Current Affairs: 17 August 2017

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has accorded its approval today for the creation of a non-lapsable pool in the Public Account for secondary and higher, education known as "Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh" (MUSK) into which all proceeds of "Secondary and Higher Education Cess" will be credited.
The funds arising from the MUSK would be utilized for schemes in the education sector which would be available for the benefit of students of secondary and higher education, all over the country.
The major benefit will be enhancing access to secondary and higher education through the availability of adequate resources while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of financial year.
Ongoing Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme and other approved programs including: National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme and National Scheme for Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education.

In the 70 years since India and Pakistan were created from the former British Empire, there has never been a venue focused on the stories and memorabilia of those who survived that chaotic and bloody chapter in history — until now.
A new museum on the Partition of the Indian subcontinent opens this week, as the two South Asian giants mark seven decades as independent nations.
The exhibitions, housed in the red-brick Town Hall building in the north Indian border city of Amritsar, include photographs, newspaper clippings and donated personal items meant to tell the story of how the region’s struggle for freedom from colonial rule turned into one of its most violent episodes, as communal clashes left hundreds of thousands of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs dead and another 15 million displaced from their ancestral homes.

'Indira Canteen', aimed at serving the poor at subsidized rates, was inaugurated in Bengaluru on Wednesday by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Mr. Gandhi, who had the first breakfast at the canteen in Jayanagar, said 'Indira Canteens' would serve the migrants who came to Bengaluru with a dream to build something. “No person in Bengaluru should ever go hungry and the canteens are a great means towards it,” he said, asking the government to give much attention to cleanliness and taste.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Indira Canteens was a continuation of the Congress's commitment to a hunger-free Karnataka.

Qatar has launched a new direct route between the country's Hamad Port and Pakistan's port of Karachi
The new route was launched on Sunday and it will boost trade between the two countries. It will also offer "fast and secure" corridor for importers and exporters, with transit time of six days from Qatar to Karachi and eight days back
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt imposed land, air and sea blockade on Qatar since 5 June, accusing it of financing extremist groups and allying with the Gulf Arab state's arch-foe Iran

City Union Bank customers can generate a credit card online.
The Kumbakonam-headquartered bank introduced the option of an “instant credit card” for free for its Net banking customers. And, the product, which was soft-launched on Saturday, seems to have caught the fancy of its customers instantly.
All that a customer has to do is log on to his/her net banking account and seek a credit card. Only, the customer must have a fixed deposit with the bank. “We will mark a lien on the FD. The customer will be allowed a credit limit of up to 80 per cent of the deposit or a maximum of Rs 3 lakh,

At a gala ceremony organized by ASSOCHAM, Marg ERP, which has been actively involved in the governmentâ€™s Skill India Program, was awarded the Best Start-Up in Skill Development. The award was given by Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development, Government of India.
Marg ERP is the country’s fastest growing integrated business management and inventory application software provider has been in the forefront of Skill India campaign. The company has set up has set up 500 academies across India for training personnel in software inventory and accounting. It plans to scale this up to 2000 by 2018.Â
The ASSOCHAM Summit-cum-Awards is meant to honor and recognize those who have played a catalytic role and demonstrated their commitment to the advancement of Skills by implementing skills development and training programs. With more than 500 guests in attendance, the awards were announced at a gala lunch.

Brazilian star Neymar has become a goodwill ambassador for Handicap International on Monday, pledging to work for millions who are 'less visible' but deserve equality.
Fresh from his first win with Paris Saint-Germain and his world-record signing from Barcelona, d was worth £198million, Neymar was announced as a goodwill ambassador outside the United Nations in Geneva.