RBI tightens norms for Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

  • The RBI revised its norms for the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) by making quoting of PAN mandatory even for transactions below USD 25,000.
  • A system for daily reporting of individual transactions under the LRS by banks was been put in place. This makes it easier for banks to know how much remittance has been sent by an individual in a financial year.

Pakistan has more nuclear warheads than India, according to SIPRI data

  • Pakistan continues to be ahead of India when it comes to nuclear warheads, according to the latest data from the SIPRI.
  • SIPRI stands for Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and is a Swedish institution dedicated to research conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
  • According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2018, India has a total of 130 to 140 warheads, while Pakistan has about 140 to 150 warheads.
  • China has about double that of India (280 warheads).
  • The nation that tops the ranking is Russia (6,850 warheads), followed by the USA (6,450), France (300), China, and the UK (215).

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is richest man in the world: Forbes World’s Billionaires list

  • Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world.
  • He has a net worth of $141.9 billion, according to the Forbes World’s Billionaires list.
  • Jeff Bezos’ wealth has grown by more than $5 billion since June 1.
  • He is ahead of Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who is the second-richest man in the world with a net worth of $92.9 billion.
  • Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors in the world, is in the third place with a total wealth of $82.2 billion.
  • Amazon grew into the second most valuable company in the world, behind Tim Cook’s Apple.

Anukreethy Vas crowned Femina Miss India 2018

  • Anukreethy Vas, a 19-year-old Tamil Nadu college student, has been crowned Femina Miss India 2018.
  • The pageant was hosted by Karan Johar and actor Ayushmann Kurrana.
  • Meenakshi Chaudhary from Haryana was crowned first runner-up, while Shreya Rao Kamavarapu from Andhra Pradesh won the second runner-up spot.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launches National Digital Library in New Delhi

  • Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the ‘National Digital Library of India’ in New Delhi on the occasion of National Reading Day.
  • The National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is the new digital initiative of the HRD Ministry.
  • It is a digital repository containing textbooks, articles, videos, audio books, lectures, simulations, fiction and all other kinds of learning media.
  • The objective of NDL is to make digital educational resources available to all citizens of the country to empower, inspire and encourage learning.
  • The National Digital Library of India is developed by IIT Kharagpur.
  • The NDLI can be accessed online at ndl.iitkgp.ac.in, and the NDLI app is also available for iPhone and Android users.

Kaiga nuclear plant sets new record for continuous operation

  • The first 220 MW unit of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at Kaiga in Karnataka has set a new record of operating for 766 days continuously.
  • Unit 1 of Kaiga Generating Station (KGS) surpassed the earlier record of 765 days set by Unit 5 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) in 2014.
  • KGS-1 now stands second in the world among Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and fourth among all nuclear power reactors in terms of continuous operation.
  • The indigenously-designed reactor has been operating continuously since May 13th, 2016 and is powered by domestic fuel.
  • The unit first started its commercial operations on November 16th, 2000.

USA withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

  • The USA has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council.
  • US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, announced this news, accusing the council of bias against US ally Israel.
  • This is the first time that a member has voluntarily left the UNHRC in its 12-year history.
  • Libya was thrown out after a vote from the General Assembly in 2011.

5th National Standards Conclave held in New Delhi

  • The 5th National Standards Conclave - Implementing the Indian National Strategy for Standardization was held in New Delhi.
  • It was organized by Department of Commerce and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
  • Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry said that unless products are standardised it becomes difficult to market them. Standardisation boosts both exports as well as domestic economic growth.

More on Current Affairs

To stay up to date with current affairs and to test your general knowledge, check out our latest Current Affairs quiz.