Daily Current Affairs, 20th August 2018

1) India Successfully Tests Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’

•India successfully flight tested the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ from Pokhran in Rajasthan. The weapon system tested for its full range was released smoothly from the launch platform. The missile hit the target with high precision. 

•The indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) was also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer. The weapon system was integrated with live warhead and has destroyed the targets with high precision. Senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Air Force participated and witnessed the flight tests.

2) 1st All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey By NABARD Released

•NABARD All India Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS), conducted by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), was released by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog in New Delhi. The report revealed that farm households register higher income than the families solely dependent on non-farm livelihood activities in rural areas.

•The survey, with reference year of 2015-16, which covered 40,327 rural households, highlighted that the average annual income of an agricultural household is Rs 1,07,172 compared to Rs 87,228 for families engaged only in non-agricultural activities. The survey defined farm households as families having over Rs 5,000 as value of produce from agricultural operations in the year preceding the survey. For all rural households, the average annual income stood at Rs 96,708.

3) EAM Sushma Swaraj Inaugurate 'Panini Language Laboratory' In Mauritius

•External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 'Panini Language Laboratory' at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) at Port Louis in Mauritius. She called on Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jagnauth and discussed further deepening of the special ties between the two nations. 

•The Lab has been gifted by the Government of India and it will help MGI in teaching of all Indian languages in Mauritius. 

4) General Dalbir Singh Suhag Awarded US ‘Legion Of Merit’ 2018

•The United States government has awarded the Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander) to General Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retired), of the Indian Army, for exceptionally meritorious service as chief of the Army staff, Indian Army. 

•The award was presented to General Suhag at Pentagon, Washington DC, in the presence of his family members and the Indian Military Attache to the United States of America. 

5) Israeli Journalist And Peace Activist Uri Avnery Passes Away

•Uri Avnery, a trailblazing Israeli journalist and peace activist and one of the first to openly advocate for a Palestinian state passed away at the age of 94.

•A member of Israel’s founding generation, he fought in the pre-state Irgun underground militia. After independence, he became a publisher, member of parliament, author and activist.

6) S K Arora Awarded WHO World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award

•Delhi government’s additional director of health, SK Arora was awarded prestigious World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control. He was presented the award by Henk Bekedam, WHO India country head in New Delhi.

•It is awarded every year by WHO to individuals or organisations alike in each of six WHO regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. 

7) FSSAI Constitutes B Sesikeran Committee To Review Food Labelling Standards

•The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) constituted a group of experts from the health and nutrition sector to look into the issue of food labelling.

•The expert panel will be headed by B Sesikeran. Mr Sesikeran is the former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and comprises Hemalatha and Dr Nikhil Tandon. The panel will study in detail the concerns of the industry and make recommendations. 

8) Asian Games 2018: Wrestler Bajrang Punia Wins 1st Gold For India

•It was a mixed day for India on Day two of the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia. A dominating Bajrang Punia opened India’s gold medal account by defeating Japan’s Daichi Takatani in the final of Men’s Freestyle 65 kg. category. 

•India opened its medal account with a bronze by Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar in rifle mixed team shooting event. 

9) Asian Games 2018: Vinesh Phogat Wins Gold In Women's Freestyle 50kg Event

•Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal and the country's fifth medal at the ongoing 2018 Asian Games on Monday. Vinesh Phogat beat Japan's Yuki Irie in Women's Freestyle 50 kg gold medal match. She is also the first female gold medal winner at the Asiad. Vinesh hardly broke into a sweat in her earlier semi-final encounter against Daulatbike Yakshimuratova of Uzbekistan, as the referees took just 75 seconds to declare the Indian the winner by technical superiority (10-0). Vinesh had earlier registered a comfortable 11-0 victory over South Korea's Kim Hyungjoo in the quarter-finals, after defeating China's Sun Yanan by technical superiority 8-2 in the 1/8 finals. But the other Indians in the fray -- Sakshi Malik and Pooja Dhanda -- failed to win their respective semi-final ties and can now hope only for a bronze.