9th August 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Singapore is commemorating 50 years since it became an independent state.
• Singapore became a republic on 9th August 1965, when it was ejected from the Malaysian federation following a stormy two-year union.
• Currency : Singapore dollar (SGD)
• President : Tony Tan
• Prime Minister : Lee Hsien Loong
• Today (9th August) is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
• This day is observed to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
  
• It was first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994, marking the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in 1982.
• Theme (2005-2015) - "A Decade for Action and Dignity"

National Affairs

• Today is the 73rd Anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
• On this day in 1942 Mahatma Gandhi launched a mass protest demanding what he called "an orderly British withdrawal" from India.
• Gandhiji gave a slogan of ‘Do or Die’. 
• The Quit India Movement created an electrifying atmosphere in the country and culminated in achievement of Independence after five years.
• The Government has decided that Aadhaar enrolment of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) should be eventually allowed to help them authenticate their identity digitally.
• At present, all residents including Indian national and foreigners with valid visas can be enrolled and provided Aadhaar number by the UIDAI.
• Under the Aadhaar project, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is providing a unique identity numbers to residents, which can be digitally verified using the database.
• The Maharashtra government has declared the area along Thane Creek as Flamingo Sanctuary, which will be spread over an area of 1,690 hectares, including 896 hectares of mangroves and 794 hectares of adjacent water body.
• This will be Maharashtra state’s second marine sanctuary after Malvan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Science & Technology

• The government has announced the first 56-km stretch of the much-awaited Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project would be commissioned in Bihar in March next year. 
• The stretch between Durgawati and Sasaram will be completed and commissioned by the end of the current financial year.

New Appointments

• Indian-American Atul Keshap has been confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• He became the second Indian-origin diplomat to be posted to the region after Richard Rahul Verma (US ambassador to India).

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