NABARD Sanctions Rs772 crore For Water Projects in Haryana

According to the state Minister for Public Health Engineering Banwari Lal, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 772 crore for eight water projects in the rural areas of Haryana. 
Works on these projects, which will supply water to 256 villages and 72 hamlets, are in progress. The state government has sent three more project proposals, costing Rs 236.85 crore, to NABARD for financial assistance.
Source- Business Standard

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

  • NABARD Chairman- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Headquarters- Mumbai, Established on- 12 July 1982. 

Logo and Tagline For Geographical Indications Launched

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu launched a logo and tagline for Geographical Indications (GI) to increase awareness about intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the country. The slogan for the GI tag is- ‘Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India’. 
A GI product is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. 
Source- The Hindu

Apple Becomes 1st US-Based Company With Market Value of $1 trillion

Apple Inc. became the first US-based company with a market value of $1 trillion, four decades after it was co-founded by Steve Jobs in a Silicon Valley garage. The consumer-technology giant briefly touched the milestone in New York, based on share count data the company disclosed in a recent regulatory filing. 
PetroChina Co. briefly crossed that valuation in late 2007 but slumped quickly as oil prices collapsed in the financial crisis. Since its inception in 1976, Apple has consistently re-imagined what a computer can be and defined how humans interact with devices and software. 

Source- The Livemint

NITI Aayog Launches Global Mobility Hackathon ‘Move Hack’

NITI Aayog has launched Move Hack, a global mobility hackathon to crowdsource solutions aimed at the future of mobility in India. Envisaged to be one of the largest hackathons globally, Move Hack is focused on 10 themes and structured over three legs: online, followed by Singapore leg, and the finals in New Delhi. 
MoveHack aims to bring about innovative, dynamic and scalable solutions to problems pertaining to mobility. The hackathon has a two-pronged campaign approach: 
(a) “Just Code It”
(b) “Just Solve It”
The winners will be announced during the Move Summit 2018, which is also organized by NITI Aayog in September 2018 in New Delhi. Awards for the hackathon include recognizing top 10 winners, with total prize of more than Rs. 2 crores. 

Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 
  • NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.
  • NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.

Ballistic Missile Interceptor AAD Successfully Flight Tested

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the successful test of the Ballistic Missile Interceptor Advanced Area Defence (AAD) from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The endo-atmospheric missile, capable of intercepting incoming targets at an altitude of 15 to 25 kms was launched against multiple simulated targets of 1500 km class ballistic missile. 
All the mission objectives were successfully met. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, witnessed the flight test along with other senior officials. 
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 
  • Sanjay Mitra (Present Defence Secretary) is the present Chairman of DRDO.
  • DRDO Headquarters in New Delhi. 

World Junior Squash Championships 2018 Concludes in Chennai

World Junior Squash Championships 2018 was held in Chennai, India. A total of 171 players including 116 men and 55 women from 28 countries took part in the World Junior Squash Championship. Cyrus Poncha was the tournament director.

The individuals event for men and women are held every year since 2009. The team event is biennial. Egypt national junior squash team defeated England 2-0 in the final and emerged as the 2018 World Junior Squash Champions. India finished in 11th position. 

List of Winners: 
S.No. Event Winner Runner-up
1. Men’s Individual Mostafa Asal (Egypt) Marwan Tarek (Egypt)
2. Women’s Individual Rowan Elaraby (Egypt) Hania El Hammamy(Egypt)
3. Men’s Team Egypt England

Lewis Hamilton Wins 6th Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Hungarian Grand Prix for the 6th time, at the Hungaroring circuit, in Hungary. This is the 67th career victory for Lewis Hamilton. 
Daniel Ricciardo was named Driver of the Day by Formula One for finishing at fourth position after starting from the 12th position. Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished second in the race. 
Source- BBC News

Rajasthan 1st State to Implement Biofuel Policy

Rajasthan has become the first State in the country to implement the national policy on biofuels unveiled by the Centre this year. The desert State will lay emphasis on increasing production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources. 
The policy on biofuels seeks to help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in an economic manner and reduce the country’s oil import dependence. 
Source- The Hindu

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 
  • Rajasthan CM- Vasundhara Raje, Governor- Kalyan Singh. 

NITI Aayog To Host Investors’ Conference For Development of Islands

NITI Aayog will host an Investors’ Conference at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra for the Holistic Development of Islands. The Conference will be inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. It will attract investment for the sustainable development of eco-tourism projects in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. 
The 11 anchor tourism projects are proposed to be implemented with private sector participation under suitable risk-sharing model and through open-competitive bidding.
Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB) 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

  • NITI- National Institution for Transforming India.
  • NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman- Rajiv Kumar, CEO- Amitabh Kant.

IWAI Launches Dedicated Portal FOCAL For Cargo Owners And Shippers

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a dedicated portal to connect cargo owners and shippers with real-time data on the availability of vessels. The portal has been named as the Forum of Cargo Owners and Logistics Operators (FOCAL) and it will facilitate responses from the logistics operators against the requirement raised by cargo owners and vice-versa.
It has been designed and developed by the in-house IT Department and the traffic wing of IWAI as part of its preparedness for optimal use of its ongoing capacity development on various National Waterways.
Source- The Hindu Business Line
Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 
  •  Nutan Guha Biswas is the chairperson of IWAI.