PM Modi arrives at BRICS conference site, Chinese President Chenfing welcomes welcome

CURRENT GK

1.PRESS COMMUNIQUE – President of India allocates portfolios of the Council of Ministers  :-

The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed the allocation of portfolios among the following members of the Union Council of Ministers:-

CABINET MINISTERS

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

MINISTERS OF STATE

2.Water signs for the first time on earth-shaped planets :-

Space scientists say that there may be enough water on some of our planet’s planets. These are also estimated to be life-friendly environments. These planets are present in the trappist-1 constellation, 40 light years away from the planet.

A team of international astronomers, with the help of NASA’s Hubble Telescope, estimated that there could be water on seven planets revolving around the constellation Trapist-1. Trapist-1 dwarf is the star.

In February this year, astronomers had announced the discovery of these seven planets. Along with this it was also known that in this constellation there are also the largest planets of the Earth.

3.PM Modi arrives at BRICS conference site, Chinese President Chenfing welcomes welcome :-

Chinese President Chenfing welcomed PM Narendra Modi on Monday to China to attend the 9th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Conference that started in China.

In addition to PM Modi, the host President also received formal reception of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michael Taymer and South African President Jacob Zuma, who attended the conference.

4.Those who delay the GST return will not have to pay a penalty of 200 rupees :-

The commodity and service tax (GST) Council has waived the penalty of 200 rupees per day for those who did not file GST return within deadlines. The government has made such a decision on the recommendation of GST Council.

However, such taxpayers will have to give interest on the deuce of their late payment. This information was given by the Finance Ministry on Saturday. Significantly, the last date for filing of the first return for the month of July was fixed August 25.

Giving the information through the tweet on Saturday, the Finance Ministry said, “For all those taxpayers who have not filed GST returns through the GST-3B form and those who had to pay their fees, they have been waived.

However, interest will be applicable to all taxpayers who have not been able to file their GST returns for July 25. ”

5.Prabhu out, Piyush in: Railways find a new helmsman :-

The outgoing Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, who resigned taking moral responsibility for recent train derailments, on Sunday defended the safety record of the Indian Railways even as Power Minister Piyush Goyal was announced as his successor.

“You people have a tendency to make sensational ideas,” Mr. Prabhu said, when asked if the portfolio was changed because he resigned.

“Over the period of last three years, (rail) accidents have declined. There has been a thrust on safety for the first time over three years.

Also, ₹1 lakh crore has been committed towards a safety fund which never happened in the past. If you take any five year period and compare with the last three years the number of accidents has gone down,” Mr. Prabhu, who took over as Commerce and Industry Minister, told the media.

6.India expresses concern at Nuclear Test conducted by DPRK :-

India has deplored the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK this morning.

A Press release by the Ministry of External Affairs said “It is a matter of deep concern that DPRK has once again acted in violation of its international commitments which goes against the objective of the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which has been endorsed by DPRK itself.

We call upon DPRK to refrain from such actions which adversely impact peace and stability in the region and beyond.

India also remains concerned about the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies which has adversely impacted India’s national security.”

7.Five banks of BRICS nations sign pact for credit lines : Report :-

Five banks of the BRICS Bank Cooperation Mechanism have agreed to establish credit lines in the national currencies and cooperate on credit ratings.

The agreement to this effect was signed yesterday ahead of the BRICS Summit in China’s Xiamen city.

Brazilian Development Bank, Vnesheconombank, Export-Import Bank of India, China Development Bank and Development Bank of South Africa signed the agreement in Beijing yesterday.

The Chinese official said the decision was taken in order to strengthen further cooperation.

The agreement on credit ratings enables them to share information about internal credit ratings and rating assessment.

Ahead of the BRICS summit, the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has approved 1.4 billion US dollar loans for sustainable development projects in India, Russia and China.

For India, the Bank has approved 470 million US dollars loan for Madhya Pradesh’s Multi-Village Rural Drinking Water Supply Scheme Project.

8.Nepal signs UN development assistance plan :-

Nepal has signed a USD 635 million UN assistance package for 2018-2022 to lay out the country’s development strategy for the next five years, officials said yesterday.

The package involving 26 individual UN agencies, spans interventions aimed at assisting in four broad areas: inclusive economic growth; social development; resilience, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; and governance, rule of law and human rights, according to a statement issued by the United Nations.

The National Planning Commission, apex advisory body of the Government of Nepal, and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Nepal signed the the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) yesterday.

The UNDAF lays out the development strategy for the UN Country Team for the next five years.

“We are pleased to be signing this framework with the United Nations in Nepal, it is broadly aligned without national priorities as envisioned by the Government of Nepal.

9.PM Modi urges secretaries to work for simplification of governance processes :-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged secretaries and joint secretaries serving in the Government to work towards simplification of governance processes.

Interacting with a group of over 90 additional secretaries and joint secretaries in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Modi said, well executed projects and schemes should serve as case studies, so that their success can be emulated.

Highlighting the current positive global environment in favour of India, the Prime Minister asked officers to work with clear objectives towards creating a New India by 2022.

During the interaction, officers shared their experiences on subjects such as governance, social welfare, tribal development, agriculture, horticulture, environment and forests, education, project implementation, urban development and transportation. This was the last of five such interactions.