CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 2018

India's first biofuel-powered flight
From: Dehradun to Delhi
Operated by: Spicejet Airlines
Fuel developed by Dehradun-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum
Biofuel composition: Mix of the oil extracted from the seeds of Jatropha plant and aviation turbine fuel

Neta App
Purpose: To rate and review political representatives.
Launched by: Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India
Developed by: Pratham Mittal of Outgrow.co
Platforms: Android, iOS
Languages available: 16


3rd Indian Ocean Conference
Venue: Hanoi (Vietnam)
Dates: 27 and 28 August 2018
Chairperson: Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, PM of Sri Lanka
Inaugurated by: Smt Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India
Theme: Building Regional Architectures


6th International Buddhist Conclave 2018
Venue: Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi and Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
Dates: 23 to 26 Aug 2018
Points to remember
1. The launch of the website: indiathelandofbuddha.in
2. A ministerial-level delegation from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are participating in the conclave.
3. Delegates from 25 other countries are also participating in the conclave
4. Delegates would be taken for site visits to Aurangabad, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and Sarnath.
5. Partner country for the conclave: Japan
6. Theme: Buddha Path – The Living Heritage

Kofi Annan - 7th UN Secretary-General
Date of Birth: 08 April 1938
Date of Death: 18 August
2018 UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006
Nationality: Ghana
Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 along with UNO


Test firing of HeliNa
HeliNa - Helicopter launched Anti-tank Guided Missile
HeliNa is a helicopter launched version of anti-tank missile Nag developed by DRDO
Range - 7 to 8 km
Test fired at - Pokhran, Rajasthan
Test fired from - HAL built helicopter Rudra


11th World Hindi Conference
Dates: 18 to 20 Aug 2018
Venue: Mauritius
Inaugurated by: Mauritius PM Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
Theme: Hindi Vishwa Aur Bharatiya Sanskriti

Ease of Living Index
Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 13th August 2018
An assessment carried out by - M/s IPSOS Research Private Limited in consortium with M/s Athena Infonomics India Private Limited and Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
Total number of cities studied - 111
Top 5 cities - 1. Pune; 2. Navi Mumbai; 3. Greater Mumbai; 4. Tirupati; 5. Chandigarh
Bottom 5 cities - 107. Bhagalpur; 108. Bihar Sharif; 109. Patna; 110. Kohima; 111. Rampur


Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Born: 25 December 1924
Death: 16 August 2018
Prime Minister of India from 16.05.96 to 01.06.96;
19.03.98 to 10.10.99;
10.10.99 to 22.05.2004
Minister of External Affairs: 26.03.1977 to 28.07.1979
Birth Place: Gwalior
AWARDS: Bharat Ratna: 2015; 
Padma Vibhushan: 1992; 
Outstanding Parliamentarian Award: 1994; 
Bangladesh Liberation War Honour: 2015
Events during his tenure as the PM of India:
1. 2nd Nuclear Test named Smiling Buddha carried out by India at Pokhran in May 1998
2. Historic Delhi - Lahore bus service was started in February 1999
3. Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan took place from May to July 1999
4. Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked and India had to return Masood Azhar and other terrorists in exchange for passengers.
5. The terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament took place on 13 Dec 2001
6. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan were launched.


The launch of Parker Solar Probe
Launched by: NASA
Launched on: 11 August 2018
Launched from: Cape Canaveral
Launch Vehicle: Delta IV-Heavy with Upper Stage
Purpose: To probe the outer corona of the Sun. It will be the first spacecraft to fly into the low corona. It will fly as close as 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface.


Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha - Election
NDA Candidate: Harivansh Narayan Singh (won - 125 votes).
Joint opposition candidate - BK Hariprasad (lost - 105 votes).
Former Dy Chairperson: Prof PJ Kurien


Important Days of August
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 09 August 2018
Designated by: United Nations General Assembly
First observed: 1995
Theme: Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement

International Youth Day: 12 August 2018
Designated by: United Nations General Assembly
First observed: 2000
Theme: Safe Space for Youth

World Elephant Day: 12 August 2018
Designated by: Patricia Sims and Elephant Reintroduction Programme of Thailand
First observed: 2012
Theme: Bringing the world together to help elephants

World Humanitarian Day: 19 August 2018
Designated by: United Nations General Assembly
First observed: 2009
Theme: #NotATarget

International Day against Nuclear Tests: 29 August 2018
Designated by: United Nations General Assembly
First observed: 2010

International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances: 30 August 2018
Designated by: United Nations General Assembly
First observed: 2011

Outstanding Parliamentarian Award 2013-17
Outstanding Parliamentarian Awards for the years 2013 to 17 were presented by the President on 01 August 2018.
2013 - Smt Najma Heptullah
2014 - Shri Hukmdev Narayan Yadav.
2015 - Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad.
2016 - Shri Dinesh Trivedi.
2017 - Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab.

New Governors (wef 23.08.2018)
Jammu and Kashmir: Shri Satya Pal Malik
Bihar: Shri Lalji Tandon.
Tripura: Shri Kaptan Singh Solanki
Haryana: Shri Satyadev Narayan Arya
Meghalaya: Shri Tathagata Roy
Sikkim: Shri Ganga Prasad
Uttarakhand: Smt Baby Rani Maurya