Daily GK Updates - 6th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dr Harsh Vardhan Launched FSSAI’s ‘Trans-Fat Free’ Logo In New Delhi: The union health & family welfare minister shri Harsh Vardhan launched “Trans Fat Free” logo of Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) during the 8th International Chefs’ Conference of 2019 (ICC VIII) held in New Delhi. The logo was launched to boost the ‘Eat Right Movement’ of FSSAI. Shri Harsh Vardhan also released a slogan ‘Chefs 4 Trans Fat Free’ at the event, in which more than 1000 chefs pledged to use trans-fat free oils in their recipes and also work together to help achieve govt’s plan to eliminate trans-fat by 2022 having the motto ‘India@75; Freedom from Trans Fats’.

Note: FSSAI Founded: August 2011; Headquarter: New Delhi; Chairperson: Rita Teotia; Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Pawan Kumar Agarwal.

2. NITI Aayog’s AIM and UNDP India jointly launched ‘Youth Co: Lab’ for youth entrepreneurship & innovation: The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India of United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) launched a youth lab programme, ‘Youth Co:Lab’ by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) in-order to  empower innovation and social entrepreneurship to the youths of India in New Delhi.  By this initiative entrepreneurs and innovators will connect with govt, mentors, incubators and other investors to gain entrepreneurial skills. The first phase of Youth Co:Lab will focus on six SDGs:

SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production)

SDG 13 (Climate Action)

3. Global Summit on ‘Spirituality for Unity, Peace and Prosperity’ held in Mount Abu, Rajasthan: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the Global Conference-cum- expo on ‘Spirituality for Unity, Peace and Prosperity’ organized by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya at the Shantivan Campus in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. It promoted the connection between one’s consciousness, thoughts and action and their impact on the world. The delegates from across 140 countries had participated in the event.

4. India’s first e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: The first e-waste clinic of India will be set up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have tied up to set up the clinic. i. It will be formed in compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The electronic waste will be collected door-to-door or can be deposited directly at the clinic in exchange for a fee. Initially, it will be launched as a three-month pilot project and would be implemented in India, if successful.

5. India’s 1st plant to produce diesel from plastic waste opened in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh: India’s 1st plant to produce diesel from plastic waste in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh has been soft-launched by Mathura MP (Member of Parliament) Hema Malini with the aim to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a Swachh Bharat Mission. The plant, working on a full scale at the Mathura Municipal Corporation (MMC), built on a public-private partnership (P-P-P) model for which the MMC has signed a contract of Rs 9.5 crore with Paterson Energy Private Limited, Chennai, and Tamil Nadu. The specialty of this plant will be that 6 tons of plastic will be used to make diesel every day.

6. 50th IFFI for 2019 to be held in Goa: Information and Broadcasting Minister Mr. Prakash Javadekar notified that the 50th, the Golden Jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019 will be held in Goa from November 20-28, 2019 with Russia as the partner country. For the first time, films with audio deion will be screened for the visually impaired. More than 200 best films from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non-feature films in the Indian Panorama section will be screened. 12 prominent films in different languages which have completed 50 years in 2019, will also be showcased. The feature film jury was headed by filmmaker and screenwriter Priyadarshan and the non-feature jury was headed by documentary filmmaker Rajendra Janglay.

7. National Wildlife Week: October 2 to 8: The Wildlife Week is being celebrated all over India from 2nd -8th October 2019 with the aim of protecting Indian wildlife species from extinction. The theme for the year 2019 is “Life below Water: For People And Planet” which aimed at preservation of underwater fauna and flora. The Wildlife week, organized by National Board of Wildlife since its establishment in 1972, was first celebrated in the year 1972.

8. Punjab govt has appointed justice Vinod kumar sharma as its lokpal: The Punjab government has appointed retired Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma as Lokpal. He succeeds Justice Satish Kumar Mittal, who resigned from the post in April 2018 and became the chairman of Haryana Human Rights Commission. In 2010, Sharma moved to the Madras High Court after served as Punjab and Haryana high court judge from March 22, 2006 to October 26, 2010. He retired as a judge of Madras High Court in May 2013.

Note: A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or body of ombudsman who represents the public interest in the Republic of India. The current Chairperson of Lokpal is Pinaki Chandra Ghose.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. India-Bangladesh Signs 7 MoUs during Official Visit of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to India: Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina was on an official visit to India at the invitation of Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India. She was also invited as the Chief Guest at the India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum in New Delhi. Both the nations exchanged 7 bilateral MoUs/ Agreements in various fields.

2. 20th annual national conference Medrecon 2020 to be held in Kochi, Kerala: The 20th annual national conference on health informatics Medrecon 2020 will be held in Kochi, Kerala on February 7- 8, 2020 under the theme ‘Value of Data in Health Care Ecosystem’. It will be jointly organised by the Health Informatics and Information Management Association (HIIMA), Kerala, and the Health Records Association of India (HERAI). Over 700 delegates from the healthcare sector in India and abroad will participate in the event. Lorraine Fernandes, president of the International Federation of Health Information Management Associations (IFHIMA) in the US will be the keynote speaker.

3. 5th World Parliament of science, religion and philosophy 2019 held in Pune, Maharashtra: A 3-day event of 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy 2019 with the theme of ‘Role of Science, Religion and Philosophy for World Peace and well-being of Mankind’ organised by MIT (Maharashtra Institute of Technology) World Peace University in association with World Peace Centre, Alandi, MAEER’s MIT Group of institutions and MIT ADT University ,was held at the world’s largest dome philosopher Saint Dnyaneshwara World Peace Prayer Hall, Loni Kalbhor in Pune, Maharashtra. The primary objective of the event was to create and promote interfaith and inter-religious movement for World Peace.

4. 14th Indo – Mongolian joint military training exercise, the 2019 Nomadic Elephant-XIV begun in Himachal: The 14th edition of the Indo- Mongolian joint military training exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV for the year 2019, has begun at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh. This 14-day exercise will continue till October 18, 2019. The aim of the exercise is to train both the armies in counter terrorism and counter insurgency (counter revolt) operations thus enhancing defence cooperation. The Indian Army is represented by battalion of Rajputana rifles while the Mongolian Army is represented by elite 084 airborne Special task battalion.

5. UNESCO appoints Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as goodwill ambassador for indigenous people: A specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has appointed Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as its goodwill ambassador for indigenous people. The 25-year-old actress made history as the first indigenous performer nominated for a best actress honor at the Academy Awards this year for her performance in the film “Roma”. She will promote initiatives that claim indigenous peoples rights and that promote greater social awareness on the subject. In addition, she will help the UNESCO by preserving their cultural heritage and environment knowledge and fighting for equal access to education.

About UNESCO Formation: 4 November 1945; Headquarter: Paris, France; Director-General:  Audrey Azoulay

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Novak Djokovic won first Japan Open title in Tokyo: World number one Novak Djokovic won his first Japan Open title and the 76th of his career by defeating Australian John Millman in the final in Tokyo. It was a triumphant return to the tour for Djokovic, who had withdrawn from the U.S. Open in the fourth round due to a shoulder injury. It was the 10th time Novak Djokovic had won a title on his tournament debut. Djokovic has already qualified for next month’s season-ending ATP Finals in London.

2. Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem won 2019 China Open Tennis Title: Naomi Osaka won the china open tennis tournament by defeating world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia on 6th October 2019. This was the third title of 2019 for Osaka and fifth in her short career.

List of winners are:

Men’s Single Title: Dominic Thiem (Austria)

Women’s Single Title: Naomi Osaka (Japan)

Men’s double: Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Filip Polášek (Slovakia)

Women’s double: Sofia Kenin (United States) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (United States)

3. Italian former professional footballer, Claudio Marchisio announces retirement: Italian former professional footballer & Juventus midfielder, Claudio Marchisio (33) has announced his retirement from football following persistent knee injuries.Key points: Nicknamed ‘Il Principino – the little prince”, Marchisio has joined Juventus at the age of just seven & played almost 400 matches. Marchisio won 55 caps for Italy & was also took part at UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Euro 2012, winning a runners-up medal, and at the 2013 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Confederations Cup, where he won a third-place medal.

4. 10th Asian Age Group Championships for 2019 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka: The 10th Asian Age Group Championships (AAGC) for 2019 was held in Bengaluru. It was organised by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) through the Asia Amateur Swimming Federation (AASF). It was the first time India hosted the international Championship in swimming, diving, water polo and in Artistic swimming events. India finished with a total medal tally of 64 medals (20 gold, 24 silver and 20 bronze). It stood at the 4 spot in Swimming event and second spot in the diving event.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Bhumi Pednekar wins Face of Asia award at Busan International Film Festival: Indian Actor Bhumi Pednekar has been awarded the Face of Asia award the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Bhumi’s upcoming film “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare”, which features her alongside Konkona Sen, had its world premiere at BIFF

2. Shanti Raghavan & Dipesh Sutariya felicitated with 10th India Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2019: Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (IC) of Civil Aviation, Housing and Urban Affairs and Minister of State of Commerce and Industry of India presented the 10th Edition of India Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019 to Shanti Raghavan & Dipesh Sutariya of EnAble India alongside the 33rd India Economic Summit for 2019 in New Delhi for building an ecosystem of skilling, employment and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities (PwDs).

3. Greta Thunberg & Divina Maloum to receive the 15th International Children’s Peace Prize for 2019: The international organisation for the defence of children’s rights KidsRights Foundation will felicitate Sweden’s climate activist Greta Thunberg, aged 16, and peace campaigner Cameroon’s Divina Maloum, aged 14, with the 15th International Children’s Peace Prize for 2019 on November 20, 2019 at a ceremony in The Hague, Netherlands on World Children’s Day.

About the prize: The International Children’s Peace Prize worth €100,000 or $123,000 is awarded annually to a child who fights courageously for children’s rights. The prize was launched by KidsRights during the 2005 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at the Capitol in Rome, chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, the prize has been presented every year by a Nobel Peace Laureate. The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of Marc Dullaert, Chairman and Founder of the KidsRights Foundation.

OBITUARIES

1. American actress, singer, and model, Diahann Carroll passes away: American actress, singer, and model, Diahann Carroll, who won a Golden Globe and Tony awards and was nominated for an Oscar, has passed away in Los Angeles, US (United States) due to cancer. Born on 17 July 1935, The Bronx, New York, United States, Carroll was the recipient of Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in A Television Series in 1968. She was also the first black woman to win the Tony Award for best actress for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings.

Daily GK Updates - 5th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Goa Maritime Conclave 2019 inaugurated: The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)-2019 was inaugurated by the National Security Advisor, Shri Ajit Kumar Doval, at Goa. This conclave was conducted by the Naval War College. The subjects of the conclave are Opportunities and Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region, Forging Common Maritime Priorities, Regional Constructs and Strategies in the region. The theme for the conclave is “Common Maritime Priorities in IOR and need for Regional Maritime Strategy”. The sub-theme for the first session was “Opportunities and Challenges in IOR”.

2. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh launches ‘YSR Vahana Mitra’: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the “YSR Vahana Mitra scheme” in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. Under this scheme, the government will provide Rs 10,000 allowance to self-employed drivers of autos, taxis and taxi cabs. The amount of Rs 10,000 is for the recurring expenses like insurance and maintenance of the vehicle to procure fitness certificate. The allowance of Rs 10,000 would be given every year and the amount will be credited into the bank accounts directly.

Note: Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati; Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

3. Govt launches portal for monitoring coal supply to power plants: The government has launched ‘PRAKASH’ (Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony) portal for better coordination among the ministries of power, coal and Indian Railways for coal supply to power plants. The Prakash portal will enable all stakeholders to monitor coal right from mines to transportation. This is a laudable project in ensuring adequate availability optimum utilisation of coal at thermal power plants. The Portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring the entire coal supply chain for power plants.

4. Kochi to host national health informatics meet in 2020: The 20th National Health Informatics conference will be held in Kochi on February 7 and 8 next year. The conference will be jointly organised by the Health Informatics and Information Management Association (HIIMA), Kerala, and the Health Records Association of India (HERAI). The theme of the conference – Medrecon 2020 – is ‘Value of Data in Health Care Ecosystem’.

5. President Kovind appoints Chief Justices to 7 high courts: President Ramnath Kovind appoints Chief Justices to seven high courts. Those chief justices have been appointed to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Guwahati, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim High Courts.

High court	Name
Himachal Pradesh High Court	Lingappa Narayana Swamy
Punjab and Haryana High Court	Ravi ShankerJha
Rajasthan High Court	Indrajit Mohanty
Andhra Pradesh High Court	J.K. Maheshwari
Kerala High Court	S. Manikumar
Sikkim High Court	Arup K. Goswami
Guwahati High Court	Ajai Lamba

Four of the new Chief Justices would fill the vacancies left by Justices V. Ramasubramanian, Krishna Murari, S. Ravindra Bhat and Hrishikesh Roy, who were elevated to the Supreme Court recently from the Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan, and Kerala High Courts, respectively.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Teachers’ Day: 5 October: World Teachers’ Day or International Teachers’ Days is celebrated on October 5. The aim of World Teacher’s Day is to acknowledge the significant role of educators across the world. This year’s theme: ‘Young Teachers: The future of the Profession’. It is being held annually since 1994 to commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, the International Labour Organization, and Education International.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Avinash Sable qualifies for Tokyo Olympics in men's 3,000 m steeplechase event: India's Avinash Sable has qualified for Tokyo Olympics in men's 3,000-metre steeplechase event by shattering his own national record at the World Championships in Doha. Avinash clocked 8 minutes 21.37 seconds to breach the Olympics qualifying standard of 8 minutes 22 seconds. He also bettered his own national record of 8 minute and 25.23 seconds. The 25-year-old Avinash is from Mandwa in Maharashtra.

2. Ravindra Jadeja becomes second fastest Indian to 200 wickets in Test cricket: Jadeja became the second Indian bowler to take the fastest 200 wickets in Test cricket. Jadeja achieved the feat when he dismissed centurion Dean Elgar (160) during South Africa's first innings on the third day, in reply to India's 502 for 7 declared. R Ashwin is the fastest Indian bowler to take 200 wickets in Tests cricket. He took 200 wickets in 37 Tests. Whereas, Jadeja took 44 Tests to reach the milestone. Former India spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble needed 46 and 47 matches respectively to reach the milestone.

3. Vijay Patil elected President of Mumbai Cricket Association: Vijay Patil has been elected the president of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), while Sanjay Naik and Amol Kale were elected as secretary and vice-president respectively. Vijay Patil is the son of former Governor of Bihar Dr DY Patil.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. HP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the Pragati Rath of the HDFC bank: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the Pragati Rath of the HDFC bank. Pragati Rath will provide financial and digital literacy to the people during a month-long initiative by moving to different parts of Himachal Pradesh. During the launching occasion, the bank provided a cheque Rs.1 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The bank has also announced that it is to launch the Sustainable Livelihood Initiative in the State.

Note: Himanchal Pradesh Capital: Shimla; Governor: Bandaru Dattatraya.

2. Uco Bank launches 3 new digital products: UCO Bank has launched three new digital products called, UCash, Digilocker and an app in Kolkata, West Bengal. These new products were launched by the bank's managing director and CEO, A K Goel. UCash enables customers to withdraw money from ATMs through mobile banking without using a debit card. Digilocker aims to eliminate the use of physical documents and enables sharing of verified electronic documents. The third product, the new mobile app, integrates four existing apps of the bank- UCO Mbanking, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO Secure- in a single interface.

Note: UCO Bank MD & CEO: Atul Kumar Goel; Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal

OBITUARIES

1. Centenarian philatelist Krishna Kadekodi passes away: Centenarian philatelist and coin collector Krishna Gopalkrishna Kadekodi passed away. He was 102. He started his career as a revenue inspector and retired as a special deputy commissioner at the Regional Commissioner’s Office in Belagavi. He was the first tahsildar of Panaji after the liberation of Goa from Portuguese occupation. He was popular not only in India but also aborad for his hobby of collecting stamps, coins and antiques. His collection includes a coloured stamp of Queen Victoria issued in 1854.

2. Farook Khan, an Indian-origin journalist in South Africa passes away: Farook Khan, an Indian-origin journalist in South Africa passed away. He hailed from Maharashtra. He had started the Miss India South Africa Pageant as part of the Miss India Worldwide Pageant.

3. Bangladesh, Buddhist leader Satyapriya Mohathero passes away: The second highest Buddhist leader of Bangladesh and head of Sima Bihar of Ramu, Satyapriya Mohathero passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was awarded the second-highest civilian award of Bangladesh Ekushey Padak in 2015 for social work. The Ramu monastery had provided shelter to a large number of people during the Liberation War of Bangladesh 1971 in the face of Pakistani atrocities.

Daily GK Updates - 4th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nationwide ‘Paryatan Parv 2019’ to promote tourism kicks off: The nationwide Paryatan Parv, 2019 kicked off to promote tourism in the country. The aim is to propagate the message of Dekho Apna Desh to encourage people to visit tourist destinations of the country and also spread the message of Tourism for All. This year’s event is dedicated to 150th birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

2. Tourism Ministry launches App “Audio Odigos” for 12 sites of India: Tourism Ministry has launched the Audio Guide facility “Audio Odigos” for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites) on the occasion of “Paryatan Parv 2019”.

Audio Guide: Audio Odigos, offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support. With Audio Odigos, tourists will now enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights into the Indian culture and heritage. The Audio Odigos app contains an inbuilt map of the site for a smooth navigation during the tour. Listeners will be offered various versions of history like Synopsis, Detailed History and Podcasts. The audio can be chosen in their preferred language & version of history.

Note: Minister of State (I/C) of Tourism Ministery: Prahalad Singh Patel.

3. Meghalaya govt. signed agreement with Dalmia Cement:  The Meghalaya state government signed an agreement with Dalmia Cement a cement company, to make the state plastic-free by 2022. The objective of this agreement is to turn plastic waste into fuel for their cement plants and at the same time ensure that all the environmental standards are maintained. The agreement was signed during an official programme in Shillong to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Note: Meghalaya Capital: Shillong; Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma; Governor: Tathagata Roy

4. IRCTC to compensate passengers on delay of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express: Passengers of IRCTC’s Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be compensated in case of delays, the Railway subsidiary, announcing a first of its kind offer from any national carrier. An amount of Rs 100 will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and Rs 250 for delays of over two hours. This latest offer is in addition to the Rs 25 lakh free insurance that will be given to passengers of the train. This travel insurance also includes coverage of Rs 1 lakh against household theft and robbery during travel period of the passengers, again a first for those travelling onboard trains.

5. India’s first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express flagged off: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off country’s first private train Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express started its maiden journey from Lucknow. It will be the first train of Indian Railways that will be entirely run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The new Tejas Express will cover the distance between Delhi and Lucknow in six hours fifteen minutes. All passengers travelling by Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be provided free insurance of up to ₹25 lakh by IRCTC.

6. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative: Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik rolled out ‘Mo Sarkar’ programme which finds its roots in the Gandhian philosophy of giving people their voice in daily governance. The objective of ‘Mo Sarkar’ is to improve governance by collecting feedback on behaviour and professionalism displayed by the Government officers. “Mo Sarkar’ programme has been launched in 21 district headquarters hospitals and medical colleges at Cuttack, Sambalpur and Berhampur.

7. Uttarakhand CM launches awareness campaign ‘Urjagiri’ to stop power theft: Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat launched an awareness campaign “Urjagiri” which aims at stopping power theft and saving. The Chief Minister emphasised on the need to speed up the process for wider awareness to avoid power loss in Uttarakhand.

8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declares India open defecation-free: On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India as Open Defecation Free (ODF). On 02nd October, the 'Swachh Bharat Divas' program was organized in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad where PM Modi announced the country to be open defecation free. During the event, the PM Modi released commemorative Rs 150 coins on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. The status of Open Defecation Free (ODF) was achieved by India through the massive sanitation programme, Swachh Bharat Mission, under which, crores of toilets were built especially in poor households.

Note: Open defecation means defecating outside in the open environment and not in a designated toilet.

9. Sushil Chandra appointed as MD & CEO of Oil India Limited: Oil India Limited has appointed Sushil Chandra Mishra as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. He will replace Utpal Bora. Sushil Chandra Mishra started his professional journey as an executive trainee with OIL in 1984 and developed deep expertise in commercial matters. He also played a key role in framing and implementing procurement policies and procedures for inventory management, vendor development, framework agreement and its related strategies.

10. Tata Communications names Amur Lakshminarayanan as its MD and CEO: Digital infrastructure provider, Tata Communications has named Amur S Lakshminarayanan as Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer designate of the company. He comes with 35 years of experience in a broad range of leadership roles across industries and regions across the world. Prior to this appointment, Lakshminarayanan was President and CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Japan, Ltd. He also worked in the company as Global Head of Telecom, Media and Information Services, HiTech and Utilities, and Head of TCS UK (United Kingdom) and Europe.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM of India & Mauritius jointly inaugurated projects in Mauritius: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated 2 landmark projects in Mauritius via video conference. The 2 projects includes the phase-1 of the Metro Express and a new ENT Hospital. The Indian Government has granted $275 million for the Metro Express project and a grant of $14 million for the new Hospital Project. The grant was awarded as a special economic package for assisting five high-priority projects, which include the Metro Express project and a new ENT hospital.

2. Amrit Lugun appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Greece: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India was appointed Amrit Lugun as the next Ambassador of India to Greece. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1989 batch. He will replace Shamma Jain.

Note: Capital of Greece: Athens; Currency of Greece: Euro.

3. Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India notified that Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue, with residence in Wellington, New Zealand. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1991 batch presently working as a High Commissioner of India to New Zealand. He will replace Sanjiv Kohli.

Note: Capital of Niue: Alofi; Currency: Niue dollar, New Zealand dollar.

4. Singapore is the world's smartest city: IMD Smart City Index:  According to the IMD Smart City Index, Singapore is the smartest city in the world. The first edition of the IMD Smart City Index 2019 ranks 102 cities worldwide. Zurich ranked second and Oslo is the third smartest city in the world. The other smartest cities in the list are Geneva (4th), Copenhagen (5th), Auckland (6th), Taipei City (7th), Helsinki (8th), Bilbao (9th) and Dusseldorf (10th). Indian city Hyderbad ranked 67 in the list, while the capital of India, New Delhi is the 68th smart city in the world. On the other hand, Mumbai is the 78th and Bengaluru is the 79th smart city in the world.

Note: The SCI is released by the IMD World Competitiveness Center’s Smart City Observatory, in partnership with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The index assesses a city’s efforts and success in embracing smart technologies to improve the lives of its citizens, thus being able to rate each city on a certain level of ‘smartness’.

5. Global Firepower Index: Indian military strongest in South Asia: In the Global Firepower's 2019 Military Strength Ranking, the Indian military has been ranked as the strongest military power in South Asia. While Pakistan has been ranked second and Bangladesh is ranked the third most powerful military power in South Asia. In the world ranking, the United States has topped the list, followed by Russia, and China. India has been ranked in 4th position, Pakistan at 15th, Myanmar at 37th, Afghanistan at 74th, Sri Lanka at 90th, Nepal at 120th, and Bhutan has been ranked at 137th- a least strong country in the world, as per the index. The military strengths of 137 countries in total have been considered in the GFP.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Abdul Quadir Khan Wins Silver Medal in Asian Body Building & Physique Sports Championship 2019: Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals has won the Silver medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam, Indonesia. His accomplishment in the sport has brought glory to the Indian Army and Corps of Signals.

2. India gets its first-ever floating basketball court in Mumbai: The National Basketball Association installed India's first-ever floating basketball court in Mumbai. The basketball court set up in the Arabian Sea near the Bandra-Worli Sealink. India’s first NBA Game to be held in October. The first NBA game is scheduled to host from October 4 to October 5 in the SVP Stadium at Dome, NSCI, in Mumbai. The matches will be played under the Reliance Foundation Junior NBA program. Under this, the match will be played between the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.

3. NBCC sign MoU with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to provide project management consultancy for the development of National Sports University at Imphal, Manipur. NBCC has bagged a Rs 400-crore contract to develop National Sports University.

Note: Manipur Capital: Imphal; CM: N. Biren Singh; Governor: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI Fourth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Review 2019-20: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its fourth bi-monthly monetary policy review reduced the policy repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 5.15 percent from 5.40 percent with immediate effect. The MPC on its 4th bimonthly meeting has also decided to continue with an accommodative stance as long as it is necessary to revive growth while ensuring that inflation remains within the target. The key highlights of the bi-monthly monetary policy review is as follows:

The Repo Rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) reduced by 25 basis points to 5.15 percent from 5.40 percent with immediate effect.

Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands reduced to 4.90 percent.

The Bank Rate and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate are reduced to 5.40 percent.

Reserve Bank of India has also reduced the Real GDP Growth for 2019-20 from 6.9% to 6.1%.

The RBI kept reserved rates such as CRR and SLR unchanged at 4 percent and 18.75% percent respectively.

The RBI also retains retail inflation projection for the second half of year at 3.5-3.7%

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Kyrgyz human rights lawyer wins UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award: Azizbek Ashurov, A Kyrgyz human rights lawyer whose work has supported the efforts of the Kyrgyz Republic in becoming the first country in the world to end statelessness has been selected as the 2019 winner of the UN Refugee Agency’s Nansen Refugee Award. Azizbek Ashurov, through his organization Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders (FVLWB), has helped well over 10,000 people to gain Kyrgyz nationality after they became stateless following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Statelessness affects millions of people worldwide, depriving them of legal rights or basic services and leaving them politically and economically marginalized, discriminated against and particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

Note: UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award honours extraordinary service to the forcibly displaced. The award includes a commemorative medal and a US $150,000 monetary prize generously donated by the governments of Switzerland and Norway. In close consultation with UNHCR, the laureate uses the monetary prize to fund a project that complements their existing work.

UNHCR Founded: 14 December 1950; Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

2. Ben Stokes named PCA player of the year: England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been voted Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year at the Professional Cricketers’ Association awards. All-rounder Stokes played a starring role in England’s maiden World Cup win before repeating his heroics to help salvage an Ashes draw with Australia. Tom Banton of Somerset picked up the PCA young player of the year, while England bowler Sophie Ecclestone collected the women’s player of the summer award. The 50th NatWest PCA Awards were held at the Roundhouse in Camden.

OBITUARIES

1. Padma Shri awardee HL Trivedi passes away: Renowned kidney transplant surgeon and Padma Shri recipient Dr H L Trivedi passed away. He was as an expert in handling kidney transplant surgeries and was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2015 for his contribution to the society as a nephrologist. He also established dialysis centre network in district hospitals across Gujarat with the help of the state government.