Daily GK Updates - 9th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GoI to spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees on Jal Jeevan Mission: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the central government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees in the next five years on ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ to deliver potable water at every household across the country. Jal Jeevan Mission has been launched in order to free women from the trouble of having to toil hard to fetch water. Jal Jeevan Mission involves saving water and delivering water at one's doorstep.

2. PM Modi inaugurates first 'Make in India' metro coach in Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first Metro Coach in Mumbai under the ‘Make in India’ initiative at Jio World Centre, Maharashtra, Mumbai. The coach has been built by Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) at its Bengaluru facility in flat 75 days. Mr Modi also inaugurated three Metro lines that are expected to add more than 42 km to the metro network of the city. Maharashtra is pumping in over Rs 1.2 lakh crore to build 14 metro corridors stretching 337-km over the next decade.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind embarks on 9-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland & Slovenia: President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on an official nine-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia to enhance India's political and economic ties with the three European countries. In the first leg of his visit, Mr Kovind will arrive in Iceland and will hold talks with his Icelandic counterpart Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. The second leg of the visit to Switzerland will begin on the 11th of September. The President will have wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart and country's cabinet. The third leg of the visit to Slovenia will begin on 15th September and mark the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the country. During the visit, Kovind will hold wide-ranging discussion with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor and the National Assembly President.

Note:  Iceland Capital: Reykjavík; Currency:  Icelandic króna 

Switzerland Capital: Bern (de-facto); Currency: Swiss franc

Slovenia Capital: Ljubljana; Currency: Euro

2. UAE hosts the 24th edition of the World Energy Congress: The 24th World Energy Congress commenced in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (9-12 September 2019). The four-day World Energy Congress aims to bring together international energy stakeholders, including governments, private and state corporations, academia and media. The theme of this World Energy Congress is Energy for Prosperity which also represents the ambitious and dynamic energy transition of the country. With over 15,000 participants expected, Congress is set to welcome over 250 high-level speakers, 72 Ministers, 500 CEOs, 1000 media persons with 40,000 square-metre exhibition space that will cover the entire energy spectrum.

Note: The World Energy Council is a global and inclusive forum for thought-leadership and tangible engagement with headquarters in London. Its mission is 'To promote the sustainable supply and use of energy for the greatest benefit of all people'.

3. Saudi Arabia appoints Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as new Energy minister: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has appointed Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman as its new Energy minister. Earlier, He had served as the Deputy and State Energy Minister for several years. Prince Abdulaziz (son of the King of Saudi Arabia) replaced the long-time oil industry veteran Khalid Al Falih. It is the first time a member of the ruling Al Saud family has held the energy minister post in the world’s top oil exporter.

4. 1st conference on military medicine for SCO to be held in Delhi: The 1st conference on military medicine for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states will be held in Delhi. The conference will be the first military co-operation event hosted by India, under the SCO Defence Co-operation Plan 2019-2020, after it became an SCO member-state in 2017. The conference will be conducted by the Indian Armed Forces under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), with the aim to share best practices in the field of military medicine, build capacities and overcome a common challenge. During the conference, the Indian Armed Forces will also demonstrate the Rapid Action Medical Team and organise a visit for the delegates to the Army Research and Referral Hospital.

Note: SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Headquarters: Beijing, China.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. World’s highest marathon “Ladakh Marathon” held in Leh: The 8th edition of Ladakh Marathon was held in Leh. It is the highest marathon in the world as it is held at over 11,000 feet above the mean sea level. The Marathon was held in the categories of 42 Km Full Marathon, 21 Km half marathon and 7 km long Run for Fun. Over 6000 runners from 25 countries participated in the four categories of Ladakh Marathon. The 9th Edition to be held in 2020 will be a qualifying race for the Abbot World Marathon Majors.

2. India Red beat India Green to clinch Duleep Trophy title: India Red beat India Green by an innings and 38 runs to clinch the Duleep Trophy 2019-20 title at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. India Red had scored 388 in their first innings. On the other hand, India Green compiled 231 runs in their first innings and 119 in their second innings. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made a brilliant 153 for India Red, was named player of the match.

Note: The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The tournament was contested by three teams, namely India Red, India Blue, and India Green.

3. Lasith Malinga becomes first T20I bowler to claim 100 wickets: Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has become the first T20I bowler to take 100 wickets during the 3rd T20I against New Zealand at Pallekele. He also took a hat-trick, dismissing 4 batsmen in 4 consecutive deliveries and became the first-ever bowler to pick up 2 hat-tricks in T20I cricket. Lasith Malinga also surpassed Wasim Akram and set a record for the most number of hat-tricks in international cricket. Till now he has claimed 5 hat-tricks in his international career.

4. Brigid Kosgei runs fastest-ever women’s half-marathon: Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei completed the fastest half-marathon ever ran by a woman. She won the Great North Run in a time of 1 hour, 44 minutes and 28 seconds. She took 23 seconds less than the world record set in 2017 by fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei.

5. Rafael Nadal beats Daniil Medvedev to win US Open men’s final: Rafael Nadal captured his 19th career Grand Slam title by winning the US Open final, outlasting Russia’s Daniil Medvedev to seize his fourth crown in New York. The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander moved one shy of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record 20 Grand Slam triumphs. Nadal, who was in his fifth US Open championship match and 27th Grand Slam final, is the first man to claim five major titles after turning 30.

6. US Open 2019 Concludes: The 2019 US Open was the 139th edition of tennis’ US Open. Since 1987, the US Open has been chronologically the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. This year US Open was held on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. The tournament was an event run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and was part of the 2019 ATP Tour and the 2019 WTA Tour calendars under the Grand Slam category. The tournament consisted of both men’s and women’s singles and doubles draw as well as a mixed doubles event.

Here is the Complete List of Winners in Different Category (with their Respective Countries):

S. No.	Category	Winner	Runner Up
1.	Men’s Singles	Rafael Nadal (Spain)	Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
2.	Women’s Singles	Bianca Andreescu (Canada)	Serena Williams (USA)
3.	Men’s Doubles	J.S. Cabal (Colombia) and R. Farah (Colombia)	M. Granollers (Spain) and H. Zeballos (Argentina)
4.	Women’s Doubles	E. Mertens(Belgium) and A. Sabalenka(Belarus)	V. Azarenka (Belarus) and A. Barty(Australia)
5.	Mixed Doubles	B. Mattek-Sands (USA) and J. Murray (U.K)	H. Chan(Taipei) and M. Venus (New Zealand)

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. PNB put up 11 NPA accounts for sale to recover dues of Rs 1,234 cr: Punjab National Bank (PNB) has put up for sale nearly a dozen non-performing assets (NPA) to recover dues of more than 1,234 crore rupees. The lender has invited bids from asset reconstruction companies non-banking financial companies, banks, financial institutions for 11 NPA accounts. The bank has asked the prospective bidders to speed up due diligence. The public lender is set to merge two peer banks ‘Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India’ with itself following the government's announcement to consolidate 10 public sector banks into four bigger entities.

2. Code of Conduct introduced for non-official directors at PSBs: The Finance Ministry has introduced a Code of Conduct for non-official directors of public sector banks. Under the new rules, the PSBs board will also have to send an annual performance report that rates a director based on professional and ethical conduct, and contribution to the board. The performance evaluation by peers will measure the director on various parameters including avoidance of direct or indirect conflict of interest, acting according to rules in the best interest of the bank, avoiding any gain to self or associates and maintaining confidentiality. The above measures taken by the department of financial services at the finance ministry aims to improve corporate governance in banks.

3. Government to recapitalise Public Sector Insurance companies: The Department of Financial Services has approved the Rs 12,000 crore capital infusion plan in the 3 state-run general insurance companies. The decision has been taken to boost their capital base and meet regulatory norms. The 3 state-run general insurance companies list includes National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance. The recapitalisation will also improve their solvency ratio and prepare the 3 companies for the merger which will make the entity the largest insurance company in the country.

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).