Live updates 12 June 2020 India

Coronavirus Live Updates: Total number of positive cases in Maharashtra crosses 1 lakh mark

Total number of cases now stands at 1,01,141 after 3,493 positive cases were reported today. Total death toll stands at 3,717.

09:29 PM

10 additional flights between India & USA under Vande Bharat Mission phase 3 will be operated between 20th June & 3rd July. 4 each from/to NewYork & Washington and one each from/to San Francisco & Chicago. Bookings will open only on Air India website, on 13th June from 6 pm IST.

- Air India

08:55 PM

Lockdown to be imposed in Dehradun on Saturdays and Sundays, will further order, in the wake of rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases. Essential services to remain exempted from the lockdown: Dehradun District Magistrate Dr Ashish Kumar Srivastav, Uttarakhand

08:27 PM

An Assistant Sub Inspector of Police, who was admitted to a hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, died today.

- Delhi Police

08:27 PM

With the spike of 366 new COVID-19 positive cases, the total number of positive cases in Haryana rise to 6334: State Health Department

08:26 PM

India permits entry of certain categories of foreigners, including Overseas Citizens of India, into country amid COVID-19 curbs: Officials

08:22 PM

Railway Protection Force, Pune today launched a robot ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN'

ANI

✔@ANI

Railway Protection Force, Pune today launched ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’, a robot to screen passengers while they board trains: Central Railways #COVID19

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8:05 PM - Jun 12, 2020

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08:21 PM

495 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 31 deaths have been reported in Gujarat in the last 24 hours. State tally rises to 22,562 including 15,501 cured/discharged and 1416 deaths: State Health Department

08:13 PM

Covid-19 cases in India cross 3 lakh mark

08:04 PM

Goa detects 46 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of positive cases to 463

08:02 PM

A total of 47,793 people have been discharged from after making a full recovery from COVID-19, out of this 1718 were discharged today.

- Maharashtra health department

08:02 PM

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra crosses 1 Lakh, stands at 1,01,141 after 3493 positive cases were reported today. Total death toll stands at 3717 out of which 127 were reported today.

07:49 PM

Assam-68 new COVID-19 cases reported in Assam today. Total cases now at 3,498

07:42 PM

We were testing only around 10,000-20,000 people per day about 6 weeks ago, now we are testing almost 1.5 lakh people per day and this number is going up every day.

- Dr. Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

07:41 PM

There are some anti-viral drugs which are being used, one of them is 'Remdesivir' that is being made by a company from US. Data suggests that it helps to decrease hospital stay but it doesn't show benefit as far as death or mortality benefit is concerned.

- AIIMS Director

07:30 PM

AIIMS Director says Delhi needs to increase the capacity to manage increasing load that is coming

Number of cases in Delhi may not be as high as predicted but still whatever be the number, we've to increase our capacity so that we can manage increasing load that healthcare system is going to get: AIIMS Director on Delhi Dy CM's statement 'by 31 July, 5.5 lakh cases are expected'

07:27 PM

AIIMS Director says India at 4th rank in Covid cases due to population

Although India has gone up to the 4th rank as far as COVID19 cases are concerned, we've to accept that it is because of the population we have. If we look at the number of cases per million population, we still are very low in terms of number of cases: Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

07:25 PM

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the incident where 14 bodies were dragged on road

"I am anguished by the callous manner in which 14 bodies were dragged on road. I took to writing to the Chief Secretary & Home Secretary. Home Secretary has responded. His response is virtually an admission that the protocol was not in place.""These 14 bodies had come from a hospital morgue & were patients at one point of time. Each patient will have a history when he breathed last, none of that is being revealed. It's my obligation to thoroughly probe the matter & make it transparently apparent to the people."

07:07 PM

99 cases & 4 deaths reported in Punjab today.

The total number of positive cases in the state is now 2986 including 641 active cases and 2282 recovered patients. Death toll stands at 63.

07:01 PM

A penalty of Rs 100 will be levied if any person is found not wearing a face mask in Chhattisgarh: State Minister Ravindra Choubey

07:01 PM

UK economy takes 25% hit from COVID-19, recovery seen slow

06:53 PM

Tamil Nadu Covid-19 tally crosses 40,000

1982 new cases of Coronavirus reported in the state today.1479/1982 cases are from Chennai.1342 patients discharged today with 18 new Covid-19 deaths.Total tally: 40,698 cases, 22,047 discharged, 367 deaths.

06:47 PM

Uttar Pradesh records 20 more COVID deaths, biggest single-day spike of 528 cases

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 20 more coronavirus deaths528 fresh cases were reported, this is the biggest single-day spike so farThe death toll in the state now is 365 with the coronavirus tally reaching 12,616.

06:25 PM

Punjab CM approves weekend & holiday curbs, says tough measures necessary to save lives

All non-essential shops to remain closed on Sundays, close by 5 PM on SaturdaysNo inter-district movement except for essential/medical needs, marriage functions allowed with e-passes for 50 persons

06:11 PM

Pakistan reports 6,397 new COVID-19 cases

06:05 PM

Uttarakhand reports 37 new COVID-19 cases, total count of cases goes up to 1,692

05:51 PM

May food inflation at 9.28%, government withholds headline CPI growth on lack of data

05:24 PM

Movement of people strictly prohibited between 9 pm and 5 am across country, except for essential activities during 'Unlock 1'

- MHA

05:19 PM

Temple employee tests positive for COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh; devotees barred for two days

05:08 PM

India's virus cases now 4th highest in world

India's coronavirus caseload, overtook Britain, by adding 10,956 new cases in yet another biggest spike.India's two-month lockdown kept transmissions low but in a large population, people remain susceptible.The campaign against the virus is likely to go on for months, said Balram Bhargava, DG of the ICMR.The spiking caseload came after India allowed the reopening of shops, shopping malls, factories and religious places.

04:57 PM

Karnataka's Udupi, Yadgir among emerging districts of concern for COVID-19 in country

The Centre has identified Karnataka's Udupi and Yadgir among the "emerging districts of concern" for COVID-19.There was a sudden spurt of cases due to Maharashtra returnees turning positive, a top state official told PTI

04:47 PM

China has reported 10 new coronavirus cases, including two more confirmed infections in Beijing,

04:46 PM

J Radhakrishnan brought back as TN Health Secy

Tamil Nadu government has transferred out Beela Rajesh and brought back her predecessor J Radhakrishnan as health secretaryRadhakrishnan had a long stint helming the department and hands on experience in tackling crisis situations.This comes against the backdrop of the state recording 1,500 plus fresh virus cases on a daily basis

04:45 PM

UK's industrial output sees largest monthly fall of 20.3 per cent in April

04:39 PM

448 new cases have been reported in Nepal in last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the country to 5062, including 16 deaths.

04:38 PM

Delhi housing society buys oxygen concentrators

ANI

✔@ANI

Delhi: Residents’ Welfare Association of G-17 in Paschim Vihar has purchased three oxygen concentrators. Society's President Lokesh Munjal says, "In view of rising number of #COVID19 cases in Delhi, we've purchased the machines to provide free oxygen to the needy in the society".

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4:22 PM - Jun 12, 2020

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04:36 PM

Thailand has eased more coronavirus restrictions and has ended curfew.

04:34 PM

Substandard hand sanitisers readily available in market, researchers say

An international team of researchers has warned the public to beware of sub-standard hand sanitisers.These might appear similar to hand disinfectants, but purchasers are often unaware that such products cannot ensure disinfection.They discourage the public from buying hand sanitisers from unknown or unreliable e-commerce sitesIn an article in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, they have also provided "recipes" for making good hand sanitising gels

04:30 PM

Govt mulls including sudden loss of taste, smell as criteria for COVID-19 test: report

The government is mulling to include sudden loss of taste and smell as a criteria for COVID-19 testing, sources told PTIThe issue was discussed in a meeting of the National Task Force on COVID-19 held last SundaNo consensus on the matter has been reached yet.Some experts believe that it could be one of the early signs of the onset of the disease.The symptom though is not specific to COVID-19; one may suffer loss of smell and taste when they have flu

04:25 PM

Ramping up bed capacity should be topmost priority: L-G

Lt Governor Anil Baijal has said ramping up bed capacity and medical resources should be the topmost priority in handling the COVID-19 situationThis is to ensure that a surge in coronavirus cases does not overwhelm the city's healthcare system, he said.The L-G's comments came after CM Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi would need 1.5 lakh beds by July 31

04:22 PM

Uttarakhand reported three more deaths of COVID-19 patients and 37 fresh cases, taking the tally in the state to 1,692.

04:03 PM

Some television news channels and social media platforms are speaking about lockdown being reimposed and closure of all shops. But the government has not taken any such decision.

- Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra CM

03:54 PM

The Supreme Court has reacted strongly to Arvind Kejriwal's failure. Delhi's truth is out in front of us. Kejriwal is a failure.

- Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson

02:31 PM

Beijing city govt has reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the second consecutive day of new infections

02:14 PM

Supreme Court allows Tamil Nadu Government to find out the ways and means to sell liquor, whether online or at physical outlets.

02:13 PM

Delhi High Court orders interim release of pending salaries of MCD doctors in Delhi

02:09 PM

8 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, raising the total tally in the state to 916.

02:06 PM

Extreme poverty could rise to over one billion people globally:report

Global poverty could rise to over one billion people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new reportMore than half of the 395 million additional extreme poor would be located in South Asia,South Asia would be the hardest-hit region in the world, the report saysResearchers from King's College London and Australian National University published the new paper.

02:02 PM

China promises Philippines will get vaccine

President Rodrigo Duterte has been promised by his Chinese counterpart that the Philippines “as a friendly neighbour” will be prioritised when China is able to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

Daily updates 23 October 2019

National

1. Indian Railways install Electronic Interlocking System on Grand Chord route

• Indian Railways has installed the most advanced Electronic Interlocking System on the Grand Chord route.
• The measure is expected to help Indian Railways speed up trains and achieve the objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah to about 12 hours from the existing 17 to 19 hours.
• Grand Chord is part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line.
• The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:

• Railway Minister: Piyush Goyal.

2. IIM Kozhikode & MRPL to support women entrepreneurs

• IIM Kozhikode and Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd. have announced a special drive Labelled as "La Eve (meaning The Woman)" to support women entrepreneurs in the country.
• The initiative aims to identify innovative, promising women-founded start-ups to provide a comprehensive start-up support programme. The initiative would be steered by the institute's entrepreneurship development centre, Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship or IIMK LIVE.
• Under the drive "La Eve" IIMK LIVE would identify women-founded, innovation-led start ups and provide incubation that would provide access to the institutes intellectual, network and infrastructural resources. MRPL would provide seed fund assistance from the start funding initiative under start-up India Program.

States News

3. No govt. jobs in Assam for people with more than two children

• The State Cabinet of Assam has decided to make government jobs out of bounds for people with more than 2 children.
• The policy will come into effect from January 1, 2021.
• The Cabinet also adopted a new land policy that will make the landless indigenous people eligible for 3 bighas (43,200 sq. ft.) of land for farming and half a bigha for constructing a house. The beneficiary will be able to sell the given land only after 15 years of use.

Agreements

4. AYUSH, Defence ministries ink MoU to provide traditional medicine services

• The AYUSH ministry has signed an MoU with the Defence Ministry to provide traditional medicine services at the armed forces’ hospitals and dispensaries.
• Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik inaugurated an Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at the Base Hospital in the Delhi Cantonment.
• Under the MoU, Ayurveda units will also be established at palliative care centres at the Army Research and Referral Hospital, Air Force Hospital, Hindon in Ghaziabad and five identified ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in Delhi–NCR.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:

• Union Minister of Defence: Raj Nath Singh.

5. Grasim partenered with German's MR to produce insulators

• Grasim Industries Limited has signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture company in India with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (MR) of Germany.
• The joint venture is for the manufacturing and sale of Composite Hollow Core Insulators to serve the power transmission and distribution (T&D) industry globally.
• This joint venture will bring together Aditya Birla Insulators (a unit of Grasim) and Reinhausen Power Composites (a unit of MR).
• ABPCL will build a fully integrated CHCI plant at Halol, bringing the latest technology for Composite Hollow Insulators from Europe.
• It will serve the insulator requirements of Indian and global OEMs in the power equipment industry.

Appointment

6. Ashok Malik appointed as Policy Advisor in MEA

• Ashok Malik has been appointed as the Policy Advisor in the External Affairs Ministry in the rank of Additional Secretary.
• The Distinguished Fellow of the prominent think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) will have a 2-year tenure.
• Ashok Malik has previously served as the Press Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind from August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019.

7. Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas elected as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde

• The Ministry of External Affairs notified that Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas (IFS:1993), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Senegal, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde.
• He will replace Rajeev Kumar.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

8. Pankaj Kumar appointed as new CEO of UIDAI

• The Government of India appointed IAS officer Pankaj Kumar as the new CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• He is currently Additional Secretary in the Ministry Of Electronics and IT.
• The UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 by the government under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, with the mandate to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), or Aadhaar, to all residents of India to eliminate duplicate and fake identities.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:

• Headquarters of UIDAI: New Delhi.

9. Sourav Ganguly take Charges as new BCCI President

• One of India's most decorated captains Sourav Ganguly takes over as the 39th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• Ganguly is the unanimous nomination for the post of BCCI President along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah as the Secretary.
• Mahim Verma of Uttarakhand is the new Vice President of BCCI.

Defence

10. DRDO starts work on ‘next-gen’ hypersonic weapon

• The Defence Research and Development (DRDO) has started work to produce hypersonic weapon missiles that travel at 5 times speed of sound, or a little over a mile every second.
• A wind tunnel to test and fine-tune the technology will be operational soon.
• Hypersonic weapons are specifically designed for increased survivability against modern ballistic missile defence systems.
• These missiles are capable of delivering conventional or nuclear payloads at speeds not imagined hiterto over long ranges.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• DRDO Chairman: G Satheesh Reddy; Formed: 1958; Headquarters: New Delhi.

Summit and Conference

11. 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' meet in Guwahati

• The 1st India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' meet was held in Guwahati. Bangladesh was represented by Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.
• India is the second-largest trading partner of Bangladesh.
• A 70-member delegation from Bangladesh is participating in the meet, while a similar top-level team will represent the host nation.
• The idea of the meet is to put Assam at the focus point of India's trade expansion with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:

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

Ranks and Reports

12. IIT-Bombay again tops this year’s QS India University Rankings 2020

• The latest 2 edition of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020 released.
• The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has again topped all Indian Institutes in the list with an overall score of 88.5 followed by IISc- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (ranked 2 with 84.7 score) & Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD),which has improved a notch to rank 3 with 82.2 scores.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

• Headquarters of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS): London, United Kingdom
• Founded: 1990
• Founded by Nunzio Quacquarelli, QS is a British company specialising in education.

Sports

13. Graeme Smith has been elected as MCC Honorary Life Member

• Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has been elected an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
• Smith has an impressive record in One-Day International, scoring 6,989 runs including ten centuries and also became South Africa’s youngest ever captain at 22.
• Former Australian off-spinner Tim May was also awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cricket.
• The pair follows Paul Collingwood, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Johnson and Adrian Morgan in being awarded Honorary Life Membership of MCC in 2019.

14. Anandan wins 2 golds at the 7th CISM World Military Games

• Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran has won 2 gold medals at the 7th CISM World Military Games held in Wuhan, China.
• He won the medal in the disabled men’s 100m and 400m IT1 events.
• Gunasekaran finished the 100m race in 12 seconds and won India’s 1st medal in the ongoing Games.
• He clinched his 2nd gold clocking 53.35s in the disabled men’s 400m IT1 event.

15. Bengal Warriors wins 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019

• In the final of 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019, Bengal Warriors won their first title by defeating Dabang Delhi by 39-34 at the EKA Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Most Valuable Player award of the League was bagged by Naveen Kumar from Dabang Delhi, Best raider to Pawan Kumar Sherawat from Bengaluru Bulls; Best defender award to U Mumba's Fazel Atrachali and New Young Player of the season to UP (Uttar Pradesh) Yoddha's Sumit.

16. 2024 Olympic Games logo unveiled in Paris

• The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a ceremony in the French capital.
• The circular design with Paris 2024 in the art deco style which was in vogue in 1924 when Paris last hosted the Games, also incorporates the lips and outline of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since the revolution in 1789.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/SSC CGL:

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

Miscellaneous

17. IRDAI imposes penalty of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC.
• The insurer was penalised for violations observed during an inspection.
• The penalty of Rs 1 crore is for violation of Clause 15 of Schedule I of IRDA (Health Insurance) Regulations, 2013 which clearly specifies that no commission shall be payable to any intermediary on the acceptance of a ported policy.
• The other penalty of Rs 1 lakh is for motor insurance and was for violating the outsourcing guidelines by agreeing to payment terms not in the interests of the insurer.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RBI Grade ‘B’ 2019:

• IRDAI Chairman: Subhash Chandra Khuntia; Headquarters: Hyderabad.

Daily updates 18 October 2019

National

1. NITI Aayog launches India Innovation Index 2019

• NITI Aayog with Institute for Competitiveness as the knowledge partner released the India Innovation Index (III) 2019. Karnataka is the most innovative major state in India.
• Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh form the remaining top ten major states respectively.
• Sikkim and Delhi take the top spots among the northeastern & hill states, and union territories/city-states/small states respectively.
• Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh are the most efficient states in translating inputs into output.
• The study examines the innovation ecosystem of Indian states and union territories.
• The aim is to create a holistic tool which can be used by policymakers across the country to identify the challenges to be addressed and strengths to build on when designing the economic growth policies for their regions.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:

• Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog: Rajiv Kumar; CEO, NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

2. Commemorative stamp on centenary of NIN released

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan released a postal stamp to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the city-based ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) at a function held at Indian Council of Medical Research in New Delhi.
• The postal stamp has been brought out under the ‘Corporate My Stamp’ scheme of India Posts.
• About 5,000 stamps with a face value of ₹5 each have been printed and the India Posts would print an additional 1,000 sheets for sale online at the e-post office and for display and sale at national and global philately exhibitions by the Department.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:

• ICMR Director: Balram Bhragava; NIN Director: R. Hemaltha.

3. NH No. 703AA in Punjab named as Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg

• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced the naming of new National Highway No. 703AA as "Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg."
• The road starting from Kapurthala connecting Goindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in Punjab. The naming would be effective from next month.
• The decision has been taken to mark the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:

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

International

4. Italy set to introduce web tax on digital giants from 2020

• Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, including U.S. tech giants, as part of its 2020 draft budget on October 16.
• The levy, due to be introduced from next year, will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, to pay a 3% levy on internet transactions, according to a text of the draft budget.
• The Italian scheme is expected to yield about 600 million euros ($662 million) a year.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• President: Sergio Mattarella; Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte.
• Capital: Rome; Currency: Euro.

State News

5. Odisha's first Robot Restaurant opens in Bhubaneswar

• Odisha's smart city Bhubaneswar gets it 1st Robo Chef Restaurant in Odisha.
• The Robot Restaurant opened at the Infocity DLF tower of Bhubaneswar claims to be the first restaurant in Eastern India where two indigenously developed robots, 'Champa' and 'Chameli' are engaged.
• The robots are developed at a Jaipur-based startup using SLAM technology, and It automatically navigates like humans, follows the routes and instructions.
• Not only this, after serving the food, the robots will also ask you for feedback in Odia that 'Are you happy'.
• Earlier Chennai and Bengaluru had introduced smart restaurants with robots machines imported from China.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB (Clerk) Main 2019:

• Utkal Divas or Odisha Day falls every year on 01st April.

6. CM Kamal Nath inaugurates "Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference"

• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath formally inaugurated the 2-day Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference started.
• Many well-known industrialists are attending this conference held in Indore.
• The event showcasing various opportunities that exist in the state in variegated sectors, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, textile and garment, warehousing and logistics, IT &ESDM, urban development and renewable energy.
• Chief Minister Kamal Nath also inaugurated the Global Trade Exhibition at the Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:

• Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.

7. Tamil Nadu constitutes two panels over water disputes with Kerala

• The Tamil Nadu government constituted two committees to deal over water disputes with Kerala relating to the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) and the Pandiyar-Punnampuzha project.
• Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Public Works Department (PWD) K. Manivasan would lead both the committees constituted by the State government.
• Cauvery Technical Committee chairperson R. Subramanian is also part of both the panels.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:

• Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
• Governor of Tamil Nadu: Banwarilal Purohit.
• Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai.

8. Satya Pal Malik inaugurates J&K Bazar

• Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has inaugurated J&K Bazar.
• J&K Bazar is a retail showroom of authentic Jammu Kashmir Handicrafts, Handlooms, Silk, Agro-based products and Restaurant serving Authentic Kashmiri Cuisine at J&K House in New Delhi.
• The newly constructed state-of-the-art showroom is for promoting J&K specific products of handicrafts and authentic cuisine.
• The newly inaugurated showroom shall cater to the people who cherish the Kashmiri handicraft and relish the traditional Kashmiri food which is now available in the heart of Delhi.
• Other handicraft products in the showroom which are on display include-Paper Mache items, carved walnut-wood items, Pashmina shawls and Kashmiri embroidery sarees.

Appointments

9. World Steel Association elected Sajjan Jindal as vice Chairman

• The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) has elected Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Steel, as Vice-Chairman of the association for one year.
• The association has also appointed Tata Steel CEO and MD T V Narendran and Arcelor Mittal Chief L N Mittal as its members.
• The board also elected a 14-member Executive Committee.

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

• Chairman of World Steel Association: Andre Johannpeter; Formed: 10 July 1967.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Agreement

10. Home Credit India join hand with Karur Vysya Bank for joint lending

• Home Credit India (HCIN), a local arm of the international consumer finance provider, has tied-up with Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for joint lending using end-to-end automated processing which will help the customer get real-time approval and disbursement.
• Under the agreement, HCIN and KVB will disburse loans in a single amount to customers.
• With this partnership and by leveraging the lower cost of funds of KVB, Home Credit India will be able to reach out to a new segment of customer.
• Home Credit India has operations spread over 179 cities across 20 States in India.

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

• Managing Director and CEO: PR Seshadri; founded: 1916.
• Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu.
• Tagline: Smart Way to Bank.

Awards

11. Hong Kong's orchestra wins "Orchestra of the year award 2019" at Gramophone Awards

• Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been named orchestra of the year at the 2019 Gramophone Awards.
• The group is the first Asian orchestra to win the award, a fact noted by its Dutch-born conductor Van Zweden, who has been its Music Director since 2012.
• The category is the only one of the classical music magazine’s awards open to the public vote. This award is often likened to the Oscars for the classical music world.

Defence

12. India, Japan joint Air Force exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri' 2019 began in West Bengal

• Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) carrying out a joint military air force exercise named 'Shinyuu Maitri' began from October 17 to 23, at the air force station, Arjan Singh in Panagarh town in West Bengal.
• C-130 J aircraft of the Special Operations Squadron of IAF and C-130 H of Tactical Airlift Squadron of JASDF will participate in the exercise.
• The focus of the exercise will be to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.

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

• Motto of the Indian Air Force: Nabha Sprsham Deeptam (The Glory that touches the sky).
• Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

13. India-Oman begin joint training exercise 'EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V'

• Indian Air Force (IAF) kickstarted its bilateral joint exercise with Royal Air Force Oman (RAFO), named 'EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V' at Air Force Base Masirah, Oman.
• The exercise will be held till October 26. The IAF contingent comprises of MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft.
• MiG-29 will be exercising with Royal Air Force Oman’s Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Hawk.
• For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an international exercise outside India.
• The exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices. Last time, the bilateral exercise was held in 2017 at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Oman Capital: Muscat, Currency: Omani rial.

Books and Authors

14. A new book titled "India in a Warming world: Integrating Climate Change and Development" set to release

• A new book titled "India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development" is set to release on November 2019.
• This book is featuring a collection of articles by climate experts including Sunita Narain, Anil Agarwal, Dr Friederike Otto & Shibani Ghosh, edited by Navroz K Dubash.
•  It is published by Oxford University Press(OUP).
• This book aims to bring together the many and growing, voices that seek to find the language and ideas with which to engage climate change and to do so from a perspective that resonates with broader Indian development policy discourses.

Sports

15. England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn announces retirement from international cricket

• England all-rounder Jennifer Louise Gunn has announced her retirement from international cricket.
• Gunn, who is England’s most capped player in T20Is, made 259 appearances for her country, winning 3 World Cups and five Ashes series.
• She was a member of the England side that won the inaugural Women’s World T20 in 2009, and also featured in her country’s Women’s World Cup-winning campaign that same year.

Miscellaneous

16. NCERT to revise 14-year-old curriculum framework

• The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is planning to review the 14-year-old National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in accordance with new national education policy (NEP) and set up a committee for the purpose.
• The NCF has been revised four times so far - in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005. A panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan had submitted the draft of the new national education policy to Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
• The new proposed revision will be a 5th of the framework. The council is also undertaking a survey in six blocks to analyse the quality of primary education available and the areas that need change.
• The revision of NCERT textbooks has also been recommended in the new education policy draft.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB (Clerk) Mains:

• Director of NCERT (ex-officio) Chairperson: Prof. Hrushikesh Senapaty.
• Headquarters of NCERT: New Delhi.

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.