Current Affairs Updates - 8th February 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 8th February 2018

We, the Achieversrule team have brought to you the Daily Current Affairs Updates - 8th February 2018. Please go through all the headlines and the respective bullet points under the various sections of National Affairs, RBI, Banking, Awards and Honors and Sports news. We also request our readers to read some of the latest banking articles released by us recently here.

RBI in News

Sixth bi-monthly policy statement for 2017-18: repo rate will stand at 6 percent,  reverse repo at 5.75 percent, while the benchmark lending rate have been slashed by 0.25 percentage points to 6 percent.

• The decision of the MPC is consistent with the neutral stance of monetary policy in consonance with the objective of achieving the medium-term target for consumer price index (CPI) inflation of 4 percent within a band of +/- 2 percent, while supporting growth.

Committees in News

Nine member committee constituted by Karnataka government has recommended separate state flag.

• The committee has recommended new tricolour having yellow (at top), white (in middle) and red (at bottom) colors, with state’s emblem Gandaberunda (a two-headed mythological bird) in centre.

Rankings & Indexes

According to 'The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP)' of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been ranked the top environment policy think tanks in India while it has secured the 16th position in global rankings.

• In the 'Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks' category, CSE has been ranked the second in India and 38th in the world.
• In the 'Best Independent Think Tanks' category, the green body has been ranked 6th and 123rd in the world.

According to the TIMES Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for educational institutes in Asia, two institutes that have made their way to top 50 are Indian Institute of Science (29th rank) and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (44).

• Other institutes that have made their way to top 100 are IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Delhi. The ranks as released by the World University Ranking are: Indian Institute of Science (rank 29), IIT Bombay (44), IIT Kharagpur (60), IIT Roorkee (65), IIT Kanpur (81) and IIT Delhi (86).

National Affairs

Three new tools for States and Union Territories for ranking of startups in the country was launched by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry at a function in New Delhi.

• The tools are: the State and Union Territory Startup Ranking Framework, the Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Startups in India and the Startup India Kit. These will act as catalysts to help the Startup India initiative to drive India’s economic growth.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is going to launch pilot project of Pay as you use tolling on the Delhi Mumbai national highway to study implement ability of system in the country.

• The proposed tolling system will work on combination of mobile telecommunications technology (GSM) and satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS).

The Foundation stone of Rhodendron Park was laid in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh by Chief Minister Pema Khandu. 

• The park will be built in total area of 1.15 hectares. More than 30 species of rhododendrons would be planted and conserved in park.

Akshay Kumar may become face of government’s road safety campaign

• Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today said his ministry has requested Bollywood star Akshay Kumar to be the brand ambassador for road safety awareness campaign. 

Nepal's former King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev goes on religious trip to India.

• The erstwhile royal will attend a function 'International Gau Sambardhana Mahotsav' aimed to save the indigenous Indian cow, and the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a 'Gomata Mandir' at Rathipur near Jatni on Wednesday.

Science & Technology

Android Nougat is finally the most widely-used version of Google's smartphone OS.

• Google's latest Android distribution figures, which tallies-up devices connecting to the Play Store during a seven-day period ending 5 February, shows that Android Nougat - versions 7.0 and 7.1 - now has a cumulative total of 28.5 per cent, which puts it ahead of Marshmallow's 28.1 per cent for the first time.

Schemes / Programme

Uttar Pradesh State government in association with UNICEF launched massive door to door campaign DASTAK to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanise Encephalitis (JE) disease in the state.

• The war cry of DASTAK is 'Darwaja Khatkhatao, AES aur JE ko bhagao'. 
• In this campaign, the entire state machinery along with the help of UNICEF will go door to door in 38 JES and AE affected districts which mostly fall in the Tarai region.

"Development of Solar Cities” scheme leads to the development of 60 Solar Cities including 13 Pilot and 5 Model Cities up to 12th Five-year Plan period.

• The Scheme aims at reducing minimum 10% in projected demand of conventional energy at end of five years, through combination of enhancing supply from renewable energy sources in city and energy efficiency measures. 

In an attempt to increase farm productivity and farmers’ income, the Haryana government announced the setting up of ‘Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran’, an authority which will undertake measures to make agriculture remunerative.

• Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the State government was aware of the condition and needs of the farmers, and that’s why it had decided to set up the body.

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

Google and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has signed a pact to integrate a course on ‘Digital Citizenship and Safety’.

• The Digital Citizenship and Safety course by Google India aims to bring social, ethical and legal aspects of internet safety and usage via structured in-class lessons.

Summit /Conference / Events

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Mahamastakabhisheka here by unveiling an idol of Lord Bahubali, placed in a silver frame, in the presence of several saints and dignitaries. 

• This is an important place representing the country’s culture and heritage. It has been spreading the message of love, peace and non-violence to the globe.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Jhulan Goswami becomes first woman cricketer to take 200 wickets in ODIs.

• India’s pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami on Wednesday created another record when she became the first woman cricketer to take 200 wickets in One-Day Internationals (ODI).

Obituary 

Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair collapsed on stage and died while performing at Agasthyacodu Mahadeva Temple.

• A recipient of several awards, including Padma Bhushan, he was a follower of the Kaplingattu School, the particular style of south Kerala.