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Optimized Current Affairs Date- 2 September 2019

MUNICH AGREEMENT
On September 1, 1939 — German troops marched into Poland, triggering the
beginning of World War II.
Great Britain and France, which had assured help to Poland, declared war on Germany
and its allies two days later, on September 3.+beginning of the War exposed to the
world the folly of the Munich Agreement.What is Munich Agreement? signed among
Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain on September 29-30, 1938+Czechoslovakia,
the country whose region was about to be annexed, was not officially party to the
Agreement+It was forced to agree to the deal under pressure from Great+Britain and
France, which had a military alliance with the country+Agreement allowed for the
cessation to Germany of Sudetenland+German occupation was to be done in four
stages from October 1-10, 1938.+cessation in some places was subject to a
plebiscite+Czechoslovak government was supposed to release from their military and
police+forces within four weeks of the signing of the Agreement, any Sudeten Germans
who+wished to be released, and all Sudeten German prisoners.+Outcome: Six months
after Agreement Hitler went back on his commitments and invaded the whole of
Czechoslovakia. War was on its way.+agreement has been seen as a disastrous act of
appeasement of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi+regime, and historical evidence that expansionist
totalitarianism cannot be dealt with through placation.
‘BUILD FOR DIGITAL INDIA’ PROGRAMME
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google have
signed a statement of intent to roll-out ‘Build for Digital India’ programme.
Key features of the programme: will give engineering students a platform to develop
market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems.Applicants
will take part in online and offline learning opportunities on key technologies such as
machine learning, cloud and android.+These will be offered through Google’s Developer
Student Club network and other Google Developer networks.+will also offer mentorship
sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and
prototypes.+Significance: will motivate college students across India to innovate and
produce+will provide great exposure to students+machine learning and AI can help
address at scale some of the toughest social challenges that India faces today.
‘SAMUDRAYAAN’ PROJECT
India to undertake deep ocean mining with ‘Samudrayaan’ project.
About Samudrayaan: project of the Ministry of Earth Sciences for deep ocean mining
for rare minerals+send men into the deep sea in a submersible vehicle for ocean
studies.+expected to become a reality by 2021-22.+has been undertaken by the
National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). +Significance: India will join the league
of developed nations in the exploration of minerals from oceans.+could be the first
developing country to undertake such a project.
What are PMN? potato-shaped, largely porous nodules found in abundance carpeting
the sea floor of world oceans in deep sea.Composition: Besides manganese and iron,
they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of
which nickel, cobalt and copper are considered to be of economic and strategic

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importance+Potential: envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet
the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years+It has been estimated that 380
million metric+tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in
the Central Indian Ocean.
CHAMPIONS BOAT LEAGUE (CBL)
Conceived to transform the state’s legendary and historically-significant
‘vallamkali’ (snake boat races) into a world-class sporting event.
Snake boat, or ‘chundam vallam’ is essentially a long canoe that can seat up to
100+rowers and can have a length between 100 and 138 feet in length.+owe their
origins as far back as the 13th century when princely+kingdoms, located in present-day
Alappuzha along the backwaters, would have raging battles in the water+battles used to
be fought on the snake boats especially constructed for the purpose.
WHAT IS AN INTERPOL RED NOTICE, WHAT DOES IT DO?
Interpol describes an RN as “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate
and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal
action”.
RNs contain information that helps identify wanted persons, such as their names, dates
of birth, nationality, and physical attributes such as the colour of their hair and eyes, as
well as pictures and biometric data such as fingerprints+RNs also mention the crime(s)
they are wanted for.+published by Interpol at the request of a member country.
RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTS OF AGARBATTI
Union government has put restrictions on the import of Agarbatti and other
similar products.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a notification+Now importers of these
goods require a licence.
MAMALLAPURAM
The historic coastal town of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu will be the venue for
the second India-China informal summit between PM Modi and Chinese President
Xi Jinping, scheduled in October this year. The first informal summit between
them was held in Wuhan in China in April 2018.
Also known as Seven Pagodas or Mahabalipuram+town in Chengalpattu district+one of
two major port cities by the 7th century within the Pallava kingdom.+UNESCO World
Heritage site+Thirukadalmallai, Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance, Varaha
Cave Temple and Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) are some famous places.
RASHTRIYA POSHAN MAAH
The entire month of September 2019 is being celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan
Maah. This year the theme is Complementary Feeding.
Prime Minister's Overreaching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment - POSHAN Abhiyaan is
a multi- ministerial convergence mission to address malnutrition with a targeted
approach by 2022+Poshan Maah-an initiative of Ministry of Women and Child
Development and NITI Aayog+focuses on 8 themes: (1) Antenatal Care, (2) Optimal
Breastfeeding, (3) Complementary Feeding, (4) Anaemia, (5) Growth Monitoring, (6)
Girls-education, diet, right age of Marriage, (7) Hygiene & Sanitation, (8) Food
Fortification.

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UNCCD COP14
The 14th Conference of Parties, COP14, to the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification began in Greater Noida. The Conference will go on till 13th of this
month. Over 3000 delegates from across the world will take part in COP14.
United Nations Convention To Combat Desertification (UNCCD)-legally
binding+Secretariat location:Bonn, Germany+Timeline:1992:Rio conference resulted
in 5 document’s. One of them was Agenda 21 which recommended
UNCCD+1994:finally adopted in Paris, France on June 17, 1994+1996:ratified in
December 1996.+India and UNCCD: India became a signatory on October 14,
1994+ratified it on December 17, 1996+Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change is the nodal Ministry for the Convention.+Conference of the Parties
(COP):meets on a biannual basis+desertification is closely linked with global climate
change,thus coordination is required among the three Rio conventions+a Joint Liaison
Group (JLG) was established in 2001 between the secretariats of the three conventions
who collects and shares information on the work programmes and operations of each
convention.
GOVERNOR
President Ram Nath Kovind appointed new Governors for five States namely
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana.
Governor-head of the executive of the state+appointed by President of
India.+Qualifications and conditions for appointment:citizen of India.+35 years+not
hold any office of profit+not be a member of either house of parliament or a house of the
state legislature.+Tenure-5 years subject to pleasure of president.+Oath:administered
by the chief justice of concerned HC+By 7th Constitution Amendment Act of 1956,same
person can be appointed as governor of 2 or more states.
FIROZ SHAH TUGHLAQ
Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is set to be renamed Arun Jaitley Stadium after
the former Finance Minister, who passed away last month.
Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 1388)-a Turkic Muslim ruler+succeeded Muhammad bin
Tughlaq+built Feroz Shah Kotla, the fortress, on the banks of the Yamuna and called it
Firozabad+Ashoka’s pillar, erected near Ambala in 250 BC transported to Delhi and
placed in Firozabad+At the Ridge in north Delhi stands another Ashokan pillar,near
Hindu Rao Hospital ,moved from Meerut to Delhi by Firoz Shah+built Dargah Qadam
Sharif, in Delhi’s Sadar Bazar+repaired Qutub Minar, Hauz Khas (royal tank) and
Surajkund (lake of the Sun).+Under his patronage, premakhyan which is Sufi poetry
written in Awadhi grew. It was a new genre of literature.+His autobiography is Futuhat-
i-Firozshahi.
KAZI NAZRUL ISLAM
The 43rd death anniversary of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was recently observed in
Bangladesh.
Born in 1899 near Asansol in West Bengal+called for revolution through his poetic
works, such as "Bidrohi" and "Bhangar Gaan",Dhumketu+in prison, wrote the
"Rajbandir Jabanbandi."+Known as the Rebel Poet or Bidrohi Kobi+composed Nazrul
Geeti+His poems were a source of inspiration during the liberation war of Bangladesh.

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+after independence of Bangladesh in 1971 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman brought him to

Dhaka with state honours. He died in 1976.+national poet of Bangladesh.
LONGEST ELECTRIFIED RAILWAY TUNNEL
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu dedicated to the nation the longest electrified
tunnel in the country on the Venkatachalam-Obulavaripalle railway line between
Cherlopalli and Rapuru stations.
Earlier commissioned by South Central Railway+constructed on New Australian
Tunnelling Method.
FOETUS IN FOETU (FIF)
When a 17-year-old girl Indian girl recently went to get a “lump” in her abdomen
treated, it was found to be her twin growing inside her. This is a condition called
foetus in foetu (FIF).
First reported case of FIF in an adult woman worldwide+previous cases were in adult
men+There are two theories about the origins of FIF:first is where a parasitic twin’s
malformed foetus is formed inside the body of the host twin and both share the blood
supply+other is “highly differentiated” form of teratoma – tumours made from tissues
foreign to the area or part of the body in which they are found+differentiation b/w a FIF
from a tumour is that the lumps in the case of FIF are benign(not spread to other
organs)& are of embryological origin.+occurs in about 1 in 5,00,000 live births+most
commonly diagnosed in patients younger than 18 months.
ASSOCIATION OF WORLD ELECTION BODIES (A-WEB)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to host the 4th General
Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 3rd
September 2019.
An International Conference on “Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and
Information Technology in Elections” will also be held +A-WEB is the largest association
of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide.+established In 2013.+permanent
secretariat-Seoul, South Korea+115 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional
Associations/Organisations as Associate Members.
INSIDER TRADING
The SEBI Board has approved the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) (Third
Amendment) Regulations, 2019.
Salient features of the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) (Third Amendment)
Regulations, 2019 are as follows:Informant:means a person voluntarily submitting a
form detailing credible, complete and original information relating to an act of insider
trading+Office of Informant Protection(‘OIP’):for receipt and registration of the
Voluntary Information Disclosure Form (‘VIDF’) and serve as a medium of exchange
between the informant and Board.+Confidentiality of Informant:protected through the
OIP+Reward:.total amount of monetary reward shall be 10 % of the money
collected but shall not exceed Rs one crore+Investor Protection and Education Fund
(‘IPEF’):fund from which the reward would be paid.+Exemption under RTI:original
information provided should be exempted from disclosure under section 8(1)(g) and
8(1)(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005+Protection against victimization:Market
participants shall incorporate in their Code of Conduct, suitable
provisions to ensure that no employee who files a VIDF is harassed+Vexatious

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or frivolous complaints:SEBI may initiate appropriate action against the informant

under the securities laws and any other applicable law.
ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN TV
PROGRAMMES
Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to implement Accessibility
Standards for Persons with Disabilities in television programmes for private TV
channels from this Independence Day.
Doordarshan has been carrying sign language interpretation of the address of President
of India on the eve of Independence Day +Prime Minister’s address from the ramparts
of Red Fort on Independence Day every year.+Now, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting has decided to implement Accessibility Standards for Persons with
Disabilities in television programmes for private TV channels also from this
Independence Day. +From this year’s Independence Day, Private Satellite News TV
channels have been asked to telecast a short programme on Independence Day
Celebrations, along with corresponding sign language interpretation, in the
afternoon/evening of 15th August.+is a major step towards implementation of the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities Act.
LIE DETECTOR TESTS
Gokulnath Shetty – the retired deputy manager of PNB involved in PNB scam –
refused to give his consent to CBI to conduct polygraph and narcoanalysis tests
on him by citing a Supreme Court judgment that makes it mandatory to obtain the
consent of the accused for such tests.
Polygraph Test:based on the assumption that physiological responses that are
triggered when a person is lying are different from what they would be
otherwise+Sensitive electrodes are attached to the person+blood pressure, pulse,
respiration etc., are measured as questions are put to them.+Narcoanalysis:involves
the injection of a drug, sodium pentothal, which induces a hypnotic or sedated state in
which the subject’s imagination is neutralised, and they are expected to divulge true
information+Are the tests effective?softer alternative” to torture or ‘third degree’ to
extract the truth from suspects.+neither method have 100% success rate+Supreme
Court Judgement:In Selvi & Ors vs State of Karnataka & Anr (2010), a Supreme
Court Bench ruled that no lie detector tests should be administered “except on the basis
of consent of the accused”.
BLUE WHALE
A young biologist has recreated a blue whale from the skeletal remains of dead
blue whales washed ashore on the Andhra Pradesh coast, replicating its natural
anatomy structure.
Common Name: Blue whale; Baleine bleue (Fr); Ballena azul (Sp).+Location: all
oceans except enclosed seas and the Arctic+Size:largest animal+weigh up to 200
tonnes+adult male African elephant weighs 6 tonnes+Voice: loudest animals on
earth(louder than a jet engine: reaching 188 decibels, while a jet's engine hit 'just' 140
decibels).+Colour:blue-grey, with light grey or yellow-white
undersides+Population: 10,000-25,000 individuals+IUCN Status: Endangered
+falls in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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