Current Affairs September 20 2018

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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

PM laid the foundation stone of world class convention centre in Dwarka,NewDelhi
On September 20, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka,Delhi.

i. The estimated cost of the project is: Rs 25,703 crore.
ii. It will have an area of 221.37 acre and will be constructed in 2 phases.
iii. Phase-I and II will be completed by December 2019 and December 2024, respectively.
iv. It will be used for offering setting for international and national events, meetings, conferences, exhibitions and trade shows.
v. It will have facilities like exhibition halls, convention centre, open exhibition spaces, mixed use commercial spaces like star hotels (5, 4 and 3 star).
New Delhi:
♦ Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal.

President Ram Nath Kovind signed ordinance banning Instant Triple Talaq practice: Law Ministry
On September 19, 2018, the Law Ministry announced the signing of the ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq by the President.
i. The name of the bill is: The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017.
ii. Under this ordinance, ‘triple talaq’ has been considered illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
iii. A complaint can be filed only by the woman or her family and the offence remains non-bailable.
Law Ministry:
♦ Union Minister: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.
♦ Minister of State for Law: Shri P P Chaudhary.

‘Budget Dashboard’: web portal for information on budget and expenditure introduced by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
On September 19, 2018, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a new web portal ‘Budget Dashboard’, incorporating features of Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Health Research.
i. It will have information on budget, expenditure and Bill Payment position.
ii. It will consist of the following:

• Details of Budget and expenditure,
• Details of flagship schemes, Central sector expenditure, North East, SC/ST, Centrally Sponsored Schemes, etc.
• A Unique feature of Bill Position for All India Pay & Accounts Offices (PAOs),
• SMS facility of information on demand  and SMS alerts for shortfall in expenditure.

MSME Insider – Monthly e-Newsletter launched by MSME ministry
On September 19, 2018, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Giriraj Singh, launched MSME Insider – a monthly e-newsletter of the Ministry.

i. The e-newsletter would be distributed to about 50 lakh MSMEs registered on the  Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum Portal.
ii. It will act as a bridge between the Ministry and MSME units and stakeholders.
iii. It will also help in creating the awareness about the schemes and propagate the agenda of the ministry.
iv. These information includes:

• Innovations in the field of technology, upcoming events and training programsfor the month and will also carry interesting articles on relevant topics.

MSME ministry:
♦ Minister of state (I/C): Shri Giriraj Singh.
♦ Secretary: Dr. Arun Kumar Panda.

Pilot project of sputum sample transportation through Department of Post launched by Health Ministry
On September 19, 2018, the Health Ministry launched a pilot service of transportation of sputum sample used for TB diagnosis through the Department of Posts in Karawal Nagar, Delhi.
i. The transportation will be followed by testing the samples.
ii. This will enable appropriate management of the TB patients and reduced disease transmission.
Other news:
Along with this, the 2^nd version of web-based application of RNTCP, Nikshay Version 2.0 was launched.
About NIKSHAY:
NIKSHAY is web based solution for effectively monitoring of TB patients under Revised National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP). It was launched by Health Ministry and developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Health Ministry:
♦ Union Minister: JP Nadda.
♦ Minister of State: Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Smt. Anupriya Patel.
♦ Secretary: MS. Preeti Sudan.

India and Morocco signed Air Services Agreement enabling greater connectivity
On September 19, 2018, to enable greater connectivity, India and Morocco signed a revised Air Services Agreement .
i. It was signed by:

• Shri Mohammed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Morocco and
• Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, India.

ii.This will enable greater freedom and more direct flights and strengthen economic and cultural ties in the process.
Morocco:
♦ Capital: Rabat.
♦ Currency: Moroccan dirham.

Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna launched for unemployed insured persons: ESIC
On September 20, 2018, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) approved a new scheme- Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna for Insured Persons covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act.
i. The decision was taken at the ESIC board meeting chaired by the Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar in New Delhi.
About Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna:
i. A relief will be payable in cash directly to Bank Account of insured person in case of unemployment.
ii. It would benefit insured persons covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.
Other news:
i. ESIC also approved reimbursement of Rs 10 per person to the employers to encourage the seeding of Aadhaar (UID) in ESIC database of their workers and their family members.
ii. Relaxation in eligibility conditions for Super Specialty treatment from 2 years to 6 months with contribution requirement of only 78 days.
iii. Super Specialty treatment for dependents of Insured Person has now been relaxed to insurable employment of one year with 156 days of contributions.
iv. It also approved increasing the funeral expenses from existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 being paid on the death of Insured Person.
ESIC:
♦ Full Form: Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.
♦ under Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi.
♦ Minister of State (I/C): Shri. Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

Newly-built Jharsuguda airport to be renamed after noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai: Odisha Assembly
On September 19, 2018, the state assembly of Odisha passed a unanimous resolution to name the newly-built Jharsuguda airport after noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.

i. Jharsuguda airport will be the second airport in Odisha to be renamed after Biju Patnaik International airport in Bhubaneswar.
Other News:
i. PM Modi to visit Odisha on Semptember 22 and will do the following:

• He will flag off the flight from the Jharsuguda airport under UDANscheme,
• 2 public meetings at Talcher and Jharsugudawill be held by him and
• Will lay the foundation stone of the Talcher fertiliser plant.

Background:
Born on January 1809, in Sambalpur district of the State Veer Surendra Sai had sacrificed his life fighting against British East India company.
Odisha:
♦ Festivals: Kalinga Mahotsav, Chandan Yatra, Durga Puja, Konark Dance Festival, Rath Yatra, Deepabali, Kumar Purnima.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Exercise Aviaindra-18: Joint Air Force exercise of India and Russia commenced at Lipetsk
On September 17, 2018, India and the Russian Federation commenced their joint Air Force level exercise called Exercise Aviaindra till September 28, 2018.

Objective:
To work on anti-terrorist operations in a bi-lateral scenario.
Key Points:
i. It is being conducted at Lipetsk, Russia.
ii. It will be again conducted in Jodhpur, India from 10 Dec to 22 Dec 18.
iii. The Indian contingent comprises of 30 officers including four women officers of Flying, Admin and Medical Branch.
iv. The aircraft that would participate in the exercise include Su-30 SM, Mig-29, Su-25, Mi-8 and An-26.
Background:
First Aviaindra was conducted in 2014 and has been planned as a bi-annual exercise.
Russia:
♦ Capital: Moscow.
♦ Currency: Russian Ruble.
♦ President: Vladmir Putin.
♦ India and Russia Military exercise name: INDRA.

Development of Palaly airport: first project in Sri Lanka by Airports Authority of India
On September 20, 2018, Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced its project report for development of Palaly airport in northern Sri Lanka.
i.This will be the first project undertaken by AAI in Sri Lanka.
ii. The detailed report of the project would be completed in 3 months.
AAI:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi.
♦ Chairman: Guruprasad Mohapatra.
Sri Lanka:
♦ Capital: Colombo and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
♦ Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe.
♦ President: Maithripala Sirisena.
♦ Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee.

MoU signed between India and Niger for establishing Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger
On September 20, 2018, India and Niger singed an MOU for establishment of the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre in Niamey, Niger.
i. This was signed among:

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,
• H.E. Mr. Saidil Moctar Mohamed, Minister and Special Adviser to the President of Republic of Niger,
• Shri T.S. Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations), MEA, and
• H.E. Mr. Ali Illiassou, Ambassador of Republic of Niger in India.

ii. This was signed Mr. Saidil Mohamed’s visit in India.
iii. The Convention Centre is being established in the context of the African Union (AU) Summit that Niger is to host in 2019.
Background:
India has offered to establish Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centres in more than 20 countries in Africa, of which Centres in 9 countries are being taken up in the immediate phase.
Niger:
♦ Capital: Niamey.
♦ Currency: West African CFA franc.

7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism held in Seoul, Republic of Korea
On September 16-19, 2018, the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

i. It was organized by The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
ii. The theme of the summit is: A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism.
iii. It was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Seoul Tourism Organization. 
iv. The main focus of the Summit was the future of urban tourism in the context of the 2030 Urban Agenda.
v. It consisted of the following sessions:
Looking Towards 2030: An Innovative Approach to Competitiveness in Urban Destinations,
The 4th Industrial Revolution Shaping the Future of Urban Tourism ,
Fair and Inclusive Tourism: Building cities for all.
vi. The World Bank has 146 projects focusing on tourism representing approximately $2.5bn in lending and technical assistance in 6 priority regions.
vii. The venue of 8^th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism 2019 will be Astana, Kazakhstan.
Republic of Korea:
♦ Capital: Seoul.
♦ Currency: South Korean won.

Delegation level talks between Afghanistan President Ghani & P.M Modi
On September 20, 2018, on Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to India, PM Modi talks to further boost bilateral cooperation.
i. Discussion on

• The peace talks of Afghanistanwere held,
• Reconstruction efforts of India in Afghanistan were discussed.

Background:
Since 2002, India has committed USD 2 billion for the socio-economic development of the country.
Afghanistan:
♦ Capital:  Kabul.
♦ Currency: Afghan afghani

BANKING & FINANCE

Interest rates of small savings schemes hiked: PPF and NSC to give 8%, senior citizens to get 8.7%
On September 20, 2018, the interest rates of the small savings scheme was increased or the third quarter (October 1 to December 31) by up to 40 bps.
i. The schemes are:

• Public Provident Fund (PPF),
• Sukanya Samridhhi Yojana (SSY),
• National Savings Certificate (NSC) and
• Post office time deposits.

ii. These changes will be effective from October 1, 2018.
iii. This is the first such change after keeping interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for two consecutive quarters.
iv.  Earlier, the government had reduced the interest rates on these schemes in January -March 2018, quarter.
The changes in the schemes are as follows:

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Para shuttler Raj Kumar conferred with Arjuna Award
On 19^th September 2018, para shuttler Raj Kumar was conferred the Arjuna award by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore.
Key Points:
i. Raj Kumar had filed a case against the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, citing that his name had not been considered for the Arjuna Award by the selection committee.
ii. Arjuna Award has been conferred on him after Delhi High court delivered a verdict in favour of Raj Kumar.
iii. Raj Kumar, who hails from Punjab, had won a gold medal in the 2015 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships that was held in England.

INSV Tarini crew bestowed with Tenzing Norgay Award
All-women crew of INSV Tarini has won the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for completing the challenging task of sailing across the world for 8 months.

i. The INSV Tarini team was led by: Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi. Other crew members: Lieutenant P. Swathi, Lieutenant Pratibha Jamwal, Lieutenant Vijaya Devi, Sub Lieutenant Payal Gupta and Lieutenant B Aishwarya.
ii. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award is the highest national recognition for remarkable achievements in adventure on land, sea and air.
iii. The INSV Tarini team spent 194 days at sea as part of a mission under the Navika Sagar Parikrama project.
iv. The team also received Nav Sena Medal on Independence Day. This is the first-ever all-women Indian crew to circumnavigate the world

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Government appoints MD and CEOs in 10 state-run banks
On 19^th September 2018, the government appointed managing directors (MD) and chief executive officers (CEO) for 10 state-run banks.
Key Points:
i. Out the 10 newly appointed MD and CEOs, five are serving deputy managing directors of State Bank of India (SBI).
ii. The appointments of these 10 MD and CEOs were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
iii. The newly appointed MD and CEOs are as follows:

Government appoints four members to local boards of RBI
On 19^th September 2018, Government appointed four members to the local boards of RBI (Reserve Bank of India).
Key Points:
i. Rakesh Jain and Sachin Chaturvedi have been appointed as member in Southern local board and Eastern local board of RBI.
ii. Revathy Iyer and Raghvendra Narayan Dubey have been appointed as member in Northern local board of RBI.
iii. Revathy Iyer and Sachin Chaturvedi have also been nominated as Director on the central board of RBI.
About RBI:

• RBI’s affairs are governed by the central board of directors. The board is appointed by the government.
• There are 5 official directors: RBI Governor and not more than 4 deputy governors.
• Also, the government nominates 16 non-official directors to the board. 10 directors are nominated from various fields, 2 from government officials and 1 director each from the four local boards.

D Purandeswari appointed independent director on board of Air India
On 20^th September 2018, D Purandeswari was appointed an independent director on the board of Air India Ltd.
i. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved her appointment as non-official independent director on the board of Air India Ltd. for a term of 3 years.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Prahar: indigenously developed surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile test fired by DRDO
On 20^th September 2018, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile ‘Prahar’, from Launch Complex-III, Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.
i. Prahar was developed by DRDO. It was launched from a mobile launcher.
ii. It is a contemporary weapon system. It can carry various types of warheads and neutralise a wide range of targets.
iii. It is a solid fuelled short-range missile. It is equipped with inertial navigation system.
iv. It is a quick reaction, all-weather, all-terrain, highly accurate battlefield support tactical weapon system.

SPORTS

National Sports Awards -2018 announced; Mirabai Chanu and Virat Kohli to get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
National Sports Awards for 2018 has been announced. The awardees will receive their awards from the President at a special event at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi on 25th September 2018.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2018:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for the most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of 4 years. It includes a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Selection Committee head: Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar

i. Dronacharya Award is given for coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events. It includes a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.Selection Committee head: Justice Mukul Mudgal
ii. Arjuna Award is given for sports persons with consistent outstanding performance for 4 years.Selection Committee head: Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar
iii. Dhyan Chand Award is given for life time contribution to sports development. It includes a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.Selection Committee head: Justice Mukul Mudgal
iv. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is given to the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) and individuals who have contributed to sports promotion and development. Selection committee head: Rahul Bhatnagar
v. Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments is given Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy. It includes a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.Selection Committee head: Ashok Kumar…………………………Click here to Read more

New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKFI) launches Indo International Premier Kabaddi League
On 19^th September 2018, the New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKFI) launched the first edition of Indo International Premier Kabaddi League which would start on 26 January 2019.

Indo International Premier Kabaddi League:
i. Selection trial for the league will start from October 6, 2018. Winner will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 1.25 crore. Over 1000 players, both domestic and International, would participate.
ii. The league will have 8 teams: Bengaluru Rhinos, Chennai Cheetahs, Delhi Dumars, Telangana Bulls, Patna Panthers, Haryana Hurricanes, Mumbai Marathas and Kolkata Tigers.
iii. Each team will have 2 to 3 international players. Double round robin format will be followed. 62 matches will be played in one and a half months.
iv. Players from New Zealand, Poland, Argentina, Tanzania, Australia, Norway, United Kingdom, Canada and USA, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Mauritius, Kenya, Iraq, Denmark, will participate.
vi. NKFI will distribute 20 % of the annual profits from the league to the participating players. The games will be streamed on DSPORT TV channel.
About New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKFI):
♦ General Secretary – MV Prasad Babu
♦ Location – Bengaluru
♦ Formed – May 2017

OBITUARY

Revolutionary leader Kondapalli Koteswaramma passes away
On 19^th September 2018, revolutionary leader, writer and feminist Kondapalli Koteswaramma passed away, following a brain hemorrhage, in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
i. She was 100 years old. She was born in Pamarru area of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. She had joined the Congress party when she was 10 years old. She was an active member of the United Communist Party in the 1940s and 50s.
iii. She had played an active role in the Telangana Rebellion (1946-1951). She had written her autobiography named ‘Nirjana Varadhi’ and three other books.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Sundeep Misra to write a book on sprinter Dutee Chand titled “Story So Far”
On 18^th September 2018, Westland Books announced that, journalist, author and filmmaker Sundeep Misra, would write a book on sprinter Dutee Chand, who won two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games.
i. The book is named “Story so far”. It would be released in 2019. It would be published by Westland Books.
ii. The book will narrate the hardships and controversies Dutee Chand has come across and how she has emerged as a rising star.