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.

Daily updates 7 October 2019

National

1. AIM NITI Aayog & UNDP India launches Youth Co:Lab

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India jointly launched Youth Co:Lab.
• The lab aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India and to recognize young people as critical drivers of sustainable development. During the launch, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between AIM, NITI Aayog and UNDP India.
• Through Youth Co:Lab, young entrepreneurs and innovators will get a chance to connect with governments, mentors, incubators and investors. They will also get the opportunity to pitch their ideas at UNDP’s regional centre in 2020.

2. 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy begins

• The three-day event 5th World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy will be held at the MIT World Peace University in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The theme of the programme this year is ‘role of science, religion and philosophy for world peace and well-being of mankind’.
• The primary objective of the event was to create and promote interfaith and inter-religious movement for World Peace.

State News

3. India’s first e-waste clinic to be set up in Bhopal

• The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have joined hands to set up the country’s first e-waste clinic in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• This clinic would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units.
• The electronic waste will be collected door-to-door or can be deposited directly at the clinic in exchange for a fee.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of MP: Kamal Nath; Governor of MP: Lal Ji Tandon.

Appointments

4. Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma is new Punjab lokpal

• The Punjab government has appointed Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma (retired) as the new Lokpal. The post was lying vacant since April 23, 2018, after Justice Satish Kumar Mittal (retd) had resigned.
• The Lokpal holds the office for a term of 6 years.
• Justice Sharma had served as Punjab and Haryana high court judge from March 22, 2006, to October 26, 2010. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Madras high court from where he retired on May 24, 2013.

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

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

5. Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

• The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has named Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples.
• Yalitza Aparicio is committed to the fight against racism and for the rights of women and indigenous peoples. She was chosen to play in Alfonso Cuarón’s film Roma while studying to be a teacher.
• She is the first indigenous Mexican woman to be so recognized by the US Academy Awards.
• TIME magazine (USA) listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.

Agreements

6. NHA ties with Google to strengthen the implementation of PMJAY

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

Defence

7. Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2019

• 14th edition of Indo – Mongolian joint military training, Exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV started.
• The Mongolian Army is being represented by officers and troops of the elite 084 Air Borne Special Task Battalion, while the Indian Army is being represented by a contingent of a battalion of RAJPUTANA RIFLES.
• Nomadic Elephant-XIV is aimed at training troops in counter-insurgency & counter-terrorism operations under United Nations mandate.
• The Joint Exercise will enhance defence co-operation and military relations between the two nations. It is an ideal platform for the armies of both nations to share their experiences & best practices and gain mutually during the joint training.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Mongolia Capital: Ulaanbaatar; Currency: Mongolian togrog.

Obituaries

8. American actress, singer, and model, Diahann Carroll passes away

• US actress Diahann Carroll, who won Golden Globe and Tony awards and was nominated for an Oscar passed away.
• She was also the first black woman to win the Tony Award for best actress for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings.

Sports

9. Naomi Osaka beats Ashleigh Barty to win China Open

• Japan's Naomi Osaka has won the China Open held in Beijing, China.
• She defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. This was a third title of 2019 for Osaka and fifth in her short career.

10. Christine Wolf wins Hero Women’s Indian Open

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

11. Novak Djokovic wins Japan Open title

• Novak Djokovic defeated Australia's John Millman in the finals to win the Japan Open title. He defeated Millman with a score of 6-3, 6-2 and secured a 76th career singles tournament win.

12. Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first Indian to play 100 T20Is

• Harmanpreet Kaur has become the 1st Indian to play 100 T20 International matches. She has joined the club of 10 female players who have reached the three figure mark in terms of appearances.
• New Zealand's Suzie Bates and Australia''s Ellyse Perry are on top of the list with 111 appearances.
• Harmanpreet Kaur has 2 more appearances in T20Is than MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who have played the highest number of matches for India in men''s cricket.

Books and Authors

13. A new book titled "150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy", by Fakir Hassen launched

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

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Capitals of South Africa: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein.
• The rand is the official currency of South Africa.

Miscellaneous

14. GoI launches eco-friendly crackers to fight air pollution

• Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched eco-friendly green firecrackers which have been manufactured in India.
• Environment-friendly fireworks have been developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs and manufactured by licensee-manufacturers.
• A green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed for differentiation of green crackers from conventional crackers.
• The crackers have been launched in a bid to "resolve the crisis of air pollution".

15. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launches trans-fat free logo

• Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched the 'trans-fat-free' logo, which can be voluntarily used by food business operators in their outlets and also on food products.
• The logo was launched to boost the ‘Eat Right Movement’ of FSSAI. He also released a slogan ‘Chefs 4 Trans Fat-Free’ at the event.

Daily updates 5 October 2019

National

1. Goa Maritime Conclave 2019 inaugurated

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

State News

2. HP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the Pragati Rath of the HDFC bank

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

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

• Governor of Himanchal Pradesh: Bandaru Dattatraya.

3. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh launches ‘YSR Vahana Mitra’

• Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch the "YSR Vahana Mitra scheme" in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh.
• Under which the government will provide financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per annum to owner-driver of an auto-rickshaw, or taxicab with the aim to meet their insurance premium, licence fee and other recurring expenses.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Andhra Pradesh Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan.

Appointments

4. President Kovind appoints Chief Justices to 7 high courts

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

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

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

5. Vijay Patil elected President of Mumbai Cricket Association

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

Banking

6. UCO Bank launches UCash, Digilocker and an App

• UCO Bank has launched three new digital products called, UCash, Digilocker and an app in Kolkata, West Bengal. A new current account facility has also been launched by the bank.
• UCash enables customers to withdraw money from ATMs through mobile banking without using a debit card. Digilocker aims to eliminate the use of physical documents and enables sharing of verified electronic documents.
• The third product, the new mobile app, integrates four existing apps of the bank - UCO Mbanking, UCO UPI, UCO Mpassbook and UCO Secure- in a single interface.

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

• MD & CEO of UCO Bank: Atul Kumar Goel; Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal.

Obituaries

7. Centenarian philatelist Krishna Kadekodi passes away

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

8. Farook Khan, an Indian-origin journalist in South Africa passes away

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

9. Bangladesh, Buddhist leader Satyapriya Mohathero passes away

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

Important Days

10. World Teachers’ Day: 5 October

• World Teachers' Day or International Teachers' Days is celebrated on October 5.
• The aim of World Teacher'ss Day is to acknowledge the significant role of educators across the world.
• It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of UNESCO's 1966 recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
• This year's theme: 'Young Teachers: The future of the Profession'.
• The UNESCO adopted the recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel in 1997 to complement the 1966 recommendation by covering teaching and research personnel in higher education.
• UNESCO's recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.

Miscellaneous

11. India’s first floating basketball court opens in Arabian Sea, Mumbai

• The National Basketball Association (NBA) brought to India the first-ever Floating Basketball Court in the Arabian Sea in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• NBA India on December 20, 2018, had announced that the first-ever NBA game in the country would be organized on October 4 and 5 in Mumbai.
• The NBA India Games 2019 will feature the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, who will play two pre-season games on October 4 and 5.

Daily updates 4 October 2019

National

1. Nationwide ‘Paryatan Parv 2019’ to promote tourism kicks off

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

2. PM of India & Mauritius jointly inaugurated projects in Mauritius

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

3. Tourism Ministry launches App "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India

• Tourism Ministry has launched the Audio Guide facility "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites) on the occasion of "Paryatan Parv 2019".
• An MoU for Gol Gumbad, Delhi with Government of Delhi and Resbird Technologies was also exchanged for the development of Tourism Amenities.
• Audio guide odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support. With Audio Odigos, tourists will now enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights of the Indian culture and heritage.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

4. IRCTC to compensate passengers on delay of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express

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

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

• Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.

5. India's first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express flagged off

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

State News

6. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative

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

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

• Odisha CM: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

7. Uttarakhand CM launches awareness campaign ‘Urjagiri’ to stop power theft

• Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat launched an awareness campaign "Urjagiri" which aims at stopping power theft and saving.
• The Chief Minister emphasised on the need to speed up the process for wider awareness to avoid power loss in Uttarakhand.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Capital of Uttarakhand: Dehradun; Governor: Baby Rani Maurya.

Appointments

8. Tata Communications names Amur Lakshminarayanan as its MD and CEO

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

9. Amrit Lugun appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Greece

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

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

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

10. Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue

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

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

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

11. Sushil Chandra appointed as MD & CEO of Oil India Limited

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

Banking

12. RBI reduces repo rate by 25 basis points in 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy

• In its 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the Reserve Bank of India has reduced the policy repo rate by 25 basis points (bps).
• The MPC has also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy. The main decisions taken in the 4th Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:
• The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) was reduced from 5.40% to 5.15%.
• The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands revised to 4.90%.
• The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate is revised to 5.40%.
• RBI has also reduced the real GDP growth for 2019-20 from 6.9% to 6.1%.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

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

Awards

13. Ben Stokes named PCA player of the year

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

14. Kyrgyz lawyer AzizbekAshurov wins 2019 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award

• Human rights lawyer from Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Ashurov was awarded the 2019 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) prestigious Nansen Award.
• Ashurov will receive the award comprising of a commemorative medal and a cash prize of USD 150,000 prize money at a ceremony in Geneva on October 7, 2019.
• The UNHCR hailed Azizbek Ashurov for helping Kyrgyzstan become the world's first country to end statelessness, working through his organisation Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders (FVLWB).
• He and his organisation have helped more than 10,000 people gain Kyrgyz nationality after they became stateless following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

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

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

Sports

15. Abdul Quadir Khan Wins Silver Medal in Asian Body Building & Physique Sports Championship 2019

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

Obituaries

16. Padma Shri awardee HL Trivedi passes away

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

Miscellaneous

17. Govt launches portal for monitoring coal supply to power plants

• Power Minister RK Singh and Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi have jointly launched PRAKASH - Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony- portal in New Delhi.
• The portal aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders.
• This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at thermal power plants.
• The portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring the entire coal supply chain for power plants.

18. NBCC sign MoU with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

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

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Manipur: N. Biren Singh; Governor of Manipur: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya.

Daily updates 10 October 2019

                         National

1. Dearness allowance of government employees hiked by 5%

• The Central government has increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) of Central government employees and pensioners. The government has hiked DA by 5%, which means the dearness allowance has been increased from 12% to 17%. The decision was approved in a cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The hike would be effective from July 2019. The cost to the exchequer will be Rs 16,000 crore.
• The cabinet also approved inclusion of 5,300 families under the development package of Jammu & Kashmir, who initially opted to move outside the state, but later returned and settled in the Jammu & Kashmir. This will enable such development package families to become eligible to get one-time financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh under the existing scheme.
• Cabinet has also relaxed the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar-seeded data as a pre-condition for release of funds to the beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The relaxation will be till 30th November 2019. It will enable immediate release of benefits to a large number of farmers who are not able to avail the same due this requirement.

2. "DHRUV" a Learning Programme launched from ISRO, Bengaluru

• "DHRUV" a Pradhan Mantri Innovation Learning Programme has commenced from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru and will conclude at IIT, Delhi.
• The programme aims to further sharpen innovative imagination, skills and knowledge of the students who are expected to contribute to bringing solutions to socio-economic, political and environmental issues in the country.
• 60 brightest and talented students from Science, Mathematics and Performing Arts have been chosen for the programme.

3. GoI launches "Ganga Aamantran: Open Water Rafting Expedition"

• Jal Shakti Minister has launched an initiative 'Ganga Amantran'. The initiative has been launched to connect with the stakeholders of the river.
• It is a pioneering exploratory open-water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga river. The expedition will start at Devaprayag and culminate at Ganga Sagar covering the entire stretch of over 2500 kms of the River.
• Ganga Aamantran is the 1st ever effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga to raft across the entire stretch of the river.
• It is also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting activity to spread the message of River Rejuvenation and Water Conservation on a massive scale.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Union Jal Shakti Minister: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

4. Govt constitutes panel for measures to raise GST revenue

• The Central Government has constituted a committee of officers to suggest measures to augment GST revenue collections and administration.
• The terms of reference of the panel includes making suggestions related to systemic changes in goods and services tax (GST) including checks and balances to prevent misuse and measures to improve voluntary compliance.
• The panel has also been given the task to give inputs on measures for the expansion of the tax base. The committee have to submit its 1st report within 15 days to the GST Council Secretariat.

Business News

5. RBI rejects Indiabulls Housing & Lakshmi Vilas Bank merger deal

• The Reserve Bank of India has rejected the merger proposal of Indiabulls Housing Finance and Lakshmi Vilas Bank.
• RBI has rejected the application for voluntary amalgamation of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. and Indiabulls Commercial Credit Ltd. with the Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd.
• The merger was crucial for Lakshmi Vilas Bank as it is now under the prompt corrective action framework of the RBI due to a high level of bad loans and insufficient capital.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Chairman of Indiabulls Group: Sameer Gehlaut.

Ranks and Reports

6. RBI released Consumer Confidence Survey (September 2019)

• The Reserve Bank of India has released the results of the September 2019 round of its Consumer Confidence Survey.
• The survey was conducted in 13 major cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Perceptions and expectations on the general economic situation, the employment scenario, the overall price situation and own income and spending are obtained from households across these cities.

Highlights of the survey:

• Consumer confidence weakened in September with both the current situation index and the future expectations index recording declines.
• Households’ sentiments on the general economic situation and the employment scenario declined. They were less optimistic on their income over the year ahead than in July 2019.
• Respondents perceived an increase in the price level over the last 1 year and a majority of them expect prices to rise further in the coming year.
• Respondents sentiments on overall spending as well as essential spending remain strong, though sentiments on discretionary spending weakened.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Banking

7. RBI approves merger of DCBs to form ‘Kerala Bank’

• The Reserve Bank of India has given the go-ahead to the Kerala government to amalgamate 13 district cooperative banks (DCBs) with the Kerala State Cooperative Bank to form the proposed "Kerala Bank".
• Except the Malappuram District Cooperative Bank, all district banks had approved the scheme of amalgamation proposed by the State government at their respective general body meetings.
• Now, the government have to complete the stipulations laid for merger and submit a compliance report to the apex bank before March 31, 2020.
• RBI also insisted that the State government would have to consistently infuse additional capital and also put in place a well-defined governance structure by amending the KSCS Act.

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

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

Awards

8. Russia honors astronaut Nick Hague with "Order of Courage"

• Russia has honoured NASA astronaut Nick Hague with one of its highest honours, "The Order of Courage".
• Nick Hague survived an aborted space launch with Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin when their Soyuz rocket failed minutes after blast-off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in October 2018.
• Hague has been awarded for his "courage and high professionalism" shown during life-threatening conditions.

Sports

9. German Footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger announces his retirement

• German World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced his retirement from soccer.
• Schweinsteiger spent a major part of his career with European giants Bayern Munich, where he won 8 Bundesliga titles and 7 German cups as well as the Champions league in 2013.
• He made over 300 appearances for the Bavarian side, scoring 45 goals from 2002-2015.

Important Days

10. World Mental Health Day: 10 October

• World Health Organization observes World Mental Health Day on 10th of October every year. The day is celebrated with an objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.
• The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
• The theme selected for this year’s Day: Suicide Prevention.
• This year’s Day is supported by WHO, the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and United for Global Mental Health. World Mental Health Day is organized by the World Federation for Mental Health.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Director general: Tedros Adhanom.

11. World Space Week: 4th-10th October

• The United Nations (Office for Outer Space Affairs) observes 4-10 October every year as World Space Week. It is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition.
• The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week (WSW) will be held each year from October 4-10. The dates were in recognition of the October 4, 1957 launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1.
• The theme for 2019 is: The Moon: Gateway to the Stars
• During World Space Week space education and outreach events are organised by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria, museums, and astronomy clubs around the world.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

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

Science and Technology

12. Saturn overtakes Jupiter as planet with most moons

• A team of astronomers has discovered a haul of 20 new moons orbiting the ringed planet, Saturn. This discovery has brought its total to 82 moons, while Jupiter, by contrast, has 79 natural satellites.
• The moons were discovered using the Subaru telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii.
• Each of the newly discovered objects in orbit around Saturn is about 5 km in diameter and 17 of them orbit the planet "backwards" i.e. retrograde direction. The other three moons orbit in a prograde direction i.e. the same direction as Saturn rotates.
• Dr Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC led the team of astronomers including David Jewitt of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Jan Kleyna of the University of Hawaii.

Miscellaneous

13. Vishnu Nandan among 300 researchers to join MOSAiC Expedition

• Vishnu Nandan, polar researcher from Kerala will join largest ever Arctic expedition "MOSAiC Expedition". He will be the only Indian aboard among the 300 researchers for multidisciplinary drifting observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate expedition.
• Vishnu Nandan will aboard the German research vessel Polarstern, anchored on a large sheet of sea ice in the Central Arctic, drifting along with it during the pitch-black Polar winter.
• Led by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, MOSAiC, the largest ever Arctic expedition in history, will be the first to conduct a study of this scale at the North Pole for an entire year.
• The expedition will help the researchers better understand the impact of climate change and aid in improved weather projections.

14. "GEMINI" system to warn fishermen of danger

• GEMINI is a portable receiver developed to avoid communication blackouts. It linked to ISRO-satellites and is “fail-proof” and warn fishermen of danger.
• The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services collaborated with Accord, a private company, to develop a box-shaped receiver that has an antenna and in-built battery that can last 3 to 4 days.
• GEMINI works on GAGAN, developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India and is an India-made global positioning system and relies on the positioning system by ISRO’s GSAT satellites.
• When GEMINI is connected to an app, it also lets fishermen know the probability of fish-catch in the surrounding seas.

Daily updates 11 October 2019

National

1. SARAS Aajeevika Mela begins in New Delhi

• SARAS Aajeevika Mela has begun at India Gate Lawns, in New Delhi. It has been organized by the Ministry of Rural Development under the initiative of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
• It aims to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with support of DAY-NRLM, under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.
• Over 200 stalls have been set-up at the Mela venue, where nearly 500 rural SHG craftswomen from 29 States and UTs will show-case varied range of products like handicrafts, handlooms, natural food products and a food court with regional cuisines at India Gate Lawns.

2. GoI launches Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative in New Delhi.
• The initiative was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare.
• The initiative aims to assure dignified, respectful and quality health care at no cost for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility in order to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• It also provides a positive birth experience to both mother and infant. With the initiative, the government is committed to achieve the target of reducing the maternal mortality and child mortality.

Economy News

3. Moody’s cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.8% for FY20

• Moody, the rating agency has lowered its 2019-20 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.8% from 6.2%.
• It stated that the Indian economy is experiencing a pronounced slowdown partly due to long-lasting factors.

Appointments

4. Yes Bank Ltd appoints Anita Pai as COO

• Yes Bank Ltd has appointed Anita Pai as the Chief Operating Officer and Jasneet Bachal as the Chief Marketing Officer of the bank. The appointments has been made to further strengthen the top management at the bank.
• Anita Pai will lead the bank’s operations and service delivery and will also look after the information technology functions of the lender.
• Jasneet Bachal will head the marketing and communication efforts of the bank.

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

• Chief Executive Officer of Yes Bank: Ravneet Gill.

Agreements

5. GeM signs MOU with Union Bank of India

• Government e-Marketplace signed an MoU with Union Bank of India. As per the MoU, UBI will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts, advising of Performance Bank Guarantees and Earnest Money Deposit to the registered users on the GeM portal.
• The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
• GeM is an initiative of the Government of India offering one stop platform facilitating online procurement of common use goods and services required by various government departments, organisations, Public Sector Units.

Awards

6. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019

• The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. He has been awarded for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
• The prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions.
• He will receive a full cash prize, valued this year at 9-million kronor ($918,000), a gold medal and a diploma.

7. The Nobel Prize in Literature 2018 and 2019

• The Nobel Prizes in Literature 2018 and 2019 were announced at The Swedish Academy in Stockholm. Both winners will receive a full cash prize, valued this year at 9-million kronor ($918,000), a gold medal and a diploma.
• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 is awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. She has been awarded “for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.”
• The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2019 is awarded to the Austrian author Peter Handke. He has been awarded “for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.”

Obituaries

8. Legendary saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath passes away

• Legendary saxophonist and the Padma Shri awardee Kadri Gopalnath passed away. The Carnatic music maestro won multiple awards in his illustrious career, including the Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award and Karnataka Kalashree.
• He had the distinction of being the first Carnatic musician to be invited in the BBC Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall at London in 1994.

Important Days

9. International Day of the Girl Child: 11 October

• The United Nations observes International Day of the Girl Child on 11th of October every year. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
• The theme for 2019: GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

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

Summits and Conferences

10. Gujarat to host conference of State Power Ministers

• Gujarat will host the State Power Ministers’ Conference. It will take place at Kevadia, on the banks of Narmada river.
• The 2 day conference will see discussions on policies related to emerging technologies in sustainable and renewable energy sector.
• It will also look after the implementation of Prime Minister Kusum Yojana, Solar Roof top, renewable energy development in the border areas, projects for Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks, ease of doing business in solar and wind energy space and the concerning issues related to regulatory matters, land and infrastructure.

11. 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting to be held in Thailand

• The 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
• This will be the final Ministerial meeting before the 3rd Leaders’ Summit which will be held on November 4, 2019 in Bangkok.
• Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will represent India in the meeting.
• He will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Singapore, China, Australia and New Zealand during the Bangkok Ministerial.

Miscellaneous

12. Railway police's website & mobile app "Sahyatri" launched

• Union Minister Nityanand Rai has launched a Government Railway Police's website "railways.delhipolice.gov.in" and a mobile application "Sahyatri".
• The database of criminals, including their photographs, active in railways’ jurisdiction all over India would be uploaded on the Railway police's website. It will also have the facility to scan and read QR codes and make an emergency call.
• The Sahyatri app will help railway passengers find out the jurisdiction of a police station and the details of GRP officials by geo-tagging with Google Maps.
• It will also help the railway police in addressing complaints of passengers from across India and crime detection by integrating the criminal database online.

13. 38th India Carpet Expo begins in Varanasi

• The 38th India Carpet Expo will be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The expo will be organized by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).
• The India Carpet Expo aims to promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made carpets and other floor coverings for the visiting overseas carpet buyers.
• India carpet expo also acts as a platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters to meet and establish business relationship.

14. Maharashtra & Goa Circle celebrating National Postal Week

• The Maharashtra and Goa Circle of the India Post is celebrating National Postal Week.
• The postal circle is observing the National Postal Week in each of the six regions under its jurisdiction - Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa.
• The week is being celebrated to spread awareness about services provided by the department and efforts made to meet changing requirements of customers.
• The week also commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss capital Berne.