Current Affairs Updates - 9th April 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 9th April 2018

Some of the important and Latest Current Affairs news have been mentioned in our today's Current Affairs Updates for 9th April. These have been mentioned under different sections like National, International, Railway, Schemes, Obituary and Sports News. Some of the important news points are Indo-Korean joint exercise 'SAHYOG-HYEOBLYEOG 2018, UK's 1st Permanent Military Base in Middle East, SAARC Summit in Islamabad,  'State of the Year' Award for Chhattisgarh and others. We also provide Current Affairs Quiz and Static GK and One Liner Note Down Points for better performance in the examinations like Bank, Rail and SSC. Revising these articles regularly can help you improve your preparation.

RBI in News

The Reserve Bank of India has released guidelines asking all payment system operators to ensure that data is stored only within the country, and comply with the order by October 15, 2018.

• It added, “For the foreign leg of the transaction, if any, the data can also be stored in the foreign country, if required.”

Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs

Global financial messaging cooperative Swift said Icici Bank has become its first Indian client to go live with an improved cross-border payments service.

• The announcement of the service, which Swift claimed as being more transparent, comes weeks after the discovery of one of the largest banking frauds to be detected in Indian history, the Rs 12,900-crore Nirav Modi scam at the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

National Affairs

Chhattisgarh bagged the 'State of the Year' Award under the 'business leader' category as part of the India Business Leadership for the remarkable increase in business and services activities in various sectors.

• The plunge witnessed is said to be the result of various decisions taken on the policy in the field of business by the Chhattisgarh Government in the past few years and its effective implementation.

Twitter Has Permanently Suspended 1.2 Million Accounts for Terrorism Since August 2015

• The social network said the figure for the second half of 2017 was down 8.4 percent from the first half of last year, marking the second consecutive reporting period to see a decline.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale will travel to Dhaka, where he is expected meet his counterpart, Mohammad Shahidul Haque, and discuss ways to deepen the bilateral ties.

• Gokhale is also likely to meet the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

Kerala has become the first state to adopt a standard operating procedure (SOP) for determining brain death cases.

• The state health ministry on Saturday formulated an SOP in view of the rising concern among the public over possibilities of manipulation or coercion to make organs available for transplant.

India will not participate in SAARC summit in Islamabad

• Stepping up its diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan+ globally following the Uri terror attack+ , India on Tuesday said that it would not take part in the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in November.

International Affairs

Top Pakistani News Channel ‘Geo TV’ forced to go off-air for criticising Army

• According to The New York Times, Mir Ibrahim Rahman, the chief executive of the network, Geo, said in an interview that they are off the air in 80 percent of the country, in a move widely seen as being forced by the military as it flexes its authority over civilian institutions. 

The country's foreign exchange reserves hit a life-time high of 424.361 billion dollar after rising by 1.828 billion dollar in the week to March 30, helped by rise in foreign currency assets, the Reserve Bank said.

• In the reporting week, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, rose by 1.823 billion dollar to 399.118 billion dollar. 

UK opens 1st permanent military base in Middle East in 50yrs

• The UK has opened a naval base in Bahrain, its first permanent military base in the Middle East in nearly 50 years. The base will host around 300 British troops and support personnel. As part of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria, the base is aimed at helping the UK tackle security threats in the Gulf region.

Japan activates first marines since WW2 to bolster defenses against China

• In a ceremony held at a military base near Sasebo on the southwest island of Kyushu, about 1,500 members of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) wearing camouflage lined up outside amid cold, windy weather.

Science & Technology

Nasa's Parker Solar Probe - humanity's first mission to the Sun - is undergoing final preparations for its launch scheduled for July 31.

• Parker Solar Probe is humanity's first mission to the Sun. After launch, it will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere - the corona - closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone.

Defence & Railway News

IAF aims strengthening the security with inclusion of 110 fighter planes in its fleet

• Procurement should have a maximum of 15% aircraft in flyway condition and the remaining 85% will be manufactured in India under 'Make in India'," the Ministry of Defence said.

The Centre notified that a uniform rate of 5 percent will be charged towards Goods and Services Tax (GST) in all railway catering services in trains or stations.

• As per the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), the decision has been taken with a view to remove any doubt or uncertainty in the matter and bring uniformity in the rate of GST applicable to supply of food and drinks made available in trains, platforms or stations.

Korean Coast Guard ship 'BADARO', which is taking part in the Indo-Korean joint exercise 'SAHYOG-HYEOBLYEOG 2018' on April 5, berthed at Chennai Port Trust

• Coast Guard (Eastern) region senior officials welcomed the 88 crew members and Superintendent Oh Taeog upon arrival, an official release said.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia concluded joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” aimed at sharing expertise and enhancing joint military actions in Dubai, UAE.

• The military exercise was implemented within framework of UAE leadership’s continued desire to support and create unique partnerships between both countries based on strategy to improve the overall ability and combat readiness of ground forces.... 

Schemes / Programme

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched the state component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in Agartala on April 07.

• The CM also said that small-scale industries will be provided land, security and other assistance to boost their productivity. He also informed that the government is planning to promote industrialisation based on pineapple, bamboo, rubber and jackfruit.

'Gobar-dhan Yojana', the central scheme for managing and converting cattle dung into manure and biogas, will be launched at the national level from Karnal in Haryana on April 30

• Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will launch the scheme, which is aimed at keeping villages clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle owners.

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

The Centre, Maharashtra Government and World Bank on 6th April signed a 420 million dollar project to help small and marginals farmers in the Marathwada and Vidarbha region of the State

• The project will help in increasing climate resilient practices in agriculture and ensuring that farming continues to remain a financially viable activity for them. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India and Nepal will build a railway line that would connect the capital cities of the two countries, Kathmandu and New Delhi. 

• PM Modi made the announcement while issuing a joint statement along with his visiting Nepali counterpart KP Oli at the Hyderabad House here. 

Merger & Acquisitions

Flipkart-Amazon merger: Market share may not be only 'concern' for Competition Commission of India

• The two firms together, according to some reports, account for almost 90 per cent of the e-commerce market in the country. Some experts believe that the merger may hit the CCI wall due to huge market share the merged entity may corner.

Summit /Conference / Events

The two-day Assam Spring Festival was held at Manas National Park.

• It was organised by Indian Weavers’ Association and Swankar Mithinga Onsai Afat, an association of reformed poachers in Manas who are now engaged in wildlife conservation and preservation.

Awards & Honours: Sports

India's weightlifting contingent's dream run in the 2018 Commonwealth Games continued as Pardeep Singh clinched the silver medal in the men's 105kg event

• The Indian weightlifter lifted a total of 352kg in Snatch, and Clean and Jerk (152+200) to finish behind gold medallist Sanele Mao of Samoa who lifted a combined weight of 360kg. 

Bayern Munich win sixth straight German league title

• Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions for the sixth consecutive season on Saturday as James Rodriguez helped turn the game in their 4-1 comeback victory at Augsburg.

Commonwealth Games 2018: Ravi Kumar Shoots Bronze In Men's 10m Air Rifle

• Ravi shot a total of 224.1 to finish behind gold medallist Dane Sampson (245) of Australia and Bangladesh's silver medallist Abdullah Hel Baki (244.7) at the Belmont Shooting Centre.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Anushka Sharma to be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award

• Apart from acting, Anushka is one of the few actresses, who is also a successful Bollywood producer