Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 08 July 2018

::NATIONAL::

The Minister of HRD ,ShriPrakashJavadekar has said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has started its work and will be conducting various entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions from next academic sessions onwards.
He said that the NTA will bring qualitative difference in the examination process by its focus on research and scientific test design using services of Experts, Researchers, Statisticians, Psychometricians, Test Item Writers and Education Specialists.
He also informed that the examinations for all candidates will be conducted in computer based mode only (Starting from next exam UGC-NET exam). He further informed that these examinations will use highly secured IT software and encryption to ensure delivery of tests just in time. This will ensure no leakages and other malpractices.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced on July 4 that all government employees would have to take an annual test to confirm that they are drug-free. The move will make Punjab the first State to conduct a dope test, including on police personnel.
Mr. Singh ordered the tests, done free of cost, on all government employees, applicable from recruitment through every stage of service.
In the last year alone, the State government arrested 18,977 drug peddlers and treated over two lakh drug-dependent individuals. Over 3,900 convicts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and 5,610 undertrials are in prison.

The operation has begun to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach who will need to dive out of the flooded Thai cave where they have been trapped for more than two weeks, with officials saying Sunday morning that “today is D-Day.”
Chiang Rai acting Gov. NarongsakOsatanakorn said 13 foreign and five Thai divers were taking part in the rescue and two divers will accompany each boy as they are gradually extracted. The operation began at 10 a.m. and he said it would take at least 11 hours for the first person to be rescued.
The only way to bring them out of ThamLuang Nang Non in Chiang Rai province is by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents, as well as oxygen-depleted air.

This will see an EU-U.K. Free Trade Area and Britain remaining closely aligned to the EU’s single market on agriculture and goods via a “common rule book,” though the services sector will be excluded.
Britain is still set to leave the EU on March 29 next year. On Saturday, the Prime Minister further elaborated her position that would include ending free movement, ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and exiting the EU’s common agricultural and fisheries policies.
The agreement followed a summit at the Prime Minister’s country retreat, Chequers, ahead of which tensions ran high, as members of the Cabinet remained deadlocked over what Britain’s future negotiating strategy should be to enable talks with EU leaders to continue and to allay concerns of business.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the licence of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when their claims accrue, among other reasons.
The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Rajasthan has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank,” the RBI said in a statement

In a move which can be seen as part two of the government’s flagship Jan DhanYojana for financial inclusion, the Department of Posts plans to build on its life insurance offerings that would be spun off as a separate unit.
The schemes, Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI), were earlier available only for government sector employees.
The government expanded the scheme to include professionals such as doctors, engineers, management consultants, chartered accountants, architects, lawyers and bankers, and to employees of listed companies.
As on March 31, 2017, there were 46.8 lakh PLI and 146.8 lakh RPLI policies taken across the country. The Minister added that the Life Insurance Fund (AssestUnder Management) increased 2.5 times for the schemes from ₹25,856 crore in March 2014 to ₹66,905crore in March 2018.

Squash player DipikaPallikal has been appointed as Asia’s representative in the prestigious Athletes Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
The Indian Olympic Association/ CGA India had proposed the name of Dipika to represent Asia in the CGFAAC.
The CGF Athletes Advisory Commission was proposed in August 2017 and had reached out to all 71 member Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to nominate an athlete with the potential to serve the Athletes Commission.
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