Daily updates 24 August 2019

National News

1. Former finance minister Arun Jaitley passes away
i. Former Union finance minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley passed away. He was a lawyer by profession. He held the portfolios of Finance Ministry, Corporate Affairs Ministry, Defence Ministry, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

2. President Kovind inaugurates the First World Youth Conference
i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the first-ever World Youth Conference. Which was organised by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi.
ii. The theme of the conference was ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World: Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. 
iii. The conference was in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi and aimed at providing youth with creative, effective methods of engaging and realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

3. Minority Affairs Ministry Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to inaugurate “Hunar Haat”
i. Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot will inaugurate this “Hunar Haat” at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur.
ii. “Hunar Haat” has proved to be an effective programme to provide employment and employment opportunities to master artisans. More than 2 lakh 40 thousand master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts have been provided employment and employment opportunities.

International News

4. Russia launches floating nuclear reactor in Arctic
i. Russia launched the world's first floating nuclear reactor. The vessel weighs 21,000 tons and has two reactors with a capacity of 35 megawatts each. This reactor loaded with nuclear fuel, the Akademik Lomonosov left the Arctic port of Murmansk to begin its 5,000 kilometres (3,000-mile) voyage to Pevek in northeastern Siberia.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; Capital of Russia: Moscow.
• Currency of Russia: Russian ruble.
• PM of Russia: Dmitry Medvedev.

State news

5. 24th Meeting of Western Zonal Council held in Panaji
i. The 24th Meeting of Western Zonal Council was held in Panaji, Goa. It was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Goa being host state. Western Zonal Council is a forum for the Centre and the states to cooperate and exchange ideas and experiences on issues related to health, security and social welfare.

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

• Chief Minister of Goa: Pramod Sawant; Governor of Goa: Mridula Sinha.

Agreement

6. BookMyForex, YES Bank tie up for foreign exchange travel card
i. BookMyForex.com, a marketplace for foreign exchange and remittances, has partnered with YES Bank to launch a co-branded multi-currency forex travel card for Indian overseas travellers.
ii. In this Partnership, customers will now be able to buy forex travel cards at the click of a button on the BookMyForex platform and get free doorstep delivery across major cities in India. BookMyForex will offer zero margin or exact inter-bank rates 24x7 on forex card sales.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• CEO of YES Bank: Ravneet Gill; Headquarter of YES Bank: Mumbai.

Ranks and Report

7. 'Statue of Unity', Mumbai's Soho House among Time's 100 greatest places in the world
i. The 597-ft tall 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and Mumbai's Soho House have been featured by the Time magazine in its second annual list of the 2019 World's greatest places, in a compilation of 100 new and newly "noteworthy destinations.
ii. The 'Statue of Unity', the world's tallest statue, is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first home minister as well as deputy prime minister. Soho House Mumbai is Asia's first Soho House that puts a local spin on the "formula that has allowed Nick Jones' members-­only clubs to blossom across the US and Europe".

Science & Technology

8. NASA honours Rolling Stones by naming rock on Mars
i. NASA announced that it has named rock on Mars in honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones. The space agency revealing that the "Rolling Stones Rock" was a stone that was sent rolling after NASA's InSight lander touched down on the Mars' surface.

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

• NASA Administrator: Jim Bridenstine.
• NASA established: 29 July 1958.

Sports

9. India won Bronze in World Archery Youth Championships
i. The Indian team of Sukhbeer Singh, Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Tushar Phadtare clinched a bronze medal in the junior compound men's team event in the World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain. They defeat Colombia's Jagdeep Teji Singh Mejia, Gomez Zuluaga Felipe and Toro Vasquez Manuel 234-231.

Miscellaneous

10. Ocean energy gets renewable energy status
i. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy status. It has clarified to all stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy conversion and shall be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy: Raj Kumar Singh.

Daily updates 25 26 August 2019

National News

1. PV Sindhu becomes first Indian to win World Championships gold
i. Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has won the World Championships title defeating Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the final at Basel, Switzerland. Sindhu defeated her Japanese opponent Nozomi Okuhara to 21-7, 21-7.
ii. This was Sindhu's third straight World Championships final. With this victory, the 24-year-old shuttler has become the first Indian to book a gold medal at the World Championships.

2. Narendra Modi launches RuPay card in UAE
i. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has launched the RuPay card, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment. RuPay card scheme was launched in 2012 to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments.
ii. RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions. India has already launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.

Static/Current Takeaways for IBPS RRB PO/Clerk Mains:

• Currency of UAE: Dirham, Capital: Abu Dhabi
• RuPay card scheme was conceived and launched by NPCI

3. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology
i. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Sciences (SACON) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
ii. The centre would study the movement of environmental contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and drugs through the food chain, and their harmful effects on birds.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

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

4. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates FSSAI's National Food Laboratory
i. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated FSSAI's National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad on the occasion of 13th anniversary of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This national lab is a result of a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the first-of-its-kind in the food laboratory sector.
ii. The lab is equipped with the latest technologies and facilities to conduct analysis as per global accreditation standards for testing and calibration. NFL is one of the two premier referral laboratories under the direct administrative control of the apex food regulator named- Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).

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

• Chairperson of FSSAI: Rita Teaotia.
• Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI: Pawan Kumar Agarwal.

State news

5. SRK launches heritage postal stamp of Bandra station
i. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan launched heritage postal stamp of Bandra station in Mumbai, Maharashtra on the completion of 150 years of the railway station. He urged the people present at the launching event to use the postal stamps instead of online texting.

Banking

6. Bandhan Bank launches a co-branded credit card with Standard Chartered
i. Bandhan Bank launched a co-branded credit card in association with Standard Chartered bank. This credit card would be offered to 40 lakh savings bank account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan Bank.
ii. As part of the tie-up, while Standard Chartered bank will take the credit risk, Bandhan Bank will be responsible for identifying and issuing cards to its customers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• MD & CEO of Bandhan Bank: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh.
• CEO of Standard Chartered Bank: Zarin Daruwala.

Agreement

7. IIT-Delhi establishes DESMI Centre of Excellence
i. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi has partnered with Denmark-based firm to start DESMI Centre of Excellence on Waste-to-Wealth at IIT-Delhi. The centre will provide support for implementing the framework of pilot projects, which address waste collection and management with possible energy generation.

Ranks and Report

8. Scarlett Johansson tops Forbes highest-paid actresses list
i. For the second consecutive year, Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has topped the Forbes’ list of highest-paid female actors in the world. Spurred by the success of her summer Marvel film Avengers: Endgame, the 34-year-old actor’s earning reached USD 56 million.

Here’s the list of the World’s Highest-Paid Actresses Of 2019 listed by Forbes:

1. Scarlett Johansson - $56 million
2. Sofia Vergara - $44.1 million
3. Reese Witherspoon - $35 million

Schemes and Committee

9. CVC sets up 4-member Advisory Board for Banking Frauds
i. The Central Vigilance Commission has constituted a 4-member Advisory Board for Banking Frauds. The ABBF will be headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T.M. Bhasin.
ii. The panel will function as the 1st level of examination of all large fraud cases. Lenders will refer all large fraud cases above Rs 50 crore to the board and on receipt of its recommendation or advice, the bank concerned would take further action in such matters.
iii. The other members of the panel are Madhusudan Prasad, former Urban Development Secretary; D.K. Pathak, former Director General of the Border Security Force; and Suresh N Patel, former MD and CEO of Andhra Bank.
iv. The panel was previously called the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Central Vigilance Commissioner: Sharad Kumar.

Awards

10. CPWD-DG Prabhakar Singh selected for ‘Eminent Engineer Award 2019’
i. Prabhakar Singh, Director General, Central Public Works Department has been chosen for the ‘Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019’. This award will be given by the Institution of Engineers (India) for his distinguished and exemplary service in the field of Engineering and Technology.
ii. This Elite and Prestigious Award shall be conferred to him on the ‘Engineers Day’ on September 15, 2019, in New Delhi.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) Housing & Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh Puri.

Summit and Conferences

11. 45th G7 Summit begins in Biarritz, France
i. The Group of 7 or G7 Summit has begun in Biarritz, France. It is an informal meeting between France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada as well as the European Union. These world powers, which represent 50% of the global economy, also share the values of freedom and democracy, as well as a collective ambition to deal with the world’s major issues.
ii. India has been invited as a special guest in the summit. PM Narendra Modi will address sessions on the environment, climate, oceans and digital transformation at the G7 Summit.

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

• President of France: Emmanuel Macron; Capital: Paris.

Books and Authors

12. “Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story” book will be launched in October
i. A new book recounting the story of how Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal (both-former founders of Flipkart) built e-commerce giant Flipkart. This book is written by Mihir Dalal. The book is titled as “Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story” and will be published by “Pan Macmillan India”. This book will be launched in October 2019.

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

• Flipkart established: October 2007; Headquarter of Flipkart: Bengaluru.

Sports

13. Gokulam Kerala FC wins Durand Cup
i. In football, Gokulam Kerala FC won the 129th Durand Cup, defeating heavyweights Mohun Bagan 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
ii. Bagan had more possession, but Gokulam were superb in counter-attacks. With today's win, Gokulam Kerala became the first club from the state in 22 years to clinch the tournament.

14. Alex Rins wins British Grand Prix
i. Spain motorcycle racer, Alex Rins of the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR has won the British Grand Prix. He defeated Marc Marquez by 0.013 seconds. While Maverick Vinales of Spain finished with the third position. The race was held at the Silverstone racetrack, in Silverstone, England.

15. Komalika Bari becomes recurve cadet at the World Archery Youth Championships
i. India's Komalika Bari became recurve cadet world champion at the World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain. She defeated higher-ranked Sonoda Waka of Japan 7-3 in the final. 
ii. India also won a gold in the compound junior mixed pair event and a bronze in the compound junior men's team.

Miscellaneous

16. PM Modi launches a redevelopment project of the Sri Krishna temple in Bahrain
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Sri Krishna temple in Manama, Bahrain. 
ii. The $4.2 million redevelopment project will be on a piece of land measuring 16,500 square feet. iii. The new 4-floor structure covering will cover 45,000 square feet, will have an overall height of 30 meters.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• King of Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa; Capital: Manama.

17. Textiles minister Smriti Irani launches sustainable fashion project "SU.RE"
i. The Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani has inaugurated Project SU.RE(Sustainable Resolution). This is a joint project of CMAI(Clothing Manufacturers Association of India)& IMG Reliance(International Management Group, during Lakme Fashion Winter/Festive 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The aim of this initiative is to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean environment.

Daily updates 27 August 2019

National News

1. National Digital Library of India launched by HRD Ministry
i. Human Resource Development Ministry has launched the National Digital Library of India project to develop a framework of virtual repository of learning resources with a single-window search facility. It has been launched under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, NMEICT.
ii. Currently, there are more than 3 crore digital resources available through the National Digital Library. National Digital Library is also integrated with UMANG App.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Union Minister of Human Resource Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.

Banking

2. Indian Bank signs MoU with Tata AIG
i. Public sector Bank, Indian Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata AIG General Insurance. 
ii. This MoU offers the latter’s diverse range of general insurance policies benefiting the bank’s customers by way of protection, wealth creation and savings. Tata AIG General Insurance will work with the bank for sales training, product support and ensuring smooth operational processes.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• CEO of Indian Bank: Padmaja Chunduru.
• CEO of Tata AIG General Insurance:  Neelesh Garg.

3. RBI to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore to government
i. The Reserve Bank of India has approved the transfer of record Rs 1.76 lakh crore dividend and surplus reserves to the government. The sum of Rs 1,76,051 crore comprises Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-19 and Rs 52,637 crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework.
ii. The receipts from the RBI will give a stimulus to the government's efforts to boost the economy from a five-year low. It is the highest-ever surplus amount transferred by the RBI to government.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Agreement

4. Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and NACO signed an MoU
i. The Department of Social Justice signed an MoU with the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). 
ii. The signed MoU will enhance outreach on AIDS prevention, address the risk of HIV transmission among all substance users and empower the discriminated and vulnerable groups such as victims of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and female sex workers.

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

• NACO Established: 1992; Headquarters: New Delhi.

5. SIDBI partnered with Incuspaze to open coworking space for MSMEs
i. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has partnered with Incuspaze Solutions Private Limited (Incuspaze) to open a first-of-its-kind co-working space. This coworking space exclusively designed for MSMEs and startups. This coworking space, named @Workspaze.
ii. This coworking space is fully furnished office equipped with training and conference room, fast-speed internet, reception, refreshment, recreational area, housekeeping facilities etc.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Founder and CEO of Incuspaze Solutions: Sanjay Choudhary.
• Chairman of SIDBI: Mohammad Mustafa.

6. Microsoft and ISB partner to advance AI skilling in India
i. The Indian School of Business (ISB) and Microsoft India announced a new partnership to take forward their shared vision for an AI-empowered India. Through the creation of the AI Digital Lab, the two organizations will collaborate in research which will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to study issues that are relevant for business and public policy.
ii. The partnership will also jointly introduce a new executive program titled “Leading Business Transformation in the Age of AI" in October 2019 which will equip business leaders with tools and strategies to transform their respective organizations to AI-driven organizations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Microsoft CEO: Satya Nadella; Established: 4 April 1975.

Awards

7. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2018 Announced
i. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2018 announced. The award is given in 4 categories: Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure and Life Time Achievement. The awardee will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs. 5 lakh each.
ii. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards are given every year to recognize the achievements of persons in the fields of adventure, to encourage young people to develop the spirit of endurance, risk-taking, cooperative teamwork and quick, ready and effective reflexes in challenging situations. The award has been given in the following categories:

• Land Adventure: Aparna Kumar, Shri Dipankar Ghosh, Shri Manikandan K
• Water Adventure: Prabhat Raju Koli
• Air Adventure: RameshwerJangra
• Life Time Achievement: Wangchuk Sherpa

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Edmund Percival Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers in the world who reached the summit of Mount Everest.

Summit and Conferences

8. 4th edition of the Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress 2019
i. The 4th edition of India’s largest confluence of digital technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress 2019 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka with the theme of  ‘Mainstreaming the Internet of Things’.
ii. It was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India(GoI). The IoT India Congress 2019 will include tracks on segments such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, smart cities, energy, retail, cybersecurity, skills and development, IoT Standards, legal and regulatory, and agriculture.

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

• Chief Minister of Karnataka: B. S. Yediyurappa.
• Governor of Karnataka: Vajubhai Vala.
• Capital of Karnataka: Bengaluru.

9. Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference 2019 to be held in Thailand
i. The 2019 Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand’s. In this conference, India will be represented by Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of the Air Staff- Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.
ii. The conference will provide perspectives on common challenges faced by attending nations and elicit open discussions on the same. The theme for the conference is "Collaboration in a free and Open Indo - Pacific". 

10. 7th 'Community Radio Sammelan' to be held in Delhi
i. The 7th 'Community Radio Sammelan' will be held in New Delhi. The 'Sammelan' will witness the representatives of community radio stations which will discuss experiences and possibilities of programming. This Sammelen will be held to raise awareness of sustainable development goals.
ii. The theme of this year’s Sammelan is ‘Community Radio for SDGs’. It is organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting will witness the participation of all operational Community Radio Stations across the country.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting: Prakash Javadekar.

Science and Technology

11. Intel launches first artificial intelligence chip Springhill
i. Intel Corp launched its latest processor, it's first using artificial intelligence (AI), designed for large computing centres.
ii. The chip developed at its development facility in Haifa, Israel. The name of the chip is  Nervana NNP-I or Springhill and it is based on a 10 nanometre Ice Lake processor that will allow it to cope with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Ceo of Intel: Robert H. Swan; Intel established: 18 July 1968.

12. Microsoft to train 5000 govt employees on AI, cloud
i. Microsoft India launched a program under which it will train 5000 government employees over the next year on AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud computing skills. This program was inaugurated by Amitabh Kant, chief executive of NITI Aayog.
ii. The program, called 'Digital Governance Tech Tour', will comprise of physical and virtual workshops. The program will be open for technocrats and IT professionals across the government, including employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

Obituaries

13. India's first woman DGP Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passes away
i. India’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP), Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed away. She was a 1973 batch officer, made history in 2004 when she was appointed as the DGP of Uttarakhand. She was also the second woman IPS officer in the country.

Miscellaneous

14. Amazon India launches Military Veterans Employment programme
i. Amazon India has launched a Military Veterans Employment programme in the country. This programme will create employment opportunities for military veterans and their spouses across the company’s fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery centres in India.
ii. Amazon India is partnering with the office of the Director-General of Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) to create continued work opportunities for military families across the country.

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

• CEO of Amazon: Jeff Bezos; Established: 5 July 1994.

15. Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium
i. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) decided to rename Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the memory of its former president of DDCA. Jaitley was the president of DDCA from 1999 to 2013. The renaming of the stadium will take place in September.

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

• President of DDCA:  Rajat Sharma; Headquarter of DDCA: Delhi.