Introduction
Current Affairs is a type of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or ongoing at the time of broadcast. The article Current Affairs September 16th 2018 includes News summary on current events of Days, International, National, Banking, and Sports, Awards, Books, Science, Obituary, importance of September 16th 2018.
Days
On 16th September 2018, International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed throughout the world
Key Highlights:
- In 1994, United Nations General Assembly declared 16 September as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which marks the date of the signing the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987.
- This day aims to create awareness on issues related to climate change and ozone depletion.
- For International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2018 is ‘Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol’
International
Jaipur Literature Festival held in Houston On 14th and 15th September 2018, Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) was held in Houston, Texas, United States
Key Highlights:
- Jaipur Literature Festival which is conducted since 2006, is held in Jaipur every year. This is the first time it is held in Houston.
- At Houston, JLF is conducted in partnership of Teamwork Arts, Asia Society Texas Center, Inprint, and the Consulate General of India.
- Congress leader and writer Shashi Tharoor and Indian ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, took part in the festival.
- Renowned authors and thinkers participated in the festival and discussions on various topics and other cultural events were also held. After Houston, JLF will be held in New York from September 19 to 20 and in Boulder, Colorado from September 21 to 23. It will also be held in Australia and England.
On September 16, 2018, according to the ‘Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018’ study, published by Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI), India ranked third globally in terms of number of family-owned companies
Key Highlights:
- India has a total of 111 companies and $839 billion total market capitalization.
- India follows China (159 companies) and the US (121 companies).
- Korea came in fourth place, with 43 companies followed by Indonesia in the 5th place.
- In the Non-Japan Asian region, China, India and Hong Kong dominate with a combined market capitalization of $2.85 trillion.
- The rating agency analysed over 1,000 family-owned, publicly-listed companies, and compared their 10-year performance to more than 7,000 non-family owned companies globally.
National
On 15th September 2018, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the website for the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2019 that will be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Key Highlights:
- As the website has been launched, the online registration for participation in PBD Convention 2019 has started. Uttar Pradesh government is the partner state for the convention.
- Keeping in mind the people who will be attending the Kumbh Mela and Republic Day, the date for the PBD 2019 has been shifted from January 9 to January 21 to 23, 2019.
- PBD is usually celebrated on January 9 every year, that commemorates Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa on 9th January, 1915.
- Theme for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 is: ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India’.
- Uttar Pradesh Government will also organise the State PBD 2019 on 21 January, 2019.
- Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth will be the Chief Guest of the Convention.
On September 14, 2018, according to the 14th report “HIV Estimations 2017” released by Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Maharashtra has the highest number of people living with HIV in India
Key Highlights:
- It was compiled by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS)
- It is a part of the series of HIV Estimations under National AIDS Control Programmer (NACP).
- Around 69.11 thousand PLHIV died of AIDS-related causes in 2017. Nationally, 21.40 lakh people are affected by AIDS with more than two-fifth of them being women.
- Maharashtra has around 3.30 lakh, contributing 15 per cent of total immunodeficiency virus-affected people. Andhra Pradesh (2.70 lakh), Karnataka (2.47 lakh) and Telangana (2.04 lakh)
- In adult HIV prevalence, Mizoram has the highest in the country at 2.04 per cent, followed by Manipur at 1.43 per cent and Nagaland at 1.15 per cent.
- It is followed by Bihar and West Bengal with 10% each, Uttar Pradesh (8%), Andhra Pradesh (7%), Maharashtra (7%), Karnataka (6%) and Gujarat (5%).
- 87.58 thousand new HIV infections occurred in 2017 with Telengana having the highest no of cases accounting for 11% of the total.
On September 15, 2018, the West Bengal government rolled out scheme, Swayangsiddha, in its different districts. Scheme to combat human trafficking launched by West Bengal government
Key Highlights:
- Swayangsiddha means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police.
- This would help in spreading awareness and Empowering the young boys and girls against trafficking and child marriages.
- Groups of students aged between 12 to 21 in schools and colleges known as Swayangsiddha Groups will be formed.
- As the per the NCRB data West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.
Static GK:
- West Bengal Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee.
- Governor: Kesari Nath Tripathi.
- National Parks: Jaldapara National Park, Sunderbans National Park, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Singalila National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary.
On September 16, 2018, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik declared the state open defecation free (ODF) at the launch of “Swachhata Hi Seva“ campaign at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC)
Key Highlights:
- All 22 districts, 4,171 Gram Panchayats and 7,565 villages in the state are ODF as per Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) guidelines.
- 1.1 million individual household toilets and 1,350 community sanitary complexes have been constructed in the state, under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
- Governor also launched the Swachhta Hi Seva – a fortnight-long cleanliness campaign for public awareness and involvement of community in Srinagar.
- The Governor Administration would be ensuring cleanliness of all the water bodies and lakes, cities, towns and villages of the State
- For strengthening sports infrastructure in the state, an IPL team for Jammu and Kashmir and construction of stadiums in all districts having state-of-the-art facilities are in the making.
Static GK:
- Jammu & Kashmir Lakes: Mansar Lake, Dal lake, Anchar Lake, Khushal lake, Tarsar Lake.
- National Parks: Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Salim Ali National Park.
On September 12, 2018, for the first time in India a dedicated dog park has been set up in Hyderabad. The park is spread across an area of 1.3 acres
Key Highlights:
- It was developed by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) at a cost of Rs 1.1 crore.
- It has also been certified by the Kennel Club of India.
- Dog training equipment, Play equipment, splash pool, fountain, areas for exercise, Amphitheater, lawns, separate kennels for small and big dogs.
- Provisions for a person with disabilities and their dog and A dedicated dog clinic.
Static GK:
- Telengana Capital: Hyderabad.
- Chief Minister: K.Chandrashekhar Rao.
- Governor: E.S.L. Narasimhan.
- National Parks: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, Mahaveera Harina National Park, Mrugavani National Park.
On September 15, 2018, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu flagged off the ‘Swachh Dhara’ programme at Amravati
Key Highlights:
- To provide clean drinking water across the state.
- Tankers providing water across the state will be cleaned periodically
- It will be done through a six-layered cleaning process with the use of ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria.
- Along with this, the CM launched the ‘Yuva Nestham’ scheme providing Rs.1000 as allowance to unemployed youth between 25-35 years of age.
Static GK:
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister: N Chandrababu Naidu.
- Governor: E.S.L Narasimha.
- Capital: Amravati.
- National Parks: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Rajiv Gnadhi National Park, Papikonda National Park.
Banking
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved Rs 65,634.93 crore loan so far to 93 prioritised irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
Key Highlights:
- NABARD is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation projects under PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be finished by 2019.
- Out of the 99 prioritized irrigation projects NABARD has sanctioned Rs 65,634.93 crore loan for 93 projects so far.
- Already, Rs 23,402.72 crore was disbursed for 86 projects, which includes the central share of 15,242.02 crore and state share of Rs 8,160.70 crore.
- 18 projects have been finished so far and 7 projects will be finished very soon.
- Maximum projects sanctioned are in Uttar Pradesh. Bigger irrigation projects sanctioned are in Maharashtra, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh also.
On September 13, 2018, Federal Bank entered into an MOU with Infopark Kakkanad for leasing 12,000 sq ft space in their campus.
Key Highlights:
- The aim for this is to set up a wholly owned subsidiary company. The new subsidiary company would Provide innovative high-quality operational activities, Handle all the back-end operations of the Bank.
Static GK:
- Federal Bank Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala.
- MD & CEO: Mr. Shyam Srinivasan.
- Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner.
On September 13, 2018, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins during his three-day visit to India, signed two agreements with state-run telecom firm BSNL and Niti Aayog.
Key Highlights:
- The MOUs were related to technology and innovation.
- MOU with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited under the aegis of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will be regarding demonstrating possibilities of 5G
- This will bring digitization and deliver fast services in various sectors.
- MOU with Niti Aayog is regarding connectivity of all 100 Atal Incubation Centres for information exchange.
- This will be made possible with its conferencing platforms like Webex Teams and Cisco Webex Board.
Static GK:
- CISCO Headquarters: California, USA.
- NITI Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant.
- BSNL Headquarters: New Delhi.
- BSNL CMD: Shri Anupam Shrivastava.
On September 15, 2018, Infosys acquired Finnish company Fluido, a top consulting partner of Sales force, for 65 million euros (about Rs 545 crore)
Key Highlights:
- Fluido has over 200 experts spread across six locations in Finland Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Slovakia.
- It is one of the largest sales force (software company) consulting partners in Europe.
- It offers cloud consulting, implementation and training services.
- This will make Infosys the largest sales force consulting partner in the Nordics.
- Earlier in April, Infosys had acquired US digital creative and consumer insight agency WongDoody for $75 million.
Static GK:
- Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru.
- MD & CEO: Salil Parekh.
- Finland Capital: Helsinki.
- Currency: Euro.
Sports
From 31st August to 15th September 2018, the 52nd ISSF World Championship was held in Changwon, Republic of Korea
Key Highlights:
Indian's Silver Medal Winners List :
Indian's Bronze Medal Winners List :
- 1806 athletes from 90 countries participated in 59 shooting events and 4 disciplines. 36 countries have won medals.
- China topped the medal tally by winning 43 medals (20 gold, 15 silver, 8 bronze). Republic of Korea secured 2nd position with 36 medals (11 gold, 14 silver, 11 bronze)
- India finished in 3rd spot with a total of 27 medals (11 gold, 9 silver, 7 bronze)
Static GK:
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President: Olegario Vazquez Rana
Headquarters : Munich, Germany
Indian'S Gold Medal Winners List :
| Winner | Event |
|---|---|
| Om Prakash Mitharval | 50m Pistol Men |
| Ankur mittal | Double Trap Men |
| Hriday Hazarika | 10m Air Rifle Men Junior |
| Saurabh Chaudhary | 10m Air Pistol Men Junior |
| Vijayveer Sidhu | 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior |
| Udhayveer Sidhu | 25m Pistol Men Junior |
| Arjun Singh Cheema | 50m Pistol Men Junior |
| Vijayveer Sidhu, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu, Adarsh Singh | 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior Team |
| Udhayveer Sidhu, Vijayveer Sidhu, Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu | 25m Pistol Men Junior Team |
| Arjun Singh Cheema, Gaurav Rana, Anmol Anmol | 50m Pistol Men Junior Team |
| Elavenil Valarivan, Shreya Agrawal, Manini Kaushik | 10m Air Rifle Women Junior Team |
| Winners | Events |
|---|---|
| Gurpreet Singh | 25m Standard Pistol Men |
| Anjum Moudgil | 10m Air Rifle Women |
| Elavenil Valarivan | 10m Air Rifle Women Junior |
| Manisha Keer | Trap Women Junior |
| Abhishek Verma, Om Prakash Mitharwal, Shahzar Rizvi | 10m Air Pistol Men Team |
| Anjum Moudgil, Apurvi Chandela, Mehuli Ghosh | 10m Air Rifle Women Team |
| Saurabh Chaudhary, Arjun Singh Cheema, Anmol Anmol | 10m Air Pistol Men Junior Team |
| Ali Aman Elahi, Vivaan Kapoor, Manavaditya Singh Rathore | Trap Men Junior Team |
| Gurnihal Singh Garcha, Ayush Rudraraju, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka | Skeet Men Junior Team |
| Winners | Event |
|---|---|
| Arjun Singh Cheema | 10m Air Pistol Men Junior |
| Gaurav Rana | 50m Pistol Men Junior |
| Gurnihal Singh Garcha | Skeet Men Junior |
| Shreya Agrawal | 10m Air Rifle Women Junior |
| Ankur Mittal, Asab Mohd, Shardul Vihan | Double Trap Men Team |
| Shreya Agrawal, Divyansh Singh Panwar | 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior Team |
| Abhidnya Ashok Patil, Saurabh Chaudhary | 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Junior Team |
On 15th September 2018, India lost to Maldives in the final and Maldives won the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Cup 2018, at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Key Highlights:
- Maldives defeated India 2-1 in the final and won the SAFF Cup 2018 for the second time. Earlier, they had won the cup in 2008 edition, which they had co-hosted.
- Indian team had won the SAFF cup seven times earlier. Stephan Constantine was the coach of the Indian team. Captain of the Indian team was Subhashish Bose.
Static GK:
- South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Founded :1997
- President : Kazi Salahuddin
Awards
PNB bagged Hindi implementation award “Rajbhasha Kirti”
Key Highlights:
- On September 14, 2018, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presented “Rajbhasha Kirti” award to Punjab National Bank on the occasion of Hindi Divas.
- It received the award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-18.
- It was under the category of ‘Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions in Region A’
Static GK:
- Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi.
- MD& CEO: Shri Sunil Mehta.
Books
On 14th September 2018, the book “Kashi: Secret of the Black Temple” written by Vineet Bajpai was launched in New Delhi
Key Highlights:
- The book was launched by BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and former Chief Election Commissioner of India Navin Chawla.
- This is the 3rd book of Vineet Bajpai’s Harappa trilogy. The first two books are “Harappa, Curse of the Blood River and Pralay, The Great Deluge.
- The book delivers the story of a lost civilization. All the three books of the series were published by Vineet Bajpai’s TreeShade Books publishing platform.
- Audible, an Amazon company, has bought the audio rights of the Harappa series.
Science
On September 15, 2018, NASA launched it’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESAT-2) successfully from California on United Launch Alliance’s final Delta II rocket
Key Highlights:
- To estimate the annual height change of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to within four millimeters.
- It will be orbiting the globe, from pole to pole, at 17,069 mph from an average altitude of 290 miles.
- It carries a single instrument, the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) that would help in gathering data for the mission.
Obituary
On 16th September 2018, former Union petroleum minister Satya Prakash Malaviya passed away after fighting prostate cancer in Delhi
Key Highlights:
- Satya Prakash Malviya was 84 years old. He was born at Malviyanagar in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
- Initially, he started his political career as a member of Praja Socialist Party. Later, he joined the Congress. He was jailed for 18 months during the Emergency.
- He was a former Union petroleum minister. He was also environment minister in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet.