Daily GK Updates - 8th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indian Air Force Celebrated 87th Air Force Day: 8 October: On October 8, 2019 the Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 87th anniversary on Air Force Day at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. During the IAF parade, wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman who shot down Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) F-16 aircraft during a dogfight in February 2019 led the aircraft group of three MiG-21 Bison aircraft flying in ‘avenger’ formation. Balakot heroes Group Captains Saumitra Tamaskar and Hemant Kumar flew a Jaguar and a Mirage 2000, respectively. Former Indian cricketer and Indian Air Force’s first Honorary Group Captain from sportsfield, Sachin Tendulkar also attended the celebration. Air Chief Marshal, R K S Bhadauria, Army Chief Bipin Rawat and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh paid tributes at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

2. Telangana police becomes the first in country to integrate police patrol systems with passenger cabs: In order to provide a safe & secure environment to passengers, especially women, the Telangana police in its 1st of its kind in the country, has taken up a high tech initiative to integrate their police patrol systems with passenger cabs. This is being done using police’s ‘Hawk-Eye’ app that is connected to every taxi aggregator apps that provides a cab service facility. In case of emergency, the commuter can access the ‘emergency button’ installed in the related cab service app, the message will be transmitted to Hawk-Eye App through a back-end operational workflow. This will send the latitude and longitudinal coordinates of the passenger to the police & other details of the private cab service to the police attending to emergency services such as control room and closest patrol mobile. ii. The police will be able to respond quickly to reach the commuter by continuously tracing the movement of the vehicle on the geo-tagged map.

Note: Telangana Capital: Hyderabad; Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao; Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

3. UP CM Yogi Adityanath intoduced Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath introduced the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana which aims to empower the girl child. If a girl child is born, that family will receive Rs 15,000. Under the community marriage scheme, the support amount to poor girls for marriage was increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000.

4. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Launched ‘Ganga Aamantran’ Abhiyan: The Union minister of Jal Shakthi Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched ‘Ganga Aamantran’ abhiyan, a month long open-water rafting and kayaking expedition in New Delhi. The expedition which begins from October 10- November 11 2019, will cover an area of 25,000kms from Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal. It is the first of its kind effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) to raft across the entire stretch of the river. It is also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting activity in spreading the message of river rejuvenation and water conservation on a massive scale. The expedition will encompass 5 Ganga basin states. They are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Indonesia and Vietnam Lead SE Asia’s $100bn Internet Economy: 4th E-Conomy SEA Report For 2019: The 4th Edition of the report titled “e-Conomy SEA report 2019: Powering Southeast Asia’s $100 billion Internet economy” was jointly released by Google, Singapore investment company Temasek and American consultancy Bain & Company. As per the report, Indonesia and Vietnam led the SE (SouthEast) Asia’s $100bn internet economy becoming the fastest-growing digital economies in the region. Until 2018, this report was jointly published by Google and Temasek. Total of 6 countries namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam were surveyed. Indonesia’s internet economy is the largest in the region, estimated at $40 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $133 billion mark by 2025. Vietnam’s internet economy is forecast to reach $12 billion in 2019 and up to $43 billion in 2025.

Note: Google Inc: Founded: 1998; Headquarters: California, US

Temasek: Founded: 25 June 1974; Headquarters: Singapore

Bain & Company: Founded: 1973; Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S

2. Remains of 5,000-year-old city unveiled in Israel’s archaeological site En Esur: Archaeologists of Israel have unveiled remains of a 5,000-year-old city believed to be the biggest in the region from the Bronze Age. The site known as “En Esur” included fortifications, a ritual temple, and a cemetery. An even earlier settlement, believed to be 7,000 years old, was discovered beneath the city. It is regarded as the ‘New York City’ of its time period.

Note: Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Currency: Israeli new shekel; Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu.

3. Saturn created a solar system record after the discovery of 20 new moons, surpassing Jupiter: A team of researchers led by Carnegie’s Scott S. Sheppard from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) discovered 20 new moons orbiting Saturn, increasing its tally of moons to 82. It surpassed the number of moons orbiting Jupiter planet which stands at 79. This was announced by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Minor Planet Center (MPC), France. They were discovered using the Subaru telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii (a state in the Pacific United States) and were about five kilometers in diameter. 17 moons were found orbiting the planet backwards, in a direction opposite to that of Saturn’s rotation around its axis while 3 moons orbited in the same direction as Saturn’s rotation, which is called prograde motion.

4. Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice” set to release: Former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama‘s second book titled “Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice” is set to release on November 19, 2019. It is published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House. The journal will be published in more than 20 countries. It includes more than 150 inspiring questions and quotes that resonate with key themes in Mrs. Obama’s memoir. Her first memoir titled “Becoming” (Crown Publishing Group) was released in November 2018.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. India to host 3×3 basketball qualifying tournament for Tokyo Olympics in March 2020: As per the world governing body of the basketball, FIBA (International Basketball Federation), India will host the Tokyo Olympic Games 3×3 basketball qualifying tournament in March 2020 with a total participation of 40 teams (20 male and 20 female teams). The location of the event will be announced later. The competition will be organized under the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Six places (3 each in both women and men) will be awarded for the Olympic 2020 in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic qualifying tournament. This competition will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo where eight teams will participate in the women’s and men’s categories.

Note: FIBA: Motto: We Are Basketball; Formation: 18 June 1932; Headquarters: Mies, Switzerland; President: Hamane Niang

2. Indian Batsman, Rohit Sharma Attains Career Best 17th In ICC Test Player Rankings 2019: As per the recently released MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) Tyres International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Test Player Rankings” as of October 7, 2019, Rohit Sharma, who became the first Indian cricketer to score a century in both innings of his first test as an opener, reached a career-best 17th position. He jumped from the 54th position to the 17th. Captain Virat Kohli has retained his second position, though he has slipped below 900 mark for the first time since January 2018.

Top 3 players & Other Indians in the batsmen rankings:

Rank	Player Name	Country	Rating points	Average
1	Steve Smith	Australia	937	64.56
2	Virat Kohli	India	899	53.12
3	Kane Williamson	New Zealand	878	49.75
17	Rohit Sharma	India	650	44.95
25	Mayank Agarwal	India	620	55.22
52	Ravindra Jadeja	India	524	33.26

Top 3 & Indian Players in the Bowler Rankings:

Rank	Player Name	Country	Rating points	Average
1	Pat Cummins	Australia	908	21.45
2	Kagiso Rabada	South Africa	828	22.25
3	Jasprit Bumrah	India	827	19.24
10	Ravichandran Ashwin	India	770	25.39
16	Mohammad Shami	India	710	28.45

All-rounders (top 3):

Rank	Player	Team	Points
1	Jason Holder	West Indies	472
2	Ravindra Jadeja	India	398
3	Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	397

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Centre forms inter-ministerial panel to check money laundering: The government formed a 19-member Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee (IMCC) chaired by the revenue secretary Mr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey to check money laundering activities. It is set up as per the powers conferred under Section 72A of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Its objective is to facilitate policy and operational coordination among the law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and various regulators in matters relating to countering of terror financing and money laundering. It has 5 secretaries from the departments of Financial Services, Economic Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs and chiefs from various regulatory authorities and probe agencies. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell in the Department of Revenue will be the secretariat of the IMCC.

2. Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey Inaugurated National E-Assessment Scheme of IT Department in New Delhi: The Revenue Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) inaugurated National e-Assessment Scheme (NeAS) in New Delhi. This e-Assessment scheme along with the National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC), would benefit the Income Tax(IT) department in imparting efficiency, transparency, accountability in the assessment process and would have no physical interface between taxpayers and tax officers. Section 143(3A) & (3B) of the IT Act empowered notification of E-assessment scheme. NeAC is to be headed by Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr.CCIT). In this regard, the 1984 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Krishna Mohan Prasad has been appointed for the same.

3. India gets first details of accounts of Indian citizens in Swiss banks: In the matter of getting information about black money from foreign land, India has got the first details of accounts of Indian citizens in Swiss banks under the new regular system of automatic exchange of information (AEOI). However, the exchange of information is done with the condition of confidentiality. The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) of Switzerland has exchanged details of financial accounts under 75 global standards of AEOI to 75 countries. India is also included in them. Financial accounts information would be exchanged with India again in September 2020. In total, the FTA has shared information (resident’s country, name, address and financial institution with tax identification number, balance in the account and capital income) of 31 lakh financial accounts to partner countries. At the same time, Switzerland has received information about 24 lakh accounts.

Note:  Swiss bank: Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland; Founded: 1872

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz awarded 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS) decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2019 “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos”; with one half of the prize to James Peebles of Princeton University, United States of America (USA) “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology” (after the Big Bang theory) and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor from the University of Geneva, Switzerland and Didier Queloz, University of Geneva, Switzerland, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (UK) “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star”. Peebles was awarded half the 9-million-Swedish krona ($910,000) prize while Mayor and Queloz, shared the other half.

2. Arjun bansal and Ankit bose of Indian origin included in Fortune’s 2019 “40 Under 40 list”: Indian-origin Arjun Bansal (35) and Ankiti Bose (27) have made it to Fortune’s 2019 “40 Under 40 Global List”. Arjun is the Vice President of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Software and AI Lab of the US (United States) tech company Intel. Ankiti is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and co-founder of the fashion platform Zilingo. Amazon’s voice user interface designer Alison Atwell (31) & US Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (37) were also on the list.

3. IFS officer Ramesh Pandey to be felicitated with 4th Asia Environmental Enforcement Award: The 1996-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Ramesh Pandey will be felicitated with the prestigious United Nations Asia Environmental Enforcement Award 2019 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on November 13, 2019 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand for combating trans-boundary environmental crime. It is the 4th Edition of the awards. At present, he serves as a as Chief Conservator Forests in Lucknow and Secretary of Uttar Pradesh (UP) State Bio-diversity Board (SBB).

Note: UNEP Formation: 5 June 1972; Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya; Executive Director: Inger Andersen

Daily GK Updates - 7th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. NHA ties with Google to strengthen the implementation of PMJAY: National Health Authority signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Google to collaborate and strengthen the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). The two organizations will now work together to increase process efficiencies in day-to-day applications. Google will support NHA in improving digital presence of PMJAY and showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries. Google will also help provide training and support to NHA personnel to build on digital skills. NHA is the nodal agency for implementing Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Note: NHA is the programme implementing authority of the world's largest public-funded health insurance scheme “Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). NHA's CEO: Indu Bhushan

2. Union govt launches eco-friendly crackers to fight air pollution: Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched eco-friendly green firecrackers, which have been manufactured in India and are available in markets for sellers and consumers. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound-emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers. A green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed for the differentiation of green crackers from conventional crackers.

3. India to shift to BS VI vehicular emission norms from BS IV by April 2020: India will shift to Bharat Stage Six (BS VI) vehicular emission norms from BS IV by April 2020 in order to curb vehicular pollution. This announcement was made by the Environment and Forest Minister Mr Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi. BS6-compliant vehicles will be available in Delhi in April 2020 and BS6 petrol/diesel is already available in Delhi/NCR.

Note: Bharat stage Emission Standards (BSES) are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engines and Spark-ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles. The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Anumula Gitesh Sarma appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of Government of India notified that Mr Anumula Gitesh Sarma was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1986 batch. He succeeds Dr. Ajay M. Gondane.

Note: Australia Capital: Canberra; Currency: Australian dollar

2. New book documenting Gandhi’s legacy launched in South Africa: A new book titled “150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy”, by Fakir Hassen launched in Johannesburg, South Africa. This book released on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The book chronicles commemorations of Gandhi’s activities, including his birth and death anniversaries & his visit in South Africa, which was stifled by the apartheid-era minority white government and revived after former president Nelson Mandela.

Note: Capitals of South Africa: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein; Currency: Rand

3. World Habitat day: October 7: The World Habitat Day was observed every year on first Monday in October all over the world. This year it was observed on October 7, 2019 with the theme “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth”. The aim of this day is to reflect on the state of cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate shelter. The theme for 2019 aims to promote the contribution of innovative frontier technologies such as automation, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainable waste management to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11: inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. In 1985 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day through Resolution 40/202. It was first celebrated in 1986.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Christine Wolf clinches Hero Indian Women’s Open golf title: Austria’s Christine Wolf has won the Hero Women’s Indian Open at Gurugram, Haryana. It was Christine’s first title after six years on the Ladies European Tour. Norway’s Mariaane Skarpnord finished as runner-up while England’s Meghan MacLaren finished third in the competition. Among the Indian players, Anika Varma finished at 5th position while Tvesa Malik was at 6th position.

2. Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first Indian to play 100 T20Is: Indian women cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian to play 100 T20 International matches. She achieves this feat in the sixth T20I against South Africa in Surat. Harmanpreet Kaur is among 10 female players who have reached the three-figure mark in terms of appearances. New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Australia’s Ellyse Perry top the list with 111 appearances. Overall, Harmanpreet has two more appearances in T20Is than MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who have played the highest number of matches for India in men’s cricket.

3. Sumit Nagal achieved a career-best ranking of 129 in ATP men’s singles: Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal, aged 22, from Haryana achieved a career-best ranking of 129 in the latest Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) men’s singles rankings 2019. He moved up six places from 135. The first place was held by Novak Djokovic (Serbia), followed by Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Roger Federer (Switzerland). In the doubles ranking, Juan Sebastian Cabal & Rober Farah of Colombia held the top spot followed by Horacio Zeballos of Argentina (3) and Nicolas Mahut (4) of France.

4. 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships For 2019 Held In Doha, Qatar: The 17th Edition of the IAAF World Athletics Championships for 2019 was held at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar from September 27-October 6, 2019. The biennial event was organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Qatar Athletics Federation. It was the first edition of the competition under its rebranded name, having previously been known as the World Championships in Athletics. Mascot: The event mascot was “Falah”, an anthropomorphic falcon dressed in athletic gear in the maroon colour of the flag of Qatar. The 18th edition will be held in Eugene, Oregon, United States in 2021.

Medal tally: Top 3 countries

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	14	11	4	29
2	Kenya	5	2	4	11
3	Jamaica	3	5	4	12

Indian Performance: 27 athletes from India represented in the championships.

Annu Rani became the first Indian to reach the finals of the women’s javelin throw event in the World Championships in Doha. She threw the javelin 62.43m in her second attempt and emerged as the fifth-best performer of the qualification round breaking her previous record of 62.34m. But she missed out the qualification for 2020 olympics.

India’s Avinash Sable qualified for Tokyo Olympics in men’s 3000m steeplechase event by finishing it in 8 minute 21.37 seconds. Olympics qualifying standard was 8:22.00.

Indian team comprising of Muhammed Anas, VK Vismaya, Nirmal Noah and Jisna Mathew, finished 7th in the finals of 4*400m mixed relay and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo olympics.

MP Jabir qualified for the 400m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Championship. With this, he became the second Indian male hurdler to reach the semifinals after Joseph Abraham (2007 Osaka World Championships).

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. State Bank launches debit card with EMI facility on POS: In order to provide a superior and affordable shopping experience to its customers, Indian multinational, public sector bank, the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched the “Debit Card EMI facility” for its existing customers. Under this service, the consumer can opt for an EMI (equated monthly installment) period ranging from 6 months to 18 months. iv. SBI debit card facility is available for those with good credit history. To know your eligibility, customers need to type DCEMI and send an SMS (short message service) to 567676 from registered mobile number.

Note: SBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

2. Reliance Nippon Life AMC to be rebranded Nippon India Mutual Fund: The largest Japanese life insurance company, Nippon Life Insurance has renamed Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) as Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF) after acquiring 75 % stake in RNAM from Reliance Capital for around Rs 6,000 crore. With the help of a 130 year old Nippon Life’s international network, it will be helpful in expanding the company in the tier-II and -III cities to offer a range of products suited to the investors’ need on the debt side of the mutual fund industry. NIMF runs as an advisor for India focused equity and fixed income funds in Japan (launched by Nissay Asset Management), Korea (launched by Samsung Asset Management) and in Thailand (launched by BBL Asset Management) & controls offshore funds through its subsidiaries in Singapore and Mauritius, and also has a representative office in Dubai, thereby, catering to investors across Asia, West Asia, the UK, the US, and Europe.

Note: Nippon Life Insurance Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Hiroshi Shimizu

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded jointly to three-person: William G Kaelin Jr, Peter J Ratcliffe and Gregg L Semenza are jointly awarded 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. This was announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The scientists identified molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to varying levels of oxygen. This discovery will help to form new strategies to fight anemia, cancer and several other diseases.

About Nobel Prize:

Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed for outstanding work in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and the promotion of peace.

DEFENCE

1. 10th edition of Indo Maldives joint exercise begin at Pune: The 10th edition of the joint exercise between India and Maldives named Ekuverin for the year 2019 begun at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. This 14 day joint exercise between Indian Army (IA) and Maldives National Defence Forces will be conducted till October 20, 2019. Under the United Nations (UN) mandate, the exercise focuses to enhance interoperability between the two nations in carrying out counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in a semi-urban environment while sharing best practices. Previous edition: The previous/9th edition of the exercise was conducted at Northern Area Headquarter, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maalifushi of Maldives in 2018.

Note: Maldives Capital: Malé; Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa.

2. Indian Army’s first mountain combat exercise ‘Him Vijay’ 2019 begun in Arunachal Pradesh: The Indian Army’s first and biggest mountain combat exercise “Him Vijay” for the year 2019 begun at Arunachal Pradesh. It is an important exercise for validating the operational concepts of the newly raised Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) to meet the requirements of modern warfare. The exercise has two phases, where the first phase will be conducted from October 7-10, 2019 and the second phase will be conducted from October 20-24, 2019. The key focus of the exercise is to test mobility, communication and coordination of fast-moving troops in difficult terrain.

OBITUARIES

1. Grammy awardee, Drummer Ginger Baker passed away: English drummer Peter Edward familiarly known as Ginger Baker and co-founder of the rock band “Cream” passed away at the age of 80 in England due to old age ailments. Born on August 19, 1939 in London, England Ginger Baker’s music career spanned for 6 decades and emerged as the first superstar percussionist. He won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1993 as a member of ‘Cream’. He launched a band in 1970 named band Air Force with his last Long Playings (LPs) in 2014 called “why?”. He was also credited as number three on Rolling Stones’ 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time published in 2006.

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.