National
News
1. Ministry
of Railways Launches Digital Screens To Spread Awareness About Indian Railways
Heritage
i. In the wake of Prime Minister’s vision for creating
digital museums at stations using QR code, Ministry of Railway has
made “digital screens” operational at 22 stations on this
Independence Day as an innovative low-cost solution to spread awareness
among public about the opulent heritage of Indian Railways.
ii. The project aims at showcasing the legacy of Indian Railways
through one to two-minute-long movie clips on digital LED screens at the
entrance gate of railway stations and also at different comfort areas.
Static/Current
Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
Piyush Goyal
is the present Railways Minister of India.
·
John Mathai
was the first Railway Minister of Independent India.
2. Ministry of Agriculture Proposes To UNFAO To Declare 2019 as ‘International Year of Millets’
i. The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha
Mohan Singh urged to Jose Graziano da Silva, the Director General of the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) to declare the
upcoming year as the ‘International Year of Millets’.
ii. The adoption of this proposal by the FAO with the support of its
Member Nations will enable it to be moved to the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) for the declaration of an upcoming year as
International Year of Millets.
Static/Current
Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
International
News
3. 24th
World Congress of Philosophy Held in Beijing
i. The 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) was
held in Beijing, China. It was organized by the International
Federation of Philosophical Societies, and Peking University.
ii. Its
theme was “Learning To Be Human”. This was the first time that
the quinquennial (once in five year) event was held in China.
4. US
Forms ‘Iran Action Group’ For Post-Nuclear Deal Policy
i. US
secretary of state, Mike Pompeo announced the formation of the Iran Action
Group (IAG) to coordinate and run the country's policy towards Iran.
ii. Pompeo
has named Brian Hook, the State Department's director of policy planning, as
the group’s head. The aim behind the formation of IAG is to change the
Iranian regime's behaviour.
Static/Current
Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
Iran
Capital: Tehran, Currency: Iranian
rial, President: Hassan Rouhani.
5. Qatar
To Invest 15 billion in Turkey’s Financial Markets And Banks
i. Qatar King Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has
pledged to make direct investment in Turkey and announced
a 15-billion US dollar investment into the country’s financial markets and
banks.
ii. The
announcement came after holding talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Ankara. Turkey is currently grappling with a currency
crisis and heightened tensions with the United States, its NATO ally.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam
2018-
·
Turkey
Capital- Ankara, Currency- Turkish
lira, President- Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
·
Qatar
Capital- Doha, Currency- Qatari
riyal.
Ranks and
Reports
6. Smitha
V. Crishna Tops List of India’s Wealthiest Women
i. 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 Rs37,570 crore. Ms. Smitha owns one-fifth of the
Godrej Group.
ii. Roshni
Nadar, CEO and executive director at HCL, ranks second in the
list with an estimated wealth of Rs30,200 crore. She also heads the Shiv Nadar
Foundation. The chairperson of the Times Group, Indu Jain, ranks third
in the list. Her wealth is estimated at Rs26,240 crore.
7. India
Rating Lowers FY19 Growth Forecast to 7.2%
i. India
Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised down its FY19
economic growth forecast to 7.2% from 7.4% earlier.
ii. It cited the
headwinds emanating from elevated global crude oil prices and the government’s
decision to fix the minimum support prices of all kharif crops at
1.5x of the production cost as the reason for the downward revision.
8. EIU
Releases Global Liveability Index 2018: Vienna tops, Delhi Stands 112th
i. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released
the Global Liveability Index 2018, the ranking of 140 global
cities based on their living conditions. The EIU is part of UK magazine ‘The
Economist’ and provides forecasting and advisory services through
research and analysis.
ii. Delhi was ranked at 112th position and Mumbai fetched
117th spot. Austria’s capital Vienna has been ranked as the world’s most
liveable city, displacing Australian city of Melbourne.
iii. The Top
three cities on the list are:
1. Vienna,
2.
Melbourne,
3.
Osaka.
Awards
9. Ang Lee To Be Honoured By
Directors Guild Of America
i. Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be one of the recipients of the annual Directors
Guild of America (DGA) honours at its ceremony.
ii. Apart from the 63-year-old director, Fox Searchlight
chairman Nancy Utley, US Senator Amy Klobuchar, SAG-AFTRA senior adviser John
McGuire and costume designer Ann Roth will also be honoured at the
ceremony.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for
Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
The Directors Guild of America is
a labor organization that represents the creative and economic rights
of directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television,
commercials, documentaries, news, sports and new media.
·
It was Founded in 1936.
10. 2018 Albany Medical Center
Prize Awarded To 3 US Scientists
i.
Three US scientists James Allison, Carl June and Steven Rosenberg were declared winners 2018 Albany Medical
Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research. They were awarded in
recognition of their research in immunology and translation of their ideas into
effective therapies that have led to innovative treatments for cancer, HIV and
other diseases.
ii. They will share this $500,000 medical prize. They will
receive the award at the ceremony to be held in September 2018 in Albany, New
York.
Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine
and Biomedical Research:
·
It is United States’ second-highest value prize in medicine
and biomedical research, awarded by the Albany Medical Center.
·
It was established in 2000.
11. Independence Day Gallantry Awards
Announced: Complete List of Winners
i. The President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces has
approved 131 Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces Personnel and members of
Paramilitary Forces which include one Kirti Chakra, 20 Shaurya
Chakras, three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 93 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11
Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
Appointments
12. K
S Srinivas Appointed Chairman of Marine Products Export Development
Authority
i. IAS officer K S Srinivas has taken over as Chairman of Marine Products
Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
ii. Prior to this appointment, he had served as Joint Secretary
in Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare in Ministry of
Agriculture.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for
Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
MPEDA is a nodal coordinating state-owned agency
engaged in fishery production and allied activities.
·
It was established in 1972 under Marine Products Export
Development Authority Act (MPEDA), 1972.
13. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
Re-Elected Mali President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita |
i. Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar
Keita has been re-elected for a
five-year term after winning a landslide in a runoff ballot.
ii. Keita, 73, picked up 67.17% of the vote against 32.83% for
opposition challenger and former finance minister Soumaila Cisse, 68,
who also ran against Keita in 2013.
Static/Current
Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
Mali Capital: Bamako, Currency: West African CFA
franc.
14. Mario Abdo Benitez Sworn In As
New President Of Paraguay
i.
Colorado Party’s Mario Abdo Benitez was
sworn in as the new President of Paraguay for a five-year
term.
ii. Benitez clinched the top spot after defeating his closest
rival, Efrain Alegre from the liberal opposition alliance, by
four percentage points in the nation’s elections, which were held in April
2018.
Static/Current Takeaways Important for
Indian Bank PO Exam 2018-
·
Paraguay Capital: Asuncion, Currency: Paraguayan guarani.
Business News
15. PhonePe To Facilitate
Convenient Payments On IRCTC App
i. PhonePe 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.
ii. The partnership will enable PhonePe’s 100 million-plus users
to now pay directly from their bank accounts using UPI, credit and debit cards
and also the PhonePe wallet for their travel bookings.
Obituaries
16. US Singer Aretha Franklin Passes
Away at 76
i. US
singer Aretha Franklin has died at the age
of 76. The “Queen of Soul” was born in Memphis,
Tennessee, and made her debut in 1961. Her style on such hits as “Respect” and “Natural
Woman” attracted fans all over the world.
ii.
She received the Grammy Award 18 times and was the first female vocalist to be inducted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.