Current Affairs 5 February 2018

National Current Affairs 1. Maharashtra to become first state to have Transgender Welfare Board The long pending Transgender Welf...

National Current Affairs

1. Maharashtra to become first state to have Transgender Welfare Board

The long pending Transgender Welfare Board (TWB) will finally see light of the day with the Maharashtra government making a provision of Rs 5 crore for welfare of the community.

• Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble told that the Board will be set up in a month's time.
• It will look after education, employment, housing, and health schemes for transgenders and protect their Constitutional and human rights.
• Maharashtra will be the first such state to have such a Board, the minister said.

2. India’s biggest floating island released in Neknampur lake

On the occasion of World Wetland Day, city-based NGO Dhruvansh has introduced biggest floating island of India at Neknampur Lake, Hyderabad.

• The duo of Dhruvansh NGO, Madhulika and Neeraj Singh started Neknampur restoration programme in June 2016 adopting various cost effective methodologies to clean the lake.
• After successful introduction of 10×10 feet floating islands last year, the NGO introduced 2,500 square feet floating island with 3,500 wetland plants floating on this platform.

3. First defence industrial corridor between Chennai, Bengaluru

The first of the two defence industrial production corridors, as announced in the Union Budget, will link Chennai and Bengaluru.

• In his budget address, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government will develop two defence industrial production corridors.
• Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the first corridor will link Chennai and Bengaluru and will pass through Coimbatore and several other industrial clusters.

4. India's Super Computer Could Aid In Doubling Farmers' Income

The Union Budget saw much emphasis on doubling of farmers' income and accurate weather forecasts will play a major part in it.

• What could contribute to the doubling of farmers' income is India's most powerful Cray Super Computer - MIHIR - that will give more accurate weather forecasts.
• Built at a cost of Rs. 450 crore, MIHIR is housed in a badminton court-sized room at India's weather office near Delhi, and is capable of performing jobs equivalent to more than 2,500 high-end laptops, all working in tandem. 
• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Science Minister, says "MIHIR, named after the Sun God, will help in our weather forecasting capability and strength will increase tremendously and it will now become about eight petaflops." 
• Dr Vardhan said India will now also be ranked 4th, after Japan, UK and the US for dedicated HPC resources for weather/climate community.

5. Mukesh Khanna Quits as Chief of Children’s Film Society

Actor Mukesh Khanna said he has resigned as the chairperson of the Children's Film Society two months prior to the end of his term, alleging lack of support to take children's films to theatres and inadequate funding for the institution.

• His three-year term was scheduled to end in April.
• The actor is known for his portrayal in popular TV serial Shaktimaan.
• He made his debut on the small screen as Bhisham Pitamah in B R Chopra's Mahabharat.

Business

6. Advantage Assam Summit: Investment of Rs 1,00,000 crore committed

Assam's investment scouting exposition "Advantage Assam" attracted series of investment proposal.

• In the two day event as many 200 MOUs were inked and investment proposal to the tune of Rs 1,00,000 crore is committed.
• The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 3.
• Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Group of Industries announced that his company will be investing close to Rs 2500 crore in next three years.
• Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Rs 1500 crore investment is coming in tourism sector. Mahindra will invest in tourism infrastructure in Assam.

Sports

7. PV Sindhu finishes runner-up in India Open

Defending champion P V Sindhu suffered a narrow defeat in a pulsating final against American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 300 badminton tournament.

• Playing her second tournament of the new season, Sindhu came agonisingly close to clinching the title before losing 18-21 21-11 20-22 to Zhang in the women's singles final.
• All England Championships finalist and fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China walked away with the men's crown after beating world no 7 and third seeded Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen 21-18 21-14.

8. Veteran Telugu actor Lakshmi Devi passes away

Veteran Telugu actor Lakshmi Devi Kanakala passed away on February 3 at the age of 78.

• Lakshmi used to be a popular actor in the 1980s. She is known for films such as Prema Bandham and Police Lockup.

9. BJP MP Hukum Singh passes away

BJP MP Hukum Singh (79) died, almost a month after he was admitted to the J P Hospital in Noida with severe breathing problems.

• He was an MLA in Uttar Pradesh for seven terms and a minister in the state before entering the Lok Sabha in the 2014 polls.

Books

10. “A Century is Not Enough”: Autobiography of Sourav Ganguly

Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly’s autobiography is soon-to-be-published and it is named “A Century is Not Enough”.

• The book is co-authored by Gautam Bhattacharya and published by Juggernaut Books.
• The book covers the ups and downs in more than a decade long career of the former Indian captain fondly called ‘Dada’.