By: D.K Chaudhary
1. Mughalsarai Junction Renamed As Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction
i. The iconic Mughalsarai Railway Junction in Uttar Pradesh has been renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction Railway station. BJP National President Amit Shah inaugurated the renamed station. A goods train with an all-woman crew was also flagged off.
ii. A smart yard project was also launched on the occasion. The bi-weekly Ekatmata Express, train connecting Lucknow and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction was also flagged off.
- Piyush Goyal is the present Railways Minister of India.
2. Government Approves 122 New Research Projects Under ‘IMPRINT-2’ Scheme
i. The government has approved 122 new research projects of 112 crore rupees under its Impacting Research Innovation and Technology ‘IMPRINT-2’ scheme. The initiative aims to advance research in energy, security and healthcare domains in the high education institutions.
ii. According to Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, out of over two thousand proposals, 122 best proposals were selected for funding under IMPRINT-2.
- IMPRINT is the first of its kind government-supported initiative to address the major science and engineering challenges that India must address and champion to enable, empower and embolden the nation for inclusive growth and self-reliance.
3. Defence Minister Launches Defence India Startup Challenge
6. Startup India Launches Academia Alliance Programme
i. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Defence India Startup Challenge in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ii. Recognising the first set of incubators for these challenges the ministry has also signed an MoU with 5 incubators. IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Mumbai, Forge IIT Madras, and T hub who will work in tandem to provide solutions for defence requirements in Airforce, Navy and for Army.
iii. Raksha Mantri also launched SPARK (support for prototype and research Kickstart) in defence, framework for IDEX partners, and promotion of start ups under Make II procedure.
4. PHDCCI And CNI Sign MoU To Set Up Indo-Nepal Centre
i. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) have signed an MoU to establish India-Nepal Centre. It will further strengthen economic engagement between the two countries. The MoU was signed by Anil Khaitan, President of PHDCCI and Hari Bhakta Sharma, President of CNI in Kathmandu.
ii. The MoU aims to promote Indian investment in Nepal, Work with Indian ventures in Nepal to resolve problems being faced by them, Promote industrialization in Nepal and provide training to Nepali entrepreneurs.
- Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is the current Prime Minister of Nepal.
- Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the current President of Nepal and commander in chief of Nepalese Army.
- The Nepalese Rupee is the currency of Nepal.
5. GST Council Announces Cashback For Digital Transactions
i. In the 29th meeting, GST council approves cash incentives to promote Digital transactions. Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announces 20% Cashback upto Rs 100 for the Digital Transactions done via BHIM, Rupay or USSD mode.
ii. The meeting was held in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal. It was focused on the concerns and suggestions of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. In the meeting, it was decided to create a sub-committee headed by MoS Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
6. Startup India Launches Academia Alliance Programme
i. Startup India has launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme, which is a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains, to fulfill the Indian Government’s mission to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country.
ii. The initiative aims to create lasting connections between the stakeholders of the startup ecosystem by creating a bridge between the academia and industry and implement the third pillar on which the Startup India Action Plan is based – Industry-Academia Partnerships and Incubation.
7. Japan Pips China To Become World’s 2nd Largest Stock Market
i. Japan has pipped China as the world’s number two stock market, according to a Bloomberg report. At one of the time, the Chinese market was worth $6.09 trillion next to Japan’s $6.17 trillion.
ii. Both markets are ranked after the US which is the world’s largest at just over $31 trillion. China lost to Japan after Chinese stocks and currency fell this year amid a trade spat with the US.
- Japan Capital- Tokyo, Currency- Japanese yen, PM- Shinzo Abe.
8. ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meet Held In Singapore
i. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chaired the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Singapore.
ii. The meeting emphasised the need for ASEAN countries to be united to avoid repercussions amid trade tensions between the United States and its long-time trading partners, including China, the EU and Canada.
- ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
9. UK Announces New Organ Donation Plan To Address Indian-Origin Shortages
i. The UK government has announced new plans to change the law for organ and tissue donation to address the urgent need for organs within the Indian-origin communities in the country.
ii. The proposed new system of consent for organ and tissue donation is expected to come into effect in England in 2020, as part of a drive to help Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people desperately waiting for a life-saving transplant.
- UK Capital- London, Currency- Pound sterling, Prime Minister- Theresa May.
10. PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi To Step Down As CEO
i. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi will step down in October after serving for 12 years as the top boss at the global beverage giant, PepsiCo. Indian-origin Indra Nooyi was the first ever woman to be appointed the CEO at PepsiCo, in the year 2006.
ii. She will be succeeded by company President Ramon Laguarta, who has held the post since 2017. She will remain chairman till 2019.
11. Emmerson Mnangagwa Wins Zimbabwe’s 1st Post-Mugabe Election
i. Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa narrowly won the country’s landmark election in Zimbabwe. He is a former ally of Robert Mugabe.
ii. According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Mr Mnangagwa won 50.8% of the vote, ahead of Nelson Chamisa of the Opposition MDC party with 44.3%.
- Zimbabwe got independence from Britain in 1980.
- Harare is the Capital city of Zimbabwe.
12. Gaganjeet Bhullar Wins His Maiden European Tour Title
i. Indian Golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar grabbed his maiden European Tour title at the Fiji International in Natadola Bay. It was Bhullar’s first win on the European Tour, ninth Asian Tour title and 10th crown overall.
ii. He now becomes the most successful Indian player on Asian Tour, overtaking the tally of eight tour wins by Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa.
- Suva is the capital city of Fiji.
13. Netherlands Wins Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018
i. In Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018, the Netherlands has been crowned the world champions for a record eighth time. The defending champions recorded a stunning 6-0 victory over Ireland in the summit clash at London, UK to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 32 matches.
ii. Kitty van Male, who was among the six different goal scorers, finished the tournament as the top scorer with eight goals. Spain won the third-place match by beating Australia to claim their first ever World Cup medal. India finished the tournament at the 8th spot.
- The Netherlands Capital- Amsterdam, Currency- Euro and USD.
14. World Badminton Championships 2018 Concludes: Complete List of Winners
i. The 2018 BWF World Championships is a badminton tournament which was held at Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Sports Park Arena in Nanjing, China.
ii. Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu won the silver medal in a major tournament final as she went down tamely to Carolina Marin in the World Championships’ women’s singles title.
ii. Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu won the silver medal in a major tournament final as she went down tamely to Carolina Marin in the World Championships’ women’s singles title.
