Daily updates 28 September 2019

National

1. First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched on CSIR Foundation Day

• The President of India Ramnath Kovind unveiled the first Indigenous High-Temperature Fuel Cell System.
• This system is developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with Indian industries under India’s flagship program named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)” on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day in New Delhi.
• The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol / bio-methane, with heat and water as bi-products for further use; amounting to greater than 70% efficiency, which otherwise may not be possible by other energy sources.

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

• Director-General of  CSIR: Shekhar C. Mande.

State News

2. CM Kamal Nath announces Bhopal metro will be named Raja Bhoj

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced that the metro rail in Bhopal will be named for Raja Bhoj.
• Raja Bhoj was an 11th-century ruler from the Parmar dynasty which once ruled the area.
• CM Kamal Nath laid the foundation stone of the Bhopal Metro Rail Project to be built at a cost of about Rs 6,941.4 crore rupees.

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

• Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

Agreement

3. PNB MetLife India Insurance Co. Ltd. ties-up with Religare Health Insurance

• PNB MetLife India Insurance Co. Ltd. has tied-up with Religare Health Insurance to offer a product which covers health, death and illness.
• The tie-up will offer additional earning opportunity for the life insurer’s distribution channel partners. The product will be a seamless integration exercise to ensure that it comes as a single policy to a customer.

4. DRDO and CUJ sign MoU to set up Kalam Centre for Science and Technology

• Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence and Central University of Jammu (CUJ) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of Kalam Centre for Science and Technology (KCST) at the university.
• The main objective of the MoU is to undertake and facilitate multidisciplinary directed basic and applied research and technology development in the identified research verticals namely Computational System Security and Sensors.
• The centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment leading to an increase in research scholars in these areas.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.
• Chairman of DRDO: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy; Headquarters: New Delhi; Founded: 1958.
• Motto of DRDO: “Strength’s Origin is in Science.

Appointments

5. Air Marshal HS Arora appointed new IAF Vice Chief

• Air Marshal HS Arora has been appointed as the Vice Chief of Indian Air Force. He will succeed Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria who will take over as the Chief of Air Staff.
• Air Marshal Arora is currently heading the Gandhinagar headquartered South Western Air Command of the Air Force. He was also deputed as Defence Attache at the Embassy of India, Bangkok, Thailand from 2006 to 2009.
• In another re-shuffle, Air Marshal B Suresh has been appointed as Western Air Commander of the Air Force, in New Delhi. Suresh will succeed Kargil war hero Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar.

Awards

6. Cochin International Airport wins award for passenger satisfaction

• Airport Council International has recognised Cochin International Airport Limited as the best airport in terms of services offered to passengers.
• As per the annual Airport Service Quality survey conducted by the ACI, CIAL was ranked amongst the best airports in the 5-15 million category in the Asia Pacific region for the year 2018.
• The award was presented to the authorities of Cochin International Airport at the second Annual ACI Customer Experience Global Summit held at Bali, Indonesia.
• ACI ASQ survey is world-renowned and established airport service quality benchmarking programme measuring passengers' satisfaction.

7. Infosys Bags UN Global Climate Action Award for 'Carbon Neutral Now' Category

• IT major Infosys has received the United Nations Global Climate Action Award in the 'Climate Neutral Now' category.
• Infosys is the only corporate from India to earn the recognition for its efforts to combat climate change.
• The announcement of the winners was made after the UN Climate Summit in New York convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
• The award will be presented to Infosys at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Chile (December 2019).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys: Salil Parekh.

Ranks and Reports

8. India ranked 44th in world digital competitiveness rankings

• India was ranked 44th in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2019 produced by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
• The US was ranked as the world's most digitally competitive economy, followed by Singapore in the second place.
• The center measured the capacity and readiness of 63 nations to adopt and explore digital technologies as a key driver for economic transformation in business, government and wider society.
• To evaluate an economy, WDCR examines 3 factors: Knowledge: the capacity to understand and learn the new technologies; technology: the competence to develop new digital innovations; and future readiness: the preparedness for the coming developments.

Sports

9. Rupa Gurunath appointed as first woman president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association

• Rupa Gurunath was appointed as the first woman president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) at the 87th Annual General Meeting of TNCA in Chennai, TamilNadu.
• With this appointment, she also became the first woman to head a state-level cricket body in the country.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• BCCI President: C.K. Khanna; Headquarter of BCCI: Mumbai.

Obituaries

10. The Owner of Britannia & Co Boman Rashid Kohinoor passes away

• Boman Rashid Kohinoor, senior partner at the iconic Britannia & Co restaurant (Mumbai) passed away. Boman Kohinoor’s father Rashid Kohinoor, a Zoroastrian immigrant from Iran started this restaurant on the south Mumbai, in the year 1923.

Daily updates 27 September 2019

National

1. Exhibition of India Tourism Mart 2019 inaugurated

• The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), inaugurated the exhibition of India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2019 in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) have jointly organized this Mart. Over 240 international delegates from 51 countries and 160 exhibitors from across the country are taking in the part in the second edition of ITM.
• The Mart will provide a platform at the national level for trade and hospitality service providers in the country to interact and conduct business with their counterparts from overseas.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge): Prahlad Singh Patel.

International

2. Japan Launches "World's Biggest Transport Space Ship" For Space Station

• Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station.
• The H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• The launch took place from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
• This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship. It intends to deliver about 5.3 tonnes of supplies to astronauts at the ISS.

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

• Japan Capital: Tokyo, Currency: Japanese yen, PM: Shinzo Abe.

State News

3. UP govt. announces ₹6,000 annual aid for triple talaq victims

• Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath announced an annual support of ₹6,000 to the victims of triple talaq till their rehabilitation and they will get free legal aid.
• The victims of triple talaq came under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) and govt also gives rights over waqf properties and also called for several welfare measures that should be undertaken for their rehabilitation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Governor of Uttar Pradesh: Anandiben Patel.

Agreement

4. Airtel Payments Bank partners with HDFC ERGO, launches innovative (MDPP)

• Airtel Payments Bank has joined hands with India’s leading private sector general insurance company, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company to offer unique Mosquito Diseases Protection Policy (MDPP) to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.
• Mosquito Disease Protection Policy offers cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases - Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and Zika virus.
• The product, which is a part of the 'Wallet Insurance Portfolio' of HDFC ERGO, will be offered to the remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank at a nominal cost of Rs 99 per annum.

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

• MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank: Anubrata Biswas.
• Headquarters of Airtel Payments Bank: New Delhi.

5. Facebook bags digital content rights for ICC matches in South Asia

• The International Cricket Council has inked an agreement with Facebook, under which the social media platform will get exclusive digital content rights for select cricket matches in the Indian subcontinent including the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020-22, Men’s T20 World Cup 2020-21 and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
• The social media platform also bagged the rights for match recaps for rest of the world for the next 4 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Chief Executive Officer of ICC: Manu Sawhney.

Schemes and Committees

6. Centre approves construction of 1.23 lakh houses under PMAY-Urban

• The Indian government has approved the construction of 1.23 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• The approval was given by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC). With this approval, over 90 lakh houses have so far been sanctioned against the target of 1.12 crore by 2022 under PMAY (Urban).

Awards

7. Payal Jangid becomes the first Indian to receive the Changemaker Award 2019

• Rajasthan’s Payal Jangid, aged 17, became the first Indian to receive the Changemaker Award 2019 at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards 2019.
• The Award was presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at a ceremony held in New York, United States. She is the President of her village’s Children’s Parliament (Bal Panchayat).
• She was awarded for her work towards the abolition of child marriage in her village and other neighbouring areas.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Governor: Kalraj Mishra.

Defence

8. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to be new Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee

• Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will take over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
• He succeeding Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retires from service by end of this month.
• The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most member is appointed its chairperson.
• The Chairman of COSC is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve a common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country.

Books and Authors

9. Pranab Mukherjee launches the book titled ‘Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy’

• Former president Pranab Mukherjee released a book named 'Reset: Regaining India's Economic Legacy'.
• The book was written by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that tracks the country's economic development over the years and offers solutions for future growth. The book has been published by Rupa Publications India.

Obituaries

10. 4-time Emmy Award winner J. Michael Mendel passes away

• American television producer & a four-time Emmy Award winner J. Michael Mendel passed away.
• He won three Emmys in 1995, 1997, and 1998 for “Lisa’s Wedding”, “Homer’s Phobia”, and “Trash of the Titans”.
• He joined Rick and Morty in 2013, where he won his 4th Emmy Award for the episode “Pickle Rick” in 2018.

11. Former French President Jacques Chirac passes away

• Former French President Jacques Chirac passed away. He was two-term French president (1995-2007) who was the first leader to acknowledge France’s role in the Holocaust and defiantly opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also served as the Prime Minister of France.

Important Days

12. World Tourism Day: 27 September

• The United Nations observes 27 September every year as World Tourism Day.
• The UN World Tourism Organization expects that tourism will continue to grow at an average of 3% annually until 2030.
• The sector also represents an estimated 10% of the world's GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally.
• UN World Tourism Organization organizes the special event every year on the occasion of World Tourism Day, and this year it will be held in New Delhi, India.
• Theme for 2019: Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future For All.

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.

Miscellaneous

13. Global Goals Jam 3.0 hosted by World University of Design

• World University of Design (WUD) hosted Global Goals Jam 3.0. The Indian edition of the global event focusing on design thinking and service design methodologies was hosted with the theme: eWaste.
• 70 participants from across India, divided into ten groups, participated in the workshop and presented their ideas and vision for the future.
• GGJ is an international platform for inclusive learning where people from all around the world contribute to the 17 global goals for sustainable development of UNDP by sharing their stories, projects, and visions for the future.

14. Bangladesh lifts ban on Hilsa export to India

• Bangladesh has lifted the ban on the exports of Hilsa fish to India as a goodwill gesture during the Durga Puja.
• Bangladesh will allow 500 tonnes of Hilsa fish for the occasion as a one time arrangement.
• Export of the popular Hilsa or 'Ilish' fish from Bangladesh was banned in 2012 after local business establishments called for controlling the price of fishes.
• Bangladesh accounts for nearly 75 percent of world Hilsa production and nearly 2 million people get direct and indirect employment from its cultivation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Daily updates 26 September 2019

National

1. ADB cuts India growth forecast to 6.5% for 2019-20

• The Asian Development Bank has slashed its growth forecast for India for fiscal  year 2019-20 to 6.5% from 7%.
• The bank lowered the growth rate because of weaker growth in the first quarter due to a slowdown in consumption and investment activities that hit manufacturing and service sectors.

State News

2. J&K becomes first state to issue highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat scheme

• Jammu and Kashmir has become the first state in the country to issue the highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
• Over 11 lakh golden cards have been generated within the first 90 days of the launch of the scheme with 60% of families having at least one golden card which is highest in the country.
• Under the scheme, 155 Hospitals including 126 public and 29 private hospitals have been empanelled to provide free and cashless treatment to the entitled beneficiaries while as per Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 6.30 lakh poor and vulnerable families of J&K are entitled to it.

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

• Satya Pal Malik is the present Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.

Appointment

3. IMF elects Bulgaria’s Kristalina Georgieva as its new chief

• Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva has been selected as the new Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. She will succeed Christine Lagarde.
• Kristalina Georgieva had previously served as the chief executive of the World Bank. She will also become the first person from an emerging economy to lead the IMF.

4. Adille Sumariwalla re-elected as member of IAAF Council

• Adille Sumariwalla has been elected as the member of the International Association of Athletics Federations council.
• He was elected for a 2nd 4 year term during the 52nd Congress of the sport’s world governing body. He is presently serving as the president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
• Britain’s Sebastian Coe was also re-elected unopposed as president of the IAAF for a 2nd term.

5. Visa appoints PV Sindhu as brand ambassador

• Payment technology company Visa announced that it has signed up world badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (PV Sindhu) as its brand ambassador for two years.
• Besides promoting the brand through advertising campaigns, Sindhu has also become an athlete member of Team Visa for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

6. EC appoints Madhuri Dixit as goodwill ambassador for Maharashtra Assembly polls

• Actor Madhuri Dixit has been chosen as "goodwill ambassador" by the Chief Electoral Office in Maharashtra to create awareness among people about the importance of voting.
• She will be seen in a video titled 'Let's Vote" speaking about the democratic process and role of voters in the development of the country.

Defence

7. 23rd edition of “Malabar 2019” naval joint exercise of India, US and Japan

• The 23rd edition of the trilateral maritime exercise of India, Japan and the United States(US) named “Malabar 2019” exercise begun at Sasebo, Japan.
• India fields 6,100-tonne stealth frigate Indian Navy Ship(INS) Sahyadri, anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan along with the first-time deployment of Poseidon-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
• The United States fields Arleigh Burke-class destroyer United States Ship (USS) McCampbell, amphibious warship USS Green Bay and a Los Angeles class nuclear fast attack submarine, while Japan fields 27,000-tonne Izumo-class helicopter carrier JS Kaga, destroyer Samidare and cruiser Chokai.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

Science and Technology

8. India International Science Festival to be held in Kolkata

• The 5th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) will be held in Kolkata from November 5-8. IISF is the largest science festival in the world.
• The focus will be on youth to inspire and motivate them to learn real science in motion. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘RISEN India - Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.
• The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research and the Ministry of Earth Sciences are major government sponsoring bodies for the event.
• The IISF will also host 28 different events such as Agriculture Scientists’ Meet, Vigyan Samagam, Young Scientists Conference, Vigyanika-International Science Literature Festival, International Science Film Festival of India.

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

• Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan.

Schemes and Committees

9. Assam Govt launches "Aponar Apon Ghar" scheme

• The Assam Government has launched a housing loan subsidy scheme "Aponar Apon Ghar". The scheme was launched to provide financial assistance on purchase or construction of the first house for a family.
• The subsidy of up to Rs 250000 will be provided for loan amounts from Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 40,00,000. The above scheme is meant for the loan sanctioned in this financial year. The initiative is expected to provide impetus to the economy and led to the expansion of real estate in the state.
• The state government also launched education loan interest subsidy wherein subsidy will be provided to children who have availed education loan for pursuing higher education. The one time subsidy will be of Rs 50,000.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Assam Capital: Dispur; CM: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

Books and Authors

10. 'Professor Ayushman’ comic book released by Ayush Ministry in New Delhi

• A new comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’ conceived by the National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB) was unveiled by the Ayush ministry in New Delhi.
• This book will raise awareness in children about the importance of medicinal plants and their usage. This book is available for free and could be bought by schools approaching NMPB.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Shripad Yesso Naik.

Sports

11. Advani-Mehta pair wins "IBSF World Snooker" title

• The Indian team of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta to win the "IBSF World Snooker" title.
• India defeated Thailand in the team event to emerge World champions in the IBSF World snooker team event held in Mandalay, Myanmar.

12. P.T. Usha honoured with IAAF Veteran Pin

• Indian track and field legend P. T. Usha was presented the Veteran Pin by the world athletics governing body, in recognition of her contribution to the growth of the sport.
• International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe presented her the Veteran Pin during the 52nd IAAF Congress.
• P. T. Usha won five gold medals 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay besides a bronze at the 1985 Asian Games in Jakarta.
• Her most memorable performance came in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she became the first Indian to reach the finals of the 400m hurdles but lost the bronze by one-hundredth of a second.

Obituaries

13. Telugu actor Venu Madhav passes away

• Telugu film actor Venu Madhav passed away. He was popular as a mimicry artist.
• He entered the film industry through the film ‘Sampradayam’ directed by SV Krishna Reddy in 1997.
• His other popular films include ‘Toli Prema’, ‘Dil’, ‘Laxmi’, ‘Simhadri’, ‘Chathrapathi’. His last film was Rudramadevi’.

Important Days

14. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: 26 September

• The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
• The day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority.
• It provides an opportunity to educate the public - and their leaders - about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.

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.

15. World Maritime Day: 26 September

• The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the World Maritime Day.
• This year the theme for the day is: Empowering women in the maritime community.
• The theme for this years' World Maritime Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and to highlight the important yet under-utilized contribution of women within the maritime sector.

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.

Miscellaneous

16. Agriculture Minister launches CHC Farm Machinery and KrishiKisan App

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched 2 mobile apps named CHC Farm Machinery and KrishiKisan App for geotagging purposes in for easy access of technical agricultural equipment at farmers’ doorstep.
• The government launched a multilingual app-based service CHC Farm Machinery for Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs). This service will facilitate local farmers with the use of shared resources including tractors and other farm machinery at affordable prices.
• Through KrishiKisan App, the farmer will be provided with information about high-yielding crops and seeds in their nearby area. It helps in geo-tagging and geo-fencing of crop and also gives weather forecast messages to farmers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers: Narendra Singh Tomar.

Dell launches new laptops in india

The festival season is right around the corner and Dell has perked up its laptop portfolio with the launch of several new XPS, Inspiron, and Alienware gaming laptops in India. It even upgraded its all-in-one (AIO) desktops at the event in New Delhi, rounding up to a total of 12 new products. Dell has now equipped most of its laptops with the latest 10th-Gen Intel Core processors, so let's take a look at the new laptops.

Dell XPS Lineup

Kicking off the show with the new XPS 13 and XPS 15, Dell has packed into its premium laptops an Ultra-HD (4K) OLED screen - where the former houses a 13.3-inch panel and the latter a 15.6-inch panel. The Dell XPS 13 is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processors, paired with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD storage. And it is awesome.

Dell XPS 15, on the other hand, is sticking to 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK processors. This will be coupled with up to 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and well, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650 graphics - which is absent on the former.

Dell isn't making both of these Dell XPS laptops available right away. Dell XPS 15 is now available to purchase at Rs. 1,66,990 whereas XPS 13 will go on sale on October 2. The price for the XPS 13 has been set at Rs 1,13,990.

Inspiron Lineup

Dell has updated its complete Inspiron lineup including the Inspiron 13, Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 15. Let's start with the star of the lineup - the Inspiron 13 2-in-1 convertible. It features a 13.3-inch Full-HD touchscreen display and is powered by the 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processor, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. The laptop doesn't have additional graphics memory but supports stylus input.

Talking about the Inspiron 14, it comes in 2 different variants - one with Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics memory (2GB of VRAM) and one without. It features a 14-inch full-HD display and is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processor, which is then paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD storage.

Finally, Inspiron 15 5000, as the name should tell you, features a 15.6-inch Full-HD LCD anti-glare display with thinner bezels than before. It is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, coupled with up to 20GB of RAM, 1TB of HDD, 512GB of SSD, and optional Nvidia GeForce MX230 graphics.

As for the pricing and availability, Dell Inspiron 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 5000 are already available to purchase starting at Rs 57,990 and Rs 41,990 respectively. Inspiron 14 7000 and the sleek Inspiron 13 2-in-1 convertible will go on sale from 2nd October at starting prices of Rs 86,890 and Rs 90, 290 respectively. Another variant of the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 will go on sale starting from 11th October at a starting price of Rs. 42,990.

Alienware Lineup

Dell has also launched a couple of new Alienware gaming laptops in India as well. These include the Alienware m15 R2 and Dell G3 (3590). The former sports a 15-inch Ultra-HD OLED display and is powered by up to 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK processor, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD, and 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics memory.

Dell G3, on the other hand, brings along a 15.6-inch Full-HD display instead of the high-resolution 4K panel we see on the Alienware laptop. It's powered by up to 9th-Gen Intel Core i7-9750HQ processors, paired with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB HDD, 512GB PCIe SSD (solid-state drive), and up to 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti graphics memory.

Both of these gaming machines are now on sale in the country. While the Dell G3 (3590) has a more affordable Rs. 70,900 price tag, you would have to shell out a whopping Rs. 1,88,490 for the Alienware m15 R2.

Dell Inspiron AIO

In addition, Dell also launched two all-in-one desktop PCs in India as well. These include the Inspiron 24 5000 (5490) AIO and Inspiron 27 7000 (7790) AIO. While the former is packing a smaller 23.8-inch Full-HD panel, the latter packs a 27-inch panel of the same resolution. And that's the only major difference between the two.

Both of them are powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processors, coupled with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB HDD and 512GB NVMe SSD storage. There's also Nvidia's GeForce MX110 graphics card onboard to handle some graphics-intensive tasks. Talking about price and availability, well, Inspiron 24 5000 is priced starting at Rs. 59,990 and Inspiron 27 7000 is priced starting at Rs. 99,990. Exciting, right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Daily updates 25 September 2019

                               National

1. PM Modi Inaugurates Gandhi Solar Park at UN Headquarters

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 50 kilowatt 'Gandhi Solar Park' at the UN headquarters. 
• PM Modi and other leaders also released a commemorative postage stamp of Mahatma Gandhi, at the programme ''Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World'' at the UN headquarters.
• The event was hosted to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, which will underline the continuing relevance of Gandhian thoughts and values in today's world.

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

• Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• The UN Headquarters in New York, United States.

2. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates India Water Week, 2019

• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the sixth ''India Water Week-2019'' being organised with the theme of ''Water cooperation-coping with 21st-century challenge' at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The President emphasised on the need to store and capture the rainwater by utilizing existing reservoirs, dams, other water bodies.

3. Earthquake strikes in Pakistan & India (J&K) Border region

• As per the Indian Meteorological Department, Earthquake hits the Pakistan-India border region at around 4:31 PM on 24th September 2019. The earthquake was of the magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale and a depth of 40 km.

Banking

4. RBI places withdrawal curbs on depositors of PMC Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank, under which the depositors cannot withdraw more than Rs 1,000 from their accounts.
• The depositors will be allowed to withdraw a sum not exceeding Rs 1,000 of the total balance in every savings bank account or current account or any other deposit account.
• The curbs will remain for six months. PMC Bank has also been barred from making fresh loans and taking deposits.
• PMC Bank is a multi-State scheduled urban co-operative bank with operations in the states of Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Appointment

5. Kotak AMC MD Nilesh Shah appointed as new AMFI chairman

• Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Asset Management Company (AMC), has been appointed as the new chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
• He will replace the Managing Director, and CEO of ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company, Nimesh Shah.
• The AMFI also elected Saurabh Nanavati, Chief Executive Officer, Invesco Mutual Fund as the vice-chairman of AMFI, for a period of one year.
• AMFI was incorporated on August 22, 1995, as a non-profit organisation. As of now, all the 44 asset management companies that are registered with Sebi, are its members.

6. Godavarthi Venkata appointed as next Indian Ambassador to Guinea Bissau

• Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guinea Bissau.
• He will succeed Partha Satpathy. A 1993 batch-IFS officer, Srinivas is presently the country's Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal.

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

• President of Guinea Bissau: Jose Mario Vaz.
• Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau: Aristides Gomes.
• Capital of Guinea Bissau: Bissau.
• Currency of Guinea Bissau: West African CFA franc.

7. Kim Ji-Hyun steps down as National Women’s badminton coach

• National women’s badminton coach Kim Ji-Hyun has stepped down from her post of National women’s coach of India.
• She has played a vital role in helping P.V. Sindhu win the 2019 badminton World Championship gold.
• As a result she is unlikely to be with the Indian team ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as per her contract.

Agreements

8. SBI Life Insurance signs corporate agency pact with Repco Home Finance

• SBI Life Insurance has signed a corporate agency agreement with city-based Repco Home Finance Ltd to offer the company’s range of products to RHFL customers.
• According to the agreement, the partnership would see over 148 branches and 27 satellite centres of RHFL spread across the country to offer SBI Life Insurance products to its customers.

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

• Chairperson of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; Headquarter: Mumbai; Founded: 1 July 1955.

Awards

9. PM Narendra Modi receives Global Goalkeeper Award

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the 2019 Global Goalkeeper Award.
• He received the award for Swachh Bharat Mission from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014, aims to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage in the country.
• Global Goalkeeper Award is a "special recognition" by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• The award celebrates a political leader who has "demonstrated their commitment to the Global Goals through impactful work in their country.

10. Adam Harper to get SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019

• The SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to Adam Harper. Mathematician Adam Harper is an Assistant Professor with the University of Warwick, England.
• The prize is conferred annually on mathematicians from across the world who are less than 32 years of age and working in an area influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. The prize carries a citation and an award of $10,000.
• The award was instituted in 2005 and awarded by SASTRA University on its campus near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

11. Amitabh Bachchan to be honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke award

• The country’s highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke award, will be presented this year to Amitabh Bachchan.
• This award is given for his outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
• The Dadasaheb Phalke award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), a shawl and a cash prize of ₹1,000,000.
• The award very appropriately comes in the year that marks Mr Bachchan’s golden jubilee in cinema. He made his debut in 1969 with Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’ Saat Hindustani.
• Mr Bachchan has been honoured with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
• Dadasaheb Phalke award was introduced by the government in 1969 to commemorate the “father of Indian cinema” who directed Raja Harischandra (1913), India's first feature film, and it was awarded for the first time to Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema”.

Defence

12. India-US Tri-Services ''Exercise Tiger Triumph'' to be held in November

• India and the United States are set to hold their first tri-services exercise code-named "Tiger Triumph" at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh in November this year.
• The plan for this exercise was discussed during the Final Planning Conference (FPC) for India-US Tri-Services Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) concluded at Headquarters Eastern Naval Command.
• For the first time, the US and India will be holding the tri-service military exercise. India earlier conducted such tri-service exercise with Russia.
• The announcement for the ‘Tiger Triumph’ was made by US President Donald Trump during the ‘Howdy Modi!’ event in America.

13. Ponung Doming becomes Arunachal's first woman Lieutenant Colonel

• Army officer Ponung Doming became the first woman officer from Arunachal Pradesh to be elevated to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army.
• She was commissioned into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant in 2008. She was promoted as a Major in 2013.
• She is currently posted in Pune, Maharashtra. She had completed her graduation in civil engineering. She served the UN Peacekeeping force in Congo in 2014.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat.

14. ICGS 'Varaha' commissioned by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has formally commissioned the Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel 'Varaha' at the Chennai Port Trust.
• The vessel includes Integrated Bridge System, automated power management system, high power external firefighting system, indigenously built Integrated Platform Management System and help traversing system.
• The ship also carries four high speed boats including two rigid hull inflated boats for boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol.

Schemes and Committees

15. Union Home Minister launches 'Private Security Agency Licensing Portal'

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has launched a single-window system 'Private Security Agency Licensing Portal'. The single-window system will be used for issuing licences to private security agencies.
• The portal will be available in several Indian languages within 90 days and more facilities will be added to it on a later stage.
• The online system will enable authorities in states and UTs to e-search criminal antecedents for verification of character and other antecedents of applicants through CCTNS before giving licences for private security agencies and employees/guards.

Sports

16. Indian chess player Koneru Hampi wins the Skolkova Fides Grand Prix title 2019

• Indian chess grandmaster, Koneru Hampi of Gudivada ( Andhra Pradesh) has clinched Fide World Grand Prix 2019 title with 8 points from 11 rounds in Skolkovo, Russia.
• In the final round, Hampi just needs to play a draw for the title. The advantage she has in the final round is that have to play white pieces against the defending world champion Wenjun Xu of China. While other Indian, D Harika secured the sixth place with 5 points.

17. Manipur wins Senior Women’s National Football Championship

• Manipur defeated Railways by 1-0 to win the Senior Women’s National Football Championship held in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. This was Manipur's 20th National title.
• Bala Devi emerged as the highest scorer of the tournament, with 21 goals from 6 matches, while Panthoi Chanu was named the best goalkeeper. Both players represented Manipur in the championship.

Daily updates 24 September 2019

State News

1. Pink tickets for women for free travel in DTC and cluster buses

• Pink tickets will be issued to women passengers under the Delhi government's scheme for free travel in DTC and cluster buses which was approved by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) board.
• The scheme has been approved till March 2020 and it will be rolled out on Bhai Dooj on October 29. Women travelling in DTC and cluster buses will be given pink tickets having a face value of ₹10 each.
• The government will then reimburse the transporter based on the number of such tickets issued.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal; Lt. Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.

Agreements

2. Wipro ties up with FEBRABAN to develop online business platform

• Wipro, the Bengaluru-based software services provider has tied up with Febraban, an industry body representing the Brazil’s financial services industry.
• Wipro will develop an online platform "Noomis" for the financial services industry in Brazil.
• Noomis will serve as a meeting point and a discussion platform for the finance professionals in Brazil who will participate in CIAB, an information technology trade show for financial services organized by FEBRABAN.
• Noomis will provide reliable, analytical, and unbiased information via news reports, videos, and newsletters that will enable participants to stay up to date on financial market trends.

3. Airtel, Bharti AXA Life tie up to offer pre-paid plan with term cover

• Bharti Airtel has tied up with Bharti AXA Life Insurance to offer a pre-paid plan with insurance protection cover for its customers, as part of its strategy to leverage the deep penetration of mobile services to build a financially secure India.
• Airtel has come up with an innovative ₹599 pre-paid bundle with offers ₹4 lakh life insurance cover from Bharti AXA Life Insurance. The recharge comes with a validity of 84 days, and the insurance cover continues automatically for three months with every recharge.

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

• MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank: Anubrata Biswas.
• Headquarters of Airtel Payments Bank: New Delhi.

4. Paisalo Digital and Bank of Maharashtra sign agreement to co-origination of loan

• Paisalo Digital has signed its co-origination loan agreement with the Bank of Maharashtra. This is Company's second Co-origination Agreement with any Bank, before Bank of Maharashtra, the company has already signed a co-origination loan agreement with State Bank of India.

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

• CEO of Bank of Maharashtra:  A. S. Rajeev.

Awards

5. Ravish Kumar receives Gauri Lankesh National Award for Journalism

• Senior journalist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, Ravish Kumar has received the 1st Gauri Lankesh National Award for Journalism.
• The award was conferred by the Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust. The award was presented to him by freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy.
• Three books, Neera Nade by Vinaya Okkunda, Dehali Nota by D. Umapathy, and Maatige Enu Kadime, a translation of Mr. Kumar’s The Free Voice by Harshakumar Kugwe, were released on the occasion.

6. Sonu Nigam bags Magnificent Performing Arts Award in UK

• Popular Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam has been honoured with the Magnificent Performing Arts Award at the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London.
• The 21st Century Icon Awards are the brainchild of UK-based Indian-origin entrepreneurs Tarun Ghulati and Preeti Rana, co-founders of Squared Watermelon Ltd.

7. Best Fifa Football Awards 2019

• The "Best Fifa Football Awards 2019" felicitated in Milan. Barcelona's Lionel Messi won the best men's player at the Best Fifa Football Awards in Milan.
• It is the 6th time Messi has been voted the world's best men's player after winning it in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.

The complete list of awards is as follows:

• Best Men's Player Award: Lionel Messi
• Best Women's Player Award: Megan Rapinoe
• Men's Coach of the Year: Jurgen Klopp
• Women's Coach of the Year: Jill Ellis
• Best Men's Goalkeeper: Alisson
• Best Women's Goalkeeper: Sari van Veenendaal
• Fair Play Award: Marcelo Bielsa and the Leeds United squad
• Puskas Award for the Best Goal: Daniel Zsori
• FIFA Fan Award: Silvia Grecco

Business

8. SEBI penalises Aurobindo Pharma and promoters for insider trading

• Securities and Exchange Board of India has imposed a penalty of over Rs 22 crore on Aurobindo Pharma and its promoters. They have been penalised for violating insider trading norms.
• The regulator had conducted an investigation into the trading in the scrip of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.
• SEBI found that these entities purchased shares while in possession of the UPSI pertaining to Aurobindo, and made unlawful gains from having purchased its shares at a lower price before the publication of the unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Headquarter of SEBI: Mumbai; Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi.

Sports

9. Sebastian Vettel wins F1 Singapore Grand Prix

• Ferrari Sebastian Vettel has won the Singapore Grand Prix. The event was held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore.
• Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished the race at 2nd and 3rd position respectively.

10. Divij Sharan bags St. Petersburg Open doubles title

• Indian tennis player Divij Sharan clinched the men's doubles title in ATP Tour tennis tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia. Divij Sharan Open with partner Igor Zelenay, defeating Matteo Berrettini and Simone Bolelli 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.

11. Daniil Medvedev won St Petersburg Open title

• Daniil Medvedev won a sixth career title as he defeated Borna Coric 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the St Petersburg Open, Russia. World number four Medvedev, who since July has reached five finals in as many tournaments, won his third title of the year and sixth of his career.

12. Carolina Marin lifts China Open title

• Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin defeated Taiwan's Tai Tzu Ying 14-21, 21-17, 21-18 in the women's badminton singles final match to lift the China Open title.
• She is returning to the court after eight months as she had knee surgery. She missed the BWF World Championships which concluded last month in Basel, Switzerland.

13. Malvika Bansod wins the Maldives International Future Series

• Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod has won the Maldives International Future Series held in Maldives. She defeated Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar by 21-13, 21-11 to win the Maldives International Future Series.
• Also, Vaibhav and Prakash Raj claimed the men’s doubles title after beating Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul by 21-16 and 21-15.

14. Nelly Korda wins LET title at Ladies French Open

• Nelly Korda has won the Ladies European Tour Title at Lacoste Ladies French Open. She shot a four-under 67 to win her first Ladies European Tour title.
• India’s Aditi Ashok was the best Indian at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France as she shot even par 71 in the final round to finish at 26th.

Important Days

15. International Day of Sign Languages: 23 September

• The United Nations General Assembly observes 23 September every year as the International Day of Sign Languages.
• The day is recognised to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
• It also recognizes the importance of preserving sign languages as part of linguistic and cultural diversity.
• The first International Day of Sign languages was celebrated in 2018.
• The theme of day for 2019: Sign Language Rights for All!

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.

Obituaries

16. Former Indian Cricketer Madhav Apte passes away

• Former Indian cricketer Madhav Apte passed away. He has played 67 first-class matches, scored 3336 runs, with six centuries and 16 half-centuries. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on November 1952 and played his last test against West Indies at Kingston in April 1953.

17. Ex-PTI correspondent B R Vats, who covered 1st LS polls, passes away

• Bhagat Ram Vats a former PTI senior correspondent passed away. He travelled extensively with first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and covered the country's maiden Lok Sabha polls for 14 years, covering his activities in India and abroad, especially his election tours in 1952, 1957 and 1962.
• He started his career with The Statesman, New Delhi, and later joined the Press Trust of India.

Daily updates 22 and 23 September 2019

National

1. Maharashtra, Haryana Assembly Elections held on 21st October

• Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) Election 2019 Date, Scheduled on 21st October, while counting of votes will be held on October 24.
• Both Maharashtra and Haryana are the first states to go to polls after the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the two states. Maharashtra, which has a total of 288 assembly seats. Whereas, in Haryana has 90 assembly seats.

State News

2. Actor Govinda appointed as the brand ambassador of Madhya Pradesh

• Madhya Pradesh government will appoint filmstar Govinda as brand ambassador to promote the state’s traditions and tourist places.
• It is Kamal Nath government’s intention that the message about the state’s traditions and tourist destinations should reach the masses.
• The government also has plans to set up a film city in the state and plans to promote Madhya Pradesh as a destination for film making.

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

• Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

Appointment

3. Madhukar Kamath elected as chairman of the ABC (2019-20)

• Madhukar Kamath was elected as the chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2019-20.
• He will replace Hormusji N Cama. He presently served as the chairman emeritus of DDB Mudra group and mentor of Interbrand India.
• He has also been the president of Advertising Agencies Association of India.

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

• ABC established: 1948; Headquarters: Mumbai.

4. CBDT sets up NeAC & appoints KM Prasad as first Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax of NeAC

• Central Board of Direct Tax(CBDT) has newly set up National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) in Delhi.
• The initiative is a part of government efforts to reduce human discretion in assessments and scrutiny, which in turn will eliminate possibilities of corruption, by leveraging new technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, video conferencing, telecommunication application software and mobile applications.
• CBDT has also appointed 1984 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Krishna Mohan Prasad as the first Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax of NeAC.
• The Centre will have 16 officials and will be headed by a Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax (PCCIT) as its chief.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• CBDT Established: 1944; Chairman: Pramod Chandra Mody.

Agreements

5. Max Bupa and Indian Bank signed bancassurance tie-up for health insurance solutions

• Indian Bank has signed a bancassurance agreement with a standalone health insurance player, Max Bupa to provide Max Bupa's suite of health insurance products to its customers.
• Under the agreement, Max Bupa will provide comprehensive health insurance solutions and services to over 40 million customers of Indian Bank spread across 2800 branch network, through a slew of digital touchpoints.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• MD & CEO of Max Bupa: Ashish Mehrotra.
• MD & CEO of Indian Bank: Padmaja Chunduru.

Awards

6. 71st Emmy Awards 2019 declared

The 71st annual primetime Emmy Awards honours handed out at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Here is the complete list of Winners of EMMY AWARDS 2019:

Sl. No.	Category	Winner
1.	OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES	Game of Thrones (HBO)
2.	OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES	Fleabag (Amazon)
3.	LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA	Billy Porter, Pose

Check Complete list of Emmy Awards 2019...Click Here

7. Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Gully Boy’ India’s official entry to Oscars 2020

• The Film Federation of India (FFI) has chosen ‘Gully Boy’ as India’s official entry to the Oscars.
• “Gully Boy”, produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar and directed by Zoya Akhtar’, featured Ranveer as an up-and-coming rapper who sets out to achieve his dream by rhyming about his life on the Mumbai streets.
• Assamese film “Village Rockstars”, directed by Rima Das, was India’s official submission to the Oscars last year.

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

•  President of Film Federation of India: Firdausul Hasan

8. Kerala Tourism receives three PATA Gold Awards

• Kerala Tourism has won three prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards in Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan.
• The awards are given for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom(Kerala) under its Responsible Tourism(RT) mission, the second one for Kerala tourism campaign advertisement ‘Come Out and Play’ and the third one was for its website www.keralatourism.org. This year(2019), Kerala Tourism won the highest number of PATA awards in the South Asia region.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Capital of Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram; Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.
• Chief Minister of Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan

Sports

9. Rahul Aware wins bronze in 61 kg free-style category at World C’ship

• Indian wrestler Rahul Aware has won a bronze medal in men's 61-kilogram freestyle category at the World Championship in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• He beat 17th seeded American Tyler Lee Graff 11-4 to ensure he finished on the podium. It was India’s fifth medal at this edition of the World Championships with a total haul of 1 silver and 4 bronzes.

10. Amit Panghal settles with historic silver in World Championships

• Amit Panghal settled for the silver medal at World Boxing Championships after he lost to Uzbekistan's Shakhobidin Zoirov 3-2 in the 52kg category final.
• He became the first Indian male pugilist to win a silver in World Championships at Ekaterinburg in Russia.

Obituaries

11. Veteran actor and multi-faceted artiste S.K. Padmadevi passes away

• Veteran actor and multi-faceted artiste S.K. Padmadevi passed away. she was part of the first Kannada talkie film ‘Bhakta Dhruva’ (1934).
• She also starred in ‘Samsara Nouke’, first Kannada social film (1936).
• She was the recipient of R. Nagendra Rao award for lifetime achievement by Karnataka Chalanchitra Academy in 2016.

12. Veteran American Journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert S Boyd passes away

• Noted American Journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Skinner Boyd passed away.
• He shared a 1973 Pulitzer Prize with colleague Clark Hoyt for coverage of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton's exit from the campaign due to mental health issues.
• He worked as the Washington bureau chief of Knight Ridder for 20 years, once the nation’s 2nd -largest newspaper chain with properties like The Philadelphia Inquirer and Miami Herald.

Miscellaneous

13. Ladakhi Shondol dance creates history by entering into Guinness book of records

• Shondol dance, which is known as the royal dance of Ladakh, has created history by entering into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Ladakhi dance.
• Shondol is a famous dance, which artistes used to perform for the king of Ladakh.
• The event was held on the concluding day of the ongoing Buddhist carnival Naropa festival near the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh.
• As many as 408 women attired in traditional dresses and beautiful headgears performed the dance, which broke the previous record of 299 artists dance of Shondol in the 2018 festival.