The Daily Briefs are a comprehensive update of current affairs for the day. If you’d like to receive updates for current affairs every day, you’ll need to subscribe by entering your email address at the right side of this page. The previous Briefs can be accessed at the archives here. You can thank Sayan Bhattacharya in the comments below for this brief! Also, check out our test series!
- Rocket scientist K. Sivan, has been appointed as the next Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He will succeed A.S. Kiran Kumar and will have term of three years.It was his expertise that gave ISRO ability to send 104 satellites in single mission and sett world record in February 2017.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Union Cabinet with Canada for cooperation in field of Science & Technology. The MoU will provide mechanism and help to foster scientific cooperation between Research & Development (R&D) and academic institutions of India and Canada will be implemented.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval to continuation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) till term of 14th Finance Commission i.e. 2020. The continuation of scheme will entail annual allocation of Rs.3,950 crore and total outlay of Rs. 11,850 crores over next 3 years.
- Gujarat has topped among 22 states in the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index released by Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
- The third meeting of Council of Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP) was held in New Delhi. It was chaired by Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu and was attended by CM of Goa, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, ministers from 11 states, senior state government officials and industry bodies. The objective of the meeting was to enhance the Centre’s cooperation with the states and union territories in making the latter active partners in boosting India’s exports.
- The Supreme Court has ruled that playing national anthem before screening movies in cinema halls is optional and not mandatory. The ruling modifies apex court’s earlier November 2016 order that made the playing of national anthem in cinemas mandatory.
- For first time, Scientists from Duke University in North Carolina, have developed working human skeletal muscle from stem cells in the laboratory.
- The first-ever Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference was held in the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK) in New Delhi on the occasion of Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD).
