Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Daily Current Affairs 3 August 2018. These are important for the upcoming IBPS PO, NIACL Assistant, RBI Grade B and IBPS RRB 2018 Exams.
Daily Current Affairs 3 August 2018
Financial and Banking
Tech Mahindra inks MoU with Telangana for India’s first Blockchain district
- The Telangana State Information Technology, Electronics and Communication department (ITE&C) on Friday signed an MoU with Tech Mahindra to launch India’s first Blockchain district.
- It will be a centre of excellence, an incubator and process development for the emerging technology with innovative infrastructure and facilities to foster growth of Indian blockchain start-ups and companies, Tech Mahindra CEO and managing director CP Gurnani said at the International Blockchain Congress 2018.
- Tech Mahindra as a founding member of the blockchain district will provide the platform and technology assistance to all the incubators in it, he said.
- Tech Mahindra will also empower accelerators to develop and solve market problems across its global customer ecosystem.
NHAI signs MoU with SBI for a Long Term Unsecured Loan of Rs 25000 Crore
- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on August 3, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) for getting Long Term Unsecured Loan of Rs 25000 crore for 10 years with 3 years of moratorium on repayments.
- This is the SBI’s highest long term unsecured loan to any entity. Moreover, this is the largest amount of loan to have been sanctioned to NHAI in one stroke by any institution.
- SBI offered the loan to the NHAI in response to the Expression of Interest invited by the latter from Scheduled Commercial Banks to fund Rs 25000 Crore as an unsecured loan for 10 years with 3 years of moratorium on repayments
Meghalaya hosts show to strengthen trade ties with ASEAN countries
- Meghalaya recently hosted fifth act east business show to strengthen business ties between ASEAN countries northeastern states.
- The show was organised by the Indian chamber of commerce in association with Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER). The show witnessed active participation of delegates from ASEAN countries including Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, etc. It was organised to explore the enormous potential of hill state and its neighbors.
- Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma while inaugurating the show laid emphasis on establishing collaboration with South East Asian nations to tap the underlying potential of the region.
Apple becomes first company to reach $1 trillion market cap
- Silicon Valley technology giant Apple on Thursday became the first public company in U.S. history to reach a $1 trillion market value, ahead of rapidly rising Seattle-based Amazon, cementing Apple’s long-held place as the world’s most valuable company.
- The milestone is the culmination of Apple’s persistent growth and continued delivery of hugely popular products. From the early days of the Macintosh computer in the 1980s to the portable iPod, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch with their app-based services, Apple’s products and vision have lifted the company to extraordinary heights.
- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple in the Los Altos garage of Jobs’ home in 1976. Today, experts point to the leadership of Apple’s late co-founder Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook as pivotal to the company’s enduring success.
India and States
Andhra Pradesh approves Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam Scheme
- Andhra Pradesh Government approved Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam, an unemployment allowance scheme to provide Rs 1000 per month to unemployed youth in state.
- The allowance will be directly credited in bank accounts of selected beneficiaries through biometric authentication in transparent manner.
- It will not be applicable to those paying provident fund.
- The scheme will benefit 12 lakh youth in the 22-35 years age group from state.
- Registration for enrolling into scheme will start from either third or fourth week of August 2018.
Ujjwala Yojana achieves its target of providing 5 crore free LPG connections to poor families
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project Ujjwala Yojana achieved its target of providing 5 crore free LPG connections to poor families.
- Ujjwala aims at bringing clean cooking fuel to poor households, identified according to the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC).
- More than 44 percent of Ujjwala beneficiaries are currently from SC/ST communities.
- The scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on May 1, 2016, in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh with a target to provide free LPG connections to five crore poor households by March 31, 2019, with a budgetary allocation of 8000 crore rupees.
- The government achieved this target nearly eight months ahead of schedule.
Government launches logo, tagline for ‘Geographical Indication’ certified products
- Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu on August 2, 2018 launched the tricolour logo and a tagline for Geographical Indication (GI) certified products.
- The logo has tagline “Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India” printed below it. The winning logo was designed by Adri Chatterjee and the winning tagline was coined by Akancha Tripathi.
- From now on, GI-registered goods will sport logo and tagline to make them more attractive.
- The GI logo will act as a certifying mark that can be used to identify all registered GIs irrespective of the categories.
- Major airports of the country will have stalls displaying GI and self-help group products.
Lok Sabha passes constitutional amendment to give statutory status to NCBC
- The Lok Sabha on Thursday unanimously passed a constitutional amendment to give statutory status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). With all parties supporting the Bill, the government could push it for passage in the Rajya Sabha next week.
- With the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, the Narendra Modi government has reached out to the Other Backward Classes, or OBCs, as well as the Dalit communities in the last 48-hours.
- On Wednesday, the union cabinet had approved a Bill to restore stringent provisions of a law related to preventing atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It is likely to be introduced in Parliament before August 9, when Dalit groups plan to hold a protest in New Delhi.
Kadaknath chicken meat of Madhya Pradesh gets GI tag
- Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh has received Geographical Indication (GI) tag from Chennai based Geographical Indication Registry and Intellectual Property India.
- GI tag denotes that product comes from particular geographical.
- Kadaknath chicken was awarded GI tag in “Meat Product, Poultry & Poultry Meat” category.
- GI tag will ensure that no one else can use name Kadaknath Chicken while selling any other black chicken.
141st birth anniversary of designer of Indian National Flag Pingali Venkayya observed
- 141st birth anniversary of freedom fighter and designer of Indian National Flag Pingali Venkayya was observed on August 2, 2018.
- He was born on August 2, 1876 in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh and died in 1963.
- He was firm believer in Gandhian principles and ardent nationalist.
- At young age, he had served as soldier in British India Army in South Africa during Anglo Boer war in Africa.
In a first, Railway Board to have a member exclusively for safety issues
- For the first time in its history, Railway Board is all set to have a member to exclusively focus on safety issues of the national transporter, sources in the ministry said.
- A parliamentary panel had in August last year recommended the need for such a post to sharpen focus on safety in the backdrop of recurring accidents, and cautioned the Railway against its reluctance to set up the post.
- The sources in the ministry said that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has already approved the creation of the Member (Safety) post, along with two others – Member (Materials Management) and Member (Signalling and Telecom) – to expand the Board, which had five members, to eight members. The ministry will soon move the Cabinet with the proposal for approval.
First-ever dragonfly festival in Delhi
- The dragonfly festival is being organised from August 3 to September 1, 2018 at World Wide Fund (WWF) auditorium, New Delhi.
- The aim is to spread awareness about the role of Dragonflies in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
- Festival includes special events like ‘Be a scientist for a day’, ‘Date with a dragonfly’, etc. by WWF India and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Appointments
Emmerson Mnangagwa wins Presidential elections in Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former ally of ousted President Robert Mugabe, won country’s landmark Presidential elections.
- With all 10 provinces declared, Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent of votes and defeated opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of MDC party who gained 44.3 percent.
- Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared ZANU-PF party’s Mnangagwa, a duly declared elected president.
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