Daily GK Updates - 19th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates 11th Nuclear Energy Conclave: The Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 11th Edition of Nuclear Energy Conclave 2019 in New Delhi. The theme of the Conclave: “Economics of Nuclear Power- Innovation towards Safer & Cost-Effective Technologies”. It was organized by India Energy Forum (IEF). Government is setting up the nuclear plants in other parts of the country. A nuclear plant is coming up in the Gorakhpur of Haryana.

2. Rajnath Singh approves the proposal for admission of girl children in Sainik Schools: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for admission of girl children in Sainik Schools from academic session 2021-22 in a phased manner. The decision has been taken following the success of the pilot project started by the Ministry for admission of girl children in Sainik School Chhingchhip in Mizoram (2-years ago). The decision is in line with the objective of the government towards greater inclusiveness, gender equality, enabling greater participation of women in Armed Forces and strengthening the motto of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.

Note: The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society under Ministry of Defence.

3. Anup Kumar Singh appointed as Director-General of NSG: A senior 1985-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre Anup Kumar Singh has been appointed as Director-General of the National Security Guard (NSG). He succeeds Sudeep Lakhtakia. The appointment of Mr Singh as the DG of the ‘black cats commando’ force was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The appointment will be from the date of joining the post and up to September 30, 2020. The NSG was raised as the federal contingency force to counter-terrorists.

Note: NSG was raised in 1984 as a federal contingency force with a specific aim to undertake counter-terror and counter-hijack operations and it was later tasked to protect high-risk VVIPs.

4. Sudhaker Shukla appointed as whole-time member of IBBI: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sudhaker Shukla as Whole-Time Member, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). He is a 1985 Indian Economic Service officer. His period of service is for 05 years or up to the age of 65 years.

Note: IBBI Established: 1 October 2016; Chairperson: MS Sahoo; Headquarters: New Delhi.

5. Viswanathan Anand authors book titled “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life”: Indian Chess player, Viswanathan Anand has penned a book titled “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life”. The book, published by Hachette India, is releasing on December 11. The book is based on the experience he had in the game of Chess. In the book, he revisits his greatest games and worst losses, his unique experiences of playing against the best minds, and the methods he employs to prepare for wins, cope with disappointments and, simply, stay in the game.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. United Nation General Assembly Elects 14 Member States to Human Rights Council: The United Nation General Assembly has elected 14 States to the 47 member body of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The UNHRC is responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe. The Assembly elected Armenia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Namibia, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sudan and Venezuela. All 14 members will serve three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2020.

The newly-elected States are replacing the following outgoing members: China, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Japan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. The 14 new members were elected according to the following pattern: 4 seats for the African States; 4 seats for the Asia-Pacific States; 2 seats for the Eastern European States; 2 seats for Latin American and Caribbean States; and 2 seats for Western European and other States.

Note: President of UNHRC: Coly Seck; Formation: 15 March 2006; Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

2. India to host Interpol General Assembly in 2022: India will host the 91st Interpol General Assembly in 2022 after a proposal received the overwhelming support of member countries at this year's congregation at Santinago in Chile. It will be held as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) had hosted the general assembly, where representatives of all member countries converge, in India in 1997.

Note: Interpol is an international police cooperation organisation with 194 member states and 100 years of experience of international cooperation in policing. Headquarters of Interpol: Lyon, France.

3. US Prez Trump will host next G7 Summit at his Doral resort: According to US President's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, 46th G7 summit (10 to 12th June 2020) will take place in one of US President Donald Trump's Florida golf clubs. Climate change will not be on the agenda of next year's G7 summit. The attendees will include the leaders of the seven G7 member states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) as well as representatives of the European Union. The President of the European Commission has been a permanently welcome participant at all meetings and decision-making since 1981. The 45th G7 summit was held on 24–26 August 2019, in Biarritz, France.

4. US imposes record 7.5 bn tariffs on European goods: The US has slapped tariffs on a record 7.5-billion Dollars-worth of European goods. Airbus, French wine and Scottish whiskies are among the high-profile targets. The tariffs were imposed despite pleas from European officials for a last-minute reprieve and French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warning of retaliation.

5. NASA Astronauts complete All-Woman Spacewalk: Nasa astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have made history by completing the first-ever all-female spacewalk. They spent 7 hours outside the International Space Station (ISS) replacing a failed power control unit. Ms Koch had already carried out four spacewalks but it was the first such mission for Ms Meir, who became the 15th woman to walk in space. The US sent its first female astronaut into space in 1983 and has now had more women astronauts than any other country.

6. Former IMF chief Christine Lagarde appointed head of European Central Bank: European Union leaders confirmed the appointment of Christine Lagarde as the new chief of the European Central Bank. She will be replacing Mario Draghi (Italy) from November 1. Lagarde’s confirmation for a non-renewable term of 8-years. She served 8-years as the head of IMF since 2011.

Note: ECB headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany; Currency: Euro.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sarfaraz Ahmed sacked as Pakistan’s Test and T20 captain: wicket-keeper batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed (32 years) was sacked as Pakistan’s Test and T20 captain with Azhar Ali and Babar Azam elevated to leadership roles for the upcoming tour of Australia. According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Batsman Azhar Ali would lead the Test side in the two Tests in Australia. While, Babar Azam (25-years) would be the captain in the three T20 matches. Sarfaraz has been captain in all three formats of the game since the last two years and led Pakistan to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title. 

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Jennifer Aniston to receive People's Icon Award 2019: 'Friends' star Jennifer Aniston (50-years) to receive the People's Icon Award at the 2019 People's Choice Awards. The actress would be the second-ever recipient of the title. Last year, Melissa McCarthy accepted the trophy for the inaugural award. Aniston has played the most iconic, unforgettable characters and has conquered comedy and drama on both the small and big screen.

DEFENCE

1. Defence of Andaman and Nicobar Islands exercise 2019 (Danx-19): Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has conducted the 2nd edition of Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2019 (DANX-19). The components of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard carried out mobilisation and field manoeuvres to validate defensive plans of Headquarters ANC towards pursuance of the Command’s responsibility, namely ensuring the territorial integrity of the A&N Islands. In addition to internal forces from ANC, accretional forces from Mainland comprising ships and aircraft, Special Forces from the newly formed Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), also participated in this edition.

OBITUARIES

1. Legendary Cuba ballet dancer Alicia Alonso passes away: Cuban ballet dancer Alicia Alonso passed away at 98. She is considered one of the greatest 20th Century ballerinas. In 1948, she founded the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company in Cuba’s capital. She formed the National Ballet of Cuba after the revolution.

2. Renowned painter Kalidas Karmakar passes away in Dhaka: Internationally acclaimed painter of Bangladesh Kalidas Karmakar passed away in Dhaka. He was born on January 10, 1946, in Faridpur district; he completed his graduation from the Government College of Fine Arts and Crafts in Kolkata in 1969. He was awarded Shilpakala Padak in 2016 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to fine arts. 

Daily GK Updates - 18th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Karnataka tops NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2019: NITI Aayog released the first-ever India Innovation Index (III) 2019, which looks into the innovation ecosystem of Indian states and union territories to help policymakers design policies to drive innovation across regions. The ranking is done in three categories: 'the Major States’, ‘North East and Hill States’ and ‘Union Territories (UTs)/City & small States. Major states category: Topped by Karnataka, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra among. Union Territories/City-states/Small States category: Delhi has topped the list, followed by Chandigarh and Goa. North Eastern & Hill states region category: Topped by Sikkim followed by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Note:

The Index has been developed by NITI Aayog with Institute for Competitiveness as the knowledge partner. It is developed on the lines of the Global Innovation Index (GII).

Chairperson: Narendra Modi; Vice Chairperson: Rajiv Kumar; CEO, NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

2. NH No. 703AA in Punjab named as Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the naming of new National Highway No. 703AA as “Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg.” The road starting from Kapurthala connecting Goindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in Punjab. The naming would be effective from next month. The decision has been taken to mark the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.

Note: CM of Punjab: Amarinder Singh; Governor: VP Singh Badnore.

3. Odisha’s first Robot Restaurant opens in Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s smart city Bhubaneswar gets it 1st Robo Chef Restaurant in Odisha. The Robot Restaurant opened at the Infocity DLF tower of Bhubaneswar claims to be the first restaurant in Eastern India where two indigenously developed robots, ‘Champa’ and ‘Chameli’ are engaged. The robots are developed at a Jaipur-based startup using SLAM technology, and It automatically navigates like humans, follows the routes and instructions. Not only this, after serving the food, the robots will also ask you for feedback in Odia that ‘Are you happy’. Earlier Chennai and Bengaluru had introduced smart restaurants with robots machines imported from China.

4. CM Kamal Nath inaugurates “Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference”: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath inaugurated the two-day Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference in Indore. CM Kamal Nath also inaugurated the Global Trade Exhibition at the Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore. Many well-known industrialists are attending this conference. Foreign investment proposals worth 4,385 crore rupees are in the process of consideration or final stage in Madhya Pradesh.

Note: Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon; Capital: Bhopal

5. Tamil Nadu constitutes two panels over water disputes with Kerala: The Tamil Nadu government constituted two committees to deal over water disputes with Kerala relating to the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) and the Pandiyar-Punnampuzha project. Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Public Works Department (PWD) K. Manivasan would lead both the committees constituted by the State government. Cauvery Technical Committee chairperson R. Subramanian is also part of both the panels.

Note: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Governor: Banwarilal Purohit; Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai.

6. Kerala extends maternity leave benefits to teachers, other staff: Kerala is extending maternity leave benefits to teachers and other staff of private educational institutions, including those in the unaided sector. The Union Government has approved the Kerala Government’s decision to bring these teachers and employees under the Maternity Benefit Act.

After the amendment to the Act comes into force, Kerala would become the first state in the country to provide maternity benefits in the private educational sector. Employees covered under the law can avail 26 weeks’ maternity leave with salary. Moreover, an employer has to provide an amount of 1,000 rupees as a medical allowance.

7. India's livestock population increases to over 535 million: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the 20th Livestock Census -2019. As per Livestock Census -2019, India's livestock population has increased to over 535 million, showing an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census-2012. The share of cattle is around 36%, the goat (over 27%), buffaloes (over 20%), cow 18% (population - over 145 million) , sheep (around 14%) and pigs (around 2%). Among the states, West Bengal reported the highest increase of over 23% in livestock population, followed by Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

8. A new book titled “India in a Warming world: Integrating Climate Change and Development” set to release: A new book titled “India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development” is set to release on November 2019. This book is featuring a collection of articles by climate experts including Sunita Narain, Anil Agarwal, Dr Friederike Otto & Shibani Ghosh, edited by Navroz K Dubash.  It is published by Oxford University Press (OUP). This book aims to bring together the many and growing, voices that seek to find the language and ideas with which to engage climate change and to do so from a perspective that resonates with broader Indian development policy discourses.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Italy set to introduce web tax on digital giants from 2020: Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, including U.S. tech giants, as part of its 2020 draft budget on October 16. The levy, due to be introduced from next year, will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, to pay a 3% levy on internet transactions, according to a text of the draft budget. The Italian scheme is expected to yield about 600 million euros ($662 million).

Note: President: Sergio Mattarella; Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte; Capital: Rome; Currency: Euro.

2. India to gift 75,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan: According to Vinay Kumar (Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan), India will gift 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan in November. The Indian envoy made these announcements while speaking at the 37th anniversary of the Afghan Red Crescent Society's (ARCS) Special Week. In October 2017, India sent its maiden cargo of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port in Iran, bypassing Pakistan. The Indian government has supplied 1.1 million tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan on a grant basis. During the last four years, around 2000 Afghan children in the age group of 4 months to 18 years have been treated with India's assistance of USD 4 million.

3. World Steel Association elected Sajjan Jindal as vice Chairman: The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) has elected Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Steel, as Vice-Chairman of the association for one year. The association has also appointed Tata Steel CEO and MD T V Narendran and Arcelor Mittal Chief L N Mittal as its members. The board also elected a 14-member Executive Committee.

Note: Chairman of World Steel Association: Andre Johannpeter; Formed: 10 July 1967; Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn announces retirement from international cricket: England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn has announced her retirement from international cricket. Gunn, who is England’s most capped player in T20Is, made 259 appearances for her country, winning 3 World Cups and five Ashes series. She was a member of the England side that won the inaugural Women’s World T20 in 2009, and also featured in her country’s Women’s World Cup-winning campaign that same year.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Home Credit India join hand with Karur Vysya Bank for joint lending: Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the international consumer finance provider, has tied-up with Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for joint lending using end-to-end automated processing which will help the customer get real-time approval and disbursement. Under the agreement, HCIN and KVB will disburse loans in a single amount to customers. With this partnership and by leveraging the lower cost of funds of KVB, Home Credit India will be able to reach out to a new segment of customer. Home Credit India has operations spread over 179 cities across 20 States in India.

Note: Managing Director and CEO: PR Seshadri; founded: 1916; Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Hong Kong’s orchestra wins “Orchestra of the year award 2019” at Gramophone Awards: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been named orchestra of the year at the 2019 Gramophone Awards. The group is the first Asian orchestra to win the award, a fact noted by its Dutch-born conductor Van Zweden, who has been its Music Director since 2012. The category is the only one of the classical music magazine’s awards open to the public vote. This award is often likened to the Oscars for the classical music world.

DEFENCE

1. India-Oman begin joint training exercise ‘EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V’: Indian Air Force (IAF) kickstarted its bilateral joint exercise with Royal Air Force Oman (RAFO), named ‘EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V’ at Air Force Base Masirah, Oman. The exercise will be held till October 26. The IAF contingent comprises of MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft. MiG-29 will be exercising with Royal Air Force Oman’s Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Hawk. For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an international exercise outside India. The exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices. Last time, the bilateral exercise was held in 2017 at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Oman Capital: Muscat, Currency: Omani rial.

Daily GK Updates - 17th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. J&K’s Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to be renamed after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee: India’s longest Tunnel Chenani- Nashri on NH 44, in Jammu and Kashmir will be named after Bhartiya Jansangh Founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. According to Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, it is the humble homage to Mukherjee whose battle for Kashmir, One Nation One Flag. Syama Prasad Mukherjee was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. With the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), Mr Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (in 1951).

Note: Jammu and Kashmir governor: Satya Pal Malik.

2. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains: Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains. These trains are connecting small towns to major cities and one of those, the Vadnagar-Mehsana train, was the railways’ gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sold tea at the Vadnagar station during his younger days. The 9 “Sewa Service” trains were launched without any additional investment by the railways and it was an example of how to use existing resources to the maximum. The trains are – Delhi to Shamli, Bhubaneswar to Nayagarh town, Murkongselek to Dibrugarh, Coimbatore to Palani, Coimbatore to Pollachi, Vadnagar to Mehsana, Asarya to Himmatnagar, Karur to Salem, Yesvantpur to Tumkur.

3. Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism & Culture Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated ‘2019 Shirui Lily Festival’ (3rd) at Shiru Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur. The festival featured demonstrations of the age-old traditions and culture of the inhabitants of the district of Ukhrul. This initiative will provide an opportunity to youth outside the region to develop a positive perception of North-East. Mr Patel along with N. Biren Singh (Manipur Chief Minister) jointly inaugurated the Strength of Unity Statue as a mark of opening the third edition of the four-day state festival.

Note: Governor of Manipur: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya; Capital of Manipur: Imphal.

4. GOAL: Digital Skill Training Programme for Tribal Women: Arjun Munda (Union Minister of Trible Affairs) has announced the 2nd phase of programme GOAL (Going online as leaders) for tribal women. The objective of this GOAL program is to digitally mentor 5000 young women in India’s tribal-dominated districts. Ministry of Tribal Affairs partners with Facebook and Niti Aayog are running GOAL for tribal women. The GOAL program will give technical support to the socially and economically marginalized women for their needs to succeed, using the technology they may otherwise have not had access to.

5. Andhra Pradesh CM launches 'YSR Rytu Bharosa - PM KISAN' scheme: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has launched 'YSR Rytu Bharosa - PM KISAN' in Nellore. Under the scheme, farmers will get financial assistance of Rs 13,500 per annum in three instalments. The State Government contributing Rs 7,500 and the Centre Rs 6,000. Andhra Pradesh Government allocated budget of Rs 5,500 crore for the scheme and the number of beneficiaries is initially put at roughly Rs 40 lakh.

6. Textiles Secretary Inaugurates IHGF-Delhi Fair 2019: Textiles Secretary, Ravi Capoor, inaugurated the 48th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) at the India Expo Centre & Mart at Greater Noida. More than 3,200 Indian exhibitors are participating in the fair. Around 110 overseas buyers from 110 countries are participating in the event as well. They are here to source furniture, fashion, lifestyle and textiles products of the exhibitors. The sector earns around Rs 43,000 crores (2015) of rupees annually. Out of this, it earns an export of Rs 10,000 crores annually. The theme of IHGF-Delhi Fair 2019: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

7. Kiran Uniyal, w/o a serving Colonel of Indian Army sets Guinness World Records: Kiran Uniyal, w/o a serving Colonel of Indian Army has created Individual Guinness World Records for “The most full contact knee strikes in three minutes (one leg) (female), 263 strikes” & “The most full contact knee strikes alternate legs in one minute(female),120 strikes”. The earlier records were of 177 strikes and 102 in female category respectively. The objectives of both her records were to promote martial arts for girls and women safety and self-defence. While creating the record for the most full contact knee strikes for three minutes, she surpassed the existing male category record of 226 knee strikes. She has so far achieved 15 World Records, including 10 Guinness World Records in Martial Arts, Fitness and Social Work.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. President Kovind embarks on a two-nation visit to Philippines and Japan: President Ram Nath Kovind has left for a two-nation visit to the Philippines and Japan. The president will hold delegation-level talks with his Filipino counterpart Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Manila and attend business and community events ((17th to 21st October). Mr Kovind is visiting Japan (from 21st to 23rd October) to attend the enthronement ceremony of the Emperor of Japan Naruhito.

Note: The Philippines (world's 5th largest island country) is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Capital of Philippines: Manila, Currency: Philippine peso

Japan (world's 4th largest island country) is an island country in East Asia, Located in the Pacific Ocean. Capital of Japan: Tokyo, Currency: Yen

2. India-Bangladesh rail links closed after 1965 war with Pakistan will reopen: Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has announced that all the rail links with India closed after the 1965 war will be reopened. Trains from Bangladesh to Darjeeling via Siliguri operated till 1965. Earlier, PM Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the first intercity train between Dhaka and Kurigram.

The first rail line between India and Dhaka was opened in 2008 when Maitree express between Dhaka and Kolkata was started. In 2017 Bandhan express was also started between Kolkata and Khulna.

Note: At present, there are four operational rail links between India and Bangladesh. Two more rail links namely Karimganj/Mahisasan in India to Shahbazpur in Bangladesh and Haldibari in India to Chilhati in Bangladesh are being revived to connect West Bengal and Assam with Bangladesh.

3. UAE announces establishment of world’s 1st AI University: UAE announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. This is the first graduate-level, research-based AI university in the world. MBZUAI will enable graduate students, businesses and governments to advance the artificial intelligence field. MBZUAI will introduce a new model of academia and research to the field of AI, providing students and faculty access to some of the world’s most advanced AI systems to unleash its potential for economic and societal development.

Note: Currency of UAE: Dirham, Capital: Abu Dhabi.

4. India hands over 2nd pair of Mi-24V helicopters to Afghan Air forces: India handed over the second pair of Mi-24V helicopters to war-torn Afghanistan, boosting the capability of the Afghan Air forces. The helicopters were officially handed over by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar to Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid at a ceremony held in the military airport, Kabul. These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016. The combat performance and offensive firepower that the helicopters provide will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in ensuring that the ANDSF maintain an agile and robust Counter-Terrorism capability.

Afghanistan Capital: Kabul; Currency: Afghan Afghani; President: Ashraf Ghani

5. India ranked 82 in the 2019 World Giving Index: India ranked 82 spots among the 128 countries surveyed in the World Giving Index (WGI). The average figures for India over the past decade show that 34 per cent people helped a stranger, 24 per cent donated money and 19 per cent volunteered or donated their time. According to the WGI, the USA stood at the top followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia.

6. NASA unveils spacesuits to be worn by the first woman on the moon: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled its next-generation space suits for upcoming Artemis programme, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. The garment is known as the exploration extravehicular mobility unit (xEMU). The xEMU suits will allow astronauts to move more freely on the moon and during spacewalks. The suit has been designed for exploring the lunar surface, specifically the South Pole – the target for Nasa’s next crewed lunar landing.

7. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17 October: The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an international observance celebrated on 17th October throughout the world each year since 1993. The main objective of this day is to raise awareness about the efforts being made to eradicate poverty in the world community. The theme of 2019 is ‘Acting together to empower children, their families and communities to end poverty’.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal, youngest cricketer to score 200 in One Day cricket: Mumbai teenager Yashasvi Jaiswal (17 years- 192 days) has become the youngest cricketer in the world to score a double century in One Day Cricket. Playing in his debut Vijay Hazare season, Yashasvi Jaiswal (left-handed batsman) scored 203 runs (in 154 balls-12 sixes and 17 fours) against Jharkhand at Alur, Karnataka. Yashasvi Jaiswal became the seventh Indian batsman to score a double century in List A cricket and fourth to achieve it in the domestic circuit.

Riding on Jaiswal's quickfire double hundred, Mumbai posted 358 for 3 in 50 overs and bowled out the opposition for 319.

2. Indian Women football Team wins 3rd SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship 2019: The Indian football team won the 3rd Edition of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championships 2019 by beating Bangladesh by 5-3 in the penalty shoot-out. The tournament was organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and was held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu, Bhutan. Indian captain Shilky Devi slotted home from the final spot-kick to hand her side 5-3 win.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. RBI guidelines for ‘on tap' payment systems: Reserve bank Of India (RBI) has issued some instructions and guidelines 'on tap' authorisation of payment systems. The RBI has been decided to offer on-tap authorisation for Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU), Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) and White Label ATMs (WLAs). The payment system operators should ensure interoperability among different retail payment systems. As per the guidelines, interested entities should have a minimum of 100 crore rupees net worth and should always be maintained. TReDS scheme is to facilitate the financing of invoices and bills of MSMEs drawn on corporate buyers by way of discounting by financiers.

2. Mastercard launches an initiative to promote digital payments in India: Mastercard has tied up with Indian Cricketer M.S. Dhoni (brand ambassador of Mastercard) to launch a nationwide initiative to accelerate the acceptance and adoption of digital payments in India. The initiative dubbed as ‘Team Cashless India‘. The objective of this initiative to bring consumers and merchants to the “forefront of the digital payments dialogue”. Mastercard will work together with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), acquirer banks and financial technology companies to support nominated merchants to deploy digital payments acceptance infrastructure.

Note: To take part in ‘Team Cashless India’, anyone can either nominate merchants online or give a missed call to 9016861000. Team Cashless India’ is an important step towards Mastercard’s goal to equip 10 million merchants in India with digital payments acceptance capabilities by 2020. Mastercard Founded: 1966; Headquarters: New York, US.

3. India Post launches mobile banking facility for savings accounts: The Department of Post announced that it has launched mobile banking for its savings account customers. The facility will be available all the post office savings account holders of the CBS (core banking solutions) post offices. The launch of the mobile banking facility comes almost a year after the Department of Post launched Internet banking facility for its savings account holders.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Lionel Messi wins 3rd straight Golden Shoe as top scorer in European Leagues: Barcelona captain Leo Messi received his 6th Golden Shoe as the top scorer in the European leagues. Messi won the trophy for a 3rd straight year after scoring 36 goals, 3 more than his closest challenger, Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain. Messi now has two more Golden Shoes than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The award was created in 1967 when it was won by Eusebio.

DEFENCE

1. India-Japan joint Air Force Exercise ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ in West Bengal: The Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) has carried out the annual joint military exercise ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ at Air Force Station, Arjan Singh, Panagarh, West Bengal (17 to 23rd October). C-130 J aircraft of the Special Operations Squadron of IAF and C-130 H of Tactical Airlift Squadron of JASDF is participating in the exercise. The focus of the exercise, to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.

Daily GK Updates - 16th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CBIC launches programme to strengthen Make in India: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a revamped and streamlined programme to attract investments into India and strengthen Make in India through manufacture and other operations under the bond scheme, of Customs Act, 1962. The Section enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a customs bonded warehouse. The scheme has been modernized with clear and transparent procedures, simplified compliance requirements ICT-based documentation and account keeping, by the issue of Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations 2019.

2. Govt launches Food Safety Mitra Scheme: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced the scheme of Food Safety Mitra (FSM) through which it plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level. A Food Safety Mitra Scheme is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations with three avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities. During the event, the Minister also launched Eat Right Jhola which is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag. Eat Right Smart Jacket has been introduced to giving an identity to FSSAI staff to ensure transparent inspection. It’s embedded with an RFID tag and QR code.

3. Indian Railways to become net zero carbon emitter by 2030: Indian Railways (IR) has announced that it will become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. The move will be a part of India’s strategy to combat climate change. The announcement was made by railways and commerce minister Piyush Goyal at the India Energy Forum by CERAWEEK in New Delhi. India is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China, and is among countries most vulnerable to climate change.

4. 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi. Chiefs of the three forces & DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy were also present on the occasion. The discussion included efforts taken by DRDO to ensure technological advancement of the Indian forces to safeguard the country. It was suggested that DRDO can play a significant role in becoming a catalyst in the absorption of technology.

Note: DRDO was formed in 1958; It is headquartered in New Delhi.

5. Govt. to set up 14 World Skills India Training Centres across 9 cities: According to Mahendra Nath Pandey (Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister), Govt. is planning to set up 14 Authorized World Skills India Training Centres across 9 cities in the country for media and entertainment sector. The new institutes will be set up for advanced skill training of candidates in the media and entertainment sector and to further develop skilling eco-system for training candidates for the international market. Nine Cities are Chennai, Trivandrum, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Indore, Pune, Mumbai, Shillong and Hyderabad. The centres will offer (9 to 36 months duration) certification courses on 3D digital game, graphic design technology, and print media technology.

6. J&K govt to set up 50 PCOs in each district of Kashmir division: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government will set-up 50 Public Call Offices (PCOs) in each district of Kashmir Division soon in order to provide free of cost calling facilities to the general public. According to Baseer Ahmad Khan (Divisional Commissioner Kashmir), locations and other modalities have been finalized. General Public will avail calling facilities in these PCOs free of cost.

7. J.P.S. Chawla takes over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA):  Government of India has appointed Shri J. P. S. Chawla (Indian Civil Accounts Service Officer-1985 batch) as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure. He will replace Girraj Prasad Gupta. Shri J. P. S. Chawla has been officiating as CGA with effect from 1st September 2019. Earlier, Mr. Chawla served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) where he was instrumental in the finalisation of the accounting procedure and operationalisation of GST Network (GSTN) before the national rollout of GST.

Note: CGA works under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Controller General of Accounts headquarters: New Delhi.

8. Anoop Kumar Mendiratta appointed as new Law Secretary: Anoop Kumar Mendiratta has been appointed as the new Law Secretary (Secretary, Legal Affairs) in the Union Law Ministry. He is presently the District and Sessions Judge, North-East District, Karkardooma Courts, Delhi. He will serve in the position till 30 March 2023, or until he attains the age of 60.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. UP Culture Dept to organise training & performance programme of KHON Ramlila: The Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh government is going to organise the country’s first training and performance programme of world-famous KHON Ramlila, a masked form of Ramlila art of Thailand in collaboration with the Thai government. KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance depicting the scenes of Ramlila. It has no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana. KHON Ramlila’s performance is also a visual delight famous for its beautiful attire and golden masks.

Note: Thailand Capital: Bangkok; Currency: Baht.

2. India ranked 102 in Global Hunger Index 2019: The 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide falls into the serious category. India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, with a score of 30.3, on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2019 report released by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). India is ranked below many neighbouring countries, including China (25th spot), Nepal (73th), Myanmar (69th), Sri Lanka (66th), Bangladesh (88th) and Pakistan (94th). Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores less than 5. There were only four countries in the alarming hunger category are Madagascar, Chad, Yemen and the Central African Republic in the extremely alarming hunger category. The report warned that climate change was causing alarming levels of hunger and making it more difficult to feed people in the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Note: The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.

3. Kishan Dan Dewal concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia: Kishan Dan Dewal (IFS officer of 2003 batch), has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia. He will replace Yogeshwar Sangwan. Dewal is presently serving as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Armenia.

Note: President of Georgia: Salome Zurabishvili; Prime Minister: Giorgi Gakharia; Capital: Tbilisi; Currency: Georgian lari.

4. World Food Day: 16 October: World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. The theme of World Food Day 2019 is “Our Actions Are Our Future. Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World". This day generates awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious diets for all. The main focus of this day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right.

Note: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works towards defeating hunger via international efforts. The objective of ‘FAO’ to achieve food security for all and to make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. It has 194 member states and it works in over 130 countries in the whole world. FAO headquarters: Rome, Italy.

5. Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo’s new book to release in November: Nobel 2019 Laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have penned a book together titled 'Good Economics for Hard Times – Better Answers to our Biggest Problems'. The book talks about the pressing issues of our times and tries to find solutions to these questions. The book is published by Juggernaut and set to release on November 2019.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Sourav Ganguly set to be new BCCI President: Former Indian cricket Captain Saurabh Ganguly (47-years) unanimously nominated as the new President of the Board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Jay Shah (son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah) has been unanimously selected as Secretary and Arun Dhumal (younger brother of MoS Finance Anurag Thakur) as Treasurer. All these candidates are expected to be elected unopposed at the Board's Annual General Meeting to be held on 23rd October 2019. Currently, CK Khanna is the acting president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Saurabh Ganguly (President, Cricket Association of Bengal) was the chairman of the BCCI technical committee and has been a media personality for many years.

Note: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Headquarter: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

2. Zimbabwe, Nepal readmitted as ICC members: The International Cricket Council has readmitted Zimbabwe (suspended from July 2019) and Nepal (from 2016) as ICC members in a meeting held in Dubai. Zimbabwe Cricket had been suspended from membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with immediate effect in July this year. In 2016, Nepal had been banned for “governmental interference”. Now, Zimbabwe will be able to take up their place in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in January and the ICC Super League later in 2020.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. IMF cuts World and India growth rates: The World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings kicked off on a somber note, with the IMF downgrading global growth in 2019 to 3%, the slowest since the global financial crisis. India’s growth projections have also been downgraded to 6.1% and 7.0% in 2019 and 2020 respectively, down by 1.2 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points relative to April projections, owing to weaker than expected domestic demand. India’s growth rate in the April-June quarter had hit 5%, the lowest in six years, as per government data. Consumption, investment and exports were down. The IMF projected the U.S. would grow at 2.4% and 2.1% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. For China, growth was projected to grow at 6.1% and 5.8% in 2019 and 2020.

Note: MD of IMF: Kristalina Georgieva, Headquarters: Washington DC, USA.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. India wins four 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation: UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2019 has been announced at a ceremony in Penang, Malaysia. Indian bagged four awards in three categories. Renewal of Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts in Hong Kong received the Award of Excellence, which is the highest award among all categories.

A complete list of winners:

Sr. No.	Award of Distinction	New Design in Heritage Contexts	Honourable Mention	Award of Merit
1	Vikram Sarabhai Library, IIM (Ahmedabad) India	Dry Pit Latrine in Jiaxian Ancient Jujube Garden (Shaanxi) China	Flora Fountain (Mumbai) India	Our Lady of Glory Church (Mumbai) India
2	Keyuan Garden (Suzhou) China	Joan Sutherland Theatre Passageway and Lift (Sydney Opera House) Australia	Westpac Long Gallery (Sydney) Australia	Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (Mumbai) India
3	Nelson School of Music, (Nelson) New Zealand	The Mills (Hong Kong SAR) China	The 5s Classroom (Kew) Australia	Tseto Goenpa (Paro) Bhutan
4			Liddell Bros. Packing Plant (Wuhan) China	Guyue Bridge (Zhejiang) China
5				Lyttelton Timeball Station (Christchurch) New Zealand

Note: UNESCO President: Audrey Azoulay; Founded: 16 November 1945; Headquarters: Paris, France.

2. HCL’s Shiv Nadar tops EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019: Shiv Nadar (HCL founder and chairman) has achieved the top rank in the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019. Mr Nadar made the highest contribution of Rs 826 crore (between April 2018 and March 2019) towards philanthropic causes. Azim Premji (Wipro) has been ranked second with total donations worth Rs 453 crore during the qualifying period. Mukesh Ambani (Chairman, Reliance Industries) came third with a total contribution of Rs 402 crore.

Note: The list has been compiled by the EdelGive Foundation and Hurun Research Institute. It ranks individuals from India who donated Rs 5 crore and above between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019, towards philanthropic contributions.

Daily GK Updates - 15th October, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nation pays homage to former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on his 88th birth anniversary: The nation pays homage to former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on his 88th birth anniversary and remembered his contributions to the country. The birthday of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam the most popular President of India is celebrated as World Students Day. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, better known as the ‘Missile Man of India’ for his contributions towards the development of the country’s missile projects was born on October 15, 1931, at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. Dr Kalam made innumerable contributions to Indian defence. Dr Kalam’s commitment, patriotism and vision to make India a strong nation will continue to inspire people. In 2002, Dr Kalam became the 11th President of India and famously became the ‘People’s President’ for his friendly nature to one and all. The former President suffered a cardiac arrest on July 27, 2015, and passed away while giving a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong.

2. Air India becomes first airline to use Taxibot on A320 aircraft: Air India became the first airline in the world to use a Taxibot on a A320 aircraft with passengers on board. Taxibot is a robot-used aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice versa. The national carrier’s Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani flagged off flight AI665, which was carried to runway using Taxibot at terminal 3 of the Delhi airport to Mumbai. It is a pilot-controlled semi-robotic towbarless aircraft tractor used as alternate taxiing equipment. Taxibots will also help in decongesting boarding gates and the apron area by providing efficient pushbacks. It is the first such usage on any Airbus aircraft worldwide.

3. IIT Madras to collaborate with ExxonMobil for research in Energy and Biofuels: IIT Madras will collaborate with ExxonMobil on Research in Energy and Biofuels. The 5-year joint-research agreement focuses on biofuels, data analytics, gas conversion and transport, and is intended towards finding low-emission solutions. ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) for research on energy and biofuels is the research and engineering arm of ExxonMobil Corporation, a leading global oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals company. ExxonMobil works with over 80 universities around the world. India is the 3rd highest producer of agro-residues globally with the surplus potential of over 230 million tonnes per year after China and Brazil.

Note: Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil: Darren W. Woods; Headquarters of ExxonMobil: Texas, United States.

4. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates conference on ‘One Nation One Tag – FASTag’ in New Delhi: Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a conference on ‘One Nation One Tag – FASTag’ in New Delhi to roll out the process for having a unified electronic system across the country. Under this system the same FASTag affixed on the windscreen of a vehicle can be used to pay toll across all toll plazas in the country. ‘One nation, one FASTag’ rule to be implemented from 1st December 2019

5. DPIIT launches website, mobile app for IPR: Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra launched the website and mobile application L2Pro India [Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation] on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The website and app have been developed by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM)-DPIIT in collaboration with Qualcomm and National Law University (NLU), Delhi. The website and app will be very useful to the startup community which holds great promise for India and its economy. The L2Pro has been successfully implemented in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France, benefiting immensely from close collaboration with respective IP organizations and public research institutions. The learning app has been customized for India in order to ensure that innovation which is fundamental to startups are protected, managed and commercialised.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Kais Saied elected as new President of Tunisia: Kais Saied is elected as the new President of Tunisia after a landslide victory in recently concluded Presidential runoff. The Independent law professor Kais Saied won against his rival, Nabil Karoui. He won Tunisia’s presidential election with 73% of votes. The elections followed the death of President Beji Caid Essebsi in July 2019.

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

2. 2nd phase of LOTUS-HR launched in New Delhi: India and the Netherlands has launched the 2nd phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-HR) program at Barapullah drain in New Delhi. This project was launched by Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan and the Dutch Royal couple, Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The Dutch Royal couple is on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind. The project aims to demonstrate a holistic waste-water management approach that will produce clean water which can be reused for various purposes. The (LOTUS-HR) project was set up in 2017 at the Sun Dial Park here as part of a collaboration between the governments of India and the Netherlands.

3. International Day of Rural Women: 15 October: The International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15th October. The day recognizes the crucial role of women and girls in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing. This year’s theme is “Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience”. This year’s theme highlights the important role that rural women and girls play in building resilience to face the climate crisis. The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008.

4. World Students’ Day: 15 October: World Students’ Day is celebrated every year on October 15 on former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s birthday. The day is commemorated on his birth anniversary because of Dr Kalam was a dedicated teacher and identified himself foremost in that role before anything else. Due to the former President’s love for students, various educational institutions in India observe Kalam’s birthday in their own way. In 2010, the United Nations declared October 15 to be World Students’ Day..

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Priyanshu Rajawat wins men’s singles title at Bahrain International Series: Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat wins the men’s singles title at the Bahrain International Series Badminton at Isa Town, Bahrain. 17-year-old Rajawat beat top-seed Jason Anthony Ho-Shue from Canada in the finals 16-21, 21-7, 21-12 in the summit clash. Indian mixed double pair of Juhi Dewangan and Venkat Gaurav Prasad also finished at the top. They defeated Thailand’s Pannawat Theerapanitnun and Kanyanat Sudchoeichom 21-18, 21-16 in 34 minutes to bag the gold medal. Indian men's doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Saurabh Sharma settled for the runners-up position.

Note: King of Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Capital: Manama.

2. ICC changes super over rule for all its major events: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the super-over rule for all its major events following the uproar over the outcome of the men’s World Cup final this year when England was declared winners against New Zealand on boundary count. As per new rule, in case of a super over tie, there will be a repeated super over until one team has more runs than the other.

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

AWARDS & HONOURS

1. Director Priyadarshan gets MP govt’s Kishore Kumar award: Noted director and producer Priyadarshan, who has made several blockbuster Malayalam and Hindi films, was conferred the Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for 2018-19 at a function in Khandwa, MP. The award, instituted by MP Department of Culture, carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation.

2. Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo jointly win Booker Prize: Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo have jointly won the 2019 Booker Prize after judges flout the rules by declaring a tie. The Booker rules say the prize must not be divided, but the judges insisted they could not separate Atwood’s – ‘The Testament’ and ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Evaristo, who is the first black woman to win the prestigious award since its creation in 1969. British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie’s tragicomic ‘Quichotte’ was among the six books shortlisted for the prize. This was the fifth time that the Mumbai-born novelist was shortlisted, including the 1981 win where he bagged the award for “Midnight’s Children”.

Note: The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK and Ireland between October 2018 and September 2019.