15th August 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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National Affairs

• Nation celebrates 69th Independence Day today.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort.
• Here are some Important announcements made by him during his Independence Day address:
• 18,500 villages which still remain without power to be provided electricity in the next 1,000 days.
• Government to club 44 labour laws into four codes to simplify them for the people.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana launched with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore.
• Ministry of Agriculture would be renamed as the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
  
• A "Start-Up India" initiative to encourage entrepreneurship among the youth.
• One-Rank, One-Pension accepted "in-principle". Modalities being worked out with stakeholders.
• Boost to financial inclusion with 17 crore bank accounts opened through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
• Scheme for direct transfer of LPG subsidy has resulted in savings of Rs. 15,000 crore.
• Promise of toilets in all schools had been almost fulfilled  with the cooperation of states.
• Corruption cases probed by CBI have gone up from 800 before NDA government assumed office to 1800 now.
• Each of  1.25 lakh bank branches should encourage at least one Dalit or adivasi entrepreneur and at least one woman entrepreneur.
• A house and access to basic services like electricity to all by 2022.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has launched the official twitter account of Taj Mahal ("@TajMahal"), on Independence Day.
• Taj Mahal becomes first historical monument to have an official Twitter handle.

Awards & Honors

• President Pranab Mukherjee has approved 67 Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary Forces.
• These Awards includes Two Kirti Chakras, 10 Shaurya Chakras, and 49 Gallantry Medals.
• Naib Subedar Rajesh Kumar who sacrificed his life while fighting with terrorists in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir has been posthumously awarded the second highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra.
• Shaurya Chakra awardee Lieutenant Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam of the 21 Parachute Regiment, who led a group of Indian soldiers for the raid in the aftermath of the Manipur ambush in June has been awarded the Kirti Chakra.
• Kirthi Charka Awardees
• Shri Nectar Sanjenbam
• Shri Rajesh Kumar (Posthumous)
• Shaurya Chakra
• Shri Munindra Nath Rai(Posthumous)
• Shri Maj Tanuj Grover
• Shri Varun Kumar Singh
• Shri Man bahadur Chhetri
• Shri Milind Mohan Mokashi
• Shri Sandeep Singh
• Shri Mohd Shafi Sheikh (Posthumous)
• Shri Reyaz Ahmad (Posthumous)
• Shri Hira Kumar Jha (Posthumous)

Sports

• Saina Nehwal reaches her maiden World Badminton Championships final by beating Lindaweni Fanetri in semis. 
• This win assures her Silver Medal.
• Sania Mirza's name was officially approved for the coveted Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, becoming only the second tennis player to be nominated for the highest sporting honour.
• The government also named the winners of the 2015 Arjuna Awards. 
• The list has 17 sports-persons including cricketer Rohit Sharma and shooter Jitu Rai.
• P R Sreejesh (hockey), 
• Dipa Karmakar (gymnastics), 
• Jitu Rai (shooting), 
• Sandeep Kumar (archery), 
• Mandeep Jangra (boxing), 
• Babita (wrestling), 
• Bajrang (wrestling), 
• Rohit Sharma (cricket), 
• K Srikanth (badminton), 
• Swarn Singh Virk (rowing), 
• Satish Sivalingam (weightlifting), 
• Yumnam Santhoi Devi (wushu), 
• Sharath Gaekwad (para-sailing), 
• M R Poovamma (athletics), 
• Manjeet Chhillar (kabaddi), 
• Abhilasha Mhatre (kabaddi), 
• Anup Kumar Yama (rollerskating).
• Archer Abhishek Verma gave India a perfect Independence Day gift by clinching the Gold medal in the Compound men's individual section to open their account in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 today.

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