Daily GK Updates - 23rd September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

           

1. India’s first environmental school to come up in Karnataka: India’s first environment school named World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) will come up at Coorg, Karnataka. WESc will be open for students of Grade 6 to 12 from India and around the world from the year 2021. It will be the first school in India and South Asia to take a leading role in promoting and delivering environmental education with sustainability at its core. It will be launched by Mobius Foundation, a non-profit organization working towards environmental sustainability.

2. Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana on 21st October: Assembly elections in Maharashtra (288 seats) and Haryana (90 seats) will be held on 21st October this year. According to the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, the election process in both the states will be completed by 27th of October 2019. Notification will be issued on 27th of this month and the last date for filing nominations will be 4th October. The scrutiny will be held on 5th October and the last date for withdrawal of the nomination will be 7th of October. The counting of votes will take place on 24th October this year. The Election Commission has also announced by-polls to 64 assembly seats across 18 States and Samastipur Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.

3. Ooty to host 2nd flower festival during North-East Monsoon: Udhagamandalam-Ooty (in Tamil Nadu) will be hosting the 2nd flower festival of the year during the North-East Monsoon in October and November 2019. Preparatory works for the elaborate exhibition of colourful and fragrant flowers have started in the famous Botanical Gardens in Udhagamandalam. More than eighty-five exotic varieties, including predominantly English flowers like Dahlia, Merigold, Calendula and Daisy will be exhibited during the festival.

4. 1st Edition of Ayushman Bharat Diwas for 2019 observed: The 1st edition of Ayushman Bharat Diwas was observed on September 23, 2019. It was on this day a year ago Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ranchi, Jharkhand. It is the world’s largest health care programme which provides a health cover of Rs 5 lakh annually to vulnerable families. In the last one year, more than 46 lakh beneficiaries have received the treatment. Altogether, at present, 32 States and Union Territories (UTs) have implemented the scheme.

Note: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ayushman Bharat scheme is Indu Bhushan.

5. Government launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases: The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched the UMMID (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders) initiative. UMMID aims to create awareness about genetic disorders amongst the clinicians and establish molecular diagnostics in the hospitals for it. UMMID initiative will work at three levels:

Level 1: Fellowship in Genetic Diagnostic

Level 2: NIDAN Kendras: He also inaugurated the NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras, which is being supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT),M/o Science and Technology.

Level 3: Preventions of Genetic Disorders in Aspirational Districts. For this 7 aspirational districts have been selected in the phase 1

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal 2 day visit to UAE: The Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri.Piyush Goyal has made a two-day visit to UAE (United Arab Emirates) for the meeting of the 7th India-UAE High Level Task Force on Investment (HLTFI). Piyush Goyal has unveiled the design of the India Pavilion for ‘Dubai Expo 2020’, in Dubai, UAE and hailed the recent tax measures as a leap towards making India a hub of investment. He also visited the site of the ‘Dubai Expo 2020’ and took stock of the preparations. India will invest Rs 230 crore to build the India Pavilion at the World Expo 2020, of which Rs 200 crore will be raised for construction, curation, interiors, maintenance and security from participation charges, publicity and sponsorships

2. First India-US tri-services ‘Exercise Tiger Triumph’ to be held in India in Nov: India and the United States will conduct their first tri-services exercise named “Exercise Tiger Triumph” in November 2019 at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. “India-US tri-services ‘Exercise Tiger Triumph’ is being organised under the aegis of the headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff. This is the second such tri-service exercise to be conducted by India with any other country after Russia.

3. International Day of Sign Languages: 23rd September: International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23rd September along with ‘International Week of the Deaf’. The 2019 Theme of International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is ‘Sign Language Rights for All!’.

Each day of the International Week of the Deaf:

Sr. No.	Days (last week of Sep 2019)	Sub-Theme
1	23rd September (Monday)	Sign Language Rights for All!
2	24th September (Tuesday)	Sign Language Rights for All Children
3	25th September (Wednesday)	Sign Language Rights for Deaf Senior Citizens
4	26th September (Thursday)	Sign Language Rights for DeafBlind People and Deaf People With Disabilities.
5	27th September (Friday)	Sign Language Rights for Deaf Women
6	28th September (Saturday)	Sign Language Rights for Deaf LGBTIQA+
7	29th September (Sunday)	Sign Language Rights for Deaf Refugees

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Amit Panghal becomes first Indian to win silver medal at World Boxing Championships: Ace Indian boxer Amit Panghal settled for a silver medal at the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships at Ekaterinburg in Russia. He lost to Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan) in flyweight (48-52 kg) category, by a unanimous decision from the judges. Amit Panghal created history as he became the first Indian male boxer to qualify for the final of the Championships.

2. 16th Edition of Moselle Open (Tennis) for 2019 held at the Arènes de Metz, in Metz, France: The 16th Edition of Moselle Open (Tennis) for 2019 was held at the Arènes de Metz, in Metz, France from September 16-22, 2019. It is played on indoor hard courts and is a part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour 250 Series of the 2019 ATP Tour. The prize money of the tournament was 524,340 Euros.

In Men’s Singles category, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France defeated Aljaz Bedene from Slovenia in 3 sets and clinched the singles title. He became the first man to win four singles titles at the Moselle Open. In Men’s Doubles, Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Jan-Lennard of Germany clinched the title by defeating Nicolas Mahut & Édouard Roger-Vasselin of France.

3. 24th St. Petersburg Open for 2019 held at Sibur Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia: The 24th Edition of St. Petersburg Open for 2019 was held at Sibur Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia from September 16- 22, 2019. It was played on indoor hard courts and was a part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour 250 Series of the 2019 ATP Tour. The total prize money of the tournament was $1,180,000.

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev defeated Crotia’s Borna Coric by 6–3, 6–1 and clinched the men’s singles title. India’s Divij Sharan along with Slovakia’s Igor Zelenay defeated Italian pair of Matteo Berrettini & Simone Bolelli by 6–3, 3–6, [10–8] and clinched the men’s doubles title. It was the fifth Tour doubles title for Divij.

4. Malvika claims maiden title at Maldives International: Young Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod has claimed her maiden title at the Maldives International Future Series with a stunning straight-game win over top seed Thet Htar Thuzar of Myanmar in women’s singles here. The unseeded Indian, who turned 18 recently, shocked Thet Htar Thuzar 21-13 21-11 in a 31-minute summit clash here on Sunday. Among other Indians, top seeded Kevin Arokia Walter settled for a runner-up finish after going down 13-21 14-21 to second seeded Thai Kantawat Leelavechabutr in men’s singles competition. Indian pair of Vaibhaav and Prakash Raj, seeded second, also claimed the men’s doubles title after beating Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-16 21-15 in just 26 minutes.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI approves reappointment of Shyam Srinivasan as Federal Bank CEO: The Reserve Bank of India has approved the re-appointment of Shyam Srinivasan as the Managing Director and CEO of Federal Bank for one year.    His re-appointment is with effect from September 23, 2019 this year until September 22, 2020. Srinivasan, 57, took charge as the Managing Director and CEO of Federal Bank on September 23, 2010.

2. SEBI tightens guidelines for debt mutual fund applicable from April 1, 2020: In order to improve the risk management & ensure sufficient liquidity, the regulator for the securities market in India, SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has tightened the rules for mutual funds, in which it make it mandatory for liquid schemes to hold at least 20 % in liquid assets such as cash and cash equivalents like treasury bills and repo on government securities. The new guideline comes into force from April 1, 2020.

3. Paisalo Digital inks co-origination of loan agreement with Bank of Maharashtra: Paisalo Digital (Formerly known as S.E Investments Limited) has signed its second co-origination of loan agreement with major public sector bank in India, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) with the aim to necessitate the joint contribution of credit flow by BoM and Paisalo Digital. The arrangement also involves sharing of risks & gains between them. On August 12, 2019, Paisalo digital has signed the 1st co-origination loan agreement (designed at Rs.10,000 to 2 lakh) with State Bank of India (SBI) to pay out 200,000 loan applications in 2019 (FY-Fiscal Year 2020).

Note: Paisalo Digital Managing Director:  Sunil Agarwal; Headquarters: New Delhi.

BoM Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra; MD & CEO: A. S. Rajeev

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. NDTV’s Ravish Kumar awarded 1st Gauri Lankesh Memorial Award 2019: Ravish Kumar (44) of Motihari, Bihar, an Indian TV anchor, writer, journalist and the Managing Editor of NDTV India, the Hindi news channel of the NDTV (New Delhi Television Limited) news network, has received the 1st Gauri Lankesh Memorial Award 2019 by the Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust (which is founded in memory of the journalist, Gauri Lankesh) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was selected for this prestigious award in recognition of his sharp news analysis and uncompromising secular stance. On August 2, 2019, he was awarded 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.

2. Emmy Awards 2019: The 71st Edition of Primetime Emmy Awards for 2019 was held at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States (US). This ceremony was preceded by the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards which was held on September 14 and 15, 2019. The award honoured the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2018 until May 31, 2019, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The International Emmy Awards, which are awarded for Excellence in television programming outside the U.S, will be presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) on November 25, 2019 in New York City.

List of Winners:

Sr. No.	Category	Winner
1	Outstanding Comedy Series	Fleabag (Prime Video)
2	Outstanding Drama Series	Game of Thrones (HBO-Home Box Office)
3	Outstanding Limited Series	Chernobyl (HBO)
4	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Bill Hader on Barry (HBO)
5	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series	Phoebe Waller-Bridge on Fleabag
6	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Billy Porter on Pose (FX)
7	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Jodie Comer on Killing Eve
8	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie	Jharrel Jerome on When They See Us (Netflix)
9	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie	Michelle Williams on Fosse/Verdon (FX)
10	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Tony Shalhoub on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
11	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Alex Borstein on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
12	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Peter Dinklage on Game of Thrones  (HBO)
13	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Julia Garner on Ozark  (Netflix)
14	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie	Ben Whishaw on A Very English Scandal  (Prime Video)
15	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie	Patricia Arquette on The Act (Hulu)

OBITUARIES

1. Former cricketer Madhav Apte passes away: Former cricketer Madhav Apte (86-years) passed away at the Breach Candy Hospital Mumbai. He has played 67 first-class matches (46 Ranji Trophy for Bombay and three for Bengal), scored 3336 runs, with six centuries and 16 half-centuries. Madhav Apte was the first Indian opener to aggregate over 400 runs in a Test series (460 runs against West Indies in 1953). Apte was for many years the President of the Cricket Club of India and the Legends Club.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Shri Amit Shah launches Emergency Response Support System (ERSS- Dial 112), ‘E-Beat Book’ System and ‘E-Saathi’ App in Chandigarh: Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah has launched three citizen-centric services of the Chandigarh Police. These are: Emergency Response Support System (ERSS – Dial 112), ‘E-Beat Book’ System and the ‘E-Saathi App’. ERSS is one of the key projects of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the Nirbhaya Fund.

ERSS provides a single emergency number (112), computer-aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress. Citizens can send their emergency information through call, SMS, email and through the 112 India mobile app.

The ‘E-Beat Book’ is a web and mobile-based application which will ease the collection, updating and analysis of the information related to crime and criminals in a real-time.

The ‘E-Saathi’ App would help the general public, including senior citizens, to remain in touch with the police and also give suggestions to facilitate participative community policing (‘Your Police at Your Doorstep’ initiative). The beat officer would be able to provide services like passport verification, tenant verification, servant verification, character certification, etc. at a click of a button through the app, without the people needing to visit the police station.

2. 2019 India Design Summit held in Goa: The 19th edition of the India Design Summit was held from 20 & 21 September 2019 in Goa by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The theme of the 2019 Summit was : Design for Social Sector. The summit is a platform to create partnership between the discipline of design and organizations leading to innovation and increased economic competitiveness to synergize, find new methods of working together with an attitude of openness, cooperation, and exploration, bring the traditional fields of design in partnership with the fields of technology and business towards the development of new products, both real and virtual.

3. 37th GST Council meeting held in Panaji, Goa: The 37th GST Council meeting held in Panaji, Goa. The GST rate of various Goods and Services was changed in the meeting. The GST council is headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. For Transaction value per unit per day of ₹1000 or less, will attract nil GST. For ₹1001 upto ₹7500, now the tax rate will be 12%. Anything above ₹7501 will attract 18%. It was 28% till now. GST rate hiked on railway wagon, coaches from 5% to 12%. Uniform GST rate of 12% to be levied on polypropylene bags and sacks used for packing of goods. Jewellery exports to now attract zero GST.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. 63rd General Conference of IAEA held in Vienna, Austria: The 63rd Annual Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference was held in Vienna, the capital of Austria with participation from 171 IAEA member states from September 16-20, 2019. The conference is conducted to jointly discuss about the issues related to the IAEA’s work, budget and priorities. The Indian delegation to the conference was led by Dr. K N Vyas, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy(DEA). Vyas talked about various achievements made by the Indian government that formed part of support in the IAEA’s growth.

The National Cancer Grid- Vishwam Cancer Care Connect (NCG-Vishwam 3C), which is a global cancer care network, was launched by Vyas in Vienna. The NCG-Vishwam’s key work is to integrate hospitals and relevant cancer care institutes from partner countries with the National Cancer Grid (NCG) of India

2. MIT Tops, IIT Bombay Top Indian Institute in QS’ Graduate Employability Rankings 2020: The QS’ Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 was released and four Indian institutes have made it to the top 200 among the 500 Universities in the list. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is the top among all Indian institutes and has been ranked in the 111-120 range. At 151-160 band IIT Delhi, 171-180 band IIT Madras and Delhi University have found their positions in top 200. Fifteen Indian universities participated in the 2020 edition of the Rankings and 10 of them made it into the published range which is one more than previous edition.

Top Institute: The 2020 edition of the QS’ Graduate Employability Rankings has been topped by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Stanford University is second and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is at third place.

3. International Coastal CleanUp Day: 21 September: Every year, the third Saturday of the month September is observed as International Coastal CleanUp Day. The day encourages people to rid beaches of the garbage plaguing beaches. Apart from this awareness is also spread about preserving and protecting the world’s oceans and waterways.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Arthi Arun wins five gold medals in Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships: Chennai-based powerlifter Arthi Arun has won five gold medals in the ongoing Commonwealth Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships 2019, St. John’s, Canada. She has won the medals in the 72 kg category. She is also the current Asian Powerlifting Gold Medalist and National Champion.

2. Deepak Punia Wins Silver, Rahul Aware Settles for Bronze in World Wrestling Championships 2019: In world wrestling championship 2019 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Deepak Punia lost in the title clash in 86 kg bout against Iran’s Hassan Yazdani to settle for silver. Deepak was the only Indian to enter a final bout in this edition of the tournament. He has also secured 2020 Olympic quotas. In 61kg bout, Indian wrestler Rahul Aware won a bronze medal as he beat American Tyler Lee Graff. With this, India finished the 2019 edition of World Wrestling Championship with 5 medal including 1 silver and 4 bronzes.

3. Sebastian Vettel wins the Singapore Grand Prix 2019: German racing driver, Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) has won the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2019. This is his first win of the year. Charles Leclerc remained on second position while Max Verstappen was third. Lewis Hamilton is on fourth.

4. Carolina Marina and Kento Momota wins China Open Badminton Title 2019: Carolina Marina and Kento Momota have won the China Open Badminton Title 2019. The list of winners in all the events are:

Men’s Singles- Kento Momota (Japan)

Women’s Singles- Carolina Marín (Spain)

Men’s Doubles- Marcus Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia) and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Indonesia)

Women’s Doubles-Chen Qingchen (China) and Jia Yifan (China)

Mixed Doubles- Zheng Siwei (China) and Huang Yaqiong (China)

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SEBI constitutes working group on ‘Social Stock Exchanges’ (SSE): Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a working group on ‘Social Stock Exchanges’ (SSE). Ishaat Hussain (Director, SBI Foundation) is the chairman of the panel. The panel has total 15 members (including the chairman). SSE will help in listing social enterprise and voluntary organizations. The working group shall examine and make recommendations with respect to possible structures and mechanisms, within the securities market domain, to facilitate raising of funds by social enterprises and voluntary organizations.

2. IMPS rated world’s best in ‘Faster Payments Innovation Index’: As per the fintech firm, FIS India’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) has been rated as the world’s best real-time payment service in an analysis of 54 countries that have similar facilities. IMPS is rated highest in FIS’s ‘Faster Payments Innovation Index’. India is the only country that received the 5+ rating.

3. Bank of Baroda launches agri digital platform – “Baroda Kisan”: Bank of Baroda has launched an agri digital platform named “Baroda Kisan”. It is a web-based portal that can also be accessed by farmers via mobile. The portal will cater to all the needs of farmers, including weather forecasts, crop conditions, the moisture levels of the soil, information on crop worms, market prices, special crop-related consultation.

4. Madhukar Kamath elected chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations: Madhukar Kamath has been elected chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2019-20.  He is the chairman emeritus of DDB Mudra group and mentor of Interbrand India. Kamath has also been the president of Advertising Agencies Association of India.

Note: The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of India is a non-profit circulation-auditing organization.

5. HDFC Bank to hold 1,000 grameen loan melas over next 6 months: HDFC Bank has announced to organise 1,000 grameen loan melas over the next six months with an aim to expand its retail portfolio. These grameen loan melas (or village loan fairs) will be held across more than 300 districts and cover around 6,000 villages across India. Customers can avail of tractor, auto, two-wheeler and agri loans or open current or savings accounts, it said. Besides, self help groups (SHGs) can avail of finance through the bank’s Sustainable Livelihood Initiative.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

1. Reliance Industries becomes the most valued domestic firm in market capitalization: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) became the most valued domestic firm in market capitalisation (m-cap) by surpassing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). RIL’s m-cap stood at Rs 7,95,179.62 crore at the close of trade on September 20, 2019 while that of TCS stood at Rs 7,75,092.58 crore. The top 5 most valued firms by m-cap are as follows:

Sr. No.	Firm Name
1	RIL
2	TCS
3	HDFC Bank (Rs 6,56,546.37 crore)
4	Hindustan Unilever Ltd (Rs 4,26,467.98 crore)
5	HDFC (Rs 3,54,270.94 crore)

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Sonu Nigam wins 21st Century Icon Award in UK: Singer Sonu Nigam has been awarded the Magnificent Performing Arts Award at the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London. The nominations were from 22 different countries and Sonu Nigam won the award among these.

2. Kerala tourism wins 3 awards in 2019 PATA gold awards in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards for the year 2019 were held in Nur-Sultan (Astana), the capital of Kazakhstan. The Kerala tourism has won 3 PATA gold awards at the event and the awards are given for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom (Kerala) under its Responsible Tourism(RT) mission, for Kerala tourism campaign advertisement ‘Come Out and Play’ and the third one was for its website www.keralatourism.org. This year (2019), Kerala Tourism won the highest number of PATA awards in South Asia region. Recently in July 2019, “Find the Incredible You” campaign under Incredible India campaign was declared the winner of PATA gold award 2019 for “Marketing – Primary Government Destination” category.

Daily GK Updates - 21st September, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park in Gujarat: India’s National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) plans to set up a 5-gigawatt solar park in the western state of Gujarat, which would be the biggest in the country. As the top electricity generator shifts toward cleaner energy, which is expected to cost as much as 250 billion rupees ($3.5 billion) and begin operations by 2024. The plan is part of NTPC’s aim to reduce the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix to 70% from around 96% by 2032.

Note: Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC: Gurdeep Singh; Headquarters of NTPC: New Delhi.

2. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched ‘champions campaign’ against dengue: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched “Champions Campaign” to fight dengue and urged citizens to become ‘champions’ and encourage 10 friends to check their homes for mosquito larvae.  Earlier, he had also launched 10Hafte 10Baje 10Minute campaign. He had urged the Delhi residents to give 10 minutes every Sunday to check the surroundings to prevent the breeding of dengue-carrier mosquitoes.

3. Govt allows SAIL to sell 25% of iron ore output: Ministry of Mines has allowed Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to offload in a year up to a quantity equivalent to maximum 25% of total iron ore production in the previous year. It will be subject to clearance from the respective State Governments, where the mines are located, after following due procedure. It is valid for a period of 2 years. Around 7 million tonnes of iron ore, produced at its different mines in the States of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, can be offloaded by SAIL to the domestic market after getting necessary clearance from the State Governments. This will enable SAIL to not only fulfill its own requirement but also to partially cater to a shortfall in domestic iron ore requirement.

4. A new book titled “Being Gandhi” by Paro Anand to mark Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary: A new book titled “Being Gandhi” written by award-winning author Paro Anand released. It marks the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The book, published by Harper Collins Children’s Books, explores the life events of Gandhiji.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on 7-day visit to the United States: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a 7-day visit to the United States. During his visit, Mr. Modi will be in Houston & New York and address the United Nations General Assembly on 27th of this month. On 22nd September, Prime Minister Modi will address the Indian community at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas at 8.30 pm (India Standard Time) and President Donald Trump will also be there. Around 50,000 people are expected to attend the event “Howdy, Modi!”. "Howdy", short for 'How do you do?' is a friendly greeting commonly used in the south-western US. On 23rd September, PM Modi will participate in a leaders’ dialogue on the issue of terrorism, hosted by the King of Jordan. On 24th September, India will organize an event to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in the UN. PM Modi will be joined by heads of some countries including President of South Korea, Prime Ministers of Singapore, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Jamaica as well as the UN Secretary-General. During the visit, Mr. Modi will also be honoured with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Goalkeeper's Award for his leadership in the field of sanitation through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

2. 16th Session of the Joint Economic Commission between India-BLEU: The 16th Session of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between India and Belgium Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) was held in New Delhi. The Joint Economic Commission between India and Belgium Luxembourg Economic Union (India-BLEU) was established in 1997 and is the main vehicle for discussing bilateral economic and commercial issues. The importance of JEC between India and BLEU was reiterated & both sides negotiate cooperation on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, such as, transportation and logistics, renewable energy, aerospace and satellites, audio and visual industry, agro and food processing industry, life sciences, ICT(Information and communications technology), traditional medicine, Ayurveda and yoga, and tourism.

Note: Belgium Capital: Brussels, Currency: Euro.

3. RBS picks the first woman to lead major UK bank: Britain's bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has appointed long-serving banker ‘Alison Rose’ as chief executive, making her the first female boss of a major UK lender. Currently, Rose is deputy head of the group's NatWest Holdings retail business and its commercial and private banking division. She will replace Ross McEwan on 1st November. Alison Rose will become the only woman to have leaded one of Britain's so-called "Big Four" banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS).

Note: The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, together with NatWest and Ulster Bank. The Royal Bank of Scotland was established in 1724 to provide a bank with strong Hanoverian and Whig ties.

4. Algeria to hold Presidential election on 12th December: Algeria will hold the Presidential election on 12th December this year. Abdelkader Bensalah, the interim successor of ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in April following mass protests. Mr Bensalah in a televised address, he has decided that the date of the presidential election. The announcement comes after Army Chief General Ahmed Gaid Salah insisted that polls be held by the end of this year, despite ongoing protests demanding the creation of new institutions ahead of any elections.

Note: Algeria is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. Algeria Capital: Algiers; Currency:  Algerian dinar

5. 38th Sharjah Intl. Book Fair to be organized from 30th Oct to 9th of Nov: The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will be organized from 30th October to 9th November 2019. The book fair will be held at the ‘Expo Center’ in Sharjah, with the participation of selected writers, novelists and artists from around the world. Authors, publishers, intellectuals and artists worldwide will bring their experiences and expertise to this prominent event and partake in a vibrant cultural programme. UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World Book Capital City for the year 2019 in recognition of the city’s continuous efforts in promoting books and literacy. Aligning itself with the title of the World Book Capital, the SIBF will be organized under the theme 'Open Books, Open Minds'.

6. International Day of Peace: 21 September: The International Day of Peace is observed around the world annually on 21st September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for International Day of Peace 2019 is “Climate Action for Peace”. The theme draws attention to the importance of combatting climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world.

Note: In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated 21st September as the International Day of Peace; Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres

7. World Alzheimer’s Day: 21st September: World Alzheimer’s Day is observed every year on 21st September to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs mental functioning. Some of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss, problems with language, difficulty performing familiar tasks, changes in personality and difficulty keeping track of things.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. 2020 Women's FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held from Nov 2-21: The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup (7th edition) will be held from 2nd to 21st November 2020 in India. It will mark the first time that India has hosted a FIFA women's football tournament. The tournament is held in even-numbered years, starting in 2008. Spain is the defending champions, having won the title of the biennial tournament in 2018. On 27th August, Kalinga Stadium (in Bhubaneswar, Odisha) got provisional clearance as the first venue for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Goa and Navi Mumbai are the five venues that were inspected by the FIFA team for the tournament.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IDBI Bank appoints Samuel Joseph as Deputy Managing Director: IDBI Bank’s Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Samuel Joseph Jebaraj as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) for a period of 3 years. He currently serves as Chief General Manager of the Loan Administration and Human Resources Management Groups of the Bank. The decision has been taken as per the approval received by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This is the first major appointment on the Bank’s Board, in which LIC acquired a majority stake of 51 per cent in January 2019.

Note: Chairman of IDBI: M R Kumar; Headquarters of IDBI: Mumbai; Tagline: Aao Sochein Bada.

2. DSCI, MeitY and Google India join hands for ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’: Nasscom’s Data Security Council of India (DSCI) collaborated with the electronics and IT ministry (MeitY) and Google India to launch a nationwide awareness campaign ‘Digital Payment Abhiyan’. Communications and Electronics & IT Minister launched the campaign that will educate end-users on the benefits of making digital payments and urge them to adopt security and safety best practices. To drive the campaign objectives and amplify outreach to users across all states, DSCI has onboarded various digital payments, ecosystem partners. These partners include representation from banking, card networks as well as a fin-tech segment.

Note: Minister of Communications and Electronics and Information Technology: Ravi Shankar Prasad; Chairman of NASSCOM: Keshav Murugesh.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Raghu Rai chosen as the first recipient of international photography award: Noted Indian photographer Raghu Rai (77-years) has been chosen as the first recipient of the inaugural edition of the Acadmie des beaux-arts Photography Award ‘William Klein’.

Note: The award is in honour of the celebrated American-born French photographer and filmmaker William Klein, best known for his unusual photography techniques. As a consecration award, the prize is intended to reward a photographer for their entire career and commitment to photography. It rewards one photographer of all nationalities and ages.

OBITUARIES

1. Former Dutch football player Fernando Ricksen passes away: The former Rangers and Netherlands football player Fernando Ricksen passed away at the age of 43. He earned 12 caps for the Netherlands between 2000 and 2003. In six years (2000-2006) with the club of Rangers (Glasgow, Scotland), he also won 2 Scottish Premier League titles, 2 Scottish Cups and 3 Scottish League Cups.

2. Famous filmmaker Shyam Ramsay passes away: Bollywood’s famous horror film producer Shyam Ramsay passed away. He helmed horror movies like Andhera (1975), Saboot (1980), Purana Mandir (1984), Purani Haveli (1989), Dhund: The Fog (2003), Koi Hai (2017). He pioneered the horror genre on Indian television too, giving us the first horror series- The Zee Horror Show which ran from 1993 to 2001.