. The 10th BRICS Summit took place in South Africa with the theme of-‘BRICS in
Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial
Revolution’. The declaration signed was named as
Johannesburg Declaration
286. SAARC Development Fund’s Partnership Conclave 2018,which is aimed to solicit

cross border project co-financing under the social, economic & infrastructure windows.
It builds partnership with various organizations for fund mobilization and investments
(to SAARC member states). It was held at
New Delhi (India)
287. The 4th edition of Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi sectoral, Technical and
Economic Cooperation was held in Kathmandu with the aim to increase connectivity
between BIMSTEC nations through roadways, airways, transmission lines. Nepal held the
chair up to August, 2018. At present, BIMSTEC is chaired by
Sri Lanka
288. The 3rd edition of Indian Ocean Conference was held at Hanoi, Vietnam. It’s
theme was
Building Regional Architectures

289. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) countries have adopted “Delhi
Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean Region”. It is aimed towards
collaboration among IORA member states in meeting the growing demand for
renewable energy in the Indian Ocean littorals. It was adopted as
2nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial meet
290. According to the World Migration Report (2018), published by the International
Organization for Migration, which country’s diaspora constitutes 6% (15.6 million) of the
total number of international migrants?
Indian Diaspora
291. The World Happiness Report, 2018 was launched by the UN Sustainable
Development & Solutions Network which ranked 156 countries on the basis of happiness
level, life-expectancy, social support and corruption. While Finland topped the list, rank
of India was
133rd out of 156
292. The Press Freedom Index, 2018 was compiled by the Reporters without Borders
(RWB). It measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries. As per
the report India fares poorly on the parameters and was termed ‘bad’ in terms of quality
of press freedom in India. While Norway topped the list, India’s rank is
138th out of 180 Countries
293. The Global Peace Index, 2018 was released by the Institute for Economics and
Peace (IEP) based on multifaceted index uses 23 qualitative & quantitative indicators to
measure state of peace using three thematic domains. India was ranked 136th out of
163 countries in GPI, 2018. Name the most peaceful country in the world which
managed to retain its position since 2008?
Iceland
294. A report on the world nuclear warhead counts was released which stated that
the number of nuclear warheads with the 9 nuclear countries has reduced in 2018.
These 9 countries were USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North
Korea. Which international independent think-tank compiles data on nuclear war heads?
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

295. The Annual Global Slavery Index, 2018 was published by Australia-based human
rights group Walk Free Foundation which estimates that in India 8 million people are
living in modem day slavery in 2016. North Korea, Uzbekistan, Cambodia topped the list.
What was the rank India occupied in GSI, 2018
53rd out of 167
296. United States of America recently introduced a sanction which aims to counter
the aggression by Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Name the new Act which might affect
India’s dealings with these entities?
Countering American Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)
297. India has secured access to the key Port in Oman for military use and logistical
support. This port is situated on the south eastern seaboard of Oman, overlooking the
Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is also strategically located, near the Chabahar Port
in Iran. The port is
Duqrn Port
298. On the event of visit of French President; Indian PM and French President co-
chaired the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The two
leaders also inaugurated a solar power plant in which region?
Dadar Kola village in UP
299. A tripartite MoU was signed between India, Russia and Bangladesh for
development and construction of a Nu-clear Power Plant (NPP) in Bangladesh. The NPP
will be built by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the Nuclear
Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), at
Rooppur, Bangladesh
300. The Track-II initiative aka Neemrana Dialogue was resurrected in May, 2018 with
a high-powered delegation of former Indian diplomats, military veterans and academics
who sought unofficial meetings to discuss ways to improve India-Pakistan relationships.
This unofficial meeting took place in which city?
Islamabad (Pakistan)

301. Two-plus one (2+1) format for dialogue is different from trilateral mechanism.
Which country recently proposed that it can jointly conduct dialogue with India with a
third regional country from any other country in South-Asia?
China
302. Which country has launched construction of its first strategically important oil
refinery funded by India in its southern Domogovi province? The refinery is planned for
completion in late 2022, and will be capable of processing 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil
per year.
Mongolia
303. In Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2018, a key declaration,

was signed to re-affirm resolution to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism. It also
called for a Unified Global Counter-Terrorism Front under the coordination of the U.N.
and endorsed the demand for the UN Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism
Qingdao Declaration (SCO Summit held at Qingdao, China)
304. The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was
held from 22nd to 23rd July, 2018 where both sides noted the positive impact of border
haats on the livelihoods of the people living in areas adjoining the haats. This meeting
was held at
Agartala, Tripura
305. The 13th India-Japan Annual Summit was held from 28th to 29th October, 2018
at Tokyo, Japan. The framework of this summit was
Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan
306. With which country India has signed an Extradition Treaty, providing a legal
framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals?
Malawi
307. Name the small town in Assam which will function as India’s gate-way to South-
East Asia as well as the North-East. The road Ministry is gearing up to develop a
multimodal logistics park (MMLP) with road, rail, waterways and air transport facilities.
Jogighopa

308. Russia took a recent initiative, where high-level delegation from the Taliban as
well as a delegation of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council along with 12 countries,
including India partook to facilitate reconciliation process and to secure peace in
Afghanistan. This form of unofficial conference is known as
Moscow Format
309. Earlier in 2015, USA designated India as a Major Defence Partner and according
to that India-US signed a foundational military agreement in 2016 which gave access, to
both countries, to designated military facilities on either side for the purpose of
refueling and replenish-ment. This pact is termed as?
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)
310. The India-Singapore Bilateral Agreement for naval cooperation was signed
during the second Defence Minister’s Dialogue which was held in Delhi. This agreement
will allow Indian Navy ships logistical support, including re fueling, at Singapore’s naval
base, located near the disputed South China Sea. The naval base is,
Changi Naval Base
311. A joint exercise was conducted between Indian coast guards and Japan coast
guards in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to increase mutual understanding in Anti-Piracy
operations. The name of this exercise was
Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX)-18
312. The UN Military Observer Group in India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was established
in January 1949 to supervise the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and to assist to
UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP). Who is presently appointed by UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the chief military observer of the UNMOGIP?
Uruguay Veteran Army general, Major General Jose Eladio Alcain
313. Name the new generation of military and security cooperation agreement, which
was signed in 2+2 Dialogue. This would lead to the transfer of communication security
equipment from the US to India that would facilitate “interoperability” between their
forces
Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA)

314. The 19th Annual Bilateral Summit was held in October, 2018 at New Delhi
between India and Russia. India has procured Specific Air Defence (Missile) System from
Russia. This surface to air missile system is
S-400 Triumf
315. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), is a platform of 21 countries bordering
the Indian Ocean. It is a Centre of Excellences to facilitate the exchange of research
findings and studies in the field of fisheries and ocean studies among its member
nations. Where it is being setup in India?
Kochi, Kerala
316. Name the agenda which was signed on 11th March, 2018 at the founding
summit of International Solar alliance. 62 member nations committed to increase share
of solar power in their energy mix to deal with climate change and provide energy to die
underprivileged in the society
Delhi Solar Agenda
317. USA has withdrawn from a landmark nuclear deal with Iran where Iran earlier
agreed to limit its nuclear programme in exchange of lifting sanctions. The USA, UK,
France, Germany, Russia, China, Iran, EU made an agreement earlier in response to it.
This landmark agreement was called Iran nuclear deal, and it is also known as
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
318. Name the informal strategic dialogue that was proposed by Japan, and endorsed
by USA for a grouping including Australia- to provide alternative debt financing for
countries in the Indo-Pacific, which India has accepted to join on invitation
Quadrilateral/ Quad Strategic Dialogue
319. Name the organization, India recently entered, which is a multilateral export
control regime (MECR) to promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers
of Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies
Wassenaar Arrangement (estd. in 1996; HQ in Vienna, Austria and now 42

participants)

320. The Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC) was meant to , supplement the Missile
Technology Control Regime (MTCR). While China, Pakistan, Israel, Iran are not among its,
138 members. In which year India made its entry into this agreement?
2016
321. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has opened a uranium bank for
Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) which will, store up to 90 tonnes of the fuel, and sell it to
IAEA members if they are unable to procure it elsewhere. Name the city/ place where
this bank is located?
Oskemen city, Kazakhstan
322. India has been admitted to which international informal as 43rd member,
formed in 1985 in response to use of chemical weapons by Iraq in Iran-Iraq war of 1985.
It is also one of the Multilateral Export Control Regime which, through the
harmonization of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the
development of chemical or biological weapons
Australia Group
323. Name the agreement, which India has recently joined whose aim is to establish
international transport and transit corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf..
This came into force in 2016.
Ashgabat Agreement
324. Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a Free Trade Agreement between USA and 11
other pacific Rim nations i.e, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei,
Vietnam, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile, signed in 2016. However, later USA
withdrew from it. Now the agreement has now been renamed as?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- . . Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
325. India has won an election to which crucial Non-Governmental Organization

(NGO) committee, in the United Rations (UN), whose main tasks include consideration of
applications for consultative status, requests for re-classification submitted by NGOs and
consideration of quadrennial reports submitted by NGOs in General and Special
categories
UN Economic and Social Council

326. The results of 4th Round of negotiations under the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement
(APTA) (formerly Bangkok Agreement) among six countries, have been implemented
with effect from 1st July, 2018. Name the six Participating States of APTA
Bangladesh, China, India (founding member), Laos, South Korea, Sri Lanka
327. This organization, established in 1952, with an aim to enhance the effectiveness
and efficiency of Customs administrations. Recently, India has been elected as the Vice-
Chair (Regional Head) of the Asia Pacific Region of this organization for a period of two
years (2018-2020). The organization is,
World Customs Organization
328. Recently, at the 44th annual gathering of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting
Development (AIBD) held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, India was elected as the President of
the AIDB for a period of two years defeating Iran. A former Indian bureaucrat, who was
re-elected as the chairman of executive board of AIDB is,
Fayyaz Sheheryar (All India Radio D.G.)
329. A multilateral treaty, banning all nuclear explosions for both military and civilian
purposes was negotiated at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. It was adopted
by the United Nations General Assembly and now has 183 signatories and 163
ratifications. It is named as,
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
330. Name the alternative name of the Law of the Sea treaty which defines the rights
and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines
for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources
United Nations Convention on the Laws of Sea (UNCLOS)
331. A draft agreement was proposed by India in 1996 which even after two decades,
has not been passed by the UN General Assembly. This draft clearly defines ‘what
constitutes terrorism’ and hence does not differentiate between Good Terrorism and
Bad Terrorism. Name the draft.
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)

332. Name the ‘agreement/ pact’ which was signed by India and Myanmar to
facilitate regulation, harmonization of already existing free movement rights for the
people, boost trade & economy of the North-East. This agreement will safeguard the
traditional rights of the tribal communities residing in the border areas.
Land Border Crossing Pact
333. Name the country which India has excluded from the list of SAARC member
countries.
Pakistan
334. The 1st Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference was held in New
Delhi. PIOs were hon ored through this conference. PIO’s were treated like permanent
ambassadors of India and partners of India’s development. They were having important
position in the Action Agenda till 2020, as drafted by the NITI Aayog. This conference
was hosted by
Ministry of External Affairs
335. The Bharat Parv is an event organized annually at Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to
31st January to commemorate our Republic day. The prime objective of organizing the
event is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country
and to ensure wider participation of the general public. Name the Ministry which has
been designated as the nodal ministry for this event
Ministry of Tourism
336. The development of soft power matrix was recommended by the Parliamentary
standing committee on external affairs in a 2016 report. Recently, which Ministry has
decided to develop a tool named “soft power matrix” to measure the effectiveness of
India’s soft power outreach?
Ministry of External Affairs
337. Name the recent initiative which was launched by the Ministry of External Affairs
in Hyderabad with the aim to create enhanced public diplomacy outreach to take the
objectives of the foreign policy to the common people.
Videsh Aaya Pradesh ke Dwaar
338. The Study in India’s primary objective is to target foreign students by branding
India as an attractive education destination. Foreign students will be given fee waiver on
merit bases. This programme has been approved by which Ministry?
Ministry of Human Resource Development

339. The Ministry of Home Affairs has launched a web-based application which was
introduced by Indian Bureau of Immigration, to provide fast and efficient services to
foreigners visiting India. Name this web-based application with relation to the above
context
e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office Scheme (e-FRRO)
340. Singapore Summit marked the meeting of US president and North Korean leader
creating history. This resulted in the signing of a ‘comprehensive document’, where
North Korea committed towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Name the document signed which led to the development of new US-DPRK relations?
Panmunjom declaration
341. USA recently decided to withdraw from which cold war treaty that prohibits
Russia and USA from possessing, producing or test-flying ground-launched cruise
missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 km?
Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
342. India deported several Rohingya immigrants who have been staying in Assam
illegally. There are nearly 14,000 UNHCR-registered Rohingya’s in India. Under which law
Government of India can deport an illegal migrants to their home country?
Section 3(2) (c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946
343. Name the recently concluded agreement, which shall replace the 25-year-old
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Due to the agreement U.S. shall receive
greater access to the dairy markets of Canada and Mexico and it will allow extra imports
of Canada cars?
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
344. Government of India has recently decided to end the boycott of which
programme introduced by the OECD in 2000 to assess the students of 15 years
worldwide in the field of reading, science and mathematics
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
345. This Island is known as “Coconut Island” and has been declared as national geo-
heritage site in 1975. This island is the result when Greater India broke away from
Madagascar. Recently, this Island is India’s candidate for UNESCO Global Geopark
Network. Name this Island
St. Maryys Island

346. Recently, the Trump administration has brought into a policy for consideration in
which a country enacts to address its economic woes that, which in turn, actually
worsens the economic problems of other countries. Name this policy
Beggar thy Neighbor
347. Taiwan is known as the champion in the field of Electronics and has decided to
invest in India to make India an Electronic hub. For, such initiatives Government of
Taiwan has created a new policy named as
New South Bound Policy
348. In the International Court of Justice, for the first time since 1946 one of the five
permanent members of the UNSC lost out to an ordinary member. Name the fourth
Indian judge who was re-elected at the ICJ
Justice Dalveer Bhandari
349. Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs launched a new outreach program to
familiarize the students in India about the functioning of Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA). It will also take India’s global engagement and its foreign policy to the grass root
levels. Name this initiative
Student and MEA engagement programme(SAMEEP)
Economy
350. It is the ratio between a given benefit or result and the natural resource use
required for it. It is closely linked with the concept of Circular Economy (which implies
reusing wastes back into new products and uses, instead of wasting such potential
resources). The term is known as,
Resource Efficiency
351. Oxfam, in its report titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth, noted that the richest 1 %
in India cornered 73 % of the wealth generated in 2017, while bottom 67 crore Indians
saw their wealth rise by just 1 %. This generates greater inequality. Inequality is
calculated from
Gini Coefficient

352. It refers to privately polled investment fund in form of a trust or a company or a

body corporate or limited liability partnership which do not come jurisdiction of any
regulatory agency in India. Its definition includes venture capital fund, hedge fund,
private equity fund etc. The fund is called as
Alternative Investment Fund
353. These are the taxes, paid directly to the government by the taxpayer under
which, the incidence and impact of taxation fall on the same entity. These cannot be
transferred to another person and are also termed as a progressive tax because the
proportion of tax liability rises as an individual or entity's income increases. These are
Direct Taxes: Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Dividend Distribution Tax, Capital Gain Tax,
Security Transaction Tax Fiscal Policies
354. The government has introduced the Mid-term review of Foreign Trade Policy
(FTP) 2015-20. There has been an increase in MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India
Scheme) incentives from 2% to 4% for Readymade Garments and Made Ups in the
Labour intensive Textiles Sector
355. FTP 2015-20 introduces two new schemes, namely ‘Merchandise Exports from
India Scheme (MEIS)’ and ‘Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS)’. What are the
objectives of these schemes?
For export of specified goods to specified markets and increasing exports of notified
services respectively
356. Consumer protection bill 2018 law seeks to replace the Consumer Protection Act
(CPA) 1986 that promote six rights consumer like Right of Safety, Right be informed etc.
Which organization will act as a national authority to regulate and prevent violation of
consumer rights, and to initiate class action including enforcing recall, refund and return
of products, etc.?
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
357. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) initially launched in 2016 an Online Market

platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services. National Sellers On-boarding
Campaign has also been launched to train sellers/ service providers for transition from
GeM 2.0 to GeM 3.0. It has been envisaged by Government of India as the
National Procurement Portal of India

358. E- way bill is generated from the GST Common Portal by the registered persons
or transporters before commencement of movement of goods of consignment. As
mandated by the Government, in terms of section 68 of the GST Act, the E-way bill
required to be carried by a person in charge of the conveyance carrying any
consignment of goods exceeding
Rs. 50,000 for sales beyond 10 km
359. Union Cabinet approved changes in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) for
public-private partnership projects (PPP) in major ports conceived under Sagarmala
programme. Major ports are regulated by central government under Major Ports Act,
1963 and non-major ports governed by state governments under the Indian Ports Act
1908. Port development in India is a
Concurrent subject
360. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has announced the creation
of its first investment platform. It is India’s first sovereign wealth fund that seeks to
create long-term value for domestic and international investors seeking investment in
energy, transportation, housing, water, waste management etc. in green field, brown
field and stalled projects. The activities of NIIF are being overseen by a
Governing Council headed by Union Finance Minister
361. Ministry of Food Processing Industries has initiated work on Operation Greens
which was announced in Budget 2018-19. Operation Greens is a 500 crore project on the
lines of Operation Flood for enhancing production & reducing price volatility of fruits &
vegetables. Government has decided to start focusing on three basic vegetables namely
Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes (TOP) initially
362. The Parliament passed amendments to the National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD) Act, 1981 to boost the rural and agricultural sector,
especially rural entrepreneurship. RBI holds 0.4% of the paid-up capital of NABARD and
remaining by the Central government. This amendment empowers the Central
government to increase the authorised capital of NABARD from
Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore as the Current Authorised Capital of NABARD
363. National Productivity Council (NPC) celebrated National Productivity Day and
National Productivity Week on its 60th anniversary. It is an autonomous organization
under the administrative control of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
to promote productivity culture in India. It is a tripartite non-profit organization with
equal representation from the
Government, Employers and Workers’ Organizations, and Chamber of Commerce

364. Government had launched Start-Up India initiative in 2016 to build a robust Start
Up ecosystem and nurturing innovation and providing opportunities to build
entrepreneurs, drive economic growth and generate large scale opportunities in our
country. Which Department launched State Start-up Ranking 2018?
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
365. The income tax department has notified a scheme, which is aimed at eliminating
the physical interface between taxpayers and the department and will facilitate
electronic issuance of notices to taxpayers, requiring them to furnish information or
documents for the purpose of verification in a prescribed format, is
Centralized Communication Scheme 2018
366. Union Cabinet approved establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority

(NFRA), a key recommendation under the Companies Act 2013. As per NFRA (Manner of
Appointment and other Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members)
Rules, 2018, NFRA shall consist of a Chairperson, three full time members (and nine part-
time members), who will be appointed by
Selection through a Search-Cum-Selection Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary
367. Small Saving Scheme offer slightly higher interest rates compared to bank
deposits. Some of the small savings schemes also have income tax benefits, assure
return and government’s guarantee. All the money pooled form different Small Saving
Schemes goes to
National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) established in 1999 within the Public Account of
India
368. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) have objective to promote

apprenticeship training and incentivize employers who wish to engage apprentices and
covers all apprentices except the Graduate, Technician and Technician (Vocational)
apprentices which are covered by the schemes. This scheme is administered by
Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)
369. Municipal Bonds are marketable debt instruments issued by Urban local bodies
(ULBs) either directly or through any intermediate vehicle (Corporate Municipal entity/
statutory body/special purpose distinct entity) with an objective to
On-lend towards projects implemented by ULBs
370. Ministry of Housing and, Urban Affairs (MoHUA) commissioned the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) to evaluate methodologies for calculating City-level Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), and to assess their applicability to India. System of National

Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008) is the latest version of the international statistical standard
for the national accounts, adopted by the
United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC)
371. The government decided to make the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
an open-ended scheme, meaning that it will continue indefinitely. Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana is a financial inclusion program of government of India that aims to expand
and make affordable access to financial services. Who can open this account?
Any individual above the age of 10 years can open Account
372. The Union Cabinet approved a new umbrella scheme - ‘Pradhan Mantri
Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA). What are the components of scheme?
Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Pilot of
Private procurement and Stockiest Scheme (PPSS)
373. Pune is the best city to live in India, while Delhi is among the worst cities, in
terms of economic prospects, according to the Ease of Living Index rankings. It is an
effort to assess the Ease of Living standards of 111 Indian cities against global and
national benchmarks, which includes cities identified under the Smart Cities Mission,
capital cities and million plus cities. It is published by
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
374. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched a national
level entrepreneurship awareness campaign 'Udyam Abhilasha', which is a campaign to
promote entrepreneurship in the 115 aspirational districts identified by
NITI Aayog
375. The Key Provisions of Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) bill seeks
to establish an agency that will replace the existing Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) which presently, guarantees up to a limit of Rs. 1 lakh to
each depositor protected by DICGC. Proposed agency is
Resolution Corporation
376. Bail-out is a tool, where public funds are used to inject capital into an ailing
company. At present, if a bank fails, it may either be merged with another bank or
liquidated. Bail-In as a tool is proposed in the recent amendment in FRDI bill. What is
Bail-in?
Bail-in is the rescue of a financial institution that is on the brink of failure whereby
creditors and depositors take a loss on their holdings

377. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) defines Banking Stability Index (BSI), which
shows that the risks remain at an elevated level weighed down by further asset quality
deterioration. This index is defined as
expected number of banks that could become distressed, given that at least one bank
has become distressed
378. The Government of India has unveiled details of the Bank Recapitalization Plan
for Public Sector Banks (PSBs) announced earlier in October, 2017. It has been ac-
companied by an overarching framework for the reforms agenda to ensure that this
capital is effectively utilized towards faster economic growth. The reform agenda is
Responsive and Responsible PSBs
379. Recently, India INX has listed Indian Railways Finance Corporation's (IRFC) first
green bond on its global securities market (GSM). IRFC is a dedicated financing arm of
the Indian Railways for mobilizing funds from domestic as well as overseas Capital
Markets. IRFC is registered in (and as)
1987, as a public company and is classified as 'company limited by shares’
380. The Reserve Bank of India has directed banks to link the SWIFT with the core
banking solutions (CBS) of banks by April 30 as the failure of SWIFT-CBS link led to recent
fraud at PNB. Core banking solution (CBS) is a back-end system that processes daily
banking transactions and posts updates to accounts and other financial records. Which is
the CBS Of Reserve Bank of India?
e-Kuber
381. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised certain priority sector lending targets
& classification. RBI proposed, foreign banks will now have to meet sub targets for
priority sector lending. Which sector has been removed for classification under priority
sector?
The loan limits per borrower for Micro/ Small and Medium Enterprises (Services)

382. Reserve Bank of India has recently, tightened reporting norms for the Liberalized
Remittance Scheme (LRS) Scheme. The Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) is a facility
provided by the RBI for all resident individuals including minors to freely remit up to $
250,000 per person per year for current and capital account purposes or a combination
of both. The Regulations for the scheme are provided under the
Foreign Exchange Management (FEMA) Act, 1999
383. The government announced a comprehensive plan Project Sashakt for the
resolution of stressed assets in banking sector that aims to strengthen the credit
capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public sector banks. It is a five-pronged
strategy towards resolution of stressed assets, as recommended by
Sunil Mehta Committee
384. Prime Minister on 1st September, 2018 launched the India Post Payments Bank
(IPPB) that offers doorstep banking to customers. India Post Payments Bank has been
incorporated as a public sector company under the department of posts, with 100%
government equity and is governed by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
385. A debt instrument, issued by an entity for raising funds from investors for
financing ‘green’ projects, such as renewable energy, low carbon transport, sustainable
water management, climate change adaptation, energy efficiency, sustainable waste
management, biodiversity conservation etc., are
Green Bonds
386. A market for financial instruments such as commodities K n and securities, which
are traded immediately or on the spot, is
Spot Markets (Physical Market or Cash Market)
387. SEBI has relaxed restrictions on algorithm trading at commodity derivatives

exchanges. Algorithmic trading or ‘algo’ in market parlance refers to orders generated at
a super-fast speed by use of advanced mathematical models that involve automated
execution of trade. It is mostly used by
Large Institutional Investors

388. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided that (Real Estate
Investment Trust) REITs and InvITs (Infrastructure Investment Trusts), will have to
provide a mechanism for resolution of disputes with their shareholders and partners.
REIT is a company that
Owns, Operates or Finances income-producing real estates
389. Which exchange has become the first Indian exchange to be designated as a
‘Designated Offshore Securities Market’ (DOSM) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC)? It is Asia's oldest stock exchange establishes in 1875.
Bombay Stock Exchange
390. Under which type of farming, agricultural production (including livestock and
poultry) can be carried out based on a pre-harvest agreement between buyers (such as
food processing units and exporters), and producers (farmers or farmer organisations)?
Contract Farming
391. In January 2015, the government allowed the urea producers to produce up to
100% of production as Neem coated urea. The current policy is that Government has
mandated all indigenous producers of Urea to produce 100% of urea as Neem coated
urea only. What are the benefits of Neem Coated Urea?
Slow dissolution of urea, less urea requirement, check illegal diversion of urea for non-
agri usages
392. The Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Incomes (DFI), which also suggested
adoption of a liberalized land leasing policy to recognize tenant farmers, contract
farming, freeing up of agricultural markets and strengthening decentralized
procurement of crops by states etc., is known as
Ashok Dalwai committee
393. India is having approximately 60 million acres of land of this crop. India is the
largest producer followed by the African countries of Nigeria and Niger of this crop.
Government has approved 2018 as to boost the agro-industry and production of this
cereal. It is
Millets

394. India is the largest cotton producing and second largest exporting country
according to a report of International Cotton Advisory Committee. Gujarat is the largest
cotton producer, followed by Maharashtra. Cotton plantations in various parts of the
country have been hit due to infestation of Pink Bollworm (PBW). It has majorly affected
cotton plantations in
Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat
395. Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme was
announced with Rs. 48,000 crore financial assistance, with an aim to incentivise farmers
to run solar farm water pumps and use barren land for generating solar power to have
extra income. It was announced in
Union Budget of 2018-19
396. SHEFEXIL- SHELLAC and Forest Products Promotion Council is nodal Export
Promotion Council (EPC) for Non Timber Forest Produce, such as, Veg Saps & Extracts,
Guar Gum, Sesame seeds, Herbs etc. It is the nodal EPC for the North Eastern Region of
India. It is sponsored by
Ministry of Commerce and industry
397. Government has continued Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) till 2019-20. Under
which, a fixed amount of subsidy decided on annual basis, is provided to fertilizer
companies (other than Urea) depending on its nutrient content to fertilizer
manufacturer. Under this scheme Minimum Retail Price (MRP) of which fertilizers has
been left open?
Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers
398. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer welfare has revised the guideline of
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. Every farmer will be provided Rs. 20,000 per acre in
three years for seed to harvesting of crops and to transport produce to the market. PKVY
is an elaborated component of
Soil Health Management (SHM) under National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture

(NMSA)

399. Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan was launched by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer
Welfare. It was launched with an aim to aid, assist and advice farmers to improve their
farming techniques and raise their income. The overall coordination and implementation
will be done by
Krishi Vigyan Kendra
400. International Energy Agency (estd. in 1974, an autonomous agency) seeks to

promote energy security among its member countries through collective response to
physical disruptions in oil supply, and to provide authoritative research and analysis on
ways to ensure reliable, afford-able and clean energy. It publishes report named as
Energy Access outlook along with the World Energy Outlook (WEO)
401. The scheme, to supply electricity to all households by December 2018 with
aiming to improve the environment, public health, education and Connectivity with the
help of last-mile power connections across India, is known
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghiar Yojna (Saub- hagya Scheme)
402. The Ministry of Coal launched the Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System
(CMSMS) and ‘Khan Prahari’ mobile (web based GIS) application. The basic objective of
CMSMS is reporting, monitoring etc. It can also detect and take suitable action for
Location of unauthorised mining sites
403. Petroleum and Explosives Safely Organisation (PESO) is the apex department to
control and administer manufacture, storage, transport and handling of explosives,
petroleum, compressed gases and other hazardous substances in India. It functions
under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPT). It is headquartered at
Nagpur
404. National Highways Authority of India has created the National Highways
Investment Promotion Cell (NHIPC). The primary focus of NHIPC will be
To promote Foreign and Domestic Investment in Road Infrastructure
405. The project, approved in October 2017-but would only take off by December
2018 and is the second largest highway construction project after NHDP under which 50,
000 km of highways roads were targeted, is known
Bharatmala Partyojana

406. Recently, government has proposed a revision in the Ship breaking code 2013,
which is a compressive plan to provide Recycling Plan, Worker Safety and Health, Ensure
labour welfare etc. Which establishment led to an appropriate enforcement mechanism
for ship recycling, incorporating certification and reporting requirements?
Hong Kong Convention 2009
407. A yield based insurance scheme, launched in 2016 that replaced the National
Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified National Agricultural Insurance
Scheme (MNAIS), covers yield loss due to non-preventable risks viz. natural fire,
lightening, cyclone, flood, landslide, pests/diseases etc., is known as
Pradhan Mantri Fused Bima Yojana
408. Government Land Information System (GLlS) is a first- of-its-kind centralised

database created by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and
monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It records total area, geo-positioning
maps, and details such as ownership rights. According to the portal, which is die biggest
landowner among Union ministries?
Railways
409. The Centre has decided to connect 73 underserved and unserved airports and
helipads under the phase 2 of the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. The objective of
the scheme was “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik”. The States lifted with maximum number of
airports and helipads under UDAN 2 scheme, are
Uttarakhand (15), Uttar Pradesh (9), Arunachal Pradesh (8), Himachal Pradesh (6),
Assam (5) and Manipur (5)
410. In Logistics Performance Index (LPI), India was ranked 35 among 160 countries in
2016, up from 54 in 2014. LPI aims to serve as an indicator of efficiency of logistical
services necessary for promoting investment, exports and economic growth in general.
The rank of India in LPI 2018 is
44th out of 167 Countries
411. The Scheme, which has been launched under ‘Digital India’ program and
provides special incentives for training employees and incentive for diversity and
inclusion in addition, employing women and people with disability etc. and incentivizes
operations in Northeast, is known as
North-East BPO Promotion Scheme

412. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas invited Saudi Arabia and Oman to
participate in the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Programme. Construction of
storage facilities are maintained by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (a
special purpose vehicle of the Oil Industry Development Board). Presently, strategic re-
serves are situated at
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Mangalore (Karnataka), and Padur (Kerala)
413. The UTTAM App for has been developed to facilitate a bidirectional channel
between Coal India Limited and common citizens. It is aimed at ensuring transparency
and efficiency in the coal quality monitoring process. Which Ministry has launched it?
Union Ministry of Coal
414. Ministry of Shipping, relaxed Cabotage restrictions on the movement of foreign

ships. Cabotage refers to shipping along coastal routes between foreign sea ports, and
also to the restriction on the operation of vessels between sea ports within a particular
country. It is governed by the
Merchant Shipping Act (MSA) of 1958
415. A high-level global forum, to promote policies and pro-grams that advance clean
energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the
transition to a global clean energy economy- 21st Century Power Partnership (21CPP), is
known as
Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM)
416. It is the ability of a power system, to reliably and cost effectively manage the
variability and uncertainty of demand and supply across all relevant timescales. It
includes ensuring instantaneous stability of the power system and supporting long-term
security of supply. It is termed as
Power System Flexibility
417. A freight village is a defined area within which all activities relating to transport,
logistics and the distribution of goods, both for national and international transit, are
carried out by various operators”. India’s first freight village is being developed in
Varanasi (U.P.)

418. Jal Marg Vikas Project envisages the development of waterway (for commercial
navigation) between Allahabad (Prayagraj) and Haldia on Ganga River that will cover a
distance of 1620 km. The project covers the states of
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal
419. The government extended the Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS) for five
years till 2023. The scheme is aim to support Indian entities bidding for strategically
important infrastructure projects abroad. The Scheme is presently being operated
through
Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India
420. Global Skills Park is an international skilling institute to provide students with
international training methods in world class machinery, tools & equipment. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $150 million loan to establish the first Global
Skills Park in
Madhya Pradesh
421. The Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MCI 1) took place in December 2017,
However, the members failed to agree to a ministerial declaration at the end of MCI 1.
The host city was
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
422. As per the Agreement on Agriculture of WTO, a developing country's food

subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production taking
1986-88 as base year. India and other developing countries have been seeking
amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap and the base year, as this
limit is insufficient to meet domestic food security challenges. The issue is known as
Public Stockholding Issue
423. The declaration, seeks women’s economic empowerment by expeditiously

removing barriers to trade, which was spearheaded by the governments of Iceland and
Sierra Leone and India chose not to endorse the declaration. This declaration is known
as
Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade

424. As part of Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP, is a joint program

which undertakes a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of a country’s financial sector),
which organization has released the Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) and
Financial Sector Assessment (FSA) for the Indian Financial System?
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
425. India was ranked 62nd among 74 emerging economies on World Economic
Forum's Inclusive Development Index (IDI). Norway again remained world’s most
inclusive advanced economy, while Lithuania again topped list of emerging economies.
IDI measures progress of 103 economies on three individual pillars
Growth and development, Inclusion and Inter- generational equity
426. The World Employment and Social Outlook - Trends 2018, was currently released
which predicted that India’s unemployment rate in 2018 will stay at 3.5 per cent and a
worrying 77 per cent of employment in India would remain “vulnerable”. The report is
released by
International Labour Organization (ILO)
427. Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) was released by INSEAD combined
with Adecco group and Tata communications (5th edition of Index). It is an annual
benchmarking report that measures and ranks 119 countries and 90 cities based on their
ability to grow, attract and retain talent. GTCI 2018 is themed as
“Diversity for Competitiveness”
428. India manufacturing sector has grown by over 7 per cent per year on average in
the past three decades and accounts for 16-20 % of India’s GDP. World Economic Forum
released an index related to this sector that placed India on the 30th position. The index
is called as,
Global Manufacturing Index
429. Energy Transition Index (ETI) is a part of first edition of the Fostering Effective
Energy Transition Report which builds upon previous series of Global Energy
Architecture Performance Index. It ranks countries on how well they are able to balance
energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability (for 114
countries). ETI, was released by
World Economic Forum (WEF)

430. Global Findex Report 2017 (released in April, 2018), is world’s most
comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk.
It shows that financial inclusion has increased worldwide to 69 % from 62% in 2014.
Which organization releases it?
World Bank
431. United States Trade Representative (USTR) reviewing the eligibility of India,
Indonesia, and Kazakhstan in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). India was
added because it met two of the three criteria i.e. a significant bilateral surplus with the
US and net purchase of foreign currency of 2.2% of GDP. The benefits under the GSP
includes
Duty free entry of certain goods like chemicals, gems, textiles among others to the US
market
432. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion-DIPP (with World Bank) has
released the final rankings of States in Ease of Doing Business (3rd edition) under the
Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP). Top five performing states are
Andhra Pradesh (1st), Telangana, Haryana, Jharkhand and Gujarat (5th)
433. The World Bank has launched the world’s first public bond created and managed
using only block chain in order to test how the technology might improve current bond
sales practices. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), has been mandated by the
World Bank to be the sole arranger of the bond. The project is called
BONDI: Blockchain Operated New Debt Instrument (on the name of Bondi Beach in
Sydney)
434. The 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index was released by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human
Development Initiative (OPHI). MPI-2018 is revised on the lines of
SDGs (five of the ten indicators revised- nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling,
housing and assets)

435. World Economic Forum launches Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution in India.
The centre Would have selected drones, artificial intelligence and block chain as the first
three projects. It will work in collaboration with the government on a national level and
leaders from business , academia, start-ups and international organizations. This center
Will be in the state of
Maharashtra
436. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group launched an
Agenda. The agenda have a set of 12 policy elements aimed at helping member
countries to harness the benefits and opportunities of rapid advances in financial
technology that are transforming the provision of banking services, while at the same
time managing the inherent risks. This Agenda is named as
The Bali Fintech Agenda
437. The Government of India signed a loan deal worth $76 million with Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for a project to upgrade the environment
management Plan at Alang - Sosiya ship re-cycling yards. The ship yards at Alang recycle
have approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world. It is considered as the
world's largest grave yard of ships. The yards are located at
Gulf of Khambat, 50 Kms. Southeast of Bhavnagar
438. A Mission has been launched which aims to trace those who are Left to Follow
Up and are to be brought under Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services, “Community
Based Testing” will be taken up for fast- tracking the identification of all who are HIV
positive. The mission is called
Mission SAMP ARK
439. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released National Trachoma Survey
Report and declared India as a Trachoma free nation. India was declared Trachoma free
and has also achieved the goal of Trachoma elimination under
GET (Global Elimination of Trachoma) 2020program - a WHO initiative

440. In budget 2018, a flagship National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) was
announced under Ayushman Bharat programme for a New India 2022. It aims to provide
medical cover up to Rs. 5 lakh per year per household for secondary and tertiary health
care. This Mission will subsume on-going centrally sponsored schemes, named as
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme
(SCHIS)
441. The Urban HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) Report on Urban Nutrition was
released based on the survey that was conducted in 2014 by Citizens Alliance against
Malnutrition. The URBAN HUNGaMA Survey 2014 was conducted to capture essential
nutrition data of children aged
Between 0-59 months
442. NITI Aayog released a comprehensive Health report named Healthy States,
Progressive India. It is annual report which rank the States and UTs on incremental
changes in health outcomes and overall performance with respect to others, developed
by NITI Aayog in consultation with
Technical Assistance Agency of World Bank and other International Sector Experts
443. The India Health Fund (IHF), an initiative by Tata Trusts, in collaboration with the
Global Fund has come forward to financially support innovations and technologies de-
signed to combat tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. How do they spread?
TB (through air) and Malaria (by mosquitoes, caused by Plasmodium parasite)
444. India made ROTAVAC vaccine and Typbar Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, received
WHO pre-qualification. ROTAVAC Vaccine is a low cost vaccine developed by Bharat
Biotech Limited under an innovative PPP model involving Ministry of Science and
Technology, institutions of the US Government and various NGOs. It has been included
in
India's Universal Immunization Program of 2016
445. Recent data released by the Union Health Ministry’s Integrated Disease
Surveillance Programme (IDSP) has indicated that food poisoning is one of die most
common outbreaks reported in 2017. It is caused by
Eating contaminated food

446. The surveillance scheme (2004, assisted by World Bank), seeks to set up a
Central Disease Surveillance Unit and a State Surveillance Unit in each State where data
is collected and analyzed and an early warning system has been put into place in order
to take timely preventive 111 -steps, is called as
Integrated Diseases Surveillance Program (IDSP)
447. Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission was launched in 2003 with
objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ ’reliable
tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education
in the country. The two components of this mission is
Setting up new AIIMS and Up gradation of Government Medical Colleges
448. The Moscow Declaration was adopted during the First Global Ministerial
Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control in 2011, which
stressed on the need of a multi sectoral approach. Based on this, a recent released
report of WHO’s Independent High-Level Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases
(NCD) was titled as
“Time to deliver ”
449. Government has released the National Health Profile (NHP)-2018 and launched
National Health Resource Repository. The objective of the National Health Profile is to
create a database of health information of India which is comprehensive, up-to-date and
easily accessible to all stakeholders in the healthcare sector. It is prepared by
Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI)
450. National Health Resource Repository (NHRR) is the first ever registry in India of
authentic, standardized and updated geo-spatial data of all public and private
healthcare. Which organization is the project technology partner for providing data
Security?
ISRO
451. United Nation has published its report on "The State of Food Security and
Nutrition in the World" for 2017. This is an annual report earlier jointly prepared by the
Food and Agriculture Organization (F AO), International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and World Food; Programme (WFP). Which organization have
joined now for the first time?
UNICEF and WHO have joined for the first time

452. Global Action Plan on Physical Activities 2018-2030 has been released and
recommends a set of policy areas, for improving the environments and opportunities for
people of all ages and abilities to do more walking, cycling, sport, active recreation,
dance and play. Which organization have released the plan?
World Health Organisation
453. Happy School Project was launched by UNESCO with the involvement of
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development
(MGIEPS) in India. It aims to bring happiness and the quality of education together by
calling for education systems to shift away from traditional measures. The Project
frame-work consists of 22 criteria for a happy school under three categories, named as
People, Place and process
454. Quality Council of India was set up jointly by the Government of India and three
premier industry associations i.e. ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI. It aims to establish and
operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality
Campaign. Chairman of QCI is appointed by the
Prime Minister on recommendation of the industry to the government
455. World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO, attended by

delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda
prepared by the Executive Board. It is held annually in
Geneva, Switzerland
456. The Supreme Court has recently given judgement on Passive Euthanasia. Passive
euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the
deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. India is witnessing a
debate on whether right to die is a part of right to life under
Article 21
457. Draft of Digital Information in Healthcare Security act (DISHA) was released by
the Central Government. It lays down that any health data including physical,
physiological and mental health condition, sexual orientation, medical records etc. are
the property of the person who it pertains to. Under it who will have responsibility to
protect the privacy, confidentiality and security of the owner’s digital health data?

Health Information Exchange, State Electronic Health Authority and National

Electronic Health Authority
458. Suvidha is an affordable sanitary napkin launched to ensure ‘Swachhta, Swasthya

and Suvidha’ for the underprivileged Women of India. The initiative has been taken by
Department of Pharmaceutical (manufactured by Bureau of Pharma PSU)
459. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PM- BJP) is a campaign

launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, to provide quality medicines at
affordable prices to the masses through special kendra’s known as
Janaaushadhi Kendra
460. Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, National Health Agency will be its
implementing authority. There will be a provision of Rs 5 lakh per annum as health
assurance (no premium to be paid by beneficiary) for each family and free of cost
treatment for serious diseases. Who are automatically eligible for this scheme?
People noted in SECC
461. Ministry of AYUSH has introduced new Central Sector scheme for promoting
pharmacovigilance of AYUSH Drugs. Pharmacovigilance (also known as drug safety) is
defined as the
Pharmacological science relating to the collection, detection, assessment, monitoring,

and prevention of adverse effects with pharmaceutical products
462. The Odisha government launched a Health Insurance scheme for working
journalists in the state. In the first phase, as many as 3,233 working journalists will get
health insurance coverage up to Rs 2 lakh a year. This scheme is known as
Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bitna Yojana
463. The Government of India has approved setting up of the National Nutrition
Mission. Niti Aayog’s National Nutrition Strategy laid down the roadmap to launch NNM.
It would be executed along with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare, but the nodal ministry will be
Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD)

464. The rate, defined as average number of children that would be born to a woman,
which is more direct measure of the level of fertility than the birth rate, since it shows
the potential for population change in a country is termed as
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
465. A project called Stree Swabhiman was launched. It aims to create a sustainable
model for providing adolescent girls and women an access to affordable sanitary
products in rural areas. It was launched by
Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MelTY)
466. To address the issue of scattered information on various women centric

schemes/legislations problem, government launched NARI portal as a single window
access to information and services. It is a Mission Mode Project under the
National E-Govemance Plan (designed and developed by National Informatics Centre,

MelTY)
467. A portal platform, for NGOs and civil society to interact with the Ministry of
Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has been created. It will provide feedback,
suggestions, put up grievances, share best practices etc. and for help in formulation of
effective policies and measures for welfare of women and children, named as
e-Samvaad Portal
468. The Mathadi boards were set up to ensure fair wages to workers carrying loads.
This ensures that equal wages are paid for equal work. Mathadi board model was
prevalent in
Maharashtra
469. A scheme, for rehabilitation of women victims of difficult circumstances and
other beneficiaries, and also inclusion of women prisoners released from jail who are
without family, social and economic support, is referred as
Swadhar Greh
470. Ministry of Women and Child Development has approved 100 additional One
Stop Centers. One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme is a sub-scheme under National Mission for
Empowerment of women which is being run by Ministry of Women & Child
Development. The first OSC was built at
Raipur ,Chhattisgarh

471. ‘LaQshya’ is launched to improve quality of care during delivery and immediate
post-partum period thus providing Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant
women attending public health facilities. This will reduce maternal and newborn
morbidity and mortality and aims at implementing ‘fast-track’ interventions for
achieving tangible results within 18 months. Who launched ‘LaQshya’ Program?
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
472. First-ever Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) was released by Child development
NGO Plan India. Index is aimed at comprehensively understanding the dimensions of
various problems affecting children, particularly girls, in difficult circumstances. Which
states are at the top?
Goo, Kerala and Mizoram
473. Nirbhaya Fund was created after its announcement in 2013 Union Budget with a
corpus of 100 crore for empowerment and safety of girl child and women. It is
administered by
Department of Economic Affairs
474. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and

Redressal) Act, 2013 seeks to protect women from sexual harassment at their place of
work. The Internal Complaints Committee has been given powers resemble to
Civil court for summoning, discovery and production of documents
475. India recently became the ninth country in the world to launch a National
Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO). It was rolled out by the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) along with Women and Child Development (WCD)
Ministry
476. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), women’s contribution
to Indian agriculture is about 32%, while in some states (such as Hills, Northeast, and
Kerala) contribution of women to agriculture and rural economy is more than men.
National Women’s Farmer’s Day (Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas) is celebrated on
15th October

477. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill now aims to ensure effective regulation of
surrogacy, bar commercial surrogacy and permits altruistic surrogacy to the deprived
Indian married couples. The Bill will be applicable to whole of India (except the J&K). The
Bill proposes to regulate surrogacy by setting up a board named as
The National Surrogacy Board at Centre and State Surrogacy Board in States and UTs
478. Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) initiative is aimed at building an

ecosystem for women across India to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, scale-up
innovative initiatives and chalk-out sustainable, long-term strategies for their
businesses. It was launched by
NITI Aayog
479. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved expansion of
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Yojana for a pan India coverage from 2017-18 to 2019-
20. The scheme is being implemented as a tri- ministerial, convergent effort of
Union Ministries of Women and Child Development (WCD), Health & Family Welfare
(MoHFW) and Human Resource Development (HRD)
480. Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has announced to observe
which month as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against
malnutrition? The month-long intensive 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).
September 2018
481. World Day against Trafficking in Persons is observed every year on July 30 to
raise awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims, and promote and protect
their rights. This year, theme chosen by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) is
‘Responding to the trafficking of children and young people’
482. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2017 was recently released. It has
been conducted since 2005 in all rural districts in India. It is a household survey rather
than a school based survey which enables all children to be included for e.g. those who
have never been to school or have dropped out. It is released by
NGO Pratham

483. Government constituted a panel, headed by N Gopalas- wami, for identification

of top 20 best higher education institutions. Which rules and regulations will cover them
that are conferred with this status, ensuring their complete academic, administrative
and financial autonomy?
The UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) regulations, 2017
484. The government has decided to employ graduates from premier colleges like
UTs, NITs etc. to teach in engineering colleges in backward districts for a period of 3
years as a part of TEQIP Phase 3. The scheme aims to overhaul the quality of technical
education in the
Low Income States and Special Category States (SCS)
485. Which trust has created a 10-million-dollar Education Development Impact Bond
(EDIB) for India? It is in-tended as an innovative and sustainable social impact
investment tool which will be tied in with performance and outcomes of educational
initiatives in India. It will provide funding for delivering a range of activities including
principal and teacher training, direct school management, and supplementary
programmes
British Asian Trust
486. National Achievement Survey (NAS) was released by the HRD Ministry. National
Achievement Survey assesses performance of students in five major subjects. These
subjects are
English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Modern Indian Languages
487. Government has decided to subsume Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) which were operational
since more than 15 years under an integrated school education scheme. The integrated
scheme will be in place
From 2018 to 2020
488. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved continuation of

centrally-sponsored Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) till 2020. RUSA was
launched in 2013. The funding to States is based on critical appraisal of State Higher
Education Plans which are required to address each State's strategy to address issues of
equity, access and excellence in higher education. All binding under the RUSA are
Norm based, and future grants are outcome dependent

489. A CBSE’s digital repository of academic records, which Employers and

Educational Institutions can use this repository to verify academic records of CBSE
students online. The digital academic records of this repository will also be available to
students through Digi Locker. The scheme is called as
Parinam Manjusha
490. Union HRD Minister released ‘NIRF India Rankings 2018’ for Higher Education
Institutions. NIRF 2018 gave rankings for 9 different categories of institutions including 3
new categories
Medical, Architecture and Law
491. Human Resource Development Ministry launched Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 in
New Delhi. Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by govt, of India with objective of
Building institutional capacity in Institutes of higher education in research & training

relevant to the needs of rural India and providing rural India with professional
resource support
492. Human Resource Development has launched the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan
(RAA) envisages to motivate and engage children of the age group from 6-18 years in
Science, Mathematics and Technology
493. Lok Sabha passed the amendment to The Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education (second amendment) Bill, 2017 to abolish the ‘No- Detention’
policy in schools. Which amendment requires the State to provide free and compulsory
elementary education to all children?
The 86th Constitution Amendment Act, 2002
494. Ministry of Human Resource Development has decided to end the boycott of
PISA formally. It is an international assessment that measures 15 years old students’
reading, mathematics, science literacy and even innovative subjects like collaborative
problem solving and money literacy
Every three years

495. The government will launch a series of residential schools for students from the
scheduled tribes (STs), in view of the social discrimination faced by tribal communities.
By 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal
persons will have an
Ekalavya Model Residential School
496. Government recently removed the income ceiling under Dr. Ambedkar scheme
for social Integration through inter-caste marriage. The scheme was introduced to
financially support the newly wed couples in the initial phase who take the bold step of
marrying inter-caste. The ministry which supports the scheme is,
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
497. Which one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha,
were recently denied habitat rights inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) under the
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
Act, 2006?
Mankidia
498. These are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri
district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Unlike the other tribes, they are non- nomadic in
nature. UNESCO has proposed this tribe’s valley for inclusion as a World Heritage Site for
its "extremely high productivity" and "unique" way of preserving the ecology. Which
tribes are we referring to?
Apatani or Tanw
499. The term Irula means being capable of finding one’s path in dark forests,
according to an Irula myth. Irulas are recognised as the Primitive Tribal Group (PTG).
They are known as the last "forest scientists" of the world, they have been snake
catchers and rat catchers for generations. They reside in which place?
Tamil Nadu
500. The Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) under Ministry of Minority

Affairs has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram
(PMJVK). The criteria for identification of Minority Concentration Towns (MCTs) and
Cluster of Villages has been rationalised and is based on
2011 census

501. Ministry of Tribal Affairs has recently launched Van Dhan Scheme. Under the
scheme 10 Self Help Groups of 30 Tribal gatherers (Van Dhan Vikas Samuh) will be
constituted. Training and technical support is provided by
TRIFED (The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India)
502. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 defines a transgender

person as one who is partly female or male; or a combination of female and male; or
neither female nor male. It directs Central government to constitute a National Council
for Transgender headed by the
Union Minister of Social Justine and empowerment
503. They inhabit the Biligiriranga Hills and associated ranges in southern Karnataka
and Erode districts of Tamil Nadu. They speak Sholaga, which belongs to the Dravidian
family. Their name means Children of the Bamboo - live off forest produce like honey,
berries and timber. The tribes we are referring to are,
Soliga
504. The Union Cabinet approved the inclusion of the com-munities, namely,
‘Parivara and Talawara’ as synonym of “Nayaka” in the list of STs of
Karnataka
505. Investment Limit for Senior Citizens has been doubled under Pradhan Mantri
Vaya Vandan Yojana (PMVVY). The organization which implements it is,
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
506. Udyam Abhilasha. a national level entrepreneurship awareness campaign 1ms

been launched. It will create and strengthen cadre of more than 800 trainers to provide
entrepreneurship training to aspiring youths across these districts to enter admired
segment of entrepreneurs. It was launched by
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

507. Which Institute of National Importance has come out with Youth Development
Index and Report 2017? The institute has constructed Youth Development Index for the
year 2017 was done using the latest definition of youth as used in National Youth Policy.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur,

Tamil Nadu
508. The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed every year on June
15 across the world to highlight the often silent suffering of the elder generation. The
theme this year is
“Moving from Awareness to Action through a Human Rights based approach ”
509. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched
Development Impact Bond. They are outcome based bond, under which donor pay back
private investors investment with interest, if the service providers achieve pre-
determined targets. Which state has launched it?
Rajasthan
510. Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) is a joint venture company of Canara
Bank and Ministry of Human Resource Development. RBI granted license to operate as
Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
511. The government’s flagship skilling scheme (of Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship) - Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is facing issues in
providing placement to the skilled candidates. Individuals with prior learning experience
or skills will also be assessed and certified under
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
512. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launched Swajal Pilot project at Village
Bhikampura, Karauli district, Rajasthan. It is a community owned drinking water
programme which will not only ensure round-the- year availability of clean drinking
water but also generate employment. It has been first launched in
Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand

513. Which government has launched ‘She Means Business’ programme of Facebook
for women entrepreneurs? The government’s partnership with Facebook aimed to
reduce the digital divide and empower nearly 25,000 women entrepreneurs and SHGs.
Odisha
514. A research ‘Understanding the geographical burden of stunting in India’ was

published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). International Food
Policy Research Institute was established in 1975 to provide research based policy
solutions. It annually releases
Global Food Policy Report
515. Which organization has released State of Social Safety Nets Report, 2018? The
Report is part of efforts to monitor the implementation progress of the World Bank’s
2012-2022 Social Protection and Labor Strategy.
World Bank
516. These Principles are a set of international standards which frame and guide the
work of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). According to these principles, NHRIs
should be established by a statutory or constitutional provision, which sets for the tasks,
composition and sphere of competence of the institution. These are,
Paris Principles
517. The Prime Minister has announced “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” organised on the
occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. This Abhiyan (campaign) is being undertaken for reaching
out to poor households, spreading awareness about government welfare schemes and
other people centric initiatives. The campaign is undertaken under the name of
“Sabka Sath, Sabka Gaon, Sabka Vikas ”
518. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act

2013, intends to eliminate the insanitary latrines and prohibits Employment as Manual
Scavengers, Hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. Which organization
would monitor implementation of the Act?
National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)

519. Prime Minister on 23rd September, 2018 launched the world’s largest state
funded health insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), at Ranchi,
Jharkhand. PMJAY primarily targets the
Poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers’
families
520. “Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) Campaign” was launched. The second edition of
campaign launched in 2017, which aims at accelerating the vision for a Clean India. It
was commenced, relating to which Indian leader?
Mahatma Gandhi (to mark his 150th birth year celebration)
521. India has been ranked at 103 out of 119 countries in the GHI2018, with hunger
levels in the country categorised as “serious”. GHI is a tool designed to comprehensively
measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI is released
annually by
Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide
522. India was ranked 130 in the 2016 Human Development Index (HDI) among the
188 countries. India scored 0.640 and was placed in medium human development
category. The index was unveiled recently as part of the Human Development Report
(HDR) 2018 published by
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
523. To honour soldiers who have been disabled in line of duty, while serving the
Nation and to celebrate the undying spirit of ‘Soldiering’, Indian Army is observing the
year 2018 as the
(Year of Disabled Soldiers in Line of Duty)
524. A report titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’ has been released by the
international rights group. The report reveals how the global economy enables wealthy
elite to accumulate vast wealth even as hundreds of millions of people struggle to
survive on poverty pay. The international group which released it is,
Oxfam

525. The United Nations has designated which day every year, as the World Habitat
Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all, to
adequate shelter?
First Monday of October
526. The Gomateshwar statute is dedicated to Bahubali, the son of Rishabhanath, the
first in the line of the 24 Jain tirthankaras. The statue has been depicted in kayotsarga
posture. The statue is said to be built by
Chavundaraya who was the Prime Minister of the Ganga King Rachamalla
527. Chennai based Geographical Indication Registry has awarded Geographical

Indication (GI) Tag to two craft forms from Telangana viz. ‘Adilabad dotaa’ and Wa-
rangal ‘Dhurries’. What are they?
Adilabad Dokra is an ancient bell metal craft and Warangcd Dhurries is a popular
traditional cotton rug
528. The first-ever International Print Biennale, an International Exhibition of Graphic

Prints was held in New Delhi. It was organised by one of the Indians national academy of
fine arts. It is an autonomous organisation. The organization referred here is
Lalit Rala Akademi
529. The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 was held at Khajuraho
temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. It is a
group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela Dynasty
between 950 and 1050 AD. The temples at Khajuraho are all made of
Sandstone
530. This Temple was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Ganga
dynasty. It has a gigantic chariot of the Sun god, with 12 pairs of exquisitely ornamented
wheels pulled by seven horses. A state-of-the-art interpretation and tourist facilitation
centre was recently inaugurated here. Which temple is it?
Sun temple at Konark, Odisha

531. Which Painting was used to decorate railway station in Bihar which has also
become one of the cleanest railway stations in India? The painting origin is believed to
be during the period of Ramayana.
Madhubani Paintings
532. National Culture Fund was established as a funding mechanism distinct from the
existing sources and patterns of funding for die arts and culture in India. Who manages
and administers the Fund and decides the policies?
Union Ministry of Culture
533. Saura Tribe are one of the tribal communities who inhabit remote ranges near
Bansadhara River. They have their racial affinity with the proto-Australoid. They speak
an ancient Mundari dialect of their own called ‘saora’. They belong to which State?
Odisha
534. Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights registered a suo motu
case in connection with the Kuthiyottam ritual. The Kuthiyottam ritual is usually
performed every year during the Pongala festival at the
Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
535. The famous Madhavpur Mela saw its first-ever cultural integration with the
North-East. The Madhavpur Mela is an annual event at Madhavpur Ghed of Porbandar
district in Gujarat. Madhavpur Mela shares it’s connect to the
Mishnti Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh
536. The President released Rs 1,000 and Rs 10 commemorative coins on the

occasion of Nabakalebar festival. This festival is symbolic recreation of wooden forms of
the four deities at
Jagannath Temple, Puri
537. This is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, ASI and
State/UT Governments. It aims to involve public and private sector companies and
corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making heritage and
tourism more sustainable through I development, operation and maintenance of world-

class tourist infrastructure and amenities at the Indian heritage sites. The scheme is
known as,
Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar Apni Pehchan
538. ‘Tholu Bommalata’, the shadow puppet theatre has been declining. It literally
means "the dance of leather puppets" (tholu - leather and bommalata - puppet dance).
It belongs to which State?
Andhra Pradesh
539. Ministry of Culture launched a new scheme “Seva Bhoj Yojna". It envisages
reimbursing the Central Government share of Central GST and Integrated GST of such
Charitable Religious Institutions who provide Food/ Prasad/Langar/Bhandara free of cost
without any discrimination to Public/Devotees. The objective of the scheme is to
Reduce financial burden of Charitable Religious Institutions
540. Architectures of "Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai” has been
included in UNESCO's World Heritage list. India accepted the renaming of the ensemble
as Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai as recommended by the World
Heritage Committee. This is the third site from Mumbai (in UNESCO), the other two are
Elephanta Caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station
541. Ambubachi Mela, a four day annual fair was held at Kamakhya Temple. It is
celebrated to mark the annual menstruation of Goddess at Kamakhya temple. The
Temple is situated on the
Nilanchal Hills in Guwahati, Assam
542. Union Cabinet has signed a MoU with Vietnam on postal stamp. The Joint
commemorative stamp depicts which ancient monuments?
Sanchi Stupa and Pho Minh Pagoda of Vietnam
543. Raman Spectroscopy is now being used to ascertain if gold or gemstones on

Thanjavur paintings are fake or not. Thanjavur painting is a form of miniature painting
that flourished during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Which subjects have been
depicted in the paintings?
Jain, Sikh, Muslim, other religious and even secular subjects were depicted

544. Behdiengkhlam is a traditional festival celebrated after sowing is done seeking a

good harvest and to drive away plague and diseases. The festival is observed by 'Pnars'
who believe in the traditional faith of "Niamtre". Behdiengkhlam festival is celebrated at
Jowai, Jaintia Hills District in Meghalaya
545. 142th birth anniversary of Pingali Venkayya was ob-served. He was a freedom
fighter who was the brain behind designing of our
National flag
546. The Embassy of India held a ceremony in Haifa to mark the Centenary of the
Battle of Haifa when on 23 Sep 1918, Indian soldiers from the Jodhpur, Mysore and
Hyderabad Lancers liberated the city. Haifa is home to
The Baha 7 World Centre (A UNESCO World Heritage Site)
547. UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas wheree sites and
landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept
of protection, education and sustainable development. Geological Survey of India (GSI)
chose heritage locations in
Maharashtra and Karnataka for UNESCO Global Geopark Network site status
548. It is a hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks in an island off Udupi. It is estimated to

be an 88-million-year-old formation that goes back to a time when Greater India broke
away from Madagascar. It was declared a national geo-heritage site in 1975. What is it?
St. Mary’s Island and Malpe Beach, Karnataka
549. Under IN A trials, Leaders of independence movement Jawaharlal Nehru, Sir Tej
Bahadur Sapru, Kailashnath Katju, Bhulabhai Desai, Asaf Ali, along with Muslim league
defended the comrades of S.C.Bose despite difference of ideology. A joint court-martial
of hundreds of captured INA soldiers, led by Colonel Prem Sehgal, Colonel Gurbaksh
Singh Dhillon, Major General Shah Nawaz Khan, was held during 1945- 46 at the
Red Fort
550. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited this temple in Myanmar. This is a
Buddhist temple built in the early 12th century. The Archaeological Survey of India has
carried out structural conservation and chemical preservation work of this temple. This
temple is,
Ananda Temple, at Bagan

551. Prime Minister unveiled a statue of Sir Chhotu Ram (1881-1945) in Rohtak
district. He founded the Jat Sabha, followed by the launch of the Jat Gazette in 1915. He
joined the Congress in 1916. In 1920, he launched Zamindaran Party, which later
became the
Unionist Party in 1923
552. Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack of different unique seasonal flowers

most of them with medicinal value, arranged in seven concentric layers in the shape of
temple gopuram. The final day of Bathukamma, known as Pedha or Saddula
Bathukamma falls two days before Dussehra. It is the floral festival of which state?
Telangana
553. This art originated in 18th Century in Telangana and is locally called as Chitku.
The town is popularly known as the silk city of India. These sarees are culturally popular
for the Ikat styling and designs (geometrical) imprinted on this fabrics. They also have GI
tag in their name. Which saree are we referring to?
Pochampalli sarees
554. UNESCO has inscribed Kumbh Mela on its Representative List of Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kumbh Mela is held every four years by rotation at:
Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain (after 12 years of gap in the same district)
555. Eminent classical singer Girija Devi who was considered as queen of thumri
passed away. Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music originated in
Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh
556. The Hornbill festival was celebrated in Nagaland in Early December. The
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia
and Melanesia. What is the eating habit of Hornbills?
They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals
557. Traditional Sangrai dance of Tripura was presented in Republic Day parade for
the first time. It is performed by the Mog tribal community on the occasion of Sangrai
festival during the month of
Chaitra (in April) of the Bengali calendar year

558. On the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon clashes broke out in
Maharastra. It was the last of the Anglo-Maratha battle that took place on 1 January
1818 in Bhima, Koregaon between the troops of
Maratha Ruler Baji Rao Peshwa 11 and the British East India Company (EIC)
559. Central government is likely to declare Medaram’s Sammakka-

Sarakka/Saralamma Jatara a National festival. Medaram is a remote place in
The Etumagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya (the largest surviving

forest belt in the Deccan)
560. There is a Significance of National Tag. Apart from getting recognition, national
tag would make any village/ festival/place eligible for central funds. Union government
had in 2015 declared which tribal dance and music festival,, as national festival?
Vanaj
561. The President recently inaugurated the Mabamastakab- hisheka, which is the
largest gathering of Jains in the world, in Shravanbelgola, Karnataka. Mahamastakab-
hisheka is the head anointing ceremony of the Bahubali which is observed once every 12
years, in which sect of Jain? '
Digam bar
562. Which is the first Indian city to become a member of World Cities Cultural Forum
(WCCF)?
Mumbai
563. According to a list prepared by the UNESCO, 42 languages in India are

endangered and maybe be headed for extinction. These languages are spoken by less
than 10, 000 people. Which State or UT has the highest number of endangered language
in its list?
Andaman and Nicobar with 11 language
564. It was announced by Government 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the
th
140 birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Its objective is to strengthen cultural
relations of various parts of country and to embolden mutual connection between
people dwelling in different in different states. Which Cultural programme are we
referring to?
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

565. Linguist from University of Hyderabad have discovered two endangered

languages. Walmiki and Malhar pre-dominantly spoken in remote regions of
Odisha
566. The first ever dictionary of Gondi language was launched. UNESCO’s Atlas of the
World’s Languages aims to raise awareness about language endangerment and the need
to safeguard the world’s linguistic diversity. It segregates language based on Degree of
Endangerment as
Safe, Vulnerable, Definitely endangered, Severely endangered, Critically endangered
567. Ramanujacharya is a South Indian Brahman theologian and philosopher, the

single most influential thinker of devotional Hinduism. He was a bhakti saint and also
spread the message of equality. His philosophy became known as
Vishishtadwaita or Qualified Non-Dualism
568. Advaita Vedanta is a non-dualistic school of Hinduism with its roots in the Vedas
and Upanishads which recognizes one reality and one God. Swami Vivekananda was a
great lover of Vedantic philosophy and he spread Advaita Vedanta to the west via the
Ramakrishna Mission
569. This is the first ever festival which was celebrated on November 18th in Assam.
This festival is an attempt to pay tribute to the River and to showcase of the river
potential and possibilities to emerge as a hub of trade and commerce. Which river is it
and what is the name of the festival?
Barak; Namarni Barak
570. Jallikattu is a bull taming or bull vaulting sport played in Tamil Nadu on Mattu
Pongal day as a part of Pongal celebrations. Jallikattu has been derived from the words
‘calli’ (coins) and ‘kattu’ (tie), which means a bundle of coins is tied to the bull’s horns. In
the ancient, this sport has been mentioned in which literature?
Sangatn literature

May 2018 Current Affairs
World Immunization Week: 2018
 April 24-April 30 [Last week of April]

 Celebrated by World Health Organization
 It aims at highlighting the collective effort which is needed to ensure that every person gets protection from diseases
which can be prevented from vaccines.
 Theme for the year 2018  “Protected Together, #Vaccines Work”
 Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) – endorsed by 194 Member States of the World Health Assembly in May 2012 –
aims to prevent millions of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases by 2020 through universal access to immunization
 84% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2016 worldwide, due to measles vaccination.
 Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988. Today, only 3 countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan)
remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988.
 During 2016, 116.5 million infants worldwide received 3 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
 It causes meningitis and pneumonia

 Hib vaccine had been introduced in 191 countries by the end of 2017
Hepatitis B
 It is a viral infection that attacks the liver

 Hepatitis B vaccine for infants had been introduced nationwide in 187 countries by the end of 2017
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
 It is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract, and can cause cervical cancer, other types of cancer,
and genital warts in both men and women.
 HPV vaccine was introduced in 80 countries by the end of 2017, excluding four countries with introduction in some
parts of the country.
Measles
 It is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, which usually results in a high fever and rash, and can lead to
blindness, encephalitis or death.
Meningitis A
 It is an infection that can cause severe brain damage and is often deadly.

 By the end of 2017 – 7 years after its introduction – more than 280 million people in African countries affected by the
disease had been vaccinated with MenAfriVac, a revolutionary vaccine developed by WHO and PATH.
 In 2012, MenAfriVac became the first vaccine to gain approval for travel outside the cold chain – for as long as four
days without refrigeration and at temperatures of up to 40°C.
 Ghana and Sudan were the first two countries to include the MenAfriVac in their routine immunization schedule in
2016, followed by Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali and Niger in 2017.
Mumps
 It is a highly contagious virus that causes painful swelling at the side of the face under the ears (the parotid glands),
fever, headache and muscle aches.
 It can lead to viral meningitis.
 Mumps vaccine had been introduced nationwide in 122 countries by the end of 2017.
Pneumococcal diseases include pneumonia, meningitis and febrile bacteraemia, as well as otitis media, sinusitis and
bronchitis. Pneumococcal vaccine had been introduced in 135 countries by the end of 2017, including five in some parts
of the country, and global coverage was estimated at 44%.
Polio
 It is a highly infectious viral disease that can cause irreversible paralysis.

 In 2017, 85% of infants around the world received three doses of polio vaccine. Targeted for global eradication, polio
has been stopped in all countries except for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
 Polio-free countries have been infected by imported virus, and all countries – especially those experiencing conflict and
instability – remain at risk until polio is fully eradicated.
Rotaviruses
 Most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in young children throughout the world.
 Rotavirus vaccine was introduced in 91 countries by the end of 2017, including six in some parts of the country, and
global coverage was estimated at 28%.
Rubella
 It is a viral disease which is usually mild in children, but infection during early pregnancy may cause fetal death or
congenital rubella syndrome, which can lead to defects of the brain, heart, eyes, and ears.
 Rubella vaccine was introduced nationwide in 162 countries by the end of 2017, and global coverage was estimated at
52%.

Tetanus
 It is caused by a bacterium which grows in the absence of oxygen, for example in dirty wounds or in the umbilical cord
if it is not kept clean.
 The spores of C. tetani are present in the environment irrespective of geographical location. It produces a toxin which
can cause serious complications or death.
 The vaccine to prevent maternal and neonatal tetanus had been introduced in 106 countries by the end of 2017.
 An estimated 85% of newborns were protected through immunization.
 Maternal and neonatal tetanus persist as public health problems in 14 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia.
Yellow fever
 It is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

 As of 2017, yellow fever vaccine had been introduced in routine infant immunization programmes in 36 of the 42
countries and territories at risk for yellow fever in Africa and the Americas. In these 42 countries and territories,
coverage is estimated at 43%.
International Buddhist Conference @ Lumbini:
 International Buddhist Conference concluded in Lumbini, Nepal

 Lumbini  birth place of Gautama Buddha
 Every year the birthday of Buddha, or Gautama Buddha, is celebrated on the full-moon day in the Nepali month of
Baisakh in late April or early May. The festival is known as Buddha Jayanti.
 It was organised as part of 2562nd Buddha Jayanti celebrations
 April 28-29, 2018
 The basic objective of the conference was to disseminate teachings of Gautam Buddha and spread the messages of
nonviolence, brotherhood, co-existence, love and peace to the international community
 Prime Minister of Nepal  K. P. Sharma Oli
 Theme : “Lumbini Nepal : The birthplace of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace”
 At end of the conference, 10 point Lumbini Declaration was adopted
First Ever Joint Army exercise on Malaysian Soil:
 Exercise Harimau Shakti 2018

 Between Indian Army and Malaysian Army
 It will be conducted in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia from 30 April to 13 May.

 Commenced on 30 April at Wardieburn Camp, Kuala Lumpur with a brief and impressive handing over of troops
ceremony.
 Main focus of the exercise will be on tactical operations in jungle warfare
World Asthma Day 2018: May 1st
 World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma
awareness and care around the world.
 World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May.
 First World Asthma Day was held in 1998
 Theme  “Never too early, never too late. It’s always the right time to address airways disease”:
 2018 : This year marks the 20th annual World Asthma Day in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO)
 WHO states that a total of 235 million people are suffering from asthma
 Asthma is a condition which causes breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. As a health condition,
asthma cannot be cured but can be controlled by bringing in a few lifestyle changes.
International Labour Day: May 1st
 Also known as International Worker’s Day or May Day is observed every year on May 1
 It is being celebrated all across the world every year on 1st of May which has been declared as the traditional spring
holiday in the Europe.
 It the US and Canada, it is (Labour Day) celebrated on 1st Monday of the September month as an annual holiday for
celebrating the great achievements of the workers working in various fields
 It is celebrated to commemorate the 4th of May of 1886, the Haymarket affair (Haymarket Massacre) in the Chicago
 International Labour Organization (ILO) is an agency located in the United Nations, established to deal with labour
issues on international level. It has around 185 members of the total (193) UN member states. It was honored with the
Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1969 for promoting peace among classes, deal with workers issues, providing them
technical assistance in order to develop nations.
 Theme for the year 2018  “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”.
India- South Africa Business Summit Concludes in Johannesburg: (ISABS 2018)
 Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, attended India- South Africa business summit
 April 29-30, 2018
 Location  Johannesburg, South Africa
 UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador  Gavin Rajah
 Notable aspect of the two-day Summit was the display of Indian and South African fusion dance forms – “Pulse” (A
fusion of Bharatnatyam and Zulu)

 “The Red Fort Declaration – The Legacy 20 Years on, Commemoration of 20 years of Strategic Partnership,” authored
by noted journalist Mr. Fakir Hassen
 India-South Africa Business Summit 2018 tag line  “United by Legacy, Unified for Prosperity”
India into World's top five defence spenders:
 India has joined the U.S. and China as one of the world’s five biggest military spenders, reflecting geopolitical tensions
as well as the country’s reliance on imported weapons and sprawling personnel costs.
 India was in the fifth spot, after the US, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia
 India’s defence spending rose by 5.5 % to $63.9 billion in 2017 and has now passed France
 Report  Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
 Total global military expenditure rose to $1,739 billion in 2017, a marginal increase of 1.1% in real terms from 2016
 China, the second-largest spender globally, increased its defence spending by 5.6% to an estimated $228 billion in
2017. Its spending also accounted for 48% of the Asian total and was 3.6 times that of India.
 India allocated Rs. 2.95 lakh crore for military spending during 2018-19, compared to last year’s budget of Rs. 2.74 lakh
crore. The figure includes Rs.99,563 crore for buying new weapons and systems, up from Rs.86,488 crore in the
previous fiscal
 India was the world’s largest weapons importer in the last five years and that arms exported by the US to India during
2013-17 registered a 557% jump when compared to 2008-12.
World Press Freedom Day: May 3rd
 World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the
recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference.
 Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom
Day.
 Theme for the year 2018  ‘Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law’
 United Nations Secretary-General : António Guterres
 Within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the contribution of journalists and media workers is most
associated with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of peace, justice and strong institutions.
Cartoonists day: 5 May
 World Cartoonists day is celebrated every year on 5th May.

 Cartoonists day is best celebrated by picking up a comic you used to know and love, and walking down memory lane on
the part it played in you growing up.

 First colour cartoon  ‘The Yellow Kid’
Nobel prize in literature 2018 cancelled after sexual assault scandal:
 The Swedish Academy has said no Nobel prize for literature will be awarded this year.
 For the first time since 1949, the secretive jury that hands out the world’s most prestigious literary prize will not unveil a
winner this autumn, instead revealing two laureates in 2019.
 At the root of the institution’s unprecedented crisis are a raft of wide-ranging allegations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a
photographer and leading cultural figure in Sweden, who is married to Katarina Frostenson, an academy member and
author. A string of sexual harassment accusations were made against him as part of the #metoo campaign
 Recent winners include Never Let Me Go author Kazuo Ishiguro and musician Bob Dylan
12th informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers held in Manila:
 Location  Manila
 Held on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB)
 Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada chaired the meeting
 Khatiwada underscored the need of concerted efforts to attain the objective of South Asian Economic Union as desired
by the leaders of SAARC.
 Secretary General of SAARC  H.E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial
 Mr. Wencai Zhang  Vice President of Asian Development Bank
India ranks 11th in AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index:
 Position of India in FDI Confidence Index 2018  11th

 Rankings  Global consultancy firm AT Kearne
 United States takes the top spot for the sixth year in a row
 India remains the second highest ranked emerging market on the Index.
 It said that India fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 2015.
 India was ranked 8th in 2017, while it was at 9th rank in 2016.

Vice President @ Guatemala:
 Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu visited Guatemala as part of his three-nation visit to Latin America.
 Naidu is on a five-day visit to Latin America’s Guatemala, Peru and Panama commenced from May 6.
 This is the Vice-president’s first overseas visit (Guatemala)after assuming office last year
 Guatemalan President  Jimmy Morales
 Panamanian President  Juan Carlos Varel
 Peruvian President  Martin Vizcarra
 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Peru
NASA launches its latest mission to Mars:
 NASA has blasted off its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface and listen for “Marsquakes”
ahead of eventual human missions to explore the Red Planet.
 Location  Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central coast of California
 Launched on May 5, 2018
 The project aims to expand human knowledge of interior conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers
there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago.
 If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26.
 Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.
 InSight launched from Launch Complex 3 on an Atlas V-401 rocket provided by United Launch Alliance, Centennial
Colorado, a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp.
 Atlas V is one of the biggest rockets available for interplanetary flight. This is the same type of rocket that launched the
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2005.
 InSight is the first mission to another planet to leave Earth from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Missions to other planets
normally launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and fly east
Putin sworn in for another six years in office Russia:
 Vladimir Putin  sworn in for another six years as Russian president

 Putin was inaugurated for his fourth term as president
 March 18 presidential election  received 76% votes
 Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin came in second with 11.8 percent, followed by nationalist Vladimir
Zhirinovsky with 5.6 percent
 Took oath at an official ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace
India ranks 4th in Asia-Pacific on Power Index:
 India has ranked fourth out of 25 nations in the Asia-Pacific region on an index that measures their overall power.
 The Lowy Institute Asia Power Index measures power across 25 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region.

World Robot Conference @ Beijing:
 2018 World Robot Conference  August 15 to 19

 Location  Beijing
 The event will see over 12,000 competing teams and 50,000 participants from more than 10 countries and regions.
 A robot competition will be held during the conference where participants will compete in five categories.
World Red Cross Day: 8 May
 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is an annual celebration of the principles of the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement.
 This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born 8 May 1828.
 He is the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
India slips to 6th spot in biz optimism index:
 With business sentiment at the "weakest" in four years, India slipped to the 6th position globally in the business
optimism index for the first quarter of this year.
 Business optimism is however at an "all-time high" globally with the index at net 61 per cent, as per Grant Thornton's
quarterly global business survey.
 With a score of 89, India is at the sixth place in the index.
 The top five nations are Austria, Finland, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the US.
Narendra Modi ranked 9th among 75 most powerful globally in Forbes list:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi figures among the 10 most powerful people in the world in US magazine Forbes 2018
list
 Topped by Chinese President Xi Jinping
 Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian businessman to feature in the list of 75.
 Modi, who is ranked 9th and Ambani at 32, are the only two Indians on the Forbes World's Most Powerful People list.
 Xi tops the list for the first time, replacing Russian President Vladimir Putin, who drops to second place after being
named the most powerful person in the world for four years in succession.
VP Shri Venkaiah Naidu visits World Heritage city of Old Guatemala:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu visited the historic Antigua (old) Guatemala city on May 8, 2018 for
understanding how it’s rich heritage is being maintained since it was declared as a World Heritage City by the UNESCO
in 1979
 Antigua Guatemala was the third capital built by the Spanish rulers since their invasion of Guatemala in 1524.
 The first two capitals had to be abandoned by 1541 on account of resistance from the local warriors and natural
calamities respectively.

 Old Guatemala witnessed series of earthquakes since 1565 and was destroyed by earthquake Santa Marta in 1773
forcing the shifting of capital to the present Guatamela City.
 Those who stayed back and others who returned started reconstruction of Old Guatemala, restoring most of its
mounments.
 UNESCO declared it as a World Heritage City in 1979.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Tourism Ministers conference in China:
 The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Minister of State for Electronics and Information
Technology, Shri K. J. Alphons attended the Tourism Ministers conference by Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
 Location Wuhan, China
 Held on 9th May 2018
 At the inaugural session, the Minister said that India’s Tourism sector is fast growing and has got an emerging market for
outbound travel and a tremendous potential for tourism co-operation with the SCO region.
India Pavilion inaugurated at Cannes Film Festival 2018:
 The inaugural session of the Indian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 was held at Cannes, France
 Hosted by noted actor Shri Sharad Kelkar, the Indian delegation present consisted of H.E. Vinay Mohan Kwatra,
Ambassador of India to France.
 The agenda of the delegation from India this year is to showcase diversity in films of our country while furthering
collaborations with various other countries.
International Nurses Day: 12 May
 International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day celebrated around the world on 12 May (the anniversary of
Florence Nightingale's birth) of each year, to mark the contributions nurses make to society.
 The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.
 Theme for the year 2018  Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human right.
World Migratory Bird Day: 12 May
 World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated throughout the world on 12th May 2018
 World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated from now on twice a year, on the Second Saturday in May and in October. It
will also be observed on 13th October 2018
 Theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2018  “Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation”
 Also 2018 is the “Year of the Bird”

Nepal to hold BIMSTEC 2018:
 Nepal's Prime Minister  KP Sharma Oli

 2018 BIMSTEC host  KP Sharma Oli @ Nepal
 During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nepali Prime Minister said Nepal will hold the BIMSTEC summit,
while expressing commitment towards building the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal initiative.
WHO launches 'REPLACE' to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023:
 The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched ‘REPLACE’

 It is a comprehensive plan to eliminate industrially-produced artificial trans fats from the global food supply by 2023
 The global health body estimates that every year, trans fat intake leads to over 5,00,000 deaths worldwide from
cardiovascular diseases
India to attend the SCO Culture Ministers meet for the first time:
 The Minister of State for Culture (I/c) and Minister of state for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh
Sharma will be attending Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Cultural Ministers Meeting
 Location  Sanya in China
 Meet  17th May, 2018
 It is the first time that India would be attending the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting
 The meeting will showcase India’s initiatives to actively pursue cultural cooperation with other countries including SCO
countries.
 It will also help to promote cultural relations and people to people contacts with the individual members of this
organization through cultural exchange programmes.
 India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on 9th June, 2017 during the SCO Heads of
State Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan
India 3rd largest solar market in world: Mercom
 India emerged as the third largest solar market in the world in 2017 behind China and the US, Mercom
Communications India said in a report.
 As per the report, India set a new record with 9.6 GW of solar installations in 2017, which was more than double the
4.3 GW installed in 2016.
 The robust growth boosted the country's total solar installed capacity to 19.6 GW as of December 2017, it added.
4th BRICS Ministerial Meeting held in Durban:
 The BRICS environment ministers have formed a forum to focus on key strategic global issues such as the global
economy, trade, peace and security and reform of multilateral institutions.

 In a joint statement issued after 4th BRICS Ministerial Meeting in Durban, BRICS environment ministers urged
developed countries to continue taking the lead and support developing countries, including the transfer of needed
technology, in combating climate change.
 The meeting was a part of preparations for the forthcoming BRICS Summit scheduled for July 25-27 in Johannesburg
 Theme: "Strengthening cooperation amongst BRICS on a circular economy in the context of the sustainable
consumption and production”.
International Museum Day: 18 May
 International Museum Day (IMD) is an international day a celebration that held every year on or around 18 May,
coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
 The event highlights a specific theme that changes every year and that is at the heart of the international museum
community’s preoccupations.
 Theme for the year 2018  ‘Hyperconnected museum: New approaches, new publics’
Guatemala opens embassy in Jerusalem after US:
 Guatemala officially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so after the
U.S. inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem.
 At the inaguration, which was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales
said his country is bringing a message of "love, peace and fraternity" to Israel.
 Guatemala was one of seven countries to vote with the Trump administration and Israel on the Jerusalem embassy issue
at the United Nations.
 The others were Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.
World AIDS Vaccination Day: 18 May
 World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually on May 18 ever since it was
first celebrated on May 18, 1998
 The day is marked to increase the awareness of a continued need for a vaccine to fight against HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS.
Russia unveils world's first floating nuclear power station:
 Russia has unveiled the world's first floating nuclear power station
 Location  Port of the city of Murmansk, where it will be loaded with nuclear fuel before heading to eastern Siberia.
 Constructed by the state nuclear power firm Rosatom, the 144 by 30 metre holds two reactors with two 35 megawatt
nuclear reactors that are similar to those used to power icebreaker ships.

 It will be primarily used to power oil rigs as Russia pushes further north into the Arctic to drill for oil and gas and needs
electricity in far-flung locations.
Venezuela's Maduro wins re-election:
 Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro was reelected for a second six-year term in presidential elections, according to
the National Electoral Council (CNE).
 Some 14,638 voting centers have been set up nationwide for Venezuela's more than 20.5 million eligible voters.
India sixth wealthiest country with total wealth of $8,230 billion:
 India is the sixth wealthiest country in the world with a total wealth of $8,230 billion
 U.S. is the richest nation globally
 According to the AfrAsia Bank Global Wealth Migration Review, the US is the wealthiest country in the world with a
total wealth of $62,584 billion, followed by China ($24,803 billion) in the second place and Japan ($19,522 billion) in
third.
 Total wealth refers to the private wealth held by all the individuals living in each country. It includes all their assets
(property, cash, equities, business interests) minus any liabilities.
 Government funds are excluded from these figures. Larger countries have an advantage due to higher populations.
26th BASIC Ministerial meeting of Environment Ministers in Durban:
 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers  co-operation to protect the climate for present and future
generations.
 Location  Durban, South Africa
 BASIC grouping is a bloc of four countries  Brazil, South Africa, India and China
 BASIC -- Formed by an agreement on November 28, 2009.
International Bio-diversity Day: 22 May
 The International Bio-diversity Day is observed on 22nd May every year to increase understanding and awareness of
biodiversity issues.
 Theme  ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity’.
 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to highlight
progress made in the achievement of its objectives at the national and global levels.
India to attend SCO meet in Pakistan:
 Pakistan will be hosting its first SCO meeting, since the country along with India became a member of the organisation
in June 2017.

 Experts from the eight SCO member states - China, Kazakhstan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and
Pakistan - as well as representatives of the SCO-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) will participate in the
three-day meeting.
India 145th among 195 countries in healthcare access, quality: LANCET
 India ranks 145th among 195 countries in terms of quality and accessibility of healthcare in 2016, behind its
neighbours like China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, according to a Lancet study.
 In 2016, India’s healthcare access and quality scored at 41.2 (up from 24.7 in 1990).
 Goa and Kerala had the highest scores in 2016, each exceeding 60 points
 Assam and Uttar Pradesh had the lowest, each below 40.
 Country with highest level of healthcare access and quality in 2016 : ICELAND
 The five countries with the highest levels of healthcare access and quality in 2016 were Iceland (97.1 points), Norway
(96.6), the Netherlands (96.1), Luxembourg (96.0), and Finland and Australia (each with 95.9).
Dr. Harsh Vardhan leads Indian delegation in Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial:
 30 months ago on November 30th, 2015, leader of 20 countries came together to launch Mission Innovation (MI), a
landmark 5 year commitment to accelerate the pace of innovation and make clean energy widely affordable and
accessible worldwide.
 India is the founding member of this forum and is a partner in the Steering Committee.
 MI now comprises 23 economies and the European Commission, representing the European Union, and collectively
accounts for more than 80 percent of the world’s total public financing of clean energy R&D.
 This week Ministers and high level delegates from these countries converged for the 3rd Mission Innovation Ministerial
from 22-23 May, 2018.
 Location  Malmo, Sweden
 Indian delegation was lead by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences.
 India announced its plan for hosting MI clean energy materials Workshop in October-November, 2018 at New Delhi.
India moves one notch up to 44th rank in IMD's competitiveness rankings:
 India44th place in terms of competitiveness rankings

 Compiled by International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
 1st place : USA
 The US became the most competitive economy globally driven by its strength in economic performance and
infrastructure, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore in the second and third place, respectively.
 India is ranked the 12th most competitive economy out of the 14 Asian countries on the list.
 This year 63 countries are ranked with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia making their first appearance.

5th India CLMV Business Conclave held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia:
 5th India-CLMV Business Conclave

 Location  Phnom Penh, Cambodia
 21-22 May 2018
 Organised by Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia
 After four rounds of the Business Conclave in India, this initiative was brought by Department of Commerce of
Government of India to Cambodia, for greater participation from the region.
 Institutional partner  Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
 CLMV is a group of Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Lao PDR
Nepal first country in South-East Asia to eliminate trachoma:
 Nepal has become the first country in South-East Asia to eliminate trachoma
 Trachoma  world's leading cause of preventable blindness of infectious origin
 Trachoma was the second leading cause of preventable blindness in the Himalayan nation in the 1980s.
 In 2002, the Government of Nepal had stepped up the efforts to eliminate trachoma with the establishment of a
national trachoma programme.
Columbia formally joins NATO:
 One year after reaching partnership deal through a peace agreement with South America, Columbia has formally
joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European
countries based on the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
Netherlands joins International Solar Alliance:
 Netherlands has become the 64th signatory member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
 The joint statement issued hailed the Netherlands as India’s “Gateway to Europe”
 India also welcomed the Netherlands as the Partner Country for the TechSummit in 2019.
India launches 2nd IT corridor in China:
 India has launched its second IT corridor in China to cash in on the burgeoning Chinese software market.
 The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has established one more Digital
Collaborative Opportunities Plaza (SIDCOP) platform in China in an effort to provide market access to Indian IT firms in
the huge Chinese market.

Hamburg to host 2018 Global Wind Summit:
 First edition of the Global Wind Summit

 Location  Hamburg
 September 25-28, 2018
108th session of UNWTO Executive council in San Sebastian:
 The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, Shri K. J. Alphons along with a delegation of senior officials
attended the 108th session of UNWTO Executive Council
 23rd to 25th May, 2018
 Location  San Sebastian, Spain
 Sh. K. J. Alphons chaired the ‘Programme and Budget Committee’ meeting of UNWTO
 The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible,
sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
 The UNWTO Executive Council represents task is to take all necessary measures in consultation with the Secretary-
General, for implementation of its own decisions and recommendations of the Assembly and report thereupon to the
Assembly.
 The Council meets at least twice a year, the next to be held in Bahrain.
 The council consists of 30 Full Members
 Secretary-General of UNWTO  Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili
International Conference on the TRIPS CBD Linkage 7-8 June 2018 in Geneva:
 India has taken the lead in seeking to revive WTO discussions on issues related to preventing theft of traditional
knowledge.
 Government of India, along with the Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and the South Centre (an
inter-governmental organization based in Geneva), are organizing an International Conference on TRIPS- CBD Linkage
 Location  Geneva
 7-8 June 2018
 Brazil and South Africa are some of the other countries that have joined hands with India on this crucial initiative.
Swachh Bharat Summer Internship:
 Prime Minister’s clarion call on 2nd October 2014  each individual to devote at least 100 hours to Swachhata
through the year
 Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) in association with Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has launched the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship – a
novel and first of its kind initiative.
 Internship period commences from May 1, 2018 and ends on July 31, 2018.

 The programme aims to engage millions of youngsters across the country, to encourage them to contribute to the
Swachh Bharat Mission in the spirit of a true janandolan.
 Under the internship, all interns who complete at least 100 hours of sanitation related work in villages would be given a
Swachh Bharat certificate.
 Those who complete the internship with additional, specified outputs would also gain 2 curriculum credits specially
allowed by UGC.
 Additionally, top performers would receive awards at the College and University / District (NYKS), State and National
Level.
Pilot scheme Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW for three years:
 The Government kicks off a Pilot Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 2500 MW on competitive basis for 3
(three) years under medium term i.e. from generators with commissioned projects but without Power Purchase
Agreement.
 The Ministry of Power had recently issued the model bid documents, model PAPP and PPSA on 6th April, 2018. The
Guidelines for the said scheme were issued on 10th April, 2018.
 Nodal Agency  PFC Consulting Limited
 PTC India Limited  Aggregator
 PTC India would sign three-year (mid-term) Agreement for Procurement of Power with successful bidders and Power
Supply Agreement with the Discoms.
 Under the scheme a single entity can be allotted maximum capacity of 600 MW.
 The Scheme assures a minimum off-take of 55 per cent of contracted capacity.
 The Tariff will be fixed for three years without any escalation.
Swachh Bharat Mission launches GOBAR-DHAN:
 Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti launched the GOBAR- DHAN scheme (Galvanizing
Organic Bio-Agro Resources)
 Location  National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Auditorium, Karnal.
 The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
 The scheme also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural
people.
 The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) comprises two main components for creating clean villages – creating open
defecation free (ODF) villages and managing solid and liquid waste in villages.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 to be held in Varanasi:
 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas  Varanasi in January 2019.

 The event would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.
 January 21 to 23, 2019

South Western Command’s Exercise Vijay Prahar:
 South Western Command is carrying out Exercise VIJAY PRAHAR employing more than 20000 troops
 Location  Mahajan Field Firing Ranges close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan.
 The exercise is aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats which are planned to be tackled through high tempo joint
air and land operation.
 The month-long exercise is essentially to practice the troops in penetrative manoeuvres across the obstacle ridden
terrain under a nuclear umbrella.
9th India-Japan Energy Dialogue held in New Delhi:
 9th India Japan Energy Dialogue  New Delhi

 Both Japan and India recognized that having access to reliable, clean and economical energy is critical for their economic
growth and in achieving this, both Ministers agreed on further strengthening of bilateral energy cooperation for energy
development of both countries, while also contributing to worldwide energy security, energy access and climate change
issues.
14 of world's 15 most polluted cities in India:
 The WHO global air pollution database reveals that India has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms
of PM 2.5 concentrations,
 Worst  Kanpur
 Kanpur topped the 2016 list with a PM 2.5 concentration of 173 micrograms per cubic metre, followed by Faridabad,
Varanasi and Gaya.
 14 out of top 15 cities are in India
 Ali Subah Al Salem (Kuwait) ranked 15th
Cabinet approves Doubling of Investment Limit for Senior Citizens PMVVY:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for extending the investment
limit from Rs 7.5 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs as well as extension of time limits for subscription from 4thMay 2018 to
31stMarch, 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandan Yojana (PMVVY) as part of Government's commitment for
financial inclusion and social security.
 Further, as a boost to the Social Security initiatives for senior citizens, the investment limit of Rs 7.5 lakh per family in
the existing scheme is enhanced to Rs 15 lakh per senior citizen in the modified PMVVY, thereby providing a larger
social security cover to the Senior citizens.
 It will enable upto Rs.10000 Pension per month for Senior Citizens.

 The PMVVY is being implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to provide social security during old
age and protect elderly persons aged 60 years and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain
market conditions.
 The scheme provides an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum for ten years, with an
option to opt for pension on a monthly / quarterly / half yearly and annual basis. The differential return, i.e. the
difference between the return generated by LIC and the assured return of 8% per annum would be borne by
Government of India as subsidy on an annual basis.
Biggest Airport, after Mumbai, to be developed in Mopa, Goa:
 A joint team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Commerce Logistics Department will visit Goa on 7th-8thMay
2018 to facilitate the development of cargo hubs at the new airport to be constructed at Mopa in Goa.
 The four coastal states in the western part of the country, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa, will benefit greatly
from the biggest airport, after Mumbai,to be constructed in Mopa.
PMSSY approved beyond 12th Five Year Plan:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for continuation of Pradhan
Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) beyond 12th Five Year Plan for a period 2017-18 to 2019-20 with a financial
outlay of Rs. 14,832 crores.
 Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister for his constant support, Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family
Welfare said that the Government is consciously working towards improving health infrastructure as well as health
manpower in the country.
Cabinet approves continuation of Umbrella Scheme ‘Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana"
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval
for the Umbrella Scheme, "Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana" in agriculture sector beyond 12th Five Year Plan for
the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with the Central Share of Rs. 33,269.976 crore.
 The Umbrella scheme comprises of 11 Schemes/Missions
 These schemes look to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a holistic and scientific manner to increase the
income of farmers by enhancing production, productivity and better returns on produce.
 The Schemes will be continued with an expenditure of Rs.33,269.976 crore for three financial years, i.e., 2017-18, 2018-
19 and 2019-20.
Vibrant Northeast in Guwahati from May 3:
 ‘Vibrant North East 2018′  people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes
 Location  Guwahati from 3-5 May.

 Players from the agriculture, food processing, consumer affairs, civil supply, drinking water and sanitation sectors will
participate in the three-day event.
 Organised by Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD)
 ‘Vibrant North East 2018′ is supported by the North Eastern Council, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry
of Home Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and All India Farmers Alliance.
Maharashtra first to issue land document online:
 Maharashtra has become the first state to issue a crucial land ownership document online and accept a digital
signature on it as valid.
 The state government's plan of digitizing the 7/12 extract is thus complete.
 It went a step ahead and generated eight lakh documents with space for digital signatures. The facility was inaugurated
by the chief minister.
EPFO Introduces ‘View Pension Passbook’ Service through Umang App:
 Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which is providing a host of e-services for its stakeholders, has now
introduced a new service through ‘UMANG app’.
 On clicking ‘View Passbook’ option, it requires PPO Number and Date of Birth information to be entered by the
pensioner.
 After successful validation of the information fed, an OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number of the pensioner.
 On entering OTP, ‘Pensioner Passbook’ will display the details of the pensioner like Name, DOB along with last pension
credited information.
 The facility to download the financial year wise complete pass book details is also available.
HRD Ministry notifies 75 National Resource Centres:
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched a major and unique initiative of online professional
development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using the MOOCs platform SWAYAM.
 In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified which are tasked to prepare
online training material with focus on latest developments in the discipline, new & emerging trends, pedagogical
improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.
 Under this initiative, all in-service teachers, irrespective of their subject and seniority will have an enabling opportunity
to keep abreast of the latest developments in their disciplines through the technology based online refresher course.

Exhibition -‘India and the world: a history in nine stories’:
 First of its kind, mammoth exhibition on Indian Civilization

 Inaugurated by Shri. Raam Bahadur Rai, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, (IGNCA) President, at National
Museum, New Delhi.
 The Exhibition, marks an unprecedented collaboration with the British Museum, London; National Museum, New Delhi;
and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai and is actively supported by the Culture Ministry.
Delhi to host six-day Festival of Bharat:
 Delhi will host a six-day-long Festival of Bharat between May 9 and May 14 as a 21st century tribute to the majesty
and depth of India's civilization.
 Location  Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Delhi
National Conference of 244 selected Districts under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao:
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development organized National Conference with the Nodal Officers of 244 Districts,
State Nodal Officers and Senior Officers.
 Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development inaugurated the event and
interacted with 244 new districts with low Child Sex Ratio(CSR), from 25 States/ UTs.
 Addressing the Conference, the WCD Minister highlighted the need to involve various stakeholders and join hands for
achieving the goals of BBBP.
 The Minister highlighted need for training of women sarpanches in every district for achieving goals of BBBP.
Border Roads Organisation to celebrate Raising Day:
 Border Roads Organisation (BRO), is celebrating its Raising Day on 7 May, 2018
 BRO, a leader in the arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country is celebrating its 58 years
of glorious service to the nation.
 Since its inception in 1960, so far the Organisation has grown from 2 to 19 projects. Its focus shall remain enhanced
productivity and quality construction.
First organised census for Indus dolphins to be carried out in India:
 For the conservation of Indus dolphins - one of the world’s rarest mammals - the Punjab government along with
WWF-India are conducting the first organised census on their population.

 Found only in India and Pakistan, the Indus dolphins are confined to only a 185 km stretch between Talwara and
Harike Barrage in India’s Beas river in Punjab.
GIS technology to strengthen Namami Gange Programme:
 National Mission for Clean Ganga has brought on board Survey of India, the oldest scientific department in the country
set up in 1767, to facilitate the Ganga rejuvenation task by using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.
 Through the project which has been approved in the EC meeting at an estimated cost of Rs. 86.84 crore, NMCG aims to
strengthen planning and implementation at national/state/local levels.
 The project includes use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) technology which ensures accurate data collection, an
important aspect for river basin management planning.
 DEM technology enables identification of entire topography of an area making it easy for policy makers to analyse the
available data thereby supporting the decision-making process.
Government of India signed a loan deal worth $ 200 million with the World Bank:
 The Government of India signed a loan deal worth $ 200 million with the World Bank for the National Nutrition
Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan).
 The loan would help the Government of India in achieving its goal of reducing stunting in children 0-6 years of age
from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022.
 The POSHAN (PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan was launched by the Prime Minister on
8th March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
 A large component of POSHAN Abhiyaan involves gradual scaling-up of the interventions supported by the ongoing
World Bank assisted Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement
Project (ISSNIP) to all districts in the country over a 3-year period. The loan approved will support the first phase scale up
to 315 districts across all states and union territories (UTs).
NITI Aayog and Google sign SoI to help grow AI ecosystem in India:
 Aiming to foster growth for India’s nascent artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) ecosystem, NITI Aayog
and Google have come together to work on a range of initiatives to help build the AI ecosystem across the country.
 A Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed to this effect by Ms. Anna Roy, Advisor, NITI Aayog and Shri Rajan Anandan, Vice
President, India and South East Asia, Google in the presence of the Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
 The NITI Aayog has been entrusted to setup a national programme to conduct research and development in frontier
technologies such as AI. In furtherance of this mandate, NITI Aayog has been developing India’s national strategy on AI
along with the National Data and Analytics Portal to enable the wide deployment and use of AI.

Valedictory function of 30th NHCC held Panaji:
 Valedictory function of the 30th Naval Higher Command Course (NHCC) was held at the Naval War College, INS
Mandovi, Verem.
 The Naval War College is a premier training institution of the Indian Navy and one of the three War College of the Indian
Armed Forces.
China to organise film festival in Kolkata in July:
 China will organise a film festival at Kolkata's Nandan in July this year.
 "A week-long film festival will be organised at Nandan, the film and cultural centre in Kolkata, in which seven Chinese
films will be screened".
Hyderabad Metro introduces exclusive coach for women:
 The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has introduced a special Coach exclusively for women in Metro train.
 The special coach was inaugurated by HMRL Managing Director N V S Reddy and L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited
MD and CEO K V B Reddy.
3rd Edition of UNPCAP Inaugurated in New Delhi:
 The third edition of the United Nations Peacekeeping Course for African Partners (UNPCAP) was inaugurated in New
Delhi to build and enhance the capacity of the African Troop Contributing Countries to the UN.
 UNPCAP sessions will be held from May 7-25.
 The course is conducted by the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping in India (CUNPK) in partnership with the US.
 The first and second editions of the course were held in New Delhi in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
CEOs of Smart Cities conference inaugurated in Bhopal:
 Shri Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs has inaugurated the ‘First Apex Conference for
the CEOs of Smart Cities ‘in Bhopal.
 Since its launch on 25 June 2015, the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), has been one of the most transformational urban
missions.

 The two-day conference is being organised for providing a platform for cross learning and knowledge sharing among the
Smart City CEOs on 8-9 May 2018.
 The conference will enable the CEOs to learn from the experiences of all city leaders to understand in greater details
both successes and failures.
15th Asia Media Summit to be hosted by India:
 15th Asia Media Summit (AMS) 2018

 Hosted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, jointly with the Indian Institute of
Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL)
 10th -12th May, 2018
 Location  New Delhi
 Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani would be presiding as the Chief
Guest over the Inaugural ceremony of the Summit on 10th May.
 The AMS 2018, an annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) Kuala Lumpur, is a
prestigious summit in the Asia Pacific Region and India is hosting the event for the first time.
 Theme  ‘Telling Our Stories – Asia and More’
Army's 'Vijay Prahar' exercise in Rajasthan culminates:
 The Indian Army's 'Vijay Prahar' exercise in which over 25,000 troops of the Jaipur based South Western command
participated culminated in Rajasthan's Suratgarh.
 South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Cherish Mathson witnessed the final offensive of the forces achieving a
decisive victory.
 Fighting equipments including tanks, attack helicopters, drones and fighter aircraft were used in the month-long
exercise.
Signing of MoU between Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India APCPL:
 Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India(ALIMCO), under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and
Aravali Power Company Pvt Ltd (APCPL),Jhajjar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Jhajjar, Haryana.
 Rs. 2 Crores for Distribution of Aids and Assistive Devices to Persons with Disabilities at Charkhi Dadri District of
Haryana under the CSR initiative of APCPL in the presence of Shri D.R. Sarin, CMD, ALIMCO and ShriN.N.Mishra, CEO,
APCPL.
 As per the MoU signed between ALIMCO and APCPL, Distribution camps will be organized at Charkhi Dadri District for an
estimated cost of Rs 2 Crores.

 In the Distribution Camps artificial limbs, aids & appliances such as Motorized Tricycles Tricycle, Wheel Chairs, BTE
Hearing Aids, Crutch Axilla Adjustable, Braille Cane, MSIED Kit, Braille Kit, Smart Cane, Smart Phones etc. to Persons with
Disabilities will be distributed.
 ALIMCO is a “Not For Profit” Central Public Sector Undertaking working under the administrative control of Ministry
of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
Fifteenth Finance Commission constitutes an Advisory Council:
The Fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted an Advisory Council to advise and assist the Commission. The role and
functions of the Advisory Council will be:
 To advise the Commission on any issue or subject related to the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Commission, which
may be of relevance;
 To assist in the preparation of any paper or research study which would enhance the Commission's understanding on
the issues containing in its ToR; and
 To help in broadening the Commission's ambit and understanding to seek best national and international practices on
matters pertaining to fiscal devolution and improving the quality and reach and enforcement of its recommendations.
Advisory Council will have following members:
 Arvind Virmani, President, Forum for Strategic Initiatives

 Surjit S. Bhalla, Part-time Member of PMEAC and Sr. Indian Analyst for the
 Observatory Group and Chairman of Oxus Research and Investments
 Sanjeev Gupta, Ex-Deputy Director (Fiscal Affairs Department), IMF
 Pinaki Chakraborty, Professor (NIPFP)
 Shri Sajjid Chinoy, Chief India Economist, JP Morgan
 Shri Neelkanth Mishra, Managing Director and the Credit Suisse India Economist and Strategist
Kovind becomes first President to visit Siachen in 14 years:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, visited Siachen Base Camp on May 10, 2018 and addressed the soldiers
posted there.
 He also visited the Kumar Post. President Kovind is the second President of India to visit Siachen.
 The previous visit was undertaken by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in April 2004.
 This makes President Kovind the first President to travel to Siachen in 14 years.

Madhya Pradesh Gets India's First Smart Cities Control Centre:
 In a major step towards realising the centre's smart city mission (SCM), the Madhya Pradesh government has launched
the country's first Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC) for all seven smart cities of the state in Bhopal.
 The ICCC would enable the authorities to monitor the status of various smart civic amenities in real-time through the
sensors connected to it.
 Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Satna, and Sagar are the seven smart cities under SCM in Madhya Pradesh.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu inaugurates 6th US-India Aviation Summit:
 The 6th US-India Aviation Summit was formally inaugurated by Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu in
Mumbai.
 The biennial Summit is jointly organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation and US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
 The summit is a technical, policy and commercial forum by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation and the US Trade and
Development Agency.
Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Surveillance of Maldives:
 Indian Naval (IN) ship Sumedha, a Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV), has been deployed to undertake joint EEZ
surveillance of Maldives from 09 to 17 May 18, as part of Indian Navy’s ‘Mission Based Deployments’.
 The ship would undertake an Operational Turnaround (OTR) at Male from 11 to 12 May 2018, during which the ship
would interact and impart training to Maldives’ National Defence Forces (MNDF) personnel.
 Sumedha would also embark MNDF personnel onboard and undertake joint EEZ surveillance of Maldives from 12 to 15
May 2018.
 The MNDF personnel would be disembarked at Male, on completion of the EEZ surveillance.
RBSM-India 2018 to commence on May 15:
 Commerce Secretary of the Government of India, Rita A Teaotia, will inaugurate the two-day second Reverse Buyers
Sellers Meet (RBSM) commencing from May 15 in Mumbai for promoting export of mangoes and other tropical fruits
and products.
 The Meet is being organized by the APEDA Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in association
with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
 Its objective is to promote and give a fillip to exports of Indian mangos and other tropical fruits like pomegranate,
pinesapple, banana and jackfruits from the country and to develop new markets for promotion of these fruits and
processed products.
National Technology Day: 11 May
 National Technology Day is observed every year on 11th of May in India, acting as a reminder of the anniversary of
Shakti

 Shakti is the Pokhran nuclear test which was held on 11th of May, 1998.
 The day highlights the important role of Science in our daily lives and encourages students to embrace Science as a
career option.
Modi, Oli jointly inaugurate Janakpur-Ayodhya direct bus service:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated a direct bus service
between Janakpur and Ayodhya - the two sacred cities for Hindus
 Modi flagged off the bus after visiting the famed 20th century Janaki temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita,
where he offered special prayers.
 Janakpur is known as the birth place of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama.
 Janaki temple was built in memory of Sita in 1910.
Frozen Semen Station being set up in Maranga, Purnea:
 Laying the foundation stone of the frozen semen station in Maranga, Purnea Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’
Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the frozen semen station is being set up at a cost of Rs 64 crore under the
Rashtriya Gokul Mission with 100% contribution from the Central Government.
 Out of this, Rs 20 crore has already been released.
 Currently, the artificial insemination is being done by CMOFED (Sudha) in Bihar. For artificial insemination, semen from
high genetic merit bulls is needed.
 Shri Singh elaborated that the frozen semen station in Purnea will be the first state-of-the-art semen production center
of the country.
 Rashtriya Gokul Mission was initiated in December 2014 with an aim to conserve and develop indigenous breeds.
Punjab signs MoU with UK for setting up bio-gas, bio CNG plants:
 The Punjab government has signed a pact with the UK for setting up of bio-gas and bio-CNG plants in the state.
 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal
and Andrew Ayre, deputy high commissioner, British High Commission.
 Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) will facilitate regulatory clearances and incentives by the state
government.
Chhattisgarh CM to launch Vikas Yatra:
 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has launched Vikas Yatra from Dantewada
 The chief minister, during his Vikas Yatra, will distribute free pesticides to 5.5 lakh labourers.
 50 lakh families will be given smartphones as part of the Chief Minister's dream project Sanchar Kranti Yojna.

President launches several schemes in Rajasthan:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, addressed a civic reception hosted for him in Jaipur, Rajasthan, by the
state government on May 13, 2018.
 The President appreciated the Government of Rajasthan for launching the ‘Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Antyodaya
Employment Scheme’ and the ‘Sunder Singh Bhandari EBC Self-Employment Scheme’, named after two illustrious
public figures from Rajasthan.
 4 cities of Rajasthan - Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer – are part of the Smart Cities initiative of the Government of
India.
Madhya Pradesh to be declared ODF by October this year:
 The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that the State will be declared as
open defecation free (ODF) by Gandhi Jayanti this year.
 This will mean that the State will become ODF one year before the national timeline of October 2nd, 2019, the 150th
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Customs and Postal Department hold First ever Joint Conference:
 Indian Customs and Department of India Posts held a First ever Joint Conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to
deliberate on streamlining of imports and exports by post.
 Commissioners of Customs from all the States having Foreign Post Offices (FPOs) were present along with their
counterpart Post Master Generals.
 Imports and exports by post are the 6th highest cited citizen grievances under CPGRAMs
 Customs and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) have worked together since a year to liberalise, reform and
align laws relating to imports by Post.
Indian Army Women Officers’ Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II:
 Indian Army Women Officers’ Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II (6512 metres) consisting of nine women
officers, was flagged off by Director General of Military Training on 14 May 2018.
 The expedition will be conducted from 14 May to 11 June,2018.
 The expedition aims at encouraging women in the field of adventure where dauntless courage, will-power and
determination is put to test.

Regional Conference on “Physical and Social Infrastructure for Regional Development”:
 The Governor of Assam, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated the two day Seminar
 Organized by the Ministry of Finance
 Theme  “Physical and Social Infrastructure for Regional Development”
 Location  Guwahati, Assam
 The Seminar is organized by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration with the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB), Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the Federation of Indian
Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).
Central assistance to Assam, HP, Sikkim and Raj and UT of Lakshadweep:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the High Level Committee (HLC) for Central
Assistance to the States/ UT of Assam (affected by floods during 2017-18), Himachal Pradesh (affected by floods/
landslides during 2017-18), Sikkim (affected by floods/ landslides during 2017-18), Lakshadweep (affected by cyclone
Ockhi during 2017) and Rajasthan (affected by kharif drought during 2017).
 The HLC approved assistance of Rs 480.87 crore in respect of state of Assam.
 The HLC also approved assistance from NDRF amounting to Rs 84.60 crore for the state of Himachal Pradesh, Rs 67.40
crore for the state of Sikkim, Rs 2.16 crore for the UT of Lakshadweep and Rs 526.14 crore for the state of Rajasthan.
 The total assistance approved was Rs 1,161.17 crores.
UNDP to set up skill development centre in Hyderabad:
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will soon set up a skill development centre at 'Bharosa,' an
integrated support centre for distressed women and children in Hyderabad.
 Last year, the Hyderabad Police had signed an agreement with UNDP under the 'Disha' project to build capacities and
skills of women affected by violence to help make them economically self-sufficient.
 'Bharosa,' an initiative of Hyderabad City Police, is a state-of-the-art centre to support women and children who are
victims of violence.
President of India Inaugurates 4th Global Exhibition on Services in Maharashtra:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 4th Global Exhibition on Services and launched a portal
on 12 Champion Sectors in Services in Mumbai on May 15, 2018.
 He commended the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India, as well as the Government of
Maharashtra, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Services Export Promotion Council, for this initiative.

J.P. Nadda inaugurates two-day risk communication workshop:
 Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated a two-day workshop on ‘Risk Communication
during Public Health Emergencies’ at Shimla.
 During his inaugural address, Shri Nadda urged the public health functionaries for keeping their communication simple
and effective during the delivery of healthcare services.
Cabinet approves setting up of a Central University in Andhra Pradesh:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its in-principle approval for establishing a
Central University by the name of “Central University of Andhra Pradesh” in Janthaluru Village of Ananthapur District,
Andhra Pradesh.
 A provision of funds worth Rs. 450 crore has been approved for meeting the first phase expenditure towards
establishment of the said University.
 The approval would increase access and quality of higher education and help in minimizing the regional imbalances in
education facilities, and give effect to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.
Establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation at Bhopal:
 The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the establishment of National Institute
of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at Bhopal as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under the
aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
 The estimated cumulative cost of the project is Rs. 179.54 crore in first three years. This includes non-recurring
expenditure of Rs. 128.54 crore and recurring expenditure of Rs. 51 crore.
 The main objectives of the NIMHR are to provide rehabilitation services to the persons with mental illness, capacity
development in the area of mental health rehabilitation, policy framing and advanced research in mental health
rehabilitation.
Suresh Prabhu launches Intellectual Property mascot – IP Nani:
 The Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Suresh Prabhu launched the Intellectual Property (IP) mascot – IP Nani –
at the conference on National Intellectual Property Rights Policy in New Delhi.
 An anti-piracy video featuring Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was also launched by the Minister at the event.
 Mascot IP Nani is a tech-savvy grandmother who helps the government and enforcement agencies in combating IP
crimes with the help of her grandson “Chhotu” aka Aditya.
 The IP mascot will spread awareness about the importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) among people,
especially children, in an interesting manner.

International Rail Coach Expo to be hosted by Integral Coach Factory Chennai:
 For the first time an International Rail Coach Expo (IRCE) to focus on Rail Coaches and train sets, is being held in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from 17th to 19th May, 2018, in the ICF RPF Parade Grounds, Chennai.
 Many reputed rail car and equipment builders will be showcasing their technology and products. It will be a unique
platform to bring different suppliers under one roof and create synergy for “Make in India”.
 The expo is being hosted by Integral Coach Factory, popularly known as ICF, under the Ministry of Railways, in
coordination with CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and RITES Ltd. a PSU under Ministry of Railways.
Delhi projected to become world's most populous city around 2028: UN report
 Delhi is projected to become the most populous city in the world around 2028, according to new United Nations
estimates, which said India is expected to add the largest number of urban dwellers by 2050.
 The 2018 Revision of World Urbanisation Prospects produced by the Population Division of the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) said that 68 per cent of the world population is projected to live in urban areas
by 2050.
 Currently, 55 per cent of the world's population lives in urban areas.
Guwahati now has India's first solar powered railway station:
 Guwahati  India's first railway station run by solar power.

 The project of installing solar panels was commissioned last year in April 2017.
 Around 2352 solar modules with a capacity of generating 700 kwp has been set up over the roof of the Guwahati
railway station. Solar panels have been installed at the roof-top solar power plant.
 The solar-powered station is aimed at reducing carbon-footprint as well as cut down power costs drastically.
Environment Ministry Forms 19 Teams for Cleaning of Beaches, River Fronts and Lakes:
 In the build-up to the World Environment Day 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has
formed 19 teams to take up cleaning of beaches, river fronts and lakes in the country.
 Cleaning up of around 24 beaches in nine (9) coastal states and cleaning of river fronts in 24 identified polluted
stretches in 19 states will be undertaken.
 An amount of Rs. 10 lakh has been earmarked for each stretch of beach, river front and lake.
Creation of Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in Department of Commerce:
 Department of Commerce formally issued notification for creation of Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
 Hon’ble Commerce and Industry Minister Sh. Suresh Prabhu has given his approval for creation of DGTR in Department
of Commerce, consequent upon amendment carried out by Government of India to the Government of India (Allocation
of Business) Rules, 1961 on May 7, 2018 in this regard.

 DGTR will be the apex National Authority for administering all trade remedial measures including anti-dumping,
countervailing duties and safeguard measures.
 DGTR will bring Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied duties (DGAD), Directorate General of Safeguards
(DGS) and Safeguards (QR) functions of DGFT into its fold by merging them into one single national entity.
 It will also provide trade defence support to our domestic industry and exporters in dealing with increasing instances of
trade remedy investigations instituted against them by other countries.
Radha Mohan Singh addresses National Conference of Fisheries Ministers of Coastal states:
 During the last decade, India has attained first position with around 14% average annual growth in the export of fish &
fishery products.
 Fish production in India has also grown by 27% in 2014-18 as compared to 2010-14.
 This was stated by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh while addressing the
Fisheries Ministers of Coastal states and Union Territories.
 Shri Singh further added that owing to low prospects of fisheries production along the coast, the government has
decided to promote deep sea fishing and has introduced a sub-component 'Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing' under the
Blue Revolution.
 Advanced and modern deep sea fishing vessels will be built in the country by indigenous technology.
 He informed that in the first year, central funds amounting to more than Rs 312 crore have been released for the
implementation of this scheme benefitting fishermen from states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
Cabinet approves setting up of a new AIIMS in Deoghar, Jharkhand:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved setting up of a new All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Deoghar, Jharkhand.
 A provision of funds worth Rs. 1103 crore has been approved for the project and the said AIIMS will be set up under
the Pradhan MantriSwasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Suriname in the field of electoral management:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between India and Suriname on cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration
 It includes exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of organizational and technical development of electoral
process; support in exchanging information, institutional strengthening and capacity building, training of personnel,
holding regular consultations etc.
 The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation, aimed at building technical assistance / capacity support for Suriname
envisaging cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration.

Shivangi Pathak becomes youngest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest:
 India's Shivangi Pathak has become youngest women of the country to scale Mt Everest from Nepal side.
 Born in Hisar of Haryana Shivangi climbed Mt Everest to spread the message that women could overcome any obstacle
to achieve their goals.
 In 2014, 13 year old Malavath Poorna from India had climbed Mt Everest from Tibet side and became youngest girl in
the world to summit at Everest.
“AYUSH” finds a place in English Language:
 The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology has decided to adopt the word ‘AYUSH’ in Hindi and English
languages for scientific and technical purposes.
 The “AYUSH” became popular as the acronym for five traditional and complementary systems of medicine, namely
Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy and successfully adopted and used in all
Government communications.
 The decision follows a proposal from the Ministry of AYUSH in this regards.
NITI Aayog’s three day Venture Capital Symposium 2018 begins:
 NITI Aayog, in association with Vision India Foundation, is organising the Venture Capital Symposium 2018 to deepen
the economic relationships between France and India.
 Following the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, 20 of the biggest French venture capital and private equity
funds are coming to India to explore investment opportunities.
 The Venture Capital Symposium 2018 is a three day event where the French investors will be interacting with 100 early
to mid-stage Indian start-ups.
 Four investor groups - Eren Group, Claranova, Olymp Capital and TNP - made announcements of setting up offices in
India and commitments to invest in various sectors such as energy, aerospace, blockchain and Internet of Things.
Modi inaugurates hydro project in Kashmir:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a hydroelectric power plant in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, amid
protests from neighbour Pakistan which says the project on a river flowing into Pakistan will disrupt water supplies.
 The 330 megawatt Kishanganga hydropower station, work on which started in 2009, is one of the projects that India
has fast-tracked in the volatile state amid frosty ties between the nuclear-armed countries.
 Modi, who is on a day-long visit to the state, also flagged off the construction of the 14 km (9 mile)-long Zojila tunnel
to provide all-weather connectivity between the cities of Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.
 The government said it would be the longest road tunnel in India and Asia's longest two-way tunnel, to be constructed
at a cost of $1 billion.
‘Green Good Deeds’ Movement Launched by Dr Harsh Vardhan Gets Global Recognition:
 Green Good Deeds, the societal movement launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change,
Dr Harsh Vardhan, to protect environment and promote good living in the country, has found acceptance by the global
community.

 The ongoing BRICS Ministerial on Environment at Durban, South Africa, has agreed to include “Green Good Deeds” in its
official agenda in the next Ministerial in Brazil and another meeting in Russia”.
NABARD sanctions Solar street lighting system in Arunachal:
 The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned LED Solar Street Lighting system for
Arunachal Pradesh under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund with a total grant of Rs 87.83 lakh.
 The project would be implemented in the four districts of the state Tirap, Longding, Namsai and Tawang.
 Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched the scheme in presence of NABARD Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala.
Railways to use AI to control air circulation in Manipur tunnel:
 For the first time, the railways will use artifical intelligence to control air circulation, signages and even supervision and
maintenance work in the 10.28 km-long tunnel in Imphal as part of its 110 km railway line from Jiribam to Manipur's
capital city.
 While the national transporter is already using this technique to detect flaws or problems in the signalling system, this is
the first time that such a technology will be used in a tunnel in the country.
 The system will control air circulation in the system, along with other aspects.
 It will alert the passenger in case of fire and help us in quick evacuation in case of any issue.
May 21st is observed as Anti Terrorism Day:
 All over India, May 21st is observed as Anti Terrorism Day in the memory of former Indian PM Mr Rajiv Gandhi who
passed away on this day.
 On this day in the year 1991, former India’s PM Rajiv Gandhi was killed brutally by terrorist attacks.
 On this day Anti- terrorism pledge is taken in all government offices, PSU and in other public organisations.
Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala:
 As the death toll in the virus-induced fever in north Kerala rises, the National Virology Institute in Pune has confirmed
that the deceased were infected with Nipah virus (NiV).
 This is the first time the virus, which has high fatality rate and spreads mainly through bats, pigs and other animals, has
been detected in the state.
 Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly-emerging zoonosis (a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals)
that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
 The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.

 NiV was first identified during an outbreak of disease that took place in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. On
this occasion, pigs were the intermediate hosts.
Regional Conference on “Clean and Renewable Energy” held in Bhopal:
 The Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Shri Narayan Singh Kushwah inaugurated
the one day Regional Conference
 Theme  “New and Renewable Energy”
 Location  Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
 This was sixth such Regional Conference in the series in a lead-up to 3rd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) which is being hosted by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in
collaboration with AIIB, Government of Maharashtra, RIS and CII among others in Mumbai on 25th and 26th June, 2018.
 The one day Seminar in Bhopal was also organized by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration
with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).
Workshop on “Ganga” and its Biodiversity:
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari released the report
on “Status of Conservation of Select Aquatic Species” in river Ganga in New Delhi.
 He also inaugurated a day-long workshop organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the theme “Ganga and its
Biodiversity: Developing a Road Map for Habitat and Species Conservation”.
 A database of Ganga Praharis, a self-motivated cadre, being created by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was also
launched by the Minister.
India to host the ASEAN India Film Festival:
 In association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Directorate of Film Festival is organizing the ASEAN India Film
Festival in Delhi from 25th to 30th May 2018, celebrating completion of 25 years of ASEAN India Relations.
 Minister of State (I/C) for Information & Broadcasting and Sports & Youth Affairs, Col Rajyavardhan Rathore
inaugurated the Film Festival in Siri Fort Auditorium on 25th May 2018.
 The Film Festival will be non-competitive.
 Tagline of the Festival is proposed to be ‘Friendship through Films’
 Jassari Movie Sinjar will be the opening film for the festival.
 During the festival, 32 films from 11 countries will be displayed.
 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten
Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
and Vietnam).
 ASEAN is an official United Nations observer, as well as an active global partner.

Cabinet nod to ordinance to set up country's first sports university in Manipur:
 The Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to set up the country's first national sports university in Manipur.
 Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a bill to set up the university in Imphal (west) is already pending in Parliament.
 The proposal to set up the national sports university in Manipur was initially announced by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, while Rs 100 crore funds for it were allocated in the 2014-15 budget.
PM Modi to inaugurate Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway on May 27:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal (KGP) Expressway (Eastern Peripheral
Expressway) project, intended to relieve Delhi from traffic congestion, on May 27.
 The inaugural ceremony of the expressway will held at the district sports stadium in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat.
 Kundli and Palwal are both in Haryana. While Kundli is in Haryana's Sonipat district, bordering Delhi, Palwal is south of
Faridabad district, about 80 km from Delhi.
Rajasthan launches ‘Nidaan’ software for disease monitoring:
 A new software, ‘Nidaan’, has been launched in Rajasthan for presumptive diagnosis and monitoring of seasonal and
non-communicable diseases as well as the trends of ailments found in specific areas.
 It is expected to help in formulation of specific action plans for control of diseases.
 “Nidaan” will facilitate online entries of as many as 46 diseases and healthcare services available for their treatment in
different institutions.
India-Nepal Joint Battalion Level Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII:
 Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII between India and Nepal will be conducted at Pithoragarh from 30 May to 12
June 2018.
 The exercise will comprise of nearly 300 soldiers from both Indian and Nepal Army who would be sharing their
experiences.
 Exercise SURYA KIRAN is a biannual event which is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India.
Ministry of HRD launches ‘Samagra Siksha’ scheme:
 The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ - an
integrated Scheme for school education extending support to States from pre-school to senior secondary levels for the
first time in New Delhi.
 The Scheme is a paradigm shift in the conceptual design of school education by treating ‘school’ holistically as a
continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary levels

 He further said every school will get sports equipment under the SamagraShiksha, at the cost of Rs. 5000 for Primary, Rs.
10,000 for Upper Primary & up to Rs. 25,000 for SSC & HSC schools to inculcate & emphasize relevance of sports to
realise the dream of “Khelega India Khilega India”.
 Shri Javadekar said Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) to be expanded from Class 6-8 to Class 6-12 with
allocation of Rs. 4385.60 crores in 2018-19 & Rs. 4553.10 crores in 2019-20 to fulfil Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s
commitment to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina inaugurate Bangladesh Bhavan:
 Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangladesh Bhavan, as a symbol of the cultural ties between the
two countries.
 Location  Kolkata
Yogi govt to change name of Allahabad to Prayag:
 Allahabad is set to be rechristened as ‘Prayag’, a long pending demand of sadhus and saints of the Sangam City.
 The new name is likely to be approved by the state cabinet soon, sources in the government said in Lucknow.
 During his recent visit to Allahabad to release dates of Shahi Snan (royal bathing), Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad has
urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to rename Allahabad as Prayag before the coming Kumbh Mela in 2019.
Kalyan, Kurla, and Thane feature in list of dirtiest railway stations in country:
 Three most busy stations of Mumbai’s suburban railways, Kalyan, Kurla, and Thane are among the ten dirtiest stations
in the country.
 Kanpur Central station  Dirtiest railway station
 Indian Railways conducted a survey between May 11 and May 17, assessing railway stations of the country, according to
which, Mumbai is the only city with three stations in the list—Kalyan at 3, Kurla's Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) at 5
and Thane at 8.
 Passenger feedback is taken via Indian Railways' Interactive Voice Response System.
Prime Minister lays foundation stone for Patratu Super Thermal Power Project:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the 2400MW first phase of NTPC's Patratu Super Thermal
Power Project in Jharkhand.
 The project is a 74: 26 Joint Venture between Government of Jharkhand (GoJ) and Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd.
(PVUN), a subsidiary company of NTPC establishing a total capacity expansion of 4,000MW.

 Envisioning the brighter future for India's 19th State, NTPC’s PVUNL is set to develop the project in two phases: 2,400
MW (3x800MW) in Phase-I and 1,600 MW (2x800 MW) in Phase-II.
Ravi Shankar Prasad to inaugurates cloud enabled Data Centre at Bhubaneswar:
 National Informatics Centre has set up a new state-of-the-art cloud enabled National Data Centre at Bhubaneswar.
 The data center was inaugurated by Union Minister of Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad in
Bhubaneswar.
 It will offer 24*7 operations with secure hosting for e-Governance applications of the Government and its departments.
Manipur Becomes First State in Northeast to Have Solar Toilet:
 Manipur has become the first state in the Northeast and the third state in India to have solar toilets.
 The solar panel, connected to the toilets, absorb the heat to generate power and are also efficient to transform waste
material.
PM inaugurates Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Phase-I of Delhi-Meerut Expressway:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation, two newly built expressways in the Delhi NCR Region.
 The first of these is the 14 lane, access controlled, Phase-I of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, stretching from
Nizamuddin Bridge to Delhi UP Border.
 The second project to be dedicated to the nation is the 135 km long Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), stretching
from Kundli on NH 1 to Palwal on NH 2.
 The Delhi Meerut Expressway, once completed, will significantly reduce travel times from the National Capital to
Meerut, and to several other parts of Western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
 The Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), will contribute towards the twin objectives of decongesting and de-polluting
the national capital by diverting traffic not destined for Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh launches three welfare schemes:
 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched three welfare schemes to mark completion of four
years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
These schemes are:

 "Jan Manch" for redressal of public grievances.
 "Mukhya Mantri Swavlamban Yojana" aimed at providing assistance to the unemployed youth.
 "Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana" for offering gas cylinder security and gas stoves to those not covered under the
Ujjwala Yojana.

9th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ inaugurated in Tehri , Uttarakhand:
 Ministry of Culture has organised 3 day long diversified cultural festival ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ festival which
was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat
 Location  Near Tehri Lake, Uttrakhand
 The North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC), Patiala has been entrusted with the responsibility as the nodal agency to carry
forward the execution of the National Cultural Festival under the banner of the slogan “EK BHARAT SHRESHTHA
BHARAT”
4th International Yoga Day Celebrations Main Event to be Organized in Dehradun:
 The main event of 4th International Yoga Day celebrations (IDY-2018) will be held on 21st June 2018 at Dehradun in
Uttrakhand.
 Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH announced that Dehradun (Uttarakhand) has been selected as
the venue for Main Event of 4th International Day of Yoga on 21st June, 2018.
Dr Jitendra Singh announces Rs 28 crore for 'Brahmaputra Study Centre' at Gauhati University:
 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER),
MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said the
Government has approved setting up of an exclusive “Brahmaputra Study Centre” at Gauhati University, Guwahati, for
which a fund of about Rs. 28 crore will be provided by the Ministry of DoNER.
 The Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University, Dr Mridul Hazarika, who called on Dr Jitendra Singh, said that the University
has decided to provide land within the campus for a separate block for the Brahmaputra Study Centre / Department.
PRAAPTI App launched by Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Shri R.K. Singh:
 A Web portal and an App namely PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing
Transparency in Invoicing of generators), www.praapti.in, has been officially launched by Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C)
for Power, Shri R.K. Singh.
 PRAAPTI App and web portal has been developed to bring transparency in power purchase transactions between
Generators and Discoms.
 The App and Web Portal will capture the Invoicing and payment data for various long term PPAs from the Generators.
 This will help the stakeholders in getting month-wise and legacy data on outstanding amounts of Discoms against power
purchase.

Jual Oram launches ‘the Pankha’ (Hand-Fans) through TRIFED and TRIBES India:
 Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Jual Oram launched an exhibition cum sale event, ‘the PANKHA’ (Hand-fans),
created by TRIFED through its artisans from all over the country at its showroom Tribes India, 9 Mahadevan Road , New
Delhi.
 The Pankhas, a range of exotic hand fans draws inspiration from the eminent Artist, Shri Jatin Das and from his
collection of 10000 handmade Pankhas.
 These are on display at Indira Gandhi Naitonal Auditorium (IGNA), New Delhi from 26.05.2018 to 24.06.2018.
 TRIFED and the J.D.Centre for Arts (JDCA) are collaborating to promote the Pankha all over the country.
 TRIFED is showcasing and marketing these through its 97 retail outlets and e-portals.
3rd Meeting of India– U.K. Home Affairs Dialogue:
 3rd Home Affairs Dialogue between India and U.K. was held on May 30
 Location  Mumbai
 The Government of India Delegation was led by Shri Rajiv Gauba, Union Home Secretary and the Delegation from Home
Office of the U.K. was led by its Second Permanent Secretary, Ms. Patsy Wilkinson.
 The Dialogue covered a wide range of issues including cyber security, women safety, organized crime, terror financing
etc. and a need to put in place a mechanism for timely exchange of information and intelligence inputs on such issues.
Ministry of Railways organizes a one day workshop ‘Mission Raftar’:
 Ministry of Railways conducted a one day workshop “Mission Raftaar” aimed at raising the average speed of freight
trains and coaching trains
 Location  New Delhi
 The workshop was inaugurated by Shri Rajen Gohain, Minister of State for Railways & Shri Ashwani Lohani,
Chairman,Railway Board.
Maharashtra government signs MoU with British Council:
 The government of Maharashtra has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British Council to
strengthen educational and cultural cooperation between the two nations.
 Under this new agreement, British Council would be training 30,000 teachers in the English language in the state.
 The training will be funded by Tata Trusts, the Tata group's philanthropic organization.

4th Regional Conference on Futuristic, Resilient and Digital Infrastructure of AIIB:
 The Ministry of Finance, Government of India in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and
Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) organized the 4th Regional Conference on Futuristic,
Resilient and Digital Infrastructure
 Location  Bengaluru
 The 2-day Conference is a lead-up to the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to be
hosted by the Government of India on 25th and 26th June 2018 in Mumbai.
51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank:
 An Indian delegation headed by Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance is currently on a tour to Manila to attend the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank.
 Shri Garg held bilateral meeting with the Premier of Niue, Sir Toke Talagi on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
 The Premier of Niue sought India’s support for its bid for membership of ADB.
 The Indian delegation also held bilateral meetings with the official delegations of NORDIC countries, OPEC Fund for
International Development (OFID), French, British, US and EIB delegations.
NITI Aayog to Collaborate with IBM to develop Precision Agriculture:
 NITI Aayog and IBM signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to develop a crop yield prediction model using Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to provide real time advisory to farmers in Aspirational Districts.
 The SoI was signed in the presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog and Shri Karan Bajwa, MD, IBM India.
 The partnership aims to work together towards use of technology to provide insights to farmers to improve crop
productivity, soil yield, control agricultural inputs with the overarching goal of improving farmers’ incomes.
ADB projects India’s growth at 7.3% in 2018:
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao said India’s growth in 2018 would pick up to 7.3%.
 China is expected to grow by 6.6% in 2018, even as its growth continues to gradually moderate.
 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, with a large population of 650 million, is continuing to grow at 5.2%.
Patanjali ranked as most trusted FMCG brand in India:
 Patanjali Ayurved Limited has been ranked as India's most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand in the
TRA's Brand Trust Report 2018.
 The Patanjali Ayurved Limited was established in 2006 by Ramdev, along with Acharya Balkrishna.
 Patanjali Ayurveda had tied-up with Amazon, Flipkart, ShopClues, bigbasket.com, 1mgOfficial, Grofers and NetMeds.

India will be world’s fastest growing economy in coming decade:
 India tops the list of the fastest growing economies in the world for the coming decade and is projected to grow at 7.9
per cent annually, ahead of China and the US, according to a Harvard University report.
 The Centre for International Development at Harvard University (CID) said in new growth projections that countries that
have diversified their economies into more complex sectors, such as India and Vietnam, are those that will grow the
fastest in the coming decade.
GST Council approves turning GSTN into a government entity:
 The GST Council has approved making GST Network (GSTN) a government entity by taking over stakes held by private
entities, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at the end of the 27th meeting of the council.
 Jaitley said the GST Network or GSTN currently is 24.5 per cent owned by the central government and a similar
percentage is held by state governments collectively. The remaining 51 per cent is with five private financial
institutions -- HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd.
 The council has agreed to a proposal of buying out the stake of private entities to make GSTN a government-owned
entity, he said adding the central government will own 50 per cent and the remaining would be collectively held by
state governments.
SWIFT India Regional Conference 2018
 The SWIFT India and Subcontinents Regional Conference 2018 aims to explore key issues in the nation’s financial
market development, with a specific focus on innovation, digitisation, and minimizing the digital gap
Walmart acquires 77% stake in Flipkart:
 The world’s largest retailer Walmart will acquire a 77 percent holding in Flipkart Group for $16 billion, the companies
said in a statement.
IMF expects India to grow at 7.4% in FY 2018/19:
 The Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal and accelerate further to 7.8 per cent as it
recovers from the impact of demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) said.
 Asia continues to be the main engine of the world’s economy, accounting for more than 60 per cent of global growth as
per IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific (REO)
New monetary limits for public sector banks to report frauds to CBI:
 The monetary threshold for public sector banks to report frauds to different departments of the CBI for a probe has
been revised, according to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

 Frauds of minimum Rs 3 crore to Rs 25 crore, up from Rs 15 crore, have to be reported to either the CBI's Anti-
Corruption Branch (in case staff involvement is prima facie evident) or to the Economic Offences Wing (if employees
involvement is prima facie not evident) respectively.
 Cases of frauds involving more than Rs 25 crore and up to Rs 50 crore should be given to the CBI's Banking Security
and Fraud Cell (BSFC).
 The cases of more than Rs 50 crore should be lodged with the Joint Director (Policy), CBI
YES Bank to launch water-security programme:
 YES Bank is all set to roll out a capacity building project with farmers in Haryana and Rajasthan under its ‘Livelihood
and Water Security’ CSR initiative.
 This initiative is aimed at improving farmers’ access to finance, ensuring effective use of digital banking resources, and
imparting good agricultural practices.
India's growth to accelerate to 7.3% in FY19, says Fitch:
 India's economic growth will accelerate to 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal and 7.5 per cent in the next fiscal.
 Fitch said that the money supply has recovered to its pre-demonetisation level and disruptions related to the rollout
of GST have diminished.
India largest remittance-receiving country in the world:
 India was the largest remittance- receiving country in the world, with migrant workers from the country sending home
USD 69 billion in 2017.
 According to the report, remittances to the Asia-Pacific region amounted to USD 256 billion last year.
 The report 'Remit SCOPE - Remittance markets and opportunities - Asia and the Pacific' said India (USD 69 billion),
China (USD 64 billion) and the Philippines (USD 33 billion) are the three largest remittance- receiving countries in the
world in 2017.
DoT approves Bharti Airtel and Telenor India merger:
 The telecom department has approved the merger of Norwegian telecom major's India arm - Telenor India - with
India's leading carrier Bharti Airtel.
 The telecom department has transferred all licenses belonging to Telenor India, and its liabilities to Bharti Airtel as well.
 The Competition Commission of India, Securities & Exchange Board of India, the stock exchanges and National Company
Law Tribunal have already approved the acquisition.

RBI puts deposit, lending restrictions on Allahabad Bank:
 State-run Allahabad Bank said that the Reserve Bank has imposed restrictions on its lending to risky assets and raising
high-cost deposits in view of deteriorating financial health.
 The directive has come within days of the RBI imposing similar restrictions on another state-run lender Dena Bank,
which is under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) of the central bank.
 The central bank asked Allahabad Bank, which is already under the PCA mechanism, to restrict expansion of risk
weighted average and reduce exposure to un-rated and high-risk advances, the filing said.
 As many as 11 of 21 state-owned banks are under the PCA of the Reserve Bank due to their weak financials.
NTPC signs MoU with Government of Bihar:
 With an aim to improve the performance of Power Sector in Bihar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed between the Government of Bihar (GoB) and NTPC Limited at Patna in the presence of the Union Minister of
State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh and Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri
Nitish Kumar.
 The MoU envisages transfer of Barauni Thermal Power Station (720 MW) to NTPC.
 In addition to this, Bihar State Power Generation Company’s (BSPGCL) equities in Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited
(KBUN) & Nabinagar Power Generating Company (Pvt.) Limited (NPGC) will also be transferred to NTPC.
 All the three power generation facilities are envisaged to be transferred to NTPC from the effective date to be notified
by Government of Bihar through a Statutory Transfer Scheme.
 The transfer of these power stations to NTPC will result in their optimal & efficient utilization, bring the tariff down and
benefit the people of Bihar at large.
NALCO inks MoU with Government of India for FY 2018-19:
 Aluminium major & Navratna CPSE National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed MoU with the Ministry
of Mines, Govt. of India, setting highest ever target of Rs 9350 crore revenue from operations for FY 2018-19 which is
15% higher than last year.
 The MoU has also set a target of 2.1 million tons for production of Alumina with 100% capacity utilisation & an optimum
Aluminium production target of 4.15 lakh tonnes.
 It sets a target of reduction in net carbon consumption as part of improvement in production efficiency, apart from
giving thrust to commercialisation of new R&D products.
Cabinet approves Corpus for Micro Irrigation Fund with NABARD:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved an initial
Corpus of Rs.5,000 crore for setting up of a dedicated “Micro Irrigation Fund” (MIF) with NABARD under Pradhan
MantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana (PMKSY)
 The allocation of Rs. 2,000 crore and Rs. 3,000 crore will be utilised during 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively.

 NABARD will extend the loan to State Governments during this period.
 Borrowings from NABARD shall be paid back in 7 years including the grace period of two years.
 The lending rate under MIF has been proposed at 3% lower than the cost of raising the fund by NABARD.
Reserve Bank of India slaps Rs 5 cr. fine on South Indian Bank:
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has slapped a penalty of Rs 50 million on South Indian Bank Limited for non-
compliance with the directions issued by it.
 The non-compliance pertains to Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms, Know Your Customer (KYC)
norms and treasury function.
 Further, the bank is also pulled up for deficiencies in its compliance function and compliance culture.
Indian economy projected to grow 7.6% in 2018-19: UN
 India's economy is projected to grow 7.6 per cent in fiscal year 2018-19, remaining the fastest growing economy in the
world, according to a UN report.
 The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) as of mid-2018, said GDP growth in India is expected to climb
to 7.5 and 7.6 per cent in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively.
India drags US to WTO over steel, aluminium duties:
 India has dragged the US to the World Trade Organisation's dispute settlement mechanism over the imposition of
import duties on steel and aluminium, an official said.
 India has stated that the decision will impact exports of these products to the US and it is not in compliance with global
trade norms.
 The country has sought consultations with the US under the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism.
Moody’s downgrades PNB’s deposit ratings:
 Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the local and foreign currency deposit ratings of fraud-hit Punjab National
Bank to Ba1/NP from Baa3/P-3.
 The global credit rating agency has also downgraded the bank’s baseline credit assessment (BCA) and Adjusted BCA to
B1 from Ba3.
Indo-Dutch Startup Initiative: #StartUpLink to be Launched:
 With the upcoming visit of the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte to India, Indo-Dutch ties across sectors are all
set to get a major boost.

 The Dutch Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Dutch Ministers for Foreign Trade & Development Cooperation,
Healthcare, Infrastructure & Water, and Agriculture & Food and a trade delegation comprising 220 participants, making
this the biggest trade mission to India ever.
 In an endeavour to further the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, Invest India (host to the Govt. of India’s
initiative, ‘Startup India’ under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and the Dutch Government are jointly
launching the Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink initiative.
 Location  Bengaluru
 The initiative will fulfill the twin objective of facilitating market expansion for startups in the two countries alongside
fostering a joint sense of innovation and entrepreneurship.
NITI Aayog and ABB India Sign Statement of Intent:
 NITI Aayog and ABB India signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to support the Indian government realize its ambitious
vision of ‘Make in India’ through advanced manufacturing technologies that incorporate the latest developments in
robotics and artificial intelligence.
 NITI Aayog will work with ABB across various sectors of the economy, such as the power and water utilities, industries
like food as well as the heavy industries and the transport (rail and metro) and infrastructure.
Fifteenth Finance Commission constitutes a High Level Group:
 The Fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted a high level group consisting of eminent experts from across the
country in Health Sector.
 Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi will be its Convenor.
 It will evaluate the existing regulatory framework in the Health sector and examine its strength and weaknesses for
enabling a balanced yet faster expansion of the health sector keeping in view India’s demographic profile;
TCS becomes first company to achieve Rs 7 lakh crore m-cap milestone:
 IT bellwether Tata Consultancy Services market valuation briefly crossed the Rs 7-lakh crore mark, making it the first
company to achieve this milestone.
 The market valuation of TCS jumped to Rs 7,03,309 crore during the intra-day session on the BSE.
 The Mumbai-headquartered TCS had last month become the first Indian company to close the trading session with over
USD 100 billion market valuation.

Yes Bank empaneled as ‘Settlement Bank’ by National Stock Exchange:
 Yes Bank, India’s fourth largest private sector bank, has received approval from National Stock Exchange (NSE), to be
empaneled as ‘Settlement Bank’ for National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL)
 India’s largest stock exchange : NSE
 National Securities Clearing Corporation Limited (NSCCL)  wholly owned subsidiary of NSE
 Yes Bank will provide comprehensive settlement and clearing services suitable to the members by leveraging its
technology platform.
 The services will include electronic funds transfer facilities and 'anywhere' banking.
 Yes Bank is already an empaneled ‘Clearing Bank’ for the BSE, NCDEX and MCX
Prime Minister of Netherlands Inaugurates Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum:
 Prime Minister of Netherlands Mr. Mark Rutte inaugurated the Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum to take forward the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment of the Netherlands in June last
year.
 The inauguration of the Indo-Dutch Ganga Forum was followed by a technical session on “Innovative Financing Models
for Indo-Dutch PPP Projects” during which a detailed discussion on Hybrid Annuity based PPP mode took place.
Ramdev's Patanjali ties up with BSNL:
 After becoming India's most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods brand, Ramdev's Patanjali entered the telecom
sector.
 Ramdev launched Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards, in alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
 Initially, only the employees and office bearers of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card.
 After its full-fledged launch, people will get discount of 10 per cent on Patanjali products with this card.
India signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 21.7 Million for Rajasthan:
 An Agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 21.7 Million from World Bank for the Strengthening of Public Financial
Management in Rajasthan Project was signed in New Delhi by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary (FB and ADB),
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Hisham Abdo, Acting
Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank.
 The Implementing Entity Agreement was signed by the Secretary, Finance (Budget) on behalf of the Government of
Rajasthan, and the Acting Country Director (India) on behalf of the World Bank.
 The Project size is approximately USD 31 million, of which USD 21.7 million will be financed by the World Bank, and the
remaining amount will be funded-out of the State Budget. The Project duration is 5 years.

 The Project objective is to contribute to improved Budget execution, enhanced accountability and greater efficiency in
Revenue Administration in Rajasthan.
Microsoft Is Now Third Most Valuable Firm Globally:
 Microsoft has surpassed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in the market capitalisation for the first time in
three years, becoming the third most valuable firm after Apple and Amazon globally.
 Microsoft had a market cap of $753 billion at the close of trading, almost $14 billion ahead of Alphabet.
Aditya Puri in Barron’s list of top 30 CEOs:
 HDFC Bank MD Aditya Puri has been named in Barron’s list of top 30 Global CEOs, for the fourth consecutive year.
 Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, Satya Nadella of
Microsoft and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook figure in the list.
 Mr. Puri was featured as a ‘Growth Leader’.
 The other categories are ‘Visionary Founders’ and ‘Turnaround Experts’.
Shri Sitanshu Kar takes over as DG, PIB:
 Sitanshu Ranjan Kar took over as the 27th Principal Spokesperson of the Government of India and Director General of
Press Information Bureau in New Delhi.
 He succeeds Mr Frank Noronha
Subhash Chandra Khuntia is new IRDAI chairman:
 Subhash Chandra Khuntia  New chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
 The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Mr.Khuntia to the post of chairperson of
the insurance regulator.
 His appointment will be for a period of three years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is the earliest.
 He will replace TS Vijayan
Ashok Lahiri appointed full-time member of 15th Finance Commission:
 Former chief economic adviser Ashok Lahiri has been appointed as full-time member of the 15th Finance Commission,
according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Lahiri's appointment as the full-time member

Justin Langer Appointed Australia's Head Coach In All Formats:
 Cricket Australia has appointed former Test opener Justin Langer as the new coach of the national cricket team.
 He replaced Darren Lehmann who resigned in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket
team in March.
 The 47-year-old Langer, who is currently in-charge of Western Australia and Perth Scorchers, has signed a four-year deal
with Australian Board.
Two Group of Ministers Constituted:
 Subsequent to the decisions taken in the 27th GST Council meeting held on 04.05.2018), two Group of Ministers (GoMs)
have been constituted.
 The first GoM shall consider the issues relating to “Incentivizing digital payments in the GST regime”  Sushil Kumar
Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar is convenor of this GoM.
 The Second GoM shall consider issues relating to “Imposition of Cess on Sugar under GST”. Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma,
Finance Minister of Assam is convenor of this GoM.
 Both the GoMs shall submit their reports within a period of 15 days.
Govt. Appoints Justice AK Mittal As Acting Chief Justice Of Punjab & Haryana HC:
 The Centre appointed Justice A.K. Mittal as Acting Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court
 The post is vacant due to Justice S.J. Vazifdar’s retirement.
 The Collegium had, on 19 April, recommended appointment of Justice Krishna Murari as the Chief Justice of the High
Court.
Jagdish Mukhi sworn-in as acting Manipur Governor:
 Jagdish Mukhi has sworn in as the acting governor of Manipur by the Acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court,
Justice N Kotiswar Singh.
 Mukhi, who is the governor of Assam and Meghalaya, will hold office in the absence of Governor Najma Heptullah.
Putin appoints Medvedev as Russian prime minister:
 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to appoint Dmitry Medvedev as head of the government following a
parliamentary approval.
 Earlier in the day, out of 430 deputies present at the State Duma, Russia's lower house of the parliament, 374 voted for
Medvedev's post as prime minister and 56 voted against it.

 Medvedev is also the chairman of the United Russia party, took office in 2012.
Nikol Pashinyan elected as New Prime Minister of Armenia:
 Armenia's parliament has elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as the new prime minister.
 The move comes two weeks after Serzh Sargsyan resigned following widespread anti-government demonstrations.
 His protest movement began with a non-violent march on March 31, demanding that Sargsyan step down.
Carlos Alvarado sworn in as Costa Rican president:
 Journalist Carlos Alvarado was sworn in as Costa Rica's president promising a "plural" and inclusive government.
 During an inauguration ceremony at Democracy Square in the capital, San Jose, Alvarado accepted the sash of office
from his predecessor and ally, Luis Guillermo Solis.
 In his first speech as president, Alvarado said he intends to improve employment, education and health and fight
poverty as the Central American nation nears the 200th anniversary of its independence in 2021.
Pawan Kumar Agarwal gets extension as CEO FSSAI:
 Pawan Kumar Agarwal was has given three months extension as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
 The tenure of Agarwal has been given three-month extension beyond May 15, 2018.
 He was appointed as the CEO of the FSSAI in December 2015.
Mahathir Mohamad becomes Prime Minister of Malaysia:
 Mahathir Mohamad has been sworn in as prime minister of Malaysia again after a shock election victory, 15 years
after he stood down.
 The former strongman who governed for more than two decades has become, at 92, the world's oldest elected leader.
 He came out of retirement and defected to the opposition to take on and beat former protege Najib Razak.
Mohit Chauhan nominated as Green Ambassador of Sikkim:
 The Sikkim government has nominated Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan as the Green Ambassador of the state, an
official notification said.
 The state government had earlier this year roped in AR Rahman as its ambassador to promote tourism in Sikkim.
 Sikkim is known for its rich biodiversity and abundant natural resources due to environment-friendly policies being
followed by the state government for more than two decades.

Nirmal Singh elected JK Assembly speaker:
 BJP legislator and former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh was elected as the speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir
Legislative Assembly.
 Singh, who is an MLA from Billawar constituency in Jammu region, was elected as the speaker by a voice vote in a one
day special session of the Assembly.
 The motion to elect Singh was moved by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Bukhari and seconded
by Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta.
 Singh defeated Congress MLA from Bandipora, Usman Majeed.
Mukul Rohatgi appointed eminent jurist in Lokpal panel:
 Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as an eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointment
of anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal, the Centre told the Supreme Court. Selection committee is chaired by the Prime
Minister.
 Rohatgi was appointed the Attorney General of India after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May
2014. He resigned from the post in June 2017.
 The post of eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection panel was lying vacant since the death of senior advocate P P Rao on
September 11, 2017.
Shashank Manohar elected unopposed to serve 2nd term as ICC chairman:
 Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar will serve a second term as the independent chairman of the International
Cricket Council after he was elected unopposed by the governing body's Board.
 Manohar, who became the first independent ICC Chairman in 2016, will continue for a second two-year term following
his unopposed election.
Uttam Pacharne appointed regular Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi:
 The President of India has appointed Shri Uttam Pacharne, as regular Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi. Shri Pacharne is
an eminent artist and sculptor.
 He is a widely respected person in the field of art and has held various important positions.
 Currently, he is Member of Advisory Committee, Kala Academy, Goa and Member of Advisory Committee, P.L.
Deshpande State Lalit Kala Academy and Director, Janseva Sahakari Bank Borivali.
 He is the recipient of National Lalit Kala Award 1985, Maharashtra Gaurav Puraska 1985 from Government of
Maharashtra, Junior National Award 1986 and Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar 2017 from Prafulla Dahanukar Foundation.
 Shri Pacharne will hold office for a term of three years from the date on which he assumes the charge of his office.

 Previously in March 2018, Shri M.L. Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Akademies),Ministry of Culture was appointed Protem
Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi , pending appointment of a regular Chairman.
Yudhvir Singh Malik given additional charge as NHAI chairman:
 Deepak Kumar, the chairman of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), was sent back to his cadre state Bihar
before completion of his tenure.
 Yudhvir Singh Malik, the Secretary of Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, has been given additional charge of the
post of NHAI chairman.
 Deepak Kumar had taken over as the NHAI chief on June 28 last year.
Ambika Sharma to head USIBC India office:
 U.S India Business Council named Ambika Sharma as its head for India.
 Ms. Sharma was Director General for International at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI).
 As Director General of FICCI, Sharma is the highest ranked female executive of an Indian industry body, the USIBC said
in a statement.
Gujarat Governor to hold additional charge of MP:
 Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli was given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh as the incumbent Governor,
Anandiben Patel is on leave.
 This was informed by the Rashtrapati Bhavan through a communique.
 Anandiben, became the Governor of Madhya Pradesh in January 2018, replacing Kohli, who even at that time held the
same position.
Rajinder Singh named Hockey India president:
 Rajinder Singh was named president of Hockey India (HI), following Mariamma Koshy's resignation from the post.
 Singh, who is the Senior Vice President of Hockey India, has take charge as President.
 He was earlier the Treasurer of HI and currently serves as the Treasurer of Hockey Jammu & Kashmir.
Anil Kumar Jha appointed CMD of Coal India:
 Anil Kumar Jha has been appointed as the chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of Coal India Limited.
 Jha, at present the CMD of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, has been appointed to the post till his superannuation i.e. 31
January 2020.
 CIL is a state-owned coal mining company headquartered in Kolkata.

Kumaraswamy sworn-in as 24th CM of Karnataka:
 Janata Dal (Secular)'s H D Kumaraswamy took oath in Bengaluru's Vidhan Soudha as the 24th Chief Minister of
Karnataka
 Congress' G Parameshwara took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
 The oath ceremony was administered by Governor Vajubhai Bala
Dena Bank, Punjab & Sindh Bank, Central Bank of India gets new chairpersons:
 The finance ministry has appointed non-executive chairpersons at Punjab and Sindh Bank, Dena Bank and Central Bank
of India, as part of its agenda to reform public sector banks.
 Charan Singh  Non executive chairperson of Punjab & Sindh Bank
 Anjali Bansal  Non executive chairperson of Dena Bank
 Tapan Ray  Non executive chairperson of Central Bank of India
New governors appointed for Odisha, Mizoram:
 Ganeshi Lal and Kummanam Rajasekharan have been appointed as Governors of Odisha and Mizoram
respectively.
 Prof. Ganeshi Lal will take over from veteran Naga leader S C Jamir, who has completed his tenure.
 Kummanam Rajasekharan will replace Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma.
Justice C K Prasad appointed PCI chief for second term:
 Former Supreme Court judge C K Prasad has been appointed the chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI) for a
second term.
 Prasad headed the media watchdog for three years from November 2014. He had succeeded Justice Markanday
Katju.
CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra gets one-year extension:
 Sushil Chandra will continue to be Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for one more year as he
gets one-year extension.
 CBDT is the top policy-making body for personal income tax and corporate tax and is part of the Finance Ministry.
NITI Aayog signs on Sushant Singh Rajput to promote the WEP:
 NITI Aayog announced the signing of a Statement of Intent (SoI) with noted media personality and entrepreneur
Shri Sushant Singh Rajput, to collaborate and support NITI’s flagship initiative, the Women Entrepreneurship
Platform (WEP).
 The agreement was signed in the presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog by Ms Anna Roy, Adviser
(Industry), NITI Aayog and Shri Sushant Singh Rajput.

 He would also be supporting NITI Aayog in promoting the Women Transforming India Awards 2018, the theme for
which is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’ and whose nominations are currently ongoing.
TRIFED elects new Board of Directors:
 The General Body meeting of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) was held
on 25th May 2018 in which the 11th Board of Directors was reconstituted and the Office Bearers were elected
unanimously.
 Shri Ramesh Chand Meena was elected as the Chairperson and Smt. Pratibha Brahma was elected as the Vice
Chairperson of TRIFED.
Barbados elects Mia Mottley as first woman PM:
 The Caribbean island of Barbados has elected its first woman prime minister since gaining independence from
Britain in 1966.
 Mia Mottley led her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to a crushing victory over the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
 The BLP won all 30 seats up for grabs in the House of Assembly.
Saad Hariri appointed as Lebanon's Prime Minister for third time:
 Lebanese MPs elected Saad Hariri as Prime Minister for a third time, with the Future Movement leader vowing to
keep his country out of regional conflicts.
 Hariri will assume the premiership after winning the backing of 111 out of 128 MPs in official consultations.
 The post of prime minister is reserved for a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system.
 Another Hezbollah ally, Elie Ferzli, was elected as his deputy.
Former IMF official Carlo Cottarelli nominated as Italian Prime Minister:
 The Italian President Sergio Mattarella nominated Carlo Cottarelli, a former official at the International Monetary
Fund, to form an interim government.
Defence Secretary gets additional charge as DRDO chief:
 The government has asked Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra to hold additional charge of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) after its head S. Christopher's tenure ended on 28 May.
 Christopher was given one year's extension beyond the prescribed age last year.
 Christopher took over as the head of DRDO in May 2015.

Sudha Balakrishnan appointed first CFO of Reserve Bank of India:
 NSDL executive Sudha Balakrishnan has been appointed the first ever chief financial officer (CFO) of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) effective May 15.
 Balakrishnan, a chartered accountant, was till recently vice president with the National Securities Depository Ltd
(NSDL), India’s first and largest depository.
 She will be the 12th executive director of the RBI, and will have a three year term.
Former chief justice Nasirul Mulk named Pakistan's caretaker PM:
 Pakistan's former chief justice Nasirul Mulk was named as the country's caretaker prime minister for a two-month
period, ending the political wrangling between ruling PML-N and the Opposition ahead of the general elections on
July 25.
 The present government will complete the tenure on May 31 and the caretaker government will remain in office
until a new government is set up through elections.
Indian ambassador to Russia, Pankaj Saran appointed deputy NSA:
 The current ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran was appointed deputy National Security Advisor by the
Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a period of two years.
 Saran was appointed Indian ambassador to Russia in January last year.
 Prior to his deputation in Moscow, he was the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh from March 2012 to
December 2015.
Justice R K Agrawal to be next NCDRC President:
 Former Supreme Court judge Justice R K Agrawal has been appointed the President of the National Consumer Disputes
Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
 The NCDRC, which deals with consumer rights and addresses their disputes and grievances, is a quasi-judicial
commission set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
 Justice Agrawal, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, was sworn in as a judge of the top court on February 17, 2014.

Alicia Pucheta to be the first woman president of Paraguay:
 Paraguay will have a woman president for the first time in its history, at least temporarily, after outgoing leader
stepped down ahead of schedule.
 Alicia Pucheta  New President
 Outgoing leader  Horacio Cartes
Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards 2018:
Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards 2018 were held on April 29 in Mumbai.
 Best Actor: Akshay Kumar, for Padman (Jury) and for Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
 Best Actress: Bhumi Pednekar, for Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
 Best Actress in a leading role: Sonam Kapoor, for Padman
 Lifetime Achievement Award: Rakesh Roshan
 Most Versatile Actress: Manisha Koirala
 Saraswatibai Dadasaheb Phalke Best Actress (Lifetime) award: Farida Jalal
 Best Debut Director award : Konkona Sensharma
 Best Playback Singer Male: Armaan Malik
 The Best Playback Singer Female: Neeti Mohan
Asha Bhosle Honored with PC Chandra Puraskaar:
 Legendary singer Asha Bhosle was honoured with 26th PC Chandra Puraskaar for her contribution in the field of Indian
music.
 Sharmila Tagore was the Chief Guest at the event who also presented the prestigious award to Asha Bhosle.
 Asha Bhosle made her singing debut in 1943 and she has sung in a great variety of musical genres.
Ministry of Railways announces Awards for beautification of Station premises:
 In order to promote cleanliness with creativity, the Ministry of Railways had invited nominations across all Zonal
Railways for stations where beautification has been done with participation of local artists.
 Balharshah and Chandrapur stations (Nagpur Division) of Central Railway have been awarded first prize for depicting
the best art & refurbishing itself as the most beautiful station across Indian Railways.
 Madhubani Railway station under Samastipur Division of East Central Railway in Bihar has been declared the second
best along with Madurai Railway Station (Southern Railway).

 Kota Station (West Central Railway), Gandhidham Station (Western Railway) & Secunderabad Station (South Central
Railway) were adjudged as the Third Prize winning Stations.
M.T Vasudevan Nair Wins ONV Literary Prize:
 Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair has won this year's annual ONV Literary Prize, instituted in memory of iconic
poet late O N V Kurup, for his overall contributions to Malayalam literature.
 The award, comprising a cash prize of Rs three lakh, citation and a plaque, was instituted by the ONV Cultural Academy.
 Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would present the award to Nair, popularly known as M T among his admirers.
Nisha Bhalla conferred with 'WEF 2018' award:
 Nisha Bhalla, holistic coach and consultant from Mumbai was felicitated at the recently concluded Annual Women
Economic Forum 2018 Awards
 Event  Dwarka in Delhi from April 26 to May 1.
 Nisha was presented the 'Excellent Woman of Excellence' award for her spiritual service at the event.
 Women Economic Forum is the largest global gathering of women entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide.
South Western Railway bags Safety Shield pertaining to Train Operations:
 During the year 2017-18, South Western Railway (SWR) has registered best figures & tremendous improvements in
key areas of Safety pertaining to train operations among all Zonal Railways. Recognizing the efforts of SWR
undertaken for improving Safety, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways & Coal awarded the Railway Minister’s Safety
Shield for 2017-18 to South Western Railway in an annual award event.
 The number of accidents has come down in SWR from 11 in 2014-15 to 8 in 2015-16, 3 in 2016-17 to 01 in 2017-18.
Bharat Biotech receives National Technology Award for Rotavac:
 Leading vaccine maker Bharat Biotech has received the National Technology Award for 2018 from the Central
government's Technology Development Board for its Rotavac vaccine.
 This prestigious award for innovative technologies, successfully developed and commercialized from India, was
presented by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Technology Day ceremony held at Vigyan in New Delhi.
 Launched in 2015 Rotavac was introduced into the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in India during 2016, with
initial implementation in 9 states.
Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred KISS Humanitarian Award 2018:
 Nobel laureate and noted economist Muhammad Yunus has been honoured with the 11th Kalinga Institute of Social
Sciences (KISS) Humanitarian Award 2018 at a function held in Bhubaneswar.
 Yunus, who is the founder of Grameen Bank and known as the Father of Microfinance, said that 99 per cent of world's
population owns only one per cent of the wealth.

 Prof Yunus is the second Nobel laureate to be conferred the award. Last year it was presented to the 14th Dalai Lama.
 Yunus was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2006 for his Microfinance model.
Lata Mangeshkar conferred 'Swara Mauli' award:
 Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with "Swara Mauli" title by spiritual guru Vidya Narsimha Bharati
Swami.
Sulabh International founder awarded Nikkei Asia Prize:
 The founder of Sulabh International, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, has been honoured with the Nikkei Asia Prize in Japan for
his contribution to Asia's development.
 Pathak is among the three who have been conferred with the award.
 He has been described as "an Indian social reformer tackling two of his country's biggest challenges — poor hygiene and
discrimination".
Indore is the cleanest city: cleanliness survey
 The Swachh Survekshan 2018 assessed 4203 Urban Local Bodies and was organized by the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under the aegis of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
 The exercise undertaken between 4th January 2018 to 10th March, 2018 enhanced the scope to cover a record number
of Urban Local Bodies impacting around 40 crore urban citizens across length and breadth of the country by 2700
assessors.
 As compared to 2017 where Swachh Survekshan was conducted in 434 cities, this year the scope was enhanced
manifold.
 At the national level, the Top 3 cleanest cities are:
1) Indore
2) Bhopal
3) Chandigarh
 Jharkhand is the best performing State.
The awardees under various categories (Population above 10 lakh) are:
 India's Cleanest City - Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

 India's 'Cleanest Big City': Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh)
 India's 'Fastest Mover' big city: Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)
 India's Best City in 'Citizens Feedback': Kota (Rajasthan)
 India's Best City in 'Innovation & Best Practices': Nagpur (Maharashtra)
 India's Best City in 'Solid Waste Management: Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra)
The awardees under various categories (Population of 3-10 lakh) are:

 India's Cleanest Medium City: Mysuru (Karnataka)

 India's 'Fastest Mover' Medium City: Bhivandi (Maharashtra)
 India's Best City in 'Citizens Feedback': Parbhani (Maharashtra)
 India's Best City in 'Innovation & Best Practices': Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh)
 India's Best City in 'Solid Waste Management: Mangalore (Karnataka)
 India's Cleanest Small City: Delhi Municipal Council
The awardees under various categories (Population of 1-3 lakh) are:
 India's 'Fastest Mover' Small City: Bhusawal (Maharashtra)

 India's Best City in 'Citizens Feedback': Giridih (Jharkhand)
 India's Best City in 'Innovation & Best Practices': Ambikapur (Jharkhand)
 India's Best City in 'Solid Waste Management: Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh)
 Cleanest State Capital / UT Capital Cities / Uts: Greater Mumbai (Maharashtra)
 Fastest Mover State Capital / UT: Jaipur (Rajasthan)
 Best State Capital / UT in Citizens Feedback: Ranchi (Jharkhand)
 Best State Capital / UT in 'Innovation & Best Practices: Panaji (Goa)
 Best State Capital / UT in 'Solid Waste Management' : Greater Hyderabad (Telangana)
'Raaya' becomes India's official entry for Cannes:
 A short film, 'Raaya', about an autistic girl has been chosen as India's official entry into the Cannes Film Festival 2018.
 The film is scheduled to exhibit at the 71st Cannes Festival on May 18, second to last day of the festival.
 'Raaya' has already bagged the 'Special Festival Mention Award' at Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2018. Also, it has
been shortlisted for other International film festivals in Los Angeles and Romania.
 The film is produced by Rakesh Gupta and written by hypnotherapist Richa Agarwal.
Sridevi honoured at the Cannes Film Festival:
 Veteran Bollywood actor Sridevi was honoured with the TITAN Reginald F Lewis Film Icon Award at the ongoing
Cannes Film Festival.
 The award traditionally celebrates women of the film industry all over the world and also salute the multi-cultural
impact on the world of cinema.
 Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai and producer Namrata Goyal received the award on behalf of Sridevi's family.

India’s Jagriti Yatra wins charity award in UK:
 An Indian charity that organises 15-day train journeys around India to understand and build the India of smaller towns
and villages through enterprise has won an award in London.
 Jagriti Yatra was among a series of worldwide charities and individuals recognised for their impact within their
communities at the Asian Voice Charity Awards, powered by due diligence platform Charity Clarity.
 Jagriti Yatra organises 15-day train journeys, covering 800 km for 400 young change-makers across India every year.
NMDC bags S&P Platts Global Metals Award in CSR category:
 Iron ore mining major NMDC Ltd has bagged the S&P Global Platts Global Metals Award 2018 in the corporate social
responsibility category.
 At an event held at London Grosvenor Square Marriott Hotel in the UK, N. Baijendra Kumar, Chairman-cum-Managing
Director, and Sandeep Tula, Director (Personnel), NMDC Ltd, received the coveted award.
 The 12 shortlisted nominations were of renowned companies from across the world. This is the first time since
inception of the awards that an Indian company has bagged an award in this category.
T.K. Ramanathan award for Prajnesh:
 Prajnesh Gunneswaran won the prestigious T.K. Ramanathan award for the year 2017-18 at the Tamil Nadu Tennis
Association (TNTA) annual day function.
 He received a cash prize of Rs. 30,000.
Poland's Olga Tokarczuk Is This Year's Man Booker International Prize Winner:
 Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for fiction for her novel Flights.
 Flights beat five other finalists, including Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi’s horror story Frankenstein in Baghdad and South
Korean author Han Kang’s meditative novel The White Book.
 The prize is a counterpart to the Man Booker Prize for English-language novels and is open to books in any language
that have been translated into English.
 The 50,000-pound ($67,000) award is split evenly between the writer and her translator, Jennifer Croft.
BRICS forum presents award to late actress Sridevi:
 Late veteran actress Sridevi was posthumously conferred with the BRICS Business Forum Leadership Award for
Lifetime Achievement in Indian Cinema.
 Reena Marwah, sister of actor-producer Boney Kapoor, received the award and memento.
 The veteran actress was earlier posthumously honoured with the 'Best Actress' award for her performance in her last
movie 'Mom', at 65th National Film Awards held in New Delhi.

'Shoplifters' wins Palme d'Or at Cannes:
 A tumultuous Cannes Film Festival concluded with the Palme d’Or awarded to Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s
“Shoplifters Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” the highest profile American film in competition at Cannes, was awarded
the grand prize.
CSIR bags the Clarivate Analytics India Innovation Award 2018 :
 Council of Scientific & Industrial Research has been awarded the Clarivate Analytics India Innovation Award 2018 in
the Government Research Organizations Category. This award yet again recognizes CSIR as the top innovator.
 The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), a contemporary R&D organization, is known for its cutting edge
R&D knowledge base in diverse science & technology areas.
Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 presented to the INSV Tarini Team:
 Hon’ble Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi presented the prestigious Nari
Shakti Puraskar 2017 to the members of the INSV Tarini team in New Delhi.
 The Six-member all-women team comprising of Lt Commander Vartika Joshi,Lt Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lt
Commander Swathi Patarpalli ,Lt Aishwarya Bodapatti, Lt SH Vijaya Devi and Lt Payal Gupta have received the Puraskar
from the Minister.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus to Be Awarded Mark Twain Prize for Humor:
 Julia Louis-Dreyfus is this year’s recipient of the annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
 Ms. Louis-Dreyfus will receive the award on Oct. 21 in a ceremony in Washington.
 Past winners of the award include Richard Pryor, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Lily Tomlin and Eddie Murphy.
CEAT Awards: Virat Kohli Named International Cricketer of the Year
 India skipper Virat Kohli won the International Cricketer of the Year Award at the CEAT Cricket Ratings awards.
Here is the list of the award winners:

 CEAT International Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli
 CEAT International Batsman of the Year: Shikhar Dhawan
 CEAT International Bowler of the Year: Trent Boult
 CEAT T20 Bowler of the Year: Rashid Khan
 CEAT T20 Batsman of the Year: Colin Munro
 CEAT Outstanding Innings of the Year: Harmanpreet Kaur
 CEAT Domestic Player of The Year: Mayank Agarwal:
 CEAT U 19 Player of The Year: Shubhman Gill
 CEAT Popular Choice Award: Chris Gayle
 CEAT Lifetime Achievement Award: Farokh Engineer

Kamaljit Bawa first Indian to receive Linnean Medal:
 Indian botanist Kamaljit S. Bawa, president of Bengaluru-based non-profit Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the
Environment (ATREE), received the prestigious Linnean Medal in Botany from the Linnean Society of London on May
24.
 Dr. Bawa is the first Indian to win the award ever since it was first constituted in 1888.
 The scientist is being recognised for his pioneering research on the evolution of tropical plants, tropical deforestation,
non-timber forest products.
Yuvraj Singh Awarded 'Most Inspiring Icon Of The Year For Social Welfare':
 Indian star cricketer Yuvraj Singh has been awarded the 'most inspiring icon of the year for Social Welfare" award by
the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) for his exemplary contribution in the field of social welfare.
 Yuvraj, who was a member of India's 2011 World Cup winning squad, was diagnosed with cancer (mediastinal
seminoma) shortly after the World Cup.
 Yuvraj opened his foundation 'YouWe Can' that focuses on creating cancer awareness and helping educate the cancer
survivors kids.
India's Neeraj Goyat is WBC Asia Boxer of the Year:
 Indian pugilist Neeraj Goyat has been conferred with the WBC Asia Boxer of the Year Award.
 Neeraj is the current WBC Asia champion in welter weight category.
 Since turning pro in 2011, Neeraj has won nine fights including two knockouts.
 Neerav Tomar was bestowed with WBC Asia honorary Promoter of the year 2017 Award
Marshal Arjan Singh Memorial All India Hockey Tournament:
 Late Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC was the first and the only ‘Five Star’ rank officer of the IAF and was
a keen lover of the game of Hockey.
 To propel the awareness of Hockey and also to reinstate its prominence, a national level tournament uniting 16 teams is
being held at Chandigarh from 07 to 12 May 18.
 The matches will be conducted at 3 Base Repair Depot (Air Force) and Sector 42 Astro Turf Hockey Grounds at
Chandigarh.
Neeraj Chopra shatters own record, finishes 4th at IAAF Diamond League in Doha:
 Indian javelin thrower and the Commonwealth games gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has shattered his own national
record at the IAAF Diamond League, being held in Doha.
 He cleared a distance of 87.43m to finish fourth in the season opening League series.
 Chopra had recently won the gold medal in XXI Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast with a throw of 86.47m.
FIFA to hold eClub World Cup in Paris:
 This year’s FIFA eClub World Cup will be held at the AMP Studios in Paris, France from May 19 to 20.
 FIFA eWorld Cup, virtual football's equivalent of the FIFA World Cup.

Under-16 Indian football team wins title in Serbia:
 Indian colts pumped in as many as three goals in the first 10 minutes of the match to outplay Tajikistan 4-2 and
emerge champions in the four-nation Under-16 Tournament held in Serbia.
 Putting up an impressive show, the Indian drew 0-0 with the hosts, defeated Jordan 2-1 before beating Tajikistan in the
final.
Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix:
 Lewis Hamilton won for the second race in succession by dominating an eventful Spanish Grand Prix.
 The Mercedes driver was supreme at the front in a race that featured a heavy first-lap crash.
 Hamilton's win moves him into a 17-point championship lead.
Kvitova wins third Madrid Open title:
 Czech 10th seed Petra Kvitova won the Madrid Open title for the third time with a marathon 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-3 victory
over Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands.
 Kvitova, who was also the champion in Madrid in 2011 and 2015, has now claimed four titles in 2018 after triumphs in
St Petersburg, Doha and Prague.
 In a big-hitting, roller-coaster of a final, Kvitova claimed her 24th career title.
S Korea beat India to win Asian Champions Trophy:
 South Korea pipped India 1-0 to win the fifth Women’s Asian Champions Trophy at the Sunrise Stadium in Donghae city.
 South Korea, thus, won the title for the third time after 2010 and 2011.
 India finished runners-up for the second time after having lost in the final to Japan in 2013.
Nadal edges Zverev to win Italian Open:
 Rafal Nadal come from behind in the deciding set and beat defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1 1-6 6-3 in the
Italian Open final.
 The win gave the Spaniard his 56th title on clay and he will reclaim the world number one ranking from Roger Federer.
Lionel Messi Wins European Golden Shoe for the 5th Time:
 Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Shoe for a fifth time.
 The Argentina international claimed the prize after scoring 34 goals in La Liga this season, helping his club to a 25th
league triumph.
 Messi also won the award last year, as well as in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Iraq to host first international football tournament:
 Iraq is to host a West Asia Football Federation championship in the southern city of Basra in November, the first
international tournament to be staged in the country since the 1990s.
 World football's governing body FIFA has lifted a three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international football, this March.

AB de Villiers retires from international cricket:
 South Africa batsman AB de Villiers has announced his decision to retire from international cricket with immediate
effect.
 De Villiers finishes his career with a staggering 20,014 international runs (8765 in Tests, 9577 in ODIs and 1672 in T20Is)
and signs off with a batting average over 50 in both Tests (50.66) and ODIs (53.50).
Japan end 37-year drought with Uber Cup win:
 Japan's women clinched the Uber Cup, breezing by surprise finalists Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok to end a 37-year wait to
regain the title.
 It ends an Uber Cup drought for Japan that stretches back to 1981 and is a major confidence boost ahead of the
Olympics which they will host in two years' time.
 The Uber Cup is second in prestige only to the Olympics as a national team event.
Shane Watson century powers Chennai Super Kings to third IPL title:
 Shane Watson put up an exhibition of power-hitting in front of a packed Wankhede crowd as he struck a memorable
unbeaten century to power Chennai Super Kings to their third Indian Premier League title.
 Chasing 179, CSK overhauled the target in 18.3 overs, scoring 181/2, winning by eight wickets.
 This was the 11th season of Indian Premier League.
Points to Remember:
 Sun risers Hyderabad: Runner Up
 Sunil Narine: Most Valuable Player
 Kane Williamson: Orange cap with 735 runs
 Andrew Tye: Purple cap with 24 Wickets
 Rishabh Pant: Stylish Player of the Season
 Mumbai Indians: IPL Fairplay award
 Rishabh Pant: Emerging player of the season
China wins its 10th Thomas Cup title:
 Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen beat Japanese pair of Keigo Sonoda and Yuta Watanabe 17-21, 21-19, 22-20 to give China its
10th Thomas Cup men's badminton title.
 Li and Liu fought back from trailing 18-20 in the decider to beat the Japanese duo in a 70-minute encounter.
 China last won the tournament in 2012.
CWG gold medallist discus thrower Vikas Gowda retires:
 Top discus thrower Vikas Gowda has retired from the sport after competing at the highest level for more than 15
years.
 He became the first and only Indian male to win a Commonwealth Games medal in discus throw.
 He is a four-time Olympian, who will turn 35 on July 5.

 He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017.
Book Release By Chief of Army Staff:
 Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff released the book 'Across the Bench - Insight into the Indian Military Judicial
System' by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and Member 'A', Armed Forces Tribunal, Lucknow Bench.
 The book deals with military judicial system vis-a-vis command and management issues within the military
establishments besides the whole gamut of issues relating to veterans, their families and dependents.
Vice President Releases Book ‘Straight Talk’:
 The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has released the book ‘Straight Talk’ authored by the Member of Rajya
Sabha, Shri Abhishek Manu Singh
 The Vice President said that law makers should be elected based on four Cs-- Capacity, Caliber, Character and Conduct
and not on the basis of the other four Cs-- Caste, Community, Cash and Criminal Prowess.


June 2018 Current Affairs

IN Ships arrive Guam to participate in Ex-Malabar 2018:
 Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kamorta of the Eastern Fleet arrived at Guam on
07 June to participate in the 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar, off Guam, USA
 From 7 to 16 June, 2018.
 Exercise Malabar  started as a bilateral exercise between the US Navy and the Indian
Navy in 1992, has evolved over the years with the participation of the Japanese Maritime
Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from 2007.
 It is for the first time that the exercise is being conducted off Guam, a major US Naval Base
in the Western Pacific.
 It would be of interest to note that the US has recently named their Hawaii-based Pacific
Command as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
India ranks 137th on Global Peace Index 2018:
 India has moved up four places to the 137th rank among 163 countries on the 2018 Global
Peace Index.
 Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008.
New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark also sit in the top five most peaceful rankings.
 Syria remains the least peaceful country in the world, a position it has held for the past five
years.
World Oceans Day: 8 June
 World Oceans Day is held every year on 8th June

 To raise awareness of the vital importance of our oceans and the role they play in sustaining
a healthy planet.
 Theme  “Preventing Plastic Pollution and Encouraging Solutions for a Healthy Ocean”.
QS World University Rankings 2019: IIT Bombay, IISc move up
 Three Indian universities feature in the top 200 universities of the QS World University
rankings 2019.
 These includes-Indian Insitiute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore and IIT Delhi.
 IIT-Bombay is now the top institute in the country at 162 rising 17 positions from 2018, IIT-
Delhi retained its 2018 position with a rank of 172 while the Indian Institute of Science has
overtaken IIT-Delhi and is ranked 170.
 The list has been topped by Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the seventh year in a
row.

G7 summit 2018 held in Canada:
 44th G7 summit
 June 8–9, 2018
 Location  La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada
 This was the sixth time since 1981 that Canada has hosted the meetings.
 The summit received significant attention due to a significant decline of relations of
members with the United States.
 Due to this, the summit was dubbed the "G6+1" by France and some members of the
media.
 Earlier it was known as G8, but in March 2014, the G7 declared that a meaningful
discussion was currently not possible with Russia in the context of the G8. Since then,
meetings have continued within the G7 process.
 G7  Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States
58 Indian companies in 2018 Forbes 'Global 2000' list:
 58 Indian companies featured on the 2018 Forbes ‘Global 2000’ list of the world’s largest
public sector companies, the same number as last year.
 The Mukesh Ambani-led oil-to-telecom conglomerate, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), rank at
83, retaining its top spot as the most valued Indian company on the list.
 HDFC Bank, the country’s largest financier, took the second spot among Indian companies,
ranking at 202.
 Overall, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China is ranked 1 for the sixth consecutive year.
11th World Hindi Conference to be Held in Mauritius:
 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC)

 18-20 August 2018
 Location  Mauritius
 Organised by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with the
Government of Mauritius.
 Theme  “Hindi Vishwa Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti”.
 The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India. Since then, ten such
Conferences have been held in different parts of the world.
Indians form 2nd largest group of international students in US:
 With 1,86,000 Indian students currently studying in the United States, India is the second
highest sender of foreign students to the US, next only to China.
 US consul general in Kolkata, Craig Hall, said that the United States is the top destination for
foreign students worldwide and the number of Indian students in the US has more than
doubled in the last 10 years.

International ICT conference to be held in Nepal:
 The Computer Association Nepal (CAN) is organizing an international-level 'Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) Conference-2018'
 Location  Kathmandu
 June 17-18
 The objective of the conference is to exchange information on the improved practices of
information technology.
 Various international experts will attend and present their working papers on the occasion.
 Experts from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and
UNDP are participating in the two-day conference.
World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June
 World Day Against Child Labour  June 12

 It is intended to foster the worldwide movement against child labour in any of its forms.
 The International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations body that regulates the
world of work, launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 in order to bring
attention and join efforts to fight against child labour.
World Blood Donor Day:
 June 14
 The event, established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and
blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.
 Theme  'Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life.’
Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes 2017 list of India's 100 richest tycoons:
 Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped Forbes annual list of
Indias 100 richest tycoons of 2017, With a net worth of $38 billion, which is equal to the
entire GDP of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
 The richest newcomer in the list is Wadia Group of companies Chairman Nusli Wadia (No.
25, $5.6 billion).
 At $19 billion, the net worth of Wipro's Azim Premji - who jumped two places up over last
year to become the second richest Indian on the list - is almost equal to Afghanistan's GDP.
Record-Breaking Astronaut Peggy Whitson Retires from NASA:
 Astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent more time in space than any other American,
retired from NASA on June 15.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15 June
 15th of June every year marks the United Nations internationally recognised day – World
Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

 The day came about as a result of UN resolution 66/127

 The day aims to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial
abuse of elders.
 Theme  “Moving from Awareness to Action through a Human Rights based approach”.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: June 17
 World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD)  17th June

 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year to promote public
awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.
 Theme of WDCD 2018  “Land has true value – invest in’
NSG plenary meeting held in Jurmala, Latvia:
 28th Plenary Meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

 Location  Jurmala, Latvia
 14th and 15th June 2018
 NSG plenary meeting was chaired by Ambassador Jānis Zlamets of Latvia
 NSG reviewed the developments since the last meeting in Bern in 2017
International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Road
Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to visit Republic of
Tajikistan to represent India in the high-level Conference on “International Decade for
Action: Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” on 20-21 June 2018.
 United Nations and Government of Republic of Tajikistan are jointly organizing the
Conference to discuss key water related issues of sustainable development goals adopted by
UN member countries.
 Tajikistan is a strategic partner country in our extended neighbourhood.
 The country has a leading role in pioneering global water related issues.
India-Greece business forum meeting:
 On the occasion of the official visit of the President of the Republic of India to Athens, from
June 18 – 19, 2018, a Business Forum the “Greece-India Business Forum” was organized on
Tuesday the 19th of June, in Athens.
 This Forum was organized by The Embassy of India in Athens in collaboration with
Enterprise Greece.
7th OPEC International Seminar:
 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will host the 7th OPEC
International Seminar

 Location  Imperial Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria,

 20−21 June 2018
 Theme  ‘Petroleum cooperation for a sustainable future’
World Music Day: 21 June
 World Music Day  21 June

 On Music Day the citizens of a city or country are allowed and urged to play music outside in
their neighbourhoods or in public spaces and parks.
 The first all-day musical celebration was originated by the France
International Day of Yoga: 21 June
 International Day of Yoga, or commonly and unofficially referred to as Yoga Day, is

celebrated annually on 21 June since its inception in 2015.
 An international day for yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA).
 Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice originated in India.
 Theme  "Yoga for Peace"
US leaves the UN Human Rights Council:
 US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
have announced the US was withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council.
 In doing so, they claimed the council was a roadblock to genuine global human rights
protection.
World Refugee Day: 20 June
 World Refugee Day is observed every year by the people on 20th June in order to raise the
public awareness about refugee’s situations throughout the world.
 World Refugee Day was declared on 20th of June by the United Nations General Assembly
in the Resolution 55/76 on 4th of December in 2000.
 Theme  “Now more than ever, we need to stand #WithRefugees”
India to construct war memorial in France:
 India will construct a war memorial at Villers Guislain, a town around 200 km from Paris,
to honour the valour and sacrifice of the thousands of its soldiers, sailors and airmen who
fought for peace in the World War I.
 This was announced by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
 This will be the second such memorial in Europe

Gadkari Inaugurates Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre at Dushanbe:
 Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping said in Dushanbe, that India is trying
to make Chabahar Port in Iran operational by 2019.
 Shri Gadkari was addressing the Indian Community at the inauguration of the Swami
Vivekananda Cultural Centre at the Indian Embassy in Dushanbe.
 He said the opening up of the Chabahar Port would make the CIS countries more accessible.
 Shri Nitin Gadkari was on a two day official visit to Tajikistan to represent India at the high
level global conference on “International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable
Development”.
International Widows Day: 23 June
 International Widows Day is a United Nations ratified day of action to address the "poverty
and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries".
 The day takes place annually on 23 June.
Saudi Arabia issues first driving licences to women:
 Saudi Arabia has issued driving licences to women for the first time in decades just before
a ban on female drivers is lifted.
 Ten women swapped their foreign licences for Saudi ones in cities across the country.
 A flood of applications is now expected in the run-up to 24 June when the ban will end.
UN MSME Day to be celebrated on 27th June 2018:
 The Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), will organize a National
Conclave (Udyam Sangam) on 27th June 2018 on the occasion of UN MSME Day.
 The purpose of the Conclave is to encourage dialogue and partnership among various
stakeholders of the MSME ecosystem and for promoting innovation and knowledge sharing
on MSME related issues.
India Most Dangerous Country For Women: Survey
 India is the world's most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual
violence and being forced into slave labour.
 War-torn Afghanistan and Syria ranked second and third in the Thomson Reuters
Foundation survey of about 550 experts on women's issues.
 Respondents also ranked India the most dangerous country for women in terms of human
trafficking.

UAE to hold first-ever 'World Tolerance Summit':
 The United Arab of Emirates (UAE) will host a two-day "World Tolerance Summit" in
November.
 Theme  "Prospering From Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation and
Collaboration".
India Ranked Fourth as Cyber Attacks on The Rise Globally: Report
 India ranked fourth in the list of top 10 target countries for Web Application Attacks as
bot-driven abuse and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks continued to rise from
November 2017 till April this year, Cloud delivery network provider Akamai Technologies
said.
 Registering over 2.8 crore attacks, India also ranked eighth globally in the list of Web
Application Attack source countries.
 Russia, China and Indonesia occupied top three spots.
Pakistan placed on FATF's grey list:
 Pakistan has been placed on the Grey list of countries that financially aid terrorism, in
Paris by the Financial Action Task Force(FATF).
 The placement on to grey list could hurt Pakistan's economy as well as its international
standing.
 The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering,
terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial
system.
N Korea named 'worst human trafficking country':
 The US State Department has categorised North Korea as as one of the "worst human
trafficking nation" for the 16th straight year, citing the use of forced labour.
 According to the annual '2018 Trafficking in Persons Report', North Korea has been
included in the Tier 3 category, which is the lowest ranking, along with China, Russia and
Iran.
Three Indian cities among top 10 for GDP risk from terrorism:
 Three Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are ranked among the top 10
cities globally for GDP risk from terrorism threats, a recent study found out.
 Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore stood at fifth, sixth and seventh in this aspect, in the latest
edition of Lloyd's India's City Risk Index (CRI).

President Declares ‘Queen Pineapple’ as State Fruit of Tripura:
 President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind formally declared the “Queen Pineapple” as the
state fruit of Tripura.
 The President inaugurated the National Highway from Matabari to Sabroom in Udaipur,
Tripura.
 The President also visited the Matabari Temple complex in Udaipur.
Andhra Pradesh now is Open Defecation Free (ODF) State:
 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the state was
now Open Defecation Free (ODF) as it had achieved its goal of constructing 2.77 lakh
individual toilets.
 With this achievement, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first large state in the country to be
declared as Open Defecation Free.
Indian PM leaves for China to attend SCO Summit:
 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for China to attend the two-day Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit
 This will be India's first SCO Summit as a full member.
 Modi will be interacting with leaders of SCO nations and discussing a wide range of subjects
with them.
Sikkim gets its longest tunnel:
 Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre has inaugurated 578-metre-long
Theng Tunnel, the longest in Sikkim.
 Constructed on Gangtok-Chungthang State Highway by the Border Roads Organisation
(BRO), the double-lane tunnel bypasses a treacherous stretch of road between Sikkim's
capital Gangtok and Chungthang, which frequently remains closed due to land slides and
shooting stones.
 The tunnel would provide all-weather connectivity
Kalinga Literary Festival begins in Odisha:
 The 5th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival kick-started in Bhubaneswar in the presence
of eminent personalities from Indian literature, politics, media, and public services.
 Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the three-day festival.

CSIR lab to give technology for India’s first indigenous Lithium Ion Battery project:
 Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu under Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and RAASI Solar Power Pvt Ltd have signed a
Memorandum of Agreement for transfer of technology for India’s first Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
Battery project.
 A group at CSIR-CECRI headed by Dr Gopu Kumar has developed an indigenous technology of
Lithium-ion cells in partnership with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) New Delhi,
CSIR- Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI) Kolkata and Indian Institute
of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) Hyderabad.
 CSIR-CECRI has set up a demo facility in Chennai to manufacture prototype Lithium-Ion cells.
Dhanush, India's first indigenous artillery gun:
 India's first indigenous, long-range artillery gun "Dhanush" has passed its final test at
Pokhran, paving the way for its induction into the Army.
 Dhanush is a 155mm x 45mm calibre artillery gun and is also called the "desi Bofors".
 It has a strike range of 38 kilometres and 81% of its components are indigenously sourced.
Delhi most vulnerable UT in India’s first disaster risk index, Maharashtra leads states:
 A national disaster risk index mapping hazards and vulnerabilities across 640 districts puts
Maharashtra at the top of the chart followed by West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh.
 Delhi is most at risk among Union territories (UTs).
 The index is currently in the form of a draft report prepared by the Union home ministry
with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
India to have its 1st police museum in Delhi:
 India will soon have its first national police museum as the central government has decided
to establish the unique facility in Lutyens' Delhi.
 The museum will come up as an underground facility in the premises of the national police
memorial in Chanakyapuri area of the national capital.
 The museum is expected to be inaugurated on October 21 (Police Commemoration Day) at
the hands of either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
India's first lithium ion cell factory to come up in Andhra Pradesh:
 Munoth Industries Limited will set up India’s first lithium ion cell production project by
investing Rs 799 crore in three phases in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
 It will provide a trigger for enabling mobile component manufacturing in India that will also
lead to value addition in overall mobile phone manufacturing.

 In the first phase, Rs 165 crore will be invested to produce lithium ion cells having total
storage capacity of 200,000 Ah (Ampere hour) per day.
Grand Finale of the First Hardware edition of Smart India Hackathon 2018:
 The Ministry of HRD along with AICTE, Persistent Systems, i4C and IIT Kharagpur is all set
to host the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2018 – Hardware edition from Jun 18-
22, 2018.
 This was disclosed by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash
Javadekar.
 Smart India Hackathon 2018 is in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi and is proving to be an important vehicle for scouting new
ideas and help them convert them into products and businesses.
Shri Piyush Goyal launches “Rail Madad”:
 Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways & Coal launched a new App “Rail Madad” – An App
to expedite & streamline passenger grievance redressal.
 RPGRAMS (Railway Passenger Grievance Redressal and Management System),which has
been developed by Northern Railway (Delhi Division) and comprises many novel features
including ‘Rail Madad’ – a mobile App to register complaints by passengers through mobile
phone/web.
 It relays real time feedback to passengers on the status of redressal of their complaints.
Union Steel Minister dedicates to nation rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 of Rourkela Steel Plant:
 The Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh dedicated the rebuilt Blast Furnace-
1 ‘Parvati’ of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to the Nation.
 Parvati is the first Blast Furnace of SAIL that was dedicated to the nation on 3rd February
1959 by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
 The Blast Furnace was put down on 6th August 2013 for total rebuilding. Although erected
on the old foundation, the rebuilt furnace equipped with superior technology has a higher
production capacity.
 With the rebuilding, the annual production capacity, of the furnace has increased from
0.438 Million tonnes (MT) to 1.015 MT
India-Nepal Joint Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII:
 Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII, a joint military training exercise between India & Nepal
culminated at Pithoragarh, wherein the troops of both Armies participated in 14-day long
joint training based on counter terrorist operations.
 The training culminated with a 72-hour outdoor exercise in which troops of both contingents
carried out a Cordon and Search Operation in a mock counter-insurgency village.

Ten new Swachh Iconic Places launched under Swachh Bharat Mission:
 Ten new iconic sites, namely,

1) RaghavendraSwamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh)
2) Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal)
3) Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana)
4) VidurKuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh)
5) Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand)
6) Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K)
7) Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh)
8) ImaKeithal/market (Imphal, Manipur)
9) Sabarimala Temple (Kerala)
10) Kanvashram (Uttarakhand) have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship
project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
 The project envisioned by the Prime Minister is being coordinated by Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation with the support of State governments and local administration.
 The consultation is in process for finalising the PSUs/corporates for extending support to
new sites as CSR partners.
 These new sites have joined the 20 iconic places under Phase I & II where special Sanitation
work is already underway.
3,000 Additional Atal Tinkering Labs Announced:
 NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has selected 3,000 additional schools for the
establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), bringing the total number of ATL schools to
5,441.
 The selected schools shall receive a grant of Rs 20 lakh spread over the next five years to
establish Atal Tinkering Labs for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among
secondary school children across India.
 ATLs will soon be established in every district of India, seeking to enable an innovation
ecosystem, which will facilitate transformational change in technological innovation and
pedagogy.
India to host first BIMSTEC Military Exercise in September:
 India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism in
September.
 As part of this, a conclave of the Army chiefs of all seven member-states is being planned.
 The exercise is scheduled to be held in Pune in the second week of September.
 BIMSTEC was set up in 1997 and includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan Myanmar, Nepal, Sri
Lanka and Thailand.

Cabinet approves Repositioning of North Eastern Council:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the
proposal of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for the nomination
of the Union Home Minister as ex-officio Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC) - a
statutory body with Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight North Eastern States as its
Member.
 The Cabinet also approved that Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER
would serve as Vice Chairman of the Council.
 NEC implements various projects through the State and Central agencies. Under the new
arrangement with Home Minister as Chairman and Minister of DoNER as Vice Chairman,
NEC and all the Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern States as Member would
provide a forum for discussing inter-state matters more comprehensively and also consider
common approaches to be taken in future.
Cabinet approves proposal for withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013:
proposal for withdrawal of Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 pending in the Rajya
Sabha.
 The Nalanda University was established on the basis of a Joint Press Statement at the 4th
East Asia Summit held in Thailand in October, 2009, which supported its establishment as a
non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution. Subsequently, the
Nalanda University Act, 2010 was passed by the Parliament and came into effect from
25thNovember 2010.
 The present proposal is for moving a motion in Rajya Sabha withdrawing the Nalanda
University (Amendment) Bill, 2013 introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 26, 2013 to amend
certain existing provisions of the Nalanda University Act, 2010 and add some new provisions.
Cabinet approves 'Three Year Action Plan of Agricultural Education Division & ICAR
Institutes:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the
continuation of the Three Year Action Plan (2017-2020) of the scheme for Agricultural
Education Division and ICAR Institutes with an outlay of Rs.2225.46 crore[Rs. 2197.51 crore
+ Rs. 27.95 crore (State share) as salary component for AICRP-HS]for strengthening and
developing higher agricultural education in India.
It comprises of:
 "Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India - Rs. Rs.2050.00

crore;

 ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) - Rs. 24.25 crore

and
 ICAR - Central Institute of Women in Agriculture (CIWA) including All India Coordinated
Research Project on Home Science (AICRP-HS) - Rs.151.21 crore.
Raksha Mantri Inaugurates BEL representative office in Vietnam:
 Raksha Mantri, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the first Representative Office of
Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
 BEL, India’s leading defence electronics company, is fast expanding its global presence,
putting its best foot forward to give a thrust to exports worldwide, especially South East
Asian countries such as the Republic of Union of Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
and Philippines.
 The Representative Office will aim to promote BEL’s exports in areas such as Weapon
Systems, Radar Systems, Naval Systems, Military Communication Systems, Electronic
Warfare Systems, Combat Management System and Coastal Surveillance System.
10th Meeting of Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis:
 Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the 10th meeting
of Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF).
 During his inaugural address, Shri Nadda said that India as a Global leader is committed to
eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) transmission and disease burden so that our future
generations are free from Lymphatic Filariasis.
 At the event, Shri Nadda also gave away the GAELF awards to 11 countries- Cambodia, Cook
Islands, Egypt, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Niue, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Togo, Tonga and
Vanuatu, for successfully interrupting the transmission.
 The Union Health Minister also released the Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic
Filariasis (LF) 2018 for India.
Cashless Ticketing through 'Utsonmobile' app developed by CRIS:
 Continuing towards digitalization and moving towards becoming a cashless economy, the
initiative of faster and more techno-advanced transactions in Indian Railways is being taken
up, the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) has developed a mobile based
application ‘utsonmobile'.
 The ‘utsonmobile’ application enables booking and cancellation of unreserved tickets, issue
and renewal of season and platform tickets, check and load R-wallet balance and helps
maintain user profile management and booking history.

Thawarchand Gehlot chairs ‘3rd Meeting of National Council of Senior Citizens’:
 Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment chaired the
“3rd Meeting of National Council of Senior Citizens(NCSrC)” convened by the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment.
 Addressing on the occasion, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot said that the government is
committed to the welfare of senior citizens and several new initiatives have been taken
during past four years.
 The NCSrC advises Central and State Governments on the entire gamut of issues related to
welfare of senior citizens and enhancement of their quality of life.
 The NCSrC meets at least twice a year. Its first meeting was held on 30th August, 2016 and
the second meeting was held on 19th June 2017.
NITI Aayog to launch Composite Water Management Index:
 The objective of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas can be fully achieved once the benefits of the
interventions reach the last mile.
 As a step beyond measurement of outcomes, NITI Aayog has come out with various indices
that not only fulfills its mandate of cooperative and competitive federalism but also
challenges States and Union Territories (UTs) them to meet the aspirations of the new India.
 Furthering this mandate, NITI Aayog has come up with the Composite Water Management
Index as a useful tool to assess and improve the performance in efficient management of
water resources. This index is an attempt to inspire States and UTs towards efficient and
optimal utilization of water, and recycling thereof with a sense of urgency.
Piyush Goyal dedicates NLCIL's Three 100 MW Solar Power Projects to the Nation:
 The Union Minister for Railways, Coal, Finance & Company Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal has
inaugurated Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL)’s three 100 MW Solar Power
Projects for commercial operation and dedicated these projects to the Nation .
 The Solar Power projects situated at Thoppalaakkarai and Sethupuram in Virudhunagar
District and Sellaiya Sezhiyanallur in Tirunelveli District, with an installed capacity of 100
MW each, were erected at a cost of Rs.1300 Crores, which includes Operation &
Maintenance cost for 15 Years.
 The power produced from these units will be given to Tamilnadu Power Generation and
Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) at a cost of Rs.4.41/- per unit.
Swajal Launched in 115 Aspirational Districts of India:
 A National Consultation on the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and
Swajal was held in the Capital to discuss the reforms needed in NRDWP and to outline a
road map for the Swajal scheme.
 The consultation was chaired by the Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri
Uma Bharti.

 Ministers-in-charge of Drinking Water from 13 States, including Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, attended the consultation and gave their views
on the reforms needed in the ongoing Centrally-sponsored drinking water schemes being
implemented in the respective states.
20 States sign MoU for implementing Ayushman Bharat –AB-NHPM:
 Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare exchanged the Memorandum
of Understanding with the State Health Ministers of 20 States marking their commitment
towards the launch of the Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-
NHPM) at a Health Ministers conclave.
 Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Smt. Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for Health and
Family Welfare, Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI Aayog, Dr. Vinod Paul, Member Health, NITI
Aayog, Smt Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) and Shri Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB-NHPM, were
also were also present at the function.
 Shri J P Nadda further stated that AB-NHPM will protect around 50 crore people (from
about 10 crore families).
Integrated Command and Control Centre of Naya Raipur Smart City inaugurated by PM:
 The Integrated Command and Control Centre of the Naya Raipur Smart City was
inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi.
 Integrated Command & Control Centre of Naya Raipur becomes the 10th Smart City Centre
to be operational in the country.
 Under the ambitious Smart City Mission, Integrated Command & Control Centres in 9 cities
had already become operational in the cities of are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat,
Pune, Nagpur, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Bhopal and Kakinada.
National Tribal Museum proposed to be set up at Delhi:
 A National Tribal Museum along with a National Level Tribal Research Institute is
proposed to be set up at Delhi by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
 Briefing media persons on four years of initiatives and achievements of the Tribal Affairs
Ministry, the Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram said that the Museum will showcase
the rich tribal culture and heritage using state-of-the-art technologies.
 The proposal to set up the Museum and TRI has already been sent to the Niti Ayog.
 As per the announcement made by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in his
Independence Day Speech on 15th August, 2016, MoTA is setting up six Tribal Freedom

Fighters Memorials including two of national importance ie. Narmada (Gujarat) and Birsa
Munda Central Jail (Ranchi)
Release of the Report on the Composite Water Management Index:
 As a step further in direction and keeping in view the criticality of water for life, NITI Aayog
has prepared a report on Composite Water Management Index (CWMI).
 The report released today ranks Gujarat as number one in the reference year (2016-17),
followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
 In North Eastern and Himalayan States, Tripura has been adjudged number 1 in 2016-17
followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam.
 In terms of incremental change in index (over 2015-16 level), Rajasthan holds number one
position in general States and Tripura ranks at first position amongst North Eastern and
Himalayan States.
 NITI Aayog proposes to publish these ranks on an annual basis in future.
Prime Minister to Chair the 4th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog:
 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will chair the fourth meeting of the Governing Council
of NITI Aayog at Rashtrapati Bhawan on 17th June.
 The Governing Council of NITI Aayog is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared
vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement
of States in shaping the development narrative.
 The Governing Council reviews the work done during the previous year and deliberates upon
the future developmental priorities.
India to host European Union Film Festival:
 Putting a spotlight on the latest European cinema, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF)
will premiere in New Delhi on 18th June, 2018 at the Siri Fort Auditorium.
 With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years' film
festival brings some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts.
 The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India partnering with the Delegation of the
European Union and embassies of EU Member States in various city film clubs.
 The festival will traverse through 11 cities in India including New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair,
Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa from 18th
June till 31st August.
 Celebrating diversity, the EUFF will screen movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

Tourism Minister to attend Incredible India road shows in the United States:
 The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, Shri K. J. Alphons will attend a
series of ‘Incredible India road shows’ in the United States of America, from 18th to 22nd
June 2018.
 The road shows will be held in several major cities of US including New York, Chicago &
Houston.
 The key note addresses will be delivered by the Tourism Minister and Incredible India
presentation will be made by Joint Secretary Ministry of Tourism Shri. Suman Billa, with an
aim to project India as a ‘must visit’ tourist destination.
USA is one among the top three source countries in the percentage share of Foreign Tourist
Arrivals (FTAs) in India.
 During April 2018, the USA was the second highest source country with 11.21% share of
total FTAs.
Naval Women Mountaineers Summit @ Mount Deotibba:
 An All women Naval mountaineering team led by Lt Cdr Kokila Sajwan summited Mount
Deotibba an 10 Jun 2018.
 The expedition was flagged off by Vice Admiral AK Chawla, AVSM, NM, VSM, Chief Of
Personnel on 28 May 18 from New Delhi laying foundation for a team, which would attempt
to scale many more challenging peaks in the near future.
 Mount Deotibba provided excellent opportunity to the team in honing their mountaineering
skills.
 Mt Deotibba is the second highest peak (6001 m) in the Pir-Panjal range in Himachal
Pradesh
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh discontinues ceremonial guard of honour:
 Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh has discontinued the ceremonial guard of honour
accorded to his office, Raj Bhawan officials said.
 While a letter in this regard was sent by his office to the state government, the practice was
discontinued during his recent visit to Jodhpur between June 9 and 11 when he did not take
the guard of honour.
 Singh had expressed his desire to discontinue the ceremony for the Governor’s office in a
letter to the Home Department on January 1.
Foundation Stone of ‘Auxiliary Production Unit & Artificial Limbs Fitting Centre’ laid:
 The Foundation of stone of “Auxiliary Production Unit and State-of-the-Art Artificial Limbs
Fitting Centre” of Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) under
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice
& Empowerment was laid by Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana and Shri Krishan
Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment at a function at village
Nawada, Tigaon (Ballabhgarh), Faridabad, Haryana.

 There has been an ever increasing demand from the Divyangjan about the difficulty being
faced by them in visiting Kanpur to avail facilities of evaluation, measurements and fitment
of assistive devices.
 Diversification of rehabilitation and fitment of assistive devices services to other areas will
facilitate Divyangjans to cover less a distance for acquiring these devices.
Findings of 160 cost-benefit analyses in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan presented to NITI
Aayog:
 NITI Aayog has been engaging with State Governments to evolve a shared vision of national
development and strategies from time to time to share the best practices.
 In this context, India Consensus - a partnership between Tata Trusts and Copenhagen
Consensus which has undertaken more than 160 cost-benefit analyses across all main
policy areas in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan presented their findings on 14th June 2018 in
NITI Aayog.
 The presentation on evidence-based policy prioritisation model was chaired by Dr Rajiv
Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog.
 It was attended by Chief Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal
Secretaries/Secretaries dealing with the Planning Department of 32 States and Union
Territories, Joint Secretaries from 14 Ministries, senior officers from NITI Aayog, eminent
economists and researchers.
 Copenhagen Consensus President, Dr Bjorn Lomborg presented the policies and
interventions which generate the most social, economic and environmental good for the
States.
School Chale Hum Abhiyan 2018 launched in Bhopal:
 Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ‘School Chale Hum Abhiyan
2018’ in Bhopal.
 The motive of this scheme is that no child should be deprived of schooling.
 Inaugurating the month long campaign on June 15, the minister encouraged students,
teachers and parents to make it a success.
Telangana govt to set up Child Protection Units in all 31 districts:
 In an effort to implement child rights, the Telangana government will soon establish
‘District Child Protection Units (DCPU)’ in all 31 districts.
 Right now the 10 erstwhile districts have the District Child Protection Units (DCPU).

Ashwini Kumar Choubey releases 11th Common Review Mission (CRM) report:
 Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare released the
11thCommon Review Mission (CRM) report of the National Health Mission.
 Speaking at the function, Shri Choubey stated that India has registered a record 22%
reduction in MMR since 2013, which is the highest percentage decline so far when
compared to all the previous reductions in MMR as per the earlier rounds of SRS.
 “Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has declined from 167 in 2011-2013 to 130 in 2014-
2016. It is because of the joint efforts of the Ministry and the States.
Grand Finale of the First Hardware edition of Smart India Hackathon 2018:
 The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurated
the 5 day Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2018 – Hardware edition through Video
conferencing in New Delhi.
 Hardware edition is the first of its kind innovative initiative by Ministry of HRD to provide
national platform to young technical minds of India to showcase their disruptive innovations
and creative products which can bring out revolutionary changes in crucial sectors like
agriculture, health, clean water, waste management, automotive, smart communication,
and education.
 The Hardware edition is the sub-edition of SIH2018.
 The Grand Finale of the Hardware Hackathon will be a 5 days event and will take place
simultaneously at 10 prestigious institutions (Nodal centers) across India.
3-day NATIONAL YOGA OLYMPIAD-2018:
 A 3-day National Yoga Olympiad was inaugurated at the National Council of Educational
Research and Training in CIET in New Delhi by Mr. Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO
Representative of the New Delhi Cluster Office for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the
Maldives and Sri Lanka.
 This is the third consecutive year of National Yoga Olympiad of NCERT and this year about
500 students from 26 States and 4 RIEs are participating in the Olympiad as compared to the
participation of students from 25 States/UTs last year.
 In his welcome address, Professor Hrushikesh Senapaty, Director, NCERT brought to the
attention that the Olympiad creates awareness about a scientific and holistic way of living
and the purpose is to create positive attitude among all human beings and promote peaceful
living in the society.
Col Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated European Union Film Festival:
 Minister of State (I/C) for Information & Broadcasting and Sports & Youth Affairs, Col
Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the European Union Film Festival.
 The opening ceremony was followed by the screening of Slovakian movie “Little Harbour”.
 With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years' film
festival brings some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts.

 The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India partnering with the Delegation of the
European Union and embassies of EU Member States in various city film clubs.
Workshop on Cyber Security Framework – 2018:
 A workshop on Cyber Security Framework for Department of Defence was organised by

DDP, Ministry of Defence.
 The workshop was inaugurated by RakshaMantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman.
 During her address, Smt Sitharaman stressed upon the fact that Defence sector is more
prone to the cyber threats and hence it becomes important to safeguard our cyberspace
with anticipation of possible attacks.
Mehbooba Mufti resigns as J&K CM:
 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has sent her resignation to Governor
NN Vohra, after the BJP announced it was leaving the alliance with her Peoples Democratic
Party.
 The BJP's decision to end the coalition leaves Mufti with just 28 out of Jammu and Kashmir's
87 elected seats.
Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir:
 A day after BJP pulled out of its alliance with PDP, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has come
under Governor's rule with immediate effect.
 NN Vohra will now be running the state for a fourth time since his appointment in 2008.
Union HRD Minister dedicates the National Digital Library of India to the Nation:
 The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the
new digital initiative of HRD Ministry ‘National Digital Library of India’ on the occasion of
National Reading Day in New Delhi.
 This National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a project of the Ministry of Human Resource
Development under the aegis of National Mission on Education through Information and
Communication Technology (NMEICT)
 The objective of NDL is to make digital educational resources available to all citizens of the
country to empower, inspire and encourage learning.
 National Digital Library of India is developed by IIT Kharagpur.
 NDL is the Single Window Platform that collects and collates metadata from premier
learning institutions in India and abroad, as well as other relevant sources.
 It is a digital repository containing textbooks, articles, videos, audio books, lectures,
simulations, fiction and all other kinds of learning media.

19th All India Conference of Directors of Finger Prints Bureaux:
 Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir will inaugurate the
19th all India Conference of Directors of Finger Prints Bureaux in Hyderabad.
 During the two-day conference, participants will deliberate on latest Automatic Fingerprint
Identification Systems (AFIS).
Shillong gets selected as the 100th Smart City:
 Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya has been selected as 100th Smart City after
evaluating the proposal submitted by it.
 Till now, 99 smart cities had been selected in four rounds of competition and with today’s
announcement, selection of 100 cities has been completed under the Smart Cities Mission.
Previously, 20 cities were selected in January 2016, 13 cities in May 2016, 27 cities in
September 2016, 30 cities in June 2017 and 9 cities in January 2018.
 With the selection of Shillong, the total proposed investment in the finally selected 100
cities under the Smart Cities Mission would be Rs.2,05,018 crores.
KVIC adopts Jagatpur village in Delhi for Swachhata Abhiyaan:
 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has adopted Jagatpur village in Delhi
for its Swachhata Abhiyaan.
 The sanitation drive by KVIC began with a plantation drive and ended with cleanliness drive
along the bank of the Yamuna river.
RK Singh inaugurates solar plant at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib:
 India is making rapid strides in the field of renewable energy and we will overshoot the
target of 175 GW renewable energy by 2022.” said Shri R.K Singh, Minister of State(IC) for
Power and New & Renewable Energy.
 He was speaking as the Chief Guest at the inauguration of 1500 kWP capacity solar plant
developed by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) at the Gurdwara
Rakab Ganj Sahib.
 The Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to bring electricity to every
household by 31st December, 2018.
7th India Minerals and Metals forum inaugurated in New Delhi:
 India Minerals and Metals forum was inaugurated in New Delhi . The forum seeks to come
up with solutions to leverage in the sector with the changing global scenario.
Punjab Government Launched Mobile App- ‘i-Hariyali’:
 To increase the state’s green cover, the Punjab government has launched ‘i-Hariyali’ app
that lets users order free plant saplings.
 The ‘i-Hariyali’ app under ‘Mission Tandarust’ can be downloaded from the app store for
free.

 The users can book a sapling of their choice, a maximum of 25 per person, from a nearby
government nursery.
PM Modi inaugurates nature center in New York via video link:
 On the occasion of 4th International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated a nature center.
 PM Modi inaugurated the 'YO1 Nature Cure Center' in the Catskills area of New York
through a video link.
Gujarat gets world's1st centre for humanitarian forensics:
 Gujarat is set to come up with the world's first international centre for humanitarian
forensics.
 The International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics (ICHF) will facilitate better
management of bodies during emergencies such as disasters.
 It was inaugurated at the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU).
 The ICHF is a joint venture of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Regional
Delegation for India, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives, and GFSU.
Prime Minister lays foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan:
 Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for Vanijya Bhawan, a new office
complex of the Department of Commerce in New Delhi.
 Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for an increase in
exports and said that the states must be made active partners in this effort.
 He said that the Department of Commerce must resolve to raise India’s share in total
global exports to at least 3.4 percent, from the current 1.6 percent.
 He further stated that efforts must be made to raise domestic manufacturing output in
order to reduce imports.
Swachh Bharat Rankings 2018: Indore Tops Again
 Indore won the cleanest city tag for the second time in a row, while 19 of the 25 dirtiest
cities in the country are in West Bengal, a nationwide cleanliness survey by the Union
housing and urban affairs ministry has found.
 Indore was followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh
 Among states, Jharkhand topped the list, followed by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh
 Greater Mumbai is the cleanest state capital
 Vijayawada is the Cleanest city in >10 lakh population category
 Mysuru is the Cleanest city in 3-10 lakh population category
 New Delhi Municipal Corporation is the Cleanest city in 1-3 lakh population category

PM inaugurates urban development projects:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, remotely inaugurated urban development projects
at various locations across the State of Madhya Pradesh.
 These include houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, urban drinking water supply
schemes, urban solid waste management, urban sanitation, urban transportation and urban
landscape projects.
PM dedicates Mohanpura Irrigation Project to the Nation:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has dedicated the Mohanpura Project in Madhya
Pradesh to the Nation.
 This project will facilitate irrigation of agricultural land in Rajgarh district. It will also provide
drinking water to villages in the area.
 The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of various drinking water schemes.
Photo Exhibition on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign inaugurated:
 The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Vijay Sampla
stressed the need to inspire more girls to take up the field of Photo Journalism as the
Photo Journalists play a significant role in depicting the reality in a natural way.
 He was addressing the Photo Journalists after inaugurating a three day Photo Exhibition on
‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Khelo India Khelo’ in
Chandigarh organised by The Photo Journalists Welfare Association.
PM inaugurates Bahadurgarh-Mundka Metro Line via video conference:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Bahadurgarh-Mundka Metro Line
via video conference.
 Congratulating the people of Haryana and Delhi on the commencement of this new section
of the Delhi Metro, he said he was happy to see Bahadurgarh connected with the Delhi
Metro.
 This is the third place in Haryana, after Gurugram and Faridabad to be connected like this.
Piyush Goyal inaugurates India Infrastructure Expo 2018:
 The Union Minister of Railways,Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal
inagurated the India Infrastructure Expo 2018 in Mumbai.
 Two day expo is being organised by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance, in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
(FICCI).
PM Narendra Modi launched urban transport service:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated urban public transport bus service 'Sutra
Seva'at function held at Nehru Stadium, Indore on June 23.

 In the first phase of 'Sutra Seva', 127 buses will start plying in four municipal corporation
cities Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Chhindwara and in two municipal council towns Guna
and Bhind.
Government to set up regulator for skills training:
 The government is to set up an independent regulator for skills training in the country, as
skill development and entrepreneurship ministry failed in its efforts to improve the quality
of skills imparted by various bodies and institutions.
 The skill development and entrepreneurship ministry will act as the administrative
ministry for the regulator.
 Skills training in India is governed by different bodies and regulations such as the National
Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the National Skills Development Authority
(NSDA)
India and Seychelles agree on naval base at Assumption Island:
 India and Seychelles has agreed to work together on a project to develop a naval base at
the Assumption Island keeping each other's concerns in mind after talks between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and President Danny Faure (Seychelles)
 India also announced a USD 100-million credit to Seychelles for augmenting its defence
capabilities.
 With this credit Seychelles will be able to buy defence equipments from India to build its
maritime capacity.
Group of Eminent Personalities to study the SEZ Policy holds its first meeting:
 The group of eminent personalities constituted by the Government of India to study the
Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Policy of India held its first meeting on 22nd June under the
aegis of Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu.
 Baba Kalyani, Chairman Bharat Forge, who is Chairman of this group of eminent
personalities, pointed out that biggest challenge today was creation of jobs and the focus of
the group would be to address this issue.
 The group will make suggestion for shift from fiscal incentives to employment based
incentives, reframe the boundaries and introduce grandfathering clause for existing
provisions.
Suresh Prabhu chairs India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission:
 Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation of India, Suresh Prabhu co-chaired the
15th Session of the India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission with the Australian
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo, in Canberra.
 Both Ministers emphasized the need for growth in two-way trade and investment.

51 Lakh Houses Sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in Three Years:
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) conducted its 35th Central Sanctioning and
Monitoring Committee (CSMC) meeting of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) – Urban on
25.06.2018 where a total of 3,18,900 houses from 6 States/UTs were approved.
 With this, the PMAY (U) has approved more than 51 Lakhs dwelling units against the
estimated demand of 1 crore.
 As the scheme is completing its 3rd year of implementation today, a significant milestone of
more than 51 lakh houses approved has been achieved.
 This is a huge jump in comparison to old housing scheme where 12.4 Lakh houses were
approved in around 9 years of its implementation.
 Such unprecedented performance is due to innovative architecture of the scheme where
flexibility has been given to the States/UTs to approve the projects.
 Further, rather than a rigid approach, beneficiaries are free to choose from 4 verticals of the
Mission as per their preference.
 The State of Maharashtra has taken a big stride in achieving its target of providing houses
to slum dwellers by getting 2.48 lakh houses approved in 35th CSMC.
Report on ‘Women in Prisons’ launched:
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has come up with its report titled
‘Women in Prisons’ which aims to build an understanding of the various entitlements of
women in prisons, the various issues faced by them and possible methods for resolution of
the same.
 The report contains a comprehensive list of 134 recommendations for improving the lives
of women under incarceration.
Main Features of the report are:
 The report proposes that bail should be granted to those under-trial women who have spent
one-third of their maximum possible sentence in detention, by making necessary changes in
Section 436A of the CrPC which provides for release after half of the maximum sentence has
been served.
 Considering the needs of women in their post-natal stages, the report recommends a
separate accommodation for mothers in post-natal stage to maintain hygiene and protect
the infant from contagion, for at least a year after childbirth.
 To make legal aid more effective, the report suggests that legal consultations must be
conducted in confidentiality and without censorship
 Re-integration of women in society is a grave problem, due to the stigma attached to
incarceration. In the study conducted by MWCD, it was found that in many cases, women
were abandoned by their families and were left to fend for themselves after their release.

Government proposes to set up 3000 Van Dhan Kendras:
 The Government proposes to set up 3000 Van Dhan Kendras involving 30,000 SHGs across
the country under the Van Dhan Scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
 In a new game changing initiative, the Prime Minister launched the Van Dhan Scheme of
Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED on 14th April, 2018 during the celebrations of
Ambedkar Jayanti at Bijapur Chattisgarh
 Emphasizing the important role of value addition in increasing tribal incomes, the Prime
Minister stated that Van Dhan, Jandhan and Goverdhan Schemes had the potential to
change the tribal-rural economic system.
National Seminar on Conservation of Particularly Vulnerable Tribes of Andaman & Nicobar

Islands:
 National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is organizing a National Seminar on

“Conservation of Particularly Vulnerable Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The Way
Forward” on 27th and 28th June, 2018 at Kamaladevi Multipurpose Hall, India International
Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi.
 About 44 Ministries/Departments have been invited by the National Commission for
Scheduled Tribes to present their strategies and approach towards PVTGs in Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
 This Seminar is being organized in collaboration with Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)
and Directors of 18 Tribal Research Institutes in different States have also been invited to
deliberate on critical issues of tribal groups who are at the verge of extinction.
Sushma Swaraj Introduces Passport Seva App:
 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched a Passport Seva app for seamless
application and issue of passports.
 Ms Swaraj said that in total, there are 260 working passport centres, which will be expanded
to all Lok Sabha constituencies in the near future.
President of India Inaugurates the Udyam Sangam-2018:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Udyam Sangam-2018, being
organised by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) on June 27, 2018
to celebrate the 2nd United Nations Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day.
 On this occasion, he also launched the Solar Charkha and MSME Sampark Portal.
 The President said that the Udyam Sangam-2018 is an important effort in developing
effective eco-systems for MSME sector.
J P Nadda inaugurates the NIMHANS Digital Academy:
 Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the NIMHANS
Digital Academy and addressed the first batch of professionals enrolled for undergoing
courses in the fields of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Social Work.

 Shri Nadda also released the training modules and curricula for various training programmes
to be undertaken at the NIMHANS Digital Academy.
WCD Ministry to organise TECH-THON:
 Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India will organize a day-long
Seminar on Technology Partnerships for Steering POSHAN Abhiyaan called ‘TECH-THON’ for
POSHAN Abhiyaan - PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment on 28th June,
2018 at PravasiBharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.
 Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog will inaugurate the Seminar and launch the Jan Andolan
Guidelines of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
 The Seminar is being organised to showcase and orient the environment towards the
initiative, exchange ideas and to explore avenues of cooperation and partnerships for
technology support, as well as, reaching-out to the beneficiaries for effective behavioural
change to initiate a ‘Peoples Movement’ or Jan Andolan towards Nutrition.
4th National Review & Consultation on Swachh Iconic Places:
 The 4th National Review and Consultation on Swachh Iconic Places has begun in
Hyderabad to review the progress relating to maintenance and cleanliness of Iconic Places.
 Inaugurating the two-day consultation and review, Director General Special projects under
the Ministry of Drinking Water Supply, Akshay Rout underlined the need for better
coordination between local and state Governments in implementing SIP Strategies.
Centre to Replace UGC With HECI:
 The Centre is set to replace the apex higher education regulator body University Grants
Commission (UGC) with Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) by repealing the UGC
Act, 1951.
 The proposed Higher Education Commission of India would focus solely on academic
matters and monetary grants would be under the purview of the ministry.
 Presently, the University Grants Commission (UGC), which came into existence in 1953,
provides financial assistance to eligible colleges.
Oxytocin formulations ban to come into effect from 1st July 2018:
 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has restricted the manufacture of Oxytocin
formulations for domestic use to public sector only from 1st July 2018.
 It has also banned the import of Oxytocin and its formulations.
 From 1st July 2018, no private manufacturer will be allowed to manufacture the drug for
domestic use.
 Only Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL), a public sector company, would
be manufacturing this drug for domestic use from that date.

“Statistics Day” will be celebrated on 29th June, 2018:
 In recognition of the notable contributions made by Late Professor Prasanta Chandra

Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning,
Government of India in 2007, has designated 29 th June as the “Statistics Day” in the
category of Special Days to be celebrated every year at the National level.
 29th June, 2017 marked the beginning of the 125th year of birth of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis.
 ISI has held year-round celebrations which will be culminated on 29th June, 2018.
 The objective of celebration of this Day is to create public awareness about the importance
of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation, to acknowledge the
contribution of Prof. Mahalanobis, and to pay homage to him.
Institution of "Home Minister's Special Operation Medal":
 Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the institution of "Home Minister's
Special Operation Medal"
 Police Officers of States & Union Territories, Central Police Organisations (CPOs), Central
Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Security Organisation involved in Special Operations will be
eligible.
 The Union Home Minister has also instituted three more Medals, - the Antarik Suraksha
Medal, Asadharan Aashuchan Padak, and Utkrisht & Ati-Utkrisht Seva Medal.
Fourth National Consultation to be held in New Delhi:
 The fourth National Consultation Meeting of Ministers of States & UTs, in-charge of Food,
Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs is being held on 29th June 2018 in New Delhi.
 The meeting will be chaired by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs,
and Food & Public Distribution.
 The consultation will be on measures needed for further improving various facets of
consumer protection and welfare including availability of essential food items at stable
prices, Public Distribution System etc., and chart a future course of action.
Mumbai airport's terminal 1 becomes first to offer automated check-in facility:
 Airlines operating out of the Terminal 1 (T1) of the Mumbai airport now provide self-bag
drop (SBD) facility to passengers, making it the only terminal with such a fully-automated
check-in system.
 Besides, the airport operator has also extended the check-in facility to a host of five-star
hotels in the city, enabling the passengers to collect their boarding passes from the hotel
itself.
 This is the only terminal in the country to have a fully-automated check-in system.

Suresh Prabhu launches Mobile App 'ReUnite':
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu has launched a
mobile application called ReUnite which helps to trackandtrace missing and abandoned
children in India.
 Speaking on this occasion the Minister appreciated the work being done by the
NGO,Bachpan Bachao Andolan & Capgemini for developing this app.
 The app is multiuser where parents and citizens can upload pictures of children, and provide
detailed description like name, birth mark, address, report to the police station, search and
identify missing kids.
NITI Aayog partners with GNFC Ltd to implement Fertilizer Subsidy Disbursement:
 NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) have signed
a Statement of Intent (SOI) to work together towards implementing Proof-of-Concept
(“PoC”) application using Blockchain Technology for fertiliser subsidy management.
 Fertilizer units manufacture approximately 31 Million MT of fertilizers across country, where
total approximately Rs. 70,000 Cr. of subsidy is disbursed to the manufacturing units.
NITI Aayog releases First Delta Ranking of Aspirational Districts:
 The NITI Aayog has launched the first Delta ranking (incremental progress) for the
Aspirational Districts, based on self-reported data of districts between March 31, 2018 to
May 31, 2018, across five developmental areas of Health and Nutrition, Education,
Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Basic
Infrastructure.
 The Districts started entering data from 1st April, 2018 in the Champions of Change
Dashboard and 108 districts out of total 112, participated in this ranking.
 Dahod district of Gujarat improved 19.8 points to rank first in the Delta ranking (was
Ranked 17 in Baseline ranking).
 West Sikkim district in Sikkim stood second with 18.9 points, a huge improvement from
being in the 30th position in Baseline ranking.
Andhra Pradesh, Singapore sign pacts for Amaravati development:
 The state government of Andhra Pradesh and Singapore has signed several pacts for the
development of a start-up area (1,691 acres) in the new capital, Amaravati, to transform it
into a world-class city.
 Under the agreement, the land would be handed over in three phases – 660 acres in the first
phase – to the Singapore companies for infrastructure development and other promotional
activities.

World Bank forecasts 7.3 per cent growth for India:
 The World Bank has forecast a growth rate of 7.3 per cent for India this year and 7.5 per
cent for the next two years, making it the fastest growing country among major emerging
economies.
 It said that growth in South Asia is projected to strengthen to 6.9 per cent in 2018.
Banks to set up dedicated mechanism to address stress assets:
 The government of India has set up a committee under Punjab National Bank non-
executive chairman Sunil Mehta to consider the establishment of an asset reconstruction
company to help resolve the bad loan burden.
 Others on the committee include State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar and Bank of
Baroda managing director PS Jayakumar.
India gives Rs 99 million to Nepal for installing shallow tube wells:
 India has extended a financial aid of Rs 99 million to Nepal for the construction of 2,700
shallow tube well irrigation systems in 12 districts of the country's southern Terai region to
boost agricultural productivity.
 The assistance has been extended as part of the final payment for the Nepal-Bharat Maitri
Irrigation Project, which was launched in January last year to boost growth to the Himalayan
nation's agricultural sector through enhanced facilities.
 India's Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, handed over a cheque of 99.21 million
Nepalese Rs to the country's Energy Secretary, Sanjay Sharma.
Maharashtra Inks MoU with Canada’s Quebec Province for Greater Economic
Cooperation:
 The Maharashtra government and Canada’s Quebec province have signed a pact to
increase the economic cooperation, specially in areas of information technology,
biotechnology, artificial intelligence and welfare of the tribal community.
 The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect with was signed by Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard during his week-long tour to the
US and Canada.
KBL
 Karnataka Bank Ltd has launched ‘KBL-Deposit Only Card’ that enables hassle-free cash
deposit transactions at the bank’s 24X7 e-lobby services.
 This card is specially meant for the bank’s current/overdraft customers.

 These customers can perform cash deposit transactions even with higher deposit limit at the
bank’s bunch note acceptor (BNA) or cash recycler kiosks by using this card.
 The limit for the cash deposit a day is Rs 10 lakh.

'SoftBank to invest up to $100 billion in Indian solar':
 SoftBank Group has decided to invest $60-100 billion in solar power generation in India.
 SoftBank and the government are expected to reach a formal agreement soon after final
arrangements are made.
 The company is expected to make the investment through a fund backed by Saudi Arabia's
government.
U.S. pips India as top greenfield FDI destination:
 U.S. has surpassed India to become the top destination for greenfield FDI investment in
2017, says a report.
 The number of greenfield FDI projects in India during the year fell sharply by 21% to 637,
said the FDI Report 2018 compiled by FDI Intelligence.
 India had maintained the numero uno slot in greenfield FDI investment in 2015 and 2016.
Muthoot Fincorp Limited announced its partnership with NSDC:
 Muthoot Fincorp Limited has announced its partnership with National Skill Development
Corporation to train over 10,000 youth over the next three years and make them job ready.
 With the partnership, Muthoot Fincorp claims to have become the first major private sector
player to partner with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to launch the
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY-2) programme.
 Under the scheme, Muthoot Fincorp targets to train over 10,000 people over the next three
years and make them job ready.
 NSDC has approved a target of 3,000 candidates in the first year and 3,500 each in the
subsequent two years.
NABARD to lend Rs 21,000 crore to MP in current fiscal:
 National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD) said that it would give Rs
21,000 crore to the Madhya Pradesh government in the current financial year.
 In the last three years, NABARD has given Rs 2,000 crore every year to the Madhya Pradesh
government for works related to roads, bridges and irrigation among other things
Government to team up with Google for flood forecasting:
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin
Gadkari has expressed hope that collaboration with Google will help in effective flood
management in India.
 Central Water Commission (CWC), India’s apex technical organization in the field of Water
Resources, has entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Google.
 CWC would use state-of-the-art advances made by Google in the in the field of Artificial
Intelligence, Machine Learning and geo spatial mapping for effective management of water

resources particularly in the field of flood forecasting and dissemination of flood related
information to the masses widely using the dissemination platforms developed by Google.
 This initiative is likely to help crisis management agencies to deal extreme hydrological
events in a better manner.
BoB partners Accenture, IBM to drive growth through technology:
 Public sector lender Bank of Baroda has mandated IT majors IBM and Accenture to create
an IT Centre of Excellence (ITCoE) and Analytics Centre of Excellence (ACoE) as part of the
bank’s strategy to use technology to drive growth.
 The bank said in a statement that the twin centres are part of a comprehensive digital
roadmap drawn up to enhance the quality.
PM to inaugurate the Third AIIB Annual Meeting 2018:
 The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and the
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will jointly host the third Annual Meeting
of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
 June 25-26, 2018
 Theme  “Mobilizing Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Collaboration” that will
see leaders from varied organizations and levels of government to share ideas and
experiences for creating a sustainable future through sound infrastructure investment.
 This year will also see the launch of the inaugural Asian Infrastructure Forum, which will
gather infrastructure practitioners in a practical and project-driven discourse, focused on
matching innovative finance to critical infrastructure needs.
CEMS Sets Up Labs in Mumbai and Vizag:
 The Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS), a well-funded start-up in skill
development for maritime and shipbuilding sector, has announced setting up of 24 labs -6 in
Mumbai and 18 in Vizag campus.
 The labs being set up include Product Design & Validation, Advance Manufacturing, Hull
Design, Automation, Welding Technology, Robotics, Virtual Reality, Advance Machine &
Robotics, Electrical and several others.
 Promoted by Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) in partnership with Siemens and support
from Sagarmala, Ministry of Shipping, CEMS aims to build competency in the field of
maritime & shipbuilding sector through skill development in the latest manufacturing
technologies for shipbuilding/ repair and ancillary sectors.

India is the largest borrower from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank:
 With the total project portfolios of US$4.4 Billion, India has been the largest borrower of
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) lending since the time the Bank started its
operations.
 Unlike most other multilateral development banks set up by advanced economies, AIIB is
the first major multilateral development bank where principal contributors are the
borrowing members themselves.
 The third Annual Meeting of the bank focuses on infrastructure, with the theme of
innovation and collaboration.
Saudi ARAMCO and ADNOC sign MoU for participating in the Ratnagiri Refinery project:
 Saudi Aramco and ADNOC signed an MoU today to jointly develop and build an integrated
refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
 The project will be implemented by Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL).
 Earlier, Saudi Aramco had joined the project by signing an MoU with the Indian consortium
on 11th April 2018 on the sidelines of the16 International Energy Forum Ministerial.
 RRPCL which is promoted by a consortium of India PSUs consisting of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL
will now have Saudi Aramco & ADNOC as overseas strategic partners.
 The project will be set up as a 50:50 joint partnership (50:50) between the consortium from
India and Saudi Aramco and ADNOC. This will be single largest overseas investment in the
Indian refining sector.
AIIB to invest $100 mn for India's development projects:
 The Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has announced an equity
investment of $100 million in India`s National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to
help various development projects in this country.
 The NIIF is a collaborative investment platform for international and domestic investors
keen on investing in commercially viable Indian infrastructure projects.
AIIB's 4th Annual Meeting 2019 in Luxembourg:
 Moving out of Asia first time, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)'s Fourth
Annual Meeting will be held in Luxembourg in July 2019.
 Luxembourg is a founding member of AIIB as well as a leading international financial centre
and facilitator of investments between Europe and Asia.
 The first AIIB Board of Governors meeting was held in Beijing in 2016, followed by Jeju,
South Korea in 2017 and the third in Mumbai.
NITI Aayog’s WEP Signs SoI with Financial Institutions & Social Organisations:
 NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurs Platform (WEP) has signed five separate Statement of
Intent (SoIs) with Shri Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank Limited, Indiabulls Housing Finance

Limited, SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited, Sreemanta Sankar Mission and the Self
Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).
 The WEP was established on the occasion of International Womens’ Day in March 2018 to
substantially increase the number of women entrepreneurs who will create and empower a
dynamic New India.
Cabinet approves capital infusion in Export Credit Guarantee Corporation Ltd:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
has approved the capital infusion of Rs.2000 crore for strengthening of Export Credit
Guarantee Corporation (ECGC).
 The amount would be infused in the three financial years i.e. Rs.50 crore in 2017-18, Rs.1450
crore in the year 2018-19 and Rs.500 crore for 2019-20.
 The infusion would enhance insurance coverage to MSME exports and strengthen India’s
exports to emerging and challenging markets like Africa, CIS and Latin American countries.
Cabinet approves a Corpus to National Export Insurance Account Trust:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
has approved contribution of Grant-in-Aid (Corpus) of Rs.1,040 crore to National Export
Insurance Account Trust (NEIA).
 The Corpus is to be utilised during three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. An amount of
Rs.440 crore has already been received for the year 2017-18. Rs.300 crore each will be given
to NEIA for the years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 The Corpus would strengthen NEIA to support project exports from the country that are of
strategic and national importance.
Israel to gift 100 units of digital farming to Gujarat:
 Israel will gift 100 units of digital farming on an experimental basis in Gujarat.
 Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is on a six-day-long visit to Israel with a high-level
delegation.
 Vijay Rupani met Netafim CEO Ran Maidan and discussed with him the potential of digital
farming in Gujarat.
 Netafim is an Israeli irrigation solutions providing firm.
IRDAI allows LIC to invest up to 51% in IDBI Bank:
 The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to invest up to 51 percent in IDBI Bank.
 This is a special case dispensation that has been given to LIC and the 15 percent equity
investment cap still remains.
 According to the regulator's norms on investment, insurance companies cannot hold more
than 15 percent stake in any company.

West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi to Hold Additional Charge of Tripura:
 West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was given the additional charge of Tripura,
according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
 The President of India has appointed Keshari Nath Tripathi to discharge the functions of the
Governor of Tripura, in addition to his own duties, during the absence on leave of Tathagata
Roy.
Bandhan Bank appoints H R Khan as chairman:
 Bandhan Bank said its board has appointed H R Khan, a former RBI deputy governor, as
non-executive chairman.
 The board of directors of the bank at its meeting appointed Harun Rasid Khan as the non-
executive, part time chairman of the bank.
 Khan's appointment will be for a period of three years with effect from June 5, 2018.
U.N. Security Council elects five members for two-year term:
 The United Nations General Assembly voted to elect Germany, Belgium, South Africa, the
Dominican Republic and Indonesia for a two-year term in the Security Council starting on
Jan. 1, 2019.
 The five members giving up their seat at the end of this year are the Netherlands, Sweden,
Ethiopia, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.
Arvind Saxena appointed acting UPSC chief:
 UPSC member Arvind Saxena has been appointed as the acting chairman of the
commission from June 20, a government order said.
 Saxena, a 1978-batch Indian Postal Service officer, will take over the charge from incumbent
Vinay Mittal who completes his term at the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on June
19.
Appointment of Vigilance Commissioner:
 Shri Sharad Kumar has been appointed as the Vigilance Commissioner in the Central
Vigilance Commission, New Delhi.
 His appointment will be for a term of four years from the date on which he enters upon his
office, or till he attains the age of sixty five years, whichever is earlier.
Deepak Raj Joshee recommended as new CJ of Nepal:
 The Constitutional Council (CC) has recommended Acting Chief Justice Deeepak Raj Joshee
as new Chief Justice (CJ) of the Nepalese Supreme Court (SC).
 Joshee has been working as the Acting CJ after then CJ Gopal Parajuli resigned from his post
on March 15, 2018.
S Ramesh appointed CBIC chairman:

 SS Ramesh was appointed as chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC).
 Ramesh,at present member in the CBIC, an apex policy making body for indirect taxes.
 He will take over charge from incumbent Vanaja N Sarna who completes her term this
month-end.
Rana Kapoor re-appointed MD & CEO for Yes Bank:
 Yes Bank shareholders have approved the re-appointment of Rana Kapoor as the bank’s
chief executive officer and managing director for a period of three years.
 The AGM also approved the appointment of Subhash Chander Kalia and Ajai Kumar as non-
executive non-independent directors.
Dr. Inder Jit Singh assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of Coal:
 Dr. Inder Jit Singh, assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Coal at Shastri Bhawan office,
New Delhi.
 Dr. Inder Jit Singh took over the charge of Secretary which fell vacant after superannuation
of Shri Susheel Kumar on April 30 this year.
 In the interim, Secretary Mines, Shri Anil G Mukhim had been holding additional charge as
Secretary, Coal.
Indian-American Dhivya Suryadevara to become CFO of General Motors:
 An Indian-American woman, Dhivya Suryadevara has been named the Chief Finance Officer
of the US’ largest automaker, General Motors.
 Ms. Suryadevara, currently the vice president of corporate finance, will succeed Chuck
Stevens, the General Motor’s present CFO, on September 1.
Ivan Duque Wins Election to Become Colombia's President:
 Youthful rightwinger Ivan Duque won Colombia’s presidential election, promising “a new
generation” of leadership for Columbia.
 With 98 per cent of the ballot counted, Mr Duque had 54 per cent of the vote.
 Mr Duque will be sworn in as the country’s new leader on August 7.
ICICI Bank Board appoints Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi as Wholetime Director:
 The Board of Directors of ICICI Bank Limited has decided to appoint Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi, as
Wholetime Director & Chief Operating Officer designate, ICICI Bank.
 His appointment as COO will be for a period of five years, subject to regulatory approvals.
 He will take over as the COO from June 19, 2018, or on the date of regulatory and other
approvals, whichever is later.

IRDAI Sets Up Panel To Review Norms For Marketing Firms:
 The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a 10
member panel to review norms related to insurance marketing firm (IMF) with an aim to
increase insurance penetration in the country.
 The committee is headed by Suresh Mathur, Executive Director (insurance marketing firms),
IRDAI, with nine more members.
Chief Ministers Subgroup Constituted for Agriculture and MGNREGS:
 Government has set up a Chief Ministers Subgroup to Coordinate Policy Approaches for
Agriculture and MGNREGS.
 Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh as the Convener and CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim along with the Member NITI Aayog, Shri
Ramesh Chand are its members.
 The move comes in the backdrop of the vision of the Prime Minister towards Doubling
Farmers’ Income by 2022 which requires a multi-dimensional and inclusive approach.
Sunil Mittal becomes honorary chairman of ICC:
 Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, will step down as the
Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on June 21.
 He will be succeeded by Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, as ICC Chairman.
 He will now function as the Honorary Chairman of the ICC commencing July 1.
 Ajay Banga, the President and CEO of MasterCard will be appointed as the ICC First Vice-
Chair.
B V R Subramanyam appointed as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary:
 B V R Subrahmanyam, a senior IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, was appointed as the
chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.
 The 55-year-old bureaucrat, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, has been appointed in place of
incumbent B B Vyas.
BoB partners Accenture, IBM to drive growth through technology:
 Public sector lender Bank of Baroda has mandated IT majors IBM and Accenture to create
an IT Centre of Excellence (ITCoE) and Analytics Centre of Excellence (ACoE) as part of the
bank’s strategy to use technology to drive growth.
 The bank said in a statement that the twin centres are part of a comprehensive digital
roadmap drawn up to enhance the quality.

SBI's B Sriram appointed CMD of IDBI Bank:
 State Bank of India's Managing Director B Sriram was appointed as the MD and CEO of IDBI
Bank for a temporary period of three months.
 He has been appointed in place of incumbent Mahesh Kumar Jain who was recently named
Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
 Sriram has been working as the MD (Corporate and Global Banking) in SBI since July 2014.
Arijit Basu to be State Bank of India's new Managing Director:
 The government has appointed Arjit Basu as managing director of the country's largest
lender State Bank of India.
 He will fill the position that fell vacant following the elevation of Rajnish Kumar as the
chairman. Now, after this the SBI will have four managing directors.
 As per the SBI Act, the bank can have four managing directors.
Erdogan wins re-election as Turkish president:
 Turkey's long-standing leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a new five-year term after
securing outright victory in the first round of a presidential poll.
 Mr Erdogan got nearly 53% with almost all votes counted. His closest rival Muharrem Ince
was on 31%.
Committee for Standardization and Indigenization in Metro Rail Systems:
 A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Sh. E. Sreedharan for
Standardization and Indigenization in Metro Rail.
 The committee is expected to submit its report in 3 months.
 After 3 months, based on specific task of standardization, Dr. Sreedharan could co-opt the
relevant expert members for the task for a specified period of time.
Sonakshi joins UNESCO to promote safe cyberspace for kids:
 Sonakshi Sinha joins UNESCO to promote safe and secure online environment for children
and help empower our future digital citizens.
 Stressing on the importance of education on the safe use of online spaces, the actress said it
will equip boys and girls to be prepared to report any type of abuse or exploitation.
ICICI Bank appoints Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as non-executive part-time chairman:
 Private lender ICICI Bank has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as an additional
(independent) director effective July 1, 2018 for a period of 3 years.
 The bank, in a notification to the exchanges, also said that it has named Chaturvedi as non-
executive part-time chairman subject to the approval of shareholders.
 Current chairman MK Sharma will retire on June 30.

Gehlot elected IKF chief for next four years:
 Janardan Singh Gehlot was elected the president of the International Kabaddi Federation
for the next four years.
 Among other developments, the England Kabaddi Association, headed by Ashok Das, was
disaffiliated because of anti-federation activities.
Virat Kohli to get cricketer of the year award at BCCI annual awards:
 The Board of cricket control in India (BCCI) has announced its annual awards for the previous
two seasons.
The award winners for 2016-17 season:
 COL. C.K. NAYUDU LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Late Mr. Pankaj Roy (posthumously)
 BCCI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR WOMEN: Diana Edulji (DECLINED)
 BCCI SPECIAL AWARD: Abbas Ali Baig and Late Naren Tamhane
 POLLY UMRIGAR AWARD: Virat Kohli
 BEST INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER (WOMEN): Harmanpreet Kaur
 LALA AMARNATH AWARD FOR THE BEST ALL-ROUNDER IN THE RANJI TROPHY: Parvez
Rasool of Jammu and Kashmir
 LALA AMARNATH AWARD FOR THE BEST ALL-ROUNDER IN DOMESTIC LIMITED-OVERS
COMPETITIONS, 2016-17: Krunal Pandya
 MADHAVRAO SCINDIA AWARD (HIGHEST SCORER IN THE RANJI TROPHY IN 2016-17):
Priyank K Panchal of Gujarat.
 MADHAVRAO SCINDIA AWARD (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN THE RANJI TROPHY IN 2016-
17): Shahbaz Nadeem of Jharkhand
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U23) COL. C K NAYUDU TROPHY IN
2016-17): Ekant C Sen of Himachal
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U23) COL. C K NAYUDU
TROPHY IN 2016-17): Karan Kaila of Punjab
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U19) COOCH BEHAR TROPHY IN 2016-
17): Jonty Sidhu of Delhi
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U19) COOCH BEHAR TROPHY
IN 2016-17): Rahul Singh of Assam
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U16) VIJAY MERCHANT TROPHY IN
2016-17): N Thakur Tilak Varma of Hyderabad
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U16) VIJAY MERCHANT
TROPHY IN 2016-17): Rohit Dattatraya of Vidarbha C A
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (BEST WOMAN CRICKETER OF 2016-17): Punam Raut

AWARD WINNERS OF 2017-18:
 COL. C.K. NAYUDU LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Anshuman Gaekwad

 BCCI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR WOMEN: Sudha Shah
 BCCI SPECIAL AWARD: Late Mr. Budhi Kunderan
 POLLY UMRIGAR AWARD: Virat Kohli
 BEST INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER (WOMEN): Smriti Mandhana
 LALA AMARNATH AWARD FOR THE BEST ALL-ROUNDER IN THE RANJI TROPHY, 2017-18:
Jalaj Saxena of Kerala
 LALA AMARNATH AWARD FOR THE BEST ALL-ROUNDER IN DOMESTIC LIMITED-OVERS
COMPETITIONS, 2017-18: Diwesh Pathani of SSCB
 MADHAVRAO SCINDIA AWARD (HIGHEST SCORER IN THE RANJI TROPHY IN 2017-18):
Mayank Agarwal of Karnataka
 MADHAVRAO SCINDIA AWARD (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN THE RANJI TROPHY IN 2017-
18): Jalaj Saxena of Kerala
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U23) COL. C K NAYUDU TROPHY IN
2017-18): Aryaman Birla of Madhya Pradesh
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U23) COL. C K NAYUDU
TROPHY IN 2017-18): Tejas Baroka of Delhi
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U19) COOCH BEHAR TROPHY IN 2017-
18): Y V Rathod of Vidarbha
 M.A. CHIDAMBARAM TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U19) COOCH BEHAR TROPHY
IN 2017-18): Ayush S Jamwal of Himachal Pradesh
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (HIGHEST SCORER IN (U16) VIJAY MERCHANT TROPHY IN
2017-18): K Nithish Kumar Reddy of Andhra
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (HIGHEST WICKET-TAKER IN (U16) VIJAY MERCHANT
TROPHY IN 2017-18): Reshu Raj of Bihar
 JAGMOHAN DALMIYA TROPHY (BEST WOMAN CRICKETER OF 2017-18): Deepti Sharma.
Anupam Kher to be given Lifetime Achievement honour at upcoming IIFA awards:
 Veteran film actor Anupam Kher will be given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honour
at the upcoming International Indian Film Academy awards ceremony in Bangkok.
 He will be presented with the honour on June 24 at the 19th edition of IIFA.
 The 63-year-old actor, has worked in over 500 films spanning across languages along with
projects both in India and abroad for over three decades.
Kamila Shamsie's "Home Fire" wins 2018 Women's Prize for Fiction:
 Renowned British Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie's book "Home Fire" has won the
Women's Prize for Fiction, 2018.
 The book, was also in the race for last year's Man Booker Prize, is a contemporary
reimagination of Sophocles' "Antigone".

Sulabh founder bags Nikkei Asia Prize:
 Noted social reformer and founder of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak was
honoured with Japan’s prestigious ‘Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture and Community’.
 The award honours people in Asia who have made significant contributions in one of the
three areas: regional growth; science, technology and innovation; and culture and
community.
Oriental Bank of Commerce awarded for Atal Pension Yojana:
 Oriental Bank of Commerce has been awarded as the best public sector bank for Atal
Pension Yojana for the year 2017-18.
 MoS for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla presented the awarded to Mukesh Kumar Jain, MD and
CEO of the bank.
PM’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga:
 Shri Vishwas Mandalik, Nasik and The Yoga Institute, Mumbai are the recipients of the
Prime Minister's Award for outstanding contribution for promotion and development of
Yoga for the year 2018.
 The selection was done from among 186 nominations received under different categories.
 On the occasion of the 2nd International Day of Yoga celebrations at Chandigarh on 21st
June, 2016, the Hon’ble Prime Minister had announced the institution of awards for the
promotion and development of Yoga.
 The award for 2017 was won by Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune.
India Smart Cities Awards:
 Nine awards in three categories, i.e., Project Award, Innovative Idea Award and City
Award have been announced under the India Smart Cities Awards, which was launched on
June 25, 2017 by Hon’ble Housing and Urban Affairs Minister.
 The city award is being given to Surat for showing great momentum in implementation of
projects especially in the categories of urban environment, transport and mobility and
sustainable integrated development.
 The Innovative Idea award is being given to a project/idea particularly remarkable for its
innovative, bottom-up and transformative approach towards achievement of sustainable
integrated development. Joint winners in this category are Bhopal for their Integrated
Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and Ahmedabad for Safe and Secure Ahmedabad
(SASA) Project.
 The Project awards are being given to most innovative and successful projects in seven
categories that have been completed by April 1, 2018.

The Projects selected are
 PMC Care from Pune under ‘Governance’ category,

 Smart Place Making from Pune under ‘Built Environment’,
 Smart Class rooms from NDMC and Jabalpur, Smart Campus from Visakhapatnam,
Lighthouse from Pune under ‘Social Aspects’ category,
 B Nest Incubation Centre from Bhopal and Conservation of Rajasthan School of Arts from
Jaipur under ‘Culture and Economy’ category,
 Public Bike Sharing from Bhopal, Pune, Coimbatore and Waste to Energy Plant in Jabalpur
under ‘Urban environment’ category,
 Integrated Transit Management System (TMS) from Ahmedabad and Surat under ‘Transport
and Mobility’ category and
 Smart Water Management through SCADA from Ahmedabad under ‘Water and Sanitation’
category.
Anukreethy Vas From Tamil Nadu Crowned Femina Miss India 2018:
 Anukreethy Vas has been crowned Femina Miss India 2018 in a grand ceremony in
Mumbai.
 Anukreethy Vas, who was previously crowned fbb Colours Femina Miss Tamil Nadu, beat 30
contestants to bag the top honour.
 Meenakshi Chaudhary from Haryana was the first runner-up while Shreya Rao Kamavarapu
from Andhra Pradesh secured the second runner-up position.
Ministry of WCD receives the ‘Best Performing Social Sector Ministry’ SKOCH Award:
 Lauding the achievements of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in delivering
the promises made and for its significant achievements and initiatives from the last 4 years,
SKOCH has conferred the ‘Best performing Social Sector Ministry’ award on the Ministry of
Women and Child Development.
 Minister for Women and Child Development Smt.Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has received the
award on behalf of the Ministry in an event held in New Delhi.
 Outlining the achievements and initiatives of the Ministry, Smt.Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has
said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, flagship schemes like Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao has achieved huge success within a very short period of time.
 Under this scheme, efforts were made at National, regional and local level which led to
behaviour change which is reflecting in the improved sex ration at birth.
Srikanth wins Sports person of the Year award 2018:
 Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth has been adjudged as the Sportsperson of the Year for
2018 by the Sports Illustrated India magazine.
Here is the list of the winners
 Team of the Year: Women’s Cricket Team

 Coach of the Year: Stephen Constantine

 Editor’s Choice for Excellence (Team): Aizawl FC
 Editor’s Choice for Excellence (Male): Jitu Rai
 Young Sportsperson of the Year: Manav Vikas Thakkar
 Community Development in Sport: Sailen Tudu
 Comeback of the Year: Sushil Kumar
 Gamechanger of the Year: Shubhankar Sharma
 Outstanding Contribution to Sport: Leander Paes
 Lifetime Achievement Award: Dhanraj Pillay
 Special Award Living Legend: Balbir Singh Sr.
 Sportsperson Of The Year: Kidambi Srikanth
Vasundhara Raje conferred with ‘Chief Minister of the Year’ award:
 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was conferred the ‘Chief Minister of the Year’
award for her remarkable work in e-governance.
 The award was given at the 52nd Skoch Summit held in New Delhi.
 Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh was the chief guest at the function.
Ramdev to get wax statue at London's Madame Tussauds:
 Baba Ramdev will soon have a wax replica at the Madame Tussauds museum of London.
 After Swami Vivekanand, Ramdev will be the second swami to be depicted at the notable
wax museum.
 In a press release, the yoga guru shared the news with the world.
Kalki Koechlin conferred with French honour:
 Kalki Koechlin was conferred with the French distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and
Letters, for her contribution in enhancing Indo-French ties in cinema.
 Kalki, who has French roots, has done films such as ‘Dev D’, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’,
‘Shanghai’ and ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ to name a few.
Pallavi Darua crowned as India's first 'Tribal Queen':
 Pallavi Durua, who belongs to Odisha's Koraput district, was crowned as the first Tribal
Queen at the Adi Rani Kalinga Tribal Queen competition held at Utkal Mandap.
 Panchami Majhi of Titlagarh and Rashmirekha Hansdah of Mayurbhanj were declared as the
first and second runners-up of the beauty pageant respectively.
 The prime objective of the event was to promote tribal art and culture.

International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2018:
 At the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) were held in Bangkok.
Here's the list of winners:
 Best Film:Tumhari Sulu

 Best Actor in a leading role (Female): Sridevi
 Best Actor in a leading role (Male): Irrfan Khan
 Best Actor In Supporting Role (Female): Meher Vij
 Best Actor In Supporting Role (Male): Nawazzuddin Siddiqui
 Best Director: Saket Chaudhary (Hindi Medium)
 Outstanding Achievement by an Actor in Indian Cinema: Anupam Kher
 Best Story: Amit V Masurkar (Newton)
 Best Playback Singer Female: Meghna Mishra
 Best Playback singer Male: Arijit Singh
 Best Style Icon of the Year: Kriti Sanon
‘Sagarmala’ receives Gold Award at the 52nd Skoch Summit 2018:
 The Ministry of Shipping’s flagship programme for port-led-prosperity ‘Sagarmala’

received the ‘Gold Award’ in infrastructure sector in the recently concluded 52nd Skoch
Summit 2018 in New Delhi, recognizing the programmes’s contribution to India’s socio-
economic transformation and it's role in propelling fast-track growth and infrastructure
development.
 The Sagarmala Programme also received the ‘Order of Merit’ at the Summit.
 The Secretary (Shipping) Sh. Gopal Krishna shared the award with Minister for Shipping,
Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Develooment and Ganga Rejuvenation
Shri. Nitin Gadkari.
Economist Lawrence Haddad, Dr. David Nabarro awarded World Food Prize:
 The World Food Prize will be awarded this year to two men who have dedicated their
careers to improving the availability of nutritious food for pregnant women and children in
an effort to reduce the effects of malnutrition in developing countries.
 Lawrence Haddad, who is a British economist and food policy researcher, and Dr. David
Nabarro, who has worked with the World Health Organization and United Nations on health
and hunger issues, were named the 2018 prize recipients.
 The World Food Prize was created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug in 1986.

Mithali Raj becomes first Indian to score 2,000 T20I runs:
 Star batswoman Mithali Raj has became the first Indian cricketer to amass 2,000 runs in
Twenty20 Internationals (T20I).
 Mithali achieved the landmark after scoring a knock of 23 during India's seven-wicket win
over Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup T20.
 She now has 2,015 runs in 75 matches.
 Mithali is the seventh woman to reach 2,000 runs.
Halep beats Stephens to win maiden Grand Slam title:
 Romanian Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens of US 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win the French Open,
which is her first Grand Slam title.
 Halep became the second Romanian woman to win a Grand Slam singles trophy after
Virginia Ruzici.
 This was Halep's fourth major final and has lost all three in the past, including two at Roland
Garros.
French Open 2018: Rafael Nadal beats Dominic Thiem to win 11th title
 World number one Rafael Nadal won an 11th French Open title by beating Austrian
Dominic Thiem in straight sets.
 Nadal, 32, won 6-4 6-3 6-2 to earn his 17th Grand Slam, three adrift of Roger
Federer's all-time men's record.
 Nadal is the only second player in history to win the same Grand Slam on 11
occasions after Margaret Court, who won 11 Australian Open titles between 1960
and 1973.
Bangladesh beat India to lift maiden Women's Asia Cup T20 title:
 Bangladesh stunned India by three wickets in a last-ball finish to win their maiden
Women's Asia Cup T20 title at the Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur.
 Chasing 113, Bangladesh reached the target off the final delivery to record a historic
title win over the defending champions India.
 Thus, India's run of six straight Asia Cup titles came to an end with Bangladesh
claiming their first ever.

India beat Kenya to win Intercontinental Cup:
 Indian captain Sunil Chhetri scored a brace to put himself on par with Lionel Messi
and lead the home side to Intercontinental Cup title triumph with a 2-0 win over
Kenya in the summit clash.
 Playing in his 102nd international match, Chhetri struck in the eighth and 29th
minutes to hand a dominant India the trophy.
 Chhetri is now on par with Argentine superstar Messi with 64 strikes for the country
to be the joint second highest international goal scorer among active players.
Vettel wins Canadian GP:
 Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel dominated the Canadian Grand Prix to retake the championship
lead as Lewis Hamilton could finish only fifth for Mercedes.
 Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas finished second.
 Red Bull's Max Verstappen took third after a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to pass Bottas.
USA, Canada and Mexico to host 2026 FIFA World Cup:
 The World Cup is to return to North America for a fourth time after FIFA members voted to
award the right to host the 2026 tournament to a joint bid from the United States, Canada
and Mexico.
 The North American bid beat competition from Morocco, which was hoping to become just
the second African country to host soccer's biggest international tournament.
 The "United" bid received 134 of the 203 votes cast at the FIFA Congress in Moscow, while
Morocco polled 65.
Roger Federer wins Mercedes Cup:
 Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic to win the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, his first event for
two and a half months.
 The Swiss had not played since the Miami Open in March, but the win in Germany gives him
a 98th Tour title.
 Federer beat Canadian Raonic 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the final.
 The 20-time Grand Slam champion had already secured his return to number one in the
world rankings with victory over Nick Kyrgios in the semi-final.

England post record ODI total of 481/6:
 Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow both hit hundreds as England broke the record for the highest
score in a men's one-day international at Trent Bridge by scoring 481 for six against
Australia
 England surpassed their own previous all-time record men's ODI total of 444 for three, also
set at Trent Bridge, against Pakistan in 2016.
India’s R Praggnanandhaa Becomes World’s 2nd Youngest Chess Grand Master:
 In a historic event, Chennai based R Praggnanandhaa has become India’s youngest and the
second youngest Grandmaster in the world at 12 years, 10 months and 13 days.
 Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine had become the youngest Grandmaster at 12 years, seven
months in 1990.
 Praggnanandhaa became India’s youngest Grandmaster after making it to the final round at
the Gredine Open in Italy to clinch his third GM.
Gadkari Releases Nabard Publication on Water Productivity mapping of major Indian

crops:
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Shipping,
Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari released a book ‘Water productivity
mapping of major Indian crops’ published by NABARD in a function at New Delhi.
 Addressing the gathering Shri Gadkari said that there is no scarcity of water in the country
but we have to improve upon the planning and management of water resources.
 Our Ministry and Government is thinking about innovative ways for better management of
water resources.
 Proposal for three projects at Tuticorin, Paradip and Kandla are under consideration where
sea water can be desalinised and used for irrigation and other works.
Vice President receives the Book ‘Vedvigyan Alok’:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has received the book "Vedvigyan
Alok" (Maharishi Aitareya Mahidas Praneet – Aitareya Brahmina ki Vaigyanik Vyakhya)
authored by Acharya Agnivarat Naishthik
 The book is divided into four broad volumes.
 The Book Vedvigyan Alok is the scriptural verse in Vedas' prose.
Vice President launches the book “Human Rights, Values and Cultural Ethos”:
 Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has launched the book “Human
Rights, Values and Cultural Ethos” on 26 June.

 It is a collection of essays and lectures written by Dr. R.P. Dhokalia

 The thrust of the book is on the connection between human rights and the intrinsic and core
human values which in turn manifest in the cultural ethos of a society.

July 2018 Current Affairs

Mumbai Airport Among Least Punctual Airports In The World: Study
 Based upon a report by British aviation intelligence firm OAG, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport has been ranked as the fifth least punctual airport in the world with a
rank of 509 out of the 513 airports globally.
 The Nagoya Komaki Airport in Japan topped the global ranking list with an ‘on-time
performance’ (OTP) rate of 94.5 percent.
 Further, Air India is the lowest ranking Indian airline on the list, ranked at 64 out of 65
airlines.
 South Korea’s low-cost airline T’way Air topped the global ranking.
Kiren Rijiju to lead a High Level delegation to participate in AMCDRR 2018:
 A high level Ministerial delegation from India headed by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State
for Home Affairs will be participating in the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk
Reduction 2018 (AMCDRR 2018) to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 03-06 July,
2018.
 Theme of the AMCDRR 2018  ‘Preventing Disaster Risk: Protecting Sustainable
Development’ reflects the essence of the Sendai Framework.
9th meeting of EPG on Indo-Nepal relations concludes in Kathmandu:
 The ninth and final meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on India-Nepal relations
concluded in Kathmandu.
 The Representatives from Nepal and India deliberated up on various bilateral issues
including 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty, trade, transit and border during the two day
meeting.
 Indian side was represented by Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Jayant Prasad, Bhuvan Chandra
Upreti and Mahendra P. Lama.
UNESCO to set up Gaming University in Andhra Pradesh:
 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will be setting up
a 'Design University for Gaming' in Visakhapatnam.
 UNESCO delegation entered into an agreement with Andhra Pradesh Economic
Development Board (APEDB) for the establishment of 'Gaming Digital Learning Hub'.
 The UNESCO delegation asked the Chief Minister for an allocation of 100 acres of land in
Visakhapatnam.

International Day of Cooperatives 2018: 7 July
 The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Cooperatives is observed on the first
Saturday of July each year.
 Some of the day's goals are to increase awareness on cooperatives, as well as strengthen
and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other
supporting organizations including governments.
 Theme for the 2018 International Day of Cooperatives (IDC)  "Sustainable consumption
and production".
Prakash Javadekar to inaugurate 17th World Sanskrit Conference:
 Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17th
World Sanskrit Conference to be held at Vancouver, Canada from 9th July to 13th July,
2018.
 There will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like; History & Education of
Women in Vedic Literature; Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts; Mimamsa Beyond the Yagasala;
The Yuktidipika Forging a Place for Sankhya; Introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries;
Research on the Gargiyajyotisa.
 The purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all
over the world by the people.
 The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in
every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.
World Population Day: 11 July
 World Population day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to
raise awareness of global population issues.
 The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development
Programme in 1989
 World Population Day 2018 Theme  "Family planning is a human right"
India climbs 3 spots to 57th in global innovation rankings:
 The Global Innovation Index (GII) has ranked India as the 57 th most innovative nation in
the world.
 The country has improved its ranking from 60th position last year.
 India has been improving steadily since it was ranked 81st in 2015.
 Switzerland ranked for 8th straight year

Nepal to host BIMSTEC Summit on Aug 31:
 Nepal is set to hold a two-day Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, starting from August 31, in Kathmandu.
 Nepal, the host nation and the current chair of the BIMSTEC, has made preparations to
discuss over the trans-border crimes, terrorism, natural calamities, extremism, and illegal
trade of arms, ammunition and drugs.
6th meeting of BRICS Education Ministers at Cape Town:
 Union Minister of State for HRD, Dr Satya Pal Singh attended the 6th meeting of BRICS
Education Ministers at Cape Town, South Africa.
 In this meeting of BRICS, India was allotted the key theme of ‘Digitization in Education’.
 He apprised to all present about the India’s initiatives like SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA,
National Digital Library, National Academic Depository, E-Yantra, Virtual Labs, Operation
Digital Board, E- Pathshala, Diksha, and Geographic information System (GIS).
India unveils world's largest visa centre in Bangladesh:
 Visiting Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the world's largest state-of-the-
art visa centre in Dhaka with modern facilities.
 Singh inaugurated the integrated centre at Jamuna Future Park (JFP) along with his
Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
India becomes Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation:
 India has become the Vice-Chair (Regional Head) of the Asia Pacific Region of World
Customs Organisation (WCO) for a period of two years, from July, 2018 to June, 2020.
 The WCO has divided its Membership into six Regions. Each of the six Regions is
represented by a regionally elected Vice-Chairperson to the WCO Council.
 Being the Vice Chair of Asia Pacific Region of WCO will enable India to take on leadership
role.
 WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process
approximately 98% of world trade.
Rajnath Singh co-chairs the 6th meeting of India-Bangladesh Home Minister level talks:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh co-chaired the 6th meeting of the Home
Minister level talks with his Bangladesh counterpart, Mr. Asaduzzaman Khan in Dhaka.
 During the meeting, all security related matters of interest including counter-terrorism,
capacity building and increased cooperation between security agencies, border
management, countering illegal activities like fake currency, drug and human trafficking,
consular issues etc. were discussed.

 The two Ministers also witnessed the signing of the Revised Travel Arrangement 2018 (RTA
2018) amending the earlier RTA 2013 for further liberalizing the visa regime between the
two countries, including enhanced duration for employment and student visas.
8th India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting Begins in Muscat:
 The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, today co-
chaired 8th session of India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) along with Minister of
Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy of Oman, Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy.
 Addressing the Joint Commission Suresh Prabhu invited Omani companies to build on their
success in India and make investments to benefit from ‘Make in India’ and ‘Invest India’
programmes which are aimed to encourage manufacturing.
 Areas of discussion in the JCM include cooperation in space, renewable energy, start-up,
SMEs, food security, including durable foods and packaging, services sector, tourism sector,
exchange of ideas and visit of young entrepreneurs.
Iceland takes up US seat at UN rights council:
 Iceland was elected to take up the seat left vacant at the United Nations Human Rights
Council after the United States quit the body over what it charges was anti-Israel bias.
 In a vote at the General Assembly, Iceland picked up 172 votes during a secret ballot as the
candidate put forward by the regional grouping for that seat.
Nelson Mandela Day: 18 July
 Nelson Mandela International Day (or Mandela Day) is an annual international day in
honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday.
 The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009.
 Mandela Day is a day to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's former
President.
BRICS Media Forum opens in Cape Town, South Africa:
 Leaders of media organizations from BRICS countries met to discuss cooperation at the
BRICS Media Forum that opened in Cape Town, South Africa.
 The 3rd BRICS Media forum is being held under the theme of “BRICS Media Cooperation -
Fostering an Inclusive, Just World Order”.
J P Nadda addresses 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting at Durban:
 India affirms strong support for TB cooperation plan in every aspect as agreed upon in the
6th BRICS Health Ministers’ meeting held in Delhi in 2016 and in the first High-Level Meeting

of the UN General Assembly on Ending Tuberculosis. This was stated by Shri J P Nadda,
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address at the ‘8th BRICS Health
Ministers’ Meeting at Durban, South Africa.
 Shri J P Nadda further said that to improve healthcare, there is a need for increasing
accessibility of affordable, quality, effective and safe drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for TB
patients.
 “I would like to state that India is committed to eliminating TB by 2025,” the Union Health
Minister further emphasized.
India, US to hold first '2+2 dialogue' on September 6:
 The inaugural 'two-plus-two dialogue' between India and the US will be held on
September 6 in New Delhi, the State Department announced.
 Last month, the US had postponed the dialogue due to "unavoidable reasons".
 '2+2 dialogue' is an interaction between the foreign and defence ministers of the two
countries.
Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance:
 Myanmar has joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA), becoming the
68th member of the grouping that is aiming at optimum utilisation of solar energy.
 ISA was Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois
Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015.
Facebook To Launch Its Own Internet Satellite In 2019:
 As part of its plan to connect billions of people who are still offline, Facebook is working on
launching Athena, its own Internet satellite, early in 2019.
 Facebook appears to have filed with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
under the name Point View Tech LLC.
PM Modi Flags Off Emergency Ambulance Service In Sri Lanka:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated first phase of the India-assisted emergency
ambulance service over Sri Lanka, through video conferencing from New Delhi.
 The inaugural function was held in Jaffna of the Northern Province, in the presence of Sri
Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
 During the launch, PM Modi recalled the Srilankan PM's idea of setting up such project in
2015. He expressed happiness over completion of the project.
 The service has been introduced in two provinces of Sri Lanka with assistance from India and
is being expanded to the remaining seven provinces.

India extends $200 million credit lines to Rwanda:
 India has extended $200 million lines of credit to Rwanda as Prime Minister Narendra
Modi held wide-ranging talks with President Paul Kagame and discussed measures to
strengthen cooperation in trade and agriculture sector.
 After the one-on-one talks with president Kagame, Modi announced that India will soon
open its mission in Rwanda.
 The two countries signed agreements on leather and allied areas and agricultural research.
Myanmar to host ASEAN education meet in Oct:
 Myanmar which will host the next ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (ASED) in October
seeks to boost its education sector by cooperating with India, China and the US among
others.
 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partner countries include India, China,
Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the US and Australia.
 The first ASED was held in Singapore in 2006, while the last in Malaysia.
Ireland to hold international conference of female parliamentarians:
 Ireland will hold an international conference of female parliamentarians in September.

 Organised by the Irish Women's Parliamentary Caucus (IWPC) the conference will be held
at Dublin Castle on September 9-10.
PM gifts cows to villagers at Rweru Model Village:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gifted 200 cows to villagers who do not yet own a
cow, under the Rwandan Government's Girinka Programme.
 The word Girinka can be translated as ‘may you have a cow’ and describes a centuries-old
cultural practice in Rwanda whereby a cow was given by one person to another, as a sign of
respect and gratitude.
Indian Air Force Participates for the First Time in Exercise Pitch Black – 18:
 An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of four Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17
aircraft, landed at Darwin Air Force Base, Australia for the Exercise Pitch Black – 18.
 This is the first time that an IAF contingent is participating in a multinational air exercise in
Australia with Royal Australian Air Force.
 This exercise involves over 100 aircraft from around the globe and will provide a unique
opportunity to the air-warriors to operate in a dynamic warlike environment.
Gandhi Heritage Centre to be built in Uganda:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to build a Gandhi Heritage Centre in
Uganda's Jinja, where a statue of Mahatma Gandhi now stands.

 Prime Minister Modi is currently on a five-day three-nation tour of the African continent-
Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.
BRICS Summit 2018 begins in Johannesburg:
 The 10th edition of BRICS Summit began in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 25, 2018.
Attended by all the BRICS leaders, the BRICS Summit 2018 will be held from July 25 to July
27.
 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour of Africa, which began from
Rwanda, will culminate in South Africa.
 Theme of BRICS Summit 2018  ‘BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for inclusive growth and
shared prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution'.
4 Indian-origin persons in Fortune's 40 under 40 list:
 Four persons of India-origin, including three women, have been named by Fortune among
40 of the most influential and inspiring young people in business under the age of 40.
 Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, both
34, are tied for first place on the Fortune '40 Under 40' list.
 Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the US' largest automaker, General Motors Dhivya
Suryadevara comes in at the 4th spot, followed by Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud (14), co-founder
and co-CEO of Robinhood Baiju Bhatt (24) and Female Founders Fund founding partner Anu
Duggal (32).
Thaawarchand Gehlot Attends Global Disability Summit 2018 in London:
 Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment attended the
Global Disability Summit held in London on 24th July 2018.
 The motto of the Conference was to firm up the commitments of the country leaders
towards the cause of persons with disabilities.
India, Bangladesh Coast Guards conducting exercise on pollution:
 The Indian Coast Guard is conducting a bilateral table-top exercise on maritime pollution
response with Bangladesh Coast Guard at the regional headquarters (North East) of the ICG.
 ICG (NE) commander Inspector General said the two-day exercise is being conducted in the
backdrop of the MoU signed between India and South Asian Cooperation for Environment
Protection (SACEP).
 The Bangladesh Coast Guard delegation was led by Captain M Ehsanullah Khan,
Commanding officer, BCGS.
World Hepatitis Day: 28 July
 World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of
hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

 World Hepatitis Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the
World Health Organization (WHO).
 Theme for World Hepatitis Day 2018 : “Test. Treat. Hepatitis”.
International Tiger Day: 29 July
 Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise
awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July.
 It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
 The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers
and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues.
Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum to be set up:
 The second meeting of tourism Joint Working Group (JWG) between India and Nepal was
held in Kathmandu on 06.07.2018.
 In this meeting it was agreed to set up the Indo Nepal Tourism Forum with representation
from government and private sector from both sides for mutual consultation and promotion
of tourism in both countries.
 This JWG also decided to officially recognise two circuits, Ramayana Circuit and Buddhist
Circuit by both governments for joint promotions through common branding and marketing
exercises.
Tourism Minister inaugurates the Jodhpur Institute of Hospitality Management:
 The Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism Shri. K.J. Alphons inaugurated the Institute of
Hospitality Management in Jodhpur.
 In his inaugural speech,the Minister highlighted that India is among the fastest growing
Tourism economy in the world and in 2017, the Indian tourism receipts went up by 20.8%
against a global growth rate of 7%.
1st July 2018 to be celebrated as ‘GST day’:
 Government of India is celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
coming into force. GST was launched on the 1st July, 2017.
 The first year has been remarkable both for the sheer variety of challenges that its
implementation has thrown up and for the willingness and ability of policy makers and tax
administrators to rise up to these challenges and respond befittingly.
 But more importantly, the first year of GST has been an example to the world of the
readiness of the Indian taxpayer to be a partner in this unprecedented reform of Indian
taxation.
 Accordingly, it has been decided that Sunday, the 1st of July, 2018 shall be commemorated
as ‘GST Day’

 Before implementation of GST, Indian taxation system was a farrago of central, state and
local area levies.
India gets its 37th WORLD UNESCO World HERITAGE SITE:
 In yet another landmark achievement, India’s nomination of the “Victorian and Art Deco
Ensembles of Mumbai” has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.
 The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at
Manama in Bahrain.
 As recommended by the World Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the
ensemble as “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”.
 India has been successful in securing the inscription of the "Victorian Gothic and Art Deco
Ensembles of Mumbai” on UNESCO's World Heritage List under Criteria (ii) and (iv) as
defined in the UNESCO's Operational Guidelines.
 This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the
World Heritage List.
AI task force hands over Final Report:
 To study the whole gamut of issues surrounding strategic implications of AI in national

security perspective, a Task Force was constituted in February 2018, under the
Chairmanship of Shri N Chandrasekharan, Chairman, Tata Sons.
 The Task Force, on June 30, 2018 has handed over its Final Report with recommendations.
 The Task Force in its report has Studied the level of AI/ML development in India in general
and specific in the context of defence needs.
National Doctors’ Day: 1 July
 National Doctors’ Day was celebrated throughout India On 1st July 2018.
 This day marks the birth and death anniversary of the most famous physician of India Dr.
Bidhan Chandra Roy
 Theme : ‘zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishment’.
 IMA has also decided to observed July 1 to 8 as ‘Safe Fraternity Week’
Instant e-PAN based on Aadhaar launched:
 The new PAN will have the same name, date of birth, gender, mobile number and address as
in the Aadhaar.
 The e-PAN facility is only for resident individuals and not for Hindu Undivided Family, firms,
trusts and companies.
 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which makes policies for the Income Tax
Department, has extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to March 31 next.

INS Sahyadri adjudged runner-up in an innovation competition:
 Indigenously built stealth frigate, INS Sahyadri, which is participating in RIMPAC (Rim of the
Pacific Exercise), the world’s largest international maritime exercise, has been adjudged
runner-up in an innovation competition during the harbour phase of the exercise.
 The 26th edition of RIMPAC, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM),
commenced off the Hawaii coast with the participation of about 25,000 personnel and
more than 45 surface ships and submarines from 25 countries.
Conference of States Power Ministers to be held at Shimla:
 A conference of Ministers for Power, New & Renewable Energy of States & Union
Territories will be held on 3rd July at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
 The Conference will be inaugurated by Shri R K Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power
and New & Renewable Energy.
 The aim of this one-day conference is to review the implementation of various ongoing
Schemes/ Programmes & deliberate on a host of issues pertaining to Power and Renewable
Energy sectors.
 Ministers and Secretaries of the States and Union territories and senior officials of the power
& renewable energy sectors and Public Sector Undertakings under them will meet up to
discuss issues like- 100 per cent Household Electrification (under Saubhagya) by December,
2018, UDAY performance assessment, shifting to prepaid system in three years and 24X7
Power for All – From 1st April 2019.
Election Commission of India to hold a National Consultation on Accessible Elections:
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has organized a two-day “National Consultation on
Accessible Elections,” from the 3rd July, 2018 in New Delhi.
 It will be inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner Shri O.P. Rawat, in presence of
the Election Commissioners Shri Sunil Arora and Shri Ashok Lavasa.
 The event is a part of the ECI’s pursuit of its mission ‘leave no voter behind,’ with special
focus on “Persons with Disabilities” (PwD)
 During the inaugural session, a dedicated portal for the ECI’s ‘Systematic Voters Education
and Electoral Participation’ (SVEEP) initiative will also be launched.
Consultative committee meeting on “Marine Fisheries-Mariculture in India”:
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has notified the “National Policy on
Marine Fisheries, 2017”, which will guide the development of marine fisheries sector for
the next 10 years.
 Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said this at the
inter-session meeting of the consultative committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare on “Marine Fisheries-Mariculture in India” in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
 The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to discuss
and deliberate various issues related to “Marine Fisheries - Mariculture in India”.

Union Home Minister felicitates medal winners of 17th World Police & Fire Games-2017:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated the medal winners of the 17th
World Police & Fire Games held at Los Angeles, California, USA from August 7-16, 2017.
 He was the chief guest in the function organized by All India Police Sports Control Board
(AIPSCB) to felicitate the medal winners.
 The 101-member Indian Police contingent returned with a record breaking haul of 321
medals from the 17th World Police & Fire Games.
 The contingent bagged 151 Gold, 99 Silver and 71 Bronze medals in the seven events they
participated in the Games.
 It is a rarest of the rare occasion where each team member won a medal irrespective of
individual or relay events in which they participated.
44th Advanced Professional Programme for Civil Servants and officers:
 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region
(DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr
Jitendra Singh said that lateral entry at the Joint Secretary level will enrich governance.
 He was delivering the inaugural address at 44th Advanced Professional Programme in
Public Administration (APPPA) for Civil Servants and officers, organized by the Indian
Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).
National Workshop on Skill Development for PwDs:
 Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social

Justice and Empowerment is organizing a “National Workshop on Skill Development for
Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)” on July 3.
 The workshop is being organized with a view to provide a platform to all stakeholders
ranging from training partners to the policy makers as well as employers.
 The Workshop will dwell upon all the issues involved in the skill development for Persons
with Disabilities (PwDs).
Indian Army Motorcycle Expedition to Commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas:
 A motorcycle expedition comprising of ‘SHWET ASHW’ the elite Motorcycle Display Team of
the Corps of Military Police, was flagged off’ on 02 July 2018 to commemorate the victory of
Indian Army in Operation Vijay 1999.
 The expedition will traverse a distance of more than 3250 Kms from Bangalore to Dras,
Jammu and Kashmir over a period of 24 days across eight states of the country, reaching
Kargil War Memorial, Dras on 26 July 2018.
 The ‘SHWET ASHW’ was raised in the year 1952 at CMP Centre & School, Faizabad. Since its
raising the team has performed at various National and International events and holds Three
Guinness Book World Records in its name.

Election Commission of India launches Mobile App “cVIGIL”:
 The Chief Election Commissioner Shri. O.P. Rawat, along with the Election Commissioners
Shri Sunil Arora and Shri Ashok Lavasa launched a mobile app, called ‘Cvigil,’ on July 3, 2018,
for citizens to report any violation of the model code of conduct during elections.
 “cVIGIL" is a user-friendly and easy to operate Android application. It will be operational
only where elections are announced.
 However, the beta version of the app will be made available for the public and election staff
to download so that they can acquaint themselves with its features and also try sending
dummy data.
 Upon successful completion of the trial that is underway, the application will be made
available for general use by all, right from the forthcoming Assembly elections in the States
of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan.
 The practical use of the app during the four-state Assembly polls will also serve as a pilot
initiative before it is put to extensive use during the next Lok Sabha General Elections.
Jharkhand to set up country's first Khadi mall:
 The first 'Khadi Mall' of the country will be opened in Ranchi soon, Jharkhand Chief
Minister Raghubar Das announced.
 Land in the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) campus will be made available to the Khadi
Board to develop the country's first Khadi mall.
DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh attends "Behdienkhlam" festival at Jowai, Meghalaya:
 The Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s
Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra
Singh attended the famous 4-day Meghalaya Annual Cultural Festival, "Behdienkhlam",
held every year at the small peripheral town of Jowai, Meghalaya.
NITI Aayog to organise India’s First Global Mobility Summit:
 Steeply falling technology costs and business – model innovation are driving the world’s
transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles.
 Against this background, NITI Aayog, in collaboration with various ministries and industry
partners, is organising ‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’ in New Delhi on 7th and 8th
September, 2018.
 This Summit will help drive Government’s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy
integration and job growth and also speed up India’s transition to a clean energy economy.
 MOVE Summit aims to bring together and engage with key stakeholders within the rapidly
transforming global mobility landscape and to evolve a public interest framework for a
shared, connected, zero emission and inclusive mobility agenda for the future.

 The Summit will constitute three designated components – The Conclave, the Expo and
the Featured Events.
Cabinet approves Umbrella Schemes for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and
Repatriates:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for
continuance of the 8 existing schemes of the Ministry of Home Affairs upto March 2020 for
relief and rehabilitation of migrants and repatriates under the Umbrella scheme "Relief and
Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates".
 Financial implication for this purpose is Rs. 3183 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20.
 The year-wise phasing of the scheme will be- Rs. 911 crore in 2017-18, Rs.1372 crore in
2018-19 and Rs. 900 crore in 2019-2020.
 The schemes will provide relief and rehabilitation assistance to the refugees, displaced
persons, civilian victims of terrorist/communal/LWE violence and cross border firing and
mine/IED blasts on Indian Territory and riot victims of various incidents etc.
The schemes are as under:
 Central Assistance for one-time settlement of displaced families from Pak Occupied Jammu
and Kashmir (PoJK) and Chhamb settled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
 Rehabilitation Package and up-gradation of infrastructure of the Bangladeshi Enclaves and
Cooch Behar District after transfer of enclaves between India and Bangladesh under Land
Boundary Agreement.
 Relief assistance to Sri Lankan refugees staying in camps in Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
 Grant-in-Aid to Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) for five years for administrative and
social welfare expenses of Tibetan settlements.
 Grant-in-Aid to Government of Tripura for maintenance of Brus lodged in relief camps of
Tripura.
 Rehabilitation of Bru/Reang families from Tripura to Mizoram.
 Grant of enhanced relief of Rs. 5.00 lakh per deceased person, who died during 1984 Anti-
Sikh Riots.
 Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims/Family of Victims of
Terrorist/Communal/LWE Violence and Cross Border Firing and Mine/IED blasts on Indian
Territory'.
Cabinet approves DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved The DNA
Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018.
 The primary intended purpose for enactment of "The DNA Technology (Use and Application)
Regulation Bill" is for expanding the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to
support and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country.

 The utility of DNA based technologies for solving crimes, and to identify missing persons, is
well recognized across the world.
Cabinet approves renaming of Agartala Airport:
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its
approval to rename the Agartala Airport in Tripura as ‘Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya
Kishore Airport, Agartala.
 The decision comes in the wake of the long pending demand of people of Tripura as well as
the Tripura Government for paying tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.
 Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore, who ascended the throne of the erstwhile Tripura
Princely State in 1923, was an enlightened and benevolent ruler.
 Agartala Airport was constructed in 1942 on the land donated by Maharaja Bir Bikram
Manikya Kishore.
Piyush Goyal launches ‘Khan Prahari’ App:
 Union Minister of Coal, Railways, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal launched
the Coal Mine Surveillance & Management System (CMSMS) and Mobile Application ‘Khan
Prahari’developed by CMPDI, Ranchi.
Creation of one post each of Vice-Chairperson and Member in the NCSK:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the creation
of one post each of Vice-Chairperson and Member in the National Commission for Safai
Karmacharis.
 The decision is intended to optimize functioning of the Commission and for fulfilling desired
objectives of welfare and development of the target group.
 National Commission for Safai Karmacharis is working for the welfare of both Safai
Karamcharis and Manual Sacavengers.
MP govt launches outstanding power bill waiver scheme ‘Sambal’:
 In Madhya Pradesh, the government has launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme
and subsidised power scheme ‘Sambal’ for labourers and poor families.
 Under the scheme, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a
cost of 200 rupees per month.
 One crore 83 lakh workers registered under Sambal Yojana in the state till now.
 Under this scheme, outstanding electricity bill worth five thousand 179 crores rupees is to
be waived off.
Vaccine-preventable rabies is India’s most fatal infection:
 Rabies is the only disease that had a 100% death rate in India in 2017, compared to 12% for
Japanese encephalitis and 6% for H1N1, popularly known as swine flu, according to data
from the National Health Profile 2018.

 There were 4,370 rabies deaths in India in 2016, which accounted for one in three of the
world’s 13,340 rabies deaths.
 Only six persons have survived rabies infection in India since 2010.
Dr. Mahesh Shrama Inaugurates exhibition titled "Arth - art for earth":
 Union Minister of State for Culture(I/c), Dr. Mahesh Shrama, inaugurated exhibition titled
"Arth - art for earth" at IGNCA, New Delhi.
 ‘ARTH - ART FOR EARTH’ by Manav Gupta consists of "Excavations in Hymns of Clay"-a suite
of environmental art installations by Manav Gupta weaving all of them with a storyline and
poetry.
 It is an evolving site, specific and dynamic engagement with the space it has an interface
with - whether it be the Travelling or the Permanent editions.
Successful flight testing of Crew Escape System - Technology Demonstrator:
 ISRO carried out a major technology demonstration, the first in a series of tests to qualify a
Crew Escape System, which is a critical technology relevant for human spaceflight.
 The Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure designed to quickly pull the crew
module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the launch vehicle in the event of a
launch abort.
 The first test (Pad Abort Test) demonstrated the safe recovery of the crew module in case of
any exigency at the launch pad.
ICAT releases First BS-VI engine certificate:
 ICAT has completed the first BS-VI certification for a heavy duty engine model for M/s
Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle Limited.
 The engine has been developed and manufactured indigenously by Volvo Eicher in India.
 The successful completion of the compliance test of the engine, much ahead of the
implementation date of 1 April, 2020, gives sufficient time for product stabilization in terms
of making it more robust and cost competitive for the end consumers.
Railways approves digital Aadhaar and Driving Licence from Digital Locker as proof of
identity:
 The issue regarding accepting Aadhaar and Driving Licence as valid proof of identity when
presented from digital locker account of the passenger has been examined by Ministry of
Railways and it has been decided that while undertaking journey in a train, if a passenger
shows the Aadhaar/Driving Licence from the ‘Issued Documents’ section by logging into
his/her DigiLocker account, the same should be considered as valid proof of identity.
 It is, however, clarified that the documents uploaded by the user himself/herself (i.e. the
documents in ‘Uploaded Documents’ section) will not be considered as a valid proof of
identity.

First meeting of e-Commerce Task Force held:
 Commerce Secretary, Rita Teaotia, chaired the first meeting of the Task Force on e-
commerce in New Delhi.
 The suggestions were on wide ranging issues such as cross border data flows, taxation, trade
facilitation and logistics, consumer confidence, IPR and future tech, FDI and competition
issues.
Union Home Minister chairs MHA Consultative Committee meeting:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh said that the Government was committed to
strengthen and smoothen the twin processes of Immigration and Visa for the Indian citizens
and foreigners.
 He was addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on Immigration
Visa Foreigners’ Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) at Kochi in Kerala.
 On November 27, 2014 the Government launched e-Tourist Visa scheme in 44 countries.
This e-Visa facility has now been extended to 165 countries.
Civil aviation research centre to come up in Hyderabad:
 A Rs 250-crore Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO) will come up within 18 months
at Begumpet in Hyderabad.
 Laying the foundation stone for the CARO project to be implemented under the Airports
Authority of India, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said the focus of the centre
will be on pursuing inter-disciplinary solutions to improve the civil aviation sector.
 The Minister said, “The country’s civil aviation sector is growing at a hectic pace of over 20
per cent and we expect this growth momentum to continue.
NTA to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions:
 The Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar has said that the
National Testing Agency (NTA) has started its work and will be conducting various
entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions from next academic sessions
onwards.
 Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said that the NTA will bring qualitative
difference in the examination process by its focus on research and scientific test design using
services of Experts, Researchers, Statisticians, Psychometricians, Test Item Writers and
Education Specialists.
Nepal, India to jointly promote tourism:
 Nepal and India have decided to jointly promote historically and culturally important
tourism circuits like the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuit and adventure tourism.

 India will also extend all possible cooperation in the domain of human resource
development in tourism.
 During a joint meeting of the Nepalese and Indian officials, both the sides also decided to
establish an industry-led Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with the support of the two
governments.
International Round Table Conference on “Data for New India’’:
 The Ministry of Statistics &Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is organising a two-day

International Round Table Conference at New Delhi during 9-10th July, 2018.
 The objective of the Round Table Conference is to identify innovative ideas for improving the
statistical system in India, taking cue from the best practices followed in advanced countries
like Canada, UK and Australia.
 Such a Conference is being organized in India for the first time.
 The Conference will be inaugurated by Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Hon’ble Union Minister
of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
Houses approved under PMAY (Urban) in 3 years of its implementation:
 Under PMAY (U) so far more than 51 Lakhs dwelling units have been sanctioned against
the validated demand of 1 crore in last 3 years of implementation.
 This is a huge jump in comparison to erstwhile housing scheme wherein only 12.4 Lakh
houses were approved in around 9 years of its implementation.
 Out of over 51 lakh sanctioned houses, over 28 lakhs have already been grounded and are in
various stages of construction.
 Further over 8 lakh houses have already been completed and nearly 8 lakh houses have
been occupied by the benficiaries.
 The Government of India is committed to provide “Housing for All” by the end of the
Mission period-2022.
ISCF and ISCI Program Launched:
 Sh. Hardeep S Puri, MoS(I/C), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has stated that Smart
cities fellowship and internship program will provide the youth an opportunity to experience
the aspects of Urban planning and governance.
 Announcing the launch of the Smart cities digital payment award, Sh. Puri said that it is
intended to promote ‘Digital India’ and ease of living for India’s urban residents by
promoting digital payments and encouraging Smart Cities to adopt innovative digital
payments initiatives.
 Sh. Puri launched several new initiatives under AMRUT and the Smart Cities Mission.
 These include the India Smart Cities Fellowship (ISCF) Program, India Smart Cities Internship
(ISCI) Program and The Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 and the ‘CITIIS’ challenge
under the Smart Cities Mission and the Local Area Plan (LAP)/Town Planning Scheme (TPS) to
be implemented in 25 cities on pilot basis under AMRUT.

 The India Smart Cities Fellowship Program is designed to provide valuable experience to the
youth interested in smart cities specifically
PM, Korean President, inaugurate mobile manufacturing facility in Noida:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and the President of the Republic of Korea, Mr.
Moon Jae-in, today jointly inaugurated a large mobile manufacturing facility of Samsung
India Electronics Pvt. Ltd, at Noida.
 Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister described the occasion as a special one, in the
journey to make India a global manufacturing hub.
 He said the investment of about Rs. 5000 crore, would not only strengthen Samsung’s
business links with India, but is also significant in the context of the relationship between
India and Korea.
Government declares 6 educational ‘Institutions of Eminence’:
 The Government has shortlisted Six Institutions of Eminence (IoEs) including 3 from Public
Sector and 3 from Private Sector.
 An Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) in its report recommended selection of 6
institutions (3 from public sector and 3 from private sector) as Institutions of Eminence.
The details of these Institutions are as under:
 Public Sector: (i) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka; (ii) Indian Institute of
Technology, Bombay, Maharashtra; and (iii) Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
 Private Sector: (i) Jio Institute (Reliance Foundation), Pune under Green Field Category; (ii)
Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani, Rajasthan; and (iii) Manipal Academy of
Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka.
Indian Railways Introduces First Double Stack Dwarf Container Service:
 Under the guidance of Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs, Railways
and Coal, in order to capture the lost traffic through new delivery model for domestic cargo,
Indian Railways has introduced Double Stack Dwarf Container Services.
 This freight train was flagged off on 7th July, 2018 from Western Railway’s Rajkot railway
station on its maiden commercial run.
 This train was booked from the Reliance Rail Siding at Kanalus to Rewari in the state of
Haryana; it was loaded with 82 containers Polypropylene Granules.
 Due to this Double Stacked Dwarf Container service, Indian Railways has received increased
revenue of Rs. 18.50 lakhs.

HM chairs the 67th Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council in Shillong:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has asked the North-Eastern states to expedite
work on long pending projects of the North Eastern Council (NEC) and ensure maximum
utilisation of funds.
 Addressing the 67th Plenary Session of the NEC in Shillong, he said NEC and the eight
North-Eastern States would have to ensure that all the ongoing projects were completed in a
time bound manner.
 HM urged the states for effective implementation of the recently approved financial package
of Rs 4,500 crore by the Centre and directed them to focus on specific areas and better
convergence of the govt. sponsored schemes.
First ever ‘India Tourism Mart’ to be hosted in New Delhi:
 The Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, Shri. K. J. Alphons announced that the Tourism
Ministry in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and
Hospitality (FAITH) and with the support of State /UT Governments will organize the ‘first
ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM) from 16th to 18th September, 2018
 Location  New Delhi
 The objective of the event is to create an annual Global Tourism Mart for India in line with
major international travel marts being held in countries across the world.
 The Mart will provide a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries
to interact and transact business opportunities.
Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu becomes first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign an MOU:
 Rajya Sabha has, for the first time in 76 years since it came into being, entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a foreign counterpart for promoting inter-
parliamentary dialogue.
 Shri Venkaiah Naidu, has, in the process, become the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha to sign
such an agreement when he inked an MOU with the visiting President of the Senate of the
Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Bernard Makuza.
 The MOU with 6 articles of cooperation seeks to promote Inter-Parliamentary dialogue,
Capacity building of parliamentary staff, Organisation of conferences, forums, seminars, staff
attachment programmes, workshops and exchanges, Collaboration in mutual interest in
regional and international multilateral parliamentary bodies in furtherance of bilateral
relations and friendship between the two countries.
4th National Conclave on Mines and Minerals:
 The 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals will be held on 13th July, 2018 at Indore
for showcasing blocks which will be auctioned by the states in FY 2018-19 to the potential
investors.

 Union Minister for Mines Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that it will carry forward the
efforts of the Government for strengthening the mineral auction regime as well as help in
expediting auctions and bring in greater participation from the stakeholders.
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana Top Rankers in Ease of Doing Business:
 Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
released the final rankings of States in Ease of Doing Business in New Delhi.
 The top rankers are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana. Jharkhand and Gujarat stood
fourth and fifth respectively.
 DIPP, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the World Bank conducted
an annual reform exercise for all States and UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan
(BRAP).
 The aim of this exercise is to improve delivery of various Central Government regulatory
functions and services in an efficient, effective and transparent manner.
 Rajasthan has slipped by one spot in the ease of doing business rankings to 9th position.
Shri Ananthkumar inaugurates CIPET: Centre for Skilling & Technical Support (CSTS)
 Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar
inaugurated the CIPET: Centre for Skilling & Technical Support (CSTS) at ITI Building and laid
the foundation stone of new Central Institute of Plastics Engineering &Technology (CIPET)
Building at Doiwala, Dehradun.
 CIPET: CSTS, Dehradun is the 32nd CIPET centre in the country
Ministry of Water Resources Launches “Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puruskar Pao” Contest:
 In an attempt to engage with the people of India on the important issues of water
conservation and water management, the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation has launched a video contest titled “Jal Bachao, Video Banao,
Puruskar Pao”.
 The Ministry has joined hands with MyGov portal of the Government of India to run the
contest.
 The fortnightly contest which was launched through MyGov, will last till 4th November
2018.
 Three winners will be chosen every fortnight.
PM to inaugurate new ASI Headquarters in New Delhi:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the new Headquarters building of
the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), at Tilak Marg in New Delhi on July 12, 2018.
 The new Headquarters building has been equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including
energy efficient lighting and rainwater harvesting.

 It shall include a Central Archaeological Library with a collection of about 1.5 lakh books and
journals.
5 day Capacity Development programme for Media Officials from Bhutan:
 On a special request from Election Commission of Bhutan, India International Institute of

Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) is organizing a 5 -day Capacity Development
programme for Media Officials from Bhutan from July 9-13, 2018 at New Delhi.
 The participants include media journalists and media officials from Election Management
Body of Bhutan.
 The program is aimed to hold interactive discussionson media in elections.
 Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri O. P. Rawat inaugurated the programme.
Madhya Pradesh Leg of Startup India Yatra begins on July 16th, 2018:
 The Startup India Yatra van will travel to 10 cities of Madhya Pradesh, starting from the
capital Bhopal, to spread awareness about Startup India and Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy.
 The vehicle, with experts on board, will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurial talents to
pitch an idea and get incubated, scaling it from idea to enterprise.
 The van is expected to travel to nearly 25 colleges, and one-day boot camps will be
conducted in all the destinations.
 The Yatra will begin on July 16th, 2018, covering 10 districts and 15 institutions over a span
of 30 days.
 Startup India Yatra aims to scout grass root level entrepreneurs in the smaller towns of
India, providing a platform for budding entrepreneurs to realize their Startup dream.
Plenary session of the 3rd Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE):
 Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan led
the Indian Delegation and delivered a speech at the opening/plenary session of the 3rd
Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) convened by the UNCTAD.
 Shri Paswan highlighted the key achievements of the Government of India, especially in the
area of Consumer Protection.
 The two day conference in Geneva on Consumer Issues concluded on 10th of July, 2018.
16th Workshop On Greenhouse Gas Inventories in Asia:
 Inaugurating the 16th Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Inventories in Asia (WGIA16) in New
Delhi, Dr. Harsh Vardhan stressed that while efforts of experts are necessary, there is also a
need for an active involvement of people in the fight against climate change.
 He said that India is committed to achieve 175 GW of installed capacity of renewable
energy generation by 2022.
 He also referred to the decision to leapfrog from Bharat Stage IV (Euro IV) to Bharat Stage
VI (Euro VI) standards for vehicular emissions by 2020

Shri Piyush Goyal gives away awards for beautification of stations premises:
 The Union Minister of Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal distributed awards to winning
stations of Station Beautification competition in Rail Bhawan.
 This innovative competition was organized among Zonal Railways in December 2017.
 Balharshah & Chandrapur Railway Stations of Central Railway have been awarded the first
prize while Madhubani station of East Central Railway & Madurai station of Southern
Railway were the co-winners of the second prize.
 Gandhidham station of Western Railway, Kota station of West Central Railway &
Secunderabad station of South Central Railway were joint winners of the third prize.
Tourism Minister addresses the 164th CPWD Annual Day:
 The 164th Central Public Works Department Day celebrations were held in Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi on July 12.
 The Vice President of India, Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu while addressing the event said that
transparency and accountability must become guiding principles for organizations that are
working for larger public good.
 Speaking at the event, Union Tourism Minister Shri. K. J. Alphons congratulated CPWD for
the excellent buildings constructed by the team and remarked that the department has the
greatest pool of engineers even all over the world.
First meeting of Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on coordination between MGNREGA and

Agriculture:
 The First Meeting of Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on coordination between MGNREGA

and Agriculture was held at NITI Aayog.
 The Convener of the Sub-Group Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh, and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh participated in the meeting in person.
 Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijay Rupani
joined in the deliberations through video conferencing.
 In the 4th Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held under the chairmanship of
the Prime Minister on June 17th, 2018 at Rastrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, a major decision
was taken for policy coordination between agriculture sector and Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) particularly in pre-sowing and post-
harvest activities at the farmers’ fields.
 The Prime Minster constituted Sub Group consisting of Chief Ministers of 7 States viz.
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Sikkim
and Member, NITI Aayog with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh as the convener of the
Sub-Group.
Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates ‘Anna Canteen’:
 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has inaugurated ‘Anna Canteen’, which
will serve food for just Rs. 5.

 The canteen would serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all at the same rate.
 The canteen was inaugurated by the chief minister at Vijayawada’s Bhavanipuram, a total
of 60 canteens were inaugurated initially.
INS Tarangini Visits Sunderland to Participate in Tall Ship Races – 2018:
 INS Tarangini arrived at her seventh port, Sunderland in the UK, during her Lokayan-18
voyage and also to participate in the prestigious ‘tall ship races - 2018’.
 The ship is part of the first Training Squadron based at Kochi, under the Southern Naval
Command of the Indian Navy.
 The name ‘Tarangini’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘Tarang’ meaning waves; thus,
Tarangini means ‘the one that rides the waves’.
 INS Tarangini is the first ship of the Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe in the
year 2003-04 and has participated in tall ship races conducted around the world in 2007,
2011 and 2015.
 This beautiful ship, in her 21st year of service, is once again ready to create history with
Lokayan-18.
 Lokayan is a combination of two Sanskrit words: ‘Lokya’ meaning worldwide and ‘Yana’
meaning travel, thus literally meaning, ‘travel around the world’.
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Launches the Swachh Survekshan Grameen
2018:
 The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launches the Swachh Survekshan Grameen
2018 (SSG 2018) New Delhi.
 An independent survey agency will conduct the survey in all districts from 1st to 31st August
2018, and the results will be announced in the form of a ranking of all districts and states on
the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters.
 The top performing states and districts are expected to be awarded on 2nd October 2018.
4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals In Indore:
 The Ministry of Mines organized the 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals on 13th
July 2018 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
 Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan was the chief guest of the
conclave.
Odisha constitutes 'Heritage Cabinet' to preserve culture:
 The Odisha government has constituted a 'Heritage Cabinet' to preserve the Odia language
and the state's culture.

 The cabinet comprises eight members and will be headed by Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik.
MP govt to appoint girls as district Brand Ambassador:
 In Madhya Pradesh, in a first of its kind initiative, the state govt will appoint girls as a
district Brand Ambassador who have recorded significant achievements in any field under
the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme.
 Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a personal campaign of the Government of India that aims to
generate awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls.
 The scheme was launched with an initial funding of Rs 100 crore.
President inaugurates platinum jubilee celebrations of Institute of Cost Accountants of

India:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the platinum jubilee
celebrations of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India in New Delhi on July 14, 2018.
PM inaugurates, lays Foundation Stone for various development projects in Varanasi:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated, or laid the foundation stone of
important projects, cumulatively worth over Rs. 900 crore, in Varanasi.
 Among the projects inaugurated are the Varanasi City Gas Distribution Project, and the
Varanasi-Ballia MEMU train.
 The foundation stone was laid for the Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg, and several projects
under the Smart City Mission and Namami Gange.
 The Prime Minister also laid the Foundation Stone for an International Convention Centre in
Varanasi.
PM lays Foundation Stone for Poorvanchal Expressway in Azamgarh:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, laid the Foundation Stone of the Poorvanchal
Expressway in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.
 The Prime Minister said that the 340 kilometer long Poorvanchal Expressway would
transform the towns and cities that it passes through.
PM in Mirzapur, dedicates Bansagar Canal Project to the Nation:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, dedicated the Bansagar Canal Project to the
Nation in Mirzapur.
 This project will provide a big boost to irrigation in the region, and will be greatly beneficial
for the farmers of Mirzapur and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.
 Shri Narendra Modi laid the Foundation Stone of the Mirzapur Medical College.

 He inaugurated 100 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the State. He also dedicated a bridge over the
River Ganga at Balughat, Chunar, which will facilitate connectivity between Mirzapur and
Varanasi.
President of India Addresses the Shiromani Kabir Prakat Diwas Celebrations:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the Shiromani Kabir
Prakat Diwas (Kabir Jayanti) in Fatehabad, Haryana on July 15, 2018.
 This function was organised by the Dhanak Sabha Fatehabad and the Sant Kabir Dhanak
Samaj Karamchari Welfare Association, Haryana.
2nd National Tourism Conclave organised in Rajasthan:
 The 2nd National Tourism Conclave was organised in Jaipur as top officials of the state
tourism department said a number of "pro-tourism" projects being executed in the state
would give a major boost to the sector.
 The state has something for all kind of tourism lovers and aggressive marketing strategy of
the government has further bolstered the sector, he said at the conclave.
Indian Army, FTII join hands to provide acting skills to Baramulla youth:
 Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has joined hands with the Indian
Army to provide acting courses to the youth of Baramulla district.
 Among various courses related to film and television, one such course in screen acting was
organised from June 25 to July 14, which provided an excellent opportunity to 30 youth of
Kashmir to learn acting skills.
 The course was conducted under the FTII’s outreach programme.
Vice president Inaugurates New India Conclave:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that agriculture is the backbone
of Indian economy and it should be on the top of the agenda of the Government.
 He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the New India Conclave being
organised by Y4D Foundation.
 The Vice President said that there is a need to make agriculture remunerative and farmers
must be encouraged to take up allied activities like poultry, horticulture, sericulture, bee
keeping, dairy and others to improve income.
Javedkar to inaugurate the Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes:
 With an aim of upgrading quality of education, research, hospital care facilities in the
national AYUSH institutions throughout the country and develop them as light house
institutions, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under Ministry of AYUSH is organizing two
days Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes on 17th and 18th July 2018 at India
International Centre, New Delhi.

 Inaugural session of the conference will be graced by Minister of Human Resource

Development Shri Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH
Shri Shripad Yesso Naik.
 During the deliberations, Vice Chancellors of various Health Universities, Directors of
reputed research organizations and around 100 accomplished senior professionals from
various national institutes including IIT, DST, DBT, UGC etc are expected to take part in the
event.
 It is also planned to join hands together and sign MoUs with Sports Authority of India,
Indian Institute of Technology for collaborative ventures.
Conference on ‘Empowering Women: Fostering Entrepreneurship, Innovation and

Sustainability’:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that empowerment of women
is central to achieving the objective of inclusive, equitable and sustainable development and
it is not only a national goal but also a global agenda.
 He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the International Conference on
‘Empowering Women: Fostering Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability’
organized by the NITI Aayog and Shri Ram College of Commerce.
 The Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Kiran Bedi, the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Prof.
Yogesh Tyagi and the CEO of NITI Ayog, Shri Amitabh Kant and other dignitaries were
present on the occasion.
Piyush Goyal Inaugurates the MAHAGENCO Pipe Conveyor System:
 The Union Minister of Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal
inaugurated the MAHAGENCO Pipe Conveyor System for coal transportation from cluster
of mines of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL).
 The first Pipe Conveyor project of 6.3 Km length is a dedicated system for Chandrapur
Super Thermal Power Station of MAHAGENCO by taking coal from Bhatadi OC mine,
Chandrapur Area and feeding to MGR at Padmapur.
 The second project of approx. 20 Km length will have five feeding Open Cast Mines of
Nagpur Area of WCL, namely Gondegaon, Kamptee, Inder, Bhanegaon and Singhori
dedicated to Khaparkheda and Koradi Power Plants of Maharashtra State Power Generation
Co. Ltd. (MSPGCL).
 This project is being carried out in two phases.
 On completion of this project, road transportation of coal will be stopped and 100 per cent
coal production from these mines of WCL will be transported through Koradi & Khaperkheda
Coal pipe conveyor.
MoU signed between AIIA and IIT Delhi:
 The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated
Raising towards Excellence – A two day Conference of Heads of AYUSH National Institutes
organized by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) at New Delhi.

 The conference is organized with a vision to develop National AYUSH institutes as light
house institutions, streamlining quality in research, hospital care facilities, education,
harmonization and rationalization of infrastructure and activities, and forming uniform
service guidelines.
 The purpose of this conference is to upgrade the status of AYUSH institutes at par with IITs
and IIMs.
 This event was also witnessed the signing of a MoU between All India Institute of Ayurveda
and Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
National Conference of State/UT Ministers-in-charge of Women & Child development:
 A high level National Conference of State/UT Ministers-in-charge of Women & Child

development was held in New Delhi.
 The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister of Women and Child development, Smt.
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.
 The National Level Conference was held with the objective to discuss issues pertaining to
safety of women and children as well as Poshan Abhiyan with the purpose to direct and seek
the support of State Governments to further their effective implementation.
Gujarat to form Sanskrit Bhasha Vikas Board:
 In order to promote the Sanskrit language, the Gujarat government has decided to form the
Sanskrit Bhasha Vikas Board.
 The decision was announced by state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama at an
event held at the Gujarat University.
India accounts for 1/5th of global deaths from floods:
 India accounts for one-fifth of global deaths due to floods, according to government data.
 As many as 107,487 people died due to heavy rains and floods across India over 64 years
between 1953 and 2017, according to Central Water Commission data.
 Damage to crops, houses and public utilities was reported to be Rs 365,860 crore.
Cabinet approves MoU amongst BRICS Nations on the Regional Aviation Partnership:
signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amongst BRICS Nations on the Regional
Aviation Partnership Cooperation viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
 The objective is that BRICS countries would benefit from the establishing of an institutional
framework to cooperate in the field of civil aviation.
 The MoU signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and
other BRICS Member States and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism
and cultural exchanges amongst the BRICS Nations.

IAF participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2018:
 The Indian Air Force for the first time is participating with fighter aircraft in Exercise Pitch
Black 2018 (PB-18), which is scheduled from 24 July to 18 Aug, 2018
 Location  Australia
 Pitch Black is a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare exercise hosted by
the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
 The IAF contingent consists of 145 air-warriors including Garud team, 04 X Su-30 MKI, 01 X
C-130 and 01 X C-17.
India and USA hold Senior Officers Meeting on Homeland Security Dialogue:
 Senior Officers Meeting on Homeland Security Dialogue between India and USA was held
in New Delhi.
 The meeting focused on issues relating to security cooperation, customs and immigration,
aviation security, capacity building etc.
PMEGP Generated Over 11 Lakh Employments in Last Three Years:
 Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, PMEGP is estimated to have

generated over 11,13, 000 employments during the last three years i.e.2015-16 to 2017-18.
 This information was given by Minister of state for Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises,
Shri Giriraj Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
 PMEGP is a credit linked subsidy scheme, for setting up of new micro-enterprises and to
generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through
KVIC, State Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB) and District Industries Centre (DIC).
Indo-US delegation meeting on Defence Cooperation:
 As part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 7th Defence Technology and Trade
Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held between India and the US delegation.
 The meeting was co-chaired by, Secretary (Defence Production), Dr Ajay Kumar and Under
Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD, US Government Ms Ellen
M Lord.
 Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ajay Kumar brought out that Indian government has taken a
number of steps to give an impetus to Indian defence industry and its flagship ‘Make in
India’ initiative.
Udaipur ranked 3rd among world's best cities:
 The city of Udaipur has once again in 2018 been ranked among the World's Best Cities by
Travel + Leisure.
 Udaipur, the heritage-city built by the Maharanas of Mewar in the 16th century, is on the
third place among the 15 of the world's best cities.
 The top 2 cities are both in Mexico: San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca.

One-Day Meeting of Directors of 59 Central Institutes of Higher Learning:
 Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted a one-day meeting of directors of 59 institutes of higher

learning in the fields of information technology, engineering science and technology, and
planning and architecture on July 19, 2018.
 This is part of regular interactions of the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, with such
institutions in his capacity as visitor to 146 Central Universities and institutions of higher
learning.
Election Commissioner Inaugurates a new Manufacturing Facility For EVM Production:
 The Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora visited Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore.
 BEL has established state-of-the-art secure manufacturing facilities for manufacture of
digital certified EVM/VVPATs as per the advise of Technical Experts Committee of ECI. Shri
Sunil Arora also reviewed the status of Progress of production of EVMs and VVPATs.
 During his visit Shri Sunil Arora inaugurated one of the newly set up secured manufacturing
facility for EVM production at Military communication Strategic Business Unit at BEL
Bangalore Complex.
A world class exhibition on four eminent personalities of Bengal:
 A world class exhibition on four eminent personalities of Bengal, Gurudev Rabindranath

Tagore, Netaji Subha Chandra Bose, Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Dr. Syama
Prasad Mukherjee would be organized very soon at National Library in Kolkata at
permanent basis, said Shri Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture.
 Reviewing restoration, renovation and modernization works being carried out by the Central
Public Work Department (CPWD) at the Belvedere House of the National Library, the
Secretary expressed satisfaction and informed that this house will be illuminated and Light
and Sound programmes will be organised to entertain the visitors.
 Literary festivals would also be held to restore old glories of the building and to make new
generations aware of their rich heritage, he added.
Samagra Shiksha Scheme to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education:
 The Department of School Education and Literacy has formulated the Samagra Shiksha - an
Integrated Scheme for School Education as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and it is being
implemented throughout the country with effect from the year 2018-19.
 This programme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher
Education (TE).
 It is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to
class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school
education.

Setting up of National Resource Centres for preparing online training material:
 The Government has proposed to set up National Resource Centres (NRCs) to prepare
online training material with focus on latest developments in the discipline, new &
emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised
curriculum.
 In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified,
under the Ministry’s Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and
Teaching (PMMMNMTT) located in Central Universities, IISc, IUCAA, IITs, IISERs, NITs, State
Universities ; UGC’s Human Resource Development Centres (HRDCs), National Institutes for
Technical Teachers Training (NITTTRs), IIITs, Open Universities.
 Under this initiative, all in-service teachers, irrespective of their subject and seniority have
an enabling opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments in their disciplines
through the technology based online refresher course, through SWAYAM platform.
India to build 2,000 kms of international roads by 2022:
 The government is planning to build 1,911 kilometres of international connectivity roads

over the five year period ending 2022 under its flagship Bharatmala scheme.
 Moreover, it is also planning to 3,319 kms of border roads, Minister of State for Road
Transport and Highways Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Junior Officers Leadership Seminar held at Visakhapatnam:
 With an endeavour to provide a forum to the junior officers to put forth their views on
aspects ranging across professional, technical, training and personnel issues, a Junior
Officers Leadership Seminar was conducted by Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam on 18 Jul
and 19 Jul 18.
 The two-day was seminar conducted under the aegis of HQENC.
 It included seven papers presented by junior officers from different fields of the Navy and
included contemporary topics.
Union Home Minister to launch Student Police Cadet Programme:
 The Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme is scheduled to be launched nationally on the
21st July, 2018 by the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh.
 The programme seeks to build a bridge between the Police and the larger community
through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them through classes in school
and outside.
 The programme focuses on students of class 8 & 9 and special care has been taken to
ensure that it does not lead to increase in the workload of the students.

Multi Modal Terminal on Ganga at Varanasi Nearing Completion:
 The Rs 169.59 Crore Multi Modal Terminal (MMT) being built at Varanasi by Inland
Waterways Authority of India under Jal Marg Vikas project is set to be completed by
November this year.
 This would be a major landmark for the project.
 The construction of the Rs 280. 90 Crore MMT at Sahibganj is to be completed by May, 2019,
and the one at Haldia, being constructed at a cost of Rs 517.36 Crore, is scheduled to be
completed by December 2019.
 In addition to this the work on the Rs 359.20 Crore state-of-the-art navigational lock at
Farakka is to be completed By June, 2019.
 Contract for maintenance dredging in the Farakka-Kahalgaon stretch of the river was
awarded in April, 2018, for Rs 150 Crore, and work on this has started.
 The work for construction of two Inter-Modal Terminals (IMT)on NW-1, at Ghazipur in Uttar
Pradesh and Kalughat in Bihar will be awarded this year.
 Jal Marg Vikas is a Rs 5369 Crore World Bank aided project on National Waterway 1 (River
Ganga), aimed at augmenting the navigational capacity of the Varanasi to Haldia stretch of
the river, to enable commercial navigation of at least 1500-2000 ton vessels.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates the most advanced System of Air Quality and Weather
Forecasting:
 Science& Technology, Earth Sciences; Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Dr
Harsh Vardhan unveiled a state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System–
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting)at Chandni Chowk in Delhi.
 The giant true colour LED display gives out real-time air quality index on 24x7 basis with
colour coding along with 72-hour advance forecast.
 The system, first of its kind in the country, was developed indigenously in record time by
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and operationalized by India
Meteorological Department (IMD)
Union Home Minister launches the Student Police Cadet (SPC) programme:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Student Police Cadet (SPC)
programme for nationwide implementation at a ceremony in Gurugram, Haryana.
 In his address on the occasion, the Home Minister expressed hope that the SPC would lead
to a silent revolution over the years by focusing on character building by imparting moral
values to budding minds.
 He expressed concern that education these days stressed more on mere book reading with
little attention being paid towards character building of students, which shows negative
effects on society in terms of increased crime.

28th meeting of the GST Council held in New Delhi:
 The GST Council in its 28th meeting has recommended certain amendments in the CGST Act,
IGST Act, UTGST Act and the GST (Compensation to States) Act.
The major recommendations are as detailed below:
 Upper limit of turnover for opting for composition scheme to be raised from Rs. 1 crore to
Rs. 1.5 crore. Present limit of turnover can now be raised on the recommendations of the
Council.
 Composition dealers to be allowed to supply services (other than restaurant services), for
upto a value not exceeding 10% of turnover in the preceding financial year, or Rs. 5 lakhs,
whichever is higher.
 The threshold exemption limit for registration in the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Uttarakhand to be increased to Rs. 20 Lakhs
from Rs. 10 Lakhs.
7th Annual General Body Meeting of ITRHD was held in New Delhi:
 The 7th Annual General Body Meeting of Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development
(ITRHD) was held in New Delhi.
 This meeting was aimed at recognizing efforts of preservation of Indian Heritage and Culture
in Rural India and working in about 7 states of India by ITRHD.
 The project involved conserving 62 temples of the 108 temples.
KHELO INDIA launches unique programme to nurture sporting talent:
 Following the successful conduct of the Khelo India School Games, Sports Authority of India
took another significant step towards the development of sports, cleared 734 players for a
scholarship programme under Khelo India Talent IdentificationDevelopment scheme.
 A talent identification committee was formed comprising Arjuna Awardees and Dronacharya
Awardees to shortlist and propose the names of the beneficiaries to the High Powered
Committee, which cleared the above numbers after due diligence.
 The scholarship programme is designed to take care of their expenses including training,
development, boarding and lodging and tournament exposure apart from offering them out
of pocket expense allowance.
Kerala tops in governance, Tamil Nadu second:
 Pinarayi Vijayan’s ruled Kerala stands as the best-governed state in the country followed
by Tamil Nadu, according to the Public Affairs Index 2018 released by the think tank Public
Affairs Centre (PAC).

 While Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat are ranked third, fourth and fifth among the top
five states delivering good governance, according to the report, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand
and Bihar ranked the lowest on the PAI
 Released annually since 2016, the index examines governance performance in the states
through a data-based framework.
 Rajasthan ranked 17th in the ranking.
First Meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats:
 The first meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held on
22-23 July 2018 in Agartala, Tripura.
 In the meeting both sides noted the positive impact of Border Haats on the livelihoods of the
people living in areas adjoining the Haats.
 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.
 It was agreed that the next meeting would be held in Bangladesh on mutually agreed dates.
75 institutions have been identified to act as National Resource Centres:
 The Government has identified 75 institutions to act as National Resource Centres (NRCs)
to prepare online training material for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
 In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified,
under the Ministry’s Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and
Teaching (PMMMNMTT)
Gadkari inaugurates NH Projects worth Rs 5485 Crores in Madhya Pradesh:
 Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation inaugurated/ laid the foundation for National
Highways projects worth Rs 5485 Crores in Madhya Pradesh
 At an event in Guna he laid the foundation stone for 5 NH projects of total length 226 km,
worth Rs 3583 Crore.
Swachh Survekshan Grameen launched in UP, Jharkhand and Maharashtra:
 The Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 (SSG 2018) announced by the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation on July 13th, 2018, was launched by UP, Jharkhand and Mahrashtra.
 Under the SSG 2018, an independent survey agency will conduct the survey in all districts
from 1st to 31st August 2018, and the results will be announced in the form of a ranking of
all districts and States on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata)
parameters.
 The top performing States and Districts are expected to be awarded on 2nd October 2018.

36th Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) Meeting of PMAY:
 Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction of 2,67,546 more
affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
 The approval was given in the 36th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring
Committee in its meeting.
 With the above proposed houses, cumulative houses under PMAY(U) after subsuming
projects of RAY scheme the total number of houses being funded under PMAY(Urban) would
be 53,74,306 houses.
17 sites in the country to be developed as Iconic Tourist Sites:
 Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 sites in 12 clusters in the country for development
under Iconic Tourist Sites Development Project, pursuant to Budget Announcements of
2018-19.
 Following are the 17 sites: Uttar Pradesh- TajMahal & FatehpurSikri; Maharashtra- Ajanta &
Ellora; Delhi- Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort & QutubMinar; Goa- Colva beach; Rajasthan- Amer
Fort; Gujarat- Somnath & Dholavira; Madhya Pradesh- Khajuraho; Karnataka- Hampi; Tamil
Nadu- Mahabalipuram; Assam- Kaziranga; Kerala- Kumarakom; Bihar- Mahabodhi.
 The Ministry shall be developing the above sites in a holistic manner with focus on issues
concerning connectivity to the destination, better facilities/experience for the tourists at the
site, skill development, involvment of local community, promotion & branding and by
bringing in private investment.
Mobile app for replacement of transformers in Rajasthan:
 Farmers in Rajasthan will soon have the ease to get their defunct transformers replaced
within six hours of registering a complaint through a mobile app.
 Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said the scheme was being launched on a pilot basis from
Jhalawar.
 The scheme would be expanded to other areas of the state.
Union Home Minister to inaugurate the 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference:
 Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, will inaugurate the 2nd Conference of Young
Superintendent of Police being organized by Bureau of Police Research & Development
(BPR&D).
 Theme  “Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces” and
aims to create awareness among young Superintendents of Police and Commandants
regarding latest technologies in areas of Artificial Intelligence; Predictive Policing/ Crime
Analytics/ Big data Analytics; Geospatial Technology; Cyber Crime; Surveillance Tracking &
UAVs; CCTV Equipment, for effective delivery of Police Services to citizens.

September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month every year:
 Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has organized 2nd
meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges under POSHAN Abhiyaan on
24th July, 2018 in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
 September, 2018 will be celebrated as National Nutrition Month and this will be celebrated
every year.
 The Government of India has set-up POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) which
was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8th March, 2018 from Jhunjhunu,
Rajasthan.
Karnataka overtakes Tamil Nadu in renewable energy:
 Karnataka is the new national leader in renewable energy generation, US-based Institute
for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said.
 It has overtaken Tamil Nadu that had long been India's top renewables market.
 With a population of more than 60 million, Karnataka has a total of 12.3 gigawatts (GW) of
renewable capacity installed till March, after having added five GW in 2017-18 alone, it said.
International Children's Film Festival inaugurated:
 West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi inaugurated the 18th International Children's Film
Festival in which 36 films from 17 countries would be screened.
 The Governor also called for screening of one children's film in every cinema hall of the state
every month.
 The festival was being organised by Cine Central, one of the oldest cine clubs of the country
in collaboration with the UNICEF.
International conference on India-Vietnam economic ties:
 Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies among the ASEAN countries said Union
Minister of Commerce& Industry and Civil Aviation in New Delhi. He was speaking at an
international conference on India-Vietnam economic ties.
 The Minister said that India values the cultural and religious similarities between the two
countries but it is the “Act East Policy” initiated by the Prime Minister of India which has
opened the doors to realize the tremendous potential for mutual growth.
 The Minister further said that India and Vietnam hold key positions in this region in both
trade, and commerce, political and security issues.
 As a member of ASEAN, Vietnam is an enabler for India’s growing ties with rest of ASEAN,
which is the focus of India’s Act East Policy.
 Both counties have extensive economic ties in oil exploration, agriculture, manufacturing
and defence and are now looking at the services sector which is the new growth engine in
global trade.
 India granted “Most Favoured Nation” status to Vietnam in 1975.

RRM inaugurates Air Defence India – 2018 Seminar:
 Raksha Rajya Mantri (RRM) Dr. Subhash Bhamre inaugurated a two-day Air Defence India
– 2018 Seminar & Exhibition, organised by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
 Dr. Bhamre said the term ‘Air Defence’ implies defence operations but it is an important
operational function which helps our Strike Corps to be offensive and the Air Force to act
with impunity.
6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) Meeting:
 The 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting held in New Delhi discussed a
range of issues on S&T cooperation between the two countries.
 Dr. Harsh Vardhan expressed the need to establish few more Network Centres in areas such
as Cyber Physical System- Artificial Intelligence, digital Economy, health technologies, cyber
security and promoting clean growth, smart urbanization, future mobility and environment.
Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme to empower rural women:
 Government of India has approved a new scheme namely Mahila Shakti Kendra for
implementation during 2017-18 upto 2019-20 to empower rural women through
community participation.
 The Scheme is implemented with cost sharing ratio of 60:40 between centre and states
except for North East and Special Category States where the ratio is 90:10.
 The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels and at the national level and state level
technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women is provided.
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog & MyGov launches “Innovate India Platform”:
 Shri. R Ramanan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission and Shri.Arvind Gupta CEO,
MyGov today launched the “Innovate India Platform”, a collaboration between the Atal
Innovation Mission and MyGov, a citizen centric platform of the Government of India.
 The Innovate India portal will serve as the common point for all the innovation happening
across the nation.
 Launching the platform, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission said that the Innovate
India MyGov-AIM portal creates the much-needed innovations platform for registering both
grassroots and deep-tech innovators at a national level. Those searching for a critical
innovation can leverage the portal advantageously for the benefit of the economy as well as
national social needs.”

Three day National Conference of Vice Chancellors of Universities and Directors:
 On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, the Ministry of Human Resource Development
organized a National Conference of Vice Chancellors & Directors of Higher Education
Institutions of India in New Delhi.
 Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar chaired the
conference and Minister of State for HRD, Higher Education Dr Satya Pal Singh also graced
the occasion.
 The three- day Conference started on 26th July, and will culminate on 28th July, 2018.
Indian Railways Launches “Mission Satyanishtha”:
 The Indian Railways organized a programme on Ethics in Public Governance and Launched
“Mission Satyanishtha” at a daylong event held at National Rail Museum, New Delhi on
27.07.2018.
 Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Railways & Coal,administered the
oath to the officers and supervisors at the programme.
 “Mission Satyanishtha” launched on 27th July 2018 aims at sensitizing all railway
employees about the need to adhere to good ethics and to maintain high standards of
integrity at work.
Srikrishna Committee suggests amendments in Aadhaar Act:
 The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India has suggested
amendments to various laws including the Aadhaar Act to provide for imposition of penalties
on data fiduciaries and compensations to data principals for violations of the data protection
law.
 The 213-page report, prepared by a 10-member committee set up last year under the
chairmanship of the retired Supreme Court judge, was submitted to Law and Electronics
Minister Ravishankar Prasad who said that the government will go through the draft bill and
take stakeholder comments before taking Cabinet approval for finalising the legislation.
Andhra CM lays foundation stone of mega sports complex:
 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone of a Rs 60
crore mega sports complex in Vijayawada.
 The Amaravati International Sports Complex will be built on 8.9 acres of land.
 The headquarters of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) will be shifted to this
complex.
 Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu has also launched 'Project Gandiva'  this project aims to
achieve medals in Olympic Games in a span of ten years.

Museum For All Former Prime Ministers:
 A museum for all former prime ministers of the country will be built in the Teen Murti
Bhavan complex housing the Jawaharlal Nehru memorial.
 The decision was taken at the 43rd annual general meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum
and Library (NMML) chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
 NMML at the Teen Murti Bhavan was set up in the memory of the country's first prime
minister Jawaharlal Nehru as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.
Assam Government To Roll Out PRANAM Act:
 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led government in Assam will be introducing a law from
October 2 that will make it mandatory for state government employees to look after their
aged parents and physically-challenged siblings who do not have any source of income.
 Assam Employees Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring
(PRANAM) Bill, 2017 was passed by the government last year.
 Dependent parents not having any source of income can get up to 10 percent of the salary
of the employee.
J P Nadda Launches National Viral Hepatitis Control Program:
 “With this initiative, Government is strongly committed to work towards elimination of viral
hepatitis by 2030.”
 This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare as he
launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program to mark the World Hepatitis Day,
2018.
 At the function, Shri J P Nadda also released the Operational Guidelines for National Viral
Hepatitis Control Program, National Laboratory Guidelines for Viral Hepatitis Testing and
National Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Viral Hepatitis.
Pradhan lays the Foundation stone for permanent campus for NSTI:
 The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development &Entrepreneurship
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, laid the foundation stone for permanent campus of National
Skill Training Institute (NSTI) for Women at Mohali, Punjab.
 This is the first NSTI Institute for Punjab and only one of its kind in India which is
exclusively for women.
 The Minister also launched a unique Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) which would
admit differently abled persons as well, also a first of its kind in India at Mohali.
Unified Commanders Conference – 2018:
 The two day Unified Commanders Conference (UCC) for the year 2018 will be held on 30th
& 31st Jul 2018 at New Delhi.

 The Annual Conference provides a platform for discussions at the Apex Level on all ‘Joint
Issues’ amongst the three Services & Ministry of Defence and enables stock taking of the
previous year and planning the way ahead for the next year.
 The Conference will be conducted under the tutelage of Headquarters Integrated Defence
Staff (HQ IDS) and will be attended by the Raksha Mantri, Rajya Raksha Mantri,
National Security Advisor, the Chiefs of Army, Navy & Air Force and other Senior Military and
Civil Officials of the Ministry of Defence and Tri-Service Organisations/Institutions.
Radha Mohan Singh launches Meghalaya Milk Mission in Shillong:
 Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that
Meghalaya Milk Mission will facilitate in achieving the Centre’s goal of doubling farmer’s
income by 2022 through promotion of milk business in the state.
 Announcing a sanctioned project of Rs 215 crores through National Cooperative
Development Corporation (NCDC) at the launching programme of Meghalaya Milk Mission
in Shillong, the minister said that the amount will be utilised for various training under dairy
farm, chilling centre and purchase of milch animal.
 The minister said that the Meghalaya Milk Mission has been conceptualised to plug the
demand-supply gap in the per capita milk availability.
PM attends groundbreaking ceremony of various projects in Uttar Pradesh:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Lucknow. He attended the groundbreaking
ceremony of 81 projects in Uttar Pradesh, with a total investment of over 60,000 crore
rupees.
 These projects have materialised within a few months after the UP Investors Summit, which
was organized in February 2018, in an effort to attract investments and promote
industrialisation in the State.
 He said India has become the world's second largest producer of mobile phones, and Uttar
Pradesh is leading this manufacturing revolution.
 He said India's energy deficit has reduced from 4.2 percent in 2013-14, to less than one
percent today.
Odisha To Implement Own Food Security Act From October:
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state government would
implement its own food security act from October 2 this year.
 Odisha's own food security act would cover nearly 34.44 lakhs people who have been left
out from the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
 Mr Patnaik made this announcement while participating in the 'Ama Mukhyamantri, Ama
Katha' (Our Chief Minister, Our Issues) program.

Hyderabad to host India’s first-ever international blockchain Congress:
 The inaugural edition of the International Blockchain Congress in India will be held on
August 3 & 4 at, Novotel & HICC Complex, Hyderabad
 In collaboration with NITI Aayog, and governments of Telangana and Goa, the
International Blockchain Congress is aimed at bringing thought-provoking conversations on
blockchain for next-generation financial services.
Shripad Yesso Naik lays the foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of construction of NEIAH:
 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik laid the
foundation stone of the 2nd Phase of Construction of North East Institute of Ayurveda &
Homeopathy (NEIAH) at NEIAH Campus, Mawdiangdiang, Shillong on 29th July 2018.
 The approximate estimated cost of the construction is Rs 40.80 crore for an area of 10481.53
sq.m and will comprise of residential accommodation for students, doctors and staff and
guest house.
17 antiquities returned to India from U.S since 2016:
 Till date, 17 antiquities which are also artefacts have been returned to India by US since
June 2016.
 Two antiquities i.e. (1) Saint Manikkavichavakar (Sambanthar), (2) Ganesha have been
handed over to Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police and one male figure in stone has been sent
to Khajuraho Museum.
 The remaining objects are still in the custody of Archaeological Survey of India.
Cabinet approves extension of Scheme of Recapitalization of RRBs upto 2019-20:
extension of the scheme of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for the next
three years i.e. upto 2019-20.
 This will enable the RRBs to maintain the minimum prescribed Capital to Risk Weighted
Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9 per cent.
 A strong capital structure and minimum required level of CRAR will ensure financial stability
of RRBs which will enable them to play a greater role in financial inclusion and meeting the
credit requirements of rural areas.
 There are 56 RRBs functioning in the country.
 As on 31st March, 2017(Prov.), the total credit given by RRBs is Rs.2,28,599 crore

Bank of China gets RBI licence to launch operations in India:
 The Reserve Bank of India has issued licence to Bank of China to launch operations in India.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a commitment to Chinese President Xi Jinping to
allow Bank of China to set up branches in India when they met on the sidelines of the SCO
summit in Chinese city of Qingdao last month.
 Bank of China is one of the very few state-owned commercial banks in China.
25 countries in global banks’ ‘high risk’ list:
 China, UAE, Cyprus and significantly, Mauritius, along with 21 other countries have been
tagged as “high-risk jurisdictions” by global banks acting as custodians for foreign funds
which comprise the largest group of investors in the Indian stock market.
 SEBI-registered foreign portfolio funds invest in India through 56 countries. Of these, 25
are now considered ‘high risk’.
Govt. launches GST ‘Verify App’:
 The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has developed and launched a
mobile app named ‘GST Verify’ to protect interest of consumers.
 The application is to verify if the person collecting GST from the consumer is eligible to
collect it or not.
 It also provides the details of the person / company collecting GST.
RIL becomes India's largest tax payer in private sector:
 Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said that Reliance is India's largest payer of
Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the private
sector.
BHEL to partner Ukraine's Zorya for overhaul of warship turbines:
 Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is setting up a joint venture (JV) in India with the
Ukrainian manufacturer, Zorya Mashproekt, to overhaul turbines in India.
 The navy will soon have 34 warships driven by Zorya turbines, with four turbines per
vessel, adding up to 136 in-service turbines.
 There will also be a stock of six-eight spare turbines. A turbine is overhauled after running
30,000 hours.
RBI cancels licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank:
 The RBI said the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been
cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when their claims
accrue, among other reasons.
 The present financial position of the bank leaves no scope for its revival, the RBI said, adding
that the cancellation of the licence is effective from the close of business on July 5.

ADB accords approval for lining project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region:
 Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh took a
meeting with the officials from ADB and Finance Ministry to review the progress of lining
project of the Son canal in Shahabad – Bhojpur region of Bihar.
 It may be noted that the estimated cost of this project is USD 503 million (Rs 3272.49 crore)
out of which USD 352 million is being provided by ADB.
India-Korea Technology Exchange Centre Inaugurated:
 The India-Korea Technology Exchange Centre was Inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C)
MSME Giriraj Singh and Minister of SMEs and Start-ups of Republic of Korea, Hong Jong-
hak in New Delhi.
 Speaking on this occasion, Giriraj Singh said that the purpose of the Technology Exchange
Centre is to create a platform for micro, small and medium enterprises of India and Korea
where they can be assisted to identify and exchange latest technologies, share management
expertise, product development and technology applications for product development.
 The MSME Minister further said that the Technology Centre will also work towards building
reliable alliances in Space, Solar Energy, Nano technologies and some other upcoming
technologies.
Microsoft signs MoU with Rajasthan govt for digital training to 9,500 students:
 Microsoft has signed an MoU with the Rajasthan government to provide free digital
training to 9,500 college students in one year.
 The initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of
college students in the state.
 The state few months back had signed MoU with IGNOU for nearly two dozen courses on
skill development.
India pips France to become world’s 6th largest economy:
 India has now become world’s sixth-largest economy, pushing past France, according to the
updated World Bank figures for 2017.
 France has been pushed to seventh spot in the list, AFP reported.
 When compared with $2.582 trillion for France, India’s GDP stood at $2.597 trillion at 2017
end.
 The US remains the world’s largest economy followed by China, Japan, Germany and
Britain.

BSNL starts first internet telephony service in India:
 State-run telecom firm BSNL has unveiled first internet telephony service in the country
that will allow users to dial any telephone number in India through its mobile app.
 Now BSNL customers will be able to make calls using the company’s mobile app “Wings” to
any phone number in the country.
MoU on Defence Salary Package signed between Indian Army and State Bank of India:
 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and SBI on
the Defence Salary Package on 12 July 2018.
 The signing-in ceremony was chaired by the Adjutant General Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar and
was attended by top officials of SBI headed by Shri PK Gupta, Managing Director (Retail and
Development Banking), SBI.
 The first MoU between SBI and the Indian Army was signed in 2011 and was renewed on
23 Feb 2015.
Mukesh Ambani becomes richest man in Asia:
 Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries chairman has beaten Alibaba founder Jack Ma to
become the richest man in Asia, according to a report by Bloomberg.
 As per the report, Ambani's estimated wealth rose to a whooping 44.3 billion dollars.
 Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma's wealth stood at 44 billion dollars.
Five PSBs to get Rs 11,337 cr fund infusion:
 The government is going to infuse Rs 11,337 crore in five state-owned banks.

 The capital infusion will be made in Punjab National Bank (PNB), Allahabad Bank, Andhra
Bank, Corporation Bank and India Overseas Bank (IOB).
 The latest round of infusion is aimed at helping the banks meet the regulatory capital
requirement.
Google hit with €4.3bn Android fine from EU:
 Google has been fined a record €4.34bn (nearly 34 Crore) over Android.
 The European Commission said the firm had used the mobile operating system to illegally
"cement its dominant position" in search.
 The firm's parent Alphabet has been given 90 days to change its business practices or face
further penalties of up to 5% of its average global daily turnover.

MoU signed between CSIR-NPL and HPCL:
 CSIR- National Physical laboratory (NPL) has signed a MoU with Hindustan Petroleum
Corporation Limited (HPCL) for indigenous development of petroleum certified reference
materials (CRMs) under trade name of Bhartiya Niredeshak Dravyas (BNDTM).
 This will not only ensure maintaining highest standard quality ecosystem for petroleum
products used by all stakeholders including common man but also will save vital foreign
exchange through import substitution for CRMs.
Cochin Port signs work order for state-of-the-art Cruise Terminal:
 A new Cruise Terminal having facilities to handle 5000 tourists will come up at Ernakulum
Wharf of Cochin Port by February 2020.
 Cochin Port Trust has issued work order to the contractor for commencing the construction
of the new Cruise Terminal.
 The estimated cost of construction of the terminal is Rs 25.72cr and of this Rs 21.41cr has
been sanctioned as grant by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
NABARD launches Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow:
 Agri-lender NABARD said it has launched a centre for accelerating concerted action on
climate change by various stakeholders including government, private and financial sectors.
 It said the Centre for Climate Change, set up in Lucknow, would help NABARD in enhancing
its capacity building efforts manifold.
 It would also support capacity building and project preparation effort in developing
countries in the region as also in Africa.
Govt slashes minimum yearly deposit for Sukanya Samriddhi account to Rs 250:
 The government has slashed the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under
the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier.
 The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2016, to state that
the minimum initial deposit to open the account would be Rs 250.
 Till November 2017, more than 1.26 crore accounts have been opened across the country in
the name of girl children.
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 Shri Yaduvendra Mathur, Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog and Shri
Sita Ram Gupta, Executive Director, Lupin Foundation.
 For this programme, the NITI Aayog and Lupin Foundation are collaborating to improve
indicators in education, health & nutrition, financial inclusion and skill development,
agriculture and water resources and basic infrastructure in Aspirational Districts of India.

MoU with UK for Improving Public Transport System:
 The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United Kingdom
for seeking help in improving overall public transport system in the country.
 The MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and
Transport for London (TFL), a statutory body established under the Greater London
Authority Act, 1999 (UK) to improve public transport in India.
 The MoU would help mainly in sharing of information and areas of cooperation like
improving the public transport system with an augmentation of passenger capacity,
passenger services, data analysis, induction of electric vehicles, introduction of technology,
ticketing and the provision of passenger information.
MoUs signed between India and Uganda during visit of Prime Minister:
 MoU on Defence Cooperation

 MoU on Visa exemption for Diplomatic and official passport holders
 MoU on Cultural Exchange Programme
 MoU on Material Testing Laboratory
Invest India and Business France Sign MoU to Promote Investment:
 Invest India and Business France have signed an MoU to promote investment facilitation
and cooperation between startups of India and France.
 The goal will be to facilitate direct foreign investment by providing practical investment
information to enterprises and support the companies pursuing those opportunities which
contribute positively to economic growth of the two countries.
 Invest India and Business France will collaborate to promote business and startup
ecosystem cooperation through joint activities and exchange experiences to strengthen
institutional knowledge and identify opportunities between businesses in the French and
Indian private sector, creating a dedicated support structure to facilitate inbound companies
and startups.
Invest India and UAE Ministry sign MoU for technological cooperation:
 Invest India and the UAE Minister for Artificial Intelligence (AI) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for India - UAE Artificial Intelligence Bridge in New Delhi.
 This partnership will generate an estimated USD 20 billion in economic benefits during the
next decade for both countries.
 The MoU will spur development across areas like Blockchain, AI and Analytics as data and
processing will be a catalyst for innovation and business growth and serve as the backbone
of more effective and efficient service delivery systems.
 By 2035 AI can potentially add USD 957 billion to the Indian economy.

HDFC awarded best performing lending institution in CLSS schemes:
 Leading mortgage lender HDFC has been awarded the best performing primary lender in
credit linked subsidy scheme (CLSS) for the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and LIG
(Low Income Group) category.
 The award was given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 CLSS was introduced in June 2015 under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ( PMAY) for home
loans to customers.
Sriram takes charge as MD and CEO of IDBI Bank:
 B Sriram has assumed charge as Managing Director and CEO of IDBI Bank.
 Sriram was appointed MD and CEO in place of Mahesh Kumar Jain who recently took charge
as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
 Sriram has been working as the MD (Corporate and Global Banking) in SBI since July 2014.
S. Ramesh takes over as Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs:
 Shri S. Ramesh, has taken over as Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
[CBIC]
Government forms panel to upgrade norms for state:
 The government has set up a 13-member committee for Sub-National Accounts will be
headed by Ravindra H Dholakia
 Its aim is to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level
to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation.
 The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) will change the base year
to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers from the current 2011-12.
Saraswati Prasad assumes charge as SAIL CMD:
 Saraswati Prasad has taken over the additional charge as chairman and managing director
of steel PSU SAIL.
 The government headhunter PESB had earlier recommended the name of Anil Kumar
Chaudhary for the top post of SAIL.
Vishwas Patel appointed Payments Council of India Chairman:
 Payments Council of India (PCI), an apex body representing companies in payments and
settlement system, has a new Chairman in Vishwas Patel.

 Patel, who is Director at Infibeam Avenues, has been associated with PCI since its inception
in 2013 and was serving as the co-Chairman of PCI.
Former Patna HC CJ L. Narasimha Reddy appointed As CAT Chairman:
 The Cabinet has approved the appointment of Former Chief Justice of Patna High Court,
Justice L. Narasimha Reddy as the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
 He served as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court from 2 January, 2015 to 31 July, 2015.
 L. Narasimha Reddy was the one-man judicial commission appointed by the Centre to look
into the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel appointed NGT chairperson:
 Supreme Court judge Adarsh Kumar Goel, who retired recently, was appointed as the
chairperson of National Green Tribunal.
 He is best remembered for passing the controversial judgment on diluting provisions of the
SC/ST Act.
 The post of the chairperson of the green tribunal, which disposes cases relating to
environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, had been
vacant for the past eight months after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired on December 19.
Dipika Pallikal to represent Asia in CGF AAC:
 Squash player Dipika Pallikal has been appointed as Asia’s representative in the
prestigious Athletes Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
 The appointment was made by the CGF.
 The CGF Athletes Advisory Commission was proposed in August 2017.
 Each continent is represented by one athlete in CGFAAC.
Uday Kumar Varma appointed BCCC member:
 Former Information and Broadcasting secretary Uday Kumar Varma has been appointed as
a member of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council
 BCCC is self-regulatory body for general entertainment channels.
Vice President appoints Director General of ICWA:
 The Vice President of India and the President of ICWA, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has
appointed Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan (IFS: 1982) as the Director General, ex officio Member-
Secretary of the Council, ICWA.
 The decision was taken in the meetings of the Governing Body and Governing Council of the
Indian Council of World Affairs held.
 Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan has served as India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad and Singapore
and has served in our missions at London, Thimphu and Kuwait.

Haryana Governor gets additional charge of Himachal:
 Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki was given the additional charge of Himachal
Pradesh by President Ram Nath Kovind.
 Solanki would discharge the functions of the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, in addition to
his own duties" during the absence of Himachal Governor Acharya Devvrat
President nominates four members to Rajya Sabha:
In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 80 of the Constitution of India, and on the advice of
the Prime Minister, the President of India is pleased to make the following four nominations to the
Rajya Sabha:
 Shri Ram Shakal: He is an eminent people’s leader and public representative from Uttar
Pradesh, who has devoted his life for the welfare and well-being of the Dalit community. A
farmer leader, he is widely respected for championing the cause of farmers, labourers and
migrants. He has also been a three-time Member of Parliament, representing Robertsganj
constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
 Shri Rakesh Sinha: A respected and widely read author, Shri Rakesh Sinha is the Founder
and Honorary Director of the Delhi-based think-tank “India Policy Foundation.” A Professor
of Motilal Nehu College of Delhi University, he is also currently a member of the Indian
Council of Social Science Research. He is a regular columnist in a range of newspapers.
 Shri Raghunath Mohapatra: He is an internationally renowned authority on stone carving.
Practicing since 1959, he has trained over 2000 students. He has contributed to the
preservation of traditional sculpture and ancient monuments, and has worked on the
beautification of the Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri. His famous works include a 6 feet high
statue of the Sun God carved in grey sandstone, in the Central Hall of Parliament; and the
Wooden Buddha, Buddha Temple, Paris.
 Smt Sonal Mansingh: She is among India’s foremost exponents of Indian Classical Dance.
She has been performing Bharatnatyam and Odissi for over six decades. She is also a well-
known choreographer, teacher, orator and social activist. She founded the Centre for Indian
Classical Dances, in Delhi in 1977.
MCA constituted Committee to review the offences under the Companies Act, 2013:
 The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has constituted a 10 Member Committee, headed
by the Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, for review of the penal provisions in the
Companies Act, 2013.
 The MCA seeks to review offences under the Companies Act, 2013 as some of the offences
may be required to be decriminalised and handled in an in-house mechanism, where a
penalty could be levied in instances of default.
 This would also allow the trial courts to pay more attention on offences of serious nature.

Committee set up to synergise NCC and NSS:
 Government has decided to set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Anil
Swarup, former Secretary, School Education, with suitable representations from NCC, M/o
Youth Affairs and Ministry of HRD to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps
(NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS).
 The Committee will deal with on issues like expansion, strengthening training infrastructure,
rationalizing resources, reducing manpower deficiency affecting NCC and NSS.
 The Committee will also submit recommend for building synergies between these two
institutions viz. NCC and NSS and further strengthen them for empowering the youth.
Centre Forms Panel To Tackle Industrial Pollution Near Taj Mahal:
 The government has formed a committee comprising officials of the environment ministry,
experts from NEERI, IITs and various other forums to look into the issue of industrial pollution
around the iconic Taj Mahal.
 The committee will be headed by C K Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change.
 A high-level inter ministerial meeting was held in Delhi to deliberate on the issues and action
to be taken to conserve the iconic Mughal monument.
Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe Reappointed AICTE Chairman:
 The union government has renewed the appointment of Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe as the
chairman of the tenchical and professional education regulator All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE).
 Prof. Sahasrabudhe, who was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Guwahati joined AICTE as Chairman on July 17, 2015.
UGC committee to regulate fee for medical courses in Deemed Universities:
 University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a Committee under the

Chairpersonship of Prof. R.C. Deka, Former Director, AIIMS, New Delhi to regulate the fees
chargeable by self-financed Deemed to be Universities in Medical and Dental Courses.
 This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satya Pal Singh in a written
reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
UGC Committee on examination Reforms:
 The University Grants Commission (UGC) has intimated that it has constituted a committee
under the Chairpersonship of Prof. M.M. Salunkhe, former Vice Chancellor, Central
University, Rajasthan to look into the matters related to examination reforms.
 The Committee has been asked to submit its report by October, 2018.

 This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satya Pal Singh in a written
reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
Arman Ali appointed executive director of NCPEDP:
 The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
announced the appointment of Arman Ali as its executive director.
 He would assume charge from October 1.
 Disability rights activist Javed Abidi, who was the director of the NCPEDP, passed away on
March 4 after succumbing to chest infection.
Government set up high level committee to check mob lynching:
 Government is concerned at the incidents of violence by mobs in some parts of the country.
 Government has set up 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.
 The committee will submit its recommendations to the Government within four weeks.
Panel to review third party motor cover costs:
 Insurance regulator IRDAI has constituted a 16-member committee to examine motor

third party insurance pricing aspects and make recommendations on the premium rates for
2019-20.
 This is for the first time the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has
formed such a committee.
 IRDAI Member P.J. Joseph will be the chairman of the committee.
The National Green Tribunal formed a monitoring committee on cleaning of the Yamuna:
 The National Green Tribunal formed a monitoring committee for Yamuna Rejuvenation
Project.
 B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra has been appointed as
members of the committee.
 The committee has been asked to submit the report by December 31, 2018.
 This decision was taken by a bench headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson
A K Goel .

Committee to address the issues of Stressed Thermal Power Projects:
 Stressed Thermal Power Assets are a cause of concern for the Country.
 With a view to resolve the stress and revive such assets, the Government has decided to set
up a High Level Empowered Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary with representatives
from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal and
the lenders having major exposure to the power sector.
 The Committee would look into the various issues with a view to resolve them and maximise
the efficiency of investment.
Parliamentary panel to probe U.K.-India relations:
 A British parliamentary committee is set up for looking into relations between Britain and
India including the impact of Britain’s visa regime.
 The committee will look at the issue of bilateral trade as well as the impact of Britain’s visa
policy, and cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism, technology, innovation and
multilateral institutions.
 Thomas Tugendhat is the Chairman of this Foreign Affairs Committee.
Artist Anjolie Ela Menon conferred the Kalidas Award:
 Anjolie Ela Menon received the National Kalidas Samman for visual arts from the Madhya
Pradesh government.
 The award was conferred in recognition of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the
identity and spirit of women through her meaningful paintings in a variety of media.
 Artist A. Ramachandran was also conferred with the Kalidas Award.
‘Himachal gets national award for best performance under PMSMA':
 Himachal Pradesh has been adjudged first among states for its performance under the
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritav Abhiyan (PMSMA) in the country.
 Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda conferred the award upon the state which was
received by Additional Chief Secretary, Health, BK Agarwal.
Dr. T.K Chand gets Knowledge Excellence Award:
 Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO, called upon industry leaders, policy makers and
stakeholders in the Aluminium value chain to scale up production of the ‘wonder metal’ to
meet the rising demand as consumption of Aluminium is poised to reach 10 million tons in
the next decade.
 Addressing the 22nd International Conference on Non-Ferrous Minerals and Metals 2018
at Ranchi, Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, CMD, NALCO, said, ‘’We need to start thinking ahead and
take steps to protect the interests of the Aluminium sector.

 The consumption of Aluminium will reach 10 million tons in the next 10 years.
 Dr. Chand received Knowledge Excellence Award from Secretary, Mines, Govt. of India for
Outstanding Contribution in Aluminium Knowledge domain.
'The English Patient' voted best-ever Man Booker Prize winner in 50 years:
 Michael Ondaatje's 'The English Patient' was named the greatest-ever winner of the Man
Booker Prize at an event celebrating five decades of the prestigious literary award.
 'The English Patient' won the Booker in 1992 and was made into a 1996 movie starring
Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche that won nine Academy Awards.
Sangita Kalanidhi award for Aruna Sairam:
 Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam has been selected for this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi award of
the Music Academy.
 The executive committee of the Academy unanimously selected her for the award, said N.
Murali, the president of the Academy.
NABARD award for Repco Micro Finance:
 Repco Micro Finance Ltd, a non-banking finance company promoted by Repco Bank,
received Nabard 2018 award for its service to self-help group (SHG) linkage in Tamil Nadu
for the fiscal year 2017-18.
 Since its inception, the NBFC has disbursed loans amounting to Rs 2,500 crore to over 10 lakh
beneficiaries through 50,000 SHGs.
Two Indians among 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners:
 Two Indians Bharat Vaswani and Sonam Wangchuk are among six individuals who were
declared winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award.
 Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honour.
 It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after
whom the award is named.
Kochi airport first in world to get top UN environmental award:
 The United Nations has honoured the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) with 'Champion
of Earth' award for being the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar
energy.
 CIAL is the first airport in the world to receive the highest environmental award issued by
the United Nations.
 The award will be presented at a gala ceremony on the sidelines of the General Assembly in
New York on 26 September 2018.

Odisha litterateur Ramakanta Rath receives Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman:
 Noted litterateur Ramakanta Rath has received Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman, Odisha's
highest literary award, for the year 2018.
 The award is named after 15th century Odia poet Atibadi Jagannath Das.
 Culture and Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda conferred the award on Rath at a special
function.
 The Odisha Sahitya Akademi also felicitated 15 renowned litterateurs of the state.
Kalaburagi-based artist wins national fellowship:
 Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel, a Kalaburagi-based artist, has bagged the Senior Fellowship
Award for 2016-17 instituted by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Centre.
 The fellowship, which carries a cash of Rs 4.8 lakh, is offered to those eligible to work on a
particular subject in the field of art and culture for two years.
 Centre for Cultural Resources and Training Centre is an autonomous organisation under the
Union Ministry of Culture.
Amul awarded marketer of year:
 Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), the marketers of the
popular Amul brand of milk and dairy products, was awarded the ‘Marketer of the Year’
award by the International Advertising Association of India (IAAI).
 Amul, the brand worth Rs 41,000 crore, is marketed by the GCMMF, the biggest cooperative
owned by 36 lakh farmers of Gujarat.
 Amul, the most preferred brand in milk and dairy products, is not only known for its
cooperative structure and farmer’s faith, but is also known for its marketing and advertising
strategies.
3rd BRICS Film Festival concluded with India Day:
 The 3rd BRICS Film Festival took place in Durban, South Africa, along with the International
Durban Film Festival (DIFF) from 22-27th July, 2018.
 The last day of the festival was celebrated as India Country Day, followed by Awards and
Closing Ceremony.
Awards won by Indian films in the 3rd BRICS Film Festival, Durban, South Africa:
 Best Actress: Bhanita Das, Village Rockstars

 Best Film: Newton by Amit Masurkar
 Special Jury Award: Village Rockstars by Rima Das
 The festival screened four Indian Films in the following category

Films in Competition Section:
 Newton by Amit Masurkar

 Village Rock Stars by Rima Das
Films in Non-competition Section:
 Sinjar by Sandeep Pampally

 Bhanayakam by Jayaraj
India clinch Kabaddi Masters title with easy win over Iran:
 Putting up yet another superlative show, India thrashed Iran 44-26 to emerge champions of
the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai.
 In a battle between the top two sides of the world, the three-time world champions did not
give Iran any ground to recover.
 The six-nation invitational tournament was organised by International Kabaddi Federation
in association with Star Sports and Dubai Sports Council.
Australia wins Champions Trophy Hockey:
 World Champions Australia defeated India 3-1 via shoot-off to clinch its second consecutive
Champions Trophy hockey title.
 It was a keenly-contested battle between the two finalists of last edition but once again
Australia came out on top in the shoot-out to clinch its 15th Champions Trophy title.
 Host Netherlands clinched the bronze medal defeating Olympic champions Argentina 2-0
Lee Chong Wei wins historic 12th Malaysia Open title:
 Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei defeated Japan’s Kento Momota 21-17 23-21 to secure a
historic 12th Malaysia Open title.
 With this victory, Momota’s 21-match winning streak has also come to an end.
 In the women’s singles final, top seed Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan beat China’s He Bingjiao
22-20, 21-11.
Dravid, Ponting, Taylor inducted in ICC Hall of Fame:
 Former India captain Rahul Dravid and Australian legend Ricky Ponting have been inducted
into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame for their stupendous achievements in international cricket.
 Along with Dravid and Ponting, retired England woman wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor
was also named in the 'Hall of Fame' during a ceremony in Dublin.
 Dravid is only the fifth player from India to be inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame
 Ponting is the 25th Australian to get the honour.

 Taylor is the seventh woman and the third female player from England to join the greats.
Sports Authority of India will now be Sports India :
 More than 34 years after coming into existence, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is set to
be renamed as Sports India, Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
announced.
 The sports body, established in 1984, organised its 50th governing body meeting, where it
was also decided that coaches will be given a say in decision making and the food expenses
of athletes will also be increased.
Anju Khosla becomes Oldest Indian woman to complete Ironman Triathlon:
 Anju Khosla has just become the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon –
one of the toughest one-day sporting events.
 The New Delhi resident completed her first full Ironman Triathlon, in Carinthia, Austria, in 15
hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.
 Dipa Karmakar wins gold in Gymnastics World Cup Returning to action after a long lay-off
of nearly two years due to injury, India's premier gymnast Dipa Karmakar clinched the gold
medal in the vault event of FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup at Mersin, Turkey.
 The 24-year-old from Tripura, who had finished fourth in vault event in the 2016 Rio
Olympics, scored 14.150 to win gold here.
 She had topped the qualification also with a score of 13.400.
 This is Dipa's first medal in a World Challenge Cup.
Hima Das First Indian Woman to Win Gold In World Junior Athletics :
 Indian sprinter Hima Das scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a
gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships.
 She clinched to top spot in the women's 400m final race on the third day of competitions.
The 18-year-old Das, a pre-tournament favourite, clocked 51.46s to win the gold.
 In fact, Das is the first Indian track athlete to have won a medal in the history of this
competition.
Mohammad Kaif Announces Retirement From Competitive Cricket:
 Mohammad Kaif announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket, almost
12 years after he last played for the Indian team.
 37-year-old Kaif played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs for India and will always be remembered for
his match-winning knock of 87 at the Lord's during the epic Natwest Trophy final in 2002.
 He was a part of the Indian team that reached the 2003 World Cup final in South Africa.
Belgium Beats England 2-0 to Finish Third in the World Cup:
 Belgium earned its highest World Cup finish by beating England 2-0 in the third-place
match.

 Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard scored a goal each for the Belgians, who lost to France in
the semifinals.
 England, which lost to Croatia in the semifinals, matched its best World Cup result —
fourth in 1990 — since winning the tournament for the only time in 1966.
Angelique Kerber beats Serena Williams to win Wimbledon:
 Angelique Kerber beat seven-time champion Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon
title and spoil the American's dream comeback.
 The German 11th seed, 30, beat the 23-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-3 to add this title
to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns.
Sindhu loses to Okuhara in final of Thailand Open:
 Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu’s title drought this year continued as she suffered a
straight-game defeat against Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the summit clash of Thailand
Open badminton tournament.
 Second seed Sindhu struggled with her consistency throughout the duel as fourth seeded
Okuhara dominated the proceedings to beat the Indian 21-15 21-18 in exactly 50 minutes.
Novak Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon by beating Kevin Anderson:
 Novak Djokovic earned his first Grand Slam title in more than two years by beating Kevin
Anderson to win his fourth Wimbledon championship.
 Djokovic, seeded 12th, won 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to claim a 13th Slam - his first major since the
2016 French Open.
 It is his first title since winning Eastbourne open last year.
France Won Its Second World Cup Title:
 France overwhelmed Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium to
lift the trophy for the second time in 20 years.
 The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup.
 It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018.
 Golden Boot: Henry Kane
 Best player: Luka Modric
 Best goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
 Fairplay Award: Spain
USA win first Athletics World Cup:
 The USA has won the first Athletics World Cup as Great Britain came third at the London
Stadium.
 America took the crown by 57 points ahead of Poland, who finished second.
 The USA banked £370,000, which is split evenly between the squad.

Badminton: Taiwan's Chou storms to Singapore Open win:
 Taiwanese badminton star Chou Tien-chen stormed to a 21-13, 21-13 win over compatriot
Hsu Jen-hao to clinch the Singapore Open men's singles title.
 In the women's singles, fifth seed Sayaka Takahashi of Japan overcame a slow start to pick
up her third title of the year, beating China's Gao Fangjie 25-23, 21-14.
Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas sets new national record:
 Indian sprinter Muhammad Anas broke his own 400m national record at the Cena Noveho
Mesta and Metuji event.
 The 23-the-old achieved the feat while winning gold with a time of 45.24 seconds in the
tournament.
 The earlier national record of 45.31 seconds was made by the sprinter during the 2018
Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Queensland.
Tokyo 2020 committee officially unveils Olympic mascots:
 The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee officially presented its Olympic mascots Miraitowa
and Someity at a massive event.
 The name of the blue-checked Olympic mascot Miraitowa is derived from a combination
of the Japanese words for future and eternity.
 Someity, the pink-checked Paralympic mascot owes its name to a type of cherry tree
blossom.
Hima Das wins India's first ever gold in U-20 Athletics championship:
 Sprinter Hima Das, from Assam, scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to
win gold in the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World U-20 Athletic
Championships.
 The 18-year-old sprinter, Das, has clocked 51.46 to win the gold.
 Das has made everyone proud as she became the first woman to clinch gold for India at the
IAAF in women's 400 m final race in Finland recently.
Lakshya clinches Asia Junior Championship title:
 Lakshya Sen became only the third Indian shuttler to secure a Gold medal at the Asia
Junior Championships after defeating reigning world junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of
Thailand.
 The sixth seeded Indian from Uttarakhand, who had won a Bronze medal in the last edition
of the competition, notched up 21-19, 21-18 win over Vitidsarn.

AIFF declares Sunil Chhetri player of the year:
 The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the governing body of football in India named India
and Bengaluru FC Captain Sunil Chhetri as the AIFF Player of the Year in the Federation’s
Executive Committee Meeting in Mumbai.
 The meeting was chaired by AIFF President Praful Patel.
 Kamala Devi bagged the 2017 AIFF Woman Player of the Year.
Egypt beat England to win World Junior squash team title:
 In the final of the World Junior squash world cup, Egypt inflicted a 2-0 defeat over England
to claim its sixth men's team title.
 Czech Republic and USA finished third and secured the bronze medal. Host India finished
11th overall.
Sourabh Verma wins Russia Open:
 Former national champion Sourabh Verma won his first title since 2016 after defeating
Japan's Koki Watanabe 18-21, 21-12, 21-17 in the final of the Russia Open in Vladivostok.
 His last title had come at the Chinese Taipei Masters in October 2016.
 Verma, who has slipped to 65 in the world rankings after form and injury struggles over the
past year, won a seesawing final that lasted for exactly an hour.
Hamilton wins 6th Hungarian Formula 1 GP:
 Reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain (Mercedes) won the Hungarian
Grand Prix for the sixth time of his career.
 Four-time world champion Hamilton started from pole and finished with a commanding
17.123-second lead over Vettel.
World’s oldest person Chiyo Miyako dies at 117:
 Chiyo Miyako, the world’s oldest person, passed away in Tokyo, Japan on 22nd July 2018.
 Chiyo Miyako was 117 years old Japanese woman. She was born on 2nd May 1901.
 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, said that, 115-year-old Kane Tanaka of
Japan, is the new oldest person.
Vice President Releases the book ‘Two Classical Plays from India’:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that there is a need to revive
Theatre and make it a prominent form of education and entertainment.
 He was addressing the gathering after releasing the book ‘Two Classical Plays from India’,
an English translation of Hindi plays written by well-known playwright Shri D.P. Sinha.

August 2018 Current Affairs

Opening Ceremony Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018:
 Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018, the latest in
Peace Mission series formally started on 24 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Russia.
 The opening ceremony was conducted with military contingents of the all eight SCO
member nations participating in this exercise. .
 The exercise will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of SCO nations to train
in counter terrorism operations in urban scenario in a multinational and joint
environment.
Vietnam to host Indian Ocean conference:
 The third edition of Indian Ocean Conference is set to begin on August 27 at Hanoi,
the capital of Vietnam.
 Theme  ‘Building Regional Architectures’
 This year’s conference will see 43 countries as participants while 28 ministers and
officials are set to address the event.
G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting:
 At the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting in Salta, in the north-west of

Argentina, G20 ministers and senior officials issued a declaration that reflects the
G20’s commitment towards promoting “policies and actions that catalyze digital
transformations".
 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting  23-24 August
 India was represented by Union Minister for Electronics and IT & Law and Justice,
Ravi Shankar prasad.
India - Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in Nairobi:
 The 8th meeting of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in Nairobi, Kenya,
from 22nd – 25th August, 2018.
 The meeting was co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil
Aviation, Suresh Prabhu and Mr. Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for
Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Government of Kenya.
 The discussions during the meetings covered India’s contribution in implementation
of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda – food security, affordable housing, universal healthcare
and manufacturing.

4th BIMSTEC Summit kicks off in Kathmandu:
 The 4th Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) kicked off at Kathmandu, Nepal.
 Theme  “Towards Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region”.
 Current BIMSTEC Chairperson and Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
inaugurated the summit in the Nepalese capital.
 This sub-regional organisation came into being on June 6, 1997, through the
Bangkok Declaration comprising seven member states.
 Five of them -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- are from South Asia
and two -- Myanmar and Thailand -- from Southeast Asia.
6TH RCEP Ministerial Meeting begins in Singapore:
 The meeting is being held on 30th-31st August 2018.

 Union Minister of Commerce& Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, is leading
the Indian delegation for the 6th RCEP Trade Ministers’ Meeting
 Location  Singapore
 The Minister will participate in the meeting consisting of 10 ASEAN countries and six
ASEAN FTA partners namely, India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New
Zealand.
Indian Naval ship Sahyadri reaches Darwin, Australia for exercise KAKADU 2018:
 The South China Sea and Pacific Ocean for over four months, which included
representing Indian Navy in multinational exercises MALABAR 18 at Guam and
RIMPAC 18 at Hawaii, INS Sahyadri entered the Port of Darwin, Australia on 29 Aug
to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018.
 The exercise is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas
(NAXA).
 Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a protected
area in the northern territory of Australia, 171 km south-east of Darwin.
 KAKADU 2018, the 14th edition of the exercise, is scheduled from 29 Aug – 15 Sep
and would see participation from 23 warships, one submarine, 45 aircraft, 250
marines and approx 52 foreign staff from over 25 different countries.
 Exercise KAKADU, which started in 1993, is the premier multilateral regional
maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and
supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing, China:
 The World Congress of Philosophy is organized every five years by the International
Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP) in collaboration with one of its member
societies.
 The XXIV World Congress held in Beijing, China, from August 13 to August 20, 2018,
under the auspices of the Chinese Organizing Committee.
 The complementary aims of the 2018 Congress include an emphasis on exploring
dimensions of the human and inquiring into the challenges facing humanity:
 Theme  “Learning To Be Human”
World Photography Day: 19 August
 World Photography Day is observed worldwide on 19th of August every year with a
lot of zeal and enthusiasm.
11th World Hindi Conference begins in Mauritius:
 The 11th World Hindi Conference, an event aimed at expanding the reach of the
Hindi language at a global level, begins in Mauritius.
 Mauritius Prime Minister Praveen Kumar Jagannath inaugurated the conference in
Port Louis.
 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers are also in Port Louis to
attend the event.
 Theme  "Hindi World and Indian Culture"
Tower in Mauritius to be named after late PM Vajpayee:
 During the World Hindi Conference being held in Mauritius, the Mauritian PM
Pravind Jugnauth announced that the cyber tower which Atal Ji had contributed to
set up in Mauritius will henceforth be named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee tower.
 A tribute was also paid to the late PM in the presence of External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj at the conference.
 Around 68 per cent of Mauritius’s population of nearly 1.3 million is of Indian
descent
Conclusion: Exercise Pitch Black 2018
 Exercise Pitch Black a biennial multi-national large force employment warfare

exercise was hosted by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 24 Jul 18 to 18 Aug in
Darwin, Australia.
 Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the exercise as observers and this was for
the first time that IAF participated with air assets in the Exercise Pitch Black
(PB-18).

 With participation of 16 nations and more than 140 aircraft, the current edition was
the largest Pitch Black ever conducted by Australia.
Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Panini Language lab in Mauritius:
 External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 'Panini Language

Laboratory' at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) in Mauritius.
 The lab, gifted by the Indian government, will help MGI in teaching Indian languages
in Mauritius.
 Education Minister of Mauritius Leela Devi Dookun and other dignitaries were also
present on the occasion.
First-ever IAF-RMAF joint air exercise begins in Malaysia:
 The first-ever joint air exercise involving the Indian Air Force and the the Royal
Malaysian Air Force commenced at Subang Air Base in Malaysia.
 India has been eyeing a foothold at the strategically important Subang Air Base.
 The exercise seeks to deepen defence and military ties between the two countries.
Kempegowda International Airport is world's second fastest growing airport:
 The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru has been ranked as the
second fastest growing among top 20 major airports in the world during the first
half of 2018.
 The airport recorded 1,58,50,352 passenger transit from the month of January to
June this year.
 It is next to Tokyo's Haneda Airport which is the world's fastest growing airport.
Joint cycling cum Trekking expedition by Indian Army & Royal Bhutan Army:
 A joint Cycling cum Trekking Expedition of Indian Army and Royal Bhutan Army was
conducted to commemorate “Fifty years of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
between India and Bhutan”.
 The expedition began on 31 July from Haa Dzong in Bhutan and was flagged-in at
Thimpu on 07 August 2018.
51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Singapore:
 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Singapore.

 Singapore was the rotating president of the meeting.

 Negotiations on regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement was held

between the ASEAN nations.
 Next edition will be held in 2019.
NASA launches mission to 'touch the Sun':
 US space agency NASA has launched its mission to send a satellite closer to the Sun
than any before.
 The Parker Solar Probe rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
 The probe is set to become the fastest-moving manmade object in history. Its data
promises to crack longstanding mysteries about the Sun's behaviour.
 It is the first space craft to be named after a living person - astrophysicist Eugene
Parker, who first described solar wind in 1958.
International Youth Day: 12 August
 International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations
and celebrated every year on 12 August.
 The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues
surrounding youth.
 The first IYD was observed on 12 August, 2000.
 Theme for International Youth Day 2018  “Safe space for Youth”.
Vienna ranked as most liveable city in the world:
 The Austrian capital, Vienna, has beaten Australia's Melbourne to be named the
world's most liveable city.
 It's the first time a European city has topped the rankings of the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) annual survey.
 The worldwide league table ranks 140 cities on a range of factors, including political
and social stability, crime, education and access to healthcare.
Australia recommences its adoption programme with India:
 The Government of Australia has decided to recommence the Adoption Programme

with India, as per Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption.
 The adoptions from India had earlier been put on hold by the Government of
Australia eight years ago, on the reported charges of trafficking of children for Inter-
country adoption by some of the recognized Indian placement agencies (the

Adoption agencies mandated to place children in Inter-country adoption at that

point of time).
 The regulation of Inter-country adoptions have been made strict by the Government
of India with the enactment of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and notification of
Adoption Regulations, 2017.
India ranks 96th in UN’s E-Government index 2018:
 India ranks 96th in the biannual United Nation’s E-Government Index 2018 among
193 countries released by UN.
 India has a total score of 0.9551. It has emerged as sub-region leader.
 Denmark ranked first in both E-Government index and E-Participation sub-index.
4th India International Footwear Fair 2018 inaugurated:
 Indian footwear Industry has a huge potential for export and employment
generation said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh
Prabhu.
 He was speaking at the inaugural programme of the 4th India International
Footwear Fair 2018 (IIFF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
 India will soon become a global hub for manufacturing of footwear to cater to
growing demand.
 The government of India is formulating a strategy for greater coordination with
States as well as trade bodies for global promotion of India’s footwear industry.
Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa wins President Election:
 Mnangagwa received 50.8 % of the vote while main opposition challenger Nelson
Chamisa received 44.3 %.
 The opposition is almost certain to challenge the results in the courts.
 Mr. Mnangagwa called for an “independent investigation” into violence, saying
those responsible “should be identified and brought to justice.”
Opening Ceremony Indo - Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree 2018:
 Exercise Maitree is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai
Army which will be conducted from 06 to 19 August 2018 in Thailand.
 It is a platoon level exercise which comprises of infantry component.
 The opening ceremony started with familiarization of organisation and display of
weapons & equipment of both armies.

 The exercise will emphasize to hone the tactical and technical skills in joint counter
insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN
mandate.
India Banking Conclave 2018 held in New Delhi:
 India Banking Conclave (IBC) 2018 was held in New Delhi from August 23-24,
2018.
 The conclave is being organised by the Centre for Economic Policy Research
(CEPR) and the government Think Tank NITI Aayog.
 The programme seen panel discussions on NPAs, development of banks with
changing times, privatisation versus merger and the future of banking, among
other issues.
Pranab Mukherjee launches ‘Neta’ app:
 Former President Pranab Mukherjee has launched the National Electoral

Transformation or NETA mobile application
 It is a platform where voters can review and rate their elected representatives
and hold them accountable as well.
 This app is the brainchild of 27-year-old entrepreneur Pratham Mittal.
Youth Parliament organised at Basholi, Kathua:
 The Union Minister of State for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
(I/C), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Space and Atomic
Energy Dr. Jitender Singh said that Government is committed to strength the
democratic procedures and institutions by ensuring equality of opportunity to all.
 He said this at Youth Parliament organised at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya,
Basohli in Kathua , J&K.
DAC Approves Procurement for Services amounting to Nearly Rs. 46,000 Crores:
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Hon’ble Defence Minister

Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, met on 25 Aug 2018 and accorded approval for
procurement for the Services amounting to approximately Rs. 46,000 crores.
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in a landmark decision, approved
procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs.
21,000 crores.

 This is the first project under the MoD’s prestigious Strategic Partnership (SP)
Model that aims at providing significant fillip to the Government’s ‘Make in India’
programme.
 In further quest for modernisation of the Armed forces the DAC also granted
approval to a few other proposals amounting to approximately Rs. 24,879.16
crores, which included approval for procurement of 150 numbers of Indigenously
Designed and Developed 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems for the
Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 3,364.78 crores.
 To enhance the capability of Navy at sea, approval has also been granted for
procurement of Anti-Submarine capable, 24 in number Multi Role Helicopters. In
addition, procurement of 14 Vertically Launched Short Range Missile Systems
was also cleared by the DAC.
24th Delhi Book Fair opens with free entry:
 The 24th Delhi Book Fair opened at the Pragati Maidan, Delhi
 Minister of State for Human Resources Development Satya Pal Singh
inaugurated the event which coincides with the 20th Stationery Fair and 4th
Office Automation and Corporate Gift Fair.
 The nine-day book fair has been organised by the India Trade Promotion
Organization and Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP)
Raje opens country's biggest techno-hub in Jaipur:
 Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has inaugurated the Bhamashah

Techno Hub in Jhalana Industrial Area of Jaipur.
 Raje said the country's biggest centre equipped with the ultra-modern
technology will help around 700 entrepreneurs to work under one roof and
realise their dreams.
Japan to be 'Country Partner' for Make in Odisha 2018:
 The Odisha Government has tied up with Japan for its mega investment
Conclave 2018 to take place in November this year.
 The state has already identified 600 acres near capital city Bhubaneswar that
could serve as a dedicated industrial park for Japanese investors.
President inaugurates “International Buddhist Conclave 2018”:
 The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the “International
Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018”.

 The Minister of State (Independent charge), Shri K.J. Alphons presided over the
inaugural function.
 The 4 days long Conclave has been organized by the Ministry of Tourism in
collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh from 23rd – 26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra),
followed by site visits to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar
Pradesh).
NITI Aayog launches 5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region
 Recognizing the uniqueness of the Himalayas and the challenges for sustainable
development, NITI Aayog had set up 5 Working Groups (WGs) in June 2017 to
prepare a roadmap for actions in 5 thematic areas.
 The themes include:
1) Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security
2) Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan Region
3) Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation
4) Strengthening Skill & Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas
5) Data/Information for Informed Decision Making.
 While these thematic areas are quite significant for the Himalayas. Mountain
specificities require specific solutions for resilience building that address socio
economic and environmental challenges in the mountain setting.
 The reports from the five working groups discuss the significance, the challenges,
the ongoing actions and a future roadmap.
 The reports lists challenges in all 5 thematic areas. Nearly 30% of springs crucial
to water security of people are drying and 50% have reported reduced
discharge.
 Himalayan Tourism growing annually at 6.8% has created huge challenge
related to solid waste, water, traffic, loss of bio-cultural diversity etc.
National level workshop for celebrating the month of September as Rashtriya Poshan Maah
 Government of India organized an orientation workshop for various stakeholders
participating in the Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) being celebrated
in the month of September.
 The workshop was held in New Delhi. It was addressed by Smt. Maneka Sanjay
Gandhi, Minister for Women and Child Development; Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-
Chairman NITI Aayog; Shri Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary WCD; Dr. Vinod K Paul,
Member , NITI Aayog and officers of partner ministries as well as other
organizations including UN.
 Addressing the workshop, the WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said
that there can be a complete turnaround in the area of malnutrition if the

Poshan Mission is taken up on warfooting as was the case in the Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao programme.
 Celebrating the Poshan Maah in the form of a drive will give an early thrust to
the Poshan Abhiyan, Smt Maneka Gandhi explained.
Arun Jaitley resumes charge as Minister of Finance:

 Union minister Arun Jaitley has resumed charge of the ministries of finance and
corporate affairs after a hiatus of over 100 days, during which he underwent a
surgery for kidney ailment.
 Jaitley met key finance ministry officials, finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia,
financial services secretary Rajeev Kumar, expenditure secretary A N Jha and
corporate affairs secretary Injeti Srinivas, soon after resuming office.
 In his absence, the charge of his ministry was given to minister for railways and
coal Piyush Goyal on an interim basis.
2nd Protocol Amending India – Singapore CECA Signed:
 India and Singapore have signed the Second Protocol amending the
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in New Delhi.
 The signing of the Second Protocol, amending CECA, will boost bilateral trade
between India and Singapore.
 The CECA was the first comprehensive agreement covering trade in goods,
services and investments, which India had signed with any of its trading partners.
 The CECA was signed on 29th June, 2005 and its first review was concluded on
1st October, 2007.
IBBI inaugurates One-Day Refresher Programme for Insolvency Professionals:
 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Chairperson Dr. M. S. Sahoo

inaugurated one-day refresher programme for insolvency professionals.
 It is one of its kind in the country funded under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY).
 The programme focuses on ethics and conduct for IPs and recent developments
in the insolvency and bankruptcy regime in India.
IAF Trans Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition (The MTB):
 Indian Air Force is celebrating its 86th Anniversary on 08 Oct 2018.

 To commemorate this event, IAF has launched a unique event in the form of
Trans-Himalayan Mountain Terrain Biking Expedition (THE MTB).

 The team for the expedition consists of 18 Air warriors (12 riders and 06 support
staff) which also includes two women officers.
 The expedition started on 17 Aug. 2018 from Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh
for Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh.
India’s First ISTS connected Wind Power Project Commissioned:
 Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) conducted India’s first auction of
wind power projects in February 2017 in which tariff of Rs. 3.46 was discovered,
which was much lower than feed in tariffs in vogue those days.
 This was a 1000 MW bid for projects to be connected on ISTS (Inter State
Transmission System) wherein power generated from one state (renewable
resource rich state) could be transmitted to other renewable deficient states.
 Mytrah, Inox, Ostro, Green Infa and Adani were winners of the bid.
 As a part of this bid, M/s Ostro Kutch Wind Private Limited was issued letter of
award on 05.04.2017 for a capacity of 250 MW, with commissioning period of 18
months.
 A part capacity of 126 MW, located in Bhuj (Gujarat) was commissioned by M/s
Ostro on 24.08.2018, ahead of schedule.
 The energy generated from this project is being purchased by Bihar, Odisha,
Jharkhand and UP.
TN CM inaugurates India's tallest Film Studio:
 MGR Centenary Film Studio, the tallest such structure in the country, was
inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami.
 The 56 feet tall, 110 metres long and 100 feet wide studio was constructed using
funds collected by the Federation of Film Employees Union of South India (FEFSI),
at Paiyanur.
PM to launch FAME India II on Sept 7:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the second phase of the FAME India
scheme offering incentives for mass adoption of electric vehicles with an outlay
of Rs 5,500 crore on September 7.
 The Prime Minister would unveil the scheme at the inaugural session of the
'MOVE', a global mobility summit to be organised on September 7-8.
 In April, the government had extended the phase 1 of the FAME India scheme by
six months till September-end or till its second phase is approved.

India to join elite club with first biofuel flight :
 India would join the elite club of nations who have operated a flight on
alternative energy source like biofuel.
 SpiceJet is planning to operate a flight from Dehradun to Delhi using biofuel,
which would be first such experiment in India.
 While developed countries like Canada, Australia and US have already conducted
these test flights, India would be the first developing nation to experiment that.
Odisha CM launches programme to identify young talents:
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a programme aimed at

identifying and giving recognition to the young achievers of the state.
 The “Mu Hero, Mu Odisha” (I am Hero-I am Odisha) programme is an initiative
of the state government to be conducted by the Biju Yuva Vahini (BYV)
members.
 The BYV members are volunteers of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs
of the state government.
India’s first biofuel powered flight undertakes maiden voyage:
 A historic flight powered by indigenously produced aviation biofuel based on

patented technology of CSIR-IIP Dehradun was flagged off from Dehradun
airport by Uttarakhand CM Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat.
 The Spicejet flight, featuring a latest generation Q400 aircraft powered by ,was
received at Delhi airport by Union Ministers Shri Nitin Gadkari, Dr Harsh Vardhan,
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Shri Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister of State for
Civil Aviation Shri Jayant Sinha.
 Spicejet - as the lead organization for the demonstration flight - and Chhattisgarh
Biofuel Development Authority- the supplier of the jatropha oil for the flight,
received considerable policy and regulatory support from the MOPNG Working
Group on Biofuels and the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) in making
this flight happen.
MoU signed for skill development of Arogya mitras under the PMJAY:
 A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between the National Skill

Development Corporation (NSDC) and National Health Agency (NHA), to
provide capacity building for Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana(PMJAY) to
ensure effective rollout and continued quality implementation.

 As per the MoU, NSDC will ensure quality training of Arogyamitra through its
network of Skill Development Centres functioning under PMKVY and Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Kendras(PMKK).
 All the currently recruited/ deputed Pradhan Arogyamitras will be certified by
health care sector skill council, the body notified as non-statutory body for health
sector under the aegis of NSDC.
Gadkari to Sign MOU With CMs of Uttarakhand, UP, HP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi:
 Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation, Shipping and Road Transport & Highways will sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh
-Shri Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan - Smt Vasundhara Raje , Uttarakhand -Shri
Trivendra Singh Rawat, Haryana- Shri Manohar Lal, Delhi - Shri Arvind Kejriwal,
and Himachal Pradesh - Shri Jai Ram Thakur in New Delhi for the construction of
the Rs. 3966.51 crore Lakhwar Multi-Purpose project in the Upper Yamuna
Basin.
 The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a 204 m high concrete dam across
river Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand with a live
storage capacity of 330.66 MCM.
 This storage will provide irrigation for 33,780 hectares land and availability of
78.83 MCM water for domestic, drinking and industrial use in the six basin states.
 The project will also generate 300 MW of power. The project is to be executed by
M/s Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).
 Out of the total project cost of Rs. 3966.51 crore, the power component of Rs.
1388.28 crore will be borne totally by the Uttarakhand government.
 Uttarakhand will also get the benefit of total power generation once the project
is complete.
 Out of the remaining cost of Rs. 2578.23 crore which form the irrigation and
drinking water components, 90% will be borne by the Centre (Rs. 2320.41 crore)
and 10% will be divided between the States of Haryana -Rs.123.29 crore
(47.82%), Uttar Pradesh/ Uttarakhand -Rs. 86.75 crore (33.65%), Rajasthan-Rs.
24.08 crore (9.34%), NCT Delhi -Rs. 15.58 crores (6.04%) and Himachal Pradesh -
Rs. 8.13 crore (3.15%).
National Sports Day: 29 August
 The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29 August each year.

 This day marks the birthday of Dhyan Chand Singh, the hockey player who won
gold medals in Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1934 and 1936.
 He scored over 400 goals in his career, from 1926 to 1948.

ISRO to send first Indian into Space by 2022:
 As announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his Independence

Day address, India’s first Indian human mission will be launched by Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by 2022.
 This was stated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh.
 The ISRO Chairman, Dr. K. Sivan said that ISRO has the capabilities to accomplish
this task by the given timeframe.
 The programme will make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a
Human Spaceflight Mission.
 So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight
missions.
Charging Stations for e-Vehicles inaugurated in Udyog Bhawan:
 Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Anant G. Geete

inaugurated two charging stations, one for fast charging (DC) and the other for
slow charging (AC), in Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.
 This is part of the Swachhta Pakhwada celebrations of the Department of Heavy
Industry.
 Eight charging stations have been installed in the premises of Udyog Bhawan for
facilitating charging of e-vehicles.
 Of the eight charging stations, two fast charging stations have been installed by
BHEL and six slow charging stations have been installed by Energy Efficiency
Services Limited (EESL).
Piyush Goyal inaugurates Smart Railway Conclave organised by FICCI, in New Delhi:
 Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways & Coal, inaugurated Smart Railway
Conclave organised by FICCI, in New Delhi.
Cabinet approves Umbrella scheme O-SMART of Ministry of Earth Sciences:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has given its approval for the umbrella scheme “Ocean Services,
Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART)”, for
implementation during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 at an overall cost of
Rs.1623 crore.

 The scheme encompasses a total of 16 sub-projects addressing ocean

development activities such as Services, Technology, Resources, Observations
and Science.
 The services rendered under the O-SMART will provide economic benefits to a
number of user communities in the coastal and ocean sectors, namely, fisheries,
offshore industry, coastal states, Defence, Shipping, Ports etc.
 Currently, five lakhs fishermen community are receiving this information daily
through mobile which includes allocation of fish potential and local weather
conditions in the coastal waters. This will help in reducing the search time for
fishermen resulting savings in the fuel cost.
NHAI Closes Its First Toll-Operate-Transfer Project:
 National Highways Authority of India did a financial closure of its first Toll-
Operate-Transfer project with the India chief of Macquarie handing over a
cheque for Rs 9,681.5 crore to Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport &
Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation
at an event in New Delhi.
 This closure is the first for an asset recycling initiative by any government in
India.
 NHAI has also called bids for second bundle of T-O-T for 586.55 km in Gujarat,
Rajasthan, West Bengal and Bihar.
INS Teg Lends Assistance to MV Vela in the Gulf of Aden:
 On 25 Aug 2018, whilst patrolling in the piracy infested waters of Gulf of Aden,
INS Teg, a warship of the Western Naval Command, received a call from a
Combined Task Force aircraft for providing assistance to MV Vela, a Norwegian
owned ship with an all Indian crew.
 INS Teg quickly dispatched a specialist team to carry out an assessment of the
situation and provided assistance for recovery of the anchor and cable.
 Concerted efforts over three days finally resulted in the successful recovery of
the anchor along with the entire 330 m of cable.
Union HRD Minister launches the 3rd edition of ‘Smart India Hackathon- 2019’:
 The third edition of World’s Biggest Open Innovation Model - Smart India
Hackathon 2019 was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource
Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.
 MHRD, AICTE, Persistent Systems and i4c have joined hands to make a hat trick
with their highly popular and innovative Smart India Hackathon initiative (SIH).

 SIH-2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve some

of pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of
product innovation and a mindset of problem solving.
 Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that in this new edition of SIH-2019
over 1 Lakh+ students from around 3000 institutions will have the opportunity to
work on challenges faced within the Public Sector Organizations and the Union
Ministries.
 And for the 1st time, it will also include problem statements from industry as
well as NGOs.
AFSPA extended for 6 months in Assam:
 The Assam government has extended application of the controversial Armed

Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the state for six more months with
immediate effect.
 The Act gives special rights and immunity to security forces in carrying out
various operations in "disturbed" areas.
 "As per powers conferred under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act, 1958, the Governor of Assam has declared the entire State of Assam as
'Disturbed Area' upto 6 months.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in Jan 2019:
 Chandrayaan-2, ISRO's "most complex mission", is scheduled to be launched in

January next year after experts suggested changes to avert failure, its chief K
Sivan said.
 The window period to launch the mission starts on January 3, 2019 and ends on
February 16, 2019.
ICAR organizes two-day conference on Motivating & Attracting Youth in Agriculture:
 In order to meet the challenge of providing sustainable livelihoods for a rapidly

growing population and to motivate and attract youth in agriculture, Dr.
Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), inaugurated
a two-day conference at NASC, New Delhi from 30-31 August, 2018 on
Motivating and Attracting Youth in Agriculture (MAYA).
 He urged to create a “Mission for Youth in Agriculture” and “Regional Platform
for Youth in Agriculture” with neighbouring countries as partners and said that
we need to attract youth in agriculture by providing them lucrative alternatives.

Launch of National Mission on GeM:
 National Mission on Government e Marketplace (GeM) will be launched on 5th

September 2018 to accelerate the adoption and use of GeM by major central
Ministries, State Governments and their agencies.
 The aim of the National Mission is to promote inclusiveness, transparency and
efficiency in public procurement and achieve cashless, contactless and
paperless transaction.
 This will increase overall efficiency and lead to cost saving on government
expenditure in procurement.
 During the 6 weeks special drive beginning from 6th September up to 15th
October 2018, the mission will be launched at state headquarters by Chief
Ministers and will cover important sectors and flagship programmes, launch of
IEC campaign along with training on usage of GeM for buyers and sellers, buyer
registration drive to on board government agencies and vendor registration drive
with special focus on MSMEs.
No free rail insurance from Sep 1:
 The Indian Railways will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers
starting September 1.
 Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to stop
free travel insurance starting September 1 and “the free insurance will be
optional”.
 Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile application will
have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance.
'Gold' first Bollywood film to release in Saudi Arabia:
 Akshay Kumar-fronted "Gold" has become the first Bollywood film ever to
release in Saudi Arabia.
 Reema Kagti-directed sports film is only the second movie after Rajinikanth's hit
social drama, "Kaala" to hit the theatres in the Gulf country.
 Saudi Arabia has recently lifted the ban on Movie theatres.
First genetic bank for rare species inaugurated in Hyderabad:
 National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) was inaugurated at Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology’s (CCMB) Laboratory of Conservation of Endangered
Species (LaCONES) facility in Hyderabad, Telangana.

 The genetic bank will cryopreserve living cell lines, gametes and embryos of
endangered wild animal species in India.
FSSAI launches RUCO initiative to collect, convert used cooking oil into biofuel:
 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO
(Repurpose Used Cooking Oil), an initiative that will enable collection and
conversion of used cooking oil to bio-diesel.
 Under this initiative, 64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to enable
collection of used cooking oil.
 CEO OF FSSAI : Pawan Agarwal
Scarlett Johansson is the highest paid actress with USD 40.5 million: Forbes
 Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has become the best-paid actress in the world,
according to Forbes magazine.
BSNL launches VOIP based phone service – WINGS:
 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched BSNL WINGS a VOIP based service.
 In WINGS, there is no SIM or cable wiring as is a VOIP service through an app.
 The WINGS service offers unlimited free audio/video calling for one year. Calls can
be made using any data connection such as wired broadband, Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G
network of any operator.
 WINGS can also be used over Internet Leased Lines. WINGS also supports video calls,
but is restricted between WINGS.
Rajasthan to observe September as 'month of nutrition':
 Rajasthan will observe September as the “month of nutrition” to create awareness

among people living in the state, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said.
 The government had introduced a scheme to provide milk to students in government
schools thrice a week.
 From September, the students will get milk on a daily basis for which additional
funds of Rs 203 crore will be allocated, she said.

International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology:
 International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology

(iCRAFPT) got underway at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology,
Thanjavur in Tamilnadu.
 The conference was inaugurated by Sh. Jagadish Prasad Meena, Secretary, MoFPI,
Sh. Bijaya Kumar Behera, Economic Advisor, MoFPI and was later joined by the Guest
of Honour Sh. K. Parasuraman, Member of Parliament, from Thanjavur Constituency.
Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director IIFPT also presided over the inaugural
session.
Agriculture minister proposes UNFAO to declare an upcoming year as “International Year

of Millets”:
 The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh
has written to Mr. Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General, United Nations Food &
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and proposed the declaration of an upcoming year
as “International Year of Millets”.
 The Union Agriculture Minister stated that India is celebrating 2018 as the National
Year of Millets and is promoting cultivation by amending cropping pattern of areas
which are especially susceptible to climate change.
Ministry of Railways launches “Digital Screens”:
 In the wake of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for creating digital museums at
stations using QR code, Ministry of Railway has made “digital screens” operational
at 22 stations on this Independence Day as an innovative low cost solution to
spread awareness among public about the opulent heritage of Indian Railways.
 Being initiated on a pilot basis, the project aims at showcasing the legacy of Indian
Railways through one to two minute-long movie clips.
 The short films will showcase heritage buildings, locomotives and much more to
make people aware of the rich heritage of Indian Railways.
SSAI sets up panel to review red-labelling draft:
 Bill for red-labelling of packaged products containing fat, sugar and salt has been
halted by the government as per FSSAI’s report.
 Additionally, a group of experts from health and nutrition background has been set
up to look into the issue of labeling.
 The group is headed by B Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition
(NIN).

Successful Flight Tests of Smart Anti Airfield Weapon:
 Indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon
(SAAW) were successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range.
 The weapon system was integrated with live warhead and has destroyed the targets
with high precision.
 The telemetry and tracking systems captured all the mission events.
 This weapon is capable of destroying variety of ground targets using precision
navigation.
 A total of three tests with different release conditions were conducted during 16 to
18 August 2018 and all the mission objectives have been achieved.
Successful Flight Test of ATGM ‘HELINA’:
 Indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ has

been successfully flight tested from Army Helicopter in the ranges of Pokhran.
 The weapon system has been tested for its full range.
 The ‘HELINA’ weapon system released smoothly from the launch platform has
tracked the target all through its course and hit the target with high precision.
 All the parameters have been monitored by the telemetry stations, tracking systems
and the Helicopters.
Closing Ceremony: Indo – Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree 2018
 Exercise Maitree 2018, a two week long platoon level joint military exercise
between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army culminated on 19 August 2018.
 The Exercise Maitree is an annual event designed to strengthen the partnership
between Royal Thai Army and Indian Army and the exercise commenced on 06
August 2018 in Thailand.
 The exercise began with a cross training period involving familiarization training
between two armies to evolve drills and procedures involved in counter insurgency
& counter terrorist operations in urban, rural and jungle terrain under UN mandate.
MP Government to name three awards after late former PM Vajpayee:
 Madhya Pradesh Government will name three awards after the late former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a tribute.
 “One will be for poets, second will be for outstanding contribution in the field of
journalism, and third for good work in administration”, said Madhya Pradesh Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

INS Khanjar visits Yangon, Myanmar:
 INS Khanjar a Missile Corvette of Indian Navy was on a three-day visit to Yangon,
Myanmar to undertake operational turn around (OTR) and as part of goodwill visit
from 18 to 20 Aug 18.
 On arrival at Yangon, the Commanding Officer called-on Captain Tet Lwin Run, Fleet
Commander 1st Fleet and the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Shri Vikram Misri.
 A joint Yoga Session for IN and Myanmar Naval personnel was also organised in
addition to the cross visits between Indian Navy and Myanmar Naval personnel.
India-Japan Annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue:
 The Defence Minister of Japan Mr. Itsunori Onodera is on a bilateral visit to India at
the invitation of the Defence Minister of India Smt Nirmala Sitharaman from 19 to
20 August 2018.
 The two Ministers held the annual Defence Ministerial Meeting on 20 August 2018
in Delhi. Minister Onodera also called on Prime Minister of India the same day.
President to inaugurate “International Buddhist Conclave 2018”:
 The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the “International
Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018” in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 23rd August, 2018.
 The Minister of State (Independent charge), Shri K.J. Alphons will preside over the
inaugural function.
 The Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with
the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th
August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir,
Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
Centre releases Rs.600 crore assistance to flood-affected Kerala:
 Central assistance of Rs.500 crore, as announced by the Prime Minister Shri

Narendra Modi, and Rs.100 crore, announced by the Union Home Minister Shri
Rajnath Singh, for flood affected Kerala has been released to the Government of
Kerala.
 The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the sixth time in a row
to review the rescue & relief operations in the state.
 Cabinet Secretary Shri PK Sinha, chaired the meeting.

Cyclone Warning Centre to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram:
 With several incidents of tropical cyclones and severe weather events striking over
Kerala and Karnataka coasts in the recent times, the Union Ministry of Earth
Sciences is proposing to set up a Cyclone Warning Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
 The Ministry is planning to set up the Centre in another one month.
 At present, IMD has cyclone warning centres only at Chennai, Vishakhapatnam,
Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
UAE offers Rs 700 crore to aid relief efforts in Kerala:
 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the UAE has offered
assistance of Rs 700 crore ($100 million) to aid relief efforts in the state ravaged
worst monsoon in close to a century.
 Vijayan informed the media about the UAE's overture and thanked them for their
"timely" help.
 Last week, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the
vice president of the UAE, took to Twitter to announce the formation of a
committee to extend emergency help to the state.
Chhattisgarh to rename its new capital Atal Nagar:

 Chhattisgarh’s new capital, Naya Raipur, will be renamed “Atal Nagar” after late
former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajapyee.
 The decision was taken at a meeting of Chhattisgarh Cabinet chaired by chief
minister Raman Singh in Raipur.
 Naya Raipur is India’s sixth planned city after Jamshedpur (Jharkhand),
Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat), Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana),
and Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra).
Atal Bihari Vajpayee memorial to be built in Mumbai:
 The Maharashtra government would build a memorial for former prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
 Fadnavis also distributed urns containing ashes of the former prime minister to BJP
leaders for immersion in 14 rivers in the state.
 Vajpayee, 93, passed away in Delhi on August 16.
TRAI launches integration & availability of TRAI Mobile Apps on UMANG platform :
 Policy initiatives of TRAI, over the years, have been to protect the interests of the
consumers. Recognizing the importance of reaching out to the consumers and to

safeguard their interests, TRAI has now integrated its Mobile Apps namely DND 2.0
& MyCall with UMANG Platform.
 UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is developed by
National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY).
 UMANG provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov
services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric
services.
 It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail
multiple government services.
 From now onwards, TRAI’s Mobile Apps namely DND 2.0 &MyCall shall also be
available on Umang Platform.
Niti Aayog to organise Government and Business Partnership Conclave:
 With a view to exploring the roles and contributions of the business sector in the
implementation of SDGs in India, NITI Aayog, United Nations in India and the
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) are jointly organizing a Government and
Business Partnership Conclave on 8th August 2018 at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
 The conclave will focus on the interrelated sectors of water, energy and green
industry.
Objectives of the Conclave are as follows:

 Facilitate deliberation on key thematic areas and issues around Water, Energy and
Green Industry in the Indian context;
 Generate clarity about the responsibilities and contributions of businesses and
industries towards implementation of SDGs, particularly in the context of selected
theme areas and sustainability issues involved;
 Highlight best practices from businesses and industries, and explore strategies and
ways forward to achieve the related SDG targets
APY Strategy cum Review Meeting for FY 2018-19 for South Based Banks held at
Bengaluru:
 Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) organised a

Regional Atal Pension Yojana (APY) Strategy cum Review Meeting for FY 2018-19
at Bengaluru for South Based Banks (Karnataka and Kerala) and DOP-Circles with
an objective to discuss the target allocated for FY 2018-19 and the strategies
adopted by the banks to achieve the same.

 More than 10 lacs accounts have been mobilized during FY 2018-19 and cumulative
APY Subscriber Base is 1.09 cr.
 It is empahised that PFRDA has enabled several online features to facilitate
subscribers to access their Account without visiting the Bank/Post Branch.
Nitish Kumar launches 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana' :
 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has launched an ambitious scheme which
promises to provide Rs 54,100 from the birth of a girl child till she graduates.
 Kumar launched the 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana' and expressed his
government's resolve for empowerment of women.
 On the occasion, the chief minister also made several other announcements like
increasing the amount under the 'Bicycle Yojana' from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000.
Suresh Prabhu to inaugurate rubber meet on Aug 30 at Kochi:
 Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, will inaugurate the
fourth edition of the India Rubber Meet (IRM 2018) in Kochi on August 30.
 Jointly organised by the Rubber Board and the stakeholder associations in rubber
and allied sectors, the two-day meet will be a forum to evolve new strategies to
confront the present challenges of the rubber industry.
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve Included in the World Network of Biosphere

Reserves:
 The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve
from India that has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of
Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
 The decision to include Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in WNBR was taken at
the 30th Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere
(MAB) Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia, from July 23-27, 2018.
 India has 18 Biosphere Reserves and with the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the
number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11, with 7 Biosphere
Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.
 Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in
the world, reaching elevations of 1, 220 metres above sea-level.
Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu launches Mobile App Niryat Mitra :
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Aviation Suresh Prabhu launched
Niryat Mitra – mobile App in New Delhi.

 The app developed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is

available both on Android and on IOS platforms.
 It provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right
from the policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available
export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and
TBT measures.
Hardeep Puri to launch Swachh Survekshan 2019:
 Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Housing & Urban Affairs will launch the
Swachh Survekshan 2019 on 10th August 2018 in New Delhi.
 Parallelly, a slew of new initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) as well
as the Ease of Living Index will also be launched.
NITI Aayog and CII Launch Partnership on SDGs:
 Union Minister Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State (IC), Power and New &
Renewable Energy, Government of India, mentioned that business and government
must partner for sustainable development of India.
 He was speaking at the launch of NITI Aayog and CII Partnership on SDGs, at the
Government and Business Partnership Conclave in New Delhi on 8 August 2018,
organised by NITI Aayog, Confederation of Indian Industry and UN.
 The Minister said that in sustainable development three things matter the most:
energy, water and circular economy/green industry.
 To action his 2022 agenda, he expressed confidence that India will achieve its clean
energy goals even earlier than 2022 and urged everyone to be conscious and
responsible towards the environment.
PM to attend event to mark World Biofuel Day 2018 :
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will attend an event to mark World
Biofuel Day, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on August 10, 2018.
 He will address a diverse gathering, consisting of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs,
students, government officials, and legislators.
 Biofuels can help reduce import dependency on crude oil. They can contribute to a
cleaner environment, generate additional income for farmers, and generate
employment in rural areas.
 Therefore, biofuels have synergies with various Government initiatives, including
enhancing farmers’ incomes, and Swachh Bharat.
Cabinet approves joint issue of postage stamp between India and South Africa:

 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised
of joint issue of Postage Stamps on India-South Africa on the theme, "20 Years of
Strategic Partnership between India and South Africa".
 The joint stamps were released in June 2018.
 The Commemorative Postage Stamps on India-South Africa: Joint Issue depicts
image of Deendayal Upadhyaya and Oliver Reginald Tambo of South Africa.
 An MoU was signed to this effect between India and South Africa in May 2018.
NITI Aayog will host Investors’ Conference:
 NITI Aayog will host an Investors’ Conference on August 10, 2018 at Pravasi
Bharatiya Kendra for the Holistic Development of Islands.
 The Conference will be inaugurated by Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
 It will attract investment for the sustainable development of eco-tourism projects in
Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
PRATIBANDHIT SAHITYA MEIN SWATANTRATA SANGRAM inaugurated by Dr. Mahesh

Sharma:
 The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for
Environment Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated an
exhibition entitled ‘Prathibandhit Sahitya mein Swatantrata Sangram’ (Freedom
Movement through Proscribed Literature) in the premises of National Archives of
India, in New Delhi.
 The Exhibition is based on the unique collection of proscribed literature in its
possession.
 This exhibition of proscribed literature is from vast collection of poetry and prose
that portrays the nationalistic fervour prevalent in the days of freedom struggle.
President of India inaugurates ‘One District one Product’ Summit :
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘One District One
Product’ Summit on August 10, 2018 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
 Speaking on the occasion, the President said that micro, small and medium
enterprises are called the backbone of our economy.
 These enterprises are engines of inclusive development. After the agricultural sector,
most people find employment in this sector.
 This sector generates more employment opportunities at a lower cost of capital.
Operation 'Madad' by Southern Naval Command:

 Operation “Madad” has been launched by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at
Kochi since 09 Aug 2018 for assisting the state administration and undertaking
disaster relief operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many
parts of Kerala, owing to incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki
and other dams.
 Based on a request received from Deputy Collector, Wayanad, one diving team with
Gemini inflatable boat was airlifted and sent to Kalpetta at 10:00 pm on 09 Aug to
undertake rescue operations due to floods and landslides.
 “Operation Madad” continued on 10 Aug 18 with all resources available with SNC.
Curtain Raiser: Exercise SCO Peace Mission 2018
 As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) initiatives, SCO Peace Mission

Exercise is conducted biennially for SCO member states.
 The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted by Central Military
Commission of Russia from 22 August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk,
Russia.
 This will be a historic occasion due to the maiden participation of India post
becoming a full member of the SCO in June 2017.
 This exercise marks a major milestone in the multilateral relations of SCO member
nations.
 The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter
insurgency or counter terrorism environment under SCO Charter.
“PARIVESH” – an environmental single window hub launched:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and
Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window
Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day.
 PARIVESH is a Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System,
developed in pursuance of the spirit of ‘Digital India’ initiated by the Prime Minister
and capturing the essence of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.
MoHFW and Ministry of Tribal Affairs sign an MoU:
 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Ministry of

Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA),
Government of India for cooperation between the two Ministries for sensitizing the

principals and training to teachers each of all functional EMRSs, Ashram Schools and
other Schools supported by MoTA in the country using the existing infrastructure of
MoTA in the states.
 The MoU covers various activities including extending all aspects of the School
Health Program viz., providing weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation, biannual
de-worming, basic first aid and health promotion activities through teachers
designated as Health and Wellness Ambassadors at the school level in all functional
EMRSs, Ashram Schools and other Schools supported by MoTA in the states.
Israel opens visa centre in Kolkata:
 In a bid to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel, the Middle East nation
has opened a Visa Application Centre in Kolkata that would cater to West Bengal
and seven north-eastern states.
 Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura
would come under the purview of the centre, which can also accept visa applications
in jurisdiction under the New Delhi centre.
 The visa application categories include B1 for employment, B2 for business, tourism
and meeting or conference, and A2 for students.
Centre sets up GoM headed by Suresh Prabhu to decide on RCEP talks:
 The government has set up a four-member group of ministers (GoM) headed by

trade minister Suresh Prabhu to advise prime minister Narendra Modi on whether
to continue with or withdraw from the 16-member Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.
 The GoM also includes finance and power minister Piyush Goyal, defence minister
Nirmala Sitharaman and housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri.
 The GoM will also help India fine tune its strategy for the upcoming RCEP ministerial
meet on 30 and 31 August in Singapore.
Environment Ministry Celebrates World Elephant Day :
 Strongly emphasizing the need to address the root cause behind the man-animal
conflict, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Mr. Suresh Prabhu pointed out
that the man-animal conflict is an existential crisis not for the animals, but for human
beings.
 Addressing a gathering to celebrate World Elephant Day on 12 August at Indira
Gandhi Centre for National Arts, Mr. Prabhu said that there is an urgent need to
explain this existential crisis to the human population.

'Sarabhai Centenary' programmes begin :
 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh
disclosed that Jammu will be the first city in North India to get a full-fledged Space
Technology Research Centre, devoted to research, academics and post-graduation
study.
 The Centre will function under the aegis of the Central University Jammu.
 In addition to Jammu, the other town selected for opening a Space Technology
Research Centre is in the Northeast in Tripura, where it would function under the
aegis of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala.
 This was disclosed on the occasion of the beginning of year-long "Sarabhai
Centenary" programmes of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), that is, the
99th birth anniversary of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the first Chairman of ISRO and the
founding father of India's Space Programme.
Pune best city to live in, Bengaluru ranked 58th:
 Bengaluru does not figure even in the top 25 Indian cities in the Ease of Living
Index, which rates Pune as the best city to live in.
 Bengaluru was rated 58th among major cities surveyed to assess living conditions of
urban areas in the country.
 Navi Mumbai bagged the second place followed by Greater Mumbai. Temple town
Tirupati was ranked fourth in the country.
 The survey was commissioned by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
in 111 major cities.
Santhali becomes India’s first tribal language to get own Wikipedia edition:
 Santhali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its
own script after the Santhali Wikipedia went live earlier this month.
 Wikipedia contributors from India, Bangladesh and Nepal generated the content to
make this page possible.
 It presently has content of about 70,000 words.

Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to MT Kamet:
 In pursuit of achieving greater heights in the field of mountaineering, Indian Army is

planning to attempt Mt Makalu (8485M), the fifth highest mountain peak in the
world in 2019.
 As a precursor to it, an expedition to Mount Kamet (7756M), Joshimath District
Chamoli, Uttarakhand is being conducted under the aegis of Army Adventure Wing
in August-September 2018.
 The expedition was flagged off from Delhi by Director General of Military Training
on 13 August 2018.
 Mt Kamet is the 3rd highest peak of India after Kanchanjanga & Nandadevi and is
the only highest peak available to climb within the country.
Piyush Goyal Releases the Third Party Survey Report on Station Cleanliness:
 Minister of Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal has
released a report on Station Cleanliness conducted by Quality Council of India
(QCI).
 The third report of Third Party Audit-cum-Survey of ranking of cleanliness covers 407
stations which includes 75 station in A1 and 332 station in A category stations.
The top scorers are as under:
A1 category stations (out of 75)
 1st: Jodhpur/North-Western Railway

 2nd: Jaipur/North-Western Railway
 3rd: Tirupati/South-Central Railway
A2 category stations (out of a total of 332):
 1st: Marwar/North Western Railway

 2nd: Phulera/North -Western Railway
 3rd: Warangal/South-Central Railway
Zonal Railway rankings are:
 1st: North Western Railway

 2nd: South Central Railway
 3rd: East Coast Railway

‘North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom’ in Manipur will be inaugurated:
 Dr. Najma A. Heptulla, Hon’ble Governor of Manipur will be inaugurating the

project “Development of North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom” implemented
under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
 The above project is the first project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme being
inaugurated in the country.
 Swadesh Darshan scheme was launched in 2014 -15 and as on date the Ministry has
sanctioned 70 projects for Rs.5708.88 Crore to 29 States and UTs under the Scheme.
NITI Aayog launches “Pitch to MOVE”:
 NITI Aayog has launched “Pitch to MOVE” - a mobility pitch competition that aims
to provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their
business ideas to a distinguished jury.
 Startups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry
leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments.
 Winners of the event will be felicitated by Hon’ble PM during the Global Mobility
Summit.
 “Pitch to MOVE” is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) as a part of a series of engaging
featured events in the run up to the main event.
 The Summit is scheduled to be held on 7th and 8th Sep 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan, in
New Delhi and is being inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
Swachhta Pakhwada celebrated successfully by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas:
 Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), its attached offices and Oil & Gas
CPSEs under the administrative control of MoPNG celebrated Swachhta Pakhwada
fortnight with full zeal and enthusiasm from 01st to 15th July, 2018.
 The main theme of MoPNG initiatives in this Pakhwada were “Innovation” and
“Sustainability”.
 A maiden initiative of Swachhata ranking of Oil & Gas CPSEs/ attached offices was
undertaken, wherein, based on their performance in Swachhta Pakhwada, rankings
were finalized by a Committee.
 ONGC emerged as the winner; IOCL stood second and HPCL came third.

Startup India Yatra begins in Chhattisgarh:
 The Startup India Yatra was launched on July 30th in Raipur. Students queued up in
large numbers to register for the first boot camp at Raipur.
 The yatra will travel to Bilaspur for the second boot camp at the Government
Engineering College in Bilaspur.
 The Startup India van will also travel to other cities of Chhattisgarh like Korba, Koria,
Surguja, Jashpur, Raigarh, Balodabazar, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Balod, Dhamtari, Kanker,
Kondagaon, Jagdalpur and Dantewada and hold boot camps in the Government
Engineering colleges and Polytechnic Institutes.
Jaipur is the next proposed site for UNESCO World Heritage recognition:
 The site namely “The Walled City of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India” has been proposed for
World Heritage.
 As per Operation Guidelines 2017, only one site can be nominated by the state party
each year.
 The recognition of World Heritage is a matter of great pride. It impacts the local
economy by giving a boost to domestic and international tourism leading to
increased employment Generation, creation of World class infrastructure and
augmentation of sale of local handicrafts, handlooms and heritage memorabilia.
 Besides, it adds to the prestige of the country as well as prescribed site.
 There are a total of 37 World Heritage sites in India at Present.
Health Ministry signs MoU with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:
 National Health Agency (NHA) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the
apex body for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection
Mission (AB-NHPM), and Common Service Centres (CSC) scheme under the Digital
India Programme, have signed an MoU to provide information and eligibility
validation services to beneficiaries, especially in remote areas.
 Shri J P Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad,
Union Minister for Law and Justice & Information Technology presided over the MoU
signing ceremony.
 As the benefits under AB-NHPM are based on entitlement and not on enrolment,
over 3 lakh CSCs spread across the rural India can become the key point of
information for potential beneficiaries and help in validating their entitlement.

Declaring SAI Stadia as “Plastic Free Zones”:
 Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports are celebrating Swachhta Pakhwada from 1st to
15th August, 2018 under the Swachh Bharat Mission Programme of Ministry of
Drinking Water & Sanitation. On this occasion, Department of Sports has taken two
major initiatives.
 First initiative will be for making all five SAI Stadia namely Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, Dr.
Karni Singh Shooting Range and Dr. SPM Swimming Pool Complex as “Plastic Free
Zone”.
 This initiative will start on the 1st August, 2018 and by the 2nd October, 2018, these
five Stadia will strengthen its internal organizational set up like availability of
drinking water facilities at appropriate place, alternative to disposable plastic
materials, suitable arrangements of waste disposal, proper sensitization of user and
staff of the Stadia, etc. towards implementation of plastic free zone.
 Second initiative will be for giving Swachhta Rank to these Stadia namely
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Indira Gandhi
Stadium Complex, Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range and Dr. SPM Swimming Pool
Complex on the implementation of Swachhta activities carried out during the
Swachhta Pakhwada.
Solar Charkhas to Generate Direct Employment to One Lakh Persons:
 Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the
Mission Solar Charkha for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the
country with a budget of Rs.550 crore for the year 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 The scheme will generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons.
 Minister of State(I/C) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Giriraj Singh
Solar Charkha Units have been classified as village industries.
 The Mission was launched by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on 27th
June, 2018 on the occasion of UN SME Day.
Nationwide ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ released:
 As part of its commitment to create awareness about energy efficiency as a resource

and also to develop an action plan for energy conservation initiatives, Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE),
released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’, which assesses state
policies and programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency across various
sectors.
 The nationwide Index is a joint effort of the NITI Aayog and BEE.
 The ‘Front Runner’ states in the inaugural edition of the Index are: Andhra Pradesh,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Rajasthan based on available data.
NITI Aayog to host Investors’ Conference for the Holistic Development of Islands:
 NITI Aayog will host an Investors’ Conference on August 10, 2018 at Pravasi
Bharatiya Kendra for the Holistic Development of Islands. The Conference will be
inaugurated by Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
 It will attract investment for the sustainable development of eco-tourism projects in
Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
 The 11 anchor tourism projects are proposed to be implemented with private sector
participation under suitable risk-sharing model and through open-competitive
bidding.
 NITI Aayog, along with the respective UT Administration is organizing an Investors’
Conference on 10th August, 2018, with stakeholders.
Rajasthan becomes the first Indian state to implement biofuel policy:
 Rajasthan became the first Indian state to implement the national policy on
biofuels unveiled by the centre in May this year.
 High-power Biofuel Authority approved this implementation. Soon, the State
Government will release Biofuel Rules, 2018.
Cabinet approves Extension of Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS):
 Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the first
extension of Concessional Financing Scheme(CFS) to support Indian Entities bidding
for strategically important infrastructure projects abroad.
 Under the CFS, the Govt. of India has been supporting Indian Entities bidding for
strategically important infrastructure projects abroad since 2015-16.
 Since the objectives of the Scheme continue to be relevant, it is proposed to extend
the Scheme for another five years from 2018 to 2023.
Cabinet approves Re-structuring of the Agricultural Scientists' Recruitment Board (ASRB):

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the
proposal for restructuring of Agricultural Scientists'Recruitment Board (ASRB).
 The ASRB will now be a 4 Member body instead of 3 Members. It will have a
Chairperson and 3 Members.
 ASRB would be for a period of three years or till attainment of 65 years of age,
whichever is earlier.
Government launches the scheme Seva Bhoj Yojna:
 The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has launched the new scheme namely
‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ starting 01.08.2018, with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 Crores for
Financial Years 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central Government share of Central Goods
and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST)so as to lessen
the financial burden of such as Religious / Charitable Institutions who provide
Food/Prasad/Langar (Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any
discrimination to Public/Devotees.
 The Religious / Charitable Institutions such as Temples, Gurudwara, Mosque, Church,
Dharmik Ashram, Dargah, Matth, Monasteries etc. which have been in existence for
at least Three years before applying for financial assistance/grant and who serve free
food to at least 5000 people in a month and such institutions covered under the
provisions of section 10 (23BBA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (as amended from time
to time) or registered under the provisions of section 12AA of the Income Tax Act,
1961, for Religious / Charitable purposes, or a company formed and registered under
the provisions of section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 or section 25 of the
Companies Act, 1956, as the case may be, for Religious / Charitable purposes, or a
Public Trust registered as such for charitable/religious purposes under any Law for
the time being in force, or a society registered under the Societies Registration Act,
1860, for Religious / Charitable purposes shall be eligible for grant under the
scheme.
Integrate to Innovate Programme for energy Startups:
 Invest India has joined hands with energy sector companies to offer a unique lab-
to-market opportunity for Indian startups through the Integrate to Innovate
Programme.
 Integrate to Innovate is a 3-month corporate acceleration programme for energy
startups housed at the corporate premises.
 The application for the programme is hosted on Startup India Hub – an online
platform bringing together all stakeholders of the Indian startup ecosystem.
 The programme provides an opportunity for collaboration and conversation around
valuable energy transitions, offering startups an opportunity to bring their ideas to
life with the guidance and support from corporates.
Ballistic Missile Interceptor AAD Successfully Flight Tested:

 DRDO conducted the successful test of the Ballistic Missile Interceptor Advanced
Area Defence (AAD) from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
 The endo-atmospheric missile, capable of intercepting incoming targets at an
altitude of 15 to 25 kms was launched against multiple simulated targets of 1500 km
class ballistic missile.
 One target among simultaneously incoming multiple targets was selected on real
time, the weapon system radars tracked the target and the missile locked on to it
and intercepted the target with a high degree of accuracy.
North East Venture Fund for North Eastern region:
 North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFC) under the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has set up the North East Venture
Fund (NEVF) for North East Region.
 The capital commitment to the fund is Rs.100.00 crore with an initial contribution of
Rs.75.00 crore consisting of Rs.45.00 crore from Ministry of DoNER and Rs.30.00
crore from NEDFi.
 The balance fund of Rs.25.00 crore has been committed by Small Industries
Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in-principle.
SAATHI Initiative Launched:
 Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Power have joined hands under the initiative
SAATHI(Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to
Help Small Industries) in order to sustain and accelerate the adoption of energy
efficient textile technologies in the powerloom sector and cost savings due to use of
such technology.
 Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Public Sector entity under the
administrative control of Ministry of Power, will replace old inefficient electric
motors with energy efficient IE3 motors which will result in energy and cost saving
up to 10-15% in the first phase.
NITI Aayog launches Move Hack, global mobility hackathon:
 NITI Aayog has launched Move Hack, a global mobility hackathon to crowdsource
solutions aimed at the future of mobility in India. Envisaged to be one of the largest
hackathons globally, Move Hack is focused on 10 themes and structured over three
legs: online, followed by Singapore leg, and the finals in New Delhi.
 Transportation and mobility are emerging as potential drivers of innovation and
economic growth of the 21st century.

 Rapidly evolving technologies and business models for delivering mobility services
have dramatic potential to transform the global transportation sector.
 Mobility that ranges from pedestrian and personal transport to public transit and
freight movement is extremely critical and impacts rural and urban daily lives.
NHAI to Sign MoU with SBI for a Long Term, unsecured Loan of Rs 25,000 Crore:
 National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is getting an unsecured loan of Rs

25,000 crore from State Bank of India for 10 years with 3 years of moratorium on
repayments.
 This is the largest amount of loan to have been sanctioned to NHAI in one stroke by
any institution.
 This is also the largest long term unsecured loan sanctioned by SBI at a time to any
entity.
 An MoU in this regard will be signed between the two organizations in the presence
of Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water
Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation in New Delhi.
Paryatan Parv to be organized nationwide from 16th to 27th September, 2018:
 The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in collaboration with other Central

Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders is organizing a “Paryatan Parv”
across the country from the 16th to 27th September 2018.
 The Parv is being organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of
tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the
principle of “Tourism for All”.
 The Paryatan Parv will start with the India Tourism Mart 2018 (16th – 18th
September 2018), which will further ensure wide participation from outside the
country.
 The Paryatan Parv shall conclude with the World Tourism Day celebrations on 27th
September 2018.
Election Commission of India Conducts First Ever Orientation Workshop on Election

Management for IAS Asst Secretaries:
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a day-long Orientation Workshop

for IAS officers of the 2016 Batch in New Delhi today.

 The workshop was aimed at familiarising the Assistant Secretaries with all facets of
Electoral Management before they are required to handle crucial assignments in
conducting Elections in their field postings soon.
Bermuda Triangle mystery 'solved,' scientists claim:
 British scientists believe 100ft ‘rogue’ waves could be the reason why so many
boats have been sunk in the mysterious Bermuda Triangle (Also known as the
Devil’s Triangle).
 Rogue waves – which only last for a few minutes - were first observed by satellites
in 1997 off the coast of South Africa.
Delhi replaces Gujarat to top 'most investor-friendly' destination list:
 Delhi has toppled Gujarat from the top spot in a list of 21 states and union
territories with the most investment potential, according to a report by economic
think-tank NCAER.
 The National capital is followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra,
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and West Bengal.
 The ranking of 20 states and one Union Territory of Delhi was based on six pillars --
land, labour, infrastructure, economic climate, governance and political stability and
business perceptions.
“No Horn” campaign launched in Shimla, Manali:
 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched an awareness
campaign named “Horn Not Ok” along with a statewide mobile app “Shoor Nahin”.
 The Chief Minister said “the state is known for its salubrious climate and peaceful
environment”.
 He said blowing horns is not only causing unnecessary noise pollution but it is also
harmful for health.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana Achieves 5 Crore Mark:
 Loksabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has handed over 5 crore LPG connection under
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the Parliament House.
 The Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on 1st May,
2016 and it is implemented by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through its
Oil Marketing Companies i.e., IOC, BPCL and HPCL through their network of
distributors across the country.

 Through PMUY, initially, 5 crore BPL households were targeted for providing
deposit free LPG connections to BPL households by 31st March,2019.
122 New Research Project proposals at a cost of Rs 112 Crore selected for funding under
IMPRINT-2:
 For advancing research in the high education institutions, the government under the
leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved 122 new research
projects at a cost of Rs 112 crore under IMPRINT-2 covering Energy, Security,
Healthcare, Advanced Materials, ICT and Security/Defence domains.
 “Out of 2145 proposals, 122 best proposals were selected for funding under
IMPRINT-II, advancing cutting edge level technology,” Union HRD Minister
PrakashJavadekar said in a statement.
 “Of the 122 new IMPRINT projects sanctioned, 81 are sponsored by industry.
 This industry-academic collaboration will bring excellence in research,” Mr Javadekar
said adding that the knowledge portal for monitoring the progress of research
projects and to disseminate findings will be launched in October 2018.
Gadkari will inaugurate Bidder Information Management System (BIMS):
 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (M/o RT&H) has developed the
Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) to streamline the process of pre-
qualification of bidders for EPC Mode of contracts for all National Highway works
with enhanced transparency and objectivity.
 BIMS would work as a data base comprising bidder wise information covering basic
details, civil works experience, cash accruals and network, annual turnover etc.
 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the system.
Rajya Sabha Passes Bill To Grant Constitutional Status To OBC Commission:
 A key bill to provide constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward
Classes (NCBC) secured Parliament's approval with the Rajya Sabha passing the
measure that will give the panel full powers to safeguard the rights and interests of
the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
 The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed after a spirited debate
during which several members urged the Centre to make public the findings of the
caste census and implement reservation accordingly.
 It was cleared by the Lok Sabha on August 2 superseding the amendments earlier
carried out by the Rajya Sabha.
Gurugram India’s most polluted city:

 Gurugram, which has been NCR’s most polluted for the past three days, was
declared the most polluted among 62 cities in the country surveyed by the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with air quality index (AQI) crossing the 300 mark.
Hardeep S Puri Launches official Trailer Of Film “Halkaa” Under the Aegis Swachh Bharat
Mission :
 Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs launched
the official trailer, music and poster of Bollywood film “Halkaa” under the aegis of
the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), in partnership with the New Delhi Municipal
Council.
 “Halkaa” (Relief) is the story of an 8-year-old boy Pichku who aspires for a better
quality of life.
 The boy refuses to be part of the age-old practice of open defecation.
International Conference on Sustainable Growth through Material Recycling:
 NITI Aayog’s International Conference on “Sustainable Growth through Material

Recycling: Policy Prescriptions” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Road
Transport, Highways & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri. Nitin Gadkari at Pravasi Bharatiya
Kendra in the capital.
 Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog Shri. Rajiv Kumar, CEO, NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant and
renowned experts from all over the world in material recycling took part in the
deliberations at the conference.
President of India inaugurates ‘Festival of Democracy’ in Thiruvananthapuram :
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the ‘Festival of
Democracy’ in Thiruvananthapuram on August 6, 2018 to mark the conclusion of
the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala legislative assembly.
 Speaking on the occasion, the President said that politics, public life and the quality
of democracy are a reflection of the essential ethos of a society.
 As such, the Kerala assembly and its debates and discussions, the humanistic values
that it has historically advocated and legislated on, are a mirror to the traditions of
this state.
Punjab National Bank gets top rank in digital transaction :

 Punjab National Bank has said that a Department of Financial Services report has
rated it as number one state-owned bank in terms of digital transactions.
 The Nirav Modi scam-hit bank is also rated as the sixth overall amongst all banks in
India for digital performance.
 The bank is rated as 'Good' by the government with a score of 71 which is the
highest category of performance.
RIL first Indian firm to hit Rs 8 trillion market cap:
 Reliance Industries (RIL) has became the first Indian company to cross Rs 8 trillion
in market capitalisation.
Prasar Bharati & Mizzima Media of Myanmar ink an MoU:
 Prasar Bharati and Mizzima Media of Myanmar signed a Memorandum of

Understanding.
 This will boost centuries old ties between India and Myanmar. It will also strengthen
India's soft power in its neighbourhood.
 The Agreement will realize cooperation and collaboration in various fields of
broadcasting.
India and the World Bank sign $300 Million Agreement for India’s Energy Efficiency
Program:
 The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $220 million Loan
Agreement and a $80 million Guarantee Agreement for the India Energy Efficiency
Scale-Up Program.
 The Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL),
will help scale-up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and
public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity, and enhance its access to
commercial financing.
 The investments under the Program are expected to avoid lifetime greenhouse gas
emissions of 170 million tons of CO2, and contribute to avoiding an estimated 10
GW of additional generation capacity.
India, Government of Rajasthan and World Bank sign a $250 Million Agreement:

 The Government of India, the Government of Rajasthan and the World Bank signed
a $250 million Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support the Government of
Rajasthan in improving the performance of its Electricity Distribution Sector under
the State’s 24x7 Power for All program.
 The Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan
for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a
comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector.
 The First Loan closed in March 2017.
Cabinet approves additional funding of Rs 635 crore for IPPB:
 The Union Cabinet has approved additional funding of Rs 635 crore for India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB), which is set to be launched on September 1 to provide
financial services to those living in rural areas.
 It will take the total outlay for IPPB to Rs 1,435 crore.
 The bank, which is fully owned by the government, will provide savings and current
accounts, remittances, money transfers, bill and utility payments and enterprise and
merchant payments.
India and ADB Sign $346 Million Loan to Improve State Highways in Karnataka:
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $346
million loan to finance improvement of over 400 kilometers of state highways that
will enhance connectivity and access to economic centers across 12 districts in
Karnataka.
 An ongoing road improvement project financed by ADB with a loan of $315 million is
under implementation, which involves upgradation of about 615 kilometers of state
roads.
ADB:
 The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19

December 1966.
 It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.
 Takehiko Nakao is the President of the Asian Development Bank.
 It has 67 member countries.

India and ADB Sign $375 Million Loan to Improve Irrigation Efficiency in MP:
 Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $375 million
loan agreement to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by
expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.
 The Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project will develop
125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks
and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, benefiting over 800,000
people in Madhya Pradesh.
HDFC Bank to adopt 30 villages in flood-hit Kerala:
 HDFC Bank has announced that it will adopt 30 villages in flood-hit Kerala as part of
its long-term relief and rehabilitation efforts.
 This initiative is aimed at helping people in the worst-hit parts of the State recover.
 The bank will set up medical camps and rebuild affected health centres; support the
renovation/reconstruction of local schools; and impart skills training to families to
restore livelihoods as part of the initiative.
REC inks pact with German bank for 200 mn euro loan:
 State run Rural Electrification Corporation said it has inked a loan agreement with
German bank for EUR 200 million facility that would be used to finance clean
energy projects in India.
 This is REC's fourth line of credit under Indo-German development cooperation
which REC will utilise to finance renewable energy projects in India.
TCS overtakes RIL to become most valued Indian company:
 Tata Consultancy Services has pipped Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to regain the
crown of India's most valued company in terms of market capitalisation.
NPCI launches UPI 2.0 with overdraft facility:

 The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) 2.0, which among others allows customers to link their overdraft
account to UPI.
 UPI is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application.
 NPCI is an umbrella organization for all retail payments in India.
 UPI version 1 was launched in April 2016.
HAL becomes first PSU to transact on TReDS:
 The Receivables Exchange of India (RXIL) said Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has
become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the "TReDS
platform".
 TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing
of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through
multiple financiers.
Finance Commission of India holds second consultation with economists:
 Finance Commission held its second consultation with the leading economists at
YASHDA, Pune on 21st August 2018.
 16 eminent economists and domain experts including Dr. Vijay Kelkar attended the
meet and enlightened the Commission with their
 Chairman Sh. N.K.Singh highlighted the changed economic scenario post abolition of
Planning Commission which has altered the traditional system of resource allocation
and consequently abolition of distinction between Plan and Non-Plan funds.
Andhra govt, Holytech sign MoU:
 Andhra Pradesh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

with electronics giant, Holytech.
 Under the terms of the agreement, Holytech will set up its plant in 75 acres land in
Tirupati and Chittoor districts, against an investment of Rs. 1400 crores.
SBI in top 53 banks in the world:
 Public sector State Bank of India (SBI) has reached 53rd position in the category of
world’s top banks.
UAE top source of inward remittances in 2016- 17: RBI

 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the top source of inward
remittances, while Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad,
according to the Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17.
 UAE’s share in total remittances was 26.9%, followed by the United States (22.9%),
Saudi Arabia (11.6%), Qatar (6.5%) and Kuwait (5.5%)
 According to the survey, 82% of the total remittances received by India originated
from eight countries — UAE, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the United
Kingdom and Malaysia.
 Among destinations, Kerala has the highest share with 19%, followed by
Maharashtra(16.7%), Karnataka (15%), Tamil Nadu (8%) and Delhi (5.9%).
Blockchain: EXIM Bank signs MoU with BRICS development banks
 EXIM Bank of India has signed a multilateral cooperation agreement with member
development banks of BRICS to undertake “collaborative research” in distributed
ledger/blockchain technology.
 The BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
PNB scam: Govt dismisses Usha Ananthasubramanian from service
 Nearly three months after Allahabad Bank divested its MD & CEO Usha
Ananthasubramanian from all functional responsibilities, the government has
dismissed her from service.
 Ananthasubramanian is the former CEO & managing director of scam hit Punjab
National Bank.
 Ananthasubramanian was named in a CBI charge-sheet in the Rs 14,000 crore PNB
fraud.
IRDA constitutes working group to review surveyors norms:
 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) constituted a 7

member working group for norms regarding insurance surveyors.
 The group will be headed by Yegna Priya Bharat, Chief General Manager (Nonlife),
IRDAI.
 The group will work in the areas pertaining to licensing, renewal and others as per
the existing regulatory framework for Surveyors and Loss Assessors.
 It will submit its report with recommendations within six weeks.

Digital payments set to become a trillion-dollar market in next five years:
 The digital payments market in India is expected to grow to US $ 1 trillion by 2023

led by growth in mobile payments, presenting huge business opportunities for
players in the digital space. Mobile payments are slated to rise from $ 10 billion in
2017- 18 to $ 190 billion by 2023.
 These estimates are based on a study of Credit Suisse and have been mentioned in a
booklet titled ‘Digital Payment: Trends, Issues and Opportunities’, launched by Mr.
Ratan P. Watal, Principal Advisor, NITI Aayog and Member Secretary, EACPM, at a
conference organised by FICCI and NITI Aayog.
 This is the 2nd annual edition of the booklet on Digital Payments which was
published in July 2017.
Indo-German Government to Government Umbrella Agreements:
 The Government to Government Umbrella Agreement on Financial Cooperation

and Technical Cooperation 2017 under the Indo-German Bilateral Development
Cooperation were signed in New Delhi.
 Government to Government Umbrella Agreement on Financial Cooperation was
signed to formalise an amount of up to Euro 610 million Reduced Interest Loan
(RIL) and Euro 5.5 million Financial grant and the Government to Government
Umbrella Agreement on Technical Cooperation was signed to formalise an amount
of up to Euro 38.20 million Technical grant for various projects mainly in the field of
Energy, Environment and Urban Development.
 Hence, the total amount formalized through Umbrella Agreements is Euro 653.7
million (approx. Rs. 5253 crore)
TRAI calls for zero telecom equipment imports by 2022:
 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the setting up of a

Rs. 1,000 crore fund for promoting research and innovation in the communication
sector.
Cabinet okay 51% stake for LIC in IDBI:
 The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the government’s decision to reduce its stake
in IDBI Bank below 50%, with Life Insurance Corporation raising stake in the bank
to 51%.

 The boards of IDBI Bank and LIC have both given their approval for the deal.
 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
Telangana, Tech Mahindra ink MoU for India’s first Blockchain district:
 Tech Mahindra and the Telangana government signed an agreement to establish

the Blockchain district, a first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Blockchain.
 Blockchain is the fledgling technology that promises to change the way people and
businesses transact, providing convenience and security.
RBI bars Fino Payments Bank from enroling new customers:
 Fino Payments Bank, one of India’s first payments banks, has been barred by the
Reserve Bank of India from adding new customers since the end of May.
 The central bank in its auditing of payments banks in May found Fino Payments non-
compliant with the operational guidelines laid down by it.
 According to RBI’s operating guidelines for payments banks, a customer can make
deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh per account in a year.
 Such banks cannot accept deposits beyond this limit.
France’s IDEMIA gets NPCI stamp for RuPay cards:
 French company IDEMIA, a global leader in augmented identity, said it has become
the first company to be given the certification to manufacture and personalise RuPay
chip contact and contactless cards on the qSPARC v2 platform.
 The qSPARC is a dual interface open loop payment specification, with the option of
loading multiple payment applications on a single card.
 The certification is issued by the National Payments Corporation of India, after
testing all payment scenarios.
‘Umbrella Organisation’ to revive Urban Co-op Banking:
 India’s co-operative banking sector is set to undergo a transformation with the

concept of Umbrella Organisation (UO) of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) seen as
an answer to issues plaguing the sector.

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-fund-based umbrella organisations
at State levels, where respective State federations will take the lead.
 Gujarat is the first State in the country to have an UO for the UCB sector.
Japan pips China to become world's second-largest stock market:
 Japan has pipped China as the world's number two stock market, a Bloomberg
report said.
 Now, the Chinese market was worth $6.09 trillion next to Japan's $6.17 trillion.
 Both markets are ranked after the US which is the world's largest at just over $31
trillion.
 China lost to Japan after Chinese stocks and currency fell this year amid a trade spat
with the US.
PM Modi to launch India Post Payments Bank on Aug 21:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21 will launch long-awaited India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB) that will have at least one branch in every district and focus
on financial services in rural areas.
 IPPB will leverage reach of 1.55 lakh post office branches to provide banking and
financial service to people in rural area.
 Last week, IPPB CEO Suresh Sethi said that IPPB will go live with 650 branches in
addition to 3,250 access points co-located at post offices and around 11,000
postmen both in rural and urban area will provide doorstep banking services.
Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy appointed DRDO Chief:
 The Government has appointed eminent scientist Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy as the
Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
 The top post of the DRDO had been vacant since May after the then Chief Dr. S.
Christopher stepped down.
 A missile scientist, Dr. Reddy was holding charge as the Scientific Advisor to the
Defence Minister and also as Director General of the strategic missiles division.
Scott Morrison is new Australian PM:
 Scott Morrison has become Australia's new prime minister after Malcolm Turnbull
was forced out by party rivals in a bruising leadership contest.

 Mr Morrison, the treasurer, won an internal ballot 45-40 over former Home Affairs
Minister Peter Dutton - who had been Mr Turnbull's most vocal threat.
 Mr Turnbull is the fourth Australian PM in a decade to be ousted by colleagues.
U K Varma appointed Assocham Secretary General:
 Industry chamber Assocham has appointed former bureaucrat Uday Kumar Varma
as its new Secretary General.
 He succeeds DS Rawat who held the position for nearly 14 years, Assocham said in a
statement.
 Varma was retired from the position of Secretary, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, Government of India on June 30, 2013.
Ganga Prasad sworn in as Sikkim Governor:
 Ganga Prasad has sworn in as the 16th Governor of Sikkim at a function held at Raj
Bhawan.
 Justice Meenakshi M Rai, Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Sikkim, administered
the oath of office to Prasad.
 Ganga Prasad has served as a Member of Legislative Council of Bihar for 18 years.
 Ganga Prasad succeeds Shriniwas Patil as the 16th Governor of Sikkim.
Maurya sworn in as new Uttarakhand governor:
 Baby Rani Maurya was sworn in as the new governor of Uttarakhand.

 The oath of office and secrecy was administered to Maurya by the acting Chief
Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court Rajiv Sharma.
 Maurya, a former mayor of Agra, was nominated as governor of Uttarakhand on
August 21.
 She replaces Krishna Kant Paul whose five-year tenure ended recently.
Satya Tripathi appointed Assistant Secretary-General & Head of New York Office of UNEP:
 UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed veteran Indian development

economist Satya S Tripathi as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New
York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago, has since 2017
served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP.

Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as new Zimbabwe President:
 Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken the oath as Zimbabwe's president, after winning
last month's bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since
Robert Mugabe was removed from power.
 Mnangagwa pledged to “protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans” in his
oath.
 He took the oath before Chief Justice Luke Malaba.
Ramesh Powar Appointed Head Coach Of Indian Women's Team:
 Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar was officially appointed head coach of the
India women's team, until ICC World Twenty20.
 The 40-year-old Powar was initially appointed interim coach last month.
 Powar carries the experience of figuring in 2 Tests and 31 One-Day Internationals
(ODIs) for India.
Ashish Kumar Bhutani appointed CEO of PM crop insurance scheme:
 Senior bureaucrat Ashish Kumar Bhutani has been appointed Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
 Bhutani has been appointed to the post till May 9, 2020.
 Launched in 2016, the PMFBY is in line with one nation – one scheme theme.
D Bala Venkatesh Varma appointed Ambassador to Russia:
 D Bala Venkatesh Varma was appointed as India's next ambassador to Russia.

 Varma is currently serving as Indian envoy in Spain.
 He will succeed Pankaj Saran who has been appointed deputy National Security
Advisor.
Imran Khan to take oath as Pakistan's 22nd PM:
 Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will today take oath as the 22nd prime
minister of Pakistan.
 Khan won a simple majority in Pakistan's National Assembly with 176 votes,
beating his rival Shahbaz Sharif who got 96 votes.
 A member of the National Assembly needs 172 votes to become prime minister-
elect.

Mario Abdo Benitez sworn in as the 50th President of Paraguay:
 Mario Abdo Benitez took office as Paraguay's 50th president, four months after
playing down close family ties with the South American country's late dictator to win
a tight election race.
 The 46-year-old conservative took the oath of office at a ceremony in the capital
Asuncion, attended by hundreds of dignitaries including seven heads of state.
Keita re-elected Mali president:
 Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected for a five-year term
after winning election.
 The elections have been closely watched abroad, as Mali is a linchpin state in the
jihadist insurgency raging in the Sahel.
 Keita picked up 67.17% of the vote against 32.83% for former finance minister
Soumaila Cisse.
Seven states get new governors, Malik replaces Vohra in J&K:
 President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed seven new governors, the most
significant of which was the appointment of Bihar’s governor Satya Pal Malik as
the new governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
The appointment is crucial for the state as it is under President’s rule.
The other appointments include:

 Lalji Tandon: Bihar
 Satyadev Narayan Arya: Haryana
 Baby Rani Maurya: Uttarakhand
 Ganga Prasad: Sikkim
 Tathagata Roy: Meghalaya
 Kaptan Singh Solanki: Tripura
NDA’s Harivansh Narayan Singh elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman:
 NDA candidate and JD(U) leader Harivansh Narayan Singh was elected as the
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
 Harivansh got 125 votes as against opposition’s BK Hariprasad who polled 105 in
the House with a majority mark of 119.
 The election was necessitated after former Deputy Chairperson and Congress leader
PJ Kurien retired from the House on July 1.
Rekha Sharma appointed chairperson of NCW:
 NCW member Rekha Sharma, who recently stoked a controversy by suggesting

abolition of confessions in churches, has been appointed as the chairperson of the
National Commission for Women.
 Sharma was earlier a member of the Commission and was holding the additional
charge of chairperson after Lalitha Kumaramangalam demitted office in September
last year.
TRAI chairman gets two year extension:
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has extended the term of Telecom
Regulatory Authority (TRAI) Chairman R.S. Sharma till September 2020.
 Sharma was appointed TRAI chief for three years in July 2015. Before that he was
Secretary to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.
Dr. R. G Anand appointed Member, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights:
 The Government of India has appointed Dr. R. G Anand as Member, National

Commission for Protection of Child Rights with effect from 13th July 2018.
 He has been appointed for a period of three years, or until on attaining the age of 60
years, or until further orders, wherever is the earlier.
Jammu and Kashmir gets first woman Chief Justice:
 Justice Gita Mittal took oath as the first woman Chief Justice of Jammu And
Kashmir High Court.
 The ceremony was administered by Governor Narinder Nath Vohra at Srinagar.
 Mittal had been previously appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on
April 14, 2017, after the retirement of Chief Justice Gorla Rohini.
Justice M R Shah sworn in as Chief Justice of Patna HC:
 Justice Mukesh R Shah was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court in
Patna.
 Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik administered the oath of office to Justice Shah at the
Raj Bhavan.

 Justice Shah was a judge of the Gujarat High Court before his appointment as the
Chief Justice of Patna High Court.
New Chairperson of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity :
 Smt. Justice Manjula Chellur took Oath as Chairperson, Appellate Tribunal for
Electricity, Ministry of Power.
 Prior to this, Smt. Justice Manjula Chellur was Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
 She was the first woman Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.
Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador for Road Safety Campaigns :
 Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari launched three short films
for generating public awareness towards road safety.
 Film actor Shri Akshay Kumar has featured in these films, which are directed by Shri
R.Balki.
 In a function attended by MoS Shri Mansukh L Mandavia in New Delhi, Shri Gadkari
announced the appointment of Shri Akshay Kumar as Road Safety Brand
Ambassador.
Anandiben Patel given additional charge as governor of Chhattisgarh:
 President Ram Nath Kovind gave Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel
additional charge of Chhattisgarh following the demise of Balramji Dass Tandon.
 Patel will discharge the additional duties until the regular arrangements for the
office of governor of Chhattisgarh are made.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Y.C. Deveshwar appointed non-official directors in Air India:
 Kumar Mangalam Birla and Y.C. Deveshwar were appointed as non-official

independent directors in Air India.
 It is perhaps for the first time that big industrialists like them have been named on
the board of a public sector enterprise.
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi approved the appointment of Mr. Birla and Mr. Deveshwar as non-official
independent directors in Air India for a period of three years.

GST Council sets up committee to look at MSME grievances:
 To address the issues, challenges and concerns of the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME), the apex decision making body of GST Council in its 29th
meeting has decided to create a sub-committee headed by MoS Finance Shiv
Pratap Shukla to look into various issues and submit a report.
 The committee will consist of Manish Sisodia, Sushil Modi, Himanta Biswa Sarma,
Thomas Isaac and Manpreet Badal.
India elected president of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development:
 India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for a period of two years.
 India got elected against Iran during voting which took place at the 44th annual
gathering of AIBD in Colombo.
 Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar was re-elected as chair of the
executive board while Sri Lanka was elected as vice-chair.
Indra Nooyi to be honored with Asia Society’s Game Changer of the Year 2018 award:
 PepsiCo’s India-born CEO Indra Nooyi will be honoured with the Game Changer of
the Year award by a global cultural organisation in recognition of her business
achievements, humanitarian record and advocacy for women and girls around the
world.
 The 2018 Asia Game Changer Awards will be given in October to individuals and
institutions who have broken barriers and in inspired their fellow citizens of the
world.
 Nooyi has this month announced she would be stepping down as CEO of PepsiCo
after 12 years at the helm.
2018 Albany Medical Center Prize awarded to James Allison, Carl June and Steven
Rosenberg

 Three scientists whose work in the fledgling field of immunotherapy has

revolutionized cancer treatment are the recipients of this year's Albany Medical
Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research.
 The 2018 awardees hail from around the nation: James P. Allison, of the University
of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; Carl June, of the University at
Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia; and Steven A.
Rosenberg, of the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute in
Maryland.
 The $500,000 award has been given annually since 2001 to those who have altered
the course of medical research, and is one of the largest prizes in medicine and
science in the U.S. It was founded by the late philanthropist Morris "Marty"
Silverman.
Delhi government official wins WHO award on tobacco control initiative:
 Delhi government's health department has been awarded the prestigious WHO
World No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards
tobacco control.
 Additional Director of Health, SK Arora was presented the award by Henk Bekedam,
WHO India Country Head at a gathering on August 16.
 According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (GATS 2, 2016-17), the prevalence of
tobacco use has reduced by 27 per cent in Delhi as compared to 17 per cent for the
rest of India on an average.
General Suhag awarded US ‘Legion of Merit’:
 The United States government has awarded the Legion of Merit (Degree of
Commander) to General Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retired), of the Indian Army, for
exceptionally meritorious service as chief of the Army staff, Indian Army.
 The award was presented to General Suhag on August 17, 2018, at Pentagon,
Washington DC.
 The Legion of Merit to General Dalbir Singh was announced by the US Government
in March 2016.
Gopal Krishna Gandhi to get Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award:
 Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi has been selected for this
year's Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award.

 It was decided in the meeting held on July 28 that the 24th Rajiv Gandhi National
Goodwill Award will be given to Gopalakrishna Gandhi for the contributions made
to promote communal unity, peace and harmony.
 Rajiv Gandhi National Goodwill Award is given on the occasion of birth anniversary of
former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
President of India Presents Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the years 2013-2017:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the Outstanding
Parliamentarian Award for the years 2013-2017 in New Delhi.
 Smt Najma Heptulla: 2013
 Shri Hukmdev Narayan Yadav: 2014
 Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad: 2015
 Shri Dinesh Trivedi: 2016
 Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab: 2017
Indian-origin mathematician Akshay Venkatesh gets prestigious Fields Medal:
 Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four

winners of mathematics’ prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel Prize for
math.
 The Fields medals are awarded every four years to the most promising
mathematicians under the age of 40.
Kambaku won the Governor’s Cup:
 The winner is owned by Rajagiri Rubber & Produce Co. Ltd rep by. Mr. Dilip Thomas
and trained by Arjun Mangalorkar.
Jhulan Goswami announces retirement from T20I:
 Veteran Indian women's team pacer Jhulan Goswami has announced her retirement
from T20 Internationals, effectively ruling her out for the ICC World T20 in West
Indies in November.
 She played 68 T20 Internationals and took 56 wickets at an economy rate of 5.45.
 The 35-year-old will only play ODIs, in which format she is the world's highest
wicket-taker with 200 scalps from 169 games.

Neeraj Chopra wins India's first javelin gold medal in Asian Games history:
 Neeraj Chopra continued his impressive run in 2018 as he bagged gold in men's
javelin throw at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
 Chopra managed a personal best throw of 88.06 to win the top prize in javelin
throw.
 This was also India's first-ever gold medal in javelin throw at the Asian Games and
the first medal in the sport since 1982, where India bagged bronze.
Nihal Sarin becomes India’s 53rd Grandmaster:
 Nihal Sarin became India’s 53rd Grandmaster after attaining his third and final
GM-norm in the Abu Dhabi Masters.
 Having already reached the stipulated rating of 2500, Sarin has now met the
requirements to be a Grandmaster.
Pakistan Cricketer Nasir Jamshed Banned For 10 Years For Spot-Fixing:
 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed a 10-year ban to Nasir Jamshed on 17
August.
 The ban was imposed by the board's Anti-Corruption Tribunal for his involvement in
the spot-fixing row during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2016-17 season.
 The ban means Jamshed will be out from any form of cricket during the
aforementioned period.
 Jamshed was banned for the second time in the last two years.
2018 Asian Games to be inaugurated on 18 August:
 The 2018 Asian Games, officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as
Jakarta Palembang 2018, is a pan-Asian multi-sport event scheduled to be held from
18 August to 2 September 2018 in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
 For the first time, the Asian Games are being co-hosted in two cities; the
Indonesian capital of Jakarta and Palembang, the capital of the South Sumatra
province.
 Also for the first time, eSports and canoe polo will be contested as demonstration
sports.
 Motto of the games is “Energy of Asia”.
 There will be 465 events in 40 sports.
Asian Games 2018: Wrestler Bajrang Punia Wins Gold:

 Bajrang Punia opened India's gold medal account at the 2018 Asian Games,
bringing smiles and relief to the Indian camp which was jolted by the early exit of
star wrestler Sushil Kumar.
 An in-form Bajrang won his maiden Asian Games gold in the 65kg category.
 In the final, he was tested by Japan's Takatani Daichi but Bajrang held his nerves to
prevail 11-8 in an exciting battle.
India Win SAFF Under-15 Women’s Football Championship:
 The Indian women’s team were crowned champions of the SAFF U-15
Championship after defeating defending champions Bangladesh by a solitary goal.
 Sunita Munda’s strike in the 67th minute made all the difference between the two
teams.
 The final was played at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Novak Djokovic wins Cincinnati Masters with over Roger Federer:
 Former world number one Novak Djokovic became the first player to win all nine
Masters 1,000 tournaments with victory over Roger Federer in Cincinnati.
 The 31-year-old Serb, a five-time runner-up at the event, beat seven-time champion
Federer 6-4 6-4.
 Wimbledon champion Djokovic had lost the Cincinnati final to the Swiss on three
previous occasions.
Asian Games 2018: Vinesh Phogat Wins Gold
 Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal and the country's fifth medal at the ongoing 2018
Asian Games.
 Vinesh Phogat beat Japan's Yuki Irie in Women's Freestyle 50 kg gold medal match.
 She is also the first female gold medal winner of India at the Asiad.
Saurabh Chaudhary becomes India's youngest Asian Games gold medalist:
 Saurabh Chaudhary, all of 16, became the youngest Indian shooter to win an Asian
Games gold medal as he trumped a field comprising multiple world and Olympic
champions in the 10m air pistol finals.
 Chaudhary aggregated 240.7 to finish at the top and become the fifth Indian shooter
to win an Asian Games gold.
 The seasoned Sanjeev Rajput then won the silver in the 50m rifle 3 positions.

PV Sindhu 7th highest paid female athlete in the world: Forbes
 PV Sindhu broke into the top 10 paid female athletes list in the world, according to
an annual list published by Forbes.
 Sindhu, at 7th, is the only Indian female athlete in the top 10 list, that is
predominantly dominant by tennis players.
 The list is headed by Serena Williams for the third consecutive year.
Neeraj Chopra to be India’s flag-bearer at Asian Games opening ceremony:
 Javelin thrower star Neeraj Chopra will be India’s flag bearer in the opening
ceremony of the upcoming Asian Games 2018.
 Chopra, who won the gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2018 event in Gold
Coast earlier this year, will lead India’s contingent in the multi-sport event.
 The announcement was made by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president
Narinder Batra during the send-off ceremony organised for the Indian contingent.
Nadal downs Tsitsipas to win Toronto Masters:
 Rafael Nadal held off a late surge from Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 80th title of
his career with victory at the Toronto Masters.
 Nadal overcame a second set fightback from Greek youngster Tsitsipas to claim a 6-
2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in just under 1hr 45mins.
 The win gave the 32-year-old Spaniard a record-extending 33rd trophy at the elite
Masters level as well as his 80th title.
Gaganjeet Bhullar claims his first European Tour title:
 Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar fired a sizzling six-under 66 in the final round to
claim the Fiji International title, his first win on the European Tour.
 Bhullar thus became the most successful Indian player on Asian Tour and the first
Indian to win on Australasia Tour.
 This was his ninth Asian Tour and 10th international title.
Badminton World C’ships: Carolina Marin Beats PV Sindhu in Final
 Carolina Marin has beaten PV Sindhu 21-19, 21-10 in the women’s singles final at
the Badminton World Championships.

 Marin is the first women’s player to win three World Championship golds.
 This is Sindhu’s second silver medal in two years after she lost the final in 2017 as
well.
Teenage Saudi gamer wins FIFA eWorld Cup:
 An 18-year old Saudi national has been crowned champion of the FIFA eWorld Cup
Grand Final, taking home the competition’s $250,000 prize.
 The gamer, Mosaad Aldossary, won 4-0 on aggregate against Belgium’s Stefano
Pinna in the two-legged final.
Vice President Releases Book 'Colonial Syndrome: The Videshi Mind Set in Modern India':
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Share and Care is
the core philosophy of our nation.
 He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book 'Colonial Syndrome: The
Videshi Mind Set in Modern India', written by Prof. Rama Krishna Rao, in
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Atal Ji Ne Kaha: A book on Vajpayee launched
 “Atal Ji Ne Kaha” is the latest of the books on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee launched with a message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who says the
life of the stalwart from Jana Sangh days to “sanyas” from politics in 2007 is a
golden document, dedicated to the nation.
 Authored and compiled by Brijendra Rehi, noted Doordarshan producer, senior
journalist and then advisor to the former Highways Minister C P Joshi, the 320-page
book is a rich repository of the former Prime Minister’s select speeches and
photographs besides having three interviews by the author.
RK Singh releases book on “Weather Information Portal for Indian Power System”:
 Shri R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy visited
Power System Operation Corporation limited (POSOCO), and released a book on
“Weather Information Portal for Indian Power System”.
 This reference document has been developed by POSOCO in collaboration with IMD
to facilitate enhanced utilization of Weather Portal in all spheres of Power Sector.

Shane Warne to come out with autobiography in October:
 Spin legend Shane Warne will talk about his extraordinary cricketing career and his
life off the pitch besides unveiling several unknown facts in his autobiography which
will be published this October.
 Warne’s memoir “No Spin” will have a global release on October 4.
 “No Spin” is the true story behind the headlines, in Warne’s own voice, and
challenges some of the enduring myths and untruths that surround him.
VVS Laxman pens autobiography:
 Veteran cricketer VVS Laxman, known for the suppleness of his wrists, will now write
his tell-all book, which will hit the stands on November 20.
 Westland Publications announced the release of the former Indian cricketer’s
autobiography titled, “281 and Beyond”.
 The title has been borrowed from Laxman’s fabulous series-turning innings of 281
against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001.
Vice President releases the Book ‘Bebak Baat’ authored by Shri Vijay Goyal:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that continuous
communication between public representatives and the public is crucial for
development of our nation.
 He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Bebak Baat’, authored
by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme
Implementation, Shri Vijay Goel
Dr. Mahesh Sharma releases 3 books at IGNCA, New Delhi:
 Minister of state for Culture (I/C), Dr. Mahesh Sharma released 3 books ‘Jewellery’
by Dr. Gulab Kothari, ‘Ghats of Banaras’ by Dr. Sachidanand Joshi and ‘Untold Story
of Broadcasting’ by Dr. Gautam Chatterjee at IGNCA, New Delhi.


September 2018 Current Affairs

PM inaugurates Pashupatinath Dharmashala in Kathmandu:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, jointly inaugurated the Pashupatinath
Dharmashala in Kathmandu, with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri K.P. Oli.
 The Prime Minister said that the temples of Pashupatinath, Muktinath and Jankidham
showcase Nepal's unity in diversity, besides strengthening its bonds with India.
AYUSH Minister to inaugurate the Fourth International Ayurveda Congress:
 Minister of State, (IC), for AYUSH Shri Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Fourth
International Ayurveda Congress at Netherlands on September 1.
 The Minister is visiting Netherlands from September 1-4, 2018 to participate in the Congress
jointly organized by International Maharishi Ayurveda Foundation, Netherlands; All India
Ayurvedic Congress, New Delhi and the International Academy of Ayurveda, Pune in
association with the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands.
 The congress would focus on promotion and propagation of Ayurveda in Netherlands and its
neighboring countries of Europe.
 A special Seminar is also organized by the Indian Embassy titled “India-Netherlands
collaboration in Healthcare, including Ayurveda” on 3rd September 2018.
6th East Asia Summit and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting held in
Singapore:
 Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu attended the 6th East Asia Summit-
Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers’
Meeting (AEM) in Singapore.
 Singapore is currently holding the Chair of ASEAN.
 The 6th East-Asia Economic Ministers’ Meeting was chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister
for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and was attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN
countries and their eight dialogue partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea,
New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States of America
 The 6th EAS–EMM was followed by the 15th ASEAN Economic Ministers - India Consultation.
It was co-chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and Suresh
Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, India.
India Pavilion at Food and Drink Technology Africa Trade Show in South Africa:
 Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is setting up India Pavilion at the Food and Drink
Technology Africa 2018 trade show being organized at Gallagher Convention Centre,
Johannesburg, South Africa from 4-6 September, 2018.

 The India Pavilion is part of TPCI’s efforts to promote India’s trade related to food and
beverages industry globally and with special focus on Africa.
 Food & Drink Technology Africa (FDT-Africa) - held biennially in Johannesburg - is the
premier beverage and food event in Southern Africa, tailored to promote the specific needs
of the market.
 The trade show covers the entire value chain related to food and beverages industry and
offers solutions to the challenges and demands of the market in Southern Africa.
J P Nadda addresses the‘71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East
Asia':
 “India has fast-tracked many initiatives aimed at achieving all the core tenets of Universal
Health Coverage i.e, strengthening health systems, improving access to free medicines &
diagnostics and reducing catastrophic healthcare spending.”
 This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at the
inauguration of the ‘71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia'.
 Shri J P Nadda further stated that India on its part firmly believes in the objective of
attainment of the highest possible level of health, where health is a state of complete
physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.
 “Moving toward this objective, we have adopted the National Health Policy 2017 with the
aim to provide affordable healthcare for all,” Shri Nadda added.
India to take part in tsunami mock drill:
 India along with 23 other nations, would be participating in a major Indian ocean-wide
tsunami mock exercise (drill) on September 4 and 5.
 The exercise, known as IOWave18, is being organised by the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.
 The purpose of exercise is to increase tsunami preparedness, evaluate response capabilities
in each state and improve coordination throughout the region.
24th RCEP Auckland Round from 17-24th October 2018:
 In the 6th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting held
on 30-31 August, 2018, in Singapore, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Suresh
Prabhu, led the Indian delegation.
 The Ministers acknowledged the good progress made in the negotiations so far with
successful conclusion of 4 chapters, namely (i) Economic and Technical Cooperation; (ii)
Small and Medium Enterprises; (iii) Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation; and (iv)
Government Procurement.
 The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a mega regional free trade
agreement being negotiated amongst 16 countries, comprising 10
 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and six ASEAN FTA partners, namely Australia, China,
India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

 So far 6 Ministerial Meetings, 5 Inter-sessional Ministerial Meetings and 23 Rounds of the

Trade Negotiating Committee at the technical level have been held.
Thaawarchand Gehlot to attend the 3rd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Conference:
 Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment left for Seoul
(Korea).
 He is heading a 3-member Indian Delegation to attend the 3rd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting)
Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’ jointly organised in
Seoul during 5th to 7th September, 2018 by the Republic of Korea and the National Human
Rights Commission of Korea.
 The Conference will be attended by International Institutions including the United Nations,
Regional Institutions such as UNESCAP, UNECE, European Union, ASEAN, GANHRI and also
International NGOs, Experts etc.
U.S. returns two antique statues stolen from India
 Two antique statues worth hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from India and
displayed at two American museums have been repatriated to India by the US.
 The first statue, ‘Lingodhbhavamurti’, a 12th century granite sculpture depicting an iconic
representation of Lord Shiva, dates back to the Chola dynasty.
 Currently valued at about $225,000, it was stolen from Tamil Nadu and was on display at
the Birmingham Museum in Alabama.
 The second phyllite sculpture depicts the bodhisattva of wisdom, ‘Manjusri’, holding a
sword and painted in gold leaf. This statue was stolen from a temple in Bihar in the late
1980s.
Facebook to build first Asian data centre in Singapore:
 Facebook has announced it will pour in more than S$1.4 billion to construct its first data
centre in Asia in Singapore.
 The new facility, located at Tanjong Kling (formerly known as Data Centre Park) in the west
of Singapore, will span 170,000 sq m and will support hundreds of jobs.
G20 Education Ministers’ and Joint Ministerial Meeting:
 The Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Dr. Satya Pal Singh lead a high level
delegation to the G-20 Education Ministers’ Meeting as well as Joint Ministerial Meeting
held at Mendoza, Argentina on 5th & 6th September, 2018.
 It was the first ever meeting of Education Ministers in the history of G-20.
 While speaking on the inaugural day in Educational Ministerial meeting, Dr Satya Pal Singh,
appreciated and thanked Argentina for hosting an exclusive meeting of Education Ministers
for first time in the history of G20 Summit.
 He said that Education should be the first and foremost priority area for any society to
develop and for any country to flourish. Therefore, it is most appropriate to place education
at the center of global agenda.

G-20 Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting:
 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour& Employment Shri Santosh Kumar
Gangwar, led a delegation to Mendoza, Argentina for the G-20 Labour& Employment
Ministers’ Meeting, held on 6-7, September, 2018.
 Labour& Employment Minister highlighted India’s initiatives for promoting skill
development like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and setting up of Sector Skill Councils
and for employment creation like the Start Up India and the MUDRA scheme.
 He added that the process of simplifying and rationalizing nearly 40 labour laws into 4
labour codes has been started which would not only lead to effective enforcement, better
compliance but also ensure universal applicability of various welfare measures.
India and Czech Republic sign five agreements:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, reached the Czech Republic on September 6,
2018 on the final leg of his state visit to three European nations – Cyprus, Bulgaria and the
Czech Republic.
 He was received by Mr Milos Zeman, the President of the Czech Republic.
 India and the Czech Republic are signing five agreements as part of President Kovind’s visit.
These are:
 Cooperation between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India, and the Czech
Academy of Sciences
 A work plan to support Indo-Czech projects in diverse areas of science and technology, with
the Department of Science and Technology taking the lead from the Indian side
 A visa waiver agreement for diplomatic passport holders
 Cooperation in laser technology between ELI Beamlines and the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research
 Cooperation between the Haryana Agricultural University and the Czech University of Life
Sciences
International Literacy Day 2018:
 International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 across the world.

 The day was declared by UNESCO on October 26, 1966.
 According to UNESCO’s statistics, India’s literacy rate is 72.1 per cent.
 Theme  “Literacy and skill development.”
UN postal agency to issue special Diwali stamp next month:
 The UN postal agency will issue special stamps here next month to commemorate the
festival of Diwali.
 The United Nations Postal Administration will issue a New York special event sheet on
October 19 to commemorate the Indian festival.
 The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated
with the message of “Happy Diwali” to celebrate the spirit of the festival.

Opening ceremony: INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018:
 Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced at Mongolian Armed

Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia with a brief but impressive
opening ceremony.
 The 12 days long joint exercise will be conducted from 10 Sep to 21 Sep 2018.
 Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is designed to
strengthen the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
Opening Ceremony: BIMSTEC Field Training Military Exercise
 The Inaugural Military Field Training Exercise for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi
Sectoral Technological and Economic Cooperation nations named MILEX-18 scheduled
from 10 September 18 to 16 September 18 started with a Grand Opening Ceremony on 10
September 18 at Aundh Military Station.
 The aim of the forthcoming exercise is to practice the BIMSTEC Nations in planning and
conduct of counter terrorist operations.
 The exercise schedule is focused upon learning of best practices, team building & special
tactical level operations in a counter-terrorist environment in semi urban setting.
Dubai to host India-UAE Partnership Summit:
 A two-day India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) will be held in Dubai from October 30.
 Second India-UAE Partnership Summit is being organised by the Business Leaders Forum
(BLF).
India focus country in Izmir International Trade Show:
 The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) led a 75-member Indian delegation for the
ongoing 87th Izmir International Trade Show in Turkey.
 India is the Focus Country in the trade show with a standalone pavilion named ‘Source
India’.
 The India Pavilion is a multi-product pavilion, including companies displaying products like
ceramics, cereals and mechanical appliances.
India ranks 130 in UN's human development index:
 India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries in the latest human development index
released by the United Nations Development Programme.
 Within South Asia, India's human development index (HDI) value is above the average of
0.638 for the region, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, countries with similar population size,
being ranked 136 and 150 respectively.
 In 2016, India's HDI value of 0.624 put it at 131 rank.
 India's HDI value for 2017 is 0.640, which put the country in the medium human
development category

 Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany led the ranking, while Niger, the
Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores.
Suresh Prabhu to participate in G-20, Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Argentina:
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, will participate in
the G-20, Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting, being held in Mar del Plata in
Argentina on 14th – 15th September 2018.
4th Eastern Economic Forum opens in Russia's Vladivostok:
 World leaders and business tycoons gathered in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok
to discuss cooperation at the fourth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
 The three-day forum under the theme of "The Far East: Expanding the Range of
Possibilities" has attracted thousands of attendees from more than 60 countries.
International Day of Democracy: 15 September
 In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe 15 September as the
International Day of Democracy.
 Its purpose is to promote and uphold the principles of democracy and invite all member
states and organizations to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner that
contributes to raising public awareness.
 Theme of the 2018 International Day of Democracy is ‘Democracy under Strain: Solutions
for a Changing World’.
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September
 September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International
Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
 This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in
1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer.
 “Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol” is the theme for World Ozone Day 2018.
Exercise Aviaindra-18 Commences at Lipetsk (Russia):
 Exercise Aviaindra is an Air Force level exercise between India and the Russian Federation.
First Aviaindra was conducted in 2014 and has been planned as a bi-annual exercise.
 Exercise Aviaindra 18 is being conducted at Lipetsk, Russia from 17 Sep to 28 Sep 18 and
will be conducted in Jodhpur, India from 10 Dec to 22 Dec 18.
 The Indian contingent for Ex Aviaindra departed for Russia on 15 Sep 18.
Germany launches world’s first hydrogen-powered train:
 European railway manufacturer Alstom has launched world's first hydrogen fuel cell train.
 French company said that the Coradia iLint used fuel cells that turn hydrogen and oxygen
into electricity.

 In terms of speed, the new train can travel up to 140 kilometers per hour.
International Peace Day 2018:
 International Day of Peace  21 September every year.

 Theme : “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”.
 This year, United Nations is celebrating the 70th year of the declaration of human rights
adopted by the General Assembly.
7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism:
 The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is organizing the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on
Urban Tourism: A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism, on 16-19 September, in Seoul, Republic
of Korea.
 The Summit provides a unique platform to discuss the key issues shaping the future of
urban tourism in the context of the 2030 Urban Agenda.
Closing ceremony: Indo-Kazakhstan Joint exercise Kazind 2018
 Indian Army and Kazakhstan Army today completed the third edition of their joint military
Exercise KAZIND 2018 in Otar Military area, Kazakhstan.
 The two week long exercise had commenced on 10 Sep 2018.
 The primary focus of the exercise was to train and equip the contingents to undertake joint
counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in urban and rural environment under
mandate of United Nations.
AYUSH Information Cell set up at the Indian Embassy in Romania:
 Ministry of AYUSH has set up an AYUSH Information Cell at the premises of the Indian
Embassy in Romania to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH system of medicine
and encourage Ayurveda practice in Romania.
 The AYUSH Information Cell, Romania will help to organise lectures, consultation, conduct
seminars, training courses and facilitate associations of AYUSH stakeholders for networking
conducting meetings, develop awareness of AYUSH system among public in Romania.
 During the visit to Romania on September 19, 2018, Vice president of India Shri Venkaiah
Naidu digitally inaugurated the AYUSH Information Cell.
 On this occasion, a book on ‘Ayurveda in Romania’ was also released by Vice president.
India ranks 158th among 195 countries in health care investment:
 India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and healthcare, a survey of
195 countries has revealed.
 It ranks below countries like Sudan, Azerbaijan, China and Bosnia Herzegovina.
 According to the survey, Finland tops the list of 195 countries in the two key sectors.
 The study, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the
request of the World Bank, is the first of its kind to measure and compare the strength of
countries’ “human capital”.

Exhibition “India - Uzbekistan: Dialogue of Cultures” inaugurated in the Capital:
 Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Shri Arun Goel inaugurated the exhibition “India -
Uzbekistan: Dialogue of Cultures” at National Museum, New Delhi.
 The Exhibition was dedicated to the state visit of the President of the Republic of
Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Republic of India
Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates air pollution control device WAYU in Delhi:
 Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated air pollution control device Wind
Augmentation Purifying Unit (WAYU) at ITO in New Delhi.
 The device WAYU is developed by Council of Science and Industrial Research to mitigate air
pollution at traffic junctions.
 Along with particulate matter, the device will remove poisonous gases such as volatile
organic compounds and carbon monoxide.
First assembly of ISA to be held in India:
 The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is organising the First Assembly of
International Solar Alliance (ISA); 2nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Renewable
Energy Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and
Expo, (REINVEST- 2018) from 2nd to 5th October 2018 in New Delhi.
 The three events will be inaugurated in a common function by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi, in the presence of Mr Antonio Guterres, Secretary General, United Nations
on 2nd October 2018 in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
 The Business and Technical Sessions of ISA Assembly, IORA Meet and RE-INVEST 2018 Expo
will be held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP.
 The International Solar Alliance (ISA), an Indian initiative, was launched jointly by Shri
Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and H.E. François Hollande, Hon’ble
President of France on 30 November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the 21st
Conference of Parties (CoP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change.
NITI Aayog to Organize Conference on Empowerment of Women SHGs:
 NITI Aayog is organizing a Conference on Empowerment of Women SHGs & Organic

Farmers Co-operatives from Dantewada, Bastar Region on September 26 at NITI Aayog in
collaboration with the Tribal Affairs Ministry and Tribal Co-operative Marketing
Development Federation of India, TRIFED.
 Tribal Affairs Minister Shri Jual Oram will inaugurate the conference.
 The conference is a part of the visit of the team of entrepreneurs from Dantewada to New
Delhi to identify markets opportunity for their products in urban areas.
UN declares 2019-2028 Nelson Mandela decade of peace:
 A statue of Nelson Mandela has been unveiled at the United Nations to honour the late
South African leader’s birth.

 This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mandela’s birth.

 UN also declared 2019-2028 the “Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace”.
Commerce Ministers of India and Bangladesh hold Bilateral Meeting in Dhaka:
 A bilateral meeting was held in Dhaka between Commerce Minister of Bangladesh, Tofail
Ahmed, MP and Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Minister of India, Suresh Prabhu.
 Both Ministers noted the significant progress made in the bilateral relationship under the
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 They reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relations on the basis
of friendship, trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of the people of Bangladesh
and India.
World Tourism Day: 27 September
 Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism
Day as international observances on September 27.
 This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
 The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
 The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international
community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values
worldwide.
 Theme  "Tourism and the Digital Transformation".
India ranked 96th among 162 countries on Economic Freedom Index:
 In this year’s report on Economic Freedom in the World, India’s rank improved by a couple
of notches.
 India was placed 96th among 162 countries.
 The report was released by the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) along with Canada’s Fraser
Institute.
 Last year, India was placed 98.
 Hong Kong and Singapore again topped the index, continuing their streak as the first and
the second country.
China to host World Internet conference in November:
 China will hold the fifth World Internet Conference (WIC) in November
 The conference, scheduled to run from November 7-9, will be held in the river town of
Wuzhen.
 This year's WIC is themed "creating a digital world for mutual trust and collective
governance -- toward a community with a shared future in cyberspace".

World Heart Day 2018: 29 September
 World Heart Day is celebrated every year on September 29, Organised by the World Heart
Federation.
 Theme  ‘Your heart, my heart’
 World Heart Day was created to inform people around the globe that heart disease and
stroke are the world's leading cause of death.
7th Meeting of National Medicinal Plants Board Held at New Delhi:
 The Seventh meeting of National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of Ministry of AYUSH was
held under the chairpersonship of Minister of State for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik at
New Delhi on 30th August 2018.
Krishna Kutir, a home for 1000 widows inaugurated by Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi:
 The Minister for Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, alongwith Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Adityanath Yogi inaugurated the widows’ home ‘Krishna
Kutir’ at a function at Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
 Krishna Kutir is a special home for 1000 widows set up by the Ministry of Women & Child
Development under Swadhar Greh scheme of the Ministry and is the largest ever facility of
its kind created by a government organization.
 The Home for Widows, Krishna Kutir has been constructed on 1.4 hectare of land through
National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) at a cost of 57.48 Crores (including cost
of the land) with a capacity of 1000 inmates.
National Conference being organised by The Supreme Court Advocates on Record

Association:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the National Conference being
organised by the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association in New Delhi on
September 1, 2018.
 Speaking on the occasion, the President said that India’s judiciary is respected across the
world as an upholder of justice for the defenceless.
 It is also true that our judges are overburdened by the sheer volume of cases. As a
consequence, the Indian legal system is marked by long delays.
 He noted that there is a backlog of 3.3 crore cases in various courts of the country.
 Of these, 2.84 crore cases are in the subordinate courts. Another 43 lakh are in the High
Courts and about 58,000 in the Supreme Court.

Union Home Minister chairs first review meeting of Department of Official Language:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired first review meeting of the
Department of Official Language of MHA to discuss the functioning and issues related to
implementation of Hindi language in official work.
 The Minster was informed that the department has developed a computer software called
“Kanthasth” for translating the all kinds of official files from English to Hindi and vice versa
to make the translation work simpler and quicker.
CCI imposes penalty on Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC):

 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has found that KFCC and others have acted in
concert and impeded entry and screening of dubbed movies and in particular the
Informant’s film –“Sathyadev IPS” in State of Karnataka, thereby violating the provisions of
section 3(1) and section 3(3)(b) of the Competition Act, 2002.
Jharkhand's railway station, town to be renamed after Lord Krishna:
 The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has cleared the Jharkhand government's proposal to
rename a railway station in Garhwa district after Lord Krishna.
 The Raghubar Das-led state government had proposed that the railway station and Nagar
Untari town should be renamed as Banshidhar Nagar after Bandshidhar Temple.
 The state government wants to develop the town on the lines of Mathura and Vrindavan in
Uttar Pradesh to boost tourism in the city.
Delhi to host International chess tournament for school kids:
 Delhi will host an international chess tournament for school students next year which will be
jointly organised by the governments of Delhi and Moscow, Education Minister Manish
Sisodia said.
 Also, there would be a Moscow Festival in Delhi very soon," he added.
 Sisodia is in Moscow representing the Delhi government at the World Education Summit.
Suresh Prabhu Launches Technology Initiatives for Coffee Stakeholders:
 Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu launched Coffee
Connect - India coffee field force app and Coffee KrishiTharanga - digital mobile extension
services for coffee stakeholders.
 The mobile app Coffee Connect has been developed to ease the work of field functionaries
and to improve the work efficiency.
 The Coffee KrishiTharanga services are aimed at providing customized information and
services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability.

India to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022:
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu said that demand
for energy will increase due to rapid development taking place in India and fossil fuel is not
going to last forever and therefore there is need for renewable energy.
 International Solar Alliance (ISA) Innovation and Investment Forum @ New Delhi
 India has set a target to generate100 GW solar energy by 2022 for increasing share of
carbon free energy in the energy mix.
National Teachers’ Day: 5 September
 Every year, September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day in India to mark the birth
anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on September 5, 1888.
 A great scholar, philosopher and a Bharat Ratna recipient, Dr Radhakrishnan was the first
Vice President and second President of independent India.
Curtain Raiser : Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Exercise KAZIND 2018
 Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise 'KAZIND' will be conducted between the Indian and
Kazakhstan Army from 10 to 23 Sep 2018 in Otar region, Kazakhstan.
 This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of
extensive cooperation in the defence arena.
 The second edition of the exercise was held in India last year.
 The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and
exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army.
Manoj Sinha inaugurates Conference on E- Mobility:
 A Conference on “E-Mobility in Indian Railways” organized by Ministry of Railways through

Institution of Railways Electrical Engineers (IREE) in association with NITI Aayog concluded
in New Delhi.
 The one-day conference inaugurated by the Minister of State of Communication (I/C) and
Minister of State of Railways, Shri Manoj Sinha was a pre-cursor to the “Move: Global
Mobility Summit” organized by NITI Aayog on 7th and 8th Sept.’18.
The International Aviation Summit held in New Delhi:
 International Aviation Summit in Delhi

 Organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Airports Authority India (AAI) and
International Air Transport Association.
 India and Bulgaria sign five agreements
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, reached Bulgaria on September 4, 2018 on
the second leg of his state visit to three European nations – Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech
Republic.
 President delivered an address at Sofia University on the theme “Education as an
Instrument of Change and Shared Prosperity”.
 India and Bulgaria have signed five agreements during President Kovind’s visit:

1) An agreement between Invest India and Invest Bulgaria

2) An agreement on cooperation in and facilitation of tourism
3) An agreement on enhanced science and technology cooperation
4) An agreement on civil nuclear research and cooperation
5) An agreement between the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Sofia University to
promote Hindi studies
Cabinet approves continuation of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi has approved continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Umbrella Scheme of
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH) beyond the 12thPlan period from
2017-18 to 2019-20.
 The Scheme consists of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger (CSS-PT), Development
of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-DWH) and Project Elephant (CSS-PE).
 The total outlay is Rs. 1731.72 crore as central share (Rs. 1143 crore for Project Tiger, Rs.
496.50 crore for Development of Wildlife Habitats and Rs.92.22 crore for Project Elephant)
from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
HRD Minister releases the curriculum on Experiential Learning – Gandhijis Nai Talim:
 Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar released the curriculum on Experiential
Learning – Gandhijis Nai Talim in New Delhi.
 This curriculum was brought out simultaneously in 13 languages i.e., Assamese, Tamil,
Bengali, Oriya, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and
English in consultation with the state councils of educational research and training along
with the universities in the country.
IAF & French Air force Conduct Basic Training in India:
 Indian Air Force (IAF) recently participated in Exercise Pitch Black 2018 at Darwin,
Australia.
 16 different nations from across the globe, including French Air Force (FAF) participated in
this exercise.
 On the return leg, Rafale fighter aircraft and transport aircraft of FAF staged through Air
Force Station, Gwalior and Air Force Station, Agra from 01 – 04 Sep 18.
 During the staging period, FAF and IAF carried out basic joint training, which included fighter
sorties by pilots in their respective aircraft with observers onboard each other’s transport
aircraft supporting the missions.
Vice President to visit US to participate in 2nd World Hindu Congress:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu to visit United States of America on
September 8-9, 2018 to address the 2nd World Hindu Congress being held in Chicago on the
occasion of 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Historic Speech at the Parliament of
the World's Religions in 1893.

31st meeting of Central Hindi Committee concluded:
 31st meeting of the Central Hindi Committee was held in New Delhi under the
chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
 He stressed that the Hindi language should be spread through day-to-day conversations
and complex technical terms should be avoided or used negligibly for official purposes.
‘Source India’ at 87th Izmir International tradeshow in Turkey:
 India is the Partner Country in the 87th Izmir International tradeshow which begins in
Turkey from September 7, 2018.
 In this tradeshow India will also be launching a mega business pavilion ‘Source India’
hosting 75 Indian companies with the aim of tie-ups in order to increase India’s exports
to Turkey and other neighbouring countries.
 This is part of a series of Source India pavilions that the Trade Promotion Council of India
(TPCI) is hosting in important tradeshows across the world for boosting India’s exports.
Centenary of the Battle of Haifa Celebrated:
 The Embassy of India held a ceremony in Haifa to mark the centenary of the Battle of
Haifa.
 On 23 Sep 1918, Indian soldiers from the Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers
liberated the city of Haifa.
 The ceremony was attended by a delegation from India led by Maj Gen VD Dogra and
included personnel from the 61st Cavalry.
Home Minister inaugurates Defence & Homeland Security Expo and Conference, 2018:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon the law enforcement agencies
to adopt new technologies to enhance their capacities to contain terror and to counter the
emerging challenges to homeland security.
 The Union Home Minister was inaugurating the 3-day Defence & Homeland Security Expo
and Conference – 2018, organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
association with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
 Rajnath Singh said that the Government will soon implement the new Drone Policy which
was announced recently, containing comprehensive regulations on the use of drones.
India’s First Global Mobility Summit 2018 to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate MOVE: India’s ever first Global Mobility
Summit organized by NITI Aayog at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 7th and 8th
September.
 The focus of the summit is on raising awareness about various aspects of Mobility and
bringing various stakeholders involved in enhancing mobility across different platforms.

Six Hundred Global Buyers to Participate Indusfood- II 2019 :
 The Dhaka based India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (IBCCI) will participate with a
strong contingent of F&B buyers in Indusfood-II 2019 to source their food and beverage
requirements from India.
 Abdul Matlub Ahmad, President-IBCCI and former President of the Federation of Bangladesh
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) made this announcement following discussions
with Ashok Sethi, Director-Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), at NitolBhaban, in
Mohakhali, Dhaka recently.
 TPCI is working to attract maximum buyers from the SAARC countries to source their food
and beverage related requirements from India. Some of the big buyers, including
supermarket chains, from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Iran and the
Commonwealth of Independent States or Russian Commonwealth (CIS) countries have
already pledged their presence in Indusfood-II.
India Sri Lanka Naval Exercise Slinex-18:
 Indian Naval Ships Kirch, Sumitra and Cora Divh entered Trincomalee, Sri Lanka to
participate in the sixth edition of SLINEX 2018, a bi-lateral Naval Exercise between India
and Sri Lanka, from 07 to 13 September 2018.
 SLINEX series of bilateral maritime exercises were initiated in 2005 and since then five
successful engagements have been conducted.
 SLINEX over the years has helped both the Navies in understanding each other's procedures
and enhanced interoperability.
 This edition of the exercise will further strength ties between the two maritime neighbours
and contribute towards maritime security in the region.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates the 6th International Geriatric Orthopaedic Conference:
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 6th International Geriatric
Orthopaedic Society of India Conference on the theme “Increased Longevity with Reduced
Fragility and Enhanced Mobility”, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
 Speaking on the occasion, the Minister hailed the Ayushman Bharat Health Protection
Scheme announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the benefit of the rural
and poor people.
 Under this scheme the Government will provide affordable healthcare with universal health
insurance to poor and needy people and their families, specially the elderly, he added.
Prakash Javadekar inaugurates 4th World Summit on Accreditation:
 Union Minister for HRD Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurates 4th World Summit on
Accreditation (WOSA-2018) at New Delhi.
 Speaking on this occasion the Minister said that ‘Ratings and Rankings’ both the quality
hallmark for any educational institutions therefore accreditation becomes very important.
Points to Remember:

 The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an autonomous organisation under Ministry

of Human Resource Development engaged in quality assurance of the programs offered by
the professional and technical institutions in India through accreditation.
 World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA) is a biennial Summit organised by NBA, which
provides platform to stakeholders to share their knowledge and information on
accreditation.
 The focus of WOSA 2018 is on “CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN OUTCOME BASED
ACCREDITATION”.
Ministry of Defence announces aeroshow :
 The Government has decided to hold the Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru from 20-24 February
2019.
 This five-day event will combine a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence
industries with public air shows.
Two Day Regional Conference on Good Governance:
 The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Government

of India in association with Government of Madhya Pradesh is organizing a Regional
Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts, in Bhopal.
 Delegates from 12 States and 2 UTs will participate in the Conference. There will be 5
Technical sessions in the 2-day conference.
 The DAR&PG has organized 28 Regional Conferences till date.
Home ministry sanctions Rs 3,000 cr for special women safety programme:
 Public panic buttons and all-women police patrol teams will soon be launched in eight
major cities, including Delhi, under a special women safety programme for which the home
ministry has approved nearly Rs 3,000 crore.
 Transit dormitories for women and children, smart LED streetlights, one-stop crisis centres,
and forensic and cyber crime cells will be part of the Women Safe City Project.
 It will implemented in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Ahmedabad and Lucknow from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
 Safe city proposals amounting to Rs 2,919.55 crore were approved under the ‘Nirbhaya
Fund’ recently.
‘Arogya Yojana to also help counter childhood cancer’:
 A member of the Niti Aayog, Dr Vinod Kumar Paul said that the treatment of childhood
cancer will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
 Dr Paul was speaking at the 10th Annual National Childhood Cancer Excellence Awards
Programme in the national capital.
 According to him, this scheme will provide health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to poor
families.

India launches new digital bridge with Africa:
 As part of India's reachout to Africa, the External Affairs Ministry signed an agreement with
the Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) to establish a pan-African e-network
between the two nations.
 This project, called the e-VidyaBharati and e-ArogyaBharati Network Project, will serve as a
digital bridge between the two countries, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.
 She said that the Project "is a clear effort by India to reach out to Africa in the critical areas
of education and health".
PM Modi, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, jointly dedicate three projects in Bangladesh:
 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, Chief
Minister of West Bengal - Ms. Mamata Banerjee, and the Chief Minister of Tripura - Shri
Biplab Kumar Deb, jointly inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh, via video conference.
 External Affairs Minister of India, Ms. Sushma Swaraj, and the Foreign Minister of
Bangladesh, also joined the video conference from Delhi and Dhaka respectively.
 These include:
(a) 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, through the existing
Bheramara (Bangladesh) - Baharampur (India) interconnection.
(b) Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link
(c) Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.
Successful Air-to-Air Refuelling of LCA Tejas:
 In a significant achievement and a major step towards Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of
LCA Tejas, the mid-air refuelling of ‘wet contact’ trial for LCA Tejas MK-1 was successfully
carried out from an Indian Air Force base.
 Before this ‘wet contact’ trial, the ‘dry contact trials’ were successfully conducted on
September 04 & 06, 2018 where the Drogue (basket) extended from the IAF tanker aircraft
by a fuel hose, was tracked and plugged into using the aircraft refuelling probe without
taking fuel.
 IAF provided all required support to DRDO including the tanker aircraft for the successful
test flight.
India's first railway varsity starts operations in Vadodara:
 The first of its kind university in the country on the transport sector, the National Rail and
Transportation Institute (NRTI), started operations @ Vadodara
 A total of 103 students formed the first batch of this unique institute.
Bihar-Nepal bus service launched:
 Bihar and Nepal are now connected by bus. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off
the first bus service between Bihar and Nepal.

 The service will link Bodh Gaya and Patna in Bihar to Kathmandu and Janakpur in Nepal.
 The bus service was commissioned following an agreement between India and Nepal.
Apsara – U Reactor Becomes Operational at Trombay:
 “Apsara”, the first research reactor in Asia became operational in Trombay campus of
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in August 1956.
 After providing more than five decades of dedicated service to the researchers, the reactor
was shut down in 2009.
 Nearly sixty-two years after Apsara came into existence, a swimming pool type research
reactor “Apsara-upgraded”, of higher capacity was born at Trombay on 10th September
2018.
 The reactor, made indigenously, uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low
Enriched Uranium (LEU).
 By virtue of higher neutron flux, this reactor will increase indigenous production or radio-
isotopes for medical application by about fifty percent and would also be extensively used
for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding.
Curtain raiser: INDO-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018
 As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training Exercise Yudh
Abhyas 2018 is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of Himalayas at Chaubattia in
Uttarakhand from 16 September to 29 September 2018.
 This will be the 14th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately by both
countries.
 The joint exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will simulate a scenario where both nations will work
together in counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment in mountainous terrain
under United Nation charter.
Piyush Goyal launches a web portal “Rail Sahyog”:
 The Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal launched a web portal
www.railsahyog.in.
 The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to
creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility
funds.
Delhi, Seoul governments to ink pact for cooperation in urban regeneration:
 The Delhi Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are slated to sign an
agreement this week for cooperation in urban regeneration.
 The agreement will be signed during Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's ongoing trip to
Seoul.
 Kejriwal, along with Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain visited the
Cheonggyecheon stream in downtown Seoul to see its transformation.

Sonowal inaugurates Indo-Bhutan Border Centre:
 Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Indo-Bhutan Border
Centre at Darranga in Assam's Baksa district to strengthen bilateral trade with the
neighbouring country.
 The Centre has decided to construct 264 km of border roads touching four BTAD districts
of the state.
Cabinet approves “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan”:
 Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives of the Government and in keeping with its
commitment and dedication for the Annadata, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi has approved a new Umbrella Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay
SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA).
 The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as
announced in the Union Budget for 2018.
 This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers’ income which
is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.
 Government has already increased the MSP of kharif crops by following the principle of 1.5
times the cost of production.
 It is expected that the increase in MSP will be translated to farmer’s income by way of
robust procurement mechanism in coordination with the State Governments.
Cabinet approves amendment to National Institute of Design (NID) Act, 2014:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for
introduction of Bill in Parliament for amendment of NID Act, 2014 to include the four new
National Institutes of Design (NID) viz.
National Institute of Design, Amaravati/Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh;
National Institute of Design, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh;
National Institute of Design, Jorhat, Assam and
National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra, Haryana within the ambit of the National
Institute of Design Act, 2014 and to declare them as Institutions of National Importance
(INIs) at par with the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
 Some minor amendments to the Act including consequential amendments considered
necessary namely, to re-name NID Vijayawada as NID Amaravati and nomenclature of
Principal Designer as equivalent to Professor are also proposed in the Bill.
 Establishing new NIDs as Institutions of National Importance in different geographical
regions of the country will help produce highly skilled manpower in design which, in turn,
will create job opportunities, both direct and indirect, by providing sustainable design
interventions for crafts, handloom, rural technology, small, medium and large scale
enterprises; and outreach programmes for capacity, capability and institution building.

Cabinet approves continuation of Capacity Development Scheme:
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi has approved continuation of the Capacity Development Scheme for the period 2017-
18 to 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs 2,250 crore.
 The Capacity Development Scheme is an Ongoing Central Sector Scheme of MoSPI.
 The overall objective of the scheme is to augment infrastructural, technical as well as
manpower resources for making available credible and timely Official Statistics for policy
makers and public at large.
Radha Mohan Singh launches Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund:
 Rs 51,077 crore is needed to operationalize the National Action Plan (Vision-2024),

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh said at the
inauguration ceremony of Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) in
New Delhi.
 Shri Singh said that as a result of the announcement of Union Budget 2017-18, the
Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF) started the Dairy
Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) with an outlay of Rs 10881 crore.
 Under this, the first instalment of Rs 440 crore is being given to the National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB).
First Tribal Circuit Project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme to be inaugurated in

Chhattisgarh:
 Shri. K.J Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India will be
inaugurating the project “Development of Tribal Circuit: Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat-
Kamleshpur- Maheshpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon- Nathiya Nawagaon-
Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh” implemented under the Swadesh
Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh on 14th September 2018.
 This is the second project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme being inaugurated in the
country.
 This project which is to be inaugurated was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in
February 2016 for Rs. 99.21 Crores.
 The project covers thirteen sites in Chhattisgarh i.e. Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur,
Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur,
Chitrakoot, Tirthgarh.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches National Scholarship Portal Mobile App:
 Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the country's first
"National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" (NSP Mobile App).
 Speaking on the occasion, Shri Naqvi said that this "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App"
will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor
and weaker sections.

 He said that all the scholarships are being given directly into bank accounts of the needy
students under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode through the National Scholarship Portal
which has ensured that there is no scope for duplication and leakage.
INMAS develops India’s first indigenous anti-nuclear medical kit:
 In a major shot in the arm for paramilitary and police forces, scientists at a central research
institute claim to have developed India’s first indigenous medical kit that may ensure
protection from serious injuries and faster healing of wounds resulting from nuclear warfare
or radioactive leakage.
 The kit, developed after two decades of work by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and
Allied Sciences (INMAS), has over 25 items, including radio-protectors that provide 80-90
per cent protection against radiation.
 Developed in India for the first time, it’s a potent alternative to similar kits that were till now
being procured from strategically advanced nations such as the US and Russia at much
higher prices.
Hindi Diwas: 14 September
 Hindi Diwas or Hindi day is an annual day celebrated on 14 September in India.

 On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in
Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India.
World Chefs' congress on Oct 12-14 in Amritsar:
 The World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee, under the aegis of the World Association
of Chefs' Societies (WorldChefs), will hold the first edition of the World Heritage Cuisine
Summit and food festival from October 12-14 at the Qila Gobindgarh in Amritsar.
 The summit, hosted by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, will celebrate
traditional cuisine with live demonstrations, food tasting, presentations, panel discussions,
master classes by chefs from around the world in the holy city.
 It will focus on inculcating appreciation for food culture and traditions, good food habits and
sustainable practices.
Uttarakhand ranked best among states in PMGSY:
 Uttarakhand has been ranked the best among states in the country for the construction of
maximum number of roads under the PMGSY during 2017-2018.
 The state constructed a maximum of 1,839 kilometre roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram
Sadak Yojana against a target of 1,500 km set for the year 2017-18.
 Uttarakhand has also been ranked second for connecting 207 habitations with roads
against a target of 172 under the scheme.
Coast Guard commissions patrol vessel 'Vijaya':
 The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenously built patrol vessel 'Vijaya', fitted
with advanced navigation and communication equipment.

 The 98-metre ship will be based at Paradip in Odisha for extensive surveillance in the
Exclusive Economic Zone.
 Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Coast Guard Director-General Rajendra Singh took part
in the commissioning ceremony.
India to hold its first global tourism mart from Sep 16:
 India will hold its first-ever global tourism mart modelled on the ITB Berlin, the world's
largest tourism trade fair.
 The mart will be held in Delhi from September 16-18, said Secretary, Tourism Ministry
Rashmi Verma.
More than 21 lakh people living with HIV in India:
 Maharashtra has the highest number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in India which is
around 3.30 lakh, contributing 15 per cent of total immunodeficiency virus-affected people
in the country which is 21.40 lakh, according to the latest data by Health and Family Welfare
Ministry.
 Nationally, around 69.11 thousand PLHIV died of AIDS-related causes in 2017. The report
"HIV Estimations 2017" compiled by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in
collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of
Medical Statistics (NIMS) is the 14th round in the series of HIV Estimations under National
AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
PM launches “Swachhata Hi Seva”:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ Movement, to
boost nation wide public participation in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and catalyse the
fulfilment of Bapu’s dream of a Clean India.
 The Swachhata Hi Seva movement aims at generating greater public participation towards
Swachhta.
 It is being organized in the run up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission,
on October 2nd, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th year
celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
 The Prime Minister urged everyone to be a part of this movement and strengthen the
efforts to create a 'Swachh Bharat'.
Power Ministry launches ambitious program on energy efficiency in Chillers:
 Ministry of Power, Government of India launched an ambitious program to encourage the

deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems in the country.
 The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been formulated by Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(BEE).
 The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance. Initially, the
program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid upto 31st December 2020.
 Chillers are used extensively for space conditioning of buildings and for industrial process
cooling applications.

Narendra Singh Tomar chairs the 20th Central Employment Guarantee Council meeting in
Bhopal:
 MNREGA is the largest employment generating scheme in the country. This scheme is
demand based and provides employment to 5.5 to 6 crore people of the country.
 This was stated by the Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Shri
Narendra Singh Tomar while addressing the 20th Central Employment Guarantee Council
(CEGC) meeting that was held in Bhopal.
 Shri Tomar said that the scheme is become more encompassing and 260 types of works
have now been covered under it.
 The Union Minister asserted that most of the banking issues that act as a hindrance for
MNREGA wage payment will be removed through the recently launched India Post Payments
Bank.
Jaipur Literature Festival begins in Houston:
 Jaipur Literature Festival was begun in Houston with a soulful music performance followed
by stimulating discussions.
 The festival is touted as the world’s largest free literary festival.
 The inaugural session also saw Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor discuss his book
“Why i am a Hindu” with writer Namita Gokhale.
 The annual festival began in 2006 and is held annually in Jaipur. This is the first time that it
is being held outside Jaipur.
Hyderabad gets India’s first dog park:
 Hyderabad is set to get country’s first exclusive dog park.

 The park, which is spread over in 1.3 acres, has been developed by the Greater Hyderabad
Municipal Corporation at cost of Rs. 1.1 crore.
 The park also has dog training and exercise equipments.
India-US military exercise begins in Uttarakhand:
 India and US armies began a two-week joint military exercise in Uttarakhand to hone their
tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency and terrorism in a United Nation
peacekeeping scenario.
 Battalion-strong Army personnel from the US and an equal number from India are
participating in 'Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018' at Chaubattia in Almora district.
Inaugural Edition of Bimstec Milex-18 Culminates at Pune:
 The Inaugural Edition of the BIMSTEC Nations Military Field Training Exercise i.e. MILEX -
2018 culminated on 16 September 18 after a Validation Exercise and an impressive Closing
Ceremony held at Foreign Training Node, Aundh Military Station, Pune.
 The tactical drills showcased during the Validation Exercise included Hostage Rescue by
insertion of troops from helicopters, Room Intervention as well as House Clearing Drill as

part of Cordon and Search Operations, Raid on a Terrorist Hideout and neutralization of
Improvised Explosive Devices(IED).
 The entire exercise was monitored and controlled through the Joint Command Post
established with representatives of the participating contingents.
 The Exercise demonstrated the commitment and capabilities of the participating BIMSTEC
National armies in working closely with each other to eradicate the menace of terrorism
existing in different forms.
Second Flight Test of MPATGM Successful:
 Indigenously developed Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), was

successfully flight tested for the second time from the Ahmednagar range.
 All the mission objectives have been met.
 The two missions on 15 and 16 September 2018 have been successfully flight tested for
different ranges including the maximum range capability.
ISRO launches two British earth observation satellites onboard PSLV-C42:
 The Indian Space Research Organization has launched its heavy-weight rocket, the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), into orbit carrying two earth observation satellites of
Britain’s Surrey Satellite Technology Limited.
 PSLV-C42 is carrying two earth observation satellites of Britain’s Surrey Satellite Technology
Limited (SSTL), NovaSAR and S1-4, weighing 450 kg each.
 PSLV-C42 is the first fully commercial trip of the year, breaking a five-month-long lull, for
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Dr. Mahesh Sharma releases National Museum Research Bulletin:
 The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Environment, Forest & Climate
Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma released two important publications of the National Museum
(M/o Culture), Sindhu Ghati Sabhyata:Ek Parichay (Hindi) and the National Museum
Research Bulletin Number 10: Special issue (In House Publication), in New Delhi.
 The National Museum Research Bulletin has been revived after a long gap of 16 years.
 Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sharma congratulated the efforts of National Museum to
revive the research bulletin which he said will help to generate awareness about the
activities of National Museum.
India – Morocco Tourism Bilateral meeting held in New Delhi:
 A bilateral meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco led by the Minister
of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Kingdom of Morocco, Mr.
Mohamed Sajid and the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, Shri. K. J.
Alphons, held in New Delhi.
 During this meeting both the Ministers agreed to enhance the tourism cooperation between
India & Morocco and to work towards increasing tourist arrivals between both countries.

 This meeting was followed by signing of an agreement of cooperation between the India
Tourism Development Corporation and La Societe Marocaine D’Ingenierie Touristique, also
known as Moroccan Agency for Tourism development (SMIT).
Piyush Goyal inaugurates the first ever India tourism Mart 2018:
 The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘first ever’
India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, Shri K J Alphons
and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi.
 The India Tourism Mart is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism from 16th to 18th
September 2018, in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and
Hospitality (FAITH) and with support of State /UT Governments.
 Inaugurating the event, Shri Piyush Goyal wished the best to the Tourism Ministry to reach
the ambitious goal of US$100 billion FTA receipts/year within 5 years.
PM, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, jointly unveil e-plaques for ground-breaking of two projects:
 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina,
jointly unveiled e-plaques for the ground-breaking ceremony of two projects, via video
conference. External Affairs Minister of India, Ms. Sushma Swaraj, and Minister for
Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, also joined the proceedings.
 The projects include: (a) India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (b) Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur
Railway Project
 Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister described the cooperation between the two
countries as an example for the world.
DAC Approves Procurement of Equipment Worth Rs 9,100 Crores:
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman,
met and accorded approval for the procurement of equipment for the Defence Forces
valued at over Rs 9,100 crores.
 Pursuing the goal of indigenisation and self-reliance, the DAC approved procurement of two
Regiments of Akash Missile Systems under 'Buy (Indian)' category from M/s BDL.
 The Missile to be procured is an upgraded version of the previously inducted Akash missiles
and will include seeker technology, possess 360 degree coverage and will be of compact
configuration with reduced signature.
 The upgraded Akash Weapon System is operationally critical equipment which will provide
protection to vital assets.
 The DAC also accorded approval for progressing Design and Development of Individual
Under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA) for T 90 Tanks.
Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates ‘All India Pension Adalat’:
 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region

(DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr
Jitendra Singh inaugurated the ‘Pension Adalat’

 It was organised by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of

Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India
 He also presented the ‘Anubhav’ awards 2018 to six pensioners for their contribution
towards creating institutional memory for the departments.
 On the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a booklet—“An era of sustained reforms
for Central Government Pensioners” enumerating simplification of rules and steps initiated
to strengthen the Grievance Portal and make it user friendly.
PM to lay foundation stone for India International Convention and Expo Centre:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will lay the foundation stone for India
International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) at Dwarka, New Delhi, on September 20,
2018.
 Located in Sector 25, Dwarka, the Centre would be a world-class state-of-the-art Exhibition-
cum-Convention Centre, with facilities like financial, hospitality and retail services.
 The estimated cost of the project is Rs.25,700 crores.
 The project is implemented by India International Convention & Exhibition Centre Limited,
a 100% Government owned company under Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion,
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana Rolled Out:
 The ESI Corporation during its 175th Meeting held in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of
Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment(I/C) has
taken some very important decisions towards improvements in its services and benefits
being provided to Insured Persons and their dependants.
 Considering the change in employment pattern and the current scenario of employment in
India which has transformed from a long term employment to fixed short term engagement
in the form of contract and temping, the ESI Corporation has approved a Scheme named
“ATAL BIMIT VYAKTI KALYAN YOJNA” for Insured Persons (IP) covered under the
Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.
 This scheme is a relief payable in cash directly to their Bank Account in case of
unemployment and while they search for new engagement.
Union Home Secretary launches ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance:
 The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba launched an online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of
Security Clearance.
 The portal will facilitate an applicant to submit application online and also to view the status
of his application from time to time.
 Speaking on the occasion, the Union Home Secretary said that with the introduction of
online portal, the process has become standardized, resulting in a process which will be
faster, transparent and easy to monitor.
 Various functionaries can access the application and documents online and take timely
decisions.

ITU South Asia Office and Technology Innovation Centre to be established in New Delhi:
 The ITU South Asia Area Office and Technology Innovation Centre will be established in
New Delhi.
 This was announced by Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary General (SG) of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), during the 4th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting
held in Durban, South Africa recently.
 ITU is a United Nations specialized agency for Information and Communication
Technologies, with membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and
academic institutions.
MHA signs MoU with ISRO to set up an Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response:
 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO),
Department of Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of an
state-of-the-art Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) in Ministry of
Home Affairs.
 ISRO will render its technical expertise for setting up of proposed ICR-ER whereas the
project will be executed under overall supervision of MHA.
 The proposed Control Room is expected to be established in next one-and-a-half year.
Successful Flight Test of Prahar:
 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the
indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile ‘Prahar’, from Launch Complex-
III, ITR, Balasore.
 Range stations and electro optical systems tracked the missile throughout its flight.
 ‘Prahar’ is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads
and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.
Inaugural Naval Flight Test Seminar held at Goa:
 The inaugural Naval Flight Test Seminar was held at Goa on 20 Sep 18.
 The seminar witnessed some intensive brain-storming sessions on flight testing fixed and
rotary wing aircraft towards integrating them on the aircraft carrier and small decks.
 There were also a series of papers which were presented on weapon integration on service
aircraft and towards building and sustaining the training for Naval Experimental Test Pilots
and Flight Test Engineers.
Health Ministry partners with Dell and Tata Trusts:
 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare exchanged the MoUs with the Tata Trusts and Dell
to provide a technological platform for nationwide prevention, control, screening and
management program of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

 Smt Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare presided over the
ceremony and also released the user manual for NCD application under Comprehensive
Primary Health Care (CPHC) IT Solutions.
Vice President returns after successful visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu was on an official Visit to Serbia, Malta
and Romania from September 14-20, 2018 and returned after a successful official visit.
Some key outcomes:
 Support for India’s aspiration to be on UNSC and for taking forward UN reforms.
 Endorsement of India’s stand on terror and support for early adoption of United Nation’s
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
 Strong support for resuming EU-India trade agreement after Romania assumes Presidency of
EU.
 Business Forums generated a good deal of enthusiasm among the industrialists and
businessmen in every country as they got to listen to the Vice President about India’s
transformative initiatives. The growth story and the reports from World Bank, IMF quoted
by Vice President enhanced awareness.
 The leaders in all the countries expressed unequivocal admiration for India’s economic
growth and were eager to engage and partner with India politically, economically and
culturally. In Romania, there was a special interest in Space and Aerospace. Malta expressed
its desire to join the International Solar Alliance.
 There was a clear demand for Parliamentary friendship groups and frequent visits by
Parliamentarians.
 The visit gave an opportunity for the members of India Diaspora to listen to the Vice
President about the transformative agenda of the government and encouraged them to
think of various ways in which they can contribute to the country’s development. The vice
President underscored the growing importance of India on the world stage and drew
attention to four key features that need to be recognised. He called them 4Ds – Democracy,
Demographic dividend, Demand and Diaspora.
 The visit evoked a lot of interest among the top political leadership and there was an air of
bonhomie in all the meetings. The banquets hosted by the President of Serbia and Malta as
well as by the President of Senate of Romania provided an opportunity for sharing views on
bilateral and multilateral issues with rare candour.
 The address to the Serbian Parliament was very well received and the admiration for India
as the largest democracy and a vibrant, well functioning polity was more than evident in the
standing ovation the Vice President received at the end of his address.
 MOUs entered into related to plant protection, tourism, air services, oil research, diplomatic
training and maritime cooperation.
 In all the three countries, there was considerable interest in Yoga and Ayurveda and in
Romania, the Vice President launched two books on Ayurveda and inaugurated an Ayurveda
Information Centre.

Odisha to name Jharsuguda airport after Veer Surendra Sai:
 The Odisha Assembly has passed a resolution unanimously to name the newly-constructed
Jharsuguda airport after noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport on September 22.
 Earlier, the Civil Aviation Ministry in July had denied naming the airport after the freedom
fighter citing the absence of a state assembly resolution on this.
PM to launch Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana at Ranchi:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will launch the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
(PMJAY) at Ranchi, Jharkhand, on September 23, 2018.
 Under this scheme, over 10 crore families will be provided health assurance worth Rs. 5
lakh each, every year.
 On September 24, the Prime Minister will inaugurate Pakyong Airport, which will bring the
State of Sikkim on the country’s aviation map.
President Inaugurates Centenary Celebrations of Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the centenary celebrations of
the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in New Delhi on September 22, 2018.
 Speaking on the occasion, the President said that languages connect people. There are
numerous languages and dialects in India. All of them have their special nature and beauty.
This diversity adds to India’s culture and well-being.
 He said that institutions like the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha have played a very
important role in strengthening the emotional unity of our country. He noted that the Sabha
has developed a network of about 20,000 Hindi campaigners.
Ayushman Bharat to be launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Ranchi:
 India takes a giant leap towards providing accessible and affordable healthcare to the
common man with the launch of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana
(AB-PMJAY) by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 23rd September, 2018 at
Ranchi, Jharkhand.
 This is the “world’s largest government funded healthcare program” targeting more than
50 crore beneficiaries.
 Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY) will provide a cover of up to
Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
 Over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) will be
eligible for these benefits.
 PMJAY will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point
of service.
 PMJAY will help reduce catastrophic expenditure for hospitalizations, which impoverishes
people and will help mitigate the financial risk arising out of catastrophic health episodes.
 Entitled families will be able to use the quality health services they need without facing
financial hardships.

 When fully implemented, PMJAY will become the world’s largest fully government-
financed health protection scheme.
3rd edition of MahaBiz 2018 to be held in Dubai:
 The 3rd edition of acclaimed International Business Conference ‘MahaBiz 2018’ will be
held in Dubai on 12th and 13th October 2018.
 MahaBiz is considered a bridge for business opportunities between Maharashtra state and
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
 GCC is a political and economic alliance of six middle eastern countries. It includes Saudi
Arabia , UAE , Kuwait , Oman , Bahrain and Qatar.
Assam observed September 22 as Rhino Day:
 The Assam government observed September 22 as Rhino Day to generate public awareness
on protection of the one-horned pachyderm.
 A State Rhino Project in line with National Rhino Project will be launched in Assam soon for
protecting the pachyderms from threats of poaching.
PM to inaugurate Sikkim's first-ever airport:
 The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Sikkim's first-ever airport on
24th September, 2018.
 Built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 605 crore, the Pakyong airport is a new distinction for
the State of Sikkim which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of
becoming the first "Organic State" of India and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF)
State of India.
DEPwD Celebrates ‘International Day of Sign Languages’:
 “International Day of Sign Languages” was celebrated by Indian Sign Language Research
and Training Centre (ISLRTC) under Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 23 September.
 Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment was the Chief
Guest on the occasion.
 A special calendar of year 2019 with Sign Languages designed by ISLRTC was released on the
occasion.
Vice President Inaugurates Indian Culinary Institute:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Indian food heritage is a
mixture of art and science and is exceptionally vast and diverse.
 He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Indian Culinary Institute, Tirupati
and two projects in Nellore and East Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh, implemented
under the Coastal Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India, in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurates workshop on National e-Vidhan Application:
 Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal presided over the Inaugural Session of the
two-day National Orientation workshop on National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA),
organized by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in New Delhi.
 On the occasion, Shri Meghwal also launched the new website of the NeVA
 The focus of the workshop would be to encourage all State Legislatures to move towards e-
Vidhan platform and bring in transparency, accountability and responsiveness in their
conduct of business, through the use of technology.
4th India International Science Festival to be inaugurated by President of India:
 The fourth edition of India International Science Festival will be inaugurated by President
of India in Lucknow on October 6, 2018.
 IISF-2018 with its focal theme “Science for Transformation” will have 23 special events.
 This time the 'Science Village' will also be organized in the festival.
Vice President Inaugurates Smart City Expo India 2018:
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the creation of pedestrian
non-motorized zones is the need of the hour curb traffic congestions.
 He was addressing the inaugural session of the Smart City Expo India 2018, in Jaipur,
Rajasthan.
Cabinet approves financial assistance for Sirhind Feeder Canal and Rajasthan Feeder Canal:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved providing
Central Assistance of Rs. 620.42 Cr. and Rs. 205.758 Cr. for implementation of relining of
Rajasthan Feeder Canal and Sirhind Feeder Canal respectively over five years (2018-19 to
2022-23) for Relining of Sirhind Feeder from RD 119700 to 447927 and relining of Rajasthan
Feeder from RD 179000to 496000 of Punjab.
 Implementation of these twin projects would help in addressing the problem of water-
logging in 84800 Ha of land in Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozpur districts in South-West
Punjab.
 Funding for CA to the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind feeder shall be made through NABARD
under existing system for funding of 99 PMKSY-AIBP projects under LTIF.
Cabinet approves National Digital Communications Policy-2018:
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the
National Digital Communications Policy-2018 (NDCP-2018) and re-designation of the
Telecom Commission as the “Digital Communications Commission”.
 The NDCP-2018 envisions supporting India’s transition to a digitally empowered economy
and society by fulfilling the information and Communications needs of citizens and
enterprises by establishment of a ubiquitous, resilient and affordable Digital
Communications Infrastructure and Services.

 The key objectives of the policy are provisioning of

 Broadband for all
 Creating 4 Million additional jobs in the Digital Communications sector
 Enhancing the contribution of the Digital Communications sector to 8% of India’s
GDP from ~ 6% in 2017
 Propelling India to the Top 50 Nations in the ICT Development Index of ITU from
134 in 2017
 Enhancing India’s contribution to Global Value Chains
 Ensuring Digital Sovereignty
 These objectives are to be achieved by 2022.
Successful Flight Test of Astra BVR Air-to-Air Missile:
 Astra, the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), was
successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force from Su-30 aircraft, from Air Force Station,
Kalaikunda.
 The missile successfully engaged a manoeuvring target with high precision meeting the
mission objectives.
 In the series of trials held to date, Astra has been launched in the complete Su-30 flight
envelope.
 The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials.
 Astra is the best in class weapon system and has undergone more than twenty
developmental trials.
Finance Ministry Launches Mobile Application “Jan Dhan Darshak”:
 Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance and National Informatics

Centre (NIC) has jointly developed a mobile app called Jan Dhan Darshak as a part of
financial inclusion (FI) initiative .
 As the name suggests, this app will act as a guide for the common people in locating a
financial service touch point at a given location in the country.
 While over 5 lakh FI touch points (Bank branches, ATMs, Post Offices) have been mapped on
this App, approx. 1.35 lakh Bank Mitras would be on-boarded by 01.12.2018.
Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad to launch Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics and DigiVaarta:
 National Informatics Centre (NIC) and National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated
(NICSI) have jointly set up a Centre of Excellence for data analytics to support Government
departments to unlock the hidden potential of the data that they are generating as part of
the governance processes and use it to improve the overall governance.
 Launch of Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics (CEDA) is being held on 28th September,
2018 by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Sh. Ravi
Shankar Prasad in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of State, Electronics & Information
Technology.

Tribes India launches “Punch Tantra Collection and Ms Mary Kom as Brand Ambassador”:
 Tribes India and TRIFED under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched “Punch Tantra
Collection and Ms. Mary Kom as Brand Ambassador of Tribes India” at a function.
 Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs introduced the Indian Sporting Legend and
the World Boxing Champion Ms. Mary Kom as the Brand Ambassador of “Tribes India” and
launched the “Punch Tantra” Diwali collection.
 Four promotional video spots produced by NFDC featuring Brand Ambassador Ms. Mary
Com promoting Tribal products of Tribes India were also released on the occasion.
India and the United Nations to sign a Five-Year Sustainable Development Framework:
 CEO NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant and United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Yuri
Afanasiev, will sign the Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development
Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022, at a special signing ceremony on September 28 at NITI
Aayog premises.
 The signing ceremony would be presided over by Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv
Kumar, Members of NITI Aayog and will be attended by the heads of UN agencies in India.
 Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) 2018-2022
outlines the work of UN agencies in India, to support the achievement of key development
outcomes that have been identified in consultation with the government and are aligned to
the national priorities.
 The NITI Aayog is the national counterpart for the UN in India for the operationalization of
the UNSDF.
 Nineteen (19) UN agencies have signed on the UNSDF 2018-2022.
Twenty Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) centres are being established in the country:
 Twenty Embryo Transfer Technology Centres are being established in the country and a
proposal of 19 centres has been approved so far.
 This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh.
 The Minister further stated that 3000 high genetic merit bulls of indigenous bovine breeds
are being produced from these centres.
 Two of these centres are to be set up in Nagpur and Pune in Maharashtra.
20th livestock Census to be conducted from 1st October in all districts of the country:
 The 20th Livestock Census will be conducted in all districts of the Indian Union in
participation with all States and Union Territories.
 States/UTs have been requested to start the census operations from 1st October, 2018.
 The success of this novel initiative is dependent on full cooperation and commitment from
all States/UTs Governments.
 The enumeration will be done in all villages and urban wards.
 Various species of animals (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun, Yak, Sheep, Goat, Pig, Horse, Pony,
Mule, Donkey Camel, Dog, Rabbit and Elephant)/poultry birds (Fowl, Duck, Emu, Turkeys,

Quail and other poultry birds) possessed by the households, household enterprises/non-
household enterprises and institutions will be counted at their site.
High Level Committee Constituted on Corporate Social Responsibility:
 A High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility – 2018 (HLC-2018) has been
constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri. Injeti Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate
Affairs (MCA) to review the existing framework and guide and formulate the roadmap for a
coherent policy on Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR).
Constitution of Group of Ministers (GoM):
 During the 30th Meeting of the GST Council, the proposal of the State of Kerala for
imposition of Cess on SGST for rehabilitation and flood affected works was discussed in
detail.
 The Council decided to constitute a 7-Member Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine this
issue in depth.
 Accordingly, the Union Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley, has approved the constitution of
a Group of Ministers to examine the issue regarding ‘Modalities for Revenue Mobilisation
in case of Natural Calamities and Disasters’.
 Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar is the Convenor of the GoM.
Kolkata launches India’s first flood forecast system:
 The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, with the support of the Asian Development Bank, has
launched the country’s first flood forecasting and early-warning system.
 It will provide real-time data on inundation, rainfall intensity, temperature, air quality and
other climate-related data
 This is expected to help policy-makers make informed decisions during disasters.
Tripura to set up flute performance research institute:
 Tripura Government would set up a flute performance research institute to take out the
traditional musical act and its eminence as a traditional musical instrument across the world,
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said.
 The Chief Minister said there are a huge variety of bamboo in Tripura and other
northeastern states and with this high quality bamboo, flute can be made to sell them in the
national and international markets.
President of India Inaugurates Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention:
 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi
International Sanitation Convention in New Delhi on September 29, 2018.
 Speaking on the occasion, the President said that achieving universal access to adequate and
equitable sanitation and hygiene by 2030 is a major challenge in many parts of the world.
 Drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are central to Sustainable Development Goal 6,
especially targets 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3.

 Target 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for countries to end open
defecation, ensure everyone has access to a basic toilet and put in place systems for safe
management of excreta.
PM inaugurates Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence
 The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Conference on Academic
Leadership on Education for Resurgence in Vigyan Bhawan in which the Vice-
Chancellors/Directors from more than 350 universities participated.
 The conference was organized jointly by UGC, AICTE, ICSSR, IGNCA, IGNOU, JNU and SGT
University.
 Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar and MoS, HRD
Dr Satya Pal Singh were also present on the occasion.
 Speaking on the occasion the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi said that when one thinks
of resurgence or revival, the first image that comes to mind is of Swami Vivekananda, who
presented before the world, the strength of Indian thought.
Suresh Prabhu launched the World Bank Group’s regional trade report:
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, launched the
World Bank Group’s regional trade report “A Glass Half Full-The Promise of Regional Trade
in South Asia” at a seminar organised by FICCI in New Delhi.
 Speaking on this occasion the Minister said that the potential for intra-trade growth in
South Asia region has not been fully tapped as yet.
 India’s top three trading partners in South Asia are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
 India’s trade with South Asia is only 3% of its global trade.
 Today India’s trade with the world stands at 637.4 billion USD but with South Asia it stands
at only 19.1billion USD.
 Trade between India and Pakistan is USD 2 billion
PM to launch India Post Payments Bank:
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will launch the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) at
Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on September 1st, 2018.
 On the day of the launch, IPPB will have 650 Branches and 3250 Access Points spread across
the country. Simultaneous launch events will be held at these branches and access points.
 All the 1.55 lakh Post Offices in the country will be linked to the IPPB system by December
31, 2018.
India on track to buy 18 bullet trains from Japan for Rs 7,000 crore:
 India will purchase 18 bullet train sets from Japan at a total cost of about Rs 7,000 crore in
a deal that includes a pledge to transfer technology for local production.
 Each train will have 10 coaches and would be able to cruise at the speed of 350 km per hour.

 The country’s first bullet train is likely to start running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad
by the end of 2022.
 The 508-km, high speed train corridor is being built with Japanese assistance.
Cabinet doubles Jan Dhan accounts overdraft cap to Rs 10,000 from 5,000 :
 Commenting on government's financial inclusion scheme, Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley said
in a significant move, the cabinet approved doubling Jan Dhan accounts overdraft cap to Rs
10,000 from 5,000.
 The age for availing entitlements has also been relaxed from 60 to 65 years.
 Around 83 per cent of accounts opened in Jan Dhan are linked with Aadhar.
India and US Hold '2 + 2' Dialogue:
 Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman
welcomed Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
to India on September 6, 2018 for the inaugural India-U.S. Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue.
 They welcomed the launch of the 2+2 Dialogue as a reflection of the shared commitment by
Prime Minister Modi and President Trump to provide a positive, forward-looking vision for
the India-U.S. strategic partnership.
 Two plus two meeting is a kind of dialogue mechanism where two important portfolios (say,
Finance and Defence) of the countries taking part in the meeting.
India and France sign an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY”:
 India and France have signed an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY”
(MYC) in the presence of Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
(MoHUA) Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Shri Alexander Ziegler, Ambassador of France in India.
 Mobilise Your City (MYC) is part of an international initiative which is supported by the
French and the German Governments and was launched at 21st Conference of Parties
(COP21) meeting in December, 2015.
 Based on a proposal made by AFD in 2015, the European Union has agreed to provide funds
of Euro 3.5 million through the AFD to contribute to specific investments and technical
assistance components within the Mobilise Your City (MYC) programme in India.
NIIF inks $400 mn agreement with Singapore's Temasek :
 Singapore government’s Temasek Holdings has agreed to invest $400 million in the
National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) in another bet on India’s infrastructure asset
management space.
 NIIF, touted as India’s first sovereign investment vehicle anchored by the government,
already has investors such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority along with several large
domestic financial institutions.
 With the entry of Temasek, NIIF’s Master Fund is now one of the largest infrastructure funds
in India, after IDFC Alternatives and ICICI Infrastructure Fund.

IPPB ties up with FSS:
 India Post Payments Bank has tied up with Financial Software and Systems (FSS), a leading
payments technology and transaction processing systems, to offer a wide range of banking
solutions to financially underserved customer segments—especially rural households, small
and medium enterprises and women.
 FSS will help India Post to provide affordable, quality banking and payment services to its
customers.
 It comprises of a comprehensive set of solutions to bring customers and merchants into the
digital payments mainstream, generating critical network effects for furthering adoption and
usage.
NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate for Model International Center for Transformative AI:
 NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) announced on 7th
September that they are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for
Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led
application-based research projects.
 This initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ Discussion
Paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI in the country through private sector collaboration.
 Based in Bengaluru, the Model ICTAI aims to conduct advanced research to incubate AI-led
solutions in three important areas – healthcare, agriculture and smart mobility – by bringing
together the expertise of Intel and TIFR.
 It aims to experiment, discover and establish best practices in the domains of ICTAI
governance, fundamental research, physical infrastructure, compute and service
infrastructure needs, and talent acquisition.
Cabinet approves MoU on blockchain technology by EXIM Bank:
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto
approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Collaborative Research on
Distributed Ledger and Block chain Technology in the context of Development of digital
economy by Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank).
 Participating member banks under the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism are
namely Banco Nacional de DesenvolvimentoEconomico e Social (BNDES, of Brazil), China
Development Bank (CDB), State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic
Affairs (Vnesheconombank, of Russia) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
 Distributed Ledger/Block chain technology holds potential for solutions to various challenges
being faced in the financial sector space of the BRICS nations.
 The MoU intends to enhance understanding of Distributed Ledger/Block Chain technology,
through the joint research efforts to identify areas within respective business operations
where it may have the potential for applications aimed at enhancing the operational
efficiencies.

Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank, BoB to merge: Govt
 The government said state-owned Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will be
merged to create the country’s third largest lender as part of efforts to revive credit and
economic growth.
 The move follows top lender State Bank of India last year merging with itself five of its
subsidiary banks and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank.
 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the merger will make the banks stronger and sustainable
as well as increase their lending ability.
 This merger will create third largest bank in India.
India Post Payments Bank, Bajaj Allianz join hands ‘to provide insurance to all’:
 State-owned India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and private life insurer Bajaj Allianz Life
Insurance Co Ltd (BALIC) have entered into a strategic partnership to provide life insurance
solutions.
 This partnership will leverage IPPB’s last mile reach for building awareness about life
insurance.
 Both the companies came together to formally sign the Corporate Agency Agreement.
India signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for US$ 74 Million for Uttarakhand:
 A Loan Agreement for IBRD Credit of US$74 million equivalent for the Uttrakhand
Workforce Development Project (UKWDP) was signed with the World Bank.
 The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial
Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers
through short term training in Uttrakhand.
BRICS bank approves USD 525-million loan for infra projects in Madhya Pradesh:
 The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved a USD 525-million
loan to Madhya Pradesh for infrastructure projects.
 The Board of Directors of the NDB approved a USD 350-million loan for the Major District
Roads Project II of Madhya Pradesh and USD 175 million for building and upgrading 350
bridges.
PPF, NSC, other small savings to give higher interest:
 Small saving schemes such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificates and
Post Office Deposit Scheme will fetch more in the three months period starting October 1.
 PPF and NSC will earn interest at 8 per cent while Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, which
has a tenure of five years, will fetch 8.7 per cent.
Jharkhand govt inks MoU with NICL for Ayushman Bharat Scheme:
 The Jharkhand government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with

National Insurance Company Ltd to provide medical facilities to the people of the state
under the Centre’s flagship health scheme – Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

 The scheme will be launched nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ranchi on
23 September.
 As per information received, Jharkhand government and National insurance company have
signed a MoU for quality and timely medical treatment to the citizens.
Cabinet clears proposal to convert GSTN into govt entity:
 The Union Cabinet cleared a proposal to convert GST Network (GSTN), which provides IT
infrastructure for the new indirect tax regime, into a 100 per cent government-owned
company.
 Briefing about the decisions taken in the Cabinet meeting, the finance minister said after
restructuring of GSTN, ownership will be equally divided between the Centre and states.
 Shares for each state will be worked on pro-rata basis.
 Currently, the Centre and states together hold 49 per cent stake in the GST Network.
 The remaining 51 per cent is held by five private financial institutions -- HDFC Ltd, HDFC
Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd.
India, Japan sign Agreement for Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project :
 Two Loan Agreements were signed between India and Japan on Japanese Official
Development Assistance loan for Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail
Project (I) of Yen 89.457 billion (Rs.5591 crore approx.) and Kolkata East-West Metro Project
(III) of Yen 25.903 billion (Rs.1619 crore approx.).
 India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation
since 1958.
 In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has steadily
progressed.
 This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between
India and Japan.
Rail Heritage Digitisation Project of Indian Railways in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture:
 Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal has launched “Rail Heritage Digitisation
Project” of Indian Railways in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture
 The project is a landmark effort, first of its kind in this part of the globe, to showcase
country’s Rail Heritage to National and International audience in an online story-telling
platform.
MoHUA partners with Google to launch #LooReview Campaign:
 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the aegis of Swachh Bharat Mission –
Urban (SBM – U), has partnered with Google to launch the Loo Review campaign to
encourage all local guides in India to rate and review public toilets on Google Maps.
 This campaign is part of a feature which allows all citizens to locate public toilets in their
cities on Google Maps, Search and the Assistant and also provide feedback on the same.
 500+ cities in India with more than 30,000 toilets with the name of “SBM Toilet” are
currently live on Google Maps.

 One of the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM - U) is to provide
sanitation coverage through public toilet facilities across cities in India for achieving Open
Defecation Free (ODF) status.
 With around 3400 cities already having achieved ODF status, and other cities gearing up
towards the same, there is now a need to ensure that the ODF status is sustained through
continuous usage and proper maintenance of public toilets.
NITI Aayog and Oracle sign a Statement of Intent to pilot drug supply-chain using blockchain:
 In order to fight the growing problem of counterfeit drugs in India, NITI Aayog and Oracle
signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to pilot a real drug supply-chain using blockchain
distributed ledger and Internet of Things (IoT) software.
 Apollo Hospitals and Strides Pharma Sciences will partner in this effort.
 The major advantages of blockchain software will be its ability to allow the sharing of
information across the drug supply chain securely.
Arif Alvi elected new Pakistan president:
 Dr Arif Alvi, a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was elected as the new President of Pakistan.
 Defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Aitzaz Ahsan and the Pakistan Muslim League-
N nominee Maulana Fazl ur Rehman in a three-way contest to become the 13th president.
 Of the 430 votes cast via a secret ballot in the National Assembly and Senate, Alvi received
212 votes.
India retains WHO Regional Director position:
 India has retained the top WHO position in South-East Asia Region with Dr Poonam
Khetrapal Singh unanimously re-elected as Regional Director for another five-year term
beginning February 2019.
 The elections were held at the ongoing Regional Committee meeting of WHO South-East
Asia.
 Dr Singh is the first woman to have been elected to the position of Regional Director for
WHO South-East Asia Region after an illustrious career in the Indian civil service, World
Bank and WHO.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi appointed as next Chief Justice of India:
 The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of
India.
 He will assume the office of Chief Justice on 3rd October, 2018 after the retirement of the
current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra.
 He was appointed as Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court on 12th February, 2011.
 He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 23rd April, 2012.

Moutaz Mousa Abdallah becomes Sudan’s new PM:
 Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become the Sudan’s new Prime Minister. A 21-member
cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum.
 Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio in a bid to revive the country’s ailing
economy.
 Sudan has been grappling with an acute foreign exchange shortage and inflation above 65
percent for several months.
Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma signed as ambassadors of Skill India Campaign:
 Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the
Skill India Mission, chaired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
 Varun and Anushka will dedicate time to promote India's skilled talent and their fine work
by engaging with them across different parts of the country.
Kalraj Mishra appointed chairman of House panel on defence:
 A Former minister in the Narendra Modi government, Kalraj Mishra, replaced former
Uttarakhand chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri as the chairman of the
parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.
 There are 24 parliamentary standing committees, of these 16 are under the administrative
control of the Lok Sabha and 8 under the Rajya Sabha.
Jaya Prada appointed goodwill ambassador for Nepal tourism
 Former Member of Parliament and Bollywood actress Jaya Prada has been appointed
Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Nepal tourism.
 The appointment is for a period of four years.
 Tourism is an important source of revenue and employment generation in Nepal. India is the
biggest source market for Nepal tourism.
 The Nepal government has also decided to observe the year 2020 as the 'Visit Nepal Year'
and has set a target of attracting two million international visitors.
B. S. Mubarak appointed as next Ambassador of India to Republic of Guatemala
 B. S. Mubarak has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Guatemala.
Anil Kumar Chaudhary appointed as new SAIL chairman
 Anil Kumar Chaudhary has been appointed as the new chairman of the Steel Authority of
India (SAIL).

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins presidency polls in Maldives
 Maldivian presidential challenger Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has beaten incumbent Abdulla
Yameen.
 Results released by the Elections Commission showed Solih had secured 58.3 percent of the
popular vote as opposed to the incumbent, President Yameen, who garnered less than 42
percent of the votes.
SC constitutes committee over prison reforms
The Supreme Court has constituted a three-member committee to recommend measures on prison
reforms.
 The committee, headed by apex court's Justice (retd.) Amitava Roy will look into the
problems in prisons across the country and suggest measures to tackle them.
 Government officials will also assist the committee and submit a report before the top court
in a stipulated time period.
Anil Khosla to be appointed as New Vice Chief of Air Force
 Air Marshal Anil Khosla will be appointed as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force.
Rajni Kant Misra appointed BSF chief, S S Deswal to head SSB
 Rajni Kant Misra and S S Deswal were appointed director general of the Border Security
Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) respectively.
Govt constitutes Lokpal search committee
 The Centre constituted an eight-member search committee, to be headed by former

Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, to recommend the chairperson and
members of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal.
 The search committee is a major step towards setting up of the Lokpal. The committee will
start its functioning soon.
Vikram Misri next ambassador to China
 The government has notified that Vikram Misri would be the new Indian envoy to Beijing.
 He would be taking over the responsibility from Gautam Bambawale, who retires this year.
Mumbai neurosurgeon named for Dr B.C. Roy award
 Dr B.K. Misra has been named for this year's prestigious Dr B.C. Roy National Award as an
Eminent Medical Person of the Year.
 The highest medical honour of India,instituted by the Medical Council of India in 1962, it
will be given away by President Ram Nath Kovind on July 1 next year, the National Doctors
Day.

'Sarala Puraskar' for poet Satrughna Pandav
 Noted Odia poet Satrughna Pandav will be honoured with the prestigious 'Sarala Puraskar'
for his poetry collection 'Misra Dhrupad'.
India-born student Rajalakshmi Nandakumar to get 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award
 Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, an India-born woman scholar in the US, has been chosen for a
prestigious award for her work to help detect potentially life-threatening health issues
using smartphones.
 She has been selected for the 2018 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar award.
 Nandakumar, studying at the University of Washington, has created a technology that turns
an ordinary smartphone into an active sonar system capable of detecting physiological
activities, such as movement and respiration, without requiring physical contact with the
device.
Manoj Jhalani, AS & MD (NHM) selected for UNIATF Award
 Shri Manoj Jhalani, Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, has been conferred with the prestigious UN Interagency Task Force
(UNIATF) Award for his outstanding contribution towards prevention and control of non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) and related Sustainable Development Goals.
 It is in recognition of Government of India’s efforts made in the field of prevention and
control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
 National Programme to control NCDs has been scaled up by more than eight times in the
past four years and covers all the 36 States/Union Territories now.
Poet, writer Sawai Singh Shekhawat to be honoured with Meera Puruskar
 Jaipur-based poet and writer Sawai Singh Shekhawat will be honoured with Meera
Puruskar by Rajasthan Sahitya Academy for his contribution to Hindi literature.
 President of the academy Indushekhar Tatpurush informed that Shekhawat was selected for
the Meera award, which is the highest award of the academy.
6 AAI-run airports bag international awards
 Six aerodromes of the Airports Authority of India have bagged seven international awards.
 The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017 were presented by the Airports Council
International (ACI) at the Customer Excellence Global Summit at Halifax, Canada, on
September 12.
 The winning airports are Lucknow, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune
airports.

PNB wins Hindi implementation award
 Punjab National Bank (PNB) bagged the “Rajbhasha Kirti” award for outstanding
performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-18.
 The award, under the category of ‘Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions in Region
A’, was presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to PNB Chief Executive and MD Sunil
Mehta.
Dr. Raghupati Singhania conferred with civilian honour of Mexico
 Chairman and MD, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., Dr. Raghupati Singhania has been conferred
with 'Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle', the highest honour accorded to non-nationals by
the Government of Mexico.
 Melba Pría, Ambassador of Mexico to India presented the award to Dr. Singhania on behalf
of the President of Mexico on the eve of 128th National Day of Mexico.
 The top honor is in recognition of Dr. Singhania's exemplary leadership, his noteworthy
services towards humanity and his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between India and
Mexico.
Kerala Tourism wins two Pacific Asia Travel Association gold awards
 Kerala Tourism walked away with two prestigious gold awards of the Pacific Asia Travel
Association (PATA) for its innovative marketing campaigns.
 Kerala Tourism got the first gold for its 'Yalla Kerala' travel advertisement print media
campaign in the Gulf countries.
 The second gold award came for an innovative poster Kerala Tourism had developed for
the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB).
Delhi airport gets top honour at ASQ Awards 2017
 Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the title of Best Airport to
handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ)
Awards 2017.
 According to the statement, the Delhi airport is now the seventh busiest airports in Asia
and among the top 20 busiest airports across the world.
INSV Tarini crew bestowed with Tenzing Norgay Award
 All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National
Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across
the world for eight long months.
 The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of
adventure on land, sea and air.
 The women Navy officers had spent as many as 194 days at sea as part of a mission under
the Navika Sagar Parikrama project that began in September last year.
 The crew was also bestowed with Nav Sena Medal on the occasion of 72nd Independence
Day.

Kohli, Chanu to receive Khel Ratna on September 25
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will receive the
prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna on September 25, the sports ministry announced.
The list of awardees:
 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Virat Kohli and Mirabai Chanu.
 Arjuna Awards: Neeraj Chopra, Jinson Johnson and Hima Das (athletics); N. Sikki Reddy
(badminton); Satish Kumar (boxing); Smriti Mandhana (cricket); Shubhankar Sharma (golf);
Manpreet Singh and Savita (hockey); Ravi Rathore (polo); Rahi Sarnobat, Ankur Mittal and
Shreyasi Singh (shooting); Manika Batra and G. Sathiyan (table tennis); Rohan Bopanna
(tennis); Sumit (wrestling); Pooja Kadian (wushu); Ankur Dhama (para-athletics); Manoj
Sarkar (para-badminton).
 Dronacharya Awards: C. A. Kuttappa (boxing); Vijay Sharma (weightlifting); A. Srinivasa Rao
(table tennis); Sukhdev Singh Pannu (athletics); Clarence Lobo (hockey, lifetime); Tarak Sinha
(cricket, lifetime); Jiwan Kumar Sharma (judo, lifetime); V. R. Beedu (athletics, lifetime).
 Dhyan Chand Awards: Satyadev Prasad (archery); Bharat Kumar Chetry (hockey); Bobby
Aloysius (athletics); Chougale Dadu Dattatray (wrestling).
Lucknow Metro First From India To Get This International Award
 Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has become the first ever metro rail corporation
from India to bag the International 'Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents'
(RoSPA) Award.
 LMRC has been given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the
Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.
Assamese film Village Rockstars is India’s official entry to Oscars 2019
 Assamese film Village Rockstars is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 in the Best Foreign
Language film category.
 The announcement was made by the Film Federation of India (FFI).
 The Rima Das film was also named Best Feature Film at the 65th National Film Awards.
AP, Odisha & Madhya Pradesh are Three Best Performing States in Ease of Living Index
 Andhra Pradesh has topped the charts among States in terms of “Ease of Living Index”
rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
 It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
 The three States were awarded best performing States at the National Dissemination
Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018.

Croatia’s Luka Modric wins FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year award
 Real Madrid and Croatian midfielder Luka Modric ended a decade-long dominance of
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the FIFA Best Men's Player Award as he take the
trophy at an award ceremony in London.
 Modric had a brilliant summer where he helped Real Madrid win a record third consecutive
Champions League title and then went on to guide Croatia to their first ever World Cup final.
 Croatia came up short in the final losing 4-2 to young French team but Modric was award
the Best Player of the tournament award.
PM Modi gets UN's 'Champions of the Earth' award
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded with the UN’s highest environmental
honour, bestowed upon five other individuals and organisations, for his leadership of the
International Solar Alliance and pledge to eliminate single use plastic in India by 2022.
 Six of the world’s most outstanding environmental changemakers have been recognised
with the Champions of the Earth Award, the UN’s highest environmental honour.
 French President Emmanuel Macron and Modi have been jointly recognised in the Policy
Leadership category for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar
Alliance.
 Cochin International Airport has also been honoured this year with the award for
Entrepreneurial Vision, for its leadership in the use of sustainable energy.
AAI’s Ahmedabad and Indore Airports awarded as Best Airports under National Tourism Awards
 Airports Authority of India’s Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport, Indore and Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad were conferred with the prestigious National
Tourism Awards 2016-17 at a glittering award function on World Tourism Day.
 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad received the Best Airport
Award in Major Cities category and Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport, Indore received the
Best Airport Award in ‘Rest of India’ category for promotion of Tourism at these airports.
 The award was presented by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, Shri K.J.
Alphons.
Asian Games 2018: India finished with 69 medals
 India finishes 8th with a final tally of 69 medals – 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, at Asian
Games 2018.
 China topped the tally with 289 medals including 132 gold.
 Japan finishes second while Republic of Korea secured third place.
 The 2018 Asian Games, officially known as the 18th Asian Games were held in Jakarta-
Palembang 2018 from 18 August to 2 September 2018 in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta
and Palembang.

Japan's swimmer Ikee named Asian Games MVP
 Japan's young swimmer Rikako Ikee was named the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games Most
Valuable Player (MVP) after winning 6 gold and 2 silver medals.
 The 18-year-old Japanese won the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly as well
as the 4x100m freestyle and medley relays.
 The teenager is the first female winner of the award, which has been presented at every
Games since the 1998 edition in Bangkok.
India Blue win Duleep Trophy
 India Blue thrashed defending champion India Red by an innings and 187 runs in the final
to win the Duleep Trophy.
 Spinners Deepak Jagbir Hooda (5 for 56) and Saurabh Kumar (5 for 51) needed just 10.5
overs on the fourth day to bundle out India Red for 172 in the second innings.
 The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India.
 It is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji.
Assam government makes Hima Das as Sports Ambassador of state
 Assam government has made Asian Games medalist Hima Das as the Sports Ambassador
of the state.
 Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has handed over the letter to Hima at a function in
Guwahati.
 The Chief Minister also announced to develop 500 village stadiums in the state.
US Open 2018: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro to win title
 Novak Djokovic produced an impeccable performance to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the
US Open final and win his 14th Grand Slam title.
 The 31-year-old Serb won 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to earn his third triumph in New York and equal
American great Pete Sampras' haul of major trophies.
 Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, will climb to fourth in the world after back-to-back
Grand Slam victories.
Osaka claims US Open title after beating Serena
 Naomi Osaka became Japan's first Grand Slam singles champion by thumping Serena
Williams 6-2 6-4 in a controversial U.S. Open final.
 Williams was given a game penalty for her outburst, which followed racquet smashing and
another code violation as Osaka won 6-2 6-4 in New York.
 Osaka kept her focus to become the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam.
 The 32-year-old made over 350 international appearances for India and captained the
national team for eight long years from 2008 to 2016.
 He received the Arjuna award in 2012 and Padma Shri in 2015.

Mumbai Marathon gets IAAF gold label
 The Tata Mumbai Marathon, to be held on January 20, 2019, was accorded the gold label
by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
 The 16th edition of the race became the only gold label marathon in the country and joined
the elite list of marathons in Asia.
 The USD 405,000 event is set to witness over 46,000 participants running across six race
categories.
SAFF Cup: Maldives beats India 2-1 to win title
 India's quest for an eighth South Asian Football Federation Cup title ended as it suffered a
1-2 defeat against Maldives in the summit clash.
 India, the defending champions, largely dominated the match with better ball possession
and more shots at the opposition goal but the Maldives team scored from the few chances it
got to lift the winners' trophy for the second time.
 Maldives had also won the title in 2008 edition which it co-hosted.
India to host the Women’s Boxing World Championships
 The Women’s Boxing World Championships, to be hosted by India after more than a
decade, will be held from November 15-24, 2018, in New Delhi.
8th Asian Yoga Sports Championship
 Thiruvananthapuram is all set to play host to the 8th Asian Yoga Sports Championship,
which will be held at the Jimmy George indoor stadium from September 27 to 30.
 The event willwitness around 500 participants representing 14 Asian countries showcasing
their yoga skills.
India pip Bangladesh to win Asia Cup for 7th time
 India beat Bangladesh by three wickets to win their seventh Asia Cup title in a pulsating
last-ball finish.
 Chasing 223 runs to win, India scored the winning run of the last ball of the match.
 Shikhar Dhawan was declared Man of the tournament while Liton Das was declared man of
the match.
 The first Asia cup was held in 1984 in Sharjah.
 India is the most successful team in the history of the Asia cup, winning it 7 times.
PM releases book to mark one year in office of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released the book “Moving On, Moving Forward –
A Year in Office” to mark one year in office of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.
 He also presented the first copy of the book to the Vice President of India.

Vice President Releases Book ‘Constitutionalizing India: an Ideational Project’
 The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we should salute the
constitution-framers for giving us a constitution that strengthened parliamentary democracy
and stood the test of times, even as it evolved through several amendments.
 He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Constitutionalizing India: an
Ideational Project’ authored by Shri Bidyut Chakrabarty.
 The book reveals how the ideas with completely different socio-economic roots competed
with each other in the making of a Constitution which was acceptable to all.

October Current Affairs 2018

Redevelopment of Railway Stations
 Cabinet approves Redevelopment of Railway Stations

 This will be implemented by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited
(IRSDC) as Nodal Agency and main Project Development Agency for longer lease tenure of
upto 99 years.
 This will lead to creation of State-of-the-art smart stations that will function as mini smart
cities.
Indore Metro Rail Project
 Cabinet approves Indore Metro Rail Project

 This project comprises of:
 Ring Line of length 31.55 Km from Bengali Square - Vijay Nagar - Bhawarsala -
Airport - Patasia - Bengali Square.
 Numbers of Stations on the Ring Line are 30.
 The estimated cost of the project is Rs. Rs.7500.80 crore and the project will be
completed in 4 years.
 A SPV namely Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Co Ltd. (MPMRCL) has been constituted for
implementation of the Project.
 It will be partly financed from Central Government and State Government of Madhya
Pradesh on equal equity basis and partly as loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and
New Development Bank (NDB).
Bhopal Metro Rail Project
Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved implementation of
Bhopal Metro Rail Project comprising two corridors of total length 27.87 Km.
 The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 6941.40 crore and the project will be completed in 4
years.
 The corridors are:
 Karond Circle to AIIMS (14.99 Km) and
 Bhadbhada Square to RatnagiriTiraha (12.88 Km).
 Karond to AIIMS corridor would consist of 16 Stations (14-El.evated and 2-
Underground).
 Bhadbhada to RatnagiriTiraha corridor would consist of 14 elevated stations.
 The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Co Ltd. (MPMRCL) will implement the project.
 The Bhopal Metro Rail Project will be partly financed by GoI and GoMP on equal equity basis
and partly as loan from European Investment Bank (EIB).
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National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation in Sehore District
 It will be established in Sehore District (Bhopal-Sehore highway) instead of Bhopal in

Madhya Pradesh.
 It will be the first of its kind in the country in the area of mental health rehabilitation and
will host capacity building in human resource and research in the area of mental health
rehabilitation.
Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Rabi Crops
 Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all Rabi crops for 2018-19
to be marketed in 2019-20 season.
 The MSPs fixed by the government for wheat, barley, gram, masur, rapeseed & mustard
and safflower are much higher than the cost of production.
 It will give additional return to the farmers of Rs 62,635 crore by way of increasing MSP of
notified crops to at least 50 per cent return.
 This is under the new Umbrella Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan
Abhiyan’ (PM- AASHA) which has three sub-schemes i.e. Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price
Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPSS).
MoU between India and Russia
 Narendra Modi approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and
Russia on bilateral cooperation in the Road Transport and Road Industry
 It will be signed during the upcoming visit of Russian President to India.
 This will help in cooperation in road transportation and road industry and Intelligent
Transport System (ITS).
MoU between India and Russian cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
 Narendra Modi has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

between National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC)- a Public Sector Undertaking
of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) of India and JSC-Russian
Small & Medium Business Corporation(RSMB Corporation), Russia.
 This will promote cooperation between the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the
two countries.
 It also involves cooperation in the field of capacity building, rapid incubation for
entrepreneurship development, exposure to each other’s market.
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Singapore
 Narendra Modi approved to the Second Protocol amending the Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Singapore.
 CECA was signed on 24th August 2018
 It will enhance bilateral trade and will deepen the Economic Cooperation between India
and Singapore.

Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) at Tirupati and Berhampur
 Narendra Modi approved establishment and operationalistion of permanent campuses of

the 2 new Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs)
 These will be set up at: Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and Berhampur (Odisha)
 The construction will be completed by December, 2021
National Council for Vocational Training, NCVT and NSDA to establish NCVET
Narendra Modi approved the merger of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the
National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) into the National Council for Vocational Education and
Training (NCVET).
 The functions of NCVET will be as follows:

o Recognition and regulation of awarding bodies, assessment bodies and skill related
information providers;
o Approval of qualifications developed by awarding bodies and Sector Skill Councils
(SSCs);
o Indirect regulation of vocational training institutes through awarding bodies and
assessment agencies;
o Research and information dissemination;
o Grievance redressal.
 It will have a Chairperson and will have Executive and Non-Executive Members.
 At present, there are 20 Ministries/ Departments implementing skill development
programs mostly using private sector training providers.
 Earlier courses offered by the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) was regulated by NCVT.
MoU between India and Lebanon for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors
 Narendra Modi approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between

India and Lebanon.
 The MOU is regarding cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
 The MoU will help to increase agriculture production and productivity and strengthening of
food security.
MoU between India and Romania in the field of tourism
 Narendra Modi approved Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and

Romania.
 It is regarding cooperation in the field of tourism.
 The MoU was signed in September, 2018 during the visit of the Vice-President of India to
Romania.
Following are under the MOU agreement:
o To exchange information and data related to tourism

o Investment in the T ourism and Hospitality sectors

o To exchange visits of Tour Operators / Media /Opinion Makers for 2-way tourism
o To exchange experiences in the areas of promotion, marketing, destination
development and management
Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Finland on Environmental Cooperation
 Narendra Modi approved Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Finland.

 This is regarding Environmental Cooperation and management of natural resources on the
basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefits between the 2 countries.
 This MOU consists of cooperation in:
o Air and water pollution prevention and purification, remediation of contaminated
soils,
o Waste managementand waste-to-energy technologies,
o Promotion of circular economy, low-carbon solutions and sustainable management
of natural resources including forests,
o Climate change,
o Data Management,
o Conservation of Marine and Coastal Resources,
o Integrated water management of Oceanic/Sea Islands,
o Environmental and Forest monitoring.
 This will help in better environment protection, better conservation, and better
management of climate change and wildlife protection/conservation.
New sand and gravel policy to curb illegal mining & boost revenue
 Punjab Cabinet approved policy changes to enable the government to grant contracts by
auction of mining blocks in strategically established clusters through progressive bidding.
 Earlier, auction was done by individual mines. This move has been made to improve
transparency.
 The department of mining will launch an online Punjab Sand portal for sale of sand to
consumers.
 The mining rights of concession quantity of sand and gravel in mining blocks would be put to
bidding through transparent e-auction process.
Appointment of Adjudicating Authority and establishment of Appellate Tribunal under Prohibition

of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988
 Narendra Modi approved the appointment of Adjudicating Authority and establishment of

Appellate Tribunal under Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPT), 1988.
 It will be along with the three additional Benches and to establish the Appellate Tribunal
under the PBPT Act;
 Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal shall sit in the National Capital Territory of
Delhi (NCTD)
 Benches of Adjudicating Authority may sit in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
 They will have the same level/rank from the Income Tax Deptt./Central Board of Direct
Taxes (CBDT).

National Monitoring Framework on Sustainable Development Goals
 Narendra Modi approved the constitution of a High Level Steering Committee on

Sustainable Development Goals.
 The committee will periodically review and refine the National Indicator Framework (NIF)
for monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with associated targets.
 The High Level Steering Committee will be chaired by Chief Statistician of India and
Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
 Other members of the committee will be Secretaries of data source Ministries and NITI
Aayog and Secretaries of other related Ministries as special invitees.
 Measurement of SDGs into on-going national policies, programmes through Statistical
indicators of NIF will be done to form framework for achieving the targets under different
SDGs
 It will review the National Indicator Framework on regular basis for its improvement.
Background:
 SDGs have 17 Goals and 169 Targets.

 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integrate economic, social and environmental
dimensions of development. It intends eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in
a changing world with basic motto of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash'.
 NIF will help in outcome-based monitoring & reporting on progress on SDGs at National
level.
 Chief Statistician of India: Pravin Srivastava


Creation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)
 Narendra Modi approved creation of special Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure

Development Fund (FIDF).
 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Cooperatives
Development Corporation (NCDC) and all scheduled Banks (hereinafter referred as Banks)
shall be the nodal Loaning Entities.
 It would help augment fish production to achieve its target of 15 million tonne by 2020 set
under the Blue Revolution.
 FIDF would provide concessional finance to State Governments / UTs and State entities,
cooperatives, individuals and entrepreneurs etc., for activities of fisheries development.
 Under FIDF, loan lending will be over a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23 and
maximum repayment will be over a period of 12 years inclusive of moratorium of two years
on repayment of principal.
Signing and ratification of Extradition Treaty between India and Malawi
 Narendra Modi approved the signing and ratification of the Extradition Treaty between
India and Malawi.
 It would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic
offenders and other criminals from and to Malawi.
MoU amongst BRICS nations regarding cooperation in the social and labour sphere
Narendra Modi approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among Brazil, Russian
Federation, India, China, South Africa, regarding Cooperation in the Social and Labour Sphere.
 The MoU was signed on 3rd August, 2018 during BRICS Labour and Employment
Ministers (LEM) Meeting.
 It enables India to cooperate and hold mutual events in the prominent areas viz. labour
legislation and enforcement, protection of workers’ rights.
 Special focus will be given to vulnerable groups, Employment and labour market policies,
Professional education, skills and training and Social protection.
 The member countries may utilize the BRICS Network of Labour Research Institutes and
BRICS Social Security Cooperation Framework for cooperation on Social Security and
other labour issues.
MoU between India and Singapore on setting up of a joint working group on FinTech
Narendra Modi approved the constitution of a Joint Working Group (JWG) on FinTech.
 The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Singapore in
June, 2018.
 It has been constituted for cooperation in the area of FinTech between the two countries.
 The joint working group will focus on:
o Exchange of best practices,
o Promote co-operation: Promote development of FinTech solutions for
business/financial sectors,

o Develop international standards: creation of an international version of Application

Programming Interfaces (APIs), Enable cross-border authentication and e-KYC,
cooperation between Unified Payment Interface (DPI) and Fast And Secure Transfer
(FAST) etc.
 These would help in the fields of:
o Development of Application Programming Interfaces (APls),
o Regulatory Sandbox,
o Security in payment and digital cash flow,
o integration of RuPay-Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS),
o UPI-FAST payment link,
o AADHAR Stack and
o e-KYC in ASEAN region and cooperation on regulations, solutions for financial
markets and insurance sector and sand box models.
MoU among BRICS Nations on Environmental Cooperation
Narendra Modi approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed among the BRICS Nations
on Environmental Cooperation.
 The MoU was signed during the 10th BRICS Summit in July, 2018 in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
 The MoU identifies the following stress of cooperation:
o Air quality;
o Water;
o Biodiversity;
o Climate Change;
o Waste Management;
o Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable
Development Goals; and
o Other areas of cooperation as mutually agreed upon by the Participants
Bilateral Investment Agreement between India Taipei Association in Taipei and the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Center in India
Narendra Modi approved the signing of Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) between India Taipei
Association (ITA) in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India.
 It will provide appropriate protection to investments on a reciprocal basis between ITA

and TECC.
 It will also help project India as a preferred foreign direct investment (FDI) destination.
Wage Compensation scheme for Pregnant Women in tea gardens of state of Assam
 October 1, 2018
 Launched by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal @ Guwahati
 Scheme  Wage Compensation for Pregnant Women in tea gardens of the state
 Objective  To reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in the tea growing areas

 For the implementation of this scheme, an amount of over Rs 55 crore has been allotted
in the state’s 2018-19 health Budget.
 According to the scheme, the pregnant woman would receive an amount of Rs. 12,000
given in 4 installments.
 The disbursement will be in the following manner:
o The first installment of Rs 2,000 will be provided during the Ante-Natal Check-up
(ANC) registration within the first trimester,
o Second installment of Rs 4000 during the sixth month of the pregnancy,
o The third installment of Rs 3000 during delivery at a government-approved health
institution and
o The fourth installment of Rs 3,000 during the sixth week post-delivery.
 Over 60,000 women are likely to be benefited with 48,000 pregnant women every year.
 Additionally, at least 500 girls from the tea community will be given free training on nursing
in the coming year.
Odisha launched its State Food Security Scheme:
 On October 2, 2018, the Odisha government launched its own State Food Security Scheme
(SFSS).
 Under this scheme, 18.32 lakh poor and eligible people will receive 5 kg of rice at the rate
of Rupee 1 per kg.
 These people were not covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).
 Additionally, 6.68 lakh people will be added in the list by October 10, 2018.
 This is in response to the failure of the central government’s approval against the state’s
request to include 25 lakh people under the NFSA.
Background:
 A total of 3,26,41,800 beneficiaries were included in the NFSA as per the 2011 census. The
government also claimed that the state’s population has been increased over eight years.
IIT-Kharagpur named national coordinator for research scheme- 'SPARC' of HRD ministry
 On October 3, 2018, IIT-Kharagpur was named the national coordinating institute of the
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) under the Ministry
of Human Resource Development.
 As a national coordinating institute, it would do the following:
o Routing SPARC funds,
o Managing the online portal,
o Coordinating with the other nodal institutes of India,
o Organising two annual SPARC conferences and
o Managing the intellectual output of SPARC.
 The Ministry also launched a dedicated web portal for SPARC- www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in, which
will be active from October 4 to November 15.

About Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC):
 This scheme aims to improve the research ecosystem of India’s higher educational
institutions by:
 Promoting academic and research collaboration between Indian institutions and best-in-
class faculty and renowned research groups in foreign institutions.
 28 foreign countries have been targeted in the first phase of the scheme.
 It includes those belonging to top QS World University Rankings.
 Launched in 2018
 Budget : Rs. 418 crore for 2018-20
Yuva Nestam launched in Andhra capital of Amaravati on Gandhi Jayanti
 On October 2, 2018, on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu launched the 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestham’ scheme in Amaravati.
 According to the scheme, an amount of Rs. 1000 will be given as monthly unemployment
allowance to eligible jobless youth of the state.
 It would also provide skill training to 10 lakh youth and 260 training partners have been
appointed for this purpose.
 The training partners are from the countries of: Singapore, UK and Germany.
'Nirman Kusuma' programme
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched 'Nirman Kusuma' programme in the state.
 Objective  To provide financial assistance for technical education to children of
construction workers.
 According to the scheme, the children of the construction workers would get their technical
education from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics.
 Students from the ITI will get Rs. 23,600 per annum and diploma students would get Rs.
26,300 per annum.
 Additionally, the scheme covers death benefits for the construction workers. The
construction workers’ family now would get Rs. 2 lakh as compensation as opposed to Rs. 1
lakh.
 Similarly, the accidental benefit has been doubled from Rs. two lakh to Rs. four lakh.
Free Electricity To Farmers To Increase Their Income
 Rajasthan government launched a scheme aimed to provide free electricity to farmers of the
state having electric connections in general category for specific limit.
 Objective  To increase farmer’s income.
 According to the scheme, more than 12 lakh farmers of the state will receive free electricity
up to Rs 10,000 for a year on their agricultural electricity connection.
 As per the scheme, upon successful payment of the bill by farmers, a Direct Benefit transfer
(DBT) with maximum of Rs. 833 per month would be deposited to the accounts of the
farmers.

'Unnati' scheme
 Karnataka state government, unveils the Unnati scheme,which will invest up to Rs 20 crore
to create end-to-end support infrastructure for startups and entrepreneurs from a
marginalised background.
 Objective: To deliver sustainable development and social welfare which will identify,
mentor, and promote young entrepreneurs from the SC/ST communities.
 The government, under the scheme, will identify the problems dogging society and solve
them by identifying companies, working on products and solutions for related problems.
Sashakt Kisan Yojana and Krishi Samuh Yojana
 Arunachal Pradesh Government launched 2 schemes called- the Chief Minister’s Sashakt
Kisan Yojana and Chief Minister’s Krishi Samuh Yojana in Itanagar.
 Objective: To double the income of the farmers in the country by 2022
 The Chief Minister’s Sashakt Kisan Yojana will subsume three state flagship programmes,
namely:
o CM’s Employment Generation Scheme,
o CM’s Agri-Mechanization Programme and
o CM’s Flagship Programme on T ea and Rubber.
The Chief Minister’s Krishi Samuh Yojana aims at:
 Providing timely supports and marketing interventions of the government for better price
realization and doubling farmers’ income.
Khadya Sathi:
 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on the occasion of World Food Day,
launched ‘Khadya Sathi’ scheme.
 This would ensure food security to more than 8.5 crore people of the state.
 Special assistance will be given to the people of Jangalmahal and Hill areas besides Aila-
affected areas and farmers of Singur, tea garden workers as well as the Toto tribe.
‘Pashu Sanjeevni Sewa’:
 Haryana Government introduced the ‘Pashu Sanjeevni Sewa’ scheme to provide free of
cost health care services to livestock in the state through mobile veterinary clinics.
 The service will be first started in all the blocks of Jind, Yamunanagar and Nuh districts for
pilot run.
 Livestock farmers would be able to avail the service of Mobile Veterinary Clinics 24×7 after
giving a call on toll free No.1962

SATAT initiative to promote Compressed Bio-Gas
 Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable
Transportation (SATAT) initiative.
Objective:
To boost availability of more affordable transport fuels with better usage of agricultural residue,
cattle dung and municipal solid waste.
Key Points:
 It was launched as a part of Swachhta Hi Seva movement.

 During this launch, the PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs ,i.e. IOC, BPCL and HPCL)
invited expression of Interest (EoI) from potential entrepreneurs to set up Compressed Bio-
Gas (CBG) production plant.
 These plants would provide available CBG for use in automotive fuels.
 This practice of using bio gas as a fuel would help provide an additional revenue source to
farmers and vehicle-users.
 It would also help reduce polluted urban air due to farm stubble-burning and carbon
emissions.
According to National Policy on Biofuels 2018, 5,000 Compressed Bio-Gas plants across
India will be rolled out in a phased manner:
o 250 plants by the year 2020,
o 1,000 plants by 2022 and
o 5,000 plants by 2025.
These project will have an investment of around one lakh 75 thousand crore rupees.
The 1,500-strong CNG stations network in the country currently serves about 32 lakh gas-
based vehicles. The Working Group on Biofuels, set up under the National Policy on Biofuels
2018, is in the process of finalising a pan-India pricing model for Compressed Bio-Gas.
Project Utkrisht:
 Indian Railways launched its Project ‘Utkrisht’.

 Railways has plans to develop 640 Utkrisht rakes as part of upgradation of its mail/express
trains in the next two years at a cost of Rs 4 billion.
 In the first phase 140 rakes is to be developed by March 2019.

 The Facilities offered by the Project Utkrisht are:
o Installing ‘Swachh Rail Toilet’,
o Fitting of energy-efficient LED lights – in the main interior, doorway, gangway and
inside toilets,
o Provision of dustbins in the toilets,
o Stickers with ‘Go Green‘ messages,
o Provision of integrated basin-cum-dustbins in AC coaches.

o Braille signage & night glow stickers,

o LED panel photo frame in first AC coaches, new types of bottle holders, big size
mirrors,
o Anti-graffiti vinyl wrapping in the gangway area,
o New types of fire extinguishers,
o Health faucets, auto janitors, odonil containers, big size mirror etc.
 The first train to have been revamped is: 12311/12312 Howrah-Kalka Mail of Eastern
Railway which was coloured beige and maroon.
 It is developed as ‘green rakes‘ (consisting of 20 or 22 coaches) at Eastern Railways’ Liluah
workshop,which cost Rs 600,000 each. Future Enhancement: Indian Railways is planning to
roll out 500 more by March 2020.
NASSCOM unveils Centre of Excellence for IoT in Haryana
 National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in collaboration with

Haryana government launched its Centre of Excellence for Internet of Things (CoE – IoT) at
Gurugram, Haryana.
 The centre was inaugurated by Haryana commerce and industries minister Vipul Goyal.
 It is a part of a nationwide collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) and state governments.
India is the world’s largest BPM base : NASSCOM
 BPM(Business Process Management) Strategy Summit 2018 @ Bengaluru

 National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) published its study
and stated that Indian BPM industry continues to be the largest in the world.
 The BPM industry has generated revenue close to $32.5 billion and an employee strength of
1.2 million.
Task Force launched to address skill gaps in India
A task force was constituted by the Union ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship in
collaboration with World Economic Forum for addressing the skill gap in the country.
 This task force is called: Closing the Skills Gap Task Force in India and will be co-chaired
by the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along
with Infosys MD and CEO Salil Parekh.
 This is the second country-led public-private collaboration of the World Economic
Forum’s Closing the Skills Gap Project after South Africa.
 The functions of the task force would be to:
1. Bring together various leaders from different sectors like business,
government, education and
2. Working on promoting education and training systems in the
country.

‘India for Humanity’ initiative
 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched ‘India for Humanity’ initiative in New
Delhi.
 It is a part of 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi being held over the
next one year.
 For this, MEA had collaborated with charitable organization Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang
Sahayata Samiti,BMVSS.
 This initiative comprises of a year-long series of artificial limb fitment camps in a number of
countries spanning the globe fully sponsored by Ministry.
 Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti,BMVSS  DR Mehta
Haryana govt to set up anti-terrorist force 'kavach'
 Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar announced the launch of an anti-terrorist
force (ATF) called ‘Kavach’.
 The force will comprise of specially trained recruits from the state police, to deal with
security challenges.
First India-Israel Innovation Centre opens in Bengaluru
 India’s first India-Israel Innovation Centre (IIIC), an entrepreneurial technology hub, was
launched in Bengaluru.
 IIIC will help Israeli companies enter India. It will enable local partnerships and joint
ventures between companies from India and Israel.
13th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission inaugurated by President
 Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 13th Annual Convention of the Central Information
Commission (CIC) in New Delhi.Measures to improve the transparency and accountability of
information for better governance.
 It consisted of the Annual Convention on the topic “Data privacy and Right to information,
Amendment in the RTI Act and Implementation of the RTI Act”
 The Convention will have three specific subjects:
o “Data privacy and Right to Information”,
o “Amendment in the RTI Act” and
o “Implementation of the RTI Act.”
 Current CIC: Shri RK Mathur.
IWAI launches Ro-Ro service from Neamati to Manjuli Island in Assam
 Inland Water Authority of India (IWAI) launched a Roll-on-Roll-off (RO-RO) service from
Neamati to Manjuli island in Assam.
 It will reduce the road route distance of 423 km to 12.7 km via river route.
 For the commenment of the service a new vessel MV Bhupen Hazarika has been procured
at a cost of Rs. 9.46 crore.

 Earlier, IWAI had started a similar Ro-Ro service between Dhubri and Hatsingimari with 190
km of reduced distance.
 Further, Floating terminals have also been constructed at 11 locations along the length of
the Brahmaputra waterway. These are: Hatsingimari, Dhubri, Jogighopa, Tezpur, Silghat,
Biswanathghat, Neamati, Sengajan, Bogibeel, Dibugarh/ Oakland and Oriumghat. vii. This
will enable connectivity not only to Assam but also to many parts of North-east.
Vijay Goel inaugurated the Online Assurances Monitoring System
 Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme
Implementation, Shri Vijay Goel, inaugurated the Online Assurances Monitoring System
(OAMS) with an Objective to create transparency in assurance process in Parliamentary
affairs
 This was developed by Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
Haryana’s first autism research centre opens in Gurugram
 Haryana launched first-of-its-kind National Autism Intervention Research Centre at Fortis

Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram.
 This has been started in association with Behaviour Momentum India.
About The Behavior Momentum India:
 It is the brainchild of Dr Smita Awasthi.

 It is one of the leading providers of educational interventions, based on the science of
Applied Behaviour Analysis, for children and adults affected by autism.
46th edition of IHGF-Delhi Fair Autumn-2018 inaugurated by MoS for Textile Ajay Tamta
 Ajay Tamta inaugurated the 46th edition of world’s largest IHGF-Delhi Fair at India Expo
Centre & Mart at Greater Noida.
 He urged the exporters to participate and prepare for the Ambiente 2019 to be held in
Frankfurt, Germany, where India will be the partner-country.
New Delhi to host 6th India International Silk Fair
 Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the 6th edition of India
International Silk Fair (IISF) in New Delhi on October 16, 2018.
 The International Silk fair will be organised by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council
(ISEPC) at Pragati Maidan.
 The IISF-2018 is expected to generate business of over USD 20 million for the small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in producing silk and blended silk products.
 India is the 2nd largest producer of silk in the world.
 The silk industry is agriculture based and labour intensive and provides gainful employment
to around 8 million artisans and weavers in rural areas.

Chief Minister's Urban Leaders Fellowship Programme launched by Delhi government
 Delhi government announced Chief Minister’s Urban Leaders Fellowship Programme with
an objective to attract young leaders to address serious urban challenges.
 Under this, a total of 30 young professionals, under 35 years age, have been invited with
#DelhiGovernanceRevolution.
 Accoding to the scheme, the selected candidates will work with Ministers or Senior Officials
of Education, Health, Water, Environment, Transport, etc.
The Remuneration for:
 Fellows - will be Rs. 1,25,000 per month

 Associate Fellows - will be Rs. 75,000 p.m.
Agri-startup and Entrepreneurship event in New Delhi
 Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated a two-day Agri-
startup and Entrepreneurship event, in New Delhi.
 Theme of the event  Unleashing potentials in agriculture for young agri-preneurs. More
than 100 agri- preneurs participated in the event.
 Radha Mohan Singh announced that 45 models on integrated farming for 15 different
climate zone in India have been developed.
 These models would help in increasing agricultural production and farmer’s income in spite
of adversity of climate change.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched Air Quality early warning system for Delhi to combat worsening air
pollution
 Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched
the air quality early warning system for Delhi.
 It has been designed with the help of American and Finnish models to predict extreme air
pollution levels.
 A 41 member-team constituted by the Central Pollution Control Board has been deployed in
Delhi and NCR cities of Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Gurugram and Faridabad to monitor and
supervise dust mitigation and other air pollution.
 It is a part of the new Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 1151.80 crore.
 Additionally, for the promotion of agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop
residue, the Centre has already released Rs. 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
and NCT of Delhi.
Goa Maritime Symposium - 2018 inaugurated by Chief of Naval Staff
 Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated Goa Maritime Symposium - 2018, the
second edition of the Goa Maritime Symposium (GSM) at INS Mandovi at Goa.
 Objective : To promote maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
 Theme  “Building Stronger Maritime Partnerships in IOR”

Bharosa: Women's centre for victims of violence inaugurated in Hyderabad
 ‘Bharosa’, a 24 hour state-of-the-art centre to support women and children afflicted by

violence was inaugurated by Hyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar.
 The centre would help these women along with dealing in POCSO cases.
NITI Aayog launches guidelines for public-private partnership in treatment of NCDs
NITI Aayog released model guidelines for Public - Private partnership (PPP) in Non-Communicable
Diseases (NCDs).
 According to the guidelines, the private partner will invest in upgrading, building and
deploying human resources and hold the responsibility for operational management and
service delivery.
 State governments will offer necessary physical space. Tariff structure for services offered
under NCD care facility could be linked to the existing state and Central Government Health
Insurance scheme.
 If a government health insurance scheme is introduced in a state after adoption of CGHS
(Central Government Health Scheme) tariff, tariff rates should be revised to the newly
introduced scheme.
 All service under NCD care facility will be offered by a single entity: a trust, company or
consortium under the PPP arrangement.
RK Singh launches award scheme under 'Saubhagya' for achieving 100 % household electrification
 RK Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy announced an
award scheme under Saubhagya to felicitate the DISCOMs (Distribution Companies) / Power
Department of States and their employees for achieving 100 % household electrification.
 8 states (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab and
Tamil Nadu) which had already achieved more than 99 % household electrification before
the launch of Saubhagya are not eligible for the awards.
 Awards will be given in 3 categories for DISCOMs / Power Departments of:
o Special Category States (which includes 7 North Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K and
Uttarakhand)
o Other than Special Category States (which includes Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telengana, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal) having more than 5 Lakh un-electrified households
o Other than Special Category States having less than 5 Lakh un-electrified households
 Two quantum of award will be granted in each of the 3 categories. The 1st DISCOM / Power
Department of States to achieve 100 % household electrification by 30th November 2018
will be awarded Rs. 50 Lakh under 1st quantum and Rs. 100 Crore under 2nd quantum.
 Other DISCOM/Power Department of States to achieve 100% household electrification by
31st December 2018 will be awarded certificate of appreciation for five officials.

Government launches 'Swastha Bharat Yatra' campaign to create awareness about Food Safety
On the Occasion of the World Food Day, Government of India Launched a Campaign named
“Swastha Bharat Yatra” to create awareness about Safe Food.
Initiative by Government:
The Government gives an annual subsidy of about Rs.2 Lakh crore with Public Distribution System
and through other welfare Schemes in order to make available of foods to all the people.
 The Campaign is Launched by Central Governmnet association with the State Government
and it is led by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
 The 'Swasth Bharat Yatra' is launched simultaneously at Leh(in Jammu &
Kashmir),Panaji(Goa),Thiruvananthapuram(Kerala),Puducherry,Ranji(Jharkhand) and
Agartala(Tripura).
 Around 7500 Cyclists are to be participated in over 18000 Km relay cycle across the states
and UT for 100 days from October 16 to January 27.
 This Campaign will spread message’s like 'Eat Right India’,’Eat Right Mobile Unit' and
'Mobile Food Testing Unit'.
Angriya: First cruise service launched between Mumbai and Goa
 India’s first ever passenger cruise ship was launched between Mumbai and Goa.
 It was launched by Union Shipping, Ports and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in
Mumbai.
 It is a joint venture between Mumbai Port Trust and Angriya Sea Eagle Pvt Ltd.
 The cruise ship Angriya has been named after first Maratha Navy Admiral Kanhoji Angre
and the great Angria bank coral reef near Vijaydurg, Maharashtra.
Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 'Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan' in Maharashtra
 President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the three-day “Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan”
(world peace and non-violence conference) at Mangi Tungi in Satana taluka, of Nashik
district, Maharashtra.
 The conference was organised by the Bhagwan Rishabhdev Murti Nirmaan Samiti.
Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
participated in the event.
 The President presented the 1st international “Bhagwan Rishabhdev Award” to
Teerthanker Mahaveer University of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.
 The President released a book titled 'Sarvoccha Digambar Jain Pratima’.

PM Modi inaugurated the 36th Indian Carpets Expo in Varanasi
 Narendra Modi inaugurated the 36th Indian Carpets Expo at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
 Since Varanasi, Bhadohi and Mirzapur-cities in Uttar Pradesh- were important centres of
the carpet industry, it would augment the efforts of the handicrafts and small and medium
industries.
 India is today the biggest producer of carpets, and has about 35 per cent of the global
market share.
"Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali” campaign launched by Ministry of Environment
 Environment Ministry launched the 2nd edition of Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign.
 It was initiated in 2017-18 and is aimed at pledging to minimize bursting of crackers.
 This edition has been merged with “Green Good Deed” movement for conservation and
protection of environment.
 Earlier in this campaign, children were advised to celebrate Diwali in an environment-
friendly manner:
o By gifting plant sapling to their relatives and friends along with sweets,
o Undertake cleaning of houses, neighbourhoods, schools,
o Collect old books and unused notebooks gift to needy children,
o Donate old warm clothing, blankets to night-shelters and other homeless people.
o The children were encouraged to light up their houses and their schools with
candles and diyas.
3-day SAGAR Discourse 2.0 inaugurated by Vice President in Goa
 Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 3-day Sagar Discourse 2 conference in

Panaji, Goa
 The Maritime Conference SAGAR Discourse 2.0, was organized by Forum for Integrated
National Security.
Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates 10th Nuclear Energy Conclave in New Delhi
 10th Nuclear Energy Conclave was inaugurated by Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, in New Delhi.
 Theme : “Nuclear Power: Towards A Clean And Base Load Energy”
 It was organized by Indian Energy Forum (IEF).
 Dr Jitendra Singh announced that, “Hall of Nuclear Power”, India’s first permanent
exhibition on nuclear power, has been built in New Delhi.
 Chairman, AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy
(DAE) Dr K N Vyas, announced that, Kaiga Atomic Power Station has set a new world record
among Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) with one of its units operating
uninterrupted for 895 days.

PM Modi inaugurated Krishi Kumbha 2018 in Lucknow
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three-day long Krishi Kumbh 2018 in Lucknow
through video conferencing.
 Objective - To enable technology driven solution to farmers and double their income.
 Krishi Kumbh is having:
o Haryana and Jharkhand as partner states and
o Japan and Israel as partner countries.
 Under this, the Government is providing 50 to 80 per cent discount on machineries to stop
farmers from stubble burning.
 In addition to setting up of solar pumps in farms sectors across the country, Rice Research
Centre will be set up in Varanasi.
10th Edition of BIOFACH INDIA inaugurated by Union Minister Suresh Prabhu
 Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 10th Edition of BIOFACH INDIA, the largest show on the
“Organic Sector” in India, at Pragati Maidan.
 It was organized by Nuernberg Messe India and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and supported
by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce.
 Theme of the BIOFACH INDIA conference  “Enhancing export of organic products trade
from India - strategies and synergies”.
Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries launched by Meghalaya
 Meghalaya launched the flagship scheme “Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and
Management of Fisheries”
 For this, the Central Government has sanctioned 51 crore rupees.
 This would enable self-sufficiency in fish production.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Gujarat's first Mega Food Park in Surat
 Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the
first Mega Food Park- The Gujarat Agro Mega Food Park, in Surat, Gujarat.
 It is promoted by M/s Gujarat Agro Infrastructure Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd and is located at
Village Shah and Vasravi, Taluka Mangrol, District Surat.
Gujarat CM Rupani launched Ghogha-Dahej Ro-Pax service
 Vijay Rupani launched the “Ro-Pax” (roll on/off-passenger) ferry service connecting
Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in South Gujarat.
 The inaugural vessel- Voyage Symphony was flagged off from the RORO terminal at
Ghogha, Bhavnagar and will pass through the Gulf of Cambay.

India's First Robotic Dinosaurs Gallery inaugurated in Kapurthala, Punjab
On 27th October 2018, India’s first gallery on robotic dinosaurs was opened to the public at the
Pushpa Gujral Science City, in Kapurthala, Punjab.
 This gallery is a joint initiative of the Union and state governments. The Pushpa Gujral
science city is the biggest project of its kind in northern India.
 A total of 7 moving dinosaurs, made of steel and silica gel with motors, have been added
to the existing 46 exhibits of dinosaurs.
 The new gallery will display the story of birth and evolution of dinosaurs in a unique
way. It has both robotic dinosaurs and manually operated ones. It has been built at a
cost of Rs. 1.50 crore.
National Khadi Festival 2018 inaugurated by Union MSME Minister
On October 2, 2018, Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Giriraj Singh
inaugurated a month long- National Khadi Festival 2018 in Mumbai.With an Objective to promote
Khadi products
 This event was organized by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
 Loan disbursal to successful MSMEs was enhanced to over Rs. 1 crore by the ministry
from the earlier range of Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 1 crore.
 The Minister also launched the PMEGP Portal - a tool for increasing employment in
micro enterprises.
4-day 4th India International Science Festival inaugurated by President Kovind in Lucknow, UP
On October 5, 2018, President Ramnath Kovind formally inaugurated the 4-day 4th India
International Science Festival (IISF) 2018 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh for the first time.
 Theme  “ Science for Transformation “

 This Festival aims to apply science and technology for transformation of the country and
enable positive change for social and economic progress.
 A “science village” was set up at National Botanical Garden in Lucknow for interaction
of science with common people.
Other News:
 Apart from this, Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated Young
Scientists Conference, Mega Science, Technology & Industry Expo and Global Indian
Science & Technology Stakeholders’ Meet (GIST).
 It would provide a platform to young scientists, entrepreneurs and researchers to
present their innovative ideas.
 Some of them were:
o Work on biosensors for detection of lung cancerby esearcher Ruchika Shandilya
from National Institute for Research,
o Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes,
o Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using leaf extracts, etc.

Jharkhand, the partner state at Goa International Film Festival 2018
On October 9, 2018, Jharkhand has announced to be the partner state in Goa International Film
Festival 2018 which will be held on 20th to 28th of November, 2018.
 This will help Jharkhand to showcase its culture.

 Furthermore, it was also decided to organize Jharkhand Film Festival, under Indian
Panorama, in two towns of Jharkhand in January 2019.
9-day 17th edition of Old World Theatre festival will commence from October 20, 2018
On October 9, 2018, the 9-day 17th edition of Old World Theatre festival was announced to
commence from October 20, 2018.
 It will be organized by India Habitat Centre.

 It will showcase 15 plays on a pan-Indian constellation of original scripts from Chennai,
Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, and Kerala.
 It will open with “Kutiyattam”, one of the most stylised and earliest forms of Sanskrit
theatre.
 It has been recognised by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity”.
 Also for the first time, a National Theatre Live Broadcast of “Julie” by British theatre
director Carrie Cracknell will be seen.
4th International Film Festival of Shimla 2018
On October 14, 2018, the 4-day 4th International Film Festival of Shimla “IFFS 2018” concluded in
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
 It was organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with

Himalayan velocity, Department of Language & Culture (LAC) & Department of Tourism
& Civil Aviation, Government of Himachal Pradesh.
 A total of 80 international and national films were screened at the festival.
 The chief guest of the closing ceremony was famous writer and member of Sahitya
Academy, S N Joshi.
 For the first time in the history of Indian film festivals, a special screening of the film
festival was done at the Central Jail, Kanda.
Some of the Winners of the 4th IFFS are:
o Best Short Film(International Category) -“The Fog” by Ali Shoorvarzi, Hoseyn

Mahroughi
o Special Jury Short Film -“Its Also Love” by Masao Konno/ Japan and “Opaque” by
Anish Kunnath/ Singapore
o Best Documentary award -“BURKINABE RISING -The art of resistance in Burkina
Faso” by Lara Lee from Burkina Faso

o Best short film(National) -“Anahut” (Marathi) by Umesh Bagade

o Special Jury Short Fiction award -“Plucked” (Kannad) by T ejus Yakhob
o Best Feature Film -“Sinjar” by Sandeep Pampally.
Fulpati, the seventh day of 10-day long Dashain festival celebrated in Nepal
On October 16, 2018, Nepal celebrated the festival of Fulpati.
 In Nepalese, “Phool” means flower and “Pati” means leaves and plants.
 It is observed on the seventh day of Dashain festival.
 The tradition in Nepal is to bring nine types of Fulpati into the home on the seventh
day of Navaratri.
 The main function was held at Basantpur Durbar Square in Kathmandu, where Fulpati
was brought to Dashainghar from Jamal in a traditional procession with Vedic rituals.
 President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister K.P.
Sharma Oli, Heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, senior army and
government officers attended the programme.
 Dashain is the biggest festival of Nepal.
Kati Bihu festival celebrated across Assam
On October 18, 2018, Assam celebrated its 3rd Bihu festival known as the 'Kati Bihu’ festival across
the state.
 Name of the other 2 Bihu festivals are: Rongali and Bohagi Bihu.
 The festival derives its name from the Assamese month of Kati.
 The festival is held at this time of the year since the granaries of the farmers usually
remain empty and therefore it is known as Kongali (poor) Bihu.
 On the occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in urban and rural areas, try to ward off evil
and pray for a rich harvest by lighting earthen lamps.
 As a part of the festival, farmers also tie a special kind of lamp, known as Akash Bati, to
poles and the poles are placed in the paddy fields.
Gwalior host 4-day international dance festival “Udbhav Utsav”
On 21st October 2018, Uzbekistan Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev inaugurated a 4-day
international dance festival titled“Udbhav Utsav” in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
2nd edition of Guwahati International Film Festival 2018 begins with focus on ASEAN
On 25th October 2018, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal inaugurated the 2nd edition of
International Film Festival2018 (GIFF 2018) in Guwahati, Assam.
 The festival will conclude on October 31, 2018. 108 films from more than 50 countries
will be screened.

 Theme of GIFF 2018 is: 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

 The focus region of GIFF 2018 is the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
region. 14 films from 10 countries of ASEAN region will be screened.
 The opening film of GIFF 2018, was 'Bhoga Khiriki’ (Broken Window) by filmmaker
Jahnu Barua.
 GIFF 2018 is organized by Assam Government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio)
Society in association with Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television
Institute.
The 5-days extravaganza 'Experiencing North East' festival began in New Delhi
On October 27, 2018, the 5-day 'Experiencing North East’ festival was launched at India
International Centre (IIC), New Delhi which will continue from 27th-31st October, 2018.
 It was inaugurated by Shri N.N. Vohra, Former Governor and President, IIC.
 It was organized by North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER) in collaboration with India International Centre.
 It is a part of Destination North East series.
President gives assent to Karnataka's 2016 Good Samaritan Bill
On October 1, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to Karnataka Good Samaritan and
Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016.
 This bill aims to provide legal protection to the good samaritans in the state, who help
accident victims with emergency medical care in the golden hour.
 In medical term the 'golden hour’ is the first hour after a traumatic injury when
emergency treatment is very crucial.
 Also, a proposed 'Good Samaritan Fund’ has been set up for the help of the Samaritans
with the expenses for attendance in courts and police stations by them.
 Karnataka has become the first state in the country to give legal protection to good
samaritans
Govt permitted import of pet coke by the graphite electrode industry
On October 1, 2018, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) anounced that the government
allowed imports of pet coke, used for fuel purpose, by graphite electrode industry.
 The imports were allowed only four industries so far- cement, lime klin, calcium
carbide, and gasification industries.
 The graphite electrode industry has been added in to the list as the 5th industry.
Niwari inducted as the 52nd district of Madhya Pradesh
On September 30, 2018, the state Cabinet of Madhya Pradesh approved the proposal of induction
of Niwari district in the state.
 It became the 52nd district of the state.

 IAS officer Akshay Kumar Singh has been appointed as the first interim District Collector
of the district.
10th edition of Agriculture Census data for 2015-16 released by Agriculture Ministry
 On October 1, 2018, 10th Agriculture Census 2015-16 was released by the Agriculture
Ministry.
 The percentage of female operational land holders increased from 12.79% in 2010-11
to 13.87% in 2015-16.
 It also showed a decline of 1.53% of total operated area to 157.14 million hectare as
compared to 159.59 million ha in 2010-11 data.
 And in terms of operated area women participation increased from previous 10.36% to
11.57%
 By the number of people tilling the land, Uttar Pradesh topped the chart followed by
Bihar and Maharshtra.
 In terms of total operated area Rajasthan comes first followed by Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
Assam Assembly passes GST (Amendment) Bill
On October 4, 2018, the Assam state assembly passed an amendment in the Assam Goods and
Services Tax (Amendment) Act 2018.
 According to the amendments,

o GST registration for companies having up to 20 lakh rupees(earlier Rs. 10 lakh)
turnover per annum has been exempted,
o The limit of turnover from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore has been increased for
businesses to be eligible for filing one per cent composite tax.
 The trading community will have to pay a lumpsum of 1 percent for turnover of up to 1.5
crore rupees and manufacturers to pay lumpsum of 2 percent of normal GST.
Alphonso Mango from Konkan, Maharashtra got GI tagged
On October 5, 2018, Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of
Maharashtra, got registered as Geographical Indication (GI).
 The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra.

 It is one of the world’s most popular fruit and is exported to various countries including
Japan, Korea and Europe.
 Other similar GI tagged products include: Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue
Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus.

About GI :
 A Geographical Indication or a GI is an indication used on products that have a specific

geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
 The first GI tagged product of India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004.
 Presently, there are a total of 325 products from India that carry this indication.
Policy on Biometric based Digital processing of passengers at airport released by Civil aviation Ministry
On October 5, 2018, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh
Prabhu released “Digi Yatra”, a policy on biometric based digital processing of passengers at
airports.
 DigiYatra Central Platform will be operational by end of February, 2019.

 Bangalore & Hyderabad International Airports are the first 2 to implement it by the end of
February 2019.
 Airport Authority of India (AAI) will roll out the programme initially at Kolkata, Varanasi,
Pune & Vijayawada by April, 2019.
About Digi Yatra:
 DigiYatra will have a centralised registration system for passengers.

 Passengers will get an ID by sharing minimum details like Name, e-mail ID, Mobile number
and details of one approved Identity proof where Aadhar ID is not mandatory.
 Facial biometric will be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID profile of the passenger.
Development trials of Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVR-AAM) Completed
Flight trials of Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVR-AAM) were conducted successfully
by the Indian Air Force (IAF) between September 26 and October 3, 2018, at Integrated Test Range
(ITR), Balasore, Odisha.
 The trials included complex tests for engagement of pilotless target in various modes of
manoeuvring, off- boresight, medium and long ranges.
 Astra has been tested 6 times under various launch conditions and ranges as part of the final
development trial.
 It had active participation from IAF.
 Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed the missile and
integrated the weapon on Su-30 and other air platforms.
 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Nasik, played a major role in modifying Su-30
aircrafts for Astra weapon integration and support during trials.
 Over 50 private and public sector industries are involved in the development of sub-systems
of the missile. The missile would be inducted into IAF in 2019.

Country’s first methanol based cooking fuel rolled out by APL in Assam
On October 6, 2018, NITI Aayog member and former director general of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), Vijay Kumar Saraswat inaugurated the 'Green and Clean Fuel
Pilot Project on Methanol cooking Stove’.
 This launched the country’s first methanol based cooking oil by Namrup-based Assam
Petrochemicals Limited (APL).
 It is the first of its kind in realizing the concept of NITI Aayog’s programme of 'Methanol
Economy’
 Initially the product will be available only in the Northeastern Region.
 It is available in canisters of 1.2 kg capacity each,which will be priced at around Rs 32.And
18Canisters will be equal to 1 domestic LPG Cylinder.
About NITI Aayog's Methanol Economy':
 Through this programme, NITI Aayog aims to replace 20% of the crude imports with
methanol alone. It will mitigate rise of price of fuels and bring down pollution by 40%.
 This concept has also been adopted by various countries like: Japan, China, Italy, Sweden,
US, Israel, Australia etc.
India's first dolphin research centre to come up soon in Patna
National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC), India’s and Asia’s first such centre would be soon
opened on the banks of river Ganga river in the Patna University premises, Bihar.
 The NDRC has been set up to safeguard the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. They are
killed in huge numbers for their flesh, fat and oil.
 The State government of Bihar celebrates October 5 as the Dolphin day.
Southern Railway became an unmanned level crossing free zone
On October 6, 2018, the Southern Railway became Unmanned Level Crossing (UMLC) Free Zone,
eliminating over 1,000 such level crossings.
 This includes : Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai Divisions which became UMLC
free in the 1st quarter of the present financial year.
 This was done by the elimination of all 1054 UMLCs by providing alternate routes like
provision of subways, the road under bridges etc.
 In 2010, the Railway Board formulated policy to eliminate all such level crossings for road
and rail users.
Bill to tackle Cybercrime, Sexual Offences & unlawful acts in Telangana got assent from President
On October 7, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to a bill seeking punishment for
sexual offenders, cyber criminals and traditional unlawful acts like bootlegging and dacoity in
Telangana state.

 The name of the act is: the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers,
Dacoits, Drug- Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Land-Grabbers
(Amendment) Bill, 2017.
 This will replace the 1986 Act that had jurisdiction for the undivided Andhra Pradesh but
not for Telangana.
 The amended Act contains punishments for the following crimes:
Bootlegging, dacoity, drug trafficking, immoral trafficking, land-grabbing, sexual offenders,
explosive substances offenders, arms smugglers, cyber fraudsters and white-collar or
financial offenders.
Shri Nitin Gadkari laid the Foundation Stone for various developmental projects in Uttar Pradesh
On October 9, 2018, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources,
River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari laid foundation stone for various
development projects at Basti in Uttar Pradesh.
 This project undertakes development work of 354 km stretch of Ghagra river under the
Sagarmala Programme of Ministry of Shipping.
 In 2016, the waterway from Manjhighat at Ganga-Gaghra river confluence to
Faizabad/Ayodhya along Gaghra River was declared as NW-40.
 It will provide major transportation boost for cargo and passenger movement and envisages
terminal at 5 locations - Ayodhya, Mahirpur (Tanda/Kalwari), Dohrighat, Tortipar and
Manjhighat.
 Phase -I of the project with project cost of Rs. 11.6 Cr has been initiated by Inland
Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under Ministry of Shipping.
 It is scheduled to be completed by 2019-20.
Other News:
 He also laid the foundation stone for widening and improvement of Rs 1224 crore worth of
National Highways works in Uttar Pradesh.
 The projects includes:
o Widening and improvement of Ramjanaki Marg(NH-227A) from Ayodhya Cantt to
Rampur (55 km) at a cost of Rs 315 crore,
o 35 km from Rampur to Sikriganjat a cost of Rs 250 crore,
o 14km long Basti Ring Road Phase 1 which is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 450
crore and
o Widening and improvement of the 35 km long Badhni -Shoratganj sectionof NH-730
at Rs. 200 crore.
10-member government panel set to probe e-commerce firms big discounts
On October 8, 2018, the Corporate affairs ministry set up a 10-member panel to check on the
discounts offered by the online retailers.
 The panel will set probe to:

o Practices in the digital economy,

o Backlog of competition cases to be resolved and

o The fee structure followed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
 These came to the forefront as traditional retailers requested the commerce minister to
impose a ban on discounted sales by online sellers.
 This is possible due to access of e-retailers to foreign direct investment (FDI) which allows
them t offer discounts.
20-member Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority reconstituted by

government
On October 9, 2018, Centre reconstituted 20-member Environment Pollution (Prevention and

Control) Authority or the EPCA with an Objective to tackle air pollution in the National Capital
Region
 The authority is headed by Former secretary Bhure Lal.

 Other members include:
o Ajay Mathur, who is the Director General of The Energy Research Institute (TERI),
o Arunabha Ghosh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Energy Environment
and Water,
o Navroz K. Dubash, the Senior Fellow for the Centre for Policy Research
o Vishnu Mathur, Director General, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers;
o Arvind Kumar, former professor of surgery, AIIMS, in New Delhi and presently
Chairman Centre for Chest Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital;
o Krishna Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New
Delhi.
 The EPCA is mandated to enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city as per the
pollution levels.
 The tenure of the last EPCA expired on October 3.
 EPCA is Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air
pollution in the National Capital Region.
SPG: key panel under NSA to assist National Security Council set up by government
On October 9, 2018, Central government set up a Strategic Policy Group (SPG) headed by National
Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to assist the National Security Council with an Objective to advise
on matters of national security and strategic interests.
 The SPG will assist the National Security Council on undertaking national security measures
and strategic review of country’s security affairs.
 The NSA gives strategic advice to prime minister on the topics of national security and the
group’s decision will help it implement them the right way.
 The group will also be responsible for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of
relevant inputs.
 Other members of the group include:
o The NITI Aayog vice chairman,
o The cabinet secretary,
o The chiefs of the three defence services,

o The RBI governor,

o The foreign secretary, the home secretary, the finance secretary and the defence
secretary.
o Secretary of the Department of Defence Production and Supplies, the scientific
adviser to the defence minister and the secretary (R), Cabinet Secretariat.
 The decisions thus taken by the group will lead cabinet secretary to coordinate
implementation of the decisions.
Country's first 58-acre biofuel plant to be set up at Bargarh district of Odisha by BPCL
On October 9, 2018, Governor of Odisha Prof Ganeshi Lal laid the foundation stone on country’s
first 58-acre Second Generation (2G) Ethanol Bio-Refinery plant at Baulsingha village in Bargarh
district of Odisha.This was announced in the presence of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural
Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
About the Plant:
 This refinery will be set up by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) .

 The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 1000 crore.
 It will be producing 3 crore litre of fuel grade ethanol annually.
 Commercial production will start from 2020.
 It is one among 12 refineries planned in 11 States in the country.
 It will utilise about two lakh tonne of rice straw annually from locations like Bhatli,
Ambabhona, Attabira, Sohela, Burla and Lakhanpur.
 And it will be based on zero-liquid discharge plant technology where water will be recycled
back into the plant.
 India has surplus biomass availability of about 160 MMT annually which if converted has the
potential to yield 3000 crore litre of ethanol.
National Biofuel Policy 2018:
This policy aims 20 per cent ethanol blending to petrol by 2030 from the current 3% -4%.
Cyclonic storm TITLI moves towards Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast
On October 10, 2018, India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh as a cyclonic storm called ‘Titli’ is advancing in the eastern coasts of the these
states.
 The Cyclone has formed due to depression in the Bay of Bengal region which is intensifying
and may have strong winds reaching 100 kmph along the Odisha coast.
 It has an epicenter at about 530 km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 480 km east-
southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
 It is being monitored by the coastal Doppler Weather Radars at Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur,
and Paradip.

India's first ever National Environment Survey to commence in 24 states, 3 UTs in Jan, 2019
On October 11, 2018, it was announced that India’s first ever National Environment Survey (NES)
will commence from 55 districts across 24 states and 3 Union Territories in January 2019.
 This survey will be conducted by Environmental Information System (ENVIS)

 The skilled manpower required for the survey will be provided from persons skilled and
trained under MoEFCC’s Green Skill Development Programme.
 The result of the survey would be available in 2020.
 Thus, the first set of data will be compiled in one year to cover seasonal cycles in terms of air
pollution and flora & fauna.
 It is aimed to rank all the districts on their environmental performance and document their
best green practices.
 It will consist of using grids measuring 9x9 km, to collect comprehensive data on various
environmental parameters like: air, water, soil quality; emission inventory; solid, hazardous
and e-waste; forest & wildlife; flora & fauna; wetlands lakes, rivers and other water bodies.
 This green data will help in decision making at all levels - district, state and national level.
 All 716 districts in the country are expected to be surveyed in a period of three to four
years.
Wireless chargers, bluetooth, low range devices exempted from licensing norms: DOT
On October 10, 2018, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has exempted low frequency
range operating devices from licensing requirement.
 According to DoT, devices or equipments for inductive applications in the 302 to 435 KHz
(kilohertz), 855 to 1050 KHz and 1.89 to 2.31 MHz frequency bands are exempted.
 These include: bluetooth, wireless chargers, internet-of-things products, medical devices etc.
 This aims to promote ease of doing business for adoption of new technologies like internet
of things, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
Government cuts excise duty on jet fuel to 11 % from current 14 %
On 11th October 2018, the government reduced excise duty on jet fuel to 11 % from current 14 %
inorder to help the aviation industry that has been affected badly by high fuel prices.The Revenue
Department of the Finance Ministry has notified that the excise duty on aviation turbine fuel (ATF)
change will come to effect from 12th October 2018.
Indus Food-II to be held in January, 2019, in Greater Noida
Indus Food-II tradeshow, will be held in Greater Noida on January 14-15, 2019.
 Indusfood-II is an export focused annual F&B (Food and Beverage) trade fair. It will exhibit
India’s best food, beverages and agri products to global buyers.

 It is organized by Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) along with commerce and
industry ministry.
 Indusfood-I, the first edition of this trade show, was held in early 2018.
About Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI):
 President - Prashant Garg

 Location - New Delhi
Rs 50 lakh compensation given to former ISRO scientist by Kerala govt
On October 9, 2018, 76-year old, former ISRO scientist, Nambi Narayanan was given Rs 50 lakh by
the Kerala government in compliance with a September 14 Supreme Court order.
 The order required the awarding the compensation to him for being falsely implicated in
the 1994 espionage case.
 In the order, the Supreme Court directed the state government to pay the compensation
within eight weeks.
Overview of P.M Modi's Visit to Haryana
On October 9, 2018, PM Narendra Modi visited Haryana.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 64-feet-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu
Ram at his native village Sampla in Rohtak district of Haryana.
 The 64-feet-tall statue has been sculpted by renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan-
recipient Ram Vanji Sutar.
 For the construction of the statue, 5500 farmers donated iron metal from their behalf.
 He also inaugurated a rail coach factory worth Rs. 500 crore in Haryana’s Sonipat.
Background:
Sir Chhotu Ram is one of the most respected historical figures of the Jat community. He is
responsible for the construction of the Bhakra Dam.
NITI Aayog & ICC(ICA) held Workshop on Best Practices in International Arbitration
On October 10, 2018, the NITI Aayog and ICC International Court of Arbitration organized a
workshop on Best Practices in International Arbitration in New Delhi.
 It was inaugurated by the chief guest, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court.
 It was presided over by MoS for Law and Justice P P Chaudhary.
 It would help in institutionalising and streamlining dispute resolution to make India a hub for
doing business.
 Also, the key priority of this being moving towards a 'New India’ by 2022.

 It was an inaugural Training-cum-Brainstorming Workshop which emphasizes in 'Make in

India’ vision & 'Resolve in India’ which encourage the Ease of Doing Business and Ease of
Living in India.
Background:
 Earlier, in 2016, NITI Aayog had held two-day conference on international arbitration
presided by President of India and Prime Minister of India with participation of the Chief
Justices of all SAARC countries.
 In 2017, NITI Aayog again organized the two-day National Law Day Conference with the
Law Commission of India which discussed on a multitude of legal aspects, including dispute
resolution.
’National Electronics Policy 2018' states $400 billion manufacturing ecosystem turnover by 2025
On October 12, 2018, a draft electronics policy named 'The National Electronics Policy 2018’ was
released by the government that aims a turnover of $400 billion in domestic electronics
manufacturing by 2025.
 The policy targets to double the manufacturing to 1 billion mobile handsets by 2025 worth
$190 billion including export of 600 million mobile handsets valued at $110 billion.
 It has also proposed creation of 200 electronic manufacturing clusters (EMC) by 2020.
 Under this, 20 greenfield EMCs and 3 brownfield EMC projects have been sanctioned with
outlay of Rs 3,898 crore, including Rs. 1,577 crore from the Government of India.
 It also aims to:
o Promote domestic manufacturing in the entire value-chain of ESDM (electronic
system design and manufacturing) for economic development to achieve a turnover
of USD 400 billion by 2025,
o Push ease of doing business,
o Encouraging industry-led research and development and innovation in all sub-
sectors of electronics,
o Pushing startup ecosystems in technology such as 5G, Internet of Things, artificial
intelligence and machine learning,
o Implementation of these technologies in varied fields such as defence, agriculture,
health, smart cities and automation,
o Replacing the M-SIPS (Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme) with easier
schemes.
 The measures proposed in the draft include:
o Promotion of manufacturing of electronic goods covered under the Information T
echnology Agreement (ITA-1) of the World Trade Organization,
o Provision of suitable direct tax benefits for setting up of a new manufacturing unit or
expansion of an existing unit.
Background:
 The first National Policy on Electronics, rolled out in 2012, offered incentives to companies
setting up manufacturing units in the country.

Special Central Government Package for Footwear and Leather Sector
Central Government has approved a special package for generation of employment in leather and
footwear sector.
 The package consist of implementation of Central Sector Scheme - Indian Footwear,

Leather & Accessories Development Programme (IFLADP) with approved expenditure of
Rs. 2600 Crore for 2017-20.
 This scheme aims to develop infrastructure and address environmental issues related to
leather sector, help with additional investments, generate employment and increase
production.
 Under IFLADP 4 projects worth 107.33 crore have been approved in Tamil Nadu by the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). They are:
o upgradation of Tala Trichy Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Trichy
o Pallavaram CETP at Nagalkeni Chrompet
o SIDCO Phase-I CEPT at Ranipet
o Perundurai leather industries Eco Security Pvt. Ltd. at Erode.
 DIPP has also approved mega leather cluster at Bantala in West Bengal. This will attract an
investment of Rs. 400 to 500 crore.
 Leather Technology, Innovation and Environmental Issues sub-scheme under IFLADP offers
financial support at 70% of the project cost to leather clusters to manage pollution control
discharge norms.
Government sanctions 5 new battalions of Rapid Action Force (RAF)
Five new battalions of Rapid Action Force (RAF) were sanctioned by the central government in
January 2018 and their new bases have been sanctioned now.
 The 5 new Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalions will be based in:
o Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
o Jaipur in Rajasthan
o Mangalore in Karnataka
o Hajipur in Bihar
o Nuh in Haryana
 With the new additions, the total number of RAF battalions in India will increase to 15.
 Varanasi will be the 4th base of RAF in Uttar Pradesh. Three other bases are in Meerut,
Allahabad and Aligarh.
 Land acquisition for the new bases are in process. The existing battalions will start
functioning from their permanent locations soon.
Home Ministry exempts Sikh women from wearing helmet in Chandigarh
On 11th October 2018, Home Ministry issued an advisory asking the Chandigarh administration to
exempt Sikh women from wearing helmets while driving two-wheelers.

 Delhi government's transport department notified on June 4, 1999, to carry out the
amendment in Rule 115 of Delhi Motor Vehicle Act 1993, which makes it optional for
women whether riding on pillion or driving motorcycle to wear a helmet.
 The rule has been further amended through a notification on August 28, 2014, in which the
word “women” has been replaced by “Sikh women”.
Provisions of the Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act 1951
On October 12, 2018, as per the provisions given in Section 151A of the Representation of the
People Act, 1951, Election Commission of India (ECI) can fill casual vacancies.
 As per the norm, it can fill the casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State
Legislatures through bye elections within six months of occurrence of vacancy.
 This can only be allowed when the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a
vacancy is one year or more.
 In the present scenario, the term of sixteenth Lok Sabha is upto 3rd June, 2019.
 Accordingly, the vacancies occurred in Karnataka have occurred more than one year before
the expiration of the term of House which is why bye elections are required to be held under
Section 151A of R. P. Act 1951.
 Vacancies have occurred from 9-Bellary(ST), 14-Shimoga and 20-Mandya Parliamentary
Constituencies of Karnataka on 18th May, 18th May and 21st May, 2018
 In case of Andhra Pradesh, there is no need to hold bye elections as the remaining term of
the Lok Sabha is less than one year as they have occurred on 20th June, 2018.
2nd Japan-India Act East Forum held in New Delhi
On October 8, 2018, India and Japan held their 2nd edition of 'Japan-India Act East Forum’ in New
Delhi.
 The meeting was co-chaired by Japan’s Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu and Foreign Secretary
Vijay Gokhale.
 In the meeting, both sides agreed to boost cooperation on connectivity projects in the
northeast including connectivity to people-to-people exchanges and concrete projects.
 The projects include:
o Road and bridge connectivity projects,
o Forest management projects in states of Tripura and Meghalaya,
o A new initiative to utilise bamboo,
o To enhance people-to-people exchanges.
About the Forum:
 It aims to identify specific projects for economic modernization of India’s North-East region.
 It provides a platform for India-Japan collaboration under India’s “Act East Policy” and
Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”.

 It comprises of :
o Embassy of Japan and other government-affiliated Japanese organizations based in
New Delhi from Japan’s side and
o Ministry of External Affairs and State governments of the north eastern region and
Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways, Ministry of Home Affairs from India’s side.
Maharashtra government approved Rs 1,610 cr for Tarli irrigation project
On October 9, 2018, the Maharashtra government approved financial assistance of Rs 1,610 crore
for the Tarli Irrigation Project in the Satara district of the state.
 This the 4th administrative approval given by the state government to the project.
 The project consists of:
o 8 lift irrigation schemes on the T arli river,
o Bringing 6,507 hectares in the Tarli Valley and 8,876 hectares in the Maan and
Khatav talukas of Satar district under irrigation.
 The project is yet to get Central Water Commissions’ approval.
Deep Depressions: cyclone 'TITLI' over Odisha & Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, 'LUBAN' over west
Central Arabian Sea move
On October 12, 2018, the Deep Depression over Odisha moved east-northeastwards advancing
towards West Bengal with speed of 8 kmph.
 The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘LUBAN’ over west central Arabian Sea moved slightly
northward about 450 km east-southeast of Salalah (Oman), 460 km east-northeast of
Socotra Islands (Yemen) and 610 km east- southeast of Al-Ghaidah (Yemen).
 It is estimated to advance west-northwestwards towards and cross Yemen & adjoining South
Oman Coasts as a severe cyclonic storm.
Gujarat Government starts vaccination of Gir lions against deadly Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
On 7th October 2018, Gujarat Forest Department started the vaccination of lions in the Gir Forest
National Park to protect them from deadly Canine Distemper Virus (CDV).
 Nearly 23 lions have died in the Gir sanctuary in less than a month. Most of them died due to
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and protozoa infections.
 Asiatic lions are an endangered species. They are vaccinated under intensive veterinary care
complying with standard protocol.
 CDV is a dangerous virus. It has destroyed 30% of the African lions in East African forests.
 CDV is largely found in wild dogs, jackals and wolves. It can spread to lions through the
infected animals they eat.

General election of 2018 Legislative Assemblies to commence; Media Coverage during the period
referred to in Section 126 of RP Act, 1951
On October 12, 2018, the schedule for holding 2018 general election to the Legislative Assemblies of
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram & Telangana, was announced.
 The EC stated the Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which
prohibits displaying any election matter by means of television or similar apparatus,
during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.
 The detailed provisions stated in the Act are as follows:
o Prohibition of display of content related to election matters during period of forty-
eight hours ending with hour fixed for conclusion of poll,
o Violation of the aforesaid provisions of Section 126 is punishable with
imprisonment up to a period of two years, or with fine or both.
o “Election matter” has been defined as promotion of any material, including
views/appeals by panelists/participants for gain of any individual party and that may
affect the result of an election.
o It will be the duty of the Press to give objective reports about elections and the
candidates.
o Election campaign along communal or caste lines is banned under the election rules.
o Publishing of false or critical statements in regard to the personal character and
conduct of any candidate is to be refrained.
o The Press shall not accept/publish any advertisement at the cost of public exchequer
regarding achievements of a party/government in power.
o All paid content should be clearly marked as “Paid Advertisement” or “Paid Content”
in compliance with the “Norms & Guidelines on Paid News”.
New Industrial Policy framed by the Ministry of Commerce
On October 12, 2018, Ministry of Commerce released The New Industrial Policy framed in
consultation with all Ministries of Government of India, State Governments, Industry.It was launched
by the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, at the launch of
the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, India, by the Geneva-based World Economic
Forum (WEF) in New Delhi.
 It aims to align India with the emerging technologies of drones, artificial intelligence and
block chain.
 The policy is in sync with the challenges and opportunities of the 4th industrial revolution
technologies and will boost India’s presence in the global supply and value chains.
 The recently launched DIGI YATRA by the Ministry of Civil Aviation is an example of India’s
adoption to the digital technology in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
 In connection to this, the WEF is setting up a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in
Maharashtra. Other centers are in San Francisco, USA, Japan and China.
 This center will focus on Artificial intelligence, block chain and drones as the first three
projects.

4-member panel to look into #Me Too Cases: Union minister Maneka Gandhi proposes
On October 12, 2018, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi
announced setting up a four-member committee to examine all #MeToo cases.
 The panel would consist of senior judicial and legal persons as members.
 They will form a legal and institutional framework which will handle the complaints of sexual
harassment and advise the ministry on how to strengthen the policies.
 It was placed through “The Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace (Prevention,
Prohibition and Redressal) Act' of 2013.
 Also, the ministry has created a woman friendly environment where complaints can be
anonymously addressed.
 Here, women could complain through the She Box ( www.shebox.nic.in) and can also be
lodged at min- wcd@nic.in.
'Minimum river flows' set for the Ganga by NMCG
On October 11, 2018, the National Mission for Clean Ganga laid down the limits of ecological flow
of the river Ganga for the first time.
 This would enable the hydropower projects to modify their operations along the river
stretches.
 The limitations are as follows:
o The upper stretches of the river-from its origin in glacier to Haridwar- will have to
maintain 20% of the average flow of the preceding 10-days between November and
March which are the dry seasons,
o 25% during October, April and May,which are the lean seasons,
o 30% during monsoon months of June-September.
o In the main stem from Haridwar to Unnao, minimum flow of various barrages have
been specified For Haridwar’s Bhimgoda to have 36 cumecs in October to 57
cumecs in monsoon and
 For barrages at Kanpur, Bijnor and Narora to have 24 cumecs in October to 48 in monsoon.
 The government also announced that the draft Ganga Act that was framed by a committee
in 2016 under the chairmanship of Justice (retired) Giridhar Malviya.
About Ganga Act:
The draft Act addresses the critical issues pertaining to National River Ganga on its Cleanliness
(Nirmalta) and uninterrupted e-flow (Aviralta) and provides corresponding provisions.
Govt. hiked interest for gratuity funds to 8% by 40 basis points
On October 13, 2018, the Finance Ministry increased interest rates for non-governmental
provident funds, gratuity and superannuation to 8 percent from existing 7.6 percent.

 Also, the interest rates for small savings schemes has been hiked by 40 basis points.
 These include: Public Provident Fund (PPF), Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme, National Savings
Certificate and post office time deposits.
 The changes are effective from October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, for the 3rd quarter.
India remains polio free, all vaccines used in Government immunization programme safe
On October 13, 2018, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) announced India’s status as a polio-free country.
 The risk of children getting vaccine derived poliovirus was “minimal” in India which came up
in the backdrop of oral polio vaccine vials being found contaminated with the type-2 polio
virus.
 They also asserted that all vaccines provided under the Universal Immunization Programme
(UIP) are safe.
 This was achieved by high routine immunization coverage being achieved in India under
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
 The India Expert Advisory Group advises the country to conduct mass vaccination campaigns
against polio, using bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), to maintain high immunity
 Certified polio-free in March 2014, India continues to remain vigilant against all three types
of polioviruses. The last polio case due to wild poliovirus in the country was detected on 13
January 2011.
Assam bill on retrenching up to 300 employees sans govt approval gets presidential assent
On October 14, 2018, President gave assent to Assam’s The Industrial Disputes (Assam Amendment)
Bill, 2017.
 According to this bill, companies are allowed to retrench up to 300 employees without
seeking prior approval of the government.
 It will replace the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
 Under the new legislation, the compensation to a retrenched labourer will be 60 days
salary instead of the present 15 days and no government permission will be required for
the retrenchment.
 Earlier, companies were allowed to bring down the number by 100 without seeking prior
approval of the government.
 This will help in achieving 'ease of doing business’ for the companies.
Multimodal logistics park policy proposed by Commerce ministry
On October 15, 2018, the Commerce ministry announced formulation of a national logistics policy
for development of multimodal logistics parks to enable easy movement of goods and domestic
and global trade purposes.
 Each park is supposed to have a plot of 50 acres with each costing Rs. 200-300 crore for
development.
 35 such parks have been proposed by different ministries including railways.

 These ministries include railways, shipping and the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion.
 This proposal has been pioneered by Commerce ministry which is seeking cabinet’s approval
for the national logistics policy.
 This policy would help in:
o Seamless movement of goods across the country,
o Reduce transaction costs of traders,
o Increase the warehousing capacity.
 These benefits will in turn help in competitiveness of domestic goods in the international
markets.
 In connection to this, the ministry is also working on the development of a national logistics
portal as a single window marketplace to link all stakeholders.
Since 2011-12, India’s exports have been hovering at around USD 300 billion. During 2017-18, the
shipments grew by about 10 per cent to USD 303 billion.
Vaishno Devi shrine board enhanced the free insurance cover to pilgrims to Rs five lakh
On October 15, 2018, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), in its 63rd meeting,
approved to enhance free accident insurance cover provided to pilgrims visting Vaishno Devi
shrine.
 The decision was taken at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar under the chairmanship of J&K
Governor and chairman of SMVDSB, Satya Pal Malik.
 Under this, the accidental cover extended to each pilgrim free of cost has been enhanced
to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh, after 8 years.
 This will be available to pilgrims, who avail the services of the upcoming Passenger
Ropeway between Bhawan and Bhairon Ghati.
UP cabinet renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj
On October 15, 2018, Uttar Pradesh cabinet decided to change the name of Allahabad city to
Prayagraj.
 It was announced by the state Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh.

 It was renamed after proposal to do so ahead of 2019 Kumbh Mela during Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath’s trip to Allahabad.
Mahesh Sharma and Hardeep Singh laid the foundation stone of the India Prime Ministers'
Museum
On October 15 2018, Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma and Minister of Housing and
Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh laid foundation for the construction of a museum for all Prime
Ministers of the country at the Teen Murti Estate in New Delhi.

 This expected to finish within a year with a cost 271 crore rupees. It will represent the works
and contributions of all prime ministers for our country.
 The new museum will incorporate the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) at
the Teen Murti estate, the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru.
Justice Verma panel report wanted changes to sexual harassment
On October 14 2018, Central govt. had announced its plan to set up a panel of judges headed by the
Justice J.S. Verma to look into the legal and institutional framework to control sexual harassment
at workplaces after the impact of #MeToo campaign.
 This will ensure that women are protected against sexual harassment at all the work places
in both Public and private. The sense of security at the workplace will improve women’s
participation in work, resulting in their economic empowerment and inclusive growth.
 In early 2013,a three-member committee headed by former judge J.S. Verma including
Justice Leila Seth and senior lawyer Gopal was formed after a brutal sexual assault on a 23-
year-old physiotherapy student on a moving bus in New Delhi.
 They termed Sexual Harassment Bill “unsatisfactory” and said it did not reflect the spirit of
the Vishakha guidelines framed by the Supreme Court in 1997 for the sexual harassment at
the workplace.
Vishakha guidelines:-
A set of procedural guidelines for sexual harassment cases in India. They were promulgated by the
Indian Supreme Court in 1997 and were superseded in 2013 by the Sexual Harassment of Women
at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
India's highest tricolour unfurled in Mumbai by Mukhtar Naqvi
On October 17, 2018, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi unfurled India’s
highest tricolor flag at the majestic Haj House in Mumbai.
 The flag is 20x30 feet in dimensions and stands 350 feet above the ground.
 It is atop a 20-metre high mast on top of the iconic building near the Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai.
 This makes it the highest tricolour installed on the terrace of any building of such height in
the country.
 This flag has been manufactured by Flag Company.
 The minister also inaugurated a special 'viewers gallery’ atop the Haj House to overlook the
gems of Mumbai.
 He also announced the schedule of Haj 2019 which will be 100 per cent subsidy free.
Bihar's Shahi litchi gets GI tag
On October 18, 2018, the famous Shahi litchi of North Bihar has got the 4th Geographical
Indication (GI) tag.

 Earlier, Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan from the state got the GI tag.
 Shahi Litchi is mainly cultivated in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Vaishali, East Champaran and
Begusarai
 The GI registration was done in the name of Litchi Growers Association of Bihar, which had
applied for the tag
 Bihar produces 40 per cent of the litchi grown in the country on 38 per cent of the area.
 According to agriculture scientists, due to high calcium content in the soil, litchi is better in
these areas.
50% reservation for women to chairpersons for panchayat samiti, zila parishad: Punjab
On October 18, 2018, the Punjab Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, approved
extension of the enhanced 50 per cent reservation for women the office of the chairperson of
panchayat samitis and zila parishads.
 Earlier,the reservation for women in these bodies are 33%.

 The government has amended:
o The Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 and
o The Punjab Reservation for Office of Sarpanches and Gram Panchayats and
o Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishad Rules, 1994.
 Along with this, reservation in subsequent elections will start from the first non-reserved
constituency in this roster in the order Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Caste Women-Women.
3% sub-quota for sportspersons in recruitments: Tamil Nadu CM
On October 17, 2018, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy announced 3 percent
sub-quota in recruitments for sportspersons in a function organized jointly by sports associations
in Chennai.
 It will be extended for recruitments in Government Departments and public sector

undertakings.
 Earlier in the Independence Day, he had announced to provide 2% reservation for the
sportspersons which has been increased to 3% due to requests from various organizations.
India imposes anti-dumping duty on certain steel products from China
India has imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 185.51 US dollars per tonne for 5 years on some
varieties of Chinese steel to protect domestic players from cheap imports from China.
 The revenue department has imposed the duty based on the recommendations of the
Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
 The goods have been exported to India from China below normal value and the domestic
industry has been affected due to this.
 The anti-dumping duty has been imposed in the range of $ 44.89 to 185.51 per tonne on
import of alloy bars and rods.

Kerala the first smoke-free State to have 100% LPG
On October 18, 2018, Kerala became the first state in the country to have 100% penetration of LPG
in public sector oil companies with an Objective to make the state smoke-free.
 With three bottling plants at Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kollam, LPG is being brought to 49.79
lakh customers through 308 distributors.
 The Indian Oil is also prepared to provide with new generation fuels like CNG and other
green fuels.
 Indian Oil has 50% of the market share with the remaining being shared by HPCL and BPCL.
 LPG is being supplied through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana initiated by the Ministry
of Petroleum.
Achievements:
 Villages getting symbolic smoke-free certificates.

 25 lakh trees has been saved with LPG consumption being 933.3 TMT (thousand tonnes) in
the Kerala in 2017-18 with Indian Oil selling 4.25 lakh tonnes of LPG the previous fiscal.
 Estimated 1 crore tonnes of emissions of poisonous gas have been contained.
Mandatory R&D funding by companies: Prime Minister's panel Science Technology and Innovation
Advisory Council (PM-STIAC)
On October 20, 2018, the Prime Minister’s Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-
STIAC) announced its order to make it mandatory for medium and large enterprises in key sectors
to set aside funds for research and development.
 The high-level panel wants the private sector to have a share of at least 1% of GDP by 2022.
 The committee wants India to achieve the global average of 1.5% of GDP, over the next 5
years.
 This decision was taken after the Economic Survey pointed out that not enough investment
in this sector is being given.
 It had said that R&D investment in India has been stagnant for 20 years at 0.6-0.7% of
gross domestic product with that by the private sector at 0.35%
 An Advanced Mission Mode Innovation and Research (ADMIRE) is proposed to be launched
by line ministries to provide direct R&D grants to industry on a 50-50 model through
competitive bidding.
Suggestions of the Council:
 Ministries have been mandated to allocate at least 2% of their budgets as research and
innovation grants related to priority concerns.
 It proposed a 100% tax holiday for patented products emerging out of R&D for the first five
years of commercialization.

Industry Per cent of Budget for R&D

Automobiles 3%
Technology Hardware and Equipment 2%
Software and computer services 5%
Electronic and Electrical Equipment 2%
Industrial Engineering, Chemicals and 1%
General Industrials
Oil and Gas , Construction 0.55%
India's first railway station inside tunnel to come up in Himachal Pradesh
On October 20, 2018, India for the first time announced a railway station named, the Keylong
station, to be built inside a tunnel at a height of 3,000 metres in Himachal Pradesh.
 This will be built along the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line close to the Sino-India border.
 The station will be at a height of around 3,000 metres and will be inside a 27-km-long
tunnel.
 It will connect all important locations between Bilaspur and Leh like Sundernagar, Mandi,
Manali, Keylong, Koksar, Darcha, Upshi and Karu and other towns of Himachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir.
 After completion, the line will halve the duration taken to cover the distance between Delhi
and Leh, from 40 hours to 20 hours.
Prime Minister dedicates National Police Memorial to the Nation; announces an award in the
name of Subhash Chandra Bose
On October 21, 2018, on Police Commemoration Day, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,
dedicated the National Police Memorial to the nation in New Delhi.
 He also announced an annual award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, to
honour the police and paramilitary personnel, involved in disaster response operations.
 This is why, he mentioned about the Modernization of Police Forces Scheme (MPF), which
modernized the police forces through technology, modern communication systems and
modern weapons.
 PM Modi also commemorated the 75th anniversary of Netaji’s declaration of the
formation of India's first independent government- the Azad Hind Government on October
21, 1943.
 He hoisted the National Flag at Red Fort and announced that the annual award in the name
of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose would be announced on January 23, Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose’s birthday.
The National Police Memorial:
 It consists of Central Sculpture, a Wall of Valour-engraved with the names of police

personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty and

 A State of Art Museum dedicated to the memory of the martyred police personnel.
 Location: New Delhi
 Police Commemoration Day: October 21.
Parliamentary panel headed by Kirit Somaiya to examine functioning of EPFO
On October 17, 2018, a parliamentary panel on labour was constituted to examine the functioning of
retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
 It will be headed by Kirit Somaiya

 Its functions are listed as below:
o To examine the functioning of EPFO,
o To review the implementation of labour laws, social security and welfare scheme for
workers,
o International Labour Organisation conventions binding on India,
o Measures taken by the Indian government to implement ILO laws,
o To look into the working conditions and welfare of mine workers and review that to
Directorate General of Mines Safety,
 It had also asked the Ministry of Labour and Employment to collect, with regard to the total
number of PF trusts under the PF Act, 1925, information about the number of subscribers
and total contribution from subscribers.
EPFO:
 Headquarters: New Delhi

 CEO or Central Provident Fund Commissioner in EPFO: Shri. Sunil Barthwal.
Four Himalayan peaks named after former PM Vajpayee: Ministry of Tourism
On October 20, 2018, 4 Himalayan peaks near Gangotri have been named after former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 This was done during an expedition conducted by Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and
the tourism department.
 The expedition was flagged off from Dehradun on October 4 by Chief Minister of
Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat
 They climed the peaks located at 6,557, 6,566, 6,160 and 6,100 metres on the right flank of
Gangotri glacier, and named them Atal-1, 2, 3 and 4, while hoisting the national flag.
 The peaks are located near Sudarshan and Saifi peaks in Raktvan valley.
India's longest river bridge to be built on Brahmaputra river in Assam
On October 21, 2018, it was announced that India’s longest river bridge will be built across the
Brahmaputra, connecting Dhubri in Assamto Phulbari in Meghalaya, by 2026-27
 It will be a 19.3 km, four-lane bridge that will cut road travel by 203 km .
 The new bridge will complete the missing link of NH127B from Assam to Meghalaya.
 The bridge will also improve connectivity from West Bengal to Assam.

 For the project, the National Highways and Industrial Development Corporation Limited
(NHIDCL), recently reached out to global players in France.
 The Japanese funding agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved
a loan for this project as a part of a road infrastructure improvement package in the North
East.
 Currently, the longest river bridge in India, at 9.15 km, is the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge which
was opened in 2017.
Arunachal villagers get Rs 37.73 crore as land compensation, 56 years after India-China war
On October 19, 2018, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief
Minister Pema Khandu distributed the cheques to the villagers of West Kameng district in
Arunachal Pradesh.
 He distributed nearly Rs 37.73 crore as compensation to the villagers of the state, more
than 56 years after India’s war with China.
 It was for the land acquired by the Army to set up its bases, bunkers and barracks.
 After the 1962 India-China war, the Army had acquired huge tracks of land to set up its
bases, bunkers, barracks, construct roads, build bridges and other installations.
Man-animal conflict a 'State Declared Disaster': UP government
On October 17, 2018, in a first-of-its-kind move, the Uttar Pradesh government made the man-
animal conflict a 'State Declared Disaster’ with an Objective to help reduce retaliatory killings.
 These incidents would be under the ambit of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
 According to the provisions of the order, a compensatory amount of Rs.5 lakh would be
given to family of deceased if the victim of the animal attack dies.
 It also states that the amount of Rs 1 lakh per death would be arranged by the state forest
department from its own budget to the Revenue Department.
 It ensures that the amount must be paid within 24 hours of the incident RTGS and the
production of the post-mortem examination report of the victim would be made available.
 For the first time, lion and wild boar have been added to the list of wild animals which
includes tiger, leopard, Indian wolf, hyena, crocodile, elephant and rhinoceros as predators.
Insolvency Law Committee submits its 2nd Report on Cross Border Insolvency and Recommends
adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law of Cross Border Insolvency, 1997
On October 22, 2018 Ministry of Corporate Affairs constituted Insolvency Law Committee (ILC) to
recommend modification to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of India, 2016, and has submitted its
2nd Report to the Government, which deals with cross border insolvency.
 Corporate Affairs Secretary, Shri Injeti Srinivas handover this report to Shri Arun Jaitley ,
Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs.

 UNCITRAL Model Law of Cross Border Insolvency, 1997 was recommended by ICL to adopt
as it provides a complete agenda to deal with cross border insolvency issues.
UNCITRAL Model Law
The UNCITRAL Model Law has been adopted in as many as 44 countries and became a part of
international best practices in dealing with cross border insolvency issues.
 The advantages of the model law are giving priority to domestic proceedings and protection
of public interest.
 The other advantages include greater confidence generation among foreign investors,
adequate flexibility for seamless integration with the domestic Insolvency Law and a robust
mechanism for international cooperation.
Four major principles of cross-border insolvency
The model law deals with four major principles of cross-border insolvency, namely
 Direct access to foreign insolvency professionals and foreign creditors to participate in or

commence domestic insolvency proceedings against a defaulting debtor;
 Recognition of foreign proceedings & provision of remedies;
 Cooperation between domestic and foreign courts & domestic and foreign insolvency
practioners;and
 Coordination between two or more concurrent insolvency proceedings in different
countries.
4th Edition of NITI Lecture Series held on 22nd October, 2018
On 22nd October 2018, NITI Aayog organized the 4th edition of NITI Lecture Series at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Lecture series. Key note address was delivered
by Jensen Huang, President and Co-Founder, NVIDIA Corporation.
 The theme for 2018 was “AI for ALL: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive Growth”
 The 'NITI Lectures: Transforming India’ was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on August 26, 2016. It is held every year.
 The lecture series aims to enable learning from successful development practice throughout
the world at the Centre and States.
Orientation workshop on Health and Nutrition Initiatives under Aspirational District Programme &
launch of e-MitraMobile app
On 22nd October 2018, a one-day National Workshop for Orientation of District Officials of
Aspirational Districts on Health and Nutrition, was held in New Delhi.
 It was organized by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Women and
Child Development (MoWCD).
 It was inaugurated by Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for
Health and Family Welfare.

 The e-Mitra (Mobile Integrated Toolkit RMNCH+A) app has been designed to complement
the Aspirational District Programme.
 It will offer one stop solution to access RMNCH+A related statistics from various sources.
UNESCO MGIEP, Government of Andhra Pradesh to organize TECH 2018
UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in
association with Government of Andhra Pradesh has announced TECH 2018, an international
conference, to be held from 15-17 November 2018, at Vizag, Andhra Pradesh.
 It aims to act as a holistic platform for the ministers of education, senior policy makers,
education technology specialists, educators and teachers, curriculum designers, researchers,
learners, students, game designers, and ed-tech exhibitors.
 Following the success of TECH 2017, UNESCO MGIEP will organize TECH annually for the next
4 years.
Experts group led by NCERT professor to cut schoolbag weight formed
On October 22, 2018, Union HRD Ministry has constituted an Expert Group to formulate a draft
policy to reduce weight of schoolbag.
 It will be convened by professor Ranjana Arora of the National Council of Educational

Research and Training(NCERT).
 The MHRD issued an order on October 5 to formulate a policy on schoolbags on the lines of
Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill of 2006, which never turned into a law.
 This was formed after the Madras HC judge Justice. N. Kirubakaran on May 29 had ruled the
law to be implemented by the Centre.
 Maharashtra and Telangana already have a policy in form stating the weight of school bag
not to exceed 10% of the students body weight.
Punjab banned use of glyphosate herbicide
On October 24, 2018, the Punjab government banned the sale of “cancer causing” weedicide
glyphosate.
 According to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER),

Chandigarh, the systemic herbicide is a group 2A cancer causing material and has the
potential to damage the human DNA.
 Punjab was the fourth State after Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra to regulate
the sale of herbicide.
 Earlier, the Punjab State Farmers Commission had also recommended the ban on sale of this
chemical in the state.
 Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee has recommended the herbicide only
for use in tea gardens and non-cropped areas.

METRO INOX is India's First Rooftop Solar Powered Cinema and South Mumbai's Largest Multiplex
Mumbai’s METRO INOX is now South Mumbai’s largest cinema and India’s First Rooftop Solar
Powered Cinema.
 It has launched two INSIGNIA screens which are 100% solar powered. It has become the first
multiplex in India to join the solar revolution.
 The INSIGNIA screens also contribute to protecting the environment by reducing 282 tons of
CO2 during its operational life.
 It is one of nine PSUs under the Union Ministry of Defence of India.
Supreme Court issues final deadline for Bharat Stage IV cars as April 1, 2020
On 24th October 2018, the Supreme Court stated that, no Bharat Stage IV vehicle shall be sold
across India with effect from April 1, 2020.
 The Bharat Stage VI (or BS-VI) emission norm will come to effect from April 1, 2020
throughout India.
 BS IV norms have been followed throughout India since April 2017. In 2016, Central
Government had announced that India will skip the BS-V norms and adopt BS-VI norms by
2020.
 Supreme Court was deciding if grace period should be given to automobile manufacturers
for the sale of BS- VI non-compliant vehicles after April 1, 2020.
 A three judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur stated that only BS VI compliant
vehicle shall be sold in India from April 1st, 2020.
Indian Railways to build world's highest railway line in Ladakh region
On October 26, 2018, Indian railways announced the world’s highest railway line that will run along
the India- China border.
 The rail line will have a highest road point of 5,360 metres above mean sea level.
 The estimated cost to build this 465 km-line will be Rs 83,360 crore.
 It will consist of 74 tunnels, 124 major bridges and 396 minor bridges and 30 stations.
 Keylong station on the route will be build inside a tunnel at a height of 3,000 metres, a
first in India.
 More than half of the train route will be covered in tunnels, longest being 27 km, and the
total length of the tunnels would be 244 km.
 It will reduce the time to connect New Delhi with Ladakh region from currently 40 hours to
20 hours, through building strategically-important Bilaspur-Manali- Leh line along the Indo-
China border.
 It will give quick all-weather access to the armed forces and boost tourism.

Government to set up National Sports Stadium for differently-abled in Meghalaya
On October 25, 2018, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot
announced the construction of the international standard Stadium for differently-abled in
Shillong, Meghalaya.
 It would be constructed at the cost of over Rs 200 crore and the state would provide 50
acres of land for the project.
 It will be one of the five National Sports Stadiums of international standard for differently-
abled sportspersons, under the Assistance to Disabled Person scheme.
 It should come up before National Games 2022 in Meghalaya enabling it to host Olympics
for the differently-abled.
Two day Children's Film Bonanza held in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh
On October 26, 2018, two-day Childrens Film Bonanza concluded at Naharlagun, Arunachal
Pradesh.It was organized by the Children’s Film Society of India, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh Information and Public Relations
department.
Train 18: India's first engineless semi-high speed train set for trials
On October 29, 2018, India released its first engineless semi-high speed train called- Train 18.
 It is a 16-coach prototype without a locomotive (engine) that will travel at a speed of up to

160 kmph.
 It was developed by the city-based Integral Coach Factory, Chennai in 18 months as part of
the 'Make In India’ initiative.
 It cost nearly Rs 100 crore and will cut travel time by 15 per cent compared to the Shatabdi.
 The ICF will make six such train sets, out of which two will have sleeper coaches.
3-day India Mobile Congress held at Aerocity, New Delhi
On October 27, 2018, the 3-day long 2nd edition of India Mobile Congress concluded at Aerocity,
New Delhi.It is a regular platform for exploring area of digital communications with specific focus on
South and South-East Asia.
 It was inaugurated by Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for
Communications.
 It was organized by the Department of Telecommunications, GOI and Cellular Operators
Association of India (COAI).
 Theme: “ New Digital Horizons. Connect. Create. Innovate.”
Announcements in the Event:
 Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated release of 250 start-up applications at the IMC 2018.

 The Government of India announced the commitment of the industry to rollout One Million
WiFi Hotspots in the Country by December 2019.
 The National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2018 was also unveiled. This would free up
a total of 605 MHz spectrum in the 5-GHz band for Wi-Fi services.
 Several spectrum bands for Short Range Devices and Ultra Wide Band Devices were
madelicense exempt.
 These were all part of Centre’s recently released National Digital Communications Policy
(NDCP) 2018.
India's first container movement on inland waterways to move 16 PEPSICO containers from
Kolkata to Varanasi
 On October 29, 2018, as part of the country’s first container movement on inland vessel
post-independence in the Inland Waterways sector, the IWAI would transport a PepsiCo
India cargo from Kolkata to Varanasi on river Ganga (National Waterway-1).
 PepsiCo (India) will move 16 containers - equivalent to 16 truckloads in the vessel MV RN
Tagore which will reach Varanasi in 9-10 days.
 MV RN Tagore will make its return journey with fertilizers belonging to IFFCO that will be
procured from its Phulpur plant near Allahabad.
 The vessel will be flagged off by Secretary (Shipping), Govt. of India, Shri Gopal Krishna
along with Chairman, IWAI, Shri Pravir Pandey.
 The government is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under JMVP from Haldia to Varanasi
(1390 Km) with the help of World Bank at a cost of Rs 5369 crore.
 This would provide commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 DWT.
Punjab, Centre joined hands in war against stubble burning
On October 29, 2018, Punjab and central government joined hands to stop stubble burning and
took up responsibilities educate farmers against it through various departments.
 Goods and Services Tax (GST) Commissionerate in Ludhiana purchased 2 seeder machines
and given them to Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Samrala.
 Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) deputed their officials to talk to farmers.
 CII in collabration with ReNew Power, an independent power producer, took up a project,
'Clean air better life’ to make 5,000 acres stubble-burning free.
 They also took up the task to educate 500 big farmers.
DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh laid foundation stone of 'Technology Facility Center' at Jorhat,
Assam
On October 29, 2018, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone of new Science Centre, the
“Technology Facility Centre” (TFC) in Jorhat, Assam.
 This will be established in the premises of the CSIR-North East Institute of Science &
Technology (NEIST).

 For setting up the new Science Centre, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
(DoNER) had allocated Rs.40 crore for its construction.
 It would be institutionalized by Department of Science & Technology (S&T) and CSIR.
 This will work as a Center of Excellence for all the States of Northeast for promoting research
as well as job creation.
The two programmes run by the Ministry of DoNER and NEC were mentioned. They are:
 “North-Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project” (NERCORMP) and

“North East Rural Livelihood Project” (NERLP).
 These will help in improving livelihood opportunities for unemployed youth, farmers,
women and artisans.
Nitin Gadkari & Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan laid foundation for India's largest Dry Dock at Cochin
Shipyard
On October 30, 2018, the Union Minister for Shipping , Road Transport and Highways, Mr Nitin
Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan laid foundation of India’s largest Dry Dock
at Cochin Shipyard.
About the Dock:
 The new Dry Dock is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1799 Crore and is expected to be
completed by May 2021.
 It will be 310 m long, 75m wide, with a depth of 13 m and drought of 9.5m.
 It will be designed to handle both ship building and repairs, and bear a load up to 600 T/m.
 It will have a water treatment plant and Green Belt Development.
 It will be used to build specialized and technologically advanced large vessels like LNG
Carriers, drill ships etc for the Indian Navy.
Twelve Projects worth Rs 929 Crore approved under Namami Gange programme
On 29th October 2018, Executive Committee (EC) of the National Mission for Clean Ganga
approved 12 projects worth Rs. 929 Crore under the Namami Gange programme in its 16th
meeting. Some of the approved projects are:
 Two Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for Delhi for creating 340 MLD waste treatment
capacity at a cost of Rs 580 Crore.
 Two projects for West Bengal at a cost of Rs 50 Crore.
 Many projects were sanctioned for Uttar Pradesh with total cost of Rs 128 Crore.
 Two more projects were sanctioned under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) category
which will be funded by corporate groups.
 INDORAMA Charitable Trust is funding the Ghat and Crematoria Work at Badrinath and
Gangotri in Uttarakhand at a cost of Rs 26.33 Crore.
 Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) will be performing renovation and beautification of
Ganga River Bank at Katwa, West Bengal at a cost of Rs 0.35 Crore.

3 Less Polluting Firecrackers named - SWAS, SAFAL and STAR released by CSIR
On October 29, 2018, the Ministry of Science & Technology announced development of Less
Polluting Firecrackers named SWAS, SAFAL and STAR.
 These have been developed by CSIR and these are not only environment friendly but 15-20
% cheaper than the conventional ones.
 The full forms of the firecrackers are:
o SWAS : safe water releaser
o SAFAL: safe minimal aluminium
o STAR : safe thermite cracker
 For the first time in India, an Emission testing Facility has been established at CSIR-NEERI.
“Gandhian Thoughts and Sanitation” seminar organized in Wardha, Maharashtra
A seminar titled “Gandhian Thoughts and Sanitation” was organized by the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation inWardha district, Maharashtra.
“Quintero One”: World's First Full-Scale Hyperloop Passenger Capsule Unveiled
On October 3, 2018, US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies or HyperloopTT launched the

first full- scale transportation capsule which will be operational in 2019.
 The name of the capsule is: “Quintero One”.

 It is a 32-metre 5 tonne capsule that has 72 sensors, 75,000 rivets and 7,200 square metres
of fibre.
 It was constructed completely out of a specially made dual-layer smart composite material
called “Vibranium” made by HyperloopTT.
 It can move at speeds of more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) per hour and has a capacity
to hold 30 to 40 passengers at a time.
India's Association:
 In May 2018, Andhra Pradesh signed MoU with HyperloopTT to set up the Hyperloop
transportation system connecting Anantapur, Amaravati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
 It will be a part of 700-800-km-long integrated public transit system.
 The Maharashtra government too had signed a pact with the Richard Branson-led Virgin
Group to build the Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop.
Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium dedicated to people in Sri Lanka
On 9th October 2018, Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium built with Indian grant
assistance of 30 crore Sri Lankan rupees in Sri Lanka was dedicated to the people.

 It was dedicated jointly by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu
and Vice Chancellor at the University of Ruhuna, Matara in Southern Province.
 It has been designed by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa.
 It complies with the philosophy of “Tropical Modernism”. The auditorium has been named
after Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
India, Australia held second 2+2 dialogue in Canberra, Australia
On October 10, 2018, India and Australia held their 2nd edition of ‘2+2’ secretary-level dialogue in
Canberra.
The Indian side was represented by:
 Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.

 The Australian side had Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Frances
Adamson and Secretary of Department of Defence Greg Moriarty.
Discussions that took place were regarding the following:
 Need for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region

 Strategic and defence relations between the two countries
 The Indian delegation also met Australia’s Director General of the Office of National
Assessment and senior officials of Australia’s Department of Defence
 The inaugural ‘2+2’ dialogue between India and Australia was held in New Delhi in
December 2017.
Malaysia to abolish death penalty
On October 11, 2018, Malaysia’s Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad decided to
abolish the death penalty.
 This would save more than 1,200 people on death row convicted of various crimes like
murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking etc.
 According to Amnesty International, China is believed to be the “world’s top executioner”
with other nations like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan in the list.
India & China launch first joint programme to train Afghanistan diplomats
On October 14, 2018, India and China launched their first joint programme for Afghanistan to train
its diplomats.
 For this, Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar hosted 10 Afghan Diplomats who
will be travelling to India for the 1st India-China joint training programme.
 This will be under the Trilateral Cooperation between India, China and Afghanistan.
 This is in line with the MOU to launch a joint programme in Afghanistan that was reached
during an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President
Xi Jinping held inApril 2018 at China’s Wuhan city.

Stanford University named World's Most Innovative University: Reuters
Stanford University has been named the World’s Most Innovative University for the fourth
consecutive year in Reuters’ ranking of World’s Most Innovative Universities.
 This list ranks educational institutions based on new technologies they have invented and
new markets and industries they have powered.
India elected to UN Human Rights Council with highest number of votes
On October 13, 2018, India was elected to the United Nations top human rights body, UNHRC for a
period of three years.The elections were conducted by UN General Assembly.
 This period would commence from January 1, 2019.

 India got 188 votes out of 193, the highest number of votes among all candidates.
 Along with India, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Fiji and Philippines were also selected for 5 seats in
the Asia Pacific category.
 It is a part of the 18 new members elected in the UN Human Rights Council.
 Countries needed a minimum of 97 votes to get elected to the Council.
 India had previously been elected to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council for the 2011-
2014 and 2014-2017 term.
8th European Congress on SMEs held in Kotawice, Poland
On October 19, 2018, the 3-day 8th European Congress on SMEs concluded in Kotawice, Poland.
 The motto of the Congress was: “Science - Business-Self Government TOGETHER FOR
ECONOMY”.
 This would engage in the challenges and possibilities of development of SMEs as Small and
Medium-size Entrepreneurship is the most important sector of Polish Economy.
Canada Becomes 2nd Country To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
On 17th October 2018, Canada became the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession
and use of recreational cannabis.
 Now, Canadians can grow up to 4 plants in their own home and carry up to 30 grams of
dried cannabis for personal use.
 Cannabis possession became a crime in Canada in 1923. But the medical use of cannabis
was legalised in 2001.
 Canadians can order marijuana (cannabis) products through websites of provinces or private
retailers and it will be delivered to their homes.
 Canada has become the second and largest country with a legal national cannabis
marketplace.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge: World's Longest Sea Bridge between China-Hong Kong
The world’s longest sea bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge between China-Hong Kong will be
opened for traffic on October 24, 2018.
 The bridge is 55 kilometers long. It is situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River
Estuary.
 It will also integrate the cities in the Pearl River Delta. The number of permits for cross-
border private cars through the bridge has been fixed at 5,000.
US merges its embassy and Consulate General in Jerusalem into single diplomatic mission
On 18th October 2018, United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced that the US
Embassy and US Consulate General in Jerusalem, Israel, are merged into a single diplomatic
mission.
 The new unit will remain in its current location. But it will not be autonomous in its affairs.
 This announcement has been made over 5 months after the inauguration of the US Embassy
to Israel in Jerusalem.
 The US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, will guide the merger. Also, a new Palestinian
Affairs Unit will be stationed inside the US Embassy Jerusalem.
 Through this unit reporting, outreach, and programming in the West Bank, Gaza and with
Palestinians in Jerusalem will be conducted.
11th session of India - Czech Republic Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation held in Prague
On 22nd and 23rd October 2018, the 11th session of India - Czech Republic Joint Commission on
Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held at Prague, Czech Republic.
 The Indian delegation was led by Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Consumer
Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, C. R. Chaudhary.
 The Czech Republic delegation was led by Miss Marta Novakova, Minister of Industry &
Trade of Czech Republic.
 Opening of the new Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Bengaluru was
announced. Also, an Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Chennai is being set up.
 Czech Republic is developing a project named Czech Industrial Cluster (CIC) near Bengaluru
that will serve as a hub for Czech companies that wish to settle down in India.
20th WETEX 2018 held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
On 23rd to 25th October 2018, the 20th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition
(WETEX) 2018 was held at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.
 WETEX is organized by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) every year. It is held
under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and
Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

 WETEX 2018 is the largest edition in the 20 year-history of WETEX.

 It was held under the umbrella of the Green Week, in conjunction with the 3rd Dubai Solar
Show, and the 5th World Green Economy Summit (WGES).
India-UK to collaborate on research on Ganga delta, Bay of Bengal
On October 26, 2018, M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences announced collaboration
between India and UK for research on different aspects of the Ganga delta region and the Bay of
Bengal.
 This was announced on the sidelines of a programme launched by the UK Research and
Innovation (UKRI).
 The two countries are also collaborating in several areas of earth sciences and weather, like
the monsoon.
Studies will be regarding:
 The Ganga delta: Effects of the region on population, agriculture and environment.
 The Bay of Bengal: Its effect on India in terms of resources and also has an impact on the
Southwest Monsoon.
India donated USD 300,000 for UN Peacekeeping training on Issues of Conduct, Discipline
On October 28, 2018, India donated $300,000 to a training programme of commanders for UN
peacekeeping.
 This was announced by Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres.
 India's contribution will be used with a specific focus on issues of conduct and discipline.
 The name of the programme is: “Pipeline to Peacekeeping Command Programme” and
it is 3 years training programme.
 India is also noted as the first contributor to the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
World's largest airport 'under one roof' opened in Istanbul, Turkey
On October 29, 2018, the world’s largest airport terminal under one roof with a capacity to serve
90 million passengers was opened in Istanbul, Turkey.
World's first sovereign Blue Bond launched by Seychelles, assisted by WB
On October 29, 2018, Republic of Seychelles launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond worth
US$15 million to finance sustainable marine and fisheries projects.
The bond was announced at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali by the Vice-President of the
Republic of Seychelles, Vincent Meriton.

 Seychelles is the first nation to pioneer such a financing instrument.

 The World Bank assisted in developing the blue bond and reaching out to the three
investors: Calvert Impact Capital, Nuveen, and U.S. Headquartered Prudential Financial, Inc.
Standard Chartered acted as placement agent for the bond.
 The Seychelles blue bond is partially guaranteed by a US$5 million guarantee from the
World Bank (IBRD) and further supported by a US$5 million concessional loan from the
Global Environment Facility (GEF).
 The grants and loans will be provided through: The Blue Grants Fund and Blue Investment
Fund, managed respectively by the Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust
(SeyCCAT) and the Development Bank of Seychelles (DBS).
 The bond aims to:
o Support for the expansion of marine protected areas,
o Improved governance of priority fisheries,
o The development of the Seychelles’ blue economy,
o Contributing to the World Bank’s South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance
and Shared Growth Program.
Overview of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's two-day visit to India
On September 30, 2018 , Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev started his 2-day visit to India till
October 1, 2018. He was received, on the second leg of his two-day visit to India, in New Delhi.
Highlights:
 This is the first visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to India.

 The Uzbek President was conferred with a Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
 He visited Agra and Raj Ghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
Meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj:
On October 1, 2018, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj.They constructive discussion on cooperation in various field like trade and
investment, development cooperation, education, renewable energy, connectivity and tourism.
Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
On October 1, 2018, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held delegation level talks with PM
Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
 Here, India and Uzbekistan signed 17 MoUs in various fields.
They are:
 Agriculture, Tourism, combating illicit trafficking, health and medical science and
pharmaceuticals.
 Also, both the nations agreed to strengthen trade and investment ties and have set a
bilateral trade target of $1 billion by 2020.

 India has decided to extend a line of credit (LoC) of $200 million to Uzbekistan through Exim
Bank for housing and other social infrastructure projects under Uzbekistan’s proposal of
$800 million line of credit.
 India would also provide assistance in the areas of space, human resource development and
Information Technology.
 Uzbekistan has shown support for India becoming a member of the Ashgabat Agreement,
which seeks to establish an international transport and transit corridor between Iran, Oman,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
 Uzbekistan has agreed to be a part of the International North South Transport Corridor
(INSTC).
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on three day visit to India
On October 1, 2018, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in New Delhi on his
three- day visit to India will October 4, 2018.
 This is the 2nd visit of Guterres to India as he had visited India in July 2016, just months
ahead of the election for Secretary General.
 It coincided with 149th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
On October 2, 2018, Secretary General, United Nations Mr Antonio Guterres addressed the First
Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA), 2nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Energy
Ministerial Meet, 2nd Global RE-Invest Meet & Expo hosted by Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy in New Delhi.
 The three events were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continued till
October 5, 2018.
 In his address in the 1st ISA Assembly, he announced the Climate Summit to be held in
December 2019 which will be convened by him. The summit will bring climate action to the
top of international agenda.
 In the 2nd IORA meeting, 2 MOUs were signed - one with IORA and the other with United
Nations Environment.
Attending the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention:
On October 2, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres attended the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention in New Delhi.
 It was organized by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to mark the beginning of
the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
 Here he also delivered a lecture at the India Habitat Centre on the theme of 'Global
challenges, global solutions’.
Commemorative postage stamps on Mahatma Gandhi, and a medley CD based on Mahatma

Gandhi’s favourite hymn - “Vaishnav Jana To” were launched.

Attending the 'Champions of Earth' ceremony
On October 3, 2018, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the Champions of the
Earth’ award to PM Narendra Modi.
 The award is shared between PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
 This was announced at the UN General Assembly held in New York in September 2018.
Inaugurating the new UN House in New Delhi:
On October 1, 2018, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres formally
inaugurated the UN House in the national capital Delhi.
Meeting with Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan
On October 2, 2018, UN secretary-General met Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan.He
proceeded to address the India Habitat Centre on Global Affairs on the theme 'Global challenges,
global solutions’.
Meeting with the President:
 On October 4, 2018, United Nations Secretary-General met President Ram Nath Kovind.
 They discussed on reform of the UN Security Council as per the challenges of the 21st
century.Along with India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have also opted for the reforms for
the UNSC.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2-day visit to India 2018
On October 4, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi commencing his on two-
day visit to India. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Visit Highlights:
 The Russian President attended the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit 2018 in New
Delhi.
 India signs $5.43 billion S-400 missile deal with Russia & 8 MoUs/Agreements Exchanged.
Trade and defence cooperation MOU worth $10 billion was signed between the countries.
o India signs $5.43 billion S-400 missile deal with Russia

o India and Russia signed their biggest defence deal in over two decades for Five S-
400 air defence systems with worth $5.43 billion ( Rs. 40,300 crore), surface-to-air
missile systemsbut they have to deal with the challenge of transferring the $5.43
billion for the contract in the face of financial sanctions by the US.
o The S-400 regiments will be delivered starting 2020 and are likely to be deployed to
cover both the Pakistani and Chinese borders.

o China was the first foreign buyer. Signed a $3 billion deal for integrating Six S-400 in
2014.
o U.S. has warned the deal could attract sanctions under the Countering America's
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law that restricts defence purchases
from Russia, Iran and North Korea.
About S-400 missile system:
 S-400 Triumf previously known as the S-300 PMU-3 is an anti-aircraft weapon system.
 Developed by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family.
 It has been in service with the Russian Armed Forces since 28 April 2007.
 The S-400 uses four missiles to fill its performance envelope: the very-long-range 40N6
(400 km), the long-range 48N6 (250 km), the medium-range 9M96E2 (120 km) and the
short-range 9M96E (40 km).
 One S-400 can launch 160 guided missiles simultaneously, engage 80 targets at a time.(2
Missile to attack 1 target).
 It can hit aircraft, cruise missiles and even fast-moving intermediate range ballistic missiles.
The S-400 has three components — the missile launchers themselves, a powerful radar and
a command centre.
 The radar can track targets 600 km away. For example, S-400 systems deployed in India can
track aircraft flying well outside the country's borders, which is a major threat deterrence to
the enemy's air force.
 The S-400 can engage almost every type of modern warplanes. Advanced jet fighters with
stealth capabilities will also find it difficult to operate in a battlespace where the S-400 is
deployed.

November 2018 Current Affairs

'Soura Jalanidhi' scheme launched in Odisha
On October 30, 2018, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched 'Soura Jalanidhi’
scheme.With an Objective to increase use of solar energy for helping farmers in irrigation.
 'Soura Jalanidhi’ is a dug well based solar pump irrigation system in convergence mode.
 The total cost of the scheme allocated by the state government is: Rs. 27.18 crore in the
2018-19 financial year.
 Under this scheme, 5,000 solar pumps will be provided to farmers at a subsidy of 90 per cent
to irrigate 2,500 acres of land.
 The Chief Minister distributed four go-ahead orders for installation of solar pump to the
farmers.
 Eligibility of the farmers for this scheme are:
o Having valid farmer identification,
o Belonging to small and marginal categories
o Having minimum 0.5 acrecultivable land and a dug well.
 Additionally, a web portal for the same has been launched by the CM.
 Entrepreneurship scheme Samruddhi launched in Karnataka
On October 31, 2018, Karnataka Social Welfare Department launched the Samruddhi scheme to
boost employment opportunities for SC/ST youth through entrepreneurship.With an Objective to
impart skill development and benefit aspiring, young citizens from rural and tier II cities.
 The scheme, targeted at socially marginalized communities to provide them with skill
development and alternate means of employment has a total cost of Rs.800 crore.
 For this, the government is partnering with private enterprises to train the youth from
backward communities.
 The training will include: retail management, taxation policies and GST, inventory
management, soft skills and logistics.
 To create industry owned private enterprise, the State government signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) with 30 retail companies.
 This will provide self-employment opportunities for around 25,000 beneficiaries from the
SC/ST communities.
 Additionally, the government will also provide a seed grant upto Rs. 10 lakh to deserving
youth to start their own franchises.
 Further, the department aims to create around 10,000 entrepreneurs annually in the next
three years.
Delhi government, Indian Railways partnered for Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana
On November 1, 2018, the Delhi government along with the Indian Railways launched a scheme to
give free tourism package for senior citizens travelling to 5 religious circuits.

The name of the scheme is: Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana.
 The MOU was signed by:

o The Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation Ltd., Delhi
government and
o The Indian Railways and Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in the presence of
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at the Delhi Secretariat in New Delhi.
 Under the scheme, 1100 senior citizens from all Delhi constituencies will be able to avail the
offer,
o The AAP government will bear expenses of 77,000 pilgrims every year,
o The destinations will include Vaishno Devi, Haridwar, Amritsar, Ajmer, Agra, and
would commence on December 2018,
o Non-AC coach with 15 coaches and paramedics and a government doctor will be
provided for them.
 The journey will start from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station.
Kerala govt scheme to provide free education to Ockhi-hit kids
On Nov.8 2018 The Kerala government has commenced a scheme to offer free education and
vocational training to the children of fishermen who died or went missing in the 2017 Ockhi cyclonic
storm.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that government would allocate Rs 13.92 crore
from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Benefits of the scheme:-
 It expects that 194 students, which includes children at all levels, from lower primary to
professional colleges, have been identified as beneficiaries.
 The scheme provide a package of:¬
o Rs 10,000 per year for children in classes from LKG to Class V,
o Rs 25,000 for children in classes 6 to 10,
o Rs 30,000 for higher secondary students and up to Rs 1,00,000 for students doing
graduation.
 This Project will continue till 2037.
MNRE presented draft Indian Wind Turbine Certification Scheme (IWTCS)
On November 13, 2018, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy prepared a draft of new Scheme
called Indian Wind Turbine Certification Scheme (IWTCS).
 This was done in consultation with National Institute of Wind Energy Chennai.
 The draft Scheme comprises of guidelines for the benefit of all the stakeholders from
concept to lifetime of wind turbine.
 This would benefit:
o Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
o End Users -Utilities, SNAs, Developers, IPPs, Owners, Authorities, Investors and
Insurers
o Certification Bodies

o Testing Laboratories.
 The draft scheme has been uploaded in the website: https://mnre.gov.in .
Kerala Government launches 'Gau Samridhi Plus scheme' for dairy farmers
On 16th November 2018, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the 'Gau Samridhi Plus
scheme’ or 'Cow Samridhi Plus Scheme’ to offer insurance coverage to dairy farmers in Kerala.
 Cow Samridhi Plus Scheme is a government subsidized scheme. It will provide insurance
coverage to dairy farmers at low premium rates.
 Farmers from general category will receive 50% subsidy on premium. Farmers from
Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) category will receive 70% subsidy on
premium.
 Also, the Kerala government in collaboration with the Central government has decided to
establish a regional autism and research centre at the National Institute of Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation (NIPMR) in Thrissur.
Himachal Pradesh government approved implementation of Sashakt Mahila Yojna
On November 20, 2018,the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai
Ram Thakur approved implementation of Sashakt Mahila Yojna in the State.
 It aims to empower rural women by providing them an interface for organization and socio-
economic development.
 The scheme would link rural women with sustainable livelihood opportunities and improving
their skill by imparting training.
 It also decided to implement the Himachal Healthcare Scheme (HIMCARE) in the state.The
cashless treatment coverage of Rs 5 lakh per year per family will be provided under the
scheme on family floater basis.
12 initiatives for Support and Outreach Initiative for MSME sector launched by PM Modi; Rs 1
crore loan in 59 minutes for MSMEs
On November 2, 2018, at the launching ceremony of Government's Support and Outreach Initiative
for MSME at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, PM Narendra Modi announced 12 key initiatives for the
growth and support of the MSME sector.
 The 12 initiatives would help address 5 aspects of growth for the sector, including access to
credit, access to market, technology upgradation, ease of doing business, and a sense of
security for employees.
 The 12 initiatives are as follows:
o Launch of the 59 minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for MSMEs and
grant of loans upto Rs. 1 crore through this portal,
o 2 percent interest subvention for all GST registered MSMEs, on fresh or incremental
loans. This would include increase in interest rebate from 3 percent to 5 percent for
exporters,
o Companies with a turnover more than Rs. 500 crore, to be brought on the Trade
Receivables e- Discounting System (TReDS).

o Public sector companies to compulsorily procure 25 percent, instead of 20 percent

of their total purchases, from MSMEs,
o 25 percent procurement mandated from MSMEs, 3 percent must now be reserved
for women entrepreneurs,
o All public sector undertakings of the Union Government must now compulsorily be a
part of Government E-marketplace (GeM),
o 20 technology hubs will be formed across the country, and 100 spokes in the form of
tool rooms will be established.
o 70 percent cost of establishing pharma company clusters will be borne by the Union
Government,
o Return under 8 labour laws and 10 Union regulations must now be filed only once a
year,
o Establishments to be visited by an Inspector will be decided through a computerised
random allotment.
o Under air pollution and water pollution laws, an entrepreneur would now receive a
merged environmental clearance and consent. Hewill himself review the work of
MSMEs in 100 districts.
o For minor violations under the Companies Act, the entrepreneur will no longer have
to approach the Courts, but can correct them through simple procedures.
 The implementation of this outreach programme will be intensively monitored over the next
100 days.
 He also proposed a social security for the MSME sector employees to ensure that they have
Jan Dhan Accounts, provident fund and insurance.
President Kovind inaugurated 2-day Gyan Kumbh in Haridwar
On November 3, 2018, a two-day Gyan Kumbh was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind at
Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.With an Objective to inculcate good manners and character building
in the students.
 He also addressed the first convocation of the AIIMS at Rishikesh.

 Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, Higher Education Minister Dhan Singh
Rawat and Swami Ramdev were also present on the occasion.
Arunachal Pradesh Tourist Police & Arunachal Suraksha App launched to help visitors
On 2nd November 2018, Arunachal Pradesh Police launched the Arunachal Pradesh Tourist Police
and the Arunachal Suraksha App to help the citizens during emergencies.
 Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched the Arunachal Pradesh Tourist
Police and the Arunachal Suraksha App at a function held at Dorjee Khandu Convention
Centre in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
 The launch was part of the 46th Raising Day celebration of Arunachal Pradesh Police, which
started on 2nd November and will conclude on 8th November 2018.
 Through Arunachal Suraksha App, users can find the nearest police station and contact
details and make direct call to police by pressing a button.

 This mobile app is first of its kind for Arunachal Pradesh police. It also has the capacity to
send SOS message to emergency contacts.
 By pressing the 'Save Me’ button, user can send message to the nearest police station.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the iconic 'Signature Bridge’:
 It is being dubbed as 'Delhi’s Eiffel Tower’.

 The estimated cost of the project is: Rs. 1,594 crore.
Physical overview:
 The 675-metre Signature Bridge is an 8-lane carriageway that is being projected as India’s
first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge, with the gesture ‘namaste’.
 It has 127 strands of back-stay cables and houses a 154-metre-high glass viewing box, which
is at double the height of Qutub Minar.
 It has 4 elevators which will take a total of 50 people to the top of the bridge.
Benefits:
 Built over Yamuna River, it will reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi
and share the burden of the Wazirabad Bridge.
 It will also connect the Outer Ring Road on the western bank of the Yamuna river with
Wazirabad Road on the eastern side.
'Mo bus service' launched in Odisha
On 6th November 2018, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the technology-driven and
citizen- friendly 'Mo bus’ service in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
 Mo bus service has facilities like: free wi-fi, CCTV surveillance, public information display
system and on board announcements.
 Mo bus service will cover 9 routes in Bhubaneswar in the first phase. Mo Bus mobile app will
also be launched through which passengers can book tickets and find the locations of the
vehicle.
 Mo bus service has been launched for the residents of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri.
Nearly 300 buses will be launched in 3 phases.
QR-enabled fridge magnets for digital payment of bills launched by NDMC
On November 4, 2018, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) launched a “smart” initiative to
distribute quick response-enabled smiley fridge magnets to its consumers.This is a collaborative
project between: NDMC, a Delhi-based retail tech startup called SignCatch and the Axis Bank for the
initiative.With an Objective to facilitate digital payment of utility bills.
 This technology has been developed by: SignCatch - an IT and services company.
 Initially, NDMC aims to give the magnets to 25,000 of its electricity and water consumers
across Lutyens’ Delhi.

 NDMC will provide separate magnets to its consumers’ doorstep for both electricity and
water bills.
 The customers can stick these magnets on their refrigerators at home and use their
smartphones to scan the QR Code on the magnet to pay their bills instantly.
Functionality:
 The magnets are personalized and each customer will have a unique QR Code mapped to
their consumer account number.
 The QR Code will redirect the consumers to their current bill with an option to pay using any
of the digital payment channels active with NDMC like credit/debit cards, net banking,
wallet, and UPI.
Benefits:
 These magnets would be extremely useful in cases where a consumer misplaces the pending
paper bills.
 These will reduce collection costs and expedite revenue realization.
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio launched GPS mapping of govt schools
On November 6, 2018, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched GPS Mapping of Government
Schools and Personnel Location System in Kohima.
 This would help in computerization and digitization of records of all the government schools.
 This is a first in the country initiative and was under taken by the School Education
Department of the state.
TN got approval from SEBI to launch State Shelter Fund to fund affordable housing
On November 10, 2018, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) gave nod to
Tamil Nadu for launching its State Shelter Fundfor attracting investments in the affordable housing
segment.
 The fund’s name is: Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund. And this is the category-I Alternative
Investment Fund.
 This was announced at an event called 'Innovative and Alternative Finance for Business and
Infrastructure Development in India’.It was organized by the United Economic Forum (UEF)
Chamber of Commerce and World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation (WIEF).
 A total of USD 350 million was raised for 1st phase funding from both local and international
investors.
 UEF and WIEF aims of attracting 1 per cent of sovereign wealth fund investments,
amounting to USD 33 billion under the fund.
 Under the fund, the state already identified over 200 infrastructure projects requiring
investments of approximately USD 250 billion.
'Bhubaneswar Me Wi-Fi' launched by Odisha Chief Minister

On 5th November 2018, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Bhubaneswar Me Wi-
Fi’ project to make Bhubaneswar a fully Wi-Fi enabled city before the Hockey World Cup.
 This project has been implemented by the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited.
 In Phase-I 100 hotspots with 275 access points have been launched. It will be followed by
100 locations in the Phase II.
 Gradually, the hotspot locations will be increased to 518 with 1,800 access points.
 Internet speed will be 2mbps. Each user will get 250mb free data per day. After exceeding
this limit user can pay and use the Wi-Fi.
 A person should be within 300 m reach of the access point to use the Wi-Fi. One Wi-Fi
hotspot can handle 150 users at a given point of time.
 With this move, Bhubaneswar will become a global Smart City with 500 hotspots throughout
the city.
Power Minister inaugurated 3-day INSPIRE 2018 in New Delhi
On November 11, 2018, Shri R K Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable
Energy inaugurated 3-day second edition of INSPIRE in New Delhi.
Full form of INSPIRE: International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy
Efficiency.
 The 2018 edition was organized by: Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and World
Bank.
 The 3-day symposium focused on:
o Enhancing grid management,
o e-Mobility,
o Financial instruments and
o Technologies for energy efficiency in India.
 A first-of-its-kind energy innovation challenge dubbed #InnovateToINSPIRE was organized.
 As a part of this event, the minister gave away awards to four pathbreaking innovations in
clean energy and energy efficiency among 94 entries.
 The winning entries received an award of Rs. 5 lakhs, each, along with mentoring and
guidance from EESL to help them bring their solutions to market.
As part of the event, EESL and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement for a Global
Environment Facility (GEF) grant of USD 13 million to establish an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund
(EERF).
 EESL and GAIL, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL (India) Limited signed a MoU to develop
natural gas based cogeneration and trigeneration projects in Commercial & Industrial
Sectors in India.
About EESL:

 Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power,
Government of India.
 Chairman: Shri Rajeev Sharma.
North East's first 'water handloom hut' inaugurated in Manipur
On November 12, 2018, Tripura's forest and tribal welfare minister, Mevar Kumar Jamatia,
inaugurated first ever “Water Handloom Hut” in the North East region at Loktak Lake in Imphal,
Manipur.
 It is part of the 5 water handloom huts built on phumdis (floating biomass) at Loktak Lake in
Bishnupur district.
 The water handloom huts were built at the cost of Rs 75,000 each by the state department
of textiles, commerce and industries.
 The huts will improve the socio-economic conditions of the weavers residing in the phumdis
at Laktak Lake and build tourism.
PM in Varanasi, dedicates projects worth over Rs. 2400 crores
On November 12, 2018, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
 During his visit, he dedicated, inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs.
2413 crore.
 The following lists of projects inaugurated:
o An inland port in Varanasi on the Ganga River connecting Uttar Pradesh holy city and
Haldia in West Bengal for navigation of large vessels, worth Rs. 5,369.18 crore, with
aid from World Bank.
o Construction of Multimodal T erminal on the River Ganga at Ramnagar,
o Varanasi Ring Road Phase 1,
o Construction for four laning of Babatpur-Varanasi Section of NH-56.
 He also pointed out that projects worth Rs. 23,000 crore have been approved under
Namaami Gange so far.
UNICEF- Atal Tinkering Lab Hackthon launched jointly by NITI Aayog and UNICEF on Children's Day
2018
On November 14, 2018, NITI Aayog and UNICEF launched UNICEF- Atal Tinkering LabHackthon to
commemorate Children’s Day.With an Objective to encourage children towards making new
innovations.
 It is a 72-hour problem solving quest whose winners will be announced on 20th of

November.
 This is a part of the Atal Tinkering Labs and Atal Innovation Mission.
 During the Children’s Day Week, from November 14- 20 2018, AIM and UNICEF are jointly
seeking linkages to create a platform of innovation.
 On October 2, 2017, AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) launched 6-month long nationwide
challenge called the Atal Tinkering Marathon, across six different thematic areas, namely,

clean energy, water resources, waste management, healthcare, smart mobility and agri-
technology.
 Among over 650 innovations, 30 were chosen and everal prizes including a three month-long
ATL Student Innovator Program in partnership with industry and start-up incubators.
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma Inaugurates 38th India International Trade Fair in New Delhi
On 14th November 2018, the 38th edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) was inaugurated by
Union Minister of State for Culture, Mahesh Sharma at Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi.
 Theme of the 38th IITF was: 'Rural Enterprises in India’. The event will take place for 14 days.
It will end on 27th November 2018.
 For the 38th IITF, Afghanistan is the Partner Country. Nepal is the Focus Country. Jharkhand
is the Partner State.
 Nearly, 800 participants from various States, government departments and domestic and
international companies are taking part in the IITF to display their products.
 IITF will act as a platform for all kind of businesses to exhibit their excellence and services to
trade, industry and public.
Union Agriculture Minister launched NCDC's new scheme to promote young entrepreneurs in
cooperatives
On November 14, 2018, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched of a scheme named
“Yuva Sahakar- Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme”.This scheme was launched
while inaugurating the 65th All India Cooperative Week organised by the National Cooperative
Union of India (NCUI) in New Delhi.With an Objective to provide cheaper loans to startups in the
cooperative sector.
 This scheme will be implemented by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

by linking it to Rs 1000 crore 'Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF) created by it.
 This schemes would provide term loans with 2% less than the applicable rate of interest to
projects costing up to Rs 3 crore including 2 years moratorium on payment of principal.
 General category projects would be provided 70% of the project cost whereas special
catergories would be getting a up to 80% of the project cost.
 Hence more incentives will be provided for cooperatives of North Eastern region,
Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.
 This is a part of Sahakar 22, a Mission for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022, embarked on
by NCDC.
LEAP and ARPIT: 2 new programmes for higher education faculty launched by MoS HRD
On November 13, 2018, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Dr. Satya Pal
Singh launched two new initiatives namely, Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP) and
Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) in New Delhi.Additionally, he also released
information brochures of both the initiatives.
About LEAP:

 The full form of LEAP is: Leadership for Academicians Programme.

 It will be a three weeks Flagship leadership development training programme (2 weeks
domestic and one week foreign training) for second level academic functionaries in public
funded higher education institutions.
 The main objective is to prepare second tier academic heads to assume leadership roles in
the future.
 This will help fulfill this critical need which will make higher education institutions perform.
 It will be implemented through 15 NIRF top ranked Indian Institutions. They are: Indian
Institute of Technology Roorkee; IIT Kanpur; NIT Trichy; Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER) Kolkata; Jawaharlal Nehru University; IIT (BHU); University of Delhi;
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay; TISS Mumbai; University of Hyderabad ; NIEPA,
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur; Jamia Milia Islamia; Banaras Hindu University and
AMU.
 The foreign collaborating Universities identified for the training are also within the top 100
in the world global rankings. They are:University of Michigan; NTU Singapore; Harvard
University; Purdue University, USA ; University of Chicago; University of Pennsylvania /
Stanford; Monash University; London School of Economics/ Oxford University; University of
Cambridge and University of Virginia, USA.
About ARPIT:
 Full form of ARPIT is: Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching.

 It would include online professional development of 15 lakh higher education faculty using
the MOOCs platform SWAYAM.
 75 discipline-specific institutions have been identified and notified as National Resource
Centres (NRCs) in the first phase of its implementation.
 These NRCs will cater to around 13 lakh faculty of the total 15 lakh faculty in higher
education.
 They have been tasked to prepare online training material with focus on latest
developments in various disciplines containing courses of 40 hourmodule with 20 hours of
video content and 20 hours of non-video content.
 The courses will remain open from 1st November, 2018 to 28th February, 2019.
Portal for SWAYAM:
Delhi Police Commissioner launches e-learning portal 'NIPUN'
On 14th November 2018, the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched ‘NIPUN’, an e-
learning portal to impart in-service training to its personnel.
 NIPUN aims to provide online training and information through specialized courses designed
by experts.
 It aims to enable information sharing between the faculty and trainees at the Police Training
Institutes of the Delhi Police.

 It will help police officers investigating cases by offering online resource and information on
law, standing orders, investigation checklists, forms for case files, latest High Court and
Supreme Court rulings.
 Most of the courses have been developed in-house. Some have been developed in
collaboration with the University Grant Commission (UGC), FICCI (Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry), NHRC (National Human Rights Commission), NCPCR
(National Commission for Protection of Child Rights), and Janaki Devi Memorial College,
Delhi University (DU) under the project “The Collaborative Learning and Partnership” (CLAP).
Biotechnology Policy 2018 launched by Odisha government to promote biotechnology

investments
On November 15, 2018, the Odisha government launched a Biotechnology Policy 2018 at the Make
in Odisha Conclave held in Bhubaneswar.With an Objective to make Odisha a top biotech investment
destination in the country.
 This is a part of the development of the biotechnology sector in Odisha which will be based
on three key pillars - innovation, entrepreneurship and investment.
 According to the Biotechnology Policy 2018,
o The government would provide full support for formation of public-private
partnerships, bio incubation centres and biotech finishing schools,
o It will give attractive incentives for stakeholders to invest in Odisha
 In the Summit, Odisha government had signed an agreement with ITES, Singapore to
building a 64 acre skill development centre named 'Odisha Biotech Park' in Bhubaneswar to
support the biotechnology sector in the state.
 For this project, Bharat Biotech has shown interest to invest Rs. 500 crore to set up a vaccine
manufacturing unit over an area of 33 acres.
Two important North East Circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Central Tourism Ministry
inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh
Two important projects were inaugurated on November 15 under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at PTSO Lake in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.These projects
are launched as a part of Development of North East Circuit:
 Bhalukpong - Bomdila - Tawang Project:It was sanctioned by Ministry of tourism in March

2015 for Rs. 49.77 Crores.
 Nafra - Seppa - Pappu, Pasa, Pakke Valley - Sangdupota - New Sagalee - Ziro - Yomcha
Project: It was sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism in December 2015 for Rs. 97.14 Crores.
 These projects were jointly inaugurated by Union Minister of tourism, Mr. K.J. Alphons, Chief
Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr. Pema Khandu and Minister of tourism, Govt. of
Arunachal Pradesh, Mr. Jarkar Gamlin.
Swadesh Darshan Scheme
India has a rich Cultural, Historical, Natural and Religious heritage which provides a huge potential
for development of tourism in the country. So Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched with an

objective to develop theme based tourist circuits in India. These tourist circuits will attract
international and national tourists and provide jobs to thousands of people. 13 Thematic Circuits
have been identified for development under this scheme. These are North- East India Circuit,
Himalaya Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Desert Circuit, Rural Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Tribal
Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Heritage Circuit, Eco Circuit and Wildlife Circuit. Rs.
959.91 Crore has been allocated in this year’s Union Budget for Development of tourist circuits
under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
 Swadesh Darshan is one of the flagship project of tourism ministry and till date 73 Projects
worth Rs 5874 Crore has been sanctioned to different states and UTs.
 For Development of Tourism Infrastructure in North East States, Ministry of tourism has
sanctioned 16 Projects worth Rs. 1349 under Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD (Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) Scheme.
 Two Coastal Circuits were inaugurated earlier in September 2018 in Andhra Pradesh under
Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
Achievements:
1.69 lakh foreign tourist visits during 2017 as against 1.45 lakh in 2016 registering a growth of 16.7%
over 2016.Domestic Tourist Visits reached to 95.47 lakhs in the year 2017 against 77.71 lakhs
registering impressive double digit growth of 22.8% over 2016.
P.M Modi laid foundation of India's first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal,
Haryana
On 19th November 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of India's first Sri
Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal district of Haryana.
 Prime Minister also inaugurated two projects in Haryana:Western Peripheral Expressway

(WPE), also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal stretch.3.2 km-long Escorts Mujesar-
Ballabgarh corridor of Delhi Metro’s Violet Line.
 WPE is expected to divert over 50,000 heavy vehicles away from Delhi. It is 136-kilometre
long. It is a six- lane expressway. It has been built at a cost of over Rs 6,400 crore.
 It will offer high-speed link between northern and southern districts of Haryana.
 Escorts Mujesar-Ballabhgarh corridor of the Delhi Metro will make commuting easy for over
2 lakh people.
 Ballabhgarh will be the fourth city in Haryana to be connected by metro. This makes the
total length of Metro to 29 kilometres in Haryana.
Grand challenge for improving Ease of Doing Business in the Startup India Portal launched in New
Delhi: PM Narendra Modi
On November 19, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a grand challenge, in the Startup
India Portal platform, for improving the Ease of Doing Business in New Delhi.

 This iniative will invite innovative ideas based on cutting-edge technology to reform
Government processes and better India’s Ease of Doing Business rank.
 This is a step towards PM’s vision of achieving the goal of 50th position in the Ease of Doing
Business.
Andhra Pradesh launches Bhuseva programme and Bhudaar web portal to make land records
accessible to people
 On 20th November 2018, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched
Bhuseva programme and Bhudaar web portal to make land records available to people, in
Amaravati.
 Under the Bhuseva programme, each agriculture land holding and rural and urban
properties in Andhra Pradesh will be allotted a unique 11-digit identity number called
“Bhudaar”.
 All revenue land-related transactions like mutation, registration etc. will be performed using
Bhudaar card.
 Temporary Bhudhaar number starts with 99. Permanent Bhudaar will start with 28. If it is a
government land, 28 is followed by 00.
 Two types of Bhudaar cards are available: e-Bhudaar and M-Bhudaar. Chief Minister also
launched Bhudaar security policy to provide security to the land records.
 The Bhudaar card can be availed from Bhudaar portal as well as from Mee seva centres.
Institution's Innovation Council, innovation cell for higher education institutions launched by HRD
Ministry in New Delhi
On November 22, 2018, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the Institution's Innovation
Council through video conferencing at the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi.
 The objective of this initiative is to encourage, inspire and nurture young students by
exposing them to new ideas.
 More than 1000 Higher Education Institutions have already formed IICs in their campuses to
promote innovation.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath launched Month-long Nari Sashaktikaran Sankalp Abhiyan or
Women Empowerment campaign in Lucknow
On November 20, 2018, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched month-long Nari
Sashaktikaran Sankalp Abhiyan or Women Empowerment campaign in Lucknow.
 It is aimed to empower women in the state through various programmes including

education, self¬employment, health, cleanliness, nutrition.
 For the awareness of the campaign, women officers and female staff of the state
government will go door-to- door in villages to educate women about the schemes.

Telangana CEO Dr Rajat Kumar inaugurated five-day exhibition on 'Our Vote- Our Future' in
Hyderabad
On November 26, 2018, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rajat Kumar inaugurated a five-day
exhibition on “Our Vote- Our Future” in Hyderabad.
 This exhibition was organized by the Regional Outreach Bureau of Information and
Broadcasting Ministry.
 It aims to increase the polling percentage at least 10 per cent.
 46 panels of photos were displayed depicting election process to prepare Telangana for
polling which is going to be held on 7th December 2018.
70-feet tall second highest statue of Lord Buddha unveiled at Rajgir in Nalanda district in Bihar by
CM of Bihar
On November 25, 2018, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled a 70-feet tall statue of Lord
Buddha at Rajgir in Nalanda district, Bihar.He also inaugurated a three-day Rajgir Mahotsava.
 This is the second tallest statue of Buddha in the country.

 The statue is made of 45,000 cubic foot pink sandstone and has been installed above a 16-
metre radius pedestal in the middle of Lake Ghora Katora.
Karnataka Government and Numa launched 'DataCity' urban challenge in Bengaluru
On November 23, 2018, Karnataka government in partnership with start-up accelerator Numa,
launched an initiative called ‘DataCity’ inBengaluru.
 It will be jointly organised by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and
French utility company Suez.
About DataCity:
 It will be a 7-month innovative programme that will enable corporates to identify the
relevant innovative start-ups.
 These start-ups will be chosen based on the solutions they provide using data and
technology, for addressing cities’ challenges.
 The areas of opportunity that could be explored are: mobility, water and waste
management, energy, smart buildings, security and pollution management.
Himachal Pradesh became first State to launch single emergency number '112' under ERSS
On November 28, 2018, Himachal Pradesh became the first Indian state to launch a single
emergency number “112”, connecting police, fire, health and other helplines through an Emergency
Response Centre (ERC) in the state.Central government provided financial assistance of Rs. 4.71
crore and 13 vehicles for the implementation of the project in the state.
 One ERC has been established in Shimla and 12 District Command Centres have been made
available across the state.

 The ERC has been integrated with police (100), fire (101), health (108) and women helpline
(1090) services via single emergency number 112.
 The service is part of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) under which '112
India’ mobile app is available and has been integrated with panic button of smartphones and
ERSS state website.
 Additionally, a ‘SHOUT’ feature has been introduced in '112 India’ mobile app, exclusively for
women, to seek immediate assistance.
To implement the ERSS project across the country, the Central government allocated Rs. 321.69
crore under Nirbhaya fund.
Jashn-e-Virasat-e-Urdu: Festival to celebrate Urdu heritage and culture
On 10th November 2018, Delhi government announced “Jashn-e-Virasat-e-Urdu”, a festival to

celebrate Urdu culture and its heritage.
 This festival aims to promote the growth of Urdu as a language. It is a 6-day festival. It will
end on November 15, 2018.
 It was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, at Central Park, Connaught
Place, in New Delhi.
 Various artistes and artforms practising Urdu including traditional forms like Chaar Bait,
which is a rare traditional style of singing in Urdu, Dastangoi and Kissagoi will be performed.
Four day 3rd India International Cherry Blossom Festival celebrated in Meghalaya
On November 14, 2018, the 4-day 3rd India International Cherry Blossom Festival was celebrated at
Polo 5th Ground, Shillong, Meghalaya.
 The festival celebrates the unique autumn flowering of the Himalayan Cherry Blossoms.
 The 2018 edition was inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of
Japanese Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu.
 The four-day long festival was organised by:
o The Forest and Environment Department, Govt of Meghalaya,
o Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development and
o Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
 The Japanese presence and participation turned it into an international event and
strengthening of relationship has been the main criteria.
 Alongside many cultural event, several Japanese cultural events, a Japanese Food Pavilion
and a Higher Education Stall in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in India was
established.
 During the programme, the Chief Minister handed over the Meghalaya Entrepreneurship
Recognition Award (MEG-ERA) to Perastill R Sangma, an entrepreneur from Garo Hills.
15-day Aadi Mahotsav festival commenced in Delhi
On November 16, 2018, 15-day Aadi Mahotsav festival commenced in the national capital Delhi. It
would be attended by Tribal Affairs MinisterJual Oram.

 The theme of the festival is 'Celebration of the spirit of tribal culture, craft, cuisine and
commerce’.
 There are 2 venues of the festival- Delhi Haat and Central Park in New Delhi.
 It will feature exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery and
much more through one hundred stalls.
 The highlights of the festival are expected to be fashion show for tribal textiles and tribal
cuisines.
Nongkrem dance festival celebrated in Meghalaya
On 11th and 12th November 2018, Nongkrem dance festival, was celebrated by the people of the
Khasi Hills, in Meghalaya.
 This festival is celebrated annually. People pray for good harvest, peace, and prosperity of
the community.
 A unique dance named “Ka Shad Mastieh” is performed by the male members of Hima
Khyrim, a sub-tribe of the indigenous Khasi tribe.
 At the beginning of the celebrations a goat sacrifice ceremony is done at Smit located 15
kilometers to the southwest of Shillong.
Jashne Bachpan : 9-day 14th edition of international children's theatre festival held in New Delhi
From 17 to 25th November 2018, the 9-day 14th edition of Jashne Bachpan, a theatre festival for
children, commenced at the Sammukh, Abhimanch, Abhikalp and Little Theatre Group (LTG)
auditorium in New Delhi.The theatrical event will conclude on November 25, 2018.With an Objective
to bring theatre into prominence.
 The festival has been organized by National School of Drama’s (NSD) Theatre in Education
(TIE) Company.
 It will witness 21 productions from India and 3 foreign groups including Sri Lanka
(non¬verbal), Switzerland (English) and Indonesia (Javanese).
 The plays will be performed in vernacular languages like Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, and
Malayalam besides non-verbal, English, Hindi and other foreign languages.
 The plays during the festival have been divided into four categories. They are: By children, by
children and adults, by adults for children and puppetry performances.
 This concept will encourage children to incorporate art and culture along with
entertainment.
KONNICHI WA PUNE: First 2-day Indo-Japan Business Council's business festival held in Pune
On 17th & 18th November, 2018, the 2-day First Indo-Japan Business Council- KONNICHI WA PUNE
Festival concluded in Pune, Maharashtra.
 It was organized by the Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC).

 The festival aimed to boost investment, promote businesses and cultural exchange between
India and Japan.

 Maharashtra has emerged as one of the top destinations for the Japanese companies
operating 750 out of the total 1309 Japanese firms in the country.For more information:
Click Here.
24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival
 From 10th to 17th November 2018, 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF
2018) was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.
 KIFF 2018 was inaugurated at Netaji Indoor Stadium, in Kolkata, by West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee. A Bengali film directory with the movies from 1917 to 2017 was
launched.
 Highlight of the festival was 100 years of Bengali cinema. Australia was the focus country for
KIFF 2018.
 Nearly 171 movies and 150 short films from 70 countries were screened in 16 screens.
 A centenary tribute was given to French film critic Andre Bazin and Swedish director Ingmar
Bergman.
 'Antony Phiringi’ was the inaugural movie. A special theatre play named 'Hirala Bioscope’
was staged.
Award winners:
 Vietnamese film The Third Wife - Best Film award (Rs 51 lakh)
 Abu Bakr Shawky - Best Director award (Rs 21 lakh)
 Widow of Silence - Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Film in Indian Language category
 Arijit Biswas - Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Director (5 lakh)
 The Sweet Requiem - Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Asian Select
Award.Click here to read the entire winners of 24th edition of Kolkata International Film
Festival (KIFF 2018).
J-K Governor inaugurated annual week-long 'Jhiri Mela' festival in Jammu
On November 23, 2018, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik inaugurated a week long
annual 'Jhiri Mela’ festival at village Jhiri in Jammu district.
 The governor announced the construction of a ‘Sarai’ (inn) at village Jhiri for the devotees.
 The annual fair is celebrated as a commemoration to the memory of a martyred farmer
named, 'Baba Jittoo’.
 A cultural programme comprising folk songs and a Dogri dance was presented by the Jammu
and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages on the occasion.
Baba Jittoo, a farmer gave up his life about 500 years ago in protest against the oppressive demands
of a land lord.
3-day annual Jangalmahal Festival began in West Bengal
On November 23, 2018, a three-day-long annual ‘Jangalmahal’ festival began in the adjoining
forested areas of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal.Initiated and

organized by the 'Jangal Mahal Udyog’, the festival aims to revive and popularise the culture and
heritage of Jangal Mahal.
Odisha's Baliyatra festival inaugurated
On 23rd November 2018 the historic Bali Yatra festival was inaugurated in Cuttack, Odisha on the
occasion of Kartik Purnima by State Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera.
 The 10 days long festival is the largest trade fair in Orissa and is likely to witness a footfall of
millions of people and more than 1500 makeshift stalls to showcase a wide range of
products, including ethnic items brought by artisans from across the country.
 It is held on the banks of Mahanadi river in Cuttack, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas
(ancient meriners) would set sail to distant lands of Bali, for trade and cultural expansion.
UP govt in partnership with Japan to develop 'food value chain'
On October 30, 2018, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet presided over by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
cleared a proposal for the development of 'Food Value Chain’ in the state.
 The 'Food Value Chain’ will be developed by:UP government and Japan’s agriculture,
forestry and fisheries department.
 Under the agreement, in the first five years, Japanese companies will invest in agri-related
and food-related industries.
MHA approved Rs.194.44 crore Safe City Project for Lucknow under Nirbhaya Fund
On November 1, 2018, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a Safe City project for
Lucknow at a total cost of Rs.194.44 crore.
 The project would be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre and State
sharing the funding in 60:40 ratio, under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme.
 This is a part of MHA’s plans to implement Safe City projects in 8 selected cities, under
Nirbhaya Fund. These cities are:Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
 The projects are to be implemented in consultation with Ministry of Women and Child
Development, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Electronic and Information
Technology, respective Municipal & Police Commissioners of the cities and civil society
organizations.
 For Lucknow, The Safe city proposal will be implemented by Uttar Pradesh Police.
About The Safe City Project:
 Features of the project include the following:

o Setting up an Integrated Smart Control Room;
o Setting up Pink Out-posts (exclusively administered by Women police) for facilitating
ease of filing complaint by women;
o Pink Patrols of Women police;
o Setting up Women Help Desks in all Police Stations with Counsellors;

o Augmentation of existing Asha Jyoti Kendra;

o Implementing Safety measures in buses, including Cameras;
o Improving Street Lighting in identified Hot Spot areas;
o Setting up Pink Toilets;
o Integration of Women power-help line with single Emergency number ‘112’
o Gender sensitization awareness campaigns.
Location tracking devices, emergency buttons mandatory for new public service vehicles: MORTH
On October 31, 2018, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways mandated that all new public
service vehicles except auto rickshaws and e-Rickshaws, registered on and after 1st January 2019 to
be equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking ( VLT )with emergency buttons.With an Objective to
ensure safety of passengers especially women.
 In case of older public service vehicles -those registered upto 31st December,2018, the
respective State/ UT Governments will notify the date by which these vehicles have to install
Vehicle Location Tracking Device and Panic Buttons.
 Command and Control Centres will be setup by the State or VLT manufacturers or any other
agency authorised by the State Government.
 These will act as interface to state emergency response centre, the transport department or
Regional Transport Offices, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
 They will also provide feed to the VAHAN data base or the relevant data base of the State
with regard to the over speeding, device health status.
 The details of each VLT device will be uploaded on the VAHAN database by the VLT device
manufacturer.
 Every year, VLT device manufacturers will get their devices tested after first certification
from the testing agencies referred to in rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
 Furthermore, the State or Union Territories will publish Internet Protocol address (IP
address) and Short Message Service Gateway (SMS gateway) details of their respective
emergency response system where VLT devices will send the emergency alerts on press of
emergency button.
First-ever India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property held in New Delhi
On October 31, 2018, the first ever India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property was held in New
Delhi.With an Objective to deepen bilateral strategic cooperation on IP policy.
 The dialogue was launched by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center
(GIPC) and FICCI in partnership with the US-India Business Council.
 It was decided to be convened annually, alternating between New Delhi and Washington,
DC.
 The main topics of discussion were:patent filing, regulatory landscape, copyright and
infringement, technology transfer and enforcement.
 It would help identify solutions, and also share technical knowledge and expertise.

Formed in 1975 at the request of the US and Indian governments, the US-India Business Council is a
business advocacy organisation comprised of 350 top-tier US and Indian companies advancing US-
India commercial ties.
Emerging Trends in Aviation Engineering and Logistics (AVIAMAT - 2018) held in New Delhi
On November 1, 2018, a two day seminar on 'Emerging Trends in Aviation Engineering and Logistics’
(AVIAMAT-2018) concluded at Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, in New Delhi .
 It was organized by the Indian Air Force and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Birender
Singh Dhanoa delivered the key note address.
 The focus of the seminar was usable emerging and futuristic innovative aviation
technologies.
 It saw participation of aviation experts from three services, Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) and start ups from
the private sector.
 Important topics of discussion were:
o Path Breaking Aviation Engineering Technologies,
o Indigenous Development of Innovative Technologies,
o Emerging Trends in Aviation Fuel Management,
o Emerging Trends in Aviation T raining and
o Evolving Technologies in Military Aviation Sensors.
Rs 229.05 Crore release of central share from State Disaster Response fund (SDRF) to Andhra
Pradesh approved by Centre
On October 31, 2018, the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh approved release of 2nd
installment of Central Share of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in advance for the year 2018-19,
to help the State in providing relief measures to the affected people.
 The amount approved was Rs. 229.05 crore.

 The first installment for the same amount was released to Andhra Pradesh in June 2018.
 This is a part of the release for the effect of cyclone TITLI that landed in Andhra Pradesh on
October 11,
 2018.
 As per report by IMCT(Inter-Ministerial Central Team), further assistance will be provided
from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Government of India constituted an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) immediately based on

appeal from Government of Andhra Pradesh on 22nd October 2018. IMCT has visited cyclonic
storm.'Titli’ affected areas in the State from 24th to 26th October 2018.
The Fourth NITI Aayog- DRC Dialogue Held in Mumbai
On November 1, 2018, the 4th Dialogue of the NITI Aayog - Development Research Centre (DRC) of
the State Council, Peoples' Republic of China was held in Mumbai.
 The Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Li Wei, President of DRC and

 The Indian delegation was led by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
 This is the second ministerial dialogue between China and India since the meeting of Chinese
President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Johannesburg during the
BRICS summit in July 2018.
 The Fifth edition of the NITI - DRC Dialogue will be held in Wuhan, China in November, 2019
1st 'Annual Senior Care Conclave - Igniting Industry for India's Ageing Sector' held in New Delhi
On November 2, 2018, 1st 'Annual Senior Care Conclave - Igniting Industry for India’s Ageing Sector’
held at the Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
 It was hosted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with Columbia Pacific
Communities as their Premium Partner .
 Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India,
Ms. Anupriya Patel delivered the key note address and released the CII report- “Igniting
Potential in Senior Care Services”.
 The conclave aimed to discuss, debate and catalyze the growth of the sector by unlocking
latent and potential opportunities.
 It consisted of 4 planery sessions and 2 special sessions. They are as follows:
o Plenary Session 1: CEO Panel Discussion on Senior Care Sector - emerging trends.
The focus of the plenary session was on ways to unlock the potential of the Senior
Care sector.
o Plenary Session 2: Inclusive Growth and dev for elders in India - bridging the gap.
The session was powered by Columbia Pacific Communities.
o Special Plenary Session 1: “International Best Practices in Senior Care”. The session
highlighted best practices and globally relevant trends in the sector.
o Plenary Session 3:”Inspiring capital markets to improve liquidity in senior care
services”.
o Special Plenary Session 2: “Building New partnership in Senior care.”
o Plenary Session 4: “Torchbearers of the evergreen future.” The session was powered
by Seniority India.
Initiatives of the Health Ministry in Senior Care sector:
In her address in the Conclave, Minister of state Smt Anupriya Patel highlighted the initiative of the
Health Ministry in this regard with the “National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE)”
scheme.
 It addresses various health related issues aims to provide dedicated health care facilities to
the senior citizens (>60 year of age) at various level of primary, secondary and tertiary health
care.
 Some strategies if of the NPHCE are:
 Preventive and promotive care, management of illness, health manpower development for
geriatric services, medical rehabilitation & therapeutic intervention and IEC.
 It was launched in 100 identified districts of 21 States and Eight Regional Geriatrics Centres
in selected medical colleges during the 11th plan period.

 As on March 2018, 520 districts in 34 states and UT’s had been sanctioned along with 19
regional geriatric centres in government medical colleges of 18 states.
 2 National Centres for Ageing(NCA) in AIIMS Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai
have been sanctioned to be centres of excellence.
 In 2018-19, 79 more districts have been recommended, taking the number of districts
sanctioned for provision of geriatric care services to 599 districts.
SMiLE virtual tour guide to give fillip to Malabar tourism: Kerala
On October 31, 2018, to give boost to Malabar tourism, the Kerala Tourism Department launched a
'SMiLE Virtual Tour Guide’ site for the region in north Kerala.
 SMiLE is the acronym for: 'Small and Medium Industries Leveraging Experiential’ Tourism.
 It was conceived by and executed by Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) that
focuses on eco¬friendly and experiential tourism.
 For the concept and execution, the government provided Rs 50 lakhs to BRDC.
 The features of the site offer:
o Information on 40 Malabar attractions,
o Ways to reach them, plan tours and fix reminder alarm notification, means to share
portal material, find accommodation and book rooms,
o Helpline numbers for women and ambulance service,
o A mobile app that offers location-based information alongside a three-minute video
that plays on visiting any attraction in Malabar.
 The 40 Malabar destinations the VTG covers are
o Arakkal Palace (near Kannur city),
o Bekal fort,
o The 1862 AD-founded Brennen College (Thalassery),
o Neeleswaram Palace,
o The Madayipara flat-topped hillock (Kannur district),
o The 1505-built Kannur fort and Dharmadom Island (Thalassery).
Odisha Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Policy rolled out by the state government
On November 3, 2018, Odisha Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Policy, 2018 was approved by
the state cabinet and rolled out by Odisha government.
 This was done ahead of the second edition of 'Make In Odisha Conclave’ to be held here
from November 11 to November 15.
 Under this:
o The process of industrialisation will be accelerated through promotion of aerospace
and defence manufacturing,
o Generation of employment opportunities and promotion of value addition will be
achieved.
o Capital grants of 50 per cent of the infrastructure cost limited to Rs 10 crore for
subsequent aerospace and defence parks.

 For establishing manufacturing facilities in the state, extension of capital subsidy of Rs 100
crore for the first three OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) will be provided with
investment of at least Rs 1000 crore and generating 1000 domiciled employment.
 Establishment will be with private participation of the centres, the ceiling will be:
o Rs 50 crore for common facility centre,
o Rs 30 crore for technology innovation centre and
o Rs 25 crore for testing centre.
 In addition, for the first three OEMs the interest subsidy will be allowed, based on
investment in plant and machinery, up to a limit of:
o Rs 10 crore per annum for an amount of more than Rs 500 crore and
o Rs 5 crore per annum for an amount between Rs 100 crore to Rs 500 crore.
 Other units, will be entitled to 10 per cent capital subsidy upto Rs 50 crore, as per the policy.
 Additionally, interest subsidy for timely payment at the rate of 5 per cent per annum on
term loan of 5 years subject to a total limit of:Rs 10 lakh for micro enterprises, Rs 20 lakh for
small enterprises, Rs 40 lakh for medium enterprises and Rs 1 crore for non MSME units.
 These steps will help in setting up first state-of-the-art Aerospace and Defence Park in the
state.The enterprises will come up in the industrially backward districts of Kandhamal,
Gajapati, Mayurbhanj along with the KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) districts will be
extended additional incentives.
Indian Railways announced elimination of all 3479 Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) on Broad
Gauge
 On November 2, 2018, Indian Railways announced elimination of all Unmanned Level

Crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge.
 There were 3479 Unmanned Level Crossings on Broad Gauge routes of which, 3402 UMLCs
have been eliminated in last 7 months.
 77 UMLCs have also been planned to be eliminated by December 2018.
 All Unmanned level crossings on routes having speed more than 130KMPH and on Sub-
urban routes have been eliminated.
 12 Zonal Railways have been freed from UMLC on Broad Gauge route.
 Accordingly, accidents at UMLCs have reduced from 65 in 2009-10 to 3 in 2018-19.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries issued guidelines for 'Operation Greens'
On November 5, 2018, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under Union Minister Smt
Harsimrat Kaur Badal approved the strategy for operationalisation of Operation Greens.
 The strategy consists of the following:

o Short term Price Stabilisation Measures,
o Long Term Integrated value chain development projects.
 The Short term Price Stabilisation measures would be implemented by the Nodal agency
NAFED and MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy for transport and storage of TOP (Tomato,
Onion, Potato).
 The Long Term Integrated value chain development projects would include:
o Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium

o Quality production
o Post-harvest processing facilities
o Agri-Logistics
o Marketing / Consumption Points
o Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of
TOP Crops.
 According to this, grants-in-aid at the rate of 50% of the eligible project would be given to
maximum Rs. 50 crores per project. And the aid would be increased to 70% for Farmer
Producer Organizations (FPO).
 For the completion of the application, applicants would need to submit their application on
the SAMPADA portal of the ministry
 The Ministry also has produced a list of clusters where the TOP would be produces.
In the budget speech of 2018-19, a new Scheme “Operation Greens” was announced on the line of
“Operation Flood”, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore to promote Farmer Producers Organizations, agri-
logistics, processing facilities and professional management.
NMCG & HCL foundation to engage in Afforestation and Public outreach activities through "Bal
Ganga Mela”
On November 5, 2018, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) partnered up with HCL Foundation
and German development agency GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit) to
organize “Bal Ganga Mela” at HCL’s Noida campus.With an Objective to encourage students to
become ambassadors of change.
Important achievements in the "Bal Ganga Mela”:
 NMCG signed an MoU with the HCL Foundation for the following:
 To work on tributaries of Ganga, - Hindon and Yamunaand
 Increase forest cover in parts of UP and Uttarakhand.
 The MOU consists of:Sensitization/awareness programs on Forest and Environment
Conservation.
About the “Bal Ganga Mela”:
 The day marks the declaration of Ganga as the National River of India in 2008 and is
dedicated to raising awareness to become environmentally aware.
 The Bal Ganga Mela was inaugurated by Shri U. P. Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water
Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
 More than 500 children from HCL Foundation-supported government schools in Noida
participated in activities like Water Quality Testing, Waste Segregation, Interactive Games,
Street Play, Rangoli, Painting, etc. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
 Director General: Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.
 Headquarters: New Delhi.

Manipur government declares war on drugs
Manipur government has declared a war on drugs. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced
that the state government and the security forces have initiated projects to eliminate drug addiction
and take strict action against drug dealers.
 Fast track courts have been set up to try the offenders. Manipur is close to the Golden
Triangle in Southeast Asia, which is heavily affected by drug trafficking.
 Manipur government along with the Army and Assam Rifles is eliminating poppy cultivation.
Poppy cultivators are rehabilitated with lemongrass cultivation.
Rs. 113.36 crore released for redevelopment of 6 border states under Border Area Development
Programme: MHA
On November 7, 2018, the Home Ministry released Rs. 113.36 crore to 6 border states under the
Border Area Development Programme (BADP).With an Objective to ameliorate the problems of
people living in these isolated locations.
 The 6 states where the amount was released were: Assam, Nagaland, Sikkim, Gujarat,
Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
 With this release the total amount released so far during this fiscal to the States having
International Border is Rs. 637.98 crore.
 Earlier, in September 2018, the centre released Rs.399.24 crore for 10 states along the
international borders under this programme.The amount released in 2017-18 was Rs. 1,100-
crore.
About BADP:
The BADP covers 111 border districts in 17 states to meet special development needs of border
population with a focus on the people living within 50 kilometres of the International Border.
As many as 61 model villages are being developed under the BADP to improve the quality of life for
people living near border areas.
Faizabad to be known as Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath
On November 7, 2018, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya,
the birthplace of Lord Ram.
 The Faizabad district comprises the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya on the banks of the
river Saryu.
 He also announced a medical college that would be named after Lord Ram’s father in the
epic Ramayana, Raja Dashrath. An airport in Ayodhya will be named after Lord Ram.
Lucknow's Ekana Cricket Stadium renamed after late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee
On November 7, 2018, UP Governor Ram Naik approved renaming of Ekana International Cricket
Stadium in Lucknow in the memory of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

 As per the proposal, the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow was renamed as the
“Bharat Ratan Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium". It has a seating capacity
of around 50,000.
 It was renamed as a token of acknowledgement towards the late Vajpayee, who
represented Lucknow in the parliament for five consecutive times between 1991 and 2009.
 This change was done ahead of the India-West Indies T20I international match that will be
hosted at the venue for the first time.
 This is the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series between India and West Indies.
Meghalaya announced Rs 378cr investment in Aqua Mission 2.0 starting April 2019
On November 8, 2018, Meghalaya government announced Rs 378 crore investment in the second
phase of Aqua Mission.
 It is the state’s flagship aquaculture mission aimed at cutting down fish imports into the hill
state.
 The 2nd edition was announced by Fisheries Minister Comingone Ymbon at the 5th state
aqua festival held here at the U Soso Tham auditorium.
About Aqua Mission 2.0:
 Mission 2.0 aims at addressing the 15,000 MT shortfall of fish production in the state within
the next 5 years beginning April 2019.
 The government would also bring 1,500 ha of water areas into fisheries production facilities.
 Under the mission, willing partners will need to contribute only 15 per cent while another 25
per cent will be credit linkages and the rest 60 per cent government assistance.
 The total investment will be Rs 378 crore which will be drawn from the Centre and external
aids besides the state plan.
Unemployment rate in India at 6.9%, a 2-year high: study by Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy
Unemployment rate in India has increased to 6.9% in October 2018, the highest in 2 years, as per a
study by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.
 Labour participation rate, a measure of the proportion of adults willing to work, has declined
to 42.4%, the lowest since January 2016.
 Estimated number of persons employed during October 2018 was 397 million. This is 2.4%
lower compared to the 407 million persons employed in October 2017.
 Count of the unemployed persons actively looking for jobs almost doubled to 29.5 million in
October 2018 from 14 million in July 2017 (and 21.6 million in October 2017)

Separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh gets Supreme Court approval, to function from January 1,
2019
Supreme Court has approved a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh and it will start functioning
from 1st January 2019.
 This will be the 25th High Court in India. It will temporarily function from a makeshift
building. A permanent structure is built in the Justice City complex in Andhra Pradesh’s de-
facto capital Amaravati.
 At present, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a common High Court at Hyderabad. This
court will be known as the Telangana High Court from 2019.
 The temporary building for Andhra Pradesh High Court would be ready by December 15,
2018.
 The government would be hiring villas for residences of judges at Amaravati as a temporary
arrangement till the Justice City gets completely constructed.
Election Commission sets up 'Sangwari' polling booths in various constituencies of Chhattisgarh to

encourage women voters
Election Commission has set up ‘Sangwari’ polling booths in various constituencies of Chhattisgarh to
encourage women voters to vote in the Assembly elections.
 ‘Sangwari’ means friend, in Chhattisgarhi dialect. These women friendly booths will be
manned by all-female staff like presiding officers, supervisors and security personnel.
 Chief Electoral Officer of Chhattisgarh, Subrat Sahoo announced that, 5 Sangwari Polling
Centres have been set up for women in every assembly segments.
No double jeopardy bar if there was no trial: Supreme Court
On 30th October 2018, the Supreme Court declared that, bar of double jeopardy does not arise if an
accused was discharged of a criminal offence, even before the commencement of trial, on the basis
of an invalid sanction for prosecution.
 Article 20 (2) of the Constitution mandates that a person cannot be prosecuted or punished
2 times for the same offence.
 A Bench of Justices R. Banumathi and Indira Banerjee held in a judgment that if an accused
has not been tried at all and convicted or acquitted, the principles of double jeopardy cannot
be invoked at all.
 If an earlier order of sanction was found to be invalid, there is no bar for the competent
authority to issue a proper order of sanction for prosecution.
Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018 commenced in New Delhi
On November 9, 2018, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar
inaugurated 3-day Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018 event in New Delhi.
 It was organized by:

o Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD),

o Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

o In association with Rehabilitation International Korea and
o Associated partner: LG Electronics.
 The objective of the event is to:Leverage IT skills among youth with disabilities and Spread
awareness about the application of ICT for persons with disabilities especially in Asia-Pacific
region.
 Around 100 youth with disabilities (visual disability, hearing disability, locomotor disability
and intellectual disability/developmental disorder) from 18 countries participated. Among
them 12 were Indian.
Goa government announced ban on import of fish for 6 months
On November 11, 2018, Goa government announced a ban on import of fish into the state for six
months.
 This ban is effective from November 12, 2018 and the duration of the ban could be extended
by another six months if necessary.
 The decision has been taken in view of continuing uncertainty about the presence of
formalin in imported fish in Goa.
 Additionally, the state government decided to set up testing laboratories with Central
agencies like Quality Council of India, Export Inspection Council and Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India.
National body set up to study rare form of diabetes
On November 10, 2018, a National Monogenic Diabetes Study Group was formed to identify cases of
monogenic diabetes across the country.
 It will be supported by:

o The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),
o The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) and
o Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre (DMDSC).
 DMDSC will be the national coordinating centre for the study group.
 MDRF will be the nodal centre of the study group.
 Under this initiative, MDRF would provide guidelines to the collaborators for identifying
monogenic diabetes.
 33 doctors from across the country are ready to collaborate for this initiative.
Long cohabitation is presumed marriage: Supreme Court
Supreme Court has declared that, it can be presumed that, a couple who live together as husband
and wife are legally married and the woman can claim maintenance under Section 125 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure.
 The decision was made by a bench of Justices R. Banumathi and Indira Banerjee.
 They stated that in cases, where a man who lived with a woman for a long time and even
though they do not have legal necessities of a valid marriage, the man should be made liable
to pay the woman maintenance if he leaves her.

 The man should not be allowed to benefit from the legal loopholes taking advantage of a de
facto marriage without performing the duties and obligations.
Government set up state of-the-art National Data Repository
On November 13, 2018, Government set up a state of -the- art National Data Repository.
 This was announced by the Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra
Pradhan at the DG Carbons Roadshow programme in Abu Dhabi.
 This will consist of a database of all the geo-scientific data of hydrocarbon resources in the
 country populated - over 9.3 lakh line kilometres of 2D seismic, 2.8 lakh square km of 3D
seismic and 1,717 well data.
 This will enable organization and regulation of data for use in future exploration, and
development, besides use by R&D and other educational institutions.
 It will be wholly funded by Government of India and will be housed with the Directorate
General of Hydrocarbons.
 With this, India has joined the league of countries like UK and Norway which have a National
Data Repository for the upstream sector.
India increased its financial contribution to UNRWA: Mahesh Kumar
On November 13, 2018, India increased its financial contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
 This was announced by First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Mahesh
Kumar at the UN General Assembly Fourth Committee meeting on the UNRWA.
 It was increased five-fold to the agency’s core budget, from one million dollars in 2016 to
five million dollars in 2018.
 India is also committed to contribute five million dollars in 2019.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA):
 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), which was established by the UN General Assembly seven decades ago, looks
after the welfare of 5.4 million Palestine refugees.
 Headquarters: Jerusalem.
 Commissioner-General: Pierre Krahenbuhl.
MoS Ayush laid foundation stone for All India Institute of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy in Goa
On November 13, 2018, Union minister of state for Ayush Shripad Naik laid the foundation stone for
the All India Institute of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy at Dhargal, North Goa.
 The project will be a medical hub and will contribute to research due to its proximity to the
biodiverse Western Ghats and the sea.
 The institute will house a 100-bed hospital, outpatient department and a research centre;
and offer postgraduate and PhD courses

 It will also boost tourism in Goa by offering various short-term courses on yoga and
naturopathy.
Rs 75 coin to be issued by government to mark 75 th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji

Subhash Chandra Bose
On November 14, 2018, the Ministry of Finance issued a notification regarding the release of the Rs
75 coin to commemorate 75 th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisting the Tricolour
for the first time at Port Blair in Andaman Nicober Islands.
About the physical features of the coin:
 It will weigh 35 grams.

 The composition of the coin is as follows:
o 50 per cent silver,
o 40 per cent copper, and
o 5 per cent each of nickel and zinc.
 It will have the portrait of 'Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’ saluting the flag on the background
of Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
 A numeral 75 th along with inscription “anniversary” will be depicted below the portrait.
 It will carry an inscription saying 'First Flag Hoisting Day’ in both Devnagari script and English.
NITI Aayog constituted the Himalayan State Regional Council chaired by member of NITI Aayog
On November 16, 2018, NITI Aayog constituted the 'Himalayan State Regional Council’ in New
Delhi.With an Objective to ensure sustainable development of the Himalayan region.
 It will be chaired by the Dr VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog.

 Other members consisting the council are:Chief Secretaries of the Himalayan States as well
as the Secretaries of key Central Ministries, senior officers of NITI Aayog special invitees.
 The council will review and implement the identified action points based on the Reports of
five Working Groups.
 It will be the nodal agency for the Sustainable development in the Himalayan Region which
consists of the 12 States namely Jammu &Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, two districts
of Assam namely Dima Hasao and KarbiAnglong and Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West
Bengal.
Andhra govt revealed its State Emblem inspired by Amaravati art
On November 15, 2018, after 5 years of bifurcation in 2014, Andhra Pradesh government unveiled
its new emblem for official use.
About the state emblem:
 It consists of “Dhamma Chakra” - “the Wheel of Law” embellished with a ring of Triratnas
alternating with pinnate leaves and precious stones.
 The three circles of decorative beads are in ascending order of numbers:

 48 in the inner, 118 in the middle and 148 in the outer circle.
 It has a “Puna Ghataka” or “The vase of Plenty” is at the hub of the Dhamma Chakka which is
decorated with a four-banded garland on the main body with medallions and tassels.
 Also, there is a braid around the thin neck and a flaring mouth.
 Further, the National Emblem is placed at the bottom of the emblem.
 It has been inspired by the Amaravati School of Art.
 The colours used in the symbol are: green, red and yellow.
Sri Ramayana Express flagged off from Safdarjung railway station in Delhi
On November 16, 2018, Shri Ramayana Express was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in
New Delhi.
 It is a the 800-seat special tourist train that would run on the Ramayana circuit to cover
major spots related to the Hindu epic.
 The pilgrimage circuit it will travel on, named- Shri Ramayana Yatra-Sri Lanka, consists of two
travel components -one each in India and Sri Lanka.
 The train aims to complete its journey till Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in 16 days.The railways
has decided the fare for 16-day trip at Rs. 15,120 per person.
Tribunal set up to decide on ban on two Tripura militant groups: Home Minister
On November 16, 2018, the Home Ministry set up a tribunal to decide on banning 2 militant groups
from Tripura.
 The tribunal is headed by Delhi High Court Judge Justice Suresh Kait
 This was set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
 The 2 concerned militant groups are: the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All
Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF).
On October 2018, a fresh ban of five years were imposed on the two insurgent groups of Tripura by
the central government last month for their “violent and subversive activities”.
Women and Child Development Ministry approves setting up over 1023 fast-track courts to
dispose off rape, POCSO cases
Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry has approved setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special
Courts to dispose off pending cases of rape and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences)
Act throughout India.
 Law and Justice Ministry had sent a proposal regarding this to WCD Ministry. The
Empowered Committee of officers for the Nirbhaya Fund headed by Women and Child
Development secretary Rakesh Srivastava approved the proposal.
 Total financial implication of the project is over Rs 767.25 crore.In the first phase, 777 fast
track special courts will be established in 9 states. In the second phase, 246 fast track special
courts will be established.
 WCD Ministry also approved the proposal of Home Ministry for procurement of forensic kits
for sexual assault cases. The project will cost nearly Rs 107 crore.

 WCD Ministry also approved a proposal from Konkan Railway Corporation Limited to set up
a video surveillance system at 50 Railway Stations with a total cost of nearly Rs 18 crore.
India's First Elephant Hospital unveiled in Mathura, UP
On November 17, 2018, India’s first specialized hospital for elephants was unveiled at Churmura
village in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
 It is located close to the elephant conservation and care centre of Wildlife SOS.
 The medical centre offers the following:
 wireless digital X-ray, laser treatment, dental X-ray, thermal imaging, ultrasonography,
hydrotherapy and quarantine facilities, medical hoist for lifting elephants,
 It also has an observation deck which will allow veterinary students to observe elephant’s
behavior.
Industrial Park Rating System to be released by Commerce Ministry
On November 19, 2018, Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu released report on
Industrial Park Rating System at a national workshop in New Delhi.
 It is a part of centre’s vision to make India a 5 T rillion Dollar economy out of which 20 per
cent is expected to be generated from industries.
 It would help increase competitiveness of industries and promotion of the manufacturing
sector as it would assess the parks against global standards.
 As industrial parks play a major role in the growth of the industrial sector in India, this will
help enhance the competitiveness of industries in India.
 Thus good infrastructure will bring down the cost of doing business in India and provide a
conducive environment for investments in industrial sectors.
Animation, Gaming & Visual effects Institute to be set up in Mumbai
On November 19, 2018, the central government announced setting up of Animation, Gaming and
Visual effects Institute in Mumbai .
 This was announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore.

 This will encourage the youth participation in the field of film and cinematography.
Punjab becomes 3rd state to ban hookah bars or lounges
On 18th November,2018,Punjab becomes 3rd Indian state after Maharashtra and Gujarat to
permanently ban Hookah bars or lounges. The ban was announced after President Ram Nath Kovind
has given assent to a bill passed by Punjab state assembly.

 Punjab state assembly has passed the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
advertisement and Regulation of trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and distribution)
(Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018 in March this year.
 Smoking of hookah increases the health risks such as exposure to toxic chemicals that are
not filtered out be water and tuberculosis which is an infectious disease resulting from
sharing of hookah.
36 Ekalavya model residential schools to be set up in Meghalaya: Tribal Affairs Minister Oram
 On 17th November,2018,Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram announced setting
up of 36 Ekalavya Model Residential Schools(EMRS) in Meghalaya at a cost of Rs.20 crore for
each school in 36 Blocks of Meghalaya. “Every block with more than 50 per cent ST
population and at least 20,000 tribal people, will have an Ekalavya Model Residential School
by 2022,” the Minister said. The total project cost will be around Rs.720 crores.
 The central government plans to build over 500 such schools across India. At present, there
are 192 such schools all over the country.
 These schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for
preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
Centre approved Rs 74k-crore for sanitation projects: Hardeep Singh Puri
On 20th November 2018,Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that, the Centre has
approved 2,400 projects worth Rs 74,000 crore for improved water supply, sewerage and drainage.
 Hardeep Singh Puri made the announcement at the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(WASH) Innovation Summit, organised by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and
Elets Technomedia Private Limited in Delhi.
 These projects have been approved under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation) under the state annual action plans for 2015-2020.
A National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies to be set up in Punjab to commemorate 550th birth

anniversary of Guru Nanak: Government
On November 21, 2018, the Union Minister of Culture, Shri Mahesh Sharma, announced centre’s
proposal to set up a first-of-its-kind institute of Inter-Faith Studies in Amritsar, Punjab as a part of
the year-long activities to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in 2019.
It will incorporate studies on the lines of the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji .With an Objective to
promote brotherhood and diversity.
 The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Implementation Committee (NIC)
headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
 The NIC was constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the purpose of
commemorating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

West Bengal Assembly passes Bill to give land rights to enclave dwellers in north Bengal
On 19th November 2018, West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed West Bengal Land Reforms
(Amendments) bill, 2018 to give land rights to enclave dwellers in north Bengal ending an era of
uncertain future of people living in those areas.
 On 1stAugust 2015, India and Bangladesh had exchanged a total of 162 enclaves to end one
of the world’s most complex border disputes that had lingered for 7 decades since
Independence.
 IN Cooch Behar, 111 Indian enclaves spreading across 17,160 acres became the part of
Bangladesh territory whereas 51 Bangladesh enclaves spreading across 7,110 acres became
part of Indian Territory.
 Minister of State for Land and Land reforms, Chandrima Bhattacharya moved the bill to the
House where it was passed unopposed.
 This bill will help the enclave dwellers to get full-fledged status as citizens of India along with
all civil amenities and citizenship rights.
Rs. 351 Crore project launched to conserve Gir Asiatic lions for next 5 years: Gujarat Government
On November 20, 2018, the Gujarat government launched Rs 351 Crore project for the conservation
of the Asiatic lions for next five years, after the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) outbreak,that claimed
23 Asiatic lions lives in their only dwelling Gir National park in Saurashtra.
 The project also includes an emergency ambulance van akin to the 108 emergency service.
 It also includes a 'state of the art’ veterinary hospital to be built at Rs 50 crore in Sasan Gir
region.
 Additionally, a special veterinary cadre of 120 personnel will be created for the conservation
of lions.
 It was also decided to set up five Safari Parks. They are:
o A lion safari will come up at Gandhinagar,
o A Tiger Safari at Kevadia near the Statue of Unity and
o 2 leopard safari parks will be set up in Mandvi in Surat district and Dangs in South
Gujarat.
 Also, special breeding centres would be created for near-extinct bird species like the Great
Indian Bustard and vultures.
Complaint portal 'SHe-Box' of WCD Ministry linked to central, state ministries for speedy disposal
of cases
On November 22, 2018, the Ministry of Women and Child Development linked the workplace sexual
harassment complaint portal, SHe-Box,to all the Central Ministries, Departments and 653 districts
across 33 States/Union Territories, for speedy disposal of cases.
 The cases would be directed to the concerned the central/ state authority having the
jurisdiction to take the rightful action.
 The complaints would be monitored by the complainants and Ministry WCD ensuring
prompt disposal of cases.

 The Ministry also published a Handbook and Training Module on the SH Act to provide
information about the provisions of the Act.
 As many as 223 institutes/organisations have been empanelled to conduct awareness
exercises and training in local languages on the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of
Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Maharashtra government passed bill to amend the anti-adulteration law
On November 22, 2018, Maharashtra government passed the bill to amend the anti-adulteration
law.
 According to the amendments, life imprisonment and heavy penalty will be awarded to curb
food and milk adulteration.
 Also, the adulteration offence will be cognizable and non-bailable.
Carpet city Bhadohi gets 'export excellence' tag; to benefit artisans, boost shipments
On 21st November 2018, Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh, which is known for its hand-woven
carpets around the world, was granted the export 'excellence tag’ for the product category 'Carpets
and other floor Coverings’ by the the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the
commerce ministry.
 The carpet makers of the city will now get financial assistance from the central government
to procure modern machines, improve export infrastructure, and organize fairs and
exhibitions in different parts of the world to attract global buyers under the 'T owns of
Export Excellence’ tag.
 The towns which produces goods worth Rs 750 crore or more gets this tag based on
potential for growth in exports, whereas the towns producing items in hand-loom,
handicraft, agriculture and fisheries sector, can obtain this tag if their produce limit crosses
Rs 150 crore.
 Bhadohi,which is near the river Ganges will be the 37th town in the country to get this
status.
 Currently, the share of India’s hand-woven carpets in the world is 30 per cent and the target
is to increase the share to 50 per cent by 2022.
Uttarakhand cabinet approved renaming of Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport after former PM
Vajpayee
On November 24, 2018, the Uttarakhand government chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh
Rawat, approved a total of 27 proposals including renaming the Dehradun airport after former prime
minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 As per the approved proposal, the Jolly Grant airport in Uttarakhand will be renamed after
Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 The cabinet also gave its approval to the setting up of the Uttarakhand State Agency For
Public Services to ensure time-bound delivery of services and redressal of complaints.

Govt transferred over Rs 1,600 crore to 48.5 lakh mothers under PMMVY: CDFI
On November 23, 2018, according to Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI), the government
had transferred over Rs 1,600 crore to 48.5 lakh mothers under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana through direct benefit transfer.
 The exact figure is Rs 16,04,66,63,000 and the process have been conceptualized, designed
and implemented by CDFI through the PMMVY-CAS (Common Application Software) System.
 According to the scheme, which became active from January 1, 2017, Rs 5,000 would be
given in three installments to pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first child
through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT).
UN selects Noida, Greater Noida to participate in Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative
On 25th November, 2018 the United Nations selected Noida and Greater Noida, twin cities in
Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh,adjoining NewDelhi to participate in its Global
Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative in the “University City” category ahead of Mumbai and Bengaluru
which were also under UN’s consideration for the initiative, as the only invitee from India.
The initiative aims to create 25 model cities across the world in five categories that will be fully
compliant with the sustainable development goals by 2025.
 The twin cities have been formally invited to participate in the showcase 'Race to
Sustainability’ among 25 global cities which will be competing with elite university cities such
as Cambridge, Palo Alto and Heidelberg.
 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, also known as the Global Goals, were
adopted in September 2015, by the UN General Assembly.
 The UN Global Sustainability Index Institute (UNGSII) is the executing agency for Global
Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.
Kartarpur Corridor: Vice President of India laid foundation stone for Sikh pilgrimage route in
Punjab
On November 26, 2018, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone for the
construction of the Dera Baba Nanak-Karatarpur Sahib road corridor in Punjab.
 The corridor will be developed by the National Highways Authority of India and funded by
the Government of India.
 Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province is located across the Ravi
River and is about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.
 Thus, building of the Kartarpur corridor will connect the India’s border district of Gurdaspur
to Kartarpur in Pakistan, through the international border with Pakistan.
 As part of the celebration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of
Sikhism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 23, said that the Kartarpur Corridor
would be built.
 It is the place where Guru Nanak is believed to have spent his last 18 years.

Yogi Adityanath gave nod for construction of 221-meter tall Ram statue in Ayodhya
On November 26, 2018, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled the finalized details
for the construction of a 221-metre long statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
 The height of the Ram statue would be 151 metres, its overhead umbrella would be 20
metres while the pedestal would be 50 metres.
 The combined height of the structure would thus be 221 metres, making it the world’s
tallest statue.
 The statue will be made of bronze and will house a “modern museum” which will have
history of Ayodhya and the entire “Ikshvaku Vansh” right from King Manu to the present
status of “Ram Janmabhoomi”.
NITI Aayog organized the 2nd phase of Urban Water Management in New Delhi
On November 26, 2018, NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise
(SCE)& Temasek Foundation (TF) Internationalorganized the 2nd Phase of Urban Management
Programme on 'Water Recycling and Reuse’ at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
 This event was in accordance to an MOU signed by the NITI Aayog and TF International to
develop recycled water as part of sustainable and diverse water portfolio.
 The event focused on capacity building programme on management of water, particularly its
recycling & reuse, and its importance for future urban planning and policy.
 8 States/UTs were selected for the capacity building workshops through a Challenge
Method. They were - Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka,
Meghalaya, Puducherry and West Bengal.
The broader capacity building engagement with SCE also includes a series of interactive workshops,
advisory sessions and an expository visit to Singapore.
WB Green varsity to be renamed as Rani Rashmoni Green University
On 26th November 2018, State assembly of West Bengal passed “West Bengal Green University
(Amendment) Bill 2018” to rename the West Bengal Green University as Rani Rashmoni Green
University in the commemoration of Rani Rashmoni’s 225th Birth anniversary.
 West Bengal Green University Act was passed in year 2017 for setup of University in
Hooghly.
 Rani Rashmoni had played a very important role in the field of education in West Bengal.
CSIR to establish a High-End Skill Development Centre in Chandigarh
On 27th November 2018, India’s Premier National Research Laboratory, the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR - IMTECH) announced a new partnership
with a leading German Science and technology company, Merck to establish a “High End Skill
Development Centre” at CSIR- IMTECH in Chandigarh.

 The first of its kind, this High End Skill Development Centre in Chandigarh will augment
India’s Initiative for Skilling India in the area of Life Sciences. The Centre will train Indian
students and researchers in Life Science Technologies.
 The Centre will be equipped with next generation technologies like Gene editing and Single-
Molecule Biomarker detection.
Mumbai's largest sewage treatment plant gets green ministry nod
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have given a go ahead to the
Mumbai’s largest sewage treatment plant (STP), worth Rs 2,020 crore, to come up in Malad. The STP
will come up on 35 hectares of mangrove land. The STP, a part of the BMC’s Mumbai Sewage
Disposal Project II, still needs approval from the state forest department for re-plantation of the
mangroves. The Malad STP will take four years to be constructed and will treat 1,500 million litres of
untreated water that directly flows into the sea.
'Little India Gate' inaugurated in Indonesia's Medan city
On October 28, 2018, the first-of-its-kind 'Little India Gate’ was inaugurated at Kampung Madras or
Madras Village area in Medan city, Indonesia.
 It was jointly inaugurated by

o India’s ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste Pradeep Kumar Rawat and
o Mayor of Medan H T Dzulmi Eldin S.
 It was developed to recognize the contribution of Indian community in the development of
Medan city, the 4th largest city of the country.
 It will be promoted as an iconic tourist spot in Medan city as it is the first such structure in
entire Indonesia.
 It represents Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ or Unity in Diversity of Indonesia and of the Indian belief
in 'Vasudev Kutubakam’, meaning the world is one family.
India Pavilion inaugurated at Videocitta 2018 in Rome Film Festival; India was the partner country
for RFF
On November 2, 2018, an Indian Pavilion was inaugurated at Videocitta 2018 event in Rome Film
Festival.
 India was the partner country for the event that focused on Virtual Reality, Video gaming,
Animation, Film Making, etc.
 It was organized along with Rome Film Festival and Mercato Internazionale dell’Audiovisivo
(MIA) (the International Audio Visual Market).
 India’s participation at Videocitta 2018, Rome was organized by Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting and coordinated on Ministry’s behalf by FICCI.
 Indian delegation at the Film Festival was led by Shri Ashok Kumar Parmar, Joint Secretary,
Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India.
 The delegation focused on showcasing diversity in films in India and collaborations with
various other countries.

 The Indian Pavilion was inaugurated by Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting Shri Ashok Kumar Parmar.
 The pavilion showcased Indian films’ heritage, ease of film shooting in India, promoted film
shooting locations in India, International Film Festival of India and Audio Visual Co
Production between India and Italy.
Changsha Declaration for agricultural and rural development
On 3rd November 2018, over 20 countries committed to the Changsha Declaration at the end of a
forum on international development cooperation in Changsha, China.
 26 countries and 11 international organisations including Food and Agriculture Organisation

(FAO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and the
World Health Organisation (WHO) signed the Changsha Declaration.
 The Changsha Declaration focuses on agricultural and rural development. It aims to
eliminate poverty and hunger.
 It aims to enhance the efforts towards South-South Cooperation, an initiative for eliminating
hunger and malnutrition through mutual sharing and exchange of good practices, resources,
and know-how between countries of the global south.
 At the forum, Director-General for FAO Jose Graziano da Silva announced plans to set up an
International Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Development in
Beijing, China.
 The centre will offer training in agriculture innovation and promote investment in rural areas
to reach the first 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger.
India & Sharjah to boost economic ties: 'Sharjah-India Business Roundtable'
On November 5, 2018, India and Sharjah decided to boost economic ties at The 'Sharjah-India
Business Roundtable’, that was held in Sharjah, UAE.
 It was organized by Sharjah FDI Office, Invest in Sharjah.

 It was held on the sidelines of the Indian-UAE Partnership Summit that was held in October
30-31, 2018 in Dubai.
 The conference focused on addressing the investment opportunities spanning across
emerging sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy, in a
bid to expand the number of businesses in Sharjah.
 Sudesh K. Aggarwal, chairman of the Indian Business and Professional Council in Sharjah
senior representatives from the Business Leaders Forum, and more than 100 Indian
investors participated in the roundtable.
India re-elected as a Member of the ITU Council for another 4-year term (2019-2022)
On November 7, 2018, India was re-elected as a Member of the International Telecommunications

Union (ITU) Council at the elections of the council held during ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018
at Dubai, UAE.

 India would be the Member of ITU Council for 4 more years (2019-2022).
 India secured the 3rd rank among the 13 countries , by getting 165 votes, from the Asia-
Australasia region.
 Globally, it ranked 8th among the 48 countries.
Stamps with Diyas lamps to mark the celebration of Deepawali issued by United Nations Postal
System
On November 8, 2018, to mark the celebration of Deepawali, United Nations Postal System issued
stamps with Diyas lamps.
 India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin acknowleged the gesture and
the stamps have been made available at UN headquarters post office and online.
 The sheet in the denomination of USD 1.15 contains ten stamps and tabs featuring festive
lights and the symbolic lamps.
 The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated
with the message of “Happy Diwali”.
Palau became the First Country in the World to ban Reef-Killing Sunscreen
On November 10, 2018, Palau became the first country in the world to impose a ban on sunscreens
toxic to coral reefs.
 The laws passed by the Western Pacific nation will go into effect in 2020.
 According to the law, retailers will be fined $1,000 for selling sunscreens that contain 10
chemicals deemed harmed for coral and marine life.
 This is part of a larger push to reduce the impact of tourism on the archipelago.
 Other than Palau, Hawaii also passed a reef-harming sunscreen ban which will come into
effect in 2021.
 Additionally, Thailand also announced in October that it would have to close Maya Bay
indefinitely.
UNSC unanimously agrees to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years
On 14th November 2018, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously agreed to lift
sanctions against Eritrea after 9 years.
 UNSC conducted a vote on the resolution that was drafted by the United Kingdom and
backed by the United States and its allies.
 UNSC unanimously adopted a resolution 2444 to lift arms embargoes, travel bans, asset
freezes and targeted sanctions on Eritrea imposed in 2009.
 They were imposed on Eritrea due to claims that Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in
Somalia.
 The sanctions have been lifted amid the improvement in relations between Eritrea and its
neighbouring countries following years of conflict.
 On 9th July 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki
signed a peace agreement and announced normalization of ties, ending a 20-year conflict.

 Eritrea and the UN-backed government in Somalia signed a joint cooperation agreement
recently.
 The leaders of Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia met recently in northern Ethiopia to enhance
regional economic development.
India-Taiwan SME Development Forum held in Taipei, Taiwan
From 13th to 17th November 2018, the India-Taiwan SME Development Forum was held in Taipei,
Taiwan.
 Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Dr.Arun Kumar Panda,
led the Indian Delegation.
 20 enterprises from India in the field of general engineering, auto components, electronics &
plastics are taking part in the forum.
 These enterprises aim to seek linkages in their respective fields with the Taiwanese
enterprises.
 Dr.Arun Kumar Panda addressed the forum. He stated that, MSME is the second largest
employment generating sector in India.
 India has more than 63 million MSMEs with over 111 million persons employed. It produces
over 8,000 products.
 He expressed that, India welcomes investment both in technology transfers and FDI (Foreign
Direct Investment) by Taiwanese companies in India with Indian SMEs.
9th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue between India and China held in Beijing
On November 13, 2018, India and China held the 9th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue in
Beijing, China.
 It was held between the two defence delegations headed by:

 Defence secretary Sanjay Mitra and Li Zuocheng, China’s deputy chief of Joint Staff
Department of the Central Military Commission.
 This was after a one-year gap due to the Doklam standoff.
 The defence dialogue was held ahead of the 21st round of border talks between the special
representatives of the two countries in the Chinese city of Dujiangyan on November 23-24.
 During the dialogue, both countries agreed:
o To enhance military exchanges and interactions,
o On specific defence exchanges for 2019,
o To exchange views on regional and global issues.
 The next round will be held in India in 2019.
Africa's First Ever High Speed Train Line unveiled in Morocco
On November 18, 2018, Morocco's first high-speed rail line, the first ever such line in Africa was
unveiled.
 It was inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed
VI.

 It is known and LGV and will connect the economic hubs of Tangier and Casablanca in 2
hours 10 minutes.
 The cost of the project was $2 billion project and was launched in September 2011.
Nepal: 3 Educational institutions built with Indian assistance of 126.60 million Nepali rupees
inaugurated
3 Educational institutions which are built with Indian assistance of 126.60 million Nepali rupees have
been inaugurated in Kaski district of Nepal.
 As per Development Partnership programme, India government is providing assistance to

institutions of all level starting from Primary school to universities of Nepal.
 Rabindra Adhikari, Nepal’s Minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation inaugurated Shree
Saraswati Tika Higher School, Lekhnath in Pokhra.
 Dr. Ajay Kumar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy inaugurated Shree Laxmi Adarsha
Multiple campus, Lekhnath and Shree Gupteshwor Mahadev Multiple Campus, Pokhara.
Maldives Cabinet approves to rejoin Commonwealth, 2 year after withdrawing from 53-nation
grouping
On 19th November 2018, Maldives new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the announcement
that Maldives Cabinet approves re-joining of Commonwealth after 2 year of withdrawal.
 Maldives had left commonwealth in 2016 under the leadership of former President Abdulla
Yameen amid speculations of corruption and fraud.
 The Proposal has been sent to the Maldives parliament for ratification.
Saudi, UAE Announced USD 500 Million In Aid To Yemen
On 20th November, 2018 Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced $500 million
in aid to the war torn Yemen in response to the dismal humanitarian conditions. The country is on
the brink of famine after the long war which continued since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and the UAE
intervened in the Yemen to support Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Iranian-
aligned Houthi rebel group took over the capital Sanaa.
 General supervisor of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Relief and Works,
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabi’ah along with Reem al-Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for
International Cooperation announced the program at a joint press conference in Riyadh.
 The aid will support 10 to 12 million Yemenisto address the humanitarian need in the sectors
of food and nutrition through the United Nations, international, regional and local
organizations.
India, Nepal agreed to set up hotline for effective coordination in checking smuggling
On November 21, 2018,India and Nepal decided to set up a hotline to ensure effective coordination
to combat smuggling, improve border management and facilitate trade.
 The decision was made by :Chief of India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, D P Dash and
Director General, Customs, Nepal, Toyam Raya.

 It was decided at the 2-day-19th annual Indo-Nepal Director General-level talks in

Kathmandu which held on November 19-20, 2018.
4-day 12th World Congress on Mountain Medicine held in Kathmandu
On November 21, 2018, 4-day 12th biennial World Congress on Mountain Medicine commenced in
Kathmandu, Nepal.
 The theme of the congress was “Mountain Medicine in the Heart of the Himalayas”.
 The flagship event of the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM) was held for
the first time in Nepal and hosted by Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal (MMSN).
Monaco to host 2019 Laureus Awards on February 18 2019
The 'Oscars of sports’, the Laureus World Sports Awards 2019 will be held in Monaco on February 18
next year. Sport’s premier global awards ceremony will celebrate the best of 2018 across eight
individual and team categories, with the winners collecting a prized Laureus Statuette.
 Sports fans around the world will also get to play their part by voting for the Laureus
Sporting Moment of the Year Award. Former India cricket captains Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid
and Sachin Tendulkar are members of the Laureus Academy.
 Last year, tennis Player Roger Federer won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award for a
record fifth time, while Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year recognition for
the fourth time.
2-day 21st round of India-China Special Representatives border talks held in Dujiangyan, China
On November 24, 2018, the 2-day 21st round of India-China Special Representatives border talks
concluded at Dujiangyan near southwest China’s Chengdu city.
 This was held between:National Security Advisor Ajit Doval from the Indian side and Chinese
Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi from the Chinese side.
 This was the first round of talks for Wang who earlier in 2018 succeeded State Councillor
Yang Jiechi.
 The following were discussed in the constructive talks:
o India and China maintaining their peace and tranquility in border areas,
o Working on the India-China Closer Developmental Partnership,
o Working on a mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question at
an early date.
o Reviewing of the progress made in bilateral ties in the Wuhan Summit between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping that held in April 2018.
World's first underground luxury hotel opened in Shanghai, China
On November 20, 2018, world’s first ever underground luxury hotel named- The InterContinental
Shanghai Wonderland- opened in Songjiang district, southwest of Shanghai, China.It houses 18
storeys with 16 of them below the ground.

2-day first Russia-India strategic dialogue held in St Petersburg, Russia
On November 26, 2018, the 2-day 1st Russia—India Strategic Dialogue concluded in St. Petersburg,
Russia.With an Objective to have bilateral discussions dedicated to the priorities of the economic
policy of the two countries.
 It was organized by: The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation,
 The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), and The Roscongress
Foundation.
 From the Indian Side Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, Mr. Rajiv Kumar, joined the business
meet.
 The programme included five thematic roundtables covering the following sectors:
transport, agriculture, support for small and medium-sized business, digital transformation,
and industrial cooperation.
 The joint Russia—India Trade, Economic, and Investment Cooperation Development Strategy
was also presented in the forum.
Nepal launched contribution based Social Security Scheme for formal sector workers
On November 27, 2018, Nepal government launched a contribution based Social Security Scheme for
formal sector workers in Kathmandu. It was inaugurated by PM of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli.
 The scheme has been introduced to address that issue of accountability of the state to its
people.
 The scheme will be compulsorily applicable to formal sector workers and will be further
extended to informal sector workers.
 It will come into effect in May 22, 2019 and would be a contribution based scheme where
 Private sector employees will have to mandatorily contribute 11per cent of their basic salary
to the social security fund (SSF),While employers will have to contribute another 20 per cent
of the employees’ basic salary.
 Of the 31 percent, 1 percent will go for medical treatment, health protection and maternity
scheme; 1.40 percent for accidents and disability plan; 0.27 percent for dependent family
plan; and 28.33 percent for pension or old-age security scheme.
Joint Communication on India-EU partnership released
On November 26, 2018, India welcomed the release of Joint Communication by the European
Commission on India-EU partnership with theme of - “A Partnership for Sustainable Modernisation
and Rules-based Global Order”.
 It was released on November 20, 2018 and covers a strategy of India-EU partnership over
the next 10 to 15 years.
 This partnership enables greater India-EU political, security and defence cooperation.
 With a bilateral goods and services turnover in excess of US$ 100 billion, the EU is India’s
largest trading partner.

4- member committee to examine waste dumping near Polavaram project: NGT
On November 3, 2018, the National Green Tribunal ordered a four-member committee to conduct
an inspection and submit report about the waste dumping issue at the Polavaram dam in Andhra
Pradesh.
 The decision of the committee was taken by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice
Adarsh Kumar Goel.
 The committee would comprise of representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board,
additional principal chief conservator of forests, theState Pollution Control Board and the
district magistrate.
 The nodal agency for execution of this order would be Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control
Board.
 The report for this would be submitted to the NGT tribunal by 2 months.
18th Indian Ocean Rim Association Council of Ministers Meeting held in Durban, South Africa
On November 2, 2018, the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting
was held in Durban, South Africa.
 The Theme of the IORA meeting was: “IORA: Uniting the Peoples of Africa, Asia, Australasia
and the Middle East through enhanced cooperation for Peace, Stability And Sustainable
Development”.
 South Africa is the current chairman of the IORA organization.
 The Meeting was chaired by Honourable Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Foreign Minister of
International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, and Chair of the
Association.
 Declaration on Guidelines for Enhancing Interaction with Dialogue Partners in IORA was
adopted.
 The eThekwini Communique was produced as the final outcome document of the 18th COM.
 Launch of a special initiative entitled the “IORA Nelson Mandela 'Be the Legacy’ internship
programme” was done to empower the youth and pay tribute to Nelson Mandela.
 Maldives was admitted as the 22ndmember of the Association while Turkey and the
Republic of Korea were admitted as the 8th and 9th Dialogue Partners in IORA. This made
membership of IORA increase to 22 and the number of Dialogue Partners was increased to 9.
3-member inter-ministerial panel formed to address farmers' issues: Odisha govt
On November 6, 2018, the Odisha government constituted a 3-member inter-ministerial committee

to address issues raised by farmers.
 The committee will be headed by: Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera.
 Other members of the committee are: Agriculture & Panchayatiraj Minister Pradeep
Moharathy and Cooperative Minister Surjya Narayan Patro.
 Issues to be discussed are: welfare of the farmers and development of agriculture in the
state.

Notably, the hundreds of farmers from across the state under the banner of Naba Nirman Krushak
Sangathan were scheduled to attend a mega convention at Lower PMG today to press their demand
of 'price, prestige and pension’.
2-day annual meeting of WEF Global Future Councils begins in Dubai
On November 13, 2018, the 2 day 3rd annual meeting of World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global
Future Councils concluded in Dubai, UAE.With an Objective for Experts to identify new ideas and
models that can be applied to critical global challenges.
 This year’s Annual Meeting theme is: Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the
Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
 Comprising 38 distinct councils, the community of Global Future Councils covers subject
areas like:Global financial system, geopolitics, cities and urbanization, cybersecurity and the
bio-economy.
 Ideas generated at the meeting will be adopted and integrated into the programme of the
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, in January
2019.
 3 new councils were introduced:
o Biodiversity and the Bio-economy, which aims to protect nature through innovative
technology and business models,
o New Social Contract, whose mandate is to rethink the future of work, education and
gender parity,
o Advanced Energy Technologies, which has been charged with developing ways to
accelerate global energy transition.
RCEP trade ministers meet held in Singapore
On November 12, 2018, the 2-day meeting for trade Ministers of Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership began in Singapore.
 Indian delegation will be headed by : Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri. Suresh
Prabhu.
 Singapore is the current chair of the ASEAN countries and so it is hosting the summit.
 This ministerial meeting will be followed by RCEP Leaders Summit on November 14, 2018.
4- day Regional meeting of World Customs Organisation held in Jaipur
On November 13, 2018, a 4-day Regional meeting of the World Customs Organisation was held in
Jaipur, Rajasthan.
 It was attended by representatives of 33 member countries of Asia.

 The meeting is being jointly chaired by:
o WCO Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Travino Chapaand
o Central Board of Indirect T axes and Customs Chairman S Ramesh.
 The meeting focused on the following:
o Steps required for the capacity building and reforms in customs,
o The amended Kyoto protocol,

o Digital customs,
o E-commerce.
Sunil Mehta committee incorporated 'Sashakt India AMC' for large NPAs over 500 crore rupees
On November 18, 2018, the Sunil Mehta committee released the statement for formation of an
asset management company (AMC) for resolving large bad loans.
 The name of the AMC is: Sashakt India Asset Management.

 It was announced by Sunil Mehta, the chairman of a bankers’ panel working on faster
resolution of stressed assets in public sector banks on the sidelines of a CII-CFO summit held
in Mumbai.
 The company will follow a five-pronged strategy under Project Sashakt to tackle stress in the
banking sector.
 Under the project, the following will happen:
o The AMC will have an Alternate Investment Fund (AIF)to resolve non-performing
assets (NPAs) over Rs 500 crore.
o The AIF will be formed engaging various potential investors including private sector
banks,
o For the resolution an inter creditor agreement (ICA)has been made with 33 banks
27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi
On 19th and 20th November 2018, the 27th BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial
Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi.
 The meeting was chaired by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change of India.
 Ministers welcomed the 184 ratifications, till date, of the Paris Agreement adopted under
the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
 Ministers listed their priorities under the Paris Agreement Work Programme to ensure
implementation of the global climate deal after 2020.
 Negotiations were focused on finalising rules and guidelines for various elements of Paris
Agreement including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adaptation, transparency
framework, global stock-take (GST), compliance mechanism, climate finance, technology
framework and capacity building at COP24 (December 2-14).
 Brazil will host the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in 2019.
India, Singapore reaffirmed defence ties at 3rd India-Singapore Defence Ministers Dialogue held in
Visakhapatnam
On November 21, 2018, on concluding day of 3rd India-Singapore Defence Minister dialogue(DMD)
in Visakhapatnam, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman reaffirmed deepening defence ties between
India and Singapore.
 The meeting was co-chaired by the Defence ministers of the 2 countries.

 Earlier to attending the DMD, the Singaporean minister attended the final phase of 25th
Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise SIMBEX on board INS Shakti.
Committee, chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, suggested measures to tackle crisis in stressed
thermal power projects
On November 29, 2018, the High Level Empowered Committee (HLEC) chaired by Cabinet Secretary
P K Sinha released its recommendations for stressed thermal power projects.
 This committee was set up by Government of India in July 2018 and aimed at suggesting
measures to resolve the challenges faced by the thermal projects.
 This report focused on 34 thermal power stations, totalling to a capacity of 40 gigawatt
(GW), which are entirely fuelled by coal and lignite.
 The problems arose when after the twelth Five Year Plan, 99 GW capacity of plants were
added against a requirement of 88GW which led to overabundance and lower productivity.
 Other factors included: the debt burden of the distribution utilities and the financial stress
and the erratic coal supply.
 To these problems, the suggested recommendations are as follows:
o Ministries for coal and railways have been requested to address short-term issues of
supply of coal,
o Closing down of old, inefficient thermal power units has been recommended for
good economics and good environmental sense. At least 15 GW of capacity was
identified for this purpose,
o Several measures related to power markets to address the financial risks have been
strongly recommended by including an agency to act as an aggregator for power
purchases.
NGT forms committee to prepare scrapping of banned diesel, petrol vehicles
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a committee to prepare a policy for dealing with the
scrapping of banned petrol and diesel vehicles. The committee will consist of secretary, Ministry of
Road Transport, central government with representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB), Environment Ministry and the Delhi government.
 Following the Supreme Court order, the Delhi government has deregistered 40 lakh vehicles,
which include petrol vehicles that are 15-years-old and 10-years-old diesel vehicles, and they
are being dumped in Mayapuri scrap market.
 Activities in the said market spew toxic fumes, chemicals and oils which create severe air
pollution affecting public health. Thus the green panel directed the Delhi chief secretary to
take steps and prepare an action plan for shifting the scrap yards from busy localities of the
city to other appropriate locations, within three months.
 It also directed the chief secretary and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to furnish
their separate report with regard to the action taken by March 31 next year.

The Kingdom of Netherlands to be the Partner Country 25th DST - CII Technology Summit 2019
On October 31, 2018, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences,
Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced that the Kingdom of Netherlands will be the
Partner Country 25th DST - CII Technology Summit to be organized in 2019.
 This was announced at the Silver Jubilee edition of Technology Summit - 2019.
 This is due to the cooperation between India and Netherlands in sectors such as affordable
medical devices, urban water systems, big data and Internet of Things (IoT).
 The 25th Technology Summit -2019 will be made a global event and the visit of their Prime
Minister to India in May 2018 has marked the 10th anniversary of Science, Technology &
Innovation collaboration between the two countries.
First Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health held in WHO Headquarters in Geneva
On November 1, 2018, the 3-day long 1st Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health concluded
at the World Health Organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.Theme of the conference
was: “Improving Air Quality, Combatting Climate Change-Saving Lives”.With an Objective to combat
one of the world’s most significant causes of premature death: Air Pollution.
 It was held in collaboration with:

o The UN Environment,
o World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
o The Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
o The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC)
and
o The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
 Additional funding is provided by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the UN
Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.
 Air pollution exceeding recommended WHO Air Quality levels causing 7 million deaths
annually.
 According to WHO, household air pollution is a leading killer in poor rural and urban homes.
 Up to one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.
 Affordable strategies to reduce this include reducing key pollution emissions from the
transport, energy, agriculture, waste and housing sectors.
 Also, Health-conscious strategies can reduce climate change and support Sustainable
Development Goals for health, energy and cities.
India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) 2018 held in Dubai on October 30 & 31, 2018
On 30th and 31st October 2018, India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) 2018 was held in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates (UAE).
 The summit aimed to promote investments from UAE to India and India to UAE.
 It aimed to identify the investment areas, projects, funding needs and helped to raise
investments to funds vital infrastructure projects.

 The focus sectors for IUPS 2018 were: investments in Education and SME’s, Skill
Development and Placements.
 Focus Indian States were: Delhi, Assam, Punjab and West Bengal.
 Focus UAE Emirate: Sharjah
 IUPS was hosted by Business Leaders Forum (a unit of India Trade & Exhibition Centre m.e.)
in association with Indian Embassy-Abu Dhabi & Consulate General of India-Dubai and UAE
Ministry of Economy.
78th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics held in Delhi
On November 3, 2018, the 3-day 78th annual conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural
Economics was held in New Delhi.
 It was organized by:

o The Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi;
o International Food Policy Research Institute, Delhi; and
o Tata-Cornell Institute,Ithaca, USA.
 3 broad based subjects were discussed. They were:
o 7 Year plan for agriculture-output and bio-waste management,
o Post-harvesting requirements for reducing the gap between what customers pay
and farmers receive.
o Social and Community organizations for agricultural development and coping with
limited non renewable resources.
 It had 2 special sessions on:
o Doubling Farmers Income and
o Emerging trends in Agriculture.
Fifth World Internet Conference (WIC) held in China
From November 7 to 9, 2018, the 5th World Internet Conference (WIC), also known as the Wuzhen
Summit, was held in Wuzhen, China.
 The conference aimed to bring out exchanges, mutual learning, cooperation and sharing in
the digital fields and stressed on peace and development of the global cyberspace.
 Top 15 of the latest scientific and technological achievements in the global internet industry
were unveiled.
 They were selected from more than 400 candidate projects and programs, aimed at reaching
faster Internet speed, more digital profit, and better web security.
 Two reports were released on Internet development in China and the world. More than 20
themed forums and discussions were conducted.
2 day Global Cooling Innovation Summit inaugurated in New Delhi
On November 12, 2018, 2-day Global Cooling Innovation Summit was inaugurated by Union Science
& Technology Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.
 It is a first-of-its-kind solutions-focused event which aims to address the climate threat that
comes from the growing demand from room air conditioners.

 The event is jointly organized by:

o Department of Science and T echnology, Government of India,
o Rocky Mountain Institute,
o Alliance for An Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE),
o Conservation X Labs and
o CEPT University.
 It also launched Global Cooling Prize— Mission Innovation challenge that will promote
development of a residential cooling solution that has at least five times (5x) less climate
impact than today’s standard.
 The prize is supported by Mission Innovation, the Government of India through the
Department of Science and Technology and its partner organizations
 The prize money would consist of over US$3 million for the course period of 2 years.
 Up to 10 short-listed competing technologies will be awarded up to US$200,000 each in
intermediate prizes to support the design and prototype development.
 The winning technology will be awarded at least US$1 million to support its incubation and
early-stage commercialization.
6th Indian Social Work Congress (ISWC) held in New Delhi
From 1st to 3rd November 2018, 6th Indian Social Work Congress (ISWC) was held in New Delhi.
 The ISWC was jointly organized by National Association of Professional Social Workers in
India (NAPSWI) and Department of Social Work (Delhi School of Social Work), University of
Delhi.
 Theme of 6th ISWC 2018 was “Human Development and Social Inclusion: Imperatives for
Social Work Education and Practice”.
 ISWC aimed to provide a platform to social work professionals to discuss issues related to
human development, social justice and inclusion, share and exchange experiences of social
work educators, etc.
 Late Dr. Martha Farrell was honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her
lifelong work towards gender equality, women's empowerment and prevention of sexual
harassment at workplace.
2- day South Asian Regional Conference on Urban Infrastructure held in New Delhi
On November 15 th and 16th,2018,2 day South Asian regional conference,was co-hosted by NITI
Aayog,held in Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.With an Objective to discuss the key issues,
perspectives and the way forward in the Urban Infrastructure.
 It was hosted by:

o NITI Aayog,
o The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP) and
o The Asian Development Bank (ADB).
 The theme of the conference was: “Urban Infrastructure: New Approaches to Public &
Private Partnerships and Municipal Finance Innovations”.

 It was inaugurated by CEO, NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant and Secretary, Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance Subhash Chandra Garg.
 Concerning the deficit of infra implementation against demand, India alone, until 2040,
requires investments estimated of around $4.5 trillion in the infrastructure space.
 Various other issues discussed were:
o Need to ensure adequate return on investments in infrastructure through properly
structured Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs),
o To evolve unique models and systems of urban planning,
o The need to decentralised urbanization,
o Digitalised delivery of goods & services.
26th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organization (COCSSO) held in Himachal Pradesh
On November 15, 2018,26th Conference of Central and States Statistical Organizations was held at
Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh,the conference took place for 2 days on 15 th and 16th
November.
 It was organized by Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

 The theme of this year’s Conference is “Quality Assurance in Official Statistics”.
 It was inaugurated by Union Minister Vijay Goel along with Himachal Pradesh food, civil
supplies and consumer affair minister Kishan Kapoor.
2-Day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Summit 2018 held in Papua New Guinea
On 17th & 18th November,2018, 2-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC)Summit 2018

concluded in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
 It was hosted by Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill.

 All 21 member countries of APEC participated in the Summit.
 It is the 1st such summit which in its 25-year history failed to agree on a formal joint
statement.
8th Two day National Conference of Women in Police held in Ranchi
On 19th & 20th November 2018, Bureau of Police Research & Development in collaboration with
Jharkhand Police organised the two days National Conference of Women in Police (NCWP) in the
state capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi.
Around 150 women police personnel from across the country are expected to participate in the
event. It is the only national level platform to address the issues of Women Police and create an
enabling atmosphere for them to maximize and optimize their professional potential.
India to host 4-day 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health next year in Hyderabad
On November 23, 2018, the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
released the agenda to host the 4-day 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Hyderabad
on 30 October - 2 November 2019.
 The conference theme will be: “Ending the Emergency: Science, Leadership, Action”.

 It would be held after the first ever United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on TB and the
third UN High- Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases.
First 3-day Sustainable Blue Economy Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya
On November 28, 2018, the First 3-day Sustainable Blue Economy Conference concluded at Kenyatta
International Convention Center, KICC, in Nairobi, Kenya,which begins on November 26, 2018.It aims
to work through the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Key Points:
 The theme of this conference was 'The Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.’.
 It was primarily hosted by the Government of Kenya with Canada and Japan as co-hosts and
supported by UNDP through a multi donor basket fund.
 The Sustainable Blue Economy Conference was built on the momentum of the UN’s 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris and the
UN Ocean Conference 2017 'Call to Action.'
 From India Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari participated in the conference.
 Other important players attending the conference were:
o The World Wildlife Fund, WWF,
o International Maritime Organization, IMO,
o International Seabed Authority, ISA,
o the World Bank,
o AFRIEXIMBANK,
o Ocean Foundation etc.
India ranked 66th in Global Passport Index, Singapore tops the chart
On October 31, 2018, in the latest ranking of the Global Passport Index, The Indian passport was
ranked 66th in the world.
 The position of 66 has been improved nine notches since the previous year and means that
the Indian passport holders has been granted visa-free access to 66 countries.
 Other than India, Kyrgyzstan and Zimbabwe share the 66th rank.
 Singapore and Germany have the world’s “most powerful” passport with access to 165
countries.
 In the last place of the list is Afghanistan, ranked 91 with a score of 22, followed by Iraq at
90, Pakistan at 89 and Syria at 88 and Somalia at 87.
About the Index:
 This is a part of citizenship planning firm Henley and Partners’ annual passport index.

 The index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a “visa-
free score” according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with
visa on arrival.
 It measures the number of countries a holder can go to without a visa.
India jumps 23 places to 77th in ease of doing business ranking: World Bank
On October 31, 2018, according to the World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2019 report, India has
shot up by 23 spots to reach the 77th position among 190 nations in World Bank’s Ease of Doing
Business ranking.
 India is now recognized as among top ten improves for the 2nd consecutive year and has
ranked first among South Asian countries compared to 6th rank in 2014.
 In 2017, India progressed 30 positions to reach the top 100.
 From 2014 to 2018, India moved from the 142nd place in the index to the 77th spot.
 According to the report, India has improved on six of the 10 parameters on starting and
doing business in a country. This include: ease of starting a business, construction permits,
getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts and
resolving insolvency.
 It also improved its doing business score to 67.23, from last year’s 60.76.
 India and neighbouring China are among the top 10 improvers this year.In the last two years
the India has climbed 53 notches, a performance matched in the past only by Bhutan.
Singapore is Asia's most sustainable city: Arcadis
Singapore has maintained its rank as number one Asian city in the Sustainability Index by
engineering firm Arcadis.
 The Sustainability Index assessed cities based on 3 pillars: profit pillar, people pillar and
planet pillar.
 Singapore secured fourth place in global rankings. As per the study, Singapore ranked first
for the profit pillar that assesses the business environment and economic performance of
cities.
 Singapore ranked 31st out of 100 cities, for the people pillar that tests social mobility and
quality of opportunity and life.
 Singapore secured 41st spot for the planet pillar that assesses the management of energy
use, pollution and emissions.
 As per the study, Singapore is one of the world’s most active Connected and Autonomous
Vehicles (CAV) testing environments.
India ranked 12th globally in web-borne threats: Kaspersky Lab
India has ranked 12 th in the world in terms of web-borne threats, according to a recent report by
global cybersecurity company, Kaspersky Lab.

 In the 3rd quarter (July- September), 32.8 % of users were attacked by web-borne threats in
India.
 Kaspersky Lab products detected 48,093,743 Internet-borne malware incidents on
computers of KSN participants in India.
 Regarding vulnerabilities in browsers and their plugins (drive-by download), infection
happened when visiting an infected website, without any intervention from user and
without their knowledge.
 This is the most used method by cybercriminals for these kind of attacks.
 During July-September 2018, Kaspersky Lab products detected 68,405,291 local malware
incidents on computers of KSN participants in India.
 Overall, 56.1 % of users in India were attacked by local threats during this period, placing
India at 53rd sport globally.
Bangalore ranked India's most congested city, Pune Ranked 7th : NBER
On November 9, 2018, according to a recent research by National bureau of economic research

(NBER), analysis of the current status of mobility in urban India, using Google maps was conducted.
 The name of the research paper is: 'Mobility & Congestion in Urban India,’.
 It is the first large-scale analysis of traffic congestion in 154 Indian cities using Google maps.
 Researchers also analysed 22 million potential trips throughout the prominent cities of the
country.
India slips two places to 53rd Position on Global talent ranking; Switzerland on top
On 20th November 2018,India has slipped two places to rank 53rd Position in Global Annual talent
ranking released by renowned IMD Business School, Switzerland on 20 November 2018.Switzerland
retained the top Position for the fifth consecutive year.Denmark attained 2nd rank,while Norway
attained 3rd Rank.
 India ranked at 51st Position in 2017.

 Singapore also topped the Asia region with 13th Rank while China is ranked 39th.
 India ranked 30th Position in Readiness factor but lags in Investment and Development
factor in which it ranked below average 63rd rank.
India ranked 5th in the list of most vacation deprived nation in the world: Expedia
On November 22, 2018, Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2018 stated that India is among the
most vacation deprived nation in the world ranking 5th among the 19 surveyed countries.
It was done by Expedia, a US based travel agency.
 It ranked 5th in the table after Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand.
 India is followed by United States and Malaysia.
 As per data, 53 per cent of Indians take fewer vacation days than they get.
 35 per cent don’t take leave as work schedule does not allow for vacation.
 68 per cent of Indians have ended up cancelling their vacation due to work.

 In terms of occupations, workers in the food & beverages, heath, and retail industries were
found to be most vacation deprived while those employed in the real estate sector were
least deprived.
Gujarat topped in implementing Ayushman Bharat after 2 months of launch: NHA
On November 25, 2018, according to the National Health Agency, after 2 months of launch of
Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Gujarat has emerged as the top performer
among the states under the scheme.
 As of November 23, Gujarat accounts for 26% of the total number of sanctioned hospital
admissions under the scheme.
 Around 76,000 hospital admissions have been cleared in Gujarat since September 23, Tamil
Nadu ranked second at 54,273 and Chhattisgarh third at 53,180 sanctioned hospitals.
 One reason behind Gujarat's success is that it has already been implementing a similar
scheme, known as the Mukhyamantri Amrutam 'MA' Yojana, since 2012.
 Karnataka and Maharashtra rank 4th and 5th closing off the top 5 ranks under the scheme.
 Although Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for the highest number of beneficiaries, they
still rank among the lowest performers so far.
 UP had verified 1.18 crore families as beneficiaries and in Bihar the number is 1.09 crore
families.
 Rs 400 crore has been raised under this scheme so far, of which Rs 350 crore has already
been given out by the Centre and states.
 And as of November 24, 2018, over 3.4 lakh beneficiaries have been treated under the
scheme since its launch in September 23, 2018.

December 2018 Current Affairs
Government launches Bhasha Sangam to introduce school students to 22 Indian languages
On 22nd November 2018, Government has launched ‘Bhasha Sangam’, a unique initiative to
introduce school students to 22 Indian languages.
i. Bhasha Sangam has been launched under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. It will continue till the
21 December 2018.
ii. Bhasha Sangam is a programme for schools and educational institutions to offer multilingual
exposure to students in Indian languages.
iii. It also aims to improve linguistic tolerance and respect and promote national integration.
iv. There are 22 languages listed in Schedule VIII of Indian Constitution.
Empathy Campaign launched to spread pan-India awareness about hepatitis disease
On 26th November 2018, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) launched “Empowering People
Against Hepatitis: The Empathy Campaign” to create awareness about Hepatitis B and C disease
throughout India.
i. The campaign was launched at Metro Bhawan in New Delhi. It was launched in association
with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). It is also supported by Airports Authority of India
(AAI).
ii. Nearly, 60 million people in India are affected by Hepatitis virus infections that lead to liver
cirrhosis and cancer.
iii. At the launch, DMRC staff took a pledge for the cause. ILBS medical and para medical staff
carried out screening and vaccination for the volunteers.
iv. Over 250 DMRC staff were screened and vaccinated for hepatitis B and C in the health-check
camp.
eDrishti: software to help Railways Minister keep track of punctuality of trains launched by Indian
Railways
On November 29, 2018, the Indian Railways launched a software named- ‘eDrishti’, that will enable
the Union Railway Minister Shri. Piyush Goyal to keep track of punctuality of trains as well as freight
and passenger earnings from anywhere in the country.
i. The software has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS).
ii. This would enable the railway minister to know the following:
 A day’s freight and passenger earnings,
 Freight loading and unloading,
 Punctuality,
 The progress of major projects,
 Public grievances,
 The movement of trains across the country,

 Details of railway stations,

 Video monitoring of the IRCTC kitchens,
 Live status of reserved and unreserved passengers travelling on trains.
iii. The software has also been connected with the base kitchens of the Indian Rail Catering and
Tourism Corp (IRCTC)s.
Delhi government launched ‘One’ card for ease of commute on metro, buses
On December 4, 2018, Delhi government announced the launch of a common mobility card called
‘One’, with a tagline of ‘One Delhi One Ride’, for easy commute on public transport.
i. It was launched by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
(DMRC) managing director Mangu Singh.
ii. This would enable access to Metro and bus services with a single card at a 10 per cent
discount.
iii. Further provision of coverage of auto-rickshaws, taxis, RTVs and other modes of transport
would be inducted under this card.
Physical features of the Card:
i. The ONE card has a background of cubic grid in bright shades of red and yellow.
ii. It also has a circular unit with sketches of Metro trains, DTC buses, auto rickshaws and
Delhi’s monuments around it.
iii. The newly designed revamped card will now carry the logos of all three transport operators
in the city – DMRC, DTC and the Delhi Government.
‘PEETHA’: programme to create awareness and promote transparency launched by Odisha

government
On December 4, 2018, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a new programme for
transparency and awareness on various government schemes, called- the Peoples Empowerment
Enabling Transparency and Accountability or PEETHA.
Objective: To improve transparency in the distribution of individual and social benefits.
i. PEETHA is based on a 3-T (Technology, Transparency and Team work) model, and is a sub-
scheme of the Odisha government’s flagship Ama Gaon Ama Bikas Yojana (AGAB).
ii. Under this initiative, camps will be organised at the gram panchayat level from the 15th to
the 20th of each month, beginning December 2018.
iii. In each such camps, benefits like LED bulb, Old Age pension, Artist pension, Mission Shakti
etc will be distributed to the beneficiaries there.
iv. Furthermore, block level officers will be appointed by the state government for supervising
the implementation of the scheme.
v. Every month, the best panchayat in each Block will be given Rs. 5 lakh for organising
PEETHA.

Based on recommendations of the people of the state, the state government has so far sanctioned
rural projects worth more than Rs.1200 crore for over 5000 gram-panchayats under the AGAB.
First ever Swadesh Darshan Project in Nagaland worth Rs. 97.36 crore inaugurated by CM Rio
On December 5, 2018, Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio,inaugurated the first ever
Swadesh Darshan Project in Nagaland named-“Development of Tribal Circuit: Peren-Kohima-Wokha
Project”.
i. It was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in November 2015 for Rs. 97.36 Crores.
ii. It would include facilities like Tribal Tourist Village, Eco Log Huts, Open Air Theatre, Tribal
Rejuvenation Centre, Cafeteria, Helipad, Tourist Interpretation Centre, Wayside Amenities,
Last Mile Connectivity, Public Conveniences, Multipurpose Hall, Nature Trails, Trekking
Routes etc.
iii. Additionally, the Ministry sanctioned another project in Nagaland called -“Development of
Tribal circuit: Mokokchung–Tuensang-Mon” forRs.99.67 crore.
SMART initiative for agribusiness,rural transformation launched by Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
On December 6, 2018, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a unique initiative
called- State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation or “SMART“. This will be
implemented in 10,000 villages with an objective to achieve sustainable farming within the next 3
years.
Objective: To propel rural transformation and double farmers income by 2022.
i. This is a World Bank (WB) assisted project which has a net worth of 300 million US dollars.
Of this WB has provided financial assistance of $210 million and remaining will be
Contributed by State governmentand Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF).
ii. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the industry partner of the initiative.
iii. Additionally, 50 MOUs have been signed under this project involving top companies like
TATA, Amazon etc.
iv. This project would support:
 Value addition in post-harvest segments of value chain,
 Enterprise promotion,
 Business investment and partnerships in the agri-business segments including
farmer organisations, start-ups, SMEs and large corporates along with women’s self-
help groups.
v. The implementation of the project would ensure: Farm productivity and higher realisations
for the farmers as there would be direct tie-up with end buyers.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh laid Foundation stone of PUSA ‘Kisan Haat’ in ICAR’s Agriculture
Technology Information Centre (ATIC) in New Delhi
On 6th December 2018, Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister
laid the Foundation stone of Pusa Kisan Haat in Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR)
Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC) in New Delhi. Pusa Kisan Haat will be built across
2.5 acres which includes 60 stalls measuring 3m x 3m where farmers can sell their agricultural
products.
“Ideate for India- Creative Solutions using Technology”: National challenge for youth launched by
Meity minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
On December 6, 2018, Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad,
launched a National Challenge for Youths,“Ideate for India – Creative Solutions using Technology”, in
New Delhi. Objective: To provide a platform to school students to become solution creators of the
social problems around them.
i. The Challenge has been designed and launched by:

 The National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & IT
 In collaboration with Intel India,
 With support from the Department of School Education and Literacy
(DoSE&L),Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The DoSE&L will propagate the challenge to State Education Departments, NVS, KVS and CBSE
authorities.
ii. The National Challenge will be open to at least 1 million students of classes 6 – 12 all across
the country – all 29 States and 7 Union Territories over the next 3 months ending in March
2019.
iii. 11 core theme areas have been selected for the challenge. They are: healthcare services,
education services, digital services, environment, women safety, traffic, infrastructure,
agriculture, social welfare, disability and tourism.
iv. As part of the challenge, students would share a 90 second video explaining the problem
and their proposed solution.
v. Out of all submissions, around 360 students (10 students per State & UT) will be selected by
a panel of experts to attend 5 regional Boot Campsorganized in North, South, East, West and
North Eastern regions of the country (1 in each region).
vi. Futhermore, the experts will select top 50 students who will be invited and felicitated at a
National Level Event to showcase their prototypes implemented in communities and will be
declared Tech Creation Champions.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurate Kannur international Airport
On 9th December 2018, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Civil Aviation Minister
Suresh Prabhu jointly inaugurated the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL).

i. KIAL is the fourth international airport in the state. The other three are
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode and with the commissioning of KIAL, Kerala
becomes the state with the highest density of airports in the country.
ii. Vijayan and Prabhu flagged off the first flight, an Air India Express with 180 passengers
bound for Abu Dhabi.
iii. Spread across 2,000 acres and costing close to Rs. 1,800 crore, the new airport in Kannur can
reportedly handle around 2,000 passengers at a time and will serve more than 1.5 million
international passengers yearly.
NITI Aayog Launches Global Hackathon on Artificial Intelligence
NITI Aayog in partnership with a Singapore based AI startup ‘Perlin’ launches ‘AI 4 All Global
Hackathon’ to develop AI Applications to make significant positive social and economic impact in
India.
i. NITI Aayog is inviting developers, students, start-ups and companies to participate in the
Hackathon.
ii. This Hackathon is a part of National AI Strategy which has a vision to expand the idea of
“Artificial Intelligence, AI for All”.
Indian Railways launched new Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train for the 16-day pilgrimage tour
On December 8, 2018, Indian Railways’ catering and tourism arm IRCTC announced the launch of the
Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train.
i. The Tourist Circuit will consist of destinations including: Delhi, Bodhgaya, Nalanda/Rajgir,
Varanasi/Sarnath, Lumbini, Kushinagar, Sravasti and Agra.
ii. According to the IRCTC website, the train will depart on December 8 and December 22
completing a 16-day tour. Portal for booking of tickets are:
https://www.irctcbuddhisttrain.com/.
iii. Earlier, Indian Railways launched another tourist circuit train called the Shri Ramayana
Express.
TN Government launches 24-hour helpline 181 for women
On 10th December 2018, Tamil Nadu Government launched a 24-hour toll free helpline number 181
for women facing domestic violence and sexual harassment to get assistance ranging from police
help, legal aid or medical services including ambulance. The Service developed at a cost of 62.70 lakh
will be available round-the-clock on all days of the week and women can also get information about
the welfare schemes aimed at their benefit.
Ambassador of the European Union to India, H.E. Mr. Tomasz Kozlowski inaugurated India’s first
Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the Department of European Studies (DES) at the Manipal
Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal.
i. On the commemoration of EU day, in Manipal, he awarded the first Jean Monnet Centre of
Excellence to Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

ii. The award comes with a grant of € 1,00,000 to pursue EU-India interdisciplinary studies in
culture, literature, education and society.
iii. In 2018, Manipal Academy of Higher Education has been chosen to develop a Centre of
Excellence in European Studies, the first of its kind in India.
iv. It will focus on India-EU Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Literature, Education and Society.
v. This is the fifth time that MAHE has been awarded grants under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet
initiative. Previous grants have been used for a chair, modules and a project.
Union Minister of State for MSME,Giriraj Singh inaugurated a Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre
(MTDC) termed Samadhan in New Delhi
On 13th December 2018, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (I/C),
Giriraj Singh inaugurated a Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre (MTDC) of Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) named Samadhan at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat in New Delhi.
i. Samadhan is an industrial training institute set up on PPP mode with the MSME Ministry, to
provide comprehensive industry and business related guidance and quality knowledge to
entrepreneurs, industries, corporate and institutions.
ii. The Minister also inaugurated a mustard-oil manufacturing unit at the KVIC office at Gandhi
Darshan, Rajghat.
iii. Giriraj Singh also planted Moringa saplings in the premises of the mustard oil manufacturing
unit at the MTDC.
Operation Oliva: Coast Guard launches operation to safeguard turtles
The Indian Coast Guard has launched ‘Operation Oliva’ as part of its annual mission to ensure the
safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary area, Devi
river mouth, and Rushikulya beach of Odisha.
i. The turtle conservation programme is executed in a joint coordination with the forest
department of Odisha to keep watch and vigil on illegal fishing along the turtle
concentration zone.
ii. As a part of the operation, a fleet of ships and a service aircraft has been pressed into service
besides the coast guard has also organised interactive sessions with fishermen communities
to sensitise them on the legal embargo on fishing during ridleys’ nesting season.
iii. The Coast Guard patrol in turtle congregation sites would remain in force till the marine
turtles finish laying eggs on nesting beaches.
ECO Niwas Samhita 2018-an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings launched
On 14th December 2018, Ministry of Power launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, an Energy
Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R) on the occasion of National Energy
Conservation Day 2018 in New Delhi.
i. The codes were launched in the presence of Chief Guest Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Hon’ble
Speaker, Lok Sabha and Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New
&Renewable Energy.

ii. The code aims to benefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy efficiency
in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.
iii. The Code is also expected to assist large number of architects and builders who are involved
in design and construction of new residential complexes in different parts of the country.
iv. The Code will potentially save energy to the tune of 125 Billion Units of electricity per year
by 2030, which is equivalent to about 100 million ton of (Carbon dioxide) Co2 emission.
v. It is estimated that energy demand in the building sector will rise from around 350 billion
units in 2018 to approximately 1000 billion units by year 2030.
First National Workshop on Explosives Detection inaugurated at Pune
On 14th December 2018,the first ever two days, National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED -
2018) was Inaugurated at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune,
Maharashtra.The workshop concluded on December 15,2018.
i. Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chief Atulchandra Kulkarni was the chief guest of
the workshop.
ii. A total of 200 delegates from different Defence Research and Development
Organization(DRDO) labs, Army, CRPF, CISF, Police, Academic Institutes, Industry and other
Security agencies attended the workshop.
iii. HEMRL developed, OPX-Revelator, which is a portable, miniaturised, electronic detector
capable of detecting almost all the explosives widely used by antisocial elements and in
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) was unveiled in the workshop.
iv. The OPX-Revelator has the capability to detect more than 25 explosives in traces, IEDs and in
the presence of contaminants like mud, sand, sugar, diesel oil etc.
India’s largest cancer hospital ‘National Cancer Institute (NCI)’ opened in Jhajjar, Haryana
On 18th December 2018, National Cancer Institute (NCI) which is the largest cancer hospital of India
built at a cost of Rs 2035 crore opened for public in Jhajjar, Haryana but the formal inauguration will
be held in January 2019.
i. NCI is a project under All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi and it will be
headed by Dr GK Rath who is the Chief of Institute of Rotary Cancer Hospital in AIIMS.
ii. The NCI will be the nodal institution for all the activities related to cancer in the country and
it will have linkage with other cancer institutes of the country.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated Rs 9,533 crore highway projects in Arunachal Pradesh
On Dec. 20 2018, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources,
River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid foundation stones for
national highways projects worth Rs 9,533 crore at separate events in Roing and Ziro in Arunachal
Pradesh.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren
Rijiju also accompanied with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.This project will help the development of
North Eastern Region of India by job creation, tourism and employment for the youth.

i. Minister inaugurated bridges across Dibang and Lohit River System, including road between
Chowkham-Digaru of worth Rs 1508.30 crore.
ii. The Minister also inaugurated the two-laned, 25.14 km Mahadevpur to Buri Dihing
constructed at a cost of Rs 136.60 crore and 22.23 km Bordumsa- Namchik constructed at a
cost of Rs 189.91 crore.
iii. He also laid the foundation for 96.47 km of national highways projects costing Rs 2114.82
crore in Roing.
Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ launched by Government
On 20th December 2018, The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, launched the
‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ with an aim to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free
population of Asiatic Lion.
i. The total budget of the project for the next three years is about Rs 97.84 crore.
ii. It will help the conservation of Asiatic Lions with the help of state of the art
techniques/instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, and
modern surveillance/patrolling techniques.
iii. The project will be funded through, the Development of Wildlife Habitat, a centrally
sponsored scheme (CSS-DWH), with the contributing ratio of 60:40 for central and state
share.
iv. The 2015 census showed a population of 523 Asiatic Lions in the Gir Protected Area Network
of 1648.79 sq. km in Gujarat.
v. The Asiatic Lions are already included in the list of 21 critically endangered species for
recovery programme and financial assistance under the species recovery component of CSS-
DWH.
Haryana CM inaugurates World Herbal Forest Project in Morni Hill
On 20th December 2018, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the World Herbal
Forest Project, a collaboration of Patanjali and Haryana Government, at Morni Hill, near Chandigarh.
i. The project covers over 52,000 acres of land in Morni Hills and is aimed at developing a
forest of medicinal plants which will provide a huge boost to the Ayurvedic industry across
the country.
ii. Yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna were also present during the
inaugural function.
iii. About 25 different varieties of plants found in the country will be housed in this forest.
50,000 plants each of 20 medicinal varieties are being sown in the first phase of the project.
A UNESCO Category 2, International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography, inaugurated at

INCOIS, Hyderabad
On December 22, 2018, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment and
Forests & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the newly constructed International
Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) Complex in the INCOIS campus at
Hyderabad, Telangana.

i. He dedicated the ITCOocean to the Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
named the academic building as Atal Bhavan and the Guest House as Atal Atithi Griha.
ii. This UNESCO category 2 centre was established by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES),
Govt. of India earlier in 2013 but it upgraded to assist UNESCO and its Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
iii. It will help in providing capacity building and training activities in operational oceanography.
iv. It will thus benefit the South Asian and African states bordering the Indian Ocean and the
small island nations in the Pacific from INCOIS’ ocean science and management practices.
Defence Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean
Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram,Haryana
On December 22, 2018, Defence Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Information Fusion
Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC)
Gurugram, Haryana.
i. The IFC-IOR is aimed to engage with partner nations to develop maritime domain awareness
and share information on vessels of interest in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
ii. It would also help enhance maritime security and safety.
iii. The information exchange at the IFC-IOR would be initially undertaken by virtual means,
using telephone calls, faxes, emails and video conferencing over internet.
iv. It would undertake conduct of exercises and training capsules in maritime information
collation and sharing.
The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is vital to world trade and economic prosperity of many countries as
more than 75 per cent of the world’s maritime trade and 50 per cent of global oil consumption
passes through it.
Centre of Excellence for Genetic Blood Disorders at Prathima Institute in Karimnagar inaugurated
by President of India
On December 22, 2018, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on his first visit to Karimnagar,
inaugurated the Centre of Excellence Genetic Blood Disorders at the Prathima Institute of Medical
Sciences in Karimnagar, Telangana.
i. This centre will work on Sickle Cell Anaemia, Thalassemia and Other Genetic Blood
Disorders.
ii. It was set up by Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences.
India has the largest number of children with Thalassemia major in the world.
Prime Minister launched website of Cyber Coordination Centre during DGP Conference
On 23rd December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the website of the Cyber
Coordination Centre on the concluding day of 3-Day Conference of Director Generals of Police,
which was organized at Kevadiya in Narmada district of Gujarat.

i. A one stop shop on all cyber related issues, whether it is cybercrime or cyber security, the
Cyber Coordination Centre is focused on improving cyber security in the country and on
preparing the Police forces to prevent and investigate cybercrimes and financial frauds.
ii. It would also act as bridge between law enforcement agencies on the one hand, and
academia and private cyber security professionals on the other.
iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also released a commemorative stamp on the National Police
Memorial on the occasion besides releasing a special issue of Indian Police Journal on Police
martyrdom, published by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
PM announces Sardar Patel Award for National Integration
On 23rd December 2018, during the concluding session of the 3-Day Conference of Director
Generals of Police, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced the institution of Sardar Patel
Award for National Integration on the pattern of Padma Awards.
i. The award which will be conferred annually and would be open to every Indian who has
contributed to national unity in any manner.
ii. The inspiration for formation of award is drawn from India’s first Home Minister Sardar
Patel’s contribution towards National unity after Independence.
Hornbill Festival of Nagaland commenced along with 55th Statehood Day; CM launched North-East
region’s 2nd Tourist Police
On November 26, 2018, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched the state Tourist Police at
Police Headquarter in Kohima.
Nagaland became the second state in the North East to introduce Tourist Police after Arunachal
Pradesh.
i. He also released the Tourist Police Handbook and launched Nagaland Police FIR Mobile App.
ii. Tourist Police will be deployed during Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, which is from 1st
December to give safety and security of tourists.
About Hornbill Festival of Nagaland:
i. The Hornbill Festival is one of the most cherished festivals of Nagaland.

ii. It is named after Hornbill, one of the most venerated bird species in the state.
iii. The 10-day festival is celebrated annually during the first week of December, i.e. from
December 1-10.
iv. It is organized by State Tourism and Arts and Culture Department, Government of Nagaland
to encourage inter-tribal harmony and promote culture and traditions of the different tribes
of the state.
v. The 19th annual Hornbill Festival in 2018 is being celebrated at the Naga Heritage Village in
Kisama, located around 12 kilometers from the capital of the Nagaland, Kohima.
vi. It would also marked the Nagaland Formation Day.

55th Nagaland Statehood Day:
December 1, is annually seen as Nagaland Day since its formal inception as state in 1963, with the
enactment of the state of Nagaland Act in 1962.
i. On December 1, 1963 Nagaland was inaugurated as the 16th State of the Indian Union by Dr
Sarvapelli Radhakrishnan, the then President of India.
ii. December 1, 2018 marked the 55th Statehood Day and was celebrated at the Secretariat
Plaza in Kohima.
India’s first indigenous film festival to be held in Odisha next year
India’s first international indigenous film festival will take place in February next year in Odisha. It
will be an initiative of activist film collective ‘Video Republic’.
i. The three-stop event will kick off in Bhubaneswar on February 19 and 20, moving on to Puri
from February 21 to 23 and will eventually culminate in an interaction with the adivasi
communities at Niyamgiri.
ii. Films made by indigenous people or made by non-indigenous filmmakers in collaboration
with the indigenous communities will be shown in the event.
National Festival for Children of Child Care Institutions (CCIs)- “Hausla 2018” held in NewDelhi
The National Festival for Children of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) – “Hausla 2018” of the Ministry of
Women and Child Development (MWCD) was held at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. It
was a 4 day event, from 26 to 29th November 2018. Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for
Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ms. Mary Kom, Indian Olympic Boxer & Member of
Parliament (Rajya Sabha) addressed the ceremony.
i. The festival witnessed participation of more than 600 Children drawn from CCIs from 16
states in the various events like painting competition,debate, athletics meet, football, chess
competition Safe Neighbourhood Project making activity and speech writing as part of the
Festival.
ii. The theme for the event was “Child Safety”.
iii. The Childline India Foundation (CIF) and National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child
Development (NIPCCD) will be assisting the Ministry in organizing the events.
iv. The concluding ceremony held on 29th November (evening) at Siri Fort Auditorium, New
Delhi in which a cultural programme by the children of CCIs, presentation of Best State Team
Award based on performance during Hausla 2018 and Prize distribution to all winners of
each individual category was held.
‘Manipur Sangai Festival-2018 (21st to 30th November)
From 21st November to 30th November,Every year Manipur Tourism Department organizes annual
cultural festival known as “Sangai Festival” which was previously known as “Tourism Festival” but in
2010 it was renamed after the State Animal of Manipur Sangai Deer.

i. The Sangai Festival is celebrated to promote Manipur as the World Class tourism
destination.Theme:To project & showcase the tourism potential and promote
“DESTINATION MANIPUR”.
ii. The Festival showcases the culture, handloom, handicraft and fine arts, Cuisines and Music,
Indigenous sports, Adventure sports as well as the scenic natural beauty of the Manipur.
iii. Sangai Festival is celebrated at Keibul Lamjao & Loktak Lake, Hapte Kangjeibung and
Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre, Mapal Kangjeibung and Khuman Lampak, Kangshang,
Trade & Permanent Exhibition Centre at Lamboi Khongnangkhong.
The Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhonrn attended the 10-day festival on maiden visit to
Manipur. On her two day visit she visited various tourist sites of Manipur and praised India’s “Act
East Policy”.
Indian Owl Festival, India’s first owl fest, held in Pune
On 29th and 30th November 2018, the Indian Owl Festival, India’s first owl fest, was held at Pingori
village in Purandar taluka of Pune, Maharashtra.
i. The festival was organised by Ela Foundation. It created awareness on owl conservation and
feature art forms like pictures, paintings, lanterns, lamp shades, posters, origami, stitched
articles, poems and stories on owls.
ii. The festival featured skits and short films on owls. Out of the 262 species of owls that are
found in the world, 75 are threatened.
iii. As per a report of Traffic India, a wildlife trade monitoring body, and the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) in 2010, owls were found to be consumed and traded for black magic, street
performances, taxidermy, private aviaries/zoos, food, folk medicines, etc.
iv. They are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated second edition of Khasdar Mahotsav in Nagpur
On 30th November 2018, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Shipping, Surface Transport and
Ganga Rejuvenation inaugurated the second edition of Khasdar Mahotsav at the Ishwar Deshmukh
College of Physical Education in Nagpur. Mr Nitin Gadkari in presence of versatile Bollywood Film
Actor Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff said that this event is not just a cultural programme but an
attempt to provide the future generation with better infrastructure and facilities and make them
aware about India’s Rich heritage.
FSSAI launches new campaign “Heart Attack Rewind” to eliminate trans fats by 2022
On 30th November 2018 the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched a new
mass media campaign “Heart Attack Rewind”, for the elimination of industrially produced trans-fat
in the food supply and is a follow-up to an earlier campaign called “Eat Right” by FSSAI.
i. The campaign will warn citizens about the health hazards of consuming trans-fats and offer
strategies to avoid them through healthier alternatives.

ii. The first mass media campaign of its kind will support FSSAI’s global target of eliminating
trans-fat in India by the year 2022.
iii. A 30-second public service announcement will be broadcast in 17 languages for a period of
four weeks on YouTube, Facebook, Hotstar, and Voot and will also be placed on outdoor
hoardings and run on radio stations in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
iv. In line with the objective to get Freedom from trans-fat: ‘Trans Fat: India@75′, the FSSAI is
committed to reducing the industrially produced trans fatty acids from present 5% to less
than 2 % by 2022 in a phased manner.
v. Globally, trans-fat intake leads to more than 500,000 deaths of people from cardiovascular
disease every year and in May 2018, World Health Organization (WHO) launched a
comprehensive plan REPLACE, to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat from the global
food supply by 2023.
vi. Swasth Bharat Yatra, an initiative started under the “Eat Right” campaign which started on
October 16 and will end on January 27, 2019, will also seek to create awareness among
citizens about trans fats.
Train 18: India’s 1st engineless train crosses 180 kmph during trials
On 2nd December 2018, India’s first locomotive-less train named Train 18, crossed the 180 kmph
speed limit during a test run in the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section.
i. Train 18 will become India’s fastest train when it is made operational. This train has been
developed indigenously, costing Rs 100 crore.
ii. It is a high-tech, energy-efficient, self-propelled (engine-less) train. It features
aerodynamically designed driver cabins at both ends for quicker turn-around at destinations.
iii. It has an advanced regenerative braking system to save power. It is fully air-conditioned. It
has 16 coaches.
iv. Train 18 is expected to start its commercial run from January 2019. It is expected to replace
the current Shatabdi Express.
v. Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will launch one more Train 18 this fiscal and 4 by the next fiscal.
Three Day Military Literature Festival 2018 jointly organized by Punjab, Haryana and Indian Army
was held in Chandigarh
On December 7, 2018, the 3-day Military Literature Festival (MLF) 2018, commenced at Lake Club in
Chandigarh. The festival will conclude on December 9, 2018.
i. The festival is a joint initiative of:

 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh,
 Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and
 The Western Command, Indian Army.
ii. The 3- day festival consisted of:
 First session on ‘Role of Cross Border Operations & Surgical Strikes’,
 Second session on the ‘Contribution of India towards the First World War’,
 Third session was on sessions ‘Two Battles For Survival – Ferozshah 1848 and
Chilianwala 1849’, and ‘Indian Cavalry Charges of the First World War and the
Gallipoli Campaign’.

iii. A ‘Clarion Call‘ theatre was set up which screened 40 short films on the Army’s wars since
Independence, is the new attraction.
iv. It also showcased the famous battle of Longewala and other documentaries the famous
battles of Saragarhi, Basantar, Dograi, and Bana Top besides the naval battles of 1971 and
world’s largest tank battle of Khemkaran.
I&B Ministry organised India-China Film Festival in NewDelhi
From 22nd December 2018, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting(I&B) organized an India-
China Film festival during the first India-China High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-
People Exchanges in New Delhi. The event concludes on 24th December 2018.
i. The three-day long Film Festival was organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals of
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at Siri Fort auditorium in New Delhi .
ii. A total of seven films including four Chinese and three Indian Films was screened during the
Festival.
iii. The opening film was CZ12 also known as the Chinese Zodiac. The list of Indian films
screened includes Dangal (Hindi), Maacher Jhol (Bengali) and Ventilator (Marathi).
17-day International Gita Mahotsav, 2018 concluded in Kurukshetra, Haryana
On December 23, 2018, the 17-day long International Gita Mahotsav 2018 concluded in Kurukshetra,
Haryana. It commenced from December 7, 2018.
Objective: It is celebrated to commemorate the birth of ‘Srimad Bhagwat Gita’, the sacred scripture
that had its inception on the first day of the famous 18-day battle in the Mahabharata.
i. The event was organized by the following:

 Kurukshetra Development Board,
 Haryana Tourism,
 District Administration,
 North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala
 Information and Public Relations Department, Haryana.
ii. In this year’s edition, Mauritius was the partner country and Gujarat was the partner state.
iii. Major attractions included:
 International Gita Seminar (Dec 13-15),
 ‘Sant Sammelan’ on Dec 16 in which holy men from around the country and abroad
participated and
 recital of ‘Srimad Bhagwad Gita’ by devotees (Dec 17).
 ‘Ashtadash Shloki Gita’ recited by 18,000 students along with global Gita chanting on
Dec 18.
iv. 200 famous painters from across the country to draw paintings on the walls of Kurukshetra
on the theme of the Mahabharata under the ‘paint-the-wall’ competition.

Mauritius to organise Gita festival in Feb:
On completion of the International Gita Mahotsav, acting President of Mauritius Paramasivum Pillay
Vyapoory announced that his country would organise a Gita festival on February 2019.
Tribal community Baduga celebrates annual Heddaiyamman festival: Tamil Nadu
On December 26, 2018, the tribal Baduga community in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu celebrated
their annual Heddaiyamman festival.
i. In connection to this festival,

 People will observe 48 days fast and walks in religious processions and holding up a
holy shaft which symbolizes the miracle of the traditional Badaga goddess.
 Week long celebrations will continue in different villages including Petthala,
Beragani, and Ketti.
12-day long third edition of ‘Dwijing Festival’ commenced on the banks of the Aye river in Assam
On December 27, 2018,the 12-day 3rd ‘Dwijing Festival’ celebrations commenced on the banks of
the Aye river in Chirang district of Assam.It will continue till January 7, 2019.It will be organised by
Assam Tourism and Bodoland Tourism.
Eight day 11th Bengaluru International Film Festival to commence in February 2019
i. On December 29, 2018, it was announced that the 8-day 11th Bengaluru International Film
Festival (BIFFES) will start in February 7, 2019. It will conclude in February 14, 2019.
ii. The theme of the Festival would be ‘Nature’s Fury.’
iii. It will be organized by: the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and Department of
Information and Public Relations of Government of Karnataka.
iv. The festival is always held on first Thursday of February every year.
Rosogolla fest kicks off in Kolkata with the launch of postal stamp of the inventor
On 28th December 2018, a postal stamp dedicated to the inventor of Rosogolla, West Bengal’s
spongy and syrupy round-shaped sweet, Mr. Nabin Chandra Das was launched at the three-day
Rosogolla fest known as “Bagbazar-O-Rasogolla” in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Rosogolla fest will
conclude on 30th December 2018.
i. The Rosogolla fest “Bagbazar –O-Rosogolla” was organized at Bagbazar Gourimata Udyan
marking the 150th year of its invention.
ii. West Bengal won the Geographical Indication (GI) for ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ on 14th November
2017.
iii. A statue of Inventor, Mr Nabin Chandra Das was also unveiled on the inauguration day of
Rosogolla fest.

Chariot festival celebrated in Madurai Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu
On December 29, 2018, Chariot festival was celebrated in Madurai Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu.
i. The Chapparam (Chariot) festival symbolizes the importance of preserving all kinds of food
and fodder.
ii. A specialty of the festival is that the chariot of Goddess Meenakshi is pulled by lady devotees
alone.
NGT slaps Rs 5 crore fine on West Bengal government for failing to curb air pollution
On 27th November 2018, The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore to be deposited
with Central Pollution Control Board within two weeks on West Bengal which fails to comply with
the 2 years old directive to improve the air quality in Kolkata and Howrah. Kolkata and Howrah
comes under one of the most polluted cities of the country, so In 2016 NGT recommended several
measures to control pollution but West Bengal fails to comply with those direction.
Background of this action:-
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed Rs 5 crore fine on thermal power plants which do
not meet 100% fly ash disposal criteria during electricity generation. The Thermal Power plants on
which the fine is imposed needs to deposit Rs 5 crore with Central Pollution Control Board in a
month.
Tamil Nadu increased health insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh from Rs. 2 lakh under CMCHIS
On November 30, 2018, the Tamil Nadu government hiked the health insurance cover under the
Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) from Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh.
i. This would come into effect from December 1, 2018 and would benefit 1.58 crore families as
a cashless scheme.
ii. Through this the state would cover 1027 medical procedures for most of those who earn less
than Rs. 72,000 per annum.
Government puts imports of gold dore in restricted category
On 30th November 2018, The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) which works under
Ministry of Commerce and Industry has put the imports of gold dore in restricted category. It means
that an importer now, needs a license to import this commodity.
i. Gold dore is a semi-pure alloy which is refined for further purification. Refined gold bars are
manufactured from gold dore bar.
ii. India, the world’s second-biggest gold consumer after China, imports about 900 tonnes of
gold,a year.
iii. Also in a separate notice, the DGFT prescribed wastage norms and value addition in respect
of gold religious idols (only gods and goddess) -both plain and studded, of eight carats and
above (up to 24 carats).
 The DGFT prescribed that percentage of wastage for plain gold idols will be 2.5 per
cent and for studded gold idols it will be 5 per cent.

 It added that percentage of value addition for plain gold religious idols will be 10 per
cent; and 14 per cent in case of idols studded with colour gems stones.
 Similarly the percentage for value addition in case of idols studded with diamonds
will be 15 per cent.
iv. Also the DGFT has allowed export of gold idols (only gods and goddess) of eight carats and
above (up to 24 carats) from domestic tariff area with condition that 100 per cent
examination of these exports be done by the approved government valuer.
Centre proposes ban on use of animals in circuses, performances
On 29th November 2018, the Centre has proposed ban on the use of animals for performances,
exhibition at any circus or mobile entertainment facilities.
i. The environment ministry, in a draft notification dated November 28, has invited comments
from various stakeholders on the issue within 30 days.
ii. According to drafting notification in the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001,
under rule 13, the following shall be added to 13A prohibit exhibiting and training of animals
for specified performances.
Government holds Workshop on Developing ‘Ganga Museum’ in New Delhi
On 29th and 30th November 2018, an international workshop on “Developing a Ganga Museum
Concept: Exchanging Experiences and Ideas between India and Europe” was held in New Delhi.
i. The workshop was organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) along with GIZ
India, as a part of Indo German Development Co-operation. Experts from India and the
European Union participated.
ii. NMCG is planning to set up a Ganga Exhibition and a Ganga Museum for public outreach,
portraying river Ganga’s history and mythology, its importance for the livelihood of a huge
population, and efforts for Ganga Rejuvenation.
iii. In the workshop, ideas and experiences related to the proposed Ganga Museum and Ganga
Exhibition, were discussed.
Maharashtra allows citizens to inspect government records under RTI
On 26th November 2018, Maharashtra government issued a government resolution allowing citizens
to inspect records in district-level offices and local bodies throughout Maharashtra under the Right
To Information (RTI) for 2 hours every Monday.
i. This move aims to bring transparency in the functioning of the government and to reduce
RTI applications and appeals.
ii. People don’t need to file RTI applications or pay any fee. They can directly go to the offices
and inspect the records.
iii. All district-level offices and local bodies like municipal corporations and councils, zilla
parishads, etc, have been instructed to allow inspection from 3 pm to 5 pm every Monday.

iv. This resolution is not applicable to Mantralaya, the state secretariat of Maharashtra, due to
logistical issues.
v. If a public holiday falls on Monday, inspection would be allowed on the next working day.
Centre included Gangotri, Yamunotri in Uttarakhand, Amarkantak in MP and Parasnath in

Jharkhand under PRASAD Scheme: Tourism Ministry
On December 4, 2018, the central government announced inclusion of Gangotri and Yamunotri in
Uttrarakhand, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and Parasnath in Jharkhand under the scheme
Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).
With this, the number of pilgrimage sites under the scheme increased to 41 sites in 25 states.
i. It was launched by the Tourism Ministry in 2014-15.

ii. The scheme aimed at the following:
 Infrastructure development (road, rail and water transport),
 last mile connectivity,
 basic tourism facilities like Information/ Interpretation Centers, ATM/ money
exchange, eco-friendly modes of transport among others.
iii. A total 24 projects in 15 states have been approved with estimated expenditure of Rs 727.16
crore and a total amount of Rs 331.15 crore has been released for these projects under the
scheme since its inception till date.
New Vehicles to be Pre-Fitted with High Security Registration plates from April, 2019
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified amendments to central Motor Vehicles Rules,
1989 and announced that all new vehicles will be sold pre-fitted with the high-security registration
plates from 1st April 2019. The High Security Registration plates helps in keeping track of the vehicle
so that lost or stolen vehicles can be traced.
IWAI announced Kolkata-Patna as India’s second Container Cargo sector and Ministry of Shipping
approves Rs 156 Crore Freight Village in Varanasi
On 6th December 2018, Ministry of shipping had approved Rs 156 Crore Freight Village in Varanasi
adjoining Inland Waterways Terminal at River Ganga. Apart from that After the Success of container
cargo being shipped form Kolkata to Varanasi, Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI) Kolkata-
Patna has become India’s Second Inland Water Transport(IWT) origin destination pair for
containerized cargo movement on National Waterway-1.
i. Ministry of Shipping is developing 1390 km National Waterway – 1 on River Ganga under Jal
Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) from Haldia to Varanasi with the assistance of World Bank at an
estimated cost of Rs 5369 Crore.
ii. The Varanasi Freight Village is a designated area where facilities for various modes of
transportation, distribution of goods and other logistics operations will be available in a
synchronized manner on a large scale.

iii. Bihar Capital Patna will witness a new landmark in India’s Inland Water Transport (IWT)
sector with 16 TEUs of Container Cargo from food giants PepsiCo India and Emami Agrotech
Ltd reaching Gaighat IWT terminal from Kolkata on river Ganga.
Government sanctioned 254 projects worth over 24 thousand crore rupees under National Mission
for Clean Ganga in India Water Summit 2018
On December 5, 2018, speaking in the India Water Impact Summit 2018, Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation MinisterNitin Gadkari announced sanction of 254 projects
worth over 24 thousand crore rupees under National Mission for Clean Ganga.
i. Out of that, the government has earmarked 20 thousand crores for five years towards the
clean Ganga programme.
ii. And additional 3 thousand crore rupees next year under the programme has been
sanctioned.
iii. Under this, the Ministry announced taking up construction of 197 ghats in five states,
including Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. iv. Over the span of 4 years, around five thousand
crore rupees have been spent under NMCG.
Centre Empowers Lt Governors, Administrators to Set Up Special Courts
On 06th December 2018, Lieutenant governors (LGs) and administrators of Union territories have
been empowered by the central government to designate civil courts as special courts to adjudicate
contracts relating to infrastructure projects.
i. This comes under Section 20B of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 (47 of 1963).
ii. According to this the state government, in consultation with the chief justice of the high
court, can designate one or more civil courts as special courts within the local limits of the
area to exercise jurisdiction and to try a suit under this Act in respect of contracts relating to
infrastructure projects.
INDRA NAVY: the bilateral maritime exercise between indian Navy and Russian Federation Navy
exercises held in Visakhapatnam
On December 09 2018, The 10th Edition of the bilateral exercise INDRA NAVY between Indian Navy
and Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) started at Vishakhapatnam. The Maritime exercise will conclude
on December 16.
i. The Primary aim of the exercise is to increase interoperability amongst the two navies,
develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations.
ii. This Year’s edition of exercise would be held in two phases, The Harbour phase would be
held at Visakhapatnam from 9-12 December and the Sea phase would be held from 13-16
December in bay of Bengal.
iii. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Air Defence Drills, Surface firings, Visit Board search and
Seizure (VBSS) operations and tactical procedures will be the thrust of exercises at sea.
iv. Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet will command the
Indian ships at the exercise.

India’s first underwater museum to open off Puducherry coast in INS Cuddalore
On December 8, 2018, Indian Navy agreed to gift INS Cuddalore, a decommissioned Pondicherry-
class vessel, to the Union territory of Puducherry for the creation of country’s first underwater
museum.
i. The 60 m long and 12 m wide vessel was decommissioned in March 2018 after sailing 13000
nautical miles.
ii. It would be sent to the sea bed at a depth of 26 m and 7 km off the Pondicherry coast to act
as an underwater marine museum for scuba diving and snorkelling activities.
iii. This would enhance tourism in the UT. It would also help in enhanced marine biodiversity
and boosting fishing industry.
Kazakhstan opened consulate, under Dilip Chandan, in Gujarat to push business ties
On December 10, 2018, Kazakhstan opened a consulate,under the leadership of the managing
director of Chandan Steel Limited, Dilip Chandan,in Gujarat to further business partnership.
i. The consulate was inaugurated on the eve of the 27th Anniversary of the Independence Day
of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
ii. It would help in enhancing development of mutually beneficial cooperation between
Kazakhstan and India in the fields of IT industry, engineering, tourism and transport and
logistics infrastructure, as well as agriculture.
Shi Yomi became 23rd district of Arunachal Pradesh
i. On December 9, 2018, Arunachal Pradesh got Shi Yomi as its 23rd district after its
inauguration by Chief Minister Pema Khandu in presence of Union Minister of State for
Home Kiren Rijiju.
ii. The district,consisting of four circles — Mechuka, Pidi, Tato and Monigong — was carved out
of West Siang district.
iii. This including two other districts- Pakke-Kesang, Lepa Rada– was created after the approval
of District Re-Organisation Bill, 2018 on August 29, 2018.
iv. The Pakke-Kessang district was carved out of East Kameng district with five administrative
units namely Pakke-Kessang, Seijosa, Pijiriang, Passa Valley and Dissing Passo with district
headquarters at Lemmi.
v. Lepa Rada was created by bifurcating the Lower Siang district with headquarters at Basar
with four administrative units – Tirbin, Basar, Daring and Sago.
CBSE conducts largest ever Central Teacher Eligibility Test
On 9th December 2018, The Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE), conducted the largest
ever Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) at 2144 centres in 92 cities across the country.
i. As many as 16,91,088 teaching job aspirants took the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET).
Among them the number of female candidates were 9,78,818 while male candidates
numbered 7,12,071.

ii. 199 transgender candidates also participated in the 11th edition of the teacher eligibility test
while 33,107 differently abled candidates filled their applications for the exam this year.
iii. This year onwards, the score cards and CTET certificate will be given to the candidates in a
digital format. CBSE will create DigiLocker accounts of the candidates and digitally signed
certificates will be legally valid as per the IT Act.
iv. The mark sheets and certificates will contain encrypted QR code and can be downloaded
using the login credentials that will be sent by the board.
Govt contribution to NPS raised to 14 pc, withdrawal made tax free: Finance Minister
On December 10, 2018, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the rise in contribution of the
government in National Pension Scheme (NPS) to14 per cent from existing 10 per cent, burdening
the government by Rs 2,840 crore for 2019-20.
i. The change in contribution was recommended by Committee of Secretaries (CoS), thus

resulting in a total corpus of 24% from the previous 20%.
ii. Out of the 24%, 14 per cent would be contributed by the government and the remaining 10
per cent by the employees.
iii. Furthermore, he also made entire withdrawal amount tax free at the time of retirement by
enhancing the tax exemption limit for lump sum withdrawal on exit to 60%.
iv. At present, 40 per cent of the total accumulated corpus utilised for purchase of annuity is
already tax exempted, and of 60 per cent of the accumulated corpus withdrawn by the NPS
subscriber at the time of retirement, 40 per cent is tax exempt and balance 20 per cent is
taxable.
v. This would benefit 18 lakh employees.
‘Operation Minimum wage’,to check violations of Minimum Wage Act 2017, launched by Delhi
government
On December 10, 2018, the Delhi government launched a 10-day special inspection drive named-
“Operation Minimum Wage”, to check implementation of minimum wage rules set by the Union
Territory government.
i. The operation will continue till December 21, 2018.

ii. The violation would be checked as per the Minimum Wages Act, 2017 and as per the act, the
labourers can lodge a complaint by calling 155214.
iii. As per the Act, the punishment for not paying minimum wages can be Rs. 50,000 fine or a
jail term for three years or both.
Background:
The government has fixed wages of various categories on the basis of skills. The minimum wage for
the unskilled labourers is Rs 14,000 per month while that for semi-skilled is Rs 15,400 per month and
for the skilled, it is Rs 16,962 per month.

Lepa Rada becomes 24th district of Arunachal Pradesh
On 11th December 2018, Arunachal Pradesh gets its 24th district – Lepa Rada,a day after Shi Yomi
became a new district.
i. Lepa Rada is carved out of the Lower Siang district, comprising four administrative circles –
Tirbin, Dari, Sago and Basar.
ii. Basar will be the headquarters of Lepa Rada.
iii. The state assembly on 29th August 2018 had passed a bill for creation of three new districts
– Pakke-Kesang, Lepa Rada and Shi Yomi – in the state.
First ever Agriculture Export Policy 2018 launched by Commerce Ministry
On December 11, 2018, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the Year End review of the
policies to envision the creation of a ‘Vision of New India’ which would propel the India to become a
USD 5 trillion economy before 2025.
Out of the USD 5 trillion, the focused plans will be on boosting
 Service sector contribution to USD 3 trillion,

 Manufacturing to USD 1 trillion and
 Agriculture to USD 1 trillion.
About India’s first ever Agriculture Export Policy:
As on December 6, 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the creation of
first Agriculture Export Policy.
i. The Department of Commerce in its aim to enable India to become a USD 5 trillion
economy, released India’s 1st Agriculture Export Policy 2018.
Highlights of the Agricultural Export Policy 2018:
i. As per the policy, a corpus of USD 1 billion has been created to boost 12 champion sectors in
services.
ii. It would boost India’s agricultural exports to USD 60 billion by 2022 and to achieve
Agriculture Ministry’s target of USD 100 billion.
iii. The recommendations in the Agriculture Export Policy have been organised in two
categories – Strategic and Operational.
iv. The Strategic recommendations include:
 Policy measures,
 Infrastructure and Logistics Support,
 Holistic approach to boost exports,
 Greater involvement of State Governments in agri exports.
v. The Operational recommendations include:
 Focus on Clusters,
 Promoting value-added exports,
 Marketing and promotion of “Brand India,

 Attract private investments into production and processing,

 Establishment of strong quality regimen,
 Research & Development,
 Miscellaneous.
vi. The 12 identified Champion Services Sectors are: Approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by
the Prime Minister, 12 identified Champion Services Sectors are: Information Technology &
Information Technology enabled Services (IT &ITeS), Tourism and Hospitality Services,
Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance Services,
Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication Services, Construction and Related
Engineering Services, Environmental Services, Financial Services and Education Services.
“Uncrowned Glory – An exhibition of Ethnic Ornaments of Himachal Pradesh” inaugurated in New

Delhi
On December 11, 2018, Dr Dharmendra Singh Gangwar, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor,
Ministry of Culture inaugurated the third exhibition of the 2nd series of collection titled “Uncrowned
Glory – An exhibition of Ethnic Ornaments of Himachal Pradesh” in National Museum, New Delhi.
i. This exhibition aims to showcase the silver and gold ornaments, from different communities
and regions of Himachal Pradesh,through photographic prints.
ii. This also help in preserving and transmitting the intangible aspects of the communities
through generations. iii. The exhibition will be open for public till the 31st of December
2018.
UP to establish Umbrella University named after former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee
On December 12, 2018, the Uttar Pradesh Government announced creation of an umbrella
university named after former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
i. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at
Lucknow.
ii. The University would be the controlling authority of all the medical and dental colleges and
nursing institutions in the state.
iii. This would help in bringing transparency in entrance and examination system and would
enhance quality of medical education.
9 states achieved 100% household electrification under SAUBHAGYA: Power Ministry
On December 12, 2018, Ministry of Power announced that 9 states have achieved complete
household electrification under the PM Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) scheme.
i. These 9 states are: Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand,
Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.
ii. With this, 16 States in the country now have 100 per cent household electrification.
iii. Furthermore, the country is expected to achieve 100 per cent household electrification by
December 31, 2018.

iv. Additionally, 31.68 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under the Unnat Jyoti by
Affordable LED for All (UJALA) scheme resulting in estimated cost saving of Rs.16,457 crore
per year.
v. The Power Ministry also aims to replace 1.34 crore conventional streetlights with smart and
energy efficient LED lights by March, 2019.
Dam Safety Bill 2018 introduced in Lok Sabha by MoSPA&WR
On December 12, 2018, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Arjun Ram
Meghwal introduced the Dam Safety Bill 2018 in Lok Sabha. It was introduced on behalf of the Road
and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The bill will be applied to specified dams across all states.
About Dam Safety Bill 2018:
i. The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 was drafted by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development &
Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR).
ii. The bill aims to provide a robust legal and institutional framework for the safety of dams
under Central and state governments.
iii. The purview of the bill includes the following:
 The surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of specified dams for
prevention of dam failure related disasters,
 Constitution of a ‘National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS)’, chaired by Chairman
of CWC, to evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations,
 Establishment of ‘National Dam Safety Authority’ (NDSA) as a regulatory body to
implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country,
 Constitution of ‘State Committee on Dam Safety’ by the State Governments for
proper surveillance,
 Mandates every state has to establish a State Dam Safety Organisation.
 In cases where a dam is extended over two or more States or dams of one State
falling under the territory of another State, the National Authority has to perform
the role of State Dam Safety Organization.
 Additionally, Emergency action plan has to be prepared by the owner of a dam
within 5 years and for new dams it has to be prepared before filling.
West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh top beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat: MoSH&FW
On December 13, 2018, Minister of state for health and family welfare Anupriya Patel announced
that West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh emerged the largest beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat. i.
Till November 2018, the government had spent Rs 798.34 crore on the scheme, of which:
 West Bengal was allotted a total of Rs 193.34 crore,

 Bihar got an allocation of Rs 188.27 crore, and
 Chhattisgarh Rs 114.43 crore.

Ground Water Extraction: Government notified revised guidelines; to levy Water Conservation Fee
on water extraction from June 2019
On December 13, 2018, the Central Ground Water Authority notified revised guidelines for ground
water extraction and levied fee for extraction. It will be effective from June 1, 2019.
i. The introduction of the concept of Water Conservation Fee (WCF) was done in the
guidelines where a fee will be levied on water extraction, to discourage misuse of water by
industries.
ii. This would also compel industries to adopt measures relating to water use efficiency.
iii. Other features of the revised guidelines include:
 Encouraging use of recycled and treated sewage water by industries,
 Provision of action against polluting industries,
 Mandatory requirement of digital flow meters,
 Mandatory water audit by industries extracting ground water 500 cubic metre per
day or more in safe and semi-critical,
 200 cubic metre per day or more in critical and over-exploited assessment units,
 Mandatory rooftop rain water harvesting except for specified industries,
 Prevention of ground water contamination in premises of polluting industries/
projects.
iv. Additionally, agricultural users, users employing non-energised means to extract water,
individual households and armed forces establishments during operational deployments
have been exempted from the requirement of no-objection certificate (NOC).
NRTI: India’s first and World’s third railway university at Vadodara, dedicated by Railway Minister
Piyush Goyal & Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
On December 15, 2018, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani dedicated the nation’s first National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) in Vadodara,
Gujarat.
i. It is India’s first and world’s 3rd railway university after Russia and China.
ii. The Vice-Chancellor of the university is Ashwani Lohani who is the Chairman of the Railway
Board of India.
iii. The Minstry of Railways had sanctioned Rs. 421 crore for the upcoming 5 years for the
operation of the project.
iv. It has been built on 110 acres of land at Pipaliya village in Waghodiya Taluka, District
Vadodara.
v. The railway university began its operations on September 5 this year to mark Teacher’s Day.
vi. The building’s construction of the university has been designed on the lines of Pratap Vilas
Palace of the erstwhile Gaekwad state.
Jammu and Kashmir becomes first state to have law banning sexual exploitation of women
On 14th December 2018, Jammu and Kashmir became the first state in the country to enact a law
banning sexual exploitation of women “by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary
relationship or a public servant”.

i. The decision in this regard was taken by Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council (SAC)
headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik by approving the Prevention of Corruption
(Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
ii. The Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 seeks to amend the Ranbir
Penal Code (RPC)-a criminal code, whereby specific offence under section 354 E is being
inserted to provide for the offence of ‘Sextortion‘.
iii. ‘Sextortion’ is a physical or non-physical form to extort sexual favours. People entrusted
with power use ‘sextortion’ in a form of ‘corruption’.
iv. Prevention of Corruption Act was amended to cover the definition of misconduct and to
provide that demand for sexual favours would also constitute misconduct within the
meaning of Section 5 of the act.
v. Anyone found guilty of sextortion (“non-bailable” and “not compoundable” offence) will be
punished with monetary fine and a minimum jail sentence of three years, which may extend
to five years
vi. The amendments are the outcome of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Geeta
Mittal and Justice Alok Aradhe order, which directed the state to examine the concept of
‘Sextortion’ in the context of applicable laws.
Government notifies rules for in-flight, maritime mobile phone services termed Flight and
Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018
On 14th December 2018, Government notified rules for in-flight calls, internet access through
mobile phones known as Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018,thereby allowing Indian &
foreign airlines and shipping companies operating in the country to provide in-flight and maritime
voice & data services in partnership with a valid Indian telecom licence holder.
i. This shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
ii. The in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC) can be provided using telecom networks on
ground as well as using satellites.
iii. A valid telecom licence holder in India can provide the service through domestic and foreign
satellites which have permission of the Department of Space to do so.
iv. The IFMC services will be activated once the aircraft attains a minimum height of 3,000
metres in Indian airspace to avoid interference with terrestrial mobile networks.
v. The IFMC licences will be granted against an annual fee of Re 1 for a period of 10 years and
the permit holder will have to pay licence fees and spectrum charges based on revenue
earned from providing services.
Ministry of Railways has decided to give 25% discount in haulage rate on transport of empty
containers and empty flat wagons
On 14th December 2018, Ministry of Railways under Piyush Goyal decided to give a discount of 25
per cent on existing haulage rate per Twenty Feet Equivalent Unit (TEU) on the transport of empty
containers as well as empty flat container wagons.

i. The move will come into force with effect from 1st January 2019 and will remain valid for
one year, up to 31st December 2019 but there will be a review meeting conducted by the
railways after 30 June 2019.
ii. The move is aimed to facilitate movement of containers by rail towards ports, efficient
handling of traffic at ports and attract larger share of container traffic to Rail.
iii. This initiative would also ful fill the demand for container train operators (CTOs) and is
expected to give a boost to container business both in imports, exports and domestic.
iv. Presently 18 private container train operator (CTO) and Container Corporation of India
(CONCOR) are operating this container service.
Foundation Stone of Institute of High-Altitude Medicinal Plants (IHAMP) laid in J&K
On 15th December 2018, The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Shripad
Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr. Jitendra Singh laid the
foundation stone of Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plants (IHAMP) with an estimated cost of Rs.
100 crore at Bhaderwah in District Doda in Jammu & Kashmir.
i. The institute will be a dedicated facility for research in medicinal plants found at high
altitude and shall also become a major source of income for the farmers in cultivation of
medicinal plants.
ii. The institute would work towards introduction of new technologies in the cultivation of local
medicinal plants through intensive research, training and capacity building of the farmers.
iii. A special camp for registration under AYUSHMAN Bharat (PM-JAY) in which as many as 200
eligible beneficiaries were enrolled and were give Golden cards on the spot, was also
inaugurated by Shripad Yesso Naik and Dr. Jitendra Singh on the occasion.
Pune District court Became the first Court in India to get facility of e-payment
On 15th December 2018, Pune District court became the first court in India to allow e-payments of
court fee, judicial deposits, fines and penalties, the facility which will be eventually available across
all courtrooms in the country to bring transparency to cash transactions.
i. The Pune district court administration is starting the e-payment facility in the Shivajinager
district and sessions court.
ii. The move in which all the e-payments will be collected https://pay.ecourts. gov.in/epay/
would also help to end the long queues on court premises to pay cash.
iii. The court administration has tied up with State Bank of India (SBI) for the purpose in which
civil lawyers and litigants can make payments online round the clock and there will be no
additional bank charges for payments up to Rs 2,000.
iv. The person making the e-payment will get a unique case number record (CNR) which will
remain the same till matter is disposed of.
v. Chief justice of Bombay High Court RK Menon officially inaugurated the E-payment system.

NITI Aayog Organises the Third Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards
On 16th December 2018,National Institution for Transforming India( NITI AAYOG) organized the 3rd
edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2018 in New Delhi and launched the upgraded
portal of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform 2.0.The Vice President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu
was the chief guest of the event where he presented the awards and launched the portal. Theme of
this year is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’.
i. 15 winners have been chosen through an extensive six-month-long process.

ii. The primary objective of Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is to promote and
support both established and aspiring Indian women entrepreneurs.
iii. Many organisations such as Google, UN India Business Forum, CRISIL, SIDBI, NIC, NASSCOM,
WEE Foundation, SEWA bank, Mann Deshi Foundation etc. are the partners in the Women
Entrepreneurship Platform.
Nepal, Bhutan plan joint task force to protect wildlife
On 13th December 2018,Reconciling human-wildlife interface in Kangchenjunga Landscape: A

Regional Dialogue for Action Workshop concluded in North Bengal,India.While Attending the
Workshop the governments of India, Nepal and Bhutan are planned to form a joint task force that
would allow free movement of wildlife across political boundaries and check smuggling of wildlife
across the Kanchenjunga Landscape, a trans-boundary region spread across Nepal, India and Bhutan.
The Workshop was Inaugurated on 4th December,2018.
i. Earlier this month, the forest officials and representatives of non-government organisation
of the three countries mulled up the proposal after visiting parts of the landscape and later
held a meeting at Siliguri in north Bengal.
ii. The landscape which covers an area of 25,080 sq km including parts of eastern Nepal (21%),
Sikkim and West Bengal (56%) and western and south-western parts of Bhutan (23%) lies to
the south of Mount Kanchenjunga.
iii. The move was necessary because according to International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD)– 1,118 sq km of riverine grassland and tree cover were lost in the
landscape between 2000 and 2010 and 74 % of the area was converted into rangeland and
26% to agricultural land.
iv. ICIMOD also reported that between 1986 and 2015, as many as 425 people were killed by
elephants and 144 elephants were killed between 1958 and 2013.
v. Besides every few months there are cases of elephants, rhino and gaurs and other mammals
crossing over political boundaries, triggering panic among locals across the border and also
posing danger to the wildlife.

Bihar’s sweet delicacy Silao Khaja gets GI tag
On 11th December 2018, the traditional delicacy of Nalanda district of Bihar, Silao Khaja which is
popular among the tourists visiting Buddhist sites of Rajgir and Nalanda was granted GI tag by
Geographical Indications Registry at Chennai.
i. The application to obtain GI Tag was filed by Silao Khaja Audyogik Swavalambi Sahakari
Simiti Limited, Bihar.
ii. Silao Khaja is a crisp, multi-layered dough sheeted sweet, made up of wheat-flour, sugar,
maida, ghee, cardamon and aniseeds as ingredients.
iii. Environment factors including local water and climate like high ph levels along with high
Chlorine content of Silao region contribute to the puffiness and crispness of Khaja according
to Public Health Division of Government of Bihar.
New child protection policy drafted by Women and Child Development ministry
i. On December 18, 2018, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) released
the drafts of new child protection policy.
ii. This would be the first policy dedicated to the protection of children which was earlier under
National Child Policy 2013.
iii. The policy will be applied to all institutions and organizations (including corporate and media
houses) government and private sector.
iv. Under this, any abuse on a child can be reported to the helpline number 1098, police or child
welfare committee.
v. Unlike the earlier National Child Policy 2013, it does not speak about children who may need
additional special protection measures: including those affected by migration, communal or
sectarian violence, children forced into begging or in conflict with the law, and those
infected with HIV/AIDS.
vi. It further categorised into 11 forms of offences, under various laws, as punishable acts.
Shri Manoj Sinha released a commemorative Postage stamp on Rajkumar Shukla in New Delhi
On 18th December 2018, Shri Manoj Sinha who is Union Minister of state (Independent charge) for
communication and Minister of state for Railways released a postage stamp on Rajkumar Shukla in
New Delhi. Department of Post paid tribute to Rajkumar Shukla who made a great contribution in
the launch of Champaran Satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi at Champaran, Bihar in 1917.
Odisha CM announces Rs 10 crore for building Odiya Cultural Centre in Surat
On 18th December 2018, Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha announced financial aid of Rs
10 Crore for the establishment of Odiya Cultural Centre in Surat, Gujarat.
i. The announcement by Naveen Patnaik came at the Odisha Mohotsav organized by Odiya
Pravasi Samaj residing in Surat.
ii. The CM said that he had requested Gujarat Government for the land allocation and Central
Government for a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Surat.

President’s Rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after 22 years
On December 20, 2018, six months after the Governor’s(Satya Pal Singh) rule in Jammu and Kashmir,
President’s rule is imposed in J&K, after a span of 22 years. President’s rule was first imposed in the
state in 1986, whereas the previous instance of President rule was in 1996, 22 years ago.
i. Under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, the state will be under the
governor’s rule for 6 months under political crisis situations.
ii. The Governor has to dissolve the Legislative Assembly after six months after which it directly
comes under President’s rule for another six months after which elections have to be held in
the state.
iii. President’s rule can be extended by another six months.
iv. Also, no Presidential proclamation shall in any case remain in force for more than three
years except for the intervention of Election Commission of India.
10 monuments adopted under the ‘Adopt A Heritage’ project: Ministry of Culture
On December 17, 2018, Minister of State (independent charge) for Culture and Minister of State for
Environment, Forest and Climate change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, announced the adoption of 10
monuments under the ‘Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’, scheme in his annual
report.
i. The following shows the MOUs signed under this scheme by various organizations.
Agency/Institution/Organization Name of Monument State

Dalmia Bharat Ltd. Red Fort Delhi
Gandikota Fort Andhra Pradesh
Adventures Tour Operators Area surrounding Gangotri Uttarakhand
Association of India Temple and Trail to Gaumukh
Mt. Stok Kangri Trek, Ladakh Jammu and Kashmir
Apeejay Park Hotels Jantar Mantar Delhi
Bliss Inns (V-Resorts) Surajkund Haryana
Yatra Online Qutub Minar Delhi
Ajanta Caves Maharashtra
Leh Palace, Leh Jammu and Kashmir
Hampi (Hazara Rama Temple) Karnataka
ii. Further, Archaeological Survey of India has identified 100 monuments as “Adarsh Smarak”
for upgradation of existing facilities/amenities.
About ‘Adopt A Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’:
 Launched: 27th September, 2017.

 Under: Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
 Purpose:To enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned and phased
manner.

 Implementation: It focuses on providing basic amenities that include cleanliness, public

conveniences, safe drinking water, ease of access for tourists, signages, illumination, Wi-fi
etc.
 No fund is given by Ministry of Tourism.
 The Project envisages involvement of Private/Public Companies / Organizations and
Individuals to adopt Monuments, Natural Heritage Sites and other Tourist Sites in the
country, primarily under CSR.
Nasscom partnered with IIT-Madras to train 4 million workforce in digital skills
On December 16, 2018, Industry body the National Association of Software and Services Companies
(NASSCOM) partnered with IIT-Madras to provide re-skilling/upskilling of four million people on
digital skills.
i. The partnership will be directly with the Sector Skills Council (SSC), the education and skill
development initiative of Nasscom, through its FutureSkills Platform.
ii. The workforce would involve: IT-ITeS industry, students entering the workforce and
employees of other industries/government.
iii. It would provide reskilling on new emerging technologies like AI, IOT, CyberSecurity, Big
Data, Cloud and BlockChain.
Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018: Bill to amend Companies Act 2013 introduced by govt
On December 20, 2018, the government introduced the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to
amend the Companies Act, 2013 to further improve the ease of doing business, ease burden of the
special courts and modify punishments.
i. The bill would replace the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, that was promulgated
on November 2, 2018 and would amend provisions in the Companies Act, 2013.
ii. According to the bill, following amendments are going to take place:
 A total of 16 types of corporate offences have been shifted from special courts to in-
house adjudication, increasing the scope of in-house assessment from 18 to 34
Sections of the Act.
 Amending section 441 to enhance the jurisdiction of Regional Director for
compound offences,
 Amending clause (41) of section 2 to empower the central government to allow
certain companies to have a different financial year instead of being determined by
the National Company Law Tribunal.
 Amending section 12 of Act to empower Registrar to remove names of companies
from register of companies if the companies are not operational according to the
provisions of the Act.

iii. These amendments were based on the recommendations of a government-appointed

committee to review offences under the Companies Act, 2013 in order to promote Ease of
Doing Business along with better corporate compliance.
MHA authorizes 10 central agencies to access any computer resource
On 20th December 2018, The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order which authorizes ten
security and intelligence agencies of the country to access any computer in the country for the
purpose of monitoring, decrypting and interception.
i. Ten Intelligence agencies which have given authorization to access any computer resource
are Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board
of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation,
National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence
(For J&K, North-East and Assam) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.
ii. The Authorization are given under sub section (1) of section 69 of the Information Act, 2000.
iii. The order mandates the service provider or any person in charge of the computer resource
to extend technical assistance to the agencies.
iv. The Non Compliance may result in seven year of imprisonment and fine.
Railways launches new EMU train with 130 kmph speed
On 19th December 2018, a Train-18 like new generation Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU)
with underslung equipment and some features from the Train 18 was launched by the Integral
Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
i. The coaches of the new MEMU are longer at 23.1m against 21.3m in the older MEMU and
the train is capable of running at around 130 kilometres an hour.
ii. The new train is equipped with a CCTV surveillance system both inside the coaches and
outside the driver’s cab, a Talk Back system to enable passengers to talk to the driver in case
of emergency and a GPS based passenger information and announcement system.
“Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” field level awareness campaign for Maharashtra, Goa and Dadra &
Nagar Haveli launched
From First Week of January 2019, the three state level campaign on “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” will
be organized in Maharashtra, Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli to spread awareness among people to
save and educate girls.
i. The Campaign will be organized by the Pune office of Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting, Government of India in coordination with Women and child
development departments of respective state and Union Territory (UT).
ii. The campaign was launched by Ms. Gauri Gadgil who is a ‘divyang’ child and an international
swimmer by placing her fingers on traditional instrument ‘Dholak’.

iii. An orientation cum workshop on the flagship project was organized for Private Registered
Cultural Troupes (PRTs) on 20th December in Pune.
Manipur assembly headed by CM N.Biren Singh passed anti-mob violence bill,2018
On December 21,2018,Manipur Assembly headed by CM N.Biren Singh has passed the Manipur
Protection from Mob Violence Bill,2018 that recommends life imprisonment for those involved in
mob violence, if the violence leads to death of a person.
i. The bill was passed in the Assembly after witnessing an ample number of mob lynchings in
the state.
ii. Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was also passed in the Assembly.
PM Modi released Rs 100 commemorative coin in memory of Late former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee
On December 24, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative Rs 100 coin in
memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
i. This Rs 100 currency will be the highest denomination in the form of a coin and comes
weeks after the government introduced Rs. 200 denomination notes for the first time.
ii. The coin was released on commemoration of the birth anniversary of the late Pm on
December 25, which is also celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’.
iii. Following are the features of the coin:
 One side depicts the picture of the late PM along with his name inscribed on it.
 On the bottom of the same face 1924 and 2018 are inscribed to mark the years of
Mr Vajpayee’s birth and death
 The other has the Ashoka Pillar Lion Capitol with the words ‘Satyamev Jayate’
inscribed at the bottom. It also has ‘India’ carved in Engish and ‘Bharat’ carved in
Devanagari script.
 It weighs 135 grams and is made of 4 metals viz. Silver(50%), Copper (40%), Zinc
(5%) and Nickel (5%).
India’s first music museum to be set up in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu
On December 23, 2018, the State Minister for Culture and Tamil Development Shri K Pandiarajan
announced setting up of the country’s first music museum in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu.
i. The venue chosen for the project is the birth place of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of
Carnatic music.
ii. The museum will be set up with assistance from the Central government.
Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest rail cum road bridge, inaugurated in Assam by PM Narendra Modi
On December 25, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s longest rail cum road
bridge of 4.94 km Bogibeel bridge,which spans the River Brahmaputra between Dibrugarh and
Dhemaji districts of Assam.Till now Vembanad rail bridge in Kerala was dubbed as the longest
railway-bridge in India at 4.62km of length.

i. The 4.94 km structure was built at a cost of Rs. 5900 crores by Indian Railways.
ii. It is India’s only fully welded bridge for which european codes and welding standards were
adhered to for the fist time in the country.
iii. It is also Asia’s 2nd longest rail-and-road connector having a life span of 120 years.
iv. It will reduce travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours and will cut out the
detour of over 170 km via Tinsukia. It will also cut down train travel between Delhi and
Dibrugarh by three hours.
v. Its initial budget was about Rs. 3,200 crore and had an original planned length of 4.31 km.
Physical Features:
i. It is a double-decker bridge having two railway lines on the lower deck and a three-lane road
on the upper.
ii. The three road lanes of the bridge can act as three landing strips for the Air Force
iii. It has been designed like a bridge that links Sweden and Denmark.
Draft rules of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines [Amendment] Rules), 2018

introduced by MeitY
On December 24, 2018, the Union Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
announced draft rules of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2018.
Objective: To end the complete encryption system to trace ‘unlawful’ activities for better national
security.
i. These would amend and replace the Information Technology Act, 2000 and would include
the inter-ministerial consultations, followed by discussions with major social media
platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo and WhatsApp and associations
representing intermediaries.
ii. According to the amended rules under Section 79 of the IT Act,
 It will be mandatory for online platforms to deploy technology to enable access to
content seen as “unlawful”.
 Information about “unlawful acts” can be sought from the intermediaries by “court
order”
 the parameter to judge unlawful acts would be Article 19(2)of the Constitution,
which places restriction on freedom of speech and expression.
 the measures proposed include breaking end-to-end encryption so that the origin of
messages can be traced.
 online platforms will keep a record of “unlawful activity” for a period of “180 days”,
double the 90 days in the older version.
 When required by lawful order, the intermediary shall, within 72 hoursof
communication, provide such information or assistance as asked for by any
government agency.
 The intermediary should publish on its website the name of the Grievance Officer
and his contact details.

iii. Furthermore, the intermediary who has more than fifty lakh users in India or is in the list of
intermediaries specifically notified by the government of India shall:
 Be a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 or the Companies Act,
2013;
 Have a permanent registered office in India with physical address; and
 Appoint in India, a nodal person of contact and alternate senior designated
functionary, for 24×7 coordination with law enforcement agencies and officers to
ensure compliance to their orders/requisitions made in accordance with provisions
of law or rules.
Smart prepaid meters to be used from April 2019: Power ministry
On December 24, 2018, the Power Ministry mandated the use of smart prepaid electricity meters in
the country beginning April 2019. The transition is expected to be completed by next 3 years.
i. This would help in:

 reduction in AT&C losses,
 better health of DISCOMs,
 incentivising energy conservation,
 ease of bill payments and
 doing away with the paper bills.
ii. Smart meters, thus inducted, are a part of the overall advanced metering infrastructure
solutions (AMI).
iii. For this, state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) introduced two global
tenders for procuring a total of 10 million smart meters.
iv. Additionally, he government also plans to install 10 million prepaid meters in Uttar Pradesh
as part of the Saubhagya scheme which aims to electrify over four crore households till
March 2019. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable
Energy:RK Singh.
West Bengal cabinet approved online system for mutation of property; Flipkart to set up hub in
WB at a cost of Rs. 991 crores
On December 24, 2018, the West Bengal cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
announced approval of an online system for mutation of property.
Objective:
To ease the process of property mutation and check illegal practices.
What is Mutation of Property?
i. In all legal transactions, mutation (transfer of title) is a mandatory process, in which the
buyer transfers the ownership title of the property he just bought.
ii. Once the property is mutated, the details are updated in the revenue records of civic bodies.
iii. The Block Land & Land Reform Office facilitates the mutation process.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated over 150 projects in Lucknow
On December 25, 2018, on the eve of the 94th Birth Anniversary of the Former Prime Minister
Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 158
Development Projects in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
i. He also laid the foundation stone for 418 projects, making it a total of 576 projects worth
₹161 crores.
ii. He also announced that foundation stone of two more flyovers will be laid by February 2019.
This project would have 104 km long, 8 lane road across Lucknow to minimize traffic
congestion problems.
Madhya Pradesh: Kuno notified as national park; Gir lions from Gujarat to be translocated
On December 24, 2018, Kuno, in Madhya Pradesh, was announced to be notified as ‘national park’.
i. This move was made after the compliance with the last condition imposed by a Supreme
Court was met.
ii. This would enable translocation of lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno.
Governing council under MSME Secretary to ensure efficient delivery of export-related

interventions: MSME Ministry
On December 25,2018,the Ministry of Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has proposed
to establish a governing council under the chairmanship of Secretary,MSME,Dr.Arun Kumar Panda.It
will be co-chaired by Development Commissioner in MSME Ministry,Shri.Ram Mohan Mishra.
Objective:
To ensure efficient delivery of all export-related interventions.
• This council will be a part of the ministry’s action plan to boost shipments from micro,
small and medium enterprises.
• According to the recommendations of the ministry,
• A strategic action plan titled ‘Unlocking the Potential of MSME Exports’ will be prepared.
• This will have a detailed analysis of various trade agreements, including FTAs to identify
areas of concern for MSMEs.
• A study will be conducted of special economic zones and export promotion zones to
reassess their role and objectives.
• A tech-enabled online portal shall be developed featuring country-wise list of global
products and services in demand.
• A formal platform may also be created by the ministry to engage in all bilateral and
multilateral trade negotiations it makes which will have an impact on the enterprises.
• National Resource Centre for MSME Exporters will be tasked with promotion of Indian
MSMEs.It will engage with various international agencies including UN organisations.
• Additionally, a guide or handbook shall also be developed to help the export community
to understand the processes involved in export business, access the potential markets
etc.

Central Railways introduces ‘Automated Train Examination System (ATES)’ technology to

eliminate manual examination of trains
The mechanical branch of Central Railways’ Nagpur division has introduced a new state-of-the-art
technology called Automated Train Examination System (ATES) for the enhancement of train safety.
i. The system, developed by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, eliminates manual

examination of trains and measures axle box temperature, wheel disc temperature and
records the under-gear of rolling stock of running trains through infrared and other cameras.
ii. ATES also checks every train passing through the track on which it is installed and
immediately warns about hot axle and brake binding cases.
iii. In the first phase, this system has been installed in Ajni where total two units have been
installed one covering all down direction trains coming from Chennai and Mumbai to Nagpur
and the other covering up direction freight trains.
iv. The ATES was inaugurated by General Manager Central Railways, Devendra Kumar Sharma
at Betul station on December 18.
Railways enhanced combined reservation quota of lower berths for senior citizens and women
passengers
On 27th December 2018, The Railways enhanced the combined reservation quota of lower berths
for senior citizens, female passengers of age 45 or above and pregnant women passengers in mail,
express, Rajdhani and Duronto trains.
i. In Rajdhani, Duronto and other fully air-conditioned trains, the number of lower berth seats
earmarked for Senior citizens, Women of age 45 or more and pregnant women passengers
will be increased from 7 to 9.
ii. In Sleeper, AC–Three tier and AC-two tiers trains 12 lower berths seats are presently
reserved for Senior citizens, Women of age 45 or more and pregnant women passengers.
iii. The seats in Sleeper, AC- three tiers and AC-two tiers train will be increased to 13 for the
trains having single coach of the designated class. For the trains having more than one coach
of designated class, the seats will be increased to 15.
India’s first lift bridge, worth Rs.250 crores, to reconnect Rameswaram with mainland India in 4
years: Railway Ministry
On December 26, 2018, Ministry of Railways announced their plan to build India’s first lift bridge to
reconnect Rameswaram in Arabian Sea with mainland India in the next 4 years.
i. The bridge,over two-kilometre-long, which is likely to cost Rs. 250 crore, will have a 63-
metre stretch.
ii. This will replace the existing 104-year-old Pamban bridge which has a total length of 2,058
m.

iii. It will be three-metre higher than the existing bridge with navigational air clearance of 22
metre above sea level.
ALIMCO’s 6th Auxiliary Production unit and Limb Fitting Center inaugurated in Ballabhgarh,
Faridabad
On December 29, 2018, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Krishan Pal
Gurjar, attented the inaugural function of ALIMCO’s 6th Auxiliary Production Unit and State-of-the-
Art Limb Fitting Center as the Chief Guest in Village Nawada, Tigaon, Ballabhgarh, Faridabad.
i. The foundation stone for establishment of State-of-the-Art Rehabilitation Center was laid on
June 16, 2018.
ii. For the establishment, Chief Minister Haryana approved appox. 5 Acre land at Village
NawadaTigaon, Block Ballabhgarh, District Faridabad (Haryana) to ALIMCO at the lease rate
of Rs. 1/- per Acre per year.
iii. This facility is equipped with high-end machines for providing best and quality service to the
Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans).
iv. Contemporary Assistive Aids and Devices like Motorized Tricycle, Wheelchairs, Walking Stick
and Crutches etc. will be manufactured in ALIMCO’s Auxillary Production Unit of Nawada,
Faridabad.
v. At Present, it has 5 Auxiliary Production Centres (AAPCs) situated at Bhubaneswar (Orissa),
Jabalpur (MP), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chanalon (Punjab) and a new production unit in Ujjain
(Madhya Pradesh).
Center has given an extension of 6 months to complete the ongoing exercise for updating the NRC
in Assam
On 28th December, 2018, the Center has given an extension of six months to complete the ongoing
exercise for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam by 30th June, 2019 as the
enumeration of citizens in the NRC cannot be completed within the earlier specified date of 31st
December, 2018.
i. The Registrar General of India, Mr. Sailesh issued a notification that stated the Central
Government considers the extension necessary in lieu of public interest to complete the
update of National Register of Citizens.
ii. The first notification regarding the same was issued by the Government on 6th December,
2013 and had set a deadline of 3 years to complete the entire process but since then five
extensions have been given but the exercise had not been completed.
iii. The draft NRC was published on 30th July, 2018 and excluded 40 lac people from the list
which stirred a huge controversy. It included 2.9 crore people out of the total 3,29 crore
applications.
Delhi Police became the first police force in country to digitise all malkhanas
On December 28, 2018, Delhi Police becomes first police force in country to digitise all malkhanas
across every police station in the state under the e-malkhana project.

i. Accordingly, around 3,11,600 case properties have been encrypted in digital form.
ii. Also, the e-malkhana project of the remaining 10 districts at Chinamaya Mission was also
inaugurated by the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.
iii. The efforts of the personnel involved in the project was commended and certificate of merit
to 14 personnel — one from each district, was presented.
iv. A booklet on e-malkhana functioning was also released and a short film on how the project
was executed was shown.
v. Malkhanas are rooms for keeping seized arms and ammunition.
NHRC launches toll free helpline 14433 facility to file complaint through CSC:
On 28th December, 2018, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) launched a toll-free
number 14433 and a facility to file complaints through Common Service Center (CSC).
i. The toll-free number is 14433 and has been unveiled by Justice (retd.) H.L.Dattu,
Chairperson of NHRC at the headquarters of the body, Manav Adhikar Bhawan.
ii. People can now send their complaints related to human rights violation through both the
toll free number and CSCs, although the toll-free number will only be available during office
hours.
iii. A collaboration between NHRC and CSC has been formed and the service has been provided
to 750 CSCs with at least one in each district. Secretary General of NHRC, Mr. Ambuj Sharma
also mentioned that the service will be expanded to all CSCs in a phased manner
Nitin Gadkari lays Foundation Stone of 11 projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation
On 27th December 2018, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the current Union Minister for Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping laid foundation
stones for eleven projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme in New
Delhi.
i. Under the Namami Gange Programme which has been initiated by the National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG), a total of eleven projects have been undertaken to conserve the River
Yamuna in Delhi.
ii. These projects are being covered by the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) III which were launched
by the Government of India with JICA assistance in Delhi and are located in three drainage
zones which are Kondli, Rithala and Okhla.
iii. The executing agency for the projects is the Delhi Jal Board.
iv. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Environment and Forest and Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, the
Chief Minister of Delhi were also present at the occasion. Eight sewerage infrastructure
projects, Waste Water Treatment Plants and Decentralized STPs comes under YAP-III.

Government bans Khalistan Liberation Force under UAPA
On December 27th, 2018, The Government has banned the Khalistan Liberation Force under the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act(UAPA), for its wholesome involvement in various killings,
bombings and other allied terror activities, in the course of its aggressive call for the aimed secession
of Punjab.It is 40th Organization which is banned under the UAPA.
i. The verdict has been given effect to owing to the efforts by several militant organizations for
revival of militancy in the state of Punjab.
ii. The complete ban on Khalistan Liberation Force(KLF) has been brought into effect because
of its proven contribution towards the increment in the number of events for extortion,
kidnappings, bank robberies and assassination attempts of significant Government
functionaries.
All vehicles to come fitted with high security number plates from Apr 1: Road ministry
On December 28, 2018, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari,notified about
the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to mandate fitting of high security registration plates (HSRP)
for all vehicles from April 1,2019.
i. The official notification mandates that the high security registration plate including the third
registration mark shall be supplied by the vehicle manufacturers along with the vehicles
manufactured on or after April 1, 2019.
ii. The vehicle dealers can also provide the HSRP plates for old vehicles.The HSRP helps in
keeping track of the vehicle, and makes it easier to trace a lost or stolen vehicle.
iii. An HSRP is a chromium-based hologram applied by hot stamping on the number plates both
at the front and back besides laser-branding of a permanent identification number.
EU sets goal to be ‘climate neutral’ by 2050
The European Union sets a goal to become the first major economy to be ‘Climate Neural’ by 2050
after that the emissions of greenhouse gases needs to be offset by planting trees or burying the
gases underground. As per European Union, this target can be achieved by using Solar and Wind
Energy for electricity generation. Climate Neutrality means the emissions are to be balanced by
methods of removing warming gases from the atmosphere by planting new forests or through
carbon capturing technologies.
India’s chairmanship of Kimberley Process, from January 2019, announced in the 15th KPCS 2018
plenary session held in Brussels, Belgium
India took over the chairmanship of Kimberley Process from EU during the four-day 15th Kimberley
Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) Plenary 2018, that was held in Brussels, Belgium, from 12th-
16th November 2018.
i. The chairmanship of the KPCS for India would be operation from January 2019.
ii. And the next Intersessional session is slated to be held in India as Chair. iii. Botswana and
the Russian Federation will serve as Vice-Chair during the period of 2019-2020.

About the Plenary session:
i. The 4-day Plenary witnessed discussion on environmental challenges in diamond mining and
industry responsibility.
ii. In the 4-day long plenary, India was represented by Commerce Secretary, Dr. Anup
Wadhawan.
iii. India’s role as the Chairman of KPCS would consist of:
 Improving living standards of people who are dependent on the production, trade
and manufacture of diamonds,
 Uplifting Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining (ASM) through capacity building, technical
assistance and education on valuation,
iv. On the sidelines, India held bilateral meetings with Botswana, USA, Russian Federation &
World Diamond Council to discuss on various issues related to KPCS and its working groups.
Australia the first country in the World to recognise ‘orphanage trafficking’ as slavery
On November 30, 2018, Australia became the first country in the world to criminalize the act of
falsely inducing children into orphanages as a form of slavery.
i. The Modern Slavery Bill was passed by both houses of parliament and under it the new law,
so-called “orphanage trafficking” will be treated as a slavery and trafficking offense.
ii. Evidence shows that about 80 per cent of these children have family who could care for
them if they had the right support.
UK amended weapons bill to ensure the right to possession of kirpans by Sikhs
On November 30, 2018, the UK government amended the Offensive Weapons Bill 2018 to ensure
right to possession of kirpans by Sikhs.
i. The move would maintain status quo in continuing to legally safeguard the sale, possession
and use of large kirpans and to not criminalise the Sikh community for the sale or possession
of one.
ii. The move was led by the first female Sikh MP in the House of Commons, MP Preet Kaur Gill.
iii. The bill is aimed at strengthening existing legislative measures on offensive weapons,
focusing on corrosive substances, knives and certain types of firearm.
iv. It would also ban the sale of corrosive substances to anyone under the age of 18.
Panama 1st Latin American nation to join Belt and Road Initiative
The Strategic Central American Nation, Panama became the first Latin American Country to join
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Panama.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Panamanian counterpart Juan Carlos Varela inked 19 separate
deals during the bilateral meeting held on 3rd December.
Luxembourg became the first country to make public transport free
On December 7, 2018, Luxembourg became the first country to abolish all fares on public transport
by 2019.

The move of free public transport was done to enhance the traffic congestion scenario in
Luxembourg City, which is one of the worst traffic congestion-hit cities in the world.
Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launches world’s largest
Arabic audio library in Dubai
On 6th December 2018, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, launched the Dubai Audio Library, the largest Arabic audio library in the world.
i. The library, targets seven million visually impaired people in the Arab world, and is an
initiative undertaken by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai in collaboration
with the website Bookshare.org.
ii. The first book uploaded to the Dubai Audio Library, Zayed Diwan, is a collection of 87 poems
written by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and
Ruler of Dubai.
iii. The library will provide 300,000 books in Arabic and more than 10,000 volunteers will
convert Arabic books into digital format and edit them before uploading them to the
website.
UN launches new framework to combat international terrorism
On 6th December 2018 United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a new
framework named as UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.
i. The objective of new framework is to combat the scourge of international terrorism and
coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and
sustainable development sectors.
ii. It is an agreement between the UN chief, 36 organizational entities, INTERPOL and the
World Customs Organisation.
iii. The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism will act as the Coordination Committee and will oversee
the implementation of the Compact.
Legislation allowing foreign blue-collar workers to ease labour shortage from April 2019 approved
by Japanese Parliament
On December 8, 2018, Japanese parliament approved a new law allowing foreigners into the country
to ease labour shortages from April 2019.
i. According to the law,

 Workers in the first category will be allowed in for five years if they have a certain
level of skill and some proficiency in Japanese and
 Workers with a higher level of skills would qualify for the second visa category and
would eventually be allowed to apply for residency.
ii. After the passing of the legislation, 345,150 blue-collar workers will be allowed in the next 5
years. The initial numbers considered for this was 500,000.

UN conference adopts migration pact despite withdrawals
On 10th December 2018, A United Nations Conference in Moroccan city of Marrakesh adopted a
global pact “The Global compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” to better handle migrant
flows despite a string of withdrawals driven by anti-immigrant populism. The pact is described as a
“Roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos” by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Israel becomes a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
On 10th December 2018, Israel became a full member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an
international body set up to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other threats to the
international financial system.
i. Earlier Israel became an observer to the FATF in February 2016 and In 2000 the Israel was
blacklisted by the organization and was removed from the list in 2002, but now has become
the group’s 38th member.
ii. A FATF compliance report on Israel ranked the country as one of three leading Country,
alongside the US and the UK, for the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering apparatus,
its battle against terror financing, the work of its Money Laundering and Terror Financing
Prohibition Authority, and its policy of seizing the financial proceeds of crime.
iii. The FATF membership will tag Israel as an attractive country for international investment
and improve the status of the Israeli financial sector and its ability to operate in the global
economy.
India signed the 30-member Trans Regional Maritime Network pact in Rome, Italy
i. On December 10, 2018, India signed an ascension pact to the 30-member Trans Regional
Maritime Network (T-RMN) at Italian Naval Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
ii. This agreement was signed by CMDE KM Ramakrishnan.
iii. The T-RMN consists of 30-member countries and is led by Italy.
iv. This agreement will give India an access to the information on ships passing through the
Indian Ocean Region, that will help in keeping tabs on the security forces. iv.India already
has bilateral White Shipping Agreements with 36 countries.
Australia recognizes west Jerusalem as capital of Israel
On 15th December 2018, Australia became one of the few countries to formally recognize West
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel however it will not move its embassy from Tel Aviv until a peace
settlement is reached.
i. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their Capital and this dispute is not
resolved yet.
ii. USA under the leadership of Donald Trump had already recognized the disputed city as the
Capital of Israel.

iii. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also clarified that Australia will recognize the
future state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital when the city’s status is
determined in a peace deal.
UN members adopt Global Compact on Refugees
On 17th December 2018, the U.N. General Assembly agreed upon a framework affirming
international solidarity and cooperation for refugee protection and host community development
while adopting the Global Compact on Refugees.
i. The Global Compact on refugees received 181 votes in favour in the 193-member assembly.
The United States and Hungary were the only Countries that voted against the agreement,
while the Dominican Republic, Eritrea and Libya abstained.
ii. The compact which aims to ease the burden on developing nations, which host 90 percent of
some 25 million refugees, will provide more investment to further strengthening
infrastructure and the provisions of services for refugees and host communities.
USA pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia
On December 19, 2018, the Russian government announced USA’s withdrawal from the 1987
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
i. The treaty aimed to end arms race between USA and USSR during cold war and to ensure
some strategic stability in Europe.
ii. Under this treaty, all the nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges of 500–1,000 km or
(short-range) and 1,000–5,500 km (intermediate-range) were banned.
iii. It also banned the development, testing and possession of short and medium-range ground-
launched nuclear missiles having ranger between 500-5,000 km.
New Zealand to phase out plastic shopping bags from July 1,2019
On December 18, 2018, New Zealand government announced regulations for mandatory phase-out
of single-use plastic shopping bags with effect from July 1, 2019.
i. The phase out will apply to all new plastic shopping bags with handles that are made of
plastic up to 70 microns in thickness.
ii. New Zealand has recently become a signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global
Commitment, a global pledge to address the root causes of plastic pollution.
UN General Assembly adopts global framework on International migration
On 10th December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Global Compact for
Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common
approach to international migration in all its dimensions, in Marrakesh, Morocco.

i. The compact was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour, 12
abstentions, and five votes against, namely by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland,
and the United States of America.
ii. The compact is aimed to address issues that concern the world’s 258 million people on the
move and countries of origin, transit and destination.
iii. The Compact is the outcome of a long negotiation process and provides a strong platform
for cooperation on migration, drawing on best practice and international law though it is
non-legally binding.
iv. The compact was signed about a week before the UN celebrated International Migrants Day
on 18th December 2018 with the theme Migration with Dignity.
Burundi names Gitega as new capital
On Dec.22 2018, Burundi confirmed the small central city of Gitega the country’s new political
capital. The previous capital Bujumbura, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, became a
country‘s economic capital.
Thailand 1st Southeast Asian nation to legalise medical marijuana and kratom
On December 25, 2018, Thailand approved the licensed use of marijuana and kratom for medical use
and research.
It became the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action.
Japan announces International Whaling Commission (IWC) withdrawal to resume commercial

whaling
On 24th December 2018, The Japanese government officially announced to withdraw from the
International Whaling Commission (IWC), enabling Japan to pursue commercial whaling in its
adjacent waters, including its Exclusive Economic Zone.
i. Japan will resume commercial whaling in July 2019 and the whaling area will not include the
Antarctic Ocean or the Southern Hemisphere.
ii. The move came more than three months after the global body for the conservation of
whales rejected a Tokyo-led proposal to lift a 32-year ban on the commercial hunting of the
ocean mammals.
iii. Japan could no longer take advantage of the IWC exemption for scientific whaling because
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas requires its signatories to work
through “the appropriate international organizations” for marine mammal conservation.
iv. The country consumes between 3,000 tons to 5,000 tons of whale meat in a year according
to the government of Japan.
Israel’s parliament approved a law to permit exports of medical marijuana
On December 26, 2018, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a law to permit exports of
medical marijuana.

This made Israel the 3rd country after the Netherlands and Canada, to take its medical cannabis
global.
Nepal caps expenditure of its citizens in India-1 Lakh per Month
On 25th December 2018,in order to address the country’s current account deficit, Nepal imposed a
monthly limit on the amount of Indian currency its citizen can spend in India while paying for goods
and services.
i. With the approval of new restrictions a Nepali citizen would be unable to spend more than
Rs.1 lakh per month while paying for goods and services in India.
ii. The policy which came into effect from 25th December 2018 will also be applicable to use of
prepaid, credit and debit cards of Nepali banks for purchasing done in Indian Markets.
However,the latest measure would exempt payment in hospitals and pharmacies in India.
iii. The decision was taken to deal with the growing problem of current account deficit and the
balance of payment crisis between India and Nepal.
iv. Nepal continues to deal with the after-effects of the demonetisation by India. Nepal is yet
holding huge amount of Indian currency that has not been exchanged so far by Delhi, so the
latest moves were also aimed at assuring the domestic market that Nepal would remain
secure in case India repeated demonetisation in the future.
v. On 14th December 2018, Nepal government had formally banned the use of Indian currency
notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations in Nepal.
UNGA adopts Russian Resolution on International Information Security
On 28th December, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted two Russian
Resolutions on International Information Security (IIS) and has been backed by India regarding the
same. This has been done for achieving democratic, inclusive and transparent UN negotiations
process on security in the use of information and communication technologies.
i. The two resolutions are: “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications
in the context of international security” and “Countering the use of information and
communications technologies for criminal purposes” and has thus, a new chapter has been
opened by UN on IIS.
ii. These documents are the world’s first code of conduct in the digital paradigm and hence
creates the foundation for peaceful interaction and to prevent war, confrontation and other
aggressive actions.
iii. The resolution has been supported by several countries and has been co-authored by 30
countries and it’s key aim is to launch a broad transparent political discussion on combating
information crime.

Visit of Romanian Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Teodor Melescanu to India
From 24-27 November 2018, Foreign Minister of Romania, H.E. Mr. Teodor Melescanu visited India.
Highlights of Visit
i. He visited India to commemorate 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations with India and
five years since the Joint Statement on establishing an Extensive Partnership between India
and Romania. Also it was a follow up on the recent visit of the Vice President of India, Shri
M.Venkaiah Naidu to Romania in September 2018.
ii. The Foreign Ministers from both the sides expressed desire to raise the bilateral trade
turnover, which stands at USD 810 million, to higher levels in the coming years.
iii. In his visit Foreign Minister Mr. Teodor Melescanu reaffirmed Romania´s support for a
permanent seat for India in a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
iv. During the visit, Romania formally opened its Honorary Consulate in Chennai.
v. He also delivered a lecture on ‘Going Global vs. staying local: Romania’s agenda as a
connector between Europe and Asia’ at the Observer Research Foundation.
Visit of Foreign Minister of Maldives H.E. Abdulla Shahid to India
From 24-27 November 2018, Foreign Minister of Republic of Maldives H.E. Abdulla Shahid paid an
Official visit to India.
Highlights of Visit
i. He was accompanied by H.E. Ibrahim Ameer, the Minister of Finance, H.E. Fayyaz Ismail, the
Minister of Economic Development, H.E. Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
and H.E. Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, Foreign Secretary.
ii. He held bilateral consultations with Smt. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister (EAM) ,
Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister and Hon’ble President Shri Ram Nath Kovind. CII
hosted a business interaction meeting for the Minister and his delegation.
iii. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers agreed for the State Visit of President Solih to
India and it will take place on December 17, 2018.
iv. EAM Smt. Sushma Swaraj welcomed Maldives into the Indian Ocean Rim Association as its
newest member and praised Maldives’ decision to rejoin the Commonwealth and expressed
India’s support for it.
v. The Foreign Ministers agreed to hold the meeting of the bilateral Consular Dialogue and the
meeting of the Joint Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers at the earliest besides
agreeing to hold the next meeting of the Defence Cooperation Dialogue between both
countries in the first half of December 2018.
vi. EAM Smt. Sushma Swaraj agreed to pay a bilateral visit to the Maldives on the invitation of
Maldivian Foreign Minister.
vii. Maldives had requested India to give it a Dornier aircraft and the External Affairs Ministry of
India promised to deliver it very soon.

Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one day long Visit to Uttar Pradesh
On 16th December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rae Bareli for the first time where
he launched various development projects and Allahabad which is recently renamed to Prayagraj to
review the preparation of Kumbh Mela. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath also visited
Rae Bareli on 13th December to oversee preparations of Prime Minister’s one day visit. PM launches
development projects in Rae Bareli On 16th December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited
traditional seat of Former Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and laid foundation stone for various
projects.
• Shri Narendra Modi Visited Modern Coach Factory in Uttar Pradesh where he flagged off
the 900th Coach and a Humsafar Rake.
• Prime Minister said that the Projects that were dedicated, inaugurated or for which
foundation stone has been laid are cumulatively worth Rs. 1000 crore.
• As per Prime Minister, Government is trying to make Rae Bareli a Global Hub of Rail
Coach manufacturing. PM at Prayagraj inaugurates new Airport Complex, Integrated
Command and Control Centre for Kumbh Mela
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Prayagraj after Rae Bareli to review the
preparation of Kumbh Mela. He also visited Swachh Kumbh Exhibition.PM inaugurated
‘Swachch Kumbh’ Model on the banks of Sangam,where the ‘Ganga Puja’ is to be
performed.
• Prime Minister inaugurated a new Airport Complex, an Integrated Command and
Control Centre for the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.
• Prime Minister said in a gathering that his government is making every effort to
showcase India’s glorious past and vibrant future at the Ardh-Kumbh. Inauguration of
175 Km of Sewerage Network in Prayagraj
• PM Modi inaugurated 175 km of sewerage network under National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG) which will reduce 7.8 crore litres of sewage falling into river Ganga each
day.
• The Project was inaugurated in the Presence of Uttar Pradesh Governor Shri Ram Naik,
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
• Prime Minister also laid foundation stone for two more projects under One City-One
Operator Scheme with the sanctioned cost of Rs. 767.59 Crore.
• Rs 904 Crore has been allotted for Rehabilitation and Operations & Maintenance of 6
existing Sewage Treatment plants (STP) of capacity 254 MLD. Kumbh Mela
• Kumbh Mela is The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s
(UNESCO) Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• It is the largest peaceful gathering of people in the world. Four Fairs namely Prayag
Kumbh Mela, Haridwar Kumbh Mela, Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhasthaand Ujjain
Simhastha are recognized as the Kumbh Meal.
• At any Given Place, Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years.
Overview of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian’s two-day India Visit
On December 14,2018,French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian embarked on a two-day visit to

India, holding extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj to further boost bilateral

ties in key areas besides meeting senior state government officials as well as interacting with Indian
and French personalities from the film, television and tourism industries.He concludes his 2 day visit
on 15th December 2018.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian reaches India
On 14th December 2018, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France,
arrived in New Delhi for an official visit to India. France and India are also celebrating the 20th
anniversary of their strategic partnership this year.
Highlights:
• On his first day of visit he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai
and conducted a dialogue with state government officials as well as interacted with
Indian and French personalities from the film, television and tourism industries.
• On 14th December in Mumbai he also conferred the French honour of Knight of the
National Order of Merit on renowned producer and Chairman and CEO of the Hyde Park
Entertainment Group, Ashok Amritraj while presiding over the closing ceremony of the
Second Indo-French Professional Meetings for the Film and Television Industry.
• On his second day he held delegation level talks with Sushma. He also attended the
signing of contract for cooperation between Atos (a European IT services firm
headquartered in France) C-DAC for the development of supercomputers in India
besides calling on the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
India inked mega supercomputer “Bull Sequana” deal with France
On 15th December 2018, the Indian government signed a deal with France-based European
Information Technology Corporation Atos to procure supercomputers worth Rs 4,500 crore for
academic and research institutions across India.
• The contract signed will last for 3 years for designing, building and installing the Bull
Sequana, the high-performance supercomputers with a cumulative computing power of
more than 10 petaflops in India.
• The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mr Jean Yves Le Drian, French
Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary –
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• This agreement has been awarded to Atos under the National Supercomputing Mission
(NSM), a scheme of Rs.4500 crores spread over seven years, aimed at creating a network
of over 70 high-performance supercomputing facilities for various academic and
research institutions across India.
• The delivery of BullSequana supercomputers is expected to start in early 2019.
Meeting With EAM Sushma Swaraj
On 15th December 2018, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held delegation-level talks with
Minister Le Drian in New Delhi. The two sides reviewed the broad gamut of the multi-faceted India-
France bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

India, France agree to work together in several areas including climate change
On 15th December 2018, India and France held discussions on deepening bilateral strategic
partnership through cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, defence, space and civil nuclear energy
sectors.
• There will also be an exchange of 10,000 students between the two countries by 2020,
of which 7500 Indian students already left to pursue their studies in France in 2018.
• A target to increase the bilateral trade to 15 million euro by 2022 was also discussed.
The two leaders reviewed the status of the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) project
in Jaitapur, Maharashtra and adopted an action plan to guide the work for the coming
months.
• The EPRs account for a total capacity of almost 10 GW and is significant for India’s aim of
producing 40 per cent of its electricity from non-fossil fuels by 2030. This is also in line
with commitments made by India ahead of the Paris Climate Conference.
• The French foreign minister also announced that 700,000 Indian visitors, visited France
and it has now become the top European destination for Indian tourists.
• India and France have decided to launch projects together in Africa, particularly in the
area of sustainable development in connection with the International Solar Alliance.
India, France agree to fight terrorism jointly: Sushma Swaraj
• India and France agreed to fight terrorism jointly decided to deepen their strategic
partnership through cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Civil Nuclear, Defence & security,
Space, trade and economic sectors.
• France Supported India’s bid for a membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group and United
Nations Security Council.
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs meet PM of India
On 15th December 2018, the French Foreign Minister called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
and briefed the Prime Minister on recent developments in the bilateral relationship, and French
perspective on regional and global issues.
Overview of PM Narendra Modi’s 1-day visit to Maharashtra
On December 18, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a 1-day state visit to
Maharashtra.
Highlights:
i. He addressed the ‘Republic’ Summit, organized by Republic TV, in Mumbai.

ii. In the Republic Summit he indicated that the 28% slab of GST would soon, be restricted to a
few select items, such as luxury goods to ensure 99% of all items,used by the common man,
would be kept at a GST slab of 18% or less.
iii. Prime Minister also released a book, titled “Timeless Laxman”, based on the famous
cartoonist, RK Laxman. The book was penned by the cartoonist’s daughter-in-law, Smt. Usha
Srinivas Laxman.

iv. While in Mumbai, PM also met a delegation representing the film and entertainment
industry. The delegation consisted of: Shri Akshay Kumar, Shri Ajay Devgan, Shri Rakesh
Roshan, Shri Prasoon Joshi, Shri Karan Johar and Shri Siddhartha Roy Kapur.
v. They pitched for lower, and uniform rates of GST, for the entertainment industry in India.
vi. In Kalyan, the Prime Minister laid the Foundation Stone of 2 important metro corridors
worth Rs. 33,000 crores. The 2 corridors are: the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro; and the
Dahisar-Mira-Bhayander Metro.
vii. Here, he also launched the 90,000 units’ EWS and LIG Housing scheme under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana.
viii. In the second half of his visit the PM reached Pune where he laid the Foundation Stone of
Pune Metro Phase-3.
Overview of President of Maldives Ibrahim Solih’s maiden 3-day state visit to India
On December 18, 2018, the President of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
concluded his maiden 3-day state visit to India. The President of Maldives was accompanied by his
wife First Lady Fazna Ahmed and a high level delegation comprising of Minister of Foreign Affairs
Abdulla Shahid and others.
Highlights:
• This was President Solih’s first visit abroad after assuming the office of President of the
Republic of Maldives on 17 November 2018.
• Maldives President Solih along with First Lady received with ceremonial welcome of 21-
gun salute at Raj Bhavan in New Delhi.
Visit to India:
On December 16, 2018, the President of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
commenced his 3-day state visit to India at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of
India, Mr Narendra Modi.
Meeting with External Affairs Minister of India:
• On December 17, 2018, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met External Affairs Minister
of India, Smt. Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.
• They had discussion on all aspects of bilateral ties, including development cooperation,
human resource development & people-to-people exchanges.
Meeting with the Prime Minister of India:
On 17 December 2018, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and held bilateral delegation level talks at the Hyderabad House.
• They discussed on the following matters:

• Health cooperation issues particularly cancer treatment
• Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters
• Investment promotion
• Human Resource Development

• Tourism
• Other important decisions taken in the bilateral meeting are as follows:
• Prime Minister announced financial assistance up to US$ 1.4 billion in the form of
budgetary support, currency swap and concessional lines of credit to fulfil the socio-
economic development programmes of the Maldives.
• Government of India to provide 1000 additional slots over next 5 years for training and
capacity building in diverse fields including judicial, policing and law-enforcement, etc.
• The leaders signed the new Agreement on Visa Facilitation.
• They also agreed to strengthen cooperation to enhance maritime security in the Indian
Ocean Region.
• They decided on establishment of enabling infrastructure that would promote the
exchange of goods and services, information, ideas, culture, and people.
• Maldives to support for India’s candidature for permanent membership of an expanded
and reformed UN Security Council and India’s candidature for non-permanent seat for
the year 2020-21.
• Maldives to re-join the Commonwealth and became the newest member of the Indian
Ocean Rim Association.
4 MoUs were signed between India and Maldives:
• On December 17, 2018, after successful completion of the delegation level talks
between the PM of India and President of Maldives, 4 MOUs were signed. They are as
follows:
• Agreement on the Facilitation of Visa Arrangements
• Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation
• Memorandum of Understanding for Establishing Mutual Cooperation to Improve the
Ecosystem for Agribusiness;
• Joint Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in the field of Information & Communications
Technology and Electronics.
Meeting with the Vice-President of India:
On December 17, 2018, Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu met with the President of Maldives,
Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
Meeting with the President of India:
On December 17, 2018, President Kovind met his Maldivian counterpart Ibrahim Solih and the first
lady Fazna Ahmed at Rashtrapati Bhawan inNew Delhi.
• Maldives President Solih paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Raj Ghat, the memorial
dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.
• On the last leg of his tour, the President went to visit Agra to witness the Taj Mahal and
its grandeur.

PM’s inauguration of projects worth Rs.15000 crores:
On his day long visit to Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth around Rs
15,000 crore in Odisha
• These projects are the part of Mr Modi’s vision of ‘Purbodaya – a prosperous East for
building a new India’.
• They consist of projects related to health, road and highways, higher education and
culture.
• A brief description of the projects are as follows:
• The Prime Minister inaugurated and dedicated the new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar at
Aragul built at a cost of 1660 crore rupees.
• IIT Bhubaneswar would spur the industrial development of Odisha, and work towards
technology to improve the lives of the people.
• He also released a commemorative stamp and coin on the Paika Rebellion.
• The Paika Rebellion (Paika Bidroha) was fought against British rule, in Odisha in 1817.
This year marks 200th anniversary of the 1817 Rebellion led by Buxi Jagabandhu of
Khorda district against the Britishers.
• He also announced setting up of a Chair on the Paika Rebellion, in Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar.
• Mr Modi also inaugurated ESIC hospital in Bhubaneshwar costing 73.5 crore rupees.
• He also inaugurated the Lalitgiri Archaeological Museum. Lalitgiri in Odisha is a famous
Buddhist centre of archaeological importance, comprising Stupa, Viharas (monasteries)
and images of Lord Buddha.
• The prime minister also laid foundation stones for two projects — Indian Oil’s pipeline
from Paradip to Hyderabad at a projected cost of 3,800 crore rupees and GAIL’s gas
pipeline from Angul to Bokaro in Jharkhand at a projected cost of 3,437 crore rupees
under the Urja Ganga Yojana.
• Plastic park and polypropylene project are coming up in Paradip near the Indian Oil
refinery, a biofuel plant is being set up in Bargarh and a strategic oil reserve is being
established in Chandikhole.
Overview of President Ram Nath Kovind’s 5-day visit to Myanmar
On December 10, 2018, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind embarked on a 5-day maiden visit
to Myanmar. The visit concluded on December 14, 2018. The President was accompanied by First
Lady Smt. Savita Kovind.
Highlights:
• President Ram Nath Kovind is the first President to visit Myanmar in 12 years, since
President Kalam’s visit in 2006. It was also his first visit to Myanmar.
• This visit was significant as Myanmar has a unique place in India’s “Neighbourhood First”
and “Act East” policies.

Visit to Myanmar:
• On December 10, 2018, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind along with First Lady
Smt. Savita Kovind reached Myanmar.
• The visit was made at the invitation of the President of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar, His Excellency U Win Myint and the First Lady Daw Cho Cho.
• Besides holding bilateral discussions with President Myint, President Kovind also met
with State Counsellor, Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
• The two delegates discussed about a range of bilateral and multilateral issues.

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