Daily updates 17 August 2019

National News

1. India contributes $1 million to UN fund

i. India has contributed $1 million to the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund for the Resident Coordinator System. The Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) is a specific fund housed within the UN Secretariat.
ii. The fund was established to receive, consolidate, manage and account for all contributions and financial transactions of the new Resident Coordinator system in a transparent and effective way.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

2. High-level committee constituted to review Defence Procurement Procedure

i. Union government has constituted a 12-member high-level committee to revise and align the procedure of Defence procurement with the aim of strengthening the 'Make in India' initiative. The panel will be headed by the Director-General (Acquisitions).
ii. The panel has been tasked to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2006 and the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2009. The committee will revise and align the procedures with the aim of ensuring seamless flow from asset acquisition to life cycle support.

3. “Aadi Mahotsav” begins in Leh-Ladakh

i. National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” has begun in Leh-Ladakh. The theme of the festival is “A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture and Commerce”.
ii. The 9 day Adi Mahotsav will showcase traditional art and handicrafts and cultural heritage of the country. 
iii. Tribal Affairs Ministry and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) has jointly organized the festival.

State News

4. Tawlhlohpuan, Mizo Puanchei & Tirur betel vine gets GI tag

i. Tawlhlohpuan & Mizo Puanchei from Mizoram, and Tirur betel vine from Kerala has received the Geographical Indication tag. 
ii. GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. The Geographical Indication comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
iii. Some features of the products bestowed with the GI tag:

• Tawlhlohpuan: It is a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram. It is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.
• Mizo Puanchei: It is a colourful Mizo shawl/textile, from Mizoram and is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles.
• Tirur betel vine: This product from Kerala is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. It has many industrial and cultural usages and is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders. 

Economy News

5. India's forex reserves reaches life-time high of $430.57 bn

i. India's forex reserves has reached the highest ever valuation of $430.57 bn. As per the latest RBI data, India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.620 billion in the week to 9 August due to rise in foreign currency assets. 
ii. Foreign currency assets expressed in dollar terms includes the effect of appreciation/depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Sports

6. Ravi Shastri appointed as Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team

i. Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri has been appointed as the head coach of Indian cricket team for another two years. 
ii. Cricket Advisory Committee led by former Indian Cricket captain Kapil Dev along with Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy conducted interviews of shortlisted candidates for Indian cricket team's head coach.

7. Indian cyclists win gold at World Junior Track Cycling Championships

i. Indian cyclists team have won the gold medal in the Team Sprint event at World Junior Track Cycling Championships held in Frankfurt, Germany. Indian team comprised of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh.
ii. This is India's first ever gold medal in a global cycling competition. The Indian team defeated Australian team in the finals to won the gold medal.

8. India wins T20 Physical Disability World Cricket Series

i. India has won the inaugural T20 Physical Disability World Cricket Series 2019 held in England. India defeated England by 36 runs in the finals to win the title. 
ii. The 6-nation tournament was organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Obituaries

9. Padma Shri awardee Damodar Ganesh Bapat passes away

i. Damodar Ganesh Bapat from Chhattisgarh, a noted social worker and Padma Shri award winner, passed away. He was known for his social work in tribal areas in Chhattisgarh. He dedicated his life to the treatment and service of leprosy patients.
ii. For his service to the society, he was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of India i.e. Padma Shri award in 2018.

10. Bangladeshi novelist Rizia Rahman passes away

i. Renowned Bangladeshi novelist Rizia Rahman passed away. She had received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2019. 
ii. Bong Theke Bangla , Rokter Okshor and Ghar Bhanga Ghar are among some of her well known novels.

Daily updates 18 19 August 2019

National News

1. Union HRD Minister inaugurates International Conference on Teacher Education
i. The Union Minister of Human Resource Development inaugurated the International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” in New Delhi.
ii. The 2-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.
iii. NCTE was tasked with achieving planned and coordinated development of teacher education system throughout the country and maintenance of norms and standards.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

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

International

2. Iceland commemorates 1st glacier "Okjokull" lost to climate change
i. Iceland commemorated the loss of 1st glacier "Okjokull", lost due to climate change. A bronze plaque was unveiled by Iceland in a ceremony which was attended by scientists and locals at the glacier in west-central Iceland.
ii. The plaque bears the inscription "A letter to the future".

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Prime Minister of Iceland: Katrin Jakobsdottir; Capital: Reykjavík.

State News

3. 5 New fish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
i. Fisheries and the aquatic ecology research team from the zoology department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) have discovered 5 species of fish from various districts of the Arunachal pradesh.
ii. The 5 newly discovered species of fish are:

• Mystus prabini (discovered in Sinkin and the Dibang rivers in Lower Dibang Valley district)
• Exostoma kottelati (discovered in the Ranga river in Lower Subansiri district)
• Creteuchiloglanis tawangensis (discovered in the Tawangchu river in Tawang district)
• Garra ranganensis (discovered in the Ranga river)
• Physoschistura harkishorei (discovered in the Dibang and the Lohit rivers in Lower Dibang Valley district).

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

• Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Pema Khandu.
• Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: B. D. Mishra.

4. Odisha approves conservation plan of lakes "Chilika and Ansupa"
i. The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved implementation of an integrated management plan of lakes "Chilika and Ansupa". 
ii. The Chilika lake is India’s largest brackish water lagoon and Ansupa is the Odisha’s largest freshwater lake. 
iii. The 5-year management plan of lakes is intended at strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying on the two water-bodies at an estimated investment of Rs 180 crore.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik; Governor: Ganeshi Lal.

5. Manipur CM launches "School Fagadaba" scheme
i. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launching the "School Fagadaba" (Make education better) scheme to improve the infrastructure of government schools in the state.
ii. The objective of the scheme was to ensure better infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement of government schools to make them model schools.

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

• Governor of Manipur: Padmanabha Balkrishna Acharya.

Agreements

6. Chennai City FC ties up with German company "uhlsport"
i. I-League champion Chennai City FC has announced a strategic partnership with German sports goods supplier "uhlsport". 
ii. The partnership aims to support a sustainable growth of football education in India. It will also work to develop grassroots football in Tamil Nadu and across India.

Awards

7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be honoured with "Order of Zayed"
i. The United Arab Emirates will honour the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the "Order of Zayed", the highest civilian award of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will recieve the award during his visit to the UAE.
ii. The order in the name of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, acquires special significance as it is awarded to Prime Minister Modi in the year of the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Capital of the UAE: Abu Dhabi; Currency: Dirham.

8. Longest documentary "100 Years of Chrysostum" will receive Guinness Award
i. A biographical documentary "100 Years of Chrysostum" will receive Guinness Award in the category of longest documentary. 
ii. The "100 Years of Chrysostum" is based on the life of Philipose Mar Chrysostum, scripted and directed by filmmaker Blessy. 
iii. The 48-hour and 8 minutes documentary has broken the record of the 21-hour Saudi Arabian documentary "World of Snakes".
iv. Former Padma Bhushan awardee Philipose Mar Chrysostum is a Metropolitan Emeritus of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar.

Summit & Conference

9. Nepal will host 5th meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission
i. The 5th meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal. India's Minister for External Affairs and Nepal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs will co-chair the meeting.
ii. The Joint Commission Meeting will review overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation such as connectivity and economic partnership, trade and transit, power and water resources, culture, education and other matters of mutual interest.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Nepal Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli; Capital: Kathmandu.
• External Affairs Minister of India: S. Jaishankar.

Important Days

10. World Humanitarian Day 2019
i. World Humanitarian Day is observed across the world on August 19 to pay tribute to workers who risk their lives in humanitarian services and to gather support for people affected by crises around the world. 
ii. The day was designated by the UN General Assembly to commemorate the 19 August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
iii. WHD 2019 campaign: #WomenHumanitarians.
iv. World Humanitarian Day 2019 is set to celebrate Women Humanitarians and their undying contribution in making the world a better place. 
v. This year’s campaign on Women Humanitarians supports the recognition that women deserve in the strengthening of global humanitarian response as well as in protection efforts under the international law.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Sports

11. Hima Das, Mohammad Anas win gold in Athleticky Mitink Reiter event
i. Indian sprinters Hima Das and Mohammad Anas have won a gold medal and Nirmal Tom clinched a bronze medal in 300m races at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter event. 
ii. The event was held in Czech Republic. While Hima won the gold in women's category and Mohammad Anas and Nirmal Tom claimed the yellow and bronze medal in men's category.

12. India wins U-12 Asian Tennis Team championship
i. India have won the gold medal at the Under 12 Asian Tennis Team championship held in Kazakhstan. India defeated Chinese Taipei in the summit clash to win the title.
ii. The final comprised of three matches including 2 singles and one doubles. India won both the singles matches while lost the doubles encounter. The Indian team comprised Manas Dhamme, Arnav Paprakar and Tamil Nadu's Pranav Rethin.

13. Labuschagne becomes 1st Concussion Substitute cricket player
i. Australian player Marnus Labuschagne has become the 1st Concussion Substitute player in the history of International cricket. 
ii. A Concussion Replacement Request is the notification made to the ICC Match Referee in accordance with the process set out by ICC. 
iii. The Team Medical Representative is the individual designated for the assessment of any head or neck injury sustained by a player.
iv. A Concussion Replacement is a player who takes the place of a player who has been replaced for the remainder of the match. The player will be selected from the list of nominated players provided by that team whose player was injured and will take a full part in the match.
v. In Ashes Series 2019, Steve Smith was ruled out of the last day of the 2nd Ashes Test match at Lord’s due to concussion. Marnus Labuschagne replaced Smith on the last day of the Lord's Test.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For SBI Clerk Mains:

• ICC Chairman: Shashank Manohar; Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Obituaries

14. Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra passes away
i. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra passed away. He was 3-time Chief Minister of Bihar. He was an economics professor at Bihar University and also authored several books.

15. Nari Shakti Award Winner Neelum Sharma passes away
i. Doordarshan Anchor and Nari Shakti Award Winner Neelum Sharma passed away. Neelum Sharma was known for her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’ and ‘Badi Charcha’ and had been awarded the Nari Shakti Puruskar by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.

Miscellaneous

16. NCPCR & IIT Kanpur develops kit to spread sexual abuse awareness
i. The IIT Kanpur has developed a kit in collaboration with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to spread awareness about sexual abuse among children. 
ii. The kit can be used in classrooms for kids aged between 8-12 and in a group of 30-35 students in one session.
iii. The kit constitutes a set of cards, posters, short animation clips and games, which can be used by teachers or an NGO to conduct an interactive workshop for children about sexual abuse awareness.

17. President inaugurates Bunker Museum in Mumbai
i. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated underground Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai.
ii. The British-era bunker was discovered in 2016 and has 13 rooms such as Shell Store, Gun Shell, Cartridge Store and Central Artillery Store. The 15,000 square feet underground bunker museum has virtual reality booths in which visitors can "time travel" to the 19th century.

Daily updates 20 August 2019

National

1. National Sports Awards 2019
i. Selection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019 has announced the National Sports Awards 2019. National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
ii. Selection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019 was headed by Justice Mukundakam Sharma, Retired Judge, Supreme Court.
Apart from a medal and a citation, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each. A trophy and citation is given to the entity in the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, 2019. Recipients of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar will be given Trophies and certificates. 
iii. Overall top performing university in inter-university tournaments will be given MAKA Trophy, award money of Rs. 10 lakh and certificate.

To read complete list of awardees Click Here

International

2. Qamar Javed Bajwa's term extended as Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff
i. Pakistan Prime Minister Office has announced a 3-year extension of General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure as Chief of Army Staff. 
ii. Bajwa’s original term was to end in November 2019 after serving as Army chief for three years. He will remain as Army chief till November 2022.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Pakistan Capital: Islamabad; PM: Imran Khan; President: Arif Alvi.

3. Shavendra Silva appointed as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
i. President of Sri Lanka has appointed Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as 23rd Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. He will replace Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. 
ii. Mr. Silva commanded the Sri Lankan Army’s 58 Division during the final stages of the war against the rebel LTTE in 2009.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Rupee; Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe; President: Maithripala Sirisena.

State News

4. Karnataka categorises Nicotine as "class A poison"
i. The Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and notified Nicotine as "Class A poison". The step has been taken to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on production and sale of electronic cigarettes. 
ii. The notification has also ordered the suspension of all kinds of promotion of e-cigarettes, including online promotion. This will curb the illegal sale, smuggling of nicotine cartridges and e-cigarettes.
Class A poison are "Highly toxic chemicals", which even in very small quantities as gas or vapour in the air are dangerous to life (such as cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid, nitrogen peroxide, and phosgene).

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

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

5. Gujarat to get India’s first CICET
i. India’s first Central Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology will be set up in Gujarat. It will be set up either in Ahmedabad or Surat. It will be built on the lines of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology. 
ii. The aim of setting up the institute is to facilitate the chemical industry with research and innovations.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• CM of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Devvrat; Capital: Gandhinagar.

Appointment

6. Paytm promotes CFO Madhur Deora as President
i. Digital payments player Paytm announced the promotion of its Chief Financial Officer Madhur Deora as the company's President.
ii. Madhur joined the digital payment firm in October 2016. Earlier, Deora has served as Managing Director in Citigroup's investment banking business in New York, London and Mumbai.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Paytm Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
• Parent Organization: One97 Communications.

7. Ravinder Takkar appointed as MD-CEO of Vodafone Idea
i. Ravinder Takkar has been appointed as the MD and CEO of Idea-Vodafone. He is currently a board member of Vodafone Idea and Indus Towers, where he is responsible for all Vodafone Group interests in India. He will replace Balesh Sharma after his resignation as the chief executive officer of Vodafone Idea (VIL).

Awards

8. CCMB scientist K Thangaraj awarded JC Bose Fellowship
i. Dr K Thangaraj, Chief Scientist at Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) was awarded JC Bose Fellowship.
ii. Thangaraj was given this fellowship for his outstanding contributions in the field of population and medical genomics. 
iii. The JC Bose Fellowship is awarded to scientists in recognition for their outstanding performance by the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology.

Defence

9. Home Ministry fixes the retirement age of CAPF personnel at 60 years
i. The Union Home Ministry has fixed the retirement age of all Central Armed Police Force personnel at 60 years. 
ii. MHA has issued the order following the 2019 Delhi High Court verdict. The high court verdict asked the Ministry to fix a retirement age that would be uniform for all members of the CAPFs “irrespective of rank”.

Important Days

10. Sadbhavana Diwas: 20 August
i. Sadbhavana Diwas is celebrated on 20 August every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This year will be the 75th Birth Anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi.
ii. On this day national integration, peace, love, affection and communal harmony among all Indians are encouraged. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay. At 40, Mr Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the 6th Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989.
• He was assassinated on 21 May 1991.

Sports

11. Mitchell Johnson becomes MCC Honourary Life member
i. Former Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson has been elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
ii. Johnson represented Australia in 153 One Day Internationals picking up 239 wickets, 73 international Test matches claiming 313 wickets and 30 T-20 Internationals in which he takes 38 wickets.

12. Former Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole announces retirement
i. Former Chelsea, Arsenal and England football player Ashley Cole aged 38, announced his retirement from football. He was ending his 20-year playing career.
ii. He won 3 Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, as well as helping the Chelsea to win the 2011-12 Champions League.

Obituaries

13. Veteran music composer Mohammed Zahur Hashmi passes away
i. Veteran music composer Mohammed Zahur Hashmi, popularly known as Khayyam passed away. He was best known for his music in classic films such as Umrao Jaan and Kabhi Kabhie. He was also a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Padma Bhushan.

14. Sahitya Akademi Award winner NS Tasneem passes away
i. Eminent Punjabi writer and Sahitya Akademi winner Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem passed away.
ii. Tasneem was awarded Sahitya Akademi award in 1999 for his novel ‘Gawache Arth’ (The Lost Meaning) which was based on Punjab and lives of Punjabis in 1984. He was also awarded Punjab’s highest literary honour "Punjabi Sahit Rattan" in 2015.  He had served as a professor at SCD Government College, Ludhiana.

Miscellaneous

15. India becomes the largest SO2 emitter in the world
i. India is the world’s largest emitter of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide, which is produced from coal burning, and greatly contributes to air pollution. According to an analysis of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) data released by environmental NGO Greenpeace.
ii. India has more than 15% of all anthropogenic sulphur dioxide (SO2) hotspots in the world detected by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) satellite.
iii. The major SO2 emission hotspots in India are:

• Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh
• Neyveli and Chennai in Tamil Nadu
• Talcher and Jharsuguda in Odisha
• Korba in Chhattisgarh
• Kutch in Gujarat
• Ramagundam in Telangana
• Chandrapur and Koradi in Maharashtra

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

• Administrator of NASA: Jim Bridenstine; Headquarter of NASA: Washington DC, US.