Weekly Current Affairs One Liners (13 August - 19 August) 2018: Download Now

The One Liner of the week is a recap of the important happenings that occurred Weekly Current Affairs One Liners (13 August - 19 August) 2018: Download Now

BANKING & ECONOMY

National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) has launched the All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17.
According to NABARD’s All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17, agriculture (farming) generates only 23% of rural income i.e. not even quarter of rural household incomes in India.
The Union Govt is expecting that public sector banks (PSBs) placed under RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework will come out of it by the end of this year.
Investments through participatory notes (P-notes) into Indian capital markets- equity, debt, and derivatives plunged to over nine-year low of Rs 80,341 crore till Jul 2018-end.
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) in its Mid-Year FY19 Outlook has revised India’s growth to 7.2% from its earlier projection of 7.4% for 2018-19 (FY19).
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched an upgraded and renewed version of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), UPI 2.0 by adding four new features to make it attractive and safer for users.
Bharti Axa Life Insurance and Airtel Payments Bank entered into an alliance to offer the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’ (PMJJBY), a government-backed life insurance scheme.
India's fastest growing payments platform, PhonePe has announced entering into a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to facilitate convenient, fast and secure payments through PhonePe on the IRCTC Rail connect Android app.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has been ranked as the most patriotic brand as per survey conducted by UK based online market research and data analytics firm YouGov, followed by Tata Motors, Patanjali, Reliance Jio and BSNL.

In the financial sector, SBI lead the chart with 47% of the sector-share, followed by LIC with 16%.
In the auto sector, Tata Motors emerged as the most patriotic brand, followed by Bharat Petroleum (BP) and Maruti Suzuki.
In terms of food brands, Amul grabbed the top slot with one-third Indians considering it, followed by Patanjali.
Nirma emerged as the most patriotic brand in the homecare products category.
In the beverages category, Tata Tea grabbed the top rank with 35% respondents voting for it.

Indian rupee for the first time in history plunged to record low of Rs. 70.07 against US dollar on Aug 14 2018.
Hackers have stolen (illegally withdrawn) Rs 94 crore from Pune’s Cosmos Cooperative Bank via ATMs in 28 countries.
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched a VOIP based service 'WINGS'.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report projected India’s GDP growth to 7.3% in the 2018-19 fiscal and 7.5% in 2019-2020 on strengthening of investment and robust private consumption.
Exim Bank of India signed multilateral cooperation agreement with member development banks of BRICS to undertake 'collaborative research' in distributed ledger/blockchain technology.

NATIONAL NEWS

India has celebrated the 72nd Independence Day on Aug 15, 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd Independence Day speech vowed to put Indian in space by 2022 under manned space mission on board ‘Gaganyaan’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd Independence Day speech vowed from Red Fort announced that permanent commission will be granted to serving women officers of armed forces.
Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI (Unique Identity Authority of India) announced phased roll-out of face recognition for carrying out Aadhaar authentication from Sept 15, 2018 as additional security layer.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) proposed to set up five-member committee, headed by IIT-Madras director Bhaskar Ramamurthy, to suggest changes to JEE (Advanced).
The apex court of India has accepted MoRTH proposal to use hologram-based coloured stickers on vehicles, plying in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) to indicate the nature of the fuel used.
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh has proposed to declare the upcoming year as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative to enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.
NITI Aayog launched mobility pitch competition ‘Pitch to MOVE’ to provide budding entrepreneurs of India unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to distinguished jury.
India released additional Rs. 470 million (Nepali) grant for Phase I of Postal Highway Project being constructed in Southern Plains of Nepal.
The Union Railway Ministry released Third Party Survey Report on Station Cleanliness which ranked 407 railway stations including 75 A1 category stations, 332 A category stations on basis of cleanliness.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan has been ranked first in survey A1 category stations
Marwar, Rajasthan first in A category stations
North Western Railway first among all Zonal Railways.

The Central govt has constituted coordination committee headed by the Central Water Commission Chairman, Narendra Kumar to coordinate the discharge of floodwaters from inter-State projects involving Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Mullaperiyar and Aliyar.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified rules for utilisation of more than Rs 66,000 crore afforestation funds by states/UTs and for setting up authorities to monitor its use for afforestation and conservation.
On World Biodiesel Day (Aug 10) occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by interactive and Virtuous Environment Single window Hub' (PARIVESH) at WBD Programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
India handed over 404 houses built for Indian-origin people in Sri Lanka’s tea plantation areas at Dunsinane Estate in Nuwara Eliya city.
Santhali become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its own script after the Santhali Wikipedia went live earlier this month.
The Embassy of Israel in India has opened a Kolkata Israel Visa Application Centre for West Bengal and North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel.
The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) becomes the first defence Public Sector Units (PSU) to be activated on the TReDS (Trade Receivable Discounting System) platform.

STATE NEWS

International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT) has been held at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT), Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu with the theme 'Doubling farmers' income through food processing'.
The special film festival on the theme 'Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters' has started in Mumbai on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018.
The first project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme 'North East Circuit: Imphal and Khongjom' has been launched in Manipur.
West Bengal Govt announced to remove annual family income ceiling in eligibility criteria to be beneficiary under state’s UN award winning Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched three new schemes viz. free life insurance for farmers (Rythu Bima), 'Kanti Velugu' eye care scheme and an economic support programme for backward classes on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018.
The Rajasthan govt decided to observe Sept as the 'month of nutrition' to create awareness among people living in the state.
Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal has delivered its final verdict to ending 50-year-old dispute over sharing of Mahadayi or Mandovi River between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank has been inaugurated at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology’s (CCMB) Laboratory of Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) facility in Hyderabad, Telanagana.
Three cities in Maharashtra — Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai — top the first Ease of Living Index brought out by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Delhi Police inducted India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist operations.
The Punjab Govt has started ‘Tatkal Sewa’ for property registration across the state from Aug 13.
The document ‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ released by Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad in Guwahati, Assam.
The projects for defence industrial corridor in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh have been launched recently by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting is going to offer 3-year Santoor women’s scholarship for higher education to girls from economically weaker families in the three southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2019 is scheduled to be held between Jan 18 and 20 in Gandhinagar with the theme 'Shaping of a New India'.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

11th World Hindi Conference has been held in Mauritius in its capital city Port Lois from Aug 18-20, 2018 with the theme 'Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti'.
The 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP), organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and Peking University, held in Beijing, China with the theme 'Learning To Be Human'.
The United States has announced to grant $39 million as part of its foreign military financing to Sri Lanka to boost maritime security.
The Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018, organized by Nepal India Co-operation Forum, held in Birgunj, Nepal on August 12 to strengthen Indo-Nepal ties.

SCIENCE & DEFENCE

Indigenously developed Helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘HELINA’ has been successfully flight tested from Indian Army Helicopter at Pokhran range.
International researchers including 18 Indian scientists for first time have decoded wheat genome.
Indian scientist-academician N Raghuram has become the first Indian and Asian to get elected as Chair of International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a global policy making initiative.
China has successfully tested its first cutting-edge waverider hypersonic aircraft 'Xingkong-2 (or Starry Sky-2)' which could carry nuclear warheads and penetrate any current generation anti-missile defense systems.
Scientists have developed Aerogel, a transparent heat-resistant super-insulating gel using beer waste.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved procurement of six indigenously designed and manufactured Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) for Indian Navy.
Iran unveiled Fateh Mobin (Bright Conqueror) next generation short-range ballistic missile capable of striking targets on land and sea.
The US space agency NASA successfully launched the Parker Solar Probe mission to send a satellite closer to the Sun than any before.
Indian Navy launched Operation Madad, major rescue and relief operation in flood-hit Kerala.
Indian Army launched Operation Sahyog to rescue people in flood-hit Kerala.
India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 will be launched in the Jan-Mar window in 2019 instead of later this year as the design was changed to enable it land on the lunar surface.

APPROVALS & MOUS

The Union Home Ministry agreed to relax conditions laid down in ‘four-corner agreement’ signed with
Bru migrants for their repatriation from Tripura to Mizoram.
Prasar Bharati tied up with Google and its video sharing platform YouTube to telecast the 72nd Independence Day programme live online on Aug 15 2018 to increase digital presence.
Parliament passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to bring relief to home buyers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry gave in-principle approval to set up water aerodromes in the country.
The Lok Sabha passed Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to help India become hub for domestic and global arbitration for settling commercial disputes.
Fertiliser major IFFCO entered into joint venture with Congelados De Navarra to set up food processing plant at Ludhiana in Punjab with an investment of Rs 325 crore.

APPOINTMENTS

Pakistan's new Prime Minister: Imran Khan
President of Mali: Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
President of Paraguay: Mario Abdo Benítez
53rd Grandmaster of India: Nihal Sarin
Additional charge as Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anandiben Patel (Madhya Pradesh Governor)
India’s new Ambassador to Russia: D Bala Venkatesh Varma
Brand Ambassador of Union Govt Road Safety Campaigns: Akshay Kumar
Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA): K S Srinivas
Chief Justice of the Madras High Court: Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
CEO of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Ashish Kumar Bhutani
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Michelle Bachelet (former President of Chile)
CJ of Jammu & Kashmir HC: Gita Mittal
Chairperson of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL): Manjula Chellur
Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW): Rekha Sharma

AWARDS

Delhi govt’s additional director of health, SK Arora has been awarded prestigious World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control.
Smitha V. Crishna, a third-generation heir of the Godrej family, ranks first in the Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading Wealthy Women 2018 list with an estimated wealth of ₹ 37,570 crore.
Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be honoured the annual Directors Guild of America (DGA).
Austrian capital Vienna has been ranked as world’s most liveable city among 140 major cities in 2018 Global Liveability Index released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Sunishka Kartik won the Community Award in the 2018 Junior NBA World Basketball Championship, which concluded at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, USA.
Three US scientists James Allison, Carl June and Steven Rosenberg have been declared winners of 2018 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research.
Nobel prize winning scientist Marie Curie has been named as the most influential woman in this poll.
Annie Zaidi, an Indian author, won the 2018 Hindu Playwright Award for her play ‘Untitled’ at the 14th edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest at the Taj Coromandel.
World No 1 Rafael Nadal saw off the challenge of Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Rogers Cup for a fourth time.

SPORTS

The 18th edition of Asian Games has been inaugurated in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra was India’s flag-bearer at the glittering opening ceremony.
Trio of Bhin (bird of paradise), Kaka (one horned rhino) and Atung (deer) are mascots of 2018 Asian Games.

India won South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship.
Indian Teen cyclist Esow Alben at the age of 17 created history by winning the country’s maiden medal in track cycling at the world level.
The former Indian off-spinner, Ramesh Powar has been appointed the head coach of the Indian Women’s National Cricket team on an interim basis till Nov 30, 2018.
Viraj Madappa, at the age of 20 from Kolkata, has become the youngest Indian golfer to claim the Asian Tour title after lifting the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters trophy in Bengaluru.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Aug 19: World Humanitarian Day “ #NotATarget”
Aug 12: World Elephant Day
Aug 13: World Organ Donation Day
Aug 10: World Biodiesel Day
Aug 12: International Youth Day ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’

OBITUARY

Former United Nations secretary- General & Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Kofi Annan
US Soul Singer: Aretha Franklin
Former PM: Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Asian Games Gold Medallist Athlete & Dhyan Chand Awardee: Hakam Singh Bhattal
Malayalam Poet & Sahitya Akademi Awardee: Chemmanam Chacko
Former Indian Cricket Captain: Ajit Laxman Wadekar
Trinidad-born Indian Origin Author: Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul
Former Lok Sabha Speaker & Veteran Communist Leader: Somnath Chatterjee