Daily updates 9 august 2019

National

1. 66th National Film Awards
i. The 66th National Film awards have been announced by Rahul Rawail, head of the Jury for feature films. 
ii. The Jury unanimously conferred the award for the Most Film Friendly State to "Uttarakhand" for furthering the growth of the film industry in the state including creating an environment for ease of filming in the state.
iii. To see the complete list of Award winners,

2. 5595 electric buses sanctioned under FAME scheme
i. The Department of Heavy Industry has sanctioned 5,595 electric buses under the phase II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme. 
ii. The buses are sanctioned to 64 cities in 22 states and union territories for intracity and intercity operations in order to push for clean mobility in public transportation.
iii. The buses are expected to run about 4 billion km during their contract period and are expected to save cumulatively about 1.2 billion liters of fuel over the contract period, which will result into avoidance of 2.6 million tonne of CO2 emission.

3. India & Bangladesh to set up committee for optimum use of water resources
i. India and Bangladesh have agreed to set up a Joint Technical committee for optimum use of Ganges water. The river Ganga's water is being received by Bangladesh under the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty 1996.
ii. Both the countries have also agreed to prepare a framework for interim water-sharing agreement for 8 rivers including Feni, Gumti and Teesta.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

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

4. Union HRD Minister to launch ‘Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha’ drive
i. Union HRD Minister will launch ‘Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha’ to create awareness about Water Conservation among all school students in the country. So that they can become competent, conscientious and committed water citizens of our nation. The department has prepared a detailed outline to implement this programme in all the schools in the country.

Five Major Objectives:

• To educate students learn about conservation of water.
• To sensitize students about the impact of scarcity of water.
• To empower students to learn to protect the natural sources of water.
• To help every Student to save at least one litre of water per day.
• To encourage Students towards judicious use and minimum wastage of water at home and school level.

Target

1 Student - 1 Day - Save One Litre Water
1 Student - 1 Year - Save 365 Litres Water
1 Student - 10 Years - Save 3650 Litres Water

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• Union HRD Minister:  Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

5.  NITI Aayog to launch the 4th Edition of WTI Awards
i. The NITI Aayog will launch the 4th Edition of Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards. The WTI Awards is being organized in collaboration with the United Nations to recognize women entrepreneurs from across India.
ii. This year’s theme is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’, in continuation of the theme for WTI Awards 2018. WhatsApp has collaborated with NITI Aayog for WTI Awards 2019 and will be providing support amounting to US$100,000 to the award winners.
iii. The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a Government of India initiative by NITI Aayog to promote and support aspiring as well as established women entrepreneurs in India, assist and handhold them in their journey from starting to scaling up and expanding their ventures.

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

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

6. President signs National Medical Commission Bill into a law
i. President Ram Nath Kovind has signed National Medical Commission Bill which was passed by both houses of Parliament. 
ii. The NMC bill aims at mega reforms in the medical education sector and will replace the nearly 63-year-old Indian Medical Council Act. The bill will ensure probity, quality education and bring down costs of medical education.
iii. National Medical Commission Bill will also simplify procedures and provides wider access to people for quality healthcare. The NMC will have eminent medical personalities as members who will be appointed for only one term of four years and will not be eligible for any further extension.

International

7. Rohingya refugees get identity cards in Bangladesh
i. 5 lakh Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh have been issued identity documents by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UNHCR’s Bio-metric Identity Management System (BIMS) fraud-proof cards are being issued jointly by Bangladeshi authorities and UNHCR to all verified refugees over the age of 12.
ii. These cards will help in establishing and safeguarding the right of Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar. UNHCR’s (BIMS) captures bio-metric data, including fingerprints and iris scans, which secure each refugee’s unique identity as well as other important information such as family links.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• UNHCR Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; UNHCR Head: Filippo Grandi.

8. Iran unveils three new precision-guided missiles
i. Iran unveiled 3 precision-guided missiles. The new line-up of air-to-air missiles named the "Yasin", "Balaban" and a new series of the "Ghaem" were developed jointly by the ministry and Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics Industries.

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

• President of Iran: Hassan Rouhani; Capital of Iran: Tehran.
• Currency of Iran: Rial.

State in News

9. ADB to provide $200 million for rural road project in Maharashtra
i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 200 million loan for improving road infrastructure in 34 districts of Maharashtra. 
ii. The aim of the project is to connect rural areas with markets and services. Roads in rural areas would be upgraded to all weather standards which will boost links between local residents and economic centres across the state.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• President of ADB: Takehiko Nakao; Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.

Rank and Report

10. Manipur tops in Breastfeeding, Infant & Young Child Feeding Practices
i. Manipur has topped the rankings in Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in the country. Health and Family Welfare Minister released a report on Breastfeeding. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar are at the bottom positions in the report card.
ii. The Breastfeeding report card has been developed by devising a composite score based on 3 indicators namely early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and complementary feeding at 6-8 months of child's age.

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

• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister: Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Awards

11. BAFTA LA to honour Steve Coogan with Charlie Chaplin Award
i. Actor Steve Coogan will be felicitated with the Charlie Chaplin Award by the British Academy's Los Angeles branch. He will receive the honour during the 2019 Britannia Awards.
The Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy recognises the talents whose popularity and cultural impact exemplifies the uniquely transcendent quality of excellent comedy.

12. ISRO announces Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award 2019
i. Centenary year celebrations of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, father of Indian space programme, ISRO institutes two categories of awards in journalism.
ii. ISRO has announced its “Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research” to recognize and reward journalists who have actively contributed towards the field of space science, applications, and research.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• ISRO Director: K. Sivan; Headquarters: Bengaluru; Established in: 1969.

13. 4th edition of National Entrepreneurship Awards, 2019
i. The 4th edition of the National Entrepreneurship Awards, instituted in a bid to recognize and encourage outstanding Indian Entrepreneurs and catalyse a cultural shift in youth for entrepreneurship by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
ii. The National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA)2019 aim to honour outstanding young 1st generation entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders for their exceptional contribution in entrepreneurship development.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

•  Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship: Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey.

Science and Technology

14. SpaceX launches Falcon 9 loaded with Israel's AMOS-17
i. US carrier rocket Falcon 9 loaded with Israeli AMOS-17 communication satellite successfully lifted off from a space centre in Florida, spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX.
ii. Amos-17, built by Boeing, will provide Ka, Ku and C-band signal transmission and expand Israeli communications satellite operator Spacecom's coverage in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

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

• Founder of SpaceX: Elon Musk; Established in: 6 May 2002.

Sports

15. Amla retires from international cricket
i. South African batsman Hashim Amla has retired from all formats of international cricket. 
ii. Amla played 124 Tests, 181 ODIs and 44 T20Is between his 15-year-long cricketing career. 
iii. Scoring more than 18,000 runs, including 55 centuries and 88 other scores in excess of 50.

16. World Archery suspends AAI for violating guidelines
i. The World Archery (WA) has suspended the Archery Association of India for violating its guidelines. 
ii. The AAI violated the WA's guidelines by electing two parallel bodies. As per the suspension order, the last event in which the Indian archers can participate under the Indian flag is the World Archery Youth Championships to be held in Madrid.

17. Cricket Australia unveils new transgender inclusive policy
i. The Cricket Australia has announced new transgender inclusive policy. This policy will enable transgender players to play the game of cricket at the highest levels. 
ii. The decision aligns in accordance with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) gender recognition policy and gender diversity guidelines.
iii. The policy sets out a testosterone limit for transgender and gender-diverse players who want to play for state and national women’s teams.

Important Days

18. International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 9 August
i. United Nations observes 9th August every year as International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. 
ii. The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups. This year’s observance is dedicated to Indigenous Peoples’ Languages in view of 2019 being marked as the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Theme for year 2019: Indigenous Languages.

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

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

19. Nagasaki Day: 9th August
i. Japan commemorates the 9th August every year as the Nagasaki day. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. 
ii. It was code named "Fat Man" due to the design of the bomb as it had a wide, round shape. This happened 3 days after dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 
iii. An area of about 5 square miles was completely obliterated and around 65,000 people were killed in the bombing. Nagasaki and Hiroshima continue to feel the impact of the destructive bombing even today.

Miscellaneous

20. Virasat-e-Khalsa Museum in Punjab sets record
i. The Virasat-e-Khalsa Museum in Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib town is all set to find a place in the Asia Book of Records for becoming the most visited museum in the Indian sub-continent in a single day.
ii. The museum had witnessed a record footfall of 20,569 visitors on a single day on March 20, becoming the most visited museum in the Indian sub-continent in a single day.

Daily updates 8 August 2019

National

1. Rajya Sabha clears Bill for more judges in Supreme Court
i. The Rajya Sabha has passed a Bill for more judges in Supreme Court. The bill proposed an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 30 to 33 judges.

State in News

2. Andhra Pradesh govt will launch Navodayam scheme
i. The Andhra Pradesh government will launch the Navodayam scheme. The scheme is a complete outreach programme for thousands of ailing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
ii. Navodayam will provide a lifeline to stressed MSMEs by ensuring that all eligible units are permitted for the one-time restructuring of accounts up to March 31, 2020. About 86,000 MSMEs in the state have been identified for restructuring under Navodayam with an outlay of Rs 3,900 crore.

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

• CM of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
• Governor of Andhra Pradesh: Biswabhusan Harichandan.

3. Rajasthan launches new higher education model
i. Minister of State for Higher Education Bhanwar Singh Bhati inaugurated the new higher education model, titled Resource Assistance for Colleges with Excellence(RACE) in Rajasthan.
ii. This model has been launched for distribution of faculties and movable assets among the government colleges at the district level to rationalise the availability of resources. The model will create a pool for sharing of facilities which will benefit the colleges lacking infrastructure.

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

• CM of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Governor of Rajasthan: Kalyan Singh.
• Capital of Rajasthan: Jaipur.

Banking

4. NEFT facility to be available 24x7 by December 2019
i. The Reserve Bank of India will make available the National Electronic Funds Transfer system on a 24x7 basis from December 2019 as per the Payment System Vision 2021 document.
ii. Presently, the transfer of funds via NEFT can only be done during banks’ working hours. The facility of electronic transfer of funds is available from 8 am to 7 pm on all working days, except the second and the fourth Saturday of the month.
iii. The move will revolutionize the retail payments system of the country. It will also reduce the number of cheques while making payments and will also increase efficiency in businesses.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

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

5. Mastercard launches identity check express to secure online transactions
i. Mastercard announced the launch of Identity Check Express, a next-generation, mobile-first authentication solution that aims to redefine the e-commerce journey for Indian consumers.
ii. Mastercard Identity Check Express combines the latest technology, including device intelligence and behavioural biometrics, with the latest EMV 3-D Secure and FIDO authentication standards to deliver an uninterrupted mobile payment experience.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• President and Chief Executive Officer of Mastercard: Ajay Banga.

Business

6. Bengaluru based startup Grexter Living acquires i2Stay
i. Bengaluru based Housing startup "Grexter Living" which is a co-living provider, has acquired i2Stay. It has also taken over some built-to-suit projects which i2stay has been working on. Post the acquisition, CEO of i2stay, Rajasekhar Gowreneni, will join Grexter Living as the managing partner for South India.

Agreements

7. IIT Madras partners with NIOT to harness electricity from ocean waves
i. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras partnered with National Institute of Ocean Technology to harness electricity from ocean waves. 
ii. Both institutions will together develop turbines that can harness the power of ocean waves to generate electricity.
iii. The research is being headed at IIT Madras. The partnership is aimed at meeting renewable energy and climate change objectives of the government of India.

8. UNIDO and NISE to partner for skill development program
i. The National Institute of Solar Energy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization have signed an agreement to initiate a skill development programme for different levels of beneficiaries in the solar thermal energy sector.
ii. NISE and UNIDO will engage national and international experts to bring the best practices by developing specialized training material.

9. UP Govt extends bilateral agreements with Netherlands till 2024
i. The Uttar Pradesh government has extended bilateral agreements with Netherlands till 2024. ii. The previously inked MoUs sought cooperation and exchange of the knowledge and techniques in the fields of solid waste management, spatial planning, water management including restoration of water bodies and mobility planning.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• Chief Minister of UP: Yogi Adityanath; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

Rank and Report

10. Odisha police station in top 10 in India
i. Tarava police station in the Subarnapur district of Odisha has been adjudged as one of the 10 best police stations in India in the annual ranking for the year 2018.
ii. The certificate of excellence and a trophy awarded by the Union Home Ministry were handed over to Tarava police inspector Dulamani Bhoi by Odisha DGP R.P. Sharma.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

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

11. Serena Williams tops Forbes list of best-paid female athletes
i. Serena Williams topped the List Of Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2019 published by Forbes. She has topped the annual list for a 4th consecutive year with estimated total earnings of $29.2 million.
ii. Japan’s Naomi Osaka was 2nd on the list with earnings of ($24.3 million). Indian badminton player P.V. Sindhu came in tied for 13th ($5.5 million), with Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn ($5.3 million) rounding out the top 15 of Forbes list of best-paid female athletes.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for Indian Bank PO Exam 2018- 

• Forbes- American Business Magazine, Founded in- 1917.
• Headquarters- New York City, USA.

Appointment

12. Kandikuppa Sreekant becomes Power Grid CMD
i. State-owned Power Grid Corporation Director (Finance) Kandikuppa Sreekant assumed the charge of the chairman and managing director of Power Grid Corporation of India. The Ministry of Power order, the tenure of Kandikuppa Sreekant will be till December 31, 2023.

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

• Minister of State (In. Charge) of the Ministry of Power: Raj Kumar Singh.

Awards

13. India's Naaz Joshi won Miss World Diversity Title
i. India's transsexual woman Naaz Joshi was crowned Miss World Diversity 2019. This event was held in Port Louis, Mauritius. This was her 3rd successive victory in the beauty pageant Miss World Diversity. 

Obituaries

14. ‘King of the Ring’ Harley Race Passes away
i. Harley Race, American professional wrestler passed away. Race overcame serious injuries from a car accident to become a mainstay of the wrestling circuit, winning numerous individual and tag-team titles in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

15. Veteran director J Om Prakash passes away
i. Veteran director J Om Prakash passed away. Prakash was best known for his collaboration with two of Bollywood biggest superstars, late Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. He also produced box office hits like Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Aas Paas and Aandhi.

Sports

16. Diego forlan announces retirement from professional football
i. Legendary Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has announced his retirement from professional football. He had won the Golden Ball award after being adjudged the best player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
ii. Forlan made 112 appearances for Uruguay and scored 36 goals. He also helped his side to win the Copa America title in 2011 and finished 4th in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was the joint top scorer of the 2010 tournament and also won the ‘Goal of the Tournament’ award.

Important Days

17. India observes 77th anniversary of Quit India movement
i. The 77th anniversary of the August Kranti Din or Quit India Movement, which is considered as one of the important milestones in the history of freedom struggle of our country, is being observed.
ii. On this date in 8 Aug 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to end the British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the session of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai. 
iii. After the failure of Cripps Mission, Gandhiji gave the call to "Do or Die" in his Quit India speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. The grateful country is paying homage to the freedom fighters and remembering the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs during the freedom struggle.

Miscellaneous

18. Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting launches e-Rozgar Samachar
i. Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting has launched e-Rozgar Samachar. Rozgar Samachar is the corresponding version of Employment News (English). It has been launched with a view to make aspirants aware of job opportunities in government sector including public sector enterprises. 
ii. It will also provide information and guidance about admission and career opportunities in various streams through career-oriented articles by experts. It is expected to meet the emerging challenge of young readers switching to electronic modes of communication.
iii. Employment News is the flagship weekly job journal from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

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

• Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar

Daily updates 7 august 2019

National

1. Rajya Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill
i. The Rajya Sabha has passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019. The bill will lead to setting up of a Central Consumer Protection Authority to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.
ii. The Bill seeks to strengthen the rights of consumers and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defects in goods and deficiency in services. The bill will replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: Ram Vilas Paswan.

2. Government unveils draft e-commerce norms
i. To protect consumers’ interest, the Centre has proposed guidelines for e-commerce firms that entail a 14-day deadline to effect refund request, mandate e-tailers to display details of sellers supplying goods and services on their websites and moot the procedure to resolve consumer complaints.
ii. The draft ‘e-commerce guidelines for consumer protection 2019,’ which adds that e-commerce firms need to ensure that personally identifiable information of customers is protected.

3. India contributes USD 5 million to UN Palestine refugee agency
i. India contributed 5 million USD to the UN Palestine refugee agency and called for ensuring sustained financial support for the organisation's work. The amount was hand over to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian Refugees.
ii. UNRWA has been providing health, education, relief and social services, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance, across its five areas of operations in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, and the Gaza Strip since 1950.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Main 2019:

• UNRWA of Headquarters: Amman, Jordan; UNRWA Established: 8 December 1949.

International

4. Bangladesh signs uranium supply deal with Russia
i. Bangladesh signed a deal with Russia for the supply of uranium for its 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).
ii. The deal was signed in Dhaka between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Russian Nuclear Fuel Supply Company (TVEL). Under this deal, Russia will supply the nuclear fuel needed for the plant during its entire life cycle. 

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

• President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital city of Russia: Moscow.
• Currency of Russia: Russian ruble. 

Banking

5. RBI reduces repo rate by 35 basis points in its 3rd Bi-monthly policy
i. In its 3rd Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the Reserve Bank of India has reduced the policy repo rate by 35 basis points (bps). The MPC has also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy. 
ii. The main decisions taken in the 3rd Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting are:

• The repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) was reduced from 5.75% to 5.40%. The benchmark rate is now at its lowest since April 2010.
• The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands revised to 5.15%.
• The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate revised to 5.65%.
• RBI has also reduced the real GDP growth for 2019-20 from 7% to 6.9%.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

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

6. RBI to set up "Central Payment Fraud Registry"
i. The Reserve Bank of India has decided to set up a "Central Payment Fraud Registry". The registry will track frauds in the payment systems. 
ii. Under this registry, payment system participants will be provided access to it for near-real time fraud monitoring. The aggregated fraud data will be published to educate customers on emerging risks.
iii. Currently, banks report all banking frauds to the Central Fraud Monitoring Cell of the Reserve Bank of India.

Business

7. SEBI approves SGX and NSE to operate jointly in GIFT City
i. Securities and Exchange Board of India has approved Singapore Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd to operate jointly in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, Gandhinagar. 
ii. The two entities will create a new platform for trading called NSE International Financial Service Centre (IFSC)-SGX Connect.
iii. The new platform will allow trading in Nifty index derivatives, as well as single-stock derivatives of Nifty’s 50 constituent.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• Managing Director and CEO of NSE: Vikram Limaye.
• Managing Director & CEO of GIFT City: Tapan Ray.

Defence

8. 5th edition of 'IASMC' kicks off in Jaisalmer
i. The 5th edition of International Army Scout Masters Competition with teams from 8 countries including India, China and Russia as participants was inaugurated at the Jaisalmer Military Station under the aegis of the Southern Command.
ii. Lt Gen DS Ahuja, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army's Southern Command, and Deputy Defence Minister of Russia Yunus Bek Evkurov unveiled the trophy of the competition and unfolded the event's flag at the inaugural ceremony. Army Scout Master Teams from Armenia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and India are participating in the 9-day event from August 6 to 14.

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

• Chief of Indian Army: General Bipin Rawat.

Science and Technology

9. IIT-Guwahati develops hand-held device to detect bacteria
i. A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has developed a portable device to detect bacteria without cell culture or microbiological assays.
ii. The hand-held device, with the bio-compatible sensor, can also diagnose time-critical illnesses such as meningitis. 
iii. This research has enabled rapid detection of bacteria, which is not just important in healthcare, but also in anti- bioterrorism measures and environmental monitoring.

Obituaries

10. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passes away
i. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away. She was the 1st full time woman external affairs minister of India. 
ii. She was also the youngest cabinet minister at 25 when she joined the Haryana government in 1977 and the first woman chief minister of Delhi.

11. Nobel laureate and beloved author Toni Morrison passes away
i. Toni Morrison, the 1993 Nobel laureate in literature passed away. She was the 1st African American woman to win the Nobel in literature. Ms. Morrison was the author of several novels, children’s books and essays. 
ii. Among them were celebrated works like Song of Solomon, which received the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1977, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

12. Former T.N. Minister Jennifer Chandran passes away
i. Former Fisheries Minister S. Jennifer Chandran passed away. She won from the Tiruchendur Assembly constituency in 1996 and served as a Minister in the DMK government from 1996-2001.

13. Former Padma Shri award winner Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passes away
i. Former Padma Shri award winner and educationist Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed away. ii. She received the Padma Shri award in 2010 for her contribution to the field of education. She was the founder of the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) Group of Schools.

Sports

14. Fiona Kolbinger 1st woman to win 4,000km cycling race
i. German cancer researcher Fiona Kolbinger won the mixed annual 4,000km(2,485 miles) cycling Transcontinental Race from Burgas in Bulgaria to Brest in France.
ii. Kolbinger becomes the 1st woman to win one of the world’s toughest cycling races in her first ultra-distance event. She took 10 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes to complete the challenge, which included about 40,000 metres (131,000ft) of climbing.

15. Sally Pearson announces retirement from Track and field
i. Australia’s reigning world-champion hurdler Sally Pearson announced her surprise retirement due to injury. Pearson, the Olympic gold-medallist in 2012 and 2-time world champion over 100 metres hurdles.

16. Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev to win 6th ATP title
i. Australia's Nick Kyrgios kept his composure and captured the ATP Washington Open title, defeating Russia's 10th-ranked Daniil Medvedev. 
ii. The 24-year-old Aussie, who struggled through the opening set, claimed the $365,390 top prize and his 6th career ATP crown at the US Open tune-up event.

Important Days

17. Hiroshima Day: 6th August
i. August 6 marks the anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima during World War II. The horrific incident took place on August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb named Little Boy, on the town of Hiroshima in Japan.
ii. This was the first time in the history of warfare when an atomic bomb was used against a nation. The incident wiped out around 90% of the city and killed around 80,000 people and had left scars on the city even after all these years.

18.  National Handloom Day: 7th August
i. India celebrates National Handloom Day every year on 7th August. The day is celebrated to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also highlight India’s handloom industry. Bhubaneswar has been chosen as the venue for the celebrations of the day for its rich tradition of Handlooms. 
ii. The prime objective of holding the National Handloom Day in Bhubaneswar is to empower women and girls.
iii. National Handloom Day seeks to focus on the contribution of handloom to the socio economic development of the country and also increase the income of weavers.

Miscellaneous

19. World's thinnest '2D' gold measures just 2 atoms
i. The scientists at the University of Leeds, have created the world's thinnest gold measuring 2 atoms thick or million times thinner than a fingernail.
ii. In 2D form, gold becomes flexible that adds to its potential of being used more efficiently such as in bendable screens, electronic inks, medical diagnostic tests, and water purification systems.