Current Affairs Updates - 10 February 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 10 February 2018

We, the Achieversrule team have brought to you the Current Affairs Updates - 10 February 2018. Todays headlines are from National, Banking, Committee and Events. We hope you would find this interesting and useful for the upcoming government exams of Bank, SSC and Rail. You may also like our Daily Current Affairs Quiz  and Static GK Note Down Points.  

First in India & World

Attempting a Guinness Book of World record for playing ice hockey at the highest altitude, a two-day tournament was organised at Chibra Kargyam in Ladakh's Changthang region.

• The tournament, which was started yesterday, was jointly organised by Ladakh Winter Sports Club (LWSC), Hockey Foundation and Lalok Winter Sports Association.

New Appointments: National

Indra Nooyi, the PepsiCo chairman and CEO, has been appointed to the ICC board as its first independent female director. 

• Nooyi, whose appointment was unanimously confirmed in a meeting on Friday, will join the board in June 2018.

Hardayal Prasad appointed as SBI Card MD & CEO

• SBI Card, the country's second largest credit card issuer, has a new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer in Hardayal Prasad. Prasad has taken over from Vijay Jasuja, who superannuated on January 31.

Committees in News

The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) has constituted 13-member Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP). 

• It will be headed by former secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi. The committee will monitor and expedite capital acquisition projects for modernisation of armed forces and bolster armed forces preparedness.

The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) has constituted 13-member Raksha Mantri Advisory Committee on Ministry of Defence Capital Projects (RMCOMP). 

• It will be headed by former secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi. The committee will monitor and expedite capital acquisition projects for modernisation of armed forces and bolster armed forces preparedness.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved to enhance target base of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) from 5 crore to 8 crore.

• The revised target of PMUY will be achieved by 2020 with an additional allocation of Rs. 4,800 crore. 
• The decision comes in the wake of huge response to PMUY from the women particularly in rural areas and to cover such households not having LPG connection.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of “Milling Copra” for 2018 season. 

• The approval was based on recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). 

Rankings & Indexes

India ranks 44 out of 50 nations in global IP index while US topped the list.

• India’s overall score has increased substantially from 25 per cent (8.75 out of 35) in the 5th edition of the Index to 30 per cent (12.03 out of 40) in the 6th edition, according to the annual report prepared by the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of the US Chambers of Commerce.

National Affairs

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed Rs.136 crore fine on world’s most popular search engine Google for unfair business practices in Indian market for online search.

• CCI held that Google was found to be indulged in practices of search bias and by doing so it has caused harm to its competitors as well as to users.

Defence & Railway News

The South Central Railway (SCR) said it has become the first railway zone in the country to complete 100 per cent LED lighting at all the stations under its jurisdiction. 

• The SCR has been on the forefront of adopting energy conservation measures. 
• It has attained the status of becoming the first zone in the Indian Railways to complete 100 per cent LED lighting in all the 733 stations.

Indigenously developed nuclear capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile was successfully test fired from a test range in Odisha. 

• The test was carried out from mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore, Odisha.

Application / Portal 

Fly ash management App for thermal power plants launched

• This platform will enable better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (thermal power plants) and potential ash users such as road contractors, cement plants, etc.

Schemes / Programme

Cabinet approves enhancement of target under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved to enhance of the target of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) from five crore to eight crore with an additional allocation of Rs. 4,800 crore. 

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved the construction of 1,86,777 more affordable houses under its flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

• The approval was given at the 30th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee.

Summit /Conference / Events

King Salman bin Abdulaziz in presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 32nd edition of Saudi Arabia’s National Heritage Festival.

• Jenadriyah is cultural and heritage festival of Saudi Arabia. It is held annually at Jenadriyah village near Riyadh. It is organised every year by National Guard. It was held for first time in 1985. It draws more than one million visitors every year.

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 88th Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Gomateshwara by unveiling an idol of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Karnataka.

• President also lighted lamp to mark inauguration of the mega event which is held once in 12 years.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Sports powerhouse Haryana topped the overall medal tally after claiming 38 gold medals in the inaugural edition of the Khelo India School Games that concluded in New Delhi.

• Overall, Haryana won 102 medals, with 26 silver and 38 bronze. Maharashtra (110) finished second overall while Delhi (94) came third.