Daily updates 27 September 2019

National

1. Exhibition of India Tourism Mart 2019 inaugurated

• The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), inaugurated the exhibition of India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2019 in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) have jointly organized this Mart. Over 240 international delegates from 51 countries and 160 exhibitors from across the country are taking in the part in the second edition of ITM.
• The Mart will provide a platform at the national level for trade and hospitality service providers in the country to interact and conduct business with their counterparts from overseas.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge): Prahlad Singh Patel.

International

2. Japan Launches "World's Biggest Transport Space Ship" For Space Station

• Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station.
• The H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• The launch took place from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
• This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship. It intends to deliver about 5.3 tonnes of supplies to astronauts at the ISS.

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

• Japan Capital: Tokyo, Currency: Japanese yen, PM: Shinzo Abe.

State News

3. UP govt. announces ₹6,000 annual aid for triple talaq victims

• Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath announced an annual support of ₹6,000 to the victims of triple talaq till their rehabilitation and they will get free legal aid.
• The victims of triple talaq came under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) and govt also gives rights over waqf properties and also called for several welfare measures that should be undertaken for their rehabilitation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Governor of Uttar Pradesh: Anandiben Patel.

Agreement

4. Airtel Payments Bank partners with HDFC ERGO, launches innovative (MDPP)

• Airtel Payments Bank has joined hands with India’s leading private sector general insurance company, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company to offer unique Mosquito Diseases Protection Policy (MDPP) to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.
• Mosquito Disease Protection Policy offers cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases - Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and Zika virus.
• The product, which is a part of the 'Wallet Insurance Portfolio' of HDFC ERGO, will be offered to the remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank at a nominal cost of Rs 99 per annum.

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

• MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank: Anubrata Biswas.
• Headquarters of Airtel Payments Bank: New Delhi.

5. Facebook bags digital content rights for ICC matches in South Asia

• The International Cricket Council has inked an agreement with Facebook, under which the social media platform will get exclusive digital content rights for select cricket matches in the Indian subcontinent including the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020-22, Men’s T20 World Cup 2020-21 and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
• The social media platform also bagged the rights for match recaps for rest of the world for the next 4 years.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Chief Executive Officer of ICC: Manu Sawhney.

Schemes and Committees

6. Centre approves construction of 1.23 lakh houses under PMAY-Urban

• The Indian government has approved the construction of 1.23 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• The approval was given by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC). With this approval, over 90 lakh houses have so far been sanctioned against the target of 1.12 crore by 2022 under PMAY (Urban).

Awards

7. Payal Jangid becomes the first Indian to receive the Changemaker Award 2019

• Rajasthan’s Payal Jangid, aged 17, became the first Indian to receive the Changemaker Award 2019 at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards 2019.
• The Award was presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at a ceremony held in New York, United States. She is the President of her village’s Children’s Parliament (Bal Panchayat).
• She was awarded for her work towards the abolition of child marriage in her village and other neighbouring areas.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief Minister of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot; Governor: Kalraj Mishra.

Defence

8. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to be new Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee

• Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will take over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
• He succeeding Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retires from service by end of this month.
• The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most member is appointed its chairperson.
• The Chairman of COSC is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve a common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country.

Books and Authors

9. Pranab Mukherjee launches the book titled ‘Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy’

• Former president Pranab Mukherjee released a book named 'Reset: Regaining India's Economic Legacy'.
• The book was written by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that tracks the country's economic development over the years and offers solutions for future growth. The book has been published by Rupa Publications India.

Obituaries

10. 4-time Emmy Award winner J. Michael Mendel passes away

• American television producer & a four-time Emmy Award winner J. Michael Mendel passed away.
• He won three Emmys in 1995, 1997, and 1998 for “Lisa’s Wedding”, “Homer’s Phobia”, and “Trash of the Titans”.
• He joined Rick and Morty in 2013, where he won his 4th Emmy Award for the episode “Pickle Rick” in 2018.

11. Former French President Jacques Chirac passes away

• Former French President Jacques Chirac passed away. He was two-term French president (1995-2007) who was the first leader to acknowledge France’s role in the Holocaust and defiantly opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also served as the Prime Minister of France.

Important Days

12. World Tourism Day: 27 September

• The United Nations observes 27 September every year as World Tourism Day.
• The UN World Tourism Organization expects that tourism will continue to grow at an average of 3% annually until 2030.
• The sector also represents an estimated 10% of the world's GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally.
• UN World Tourism Organization organizes the special event every year on the occasion of World Tourism Day, and this year it will be held in New Delhi, India.
• Theme for 2019: Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future For All.

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.

Miscellaneous

13. Global Goals Jam 3.0 hosted by World University of Design

• World University of Design (WUD) hosted Global Goals Jam 3.0. The Indian edition of the global event focusing on design thinking and service design methodologies was hosted with the theme: eWaste.
• 70 participants from across India, divided into ten groups, participated in the workshop and presented their ideas and vision for the future.
• GGJ is an international platform for inclusive learning where people from all around the world contribute to the 17 global goals for sustainable development of UNDP by sharing their stories, projects, and visions for the future.

14. Bangladesh lifts ban on Hilsa export to India

• Bangladesh has lifted the ban on the exports of Hilsa fish to India as a goodwill gesture during the Durga Puja.
• Bangladesh will allow 500 tonnes of Hilsa fish for the occasion as a one time arrangement.
• Export of the popular Hilsa or 'Ilish' fish from Bangladesh was banned in 2012 after local business establishments called for controlling the price of fishes.
• Bangladesh accounts for nearly 75 percent of world Hilsa production and nearly 2 million people get direct and indirect employment from its cultivation.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

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

Daily updates 26 September 2019

National

1. ADB cuts India growth forecast to 6.5% for 2019-20

• The Asian Development Bank has slashed its growth forecast for India for fiscal  year 2019-20 to 6.5% from 7%.
• The bank lowered the growth rate because of weaker growth in the first quarter due to a slowdown in consumption and investment activities that hit manufacturing and service sectors.

State News

2. J&K becomes first state to issue highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat scheme

• Jammu and Kashmir has become the first state in the country to issue the highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
• Over 11 lakh golden cards have been generated within the first 90 days of the launch of the scheme with 60% of families having at least one golden card which is highest in the country.
• Under the scheme, 155 Hospitals including 126 public and 29 private hospitals have been empanelled to provide free and cashless treatment to the entitled beneficiaries while as per Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 6.30 lakh poor and vulnerable families of J&K are entitled to it.

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

• Satya Pal Malik is the present Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.

Appointment

3. IMF elects Bulgaria’s Kristalina Georgieva as its new chief

• Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva has been selected as the new Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. She will succeed Christine Lagarde.
• Kristalina Georgieva had previously served as the chief executive of the World Bank. She will also become the first person from an emerging economy to lead the IMF.

4. Adille Sumariwalla re-elected as member of IAAF Council

• Adille Sumariwalla has been elected as the member of the International Association of Athletics Federations council.
• He was elected for a 2nd 4 year term during the 52nd Congress of the sport’s world governing body. He is presently serving as the president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
• Britain’s Sebastian Coe was also re-elected unopposed as president of the IAAF for a 2nd term.

5. Visa appoints PV Sindhu as brand ambassador

• Payment technology company Visa announced that it has signed up world badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (PV Sindhu) as its brand ambassador for two years.
• Besides promoting the brand through advertising campaigns, Sindhu has also become an athlete member of Team Visa for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

6. EC appoints Madhuri Dixit as goodwill ambassador for Maharashtra Assembly polls

• Actor Madhuri Dixit has been chosen as "goodwill ambassador" by the Chief Electoral Office in Maharashtra to create awareness among people about the importance of voting.
• She will be seen in a video titled 'Let's Vote" speaking about the democratic process and role of voters in the development of the country.

Defence

7. 23rd edition of “Malabar 2019” naval joint exercise of India, US and Japan

• The 23rd edition of the trilateral maritime exercise of India, Japan and the United States(US) named “Malabar 2019” exercise begun at Sasebo, Japan.
• India fields 6,100-tonne stealth frigate Indian Navy Ship(INS) Sahyadri, anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan along with the first-time deployment of Poseidon-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
• The United States fields Arleigh Burke-class destroyer United States Ship (USS) McCampbell, amphibious warship USS Green Bay and a Los Angeles class nuclear fast attack submarine, while Japan fields 27,000-tonne Izumo-class helicopter carrier JS Kaga, destroyer Samidare and cruiser Chokai.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh.

Science and Technology

8. India International Science Festival to be held in Kolkata

• The 5th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) will be held in Kolkata from November 5-8. IISF is the largest science festival in the world.
• The focus will be on youth to inspire and motivate them to learn real science in motion. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘RISEN India - Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.
• The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Council of Medical Research and the Ministry of Earth Sciences are major government sponsoring bodies for the event.
• The IISF will also host 28 different events such as Agriculture Scientists’ Meet, Vigyan Samagam, Young Scientists Conference, Vigyanika-International Science Literature Festival, International Science Film Festival of India.

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

• Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan.

Schemes and Committees

9. Assam Govt launches "Aponar Apon Ghar" scheme

• The Assam Government has launched a housing loan subsidy scheme "Aponar Apon Ghar". The scheme was launched to provide financial assistance on purchase or construction of the first house for a family.
• The subsidy of up to Rs 250000 will be provided for loan amounts from Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 40,00,000. The above scheme is meant for the loan sanctioned in this financial year. The initiative is expected to provide impetus to the economy and led to the expansion of real estate in the state.
• The state government also launched education loan interest subsidy wherein subsidy will be provided to children who have availed education loan for pursuing higher education. The one time subsidy will be of Rs 50,000.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB PO Mains:

• Assam Capital: Dispur; CM: Sarbananda Sonowal; Governor: Jagdish Mukhi.

Books and Authors

10. 'Professor Ayushman’ comic book released by Ayush Ministry in New Delhi

• A new comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’ conceived by the National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB) was unveiled by the Ayush ministry in New Delhi.
• This book will raise awareness in children about the importance of medicinal plants and their usage. This book is available for free and could be bought by schools approaching NMPB.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Shripad Yesso Naik.

Sports

11. Advani-Mehta pair wins "IBSF World Snooker" title

• The Indian team of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta to win the "IBSF World Snooker" title.
• India defeated Thailand in the team event to emerge World champions in the IBSF World snooker team event held in Mandalay, Myanmar.

12. P.T. Usha honoured with IAAF Veteran Pin

• Indian track and field legend P. T. Usha was presented the Veteran Pin by the world athletics governing body, in recognition of her contribution to the growth of the sport.
• International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe presented her the Veteran Pin during the 52nd IAAF Congress.
• P. T. Usha won five gold medals 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay besides a bronze at the 1985 Asian Games in Jakarta.
• Her most memorable performance came in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she became the first Indian to reach the finals of the 400m hurdles but lost the bronze by one-hundredth of a second.

Obituaries

13. Telugu actor Venu Madhav passes away

• Telugu film actor Venu Madhav passed away. He was popular as a mimicry artist.
• He entered the film industry through the film ‘Sampradayam’ directed by SV Krishna Reddy in 1997.
• His other popular films include ‘Toli Prema’, ‘Dil’, ‘Laxmi’, ‘Simhadri’, ‘Chathrapathi’. His last film was Rudramadevi’.

Important Days

14. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: 26 September

• The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
• The day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority.
• It provides an opportunity to educate the public - and their leaders - about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.

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.

15. World Maritime Day: 26 September

• The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the World Maritime Day.
• This year the theme for the day is: Empowering women in the maritime community.
• The theme for this years' World Maritime Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and to highlight the important yet under-utilized contribution of women within the maritime sector.

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.

Miscellaneous

16. Agriculture Minister launches CHC Farm Machinery and KrishiKisan App

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched 2 mobile apps named CHC Farm Machinery and KrishiKisan App for geotagging purposes in for easy access of technical agricultural equipment at farmers’ doorstep.
• The government launched a multilingual app-based service CHC Farm Machinery for Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs). This service will facilitate local farmers with the use of shared resources including tractors and other farm machinery at affordable prices.
• Through KrishiKisan App, the farmer will be provided with information about high-yielding crops and seeds in their nearby area. It helps in geo-tagging and geo-fencing of crop and also gives weather forecast messages to farmers.

Static/Current Takeaways Important For IBPS RRB Main 2019:

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers: Narendra Singh Tomar.

Dell launches new laptops in india

The festival season is right around the corner and Dell has perked up its laptop portfolio with the launch of several new XPS, Inspiron, and Alienware gaming laptops in India. It even upgraded its all-in-one (AIO) desktops at the event in New Delhi, rounding up to a total of 12 new products. Dell has now equipped most of its laptops with the latest 10th-Gen Intel Core processors, so let's take a look at the new laptops.

Dell XPS Lineup

Kicking off the show with the new XPS 13 and XPS 15, Dell has packed into its premium laptops an Ultra-HD (4K) OLED screen - where the former houses a 13.3-inch panel and the latter a 15.6-inch panel. The Dell XPS 13 is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processors, paired with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD storage. And it is awesome.

Dell XPS 15, on the other hand, is sticking to 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK processors. This will be coupled with up to 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and well, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650 graphics - which is absent on the former.

Dell isn't making both of these Dell XPS laptops available right away. Dell XPS 15 is now available to purchase at Rs. 1,66,990 whereas XPS 13 will go on sale on October 2. The price for the XPS 13 has been set at Rs 1,13,990.

Inspiron Lineup

Dell has updated its complete Inspiron lineup including the Inspiron 13, Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 15. Let's start with the star of the lineup - the Inspiron 13 2-in-1 convertible. It features a 13.3-inch Full-HD touchscreen display and is powered by the 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processor, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. The laptop doesn't have additional graphics memory but supports stylus input.

Talking about the Inspiron 14, it comes in 2 different variants - one with Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics memory (2GB of VRAM) and one without. It features a 14-inch full-HD display and is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processor, which is then paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD storage.

Finally, Inspiron 15 5000, as the name should tell you, features a 15.6-inch Full-HD LCD anti-glare display with thinner bezels than before. It is powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, coupled with up to 20GB of RAM, 1TB of HDD, 512GB of SSD, and optional Nvidia GeForce MX230 graphics.

As for the pricing and availability, Dell Inspiron 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 5000 are already available to purchase starting at Rs 57,990 and Rs 41,990 respectively. Inspiron 14 7000 and the sleek Inspiron 13 2-in-1 convertible will go on sale from 2nd October at starting prices of Rs 86,890 and Rs 90, 290 respectively. Another variant of the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 will go on sale starting from 11th October at a starting price of Rs. 42,990.

Alienware Lineup

Dell has also launched a couple of new Alienware gaming laptops in India as well. These include the Alienware m15 R2 and Dell G3 (3590). The former sports a 15-inch Ultra-HD OLED display and is powered by up to 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK processor, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD, and 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics memory.

Dell G3, on the other hand, brings along a 15.6-inch Full-HD display instead of the high-resolution 4K panel we see on the Alienware laptop. It's powered by up to 9th-Gen Intel Core i7-9750HQ processors, paired with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB HDD, 512GB PCIe SSD (solid-state drive), and up to 6GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti graphics memory.

Both of these gaming machines are now on sale in the country. While the Dell G3 (3590) has a more affordable Rs. 70,900 price tag, you would have to shell out a whopping Rs. 1,88,490 for the Alienware m15 R2.

Dell Inspiron AIO

In addition, Dell also launched two all-in-one desktop PCs in India as well. These include the Inspiron 24 5000 (5490) AIO and Inspiron 27 7000 (7790) AIO. While the former is packing a smaller 23.8-inch Full-HD panel, the latter packs a 27-inch panel of the same resolution. And that's the only major difference between the two.

Both of them are powered by up to 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10510U processors, coupled with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB HDD and 512GB NVMe SSD storage. There's also Nvidia's GeForce MX110 graphics card onboard to handle some graphics-intensive tasks. Talking about price and availability, well, Inspiron 24 5000 is priced starting at Rs. 59,990 and Inspiron 27 7000 is priced starting at Rs. 99,990. Exciting, right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.