Daily Current Affairs, 15th August 2018

1) NITI Aayog Launches 'Pitch To MOVE'

•NITI Aayog has launched “Pitch to MOVE” - a mobility pitch competition that aims to provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a distinguished jury. Startups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments. 

•Winners of the event will be felicitated by PM during the Global Mobility Summit. Pitch to MOVE aims to identify and incentivise the startups, which will help the Government realize its vision of Shared, Connected, Intermodal and Environment-Friendly Mobility for India. 

2) PM Modi Announces Launch Of World’s Largest Healthcare Insurance On Independence Day

•With an aim to provide country’s poor access to quality and affordable healthcare, government on announced the launch of Ayushman Bharat (now Jan Aarogya Abhiyan) on September 25, covering 50 crore people. Nearly 10 crore families will get health cover worth Rs 5 lakh each year under the scheme. 

•The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections. The world’s largest healthcare cover plan that covers 10 crore families provides 5 lakh cover to them each year. The scheme has, of late, become popular as ‘Modicare’.

3) India Releases 470 Million Nepali Rupees Grant For Terai Roads Project In Nepal

•The Government of India has released 470 million Nepali rupees grant for Terai roads project in Nepal. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri handed over a cheque of grant to Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport of Nepal, Madhusudan Adhikari in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

•The amount has been released to maintain fund liquidity for the ongoing construction of 14 road packages under Postal Highway Project. With this payment, 2.35 billion Nepali rupees have been released so far out of total grant assistance of 8 billion Nepali rupees committed by the Government of India for implementing 14 packages under Postal Highway Project. 

4) Rifleman Aurangzeb, Major Aditya Kumar To Conferred Shaurya Chakra

•Rifleman Aurangzeb and Major Aditya Kumar of Indian Army will be conferred the Shaurya Chakra along with 18 others Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary Forces. Aurangzeb, who has been selected posthumously, was abducted and later killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. 

•Besides, Sepoy Vrahma Pal Singh will be awarded with Kirti Chakra posthumously. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved these names on the eve of Independence Day along with three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 93 Sena Medals (Gallantry) and, 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry). 

•The President also conferred Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) to Group Captain Abhishek Sharma, Squadron Leader Vernon Desmond Keane and Sergeant Shashidhar P Prasad. 

5) Film Actor Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador For Road Safety Campaigns

•Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari launched three short films for generating public awareness towards road safety. 

•Film actor Shri Akshay Kumar has featured in these films, which are directed by Shri R.Balki. Mr Gadkari announced the appointment of Shri Akshay Kumar as Road Safety Brand Ambassador.