Daily GK Updates - 8th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s first ‘water-grid’ to come up in Maharashtra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that India’s first-ever ‘water-grid’ will come in the parched Marathwada region of Maharashtra in the next five years as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JMM). The cost of the project is Rs 3,50,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated the country’s first greenfield industrial smart city, Auric City [Aurangabad Industrial City] at Shendra in Aurangabad. It is India’s first ‘Walk-to-Work’ Smart City. It is projected to attract around Rs 70,000 crore in investments on completion.

2. Amit Shah chairs 68th Plenary session of the North Eastern Council 2019 in Guwahati, Assam: Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 2-day (8th & 9th September, 2019) event of 68th Plenary session of the North Eastern Council 2019 (NEC, a nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North East which consists of 8 states of the region) at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati, Assam. Governors and Chief Ministers of 8 northeastern states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Sikkim) participated in the event. Shah reviewed the ongoing development projects in the Northeast. He stressed on preparing a roadmap to enhance the rich culture and heritage of the North East region. He also affirmed that the central government will not touch Article 371 which grants special provisions to the North East.

3. SRB increased by 13 points in 4 years; Stood at 931 in 2018-19: Women and Child Development and Textiles Minister Smriti Irani notified that the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) incresed by 13 points nationally since the implementation of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme from 918 in 2014-15 to 931 in 2018-19. These figures vary from the second Health Index Report released by NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in June 2019 which showed decline in SRB in 12 out of 21 states between 2013-15 and 2014-16. It is based on the National Family Health Survey-4. It collected the information from household surveys too. As per the Aayog’s figures, based on sample registration data, in the 2014-2016 period, of the 21 large states, only 2 – Kerala and Chhattisgarh – had an SRB of above 950 girls per 1,000 boys.

4. President inaugurates 2-day National Youth Summit 2019 in New Delhi: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the National Youth Summit 2019 held in New Delhi. It was organized by Youth Awakening Mission (a wing of Paavan Chintan Dhara Charitable Trust, Ghaziabad). The 2-day summit will conclude at the ALT Center in Rajnagar, Ghaziabad on 8 September 2019. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will be involved in this. Youth Awakening Mission (YAM) is the important project of Paavan Chintan Dhara Charitable Trust, whose aim is to inculcate confidence, will power, knowledge, and develop skills, logic, values, leadership qualities and patriotism among the youth between the ages of 18-40 years in India. Under it, youth are given training. The youth is also given a duty under the Rishikulshala project whose slogan is “Educate India Rebuild Nation”.

5. Vijay Kumar Chopra & Vineet Jain elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of PTI respectively: At a meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s premier news agency, after the company’s 71st annual general meeting, Vijay Kumar Chopra & Vineet Jain were elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of PTI respectively. Vijay Kumar Chopra, aged 87, who is the Chief Editor of the Punjab Kesari Group of newspapers, was unanimously elected Chairman of PTI succeeding N Ravi, publisher and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu. Vineet Jain, Managing Director (MD) of Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL), the publisher of Times of India, was elected as Vice-Chairman of PTI.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. International Literacy Day: 8 September: Every year on 8 September, International Literacy Day is observed to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. 2019 International Literacy Day Theme is Literacy and Multilingualism.  It was declared by UNESCO on 26 October 1966 at 14th session of UNESCO’s General conference and the first observation was made in 1967.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Kargil to Kohima ultra-marathon to mark 20 years of ‘Vijay Diwas’: In order to commemorate 20 years of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa has flagged off ultra-marathon named as ‘Kargil to Kohima (K2K): Glory Run’ spanning more than 4,500 km from Kargil War Memorial at Dras in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland commencing on September 21, 2019 & will culminate on 6 November 2019. The aim of this expedition is to spread awareness for the safety of pedestrians and ‘Fit India Movement’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019 & paying homage to the Kargil martyrs and the war veterans who sacrificed and fought for the country. A team of 25 members, which was selected by two phases of training at Leh, Ladakh, comprising of officers and airmen, including 1 woman officer Flight Lietutant Rishab Jeet Kaur and Warrant Officer Indra Pal Singh led by led by Squadron Leader Suresh Razdan(Su-30 aircraft pilot) will cover the distance of over 4,500 mm in 45 days by running an average of 100 mm per day.
Note: Kohima and Kargil are the two forward most outposts in the East and in the North of India where 2 most fierce battle of modern India were fought in the years 1944 and 1999 respectively. The Kargil War was between India & Pakistan took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district and along the Line of Control (LOC) after which India launched Operation Vijay to clear the Kargil sector occupied by the Pakistani Army.

2. BKSP successfully lifts U17 Girls Subroto Cup International Football 2019 title: Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) has successfully retained the 60th edition of the Under 17 Girls Subroto Cup International Football 2019 title by defeating Neelamani English School, Manipur with 4-0 scores in the final held in Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. BKSP won this title for the 3rd time in a row – 2017, 2018 and 2019.Key points: The prize money of the tournament was  Rs.4,00,000 and the runner up (Neelamani English School )won Rs.2,50,000.
Note: It is one of the famous inter-school football tournament in India, named after the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee. It is conducted by IAF, with Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It started in 1960 and has been conducted every year annually.

3. Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi to retire from test cricket: Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, aged 34, will retire from test cricket after the conclusion of ongoing test match against Bangladesh. He has played only 2 test matches for Afghanistan (25 runs & 4 wickets).i. He played for Afghanistan for 18 years. He played 121 ODIs- One Day Internationals (2,699 runs & 128 wickets), 68 T20Is- Twenty20 Internationals (1,161 runs with a highest score of 89 & 69 wickets). In the ICC (International Cricket Council) Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, he took 10 wickets in 9 matches.

4. Canada’s Bianca Andreescu Defeats Serena Williams to Win US Open 2019: In Tennis, Canadian teenage newcomer Bianca Andreescu defeated tennis superstar Serena Williams in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, at the 2019 US Open women’s final. This is the first Grand Slam title for the 19-year-old Bianca.

5. Charles Leclerc wins the Italian Grand Prix 2019: Monacan based Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) has won the Formula 1, Italian Grand Prix 2019. This is his second F1 win this season and came within a week of the first win. Earlier this week, Leclerc won the Belgian Grand Prix also. Valtteri Bottas finished second, Lewis Hamilton third, Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Nico Hülkenberg fifth.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI selects Daffodil Software Pvt Ltd for developing mobile app for visually impaired: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) selected Daffodil Software Pvt Ltd to develop a mobile phone based application for visually impaired people to identify currency notes. It informed the Bombay High Court that an internet connection would not be required for its proposed mobile application. The proposed mobile app will help to identify the denomination of notes of Mahatma Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) series by capturing the image of the notes placed in front of mobile camera. It will generate “audio notification” intimating the currency note denomination to the user if image is captured correctly, else intimating the user to try again in case of image is not readable.

2. ADB will provide $200 million loans to Maharashtra for rural road project: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $ 200 million (about Rs 1,400 crore) loan to upgrade about 2,100 kilometers of rural roads to all-weather standards in Maharashtra’s 34 districts for better connecting rural areas with markets and services. Under the project, a provision of contractual maintenance for 5 years following construction has also been provided. In addition to the loan amount, $1 million will be provided for institutional strengthening of the Maharashtra Rural Roads Development Association in areas such as road asset management, road safety, climate-resilient design and construction, and web-based real-time project monitoring.
Note: Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Modi Government to Honour Lata Mangeshkar with ‘Daughter Of The Nation’ Title On Her 90th Birthday: The Narendra Modi government will honour legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar with the ‘Daughter Of The Nation’ title on September 28, which will mark her 90th birth anniversary. The title will be conferred on Mangeshkar as a tribute to her contribution to Indian film music over seven decades.

OBITUARIES

1. Bollywood actor and renowned Kathak dancer Veeru Krishnan passed away: Bollywood actor and renowned Kathak dancer Veeru Krishnan has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He worked in many films such as “Ishq”, “Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke” and “Raja Hindustani”. He mostly appeared in supporting roles in the films in the 1990s. Besides being an actor, he was also a famous kathak dancer. Many Bollywood celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Athiya Shetty, Karanvir Bohra, and others were trained in Kathak by him.

2. Veteran Lawyer and Former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani Passes Away: Eminent lawyer and former Union Minister, Ram Jethmalani, passed away in Delhi due to old age illness. He was 95. He died six days before his 96th birthday, which falls on September 14. Jethmalani He was the highest paid lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. He became the Chairman of the Bar Council of India in 2010. He had served as Law Minister of India and Minister of Urban Development during the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Daily GK Updates - 7th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. ISRO loses contact with Moon lander "Vikram":  Indian Space Research Organisation has announced that it lost contact with the Moon lander "Vikram" which was scheduled to land on the moon between 1.30 a.m. and 2.30 a.m. (IST). Further the roll out of the rover "Pragyan" was scheduled between 5.30 a.m and 6.30 a.m. Lander "Vikram" started its descent at about 1.38 a.m. from an altitude of 30 km at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second, but lost its communication with the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter when it was at an altitude of 2.1 Km from Moon's surface. According to ISRO, the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km from the moon surface. Although, the 2,379 kg Chandrayaan-2 orbiter continues to fly around the moon. Its mission life is of one year.

Note: ISRO launched the Chandrayaan-2 (on July 22, 2019) into the space from India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III). The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments: the Orbiter, lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyan'.

2. UNESCO ties up with Rajasthan to promote state's intangible cultural heritage: UNESCO and Rajasthan government joined hands to promote music, art and craft forms, and other intangible cultural heritage of the state to spur socio-economic growth of several artist communities. It is a partnership agreement to promote community-based responsible tourism based on the rich intangible cultural heritage of Rajasthan. The project will be implemented in Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner districts.

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

3. Country's first 'Fun Zone' for children at Visakhapatnam railway station: In a first of its kind in the Indian Railways, a paid gaming zone has been provided at Visakhapatnam railway station (platform number-1) in Andhra Pradesh. The gaming zone (400sft area) is for bonafide passengers/rail users who can utilize this facility with a payment of Rs 50 per game during their visit to the railway station. The fun zone consists of modern gaming facilities such as virtual-real games (car racing, gun fighting etc), hit the mouse, Doraemon, Doreamanfriend, musical play, basketball and air hockey. It is an innovative initiative by the Waltair division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) under non-fare revenue for entertaining waiting passengers/kids.

4. Vice president releases a book titled ‘Glorious Diaspora - Pride of India': A Coffee Table Book titled ‘Glorious Diaspora- Pride of India’ on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees was released by Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi. The book contains the brief profiles of recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA) from 2003 to 2019. It has been brought out by Indian Diaspora Club. It includes an inspiring profile of Distinguished Overseas Indians who have made their indelible mark in various fields.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue begins in New Delhi: The 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) has begun in New Delhi. The three-day dialogue will comprise of round table meetings of joint working groups on infrastructure, energy, high-tech, resource conservation, pharmaceuticals and policy coordination. The Indian side will be led by Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar and the Chinese side by Chairman of National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC). The SED was set up between the erstwhile Planning Commission and National Development and Reform Commission of China during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010. It has served as an effective mechanism for enhancing bilateral practical cooperation.

2. 4th Indian Ocean Conference 2019 held in Male: 4th Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was recently held in Male, Maldives. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was one of the speakers at the Indian Ocean Conference 2019 event. The theme for 4th Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was: ‘Securing the Indian Ocean Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges’. This edition of the conference will provide yet another opportunity for stakeholders of the Indian Ocean Region to deliberate on building an institutional framework for managing the threats to regional peace and human security.

Note: Capital of Maldives: Males; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa.

3. Piyush Goyal to Attend 7th RCEP Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok: The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Bangkok, Thailand from September 8-10, 2019 to attend the following meetings: 7th RCEP Ministerial Meeting; 16th ASEAN India Economic Ministers (AEM); 7th East Asia Economic Ministers Summit. The Economic Ministers and senior leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries and 8 East Asia Summit (EAS) countries will attend the meetings.

4. Dharmendra Pradhan Visits UAE to Attend 8th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER): The Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is leading the Indian delegation to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar from 7-12 September 2019. He will also co-host the 8th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER) at Abu Dhabi on 10 September along with UAE. The 9th edition of Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable will take place in India in 2021.

5. B Bala Bhaskar appointed as next Indian Ambassador to Norway: Senior diplomat B Bala Bhaskar was appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to Norway. He will replace Krishan Kumar, who has been heading the Indian mission in Norway since July 2018. Formerly he served as a Joint Secretary of the WANA division of the MEA that deals with all the matters relating to India's trade with WANA region comprising 19 countries.

Note: Prime Minister of Norway: Erna Solberg; Capital: Oslo; Currency: Norwegian krone.

6. Indo-Lanka Joint Naval Exercise SLINEX 2019: The week-long annual Joint Indo-Lanka maritime fleet exercise - SLINEX 2019 has been started. Sri Lankan Navy has sent two ships to India to participate in the exercise with the Indian Navy. The offshore patrol vessels, SLNS Sindurala and Suranimala left Trincomalee on are scheduled to arrive at the port of Visakhapatnam. The week-long exercise will be attended by 323 Sri Lankan navy personnel including the commanding flag officer of the naval fleet.

7. India Pavilion inaugurated at 44th Toronto International Film Festival: The High Commissioner of India to Canada Vikas Swarup has inaugurated the India Pavilion at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival 2019. The inauguration of India Pavilion at TIFF will provide a platform to showcase Indian Cinema in the overseas market and facilitate new business opportunities. Indian movies have created a new benchmark in film making globally. TIFF also provides the ideal platform for the global outreach of the 50th International Film Festival of India 2019.

OTHER UPDATES:

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. “Oscars of science” awarded to Event Horizon Telescope Team: The Event Horizon Telescope Team consisting of 347 scientists who produced the world’s first image of a black hole were felicitated with breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. The prize is known as the “Oscars of science”, with prize money $3 million. The team had published the image of black hole circled by a flame-orange halo of white-hot plasma on the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy on April 10, 2019.

OBITUARIES

1. Pakistan’s master leg-spinner Abdul Qadir passes away: Pakistan’s master leg-spinner Abdul Qadir passed Away. Qadir, who played in 67 Tests and 104 ODIs had a total 368 wickets in his international career. He was worked as chief selector in 2009 and it was the squad that was selected by him that went on to win the ICC World T20 in England.

Daily GK Updates - 6th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. HRD Ministry awarded Institute of Eminence status to 5 public institutions: The Human Resource Development Ministry has awarded the Institute of Eminence status to 5 public institutions. The status was awarded to the following institutions: (1) IIT Madras; (2) IIT Kharagpur; (3) Delhi University; (4) Benares Hindu University; (5) University of Hyderabad. Each of the above university has to sign an MoU with the HRD Ministry and will lay out its plan to achieve the objective of becoming a world-class institution. The public institutions on the list will then be eligible for a government grant of Rs 1,000 crore.

Note: Union Minister of Human Resource Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.

2. Mini Conclave of First Investor Summit-2019 is held in Leh: After the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, the Mini Conclave of First Jammu and Kashmir Investor Summit-2019 held in Leh. An MoU has been signed by Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation and CII for organisation and management of the event. The meet will provide J-K with an opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and potential. Navin Choudhary (Jammu and Kashmir Industries & Commerce Principal Secretary) has announced to reduce the Premium of SIDCO Land in Ladakh in a couple of days. The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are going to be the Union Territories from 1st November onwards.

3. Ministry of culture rolls out 25 new mobile science museums buses: Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), flagged off the first-ever Mobile Science Exhibition buses for the entire Ladakh Region in Leh. The  Minister simultaneously launched 25 new Mobile Science Exhibition buses for Aspirational Districts of India. Mobile Science Exhibition buses in Ladakh will benefit all the people of Ladakh through its mobility and knowledge. This programme, originally launched as Mobile Science Museum (MSM) in 1965, with a mission ‘If the people cannot visit the museum, let the museum visit the people at their doorsteps’, is the largest and the longest-running outreach programme of NCSM.

Note: Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge): Shri Prahlad Singh Patel.

4. Uttar Pradesh Police Launches C-Plan App for Better Community Policing: Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a mobile application named ‘C-Plan’ to keep a tab on anti-social elements prevailing across the state. It will verify the received information and counter these criminal activities in time. The department has identified 10 people in every village, known as Sambhrant-10, across the state who will inform about anti-social elements, simmering communal tensions or land disputes taking place in their respective villages through the app. This initiative will help the state to have better community policing and bringing down the crime rate by improving the police-public partnership with the help of technology.

5. BSNL launches Next Trillion Users Initiative: BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) has launched IPV6 services to bring a new era of the internet in the country. This service is launched from Bangalore and shall be available to all the customers across the country in next few weeks. IPV6 is having the highest security levels possible which will be very helpful for deploying IoT and other applications with enhanced security features. Now, Customers shall be using multiple devices at home and office, all these devices shall need an exclusive addressing scheme for which IPV6 is the right way forward.

6. Gujarat Govt, Delaware State of America sign MoU for sister-state: Gujarat Government and the Delaware State of America have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for sister state in Gandhinagar. MoU was signed in Gandhinagar when a delegation of Delaware State of America called on Gujarat Chief Minister Delaware’s Vijay Rupani. According to official sources, cooperation in the field of services and investment opportunities in GIFT IFSC have also been discussed during the meeting. This is the first sister-state MoU signed by Gujarat with any state of America. Sectors like Biotechnology University, biosciences, financial services, animal husbandry and dairy, port services have been shortlisted for future cooperation. The American delegation has also invited Gujarat Chief Minister to visit Delaware State.

7. Microsoft & CBSE partners to build AI learning for schools: Microsoft India and the Central Board of Secondary Education have partnered to build AI learning for schools. They will conduct capacity building programmes for high school teachers with an aim to integrate cloud-powered technology in K12 teaching. The programme is for teachers of grades 8-10 and will be conducted in 10 cities across the country. The programme will provide teachers better access to the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools.

Note: Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education: Anita Karwal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 5th Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok, Russia: 5th Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok, Russia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated as the Chief Guest at the Eastern Economic Forum. During the plenary session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Act Far East” policy for Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a $1 Billion line of credit to Russia for the development of the resource-rich region. Indian PM further launched Indo-Russian Innovation Bridge, an online platform to bridge the gap between Indian and Russian startup ecosystems and promote joint innovations. PM Modi has also accepted President Putin's invitation to attend 75th anniversary of the victory of Russian federation & erstwhile the Soviet Union in World War-2, next May in Moscow.

Note: Russia Capital: Moscow; Currency: Ruble

2. WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate measles & rubella by 2023: World Health Organisation South-East Asia Region have resolved to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023. The resolution to eliminate the highly infectious childhood killer diseases "measles and rubella" was taken at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi. The member-countries resolved to strengthen the immunisation systems against the two diseases to achieve the new targets.

Note: Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia: Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

3. India moves up 6 places to 34th rank on world travel and tourism competitiveness index: According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report, India has jumped 6 places to claim 34th spot on world Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019. The WEF report shows, over 1.5 crore international tourists arrived in India while the share of travel and tourism industry was 3.6 per cent and that of industry employment was 5.1 per cent. Spain tops the ranking index followed by France and Germany. Other countries in the top 10 include Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland.

4. Indian army to participate in joint exercise "TSENTR 2019": Indian army will participate in a multilateral exercise "TSENTR 2019" to be held in Russia. Armies of Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia will also participate in the exercise. This will be the first time that forces from India and Pakistan will participate in a multilateral exercise together since the Balakot airstrikes conducted by Indian forces. The exercise is a part of the annual series of large scale exercises that form part of the Russian Armed Forces’ annual training cycle. The exercise rotates between the four main Russian operational strategic commands.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Anupama Swain wins bronze in World Martial Arts Mastership: Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain won a bronze medal in the recently concluded World Martial Arts Mastership Jiu-Jitsu 2019. The event was held in Chungju, South Korea. Now she qualified for 2022 Asian Games. she was the only Indian to participate in the championship.

Note: Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial art and combat sport and it puts the entire focus on grappling with particular emphasis on ground fighting.

2. Rashid Khan breaks 15-Year-Old record to become youngest Test Captain: Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan holds a new record when he dons the whites for Afghanistan as captain. He broke the 15-year-old record by becoming the youngest Test captain in the Test Cricket history. He is 20 years and 350 days old. Previously, the former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu was holding this record who was 20 years and 358 days old.

Note: Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Currency: Afghan Afghani.

3. Manu-Saurabh won gold medal in ISSF World Cup: Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal in mixed 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. In the air pistol final, the pair of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary prevailed over Yashaswini Singh Deswal and Abhishek Verma 17-15. With this, India finished the ISSF World Cup at the top of the medals tally with 5 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze.

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

4. Steve Smith becomes 2nd Australian to score 500 in consecutive Ashes in England: Steve Smith has become the second Australian player after Allan Border to score 500 and more runs in the consecutive Ashes series in England. Smith reached this milestone after he added 122 runs in the ongoing fourth Ashes Test. In 2015 Ashes which took place in England, Smith scored 508 runs while this time in his third match he crossed the 500 runs mark. Before Smith only Border had amassed the 500 plus runs consecutively in the Ashes in England. Allan Border scored more than 500 runs in 1981 and 1985.

Note: The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia at least once every two years. The 2019 Ashes series is being played in England, which began on 1st August in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Standard Chartered Bank launches “DigiSmart” credit card: British multinational banking & financial services company ‘Standard Chartered Bank’ has launched a DigiSmart credit card. The primary focus of the Bank on the ever-growing segment of millennials. The credit card will offer instant discounts and benefits across key e-commerce categories of travel, entertainment, fashion, groceries, and food delivery around the year. The new credit card is available for a nominal monthly fee of only Rs 49. However, this fee (49-rupees) will be waived off if the spends of the customer are Rs 5,000 or above in the previous month.

Note: Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank: Jose Vinals; Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.

2.  MCX and Zhengzhou Exchange sign MoU for exchange of information: Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE), one of the leading commodity exchanges in China, have signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) for co-operation and the exchange of information. The MoU is intended to facilitate cooperation between the two exchanges in areas such as knowledge sharing, education & training, organizing events as well as to explore areas of mutual interests between the exchanges.

Note: Managing Director & CEO of MCX: P S Reddy.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Odisha won the IT Excellence Award, 2019 in disaster management: Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has won the IT Excellence Award, 2019 for its innovative conception by using information technology in the field of disaster management. The "SATARK" (System for Assessing, Tracking and Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge) application has been chosen for the award. This app has been developed to provide real-time watch, alert and warning information for different natural disasters and hazards such as heatwave, lightning, agriculture risk, flood, tsunami, earthquake, cyclone or storm, road accident and snakebite.

Note: Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe passes away: Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe passed away. He was the country's first post-independence leader and also considered as Zimbabwe's founding father. He served the country as its leader for 37 years. He also served as the rotating chairman of the 54 nation African Union and the 15-nation Southern African Development Community.

Note: Capital of Zimbabwe: Harare; President: Emmerson Mnangagwa.

2. Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer Kiran Nagarkar passes away:  Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer Kiran Nagarkar passed away in Mumbai. He began his career as an educationist, a journalist and then later as a screenplay writer in the advertising industry. His novel "Cuckold" (1997) won him the 2001 Sahitya Akademi award. He wrote his first book Saat Sakkam Trechalis in 1974 in his mother tongue, Marathi.

3. Congress leader Sukhdev Singh Libra passes away: Congress leader and former MP Sukhdev Singh Libra (87-years) passed away after a prolonged illness. Sukhdev Singh Libra was the member of the 14th (Fatehgarh Sahib) and 15th (Ropar) Lok Sabha and MLA in Punjab in 1985.

He was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1998-2004. Libra had also served as a member of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Daily GK Updates - 5th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. National Teachers' Day: 5th September: Teachers' Day is being celebrated throughout the country on the birthday (5th September 1888) of educationist and former President Bharat Ratna Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Dr. Radhakrishnan was India's first Vice President and second President.President Ramnath Kovind gave away National Teachers’ Awards to 46 teachers at a function in New Delhi. The award is given to meritorious teachers, who through their commitment have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students. The awards which were instituted in 1958 carries a Silver medal, a certificate, and award money of 50 thousand rupees. On teacher's day, the Uttar Pradesh government schools are going to enter a new era of digital transformation with "Prerna App" which was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday. 

2. PM to launch a pension scheme for traders: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan­dhan Yojana, the Centre’s pension scheme for traders. A few of the first subscribers from across the country will be given pension cards by the PM. The scheme, which is an extension of the PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana, will make all beneficiaries eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 3000 after the age of 60 at a miniscule monthly contribution.

3. CBI's 1st national conference on cybercrime investigation inaugurated: CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla has inaugurated the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics at CBI Headquarters in New Delhi. The two-day conference covers one of the mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications. The conference is aimed at creating the platform and bringing together investigators, lawyers, forensic experts and academia to discuss challenges related to cybercrime and ways to find solutions. It will also be a platform to share good practices to learn from experiences of various State police and Law Enforcement Agencies. 

4. Asia's only 5th Generation - VR based simulator centre launched at Chennai by AASI: Asia's first 5th Generation Virtual Reality based Advanced Driver Training Simulator Centre was launched at the Automobile Association of Southern India Centre (AASI), Chennai. Under 'Safe Drivers Campaign', AASI will train 200 Ambulance drivers in the first six months, free of cost. The patented simulator was ideated, designed and developed by Chennai based Red Chariots Technologies Pvt Ltd. The training session is a combination of level-based practical learning modules coupled with self-learning theory modules through an interactive e-learning quiz app built in-house.

5. Rohit Sharma launches a campaign to save Rhinos in India: Indian Cricket team vice-captain Rohit Sharma is launching Rohit4Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet. This campaign helps to build awareness for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Indian Rhino.  The Indian rhinoceros faces several threats, including poaching, habitat loss and mass mortality from inbreeding and disease.

6. ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ and ‘The Republican Ethic’ books to be released by V. President: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will release 2nd editions of ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2) in New Delhi. In order to promote and disseminate selected speeches of President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind. They are a compilation of 95 speeches delivered by the President during his second year in office (July 2018 to July 2019).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US Federal Trade Commission fines YouTube with $170 million: The US's Federal Trade Commission has fined Google's YouTube with $170 million. YouTube will have to pay $170 million to settle allegations of collecting personal information about children. YouTube has been accused of tracking viewers of children's channels using cookies without parental consent. YouTube also used those cookies to deliver millions of dollars in targeted advertisements to those viewers. The penalty on YouTube is the largest since a law came into effect in 1998 which banned the collection of information about children aged below 13. The law was revised in 2013 to include “cookies,” which can be used to track a person's internet viewing habits.

2. Delhi, Mumbai fall in EIU’s Global Liveability Index 2019: Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019, released with both Delhi and Mumbai sliding down ranks. New Delhi dropped 6 places to 118, from 112 last year and Mumbai also fell in this year’s index, by two places to 119, from 117 last year. Vienna in Austria, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia make the top three cities. The survey ranks countries across indicators including stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment.

Note: Headquarters of EIU's: London, UK; Founded: 1946.

3. Jaideep Sarkar appointed as next High Commissioner of India to Lesotho: India's High Commissioner to South Africa, Jaideep Sarkar has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Lesotho, with residence in Pretoria. He is a 1987 IFS-batch officer and earlier served as envoy to Israel and Bhutan.

Note: Capital of Lesotho: Maseru; Currencies of Lesotho: South African rand, Lesotho loti.

4. International Day of Charity: 5 September: The United Nations observes 5 September every year as International Day of Charity with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. The date of 5 September was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa. She also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace."

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. FIFA unveils official emblem for Qatar World Cup 2022: For Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022, FIFA has announced the official emblem for the event. The emblem has a swooping curve which represents the undulations of desert dunes and the unbroken loop depicts both the number eight and the infinity symbol. The eight represents the number of stadiums that will host the football tournament while the infinity symbol reflects the interconnected nature of the event. Qatar also unveiled the logo for the FIFA 2022 World Cup. The design is a stylised Arabic white unisex shawl with maroon patterning, which is displayed in a figure-of-eight symbolising infinity while creating a heart shape above the words “FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022”.

Note: The 2022 FIFA World Cup (22nd edition) is scheduled to be held from 21 November to 18 December in Qatar. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the first in a Muslim-majority country.

2. Hockey: schedule of FIH Pro League season 2 released: As per schedule of FIH Pro League season 2 Hockey, India will play a total of 16 home and away games. The opening match will oppose China and The Netherlands in the women's event on 11th January 2020. Indian men's hockey team will open its campaign against the Netherlands at home on 18th and 19th January 2020. This will be followed by two home fixtures against Australia on 22nd and 23^rd. In away games, the Indian team will travel to Germany, Great Britain, Argentina and Spain in April, May and June. India will play the last leg of the Pro League round-robin matches in Spain in June 2020. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has confirmed the match schedule of the second edition of the FIH Pro League, which includes 144 matches.

3. Indian boys settle for silver at Asian Junior and Cadet TT Championships: The Indian boy's team has settled for a silver medal after losing the final 0-3 to top seed China at the Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The second place helped Indian boys qualify for the World Junior Championships to be held at Korat, Thailand (Nov 2019).

4. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan becomes the youngest skipper ever in Test cricket: Afghanistan Spin sensation Rashid Khan (20 years and 350 days old) has become the youngest ever Test skipper at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. Rashid beat the previous record held by former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu (20 years and 358 days) by a mere 8 days. Taibu was 7 days short of his 21st birthday when he led his side against Sri Lanka in Harare on 6th May 2004. India's Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi rounds up the top-3 in this regard, having made his captaincy debut against West Indies at the age of 21 years and 77 days on March 23, 1962.

5. Bianca Andreescu becomes 1st teen US Open semi-finalist in a decade: Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu (19-years) has become the first teen US Open semi-finalist in a decade defeating Belgium's Elise Mertens to set up a battle with Belinda Bencic for a spot in the final. Bianca Andreescu (15th-seeded) from suburban Toronto rallied past 25th seed Mertens 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach a clash against fellow Slam semi-final debutante Bencic. Andreescu, a winner this year at Indian Wells and Toronto, is the first teen in the US Open's last four since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. She could become the first teen to win a Grand Slam title since Maria Sharapova captured the 2006 US Open.

6. Pakistan names Misbah-ul-Haq as head coach and chief selector: Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as head coach and chief selector of Pakistan's cricket team. He has been appointed for three years. Waqar Younis will join him as the team's new bowling coach. Misbah-ul-Haq has scored over 10,300 international runs in 75 Tests and 162 one-dayers for Pakistan and was also the most successful and longest-serving Test captain for Pakistan.

BANKING & FINANCE

1. CRISIL revises India's GDP growth to 6.3% in fiscal 2020: Rating agency CRISIL has revised India’s fiscal year 2020 GDP growth forecast to 6.3%. CRISIL has lowered the GDP growth forecast from 6.9% to 6.3%. The growth was revised as the first-quarter growth rate of India reduced to a 25-quarter low of 5%.

Note: Managing Director and CEO of CRISIL: Ashu Suyash.

2. RBI Makes External Benchmark Based Interest Rate mandatory for certain categories of loans: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it mandatory for banks to link all new floating-rate loans for housing, auto and MSMEs (Micro and Small Enterprises) to external benchmark like repo from 1st October 2019. The banks are free to choose one of the several benchmarks indicated in the circular. Industry and retail borrowers have been complaining that banks do not pass on the entire RBI's policy rate (repo rate) reduction to them. In 2019, the Reserve Bank has already reduced the repo or short-term lending rate by 110 basis points, but the banks have reportedly passed on only up to 40 bps to borrowers.

3. Wipro bags $300-million deal from ICICI Bank: IT services major Wipro Limited has bagged a strategic contract valued at $300 million from the ICICI Bank. Under the contract, Wipro will offer a comprehensive suite of services to ICICI Bank for the next seven years, starting September 2019. Currently, Mumbai-based IT services firm Vara infotech provides these services to the ICICI Bank. As part of this strategic engagement, Wipro will absorb about 3,800 employees of Vara infotech along with its existing contracts, facilities and assets.

Note: MD & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; MD & CEO of Wipro: Abidali Z. Neemuchwala.

4. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves: India has surpassed the Netherlands to move into the list of top10 countries in terms of total gold reserves. According to the World Gold Council, India has gold reserves totalling 618.2 tonnes, which is marginally higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of 612.5 tonnes. According to the World Gold Council, the U.S. leads the country list with total gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 tonnes.  In terms of individual countries, India actually ranks 9th since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) occupies the third position after the U.S. and Germany.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis ' award: Nobel Laureate from Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus was conferred the 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis ' award by the Vatican for his contribution towards establishing peace and harmony. The award is a recognition for distinguished work by an individual for promoting peace and dialogue among people. The ceremony took place at the historic Papal Basilica of Assisi in Italy.

Note: The Lamp of Peace award was first given to the Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa in 1981. Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev and Angela Merkel are a few other prominent persons who received this award earlier.

Daily GK Updates - 4th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India to contribute USD 22 million to GFTAM: India has announced a contribution of USD 22 million to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22). This is an increase of 10% over the amount contributed by the US in the 5th cycle. The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than USD 4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries.

India has received USD 2.0 billion from the Global Fund for attaining targets related to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria reduction. As a donor, India has contributed USD 46.5 million so far till 2019 including USD 20 million for the 5th Replenishment.

2. Indira Gandhi International Airport Gets India’s tallest ATC tower: The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri has inaugurated the new “Aerodrome Control Tower” at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi. This ATC tower is India’s tallest (102-metres) and most technologically advanced air traffic control (ATC) tower. It will enhance safety and boost the efficiency of air transport management services. The earth-quake resistant building has been constructed at the cost of approximately Rs 250 crore. This allows for simultaneous landings from the same direction on parallel runways which will further increase the capacity of the airport.

3. UDAN regional connectivity scheme launched in Haryana from Hisar: Hisar, Haryana has entered into the civil aviation map after the launch of the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh. SpiceJet has started the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh under the Ude Desh ka Har Nagarik (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Service scheme. SpiceJet would provide the service of two flights between Hisar and Chandigarh daily.

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

4. Aadhaar for ITR filing, PAN will be auto-generated: The Income Tax Department announced that it will automatically issue PAN to all taxpayers who do not have a Permanent Account Number and are using Aadhaar for filing income tax returns (ITR). Under this new Aadhaar-PAN rule, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) will obtain demographic information from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and issue a new Permanent Account Number (PAN).

Note: UIDAI Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Ajay Bhushan Pandey; Headquarters: New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Oleksiy Honcharuk appointed new Prime Minister of Ukraine: Oleksiy Honcharuk (35-years) has been appointed as the youngest-ever Prime Minister of Ukraine. He replaces Volodymyr Groysman, who offered his resignation after Zelensky's inauguration. Ukraine's new president Volodymyr Zelensky (41-year) nominated Honcharuk after weeks of consultations. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president with the consent of the Verkhovna Rada.

2. Trump nominates Indian-American ‘Shireen Mathews’ as District Court judge: President Donald Trump has nominated Indian American Shireen Mathews as a judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of California. Currently, Matthews is a partner at Jones Day, the fifth-largest law firm in the country, in San Diego. Matthews will be the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Indian-American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the Southern District. Article III judges "hold their office during good behaviour", which means they have a lifetime appointment, except under very limited circumstances.

3. CEC Sunil Arora assumes charge as AWEB Chairman: India’s Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora (1980 batch IAS officer - Rajasthan cadre) has assumed Chairmanship of Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) for the term 2019-21, as India takes over the chair from Romania. Earlier, India was unanimously nominated to the Vice-Chair of AWEB at the last General Assembly held at Bucharest (in 2017). The AWEB Flag was handed over to the new Chairman, Sunil Arora and it will remain with Election Commission of India for the two-year term till 2021. More than 110 delegates from 45 countries attended the meeting. Mr Arora announced, an AWEB Centre would be set up at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi for documentation, research and training and for the sharing best practices.

4. 1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) begins: The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington, starting at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore. This drill is Co-led by the US and Royal Thai navies, the exercises will stretch into "international waters in Southeast Asia, including the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea".  The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.

5. Joint India-New Development Bank Workshop held in New Delhi: A joint India- New Development Bank workshop was held in New Delhi. The workshop was organized to enhance the NDB’s engagement with the India's private and public sector.  The NDB is aiming to support the Indian public and private sector for infrastructure development through innovative means such as loans in a local currency, guarantees, credit enhancement and equity investments. The NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank established by developing countries and emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Note: President of NDB: K V Kamath; Headquarters: Shanghai, China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mithali Raj announces retirement from T20Is: Indian women's cricket ODI (One Day International) Captain Mithali Raj (36-years) has announced her retirement from T20 Internationals. She wants to focus on her ODI career, keeping in mind the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand. Mithali ended her T20 career with 2,364 runs from 89 matches at an average of 37.5 and the highest score of 97 not out. Mithali is also the first Indian woman to reach the landmark of 2000 T20 runs. In 203 ODIs, she scored 6,720 runs at an average of 51.29, with seven hundred. She has also played in 10 Tests, with 663 runs including a hundred.

2. Hamilton Masakadza announces retirement from International Cricket: Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza (36-years) has announced to retire from international cricket after conclusion of Bangladesh & Afghanistan T20I Tri-series (13 to 24 September 2019). He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler. Hamilton Masakadza has represented Zimbabwe in 38 Tests (2223 runs), 209 ODIs (5658 runs) and 62 T20Is (1529-run). In his overall international career, he scored 9,410 international runs including 10 international tons and 42 half-centuries.

BANKING & FINANCE

1. ESIC ties up with SBI for real-time payments to ESIC beneficiaries: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide electronic payment services for beneficiaries of ESIC. As per an agreement, SBI will provide e-payment services directly to bank accounts of all ESIC beneficiaries and payees without any manual intervention as an integrated and automated process. The e-payment integration would affect the statutory benefit payments to ESIC beneficiaries as well as other payees on a real-time basis, reducing time lags and delays and at the same time, help eliminate mistakes and errors caused by repetitive and manual data entries.

Note: Director-General of ESIC: Rajkumar; Chairman of SBI: Rajnish Kumar.

2. IDBI Bank to be recapitalised with an infusion from government, LIC: The Union Cabinet has cleared recapitalization of IDBI Bank with a one-time infusion of funds by both the government and the LIC. It has approved 9,000 crore capital infusion into IDBI Bank, including 4,557 crores by the government as one-time re-capitalisation. This will help both IDBI and LIC, and it shows the government's commitment to take banking to a sound level. The capital infusion process will be done through recapitalisation bonds under which the government will infuse the capital into the bank and the bank will buy the recapitalisation bonds from the government on the same day.

Note: IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, MD and CEO: Rakesh Sharma.

3. ECL Finance and Central bank of India ink pact to co-lend to MSMEs: ECL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Edelweiss Financial Services, and Central Bank of India have signed an agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME's) customers. The partnership aims to facilitate speedy disbursal of credit across a bouquet of products, including machinery and business loans. Through this partnership, MSMEs will be offered a blended lower rate of interest, translating into a lower cost of funds, helping them deploy capital more effectively in their business.

Note: Chairman of Central Bank of India: Rajeev Rishi; MD & CEO of Central Bank of India: Pallav Mohapatra.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Vaishno Devi Shrine tops the list of ‘Swachh Iconic Places’: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged as the "Best Swachh Iconic place" in the country in the ‘Swachh Iconic Places’. The Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation. This list released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the award to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ to be organised by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on 6 September 2019.

DEFENCE

1. Army to commission 1st batch of women soldiers in 2021: The Indian Army has announced that the first batch of 100 women soldiers in the Army is likely to be commissioned by March 2021. The women soldiers will be commissioned into the Corps of Military Police of the Indian Army. In the Corps of Military Police, women soldiers will take up duties of policing cantonments and other Army establishments.  They will also work in co-operation with civil police of various state governments as well as the Centre and will also investigate cases of crime. At present, women in the Army work only in engineering, medical, legal, signals and educational wings.

2. India, US to carry out joint Military Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019": Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019". This exercise is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, the USA from 05-18 September 2019. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavours between India and USA. This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.   The exercise is also an ideal platform to learn from each other's expertise and experiences of planning and execution of operations.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff of India: General Bipin Rawat; Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army: Mark A Milley.