Current Affairs Daily Updates: 14th August 2017

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Current Affairs Daily Updates: 14th August 2017
APPOINTMENTS
'Milkha Singh' appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for physical activity
  • Legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh has been appointed WHO (World Health Organisation) Goodwill Ambassador for Physical Activity in South-East Asia Region.
  • He will promote WHO South-East Asia Region's NCD Prevention and Control Action Plan which seeks to reduce the level of insufficient physical activity by 10% and NCDs by 25% by 2025.
  • An estimated 8.5 million people die due to NCDs every year in WHO South-East Asia Region.
  • A ‘goodwill ambassador’ is a person who advocates for a specific cause on the basis of their notability.
David Rasquinha Appointed as Exim Bank MD
  • David Rasquinha, who is currently Deputy Managing Director of Exim Bank of India, has been appointed as Managing Director of the bank. This appointment will be valid for a period of three years.
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has given its nod for the elevation of Rasquinha to the post of Managing Director, official sources said.
  • A formal order in this regard is expected from the Department of Financial Services in the Finance Ministry in the next few days.
I V Subba Rao appointed secretary to Vice President
  • Retired IAS officer I V Subba Rao (IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre - 1979 batch) has been appointed the secretary to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
  • He held several important posts in Andhra Pradesh and later served the UNESCO.
  • N Yuvaraj (IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre - 2006 batch), will be the private secretary to Naidu.
Shri Prasoon Joshi appointed Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification
  • Shri Prasoon Joshi is appointed as Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification.
  • He will serve for a period of three years.
  • He replaces Pahlaj Nihalani.
  • He is the Winner of two National Awards and three Filmfare Awards, Prasoon Joshi is also the CEO of McCann World group India and Chairman (Asia Pacific).
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Veteran journalist T J S George has been chosen for the first Kesari Media Award
  • Veteran journalist T J S George has been chosen for the first Kesari Media Award, instituted by the Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust. The award comprises a purse of Rs 50,000, citation and a statuette designed by renowned artist Bhatathiri.
3 Indian firms, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints and Bharti Airtel are among Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most innovative companies
  • Three Indian firms, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints and Bharti Airtel are among Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most innovative companies, where Salesforce.Com has replaced Tesla Motors on the top position.
  • While HUL and Asian Paints have moved up in their ranks to seventh and eighth respectively (from 31st and 18th last year), Bharti Airtel has entered the ranking at 78th position.
N.K. Jemisin’s ‘The Obelisk Gate’ wins Best Novel 2017
  • The Hugo Award for Best Novel 2017 was given to Nora K. Jemisin, an American speculative fiction writer for her work ‘The Obelisk Gate’. The award was presented at the 75th World Science Fiction Convention in Helsinki.
  • The awarded book was the second in the trilogy that started with ‘The Fifth Season’, which was New York Times Notable Book of 2015 and won Jemisin the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016.
  • The fantasy novel tells a story about the life on a planet where the inhabitants would undergo a “Fifth Season” of catastrophic climate change every a few centuries.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Indian Oil Buys First Shale Oil from United States
  • State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) brought the country’s first shale oil from the United States of America and is looking to step up imports from America as part of its crude diversification strategy.
  • IOC bought 1.9 million barrels of US crude in its second import tender seeking oil from the America.
  • India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan, and China to buy US crude after production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulphur content.
DEATHS
Theatre personality Shobha Sen dies
  • Shobha Sen, veteran theatre personality and wife of late thespian Utpal Dutt, passed away here this morning. She was 93.
  • She had acted in many productions of the group, including "Barricade", "Tiner Taloyar" and "Titumir".
  • Sen had also starred in films such as Mrinal Sen's "Ek Adhuri Kahani" and "Ek Din Pratidin", Gautam Ghose's "Dekha" and Basu Chatterjee's "Pasand Apni Apni".
IMPORTANT DAYS OBSERVED
World Organ donation day is observed on August 13th
  • Organ Donation Day is observed every year on 13th of August across the world.
  • The main aim of this day is to motivate people to donate organs after death and to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation.
  • Organ Donation is donating a donor’s organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas, after the donor dies, for the purpose of transplanting them into another person who is in need of an organ.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Pakistan hoists ‘largest’ national flag to mark 70th Independence Day
  • Pakistan hoisted a 400-feet high national flag the largest in its history at the Attari-Wagah border with India to mark the country’s 70th Independence Day.
  • It is made in Pakistan with 400-feet high and 120 feet by 80 feet in size.
  • The flag is the highest in South Asia and the 8th highest in the world.
  • Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa hoisted the flag.
India and ASEAN Youth Summit begins in Bhopal
  • The India-ASEAN Youth Summit began in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
  • The five-day Summit will commemorative this year’s theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.
  • Around 100 delegates from ASEAN countries Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam participating in the summit.
World Health Organisation declared Somalia as Free Polio
  • The United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) declared no record of any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years declaring the country polio free.
  • Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the remaining countries where polio is still being recorded.
  • Somalia is still responding to an outbreak of acute watery diarrhea/cholera which began in January 2017.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Maharashtra Government Launches 'Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra'
  • Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra an initiative providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai.
  • There are various schemes like farmers weekly market, farmers mobile market and mother’s tiffin, under this Yuva Rojgar Kendra and Mumbaikars can get fresh and healthy food, as well as farm, produce procured directly from farmers.
  • This app was also launched by the Chief Minister. BJP’s state president Raosaheb Danve, Mumbai president Ashish Shelar, Agriculture minister for state Sadabhau Khot were present on the occasion.
India's First Online Course on Infusion Therapy Launched
  • Infusion Nurses Society (INS), a global authority in infusion therapy launched India's first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses.
  • It mainly aims to train over 3,000 nurses in the vital medical procedure.
  • It deals with all aspects of fluid and medication infusion, intravenous or subcutaneous application.
Environment Minister Launches ‘Gaj Yatra’ to Mark World Elephant Day 2017
  • Union Environment Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched ‘Gaj Yatra’ in Karnataka, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day (12 August).
  • The Environment Minister released the All India Census 2017 Report on elephants. The ‘Gaju’ mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be helm the campaign.
  • The campaign will be led by the Wildlife Trust of India. Actor and wildlife enthusiast, Ms. Dia Mirza, participated in the walk and run event organized on the occasion.
‘Fete de Puducherry’ Festival celebrated in Pondicherry
  • A three-day annual cultural festival named ‘Fete de Puducherry’ organized by the Government of India begins in Puducherry.
  • The festival is held in association with the South Zone Cultural Centre (Tamil Nadu) every year to bring to focus the multi-faceted cultural features of various states.
  • The festival holding started since 1985 as part of celebrating Independence Day and also Liberation Day of Puducherry (August 16).
Ministry of Culture Organizes 'Sankalp Se Siddhi Program' in Coimbatore
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched New India movement from 2017-2022, a  Sankalp Se Siddhi  (Attainment through Resolve) Program was organized at Coimbatore.
  • The New India Movement 2017-2022  organized an India free of Poverty, Corruption, Terrorism, Communalism, Casteism, and Un-cleanliness.
  • Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma graced the occasion.
Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurates Inclusive Independence Day Celebrations
  • Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated Inclusive Independence Day celebrations organized by the National Trust.
  • Around 2500 people from all walks of life participated in the event along with 500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • It aims to provide equal access to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by means of Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and Inclusive Community Life.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY / DEFENCE AFFAIRS
Indian Coast Guard Ship Shaurya commissioned in Goa
  • Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya was commission in Vasco, Goa.
  • ICGS Shaurya is an offshore patrol vessel designed and built indigenously by Goa.
  • It will be based in Chennai under the administrative and operational control of Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
  • It is the fifth of a series of six OPVs designed in-house and built by GSL. It is 105-metre long and capable of cruising at a speed of 23 knots.
India and Russia to hold Major Tri-Service 'Indra' Combat Exercise in October
  • India and Russia for the first time are going to conduct Indra tri-services exercise involving their armies, navies and the air forces in October 2017 to establish military ties.
  • A total of 350 Indian Army personnel will participate in the mega exercise. The contingents by the Indian Navy and AirForce (IAF) will also be sizeable.
  • During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in June 2017, both countries had decided to “upgrade and intensify” defense cooperation among them.
CSIR-IGIB and NCDC Researchers develop DNA sensor for quick pathogen detection
  • Researchers from CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) developed an ultrasensitive DNA chip based sensor for quick pathogen detection.
  • The sensor can detect S. pyogenes, a bacterium which causes a wide range of diseases in about 30 minutes.
  • The working electrode surface of the sensor is attached to several small-sized, single-stranded DNA probe specific to the pathogen.
SPORTS AFFAIRS
Mairaj-Rashmmi pair bags gold at Asian Shotgun Championship
  • India bagged a gold medal in the skeet mixed team event.
  • The Indian duo of Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Rashmmi Rathore eked out a narrow 28-27 win over the Chinese pair of Liu Jiangchi and Gao Jianmei.
  • The host combination of Vladislav Mukhamediyev and Olga Panarina settled for the bronze.
Gabriel Chundan won 65th Nehru Trophy
  • Gabriel Chundan won the 65th edition of the Prestigious Nehru Trophy held at the Punnamda Lake in Kerala.
  • The Mahadevikkad Kattilthekkethil' came second 'Payippad' and 'Karichal', last year's winner secured the third and fourth spots respectively.
  • The Nehru trophy was instituted to commemorate the visit of the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the area and his boat ride in the lake.