CURRENT AFFAIRS

[18^th August]

 ICICI Bank launched ‘Smart Vault’ digital locker facility

ICICI Bank on 18 August 2015 launched a new digital initiative called Smart Vault. Smart Vault is India’s first automated locker facility with high-end robotic technology. It was launched by Managing Director (MD) and CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar in New Delhi. In this digital initiative, robotic technology is used to access the lockers from the safe vault.

NASA spacecraft finds neon gas in Moon’s atmosphere

A NASA spacecraft has confirmed for the first time that the Moon’s thin atmosphere contains neon, a gas commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its intense glow. This was published in the Geophysical Research Letters by Benna, lead author of a paper describing observations from Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)’s Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) instrument .

[19^th August]

Aditi Chauhan became India's first woman to play in English league football

Aditi Chauhan, India’s international football goalkeeper, on 16 August 2015 became the country’s first woman to play English league football. 
She made her debut for the women’s team of the West Ham United in the opening game of the season against Coventry City.

Himachal to make Sanskrit mandatory in government schools

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on 17 August 2015 announced that Sanskrit will be introduced as a mandatory subject in all Government schools of the state. The announcement came while he was presiding over the meet of the Himachal Sanskrit Academy.
He also directed the academy to complete the formalities to take overTungesh Sanskrit College at Cheog, so that it could be run in a better way. Cheog is a village in Theog Tehsil in Shimla District of the state.

[20^st Aug, 2015]

Historian Babasaheb Purandare conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2015

Eminent Historian writer Babasaheb Purandare has been conferred with Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2015. He was bestowed this award in literature category by Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao in presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a function held in Raj Bhava, Mumbai.

[21^st Aug, 2015]

Government launched education loan portal for students seeking loans

On 20 August 2015, Government launched a web-based portal www.vidyalakshmi.co.in for the students seeking educational loans. In order to ensure that no student misses out on higher education due to lack of funds, finance minister in the Union Budget for 2015-16 had proposed to set a fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority. In line with this proposal this portal was launched with an aim to administer and monitor scholarship as well as educational loan schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK). The launch of this portal also aims to bring all banks providing educational loans under one roof.