National News

1.. HRD Minister Inaugurates 4th World Summit on Accreditation: WOSA 2018

(i) Union Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar Inaugurates 4th World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA-2018) at New Delhi. WOSA is a biennial Summit organised by NBA, which provides platform to stakeholders to share their knowledge and information on accreditation.
(ii) The Summit will facilitate the exchange of information on various challenges being faced during the transition between input-output based accreditation to outcome-based accreditation.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

(i) The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Human Resource Development engaged in quality assurance of the programs offered by the professional and technical institutions in India through accreditation.

2.. Ayushman Bharat Call Centre Inaugurated In Bengaluru

(i) Ayushman Bharat call centre was formally inaugurated in Bengaluru by CEO of Ayushman Bharat Dr. Indu Bhushan. This national call centre is operational since August 25.
(ii) The call centre functioning 24×7 in collaboration with Medi assistant is sharing info in English and Hindi initially and 9 more regional languages to be added later.

Economy News

1.. Current Account Deficit Widens To 2.4% of GDP

(i) India’s current account deficit (CAD) widened to a four-quarter-high at 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in April-June period on the back of rising crude oil prices, from 1.9% of GDP in the January-March quarter of 2017-18, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
(ii) Merchandise trade deficit expanded to $45.7 billion in the June quarter against $41.6 billion in the March quarter as crude oil prices zoomed past $75 per barrel. Net services exports, at $18.7 billion, were lower than in the preceding quarter ($20.2 billion) due to lower realization from IT services.

Appointments

1.. Axis Bank Appoints HDFC’s Amitabh Chaudhry as MD & CEO

(i) Axis Bank announced that Amitabh Chaudhry has been appointed as its managing director & CEO from January 1, 2019, for a period of three years.
(ii) Mr. Chaudhry, the MD & CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company at present, will take the charge at India’s third largest private sector bank after incumbent Shikha Sharma steps down on December 31, 2018. Mr. Chaudhry, 54, has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

(i) Axis Bank Headquarters in Mumbai.
(ii) Shikha Sharma is the present CEO and Managing director of Axis Bank.

Awards

1.. 'Sarala Puraskar' For Poet Satrughna Pandav

(i) Noted Odia poet Satrughna Pandav will be honoured with the prestigious 'Sarala Puraskar' for his poetry collection 'Misra Dhrupad'.
(ii) The 'Sarala Puraskar', instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Panda in 1979 and awarded by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust(IMPaCT) will be presented to Pandav. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 and a citation.

Sports News

1.. ISSF World Championship: Ankur Mittal Wins Double Trap Gold

(i) Ankur Mittal claimed the men’s double trap gold medal in the ISSF World Championship for his career’s biggest triumph, as the Indian shooting team continued its dominance in the premier tournament in Changwon, South Korea.
(ii) Ankur also won the team bronze in the event along with compatriots Md. Asab and Shardul Vihaan, their tally of 409 points putting them behind China’s 410 and the gold-winning team Italy’s tally of 411.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

(i) South Korea Capital- Seoul
(ii) Currency: South Korean won.

2.. Naomi Osaka Beats Serena Williams To WIn U.S Open

(i) Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam title after she registered an emphatic win over Serena Williams in the finals of the U.S Open.
(ii) Osaka got off to an aggressive start in the first set, breaking the six-time U.S Open champion twice.