Current Affairs Update 15 August 2018
Current Affairs is an important part for many exams. Be prepared for this section with ByScoop which brings all the important Current Affairs in one place. 15 August 2018.
Important Highlights of PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech 2018
- The Prime Minster, Shri Narendra Modi today addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 72nd Independence Day. Following are the highlights from his speech:
- PM Modi highlighted the efforts of youth to bring paradigm shift in the nature of job. He noted that 65% of our population consists of 35 year old people.
- 13 crore people have availed MUDRA LOAN of which 4 crore are youth who have availed loan for the very first time and are self-employed and progressing independently.
- Modi government is set to launch ‘NAVIC’ which will be very useful for the fishermen and others.
- India has resolved to send manned spacecraft “Gagan-Yaan” to the space by 2022 using its own capabilities. India will be the fourth country to do this.
- The country is committed to doubling farmer’s income by 75th year of Independence.
- India is progressing in the path of Agriculture Export Policy so as to enable farmers to emerge powerful in the world market.
- In agriculture sector, PM highlighted the efforts being made into organic farming, blue revolution, sweet revolution, solar farming. In fisheries, India has emerged second largest country of the world. The export of honey has doubled.
- In order to provide free health services to the poorest people, Government of India has launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Abhiyan under which any person can get relief from dreaded diseases by going to the good hospitals. It will be launched on 25th September, 2018, the anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
- The Ayushman Bharat scheme will enable 10 crore families to get health insurance benefits with each family getting 5 lakh rupees health coverage annually.
- Government is making efforts to curb corruption and black-money as a result of which India was able to mobilize 90000 crore money to the Government Exchequer. Besides, to maintain transparency government have launched online process by utilizing Information Technology to the maximum level.
- Upto 2013, for the past 70 years the direct tax payers were only 4 crore people however, now the numbers has doubled and grown to 7.25 crores.
- For the period of 70 years, indirect tax officials were able to mobilize 70 lakhs of revenue. Whereas by implementation of GST, within a year tax officials were able to mobilize 16 lakhs of revenue.
- PM Modi emphasized on the vision of “Housing for All”, Electrification for All Villages, Cooking gas for All, Water for All, Sanitation for All, Skill Development for All, Health for All, Insurance for All and Connectivity for All.
PM Modi announces ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan’ on I-Day
- India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day on August 15, 2018. On this occasion PM Modi announced ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan’. It will be launched on 25th September, 2018 that is the birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay
- Aim of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan: To provide the poor of India with proper access to good quality and affordable healthcare.
- The scheme is the flagship project of Ayushman Bharat, the national healthcare policy launched by the Government earlier this year. It will benefit 50 crore citizens of the country.
- The government has decided to provide five lakh rupees health care insurance cover for the poor and vulnerable under the programme and in future it can be extended to the low middle class.
NITI Aayog Launches “Pitch to MOVE”
- NITI Aayog has launched “Pitch to MOVE” – a mobility pitch competition to provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a distinguished jury.
- Startups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments.
- “Pitch to MOVE” aims to harness the latest disruption for generating employment and growth in our country by identifying and incentivising the startups, which will eventually help the Government realize its vision of Shared, Connected, Intermodal and Environment Friendly Mobility for India.
- “Pitch to MOVE” is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
- Winners of the event will be felicitated by Hon’ble PM during the Global Mobility Summit scheduled to be held on 7th and 8th Sep 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan, in New Delhi.
Supreme Court launches 3 app- e-courts services, E-pay and NSTEP
- The e-committee of the Supreme Court of India has launched the applications – e-courts services, E-pay and NSTEP (National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes)
- e courts services- the litigants and the lawyers would be able to file petitions in almost 17,000 district and ‘taluka’ courts in the country by using their computers and mobile phones.
- E-Pay- e-pay would enable the litigants to pay court fees, costs imposed by courts, maintenance in matrimonial cases through digital means.
- NSTEP- The court staffers, who are entrusted with the task of serving court summons and notices on litigants, would be provided smart phones and they can digitally serve them on litigants by using the NSTEP.
Telangana CM launches insurance scheme – ‘Rythu Bima’ for farmers
- Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched two major new schemes, including free life insurance for farmers, on the occasion of Independence Day.
- ‘Rythu Bima’ scheme- every farmer would get life insurance cover of Rs five lakh. 28 lakh farmers in the age group of 18 to 59 would be insured. The government would bear an annual premium of Rs 2271.50 per farmer.
- Economic support scheme for backward classes- The government would provide a grant of Rs 50,000 to the beneficiaries to start small businesses.
New norms notified for ATM cash loading
- The home ministry has notified rules relating to cash loading of ATMs and cash transportation. The major instructions are:
- No ATM should be replenished with cash after 9 pm in cities and No ATMs will be cash-loaded in rural areas post 6 pm.
- No cash van should carry more than Rs 5 crore on a single trip.
- Cash for loading into an ATM machine will be collected from the bank on the previous day or in the first half of the day.
Vienna tops the Global Liveability Index 2018 of EIU
- Austria’s capital, Vienna, has been ranked as the most liveable of the 140
cities surveyed by The Economist Intelligence Unit. This was released in the Global Liveability Index 2018. - Damascus, Syria has been ranked last. New Delhi is the top Indian city ranked at 112th then Mumbai is next at 117th.
Anandiben Patel takes additional charge as Chattisgarh governor
- Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel took oath as the Governor of Chhattisgarh.
- She took the additional charge of Chhattisgarh following the demise of its Governor, Balramji Dass Tandon.
- Anandiben will discharge the additional duties until the regular arrangements for the office of governor of Chhattisgarh are made.
Asiad Games gold winner Hakam Singh passes away
- Asian Games gold medallist and Dhyan Chand awardee Hakam Singh Bhattal passed away at 64.
- He won the gold in the 20km race walk event of the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. He also won a gold in the Asian Track and Field Meeting held at Tokyo in 1979. Bhattal got the Dhyan Chand Award on August 29, 2008.
Renowned Malayalam poet Chemmanam Chacko passed away at 92
- Noted Malayalam poet and Sahitya Akademi awardee Chemmanam Chacko died at his residence. He was 92.
- Chacko had won several awards, including those by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Sanjayan Award, Kunjan Nambiar Kavitha puraskaram, P Smaraka Puraskaram and Mahakavi Ulloor Award.