9th August 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Today (9th August) is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
• This day is observed every year to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
• 2016 Theme : Indigenous Peoples' Right to Education
• Bhutan is the world's first carbon negative country, meaning that the country's forests absorb more carbon dioxide each year than it produces. 
• Around 72% of its land is under forest cover due to Bhutan's strong environment protection policies. 
  
• Important Note : Bhutan is also the world's only country to use gross national happiness to measure its growth.

National Affairs

• Today is Kranti Diwas (Quit India Day). 
• This day observes the 74th anniversary of the Quit India movement. 
• On this occasion, the Maharashtra government has launched a fortnight-long movement called ‘Quit India 2 - from Swaraaj to Suraaj’. 
• The movement aims at freedom from illiteracy, farmer suicides, water wastage, addiction, and corruption. 
• 'Motorcycle ambulance' is an initiative currently functional in Chhattisgarh, which helps save lives in remote regions in India where four-wheelers can't reach. 
• The concept is known to be effective in saving lives where people die due to lack of medical attention on time. 
• The initiative by NGO Saathi is supported by UNICEF and the Chhattisgarh Health Department.
• Human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila (44) today ended her 16-year-long fast against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 and was granted bail by an Imphal court on ₹10,000 personal bond. 
• Popularly known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur,” Sharmila demanded the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur.  
• Important Note : Her 16-year long fast, which had started in 2000, is the longest hunger strike in the world. 
• The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013, seeking to provide better health care for people suffering from mental illnesses was unanimously passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha today. 
• The Bill, providing for protection and promotion of rights of persons with such illnesses, had 134 official amendments. 
• This bill decriminalises suicide bid. 
• As per the bill, a person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to be suffering from mental illness at the time of attempting suicide. 
• Note : As of now, suicide bid is considered an offence under IPC section 309.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a theme song for Tiranga Yatra.
•  The theme song 70 Saal Azadi Yaad Karo Kurbani has been composed by Dr. Ghazal Srinivas.  
• About Tiranga Yatra :
• This yatra is going to be organised from 16 to 23 August 2016 across the country to mark 70 years of Independence Day.

Business & Economy

• Amsterdam-based human resource consulting firm Randstad Holdings today announced that it is going acquire job portal Monster Worldwide for $429 million in cash. 
• Note : After this acquisition, Monster will keep its brand name and will operate as a separate entity.

Awards & Honors

• Nita Ambani, India’s first female member of the International Olympic Committee, became the country’s first woman to award medals at an Olympic prize distribution ceremony. 
• Ambani gave away medals to winners of the women’s 400-metre freestyle swimming event today. 
• Note : Ambani was elected to the IOC on August 4, and will remain a member till she turns 70.

Business & Economy

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today announced bi-monthly monetary policy review.
• In this review, the RBI kept the rates unchanged. 
• Important Note : This is outgoing Governor Raghuram Rajan's last monetary policy review meeting.
• Mumbai-born Chetna Gala Sinha, an economist-turned-farmer, had founded India’s first rural financial institution for women, called the ‘Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank’ in 1997. 
• The bank offers financial assistance to women, invests in developing rural infrastructure and asset-building, floats projects to rejuvenate local traditional skills, and offers training for skill upgradation.
• The Uttar Pradesh government today increased the House Rent Allowances (HRA) of government employees by 20%. 
• The move will reportedly benefit over 14.5 lakh employees and create an additional annual burden of ₹500 crore on the state exchequer. 
• The state government also made it compulsory for all government departments and institutions to purchase khadi fabric from Gandhi Ashram.
• The board of HDFC today approved the merger of Max Life and Max Financial Services with its insurance arm HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company.
• This move will create the largest private sector life insurer in India. 
• With assets under management of over ₹1 lakh crore, the merged entity's relative valuation is expected to be over ₹65,000 crore, as per reports.

Places in News

• Mumbai has been named the most expensive city in India for travellers but the second least expensive city in the world after Hanoi in Vietnam by TripAdvisor. 
• Mumbai costs ₹38,444 for a three-night stay between June and September while New York City, ranked the most expensive city in the world, costs ₹1,24,201.
• India's first tiger cell will be set up in Dehradun to aid the tiger conservation efforts. 
• A collaboration between the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the cell will have a database of tigers with DNA samples from 50 Indian tiger reserves. 
• It will also keep track of poaching incidents and regularly update tiger numbers.

Deaths

• Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul (47) was found dead at his residence today.
• He allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. 
• The Congress leader had become the acting CM of the state in February this year. 
• Later in July, Pul had been removed from the CM's post after the Supreme Court reinstated the Nabam Tuki-led Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The 82-year-old Irish Catholic cleric Edward Daly, who became a symbol of world peace after the 'Bloody Sunday' massacre in Ireland, died battling cancer today. 
• Note : Images of Daly waving a bloodied white handkerchief as protesters tried to carry a wounded man to safety were circulated around the world in 1972 when 14 protestors were shot dead by British soldiers​.

General Knowledge

• The youngest confirmed Olympic medalist was Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras, who won a bronze medal in the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. 
• The gymnast was 10 years 218 days old at that time. 
• The novel 'Gadsby' does not contain the letter 'e' in over 50,000 words that make up the book. 
• The author Ernest Vincent Wright is known to have tied down the letter on his typewriter to avoid using it. 

Sports

• Indian archer Atanu Das qualified for the Round of 32 in the men’s individual archery recurve event in Rio de Janeiro today. 
• India wins the Men’s Hockey match against Argentina in the men's hockey at Rio Olympics by 2-1.
• Australian women became the first ever Olympic champions in the women's rugby sevens after they defeated New Zealand 24-17 in the gold medal match today. 
• Brazilian judoka Rafaela Silva won gold in women's judo at the 2016 Rio Games, claiming the first Olympic gold medal for the host country at the ongoing Games. 
• French midfielder Paul Pogba became the most expensive footballer after Manchester United agreed to sign him from Juventus for a world record fee of around $116 million (approximately ₹777 crore). 

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