Daily updates 17 October 2019

National

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.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 had dedicated to the nation this 9.2 km long tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 31 km.

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

• 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.

International

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.
• The University is named after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who has long advocated for the UAE’s development of human capital through knowledge and scientific thinking to take the nation into the future.

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

• 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.

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

• Air Force Chief of India: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

State News

5. Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated Shirui Lily Festival, 2019 at Shirui Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur.
• Mr Patel along with State Chief Minister N. Biren Singh also inaugurated the Strength of Unity Statue as a mark of opening the third edition of the four-day state festival.
• This joint efforts of the State Government and Central Government can only promote tourism and culture of a region to the level of people’s expectation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

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

Awards

6. 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.

Agreement

7. Mastercard and MS Dhoni partner to build ‘Team Cashless India’

• Mastercard, along with cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, launched a nationwide initiative  ‘Team Cashless India’ to accelerate the acceptance and adoption of digital payments.
• The initiative ‘Team Cashless India’ brings consumers and merchants to the forefront of the digital payments dialogue. The campaign encourages all Indians to nominate one or more merchants who currently do not accept digital payments.
• Mastercard will work together with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), acquirer banks and fintech companies to support nominated merchants to deploy digital payments acceptance infrastructure.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Mastercard Founded: 1966;  Headquarters: New York, US.

Banking

8. 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.

Ranks and Reports

9. 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.

Important Days

10. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty : 17 October

• The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year since 1993.
• It promotes people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
• 2019 Theme: Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty.

Sports

11. Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes youngest cricketer to score double hundred in One Day cricket

• The 17-year-old Mumbai teenager Yashasvi Jaiswal make history as he became the youngest cricketer in the world to score a double century in One Day cricket.
• He playing in his debut Vijay Hazare season. He scored 203 off 154 balls against Jharkhand at Alur, Karnataka. His score comprised 12 sixes and 17 fours.

12. 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.

Miscellaneous

13. 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 objective 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.

14. 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.
• Handicrafts are important in terms of economic development. The sector provides a number of opportunities for unemployed with minimal investment.
• 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.

15. Death Anniversary of Fakir Lalon Shah observed in Bangladesh

• The 129th death anniversary of the mystic bard Fakir Lalon Shah is being observed in Bangladesh. He is believed to be born in 1774 though no written records exist.
• He died in 1890. He was born Hindu but he was raised by a Muslim family after he was abandoned by his own family.
• Fakir Lalon Shah songs talk about humanism, love and equality going beyond the limitations imposed by religion, caste and creed.
• He created and composed more than 2000 songs which were popularised by Bauls who sang his songs while wandering in the countryside of Bengal and parts of Assam of those days.
• His contemporary Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore got some of his songs transcribed and published.

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

• Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka; PM: Sheikh Hasina.