Current Affairs Updates - 8th April 2018

Current Affairs Updates - 8th April 2018

In our today's Current Affairs Updates - 8th April 2018 we have picked up some of the best and important headlines which are probable to be asked in the upcoming examinations of Bank like IBPS PO, IBPs CLERK,RRB, RBI and SSC CGL, SSC CHSL and Rail exams. Aspirants should go through them in details to have a not of every detail mentioned below. You may also like our Daily Current Affairs Quiz.

Important Days

The World Health Day is celebrated on 7th april. Theme: 'Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere'

• It is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organisations. 

Banking, Economic & Financial Affairs

FPI investment limit in Govt Securities hiked

• In a move that could temporarily soften bond yields, the Reserve Bank of India, in consultation with the Government, on Friday hiked the foreign portfolio investors (FPI) investment limit in Central government securities (G-Sec) from 5 per cent of outstanding stock now to 5.5 per cent in FY2019 and 6 per cent in FY2020.

National Affairs

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal will inaugurate the second Mega Food Park in Uttarakhand at Mahuakhera Ganj in Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district on Sunday ie 8th April 2018.

• The mega food park– M/s Himalayan Mega Food Park Private Ltd, which is being set up in an area of 50.14 acres, would have a central processing center as well as well as three Primary Processing Centers (PPCs) at Ram Nagar, Ramgarh and Kaladungi. 

Jammu gets its first tulip garden at Sanasar

• Situated amid lush green woods with trekking trails, Jammu's first tulip garden at Sanasar is attracting nature enthusiasts from all over the country.

The Union government on Friday banned imports of the hormone oxytocin to stop its misuse in the livestock industry, where activists say it causes hormonal imbalances and shortens the lives of milch animals.

• The government also asked customs officials to step up vigilance against those likely to try and smuggle oxytocin into India, the Central Board of Excise and Customs said in a notice on its website.

Prof Panchanan Mohanty, former dean of the School of Humanities at University of Hyderabad (UoH) has discovered two languages, which have been lying hidden from linguists. 

• As a part of the research activity of the Centre for Endangered Languages and Mother Tongue Studies, UoH, Prof Mohanty of the department of linguists, discovered two languages - Walmiki and Malhar. Linguists do not know that these two languages exist. Only a few people living in the forest and hilly areas speak these languages. Surprisingly, they have remained out of public focus

Shimla gets its first grid-connected solar plant

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur recently inaugurated the first grid-connected solar power plant in Shimla having a capacity of 35 KW, installed on the rooftop of the Department of Environment, Science and Technology.

International Affairs

Qatar allows women to join national service amidst intensified diplomatic blockade by Arab quartet

• The Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed a legislation Women aged over 18 will be able to volunteer for national service while men will now serve a year instead of three months.

Science & Technology

The RH300 sounding rocket, developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) as part of a study to enrich available atmospheric data, would be launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) 

• The launch, scheduled at 19.15 hrs, is part of a study undertaken by VSSC under the Sounding Rocket Experiment (SOUREX) programme, which utilises the RH-300 MKII sounding rocket to study the Equatorial E and lower ionosphere regions of the atmosphere, it said. 

Defence & Railway News

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to conduct its biggest ever combat exercise "Gagan Shakti, 2018" along Pakistan and China borders. 

• Meanwhile, the IAF is readying to mobilise its entire asset and equipment inventory to conduct its biggest exercise ever. 

Application / Portal 

Tamil Nadu Govt Launches Mobile App Bi-lingual 'Uzhavan' for Farmers

• In a bid to use technology for farmers' benefit, Tamil Nadu government has come out with a mobile application that will allow ryots to have access to nine types of services including details about their crop insurance.

The Minister of State for MSME, Giriraj Singh launched a mobile phone application for locating 4,000 Khadi stores in the country.

• There are more than 8,000 Khadistores in India, the rest of stores will also be available on the store locater by the end of this month. This was informed by Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman KVIC in the board meeting today.

Schemes / Programme

In Uttar Pradesh Ganga Hariteema Yojana (Ganga Greenery scheme) is being launched today in 27 districts of the state located on the bank of river Ganga. 

• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch the scheme at Allahabad in a function organised on the bank of Sangam the confluence of rivers of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.

Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme: An initiative to empower rural women in India

• The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels, and at the National level (domain based knowledge support) and State level (State Resource Centre for Women) technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women is provided.

Agreements/ MoUs Signed

The Government of India, Government of Maharashtra and the World Bank signed here today a US 420 million dollar project to help Small and Marginal farmers in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra.

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

IndusInd-Samsung tie up to facilitate 'tap and pay' credit system

• IndusInd Bank announced a collaboration with Samsung Electronics to enable its MasterCard and Visa credit card customers to use 'Samsung Pay'.IndusInd credit card holders can now 'tap and pay' at merchant outlets having Point of Sale (PoS) terminals using a wide range of Samsung Smartphones.

Maharashtra government, the Centre signs MoU with World Bank to aid farmers

• The Maharashtra government, along with the Centre, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the World Bank to help more than 5142 villages from drought-prone districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada to adopt climate resilient practices in agriculture. 

Summit /Conference / Events

The Prime Minister has announced that on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti a “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” would be organised starting from 14th April to 5th May 2018. 

• This Abhiyan is being undertaken for reaching out to poor households, spreading awareness about government welfare schemes and other people-centric initiatives.

Awards & Honours: Sports

India continued to go strong at the Commonwealth Games 2018 weightlifting events with Sathish Kumar Sivalingam bringing the country its third gold medal, in the men's 77-kg category and extending India's medal tally to five.

• He finished with a total effort of 317 kg.

The India women's hockey team registered their first victory of the ongoing Commonwealth Games campaign after beating Malaysia 4-1 in their second match of Pool A.

• Two goals from Gurjit Kaur (6’, 39’) and a goal each from skipper Rani (56’) and Lalremsiami (59’) saw the Indians secure a morale-boosting victory against their Asian counterparts. The only goal for Malaysia was scored by Nuraini Rashid in the 38th minute.

Awards & Honours: Miscellaneous

Chhattisgarh on Friday 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.

Other Sports & Award Related News

Leander Paes Becomes Most Successful Doubles Player In Davis Cup History

• Leander Paes became the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup as he combined with Rohan Bopanna to not only grab a record 43rd win but also bring India back in the tie against China .