Current Affairs Update 5 September 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. 5 September 2018.
India to Buy 18 bullet Trains From Japan for Rs 7,000 Crore
- As part of the government’s plan to launch country’s first high speed rail corridor by 2022, India will buy 18 bullet train sets worth Rs 7,000 crore from Japan.
- The deal will also include a pledge to transfer technology by Japan for local production.
- Each of the 18 Shinkansen trains will have 10 coaches and would be able to cruise at the speed of 350 km per hour.
- The country’s first bullet train is likely to start running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by the end of 2022.
- The 508-km, high speed train corridor is being built with Japanese assistance. It is expected to cover the stretch in about two hours as compared to over 7 hours taken currently to travel the distance
Jan Dhan Yojana: Government doubles overdraft limit to Rs 10,000
- The government has decided to make the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) an open-ended scheme i.e it will continue indefinitely. The PMJDY was launched in August 2014 for a period of four years as a national mission for financial inclusion.
- Government has also decided to increase the Overdraft limit under the PMJDY from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
- 32.41 crore accounts have been opened under the scheme and as much Rs 81,200 crore has been deposited in them so far. 53 per cent of the PMJDY account holders are women, while 83 per cent of the accounts are seeded with Aadhaar.
UIDAI extends deadline to implement Aadhaar virtual ID till October 31, 2018
- The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) extended the deadline to implement Aadhaar virtual ID to end of October from the earlier date of August 31.
- Apart from that, UIDAI also extended the deadline for implementation of other means like UID token and limited e-KYC (know your customer) for authentication of user agencies, which include banks and telecom companies.
Raje Announces Financial Assistance under Bhamashah Scheme
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to the families coming under ‘Bhamashah Scheme’ (‘Bhamashah Digital Parivar Yojna’) for the purchase of mobile phones and internet service.
- Under the scheme, the benefit will be distributed in two phases. Firstly Rs 500 will be given as a first installment to purchase the smartphones and then another Rs 500 will be given as second installment for Internet pack to each Bhamashah family.
- However, if the family do not purchase the mobile phone, they wont be able to get the second installment.
- Bhamashah scheme will help the families to get the information related to various government schemes through the mobile phones provided under the scheme.
2nd World Hindu Congress 2018 to be held in Chicago, US
- The 2nd edition of World Hindu Congress will be held in Chicago, US from September 7 to 9, 2018. It is held every four years and the first edition was held in 2014 in New Delhi.
- This congress is timed to mark the eve of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historical address to the Parliament of World Religions.
- Dr. Sriprakash Kothari is the Chairman for the World Hindu Congress 2018.
- The 2018 World Hindu Congress is inspired by the idea of Sumantrite Suvikrante or THINK COLLECTIVELY, ACHIEVE VALIANTLY.
3rd ASEM Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’ Begins in Seoul
- The 3rd ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Conference on ‘Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons’ has been organised in Seoul from September 5-7, 2018.
- The 3-day Conference has been jointly organised by the Republic of Korea and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
- Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment is heading a 3-member Indian Delegation to the conference in Seoul.
- The Conference will throw light on the universal value of the human rights of older persons, share information on discrimination against the elderly and exemplary cases of long-term and palliative care in Asia and Europe, among other important things.
India and Bulgaria sign four Pacts
- India and Bulgaria have signed four MoUs in the field of Investment, Tourism, Civil Nuclear Cooperation and Establishment of Hindi Chair at Sofia University.
- The MoU was signed between President Ram Nath Kovind and his Counterpart Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria. President Kovind also invited Bulgaria to become a key partner of India in defence and IT sector under Make In India programme.
- A Programme of Cooperation is also signed to enhance scientific cooperation.
Tata tops All India listings of 500 Most consumer-focused brands by TRA
- Conglomerate Tata is India’s most “consumer-focussed” brand, said a TRA Research report.
- Bajaj has been ranked second.
BSNL Signs Indian Boxer Mary Kom As Brand Ambassador
- State-run telecom firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has roped in Indian boxer MC Mary Kom as as its brand ambassador for two years.
- Mary Kom will help BSNL in improving its brand image and attract more customers by endorsing as well as engaging in various promotional events organized by BSNL for its different telecom services.
- Besides gaining Mary Kom as its brand ambassador, BSNL has also signed an MoU with the Indian Army for providing them with telecom services for the next three years, all across India.
- BSNL will provide the country’s army with different telecom services like PRIs, basic telephone, and leased circuits, among others, for 3 years on a pan-India basis.
SBI Mutual Fund appoints Ashwani Bhatia as CEO
- Ashwani Bhatia has been appointed as the CEO and MD of SBI Mutual Fund.
- Bhatia takes over from Anuradha Rao after she returned to State Bank of India (SBI) as Deputy Managing Director.
HDFC ERGO Launch E@Secure for Cyber Insurance Cover
- India’s third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, HDFC ERGO, has launched ‘E@Secure’, a Cyber Insurance Policy for individuals.
- This policy aims at providing comprehensive protection to individuals and their families against any cyber-attacks, cyber frauds or digital threats that could lead to a financial loss and or reputational loss.
- E@Secure Insurance policy offers comprehensive protection against cyber risks (unauthorized online transactions, phishing and email spoofing, e-extortion, identity theft, damage to e-reputation and cyber-bullying) and frauds carried out from any device and from any location worldwide. The policy also pays for legal cost and expenses and legal advice sought by the insured in case of a legal dispute arising out of specified risks covered in the policy.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh Nominated for 2nd term as WHO SEAR Regional Director
- India has retained the top WHO position in South-East Asia Region with Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh unanimously re-elected as Regional Director for another five-year term beginning February 2019.
- The 11 member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region met at the ongoing Regional Committee meeting of WHO South-East Asia to elect the next Regional Director.
- Dr Singh is the first woman to have been elected to the position of Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region after an illustrious career in the Indian civil service, World Bank and WHO.
Noted Gujarati Author Bhagwati Kumar Sharma Passes Away in Surat
- Noted Gujarati author, journalist and poet Bhagwati Kumar Sharma passed away in Surat. He was 84.
- Born in 1934 in Surat, Shri Bhagwati Kumar Sharma had received Sahitya Academy award for his Gujarati novel Ashuryalok in 1988.
- He had received various Gujarati literature awards like Ranjitram suvarna chandrak and Kumar paritoshik, Gujarat Gaurav award, Sahitya Ratna award and Vali Gujarati Ghazal Puraskar.
International Day of Charity Observed on September 5
- The International Day of Charity is observed annually on 5 September. It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.
- September 5 was chosen in order to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa, who had always been engaged in charitable work.
- The prime purpose of the International Day of Charity is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organizations for their own purposes on the local, national, regional and international level.