Daily updates 13 August 2019

National News

1. Air India first flight over North Pole from Delhi to San Francisco
i. On the nation's Independence Day, Air India will become the 1st Indian airline to fly over the North Pole while connecting New Delhi and North America. 
ii. The inaugural flight over the Polar region will take flight on August 15, 2019, and will fly from New Delhi to San Francisco.
iii. Currently, the route taken by New Delhi to San Francisco flight goes over Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and Japan before crossing the Pacific Ocean to enter the United States of America.

2. Doordarshan produced a patriotic song “Watan”
i. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister has released a patriotic song “Watan” to mark the occasion of Independence Day, 2019. 
ii. The song is sung by singer Javed Ali, penned by lyricist Alok Shrivastav and musically composed by Dushyant. The patriotic song is produced by Doordarshan.
iii. The song highlights several path-breaking initiatives of the government including the determination and vision behind the recent successful launch of "Chandrayaan 2". 
iv. The song also pays tribute to the bravery and valour of our armed forces and the martyrs of the country.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister: Prakash Javadekar.

3. Headgear becomes mandatory for children above 4 years
i. Central government has made "Headgear" mandatory for children above 4 years while travelling on a motorcycle. 
ii. The safety measures for the children travelling on motorcycles have been included in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019.
iii. Making the protective headgear mandatory for children, Central government has replaced Section 129 of the principal Act in the Act as “Every person, above four years of age, driving or riding or being carried on a motorcycle of any class or description shall, while in public place wear protective headgear conforming to such standards as may be prescribed by the Central government”.
iv. Only Sikhs wearing turban have been exempted from the provision of Section 129 that makes helmets mandatory for all riders of motorcycles above 4 years of age.

International News

4. Alejandro Giammattei elected as Guatemala's new president
i. Alejandro Giammattei has been elected as new president of Guatemala. He defeated former first lady Sandra Torres for the president's seat. Giammattei will succeed corruption tainted outgoing President Jimmy Morales.

Banking

5. AePS crosses 200 million transactions in July: NPCI
i. National Payments Corporation of India has announced that Aadhaar enabled Payment System has crossed the milestone of over 200 million transactions during July 2019. The transaction count of AePS stood at 220 million in july 2019.
ii. AePS is a bank led model which allows basic banking transactions at point of sale. AePS empowers a bank customer to use Aadhaar as identity to access respective Aadhaar enabled bank account and perform basic banking transactions like cash withdrawal, intrabank or interbank fund transfer and balance enquiry.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC Mains:

• MD & CEO of NPCI: Dilip Asbe.

6. EnKash Launched India's first Corporate Credit Card for SME's
i. Business-to-business payments startup EnKash has launched the country's first corporate credit card called 'Freedom Card' for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
ii. The Freedom Card would give SMEs and startups the freedom to avail credit facility for immediate needs and to manage their liquidity.

Appointments

7. Ghotu Ram Meena named India’s next Ambassador to Republic of Congo
i. Ghotu Ram Meena has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Congo. Currently, Meena is serving as a counsellor, Embassy of India in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Capital of Congo: Brazzaville; Currency of congo: Congolese franc.

Award

8. National Youth Awards conferred for development and social service work
i. The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C) conferred the National Youth Awards. The awards were conferred to 20 individuals (aged between 15-29 years) and 3 organizations for excellent work and contribution in different fields of development and social service.
ii. The individual award comprises of a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/-. The award to a youth organisation includes a medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 2,00,000/-.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C): Kiren Rijiju.

Defence

9. Army launches 'Mission Reach Out' in Jammu
i. The Army has launched "Mission Reach Out" was chaired by White Knight Corps Commander Lt Gen Paramjit Singh in Jammu. 
ii. This Mission aims to ensure basic necessities and essential services are available in the region post the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.
iii. It was attended by Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma, members of the civil administration, representatives of the J&K Police, CRPF, BSF and intelligence agencies.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Governor of Jammu & Kashmir: Satya Pal Malik.

Science and Technology

10. IIT Kharagpur researchers develop low-cost blood test device
i. Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have developed a low-cost diagnostic device which can perform various pathological tests by using blood taken from a fingerprick.
ii. The device requires only a paper strip based kit integrated with a smartphone to enable analytics and readout functions and an LED light for imaging.

11. Huawei launches its own operating system HarmonyOS
i. Chinese telecom giant Huawei unveiled its own operating system will be called the HongmengOS, known in English as the HarmonyOS.
ii. The operating system will be released as an open-source platform worldwide to encourage adoption. 
iii. HarmonyOS is future-oriented and designed to be more smooth and secure, and is completely different from Android and iOS.

Books and author

12. "Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar" a book on the life of Sridevi
i. The book, titled 'Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar' will be launched on Sridevi's 56th birth anniversary. 
ii. The book is written by author-screenwriter Satyarth Nayak. The book will be published under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House in October 2019.

Sports

13. Aishwarya Pissay wins FIM Bajas World Cup
i. Aishwarya Pissay made history by becoming the first Indian to win a world title in motorsports as she won the FIM World Cup in women’s category after the final round of the championship in Varpalota, Hungary.
ii. The event was conducted by the International Motorcycling Federation, the governing body for motorcycle racing in the world.

14. Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu wins Rogers Cup 2019
i. Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu wins Rogers Cup tennis tournament 2019 held in Toronto, Canada. 
ii. She was the first Canadian to win the event in 50 years. Serena Williams was the runner-up in the final.

Obituaries

15. Music star DJ Arafat passes away
i. Ivory Coast music star DJ Arafat passed away. He issued 11 albums, mainly of "coupe-decale", a dance music form combining rapid percussion, choppy rhythms with hip hop-style vocals. He was also named "Best Artist of the Year" at the Ivorian "Coupe-decale" Awards in 2016 and 2017.

16. Freedom fighter Dayanidhi Nayak passes away
i. freedom fighter Dayanidhi Nayak passed away. Nayak has struggled against the British Government during the Quit India movement and he was a devout follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

17. Former ASG Amarendra Sharan passes away
i. Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General Amarendra Sharan passed away. Sharan was the Additional Solicitor General in the Supreme Court from 2004 to 2009.
ii. He was also appointed as an amicus curiae by the apex court which was hearing a petition seeking fresh investigation in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Miscellaneous

18. Two new UTs, J&K and Ladakh will come into existence on Oct 31
i. President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to legislation for bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, and two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will come into existence on October 31.

Daily updates 14 August 2019

National News

1. Centre launches Swachh Nagar app
i. Swachh Nagar app was launched by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. An app that will allow users to have waste — solid, wet or construction and demolition (C&D) — collected by their urban local bodies along with a new protocol on wastewater treatment that would become a part of cleanliness rankings of cities.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

2. “Operation Number Plate” Launched by RPF
i. Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways launched a Special Drive with a Code Name "Operation Number Plate” to identify and verify all vehicles parked in Railway premises, circulating area, parking and even in the ‘No Parking’ areas for a longer duration.
ii. The unidentified vehicles are considered a serious threat to the security and safety of passengers and other stakeholders of railways.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Minister of Railways: Piyush Goyal.

State News

3. J&K will host Global Investors Summit 2019
i. Jammu and Kashmir administration will host a 3 days global investors summit from October 12 in Srinagar.
ii. The summit will provide J&K with an opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and potential. It will also provide an opportunity to allay fears and apprehensions in the minds of outside trade and the business community.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Governor of Jammu & Kashmir: Satya Pal Malik.

4. ‘Panchamirtham’ of Palani temple gets GI tag
i. The Panchamirtham is an ‘abhishega prasadam’ of the Murugan temple has been bestowed with the Geographical Indication tag. 
ii. The Murugan temple is situated in Tamil Nadu. 
iii. The panchamirtham is a combination of five natural substances — banana, jaggery, cow ghee, honey and cardamom. Dates and diamond sugar candies are added for flavour. It is served in a semi-solid state.

Banking

5. Government rolls out scheme for liquidity support to NBFCs
i. The Central government has rolled out scheme for liquidity support to NBFCs. The partial guarantee scheme will allow state-run banks (PSBs) to purchase assets of non-banking and housing finance companies (NBFCs and HFCs).
ii. The partial guarantee scheme aims at providing liquidity support to avoid distress sale of assets in a sector facing a shortage of cash due to asset-liability mismatch. NBFCs will be able to sell 20% of standard assets, worth up to Rs 5,000 crore, as on March 31.
iii. The Department of Economic Affairs will provide government guarantee of up to 10% of the fair value of assets purchased by a bank from a stressed NBFC or HFC. The scheme is capped at Rs 1,00,000 crore and will be open for up to 6 months. The government will settle claims by banks within 5 working days. 
iv. The one-time guarantee on the pooled assets will be valid for 24 months from the date of purchase and can invoked in specified circumstances.

Agreement

6. Naval Air Enclave & CIAL inks MoU for air operations
i. The Naval Air Enclave in Kochi and Cochin International Airport Limited have signed a MoU for commencement of naval air operations from the NAE, a naval aviation facility at CIAL in Nedumbassery. 
ii. According to MoU, military aircraft will use the CIAL runway for take off and landing and the NAE taxy track for accessing the dispersal and aircraft hangar.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains:

• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

Appointments

7. P.T. Usha appointed as a member of AAA's Athletes Commission
i. Legendary Indian sprinter P.T. Usha, one of India’s greatest athletes, has been appointed as a member of the Asian Athletics Association’s (AAA) Athletes Commission. 
ii. This is the 2nd time P.T. Usha has been appointed a member of the Asian Athletics Association’s Athletes Commission
iii. P.T. Usha will be one of the six members of the AAA Athletes Commission, to be headed by 1992 Olympics gold medallist hammer thrower Andrey Abduvaliyev of Uzbekistan.

Awards

8. Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman to be honoured with Vir Chakra
i. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be honoured with the Vir Chakra on Independence Day. Wg Cdr Abhinandan became the face of a tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan when his MiG-21 was shot down during the aerial combat between Indian and Pakistani air forces on February 27 after the February 26 Balakot airstrike. Before his jet was hit, he downed an F-16 fighter of Pakistan.

9. Priyam Chatterjee becomes 1st Indian chef to win French honour
i. Priyam Chatterjee became the 1st Indian chef to be awarded the 'Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricoleto' by the government of France to recognise his contribution towards reinventing the gastronomic scene in India.
ii. Chatterjee is best known for revisiting the traditional dishes from his native state of West Bengal and giving it a French twist.
iii. 'Ordre du Mérite Agricole' (Order of Agricultural Merit) is a distinction bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding contributions, to agriculture, agro-food industry and gastronomy.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019 :

• President of France: Emmanuel Macron; Capital: Paris; Currency: Euro, CFP Franc.

10. Rajasthan bags award at World Education Summit 2019
i. Rajasthan wins the “best innovation and initiative leadership award” for its achievements in higher education in the World Education Summit-2019 held in New Delhi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Governor of Rajasthan: Kalyan Singh.
• Capital of Rajasthan: Jaipur.

Defence

11. Japanese Maritime Self Defence Ship visits Kochi
i. Japanese ship "JS Sazanami", visited Kochi on a 2 day goodwill visit. JS Sazanami, a Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Ship is a missile destroyer. 
ii. The visiting team was given a conducted tour of the Anti-Submarine Warfare School and the Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sunayna. A visit of Indian Navy personnel was also conducted onboard JS Sazanami.

Science and Technology

12. Ola ‘acqui­hires’ AI start-­up Pikup.ai
i. Cab aggregator Ola announced acquihiring of Pikup.ai, an Artificial Intelligence start­up based in Bengaluru. 
ii. Acquihiring typically refers to a transaction in which the staff of the target company join the acquiring firm.
iii. Pikup.ai uses autonomous technologies like AI, computer vision and sensor fusion to provide seamless AI-powered solutions for businesses.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• CEO of Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal; Headquarter: Bengaluru.

Sports

13. Dutch Hero Wesley Sneijder announces retirement from Football
i. The Netherlands' most-capped player Wesley Sneijder announced his retirement from football. 
ii. He played 134 times for his country and his career included a World Cup runners-up medal as well as Champions League, La Liga and Serie A titles.

14. Women's Cricket at Birmingham CWG
i. Cricket will come back to the Commonwealth Games (CWG) roster for the 1st time since 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, with the inclusion of women’s T20 for the 2022 edition in Birmingham.
ii. It will take place from July 27 to August 7, 2022, with 8 international teams playing cricket. 
iii. This decision was taken by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main :

• ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

15. Simone Biles makes history with a “triple-double” twist
i. Simone Biles makes history with a never-before-seen “triple-double” floor exercise landing. She performed the landing featuring "two flips and three twists" in U.S. Gymnastics Championships held in Kansas City. 

Obituaries

16. Former Argentina footballer Brown passes Away
i. Argentina World Cup-winning team football player Jose Luis Brown has passed away. Brown made 36 appearances for his country, the most famous of which came in the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico

Daily updates 15 16 August 2019

National News

1. PM announces appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff
i. In his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister has announced the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff. The Chief of Defence Staff will be above the three Service Chiefs. 
ii. The CDS is meant to be a single-point military advisor to the government who will coordinate long-term planning, procurements, training and logistics of the three services. The CDS will also act as the military advisor to the Prime Minister on nuclear issues.
iii. This is one the country's biggest higher level military reform to bring in jointness and tri-service integration. 
iv. In the absence of a CDS, presently the senior most of the three Chiefs functions as the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa is the present chairman of COSC.

2. PM to be the chairman of the Inter-State Council
i. The Inter-State Council has been reconstituted with Prime Minister as its chairman and 6 Union ministers and all chief ministers as its members. Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the standing committee of the Inter-State Council.
ii. The Union ministers who will be members of the reconstituted council are Amit Shah (Home), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), Rajnath Singh (Defence), Narendra Singh Tomar (Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj).

Banking News

3. RBI clarifies rules on ‘free ATM transactions’
i. The Reserve Bank of India has clarified rules on ‘free ATM transactions’ provided by banks to its customers. Banks provide certain number of free transactions at ATMs to their customers and beyond that impose charges.
ii. According to the Reserve Bank of India, the following transactions should not be counted as valid ATM transactions for the customer as the ‘free ATM transactions’:

• Transactions failed at ATMs due to technical reasons like hardware and software issues.
• Transactions failed due to non-availability of currency in ATMs.
• Use of ATMs for non-cash withdrawal transactions such as balance enquiry, cheque book request, payment of taxes, funds transfer.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Governor of RBI: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Appointments

4. Harshad Pandurang Thakur appointed as NIHFW's director
i. Harshad Pandurang Thakur has been appointed as the director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare. The proposal of appointment was approved by the appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister.
ii. The NIHFW is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It acts as an apex technical institute as well as a think tank for the promotion of health and family welfare programmes in the country.

Awards

5. ISRO Chairman K. Sivan honoured with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award
i. Tamil Nadu government has awarded K. Sivan with its Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award. K. Sivan is currently serving as the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC Mains:

• Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai; CM: Edappadi K. Palaniswami; Governor: Banwarilal Purohit.

Sports

6. Liverpool beats Chelsea to win UEFA Super Cup
i. Liverpool defeated Chelsea in the finals to win UEFA Super Cup held in Istanbul. The match ended in draw with score 2-2 following the extra time. 
ii. Later in the penalties, Liverpool beats Chelsea by 5-4. This was the fourth time Liverpool have won this competition.

7. Deepak Punia wins Junior World Championship title
i. Deepak Punia won the gold medal at the Junior World Championships held in Talinn, Estonia. He defeated Russia's Alik Shebzukov to win the 86 kg junior freestyle title. With the victory, he has become the 1st Indian in 18 years to win a Junior World Championship title.
ii. Another Indian wrestler Vicky Chahar also won the bronze medal in the 92 kg category after beating Mongolia's Batmagnai Enkhtuvshin.

Obituaries

8. Veteran actor Vidya Sinha passes away
i. Veteran Bollywood actress Vidya Sinha passed away. She was renowned for her role in Basu Chatterjee's film "Rajnigandha". 
ii. She was a major figure in Bollywood in the 1970s-1980s. Her list of notable films includes Mera Jeevana, Chhoti Si Baat, Safed Jhooth and many others.

9. Former India cricketer V.B. Chandrasekhar passes away
i. Former India and Tamil Nadu cricketer V.B. Chandrasekhar passed away. He represented India in 7 ODIs. 
ii. V.B. Chandrasekhar was also a National selector from 2004 to 2006. He was a part of the last Tamil Nadu team which won the Ranji Trophy in 1988

Daily updates 17 August 2019

National News

1. India contributes $1 million to UN fund

i. India has contributed $1 million to the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund for the Resident Coordinator System. The Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) is a specific fund housed within the UN Secretariat.
ii. The fund was established to receive, consolidate, manage and account for all contributions and financial transactions of the new Resident Coordinator system in a transparent and effective way.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA; Founded: 24 October 1945.
• Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres.

2. High-level committee constituted to review Defence Procurement Procedure

i. Union government has constituted a 12-member high-level committee to revise and align the procedure of Defence procurement with the aim of strengthening the 'Make in India' initiative. The panel will be headed by the Director-General (Acquisitions).
ii. The panel has been tasked to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2006 and the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2009. The committee will revise and align the procedures with the aim of ensuring seamless flow from asset acquisition to life cycle support.

3. “Aadi Mahotsav” begins in Leh-Ladakh

i. National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” has begun in Leh-Ladakh. The theme of the festival is “A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture and Commerce”.
ii. The 9 day Adi Mahotsav will showcase traditional art and handicrafts and cultural heritage of the country. 
iii. Tribal Affairs Ministry and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has jointly organized the festival.

State News

4. Tawlhlohpuan, Mizo Puanchei & Tirur betel vine gets GI tag

i. Tawlhlohpuan & Mizo Puanchei from Mizoram, and Tirur betel vine from Kerala has received the Geographical Indication tag. 
ii. GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. The Geographical Indication comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
iii. Some features of the products bestowed with the GI tag:

• Tawlhlohpuan: It is a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram. It is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.
• Mizo Puanchei: It is a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram and is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles.
• Tirur betel vine: This product from Kerala is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. It has many industrial and cultural usages and is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders. 

Economy News

5. India's forex reserves reaches life-time high of $430.57 bn

i. India's forex reserves has reached the highest ever valuation of $430.57 bn. As per the latest RBI data, India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.620 billion in the week to 9 August due to rise in foreign currency assets. 
ii. Foreign currency assets expressed in dollar terms includes the effect of appreciation/depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Governor of RBI: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Sports

6. Ravi Shastri appointed as Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team

i. Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri has been appointed as the head coach of Indian cricket team for another two years. 
ii. Cricket Advisory Committee led by former Indian Cricket captain Kapil Dev along with Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy conducted interviews of shortlisted candidates for Indian cricket team's head coach.

7. Indian cyclists win gold at World Junior Track Cycling Championships

i. Indian cyclists team have won the gold medal in the Team Sprint event at World Junior Track Cycling Championships held in Frankfurt, Germany. Indian team comprised of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh.
ii. This is India's first ever gold medal in a global cycling competition. The Indian team defeated Australian team in the finals to won the gold medal.

8. India wins T20 Physical Disability World Cricket Series

i. India has won the inaugural T20 Physical Disability World Cricket Series 2019 held in England. India defeated England by 36 runs in the finals to win the title. 
ii. The 6-nation tournament was organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Obituaries

9. Padma Shri awardee Damodar Ganesh Bapat passes away

i. Damodar Ganesh Bapat from Chhattisgarh, a noted social worker and Padma Shri award winner, passed away. He was known for his social work in tribal areas in Chhattisgarh. He dedicated his life to the treatment and service of leprosy patients.
ii. For his service to the society, he was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of India i.e. Padma Shri award in 2018.

10. Bangladeshi novelist Rizia Rahman passes away

i. Renowned Bangladeshi novelist Rizia Rahman passed away. She had received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2019. 
ii. Bong Theke Bangla , Rokter Okshor and Ghar Bhanga Ghar are among some of her well known novels.

Daily updates 18 19 August 2019

National News

1. Union HRD Minister inaugurates International Conference on Teacher Education
i. The Union Minister of Human Resource Development inaugurated the International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” in New Delhi.
ii. The 2-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.
iii. NCTE was tasked with achieving planned and coordinated development of teacher education system throughout the country and maintenance of norms and standards.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister of Human Resource Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

International

2. Iceland commemorates 1st glacier "Okjokull" lost to climate change
i. Iceland commemorated the loss of 1st glacier "Okjokull", lost due to climate change. A bronze plaque was unveiled by Iceland in a ceremony which was attended by scientists and locals at the glacier in west-central Iceland.
ii. The plaque bears the inscription "A letter to the future".

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Prime Minister of Iceland: Katrin Jakobsdottir; Capital: Reykjavík.

State News

3. 5 New fish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
i. Fisheries and the aquatic ecology research team from the zoology department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) have discovered 5 species of fish from various districts of the Arunachal pradesh.
ii. The 5 newly discovered species of fish are:

• Mystus prabini (discovered in Sinkin and the Dibang rivers in Lower Dibang Valley district)
• Exostoma kottelati (discovered in the Ranga river in Lower Subansiri district)
• Creteuchiloglanis tawangensis (discovered in the Tawangchu river in Tawang district)
• Garra ranganensis (discovered in the Ranga river)
• Physoschistura harkishorei (discovered in the Dibang and the Lohit rivers in Lower Dibang Valley district).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu.
• Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: B. D. Mishra.

4. Odisha approves conservation plan of lakes "Chilika and Ansupa"
i. The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated management plan of lakes "Chilika and Ansupa". 
ii. The Chilika lake is India’s largest brackish water lagoon and Ansupa is the Odisha’s largest freshwater lake. 
iii. The 5-year management plan of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies at an estimated investment of Rs 180 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

5. Manipur CM launches "School Fagadaba" scheme
i. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launching the "School Fagadaba" (Make education better) scheme to improve the infrastructure of government schools in the state.
ii. The objective of the scheme was to ensure better infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement of government schools to make them model schools.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains 2019:

• Governor of Manipur: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya.

Agreements

6. Chennai City FC ties up with German company "uhlsport"
i. I-League champion Chennai City FC has announced a strategic partnership with German sports goods supplier "uhlsport". 
ii. The partnership aims to support a sustainable growth of football education in India. It will also work to develop grassroots football in Tamil Nadu and across India.

Awards

7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be honoured with "Order of Zayed"
i. The United Arab Emirates will honour the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the "Order of Zayed", the highest civilian award of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will recieve the award during his visit to the UAE.
ii. The order in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, acquires special significance as it is awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Capital of the UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: Dirham.

8. Longest documentary "100 Years of Chrysostum" will receive Guinness Award
i. A biographical documentary "100 Years of Chrysostum" will receive Guinness Award in the category of longest documentary. 
ii. The "100 Years of Chrysostum" is based on the life of Philipose Mar Chrysostum, scripted and directed by filmmaker Blessy. 
iii. The 48-hour and 8 minutes documentary has broken the record of the 21-hour Saudi Arabian documentary "World of Snakes".
iv. Former Padma Bhushan awardee Philipose Mar Chrysostum is a Metropolitan Emeritus of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar.

Summit & Conference

9. Nepal will host 5th meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission
i. The 5th meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal. India's Minister for External Affairs and Nepal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs will co-chair the meeting.
ii. The Joint Commission Meeting will review overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation such as connectivity and economic partnership, trade and transit, power and water resources, culture, education and other matters of mutual interest.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu.
• External Affairs Minister of India: S. Jaishankar.

Important Days

10. World Humanitarian Day 2019
i. World Humanitarian Day is observed across the world on August 19 to pay tribute to workers who risk their lives in humanitarian services and to gather support for people affected by crises around the world. 
ii. The day was designated by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the 19 August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
iii. WHD 2019 campaign: #WomenHumanitarians.
iv. World Humanitarian Day 2019 is set to celebrate Women Humanitarians and their undying contribution in making the world a better place. 
v. This year’s campaign on Women Humanitarians supports the recognition that women deserve in the strengthening of global humanitarian response as well as in protection efforts under the international law.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Sports

11. Hima Das, Mohammad Anas win gold in Athleticky Mitink Reiter event
i. Indian sprinters Hima Das and Mohammad Anas have won a gold medal and Nirmal Tom clinched a bronze medal in 300m races at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter event. 
ii. The event was held in Czech Republic. While Hima won the gold in women's category and Mohammad Anas and Nirmal Tom claimed the yellow and bronze medal in men's category.

12. India wins U-12 Asian Tennis Team championship
i. India have won the gold medal at the Under 12 Asian Tennis Team championship held in Kazakhstan. India defeated Chinese Taipei in the summit clash to win the title.
ii. The final comprised of three matches including 2 singles and one doubles. India won both the singles matches while lost the doubles encounter. The Indian team comprised Manas Dhamme, Arnav Paprakar and Tamil Nadu's Pranav Rethin.

13. Labuschagne becomes 1st Concussion Substitute cricket player
i. Australian player Marnus Labuschagne has become the 1st Concussion Substitute player in the history of International cricket. 
ii. A Concussion Replacement Request is the notification made to the ICC Match Referee in accordance with the process set out by ICC. 
iii. The Team Medical Representative is the individual designated for the assessment of any head or neck injury sustained by a player.
iv. A Concussion Replacement is a player who takes the place of a player who has been replaced for the remainder of the match. The player will be selected from the list of nominated players provided by that team whose player was injured and will take a full part in the match.
v. In Ashes Series 2019, Steve Smith was ruled out of the last day of the 2nd Ashes Test match at Lord’s due to concussion. Marnus Labuschagne replaced Smith on the last day of the Lord's Test.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Obituaries

14. Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra passes away
i. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra passed away. He was 3-time Chief Minister of Bihar. He was an economics professor at Bihar University and also authored several books.

15. Nari Shakti Award Winner Neelum Sharma passes away
i. Doordarshan Anchor and Nari Shakti Award Winner Neelum Sharma passed away. Neelum Sharma was known for her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’ and ‘Badi Charcha’ and had been awarded the Nari Shakti Puruskar by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.

Miscellaneous

16. NCPCR & IIT Kanpur develops kit to spread sexual abuse awareness
i. The IIT Kanpur has developed a kit in collaboration with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to spread awareness about sexual abuse among children. 
ii. The kit can be used in classrooms for kids aged between 8-12 and in a group of 30-35 students in one session.
iii. The kit constitutes a set of cards, posters, short animation clips and games, which can be used by teachers or an NGO to conduct an interactive workshop for children about sexual abuse awareness.

17. President inaugurates Bunker Museum in Mumbai
i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated underground Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai.
ii. The British-era bunker was discovered in 2016 and has 13 rooms such as Shell Store, Gun Shell, Cartridge Store and Central Artillery Store. The 15,000 square feet underground bunker museum has virtual reality booths in which visitors can "time travel" to the 19th century.

Daily updates 20 August 2019

National

1. National Sports Awards 2019
i. Selection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019 has announced the National Sports Awards 2019. National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
ii. Selection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019 was headed by Justice Mukundakam Sharma, Retired Judge, Supreme Court.
Apart from a medal and a citation, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each. A trophy and citation is given to the entity in the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, 2019. Recipients of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar will be given Trophies and certificates. 
iii. Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments will be given MAKA Trophy, award money of Rs. 10 lakh and certificate.

To read complete list of awardees Click Here

International

2. Qamar Javed Bajwa's term extended as Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff
i. Pakistan Prime Minister Office has announced a 3-year extension of General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure as Chief of Army Staff. 
ii. Bajwa’s original term was to end in November 2019 after serving as Army chief for three years. He will remain as Army chief till November 2022.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Pakistan Capital: Islamabad; PM: Imran Khan; President: Arif Alvi.

3. Shavendra Silva appointed as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
i. President of Sri Lanka has appointed Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as 23rd Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. He will replace Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. 
ii. Mr. Silva commanded the Sri Lankan Army’s 58 Division during the final stages of the war against the rebel LTTE in 2009.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Rupee; Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe; President: Maithripala Sirisena.

State News

4. Karnataka categorises Nicotine as "class A poison"
i. The Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and notified Nicotine as "Class A poison". The step has been taken to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes. 
ii. The notification has also ordered the suspension of all kinds of promotion of e-cigarettes, including online promotion. This will curb the illegal sale, smuggling of nicotine cartridges and e-cigarettes.
Class A poison are "Highly toxic chemicals", which even in very small quantities as gas or vapour in the air are dangerous to life (such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Capital of Karnataka: Bengaluru; CM: BS Yediyurappa; Governor: Vajubhai Vala.

5. Gujarat to get India’s first CICET
i. India’s first Central Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology will be set up in Gujarat. It will be set up either in Ahmedabad or Surat. It will be built on the lines of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology. 
ii. The aim of setting up the institute is to facilitate the chemical industry with research and innovations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• CM of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Devvrat; Capital: Gandhinagar.

Appointment

6. Paytm promotes CFO Madhur Deora as President
i. Digital payments player Paytm announced the promotion of its Chief Financial Officer Madhur Deora as the company's President.
ii. Madhur joined the digital payment firm in October 2016. Earlier, Deora has served as Managing Director in Citigroup's investment banking business in New York, London and Mumbai.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Paytm Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
• Parent Organization: One97 Communications.

7. Ravinder Takkar appointed as MD-CEO of Vodafone Idea
i. Ravinder Takkar has been appointed as the MD and CEO of Idea-Vodafone. He is currently a board member of Vodafone Idea and Indus Towers, where he is responsible for all Vodafone Group interests in India. He will replace Balesh Sharma after his resignation as the chief executive officer of Vodafone Idea (VIL).

Awards

8. CCMB scientist K Thangaraj awarded JC Bose Fellowship
i. Dr K Thangaraj, Chief Scientist at Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) was awarded JC Bose Fellowship.
ii. Thangaraj was given this fellowship for his outstanding contributions in the field of population and medical genomics. 
iii. The JC Bose Fellowship is awarded to scientists in recognition for their outstanding performance by the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology.

Defence

9. Home Ministry fixes the retirement age of CAPF personnel at 60 years
i. The Union Home Ministry has fixed the retirement age of all Central Armed Police Force personnel at 60 years. 
ii. MHA has issued the order following the 2019 Delhi High Court verdict. The high court verdict asked the Ministry to fix a retirement age that would be uniform for all members of the CAPFs “irrespective of rank”.

Important Days

10. Sadbhavana Diwas: 20 August
i. Sadbhavana Diwas is celebrated on 20 August every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This year will be the 75th Birth Anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.
ii. On this day national integration, peace, love, affection and communal harmony among all Indians are encouraged. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay. At 40, Mr Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the 6th Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989.
• He was assassinated on 21 May 1991.

Sports

11. Mitchell Johnson becomes MCC Honourary Life member
i. Former Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson has been elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
ii. Johnson represented Australia in 153 One Day Internationals picking up 239 wickets, 73 international Test matches claiming 313 wickets and 30 T-20 Internationals in which he takes 38 wickets.

12. Former Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole announces retirement
i. Former Chelsea, Arsenal and England football player Ashley Cole aged 38, announced his retirement from football. He was ending his 20-year playing career.
ii. He won 3 Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, as well as helping the Chelsea to win the 2011-12 Champions League.

Obituaries

13. Veteran music composer Mohammed Zahur Hashmi passes away
i. Veteran music composer Mohammed Zahur Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam passed away. He was best known for his music in classic films such as Umrao Jaan and Kabhi Kabhie. He was also a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Padma Bhushan.

14. Sahitya Akademi Award winner NS Tasneem passes away
i. Eminent Punjabi writer and Sahitya Akademi winner Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away.
ii. Tasneem was awarded Sahitya Akademi award in 1999 for his novel ‘Gawache Arth’ (The Lost Meaning) which was based on Punjab and lives of Punjabis in 1984. He was also awarded Punjab’s highest literary honour "Punjabi Sahit Rattan" in 2015.  He had served as a professor at SCD Government College, Ludhiana.

Miscellaneous

15. India becomes the largest SO2 emitter in the world
i. India is the world’s largest emitter of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide, which is produced from coal burning, and greatly contributes to air pollution. According to an analysis of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) data released by environmental NGO Greenpeace.
ii. India has more than 15% of all anthropogenic sulphur dioxide (SO2) hotspots in the world detected by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite.
iii. The major SO2 emission hotspots in India are:

• Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh
• Neyveli and Chennai in Tamil Nadu
• Talcher and Jharsuguda in Odisha
• Korba in Chhattisgarh
• Kutch in Gujarat
• Ramagundam in Telangana
• Chandrapur and Koradi in Maharashtra

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:

• Administrator of NASA: Jim Bridenstine; Headquarter of NASA: Washington DC, US.

Daily updates 21 August 2019

State News

1. Chief minister of Punjab launched "Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana"
i. The chief minister of Punjab has launched a universal health insurance scheme "Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana " benefiting nearly 46 lakh families. With this scheme, covering 76% of the state’s population.
ii. Punjab has become the first state in the country to offer medical insurance cover to the maximum number of its people. The scheme would entitle beneficiaries to avail annual cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, including pre-existing diseases.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Punjab : Amarinder Singh; Governor of Punjab: VP Singh Badnore.

Agreement

2. Wipro partners with IISc on robotics and 5G
i. Wipro announced a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to conduct advanced applied research in autonomous systems, robotics and 5G.
ii. Wipro IISc Research and Innovation Network (WIRIN), a hybrid industry-academia collaboration unit, which will drive idea discovery, research and innovation in technology and product design.
iii. (WIRIN) will focus on the research and development of cutting-edge technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Visual Computing, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Vehicle-to-everything communication (V2X).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:

• Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro: Abidali Z. Neemuchwala.

3. SMVDU, NISE sign MoU to achieve national solar mission
i. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Jammu and National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work jointly to achieve the objective of National Solar Mission through training programmes. The MoU, which will be valid till 5 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main:

• International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 121 countries, most of them being sunshine countries.
  

• Headquarters of International Solar Alliance‎: ‎Gurugram, Haryana.

Awards

4. Indian-American teen wins South Asian Spelling Bee competition 2019
i. Navneeth Murali, an Indian-American teenager from New Jersey, has won the 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee contest. The prize money for this contest is USD 3,000.
ii. The South Asian Spelling Bee (SASB) is an annual spelling bee platform in the US for children of South Asian descent. The competition is open to any student at or below the age of 14, who has at least one parent or grandparent who is of South Asian descent, or whose lineage can be traced to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and/or Sri Lanka.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

•  President of USA: Donald Trump; Capital of the USA: Washington, DC.

Defence

5. DRDO transfer design of Mobile Metallic Ramp to Indian Army
i. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army at a ceremony held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi. (MMR) load-bearing capacity of 70 metric ton. 
ii. The MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) on the requirements projected by Army for reducing the Strategic Mobility time of mobilizing Armoured Fighting Vehicles. 
iii. The ramp will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured and Mechanized units and formations of the Army. It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.
• Chairman of DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy.

Science and Technology

6. IIT-Delhi start-up wins NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019
i. IIT-Delhi, Ankita Gulati was awarded the NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019 for developing a multisensory kit named TouchVision. 
ii. IIT-Delhi-incubated start-up working on the design and development of inclusive learning resources for visually impaired people.
TouchVision aims at digital inclusion for 253 million persons with visual impairment globally.

Sports

7. Sreesanth's Life Ban on cricket reduced to 7 Years
i. Former India paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth’s life ban has been reduced to 7 years. This order was passed by BCCI Ombudsman, Justice (Retd.) DK Jain. The Ban will end in 2020.
ii. The BCCI banned Sreesanth for life in September 2013, along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, for indulging in alleged spot-fixing in the IPL.

8. Para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia crosses America's Catalina Channel
i. Indian Para Swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia has become the first Asian swimmer to cross the Catalina Channel of America. Satendra holds the Asian record of crossing both the English and Catalina channels.
ii. Satendra led the Indian Para Relay team along with 5 teammates and crossed the Catalina Channel and covered the distance of 42km in 11 hours 34 minutes.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

•  Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

Obituaries

9. Former Madhya Pradesh CM Babulal Gaur passes away
i. Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Babulal Gaur passed away. He served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005 and represented Govindpura Assembly seat for 10 times.

Miscellaneous

10. 2nd Uday Express to run between Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada
i. Indian Railway's 2nd double-decker Uday (Utkrisht Double-Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The train would consist of 9 double-decker coaches and 2 power cars.
ii. The trains are primarily allocated to routes with heavy passenger traffic. They are equipped with WiFi facility, have striking interiors, cushioned seating, and display screens.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Union Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.

Daily updates 22 August 2019

National News

1. Union HRD Minister launches NISHTHA
i. Union HRD Minister launched the training programme NISHTHA, (National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement) to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level across the country. This is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.
ii. NISHTHA to build capacities of 42 Lakh government teachers across the country. The basic objective of this massive training programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:

• Union HRD Minister: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

2. "Op-Blue Freedom" flag off in Delhi
i. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and former India football captain Baichung Bhutia flagged off Op-Blue Freedom in  Delhi. This is an initiative in which a group of armed forces veterans train sports enthusiasts in survival training and self-defence.
ii. Op-Blue Freedom is a nation-wide adaptive scuba diving programme for people with disabilities as well as the able-bodied. It comes under the parent project "Special Forces Adventures".

3. Amazon's largest campus in the world inaugurated in Hyderabad
i. Amazon has opened its largest campus in the world in Hyderabad. The campus covers 1.8 million square feet and can accommodate 15,000 workers. 
ii. This is Amazon's first owned-building outside of the US and and is also its largest tech base outside the Seattle headquarters, which has about 155,000 contract employees.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos; Headquarters: Seattle, United States.

4. 9th Session of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee
i. The 9th Session of the India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee was held in New Delhi. The Joint Trade Committee reviewed the progress in cooperation in the power sector, renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation and agricultural research. 
ii. The next session of the Joint Trade Committee meeting in Nairobi.
iii. The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways. The Kenyan delegation was led by Peter Munya, Minister of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives.

State News

5. Super 50 programme launched in Maharashtra
i. Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department in association with the Pace Educational Trust launched an academic programme "Super 50". The programme has been launched for young tribal students aspiring to be doctors and engineers.
ii. The Super 50 programme will mentor 50 most meritorious tribal students from the State and prepare them for engineering and medical exams. 
iii. It will be a two-year residential programme, where the students will be provided hostel and mess facilities, a tablet, NCERT books and career counselling.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• CM of Maharashtra : Devendra Fadnavis; Governor: CH Vidyasagar Rao.

6. Karnataka tops the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index
i. The State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index-SARAL was launched during the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities. Karnataka has topped the index which evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development.
ii. SARAL currently captures five key aspects:

• Robustness of policy framework
• Implementation environment
• Investment climate
• Consumer experience
• Business ecosystem

iii. SARAL has been designed collaboratively by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY).

Economy News

7. RBI allows e-mandate for cards for recurring transactions
i. The Reserve Bank of India has permitted processing of e-mandate on credit and debit cards for recurring transactions (merchant payments). The maximum limit for such a transaction will be Rs 2,000. 
ii. While processing the first transaction in e-mandate-based recurring transaction series, additional factor authentication (AFA) validation should be performed.
iii. As per the RBI circular, no charges should be levied or recovered from the card holder for availing the e-mandate facility on cards for recurring transactions. The direction is applicable for transactions performed using all types of cards—debit, credit and Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including wallets.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Governor of RBI: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

Appointments

8. Ajay Kumar appointed as Defence Secretary
i. Ajay Kumar has been appointed as Defence Secretary. Ajay Kumar is currently serving as Secretary in Department of Defence Production. He will replace Sanjay Mitra, upon completion of his term. 
ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved his appointments.

9. Rajiv Gauba appointed as Cabinet Secretary
i. Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba appointed as a Cabinet secretary for two years. He will replace P.K. Sinha, who was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 2015. 
ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved his appointment.

Awards

10. JNU Professor Meeta Narain was conferred the ‘Pushkin Medal 2019’
i. JNU Professor Meeta Narain was conferred the ‘Pushkin Medal - 2019’. This award is the highest honour given to an Indian scholar by the Russian government.
ii. Pushkin Medal is given to a scholar of Russian language and literature for outstanding contribution to Russian studies abroad.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital city of Russia: Moscow.

Books and Authors

11. Culture Minister to launch book ' The Diary of Manu Gandhi'
i. Culture Minister will launch the book  "The Diary of Manu Gandhi" at a function in New Delhi.
ii. The book has been brought out by National Archives of India, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford University Press. The first volume covers the period 1943-1944.
iii. The Diary of Manu Gandhi originally in Gujarati has been edited and translated by Dr Tridip Suhrud. Manu Gandhi (Mridula) was a grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi, and stayed with Gandhiji till his assassination.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains:

• Union Culture Minister of India: Prahlad Singh Patel.

Science & Technology

12. Cerebras Systems reveals "world's largest computer chip"
i. Artificial intelligence(AI) company Cerebras Systems has unveiled the world’s largest single silicon-based processor named Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine(WSE). 
ii. This chip has 1.2 trillion transistors, the basic on-off electronic switches that are the building blocks of silicon chips.
iii. The rectangular shape chip measures 21.5cm sq (8.5in sq), comes with 400,000 AI (Artificial Intelligence) cores and 18 gigabytes of on-chip memory.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• CEO & Co-Founder of Cerebras Systems: Andrew Feldman; Established: 2016.
• Headquarters: California, USA.

Sports

13. Paytm retains title sponsorship of Indian cricket for 5 years
i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced that mobile payments and e-commerce company "Paytm" has retained the title sponsorship rights. Paytm has retained the title sponsorship rights for all cricket matches, domestic and international, played in India for 5 years.
ii. Paytm has signed the deal for ₹326.80 crores which it will pay BCCI over a period ranging between 2019 and 2023.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Paytm Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma; Parent Organization: One97 Communications.

14. Gold medal for India in World Police and Fire Games
i. B.N.S. Reddy beats Bruce Barrios of the U.S. in the men’s singles final to win the gold medal at the World Police and Fire Games. 
ii. The tournament was held in Chengdu, China. In the doubles event, Reddy and Surinder Mohan Sharma lost to the pair of Sabandon Eduardo (Phi) and Helminen Risto (Fin) in the finals and bags the silver medal.
iii. B.N.S. Reddy is a former Additional Commissioner of Police and a current member of the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

Important Days

15. World Photography Day 2019
i. World Photography Day is celebrated on 19 August every year. The day is celebrated so that people around the world can communicate their feelings and express themselves through the art of photography.
ii. World Photography Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.

16. International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief: 22 August
i. United Nations observes 22 August every year as “International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief”. 
ii. The day is observed to strongly condemn continuing violence and acts of terrorism targeting individuals, including persons belonging to religious minorities, on the basis of or in the name of religion or belief.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Headquarters of United Nations: New York; Secretary General of the United Nations: António Guterres.

17. International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism: 21 August
i. United Nations observes 21 August every year as International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. 
ii. This year, the 2nd commemoration of the day will focus on the resilience of victims and their families, how they have coped and what they have done to transform their experiences to aid healing and recovery as well as become stronger and more united against terrorism.
iii. To observe the International Day, the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism will launch a photographic exhibition on August 21 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Secretary General of the United Nations: António Guterres.