Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha elected new PM of Thailand:-
Thailand coup leader, Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, has been elected Prime Minister of Thailand.

 What is the name of the ambitious e-governance project of the Union Govt., which was approved by the Union Cabinet on 20 August 2014 and which aims to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically? – [‘Digital India’ Project]

 Shree Swaminarayan Mandir opned in UK is the world’s first “Green” Hindu temple:_
First Green Temple UK On 19th August 2014, In Kingsbury of northwest London, United Kingdom, World’s first Hindu eco-temple was opened. This temple is dedicated to Shree Swaminarayan so named as Shree Swaminarayan Mandir.

 22nd Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award was presented to Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali:-
Muzaffar Ali On 20th August 2014, Renowned filmmaker and poet Muzaffar Ali awarded with 22nd Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana award by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi.

 K V Thomas takes over as new PAC Chairman:-
Senior Congress leader K V Thomas today took over as the new Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.The post of the PAC Chairman is held by a senior member of the Opposition party. Murli Manohar Joshi (BJP) was the Chairman of the PAC in the last Lok Sabha.

 Hindu eco-temple opens in London:-
A Hindu temple, claiming to be the world’s first ‘eco-temple’ featuring solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, has been opened in northwest London in the UK.

 Jammu and Kashmir to host Football Federation Cup in August 2015:-
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on 18 August 2014 that Jammu and Kashmir will host Football Federation Cup in August 2015.

 Dutch teenager Max Verstappen to become youngest Formula One driver:-
Max Verstappen of Netherlands will become the youngest Formula One (F1) driver in the F1 history when he will compete for the 2015 season. For the 2015 season he will make the F1 debut with Scuderia Toro Rosso.

 Book titled “Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi” authored by Faraz Ahmad released:-
On 19th August book titled “Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: An Inside Job?” authored by Faraz Ahmad was released by a Senior journalist Vinod Mehta.

 Ravi Shastri appointed as the Director of Indian Cricket Team:-
The Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) appointed Ravi Shastri as the Director of Indian Cricket Team on 19 August 2014. The decision came after seeing defeat of Indian Cricket Team in Test series against England.

 What is the name of the Mission Director of the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) Scheme, who resigned from the post during August 2014?- (S. Sundareshan)

 AFI president Adille Sumariwala appointed as the Chef-de-Mission for 2014 Asian Games:-
On 18th August 2014, President of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Adille Sumariwala was appointed as Chef-de-Mission for Asian Games, which is important among sports current affairs. It means he will be representing India at the Asian Games 2014.
Asian Games 2014 are scheduled to held in September 2014 at Incheon, South Korea.

 England defeated India by 3-1 to bag Pataudi Trophy:-
On 17th August 2014, England bagged 5-match Pataudi Trophy test-series. Out of 5 matches played, India won only one match and one match was draw, rest all three matches were won by England.

  Former captain Mahela Jayawardene was given a fairytale sendoff in his last test match as Sri Lanka eased to a 105-run victory that completed a 2-0 series sweep over Pakistan on 18 August 2014.

 Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, felicitated scientists of the Anvesana Reserach Facility of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-Vyasa) University for their trail blazing attempts at documentation and protocol development in treatment of complicated diseases with Yoga and holistic medicine.

 The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, commissioned INS Kolkata into the Indian Navy at a glittering ceremony held today at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Kolkata is the lead ship of the indigenously designed and constructed Kolkata-class guided missile destroyers, built by Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai.

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, outlined a comprehensive vision for new modes of infrastructure development in the country, which would include nationwide connectivity networks of roads, power transmission lines, gas grids and water grids. In a function at Solapur, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation 765 kV Solapur – Raichur transmission lines, and four laning of Pune – Solapur section of NH-9.

 Govt. launch Jan Dhan scheme to promote financial inclusion:-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ to help the poor open bank accounts which will come with the facility of a debit card and an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.

 Prime Minister Modi announces ‘Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana’:-
Prime Minister also announced the ‘Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojna’ on the occasion of Independence Day.The blue print of Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana will be declared before the nation on October 11, the birth anniversary of Jaiprakash Narain.

 Govt re-launches Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana:-
The government has re-launched the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana, for the benefit of citizens aged 60 years and above., Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said it will benefit the vulnerable section of society with limited resources as it will provide monthly pension ranging from 500 to 5,000 rupees per month to senior citizens of the country.
Note: The Scheme will be administrated by the Life Insurance Corporation, LIC.

 Ravichandran Ashwin nominated for 2014 Arjuna Award:-
Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been nominated for the 2014 Arjuna Award for his performances as India’s leading spinner.

 Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to bag Fields Medal:-
Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian born mathematician, became the first woman to win coveted Fields Medal on 13 August 2014 in Seoul, South Korea.

 India celebrated 68th Independence Day:-
On 15th August 2014, India celebrated its 68th Independence Day. People celebrated the day with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural events.

 Roger Federer advances with milestone Masters match win:-
Roger Federer became the first man to win 300 matches at the ATP Masters 1000 level, beating Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-2 on 13 August in Cincinnati.

 Himachal Pradesh selected to host First Para-gliding World Cup in India:-
Paragliding World Cup Association selected Himachal Pradesh as a venue to host the 2015 para-gliding World Cup. This will be the first para-gliding World Cup to be hosted in India. The tournament will be organised under the aegis of Para-gliding World Cup Association, France.

 Asian Games torch unified with Incheon flame:-
The Asian Games torch was unified with the Incheon flame in a colourful ceremony amidst huge fanfare at the Incheon Culture and Arts Centre in Incheon on 14 August 2014.

 Modi to announce ambitious ‘financial inclusion mission’ on Independence Day:-
India would be celebrating the 68th Independence Day on 15th August 2014.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to unveil an ambitious financial inclusion scheme on Independence Day tomorrow to provide bank accounts to 15 crore poor persons with an overdraft facility of Rs 5,000 and accident insurance of Rs 1 lakh.

 Indigenously built INS Kolkata inducted in Indian Navy:-
INS kolkata – Current-Affairs On 16th August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted INS Kolkata into Indian Navy. This is India’s own largest indigenously built warship which makes it different from other warships.

 Rajni Razdan took oath as new UPSC Chairperson:-
On 16th August 2014, Rajni Razdan became Union Public Service Commission new chairperson. She was appointed for this post by President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee eariler on 14th August. Her tenure will be of Six year.

 Gaurav Gill of Team MRF won Malaysian Rally:_
On 17th August 2014, Gaurav Gill of Team MRF won the Malaysian Rally.

 Serena Williams bagged her first Cincinnati Open title after defeating Ana Ivanovic:-
On 17th August 2014, World number one American professional tennis player Serena Williams won her first ever Cincinnati Open by defeating Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic.

 Lok Sabha passes Judicial Appointment Bill:-
I. The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 was passed by voice vote along with one official amendment.
II. Along with it, the 99th Constitution Amendment Bill, which will give Constitutional status to the proposed Commission, was passed by 367 in favour and nil against.
III. Under the new law where a Commission will decide appointment of judges to Supreme Court and High Courts, seniority along with “ability” and “merit” will be considered for elevation.

 UNHRC appointed members of Commission of Inquiry to probe human rights violations in Gaza:-
I. United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 12 August 2014 appointed three member to its Commission of Inquiry to probe possible war crimes and human rights violations during a month long conflict in Gaza
II. The panel will also investigate human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including Jerusalem. The conflict on the Gaza strip began on 13 June 2014.

 TRAI proposes ownership curbs, independent regulator for media:-
India’s telecom and media regulator on 12 August recommended an independent regulator for the media, barring political parties and government departments from entering either broadcasting or TV distribution (through cable and direct-to-home, or DTH, TV), and suggested a formula for calculating “media dominance” that will likely affect at least some media companies in some markets.

 Supreme Court gets four new Judges:-
Four new judges was sworn-in by the Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha today. The new judges are-Senior advocate Uday Umesh Lalit,Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre,Justice R. Banumathi,Justice Prafull Chandra Pant.

 Haider al-Abadi named as New Iraqi Prime Minister:-
Iraqi President Mohammed Fuad Masum named Haider al-Abadi as the new Iraqi Prime Minister. Masum has given thirty days to Haider al-Abadi to form the next government and present it for the approval of parliament.

 K.V. Chowdary appointed as new Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes:-
i. Senior IRS officer K V Chowdary appointed as new Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). He was apoointed on 1 August 2014. CBDT is the apex authority of the Income Tax department.
ii. He succeed R K Tewari. He retired on 31 July 2014.

 TATA-SIA Airlines brand name to be called Vistara:-
i.Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA) named its upcoming joint venture airline asVistara and will start its operation from October 2014. SIA on 11 August 2014 disclosed the name of their airline.
ii. Vistara is an inspiration from Sanskrit word, Vistaar that means limitless expanse. It has drawn inspiration from the brand’s domain – the limitless sky.

 Oscar Winning Actor Robin Williams died:-
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California on 11 August 2014. He was 63 Year old.

 R Ashwin ranked no. 1 Test all-rounder; India slipped to 4th position: ICC Test Ranking:-
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin was ranked number one Test all-rounder in ICC Test team rankings released on 11 August 2014. He was ranked at the top after his fine show with the bat in the fourth cricket Test against England played in Manchester.

 Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons Ltd, has been conferred the 18th MMA Amalgamations Business Leadership Award at a function in Chennai on 12 August.

 13 August India successfully conducted trials of its indigenously developed surface-to-air ’Akash’ missile, which has a strike range of 25 kms, as part of a user trial by the Air Force from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.

 Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins Turkish presidential election:-
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won his country’s first direct presidential election.With almost all the votes counted, Mr Erdogan had won about 52%, against 38% for main rival Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

 Tsonga beats Federer in Toronto final:-
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the Rogers Cup, beating second-seeded Roger Federer 7-5 7-6 (3) for his fourth straight victory over a higher-seeded opponent.

 England win 4th cricket test match against India:-
England have won the fourth Cricket Test against India at Old Trafford, Manchester, by an innings and 54 runs.

 Munger through the Ages written by late DP Yadav released:-
A book entitled Munger through the Ages authored by late Devendra Prasad Yadav was released on 7 August 2014 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The first copy of the book was received by President of India Pranab Mukherjee.The President received the book by Dr. Karan Singh, the Chairman of ICCR, who formally released the book.

 Miihier Singh to represent India at 48th Asian Bodybuilding Championship:-
Miihier Singh, who won the Mr India title this year, will represent the country in the 48th Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship.

 WHO declares Ebola epidemic a global emergency:-
The World Health Organisation on 8 August declared the killer Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of West Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid to help afflicted countries.

 IDFC appoints Ravi Shankar as head of Bharat Banking:-
Ravi Shankar joined infrastructure finance company IDFC as the head of Bharat Banking with effect from August 8, 2014.IDFC, which recently bagged a commercial banking licence, plans to start bank operations by October next year.

 Kapil Dev to head Arjuna Award selection committee:-
Former India cricket captain Kapil Dev will head the Arjuna Awards selection committee for choosing this year’s outstanding sportspersons of the country while former hockey skipper Ajitpal Singh is likely to be in charge of selecting the Dronacharya awardees.

 National rural scheme on PPP model launched:-
Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari launched the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National Rural Mission on PPP model with an allocation of 100 crore rupees.

 18th BASIC Ministerial Meeting begin on 7 August:-
i. Environment Ministers of BASIC countries will meet in New Delhi to discuss important issues relating to current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.
ii. The 18th BASIC Ministerial Meeting will be held on August 7-8, 2014 at New Delhi.

 Mizoram Governor Kamla Beniwal removed:-
i. Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India removed Kamla Beniwal the Governor of Mizoram on 6 August 2014. She was removed two months before her tenure was supposed to end.
ii. The President directed that Beniwal shall cease to hold the office and gave additional charge of the office to Vinod Kumar Duggal, Governor of Manipur.

 Aditya Vardhan Agarwal, new Vice-President of Indian Chamber of Commerce:-
Aditya Vardhan Agarwal, Director, Emami Group, has been nominated and appointed as the Vice-President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

 Arijit Basu is new MD & CEO of SBI Life Insurance:-
Arijit Basu has taken over as Managing Director and CEO of SBI Life Insurance, from Atanu Sen, who retired on July 31, 2014, said the company in a release issued on 6 August.

 Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, CMD of Bandhan won ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award:-
Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, CMD of Bandhan, has received the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award from the All India Management Association (AIMA).

 Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag is new Army Chief:-
Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Suhag has taken over as the new Army chief. He succeeded the incumbent General Bikram Singh.

 New Delhi to host 3rd India-Africa Summit this year:-
New Delhi will host the Third India-Africa Forum Summit, IAFS-III, on the 4th of December this year. This follows the decision taken at its Second Summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in 2011.

 CWG 2014: Sushil, 2 others bag gold for India on first day of wrestling:-
Star grappler Sushil Kumar led India’s sparkling show in the wrestling arena as the country claimed three gold medals on the first day of the wrestling competitions at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow on 29 July.

 Fuad Masum elected as the seventh President of Iraq:-
Muhammad Fuad Masum of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party was elected as the seventh President of Iraq on 24 July 2014.

 KV Chowdary tipped to be new CBDT chief:-
Senior IRS officer K.V. Chowdary is tipped to be the new Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex authority of the Income Tax department.

 Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha took over as the Chairman of COSC:-
Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on 30 July 2014 took over as the Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC).