Daily Current Affairs, 14th August 2018

1) Chandrayaan-2 Lander To Be Named ‘Vikram’ After Sarabhai

•The lander on the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which is scheduled to be launched in January 2019 will be named‘Vikram’ after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space programme. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has got clearance from the space commission. 

•This mission, unlike Chandrayaan-1 which only orbited the Moon, involves a Lander soft-landing on the lunar surface and unloading a Rover to study and take measurements from the Moon, while the orbiter will go around the Earth’s satellite. 

2) Rajnath Singh Inaugurates NDMC Smart City Projects

•The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has rolled out the Smart City projects that will help New Delhi emerge as a world-class city. The projects are undertaken by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). 

•The various projects inaugurated by Rajnath Singh include Smart Poles, Solar Tree, Ideation Centre, 50 LED interactive screens, Ambedkar Vatika and various other things. He also launched MTNL’s hi-speed Broadband on Optical Fiber & Hi-Speed Wi-Fi in Connaught Place. 

3) Chhattisgarh, 1st State To Provide Right To Skills’ Development To Youth

•Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh announced that Chhattisgarh is the first among the 28 other states in the country to provide Right to Skills’ Development to the youth.

•The Chief Minister along with Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde flagged off fifteen Skill Chariots to launch the government’s project of ‘Skills on Wheels’ in the state.

•The chariots aimed at creating awareness regarding the project will tour 13 districts in the first phase and the rest 14 in the second phase. 

4) India’s 1st Genetic Bank For Wildlife Conservation Inaugurated In Hyderabad

•National Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) was inaugurated at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology’s (CCMB) Laboratory of Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) facility in Hyderabad, Telangana. 

•It is India’s first genetic resource bank where the genetic material will be stored for posterity which will further the cause of conservation of endangered and protected animals. 

5) India’s 1st Women SWAT Team Inducted In Delhi Police

•The Delhi Police inducted an all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, consisting of 36 commandos – the first ever by any police force in India – for anti-terrorist operations. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced the team. 

•The team will be deployed during the Independence Day celebrations. The elite women commandos, hailing from the north-eastern states, will be deployed at strategic locations for securing the Independence Day celebrations. 

6) Ease Of Living Index 2018: Pune Tops, Rampur At Bottom

•The Ease of Living Index 2018 was released by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with few most prominent cities failing to make a cut in the top 10. Of total 111 cities ranked under the index, Pune has been ranked first while Navi Mumbai has surfaced as the second preferred spot in terms of 'liveability'. 

•The Ease of Living Index is a government initiative to assess cities' 'liveability' with regards to global and national benchmarks and encourage them towards urban planning and management. All the cities have been ranked on the basis of four parameters viz. institutional, social, economic and physical. 

•Top 5 cities in the list are: 
1. Pune, 
2. Navi Mumbai,
3. Greater Mumbai,
4. Tirupati,
5. Chandigarh.

•Bottom 3 Cities in The List are: 
1. Rampur (111th),
2. Kohima (110th),
3. Patna (109th). 

7) SBI Ranked As India’s Most Patriotic Brand: Survey

•Country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is considered to be the most patriotic brand, according to a survey conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics firm YouGov, followed by Tata Motors, Patanjali, Reliance Jio and BSNL. Around 16% respondents ranked SBI to be the most patriotic brand overall, followed by Tata Motors and Patanjali with 8% each, and Reliance Jio and BSNL with 6% each.

•The survey, which covered 152 brands across 11 categories, is based on data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1,193 respondents in the country using its panel of an online representation of India. In the financial sector, SBI lead the chart with 47% respondents considering it to be the most patriotic brand, followed by LIC with 16%. 

8) Viraj Madappa Becomes Youngest Indian Golfer To Win Asian Tour Title

•Indian golfer Viraj Madappa became the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour, as he won his first title on the Asian Tour at Take Solutions Masters in Bengaluru. Viraj Madappa scored a total of 16-under 268 at the Asian Tour event. He is 20 years old.

•Earlier this record was held by Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Invitational when he was 21 years and three months old.