Daily GK Updates - 16th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Great Ganga Run 2019 flagged off in New Delhi: Jal Shakti Minister and Sports Minister flagged off “Great Ganga Run-2019″ at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The marathon was organized to create awareness about River Ganga. The marathon was organised by Ministry of Jal Shakti. A large number of people from all age groups participated in the marathon. Jal Shakti ministry will organise Ganga Expedition from October 9 as well.

Note: Jal Shakti Minister: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

2. Justice P Lakshmana Reddy appointed as first Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh: Former judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court P. Lakshmana Reddy, who has been appointed as State’s Lokayukta. He is known for his campaign against corruption. His oath to the office was administered by Governor Biswabhusan Hairchandan at a function held in Vijayawada. Justice P Lakshmana Reddy would serve in the office of Lokayukta for 5 years. He is the first Lokayukta to be assuming charge since the state bifurcated in 2014.

Note: CM of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jaganmohan Reddy; Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Vincent & Grenadines to join International Solar Alliance: Saint Vincent & Grenadines became the 79th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India. The organisation aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030.

Note: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an Anglo-Caribbean country in the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands. It lies in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Capital: Kingstown; Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar.

2. President Kovind inaugurates Mahatma Gandhi's bust in Switzerland: President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Villeneuve in Switzerland. After unveiling the statue, President Kovind said Mahatma Gandhi's ideology of ahimsa, peace and living in harmony with nature is relevant even today. The President is on a five- day visit to Switzerland to boost business and cultural ties. The bust was unveiled to mark the visit of Mahatma to Villeneuve in 1931. The idol sculpted by Ram Vanaji Sutar is placed on a high pedestal made of sandstone extracted from Switzerland.

3. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September: The United Nations observes 16 September every year as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun and thus help in preserving life on the planet. Theme of the day for 2019: 32 Years and Healing. The theme for this year celebrates over three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol.

Note: The day marks the commemoration of the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 on substances that deplete the Ozone layer. The principal aim of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control the total consumption of these chemicals.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India beat Bangladesh by five runs to lift U-19 Asia Cup title: India clinched the Under-19 Asia Cup title (eight editions) with a thrilling five-run win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring final at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Defending a paltry total of 106, India dismissed Bangladesh for 101 in 33 overs. Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar (18-years), emerged as the star of the Indian team, with figures of 5 for 28 from 8 overs.

Note: The 2019 Under-19 Asia Cup cricket tournament was held in Sri Lanka from 5th September to 15th September 2019. 8 teams participated in the tournament, including 5 full members (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan) and three qualifiers (Kuwait, Nepal and United Arab Emirates).

2. Spain beats Argentina to win Basketball World Cup: Spain defeated Argentina by 95-75 to win the Basketball World Cup held in Beijing, China. This was its second title win after 13 years. The next world cup will held in 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Spain had won the title last time in 2006 with a 70-47 win over Greece. Argentina had not triumphed since it hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1950. With 32 teams, this was the biggest Basketball World Cup ever.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Aadhaar verification to be mandatory for new dealers from Jan 2020: GSTN: The ‘GST Network’ has decided to make Aadhaar authentication or physical verification mandatory for new dealers from January 2020 to check malpractices in Goods and Services Tax (GST). Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi, who heads the Group of Ministers of GST Network made the announcement in Bengaluru. In the first phase, Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for new dealers. Afterwards, all those enrolled on GSTN would be asked to provide their Aadhaar numbers. As refunding is a big issue, the GSTN decided on complete online refunding from 24th September this year from a single source, either by the Central GST or state GST.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in the Guardian Best 100 list: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur has become the only Indian film to feature in “The Guardian” list of 100 Best Films of the 21st century. The film has bagged the 59th position. The two film Gangs Of Wasseypur series was released in 2012 and narrated the saga of a coal mafia family in the town of Wasseypur in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand. Both films were loved by the masses for their drama and rawness and acclaimed by the classes for cinematic aesthetics.

DEFENCE

1. First-ever ‘arrested landing’ of Naval Tejas successfully executed: DRDO and the Aeronautical Development Agency successfully executed the first-ever arrested landing of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas (Navy) at the shore-based test facility in Goa. This is a step towards the aircraft getting operational on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. This arrested landing heralds the arrival of true indigenous capability and displays the professional prowess of our scientific community Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) embedded with design plus build the capability of HAL (ARDC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

OBITUARIES

1. Film editor Sanjib Kumar Datta passes away: Film editor Sanjib Kumar Datta, who has movies like Iqbal, Ek Hasina Thi and Mardaani to his credit, passed away. He was an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and worked as an assistant to late editor Renu Saluja. His first big project was the 1998 film Bada Din.

2. Renowned writer of Kerala Sivaraman Cheriyanad passes away: The renowned writer of Kerala Sivaraman Cheriyanad passed away. He received the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award in 1988 and the A.P. Kalakkad Award in 2009. He bagged Kerala Sahithya Akademi scholarship in 1990-91 for his study on the works of writer Parappuram. He was a recipient of the National Teachers Award in 1989.