23 August 2017 Current Affairs
NITI Aayog launches Mentor India Campaign
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has launched Mentor India Campaign, a strategic nation building initiative to engage leaders for guiding and mentoring students at Atal Tinkering Labs. The Mentor India Campaign aims at maximising the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs by engaging leaders who will nurture and guide students in the Atal Tinkering Labs. Under this initiative, NITI Aayog is looking for leaders who can spend one to two hours every week in one or more such labs to enable students learn, experience and practice future skills such as design and computational thinking.
Former Manipur CM Rishang Keishing passes away
Former Manipur Chief Minister and Veteran Congress leader Rishang Keishing passed away in Imphal following a brief illness. He was 96. He was freedom fighter and member of India’s first parliament (1952-57). He had served as the Chief Minister of Manipur for four terms from 1980 to 1988 and 1994 to 1997.
Nasikabatrachus bhupathi: New frog species with pig face discovered
Indian scientists have discovered Nasikabatrachus bhupathi, a new species of frog that has a snout-shaped nose, just like a pig in West Ghats. It has been named after the Indian herpetologist S. Bhupathy. Nasikabatrachus bhupathi species show comparisons with the Purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) which was discovered in 2003 in Seychelles. Nasikabatrachus bhupathi is soiled-dwelling species of purple frog. It inhabits the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, near the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It differs from the Purple frog morphologically and acoustically. It is dark brown in colour and each of its calls consists of four distinct pulses while the Purple frog pauses once between its three-pulse-call.
Mumbai amongst 17 most-polluted cities in Maharashtra
Mumbai is among the 17 most polluted cities of Maharashtra and 123 cities from the country. The data is based on the reports of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Other cities that have been marked as having poor air quality by CPCB are Nagpur, Badlapur, Pune, Nashik and Ulhasnagar. The air quality in these cities is way below the prescribed pollution standards.
Alibaba’s Jack Ma is Asia’s Richest Man: Forbes
Alibaba Group’s Jack Ma is back on top as Asia’s richest man following gains in the company’s earnings and share price. Jack Ma is worth $37.4 billion, according to the Forbes real-time billionaires list. In the latest rankings, Chinese Internet billionaire- Tencent Chairman Ma Huateng, the latter has slipped to No. 2, with a fortune worth $36.7 billion. Jack Ma currently ranks as the world’s No. 18 richest man and is No. 1 in Asia. Ma Huateng is No. 19 in the world and is No. 2 in Asia.
Indian student develops Nano Missile for Indian Army
Dacharla Panduranga Rohith, a student of Chennai’s SRM University was recognised by World Records of India for developing a nano missile. The basic prototype of the missile was tested in the presence of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramapuram in Chennai and the video was submitted to World Record of India for recognition in July 2017. He developed the missile for the Indian Army and local police in fighting terrorism. The missile was developed for launch through a robot. This 1 cm nano missile can fly by burining the red phosphorus, and hit the target of three metres distance.
23 August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was observed across the world on 23 August 2017. The Day marks the anniversary of the 1791 insurrection of enslaved men and women in the western part of the island of Santo Domingo, which is known as Haiti. This Haitian Revolution led to their freedom and independence in 1804. This uprising was a turining point in human history.
Brian Aldiss, British Science Fiction Writer passes away
Brian Aldiss, one of the most prolific and influential science fiction writers of the 20th century, has died aged 92. Born in 1925, Aldiss served in India and Burma with the British Army during World War II and later became a bookseller, publishing his first stories in a trade magazine. He went on to have a huge influence on sci-fi, as a writer of stories and novels and as editor of many anthologies.
Ashok Mittal resigns as Railway Board Chairman, Ashwani Lohanin is new Chairman
Ashok Mittal, Chairman of the Railway Board submitted his resignation to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. His resignation comes in the wake of a number of a high-profile accidents and derailments on the Indian Railways. Two Indian Rails namely Kaifyat Express and Utkal Express derailed, recently. Ashwani Lohani, the CMD of Air India has been named as the new Chairman of Railway Board. Ashwani Lohani, an IRSME cadre has previously served as DRM, Delhi Division. Mr. Lohani holds four engineering degrees, has authored two books and is credited with the turnaround of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and the India Tourism Development Corporation.
World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2017: Forbes List
The former rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg is Hollywood’s highest-paid leading man, earning $68 million pretax in 12 month scoring period. From India, Shahrukh Khan is the highest paid actor (Rank 8) followed by Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. Wahlberg has replaced out last year’s top-ranked star, Dwayne “”The Rock”” Johnson.
The Top 10 Highest Paid Actors in the List are:
1. Mark Wahlberg ($68 million)
2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ($65 million)
3. Vin Diesel ($54.5 million)
4. Adam Sandler ($50.5 million)
5. Jackie Chan ($49 million)
6. Robert Downey, Jr. ($48 million)
7. Tom Cruise ($43 million)
8. Shah Rukh Khan ($38 million)
9. Salman Khan ($37 million)
10. Akshay Kumar ($35.5 million).