Daily updates 3 August 2019

National

1. President Kovind inaugurates exhibitions on M. Gandhi and Khadi in Gambia

i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated exhibitions on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi at the "Ebunjan Theatre" in the Gambia to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main:

• President of Gambia: Adama Barrow; Capital: Banjul.

2. India to conduct 1st National Time Release Study for efficient trade flow

i. The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, as part of its strategic commitment to improving global trade, is conducting India’s first national Time Release Study (TRS). The exercise will be institutionalized on an annual basis.
ii. This initiative will help India maintain the upward trajectory on Ease of Doing Business, particularly on the Trading Across Borders indicator which measures the efficiency of the cross border trade ecosystem.
iii. The TRS is an internationally recognized tool advocated by the World Customs Organization to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of international trade flows.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• World Customs Organization Headquarter:  Brussels, Belgium.
• World Customs Organization Established: 26 January 1952.

State News

3. Maharashtra: 1st State to adopt Digital fingerprint and iris scanning system

i. Maharashtra became the first state to adopt a digital fingerprint and iris scanning system to aid police investigations.
ii. The Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) adopted by the Maharashtra Police will soon be replicated across the country, with the state government working with the National Crime Records Bureau in New Delhi to create standards to be used by other state police forces.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• CM of Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis.
• Governor of Maharashtra: CH Vidyasagar Rao.
• Capital of Maharashtra: Mumbai.

4. Gujarat CM launches ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’

i. Gujarat Chief Minister has launched the ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’ from his home town Rajkot, Gujarat. The scheme for the welfare of the girl child.
ii. According to the scheme, the State Government will pay Rs. 4,000 to every girl child at the time of admission to Standard 4th, Rs. 6,000 at the time of taking admission to Standard IX, Rs. 1-lakh at the time of taking admission for higher education at the age of 18 and another Rs. 1-lakh at the time of marriage. It is a statewide cash incentive scheme for every girl child born in Gujarat.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Gujarat Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani; Governor of Gujarat: Acharya Dev

Banking

5. SBI, Shanghai becomes first Indian bank to link up with CNAPS

i. The State Bank of India's (SBI) Shanghai branch is now connected to China's National Advance Payment System (CNAPS).
ii. SBI is the only Indian bank to have obtained the license to do business in local currency and also inducted to the CNAPS by the People's Bank of China (PBOC). 
iii. SBI Shanghai can also offer the real-time transfer of local funds within China by routing them through the PBOC. 
iv. The CNAPS, launched in 2008 by People's Bank of China (PBOC) provides real-time settlement services for all payments.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

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

6. RBI allows Bank of China to offer regular banking services in India

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)  allowed "Bank of China" to offer regular banking services in the country. 
ii. Banks falling under this schedule have to adhere to the norms of the RBI. 'Bank of China Limited' has been included in the 2nd Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main:

• RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikant Das; Headquarters: Mumba.
• Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

7. RBI fines PNB Rs 50 lakh

i. RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on Punjab National Bank (PNB) for the delay in reporting of fraud observed from the fraud monitoring report-1 submitted by Punjab National Bank on July 10, 2018, in the account of Kingfisher Airlines Limited.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of PNB: Sunil Mehta.

Appointment

8. Giriraj Prasad Gupta appointed as new CGA

i. Giriraj Prasad Gupta, Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, took over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). Gupta has served in various positions in Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), ministry of rural development, and ministry of finance.
ii. Gupta also worked as the Director of National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM). Gupta succeeds Anthony Lianzuala as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the Finance Ministry.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Main 2019:

• Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs: Nirmala Sitharaman.

Awards

9. President Kovind honoured with the highest award of Republic of Guinea

i. President Ram Nath Kovind has been awarded the National Order of Merit by the President of Guinea for his exceptional contribution to the advancement of overall relations and development of mutual cooperation between India and Guinea and for promoting friendship and partnership between the people of both the countries.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• President of Guinea: Alpha Conde; Capital of Guinea: Conakry.
• Currency of Guinea: Guinean franc.

10. Indian-origin doctor wins Miss England 2019

i. Bhasha Mukherjee, a 23-year-old Indian origin doctor was crowned Miss England 2019. Bhasha holds two different medical degrees, has an IQ of 146 and is fluent in 5 different languages. As a winner of Miss England, she will be entered into the Miss World contest 2019.

Sports

11. Lionel Messi suspended from Argentina for 3 months

i. Soccer body CONMEBOL suspended Lionel Messi from international matches for three months because of accusations of corruption he made at the latest Copa America.
ii. The South American body also fined the superstar in USD 50,000 for his comments after Argentina’s 2-1 win against Chile in the third-place playoff of the tournament.

Miscellaneous

12. World Breastfeeding Week Has Observe

i. The Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing several activities on the theme “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding” during the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) being observed from 1st to 7th August 2019.
ii. World Breastfeeding Week, which is being observed till 7th of the month, aims to create awareness among parents about breastfeeding, the importance of initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and adequate and appropriate complementary feeding.

Daily updates 2 August 2019

National

1. KABIL set up to ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian market
i. A joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India limited has been set up with the participation of 3 Central Public Sector Enterprises. 
ii. These CPSEs are National Aluminium Company Limited, Hindustan Copper Limited and Mineral Exploration Company limited.
iii. KABIL will ensure supply of critical Minerals to Indian domestic market.

2. BIS to set up Pashmina testing centre in Leh
i. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) will work together to promote the pashmina products at the high-level market for the proper value of this fine product of pashmina (Lena-Ladakhi). 
ii. Ladakh region and parts of Himachal and Kashmir have world-class Pashmina production.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Bureau of Indian Standards Director General: Surina Rajan.

3. MIB launches a competition for designing Postage Stamp
i. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched a competition for designing a Postage Stamp along with the First Day Cover to commemorate Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
ii. International Film Festival of India (IFFI) started way back in 1952, is an ‘A’ grade film festival accredited to the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) and is one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in Asia. 
iii. IFFI showcases a collage of the best of contemporary and classical films from around the globe.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main:

• Minister of Information and Broadcasting:  Prakash Javadekar.

State News

4. India, UK launch clean air initiative in Bengaluru
i. The Innovating for Clean Air (IfCA), is a UK-India joint initiative providing Indian and UK stakeholders opportunities to test interventions related to air quality and EV integration, was launched in Bengaluru.
ii. This initiative provides a unique measurement system for air quality by integrating satellite and sensor data, and helping to support India's transition to electric vehicles". The programme is led by Innovate UK -- part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Main 2019:

• Capital of Karnataka: Bengaluru; CM of Karnataka: B. S. Yediyurappa
• Governor of Karnataka: Vajubhai Vala.

5. Mobile library service launched by Delhi Public Library
i. Culture and Tourism Minister flagged off a mobile library bus service which aims to reach out to readers in Delhi, especially those in slums, resettlement colonies and rural areas.
ii. The  5 buses mobile library service was launched under the "Ghar Ghar Dastak Ghar Ghar Pustak" Scheme of the Delhi Public Library (DPL).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Culture and Tourism Minister: Prahlad Singh Patel.

6. One Nation One Ration Card scheme launched on pilot basis in 4 States
i. One Nation-One Ration Card scheme launched on a pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
ii. Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states. Their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• Minister of Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

7. West Bengal launches awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’
i. The West Bengal Government has launched an awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’ for preserving the greenery and keeping the environment clean. 
ii. The State Government will distribute more than 1 lakh saplings throughout the state for spreading of greenery.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• CM of West Bengal: Mamta Banerjee; Governor: Jagdeep Dhankar.

Economy

8. Crisil cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 6.9% for FY 2019-20
i. Ratings agency CRISIL has cut its forecast for India's GDP growth by 20 basis points for FY 2019-20. 
ii. It has lowered India's GDP growth to 6.9% from 7.1%.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• MD & CEO of CRISIL: Ashu Suyash.

Rank & Reporting

9. India slips to 7th largest economy in 2018
i. According to the World Bank, India has been pushed to the 7th place in the global GDP rankings in 2018. In 2017, India had emerged as the 6th largest economy.
ii. The US remains the top economy with a GDP of $20.5 trillion in 2018. China was the 2nd largest economy with $13.6 trillion, while Japan took the 3rd place with $5 trillion. 
iii. India’s GDP was at $2.7 trillion in 2018, while UK and France were at $2.8 trillion.

India still remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Mains:

• President of World Bank: David Malpass;  Headquarters: Washington DC, USA; Established: 1944.

Appointment

10. Guruprasad Mohapatra takes charge as DPIIT secretary
i. IAS Officer Guruprasad Mohapatra assumed charge as the secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. 
ii. Prior to taking over as secretary of DPIIT, he served as chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). 
iii. Mohapatra replaces Ramesh Abhishek, who has retired.

11. Ravi Capoor assumes Charge as Secretary Textiles
i. Ravi Capoor, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, assumed charge of the office of Secretary, Ministry of Textiles in New Delhi.
ii. Ravi Capoor has vast experience of working in international agencies like the World Bank, European Union, United Nations, Department for International Development in the Primary Education Project with Government of India.

12. Atish Dabholkar appointed as the new director of ICTP
i. Atish Dabholkar, a theoretical physicist from India, has been appointed as the new director of Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He will succeed Fernando Quevedo, who has led the centre since 2009.

Awards

13. Ravish Kumar wins Ramon Magsaysay award 2019
i. Indian journalist Ravish Kumar has been awarded the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless”.
ii. The Magsaysay award was started in 1957 and celebrates the memory and leadership example of the former Philippine president Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay. 
iii. It is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader. 
iv. Ramon Magsaysay Award is regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. The awardees are presented with a medallion with a right side facing profile image of Ramon Magsaysay along with a certificate.
v. The other winners of the award are:

• Ko Swe Win (Myanmar): He is a human rights defender and the chief editor of Myanmar Now news agency.
• Angkhana Neelapajit (Thailand) is human rights activist and a leading human rights defender in Southern Thailand.
• Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab (Philippines) is a musician who has served in the music faculty of the University of the Philippines and has conducted free workshops for thousands of students all across the country.
• Kim Jong-Ki (South Korea) is an activist working with violence and mental health issues in youth and a South Korean agrarian movement leader who pioneered wasteland cultivation, and strove to demonstrate through his work that life as a farmer can be fulfilling and productive.

Science and Technology

14. IIT-KGP researchers develop tech for solid waste management
i. A research team at IIT Kharagpur has developed a technology which can generate energy from solid waste with high moisture content.
ii. The new technology Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC)  can convert municipal solid waste to biofuel, soil amendment and absorbents. 
iii. These processes require high energy input to combust municipal solid waste generated in India which has high moisture content due to tropical weather, open collection systems and mixed waste. 

Obituaries

15. Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse, passes away
i. Veteran actor Russi Taylor, who voiced Disney's Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years, has passed away. 
ii. The artiste also lent her voice to roles on other classic TV animated series like "TaleSpin", "The Little Mermaid", "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" and "Kim Possible". Taylor was named a Disney Legend in 2008.

Miscellaneous

16. 143rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya
i. 143rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya celebrates on 2nd of August. Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter and the designer of the flag on which the Indian national flag was based was born on this day in 1876, near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. Venkayya's design for the National Flag was finally approved by Mahatama Gandhi in a Congress meeting in Vijayawada in 1921.

Daily updates 1 august 2019

National

1. India extends $500,000 assistance to Gambia
i. During the President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Gambia, India has promised to extend an assistance of USD 500,000 to Gambia. 
ii. The assistance will contribute in supporting the skill development and cottage industry projects in the West African country.
iii. India has also received an instrument of ratification of the International Solar Alliance framework agreement from Gambia. 
iv. The two countries has also signed a MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• President of Gambia: Adama Barrow; Capital: Banjul.

2. Dharmendra Pradhan launches Atal Community Innovation Centre
i. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel has launched Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) in New Delhi, to encourage the spirit of innovation at the community level.
ii. This initiative aim is to provide solution-driven design thinking to serve society. 
iii. Atal Innovation Mission has a key role to perform in order to achieve the target of five trillion dollar economy by 2025.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB NTPC/IBPS RRB Mains 2019:

• Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel: Dharmendra Pradhan.

3. Lok Sabha to become paperless from next session
i. Lok Sabha Speaker has announced that the Lower House will become paperless from the next session. 
ii. This move will save crores of rupees to the exchequer.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Mains:

• Speaker of Lok Sabha: Om Birla.

4. Cabinet approves ISRO Technical Liaison Unit at Moscow
i. Cabinet has approved the setting up of ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow in Russia. 
ii. The unit will collaborate with Space agencies and industries in Russia and neighbouring countries for mutually synergetic outcomes. 
iii. ITLU will support the ongoing bilateral programmes of cooperation in space technology and will act on behalf of ISRO.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• Chairman of ISRO: Dr K. Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established: 1969.

5. Tarun Chaudhri becomes first IAF pilot to complete wingsuit skydive jump
i. Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri has become the first Indian Air Force pilot to perform a wingsuit skydive jump. 
ii. Chaudhri achieved the feat during the Kargil Diwas celebrations at Air Force Station in Jodhpur.
iii. The jump was accomplished from a Mi-17 helicopter from an altitude of 8,500 feet. This is the first IAF Wing Suit Skydive Jump by a pilot who has flown and captained the same type of helicopter.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Main 2019:

• Chief of the Air Staff of IAF: BS Dhanoa.

Banking/ Business

6. India Post Payments Bank to be converted into SFB
i. The postal department has decided to convert the India Post Payments Bank into a small finance bank. 
ii. This bank will provide micro credit at the doorsteps to individuals and SME's. The postal department has also target the milestone of 1 crore accounts for IPPB in 100 days.
iii. India Post will partner with Common Service Centre to provide a suite of citizen centric services such as banking, remittance, insurance, DBT, bill and tax payments etc at post offices.

Rank and Report

7. London named the world’s best city for students
i. London has named the world’s best city for students for the 2nd consecutive year, beating Tokyo and Melbourne that came 2nd and 3rd, respectively, on a new worldwide ranking. 
ii.  According to the rankings, India’s best student city is Bengaluru (81st), followed by Mumbai (85th), Delhi at 113th and Chennai at 115th, out of a total of 120th cities in the list.
iii. The QS Best Student Cities Ranking compiled by global education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds highlights each city’s performance across different categories.

Appointment

8. IFSG appoints Justice A.K. Sikri as ombudsman\
i. The Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), country’s self-regulatory industry body for the online fantasy sports gaming sector, announced the appointment of Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri as its ombudsman and ethics officer.
ii. Justice A.K. Sikri will be responsible for investigating queries/complaints raised by the users of the online fantasy sports gaming platforms.

9. Rakesh Asthana given additional charge of NCB
i. The Appointments Committee on Cabinet has given the additional charge of the post of Director General Narcotics Control Bureau to Rakesh Asthana. 
ii. He is presently serving as the Director General of Civil Aviation Security.

Awards

10. Former Cricketer Kapil Dev honoured with Bharat Gaurav Award
i. East Bengal club will officially start the centenary celebrations on its foundation day with a glittering ceremony at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
ii. East Bengal club will be awarded India’s first cricket World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev with its highest honour, Bharat Gaurav.
iii. Kapil is no stranger to football as he had donned the club’s colours in an exhibition match against Mohun Bagan in 1992.

11. Ruhan Rajput honoured with 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2019'
i. Ruhan Rajput, a renowned entrepreneur, co-founder and Director of Einfolge Technologies Pvt Ltd was awarded the prestigious Entrepreneur Award 2019 at New Delhi.
ii. Ruhan was acknowledged for his contributions and achievements in the business industry. His company, is one of the leading players in the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) industry. 
iii. The company operates to provide comprehensive research, analysis and expert solutions to its clients.

12. DD News channel bagged Champions of Empathy Award
i. DD News is awarded with "Champions of Empathy Award" for spreading awareness about hepatitis. 
ii. Director General of DD News, Mayank Agrawal received the Award from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
iii. DD News to aware people about various diseases and preventives by showing health related programmes, reports and policies that help to spread awareness towards health in society.

Summit & Conferences

13. Foreign Ministers from South East Asia attend 52nd ASEAN summit
i. Foreign Ministers from South East Asia are attending the 52nd ASEAN summit in Bangkok. 
ii. The annual meeting opened with a call from the host Thailand for deeper integration to expand trade and bolster prosperity in the region amid rising global challenges.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For EPFO/LIC ADO Main 2019:

• Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Science and Technology

14. IIT Hyderabad develops, eco-friendly solar cells using 'kumkum dye'
i. Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost, environment-friendly solar cells by employing an off-the-shelf dye used to make kumkum or vermilion.
ii. The dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-free counter electrodes, according to the research published in the Solar Energy journal.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main:

• Headquarters National Institute of Solar Energy: Gwal Pahari, Gurugram.

Obituaries

15. Former cricketer Malcolm Nash passes away
i. Former cricketer Malcolm Nash passed away. He was Glamorgan's legendary left-arm bowler who took 993 first-class wickets in a 17-year career between 1966 and 1983. He became famous after Garfield Sobers hit him for six sixes in an over.

Sports

16. Ellyse Perry becomes first cricketer to reach 1000 runs, 100 wickets in T20Is
i. Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry became the first cricketer of either gender to reach the rare milestone of scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the T20 format.