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.