India’s first cryptocurrency ATM installed in Bengaluru

  • In Bengaluru’s Kemp Fort Mall has been installed India’s first cryptocurrency ATM.
  • The ATM for deposit and withdrawal of money for cryptocurrencies is installed by virtual currency exchange Unocoin.
  • Users can deposit money into the ATM and buy currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
  • To withdraw money, a request has first to be made on the Unocoin website.

Muzaffarpur’s Shahi litchi gets GI tag

  • The Shahi litchi of North Bihar is the latest to have received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
  • It is the fourth product from the state – after the Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan – to be certified as a GI.
  • The Shahi litchi is mainly cultivated in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Vaishali, East Champaran and Begusarai, and the adjoining areas.
  • Scientists say that due to the high calcium content in the soil in these areas, the quality of the litchis grown here is better.

Khayyam picked for 2018 Hridaynath lifetime achievement Award

  • Music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, better known as ‘Khayyam’, has been named for this year’s Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement.
  • He is a National Award winner.
  • The Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement is instituted by the Hridayesh Arts and carries a cash prize of Rs 100,000 and a memento.
  • The award ceremony coincides with the 81st birthday of Hridaynath Mangeshkar, after whom it is named.

India, Japan armies to hold first ever joint exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ in Mizoram

  • India and Japan will hold the first-ever joint military exercise Dharma Guardian-2018 in Mizoram.
  • Dharma Guardian will involve the Indian Army and Japan Ground Self Defence Force.
  • The Indian contingent will be represented by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles, while the Japanese contingent will be represented by 32 Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force.

Govt to formulate gold policy to boost jewellery sector, create jobs

  • The government is expected to come out with a comprehensive gold policy to promote the metal industry and to boost the gems and jewellery sector.
  • The policy also aims at creating jobs in the gold sector.
  • The policy is expected to focus on promotion of the domestic gold industry and on the export of gems and jewellery.
  • In August NITI Aayog suggested that the government bring down import duty on gold from the existing level of 10%.
  • It also suggested slashing the GST rate on the precious metal from the current 3%.

Indian Railways to build metro coaches in Rae Bareilly using robots

  • For the first time, Indian Railways will manufacture metro rail coaches at its Rae Bareilly factory under the Make In India scheme.
  • The coaches will be manufactured by robots.
  • They will be on par with those being manufactured by Canadian firm Bombardier, which are currently used by metro trains in India.
  • They will be 40% cheaper than those procured from foreign countries such as China.
  • The coaches will have Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, and mobile charging outlets, among other facilities.

China to launch 3 artificial moons with mirrors to provide 24-hour sunlight

  • China is preparing to launch three artificial moons in space in 2022.
  • Each artificial or manmade moon will have a massive space mirror, which can reflect sunlight to the Earth.
  • The illumination intensity of the reflected sunlight is expected to be eight times that of moonlight.
  • The artificial moon will orbit within 500km from the Earth; in contrast, the moon orbits the Earth at about 380,000km.

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.