Current Affairs Today August 7 2018

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

2 portals: Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) and Bhoomi Rashi – PFMS Linkage launched by Shri Nitin Gadkari
On August 7, 2018, the Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari launched 2 IT initiatives of the Road Transport & Highways Ministry named:
Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) and
Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage 

Objective:
Aimed at speeding up pre construction processes relating to bidding and land acquisition respectively.
Key Points:
Through the initiatives the ministry would focus to reduce construction costs while enhancing quality.
About BIMS:
i. The portal will work as a data base of information about bidders, covering basic details, civil works experience, cash accruals and network, annual turnover etc.
ii. It will streamline the process of pre-qualification of bidders by analyzing data already stored in the portal.
iii. BIMS will be used by all the project implementation agencies of the Ministry for maintenance and evaluation of technical information of civil works.
iv. The bidders would be responsible for ensuring that their latest details are available on the BIMS portal.
v.The BIMS portal will be operated with Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP) for invitation of bids for civil works for EPC mode.
vi. This will thus reduce the procurement time for projects through online evaluation system .
About Bhoomi Rashi:
i. It is a portal developed by MoRTH and NIC.
ii. It comprises the entire revenue data of the country, right down to 6.4 lakh villages.
iii. It is being fully utilized for issuing the notifications. This reduced the time taken for approval and publication of notifications pertaining to land acquisition.
About Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Bhoomi Rashi linkage:
This will facilitate payment related to compensation for land acquisition to all the beneficiaries directly through the Bhoomi Rashi system.
Other Announcements:
i. Shri Gadkari also announced the institution of Annual Awards for Excellence in National Highways Projects from 2018 onwards.
ii. This would recognize concessionaires and contractors who are performing exceptionally.
iii. It would have 5 categories of Awards. They are :

• Excellence in Construction Management
• Excellence in Operation & Maintenance,
• Best Toll Plaza,
• Safe Highway,
• Innovation in Design or Construction Technology.

iv. The winners would be announced on the Good Governance Day on 25^th December, 2018.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the 64th Foundation Day Celebrations of Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi
On August 7, 2018, the National Academy of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) celebrated its 64th Foundation Day and the event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture(I/c), Dr. Mahesh Sharma.

Events of the Ceremony:
i. Dr. Mahesh Sharma released the logo of the 12th Triennale India which is scheduled to be organised by the Akademi in December 2018.
ii. A book on eminent artist Ganesh Pyne– “A Painter of Eloquent Silence” written by Pranav Ranjan Ray was launched.
iii. A demonstration of clay modelling named ‘AAO..MITTI ME KHELE…’was organised by the Akademi at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya situated at the President Estate.
iv. The objective of the workshop was to inculcate creativity in the children.
Ministry of Culture:
Minister of State: Mahesh Sharma.

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Bill passed in Parliament
On August 7, 2018, a Constitution amendment Bill granting Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was passed by Rajya Sabha and got Parliamentary nod.
i.The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed 156 votes to nil.
ii.The amendment entails:

• Inclusion of a female representation,
• Making the findings of the caste census public and formulating reservation according to that,
• Relook or removal of the creamy layer formula and
• introduction of reservation in the judiciary.

iii. The Commission would not encroach upon rights of state governments as they would have their own backward class commissions.
iv. It would only report and recommend the Centre.
v. The bill was passed after the House repealed the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
Background:
The NCBC, a statutory body created in 1993, was given limited powers only to recommend to the government inclusion or exclusion of a community in the central list of OBCs.

Parliament passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018
On 6^th August 2018, the Parliament passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that ensures severe punishment for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age.
Parliament passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018:
i. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 2017. On 6^th August 2018, it was unanimously passed in Rajya Sabha by voice vote.
ii. This bill will replace the Criminal Law Ordinance, promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on 22^nd April 2018.
iii. As per Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018:

• For the rape of a girl under 12 years of age: minimum jail term of 20 years and it can be increased to life time imprisonment or death sentence.
• For gangrape of a girl below 12 years of age: life imprisonment or death.
• For rape of a girl below 16 years of age: minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years and it can be extended to life imprisonment.
• For gang-rape of a girl below 16 years of age: imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict.

iv. The cabinet has also formulated several measures for the speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. It has also given a 6 month time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases.
v. Also, fast-track special courts will be established to exclusively handle rape cases, as per the bill.
vi. Also, only a woman judge will hear the rape case and a woman police officer will record the statement of rape victims.
About Lok Sabha:
♦ Leader of the House – Narendra Modi
♦ Speaker – Sumitra Mahajan

NGT constituted a committee to monitor Ganga rejuvenation project; headed by a former Allahabad High Court judge
On 6^th August 2018, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), constituted a committee, to be headed by a former Allahabad High Court judge, to monitor the rejuvenation project of Ganga from Haridwar to Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.
Committee to monitor Ganga rejuvenation project:
i. Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court will nominate a former judge of Allahabad High Court to head the committee.
ii. The committee will also have the following experts: one from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), one from the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change, one from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and one from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
iii. The committee will assume charge within a month’s time. The committee would function from Kanpur.
iv. However, the members can participate from the place they consider appropriate.
v. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will be the nodal agency to coordinate with the committee. It will coordinate and provide inputs to the panel.
vi. NMCG has been asked prepare an action plan for the stretch starting from Unnao to Bay of Bengal within 4 months.
vii. The committee has been asked to submit quarterly reports about the progress it has made.
About National Green Tribunal:
♦ Chairperson – Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel
♦ Location – New Delhi

GOAMILES: Goa Tourism’s app-based taxi service flagged off by CM Manohar Parrikar
On August 7, 2018, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar flagged off the Goa Tourism Development Corporation’s app-based taxi service called ‘GOAMILES’ in Panaji.

i. It would ensure that commuters are not cheated as there would be transparency in fares for the customers.
ii. It will also ensure the increase in earnings of taxi drivers by “two to three” times.
GOA:
♦ Chief Minister: Manohar Parrikar.
♦ Governor: Mridula Sinha.
♦ Lakes: Carambolim Lake, Mayem Lake, Sarzora Lake.
♦ National Parks/Bird and Wildlife Sanctuaries: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary.

Andhra govt and Holytech sign MoU on setting up electronics manufacturing plant
On August 7, 2018, Andhra Pradesh Government signed an MoU with electronics company Holytech.
i. Under this MoU, Holytech will set up its plant in 75 acres land in Tirupati and Chittoor districts.
ii. It will have cost of Rs. 1400 crores.
iii. This would be the first-of-its-kind facility in India.
iv. It will create 6000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
v. The production of the facility is estimated to begin in the first quarter of 2019.
About Holytech:
The electronics company manufactures thin film transistors, touch screen modules, flexible printed circuits and fingerprint sensors.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Exercise Maitree: Annual Joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army conducted between 06 to 19 August 2018 in Thailand
On August 7, 2018, the opening ceremony of Exercise Maitree, a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army , was held in Chachoengsao province , Thailand. It will be conducted between August 6-19^th 2018.

i. The exercise will comprise of

• honing of tactical and technical skills in joint counter insurgency and
• counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN mandate,
• increasing interoperability between forces from both countries ,
• tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats in urban warfare scenario,

ii. From the Indian Army contingent, 45 personnel  are taking part in it.
About MAITREE:
♦ It is an annual reciprocal training event.
♦ Earlier it took place in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh  in 2017.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Aditya Vikram and Pramod Chandra Mody appointed CBDT members
On 6^th August 2018, the government appointed Aditya Vikram and Pramod Chandra Mody as members of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Aditya Vikram & Pramod Chandra Mody – members of CBDT:
i. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Aditya Vikram and Pramod Chandra Mody as members of CBDT.
ii. Aditya Vikram is a 1981 batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer. He is the principal director general (logistics) in Delhi.
iii. Pramod Chandra Mody is a 1982 batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer. He is the principal chief commissioner, Mumbai.
iv. After these two appointments, there is a vacancy of two more members in CBDT. Other two members of CBDT are: Shabri Bhattasali and Arbind Modi.
About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
♦ Composition – a Chairman & 6 Members
♦ Chairman – Sushil Chandra

S Gopakumar joins United India Insurance as Director & GM
On 7^th August 2018, United India Insurance Company appointed S Gopakumar as its Director and General Manager with immediate effect.
S Gopakumar – Director & GM of United India Insurance:
i. Earlier, S Gopakumar was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIC Housing Finance Ltd.
ii. S Gopakumar started his career with National Insurance Company. He has an experience of more than 30 years.
About United India Insurance:
♦ Head Office – Chennai
♦ Incorporated – 1938

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO’S 5700kg GSAT-11 satellite the heaviest one will launch from French Guiana’sspaceport in November 30,2018.
On August 7, 2018, ISRO announced that it would launch the heaviest communication satellite GSAT -11 from French Guiana onNovember 30, 2018.
i. This satellite weighs over 5.7 tonnes or 5700 kg .
ii. It will be launched from the European spaceport Arianespace.
iii. This will help in increasing internet speed of the country of 14 gigabit per second data transfer speed.
iv. It will provide multi-spot beam coverage over the Indian mainland and nearby islands.
Arianespace:
♦ Headquarters: France.
♦ Founded: 1980.

SPORTS

Rafael Nadal maintains 1st spot in ATP rankings
Rafael Nadal maintained his top position in the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world singles rankings released on 6^th August 2018.

The current top-10 ATP rankings are given below:

FIH rankings: Indian men’s hockey team jumps one spot to 5^th
Indian men’s hockey team has improved one rank and has reached the 5^th spot in the latest FIH rankings chart released on 7^th August 2018.
Indian men’s hockey team – 5^th spot in FIH rankings:
i. Men’s FIH rankings released on 7th August 2018:

ii. Germany, England, Spain, New Zealand and Ireland are the other teams in the top 10.
iii. Malaysia is the second best Asian team at 12^th position. It is followed by Pakistan and Korea.
iv. In the women’s rankings, the Indian team improved one spot to and reached 9^th position.
v. The Indian women’s team is ranked the highest in Asia. It is followed by Korea (10th), China (11th) and Japan (14th).
vi. Netherlands remained in the top position of women’s FIH rankings. It is followed by England, Australia, Argentina and Germany. The Irish team, which reached the final of the World Cup, improved eight places and reached the 8^th spot.
About FIH (Fédération Internationale de Hockey or International Hockey Federation):
♦ President – Narinder Dhruv Batra
♦ Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland

Germany’s Mario Gomez retired from international football
On August 7, 2018, Veteran German striker Mario Gomez announced his retirement from international football .

i. The 33-year-old made his debut for Germany in 2007.
ii. He scored 31 goals in 78 international appearances.
iii. He also represented his country at the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and 2018 and the Euro Cup in 2008 and 2012.

OBITUARY

Veteran Congress leader Rajinder Kumar Dhawan passes away
On 6^th August 2018, former Congress MP, Rajinder Kumar Dhawan, passed away due to old age related ailments, at a hospital in Delhi.

i. Rajinder Kumar Dhawan was 81 years old. He was personal secretary to Indira Gandhi when she was Prime Minister of India from 1962 to 1984.
ii. He was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1990. He was also a member of the Congress Working Committee.
iii. He was made minister of state (independent charge) Housing and Urban Development during 1995-1996.

Former The Hindu BusinessLine journalist, Mony K. Mathew, passes away
On 7^th August 2018, senior financial journalist Mony K. Mathew passed away following a heart attack.
Death of Mony K. Mathew:
i. Mony K. Mathew was 66 years old. He was a senior assistant editor at The Hindu BusinessLine.
ii. He had worked with The Indian Express and The Financial Express before joining The Hindu BusinessLine.
iii. He served as chief of bureau and resident editor of The Financial Express, Chennai.
About The Hindu:
♦ Founded – 1878
♦ Corporate Office – Chennai