Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
3rd Meeting of Council of Trade Development and Promotion held in New Delhi
On 8th January 2018, the 3rd meeting of Council of Trade Development and Promotion was held at
1|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
2|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
GST Meeting:
i. The meeting was chaired by Union Finance Minister, ArunJaitley
ii .Highlight of the 25th GST Council meet was the reduction of tax rates on 29 goods and 53
categories of service.
iii .The new rates will be applicable from January 25, 2018.
Some of the services for which the rates have been cut:
Service Reduced Rate Previous Rate
Tailoring 5% 18%
Admission to Theme Parks 18% 28%
Mining & Exploration of Petroleum and Natural 12% 18%
Gas
Some of the services for which the rates have been cut:
Goods Reduced Rate Previous Rate
Biodiesel buses used for public transport 18% 28%
Sugar boiled confectionery, drinking water packed in 20 12% 18%
litre containers, biodiesel
LPG supplied to domestic consumers by private 5% 18%
distributors
5th Bilateral Meeting between India and Malaysia held in New Delhi
On 10th January 2018, the 5th Bilateral Technical Meeting on cooperation in the field of Traditional
Systems of Medicine between Government of India and Malaysia was conducted at New Delhi.
i. 5th Bilateral Meeting between India and Malaysia was presided by Pramod Kumar Pathak,
Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, India and Deputy Director General Health (Medical),
Ministry of Health from Malaysia.
4th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry held in New Delhi
4th ASEAN-INDIA Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry was held in New Delhi on
January 12, 2018. Abbreviation ASEAN stands for Association of SouthEast Asian Nations.
i. The Meeting was Co-chaired by Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture &
Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India and GrisadaBoonrach, Minister of Agriculture
and Cooperatives, Thailand
ii. Objective of the meeting was to promote joint research for development of technologies for
increasing production and productivity of crops, livestock, fisheries, and natural resources
3|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
65th meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) held in New Delhi
65th meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held in New Delhi on January 15,
2018. CABE is the highest advisory body to advise the Central and State Governments in the field
of education.
i. While speaking at the meeting, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister
PrakashJavadekar stated that Centre and state governments have resolved to identify the
number of children out of school in the country. Scheme to identify ‘out of school children’ will
start from September, 2018.
ii. However, sub-committee on out of school children, which will submit its final report on January
31, 2018, has recommended the need to have a standardised definition of out of school children.
iii. Centre and State Governments have also resolved to launch ‘Operation Digital Board’.
14th Meeting of Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers held in New Delhi
14th meeting of the Special Committee for Inter-linking of Rivers was held on January 17, 2018 in
New Delhi.
i. The meeting was attended by Nitin Gadkari – Union Minister of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Arjun Ram Meghwal – Union Minister of State for
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Dharam Pal Singh –
Irrigation Minister of UP, T Harish Rao – Irrigation Minister of Telangana and senior
officials from the centre and state governments.
ii. Main topics that were taken up during the meeting included the status of clearance of Ken-
Betwa Link Project, Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada Link Projects.
MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) launches "311 app" to improve civic services
On 30th January 2018, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched the ‘311 app’ at the Raj
Niwas, in Delhi.
i.This app aims to increase involvement of citizens in resolving grievances and improving civic
services in Delhi.
ii. The app will provide users the locations of nearby public toilets, police stations, metro stations,
petrol pumps, parking, hospitals, bus stands, veterinary clinics, libraries, gyms, markets, etc.
iii. Users can check the complaint status. The 311 app is integrated with the Swachhta App
of the Ministry of Urban Affairs.
5|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Delhi most polluted among 280 cities, UP most polluted state - Greenpeace Report
As per Airpocalypse II, a report by environmental Non-governmental organization
(NGO) Greenpeace India, 47% of the population in India is living in areas where there is no air
quality monitoring.
i. This report analysedPM10 (inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10
micrometers and smaller) annual averages for 280 cities monitored by the Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB) under its national air quality monitoring programme.
ii. Out of 630 million people living in 280 cities where air quality is monitored by CPCB, nearly 550
million live in areas exceeding national safe standards for PM10.
Most Polluted Cities – Top 5
City PM10 Concentration
Delhi 290
Faridabad, Haryana 272
Bhiwadi, Rajasthan 262
Patna, Bihar 261
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 238
6|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Vice President Naidu Inaugurates First International Kala Mela in New Delhi
On February 4, 2018, Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the First
International Kala Mela (Art Festival) at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.
i. This festival has been organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, India’s premier institution for the
promotion of Art and Culture.
ii. During the course of this festival (4th – 18th February, 2018), around 800 artists will showcase
their art works.
iii.Main objective of this festival is to facilitate direct interaction between artists and the
experts of the art forms and also to raise awareness about the art.
7|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Television along with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization).
ii. Paralympian Deepa Malik spoke at the inaugural session of the event, on the role of radio in
sports.
8|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
fields of sustainable development, energy and environment sectors to come together and
deliberate on contemporary issues.
iii. Theme of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS 2018) is ‘Partnerships for a
Resilient Planet’.
ii. As a part of the campaign, interactions will be held with Non-Government Organisations
(NGOs), civil society citizens, academic and R&D institutions.
v. A workshop on vehicular pollution and traffic management will be conducted. Resident Welfare
Associations will be encouraged to plant saplings in open areas.
International Conference on 'Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy' begins in New Delhi
International Conference on 'Demetrios Galanos and His Legacy’ was inaugurated at Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi on February 3, 2018.
i. Demetrios Galanos was a Greek scholar who came to India to study in the nineteenth
century. He stayed in India for 47 years (for 40 years he lived in the city of Varanasi).
ii. During the course of his stay, Demetrios Galanos compiled a Sanskrit-English-Greek lexicon of
about 9000 words. He also translated the Bhagvad Gita into Greek.
iii. IGNCA’s ‘Bharat Vidya Prayojana’ project, under which, attempts are being made to
reconceive Indology from Bharat perspective is the principle host of this conference.
ii. It is being held under the auspices of the South Asia Region Public Procurement
Network (SARPPN).
iii. Theme of 5th South Asia Region Public Procurement Conference is “Public Procurement and
Service Delivery”.
i. This conference is being jointly organised by Mission Innovation – India Unit and
Biofuture Platform and will be hosted by Department of Biotechnology under Union
Ministry of Science and Technology.
ii. Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 22 countries and the European Union to
accelerate global clean energy innovation, while Biofuture Platform is a multi-stakeholder
mechanism for policy dialogue and collaboration among leading countries to increase the use of
low carbon sources as the feedstock for the production of energy, chemicals and materials.
Gopi Thonakal and Monika Athare retain New Delhi Marathon titles
On 25th February 2018, Gopi Thonakal and Monika Athare won titles in the men’s and
women’s category respectively, at the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon and
retained the titles they won last year.
i. In the women's category, Monika Athare won the title with a timing of 2:43:46. She
was followed by JyotiGawte in second position with 2:50:12 and Monica Raut in the third position
with 2:55:02.
ii. The marathon was flagged off at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by Sachin Tendulkar. Nearly 65
elite Indian athletes participated in the full marathon of 42.195km.
12 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Delhi govt launches app 'Delhi's Date with Democracy' to scout singing, dancing talent
On March 19, 2018, Delhi Government launched 'Delhi's Date with Democracy', a mobile
application that will serve as a platform for aspiring singers and dancers in the city to
showcase their talent on a big stage.
i. 'Delhi's Date with Democracy' is an initiative of Delhi Government’s department of art, culture
and languages.
13 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
ii. Sahitya Kala Parishad and Delhi Kalyan Samiti have collaborated with the Delhi
Government for this initiative
‘Vision for Future’ event marks 70 years of Indo-Russia ties held in New Delhi
On 6th to 8th March 2018, ‘Vision for Future’ event is conducted to celebrate the 70 years
of successful Indo-Russia ties, in New Delhi.
i. The Vision for Future event is organised by Ministry of External Affairs of India (Eurasian
Division). It is co-organised by International Federation of Indo-Russian Youth Clubs
and BRICS International Forum.
ii. This event is aimed at strengthening strategic partnership between India and Russia. Mains
events of this programme are: First India-Russia Youth Parliament and India-Russia Excellence
Award Ceremony & launch of Youth Festival Calendar.
First Interaction of 15th Finance Commission with Parliamentarians held in New Delhi
First Interaction of 15th Finance Commission with the Members of Parliament was held on March
14, 2018 in New Delhi.
14 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
i. The meeting was held to convey the proposed schedule of the Commission’s work and its
Terms of Reference (TOR) as well as to seek suggestions of Parliamentarians.
ii. In context of this news, it is important to note that unlike previous Finance Commissions, the
15th Finance Commission will function in a different scenario wherein there is no Planning
Commission and Government has removed the distinction between Plan and Non Plan grants.
Curtain Raiser for ‘3rd National Conclave on Mines and Minerals’ to be held in New Delhi
On 20th March 2018, the 3rd National Conclave on Mines & Minerals will be held at
Convention Hall in Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi &it is organized by the Ministry of Mines.
Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) partners the event.
i. Public and private mining companies will participate in the conclave. Minister of Mines,
Narendra Singh Tomar will present the awards for ‘5 Star’ rating to the 20 best performing
mines.
ii. Technical sessions will be conducted on the following topics: Auction of Mineral Blocks &
Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY), Impetus on
Exploration, Sustainable Development Framework – Sharing of Best Practices.
ii. Mr. Sisodia highlighted that, under Delhi Budget 2018-19, 26 programmes and schemes of
transport, power, environment and PWD will be threaded togetherfor devising a unified
system of pollution control.
First National Conclave on Psychological Trauma, Child Protection, and Mental Illnesses
held in New Delhi
On 27th and 28th March 2018, First National Conclave on Psychological Trauma, Child
Protection, and Mental Illnesses was held in J L N Auditorium, AIIMS, New Delhi.
i. Organised by: The conclave was organized by Ministry of Women & Child Development, in
collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical
Sciences).
ii. Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar, inaugurated
the conclave.
iii. The conclave aimed to provide a gist of research, service provision, and clinical practice
involved in psychological trauma and mental illnesses in Indian children and adolescents.
i.Theme of the conference: Challenges to Policing in 2020 - How is Cyber Space shaping our
approach to Cybercrime and Terrorism, how do we perform within it and take advantage of it.
ii. The conference was organised by the Asia-Pacific World Regional Office (APWRO) of
IACP along with Intelligence Bureau.Intelligence Bureau Director Rajiv Jain was the host
of the conference.
iii. Main focus of the conference: discussions on exploitation of cyber space by terrorist or
organized groups for committing crimes and illegal activities. Ways to prevent such activities was
discussed.
e-Wallet scheme:
• It has been decided to extend the available tax exemptions on imported goods for 6 more
months beyond 31.03.2018. Exporters currently utilizing export promotion schemes can
continue to use such exemptions on their imports till 01.10.2018, by then an e-Wallet
scheme will be introduced to continue the benefits in future.
Recommendations regarding E-way Bill:
• The council recommended the introduction of e-way bill for inter-State movement of goods
all over India from 01st April 2018.
1st Meeting of Working Group to make India USD 5 Trillion Economy held in New Delhi
1st meeting of the Working Group on making India, USD 5 Trillion Economy was held on March 15,
2018 in New Delhi.The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry,
Suresh PrabhuThe objective of Working Group is to chart out a timeline for achieving the goal of
making Indian economy a USD 5 trillion economy from the current USD 2.6 trillion economy.
15th Meeting of India-US Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in New Delhi
On 27th March 2018, the 15th meeting of the India-US Counterterrorism Joint Working Group was
held in New Delhi.
i. The India delegation was led by Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary Mahaveer
Singhvi. US delegation was led by U.S. State Department’s Principal Deputy Coordinator
for Counterterrorism, Alina L. Romanowski.
ii.The next meeting of the Joint Working Group will be hosted by the United States in
2019.
18 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Delhi End TB Summit, PM Modi launches campaign to eradicate TB from India by 2025
On March 13, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘End TB Summit’ in New Delhi
and launched ‘Tuberculosis Free India Campaign’.
• It is to be noted that over 10 million people contract TB every year. TB was
responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2016, despite most cases being curable.
• ‘Delhi End TB Summit’ is being co-hosted by Union Health Ministry, World Health
Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office and Stop TB Partnership.
• Delhi End TB Summit would set the stage for the September 2018 United Nations (UN)
High-Level Meeting on TB. At this meeting, for the first time, TB would be discussed in
the UN General Assembly at the Heads of State level.
Police Forces (CAPF), Border Guarding Forces, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) will be participating in this
two-day conference.
Conference on Drug Law Enforcement in New Delhi on March 23, 2018.It is organised by
the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), under Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
More than 110 delegates from nearly 50 State and Central law enforcement agencies involved in
combating drug trafficking viz. State Police forces, State Excise departments, Central Armed
Police Forces (CAPF), Border Guarding Forces, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) will be participating in this
two-day conference.
21 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
iii. Among other Indian Airports, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has
been ranked as the World’s Best Airport for customer experience.
22 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
ii. IEF16 was the largest gathering of Energy Ministers from across the globe. From the
Indian side, the ministerial was attended by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan.
iii. Along with Energy Ministers from across the globe, the event also brought together, industry
leaders and heads of key international organizations to debate the future of global energy
i. The conclave has been organised keeping in view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘New
India : Secure India 2018”.
ii. Several sessions on internal security situation on Jammu & Kashmir, Left wing
Extremism and cyber security, chaired by eminent personnel will be held during the course of
this two day conclave.
ii. Outcomes of the Trilateral Infrastructure Working Group that met in Washington, US in
February 2018 were also reviewed.
POSHAN Abhiyaan: 1st meeting of National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges held
in New Delhi
On 18th April 2018, the first meeting of National Council on India's Nutrition Challenges
under POSHAN Abhiyaan was held at Vigyan Bhawan, in New Delhi.
i. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, Dr V K Paul, Member (Health & Nutrition) NITI Aayog,
Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, and representatives of several ministries of the Central and State
Governments participated in the meeting.
ii. Mandate of the National Council on India’s Nutritional Challenges is as follows:
Provide policy directions to address India’s nutritional challenges through coordinated inter-
sectoral action.
Coordinate and review convergence between Ministries.
Review programmes for nutrition on a quarterly basis.
Radha Mohan Singh’s addresses the National Kharif Conference 2018 in New Delhi
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh addressed the National
Kharif Conference 2018 in New Delhi on April 25, 2018.
i. While addressing the conference, Mr. Singh outlined that the Central Government is working
towards making agriculture policy and programs 'income-oriented' rather than
26 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
'production-oriented'.
ii. PM Modi’s multi-dimensional Seven-point Strategy: In order to achieve this objective,
government is encouraging the adoption of 'multi-dimensional seven-point' strategy suggested
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which includes enhancing irrigation coverage focusing on ‘More
crop per drop', provision of quality seeds, large investments in warehouses and cold chains,
promotion of value addition through food processing, Implementation of National Agricultural
Markets and e-platforms (e-NAM), introduction of crop insurance and promotion of allied activities
such as Dairy-Animal husbandry, Poultry, Horticulture, and Fisheries.
iii. Mr. Singh added that farmers should be encouraged to participate in the ongoing Rashtriya
Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, in which every block will organize Kisan Kalyan Karyashala on May 2,
2018 wherein Agriculture officers and scientists will discuss ways to increase income through new
technology and progressive farmers will also narrate their success stories.
iii. The MoU was signed in the presence of K J Alphons, Minster of State for Tourism
(Independent Charge).
‘India and the world: a history in nine stories’ inaugurated at national museum in New
Delhi
On 5th May 2018, ‘India and the world: a history in nine stories’ exhibition was inaugurated by the
President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, (IGNCA), Raam Bahadur Rai, at National
Museum, New Delhi.
i. The Exhibition marks the collaboration in museum exhibition with the British Museum, London;
National Museum, New Delhi and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS),
Mumbai. It is supported by the Culture Ministry.
ii. This exhibition is a part of commemoration of 70 years of India’s independence and a year of
major cultural exchange between India and the UK (UK/India 2017).
iii. A special postal cover was introduced by the Department of Post. It was launched by L.N.
Sharma, Chief Postmaster General (Delhi Circle).
iv. Also, theatre workshops, guided tours, thematic walks for kids, treasure hunt and online
weekly quiz on the event’s website (https://www.indiaandtheworld.org) are conducted.
28 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
would be conducted.The 3rd edition of UNPCAP will conclude on May 25, 2018.
iv. It is to be noted that first and second editions of the course were also held in New Delhi, in
2016 and 2017.
Inauguration of the 5 day ASEAN India Film Festival by the MoS of Information and
Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore
On May 26,2018, Minister of State (I/C) for information and broadcasting and Sports & Youth
Affairs , Col Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the ASEAN India Film Festival in New Delhi .
The tagline for this festival is : ‘Friendship through Films’ .
i. Around 32films from 11 countries ill be featured in this festival.
The opening film of this festival was : ‘Sinjar’in Jasari language.
ii. The Directorate of Film Festival is organizing ASEAN film festival for 25th to 30 th May with
Ministry of External Affairs for commemorating 25 years of Asian and Indian Relations.
Shri J P Nadda holds high level review meeting on Vector Borne diseases in Delhi
On 12th May 2018, J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare chaired a high level
meeting to review the preparedness of various agencies for prevention and management of vector
borne diseases, in New Delhi.
29 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
i. J P Nadda asked the agencies to develop a separate registry for cases originating and being
treated in Delhi.
ii. He added that there should be no shortage of diagnostic kits, drugs, testing labs, manpower
and funds.
iii. He highlighted the importance of conducting focused and intensive IEC (Information,
Education & Communication) campaigns and continuing them through the monsoon season.
iv. He directed the officers to perform supervisory visits to various hospitals in Delhi to assess the
situation, preparedness and to offer on the spot technical guidance to the health authorities.
13th Inter-State Council Standing Committee under the chairmanship of Union Home
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh
On 25th May 2018, the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council (ISC) headed by the Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting in New Delhi
i. Discussions were conducted on all 273 recommendations of the Punchhi Commission.
ii. This was the 13th meeting of the Standing Committee of the ISC. The meeting focused
on volume VI & VII of the Punchhi Commission’s Report. They had 88 recommendations in total.
iii. The recommendations in Volume VI of the Punchhi Commission report are related to:
Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure.
iv. The recommendations in Volume VII are related to: Socio-economic Development, Public
Policy and Good Governance.
India to Host 15th Asia Media Summit from 10-12 May in New Delhi
Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced that India will host the 15th Asia
Media Summit from 10th to 12th May, 2018.
i. The summit will be jointly hosted by the Information and Broadcasting (I-B) Ministry, Indian
Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and public sector firm Broadcast Engineering Consultants
India Ltd (BECIL).
ii.This is the first time that India is hosting the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD), Kuala Lumpur.
iii.Theme of the summit will be ‘Telling Our Stories - Asia and More'.
iv. The inaugural ceremony of the summit will be presided over by Union Information
and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani.
v. Over 200 foreign delegates representing 39 countries and over 100 Indian delegates would
participate in this Summit.
vi. The summit would serve as a platform for broadcasters in the Asian region to share their
thoughts on various aspects of broadcasting and discuss challenges to the broadcasting sector in
the region.
30 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
♦ Operates under the aegis of – Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of
Commerce & Industry
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh addresses
National Conference of Fisheries Ministers of Coastal states
On 17th May 2018, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh
addressed the National Conference of Fisheries Ministers of Coastal states, in New Delhi.
i. Radha Mohan Singh said that, during the last decade, India has attained first position with 14%
average annual growth in the export of fish & fishery products.
ii. He added that, Fish production in India has also grown by 27% in 2014-18 compared to 2010-
14.
iii. He said that, the government has decided to promote deep sea fishing and has launched a
sub-component 'Assistance for Deep Sea Fishing' under the Blue Revolution.
IMD partnered with BSNL for sending extreme weather warnings in Delhi
On May 28,2018, the Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) is joining hands with Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for sending extreme weather warnings .To send extreme
weather warnings to the public.
i. Under harsh weather conditions IMD will send alerts to the BSNL and BSNL with the help of its
technology will send the alerts to the registered numbers in the Delhiregion.
ii. Area specific alerts will be given as well to other telecom circle subscribers belonging to the
area.
iii. It is in an experimental stage and on successful operation will rope in other weather
organizations as well.
iv. The government agencies have limits to which they can spread alerts especially for
thunderstorms.
Delhi to Nanda Devi East base camp : Joint Indo-Bangladesh Army Trekking Expedition
On May 28,2018, joint Indo-Bangladesh Army Trekking Expedition to Nanda Devi has started
from New Delhi.
i. This joint expedition will further strengthen the relations of the two concerned countries .The
team has a 16-member Indian Army team and a 10-member Bangladesh Army team.
ii. Mt Nanda Devi east base camp is located 4300m from the sea level and has a very challenging
trekking route.
Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).He had played a major role in
the capture of the Haji Pir pass from Pakistan army.
European Union Film Festival (EUFF) starts in New Delhi; I&B Minister inaugurates it
From 18th to 24th June 2018, European Union Film Festival (EUFF) 2018 is held in Siri Fort
Auditorium, New Delhi.
i. European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will be held from 18th June to 31st August 2018 in 11 Indian
cities: New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair, Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam,
Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa.
ii. 24 latest European films from 23 European Union (EU) Member States have been selected for
EUFF 2018.
iii. On 18th June 2018, the Festival was inaugurated at the Siri fort auditorium in Delhi by Union
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
iv. Movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden will be screened.
Shri RK Singh inaugurates 1500kWP solar plant by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
On June 21, 2018, Shri R.K Singh, Minister of State(IC) for Power and New & Renewable
Energy was the chief guest in the inauguration of 1500 kWP capacity solar plant developed
by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.
i. The solar plant was inaugurated by Sant Balbir Singh Ji Seechewal and Baba Sewa Singh Ji.
ii. It was announced that 20 cities in India are ranked among the most polluted in the world.
About India’s renewable energy targets:
♦ The 2022 electrical power targets include achieving 175 GW of energy from renewable sources -
nearly 100 GW through solar power, 60 GW from wind power, 10 GW from biomass power and
5GW from small hydro power.
♦ India is the 7th largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world.
♦ The fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world.
♦ The Largest wind farm of India is in Muppandal , Tamil Nadu.
33 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
34 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
‘Taj Mahal Declaration to beat Plastic Pollution’ adopted to clean Taj Mahal premises
around 500m radius
On June 4, 2018, World Environment Day is celebrated annually worldwide on June 5 and to
support it this year , the Union Minister of Culture and Environment Mr. Mahesh
Sharma announced the ‘Taj Mahal Declaration’ called as ‘Taj Declaration to Beat Plastic Pollution’.
i. Under this declaration, Agra residents would take pledge to keep 500 m around Taj Mahal
plastic free and reduce the use of polythene and plastic products in the vicinity.
ii. This decision was taken by the Union and State government and applies to the 100
‘Adarsh’ monuments across the country.
Geo-Intelligence Asia – 2018 for providing insight of the latest technology in the
GeoSpatial field
On June 6,2018, The 11th edition of Geo-Intelligence Asia 2018 was organized at Manekshaw
Centre in New Delhi. This event was organized by Geo Spatial Media and Communication in
association with Directorate General of Information System as knowledge partners.
i. The theme of this year’s event : ‘GeoSpatial : A Force Multiplier for Defence and Industrial
Security’.
ii. The session covered subjects like Enhanced Situational Awareness for Combat,
Smart Cantonments, GIS and Logistics, Cyber Security and LIDAR .
Delhi to get India’s first-ever national police museum in Chanakyapuri area, New Delhi
On June 10,2018, the central government has decided to establish India’s first ever National
Police Museum in Lutyens’ Delhi.
i.It is expected to be inaugurated in October 21 in honor of ‘Police commemoration Day’.
ii.The artifacts would include brass insignia, ceremonial and operational head gears and uniforms,
batons, belts, distinctive photographs of dog squads, mounted columns and old copies of the
Indian Police Act.
35 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Renewable Energy Dialogue-2018 held in New Delhi ; focus on India’s energy expansion
On June 29, 2018, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, addressed
the Renewable Energy Dialogue in New Delhi. He announced that India is running one of the
largest and most ambitious renewable energy capacity expansion programmes in the world.
36 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
222nd Meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, EPFO held in New Delhi
On June 27, 2018, The 222nd meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, EPFO was held under the
chairmanship of Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment (Independent Charge) Shri
Santosh Kumar Gangwar at New Delhi.
i. The Central Board approved the proposal for insertion of Paragraph 68HH in EPF Scheme, 1952
provisioning advance from the fund to a member who ceases to be in employment for a
continuous period not less than one month.
ii. Under this proposal a member can avail 75% of the total fund (including employee as well as
employer share) standing to the member’s credit with interest there on.
President of India to preside over two-day Conference of Governors and Lt. Governors
on June 4-5, 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan
On June 2,2018, the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind would preside over the two-
day 49th Conference of Governers and Lt. Governers which will be held in June 4-5 2018 at
Rashtrapati Bhavan .With an Objective to discuss various important issues .
i.The first day would be the inauguration day. The second day will be regarding the presentations
of the schemes and flagship programs of the government .
ii.The presentations would be made by Vice Chairman and CEO of NITI Aayog and National
Security Advisor.
Shripad Yesso Naik to inaugurate National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga in New
Delhi on 5th June
On 5th June 2018, Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge), Shripad Yesso Naik will
inaugurate the 3rd National Health Editors’ Conference on Yoga at Morarji Desai National
Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) in New Delhi.
i. The conference is organized by the Ministry of AYUSH along with the Press Information Bureau
(PIB) and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY).
37 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
ii. This Conference on ‘Evidence Based Recent Innovative Research on Yoga – A Review of Yoga
Research’ is conducted to mark the beginning of International Day of Yoga (21st June).
iii. The conference aims to enlighten the media persons on the scientific aspects of yoga & its
benefits for human health.A Workshop on “How to Manage Stress through Yoga” will be a main
highlight of the conference.
Delhi most vulnerable UT in India’s first disaster risk index, Maharashtra leads states
A national disaster risk index currently in the form of a draft report prepared by the Union home
ministry with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has ranked Delhi as
the most vulnerable Union Territory to risk) and Maharashtra has topped the high risk states list.
Disaster risk index of states:
Rank State
1 Maharashtra
2 West Bengal
3 Uttar Pradesh
4 Madhya Pradesh
5 Rajasthan
6 Karnataka
7 Assam
8 Andhra Pradesh
9 Gujarat
10 Bihar
High Risk districts on disaster:
1.Pune, Maharashtra
2.North 24 Parganas, West Bengal
3.South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
38 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
4.Thane, Maharashtra
5.Hooghly, West Bengal
6.Howrah, West Bengal
7.Bengaluru, Karnataka
8.Nashik, Maharashtra
9.Gulbarga, Karnataka
10.Mumbai, Maharashtra
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
♦ UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in India - Yuri Afanasiev
♦ UNDP India Country Office – New Delhi.
39 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
40 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Nitin Gadkari Releases ‘Water productivity mapping of major Indian crops’ book
published by NABARD
On 14th June 2018, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Shipping, Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari released a book ‘Water
productivity mapping of major Indian crops’ published by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture
and Rural Development) at an event in New Delhi.
i. The book ‘Water productivity mapping of major Indian crops’ is about a study on 10 major crops
done by a team lead by eminent agricultural economist Dr. Ashok Gulati.
ii. The 10 major crops are: rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and potato etc.
iii. The book recommends to realign cropping pattern with focus on water scarcity of irrigation,
ration irrigation supplies in canal irrigation system, enhance micro-irrigation and invest in water
harvesting and artificial recharge and promote participatory irrigation management through water
user association and farmer’s producer organisation.
iv. He said that, proposal for three projects at Tuticorin, Paradip and Kandla for desalination of
sea water for irrigational and other uses is under consideration.
41 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
‘Happiness Curriculum’ for Delhi government schools launched by Delhi CM and Dalai
Lama
On July 3, 2018, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the “Happiness Curriculum” for
students of nursery to Class 8 in government schools . The curriculum was launched in the
presence of the Dalai Lama.With an Objective to target modern day problems like terrorism,
corruption and pollution and solve them through human-centric education.
i. The new subject was designed and prepared by a team of 40 Delhi government teachers,
educators and volunteers over a period of six months.
ii. According to the curriculum, Students across schools can expect a ‘happiness’ period of 45
minutes. Each class will begin with a five-minute meditation .
iii. It would also include value education and mental exercises.
iv. It would be beneficial for 10 lakh students with the help of around 50,000 teachers.
Minister of State for Culture (I/c) Dr. Mahesh Shrama Inaugurates exhibition titled
“Arth – art for earth” at IGNCA, New Delhi
On 5th July 2018, Union Minister of State for Culture (I/c), Dr. Mahesh Shrama, inaugurated an
exhibition named “Arth – art for earth” at IGNCA, New Delhi.
i. ‘Arth – Art For Earth’ by Manav Gupta comprises “Excavations in Hymns of Clay”. It is a suite
of environmental art installations created by Manav Gupta with a storyline and poetry.
ii. Manav Gupta has used Indian potter’s produce of clay objects like the earthen lamps (diyas),
local cigar (chilam), earthen cups (kullar) etc. The exhibition will be available for public view till
22nd October 2018.
42 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
First Cyber Forensic van of Delhi Police launched by Minister of State for Home Affairs
Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir
On July 7, 2018, The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir launched
the first Cyber Forensic van of Delhi Police and an online cyber crime portal where people can file
complaint online regarding such crimes . This was announced at the “Cyber Safety and Digital
awareness programme for senior citizens” organized by Delhi Police.
i.Objective of this launch is to make citizens are more aware and responsible while making digital
transactions especially senior citizens.
ii. The Van has been developed keeping in mind the need for a portable/mobile system in view of
increasing number of digital crimes. It will be available on call in all districts/units on 24×7
basis.It will be used for on-the-spot police investigations at crime scene.
iii. It was also announced that the Ministry has earmarked Rs 25,000 crore for Police
modernization and to deal with increasing rate of cyber crime in the country.
iv. Delhi Police has established Cyber Cells in 14 districts of Delhi working under the command of
a Special Cyber Unit at Headquarter level. 800 Police officers have already been trained specially
to deal with cyber crimes.About 2,500 senior citizens participated in the programme.
Ministry of Home Affairs:
♦ Union Minister: Rajnath Singh.
♦ Minster of State: Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Kiren Rijiju.
♦ Nickname of Delhi: City of Rallies.
♦ Unesco Heritage Sites of Delhi: Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort
v. It has a Central Archaeological Library with a collection of nearly 1.5 lakh books and journals.
vi. The library will be a treasure for people who perform research work in Archaeology, Religious
and Cultural perspective of India, India’s ancient past and related subjects.
vii. The Library has Authentic records related to Archaeology, like ASI reports, etc., Diary of
Alexander Cunningham(founder of ASI), John Marshall, etc.
viii. The Library has Original collection of religious books and books on cultural heritage of India,
like the sacred books on the Hindus, Manusmiti, Kautilya’s Athasastra, etc.
ix.It also has original, specific and holistic collection on places of India, like Kalhan’s Rajtarangini,
on Kashmir, History of Gujarat, etc. are also available.
x. Also, original and rare books on inscriptions, like Kharosti, Brahmi etc. and collection of
Tibetan manuscripts (rare) are also available.Rare portfolios related to Ajanta, Ellora and other
sites of archaeological importance, collection of books on Archaeology, Epigraphy, Indology,
Indian culture and its past, etc. are also present.
Govt launched a new technology called the MicroDot technology to check vehicle thefts
On July 18, 2018, Government has announced the launch of a new MicroDot Technology that
would help check on vehicle thefts.
i. Under this thousands of small dots laser etched will be sprayed with a vehicle identification
number on all over the vehicle’s body including its engine.
ii. This technology is yet to be finalized by the highest automobile technical standard making body
CMVR-TSC.
iii. Delhi Police officials has been associated with this project as per transport ministry’s order.
iv. 2.14 lakh vehicles are stolen across India annually.Delhi tops the list with 38,644 in 2016
which is 100 on a daily basis.
v. The state of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra follows the list with 34,480 and 22,435 number of
vehicles, respectively.
vi. 41,000 vehicles were stolen in 2017 that is 30 vehicles a month.The auto-lifters take out the
engines along with the other valuable parts and thereafter, they destroy the vehicle. Thus, most
of the vehicles stolen go untraced.
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR): First of its kind 24×7 air
qualityindex inaugurated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan at Chandi Chowk
On July 22, 2018, Science& Technology, Earth Sciences; Environment, Forest & Climate Change
Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated first of its kind Air Quality and Weather Forecast System–
SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) at Chandni Chowk in Delhi.It will give out
real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with colour coding along with 72-hour advance forecast.
i. It is a giant true color LED display that gives out real-time air quality index on a daily basis.
ii. It has been developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune and
operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
44 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
iii. It will be an integral part of India’s first Air Quality Early Warning System.
iv. It will be implemented in four cities of India – Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad as an
operational service.
v. Implementing it in the right way (even by 5% of citizens ) would save nearly Rs. 2,500 crores
in terms of health-related cost.
vi. It would also benefit cost savings to several other sectors like agriculture, aviation,
infrastructure, disaster management skill, tourism and many others.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates National Traders’ Conclave in New
Delhi
On 23rd July 2018, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the three day National
Traders’ Conclave at Constitution Club of India, in New Delhi.
i.National Traders’ Conclave is organised by the Confederation of All-India Traders.He said that, in
the next two-three years India’s economy will be among the top five. Also, by 2030 India would
enter the world’s Top Three economies.
ii. He said that, India is the most attractive destination for foreign investors and received more
than $150 billion FDI in last four years.
iii. In ‘Ease of Doing Business’, India’s ranking has improved from 142 to 100. In 2014, there
were only two mobile phone factories in India. Now we have 120 handset manufacturing units.
iv. He mentioned the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Goods & Services Tax (GST), amendment to
the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code and the historic Demonetization, and said India’s GDP growth
rate in the last 4 years has outpaced the inflation rate every year since 2014.
v. He said that the GST rates have been modified on several items recently. Many items have
been brought under 0 % and 5% slabs.
vi. He added that, the Government is open to further review of GST slabs.
vii. He said that, out of 6.5 crore traders and shopkeepers, nearly 1.25 crores have registered
under the GST.
Fourth National Consultation of Ministers of States & UTs In-charge of Food, Civil
Supplies & Consumer affairs chaired by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan was held in New Delhi
On June 29, 2018 ,The fourth National Consultation Meeting of Ministers of States & UTs, in-
charge of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs was held in New Delhi and was chaired
by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, and Food & Public Distribution.
i.With an Objective to improve consumer protection and welfare including availability of essential
food items at stable prices, Public Distribution System etc., and chart a future course of action.
ii. Discussion on measures required to maintain and manage prices of essential food items at
reasonable level through appropriate policy intervention.
iii. Improving the spread, coverage and strength of price reporting centres, which report the
prices of 22 essential food items daily for robust submission of data.
iv. The need for setting up of State Level PSF for addressing the state-specific concerns. Price
Stabilisation Fund (PSF) as an instrument to tackle inflationary trends in important agri-
horticultural commodities.
v. Dicsussions would also include issues like :
Issues like enforcement of the provisions of Essential Commodities Act and Prevention of
Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act;
46 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
modernization and reform of the Legal Metrology Departments in the States for effective
implementation of Legal Metrology Act & Rules;
redressal of the concerns raised by the 3 Member Committee of Supreme Court for
facilitating the functioning of State Commissions and Consumer Forum;
integration of National Building Code brought out by BIS in building by-laws of State/UTs
and local-bodies .
Functioning of grievance redressal and monitoring mechanism of National Food Security will
be dicsusssed.
Progress in the scheme of end-to-end computerisation of TPDS operations of State/UT
level, including Aadhar seeding and installation of e-PoS devices at Fair Price Shops for
authentication of beneficiaries and electronic capturing of transactions.
Status of implementation of the revamped scheme for SC/ST hostels and welfare
institutions so that all the States/UTs avail benefit of the schemes targeted at the most
vulnerable sections of society.
iii. The national event is the culmination of a nearly three-month long series of district and state
level consultations aiming to identify the barriers or gaps in the inclusion of PwD’s in the electoral
process.
iv. The theme of “Inclusion of PwD’s” has been given a special focus in the ECI’s Strategic Plan
2016-2025. Besides, “Accessible Elections” has been adopted as its central theme for this year’s
National Voters’ Day celebrations.
v. Additionally, a dedicated portal for the ECI’s ‘Systematic Voters Education and Electoral
Participation’ (SVEEP) initiative will also be launched.
M/o Social Justice & Empowerment organizes “National Workshop on Skill Development
for Persons with Disabilities”
On 3rd July 2018, “National Workshop on Skill Development for Persons with Disabilities
(Divyangjan)” was held in New Delhi.
i.The workshop was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
(DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
ii. The workshop acted as a platform to all stakeholders like training partners, policy makers and
employers.
iii. Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the
workshop. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was the
Guest of Honour.
iv. Thaawarchand Gehlot said that the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016 directs
the Government to frame schemes to promote Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities to
increase their scope of employability.
v. DEPwD along with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship introduced the National
Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in March 2015.
vi. DEPwD implements the Scheme for Implementation of Right of Persons with Disabilities Act
(SIPDA) which involves Skill Development of PwDs.
vii. The Skill Development programme for PwDs is implemented through training Partners, its
National Institutes, their Composite Regional Centres and National Handicapped Finance &
Development Corporation (NHFDC).
viii. The workshop had an Inaugural Session, three technical sessions and an Interactive session.
ix. India is a signatory to the UNCRPD which came to effect from May 2018. The Indian
Government has enacted the RPwD act that came to effect in 2017. It is in line with spirit of
UNCRPD (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).
48 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
i.Wagon Cab claims to be India’s first road emergency cab services provider. Wagon Cab provides
medically-trained drivers in its ambulance-taxis.
ii. In the initial phase, Wagon Cab will launch 200 cabs. The drivers will be trained to handle
critical situations and provide first-aid. They will be paid additional Rs 500 for this.
iii. NGO Das Foundation supports this initiative. After implementation in Delhi NCR, Wagon Cab is
planning to launch this initiative throughout India.
6 public and private institutes granted the title of ‘Institutions of Eminence’ status :HRD
On July 9, 2018, The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that the HRD
Ministry granted “Institutions of Eminence” status to three public and three private institutes.
i. The institutions are: IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) in the public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, BITS
Pillani and Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation in the private sector.
ii. Former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami was appointed chairperson of
the empowered expert committee (EEC) to select the institutes.
iii. Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry will grant Rs 1,000 crore funds to the three
public institutions in the next five years, the private institutes, however, will not be eligible for
government funding.
iv. This is in reference to the HRD ministry’s move on select 20 IoEs : 10 public and
10 private that will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.
About the Institute of Eminence:
i. India has 800 univ, but not a single university in top 100 or even 200 in the world ranking.
ii. This decision of the ministry would help the IoEs to get greater autonomy to start new courses,
admit foreign students, hire foreign faculty, and collaborate with foreign educational institutions
without the need for government approval.
iii. As many as 114 institutes had applied for the tag. These include 11 central universities, 27
institutes of national importance’, top IITs and NITs, 27 state universities, 10 private universities,
and four greenfield institutes.
iv. Top corporates competing for the private institutes category are: Reliance
Foundation Institution & Research in Maharshtra, Airtel for Bharti University (Satya Bharti
Foundation) in Delhi, and Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta University in Odisha, KREA university, ndian
School of Business, Hyderabad, Indus Tech University in Delhi and Acharya
Institutes of Bangalore.
49 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
50 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
region.
iv. Recommendation of opening Consulates of ASEAN countries in the North East was suggested
by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma as people from North East have to travel all the way
to Kolkata to get visas.
51 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
rehabilitation of agricultural land and assets after natural hazards or re-plantation using
MGNREGA fund ,
bringing diversity in agriculture to help occupational diversification and maximizing profit.
iii. These areas were to be enhanced using the MGNREGA Fund.
iv. For discussion of these issues with stakeholders, 5 regional meetings/workshops would be
organized one each at Patna, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Guwahati and New Delhi.
v. NITI Aayog, in consultation with Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Agriculture and
State Governments will finalize the regional meetings.
vi. These regional meetings will be completed before 15th of August, 2018.
vii. The next meeting of the Sub-Group will be held on 31st August,2018.
viii. In the 4th Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held under the chairmanship of the
Prime Minister on June 17th, 2018 at Rastrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, a major decision was taken
for constitution of Sub group committee.
ix. This consists of Chief Ministers of 7 States viz. Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Sikkim and Member, NITI Aayog with the Chief Minister
of Madhya Pradesh as the convener of the Sub-Group.
x. Aim of the group is to work on policy coordination between agriculture sector and Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) particularly in pre-sowing and
post-harvest activities at the farmers’ fields.
7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative : Indo-US delegation meeting on Defence
Cooperation held in New Delhi
On July 18, 2018, The ministry of Defence announced that Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation,
the 7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held between India and the
US delegation in New Delhi.Aim is to bring focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and for
co-production and co-development of defence equipment.
i.The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary, Defence Production, Dr Ajay Kumar (From the Indian
Side) and Ellen M Lord , Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, US
Government (From the US side).
ii. US has designated India as a ‘Major Defence Partner’. Discussions on the formulation of a
Standard Operating Procedure and the Industrial Security Annex under DTTI was held.
iii. Establishment of Joint Working Groups has been made under DTTI to progress mutually
agreed projects for the armed forces.The joint working group under the Air Force is working on
the surveillance platform .
About Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting :
i. DTTI is an important forum leading to the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries.
ii. The meetings are held twice a year, alternately in India and the USA.
52 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
7th Annual General Body Meeting of Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development
(ITRHD)was held in New Delhi
On July 21, 2018, The 7th Annual General Body Meeting of Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and
Development (ITRHD), took place in New Delhi.
i. This meeting was aimed at recognizing efforts of preservation of Indian Heritage and Culture in
Rural India and working in about 7 states of India by ITRHD.
ii. ITRHD is an NGO who has done conservational work on 17th -19th century village of terracotta
temples, Maluti, dumka, in Jharkand, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India, Shri
Narendra Modi.
iii. The project involved conserving 62 temples of the 108 temples.
iv. The project costed about Rupees 6.57 Crores.
Low Birth Weight in Children. It also focuses on Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women & Lactating
Mothers.
iii. Ministry of Women and Child Development along with National Institute of Nutrition is
developing an on-line course for nutrition.These courses will be hosted independently by Ministry
of Women and Child Development (POSHAN Abhiyaan) and National Institute of Nutrition portals.
iv. POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to assure service delivery and interventions through
technology.POSHAN Abhiyaan has created a peoples’ movement named Jan Andolan on Nutrition.
v. The caller tune and ringtone of the POSHAN Abhiyaan to popularize POSHAN Abhiyaan’s goal
of Sahi Poshan Desh Roshan was released during the meeting.
vi. 4 protocol booklets of Yoga were prepared with help of Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga
(MDNIY).
vii. It was informed that an MoU would be signed between NASSCOM Foundation and Ministry of
Women and Child Development to launch and execute POSHAN Abhiyaan in all 36 States/UTs.
viii. Also, Dr.Vinod K Paul, Member, Health & Nutrition, NITI Aayog mentioned National Nutrition
Month will be celebrated in September annually.
About POSHAN Abhiyaan:
Full form of POSHAN – Partnerships and Opportunities to Strengthen and Harmonize Actions for
Nutrition in India
Launched – 8th March 2018 from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan
6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) Meeting held in New Delhi
On July 28, 2018, The 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting was held
in New Delhi.With an Objective to discuss about the bilateral S&T cooperation between the two
countries.
i. After Newton Bhabha partnership , new partnerships may happen in areas of: Cyber Physical
System- Artificial Intelligence, digital Economy, health technologies, cyber security and promoting
clean growth, smart urbanization, future mobility and environment.
ii. Dicsussion on UK proposal for FutureTech Festival scheduled at New Delhi in 2018.
iii. Indian side was represented by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth
Sciences & Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India.
iv. UK’s side had Mr. Sam Gyimah, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation,
UK as the representative.Last SIC meeting was held in London on June 15, 2016.
The Conclave would include global CEOs and transport ministers from across the world. It will
also see participation from countries like Netherlands, Slovakia, USA, UK, Netherlands, China,
South Korea, Australia etc. and special Track sessions with Mayors and Governors from various
major cities and capitals
ii.It will help drive Government’s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration
and job growth and India’s transition to a clean energy economy.
iii.The summit will take place over 50,000 sq. meters of premium space across India Gate Lawns,
New Delhi.
iv.It will have over 1,200 expected participants from across the world including Government
leadership, Industry leaders, Research Organizations, Academia ,Think Tanks and Civil Society
Organisations.
v.The Summit will constitute of three designated components – The Conclave, the Expo and the
Featured Events.
vi.The six tracks or themes for the Summit will focus on: Asset Utilization and Services,
Comprehensive Electrification, Alternative Energy, Reinventing Public Transit, Logistics and Goods
Transport, Data Analytics and Mobility.
vii.‘MOVEMENTUM’, the Expo will feature exciting future technologies and cutting edge
innovations in transformative mobility solutions.The Expo with be set within a futuristic ‘Smart
City’, presenting an immersive experience of future mobility.
viii.It would also include Featured Events such as Breakout sessions, Fireside chats, Innovation
spotlights, Hackathons, Mobility Pitch Competitions and Networking Sessions, ‘NITI Talks’,
showcasing successful entrepreneurs from across the country.
ix.NITI Aayog has also been working towards evolving a National Strategy for Transforming
Mobility, in the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism, urging all States and Union
territories to formulate state-specific comprehensive strategies by constituting respective State
Task Forces.
x.The Summit, hence, aims to encourage cooperation between indigenous industries such as
Automobile Manufacturing, Information Technology, Electronics, Telecommunications and others,
to integrate with global supply chains.
55 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Office of
International Programmes (OIP) University of Delhi.
i. The Inaugural event was presided by Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India as Chief Guest.
ii. Dr Kiran Bedi, Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry was the Guest of Honor. Amitabh Kant, CEO,
NITI Aayog, and Ajay S. Shri Ram, Chairman, Governing Body, SRCC were also present.
iii. After the inaugural event, a Plenary Session and Panel Discussions were held. Discussions
were held on topics like, how women-led enterprises enable change, how innovation can
contribute to societal good and how technology and sustainability are complementary etc.
iv. Eminent personalities both from India and other countries took part in the conference.
v. Representatives were from Canada, United States of America, Australia, Ethopia, Cameroon,
Ghana, and Nigeria, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh and Thailand etc.
vi. Paper presentations were conducted on ‘Empowering Women’. Business and entrepreneurship
oriented competitions were also conducted.
Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS). It aims to review external security challenges and the
preparedness of India.
ii. This conference creates a platform for discussions at the top Level on all joint issues among the
three Services and Ministry of Defence.
iii. It also enables stock taking of the previous year and planning for the next year. Under the
chairmanship of the Chief of Integrated Staff (CISC), various Tri Services issues will be discussed.
iv. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre,
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force etc, are taking part in
the conference.
Chiefs of Indian Armed Forces:
♦ Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) – General Bipin Rawat
♦ Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Sunil Lanba
♦ Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) – Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.
58 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
modernisation.
vi. Closing address of the conference was delivered by Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Kiran Bedi.
4th Maritime Affairs Dialogue between India and Japan held in New Delhi
On July 20, 2018, The Ministry of External Affairs announced the fourth round of Maritime Affairs
Dialogue between India and Japan that was held in New Delhi.Pankaj Sharma, Joint
Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the MEA.Ambassador Kansuke
Nagaoka, Policy Planning and International Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.With
an Objective to discuss key issues related to the Indo-Pacific region and maritime security.
i. Key issues were : maritime security, cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR), Search and Rescue (SAR).
ii. Also means of further strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the above areas were
discussed.
iii. Apart from the Dialogue , the seventh round of the India-Japan Bilateral Consultations were
59 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
held.
iv. The Indian delegation was led by Pankaj Sharma,Joint Secretary(Disarmament and
International Security Affairs) in the MEA.
v. The Japanese side was led by Tomoyuki Yoshida, Director-General, Disarmament, Non-
Proliferation and Science Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
vi. The key areas discussed were: Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control.
2 day Air Defence India – 2018 Seminar & Exhibition, organised by Centre for Joint
Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) inaugurated by MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre
On July 27, 2018, Minister of State for Defence , Dr. Subhash Bhamre inaugurated a two-day Air
Defence India – 2018 Seminar & Exhibition in New Delhi.
i. It was organised by Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) .
ii. Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat and Director General Army Air Defence Lt Gen AP
Singh were present at the function.
About Air Defence Corps:
♦ The Corps of Army Air Defence (abbreviated as AAD), is an active corps of the Indian Army.
♦ It is responsible for the protection of Indian air space from enemy aircraft and missiles,
especially below 5,000 feet.
NASAMS-II: India plans to procure advanced air defence system from US worth $1
billion to defend NCR of Delhi.
On July 31, 2018, Defence acquisitions council (DAC), chaired by India’s Defence Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman, approved the acquisition of the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II
(NASAMS-II) worth around $1 billion.With an Objective to defend National Capital Region (NCR)
from aerial attacks.
i. This is a US-built advanced air defence system.
ii. It is an upgraded version of the NASAMS and features new 3D mobile surveillance radars and
12 missile launchers for quicker reaction.
iii. It has been developed by Raytheon in partnership with KONGSBERG Defence and Aerospace of
Norway.
iv. It has 3D Sentinel radars, short and medium-range missiles, launchers, fire-distribution
centers and command-and-control units to quickly detect, track and shoot down multiple airborne
threats.
v. India is in talks with Russia to procure long range S-400 Triumf air defence systems for INR
400 billion.
vi. $2 billion procurement of 24 MH-60 ‘Romeo’ helicopters from US will be revived after the
inaugural “two-plus-two” dialogue between the two countries.
vii. India will induct the first batch of its intercontinental ballistic missile system — Agni V.
viii. DRDO is developing two tier Phase-I of the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD).
60 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
61 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
62 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
NITI Aayog to host Investors’ Conference for the Holistic Development of Islands
On 10th August 2018, NITI Aayog is set to host an Investors’ Conference for the Holistic
Development of Islands, at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.
i. This Conference will be inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. It is expected to
gain investment for the sustainable development of eco-tourism projects in Andaman & Nicobar
and Lakshadweep islands.
ii. The Conference is organized by NITI Aayog along with the respective UT Administration.
iii .NITI Aayog has been mandated to look over the Holistic Development of Islands program,
along with the respective UT administration and State Governments.
iv. Under the first phase of this program, 10 Islands in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep
have been considered for holistic development.
v. 11 anchor tourism projects are proposed to be implemented with private sector participation
under risk-sharing model through open-competitive bidding.
vi. The 11 anchor tourism projects have been reviewed by Island Development Agency
(IDA). They include 6 projects in Andaman & Nicobar and 5 in Lakshadweep.
About Island Development Agency (IDA):
♦ Constituted – June 2017
♦ Chairman – Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Delhi topped the N-SIPI to be the top ‘most investor-friendly’ destination list: NCAER
On August 4, 2018, according to a report called N-SIPI (State Investment Potential Index)
series by economic think-tank NCAER, Delhi has topped the list and has replaced Gujarat.
63 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
64 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora bags WHO World No Tobacco
Day 2018 Award
Delhi government’s additional director of health S.K. Arora has been awarded the WHO World
No Tobacco Day 2018 Award for his remarkable contribution towards tobacco control.He was
presented the award by Henk Bekedam, WHO India country head.
i. Tobacco prevalence in Delhi has reduced by 6.5% in the last 6 years. This is more than the rest
of India average figures.
ii. National Health Policy 2017 has fixed targets of relative reduction in tobacco prevalence by
15% by 2020 and 30% by 2025. These targets have already been achieved by Delhi before 2017.
65 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Launches Doorstep Delivery Service of 40 services
in Delhi
On 10th September 2018, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the doorstep delivery of 40
services in Delhi.
Key Points:
i. To avail the services, citizens have to dial 1076 and place a request. They will be informed of
the documents required.
ii. They can specify a time for a “Mobile Sahayak” to come and collect them. The services will be
offered for an extra fee of Rs. 50.
iii. The services include: Passport help, caste certificates, income certificates, driving licence,
ration card, marriage certificates, domicile and duplicate registration papers, water connection
documents, etc.
iv. The government has involved VFS Global, a private company, to facilitate the services.
67 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Centre of Excellence for
Data Analytics (CEDA)
On September 28, 2018, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Centre
of Excellence for Data Analytics (CEDA) in New Delhi.
i. This Centre of Excellence was set up by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and National
Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI) jointly.
ii. This would help the centre to:
Adopt the advanced analytics technology for better data analytics and better governance.
Data-driven solution for complex policy issues,
Understand the business requirements of departments and define their analytic needs.
Other News:
i. NIC also will play an important part in the establishment of judicial data collection.
ii. The minister also launched an app named Digi VAARTA (Vehicle to Accelerate Access and Reach
to Transformational Action ) for this purpose.
iii.It is a platform designed to enable Financial and Social Inclusion by educating citizens on
various schemes and programmes.
68 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
iv. The interactive inclusion thourgh Digi VAARTA would be available in two channels and two
languages (Hindi and English and a toll free number: 14444.
Railway Board Chairman, Ashwani Lohani launched Swacchta Hi Sewa Pakhwara at New
Delhi Railway Station
69 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
On September 15, 2018, Railway Board Chairman, Ashwani Lohani launched Swacchta Hi Sewa
Pakhwara at New Delhi Railway Station.
i. It was launched by the Ministry of Railways as a part of Swachhta Hi Sewa Abhiyaan’ .
ii. All Zones, Divisions, Production Units & Workshops and Railway PSUs were included in the
celebration from 15th September to 2nd October 2018 to commemorate the 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
ii. Focused on: growth and challenges for Indian aviation Industry in the next 20 years and
maximizing the economic and social benefits of the potential growth.
iii. Discussions were held on:
optimal regulatory and policy landscape for aviation in India
future airport infrastructure roadmap for India
developments across the related and supporting industries for aviation in India in the
future
best practices and innovative approaches for sustainable aviation growth
iv. Some forecasts shared:
By 2026,India is expected to be the third largest air transport market in the world (current
rank – 7).
By 2037, nearly 500 million people are expected to fly to, from or within India.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Defence & Homeland Security Expo and
Conference – 2018 in New Delhi
On 6th September 2018, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Defence & Homeland
Security Expo and Conference – 2018, in New Delhi.
i. Organized by: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME).
ii. The Expo is held for 3 days. It is organised for the first time to bring together leading policy
makers and influencers from various defence segments.
iii. Major Focus: MSMEs in defence production and procurement and issues related to Homeland
Security and Defence Modernisation.
iv. Rajnath Singh announced technological upgradation and modernization to monitor and check
activities related to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Assam.
72 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
1st 2-day MOVE: Global Mobility Summit 2018 organized by NITI Aayog held in New
Delhi
i. On September 7, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated MOVE: India’s ever
first Global Mobility Summit organized by NITI Aayog at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
ii. The summit focused on five themes: electrification, alternative fuels, reinventing public
transport, goods transport and logistics through data analytics.
iii. From 31 August to 6 September 2018, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr.Rajiv Kumar, and Chief
Executive Officer Shri. Amitabh Kant, started the ‘Mobility Week’ .
iv. Focus would be given on ‘Clean Kilometers’ and he declared the 7Cs of future mobility. They
are:
Common
Connected
Convenient
Congestion-free
Charged
Clean
Cutting-edge
iv. On September 7, 2018, during the Global Mobility Summit, PM Modi met the global leaders of
companies like Toyota, SAIC Motor Corporation Shanghai, Bosch, ABB Limited, Hyundai Motor
Company, Ford Smart Mobility LLC and Uber Aviation…………………………..Click here to Read more
73 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
About NBA:
The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an autonomous organisation under Ministry of
Human Resource Development that assesses the programs offered by the professional and
technical institutions in India through accreditation.
About WOSA 2018:
♦ World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA) is a biennial Summit organised by NBA, which provides
platform to stakeholders to share their knowledge and information on accreditation.
♦ Earlier, three Summits in 2012, 2014 and 2016 were organized.
IGI Airport 16th busiest in the world: ACI report on Airport Traffic
On September 20, 2018, according to ‘The Annual World Airport Traffic Report 2018’ by Airport
Council International (ACI), Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) is the 16th busiest in the
world.
i. It jumped 6 places from 22nd position in 2016.
ii. In 2017, IGI has handled 63.4 million passengers accounting for 14 per cent more passengers
than in 2016.
Highlights of the report:
i. The first place was held by Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson in the US handling 103.9
million passengers in 2017, followed by Beijing with 95.8 million passengers.
ii. The other 3 consisting of the top 5 are:
74 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
EAM Sushma Swaraj launched ‘India for Humanity’ initiative in New Delhi
On October 9, 2018, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched ‘India for
Humanity’ initiative in New Delhi.
i. It is a part of 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi being held over the next
one year.
ii. For this, MEA had collaborated with charitable organization Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang
Sahayata Samiti, BMVSS.
iii.This initiative comprises of a year-long series of artificial limb fitment camps in a number of
countries spanning the globe fully sponsored by Ministry.
iv. Initially,the camps will be held in 12 countries identified through the Missions with financial
support of Indian government.
About Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, BMVSS:
♦ Founded in 1975.
♦ Famous for: trademark limb Jaipur Foot.
♦ Till date it has served over 1.73 million amputees.
♦ Founder: DR Mehta.
75 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
ii. The convention focused on discussions of free flow and availability of information to the
citizens.
iii. For this reason, the Government is committed to strengthening the RTI Act and Institutions.
iv. Also, the government has already initiated the process of selection of Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioner (ICs).
Central Information Commission (CIC):
Current CIC: Shri RK Mathur.
Youth Road Safety Learners Licence Programme launched by MoS Road Transport Shri
Mansukh L. Mandaviya
On October 15, 2018, Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Minister of State for Road Transport and
Highways and Chemical & Fertilizer launched the Youth Road Safety Learners Licence
programme in New Delhi.
i. This programme will be run in collaboration with Diageo India and the Institute of Road Traffic
Education (IRTE).
ii. It will provide structured training program for young, first-time drivers.
iii. In the first year, the programme will cover 20 universities with a total of 400 programme
across the country.
i. Under this, a total of 30 young professionals, under 35 years age, have been invited
with #DelhiGovernanceRevolution.
ii. Accoding to the scheme, the selected candidates will work with Ministers or Senior Officials of
Education, Health, Water, Environment, Transport, etc.
iii. The remuneration for:
Fellowswill be Rs. 1,25,000 per month and
Associate Fellowswill be Rs. 75,000 p.m.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched Air Quality early warning system for Delhi to combat
worsening air pollution
On October 15, 2018, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh
Vardhan launched the air quality early warning system for Delhi.
i. It has been designed with the help of American and Finnish models to predict extreme air
pollution levels.
ii.A 41 member-team constituted by the Central Pollution Control Board has been deployed
in Delhi and NCR cities of Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Gurugram and Faridabad to monitor and supervise
dust mitigation and other air pollution.
iii. It is a part of the new Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 1151.80 crore.
iv. Additionally, for the promotion of agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop
residue, the Centre has already released Rs. 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
NCT of Delhi.
v. The number of mechanized road sweeping machines in Delhi will be increased from 52 to 64 by
the end of November 2018.
Achievements:
i. The number of Good, Satisfactory And Moderate days is 157 in 2018 (Up to October 13)
77 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
The 5-days extravaganza ‘Experiencing North East’ festival began in New Delhi
On October 27, 2018, the 5-day ‘Experiencing North East’ festival was launched at India
International Centre (IIC), New Delhi which will continue from 27th-31st October, 2018.
It was inaugurated by Shri N.N. Vohra, Former Governor and President, IIC.
i. It was organized by North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER) in collaboration with India International Centre.
ii. It is a part of Destination North East series.
iii. The festival will showcase art, handicraft, handlooms, tourism, food, culture etc. of the North-
East.
iv. 5 workshops focusing on various themes like Adventure Tourism in NER, Science & Technology
78 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Interventions in North East Region (STINER), Act East & NER will be constructed.
v. A Festival of Films from the region will also be organised on the occasion.
NITI Aayog & ICC(ICA) held Workshop on Best Practices in International Arbitration
On October 10, 2018, the NITI Aayog and ICC International Court of Arbitration organized a
workshop on Best Practices in International Arbitration in New Delhi.
i. It was inaugurated by the chief guest, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court.
ii. It was presided over by MoS for Law and Justice P P Chaudhary.
iii. It would help in institutionalising and streamlining dispute resolution to make India a hub for
79 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
doing business.
iv. Also, the key priority of this being moving towards a ‘New India’ by 2022.
v. It was an inaugural Training-cum-Brainstorming Workshop which emphasizes in ‘Make in India’
vision & ‘Resolve in India’ which encourage the Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living in
India.
vi. The workshop covered basic concepts of international arbitration, selection of arbitrators,
enforcement of arbitral awards and the role of courts before, during and after the arbitration.
vii. These concepts were delivered by world class faculty from United Kingdom, Singapore, Paris
and India with over 200 participants.
Background:
i. Earlier, in 2016, NITI Aayog had held two-day conference on international arbitration presided
by President of India and Prime Minister of India with participation of the Chief Justices of all
SAARC countries.
ii. In 2017, NITI Aayo again organized the two-day National Law Day Conference with the Law
Commission of India which discussed on a multitude of legal aspects, including dispute resolution.
80 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Background:
A MoU was inked in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe in Sept 2017 at the end of the annual summit had agreed to establish the
India-Japan Act East Forum.
Minister Mahesh Sharma and Hardeep Sing laid the foundation stone of the India Prime
Ministers’ Museum
On October 15 2018,Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma and Minister of Housing and
Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh laid foundation for the construction of a museum for all Prime
Ministers of the country at the Teen Murti Estate in New Delhi.
i. This expected to finish within a year with a cost 271 crore rupees. It will represent the works
and contributions of all prime ministers for our country.
ii. The new museum will incorporate the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML)at the Teen
Murti estate, the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Prime Minister dedicates National Police Memorial to the Nation; announces an award in
the name of Subhash Chandra Bose
On October 21, 2018, on Police Commemoration Day, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,
dedicated the National Police Memorial to the nation in NewDelhi.
i. He also announced an annual award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, to honour
the police and paramilitary personnel, involved in disaster response operations.
ii. He also inaugurated the Museum of National Police memorial.
iii. He urged the police forces to adopt technology and innovation in their daily discharge of
duties.
iv. This is why, he mentioned about the Modernization of Police Forces Scheme (MPF), which
modernized the police forces through technology, modern communication systems and modern
weapons.
Other News:
i. PM Modi also commemorated the 75th anniversary of Netaji’s declaration of the formation of
India’s first independent government- the Azad Hind Government on October 21, 1943.
ii. He hoisted the National Flag at Red Fort and announced that the annual award n the name of
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose would be announced on January 23, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s
birthday.
The National Police Memorial:
♦ It consists of Central Sculpture, a Wall of Valour-engraved with the names of police personnel
who laid down their lives in the line of duty and
♦ A State of Art Museum dedicated to the memory of the martyred police personnel.
♦ Located: New Delhi.
♦ Police Commemoration Day: October 21.
81 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
High level Vietnamese delegation in Delhi for trade talks with TPCI
On 24th October 2018, a high level Vietnamese delegation from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development of Vietnam met a Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) delegation, in Delhi.
i. Vietnamese delegation was led by: Mr. Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam. It consisted of senior government officials and
businessmen from the agriculture sector. Vietnamese ambassador to India Mr. Pham Sanh Chau
also participated.
ii. TPCI delegation was led by TPCI Chairman: Mohit Singla.
82 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
iii. Discussions were held to: enhance bilateral trade and future cooperation between India and
Vietnam, business opportunities and promotion of Indusfood in Vietnam.
ii. The Government of India announced the commitment of the industry to rollout One Million
WiFi Hotspots in the Country by December 2019.
iii. The National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2018 was also unveiled. This would free
up a total of 605 MHz spectrum in the 5-GHz band for Wi-Fi services.
iv. Several spectrum bands for Short Range Devices and Ultra Wide Band Devices were
madelicense exempt.
v. These were all part of Centre’s recently released National Digital Communications Policy
(NDCP) 2018.
Background:
Shri. Sinha also participated in the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona in early 2018.
First assembly of ISA, Second ministerial of IORA and Second REINVEST meet held in
India
On October 2, 2018, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the First Assembly of International Solar
Alliance (ISA), 2nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Energy Ministerial Meet, 2nd Global RE-
Invest Meet & Expo, hosted by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in the presence of
Secretary General, United Nations Mr Antonio Guterres in New Delhi.
Welcome Address by EAM at the the First General Assembly of the International Solar
Alliance, Second IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting and the Second Global
REINVEST
On October 2, 2018, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj welcomed the leaders from across
the globe who came to participate in the following meetings:
The First General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance,
The Second Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting
and
The Second Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (REINVEST- 2018).
84 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
All the 3 meetings were hosted by: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy .
i.The ISA came onto being after being launched in 2015 to implement the Paris Climate
Agreement through rapid deployment of solar energy.
ii.68 countries have already signed the Framework Agreement of the ISA, while 45 of these have
ratified it.
iii.Since the Indian Ocean is at the centre of the emerging age of Asia, the IORA helps in
rebuilding the region by involving in activities including Blue economy, renewable energy,
maritime safety and security, besides the development of regional HADR capacity to tackle mutual
interest.
iv.These 3 high level meetings are aimed at implementing the Delhi Solar Agenda and meeting
‘New India’s desire to achieve 175GW renewable power installed capacity by the end
of 2022,including 60GW from Wind power and 100GW from solar power.
First ISA Assembly
On October 2, 2018, the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, inaugurated the first 3-dayAssembly
of the International Solar Alliance at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
It was co-chaired by French Minister Brune Poirson.From 3rd to 5th October 2018, it took place
in India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP for 3 days.
i.The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, was present on the occasion.
ii.PM Modi announced the plan to launch a National Energy Storage Mission that will look at
manufacturing, deployment, technology development and policy framework.
iii.A short film on the ‘Journey of Renewable Energy in India” and film on Student Initiative on
Solar Lamp was screened.
iv.100 students from various schools lit the Solar Study Lamp.
v.UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres announced to convene a Climate
Summit inDecember 2019 to bring climate action to the top of international agenda.
vi.ISA’s 5th program on Scaling-up Solar E-Mobility and Storage was also launched. It aims
topromote, assess potential, harmonize demand and pool resources to implement and upgrade
solar e-mobility and associated Storage infrastructure in urban and rural areas of ISA member
countries
vii.Coal India Limited (CIL), Power Finance Corporation (PFC) contributed US $ 1 million andIndia
Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) contributed US $ 2 million to the Corpus Fund of ISA.
Other News:
i.India is working on biomass, biofuel and bio-energy besides solar energy.
ii.It has a target to generate 40 percent of India’s total energy requirements in 2030.
iii.Of the 1 billion euros of investments to be made by 2022 in ISA as announced by President
Emmanuel Macron, 800 million euros have already been committed.
iv.The Government of India has committed Rs.175 crore for setting up of ISA and till date
released a sum of Rs 145 crore .
85 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Background:
International Solar Alliance could replace OPEC as the key global energy supplier in the future.
About ISA:
International Solar Alliance (ISA), an alliance of 121 solar resource rich countries that was jointly
launched by the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, and the then President of France, Mr. François
Hollande, on November 30, 2015 in Paris, France. It was launched during the 21st Conference of
Parties (CoP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Till date, out of 121 prospective member countries, 70 countries have signed the Framework
Agreement of the ISA. 44 of these countries have ratified the ISA treaty.
Paris Agreement: Target of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and striving
for 1.5 degrees.
2nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting:
On October 2, 2018, the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 2nd 3-day IORA
Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, in presence of UN
Secretary-General.
It took place in India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP, from 3rd to 5th October 2018 along side the
2nd edition of RE-Invest 2018.
This event was jointly organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
andMinistry of External Affairs (MEA) of the Government of India, the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association IORA.
i.21 countries adopted the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy.
ii.The Delhi Declaration calls for:
Collaboration among IORA member for renewable energy in the Indian Ocean region,
Promote regional capacity building,
Promotion of technology development and transfer,
Strengthening of public private partnerships in renewable energy,
Collaboration among the IORA and ISA nations,
iii.IORA member countries also resolved to collaborate with the International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA).
iv.2 MOUs were signed – one with IORA and the other with United Nations Environment.
3-day 2nd Global RE-Invest Meet & Expo
On October 2, 2018, the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 3-day 2nd Global RE-
Invest Meet & Expo at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, in presence of UN Secretary-General.The
2nd edition took place in India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, UP, from 3rd to 5th October 2018.
i.It was attended by Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Uttar
Pradesh showcasing their renewable energy policy initiatives.
ii.9 country sessions were organised by leading RE countries such as France, USA, European
Union, Australia, UK, Finland.
iii.Also, Chief Executive Officer, Soft Bank Group, Mr Masayoshi Son, addressed the plenary
86 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
session of the 2nd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo, (REINVEST- 2018)
called ‘#RENNOVATE’.
iv.He announced free power from solar power projects after 25 years of PPA to all ISA member
countries.
Other News:
India was invited to take part in the Peru World and Sun Expo in November 2019 by
theEnergy Minister, Peru Mr. Francisco Ismodes Mezzano.
About 2nd Global RE-Invest India-ISA Partnership Renewable Energy Investors Meet &
Expo:
RE-Invest is a global platform to explore strategies for development and deployment of
renewables.
This platform aims to bring forth the policies and targets of India regarding the renewable
energy market including 100% foreign direct investment in renewable energy development.
The 1st REINVEST was held from 15 – 17 February 2015 in New Delhi, India.
Preparatory Meeting for the First National Summit on Invest in AYUSH held in New Delhi
On 16th October,Preparatory Meeting for the First National Summit on Invest in Ayush is held in
New Delhi,which is Presided by the Union Minister of State(Independent Charge) of Ayush Shripad
Yesso Naik.
Objective:
This Summit is to encourage all the Departments of the Government and Private Companies to
invest in AYUSH.
KeyPoints:
i. Many Initiatives are taken by Ministry to increase the market size of AYUSH for this they had a
close relationship with FICCI,CII,PHD Chambers and ASSOCHAM etc.
ii. To strengthen the existing AYUSH Industry sector including manufacturers of AYUSH drugs,
cosmetics, food supplements, hospital industry, etc.
iii. Under the Champion Sector Scheme the Ministry has taken a challenge to create one lakh job
opportunities in AYUSH Sector .
iv. The Ministry tied up with Ministry of railways has agreed to set up AYUSH wing in 5 railway
hospitals.
MOU’s Signed:
To achieve this,AYUSH minister signed an MOU with the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises(MSME) to develop entrepreneurs in AYUSH Sector.
Initiative taken by the Government:
The Government of India allowed hundred percent Foreign Direct Investment
Achievement:
There is a global demand in the AYUSH and Herbal Product and the Export of the product has
87 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
been increased from USD 354.68 million in the year 2014-15 to USD 401.68 million in the
year 2016-17.
‘2nd World Conference on Access to Medical Products: Achieving the SDGs 2030’
inaugurated by Shri J P Nadda
On October 9, 2018, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda inaugurated ‘2nd
World Conference on Access to Medical Products: Achieving the SDGs 2030’ in New Delhi.
i. The objectives of the conference is:
Working on recommendations from the 1st World Conference 2017 ,
Work on medical products in the context of SDGs (including trade agreements) in line with GPW
13 of WHO,Accelerating research and innovation.
ii. The following was released:
Position Paper,
Information Sharing Platform Gateway for South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN)
developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.
iii. It also highlighted the importance of traditional medical system in achieving the health goals.
iv. The National Health Policy 2017 was also discussed.
v. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization announced the
release of 13th Global Programme of Work (GPW13) for strategic direction in Sustainable
Development Agenda 2030 (SDG).
vi. It is built around “triple billion” goal of strategic priorities of Healthy Lives, Universal Health
Coverage and health emergencies.
88 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
89 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Management,Ahmedabad
Best Fisheries State Award State of Jharkhand
Best Animal Husbandry State State of Bihar
Award
Best Horticulture State Award State of Nagaland
Best Agriculture State Award State of Gujarat
Program Leadership Award The State Horticulture Mission,
Govt. of Haryana
Union HRD Minister launches web portal of the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and
Research Collaboration (SPARC) in New Delhi
On 25th October 2018, Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar launched
the web portal of the “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)” in
New Delhi.
i. The web portal is available at: www.sparc.iitkgp.ac.in. SPARC scheme aims to improve the
research ecosystem of India’s higher educational institutions by enabling academic and research
collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world.
ii. Under this Scheme, 600 joint research proposals will be awarded for 2 years to enable strong
research collaboration between Indian research groups with the best in class faculty and
renowned research groups in the top universities of the world.
iii. The areas involved will be advanced fields in science or areas with direct social relevance to
the mankind, especially India.
About Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC):
♦ Sanctioned in – August 2018
♦ Total cost – Rs.418 Crore
♦ Implementation period – up to 31.3.2020
♦ National Coordinating Institute – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur
Deborah Herold wins gold medal in elite women’s 40 km competition at Saksham Pedal
Delhi
On 7th October 2018, Deborah Herold won gold medal in the elite women’s 40 kilometre
competition at Saksham Pedal Delhi, India’s Premier Cyclothon.
i. Shreedhar Savanur won gold medal in men’s 50 kilometres. Silver and bronze medals were won
by Manjeet Singh and Krishna Nakaodi.
ii. In the women’s elite race, Sonali Chanu won silver, and Swasti Singh won the bronze medal.
Khalin Joshi wins Panasonic Open India for his maiden Asian Tour title
On 28th October 2018, Indian golfer Khalin Joshi won the Panasonic Open India title at the Delhi
90 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Veteran BJP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana passes away
On 27th October 2018, former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana passed away following a
long term illness, in New Delhi.
i. Madan Lal Khurana was 82 years old. He belonged to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) party.
ii. He was the chief minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996. He was the governor of Rajasthan in
2004.
91 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Useful Links:
Current Affairs
Current Affairs 2018
Current Affairs in Hindi
Current Affairs 2018 PDF
Current Affairs Quiz
Current Affairs Today
92 | P a g e
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2018 @ AffairsCloud.Com