Daily GK Updates - 14th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches National Scholarship Portal mobile app : Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minority Affairs Minister) has launched the country's first National Scholarship Portal Mobile app ((NSP Mobile App) in New Delhi.This Portal will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students belonging to poor and weaker sections.All the scholarships are being directly transferred into bank accounts of the needy students under Director Benefit Transfer mode, which has prevented duplication and leakage.

2. PM Modi attends Ashara Mubaraka event at Saifee Mosque in Indore : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended Ashara Mubaraka, the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain in Indore.Prime Minister also meet the 53rd religious head of Dawoodi Bohra community Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.Dr Saifuddin is holding nine-day religious discourse at the Saifi Nagar mosque in Indore.Prime Minister also attend sermon to be delivered by the supreme spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra community Dr Syedna in the city.

3. Centre approves over Rs. 150 crores additional drought relief to UP : In a meeting of High-Level Committee chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, The Union Govt. has approved an additional assistance for Uttar Pradesh (Rs. 157.23 crore) and for Maharashtra (Rs. 60.76 crores).The assistance has been approved from National Disaster Response Fund for Uttar Pradesh affected by drought in rabi season during 2017-18 and for Maharashtra which was hit by pest attack and cyclone last year

4. Country's first Tribal Tourism Circuit launched in Chhattisgarh : The Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has inaugurated the country's first tribal circuit tourism project under the Swadesh Darshan scheme has been inaugurated at Gangrel in Chhattisgarh.It covers 13 sites in Chhattisgarh which are Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur, Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot and Tirthgarh.

5.  Hindi day being celebrated across the country today : The National Hindi Divas is being observed on 14th September every year across the country.Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will present Rajbhasha Awards to chiefs of various departments, Ministries and offices for their outstanding performances in promoting the language. In 1949, on this day the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the country.

6. Festival of Nuakhai being celebrated in Odisha : The festival of Nuakhai is being celebrated in Odisha.The Nuakhai Juhar is a major ritual of the festival, during which greetings are exchanged with friends, relatives and well-wishers.During this harvest festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offer

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Russia launches the biggest war games 'Vostok-2018' since the cold war : Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War named "Vostok-2018", involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia.China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok-2018", with many Chinese armoured vehicles and aircraft. Mongolia is also sending some units.

2.  Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to embark on the 3-nation visit to Serbia, Malta, Romania : Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation visit to Serbia, Malta and Romania.In the first leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will reach  Serbia where he will meet the leadership of that country.Several MoUs including in the field of Agriculture and Tourism are expected to be signed during Vice President's visit to these countries.In the second leg of his visit, Mr Naidu will arrive in Malta (on 16th Sep), where he will meet the country's leadership and discuss issues of mutual interest.

3.  Suresh Prabhu to take part in the G-20 meet in Argentina : The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will participate in G-20 trade and investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina.According to Mr Prabhu, Govt of India wants to ensure reforms in WTO but keep it as an engine for global trade.The G20 aims to discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Udhayveer Singh wins individual gold in jr. men's 25m pistol event in S Korea : Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men's 25-metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea.Udhayveer Singh shot a score of 587 in the individual competition to grab the Gold ahead American Henry Leverett and Korean Lee Jaekyoon.India is placed fourth in the medals tally with 9 Gold, 8 Silver and seven bronze medals for a total of 24.

Daily GK Updates - 13th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Assam govt to distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double farmers’ income by 2022 : According to Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, the state government will distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double the farmers’ income by 2022.The pump sets will be distributed under NABARD’s Rural Infrastructure Development Project.

2. Haryana Signs MoU with Indian Oil for Ethanol plan : The Haryana government has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore.The initiative with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season.

The pact will be valid for one year.

3. Andhra Pradesh launches E-Rythu to boost cashless farm ecosystem :The Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) to enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices.The platform has been developed by global payments and technology company Mastercard.

4. Tamil Nadu govt bans e-cigarettes in state : The Tamil Nadu government has banned e-cigarettes in the state, it is a myth that it is less harmful than Beedis and cigarettes.The ban covers distribution, trade, display, marketing, advertisement, use, import and possession of e-cigarettes.According to the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey showed that 20% of people in Tamil Nadu (31% men and 9.8% women) use tobacco.The e-cigarette is a battery run an electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking.

5. Assam CM Sonowal inaugurates Indo-Bhutan Border Centre : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Indo-Bhutan Border Centre at Darranga in Assam's Baksa district to strengthen bilateral trade with the neighbouring country.The Centre has decided to construct 264 km of border roads touching four BTAD districts of the state.

6. Manoj Jhalani selected for UNIATF Award : Shri Manoj Jhalani has been conferred with the prestigious UN Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) Award for his outstanding contribution towards prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related Sustainable Development Goals.Mr Jhalani is the Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow : The union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj embarked on a two-day visit to Moscow to hold the meeting of the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).Mrs Swaraj will co-chair the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  CCEA approves 25 per cent hike in ethanol price : According to the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved over 25% hike in the price of ethanol produced directly from sugarcane juice for blending in petrol.The procurement price of ethanol derived from 100 % sugarcane juice to 59 rupees 13 paise per litre (current rate - 47 rupees 13 paise).The price for ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses has been hiked to 52 rupees 43 paise a litre(current rate- 47 rupees 13 paise).

2.  Retail inflation fell to 10-month low of 3.69 per cent in August : Retail inflation fell to a 10-month low of 3.69% in August on the back of easing prices of fruits, vegetables and other food items.The Consumer Price Index-based inflation was at 4.17 per cent in July.Retail inflation means the increase in prices of certain products or commodities compared to a base price.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. HDFC Life elevates Vibha Padalkar as MD and CEO : HDFC Life has appointed ‘Vibha Padalkar’ as its new managing director(MD) and CEO for a period of three years.Currently, Vibha Padalkar is the executive director and chief financial officer of HDFC Standard Life Insurance.She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI).

SPORTS:

1. Sardar Singh announces retirement from international Hockey : Former India Hockey captain Sardar Singh  has announced his retirement from international hockey after an illustrious career spanning 12 years.He (usually plays the centre-half position) made over 350 international appearances for India and captained the national team from 2008 to 2016.

Daily GK Updates - 12th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Piyush Goyal launches a web portal ‘Rail Sahyog’ : The Union Railways Minister Shri Piyush Goyal launched a web portal railsahyog.in.The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to the creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility funds.This portal will not only be beneficial for passengers but also for a neighbourhood of Railway vicinity.

2. First ever Bihar-Nepal bus service launched : The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off the first bus service between Bihar and NepalThe service will link Bodh Gaya & Patna (in Bihar) to Kathmandu & Janakpur (in Nepal).The bus service was commissioned following an agreement between India and Nepal.Bus services from Kathmandu to Bodhgaya will be started by the Government of Nepal on the 13th of Sept.

3. India's first railway university starts operations in Vadodara : The National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) has started operations this week.A total of 103 students formed the first batch of this unique institute.This year it has started with two UG courses.

4.  NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate for Model International Center for Transformative AI : NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led application-based research projects.The initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence discussion paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI through private sector collaboration.

5. 1st regional workshop on RERA inaugurated by Hardeep Puri in Pune :

The union Hardeep Singh Puri has inaugurated the first regional workshop on RERA (Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act) in Pune.It was launched in 2016 is aimed at consumer protection, by creating an online system for information sharing in the real estate sector.It allows states to set up the Regulatory Authority and the Appellate

6. Apsara-U research reactor becomes operational at BARC : According to the Department of Atomic Energy, Apsara is now operational as 'Apsara-U' on Trombay campus of Maharashtra.Apsara is the first research reactor in Asia that worked nearly five decades before shutting down in 2009.The reactor can also be used for research and production of radioisotopes for medical application and would also be extensively used for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-born student Rajalakshmi Nandakumar to get 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award : An Indian-born women scholar in the US ‘Rajalakshmi Nandakumar’ has been chosen for the 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award for her work to help detect potentially life-threatening health issues using smartphones.She has been selected for the 2018 Marconi society Paul Baran Young Scholar award.

2. INDO-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 : The two-week long, joint military training Exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2018’ (14th edition) is scheduled to be conducted in the foothills of Himalayas at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand. (16 - 29 September 2018).The joint exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will simulate a scenario where both nations will work together in counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment in mountainous terrain under United Nation charter.It will witness participation of about 350 personnel of the US Army and similar strength of the Indian Army.

3. Dubai to host India-UAE Partnership Summit : The Two-day 2^nd India-UAE Partnership Summit (IUPS) will be held in Dubai (30^th from October).The India-UAE Partnership Summit is being organised by the Business Leaders Forum (BLF) in partnership with the consulate.According to the Consul General of India in Dubai, Vipul, the second edition of the IUPS is being organised by the BLF this year in partnership with the consulate.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Asiad gold medallist Amit Panghal nominated for Arjuna award : Indian boxer Amit Panghal (Asian Games gold medal-winner) has been nominated for this year's Arjuna awards by the Boxing Federation of India.Amit joined Sonia Lather and Gaurav Bidhuri in the list of boxing nominees for the second highest sporting honour after the Khel Ratna.Amit claimed the light flyweight (49kg) category gold after defeating reigning Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the Asiad final.

Daily GK Updates - 11th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Justice Om Prakash Mishra sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal : President of Nepal Vidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Om Prakash Mishra as new Chief Justice of Nepal.He is the senior-most judge of Supreme Court after Justice Deepak Raj Joshee (the name was rejected by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee).He joined judicial service in 1981 as a section officer and became Additional District Judge in 1985.

2. Arvind Kejriwal launches doorstep delivery of 40 public services in Delhi : The Delhi government has launched the doorstep delivery of 40 public services for the people living in the national capital.Under the scheme, 40 services, including certificates of marriage, caste, domicile, income, births, deaths and duplicate RC among others, will be delivered.Now, people will not have to waste their time standing in queues at government offices.They just need to call on 1076 and request for the service they want.

3. Two-day regional conference on good governance in Bhopal : The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Government of India in association with Madhya Pradesh Government has organized a two-day Regional Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts, in Bhopal.Delegates from 12 States & 2 UTs will participate in the Conference.The themes include ICT Enabled Education, Agriculture, Public Service and Grievance Management and Good Governance initiatives.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India launches new digital bridge with Africa : The External Affairs Ministry has signed an agreement with the Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) to establish a pan-African e-network between the two nations.This project will serve as a digital bridge between the two countries, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.The Project (VidyaBharati and e-ArogyaBharati) is a clear effort by India to reach out to Africa in the critical areas of education and health.

2.  India, Bangladesh jointly inaugurate three projects : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Tripura jointly inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh (via video conferencing).Akhaura-Agartala rail connectivity will provide another link in the cross-border connectivity between the two countries.These include 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, Akhaura - Agartala Rail Link and Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.

3.  INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018 : Indo-Mongolia joint exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant-2018’ commenced at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia.The 12 days long joint exercise will be conducted from (10 Sep to 21 Sep 2018).Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is designed to strengthen the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. LIC launches a group insurance scheme for CDSL Demat account holders : Life Insurance Corporation of India has signed an agreement with Central Depository Services (India) to provide group insurance coverage to all eligible Demat account holders serviced through depository participants associated with it.The facility will be available to demat account holders between the age of 18 years and 59 years.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan to head panel to select new CEA : The Union Government has appointed former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan as the head of the panel that has been tasked with selecting India’s next chief economic advisor (CEA).The panel will screen the applications received and conduct interviews.The move comes two months after the government sought applications for the post after previous CEA Arvind Subramanian resigned from office.

2. IPPB ties up with FSS to create payments network for unorganized retail : The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with the Financial Software and Systems (FSS) to ensure that micro-merchants are able to accept payments over any channel (online, unified payments interface (UPI), quick-response (QR) codes, Aadhaar and IPPB accounts).FSS will provide merchant management and settlement solutions including on-boarding fee calculation, reconciliation and settlement.‘FSS’ technology solutions are powering us towards achieving our objective to build a less cash ecosystem by enabling last mile digital payment services.

Daily GK Updates - 10th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. J&K 3rd state to adopt RADMS : Jammu and Kashmir became the third state in the country to use the ‘Road Accident Data Management System‘ (RADMS) for standard and accurate data on road accidents.RADMS is a geographical information system (GIS) solution for identification of black spots, wrong driving practices, road infrastructure.In 2015, the ‘Supreme Court committee on road safety‘ had mandated all states to use RADMS.

2. ‘Startup India Telangana Yatra’ from Sept 15 : The Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) is launching ‘Startup India Telangana Yatra‘ from September 15, 2018.Startup Yatra will promote entrepreneurship in Tier II and III cities of Telangana.The ‘Startup Yatra‘ will spread awareness about the State Innovation Policy and the initiatives taken by the Telangana government.

3. Delhi government launched ‘Dial 1076’ service : Delhi government launched helpline number ‘1076’  that will allow people to reach various government facilities at their door-steps.Delhi government will provide 100 services from 40 departments such as driving license, ration card, new water connection, domicile etc at home with an extra charge of Rs. 50.For this scheme, 11 call centers have been set up in 11 districts of the city.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  10^th September: World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) : The World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is being observed on 10^thSeptember to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.The WSPD is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been co-sponsor of the day.The theme of 2018 is “Working Together to Prevent Suicide”.

2. NASA’s Dawn mission is coming to an end : Dawn — NASA’s space probe for the asteroid belt — is coming to an end due to lack of a key fuel.It was launched to study two of the three known protoplanets of the asteroid belt  Vesta  and  Ceres, which when combined, make up 45% of the mass of the main asteroid belt.It was launched in September 2007.The spacecraft is likely to run out of a key fuel known as hydrazine.

3. Russia prepares for biggest war games : Russia will launch the biggest military drills in its history involving 300,000 troops as well as Chinese soldiers.The military exercise named “Vostok-2018” (East-2018) will start in eastern Siberia on September 11, 2018.The Russian army will roll out: Iskander missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, T-80 and T-90 tanks and its recent Su-34 and Su-35 fighter planes.

4. Aishwarya received ‘Meryl Streep Award” : Aishwarya Rai was felicitated with the ‘Meryl Streep Award for Excellence‘ at the first edition of Women In Film and Television (WIFT).The award has been established to honour the best female talent in Bollywood and Hollywood.Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar received the ‘Wyler Award for Excellence in Direction‘ at the same event.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. ICICI Bank launches overdraft facility : ICICI Bank announced a new overdraft facility for Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) based on their GST returns.The facility is known as ‘GST Business Loan’ and it would be available to any such business, including non-customers of the bank.The overdraft amount could range between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore and would be up to 20% of the turnover reported in the GST return.

SPORTS:

1. Ankur Mittal wins double trap gold in World Championship : Ankur Mittal has won the men’s double trap gold medal in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship in Changwon, South Korea.The multiple World Cup medallist shot 140 out of 150 to go into a shoot-off for gold with China's Yiyang Yang and Slovakia's Hubert Andrzej.Ankur also won the team bronze in the event along with compatriots Md. Asab and Shardul Vihaan, their tally of 409 points putting them behind China's 410 and the gold-winning team Italy's tally of 411.India has also secured two Olympic quotas, making it the country's best performance ever at the World Championship

2. Luka Modric wins 'UEFA men's player of the year award : Real Madrid's Luka Modric  has been named the 2017-18 UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award.Modric surpassed former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.Modric's Madrid team-mates Keylor Navas and Sergio Ramos won the best goalkeeper and defender awards respectively

Daily GK Updates - 9th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.  Rajasthan CM announces a 4-pc reduction in VAT on petrol, diesel : Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced a 4% reduction in valueadded tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel (around 2.50 Rs. Per liter) VAT on petrol will be reduced from 30 to 26 percent and on diesel from 22 to 18 percent.The decision will cost the exchequer 2,000 crore rupees.

2. Iconic 'Hazratganj Chauraha' of Lucknow city to be renamed as 'Atal Chowk' :The Iconic 'Hazratganj Chauraha' of Lucknow city (Uttar Pradesh) will be renamed af bter former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as 'Atal Chowk'.The State Government has also announced to convert Vajpayee's ancestral house in Bateshwar (Agra) into a memorial and develop a tourist circuit there.

3. Bengaluru to host Aero India 2019 in February : According to Defence Ministry (MoD), The 2019 edition of Aero India will be held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from 20 to 24 February next year.This five-day event will combine a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defense industries with public air shows.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal won’t join 1st BIMSTEC Military Exercise : The Nepal Government has confirmed that they will not join the first ever BIMSTEC military exercise in Pune, Maharashtra.The field training exercise will be conducted between September 10 and 16 at the Foreign Training Node at Aundh in Pune.The BIMSTEC is a regional group comprising of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, and Nepal.

2.  Switzerland planning to install a statue of veteran Hindi film actor late Sridevi : The Switzerland authorities are planning to install a statue of late Sridevi (Hindi film actor) whose superhit movie "Chandni" was shot at the country's picturesque locations.The statue of the renowned filmmaker, Yash Chopra is already there.1989 blockbuster 'Chandni' had also put Switzerland on center stage as almost half the song and dance sequences in the film had a Swiss backdrop.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1.  Axis Bank appoints HDFC’s Amitabh Chaudhry as MD & CEO :Amitabh Chaudhry  has been appointed as its managing director & CEO of the Axis bank for a period of three years (from 1^stJanuary 2019).Mr. Chaudhry has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010.He will take the charge at India’s third largest private sector bank after incumbent Shikha Sharma steps down on December 31, 2018.

SPORTS:

1.  Novak Djokovic wins 2018 US Open men's title : Serbia’s Novak Djokovic  defeated Argentine’s Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 to claim US Open Men’s tennis tournament - 2018 in New York (USA).It was Djokovic's 14th Grand Slam title and the third US Open title.Japan’s Naomi Osaka  has lifted the Women's singles title of US Open 2018.She won the Grand Slam defeating Serena Williams of US in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.It was the first time a Japanese tennis player claimed the Grand Slam title. 

2.  Triple jumper Arpinder Singh has become the first Indian to win a medal in IAAF Continental Cup : Triple jumper Arpinder Singh (25-year) has become the first Indian to win a medal (bronze medal) in the IAAF Continental Cup at Ostrava in the Czech Republic.No Indian has ever won a medal in the Continental Cup which was known as the IAAF World Cup before 2010.Two top athletes from the four regions of Europe, Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific were taking part in each of the 36 events in men and women sections taken together.

Daily GK Updates - 8th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Assam govt makes Hima Das as Sports Ambassador of state :Assam govt. has made Asian Games medalist Hima Das as the Sports Ambassador of the state.Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal handed over a cheque of 1.6 crore rupees to Hima at a function in Guwahati.Recently, Hima won 3 medals in concluded Asian Games.

2.  Piyush Goyal launches 'AAPOORTI' app of ‘ Indian Railways E-procurement system : Ministry of Railways & Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) has organized a seminar on “Leveraging IT for Mobility” in New Delhi. Shri Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways & Coal) graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.Shri Goyal also launched a new app – “AAPOORTI’ mobile App of ‘Indian Railways e-procurement system’ (IREPS).This App provides information and data related to e-tendering and e-auction related activities of Indian Railways.

3. Centenary of the Battle of Haifa Celebrated : The Embassy of India held a ceremony in Haifa to mark the Centenary of the Battle of Haifa.The ceremony was attended by a delegation from India led by Maj Gen VD Dogra and included personnel from the 61st Cavalry.The Battle of Haifa was fought on 23 September 1918 towards the end of the Battle of Sharon which together with the Battle of Nablus formed the set piece Battle of Megiddo.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1.International Literacy Day being observed today : The International Literacy Day (ILD) is being observed on 8th September every year throughout the world to raise public awareness to eradicate illiteracy and create an environment in favor of adult education programs.This year’s theme is ‘Literacy and skills development.’This year's theme explores integrated approaches that simultaneously support the development of literacy and skills, to ultimately improve people’s lives and work and contribute to equitable and sustainable societies.

2. The U.S. returns two antique statues stolen from India : Two antique statues worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (USD 225,000) stolen from India and displayed at two American museums have been repatriated to India by the US.The first statue, ‘Lingodhbhavamurti’, a 12th-century granite sculpture depicting an iconic representation of Lord Shiva, dates back to the Chola dynasty.It was stolen from Tamil Nadu and was on display at the Birmingham Museum in Alabama.

3. 'Gold' becomes first Bollywood film ever to release in Saudi Arabia : Indian movie 'Gold' has become the first Bollywood film ever to release in Saudi Arabia.The film Gold is a fictional re-telling of India's iconic win at the 1948 London Olympics.This film is only the second movie after Rajnikanth's social drama "Kala" to hit the theatres in the Gulf country.Saudi Arabia had held a private screening of international cultural phenomenon, "Black Panther" in May this year to herald the launch of movie theatres in the kingdom and opening them to the public.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. SBI appoints Anshula Kant as Managing Director : The Union Government has appointed Anshula Kant as the Managing Director of the State Bank of India (SBI).Currently, she is the Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of SBI.With this appointment, SBI has four MDs - PK Gupta, DK Khara and Arijit Basu.

SPORTS:

1. Saurabh Chaudhary clinches gold in ISSF World C'ship : India's Saurabh Chaudhary (16-year) clinched the 10 meters Air Pistol Junior gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shooting World Championship in Changwon, South Korea.Arjun Singh Cheema claimed bronze in the same event with a score of 218 while Korea’s Hojin Lim clinched silver.India also picked up a silver medal in the junior men's trap team competition.