Current Affairs Updates - 3 Feb 2018
We, the Achieversrule team have brought to you the Current Affairs Updates for 3rd February 2018. Today's important news of National, International, Awards and Honors along with the latest news of Banking and Economic Affairs have been sorted out which are very important for the upcoming exams of Bank, SSC and Railways.
First in World
World's longest zip line 'Jebel Jais Flight' opens in United Arab Emirates.
- The Jebel Jais Flight zip line launches from 1,680m above sea level, at the peak of the Jebel Jais Mountain.
Rwanda has become the first low-income country to provide universal eye care for its 12 million population.
New Appointments: National
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed its joint secretary Vikram Singh Sisodia as the Chef-de-Mission for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia.
- The IOA also appointed three team managers Modern Pentathlon Federation of India General Secretary Namdev Shirgaonkar, Asian Sailing Federation official Ajay Naarang and Andeman and Nicobar Olympic Association Secretary General V A Shiyad.
Lt. Gen Anil Chauhan, who has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations, on Tuesday took charge as the new Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army.
- He succeeds Lt General A K Bhatt who will assume charge of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps.
Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs
Budget 2018 makes PAN mandatory for entities in transactions over Rs 2.5 lakh.
- The 10-digit Permanent Account Number (PAN) would be used as Unique Entity Number for non-individuals, said the memorandum to the Finance Bill 2018.
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has received Rs173.06 crore capital infusions from the government in the current fiscal.
- In a regulatory filing, IOB said it has received Rs173.06 crore as contribution of the central government in the preferential allotment of equity shares of the bank as government’s investment during the 2017-18 fiscal.
Fitch Ratings: The Budget has pegged fiscal deficit at 3.5 % of GDP in current year ending March, higher than 3.2 % targeted earlier.
- The 2018-19 Union Budget unveiled contains a number of policy measures with the potential to support economic demand and social well being.
Rankings & Indexes
India has slipped to 42nd place on the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual Global Democracy Index amid the "rise of conservative religious ideologies" and increase in vigilantism and violence against minorities.
- While Norway has again topped the list, followed by Iceland and Sweden, India has moved down from 32nd place last year and remains classified among "flawed democracies".
- The index ranks 165 independent states and two territories on the basis of five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation and political culture.
National Affairs
Four major rivers, Jhelum, Chenab, Indus and Ravi in Jammu and Kashmir have been declared "national waterways" by the union government, paving the way for inland navigation on them to boost water transport and tourism.
- The state government was examining the feasibility-cum-detailed project report of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) prepared for inland navigation and construction of horizontal and vertical terminals across these waterways.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed construction of 'Zozila Pass tunnel' of more than 14 km tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh.
- In addition to boosting private sector participation in defence manufacturing, the government also plans to develop industrial corridors as well as unveil a new procurement policy.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the Universal Peace Retreat Center of 'Prajapita Brahmakumari Eswariya University' in Amaravati.
- The Universal Peace Retreat Center will be built with a capacity to provide shelter to 1500 people and an auditorium with 2000 seating arrangements. A meditation hall, a seminar hall with high end facilities, a museum, laser show and a housing complex will also be a part of this center.
Defence & Railway News
Indian Railways' all new 12,000 horsepower electric locomotive -- being produced in collaboration with Alstom of France and which can run at speeds of up to 120 kmph -- would be rolled out in March when French President Emmanuel Macron visits India.
- According to the sources, the assembly of the first 12,000 hp locomotive at Bihar's Madhepura plant is complete and its trials are on.
Books & Authors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has authored a book “exam warriors” for class 10 and 12 students on how to deal with board exam stress to be released in february
- “I have chosen to write on a subject that is close to my heart, and one that is fundamental to my vision for a youth-driven and youth-led tomorrow,” a statement by the publishers, Penguin Random House, quotes PM Modi as saying.
Schemes / Programme
Launch of Gobar-Dhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) Scheme announced to make the villages open defecation free and improving the lives of villagers.
- The Finance Minister also announced that 187 projects have been sanctioned under Namami Gange Programme for infrastructure development, reverse surface cleaning, rural sanitation and other interventions at a cost of Rs.16, 713 crore.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme, also called 'Modicare', World's Biggest Health plan to give annual medical insurance cover to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families and to go cashless.
- Calling the scheme "bold" and "revolutionary", health minister JP Nadda said it covered all components of health care - primary, secondary and tertiary.
Agreements/ MoUs Signed
India has joined the Ashgabat agreement which envisages setting up of an international transport and transit corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf to significantly ramp up trade and investment.
- Besides Turkmenistan, the other founding members of the agreement are Iran, Oman and Uzbekistan and these countries had signed the pact on April 25, 2011.
The government and the World Bank on Wednesday signed a 100 million dollar loan agreement to support producer organisations and enterprises, especially women entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu.
- The Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project will create an enabling environment for producer organisations and enterprises to promote businesses across select value chains.
The State-owned Cochin Shipyard and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) of Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate and engage in design, development, and execution of contemporary, state-of-the-art vessels for inland and coastal waterways.
- The MoU was signed between Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Cochin Shipyard, and Alexey Rakhmanov, president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, in the presence of Union Transport, Shipping and Waterways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
Summit /Conference / Events
The 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs begun in Faridabad, Haryana.
- This year Uttar Pradesh is the theme state and Kyrgyzstan is the Partner Nation.
- The 17-day cultural extravaganza will see a spectacular showcase of regional and international crafts, handlooms, traditions along with some mouth-watering multi-cuisine food for the visitors.
In order to boost the rapidly developing sector of Urban development, Andhra Pradesh government will be organizing a three-day innovation summit on the theme of 'Urban transformation to Global Living'.
- On Wednesday, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu announced that Happy Cities Summit will be held between April 10 and 12 in Bhavani Island on Krishna River where experts and various industry players will attend that grand event to brainstorm on various dimensions of building smart and sustainable cities.
The 7th India Energy Congress was held in New Delhi.
- The India Energy Congress is the flagship event of World Energy Council India (WEC India) and joint event of ministries of power, coal, new & renewable energy, petroleum & natural gas, external affairs and Department of Atomic Energy.
- Theme: 'Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards 2030'.
Awards & Honours: Sports
India Open Boxing: Mary Kom, Pwilao Basumatary, Lovlina Borgohain Senjeet clinch gold medals.
- MC Mary Kom claimed a gold but the Indian men's juggernaut was denied a complete sweep by traditional powerhouses Cuba and Uzbekistan on an exciting final day of the India Open boxing tournament, in India on Thursday.
Karnataka’s Srihari Nataraj took the honours in the swimming pool of the Khelo India School Games.
- Most of Tamil Nadu’s medals continued to come in track and field. C. Praveen’s hopes of a golden double were dashed when he was pushed to second spot in the long jump by Haryana’s Bhupender Singh in the second-last attempt.
Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous
Magahi writer Shesh Anand Madhukar, who has been working extensively for the development of the language, was honoured with this year's Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Samman award.
- The second writer of Magahi language to be given the award, Madhurkar was conferred the award, comprising a Rs 1 lakh cheque and a memento, by Sahitya Akademi President Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.
Odisha has bagged Geospatial World Excellence Award-2018 for successful IT application on tracking of mineral production, dispatch and value accrued on real time basis through its i3MS website based software.
- The Award was given by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and Technology, YS Chowdray in the Geospatial World Forum Meeting held at Hyderabad recently.
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