Daily Current Affairs, 06th August 2018

1) Government Approves 122 New Research Projects Under ‘IMPRINT-2’ Scheme

•Government has approved 122 new research projects of 112 crore rupees under its Impacting Research Innovation and Technology ‘IMPRINT-2’ scheme. The initiative aims to advance research in energy, security and healthcare domains in the high education institutions. 

•According to Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, out of over two thousand proposals, 122 best proposals were selected for funding under IMPRINT-2. 

2) Defence Minister Launches Defence India Startup Challenge

•Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Defence India Startup Challenge in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The challenge was launched with a vision to build an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in defence sector and make India self-reliant for meeting defence requirements.

•Recognising the first set of incubators for these challenges the ministry has also signed an MoU with 5 incubators. IIM Ahmedabad, IIT Mumbai, Forge IIT Madras, and T hub who will work in tandem to provide solutions for defence requirements in Airforce, Navy and for Army.

3) ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meet Held In Singapore

•Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chaired the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Singapore. 

•The meeting emphasised the need for ASEAN countries to be united to avoid repercussions amid trade tensions between the United States and its long-time trading partners, including China, the EU and Canada. 

4) Mughalsarai Junction Renamed As Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction

•The iconic Mughalsarai Railway Junction in Uttar Pradesh has been renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction Railway station. BJP National President Amit Shah  inaugurated the renamed station. A goods train with an all-woman crew was also flagged off.  

•A smart yard project was also launched on the ocassion. The bi-weekly Ekatmata Express, train connecting Lucknow and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction was also flagged off.

5) Emmerson Mnangagwa Wins Zimbabwe's 1st Post-Mugabe Election

•Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa narrowly won the country’s landmark election in Zimbabwe.  He is a former ally of Robert Mugabe. 

•According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Mr Mnangagwa won 50.8% of the vote, ahead of Nelson Chamisa of the Opposition MDC party with 44.3%. 

6) UK Announces New Organ Donation Plan To Address Indian-Origin Shortages

•The UK government has announced new plans to change the law for organ and tissue donation to address the urgent need for organs within the Indian-origin communities in the country. The proposed new system of consent for organ and tissue donation is expected to come into effect in England in 2020, as part of a drive to help Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people desperately waiting for a life-saving transplant. 

•The announcement comes as a recent report called on the National Health Service (NHS) to take more proactive action to address the high death rate among Indian-origin people in Britain due to low levels of organ donation within the community. 

7) Japan Pips China To Become World's 2nd Largest Stock Market

•Japan has pipped China as the world's number two stock market, according to a Bloomberg report. At one of the time, the Chinese market was worth $6.09 trillion next to Japan's $6.17 trillion. 

•Both markets are ranked after the US which is the world's largest at just over $31 trillion. China lost to Japan after Chinese stocks and currency fell this year amid a trade spat with the US. 

8) Netherlands Wins Women's Hockey World Cup 2018

•In Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018, the Netherlands has been crowned the world champions for a record eighth time. The defending champions recorded a stunning 6-0 victory over Ireland in the summit clash at London, UK to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 32 matches. 

•Kitty van Male, who was among the six different goal scorers, finished the tournament as the top scorer with eight goals. Spain won the third-place match by beating Australia to claim their first ever World Cup medal. India finished the tournament at the 8th spot.