Current Affairs - August 11, 2017 Current Affairs

The Lok Sabha passed the bill to repeal the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act 1959, State Bank of Hyderabad Act 1956 and to further amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955, following the merger of five associates with the parent SBI.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off mobile therapy vans which would provide basic medical assistance to elderly people, widows and other section who requires social security. The CM flagged off mobile therapy vans to launch "Buniyadi Sanjivani Sewa". A total of 11 vans were send on the occasion to as many districts. The vans equipped with basic medical apparatus and accompanied by technical team would provide basic medical care to elderly people, widows and disabled in the districts.

Softbank fund invests one of its largest shareholders Flipkart Group (Flipkart) India's leading e-commerce marketplace announced an investment a mix of primary and secondary capital from SoftBank Vision Fund (Vision Fund), the world's largest technology focused investment fund. This is the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company and will make the Vision Fund one of the largest shareholders in Flipkart.

Delhi will have the fastest growth of any city in Asia, with the economy to be almost 50 percent larger in 2021 than it was at the end of last year. Indian cities are set to expand the most across the region, with growth speeding up from the past 5 years, according to a new study from Oxford Economics, which ranked Asia's 30 largest cities.

Facebook launched Youtube competitor called 'Watch' recently. Watch is a platform for all creators and publishers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work. In the first phase "Watch'' will be introduced to a limited group of people in the US and plan to bring the experience to more people soon.

Jet Airways said Vinay Dube has joined as its chief executive officer after receipt of all requisite government and regulatory approvals. Dube has served in various roles at Delta Airlines, Sabre Inc and American Airlines in the USA, Europe and Asia. His appointment was approved by the airline's board of directors on May 30. Jet Airways has been without a full-time CEO since Cramer Ball quit in February 2016.

Upendra Kushwaha, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, has launched the NCERT's Web portal for supply of textbooks to schools and individuals at a function in New Delhi on August 9, 2017. The portal will ensure better distribution of textbooks across the country and address the concerns of schools and parents, regarding unavailability of textbooks. The Web Portal can be accessed at www.ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in. The schools will be able to log on to the portal, by entering their respective Boards' affiliation numbers and other details, till 8th of next month for placing their orders for the session 2018-19.

Davinder Singh Kang became the first Indian to qualify for the final round of the javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships, the 26-year-old athlete from Punjab was under pressure to touch the 83m in his final attempt and he was the last man to take the throw. He did it in style by sending the spear beyond the qualification mark to the huge relief of the Indian camp. Thirteen throwers -- five from Group A and seven from Group B crossed the automatic qualification mark of 83m and all of them will compete in the final round on August 12.

World Renowned facial plastic surgeon Dr. Debraj Shome has been awarded with the prestigious 'Indian of the Year' award at the 8th Annual India Leadership Conclave & Indian Affairs Business Leadership Awards 2017. The awards are given to individuals and companies who have achieved stellar heights of success in their chosen fields while having the courage to tread on the unknown path of innovation. Dr. Debraj Shome has been awarded with the 'Indian of the Year' for 2017, for reaching remarkable heights of success in facial plastic and cosmetic surgery and research.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed an interim ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which are less than 50 microns in the entire national level. They issued a fine of fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone found in possession of non-bio degradable plastic bags less than 50 microns, which is the thickness of a human hair.

The Multi Commodity Exchange Limited (MCX), the country's largest commodity exchange has received capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) approval to launch options trading in gold. It will allow investors and hedgers to minimize their price risk at a fraction of the cost compared to currently available futures trading.

Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey launched a video of the National Anthem in sign language and addressed the physically challenged as "divyang" and not "viklang" to ensure there was no distinction. The 3.35-minute video, directed by Govind Nihalani, stars Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, along with physically challenged children performing the anthem in sign language, with the Red Fort in the background.

Real Madrid, a professional football club of Spain, has won the 2017 UEFA Super Cup football tournament by defeating Manchester United in the final by 2-1 at the Philip II Arena in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 8, 2017. It is their 4th UEFA Super Cup title.