Daily GK Updates - 20th September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Google announces new AI research lab in India: Google has announced that it will open an artificial intelligence (AI) based research lab “Google Research India“. The lab will be opened in Bengaluru. The Indian AI lab will be led by Dr. Manish Gupta, a renowned computer scientist in the country. Google has various AI research labs across the world, under its Google Artificial Intelligence arm.

Note: Chief Executive Officer of Google: Sundar Pichai.

2. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank launches WAWE Summit 2019: Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched Waste Management Accelerator for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs (WAWE-2019) summit. The schemes will work towards providing students with the best education to keep pace with the rapidly changing world. It will be jointly organized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) at Jaipur. This initiative stating that it will empower women and encourage entrepreneurship among youngsters. WAWE Summit 2019 is a great initiative for women who have skills in their hands and it will further empower and motivate them.

3. Telecom body approves Rs 8500 crore for mobile towers & optical fibres: The Digital Communication Commission, the highest decision making body in the Department of Telecom has approved multiple projects worth over Rs 8,500 crore. The projects aims to set up mobile towers and laying of optical fibre, with an aim to provide improved connectivity. The commission also approved a special scheme to cover upto 12,000 uncovered villages in aspirational districts. The approved infra projects include laying of BharatNet fibre in Tamil Nadu and Telangana, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,815 crore and Rs 2,065 crore. The projects also include setting up of 1,917 mobile towers for uncovered villages in the North East.

4. Ola drivers to get healthcare benefits under Ayushman Bharat: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has partnered with Ola, a mobility platform, to extend the welfare to its drivers. The partnership will provide comprehensive health insurance for secondary and tertiary care to tens of thousands of drivers working with the cab aggregator and their families. The first phase will see Ola and AB-PMJAY conducting a pilot project in NCR, which will subsequently be rolled out at scale to other cities. Eligible drivers as well as Ola employees will be able to avail the benefits of the programme and obtain an Ayushman Bharat card at a minimal cost of Rs 30.

Note: Co-Founder and CEO of Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal.

5. Tata Communications partners with Cisco: Tata Communications has partnered with Cisco to offer enterprises a secure, fully-managed, multi-channel, intelligent and cloud-based Cisco Webex Contact Center solution. This joint offering is an end-to-end managed solution and gives contact centre users a seamless user experience across up to 150 countries on the back of Tata Communications’ global network. The solution will allow for simplified licensing; pre-deployed hardware and software with integrations to workforce optimisation.

6. Skill India sign agreement with IBM for Train-the-Trainer programme in AI: The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the skill development and entrepreneurship ministry, has signed an agreement with IT major IBM to carry out a nationwide Train-the-Trainer programme in basic artificial intelligence. As part of the programme, ITI trainers will be trained on basic artificial intelligence (AI) skills towards using technology in their day-to-day training activities. This programme aims at enabling the trainers with the basic approach, workflow and application of artificial intelligence that they can apply in their training modules.

Note: Founder of IBM: Charles Ranlett Flint; Established: June 16, 1911; Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship: Mahendra Nath Pandey.

7. First Jammu International Film Festival to be held in Jammu: The first ever “Jammu International Film Festival” will be held in Jammu. 37 short films and documentaries from 11 countries will be screened at the inaugural edition of Jammu International Film Festival. The festival will also present an annual ‘Inspiring Icon Award‘, which will be given to a person, who hails from the region and has made it big in the film industry.

8. Telangana government declares 2020 as Artificial Intelligence year: Telangana Government has decided to declare 2020 as Year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The State Government will be organising various activities related to emerging technology throughout the year. This comes in the backdrop of emerging talent pool as well as renewed focus by industry and other ecosystem players on AI space in last 4-5 years. IIT- Kharagpur is also coming up with its regional centre in Hyderabad to train students in AI in partnership with State government. Telangana was 1st State to sign up with NITI Aayog when they prepared ‘AI for All’ document.

Note: Telangana CM: K Chandrashekhar Rao; Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan; Capital: Hyderabad

9. Union Government issues an ordinance to ban e-cigarettes: President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent for the promulgation of the ordinance to ban e-cigarettes. The ordinance was approved by the Union Cabinet, which bans production, import, distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes. The Union Cabinet decided to ban e-cigarettes and similar products as they pose a health risk to people, especially the youth. A bill replacing the ordinance will be brought in the next session of Parliament. Production, import, export, transport, sell or advertisements of e-cigarettes will now be a cognizable offence.

Note: Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that produce an aerosol by heating a solution containing nicotine, which is the addictive substance in combustible cigarettes. These include all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), Heat Not Burn Products, e-hookah and similar devices.

16. The book titled “The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the Shadow of their Senas” released: The book titled “The Cousins Thackeray: Uddhav, Raj and the Shadow of their Senas” written by the journalist Dhaval Kulkarni was released. It is published by Penguin Random House. The book depicts the political journey of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bangladesh: 55th ITEC Day celebrated in Dhaka: The 55th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day was celebrated at the High Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Around 300 ITEC alumni from all walks of life, attended the programme. Over 4,000 young Bangladeshi professionals have undergone specialized short and medium-term courses in India under the ITEC programme since 2007.

Note: ITEC offers opportunities to participants to avail of short- and medium-term courses in premier institutions like IITs and IISCs in India. It was instituted in 1964 as part of India’s Development Assistance offering for developing countries. Every year more than 10,000 training slots are offered to 161 partner countries for training courses in various areas like Accounts, Audit, Management, SME, Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs.

2. World Bamboo Day: September 18: World Bamboo Day is observed every year on the 18th of September by the World Bamboo Organization to generate awareness about conserving and promoting the bamboo industry. Bamboo is known as poor man’s timber, bamboo is omnipresent in tribal cultures and community living. India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares, according to the State of Environment report 2018.

Note: President of World Bamboo Organization: Michel Abadie; CEO of World Bamboo Organization: Susanne Lucas.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sri Lankan bowler Akila Dananjaya banned from bowling for 1 year: The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Akila Dananjaya (25-years) from bowling in international matches for 12 months, after his bowling action was deemed to be illegal. He will be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action after the expiry of this one-year period. Akila Dananjaya's bowling action came under the scanner during a Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle in August 2019.

Note: ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The 13th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup will be held in India from February 9 to March 26, 2023.

2. India Slip to 104th spot in Latest FIFA ranking: The Indian football team slipped a place to 104th position in the latest FIFA rankings released. Indian Football Team in recent times playing under the leadership of new coach Igor Stimac. Belgium managed to hold on to the top position, while France has surpassed Brazil to reach the second spot.

Note: President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Headquarters of FIFA: Zurich, Switzerland.

3. Bajrang and Ravi qualify for Tokyo Olympics: Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya have qualified for Tokyo Olympics by strolling into the semi-finals of World Wrestling Championships at Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan. Bajrang comfortably defeated North Korea's Jong Chol Son 8-2 in the 65-kilogram quarterfinal. Now, He will play for the gold medal against Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan. Ravi beat Yuki Takahashi 6-1 in the 57-kilogram category. In the semi-final, Ravi will face reigning world champion Zavur Uguev of Russia. Sushil Kumar (Double Olympic medalist) is the only Indian wrestler to have won a World Championship gold in 2010 in Moscow.

Note: Tokyo 2020 (or, 2020 Summer Olympics) is an upcoming international multi-sport event that is scheduled to take place from 24th July to 9th August 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Public Sector Banks to organise ‘loan melas’ in 400 districts: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that Public Sector Banks will organise ‘loan melas’ or “Shamiana meetings” in 400 districts. The meetings will be organised to provide loans to NBFCs and retail borrowers, including homebuyers and farmers. PSBs will focus on giving loans to the ‘RAM‘ category: retail, agriculture and MSMEs. The open house public meetings will be held in two tranches. The first will be held between October 3 and 7 in 200 districts, while the remaining 200 will be covered October 11 onwards. She also announced that no MSME stressed loan would be classified as an NPA until March 31, 2020.

2. Govt notifies 8.65% interest rate for EPFO members: Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified 8.65% rate of interest on Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for 2018-19 deposits for its over six crore subscribers. The EPFO has been settling EPF withdrawal claims at 8.55% interest rate, approved for 2017-18.

Note: The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), is an organization tasked to assist the Central Board of Trustees, a statutory body formed by the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.

3. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting sets up startup venture fund: Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting has launched “Wipro Consumer Care–Ventures”, a startup venture fund to invest in startups in the consumer brands space. The venture will focus on companies with a differentiated approach where both parties can learn by leveraging their strengths and add value to each other. Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting is a $1 billion plus arm of Wipro Enterprises, and is among the fastest growing fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses in India.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. National Geoscience Awards 2018: Twenty-two scientists across the country were awarded the National Geoscience Awards for the year 2018. They were awarded for their outstanding contributions in the field of geosciences, mining and allied areas. The award was conferred by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Shri Pralhad Joshi. Prof. Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), received the Award for Excellence for his significant global contributions in the field of aquatic biogeochemical research. Dr Sohini Ganguly, of Goa University, was conferred with the Young Scientist Award-2018 for her significant work in the fields of petrology, volcanology and geochemistry. The National Geoscience Awards were given in ten disciplines covering Mineral exploration, Groundwater exploration, Mining technology, Mineral beneficiation, Sustainable mineral development, Basic and applied geosciences, Geo-environmental studies and Natural hazards investigation.

DEFENCE

1. Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria appointed as new Air Chief: The Union government has appointed Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria as the new chief of Indian Air Force for two years. Currently, Air Marshal Bhadauria is the vice chief of air staff. He will replace Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, who is going to retire 30th of this month. Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria has clocked over 4250 hours of flying and has experience of 26 different types of fighters. He was the first Indian Air Force officer to fly Rafale fighter jet. RKS Bhadauria (alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune) has been awarded several medals: the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, the Vayu Sena Medal and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

2. Indian army conducts exercise ‘Chang Thang’ in Eastern Ladakh: The Indian Army conducted a massive rare exercise ‘Chang Thang’ in Eastern Ladakh bordering China. The exercise involved the use of infantry, mechanised forces, T-72 tanks, with force multipliers such as artillery guns and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The Indian Air Force was also roped in the exercise. This is the first time such kind of exercise has happened in the region.

Note: Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat.

OBITUARIES

1. Tunisia’s former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali passes away: Tunisia’s former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali passed away. He came to power in 1987, ousting Habib Bourguiba to become Tunisia’s second-ever president. Ben Ali led the country for 23 years and was credited with delivering stability and some economic prosperity. In 2011, he was forced from office following mass street protests

Note: Capital of Tunisia: Tunis; Currency of Tunisia: Tunisian Dinar.

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.