Daily updates 15 and 16 September 2019

National

1. Great Ganga Run 2019 flagged off in New Delhi

• Jal Shakti Minister and Sports Minister flagged off "Great Ganga Run-2019" at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
• The marathon was organised to create awareness about River Ganga. The marathon was organised by Ministry of Jal Shakti. A large number of people from all age groups participated in the marathon.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Jal Shakti Minister: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

2. St. Vincent and Grenadines, 79th country to join India-led ISA

• Saint Vincent and Grenadines became the 79th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative by India aimed at combating the threats of climate change and global warming.
• The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India. The organisation aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

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

• St Vincent and the Grenadines Capital: Kingstown; Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar.

3. MoC Ravi Shankar Prasad launches Maritime Communication Services in India

• Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched the Maritime Communication Services at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Maritime Connectivity will enable high-end support to those in the sea by providing access to Voice, Data and Video services while travelling on sailing vessels, cruise liners, ships in India, using satellite technology.
• Nelco, India's leading VSAT solutions provider is the first Indian company that will now provide quality broadband services to the maritime sector.

State News

4. I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar flagged off Jaldoot vehicle in Pune

• Union Minister for Environment and Forest and Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar flagged off a Jaldoot vehicle a travelling exhibition in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The van carrying the 'SAVE WATER' message will travel to different parts of the state.
• To tackle the water crisis looming the country, the Government of India launched the ‘Jalshakti Abhiyan’, a water conservation campaign focusing on 1592 stressed blocks in 256 districts across the country.

Appointment

5. Justice P Lakshmana Reddy appointed as first Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh

• Former judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court P. Lakshmana Reddy, who has been appointed as State’s Lokayukta.
• He is known for his campaign against corruption. His oath to the office was administered by Governor Biswabhusan Hairchandan at a function held in Vijayawada.
• Justice P Lakshmana Reddy would serve in the office of Lokayukta for 5 years. He is the first Lokayukta to be assuming charge since the state bifurcated in 2014.

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

• CM of Andhra Pradesh: YS Jaganmohan Reddy; Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati.

6. UN appoints Indian Army veteran Abhijit Guha as head of Hodeidah mission

• United Nations Secretary-General appointed Lieutenant General (Retired) Abhijit Guha as the head of the UN mission in Hodeidah, Yemen.
• He will succeed Denmark Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, who served in these posts. Guha brings to this position 39 years of national and international military experience.
• He served from 2009-2013 as the Deputy Military Adviser and the Military Adviser within the Office of Military Affairs of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, while also establishing the Office of Peacekeeping and Strategic Partnerships in 2013.
• The UN Mission in support of the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), Guha will also assume the chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), tasked with redeploying forces of the Yemeni warring parties in accordance with their agreement.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• On 24 October 1945, The United Nations officially comes into existence
• Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations
• United Nations is headquartered in New York.

Defence

7. First-ever 'arrested landing' of Naval Tejas successfully executed

• DRDO and the Aeronautical Development Agency successfully executed the first-ever arrested landing of Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) Tejas (Navy) at the shore-based test facility in Goa.
• This is a step towards the aircraft getting operational on aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
• This arrested landing heralds the arrival of true indigenous capability and displays the professional prowess of our scientific community Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) embedded with design plus build the capability of HAL(ARDC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

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

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

8. White Water Rafting Expedition 'Rudrashila' Flagged off at Jaisalmer

• The White water Rafting Expedition christened 'RUDRASHILA' being undertaken by Kalidhar Battalion under the aegis of Battle Axe Division was Flagged Off at Jaisalmer Military station.
• The expedition christened 'Rudrashila' has been organised to commemorate the 75th Raising day of the Kalidhar Battalion.
• 'Rudrashila' takes its name from the famed Rudraprayag tributary of the Ganges River in the Mountains of Uttarakhand.
• 'Kalidhar Battalion' was raised on 01 November 1943 and has participated in all major operations of the Indian Army including two overseas assignments in Korea in 1953 and UN peacekeeping mission in Congo in 2005-06.

Ranks and Reports

9. Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ in the Guardian Best 100 list

• Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur has become the only Indian film to feature in “The Guardian” list of 100 Best Films of the 21st century. The film has bagged the 59th position.
• The two film Gangs Of Wasseypur series was released in 2012 and narrated the saga of a coal mafia family in the town of Wasseypur in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
• Both films were loved by the masses for their drama and rawness and acclaimed by the classes for cinematic aesthetics.

Sports

10. Pankaj Advani wins IBSF World Billiards Championship

• Pankaj Advani defeated Nay Thway Oo to win the 150-up format at the IBSF World Billiards Championship held in Mandalay, Myanmar.
• This was his 4th straight victory in the final of the 150-up format at the IBSF World Billiards Championship. With this win, he has increased his tally of world titles to 22.

11. Sourabh Verma clinches Vietnam Open Super 100 title

• Sourabh Verma has won the Vietnam Open Super 100 title held at the Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• He defeated China’s Sun Fei Xiang in the thrilling Men's Singles summit clash of Vietnam Open Super 100 title. He won the match with a score of 21-12, 17-2, 21-14.

12. Lakshya Sen wins Belgian International Badminton title

• Indian Badminton star, Lakshya Sen has won the Belgian International badminton title. He defeated Victor Svendsen of Denmark in the summit clash with a score of 21-14, 21-15. The tournament was held in Leuven, Belgium. Lakshya Sen belongs to Almora, Uttarakhand.

13. India's Kaushal Dharmamer wins Myanmar International Series

• Indian shuttler Kaushal Dharmamer has won the Myanmar International Series.
• He defeated Indonesia’s Karono Karono by 18-21, 21-14, 21-11 in the finals.
• He has made a comeback after been troubled by injuries for almost two years.

14. Spain beats Argentina to win Basketball World Cup

• Spain defeated Argentina by 95-75 to win the Basketball World Cup held in Beijing, China.
• This was its second title win after 13 years. The next world cup will held in 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Spain had won the title last time in 2006 with a 70-47 win over Greece. Argentina had not triumphed since it hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1950. With 32 teams, this was the biggest Basketball World Cup ever.

Important Days

15. International Day of Democracy: 15 September

• The United Nations observes 15 September every year as International Day of Democracy.
• It is an opportunity to urge all governments to respect their citizens' right to active, substantive and meaningful participation in democracy and to recall that democracy is about people.
• Democracy is built on inclusion, equal treatment and participation and it is a fundamental building block for peace, sustainable development and human rights.
• Theme of International Day of Democracy 2019: Participation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

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

16. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September

• The United Nations observes 16 September every year as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
• The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun and thus help in preserving life on the planet.
• Theme of the day for 2019: 32 Years and Healing.
• The theme for this year celebrates over three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol.
• The Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of 99 per cent of ozone-depleting chemicals in refrigerators, air-conditioners and many other products.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

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

Obituaries

17. Film editor Sanjib Kumar Datta passes away

• Film editor Sanjib Kumar Datta, who has movies like Iqbal, Ek Hasina Thi and Mardaani to his credit, passed away.
• He was an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and worked as an assistant to late editor Renu Saluja. His first big project was the 1998 film Bada Din.

18. Renowned writer of Kerala SivaramanCheriyanad passes away

• The renowned writer of Kerala Sivaraman Cheriyanad passed away. He received the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award in 1988 and the A.P. Kalakkad Award in 2009. He bagged Kerala Sahithya Akademi scholarship in 1990-91 for his study on the works of writer Parappuram. He was a recipient of the National Teachers Award in 1989.

Miscellaneous

19. UNESCO to publish anthology of Guru Nanak Dev's writing in world languages

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided to translate and publish an anthology of the writings of Guru Nanak Dev in world languages to mark his 550th birth anniversary.
• The Government of India is also holding a series of events and has initiated projects to mark 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
• These include the construction of Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district in Punjab to the international border, the development of the historic town of Sultanpur Lodhi as a heritage town on the smart city principle, the up-gradation of Sultanpur Lodhi railway station and release of commemorative coins and postage stamps.

Daily updates 4 September 2019

National News

1. GoI announces contribution of 22 mn USD to GFTAM
i. The Government of India has announced a contribution of 22 million US Dollars to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22), an increase of 10% over the amount contributed in the 5th cycle.
ii. India stands firm to its long-standing partnership with the Global Fund and its commitment to eliminate AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. India’s pledge for the Global Fund strongly demonstrates its strong political leadership to achieve the universal health for all and its equally strong commitment to work across borders to join hands in fighting the epidemics of these three diseases.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

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

International News

2. 1st ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) begins
i. The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington, starting at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore.
ii. This drill is Co-led by the US and Royal Thai navies, the exercises will stretch into "international waters in Southeast Asia, including the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea". 
iii. The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.

State News

3. UDAN regional connectivity scheme launched in Haryana from Hisar
i. Hisar, Haryana has entered into the civil aviation map after the launch of the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh. 
ii. SpiceJet has started the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh under the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Service scheme. SpiceJet would provide the service of two flights between Hisar and Chandigarh daily.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar; Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya.

Agreement

4. ESIC Signs an Agreement with SBI
i. Employees' State Insurance Corporation(ESIC) signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with State Bank of India for direct transfer of benefits electronically into bank accounts of all stakeholders.
ii. As per an agreement signed between the two, SBI will provide e-payment services directly to bank accounts of all ESIC beneficiaries and payees without any manual intervention as an integrated and automated process through its cash management product e-payment technology platform.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Director-General of ESIC: Rajkumar; Chairman of SBI: Rajnish Kumar.

Appointment

5. CEC Sunil Arora assumes charge as Chairman of AWEB
i. Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora took charge as chairman of Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB). The CEC will serve a two-year term till 2021.
ii. AWEB is a multilateral platform for election management bodies with 115 EMBs from 109 countries as its members, and 20 international organisations as Associate Members across the world to share best electoral practices.

Award

6. Vaishno Devi Shrine tops the list of ‘Swachh Iconic Places’
i. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged as the "Best Swachh Iconic place" in the country in the ‘Swachh Iconic Places’. The Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation.
ii. This list released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the award to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ to be organised by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on 6 September 2019.

Defence

7. Army to commission 1st batch of women soldiers in 2021
i. The Indian Army has announced that the first batch of 100 women soldiers in the Army is likely to be commissioned by March 2021.
ii. The women soldiers will be commissioned into the Corps of Military Police of the Indian Army. In the Corps of Military Police, women soldiers will take up duties of policing cantonments and other Army establishments.
iii. They will also work in co-operation with civil police of various state governments as well as the Centre and will also investigate cases of crime.
iv. At present, women in the Army work only in engineering, medical, legal, signals and educational wings.

8. India, US to carry out joint Military Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019"
i. Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise "Yudh Abhyas 2019". This exercise is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, the USA from 05-18 September 2019.
ii. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavours between India and USA. This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries. 
iii. The exercise is also an ideal platform to learn from each other's expertise and experiences of planning and execution of operations.

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

• Chief of the Army Staff of India: General Bipin Rawat.
• Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army: Mark A Milley.

Summit and Conference

9. Joint India-New Development Bank Workshop held in New Delhi
i. A joint India- New Development Bank workshop was held in New Delhi. The workshop was organized to enhance the NDB’s engagement with the India's private and public sector. 
ii. The NDB is aiming to support the Indian public and private sector for infrastructure development through innovative means such as loans in a local currency, guarantees, credit enhancement and equity investments.
iii. The NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank established by developing countries and emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• President of NDB: K V Kamath; Headquarters: Shanghai, China.

Banking

10. Cabinet approves Rs 4,557 crore capital infusion into IDBI Bank
i. The Cabinet has approved a capital infusion of Rs 4,557 crore into IDBI Bank. The capital infusion process will be done through recapitalisation bonds under which the government will infuse the capital into the bank and the bank will buy the recapitalisation bonds from the government on the same day.
ii. The capital infusion aims to help the bank in its return to profitability. The capital infusion is also expected to help IDBI to come out of the Prompt Corrective Action framework of the Reserve Bank of India.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, MD and CEO: Rakesh Sharma.

11. ECL Finance and Central bank of India ink pact to co-lend to MSMEs
i. ECL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Edelweiss Financial Services, and Central Bank of India have signed an agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME's) customers.
ii. The partnership aims to facilitate speedy disbursal of credit across a bouquet of products, including machinery and business loans. Through this partnership, MSMEs will be offered a blended lower rate of interest, translating into a lower cost of funds, helping them deploy capital more effectively in their business.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Chairman of Central Bank of India: Rajeev Rishi.
• MD & CEO of Central Bank of India: Pallav Mohapatra.

Sports

12. Hamilton Masakadza announces retirement from International Cricket
i. Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza has announced to retire from international cricket after conclusion of Bangladesh & Afghanistan T20I Tri-series.
ii. He has represented Zimbabwe in 38 Tests, 209 ODIs and 62 T20Is since making his international debut against West Indies in 2001.
ii. In his overall international career, he scored 9,410 international runs including 10 international tons and 42 half-centuries.

13. Mithali Raj retires from T20 International Cricket
i. Senior India batswoman Mithali Raj has announced retirement from International T-20 Cricket. In 89 T20 Internationals matches, she scored 2364 runs including 17 fifties with a career-best 97 not out. Mithali is also the first Indian cricketer to reach the landmark of 2000 T20I runs.

Miscellaneous

14. NYKS to prepare Disaster Response Teams in collaboration with NDRF
i. In collaboration with National Disaster Response Force, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan under the Department of Youth Affairs of MoYAS will prepare Block Level Disaster Response Teams. 
ii. The team has been constituted for Disaster Risk Reduction. The trained NYKS Youth Volunteers will work as DRTs and will be called as ‘NDRF- friends’.
iii. NYKS Youth Volunteers for Disaster Risk Reduction will act as first responders in NDRF selected hazard prone districts. The volunteer groups will provide initial rescue and relief services. 
iv. They will also act as a link between the affected community and institutions like National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, police, fire services etc arriving at the scene.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Minister of State of Youth Affairs and Sports: Kiren Rijiju.

15. Aadhaar for ITR filing, PAN will be auto-generated
i. The Income Tax Department announced that it will automatically issue PAN to all taxpayers who do not have a Permanent Account Number and are using Aadhaar for filing income tax returns (ITR).
ii. Under this new Aadhaar-PAN rule, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) will obtain demographic information from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and issue a new Permanent Account Number (PAN).

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

• UIDAI Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Ajay Bhushan Pandey; Headquarters: New Delhi.

16. Indian Army Team summit MT Leo Pargyil (6773m)
i. Indian Army team from 18th battalion, the Mahar Regiment successfully summited Mount Leo Pargyil (6773M). After an extremely challenging climb in harsh weather, hoisting the National Flag atop Mt Leo Pargyil.
ii. Leo Pargyil is the third highest peak of Himachal Pradesh and is considered to be among the most challenging and technically difficult peak to scale. It lies in the Zanskar range.

Daily updates 5 September 2019

National News

1. Delhi's IGI Airport Gets India's Tallest ATC Tower
i. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport gets India’s tallest ATC tower to enhance the safety and boost the efficiency of air transport management services.
ii. The Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the Delhi Air Traffic Service Complex, which is the tallest Air Traffic Control tower in India with a height of 102 metres.  
iii. The tower aims to reduce the pressure on controllers and provide relief to flyers from delays. The tower has over 45 workstations with better operational area visibility. The tower has multilayered security.

International News

2. US Federal Trade Commission fines YouTube with $170 million
i. The US's Federal Trade Commission has fined Google's YouTube with $170 million. YouTube will have to pay $170 million to settle allegations of collecting personal information about children. 
ii. YouTube has been accused of tracking viewers of children's channels using cookies without parental consent. YouTube also used those cookies to deliver millions of dollars in targeted advertisements to those viewers.
iii. The penalty on YouTube is the largest since a law came into effect in 1998 which banned the collection of information about children aged below 13. The law was revised in 2013 to include “cookies,” which can be used to track a person's internet viewing habits.

Banking and Economy

3. CRISIL revises India's GDP growth to 6.3% in fiscal 2020
i. Rating agency CRISIL has revised India’s fiscal year 2020 GDP growth forecast to 6.3%. CRISIL has lowered the GDP growth forecast from 6.9% to 6.3%. The growth was revised as the first-quarter growth rate of India reduced to a 25-quarter low of 5%.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Managing Director and CEO of CRISIL: Ashu Suyash.

4. RBI orders banks to link lending rate to external interest rate benchmark
i. The Reserve Bank of India has made mandatory for banks to link retail and MSME loans to external interest rate benchmarks.
ii. This new norm will be effective from the 1st of October. Under this norm, banks have to link all of their new loan products, be it personal, housing or auto to an external benchmark rate.
iii. Banks have been allowed to choose any benchmark market interest rate published by the Financial Benchmarks India Private Ltd (FBIL). Banks can choose RBI’s repo rate, the government of India’s three-month treasury bill yield published by the FBIL, government’s six-month treasury bill yield published by the FBIL or any other market interest rate published by the FBIL.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Agreement

5. Wipro bags $300-million deal from ICICI Bank
i. IT services major Wipro Limited has bagged a strategic contract valued at $300 million from the ICICI Bank. Under the contract, Wipro will offer a comprehensive suite of services to ICICI Bank for the next seven years, starting September 2019.
ii. Currently, Mumbai-based IT services firm Vara infotech provides these services to the ICICI Bank. As part of this strategic engagement, Wipro will absorb about 3,800 employees of Vara infotech along with its existing contracts, facilities and assets.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• MD & CEO of ICICI Bank: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Tagline of ICICI Bank: Hum Hain Na!
• MD & CEO of Wipro: Abidali Z. Neemuchwala.

Ranks and Reports

6. Delhi, Mumbai fall in EIU’s Global Liveability Index 2019
i. Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019, released with both Delhi and Mumbai sliding down ranks. New Delhi dropped 6 places to 118, from 112 last year and Mumbai also fell in this year’s index, by two places to 119, from 117 last year.
ii. Vienna in Austria, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia make the top three cities. The survey ranks countries across indicators including stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment.

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

• Headquarters of EIU's: London, UK; Founded: 1946.

7. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves
i. India has surpassed the Netherlands to move into the list of top10 countries in terms of total gold reserves. According to the World Gold Council, India has gold reserves totalling 618.2 tonnes, which is marginally higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of 612.5 tonnes.
ii. According to the World Gold Council, the U.S. leads the country list with total gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 tonnes.  In terms of individual countries, India actually ranks 9th since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) occupies the third position after the U.S. and Germany.

Appointment

8. Jaideep Sarkar appointed as next High Commissioner of India to Lesotho
i. India's High Commissioner to South Africa, Jaideep Sarkar has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Lesotho, with residence in Pretoria. He is a 1987 IFS-batch officer and earlier served as envoy to Israel and Bhutan.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For RRB Main 2019:

• Capital of Lesotho: Maseru; Currencies of Lesotho: South African rand, Lesotho loti.

Award

9. Muhammad Yunus conferred 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis' Award
i. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh was conferred the 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis' award by the Vatican. 
ii. He has been awarded for his contribution towards establishing peace and harmony. The award is a recognition for distinguished work by an individual for promoting peace and dialogue among people.

Summit and Conference

10. 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics
i. Central Bureau of Investigation's 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics inaugurated in New Delhi.
ii. The 2 days conference aimed at creating the platform and bringing together investigators, lawyers, forensic experts and academia to discuss challenges related to cybercrime and ways to find solutions. iii. It also acts as a platform to share good practices to learn from experiences of various State police and Law Enforcement Agencies.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Clerk Mains:

• Director of Central Bureau of Investigation: Rishi Kumar Shukla.

Schemes and Committees

11. PM to launch a pension scheme for traders
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan­dhan Yojana, the Centre’s pension scheme for traders. A few of the first subscribers from across the country will be given pension cards by the PM.
ii. The scheme, which is an extension of the PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana, will make all beneficiaries eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 3000 after the age of 60 at a miniscule monthly contribution.

Books and Authors

12. ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ and ‘The Republican Ethic’ books to be released by V. President
i. The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will release 2nd editions of ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2) in New Delhi. 
ii. In order to promote and disseminate selected speeches of President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind. They are a compilation of 95 speeches delivered by the President during his second year in office (July 2018 to July 2019).

Sports

13. Qatar unveils 2022 FIFA World Cup logo
i. Qatar unveiled the logo for the FIFA 2022 World Cup which will be hosted by the Gulf emirate, displaying it in public spaces in Doha and cities around the world.
ii. The design is a stylised Arabic white unisex shawl with maroon patterning, which is displayed in a figure-of-eight symbolising infinity while creating a heart shape above the words “FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022”.

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

• President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino; Headquarters of FIFA: Zurich, Switzerland.

14. Pakistan names Misbah-ul-Haq as head coach and chief selector
i. Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as head coach and chief selector of Pakistan's cricket team. He has been appointed for three years. Waqar Younis will join him as the team's new bowling coach.
ii. Misbah-ul-Haq has scored over 10,300 international runs in 75 Tests and 162 one-dayers for Pakistan and was also the most successful and longest-serving Test captain for Pakistan.

Important Days

15. International Day of Charity: 5 September
i. The United Nations observes 5 September every year as International Day of Charity with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities.
ii. The date of 5 September was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa. She also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace."

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Miscellaneous

16. Rohit Sharma launches a campaign to save Rhinos in India
i. Indian Cricket team vice-captain Rohit Sharma is launching Rohit4Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet. This campaign helps to build awareness for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Indian Rhino. 
ii. The Indian rhinoceros faces several threats, including poaching, habitat loss and mass mortality from inbreeding and disease.