Daily GK Updates - 3rd September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tourism Minister inaugurates first-ever architectural LED illumination at Qutub Minar: Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel inaugurated first-ever architectural LED illumination at the  Qutub Minar. With the illumination, the architectural beauty of the 12th-century monument will display its historic majesty after sunset. Qutb Minar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of most visited historical site in Delhi.

2. PM Modi inaugurates Garvi Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi: Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has inaugurated the new building of ‘Garvi Gujarat Bhavan’ at Akbar Road in New Delhi. The Bhavan is equipped with traditional and modern artefacts and technologies and will serve as a home for Gujaratis in the national capital. The new structure is built on an area of 20,325 square meters and have 19 suits rooms, 59 regular rooms, a restaurant, a public dining hall, a business centre, a souvenir shop, a multi-purpose hall, conference hall, four lounges, a gymnasium, a yoga centre, a terrace garden and a library.

Note: Chief Minister of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor of Gujarat: Acharya Devvrat.

3. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate ‘Aqua Aquaria India’: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the 5th edition of the aquaculture event, Aqua Aquaria India, in Hyderabad. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Taking Blue Revolution to India’s Hinterland’. This event organised for encouraging diversification and intensification of aquaculture in a sustainable manner. iii. This is an initiative of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Commerce Ministry.

Note: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal.

4. New Health Insurance Scheme AB-MGRSBY launched in Rajasthan: The Rajasthan government has launched a new health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojna (AB-MGRSBY). The scheme is implemented after merging the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) and the state's Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojna (BSBY). With the merger of (AB-PMJAY) and (BSBY) the number of families getting benefits will be increased from 1 crore to 1.1 crores.

Note: Rajasthan Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot; Governor: Kalraj Mishra; Capital: Jaipur.

5. Haryana govt waives off interest & penalty of Rs 4,750 cr on crop loans: Haryana government has announced Rs 4,750 crore interest and penalty waiver on crop loans. The waive off is for farmers who had borrowed from Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, District Cooperative Central Banks and Land Mortgage Bank. The step will benefit around 10 lakh farmers in the state.

Note: Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar; Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.

6. KVIC launches ‘Terracotta Grinder’ to reuse wasted pottery: Khadi and Village Industries Commission has launched a ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Sewapuri in Varanasi. The machine will be able to grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.   This Terracotta grinder will make grinding of wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar and pestle. It will lessen the cost of production, and will also help in solving the problem of shortage of clays. On the occasion, KVIC also distributed 200 Electric Potter Wheels and other pottery machines among the villagers.

Note: Chairman of KVIC: Vinai Kumar Saxena.

7. IIT-Kharagpur and Amazon Web Services join hands to develop AI portal: IIT Kharagpur has collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a National Artificial Intelligence resource platform (NAIRP) to promote learning and development in artificial intelligence (AI). The National Artificial Intelligence Resource Portal (NAIRP) will provide access to compute facilities to users for AI learning and experimentation. Novice machine learning practitioners will be able to quickly search and get access to myriads of learning resources and prototype the learned concepts into hands-on running modules without being held back by the lack of resources.

Note: CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos; Established: 5 July 1994.

8. Prakash Javadekar Unveils New Logo, Certificate Design of CBFC: Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar unveiled the new logo and certificate design of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).  The introduction of a QR code in the new certificate design is in sync with the world of digital technology and will bring in greater transparency and provide information to filmmakers in a better way.

Note: Chairman of CBFC: Prasoon Joshi.

9. A new book released on the history of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The book, "India's Lost Frontier the Story of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan", has been penned by veteran civil servant Raghvendra Singh. He was the Director-General of the National Archives of India.  This book on the history of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, earlier known as the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). This book presents the chronicles of Congress leadership in 1947 surrendered India's claim on the "tactically important" province despite the resistance of Mahatma Gandhi and some influential political leaders of the region.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ‘Namaste Pacific’ Cultural Event held in New Delhi:  The High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organised a cultural event 'Namaste Pacific' held in Delhi, India. This event is organised to showcase the culture of the Pacific countries. There was also showcase of the International Solar Alliance and Pollinate Energy based in Australia, Nepal and India and solar lanterns from Barefoot College in Rajasthan.

Note: Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Lt. Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.

2. PM Narendra Modi embarks on 3-day visit to Russia to attend EEF summit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on 3-day visit to Russia to take part in the 5th Eastern Economic Forum – (EEF) summit. PM Modi will also attend the 20th annual summit between Russia and India. According to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, both India and Russia want to move beyond the conventional cooperation in defence and nuclear civil cooperation to the new areas of the economy. On the sidelines of Eastern Economic Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Government Heads of Japan, Malaysia and Mongolia.

Note: Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is an international forum held each year in Vladivostok, Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East. The Eastern Economic Forum was established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in 2015.

3. Defence Ministers of India & Japan meet in Tokyo: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo to further enhance the defence engagements between both the countries. Earlier Mr Singh co-chaired the annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwayain. According to Rajnath Singh, India and Japan will continue working together to further deepen the defence ties between both the nations.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo; Currency: Japanese Yen; PM: Shinzo Abe.

4. 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia held in New Delhi. The committee is the highest decision making and governing body of WHO in the region. Dr Harsh Vardhan was unanimously elected as Chair of the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia.

Note: WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Director general: Tedros Adhanom.

5. Bangladesh TV starts telecast in India: Dr. Hasan Mahmud (Information Minister of Bangladesh) has inaugurated the state-owned TV channel Bangladesh Television (BTV) at BTV Auditorium in Dhaka for viewers in India on DD free dish. This would create platforms for learning from each other’s experiences and fostering better understanding between the two countries. The BTV programmes in India will be broadcast by using the country's first communication satellite Bangabandhu 1. Initially, the viewers would be able to watch BTV World service programmes in India. India and Bangladesh signed an agreement in May 2019 to make BTV and DD available in both the countries.

6. Japan to launch special police unit to patrol isles in the East China Sea: Japan will launch a special police unit equipped with submachine guns and helicopters to patrol disputed isles in the East China Sea. According to the National Police Agency, it had put in a budget request for an additional 159 officers to head off illegal landings on remote islands by armed groups. It was the first-time police had stepped up patrols near the disputed islands. The uninhabited islets are at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing, which is also involved in a widening dispute with several Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea. The Japanese Government has long complained about China's routine dispatch of coastguard ships to waters surrounding the islands. Relations between Japan and China deteriorated in 2012 when Tokyo nationalized some of the islets.

Note: The ‘East China Sea’ is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of roughly 1,249,000 square kilometres. The sea connects with the Sea of Japan through the Korea Strait and opens to the north into the Yellow Sea. The states which border the sea include Japan, Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Virat Kohli becomes India's most successful Test skipper: Virat Kohli has surpassed Mahendra Singh Dhoni to become India's most successful Test skipper. It came after the Indian team recorded its 28th win under Kohli's leadership in the second and final test against the West Indies at Kingston. The 28 wins have come from 48 matches for Kohli as captain. M S Dhoni led India to 27 wins from 60 Test matches during his tenure. Overall, Graeme Smith (former South Africa skipper) remains the most successful skipper in the world with 53 Test wins, followed by Ricky Ponting (ex-Australia captain) who recorded 48 Test wins in his captaincy tenure.

2. India beat West Indies in 2nd cricket test at Kingston; Clinches series 2-0: India beat West Indies by a thumping margin of 257 runs to win the second Cricket Test and clinch series 2-0. Chasing a mammoth victory target of 468 runs set by India, West Indies were all out for 210 in their second innings on the penultimate day of the Test at Kingston, Jamaica. India produced a top-notch bowling performance to demolish West Indies as the series victory put them on top of ICC World Test Championship points table.

Brief scores: India: 416 (140.1) & 168/4d (54.4)

West Indies: 117 (47.1) & 210 (59.5).

3. Nadubhagam Chundan Lifts 67th Nehru Trophy in Alappuzha: Nadubhagam Chundan, the snake boat of Pallathuruthy Boat Club, lifted the 67th edition of the Nehru Trophy at the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha in Kerala. A total of 79 boats, including 23 snake boats, participated in the Nehru trophy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the event in the presence of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who was the chief guest of the event.

Note: Governor of Kerala: Arif Mohammed Khan; Capital of Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. PM Narendra Modi to be honoured with Global Goalkeeper Award: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with the prestigious 2019 ‘Global Goalkeeper Award’ for his work in the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. Mr. Modi will be felicitated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, owned by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates. The award is a “special recognition” that celebrates the commitment of a political leader towards the Global Goals, demonstrated through impactful work in their country and/or globally. The Foundation will host the fourth annual Goalkeepers 'Global Goals Awards' on 24th September in the United States.

Note: The annual awards, in five categories, are presented to leaders and individuals for their efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The categories are Progress, Changemaker, Campaign, Goalkeepers Voice and the Global Goalkeeper.

DEFENCE

1. Eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters to be inducted into IAF: Eight United States-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters have been inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a ceremony at the Pathankot Air Force station. The addition of the Apache fleet will significantly enhance the IAF's combat capabilities. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters. The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US Government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for purchase of 22 Apache helicopters.

Note: Apache helicopter can deliver a variety of weapons which includes air to ground hellfire missiles, 70 MM Hydra rockets and air to air stinger missiles. Apache also carries one 30MM chain gun with 1200 rounds as part of area weapon subsystem. It carries fire control radar which has 360-degree coverage and nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.

Daily GK Updates - 2nd September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ganesh Utsav begins across the country with traditional gaiety: The ten-day long festival of Ganesh Utsav begins with great devotion from 2nd September. The festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is a symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Ganesh Chaturthi is a major attraction in Maharashtra, where people celebrate it with great zeal. On the first day of the festival, devotees are welcoming the idols of Lord Ganesha to their homes and at public pandals in various parts of the state.

2. Higher penalties for violating traffic rules come into force: The amended provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, which hike the penalty for traffic rules violation have come into force from 01st September 2019. As many as 63 clauses of the Act, which correspond to an increase in the fine for traffic rule violation came into force. The fine for jumping red-light has been revised from 1,000 rupees earlier to 5,000 rupees now. Driving without wearing the seat belt, which earlier invited a fine of 100 rupees will now attract a fine of 1,000 rupees.

3. EC launches Electors Verification Programme: The Election Commission launched a new mega Electors Verification Programme (EVP) across the country. The programme, which seeks to electoral rolls through crowdsourcing, will go on till 15th of October. Under the programme, a voter from each family will get a username and password, allowing a person to upload all documents related to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or her family members. The EVP programme can be effected both online and offline.

4. India’s first garbage cafe to be opened in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh: In a unique initiative, the Ambikapur municipal corporation of Chhattisgarh will open a first-of-its-kind 'Garbage Cafe'. This initiative is a step towards making the city plastic-free. In this unique Cafe' poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one kilogram of plastic, while breakfast will be provided if half a kilogram of plastic is brought to the cafe. The collected garbage will be sold at Solid-Liquid Resources Management Centre. The collected plastic waste would further be turned into granules and will then be used in the construction of roads in the city. Ambikapur is Chhattisgarh’s first dustbin-free city.

Note: CM of Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel. Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anusuiya Uikey.

5. CGHS services to be made available in 100 cities by 2022: Health Minister: The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a new scheme of Annual Health Check-up for CGHS beneficiaries who are pensioners of the age of 75 years and above. He also inaugurated state-of-the-art CGHS Bhawan in New Delhi. Dr Harsh Vardhan stated that CGHS services should be made available in 100 cities by 2022. The CGHS services which started in 1954 from Delhi expanded to only 25 cities till 2014.

6. IPS Vivek Kumar Johri takes charge as BSF DG: IPS officer Vivek Kumar Johri took charge as the Director General (DG) of the country's largest border guarding force, BSF. He will replace Rajni Kant Mishra. VK Johri has been serving as the Special Secretary in the external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), under the Cabinet Secretariat. He will retire in September next year and is the 25th chief of the force.

Headquarters of BSF: New Delhi; Established: 1 December 1965.

7. Google signs a pact with IT ministry for 'Build for Digital India': Tech giant ‘Google’ has signed a statement of intent with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) for rolling out 'Build for Digital India' programme. The programme will offer a platform for engineering students to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems. As part of the program, engineering students across the country will be invited to present their ideas and solutions in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, women safety, smart mobility and transportation, environment, accessibility and disability and digital literacy. Google will also offer mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and prototypes.

Note: Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad; Chief Executive Officer of Google: Sundar Pichai.

8. The Union Government approves Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced the approval of the new ‘Gorewada International Zoo’ in Nagpur district of Maharashtra. The Zoo will have attractions like Bio Park, Indian Safari, African Safari, Night Safari, Research, Education and Training, facilities for tourists, etc. The task of construction of Indian Safari and ancillary activities, Water Reservoir and Gorewada Reserve has been given to FDCM Ltd. with Government Grants. The Government of Maharashtra has accorded permission for establishing the International Zoo, through Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (FDCM. Ltd.), Nagpur.

Note: The Gorewada International Zoo is likely to be one of the largest captive Zoo Safari in India with over 1914 Hectares of land adjoining the Gorewada Lake.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bangladesh partners with Reliance Power for gas-based power plant: The Bangladesh government has signed an agreement with Reliance Power of India. As per the agreement, they will set up a 750 MW gas-based power plant in Meghnahat near Dhaka. The construction of the plant will be completed by 2022. Reliance Power has also signed an MoU with Petro Bangla to set up 500 mmscfd (million standard cubic feet per day) LNG terminal at Kutubdia Island near Chittagong in Bangladesh.

Note: Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; PM: Sheikh Hasina.

2. India ranks 9th on "Global Happiness Survey" by Ipsos: According to a "Global Happiness Survey" by Ipsos, Indian has been ranked 9th on the happiness index among 28 global markets. For India, there has been a six per cent drop (from 83 per cent in 2018 to 77 per cent in 2019). Australia and Canada at the top spot (at 86 per cent) have emerged as the happiest nations of the world, While Russia (47 per cent) emerged at the bottom of the heap, among the 28 markets.

3. Russia to train Indian astronauts for Gaganyaan mission: Russia will train four Indian astronauts for India’s ambitious manned mission to space, Gaganyaan. Indian astronauts will be trained at Russian facilities. A special ISRO unit will be established in the embassy in Moscow to facilitate increased cooperation between India and Russia in view of the Gaganyaan mission. Under the Gaganyaan Mission, Indian Space Research Research Organisation has outlined a road map to put a three-man crew in a low earth orbit for 5-7 days by December 2021.
Note: Chairman of ISRO: K. Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Yashaswini Deswal wins gold at ISSF World Cup: Indian shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won gold in the women's 10meter Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. She has also secured an Olympic quota for India. This is India's 9th quota in shooting for 2020 Tokyo Games.

Note: Capital of Brazil: Brasilia; Currency of Brazil: Brazilian Real.

2. Jasprit Bumrah became the 3rd Indian to take a Test hat-trick: Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah (25-years) has become the third Indian to claim a hat-trick in Test cricket during the ongoing second Test against West Indies at Sabina Park. Bumrah got the wickets of Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase off successive deliveries to achieve the feat. Burmah is also the 44th player to achieve the feat in the longest format of the game. Harbhajan Singh was the first Indian to pick up a Test hat-trick (vs Australia in Kolkata in 2001). Left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan repeated the feat when he took three wickets off consecutive balls against Pakistan in Karachi in 2006.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IDBI Bank introduces repo-linked home and auto loans: IDBI Bank will introduce two Repo Linked Products -Suvidha Plus Home Loan and Suvidha Plus Auto Loan from September 10. The new Home Loan and Auto Loan products will be offered to new customers having a good credit score and a minimum income of Rs. 6 lakh per annum. The Suvidha Plus Home Loan will be offered for up to Rs. 75 Lakh with a tenor of up to 35 years. The Suvidha Plus Auto loan will be offered for up to Rs. 25 lakh covering the on-road price with a tenor of up to 7 years.

Daily GK Updates - 1st September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. New Governors Appointed for 5 States: President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed new Governors for five states: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana.

(1) Former Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will be the Governor of Himachal Pradesh in place of Kalraj Mishra. (2) Kalraj Mishra, has been given the charge of Rajasthan, replacing incumbent Governor Kalyan Singh. (3) Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been named the Governor of Maharashtra replacing C. Vidyasagar Rao. (4) Former Union Minister, Arif Mohammed Khan was appointed Governor of Kerala replacing P. Sathasivam. (5) Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan will be the new Governor of Telangana replacing E.S.L Narshiman.

2. Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane Takes Charge as Vice Chief of the Army Staff: Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane assumed the charge of Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS). He succeeds Lt Gen Devraj Anbu who superannuated on 31 August 2019. Prior to this, Lt Gen Naravane was the incharge of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.

3. Govt accepts State Bank of India MD Anshula Kant’s resignation: The government has accepted the resignation of State bank of India’s managing Director Anshula Kant, following her appointment as MD and chief financial officer of the World Bank. Kant was appointed as the managing director and chief financial officer of the World Bank.

4. September Month Being Celebrated as ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’: The Government of India has decided to observe the entire month of September as the ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ (National Nutrition Month) beginning September 01, 2019. The theme for 2019 celebrations is Complimentary Feeding. Through the Poshan month celebrations, government aims to take the message of nutrition to every nook and corner of the country to focus on complimentary food, treatment and prevention from infections in children.

5. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates India’s Longest Electrified Rail Tunnel: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu dedicated India’s longest electrified rail tunnel between Cherlopalli and Rapuru and the electrified railway line between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli in Andhra Pradesh. The railway tunnel has been built at a cost of Rs 437 crore and has 44 trolley refuges and 14 cross-passages in a horseshoe design. The 112-km new line has no level crossings and is completed at a cost of Rs 1,993 crore and consists of 9 railway stations along the route, 146 bridges, 60 road-under-bridges and two tunnels. The minister also inaugurated the re-modelled yard at Guduru railway station and flagged-off a new inter-city superfast express train between Guduru and Vijayawada.

Rajasthan launches AB-MGRSBY health insurance scheme: The Rajasthan government has launched a new health insurance scheme- Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojna (AB-MGRSBY)- from September 1. The scheme will be implemented after merging the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY) and the state’s Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojna (BSBY). With the merger of AB-PMJAY and BSBY, the number of families getting benefit will increase.

6. Haryana CM releases book penned by senior IPS officer O P Singh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released a book titled ‘Jin Dhoondha Tin Paaiyan’ penned by senior IPS officer O P Singh. The 174-page book is written in Hindi and has 45 chapters. It covers a wide range of issues including crime, violence, police, sports and social media. The book urges the readers to keep upgrading their worldview and avoid getting obsolete.

7. “A Short History of Indian Railways” book penned by Rajendra B Aklekar released: A new book named “A Short History of Indian Railways”, has been penned by veteran journalist and author Rajendra B Aklekar. This new book on the history of Indian Railways chronicles the journey of the national transporter from the 1830s to the new high-speed Train 18 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious bullet train project.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ECI to Host 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 3rd September 2019. India will also take charge as the Chair of A-WEB for the 2019-21 term. An International Conference on “Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in Elections” will also be held during the meet that will take place from 02 to 04 September, 2019.

Note: The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide. Its permanent secretariat is located at Seoul South Korea. 

2. Indonesia picks eastern Borneo island for new capital: Indonesia has chosen the eastern edge of jungle-clad Borneo island for its new capital, President Joko Widodo said, as the country looks to shift its political heart away from congested megalopolis Jakarta. The proposed location — near the regional cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda- is in the geographical centre of the Southeast Asian archipelago and an area where the government already owns some 180,000 hectares (445,000 acres) of land, he added.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Charles Leclerc wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Monacan based Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) has won the Formula 1, Belgian Grand Prix 2019. This is his first F1 win. Lewis Hamilton was on second while Valtteri Bottas finished third. 

2. India’s Sasikumar Mukund Finishes Runner Up in Both Singles and Doubles at ATP Challenger Tour: In Tennis, Sasikumar Mukund ended runner-up in both singles and doubles at ATP Challenger Tour, in Baotou, China. The 12th seed Mukund lost to Australian top seed James Duckworth 4-6 3-6 in the singles in the clay-court event of Challenger 80 category tournament. In the doubles, Mukund and Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili pair lost 6-7 (3) 2-6 to second seed Korean pair of Ji Sung Nam and Min-Kyu Song.

3. Tejinderpal Wins Shotput Silver at Czech Republic Athletic Meet: Asian Games gold medallist Tejinderpal Singh Toor won silver medal in men’s shot put event at V. Koci Memorial Athletics Meet at Decin, Czech Republic. The 24-year-old came with his best throw of 20.09m. Tomas Stanek of Czech Republic won the gold with 20.86m.

4. India Thrash Nepal 7-0 to Win U-15 SAFF Championship: India defeated Nepal 7-0 in the final of the 2019 SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) U-15 Championship at the Kalyani Stadium, West Bengal. Maheson Singh (15'), Amandeep (41'), Sibajit Singh (43+1'), Himanshu Jangra (65') and Sridarth Nongmeikapam (52', 76', 80') got their names on the scoreboard. With seven goals to his name, Jangra finished as the top scorer in the tournament in which the hosts had secured their place in the final with a game to spare. 

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. 2% TDS on cash withdrawals of over Rs 1 crore from September 1: Tax department: The revenue department said that the 2 per cent tax deduction at source (TDS) on cash withdrawals of over Rs 1 crore will come into effect from September 1. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) further said that if a person has already withdrawn Rs 1 crore or more in cash up to August 31, 2019, in the current fiscal, 2 per cent TDS shall apply on all subsequent cash withdrawals. The government had made the provision of levying 2 per cent TDS on cash withdrawals exceeding Rs 1 crore in the Union Budget with an aim to discourage cash transactions and move towards less cash economy.

2. RBI extends KYC deadline for mobile wallets by 6 months: The Reserve Bank of India has given mobile wallet providers time till February 29, 2020 to fully comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) norms, in a major relief to companies such as Paytm, Amazon Pay and PhonePe just a day before the expiry of its earlier deadline. These companies ran the risk of losing thousands of customers if they had failed to comply with the August 31 deadline to convert customer accounts authenticated through the minimum KYC route to full KYC wallets, ahead of the crucial festival season.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

1. Digital payments growing in India at 12.7% CAGR: KPMG: Digital payments in India are witnessing thriving growth with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7 per cent in the number of non-cash transactions, global advisory KPMG said. A KPMG report said that the mobile payment revolution in the country has led to a boom in the number of merchants adopting digital payments with close to 1.5 million digital payment acceptance locations in 2016-17.

OBITUARIES

1. US actress and four-time Emmy winner Valerie Harper passes away: Actress Valerie Harper, the star of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and spin-off series “Rhoda”, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was 80.

Daily GK Updates - 31st August, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Most awaited "Assam's National Register of Citizens List" released: State coordinator of the National Register of Citizens, Prateek Hajela has released the most awaited Assam's final National Register of Citizens list. The list has been made accessible online and at all NRC seva kendras in the state. The process of NRC Update was started in the state of Assam as per order of the Supreme Court of India in 2013. The NRC took five years and Rs 1,220 crore before getting published.

Important findings of the NRC: From the 3.29 crore applicants, a total of 3.11 crore people have been found eligible for inclusion in final NRC list. 19.06 lakh people have been excluded from the final NRC list. The status of both inclusion and exclusion can be checked online in the NRC website www.nrcassam.nic.in. Those excluded from the final NRC list will have 120 days to approach the Foreigners’ Tribunals. If a person is dissatisfied with the tribunal's decision, he/she can appeal against it.

Note: Foreigners tribunals is a place where bona fide citizens, whose names do not figure in the final NRC, can approach to challenge their exclusion. To accommodate excluded people, detention camps have been set up across the state of Assam. The NRC list is the biggest exercise India has undertaken to expel illegal immigrants residing illegally in India. The updation process of NRC was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to the rules framed in the Assam Accord.

2. CBDT constitutes five-member "Startup Cell" for startups: The Central Board of Direct Taxes has announced the creation of a five-member special cell "Startup Cell" for startups. The "Startup Cell" will address the grievances of the startups with relation to angel tax and other tax-related issues. Startup entities can approach the cell for speedy resolution of their grievances. The 'startup cell' will be headed by the member (Income Tax and Computerisation) of the board. Start-up Cell has been constituted by CBDT with the following ex-officio members:

Member (Income Tax and Computerisation): Chairman

Joint Secretary (tax policy and legislation-II): Member

Commissioner of I-T (ITA): Member

Director (ITA-I): Member Secretary

Under Secretary(ITA-I): Member

3. "Special Tiger Force" for Corbett Reserve to be set up by Uttarakhand: The Uttarakhand government has decided to form a Special Tiger Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve. The STPF will be effective in checking illegal human intrusion into the reserve through villages located on its fringes. The STPF will serve as a second layer of protection for tigers at the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Note: Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya.

4. Meghalaya CM launches ‘walk to work’ campaign in the state: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma took the lead to launch the campaign of Fit India Movement which has been launched in the country by the Prime Minister. The Chief Minister took a two-kilometre walk from his residential quarters to his office chamber at Main Secretariat, Shillong launching the #WalktoWorkMeghalaya which is a part of the ‘Fit India Campaign’. The idea of 'walk to work' will have multiple benefits, cuts the cost of fuel including reduction of CO2 emission, reduce congestion in the city and more importantly for health and fitness.

5. Central TB Division signs MoU to fight tuberculosis with help of AI: The Central TB Division of the Health Ministry has signed an MoU with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Under the MoU, the division seeks to explore the application of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence technology in its fight against tuberculosis (TB). Wadhwani AI would support the National TB programme by helping it become AI-ready. This would including developing, piloting, and deploying the AI-based solutions.

6. "Mega Vendor Meet 2019" held at Lucknow: Research Designs and Standards Organization organized the "Mega Vendor Meet 2019" at Lucknow. The special meet was organized to expand vendor base and spread information on greater business opportunities in Railways Sector. Research Designs and Standards Organization is a research wing of Indian Railways.

7. P.K. Sinha appointed as Officer on Special Duty in PMO: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of P.K. Sinha as "Officer on Special Duty" in the office of the Prime Minister. P K Sinha was earlier serving as the Cabinet Secretary before the appointment of Rajiv Gauba.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India, Nepal organize training programme on EXIM Bank's guidelines: The Embassy of India in Nepal and National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) of Nepal organized a two-day training programme in Kathmandu on the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India’s Line of Credit guidelines and procedures. Senior experts from the EXIM Bank of India conducted the training programme which was attended by 27 officials from Government of Nepal. A total of 28 Indian contractors attended this training session. The two sides also agreed to collaborate on future capacity building efforts of the Government of Nepal officials who would be working on the Government of India’s Line of Credit supported projects.

The first day of the training covered a general introduction to the EXIM Bank of India’s Line of Credit (LOC) modality including project identification, pre-qualification and tendering process, evaluation of tender documents, empanelment process, project implementation and monitoring. The second-day training included a session by Nepal Government officials on Import/Export and domestic tax for Indian contractors involved in LoC projects in Nepal. Note: The training programme was organized as part of a bilateral understanding reached between the Government of Nepal and Government of India during the 7th Line of Credit (LOC) Review Meeting held in June 2019 in India.

2. India to host COP14 of UN Convention in September this year: India will host the Conference Of Parties (COP 14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification from 2nd to 13th September 2019. The event will be held at the India Mart and Expo, in the Greater Noida area of New Delhi. The event will see the participation of over 3000 representatives from over 200 countries which will include Ministers from around 100 countries. The Conference Of Parties will focus on desertification and degradation of land.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Vismaya wins gold at Josef Seckar memorial athletic meet: Indian sprinter VK Vismaya (22-years) clinch the gold medal in the 400m run at the International Athletic Meeting – Josef Seckar Memorial (MJS) in Brno, Czech Republic. VK Vismaya produced her personal best timing of 52.12s to clinch the gold medal. Compatriots Poovamma Machettira (53.47s) and Subha Venkatesan (53.67s) finished second and third respectively.

Daily GK Updates - 30th August, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. The Union Environment Ministry releases Rs 47,436 cr for green activities: The Union Environment Ministry has transferred Rs 47,436 crore to 27 States for afforestation. The amount has been released from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund. The corpus will be utilised for compensatory afforestation, wildlife management, forest fire-prevention, work related to soil and moisture conservation in forests, voluntary relocation of villages from protected areas etc.

Note: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Prakash Javadekar.

2. Union HRD Minister launches Integrated Online junction ‘Shagun’: Union Human Resource Development Minister launched one of the world’s largest Integrated Online Junction for School Education ‘Shagun’ in New Delhi. Shagun is coined from two different words- ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning Quality. School Education Shagun is an over-arching initiative to improve the school education system by creating a junction for all online portals and websites relating to various activities of the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Government of India and all States and Union Territories.
Note: Union HRD Minister: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

3. Maharashtra cabinet clears the “vertical property rules”: The Maharashtra cabinet has cleared the “vertical property rules” to create a database of all flats, buildings and commercial complexes. The “vertical property rules” would prevent property-related frauds, where one flat or commercial unit is sold or mortgaged to multiple buyers or financial institutions. All flat owners in the state will soon get supplementary property cards, which will have details such as carpet area, amenity space and bank loan information, along with their 7/12 extracts.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis; Governor: C Vidyasagar Rao.

4. Tamil Nadu's Dindigul locks and Kandangi sarees get GI tag: Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul locks and Kandangi sarees have received Geographical Indication (GI) tags. The famous Dindigul locks are known throughout the world for their superior quality and durability, that’s why the city is called Lock City. The lock-making industry in Dindigul is said to be over 150 years old and they makeover 50 varieties of locks. Similarly, the hand-woven Kandangi sarees also have a 150-year-old tradition, and its history is interwoven with the story of the influential business community of Chettiars. The Geographical Indication sign is used on products which correspond to a specific geographical location. The use of a geographical indication may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.

Note: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Governor: Banwarilal Purohit; Capital: Chennai.

5. IIT Guwahati signs MoU with RD Grow Green India for safer drinking water: IIT Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RD Grow Green India Pvt for Technology transfer for safer drinking water. Drinking water contamination is a major problem in most of the states including Assam. This "chemical-free" treatment technique might be useful to the citizens in rural and urban areas as well. iii. The technology is based on the 'Apparatus and Method for Removal of Fluoride, Iron, Arsenic and Microorganisms from Contaminated Drinking Water'.

Note: Assam Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal; Capital: Dispur; Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Tokyo ranked top in the Safe Cities Index 2019: As per Economics Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index (SCI)-2019, Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka and Amsterdam occupied top spots in the Safe Cities Index 2019. Mumbai (45th rank) and New Delhi (52nd) are the only two Indian cities that made an appearance on the list. The report is based on the third iteration of the index, which ranks 60 cities across 57 indicators covering digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security.

Note: The Safe Cities Index 2019 is a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by NEC Corporation.

2. Book on former US President titled “Obama: The Call of History” released: A new book titled “Obama: The Call of History” has been released. The book has been written by Peter Baker, the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times. This book will give an in-depth account of the former US President's Barack Obama years in office.

3. International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances: 30 August: United Nations observes 30 August every year as International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The day is observed to prevent enforced disappearances and bring to justice those responsible, as enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole. 2011 marked the inaugural commemoration of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Virgil van Dijk, Lucy Bronze win UEFA Award: Liverpool Football player Virgil van Dijk has won UEFA's Player of the Year award. He was beating Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, while England footballer Lucy Bronze taking the Women's Player of the Year award. UEFA also handed out positional awards for male players, with Van Dijk for Champions League Defender of the Season.

2. Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in shooting World Cup: Indian shooters Abhishek Verma has won the gold medal and Saurabh Chaudhary the bronze in the men's 10m air pistol event of the World Cup at Rio de Janeiro. Abhishek Verma shot 244.2 in the eight-man finals, while Saurabh Chaudhary's 221.9 was good enough to get him the bronze. Sanjeev Rajput claimed a silver in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final to secure India's Olympic quota. India was placed at the top of the medals tally with two gold, one silver and a bronze.

3. V K Vismaya wins gold in 400m at MJS in Brno, Czech Republic: Indian sprinter VK Vismaya clinch the gold medal in the 400m run at the International Athletic Meeting - Josef Seckar Memorial (MJS) in Brno, Czech Republic. She produced her personal best timing of 52.12s to clinch the gold medal.

Note: Capital of Czech Republic: Prague; Currency of Czech Republic: Czech koruna.

4. Rahul Dravid replaced as India A, U-19 head coaches: Former Saurashtra captain Sitanshu Kotak (46-years) and ex-India seamer Paras Mhambrey (47-years) have replaced Rahul Dravid as head coaches of India A and U-19 sides respectively. Recently, Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the National Cricket Academy (NCA)’s head of cricket operations. He will be preparing the roadmap for India A and U-19 teams along with up-gradation pan for the existing coaching module. The fielding coach of the A team will be T Dilip, who was also shortlisted for the senior team’s fielding coach’s job. Hrishikesh Kanitkar will be the batting coach of the U-19 side having worked with this set-up during the U-19 tri-series win in England.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Govt. announces major reforms in the banking sector: According to Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, The Union government unveiled major reforms in the banking sector to strengthen the foundation of the banks. The government announced the merger of Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank and United Bank of India. Once these three banks are merged it will create a bank with a business of Rs 17.95 lakh crore and have 11,437 branches. After the Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank are merged into the Punjab National Bank, it will become India's second-largest bank (SBI remains India's largest bank). Once the Syndicate bank is merged into the Canara Bank, the resultant bank will become India's fourth-largest public sector bank with Rs 15.20 lakh crore business. Union Bank, Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank to merge to become India's fifth largest public sector bank with Rs 14.59 lakh crore business.

The 12 public sector banks: State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, Indian Bank, UCO Bank and Bank of Maharashtra.

2. Government-e-Marketplace signs MoU with SIDBI: Government e-Marketplace has signed an MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India. The MoU aims to benefit MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups, Women Self Help Groups and various loan beneficiaries under MUDRA and Stand-up India scheme. GeM and SIDBI will take steps to ensure payments within a guaranteed timeframe to sellers, enhance working capital availability through bill discounting.

Note: CEO of GeM: Talleen Kumar; Chairman and MD of SIDBI: Mohammad Mustafa.

3. BSE and SUFI join hands to launch steel futures: The Steel Users Federation of India has signed an MoU with the Bombay Stock Exchange to launch trading in steel futures. BSE and SUFI will work towards enlisting steel futures in both long and flat segments, which will bring stability, risk-aversion besides creating a level-playing field for all players. BSE offers to trade in commodities like gold, silver, crude oil, guar, cotton and turmeric.

Note: Managing Director and CEO of BSE: Ashish Kumar Chauhan.

4. Rating Agency ICRA terminates CEO Naresh Takkar: ICRA Ltd ousted its Managing Director and group Chief Executive Officer Naresh Takkar. ICRA has terminated the employment of Takkar with immediate effect over allegations of misconduct at the credit rating agency under Takkar. This is the first time a top official of a rating agency has been fired by the company’s board.

5. Lakshmi Vilas Bank MD & CEO Parthasarathi Mukherjee resigns: Managing Director (MD) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Lakshmi Vilas Bank Parthasarathi Mukherjee has announced his resignation citing personal reasons. Earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering a proposal of merger of Indiabulls Housing Finance with Lakshmi Vilas Bank.

Note: Lakshmi Vilas Bank Limited was founded in 1926 by a group of seven businessmen of Karur under the leadership of Shri V.S.N. Ramalinga Chettiar. Lakshmi Vilas Bank is headquartered at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. DAY-NULM conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), has been conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award. It has been conferred the award for its initiative "Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access (PAiSA)". DAY-NULM is a flagship mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. PAiSA is a centralized IT platform which simplifies and streamlines release of interest subvention under the Mission. It offers end to end online solution for processing, payment, monitoring and tracking of interest subvention claims from banks on a monthly basis.

2. Maitri mobile app win tech prize in US: Maitri Mobile app clinched the bronze medal at the Technovation Challenge. It is the world’s largest technology and entrepreneurship programme for girls, held in San Francisco, US. A team of 5 girls students nicknamed “Tech Witches” have developed a mobile app named Maitri. The aim of the app is to bring together individuals suffering from loneliness and depression and those lacking nurturing love of elderly role models.

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran Bengali actor Nimu Bhowmik passes away: Veteran Bengali actor Nimu Bhowmik passed away. He acted characters of different shades in 'Ganadebata' (1979), 'Baghini' (1968), 'Dadar Kirti' (1980), 'Guru Dakshina' (1987). His last film, 'Dash Mash Das Diner Galpo'.