Daily GK Updates - 19th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. GoI inaugurates 15 power projects in Jammu & Kashmir: Union Minister of State for Power RK Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has jointly inaugurated 15 power projects. They also laid the foundation stone for 20 other different Centrally-sponsored schemes in Srinagar. Under a scheme, 1 lakh LED (light-emitting diode) street lights will be installed in Srinagar city, saving ₹29 crores annually to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. The government is working to ensure 24 hours electricity supply to all the citizens of the country, including in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh region.

2. International Workshop for National Water Museum: The Jal Shakti Ministry is planning to develop a National Water Museum to increase awareness among people on the conservation of the natural resource. The Jal Shakti Ministry is also organising an International Workshop which will be attended by experts from India and abroad. The outcome of the workshop will be a blueprint for establishing the proposed National Water Museum under the aegis of Jal Shakti Ministry. During the workshop, possible broad composition, the content of the museum including highlighting importance of water and its current state in different regions of the country, possible solutions, traditional and modern water management practices and localised success stories are proposed to be discussed.

Note: Union Minister of Jal Shakti: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

3. Home Minister Chair the meeting of Northern Zonal Council in Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 29th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council. The grouping comprises states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan besides union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is the vice-chairman and host of the meeting. The zonal councils discuss a broad range of issues, including boundary disputes, security, infrastructure-related matters such as roads, transport, industries, water and power besides matters pertaining to forests and environment, housing, education, food security, tourism and transport. Five zonal councils were set up in 1957 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The Union home minister is the chairman of each of these five councils.

4. Delhi Police’s launches Tatpar app for citizen-centric services: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched ‘Tatpar’ app, developed by the Delhi Police, which is a one-stop destination for access to over 50 citizen-centric services. The app amalgamates all the websites and mobile applications of Delhi Police, and over 50 services which can now be accessed with a single touch in the app. Through the app, citizens can navigate to their nearest police station, traffic pit and prepaid taxi booth. On a single touch, the user will be provided with the directions as well as the complete contact details of the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) of a police station.

Note: Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal

5. India Post expands speed post service to 6 new foreign countries: India Post expanded speed post service to six new foreign destinations in Asia, Europe and South America. The Department of Posts has announced commencing of International Speed Post (EMS) Service to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia. EMS or Express Mail Service is a premium service that enables its users to send documents and merchandise faster and with the added facility of being able to track the movement of the item on the internet. This facility is expected to augment people to people contact with these countries and foster trade as EMS is a popular channel for small and medium enterprises. The EMS service to these countries will henceforth be available at major Post offices across India.

Note: Secretary, Department of Posts & Chairperson, Postal Services Board: Ananta Narayan Nanda; Headquarters: New Delhi; Founded: 1 April 1854; Director-General: Meera Handa.

6. GoI Appoints Four Supreme Court Judges: The Centre has cleared four names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for elevation as judges of the apex court. The four appointed judges are:

Himachal Pradesh High Court: Chief Justice V. Ramasubramanian

Punjab and Haryana High Court: Chief Justice Krishna Murari

Rajasthan High Court: Chief Justice S. Ravindra Bhat

Kerala High Court: Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy

7. Union Minister Gehlot launches MIS portal under Accessible India Campaign: The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (under Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment) has developed a Management Information (MIS) for stakeholders of Accessible India campaign. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched the MIS portal in New Delhi. The MIS portal will bring all the nodal ministries and States and Union Territories on a single platform for monitoring the progress being made against each target of Accessible India Campaign. The portal will be useful in maintaining all the function on a digital platform and capture data on a real-time basis.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Donald Trump appoints Robert O’Brien as new US National Security Adviser: US President Donald Trump has appointed Robert O’Brien as the National Security Adviser (NSA) of the United States of America. Robert O’Brien will be replacing John Bolton who was fired by President Trump last week. Currently, Robert C O’Brien serving as the special presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department. NSA serves as the chief in-house advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues.

Note: National Security Advisor (NSA) is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at the West Wing of the White House. The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President and does not require confirmation by the Senate.

2. Indian diaspora largest in the world at 17.5 million: UN Report: The International Migrant Stock 2019 was released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The report provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by age, sex and origin for all countries and areas of the world. As per the report, India was the leading country of origin of international migrants in 2019 with a 17.5 million strong diaspora. Migrants from Mexico constituted the second largest diaspora (11.8 million), followed by China (10.7 million). Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by Northern America (59 million) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (49 million). India hosted 5.1 million international migrants in 2019. In India, the highest number of international migrants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

Note: UN Under Secretary General for Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Liu Zhenmin.

3. Mongolian Prez arriving in New Delhi on a five-day state visit: President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga has arrived in New Delhi on a five-day state visit. Mr. Battulga has been accompanied by a high-level official and business delegation. The visiting dignitary will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also review ongoing cooperation in fields of infrastructure, energy, disaster management, defence, security, culture and capacity building. Mr Battulga will also participate in an India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi. During his stay, the Mongolian President will visit Agra, Bodh Gaya and Bengaluru.

Note: Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Anurag Thakur announces cricket and sports academy for Leh: Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur announced that a cricket and sports academy will be set up in Leh, Ladakh. This cricket and sports academy will ensure that talented athletes of the region get the required training to excel.

2. Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian wrestler to qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics: India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat qualified for the 2020 Olympics after beating fancied American Sarah Hildebrandt in the World Championships in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan. She scored an impressive 8-2 win over the world championship silver medalist to secure her place at the Tokyo Games. Vinesh will wrestle in the bronze-medal bout against Maria Prevolaraki of Germany. Earlier, she had stormed to a 5-0 win over Ukraine's Yuliya Khalvadzhy in the first round of repechage in the 53kg category to remain in contention for an Olympic quota and a bronze medal.

3. Bing Dwen Dwen & Shuey Rhon Rhon revealed as 2022 Beijing mascots: A smiling panda (Bing Dwen Dwen) and walking Chinese lantern (Shuey Rhon Rhon) were revealed as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games. The mascots were revealed at a ceremony at the Shougang Ice Hockey Arena in Beijing, China. In Mandarin, “bing” means ice and “dwen dwen” means robust and lively. The panda is wearing a suit which resembles ice. The black and white bear has a “heart of gold and a love of all things winter sports. The newly launched Olympic mascot resembles an astronaut, embracing new technologies for a future with infinite possibilities.

Note: The 2022 Winter Olympics is an international winter multi-sport event that is scheduled to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022, in Beijing China.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Bharosa’ savings account: Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Bharosa’ savings account services, designed for deepening the financial inclusion in the country. Bharosa savings account would offer Rs 5 lakh personal accident insurance on maintaining the balance of Rs 500 along with one debit transaction per month. Customers would also be eligible for cashback, if they decided to receive government subsidies in their Bharosa account or if they made cash deposits in it. Bharosa savings account customers can also withdraw cash, check their balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000 AePS (Aadhaar-enabled payment system) enabled outlets across India

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Anand Kumar felicitated with Education Excellence Award 2019: Super 30 founder and noted mathematician Anand Kumar has been felicitated in the US with a prestigious Education Excellence Award 2019. The Foundation For Excellence (FFE) awarded him on the occasion of the organisation’s 25th anniversary. Anand has been running a highly innovative Super 30 programme for the last 18 years. He mentors 30 students free off cost through a year-long residential coaching for India’s premiere IIT-JEE.

2. Jagdeep Jaffery received IIFA Lifetime Achievement award 2019: Veteran actor Jagdeep (80-years) has been given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honour at International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards-2019 (20th edition) ceremony in Mumbai for his contribution in the field of cinema. Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri (known as Jagdeep) is an Indian film actor and comedian who has appeared in more than 400 films. He played Soorma Bhopali in Sholay (1975), Machchar in Purana Mandir (1984), Salman Khan's dad in Andaz Apna Apna (1994) and directed the movie Soorma Bhopali, with his character as the protagonist. Ranveer Singh walked away with the best actor trophy for Padmaavat, Alia Bhatt won the best actress for her role in Raazi.

Note: The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards) are a set of awards presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood.

S. No.	Categories	Names
1.	Best film	Raazi
2.	Best Actor (Male)	Ranveer Singh (Padmaavat)
3.	Best Actor (Female)	Alia Bhatt (Raazi)
4.	Best Director	Sriram Raghavan (Andhadhun)
5.	Best Actor (In Supporting Role: Female)	Aditi Rao Hydari (Padmaavat)
6.	Best Actor (In Supporting Role: Male)	Vicky Kaushal for (Sanju)

OBITUARIES

1. Veteran Malayalam Actor Sathar Passes Away: Veteran Kerala actor Sathar passed away. He made his acting debut in 1975 with Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu directed by M. Krishnan Nair & in 1976 with Vincent Master’s directorial Anavaranam. He was acted in more than 300 films, majority of them in Malayalam.

Daily GK Updates - 18th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Renamed ‘Kalyana Karnataka’: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that the Hyderabad-Karnataka region has been renamed as ‘Kalyana Karnataka’ and a separate secretariat would be established for its development. Hyderabad Karnataka region comprising six north-eastern districts of the State - Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Ballari.

Note: Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru, Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

2. Himachal Government launched Mukhyamantri Seva Sankalp Helpline ‘1100’: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched a helpline number ‘1100’ (Mukhya Mantri Service Resolution Helpline) for the speedy and time-bound redressal of public grievances. The helpline number will make use of the latest technologies to help people register their complaints online, making the whole procedure paperless and lessen the footfall in government offices. Now, Himachal Pradesh has become the fourth state (after Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) in the country to have such a helpline. Around 56 departments and 6500 officers working under government have been linked to Chief Minister’s Service Resolution Helpline by Geo Mapping and Go Tagging.

Note: Mukhya Mantri Service Resolution Helpline will function 6 days a week (Monday-Saturday) from 7 am to 10 pm Every complaint will be resolved within a period of 7-14 days.

3. Wing Commander Anjali Singh becomes India's first female military diplomat: Wing Commander Anjali Singh (41-years) has become India's first female military diplomat to be posted in any of the Indian missions abroad. She has joined the Indian Embassy in Russia as the Deputy Air Attache. Until now, only male officers from the three services (Indian Air Force, Navy and Army) were appointed as military attaches in overseas Indian missions. Anjali Singh (hails from Bihar) is from the aeronautical engineering branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 17 years of service, trained on MiG-29 aircraft.

Note: A military diplomat is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. In the Indian Air Force, Navy and Army, the women constitute 13% (highest among armed services), 6% and 3.80% of the workforce respectively.

4. ISRO, DRDO sign MoUs to provide technologies for Human Space Mission: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) joined hands with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the development of human-centric systems for the Human Space Mission to demonstrate its human space flight capabilities. The purpose behind the development is to provide technologies for human-centric systems and technologies specific to the Human Space Mission. ISRO aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.

5. Wipro Infrastructure and BEML sign MoU: Defence PSU Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) have signed an MoU to work together in the areas of aerospace, industrial automation, 3-D printing, artificial intelligence and hydraulic system engineering. The MoU entails the two firms working together on projects, products, systems, services and projects for DRDO Labs and other government entities in India as well as overseas. Key focus areas include aerospace components and parts through SEZ, metal additive manufacturing and design optimization for new critical aggregates, legacy components & spares, and process automation.

Note: Chairman & Managing Director of BEML: D K HOTA. Headquarters: Bengaluru.

6. Documentary film based on life of Uttarakhand farmer nominated for Oscars: Moti Bagh, a documentary film based on the struggle of a farmer in a remote Uttarakhand village, has been nominated for the Oscars. The film, based on the life of Vidyadutt Sharma, a farmer living in Pauri Garhwal region, also won the 1st prize at the International short film festival in Kerala. This documentary film was directed by Nirmal Chandra Dandriyal.

Note: CM of Uttarakhand: Trivendra Singh Rawat; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya; Capital: Dehradun.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sri Lanka unveils South Asia’s tallest tower: Sri Lanka unveiled South Asia’s tallest tower, costing over $100 million, 80% of which has been funded by China under the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The 350-metre-tall 17-storey Lotus Tower, located in the heart of Colombo city. The tower spread over an area of 30,600 sq. metres. The project which began in 2012 under the then-president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Note: Sri Lanka Capitals: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Currency: Sri Lankan rupee; Prime minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe; President: Maithripala Sirisena.

2. Kerala govt inks MoU with Maldives on cancer care: Kerala signs a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maldives to strengthen cancer care in the island nation. The Kerala government and the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) have jointly signed the MOU with the health ministry of Maldives as part of improving cooperation between the two countries. The MoU was signed between Maldivian Minister Abdulla Ameen and Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja in the presence of the state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

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

Capital of Maldives: Male; Currency of the Maldives: Maldivian Rufiyaa; President of the Maldives: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

3. Takehiko Nakao to step down as Asia Development Bank President: The president of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) Takehiko Nakao (63-years) has planned to step down from the post on 16th January 2020. Mr. Nakao took the ADB post in 2013 and was re-elected to a second five-year term in 2016.

Note: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966. The headquarters of the bank is at 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippine. As of 23rd March 2019, Asian Development Bank has 68 members (49 members from the Asian and Pacific Region and 19 members from Other Regions).

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Dinesh Mongia announces retirement froms all form of cricket: Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Dinesh Mongia announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He ended with an aggregate of 57 ODIs but never played a Test. His first-class record of 121 matches included 21 centuries. He also played for Lancashire and Leicestershire. Mongia is a member of the Indian team, which finished runner-up in the 2003 World Cup, his last appearance on the field was in 2007 for Punjab before he joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and was subsequently banned by the BCCI.

2. US swimmer Sarah Thomas criss-crosses Channel in 54-hour feat: An American swimmer Sarah Thomas (37-years) became the first person to swim across the English Channel four times non-stop in a 54-hour feat of endurance. Ms Thomas swam from England to France and back - twice - in just over 54 hours. It should have been a total distance of about 80 miles (129 km) but the tidal pulls in the Channel increased the distance by more than 60%, meaning she ended up swimming nearly 130 miles (209 km). Sarah Thomas completed treatment for breast cancer a year ago.

Note: The English Channel is the body of water that separates southern England from northern France and links the southern part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Govt waives three-year lock-in period on investments made by NRIs in IDFs: As per Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notification, the Union government has waived the three-year lock-in period on investments made by non-residents in infrastructure debt funds (IDFs), to promote funding in the infrastructure sector. Now, any amount of interest received by non-resident or foreign company from investment in such IDFs is charged at a reduced tax rate of 5%. IDFs are investment vehicles to accelerate the flow of long-term debt to the sector.

Note: If a non-resident transfers rupee-denominated bonds of IDF to another non-resident outside India, such transfer is not regarded as transfer for the purpose of capital gain, and no capital gain tax is charged on such transfer.

DEFENCE

1. India successfully flight-tested indigenous air-to-air missile Astra: Indian Air Force has successfully flight-tested air-to-air missile Astra from the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Odisha. The missile was launched from a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI combat aircraft. The missile was tracked using radars, electro-optical tracking sensors and struck its target successfully. The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the premier research and development organisation of the armed forces.

Note: Chairman of DRDO: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy; Headquarters: New Delhi; Founded: 1958.

OBITUARIES

1. Filmmaker Shyam Ramsay of Ramsay Brothers passes away: Popular filmmaker Shyam Ramsay (67-years) from the Ramsay Brothers passed away in Mumbai. He is one of the seven Ramsay Brothers who were active in Indian cinema throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. They produced the number of horror movies such as Darwaza, Purana Mandir and Veerana.

Daily GK Updates - 17th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India’s 1st National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub set up in Kolkata: India’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub was recently inaugurated in Kolkata. The Kolkata centre would be the hub for research on antibiotic resistance not only for the country but for the entire South Asia. The centre was jointly inaugurated by the ICMR, in association with the U.S. Consulate of Kolkata and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2. India offers 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs: Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' (HRD Minister) and S Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister) have jointly launched a major programme offering 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) in India. The country's partnership with South-East Asian nations has developed historically through a shared quest for knowledge. The scheme has an initial budget of Rs. 300 crore. The funding will cover the entire cost of study and living expenses for up to 5 years of a PhD programme. The admission portal for the programme would be executed by IIT Delhi.

Note: In January 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 1000 fellowships for ASEAN citizens to pursue PhD programmes at an IIT of their choice. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia.

3. India’s first central police university to come up in Greater Noida: The country’s first central police university will be set up by the Union home ministry off the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida. Union Government had given in-principle approval for the university and a 100-acre plot has been identified in Sector Techzone for it. The land earmarked for the university had been allotted to an IT company. The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) confirmed that the land had been allotted to the Centre at a cost of Rs 372 crore. The university will offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses on policing, internal security, cybercrime and forensic sciences.

4. Piyush Goyal launches Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS): Piyush Goyal (Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways) and Hardeep Singh Puri (Minister of State for Commerce & Industry) jointly launched the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) in New Delhi. In this system, the importers of specified steel products will register in advance on the web portal of SIMS, providing the necessary information. SIMS has been developed, in consultation with the Ministry of Steel, on the pattern of US Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system. SIMS will provide advance information about steel imports to Government and stakeholders (steel industry (producers), steel consumers (importers)) for effective policy interventions.

5. National Centre for Clean Coal Research & Development inaugurated at Bengaluru: Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr.  Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development as a national-level consortium on clean coal R&D, led by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D) has been set up by the Ministry of Science & Technology as a national level consortium on clean coal R&D, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru. Dr. Harsh Vardhan also dedicated an Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research (ICER) to the Nation. ICER is India’s first of its kind centre equipped with state-of-art facilities for conducting wide spectrum of energy research by knowledge network of elite researchers.

6. Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 implemented: The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 has come into effect. The Bill will facilitate smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorized occupants from Government residential accommodations and ensure retrieval of these residential accommodations from unauthorized occupants. The Act confers powers upon the Estate Officers to evict such unauthorized occupants from public premises in a smooth, speedy and time-bound manner. As per the Amendment Act, the Estate officer will issue short Show cause notice of three days before eviction of the unauthorized occupant from Government accommodation.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Ram Nath Kovind accorded ceremonial welcome in Slovenia: President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in South Central European country of Slovenia after concluding his visit to Iceland and Switzerland. President Kovind was accorded a ceremonial welcome by President Borut Pahor of Slovenia. India and Slovenia signed seven agreements and MoUs in diverse fields in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind and President Pahor. The President will lay a wreath at the memorial of the war victims. This is the first-ever visit by any Indian President to Slovenia after it gained Independence in 1991.

Note: The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Steve Smith creates a record of scoring most runs in a series this century: Australian batsman Steve Smith has become the highest run-scorer in a Test series of this century. Steve Smith finished the Ashes series 2019 with 774 runs from the 4 matches at an average of over 110 with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries. Earlier, Smith went past his own record of scoring 769 runs against India during the 2014-15 season. Smith has made his comeback in the international cricket in the ICC Men's World Cup after serving a 12 months suspension for his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in March 2018.

Most Test runs in a 4 matches series:

829 - Viv Richards (in 1976)

774 - Sunil Gavaskar (in 1971)

774 - Steve Smith (in 2019)

769 - Steve Smith (in 2014/15)

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. ECGC launches scheme “Nirvik” to ease the lending process: Ministry of Commerce & Industry through Export Credit Guarantee Corporation has introduced a new Export Credit Insurance Scheme called NIRVIK. The Niryat Rin Vikash Yojana has been launched to enhance loan availability to exporters and to ease the lending process. Under the new scheme NIRVIK, up to 90 per cent of the principal amount and interest will be covered through insurance. During the launch, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal revealed that Central government will give support of Rs 8,500 crore to Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India in the next 5 years.

2. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy appointed as CMD of Cognizant India: Cognizant Technology Solutions has appointed Ramkumar Ramamoorthy as Chairman and Managing Director of Cognizant India. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy has played a leading role marketing and communications, market research and intelligence, public affairs, and knowledge management in his 21 plus years of experience in the company.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Sheikh Hasina receives Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka for her contribution in fostering cooperation between India and Bangladesh. Chief Adviser of the Dr Kalam Smriti International Advisory Council and former Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan handed over the award to Sheikh Hasina.  The Presidents of the Maldives, Ghana and Mauritius earlier received the prestigious award since its introduction in 2015.

Note: The award has been instituted in the memory of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The award is given every year to honour statesmen or leaders who have shown excellence in respective fields to achieve the best for their countries.

2. Bangladesh School project wins Aga Khan Architecture Award: Bangladesh’s bamboo-made school built by Arcadia Education Project at South Kanarchor in Keraniganj has won the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The award was given away in Kajan, the republic of Tatarstan for the Arcadia Education Project in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh. The project involved the construction of a school in an area which is underwater during the monsoon months. The architect of the project Saif Ul Haque designed a school which remains on the ground during the dry season and floats when the area is submerged in water during monsoon The winners that include five other structures in Bahrain, Palestine, Russia, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates will share USD 1 million between them.

Note: The Award was established by the Shia Ismaili community’s spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully addressed the needs and aspirations of communities in which Muslims have a significant presence.

3. Neena Gupta wins two awards at Boston Film Festival: Bollywood actor Neena Gupta has won 2 awards at Indian International Film Festival of Boston. The actress won the Best Actress award for ‘Badhaai Ho‘ and her film ‘The Last Color‘ emerged victorious in Best Feature Film category. ‘The Last Color’ was directed by chef Vikas Khanna. The film deals with taboo surrounding widows in Vrindavan and Varanasi in India.

4. Agnes Kharshiing conferred the 11th International Hrant Dink Award: Meghalaya-based rights activist Agnes Kharshiing, who survived an assault by the coal mafia almost a year ago, received the 11th International Hrant Dink Award. She received the award along with Turkish activist against male violence, Nebahat Akkoc. The two activists were presented the award that commemorates the memory of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was killed in 2007, in Istanbul.

Note: The Hrant Dink Award is presented every year to individuals, organisations or groups that work for a world free from discrimination, racism and violence.

DEFENCE

1. Trilateral Exercise “SITMEX” Commences at Port Blair: A maiden trilateral exercise SITMEX, involving Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand Navy (RTN) and Indian Navy (IN) started at Port Blair. The exercise aims to bolster the maritime inter-relationships among the Singapore Thailand and India, and contribute significantly to enhance the overall maritime security in the region. This would also strengthen the mutual confidence amongst three navies in terms of interoperability and development of a common understanding of procedures.

OBITUARIES

1. Former AP Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao passes away: Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Kodela Sivaprasada Rao (72-years) passed away at a city hospital in Hyderabad. Kodela reportedly attempted suicide at his residence in the city. He was a 6-time MLA elected to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. He served as the Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly from 2014 to 2019. He also served as a minister in the NT Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu governments of Andhra Pradesh.