Current Affairs Study PDF - August 2019 by AffairsCloud PDF

Current Affairs August 2019
PDF Capsule
Current Affairs PDF 2019
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam

Contents
INDIAN AFFAIRS .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Cabinet Approvals ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Schemes ........................................................................................................................................................... 7
Launches & Inaugurations ............................................................................................................................... 9
Festivals ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Other News Related to Indian Affairs ........................................................................................................... 24
STATE NEWS ................................................................................................................................................... 57
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.......................................................................................................................... 77
VISITS ............................................................................................................................................................... 82
Indian Visits ................................................................................................................................................... 82
Foreign Visits ................................................................................................................................................. 84
BANKING & FINANCE................................................................................................................................. 105
RBI in News................................................................................................................................................. 105
Technology in Banking ................................................................................................................................ 120
Other News Related to Banking & Finance................................................................................................. 122
MoUs & AGREEMENTS IN NEWS .............................................................................................................. 142
COMMITTEES IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................. 147
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 152
INDEX ............................................................................................................................................................. 170
Rankings ...................................................................................................................................................... 170
Reports ......................................................................................................................................................... 176
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................. 181
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS...................................................................................................................... 206
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS ..................................................................................................................... 240
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS ..................................................................................................................... 254
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 255
DEFENCE........................................................................................................................................................ 273
ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 280
SPORTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 289
OBITUARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 323
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................... 335
IMPORTANT DAYS ...................................................................................................................................... 339
STATIC INFORMATION FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS ............................................................................. 355
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Cabinet Approvals
MoEFCC approved Rs.4900 Crore project for Kosi-Mechi river interlinking

On August 1, 2019, The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for river valley and hydroelectric projects
of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved Rs 4,900
crore project for interlinking of Kosi and Mechi rivers of Bihar. With the approval, it became the
second major river interlinking project in India after the Ken-Betwa project in Madhya Pradesh.
Key Points:
i. Approval was granted for the construction of 76.20 km canals on the eastern bank of Kosi for
irrigation purposes.
ii. The total land requirement is about 1,396.81 hectares.
iii. The project will prevent recurring floods in north Bihar and irrigate over 2.14 lakh hectares of
cultivable land in Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj and Katihar districts, collectively called Seemanchal
region.
iv. The project is yet to receive the ‘National Project’ status.
Cabinet Approvals on August 28,2019

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the following proposals
on August 28, 2019:
Approval to the amendments in The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019
Approval was given to make changes in the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019.
i. Background: The original version of the Bill was approved by the Cabinet on July 17, 2019. It was
passed in both Houses of Parliament on July 29, 2019 and August 1, 2019 respectively, with official
amendments.
ii. Changes: The following changes have been made in the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019:
• Clause 4(1)(c) – 22 part-time Members instead of 14 members.
• Clause 4(4)(b) – 10 members instead of 6 members.
• Clause 4(4)(c) – 9 members instead of 5 members.
• Clause 37(2) – added at the end “for the purposes of teaching also”.
Approval for the proposal to Review the FDI policy on various sectors
Approval was given for the proposal to review the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on various
sectors like Coal Mining, Contract Manufacturing, Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT) and Digital Media.
i. Background: Government has put in place an investor friendly policy on FDI, under which FDI up to
100% is permitted on the automatic route in most sectors/ activities. FDI policy provisions have been
progressively liberalized across various sectors in recent years to make India an attractive investment
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destination. Some of the sectors include Defence, Construction Development, Trading, Pharmaceuticals,
Power Exchanges, Insurance, Pension, Other Financial Services, Asset Reconstruction Companies,
Broadcasting and Civil Aviation. Total FDI in 2018-19 i.e. $64.37 billion (provisional figure) is the
highest ever FDI received for any financial year. In Union Budget 2019-20, Finance Minister proposed
to further consolidate the gains under FDI.
ii. Coal Mining:
• As per the present FDI policy, 100% FDI under automatic route is allowed for coal & lignite
mining for captive consumption by power projects, iron & steel and cement units and other
eligible activities permitted under and subject to applicable laws and regulations.
• Further, 100% FDI under automatic route is also permitted for setting up coal processing plants
like washeries subject to the condition that the company shall not do coal mining and shall not
sell washed coal or sized coal from its coal processing plants in the open market and shall supply
the washed or sized coal to those parties who are supplying raw coal to coal processing plants
for washing or sizing.
• It has been decided to permit 100% FDI under automatic route for sale of coal, for coal mining
activities including associated processing infrastructure subject to the provisions of Coal Mines
(special provisions) Act, 2015 and the Mines and Minerals (Development and regulation) Act,
1957 as amended from time to time, and other relevant acts on the subject. “Associated
Processing Infrastructure” would include coal washery, crushing, coal handling, and separation
(magnetic and non-magnetic).
iii. Contract Manufacturing:
• The extant FDI policy provides for 100% FDI under automatic route in manufacturing sector.
There is no specific provision for Contract Manufacturing in the Policy. In order to provide
clarity on contract manufacturing, it has been decided to allow 100% FDI under automatic route
in contract manufacturing in India as well.
• Subject to the provisions of the FDI policy, foreign investment in ‘manufacturing’ sector is under
automatic route. Manufacturing activities may be conducted either by the investee entity or
through contract manufacturing in India under a legally tenable contract, whether on Principal
to Principal or Principal to Agent basis.
iv. Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT):
• The extant FDI Policy provides that 30% of the value of goods has to be procured from India if
SBRT entity has FDI more than 51%. Further, as regards local sourcing requirement, the same
can be met as an average during the first 5 years, and thereafter annually towards its India
operations. With a view to provide greater flexibility and ease of operations to SBRT entities, it
has been decided that all procurements made from India by the SBRT entity for that single brand
shall be counted towards local sourcing, irrespective of whether the goods procured are sold in
India or exported. Further, the current cap of considering exports for 5 years only is proposed to
be removed, to give an impetus to exports.
• The extant Policy provides that as regards local sourcing requirement, incremental sourcing for
global operations by the non-resident entities undertaking single brand retail trading, either
directly or through their group companies, will also be counted towards local sourcing
requirement for the first 5 years.
v. Digital Media:
The extant FDI policy provides for 49% FDI under approval route in Up-linking of ‘News & Current
Affairs’ TV Channels. It has been decided to permit 26% FDI under government route for uploading/
streaming of News & Current Affairs through Digital Media, on the lines of print media.
vi. Benefits
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The changes in FDI policy will result in making India a more attractive FDI destination, leading to
benefits of increased investments, employment and growth.
Approval to Sugar export policy for evacuation of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-20
Approval was given to sugar export policy for evacuation of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-
20 for providing a lump sum export subsidy at Rs. 10,448 per Metric Tonne (MT) to sugar mills for
the sugar season 2019-20. The total estimated expenditure of about Rs.6,268 crore will be incurred
for this purpose.
• The lump sum export subsidy will be provided for expenses on marketing costs including
handling, upgrading and other processing costs, costs of international and internal transport and
freight charges on export of up to 60 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) of sugar limited to Maximum
Admissible Export Quantity (MAEQ) allocated to sugar mills for the sugar season 2019-20.
• The subsidy would be directly credited into farmers’ account on behalf of mills against cane
price dues and subsequent balance, if any, would be credited to mill’s account. The subsidy shall
be in conformity with the provisions of Article 9.1 (d) & (e) of Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)
and thus WTO compatible.
• In wake of surplus sugar production during sugar season 2017-18(October – September) and
sugar season 2018-19, notwithstanding various measures taken by the Government, the ensuing
sugar season 2019-20 is expected to commence with an opening stock of about 142 LMT and
season end stock are expected to be about 162 LMT.
Background: The surplus stock of 162 LMT of sugar would create downward pressure throughout the
season on sugar prices affecting the liquidity of the sugar mills thereby leading to accumulation of cane
price arrears of farmers. To deal with this situation, the Government has recently created buffer stock
of 40 LMT of sugar for one year from 1st August, 2019. However, even after taking into account this
buffer stocking of 40 LMT till 31st July, 2020 and likely diversion of sugar by way of production of
ethanol from B-heavy molasses/cane juice during SS 2019-20 and requirement of normativestock for
two months, there will be about 60 LMT of excess sugar stock that will need evacuation through export.
Approval to 75 new Medical Colleges
Approval was given for establishment of 75 additional Government Medical Colleges by 2021-
22 attached with existing district/referral hospitals under Phase-III of the ongoing Centrally
Sponsored scheme.
• To increase the availability of healthcare infrastructure and manpower, the Cabinet also
sanctioned an expenditure of 24,375 crore during the 15lh Finance Commission period i.e. up
to 2021-22.
• New medical colleges would be set up in under-served areas having no medical college; with at
least 200 bedded District Hospital. Preference will be given to Aspirational Districts and District
Hospital having 300 beds.
• The scheme on establishment of new medical colleges (58+24+75) would lead to addition of at
least 15,700 MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) seats in India.
• The Government had earlier approved to establish 58 new Medical Colleges attached with
existing district/referral hospitals under Phase-I and 24 under Phase-II. Of this, 39 medical
colleges under Phase-I, have already started functioning, while the remaining 19 would be made
functional by 2020-21. Under Phase-II, 18 new medical colleges have been approved.
Approval to the Establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
Approval was given for the establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure(CDRI) along with its supporting Secretariat Office in New Delhi. The proposal was
approved by the Prime Minister on 13th August, 2019. The CDRI is proposed to be launched at
the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit in New York, USA on 23rd September 2019.
The approval is for the following initiatives:
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• Establishment of the Secretariat of the CDRI as a Society under The Societies Registration
Act,1860 in New Delhi as ‘CDRI Society’ or similar name as per availability. The memorandum of
association and by-laws of the ‘CDRI Society’ will be prepared and finalized by the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in due course;
• In-principle approval for Government of India support of 480 crore (approx. USD 70 million) to
CDRI for a corpus required to fund technical assistance and research projects on an on-going
basis, setting up the Secretariat office and covering recurring expenditures over a period of 5
years from 2019-20 to 2023-24;
• The endorsed version of the Charter document that will act as the founding document of the
CDRI. The charter will be finalized after taking inputs from potential member countries by the
NDMA in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs.
Impact: It will benefit all sections of society and bring together technical expertise from a multitude of
stakeholders. It will also benefit all areas with high disaster risk.
About Union Cabinet:
The Union Council of Ministers exercises executive authority in India. It consists of senior ministers
called cabinet ministers, junior ministers called ministers of state and, rarely, deputy ministers. It is led
by the Prime Minister.
Cabinet Approval with Foreign Countries on August 28, 2019

India and Guinea signs MoU in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy
On August 22, 2019 the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the Republic of
Guinea on cooperation in the field of Traditional systems of medicine and Homeopathy was approved
by the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi. This MoU was signed by the
President Shri Ram Nath Kovind on August 2, 2019 during his 3-day visit to Guinea.
MoU in brief:
i.Coverage: Cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional systems of medicine,
which would also be a form of shared cultural heritage.
ii.Financial expenses: Expenses to conduct training, research, conference/meetings will be met
through the existing budget allocated to the ministry of AYUSH(Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy,
Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy).
iii.Promoting ayush:This MoU would act as a promulgation of Ayush system of medicinal practices
established outside India, globally.
iv.Country to country MoU: The cooperation will remain active till the MoU remains in operation.
MoU between India and Peru on Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved MoU on Cooperation in
the field of Medicinal Plants between the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH of India
and the National Institute of Health, under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Peru.
Role of MoU in brief
i. Impact:The MoU will provide structural framework in cooperation and also it is expected to further
enhance the cooperation in the area of medicinal plants as both these countries are rich in biodiversity
of medicinal plants especially India with more than 7000 species of plants with indigenous traditional
form of medicine systems.
ii. Finance and activity:The activity remains open till MoU is in operation and the financial expenses
will be handled by the existing budgets allocated to the National Medicinal Plants BoarNMPB), Ministry
of AYUSH.
MoU between India and Gambia on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine
An MoU was signed in Gambia on July 31, 2019 in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine between
India and Gambia during president Ram Nath Kovind’s visit. The MoU was approved by the Union
Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi.
Key points
Benefits
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i. Framework: This MoU will provide a framework for cooperation and also will mutually benefit both
the nations in medicinal practices, especially the Ayush system of medicine in Gambia.
ii. Further enhancement: The MoU will lead to new innovations in drug development and practice of
Traditional Medicine by Scientists undertaking collaborative research in the field.
Schemes
Nepali and Santhali languages to be included in the Scheme for grant of Senior/Junior
Fellowships of Culture Ministry
On July 30, 2019, The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh
Patel informed that 2 languages- Nepali and Santhali from the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution
will be included in the Sub-Field of Field “Literature” in the scheme component ‘Award of
Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Artistes in the Fields of Culture’.
Key Points:
i. The Ministry of Culture regulates a scheme component namely Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to
Outstanding Artistes in the Fields of Culture.
ii. The Nodal institute for handling the Scheme of Sr. /Jr. Fellowship till selection process is the Centre
for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Dwarka, Gujarat.
iii. “Literary Arts” is one of the Fields under the Scheme. The candidates can apply for research in 22
languages from the 8th Schedule of Articles 344(1) and 251 of the Indian Constitution as their Sub-
Field.
iv. The 22 languages are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani,
Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English and
Khasi.
About Ministry of Tourism:
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi
♦ Formed: 1967
Pilot basis of one Nation one ration card scheme launched in 4 States
In order to boost the National Food Security, the pilot basis of One Nation One Ration Card scheme was
launched by the government in four states namely Telangana , Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and
Gujarat.
Families holding this card can buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in these four states.
Key points
i. This program is expected to be implemented by August next year.
ii. A trial run of the project was conducted by the Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation last week where
consumers from Andhra Pradesh bought their commodities from the fair price shop in Hyderabad.
iii. White ration cardholders can buy the subsidized rice and wheat from any fair price shops in these
state and this same facility is available in Andhra Pradesh also through POS (Point Of Sale) machines.
• 28 Crore customers have been benefited with this ration portability introduced in Telangana last
year.
• 56 lakh beneficiaries are covered under the National Food Security Act.
Availing the scheme
To avail, this One Nation One Ration Card scheme, the family’s ration card should be linked with their
Aadhaar number.
150 million workers aimed by the govt. to be enrolled under PM pension scheme
Over the next 3 years under the pension scheme Pradhan Mantri shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM), the
Union government aims to enroll 150 million workers to bring them under the social security net.
i. Labour secretary, Hiralal Samariya stated that about 50-60 million workers will be from
the construction sector and Agriculture workers and self-employed retailers will also be part of this
pension scheme.
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Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan yojana (PM-SYM)

The scheme was announced in the month of February 2019. It provides monthly pension of Rs.3000 by
contributing to this scheme till the age of 60 years.
Eligibility: People should work in the unorganised sector with monthly income less than or equal
to Rs.15000 and the entry age to enroll in this scheme is 18-40years
Gujarat CM launches a cash incentive scheme called ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’ for the welfare of the girl
child
On August 3, 2019, Gujarat Chief Minister(CM) Vijay Rupani has launched a flagship financial
assistance scheme called ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’ in Rajkot, Gujarat for the welfare of girl child in the state.
The scheme launched in order to improve the child sex ratio in the state, which currently stands at 890
girl child per 1000 male child.
Key points:
The amount will be given by the state government under the ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna to the girl child in the
following manner.
When Will Assistance be Transferred Amount under the
scheme
At the time of admission to class 4th Rs. 4,000
At the time admission to class 9th Rs. 6,000
At the time of taking admission for higher education at the age of 18 Rs.1-lakh
At the time of marriage Rs. 1-lakh
The State Government has allocated Rs. 133 crore for Vahli Dikri Yojana in its recent Gujarat Budget
2019-20.
ii. The Yojana was launched in a function as a part of Seva Setu Mega Camp jointly organized by the
district administration and Municipal Corporation.
iii. Eligibilty for Gujarat Vahali Dikri Yojana
• Applicant must be a permanent resident of Gujarat state.
• The girls must belong to a poor family with an annual income of less than 2 lakhs.
• In the case of more than 2 female students from a family will be not allowed to attain this
benefit.
Government of Odisha launched Small Savings Incentive Scheme

On August 8, 2019, Odisha government unveiled the ‘Odisha Small Savings Incentive Scheme‘ for the
calendar year 2019 under the notation “AQ” series. The aim of the scheme is to stop people from
transacting with ‘suspicious’ non-banking private financial institutions.
Key Points:
i. Any eligible person who deposits a minimum amount of Rs 2,000 in any Small Savings Schemes
during the calendar year 2019 in any Post office or bank situated within Odisha can obtain a free web-
based coupon from the office of the collectors, sub-collectors and block development officers.
ii. A state-level lucky draw of the scheme will be held on April 26, 2020, in which the people can win
cash award as an incentive for their habit of thrift.
iii. There are 2428 number of prizes in 7 categories, amounting to Rs.74 lakhs. The first prize will be Rs
5 lakh.
Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana – vice president honorable M. venkaiah Naidu launches
Jharkhand government’s financial assistance program for its farmers
Under the Jharkhand state’s scheme, Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana launched by Shri
Venkaiah Naidu, farmers/ beneficiaries having farmlands of less than 1 acre to 5 acres will be provided
financial assistance of Rs5,000-25,000. The launching ceremony was held in 23 districts apart from
Ranchi.
Key points
i. This scheme would benefit approximately 35 lakh farmers and by september/october this year. The
8|Page
outlay is Rs 3000 crore.

ii. This scheme is apart from the benefits that the farmers are getting under Pratan Mantri Kisan yojana.
iii. As soon as this scheme was launched, money was transferred to the beneficiaries’ account.
iv. The centre has pledged to double the income of farmers by 2022.
v. The government is increasing Minimum Support Price of 23 farm produce in achieve the goal of
boosting the income by 2022.
vi. Mr. Naidu praised the governments effort in protecting the interest of “annadata” (food providers).
Money distribution:
• 5000- farmers having less than 1 acres of land.
• 10,000- farmers having two acres of land.
• 15000- farmers having three acres of land.
• 20,000- farmers having four acres of land.
• 25,000- farmers having five acres of land.
Raghubar Das
He became the sixth and the first non-tribalx chief minister of Jharkhand in December 2014.He
also served as the deputy chief minister and the urban development minister during the BJP led
government in the state from 30 December 2009 to 29 May 2010.
SERB’s new scheme called “Supra” will fund cutting-edge research

In a bid to promote research in cutting edge areas of science, the Science and Engineering Research
Board (SERB) plans to launch a new scheme called “Supra” (Scientific and Useful Profound
Research Advancement) to fund scientists.
Key points:
i. The scheme has designed as a part of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 100-day transformative
ideas.
ii.Aim: The aim of this scheme is to fund new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global
impact.
iii.Benefits: This will promote new areas of study, novel scientific concepts, new products, and
technologies. It will also attract high-quality research proposals consisting of new hypotheses or
challenge present ones and provide innovative solutions.
iv. HRHR: High Risk-High Reward (HRHR) Research is a scheme similar to Supra launched in 2017
which was meant for conceptually new and risky research projects that are expected to have paradigm-
shifting influence.
v. SERB: It is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology. It was set up to
promote and fund research in different scientific disciplines.
vi. Assistance: SERB will support 15 to 30 research proposals in the 1st year under supra, which will
be further increased to get funding for 3 years once it will be approved. It can be extended for another 2
more years.
About SERB:
♦ Secretary: Prof Sandeep Verma
Launches & Inaugurations
Air Force specification-cum-publicity Pavilion inaugurated by Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development (MHRD) Mr Ramesh pokhriyal ‘Nishank’,
inaugurated the Indian Airforce Facilitation-cum-Publicity Pavilion in National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi
to motivate students to join Indian Air Force.
Other officials in the inaugural function
i. Minister of State (MoS) for HRD Shri Sanjay Dhotre.
ii. Air Chief Marshal Shri BS Dhanoa.
9|Page
iii. Secretary of Department of School Education & Literacy, Smt Rina Ray
iv. Joint secretary, MHRD – R.C. Meena
Facilitation-cum-Publicity Pavilion
i. The setup comprises of a flying simulator, a self-interactive career information kiosk( a counter,
newsstand etc), a selfie point in G suite( cloud computing, collaboration and productivity tool) and
mannequins.
ii. The pavilion has running videos related to IAF exercise/ operations, aircraft models of Indian Air
Force, digital flexes etc.
Mobile gaming app launched
“Indian Air Force: Cut Above” official Mobile gaming application was launched by Air Chief
Marshal Shri B.S. Dhanoa. The app features facilities like experiencing first-hand roles of IAF air
warrior and also to apply and appear for recruitment from the mobile phone itself.
Clean air initiative launched by India,UK in Bengaluru
A two-year UK-India joint initiative, the “Innovation for Clean Air” (IfCA) was launched by the British
Deputy High Commissioner DominicMcAllister in Bengaluru to test interventions related to equality
and support India’s transition to EV (electric vehicles) integration.
Key points
i. The air quality is measured by integrating satellite and sensor data
ii. The program is led by Innovate UK, which is a part of UK research and innovation (UKRI). The UKRI
is funded by Newton Fund and by various other partners.
Partners in the program
Key partners: Indian Institute of Science(IISc),
Enzen, project lithium, C40 (Bengaluru and London are founding partners of C40)cities and Clean Air
platform.
Other partners: Indian Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), shakthi foundation,
India smart grid forum.
UKRI
United Kingdom Research and Innovation is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation of the
United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding, funded through the science budget of the
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Founded- April 2018
Bengaluru
State- Karnataka
Other names- Garden city of india, Silicon valley of india, Science city of india
Maharashtra Govt launches Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) for
crime detection
On July 29,2019, Maharashtra Chief Minister(CM) Devendra Fadnavis has launched a special digitized
policing system called “Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS)” to aid
police investigations & it will soon be expanded across the country.
Key Highlights:
i. Detection: AMBIS adopted by the Maharashtra Police, is an advanced crime detection database,
detects crime based on the available fingerprint, palmprint and iris scan data of criminals on record as
well as accidental finger/ palm-prints collected from crime scenes.
ii. AMBIS: It is an updated version of Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which has
limited utility, providing only one-to-one fingerprint matches has been used by Indian law enforcement
agencies to explore finger and palm prints.
iii. Service: The system is said to be first-of-its-kind in the country and the state has helped to crack 85
open cases of theft and break-ins and make 120 arrests during its one year testing period.
iv. Features:
• It can be useful in identifying bodies, especially in cases where the body is mutilated.
10 | P a g e
• Facial recognition of suspects in cases of mob violence and mob lynching with the help of
photographs and CCTV footage.
• It has a backup facility option, so there will be no data loss by using this system.
• Data can be accessed anywhere, anytime as it can be interfaced with any other operating
system(OS)
Two new vaccines introduced to conduct India’s first tuberculosis preventive trial
India’s first large scale trial for Two new TB vaccines, was launched by the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR). The two drugs are IMMUVAC and VPM1002.
6 Trial states
i. The TB vaccine trial will be carried out in 6 States involving more than 12000 healthy household
contacts of newly diagnosed TB patients with 2000 participants from each state.
ii. The six states are: Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana,Tamilnadu and Karnataka and will be
implemented over the next 7-8 months.
• It will be conducted in 7 main centres having six sub-sites.
iii. The trial commenced at the National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD), New Delhi.
Need for new medicines
i. The BacilleCalmette- Guerin (BCG) is the vaccine used to treat TB and is generally given to infants at
birth or first year of birth.
ii. The BCG is partially effective in protecting infants and young children from the most serious forms of
TB and India has the highest number of TB cases in the world with an estimated 2.79million patients
suffering from the disease according to 2016 WHO (World Health Organisation).
iii. it requires treatment course lasting 6 months or more. Hence the govt. felt the need to develop more
effective TB vaccines and also to achieve the target of eliminating TB by 2025.
IMMUVAC and VPM1002
i. IMMUVAC is also known as Mycobacterium IndicusPranii or MIP and is manufactured by Cadillac
pharmaceuticals, Ahmedabad.
ii. VPM1002 is manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Pune.
3 Phases
The trial vaccines involve three faces.
Phase 1: small group people receive trial vaccine.
Phase2: clinical study on the patients vaccinated.
Phase 3: vaccine given to several thousand people and tested for safety.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting launched e-Rozgar Samachar to spread awareness about
job opportunities
On August 8, 2019, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar launched
the e-version of Rozgar Samachar with a view to make aspirants aware of job opportunities in
government sector including public sector enterprises. The journal has been priced at 75% of the cost
of its print version and is available for an annual subscription fee of Rs. 400.
Key Points:
i. It can be accessed through the website www.employmentnews.gov.in
ii. Employment News provides editorial content on socio-economic issues and career guidance that
helps youth in broadening their horizons.
About Rozgar Samachar:
It is the corresponding version of Employment News (English). Employment News is the flagship
weekly job journal from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It was
launched in 1976. The journal is published in English(Employment News), Hindi (Rozgar Samachar)
and Urdu (Rozgar Samachar) and has a circulation of over one lakh copies per week. It is available
throughout India every Saturday.
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India’s first underwater train will be launched in Kolkata

Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India’s first underwater train project is set to
launch in Kolkata, West Bengal under the Hooghly river. It is a 16-kilometer long Kolkata Metro
project.
Key Points:
i. It will connect Salt Sector 5 with Howrah Maidan.
ii. The phase-one of the project connecting Salt Lake Sector-5 to Salt Lake Stadium will be operational.
iii. The tunnel is provided with four-layers of protection to shield the tunnel from the water of the
Hooghly river.
Samagra Siksha -Jal Suraksha drive launched by MHRD

The drive Samagra Siksha – Jal Suraksha which aims to create awareness among school children about
water conservation was launched by Union Minister of Human Resource and
Development (MHRD) Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Dept. of School Education & Literacy, to make
them conscientious and committed water citizens of the nation.
Keypoints
Launch:
The drive was launched at Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Auditorium, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2 in Delhi.
i. The Government of India has launched Jal Shakthi Abhiyan (JSA) inspired by Prime Minister’s Jal
Sanchay. The campaign for JSA was launched on 1st July 2019 as phase 1. Phase 2 of this campaign will
be run from 1st October 2019.
JSA: It is a time-bound campaign with the mission to conserve water especially by children that can
help them understand the importance of water and the impact it creates in day to day life.
Five Major Objectives:
• Educate students about water conservation.
• Sensitive students about the impact of water scarcity.
• Empower students to learn to protect the natural resources of water.
• Help every student to save at least 1 litre of water per day.
• Encourage students to judicious use and minimum wastage of water at home and school level.
Target:
The govt. has also set a target to make each student save 3650 litres of water in 10years by saving
1litre water per day for 10years.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan inaugurates interstate portability in two clusters of states
Shri Vilas Paswan, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution inaugurated the
inter-State portability in two clusters of adjoining States of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana and Gujarat &
Maharashtra, as a major step towards achieving the objective of ‘One Nation One Ration Card’.Under
the National Food Security Act, beneficiaries can avail the benefits from any of the two cluster States.
Key points
i. 11 States/UT have implemented the intra-State portability. The 11 states are
• Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura.
ii. Having implemented intra-State portability already, the inter-State portability will be introduced in
these 11 States by 1st January 2020.
iii. Other states apart from these 11 states will be included in the inter-state portability in a phased
manner starting from 1st of June 2020.
iv. To sustain the reforms brought in by the ongoing scheme of ‘End-to-End Computerization of TPDS
Operations’ and to introduce new reforms, the Department of Food & Public Distribution, is targeting
implementation of nation-wide portability in distribution of subsidised foodgrains to the beneficiaries
without the need of obtaining a new ration card under ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ System.
v. electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices supported by the biometric/Aadhaar authentication will be
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installed at Fair Price Shops(FPS)

vi. More than 4.1 lakh (77%) ePoS devices are already operational across the country. 25 States/UTs
have either completed the installation in all FPSs or having significant progress. More than 85% ration
cards (at least one member) in the country are linked with the Aadhaar numbers of the beneficiaries.
2 day exhibition on DAE Technologies inaugurated in New Delhi

A two-day exhibition on DAE spinoff Technologies for non-power applications organised by the
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), was inaugurated by Shri Rakesh Gupta, chairman of UPSC
(Union Public Service Commision) at New MotiBagh recreation club, New Delhi.
Key points
i. The technologies covered by BARC(Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), Raja Ramanna centre for
advanced technology, Indore and other units of DAE were exhibited.
ii. Equipment exhibited: the equipment of agriculture, water, health and environment were kept for
display. In health, there were 3 segments exhibited. They are I. Development of Radio Pharmaceuticals,
ii. Production & distribution and finally its implementation for diagnosis and therapeutic application.
iii. The rural technologies were made available for the rural youth through ‘AKRUTI’ (Advanced Rural
Technology Implementation Initiative) programme.
iv. In the environment category, Nisargruna plant was kept for display which is a bio methanization
plant.
v. Members present: The exhibition was viewed by secretary of DAE, Dr. K.N Vyas. Former secretaries
of DAE, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Dr M.R. Srinivasan were also present.
Swachh Survekshan 2020 launched by MoS for housing Shri Hardeep Puri
The Minister of State (Independent charge) for housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), Shri Hardeep
SinghPurilaunched the fifth edition of annual cleanliness survey, Swachh Survekshan 2020 (SS 2020)
which is to be conducted from January 2020.
Apps launched
Swachh Survekshan 2020 Toolkit, SBM(Swachh Bharat Mission) Water PLUS Protocol and Toolkit,
Swachh Nagar- an integrated waste management app and AI( Artificial intelligence) enabled mSBM app
was launched.
Song launched
A special song based on the Swachh Survekshan theme was released. It features Bollywood actress
Kangana Ranaut, singers Kailash Kher and Monali Thakur.
People present
• Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra.
• Join secretary and mission director V.K Jindal and other representatives from urban local bodies
were present.
The field survey to the Swachh Survekshan 2020 will be conducted from January 2020.
Swachh Survekshan 2020 toolkit
It contains methodology of detailed survey and component indicators to help cities prepare for the
survey.
Water PLUS protocol
It provides guidelines to cities and towns to ensure no untreated water is released in the environment.
It is in line with the govt’s focus on Jal Shakthi Abhiyan.
Swachh Nagar- app
It tracks waste collection by Urban Local Bodies(ULB) through vehicle monitoring, notification to
citizens, etc.
AI enabled mSBM app
It is developed by the National Informatics Centre(NIC). It detects beneficiary face and toilet seat the
uploaded photo using AI.
Key focus of SS 2020
• Collect segregated weight and maintain still processing site.
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• Utilised capacity of wet waste processing facilities.

• Treat and reuse waste water.
• Follow 3R principles: reduce reuse and recycle.
• Curtail solid waste based air pollution.
• Uplift social condition of informal waste pickers.
• Promote procurement through Government eMarketplace (GeM).
• Assess Ganga towns separately to accelerate action.
• Engage technology-driven monitoring.
‘Operation Number Plate’ launched by RPF in all Railway premises ahead of Independence day
Indian Railways’ Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched a drive named ‘Operation Number
Plate’ under the direction of the Director General of RPF Shri Arun Kumar, to check and verify
unauthorised parking in the railway premises.
Key points
The drive was conducted from August 9-11, at 466 Railway stations of India in view of the forthcoming
Independence Day celebration on August 15, 2019.
i. Unauthorized parking of unidentified vehicles are considered as a threat to the safety and security of
passengers. Hence the Principal Chief Security Commissioners of RPF and all zonal Railways have been
instructed to look into the threats related to security of Railways.
ii. Owners of the vehicles should have to contact helpline number 182 if their vehicles have been seized
by the RPF from railway station premises
Reports during the drive:
• 4 vehicles that were previously reported to be stolen were recovered. Cases were previously
registered by the police after the theft.
• For more than 5 days, a total of 3943 vehicles were found parked unattended/ unclaimed in the
authorised parking lots of the Railway stations.
• Suspected 894 of unattended vehicles are being verified.
• For more than one day a total of 2034 vehicles were found parked in ‘No Parking’ zones.
Verification of 28 such suspected vehicles are being inquired.
• A fine of Rs.59000 have been recovered as charges of unauthorised parking.
• 549 vehicles were towed away and are deposited with police for investigations.
About Indian Railways
♦ It manages the fourth largest railway network in the world by size and also the world’s 8th largest
employer by no. of employees.
♦ Headquarters- New Delhi.
♦ Union minister for railways- Piyush Goyal (constituency- Maharashtra).
♦ Minister of State for railways- Angadi Suresh Channabasappa (Constituency- Belagavi,Karnataka).
New lighting system was inaugurated in the Parliament House by the Prime minister
On August 13, 2019, As many as 875 energy-efficient LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights were installed in
the parliament complex and dynamic Facade Lighting of the parliament House estate was inaugurated
by the prime minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. These LED bulbs will illuminate lights throughout
the year.
Key points
i. These LED bulbs are capable of creating 16 million combinations of colours and uses only one-fifth of
the electricity compared to other light types.
ii. The LED bulbs are programmable and controlled through computers.
iii. The vibrant coloured lights create an aura and enhances Grandeur of the Parliament House.
iv. On this occasion Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other Union Ministers including Hardeep
Puri(Minister of State for housing and urban affairs) and Jitendra Singh( Minister of State for Ministers
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of development of North Eastern Region) were present.

v. Previously the LED were installed in North block and South block of the parliament house.
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launches 2nd Edition of Swaccha Survakshan
Grameen for 2019
On August 14, 2019, Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the 2nd Edition
of Swaccha Survakshan Grameen, India’s largest sanitation survey, for 2019 in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. Objective: To engage rural communities in improvement of the sanitation status of their districts and
states through the intensive campaign and to accelerate the momentum of Swachhta Abhiyan.
ii. Description: Under the Swachh Survekshan Grameen, districts and states will be ranked on data
collected from citizen feedback, direct observation, and service-level progress.
iii. Coverage: The 45-day long survey will take place in 18 thousand villages of 698 districts.
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
♦ Founded: 31 May 2019
♦ Constituency of Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
CORAS of Indian railways launched by railway minister Piyush Goyal

On august 04,2019 CORAS (Commandos For Railway Security), a special railway unit for the Indian
railways and a new establishment manual for the Railway Protection Force(RPF) was launched by
union Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal at a function in New Delhi railway station.
Key points
• The CORAS induction was planned by the RPF and the CORAS team will be provided with the
best modern equipment and world class training.
• A state of the art commando training centre is to be established in Jagadhri, Haryana.
• Commendable work of the RPF was appreciated by the railway minister and specially lauded the
efforts of RPF soldier Shivranjan Gurjar who rescued 8 lives in flood hit Gujarat.
Cctv cameras:
CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) cameras are to be fixed at every railway station to ensure the safety
and security of the passengers. The camera links can be handled by local stations, RPF, Government
Railway Police(GRP), and also in the minister’s office.
CORAS:
It is a seperate Commando unit of the Railway Protection Force.
Vision: To respond in situations pertaining to damage, disturbance, disruption of train operations,
providing safety to passengers, service during disaster situations in railway area.
Features:
• Willing young staff of RPF aged between 30-35 years and having high physical standards will be
picked up for the CORAS.
• Commando Coys Will be deployed in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)/ insurgency/terrorism
affected railway areas.
Other members present:
The other members present during the launch were
• Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman of Railway Board.
• Shri Arun Kumar,Director General(DG) of RPF
• Shri T.P Singh, General Manager, Northern Railway and other railway officials.
About RPF
♦ Founded- 27 July 1872.
♦ Act- Railway Protection Force act 1957.
♦ Motto- Attaining honour.
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About the Indian railways

♦ Minister of state- Angadi Suresh Channabasappa (Constituency- Belagavi,Karnataka).
♦ Piyush Goyal constituency- Maharashtra.
First ever space museum of India inaugurated at Hyderabad

On July 26 2019, the first space museum of India opening new attraction to space enthusiasts, was set
up at Hyderabad in association with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Key points
• The museum is housed in the Birla Science Museum. It gave Space of 9000 square feet to set up
the space museum.
• It was inaugurated on the celebration on golden jubilee year of the Birla Archaeological and
Cultural Research Institute (BACRI).
Location:
The space Museum is located on the erstwhile Naubat Pahad, Telangana in the centre of the city.
Aim:
The museum which is an initiative of BACRI aims to spread knowledge on science and technology and
also as a way to encourage young students to explore the field.
Inauguration:
• ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Telangana inaugurated the ceremony.
• Other members present during the inauguration were Nirmala Birla, Chairman of BACRI, CK
Birla, chairman of the CK Birla Group and BG Sidharth, Director of the Science Centre.
Models exhibited:
• ISRO is to exhibit about 65 models of various spacecrafts, satellites and rockets. Some of the
scale models of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, GSLV Mark II, Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Chandrayaan- 1, Mars orbiter spacecraft, APPLE (Ariane
Passenger PayLoad Experiment), Aryabhata, Bhaskar, Rohini RS-1 and a model of the
International Space Station(ISS) are exhibited.
• At present 24 models are being exhibited.
• Now visitors can directly get in touch with India’s Antarctic Space Station called as Dakshin
Gangotri in real-time.
About ISRO
♦ Headquarters- Bengaluru
♦ Founder- Vikram Sarabhai.
♦ Founded- August 15 1969.
♦ Director-Kailasavadivoo Sivan(K.Sivan).
World’s 1st museum dedicated to the life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu opened in Kolkata
On August 13, 2019, West Bengal Chief Minister(CM), Mamata Banerjee has opened the World’s 1st
museum dedicated to the life of a 16th-century saint and social reformer, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
designed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is named
as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu museum.
Key points:
i. The museum is a 3-storeyed structure with an approximately 1,350 sq m of covered area, of which
1,000 sq m has been used to for the galleries, public utility and as a library.
ii. The floors of the museum dedicated to different phases of the saint’s life from his birth, marriage
with Vishupria, journey in every part of the country to the period after he attained ”Sanyasa”
(sainthood).
iii. It was also equipped with Life-size models, 3D(3-Dimensional) films, audio tracks, and animatronics.
iv. The project to build the museum was initiated by the Gaudiya Mission, a spiritual and philanthropic
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organization established in 1935 to spread the philosophy enunciated in the Vaishnava cult and the
message of peace, love, and harmony, as propounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission, DEPwD launches San-Sadhan Hackathon for Divyang accessible
toilets
Under Swachh Bharat Mission, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
(DEPwD) has launched a nationwide Hackathon called “San-Sadhan” for Divyang/ physically
challenged people accessible toilets, which will be held from September 14- 15,2019 in New Delhi. It
aimed to enhance sensitivity and develop an ecosystem for creating a barrier-free environment.
Key points:
i. Deadline: The last date to apply for participating in Hackathon is August 28, 2019, in which startups,
student innovators, technology enthusiasts, academicians, and industry experts can participate.
ii. Present status: About 2.68 crore people in India are under the category of Persons with Disabilities
(PwD) according to census 2011.
iii. PWD Act, 2016: Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 enable PwDs for the accessibility of public-
oriented premises and services such as health, transport, educational facilities as well as sanitation.
About DEPwD:
♦ Secretary: Ms. Shakuntala D. Gamlin
About Swachh Bharat Mission:
It was launched on 2nd October 2014 by Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi to achieve
universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation. It consists of two sub-missions Swachh
Bharat Mission (Gramin)-(SBM-G) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
President Ram Nath Govind inaugurates Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan

On August 18,2019 the president of India, Shri Ram Nath Govind inaugurated the 15,000 square feet
underground bunker museum at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan (Governor’s government house) in Mumbai.
Key points
i. It is a bunker of the British era in the 19th century and was discovered in 2016. It was used to fire
cannons at enemy ships and the other section depicts the history of Raj Bhavan.
ii. It has 13 rooms comprising of shell store, Gun shell, Cartridge store and Central Artillery store. The
museum is expected to be opened to the public by the end of 2019 with online booking facility.
iii. The museum has virtual reality booths where visitors can virtually time travel to the 19th century.
Jal Bhushan: The president also unveiled the foundation stone for the reconstruction of Jal Bhushan. It
is the Governor’s office-cum-residential building with a history of nearly 200years. The present
building has undergone renovation.
It was the residence of British governors in 1885 and was shifted to Malabar Point from Parel,Mumbai.
Members present:
The members present during the function were
• Savita Govind, First lady of India.
• C Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra
• Devendra Fadnavis, Chief minister of Maharashtra.
• Chandrakant Patil- state minister for revenue and public works.
• Vinod Tawde- Minister of Higher and technical Education.
The second Uday Express between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to be launched

Inorder to cater to the busy route in the East Coast Railway zone, The Indian Railways’ second luxury
double-decker Uday(Utkrisht Double-decker Air-conditioned Yatri) Express is to be run
between Visakhapatnam andVijayawada. This was announced on August 19, 2019. Its departure
number is 22701 (Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada) and on the return journey, its number will be 22702.
Key points
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• Facilities:The train consisting of nine double-decker coaches and two power cars will be
equipped with WiFi facility, striking interiors, cushioned seating, display screens, automatic food
and beverages vending machine, LED screen in pantry-cum-dining area for entertainment of
passengers, smoke detection alarm system, modular bio-toilets, etc.
• Uday express service between between Bengaluru city and the chennai central was also
proposed.
Features of the second uday express:
• The second Uday Express will be having a carrying capacity of 50 passengers on the upper deck,
48 on lower deck and 22 on the ends.
• There will bethree coaches with dining facilities and five coaches without dining facility having a
seating capacity of 104 passengers and 120 passengers each.
First Uday express: The first Uday was a specially-designed air-conditioned chair car coaches which
started service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in June 2018. It was inaugurated by the then
Minister of State(MoS) for railways, Rajen Gohain.
About uday express
♦ It started its first service in June 10, 2018.
♦ According to Indian Railways, UDAY Express will cater to the “busiest routes” and increase carrying
capacity by 40%. It is envisioned as ‘luxury’ train service.
Indian President launches plantation drive in New Delhi as part of Van Mahotsav celebrations
On August 20, 2019, the President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind planted Maulsari sapling in the
Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate(New Delhi) and launched a plantation drive. It was done as part of the ‘Van
Mahotsav’ celebrations.
Key points
i. The President’s Secretariat will be planting 3,252 trees and 2,962 shrubs for the next few weeks in
the President’s Estate which is spread over 330 acres, as part of this Van Mahotsav drive. Many
Ornamental and fruit trees will be planted in the upcoming weeks.
About Van Mahotsav
Van Mahotsav is an annual tree planting movement in India which began in the year 1950.
Union HRD Minister launches world’s largest teachers’ training programme NISHTHA
On August 21, 2019, Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’launched the National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary
level National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) at Dr
Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi in the presence of Smt Rina Ray, Secretary, Department of
School Education and Literacy and other senior officers from MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource
Development), all States and Union Territories (UTs), Senior Policy Makers and Heads of Institutions.
Key Points:
i.About NISHTHA: It is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world with an aim to
motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. Teachers will get
awareness and develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based
Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities,
Inclusive Education. It is the first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at
national level for all States and UTs.
ii.Other initiatives: NISHTHA Website, Training Modules, Primer Booklet and a Mobile App were also
launched.
iii.Schedule: Training will be conducted directly by 33,120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State
Resource Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who will in turn be trained by 120 National
Resource Persons identified from National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT),
National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
(KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Non-
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Government Organisations (NGOs).

iv.MOODLE: A Mobile App and Learning Management System (LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular
Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed by NCERT
(https://nishtha.ncert.gov.in/). LMS will be used for registration of Resource Persons and Teachers,
dissemination of resources, training gap and impact analysis, monitoring, mentoring and measuring the
progress online.
About MHRD:
♦ Founded: 26 September 1985
♦ Constituency of MHRD Minister: Haridwar, Uttarakhand
National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad inaugurated by Harsh Vardhan

On August 23, 2019, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the
FSSAI’s (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) National Food Laboratory(NFL) – Delhi,
NCR(National Capital Region) in Ghaziabad on the 13th anniversary of Food Safety and Standards
Act, 2006.
Key points:
i. The lab has been built with the P-P-P model(Public-Private-Partnership), the first of its kind in food
laboratory sector. It is equipped with state-of-the-art collaborative training centers, namely the Food
Safety Solution Centre (FSSC) and the Centre for Microbiological Analysis Training (C-MAT).
ii. The government has increased the number of food testing laboratories to 261 from 138 in 2014.
iii. Harsh Vardhan has launched 2 ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ (FSW) vans to Uttar Pradesh which would
cater to the food testing needs of Ghaziabad and Western Uttar Pradesh. There are 44 FSWs at present,
which will be increased to 500 in future to support the states in ensuring food safety.
iv. Vardhan also laid the foundation stone of 8-floor FSSAI Tower, released a report titled “Food
Laboratories in India: A Meta Study” and awarded the Certificate of Recognition to 13 National
Reference Laboratories.
v. NFL(Delhi-NCR), formerly the Food Research & Standardized Laboratory (FRSL, Ghaziabad), is one of
the two premier referral laboratories under the direct administrative control of the apex food regulator,
FSSAI.
About FSSAI:
♦ Founded: August 2011
♦ Chairperson: Ms. Rita Teaotia
♦ CEO: Shri Pawan Kumar Agarwal
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
♦ Founded: 1976
Smriti Irani launches sustainable fashion project,’SU.RE’ in Mumbai

On August 22, 2019, The Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani has inaugurated
Project SU.RE(Sustainable Resolution), a joint project of CMAI(Clothing Manufacturers Association of
India)& IMGReliance(International Management Group, during Lakme Fashion Winter/Festive 2019)
in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key points:
i. The project was launched by Smriti Irani as well as the organizers of Lakme Fashion Week (CMAI,
United Nations in India, and IMG Reliance).
ii. The aim of this initiative is to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean
environment.
iii. It is the 1st ever project in India’s apparel industry that 16 biggest fashion brands of India (such as
Future Group, Aditya Birla Retail, Shoppers Stop, Arvind Brands) come together to set a sustainable
pathway for the Indian Fashion Industry and is also a major step towards responsible and smart
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business. The combined industry value of the the 16 signatories to the resolution is around Rs
30,000 crore.
iv. It would help the Indian fashion industry to reduce carbon emissions, increase the efficiency of
resources, combat waste and water management, and create positive social impact to achieve long-term
sustainability targets.
v. The 5major Sustainable Resolution are,
• To understand the environmental impact of the garments being currently produced.
• To create a sustainable framework for prioritizing & utilizing certified raw materials that have a
positive impact on the environment.
• To make a better decision by selecting sustainable and renewable materials and ensuring their
traceability.
• To reach this initiative effectively to consumers through online and physical stores, product
tags/labeling, social media, advertising campaigns, and events.
• To shift a significant percentage of supply chain to a sustainable chain by the year 2025 & to
address critical global issues such as climate change.
About Ministry for Textiles:
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 1999
King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan launches heritage postal stamp of Bandra station
On August 24, 2019, Indian actor, film producer, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) has introduced
heritage postal stamp of Bandra station in Mumbai, Maharashtra on the completion of 150 years of
the railway station.
Key points:
i. He urged the people present at the launching event to use the postal stamps instead of online texting.
ii. Ashish Shelar, minister of School Education, Sports and Youth Welfare of Maharashtra was also
present at the event.
MHRD launched National Digital Library of India

Under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology
(NMEICT), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) launched the National Digital
Library of India project. It will develop a framework of virtual repository of learning resources with a
single-window search facility.
Key Points:
i. National Digital Library has been integrated with Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance
(UMANG) App and users can register through www.ndl.gov.in or through the mobile app.
ii. There are more than 3 crore digital resources available through the National Digital Library
Prahlad Singh Patel launches integrated NOAPS for National Monuments Authority in New Delhi
On August 27, 2019, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, the Minister of State for Culture & Tourism
(Independent Charge)has launched an integrated NOC -No Objection Certificate online Application
Processing System (NOAPS )for National Monuments Authority (NMA) in New Delhi.
Key points:
i. 6 new States will be part of this Integrated Online Application Portal with 517 urban Local Bodies
Count. The list of States and Urban Local Bodies are as follows,
Madhya Pradesh (378) , Andhra Pradesh (110) , Haryana (15) , Punjab (10), Jharkhand (3) , Telangana
(1)
ii. This will help to automate the process of grant of NO Objection Certificate(NOC) for construction-
related work in the prohibited and regulated area of ASI(Archaeological Survey of India) protected
monuments.
iii. This system was available only in 5 urban local bodies of Delhi and 1 urban local body of Mumbai
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earlier.
iv. The Portal has integrated with the Mobile App of ‘Smarac’ of Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO), through which the applicant traverses his plot and the geo-coordinates of his plot along with the
images to be uploaded into the NIC portal along with the proximity and the approval status.
v. National Monuments Authority (NMA):
It is under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India(GoI) has been set up as per provisions of The
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act,
2010, which was enacted in March 2010.
HM Amit Shah flags off the first fleet of eco-friendly e- buses in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
On August 29,2019, In a bid to make the city cleaner & greener, the Union Minister of Home Affairs,
Amit Shah has flagged off the first fleet of eco-friendly e-buses (electric buses) in Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, which will be operated on major junctions in the city. He also inaugurated the India’s
1st automated battery charging & changing station for e-buses there.
Key points:
i. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will operate the electric buses on a regular basis. In the
1stphase, a total of 50 buses will be rolled out, of which 18 e-buses will have swappable battery
technology facility, while other 32 e-buses having fast charging facility will become operational.
ii. FAME scheme: Under the Faster Adaption and Manufacture of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles
(FAME)scheme, Gujarat will get 550 electric buses, which aims to give 5,595 electric buses to 64 cities
across India. Ahmedabad alone will get 300 e- buses.
iii. e-buses: Each bus can hold up to 50 passengers & as these are electric buses it will be silent and will
not release smoke. These are AC(Air Conditioner) buses with automatic door sensors and won’t able to
start if the doors are open.
iv. Mission Million: Amit Shah also culminates the Mission Million Trees project, which was organized
by the AMC at the Science City on World Environment Day (5 June 2019). Under this mission, AMC has
enabled planting of one million saplings since the launch of the initiative.
About FAME scheme:
♦ It is an incentive scheme for the promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles in India with the objective
to develop electric mobility. It was launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
in 2015.
♦ It gives financial incentives for enhancing electric vehicle production and the creation of electric
transportation infrastructure.
♦ The Scheme run in 2 phases.
Phase I: It started in 2015 and was completed on March 31st, 2019.
Phase II: It started from April 1st, 2019 and will be completed by March 31st, 2022.
♦ Focus: It focuses on 4 areas i.e. Technology development, Demand Creation, Pilot Projects and
Charging Infrastructure.
About Gujarat:
♦ Capital: Gandhinagar
♦ Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
♦ Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat
26th Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-VigyanMela inaugurated by Rajnath in Leh

On August 29, 2019, the 26th edition of “Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-VigyanMela” organized by Leh-based
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) of Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO), was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh. The mela
seeks to meet the fresh food requirements for soldiers serving in the harsh terrain regions.
Key points
i. Members present: GyalPhunchokWangyal, Chief Executive Counselor(CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous
Hill Development Council (LAHDC), and JamyangTseringNamgyalLadakh Member of Parliament(MP).
DIHAR: This institute produces organic farm produce to the Army by its advanced technologies and is
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also recently engaged in food production to the remotest areas of the Himalayan region.
About DIHAR:
♦ Established- 1960.
♦ Director- Dr Om Prakash Chaurasia, Scientist ‘G’.
♦ The institute has its research stations at the world’s highest terrestrial Research & Development
(R&D) Centre at Changla, Ladakh and at several other places of the region.
‘Angikaar campaign’ launched by HUA to bring PMAY(U) beneficiaries into Ujjawala, Ayushman
Bharat fold
On August 29, 2019 ‘Angikaar campaign‘ was launched by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri,Minister of
State(MoS-independent) of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA), in order to bring the PMAY(U)
(Pradhan MantriAwasYojana-Urban) beneficiaries into the fold of other schemes like the Ujjawala(free
gas connections) and Ayushman Bharat(health protection scheme). The campaign will be rolled out on
October 2 till December 10, 2019 in all the cities with PMAY(U).
Key points
i. HUA secretary DurgaShanker Mishra and other officials were present in the occasion.
ii. Implementation: Around 88 lakh houses were approved so far after 2.99 lakh houses being
sanctioned in the event, whereby the Angikaar aims at reaching the beneficiaries of the PMAY(U) in a
phased manner with the help of volunteers in visiting the beneficiaries and making them enrolled in the
scheme.
iii. Vulnerability atlas e-course: An e-course on vulnerability atlas was also launched at the event in
collaboration with School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, and the Building Materials &
Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC). This course is about awareness and understanding about
natural hazards.
About MoHUA:
♦ Founded- 1952.
♦ Union Minister- Shri PiyushGoyal (constituency- Maharashtra).
♦ Mos-SomParkash(constituency- Hoshiarpur, Punjab).
♦ Other portfolios of Hardeepsinghpuri- MoS (independent charge) of civil aviation and MoS of
commerce and industry.
Festivals
Udaipur will host 3rd edition of India’s largest education brainstorming event “ScooNews Global
Educators Fest 2019”
The City of Lakes, Udaipur (Rajasthan) will host the 3rd edition of India’s largest education
brainstorming event called “ScooNews Global Educators Fest (SGEF)” on 2019 theme ‘Education for
Sustainability: Moving on from conformity to creativity’ will be held on August 9 &10,2019.
Key points:
i. The fest will attract over 500 educators to discuss the way for establishing India as the next
global education powerhouse.
ii. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur will be the patron of 2019 edition, which will provide an
excellent platform for individuals and organizations contributing to the cause of education, schools,
start-ups to debate on innovation with industry leaders on Industry-Academia partnerships.
2019 ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ -national tribal festival begins at Leh-Ladakh

On august 17,2019, The 9 day long National tribal festival named “Aadi Mahotsav” commenced at the
Polo Ground, Leh-Ladakh. It is a joint initiative of Ministry of tribal affairs and Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). The theme of this year’s festival is “A celebration
of the spirit of Tribal Craft,Culture and Commerce”.
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Key points
i. This 9 day event from August 17-25, is inaugurated by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Shri
Satya Pal Malik.
ii. Other members present: The other members present in the inauguration were
• Shri Arjun Munda, Union minister of tribal affairs.
• Renuka Singh, Minister of State(MoS) for Tribal Affairs.
• Shri R.C. Meena, chairman of TRIFED.
The role of TRIFED here is to play a key role as ‘Service provider’ & ‘Market Developer’.
iii. Participants
Artisans: Nearly 160 artisans from more than 20 states will be exhibiting their products.
Products:
Textile: Tribal textile products manufactured by Master tribal craftsmen from Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Odisha,West Bengal and many other states will be exhibited.
Jewellery: Tribal jewellery from Himachal Pradesh Madhya Pradesh and north east will be
exhibited.The main attraction in the function is the Bamboo cane traditional tribal jewellery.
Paintings & other arts: Gond art -Madhya Pradesh; Warli art- Maharashtra; Metal craft- Chhattisgarh;
Black pottery- Manipur; Natural organic products from Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
will be exhibited.
Dance performances:
Two reputed cultural troupes will be performing folk dances of Ladakh region. They will be performing
• Jabro dance – Eastern Ladakhi people’s nomadic dance and song.
• Spawo dance– this dance is associated with the famous legendary hero of the Himalayan region
called K’sar.
• Various other dance performances like the Flower dance, Abex dance and song, Ghazal dance,
Aleyyatoo will be performed.
i. Food and forest produces that could be processed and marketed under Van Dhan scheme (launched
14 april 2018 to improve tribal incomes) of Ministry of tribal affairs and artisans and master craftsmen
and women of the Ladakhi region will be identified. The products will be marketed through 104 outlets
across the country run by TRIBES India( tribal product store) and 190 countries through e-commerce
website AMAZON, as TRIBES India tied up to sell the tribal products.
Aadi Mahotsav
i. Tribes constitute 8% of the population in the country which is nearly 10 crore population. The govt
works on ‘Sabkavikas’ the national objective i.e., promoting and supporting the development of tribes.
ii. The important factor of this Aadi Mahotsav is the ‘adi’ which describes natural simplicity guided by
primal truths and eternal values.
iii. The govt. formed the TRIFED especially to take the tribal development and its business forward.
Efforts are being made to improvise tribal commerce with advancement in digital and electronic
transactions, thus also showcasing digital skills of the tribal people in the Aadi Mahotsav.
iv. Stalls: Tribal handicrafts will be sold through 70-100 stalls under tribes banner by tribal artisans
and for the first time, each stall will be provided with PoS( Point of Sale) machines to accept payments.
The State bank of India conducted special training for smooth tribal business transaction operations.
v. MoUs: TRIBES India informs the signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with various e-
Commerce companies like Amazon, Snapdeal,Flipkart,PayTM and GeM(Government eMarketplace) to
sell tribal products. The TRIBES India also has its own e-commerce portal www.tribesindia.com
About tribal affairs ministry
♦ Union minister Shri Arjun Munda constituency- Khunti, Jharkhand.
♦ MoS Renuka Singh Saruta constituency- Surguja, Chattisgarh.
♦ Founded- 1999
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Other News Related to Indian Affairs
Rajya Sabha passed Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019

On July 31, 2019, Rajya Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019. It will amend the
provisions under the 1988 Motor Vehicles Act.
• Background: The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is based on the recommendations of
the Group of Transport Ministers (GoM) headed by Shri. Yoonus Khan, the then Transport
Minister of Rajasthan, to address the issue of road safety and to improve the facilitation of the
citizens while dealing with transport departments.
• Vehicle Fitness: The Bill mandates automated fitness testing for vehicles and provides for
compulsory recall of defective vehicles and power to examine irregularities of vehicle
companies.
• Recall of Vehicles: It allows the central government to order for recall of motor vehicles if a
defect in the vehicle may cause damage to the environment, or the driver, or other road users.
The manufacturer of the recalled vehicle will be required to either reimburse the buyers for the
full cost of the vehicle or replace the defective vehicle with another vehicle with similar or better
specifications.
• Road Safety Board: It provides for a National Road Safety Board which must be created by the
central government through a notification.
• Protection of Good Samaritan: In order to help road accident victims, Good Samaritan
guidelines have been incorporated in the Bill. It defines a Good Samaritan as a person who
renders emergency medical or non-medical assistance to a victim at the scene of an accident,
and provides rules to prevent harassment of such a person.
• Cashless Treatment during Golden Hour: It provides for a scheme for cashless treatment of
road accident victims during the golden hour.
• Third Party Insurance: The Bill has included the driver’s attendant in 3rd Party insurance.
There will be no cap on liability of insurers. There will be a 10 time increase in insurance
compensation, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. Claim process has been simplified. Insurance firms
have to pay claims within a month, if the victim’s family agrees to accept Rs 5 lakh
compensation.
• Hit and run cases: The Bill increases the minimum compensation for hit and run cases from Rs
25,000 to Rs 2 lakh in case of death, and from Rs 12,500 to Rs 50,000 in case of grievous injury.
• Motor Vehicle Accident Fund: The Bill requires the central government to constitute a Motor
Vehicle Accident Fund to provide compulsory insurance cover to all road users in India.
• Provision for online driving licenses: The Bill provides for online Learners Licence with
mandatory online identity verification. Driving test will be computerized to avoid fake driving
license. Commercial licenses will be valid upto 5 years instead of 3 years.
• Process of Vehicle Registration: In order to bring harmony of the registration and licensing
process, the bill proposes to create a National Register for Driving Licence and National Register
for Vehicle registration through “Vahan” & “Sarathi” platforms.
Proposed Amendments in Various Penalties under Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill – 2019
Sections Particulars New Proposed Provision / Minimum
Penalties
177 General Rs 500
New Rules of road regulation Rs 500
177A violation
178 Travel without ticket Rs 500
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179 Disobedience of the orders Rs 2000

of authorities
180 Unauthorized use of vehicles Rs 5000
without licence
181 Driving without licence Rs 5000
182 Driving despite Rs 10,000
disqualification
182 B Oversize vehicles Rs 5000
183 Over speeding Rs 1000 for Light Motor Vehicle (LMV)
Rs 2000 for Medium passenger vehicle
184 Dangerous driving penalty Upto Rs 5000
185 Drunken driving Rs 10,000
189 Speeding / Racing Rs 5,000
192 A Vehicle without permit Upto Rs 10,000
193 Aggregators (violations of Rs 25,000 to
licencing conditions) Rs 1,00,000
194 Overloading Rs 20,000 and
Rs 2000 per extra tonne
194 A Overloading of passengers Rs 1000 per extra passenger
194 B Seat belt Rs 1000
194 C Overloading of two wheelers Rs 2000, Disqualification for 3 months for licence
194 D Helmets Rs 1000, Disqualification for 3 months for licence
194 E Not providing way for Rs 10,000
emergency vehicles
196 Driving Without Insurance Rs 2000
199 Offences by Juveniles Guardian / owner shall be deemed to be guilty.
Rs 25,000 with 3 yrs imprisonment. For Juvenile
to be tried under JJ Act. Registration of Motor
Vehicle to be cancelled
206 Power of Officers to Suspension of driving licenses u/s 183, 184, 185,
impound documents 189, 190, 194C, 194D, 194E
210 B Offences committed by Twice the penalty under the relevant section
enforcing authorities
About Ministry of Road Transport and Highways:
♦ Minister In-charge: Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Parliament passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019

On July 29, 2019, Parliament unanimously passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill,
2019which will replace the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019,
promulgated on February 21, 2019. It will help to tackle the threat of illicit deposit taking activities in
the country like exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and
gullible people of their hard-earned savings.
Key Points:
• Background: The government had constituted an inter-ministerial group to address gaps in
existing legislation. The recommendations included a new central law to tackle unregulated
deposit schemes. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 24, 2019.
• Registration: The bill proposes compulsory registration of deposit-taking schemes with a list of
specified financial sector regulators or with the Central or state government.
• Benefits: It will save gullible investors from ponzi schemes run by the Saradha Group
companies and protect the hard earned money of the poor people.
• Powers: The first claim on the recovered money will be of depositors. It will give power to both
central and state governments to frame rules. The proposed legislation has some exclusion
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including money collected by real estate firms and from friends and relatives. It envisages the
creation of a central online database of all deposit takers and setting up a competent authority
empowered to provisionally attach the property of any deposit taker or all the deposits received.
This authority will have powers similar to those of a civil court. It also allows police officers of a
certain rank to search the premises of deposit takers and seize property linked to an offence
under this statute.
• Punishment: The legislation provides for severe punishment ranging from 1 year to 10 years
and fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 crore to act as a deterrent.
• Substantive Banning Clause: The Bill includes a substantive banning clause which bans deposit
takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any
unregulated deposit scheme.
• Types of Offence: The law proposes to create 3 different types of offences running of
unregulated deposit schemes, fraudulent default in regulated deposit schemes, and wrongful
inducement in relation to unregulated deposit schemes.
• Assets: The proposed law provides for attachment of properties or assets and subsequent
realization of assets for repayment to depositors. Clear-cut timelines have been provided for
attachment of property and restitution to depositors.
About Ponzi schemes:
Ponzi schemes induce unsuspecting depositors with promises of huge returns, invest heavily in
marketing operations to build an ever expanding chain of investors and pay off some investors from the
deposits of new participants than from any return on genuine investments. Such schemes lead to a large
number of people losing money.
Parliament passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019

On August 1, 2019, The Parliament passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) (Amendment)
Bill, 2019. It provides a 330-day timeline for insolvency resolution process and specifies minimum
payouts to operational creditors in any resolution plan. The amendments will bring greater clarity to
mergers, demergers, and amalgamations as part of the resolution process.
Key Points:
i. Earlier, the timeline was 270 days.
ii. It provides greater clarity on permissibility of corporate restructuring schemes, clarity on the rights
and duties of authorized representatives of voters.
iii. It gives committee of creditors of a loan defaulting company an explicit authority over the
distribution of proceeds in the resolution process.
iv. 8 amendments in the IBC, 2016 were made which include Section 5, Section 7, Section 12, Section
25A, Section 30, Section 31, Section 33 and Section 240 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
v. It will be binding on the Centre, State and local authorities.
vi. IBC 2016 says that National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) must determine the existence of default
within 14 days of receiving a resolution application and may accept or reject it and the new Bill states
that the NCLT must record its reasons in writing if it has not passed an order within 14 days.
vii. The number of members of NCLT was increased and the strength at present is 52.
viii. The Bill specifies the manner in which the representative of a group of financial creditors should
vote.
President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019
On August 1, 2019, President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to Right to Information
(Amendment) Act, 2019. It will amend the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005.
Key Points:
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• Background: The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by
the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Mr. Jitendra Singh, on July
19, 2019.
• Changes: Amendments are made in Section 13, Section 16 and Section 27 of the Right to
Information Act, 2005.
• Term of Information Commissioners: Under the Act, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
and Information Commissioners (ICs) are appointed at the national and state level to implement
the provisions of the Act. They will hold office for a term of 5 years. The Bill removes this
provision and states that the central government will notify the term of office for the CIC and the
ICs.
• Determination of salary: The Act states that the salary of the CIC and ICs (at the central level)
will be equivalent to the salary paid to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election
Commissioners, respectively. The salary of the CIC and ICs (at the state level) will be equivalent
to the salary paid to the Election Commissioners and the Chief Secretary to the state
government, respectively. The salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of
the central and state CIC and ICs will be determined by the central government.
• Deductions in salary: The Act states that at the time of the appointment of the CIC and ICs (at
the central and state level), if they are receiving a pension or any other retirement benefits for
previous government service, their salaries will be reduced by an amount equal to the pension.
Previous government service includes service under the central government, state government,
corporation established under a central or state law, and government company owned or
controlled by the central or state government.
About RTI Act 2005:
Under the provisions of this Act, any citizen of India may request information from a “public authority”
(a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”) which is required to reply expeditiously or within
thirty days.
Parliament passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019

On August 2, 2019, Parliament passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill,
2019 with 147 members voting in favour of the bill and 42 against it. The Bill amends the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. It provides for special procedures to deal with terrorist activities,
and empowered the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the grounds of terrorism.
Key Points:
• Background: It was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Amit Shah,
on July 8, 2019 and was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 24, 2019.
• Powers: Under the Act, the central government may designate an organisation as a terrorist
organisation if it commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes
terrorism, or is otherwise involved in terrorism.
• Approval: An investigating officer is required to obtain the prior approval of the Director
General of Police to seize properties that may be connected with terrorism. If the investigation
is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the
Director General of NIA would be required for seizure of such property.
• Investigation: Investigation of cases may be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy
Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. The Bill additionally empowers
the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases.
• Insertion to schedule of treaties: The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed
within the scope of any of the treaties listed in a schedule to the Act. The Schedule lists nine
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treaties, including the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the
Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979). The Bill adds another treaty to the list-
International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).
About Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967:
It is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to
make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.
Cabinet approves Introduction Of Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019

On July 31, 2019, The Union Cabinet approved the Introduction of Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill,
2019 in Parliament. It is aimed at reducing the regulatory or compliance burden of the registered Chit
Funds Industry and protect the interests of the Chit subscribers. It will amend the Chit Fund Act 1982.
Key Points:
• Background: On February 20, 2018, the Union Cabinet had permitted to introduce the Chit
Funds (Amendment) Bill 2018 in the parliament. But it was lapsed.
• Changes: The new bill will be incorporating the recommendations of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee. The changes may be similar to the bill of 2018. The committee
recommended that bill should incorporate insurance coverage for the chit fund subscribers
where the cost must be borne by the chit fund company.
• Provisions of Bill: At least 2 subscribers should be present either in person or through video-
conferencing while opening chit bids. They could be created only with the prior sanction of the
relevant State Government. The bill provided for hike in commission of foremen from 5% to 7%.
• A ROSCA Institution: It may allow a chit fund company to mention under their name as ‘A
ROSCA Institution’ (Rotating Savings & Credit Association). This will help in distinguishing their
business from other unconnected business. The old Bill had a provision for incorporating the
name ‘fraternity fund’ instead of the commonly known ‘chit fund.’ Hereafter, words ‘A ROSCA
Institution’ will be added to the nomenclature ‘fraternity fund’. It will help chit funds in their
image makeover and brand building.
• Limit: New Bill is enhancing the limit for individual contribution to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1 lakh. For
companies, it would be Rs 18 lakh as against the present provision of Rs 3 lakh.
• Present Status: Chit Fund Act 1982 does not apply to chits which are smaller than Rs 100. The
2018 Bill removed the limit of Rs 100. The State Governments were allowed to set the limit. The
government has not released all the details about the 2019 bill. It is yet to be introduced in the
parliament.
About Chit Funds:
It is a group of people who agree to pay a certain amount periodically into a fund and one of the
subscribers is chosen by drawing a ‘chit’ to be the recipient of the prize money from the fund.
30th interaction through PRAGATI platform chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The 30th Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform was chaired by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. On his 30th interaction, many issues were reviewed. This
was the first meeting of PRAGATI chaired by the Prime Minister in his second term in office.
Reviews
Pratan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban)
Grievances under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) was reviewed and the Prime Minister directed
all the officers to achieve the target of ‘housing for all by 2022’
Review on AyushmanBharat
Dialogue with state governments was called by the Prime Minister to evolve best practices and provide
further improvement in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
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• Under the scheme, 35 lakh beneficiaries have availed Hospital admission and over 16000
hospitals have joined the Ayushman Bharat scheme
• Prime Minister called on the states to discuss the best practices and for the improvement in the
Ayushman Bharat scheme and also suggested that a deep study has to be conducted for the
positive impact in the scheme especially in “aspirational districts” (official term of
underdeveloped districts).
Divyangjan
Narendra Modi suggested a mechanism to collect feedback forms from Divyangjan (persons with
disability) regarding the accessibility issues faced by them in public premises under the government
scheme Saugamya Bharat Abhiyan.
Infrastructure projects
• Important Railway and infrastructure projects and road sectors of states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat where reviewed
• Grievances in the Department Of Financial Services were reviewed.
Jal shakthi movement
i. The state governments were called upon to put maximum efforts in conserving water, especially
under the current monsoon Season by the Prime Minister.
ii. The significance of Jal shakthi were highlighted.
Previous PRAGATI meets
Total investment of Rs12 lakh crore and cumulative review of 257 projects were seen in the last 29
PRAGATI meetings.
PRAGATI
It is ICT (Information and Communication Technology) based multi-modal platform for pro-active
governance and timely implementation.
President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Bill, 2019
On August 1, 2019, President of India, Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019. With this, the Bill became an Act. It criminalizes
instant ‘triple talaq’ among Muslims and attracts a jail term of 3 years for the husband.
President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to the Finance Bill 2019
On August 2, 2019, President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Finance Bill 2019. It
gives effect to the financial proposals of the Central Government for the financial year 2019-20. It was
passed in the parliament on July 23, 2019.
Parliament passed Code on Wages Bill, 2019

On August 2, 2019, Parliament passed Code on Wages Bill, 2019 which replaces the 4 laws- the
Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and the
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. The new bill seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all
employments where any industry, trade, business, or manufacturing is carried out.
Key Points:
• Background: The Code on Wages, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Labour,
Mr. Santosh Gangwar on July 23, 2019 and it was passed by it on July 30, 2019. It was passed in
the Rajya Sabha with 85 members in favour and 8 against it.
• Applicability: The new bill will apply to all employees. The central government will make wage-
related decisions for employment such as railways, mines, and oil fields, among others and the
State governments will make decisions for all other employments.
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• Definition of Wages: Wages include salary, allowance, or any other component expressed in
monetary terms. It does not include bonus payable to employees or any travelling allowance,
among others.
• Floor wage: The central government will fix a floor wage. Before fixing the floor wage, the
central government may obtain the advice of the Central Advisory Board and may consult with
state governments. The minimum wages decided by the central or state governments must be
higher than the floor wage. In case the existing minimum wages fixed by the central or state
governments are higher than the floor wage, they cannot reduce the minimum wages.
• Minimum wage fixation: The new bill prohibits employers from paying wages less than the
minimum wages. Minimum wages will be notified by the central or state governments.
• Revision of Minimum wage: The minimum wages will be revised and reviewed by the central
or state governments at an interval of not more than 5 years.
• Overtime: The central or state government may fix the number of hours that constitute a
normal working day. In case employees work in excess of a normal working day, they will be
entitled to overtime wages, which must be at least twice the normal rate of wages.
• Payment of wages: Wages will be paid in coins, currency notes, by cheque, by crediting to the
bank account, or through electronic mode.
• Wage Period: The wage period will be fixed by the employer as either daily weekly, fortnightly,
or monthly.
• Deductions: An employee’s wages may be deducted on certain grounds including fines, absence
from duty, accommodation given by the employer, or recovery of advances given to the
employee, among others. It should not exceed 50% of the employee’s total wage.
• Bonus: The bonus will be at least 8.33% of the wages, or Rs 100, whichever is higher. In
addition, the employer will distribute a part of the gross profits amongst the employees in
proportion to the annual wages of an employee. An employee can receive a maximum bonus of
20% of his annual wages.
• Gender discrimination: The new bill prohibits gender discrimination in matters related to
wages and recruitment of employees for the same work or work of similar nature.
• Advisory boards: The central and state governments will constitute advisory boards. The
Central Advisory Board will consist of employers, employees (in equal number as employers),
independent persons, and 5 representatives of state governments. State Advisory Boards will
consist of employers, employees, and independent persons. One-third of the total members on
both the central and state Boards will be women.
• Offences: The Code specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer, such as paying
less than the due wages, or for contravening any provision of the Code. Penalties vary depending
on the nature of offence, with the maximum penalty being imprisonment for 3 months along
with a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
Parliament passed Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2019
On August 2, 2019, Parliament passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 which amends the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act,
2008. The new bill increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic for major airports to over 35
lakh from 15 lakh. It is increased as the number of air traffic passengers has been increased 117 million
from 2008 to 345 million in 2019.
Key Points:
• Background: The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
introduced in Rajya Sabha on July 12, 2019, by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mr.
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Hardeep Singh Puri and was passed on July 16, 2019. The Airports Economic Regulatory
Authority of India Act, 2008 established the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India
(AERA). AERA regulates tariffs and other charges for aeronautical services provided at civilian
airports with annual traffic above 15 lakh passengers and monitors the performance standard of
services across these airports.
• Definition: AERA Act defined a major airport as one with annual passenger traffic over 15 lakh,
or any other airports as notified by the central government.
• Tariff determination: Under the Act, AERA is responsible for determining the tariff for
aeronautical services at different airports every 5 years, development fees of major airports, and
the service fee of passengers. It can call for necessary information to determine tariffs and
perform any other tariff-related functions, including amending the tariffs if necessary in the
interim periods.
• New provision: AERA will not determine the tariff, tariff structures, or development fees, in
certain cases. These cases include those where such tariff amounts were a part of the bid
document on the basis of which the airport operations were awarded. AERA will be consulted by
the concessioning authority before incorporating such tariffs in the bid document, and such
tariffs must be notified.
• Reason for amendment: The exponential growth of the sector has put tremendous pressure on
AERA. Its resources are limited. If many airports come under the purview of AERA, it will not be
able to perform its functions efficiently.
• Present Status: At present, there are 32 major airports with annual traffic above 15 lakh, and
AERA regulates tariffs of 27 airports. As per the Bill, AERA will regulate 16 major airports
whose annual traffic is above 35 lakh and the remaining 16 airports will be regulated by the
Airport Authority of India. (AAI).
• Allocation to Mini-Airports: Rs 10,000 crore will be spent on mini-airports in tier II and III
cities in the next four years.
About Ministry of Civil Aviation:
♦ Budget Allocation 2019-20: Rs 4500 crore
National Medical Commission bill 2019,passed by Rajyasabha.

Amid strong protests by the medical fraternity, the Rajya Sabha passed the controversial National
Medical Commission (NMC) bill 2019 which is proposed to bring one of the biggest reforms in medical
education.
The National Medical Council (NMC) bill is passed to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) which
is the central authority regulating the medical education.
Amendments
• The Upper house (Rajya Sabha) introduced two new amendments. So the bill will now be passed
to the Lok Sabha once again before getting the president’s assent.
• The bill is passed seeking increased representation from State Medical Council and vice-
chancellors of medical universities on the NMC.
Components of NMC
• It will consist of 25 members.
• A search committee comprising of Cabinet Secretary, Union Health Secretary, CEO of NITI
(National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog and four experts nominated by the central
government will recommend the names of post for the post of Chairman and part-time
members.
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• Each members’ term will be maximum period of four years without reappointment.
Reason for replacement
MCI was dissolved in the year 2010 due to the corruption charges faced by its president Ketan Desai by
the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation).
• This bill once approved will annul the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 in the wake of
allegations of corruption against 63year old MCI.
• The NMC which could be the replacement for MCI will have responsibilities like approving and
assessing medical colleges, conducting common MBBS entrance exams and regulating course fee
and will provide quality and affordable education, availability of adequate quality medical
professionals.
Bill proposals
• “National Exit Test” (NEXT) – common final year MBBS exam to be cleared by the students
wishing to pursue post graduate medical courses as well as to obtain practice licence.
• The NEXT will also be treated as a screening test for the students graduating from foreign
medical colleges to practice in India.
Implementation
The NEXT exam is expected to be implemented within three years of NMC’s approval.
Community Health Provider
The bill may grant limited licence to practice medicine at mid level as a Community Healthprovider to
persons connected with modern scientific medical profession under specified regulations.
• This grant of licence will allow anyone connected with modern medicine to get registered in
NMC and be licensed to practice modern medicine.
• As a result 3.5 lakh unqualified non-medical persons may also get the licence to practice modern
medicine under the label Community Health provider.
Objections
The NMC bill is opposed by many medical students,doctors and members of the Indian Medical
Association (IMA) which is a voluntary organisation of doctors having over 3 lakh members, with wide
protests across the country.
• The reason for the opposition is that this bill once approved will snatch the autonomy of the
state Medical Council because they will have to be bound by the rules of the NMC.
• The states will have the power only to advise the NMC, but the NMC has the power either to
accept or ignore the advice.The central government which is not a judicial body is the appellate
authority where the practitioners should appeal for a decision like ethical misconduct etc. to the
central govt.
• The doctors’ basic objection is related to the section 45 of the NMC bill which empowers the
centre to override any suggestion on the NMC.
• As a result this bill will lead to the emergence of many new private medical colleges across the
country as the provisions of the bill might lead to complete corporatization of the medical
education.
Protests
Over the past few days, medical students across the country has started a big protest against the NMC
bill with hunger strikes, boycotting of classes and marches to the governor’s offices.
Parliament passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019

On August 2, 2019, Parliament passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 which repeals 58
obsolete and irrelevant laws.
Key Points:
i. Background: The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 25, 2019,
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by the Minister of Law and Justice Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad and was passed on July 29, 2019. It was
passed by Rajya Sabha through a voice vote on August 2, 2019.
ii. The new bill repeals 58 laws that have been listed in the First Schedule of the Bill. It includes the
Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976, and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001.
iii. The Bill makes minor amendments to two Acts which relate to the substitution of certain words. The
two Acts are the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the India Institutes of Management Act, 2017.
About Ministry of Law and Justice:
♦ Formed: 1833
Lok Sabha passes Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill 2019
Lok Sabha passed the Jallianwala Bagh national memorial bill introduced by minister of
culture, Prahlad Patel, by a voice vote. This bill seeks to remove the Congress chief from being a
permanent member of Jallianwala bagh memorial trust established in 1951 in Amritsar, Punjab.
i. The bill amends Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951 which provides for the erection of a
National Memorial in memory of the people killed in Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar,
Punjab. It also creates a Trust to manage the National Memorial.
ii. This bill was opposed by the Congress party as the party considered this bill as a conspiracy to
remove the name of Congress from history that protested against the massacre of 1919 Jallianwala
bagh, went to jail, ran movement, built museum etc.,
Voting: 214 voted in favour and 30 against the bill.
iii. The bill also confers power to the central government to terminate a nominated trustee before the
expiry of the term without the need of assigning reason.
World’s first ultra-fast Hyperloop project granted to Maharashtra

The infrastructure project status worth $10billion (Rs. 70,0000 crore) was granted to Maharashtra
by India, to establish the world’s first ultra-fast Hyperloop project. This project stretching over
117.5km, will link Mumbai with the neighboring city of Pune and travels to the destination in about 35
minutes.
i. Hyperloops freight at speeds up to 1200 km per hour (750miles per hour) using magnetic to levitate
pods inside an airless tube.
Indus Valley inscriptions were written logographically

Research has found that a majority of the Indus Valley inscriptions were written logographically i.e
by using word signs and not by using phonograms i.e speech sounds units. It was published in a Nature
group journal Palgrave Communications.
Key Points:
i. The research paper was titled as “Interrogating Indus inscription to unravel their mechanism of
meaning conveyance”.
ii. The author of the paper is Ms. Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay.
iii. The inscriptions can be compared to the structured messages found on stamps, coupons, tokens and
currency coins of modern times.
iv. The seals were inscribed with Proto-Dravidian or Proto-Indo-European names of the seal-owners.
v. The signs were classified into 9 functional classes.
vi. It will be the basis for decoding of Indus Valley Script in future.
About Indus script:
It is also known as the Harappan script. It is a corpus of symbols produced by the Indus Valley
Civilization. Most inscriptions containing these symbols are extremely short. The first publication of a
seal with Harappan symbols dates to 1875, in a drawing by Alexander Cunningham.
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Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) (Amendment) Bill,
2019which amends the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The new bill seeks
to enhance punishment for sexual offences against children with a provision of death penalty.
Key Points:
• Background: The POCSO (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the
Minister of Women and Child Development, Ms. Smriti Zubin Irani on July 18, 2019. It was
approved by the Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2019 and Lok sabha on August 1, 2019.
• Penetrative sexual assault: The punishment for such offence is imprisonment between 7 years
to life which can be hiked up to 10 years, and a fine. If a person commits penetrative sexual
assault on a child below the age of 16 years, he will be punishable with imprisonment between
20 years to life, with a fine.
• Aggravated penetrative sexual assault: The Bill adds two more grounds to the definition of
aggravated penetrative sexual assault which includes assault resulting in death of child, and
assault committed during a natural calamity, or in any similar situations of violence. The
minimum punishment is increased from 10 years to 20 years, and the maximum punishment to
death penalty.
• Aggravated sexual assault: The Bill adds two more offences to the definition of aggravated
sexual assault which includes assault committed during a natural calamity, and administering or
help in administering any hormone or any chemical substance, to a child for the purpose of
attaining early sexual maturity.
• Pornographic purposes: The Act penalizes persons who use children for pornographic
purposes resulting in sexual assault.
• Storage of pornographic material: The Bill provides that the punishment can be imprisonment
between 3 to 5 years, or a fine, or both. It added two other offences for storage of pornographic
material involving children which include failing to destroy, or delete, or report pornographic
material involving a child, and transmitting, displaying, distributing such material except for the
purpose of reporting it.
Punishment for offences for using children for pornographic purposes
Offence Punishment as per 2019 Bill
Use of child for pornographic purposes Minimum: 5 years
Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in penetrative Minimum: 10 years (in case of
sexual assault child below 16 years: 20 years)
Maximum: life imprisonment
Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in aggravated Minimum: 20 years
penetrative sexual assault Maximum: life imprisonment or
death.
Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in sexual assault Minimum: 3 years
Maximum: 5 years
sexual assault Maximum: 7 years
About Ministry of Women and Child Development:
♦ Budget Allocation 2019-20: Rs 29,164.9 crore
Punishment for offences for using children for pornographic purposes
Offence Punishment as per 2019 Bill
Use of child for pornographic purposes Minimum: 5 years
Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in penetrative Minimum: 10 years (in case of
sexual assault child below 16 years: 20 years)
Maximum: life imprisonment
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penetrative sexual assault Maximum: life imprisonment or
death.
Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in sexual assault Minimum: 3 years
Maximum: 5 years
sexual assault Maximum: 7 years
Lok Sabha to become paperless from next session

On July 31, 2019, Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla announced that the Lower House (Lok Sabha) will
become paperless from the next session. It will save crores of rupees to the exchequer/ national
treasury.
Centre to repeal of Article 370 and 35A that grants special status to J&K
On August 5, 2019, Government announced to repeal Article 370 [except the first clause 370 (1)]
and Article 35A which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Union Home Minister Amit
Shah announced to bifurcate the state into 2 Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, which will
have a legislature like Delhi and Puducherry, and Ladakh, which will be without a legislature like
Chandigarh.
About Article 370:
• History: In October 1947, the then-Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir signed the ‘Instrument of
Accession’, which specified three subjects- Foreign affairs, Defence and Communications on
which J&K would transfer its powers to the government of India. In July 1949, Sheikh Abdullah,
the then chief minister of J&K, and three other colleagues joined the Indian Constituent
Assembly and negotiated the special status of J&K, leading to the adoption of Article 370.
• Provision of Article 370: Parliament needs the J&K government’s nod for applying laws in the
state except for defence, foreign affairs, finance, and communications. Citizens from other states
cannot buy property in J&K and the Centre has no power to declare financial emergency. It binds
the state of J&K to the Indian Union.
• Article 370(1)(c): It explicitly mentions that Article 1 of the Indian Constitution applies to
Kashmir through Article 370. Article 1 lists the states of the Union.
• Laws not applicable due to Article 370: Due to Article 370, Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education (RTE), Right to Information (RTI), CAG and many Indian laws aren’t
applicable in Kashmir which has a situation of corruption.
About Article 35A:
• It gives the J&K Legislature full discretionary power to decide who the ‘permanent residents’ of
the state are. It gives them special rights and privileges regarding employment with the state
government, acquisition of property in the state, settling in the state, and the right to
scholarships and other forms of aid that the state government provides. It allows the state
legislature to impose any restrictions upon persons other than the permanent residents
regarding the above.
• Consequence if repealed: Before Article 35A was introduced to the Constitution of India, the
Governor and the Chief Minister of J&K were addressed as the Sadr-e-Riyasat (President) and
Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister). If Article 35A is repealed, it would lead J&K back to the same
arrangement.
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 passed in Rajya Sabha
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 in
Rajya Sabha which seeks to bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into 2 Union territories – J&K a
Union Territory with Legislature, and Ladakh Union Territory without Legislature. He claimed that due
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to Article 370, development of the state could not be possible. It was passed in Rajya Sabha with 125
votes in favour and 61 votes against it.
• The Union Territory of Ladakh will include the districts Leh & Kargil which will, in effect, cease
to be part of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir. It will be administered by the Lieutenant
Governor alone. The remaining territories will remain with Jammu and Kashmir after the
bifurcation.
• Reason: The J&K region was declared to be a Union Territory on account of prevalent cross
border terrorism which had compromised internal security of the state.
• Representation in the House of People: Out of the six Lok Sabha seats in the state of Jammu
and Kashmir, 5 will remain with the Union Territory of J&K and one will go to the Union
Territory of Ladakh. The Election Commission may conduct Lok Sabha elections for both the
Union Territories as per the allocation of seats specified in the Delimitation of Parliamentary
Constituencies Order, 1976 as amended by this act.
• Tenure: The J&K Legislative Assembly will have a tenure of 5 years unless it is dissolved earlier
by the Lieutenant Governor (L-G). Provisions contained under Article 239a of the constitution
are applicable. The bill states that the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of J&K shall be
increased from 107 to 114.
• High Court: The High Court of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir will be the common High
Court of the two Union Territories.
• Lieutenant Governor: The President shall appoint the L-G under article 239. Union Territory of
J&K and the Union Territory of Ladakh will have a common L-G. The Chief Minister shall be
appointed by the L-G who will also appoint other ministers with the aid of the CM.
• Largest UT: J&K will be the largest UT in India in terms of area and Ladakh will become the
second largest UT. With the inclusion of 2 new UTs, the total number of UTs in India will stand at
9- J&K, Ladakh, Delhi, Puducherry, Diu & Daman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh,
Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed in Rajya Sabha
Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019, was also passed in Rajya Sabha
which seeks to implement the 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in Jammu and Kashmir.
President issues Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 superseding
1954 order
On August 5, 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind in “concurrence” with the “Jammu and Kashmir
government” promulgated Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 which
states that provisions of the Indian Constitution are applicable in the state. It comes into force “at once”,
and shall supersede the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954. The
government added in Article 367 of the Constitution a clause 4 which made 4 changes. The following
are the changes:
• The order said references to the person for the time being recognized by the president on the
recommendation of the Legislative Assembly of the State as the Sadar-i-Riyasat of Jammu and
Kashmir, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the state for the time being in office,
shall be construed as references to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
• References to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir shall be construed as including references to
the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of his Council of Ministers.
• In proviso to clause (3) of Article 370 of this Constitution, the expression “Constituent Assembly
of the State referred to in clause (2)” shall read “Legislative Assembly of the State”
About Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954:
It came into force on 14 May 1954. It was a comprehensive order seeking to implement the 1952 Delhi
Agreement. The provisions of Delhi Agreement were: Indian citizenship was extended to the
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‘permanent residents’ of Jammu and Kashmir, infusion of Article 35A, extension of the fundamental
rights of the Indian constitution to J&K, extension of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Central
Government was given power to declare a national emergency in the event of external aggression
Road transport and highways ministry exempts armed force’s armoured, specialised vehicles
from BS-VI emission norms.
Emission norms of armoured and specialized vehicles of the armed and paramilitary forces will be
exempted from BS-VI (Bharat Stage emission standard) from April 1, 2020, onwards as announced by
the ministry of road transport and highways.
Key points
i. These vehicles are exempted from BS-VI compliance also.
ii. Earlier vehicles used for government purposes were exempted from BS-IV norms in 2017.
iii. In 2018, again the government issued a notice that the specialised vehicles used for law and order
maintenance purpose be exempted from BS-IV norms till December 31, 2019.
Reason for exemption
The exemptions are granted to these vehicles because they travel mostly in remote areas only in most
challenging operations as well as environments.
i. As special engines are required for high-security operations and requirements, engines suitable for
the specialised vehicles will require considerable time.
Lok Sabha passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019

On August 5, 2019, Lok Sabha passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 through a voice vote
which aims to prohibit commercial surrogacy in India. The Bill defines surrogacy as a practice where a
woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the intention to hand over the child after the
birth to the intending couple.
• Background: It was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Health & Family
Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on July 15, 2019.
• Reason: India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples from other countries and there have
been reports concerning unethical practices, exploitation of surrogate mothers, abandonment of
children born out of surrogacy, and rackets involving intermediaries importing human embryos
and gametes.
• Recommendations: The 228th report of the Law Commission of India recommended prohibiting
commercial surrogacy and allowing altruistic surrogacy by enacting suitable legislation.
• Altruistic surrogacy arrangement: The Bill includes contracting a ‘close relative’ as a
surrogate by a heterosexual married couple who have been childless.
• Criteria for intending couple: The intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’
and a ‘certificate of eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority. The couple should be Indian
citizens and married for at least 5 years with the age between 23 to 50 years old for a woman
and between 26 to 55 years old for a man, provided they do not have any surviving child
(biological, adopted or surrogate) and meet other conditions that may be specified by
regulations.
• Criteria for surrogate mother: To obtain a certificate of eligibility from the appropriate
authority, the surrogate mother has to be a close relative of the intending couple, a married
woman having a child of her own, 25 to 35 years old, a surrogate only once in her lifetime and
possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy. The surrogate mother
cannot provide her own gametes for surrogacy.
• Penalty: The penalty for offences is imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine which may extend
to Rs 10 lakh.
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• Purposes for which surrogacy is permitted: Surrogacy is permitted when it is for intending
couples who suffer from proven infertility, altruistic, not for commercial purposes, not for
producing children for sale, prostitution or other forms of exploitation and for any condition or
disease specified through regulations.
• National and State Surrogacy Boards: The central and the state governments shall constitute
the National Surrogacy Board (NSB) and the State Surrogacy Boards (SSB) respectively.
• Appropriate authority: The central and state governments shall appoint one or more
appropriate authorities within 90 days of the Bill becoming an Act.
Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2019
On August 5, 2019, Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill
2019 by a voice vote which seeks to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court (SC) from the
present 30 to 33, excluding the Chief Justice of India (CJI). It amends the Supreme Court (Number of
Judges) Act, 1956.
Key Points:
i. Background: It was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The CJI
Ranjan Gogoi had written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the number of judges in SC.
Nearly 60,000 cases are pending and due to scarcity of judges, the required number of constitution
benches to decide important cases involving questions of law were not being formed.
ii. Act: The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 was last amended in 2009 to increase the
judges’ strength from 25 to 30 (excluding the CJI). It originally provided for a maximum of 10 judges
(excluding the CJI). This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges)
Amendment Act, 1960, to 17 in 1977, to 25 in 1986 and to 30 in 2009.
iii. Present Status: The Supreme Court is working with its full sanctioned strength of 31, including the
CJI.
About Supreme Court:
♦ Founded: 1950
♦ Motto: Yato Dharmastato Jayaḥ [Where there is righteousness (dharma), there is victory (jayah)]
Union environment ministry unveiled a draft ‘Nation Resource Efficiency Policy’

In order to save the natural resources, the Union environment ministry unveiled a draft ‘Nation
Resource Efficiency Policy’ which suggests the institutional mechanism and a three-year action plan
through the principle of 6R and ‘green public procurement’.
Key Points:
i. Reason: In India, the consumption of fossil fuels, biomass, metal ores and non-metal ores was
increased by over 6 times in 45 years, from 1.18 billion tonnes (BT) in 1970 to 7.4 BT in 2015. It is
projected to be doubled by 2030 from 2015 level.
ii. 6R: The 6R stands for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Re-manufacture and Refurbish.
iii. Green public procurement: It is to procure products with lower environmental footprints such as
secondary raw materials and locally sourced materials.
iv. NREA: The draft suggests to set up ‘National Resource Efficiency Authority’ (NREA) to develop an
action plan with 3 years time-frame, create and maintain database, measure progress and build
capacities.
v. NREAB: Under initial action plan (2019-22), the draft seeks to constitute an inter-ministerial body –
National Resource Efficiency Advisory Board (NREAB) – for coordination among different agencies.
vi. Establishment of Vehicle Dismantlers: More than 8.7 million vehicles had reached ‘end-of-life
vehicle’ (ELV) status in 2015. It is estimated to reach 21 million by 2025. So, the draft seeks to establish
20 vehicle dismantlers across major urban centres by 2020.
vii. Zero landfill approach: The draft pitches for moving towards ‘zero landfill’ approach. It may
impose ‘landfill taxes’ and ‘high tipping fees’ for bulk generators of waste so that they can move
towards optimal use of materials and better waste management.
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About MoEFCC:
♦ Founded: 1985
♦ Minister In-charge: Prakash Javadekar
India’s first 3-D smart traffic signal ‘Intelights’ designed by Chitkara University students
launched
On August 2, 2019, Sharad Satya Chauhan, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of Mohali
traffic police launched 3-D Smart Traffic Signal ‘Intelights’ designed by the students of Chitkara
UniversityIncubated Start-up – Anukai Solutions. On a pilot project basis, the wireless system is
installed at the traffic crossing near Quark City on Airport Road, Chandigarh, Punjab.
i. It proposes a 360-degree solution to curb the rising problem of traffic congestion.
ii. It will regulate traffic signals with a smart bird’s eye view wireless sensor system.
Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019

On August 6, 2019, Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 which replaces
the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. It seeks to establish authorities for timely and effective
administration and settlement of consumer disputes.
• Background: The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan on July 8, 2019 and it was passed in the Lok
Sabha on July 30, 2019.
• Rights of consumers: Bill defined 6 consumer rights including the right to be protected against
the marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property; be informed of
the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services; be assured of
access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and seek redressal against unfair
or restrictive trade practices.
• Central Consumer Protection Authority: The central government will set up a Central
Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers
and regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and
misleading advertisements. It will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General.
• Penalties for misleading advertisement: The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer
or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to 2 years for a false or misleading
advertisement. In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and
imprisonment of up to 5 years. It can also prohibit the endorser of a misleading advertisement
from endorsing that particular product or service for a period of up to 1 year. For every
subsequent offence, the period of prohibition may extend to 3 years.
• Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission: Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions
(CDRCs) will be set up at the district, state, and national levels. Complaints against an unfair
contract can be filed with only the State and National Appeals from a District CDRC will be
heard by the State CDRC. Appeals from the State CDRC will be heard by the National CDRC. Final
appeal will lie before the Supreme Court.
• Jurisdiction of CDRCs: The District CDRC will entertain complaints where the value of goods
and services does not exceed Rs 1 crore. The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the
value is more than Rs 1 crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore. Complaints with value of goods
and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the National CDRC.
• Product liability: Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service
provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good
39 | P a g e
or deficient service. To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions
for defect or deficiency, as given in the Bill.
Lok Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019
On August 5, 2019, Lok Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 by a
voice vote. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 19, 2019 by the Minister for Social Justice and
Empowerment, Mr. Thaawarchand Gehlot. The Bill defines a transgender person as one whose gender
does not match the gender assigned at birth and according to 2011 Census, there are more than 4.80
lakh transgenders in India.
Key Points:
• Prohibition against discrimination: The Bill prohibits any kind of discrimination against a
transgender person.
• Right of residence: Every transgender person shall have a right to reside and be included in his
household. If the immediate family is unable to care for the transgender person, the person may
be placed in a rehabilitation centre, on the orders of a competent court.
• Employment: No government or private entity can discriminate against a transgender person in
employment matters, including recruitment, and promotion.
• Education: Educational institutions funded or recognized by the relevant government shall
provide inclusive education, sports and recreational facilities for transgender persons, without
discrimination.
• Health care: The government must take steps to provide health facilities to transgender persons
including separate HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) surveillance centres, and sex
reassignment surgeries.
• Certificate of identity for a transgender person: A transgender person may make an
application to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity, indicating the gender as
‘transgender’. A revised certificate may be obtained only if the individual undergoes surgery to
change their gender either as a male or a female.
• Welfare measures by the government: The relevant government will take measures to ensure
the full inclusion and participation of transgender persons in society.
• Offences and penalties: The Bill recognizes the offences against transgender persons like:
forced or bonded labour (excluding compulsory government service for public purposes), denial
of use of public places, removal from household, and village, physical, sexual, verbal, emotional
or economic abuse. Penalties for these offences vary between 6 months and 2 years, and a fine.
• National Council for Transgender persons (NCT): The NCT will consist of: Union Minister for
Social Justice (Chairperson); Minister of State for Social Justice (Vice- Chairperson); Secretary of
the Ministry of Social Justice; one representative from ministries including Health, Home Affairs,
and Human Resources Development. Other members include representatives of the NITI Aayog,
and the National Human Rights Commission. State governments will also be represented. The
Council will also consist of 5 members from the transgender community and 5 experts from non-
governmental organisations.
• Removal of begging: A contentious provision that criminalized begging by transgender people
has been removed from the bill.
President Ram Nath Kovind declares abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution
On August 7, 2019, President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind declared abrogation of the provisions
of Article 370 of the Constitution after Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha passed the resolution for the same.
Article 370 gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir.
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President Ram Nath Kovind approves AERA (Amendment) Bill 2019

On August 7, 2019, President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Airports Economic
Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) (Amendment) Bill 2019 which increases the threshold of
annual passenger traffic for major airports from 15 lakh to over 35 lakh passengers. It amends
the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008.
Parliament passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill,
2019
Parliament passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill,
2019 which amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The Act
provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases. The Bill has
strict provisions to evict illegal occupants from government property allotted to members of Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha and government officials.
i.Background: The Bill was introduced by the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Mr. Hardeep
Singh Puri, in Lok Sabha on July 8, 2019 and was passed by it on July 31, 2019. It was passed by Rajya
Sabha on August 6, 2019.
ii.Definition: The Bill defines ‘residential accommodation occupation’ as the occupation of public
premises by a person on the grant of a license for such an occupation.
iii.Provision for Residential accommodation: The license must be given for a fixed tenure, or for the
period the person holds office. The occupation must be allowed under the rules made by the central,
state or union territory government, or a statutory authority such as Parliament Secretariat, or a central
government company, or premises belonging to a state government.
iv.Notice for eviction: It requires an estate officer (an officer of the central government) to issue a
written notice to a person if he is in unauthorised occupation of a residential accommodation. The
notice will require the person to show the cause- why an eviction order should not be made against
him, within 3 working days. The written notice must be fixed to a conspicuous part of the
accommodation, in a prescribed manner.
v.Order of eviction: After considering the cause shown, and making any other inquiries, the estate
officer will make an order for eviction. If the person fails to comply with the order, the estate officer
may evict such person from the residential accommodation, and take possession of it. For this purpose,
the estate officer may also use such force as necessary.
vi.Payment of damages: If the person in unauthorised occupation of the residential accommodation
challenges the eviction order passed by the estate officer in court, he will be required to pay damages
for every month of such occupation.
Rajya Sabha passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019
On August 6, 2019, Rajya Sabha passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill,
2019 which seeks to declare the 4 National Institutes of Design (NID) in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Assam and Haryana as institutions of national importance. It amends the National Institute
of Design Act, 2014.
i. Background: The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr.
Piyush Goyal on July 30, 2019. The National Institute of Design Act, 2014 declares the National Institute
of Design, Ahmedabad, Gujarat as an institution of national importance.
ii. Present status: Currently, the 4 institutes in Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati), Madhya Pradesh
(Bhopal), Assam (Jorhat) and Haryana (Kurukshetra) are registered as Societies under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860. They do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. They will be given the
power to grant degrees and diplomas only after being declared as institutions of national importance.
Centre unveils coastal zone management plan

The Environment Ministry unveiled the draft Environment and Social Management
Framework(ESMF)funded by the World Bank (WB) for integrated coastal management. It lays out
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guidelines for the coastal states to adopt and approve and regulate infrastructure projects in the coastal
zones before applying for clearance.
Key points
Assists
The coastal management plan seeks to assist Govt. of India in resource efficiency and resilience
enhancement.
Documentations
The documents related to this project was prepared by Society for Integrated Coastal
Management (SICOM)which is an Environment ministry affiliated body.
States with Coastal plans
Funded by the WB, three states namely Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal have prepared the Integrated
Coastal Management Plans (ICZM).
Four main components of the plan
National Coastal Zone Management Programme(NCZMP), ICZM- West Bengal, ICZM-Odisha and ICZM-
Gujarat.
Proposed activities
• Mangrove afforestation, shelter beds, restoration of seagrass meadows, beach cleaning and
development, creation of tourism infrastructure
• The following proposed activities are for Livelihood improvements. They are climate resilient
and salinity resistant agriculture, water harvesting, infrastructure creation to support eco-
tourism, small scale mariculture, seaweed cultivation, aquaponics (waste produced by farm fish
used as nutrient supply for plant growth, thus purifying water).
Obstructions
The main cause of obstructions in the coastal management plan is due to inadequate planning. Recently
on June 16 2019,The Bombay High Court cancelled the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) for ₹14000 crore
coastal road project which was a part of Eastern Freeway connecting South Mumbai and Western
suburbs.
About Ministry of Environment
♦ Founded-1985
♦ Minister responsible- Prakash Javadekar.
IIT Madras partners with NIOT for ocean wave electricity harnessing
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT) have partnered together for developing turbines that can generate electricity by
harnessing the ocean waves.
Key points
i. The research is headed by Abdus Samad of IIT Madras from Ocean Engineering department.
ii. Work on producing electricity through wave energy has been going on since 1983 by department of
Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras.
iii. The research work is published in the International Journal of Energy Research.
iv. This project is funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and currently work is going on for turbine
chamber coupling.
About Ministers of Earth science
♦ The Ministry’s mandate is to look after Atmospheric Science, Ocean Science & Technology and
Seismology in an integrated manner.
♦ Union minister responsible- Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
♦ Secretary- Dr. M. Rajeevan.
♦ Formed- 2006.
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President Ram Nath Kovind approves National Medical Commission Bill, 2019
On August 8, 2019, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the National Medical
Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019 which repeals the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. The NMC Act has
provisions to set up the National Medical Commission which will frame policies for regulating medical
institutions and medical professionals and assess the requirements of healthcare-related human
resources and infrastructure.
Department of Heavy Industry sanctions 5,595 e-buses for 64 cities under FAME India- Phase II
On August 8, 2019, Under the Scheme of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and)
Electric vehicles (FAME) India- Phase II, the Department of Heavy Industry under the Ministry of
Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises sanctioned 5,095 e-buses to 64 cities/state transport
corporations for intra-city operations, 400 e-buses for intercity operation and 100 e-buses for last-mile
connectivity to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Key Points:
i. They will run about 4 billion kilometres during their contract period. It is expected to save
cumulatively about 1.2 billion litres of fuel. It will result in reduction of 2.6 million tonnes of Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) emissions.
ii. The highest number of buses were sanctioned for Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and
Ahmedabad with 300 each.
iii. The department had invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from million-plus cities, smart cities,
state/Union Territory capitals and cities from special-category states for submission of proposal for
deployment of e-buses on an operational cost basis.
FAME India Scheme:
It is an incentive for the promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. Its first phase started
in 2015 and was completed on March 31 this year. The second phase started from April 1 and will be
completed by March 31, 2022.
Swedish software Urkund to be accessed for free by Indian Universities

Urkund is an anti-plagiarism (anti-piracy, anti-theft) Swedish software. It has been chosen to be
accessed for free by Indian Universities through global tender process. On August 2, 2019 trial access to
the Urkund software was provided.
Key points
i. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a notice that the final subscription to access the
software would be from September 1, 2019.
ii. The Human Resource Development (HRD) secretary K.Subrahmanyam announced that the software
will be provided to 900 universities.
iii. The previously used software was Turnitin but it was found to be 10 times more expensive without
a proportionate increase in features or reliability.
Level of offence
i. A thesis if it has minor similarities of upto 10% of the document, there will be no penalties. Bt if it
has 40%of similarities then it is considered as a level 1 offence and the offender would have to
withdraw the manuscript.
ii. Similarity of thesis between 40% and 60% is level 2 offence and the offender will be denied one
annual increment and not be allowed to supervise any master degree or a Ph.D degree for two years.
iii. The similarity of thesis above 60% is a level 3 offence and the offender will be denied two annual
increments and also debarment from research supervision for three years.
iv. Repeated offences resulting in higher level penalties would lead to suspension and termination.
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President Ram Nath Kovind Gives Assent To Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act
2019
On August 9, 2019, President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to Arbitration and
Conciliation (Amendment) Act 2019 aimed to make India hub of domestic and global arbitration for
settling commercial disputes. It will amend Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
Key points:
i. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by
the Minister for Law and Justice, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, on July 15, 2019(passed by the Rajya
Sabha on July 18, 2019)&was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 1, 2019. The previous version of the
bill which was cleared by Lok Sabha on August 2018, but was not passed by Rajya Sabha and had lapsed
after the dissolution of 16thLok Sabha.
ii. Features of the new bill: It provides a mechanism to deal time-bound settlement of disputes and
ensures accountability of the arbitrator
iii. ACI: It provides for establishing an independent body called Arbitration Council of India (ACI) for
the promotion of arbitration, mediation, conciliation, and other alternative dispute redressal
mechanisms. This will make the arbitration process more friendly and cost-effective, and ensure timely
disposal of cases.
iv. Functions of ACI:
• To frame policies for grading arbitral institutions and accrediting arbitrators.
• To make policies for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of uniform professional
standards for all alternate dispute redressal matters.
• To maintain a depository of arbitral awards (judgments) made in India and abroad.
v. Appointment: It allows appointment of arbitrators by “arbitral institutions” designated by the
Supreme Court(SC) /High Court(HC) rather than Supreme Court or a high court themselves. The ACI
will consist of a Chairperson who is either a Judge of the Supreme Court/ a Judge of a High Court/Chief
Justice of a High Court/ an eminent person with great knowledge in conduct of the arbitration.
vi. Completion: it requires that written claim and defense to claim in arbitration proceeding, should be
completed within 6 months of the appointment of the arbitrators. So, it will resolve disputes in a timely
manner.
vii. Confidentiality of information: Every detail of arbitration proceedings should maintain
confidentiality except for details of the arbitral award in certain circumstances. It is further clarified
that disclosure of award will be made only where it is necessary for implementing or enforcing the
award. Arbitral tribunals are required to make their award within 12 months period for all arbitration
proceedings.
About Ministry for Law and Justice:
Formed: 1833
President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
On August 10, 2019, President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Act, 2019, to improve road safety and facilitation of the citizens while dealing with
transport departments. The Act will amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Key points:
i. Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 15, 2019, by the Minister
for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari. The Rajya Sabha cleared the bill on July 31, 2019.
However some changes were made by the Rajya Sabha, it was sent back to the Lok Sabha for approval.
Then it was finally cleared by Parliament on August 5, 2019.
ii. Provision: The Act provides for the grant of licenses, regulation of cab aggregators, road safety and
penalties for violation of these provisions.
iii. Offenses & penalties: The Bill increases fine for several offenses under the Act.
Violation New penalty(in Rupees) Old
Penalty(in
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Rupees)
Driving under the influence of 10,000 2000
alcohol/Drug
Driving without Insurance 2,000 1,000
Driving without license 5000 500
Over Speeding 1000 for LMV (Light Motor Vehicle) 2000 for 400
medium passenger vehicle
Not giving way for emergency 10,000 –
vehicles
Speeding 5000 500
Driving without helmet 1000, disqualification of license for 3 months 100
Offense by Juveniles 25000 with 3 years imprisonment for –
guardian/owner
Traffic violations 500 100
Disobedience of orders of 2,000. 500
authorities
Driving despite disqualification 10,000 –
Penalty for dangerous driving 5,000 1,000
Seat Belt violation 1000 100
Oversize vehicles 5000 –
iv. Golden hour: The bill allows to develop a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims
during golden hour(the time of up to one hour following a traumatic injury, during which the likelihood
of preventing death through prompt medical care is the highest).It also enables to make a scheme for
providing interim relief to claimants seeking compensation under third party insurance.
v. Hit and run cases: The Bill increases the minimum compensation for hit and run cases as follows:
• In case of death, from Rs 25,000 to Rs. 2,00,000.
• In case of grievous injury, from Rs 12,500 to Rs 50,000.
vi. Report by Transport ministry: As per the road transport and highways ministry report, every year
in India half a million accidents are reported, in which 150,000 people lose their precious lives.
vii. Recalling: The act enables the Centre to ask vehicles manufacturers to recall vehicles in case of
defects that cause harm to the environment or the driver, or other road users.
viii. Taxi aggregators: The Bill defines aggregators as digital intermediaries or market places which
can be used by passengers to connect with a driver for transportation purposes (taxi services). These
aggregators will be issued licenses by state. Further, they must comply with the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
ix. Background: The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is based on the recommendations of the
Group of Transport Ministers (GoM) headed by the then Transport Minister of Rajasthan, Shri. Yoonus
Khan.
About Ministry for Road Transport and Highways:
Founded: July 1942
4th edition of National Entrepreneurship Awards, 2019 announced by Ministry of Skill

Development and Entrepreneurship
In a bid to encourage and recognize entrepreneurs and also to catalyse a cultural shift in youth for
entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has announced the
4th edition of National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA) for the year 2019.
i. Aim: To honour outstanding young first generation innovative, inspiring and accomplished micro
entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders for their contribution in entrepreneurship development.
ii. Objective: to recognize the businesses and businessmen and also to address the discontinuity
towards better business systems and enhanced products & services with the help of a prize money.
The awards will be given on November 09, 2019.
iii. Award:
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• A total of 45 awards are to be announced with 39 enterprise awards and 6 Entrepreneurship

Ecosystem Builders awards.
• Winners will be presented with a Trophy, Certificate and a Cash Prize of Rs.5 lakh (enterprises/
individuals) and Rs.10 lakh (organizations/ institutes)
iv. Eligibility: to avail this award,
• The nominee must be under the age of 40 years.
• Must be first-generation entrepreneur, holding 51% or more equity and ownership of the
business.
• Women entrants must individually or collectively own 75% or more of the enterprise.
v. Evaluation: Candidates will be evaluated in three levels. Finally the National Jury of eminent persons
drawn from academia/research, industry, social sector, banking etc.will select the winners.
vi. Supporters of NEA: Indian Institute of Technology (Madras, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur), National
Bank for Rural and Agriculture Development (NABARD), National Innovation Foundation, National
Small Industries Corporation, Rural Development and Self-employment and Training Institute, TISS,
Xavier’s School of Management.
vii. Previous winners
• Wow Momo Foods Private Ltd and Jet Set Go Aviation services for 2016.
• Rays Culinary Delights Pvt. Ltd. and Oravel Stays Pvt. Ltd. (that owns Oyo brand) for 2017.
• Varun Engineering Works for 2018.
Rotavirus vaccination extended across all states and UTs by September 2019
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, decided to provide Rotavirus
vaccine (RVV)to children across all states and Union Territories (UT) by September 2019 inorder to
achieve the goal of ending morbidity and mortality in children due to diarrhoea by 2022.
Key points:
Rotavirus:
Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in children of less than 2 years of age.
• Nearly every child in the world is infected with a rotavirus at least once by the age of five. It is
due to this reason, every 37 out of 1000 children born in India are unable to celebrate their 5th
birthday with diarrheal deaths being the main reason. Other deaths by diarrhoea can be
prevented through good hygiene, frequent handwashing, safe water and safe food consumption,
exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation.
• Rotavirus A, the most common species, causes more than 90% Of rotavirus infections in humans.
• Rotavirus causes 8,72,000 hospitalizations, 32,70,000 outpatient visits and 78,000 deaths
annually.
Rotavirus vaccination:
The Rotavirus can be prevented by Rotavirus vaccination. The rotavirus vaccine (RVV) was
recommended by an expert committee, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI),
in the Universal Immunization Programme(UIP).
i. Children are provided with three doses of RVV along with other vaccines, free of costunder UIP at
1.5months, 2.5months and 3.5months of the child.
Initial stages of launch of RVV:
The vaccine was introduced in the year 2006 in a phased manner.
• The vaccination began initially with 4 states and later expanded to 7 more states. Totally there
were 11 states by the end of 2018. At present the RVV is expanded to 17 more states till now.
• The vaccine is expected to be available in all 36 states/UTs by September 2019.
• The states/UTs with RVV at present are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Haryana,Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tripura, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu,Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Bihar, Sikkim, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra,
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Dadra& Nagar Haveli,Goa, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Delhi, Mizoram, Punjab, Uttarakhand and
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
About minister of health and family welfare
♦ Union minister responsible- Dr. Harsh Vardhan (constituency- ChandniChowk, Delhi).
♦ Minister of state- Ashwini Kumar Choubey (constituency- Buxar, Bihar)
♦ Formed- 1976.
President Ram Nath Kovind approves J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019

On August 9, 2019, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Ministry of Law and Justice issued the Gazette Notification. The Act
seeks to make J&K a Union Territory (UT) with legislature and Ladakh, a UT without legislature.
According to the notification by the Home Ministry the 2 new Union territories will come into existence
on October 31, 2019.
CBDT increases the monetary threshold limit for IT department for filing appeals
On August 8, 2019, The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) increased the monetary limit for an
appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) to Rs 50 lakh from Rs 20 lakh. This is done to
reduce litigation.
Key Points:
i. High Courts limit: The limit has been doubled to Rs 1 crore from Rs 50 lakh.
ii. Supreme Court’s limit: The revised limit for filing appeal has been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2
crore.
iii. Withdrawal: The income-tax department will withdraw 34% of cases stuck in tribunal, 48% of
those stuck in High Courts and 54% in the Supreme Court.
iv. Last revision: The limits were last revised in July 2018.
About CBDT:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of Finance
♦ Chairman: Pramod Chandra Mody
Govt. Makes headgear compulsory for children aged above 4 years

The govt. has made a significant move on safety measures by making it mandatory for children above 4
years of age to wear headgear of prescribed standards. This safety measures for the children has been
included in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) act 2019 after amending Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,
which was passed by the government recently.
Key points
i. Assent to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) act 2019, was given by the Vice President of India Shri
Venkaiah Naidu which was notified in the Gazette of India by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice on
August 9, 2019.
ii. Section 129 of the principal Act has been replaced in the act as “Every person above four years of
age, driving or riding or being carried on a motorcycle of any class or description shall, while in public
place wear protective headgear conforming to such standards as may be prescribed by the Central
Government” to make protective headgear mandatory for children.
iii. Violators will be fined an amount of Rs.1000.
Exemption from headgears:
Turban wearing Sikhs are exempted from section 129.
Headgear in the market
i. At present only protective headgear for riding cycle are available for children in the market for
children.
ii. Till the markets introduce children’s headgear for motorcycle, Road safety expert and Former
director of the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) T. Elangovan called for
(demanded/required) providing a breathing space and also suggested the no. Of riders in a motorcycle
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to be a maximum of two people. He also recommended the children pillion riders should be of above
13years of age.
iii. Children and Pillion riders( a person behind the person who rides the motorcycle) are more prone
to head injuries than the one who rides a motorcycle. Protective helmets will help avoid such head
injuries.
President Ram Nath Kovind approves UAPA Bill, 2019

On August 8, 2019, President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill, 2019 under which individuals can be declared as terrorists,
their properties can be seized and travel ban can be imposed once they are declared as terrorists.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar are likely to be
the first 2 individuals to be designated as terrorists.
Paddy stubble burning declined by 41% in 2018 over 2016 level in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh and Delhi-NCR
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General & Secretary of the Department of
Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) under the Ministry of Agriculture , Dr. Trilochan
Mohapatra highlighted that the paddy stubble burning declined by 41% in 2018 over 2016 level in
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi-NCR. It was reduced with the help of a Rs 1,151.80
crore (2018-19 to 2019-20) Central Sector Scheme (CSS) on ‘Promotion of Agricultural
Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue’.
Key Points:
i. In 2017, it was reduced by 15%.
ii. More than 4,500 villages in Punjab and Haryana were declared as zero stubble burning villages in
2018.
iii. The CSS is implemented by ICAR through 60 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Punjab (22), Haryana
(14), Delhi (1) and UP (23).
iv. Within 1 year of its implementation utilizing an amount of Rs 500 crore, the happy seeder/zero
tillage technology was adopted in 8 lakh hectares of land in the north-western India.
v. In 2018-19, the funds amounting to Rs 269.38 crores, Rs 137.84 crores and Rs 148.60 crore were
released to the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
vi. In 2019-20, funds amounting to Rs 273.80 crore, Rs 192.06 crore and Rs 105.29 crore are released
so far to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
vii. Crop residue burning in north-west India contributes to air pollution, health hazards, disruption of
transportation, school closures and soil degradation.
About ICAR:
♦ Motto: Agrisearch with a human touch
♦ Established: 16 July,1929
Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) will be set up in Mumbai in association with the Tata Trust
On August 14,2019, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) stated that world-class Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) will be set up in Mumbai, Maharashtra
in association with Tata Educational and Development Trust (TEDT) aimed at scaling up of skill training
enabling the young generation to acquire skills at par with global standards.
Key points:
i. P-P-P model: The Government has provided 4.5 acres of land for the project, which will be executed
on a Public-Private Partnership (P-P-P)basis, where the TEDT will invest around Rs. 300 crore for the
construction of IIS ,which will have a capacity to train 10,000 trainees in various areas including
security, aerospace, iron and natural gas.
ii. Another 2: The government also plans to set up 2 more institutes in Ahmedabad and Kanpur by
2022.
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iii. Skilling of youth: The state government of Maharashtra has made remarkable progress in skill
development and has set the benchmark for other states by skilling a large number of the youth,
farmers in way of skilling programs.
iv. Pandey also praised seven top-performing candidates from Maharashtra, who have made their way
to WorldSkills 2019 (known as Olympics of Skills) will be held in Kazan, Russia from August 21 -27,
2019. He also attended CII (Confederation of Indian Industry ) convention &discussed the role of
corporate India in skill development and laid emphasis on increasing engagement with apprentices
within the industry.
SC clears Chardham project, which will connect 4 holy places in Uttarakhand

On August 16,2019, The Supreme Court(SC) bench comprising of Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman and
Surya Kant has cleared the Chardham highway project, which will connect 4 holy places
of Uttarakhand(Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri)through 900 km all-weather roads by
modifying an NGT(National Green Tribunal) order to form a committee to look into environmental
concerns.
Key points:
i. Members: The court also ordered Union Environment and Forest Ministry to form the fresh high-
powered committee by August 22, 2019 with additional representatives from Physical Research
Laboratory, Wildlife Institute of India and Defence Ministry.
ii.Rights: As per the order, the committee shall hold quarterly meetings to ensure compliance and may
suggest any further measure after each review meeting & should consider whether revision of the full
Chardham project should at all take place with a view to reducing the major impact on the environment.
iii.Time-limit: The committee has given 4 months to submit the report.
iv.Suggestion: It will also suggest the places in which afforestation should be taken and the kind of
saplings to be planted. Further plantation should be taken place, in case of non-survival of any sapling,
and compensatory afforestation should be 10 times the number of trees cut.
v. Background: The NGT had constituted a committee headed by Justice UC Dhyani , former
Uttarakhand High Court Judge to oversee the project.
vi. Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna: It proposes to provide all-weather connectivity to four
holy towns of Uttarakhand.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs amends provisions related to issue shares with differential voting
rights
In a bid to help startups, The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India(GoI) has amended
the provisions relating to the issue of shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs) under the
Companies Act, 2013. It was done with the objective of enabling promoters of Indian companies to
retain control of their companies, even they raise equity capital from global investors.
Key changes:
i. Raising equity capital from global investors with DVR shares now making up to 74% of total voting
rights instead of the existing 26%.
ii. The requirement of distributable profits for 3 years period has removed for a company to be eligible
to issue shares with DVR.
iii. Employee Stock Options (ESOPs) can now be issued by startups (recognized by the Department for
Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) ) to promoters or directors holding more than 10% of
equity shares for 10 years(5 years earlier) from the date of their incorporation.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs:
♦ Minister of State: Shri Anurag Singh Thakur
Ceiling price of orthopaedic Knee implants not to increase beyond 10% a year
On August 13, 2019, Government assured that the ceiling price of orthopaedic knee implants will not
be increased beyond 10% in a given year and it will monitor the price increase as per Para 20 of Drugs
49 | P a g e
Prices Control Order (DPCO) 2013.

i. The knee implant is a non-scheduled medical device/drug for which DPCO, 2013 allows an annual
increase up to 10% of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). But, it was not permitted in 2018.
Lucknow’s iconic Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as Atal Chowk

Famous ‘Hazratganj Chauraha’ of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh has been renamed as ‘Atal Chowk’ in
memory of former Prime Minister of India, Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of his first death
anniversary, from August 16, 2019. He was a five-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Lucknow. A
memorial named “Atal Smriti Upvan” will also be built on his name.
Gujarat to get country’s first Institute for chemical engineering and technology
As a boost to the chemical industry in the country, Gujarat is to get the country’s first Central Institute
of Chemical Engineering & Technology (CICET). The CICET would be built either at Vatva, Ahmedabad
or Surat.
Key points
i. Apart from CICET, a plastic Waste Management Centre in Ahmedabad is to be set up to find out
solutions to systematic segregation and recycling of plastic waste.
ii. A skill development centre will also start functioning at Bhavnagar, Gujarat from October 2019.
CIPET: Another campus, Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology(CIPET) is to be set up at
a cost of Rs 54 crore in Valsad, Gujarat for the benefit of tribal students and the plastic industry. The
Minister of State for chemical and fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the hostel of CIPET
built at a cost or Rs 31 crore.
About Ministry of chemical fertilizers
The ministry administers three departments. They are Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals;
Department of Fertilisers and Department of Pharmaceuticals
Union minister of chemical and fertilizers- D v Sadananda Gowda (constituency- Bangalore North,
Karnataka).
Draft on National Resource Efficiency Policy 2019 released

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released a draft
on National Resource Efficiency Policy (NREP) 2019. It aims to streamline the efficient use of the
resources with minimum negative impact on environment.
Vision
NREP envisions a future with environmentally sustainable and equitable economic growth, resource
security, healthy environment (air, water and land), and restored ecosystems with rich ecology and
biodiversity.
Principles
The guiding principles of the policy are:
• Reduction in primary resource consumption to ‘sustainable’ levels, in keeping with achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and staying within the planetary boundaries.
• Creation of higher value with less material through resource efficient and circular approaches.
• Waste minimization.
• Material security.
• Creation of employment opportunities and business models beneficial to the cause of
environment protection and restoration.
Scope
• NREP encompasses resources and materials used across all life cycle stages of any sector. The
resources & materials are Water, Land and Soil, Air, Fossil fuels, Non-metallic Minerals, Metals
and Biomass.
• Life cycle of any product covers all stages including raw material extraction, material processing,
production, use and maintenance, disposal and end-of-life management.
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National Resource Efficiency Authority (NREA)

National Resource Efficiency Authority (NREA) will be constituted under the provisions of Section
3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It will be mandated to drive the agenda of resource
efficiency across the country. It will have a core working group housed in the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change and a members group with representations from different ministries,
state/union territory, and other stakeholders. It will be supported by an Inter-Ministerial National
Resource Advisory Efficiency Board (NREAB) to guide on the aspects critical to its implementation.
The functions of NREA are
• Develop and implement resource efficient strategies for material recycling, reuse and land-filling
targets for various sectors.
• Set standards for reuse of secondary raw materials to ensure quality.
• Maintain a database of material use and waste generated, recycled and land filled, across various
sectors and different regions and monitor the implementation.
Features of NREP
• It plans to offer tax benefits on recycled materials, green loans to small and medium Enterprises
(SMEs) and soft loans to construct waste disposal facilities, apart from setting up Material
Recovery Facilities (MRF).
• Manufacturers and service providers would also be required to use more recycled or renewable
materials and awareness would be created among consumers to indicate the shift.
• Idea of the national policy is to drive the country towards circular economy through efficient use
of available material resources, based on principle of 6R and ‘green public procurement’.
• The 6R stands for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Re-manufacture and Refurbish. Green
public procurement is to procure products with lower environmental footprints such as
secondary raw materials and locally sourced materials.
• It also pitches for moving towards ‘zero landfill’ approach in the country, where ‘landfill taxes’
and ‘high tipping fees’ for bulk generators of waste will be imposed so that they can move
towards optimal use of materials and better waste management.
Resource Efficiency
India as a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) is committed to
provide for sustained economic growth along with sustainable use of natural resources and
safeguarding the environment. Resource efficiency has a vital role towards mitigation of climate
change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. Resource efficiency means to create more output as
products/services using less inputs. It reduces waste, drives greater resource productivity, delivers a
more competitive economy, addresses emerging resource security/scarcity issues, and helps reduce the
associated environmental impacts.
Comments
Comments and suggestions on the draft NREP will be accepted till August 24, 2019.
About 17 UNSDG Goals:
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are
Goal 1 No Poverty
Goal 2 Zero hunger
Goal 3 Good Health and Well-being
Goal 4 Quality Education
Goal 5 Gender Equality
Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 10 Reduced Inequality
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Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 13 Climate Action
Goal 14 Life Below Water
Goal 15 Life on Land
Goal 16 Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
Goal 17 Partnerships to achieve the Goal
About MoEFCC:
♦ Founded: 1985
♦ Minister In-charge: Prakash Javadekar
All CAPFs to adopt uniform retirement age of 60 years: Union Home Ministry
According to the order of the Union Home Ministry, all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)
personnel will now retire at a uniform age of 60 years. The decision comes in the wake of a January
2019 order of the Delhi High Court where it had called the policy of different age of superannuation as
discriminatory and unconstitutional, and said it created two classes in the uniformed forces.
Key Points:
i. All personnel of the forces- the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF),
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will superannuate at the age of 60,
instead of 57 years for certain rank of officials. Officers from the rank of Deputy Inspector General upto
the top-most rank of Director General in these four forces retired after attaining the age of 60.
ii. According to the existing policy, all personnel in the Central Industrial Security Force and the Assam
Rifles retire at the age of 60.
iii. The personnel who have retired at 57 years in between the court order and the Home Ministry
directive will have two options – either to join service after returning all pensionary benefits or
straightaway get all pension benefits as due to them as on completion of 60 years of service.
iv. The personnel who had retired and approached court for clarification or were granted stay will be
deemed “not superannuated” and will continue to serve until 60 years of age.
About Ministry of Home Affairs:
♦ Founded: 15 August 1947
♦ Minister In-charge: Amit Shah (Constituency: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews functioning of IMAC, IFC-IOR

On August 19, 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited and reviewed the functioning
of Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion Centre-Indian
Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurgaon, Haryana. He was accompanied by Navy chief Admiral Karambir
Singh and other senior Navy officials who briefed the minister on further enhancing the capabilities of
the 2 centres under the National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) Project which was launched
in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Security And Growth for All in the
Region (SAGAR).
About IMAC:
The IMAC monitors movement of more than 1,20,000 ships a year passing through the Indian Ocean. It
is a joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to improve coastal
surveillance.
About IFC-IOR:
It is a collaborative initiative by the Indian Navy in coordination with partner nations and multinational
maritime agencies to enhance maritime domain awareness and maritime security.
‘Housing for All’ will be achieved 2 years in advance by 2020: Hardeep Singh Puri
On August 20, 2019, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri stated that the
central government is committed to achieving its target of providing ‘Housing for all’ under Pradhan
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Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in two years before the deadline by 2020. He made this announcement
during 15th“Housing for all 2022: NAREDCO 15th National Convention: Real Estate Reflection
Point: Readying for the future” in New Delhi.
Key points:
i. A total of 48 lakh houses are currently constructed, but this number will rise to 75 lakh. 24 lakh
houses have been sanctioned over to beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) till date
& it will be increased to 50 lakh.
ii. The central government decided to build 1.12 crore houses by 2022, of these around 84 lakh houses
have been sanctioned to date & the remaining will be sanctioned by the end of 2019.
iii. As per the estimation, about 600 million people would be residing in cities by 2030, the year in
which India is expected to meet the sustainable development goals set by the UN (United Nations).
iv. Puri also pointed out that the enactment of RERA (Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act,
2016) has removed many abnormalities in the real estate sector successfully.
About NAREDCO:
♦ Formation: 1998
♦ Chairman: Rajeev Talwar
♦ President: Niranjan Hiranandani
About PMAY:
It is an initiative by the Government of India(GoI) in which affordable housing will be provided to the
urban poor with a target of building 20 million affordable houses by 31 March 2022. It has two
components: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) (PMAY-U) for the urban poor and Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (Gramin) (PMAY-G/ PMAY-R) for the rural poor.
Tourism ministry announces new 5 year visa and other e-visa relaxations in the works
A reduction in the e-visa(electronic visa) fee was proposed by the tourism ministry with the aim of
attracting more foreign travellers to the country. As of the proposed plan, a new 5-year visa plan was
announced, and also the e-visa fee will be offered with the option of short-term as well as long-term
tourist e-visa plan. The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel (Minister
of State- independent charge), at the State Tourism Ministers’ conference held on august 20, 2019 in
New Delhi.
Key points
The relaxations in the visa fee plans had got the assent from the Home Ministry and is under
consideration by the Ministry of External Affairs, only after which official announcement will be made.
Plans:
Short term tour visa:Short term e-visa for tourists with one month validity at a charge of $25 is to be
made available only between tourism season of July and march.
Lean period Short term e-visa:
i.The visa fee is proposed to be reduced to as low as $10 between April to June during the lean
period(unseasonal tourism period).
ii.Initially for tourists fromJapan, Singapore and Sri Lanka, short duration (30-day) lean period visa fee
is to cost $10.
Peak term e visa:For peak season 30-day visa, 1 year and 5-year visa, the proposed cost for Japan,
Singapore and Sri Lanka is $25.
regular e-visa: This regular e-visa costing $80, is to be increased to 5-years with multiple entries. But
for a one-year visa, tourists may now have to shell out(pay) $40.
2020 Target:
Last year, the government made plans to increase foreign tourist arrivals to 20 million by 2020. As of
2017, the number stood at 10 million.
About ministry of tourism.
♦ Founded- 1967.
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♦ Headquarters- New Delhi

♦ Constituency of Prahlad Singh Patel-Damoh, Madhya Pradesh.
FASTags will be mandatory for all vehicles from December 2019: Nitin Gadkari
Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) stated that FASTags will
become mandatory for all vehicles from December 2019, during the launch of the new website that
gives data about highways construction, land acquisition, FASTags, etc.
Key points:
i. A total of 52.59 lakh FASTags have been issued till now. These are being issued through various
channels such as Point-of-Sale (PoS) by 22 certified banks at NH toll plazas, bank branches, etc.
ii. The Ministry has also initiated steps to enact the Motor Vehicles Act 2019 to help tackle road
accidents and bring down fatalities. 63 clauses deal with penalties, licenses, registration and National
Transport Policy which do not require framing of new rules, have been sent clearance to Law Ministry
for evaluation.
iii. FASTag: It is an electronic toll connection device attached to the windscreen of the vehicle to enable
drivers to pass through toll plazas without having to stop for a cash transaction.
It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to enable direct toll payments while the vehicle
is moving. The toll fee is deducted from the bank account linked to FASTag.
About MoRTH:
Founded: July 1942
Indian Railways directs all units to ban single-use plastic from October 2, 2019
In an eco-friendly initiative, the Ministry of Railways has directed all railway units to strictly enforce
a ban on single-use plastic, with less than 50-micron thickness, from October 2, 2019, in its
premises and trains with the aim to achieve “Plastic Free Railway”.
Key points:
i. The new guideline comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, urged
citizens of the country to minimize the use of plastic from October 2, 2019, on the occasion of 150th
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
ii. The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Development Corporation (IRCTC) will implement the
return of plastic drinking water bottles as part of extended producer responsibility and 1,853 plastic
bottle crushing machines will be installed at 360 major railway stations in the 1st phase of this
initiative.
iii. Ministry of Railways also directed General Managers of Zonal Railways and Production Units to
encourage all railway vendors to avoid the use of plastic carry bags. It also urged railway staffs to use
reusable bags to reduce plastic footprint.
iv. In order to create awareness among railway users, three measures of Information, Education, and
Communication (IEC) are to be adapted to make India plastic-free.
About Ministry of Railways:
♦ Formation: 16 April 1853
♦ Union Minister: Piyush Goyal
Environment Ministry to relax mandatory charging of lease rent of Rs 30000 per MW for wind
power projects
On August 22, 2019, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate
Change stated that in order to boost the investment in wind power projects, the Government has
decided to relaxthe mandatory charging of lease rent of Rs 30000 per MW for wind power
projects.
Key points:
i. Present status: As per the existing procedure, if the wind power companies want to establish wind
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power project over forest land, they are required to pay the mandatory charges for compensatory
afforestation and Net Present Value (NPV). In addition to these charges, they had to pay additional lease
rent of Rs.30,000 per MW(megawatt), which is not mandatory for other renewal energy projects such
as solar power and hydel electric projects. As a result of additional charge, the per-unit cost of power
will increase at the consumer level.
ii. Benefit: The move will help in providing wind power at a cheaper rate & also strengthen India’s
commitments towards International Agreements such as National Commitment pledged in Paris in
December 2015, which was to have 40% of the power from renewable resources by 2030.
iii.Aim: India has over achieved the target and ensures that more than 50% of its installed capacity will
come from renewable by the year 2030.
About Environment Ministry:
♦ Founded: 1985
New set of pictorial health warnings for tobacco packs from Sept 1, 2019
The Union ministry of health and family welfare has notified new sets of specified pictorial health
warnings for all tobacco product packs with effect from Sept 1, 2019, by making an amendment in the
Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008 that was called
“Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Second Amendment Rules, 2018”.
The amended rules were applicable with effect from September 1, 2018.
Key points:
i.Helpline: The new set of specified health warnings will include telephone Quit-line number “QUIT
TODAY CALL 1800-11-2356”.
The helpline will create awareness among tobacco users, and give them access to counseling services
and strategies for quitting tobacco use. It is also likely to lead to an increase in demand for tobacco
cessation. Further, now the same set of warning images shall be on both smoking and smokeless forms
of tobacco products.
ii. Warnings: The two images were to be printed on the pack as per the format of all tobacco products
manufactured /imported, and the image shall be rotated by a new set of images after the completion of
12 months from the date of commencement of 1st image i.e, effective from 1st September 2019.
iii. Survey: According to the 2nd round of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS -2, 2016-17) conducted in
the age group 15 years and above, 61.9% of present cigarette smokers, 53.8% of current bidi smokers
and 46.2% of current smokeless tobacco consumers thought about quitting because of warning label on
packets.
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare:
♦ Founded: 1976
♦ Union Minister: Harsh Vardhan
137 Mountain Peaks opened for Mountaineering, Trekking by India

On August 21, 2019, The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the opening of 137 mountain peaks
for foreigners desirous of obtaining Mountaineering Visa (‘MX’) for mountaineering and trekking. These
peaks are located in the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
Key Points:
i. The adventure tourism guidelines must be followed by the States/Union Territories.
ii. The Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines 2018 cover the land, air and water-based activities
which includes mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving,
snorkelling, river rafting and many other sports.
iii. Following is the state wise breakup of the 137 Mountain Peaks opened for
Mountaineering/Trekking:
Sl No State/Union Territory No of peaks opened for Mountaineering No of peaks opened
for Trekking
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1 Uttarakhand 39 12
2 Sikkim 22 2
3 Jammu & Kashmir 9 6
4 Himachal Pradesh 26 21
About MHA:
♦ Minister In-charge: Amit Shah (Constituency: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
IIP sets up plant that turns plastic waste into diesel

On August 27,2019, The Union Minister of Science and Technology Shri Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated
a waste plastics to diesel plant in presence of uttarakhand Chief Minister(CM) Trivendra Singh Rawat,
at the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, that converts plastic waste into
diesel.
Key points
The plant will produce 800 litres of diesel from 1 tonne of plastic waste which will be collected with the
help of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations).
About IIP:
Founded- 1960.
Director- Dr. Anjan Ray.
India unveiled world’s first ever facial BSID

On August 28, 2019, India launched the world’s first-ever Biometric Seafarer Identity Document
(BSID) which captures the facial biometric data of seafarers. It was launched by Shri Mansukh
Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers in New Delhi. He handed over
the new BSID cards to 5 Indian seafarers.
Key Points:
i. India had made a presentation on this technology at the International Labour Organization (ILO).
ii. The new card is in confirmation of the Convention No. 185 of the ILO on BSID. India ratified the
Convention in October 2015.
iii. BSID project was formed in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(CDAC), Mumbai.
iv. 9 data collection centers to issue BSID have been setup at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Noida, Goa,
New Mangalore, Kochi, Vizag & Kandla.
v. BSID will be issued to Indian seafarer who possess a valid Continuous Discharge Certificate issued by
the Government of India.
About Ministry of Shipping:
Citizens of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) take big steps to become No. 1 in Jal Shakti Abhiyan
The citizens of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) have taken a rapid step to become number one in Jal Shakti
Abhiyan (JSA), a campaign for water conservation and water security after they got the top spot in
Swachhata Abhiyan continuously since the last 3 years.
In Indore Municipal Corporation area, a record has also been created by installing 1500 water
harvesting systems in a day.
Key points:
i. The Indore Municipal Corporation has implemented the Jal Shakti Abhiyan on a priority basis & for
this, an App has also been launched, in which citizens can apply for water harvesting system.
ii. The installation of water harvesting system capsules is being given free of cost under CSR(Corporate
social responsibility) for homes to discharge roof rainwater into the ground during the rainy season.
The homeowners are required to pay the amount of wages and material.
iii. It has also been decided to put geo-tagging barcode at the place, where water harvesting system is
being installed. With this, the live location of a particular place could be seen.
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About Jal Shakti Abhiyan:

i. It is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign, launched in two phases, the first
phase is from July 1, 2019 -September 15, 2019, for all participating States and the 2nd phase, will be
from October 1 – November 30, 2019, for States with a retreating monsoon.
ii. The five key areas under the campaign include water conservation and rainwater harvesting,
renovation of traditional and other water bodies, reuse, bore well recharge structures, watershed
development, and intensive afforestation.
Government gives nod to set up Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur, Maharashtra

On August 29,2019, The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information
and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar has announced the approval for the establishment of
new International Standard Zoo and Biopark on 1914 hectares in the forest land at Gorewada in
Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Key points:
i. The Zoo will be equipped with Bio Park, Indian Safari, African Safari, Night Safari, Research, Education
and Training, facilities for tourists among others. Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra
Limited (FDCM), a wholly-owned company of the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) has been
established for this purpose.
ii. The Government will provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 200 crore for this project.
iii. Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV) formation was approved between the Forest Development
Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCML) (having 51% shareholding) and the Joint Venture(JV) Company
of private investors under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode Partner (with 49%).
iv. The cost estimate is Rs. 392 Crores for this project.
Centre released Rs.47,436.18 crore to 27 States for green activities

On August 29, 2019, The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash
Javadekar has handed over the ₹47,436.18 crore to 27 States for compensatory afforestation and
other green activities, including prevention of forest fire, biodiversity management and soil
conservation.
Key points:
i. The Fund will be used as per provisions of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act and
Rules(CAF Act 2016), under which the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and
Planning Authority)has been set up to collect funds from user agencies.
ii. The state of Odisha, the top recipient of funds, got 5933.98 crore
iii. The 27 states which have received the funds are Odisha (5933.98 crore ), Chhattisgarh (5791.70
crore), Madhya Pradesh (5196.69 crore) Jharkhand, Maharashtra ,Telangana ,Uttarakhand ,Uttar
Pradesh ,Rajasthan ,Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh ,Arunachal Pradesh , Gujarat ,Karnataka
,Haryana ,Punjab, Assam ,Bihar ,Sikkim ,Manipur ,Goa ,West Bengal ,Mizoram ,Tripura,Meghalaya,
Tamil Nadu ,Kerala .
iv. The monitoring & implementation of the works pertaining to afforestation and other green activities
will be done with the help of technology like geotagging& video shooting
STATE NEWS
Senior BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri unanimously elected the 22nd Speaker of the
Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, a senior BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) leader and 6-time MLA(Member of
the Legislative Assembly) has unanimously elected as 22nd Speaker of the Karnataka legislative
assembly after K R Ramesh Kumar resigned from the post.
Key points:
i. Kageri, an MLA from Sirsi constituency in Uttara Kannada was the only candidate to file his
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nomination for the post was elected unopposed. The opposition parties of Congress and JD(S)( Janata
Dal (Secular)) did not field any candidate.
ii. He started his career as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leader.
iii. He served as MLA from the Ankola constituency(3-time till 2008). He then transferred to Sirsi
constituency, where he won 2008, 2013 and 2018 Assembly elections.
Tamilnadu to get Rs 6.22 crore under Silk Samagra for the development of silk industry
Tamil Nadu will receive about Rs 6.22 crore under the Silk Samagra for the development of the silk
industry. The state has been ranked among the leading silk-producing States in India. Silk Samagra is an
Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry (ISDSI) implemented by the Union government
through the Central Silk Board (CSB) at an outlay of Rs 2,161.68 crore for 3 years from 2017-18.
Key Points:
i. Upto March 31, 2019, Tamil Nadu produced 2,072 metric tons of raw silk.
ii. The leading marketing federations of Tamil Nadu- TANSILK, Kancheepuram, and the Government
Anna Silk Exchange, Kancheepuram have met the sales target assigned to them during 2018- 19.
iii. Silk Samagra scheme has 4 major components – research & development, training, transfer of
technology and Information Technology initiatives, seed organisations, coordination and market
development and quality certification systems export brand promotion and technology upgradation.
Delhi Public Library’s mobile library bus service launched

Mobile Library Buses procured under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) assistance from Airport
Authority of India (AAI) by Delhi Public Library (DPL), was launched by the Union Minister of state for
culture and tourism-Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in New Delhi. DPL is functioning under the
administrative control of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
i. It was launched under the “Ghar-GharDastakGharGharPustak” scheme of DPL that provide books
to citizens of Delhi especially residents of slums, resettlement colonies, and rural areas.
ii. Other important members present on the occasion were Shri Avtar Singh, North Delhi Municipal
Corporation mayor,.Dr. Ramsharan Gaur, chairman of Delhi Library Board & Director general of Delhi
Public Library, Dr.Lokesh Sharma
West Bengal Government launched awareness campaign ‘Save Green, Stay Clean’
On August 1, 2019, The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee launched an awareness
campaign‘Save Green, Stay Clean’ for preserving the greenery and keeping the environment clean in
Kolkata, which will be celebrated every year. She participated in the Padayatra for this purpose.
i. The percentage of tree plantation increased to 19% from 11% in the past 8 years.
ii. State Government will also distribute more than 1 lakhs saplings throughout the state for spreading
of greenery.
Former Congress MLA from Assam Sarat Saikia passed away at the age of 71
Sarat Kumar Saikia, former three-time Congress MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) and the
BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) spokesman from Assam passed away in Kolkata suffering from kidney
ailments for a long time. He was 71.
i. Born in 1942 at Dumordulong village in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district, Saikia joined the Congress
after completing his graduation.
ii. He was elected as MLA from Mahmora constituency three times in 2001, 2006 and 2011.
iii. He was denied a Congress ticket before the 2016 Assam Assembly polls and switched to the BJP.
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Veteran Telugu Actor Devadas Kanakala passed away in Hyderabad

Veteran Telugu Actor Devadas Kanakala, aged 74, passed away at KIMS Hospitals Kondapur in
Hyderabad, Telangana after prolonged illness. He was born on 30 July 1945 and hailed from Andhra
Pradesh.
i. He has acted in various movies like O Seetha Katha, Siri Sirmuvva, Gorintaku, Gang Leader, Bharat Ane
Nenu, Mangalyanaki Maromudi, Siri Siri Muvva, Manchupallaki, Bhale Dampathlu, Chettu Kinda Pleader,
Ammo! Okato Tareekhu, Mee Aayana Jagratha, Manasantha Nuvve, Okato Number Kurradu and
Sreeram and Sambhu.
ii. He had set up an acting training institute in Hyderabad.
Madhya Pradesh- second state to unveil antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

The health minister of Madhya Pradesh, Tulsi Ram Silawat released Madhya Pradesh Action Plan for
Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (MP-SAPCAR) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
i. This action plan is preceded by Kerala which was the first state to develop an action plan to
manage AMR (antimicrobial resistance).
Focus
MP-SAPCAR focuses on a ‘One Health’ approach.
AMR
AMR is considered to be a public health threat according to the World Health Organisation(WHO). The
AMR turns out to be a threat when antibiotics are misused in animals humans and aquaculture.
i. The AMR is expected to cause 10million deaths of people by 2050 causing global economic losses if
not controlled in a timely bound manner.
ii. MP-SAPCAR in partnership with Mongabay-India, pivots on priorities such as reducing the infections
through effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), optimising the use of antimicrobial agents in
health, animals and food and promoting investments for AMR activities, research and innovations for
AMR containment.
Free electricity up to 200 units in Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal

The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced free
electricity to those consuming up to 200 units a month with effect from August 1, 2019.
i. Consumption of electricity between 201-400 units will get a 50% subsidy.
ii. For consuming 250 units of electricity, people will have to pay Rs 252, for 300 units- Rs 526 and for
400 units- Rs 1075.
iii. The allocation to subsidy will approximately remain the same from Rs 1800 crore to Rs 2000 crore.
Anti mob lynching bill and penalty against honour killing bills passed by the Rajasthan
government
The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019 which provides life imprisonment and a fine
ranging from 1 lakh – 5lakh rupees to those convicted in the case of mob lynching and also leading to
victim’s death was passed by the Rajasthan state legislative assembly by a voice vote.
Key points
i. Parliamentary affairs minister and law minister Shanti Dhariwal introduced the bill in the Assembly.
ii. 86% of mob lynching reported in the country were from Rajasthan.
iii. Rajasthan became the second state after Manipur, to enact a law against mob lynching.
iv. Shanti Dhariwal also passed a bill based on honour killing to curb murder of married couples.
Law features
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Designated courts will be set up to hear mob lynching cases in consultation with the Chief Justice of
High Court.
i. Mob lynching cases will be considered non bailable and non-compoundable and will not be
investigated by any officer below the rank of police inspector.
ii. Punishment of up to 10 years imprisonment in case of grievous hurt, along with a fine of Rs.25,000 –
Rs.3lakh.
iii. 7 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1 lakh for other injuries.
iv. Jail term of up to 5 years and penalty of Rs.1 lakh for those who create hurdles or threatening
witness.
Bill on death penalty for honour killing.
In order to curb the incidents of honour killing in Rajasthan, The Rajasthan Prohibition of
Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances in the name of Honour and Tradition
bill, 2019 was passed in the Rajasthan assembly by a voice vote, with the provision of punishment of
death penalty or life imprisonment for murdering couples who do inter-caste, inter-community, inter-
religious marriages, citing family honour.
This bill would make people overcome this narrow mindset of killing as an honour to their family.
Illegal diktat: 71 such cases of illegal diktat (order or harsh settlement that should be obeyed) were
handled by ‘KhapPanvhayats’ (people from Khap community organisation engaging in dispute
resolution in village communities).
Fine and punishments: People causing the death of a couple will be given the death penalty and also
fine of up to Rs.5Lakh.
i. If a couple is severely hurt, then the imprisonment time would be 10years and fine would be Rs.3lakh.
ii. For small injuries, imprisonment from 3-5years and fine of up to 2lakh will be given as punishment.
iii. People trying to interrupt and condemn a marriage which is not prohibited by law, and considering
such marriage to be a dishonour to their caste or community will be jailed for a period not less than 6
months and are also liable to a fine of 1Lakh per member involved.
Mission Shakti sports initiative launched by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan

Mission Shakti which is an initiative to train athletes from Chandrapur and Gadchiroli for international
events, like Olympics, by the Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, was launched by Bollywood
film actor Aamir Khan in presence of Maharashtra sports minister Ashish Shelar.
Key points
A team of tribal mountaineers who climbed Mount Everest under the“Mission Shaurya” by
Maharashtra govt. were facilitated by Aamir Khan.
Mission shakthi
i. This initiative will focus on sports like archery, shooting, swimming, athletics, volleyball, weight lifting
and gymnastics.
ii. The mega sports complex is planned at Ballarpur in Chandrapur and is to be funded by state govt.
The Maharashtra govt. Started this initiative to train and produce athletes of Olympic level and to make
them participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
2024 Paris Olympics
♦ It is the 2024 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and also
commonly as Paris 2024.
♦ This International multi-sport event is scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in
Paris, France.
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♦ Host city- Paris, France.

♦ Stadium- Stade de France.
Rajasthan government launches new higher education model named RACE

Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Minister of State (MoS) for Higher Education inaugurated Resource Assistance
for Colleges with Excellence (RACE) in presence of various college principals.
Key points
i. Aim: This model has been launched for faculties distribution and asset movements among govt.
colleges to rationalise the availability of resources.
ii. Applying in need: The colleges in need of faculties and resources like projectors, digital libraries,
equipment should submit their requirement to nodal college. The nodal college will help the needy
colleges by sending teachers on deputation and other resources if needed.
iii. Use: The number of teachers in the state falls short by 2000 even though the sanctioned no. of
teachers in the state is 6500.
iv. The RACE will act in a place where teacher shortages are high and ensure quality education until
additional posts are created.
Exam without invigilators
Earlier this month, the Rajasthan state Commissioner of College Education Mr. Pradeep Kumar was
instrumental in conducting exams in 237 govt. Colleges having nearly 1Lakh students without
invigilators to inculcate ethical values to the youth.
Ex-DMK Minister Jennifer Chandran passed away at the age of 62

On August 6, 2019, S. Jennifer Chandran, who was the fisheries minister(1996- 2001) in DMK
(Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ) government, passed away in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, after suffering
from kidney-related ailments. She was 62.
i. She won the DMK ticket from Tiruchendur in the 1996 assembly election & and lost in 2001 assembly
election.
ii. In 2004, Jennifer switched over to the AIADMK (Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party, where
she worked as joint secretary of the fisheries wing and Thoothukudi district in-charge, but was
removed from the post in 2010.
iii. She joined to the DMK again just before the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
MoU between Uttar Pradesh and Netherlands extended

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has extended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Netherlands for another 5 years till 2024, that was signed in 2016 on various fields.
Key points
The MoU was signed by Netherlands ambassador to India, Marten vand den Berg and indian officials in
presence of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
MoU signed
• Corporation and exchange of knowledge and techniques in the fields of solid waste management.
• Spatial planning.
• Water management including restoration of water bodies and mobility planning.
• Cooperation in the field of transport management, energy efficiency, sewerage and effluent
treatment, agriculture, dairy, and horticulture.
• Development of smart cities in UP, cultural heritage and cycle track infrastructure development
in various cities of the state.
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IT Minister of TN, Dr M Manikandan dropped from TN state cabinet

On August 7, 2019, The Chief Minister (CM) of Tamil Nadu (TN) Edappadi K Palaniswami dropped
Information Technology (IT) Minister Dr M. Manikandan from the state cabinet in the wake of
Manikandan’s public criticism of his cabinet colleague Udumalai Radhakrishnan, who is also the head of
the state-run Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV. With this, the strength of the CM’s ministry came down to 31.
i. Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit accepted the CM’s recommendation to drop
Manikandan from the Council of Ministers.
ii. The portfolio of IT was re-allocated to R B Udhayakumar, Minister for Revenue and Disaster
Management, TN.
Draft Agricultural policy released by Odisha government 2019

As a way of developing the agriculture sector and to focus on increasing the income of farmers, the
Odisha government released a Draft Agricultural Policy 2019.
Key points
i. Aim: To strengthen the social as well as the economic well-being of the farmers, sharecroppers and
landless labourers.
ii. Focus:
• Proper use of resources and opportunities with advanced technologies available to contribute to
the farmers’ wellbeing.
• Address the constraints faced in agriculture.
iii. Target: There are about 50,000 single landless women in Odisha. These women will be specially
targeted in this draft policy scheme for economic development.
iv. Sector-specific strategy: The draft policy deals with 8 specific strategies. They are leveraging
science and technology, adoption to climate change, markets, higher productivity, infrastructure,
diversification, skilling and strengthening institutions.
• The last time an agricultural policy was implemented in Odisha was in the year 2016. The year
witnessed surplus production of food grains by producing 117 lakh MT (Metric Tonne) for 2016-
2017.
• The rate of monthly income of the farmers grew the fastest between 2002-03 and 2015-16
where average monthly income of a farmer of Odisha increased from ₹1,062 to ₹7,731. This
indicated a growth of 16.5%against the national growth of 11.7%.
v. Other previous scheme: Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income
Augmentation (Kalia) scheme was launched in December 2018. This scheme is being extended for
another five years.
About KALIA
Earlier, the scheme was planned for only five crops. The small and marginal farmers receive financial
assistance of Rs.5,000 per crop and some benefits for sharecroppers and landless agriculture farmers.
9 year old Manipuri girl, Valentina Devi made Manipur’s green ambassador
Elangbam Valentina Devi, a 9-year-old girl from Manipur was made the ambassador of ‘Chief
Minister’s Green Manipur Mission’, after a video of her crying over felled trees went viral on social
media.
The govt. Made this step in recognition of her immense love and affection for trees.
Background:
The girl planted two Gulmohar trees near her house in Kakching district of Manipur when she was in
class 1. She wept immensely when she saw the trees uprooted after coming from school. The trees
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were cut down for road widening.

i. After the video was viewed by the chief minister of Manipur, he instructed the superintendent of
police Viktoria Yenghkom to visit the girl’s house and was gifted some saplings.
ii. Valentina Devi will be the green ambassador for a period of 1year from the issue of order.
Responsibilities:
i. She will be involved in various green plantation and plan conservation programmes, including
ceremonial plantations, VIP involved plantations, World Environment day and Van Mahotsava.
ii. She will be part of all advertisements/campaigns promoting green cover.
Rajasthan becomes the first state in the country to implement biofuel policy: Sachin Pilot
On August 10, 2019, Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan state Government, Sachin Pilot stated that
Rajasthan is the 1st state in the country that released biofuel rules-2019 (after the notification of the
Centre on April 30, 2019) with the vision to promote the use of biofuels. He introduced the biofuel
rules-2019 at a state-level function on the eve of the World Biofuel Day (August 10, 2019).
Key points:
i. Pilot also stated that there will be no delay in taking necessary steps for progress and welfare of the
society and country.
ii. Present status: 82% of fossil fuel in India comes from overseas which is a big burden on the
taxpayers and India’s economy.
iii. The Rajasthan state currently using 1250 crore liters of fossil fuel, where 5% of it is replaced by
biofuel ,lead to 62 crore liters of biofuel will have to be produced in the state.
Policy of Biofuels:
It categorizes the biofuels called Basic Biofuels into 3 categories which include:
i. First Generation (1G) ,bioethanol & biodiesel
ii.“Advanced Biofuels”, Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels
and
iii. Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG (Compressed natural gas )among others to enable
extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category.
iv. The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 approved by the Government envisages an indicative target of
20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of bio-diesel in diesel by 2030.
Karnataka government launches E-Step, a programme for student entrepreneurs

The Department of Information Technology (IT), Biotechnology (BT) and Science & Technology (ST)
of Karnataka government launched E-Step, an initiative to empower student start-ups. The
programme is a part of Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS).
Key Points:
i. The programme is specially designed for students/ startups/entrepreneurs to understand the basics
of entrepreneurship from experienced trainers.
ii. The first phase of E-Step is to organize a day long boot camps across all New Age Incubation
Networks(NAIN) in Karnataka and the boot camps will be held at 30 colleges between August 12 and
September 14, 2019.
iii. It will present an overview of the current start-up system.
Madhya Pradesh govt waives off loans taken by tribals from non-licensed money-lenders
In order to make the tribals debt-free, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced on the
occasion of World Tribal Day (August 9, 2019), that all the loans taken from non-licensed money-
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lenders by tribals living in 89 scheduled villages in Chhindwara would be waived in the state. It will
benefit 1.5 croretribals.
Key points:
i. If the tribals mortgaged his/her jewelry and land for the loan, then it will also be returned to them. In
future, if any Money-lenders will do lending in the tribal area, they have to obtain a license from the
government.
ii. The state government will also provide tribals with debit cards. Through this, they can withdraw up
to Rs 10,000 from ATM(Automated Teller Machine), which will be installed at weekly markets.
iii. For administrative convenience, forest villages in the state will be converted into ‘revenue villages’
& Scheduled Tribes department would be renamed as Tribal Development Department.
iv. The tribal’s whose cases of land rights (‘patta’) have been rejected will be reviewed. They will be
given land rights, if eligible.
v. For the quality education, 40 Eklavya Schools would be set up in tribal areas in the state, Those areas
will also get 53,000 teachers for Government schools, 7 new sports complexes tribal museum with a
cost of Rs 500 crore and 40 schools will get up-gradation to higher secondary schools.
Kamal Nath Govt will provide assistance to tribal families through ‘Mukhyamantri Madad Yojna’
The Madhya Pradesh Government also announced “Mukhyamantri Madad Yojna” for providing
assistance to tribal families on childbirth and death of a family member.
i. Under this yojana, the tribal family will get 50 kg of rice/wheat, if the birth of a boy or a girl.
In case of death in the family, 100 kg of rice or wheat and utensils for cooking food would be given.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik dedicates ‘The Rath’, a steel monument, to the people in
Bhubaneswar
On August 13, 2019, Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik dedicated ‘The Rath’, a steel
monument seeking to accentuate Odisha’s diverse culture and rich heritage, to the people of the state. It
is built at the picturesque Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneswar.
Key Points:
i. The steel monument is presented by Tata Steel in collaboration with the Bhubaneswar Development
Authority (BDA).
ii. It is built using 13.5 tonnes of Tata structural steel hollow sections.
iii. The monument design is inspired by the dual narrative of the Sun Temple and the Rath Yatra
(Chariot Festival).
Odisha CM Naveen patnaik inaugurates new hockey academy in Bhubaneswar

On August 13, 2019, chief minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Naval Tata Hockey
Academy (NTHA) at the Kalinga stadium, in the state capital Bhubaneswar, as a move to bring more
sports talents and young Olympians from the state. The academy is named in the honour of Naval H.
Tata to commemorate his contribution to hockey in India and his achievements as a sports
administrator.
Key points
• The NTHA was inaugurated in presence of Tata Steel CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and MD
(Managing Director)T.V. Narendran.
• Further, about 10-20 grassroots Centres will initially be inaugurated in Sambalpur and
Sundargarh districts of Odisha.
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• The talented sportsperson from grassroots centres and Research and Development Centre
(RDC) will be provided with career opportunities as trainers and coordinators and also be
recommended for admission in the sports hostels.
• NTHA was opened as three-pronged Tata Odisha Hockey programme, a joint initiative of Tata
Steel, Tata Trust and govt. of Odisha. The State Government will facilitate infrastructural support
and Tata Trust will provide coaching and technical support.
NTHA operations:
The NTHA Odisha will be operated in existing infrastructure that was set up to host the Men’s hockey
World Cup in 2018 (winners-Belgium, runners-Netherlands) in Bhubaneswar.
Programme partners:
The partners in the programme will be Bovelander Hockey Academy of Netherlands founded by
European Champion, and, World champion and three-time Olympian, Floris Jan Bovelander.
‘Village Volunteers System’ launched by AP CM Jaganmohan Reddy on independence day

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) and YSR(Yuvajana Sramika Rythu) Congress party leader,
Jaganmohan Reddy on his maiden Independence Day speech on August 15,2019 at IGMS (Indira Gandhi
(municipal) Stadium) ground in Vijayawada, announced a new flagship programme ‘Village Volunteer
System’ to provide doorstep governance to people involving 2.8Lakh volunteers. The scheme would be
launched on the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2. The outlay is roughly Rs 1,200
crore per annum on the scheme.
Key points
i. Various schemes and legislations introduced during the two and a half months of governance of the
CM were listed out.
ii. Launch of Village secretariats on October 2, 2019, was announced to make the volunteers act as a
bridge between the Government and the people. The secretariats will deliver doorstep services within
72 hours.
iii. Each volunteer will be allotted with identity cards and will be cover 50 families in each village. They
will be given Rs.5000 per month as honorarium and will become leaders after they complete their
term as volunteers. The volunteers will be in the age group of 18 to 35 and the minimum qualification
is SSC in tribal areas and Intermediate in other areas.
iv. Toll-Free no.1902 will be set up in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) to address people’s grievances.
v. ‘YSR Rythu Bharosa’– scheme to provide free electricity will be launched on October 15, and each
farmer will receive Rs.12500 per year for the next four years.
vi. Amma Vodi: ‘Amma Vodi’ scheme will be launched on January 26, 2020, which would give yearly
Rs.15000 to all mothers for the education of their children.
About IGMC stadium
The stadium situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, was previously called as Indira Gandhi Municipal
Corporation Stadium. It also has names like ‘municipal Stadium’(also previous name) or simply Indira
Gandhi Stadium.
Online revenue payment system launched by CM of Odisha

The chief minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik, launched online revenue payment
system providing people, an easier way to make their land revenue payments-online, on 73rd
Independence Day on August 15, 2019 at Bhubaneswar.
Key points
i. This online payment system was developed at the National Informatics Centre (NIC)- Bhubaneswar,
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Odisha.
ii. This is the first of its kind initiative of State revenue department of Odisha under the “5-T mantra”.
The 5T mantras are Technology, Transparency, Teamwork, Time and Transformation especially to the
newly recruited civil service officers for better governance of the state.
iii. Gandhi talisman: Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman (an object, idol typically an inscribed ring or stone
that is thought to have magical powers and to bring good luck) was dedicated as part of his 150th birth
anniversary. The talisman is inscribed on a brass plate in both English and Odia language with a neat
sketch of the Father of the Nation.
Members present
Veteran freedom fighters Bhavani Charan Patnaik and Nilamani Samal were present.
Karavel Bhavan:
i. The newly constructed Kharavel Bhavan built at a cost of Rs.128 crore by L&T(Larsen & Toubro) on
8.3acres of land in Bhubaneswar was inaugurated by the CM.
ii. 11 departments of the state government will function in this building. And it also houses a lounge
and a conference hall for the CM.
iii. The building was named after Kharavela who was a king of Kalinga, the present day Odisha.
The Chhattisgarh state government increases reservation for sc and obc categories in state jobs
and education
The Chhattisgarh government announced an increase in the reservation for Scheduled caste (SC) from
12% to 13% and for Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 14% to 27%. This announcement was made
by Chief Minister (CM) Shri Bhupesh Baghel on August 15, 2019 independence day celebration at the
Police parade ground in Raipur, Chattisgarh.
Key points
With the increase in quota, the state’s reservation becomes a total of 72 percent, which is the highest in
the country and far above the reservation limit of 50 percent mandated by the Supreme court.
Major announcements made:
i. New district: CM made an announcement of the formation of a new district “Gaurela-Pendra-
Marwahi” which will be carved out of Bilaspur. This is done for better administration of the state. The
state will now have total districts to 28.
ii. Cow shelters: Cow shelters in the state will now be linked to biogas plants as a move of income
generation. Also assistance of Rs.10,000/month given to Gowthan (cow shelter) committees.
iii. Lemru forest development: Development of the Lemru forest area as ‘Lemru elephant reserve’
was announced. It is a mineral rich area in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. This move was taken to deal
with the increasing man-animal conflicts in the northern part of the state.
iv. The govt. will be launching a new scheme ‘Suposhan Abhiyan’ on October 2 2019 to fight
malnutrition across the state.
v. Special initiative to provide forest land rights to tribals in Abhujmad was launched.
vi. 200 food parks in the state were promised to be set up.
TamilNadu awards people on various categories on the 73rd Independence Day

The chief minister of TamilNadu Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami conferred awards to people and
organisations at Fort St. George among various categories on the 73rd Independence day celebration.
Key points
Chief minister’s best practice Award:
i. It was conferred to Greater Chennai Police Commissionerate for the installation of ‘Third Eye’ CCTV
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(closed-circuit Television). This award was also conferred to the Department of Rural Development and
Panchayat Raj for the Naganathi River Rejuvenation Project (Vellore) under MGNREGS(Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme).
ii. The Department of Commercial Taxes got this award for development of mobile app and providing
24*7 assistance to migrate to GST(Goods and Service Tax) system and also.
iii. Greater Chennai Corporation received certificate of appreciation for creating sensory parks for
differently abled children under smart city project.
Award for exemplary service for the welfare of Differently abled- best doctor awards:
• Dr.S Vetrivel chezian, Government Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
• Dr.V Ramadevi, Government Kilpauk Medical College.
Best private employer award: Everest Stabilizers private Ltd.
Best social worker award: Mrs. Chandra Prasad of Pathway.
Best co-operative bank award: Salem District Central Cooperative Bank.
Chief minister’s state youth award: P.Naveen Kumar(Namakkal district), M.Anandakumar(Dindigul
district), R.Kalaivani(Madurai district).
Award rendered for service to women: M.Soosai Marian.
Best institution for serving of women: Bothimaram in Salem District.
Best municipalities
1. Dharmapuri
2. Vedaranyam
3. Aranthangi.
Best Corporation: Salem.
Tamil Nadu trifurcates Vellore district to form new districts

After taking a consensus from the ministers, MLAs (Member of the Legislative Assembly) and the
general public, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami made an announcement
on trifurcation of Vellore district. Ranipet and Tirupattur are the new districts carved out of Vellore.
After the trifurcation, Tamil Nadu now has 37 districts.
Key points
i. The announcement was made on August 15, 2019, independence day celebration at Fort St George in
Chennai, TamilNadu. Now, Tirupathur and Ranipet need not travel long distances to reach the
Collector’s office in Vellore, one of the largest districts in Tamil Nadu by area.
ii. He also announced that K V Kuppam of Vellore district would be upgraded to a new taluka.
iii. The year 2019 has saw the creation of 5 additional districts by the Edappadi K Palaniswami govt in
TamilNadu.
Previous formation of new districts:
• In July 2019, Chengalpet and Tenkasi were made new districts carved out from Kancheepuram
and Tirunelveli districts respectively.
• In January 2019, district of Kalakurichi was carved out from Villupuram district.
Odisha CM to launch “Mo Sarkar” initiative for transparency in governance

On August 15, 2019, during the independence day celebration in the state, the Chief Minister of Odisha
Shri Naveen Patnaik announced the “Mo Sarkar” initiative. It is an initiative to ensure transparency in
governance focusing fully on the common public and will be commenced from October 2, 2019, on the
occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi.
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Key points
i. The CM and other ministers will connect with common citizens on call, to collect feedback of the
response and service they received from the government.
ii. The govt. will work on this initiative to ensure that people get their rights with the help of the 5T
mantras introduced by the CM to address public issues. The 5Ts are Technology, Transparency,
Teamwork, Transformation and Time.
iii. The program will be implemented for all police stations and district headquarters, hospitals in its
first phase. It will later be implemented in all other departments by 5th March 2020.
Assam’s first CNG fuel station inaugurated at Chowkidingee, Dibrugarh

On August 17, 2019, The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the state’s first-
ever Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel station at Chowkidingee, Dibrugarh, Assam. It was
installed by Assam Gas Company Ltd (AGCL).
i. It has the capacity to fuel 60 to 70 small passenger vehicles in an hour.
ii. The first CNG station of North East was installed in Tripura.
Other initiatives:
i. On a pilot basis, the service of 15 CNG buses will be introduced in Guwahati.
ii. Transport Department of Assam has entered into an MoU with a firm in Hungary for electric vehicles
in Assam.
Delhi government to offer free ride for women on government buses from Oct 29, 2019
On August 15, 2019, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal in his independence day speech at
Chhatrasal Stadium, New Delhi, announced to offer free travel for women in Delhi Transport
Corporation (DTC), and cluster buses starting October 29, 2019. It will be available in both AC (Air
Conditioner) and non-AC buses.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel announces formation of Lemru Elephant Reserve

On August 15, 2019, The Chief Minister of Chattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel in his independence day
speech in Raipur announced the formation of ‘Lemru Elephant Reserve’ (LER) in the state, over an
area of 450 square kilometres. It will minimize human-elephant conflict and destruction of property,
with the provision of a permanent habitat for the wild tuskers.
Key Points:
i. It will be set-up as per the report and recommendations of the Special High-Power Technical
Committee (SHPTC) which was constituted by the Government of India.
ii. Permission was granted by the Union Government to set up two reserves in October 2007. The first
reserve was formed in 2011 namely Sarguja-Jashpur Elephant Reserve
Manipur Govt launches “School Fagadaba” scheme to improve infrastructure of government

schools
On August 17, 2019, Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, N Biren Singh has launched “School Fagadaba”
(Make education better) scheme with the aim to improve the infrastructure, quality education and
overall improvement of government schools.
Key points:
i. In order to ensure regular attendance of teachers, biometric devices would be installed in every
Government schools in the state.
ii. Once the teachers posted in these schools, they would stay at the place of their posting for at least 3
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years.
iii. One Higher Secondary School from each of the 60 Assembly constituencies in the state has been
selected under the 1st phase of the scheme.
iv. The state also set a target to increase enrollment of students from 26,000 at present to around
44,000 in the next academic session. Additional infrastructures like a modern school campus, sufficient
school furniture, outdoor gymnasium, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facilities will
be provided to these schools as per the Right to Education (RTE) norms.
Nagaland State police Department gets its first Laboratory-cum-Training centre at Dimapur
On August 15, 2019, The deputy chief minister of Nagaland Yanthungo Patton (Y. Patton), inaugurated
the first Cyber Laboratory-cum-Training Centre of the Nagaland State Police Department at
Chumukedima of Dimapur district. This training centre was inaugurated for the prevention of Cyber
Crime against Women and Children.
Key points
i. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) – Zekotso Mero
delivered the welcome address.
ii. About 50 police personnel from different police units will be trained on specific topics related to
cybercrimes and also ways to assist women and children victims in those crimes.
Noted Odisha tribal leader and Senior Congress candidate Sahura Mallick passed away
Sahura Mallick, a noted Odisha tribal leader and former Baliguda MLA (Member of the Legislative
Assembly) passed away following a brief illness in Kandhamal district of Odisha. He was 84.
i. Sahura, worked as a teacher before joining politics.
ii. He was elected from Baliguda constituency, a reserved assembly segment for the Scheduled Tribe
(ST) candidates on Congress ticket in 1974, 1980 and 1985.
Former MLA, Umesh Bhat Bhavikeri passed away in Bengaluru

On August 13, 2019, Former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Ankola (Karnataka) from
1989 to 1994 and a Congress leader, Umesh Bhat Bhavikeri, aged 72, passed away due to a heart
attack in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was a native of Bhavikeri, Ankola taluk, Uttara Kannada district,
Karnataka.
i. He was the Chairman of the Loka Shikshana Trust and served as a trustee until his death. The trust
publishes Samyukta Karnataka, a Kannada daily.
Punjab government brings around 4500 journalists into the ambit of its flagship scheme SSBY
The Punjab State Government has announced to bring around 4500 journalists into the ambit of its
recently launched flagship universal health insurance scheme “Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana” (SSBY). The
state will bear the full premium under this scheme and around 400 private hospitals have been
included in the list.
Key points:
i. Eligibility: All journalists or yellow card holders recognized by the state would be eligible for the
scheme.
ii.Treatment: Under this scheme, the beneficiaries will be provided 2nd and 3rd tier treatment, for
which all the hospitals above the Community Health Center (CHC) have been included.
iii.Extension: This scheme has been extended by state government beyond BPL families to a total of
42.5 lakh families with effect from July 1, 2019.
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iv.PMJAY: The state government had decided to extend Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY),
under which a plan to provide cashless health cover of Rs five lakh per family every year.
v. Premium: The premium payment of 14.86 lakh families covered under PMJAY is borne by the Center
and the State in the ratio of 60:40, for the rest of the beneficiaries, the entire cost of the premium of all
the beneficiaries including journalists will be borne by the State Government.
3 Committees formulated for Union Territory related issues of J-K

On August 20, 2019, The Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) administration has constituted 3 committees for
devising modalities for the functioning of proposed UT(Union Territory) of J&K and Ladakh, dealing
with financial matters and staff-related issues.
Key points:
i. Background: On August 5, 2019, The central government repealed the special status of Jammu and
Kashmir and bifurcated the state into 2 Union territories as Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
ii. Here’s the list of three separate committees and its purpose:
S.No Committee Head & Members Purpose of the committee
1 12-member committee To take necessary steps for transition from a state
to the proposed Union Territory of J&K by various
Head: K K Sharma (Advisor to departments and conduct of government business
J&K Governor)Members: in the proposed UT.
Financial Commissioners with
the Governor, Finance
Department and Health and
Medical Education Department,
Principal Secretaries of Home
Department, Planning,
Development and Monitoring
Department, and Commissioner
Secretaries of Public Works
(roads and buildings)
Department, Ladakh Affairs
Department and Secretaries of
General Administration
Department (GAD), Higher
Education Department, Revenue
Department and Department of
Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs.
2 5-member committee To deal with the financial matters related to the
proposed Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Head: Shri Dr. Arun Kumar
Mehta(Financial Commissioner,
Finance Department)Members:
Principal Secretary, Home
Department, Commissioner
Secretary, Power Development
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Department, Secretary, GAD and

Secretary, Department of Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
3 6-member committee To suggest measures to be taken for providing staff
Head: Mr. Shaleen to the proposed UT of Ladakh and any other issue
Kabra(Principal Secretary, Home related to staff of proposed UT of Jammu and
Department) Kashmir.
Members: Commissioner
Secretary, Ladakh Affairs
Department, Secretary, General
Administration Department,
Secretary, Culture Department,
Secretary, Department of Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs,
and Representative of the
Finance Department
About J&K:
♦ Governor: Satya Pal Malik
♦ National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park , Dachigam National Park ,Hemis National Park
,Kishtwar National Park.
Himachal Pradesh breaks 70 years record of receiving highest ever rainfall in last 24 hours
On August 19, 2019, The local Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that Himachal
Pradeshrecorded highest ever rainfall in the last 24 hours by breaking the last 70 years’ record.
Extremely heavy rains were reported from Shimla, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur.
Key points
i. Himachal witnessed a 102 mm of rainfall in last 24 hours after which the IMD made an
announcement.
ii. The highest rainfall was recorded at Naina Devi in Bilaspur district of Himachal at 360 mm whereas
Shimla recorded 153 mm.
iii. Previously extremely heavy rainfall was reported in August 2011 with recorded 74 mm of rains.
About IMD
♦ Formed-1875
♦ Headquarters- MausamBhavan, New Delhi.
♦ Director General- Dr. MrutyunjayMohapatra.
♦ Union minister responsible- Dr. Harsh Vardhan(Union Minister of Earth Sciences & Union Minister
of Science & Technology).
Haryana CM increases family income limit for BPL beneficiary

On August 21, 2019, the Chief Minister of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, increased the family
income limit of households from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month to qualify as Below Poverty Line
(BPL) beneficiary. It was announced at a BPL ration card distribution function in Panchkula, Haryana.
Key points
i. Ration cards were distributed to 37 BPL beneficiaries of Panchkula and Kalka in Haryana.
ii. A total of 56,315 beneficiaries received ration cards at the special functions organised
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simultaneously in all 22 districts of the state after a gap of 8 years.

iii. The beneficiary will receive food grains and other food items at subsidised rate.
Punjab govt. UNDP signs pact to implement SDGs

On August 21, 2019, the government of Punjab signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)with the
United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) for implementing Sustainable Development
Goals(SDGs). It was signed by UNDP Resident Representative Shoko Noda and Principal Secretary of
Planning Jaspal Singh in presence of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Finance Minister
Manpreet Singh Badal.
Key points:
i. Agreement: Setting up of a Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre (SDGCC) in the
planning department in chandigarh (Punjab) in partnership with UNDP.
ii. The employment generation department was asked to tie up with the UN agency to explore new
possibilities for the skill development. Earlier, the Punjab Government implemented flagship
programme ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ (employment generation scheme by the Punjab Skill Development
Mission) as part of SDG.
SDG:
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to
action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. There
are a total of 17 SDGs. This framework was adopted by the Punjab government, and started working on
the preparation of a 4year Strategic Action Plan(4-SAP) from 2019-23.
Haryana Govt launched Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna

On August 21, 2019, In a bid to provide social security to families, the state Government of Haryana has
launched ‘Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna’ and under this scheme Rs 6,000 per year will be
given to each eligible family of the state.
Key points:
i. The scheme provides social security to people in terms of life/accidental insurance cover and
pensionary benefits to individual families.
ii.Eligibility: To avail benefit of the scheme, the annual family income should be less than Rs 1,80,000
or a total landholding of less than two hectares.
iii.Insurance Benefits: The eligible beneficiary family will get Rs 500 per month. Out of this amount,
the premium for the life insurance of a member of the age group of 18 to 50 years will be paid from his
account at the rate of Rs 330 per year.
In case of death of the beneficiary, cover insurance of two lakh rupees will be given.
iv. In addition, under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, an amount of Rs 12 per annum would
be paid on account of Accidental Insurance of at least one family member.
v. Under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Maan-Dhan Yojana, the contribution from Rs 55 to 200 per month
will be paid automatically from the bank account as a premium for providing pension to the beneficiary.
on the attainment of the age of 60 years, the pension will be given at the rate of Rs 3,000 per month.
vi. Further, the balance consolidated amount for all the social security options left, if any, would be
invested in a specially designed Systematic Investment Plan (SIP).
Karnataka CM appoints 3 Deputy CMs and allocates cabinets

On August 26, 2019, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B.S Yedayurappa had appointed 3 deputy
chief ministers and had also allocated portfolios to 14 ministers, a week after the cabinet ministry was
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expanded. The deputy CMs are Mudhol Govind Karjol (68), Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan (51)
and Lakshman Savadi (59).
Key points:
i. The appointment of 3 Deputy CMs which is a first in Karnataka, were assigned several portfolios. They
are
• Mudhol Govind Karajol- Minister of Public Works Department (PWD), Additional charge Social
Welfare Department.
• Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan- Minister of Higher Education, Information Technology and
Biotechnology, Science and Technology.
• Lakshman Savadi – Minister of Transport.
TN education Dept launches 24-hour Tv channel for school students

The Chief Minister(CM) of Tamilnadushri Edappadi K Palaniswamy launched the 24 hour
TV(television) channel ‘Kalvi Tholaikkatchi' for the school students by the state education department at
a function in Chennai. The programmes in the channel would cover syllabi from pre-KG (KinderGarten)
to 12th standard.
Key points
i. Hi-fi laboratories are being established in all Government High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools
costing about Rs. 520 crores.
ii. First electric bus in the state: CM also launched the state’s first electric bus equipped with air-
conditioning, automatic doors and GPS (Global Positioning System). Manufacture by Ashok Leyland, the
bus is operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).
iii. Amma patrol vehicles: Mr. Palaniswami flagged off 40 ‘Amma Patrol vehicles’ at a total cost of
Rs.7.50 crore for women and children within the Greater Chennai Police limits and will be handled by
police personnel.
Odisha’s former chief secretary Lalat Indu Parija passed away

On August 26, 2019, the former chief secretary of Odisha Lalat Indu Parija passed away in a hospital in
Cuttack, at the age of 89 following a cardiac arrest.
Key points:
i. Hailing from Odisha, Lalat, the son of eminent scientist Pranakrushna Parija, served twice as the Chief
Secretary of Odisha in 1983 and in 1986.
ii. Previous roles: He was the captain of Odisha Ranji cricket team and later served as the Chairman of
the Orissa Public Service Commission(OPSC). He also served as Deputy General Manager of the
Rourkela Steel Plant.
iii. Recent book: He recently released the book named “Fate takes a Hand” in March 2019.
Former Karnataka BJP president and senior advocate A K Subbaiah passed away
Ajjikuttira Kariappa (AK) Subbaiah, the former Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and
senior advocate has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka after a brief illness. He was 85.
i. Born in Virajpet town of Karnataka in 1936, Subbaiah was an advocate by profession before entering
politics.
ii. A K Subbaiah served as the Congress Member of the Legislative Council between 1988 and 1994.
Prior to this, he was the first Karnataka state President of the BJP.
iii. He has also written books including a book on the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) titled “RSS
Antharanga” in Kannada.
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Punjab Congress MLA from Mukerian Rajnish Kumar Babbi passed away in Chandigarh
On August 27, 2019, Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Mukerian assembly seat
in Punjab, Rajnish Kumar Babbi, aged 59, passed away after a prolonged illness at the Post-Graduate
Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
i. He was first elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the 2012 assembly polls as an Independent from
Mukerian.
ii. In the 2017 assembly elections, as a Congress candidate, he had defeated Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) nominee Arunesh Kumar.
Former Palghar MLA of Maharashtra Navnitbhai Shah passed away at 96

On August 26, 2019, Socialist leader and former MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) of Palghar
town in Maharashtra, Navnitbhai Shah passed away at the age of 96 at a hospital in Mumbai due to old
age-related ailments.
Key points
i. Born in Maharashtra, Shah served as Palghar MLA in 1957 and 1962 before which he served as the
first Sarpanch (village head) of Palghar in 1952. He had tabled the resolution for Sanyukta Maharashtra
that called for separate Marathi-speaking state out of the (then-bilingual) State of Bombay in western
India.
ii. He also took part in the freedom struggle in 1942 at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Mumbai and was an
active member of Rashtra Seva Dal between 1943-1949.
Odisha’s Mamata scheme for PVTG women given an extension for 5 years
The Department of Women and Child Development of the government of Odisha extended the benefits
of the Direct Cash Benefit “Mamata” scheme to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)
meant for women for another 5 years till 2024. This provision for PVTG women was in place since
2014.
Key Points:
i. The conditional cash transfer maternity benefit scheme is only up to two live births for the pregnant
women of other communities. But, the PVTG women are barred from the limit.
ii. The scheme was extended to all pregnant PVTG women irrespective of whether they were residing in
micro-project areas or not in the year 2018.
iii. Except government employees, all adult pregnant women receive Rs 5,000 in two installments, upon
fulfilling certain conditions.
Mamata scheme
Mamata was launched by the state government in September, 2011 with an aim to reduce maternal and
infant mortality by improving the health and nutrition of pregnant and lactating women.
Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik presents Biju Patnaik Award for Sports, Bravery and State Award for
Social Service
On the occasion of National Sports Day(August 29,2019) The Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha, Naveen
Patnaikconferred the Biju Patnaik Awards for Sports, Bravery and State Award for Social Service for
the year 2018to the players of the state at Jaydev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In total 9 awards
were given out.
Key points:
i. The prestigious awards were conferred in 4 categories. It includes ,
• Outstanding performance in Sports,
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• Best Contribution to the promotion of Sports and Games,

• Biju Patnaik Bravery Award
• State Award for Social Service
ii. The award winners are as follows,
S.No Category Winners
1 Biju Patnaik Sports Award for Pramod Bhagat (para shuttler)
Excellence in Sports
2 Biju Patnaik Award for Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT),
Promotion of Sports and Bhubaneswar,Odisha
Games
3 Biju Patnaik Bravery Award Shrimati Badra (a school student of Angul district who
risked her life and saved her fellow classmate from a
fatal train accident).
4 State Award for Social Service Radhakant Tripathi (Bhadrak district)
Badri Mishra (Puri district)
Mahendra Kumar Joshi(Nuapada district)
Kamakhya Prasad Majhi, (Koraput district)
Ram Narayan Dash (Bolangir district)
Abdul Rahman Khan, (Keonjhar district).
iii. In addition to this, 138 sportspersons were felicitated with cash awards for excellence in sports for
the year 2018.
iv. Highlight:
• professional sprinter Dutee Chand (Jajpur district of Odisha) was also rewarded Rs 6.67 lakh
for winning a gold medal in women100-metre event in the 30th World University Games held in
Naples, Italy.
• Bhagat was felicitated with the award with a cash prize amounting Rs 2 lakh. He also received
cash of Rs 30.95 lakh as reward for winning gold medal in 2019 BWF(Badminton World
Federation) World Para-Badminton Championship (singles and double) held in Basel,
Switzerland, gold medal (singles and doubles) and bronze in the mixed double event in 3rd
National Para-Badminton Championship 2019 held in Uttarakhand.
• Little girl Srimati Bhadra from Ghantapada in Angul district also received Rs 1-lakh cash prize.
• The six personalities received the Biju Patnaik State Award for social service got Rs 25,000 in
cash prize each.
Delhi cabinet approves free ride to women in buses from 29 October 2019
On August 29,2019, Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gehlot stated that the Delhi Cabinet has
approved free travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and cluster
buses from October 29,2019.
Key points:
i. In the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, it was decided that women will be
able to enjoy a free ride in the national capital from the day of Bhai Dooj, a festival celebrated by Hindus
of the Indian subcontinent on october 29,2019.
ii. Female employees of the city government, local bodies and undertakings will not be entitled for
transport allowance (TA) if they pick free ride in DTC and cluster buses.
iii. A single journey pass will be issued by the conductor for the woman to travel with DTC and cluster
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buses. The women who want to pay for their journey can buy tickets.
iv. The Delhi assembly also approved an additional grant of Rs. 479 crore for the transport sector,
including the amount given as subsidy for free travel for women in DTC buses. Of this, Rs. 140 crore was
included for the free transportation of women in buses & Rs. 150 crore as subsidy for free travel in the
Delhi metro.
v. There are around 38 lakh passengers traveling daily in DTC buses, while about 12 lakh passengers
use cluster buses, of this 30 % are women passengers.
vi. The government also asked DTC as well as DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System) to
strengthen their ticket checking mechanisms so that the facility is not misused.
Campaign to tackle Dengue and Chikungunya launched by Delhi CM

A 10 week Special campaign to tackle Dengue and Chikungunya was launched by the Chief Minister of
Delhi Shri Arvind Kejriwal on August 28, 2019 in New Delhi. The campaign titled “10 Weeks, 10 AM 10
minute every Sunday, War against Dengue” (“10 Hafte, 10 Baje, 10 Minute – Har Ravivar, dengue par
war”), will be rolled out in 1st September 2019, where people were asked to spend 10 minutes at 10
am on every Sunday to check for mosquito breeding spots.
Key points
i. There has been a decline in the mosquito Borne disease since 2015, as only 75 cases have been
reported so far in 2019 compared to 15,867 cases in 2015 resulting in 80% decline rate in 4 years.
ii. Special awareness programs and mohalla clinics (primary health centre in Delhi) were also set up as
a preventive measure.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2019
On August 30, 2019, The Himachal Pradesh assembly passed a bill named Himachal Pradesh Freedom
of Religion Bill, 2019 which repeals the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006. The new
bill is against conversion by force, inducement or through marriages solemnised for the sole purpose of
adopting a new religion.
Key Points:
i. Bill prohibits conversion by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, inducement,
marriage or any fraudulent means.
ii. Any marriage for the sole purpose of conversion will be declared null and void under Section 5 of the
bill.
iii. As per the bill, anyone seeking to convert will need to give a month’s notice to the district
magistrate, stating that the person is converting on his own.
iv. The priest who performs conversion ceremony will also be given a month’s notice in advance and
those reconverting to their parent religion are exempted from this provision.
v. If Dalits, women or minors were made to convert, the jail term will be between 2-7 years.
vi. Section 10 of the bill states that no person or organisation violating the provisions will be allowed to
accept any donation or contribution of any kind from within or outside the country.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Sri Lankan government exempted visa fees for Indian tourists
The tourism minister of Sri Lanka, John Amaratunga announced that Indian tourists are exempted
from visa fees which range from $20 to $40 with effect from August 1, 2019. It will not be charged for
grant of one month visa for tourism.
i. Initially, it will be implemented for 6 months. Decision for extension will be taken depending upon its
impact on revenue.
ii. In 2018, Tourism accounted for almost 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Sri Lanka. It is the
country’s third-largest and fastest-growing source of foreign currency.
iii. With this, India became one among the 48 countries to be exempted from visa fees for tourism by Sri
Lankan government.
Nigeria, the fourth African Nation joins global collision to protect pollinators
Nigeria joined the Global coalition group of the willing on pollinators as the fourth African nation to
protect pollinators and their habitats by developing and implementing National pollinator strategies,
where currently the world’s pollinator species are on the decline.
i. With a lack of data on pollinators, there are only 10 years left to meet the 2030 agenda on sustainable
development which will be a very great challenge to achieve.
Nations in coalition
The other African nation members in this group are Ethiopia, the first nation to join in 2017 followed by
Burundi and Morocco.
i. Morocco became a member of this group in the month of May 2019
ii. The non-African nation members are as follows: Bosnia and herzegovina the Dominican Republic
Ireland and Mexico. They all joined the coalition in 2018.
iii. Currently, there are 28 signatories including 17 European Union countries, 5 from Latin America, 1
from Caribbean and 4 from Africa.
iv. The pollination services annual market value is estimated at $235 billion to $577 billion worldwide.
It is due to this reason pollinator dependent crops are having higher prices than non-pollinator
dependent crops
Goals relevant to pollinator protection
They are SDG2 (zero hunger), SDG 15(life on hand),SDG 3(good health and well being) SDG 8( decent
work and economic growth) where SDG stands for Sustainable Development Goals.
Nagar Kirtan(Sikh religious procession) from Pakistan reaches India for the first time since
Partition
To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev , the Sikhism founder, a Nagar Kirtan , a Sikh
religious procession was taken out for 1st time after Independence from Nankana Sahib
district(birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev) of Pakistan’s Punjab province to Attari village in
Amritsar,Punjab Indian side through the Attari-Wagah land route .
Key points:
i. The procession which comprising around 500 Sikh devotees will halt will at Sultanpur
Lodhi in Kapurthala district of Punjab after passing through various cities and towns.
ii. The procession carrying the holy Guru Granth Sahib was organized by Shiromani Gurdwara
Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), an apex religious body of the Sikhs with the support from both Indian
77 | P a g e
and Pakistani authorities.

iii. Ministers OP Soni and Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab cabinet ministers, Akali Dal leaders were
among those who present on the occasion.
iv. Nagar Kirtan will stop at Golden Temple of Amritsar before it begins its onward journey.
v. 2019 marks the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Government of India(GoI) is celebrating
the event throughout the country and across the globe for a period of one year from November 2018 to
November 2019.
About Guru Nanak:
He was born on 29 November 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Ki Talvaṇḍi (present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab,
Pakistan) near Lahore(capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab).
He was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as
Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Kartik Pooranmashi.
India, US cooperate to promote Defence Industry and Startups

On August 3, 2019, In the 15th India-US Defence Policy Group meeting, 2019 on defence issues held
in Washington, United States, officials of both countries agreed to follow a policy environment
conducive to cooperation between the Defence industry and start-ups in both countries.
Key points:
i. The Indian side was led by Sanjay Mitra, defence secretary and the US was led by John Rood,
undersecretary of defence for policy.
ii. The top-level meet reviews and guides the progress made in various fields such as defence trade,
technology, procurement, industry, R&D(Research & Development) and mil-to-mil engagement in past
years.
iii. The two sides recognised the benefit of enabling defence agreements & appreciated India’s
designation as a Major Defence Partner of the US.
iv. They strongly reassured the role of the DPG as an important part of the ministerial 2+2 meeting
(between foreign & defence minister of India & U.S.A), helping translate the shared strategic vision of
cooperation into reality.
v. The 14th meeting was held at Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.
Netherlands imposed ban on burqa and niqab in public places

On August 1, 2019, The cabinet of Netherlands imposed a ban on Burqa or niqab in public places,
including public transport, government buildings and at health and education institutions. It is not
applied to public streets. Anyone found guilty will have to pay a fine of Rs 28,000.
i. Along with burqa, niqab or veil, it also banned motor helmets and ski masks. It does not include
headscarves, as they cover only the head and not the face. A fine of 150 euros will be imposed on
breaking the law.
Hoverboard inventor Franky Zapata crosses English Channel in his second attempt
40-year-old Jet powered hoverboard inventor and former jet ski champion Franky Zapata of France,
crossed the English Channel for the first time within 10days after his first failed attempt. He started his
22-mile journey at 7:15 am from Sangatte, Northern France and landed at Saint Margaret’s bay in Dover
in around 25 minutes.
Previous attempt
Franky Zapata made his first attempt to cross the English Channel on 25th July but failed as he fell into
the water half-way when he tried to land on a boat for refueling.
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i. Mr. Zapata received widespread attention following the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris on 14th
July, as he took part in a military display on his futuristic flyboard (hoverboard).
ii. The attempt took place exactly 110 years since Louis Blériot made the first powered flight across
the Channel in 1909.
Hoverboard
i. It is half the size of a skateboard and has 5 small jet engines.
ii. It is fuelled by kerosene and is kept in the backpack of the rider.
About English Channel
It is also called a channel. It is the busiest shipping areas in the world and it separates Southern
England from Northern France and link the southern part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
The first person to cross the English Channel by swimming was Captain Matthew Webb in 1875 (in
21hours 45min).
Location- between Celtic Sea and North Sea.
Pakistan suspends bilateral trade with India

On August 7, 2019, The Pakistan National Security Council (NSC), chaired by the Prime Minister of
Pakistan Imran Khan decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with India and suspend bilateral trade,
after India decided to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution. Indian High Commissioner to
Pakistan Ajay Bisaria will be sent back to India.
Key Points:
i. Pakistan also suspended the Samjhauta Express Train Service.
ii. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Simla Agreement that settled the 1971 war
between the two nations.
iii. It was also suspended in 2019 due to escalating tensions between the countries. But, the service was
resumed later.
India & Bangladesh to set up Joint Technical committee for optimum utilization of Ganges water
On August 8, 2019, At a Secretary-level meeting in Dhaka, India and Bangladesh decided to set up
a Joint Technical committee for optimum utilization of Ganges water as being received by Bangladesh
under the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty 1996. The Indian delegation was led by Water Resources
Secretary Upendra Prasad Singh while the Bangladesh side was led by his counterpart Kabir Bin Anwar.
Key Points:
i. Both the countries agreed to prepare a framework for interim water-sharing agreement for 8 rivers
including Feni, Gumti and Teesta.
ii. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna mega-basin is the second largest hydraulic region in the world.
Kajin Sara lake in Nepal is likely to set a new record of being the world’s highest
A newly discovered Kajin Sara lake in Manang district of Nepal is all set to record the world’s highest
lake. It will replace the Tilicho lake, which is the current world’s highest lake situated at an altitude of
4,919 metres in Nepal(also in Manang) measures 4 km long, 1.2 km wide and around 200 metres deep.
Kajin Sara lake:
i. The lake called Singar locally, located at an altitude of 5,200 metres. But this measurement is yet to
be officially verified. It is estimated to be 1,500-metre-long and 600-meter-wide.
ii. Once its altitude of over 5,200 metres, it will be the world’s highest lake & will help promote tourism
in the district.
iii. A team of mountaineers discovered this lake about a few months ago at Singarkharka area of Chame
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rural municipality in Nepal.

iv. The lake said to have formed out of the water melted from the Himalayas &it has Mt Manaslu to the
east, Mt Damodar to the west, Mt Annapurna and Mt Lamjung to the south, and Mt Peri in the Tibet to
the north.
$ 1 million dollar contributed to the UN fund by India

India contributed $1 million to reform the United Nations (UN) Development system by contributing to
the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) for the resident coordinator system.
About the SPTF
i. It is a specific fund established mainly to receive, consolidate, manage and account for all
contributions and financial transactions in an efficient and transparent way. It is housed within the UN
secretariat.
ii. SPTF web portal: The web portal displays in real-time all commitments, contributions and
expenditures recorded for the fund.
iii. India’s permanent representative to the UN is Syed Akbaruddin (appointed since January 26).
3 streams in funding:
• Voluntary contributions from member states.
• Doubling of cost sharing amounts from UN entities(member of UN development system).
• Levy of 1% applied to UN related activities.
Air India is the first Indian Airline to fly over Zero Degree North Pole
On August 15, 2019, Air India hoisted its Boeing 777 aircraft (Delhi-San Francisco flight AI-173 ) over
the zero degrees the North Pole and became the first Indian airline to operate commercial flights
overflying polar region. It usually overflies the Atlantic or the Pacific ocean. Flying over the North Pole
saved fuel and time.
Iceland commemorates first glacier lost due to climate change

Iceland has marked its first-ever loss of a glacier to climate change. The glacier lost was,
Iceland’s Okjokull glacier. People commemorated this loss with a plaque (An ornamental tablet,
typically of metal, porcelain, or wood, fixed to a wall or other surface in commemoration of a person or
event).
Key points
i. The plaque unveiling ceremony was attended by scientists and locals at the Okjokull glacier in west-
central Iceland, as it failed to fulfill the criteria to be classified as a glacier after melting throughout the
20th century.
ii. The plaque bears the inscription “A letter to the future”.
iii. Glaciologists stripped Okjokull of its glacier status in 2014, a first for Iceland, as the glacier ice
covered that 16 square kilometres but by 2012, measured just 0.7 square kilometres in 2017.
Key members in the event:
• Iceland’s prime minister- Katrín Jakobsdóttir,
• The former UN human rights commissioner- Mary Robinson.
• Former Irish President- Mary Robinson.
Status for a glacier:To have the status of a glacier, the mass of ice and snow must be thick enough to
move by its own weight. For that to happen the mass must be approximately 40 to 50 metres thick.
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FATF blacklisted Pakistan against terror financing and money laundering

On August 16,2019, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) has
blacklisted Pakistan for non-compliance and non-enforcement of safeguards against terror financing
and money laundering. The action was taken in the FATF APG meeting held in Canberra, Australia.
Key points
i. Previously Pakistan was greylisted by FATF for failing to curb anti-terror financing.
ii. By this APG blacklisting which is also known as ‘Enhanced Expedited Follow Up’ status, Pakistan’s
chances at extricating(freeing from constraint or difficulty) itself from the FATF greylist are expected.
iii. APG report:
Compliance parameters: According to the report, Pakistan failed in 32 out of 40 ‘compliance’
parameters for its legal and financial systems.
Effectiveness parameters:pakistan had also failed in the 10 of 11 ‘effectiveness’ parameters for
enforcing safeguards against terror-financing and money-laundering by UN-sanctioned entities and
other non-government outfits.
Compliance by Pakistan:
A compliance document that was submitted by Islamabad on behalf of Pakistan’s action against terror
groups of its past 1.5 years will be reviewed against a 27-point action plan set out by the FATF.
Decisions: one of the three following decisions would be taken. They are
• To remove Pakistan from greylist.
• To continue keeping Pakistan on greylist or
• Further downgrade Pakistan to the Blacklist.
iv. The Indian side was represented by officials from the Ministry of Finance,external affairs and home
affairs. Similarly the Pakistan multi ministerial team is led by its State bank Governor Reza Baqir.
v.Action demanding Pakistan’s review is pushed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany
and France.
greylisted details of pakistan:
i.Pakistan was put on grey list by FATF on January 28 2018 just after the day a 26 point action plan was
submitted to the FATF by Pakistan in order to avoid being blacklisted for its activity of funding militant
groups including Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s terrorist activities.
ii.The country was also on greylist from 2012-2015 period.
About FATF:
♦ It is a global watch talk for terror financing and money laundering.
♦ Founded – 1989.
♦ President- Xiangmin Liu.
♦ Headquarters- Paris, France.
About APG:
♦ It is a FATF style regional body for Asia-Pacific region.
♦ Founded- 1997.
♦ Headquarters- Sydney, Australia.
♦ Official language- English.
Saudi Arabia permits women to travel abroad without male guardian’s permission
On August 21, 2019, the Government of Saudi Arabia made a reform for allowing women over the age
of 21to receive passports and travel abroad without permission from a male ‘guardian’. Key points
i. The law to get permission from male guardian was removed as many women made high-profile
attempts to escape alleged guardianship abuse despite various reforms made by crown prince
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Mohammed Bin Salman.

ii. One such reform was overturning the ban on women drivers, allowing them to get a driving license
for the first time since 24 June 2018.
Restored commemorative plaque of Mahatma Gandhi road inaugurated in Antananarivo,

Madagascar
Indian High Commissioner to Madagascar Abhay Kumar and Antananariv’s Mayor Lalao
Ravalomanana jointly inaugurated a restored commemorative plaque of the Mahatma Gandhi
road in Antananarivo, Madagascar to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It was
named after the father of the nation in 1969.
i. An exhibition of photographs is hosted by the embassy in front of the building capturing the
important events from Gandhi’s life and his messages.
Indonesia chooses East Borneo Island for its new capital

On August 26, 2019, The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo stated that the government has chosen
sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on forested Borneo island, known for orangutans for
its new capital. The current capital of Jakarta, overcrowded ( home to more than 10 million people), sits
on watery land. Parts of the city are sinking by as much as 25cm a year and almost half now sits below
sea level.
Key points:
i. The proposed location, not named yet, is close to the regional cities Balikpapan and Samarinda which
is located in the geographical center of the South East Asian Islands and there is a ‘minimum’ risk of
natural disaster .
ii. The new location (home to only 3.5 million people) has 180,000 hectares (444,780-acre) of land and
is surrounded by Kutai National Park, known for orangutans and other primates and mammals.
iii. About 466 trillion rupiah ($32.5 billion) will be spent on this project, of which 19% will come from
the State budget and the rest will be funded by cooperation between the government and business
entities and by direct investment by state-run companies and the private sector.
VISITS
Indian Visits
State Visit of Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia to India (August 20-
22, 2019)
Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia visited India on a State Visit at the
invitation of Hon’ble President Shri Ram Nath Kovind from 20-22 August 2019. He was accompanied by
a high-level delegation including Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Joseph Malanji; Minister for
Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr. Christopher Yaluma; Minister for Mines and Mineral Development
Mr. Richard Musukwa; Presidential Affairs Minister, Mr. Freedom Sikazwe and senior Government
officials. It was the first visit at the level of Head of State from Africa after formation of the new
Government and the first-ever visit of President Lungu to India.
Guard of Honour
President of Zambia, Edgar Chagwa Lungu was accorded a Guard of Honour on his arrival to India.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed him at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) signed

6 MoUs were exchanged between India and Zambia in the following fields:
Name of the MoU Exchanged on the Zambian Exchanged on the Indian

side by side by
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Hon. Richard Musukwa, Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister of
Geology and Mineral Resources of Mines and Minerals Resources Parliamentary Affairs, Coals
and Mines
MoU on cooperation in the field of Hon. Joseph Malanji, Minister of Shri V. Muraleedharan,
Defence Foreign Affairs MOS in the Ministry of
External Affairs
MoU on cooperation in the field of Hon. Joseph Malanji, Minister of Shri V. Muraleedharan,
Arts & Culture Foreign Affairs MOS in the Ministry of
External Affairs
MoU between Foreign Service Hon. Joseph Malanji, Minister of Shri V. Muraleedharan,
Institute of India and Zambian Foreign Affairs MOS in the Ministry of
Institute of Diplomacy and External Affairs
International Studies
MoU on EVBAB Network Project Hon. Joseph Malanji, Minister of Shri V. Muraleedharan,
Foreign Affairs MOS in the Ministry of
External Affairs
MoU between Election Commission Hon. Justice Esau Chulu, Shri V. Muraleedharan,
of India and Electoral Commission Chairperson, Electoral MOS in the Ministry of
of Zambia Commission of Zambia External Affairs
India- Zambia Business Forum 2019
President Lungu participated in an India- Zambia Business Forum 2019 which was held in New
Delhi.
Zambia seeks investments from India in various sectors
i.Zambia President Edgar Chagwa Lungu sought investments from India in various sectors including
agriculture, information and communications technology (ICT), and manufacturing with a view to
increase economic ties between the nations. There is huge potential in areas including agriculture, agro-
processing, tourism, construction, and manufacturing.
ii.At the business session organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Zambian Trade
Minister Christopher Yaluma assured that Indian investments would be fully protected in his country.
iii.The two-way trade between the countries increased to $830 million in 2018-19 from $769 million in
2017-18.
iv.The current bilateral trade between the countries is quite moderate.
Development cooperation is key pillar of India-Zambia partnership: President Kovind
The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind received the Zambian President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu
at Rashtrapati Bhavan and also hosted a banquet in his honor. In his addresses, president pointed out
the following points:
i.Development cooperation is a key pillar of India-Zambia partnership.
ii.Indian Companies are looking at new investment opportunities in the mining, health, infrastructure
and energy sectors.
iii.India's tele-education and telemedicine expertise would create new opportunities for the youth in
Zambia.
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Bilateral Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa
Lungu.
ii.They reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and covered issues of bilateral, regional and
international interest.
iii.Focus was on cooperation in defence, security, geology and mineral resources, energy, health,
education, infrastructure, culture, trade and investment-related issues.
Foreign Visits
Overview of President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Benin, Gambia and Guinea
President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind visited Benin, The Gambia and Guinea from 28 July to 3
August, 2019. It was the first ever visit of the Head of State/Head of Government of India to all 3
countries. The President was accompanied by Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State for Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises/ Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and Member of Parliament
Shri. Dilip Ghosh. It was the President’s fourth visit to the African Continent. The visit was undertaken
to further deepen the Indian relations with the African nations.
President’s visit to Benin (July 28-30, 2019)
President Ram Nath Kovind arrived at the Cardinal Bernadine de Cotonou International Airport in
Cotonou, Benin on the first leg of his three nations’ tour to the West African region where he was
received by Benin’s Foreign Minister Aurelien Agbenonci.
India offers $100 Mn Financial Aid to Benin
• President announced fresh Line of Credit (LoC) worth $100 million for developmental projects
in Benin. It will help to meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• He also announced extension of e-visa facility to Benin.
• India offered to extend free tele-education courses to 15,000 Beninese students and tele-
medicine courses to 1000 doctors and paramedics in Africa.
MoUs signed
India and Benin signed 4 Memorandum of Understandings (Mous) in the following fields:
• Cultural Exchange Programme between the two countries for the years 2019-2023.
• MOU on Cooperation in the field of Export Credit and Investment Insurance.
• MOU between Benin & Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) for participation
in the e- VBAB Network Project (Technology upgradation of Pan Africa e-Network Project
(PAeNP)- Phase-I) of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
• Agreement on mutual exemption from the visa requirement for holders of Diplomatic,
Official/Service Passports.
Talks/Meetings/Addresses
• Beninese President: President Ram Nath Kovind held talks with his Beninese
counterpart Patrice Talon at the Presidential Palace of the Marina in Cotonou. The two sides
discussed on defence and security cooperation and India offered further training assistance to
Benin to expand its anti-piracy capacity.
• Indian Community: President met the Indian Community members in Cotonou. India has
decided to open 18 new embassies in Africa, seven of them in West Africa. India is Benin’s
largest trading partner and nearly 100 Indian or Indian-owned companies are operating in the
country.
• President also addressed the gathering at the National Assembly of the Republic of Benin.
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• India offered tele-education programme, E-Vidya-bharati, and tele-medicine project, E-Aarogya-

bharati, to skill and train the youth in Benin.
President’s visit to Gambia (July 30- August 1, 2019)
On the second leg of his three-nation tour, President Ram Nath Kovind arrived at the Banjul Airport,
Gambia where he was received by the President of the Gambia, Mr Adama Barrow and was accorded a
ceremonial welcome.
Talks/Meetings/Addresses
• Gambian President: President held talks with his Gambian counterpart Mr Adama Barrow in
Banjul, Gambia. President Kovind received the Instrument of Ratification of the International
Solar Alliance Framework Agreement from the Gambian President.
• India is among the top trading partners of the Gambia. The bilateral trade in 2018-19 crossed
$200 million, representing an increase of nearly 100% in the last two years.
• President addressed the National Assembly of the Gambia.
• He also attended the Indian Community Reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Senegal
and Gambia, Shri Rajeev Kumar.
Inaugurations
President inaugurated the exhibitions on Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi at the Ebunjan Theatre in the
Gambia to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Khadi samples for the
exhibitions were provided by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), while that for the
Gandhi exhibitions were provided by the Gandhi Smriti.
5 lakh dollar Assistance to Gambia
• India offered the Gambia a grant of $500,000 in support of skill development and cottage
industry project.
• India has provided concessional lines of credit worth $78.5 million to support programs of rural
development, agriculture, drinking water, healthcare and setting up physical infrastructure of
the Gambia. Another line of credit of $92 million was extended.
MoU signed
• The two sides signed and exchanged an MOU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems
of Medicine and Homeopathy.
India is the fifth largest investor in Africa
• India has become the fifth largest investor in Africa with cumulative investment at over $54
billion.
• South Asia, the African Continent is the largest recipient of Indian overseas assistance.
• India is opening 18 new missions in the Africa region, of which 7 will be in West Africa.
President’s visit to Guinea (August 1-3, 2019)
On the final leg of his three-nation tour, President Ram Nath Kovind arrived at the Conakry Gbessia
International Airport where he was received by President of Guinea Alpha Conde along with other
dignitaries and was accorded a ceremonial welcome with military honour.
President honoured with ‘The National Order of Merit’
The President of Guinea, Alpha Condé conferred ‘The National Order of Merit’, its highest award to
President Ram Nath Kovind. He was awarded for his contribution to overall relations and development
of mutual cooperation between India and Guinea.
MoUs signed
India and Guinea signed 3 MoUs in the following fields:
• MoU between the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the Government of the Republic of
India on cooperation in the field of traditional system of medicine and homeopathy.
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• MoU between the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the Telecommunications
Consultants India Limited for Participation in the e-VBAB Network Project.
• MoU between the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the Government of the Republic of
India on cooperation in the field of renewable energy.
$170 million Assistance to Guinea
• India extended a new Line of Credit (LoC) of $170 million for Conakry Water Supply Project.
• India has provided financial assistance for projects identified by Guinea in the energy, health and
transportation sectors, including regional hospitals projects.
• President Conde appreciated the concessional LoC of $35 million from India to Guinea for the
construction of two regional hospitals.
Support to India’s Non-Permanent Membership at UNSC
Guinea expressed its support for India’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2021-2022.
Bilateral talks/Meetings
• President of India held talks with the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé.
• India and Guinea expressed their support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement
(COP21) and reaffirmed their commitment to promote renewable energy through the
International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the African Renewable Energy Initiative (IAER).
• Both leaders expressed their deep concern over the rise of extremism and terrorism around the
world, and called for the need for heightened international efforts to combat terrorism and
emphasized the need for the early adoption of the “Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism” in the United Nations.
• India and Guinea emphasized the importance of the implementation of 2 solar projects in
Guinea, which will be funded by India’s Lines of Credit (LoC) valued $14.4 million and $5.82
million. The first is for a ‘Solar Project for Supply of Electricity and Drinking Water for seven
Public Universities’ and the latter is for a ‘Solar Project for Electrification and Refrigeration in
200 Health Infrastructures in Guinea’.
• President Kovind also held interactions with the Indian community in Conakry, Guinea.
Overview of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, visit to Bangkok, Thailand

External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. S. Jaishankar visited ( 2-day- August 1,2,2019 )Bangkok,
Thailand during which he had 18 bilateral meetings, 5 pull-asides and participated in 4
multilateral meets.
i. On August 1,2019 The ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations )-India Ministerial Meeting
2019 was held in Bangkok, Thailand co-chaired by Jai shankar and his Thai counterpart H.E. Don
Pramudwinai.
ii. On August 1,2019, The 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting was held in
Bangkok, Thailand co-chaired by Jaishankar and H. E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
iii. On August 2,2019, The 26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was held in Bangkok, Thailand chaired by
H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. The forum is
attended by foreign ministers of ASEAN and dialogue partners, along with representatives of observer
countries. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar led the India’s delegation to the event
External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. S. Jaishankar visited ( 2-day- August 1,2,2019 )Bangkok,
Thailandduring which he had 18 bilateral meetings, 5 pull-asides and participated in 4
multilateral meets.
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Aim:
The focus bilateral and multilateral meets was on the Indo Pacific, terror and India’s Act East policy.
4 multilateral meets:
It includes ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (EAS
FMM), 26thASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial
Meeting.
ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting 2019
On August 1,2019 The ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations )-India Ministerial Meeting 2019
was held in Bangkok, Thailand co-chaired by Jai shankar and his Thai counterpart H.E. Don
Pramudwinai.
i. The meet reviewed the progress in the implementation of decisions taken by the Leaders of ASEAN
Member States (AMS) and India at during the 25th Anniversary ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit
2018 which was held in New Delhi on 25 January 2018
ii. They also reviewed the progress of the decisions arrived at the Informal ASEAN-India Breakfast
Summit held in Singapore on November 15,2018 as also the progress in the implementation of the
ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2016-2020).
EAM S Jaishankar focusses on furthering ASEAN-India strategic partnership
EAM Jaishankar highlighted methods & resources of further strengthening the ASEAN-India Strategic
Partnership in the Indo-Pacific region at the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meet.
About ASEAN:
It is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation among its ten
members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting 2019
On August 1,2019, The 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting was held in
Bangkok, Thailand co-chaired by Jaishankar and H. E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Meeting was preceded by 11th MGC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on 9 July 2019 held in New
Delhi.
In the MCG Ministerial Meet, new MGC Plan of Action (2019-2022) was adopted that envisages
project-based cooperation in the areas of MGC cooperation such as tourism and culture, education,
public health and traditional medicine, agriculture and allied sectors, transport and communication,
MSMEs,water resources management, science and technology, skill development and capacity building.
key political, economic and security issues of the Indo-Pacific region were discussed during the meet.
The participated Ministers agreed to hold the 11th MGC Ministerial Meeting on the margins of ASEAN
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 2020 in Viet Nam.
About MGC:
It is sub-regional cooperation organisation comprising India and five ASEAN countries, namely,
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) 2019
On August 2,2019, The 26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was held in Bangkok, Thailand chaired by
H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. The forum is
attended by foreign ministers of ASEAN and dialogue partners, along with representatives of observer
countries. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar led the India’s delegation to the event.
Jaishankar bats for collective action to secure Indo-Pacific at ARF
In the event, EAM enumerated India’s Indo-Pacific vision of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based
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Indo-Pacific, which was elaborated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his address at the Shangri
La Dialogue in Singapore in June 2018.
Bilateral Meetings:
EAM also held a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN-
related multilateral meetings.
EAM , Jaishankar Discusses Bilateral Ties With New Zealand, Thai Counterparts
On August 1,2019, External Affairs Minister(EAM) S Jaishankar discussed a stock of key issues,
including Indo-Pacific and maritime partnership with his Thailand(Don Pramudwinai) and New
Zealand(Winston Peters. )counterparts in Bangkok, Thailand .
Jaishankar Holds series of Bilateral Meetings with Counterparts from China, Japan focusing on
Further Partnership with ASEAN Nations
On August 1,2019, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with his
counterparts from China(Wang Yi), Japan(Taro Kono ), Britain(Dominic Raab) in Bangkok,
Thailand, where they discussed a host of key issues, including Indo-Pacific and maritime partnership.
EAM holds talks with Japanese counterpart, EU diplomat in Bangkok
On August 1,2019, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Japanese counterpart
(Taro Kono) and European Union(EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
(Federica Mogherini) in Bangkok, Thailand, where they discussed the bilateral cooperation in various
areas between the two countries.
EAM holds bilateral meet with British, Indonesian counterparts in Bangkok
On August 1,2019, External affairs minister S. Jaishankar met his British(Dominic
Raab) and Indonesian(Retno Marsudi) counterparts at the Bangkok Convention Centre in Thailand ,
where they discussed future cooperation between the two countries each.
Jaishankar hold talks with Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mongolian, Bangladeshi counterparts
On August 2,2019, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with
his counterparts from Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Timor Leste and Bangladesh in Bangkok,
Thailand during which he discussed a stock of key issues, including the fight against terrorism.
Talks on Kashmir to be only with Pakistan: S Jaishankar to Mike Pompeo
On August 2,2019, External affairs minister S Jaishankar responded to US President Donald Trump’s
offer to mediate again on Kashmir issue by conveying to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in clear
terms that any talks to resolve the Kashmir dispute can only be held between India and Pakistan
(bilaterally)and will not invite 3rd party mediation at the meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
Background:
i. The meeting was the second between the Jaishankar& Pompeo , while the 1st took place in New Delhi
in June,2019.
ii. Trump claimed the Prime minister Modi, during a meeting in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20
summit, had sought US mediation or arbitration in the Kashmir dispute.
Overview of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visit to Beijing, China

External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited(3-day from August
11 to 13,2019)Beijing, China during which he had bilateral meetings with his counterpart Foreign
Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi, Vice President Wang Qishan, 4th meeting of the India-China
Media Forum on cultural and people-to-people exchanges & signed 5 MoUs(memorandum of
understanding) during the visit.
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Aim:
To focus on the gamut of issues relating to the international situation, regional aspects, and the future
India-China bilateral relations.
4th India-China Media Forum 2019 held in Beijing, China
On August 12, 2019, 4th India-China Media Forum was held in Beijing, China has brought the important
stakeholders and opinion makers from the two countries, attended by members of the Indian and
Chinese media.
External Affairs Minister’s Remarks at the 4th India-China Media Forum
i. EAM Jaishankar stated that the leaders of the 2 countries had agreed that “ Differences shouldn’t
become disputes”, which come after the china refrained to Ladakh being made a Union Territory and
asked the India& Pakistan to avoid action that increases bilateral tension.
2nd Meeting of China-India High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges
Held in Beijing, China
On August 12, 2019, The 2nd Meeting of China-India High-Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-
People Exchanges Held in Beijing, China co-chaired by Jai Shankar and his counterpart Wang Yi, State
Councilor and Foreign Minister.
i. The meet reviewed the progress in the implementation of decisions on areas of education, culture and
cultural relics protection, tourism, media, youth, sports, locality, film, and television, think tank and
traditional medicine taken in the inaugural meeting of High-Level Mechanism which was held in New
Delhi in 2018.
ii. The meet discussed new proposals and ideas to further promote such exchanges & the two sides
agreed to organize 100 activities to further strengthen our people-to-people ties.
iii. The two sides jointly signed the action plan for exchanges and cooperation between the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs of China and India in 2020 and signed of bilateral cooperation documents in people-to-
people and cultural fields including culture, sports, traditional medicine, and museums.
List of MoUs signed during the visit of External Affairs Minister to China
S.No MoU signed Representative Representative Signing from Chinese Side

between Signing from
India and Indian Side
China
1 Plan of Action Dr. S Jaishankar, Mr. Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of PRC
to Implement External Affairs
the Protocol Minister of
between the India
Ministry of
External
Affairs of the
Republic of
India and the
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
of the People’s
Republic of
China on
Cooperation in
Bilateral
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Relations,
2020
2 MoU on Sports Shri Radhey Mr. Gao Zhidan, Deputy Director-General, General Administration of
Cooperation Shyam Julaniya, Sports of China
Between the Secretary
General Sports, Govt of
Administration India
of Sports of
People’s
Republic of
China and the
Ministry of
Youth Affairs
and Sports of
the Republic of
India
3 Programme of India Shri Mr. Zhang Xu, Vice Minister, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of PRC
Cultural Vikram Misri,
Exchange Ambassador of
between the India to PRC
Government of
People’s
Republic of
China and the
National
Museum, New
Delhi,
Government of
4 MoU Between Shri Vikram Mr. Yu Wenming, Director General, National Administration of
National Misri, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Administration Ambassador of
of Traditional India to PRC
Chinese
Medicine of
the People’s
Republic of
China and
Ministry of
Ayush of the
Republic of
India
concerning
cooperation in
Traditional
Medicine
5 MoU Between Shri Vikram Mr. Fangqin, Curator, Hubei Provincial Museum, PRC
Hubei Misri,
Provincial Ambassador of
Museum, India to PRC
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People’s
Republic of
China and the
National
Museum, New
Delhi,
Government of
India
India-China Film Week inaugurated by S Jaishankar in Beijing, China

On August 12,2019 , in a bid to strengthen people to people connection and cultural activities between
the India and China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on
jointly inaugurated the 'India-China Film Week' in Beijing, China, that marks the commemoration of 100
activities that would be organised in the future in the areas of film, broadcasting, education, among
others.
J&K move won’t impact Line of Actual Control: Jai Shanker to China
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated to Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the ‘bifurcation of
J&K(Jammu &Kashmir) is India's internal matter and has "no implication for either the external
boundaries of India or the Line of Actual Control with China’. India is "not raising any additional
territorial claims" and that China's concerns are "misplaced".
China promises to address India's concern over the ballooning trade deficit
EAM Jaishanker expressed concern over India’s ballooning trade deficit in bilateral trade. He asked to
access India’s Pharmaceutical & IT(Information Technology) products in the Chinese market.
i. China promised to address India's growing concerns over the trade deficit and suggested expanding
cooperation in areas like industrial production, tourism, and border trade to achieve "overall balance"
in bilateral commercial relations.
Meeting with Chinese Delegation
Jaishankar meets China Vice President Wang Qishan &discusses ways to strengthen bilateral
ties
EAM Jaishankar met the Vice President Wang Qishan & discussed the evolving global situation and the
larger rebalancing that reflects the rise of India and China as two large developing countries.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal lead a delegation to Vladivostok, Russia
Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Piyush Goyal led a high-power delegation to explore the
opportunities for enhancing trade and investment from India to the Far East region of Russia
at Vladivostok, Russia from August 11-13, 2019. His visit is a precursor to the upcoming visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for the 5thedition of the Eastern Economic Forum in September, 2019 where
PM will be the guest of honour.
Agencies responsible
The event was the result of collaboration between Invest India and Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on the Indian side, and the Ministry for the Development of the
Russian Far East and Arctic under the leadership of Alexander Kozlov and the Far East Investment and
Export Promotion Agency on the Russian side.
Participants
i.Indian delegation: The delegation included the Chief Ministers of Goa (Pramod Sawant), Gujarat
(Vijay Rupani), Haryana (Manohar Lal Khattar), and Uttar Pradesh (Yogi Adityanath) and an official
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from the State of Assam. The Chief Ministers of States were accompanied by business delegations who
engaged with officials and businessmen from the provinces in Russia’s easternmost territory.
ii. Russian delegation: About 200 Russian companies, Investment Agencies and Funds took part from
the Russian side.
Fields
The Indian delegation included more than 125 representatives from business stakeholders, who
interacted with Russian counterparts on opportunities in the mining and processing of diamonds and
other rare metals, railways, agriculture, fisheries and food processing, oil and gas, forestry and timber,
coal and power, ceramics, tourism, ship building, technical education, healthcare, and pharma sectors
and Ayurveda.
Achievement of Trade target of $30 billion by 2025
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Trutnev and Commerce Minister of India Piyush Goyal underlined
the need to diversify and deepen trade links in priority sectors, in order to meet the trade target of $30
billion by 2025. In 2018-19, the bilateral trade between the countries stood at $8.3 billion.
MoUs
i. The Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed in the areas of trade, economy, investment,
scientific and technical cooperation by India & Russia.
ii. An MoU was signed between Amity University and Far East Federal University to enhance
relations and develop academic and cultural exchange in the areas of education and research.
iii. An agreement was concluded on the establishment of the representative offices, the Centre for
Yoga, and the Pushkin Centre for Russian Language and Cultural Studies.
iv. MoU on skill development was signed between National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
and Far East Investment and Export Agency.
Invitations/ Addresses
i. Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar delivered his address in Russian language and invited
Russian investors to Gurugram and Haryana. He addressed a session on oil and gas.
ii. Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, extended an invitation to Russian businessmen to actively
participate in the upcoming ‘Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit’. He talked about minerals, metals,
rare-earths, and fisheries with the representatives of both countries.
iii. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath emphasized on collaboration in the field of
agriculture, renewable energy and food-processing.
iv. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani spoke in particular of the possibilities of collaboration in gold
and diamond mining, and application of the latest technology for utilization of natural resources.
Meetings
i. Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal met Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yury Trutnev
and discussed the potential areas of cooperation in Russia’s Far East Region.
ii. He also met Russia’s Far East Minister Alexander Kozlov and the Governor of Primorye Oleg
Kozhemyako and held discussions on investment, economic opportunities and trade.
About Russia:
♦ Russia ranks first in the world for oil and natural gas production, exports of steel, primary aluminum
and nitrogen fertilizers.
♦ It is the largest in terms of reserves of tin, zinc, titanium, niobium, nickel, iron ore, drinking water,
natural gas, wood, diamonds and silver.
♦ It has the longest railways in the world- the Trans-Siberian Railway of 87,157 kilometers.
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Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Visit to Bhutan

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi made a State Visit to Bhutan on August 17-18, 2019,
at the invitation of Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering. He was on his second visit to Bhutan
and the first since his re-election as the Prime Minister (PM) of India.
Arrival
Prime Minister Modi arrived at the Paro International Airport where he was received by his
Bhutanese counterpart Dr. Lotay Tshering.
Guard Of Honour
Prime Minister Modi received a guard of honour at the Tashichhoedzong Palace, Thimphu, Bhutan.
There was a traditional Chipdrel procession and a welcome ceremony.
Inauguration of Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Plant
• PM inaugurated the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant, one of the major projects under
Bhutan’s initiative to generate 10,000 MW (Megawatt) hydropower by 2020 with the Indian
government’s support. It is estimated to generate 2,923 GWh (Gigawatt Hour) of electricity.
• The project was funded by India through a 70% loan and 30% grant. It is a 720MW run-of-river
power plant built on the Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of central Bhutan.
• The cost of the hydroelectric plant project is Rs 4,500-crore.
• It was developed by the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority (MHPA), which was jointly
constituted by the Indian and the Bhutanese governments.
Launch of stamps
The prime ministers of India & Bhutan jointly launched stamps to commemorate 5 decades of India-
Bhutan Hydropower cooperation.
Space Research
Both leaders jointly inaugurated the Ground Earth Station and SATCOM network, developed with
assistance from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for utilization of South Asia Satellite in
Bhutan.
RuPay in Bhutan
• PM launched RuPay Card in Bhutan by making a purchase at Simtokha Dzong which functions as
a monastic and administrative centre and is one of the oldest dzongs in Bhutan.
• On increasing the currency swap limit for Bhutan under the SAARC (South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation) currency swap framework, PM said India’s approach is “positive”, adding
that an additional $100 million will be available to Bhutan under a standby swap arrangement
to meet the foreign exchange requirement.
Education
The two leaders unveiled e-plaque of the interconnection between India’s National Knowledge Network
and Bhutan’s Druk Research and Education Network.
MoUs signed
9 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and 1 power purchase agreement were exchanged between
India and Bhutan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Dr.
Lotay Tshering at the Semtokha Dzong, Bhutan.
Name of the MoU/Agreement Signatories from Indian Side Signatories
from Bhutanese
Side
MoU between ISRO of the Director, SATCOM-PO, ISRO HQ, Director, DITT,
Government of the Republic of Department of Space Ministry of
India and Department of Information and
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Information Technology and Communications

Telecom (DITT) of the Royal
Government of Bhutan on the
establishment of SATCOM Network
for the Utilization of South Asia
Satellite
MoU between the Air Accident Mr. Aurobindo Handa, Director- Mr. Pemba
Investigation Unit (AAIU), Ministry General, Aircraft Accident and Wangchuk,
of Information and Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Acting Secretary,
Communications, Royal Ministry of Civil Aviation Ministry of
Government of Bhutan, and Information &
Aircraft Accident Investigation Communications
Bureau, Ministry of Civil Aviation,
Republic of India on cooperation
Relating to Aircraft Accident and
Incident Investigation
MoU between National Knowledge R.S. Mani, Project Director, National Mr. Jigme Tenzin,
Network of India (NKN), National Knowledge Network Director, DITT,
Information Center, Ministry of Ministry of
Electronics and Information Information &
Technology and Department of Communications
Information Technology & Telecom
Druk Research and Education
Network on Peering Agreement
Power Purchase Agreement Deepak Amitabh, Chairman and Dasho Chhewang
Between PTC India Limited and Managing Director, PTC India Rinzin, Managing
Druk Green Power Corporation Limited Director, Druk
Limited for Sale and Purchase of Green Power
Mangdechhu Power Corporation
Limited
MoU between Bhutan National Ms. Ruchira Kamboj, Ambassador of Hon. Mr. Judge
Legal Institute and National India to Bhutan Lobzang Rinzin
Judicial Academy, Bhopal, on Yargay, Director-
cooperation in Judicial Education General, Bhutan
and Mutual Exchanges National Legal
Institute
MoU between Jigme Singye Prof. (Dr.) MK Ramesh, Vice Mr. Sangay
Wangchuck School of Law, Chancellor (FAC) Dorjee, Dean,
Thimphu, Bhutan, and National Jigme Singye
Law School of India University, Wangchuck
Bangalore, India, on enhancing School of Law
relations between the two parties
and seeking to develop academic
and cultural interchange in the
areas of legal education and
research
MoU between the Royal University Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, Mr. Nidup Dorji,
of Bhutan and Indian Institute of Institute of Technology, Kanpur Vice Chancellor,
Technology, Kanpur to focus on Royal University
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STEM (Science, technology, of Bhutan

engineering, and mathematics)
MoU between the Royal University Prof. Subhasis Chaudhari, Director, Mr. Nidup Dorji,
of Bhutan and Indian Institute of Indian Institute of Technology, Vice Chancellor,
Technology, Bombay to focus on Bombay Royal University
MoU between the Royal University Sivaji Bandyopadhyay, Director, Mr. Nidup Dorji,
of Bhutan and National Institute of National Institute of Technology, Vice Chancellor,
Technology, Silchar to focus on Silchar Royal University
MoU between the Royal University Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Indian Mr. Nidup Dorji,
of Bhutan and Indian Institute of Institute of Technology, Delhi Vice Chancellor,
Technology, Delhi to focus on Royal University
PM planted sapling at Bhutan’s historic Simtoka Dzong
PM planted a Cypress tree sapling at the historic Simtoka Dzong in the presence of his Bhutanese
counterpart Dr Lotay Tshering. Simtoka Dzong is one of the oldest fortress in the Himalayan nation and
functions as a monastic and administrative centre. It was built in 1629 by Shabdrung Namgyal, a
Tibetan Buddhist lama who is regarded as the unifier of Bhutan as a nation-state. PM met a group of
monks and prayed at the Simtokha Dzong in Semtokha.
Addresses/Visits
• According to the PM, India-Bhutan partnership is of a special character and substance and forms
an important pillar of Government of India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
• The two countries enjoy excellent bilateral ties exemplified by extensive development
partnership, mutually beneficial hydro-power co-operation and strong trade and economic
linkages.
• He addressed the students at Royal University of Bhutan, Thimphu. In his speech, he stated that
India is home to the world’s largest health-care programme, Ayushman Bharat that offers health
assurance to 500 million Indians. He emphasized that New Delhi and Thimphu are “natural
partners” in bringing prosperity to their people.
• He visited the National Memorial Chorten, a revered monument honouring the late Third Druk
Gyalpo.
Bilateral talks
• PM held wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Dr. Lotay Tshering and discussed
steps to further expand the bilateral partnership across several sectors.
• PM called on Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and exchanged views on
taking the exemplary India-Bhutan partnership forward.
• PM met Bhutan’s Leader of Opposition Pema Gyamtsho and the two leaders discussed the
issues of bilateral interests.
Overview of Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu’s three nation tour to Lithuania, Latvia &
Estonia
Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu went on a visit to 3 Baltic nations Lithuania, Latvia
and Estonia from August 17-21, 2019 to enhance India’s bilateral ties with each of the three countries
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and help in promoting people-to-people contacts and business opportunities. He was the first high-
level dignitary from India to visit the three countries. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation
including Shri Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD),
Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Smt. Ranee Narah, Member of Parliament,
Rajya Sabha, Shri Manas Ranjan Bhunia, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Shri Ramesh Bidhuri,
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and senior officers of the Government of India.
Visit to Lithuania (August 17-19, 2019)
On the arrival of the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at Vilnius, Lithuania, he was
received by Mr. Linas Linkevicius, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Julius Pranevicius, Ambassador of the
Republic of Lithuania to India, Shri Tsewang Namgyal, Ambassador of India to Poland & Lithuania &
others.
Guard of Honour
On the arrival at the Presidential Palace, Vice president was welcomed by Mr. Gitanas Nauseda,
President of the Republic of Lithuania. He also received the guard of honour.
Addresses
Vice president addressed the Indian community at Vilnius, Lithuania. He said that the business
sentiment following the numerous initiatives implemented by the Government of India was positive
and upbeat. “The New India’s mantra is “Reform, Perform and Transform”. He spoke on Make in India
campaign, Smart Cities, Digital India and Skill India Missions and the successful launch of ‘Chadrayaan
2’. Lithuania could be an important technology partner for India.
India Lithuania Business Forum 2019
Vice President addressed the India Lithuania Business Forum 2019 in Vilnius, Lithuania. He invited
a Business delegation from Lithuania to participate in India Europe Business Forum 2019.
‘History of Lithuania’ in Hindi presented to Vice President
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu received a copy of the book ‘History of Lithuania’ in Hindi. He
expressed his appreciation for the publication- Comparative Dictionary of 108 Common Lithuanian and
Sanskrit words.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
The Lithuanian President and the Indian Vice President witnessed the signing of two agreements on
Agriculture and Allied sectors and Cultural Exchange Program from 2019-21.
At Kaunas Town Hall, Lithuania
i. At Kaunas Town Hall in Lithuania, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was received by Mayor of
Kaunas City, Mr. Visvaldas Matijosaitis. Historical Town Hall in Kaunas is often referred to as
the White Swan.
ii. He attended a photo exhibition at the Kaunas Town Hall and also addressed the gathering.
iii. He visited the Santaka Valley of Kaunas University of Technology at Kaunas.
Bilateral talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda
i. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu held talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and
discussed important aspects of bilateral relationship as well as global and regional issues of common
interest.
ii. He also briefed the Lithuanian President on the recent decision of the Indian Government to abrogate
Article 370 of the Constitution that conferred special status upon Jammu and Kashmir.
iii. He stressed the need of collective action from all countries to tackle terrorism and also to isolate
those nations who aid and abet terror
Visit to Latvia (August 19-20, 2019)
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was received by Mr. Andris Teikmanis, Head of Chancery of the
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President of Latvia, Ms.Monika Kapil Mohta, Ambassador of India to Sweden & Latvia, Mr. Artis Bertulis,
Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to India & others in Riga, Latvia.
Addresses
i. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu addressed the Indian community in Latvia. He stressed that India is
committed to bolstering its bilateral and diplomatic relations with Latvia in all segments including
academics, culture, investment, and business.
ii. India and Latvia can become important partners as the “world economy progresses towards the 4th
Industrial Revolution.
iii. He invited the diaspora youth to connect with India through programs like ‘Know India’.
India-Latvia Business Forum 2019
He addressed the India-Latvia Business Forum 2019 in Riga, Latvia. It was organised by the Latvian
Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) and other agencies.
Tributes/Visits/Inaugurations
i. Vice president paid tributes to the heroes of Latvia’s struggle for independence by laying a wreath on
theFreedom Monument in Riga. He was accompanied by the President of Latvia, Mr. Egils Levits
ii. He visited the National History Museum in Riga, Latvia.
iii. He unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Latvia’s prestigious National Library.
Bilateral talks
i. Vice president held bilateral talks with the prime minister of Latvia, Mr. Krisjanis Karins to boost
trade and investment cooperation.
ii. He held bilateral talks with the President of Latvia, Mr. Egils Levits. They committed to take the
relations between both the countries to a higher level with the focus on culture, education and
economic partnership.
iii. He held a meeting with Ms Inese Libina-Egnere, Acting Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia.
Visit to Estonia (August 20-21, 2019)
Vice President was received by Ms.Vani Rao, Ambassador of India to Finland and Estonia, Ms. Katrin
Kivi, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to India and Mr. Lauri Bambus, Chief of State Protocol,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others in Tallinn, Estonia.
Guard of Honour
He was welcomed by Ms. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia at the Kadriorg
(Presidential Palace) in Tallinn. He also received the guard of honour.
Invitation
Vice President invited the Estonian government to participate actively in the forthcoming India-
Europe 29 Business Forum 2019 to be held on 20-21 November, 2019 in New Delhi which is a
focussed event for strengthening cooperation between India & the 29 countries of Europe.
India-Estonia Business Forum 2019
He addressed the India-Estonia Business Forum 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. The bilateral trade between
India & Estonia is growing and stands at $172 million at present.
Addresses/Tributes
i. He addressed the members of the Indian Community of Estonia in Tallinn.
ii. He paid tributes to the champions of the Estonian Struggle for Independence at the Vabaduse väljak
(Vabaduse Square) in Tallinn, Estonia.
3 MoUs signed
Both countries exchanged MoUs on cooperation in the field of e-governance and emerging digital
technologies and cooperation in the area of CyberSecurity. It was signed between Estonian Information
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System Authority (RIA) and India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Other two
accords are:
• Exemption of diplomatic passports from the visa requirement with the Estonian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
• Cooperation memorandum on e-governance with the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Communications.
Bilateral talks
i. Vice President held bilateral talks with Ms. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia.
They agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce, especially IT, e-governance,
cyber security, innovation and education.
ii. He held a meeting with Mr. Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia at Stenbock House
in Tallinn.
iii. He held a meeting with Mr. Henn Polluaas, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament) of the Republic
of Estonia, in Tallinn.
Overview of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visit to Bangladesh

External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has made a two-day visit to
Bangladesh (August 19-20, 2019) to review bilateral relations. This was Jaishankar’s first visit to
Bangladesh since he assumed office in June 2019.
Aim:
The purpose of this visit is to affirm the strong relationship between the two countries and also to
prepare for the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Hasina to India in October 2019.
Arrival:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka,
Bangladesh ,where he was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen. The visit is the
2nd high ministerial interaction between the two sides in less than a month. On August 7-8,2019
Bangladesh’s Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan held a bilateral meeting with Home Minister Amit
Shah in New Delhi.
Jaishankar paid respects to Bangladesh’s founding father
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid respects to Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur
Rahmanat the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi area of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Museum was the personal residence of Mujibur Rahman where he was assassinated in 1975
along with his family members.
• Rahman daughters, Prime Minister(PM) Sheikh Hasina & Sheikh Rehana were only survived at
that time as they were abroad.
Bilateral Talks:
EAM S Jaishankar held talks with Bangladeshi counterpart Dr. A K Abdul Menon and discussed steps
to further expand the bilateral partnership across several sectors.
• Jaishankar also affirmed India’s commitment to cooperation in sectors like energy and
infrastructure with Bangladesh. He also stated that India expects mutually acceptable formula on
water sharing of common rivers between the two countries.
• Jaishankar stated to Bangladesh’s counterpart that Assam’s citizenship register was an ‘internal
matter’ for India.
Jaishankar meets Bangladesh’s PM:
EAM S Jaishankar called on Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina and held productive discussion wherein
matters of mutual interest.
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Jaishankar described India-Bangladesh relations as a role model for other South Asian countries.
He also stated that India is looking forward to hosting Bangladesh’s PM visit in October 2019.
Overview of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visit to Nepal

External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has made a two-day visit to
Nepal(August 21-22, 2019) for participating 5th Joint Commission Meeting 2019 between two
countries. This is Jaishankar’s first visit to Nepal since he assumed office on June 2019.
Aim:
The purpose of the visit is to review bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation between India
& Nepal.
Arrival:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal,
where he was received by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, its Ambassador to India H E
Nilamber Acharya and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri.
5th India- Nepal Joint Commission meeting 2019 held in Kathmandu
On August 21, 2019, The 5th India- Nepal Joint Commission meeting 2019 was held in Kathmandu,
Nepal to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. EAM Jaishankar and his Nepalese
counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali co-chaired the meeting along with their respective delegations.
Discussion:
• The meet discussed the matters related to international, regional and sub-regional cooperation.
• The joint meeting reviewed the 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.
• The commission expressed happiness over the completion of bilateral projects, such as Motihari-
Amlekhgunj Petroleum Products Pipeline, 4 segments of Hulaki Roads & progress made in Jayanagar-
Janakpur and Jogbani-Biratnagar sections of cross-border railway projects and Integrated Check Post
in Biratnagar, Nepal.
• The 2 sides expressed satisfaction over progress in 3 new areas (Raxaul-Kathmandu Electrified Rail
Line, Inland Waterways and New Partnership in Agriculture) which were agreed during Nepal Prime
Minister K P Sharma Oli’s visit to India in April 2018. The projects included
MoU signed:
• An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed between the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) and Nepal’s Department of Food Technology and Quality Control
(DFTQC)on food safety and standards.
• A cheque amounting 2.45 billion Nepali Rupees(INR 153 crore) was also handed over to
Government of Nepal towards reimbursement for reconstruction of 50,000 houses in Nuwakot and
Gorkha districts.
• As part of the INR 500 crore commitment made by India towards strengthening the roads in the Terai
region, India also handed over a cheque of INR 80.71 crore for the construction of Hulaki Marga
(Postal Roads) in the Terai region of Nepal.
Meeting on the sidelines of the meeting
Jai Shanker meets Nepal’s Prime Minister(PM) K P Sharma Oli:
On August 22, 2019, EAM Dr. Jaishankar has paid a courtesy call to Nepal prime minister K.P. Sharma
Oli at his office and they discussed the matter of bilateral and mutual interests.
• Jaishankar has assured Oli that India wants to take India Nepal relations in new dimensions. He also
stated that India supports Nepal’s change federal republic system.
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• PM Oli has explained his friendly relations with Prime minister Narendra Modi and he stated that
Nepal wants to get benefits from the economic development of India.
EAM Jaishankar meets Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari
On August 22, 2019, EAM Dr. Jaishankar has paid a courtesy call to Nepal President Bidya Devi
Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas, Nepal.
Bilateral talks:
EAM Jaishankar held “productive discussions” with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Gyawali and
they reviewed the bilateral relations and identified priority areas for cooperation between two
countries.
Overview of External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar Visit to Russia and Hungary

External Affairs Minister(EAM) of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has paid a visit to two
nations Russia and Hungary from August 25-28, 2019 to review bilateral relations.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s visit to Hungary(August 25-27,2019)
Arrival:
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar arrived in Budapest airport on a 2 day- visit to Hungary, where he was received
by Kumar Tuhin , Ambassador of India to the Republic of Hungary, and senior officials from the
Hungarian side including Ms. Edina Pasztor, Chief of Protocol and Dr. Norbert Revai-Bere DG.
Jaishankar holds ‘productive’ meeting with Hungarian counterpart
EAM Jaishankar held talks with Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto followed by delegation-
level talks, where bilateral and multilateral issues were discussed in Budapest, Hungary.
• Jaishankar, at the invitation extended by Szijjarto, attended the Hungarian Ambassadors’
Conference. The two leaders also inked a cultural exchange programme between the two
countries.
• He stated that India is looking forward to developing ties with Hungary and Visegrad Group &
will work closely on bilateral cooperation and in the multilateral arena. The Visegrad Group is a
cultural and political alliance of 4 Central European states includes, the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Poland, and Slovakia, that are members of the European Union (EU) and NATO(North Atlantic
Treaty Organization).
• Jaishankar had also inaugurated a photo exhibition on Hungary-India relations at the Indian
Embassy situated in Budapest, celebrating the 70th anniversary of both nations’ diplomatic
relations.
Jaishankar meets Hungary deputy PM Mihaly Varga:
EAM Jaishankar further exchanges his views on the bilateral economic relations and cooperation with
the Mihaly Varga, the Hungarian finance minister and deputy prime minister(PM).
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s visit to Russia(August 27-28,2019):
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar arrived in Moscow, Russia for a two-day visit from August 27-28,2019. This was
Jaishankar’s first visit to Russia since he assumed office on June 2019.
His visit comes days ahead of the 5th Annual Eastern Economic Forum as well as the 20th Annual
Bilateral Summit between the two countries in Vladivostok, Russia from September 4 – 6,2019, where
Prime Minister Modi will be the chief guest.
EAM participates in Valdai Discussion Club interaction on the theme of India’s perspective of the
Indo-Pacific
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar participated in Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank
and discussion forum with the theme of India’s perspective of the Indo-Pacific.
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He stated that the changing world had thrown up new concepts and approaches and the Indo-Pacific
was one of them, which is India’s lifeline and also the highway for trade and prosperity.
Jaishankar hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov
• EAM Jaishankar mee his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov &they discussed regional and
international issues of mutual interest including the developments pertaining to the situation in
the Persian Gulf region and Afghanistan.
• They further advance bilateral cooperation and prepare grounds for Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s upcoming three-day visit to Vladivostok in the wake of Fifth Eastern Economic Forum
(EEF) as a chief guest.
• The talks between 2 leaders also focused on a number of specific issues, including the necessity
to intensify work on the creation of an international transport corridor North-South in the
Russia-India-Iran format.
Jaishankar unveils Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue at Indian Embassy in Moscow
EAM Jaishankar has unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the premises of the Indian embassy in
Moscow, Russia on the occasion of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
i.Gandhi was inspired by Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer-philosopher. The two leaders never met
personally in their life-line, but both shared a special bond and exchanged ideas through letters.
Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Visit to France, UAE and Bahrain and G7 Summit
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi was on a 3 nation visit to France, United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Bahrain from 22-26 August 2019. He also attended the 45th G7 Summit for the year 2019 in
Biarritz, France.
Visit to France (August 22-23, 2019)
The Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, visited France for an official visit at the invitation of the
President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron, for a Bilateral Summit in Paris. He arrived in
France on the first leg of his three-nation tour. He was received by the Minister for Europe and Foreign
Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
PM Modi inaugurates memorial in honour of victims of two Air India crashes in France
PM Modi inaugurated a memorial in honour of victims of two Air India crashes at Nid d’Aigle, at the
foot of Mount Blanc in France. Homi J Bhabha who is regarded as the father of India’s nuclear
programme was also among the passengers and crew of the 2 Air India planes that crashed in 1950 and
1966.
MoUs signed
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India with France are as follows:
• Administrative arrangement between the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship, Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of National Education
and Youth, Government of the French Republic for cooperation in Skill Development and
Vocational Training
• Memorandum of Agreement between National Institute of Solar Energy(NISE), Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy, Government of India and The French Alternative Energies and
Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)
• Cooperation Agreement between the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-
DAC), an autonomous scientific society of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
and ATOS.
• Implementing arrangement between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and CNES
(National Centre for Space Studies) France for Joint Maritime Domain Awareness.
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India, France express commitment to Freedom Of Navigation in Indo-Pacific

• France has backed India on getting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) as the two countries expressed to resolve towards freedom of navigation in the Indo-
Pacific.
• They supported an inclusive peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan which is Afghan-
led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled, leading to a lasting political solution.
• For the implementation of the White Shipping agreement, India and France welcome the
appointment of a French liaison officer at the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region
(IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, Haryana.
• France also intends to work concertedly with India at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
(IONS), over which it will preside from 2020 to 2022.
Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology
• India and France concluded a path breaking road-map to make digital technology a
transformative factor in their societies, to fight terror, to foster economic growth, sustainable
development and secure enhanced internet access which is essential to bridge the digital divide.
• France and India affirmed their commitment to an open, reliable, secure, stable and peaceful
cyberspace.
• They intend to work for the promotion of an inclusive and transparent, open Digital
environment by preserving a multi-stakeholder and multilateral approach to the Internet that
respects the interests of all stakeholders including States.
• Both countries recognised the importance of the pursuit and the deepening of the cyber dialogue
whose third edition was held in Paris on June 20, 2019, and welcomed the joint statement
adopted at its end.
• They welcomed the potential offered by the development of Artificial intelligence, particularly in
the field of sustainable development, e-governance, autonomous transportation, smart cities,
cyber security, health, education and agriculture.
• The Ministry of Economy and Finance of France and the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) of India will be nodal points to coordinate the
implementation of the Indo-French digital partnership through appropriate mechanism.
• France and India wish to develop an Indo-French research and innovation programme dedicated
to artificial intelligence. Both parties will work towards mobilising €2 million annually to fund
basic and applied research projects, scholarships for training and research, exchange of experts
and research projects, and awareness-raising measures. This consortium will meet annually as
part of the Knowledge Summit, with its first meeting to be held in Lyon in October 2019.
Rafale fighter aircraft
The first of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft will be handed over to India in September 2019. The Indian Air
Force will deploy one each squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana
and Hashimara in Bengal.
India, France Condemn Cross-Border Terrorism
• The two leaders reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations including cross-border terrorism and terror-related incidents in France and
India. They called upon all UN member countries to implement the UNSC Resolution 2462 on
Fighting Terrorist Financing adopted last March 28 and welcomed the organization in
Melbourne on November 7-8 of a new`No Money for Terror’ International Conference on
Fighting Terrorist Financing, which will build on the April 2018 Conference organized in Paris
by the French Government and the Paris Agenda.
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• The two leaders reaffirmed their support for the implementation of the Christchurch Call to
Action to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist online content adopted in Paris last May 15.
They agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in multilateral fora such as UN, GCTF, FATF,
G20. They called upon all UN member countries to implement the UNSC Resolution 1267 and
other relevant resolutions designating terrorist entities
• The leaders also agreed to work together on early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN.
Address to Indian Community in Paris
• PM addressed the Indian community at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He used several
football terminologies to highlight the ties in various spheres between the two nations.
• He talked over a number of issues including the mandate of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, climate
change and building a ‘New India’ that focuses on ease of doing business while ensuring ease of
living. He also said that India will achieve most of the climate change goals set for 2030, in the
next year and a half.
Bilateral Meetings
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron at Château de
Chantilly. He held bilateral talks with him.
• He also met his French counterpart Edouard Philippe. They discussed issues of bilateral and
mutual interests to further boost the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE) (August 23-24, 2019)
PM Modi reached UAE capital Abu Dhabi from Paris on the second leg of his three-nation tour. He was
received by Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority at Abu
Dhabi International Airport.
PM Narendra Modi launches RuPay card in Abu Dhabi
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the RuPay card in Abu Dhabi, making it the first country
in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment. He made a
special purchase through RuPay card, which he offered as ‘prasad’ at the Shreenathji Temple in
Bahrain during his visit.
• India has already launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.
6 MoUs signed
• India and United Arab Emirates signed 6 MoUs. It was signed on work practice for dependents
of members of diplomatic and consular missions.
• India signed a memorandum of bilateral currency swap agreement between Reserve Bank of
India and the Central Bank of the UAE.
• The growing relationship between the two countries will further strengthen the cooperation in
the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy between Emirates Nuclear Energy
cooperation and the global centre for nuclear energy partnership.
• MoU was signed on employment of ex-servicemen of Indian Navy in the Navy and Coast
Guard of the UAE.
• The Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis and Emirates Centre of Strategic Studies and
Research will ensure more cooperation through a memorandum of understanding.
UAE can be a valuable partner in realizing India’s five trillion dollar economy: PM
PM Modi claimed that the UAE can help India in achieving its ambitious dream of achieving a $5 trillion
economy by 2024-25.
UAE honours PM Narendra Modi with highest civilian award ‘Order Of Zayed
PM Modi was conferred with the highest civilian award of the United Arab Emirates, the “Order of
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Zayed” as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations. The
award, which is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE,
acquires special significance as it is being awarded to Modi in the birth centenary year of Sheikh Zayed.
Launch of commemorative stamp ahead of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
jointly released a commemorative stamp of Mahatma Gandhi ahead of his 150th birth anniversary.
Bilateral Meetings
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan. They discussed the full spectrum of the strong India-UAE partnership, which has been built
over generations.
Visit to Bahrain (August 24-25, 2019)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Kingdom of Bahrain which was the first-ever Prime
Ministerial visit from India to Bahrain. He was received by received by Prime Minister of Bahrain
Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Bahrain International Airport.
4 MoUs signed
The two countries signed a string of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of culture,
space, solar energy and RuPay card. This was disclosed by Secretary (Economic Relations in External
Affairs Ministry) TS Tirumurti.
PM honoured with “The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with “The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance.” It is
a recognition of India”s strong friendship with Bahrain.
PM Modi launches $4.2 mn redevelopment project of Hindu temple in Bahrain
PM launched the $4.2 million redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Lord Sri Krishna temple in
Manama. He offered prayers at the temple and also the ‘prasad’ that he bought with the RuPay card
after launching it in the UAE. This is among the oldest temples in the region and manifests the strong
ties between India and Bahrain.
Bilateral Meetings/ Addresses
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama and
held talks on various bilateral and regional issues. They discussed ways to strengthen the
friendship between India and Bahrain, with a focus on business relations and cultural exchange.
• He also held a meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa.
• PM also addressed the Indian Community in Bahrain.
45th G7 Summit for the year 2019
The 45th G7 Summit for the year 2019 was held in Biarritz, France from 24 to 26 August, 2019. The
next G7 Summit (46th) for the year 2020 will be held in the United States.
Participants
• The Core G7 Members countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom,
United States and European Union.
• Invited Guests countries were Australia, Burkina Faso, Chile, Egypt, India, Rwanda, Senegal,
South Africa and Spain.
$22 million to tackle Amazon wildfires
World leaders at the G7 summit in France pledged to spend a total amount of $22 million to fight the
raging wildfires in the Amazon in South America that are threatening the world’s biggest rainforest.
G7 might consider reinstating Russia
US President Donald Trump pressed the G7 group to reinstate Russia as a permanent member of the
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grouping. But no consensus was reached on whether or not to invite Russia to the next year’s G7
summit in the United States.
G7 leaders support Hong Kong’s autonomy
The G7 leaders confirmed the existence and importance of the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 on
Hong Kong and called for violence to be avoided.
PM Modi in G7 Summit
• PM addressed G7 Summit’s session on ‘Biodiversity, Oceans, Climate.’ He highlighted India’s
large scale efforts towards eliminating single use plastic, conserving water, harnessing solar
energy and protecting flora and fauna for a sustainable future.
• He highlighted India’s efforts in putting digital technology to use to fight social inequalities
through empowerment and inclusion during a G7 session on Digital Transformation.
Meeting on the Sidelines of G7 Summit
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio
Guterres and had fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects.
• PM held wide-ranging talks with Senegal President Macky Sall and the two leaders discussed
ways to strengthen bilateral ties in various sectors, including cooperation in combating
terrorism.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his British counterpart Boris Johnson and discussed ways
to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump. They spoke on the issue of
kashmir.
BANKING & FINANCE

RBI in News
RBI permits domestic banks to directly sell their NPAs overseas as part of one-time settlement
On July 31, 2019, India’s central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opened a new
route to allow domestic banks directly sell their non-performing assets (NPA) in manufacturing and
infrastructure sectors to investors abroad as part of the one-time settlement (OTS) on behalf of the
borrowing company.
It will allow overseas investors to take direct loan exposure to Indian corporates.
Key points:
i. ECB For defaulters: The loan defaulters are allowed to sell their assets in compliance with the OTS
exercise, in order to raise external commercial borrowing (ECB) from overseas to repay domestic
loans in the country.
ii. ECB For corporates: RBI also opened this route to Indian corporate as they can also raise long-term
loans for working capital, general corporate purposes and repaying domestic rupee loans. They can
avail of ECB facility for repayment of loans availed for capital expenditure in manufacturing and
infrastructure sector and it is classified as SMA-2 (Special Mention Accounts with outstanding not
serviced for 60 to 90 days).
iii. ECB for Banks: Lending banks too can sell off the loan assets through the assignment and recover
their dues.
iv. Benefits: It will also reduce the pressure on the NCLT(National Company Law Tribunal) under IBC
(Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code), as banks and the companies will now easily get into an OTS between
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themselves, funds for which have to be raised overseas by the defaulter/banks.

About NPA:
It is a loan that is in default or close to being in default. In most cases, debt is classified as
nonperforming when loan payments have not been made for a period of 90 days.
About RBI:
Headquarters: Mumbai
Founded: 1 April 1935
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
RBI granted Bank of China to offer regular banking services in India

On August 1, 2019, India’s central banking institution, RBI(Reserve Bank of India) has allowed Bank of
China (BoC) to provide regular bank services in India. BoC will be included in the Second Schedule
of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Key points:
i. Second schedule: All commercial banks including State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC(Housing
Development Finance Corporation) Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB)and ICICI Bank(Industrial Credit
and Investment Corporation of India) are in the second schedule. Banks in this schedule have to comply
with RBI regulations.
ii. Addition: Jan Small Finance Bank Ltd has also been included in the second schedule. Apart from
this, the name ‘Royal Bank of Scotland’ has been changed to ‘NatWest Markets Plc’.
iii. Removal: ‘National Bank of Australia’ has been removed from the bank list under the Banking
Regulation Act,1949. The bank has been excluded from the second schedule.
2nd Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934:
It contains the list of Scheduled Commercial Banks. RBI includes only those banks in this Schedule
which satisfy the criteria laid down in section 42(6)(a) of the Act. Banks not under this Schedule are
called Non-Scheduled Banks.
The two basic conditions for a bank to be a Scheduled Commercial Bank are
i. The paid-up capital of the bank should be 5 lakh and above.
ii. The bank should work in the interest of depositors.
RBI’s Money Museum in central Kolkata boost people’s knowledge of banking system
India’s central bank, RBI’s (Reserve Bank of India) Money Museum, which was opened on March 11,
2019, aims at improving people’s knowledge of the banking system with the help of interactive
displays at Council House Street in Central Kolkata, West Bengal has been drawing a lot of attention
for its special initiative.
Key Highlights:
i. The museum has a big tree made using unusable coins and demonetized notes attached with a
computer model outlining how money gets transferred to the account digitally.
ii. It also has three divided sections. It includes
• 1st section(History of Money): This section depicts the evolution of the barrier system and the
grains used as currency in medieval ages.
• 2nd section(History of Gold): It talks about gold and focuses on gold reserves in India.
• 3rd section(History of RBI): This is all about the history of RBI.
iii. The Museum remains open from 10 am to 5 pm for visitors & its printing and bond making
machines (an only machine which was used to print bonds for different states) are the eye-catching
feature of the museum.
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iv. It also has interactive games centre for children with the intention to promote financial literacy.
Rs.1.5 crore slapped on bank of India by RBI

Penalty of Rs.1.5 crore was fined on Bank of India over “non-compliance with RBI’s (Reserve Bank of
India) direction on frauds” in Rotomac group companies.
i. The penalty amount was ordered to be paid within 14 days of receipt of RBI’s order.
ii. Further 7 more banks were imposed penalty for violating norms. They are Allahabad bank (Rs.2
crore), Bank of Maharashtra (Rs.2 crore), Indian Overseas Bank ( Rs.1.5 crore), Oriental Bank of
Commerce( Rs.1crore), Union Bank of India (Rs.1.5 crore), Bank of Baroda ( Rs.1.5 crore).
Corporation bank was fine Rs.1crore for non-compliance with RBI directions on cybersecurity
Reserve Bank bars NBFCs From Charging Loan pre-payment Penalties

On August 2, 2019, The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has barred the both deposit-taking and non-
deposit taking NBFCs(Non-Banking Finance Companies) from charging pre-payment /foreclosure
charges on any floating rate term loans sanctioned for purposes other than business to individual loan
borrowers.
Key points:
i. Impact: The move will affect income line of NBFCs which are now troubling with the stock of issues
including liquidity crisis.
ii. For Banks: RBI barred commercial banks from charging such penalties from individual borrowers
with mortgage loans in May 2014. But it allows banks to charge on unsecured loans like credit cards,
personal loans.
iii. Foreclosure: The foreclosure of personal loan is the full repayment of the remaining loan amount in
one single payment instead of paying monthly installments.
About NBFC:
i. It is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 of India, engaged in the business of loans
and advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, hire-purchase insurance business but does not
include any institution whose principal business includes agriculture, industrial activity, purchase or
construction of the immovable property.
ii. The working and operations of NBFCs are regulated by the RBI.
RBI imposes fine on 9 commercial Banks for non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds
On August 3,2019, India’s central banking institution RBI(Reserve Bank of India) in exercise of the
powers conferred under various sections of the Banking Regulations Act,1949 has imposed a penalty on
nine commercial banks for violations of norms including delay on the reporting of fraud in the account
of Kingfisher Airlines by two banks (PNB,OBC).
Key points:
i. Here is the detailed table report of banks & the amounts of fine imposed by RBI.
Name of the Bank Amount of Violation
penalty
Punjab National Bank (PNB) Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting of fraud in the account of
Kingfisher Airlines.
Oriental Bank of Rs 1.5 crore Delay in reporting fraud in the account of
Commerce(OBC) Kingfisher Airlines.
United Bank of India Rs 1 crore Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
Punjab & Sind Bank Rs 1 crore Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
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State Bank of India (SBI) Rs 50 lakh Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.

Bank of Baroda(BoB) Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting fraud in an account.
Federal Bank Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting fraud in an account.
Corporation Bank Rs 1 crore Non-compliance with the directions on
cybersecurity framework and frauds classification
and reporting.
UCO Bank(United Rs 1 crore Delayed reporting of fraud.
Commercial Bank)
RBI imposes a collective penalty of Rs 11 crore on 7 public sector banks
On August 2, 2019, The Central also named seven banks for a collective fine of total Rs 11 crore for
violation of its direction on fraud classification, reporting & opening of current accounts and reporting
funds on balance sheet. The penalties have been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the
provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) with Sections 46(4)(i) and 51(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The list of 7 banks which faced penalties and the amounts include,
S.No Name of the bank Amount of penalty
(Rs. in crore)
1 Allahabad Bank 2.0
2 Bank of Baroda 1.5
3 Bank of India 1.5
4 Bank of Maharashtra 2.0
5 Indian Overseas Bank 1.5
6 Oriental Bank of Commerce 1.0
7 Union Bank of India 1.5
i. Here is the detailed table report of banks & the amounts of fine imposed by RBI.
Name of the Bank Amount of Violation
penalty
Punjab National Bank (PNB) Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting of fraud in the account of
Kingfisher Airlines.
Oriental Bank of Rs 1.5 crore Delay in reporting fraud in the account of
Commerce(OBC) Kingfisher Airlines.
United Bank of India Rs 1 crore Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
Punjab & Sind Bank Rs 1 crore Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
State Bank of India (SBI) Rs 50 lakh Non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
Bank of Baroda(BoB) Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting fraud in an account.
Federal Bank Rs 50 lakh Delay in reporting fraud in an account.
Corporation Bank Rs 1 crore Non-compliance with the directions on
cybersecurity framework and frauds classification
and reporting.
UCO Bank(United Rs 1 crore Delayed reporting of fraud.
Commercial Bank)
Reserve Bank tightens fit and proper guidelines for the position of elected directors on the
board of PSBs
On August 2,2019, To keep out political appointees, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a
new master direction called ‘Fit and Proper’ Criteria for Elected Directors on the Boards of
PSBs(Public Sector Banks)) Directions, 2019 to determine ‘fit and proper’ status of person to be
eligible to be elected as a director . These Directions are applicable to all PSBs &separate norms for
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private banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) will be issued soon.
Key points:
Fit and proper direction 2019:
i. NRC: RBI requires all PSBs (State Bank of India and nationalized banks) to have a nomination and
remuneration committee (NRC) with at least three non-executive directors (half should be independent
and include at least one member from the risk management committee) from amongst the board of
directors.
Directors nominated by the Government under Section 19(f) of the SBI Act/Section 9(3)(c) of the
Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970/1980 should not be part of
the Committee.
ii. Eligibility: The new rule requires that the candidate (He/She), who wants to become an elected
director should at least be a graduate aged between 35-67 years with the special knowledge or practical
experience in areas of banks. He/she should not be a member of Parliament, state legislature, municipal
corporation, municipality, or other local bodies can hold office for three years and eligible for re-
election & Maximum tenure for them pegged at six years whether served continuously/intermittently.
iii. Shareholders of PSBs allowed electing 2-3 directors, depending on the level of public shareholding.
iv. Omission: The new rules bar the person, who is board members of the RBI or any bank, financial
institution, insurance company or bank holding company. candidates who are in line with the business
of stock broking hire purchasing, financing, money lending, investment, leasing or para banking activity
are also exempted.
Bank Retail loan growth slips to 5-year low in the first half of 2019 at 7.3 %: RBI
According to the latest monthly data of RBI(Reserve Bank of India), the retail personal credit
disbursement growth in the first half of 2019(January -June) was 7.3%, which is the slowest rate of
disbursement by banks in 5 years. The last slowdown was seen in the year of 2014 that registered a
credit growth of 6.4%.
Key points:
i. Previous report: The credit growth was 7.7% in the first half of 2018 & in 2017 it was 8.6%. The
growth in 2016 and 2015 was at 8.1% and 8.5 % respectively at the same period (Jan-June).
ii. Impact: Even though the repo rate was cut by 75 bps(Basis points) in three consecutive monetary
policies by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI), retail loans come down in India & that affects the
employment, consumption and economic growth. The rate cuts were taken to boost consumption in the
economy in the hope that cheaper borrowing rates would lead to lower-priced loans to the consumers.
iii.Cause: The slowdown of sales volume in the Automobile sector gradually erected stress in several
retail loan portfolios such as personal loans and credit cards may be caused by a slowdown in
disbursements. The total outstanding advances to the personal retail sector(home loans, auto loans,
loans through credit card) stood at Rs 22.5 lakh crore in June 2019, where the home loans made for
more than half of these advances at Rs 11.8 lakh crore.
Third Bi-monthly Monetary Policy of RBI 2019-20

On August 7,2019, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its third Bi-Monthly Monetary
Policy Rates for 2019-20 in Mumbai. The three-day (5 to 7 August 2019) policy review meeting by
the six members of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta
Das with the members – Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia, Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra, Shri Bibhu Prasad
Kanungo, Dr. Chetan Ghate and Dr. Pami Dua. The next meeting of the MPC is scheduled during October
1, 3 and 4, 2019.
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Highlights of the meet:

The announcements were made in the meeting include:
• All members of the MPC unanimously voted to reduce the policy repo rate by 35 basis
points(bps) under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) to 5.40 % from 5.75% for the
4th consecutive time. The move comes in the backdrop of an economic slowdown, low inflation,
trade wars, and geopolitical tensions.
• The Reserve Bank of India will create a Central Payment Fraud Registry to monitor digital
payments related frauds on a real-time basis and provide customers with periodic aggregated
data of risks associated with individual payments operators in a bid to improve customer
confidence in these channels.
Current Policy rates under LAF:
Repo Rate 5.40 %
Reverse Repo Rate 5.15 %
Marginal standing facility (MSF) Rate 5.65 %
Bank Rate 5.65 %
Reserve ratios:
Cash reserve Ratio(CRR) 4%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio(SLR)(will change on October 12, 18.75%
2019)
i. MPC also decided to maintain the accommodative stance of monetary policy, which means future rate
increase is off the table.
ii. In the earlier three policies, the central bank had reduced repo rate by 25 basis points each.
iii. The benchmark rate is now at the lowest since April 2010.
iv. Statutory Liquidity Ratio(SLR) now reduced by 25 bps to 18.75% from 19%. This will again come
down with 18.50 % in October 2019, where the next meet held.
RBI keeps the Retail Inflation Forecast for October-March 2019-20 to 3.5-3.7%
RBI projected the Consumer Price Index(CPI)-based or retail inflation was projected at 3.1 % for the
September 2019 quarter and 3.5-3.7 per cent for October-March 2019-20 quarter.
i. April-June 2020 consumer inflation is (CPI) projected at 3.6 percent.
ii. It also projected risks to inflation trajectory from rise in food inflation and lower Kharif output.
GDP growth forecast lowered to 6.9 percent from 7 percent for FY20
The RBI’s MPC cut its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast to 6.9 percent from 7 percent
for FY20(Fiscal year) due to a slowdown in consumption and Investmnet, which is causing dampening
effect on growth.
i.The GDP growth is scaled down from 7% in the June policy to 6.9%- in the range of 5.8-6.6% for the
first half of 2019-20 and 7.3-7.5% for the second part-with risks to FY20 GDP growth somewhat tilted
on the downside.
ii. RBI also warns that construction sector, the country’s largest jobs provider, activity has weakened in
India.
RBI allows round-the-clock fund transfers under NEFT from December,2019
In order to promote digital transactions, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has decided to allow
the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) services to be active 24×7 from December
2019 from the current timings of 8.00 am to 7.00 pm on all working days(excluding 2nd and 4th
Saturdays of a month). RBI also will set up a registry to track frauds in payment systems.
i. In June policy, the RBI had done away with charges on fund transfers through RTGS and NEFT routes
to promote digital transactions.
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ii. NEFT(National Electronic Funds Transfer): It is used for fund transfers up to Rs. 2 lakh maintained
by the Reserve Bank of India. There is no maximum and minimum limit of money transferred through
NEFT.
iii. Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS): It is for large-value instantaneous fund transfers with
the a minimum limit of Rs 2 lakh &there is no maximum limit.
i. Repo Rate: It is the rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks
ii. Reverse Repo rate: It is the rate at which RBI borrows money from commercial banks.
iii. Marginal Standing Facility Rate (MSF): The rate at which the scheduled banks can borrow funds
from the RBI overnight, against the approved government securities is termed as MSF.
iv. Bank Rate: It is the rate at which the Reserve Bank is ready to buy or rediscount bills of exchange
v. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The share of net demand and time liabilities (deposits) that banks must
maintain a cash balance with the Reserve Bank.
vi. Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The share of net demand and time liabilities (deposits) that banks
must maintain in safe and liquid assets, such as, government securities, cash, and gold.
or other commercial papers for the long term.
RBI relaxes bank lending norms to NBFCs and eased bank’s exposure limits
On August 7,2019, Relaxing the bank lending norms to Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs),
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed the banks on lending through NBFCs (other than MFIs-
Microfinance Institutions) to Agriculture, MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and
affordable housing to be treated as priority sector lending for banks.
Key points:
i. Credit to the priority sector: The banks have been allowed on-lending to agriculture (investment
credit) up to Rs.10 lakh, MSMEs up to Rs. 20 lakh and housing up to Rs.20 lakh per borrower
(increased from Rs.10 lakh) to be classified as priority sector lending(PSL).
ii. Harmonization: The RBI also eased bank’s exposure limits to help the NBFC sector under stress. It
has raised bank’s exposure limit to a single NBFC to 20% of the Tier-I capital (bank’s core capital, which
consists of shareholders’ equity and retained earnings) of the bank against 15%.
iii. Background: As per the revised guidelines which came into force on April 1, 2019, a bank’s
exposure to a single NBFC is restricted to 15% of its Tier I capital, while for entities in the other sectors
the exposure limit is, 20 %.
About NBFC:
i. It is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956, engaged in the business of loans and
advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, hire-purchase insurance business but does not include
any institution whose principal business includes agriculture, purchase or construction of the
immovable property.
ii. The working and operations of NBFCs are regulated by the RBI.
RBI Expands biller categories for Bharat Bill Payment System

On August 7, 2019, The central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has permitted all
categories of billers (except prepaid recharges), who provide for recurring bill payments to
participate in BBPS (Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)on a voluntary basis.
Key points:
i. Uses: The decision taken as a part of the digitisation of cash-based bill payments & this will also
enable standardized bill payment experience, centralized customer grievance redressal mechanism,
customer convenience fee, etc.
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ii. Background: Presently, The BBPS covers billers in 5 segments including DTH(Direct-to-Home),
electricity, gas, telecom, and water bills.
iii. Additional offering: RBI also decided to offer ‘on tap’ authorization to entities wishing to function
as / provide platforms for
i. Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU)
ii. Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
iii. White Label ATMs (WLAs).
About BBPS:
Founded: 2013
Owner: NPCI(National Payments Corporation of India)
RBI’s Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets headed by Usha Thorat recommends extension of
onshore market hours
The Task Force formed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Offshore Rupee Markets headed
by Usha Thorat has recommended the extension of onshore market hours to 9 am to 9 pm, from 9 am
to 5 pm, to improve access of overseas users and allow Indian banks to freely offer prices to global
clients around the clock.
Key Points:
i. Background: The panel was constituted in August 2018, in view of the sharp growth in offshore
trading volumes in the rupee Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) (Offshore markets) market.
ii. Other recommendations: A liberal currency trading regime that would include permitting $100
million Over The Counter (OTC) trades without underlying exposure, aligning tax treatment with global
standards are among the recommendations of the panel. Banks may be allowed to freely offer prices to
non-residents at all times, out of their Indian books, either by a domestic sales team, or by using staff
located at overseas branches. Non-deliverable rupee derivatives (with settlement in foreign currency)
may be allowed to be traded in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), and IFSC Banking
Units may be allowed to deal in such derivatives with a distinct foreign currency-Indian rupee (INR)
position limit.
iii. Opinion: RBI has invited comments on the report by August 31, 2019, from every stakeholder.
About RBI:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai
♦ Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata
♦ Governor: Shaktikanta Das
♦ Deputy Governors: 4 (BP Kanungo, N S Vishwanathan, and Mahesh Kumar Jain, the 4th is yet to be
appointed)
RBI releases the final regulatory sandbox framework for fintech companies
On August 13, 2019, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final draft ‘enabling framework for
regulatory sandbox (RS)’, for the startups, banks and financial institutions aims at enabling
innovations in the financial technology space. The Fintech entities can now set up their own RS for live
testing of innovative products in the areas of retail payments, digital KYC(Know your customer) and
wealth management.
Key points:
i. objective: The framework promotes innovation in financial services, creates efficiency and bring
benefit to consumers. It will encourage innovations that are intended for use in the Indian market in
areas where there is absence of governing regulations.
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ii. Criteria: RBI will launch the sandbox for companies/banks that meet the criteria of the minimum net
worth of Rs.25 lakh and the promoter/director of the entity should meet fit and proper framework.
iii. Regulatory Sandbox (RS): It refers to live testing of new products/services in a secure &controlled
regulatory environment, where the regulators can allow certain regulatory relaxations for the limited
purpose of the testing.
iv. Permission: Mobile technology applications, data analytics, application program interface (APIs)
services, applications under block chain technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI)and machine
learning(ML) applications can be used for testing under RS.
v. Evidence: It also permits the innovators, regulators, financial providers, and the customers to carry
out field tests so that they can verify the benefits and risks of new emerging financial innovations and
their implications.
vi. Benefits: RS users can test the product’s viability without the need for a larger and cost-effective
launch.
vii. Risks: Innovators may lose some flexibility and time in going through the sandbox process. This can
be reduced with the time-bound running manner.
viii. Background: The concept of Regulatory Sandbox was proposed by a committee headed by
Sudarshan Sen, former executive director of RBI.
HFCs will be treated as one category under NBFCs: RBI

On August 13, 2019, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) stated that, for regulatory
purposes, Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) will be treated as one of the categories of NBFCs (Non-
Banking Financial Companies) & it will come under RBI’s supervision.
Key points:
i. This comes after the Finance (No 2) Act, 2019 (23 of 2019) amended the National Housing Bank Act,
1987, granting certain powers to RBI for the regulation of HFCs.
ii. RBI will review the regulatory framework applicable to the HFCs & release a revised guideline for
these companies. Till the time RBI issues fresh revised guideline, HFCs will continue to comply with the
National Housing Bank’s(NHB) directions and instructions and submit various returns to it.
The grievance redressal mechanism regarding HFCs will also continue to be with the NHB.
iii. Background: On 5 July 2019 in the maiden Budget 2019-20 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman had proposed an amendment that National Housing Bank (NHB) will not remain as the
regulator for the HFCs. Since then the amended act (Section 45-IA of RBI Act 1934 in the Finance
Bill,2019) the powers for regulating HFCs given to RBI.
Reserve Bank asks banks not to count failed transactions, balance enquiry as ”free ATM
transactions”
On August 14,2019 , The country’s Central Bank, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has asked banks not to
count failed transactions at ATMs due to technical reasons (hardware and software issues, non-
availability of cash, and any other reason attributable to the bank), as part of “free ATM transactions” ,
which are permitted every month.
Key points:
i. Using ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) non-cash withdrawal transactions (such as balance enquiry,
cheque book request, payment of taxes, funds transfer), which constitute ‘on-us’ transactions (when a
card is used at an ATM of the bank which has issued the card) shall also not be part of the number of
free ATM transactions facility given to the bank customer. RBI also notified that charges will not be
levied in future.
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ii. Background: Banks provide a certain number of free transactions at ATMs permitted every month
to their customers and beyond that limit, it imposes charges.
RBI permits processing of e-mandate on credit and debit cards for recurring merchant
payments
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has permitted processing of e-mandate on
credit and debit cards along with Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), including wallets
for recurring merchant payments with AFA (Additional Factor Authentication, a security measure
put in place for card payments that requires OTP – one-time password verification) during registration
and 1st transaction. It will come into effect from 1 September 2019.
Key points:
i. Applicability: Cards shall be only for recurring payment transactions and not for a ‘once-only’
payment.
ii. Transaction limit: The maximum permissible limit under this payment system shall be Rs 2,000
per transaction.
iii. Banks will not charge from the cardholder for availing the e-mandate facility on cards for recurring
transactions.
iv. Pre-transaction notification: The cardholder will be given facility to choose a mode among
available options like SMS, email, etc., while processing e-mandate on the card, for receiving the pre-
transaction notification from the bank. The feature for changing this mode of receiving a pre-
transaction notification shall also be provided to the cardholder.
v. Post-transaction notification: It will provide the cardholder about the name of the merchant,
transaction amount, date/time of debit, reference number of transaction/ e-mandate, reason for debit.
vi. Withdrawal of e-mandate: If the card holder wish to withdraw the e-mandate or the particular
transaction, they will have to give an online facility to the cardholder to opt-out.
vii. Dispute resolution and grievance redressal: In order to facilitate the cardholder to lodge
grievances, the card issuer shall be put in place an appropriate redress system. They shall also put in
place dispute resolution framework for resolving these disputes with clear turnaround time.
RBI Extends Timings of RTGS Transactions by an hour from 7 am instead of 8 am from August
26, 2019
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the timings of Real-Time Gross
Settlement (RTGS) transactions by an hour from 7 AM instead of 8 AM with effect from August 26,
2019, with the aim to increase the availability of the RTGS system.
Key points:
i. At present, the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System is available for customer transactions from
8 AM to 6 PM and for inter-bank transactions from 8 AM to 7.45 PM.
ii. In order to promote digital transactions, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) had decided to allow
the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) services to be active 24×7 from December
2019 from the current timings of 8.00 am to 7.00 pm on all working days(excluding 2nd and 4th
Saturdays of a month). NEFT is used for fund transfers up to Rs. 2 lakh maintained by the Reserve Bank
of India. There is no maximum and minimum limit of money transferred through NEFT.
iii. RTGS: It is for large-value instantaneous fund transfers with the minimum limit of Rs 2 lakh &there
is no maximum limit
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RBI issues guidelines on Interest Subvention Scheme for Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to Fisheries
and Animal Husbandry farmers during 2018-19 and 2019-20
On August 26, 2019, The country’s central bank, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has issued guidelines
on Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS)for Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to Fisheries and Animal
Husbandry farmers during the year 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Key points:
i. The RBI directed the central Government to operate the interest subvention guidelines.
ii. Apart from existing KCC holders for crop loans, the farmers involved in activities related to Animal
Husbandry and Fisheries, through a separate KCC will get at a concessional interest rate of 7% per
annum during the years only 2018-19 and 2019-20 for the short loan up to Rs. 2 lakh. The Interest
subvention is available for animal husbandry and fisheries farmers at the rate of 2% per annum at the
time of disbursal of loan.
iii. The additional interest subvention of 3% per annum given to farmers, who repaying in time i.e up
to the due date fixed by the banks for repayment of the loan, whichever is earlier. This subvention will
also provided to the farmers repaying promptly would get short-term loans at the rate of 4 % per
annum during 2018-19 and 2019-20.
iv. The interest subvention will be provided on a maximum limit of Rs 2 lakh short-term loan to farmers
involved in animal husbandry &fisheries. The farmers already possessing KCC for raising crops and
involved in animal husbandry and fisheries activities can avail a sub-limit for such activities.
Nonetheless, the interest subvention & prompt repayment incentive benefits will be available only on
an overall limit of ₹ 3 lakh per annum on availing short term loan for the crop , animal husbandry, and
fisheries activities.
v. The RBI also directed the banks to make Aadhar linkage mandatory for availing short-term loans for
Animal Husbandry and Fisheries in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
vi. The ISS will be placed on the ISS portal / DBT (Direct Benefits Transfer )platform & it will be put on
DBT mode on ‘In-Kind/services’ basis.
vii. The banks are asked to make aware of the people about scheme so that the eligible farmers can
avail the benefits.
viii. The interest subvention scheme will be launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare for settling claims arising from 2018-19.
ix. The banks also directed to submit the category wise data of beneficiaries under the scheme to RBI
and report the same on ISS portal.
x. On July 2, 2019, Kisan Credit Card (KCC) has been extended by the Government to fisheries and
animal husbandry farmers in order to assist them to meet their working capital needs.
About KCC:
KCC is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998 by Indian banks. This model scheme was prepared by
the National Bank for Agriculture and Development (NABARD) on the recommendations of R.V. Gupta
committee to provide term loans and meet agricultural needs.
RBI Board Approves Surplus Transfer of Rs 1.76 Lakh Crore to Govt as it Accepts Bimal Jalan
Panel Recommendation
On August 26, 2019, The Reserve Bank of India(RBI)’s Governor Shaktikanta Das-led RBI central
board in its 578th meeting (held in Mumbai, Maharashtra) has accepted the recommendation of high-
level 6-member panel headed by its former Governor Bimal Jalan on transfer of Rs 1,76,051 crore to
the government comprising of Rs 1,23,414 crore of surplus for the year 2018-19 and Rs 52,637 crore of
excess provisions as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF).
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Key points:
i. The additional cash will help the government meet its fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of the gross
domestic product (GDP) for the current fiscal year(FY2019-20).
ii. The recommendations given by the panel were based on the consideration of the role of central
banks’ financial resilience, cross-country practices, statutory provisions and the impact of the RBI’s
public policy mandate and operating environment on its balance sheet and its risks.
iii. Since 2013, the central bank has been paying 99% of its disposable income to the government,
which is battling with the deficits.
iv. The committee also recommends RBI to adopt a target of ES(Expected Shortfall) 99.5 %
CL(Confidence Level), in view the macroeconomic stability requirements.
v. It also recommends RBI to form a framework to assess the concentration risk of the forex portfolio as
well as market-credit risk.
vi. On December 26, 2018, RBI, in consultation with the central government, had formed a high-level
expert committee named “Expert Committee to Review the Extant Economic Capital
Framework” under Bimal Jalan to review the economic capital framework of the RBI.
RBI released the report on the Economic Capital Framework submitted by the panel headed by
Bimal Jalan
On August 27, 2019, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the report submitted by the panel
headed by Bimal Jalan, former RBI governor, which was formed to review the Economic Capital
Framework (ECF) of the RBI. The panel was constituted by the central bank in consultation with the
government to review the extant ECF of the RBI. It had submitted its report to Governor Shaktikanta
Das on August 14, 2019.
The composition of the Committee is as under:
• Bimal Jalan, Chairman
• Rakesh Mohan, Vice-Chairman
• Shri Bharat N. Doshi, Member
• Shri Sudhir Mankad, Member
• Shri Rajiv Kumar, Member
• Shri N.S. Vishwanathan, Member
The recommendations of the report are as follows:
Maintenance of CRB
The committee recommended to maintain RBI’s Contingency Risk Buffer (CRB). It is India’s fund to
handle a financial stability. It was recommended to be maintained at a range of 5.5% to 6.5% of the
RBI’s balance sheet, which is above the available level of 2.4% of balance sheet as on June 30, 2018.
Consequence of Applicability
Application of these recommendations to RBI’s 2017-18 balance sheet is seen to result in RBI’s risk
equity levels in a range of 25.4% to 20.8% of the balance sheet which will enable the RBI to retain one
of the highest levels of financial resilience among central banks globally.
Review of economic capital framework every 5 years
Bimal Jalan panel recommended that the revised economic capital framework, under which the RBI
decided to transfer Rs 52,637 crore excess provisions to the government, be reviewed every 5 years. If
there is a significant change in the RBI’s risks and operating environment, an intermediate review may
be considered.
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Accounting year
RBI accounting year (July-June) may be brought in sync with the fiscal year (April to March) from the
financial year 2020-21 as it could reduce the need for interim dividend being paid by the RBI.
Surplus distribution policy
It has recommended a surplus distribution policy which targets not only the total economic capital (as
per the extant framework) but also the realised equity level of the RBI’s capital. It will help bring about
greater stability of surplus transfer to the Government, with the quantum of the latter depending on
balance sheet dynamics as well as the risk equity positioning by the Central Board.
No transfer of unrealised valuation buffers
There will be no transfer of unrealised valuation buffers. These will be used as risk buffers against
market risks.
Payment of Interim dividend
In the upcoming years, interim dividend to the government may be paid only under exceptional
circumstances.
Financial stability risk provisions
RBI’s financial stability risk provisions need to be viewed for what they truly are, i.e, the country’s
savings for a rainy day, built up over decades, and maintained with the RBI in view of its role as the
Lender of Last Resort. Its balance sheet has to be demonstrably credible to discharge this function with
the requisite financial strength.
Expected Shortfall (ES) methodology
i. It has recommended adopting the Expected Shortfall (ES) methodology in place of the
extant Stressed-Value at Risk for measuring market risk on which there was growing consensus
among central banks as well as commercial banks over the recent years.
ii. The central banks are seen to be adopting ES at 99% confidence level (CL). The Committee
recommended adoption of a target of ES 99.5% CL and a range defined between the target and
downward risk tolerance of 97.5% (both under stress conditions).
iii. The range is considered appropriate to address the cyclical volatility of RBI’s valuation balances
based on historical analysis.
Transparent presentation of the RBI’s annual accounts
The committee recommended a more transparent presentation of the RBI’s annual accounts with
regard to the components of economic capital. The proposed format for liabilities is as under:
• Capital
• Reserve Fund
• Other reserves
• Risk provisions
o Contingency Fund
o Asset Development Fund
• Revaluation Accounts
• Deposits
• Other Liabilities
• Notes in Circulation
RBI releases its Annual Report for the year 2018-19

On August 29,2019, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has released its annual
report for the fiscal year (FY) 2018-19. The report, which is released annually, analyses the working
and operations of the RBI and suggests measures to improve the economic performance.
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Here are the key takeaways from the report:

Bank frauds touched Rs 71,543.93 cr in 2018-19, a record jump of 73.8 %
The number of cases of bank frauds reported by banks in 2018-19 increased 15 % on a year-on-year(Y-
O-Y) basis to 6,801 cases from 5,916 cases in 2017-18.
The amount of frauds touched at Rs 71,542.93 crore in 2018-19 as against Rs 41,167.04 crore in
2017-18, a 73.8 %.
Key points:
i. PSB: Among bank groups, Public sector banks(PSB) reported 3,766 cases of frauds worth Rs
64,509.43 crore as against 2,885 cases involving Rs 38,260.8 crore in 2017-18.
• The amount that was involved in fraud for 2018-19- 2 %.
• The number of frauds in 2018-19- 55.4%
ii. Private lenders: While private sector banks has reported 2090 cases worth of Rs 5515.14 crore for
2018-19.
• The amount that was involved in fraud for 2018-19 -7.7 %
• The number of frauds in 2018-19- 30.7 %
iii. Foreign Bank: They constituted 762 cases worth of Rs 955.3 crore for the fiscal year 2018-19.
• The amount that was involved in fraud for 2018-19- 3 %
• The number of frauds in 2018-19 – 11.2%
iv. The report notified that the average time lag between the date of occurrence and its detection by
banks was 22 months, while the average lag for frauds for amount involving over Rs 100 crore,
amounting to Rs 52,200 crore during 2018-19, was 55 months.
v. The number of bank frauds related to advances were predominant followed by card/internet related
frauds and deposits related fraud.
vi. To detect the frauds efficiently the RBI is co-coordinating with various entities, including the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, to check the viability of interlinking various databases and information
systems for getting improvement in the monitoring of frauds.
vii. RBI will create Fraud registry for improving fraud analytics & for improving the fraud risk
management framework, RBI bank will revise the directions on frauds & include new instructions for
fraud prevention.
Banks contain gross NPAs at 9.1% in 2018-19
The report stated that the stressed assets recognition and resolution in earlier manner has helped the
banks contain their gross non- performing loans ratio at 9.1 % in FY2018-19, slips from 11.2 % in
2017-18.
The proportion of provision in the banking system for such loans increased to 60.9 % during the period
under review as the level of fresh growth in non-performing loans also decreased.
Key points:
i. The report stated that after the initial difficulties, the insolvency and debt solvency code is proving to
be a step to change the entire atmosphere.
ii. The receivables of the old stranded debt are improving and as a result, the stability that had
remained in the potential investment cycle has started easing.
iii. The capital buffer has been strengthened by adding new capital of Rs 2.7 trillion. This includes the
allocation of the budget for FY 2019-20.
iv. The rules of NPA identification and resolution in June 2019 have raised hopes of an early solution to
the problem.
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About NPA:
A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment
remained overdue for a period of 90 days.
Currency circulation increased by 17% to Rs 21.1 lakh cr
The circulation of bank notes in the economy has increased 17% in FY2018-19 to Rs 21.1 trillion as
against Rs 18.03 trillion in FY2017-18.
Key points:
i. In terms of circulation in volume trends, the bank notes in circulation increased 6.2% to 108.76
billion pieces from 102.4 billion during FY2018-19.
ii. The bank notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 constituted 82.2% of the total value of bank notes in
circulation at the end of March 2019. Of this, share of ₹2,000 notes in the economy in terms of the total
value of currency in circulation slips to 31.2% as of March 2019from 50.2% in 2016-17 & the value of
₹500 notes is now 51% from 22.5% in 2016-17.
iii. Rs 10 and Rs 100 bank notes constituted 47.2% of bank notes in circulation at end of March 2019, as
compared to 51.6% in 2017-18).
iv. While the share of Rs 200 notes has increased to 3.8 % in 2018-19.
Counterfeit notes:
i. Rs10, 20, 50 & 100 denomination: The detection of fake notes in Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 denomination
increased 20.2%, 87.2% and 57.3% respectively in 2018-19, as compared to 2017-18.while, Rs 100
counterfeit notes detected declined 7.5% during 2018-19.
ii. Rs. 500, 2000, 200 denomination: The Counterfeit notes of ₹500 (new design) increased by 121%
to 21,865 pieces during 2018-19. For ₹2,000 notes, it is nearly 22% increase in the detection of
counterfeit at 21,847 pieces. Totally 12,728 counterfeit notes of ₹200 were detected in 2018-19 as
compared to 79 in 20117-18.
iii. The central bank also announced that the varnished ₹100 notes to be launched soon on a trial basis.
About RBI:
Founded: 1 April 1935
Governor: Shaktikanta Das
Banking license of Rupee Cooperative Bank extended by RBI till Nov 30, 2019
Apex bank of the country, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the banking license of Rupee
Cooperative Bank Ltd till November 30, 2019. The Bank has paid Rs.338.20 crores to 85,462 needy
depositors under hardship scheme of RBI and it has deposits of Rs.1291.00 crores. The Rupee Co-op
Bank & MSC (Maharashtra State Cooperative) Bank are going to submit a joint proposal for the merger
to RBI. The decision has been taken by RBI after exercising its power under sub-section (1) of Section
35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
About Rupee Cooperative Bank:
♦ Established: 1912
♦ Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
♦ Chairman:C/A Sudhir Pandit
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Technology in Banking
Karnataka Bank inks pact with Finwizard Tech to offer MFs via ‘KBL Mobile Plus’ app
On August 2, 2019, An ‘A’ Class Scheduled Commercial Bank, Karnataka Bank has tied up with fintech
company Finwizard Technology Pvt Ltd (widely known as “fisdom”) to offer wealth management
products and services, beginning with mutual funds (MFs), through its ‘KBL Mobile Plus’
application.
Key points:
i. The app enables customers to invest in any mutual fund & also help them navigate and select the best-
suited funds besides having additional services like redemption assistance and live tracking.
ii. With this, the bank will deepen the penetration of its product offers and enable more customers
experience through a digital proposition.
iii. Since 2006, The Karnataka bank offering mutual funds to its customers.
About mutual fund
It is a professionally managed investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase
securities.
About Karnataka Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Mangaluru
♦ CEO: Mahabaleshwara M S
♦ Tagline: Your Family Bank Across India
About Finwizard Tech:
♦ Founded: 05 June 2015
♦ Headquarter: Bangalore, Karnataka
♦ CEO: Subramanya SV
Mastercard launches ‘Identity Check Express’ for uninterrupted secured online transactions
On August 6, 2019, American multinational financial services corporation, Mastercard has launched a
next-generation, mobile-first authentication solution, called “Identity Check Express” that will help
customers to do uninterrupted secured transactions while shopping online.
Key points:
i. The new card payment feature was showcased in New Delhi at the Global Mastercard Cybersecurity
Summit 2019, held for the 1st time in India.
ii.Present status: As per the Mastercard’s analysis, up to 20% of mobile e-commerce transactions are
interrupted mid-way. The present rules to verify identity online are time-consuming which led to the
shoppers away from a merchant’s website due to the issues such as consumers being redirected to a
third website to complete the payment process or mobile network fluctuations.
iii. Solution: The Identity Check Express combines the new age technology, including device
intelligence and behavioural biometrics, with the latest EMV 3-D Secure and FIDO authentication
standards will eliminate unnecessary friction and enhance the security of online transactions.
iv.Offering: Master will offer hassle-free payment solution with this expression to its cardholders for
an amount less than Rs 2,000 on forefront merchants trusted mobile devices by sharing a onetime
merchant-specific consent. For transactions above Rs 2,000, cardholders will be able to authenticate
themselves with a transaction PIN(Personal identification number) of their choice.
v. Background: In May 2019, Mastercard announced an investment of $1 billion over the next 5 years
in India as part of its commitment to strengthen and secure digital transactions space.
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About Mastercard:
♦ Headquarters: United States
♦ Founded: 16 December 1966
♦ President and CEO: Ajay Banga
India’s first Corporate credit card for SMEs launched by B2B payments startup EnKash
Business-Business payments startup company EnKash launched the country’s first corporate credit
card called ‘Freedom Card’ for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups. It is the brainchild
of Mr. Naveen Bindal, Co-Founder of EnKash.
i. Freedom card: This card provides the freedom to avail credit facility for immediate needs and to
manage the liquidity of startups.
To enhance the experience, banks are currently offering credit cards and EnKash partners.
ii. Enkash: It has come up with a corporate card to look into the varied billing cycles as per the working
capital cycles of different businesses. This step is a first of its kind in India.
About Enkash
Founded– 2017 by Yadvendra Tyagi, Hemant Vishnoi, and Naveen Bindal(Co-Founder).
Recently Enkash has raised $3 million in a Series A round from Mayfield India and Axilor Ventures in
April 2019.
Digital payments usage acceleration “Digi Vyapari- Safal Vyapari” initiative launched by CAIT
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in partnership with HDFC Bank, Mastercard, Common
Service Centres (CSCs) of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and Global
Linkers, launched Digi Vyapari- Safal Vyapari– to accelerate usage of digital payments in the country.
Key points
i. Live showroom of traders on e-commerce portal which will have integrated facilities of digital
payments, logistics, and live chat will be made.
ii. Aim: To accelerate the acceptance of digital payments among merchants and linking them with e-
commerce portals by creating their e-commerce showrooms.
ii. With over 7 crore traders in the country, merchants will have easy access to business finance and
banking resources through this initiative.
Canara Bank launches India’s first OTP facility for ATM cash withdrawals above Rs.10,000
Canara Bank, one of the largest public sector banks in India has launched India’s first one-time
password (OTP) facility for ATM withdrawals over Rs.10,000 in a day. This extra security armor will
protect the card users from illegally withdrawing money from ATMs (Automated Teller Machine).
Key points:
i. Many banks have started taking steps to protect their customers from ATM fraud. On March 15, 2019,
The State Bank of India( SBI) has also launched YONO (You Only Need One) Cash Services for customers
to withdraw money from ATMs without a card.
About Canara Bank:
♦ Founded: 1906
♦ Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
♦ Chairman: T.N. Manoharan
♦ MD& CEO: Shri. R A Sankara Narayanan
♦ Tagline: Together we can
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Samsung India inks with Mastercard, RBL Bank for mobile payments through Samsung Pay
American multinational financial services corporation, Mastercard, Indian private sector bank, RBL
Bank and Samsung India have jointly launched the Samsung Pay for RBL Bank’s Mastercard credit
card customers.
Key points:
i. The tie-up will allow the customers of RBL bank to make contactless transactions with enhanced
security on their Samsung Pay-compatible smartphones efficiently.
ii. The payments can be done through any PoS (Point of Sale) machine where a card can be dipped,
swiped or tapped, both in India as well as abroad without the physical presence of a card.
iii. RBL customers can easily add their Mastercard credit cards on Samsung Pay, which authenticates
them based on their fingerprint, iris scan or PIN (personal identification number). After the successful
authentication, they can complete their purchases by easily tapping their devices on a compatible
terminal.
About RBL Bank:
♦ MD & CEO: Mr. Vishwavir Ahuja
♦ Tagline: Apno ka Bank
About Samsung India:
♦ Headquarters: Noida
♦ Founded: 2002
About Mastercard:
♦ Founded: 1979 (as Mastercard)
♦ Headquarters: New York, U.S.
♦ President and CEO: Ajaypal Singh Banga
RBI extends time limit for PPIs to become full KYC complaint by 6 months
The country’s central Bank, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has again extended the deadline
for Prepaid Payment Instruments(PPIs), including digital wallets, to do full KYC(Know your
customer) by six months(till February 28, 2020). The deadline was expiring on August 31,2019.
Key points:
i. The extension, which was announced a day before the deadline expired, will benefit the companies
such as Paytm, Amazon Pay and PhonePe.
ii. It was the 2nd such extension given by the RBI to regulated PPIs after the Supreme Court(SC) banned
companies from using the Aadhaar-linked UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India ) database to
authenticate customers in September,2019.
iii. It is the extension of timeline for PPIs to convert minimum KYC wallets to full Know Your Customer
through a physical verification process.
iv. The central bank aslo made it clear that there will be no further extension in the timeline.
Other News Related to Banking & Finance
India Post Payments Bank will be converted into SFB: postal Department
The postal department has decided to convert the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) into a small
finance bank (SFB) with the aim to provide micro-credit at the doorsteps to individuals and SME’s
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(Small and medium-sized enterprises). The postal department also sets a target to open one crore
accounts for IPPB in 100 days.
Key points:
i. The decision was taken during the annual Heads of Circles Conference held at Srinagar in Jammu and
Kashmir(J&K) to adopt a 100-day action plan and a five-year vision to align the Department of Posts
with the Prime Minister’s New India initiative.
ii. In Partnership with Common Service Centre(CSC), India post will provide a suite of citizen-centric
services such as banking, remittance, insurance, DBT, bill and tax payments, etc at post offices.
iii. By investing in 190 parcel hubs, 80 Nodal Delivery Centers and a Pan India Road Transport
Network, the postal department has also decided to enhance the infrastructure to extend the reach of
the e-commerce industry to tier II(Population between 50,000 to 99,999) and tier III town(20,000 to
49,999) as well as to rural areas.
About IPPB:
Founded: 1 September 2018
Headquarters :New Delhi , India
Parent organization: India Post
MD & CEO: Suresh Sethi
Edelweiss Tokio Life partnered with MobiKwik to offer insurance solutions

A private life insurer Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance tied up with MobiKwik to offer mobile-based
group insurance solutions for the customers of MobiKwik.
Key Points:
i. Edelweiss Tokio Life will provide life insurance in the variants of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 5 lakh
through MobiKwik’s wallet app and website.
ii. The policies will be available for an annual premium of Rs 148, Rs 443, and Rs 738 respectively.
iii. Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance is a joint venture between Edelweiss Financial Services and Tokio
Marine Holdings.
About Edelweiss Group:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
♦ Chairman & CEO: Rashesh Shah
About MobiKwik:
♦ Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
♦ Founded: April 2009
♦ CEO: Bipin Preet Singh.
SBI’s Shanghai branch becomes the 1st Indian bank connected to CNAPS
India’s largest lender, State Bank of India’s(SBI) Shanghai branch has become the first Indian Bank
to be connected to China’s National Advance Payment System (CNAPS). SBI is the only Indian Bank
to have obtained the license to do business in local currency and also inducted to the CNAPS by the
china’s central Bank, ‘People’s Bank of China (PBOC)’.
Key points:
i. SBI Shanghai allows offering a real-time transfer of local funds within China through the PBOC route.
ii. CNAPS: The CNAPS, launched in 2008 allows PBOC, to provide real-time settlement services for all
payments cleared in China, as well as in all clearing banks in offshore yuan(basic unit of the renminbi)
centers, such as Hong Kong.
It is complemented by its international counterpart, the CIPS (China International Payments System /
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Cross-Border Inter-Bank Payment System), launched in 2015 with the aim of boosting global use of the
yuan.
iii. The Payment System also be used for cross border Renminbi (RMB) payments which are previously
being made through local correspondent banks. This will offer SBI opportunity to do the business of
Bankers Acceptance Drafts (BAD).
iv. For the implementation of the CNAPS, SBI got approval from PBOC in December 2016 and it is now
linked up to the PBOC live system after successful installation of hardware and software system.
v. This will facilitate India China trade relations and investments.
About SBI:
♦ Founded: 1 July 1955
♦ Chairperson: Rajnish Kumar
♦ Tag line: “Pure banking nothing else, With you all the way, The Nation banks on us”
About PBOC:
♦ Headquarters: Beijing and Shanghai
♦ Formation: 1 December 1948
♦ Governor: Yi Gang
NHB infuses additional Rs 10,000 cr in NBFCs

The National Housing Bank (NHB) infused an additional Rs 10,000 crore in Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFCs) for Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) as additional liquidity for individual
housing loans for affordable housing. This is done to ease the flow of funds to the housing sector.
Key Points:
i. It will be over and above the existing finance schemes of the housing sector regulator NHB.
ii. The apex bank of the country, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a slew of measures for banks
to avail additional liquidity of Rs 1.34 lakh crore.
iii. Background: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2019-20 had announced that the
Centre would provide one-time six months partial credit guarantee to public sector banks for the first
loss of up to 10% to enable them purchase pooled assets of financially sound NBFCs amounting to Rs 1
lakh crore. It also received a proposal from the Reserve Bank on the draft modalities of the guarantee to
operationalise the Budget announcement. The oversight mechanism for the scheme will be executed by
the Department of Financial Services.
About NHB:
♦ MD: Sarada Kumar Hota
Instant Demat account opening facility launched by Federal Bank for the customers
Instant Demat account opening facility which will help clients to open Demat account instantly
without any heavy paper works, was launched jointly by Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
(MD & CEO) of Federal Bank, Shyam Srinivasan and G.V Nageswara Rao, MD& CEO of National
Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL).
Key points
i. The Demat account can be opened by the customers in a matter of a minute by logging
into FedNet which is the federal bank’s internet banking portal.
ii. The account can be opened any time as it is available 24*7 hours and no paperwork is needed to open
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the account.
iii. Doorstep service for opening trading accounts is also equipped by the federal bank.
Other facilities of NSDL and federal bank
i. Banks can disburse the loans against securities through LAS (Loan Against Securities) facility
ii. Contribution to Army Welfare Fund was announced by Shyam Srinivasan where an amount equal to
the no. Of online transaction done by bank in March will be donated (Rs.42,02,874 has been contributed
which is three fourth of bank’s transaction).
New insurance plan “Jeevan Amar” launched by LIC

Jeevan Amar is a non-linked,non-participating life term insurance plan offering great flexibility to
policyholders in comparison to other insurance plans by the Life Insurance Corporation of
India (LIC). It is available for sale offline.
Features of Jeevan Amar
i. Claim: The policyholder cannot claim the money on maturity but will be obtained as a death claim
incase of demise of the person.
ii. Death cover options: policyholders can choose from two death cover options. They are level sum
assuredand increasing sum assured.
• In level sum assured, the death benefit will remain the same and will not change throughout the
policy term. The minimum sum assured is Rs. 25Lakh with no maximum limit.
• The death benefit will remain the same in the first five years and will increase by 10% of basic
sum assured every year for the next 15 years or till the end of the policy term for increasing sum
assured.
iii. Plan availability: People of ages 18-65 years are eligible. The maximum maturity age
is 80yrs offering policy terms from 10 years to a maximum of 40 years. The insurance premium can be
paid only once for a limited premium paid regularly. Low premium rates are offered to women.
iv. Flexibility: the death benefit flexibility can be chosen by the policyholder either in lump sum or in
installments over a period of 5, 10 or 15 years to the nominee.
v. Smoker and non-smoker category: Person choosing non-smoker category has to undergo extra
urine cotinine test. The cost of the premium for smokers will be more than that of non smokers.
About LIC:
Founded: 1 September 1956
Chairman: MR Kumar
ADB approved $200 mln to improve road infrastructure in 34 districts of Maharashtra

On August 8, 2019, Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $200 million loans for improving road
infrastructure in 34 districts of Maharashtra to connect rural areas with markets and services. The
total cost of the project is $296 million. The government will provide $96 million.
Key Points:
i. The upgraded roads will boost links between local residents, productive agricultural land, and
economic centers across the state.
ii. The project will work with the rural infrastructure agency, the Maharashtra Rural Road Development
Association (MRRDA), to develop road safety, road asset management, contract management, and
climate resilient design.
iii. The project will be completed by September 30, 2024.
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About ADB:
♦ Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines
♦ President: Takehiko Nakao
♦ Founded: 19 December 1966
♦ Membership: 68 countries
SBI Life Insurance and Indian Bank signed a Bancassurance agreement

On August 7, 2019, One of the oldest public sector lenders, Indian Bank has signed a bancassurance
agreement with the leading private life insurer, SBI (State Bank of India)Life Insurance to provide
SBI’s suite of insurance products to its customers.
Key points:
i. SBI life insurance products will now be available in Indian Bank’s customers spread across its over
2,851 branches.
ii. SBI Life’s extensive product portfolio comprises protection, savings, health, credit life, etc.,
insurances.
iii. To offer life insurance policies, SBI life joins with Indian Bank to ensure sales training, product
support, and smooth operational processes.
iv. Through this tie-up, SBI life will deepen the penetration of its product offers and enable more
customers across the country to access their risk solutions.
About Indian Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Chennai
♦ CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
♦ Tagline: Your Tech-friendly bank
About SBI life insurance:
♦ MD & CEO: Mr. Sanjeev Nautiyal
Max Life Insurance introduces ‘Speed Dial – your partner for life’ initiative to provide better
policy servicing needs to customers
On August 6,2019, A leading life insurance company in India, Max Life Insurance Co Ltd on its
4th protection day (4 months since it announced to dedicate the 6th of every month as ‘Protection Day’)
has launched a customer-friendly initiative called “Speed Dial – your partner for life” with the aim to
provide a quick and easy resolution of policy servicing needs to customers by allocating a
partner(relationship manager) from the day of purchase of a policy.
Key points:
i. Speed Dial – your partner for life: Under it, Customers will be given direct contact details of their
dedicated relationship manager(called Partner for Life), who will provide a one-stop solution on call for
the queries raised by customers & also educate them on the company’s digital service solutions and
new products offerings if inquired.
ii. Advantage: This initiative will help customer to save time by directly contacting their partner
without going through interactive voice responses which is generally time-consuming.
iii.Score: The Company’s validation of its claims registered a ratio of 98.74 percent & ‘Speed Dial’
initiative will further promote customers policy journey through dedicated relationship managers on
call.
iv. Background: On May 6, 2019, Max Life has notified that it will commemorate the 6th day of each
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month as ‘Protection Day to raise awareness on financial protection.

About Max Life Insurance:
♦ Founded: 2000
♦ MD& CEO: Prashant Tripathy
Indian Bank & Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance inked a pact to offer life insurance products
Indian Bank, a public sector bank, signed a pact with Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance
Company (ABSLI), a private sector insurer, to offer life insurance products to the customers of Indian
Bank. It was signed by the Indian Bank Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO), Padmaja Chunduru and ABSLI MD and CEO, Ajay Srinivasan.
i. With this, around 2,900 branches of Indian bank will offer a diverse range of life insurance policies to
its customers.
About Indian Bank:
♦ Tag Line: Your Own Bank
♦ Formed: August 15, 1907
About ABSLI:
♦ Subsidiary: Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL)
♦ Chairman: Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla
NSE, SGX get SEBI’s nod to operate jointly in GIFT City

On August 6, 2019, The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) received
permission from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to operate jointly in Gujarat
International Finance Tec (GIFT) City under the proposed programme ‘Connect’. Nifty index, which
is trading on SGX in Singapore, will be traded on a joint platform between the NSE and SGX in GIFT City.
Key Points:
i. The Connect model will enable SGX and NSE International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) members to
access Nifty products in GIFT.
ii. The objective is to create a larger pool of liquidity comprising international and home market
participants.
iii. NSE IFSC-SGX Connect will be operational before December 31, 2020.
About NSE:
♦ Founded: 1992
♦ MD & CEO: Vikram Limaye
About SGX:
♦ Founded: December 1, 1999
♦ CEO: Loh Boon Chye
PNB Housing Finance raises fresh equity of Rs 522 cr via ECB from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation
On August 6, 2019, PNB (Punjab National Bank) Housing Finance Limited (PNBHFL) raised fresh
equity of Rs 522 crore ($75 million) as External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) from Sumitomo Mitsui
Banking Corporation (SMBC) of Singapore.
Key Points:
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i. The ECB is under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) automatic route of approval.
ii. The proceeds will be used by the PNBHFL as per the applicable RBI guidelines.
iii. It was the second ECB borrowing of the company for 2019-20. It had raised $100 million via ECB
from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in July 2019.
About PNBHFL:
♦ MD: Sanjaya Gupta
Scheduled bank status is given to Jana Small Finance Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave the status to Jana Small Finance Bank to operate as a Scheduled
Bank.
Key points
Establishment and branches: The bank was established in the year 2009. Currently, it operates 260
branches and 338 asset centres with over 5.5million customers.
Bank’s aim: To provide financial inclusion to underserved sections of society, like small business units,
small and marginal farmers, micro and small industries.
Plans: The erstwhile (former) named as Janalakshmi Financial services plans to convert 98 asset
centres and 103 Unbanked Rural Centres (URC) into full-fledged bank branches by the end of the
current fiscal year.
About URC
It is defined as a rural centre that does not have banking outlet of a scheduled commercial bank, a
Payment Bank or a Small Finance Bank or a Regional Rural Bank nor a branch of a Local Area Bank or
licensed Co-operative bank for carrying out customer based banking.
About Jana Small Finance Bank
♦ Headquarters- Bangalore.
♦ MD & CEO- Ajay Kanwal.
Chola MS ties up with Indian bank to provide insurance products to indian bank customers
Indian Bank Managing Director and CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Padmaja Chunduru and
Cholamandalam MS (Chola MS) General Insurance Company, Managing Director, SS Gopalarathnam,
have signed a corporate agency agreement where the Chola MS will deliver a wide range of insurance
policies to the Indian bank customers.
Key points
i. Having over 2872 branches, this partnership would greatly benefit customers of the Indian bank.
ii. Corporate Agency Agreement: An agency agreement is a legal contract creating a fiduciary
relationship whereby the first party (“the principal”) agrees that the actions of a second party (“the
agent”) binds the principal to later agreements made by the agent as if the principal had himself
personally made the later agreements.
Indian bank
Headquarters- Chennai.
Tagline- your own bank.
Founded- 15 August 1907.
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd (Chola MS)
It is a joint venture between the Murugappa Group, an Indian conglomerate, and Mitsui Sumitomo
Insurance Group (MSIG), a Japanese insurance company.
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Founded- 2001.
Headquarters- Chennai.
RBL Bank with digital healthcare platform Practo launches co-branded credit card called “RBL
Bank Practo Plus”
On August 8, 2019, RBL Bank, one of India’s fastest-growing private sector banks and Practo ,a digital
healthcare platform have jointly launched co-branded health-focused credit card called “RBL Bank
Practo Plus” powered by Mastercard.
Key points:
i. It’s benefits include,
• Unlimited online consultations with experienced and qualified doctors on all-time(24*7) for one
year period
• One free full-body health check-up
• Cardholders can earn 1 Practo HealthCash for every Rs. 100 spent on this card.
(1 Healthcash = 1 Rupee, that can be used while getting Practo services like ordering medicine,
tests, online consultations).
• The card also comes with complimentary access to the domestic airport lounge twice every
quarter.
ii. The card is available on both Practo and RBL mobile apps and websites will help encourage users to
think health-first on a daily basis. It also allows consumers to use their regular spends for household
expenses for subsidizing their monthly health spends on Practo.
iii. Practo health plan account will be created on the Practo app, once RBL Bank Practo Plus credit card
is issued to the customers. The cardholders need to log-in with their registered mobile numbers to
access this plan under the “MyHealth Plan” section on Practo.
iv. The digital healthcare market reach $372 billion by 2022 because of its high market trend.
About RBL bank:
Founded :1943
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO : Mr Vishwavir Ahuja
About Practo :
Headquarters: Bangalore
Founder & CEO:Shashank ND
DBS Bank India join hands with Social Alpha to incubate social entrepreneurs
On August 9, 2019, A leading financial services corporation, DBS Bank India has tied up with Social
Alpha, the non-profit start-up incubator to mentor & support the start-ups (Even Cargo, Trust Circle
Incredible Devices) focusing including inclusion, healthcare, and the environment in India over the next
18 months.
Key points:
i. DBS Bank will also give an annual programme grant of ₹1 crore to the three ventures.
ii. Even Cargo: It is a is a social enterprise that has trained and employed women as delivery personnel
for major e-commerce companies.
iii. Trust Circle: It is a mental healthcare start-up that utilises mobile & AI(Artificial Intelligence)
technology to improve emotional resilience & well-being.
iv. Incredible Devices: It is a medical devices startup with a mission to make safe, affordable &
accessible healthcare solutions.
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v. The partnership will encourage social entrepreneurs who are sustainable by generating enough
returns to build scale.
About DBS bank India:
Headquarter: Mumbai
CEO : Surojit Shome
About Social Alpha
Co-Founder, CEO: Manoj Kumar
MSCI added HDFC Life Insurance to its Global Standard Index

On August 8, 2019, MSCI Inc ( Morgan Stanley Capital International), One of the world’s biggest index
compilers, has added HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd. to its Global Standard Index and removed
Union Bank of India(UBI) from its India Smallcap Index. The changes in the MSCI Index will be
implemented as of the closing hours of August 27, 2019.
Key points:
i. After the announcement made by the MSCI, the stocks of HDFC Life gained more than 5 % intraday to
hit a record high of Rs 545& the shares of Union Bank corrected 2 % at Rs 62.40.
ii. MSCI had removed 10 stocks in May 2019, including RCom, RPower and Asahi India Glass from its
Smallcap index and added 12 including AstraZeneca Pharma, Balrampur Chini, BEML, Chalet Hotels,
Essel Propack, L&T Technologies, Linde India, Maharashtra Scooters, OIL India, TCNS Clothing and
Ujjivan Financial.
About HDFC Life Insurance Company:
♦ MD&CEO: Vibha Padalkar
About UBI:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai; Tagline -Good People to Bank with
♦ MD& CEO: Shri Rajkiran Rai G.
About MSCI
♦ Founded: 1969
♦ Headquarters: New York City, United States
♦ CEO: Henry A. Fernandez
♦ President: Baer Pettit
Injeti Srinivas committee suggests CSR expenditure be made tax deductible

A high level steering committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) headed by Injeti Srinivas,
Corporate Affairs Secretary has recommended to make CSR expenditure tax-deductible and that non-
compliance of CSR norms be treated as a civil offence.
Key points:
i. Submission: The committee presented its recommendations to Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman.
ii. Other Key recommendation:
• provision to carry forward unspent CSR balance for 3 -5 years period.
• Compliance with Schedule 7 of the Companies Act (which underlines the kinds of activities for
the qualification as CSR) with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
• Balancing the local area preferences with national priorities, introducing impact assessment
studies for CSR obligation of Rs 5 crore or more, and registration of implementation agencies on
Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) portal.
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• Conducting a 3rd party assessment of major CSR projects and promoting social impact entities.
• Creation of CSR exchange portal to connect contributors, beneficiaries and agencies.
• CSR shouldn’t be treated as a means of resource gap funding for government schemes.
• Certain classes of high profit getting firms are required to spend at least 2% of their 3-year
annual average net profit to CSR.
iii. The committee also recommends companies may be exempted from constituting a CSR committee, if
its CSR prescribed amount below Rs 50 lakh.
iv. The report will provide a big relief to the firms ,which are worrying about the meeting stringent CSR
norms & help adopting sustainable development goals , promotion of sports, welfare of senior citizens
&differently-abled persons, disaster management and heritage protection.
v. Background: In October, 2018, the committee was formed with the members of N
Chandrasekaran(chairman, Tata Sons), and Amit Chandra( managing director, Bain Capital Private
Equity), among others.
Axis Bank and Aditya Birla Health Insurance signed bancassurance pact
On August 13, 2019, The 3rd -largest of the private-sector lender, Axis Bank has signed a bancassurance
agreement with stand alone health insurer, Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co Ltd (ABHICL) to provide
Aditya Birla’s suite of insurance products to its customers.
Key points:
i. Aditya Birla’s products will now be available in Axis Bank customer base across its 4,094 branches
and digital channels.
ii. Through this partnership, Aditya Birla will deepen the penetration of its product offers and enable
more customers in Metro, Urban and Rural areas to access their risk solutions anytime, anywhere.
About AXIS bank:
Founded: 1993
MD & CEO : Amitabh Chaudhry
Independent Director & Non Executive (Part time) Chairman : Shri Rakesh Makhija
Tagline: Badhti Ka naam Zindagi.
About ABHICL:
CEO :Mayank Bathwal
It is a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital &completed 2 years of operations as of 31, March 2019.
Aditya Puri, CEO of HDFC bank, is the top-paid bank CEO in FY19
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDFC Bank Aditya Puri, who led the bank since its inception 25
years ago, is the highest-paid bank chief executive in India with a monthly basic salary of Rs 89 lakh in
FY19. The data was compiled from annual reports. Perks and other privileges were not taken into
account because these are treated differently by various banks.
Other Rankings
Rank CEO Bank Basic Salary (Per
Month)
2 Amitabh Chaudhry Axis Bank Rs 30 lakh
3 Uday Kotak Kotak Mahindra Bank Rs 27 lakh
4 Chanda Kochhar Former CEO of ICICI Bank Rs 26 lakh
5 Sandeep Bakhshi ICICI Bank Rs 22 lakh
6 Romesh Sobti IndusInd Bank Rs 16 lakh
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i. CEO-level pay is based on creating shareholder value and improving key performance parameters.
ii. Sandeep Bakhshi of ICICI Bank started as Chief Operation Officer (COO) in June 2018 and became
CEO in October 2018. Amitabh Chaudhry of Axis Bank became CEO in January 2019. The monthly
numbers have been arrived at after dividing the annual amount given in the report by the number of
months they have served the respective banks.
iii. The basic salaries of Yes Bank’s CEO Ravneet Gill and former CEO Rana Kapoor were not calculated
as the bank gave a consolidated number including perquisites, contributions towards provident fund
and medical reimbursement under the head of the salary.
About HDFC Bank:
♦ HDFC stands for Housing Development Finance Corporation.
♦ Tag Line: We understand your world
Centre issues guidelines for granting Rs 1 trillion credit guarantee for NBFCs
In a bid to help the Financially sound NBFCs (Non- Banking Financial Companies), including Housing
Finance Companies (HFCs), which are facing stress following stocks of defaults, the Central Government
has issued guidelines of partial guarantee scheme covering a maximum standard asset value of Rs 1
trillion under which state-run public-sector banks(PSBs) can purchase high-rated pooled assets
originated up to March 31, 2019, from NBFCs.
Key points:
i. Guarantee: Central government will provide a one-time 6 months’ partial credit guarantee to PSBs
for first loss of up to 10 %( valid for 24 months from the date of purchase).
ii. Reducing the stress: This credit guarantee will address temporary asset-liability mismatches of
NBFCs & help rework the Asset Liability structure within 3 months to have positive Asset Liability
Management(ALM) in each bucket for the first 3 months and on cumulative basis for the remaining 3
month period.
iii. Buyback option: NBFCs have the option to buy back the assets after 12 months & at no time during
the period for the exercise of the option to buy back the assets.
iv. Criteria: The credit rating of the pool of assets should be at least ‘AA’ or equivalent at fair value.
Assets below that rating will not qualify under this guarantee.
v. Ticket value: NBFCs registered with RBI /HFCs registered with National Housing Bank (NHB)will be
only eligible & they should at best liquidate 20% of their standard assets as on March 31, 2019, which
otherwise qualify as above subject to a maximum cap value of Rs 5,000 crore.
vi.CRAR & CAR ratio: The guidelines stipulate that the CRAR (capital to risk-weighted assets ratio)of
NBFCs/ CAR (Capital Adequacy Ratio) of HFCs should not be below the regulatory minimum of 15 % &
12 % respectively and net Non-Performing Asset(NPA) should not be more than 6 %.
vii. The banks can consider an asset a default if there interest and/or installment of principal remains
overdue for 90 days.
viii. Background: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced this scheme in her FY20(Fiscal
year) budget.
AePS crosses milestone of 200 million transactions in July 2019: NPCI

Umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement, National Payments Corporation of
India(NPCI) has stated that Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS) used by a total of 6.65 crore
Indian citizens stood at 220.18 million with transaction value Rs 9,685.35 crore during July 2019
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against the transaction count of 194.33 million with transaction value of Rs 8,867.33 crore in June
2019.
Key points:
i. This will help improve the reaching out of financial inclusion in India.
ii. About AePS:
• It allows a bank customer to use Aadhaar as an identity to access respective Aadhaar enabled
bank account and perform basic banking transactions like cash withdrawal, intrabank or
interbank fund transfer and balance enquiry.
• AePS transaction requires the name of the customer’s bank, Aadhaar number, and fingerprint
captured during enrollment.
• 4As’ for financial inclusion: AePS delivers 4As’ for financial inclusion to a rural part of India
which includes, authentication of customer, availability of services, accessibility through AePS
channel and affordability as it’s free of cost to the customers.
• It also allows basic interoperable banking transactions at the point of sale (PoS)/MicroATM
through which the Business Correspondent(BC) of any bank by using Aadhaar authentication.
About NPCI:
♦ Founded: 2008
♦ MD & CEO: Mr. Dilip Asbe
Denmark’s Jyske Bank unveiled world’s first negative interest rate home loan
Denmark’s third-largest bank, Jyske Bank has launched the world’s first negative interest rate
mortgage – handing out loans to homeowners where the charge is minus 0.5% a year. It has begun
offering borrowers a 10-year deal at -0.5%.
Key Points:
i. Under its negative mortgage, Jyske bank borrowers will make a monthly repayment as usual – but the
amount still outstanding will be reduced each month by more than the borrower has paid.
ii. Negative interest rates effectively mean that a bank pays a borrower to take money off their hands,
so they pay back less than they have been loaned.
iii. Another Danish bank, Nordea will begin offering 20-year fixed-rate deals at 0% and a 30-year
mortgage at 0.5%.
About Jyske Bank:
♦ Founded: 1967
♦ Headquarters: Silkeborg, Denmark
♦ CEO: Anders Dam
Acko announces partnership with fintech ZestMoney to offer credit insurance

Insurtech company Acko General Insurance, has partnered with ZestMoney to offer credit card
insurance to its (ZestMoney) customers.
Key points:
i. Acko which offers personalized underwriting, micro insurance products, and automated micro claims
process, will offer credit insurance to ZestMoney customers who are provided with instant financing
and the option of paying through EMIs(Equated Monthly Installments) even if they don’t own a credit
card.
ii. These consumers will be covered by Acko during eventualities like hospitalization or critical illness
when they are unable to pay their instalments.
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Claims: Claims can be created within 3 minutes and can be filed through the ZestMoney app.
About Insurtech:
Insurtech refers to the use of technology innovations designed to squeeze out savings and efficiency
from the current insurance industry model. Insurtech is a combination of the words “insurance” and
“technology,” inspired by the term fintech(financial technology)
About ZestMoney:
Founders- Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma and Ashish Anantharaman
CFO(Chief Financial Officer)-Priya Sharma.
Founded- 2015.
BookMyForex join hands with YES Bank for foreign exchange travel card
On August 21, 2019, An online forex marketplace, BookMyForex has partnered with YES Bank and
card payment company Visa to launch a co-branded multi-currency forex travel card that will
provide a smooth payments solution to Indians traveling abroad. They can load up to 10 currencies on
the card.
Key points:
i. The forex travel card will be available to Customers on the BookMyForex platform and get doorstep
delivery at free of cost across major cities in India.
ii. In order to promote the sale over currency notes, the platform will offer zero margin or exact inter-
bank rates 24*7 on purchases made through the forex travel card.
iii. BookMyForex will also offer modern contactless cards that allow a user to simply tap their card on a
POS machine, a must-have feature in countries like UK(United Kingdom) where some merchants only
allow contactless payments.
iv. Customers will be able to manage the travel cards through the mobile app by getting real-time
notification alerts and view the INR (Indian rupee) equivalent of all amounts they spent.
v. They will also get value-added services like tracking currency-wise balances, locating surcharge-free
ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) nearby and reload their travel cards while traveling abroad.
About BookMyForex:
Founded: 2011
Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
Founder and CEO: Sudarshan Motwani
About YES Bank:
Formation: 2004
CEO & MD: Ravneet Gill
Tagline: Experience our Expertise
Digit Insurance signs Bancassurance agreement with Karur Vysya Bank

On August 22, 2019, Karur Vysya Bank(KVB), one of the oldest banks in India has signed a
bancassurance agreement with General insurance company, Digit Insurance to provide Digit
Insurance’s suite of products to its SMEs(Small and medium-sized enterprises) customers.
Key points:
i. Digit Insurance’s products will now be available in KVB’s customers spread across 750 plus branches
in India.
ii. The product portfolio comprises Digit Insurance’s flagship health, car& Bike, accident, home content,
critical illnesses, and particularly SME (Small and medium-sized enterprises) insurances, which is
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hugely underinsured in India.

iii. Through this partnership, Digit Insurance will deepen the penetration of its product offers and
enable more customers to access their risk solutions.
About KVB:
♦ Formation: 1916
♦ Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu
♦ MD & CEO: Mr. P. R. Seshadri
♦ Tagline: Smart way to Bank
About Digit Insurance:
♦ Formation: 2016
♦ Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka
♦ Chairman: Kamesh Goyal
Bharti AXA Life partners with Akshaya Patra Foundation to support and contribute to the mid-
day meal programme
On August 22, 2019, A renowned life Insurance company, Bharti AXA Life Insurance on its 13th
Foundation Day, has partnered with a non-profit organization in India, Akshaya Patra Foundation to
support and contribute to the mid-day meal drive for government-run school children across India.
Key points:
i. Bharti AXA Life has urged its over 5,500 employees to donate a day’s salary to Akshaya Patra to
counter classroom hunger and aid in the education of children from underprivileged sections of the
society.
ii. This partnership will help Akshaya Patra to take a few steps towards a target of reaching 5 million
children by 2025.
iii. Currently, Akshaya Patra feeds 1.76 million children every day at free of cost in 15,000 schools
across 12 states in the country.
About Akshaya Patra:
♦ Formation: 2000
♦ Headquarter: Bangalore
♦ CEO: Shridhar Venkat
About Bharti AXA Life:
♦ Formation: 2006
♦ Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra
♦ MD and CEO: Vikas Seth
Bandhan Bank join hands with standard Chartered for co-branded credit cards
On August 23, 2019, Private sector lender Bandhan Bank has entered into the partnership with
multinational banking and financial services company, Standard Chartered Bank to provide co-
branded credit cards to its 40 lakh savings bank account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan.
Key points:
i. The co-branded cards are available in three variants. It includes,(i) One- for the mass market,(ii) Plus-
for the affluent segment and(iii) Xclusive- for the premium segment. The credit period offered will be
of 52 days.
ii. As part of this partnership, Standard Chartered Bank will take the risk of credit failure & Bandhan
Bank will be responsible for identifying and issuing cards to its customers.
iii. Standard Chartered currently has 100 branches in 43 cities in India & It has 12 lakh customers base
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having credit card.

About Bandhan Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
♦ MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
♦ Tagline: Aapka Bhala, Sabki Bhalai
About Standard Chartered Bank:
♦ Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
♦ Chairman: Jose Vinals
♦ Tagline: Your Right Partner
Balkan country Serbia becomes 73rd non-regional member of AIIB

On August 23, 2019, The Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali of Serbia, announced membership with the
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB). By this membership, Serbia officially becomes
the 73rd non-regional member of the AIIB after completing all procedures and met all the conditions
for membership after passing a bill on approval of the AIIB Articles of Agreement and depositing the
Instrument of Accession and the first capital installment with the bank.
Key points
The news was confirmed on August 15, 2019, by the resolution of the AIIB Board of Governors recalling
the request for membership in 2018 by Sinisa.
About AIIB:
It is a multilateral development bank that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-
Pacific region.
Headquarters- Beijing, China.
President- JinLiqun.
Formation- January 16, 2016.
NBFCs can use Aadhaar-based bank KYC to give loans: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
On August 24, 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman notified that the Non-banking financial
companies (NBFCs) will be permitted to use the Aadhaar based bank mandated KYC (Know Your
Customer) to avoid repeating the process for the customers. The move will simplify and quicken up the
process of availing credit.
Key Points:
i. Background: The government had amended the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act 2002
to allow digital KYC. The amendment clarifies the various modes by which banks and NBFCs can
capture the customers’ data electronically and also allowed the financial entities to capture full details
through eKYC, removing the need to provide the physical documents. It allowed the use of electronic
documents besides physical documents to do the KYC Process.
ii. The electronic documents can be accessed from the digital locker system which also includes
Government of India’s Digi Locker.
About NBFC:
♦ It is a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 of India, engaged in the business of loans
and advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, hire-purchase insurance business or chit-fund
business but does not include any institution whose principal business includes agriculture, industrial
activity or the sale, purchase or construction of immovable property.
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CVC sets up 4-member panel to examine bank frauds above Rs 50 crore

On August 23, 2019, the Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) which is a 4 member board headed
by former Vigilance Commissioner T M Bhasin (also former Indian Bank Chief Managing
Director(MD)), is constituted by The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to look into bank fraud
cases of over 50 crore rupees and above and to take necessary action.
Key points
i. The panel ABBF was previously called as the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial
Frauds.After analysis of the fraud cases, it will decide the course of action to be taken, including a
reference to investigating agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI).
ii. The ABBF would function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before
recommending or referencing the investigative agencies by the PSBs (Public Sector Bank).
iii. Further PSBs have been advised to obtain a certified passport copies of promoters/directors and
authorised signatories of companies availing loans of above Rs 50 crore.
iv. This ABBF has been formed after consultation with the Reserve Bank of India(RBI). The fraud cases’
decision is followed by RBI-constituted expert committee on Non-Performing Assets(NPA) and frauds
headed by YM Malegam.
v. The tenure of the members of the board is period of two years with effect from August 21, 2019.
Restrictions to board members:
The 4 member board will be restricted to cases involving the level of officers like General Manager (GM)
and above of the PSB with respect to allegations of fraud in a borrowal account.
Other members of the panel
• Madhusudan Prasad – former Urban Development Secretary.
• D K Pathak – former Director General(DG) of the Border Security Force(BSF) and
• Suresh N Patel – former MD and CEO (Chief Executive Officer of Andhra Bank.
About CVC:
Formed- February 1964.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Central Vigilance Commissioner– Shri Sharad Kumar (former DG of National Investigation
Agency(NIA)).
An MoU signed between Indian Bank and Tata AIG General Insurance
Indian Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata AIG General Insurance to
offer Tata AIG General Insurance’s diverse range of general insurance policies to the bank’s customers.
Key Points:
i. The MoU was signed in the presence of Ms Padmaja Chunduru, Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Bank and Mr Saurabh Maini, Senior Vice President and Business
Head–Key partnership Group, Tata AIG General Insurance.
ii. Tata AIG General Insurance will work with the Indian bank for sales training, product support and
ensuring smooth operational processes.
About Indian Bank:
♦ Tag Line: Your Own Bank
About Tata AIG General Insurance:
♦ CEO: Neelesh Garg
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Fintech startup based in Bangalore ‘MoneyTap’ provides lifetime credit of up to Rs.5 lakh
Instantly
MoneyTap, India’s first company to provide an app-based personal credit line to customers has
announced to provide its customers with a lifetime credit limit of up to Rs. 5 lakh instantly starting
from Rs. 3,000. Unlike personal loans and credit cards, customers pay interest only on the amount
borrowed and at lower rates.
Key points:
i. Borrow: With MoneyTap app, consumers can borrow any amount from their limit anytime,
anywhere. Collateral securities & guarantor are not needed to get the Personal Credit Line.
ii. Repay: The borrower repays it as flexible EMIs (Equated Monthly Installment) within 2-months to 3-
years.
iii. Reuse: Once the borrowed amount repaid, customers can use the credit limit again.
About MoneyTap:
Founded: 2015
Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka,
Co-founder & CEO: Bala Parthasarathy
Insurance regulator IRDAI has set up a single point contact for RS

An autonomous body tasked with regulating insurance and re-insurance industries, IRDAI (Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority of India) has set up a single point contact for its
regulatory sandbox (RS) initiative. The Fintech entities can seek permission to experiment with
innovative products for the growth of the sector.
Key points:
i. IRDAI has invited applications already for the RS from 15, September 2019 – 14, October 2019.
It nominated Sanjay Verma as the “Single Point of Contact on regulatory sandbox matters”, will
communicate & guide the applicants.
ii. It will not grant any relaxation in respect of compliance with the Insurance Act, 1938, the IRDA Act,
1999 or any other applicable statutory provisions. But it may consider granting limited regulatory
relaxation to the proposal that develops innovation in insurance in India.
iii. The IRDAI (Regulatory Sandbox-RS) Regulations, 2019 was notified in July 2019 aims to create a
balance between orderly development of insurance sector on one hand and protection of interests of
policyholders on the other hand.
iv. Regulatory Sandbox (RS): It refers to live testing of new products/services in a secure &controlled
regulatory environment, where the regulators can allow certain regulatory relaxations for the limited
purpose of the testing.
It also permits the innovators, regulators, financial providers, and the customers to carry out field tests
so that they can verify the benefits and risks of new emerging financial innovations and their
implications.
About IRDAI:
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Hyderabad
Chairman: Dr. Subhash C. Khuntia
After State Bank of India, BoB goes the same way to link home loan product to RBI’s repo rate
On August 11, 2019, Indian multinational, public sector bank, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has linked its
home loan product to RBI’s (Reserve Bank of India (RBI)repo rate after State Bank of India (SBI). With
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this, home loans at BOB will be available at repo rate linked interest rate starting at 8.35%, thus
passing on the further benefit of 10 basis points to the present MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds based
Lending Rate) rated pricing.
Key points:
i. Presently, the MCLR linked home loan product is available starting at 8.45%, which had come into
effect on 7th August 2019 after the MCLR was reduced by 15 basis points (bps).
ii. This decision is following RBI reducing the key interest rate (repo) by 35 basis points to a nine-year
low of 5.40%.
iii. SBI’s reduction: After RBI cut its key repo rate, State Bank of India (SBI), reduced home loan rates by
15 bps effect from August 10, 2019. The revised one-year MCLR stands at 8.25% per annum down from
8.40% earlier.
iv. Many other state-run banks, including Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Bank of India and
Syndicate Bank, have also expressed their intention to launch loan products linked to an external
benchmark, in most cases, it has been the repo rate.
About BOB:
♦ Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat
♦ MD & CEO: P. S. Jayakumar
♦ Tagline: India’s International Bank
About SBI:
♦ Chairman: Rajnish Kumar
♦ Tagline: With you all the way, Pure Banking Nothing Else, The Nation’s banks on us.
OYO Hotels partners with ACKO General Insurance will launch complimentary insurance cover
up to Rs.10 lakh for guests
On August 12, 2019, Budget hotel chain Oyo Hotels and Homes have partnered with ACKO General
Insurance to provide a complimentary insurance cover as part of the booking price for guests at its
hotels across India. The visitors will get insurance protection against accidental death, baggage damage,
accidental medical expenses amongst other benefits like OPD (Outpatient Department)treatment, etc
during their stay.
Key points:
i. The package offers OYO guests insurance coverage up to Rs 10 lakh.
The various insurance coverage include,
Category Insurance coverage
Accidental death upto Rs 10,00,000
Baggage Damage up to Rs 10,000
Accidental medical expenses upto Rs 25,000
ii. The complementary insurance cover will be applicable on OYO app, website, mobile website, direct
bookings as well as booking done through walk-in.
iii. The partnership will help create the hassle-free and comfortable experience of OYO guests.
About OYO:
♦ Founded: 2013
♦ Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
♦ CEO: Aditya Ghosh
About ACKO General Insurance
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♦ Founded: 2016
♦ CEO and founder: Varun Dua
China labeled as a currency manipulator for the first time in 25 years by the US
For the first time in 25 years, the United States (US) has labeled China as a currency manipulator.
Key Points:
i. Definition: The US Treasury department defines currency manipulation as when countries
deliberately influence the exchange rate between their currency and the US dollar to gain “unfair
competitive advantage in international trade”.
ii. Criteria: The US Treasury has 3 criteria to determine if a country is manipulating its currency for
unfair advantage: the nation must have a trade surplus with the US of more than $20 billion, a current-
account surplus of more than 3% of GDP and must buy assets worth 2% of GDP in attempting to reduce
the value of its own currency on foreign exchange markets.
iii. Reason: Beijing allowed its yuan to fall below the politically sensitive level of 7 to the US dollar and
Chinese firms have reportedly stopped buying US farm produce.
iv. 7 per dollar level: China’s currency broke the 7 per dollar level for the first time since 2008. China
set the mid-point of the yuan at $6.9683, the lowest since 2008 and vowed not to use the currency as a
tool in its ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
v. Consequence: When China’s yuan falls against the U.S. dollar, Chinese products become cheaper in
the U.S. market and American products become more costly in China.
vi. Way ahead: US will engage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to eliminate the unfair
competitive advantage created by China’s latest actions.
10 public sector banks merged into four large entities: Nirmala Sitharaman
On August 30, 2019 , In the biggest consolidation exercise in the banking space, the Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made a big announcement that the formation of four large banks
by merging 10banks under the scheme of amalgamation. The decision aimed at making state-owned
lenders global sized banks.
With this, the number of public sector banks will be 12 as against 27 in the year 2017.
Key points:
Here is the list of 10 public sector banks(PSB) which merged into four:
Anchor bank Amalgamating bank (s) Business size (Rs PSB rank
lakh cr) by size
PNB(Punjab National bank) Oriental Bank of Commerce(OBC) 17.94 2nd largest
United Bank of India
Canara Bank Syndicate Bank 15.20 4th largest
Union Bank of India Andhra Bank 14.59 5th largest
Corporation Bank
Indian Bank Allahabad Bank 8.08 7th largest
i. Earlier, the government had merged Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda(BoB). Even
before this, the government merged five associate banks of State Bank and Mahila Bank of India into
State Bank of India (SBI).
ii. PNB will get Rs 16,000 crore capital from the government to complete the merging exercise.
iii. Canara Bank, with lower gross NPA (Non Performing Assets) ratio of 8.77 %, will get about Rs 6,500
crore capital from the centre.
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iv. Union Bank has a high Net NPA ratio of 6.85 %. It will get Rs 11,700 crore from the government for
the merger process.
v. Indian Bank had a net NPA ratio of 3.75 % & it will get Rs 2,500 crore worth capital from the
government to complete the merger.
Govt announces upfront capital infusion of Rs 55250 crore in PSBs
In order to boost the economy, the centre also announced capital infusion of amounting of Rs 55250
croreinto PSBs: It includes,
S.No Bank Name Capital infusion
1 PNB (Punjab National Bank ) ₹16,000 crore
2 Union Bank of India ₹11,700 crore
3 Bank of Baroda ₹7000 crore
4 Indian Bank ₹2500 crore
5 Indian Overseas Bank ₹3800 crore
6 Central Bank of India ₹3300 crore
7 UCO Bank ₹2100 crore
8 United Bank ₹1,600 crore
9 Punjab and Sind Bank ₹750 crore
Key points:
i The Centre had earlier announced steps to help Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) & Housing
Finance Companies (HFCs) that to assure the additional liquidity support of Rs. 20,000 crore by
NHB(National Housing Bank), collecting the total to Rs. 30,000 crore to support HFCs.
ii. As a part of the Rs. 1-trillion scheme that was announced for reviving liquidity in the NBFCs, the
government will give a one-time 6-month partial credit guarantee to PSBs for the 1st loss of up to 10 %
for the purchase of high-rated assets.
PSBs total gross NPAs come down to Rs 7.9 lakh crore: Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the total gross NPAs of Public Sector Banks(PSBs)
have come down to Rs. 7.9 lakh crore in March quarter of the FY 20(Fiscal year 2019-20), from Rs.
8.65 lakh crore in the previous December quarter of FY 2019(FY 2018-19). Out of total 18 public sector
banks only 14 are in profit-earning situation at this time.
About NPA:
A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment
remained overdue for a period of 90 days.
About Ministry of Finance:
Founded: 29 October 1946
NPCI has rationalises BHIM UPI charges for merchant transactions to promote digital payments
In a bid to promote digital payments, an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments in India,
the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has rationalised merchant discount
rates(MDR) for BHIM UPI (Unified Payment Interface ) transactions.
Key points:
i. It has waived merchant fees for offline UPI transactions of up to Rs 100 made using QR(Quick
Response) code scan-and-pay. For the large transactions, merchant fees have been capped at Rs 100.
ii. For other transactions, the merchant discount rate (MDR) has been hiked to 0.30% (maximum Rs
100). Currently, it is 0.25% for transactions up to Rs 2,000. It will be 0.65% for transactions above Rs
2,000.
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iii. The revised MDR rates will come into effect from October 1, 2019.
iv. MDR: It is the is the rate charged to a merchant for payment processing services on debit and credit
card transactions.
v. Bharat Interface for Money(BHIM) ,a mobile payment App developed by NPCI is interoperable with
other UPI applications, and bank accounts for quick money transfers.
vi. The NPCI already launched P2PM (an addition of the P2P (Peer to Peer) and P2M (Peer to
Merchant),that waives off the MDR for small businesses that carry inward transactions of up to INR
50,000. This limit is now extended to Rs 1,00,000 per month .
About NPCI:
♦ Headquarters: Mumbai,Maharashtra
♦ Founded: 2008
♦ MD and CEO: Dilip Asbe
MoUs & AGREEMENTS IN NEWS

UNIDO and NISE inked an agreement for skill development program
On August 7, 2019, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and
the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) signed an agreement to initiate a skill development
programme for different levels of beneficiaries in the solar thermal energy sector. It was signed by Mr
René van Berkel, UNIDO Representative in India and Dr AK Tripathi, Director General of NISE in UNIDO
Office.
Key Points:
i. Both entities will bring the best practices by developing specialized training material.
ii. Agreement is a part of the ongoing MNRE-GEF-UNIDO project implemented jointly by UNIDO.
iii. It will support capacity building and skill development of technical manpower in the Concentrated
Solar Thermal Energy Technologies (CST) which will replace conventional fossil fuels.
About UNIDO:
♦ Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
♦ Director General: Li Yong
About NISE:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE)
Tripura’s Banned Insurgency Group, NLFT signs a tripartite settlement agreement with MHA
and Tripura govt
On August 10,2019, Government of India (GoI) has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement
(MoS)with Government of Tripura and banned rebel outfit of Tripura National Liberation Front of
Twipra (NLFT) led by Sabir Kumar Debbarma & agreed to abjure the path of violence, join the
mainstream and abide by the Constitution of India. It also decided to surrender its 88 cadres with their
weapons.
Key points:
i. MoS: The NLFT representatives called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah after signing the tripartite
MoS, which has been signed by Satyendra Garg, Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary (North East),
Kumar Alok, Additional Chief Secretary (Home, Tripura), and Sabir Kumar Debbarma and Kajal
Debbarma of the NLFT (SD).
ii. Benefit: The surrendered cadres will be given surrender benefits as per the Surrender-cum-
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Rehabilitation Scheme, 2018 of the Home Ministry as per the recent agreement. Tripura Government
will help them in housing, recruitment, education among others.
iii. Background: Since the year 1997, NLFT has been banned under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act,1967 and has been involved in violence, from its camps across the international
border in Bangladesh. It has been responsible for violent activities, including 317 insurgency-related
incidents( where 28 security forces personnel and 62 civilians lost their lives) during the period from
2005 to 2015. Peace talks with NLFT were initiated in 2015&there it has not been involved in any
violence activity by NLFT since 2016.
16 state governments and the textile ministry signs MoU on skill training
On august 14,2019, Ministry of textiles and a total of 16 states from the country have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a function in New Delhi to take project Samarth– which is
Scheme for Capacity Building In Textile Sector (SCBTS) to impart skill based training to workers.
Key points
i. A total of 18 states were initially planned to partner with the textile ministry. But Odisha and Jammu
& Kashmir were not present during the function.
ii. A short film was screened on the occasion and a souvenir was also released.
iii. The ministry urged the states of TamilNadu and Jharkhand to relook on their targets as their targets
were much below the requirements of skilled workers.
iv. There is a gap of 16 lakh trained skill worker in the textile industry.
v. Aim: The aim is to develop 10 lakh youth upto 2020 in the textile sector, excluding spinning and
weaving in the organised sector, with a projected outlay of Rs.1300crore.
vi. Training and implementation: Over 3.5lakh targets have been aimed by the ministry to implement
the scheme where after the training, employment will be provided to all the beneficiaries in textile
related activities.
vii. Features in the training: The features are Aadhar enabled Biometric System (AEBAS), recording of
CCTV (Closed Circuit television). Dedicated call centre, online monitoring and Mobile app based
Management Information System.
viii. Addition benefit: People who have not got the job after training, will be provided additional
benefits under the Mudra (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency) scheme. 75% of workers in
textile sector and 70% beneficiaries of Mudra loan are women.
ix. The 16 states that signed MoU They are Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil
Nadu,Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Karnataka, Manipur,
Haryana, Meghalaya, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.
Flagship scheme:
The flagship scheme was implemented by the Textiles ministry from 2010 to 2017 with the target to
provide 15lakh additional skilled workers by 2017 in the textile sector.
i. Under the scheme a total of 11.14 lakh persons were trained by March 2018 and 8.41lakh persons
were provided placement.
About textile ministry
♦ Union minister- Smriti Zubin Irani (Constituency – Amethi, Uttar Pradesh).
♦ Secretary- Shri Ravi Capoor.
♦ Headquarters- Udyog Bhawan,New Delhi.
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MoU between India & Maldives on training and capacity building programme for Maldivian Civil
Servants operationalised
On August 19, 2019, The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India and Maldives on Training and Capacity Building Programme for Maldivian Civil
Servants was operationalised after the discussions held between the senior officials of the Department
of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the National Centre for Good Governance
(NCGG) and the Maldives Civil Service Commission in a ceremony held at the Civil Services Commission
of Maldives at Male, Maldives.
Key Points:
• Indian delegation: It was led by Shri V.Srinivas, Additional Secretary, DARPG. The High
Commissioner of India to Maldives Mr. Sanjay Sudhir was also present.
• Maldivian delegation: It was led by Dr. Aly Shameem, Chairman of the Civil Services
Commission of Maldives.
• iii. Schedule: The first 3 training programs will be held on September 16-28, 2019, November
18-30, 2019 for 60 officers of the middle management level and December 2-14, 2019 for 30
officers of top management level. The first 10 training programmes will be held from September,
2019 to December, 2020.
• Nodal Institute: National Center for Good Governance, India and the Civil Services Commission
of Maldives had signed an MoU which envisaged capacity building activities for 1000 Civil
Servants of Maldives at the National Centre for Good Governance over the next 5 years. It
envisaged that the National Center for Good Governance, India will be the nodal institution
for designing customized training modules and its implementation taking into account the
requirements of the Civil Service Commission of Maldives.
• Academic Committee: An academic committee will be established between the 2 institutions
for enhanced cooperation in implementing the training programs. It will cover areas relating to
the subject matter, faculty and timelines of the training.
SMVDU signs MoU with NISE to achieve national solar mission

On August 19, 2019, An autonomous Institution of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, National
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shri Mata
Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) to work jointly to accelerate, expand and achieve the objective
of National Solar Mission through training programmes.
Key points:
i. The MoU will be valid till 5 years. It was signed by Prof Mukkapandhoy and Prof V K Bhat of Shri Mata
Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), and Deputy General Director of NISE Dr Chandan Banerjee, said
SMVDU PRO Rajan Badyal.
ii. National Solar Mission: It is an initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to
promote solar power as a part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
On 11 January 2010, The mission was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a
target of 20GW by 2022 which was then increased by the Modi government to 100 GW by 2022.
About NISE:
♦ Headquarter: Gurgaon , Haryana
♦ Formation: September 2013
♦ It is undertaking activities related to research & development(R&D), testing, certification,
standardization and awareness in the field of solar energy and associated technologies.
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About SMVDU:
♦ Formation: 1999
♦ Location: Katra, Jammu, and Kashmir
♦ Vice Chancellor: Prof. Ravindra Kumar Sinha
CSC signs MoU with Panchayati raj ministry to digitalize all gram panchayats
On August 22, 2019, Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special
Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV),which provides government services to people in rural areas has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR ) to turn all 2.5
lakh gram panchayats into ‘digital panchayats’.
Key points:
i. The MoU will act as a catalyst to provide timely and efficient delivery of all panchayat-level services &
and social schemes to people in rural areas and will enhance rural BPO (Business Processing
Outsourcing) across all panchayats in India.
ii. Gram Panchayat Bhawans will host common service centres (CSCs), which will create the digital
panchayats by the form of integrating and updating online platform.
iii. CSCs will digitize regular work at gram panchayats, MoPR applications, maintain records of all gram
panchayats in digital format and, update data for all schemes and programmes being run by other
departments of central and state government. CSCs will also act as digital literacy centres for all elected
representatives of gram panchayats.
iv. CSC also holds the responsibility for overall project management, monitoring, and coordination with
the MoPR ministry, the state government, other ministries, and gram panchayats.
About MoPR:
♦ Union Minister: Narendra Singh Tomar
About CSC SPV:
♦ It incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology ( MeitY), Government of India, to monitor the implementation of Common Services Centers
Scheme.
♦ CEO: Dinesh Kumar Tyagi
Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and National AIDS Control Organization signed an
MoU
On August 26, 2019, A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of
Social Justice (DoSJ&E), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E) and National AIDS
Control Organization (NACO), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW). It was
signed by Additional Secretary, DoSJ&E Ms. Upma Srivastava and Special Secretary & Director General
(NACO & RNTCP), MoH&FW Shri Sanjeev Kumar in the presence of Union Minister for Health and
Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of State for SJ&E Shri Ratan Lal Kataria and Minister of
State for H&FW Shri Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, Secretary, MoSJ&E Smt. Neelam Sawhney and Secretary,
MoH&FW Smt. Preeti Sudan.
The features of the MoU are as follows:
i. Inclusion of target groups of NACO and National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR)
in the programmes of NAPDDR & NACO for awareness generation.
ii. Enhanced linkages and effective coordination between Injecting Drug Users Targeted Intervention
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(IDUs-TI) supported by NACO and Integrated rehabilitation center for Addicts (IRCAs) supported by
DSJE.
iii. Create awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of drugs abuse on the individual, family,
workplace and the society at large and reduce stigmatization of and discrimination against, groups and
individuals dependent on drugs in order to integrate them back into the society;
iv. Develop human resources and build capacity in order to strengthen the service delivery mechanisms
for drug addiction treatment.
v. Developing welfare scheme aiming at social inclusion and empowerment of Transgender which face
extreme social alienation enhancing their vulnerability to HIV and drug abuse.
vi. Address risk of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) transmission among all substance users
through preventive risk reduction messaging on HIV/STI and linkages with Integrated Testing and
Counseling Centre (ICTC) and other services.
vii. Working towards empowerment of discriminated and vulnerable groups like victims of HIV/AIDS
(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), victims of drug abuse, female sex workers, Persons engaged
in Begging and transgender by nurturing a supportive and congenial environment which promotes
human development by safeguarding human rights of all, providing social protection and rendering
psycho-social care.
viii. Include female sex workers and transgender as target group for social defence and drug addicts as
a target group for NACO.
ix. Reduced incidence of social stigma and discrimination again victims of drug abuse and Children and
People Living with HIV/AIDS through programme education setting.
About NACO:
About MoH&FW:
♦ Founded: 1976
♦ Constituency of Dr. Harsh Vardhan: Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
IMD signs MoU to handover unused radar building to the Indian Navy
On August 28, 2019 the India Meteorological Department(IMD) and the Indian Navy (IN) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hand over Cyclone Detection Radar(CDR) building by the
IMD to the Indian Navy(IN) for meteorological purposes. The MoU was signed at Kochi(Kerala) Naval
Base.
Key points
i. The MoU was signed in presence of Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval
Command (SNC) and Dr. D.Pradhan, Scientist ‘G’, Additional Director General(DG) of Meteorology
(Instruments), IMD, Delhi.
ii. Dr. Pradhan handed over the keys to Commodore Deepak Kumar, Chief Staff Officer (Operations),
SNC in presence of Commodore Manoj Kumar Singh, Commodore (Naval Oceanology and Meteorology),
Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.
iii. This building would be utilized by Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC), that was
set up in 2013 to provide meteorological information/ forecasts
CDR building features:
It was constructed between 1983and 1986 and became operational from 1987-2017. It has S-band
Cyclone Detection Radar installed by M/s Bharat Electronics Limited. This CDR system provided
weather support to aviation at Kochi airport which now is the INS Garuda naval air station. This
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building was left out since 2017, after IMD commenced it operations of Doppler Weather Radar(DWR)
at Mundamveli, kochi.
About IMD:
♦ Founded- 1875.
♦ Director General of Meteorology- Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
Health Ministry’s TB division signs MoU to explore AI based solutions for combating TB
On August 30, 2019 a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between the Central TB
Division of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry (MoHFW) and Wadhwani Institute for Artificial
Intelligence (independent, nonprofit research institute and global hub in AI development) to explore
future possibilities of tackling TB (tuberculosis) through Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The
MoU was signed by Shri VikasSheel, Joint Secretary of MoHFW and Dr P Anandan, ChieF Executive
Officer(CEO) of Wadhwani AI.
Key points
i. Function: The Wadhwani AI would support the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP)
which aims to eliminate TB by providing AI-based solutions in screening diagnostics etc.
ii. RNTCP: It is the revised or rechristened form of the National TB Control Program(NTP) which aims
at eliminating TB with its additional technology implementations.
iii. TB free India: Best outcomes are expected through this MoU as the nation is committed to
eliminate TB by 2025, which is 5 years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) target.
About MoHWF:
♦ Founded- 1976
♦ Union minister- Harsh Vardhan.(constituency- ChandniChowk,Delhi).
♦ Minister of State(MoS)-Ashwini Kumar Chowbey(constituency-Buxar, Bihar).
About RNTCP:
♦ It is a state-run TB control initiative of the Government of India which aims to achieve Universal
Access to TB control services.
♦ Launched-1997.
COMMITTEES IN NEWS
Amit Shah will head a 4-member panel of ministers to combat mob violence and lynchings
Union home minister & BJP( Bharatiya Janata Party ) President, Amit Shah will now head a 4-member
panel of ministers, which was created in 2018 to propose action against mob lynching. The panel was
headed by then Home minister Rajnath Singh when it was formed.
Key facts:
i.The Four: The Group of Ministers (GoM) will have the members including S. Jaishankar(External
Affairs Minister), Nitin Gadkari(union minister of road transport and highways), Ravi Shankar
Prasad(Union Minister of Law and Justice) and Thawar Chand Gehlot(Minister of Social Justice and
Empowerment).
ii. SC Notice: The Supreme Court(SC) had directed the Central Government, the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) and the State governments to respond to the plea seeking implementation of its
directions issued in July 2018 to tackle mob violence and lynching.
iii. Rajiv Gauba committee: After the report suggesting measures such as tightening of the law by
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placing clauses in the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure submitted by the
committee headed by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, the Government held a meetings with social
media platforms and asked them to take solid steps to remove content that created rumours and
contributed to lynching.
iv. Report: More than 20 people were lynched in the months of May &June, 2018 based on the fake
news posted on Social media platform, which incites such incidents.
MoSPI constitutes 8-member committee to recommend operational level modifications for

restructuring NSO
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) constituted an 8-member
committeeto recommend operational level modifications for restructuring the National Statistical
Office (NSO). NSO will be chaired by Pravin Srivastava, the chief statistician, and MoSPI secretary.
Key Points:
i. Background: In May 2019, MoSPI had approved the merger of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and
the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) into NSO to streamline and strengthen the present nodal
functions and to bring in more synergy by integrating its administrative functions within the ministry.
ii. Terms of Reference: it will give recommendations on the reorganization of technical and
administrative divisions, rationalization of coordination activities, delegation of financial powers,
reduction in the number of levels in the channel of submission and enhancement of the ministry’s
efficiency.
iii. Time frame: It will give its report within one month.
About MoSPI:
♦ Minister In-charge: Rao Inderjit Singh (MoS)
Reconstitution of Inter-State Council; PM Modi is the chairman

The Inter-State Council was reconstituted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairman and 6
Union ministers and chief ministers as members.
Key Points:
• Members: The Union ministers who will be members of the reconstituted council are Amit Shah
(Home), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), Rajnath Singh (Defence), Narendra Singh Tomar
(Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj), Thaawar
Chand Gehlot (Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment) and Hardeep Singh Puri (Minister of
State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), Chief Ministers of all
states and Union territories having legislative assemblies and administrators of the Union
territories not having a legislative assembly are the members.
• Permanent invitees to the council (10): Nitin Gadkari (Minister of Road Transport and
Highways), Ram Vilas Paswan (Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution), Ravi
Shankar Prasad (Minister of Law and Justice), Harmsimrat Kaur Badal (Minister of Food
Processing Industries), S Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs), Ramesh Pokhriyal (Minister of
HRD), Arjun Munda (Minister of Tribal Affairs), Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways),
Dharmendra Pradhan (Minister of Petroleum) and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Minister of Jal
Shakti).
• Powers: The Article 263 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of an Inter-State
Council which is mandated to inquire into and advise upon disputes which may arise between
states, investigate and discuss subjects in which some or all of the states, or the Union and one or
more of the states, have a common interest.
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Standing committee of the Inter-State Council

The government reconstituted the standing committee of the Inter-State Council with the
chairmanship of Home Minister Amit Shah. 4 Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Singh
Tomar, Thaawar Chand Gehlot & Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and 8 chief ministers are the members.
• Powers: It will have consultation and recommend matters for consideration of the council,
process all matters pertaining to Centre-state relations before they are taken up for
consideration in the council, monitor the implementation of decisions taken on the
recommendations of the council and consider any other matter referred to it by the council. If
necessary, it may invite experts and persons eminent in specific fields to have the benefit of their
views while deliberating upon the related subjects.
2nd meeting of High powered panel of CM’s headed by Devendra Fadnavis for the
transformation of Indian agriculture held in Mumbai
On August 16, 2019, The 2nd meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a High Powered
Committee (HPC)of chief ministers headed by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for
transforming Indian agriculture and raising farmers’ income, under NITI (National Institution for
Transforming India) Aayogheld in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key suggestions:
i. Agricultural pricing: For the benefit of small traders and farmers, the panel decided the imposition
of the Essential Commodities Act,1955, only in rare cases (such as scarcity and war)where the
commodity prices rise by over 50% of market rates.
ii. GM crops: The panel sought states’ views on whether GM (genetically modified) crops could be
used in restricted spaces to boost productivity& export in the agriculture sector.
iii. Discussion: It also discussed the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, 2003,
Contract Farming Act,2018 & unexpected unusual rainfall in south-central India lead to crop loss.
iv. Participants: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal,
Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Odisha Agriculture Minister Dr. Arun Kumar
Sahoo, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar have attended the meeting.
v. Background: The 1st meet was held on July 18, 2019, where the discussion focussed on the growth of
the food processing industry &ways to promote the infusion of new-age technology and attract private
investment to modernize agriculture.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare:
Founded: 1947
Rajnath Singh approves a high-level Committee to review Defence Procurement Procedure to

strengthen ‘Make in India’ initiative
On August 17, 2019, Defence Minister of India, Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the formation of 12-
member high-level committee, headed by the Director-General (Acquisitions), Apurva Chandra, to
revise and align the procedure of Defence procurement with the aim of strengthening the ‘Make in
India’ initiative.
Key points:
i. Task: The committee has been tasked to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2006 and
the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2009.
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ii. Time-limit: The high-level panel has been given 6 months to submit its report of recommendations.
iii. TOR: Terms of Reference(TOR) of the Committee include,
• To revise and align the procedures as given in DPP 2016 and DPM 2009& lay down policies to
remove procedural bottlenecks and accelerate defence acquisition.
• To simplify policy and procedures to facilitate greater participation of the Indian Industry and
develop robust Defence Industrial base in India.
• To examine and include new concepts, such as life cycle costing, life cycle support, performance-
based logistics, Information Communication Technology (ICT), lease contracting, codification
and standardization.
• Incorporation of new provisions to boost Indian start-ups and research & development.
DPP 2006: It comprises policies & procedures for procurement and acquisition from the capital budget
of the Defence Ministry aims at modernizing Armed Forces including the Coast Guard.
DPM 2009: It contains principles & procedures for procurement of goods and services for the Defence
Services, organizations and establishments.
About Ministry of Defence:
Formation: 15 August 1947(as Ministry of Defence)
MoCA forms committee to rationalise additional taxes on ATF

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) constituted a committee to rationalise additional taxes that
airlines have to pay while uplifting Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) at airports across India. It is formed to
develop a direct billing mechanism between airline companies and airport operators so that the
multiple taxes can be removed.
Key Points:
i. At present, airlines have to pay charges such as ‘throughput charges’, ‘into plane charges’ and ‘fuel
infrastructure charges’ when they take ATF at any airport for their planes.
ii. The panel comprises of the representatives from airlines, airport operators, oil companies, among
others.
iii. If direct billing mechanism is implemented, airlines can save around Rs. 400 crore per year.
About MoCA:
♦ Minister responsible: Hardeep Singh Puri
Panel to examine illegal sand mining in river Yamuna formed by NGT

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) has formed a committee to look into the issues of illegal sand mining
in the Yamuna river and sought a report within a month. This is done following a move by the Delhi Jal
Board(DJB) chief executive officer (CEO) Anil Kumar Singh alleging blockade in the main river course
and illegal sand mining in the Yamuna river.
Key points
i. The bench is headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and the panel consists of Delhi
district magistrate, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) which is the nodal agency for
coordination and compliance and the Central Pollution Control Board.
About NGT
It is a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of cases pertaining to environmental issues. It
is the thirdcountry following Australia and New Zealand to have such a system.
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Act- National Green Tribunal Act,2010

First chairman- justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta(2010).
Committee headed by CBDT submits report on replacing I-T Act with DTC
On August 19,2019 a group of experts panel headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) legislative
member Akhilesh Ranjan who was appointed as the convener of the task force in November 2018 by
the finance ministry,submitted a report to Nirmala Sitharaman(Finance Minister), to replace the
Income Tax Act with a new Direct Tax Code(DTC).
Key points
• The idea to replace the Income Tax (IT) Act,1961 was given by the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, at the annual conference of tax officers in New Delhi in September 2017, as the Income-
Tax Act, 1961, had been drafted more than 50 years ago and needed a change.
• The report which was scheduled to be submitted by May 31 2019, was given additional time till
August 16 by the then finance minister Shri Arun Jaitley.
• The task force was assigned to draft direct tax laws incorporating international best practices
and also considering the economic needs of the country.
• Akhilesh Ranjan-led panel was tasked to submit the report by February 28, 2019, following
Arbind Modi’s (the then CBDT convener) retirement on September 30, 2018.
• The report is expected to be placed for stakeholder consultations and is likely to be placed in
Parliament as a part of Union Budget 2020-21.
Task force members: The task members other than Ranjan includes
• Girish Ahuja (a chartered accountant),
• Rajiv Memani (Chairman and Regional Managing Partner of Ernst & Young(EY) India)
• Mukesh Patel (practicing tax advocate),
• Mansi Kedia (Consultant at ICRIER) and
• G C Srivastava (retired Indian Revenue Service and advocate).
About CBDT
♦ Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the apex policy-making body of the Direct Tax department. It
functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.
♦ Chairperson- Pramod Chandra Mody(since Feb 15, 2019).
♦ Formation- 1944.
About DTC
♦ The DTC seeks to consolidate and amend the law relating to all direct taxes, namely, income-tax,
dividend distribution tax, fringe benefit tax and wealth-tax so as to establish an efficient economy,
effective and equitable direct tax system which will facilitate voluntary compliance and help increase
the tax-GDP ratio. It will eventually pave the way for a single unified taxpayer reporting system.
♦ Features: Single code for direct taxes, use of simple language, reducing the scope for litigation,
flexibility, ensuring that the law is reflected in a Form, consolidation of provisions, elimination of
regulatory functions and Providing stability.
About income tax act,1961
♦ Formed – April 1, 1962.
NGT panel headed by S P Garg suggests unique ID numbers for water bodies in Delhi
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) committee headed by former high court judge Justice S P
Garg suggested that all water bodies in Delhi must be provided with Unique Identification
Numbers (UID) after properly demarcating them and mapping them on GPS (Global Positioning
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System) platforms in order to conserve them.

Key Points:
i. Recommendations: The authorities have been directed to install CCTV cameras at prominent places
to spot polluters. Signboards or banners which display that throwing waste is not allowed shall be put
up near lakes, warning of legal action in case of violation.
ii. Measures: The panel informed a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel that
the water bodies should be secured by constructing boundary walls and relevant entries in the revenue
records.
iii. Eutrophication: It is when a water body becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients
which induce excessive of algae. According to the panel, lakes and ponds are victims of eutrophication.
It results in the prolific growth of aquatic weeds in lakes and ponds which must be cleaned on time.
iv. Statistics: In 2018, the Delhi government had announced that there were around 1,000 – 1,200
water bodies in the city, out of which around 600 could be revived. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is reviving
around 200 such water bodies. The irrigation and flood control department would revive another 100.
v. Monitoring committee: The agencies shall have exclusive dedicated staff to take care of the water
bodies. DJB has designated Rakesh Sahni as SE (Water Bodies).
About NGT:
♦ First Chairperson: Lokeshwar Singh Panta
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Jaipur to hold Regional Conference on Good Governance in the month of November
Regional Conference on Good Governance will be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan by the Department of
Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in association with the Department of
Administrative Reforms, Government of Rajasthan and the Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan State
Institute of Public Administration (HCMRIPA). It is a part of the DARPG’s vision 2024 initiatives in the
new Government.
i. The theme of the conference for 2019 is “Strengthening State Institute of Public Administration”.
ii. The conference will be held between 14th and 15th November 2019 and will be inaugurated by Ashok
Gehlot, chief minister of Rajasthan and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. This conference aims to develop
and provide opportunities in improving the Public Service Delivery by enhanced quality of
Administration.
7th meeting of India Bangladesh home minister level talks held at Delhi
On august 08, 2019 The 7th Home Minister Level Talks (HMLT) meeting between Indian Home
Minister Amit Shah and his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman was held in New Delhi.
Key points
Discussions
Issues related to bilateral security co-operation, illicit movement of undocumented persons across the
border, support for safe and speedy repatriation of Myanmar citizens who are displaced and sheltered
in Bangladesh for which India has provided humanitarian assistance since 2017 were discussed.
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22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 inaugurated in Shillong

The 2 days lasting 22nd National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2019 was launched by Dr.
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(Independent charge) for Ministry of Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER) and Minister of State (MoS) for Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Space. This is the first-ever e-
Conference in the northeast region in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Key points
i. The theme of this Conference was “Digital India: Success to Excellence”.
ii. The chief guest for this conference was Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Konrad Sangma. The
conference saw participants from 28 states and all Union territories.
iii. “Shillong Declaration on e-Governance” was adopted in the conference as a way of takeaways from
the session to be referred and developed upon in the future.
iv. Dr. Jitendra Singh talked about various achievements done by the government in serving the people
during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule
v. The Government is taking utter effort to make digital literacy universal and has laid down the target
completion by 2022, which will mark the 75th Independence year of India.
Other officials in the conference
• Shri Hamletson Fouling, Minister of IT and communications.
• Shri K.V Eapen, secretary of Departure of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG).
• Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary of MeitY (Ministry of electronics and information
technology).
• Shri P.S. Thangkhiew, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya.
A 3-day Global Investors Summit 2019 will be held in Srinagar, J&K

A 3-day Global Investors Summit 2019 starting from October 12, 2019, will be held in Srinagar,
Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) which will provide the state an opportunity to showcase its strengths,
strategies, and potential.
Key points:
i. National Partner: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will be the national partner for the
investor’s summit, which has signed an MoU(Memorandum of understanding) with Jammu and
Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO).
ii. The summit, which was announced after the government removed special status to J& K under
Article 370, will help reduce fears and apprehensions in the minds of trade and business communities
outside the state.
Two-day International Conference on Teacher Education by NCTE held in New Delhi

On August 17, 2019, A 2 day International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to
Global” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh
Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’in New Delhi. It was organized by the National Council of Teacher
Education (NCTE) as a part of the silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995 (August 17).
Key Points:
i. Ministry of Human Resource Development will launch the world’s biggest project for teacher training
named NISHTHA (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement) on August 22,
2019.
ii. 40 renowned experts from India and abroad deliberated on the areas like the present scenario of
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teacher education in the Indian context; innovations in teaching practices; integration of information
and communications technology in teaching; inclusive education in teaching-learning environment; and
internationalization of teacher education.
About NCTE:
♦ Chairperson: Dr. Satbir Bedi, IAS
India holds 9th Session of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee in New Delhi
The two day 9th session of India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held on 19th – 20th August
2019 in New Delhi.
Delegations:
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, PiyushGoyal led the Indian delegation, whereas
the Kenyan delegation was led by Peter Munya, Minister of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives,
Government of the Republic of Kenya.
Bilateral trade review:
Both sides reviewed the trends in bilateral trade since the last session of the India-Kenya JTC, which
was held in August 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya and also the progress in cooperation in the power sector,
renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation and agricultural research was also
reviewed.
Top items exported from India: Petroleum products, drug formulations, biological and industrial
machinery for dairy, paper, paper board and products, plastic raw materials, two and three-wheelers,
iron and steel, manmade yarn, fabrics made-ups, books, publications and printing, electric machinery
and equipment.
Top items imported to india: Inorganic chemicals, pulses, coffee, drug formulations, biologicals,
copper and products made of copper, wood products, aluminium, products of aluminium, tea and
finished leather. Both sides stressed the need to enhance trade relations and also to diversify the trade
basket.
Future investment opportunities in trade:
The proposal on investment from Indian side was welcomed by Kenya and are to explore the
investment opportunities in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of Kenya and to explore investment-
related laws and regulations and exchange of business missions.
Trade in the field of housing:
The 2nd meeting of India-Kenya Joint Technical Committee (JTC) on Housing, held in Nairobi on 30th
May 2019 was recalled.
i.Decisions taken: Discussions on the sidelines of the 1st UN-HABITAT Assembly was done and
agreement to expand cooperation in the field of housing through capacity building of Kenyan officials
was made.
ii.Conference to be held: A Conference on Housing in India and exploring partnership between Kenya
Institute of Housing and Building Technology (KIHBT) and Building Materials and Technology
Promotion Council (BMTPC), India is to be held in the future.
iii.MoU expanded: MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) between the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy
Development and Management signed on 11th July 2016 was expanded.
iv.Reason for expansion: To strengthen cooperation in the areas of sustainable urban development
including smart cities, water and waste management and urban mobility. Further, Kenya had also
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requested for technical assistance to support the implementation of Kenyan urban and affordable
housing programmes.
Other sectors to be explored in future: Manufacturing, agriculture, agro-processing, floriculture,
aquaculture, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and products such as base metals &
articles thereof, textiles & textile articles, vegetables and horticultural products, plastics & rubber,
chemical products and machinery & mechanical appliances.
About the UN-HABITAT
♦ The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly was held from 27-31 May 2019, at the headquarters of
UN-Habitat in Nairobi, kenya with the theme “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and
Communities”.
♦ The sub-theme for the meeting was ‘Accelerated Implementation of the New Urban Agenda towards
Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’.
About Kenya
♦ Capital- Nairobi.
♦ Currency- Kenyan Shilling.
♦ Official languages- Swahili, English.
♦ President- Uhuru Kenyatta(4th president).
National Conference of Tourism Ministers organised by the tourism ministry in New Delhi
On August 20,2019, The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers organised by the Union
Ministry of Tourism was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Shri Prahlad Singh Patel,Union
Minister of State for Tourism & Culture (Independent Charge).
Key points
i. State Tourism Ministers of 19 States, Secretaries of Tourism and other senior officials attended the
conference.
ii. Three new Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and five new Letters of Intent (LoIs) to the
prospective ‘Monument Mitras’(private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals that
adopt tourist sites become monument mitras) were handed over.
iii. Presentations were given by State Governments of Kerala and Sikkim showcasing their best
practices in the tourism sector.
Discussions made:
The target of Prime Minister’s dream of doubling the tourists, both foreign and domestic over the next
five years were discussed. The other discussions were
• Developing a One Stop Solution on tourism related services through a web based application and
a Grievance Redressal Mechanism through Twitter and Tourist-Helpline.
• Adoption of Adventure Tourism and Bed & Breakfast / Homestay Scheme Guidelines by
States/UTs(Union Territories).
• Status of projects sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan& PRASHAD Schemes
• Implementation of Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
• To increase the number of tourists in India.
• States were asked to organize surveys to understand foreign tourists’ perception on India.
Launch of Incredible India portal:
i. Hindi version of the new Incredible India portal was launched.
ii. it was further announced that the Arabic, Chinese and Spanish versions of the new Incredible India
website would be launched next month.
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About First incredible India portal:

The first new Incredible India website was launched on 14th June 2018. Since its launch, the website
has attracted 85,84,928 total visitors including 65,31,722 Unique Visitors as on 31st July, 2019.
Certification portal: Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) portal was launched in
the conference. It is a digital initiative for the citizens of India to be part of the Tourism Industry. It is an
online programme where one can learn about tourism at their own time, space, path and pace.
Successful program completion will certify the learner as Tourist Facilitator of Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India.
About tourism ministry
♦ Formed – 1967.
♦ Constituency of Prahlad Singh Patel- Madhya Pradesh.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina & Tennis Legend Sania Mirza will co-chair WEF’s India Economic
Summit 2019 to be held in New Delhi
The World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) will organize 2-day India Economic Summit 2019 scheduled to be held in New Delhi from
October 3 – 4, 2019 with the aim of promoting strong collaboration between South Asia and ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations ) nations. The theme of the event will be ‘Innovating for India:
Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World’.
Key points:
i. Key leaders: Sheikh Hasina (Prime Minister of Bangladesh), Sania Mirza (Sportsperson and UN –
United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia), Heng Swee Keat (Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister for Finance of Singapore), Shobana Kamineni (Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo
Hospitals Enterprise), and Shailendra Singh (Managing Director, Sequoia Capital India) will be the co-
chairs for the Summit.
ii. Thematic pillars: The meet will resolve strategic issues of regional significance through 4 thematic
pillars, which include the new geopolitical reality and new social, ecological and technological systems.
iii. Focus: The meet facilitates dialogue on policy tools, business models, industry standards, norms and
guidelines for promoting the dynamism of India to meet its growth potential & accelerates the adoption
of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies.
iv. Participants: Top leaders from government(Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Dharmendra
Pradhan, and Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Congress leader
Shashi Tharoor, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant), Industry
leaders (Rahul Bajaj, Sanjiv Bajaj, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Adi Godrej, Ajay
Singh, Sunil Mittal and Nandan Nilekani)are expected to attend the meet.
About WEF:
♦ Formation: January 1971
♦ Headquarters: Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Founder: Klaus Schwab
♦ Motto: Committed to improving the state of the world
High-Level Meeting (HLM) between Indian and Srilankan coast guard held
On August 20, 2019, A High-Level Meeting (HLM) was held between India and Srilanka at the Indian
Coast Guard (ICG) headquarters in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Director General,
Indian Coast Guard K Natarajan, and the Srilankan delegation was held by Rear Admiral Samantha
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Wimalathunge.
Key points
i. The meeting was held as part of the MoU(Memorandum of Understanding) signed between the two
sides in establishing a collaborative relationship to combat illegal activities at sea like smuggling and
developing regional cooperation.
ii. An official visit to India is paid by a 4-member delegation of Sri Lanka Coast Guard, led by
Wimalathunge from August 19-23, 2019.
Various discussions held: The discussions held were regarding,
• Continued capacity building of Sri Lanka Coast Guard by Indian Coast Guard.
• Training of Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel.
• Mutual cooperation in multilateral forums on safety and security.
Important enabler for collaboration: The apprehension of 2 fishing boats by Sri Lanka involved in
drug trafficking based on the information exchange undertaken by ICG that invoked the MoU was
recognised as an important enabler for pursuing further collaborative response to emerging situations
at sea.
About ICG
♦ Motto- “We protect”.
♦ Founded- 18 August 1978.
♦ Act- Coast Guard Act, 1978.
First World Youth Conference on Kindness inaugurated by Indian President

On August 23, 2019, the President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind inaugurated the first World Youth
Conference on kindness at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The president addressed the event celebrating
the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the
Contemporary World’.
Key points:
i. Aim: To impart empathy, compassion, mindfulness and critical enquiry to inspire, empower and
enable youth to transform building a long-lasting peace in their communities and finding pathways to
achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
ii. Blue dot: 10th edition of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and
Sustainable Development (MGIEP) flagship programme ‘the Blue Dot’. It focuses on MGIEP social and
emotional learning.
iii. More than 1000 Youth leaders from 27 countries participated in the event.
The conference was organised by UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation) Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, Ministry
of Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
About UNESCO MGIEP:
♦ It is a category 1 research institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
It was launched by former UNESCO Director General Ms. Irina Bokova and former President of India
Shri Pranab Mukherjee.
♦ Launched – 2012.
Two-day National Conference on Varmam Science inaugurated by Srhipad Yesso Naik in

Tamilnadu
The two-day National Conference on Varmam Science which is a part of the Siddha system of medicine
was inaugurated by Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry
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of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The conference was organised by the National Institute of Siddha, Chennai on 22nd & 23rd of August
2019.
Key points:
i. ‘Varmam’ is a constituent of the Siddha system of medicine, and has connectivity with martial art. It
has been in practice for more than 5000 years.
About Ayush Ministry:
♦ Founded- 9 November 2014.
♦ Constituency of ShripadYessoNaik(also MoS of defence)- North Goa.
International dialogue on South-South and Triangular Cooperation addressed by Commerce &

Industry Minister
On August 22, 2019, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways,
Shri PiyushGoyal addressed the International dialogue on South-South and Triangular Cooperation
that was held in New Delhi. Reforms to be taken on World Trade Organisation(WTO) by all the member
countries was the key topic addressed.
Key points:
The South-South and Triangular Cooperation organised by Research and Information System (RIS) and
the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation(UNOSSC).
Key topics addressed:
i. The member countries of WTO were asked to engage in rule-based, transparent, and non-
discriminatory governance required for free trade in a non-discriminatory manner, keeping in mind the
interests of member countries with disparate (essentially different in kind) GDP.
ii. The world economy is more likely to fall into a recession if not taken measures on the protectionism
policies followed by the member countries which affects the trade engagement.
iii. Ways of attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for the target year 2030 were discussed.
Recession: A recession is typically marked by two consecutive quarters of decline in a country’s gross
domestic product (GDP). Recession can also result in unemployment. The yield curve indicated the
recession which financial crisis similar to the year 2008 is expected.
South-South cooperation:
The term South-South cooperation is used by policymakers and academics to describe the exchange of
resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries, also known as countries of the
Global South as it is a broad framework of collaboration among countries in the south.
About commerce and industry ministry:
♦ Constituency of PiyushGoyal- Maharashtra.
♦ MoS (Minister of State) Commerce and Industry-SomParkash(constituency- Hoshiarpur Lok
Sabha constituency, Punjab).
♦ Mos independent charge- Hardeep Singh Puri.
4th edition of Internet of Things (IoT) India Congress 2019 held in Bengaluru
The 4th edition of India’s largest confluence of digital-technology stakeholders, the Internet of Things
(IoT) India Congress 2019 held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from August 22 – 23, 2019 with the theme
of ‘Mainstreaming the Internet of Things’.
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Key points:
i. Organizer: The 2-day Congress was organized by Institution of Engineering and Technology
(IET) IoT Panel with a footfall of over1600 participants and about 70 speakers from over 6 countries. It
was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information
Technology, Government of India(GoI).
ii. 10 tracks: The event focussed on 10 segments such as Energy, Healthcare, Defence, Standards and
Regulatory, Retail, Digital Communication, Skills and Development, Agriculture, Manufacturing and
Smart Cities.
iii. Each of the tracks included business-case led panel discussion, use cases, and a Future Tech
Spotlight, where discussions on current industry problems conducted.
iii. Thought Leadership Awards: Smt. Aruna Sundararajan (Secretary of IT and Electronics,
Department of Telecom), Arvind Tiwary, (Chair IoT Forum, TiE) and Dr. Dhananjaya Dendukuri, (CEO
and Co-founder, Achira Labs) have received the Thought Leadership Awards from Sir Robin Saxby,
Technology Entrepreneur for their excellence and leadership in the IoT space.
iv. Over the past 3 editions, the event has gained significant momentum and engagement with key
ministries of the Government of India such as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of
Electronics & IT, Department of Telecommunications, NITI Ayog(National Institution for Transforming
India).
12th India Security Summit held in New Delhi

The 12th edition of India security summit organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) was held in New Delhi. The theme for the year 2019 is “Towards New
National Cyber Security Strategy”.
Key points
i. The Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Shri G. Kishan Reddy,
Jitendra Singh, MoS for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and Minister of State for
Prime Minister’s Office; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy and
Department of Space, Ms Neeta Verma Director General of National Informatics Centre(NIC), were
present in the event.
ii. To tackle cybercrimes in India which ranks third largest in the world, the Union Home Ministry had
also launched scheme ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’.
iii. “Cyber Swachhta Kendra” which is a part of the Government of India’s Digital India initiative under
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) were mentioned in the event.
7th Community Radio Sammelan for 2019 held in New Delhi

On August 27, 2019, The 7th Community Radio Sammelan for the year 2019 was inaugurated by Shri
Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhawan, New
Delhi in the presence of the representatives of all operational Community Radio Stations across India
along with senior officials of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. It was held from August 27-29,
2019 and was organized by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The theme of this year’s
Sammelan is ‘Community Radio for SDGs’ (Sustainable Development Goals).
i. Other initiatives: The minister inaugurated a poster exhibition of Community Radio Stations. A
short film on the step by step process for setting up of Community Radio Station was also launched on
the occasion.
ii. Plenary sessions: The plenary sessions on “The SDG Journey – leaving no one behind” was
chaired by Shri Rakesh Ranjan, Senior Consultant, Niti Aayog, and a session on “Community Radio:
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Issues, Ideas and Experiences” was chaired by Ms. Esther Kar, Former Director General, Press
Information Bureau. This session focussed on content management, research, production, broadcasting
and dissemination of content through social media.
Shri Prakash Javadekar presented National Awards for Community Radio for 2018 and 2019
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Minister of Information and
Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar presented the National Awards for Community
Radio for 2018 and 2019. He also released the booklet “Jan Connect: Clear Intentions, Decisive
Actions” on key decisions taken by the Government in the first 75 days of its second tenure. The
booklet has been brought out by Bureau of Outreach and Communication, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting.
The Awards for the years 2018 and 2019 were given in the following five categories:
• Thematic
• Community Engagement
• Promoting Local Culture
• Most Creative/Innovative
• Sustainability Category
List of Awardees
Thematic Category
2018 2019
First prize Radio Namaskar, Odisha Friends Radio, Tripura
Programme: Ama Khadya Programme: Health
and Women
Second prize Radio Sharda, Jammu & Kashmir Salaam Namaste, Uttar
Programme: Wangegvoor Pradesh
Programme: Salaam
Shakti
Third prize Radio MGIRI, Maharashtra i. Waqt Ki Awaaz, Uttar
Programme: Unch Majha Zoka Pradesh
Programme:
Chaukanni
Chaardiwari
ii. Alfaz-e-Mewat,
Haryana
Programme: Kanoon Ki
Baat
Community Engagement Category
2018 2019
First prize Radio Madhuban, Rajasthan Radio Namaskar,
Programme: Nanhe Sitare Odisha
Programme: Ama Priya
Pakhala
Second prize Kisan Radio, Uttar Pradesh Pant Nagar Janvani,
Programme: Chalo Gaon Ki Aur Uttarakhand
Programme: Ye Kahan
Aa Gaye Hum
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Third prize Radio Pragya, Uttar Pradesh KRDA Community Ente

Programme: Ladies First Radio, Kerala
Programme: Sneha
Sena
Promoting Local Culture Category
2018 2019
First prize Pant Nagar Janvani, Uttarakhand Radio Madhubhan,
Programme: Anchal Ki Surabhi Rajasthan
Programme: Gaon Ri
Baten
Second prize Radio Sharda, Jammu & Kashmir Radio Yerlavani,
Programme: Peindh Te Purran Maharashtra
Local Cultural
Programme
Third prize Radio Madhuban, Rajasthan Radio Media Village,
Programme: Opno Samaj Kerala
Programme: Nattu
Nanma
Most Creative/Innovative Category
2018 2019
First prize Sanjha Radio, Haryana Radio Sarang,
Programme: Sports Ki Baat Sanjha Radio Ke Sath, Karnataka
Programme:
Antarabelaku
Second prize Radio Media Village, Kerala Samudayik Rudi No
Programme: Sukritham Radio, Gujarat
Programme: Vasant
Panchami
Third prize i. Radio Pragya, Uttar Pradesh KSR Community Radio,
Programme: Master Mind Tamil Nadu
ii. Radio Namaskar, Odisha Programme: Mattram
Programme: Sishu Hasile Duniya Hasiba
Sustainability Category
2018 2019
First prize Radio Mattoli, Kerala Sanjha Radio, Haryana
Second prize Sanjha Radio, Haryana Radio Media Village,
Kerala
DoT allocates two additional dedicated frequencies for running Community Radio – 89.6 and
90.0 MHz
Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting informed that Department of
Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications has agreed to dedicate 2 additional frequencies
viz. 89.6and 90.0 MHz for running Community Radio Stations. Recent hike in advertisement rates for
print and electronic media, the advertisement rates for Community Radio will be revised by the Bureau
of Outreach and Communication within 2 months.
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• Community Radio Cell will be set up in the Ministry for grievance redressal and collating
actionable suggestions received from stakeholders.
• Media and Communication Plan of all Ministries of the Government must include Community
Radio to leverage their deeper ground level penetration.
• Compendium of all the programmes running on Community Radio Stations all across the country
released by Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar will be distributed to all District Collectors to
sensitize them for utilization of Communication Radio in their local communication endeavours.
• National Sammelan will be held annually, along with Regional Sammelans which be held in
different corners in India.
About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting:
♦ Constituency of Shri Prakash Javadekar: Rajya Sabha- Madhya Pradesh
1st India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations held in New Delhi

On August 28, 2019, The first ever India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations was held in New Delhi.
The Indian delegation was led by Shri. T.S Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) while the
Ghanaian delegation was led by Mr. Charles Owiredu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional
Integration.
Key Points:
i. Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and looked at new areas for cooperation.
Views were also exchanged on regional and multilateral issues.
ii. They agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, development partnership,
dèfence & security, health & pharmaceutical sector, capacity building & training and people to people
contacts.
iii. Satisfaction was expressed by both sides on the regular high political level exchanges, including the
successful visits of Honorable President of India to Ghana in June 2016 and Honorable President of
Ghana to India in March 2018 to attend the Founding Conference of International Solar Alliance (ISA).
8th RCEP Inter-Sessional Ministerial Meeting 2019 held in Beijing, China

A two-day 8th Inter-Sessional Ministerial Meeting of Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) 2019 was held in Beijing, China on August 2-3, 2019 before the 7th RCEP
ministerial meet which will be convened in Bangkok, Thailand on September 2019. In this meeting, all
partner countries agreed to finalize trading deal negotiations.
Commerce Secretary Dr. Anup Wadhawan led a delegation to the 8th RCEP Inter-sessional
Ministerial meeting 2019
The Commerce Secretary Dr. Anup Wadhawan represented India to the meeting. He underscored
India’s contribution in shaping the RCEP negotiations till date & held bilateral meetings with his
counterparts from China, Thailand, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan
and ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Ministers.
Key points:
i. In his meeting with Mr. Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Wadhawan lists out
demands before China for market access including larger exports of drugs, sugar, rice, dairy, soybean,
and other services.
ii. During the meeting with ASEAN Economic Ministers, he highlighted the importance of services trade
which supports both goods trade and investment.
iii. The final statement issued after the meet stated that over two-thirds of market access negotiations
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have reached mutually satisfactory outcomes and that work on the remaining areas are being
intensified through constructive engagements at all levels.
iv. The next inter-sessional trade negotiation meet will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on August, 2019.
About RCEP:
i. It is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) or comprehensive regional economic integration
agreement between the 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its 6- FTA partners (Australia, New Zealand, India,
China, Japan and Korea).
ii. It aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and
intellectual property rights under its ambit.
5th Meeting of BRICS Minister of Environment held in Sao Paulo, Brazil

On August 16, 2019, 5th BRICS Minister of Environment Meeting held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which
was preceded by the 2-day meeting of BRICS Joint Working Group on Environment. The Indian
delegation was led by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash
Javadekar.
Highlights of 5th Meeting of BRICS Environment Ministers:
While addressing the meeting, Mr. Prakash Javadekar stated that India has achieved its Nationally
Determined Contributions(NDCs) under Paris Agreement, reduction of energy intensity by 25 %,
increment of forest cover by nearly 15,000 sqkm , Swachh Bharat Mission initiative, Waste Management
Rules.
He appreciated the initiatives of BRICS countries and reaffirmed India’s support to BRICS cooperation.
He also invited the BRICS Ministers delegations to join at 14th CoP (Conference of Parties ) scheduled to
be held from 2 – 13 September 2019 and contribute to the efforts to combat desertification and land
degradation.
i. Make India free of single-use plastic campaign: During the meeting, Javadekar has announced
massive campaign that will be launched to make India free of single-use plastic.
ii. Key Initiatives: The Ministers of BRICS countries underlined the” Partnership on Urban
Environmental Sustainability Initiative (PUESI)” for sharing knowledge & experience on major issues
such as waste management, cogeneration, reverse logistics, sanitation, urban air quality, urban green
areas.
iii. Cooperation Platform: BRICS Environmentally Sound Technology (BEST) Cooperation Platform
was highlighted for innovations, knowledge sharing and capacity building&
iv. Clean River of BRICS program: It was adopted for improvement of the river ecosystem and
tackling marine waste.
v. Affirmation: The Ministers agreed to support the development of Post-2020 Global Biodiversity
Framework & they urged developed countries to meet their commitment under the UNFCC (United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and its Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement to
provide means of implementation of climate finance, technology development and transfer and
capacity-building support.
vi. Appreciation: The participated BRICS Ministers praised the Indian Presidency of the 14th session of
the CoP of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
vii. Representatives: Brazil was led by Mr. Ricardo Salles, Minister of Environment. Minister of Natural
Resources and Environment, Mr. Dmitry Kobylkin led the Russian delegation, while the Chinese
delegation was led by Mr. Huang Runqiu, Vice-Minister of Ecology and Environment and the South
African delegation was led by Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms. Barbara Creecy.
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About BRICS:
♦ Acronym BRICS, refers to 5 major emerging economies include, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and
South Africa.
♦ Originally as per term ‘BRIC’ coined in 2001 by then-chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management,
Jim O’Neill, South Africa was not a part of this grouping. It joined in 2010 and thereafter these countries
have been collectively referred to as BRICS nations.
28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting 2019 on Climate Change held in Sao Paulo, Brazil
The 28th session of BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) Ministerial meeting 2019 on Climate
Change was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 14 – 16 August 2019. Union Minister of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar represented India for this meeting. This comes
ahead of United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties (COP-25)
meet scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile from 2 – 13 December 2019.
Highlights of the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting:
i. Javadekar’s statement: While addressing the meeting, Mr. Prakash Javadekar stated that the BASIC
Group coming & putting views together is an important aspect of the UN (United Nations)negotiations.
The group has one-third of world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population, can
play a crucial role in ensuring that all countries accept the Paris climate agreement.
Furthermore, he stated that BASIC will be united and will speak in one voice.
ii. Affirmation: The group reaffirmed member countries’ constructive engagements and significant
contributions to implement UNFCC, its instruments, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and further the
process under the UNFCCC(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). These actions
will promote low carbon transition, tackle climate change (including in the urban environment) to
safeguard the future of mankind.
iii. NDC: The Ministers highlighted the development of pre-2020 and achievement of their Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs), even the multiple challenges like social and economic development
and poverty eradication they face. They adopted to share the best practices and support each other
through south-south cooperation as they can further promote their domestic climate policies and
actions.
iv. Climate action: The group highlights the global climate action that should promote climate justice
by recognition of the fundamental right of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable
development.
v. Order: Ministers took note of the combined report on pre-2020 implementation and ambition
published by the UNFCCC Secretariat in the year 2018 & underlined the significant gaps (such as
mitigation, adaptation, and support ) in climate efforts. The group also emphasized that those gaps
should not affect the developing countries in the post-2020 period and urged the countries to meet
their commitment means of implementation of climate finance, technology development including in
the pre-2020 period.
vi. Appreciation: Ministers welcomed the 184 ratifications, till date, of the Paris Agreement, adopted
under the UNFCCC & 130 ratifications, to date, of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol. They
called on the remaining Parties to join the Paris Agreement & made ratification Doha Amendment as
soon as possible.
vii. Polish Presidency: Ministers appreciated the contribution of Polish Presidency to the UNFCCC
process, particularly the decisions adopted in Katowice, during Conference of parties COP 24, CMP 14
and CMA 1, including Paris Agreement Work Programme. The group given its support to the incoming
Chilean Presidency of COP 25 and emphasized the importance of reaching solid results in Santiago,
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which is a crucial opportunity for closing the action and ambition gaps before 2020.
viii. PAWP: The group reiterated their commitment to work together with all parties in an open,
transparent, inclusive and party-driven manner to achieve a balanced and comprehensive outcome on
all remaining items of the Paris Agreement Work Programme(PAWP).
ix. UNSG Climate Action Summit: Ministers praised UN Secretary General’s efforts for UNSG´s Climate
Action Summit, which will be held on September 2019 with the aim to build political momentum for
enhancing climate action and support. They also reaffirmed their support for this summit.
x. Threat: They took notes of Special reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)findings on global warming of 1.5 °C and report on Climate Change and Land, which highlights
the high vulnerability of developing countries on the account of climate change effects, costs of
adaptation and requirement of transitions in the development process.
xi. Call to action: Ministers asked developed countries to help developing countries in order to achieve
their climate goals by providing the adequate provision of timely finance support ($ 100 billion
annually by 2020), technology transfer, and capacity building. The support should be new and
additional, and over and above their 0.7% of GNP (Gross national product )commitment with respect to
Official Development Assistance (ODA). This will create crucial signals to investors, both public and
private, in order to match the urgency of climate change. The group also urged developed country
Parties to provide funding for loss and damage arising from climate change in developing countries.
xii. Transparency framework: They highlights the enhanced transparency framework established by
the Paris Agreement to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices, as well as address the
needs faced by developing countries.
xiii. Cause for concern: Ministers worried about the denial of rights to support the Green Climate Fund
(GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) by developing countries. They raised their expectation
that 1streplenishment of the GCF by the end of 2019 will ensure the financial contributions by
developed countries match the ambition, needs, and priorities of developing countries.
xiv. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: It aims at promoting integrated, holistic & balanced approaches
that will assist governments in implementing their NDCs through voluntary international cooperation.
The group highlights the Article 6 issues of the Paris Agreement. It will assist participating members to
implement the Paris Agreement efficiently.
xv. BASIC Ministers noted the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil
Aviation (ICAO) work on reduction of carbon emissions and underscored that work being undertaken
by them must complement the UNFCCC. They affirmed their commitment to support the State of
Palestine, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, with a view to strengthening the unity and
advancing the common interests of developing countries.
xvi. Next meet: China will host the 29th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in 2020.
BASIC countries:
These are bloc (geopolitical alliance) of 4 large newly industrialized countries (Brazil, South Africa,
India, and China).
i. It was formed by agreement in November 2009. They were committed to act jointly at Copenhagen
climate summit 2009, including possible united walk-out if their common minimum position was not
met by developed nations during climate talks.
ii. It is working to define common position on emission reductions and climate aid money and try to
convince other countries to sign up to the Copenhagen Accord.
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Defence talks between India and China held in Beijing

In order to improve military to military cooperation, India and China reviewed the situation on the
border and agreed on more port calls by each side’s Navies at a meeting of the Joint Working Group
(JWG) between the Defence Ministries in Beijing, China.
Key points:
i. JWG: The meeting was a preliminary one attended by Joint Secretary from the Defence Ministry of
India along with one-star officer each from the 3 Services. It happened right after the meeting between
the external affairs minister, S Jaishankar and Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister.
ii. Discussion: The thorny issues were looked at the meeting include border management, maritime
cooperation including increment of port calls. The two sides also plan to celebrate the 70th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries from April 2020 to March 2021.
iii. Defence dialogue: India-China annual defence and security dialogue will be held later in 2019. It
will be headed by the Indian defence secretary and his Chinese equivalent.
The likely visit of Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh to China towards the end of 2019.
iv. HiH: The 8th edition of Hand-in-Hand (HiH)Military exercise 2019 between India, China will be
held in December 2019 at Umroi near Shillong in Meghalaya will focus on transnational counter-terror
operations, the establishment of a joint command post, joint combat missions. The 7th edition was held
at Chengdu, China in December 2018.
SAARC Foreign Ministers’ informal meeting to be hosted by Nepal

On August 19, 2019, Nepal’s foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali announced for the SAARC(South Asian
Association for Regional Corporation) foreign ministers informal meeting which is to be held
in Nepal in September 2019. This meet is based on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly
(UNGA) session.
Key points
i. Key reason: Revival of the SAARC will be the key topic to be discussed in the summit as the 19th
SAARC summit was boycotted.
Previous SAARC summit and boycott background:
i. The18th SAARC summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2014.
ii. After this, the 19th SAARC summit was to be hosted by Pakistan in 2016. But India(largest member
in the SAARC forum) boycotted the summit alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the terror attack at a
military base in Uri in Jammu & Kashmir that killed 19 Indian soldiers.
iii. Other member countries of SAARC namely Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, also walked off
from the summit following India’s decision resulting in diplomatic pressure on Pakistan.
20th SAARC meet: To be hosted by Srilanka, the 20th meet was planned and is expected to take place
in the city of Colombo, Srilanka.
About SAARC
Headquarters- Kathmandu, Nepal.
Member nations- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Srilanka.
Establishment- 8 December 1985.
2019 Indo pacific chiefs of defence conference held in Thailand

Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa who is also Chairman of Chiefs of Staff
Committee(COSC) and Chief of the Air Staff(CAS), paid a 3-day visit to Thailand from August 26-29,
2019 to attend the 2019 Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The
theme for 2019 was “Collaboration in a free and Open Indo – Pacific”.
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Key points
i. Defence chiefs of more than 33 countries attended the conference.
ii. Military cooperation was initially notified in May 2003 by the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Security
Cooperation to strengthen the defence sector.
India-Thailand relation:
India and Thailand strengthened their relationship after the ’Look/ Act East Policy’ along with
improvements in political, economic and cultural levels. The two nations also commemorated “70th
anniversary” of their diplomatic relations back in 2017.
18th meeting of Conference of the Parties(CoP) of CITES held in Geneva, Switzerland

The 18th meeting of Conference of the Parties (CoP18) of Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held in Geneva, Switzerland from August
17 -August 28, 2019.
Key points:
Members Participated:
183 CITES member nations participated in the latest meeting held in Geneva.
Aim:
The meet aimed at the discussion over the future of the ivory trade, illegal killings of rhinos and the
rhino horn trade, management of African elephant populations, and the booming exotic pet business.
Rosewood:
The world’s most trafficked wild product called ‘rosewood’(a dense, tropical hardwood) is now moved
to Appendix II of CITES. The wood is used to make musical instruments and handicrafts.
Amphibians and reptiles:
• Indian star tortoise lives only in three countries of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka poached for
the exotic pet industry gets Appendix I listing.
• Caribbean little lizard called ‘the Union Island gecko’ used for commercial trade (listed under
Appendix I).
• Tokay gecko, which lives throughout Southeast Asia poached in the millions every year & used
in Chinese medicine get listed in Appendix II.
• Glass frogs, known for its unique appearance failed to get new protections.
woolly mammoth:
The proposal, put forward by Israel to list woolly mammoth(closely related to Asian elephants)
under Appendix II as a regulated species has been officially withdrawn after it looked unlikely to pass.
Russia is the largest exporter of mammoth ivory.
Asian small-clawed otter:
• The Asian small-clawed otter, which has the native to South and Southeast Asia get the new
protections & get listing under Appendix I.
• It was used for poaching and faced wetland habitat loss which led to the population decline of
more than 30 % during the past three decades.
Southern white rhinos:
The member nations have voted against decreasing protections for southern white rhinos but
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Namibia proposed loosening restrictions. However, this measure
was defeated & white rhinos get listed under Appendix I.
Smooth-coated otter:
• The Asian small-clawed otter and the smooth-coated otter were moved from Appendix II to
Appendix I. They were highly used for international trade.
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• At present, the hairy-nosed otter is listed on Appendix II & the Eurasian otter is on Appendix I
since 1977.
Mako sharks:
The shortfin & longfin mako sharks (sometimes called cheetahs of the ocean for their speed) hunted
for their meat and fins (used in shark fin soup) were get the new protection
Elephant ivory trade:
• The proposal brought forth by South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe was voted down
by several southern African nations & failed to generate enough support to allow 4 nations to
reopen their ivory trade practices.
• The proposal to protect elephants by permanently eliminating all commercial international
trade of the animals throughout Africa failed to pass in the meet.
• The black market for elephant ivory and other products leads to the killing of some 30,000
elephants each year.
Saiga antelope:
• The saiga antelope, a Central Asian animal poached for their horn & used for traditional
medicine failed to move under CITES Appendix I.
• It will still be listed under Appendix II, which allows trade with proper paperwork.
Increased protections for giraffes:
• The member nations have agreed to protect giraffes for the 1st time, which draws the praise
from conservationists. Giraffes are a vulnerable species facing habitat loss and population
decline (up to 40 % during the past 3 decades).
• Masai giraffes, the largest subspecies of giraffe has declared endangered. The subspecies in
Kenya and Tanzania has declined by nearly 50 % in the last 30 years because of poaching and
changes in land use.
Domestic ivory markets will remain open:
• The proposal brought forward by a coalition of mostly African nations to call for domestic
market closures had been voted down & the member nations report back about their domestic
ivory market plans by next meet.
• Japan and the EU(European Union) are the largest in the world to keep the ivory markets open.
Black rhino trophy hunting:
• Black rhino trophy hunting in South Africa (SA) get the support by the Conference of the
Parties.SA stated that the amount raised from trophy hunting program helps support
conservation
• At present quota allows for 5 adult male trophies, but the new one allows a number not
exceeding half a percent of the country’s total black rhino population.
• Black rhinos are detrimentally affected by poaching.
Export of live, wild-caught elephants:
The member nations voted to amend a resolution to limit the trade in live, wild-caught African
elephants to range countries only.
About CITES:
♦ It is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. It came into force in 1975 with the
goal of ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of wild plants and animals.
♦ It is administered through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
♦ Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
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CITES Appendix:
It classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based on the level of
threats faced by them.
• Appendix I: It includes species threatened with extinction. CITES completely bans commercial
trade in specimens of these species. But is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
• Appendix II: It provides a lower level of protection.
• Appendix III: It contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked
other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
4th US-India Maritime Security Dialogue held in California, U.S

On August 23, 2019, 4th United States-India Maritime Security Dialogue was held in California, U.S.
The Indian delegation was led jointly by Indra Mani Pandey, Additional Secretary (D&ISA), Ministry of
External Affairs and Smt. Richa Misra, Joint Secretary (Navy), Ministry of Defence while the U.S.
delegation was led jointly by Ambassador Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and
Central Asian Affairs and Mr. Randall Schriver, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security
Affairs.
i. Both sides exchanged their views on maritime developments in the Indo-Pacific region and took steps
to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation.
About USA:
♦ Capital: Washington, DC
♦ Currency: US Dollar
♦ President: Donald Trump
India and the United States held a bilateral 2+2 Intersessional meeting in Monterey, California
On August 22, 2019, India and the United States (US) held a round of bilateral 2+2 Intersessional
meeting in Monterey, California, US. The Indian delegation was led jointly by Shri Gourangalal Das,
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Shri V. Anandarajan, Joint Secretary in the
Ministry of Defence while the U.S. delegation was led jointly by Ambassador Alice Wells, Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Mr. Randall Schriver, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
Key Points:
i. They reviewed the progress and development of bilateral relations in cross-cutting defence, security,
and foreign policy areas since the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial meeting of September 2018.
ii. They explored further possibilities of cooperation in these fields based on common interest.
iii. They discussed on regional developments, and agreed to pursue their quest for a free, open,
inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
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INDEX
Rankings
India is the 46th highest risk country in the world: Water Stress Index 2019
According to the Water Stress Index 2019, formulated by London-based risk analytics firm Verisk
Maplecroft, India is the 46th highest risk country in the world. It measured the water consumption
rates of households, industries and farm sectors and the available resources in rivers, lakes and streams
and plotted the index with projected population growth trends to rank the cities facing the biggest
threat to their water resources. Chennai is the “tip of the iceberg” for India’s water-stressed cities.
Key Points:
i. 11 out of India’s 20 largest cities face an ‘extreme risk’ of water stress and 7 are in the ‘high risk’
category. Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among the
cities facing ‘extreme risk’.
ii. Bengaluru and Surat are experiencing the greatest surge in demand for water and are most at risk of
facing scarcity. Chennai and Delhi are also extremely vulnerable.
iii. India is rated ‘high risk’ in the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. The effects of climate change
like an ‘extended dry season’ would deteriorate water stress situation in Indian cities and many Indian
cities are projected to experience a higher number of consecutive drought days when precipitation is
less than 1 mm.
iv. Bengaluru may experience 5% hike in consecutive drought by 2060, relative to the period from
1981-2005.
About Verisk Maplecroft:
♦ President: Sondra Scott
Court infrastructure facilities topped by Delhi and Kerala, based on the report by independent
legal think tank Vidhi Centre
According to a recent survey conducted by Vidhi centre for for Legal Policy in its report titled “Building
Better Courts (Surveying the Infrastructure of India’s District Courts)”, Delhi (90%) and Kerala (84%)
became the top-performing states in court infrastructure facility whereas Bihar (26%)
and Manipur (29%) have the poorest infrastructure in lower judiciary.
i. Based on 9 parameters formulated by Vidhi Centre for legal policy, 665 district courts across 29
states and 9 union territories were surveyed on the physical and digital aspects of the court
infrastructure
• The nine parameters are getting there, navigation, waiting areas, hygiene, barrier-free access,
case display, security, amenities and website.
Other top performing and poor performing states
i. Nagaland, West Bengal, and Jharkhand were the lower ranking states in infrastructure but better than
Bihar and Manipur.
ii. The higher-ranking states other than Delhi and Kerala are Meghalaya, Haryana and Himachal
Pradesh.
Survey results
i. If a court complex had three-phase like ramps, tactile pavements and designated washrooms, they are
considered to be a full-service court complex. Only 39% of states in India had the full-service court
complexes.
ii. 81% (539 out of 665) of court complexes are accessible where public transport and 80% (532)
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complexes have parking.

iii. The largest number of court complexes inaccessible by public transport where Gujarat Sikkim and
Tripura.
iv. According to the National Court Management Systems (NCMS) committee which was set up
in 2012, a guide map or reception Centre along with the facilitation centre and document filing Centre
should be set up at the entrance of the complex but there are only 20% district courts having guide
maps and 45% having help desk.
v. Goa, Jharkhand, UP and Mizoram had least number of functional washrooms in their court complexes
Security survey
Only 11% Court complexes had baggage scanning facility, 71% had fire extinguishers and only 48% had
emergency exit signs
Manipur tops the rank in breastfeeding report released by health minister

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family welfare released a report on Breastfeeding in New
Delhi where states were ranked based on Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices
in the country.
Key points
i. Ranks: The ranking was topped by Manipur.
The worst performing states were Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. The national capital Delhi is also
one among the worst-performing states.
ii. Three indicators: A composite scorecard for breastfeeding is devised based on three indicators.
They are-
• early initiation of breastfeeding
• exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and
• complimentary feeding at 6-8 months of child’s age.
iii. Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is essential for infants to keep them away from being malnutritioned
and also it prevents mother from breast and ovarian cancer.
iv. The first week of August is observed as world breastfeeding week with the theme “Empower
parents, Enable Breastfeeding”.
Karnataka tops in State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index(SARAL) 2019

On 21 August 2019, RK Singh, the Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC)
and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness
Index 2019 (SARAL) at the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State
Power Utilities in New Delhi.
Key points:
i. SARAL Index: As per the Index, Karnataka got the top spot with SARAL score of 78.8 as the best
state for setting up a rooftop solar project followed by Telangana(72.2), Gujarat(67.9) and Andra
Pradesh(66.1). Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) has been ranked last with a score of 14.4. All the first 4 got
A++ grade.
ii. Index Design: The index has been designed jointly by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY).
iii. Key aspects: The index evaluates Indian states based on 5 key aspects which include, robustness of
policy framework, implementation environment, investment climate, consumer experience and
business ecosystem.
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iv. Target: The central Government has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.
And out of a 100 GW for Solar will be operational by March 2022, of which grid-connected rooftop solar
is supposed to be 40GW.
v.Use: The index will create a competitive advantage among the States & will help states to channelize
investments that can eventually help the sector grow.
vi.Schemes: The discussion related to various schemes and issues pertaining to the sector such as
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Distribution Scheme (IPDS),
UDAY, 24/7 power supply, etc were held during the meet.
Gujarat tops in NITI Aayog Report on ‘Composite Water Management Index2019 (CWMI 2.0)’
According to the recently released report,” Composite Water Management Index 2019” (CWMI
2.0) for the year 2017-2018 by Government’s think tank NITI Aayog(National Institution for
Transforming India) in association with Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Rural Development
, Gujarat has again performed better in water management practices to get top spot with a score
of 75.The Index was launched by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti, and Dr. Rajiv
Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Key points:
i. Himalayan States: Gujarat was followed by Andhra Pradesh(74), Madhya Pradesh(70), Goa(60) and
Karnataka(59) have topped the Index among non-Himalayan states.
ii. Non-Himalayan States: Himachal Pradesh(67) stood first in 2017-18 among the northeastern and
Himalayan states followed by Uttarakhand(49) and Tripura(47).
iii.Themes& Coverage: In the given index, states have been ranked across 9 themes &it covers 25
states and 2 union territories(Puducherry and Delhi). The Index does not include data from West
Bengal, Mizoram, Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir.
The 9 themes include ,
• Attention to groundwater,
• Restoration of water bodies
• Major and Medium Irrigation
• Watershed Development
• Participatory Irrigation Practices
• Sustainable on-farm Water Use Practices
• Rural Drinking Water – Supply
• Urban Water Supply and Sanitation
• Policy and Governance.
iv. Haryana secured the first position among general states in terms of incremental change (over 2016-
17 level), while Uttarakhand topped the category of northeastern and Himalayan states.
v. low-performing category: Uttar Pradesh(39), Bihar(38), and Jharkhand(34) continued to be in the
low-performing category in the chart.
vi. 80% of states assessed on the Index over the last 3 years have improved their water management
scores, with an average improvement of +5.2 points but 16 out of the 27 states still score less than 50
points on the Index (out of 100).
vii. Mission: The index iterates a strong mission of Prime Minister Modi’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
viii. Background: The Composite Water Management Index was 1st launched by NITI Aayog in 2018.
The index was launched then as a tool to instill the sense of cooperative and competitive federalism
among the states in water resource management.
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Composite Water Management Index(CWMI) 2019:

i. The CWMI 2.0 ranked the states and Union Territories(UT) for the reference year 2017-18 as against
the base year 2016-17.
ii. It is an important tool to assess and improve the performance by the states and Union Territories in
water resource management.
iii. The index not only provides extremely useful information to the states but also to the concerned
central departments or Ministries, which will enable them to form and implement effective plans for
better management of water resources.
About NITI Aayog:
Formed: 1 January 2015
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Founded: September 1985
Rajasthan tops in free medicine scheme implementation

In the rankings issued by the National Health Mission (NHM), Rajasthan Government Chief
minister Ashok Gehlot’s flagship free medicine scheme secured the first rank among the 16 states in
India. In Rajasthan, the scheme was launched on October 2, 2011.
Key Points:
i. Performance of the states was assessed on the basis of 10 parameters like the effective
implementation of Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS), stock of essential
drugs, value of drugs about to expire along with other such parameters.
ii. NHM free drug service initiative has been implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW) under which states & Union territories are being supported under NHM to provide free drugs
to patients coming to public health facilities.
About Rajasthan:
♦ Capital: Jaipur
♦ Governor: Kalyan Singh
♦ National Parks: Mukundra Hills (Darrah) National Park, Desert National Park, Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, Ranthambhore National Park, Sariska National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Mount Abu WLS, Nahargarh WLS, Kesarbagh WLS, Sariska WLS, Van Vihar
WLS, Sawai Man Singh WLS etc
Kerala, TN, Himachal & Py tops the 2019 India child well-being index
On August 27, 2019 “Child well-being index” was launched to assess and track children’s well-being.
Prepared by NGOs(Non-Governmental Organisation) World Vision India andInstitute for Financial
Management and Research-Leveraging Evidence for Access and Development (IFMR LEAD), the index
was topped by Kerala (0.76), followed by Tamil Nadu (0.67) and Himachal Pradesh (0.67) bagging the
top three slots in the index. Among Union Territories(UT), Puducherry topped the spot.
Key points
i. Meghalaya (0.53), Jharkhand (0.50) and Madhya Pradesh (0.44) were the poor performers and were
ranked at the bottom. Among UTs Dadra and Nagar Haveli was ranked at the bottom.
ii. The report was based on 3 key dimensional factors derived from 24 indicators. The 3 factors are
healthy individual development, positive relationships and protective contexts.
iii. The report states that 40% of the country’s population is made of children between the ages of 1 and
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18.
i. Kerala: Kerala topped the spot due to its high level of performance in health, nutrition and education
facilities. Also, it performed better in terms of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in
addressing malnutrition.
ii. Jharkhand: Due to poor performance in terms of child survival, nutrition, water and sanitation, basic
education Jharkhand ranked at the bottom resulting in school dropouts and is in need to focus on
improvement.
iii. Madhya pradesh(MP): There are more crimes against children and also juvenile crimes in the
state. More children live in poor families. MP also ranked low in child survival rate and nutrition.
About World Vision India:
Founded- 1962.
Founder- Robert Pierce.
India Director and CEO(Chief Executive Officer)- Cherian Thomas.
Papua New Guinea has the highest number of ‘living’ languages in the world, India ranks 4th
According to Ethnologue, a directory of languages which lists 7,111 living languages (languages that
are still being used and spoken by people) worldwide, Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea,
Country in Oceania tops the list with 840 living languages, while India ranks 4th position with 453.
Key points:
i. The other nations in the top 5 positions include Indonesia (2nd ) with 710 living languages and
Nigeria(3rdwith 524) and US (United States) came 5th with 335.
ii.Report: 3,741 languages out of 7,111 living languages, have fewer than 1,000 speakers.
ii. Family with high languages but spoken by few: some language families are very diverse in nature
and have several languages, but are spoken by only a small percentage of the population (Trans-New
Guinea family has 478 languages but spoken by just 0.05% of the total language speakers).
iii. Family with highest percent of speakers: Indo-European family has 445 languages including
Spanish, English, German, Punjabi and Bengali and has highest percentage of speakers with 46.31%.
iv. Threat: In 2016, United Nation’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) highlighted that
40% of estimated 6,700 languages spoken around world were in danger of disappearing.
vii. Decrement: since 1950, 228 languages have become extinct as per the UNESCO’s(United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ) ‘Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’.
Classification World wide India
Vulnerable languages About 10%(out of 228) 5
critically endangered languages Another 10%(out of 228) 42
viii. Widely spoken languages globally: If only first-languages are considered, Chinese, Spanish,
English, Hindi and Arabic are the most widely spoken languages globally, where these 5 account for
over 40% .
ix. Suprise: Across the Atlantic, widely English-speaking nation , America plays host to 430 languages.
Meanwhile in Australia, 260 languages are spoken.
x. Number of Languages by Region: Among regions, Asia (2303) & Africa (2140) registered for
highest number of indigenous languages (over 70% of total),where Pacific region have (1322)languages
and Americas have(1058)languages.
International Year of Indigenous Languages:
The year 2019 is designated as United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages with the
aim to enhace native tongues in 5 major areas which includes,
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• Creation of favourable conditions for knowledge-sharing and dissemination

of good practices with regards to indigenous languages.
• Increasing understanding, reconciliation and international cooperation
• Integration of indigenous languages into standard setting
• Empowerment through capacity building.
• Growth and development via elaboration of new knowledge
Mumbai ranks 45th & Delhi 52nd in 2019 world’s Safe Cities Index
On August 29, 2019, According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by NEC
corporation’s (formerly Nippon Electric Company), World’s Safe city index(SCI) for the year
2019, Mumbaiwas ranked 45th safest city whereas Delhi stood at the 52nd position. The overall list
was topped by Tokyo(Japan) followed by Singapore and Osaka in 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.
Key points
i. A total of 6 out of 10 cities of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, made it to the top 10 spots. Other cities
Sydney and Melbourne were also placed in the top 10 list.
ii. Seoul (South Korea) along with Copenhagen (Denmark) took the eighth spot.
iii. Low scored states: Yangon (Myanmar), Karachi (Pakistan) and Dhaka (Bangladesh) were ranked at
the bottom of the list.
iv. The SCI ranks 60 cities based on 57 indicators under digital security, health security, infrastructure
security and personal security. While the overall spot was topped by Tokyo, several other cities topped
in those certain individual categories. They are as follows,
Rank Digital Health security Infrastructure Personal Overall
security security security.
1 Tokyo(Japan) Osaka(Japan) Singapore Singapore Tokyo
2 Singapore Tokyo (Japan) Osaka(Japan) Copenhagen Singapore.
(Denmark)
3 Chicago(Americ Seoul (South Korea) Barcelona(Spai Hong Osaka.
a) n) Kong(China)
2019 Henley Passport Index- India slips 5 spots
Henley Passport Index for the year 2019 was released on August 21, 2019. The latest report
ranks India at 86th position of 189 countries in 2019 with a mobility score of 58. However, it slipped 5
places from last year, in which India was ranked at 81st spot.The report was topped
by Japan and Singapore as the “world’s most powerful passport” in 2019.Earlier, In the month of
January, 2019 India was placed at 79th position.
Key points:
i. Japan topped the list for the second consecutive time in a row 189 countries.
ii. Only 8 nations were added to India’s list of visa-free access between 2010 and 2019,and is ranked
lowest among BRICS nations. It shares the spot with Mauritania, and Sao Tome and Principe.
Mobility score:
This score denotes the no. of countries a person can visit without visa restrictions. A score of 58 for
India denotes that a person can access 58 countries to which holders are eligible to travel without a visa
in prior.
The rankings are as follows:
Rank Country
1 Japan and Singapore.
2 South Korea, Germany & Finland.
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3 Denmark and Italy.

4 France and Sweden.
5 Austria, Netherlands, Portugal & Switzerland
6 Belgium,Canada,Greece,Ireland,Norway, United Kingdom(UK) and the United States(US).
7 Malta
8 Czech Republic.
9 Australia, Iceland, New Zealand and Lithuania.
10 Latvia, Slovenia & Slovakia
About Henley Passport index:
♦ It is a global ranking of countries according to travel freedom for their citizens.
♦ It started in 2005 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI) and was modified and renamed
in January 2018.
India is the 7th largest economy in the world in 2018: World Bank
The World Bank data for 2018 showed that India is the 7th largest economy in the world in global GDP
rankings at $2.73 trillion.
Key Points:
i. India’s GDP rose from $2.65 trillion in 2017 to $2.7 trillion in 2018.
ii. In 2017, India had emerged as the sixth-largest economy.
iii. It still remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
iv. The growth is estimated to slow to 7% in the current fiscal year that ends in March 2020.
Top 10 Economies of 2018
Rank Country Value ($ Trillion)
1 United States 20.5
2 China 13.6
3 Japan 5.0
4 Germany 4.0
5 United Kingdom 2.8
6 France 2.8
7 India 2.7
8 Italy 2.1
9 Brazil 1.9
10 Canada 1.7
About World Bank:
♦ Headquarters: Washington, D.C.,United States
♦ Founded: 1944
♦ Founders: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White
Reports
One- fourth of the world’s population is facing extreme water crisis

The World Resources Institute’s (WRI) President and CEO(Chief Executive Officer) Andrew
Steer released a report on Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas stating that 17 countries in the world which
hold a quarter of the earth’s population is facing extremely high water crisis.
i. India is one among those 17 countries facing extremely high water stress.
ii. All these countries are close to “Day Zero”.
This water crisis if not taken immediate actions has high possibilities of food insecurity, conflict and
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migration, and financial instability.

WRI’s rankings
The WRI ranked 189 countries and their respective states and union territories based on water stress,
drought risk and riverine flood risk.
• It is expected that by 2030 the number of cities in the extremely high stress category will
increase to 45 with nearly 470million people.
India’s rank: India is ranked at13th place among the top 17 countries. India has a population thrice
more than that of the other 16 countries.
India’s current scenario:
• For the first time, Northern India was included in the calculation for water stress, as the
groundwater in Northern India has been severely depleted.
• Many places in India are experiencing chronic water stress especially the Chennai region of
Tamilnadu gained global attention this year as it was severely hit by the water crisis.
About day zero
Day zero does not mean that there is no water in our dams. it means however that the dams are at a
crucial low level. The crucial low means that dam storage will be at 13.5%.This is when the city will
turn off most taps leaving only vital services with access to water.
A report Grain by Grain 2019 on GRP on Indian fertilizer industry conducted by the CSE released
On July 29, 2019, Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar released a report titled
“Grain by Grain” for the year 2019 in New Delhi. It is a Green Rating Project (GRP) on the Indian
fertilizer industry conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). GRP is a unique
programme that rates the Indian industry for its environmental performance. It is regarded as India’s
only independent, rigorous and credible programme of its kind.
Key Points:
• Edition: Grain by Grain is the 7th rating project undertaken by GRP, prior being the pulp and
paper, automobile, chlor-alkali, cement, iron and steel and thermal power sectors.
• Parameters: The fertilizer sector was rated on more than 50 parameters.
• Coverage: The rating covered all the 28 operational plants in the country. 57% of the plants
voluntarily participated in the rating by disclosing information and by allowing GRP team to
verify them on the site. The remaining plants were rated on the basis of information available in
the public domain and stakeholder surveys. The biggest public sector companies- National
Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) refused to
voluntarily participate in the rating.
Findings of the Report:
• Four Leaves Award: Grasim Industries Ltd’s Indo Gulf Fertilisers unit at Jagdishpur, Uttar
Pradesh emerged as the top rated plant with 61% score. It received the coveted Four Leaves
award for its superior performance in energy use and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, good
EHS (environment, health and safety) measures, and social responsibility, and for its
transparency in sharing information.
• Three Leaves Award: The next three winners received the Three Leaves award. They were
Hazira (Gujarat) unit of Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd (KRIBHCO), the Panambur (Karnataka)
unit of Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd, and the Babrala (Uttar Pradesh) unit of Yara
Fertilizers India Pvt Ltd.
• Improvements: Fertilizer industry performed well in curtailing its energy use and GHG
emissions. Some of the Indian companies matched the global best levels.
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• Cause of concern: Water use, water pollution and plant safety was a cause for concern.
• Environmental Challenge: Imbalance in the nitrogen cycle and climate change were the 2 main
environmental challenges. Nitrogen use efficiency was 35% for lowland rice and under 50% for
upland crops.
• Way ahead: India is the second largest producer, importer and consumer of fertilizers (mainly
urea). With nitrogen pollution reaching alarming levels, the industry needs to rethink the way it
produces and sells fertilizers.
About CSE:
♦ Director General: Sunita Narain
NTCA releases Phase II study entitled “Economic Valuation of Tiger Reserves in India: A Value+
Approach”
On August 3, 2019, A statutory body of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change,
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has released a phase II(2016-19) study
titled “Economic Valuation of Tiger Reserves in India: A Value+ Approach” with the aim to promote
tiger conservation.
It was published by the Centre for Ecological Services Management (CESM) at the Indian Institute of
Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with NTCA.
Key points:
i. Ten tiger reserves were surveyed in Phase II which include, Anamalai (Tamil Nadu), Bandipur
(Karnataka), Dudhwa (Uttar Pradesh), Melghat (Maharashtra), Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (Andhra
Pradesh), Pakke (Arunachal Pradesh), Palamau (Jharkhand), Panna (Madhya Pradesh), Similipal
(Odisha), and Valmiki (Bihar).
ii. The Study values country’s 10 tiger reserves at Rs 5.96 lakh crore & highlights the health benefits
derived from these reserves range between Rs 11,014 crore and Rs 34,592 crore.
iii. The phase I study (2013-15) was conducted valuation in 6 tiger reserves in India includes Corbett,
Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore, and Sundarbans.
About IIFM:
♦ Director: Dr. Pankaj Srivastav
About NTCA:
♦ Founded: December 2005
India’s first National Time Release Study conducted from August 1-7, 2019
The Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance conducted India’s first national Time Release
Study (TRS) from August 1-7, 2019. It will be conducted on an annual basis, during the same period
every year hereafter. It is lead by the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs (CBIC).
Key Points:
i. TRS: It is an internationally recognized tool advocated by the World Customs Organization (WCO)
to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of international trade flows. The WCO TRS is specifically
referenced in Article 7.6 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) as a tool for Members to
measure and publish the average release time of goods.
ii. Objective: To identify and address bottlenecks in the trade flow process and take the corresponding
policy and operational measures required to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of border
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procedures.
iii. Coverage: The exercise was conducted across 15 ports including sea, air, land and dry ports. They
cumulatively account for 81% of total Bills of Entries for import and 67% of Shipping Bills for export
filed within India.
iv. Components: It measured rule based and procedural bottlenecks (including physical touchpoints)
in the clearance of goods, from the time of arrival until the physical release of cargo.
v. Beneficiaries: The expected beneficiaries of this initiative will be export oriented industries and
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
vi. Way ahead: This initiative will help India maintain the upward trajectory on Ease of Doing Business,
particularly on the Trading Across Borders indicator. In 2018, India’s ranking on the indicator
improved from 146 to 80.
♦ Founded: 29 October 1946
♦ Minister In-Charge: Nirmala Sitharaman
About WCO:
♦ Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
♦ Formed: January 26, 1952
Three member panel to resolve dispute between SAIL and Railways set up by the govt
A three member committee was set up by the govt. to resolve dispute between the Indian Railways
and Steel Authority of India (SAIL) regarding issues related to the quantity and supply of high-quality
steel rails.
Key points
Doubts based on the quality of rails supplied by SAIL arose after a team from the University of Illinois
conducted a study Transportation Technology Transfer (TTT).
i. The study stated that the tensile strength of the existing tracks were not adequate for 25-tonne axle
load operations.
ii. Along with this, alleged shortage of supply reportedly caused concerns for the Railways in going on
with its infrastructure expansion plans that includes track renewal and setting up of new lines along
with “Mission 25 Tonne”.
iii. It was after this dispute, a three member committee was decided to be set up.
SAIL’s report:
The SAIL however reported that the rails were supplied after stringent (strict) inspection was done
by RITES(Rail India Technical and Economic Service) which is a third party inspection agency. SAIL
also mentioned that it fulfills all quality parameters of rail manual set by Research Designs and
Standards Organisation(RDSO) of the railways.
• According to SAIL’s statement, it fulfilled 98% of commitment made to the railways with highest
ever production of 9,85,000tonnes of UTS-90 (Ultimate Tensile Strength) rails for the year
2019-2020.
• SAIL’s rails are also being used on a stretch of 90km in Bhilai-DalliRajhara mines track carrying
25-tonne axle load. Notably, India’s fastest train, Vande Bharat Express operated with maximum
speed of 150kmph runs on SAIL rails.
Intensified battle:
The battle between SAIL and Railways regarding quality intensified after SAIL’s research wing,
Research and Development Centre for Iron & Steel (RDCIS) found that SAIL has the capability to
achieve the strength requirement for running 25-tonne axle load and has gone beyond 90% in it’s rail
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production.
i. SAIL and RDSO are working on thick web asymmetrical rails, copper-molybdenum rails and high
strength vanadium alloyed rails to meet requirement of railways.
About SAIL
♦ CEO- Anil Kumar Chaudhary.
♦ Founded- 19, January 1954.
♦ Union minister responsible- Dharmendra Pradhan (constituency-Madhya Pradesh)
♦ Minister or state- Faggan Singh Kulaste (constituency- Mandla, Madhya Pradesh).
About Indian railways
♦ Union minister for railways– Piyush Goyal (constituency- Maharashtra)
♦ Minister of State- Suresh ChannabasappaAngadi (constituency- Belagavi, Karnataka)
33% of India’s skilled youth are jobless: PLFS 2017-18

An analysis of the unit-level data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18, conducted
by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), found that 33% of India’s skilled youth are
jobless. 4 out of 10 youth who received vocational training are out of the labour force. Nearly a third of
trained young men and more than a third of trained young women were unemployed.
Key Points:
• Formal training: In 2017-18, only 1.8% of the population (15-29 years) reported receiving
formal vocational/technical training. 42% of the youth who received formal technical training
were not part of the labour force.
• Informal training: Informal vocational training was received by 5.6% (such as hereditary, self-
learning, and on the job training).
• Not trained: 93% of the population did not receive any vocational/technical training from
either formal or informal sources. Among this, 62.3% were out of the labour force.
• Unemployed trained youth: The unemployment rate among freshly trained youth, who
completed training, was higher at 40%.
• Categories: The PLFS collected data on fields of training which are categorized under 22 heads.
The bulk of the trainees were in the fields of electronics, Information technology (IT)/
Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) sector, apparels, and mechanical engineering.
More than 80% of the trainees in the fields of agriculture & food processing, telecom, media &
mass communication were men. The fields of beauty & wellness, apparel, handicrafts, hospitality
and healthcare were dominated by women.
• Overall status: The principal status workforce participation rate (WPR) declined 7.4% points
between 2011-12 and 2017-18 to 71.4% in rural India. The urban WPR was 69% in 2017-18.
• Rural India: In rural India, the share of male casual workers saw the sharpest fall between
2011-12 and 2017-18, declining 7.6% points to 19.8%. Overall female WPR fell 3.9% points
between 2011-12 and 2017-18 to 21%
• Urban India: For urban females, the WPR has witnessed a small improvement, rising from
16.6% in 2011-12 to 17.1% in 2017-18. The WPR fell for urban males but the decline (4.5
percentage points) was smaller compared to that among rural males.
About NSSO:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of Statistics of the Government of India
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3rd Advanced Estimate (2018-19) of Area and Production of various Horticulture Crops
released
On August 29, 2019, The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare of the
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare released the 3rd Advanced Estimate (2018-19) of Area
and Production of various Horticulture Crops based on the information received from different
States & Union Territories (UTs) and other source agencies.
Key Points:
• Production: The total Horticulture Production of India for 2018-19 is estimated to be 313.85
Million Tonnes which is 0.69% higher than the Horticulture Production in 2017-18 which stood
at 311.71 Million Tonnes.
• Area: The area under Horticulture Crops remained broadly at the same level. In 2018-19, it
stood at 25.49 Million Ha (mha). In 2017-18, it was 25.43 Million Ha.
• Overall status: Overall increase is observed in production of Fruits, Vegetables, Spices, Flowers
and Honey whereas decrease is observed in production of Plantation and Aromatics & Medicinal
crops.
• Fruit Production: It is estimated to be around 98.57 Million Tonnes, compared to 97.36 Million
Tonnes of 2017-18.
• Vegetables Production: It is estimated to be around 185.88 Million Tonnes, which is 0.81%
higher than the production of 2017-18. Onion Production is estimated to be around 23.48
Million Tonnes, which is 0.95% higher than the production of 2017-18. Potato Production is
estimated to be around 53.03 Million Tonnes, which is 3.4% higher than the production of 2017-
18. Tomato Production is estimated to be around 19.39 Million Tonnes, which is 1.8%, lower
than the production of 2017-18.
• Spices Production: It is estimated to be around 9.22 Million Tonnes, which is higher than the
production of 2017-18.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare:
♦ Minister in-charge: Narendra Singh Tomar
♦ Constituency: Morena, Madhya Pradesh
BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Finance Ministry imposed Anti Dumping Duty on PTA imports from South Korea & Thailand
Based on the recommendations of the Designated Authority in the Commerce Ministry in its sunset
review findings, Union Ministry of Finance imposed definitive anti-dumping duty on all imports
of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) from South Korea and Thailand. PTA is a primary raw material
in the manufacturing of polyester chips, which are used in a number of applications in textile,
packaging, furnishings, consumer goods, resins, and coatings.
Key Points:
i. The Revenue Department imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty of $27.32 per tonne on PTA
produced by Hanwha General Chemical Co Ltd and exported by Hyosung TNC Corporation.
ii. A definitive anti-dumping duty of $23.61 per tonne has been imposed for PTA exported by Taekwang
Industrial Co Ltd.
iii. For all other exporters from South Korea, the duty is charged at $78.28 per tonne.
iv. For the PTA exported by Indorama Petrochem Ltd and TPT Petrochemicals Public Co Ltd of
Thailand, the Department has imposed an anti-dumping duty of $45.43 per tonne and for all other
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exporters from Thailand, it is charged at $62.55 per tonne.

♦ Minister In-charge: Nirmala Sitharaman
CRISIL lowers India’s FY2020 GDP growth forecast to 6.9 percent

According to the CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited), a global
analytical company providing ratings, research and policy advisory services report titled “CRISIL’s
India Outlook 2019: Uphill trek”, India’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth expected to grow
by 6.9% in 2019 (FY-Fiscal Year 2020). It cuts the forecast from 7.1 % to 6.9% due to the triangulation
of downside risks (weak monsoon, slowing global growth and Sluggish data for the first quarter
(January to March) of the year 2019.
Key points:
i. Growth: The second half (July 2019-December 2019) of the year will have its support from expected
monetary easing, consumption, and statistical low-base effect. Due to food inflation, the agriculture
sector will also be expected to improve. Farmers will also benefit from the income transfer of Rs 6,000
per year and farm loan waivers in some states.
ii. Interference: The splendid growth of India’s 8.2 % in fiscal 2017 was affected by the
disruptions rooted from the policy initiatives and reforms and global uncertainty including US-China
trade dispute.
iii. Corporate growth: The revenue growth of the corporate will be slipped back to single-digit (8%)
after two fiscal years, which will be the reversing trend of double-digit growth in the past two fiscals.
iv. Impact: The sales of automobile sector will be strongly affected by an increase in costs due to
changes in regulation, tightening liquidity, and moderating income growth.
v. NPA: The NPA’s ( non-performing assets) are expected to decline to 8 percent by FY 20 end from the
high level of 11.5 % witnessed in FY18.
vi.NBFC: CRSIL created a positive outlook for NBFC’s (non-banking finance companies ) particularly in
retail will likely pick up gradually.
About CRISIL:
Founded: 1987
CEO: Ashu Suyash
Govt. Sets up KABIL to supply critical minerals to the Indian market

As a way of ensuring a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic
market, a joint venture company Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) is to be set up.
Joint venture
KABIL is a venture between National aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO), Hindustan Copper
Ltd (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Limited (MECL) with equity participation ration is
40:30:30 respectively.
i. The joint venture was signed in the presence of Shri Pralhad Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Mines,Coal
and Parliamentary Affairs, Mines secretary Shri Anil Mukim and other senior officers.
Objective
KABIL is setup to ensure mineral security to the nation and also help in realising the overall objective of
import substitution.
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i. Energy storage through batteries will be done as a way of ensuring the commitment at the UN Climate
Conference Paris 2015 where India pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a greener
mode of transportation.
ii. Minerals are needed in Aviation, Defence and Space Research sectors, but they especially require
minerals with lower weight and high mechanical strength. Out of the 12 such minerals
identified, Lithium Cobalt are significant ones.
Pashmina testing centre to be set up by BIS in Leh

BIS Director-General Ms. Surina Rajan announced that a Testing center for Pashmina, a famous wool
variety in the Jammu and Kashmir region, will be set up by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in
partnership with the lab of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), in Leh, Jammu,
and Kashmir.
i. Motorbike expedition was flagged by the Hill Council CEC (Chief Executive Counsellor) Gyal P
Wangyal, and Surina Rajan under the team “Drive for Pashmina”.
ii. The locals will be trained by the BIS with the cooperation of Leh Hill Council to save time and money
in marking of the standards.
BIS
♦ It is the national standard body of India working and other ages of Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food
and Public Distribution, Govt of India.
♦ Formed- 23 December 1986.
♦ Headquarters-New Delhi.
♦ Director- Surina Rajan.
Microsoft joins hands with Apollo Hospitals to use AI for Cardiovascular Disease
Targetting cardiac diseases, Microsoft India, a Software company headquartered in Hyderabad has
partnered with Apollo Hospitals Group to set up a National Clinical Coordination Committee
(NCCC), which will guide the two entities on all cardiovascular-related Artificial Intelligence(AI)
projects. It will work for the AI-powered Cardiovascular Disease(CVD) Risk Score API (application
program interface) built on Microsoft Azure (cloud computing service), to predict the risk of disease.
Key points:
i. Members: The committee comprises the members from Apollo Hospitals, All India Institute of
Medical Sciences(New Delhi) and King George’s Medical University(Lucknow).
ii.Goal: It will help Apollo & Microsoft to fight against the rising tsunami of Non-Communicable
Diseases (NCDs) & help attain World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of reducing the risk of
premature mortality by 25% (30 to 69 years of age) from NCDs, including CVDs, by 2025.
iii. CVD: This is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels are the biggest cause of
mortality in India with nearly 25% of mortalities in the age group of 25 to 69.
About Microsoft India:
♦ Founded: 1988
♦ President: Anant Maheshwari
♦ Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud + AI Platform: Anil Bhansali
About Apollo Hospitals Group:
♦ Formation: 1983
♦ Chairman: Prathap C Reddy
♦ Managing Director: Suneeta Reddy
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Walmart tops Euromonitor’s 2019 list of India’s top retailers

As per the latest report “Top 100 Retailers in Asia 2019” by market research firm, Euromonitor
International, Walmart Inc which acquired Flipkart in 2018($16 Bn deal) has topped the rankings in
India for 2018 with Gross Merchandise Volume(GMV) of $14. 49 Bn. Amazon(US) came on
the second spot with $9.8 Bn GMV followed by Mumbai based retail company Future Group with
$3.8Bn GMV(3rd position) and Reliance Group(4th position ) with $3.6 Bn GMV.
Key points:
i. The Indian list also includes Tata Group(5th) &One 97 Communications’ e-commerce unit, Paytm
Mall(6th).
ii. For the list of the top 100 retailers in the whole Asian region, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (China)was
ranked first.
iii. The report stated that behavioral change in urban households which adopt more modern lifestyles
and shopping at large branded retail outlets impacts retailing in the country.
About Walmart:
Headquarters: Bentonville, U.S
President and CEO, Walmart: Doug McMillon
Chairman: Greg Penner
About Euromonitor International:
Founded: 1972
Headquarters: London
CEO: Tim Kitchin
Consumer affairs ministry releases draft e-commerce norms for consumer protection
In order to protect the consumers’ interest, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India
has released draft guidelines called “e-commerce guidelines for consumer protection 2019” for e-
commerce firms.
Key Guidelines:
i. Aim: It primarily focuses on fraud, unfair trade practices, privacy protection of online shoppers, and
transactional controls. It is applicable to Business-to-Consumer e-Commerce, including goods and
services.
ii. The draft guideline states that an e-commerce firm cannot influence the price of the goods or
services directly/indirectly & It needs to ensure the protection of the personally identifiable
information of customers, is open for stakeholder remarks for 45 days or till September 16, 2019.
iii. The name and contact details of the grievance officer(he/she) should be published by every e-
commerce firm on their website along with the mechanism to lodge complaints about the benefit of
users. The Grievance Officer shall redress the complaints within one month from the date of receipt of
the complaint.
iv. The e-commerce company shouldn’t adopt unfair means by falsely representing themselves as
consumers or post reviews about goods and services in their name.
v. The draft also mentions that e-com firms should display terms of a contract with the seller related to
return, refund, exchange, warranty/guarantee, delivery/shipment, mode of payments and grievance
redressal mechanism to allow consumers to make informed decisions
vi. The listing of the product should be removed from the website, once the firm comes to know about
any counterfeit product, and if the seller is unable to provide any evidence that the product is genuine.
About Consumer affairs ministry:
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♦ Union Minister: Ram Vilas Paswan

♦ Minister of State: Danve Raosaheb Dadarao
India’s GDP to grow at 6.2% in FY 2019-20: NCAER

As per the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), an economic think-tank, India’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will be 6.2% in FY 2019-20, down from 6.8% in 2018-19. The
decline in estimation was due to flat growth in the agriculture sector as it depends largely on the south-
west monsoon.
Key Points:
i. It predicts that annual Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices will grow at 6% for 2019-20 on a
year-on-year (y-o-y) basis.
ii. As per the quarterly model, GVA will grow at 6.2% on a y-o-y basis.
iii. The real agriculture GVA is predicted to grow at 0%, real industry GVA at 6.1%, and real services
GVA at 6.9%.
iv. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation is projected at 2.6%.
v. The growth rates in exports and imports, in dollar terms, are estimated at 4.4% and 3.3%
respectively.
vi. The current account balance and central fiscal deficit, as percentages of GDP, are projected at (-)
0.6% and 3.5% respectively.
About NCAER:
♦ Formed: 1956
♦ President: Nandan Nilekani
PMS Bazaar & EbixCash Fintech partnered to introduce India’s first all-in-one PMS & AIF
tracking portal for investors
PMS Bazaar & EbixCash Financial Technologies (ECFT) tied up to introduce India’s first all-in-
one PMS & AIF tracking portal for investors. Through this platform, the investors can analyse their
entire gamut of investments.
i. The comprehensive platform covers entire wealth management functions across its various business
units, replacing multiple legacy systems and improving efficiency.
Flipkart ranked No 1 in LinkedIn’s list of best workplaces in India for 2019

In LinkedIn’s fourth edition of Top Companies list for India 2019, Walmart acquired Flipkart was
ranked first place as the best workplace in India. It was evaluated over the 4 criteria as part of the
rankings: interest in the company, engagement with the company’s employees, job demands and
employee retention. It has ranked 25 companies.
Top 10 Companies
Rank Company
1 Flipkart
2 Amazon
3 OYO
4 One97 Communications
5 Uber
6 Swiggy
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7 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

8 Zomato
9 Alphabet
10 Reliance Industries Ltd
About Flipkart:
♦ Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
♦ Founded: October 2007
♦ CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
Centre sets target of transporting nearly 25% of cargo through coastal shipping and inland
waterways over the next 10 years: Mansukh Mandaviya
On August 10,2019, On the event of 30th anniversary celebrations of the nation’s largest container
port JNPT(Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) in Mumbai, Union Minister of State for Shipping , Mansukh
Mandaviyastated that the central government has set a target of transporting nearly 25% of cargo
through coastal shipping and inland waterways over the next 10 years.
Key points:
i. This target will be achieved with the help of initiatives for the development of ports taken by the
centre
ii. The increment in exim cargo will also help to reduce inflation by nearly 2.5 %.
iii. The government also aims to develop the infrastructure of railways, roads and airports sector.
These initiatives are aimed at making the economy competitive in global markets and for that it is
necessary to bring down the cost of logistics.
iv. Present status: India’s logistics cost (14%) is still 5 percent more than the global cost (9%).
Saudi’s ARAMCO will buy 20% of RIL’s oil and chemical business for $15 bn
On August 12,2019, In the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL), its
Chairman &MD(managing director) Mukesh Ambani stated that Saudi Arabia’s most profitable oil
company Saudi Aramco will buy 20 % stake of RIL’s oil and chemicals business for about $15
billion (approximately Rs 1.06 lakh crore), which will be one of the biggest FDI(foreign direct
investment) deal in the country.
The flagship deal is registered an enterprise value of $75 billion (around Rs 5,32,466 crore). The deal is
subject to regulatory approvals.
Key points:
i. 1st deal with BP: The deal with Aramco follows RIL announcing a joint venture with oil and gas
company BP plc(London, United Kingdom), wherein BP will pay Rs 7,000 cr for 49% stake in RIL’s
petroleum retailing business.
• RIL’s current 1,400-odd petrol pumps and 31 aviation fuel stations, will be shifted to the new
joint venture where BP will hold a 49 % stake. The remaining 51% will be used by RIL to expand
the retail network to 5,500 petrol pumps in the next 5 years.
• This is the 3rd joint venture between Reliance and BP since the year 2011. (In the 1st one BP had
bought 30 % stake in 21 oil & gas exploration and production blocks of Reliance in 2011 for $ 7.2
billion & in the 2nd 50:50 joint venture was signed to set up India Gas Solutions for sourcing and
marketing gas in India).
ii. 2 deal with Aramco: As part of the deal, Aramco will supply 700,000 barrels per day on a long-
nd
term basis of crude oil to Reliance’s twin refineries(Reliance & petrochemical complex) at Jamnagar in
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Gujarat, which has the total capacity of 68.2 million tonnes per annum.
RIL wants to achieve an over 70% conversion of crude refined in Gujarat to competitive chemical
building blocks of olefins and aromatics& it also plans to expand its only-for-exports special economic
zone (SEZ) refining capacity to just over 41 million tonnes from current 35.2 million tonnes.
iii. The twin deals (BP& Aramco)will help cut some of the debt of RIL by March 2021.
About RIL:
♦ Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
About Saudi Aramco:
♦ Headquarters: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
♦ President & CEO: Amin H. Al-Nasser
About BP Plc:
♦ Founded: 14 April 1909
♦ Chairman: Helge Lund
Reliance Jio and Microsoft tied up to accelerate digital transformation in India

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, and Microsoft
Corporationannounced a 10-year long-term strategic relationship to accelerate the digital
transformation of the Indian economy and society.
Key Points:
i. The objective of the partnership is to increase the adoption of leading technologies like data analytics,
Artificial Intelligence (AI), cognitive services, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and edge computing
among small and medium enterprises to make them ready to compete and grow.
ii. It will help to accelerate technology-led GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth in India and drive
adoption of next-gen technology solutions at scale.
iii. The combination of Jio’s leading connectivity and digital solutions with Azure, Azure AI and Office
365 will result in powerful tools and platforms.
iv. The initial two data centres, which will be set up by Jio in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, can
house IT (Information technology) equipment consuming up to 7.5 MW (Megawatt) of power.
About Reliance Industries Limited(RIL):
♦ CEO: Mukesh Ambani
ADB to invest $23 million in non-convertible debentures issued by GRIL

In order to support road sector investment plans of the Indian government, Asian Development
Bank(ADB)has signed an agreement to invest $23 million in non-convertible debentures (NCD) being
issued by GRIL( GR Infraprojects Limited).
Key points:
i. This investment will promote the GRIL’s ability for the construction of roads and highways in India
through the purchase of new building equipment & help execute its existing order book of $ 2.78 billion
and enable it to bid for larger and more complex infrastructure projects.
ii. The agreement was signed by Michael Barrow, Director General of ADB’s Private Sector Operations
Department and Vinod Kumar Agarwal, GRIL Chairman and Managing Director.
iii. It was signed with the aim to support the growth of the transport sector in India.
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About NCD:
i. These are fixed-income instruments, usually issued by high-rated companies.
ii. They offer a higher interest rate than convertible debentures.
About GRIL:
Founded: 1996
Headquarter: Udaipur, Rajasthan
It is an engineering, procurement, and construction company in India focused purely on the roads and
highways sector.
NAE and CIAL signs MoU for the commencement of air naval operations
On August 14, 2019 the Naval Air Enclave (NAE) which is a naval aviation facility in Kochi, Kerala, and
Cochin International Airport Limited ( CIAL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
the commencement of Naval air operations from NAE in Nedumbassery, Kerala.
Key points
i. The MoU was signed between NAE Officer-in-charge, Captain Satish Kumar S and CIAL airport
director A.C.K Nair on behalf of both the organisations for safe and Secure military air operations.
ii. On the northwest side of the CIAL, the facility comprises of an independent dispersal, aircraft hangar
(a closed building structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft), administrative building and a taxy track.
iii. The CIAL runway will be used as a runway for military aircraft take-off and landing.
Assam’s rare variety tea from Dikom Tea Estate makes records for being sold at Rs.75,000 per
kg
A rare tea variety of eastern Assam’s Dikom Tea Estate named “Golden Butterfly tea” created a record
of being sold at Rs.75,000 per kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC), Assam.
Key points
i. This golden butterfly tea surpassed previous record of sale of “Maijan Golden Tips” tea just by
Rs.4,499. The Maijan Golden Tips was sold at Rs.70,501 per kg.
ii. The tea is actually handcrafted and is made from tender tea leaves and buds which are available only
around June-July, thus raising its demand. It is judged by its aroma, taste, and colour and this tea is
characterised by extremely mellow and sweet caramel flavour
iii. The Dikom Tea Estate is situated near Eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh town.
ANZ lowers India’s GDP growth in FY20 to 6.2%

On August 16,2019 , According to a recent report of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
(ANZ), India’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth expected to grow by 6.2 % in 2019 (FY-Fiscal Year
2020) It revised downwards its outlook for FY20 from 6.5% due to sluggish domestic demand, and
slowing down of Industry figures.
Key points:
i. It also downgraded its forecast for the year to March 2021 to 6.5% from 7.1%.
ii. This will badly affect the government’s target of getting the economy at rates above 8%.
iii. The declining trends of Industry figures showed Auto mobiles sales volume plunged 30.9 % on July
2019 from July 2018, the 9th straight month of declines and the biggest drop since December 2000,
along with investment indicators, such as the production of steel & cement.
iv. The policy rate cut by RBI (Reserve Bank of India) will help revive economic growth but it may take
a much longer period to boost growth because of the time lag between the policy measures and
response.
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v. Fitch rating: It projected a growth forecast of 6.8% for the2019 (FY-Fiscal Year 2020).It also stated
that RBI’s rate cuts were not sufficient for “uplifting India’s economy”.
About ANZ:
♦ Founded: 2 March 1835
♦ Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
♦ CEO: Shayne Elliott
Debenture Redemption Reserve requirement for Listed Companies, NBFCs and HFCs removed by
the government
On August 19, 2019, Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the Companies (Share Capital &
Debentures) Rules by removing Debenture Redemption Reserve(DRR) requirement for Listed
Companies, NBFCs(Non Banking Financial Company) and HFCs (Housing Finance Companies). This is
done with the aim of reducing the cost of capital for businesses in the country as part of its 100 Days
Action Plan of “ease of doing business” (plans made to be implemented on the first 100 days of the new
government of prime minister Modi to improve the economy).
Key points
• The announcement was made by Nirmala Sitharaman(Finance Minister) in pursuance of the
Budget announcements for 2019-20.
• The intent to remove the DRR requirement was made as it was considered a hindrance to NBFCs,
raising money from public bonds.
Features:
• The companies will now be exempt from creating a DRR pegged at 25% of the face value of
debentures, in respect of listed companies, NBFCs registered with RBI and for HFC registered
with National Housing Bank (NHB).
• For unlisted companies, DRR requirement has been reduced from 25% to 10% of outstanding
debentures to safeguard the interest of investors.
• Previously, listed Companies had to create a DRR for both public issues as well as Private
Placement of Debentures, while NBFCs & HFCs had to create DRR only when they opted for
Public Issue of Debentures.
Debentures: A debenture is a medium to long term debt instrument used by large companies to
borrow money, at a fixed rate of interest.
About Debenture Redemption Reserve(DRR)
To protect debenture holders from the risk of default by the issuing company, Section 117C of the
Indian Companies Act of 1956 implemented the DRR and made it mandatory. This rule offers investors
a measure of protection, because debentures are not backed by an asset, a lien(a right to keep
possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by that person is discharged), or
any other form of collateral
Mahindra Finance to acquire up to 58.2% stake in Sri Lanka’s Ideal Finance for LKR 2 billion
On August 20, 2019, Rural NBFC (Non Banking Financial Company) Mahindra & Mahindra Financial
Services Ltd has signed a joint venture (JV) with Ideal Finance Ltd (IFL), a subsidiary of the leading
Sri Lankan conglomerate, Ideal Group, for the acquisition of up to 58.2 % stake in the Ideal Finance for
LKR-(Sri Lankan Rupees) 2 billion (nearly Rs 80 crore).
Key points:
i. Investment: Mahindra Finance will invest LKR 2 billion till March 2021 to acquire the stake.
ii. Benefits: The joint venture with Ideal Finance will create a market-leading financial services
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business in Sri Lanka for Mahindra.

iii. Mahindra Finance: It has over 6.2 million customers in over 3,70,000 villages in India and its assets
under management (AUM) is recorded at over $10 billion. It will expand its business model in Sri Lanka
with this joint venture.
iv. IFL: It is a non-banking financial Institution registered with Central Bank of Sri Lanka, caters
financial services to the individual needs of its clients. Its assets base is recorded at LKR 4.4 billion and
an equity base of LKR 1.1 billion and as many as 10 branches. The partnership will help IFL to emerge
as a tier-1 category in a short period of time.
About Mahindra Finance:
♦ Founded: 1991
♦ Vice-Chairman & Managing Director: Ramesh Iyer
About IFL:
♦ Headquarters: Sri lanka
♦ Chairman: Nalin J. Welgama
Amazon inaugurates its world’s largest campus in Hyderabad

On August 21, 2019, e-commerce company Amazon, inaugurated its single-largest campus in the world
in terms of area (9 acres) in Hyderabad, Telangana. The campus was inaugurated by Mohammed
Mahmood Ali, MLC(Member of Legislative Council), Minister of Home, Prisons, Fire Services,
government of Telangana.
Key points:
i. This Hyderabad campus of Amazon, is the only one, placed outside US (United States).
ii. Having over 62,000 employees in India, this campus alone can accommodate more than 15,000
employees.
Other members present:
Amit Agarwal, SVP(Senior Vice President) and Country Head, Amazon India.
John Schoettler, VP(Vice President), Global Real Estate and Facilities.
India’s GDP growth set to slow further to 5.7% in April-June quarter: Nomura Report
According to the report by Nomura, a global financial services major, India’s GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) growth is set to slow further in the April-June quarter of 2019 to 5.7% year on year (YoY)
from 5.8%, before improving to 6.4% YoY in Q3 and 6.7% in Q4. The economy is expected to see some
recovery in the July-September quarter.
Key Points:
i. Improvement: Data so far for July 2019 shows that 53% of indicators have improved compared with
31% in June 2019. Nomura’s Composite Leading Index (CLI) for July-September quarter has ticked
marginally higher to 99.9 from 99.8 in Q2, led by higher industrial production growth, an improvement
in visitor arrivals growth, equity markets and lower policy rates.
ii. Sector wise analysis: The automobile sector is facing its worst crisis in two decades and reports
suggest thousands of job losses in the auto and ancillary industry. In the real estate sector, the number
of unsold homes has increased. The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies have reported a
decline in volume growth in Q1.
iii. Decline in GDP: India’s economic growth slowed to 6.8% in 2018-19 – the slowest pace since 2014-
15, reason being the slowdown in the economy. Consumer confidence is waning, Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) has plateaued and international trade and currency war is further aggravating the
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problem.
About Nomura:
♦ Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
♦ President: Koji Nagai
Knight Frank ranks Delhi as the 10th fastest growing market globally
Prime Global Cities Index Q1 2019 of London based consultancy Knight Frank has ranked Delhi as
the 10thfastest growing prime market globally. The index is topped by Berlin(Germany) whereas
Istanbul(Turkey) and Vancouver(Canada) were the weakest markets with rates minus 9.9% and minus
13.6% respectively.
Key points
Bengaluru (2.8%) and Mumbai (0.8%) were ranked 15th and 30th on the list, respectively.
Prime Global Index:
i. 46 cities’ movement globally were tracked based on its luxury residential prices but only 35 out of
those 46 cities have projected price growth.
ii. Despite Berlin ranking first in the index, its annual growth rate has decreased from 14.1 per cent in
March to 12.7% in June and Frankfurt, by comparison, has seen its annual price growth increase from
9.6% to 12% over the same period.
iii. However as of June 2019, Luxury residential prices have overall registered an average increase of
1.4 per cent.
iv. The index is expected to moderate further in the second half of 2019 before strengthening in 2020.
About Knight Frank
Founded- 1896.
Founder- John Knight,Howard Frank and William Rutley.
CMD (Chief Managing Director) Knight Frank India-ShishirBaijal.
SEBI eases norms for FPIs

On August 21, 2019, The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) relaxed the compliance
requirements for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI). It modified the norms to boost startups and
decided on Rs 1 crore reward for informants in insider trading cases.
Key Points:
i.Municipal Bonds: It relaxed the norms for Municipal bonds/ Muni Bonds to help smart cities and
other registered entities working in areas of city planning and urban development work, like
municipalities, raise funds through issuance and listing of their debt securities. Smart cities and other
registered entities working in areas of city planning and urban development work would be permitted
to raise funds by issuing municipal bonds.
ii.ILDM Regulations: SEBI had issued its Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by Municipalities (ILDM)
Regulations nearly 5 years ago and since then 7 municipalities have raised nearly Rs 1,400 crore by
issuing their debt securities, which are commonly known as ‘Muni Bonds’.
iii.Simplified KYC requirements: SEBI decided to simplify Know Your Client (KYC) requirements for
foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) as well as broad based criteria for them.
iv.FPI Categories: FPIs would be classified into 2 categories instead of 3. The requirements for
issuance and subscription of offshore derivative instruments (ODIs) would be rationalised. They would
be permitted for off-market transfer of securities which are unlisted, suspended or illiquid, to a
domestic or foreign investor.
v.Norms to Credit rating agencies: SEBI will amend its regulations for credit rating agencies to ensure
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that any listed or unlisted entity, before getting rated, gives an explicit consent to the agencies for
obtaining full details about borrowings from their lenders.
vi.Norms to start ups: SEBI would permit startups move from the Innovators Growth Platform of stock
exchanges to the main board, subject to certain conditions, including that such entities should have a
shareholder base of at least 200.
vii.Insider trading: SEBI will reward informants with up to Rs 1 crore cash for any credible inside
information through a specially created hotline and also proposed a possible amnesty or settlement for
minor wrongdoings in return for cooperation in the probe. These benefits would only be available
to individuals and corporates. Professionals like auditors would not be able to use this route as they
are duty-bound to report any wrongdoing.
viii.Protection of Investors interest: In order to safeguard the interests of investors from high risk
assets, mutual fund houses would be asked to shift all their investments to listed or to-be-listed equity
and debt securities in a phased manner as well as reduce their exposure to unrated debt instruments
from 25% to 5%.
ix.Buyback of shares: SEBI eased its norms for buyback of shares by listed companies, especially those
having subsidiaries in housing finance and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) sectors. The
buyback offer cannot exceed 25% of the aggregate paid-up capital and free reserves of the company,
but shareholders’ approval is required through a special resolution in case the size exceeds 10%.
x.Pooled Finance Development Funds: SEBI plans to allow the route for other structures where a
group of municipalities pool their resources together to jointly raise funds through the issuance of
bonds. These structures are generally known as Pooled Finance Development Funds.
xi.Disclosure norm changes: SEBI is also proposing changes relating to accounting, auditing and
disclosure of financial statements to take into account the expanded list of eligible entities and the
requirements of such entities to get their accounts audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of
India (CAG) and approved by various authorities.
xiii.Minimum Subscription: In case of private placements, the minimum subscription amount per
investor is currently Rs 25 lakh, which is being proposed to be reduced to Rs 10 lakh to align it with
the regulations for corporate bonds.
225th meeting of CBT held at Hyderabad, Telangana

On August 21, 2019, the 225th meeting of Central Board of Trustees (CBT) held at Hyderabad,
Telangana. It was attended by the Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh
Kumar Gangwar, who is also Chairman of CBT.
Key Points:
i.EPS 1995: It approved the proposal to recommend for amendment in Employees’ Pension
Scheme (EPS) 1995 for the restoration of commuted value of the pension to the Pensioners after 15
years of drawing commutation which will benefit approximately 6.3 lakhs pensioners.
ii.Educative booklet: The Minister released the educative booklet on seasonal employees regarding
special provision in EPS’ 1995 regarding eligibility of seasonal employees for pension. The contents of
the booklet brings out the Scheme provision that contributory service in any year, even if contributory
period is less than a year is treated as a full year of eligible service for seasonal employee and this will
help dispel doubts in minds of members/employers.
iii.EPFIGMS 2.0 version: The minister launched the revamped EPFIGMS 2.0 version which will benefit
more than 5 crores subscribers and lakhs of employers by speedy and smooth resolution of grievances.
iv.Selection and Performance Evaluation: The Board approved the proposal for Selection and
Performance Evaluation of next Custodian by the new Consultant which will be appointed on the basis
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of Report of Five Members’ Committee constituted by the CBT.

v.Selection of ETF Manufacturers: The Board approved the decision to choose the Exchange Traded
Fund (ETF) manufacturers through public bidding by October 30, 2019, extension of the term of the
present ETF manufacturers (SBI MF and UTI MF) till then and also to authorize the Finance Investment
& Audit Committee (FIAC) to conduct the exercise of choosing ETF manufacturers.
vi.Allocation of investment in Nifty 50 and Sensex: The Board approved the proposal that the fund
allocation between Nifty 50 and Sensex ETFs be divided evenly, i.e. in the ratio of 50% to 50%.
vii.Appointment of a Consultant in addition to M/s. CRISIL Ltd: The Board approved the nomination
of members from employer and employee side in a Committee constituted to select and appoint a
separate Agency/Consultant in addition to M/s. CRISIL (Credit Rating Information Services of India)
limited, inter-alia to review the working of the Portfolio Managers (PMs), assist the investment
Committee in redemption of ETFs, etc.
viii.Appointment of Portfolio Managers for managing funds of Central Board, EPF: The Central
Board approved Request for Proposal (RFP) document for appointment of Portfolio Managers and
recommendation of the FIAC on appointment of Portfolio Managers.
ix.Exercise of early redemption options available in DHFL Bonds: The Board approved for early
redemption option in DHFL bonds recommended by FIAC.
x.Consent for Transfer of Non- Convertible Debentures (NCDs) of GSPC to GSIL: EPFO has total
investment of Rs.2300 Cr in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GSPC) NCDs. The Board
approved the transfer of NCDs of GSPC to GSIL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Govt. of Gujarat and a
better rated company which had made an offer to take over debt of GSPC with budgetary support of
Government of Gujarat.
xi.Legal Entity Identifier Code (LEI) for participation in non- derivative markets by EPFO: In
Nov’18, the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) issued an advisory to all eligible market participants in the
Financial Markets to obtain LEI Code. The Board approved the nomination of the EPFO Officers as the
authorized Officials to obtain LEI Code.
xii.Withholding Investments in bonds of private sector companies: The CBT approved the decision
to withhold any further investment in Private Sector Companies Bonds and to compulsorily consider
one of the two required ratings necessarily from CRISIL, CARE, ICRA & India Ratings for investments in
PSU Bonds category.
xiii.Ratification: The Board ratified the decision of put option in NCDs of Tamil Nadu Power Finance
Corporation and also approved put option in bond issued Kerala Finance Corporation & Tamil Nadu
Power Finance and Infrastructure Dev. Corp. Ltd.
xiv.EPFO exit from DHFL: CBT has allowed the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to
exercise an exit option for recovering the pending Rs 600 crore from Dewan Housing Finance
Corporation (DHFL), and approved the appointment of 3 fund managers to manage its corpus.
xv.Fund managers: The EPFO’s advisory body Finance, Audit and Investment Committee (FAIC) had
finalised and recommended the names of three asset management firms- Hong Kong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation (HSBC) Asset Management Company (AMC), United Trust of
India (UTI) AMC and State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Fund – for their appointment as fund
managers for three years beginning October 1, 2019.
About EPFO:
♦ Founded: March 4, 1952
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Moody’s reduced India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.2% for 2019

On August 23, 2019, Moody’s Investors Service reduced India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth
forecast for 2019 calendar year to 6.2% from the previous estimation of 6.8% as the weaker global
economy has stunted Asian exports and the uncertain operating environment has weighed on
investment.
i. It reduced the estimate by a similar measure to 6.7% for 2020 calendar year.
About Moody’s Investors Service:
♦ Headquarters: New York, US
♦ Founded: 1909
Government announces measures to boost Indian Economy

On August 23, 2019, A presentation was made by Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt.
Nirmala Sitharaman on measures to boost Indian Economy during a press conference. Following are
the highlights:
Facilitating wealth creators
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Violations
• CSR violation will not be treated as a criminal offence. It will be treated as a civil liability.
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs will review the sections under Companies Act 1956.
Issue of IT orders, notices, summons, letters etc through a centralized system
In order to address complaints of harassment on account of issue of notices, summons, orders etc. by
certain income-tax authorities:
• On or after 1st October, 2019 all notices, summons, orders etc. by the income-tax authorities
shall be issued through a centralized computer system and will contain a computer generated
unique Document Identification Number.
• Any communication issued without computer-generated unique Document Identification
Number shall be non est in law.
• All old notices to be decided by 1st October 2019 or uploaded again through the system .
• From 1st October, 2019 all notices to be disposed off within three months from the date of the
reply.
Taxation Measures
Relief from enhanced surcharge on Long-Term/Short-term Capital Gains
In order to encourage investment in the capital market, it has been decided to withdraw the enhanced
surcharge levied by Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019 on long/ short term capital gains arising from transfer of
equity shares/units referred in section 111A and 112 A respectively.
Withdrawal of Angel Tax provisions for Startups and their investors
• To mitigate genuine difficulties of startups and their investors, it has been decided that section
56(2)(viib) of the Income-tax Act shall not be applicable to a startup registered with DPIIT.
• It has also been decided to set up a dedicated cell under Member of Central Board of Direct
Taxes (CBDT) for addressing the problems of startups. A startup having any income-tax issue
can approach the cell for quick resolution of the same.
Cut in corporate tax for companies
Corporate tax rate for companies with over Rs 400 crore turnover will be gradually cut to 25% and the
government will support wealth creators.
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Banks/NBFCs/MSMEs
Additional Credit expansion through PSBs
• Capital infusion of Rs 70,000 crore into public sector banks (PSBs). The move is aimed at
boosting lending and improving liquidity situation.
• It is expected to generate an additional lending and liquidity in the financial system to the tune
of Rs 5 lakh crore.
Banks to effect timely rate cuts
Banks have decided to pass on rate cuts through Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR)
reduction to benefit all borrowers.
Banks to launch Repo rate /external benchmark linked loan products
• Banks to reduce Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) for housing loans, vehicle and other retail
loans by directly linking Repo rate to interest rates.
• Working capital loans for industry will also become cheaper.
Customer Ease
• To reduce harassment and bring in greater efficiency.
• PSBs to ensure mandated return of loan documents within 15 days of loan closure. It will
benefit the Borrowers who have mortgaged assets.
Online tracking of loan applications
• Online tracking of loan applications by customers of Retail, MSME (Micro, small and medium
enterprises), Housing, Vehicle, working Capital, limit enhancements, renewals etc.
• It would increase transparency, reduce harassment, and improve turnaround time for
customers.
Transparent One Time Settlement (OTS) Policy
• Banks to issue improved transparent OTS policy to benefit MSME and retail borrowers in
settling their overdues.
• Policy to be based on checkbox approach.
Protecting honest decision making
• To support decision making and to prevent harassment for genuine commercial decisions by
bankers, CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) has issued directions that Internal Advisory
Committee (IAC) in banks to classify cases as vigilance and non-vigilance.
• Decision of the IAC and bank CVO/ DA to be treated as final.
Support to NBFCs/HFCs
• More credit support for purchase of houses, vehicles, consumption goods.
• The National Housing Bank (NHB) can now extend up to Rs 30,000 crore credit lines to Non-
Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), instead of Rs 20,000 crore earlier.
• Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme for purchase of pooled assets of NBFC/housing finance
companies (HFCs) to up to Rs 1 lakh crore will be monitored at the highest level in each bank.
• Prepayment notices issued to NBFCs to be monitored by Banks.
Use of Bank KYCs by NBFCs
• NBFCs to be permitted to use the Aadhaar authenticated bank KYC )Know Your Customer) to
avoid repeated processes.
• Necessary changes shall be made in Prevention Of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) rules and
Aadhaar Regulations.
Co-origination of loans by PSBs jointly with NBFCs
This is done to take advantage of liquidity with PSBs and last mile customer connect of NBFCs, PSBs to
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fast track collaboration for loans to MSMEs, small traders Self Help Groups, MFI clients borrowers in
coorigination mode with NBFCs.
GST Refund to MSME within 30 days
All pending GST (Goods and Service Tax) refund due to MSMEs shall be paid within 30 days. In future
all GST refunds shall be paid within 60 days from the date of application.
MSME Bill discounting
Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) to use Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) system
in the medium term to enhance market for bill discounting for MSMEs.
MSME Definition
Amendment to MSME Act to move towards single definition to be considered.
UK Sinha Committee recommendations
Decisions on recommendations such as on ease of credit, marketing, technology, delayed payments etc.
made within 30 days.
Capital Flow/Financial Markets
Deepening of bond markets in India
• In order to improve access to long term finance, it is proposed to establish an organisation to
provide Credit Enhancement for infrastructure and housing projects. This would enhance debt
flow towards such projects.
• The government would soon take further action on development of Credit Default Swap markets
soon, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).
• In order to improve domestic market in bonds, Ministry of Finance will work with RBI to make it
more conducive for investors and bond issuers, as well as facilitate increased trading for price
discovery
• Government has amended the Companies (Share capital and Debenture rules) 2014 to remove
the requirement for creation of Debenture Redemption Reserve (DRR) of outstanding
debentures in respect of listed companies, NBFCs and HFCs.
Access of Indian Companies to the Global Markets
The Depository Receipt Scheme 2014 is expected to be operationalised soon by SEBI. This will give
Indian companies increased access to foreign funds through American Depository Receipt (ADR)/
Global Depository Receipt (GDR).
Use of Aadhaar based KYCs for domestic retail investors
• In order to improve market access for the domestic retail investors, Aadhaar-based KYC to be
permitted for opening of Demat account and making investment in mutual funds.
• Necessary notification for amendments in PMLA Rules will be issued.
Simplified KYC for foreign and investors and FPIs
Simplified KYC procedure to improve market access for foreign investors including FPIs.
Offshore Rupee market
To bring offshore Rupee market to domestic stock exchanges and permit trading of USD -INR
derivatives in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City International Financial Services Centre (GIFT
IFSC), Ministry of Finance is working with RBI to introduce this measure shortly.
Infrastructure
Delayed Payments
Delayed payments from Government/ Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to be monitored by the
Department of Expenditure and performance to be reviewed by the Cabinet Secretariat.
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Decision to pay 75% of the arbitration awards

In contractual disputes by Government/ CPSEs to be implemented and monitored by the Cabinet
Secretariat.
Rs 100 lakh crores for developing modern infrastructure over 5 years
• An inter-ministerial Task Force is being formed by the Department of Economic Affairs to
finalise the pipeline of infrastructure projects.
• Rs 100 lakh crores for developing modern infrastructure over 5 years initiative is expected to
boost growth and creation of jobs. These projects would be monitored actively to accelerate
capital expenditure and investments in the economy.
Automotive Sector
• Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) vehicles purchased till March 31, 2020 to remain operational for the
entire period of registration.
• Revision of one time registration fees being deferred till June 2020.
• Ministry of Finance to continue to engage with stakeholders for timely and suitable
interventions for different sectors.
Higher depreciation for all vehicles
Additional 15% depreciation on all vehicles. It is increased to 30%, acquired during the period from
now till March 31, 2020.
Electric vehicles (EVs) and Internal Combustion Vehicles (ICV)
• Both EVs and ICVs will continue to be registered.
• Government’s focus will be on setting up of infrastructure for development of ancillaries
/components including batteries for export.
To boost demand
• Government will lift the ban on purchase of new vehicles for replacing all old vehicles by
Departments.
• Government will consider various measures including scrappage policy.
Growth
India’s growth is relatively better than US and China
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that India’s growth in comparison to other
countries is relatively better. India’s growth rate is higher than the United States and China.
• Global GDP growth may be revised downwards from the current estimate of 3.2%.
Reform & Simplification
Ease of life for tax payers – Income tax, GST, Customs
• Prefilling of Income Tax (IT) returns.
• Faceless tax assessment will be introduced in the country on Vijayadashami, October 8, 2019,
removing the need for one-to-one interactions with assessees.
• Reduction in GST returns and simplification of forms
• Refund process of GST simplified.
• Risk based approach in dealing with tax payers.
Labour laws
• Fixed term employment for flexibility in hiring.
• Contribution of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) reduced from 6.5% to 4%.
• Web-based and jurisdiction-free Inspections
• Inspection report to be uploaded within 48 hours
• Compounding of offences.
• Self certification for start-ups – 6 labour laws.
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Environment clearances
• Single air and water clearance for MSMEs.
• Single consent to establish a factory by MSMEs .
Corporate Affairs
• 1 day to incorporate a company – Central Registration Centre for name reservation &
incorporation.
• Integrated Incorporation Form.
• Shifting of 16 offence sections to monetary penalty only.
• Faster & easier approvals for mergers and acquisitions.
• Modifications in provisions for Differential Voting Rights.
• Withdrawal of over 14,000 prosecutions under Companies Act.
• Robust IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) framework with amendments supporting MSMEs
and home buyers.
Bharatcraft portal will generate Rs 10 lakh crore revenues in 2-3 yrs: Nitin Gadkari
On August 22, 2019, The Union Minister of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises(MSME), Nitin Gadkari stated that the government’s planned e-commerce
portal Bharatcraft has the potential to achieve revenues of around Rs 10 lakh crore in 2-3 years. He
stated at the 200th listing of an MSME company ‘Wonder Fibromats’ on NSE Emerge in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
Key points:
i. The portal Bharatcraft, which will be on the lines of Alibaba and Amazon, will provide a platform for
MSMEs to market and sell their products & help promote the MSME sector which is currently
contributing nearly 29 % to the manufacturing segment and 40 % to the exports.
ii. The center sets a target to increase the contribution of MSMEs in the manufacturing sector to 50% as
they have the capability to generate additional employment of 5 crores in the next 5 years.
iii. For the welfare of MSME, a committee has also been set up to study the aspect of payments, which
have always been the issue for the MSMEs.
About MSME ministry:
♦ Founded: 2007
Small startups with turnover up to Rs 25 cr to get promised tax holiday

On August 22, 2019, The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notified that small startups with a
turnover of up to Rs 25 crore will continue to get the promised tax holiday as specified in the Section
80-IAC of the Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961. It provides a deduction for 100% of the income of an eligible
startup for 3 years out of 7 years from the year of its incorporation.
Key Points:
i. Eligibility: A startup has to fulfil the conditions specified in Section 80-IAC for claiming the deduction.
The startup recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) which
fulfils the conditions specified in the DPIIT notification does not automatically become eligible for the
deduction under Section 80-IAC of the I-T Act. CBDT did not recognize the Rs 100-crore turnover
definition of a small startup put up by the DPIIT.
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ii. Section 80-IAC: It contains a detailed definition of the eligible start-up including the condition of
having been incorporated on or after April 1, 2016, turnover not exceeding Rs 25 crore in a year of
deduction and holding a certificate from the Inter-Ministerial Board of Certification. It was inserted vide
Finance Act, 2016 as an exception to the Government’s stated policy of phasing out a profit-linked
deduction for promoting small start-ups during their initial year of operation.
About CBDT:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of Finance
♦ Chairman: Pramod Chandra Mody
Microsoft and Indian School of Business (ISB) signs MoU to set up AI Digital Lab
IT(Information Technology) company, Microsoft and Indian School of Business (ISB) have signed an
MoU(memorandum of understanding) to set up an AI Digital Lab powered by PlatiFi technologies (a
Microsoft partner) at B School’s campus Hyderabad, Telangana to study issues that are relevant for
business and public policy. The duo will also offer an executive 3-day non technical programme
titled “Leading Business Transformation in the Age of AI”, which will kick start in October 2019,
would equip business leaders with tools and strategies to transform their respective organizations to
AI(Artificial Intelligence)-driven organizations.
Key points:
i. Microsoft will provide infrastructure, access to cloud and AI tools to the ISB.
ii. The tie-up will increase the innovation with AI in businesses& empower business leaders to increase
their tech intensity and do more with AI.
iii. The collaboration will also enable ISB to use AI to understand new phenomena that are relevant for
business as well as policy.
About Microsoft India:
♦ Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
♦ President: Anant Maheshwari
About ISB:
♦ Formation: 2001
♦ Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
♦ Dean: Rajendra Srivastava
Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Tejas Express and the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express to be run by
IRCTC
Indian Railways has decided that Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Tejas Express and the Delhi-
Lucknow Tejas Express will be run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, for a period of 3 years as a pilot project. The
fares of these trains will be flexible and will be decided by the IRCTC. The proposal was mooted by the
railways in its 100-day plan.
Tea grown in Arunachal Pradesh record height set by Assam tea

On August 21, 2019, A variety of tea grown in Arunachal Pradesh touched the record heights set by
Assam tea on August 13, 2019 where Dikom Tea Estate of Assam had sold its Golden Butterfly tea at Rs
75,000 per kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC). ‘Golden Needle’ tea produced by
Donyipolo Tea Estate in Arunachal Pradesh was sold by Contemporary Tea Brokers and was bought by
city-based buyer Chattar Singh Narendra Kumar for online tea seller Absolute Tea.
i. The highest price recorded by Donyipolo Tea Estate was Rs 39,000 per kg for the tea sold in 2018.
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Microsoft launches first of its kind “Digital Governance Tech Tour” programme to skill
government IT officials in new-age technologies
On August 27, 2019, IT(Information Technology) company, Microsoft India has launched a program
called ‘Digital Governance Tech Tour’ in line with the Digital initiative of the Indian government to
train 5000 government employees over a period of 12 months on AI (artificial
intelligence) and cloud computing skills.
Key points:
i. The first-of-its-kind initiative includes a series of physical and virtual workshops, was inaugurated at
the Digital Governance Tech Summit 2019 in New Delhi by Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO of government’s
policy think-tank ,NITI Aayog(National Institution for Transforming India) & Ajay Prakash Sawhney,
secretary, MeITY (The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)..
ii. The new-age programme will help build the foundation towards an AI-enabled future & participants
will learn a wide range of skills, including being able to move, transform and analyze data, design and
deployment skills for end-to-end solutions.
iii. The program provides users a 10-module program under 2 different segments, one meant for
Technical Directors, Technical Architects and Project Managers and the other one meant for
Developers, IT Architect and Application Architects.
SIDBI partners with Incuspaze for coworking space for MSMEs

On August 27, 2019, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has partnered with
Incuspaze Solutions Private Limited (Incuspaze) to open a coworking space, designed for Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) and startups. This coworking space called @Workspaze is located in
Connaught Place, New Delhi.
About SIDBI:
Headquarters- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Founded- 2 April 1990
Chairman and Managing Director (MD)- Mohammad Mustafa, IAS (Indian Administrative Service).
Act- Act of Indian Parliament.
About incuspaze:
Incorporated- 16 September 2016.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Sanjay Choudhary.
Directors- Om Prakash Choudhary and Sanjay Choudhary.
7 oil and natural gas blocks for bidding offered by the government under OALP-IV
On August 26, 2019, Government offered 7 oil and natural gas blocks for bidding under Open Acreage
Licensing Policy (OALP)-IV. Five blocks offered are in little-explored Vindhyan sedimentary basin, 1
block is in Bengal Purnea basin and 1 block is the proven basin of Rajasthan.
Key Points:
i. 18,509.69 square kilometre of area for exploration of oil and gas has been offered in OALP-IV which is
the first round being held on revamped terms approved in February 2019.
ii. Under the previous 3 OALP, government has awarded 87 blocks covering an area of 1.18 lakh sq km.
iii. Vindhyan is Category-II basin block and Bengal Purnea is Category-III area where no exploration has
happened so far. The Vindhyan basin covers areas under the Son valley, Bundelkhand and Rajasthan,
and Bengal Purnea basin is in West Bengal and extends into the offshore region of the Bay of Bengal.
iv. The 5th cycle of submitting expression of interest (EoI) is currently going on till November 30, 2019,
and would be followed by the 6th cycle from December 1, 2019, till March 31, 2020.
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v. The seven category-I explored basins in India are Cambay, Mumbai Offshore, Rajasthan, Krishna
Godavari, Cauvery, Assam Shelf, and Assam-Arakan Fold Belt.
STPI sets up India’s 1st FinTech centre of excellence-“Fin Blue” in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in association with Electronics Corporation of Tamil
Nadu(ELCOT) has officially set up a ‘Centre of Excellence in FinTech’ with a cost of over ₹23 crore
in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is first of its kind in India and is named ‘FinBlue’.
Key points:
i. The money pooled in from the Tamil Nadu government(Rs 5.7 crore), STPI(Rs 4 crore), Government
of India(Rs 1.8 crore,) and UK(United Kingdom)-based fintech fund Pontaq (Rs 11 crore).
ii. The objective of the centre is to provide resources in terms of mentoring, technical support and
funding for FinTech startups.
iii. The centre aims to incubate over 58 startups (not have an annual turnover exceeding Rs 100 crore)
fall under trading, banking, insurance, wealth advisory and financial inclusion portfolios in the next 5
years.
iv. Currently, Pitch Fest is being conducted to identify eligible and innovative start-ups for the FinBlue
programme.
About STPI:
Founded: 1991
Director-General: Omkar Rai
India Ratings downs GDP forecast to 6.7% for FY’20

On August 28, 2019, the rating agency India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra)downgraded India’s GDP
(Gross Domestic Product) growth to a six year low of 6.7% for FY20 (Fiscal year 2020) compared to its
previous estimate of 7.3%. This downgrade is due to weak consumption demand, monsoon and
slowdown in manufacturing growth.
Key points
i. This rating comes days after rating agency Moody’s revised the GDP growth rate to 6.2% from
previous 6.8% estimation for the year 2019.
ii. Slowed growth: FY20 will also be the 3rd consecutive year of subdued growth(depressed growth)
involving factors such as slowed consumption demand, uneven monsoon, inability to resolve cases in a
time bound manner by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(IBC) and is also expected to have adverse
impacts on imports. The first quarter of FY20 is expected to be the 5th consecutive quarter of declining
GDP growth at 5.7 per cent.
iii. Other factors of Slowed growth: Private consumption, sluggish private corporate investment, the
stress in real estate & manufacturing sector’s constant 70-76% range.
iv. Inflation based index: Food and crude oil prices are currently benign (gentle) and the wholesale
price index(WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to remain moderate at 3.2% and 3.8%
respectively, in FY20.
v. CAD: The Current Account Deficit (CAD) is expected to decline to 1.9% of GDP in FY20 from 2.1% of
GDP in FY19. The report also states that achieving the FY20 fiscal deficit target of 3.3% wouldn’t be a
difficulty in view of the transfer of Rs.1.76 trillion to the government by the Reserve bank of India(RBI).
About (Ind-Ra):
Ind-Ra is a 100% owned subsidiary of the Fitch Group.
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Rohit karan Sawhney(Since 2017).
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Mou signed between GeM and SIDBI to enable growth of MSMEs, Start-ups and Women
Entrepreneurs
On August 29, 2019, A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government e
Marketplace (GeM), Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in New Delhi to benefit Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs), women entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Women Self Help Groups and
various loan beneficiaries under Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) and Stand-
up India scheme.
Key Points:
i. It will promote special initiatives of GeM like Womaniya and Start-up Runway with SIDBI
stakeholders.
ii. It will strengthen capacity building through GeM-specific training programmes of personnel from
partner agencies, value-added services through networking, workshops, marketing events, awards and
recognition of MSMEs with special focus on SHGs, women entrepreneurs, artisans, Non Governmental
Organizations (NGOs), Start-ups and micro-enterprises.
About SIDBI:
♦ Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
♦ Chairman & MD: Mohammad Mustafa
About GeM:
♦ CEO: Talleen Kumar
India’s GDP growth slows to 5% in Q1 FY20

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation notified that the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of India registered a growth of 5% in April to June quarter of 2019-20 from 8% of 2018-19
quarter. It is the lowest in 7 years due to a sharp dip in the manufacturing sector and agriculture
output.
Key Points:
i. The previous lowest GDP was recorded at 4.9% in April to June 2012-13.
ii. The manufacturing sector grew by 0.6% as compared to a growth of 12.1% in Q1 2018-19.
iii. Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ sector grew by 2% as compared to growth of 5.1% in Q1 2018-19.
iv. Mining and quarrying sector grew by 2.7% as compared to a growth of 0.4% in Q1 2018-19.
v. Electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services sector grew by 8.6% as compared to growth of
6.7% in Q1 2018-19.
vi. The passenger vehicle industry suffered its worst performance in 19 years in July 2019. It declined
at 31% in sales and it was the 9th consecutive month of declining sales, underscoring a sharp decline in
demand.
CAGR of Digital payments in India recorded at 12.7%

According to the report titled “Fintech in India – Powering mobile payments” released by KPMG, a
global advisory firm, Digital payments in India have grown with a compound annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 12.7% in the number of non-cash transactions.
Key Points:
i. Merchants have adopted digital payments with close to 1.5 million digital payment acceptance
locations in 2016-17. It has been hiked over 10 million in a short span of 2-3 years.
ii. The global digital payments market is expected to touch $10.07 trillion by 2026.
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iii. Factors responsible for a transformational role and democratised mobile payments in India was the
role played by wallet players and Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based real time payments.
iv. The volume of UPI transactions have increased at a CAGR of 246% during the period from 2016-17
to 2018-19.
v. Mobile payments have witnessed a major shift in the past 5 years with the proliferation of payments
like UPI, mobile wallets, Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BharatQR and Unstructured
Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
vi. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has forecast an outcome of 50% increase in mobile-based payment
transactions as per its ‘2021 vision document’.
About KPMG:
♦ Founded: 1987
♦ Headquarters: Amstelveen, Netherlands
♦ Founders: James Marwick and William Barclay Peat
2% TDS on cash withdrawals of over Rs 1 crore to come into effect from September 1, 2019
On August 30, 2019, The Department of Revenue notified that 2% tax deduction at source (TDS) on
cash withdrawals of over Rs 1 crore will come into effect from September 1, 2019. The government
had made this provision in the Union Budget 2019-20 with an aim to discourage cash transactions and
move towards less cash economy.
Key Points:
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) further notified that if a person has already withdrawn Rs 1
crore or more in cash up to August 31, 2019 from one or more accounts maintained with a banking
company or a cooperative bank or a post office, in the current fiscal, the 2% TDS shall apply on all
subsequent cash withdrawals.
ii. Any cash withdrawal prior to September 1, 2019, will not be subjected to the TDS.
iii. Since the threshold of Rs 1 crore is with respect to the previous year, calculation of amount of cash
withdrawal for triggering deduction under section 194N of the Finance Act shall be counted from April
1, 2019.
About TDS:
It is a means of collecting income tax in India, under the Indian Income Tax Act of 1961. Any payment
covered under these provisions shall be paid after deducting a prescribed percentage. It is managed by
the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) and is part of the Department of Revenue managed by Indian
Revenue Service.
CBDT frames 5-member special cell “Startup Cell” to redress grievances of start-ups
On August 30, 2019, In a bid to redress the grievances of start-ups and reduce their tax-related issues,
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has constituted a 5-member special cell led by the member
(Income Tax and Computerisation) of CBDT, which will towards the issues with relation to angel tax
and others in case of Start-up entities with respect to administration of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Key points:
i. Start-up firms can approach the special cell for the quick resolution of their grievances.
ii. As part of the several measures to boost the economy, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had
announced creation of such a cell and had also declared exempting startups from the angel tax.
iii. The decision comes in line with the CBDT’s initiatives to ease the compliance issues pertaining to
start-up entities.
Here’s the 5-member special cell consisting ex-officio members constituted by CBDT,
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S.No Portfolio Designation

1 Member (Income Tax and Computerisation-IT &C)- Shri P.K. Dash Chairman
(Addl. Charge)
2 Joint Secretary (tax policy and legislation(TPL )-II) Member
3 Commissioner of I-T (ITA-) Member
4 Director (ITA-I) Member
Secretary
5 Under Secretary(ITA-I) Member
About Angel tax:
i. It is a unique tax where a startup has to pay a certain percentage of the angel investment they receive
to the Government of India, under specified conditions.
ii. It is charged at the maximum marginal rate of 30%. This large percentage affects the investor as well
as the receiver as they are losing almost one-third of the investment in taxes.
About CBDT:
Formation: 1944
Chairperson: Pramod Chander Mody
For the 2nd time, HPCL wins the Best navratna award in manufacturing category at Dun &
Bradstreet PSU Awards 2019
On August 22, 2019, The Indian oil and natural gas company, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
Limited(HPCL) has won the award for the ‘ Best Navratna‘ in the ‘ Manufacturing Sector ‘ for the
2nd time at the 6th edition of Dun & Bradstreet PSU Awards 2019 ceremony held in New Delhi.
Key points:
i. The PSU(Public Sector Undertaking) Awards for business excellence in India, is established to
recognize and honor contributions in economic development. Awards are provided in various
categories based on several performance standards such as total income, profitability, industry
overview.
ii. Prize Winners were selected based on a proprietary financial model developed by Dun & Bradstreet
India. The model is considered in size, growth and profitable indicators to reach the final award winner.
iii. The awardees were felicitated by Honorable Mr. Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Minister of Heavy Industries
and Public Enterprises, Mr. Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary-Ministry of Power and Mr. Manish Sinha,
Managing Director-India, Dun & Bradstreet. HPCL received the award from Shri Alok Kumar Gupta,
Chief General Manager-In-Chief and Executive Assistant to Chairman and Managing Director and Mr.
Rajeev Goel, Chief General Manager, Public Relations Corporation Communications.
iv. A total of 35 awards were presented by Dun & Bradstreet at the event .
India’s GDP growth estimated at 6.0% for Q1 of 2019-20: FICCI Survey

As per the recently released FICCI’s (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry) ‘Economic Outlook Survey 2019’, India’s GDP (Gross domestic product) growth estimated
at 6.0% for Q1 (April 2019 to June 2019) of Fiscal year FY 2019-20. The growth numbers will be
released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). While the annual median GDP Growth for 2019-
20 projected at 6.9% and the minimum and maximum growth estimate stood at 6.7% and 7.2%
respectively for 2019-20.
Key points:
i. The survey was conducted by economists belonging to the industry, banking, and financial services
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sectors during the months of June-July 2019.

ii. Views on India’s potential growth rate: The surveyed economists suggested 4 key areas that needed
immediate attention which include,
• Boosting Agriculture Sector,
• Strengthening MSMEs
• Undertaking Factor Market Reforms
• Enhancing Avenues for Infrastructure Financing.
iii. Views on enhancing employment creation: The survey also identified 4 key segments of
improvement that would help create more job opportunities, particularly in manufacturing & services
sector. The 4 sectors include,
• Cost of Doing Business
• Regulatory Reforms
• Labour Reforms
• Sector Specific Special Packages
About FICCI:
♦ Founded: 1927
♦ President: Sandip Somany
♦ It is an association of business organizations in India, draws its membership from the corporate
sector, both private and public, including SMEs(Small and medium-sized enterprises) and
MNCs(multinational corporation).
India failed to comply with the multiple requirements prescribed in SDDS: IMF Report for 2018
According to the report titled “Annual Observance Report of the Special Data Dissemination
Standard for 2018” released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India failed to comply with
the multiple requirements prescribed in Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) which are
mandatory for all IMF members. The report lists the compliances & deviations from the SDDS under
each data category for a particular year. There are 20 data categories.
Key Points:
i. In 2018, India deviated from the SDDS in at least 1 instance in all the data categories listed. The delay
had exceeded 100 days in multiple instances.
ii. Brazil did not delay dissemination in any category. China, South Africa and Russia lagged in some
categories but the delay didn’t exceed 31 days for any category.
iii. The report lists 3 types of deviations from SDDS:
• The first deals with the delays in data dissemination from the periodicity prescribed in the SDDS.
• The second occurs when member countries do not list a data category in their Advance Release
Calendars (ARC) despite the category being mandated by the SDDS.
• The third deviation occurs when data is not disseminated at all for a particular period.
About SDDS:
IMF launched the SDDS initiative in 1996 to guide the members to enhance data transparency and help
financial market participants with adequate information to assess the economic situations of individual
countries. India subscribed to the SDDS on December 27, 1996.
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Amazon launches Military Veterans Employment programme in partnership with DGR and
AWPO
On August 26, 2019, e-commerce giant Amazon India launched Military Veterans Employment
programme in order to create opportunities for military veterans and their spouses in partnership with
Director General of Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO).
Key points
i. It is to be noted that globally, Amazon has employed over 17,500 employees in the programme.
ii. Recently Amazon India was rated as the country’s most ‘attractive employer brand,’ as per the
Randstad Employer Brand Research in june 2019.
About Amazon:
♦ Founder- Jeff Bezos.
♦ Founded- 5 July 1994.
♦ Headquarters- Seattle, Washington, and Arlington, Virginia, United States.
♦ Vice President Asia Operations- Akhil Saxena.
♦ Amazon India Head- Amit Agarwal (also Global Senior Vice President of Amazon).
Previously Amazon was incorporated as Cadabra, Inc from 1994–95.
Atos and C-DAC to work in the field of quantum computing, AI and exascale computing
On August 26, 2019, French information technology(IT) firm Atos and Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing(C-DAC) which is a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY)run research organization, have signed an agreement to work on the technical advancement in
the field of artificial intelligence (AI), exascale computing (billions of billion calculations per second)
and quantum computing(computer technology based on quantum theory).
Key points
i. Atos’s ‘Quantum Learning Machine’ claimed to be one of the world-leading quantum simulators, will
be used at the C-DAC facility, which is working with Atos on the National Supercomputing Mission.
ii. The C-DAC Mission Mode Programs on Exascale Computing, Microprocessor and Quantum
Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Computing is led by its Director General
(DG) Hemant Darbari.
About CDAC:
♦ Headquarters- Pune.
♦ Founded- 1984.
♦ C-DAC was formed after the amalgamation of The National Centre for Software Technology (NCST),
Electronic Research & Development Centre (ER&DCI)and Centre for Electronics Design and Technology
of India(CEDTI) in 2003.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Renowned entrepreneur Ruhan Rajput was bestowed with prestigious Entrepreneur of the year
award 2019
Co-founder and director of Einfolge Technologies Pvt Ltd, Mr. Ruhan Rajput was
honoured entrepreneur of the Year award 2019 for his excellence in the service sector and for his
contributions and achievements in the business industry.
Key points
i. The event was hosted by America’s Business Magazine Entrepreneur India along with its Franchise
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India in New Delhi.

ii. Ruhan was also acknowledged as the “Entrepreneur Of The Year in Service Business- BPO/KPO
recently” on 18th July
iii. Ruhan is also an actor and model in Bollywood industry and has recently starred in ‘Dil Mera’
produced by Zee music company.
Dr Vinayak S Hiremath, the youngest doctor of Gulbarga, felicitated with ‘Pride of Nation Award’
Dr Vinayak S Hiremath, aged 30,the youngest doctor of Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), Karnataka was
felicitated with ‘Pride of Nation Award’ by the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh at the
ceremony held at NCC (National Cadet Corps) auditorium parade grounds in New Delhi on the occasion
of Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26). He is the first South Indian doctor to offer free insulin consultation and
treatment to gestational (pregnancy) diabetic mothers and family members of the Indian Army.
Key Points:
i. He is presently working as the Chief Consultant Physician Diabetologist and Intensivist at KMK
Hospital, Cochin, Kerala.
ii. He is credited to be one among the top 10 achievers in the healthcare industry in India.
iii. ‘Pride of the Nation Award’ is given to the people who have made a notable contribution in their
fields and in the process made India proud.
2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award won by Ravish Kumar for journalism

India’s senior executive editor of NDTV, Ravish Kumar was awarded 2019 Raman Magsaysay Award
which is regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. He was awarded for “harnessing journalism
to give voice to the voiceless”. Four other individuals were declared winners of this award along with
Ravish Kumar.
Other winners
Four other winners of the 2019 Raman Magsaysay award are as follows:-
Ko Swe Win Myanmar
Angkhana Neelapaijit Thailand
Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab Philippines
Kim Jong-Ki South Korea
The winners will be awarded a certificate and a medallion with the image of Ramon Magsaysay on
August 31, 2019.
Ramon Magsaysay award
The award is named after the 3rd President of Philippine Mr. Ramon Magsaysay in memory of his
leadership. Every year it is given to Asian individuals who manifest the same selfless service like the
Filipino leader.
First awarded- 1958
Presented by- Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
English Actor and film Director, Andy Serkis will be awarded IBC’s Highest Honor in
Amsterdam
The England-born English actor and film director, Andy Serkis will receive the International
Broadcasting Convention’s(IBC) highest award “International Honor for Excellence” for bringing
extraordinary humanity to computer-generated characters, at the IBC’s awards ceremony scheduled to
be held on September 15, 2019, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Key points:
i. Serkis is best known for his performance-capture roles of Gollum from the “Lord of the Rings” film
series & and as Caesar in the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy.
ii. Filmmakers, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, and Jeffrey Katzenberg were the past recipients
of this prestigious award.
Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award 2019
On August 1, 2019, Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev was conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award
2019 on the 99th foundation day of East Bengal Club, the Kolkata soccer giants, at the award ceremony
held at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal.
i. Footballer Bhaichung Bhutia was honoured with the ‘Identifying and Nurturing the Icon’ award.
ii. Former India captains Manoranjan Bhattacharya and Bhaskar Ganguly were conferred with a lifetime
achievement award.
iii. Iconic footballer P.K. Banerjee was conferred with the ‘Coach of Coaches’ award. Laldanmawia Ralte
conferred with ‘Best Footballer of the Year’ award.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates regains the spot of the second richest person in the world in Bloomberg
Billionaire Index
The co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates with $106 Billion, became the second richest person in the
world again, by surpassing Europe’s richest person Bernard Arnault, French luxury good (Louis
Vuitton Moét Hennessy) tycoon, as per Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
Key points
i. Bernard Arnault as of now is the third richest person in the world with $97.8 Billion wealth.
ii. Jeff Bezos of Amazon still holds his no.1 spot as the world’s richest person.
iii. As of August 4, 2019, Asia’s richest person Mukesh Ambani slipped to 18th place with worth
standing at $47.2billion in the index as his wealth decreased due to a 7 percent drop in share prices of
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
India’s Naaz Joshi wins Miss World Diversity for the third consecutive time
Naaz Joshi, a transsexual woman from India won the beauty pageant title of Miss World Diversity 2019
held in Port Louis, Mauritius.
Key points
i. This was her third successive victory in this beauty pageant competition as she won the title
previously in 2017 and 2018.
ii. Naaz Joshi had also won Miss Republic International Beauty Ambassador 2017 and Miss United
Nationals Ambassador.
American tennis player Serena Williams tops the Forbes magazine’s highest paid women in
sports list 2019
23-time Grand Slam singles winner and American tennis superstar Serena Williams tops the highest-
paid women sports list 2019 for the4th straight year released by Forbes magazine with
earnings $29.2million.
i. This calculation is based on Prize money, salary, bonus, endorsement between June 1 2018 and June 1
2019.
Key points
i. Japan’s Naomi Osaka who is currently standing second in the list with earnings of $24.3 million,
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became the fourth woman to earn more than $20million after Serana Williams, Russia’s Maria
Sharapova and China’s Li Na.
ii. She achieved this feat after defeating Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open finals.
iii. The other players in the top spot are Angelique Kerber with $11.8 million followed by 2019
Wimbledon Champion Simona Halep with earnings $10.2 million.
iv. US (United States) footballer Alex Morgan becomes the highest paid athlete from a different sport
category with ranking 12th and earning of $5.8 million.
v. Indian badminton player PV Sindhu and Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn were the non-tennis players in
the top 15 rankings.
Ranking Player
1 Serena Williams (America)
2 Naomi Osaka (Japan)
3 Angelique kerber
(Germany)
4 Simona Halep (Romania)
Overview of National Film Awards 2019

On August 9, 2019, The annual National Film Awards 2019 were announced by by jury heads Rahul
Rawail, AS Kanal and Utpal Bhorpujari. It was the 66th Edition.
i.Film friendly state: Uttarakhand bagged an award for the film friendly state. This new award was
instituted in 2019
On August 9, 2019, The annual National Film Awards 2019 were announced by by jury heads Rahul
Rawail, AS Kanal and Utpal Bhorpujari. It was the 66th Edition. This year, a total of 419 films had
competed for the awards. The awards are given in 31 categories. The announcement was made at
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.i.Film friendly state: Uttarakhand bagged an award for the film friendly
state. This new award was instituted in 2019.
List of Winners:
Feature Films Section:
Title of Film Name Of Film Awardee
Best Feature Film HELLARO (Gujarati) Producer: Saarthi
Productions LLP
Director: Abhishek Shah
Indira Gandhi Award for NAAL (Marathi) Producer: Mrudhgandh
Best Debut Film of a Films LLP
Director Director: Sudhakar Reddy
Yakkanti
Award for Best Popular BADHAAI HO (Hindi) Producer: Junglee Pictures
Film Providing Wholesome Limited
Entertainment Director: Amit Sharma
Nargis Dutt Award for Best ONDALLA ERADALLA (Kannada) Producer: D N Cinemas
Feature Film on National Director: Satya Prakash D
Integration
Best Film on Social Issues PADMAN (Hindi) Producer: Hope Productions
Pvt. Ltd.
Director: R. Balki
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Best Film on Environment PAANI (Marathi) Producer: Purple Pebble

Conservation/Preservation Pictures
Director: Addinath Kothare
Best Children’s Film SARKARI HIRIYA PRATHAMIKA SHALE Producer : Rishab Shetty
KASARGODU (Kannada) Films
Director: Rishab Shetty
Best Direction URI : THE SURGICAL STRIKE (Hindi) Director: Aditya Dhar
Best Actor (Shared) ANDHADHUN (Hindi) & URI : THE Ayushmann Khurrana &
SURGICAL STRIKE (Hindi) Vicky Kaushal
Best Actress MAHANATI (Telugu) Keerthy Suresh
Best Supporting Actor CHUMBAK (Marathi) Supporting Actor:Swanand
Kirkire
Best Supporting Actress BADHAAI HO (Hindi) Supporting Actress: Surekha
Sikri
Best Child Artist ONDALLA ERADALLA (Kannada) P V Rohith
HARJEETA (Punjabi) Sameep Singh
HAMID (Urdu) Talha Arshad Reshi
NAAL (Marathi) Shrinivas Pokale
Best Male Playback Singer PADMAAVAT (Hindi) Arijit Singh
Song “ Binte Dil Misriya
mein …. ”
Best Female Playback NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Bindhu Malini
Singer Song “ Maayavi Manave…..”
Best Cinematography OLU (Malayalam) Cameraman: M J
Radhakrishnan
Best Screenplay CHI ARJUN LA SOW (Telugu) Screenplay writer (original):
ANDHADHUN (Hindi) Rahul Ravindran
TARIKH (Bengali) Screenplay writer
(adapted): Sriram Raghavan
, Arijit Biswas, Yogesh
Chandekar, Hemant Rao &
Pooja Ladha Surti
Dialogue Writer: Churni
Ganguly
Best Audiography TENDLYA (Marathi) Location Sound Recordist
URI :THE SURGICAL STRIKE (Hindi) (for sync sound films only) :
RANGASTHALAM (Telugu) Gaurav Verma
Sound Designer :
Bishwadeep Dipak
Chatterjee
Re- recordist of the final
mixed track: Raja Krishnan
M.R
Best Editing NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Editor: Nagendra K Ujjani
Best Production Design KAMMARA SAMBHAVAM (Malayalam) Production Designer:
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Bangalan
Best Costume Designer MAHANATI (Telugu) Costume Director: Indrakshi
Pattanaik, Gaurang Shah &
Archana Rao
Best Make-up Artist AWE (Telugu) Make-up Artist: Ranjith
Best Music Direction PAADMAAVAT (Hindi) Music Director (Songs):
URI :THE SURGICAL Sanjay Leela Bhansali
STRIKE (Hindi) Music Director (Background
Music): Shashwat Sachdev
Best Lyrics NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Lyricist: Manjunatha
S (Manasor)
Song “ Maayavi Manave….”
Special Jury Award HELLARO (Gujarati) Actresses : Shraddha
& KEDARA (Bengali) Dangar, Shachi Joshi,
Denisha Ghumra, Neelam
Paanchal, Tarjani Bhadla,
Brinda Nayak, Tejal
Panchasara,
Kaushambi Bhatt, Ekta
Bachwani, Kamini Panchal,
Jagruti Thakore, Riddhi
Yadav & Prapti Mehta &
Director : Indradip
Dasgupta
Best Special Effects AWE (Telugu) Srushti Creative Studio &
& KGF (Kannada) Unifi Media
Best Choreography PADMAAVAT (Hindi) Kruti Mahesh Madya & Jyoti
Tomar
Song: Ghoomar
Best Action Direction KGF (Kannada)) Vikram More & Anbu Ariv
Award (Stunt
Choreography)
Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution:
Name of Award Title of Film Awardee
Best Gujarati Film REVA Producer: Brainbox Studios
Director: Rahul Surendrabhai Bhole
&
Vinit Kumar Ambubhai Kanojiya
Best Punjabi Film HARJEETA Producer: Sizzlin Productions
Director: Vijay Kumar Arora
Best Assamese Film BULBUL CAN SING Producer: Flying River Films
Director: Rima Das
Best Konkani Film AMORI Producer: Opus Ga La
Director: Dinesh P Bhonsle
Best Kannada Film NATHICHARAMI Producer: Tejaswini Enterprises
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Director: Manjunatha S. (Mansore)

Best Telugu Film MAHANATI Producer: Swapna Cinema
Director: Nag Ashwin
Best Malayalam SUDANI FROM NIGERIA Producer: The Happy Hours
Film Entertainments
Director: Zakariya
Best Bengali Film EK JE CHHILO RAJA Producer: SVF Entertainment Pvt.
Ltd.
Director: Srijit Mukherjee
Best Urdu Film HAMID Producer: Saregama India Limited
Director: Aijaz Khan
Best Hindi Film ANDHADHUN Producer: Matchbox Pictures Pvt.
Ltd.
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Best Tamil Film BAARAM Producer: Reckless Roses
Director: Priya Krishnaswamy
Best Marathi Film BHONGA Producer: Nalinee Productions
Director: Shivaji Lotan Patil
Best Garo Film MA’AMA Producer: Anna Films
Director: Dominic Sangma
Best Sherdukpan MISHING Producer: BB Entertainment Trade
Film Private Limited
Director: Bobby Sarma Baruah
Best Pangchenpa IN THE LAND OF POISON WOMEN Producer: Aaas Productions
Film Director: Manju Borah
Best Rajasthani TURTLE Producer: Shivazza Films &
Film Entertainment
Director: Dinesh S Yadav
Special Mention NATHICHARAMI(Kannada) Sruthi Hariharan (Actress)
KADAKH (Hindi) Chandrachoor Rai (Actor)
JOSEPH (Malayalam) Joju George (Actor)
SUDANI FROM NIGERIA Savithri (Actress)
(Malayalam)
Non-Feature Films Section:
Name of Award Title of Film Awardee
BEST NON- Son Rise Producer: V2 Films & Design
FEATURE FILM & Pvt. Ltd.
The Secret Life of Frogs Director : Vibha Bakshi&
Producer: Bedi Universal
Director : Ajay Bedi & Vijay
Bedi
BEST DEBUT NON- Feluda_50 Years Rays Detective Producer & Director :Sagnik
FEATURE FILM OF Chatterjee
A DIRECTOR
BEST ARTS and Bunkar: The Last of The Varanasi Producer: Narrative Pictures &
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CULTURE FILM Weavers S apana Sharma

Director : Satyaprakash
Upadhyay
BEST SCIENCE & G.D.Naidu : The Edison Of India Producer: Films Division
TECHNOLOGY Director : Renjith Kumar
FILM
BEST Rediscovering Jajam Producer: Rachel Bracken Singh

PROMOTIONAL Director : Avinash Maurya &
FILM Kriti Gupta
BEST The World’s Most Famous Tiger Producer: Natural History Unit
ENVIRONMENT India
FILM Director: Subbiah Nallamuthu
BEST FILM ON Taala Te Kunjee Producer: Simardeep Singh
SOCIAL ISSUES Bhatia
Director : Shilpi Gulati
BEST Sarala Virala Producer: Sujatha H R
EDUCATIONAL Director : Eregowda
FILM
BEST FILM ON Swimming Through The Darkness Producer: Perspective

SPORTS Director : Supriyo Sen
BEST Amoli Producer: Culture Machine
INVESTIGATIVE Media Pvt. Ltd.
FILM Director : Jasmine Kaur Roy
& Avinash Roy
SPECIAL JURY Why Me? – Director & Director : Harish Shah &
AWARD Ekaant – Art Direction Art Director : Neeraj Singh
BEST SHORT Kharvas Producer: Shree Mahalasa

FICTION FILM Productions Ponda
Director : Aditya Suhas Jambhale
BEST FILM ON Chalo Jeete Hain Producer: Sundial Ventures Pvt.
FAMILY VALUES Ltd.
Director : Mangesh Hadawale
BEST DIRECTION Aai Shappath Director : Gautam Vaze
BEST The Secret Life of Frogs Cameraman: Ajay Bedi & Vijay
CINEMATOGRAPHY Bedi
BEST ON- The Secret Life of Frogs On location sound
LOCATION SOUND recordist : Ajay Bedi
RECORDIST
BEST Children of The Soil Re-recordist (final mixed track)
AUDIOGRAPHY : Bishwadeep Chatterjee
BEST EDITING Son Rise Editor : Hemanti Sarkar
BEST MUSIC Jyoti Music Director: Kedar Divekar
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DIRECTION
BEST NARRATION/ Madhubani – The Station of Colours Deepak Agnihotri & Urvija
VOICE OVER Upaddhyay
SPECIAL MENTION 1. Mahaan Hutatma – Director Director : Sagar Puranik
2. Glow Worm in a Jungle – Director : Ramana Dumpala
Director Director : Sameer Sadhwani &
3. Laddoo Kishor Sadhwani
Best Book on Cinema:
Title of the Book Name of the Author Name of the
Publisher
Mouna Prathanapole (Malayalam) Author : S Jayachandran Kerala State
Nair Chalachitra
Academy
In A Cult Of Their Own: Bollywood Beyond Author :Amborish Rupa Publications
Box Office (English) Roychoudhury India Pvt. Ltd
Award for Best Film Critic:
Name of Critic Language
Blais Johny & Anant Vijay Malayalam & Hindi
About Film and Television Institute of India (FTII):
♦ President: Brijendra Pal Singh
List of Winners:
Title of Film Name Of Film Awardee
Best Feature Film HELLARO (Gujarati) Producer: Saarthi
Productions LLP
Director: Abhishek Shah
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut NAAL (Marathi) Producer: Mrudhgandh
Film of a Director Films LLP
Director: Sudhakar
Reddy Yakkanti
Award for Best Popular Film BADHAAI HO (Hindi) Producer: Junglee
Providing Wholesome Pictures Limited
Entertainment Director: Amit Sharma
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature ONDALLA ERADALLA Producer: D N Cinemas
Film on National Integration (Kannada) Director: Satya Prakash
D
Best Film on Social Issues PADMAN (Hindi) Producer: Hope
Productions Pvt. Ltd.
Director: R. Balki
Best Film on Environment PAANI (Marathi) Producer: Purple Pebble
Conservation/Preservation Pictures
Director: Addinath
Kothare
Best Children’s Film SARKARI HIRIYA Producer : Rishab Shetty
PRATHAMIKA SHALE Films
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KASARGODU (Kannada) Director: Rishab Shetty

Best Direction URI : THE SURGICAL STRIKE Director: Aditya Dhar
(Hindi)
Best Actor (Shared) ANDHADHUN (Hindi) & URI Ayushmann Khurrana &
: THE SURGICAL STRIKE Vicky Kaushal
(Hindi)
Best Actress MAHANATI (Telugu) Keerthy Suresh
Best Supporting Actor CHUMBAK (Marathi) Supporting
Actor:Swanand Kirkire
Best Supporting Actress BADHAAI HO (Hindi) Supporting
Actress: Surekha Sikri
Best Child Artist ONDALLA ERADALLA P V Rohith
(Kannada) Sameep Singh
HARJEETA (Punjabi) Talha Arshad Reshi
HAMID (Urdu) Shrinivas Pokale
NAAL (Marathi)
Best Male Playback Singer PADMAAVAT (Hindi) Arijit Singh
Song “ Binte Dil Misriya
mein …. ”
Best Female Playback Singer NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Bindhu Malini
Song “ Maayavi
Manave…..”
Best Cinematography OLU (Malayalam) Cameraman: M J
Radhakrishnan
Best Screenplay CHI ARJUN LA SOW (Telugu) Screenplay writer
ANDHADHUN (Hindi) (original): Rahul
TARIKH (Bengali) Ravindran
Screenplay writer
(adapted): Sriram
Raghavan , Arijit Biswas,
Yogesh Chandekar,
Hemant Rao & Pooja
Ladha Surti
Dialogue Writer: Churni
Ganguly
Best Audiography TENDLYA (Marathi) Location Sound
URI :THE SURGICAL STRIKE Recordist (for sync
(Hindi) sound films only) :
RANGASTHALAM (Telugu) Gaurav Verma
Sound Designer :
Bishwadeep Dipak
Chatterjee
Re- recordist of the final
mixed track: Raja
Krishnan M.R
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Best Editing NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Editor: Nagendra K

Ujjani
Best Production Design KAMMARA SAMBHAVAM Production Designer:
(Malayalam) Bangalan
Best Costume Designer MAHANATI (Telugu) Costume Director:
Indrakshi Pattanaik,
Gaurang Shah &
Archana Rao
Best Make-up Artist AWE (Telugu) Make-up Artist: Ranjith
Best Music Direction PAADMAAVAT (Hindi) Music Director (Songs):
URI :THE SURGICAL Sanjay Leela Bhansali
STRIKE (Hindi) Music Director
(Background Music):
Shashwat Sachdev
Best Lyrics NATHICHARAMI (Kannada) Lyricist: Manjunatha
S (Manasor)
Song “ Maayavi
Manave….”
Special Jury Award HELLARO (Gujarati) Actresses : Shraddha
& KEDARA (Bengali) Dangar, Shachi Joshi,
Denisha Ghumra,
Neelam Paanchal,
Tarjani Bhadla, Brinda
Nayak, Tejal Panchasara,
Kaushambi Bhatt, Ekta
Bachwani, Kamini
Panchal, Jagruti Thakore,
Riddhi Yadav & Prapti
Mehta &
Director : Indradip
Dasgupta
Best Special Effects AWE (Telugu) Srushti Creative Studio
& KGF (Kannada) & Unifi Media
Best Choreography PADMAAVAT (Hindi) Kruti Mahesh Madya &
Jyoti Tomar
Song: Ghoomar
Best Action Direction Award (Stunt KGF (Kannada)) Vikram More & Anbu
Choreography) Ariv
Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space science announced by ISRO for 2019-2020
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has instituted “Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in
Space Science, Technology and Research” in two categories of awards in journalism as part of the
centenary year celebration of the father of Indian Space Programme, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
Key points
This award is to recognise, reward and honour journalists who have contributed to the field of
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journalism actively. The articles of journalists from 2019 to 2020 will be considered for the award.
First category:
Two journalists or freelancers of print media or journalists will be awarded in this category based on
the basis of articles and success stories published in Hindi, English or regional languages in science
magazines, journals in India.
i. Cash prize of Rs. 5,00,000, a medal and a citation will be given.
Second category:
This category will be awarded similarly based on the basis of the first category but holds 3 cash prizes.
The three cash prizes are of Rs. 3,00,000 Rs. 2,00,000 and Rs.1,00,000 with a citation for each journalist
or freelancers from print media.
i. The winner names of the awards will be announced on August 1st, 2020.
UP govt creates world record by planting over 22 cr saplings in one day on 77th anniversary of
the Quit India Movement
To mark the 77th anniversary of Quit India movement, Uttar Pradesh(UP) chief minister(CM) Yogi
Adityanath has launched the mega greenery plantation drive called “Vriksharopan
Mahakumbh”, which now sets a world record by planting over 22 crore saplings in a day. The state
also entered the Guinness World Records’ for distributing 76,823 saplings simultaneously in six hours
across the state.
Key points:
i. The 1st record was made for planting Five crore saplings in the first hour i.e. from 9 am to 10 am. The
2ndrecord was made for planting 1.1 lakh saplings in Kasganj in presence of UP governor, Anandi Ben
Patel. The 3rd record was made in Prayagraj for distribution of a record of 66,000 saplings at the same
place in a certain time frame and the 4th record was made for planting 22 crore saplings in a day.
ii. The state also announced to plant 25 crore saplings in the Van Mahotsav in 2020. Adityanath also
unveiled the logo of ‘Vriksharopan Mahakumbh’ and handed saplings of ‘Sahjan’ (Drumstick) to 5 rural
women.
iii. The CM launched the drive by planting Harishankari, a combination of three sacred trees (peepul,
pakar and banyan) at Jaitikheda area in Lucknow.
Ahead of the Independence day, a 15-km long tricolor unfurled by forming a human chain in
Raipur, Chhattisgarh
On August 12, 2019, Ahead of the Independence day celebrations(15 August,2019), thousands of people
including those belonging to 35 social organizations across the state, and students from various schools
unfurled a 15-km long national flag by forming a human chain from Amapara Chowk to Pt
Ravishankar Shukla University in Raipur ,Chhattisgarh.
Key points:
i. As per the public relations department of Chattisgarh state government, the event, organized
by Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam Foundation, entered the Champions Book of World Records for the
longest tricolor.
ii. Former chief ministers Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi, state cabinet ministers, MLAs (Member of the
Legislative Assembly) and other public representatives have attended this event.
iii. Similarly, School students in Tirupur(Tamil Nadu) took out a rally holding the national Tricolor of
330 metres length.
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Badshah of Bollywood, “Shah Rukh Khan” felicitated with an honorary doctorate degree by
Melbourne’s La Trobe University
Shah Rukh Khan (53), an Indian actor, film producer, and commonly known as “Badshah of
Bollywood” has been conferred with an honorary degree, Doctor of Letters by the La Trobe
University of Melbourne, Australia (1st Australian University to award Khan with this honour),
during his visit to University as the chief guest of the 10th edition Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
2019 (IFFM). He received this honour in recognition of his humanitarian efforts towards
underprivileged children, empowering women through MEER foundation, and his achievements in
Bollywood.
Key points:
i. IFFM: The honour was presented to khan by John brumby, former premier and chancellor of the
university. He was also presented with Kookaburra cricket bat by the university.
ii. Research scholarship: The University also announced a 4-year scholarship programme for a female
Indian candidate to conduct research in areas like cybersecurity, health, engineering sport, information
technology, whereby the recipient of this scholarship will receive 200,000 Australian dollars.
iii. IFFM Awards 2019: The 10th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019
(IFFM) Organised by the Victorian government, Australia at iconic Palais Theatre in Melbourne started
from August 8 to15,2019 with the central theme as “courage”. The festival also commemorated the
21st anniversary of “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” by Karan Johar.
The list of winners:
Category Winner
Excellence in Cinema Shah Rukh Khan(SRK) for his contribution to Indian
cinema and popular culture (given by Linda
Dessau,1st female Governor of State of Victoria)
Best Actress Tabu for Andhadun
Best Director Sriram Raghavan for Andhadun
Best Actor Vijay Sethupathi for Super Deluxe
Best Film Gully boy
Best Indie Film Bulbul Can Sing
Best Equality in Cinema Chuskit & Super Deluxe
Special Diversity award Director Onir
Telstra People’s Choice Simmba
Award
Best Short Film My name is Mohamad and Ragdad, We don’t exist
here anymore by Ali Mousawi and Be my brother by
Genevieve Clay
Indresh Tripathi, a MIG police station in-charge in Indore will be conferred with the National
Award
Indresh Tripathi, a MIG police station in-charge in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) will be conferred with
the National Award on January 26, 2020, in New Delhi by the central Government for his excellent
services at the national level.
i. Tripathi already praised by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath for finding a girl who
went missing from her home.
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Priyam Chatterjee becomes first Indian chef to be awarded the ”Chevalier de l”Ordre du Merite
Agricoleto” by the govt of France
On August 13, 2019, The government of France conferred the Indian Chef Priyam Chatterjee (30)
with ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mrite Agricoleto’ (Order of Agricultural Merit) in New Delhi. With
this distinction, Chatterjee becomes the 1st Indian from Kolkata (West Bengal) to receive this honour,
in recognition of his great contribution towards reinventing the gastronomic scene in India.
Key points:
i. French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler conferred Indian chef Chatterjee, who is currently the
head chef at Jaan Restaurant Yacht in France, before that he was the head chef of Rooh, and Qla, in
Mehrauli(France).
ii. Started the first professional career at Park Hyatt in Hyderabad, Chatterjee is popularly known for
traditional dishes of West Bengal and giving it a French twist.
About Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mrite Agricoleto’:
The award was instituted in 1883, is a distinction bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding
contributions, among others, to agriculture, agro-food industry, and gastronomy.
Alejandro Giammattei is elected as the new president of Guatemala

On August 11, 2019, Conservative Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla was elected
as Guatemala’s 51st President from Vamos party defeating Sandra Torres, Former first lady(spouse of
Alvaro Colom- 47th Guatemala president) by gaining more than 58% of the votes.
Key points
i. Giammattei succeeds outgoing corruption-tainted President Jimmy Morales (50th president of
Guatemala). Morales will be leaving office in 2020 in the month of January.
ii. Giammattei, a 63-year-old doctor and former prison chief were defeated in three previous
presidential elections.
iii. People from Mexico migrate to the United States(US) through Guatemala which recently created
high political tensions and reflected in the presidential elections where Giammattei strongly opposes
US president Trump’s immigration deal.
Former SC judge Madan Lokur sworn in as Fiji’s SC judge

On August 12, 2019, the President of Fiji Major.General(Retd) Jioji Konrote has appointed
Justice Madan Lokur from India as the new Supreme Court (SC) judge of Fiji.
i. He will serve as the judge of the non-resident panel of the Supreme Court of Fiji.
Key points
i. The swearing-in ceremony was conducted and the oath was administered by the president of Fiji in
presence of Chief Justice Kamal Kumar and others.
ii. This is the first time ever an Indian has been appointed to the Supreme Court of another country.
iii. Mr. Madan Lokur who retired as justice of India’s SC in December 2018, will go to Fiji twice a year to
handle civil, criminal, constitutional, commercial matters etc. The SC of Fiji has two sessions in a year
split across four weeks.
iv. He will join the office from August 15, 2019.
v. He was appointed as the SC judge of India on June 4, 2012.
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Rajdeep Sardesai awarded the prestigious 2019 Prem Bhatia Award for political reporting
On August 11, 2019 veteran journalist and consulting editor at India Today TV(television),
Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai was awarded the 2019 Prem Bhatia Award for his Outstanding Political
Reporting with a career spanning over three decades.
Key points
i. He was honoured with the award in an event held by Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust at the India
International Centre in New Delhi.
ii. Sardesaiwas also recipient of the Padma Shri (2008), the Ramnath Goenka award for journalist of the
year (2007) and International Broadcasters’ award for his coverage in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
iii. He had also authored two books. They are ‘Newsman: Tracking India in the Modi Era’ and
‘Democracy’s XI: The Great Indian Cricket Story’.
iv. The annual lecture in the event was delivered by former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash.
About the Prem Bhatia award:
A cash prize of Rs.2lakh will be awarded for the awardees in memory of veteran journalist Prem Bhatia,
who was well known for his political reporting.
Two awards:
i. Journalists are awarded in two categories. They are
• Political reporting and
• Environment reporting.
This year the 2019 award for Environmental reporting was given to Down to
Earth’s IshanKukreti and independent journalist Sharada Balasubramaniam. They both will be
felicitated with 1.5Lakh each.
ii. The awards were previously bagged by Amnesty India president and journalist Aakar Patel(political
reporting) and independent journalist Sibi Arasu( Environment reporting) in 2018.
96 police personnel awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation
2019
Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2019 was conferred to 96 police
personnel, including 15 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The award was instituted in 2018
to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime and to recognize such excellence in
investigation by officers.
Key Points:
i. 11 were from Maharashtra Police, 10 from Uttar Pradesh Police, 9 from Kerala Police, 8 from Madhya
Pradesh Police, 6 from Delhi Police and Karnataka Police and the remaining were from the other
States/Union territories and Central Investigating Agencies.
ii. 13 women officers were among the 96 personnel.
About Ministry of Home Affairs:
♦ Minister In-Charge: Amit Shah (Constituency: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
‘Panchamirtham’ of Palani temple in Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

Geographical Identity (GI) tag was given to the famous Panchamritham, an offering of the Palani
Dandayuthaswamy temple, in Tamil Nadu. It became the first temple offering – Prashad – from Tamil
Nadu to be conferred this honor.
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Key Points:
i. Panchamritam (Five Nectars) of Palani temple is prepared using 5 sweet substances including
plantains, jaggery, grapes, forest honey, and ghee.
ii. The quality of the offering is monitored by the Central Research Institute of Food Technology in
Mysore, Karnataka.
iii. Earlier, the Tanjavoor Veenai, Madurai Malligai, Neelgiri Tea leaves and Turmeric from Erode from
Tamil Nadu were given the GI tags. Now, the total number of such products indigenous to Tamil Nadu
mounted to 29.
Rajasthan wins best innovation awards at 14th World Education Summit-2019

On August 10, 2019, Rajasthan was awarded “best innovation and initiative leadership award” at the
14th World Education Summit-2019, held at New Delhi. The state was awarded for its achievement in
higher education.
Key point
i. The award was received by Minister of State(MoS) for Higher Education Shri Bhanwar Singh Bhati.
ii. Bhanwar Singh Bhati announced that by various free education initiatives taken by the state,
especially for girls, the state now has 108 girls against 100 boys studying in govt. Colleges.
iii. He also announced that Human Resource conclave would be organised in Rajasthan in the month of
November 2019.
Representatives present:
i. Pradeep Kumar Barod, Commissioner of College Education, Vaibhav Galriya-State Technical
Education Secretary were present in the ceremony.
ii. Representatives from 8 countries and 17 states of India attended the summit.
Other awards:
Innovative Practices for Academic Excellence Sant Nandlal Vidya Mandir, Jharkhand
award
Emerging University of India award O P Jindal University, Raigarh,
Chattisgarh.
About the World education summit
It is a 2 day organised summit from August9-10, 2019, showcasing the innovations, initiatives and best
practices followed across the globe.
i. The summit was inaugurated by Dr.Dhan Singh Rawat, Minister of Higher education, Cooperatives
and Dairy Development, Govt. Of Uttarakhand.
Rare snapshots of Simla Conference, 1945 is now part of the National Film Archive of India
(NFAI) collection
Pune based National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has acquired rare black & white footage of the
historic Simla Conference which was held during the crucial period prior to India’s independence
(June 25 – July 14, 1945), at Viceregal Lodge (now known as the Rashtrapati Niwas), Simla, Himachal
Pradesh.
Key points:
i. A Video Home System (VHS) cassette (8mm) containing about 12 minutes footage of the shots key
moments of the Simla Conference attended by British administrators, top national leaders of the time,
including Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and
Mohammed Ali Jinnah – later the Founder of Pakistan – among others.
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ii. The amazing collection was sent to NFAI by the UK(United Kindom) based Ms. Margaret South (nee
Taylor), daughter of William Taylor, who had served with the British India Steam Navigation Company
when he was just 17 and joined RIN (Royal Indian Navy) later in Second World War broke out.
About NFAI:
i. It is India’s premier organization for film preservation, conservation, and restoration.
ii. It works under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Actor Steve Coogan to be honoured with 2019 Charlie Chaplin award constituted by BAFTA LA
BAF TA LA ( British Academy of Film and Television Arts- Los Angeles branch) is to honour 53-year-old
English actor Steve Coogan with the prestigious “2019 Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence
in Comedy”. He will be honoured during the 2019 Britannia awards to be held on 25th October at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel, California, America.
Key points
i.The Charlie Chaplin awards recognises talents with unique transcendent quality of excellent comedy.
ii. Some of the famous movies of the UK (United Kingdom) born actor Steve Coogan includes “Around
the World in 80 Days”, “Philomena”, “What Maisie Knew” and “Stan & Ollie”.
Others to be honoured
American actress Jane Fonda and actor Jackie Chan will be honoured with Stanley Kubrick Britannia
Award for Excellence in film and Albert R Broccoli Britannia Award for worldwide contribution to
entertainment respectively.
ISRO chairman K.Sivan conferred with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam award

On August 15, 2019 chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K.Sivan, under whose
leadership the Chandrayaan- 2mission (mission to the moon) is launched, was conferred with Tamil
Nadu Government’s Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam award.
Key points
i. The award was announced at the Independence Day celebration at Fort St.George, TamilNadu. As he
was not present during the celebration, he will later collect it from the chief minister of TamilNadu Shri
Edappadi K.Palaniswami at a later date.
ii. Other awards:
• Kalpana Chawla award for Courage and Daring Enterprise – P. Ramyalakshmi, Assistant
director of fisheries. She was awarded in recognition of her brave action against the usage of
destructive band purse seine nets.
• Special award for extraordinary Act of Bravery- Shanmugavelu and his wife Senthamarai. The
couple bravely fought against two robbers, where the video went viral on social media.
• Many other awards were distributed in various categories.
Gallantry awards and other decorations- 2019

President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind approved 132 Awards to Armed Forces Personnel and
members of Paramilitary Forces. President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. There
were 2 Kirti Chakras, 1 Vir Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 8 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 90 Sena
Medals (Gallantry), 5 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), 7 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 5 Yudh Seva
Medals.
Kirti Chakra 2019
• About the award: It is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the
field of battle. It is awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous
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awards. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards which comes after
Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra. It was established as the “Ashoka Chakra, Class II” by
the President of India on 4 January 1952 (with effect from 15 August 1947). The statutes were
revised and the decoration renamed on 27 January 1967.
• Medal design: The medal is made of standard silver and is circular in shape. The green ribbon is
divided into three equal parts by two orange vertical lines.
• Awardees: Sapper Prakash Jadhav of the Rashtriya Rifles (posthumously) and Harshpal
Singh, Dy Commandant of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were awarded Kirti Chakras
2019.
Vir Chakra 2019
• About the award: It is awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of enemy, whether on land
or at sea or in the air. It was established by the President of India on 26 January 1950 (with
effect from 15 August 1947). It is given only to Military personnel.
• Medal design: The medal is made of standard silver with a five-pointed heraldic star embossed
on it. The star shall have in the centre a Chakra and within the Chakra shall be a domed centre
piece bearing the gilded State Emblem. The words ‘VirChakra’ is embossed both in Hindi and
English on the reverse and the two versions are separated by two lotus flowers.
• Awardee: Wing Commander of Indian Air Force (IAF) Abhinandan Varthaman, who downed
an enemy jet during an aerial combat with Pakistan in February 2019 and was held captive for 3
days, was conferred the Vir Chakra 2019, India’s third-highest war time gallantry medal.
Shaurya Chakra 2019
i. About the award: It is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in
direct action with the enemy. It is awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes
posthumously. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after the
Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal.
ii. Medal design: It is a circular bronze medal with a green ribbon divided into four equal parts by
three vertical lines.
iii. Awardees: Following 14 personnel were awarded Shaurya Chakras for 2019:
Sl No Name Service
1 Lieutenant Colonel Ajay Singh Kushwah Army
2 Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal (posthumously) Army
3 Captain Maheshkumar Bhure Army
4 Lance Naik Sandeep Singh (posthumously) Army
5 Sepoy Brajesh Kumar (posthumously) Army
6 Sepoy Hari Singh (posthumously) Army
7 Rifleman Ajveer Singh Chauhan Army
8 Rifleman Shive Kumar (posthumously) Army
9 Amit Singh Rana Navy
10 Constable Sable Dnyaneshwar Shriram MHA*
11 Constable Zaker Hussain MHA
12 Special Police Official Ashiq Hussain Malik MHA
(posthumously)
13 Head Constable Subash Chander MHA
14 Sub Inspector Imran Hussain Tak (posthumously) MHA
*MHA- Ministry of Home Affairs
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Sena Medals 2019

• About the award: It is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks. It can be awarded
for gallantry or it can also be for distinguished service carried out by any soldier, not in the face
of the enemy. It is preceded by the Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra & Yudh Seva Medal and also the
Vishisht Seva Medal. It was established on 17 June 1960, by the President of India.
• Medal design: It is a circular silver medal with a bayonet, pointed upwards and 32 mm, red
ribbon, with a white central stripe- Red 15 mm, white 2 mm, red 15 mm.
Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry) 2019
Sl No Name Service
1 Colonel Ashutosh Sharma Army
2 Major K Naveen Reddy Army
3 Major Sagar Prakash Pardeshi Army
4 Major Tasou Prao Army
5 Major MD Sahwaj Alam Army
6 Major Kaustubh Prakashkumar Rane Army
(posthumously)
7 Major Manish Kumar Singh Army
8 Sepoy Sunil Kumar Army
Sena Medal (Gallantry) 2019
90 Army personnel were awarded Sena medals (Gallantry) 2019.
Nao Sena Medals 2019
i. About the award: It is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy. It was established by the
President of India on 17 June 1960.
ii. Medal design: The medal is pentangular in shape, with curved sides made of standard silver. The
mounting shall is a fixed ring attached to a metal stripe 3mm wide ornamented with Ashoka leaves. It
has embossed on its obverse the Naval Crest. On its reverse, it has a trident within a circle and rope and
the inscription “Nao Sena Medal” in Hindi, embossed along the upper rim. The riband is navy blue
colour with a white thin silver stripe down the centre.
iii. Awardees: Following are the awardees:
1 Captain Naveen Thapa
2 Lt Cdr Ruchir Rakesh Khajuria
3 Takhellambam Rakhesh Singh
4 Shaminder Singh
5 Shri Niwas
Vayu Sena Medals 2019
i. About the award: It is an Indian military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well
done. It can be awarded Posthumously. It was established on 17 June 1960 by the President of India. It
is awarded for all ranks of Indian Air Force.
ii. Medal design: A four-armed silver star with the points shaped like lotus blooms. In the centre, the
national emblem. Suspended by a straight bar suspender and normally named and dated on the edge. In
the reverse side, A Himalayan Eagle with wings spread, and the legend, above and below, in Hindi “Vayu
Sena Medal” or “Air Force / Medal”. Ribbon: 30 mm, alternating 2 mm diagonal (lower left to upper
right) stripes of grey and orange-saffron. The ribbon has an overall “woven” appearance.
iii. Awardees: Following are the awardees:
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Sl No Name
1 Group Captain Saumitra Tamaskar
2 Wing Commander Pranav Raj
3 Wing Commander Amit Ranjan
4 Squadron leader Rahul Basoya
5 Squadron leader Pankaj Arvind Bhujade
6 Squadron leader B Karthik Narayan Reddy
7 Squadron leader Shashank Singh
Yudh Seva Medal 2019
About the award: It is is one of India’s military decorations for distinguished service during wartime. It
is awarded for a high degree of distinguished service in an operational context, which includes times of
war, conflict, or hostilities and may be awarded posthumously. It is the wartime equivalent of the
Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). It was established on June 26, 1980.
Awardees: Following are the awardees:
Sl No Name Service
1 Air Commodore Sunil Kashinath Vidhate AVSM VM Air Force
2 Group Captain Yeshpal Singh Negi VM VSM Air Force
3 Group Captain Hemant Kumar Air Force
4 Group Captain Hansel Joseph Sequeira Air Force
5 Squadron Leader Minty Aggarwal Air Force
Tatrakshak Medals 2019
President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service) 2019
It was awarded to IG Thekkumpurath Prabhakaran Sadanandan of Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
Tatrakshak Medals (Gallantry) 2019 to ICG personnel
1 DIG Yoginder Dhaka
2 Comdt Anurup Singh
3 Dy Comdt Utkersh
Sharma
4 Satish
5 Trinatha Behera
Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service) 2019 to ICG personnel
1 IG Maneesh Vishal Pathak
2 DIG Neeraj Tiwari
Fire Service Medals 2019 for Gallantry
President Ramnath Kovind awarded ‘Fire Service Medals 2019’ to 56 personnel.
• ‘Fire Service Medals for Gallantry 2019’ was awarded to Umapathi Dhandapani of Tamil Naidu.
• Shivashankara Nanjunde Gowda, Manjunath Narayan Belaguppa, Kriparam Sharma are among 8
personnel who have been awarded ‘Fire Service Medal 2019 for Distinguished Service’.
• ‘Fire Service Medal 2019 for Meritorious Service’ was awarded to 47 personnel including
Kuleswar Teron, Promod Talukdar and Prasanna Teron.
Home Guard and Civil Defence Medals 2019
President Ramnath Kovind awarded ‘Home Guard and Civil Defence Medals 2019′ to 44 personnel.
• Home Guard and Civil Defence Medals 2019 for Distinguished Service’ was conferred to 8
personnel including Bhuban Saikia and Ashok Kumar Verma.
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• Home Guard and Civil Defence Medals 2019 for Meritorious Service was given to 36 personnel
including Gobin Saikia, Laxmi Sahu, Aslam Khan, and Sayar Singh Solanki.
Correctional Service Medals 2019 on prison personnel
President Ram Nath Kovind approved the conferment of Correctional Service Medals 2019 on prison
personnel.
• Shakil Allauddin Shaikh, Subedar, Satara District Prison; N Hemantakumar Singh, Jailor, Manipur
Central Jail, Sajiwa, and Sanjay Gupta, Deputy Superintendent, Mondoli Prison Headquarters
were conferred with the Distinguished Service medal.
• Mukkamalla Venugopal Reddy, Jailor, Office of the District, Sub-Jails Officer, Vijayawada;
Animalla Sesha Hanuman, Head Warden, District Jail, Eluru and Ramesh Prashad,
Superintendent, District Jail, Hajipur are among 37 prison personnel who were conferred with
the Correctional Service Medals 2019 for their Meritorious Service.
Police Medals 2019
NDRF Personnel
6 personnel of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were awarded with the Police Medals 2019.
They are
1. Shri Randeep Kumar Rana, Dy. Inspector General was awarded with President’s Police Medal
2019 for Distinguished Service.
2. Shri Alok Kumar, Commandant, Shri Ravi Kant, Second-in-Command, Shri Bhawani Singh,
Assistant Commandant, Inspector Raj Kumar, and Assistant Sub Inspector (GD) Narain Singh
were awarded Police Medal 2019 for Meritorious Service in recognition of their selfless service
to the nation.
BSF Personnel
56 Border Security Force (BSF) officials were honoured with Police Medals 2019. 5 were awarded
Police Medal for Gallantry, 5- President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for
Meritorious Service was awarded to 46 personnel.
COAS and VCOAS Commendation Cards Awards 2019
370 and 262 Army personnel were awarded Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Vice Chief of the Army Staff
(VCOAS) Commendation Cards 2019 respectively.
President Awards the Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman for the Year
2019
Certificate of Honour 2019 was given to the following Scholars:
Sl No Name Category
1 Shri Sripada Satyanarayanamurthy Sanskrit
2 Shri Rajendra Nath Sarma Sanskrit
3 Prof. Ramji Thakur Sanskrit
4 Prof. Chand Kiran Saluja Sanskrit
5 Dr. Shri Krishan Sharma Sanskrit
6 Dr. V. Ramakrishna Bhatt Sanskrit
7 Vidwan Janardana Hegde Sanskrit
8 Dr. Kala Acharya Sanskrit
9 Prof. (Dr.) Harekrishna Satapathy Sanskrit
10 Pandit Satya Dev Sharma Sanskrit
11 Shri Banwari Lal Gaur Sanskrit
12 Dr. V.S. Karunakaran Sanskrit
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13 Prof. Yugal Kishor Mishra Sanskrit

14 Pandit Manudev Bhattacharya Sanskrit
15 Shri Subuddhi Charan Goswami Sanskrit
16 Dr. Uma Shankar Vyas Pali
17 Prof. Kamal Chand Sogani Prakrit
18 Prof. Faizanullah Farooqi Arabic
19 Mohammad Iqbal Husain Arabic
20 Dr. Mohd. Samiullah Khan Arabic
21 Prof. Dr. Iraq Raza Zaidi Persian
22 Prof. Chander Shekhar Persian
23 Mohammad Sidiq Niazmand Persian
24 Shri Hampa Nagarajaiah Classical Kannada
25 Prof. Ravva Srihari Classical Telugu
26 Dr.C.P. Achuthan Unny Classical
Malayalam
27 Pandit Dr. Antaryami Mishra Classical Odia
Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman 2019 was given to the following Scholars:
Sl No Name Category
1 Dr. Ashok Thapliyal Sanskrit
2 Prof. Sujata Tripathi Sanskrit
3 Dr. Sanju Mishra Sanskrit
4 Dr. Abhijit Hanmant Joshi Sanskrit
5 Dr. Sharachchandra Dwivedi Sanskrit
6 Ms. Anoma Shriram Sakhare Pali
7 Shri Ashish Kumar Jain Prakrit
8 Dr. Fauzan Ahmad Arabic
9 ER.M. Shahbaz Alam Persian
10 Shri G.B. Harisha Classical Kannada
11 Shri S. Karthik Classical Kannada
12 Dr. M. Byrappa Classical Kannada
13 Dr. Addanki Srinivas Classical Telugu
14 Dr. V. Triveni Classical Telugu
15 Dr. D.K. Prabhakar Classical Telugu
16 Dr. Rajeev R.R. Classical Malayalam
17 Shri Santhosh Thottingal Classical Malayalam
18 Dr. Subrat Kumar Prusty Classical Odia
About Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman:
It is conferred on persons once a year on the Independence Day (August 15). The award introduced in
the year 2002, is given to selected young scholars in the age group of 30 to 45 years. The Presidential
award carries a certificate of honour, a memento and a one time cash prize of Rs.1 lakh.
3 new products from two states receive Geographical Indication (GI) tag
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DIPP), Government of India(GoI)
has granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag for 3 new products from two states. Tawlhlohpuan (a
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woven fabric) and Mizo Puanchei (a colourful Mizo shawl) from the State of Mizoram and Tirur betel
vine from Kerala are the latest addition in the GI list.
Key points:
i. Tawlhlohpuan: It is a fine quality, a medium to heavyweight, fabric woven produced throughout the
Mizoram. The towns of Aizawl & Thenzawl hold the main production of this fabric.
It is best known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & handmade complicated designs. In Mizo language,
Tawlhloh means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’.
ii. Mizo Puanchei: It is a colourful shawl/textile from the state Mizoram. It is an essential possession
for every Mizo women and an important marriage outfit in the state. It also the most commonly used
costume in the state festive dances and official ceremonies.
To create this beautiful and alluring textile, the weavers in the state insert the designs and motifs by
using supplementary yarns while weaving.
iii. Tirur betel vine: It is mainly cultivated in Malappuram District of Kerala (Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi,
Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara blocks), is mostly valued for its medicinal, industrial & cultural
usages.
iv. Recently GI tag was also given to the famous Panchamritham, an offering of the Palani
Dandayuthaswamy temple, in Tamil Nadu.
v. Benefits: The GI tagging will help rural artisans, who possess unique skills and knowledge of
traditional practices and methods. They can make & market their products domestically and
internationally.
About Geographical Indication
It is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that
are due to that origin.
Mumbai Man Chinmay Prabhu creates 2nd world record for solving pyraminx puzzles
A 20-year-old Chinmay Prabhu from Mumbai has created a world record for the 2nd time under his
name of solving 176 pyraminx (pyramid-shaped Rubik’s cube) puzzles while riding a bicycle in 1 hour
and 7 minutes. He broke the record of solving 111 pyraminx puzzles.
Key points:
i. On December 2018, He had set the Guinness Book of World Records of solving 9 rubik’s cubes
underwater in 1 minute and 48 seconds.
ii. Prabhu also made an entry into the Limca Book of Records for solving mirror cube blindfolded.
iii. He has been solving Rubik’s cube puzzles since the year 2015.
Biopic- Chrysostom, enters Guinness book of records

The biographical documentary “100 years of Chrysostom” on Metropolitan Emeritus of the
Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, Kerala, Philipose Mar Chrysostom, enters Guinness
world book of records as the longest documentary.
Key points
i. The documentary was scripted and directed by filmmaker Blessy. Malayalam actor Mohanlal did the
voice-over for the documentary and will also be the guest of honour.
ii. The benedictory speech will be delivered by Joseph Mar Thoma, (head or Mar Thoma Church) along
with the documentary crew at SC Seminary school grounds, Kerala.
iii. Some of the members attending the event are M.Jayachandran(Music); Benyamin(Novelist),
K.R.Meera(writer); K.S. Chitra(playback singer), V.Muraleedharan(Minister of State for external affairs),
Prof.P.J. Kurien(former deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha).
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iv. This documentary of length 48hour and 8minutes has broken the documentary length of Saudi
Arabian documentary ‘World of Snakes’ of 21-hour length.
Chief scientist K Thangaraj of CCMB wins JC Bose Fellowship for the year 2019
K Thangaraj, chief scientist at the CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) – Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Telangana, bagged this year’s J C Bose Fellowship
for his outstanding contribution in the field of population and medical genomics on August 17, 2019.
Key points
i. His research work includes the genetic basis of male infertility, cardiovascular disease, sex
determination, mitochondrial disorders, ayur genomics, and forensic genetics.
ii. He and his fellow researchers established the association of mitochondrial DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
acid) variations with several disorders which is the first in India.
About the JC Bose fellowship
i. It is awarded to active scientists and engineers in recognition of their outstanding performance and
contributions by the Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology,
Govt. of India.
ii. The award is named after Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose who was the inventor of crescograph (a device
used to measure the growth of plants) and also known as the father of Bengali science fiction.
iii. The duration of the fellowship is 5 years. Each fellow will receive a contingency of Rs 10 Lakh per
annum for conferences and other expenses.
Indian-American teen Navneeth Murali wins 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee competition
Navneeth Murali, an Indian-American teenager from New Jersey, America, has won the 2019 South
Asian Spelling Bee contest and earned a grand cash prize of USD 3,000.
Key points
i. He ousted other competitors in the finals by spelling the word flipe, which means “to strip off by or as
if by peeling”.
ii. Navneet was the first-ever winner emerged on an appeal. The reason for the appeal was that, he
spelled flype as flipe, yet declared a winner as flipe and flype are variant spellings according to
Merriam-Webster’s Third Unabridged Dictionary.
South Asian Spell(SAS) bee competition
i. It is an annual spelling bee platform in the US for children of South Asian descent, in which
contestants are asked to spell a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty.
ii. It is to children up to 14 years of age held in five regional centres across the US (United States),
including New Jersey, Washington DC, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area and Charlotte.
♦ SAS Bee founder- Rahul Walia.
♦ Launched – 2008.
Prasar Bharati will introduce 2 awards namely ‘Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award’ &
‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’ in honor of Neelum Sharma
On August 20, 2019, India’s largest public broadcasting agency, Prasar Bharti’s Chairman A
Suryapakash stated that the agency will introduce 2 awards namely ‘Neelum Sharma Tejaswini
award’ & ‘Achyutananda Sahoo Award’ in memory of Doordarshan(DD) News Former
anchor, Neelum Sharma who passed away due to cancer on August 17, 2019.
Key points:
i. Sharma, a strong advocate for women empowerment started her career in Doordarshan in 1995 and
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was associated with the channel for over 20 years.

ii. She was known for her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’(Through this show, she focused on woman
achievers of India) and ‘Badi Charcha’.
iii. She was awarded the 2018 ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’(Highest civilian award for women in India) by
the President of India Ram Nath Govind.
About Prasar Bharati:
♦ Formation: 23 November 1997
♦ CEO : Shri. Shashi Shekhar Vempati
IIT-D start-up bags 10th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019

On August 20, 2019, Ankita Gulati, founder of TouchVision which is an Indian Institute of Technology-
Delhi (IIT-D) incubated startup, won the 10th edition of NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award
2019. The award was presented by Rama Devi, sitting Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of
the Lok Sabha.
Key points:
i. The award was given for developing a multisensory kit for the visually impaired people which was
developed at Assistive Technologies Lab of IIT-Delhi. She has received the award under category ‘B’
(for Working Professionals).
About the multi-sensory kit: The device explains about the content in a picture when a visually
impaired person touches it.
About NCPEDP
♦ NCPEDP stands for National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.
♦ Founder- Sonia Gandhi.
♦ Established- 1996.
Time magazine features Statue of Unity, Mumbai’s Soho House among its 100 greatest places in
the world
On August 22, 2019, the Time magazine published its second annual list of the “World’s Greatest Places”
with total of 100 places in the list. India’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat and ‘Soho House‘ in Mumbai
featured in this year’s list. The list is a compilation of 100 new and “newly noteworthy destinations to
experience right now”.
Key points:
Evaluation: The Time magazine listed the places based on categories like museums, parks, restaurants,
and hotels under which quality, originality, sustainability, innovation and influence were considered for
evaluation. It is categorized under “to visit”, “to stay” and “to eat and drink”.
The statue of unity:
background:
It is the statue of independence activist SardarVallabhbhaiPatel(original name:
VallabhbhaiJhaverbhai Patel) who served as the first Home minister and first deputy Prime Minister of
independent India in 1947 and also the chief adherent of Mahatma Gandhi during the non-violent
Indian Independence movement. He is one of the prominent leaders of the indian freedom movement
and is referred to as the “Iron Man of India”.
Statue:
Located in Gujarat on a river island facing the SardarSarovar Dam on river Narmada, standing 597-ft
tall (182 metres) is the “world’s tallest statue” built as a tribute to Vallabhbhai Patel. It was designed by
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Ram V. Sutar and inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018.
The cost of building this statue was of around Rs 3,000 crore. The statue is included in the “best places
to visit” category.
Soho house:
Background:Soho House is a hotel chain and a group of private members’ clubs for people working in
creative industries. It was first founded in 1995 in London, and as of now there are 23 house clubs
around the world.
Soho house Mumbai: It is an11-storey building in Mumbai near the Juhu Beach facing the Arabia sea. It
is included in the Time’s list of the “best places to stay” in the world category.
It is the Asia’s first establishment of the hotel chain.
Other places:
The other places include Zakouma National Park in Chad, Red Sea Mountain Trail in Egypt, Newseum in
Washington, The Shed in New York City, the Geosea Geothermal Sea Baths in Iceland, Six Senses Hotel
in Bhutan, Leopard Hill in Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya and the Pohoiki in Isaac Hale Beach Park
in Hawaii.
About Time magazine:
Headquarters- New York City, United States.
Founded- 1923.
WCD Ministry aims to connect 44 cr people through Poshan Abhiyaan

On August 23, 2019, Smriti Irani, Women, and Child Development (WCD)Minister stated that the
government has set a target to connect 44 crore people through Poshan Abhiyaan to tackle
malnutrition, at a function in New Delhi. She also gave away the Poshan Abhiyaan Awards for 2018-
19 in different categories to the States, Districts, blocks and Anganwadi Workers for their valuable
contributions in promoting the mission and ensuring that it reaches every household in the country.
Key points:
i. A total of 363 awards were given and 22 crore rupees were disbursed to the awardees with the aim to
motivate the primary stakeholders and encourage large scale citizen participation in creating
widespread awareness to tackle malnutrition in the country.
ii. This will create healthy competition among States to improve service delivery to beneficiaries &
make India malnutrition free by 2022.
iii. 22 crore people added through Poshan Abhiyaan in 2018.
About POSHAN Abhiyaan:
i. POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan was launched
in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on March 8, 2018.
ii. It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers, and
children.
iii. It targets to reduce the level of under-nutrition and other related problems by ensuring convergence
of various nutrition-related schemes. It also targets stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young
children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth rate.
About WCD Ministry:
♦ Founded: 30 January 2006
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Forbes ranks Akshay Kumar in the 4th spot in 2019 highest paid actors list
Forbes magazine’s Worlds Highest-Paid Actors Of 2019 list was released on August 23, 2019.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar ranked in the 4th position on the list with worth $65million. The list
was topped by American actor, producer and former wrestler Dwayne Johnson (also known as The
Rock) with worth $89.4 million followed by Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr in the second and
third spot respectively.
Key points:
i. The list was made based on the earnings between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019 during which the
highest grossing films of all time “Avengers: Endgame was also released”(April 2019).
ii. Actors Adam Sandler and Bradley Cooper were tied with earnings of $57 million.
iii. Awards and honours of Akshaykumar:
Akshaykumar was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor for the movies “Rustom” and
“Airlift” both in 2016. The University of Windsor, Canada, conferred him an honorary Doctorate of Law
in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. In 2009, he was honoured with Padma Shri award
by Govt. of India.
2019 Forbes highest paid actors:
Rank Actor Earnings
1 Dwayne Johnson $89.4 million
2 Chris Hemsworth $76.4 million
3 Robert Downey Jr. $66 million
4 Akshay Kumar $65 million
5 Jackie Chan $58 million
6 Bradley Cooper $57 million
7 Adam Sandler $57 million
8 Chris Evans $43.5 million

9 Paul Rudd $41 million
10 Will Smith $35 million
About Forbes:
♦ Country- United States (U.S).
♦ Headquarters- New Jersey, U.S.
♦ Chair and editor-in-chief- Steve Forbes.
Biologist and wildlife conservationist, Vivek Menon wins Clark Bavin Award 2019
Biologist, author and wildlife conservationist, Vivek Menon, head of Delhi-based Wildlife Trust of
India (WTI), a leading Indian nature conservation organisation committed to the service of nature, was
awarded the prestigious Clark R Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award for the year 2019 at
18th meeting of Conference of Parties to CITES held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Key points:
i. He was presented with the award for his efforts towards wildlife enforcement by Ivonne Higuero, the
secretary-general of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
ii. Menon co-founded TRAFFIC India, a Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network with his mentor the late
Ashok Kumar.
iii. He plays a key role in advising the government on natural heritage conservation as a part of several
committees including the Project Elephant Steering Committee, National Wildlife Action Plan
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Committee, and CITES Advisory Committee.

iv. In the past, Menon worked as a consultant to the Kenya Wildlife Services and helped establish the
1stelephant reserve of Myanmar.
v. He is also the author of 10 wildlife books including Secret Lives of Indian Mammals.
Euromoney magazine names DBS as the ‘World’s Best Bank’

On August 21, 2019, English-language monthly magazine ‘Euromoney’ has named DBS bank as the
‘World’s Best Bank’. DBS as of now is the only bank in the world to concurrently hold three global best
bank awards.
Key points:
i. Previously it won Global Finance’s “Best Bank in the World” in August 2018 and The Banker’s “Bank
of the Year – Global” in November 2018.
ii. it also marks the first time an Asian-headquartered bank has been named “World’s Best Bank” by
Euromoney since 1993.
iii. Previous award winners by Euromoney are Bank of America, BNP Paribas, Citi, and UBS (Union
Bank of Switzerland). DBS was also named Asia’s Best Bank and Singapore’s Best Bank in 2019 Awards
for Excellence.
iv. Other feats of DBS: It was the first bank in Southeast Asia to be included in the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index Asia-Pacific, and the first Singapore bank to be named as a constituent of the
FTSE4(Financial Times Stock Exchange) Good Global Index. It has also been included in the Bloomberg
Gender-Equality Index since 2018.
About DBS:
♦ Headquarters- Singapore.
♦ Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Piyush Gupta.
♦ The company was previously known as “The Development Bank of Singapore Limited”, before the
present name was adopted in July 2003.
4th Edition of ANUBHAV awards for 2019 presented by MoS (PP) Dr Jitendra Singh
On August 23, 2019, The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development
of North Eastern Region and Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Departments of Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh presented
the 4thEdition of annual ANUBHAV awards 2019 at a function organized by the Department of Pension
and Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in New Delhi. There
were 7 awardees.
• The winners are: JN Mogal (Vehicle Operator (Retd.) DRDO (A&A)), Sita Ram
Himral (Postman), S.Kanagaraj (Asst Sub-Inspector, Central Reserve Police Force), Madan
Gopal (Inspector, Central Industrial Security Force), Ms. Kshipra Misra (Scientist F (Retd.)
Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS)), Basheer Ahammad Kaji (Sub-Inspector,
Central Reserve Police Force), and Suresh N.(Technical Officer –D (Retd.), Department of Space)
Key Points:
i. Anubhav portal: It was created on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 with a vision to
preserve rich experience of retired official in digital form. It is envisaged that their rich experience will
be preserved for future generation to learn and explore knowledge on various aspects of governance,
culture & development history of a particular region. An award scheme- ANUBHAV awards was
introduced in 2016 to incentivize and encourage more retiring employees to submit their write-ups.
ii. All India Pension Adalat: Minister inaugurated the All India Pension Adalat organised on the
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occasion. Thousands of cases were taken up during these Pension Adalats throughout the country. It is
a strategic initiative of Department of Pension & PW within 100 days of taking over of new Government.
iii. Pre-retirement counselling workshop: The Minister also addressed at the Pre-Retirement
counseling workshop. It focussed on educating the retiring employees about various procedures related
to retirement. He also released a Booklet titled “Know Your Retirement Benefits”.
About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions:
Dr. Jitendra Singh presents Smart Policing Awards at the Homeland Security 2019 conference in
New Delhi
On August 23, 2019, The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development
of North Eastern Region, Jitendra Singh has presented 35 Smart Policing Awards, instituted
by FICCI(Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) at Homeland Security 2019
Conference, in New Delhi. He also released a compendium on ‘Best Practices in Policing’ during the
event.
Key points:
i. The 35 awards were given to the officers for working in the areas of anti-insurgency, child safety,
community policing, crime investigation & prosecution, cybercrime management, emergency response,
human trafficking, road safety & traffic management, smart police station, surveillance & monitoring,
training & capacity building, women safety and other police initiatives.
ii. He also stated that the central Government has taken many initiatives for the benefit of security
forces & will be committed to make policing more effective specially with regard to laws related to
women and drug trafficking.
About FICCI:
♦ Formation: 1927
♦ President: Sandip Somany
Scarlett Johansson tops in Forbes world’s highest-paid actresses list 2019

As per the recently released Forbes magazine’s world’s Highest-Paid actresses of 2019 list,
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson (United States) has topped for the 2nd consecutive year with the
earning of $56 million. She got her earnings with the great success of her summer Marvel film
Avengers: Endgame (April 2019). No Indian actresses got a mention in the top 10 position. Key points:
i. The list was made based on the earnings between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.
ii. The Forbes magazine identified that even the combined earnings of highest-paid female actors grew
by 69 % to $314.6 million, it was still way below than the combined earnings of their male counterparts
who raked in $588.3 million.
Here’s the list of the 2019 Forbes Highest-Paid Actresses:
Rank Actress Earnings
1 Scarlett Johansson $56 million
2 Sofia Vergara $44.1 million
3 Reese Witherspoon $35 million
4 Nicole Kidman $34 million
5 Jennifer Aniston $28 million
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6 Kaley Cuoco $25 million

7 Elisabeth Moss $24 million
8 Margot Robbie $23.5 million
9 Charlize Theron $23 million
10 Ellen Pompeo $22 million
About Forbes:
♦ Headquarters: New Jersey, U.S
♦ Chair and editor-in-chief: Steve Forbes.
2019 Pushkin Medal conferred to JNU professor Meeta Narain

On August 21, 2019 professor Meeta Narain of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was awarded the
2019 Pushkin Medal at an event organised at the Russian Center for Science and Culture. She was
honoured with the award for her extraordinary contribution to Russian studies abroad.
Key points:
i. Narains work: Naraine who has been a faculty Department of Russian Studies at Columbia University
and New York University, contributed towards re-writing of Russian study books (text books) for
graduate students after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
ii. Previous winners: Only a few Indian scholars have received the medal since its inception. One
among them is Kerala poet O.N.V. Kurip(2015).
About the Pushkin medal:
♦ The Pushkin Medal is the highest honour given to an Indian scholar by the government of Russia and
to the citizens of the Russian Federation with at least 20 years in socio-humanitarian activities.
♦ awarded for -achievements in the arts and culture, education, humanities and literature in preserving
the Russian cultural heritage.
♦ Established- May 9, 1999.
♦ It is named in honour of Russian author and poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.
Likee platform creates Guinness World Record for I-Day campaign

On August 23, 2019, short video creation platform, Likee entered the 2019 Guinness World Records
(formerly The Guinness Book of Records) for creating the largest online video album of people waving
the Indian flag during its ‘No matter where I am, #IAMINDIAN‘ campaign.
Key points
i. The tricolour was waved by more than 1 lakh Indians including Indian sprinter Hima Das who
participated in this initiative on the platform as a sign of patriotism to celebrate India’s 73rd
Independence Day(August 15). The hashtag #IAMINDIAN became the most trending hashtag among
Indians in likee as well as other social media platforms.
ii. More than 2.5 lakh videos were created by the Indians with about 225.3 million views online.
Shri Prabhakar Singh, Director General of CPWD chosen for 2019 ‘Eminent Engineer Award’
On August 25, 2019, Shri Prabhakar Singh, Director General (DG), Central Public Works
Department(CPWD) was chosen for the ‘Eminent Engineer Award’ for the Year 2019. The award is
conferred by the Institution of Engineers (India) for his distinguished and exemplary Service in the field
of Engineering and Technology.
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Key points
The award is to be conferred on ‘Engineers Day’ on September 15, 2019 in New Delhi.
Forbes ranks singer Taylor Swift as the highest-paid woman in music for the year 2019
American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift has topped Forbes magazine’s ‘highest-paid woman in
music’ category for the year 2019 with earnings of $185 million (Rs1,300 crore). Taylor is followed by
pop singer Beyonce with earnings $81 million (Rs579 crore) and singer Rihanna with $62 million at
second and third place respectively.
Key points:
i. The ranking is based on pre-tax income from June 2018 to June 2019.
ii. Recently Taylor Swift was also ranked 1st in 2019’s overall ‘highest-paid celebrities’ list released by
the American magazine Forbes in July.
Shalija Dhami of IAF becomes first female flight commander

Wing Commander Shalija Dhami of the Indian Air Force (IAF), became the first-ever female officer to
be appointed as flight commander(second in command) of a flying unit. She took over as flight
commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Key points
i. Hailing from Ludhiana, Punjab, Wing Commander Dhami, became the first woman flying instructor of
the IAF and also the first permanent commission woman officer of the flying branch with 2300 hours of
flying and 15-year service of flying ‘Chetak’ and ‘Cheetah’ choppers.
Noida girls clinched bronze medal for “maitri” app at 2019 Technovation Challenge
On August 27, 2019, five girls from Noida, Uttar Pradesh of team “Tech Witches” were
awarded Bronze medal at the 2019 ‘Technovation challenge’, the world’s largest technology and
entrepreneurship programme for girls held in San Francisco, United States(US). They were awarded for
developing a mobile app named ‘Maitri’ which connects children at orphanages with senior citizens in
old-age homes.
Key points
i. The developers include Ananya Grover, Vanshika Yadav, Vasudha Sudhinder, Anushka Sharma and
Arefa, all Class 12 students of Amity International School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
ii. The maitri app is available on Google play store and allows users the facility to volunteer and donate
to old-age homes and orphanages. The initial coverage area under this app will be New Delhi.
Shashi Shanker, ONGC CMD honoured with Distinguished Fellowship of IOD, 2019
On August 26, 2019, Indian multinational oil and gas company, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s
(ONGC)Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Shashi Shanker was honoured with
the Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors (IOD) 2019 during 29th Institute of
Directors (IOD) Annual Day Ceremony held in New Delhi with the theme of ‘Future Boards: Leading
Strategy to Embrace Sustainability’.
Key points:
i. The prestigious honor was bestowed to Mr. Shanker by the Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Civil
Aviation and Trade & Commerce Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri for his distinguished contribution to business
and society.
ii. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs & M. Sumanta Chaudhuri,
Secretary, Ministry of Coal were also honoured with the Distinguished Fellowship.
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iii. The Fellowships for the year 2019 were decided by a jury led by Justice M N Venkatachaliah, former
Chief Justice of India (CJI).
iv. Niti Ayog (National Institution for Transforming India )CEO Mr Amitabh Kant, Lead Market Director,
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK Ms Lucia Real-Martin, CMD Ravin Group of
Companies Mr Vijay Karia and President, IOD, PVSM (Retd) Lt Gen J S Ahluwalia were also present
during felicitation programme.
About ONGC:
Founded: 14 August 1956
Headquarters: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
Journalists from Reuters, BBC got top prizes for Excellence in Journalism for 2019 at the
Kalinga-FCC Awards held in New Delhi
On August 28, 2019 The teams of journalists from London based media organisations such as Reuters,
BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation), Germany- based European Press Photo Agency (EPA)
and PBS News Hour of USA (United States of America) have bagged top prizes at the Kalinga-FCC
Awards for Excellence in Journalism for 2019 held in New Delhi. Each awardee received a cheque
amount of Rs 1,00,000, a trophy, a medal and a certificate of merit. Key points:
i. The annual awards, the first of their kind in India, was presented by former president Pranab
Mukherjee. These awards were instituted jointly by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia
(FCC) of New Delhi with the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), a Bhubaneswar (Odisha)-
based deemed university.
ii. Out of the top 5 awards, journalists team from international news agency Reuters bagged two & the
BBC, EPA, and PBS News Hour shared the other 3 awards.
iii. Here’s the list award categories& their winners
Category Winners Award won for
Print Journalist 9-member Team of Reuters Exhaustive Coverage of the
Of The Year Members: Zeba Siddiqui, Andrew R C Rohingya issue in Myanmar and
2019 Marshall, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Soe Bangladesh.
Zeya Tun, Simon Lewis, Clare Baldwin,
Weiyi Cai, Wa Lone, and Kyaw SoeOo.
The Digital 8-member Team of Reuters Excellent coverage of pollution
Journalist of the Members: Simon Scarr, Gurman Bhatia, in India’s capital New Delhi with
Year Award Prasanta Kr Dutta, Rajshree Deshmukh, detailed graphics.
2019 Han Huang, Adnan Abidi, Altaf Hussain,
and Raju Gopalakrishnan.
Television Rajini Vaidyanathan( BBC’s India For the coverage of the ‘Me Too’
Journalist of the Correspondent) Movement in Bollywood.
Year 2019
Photo Journalist Harish Tyagi (EPA) Photographic documentation of
of the Year how pollution is killing River
Award 2019 Yamuna.
Video Journalist Rakesh Nagar (PBS NewsHour) A documentary called ‘Music in
of the Year the Mountains’, which is about
Award 2019 how a Jesuit priest is bringing
about change by teaching music
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to poor children in Kalimpong.

iv. The 5 awards each for the best coverage of India and South Asia in the global media outside SAARC
Countries (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) Published/Broadcast during January-
December, 2018. Entries for 2020 awards will be invited in January 2020.
v. A jury headed by Sir William Mark Tully(former Bureau Chief of the BBC, New Delhi) picked the
winners from entries received of work done by contestants in 2018.
Tamil Nadu’s 150-year-old Dindigul locks and Kandangi sarees secure GI tag
On August 27, 2019, The Geographical Indication Registry of India has granted Geographical
Indication (GI) tag to the state of Tamil Nadu for Dindigul lock and Karaikudi Kandangi sarees.
Key points:
i. Dindigul lock: The handmade Dindigul locks were famous for their traditional design, superior
quality, and durability.
• Manufacture: They are manufactured in more than 3,125 units in Dindigul District of Tamil
Nadu and they are concentrated in the villages of Nagelnagar, Nallampatti, Kodaiparailpatti,
Kamalapatti, and Yagappanpatti. The manufacturing unit is said to be over 150 years old &
was introduced by the Sankaranalingacharya brothers.
• Types: There are currently 50 types of locks manufactured by the industry & each lock has its
special unique name such as Mango Lock, Almira Lock, Export Lock, and Trick Lock.
• Petition: In 2013, an application was filed by the Dindigul Lock, Hardware and Steel Furniture
Workers’ Co-operative Society Ltd.
ii. Kandangi Sare: These Sarees are the symbol of entire Karaikudi taluk of Sivaganga district. The
hand-woven Kandangi sarees are characterized by brilliant colour large contrast borders. These sarees
have a tradition of 150 years.
Amarar Rajeev Gandhi Handloom Weavers Co-operative Production and Sales Society Limited had
applied for a tag for these sarees in 2013.
iii. Benefits: The GI tagging will help rural artisans & highly skilled weavers, who possess unique
knowledge of traditional practices and methods. They can make & market their products
domestically and internationally.
About Geographical Indication
It is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that
are due to that origin.
Indian documentary ‘I’m Jeeja’ wins top award at 14th ‘We Care Film Fest’ for 2019
On August 26, 2019 at the 14th edition of 2019 ‘We Care Film Festival on Disability Issues’, an
Indian documentary film named “I’m Jeeja” directed by Swati Chakraborty bagged the top award in the
30-minute category short film documentary.
Key points
i. Award category: The awards were given under three categories-5minute category, 30minute
category and 90-minute category and were shortlisted from a selection of 980 films and documentaries
from 31 countries that participated in the festival.
ii. “I’m Jeeja”: It is a documentary about disabled activist Jeeja Gosh (46) suffering from cerebral palsy,
who in real life made headlines back in 2012 for being asked to deboard a plane owing to her condition.
The film describes the lives and battles of people living with the disability.
iii. Another Indian film” Post Dark” by Vicky Khandpur received a jury mention in ‘Under 5 minutes’
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category.
iv. Other winners: Films from Netherlands, Myanmar, Panama and France were winners where 2
Russian films “They Went Dancing” and “Dance to live” won 3rd prize respectively in ‘Under 30
minutes’ and ‘Under 90 minutes’ categories. Totally 10 films from nine countries were awarded.
Top winners are as follows
Prize Category Name Director
1st Under five minutes “Connection” (United Arab Emirates) Mark Stanely
1st Under 30 minutes I’m Jeeja ( India) Swati Chakraborty
1st Under 90 minutes “The Eye of the Minotaur” (Bulgaria) Borislav Kolev
About we care film festival:
♦ The festival is organised by United Nations Information Centre(UNIC) for India and Bhutan, and a
New Delhi-based NGO named Brotherhood in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
♦ The fest is done to create awareness to dispel stereotypes about disabilities.
DAY-NULM bagged SKOCH Governance Gold Award for the year 2019
On August 29, 2019 At Delhi’s constitutional club, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ flagship
mission, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) bagged
2019 SKOCH Governance Gold Award for its Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention
Access (PAiSA) portal.
Key points
PaiSA:
i. It is a centralized Information Technology (IT) platform launched in November 2018 for quick
processing of loans under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Mobile message will also be sent
instantly after crediting the amount. Currently, there are about 1.50 lakh beneficiaries paid a total of Rs.
27 Cr.
ii. End to end Claims for subvention (subsidy) are uploaded by banks through their CBS (Core Banking
Solution) and are verified and approved by the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and State concerned.
iii. Postal design: The design and development was done through Allahabad bank.
iv. Banks in portal: A total of 21 Public Sector, 18 Private and 35 Regional Rural Banks are boarded on
the portal.
About DAY-NULM:
The DAY-NULM reduces poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households enabling them self-
employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in improvement in their livelihoods.
Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi confers Yoga Awards 2019
On August 30, 2019, The Prime Minister (PM) of India, Shri Narendra Modi conferred Yoga awards for
the year 2019 to the winners of PM’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and
Development of Yoga at New Delhi. They were announced during the International Day of Yoga, 2019
at Ranchi, Jharkhand along with the 2 winners of 2018 in an event organized by the Ministry of
Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). Winners were selected
under different categories out of 79 nominations for 2019 and 186 nominations for 2018.
Winners of the year 2019 Yoga Awards are as follows:
Category Awardee
Individual-National category Swami Rajarshi Muni of Life Mission,
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Gujarat
Individual-International category Ms. Antonietta Rozzi, Italy
Organisation-National category Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar
Organisation-International Organisation category Japan Yoga Niketan, Japan
Winners of 2018 Yoga Awards are as follows:
Category Awardee
Individual- National category Shri Vishwas Mandalik, Nasik
Organisation – National category Yoga Institute, Mumbai
Prize money
Each of them will be felicitated with a Cash Award of Rs. 25 lakh, Trophy and a Certificate.
Launch of 12 commemorative postal stamps
i. The PM Narendra Modi released a set of 12 commemorative postal stamps on 12 modern masters
complementing the commitment of the Ministry of AYUSH to acknowledge the great work and
achievements of the great Master Healers of AYUSH Systems.
ii. The 12 modern AYUSH masters include
• Dinshaw Mehta, who was a close confidant of and personal physician to Mahatma Gandhi;
• Hakim Mohammad Abdul Aziz Lakhnawi, who established a medical school in Lucknow in 1902;
• Swami Kuvalayananda, who made Yoga more acceptable to the modern world;
• Hakim Mohammad Kabiruddin, one of the most prolific writers and a great academician of Unani
medicine in the 20th century;
• Dr K G Saxena, an eminent homeopathic doctor;
• Vaidya Shastri Shankar Daji Pade;
• T V Sambasivam Pillai who authored the ‘Siddha Cyclopaedic Medical Dictionary’, a work of
unprecedented scale and erudition.
• Vaidya YadavJi TrikamJi Acharya, a bright luminary and successful practitioner of Ayurveda,
who founded the Ayurveda Granthamala Trust.
AYUSH HWCs
i. The Prime Minister Modi launched 10 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AYUSH HWCs) located in
Haryana.
ii. Government has set a target of setting up 12,500 Ayush centres across India, to be functional in next
3 years, 4000 of which will be set up in 2019.
About the PM’s Award for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga:
The PM’s award for outstanding contribution for Promotion and Development of Yoga had been
institutionalized and announced during 2nd International Day of Yoga (IDY) event held at Chandigarh
on June 21, 2016 and since then the awards are conferred to the notable contributors in the field.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

R N Ravi took charge as 20th governor of Nagaland
On August 1, 2019, RN Ravi (A 1976-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Kerala cadre,), a former
Intelligence Bureau(IB) officer was sworn in as the 20th governor of Nagaland. Arup Kumar Goswami,
Chief Justice (Acting) of Gauhati High Court(HC) administered the oath of office to Ravi at the Raj
Bhavan in Kohima, Nagaland. Ravi succeeds Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, whose tenure ended
on July 19, 2019.
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i. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his cabinet ministers, Assembly Speaker Vikho-o Yhoshu were present
in the swearing-in ceremony.
ii. Ravi, who is the interlocutor for the central government for the Centre-Naga peace talks.
iii. He played a key role in the signing of the Framework Agreement between the Indian government
and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim Isak-Muivah(NSCN-IM).
iv. Ravi was appointed as Nagaland Governor by President Ram Nath Kovind on July 20, 2019.
v. He was worked closely with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during the Doval’s stint in the
Intelligence Bureau(IB).
Ravi Capoor took Charge as the Secretary in Ministry of Textiles

On August 1, 2019, Ravi Capoor (an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1986 batch) took
charge as secretary in the Ministry of Textiles in New Delhi. He succeeds Raghvendra Singh.
i. He was in charge of Mines & Minerals, Forest & Environment, Act East Policy Affairs, and Public
Enterprises Department as Additional Chief Secretary, Assam, from the period of 2016 to 2019. Besides
he also had the portfolios of Industry and Commerce & worked as additional Development
Commissioner, Handicrafts from 2002 to 2004.
ii. He earlier served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
from 2011 to 2016 and was handling India’s trade with ASEAN, CIS countries, engineering exports and
export promotion program of the Commerce and Industry Ministry. He also worked as the CEO(Chief
Executive Officer) of India Brand Equity Foundation.
iii. He held the position of Executive Director, Petroleum Conservation Research Association and
Director in the Ministry of Petroleum from 2004 to 2008. He played a key role in the sectors of refining,
project management and implementation, pricing and supply and resolving operational issues.
iv. He was the director of Rural Infrastructure project in Assam that was funded by World Bank.
v. He had a broad experience of working in international agencies like the World Bank(WB), European
Union(EU), United Nations(UN), Department for International Development in the Primary Education
Project with Government of India(GoI).
Guruprasad Mohapatra takes charge as secretary of DPIIT

On August 1, 2019, Guruprasad Mohapatra (an IAS Officer of 1986 batch) assumed charge of the office
of Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in New Delhi. He
replaces Ramesh Abhishek.
i. Prior to this appointment, he served as chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), a statutory
body working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, where he brought many changes in AAI’s strategic
operations.
ii. He played a major role in achieving greater excellence in the sector of airport infrastructure
development at the metro airports &in tier-II and tier-III cities.
iii. He also served as a joint secretary in the Department of Commerce, where he worked for the
promotion of special economic zones (SEZs), public procurement and project exports (financing and
insurance).
iv. As a municipal commissioner in Surat, Gujarat, he was involved in the process of converting Surat
into one of the models of urban governance with its impetus on solid waste management, quality
infrastructure, and financial management.
v. He was instrumental in developing several urban development projects such as the Sabarmati
riverfront, BRTS(Bus Rapid Transit System), Kankaria lakefront and heritage promotion by worked as
municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad.
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vi. He also served as managing director(MD) in several listed public sector undertakings(PSU) in India
and held a position as the transport commissioner and commissioner (commercial taxes) in Gujarat.
About DPIIT:
i. Formation: 1995
ii. Parent agency: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
iii. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was renamed as the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in January 2019.
iv. It is responsible for the formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental
measures for growth of the industrial sector, keeping in view the national priorities and socio-economic
objectives.
Girraj Prasad Gupta took over as CGA in New Delhi

On August 1, 2019, Girraj Prasad Gupta(a 1983-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) Officer)
took over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in New Delhi. He succeeds Anthony
Lianzuala as the new CGA, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
i. He held higher positions in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Rural Development
and served as the Director of National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad.
ii. Gupta, as an Additional Controller General of Accounts, got credit for the work in development and
implementation of Public Financial Management System (PFMS), a backbone IT (Information
Technology) infrastructure for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Government of India.
iii. He also served as Director (Finance) on the joint venture mega hydel power project in Bhutan.
iv. CAG: It works under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India(GoI).It is the apex accounting
authority derives its mandate from Article 150 of the constitution which says, The accounts of the
Union and of the States shall be kept in such form as the President may, on the advice of the
Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
Civil Aviation DG, Rakesh Asthana given additional charge as Narcotics control Bureau secretary
The Appointments Committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given additional charge to
1984-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana, Director General of Civil Aviation security (DG
CAS), as the new DG of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) by approving “entrustment of the additional
charge of the post of Director General Narcotics Control Board”.
Key points
i. The post of NCB was lying vacant as incumbent Abhay was appointed as a director Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad, Telangana.
ii. Asthana will serve as the DG of NCB for the next 6 months or till new incumbent is appointed.
iii. Rakesh Asthana previously served the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and was transferred as
DG CAS
NCB
Narcotics control Bureau is the nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of India
responsible for fighting drug trafficking and abuse of illegal substances
Headquarters- New Delhi
founded- 1986
Minister responsible- Minister of Home Affairs, Amit shah
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Senior IAS Officer Bala Prasad designated as the Special Secretary to President Ram Nath
Kovind
On July 31, 2019, According to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of
India(GoI), E L S N Bala Prasad, a 1986 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre has been upgraded to the rank
of Special Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind in the rank under Central Staffing Scheme.
i. He was earlier served as Officer on Special Duty(OSD) to the President.
Rakesh Asthana has been given the additional charge of the Narcotics Control Bureau for 6
months
As per the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of India(GoI), Director General (DG)of
Civil Aviation Security Rakesh Asthana (1984-batch Gujarat cadre officer) has been given the
additional charge of the DG of Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB) for a period of 6 months.
i. He will take additional charge as DG, NCB for a period of 6 months from the assumption of charge till
the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders.
ii. In January 2019, Asthana, a former CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)officer was transferred to
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, after a tug of war with the then chief of the investigation agency Alok
Verma.
iii. At NCB, Asthana will review and initiate quality operations to crack on the narcotics smuggling,
nexus of drugs mafia and money laundering crimes.
Atish Dabholkar, a theoretical physicist from India appointed as new Director of ICTP, Italy
Atish Dabholkar(56), an Indian theoretical physicist from Kolhapur, Maharashtra has been
appointed as the new director of Italy based International Centre for Theoretical Physics
(ICTP) for a five year term starting in November 2019 with the rank of Assistant Director-General of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He succeeds Fernando
Quevedo, who has led the centre since 2009.
Key points:
i. He is currently the head of ICTP’s high energy, cosmology and astroparticle physics section. He joined
ICTP in 2014 on secondment from Sorbonne Université and the National Center for Scientific Research,
where he has been a research director since 2007.
ii. Born in 1963, Dabholkar earned his Masters in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology,
Kanpur in 1985 and his Ph. D. in theoretical physics from Princeton University in 1990 followed by
postdoctoral and research positions at Rutgers University, Harvard University, and California Institute
of Technology.
iii. He was also a professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai), is well-known for his
research on string theory and quantum black holes.
iv. He has been conferred with awards including India’s coveted ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award’
(2006), a most prestigious national science prize awarded by Prime Minister, ANR(National Research
Agency) Chaire d’Excellence (2007)award and National Leadership Award (2008).
About ICTP:
Headquarters: Trieste, Italy
Formation: 1964
Founder: Abdus Salam
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Abhay Thakur accredited concurrently as the next permanent representative of India to the
economic community of West African States
Current high Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Shri Abhay Thakur has been
accredited concurrently as the next permanent representative of India to the economic Community of
West African States ( ECOWAS). He is 1992 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
He will be residing in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.
ECOWAS
It is a regional political and economic Union of 15 countries located in West Africa.
Headquarters- federal capital territory, Nigeria.
Chairperson– Mahamadou Issoufou.
HAL appoints M S Velpari as Director of its operations unit

M S Velpari replaces Sunil Kumar as the director (operations) at the Bengaluru based Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
i. The appointment comes after Sunil Kumar was superannuated from his service.
ii. Mr. Velpari joined HAL as a management trainee in 1985 and also held various posts like Chief of
Project of LCA-(Light Combat Aircraft)- Tejas at the LCA division.
HAL
♦ Headquarters- Bengaluru
♦ Chairperson- R Madhavan
♦ Founder- Walchand Hirachand.
Siddhartha Mohanty takes charge as MD&CEO of LIC Housing Finance

On August 3, 2019, Siddhartha Mohanty (Odisha) has assumed charge as MD (Managing Director) &
CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of LIC Housing Finance (Life Insurance Corporation HFL) one of the
largest housing finance companies in India. He replaces Shri Vinay Shah.
Key points:
i. Prior to this appointment, Mohanty was Chief Operating Officer (COO)with LIC HFL.
ii. In 1985, Mohanty started his career as a direct recruit officer with LIC of India. He was also the
Executive Director(Legal)with LIC prior to joining to the LIC HFL.
iii. He also worked as Chief of Investments(Monitoring), Regional Head of marketing in LIC in the States
of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa.
iv. In LIC, he has a vast experience in the areas of Marketing, HR, Investments, and Legal.
About LIC HFL:
♦ Formation: 19 June 1989
♦ Chairman: Shri M. R. Kumar Chairman
Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic
of Cyprus
On August 2, 2019, Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat was appointed as the
next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus. She is a 1999 batch Indian Foreign
Service(IFS) Officer presently working as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. She
succeeds RK Raghavan.
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Noel Quinn named as the new HSBC’s interim CEO

HSBC bank announced that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HSBC John Flint steps down from his
post after 1.5years and is to be replaced by NoelQuinn, head of HSBC’s global commercial banking unit,
as the new interim CEO.
Key points
i. The replacement of the CEO has been made to meet the challenges.
ii. The lender bank also announced buyback of $1 Billion.
About HSBC
HSBC was ranked 7th largest bank in the world in 2018 and the largest in Europe.
Headquarters- London, UK.
Rajesh Kumar Srivastava designated as the new director (exploration) in ONGC, while Sandeep
Kumar Gupta appointed as the director (finance) in IOC
Rajesh Kumar Srivastava’s appointment:
On August 5, 2019, Indian multinational oil and gas company, ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation) has appointed Rajesh Kumar Srivastava as its new director (exploration). He replaces
Mr. A K Dwivedi, who superannuated on 31 July 2019.
Key points:
i. Srivastava earned his Master’s Degree in Engineering Geology from IIT(Indian Institute of
Technology), Kanpur, joined ONGC as Geologist in 1984 at Krishna Godavari Basin, Rajahmundry,
Andhra Pradesh.
ii. He had over 35 years of experience in ONGC& an expert in up-stream hydrocarbon exploration from
well site operations (on-land & offshore), development geology, seismic data interpretation to
monitoring and planning of exploration.
Sandeep Kumar Gupta’s appointment:
On August 3, 2019, State-owned oil and gas company, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has appointed Mr.
Sandeep Kumar Gupta as its new Director (Finance). Earlier, he was Executive Director (Corporate
Finance) at IndianOil’s Corporate Office. He replaces A K Sharma, who retired as finance director in May
2019.
Key points:
i. A Commerce Graduate and Chartered Accountant by qualification, Mr. Gupta has over 31 years of
work experience in IndianOil.
ii. He was also served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer-in-charge of Corporate
Accounts, Treasury, Investment Appraisal and Risk Management in Indian oil.
About ONGC:
♦ Chairman & Managing Director: Shashi Shanker
About IOC:
♦ Chairman: Sanjiv Singh
Kandikuppa Sreekant is the new Chairman and MD of Power Grid

On August 6, 2019, The Indian state-owned electric utility company, Power Grid Corporation of India
Ltd.has appointed Kandikuppa Sreekant as its chairman and managing director(MD) till December
31, 2023, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He replaces Ravi P Singh (director (personnel),
who held the post of chairman & MD of the company give away the additional charge.
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Key points:
i. Prior to this appointment, Sreekant was the finance director of Power Grid.
ii. Sreekant, a CMA (Certified Management Accountant) and Post Graduate Diploma in Business
Management (finance) had over 33 years of experience in the power sector, involving finance and
accounting functions, long-term financial planning, etc.
About PowerGrid:
♦ Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
SBI’s MD Dinesh Kumar Khara got an extension by 2 years after a review of his performance
On August 8, 2019, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of India has
extended the tenure of State Bank of India(SBI) Managing Director (MD)Dinesh Kumar Khara by
another 2 years with effect from August 9, 2019, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Key points:
i. He was appointed Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI) for a period of three years on August
10, 2016. He holds a Board level position in supervising the businesses of SBI’s nonbanking
subsidiaries, which are engaged in diverse financial activities such as Asset Management, Life
Insurance, General Insurance, Custodial Services, Primary Dealership,.etc.
ii. In 1984, he joined SBI as Probationary Officer (PO) and has over 33 years of experience in all sides of
Commercial banking such as Retail Credit, deposit mobilization, international banking operations,
branch management, etc.
iii. Khara has worked in SBI’s Chicago office and was associated with the overseas acquisition of Indian
Ocean International Bank Mauritius (now SBI Mauritius) during his stint in Overseas Expansion wing of
International Banking Group. He also worked as the MD & CEO of SBI Funds Management Pvt. Limited
(SBIMF).
About SBI:
♦ Headquarter: Mumbai
♦ Chairman: Shri Rajnish Kumar
♦ Tagline: With you all the way, Pure banking nothing else, The nation’s bank on us.
5 members from RS elected unopposed to office of profit panel of the parliamentary joint
committee
On August 8, 2019, Five Rajya Sabha members including Mahesh Poddar (BJP), K Keshava Rao (TRS),
Vijayasai Reddy (YSRCP), Dola Sen (TMC) and Sasmit Patra (BJD) have been elected unopposed to the
parliamentary joint committee on office of profit. The chairman of the committee is yet to be
nominated. while Rakesh Sinha , BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MP(member of parliament)has been
nominated as a member of the Press Council of India(PCI)by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah
Naidu.
Key points:
i. About JPC: This has 10 Lok Sabha Members & 5 members will be from Rajya Sabha and total member
of JPC will be 15.
ii. Sonal Mansingh (Indian classical dancer-(nominated) has been elected unopposed to the Central
Advisory Committee(CAC) for the National Cadet Corps(NCC), while Congress MP M V Rajeev Gowda
made it to National Institute of Mental Health and Nero-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru &JDU MP
Kahkashan Perween (JDU) has been nominated to the Haj Committee of India.
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About Joint Committee on Offices of Profit:

i. It is constituted in pursuance of a Government motion adopted by Lok Sabha and concurred in by
Rajya Sabha for the duration of each Lok Sabha.
ii. It examines the composition of the various committees and bodies constituted by the Union and
State Governments and recommends and reports whether the persons holding these offices should be
disqualified from being elected as MPs or not.
Sonia Gandhi chosen as Interim Chief of Congress

On August 10, 2019, The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of
the party, selected Sonia Gandhi, aged 72, as the interim president of the Congress party. She had held
the post of Congress President between 1998 and 2017. She succeeds Rahul Gandhi.
Shri Ghotu Ram Meena is the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Congo
On August 8, 2019, As per the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India(GoI), Shri Ghotu Ram
Meenahas been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Congo. He is presently
serving as Counsellor, Embassy of India, Kyiv, Ukraine Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He replaces
Ms. Nina Tshering La.
Key points:
i. The Republic of Congo has supported India’s candidature in various international forums.
Government of India approved a line of US $ 89.9 million for the development of the transportation
system in congo in 2014 & approved another line of credit for US $ 55 million for a greenfield 600 TPD
rotary kiln-based cement plant project. India also donated medicines worth US $ 200,000 to the
Republic of Congo in 2010.
Chandrima Shaha to be the first woman president of INSA from 2020

Former director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII), Delhi, Ms Chandrima Shaha (66) is all set
to become the first woman president of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) from January 1,
2020. She will succeed Ajay K. Sood.
Key points
Shaha will assume her new office along with the newly elected council of 30 other members from
January.
Previous roles:
She was the vice-captain of West Bengal’s first women’s cricket team and also the first woman cricket
commentator for All India Radio (AIR).
Shaha after becoming the INSA president wants to take similar initiatives like the ‘Science Setu’ that she
initiated when she served as the director of NII. Science Setu was a part of which scientists would go
and teach undergraduates.
About Shaha:
Born on 14th October 1952, she graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Calcutta and
completed her doctoral research in 1980 from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology.
i. She did her post-doctoral work at the University of Kansas Medical Centre from 1980-1982.
ii. Her main focus of the research was understanding mechanisms that cause cell death.
iii. She worked extensively with ‘Leishmania’ parasite which causes Kala Azar- and has authored over
80 research papers.
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Anurag Adlakha appointed as YES bank CFO replacing Ahuja

On August 10, 2019, YES bank had made Anurag Adlakha as the new Chief Financial
Officer (CFO) replacing Raj Ahuja who previously served as the senior group president and head of
financial management of YES bank, will now be in charge of strategy, planning, and functions of the
bank.
Key points
Appointed as Group Chief Strategy Officer, Raj Ahuja will report to the bank’s Managing director.
About YES bank
♦ Yes bank is India’s fourth-largest bank.
♦ Managing Director and CEO-Ravneet Gill.
♦ Part-time Chairman- Brahm Dutt.
♦ Founder-Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapoor.
♦ Founded- 2004, 15 years ago.
♦ Tagline- Experience our Expertise.
India’s greatest athlete PT Usha got appointed as Asian Athletics Association’s Athletes
Commission member
On August 13, 2019, Queen of Indian athletics, P T Usha (Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha)
from Payyoli (Kerala) has appointed as one of the six members of the Asian Athletics Association’s
(AAA) Athletes Commission, in recognition of her outstanding achievements at the continental stage.
This is the 2nd time she has been appointed a member of the Commission. Key points:
i. Other members: The commission will be headed by Andrey Abduvaliyev (Uzbekistan),a1992
Olympics gold medallist hammer thrower. Other members of the commission include Wang Yu (China),
Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan), a 2012 London Olympics gold medallist triple jumper, Lee Hup Wei
(Malaysia) and Saad Shaddad (Saudi Arabia).
ii. About Usha: She is popularly known as ‘Payyoli Express’, created a string of good performances at
the Asian stage in the 1980s. She won 4 gold medals and 1 bronze in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul,
South Korea & in the 1985 Jakarta Asian Championships, she won 6 medals (5 gold and 1 bronze).
iii. Missed medal: A first-class athlete, Usha missed an Olympic medal in the 1984 Games in Los Angles
by a whisker as she finished 4th by falling behind the eventual bronze medalist by 1/100th of a second
in women’s 400m hurdles.
About AAA:
i. It is the continental governing body for the sport of athletics in Asia, It organizes the Asian
Championships in Athletics and other continental competitions.
ii. Headquarter: Bangkok, Thailand.
iii. president Qatari Dahlan Jumaan al-Hamad
VG Somani appointed as new DCGI of CDSCO

On August 14, 2019, The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed VG Somani as Drug
Controller General of India (DCGI) of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in Level
14 of the Pay Matrix as per the 7th Central Pay Commision (CPC), on deputation basis, for a period of 3
years. He is currently Joint Drugs Controller of India. He succeeds Dr. S. Eswara Reddy, who was on ad-
hoc position for the post of DCGI.
About CDSCO:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
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Harshad Pandurang Thakur designated as the Director of NIHFW

On August 14, 2019, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Government of India(GoI) has
made Harshad Pandurang Thakur as the Director of National Institute of Health and Family
Welfare(NIHFW) for a period of 5 years. He replaces Shri. Sudhansh Pant.
Key points:
i. Prior to this appointment, Thakur was a professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
ii. He was also worked as a chairperson for the Centre for Health Policy, Planning & Management
(CHPPM) from July 2008 to June 2010, and the chairperson for the Centre for Public Health (CPH) from
June 2010 to March 2015.
About NIHFW:
♦ Headquarter: New Delhi
♦ Formation: 9th March 1977
♦ It is an autonomous organization formed by the merger of two national level institutions, i.e. the
National Institute of Health Administration and Education (NIHAE) and the National Institute of Family
Planning (NIFP).
♦ It works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India(GoI) which acts as an
apex technical institute for the promotion of health and family welfare programmes in India.
Paytm promoted CFO Madhur Deora as its President

On August 19, 2019, Indian largest digital wallet company, Paytm has promoted its CFO (chief financial
officer) Madhu Deora as President of the company.
Key points:
i. He joined the paytm in October 2016 and prior to this, he has served as Managing Director (MD)in
Citigroup’s investment banking business in New York, London, and Mumbai.
ii. He will now be tasked with several businesses in the consumer services segment to oversee their
growth and financials.
iii. On May 3, 2019, Bhushan Patil quits as a president of Paytm.
About Paytm:
♦ Founded: 2010
♦ Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
♦ CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Ravinder Takkar appointed as the new CEO of vodafone Idea replacing Balesh Sharma
The Board of Vodafone Idea, has appointed Ravinder Takkar, who is currently Vodafone Group’s
representative in India, as the new MD(Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) with
immediate effect. Takkar replaces CEO Balesh Sharma, who has stepped down citing personal reasons.
Key points
• Sharma was the representative of Vodafone in the JV(Joint Venture) between British telecom
giant Vodafone and Aditya Birla Group’s Idea that was formed to fight the onslaught of free calls
and cheap data plans implemented by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio.
• This move comes immediately after Sharma was announced as the chairman of the Cellular
Operators’ Association of India (COAI) at industry association’s Annual General Body meeting
held in june 2019.
Penalty on Vodafone and Airtel:
• In October 2016, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) had recommended to the
government that a penalty of ₹1,050 crore each be imposed on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India,
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and ₹950 crore on Idea, for allegedly denying PoIs (Point of Interconnection) to Reliance Jio.
• On July 2019, The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) upheld the TRAI’s decision to levy
a penalty of ₹3,050 crore on Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone Idea Ltd for denying PoI ports to
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, when it started operations three years ago.
PoI: Point of interconnection in telecommunications means, the physical interface between media
gateways of the two Telecom companies.
About COAI
♦ The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), is an industry association of mobile service
providers, telecom equipment, internet service providers and other digital technologies’ companies and
businesses in India.As of 2017, COAI has been (jointly) organizing the India Mobile Congress(IMC) with
the Department of Telecommunications(DoT), Government of India.
♦ Director General– Rajan S. Mathews.
♦ Core members- Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea limited, Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Rajeev Gauba-Home Secretary, appointed as the next Cabinet Secretary

On august 21,2019 the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was appointed as the new cabinet secretary
(the most powerful position in the country’s civil service), replacing PK Sinha. He is appointed for a
period of twoyears from august 30,2019, approved by the Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet (ACC).
Key points:
i. Gauba, a 1982-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre will initially join as the Officer on Special
Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat after which he will take over from Sinha.
ii. He was a key architect of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act under which Jammu and
Kashmir were divided into two union territories under Article 370 of the Constitution.
iii. Rajiv Gauba had also served as secretary in the Union Urban Development Ministry, Additional
Secretary in the Home Ministry and as chief secretary of Jharkhand previously.
iv. Power secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla who had joined as the officer on special duty in the home
ministry will take over as the home secretary for a tenure of two years.
Ajay Kumar will be the new Defence Secretary

On August 21, 2019, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Government of India(GoI) has
made Ajay Kumar, a 1985 batch IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer of Kerala cadre as the
new Defence Secretary but without 2 years’ tenure. He will replace Sanjay Mitra (a 1982 batch West
Bengal-cadre IAS officer) whose term ends on August 23, 2019.
Ajay Kumar is currently serving as the Secretary, Department of Defence Production.
Other appointments:
Defence Production Secretary:
Subash Chandra, a 1986 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer appointed as the new Defence Production
Secretary by replacing Ajay Kumar. He is currently serving as Special Secretary, Union Ministry of
Defence.
Secretary, Lokpal:
Brij Kumar Agarwal, a 1985 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS officer has been appointed as
new Secretary, Lokpal in rank and pay of Secretary to Government of India.
Department of Defence Production:
Formation: November 1962
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It is headed by a Secretary and deals with matters pertaining to defence production, indigenization of
imported stores, equipment and spares, planning and control of departmental production units of the
Ordnance Factory Board and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
Giuseppe Conte Italian PM steps down from post

The Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, an independent, announced his resignation on August 20
to the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. The resignation was done after the Deputy PM (Prime
Minister) Luigi Di Maioand the leader of the far-right League and Matteo Salvini (also Deputy PM),
announced a motion of no confidence against Conte.
Key points
i. This resignation marks the end of Western Europe’s first fully populist government.
ii. Conte will, however, remain as the caretaker prime minister until a new candidate is announced.
iii. Earlier on 8 August, Salvini leader of populist League party withdrew from the coalition of “5 Star
Movement” in order to collapse the government and bring about snap elections(election called earlier
than scheduled). After this, he announced a no-confidence move against Conte whose cabinet included
Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio and the League party leader Matteo Salvini.
Abdalla Hamdok becomes the new prime minister of Sudan

On August 20,2019 economist Abdalla Hamdok took charge as the new prime minister(15th) of Sudan
embarking three year transition to civilian rule after military authoritarian Omar al-Bashir was forced
to step down from president post by rage protests. The chief justice of
Sudan Abbas Ali Babiker administered the swearing-in ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in
Khartoum. He succeeded Mohamed Tahir Ayala.
Key points:
i. The Government under Hamdok will be formed on August 28 with 20ministers being selected by the
opposition Freedom and Change Alliance. His appointment comes as Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah
Abdelrahman Burhan was sowrn in as the leader of the new Sovereign Council.
ii. Previously Hamdok served as Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa(UNECA).
iii. Under Sudan’s Transitional Military Council(TMC) and Freedom and Change Alliance, a total of 11
members(5 chosen by TMC and 5 chosen by opposition and 1 civilian) will be comprised in the
Sovereign Council.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla appointed as the new home secretary

As per the Appointments Committee of the cabinet, Government of India(GoI), Ajay Kumar
Bhalla(1984-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IAS officer)has been appointed as the new Union home
secretary with fixed two-year tenure till August 2021. He succeeds Rajiv Gauba, who was appointed as
the new cabinet secretary.
Key points:
i. Currently, Bhalla serving as an officer on special duty in the home ministry.
ii. Bhalla worked as the Union power secretary, before being appointed as an officer on special duty on
July 24, 2019.
The home secretary is an administrative head of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is the principal
adviser to home minister on all matters of policy and administration within the Home Ministry.
As a Secretary to Government of India, the Home Secretary ranks 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.
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Ms. Padmaja concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Cook Islands
On August 23, 2019, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India concurrently
accredited Ms. Padmaja as the next High Commissioner of India to the Cook Islands, with residence in
Suva. She is presently the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji. She succeeds Vishvas Vidu
Sapkal.
Former human rights lawyer Lionel Aingimea becomes the new President of Nauru
On August 27, 2019, former human rights lawyer Lionel Aingimea won the presidential election of the
pacific nation Nauru by defeating his rival David Adeang by 12-6 votes. Aingimea is now the 15th
President of Nauru succeeding the outgoing President Baron Waqa.
Key points
i. Nauru became the site of Australia’s first offshore processing centre in 2001 under the “Pacific
solution”(Government of Australia policy of transporting asylum seekers to detention centres on island
nations in the Pacific Ocean).
Amit Nayyar- ex-Goldman Sachs executive appointed as new Paytm president

Indian e-commerce payment system Paytm has appointed Amit Nayyar as its new president. His
appointment comes a week after Madhur Deora, the Chief Financial Officer(CFO) was also elected as the
President of Paytm.
Key points
i. Nayyar previously worked as the executive of American multinational investment bank and financial
services company ‘Goldman Sachs’, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI)
Securities, and in Bank of America. Before joining Paytm, he worked as Managing Director(MD) at
Mumbai-based investment bank Arpwood Capital.
About Paytm:
Founder- Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
Founded- 2010.
Headquarters- Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Parent company- One97 Communications Ltd.
Pramod Agrawal to succeed A K Jha as CMD of Coal India Ltd

Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected Pramod Agrawal, a 1991 batch Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) officer for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Coal India
Limited (CIL). He will succeed incumbent Anil Kumar Jha retiring in January 2020.
Key points:
i. Agrawal, a post-graduate (M Tech) in Engineering, is currently Principal Secretary for Urban
Development and Housing Department of Madhya Pradesh.
About Coal India Ltd:
Founded: 1975
Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
It is the largest coal-producing company in the world. It is a holding company for seven wholly-owned
coal producing subsidiaries and one mine planning and consultancy company spread across over 8
States.
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Pavan Kapoor got appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the United Arab Emirates(UAE)
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India(GoI), Shri Pavan Kapoor, the
1990 cadre Indian Foreign Service(IFS) officer has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to
the United Arab Emirates(UAE).
Key points:
i. He replaces Navdeep Singh Puri, who has been heading the Indian mission in UAE since October 2016.
ii. Pavan Kapoor was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) of India from
2010 – 2013 & also worked in Prime Minister’s Office(PMO) in New Delhi.
iii. He also worked in different capacities in the Indian Missions in Moscow, Kyiv, London, and Geneva.
CBDT Chairman P C Mody’s tenure extended by the Govt

The Appointment Committee of Cabinet(ACC) headed by the Prime Minister(PM), has given its approval
to extension/reappointment of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Pramod Chandra
Mody for an additional period of 1 year.
Key points
i. The ACC has also appointed 1983-batch IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officer Prabhash Shankar as a
new member in the CBDT. while the other members of the board are P K Dash, AkhileshRanjan and
Neena Kumar, the CBDT still has two vacant vacancies.
About CBDT:
♦ The CBDT which frames policy for Income-Tax (IT) Department, is headed by a chairman and can
have a maximum of six members.
♦ Functions under- Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
♦ The CBDT and all field offices celebrated the 159th Income Tax Day which is also known as
AaykarDiwas on 24th July, 2019.
MD and Group CEO of ICRA Naresh Takkar expelled by BoD

The Board of Directors (BoD) of rating agency ICRA (formerly Investment Information and Credit
Rating Agency of India Limited), an affiliate of Moody’s, has terminated the services of its Managing
Director (MD) and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naresh Takkar. He was facing an enquiry into
allegations related to the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) case. Interim Chief
Operating Officer (COO) Vipul Agarwal will hold the responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the
company until a new CEO is appointed.
MD & CEO of LVB, Parthasarathi Mukherjee announces resignation

The Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Lakshmi Vilas
Bank(LVB),Parthasarathi Mukherjee announced his resignation from the bank on August 28, 2019
owing to personal reasons.
Key points
He was first appointed as MD and CEO of the bank on January 25, 2016, and was reappointed for a
tenure of two years from January 25, 2019. His resignation comes effectively from August 31, 2019.
Previously he served in Axis bank prior to serving LVB.
About LVB:
♦ Founded- 1926.
♦ Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
♦ The bank is waiting for its approval from Reserve Bank of India(RBI) to merge with Indiabulls
Housing Finance (IBHFL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Indiabulls Commercial Credit Ltd (IBCCL).
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PM’s principal secretary Nripendra Misra to Retire, PK Sinha Appointed Officer on Special Duty
(OSD) in the PMO
On August 30, 2019, Former Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar(PK) Sinha ,a 1977 batch IAS officer of
Uttar Pradesh Cadre has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Prime Minister’s
Office(PMO) after Nripendra Misra’s request to be relieved as Principal Secretary was accepted by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Key points:
i. PK sinha: He worked as the Power Secretary of India, and was the Shipping Secretary of India.
• He retired as 31st Cabinet Secretary on 30th August,2019.
• He is an economics graduate and earned a postgraduate degree in economics.
• He has served in various key posts in both the Government of India(GoI) and the Uttar Pradesh
state Government.
ii. Nripendra Misra: He is a 1967-batch retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh(UP) cadre .
• Misra is an Allahabad University graduate &went on pursuing his master’s from Harvard
University.
• He has over 40 years of experience and held several important posts in UP state and Centre
government.
• He is one is among the most outstanding officers, who have a great knowledge of public policy
and administration.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Microsoft acquired BlueTalon, a data privacy & governance startup
Microsoft acquired BlueTalon, a data privacy and governance service, for an undisclosed sum.
BlueTalon works with leading Fortune 100 companies. It helps enterprises to set policies for how their
employees can access their data.
Key Points:
i. BlueTalon will become part of the Azure Data Governance group.
ii. It had raised $25.87 million and was backed by firms like Biosys Capital, Signia Venture Partners,
Maverick Capital, and Divergent Ventures.
About Microsoft:
♦ Headquarters: Washington DC, US
♦ CEO: Satya Narayana Nadella
♦ Chairman: John Wendell Thompson
Google-backed firm -Fynd’s majority stake acquired by Reliance industries

7-year-old Mumbai startup Fynd, which is a Google-backed firm that connects retailers with online
stores and consumers, is now acquired by Reliance industries.The acquisition announcement was made
by Fynd’s co-founder Harsh Shah.
Key points
i. Reliance industries will now own 87.6% stake in Fynd.
ii. The acquisition has been made at a cost of 295 crore Indian rupees( $42.33 million).
About Reliance Industries ltd
CEO- Mukesh Ambani
Founder- Dhirubhai Ambani.
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Headquarters- Mumbai.
Axis Capital Ex-chief Dharmesh Mehta and investors bought 100% stake in IDFC Securities Ltd
Former Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Axis Capital, Dharmesh Mehta and
other investors bought 100% stake in IDFC Securities Ltd from IDFC Financial Holding Company
(IDFC FHCL) for an undisclosed amount. Both the entities entered into an agreement to sell/acquire the
stake.
About IDFC Securities Ltd:
♦ IDFC stands for Infrastructure Development Finance Company.
Amazon to acquire 49% stake in Kishore Biyani-led Future Coupons Ltd

Amazon will acquire a 49% stake in Kishore Biyani-led Future Coupons Ltd for an undisclosed
amount. Amazon has agreed to make an equity investment in Future Coupons Ltd. It will have both
voting and non-voting shares. With this, amazon acquired around a 3.6 percent stake in the Future
group.
i. Future Retail operates more than 1,500 stores in India. It owns several supermarket brands like Big
Bazaar.
About Amazon:
♦ Founded: 5th July, 1994
♦ Founder: Jeff Bezos
♦ Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, U.S
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Researchers from China & US developed a new computer model that predict India’s pollution
levels
The team of researchers from China and the United States developed a new computer model that can
help accurately predict air pollution levels in the region a season in advance. The data from El Niño and
Antarctic Oscillation events can be used to predict air pollution levels in northern India. It will allow the
government to forecast aerosol pollution conditions in winter and formulate plans for pollution control.
Key Points:
i. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
ii. Meng Gao from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University in the US said
that the statistical prediction model uses 2 autumn temperature variation patterns as predictors.
iii. According to the State of Global Air 2019 Report, over 1.2 million people died in India due to air
pollution in 2017.
Scientists from IIT-Kanpur develop a robotic hand to help paralyzed stroke patients
The scientists at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have developed the world’s first
robot hand for the rehabilitation of stroke patients. It is a two-finger robotic hand (exoskeleton) that
uses a four-bar mechanism and has four degrees of freedom (DOF). It uses brain signals, with the help
of the brain-computer interface (BCI).
Key Points:
i. The exoskeleton is operated by a MEGA (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis) microcontroller
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of 300 Mhz and powered by a battery which costs around Rs 15,000.

ii. It was developed by Professor Ashish Dutta and Professor K S Venkatesh. In order to develop the
product, they had partnered with the University of Ulster, United Kingdom, and their teacher Girijesh
Prasad, who belongs to Gorakhpur.
iii. The research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Neuroscience Methods,
Biomedical and Health Informatics, Haptics and Engineering in Medical and Biology Society.
iv. It is a Rs 55 lakh MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Department) and the British Council (the UK)
project which was approved in 2018.
Three new exoplanets discovered by NASA’s TESS in a new planetary system TOI 270.
The Transmitting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) of NASA has discovered 3 new planets which are
the smallest and nearest known to date. The planets include a small, rocky super-Earth and 2 Sub-
neptunes orbiting a dwarf star just 73 light-years away from our earth. A paper describing the system
was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Planet System on TOI (TESS Object of Interest) 270
i. The members present in the planetary system are a dwarf star which is 40% smaller than the size of
the sun and the three exoplanets which are named as TOI 270b, TOI 270c, TOI 270d orbiting the star
every 3.4 days 5.7 days and 11.4 days respectively.
ii. The innermost planet is the TOI 270b and is expected to be 25% bigger than earth.
iii. The TOI 270c and TOI 270d are Neptune like planets which are half the size of our icy giants(
Uranus and Neptune).
IIT Kharagpur researchers develop ‘zero loss’ process HTC for wet MSW management
A research team from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed a ‘zero loss’
process called Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) for the Indian conditions which can effectively
manage mixed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) with high moisture content where MSW can be converted
into biofuel, soil amendment, and absorbents.
Key Points:
i. The research was led by Professor Brajesh Kumar Dubey from the Department of Civil Engineering at
IIT Kharagpur.
ii. Only 20-30% of organic fraction of municipal solid waste was recycled to biofuel using the existing
waste incineration processes.
NASA’s TESS satellite discovers first nearby super Earth

A super-Earth was discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Lisa Kaltenegger and is
considered to be the first potentially habitable world outside our own solar system.
Super earth
The super-Earth is named as GJ 357 d and it was discovered by NASA’s Translating Exoplanets Survey
Satellite (TESS) according to new modelling research in “Astrophysical Journal Letters”.
i. This super Earth, GJ 357 d located about 31 light-years away from our solar system is more massive
than earth and could contain liquid on its surface.
ii. The discovery of the GJ 357 system was announced in the journal “Astronomy & Astrophysics” by
Astronomers of Spain in July. Now, the system has GJ 357 b, GJ 357 c and GJ 357 d.
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Flipkart launched ‘Samarth’ initiative to support weavers, artisans, and makers of handicrafts to
its platform
On July 31, 2019, Anurag Thakur, Minister of State, Finance and Corporate Affairs and Kalyan
Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Flipkart Group launched ‘Samarth’, an initiative
of Flipkart, to support weavers, artisans, and makers of handicrafts to its platform.
Key Points:
i. It will help the community to on-board and sell the goods on the internet.
ii. Flipkart has tied up with 5 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to help the artisans use the
online marketplace to sell the products.
About Flipkart:
♦ Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
♦ Founded: October 2007
Ministries of Earth Sciences and Agriculture launched a mobile app called “Meghdoot” to help
farmers
On August 2,2019, As a part of Digital India initiative & and bring technology to farmers, the minister
for Earth Science, Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched a new mobile application
called “Meghdoot” in New Delhi, developed by experts from the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM) and the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research(ICAR).
Key points:
i. Utilities:
• The app will provide forecast relating to temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed and
direction, which play critical roles in agricultural operations. It also gives advisories to farmers
on how to take care of the crops and livestock.
• Information given by the app is in the form of images, maps, and pictures. The app is available
on Google Play Store & it also been integrated with WhatsApp and Facebook to help farmers
share advisories with them.
• The app would be available for 150 districts in different parts of the country & It will be
extended to other parts of the country in a phased manner.
ii. Mandate: The users of the app will have to register their name and location so that they can get area-
specific information in regional languages.
iii. Website: In addition, IMD has also developed a website to spread weather and climate information.
iv. Other apps: The central Government’s “Kisan Suvidha App”(Launched in 2016) and “Pusa Krishi
Mobile App”(Launched on March 2016) provides information on weather, market prices, seeds,
pesticides, agricultural machinery and information about the latest technologies developed by the
Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
About ICAR:
♦ Established: 16 July 1929
♦ Headquarters: New Delhi, India
♦ Director: Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
About IITM:
♦ Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
♦ Formation: November 17, 1962
♦ Director: Dr. Ravi Nanjundiah
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ISRO laid foundation stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya, Bengaluru
On August 2, 2019, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Dr. K Sivan laid foundation
stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre at Peenya, Bengaluru, Karnataka which will
host a range of activities related to the protection of Indian space assets from inactive satellites, pieces
of orbiting objects, near-earth asteroids and adverse space weather conditions.
Key Points:
i. It will facilitate the intensified activities foreseen for Space Situational Awareness & Management
(SSAM) to increase debris population and operational space assets.
ii. It will assimilate the tracking data of inactive satellites from indigenous observation facilities and
generate useful information from bare observations through analysis and help in research activities
pertaining to active debris removal, space debris modelling and mitigation
iii. ISRO has set up a Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management which protects high
valued space assets from space debris close approaches and collisions.
About ISRO:
♦ Headquarters: Bengaluru
♦ Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
Iran launched 3 new precision-guided missiles “Yasin”, “Balaban” & “Ghaem”

On August 6, 2019, Iran unveiled three precision-guided missiles “Yasin”, “Balaban” and a new series
of “Ghaem” in Tehran. The air-to-air missiles were developed jointly by the Ministry of Defence of Iran
and Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics Industries.
Key Points:
i. Yasin is a smart, guided-missile with folding wings that can be fired from a range of 50 kilometres (30
miles) of its target from manned or unmanned aircraft.
ii. Balaban is guided by GPS (Global Positioning System) and sensors. It is equipped with folding wings
and can be mounted under the aircraft.
iii. Ghaem is a heat-seeking missile which can hit within 50 centimeters of a target.
World’s thinnest gold created by British Scientists

Scientists from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom (UK), claim to have created the world’s
thinnest gold (periodic table representation of gold is Au) which is one million times thinner than
fingernail of human. As it appears to be green in the water, researchers named it gold “nanoseaweed”.
This paperwork was published in the journal Advanced Science. The lead author of the study is
author Sunjie Ye.
Key points
As only two atoms are layered one over the other, this material is regarded as 2D because all atoms are
usually surfaced with no bulk atoms beneath the surface.
i. Thickness of the material is just 0.47 nanometres.
uses
With further Research going on for this material, scientists believe that it could be used in medical
diagnostic tests and water purification system, electronic inks and bending screens.
DAC chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves acquisition of two Brahmos missile
batteries for Indian Navy
On August 8, 2019, The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath
Singhapproved the procurement of indigenous Software Defined Radio (SDR Tactical) worth Rs 1,100
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crore and Next-Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (NGMMCB, Long Range) for the
Indian Navy worth Rs 1,247 crore.
Key Points:
i. The SDR is a complex and state of the art communication system. It enables information sharing,
collaboration, and situational awareness through high-speed data and secure voice communication
with anti-jamming capability.
ii. SDR is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Weapons Electronics System Engineering Establishment
(WESEE).
iii. NGMMCB, LongRange will be fitted with supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missiles and
will be deployed along the coast. It is developed and manufactured in India by Indo-Russia Joint
Venture Company, M/s BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.
iv. The DAC also approved amendments to the Defence Procurement Procedure 2016. Its amendments
are designed to simplify processes under the ‘Make’ category and ‘Offsets’.
♦ Founded: August 15, 1947
Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX carrying AMOS-17 satellite of Israel

The US (United States) carrier rocket Falcon 9 carried Israel’s satellite AMOS-17 off the pad in Florida,
America. This is SpaceX’s 25th reflight of an orbit class rocket and also this booster’s third flight.
Key points
Launch
At sharp 23:24 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) the rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Florida, America.
i. The launch was delayed a day as there was an issue in the valve. The launch was postponed to replace
the suspect valve and perform a second static fire test.
Static fire test:
It is the pre-launch test that SpaceX conducts before each launch.
AMOS-17:
The communication satellite will be used by the US military and other govt. Leaders for secure voice,
video and data communications. It is a replacement for Amos-5 and provides coverage over the
continent of Africa, as well as Europe and the Middle East.
About SpaceX
♦ Founded- May 6, 2002
♦ Founder and CEO- Elon Musk
♦ Headquarters- Hawthorne, California, US.
Huawei launches its own Operating System HarmonyOS

On August 9, 2019, Huawei Technologies launched its own Operating System (OS)
named HongMengOS in Chinese/ HarmonyOS in English. The first version of the OS will be launched
later in 2019 in its smart screen products. It is a part of Huawei’s play in the Internet of Things (IoT).
Key Points:
i. It can be used across different devices from smartphones to smart speakers and even sensors.
ii. Over the next three years, the OS will be used in other devices, including wearables and car head
units.
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About Huawei Technologies:

♦ Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
♦ Chairman: Liang Hua
India’s first clinical ecotoxicology facility inaugurated at AIIMS, Delhi

On August 9, 2019, India’s first-of-its-kind clinical ecotoxicology facility was inaugurated at the All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. It will investigate the increasing number of
diseases resulting from exposure to environmental toxins contaminating water, food, and air. It will
provide diagnostic and research services to all the clinical departments dealing with diseases due to
ecotoxicity.
About New Delhi:
♦ Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
♦ Lt Governor: Anil Baijal
Govt. to launch new app ‘Uber for tractors’ to aid farmers

The agricultural Ministry and the centre decided to launch a farm equipment rental app to aid farmers
in accessing cutting- edge technology at affordable prices. Farmers can book and hire agricultural
equipment and use them on rent basis. Through this initiative, small farmers will be able to make use of
tools equipped with technology that are expensive to own.
i.The app is expected to be launched by the end of August 2019.
Key points
i. The name ‘Uber for tractors’ was kept by the govt. keeping in mind the popular app ‘Uber’. Just like
uber connects to cabs, this ‘uber for tractors’ will reach the grassroot level people and farmers.
ii. Trial run for the app was conducted in four states. They are Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
and Punjab.
iii. There are a total of 38,000 Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) across the country that can rent out
2.5Lakh equipment each year. So far 26,800 CHCs have been registered to offer more than 1 lakh
equipment.
iv. Farmers can avail this facility just by registering their names, addresses and mobile numbers in the
app.
Rating system
i. A rating system is provided in the app that can register feedback from both the CHC and the farmers
to make informed decisions.
ii. This system also helps to track new technology that the government wants to promote like
the happy seeder which aims to prevent stubble burning that causes air pollution.
About ministry of agriculture
♦ Union minister responsible- Narendra Singh Tomar(constituency- Morena, madhya pradesh).
♦ Minister of state- Parshotam Rupala (constituency- Gujarat).
IIT Hyderabad, NIT Jalandhar Researchers develop Bone Implant Materials From waste
Eggshells
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of
Technology (NIT) Jalandhar (Punjab) researchers have developed a process by which bone implant
materials can be synthesized from eggshells which are dumped as waste.
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Key points:
i. Process: The team synthesized nanopowder, which is a hundred thousand times smaller than the
width of a single human hair, from the eggshells, which are made of largely calcium-containing minerals
(95.1%) along with small amounts of proteins and water.
ii.Benefits: This will help people, who are affected in using synthetic chemicals as bone replacement
materials because of the presence of chemical residues. Plaster of Paris is commonly used by people to
heal bone defects but it is highly toxic.
iii.Publisher: The research work done by the team was published in the March 2019 issue of the
journal Ceramics International.
iv. The research paper has been co-authored by Dr. Roopavath Uday Kiran, Dr. Subha Narayan Rath and
Dr. Bharat B Panigrahi of IIT Hyderabad and Dr. Mahesh Kumar Sah of NIT Jalandhar.
For the first time, IIT Madras records initial success by fabricating a rechargeable iron ion
battery
For the first time, a team of Researchers led by Ramaprabhu Sundara at Indian Institute of
Technology(IIT) Madras has fabricated a rechargeable iron ion battery designed using mild steel as the
anode.
Key points:
i. The rechargeable iron ion battery is cost-effective and it will store a high amount of energy in the
battery & also displayed good stability with 54% capacity retention at the end of 50 cycles.
ii. Vanadium pentoxide is used as the cathode in Iron ion battery & it was chosen as it has a layered
structure with very large spacing between the layers.
iii. Lithium ions are the charge carriers in lithium-ion battery, the Fe2+ ions perform that function in
the case of iron ion battery. This is a significant achievement because lithium-ion batteries are widely in
use as of now. But, the lithium reserves are limited when compared to iron reserves.
iv. The results were published in the journal Chemical Communications.
Astronomers discover massive black hole with mass of 40 billion suns.

Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany discovered a Super
Massive Black Hole (SMBH) with a mass of 40 billion suns (40 billion solar masses). The findings of this
SMBH is published in the Astrophysical Journal.
Key points
i. This SMBH is twice as large as two other huge black holes and is expected to be 4 to 9 times larger
than expected galaxy’s stellar mass.
ii. The SMBH sits in the center of a supergiant elliptical galaxy called Holmberg 15A which is 700million
light-years away in the centre of Abell85 galaxy cluster.
iii. The work was completed by astronomer Kianusch Mehrgan and others at the Max PlanCk Institute
for Extraterrestrial Physics,Germany and University Observatory, Munich, Germany.
India gets its first NEDL finalized by ICMR

India has got its first National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) finalized by the Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR). The objective of the list is to bridge the current regulatory system’s gap that
does not cover all the medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic device (IVD). With this, India became
the first country to compile such a list.
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Key Points:
• Power: In India, diagnostics (medical devices and in vitro diagnostics) follow a regulatory
framework based on the drug regulations under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs
and Cosmetics Rules 1945. Diagnostics are regulated under the regulatory provisions of the
Medical Device Rules, 2017.
• Features: NEDL builds upon the Free Diagnostics Service Initiative and other diagnostics
initiatives of the Health Ministry to provide an expanded basket of tests at different levels of the
public health system. It encompasses tests relevant for new programmes like Health & Wellness
Centers (HWCs) under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). It will enable improved
health care services delivery through evidence-based care, improved patient outcomes and
reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure; effective utilization of public health facilities.
• Significance: It provides guidance to the government for deciding the kind of diagnostic tests
that different healthcare facilities in villages and remote areas require.
• Use: The list is meant for facilities from village till the district level.
• EDL: In May 2018, World Health Organization (WHO) had released the first edition of
Essential Diagnostics List (EDL). It was the reference for the development of NEDL. NEDL is
customized and prepared as per the landscape of India’s health care priorities.
About ICMR:
♦ Founded: 1911
♦ Director General: Professor Balram Bhargava
China successfully launched a new rocket for commercial use named Smart Dragon-1
On August 17, 2019, A new rocket for commercial use named Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1) with 3 satellites,
developed by the China Rocket Company affiliated to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
(CALVT) was launched successfully from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
Key Points:
i. 3 satellites were developed by 3 separate Beijing-based companies. They will be used for remote
sensing services, communication and Internet of Things (IoT).
ii. SD-1 has a total length of 19.5 metres, a diameter of 1.2 metres and a take-off weight of about 23.1
tonnes.
iii. It is a small-scale solid-propellant carrier rocket capable of sending 200 kg payloads to the solar
synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km.
iv. It was developed in less than 18 months.
About CALVT:
♦ Headquarters: Beijing
♦ Chief: Wang Xiaojun
FDA of US approves PRETOMANID new drug for drug resistant TB

The United States(US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval to a new drug
named Pretomanid, for treating extensively drug-resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) which is estimated
to have a mortality rate of 60%.
Key points
i. Pretomanid was developed by New York based non profit organisation TB alliance.
ii. It is used as a combination of drugs along with bedaquiline and linezolid collectively called as BPaL
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regimen.
iii. Previous developed drugs had only efficiency rate of 34% whereas this collective regimen produces
efficacy(efficiency) rate of 90%. This was confirmed after it was tested on 109 patients with XDR-TB
and Multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) from South Africa between 2015 and 2017.
iv. 95 out of 109 patients were successfully treated. Another great benefit of this drug is that it is
required to be given to patients only for 6 months whereas previous drugs were given for a period of
more than 18months.
About Pretomanid
i. It is a new chemical entity and a member of the class of compounds known as nitroimidazooxazines.
ii. It is only the Third new anti-TB drug approved by the FDA in more than 40 years.
iii. This drug is expected to be available in the US by the end of 2019.
IITM develops Multimodal Robotic System called “GraspMan” with a human-like grasp
A team of researchers led by Asokan Thondiyath at Indian Institute of Technology Madras
(IITM) have developed a new class of Robotic System called “GraspMan’, which has a human hand like
grasping, manipulation and locomotion abilities.
Key points:
i. GraspMan: It comprises a pair of graspers which provides morphological adaptation& allows it to
confirm the geometry of the object. The graspers have the capability to hold objects securely and
manipulate them much like the human hand.
ii.Application: The Robotic System will be used in industrial applications such as pipe climbing and
inspection, which involve climbing, holding and assembling. Machines used in search&rescue purpose
and locomotory applications will get benefit from this robotic platform.
iii. The research has been published in Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.
Scientists discovered a new pain-sensing organ in the skin

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new mesh-like organ in the skin
that senses pain and able to detect painful mechanical damage such as pricks and pressure. This could
pave the way for painkilling medication effectively.
Key points:
i. The new two-cell receptor sensory organ is made up of glial ‘Schwann’ cells with multiple long
protrusions present below the outer layer of skin (the epidermis).
ii. The sensitivity to pain occurs in the skin’s nerve fibers as well as in the new pain-sensitive organ.
iii. The activation of the organ creates electrical impulses in the nervous system that result in reflex
reactions (such as pulling our hand away when we feel a jab from a sharp object) and experience of
pain.
iv. Almost one in five people suffered from constant pain and spent a considerable amount of money
and put effort into finding painkilling drugs.
v. The study has been published in the journal, ‘Science’.
Karnataka Government categorised Nicotine as “class A poison”

The Government of Karnataka amended the Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules
2015 and notified Nicotine as “Class A poison” in order to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on
production and sale of electronic cigarettes. The new rules are called the Karnataka Poisons
(Possession and Sale) Rules, 2019.
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Key Points:
i. The ban was imposed after the study conducted the High Powered Committee on Tobacco
Controlheaded additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Vandita Sharma.
ii. The Government has also ordered the suspension of all kinds of promotion of e-cigarettes, including
online promotion.
iii. 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).
Membranes that can separate oil and water developed by IIT Guwahati researchers
On August 19, 2019, the researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Assam
invented two distinct and special membranes that can separate oil and water, even under harsh
conditions. This development is expected to be used in applications of oil spill management. The work
is published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering journal.
Key points
Features of the membrane: The membranes are super-water repellent in air and super oil-repellent in
water.
Research team: The research was led by Uttam Manna, Assistant prof. at Department of Chemistry, IIT
Guwahati along with his research team Avijit Das, Dibyangana Parbat, and Arpita Shome.
US tested the first ground-launched Cruise Missile after the exit from INF Treaty
After the United States exited from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, The
Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, for the first time, tested a
conventionally configured ground-launched cruise missile with a range of more than 500 kilometres
(310 miles) at San Nicolas Island in California, United States (US).
About INF Treaty:
It was signed by then-US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on 8 December
1987. It banned land-based missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500km (310 and 3,400 miles).
The US had withdrawn from the pact with Russia on August 2, 2019, after determining that Moscow
was violating the treaty.
Astronomers discovered a 2nd planet called ‘B Pictoris c ‘ for Beta Pictoris star
Astronomers at the Institute for Planetary sciences and Astrophysics, Grenoble, France
(IPAG) have discovered a 2nd planet called ‘B Pictoris c’. It is roughly around 3,000 times more
massive than Earth. It orbits Beta Pictoris star, which is about nearly twice the mass of Sun and lies
about 63 light years away from Earth.
Key points:
i. The planet ‘B Pictoris c’, situated 2.7 times further from its star than the Earth is from the Sun. It
takes about 1,200 days to complete its orbit.
ii. The discovery has been done by analysing 10-years worth of high-resolution data with High
Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) spectroscope on the European Southern
Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
iii. Another exoplanet discovered orbiting the Beta Pictoris star known as ‘B Pictoris B’ discovered by
Lagrange and her team in 2009.It spins at a breakneck speed of some 25 kilometres per second (90,000
kph).
iv. Beta Pictoris: It is the second brightest star located in the southern constellation of Pictor, “The
Painter’s Easel”.
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v. The discovery was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The lead author of a study was Anne-
Marie Lagrange, an astronomer at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research.
US startup Cerebras Systems unveils World’s largest processor with 1.2 trillion transistors
called Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine
New artificial intelligence (AI) company Cerebras Systems based in United States(US) has unveiled the
world’s largest single silicon-based processor, the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine (WSE) with 1.2
trillion transistors, the basic on-off electronic switches that are the building blocks of silicon chips.
Key points:
i. The rectangular shape chip measures around 8 inches by 9 inches, comes with 400,000 AI (Artificial
Intelligence) cores and 18 gigabytes of on-chip memory.
ii. It is made by a team headed by Andrew Feldman with the aim to enhance the development work of
AI. It is 56.7 times larger than Nvidia’s most powerful server GPU (graphics processing unit).
About Cerebras Systems:
♦ Formation:2016
♦ Headquarters: Los Altos, California, USA
♦ CEO, Co-Founder: Andrew Feldman
NASA’s MMS Mission took 1st high-resolution measurements of an interplanetary shock

America’s space agency, NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Magnetospheric
Multiscale mission (MMS) has obtained 1st high-resolution measurements of an interplanetary
shock event. These shocks are launched from the Sun which continually releases streams of charged
particles called the solar wind, which has 2 types, slow and fast. When a fast stream of solar wind
overtakes a slower stream, it creates a shock wave.
Key points:
i. Advantage: These shocks provide ideal testbeds for learning about larger universal phenomena.
ii. Measurement: The MMS mission measured the shock with fast and high-resolution instruments
including the Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI), which can measure ions and electrons around the
spacecraft at up to 6 times per second.
iii. Interplanetary shocks events: It occurs when particles transfer energy through electromagnetic
fields instead of directly bouncing into one another. These shocks are a phenomenon found every part
of the Universe, including in supernovae, black holes, and distant stars.
iv. MMS : It is NASA’s robotic space mission launched in March 2015 to study Earth’s magnetosphere. It
comprises of 4 identical spacecraft, which fly in a tight formation that allows for the 3D(3-
Dimensional)mapping of space.
v. Journal: The findings have been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
NASA confirms Europa Clipper Mission

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States (US) space agency, has
confirmed the next phase of development of the Europa Clipper Mission, an interplanetary mission to
Jupiter’s smallest moon Europa, with the target to launch by 2023. It will be conducting an in-depth
exploration of Jupiter’s moon Europa and investigate whether the icy moon can have suitable
conditions for sustaining life and increase our insights into astrobiology. Key Points:
i. The space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California leads the development of the
Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
for the Science Mission Directorate.
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ii. The mission is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
iii. Reason: Jupiter’s Galilean moon Europa consists of a huge ocean of liquid water beneath its icy
shell. The water is in contact with the rocky core of the moon, which according to space scientists, make
a range of interesting chemical reactions possible. Hence astrobiologists consider 1,940-miles-wide
(3,120 kilometres) Europa moon to be one of the best bets to host alien life in the solar system.
Ocean power classified as renewable energy by the Govt

On August 22, 2019, proposal to declare ocean energy as renewable energy was approved by R K
Singh,Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister.
Key points:
i.According to the proposal, all forms of ocean energy, such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy
conversion, will now be considered as renewable energy and also be eligible for meeting non-solar
renewable purchase obligations (RPO).
ii.This step has been taken by the ministry after some renewable energy developers sought clarification
regarding the ocean energy.
iii.RPO:The discoms(Distribution Companies) can now buy renewable energy certificates from the
developers or renewable power generators.
iv.Oceans:Oceans cover 70% of the earth’s surface and produce energy in the form of wave, tidal,
marine current and thermal gradient.
Ocean energy
Ocean energy refers to all forms of renewable energy derived from the sea. Currently there are no
installed Ocean Energy capacity in India.
Types: There are three main types of ocean technology. They are
• Wave energy (generated by converting the energy within ocean waves (swells) into electricity).
• Tidal energy(it converts the energy obtained from tides into useful forms of power).
• Ocean thermal energy (generated by converting the temperature difference between the
ocean’s surface water and deeper water into energy).
Ocean energy sector: This sector can stimulate innovation, create economic growth and new jobs as
well as has the potential to reduce carbon footprint.
Technology used:
Current technologies are at pre-research and development (R&D) or demonstration stage or the initial
stage of commercialization and are looked after by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (National Institute of
Ocean Technology, Chennai).
Energy potential:
Tidal energy: The identified potential is about 12,455 megawatt (MW), with potential locations
identified at Khambhat and Kutch regions of Gujarat, and at large backwater areas.
Wave energy: identified potential of wave energy is estimated to be about 40,000 MW(preliminary
estimates).
Ocean thermal energy: It has a theoretical potential of 1,80,000 MW in India subject and is subjected
to suitable technological evolution.
About RPO:
It is a mechanism by which the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions(SERC) are obliged to purchase
a certain percentage of power from renewable energy sources. RPO is being implemented throughout
the country to create demand for renewable energy.
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About ministry of new and renewable energy:

♦ Minister of State (independent charge)- R. K. Singh(constituency-Arrah, Bihar)
♦ Founded- 1992.
♦ Previously the govt. Re-classified large hydroelectric power plants as renewable energy sources
following stagnation in growth in the sector in March 2019. Prior to that, only hydro power plants with
less than 25 MW capacity were treated as renewable sources.
Amid increasing tensions with US, Iran unveils its new home-grown missile defence system, “
Bavar-373”
The Iranian Defense Ministry has unveiled its new home-grown air defence system called “Bavar-
373” at a time of increasing tensions between Iran & United States(US) since US President Donald
Trump in 2018 withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal -2015 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Key points:
i. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani attended the unveiling ceremony and ordered to add Bavar-373 to
country’s missile defence network.
ii. Bavar-373: It means “believe” in Farsi(Western Iranian language). Iran made this long-range
mobile surface-to-air missile system after the purchase of Russia’s S-300 system was suspended in
2010 due to international sanctions, that have barred it from importing many weapons.
iii. With a range of more than 200km (124 miles), Bavar is suited to Iran’s geography. The missile
system competes with Russia’s S-300 and America’s Patriot.
iv. Background: On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action, an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program reached in July 2015 by Iran, the P5+1 (the 5
Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council-China, France, Russia, United Kingdom,
United States + Germany) and the European Union.
Russia successfully sent its First Humanoid Robot ‘Fedor’ into space
On August 22, 2019, Russia launched its first unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot
named‘Fedor’ (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) in Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft
from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts
on the International Space Station (ISS).
Key Points:
i. Fedor is also known as Skybot F850. It stands 1.80 metres (5 foot 11 inches) tall and weighs 160
kilograms (353 pounds).
ii. Fedor is not the first robot to go into space. In 2011, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) sent up Robonaut 2, a humanoid robot developed with General Motors . In 2013, Japan
sent a small robot called Kirobo developed with Toyota.
NASA named a rock on Mars in honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones
On August 23, 2019, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) named a rock on Mars in
honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones. The team behind NASA’s InSight lander has
named a Martian rock after the band: ‘Rolling Stones Rock.’ The InSight mission is led by NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
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Prakash Javadekar inaugurates National Centre for Avian Ecotoxicology in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu
On Aug 24, 2019, The Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information and
Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has inaugurated the National Centre for Avian
Ecotoxicology at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Sciences ((SACON) in Coimbatore,
Tamil Nadu.
Key points:
i. The centre will study the movement of chemical contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and drugs through food chain, and their
impacts on bird species.
ii. The ministry also funded an amount of Rs 4 crore to the centre for modernization & to handle the
challenges posed by the continued entry of newer chemicals into the environment.
Critical components to India’s Gaganyaan mission to be supplied by Russia

India is in talks with Russia for a wider range of cooperation in the space sector to supply semi-
cryogenic engine technology and critical components for India’s first human space mission Gaganyaan
for the year 2021.
Key points
India and Russia are expected to negotiate the contracts for the Supply of crew seats, windows and
spacesuits, crew rescue system, aerodynamic tests for the 2021 Gaganyaan mission.
i. Meet in September:
According toRoscosmos (Russian state run space corporation), a top level meeting between Russia and
India regarding the mission cooperation is likely to be held during the 5th Eastern Economic
Forum(EEF) from September 4-6 in Vladivostok, Russia.
ii. Other discussions:
After a meeting between Roscomos Director General(DG) Dmitry Rogozin and India’s National Security
Advisor(NSA) Ajit Doval in Moscow on August 21, the following sections are to be discussed in the
EEF.They are,
• cooperation in the sphere of piloted space flights,
• satellite navigation and
• engine technology.
iii. Training:
As per a contract signed on June 27 this year between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and
Russian space agency Glavkosmos(part of Roscosmos), 4 Indians are to be trained at the Yuri Gagarin
Cosmonaut Centre.
iv. Glavkosmos work: it will help ISRO to select, test, train and qualify Indian astronauts at the Yuri
Gagarin centre and the state-run Institute of Medical and Biological Problems.
France partners to train space medicine personnel for Gaganyaan
France’s partnership: During the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France, French space
agency CNES-National Centre for Space Studies (French: Centre national d’études spatiales) announced
partnership to train Indian space medicine personnel for Gaganyaan.
Training: For this, the training would be held at MEDES space clinic (institute for space medicine and
physiology) and CADMOS (Centre for the Development of Microgravity Applications and Space
operation.)
The training session involves life support systems for Astronauts, health monitoring, medicine,
radiation protection, protection from space debris and personal hygiene systems.
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About ISRO:
Headquarters- Bengaluru.
Founder- Vikram Sarabhai.
Director- Kailasavadivoo Sivan (K.Sivan).
Subsidiary- Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
About Gaganyaan mission:
Manufacture- Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd(HAL) and ISRO.
First launch- December 2020 (uncrewed); December 2021 (crewed).
Intel launched its first artificial intelligence chip ‘Spring Hill’

Intel Corp launched its latest processor named ‘Spring Hill’ or Nervana NNP (neural network
processor) -I 1000, at the HotChips 2019 symposium for high-performance chips at Stanford University
in California, United States. It is Intel’s first artificial intelligence (AI) chip. It was developed at its
development facility in Haifa, Israel.
i. The Spring Hill processor is based on a 10-nanometer Ice Lake architecture. It will allow it to cope
with high workloads using minimal amounts of energy.
ii. Facebook has already started using the product.
Satellite surveillance of ships planned between India and France

On August 24, 2019, India and France have formalized the development and launch of a unique
constellation of around 10 low-earth orbit satellites. It will continuously provide maritime surveillance
and security.
Key Points:
i. The satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) will detect, identify and track a range of
vessels moving in the Indian Ocean region and guard against aggression, terrorism, piracy, smuggling,
source of oil slicks and also be useful for rescues.
ii. The constellation carrying telecommunications (AIS) and radar and optical remote-sensing
instruments will constitute the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships
continuously.
iii. Joint Maritime Space Fleet: It was first announced during French President Emmanuel Macron’s
first visit to Delhi in March 2018. In July, ISRO Chairman K.Sivan and French space agency CNES (Centre
national d’études spatiales or the National Centre for Space Studies) President Jean-Yves Le Gall signed
an implementing agreement on it in Bangalore. The pact was formally announced at the summit of Mr.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the visit of PM to France
(August 2019).
iv. AIS satellites would be launched by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) at its space port in
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
North Korea tests new ‘super-large’ multiple rocket launcher

On August 25, 2019, a newly developed “super-large multiple rocket launcher” as part of North Korea’s
expanding weapons arsenal (collection of weapons and military equipment) was test-fired and was
supervised by North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. This latest North Korean launch was made
two days after South Korea announced the possible termination of its intelligence-sharing deal with
Japan amid trade disputes between the US (United States) allies.
Key points:
i. The launcher was developed and tested as means of Korean-style strategic and tactical weapons to
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face the military threats and pressure from its hostile forces such as the United States and South Korea
that conducted a small scale military drill in November 2018.
ii.Recent test fires:
• North Korea marks its 7th weapon test in about a month after its super-large multiple rocket
launcher of which most are of short range.
• The previous test fire also involved a large-calibre multiple rocket guided system just a day after
South Korea accused North Korea of firing two short-range ballistic missiles.
• Further the super large rocket launcher is ambiguously considered to be at least the 4th new
missile system unveiled by North Korea after denuclearisation talks.
Akademik Lomonosov: World’s first floating nuclear reactor of Russia launched in Arctic
The world’s first floating nuclear reactor Akademik Lomonosov was launched by Russia on August
23, 2019, and had set up on a 5000 km journey to northeastern Siberia from Arctic port of Murmansk
(north Arctic region), and the trip is expected to last between 4-6 weeks depending on the ice amounts
and weather. Despite warnings by environmentalists the journey was started as the reactor is
vulnerable to storms and could also produce radioactive wastes.
Akademik Lomonosov:
i. Features: Owned by Rosatom(Russian state nuclear energy corporation), the work for the nuclear
reactor began in 2006. It is of length144 metres (472 ft.) and width of 30 metres (98 ft.) weighing
21,000 tons. The reactor is expected to start its operation by the end of 2019, mainly serving in the
region’s oil platforms.
ii. Reactors & crew: The floating reactor that can accommodate a crew of 69 members began the work
of construction in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 2006. It has 2 KLT-40 naval propulsion reactors with a
capacity of 35 megawatts each and can travel at a speed of 3.5 to 4.5 knots.
The reactor on arriving Pevek, a town in the Siberian region of Chukotka(Russia), will replace a local
nuclear plant and a closed coal plant.
iii. Criticism:Greenpeace which is a Non-Governmental Organization in the Netherlands, criticized the
project calling it “nuclear Titanic” and a “Chernobyl on Ice” due to the probable harmful effects it may
produce in the future and also created concerns of the Russian nuclear negligence after the recent
explosion in Arkhangelsk, Russia, a military testing site.
A new mobile app called “IndTokyo” launched to help Paralympians to look up accessible places
in Tokyo during 2020 Paralympics Games
On August 25, 2019, Arhan Bagati, Awareness and Impact Ambassador of Paralympic Committee of
India has launched a mobile application called “IndTokyo” to help para-athletes to look up accessible
places in Tokyo, Japan during their visit to the city for the 2020 Paralympics Games.
Key points:
i. The app has features like information on para-athletes and accessible places in Tokyo among others.
About 4,000 athletes from across the world are expected to participate in the event.
2020 summer Paralympics:
♦ Dates: 25 August, 2020 – 6 September, 2020
♦ Host city: Tokyo, Japan
♦ Stadium: New National Stadium
2024 Summer Paralympics:
♦ Dates: 28 August, 2024 – 8 September, 2024
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♦ Host city: Paris, France

♦ Stadium: Stade de France
IIT-Guwahati Researchers developed lab grown meat

Researchers from the IIT-Guwahati (Assam), have developed a fully grown meat in their Biomaterial
and Tissue Engineering laboratory. Claimed to be natural, the meat is formulated and is applied for
patent rights for production. Also, it has improvised nutritional values as per customer needs.
Key points
i. The lab-grown meat will be an alternative to real meat as UN population prospects that the current
meat industry will not be able to meet the global needs by 2050.
ii. Patented part: Muscle progenitor cells isolated from animals via small biopsies are patented by the
research team where the cells are grown on edible material base.
11th C-17 Globemaster III Transport Aircraft of Boeing, delivered to IAF

American aerospace company Boeing has delivered its 11th C-17 Globemaster III Transport Aircraft to
the Indian Air Force (IAF) in order to boost the airlift requirements. It can carry large combat
equipment, troops and humanitarian aid across long distances in all weather conditions.
Key points
i. With this delivery, the number of Boeing-built operable C-17s around the globe reached 275.
ii. Boeing had previously launched C-17 simulator training centre in 2016 which provides training
services to the IAF.
About IAF:
♦ Founded- 8 October 1932.
♦ Air Chief Marshal-Birender Singh Dhanoa.
Chemicals and Fertilizers ministry launched “Janaushadhi Sugam” mobile app

On August 27, 2019, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda, in New
Delhi launched the mobile application “Janaushadhi Sugam” which would help in searching for outlets
and generic medicines. Reduction in the cost of “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary
Napkin” was also announced. The napkins will now be available at Rs 1 per pad from its previous
amount of Rs 2.50.
Key points
i. “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin” at Rs 2.50 per pad was launched on the
eve of World Environment Day on 4th June 2018. Till 31st July 2019, over 1.30 crore pads were sold at
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras(PMBJ).
ii. The Janaushadhi sugam app is made available in android and ios(Internetwork Operating System)
platforms and could be downloaded from google play store and apple store respectively.
About Chemicals and fertilizers ministry:
Minister of State(MoS)- Shri Mansukh Mandaviya. (Also Mos independent charge of Shipping ministry;
constituency- Gujarat)
Secretary- Shri Chhabilendra Roul.
Constituency of D.V. Sadananda Gowda- Bangalore north.
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‘Shagun’-Integrated Online junction for School Education launched by Union HRD Minister
On August 28, 2019, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development(MHRD) Shri Ramesh
Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched “Shagun” which is one of the world’s largest Integrated Online Junction
for school education to improve the school education system. It was launched in New Delhi where
a booklet about Shagun was also released in the presence of Minister of State for HRD, Shri Sanjay
Shamrao Dhotre. The portal for shagun is htpp://shagun.govt.in
Key points
i. The portal of shagun creates junction for all online portals and websites relating to Department of
School Education and Literacy in all states and Union Territories(UT).
ii. Shagun meaning: It is coined from two different words “Shala” (schools) and “Gunvatta” (Quality).
iii. Other members present:Secretary of Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD, Smt.
Rina Ray, and other officials of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.
iv. Focus areas:Integrated Online Junction through feedback from Stakeholders cleaning and
reinforcement., To generate feedback system from stakeholders, Interoperability among websites, to
Conduct quizzes and puzzles and using artificial intelligence(AI) and deep machine learning.
v. INSET: Integrated National School Education Treasury (INSET) is to be set up. This INSET functions
as a fully integrated, instantly accessible and seamless information network for all parameters relating
education sector.
About MHRD:
♦ Founded- 26 September 1985.
♦ Constituency of Ramesh Pokhriyal- Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
♦ Constituency of Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre- Akola, Maharashtra.
‘Ghaznavi’ surface-to-surface ballistic missile test fired by Pakistan

On August 28, 2019, the Pakistan army successfully test-fired its 290km range surface to surface(SSM)
name “Ghaznavi” during its night training launch.
Key points
The missile was launched from Sonmiani flight test range of Balochistan and is developed by National
Development Complex (NDC) which is a missile developer for Pakistan army headquartered at
Fatehjang, Punjab (Pakistan).
About Pakistan:
♦ Capital- Islamabad.
♦ President- Arif Alvi.
♦ Prime minister- Imran Khan.
♦ Currency- Pakistani Rupee.
MIT scientists developed biggest-ever carbon nanotube computer chip- RV16XNano

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed the biggest-ever
computer chip using carbon nanotubes (CNT)- RV16XNano. This was published in the journal Nature.
i. RV16XNano is a 16-bit processor that contains 14,000 transistors — electronic switches. These
switches are made up of CNT — tiny cylinders made of rolled-up, atom-thick sheets of graphene.
ii. The first carbon nanotube (CNT) computer, made in 2013, contained only hundreds of electronic
switches known as transistors.
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Under Digital India, Banjari village of Katni district in MP to become an integral part of the
digital map of the country
Under the Prime Minister’s ambitious project of Digital India, the Banjari village of Katni
district becomes the 1st village in Madhya Pradesh(MP) to become an integral part of the digital map
of the country.
Key points:
i. Plan: The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEiTY) has envisaged the
Digital Village Project & It has planned to build 1000 digital villages across India in this phase starting
from Banjari Gram Panchayat of MP.
ii. Bridging the Gap: The project will provide connectivity in every village & bridge the digital gap
between rural and urban areas of the country. This will also create new jobs and employment.
iii. 1st Digital village: Akodara village of Sabarkantha district of Gujarat is the 1st digital village in India.
iv. Aim: The MEiTY has planned to create one lakh digital villages of this kind in the next 5 years.
About Digital India campaign:
It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015 in order to ensure the Government’s
services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by
increasing Internet connectivity or by making the country digitally empowered in the field of
technology.
DEFENCE
Indian Army with EESL launches a batch of 10 electric cars in New Dehli to combat air pollution
On August 1, 2019, In order to tackle air pollution, the Indian Army has launched an environmental
friendly initiative with deploying a batch of 10 electric cars (E-cars) in New Delhi to be used of its
Army personnel. Lt Gen Gopal flagged off the first lot of e-Cars.
Key Highlights:
i. Partner: The pilot project of employing e-cars in Delhi was envisioned on the World Environment
Day (June 5, 2019)and launched now in partnership with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a
joint venture state-owned NTPC Limited(National Thermal Power Corporation), Power Finance
Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and Powergrid under the Ministry of Power.
ii. Boost: The initiative will promote further development of electric vehicle technology and its
adoption by the general public in the near future.
iii. Services: The army’s Territorial Army Battalions (ECO), which posted in remote and ecologically
sensitive areas from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have been taken part in various environmental activities
such as forestation.
About Indian Army:
♦ Motto: “Service Before Self”
♦ Chief of the Army Staff: Bipin Rawat
About EESL:
♦ Founded: 2009:
♦ Chairman: Rajeev Sharma
♦ Managing Director: Saurabh Kumar
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Defence ministry extends benefits of Child Care Leave to single male service personnel
On August 10, 2019, Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh has approved the extension of Child Care
Leave (CCL) benefits to single male service personnel and further, the minimum period of CCL has been
reduced to 5 days instead of 15 days.
Key points:
i. CCL for Defence personnel: Till now, women officers of defence forces are given up to 15 days to
care for children up to the age of 22, with a 40 % disability. Not only female employees but now Single
male service personnel also will be given 5 days leave from the earlier limit of 15 days to care for their
children (irrespective of age).
ii. Similar order: The move is in line with the recent order of Department of Personnel and Training
(DoPT) extending similar benefits to civilian employees.
iii. Background: DoPT has made certain amendments for grant of CCL to civilian employees recently,
whereby the CCL given to woman employees till now has been extended to single male civil servants
also. The age limit of 22 years prescribed earlier in the case of a child with 40 % disability has been
removed for the purpose of availing CCL & the minimum period of CCL has been reduced to 5 days
instead of 15.
♦ Formation: 15 August 1947 (as Ministry of Defence)
♦ Minister of State for Defence: Shripad Yesso Naik
Indian Army launches ‘Mission Reach Out’ post Article 370 revocation in Jammu
On August 10, 2019, The Indian Army has launched a “Mission Reach Out” post revocation of Article
370 in Jammu Division to ensure basic necessities and essential services are available in the region.
Key points:
i. Mission Reach Out: Under this mission, Army has undertaken many initiatives which includes,
providing water in locations where supply is disrupted and mobile medical care units with essential
medicines, giving essentials including rations, assistance in transportation of patients to hospitals,
facilitating people to speak to their near and dear ones through Army exchange and creating a safe
environment for ATMs, banks and hospitals to function.
ii. A high-level conference, “Mission Reach Out”, chaired by White Knight Corps Commander Lt
Gen Paramjit Singh, to review the prevalent situation in the region was held in the Nagrota Military
Station. It was attended by Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma, members of civil
administration, representatives of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) Police, CRPF(Central Reserve Police Force
i), BSF(Border Security Force)and intelligence agencies.
iii. Paramjit Singh was appreciative of the cooperation between the Army, Civil Administration & other
security forces in maintaining peace, harmony and favorable environment in the Jammu region.
About Indian Army:
♦ Chief of the Army Staff: Bipin Rawat
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Japanese defense ship “JS Sazanami“, visits Kochi on a 2-day goodwill visit
Japanese Ship, JS Sazanami, the fourth vessel of the Takanami class destroyers of the Japan Maritime
Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commanded by Commander Shoji Ishkawa visited Kochi on a 2-day
goodwill visit from August 13 to 14, 2019.
Key points:
i. Activities such as the visit of Indian Navy personnel onboard JS Sazanami and professional interaction
between the two navies were conducted during the visit. The visiting team was also provided with a
conducted tour of the Anti-Submarine Warfare School and the Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS (Indian
Navy Ship ) Sunayna.
ii. Shoji Ishkawa was accompanied by Koichiro Maeda , Coast Guard Superintendent, Commanding
Officer of the Somalia Dispatch Team of the Japanese Coast Guard, and Captain Taiko Eda, Resident
Defence Attaché of Japan at New Delhi, paid a visit with Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.
iii. On August19,2019, JS Sazanami , which has about 25 officers, 156 sailors and 8 Japanese Coast
Guard personnel (3 officers and 5 sailors) on board will depart for Bahrain from Kochi.
The Indian Navy is to host naval exercise MILAN in March 2020 in Vizag
The Indian Navy is to host the multilateral naval exercise named ‘MILAN‘ at Visakhapatnam for the year
2020 in the month of March. The announcement for this exercise was made by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar
Jain, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at the INS(Indian Navy
Ship) Circars Parade Ground in the ENC on the occasion of 73rd Independence day.
Key points
i. MILAN is a biennial exercise which was first started in 1995. Until last year the exercise was held at
Andaman and Nicobar Command(ANC).
ii. For the first time, this exercise is to be conducted in the mainland of ENC, Vishakapatnam.
iii. Flag hoist: After hoisting the flag, the vice-admiral Mr.Jain, inspected ceremonial parade that
comprised of naval platoons.
iv. Officials present: Flag officers, Commanding officers of various ships and establishments in
Visakhapatnam, several armed forces, civilian personnel and their families were present in the
occasion.
v. Tributes: Vice admiral Narayan Prasad, Director General Naval Projects, Visakhapatnam paid tribute
to the Martyrs who sacrificed their lives. The tribute was paid at ‘Victory at Sea’ war memorial on the
Beach road, Visakhapatnam.
Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh approves decisions regarding re-organisation of Army
Headquarters
On August 21, 2019, Union Minister for Defence Shri Rajnath Singh approved certain decisions
regarding re-organisation of Army Headquarters, based on a detailed internal study conducted by the
Army Headquarters (AHQ).
The decisions are:
i. Separate Vigilance Cell under COAS: An independent vigilance cell will be made functional under
COAS (Chief of Army Staff) with Tri-Services representation. Accordingly, ADG- Additional Directorate
General (Vigilance) will be placed directly under the COAS for this purpose. It will have three Colonel-
level officers (one each from Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy). This will be done within
the existing posts at AHQ. At present, the vigilance function for the COAS is through multiple agencies
and there is no single point interface.
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ii. An umbrella organisation under VCOAS for enhanced focus on human rights issues:
To give high priority to observance of human rights convention and values, it has been decided to set up
a special Human Rights Section headed by ADG (Major General rank officer) directly under the VCOAS
(Vice Chief Of Army Staff/Army). It will be the nodal point to examine any HR (Human Resource)
violation reports. To enhance transparency and ensure the best of investigative expertise is available to
the section, a Police officer of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)/ Superintendent of Police (SP)
rank will be taken on deputation.
iii. Re-location of 206 Army Officers from AHQ to Formations/Units of the Field Army:
A total of 206 officers will be optimized from AHQ and the officers will be made available additionally to
Formations/Units of the Field Army. The details are:
Name of Post No. of Posts
Major Gen. 03
Brigadier 08
Colonel 09
Lt. Colonel/ Major 186
♦ Constituency of the Minister of Defence: Lucknow, U.P
Indian Army and Tata Realty signs MoU for quality housing
On August 22, 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian
Army’s Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) and the Tata Realty housing to provide quality
housing to army personnel. By this MoU, the Indian army can now take over dwelling units in 13 ‘Ready
to Move in’ projects of Tata Realty pan India.
Key points
i. The project of Tata Realty is spread across 10 cities including Gurugram, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune
among others. The discount rate is kept between 11-27%.
ii. Through this MoU the AWHO will provide quality housing to army personnel deployed in remote
locations of the country where homes will be acquired from private builders at a discounted rate.
About AWHO:
♦ Formed- 1978.
♦ Act- Indian Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
About Indian Army:
♦ Motto- Service Before Self.
♦ Founded- 1 April 1985.
♦ Commander in chief- President Ram NathKovind.
USCG Stratton arrives in Chennai port; Participates in the Indo-USCG joint exercise
On August 23, 2019, United States Coast Guard (USCG) ship Stratton on the maiden visit to India
arrived at Chennai port as a part of a goodwill visit. Deputy Inspector General Sanjeev Dewan, TM
Commander Coast Guard along with officials from Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and USCG graced the
occasion.
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Key Points:
i. The Captain of USCG is Bob Little.
ii. It will leave India on August 27, 2019.
Indo-USCG joint exercise
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and USCG Stratton took part in an Indo-USCG joint exercise off the Chennai
coast. Coast Guard ships and aircraft of the two countries took part in the exercise around five nautical
miles off the city coast in the Bay of Bengal.
i. From the Indian side, ICG Shaurya and ICG Abheek ships and Chetak helicopter took part in the
exercise which focused on anti-piracy, search and rescue, and fire fighting operations.
ii. The US cutter ship ‘Stratton’, 127-metre-long and 43-metre-tall, and an aircraft associated with the
vessel were part of the operation.
About ICG:
♦ Motto: We Protect
SCO exercise “Tsentr (centre) 2019” to be participated by India with Pakistan, China
India and Pakistan will be participating in the upcoming major military exercise “Tsentr (centre)
2019” under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), to be held from tentatively scheduled
period of September 10-21 at Orenburg, Russia. All the members of SCO will be participating in the
exercise. The decision to hold the exercise was announced at the 34th SCO Regional Anti- Terrorist
Structure council held earlier this year in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan.
SCO members – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan.
Work of the exercise:
• Demonstrating the employment of forces in the coalition states in countering International
terrorism
• Providing military security in the Central Asian region
• The exercise will simulate conventionally and counter-terrorist operations carried out by the
group of troops of coalition states against “ A rogue state responsible for spreading state-
sponsored terrorism in the region”.
• Program on cybersecurity will be conducted for the contingent. The Indian army has tasked a
cybersecurity commander to ensure that no security breach occurs during the exercise.
Final planning conference:
The final planning conference defining the modalities of conducting the exercise will be held at
Orenburg, Russia from August 20-22. About 140 troops from the Indian army unit are to participate in
the exercise.
Special invites: Russia has specially sent invites to Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, and Belarus to
participate in the exercise.
INS Tarkash participates in 14th Edition of KONKAN-19 Bilateral Exercise between the Indian
Navy and Royal Navy of Britain
The Indian Navy’s stealth frigate, INS Tarkash, participated in the 14th Edition of KONKAN-19 series of
annual bilateral exercises between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Britain off the South Coast of
the United Kingdom (UK).
Key Points:
i. It exercised with the Royal Navy’s Daring Class Destroyer, HMS Defender with integral helicopter
Wildcat.
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ii. KONKAN-19 involved Gunnery Shoots, Manoeuvres, Cross Deck Flying, ASW Screening and Air
Defence exercise.
iii. The thrust of the KONKAN-19 was on Anti-Air Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Flying Operations and
Seamanship Evolutions of varying complexities.
About UK:
♦ Capital: London
♦ Currency: Pound sterling
About Indian Navy:
♦ Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh
♦ Navy Day: 4th December
♦ Motto: Sham No Varunah (May the Lord of the water be auspicious unto us)
The air forces of China and Pakistan began joint exercise ‘Shaheen-VIII’ near Ladakh
The air forces of China and Pakistan began joint exercise Labelled ‘Shaheen-VIII’ in the Chinese city
of Holton, close to the Indian border of around 300 km north of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir(J&K).
This is the 8th such exercise undertaken by two countries with the participation of Chinese J10 & J-11
and Pakistani JF-17s planes.
Key points:
i. Pakistani JF-17 planes (a single-engined light jet aircraft)passed through the Skardu airbase in Gilgit
Baltistan area occupied by Pakistan, which India claims is a part of the former princely state of J&K.
ii. The single-engine, single-seat J-10 is a product of the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. JF-17, a
lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical
Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China.
iii. The exercise will help India’s two neighbours of China &Pakistan to improve bilateral relation.
iv. In 2018, ‘Shaheen-VII’ was held in Pakistan
India test-fires 2 QRSAM from a test range in Odisha

On August 4, 2019, India test-fired a sophisticated all-weather and all-terrain two Quick Reaction
Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) from a mobile truck-based launch unit at complex 3 of the Integrated
Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha, which was developed by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) for the India Army.
i. QRSAM, the state-of-the-art missile, uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km.
ii. It is equipped with electronic countermeasures against jamming by aircraft radars. It can be
mounted on a truck and stored in a canister.
iii. The first trial of the QSRAM was conducted on June 4, 2017.
About DRDO:
♦ Founded: 1958
♦ Motto: “Strength’s Origin is in Science”
♦ Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
5th fast patrol vehicle- Kanaklata Barua, for Indian Coast Guard launched by GRSE Kolkata
On August 10, 2019, the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) which is a premier warship
builder based at Kolkata, launched the fifth Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) for the Indian Coast Guard(ICG)
named Kanaklata Barua. The mini Ratna Category 1 PSU (Public Sector Unit), GRSE, launched the FPV
at its Rajan Bagan Dockyard unit, Kolkata.
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Key points
i. The ship is the last series of the five FPVs built by GRSE.
ii. It is to be Commissioned as Kanaklata Barua, named after a freedom fighter from Assam.
iii. The first ship of FPV class is ICGS (Indian Coast Guard Ship) Priyadarshini that was commissioned
on March 27, 2019.
Basic features of the ship:
i. Its length is 50m and its breadth is 7.5m with displacement of 308 tonnes.
ii. They have a maximum speed of 34knots (1 knot= 1.15miles per hour) enduring more than 1500
nautical miles.
iii. The latest FPV series is an improvised version of Inshore Patrol Vessels built by GRSE in 2013. They
are well suited for patrolling, anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and rescue operations.
Engine and navigation:
i. The main engines have advanced control system and water jet units.
ii. It has an integrated bridge system which takes in and understands fully about the communication
and navigation systems.
iii. It can accommodate 35 personnel, key armament of 40/60 gun and improved habitability features
with full air condition.
GRSE productions:
i. GRSE has so far built frigates, missile Corvettes, anti-submarine warfare Corvettes and landing craft
utility ships for the Indian Navy.
ii. It can produce 20 ships concurrently by its enhanced shipping capacity and is the only shipyard to
deliver over 100 warships.
iii. GRSE also works for the engineering and business areas and builds ‘bailey type bridges’, ‘deck
machinery for ships’ and diesel engines for marine applications.
iv. It has received orders of over Rs.27,500 crore.
Launch:
It was launched by Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of the secretary of defense (Production unit) Ajay Kumar,
in the presence of Rear Admiral (retd) VK Saxena, Chairman, and Managing director, GRSE and
inspector General Rajan Bargotra, commander Coast Guard Region (North-west East).
About GRSE
♦ The company was nationalized in the year 1960 and was awarded Mini Ratna status on September
2006.
♦ Headquarters- Kolkata, India.
♦ Founded- 1884.
♦ Chairman and CEO- Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN(retd).
DRDO hands over MMR design to the Indian army

On August 20, 2019, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman, and
Secretary of the Department of Defence (Research & Development- R&D) G. Satheesh Reddy handed
over the design of the Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian army in an event held at the DRDO
bhawan in New Delhi.
Key points
i. The MMR with a load-bearing capacity of 70 metric tonne (MT), was handed over to Vice Chief of
Army Staff, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu.
ii. It has been designed and developed by the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety
(CFEES), which is DRDO’s premier research laboratory.
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MMR: The MMR is designed and developed for the Indian Army for reducing Strategic Mobility time of
mobilising Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV). Portable modular design with easy assembling and
disassembling are the features of MMR.
Other members at the event:
• Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri- Director General Operational Logistics & Strategic Movement.
• S Christopher-Director General of DRDO.
• Rajiv Narang- Director of CFEES.
About DRDO
♦ Union minister responsible- Defence minister Rajnath Singh(constituency-bastion of Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh).
♦ Formed- 1958.
♦ Motto- “Strength’s Origin is in Science”.
ENVIRONMENT
Wild elephant population census as per 2017,released
Union environment ministry released the wild elephant population census, which is taken once in every
five years by India state of Forest report has estimated that there are totally 29,964 elephants in the
country as per the 2017 census which is a bit high compared to the 2012 elephant census having
29,576 elephants.
Key points
i. Southern part of India accounts for 14,612 elephants while the north east is estimated with 10,139
elephants.
ii. Kerala has witnessed a marginal drop in the elephant count as there are only 5706 elephants
compared to 6177 elephants in the 2012 census even though there was a record high of 190 wild
cats(tigers) against 136 in the recent wild cat census.
State rankings
With over 6049 elephants, Karnataka ranks first in the state-wise category and is followed by Kerala.
Remains of the world’s largest bird “Heracles inexpectatus” on earth discovered

Remains of the World’s largest parrot, Heracles inexpectatus that lived 19 million years ago have been
discovered in New Zealand which is well known for giant birds. It is nicknamed as “Squawkzilla”.
i. The report on this bird has been published in the latest edition of Biology Letters.
Key points
About the bird:
This flightless bird has been named as Heracles inexpectatus reflecting the Herculean myth of size and
strength and unexpected nature of discovery.
Size:
The bird is estimated to have weighed about 7kg with a height that stood more than half of an average
man or about 3 feet (1 meter) tall, according to experts from Flinders University, Australia, UNSW
(University of New South Wales) Sydney, and Canterbury Museum, New Zealand. This parrot with its
massive beak could crack open wood and even preyed on other smaller parrots.
Discovery:
The bones of this parrot were found in 2008. Since then researchers spent 11years gathering dust on a
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shelf until the team looked at them again earlier this year.
i. The previously known largest parrot is a critically endangered flightless bird of New
Zealand Kakapo. This Heracles is twice the size of kakapo and approximately the size of giant ‘dodo’
pigeon.
Gogabeel, an ox-bow lake in Bihar declared as the state’s first ‘Community Reserve’
Gogabeel, an ox-bow lake (measures 88 hectares ) in Katihar district of Bihar has been declared as
state’s 1st ‘Community Reserve’. Gogabeel, which is the 15th Protected Area (PA) in Bihar, is formed
from the flow of the rivers Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the Ganga in the south and east.
Key points:
i. Long path: The move comes after the conservation experts who had been trying to convince local
residents and authorities to declare the important birding site as a Protected Area.
ii. Winged visitors: More than 90 bird species have been witnessed from this water body, of these,
about 30 are migratory birds. The bird species recorded from this site include Lesser Adjutant
Stork(listed Vulnerable), White Ibis, Black-Necked Stork, White-eyed Pochard(all 3 -Near Threatened
species), Ashy Swallow Shrike, Jungle Babbler, Bank Myna, Red Munia, Northern Lapwing, and Spotbill
Duck.
iii. Background: Gogabeel was initially notified as a ‘Closed Area’(CA) by the state government in 1990
& after the amendment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the provision of CA has been lifted. In
2004, it was given the status of an IBA (Important Bird Area of India). The local residents around the
lake have supported every move to declare it as a reserve for birds and biodiversity. Then, the
environment Department of Bihar was notified the Gogabeel as a 57 hectare Community Reserve and a
30-hectare ‘Conservation Reserve’ on August 2, 2019.
IPCC reports land to be a critical resource

On August 8, 2019, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) based in Geneva,
Switzerland reported that land is under pressure from humans and climate change. The report also
stated that keeping Global warming below 2°c by reducing greenhouse gas can somehow sort out the
issue as different uses of land i.e., Forests, agriculture, urbanisation are affecting as well as getting
affected by climate change.
The report’s full name is Climate Change and Land, an IPCC special report on climate change,
desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse
gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. It was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC
Working Groups in cooperation with the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and
supported by the Working Group III Technical Support Unit.
Link between land and climate:
There is always an interconnection between land and climate as land acts as both the source and sink of
carbon.
i. Agricultural activities like farming, cattle rearing are the major source of methane and nitrous oxide,
both being 100s of times more dangerous than carbon dioxide.
ii. At the same time, the trees and other plantations absorb the carbon dioxide emitted in the
atmosphere. This is the reason for changes in large-scale land use. Negative activities like
deforestation, Change in cropping pattern etc will have a direct impact on greenhouse gas emission.
IPCC reports:
i. This was the first time IPCC focused fully on land sector.
ii. It is a part of the run-up to the sixth edition of its main report called Assessment Reports which is
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due around 2022.

iii. IPCC produced a report in 2018 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5degree Celsius.
• Current reports: Food production would contribute about 37 percent of all greenhouse gas
emissions Every year if pre-production activities like cattle rearing and post production
activities like transport energy and food processing is taken into account.
• 25% of food produced is either lost or wasted and the decomposition of food results in emission
of gases.
Carbon sink:
carbon sink is a natural reservoir that stores carbon containing chemical compounds accumulated over
an indefinite period of time.
• Lands and ocean absorb 50% of greenhouse gases emitted through natural process in carbon
cycle. This is why afforestation and reducing deforestation are important to combat climate
change.
India’s action plan:
India promised to produce carbon sink additionally of about 2.5 – 3billion tonnes by 2032 by
increasing forest cover, planting etc.
About IPCC
♦ It is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations(UN) dedicated to providing the world with an
objective, scientific view of climate change, it’s natural, political and economic impacts and risks, and
possible response actions. Its job is to assess already published scientific literature to update our
knowledge about climate change.
♦ Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.
♦ Founder- Bert Bolin
♦ Founded- 1988.
♦ Chair-Hoesung Lee
Giant river animals face the danger of being extinct

As per the report named, “The global decline of freshwater megafauna”, the giant river animals that
once were in huge numbers have been reduced to a great extent in the last 50 years. This was published
in the journal Global Change Biology. It is stated in the journal that the majority of the giant
freshwater animal species are prone to extinction.
Key points
126 freshwater species around 72 countries were assessed for the study. It was found that freshwater
species population declined by 88% and scientists attribute the reason for this loss to be from human
activities like damming of rivers and population, killing of animals for meat, skins and eggs.
Critical freshwater animals:
i. Megafauna like Yangtze dolphin have already become extinct; Mekong giant catfish, weighing about
300kg from Mekong river, the home of the world’s largest catfish in southeast Asia and stingray, India’s
gharial crocodiles to European sturgeon plunged by 97% since 1970 across Europe, North Africa and
Asia.
ii. The journal also stated that freshwater animals are declining much faster than land animals with
some scientists assuming that earth is at the start of the 6th mass extinction of life, the first caused by
humans rather than physical changes to the planet.
iii. There are also some success seen in conservative efforts, including population increase in two types
of sturgeon in the United States(US), The American beaver and the Asian Irrawaddy river dolphin –
though the latter is still under vulnerable classification.
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Earth has lost 53% of its wildlife since 1970: WWF report
According to the first-ever global assessment of forest biodiversity, “Below the Canopy: Plotting
Global Trends in Forest Wildlife Populations” by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the
number of forest wildlife populations have declined on average by 53% since 1970 due to Habitat loss
and degradation, over exploitation and Climate change.
Key points:
i. LPI: The report was based on Forest Specialist Index, which was developed based on the method for
the Living Planet Index (LPI), an indicator of global biodiversity.
ii. Reduction: The index included data globally, covering 455 populations (268 species). Out of this,
half of the population declined at an annual rate of 1.7 percent, on average between 1970 and 2014.
iii. It also called on world leaders to declare a planetary emergency and secure a New Deal for Nature
and People by 2020.
iv. Threats: 60 % of threats accounted from Habitat loss, 40 out of 112 forest-dwelling primate
populations threatened due to over exploitation & 43% amphibian populations, 37 % of reptile
populations, 21 %of bird populations were threatened due to Climate change.
v. Major decline: The report notified that major decline is among mammals, reptiles, and amphibians
(particularly from the tropical forests), it was less among birds, especially from temperate forests.
vi. The report has been produced in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)& The UN
Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) co-led the analysis and modelling
for this report.
About WWF:
♦ Headquarters: Rue Mauverny, Gland, Switzerland
♦ Formation: 29 April 1961
♦ President & CEO: Carter Roberts
India is the top emitter of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the world: Greenpeace
According to a data released by a non-governmental environmental organization, Greenpeace, India is
the world’s top emitter of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide(SO2) in the world with more than 15% of all
the SO2 hotspots, tracked by NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) OMI (Ozone
Monitoring Instrument) satellite. The name of the report is “Global SO2 emission hotspot database:
Ranking the world’s worst sources of SO2 pollution”. It is written by Sunil Dahiya and Lauri
Myllyvirta.
Key points:
i. SO2 hotspots in India: The reports finds that Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Neyveli, and Chennai in
Tamil Nadu, Talcher and Jharsuguda in Odisha, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Kutch in Gujarat, Ramagundam
in Telangana and Chandrapur and Koradi in Maharashtra are the major SO2 hotspots in India.
ii. SO2 Hotspots in the World: Norilsk smelter complex in Russia is the largest SO2 emission hotspot
in the world, followed by China, Mexico, Zagroz (Iran) and Kriel in Mpumalanga province (South
Africa).
iii. About SO2: It is produced from burning of coal in power plants and other industries and it is known
to largely contribute to air pollution.
iv. Impact: The air pollution created by SO2 is the huge public health concern with 91 % of the world’s
population living in areas where air pollution exceeds the limit set by the World Health Organization
(WHO). Around 4.2 million people are dying prematurely every year due to air pollution.
v. Control measures: As per the environment experts, India should take stricter action against coal
power plants.
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iv. Action taken: For the 1st time in December 2015, The Ministry of Environment had released SO2
emission limits for coal power plants & set the initial deadline to control SO2 emissions from power
generation by December 2017 and it was later extended till December 2019.
About Greenpeace:
♦ Formation: 1969
♦ Headquarters :Amsterdam, Netherlands
Researchers of RGU in Arunachal Pradesh discovered 5 new fish species

On August 18, 2019 researchers from the Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Arunachal Pradesh have
discovered 5 new fish species in various districts of the state.
The discovered fish species are:
Fish species Place
Mystus prabini Sinkin and Dibang rivers in Lower Dibang valley
district.
Exostoma kottelati Ranga river in Lower subansiri district.
Creteuchiloglanis tawangensis Tawangchu river in Tawang district.
Garra ranganensis Ranga river
Physoschistura harkishorei Dibang and Lohit rivers in lower Dibang valley
district.
Key points
i. The team was led by Prof. D N Das of the fisheries and aquatic ecology research wing of the Zoology
department of the university.
Two new freshwater fish species: Similarly, two new species of freshwater fish species are
discovered by the zoological Survey of India(ZSI) in the northeastern part of India. They
are Glyptothorax gopii in Mizoram’s Kaladan river and Garra simbalbaraensis in Himachal Pradesh’s
Simbalbara river. The details of the two discoveries were published in Zootaxa.
World bank reports economic growth to be affected by water pollution

On august 20, 2019 According to the World Bank report- “Quality Unknown: The Invisible Water
Crisis”,one-third of the potential economic growth will be affected in heavily water polluted areas
leading to invisible crisis of water quality.
Key points:
Quality unknown report:
i.The report explains with new data and methods of how a bacteria combination, sewage, chemicals,
and plastics suck oxygen from water supplies and transform water into poison for people and
ecosystems.
ii.It is funded in part by the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership, a Multi-Donor Trust Fund
based at the World Bank’s Water Global Practice.
Effect of deteriorating water quality: Deteriorating water quality hinders economic growth, worsen
health conditions, reduce food production, and may lead to poverty in many countries.
Factors of poor water quality:
Nitrogen:Nitrogen which is used as a fertilizer in agriculture, affects the water system by entering
rivers, lakes and oceans and finally transforming into nitrates. Nitrates in humans’ result in various
health issues like cancer, birth defect, disruption in thyroid function etc.
Salinity: Each year nearly 170 million people lose food to eat due to salinity (degree of salt content).
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When Salinity in water and soil increases due to more intense droughts, storm surges and rising water
extraction, agricultural yields fall.
Lack of oxygen: Water is polluted, when the BOD(Biological Oxygen Demand) exceeds its threshold
level(8 milligrams/liter) , due to the negative impacts on health, agriculture and ecosystems.
BOD: it is a measure of how much oxygen is needed to remove waste organic matter through
decomposition, by bacteria that live in environments containing oxygen.
About world bank
♦ It is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer
countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
♦ Formation- July 1944.
♦ Motto- Working for a World Free of Poverty.
♦ Headquarters- Washington DC, United States.
♦ President- David Malpass.
♦ Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer-Anshula Kant.
♦ Chief executive officer-Kristalina Georgieva.
WWF and Discovery tie up with forest directorate to preserve Sundarbans

Discovery India and World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wide Fund (WWF) India have tied up
with the Forest Directorate, the government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans.
It is done as a move to protect the Sundarbans– the mangrove forest, habitat of Bengal tigers, to reduce
the tiger-human conflict and also as part of a global movement “Project CAT -Conserving Acres for
Tigers”.
Key points:
Vision: To create climate-smart villages in the Sundarbans.
WWF India and Discovery India are working with government agencies and other partners to help the
local communities and village panchayats in having a climate-resilient livelihood and also focuses on
farmland productivity through low-cost measures and adjusting crop calendars to deal with climate
change.
Observatory: Two Sundarbans Ecological Observatories will be set up, each featuring data loggers,
monitoring buoys and an onsite laboratory. This is to be done in partnership with West Bengal Forest
Directorate and Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata. Datasets will be
built on impacts of climate change on estuarine ecosystem.
Further, beyond Sundarbans, a detailed intervention is also being implemented at Manas Tiger Reserve.
About WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded
in 1961, working in the field of the wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the
environment. It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name
in Canada and the United States.Carter Roberts is President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund in the
United States.
Headquarters- Gland, Switzerland.
Founded- 29 April 1961, Morges, Switzerland.
President- PavanSukhdev.
President Emeritus- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Scotland.
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2019 report by “TRAFFIC” reveals 2000 tigers poached over the past 19 years
On August 21, 2019, TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network revealed that nearly 2000 tigers
were poached between 2000 and 2018 in India which is the home for more than half of the global tiger
population (75%). This was reported in the 4th report of “Skin and Bones Unresolved: An Analysis of
Tiger Seizures from 2000-2018”.
Key points:
i. The report authored by Ramacandra Wong and KanithaKrishnasamy, estimated that 2,359 tigers
were seized across 32 countries between 2000 and 2018 resulting in 1,142 seizure incidents. 95%
seizures are recorded in the countries that are home to tigers.
ii. India tops Overall seizure category: India, which is the home of the world’s largest wild Tiger
population, tops the countries among overall seizure category. It accounted for 40.5% of total incidents
(463) and 26.5% of tigers seized (626).
iii. Outside tigers’ range:
56 seizures were recorded outside tigers’ range and is topped by Taiwan Province
of China and Mexicowhere largest number of Tigers seized throughout the 19-year period(39 and 13
Tigers from 7 and 13 seizure incidents respectively) were reported.
iv. Hunt for skin:
single most frequently seized tiger parts are reported to be tiger skins whereon average, every year,
almost 58 whole Tiger skin equivalents were seized.
Other reports:
i. Indonesia faced a four-fold increase in the yearly average seizure incidents in between 2015-2018.
ii. Over half (58%) of the tigers seized in Thailand and 30% in Vietnam were identified as originating
from captive breeding facilities, with the largest proportion coming from a single seizure of 187 tigers
in Thailand in 2016.
The Vietnamese authorities seized seven frozen tiger carcasses just few days before the World Tiger
Day on29th July 2019 from a suspect believed to have smuggled tigers from Lao PDR (People’s
Democratic Republic).
iii. The result finally reported that only 3900 wild cats are left in the world.
Launch of the study:
The report was launched to coincide with the discussions around the trade in Tigers and other big cat
species between world governments meeting in Geneva for the 18th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora(CITES).
About TRAFFIC:
It is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on the trade of wild animals and plants
in the context of both biodiversity and sustainable development.
Headquarters – Cambridge, United Kingdom(UK).
Founded- 1976.
Nations around the world moved to protect giraffes as endangered species

At the global meeting on endangered species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland, CITES member nations have
agreed to protect giraffes for the 1st time, which draws the praise from conservationists.
Key points:
i. The vote passed 106-21, with 7 abstentions.
ii. The move would regulate the trade in giraffe, hunted for their skin, meat, bones, and tails, while
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stopping short of a full ban.

iii. An environmental advocacy group, The Natural Resources Defence Council hailed the move, noting
that giraffes are a vulnerable species facing habitat loss and population decline(up to 40 % during the
past 3 decades).
iv. The US (United States) was the world’s biggest consumer of giraffe product.
About CITES:
It is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. It came into force in 1975 with the
goal of ensuring that international trade does not threaten the survival of wild plants and animals.
7 new species of insects that can walk on water discovered

The journal ‘Zootaxa’ has published about 7 new species of insects that can walk or run on the surface
of the water. This was discovered by scientists of the ‘Zoological Survey of India’.
Key points
i. The species belongs to the genus Mesovelia ranging from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm equipped with
hydrophobic setae (bristles) on their legs and are pale green in colour with silver-white wings and
black veins.
ii. This combination of hydrophobic setae and water surface tension prevents the insects from sinking.
iii. There are currently 12 species of genus Mesovelia found in the country.
The 7 species:
• Mesovelia andamana (Andaman Islands)
• M. bispinosa and M. isiasi (Meghalaya)
• M. occulta and M. tenuia (Tamil Nadu)
• M.brevia and M. dilatata (both Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu).
Rare Peacock Parachute Spider spotted in Pakkamalai Reserve in Villupuram district of Tamil
Nadu
A team of researchers at the Puducherry-based Indigenous Biodiversity Foundation (IBF) have
discovered Peacock Parachute Spider, a deeply endangered species of tarantula for the 1st time beyond
its natural habitat in the Eastern Ghats. It was found resting in a cave in Pakkamalai Reserve Forests
near Gingee in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu(TN). Key points:
i. About Peacock Parachute Spider:
• It belongs to the genus Poecilotheria & is commonly known as Peacock Parachute Spider or
Gooty Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica).
• The species of Indian origin was found at various places in reserve forests.
• In the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN)red list, it is classified as Critically
Endangered species.
• Tarantula is a biological insect controller & and there is a huge demand for them by collectors in
the pet trade.
ii. This species of spider spotted 1899 by Reginald Innes Pocock on the basis of a single female
specimen in Gooty. After 102 years, it was seen at a degraded forest between Nandyal and Giddalur in
the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.
iii. IUCN believes that it can also be occur naturally in Gooty, but it may come from the Eastern Ghats at
least 100 km away. Its known habitat is Andhra Pradesh & is not seen anywhere in India or Sri Lanka.
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IPCC “special report” on oceans and Earth’s frozen zones warns of rising seas, storm surges,
melting permafrost
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “Special Report on the Ocean and
Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC)”, has warned on rising seas, storm surges and melting
permafrost. It is a draft of a major United Nations (UN) report obtained by AFP (Agence France-Presse),
slated for release Monaco on September 25, 2019.
Key Points:
• The ocean has absorbed about a quarter of manmade greenhouse gases since the 1980s and
more than 90% of the extra heat they generate in the atmosphere. As a result, it has become
warmer, more acidic, and less salty.
• The concentration of life-giving oxygen in marine environments has dropped 2% in 60 years,
and is on track to lose another 3-4% by 2100 at current rates of carbon pollution.
• In the 22nd century, the pace of sea level rise is likely to increase 100 fold from 3.6 millimetres
per year today to “several centimetres” annually.
• Globally, 20 to 90 percent of coastal wetlands are projected to be lost by 2100, depending on sea
level rises.
• Earth’s two ice sheets, sitting atop Greenland and Antarctica, have shed on average more than
430 billion tonnes of mass each year since 2006, becoming the main driver of sea-level rise.
• Average annual runoff from glaciers in most mountain regions will have peaked and begun to
decline by 2100.
• A third to 99% of the world’s top-layer permafrost to a depth of about three metres could also
melt by 2100 if carbon pollution continues unabated, potentially releasing a carbon bomb of
greenhouse gases.
• The amounts of toxic mercury and other “legacy contaminants” in drinking water are expected
to increase with the melting of glaciers and permafrost, which may store nearly 800,000 tonnes
of mercury – twice the amount found in all other environments combined.
• By 2100, “annual flood damages are expected to increase by two to three orders of magnitude,”
or 100 to 1,000 fold.
• By 2050, many low-lying megacities and small island nations will experience “extreme sea level
events” every year, even under the most optimistic emissions reduction scenarios.
About IPCC:
♦ Founded: 1988
♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Parent Organization: World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Blue Waves at Beaches of Chennai, Tamil Nadu are bad for fishes: Marine Experts
On August 18, 2019, A beautiful Bioluminescent waves were spotted along the shore
of Thiruvanmiyur, Injambakkam, Besant Nagar’s Eliot’s and Palavakkam beaches in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu. According to marine experts of National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) of Chennai,
the Noctiluca scintillans algae(unicellular organism), popularly known as sea tinkle were behind this
phenomenon. The algae exhibits the phenomenon of bioluminescence or blue sea sparkle/biologically
produce light when disturbed.
What is Bioluminescence?
Bioluminescence is caused by Noctiluca scintillans, a type of phytoplankton (microscopic marine
plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, that convert their chemical energy into light energy
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through chemical reactions in proteins in the presence of oxygen, and an enzyme called “luciferase”,
when washed ashore.
• Cause: It was caused due to Heavy rain and discharge of sewage into the ocean.
• Indication: It is an indication of climate change, impact on deep-sea fishing, and disruption of
the long term health of an ecosystem.
Key points:
i. Bioluminescence has been witnessed in fireflies, a few beetles and in marine creatures such as
Anglerfish and copepods.
ii. These algal patches are also associated with coastal pollution and runoff from agricultural areas.
iii. Since the early 2000s, this kind of blooms has been reported annually in the Northern Arabian Sea.
iv. The states of Goa, Mumbai and the backwaters of Kerala have also witnessed these algal blooms.
SPORTS
PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal retained their top 10place in the latest Women’s singles rankings in
badminton
In the recently released women’s singles ranking by Badminton World Federation, India’s star
players PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal have retained 5th spot and 8th spot respectively. The ranking
is topped by Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.
Key points
i. Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying was overtaken by Akane Yamaguchi to become the new world no.1
champion.
ii. Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara is ranked second and Tai Tzu Ying is ranked third in the BWF rankings.
iii. In BWF men’s ranking japan’s Kento Momota is ranked first whereas India’s Kidambi Srikanth and
Sameer Verma are ranked 10th and 13th respectively.
BWF
It is the International governing body for the sport of badminton recognised by the International
Olympic Committee
Headquarters- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Founded- 5 July 1934
President- Poul Erik Hoyer Larsen
Four footballers slapped with life bans for match-fixing in Asian Football Cup tournaments
On August 2, 2019, Four football players have been banned for life by AFC (Asian Football
Confederation, the governing body of association football in Asia and Australia ) for match-fixing at the
AFC Cup in the year of 2017 and 2018.
The four players include Kursanbek Sheratov, Vladimir Verevkin and Iliaz Alimov (all Kyrgyzstan
), and Abdulaziz Mahkamov (Tajikistan).
Key points:
i. Kursanbek Sheratov was found guilty of supporting betting activity & fixing in connection with a
match involving his club Dordoi FC (Football Club) at 2017.
ii. Verevkin and Alimov were found guilty of fix matches involving their club FC Alay in 2017 and 2018
season of the AFC Cup.
iii. Abduaziz Mahkamov was also conspired to fix matches involving FC Alay in 2017 and 2018.
iv. Turkmenistan forward Muhadov Suleyman was banned for four years for a doping violation at Asian
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Cup 2019 held in UAE (United Arab Emirates).

v. Earlier, 6 people including a former referee and members of Indonesia’s national soccer association,
were given jail sentences in connection with a 2018 game in the nation’s third-tier league.
About AFC:
♦ President: Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa
♦ Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
♦ Motto: One Asia One Goal
Overview of Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament 2019

held in Kaspiysk, Russia
The Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament 2019 was held
in Kaspiysk, Russia. It was the 21st Edition organized by European Boxing Confederation (EUBC).
Indian boxers claimed 6 medals at the tournament- 2 golds, 1 silver, and 3 bronze.
i. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) defeated Italy’s Assunta Canfora and Neeraj (57kg) defeated Russia’s
Malika Shakhidova. They both clinched gold medals.
ii. Gaurav Solanki had to settle for a silver against Uzbekistan’s Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov.
iii. Pooja Rani (75kg), Govind Sahani (49Kg) and Jony (60Kg) settled for bronze.
About EUBC:
♦ President: Franco Falcinelli
Overview of Toyota Thailand Open (Badminton) 2019

The Toyota Thailand Open (Badminton) 2019 was held at Indoor Stadium
Huamark in Bangkok, Thailandfrom July 30 to August 4, 2019. It was the sixteenth tournament of
the 2019 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour and a part of the Thailand Open
championships. The tournament was organized by the Badminton Association of Thailand with
sanction from the BWF, with the total prize money of $350,000. It was Super 500 level tournament.
List of Winners
Category Winner Runner
Men’s Singles Chou Tien-chen (Taiwan) Angus Ng Ka Long (Hong Kong)
Women’s Singles Chen Yufei (China) Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
Men’s Doubles Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty (India) Li Junhui & Liu Yuchen (China)
Women’s Doubles Shiho Tanaka & Koharu Yonemoto (Japan) Du Yue & Li Yinhui (China)
Mixed Doubles Wang Yilü & Huang Dongping (China) Yuta Watanabe & Arisa
Higashino (Japan)
i. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian doubles pair to win a BWF Super
500 title in Men’s Category.
About BWF:
♦ Formation: 1934
♦ President: Poul-Erik Høyer
Lewis Hamilton wins 7th Hungarian Grand prix, taking his eighth victory of the season
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton overtook red bull’s Max Verstappen in the final moments of the Formula 1
Hungarian grand prix to win the title. He outpaced max verstappen to the second spot.
Key points
i. This is Lewis Hamilton’s 7th victory at the Hungaroring (motorsport race track in Mogyród, Hungary,
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where formula 1 Hungarian grand prix is held) and also 81st of his career.
ii. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc took third and fourth spot respectively.
iii. The Hungarian Grand Prix called as Magyar Nagydíj in Hungary.
Vinesh Phogat won 3rd successive gold in women’s 53kg category in Poland Open Wrestling
Tournament in Warsaw
24-year-old Vinesh Phogat won her 3rd consecutive gold in women’s 53kg category in the Poland
Open Wrestling Tournament in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. She defeated
wrestler Roksana of Poland by 3-2. She had won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain and at the Yasar Dogu
International at Istanbul, Turkey in July 2019.
WWE star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson officially announces his retirement from wrestling
An American actor, producer, and a professional wrestler, Dwayne Johnson(47), popularly known by
his ring name “The Rock” has officially announced his retirement from World Wrestling
Entertainment (WWE) while he did not rule out the possibility of a comeback in future.
Key points:
i. This is for the 1st time that the professional wrestler declared retiring from the sport.
ii. Dwayne spent in the WWE for 8 years prior to pursuing an acting career.
iii. He was also named the highest-paid actor for the year 2019 by Forbes magazine.
iv. Dwayne played his last match at the WrestleMania 32 in 2016 where he had defeated one half of the
Wyatt Brothers, Erick Rowan.
Former New Zealand all-rounder cricketer Daniel Vettori’s jersey no.11 announces retirement
Cricketing board for Kiwi players announced that Jersey no. 11 of New Zealand all-rounder Daniel
Vettori has been retired at the age of 40.
i. Vettori has played over 291 ODI (One day international) matches and 113 Tests for New Zealand, in
which he picked up 362 wickets and amassed 4,531 runs with the bat, including six centuries and 23
half-centuries.
Steve Smith becomes second fastest to score 25 test centuries overtaking Virat Kohli
Former Australian captain Steve Smith has overthrown Indian Skipper Virat Kohli to become
the second-fastest batsman to score 25 test centuries during the second innings of the first Ashes test
match against England. The chart is topped by Australian cricketer, Sir Don Bradman.
i. Smith recorded this feat in his 119th innings whereas Sir Don Bradman achieved this feat in just 68
innings.
Key points
i. Smith also equals Australian cricketer, Steve Waugh for most centuries scored in Ashes( 10
centuries). This chart is also topped by Sir Don Bradman (19 centuries) followed by England’s Jack
Hobbs(12 centuries).
ii. Steve Smith also became the fifth Australian batsman to score hundreds in both innings of an Ashes
Test.
After 7 years, Indian men’s 20km race walk team win upgraded bronze
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) stated that after the Indian men’s 20km race walk team had
finished 4th in the IAAF World Race Walking Cup held back in 2012 at Saransk, Russia, they have
now (2019) been awarded the upgraded bronze medal position following the disqualification of a
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member (Ruslan Dmytrenko )of the second-placed Ukrainian team for dope violation.
Key points:
i. Background: The Indian team of K T Infra, Babubhai Panucha, and Surinder Singh missed a chance
to finish with a medal in 2012 after finishing behind China(1st place), Ukraine(2nd ) and Australia(3rd).
ii. Update: After removing the necessary points from Ukraine’s tally following Dmytrenko’s result,
India and Ukraine were tied on points. But India had a higher position finish of the 3rd walker that saw
them get one place upgraded to get the bronze.
About IAAF World Race Walking Cup:
It is a race walking event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF). It
has been held since 1961, and generally on a biennial basis.
Legendary Aussie athlete Sally Pearson announces her retirement

Former Olympic champion and Australia’s most awarded athlete, Sally Pearson(32) has announced
her retirement after suffering from persistent injuries throughout the past year.
Key points:
i. Pearson won gold at the 2012 London Olympic Games in the 100m hurdles as well as a silver medal in
the 100m hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2013 World Championships.
ii. She won the 8 major championship medals for Australia throughout her 16-year career.
iii. Pearson was also named as 2011 IAAF(International Association of Athletics Federations )Female
Athlete of the Year after winning her first world title.
South Africa’s leading wicket-taker Dale Steyn announces retirement from test cricket
36-year-old South Africa’s Wicket taker DaleSteyn who made his test debut in 2004 announced
retirement from test cricket, and has so far taken 439 wickets in 93 tests. The reason for his retirement
is to prolong his playing career.
i. He will be available to play for one-day and T20 Internationals.
ii. Currently, Dale Steyn is in 8th position in the all-time test bowling list and took 26 five-wicket hauls.
Former New Zealand Captain Brendon McCullum announces retirement from all forms of cricket
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, aged 37, has announced retirement from all forms of
cricket. He will retire after the conclusion of the ongoing Global T20 Canada, which will be played
against Montreal Tigers on August 11, 2019. He plays for Toronto Nationals.
Key Points:
i. He had retired from all forms of international cricket in 2016 but continued to play in various T20
leagues across the globe.
ii. He has played 101 Tests in which he scored 6,453 runs with 12 hundred with the highest score of
302, 260 One Day Internationals-ODIs (6,083 runs with 5 hundred) and 71 Twenty20 (T20)
Internationals (2,140 runs).
iii. In his T20 career (all leagues included), he scored 9,922 runs in 370 games.
Bangalore will host the 10th AASF Asian Age Group Championships 2019 for the 1st time
For the first time, Bangalore(Karnataka) will host the 10th AASF (Asia Swimming Federation)
Asian Age Group Championships 2019 starting from September 24, 2019, to October 2, 2019, will
give the country’s swimming enthusiasts an opportunity to witness the aquatic event.
Key points:
i. Organizer: Swimming Federation of India(SFI)will organize the 9-day event.
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ii. Olympic qualification: The event recognized by FINA (International Swimming Federation) as an
Olympic Qualifier, so the top Indian Swimmers will take advantage as they aim for A Qualification Mark
for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
iii. Participation: The event will have over 40 countries and about 1200 participants competing for top
honours in 4 different aquatic disciplines such as swimming(will held at Padukone-Dravid Centre for
Sports Excellence(Sept-24 to 27), Diving (Sports Authority of India, Kengeri (Sept-29 to Oct 2), water
polo(Sports Authority of India, Kengeri (Sept- 24 to 30)), and the visually-mesmerizing artistic
swimming (Kensington Swimming Pool, Ulsoor from Sept-29 to Oct-2).
iv. The 9th AASF Asian Age Group Championships was held in Uzbekistan in 2017.
India tops the test rankings released by ICC

On August 06, 2019 the ICC (International Cricket Council) Test rankings were released. The list was
topped by India followed by New Zealand (2nd) and South Africa(3rd) respectively.
Key points
ICC Test batsmen rankings
1. Virat Kohli (India)
2. Kane Williamson ( New Zealand)
3. Steve Smith ( Australia)
4. Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
ICC Test bowler rankings
1. Pat Cummins (Australia)
2. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
3. James Anderson (England)
4. Vernon Philander (South Africa)
Indians in the top 10 spots are- Ravindra Jadeja placed at 6th and Ravichandran Ashwin placed at 10th
spot.
ICC test all rounder rankings
1. Jason Holder(West Indies)
2. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
3. Ravindra Jadeja( India)
4. Ben Stokes (England)
Another Indian on the top 10 spot was Ravichandran Ashwin placed at 6th position.
Germany’s Fiona Kolbinger becomes the first woman to win cycling’s Transcontinental Race
2019
Germany’s cancer researcher Fiona Kolbinger, aged 24, became the first woman to win
cycling’s Transcontinental Race 2019 (No.7) from Bulgaria to France. She cycled for more than 2,485
miles across Europe in just over 10 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes. Britain’s Ben Davies finished second
who completed the race in 10 days, 13 hours and 10 minutes.
Overview of Washington Open (Citi Open) 2019

The Washington Open (Citi Open) 2019 was held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis
Center in Washington DC, United States from July 29- August 4, 2019. It was the 51st Edition for
Men’s Category & 9thEdition for Women’s Category. The tournament was a part of the Association of
Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour 500 series of the 2019 ATP World Tour, and of the Women’s
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Tennis Association (WTA) International tournaments of the 2019 WTA Tour.

Winners of the tournament
Men’s Singles Nick Kyrgios (Australia) Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
Women’s Jessica Pegula (America) Camila Giorgi (Italy)
Singles
Men’s Doubles Raven Klaasen (South Africa) & Michael Venus Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands)
(New Zealand) & Horia Tecău (Romania)
Women’s Cori Gauff & Caty McNally (America) Maria Sanchez (America) &
Doubles Fanny Stollar (Hungary)
i. It was the First WTA Title for Coco Gauff of America.
ii. The Prize money for Men’s category was $2,046,340 & for women’s category- $250,000.
About Citi Open:
♦ Men’s Event first held: 1969
♦ Women’s Event first held: 2011
Mary Kom & Lovlina Borgohain selected for upcoming women’s world boxing championships
2019
Boxers MC Mary Kom, a six-time world champion, and Lovlina Borgohain, World and Asian bronze-
medallist, are selected for the upcoming Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019 which are
scheduled to be held from October 3- 13, 2019 in Bolshoy Sochi, Russia.
i. The 36-year-old Mary Kom has been selected in the 51kg category and Lovlina Borgohain will be
competing in the 69kg category.
South African spinner Colin Ackermann becomes the 1st player in T20 cricket history to claim a
7-wicket haul
Colin Ackermann(28), a South African cricketer who plays for Leicestershire Foxes has set the new
T20(Twenty20) world record with he took seven wickets for just 18 runs (7-18) to victory by 55 runs
against the Birmingham Bears in 2019 Vitality Blast held in Grace Road, England, and Wales. He
surpassed the previous T20 best of (6-5), taken by Malaysian bowler, Arul Suppiah for Somerset
against Glamorgan in 2011.
Key points:
i. Set a target of 190, Birmingham Bears( Warwickshire County Cricket Club) were bowled out for 134
as Ackermann took the wickets of Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Will Rhodes, Liam Banks, Alex Thomson,
Henry Brookes, and Jeetan Patel.
Diego Forlan- former Uruguay captain announces retirement from football

40-year-old former Uruguay captain and Manchester United’s English Premier League winner Diego
Forlan officially announced his retirement from professional football.
Key points
i. He won the 2011 Copa America competition in which his father and grandfather had also won during
their times.
ii. Before moving to Manchester United in 2002, he played for Argentina’s Independiente which was his
senior career/professional career in football.
iii. He had also played for Old Trafford and Atletico Madrid. He won the Europa League 2010 for
Atletico Madrid.
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iv. He scored a total of 36 goals in 112matches for his country(Uruguay) and was awarded the Golden
Ball in 2010 World Cup.
Archery Association of India suspended by World Archery

The World Archery (WA) has suspended the Archery Association of India (AAI) due to the internal
factionalism (dispute and disagreements within the body).
Key points
Factionalism:
This factionalism rose between Union Tribal Affairs minister Arjun Munda and BVP Rao (former AAI
president), when Archery Association of India on Sunday unanimously elected both of them in separate
elections in New Delhi and Chandigarh respectively. This led to a confusion of not knowing who the
actual elected body is.
Settlement time:
The WA gave time to AAI to settle down the disputes within July 31, 2019. However as there was no
progress towards a solution, The WA decided to suspend the AAI. The suspension will be effective from
August 12, 2019.
Player’s representation:
All Indian archers will have to participate/ compete International tournaments as independents.
Last match representing India:
i. The last match Indian Archers are to compete representing India in the World Archery Youth
Championships 2019 which is to be held in Madrid, Spain.
ii. This event will be held from August 19-25.
iii. The Archery players are allowed to participate under the Indian national flag and represent India in
this match alone.
iv. After the World Archery Youth Championship, the players will be allowed to participate under
World Archery flag till the suspension is uplifted.
Additional time:
Even Though WA has suspended AAI, additional time has been given to AAI to sort out the issue within
August 31, 2019.
Need to resolve dispute:
i. Asian Championships and Asian para Championships will award quota places for the Tokyo Olympics
next year.
ii. So there would be a big hurdle to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if the Indian athletes don’t
represent India in the upcoming Asian Championships and Asian para Championships as the matches
fall on dates after the World Archery Youth Championships.
iii. India has already secured three men’s spots for the Olympics but is yet to win women’s spot.
About WA
♦ Secretary general- Tom Dielen.
♦ Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland.
12 member channel for national sports awards features Mary Kom, Bhaichung Bhutia
This year’s national sports awards to athletes and coaches will be decided by a 12 member panel. This
panel features 6-time world boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom and former Indian football team captain
Bhaichung Bhutia. The national sports awards are to be given on National Sports Day falling on August
29, which marks the birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.
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Head of committee:
The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Mukundakam Sharma.
Other members:
• Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Jhulaniya.
• Sports Authority of India Director General Sandeep Pradhan.
• Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Chief Executive Officer Commander Rajesh Rajagopalan.
• Ex-Indian women’s cricket team captain Anjum Chopra.
• Former long-jump player Anju Bobby George.
• Table tennis coach Kamlesh Mehta.
i. The committee also features two media persons. They are
• Rajesh Kalra, Chief editor of Times Group (digital).
• Charu Sharma, Renowned sports commentator.
ii. The committee will select all winners of National Sports Awards of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna
Award, Dronacharya Award (award for sports coaches), Dhyan Chand Award (lifetime achievement
award) and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Award.
Belt and Road China Hunan International tournament 2019 won by Surya Shekar Ganguly of
India
36-year-old ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) staff from Kolkata, Surya Shekar Ganguly, won
the 2019 Belt and Road China Hunan International tournament, a chess competition held at Hunan
province, China.
Key points
i. Started as a fifteenth seed, he finished with 7 points from 9 round to win the game.
ii. He collected 27.5 Elo points and was also awarded $50,000 (Rs. 35 lakh).
iii. The runner up was Yu Yangyi from China as Ganguly was half a point more than Yangyi.
iv. Ganguly needed only a draw in the final round against Fransisco Vallejo of Spain which he obtained
after 36 moves.
v. He finished his campaign unbeaten with five wins and four draws.
South African cricketer Hashim Amla retires from international cricket

South African batsman Hashim Amla, aged 36, announced his retirement from all forms of
international cricket. He will pay for domestic cricket and the Mzansi Super League in South Africa.
i. In his 15-year career, he appeared in 349 matches across three formats and scored 18,762 runs. He
hit 55 international centuries.
ii. He is the only South Africa batsman to score a triple century — 311 not out against England at The
Oval in 2012.
iii. In World Cup 2019, against a match with New Zealand, he became the second-fastest player to score
8,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
BCCI agreed to come under the jurisdiction of NADA: Sports Secretary

On August 10, 2019, The Indian Sports Secretary, Radheshyam Jhulaniya stated that the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to come under the jurisdiction of the anti-doping
watchdog, National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) after years of resisting the move.
Key points:
i. BCCI had raised a number of concerns (quality of the dope testing kits, competence of pathologists
and sample collection) but finally agreed to come under NADA after the sports ministry gave
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assurances about resolving issues of the cricket board.

ii. Background: BCCI calling itself an autonomous body, and was against the signing up with NADA for
a period of time. The Indian cricket board decided in March 2019 to work with the country’s anti-
doping agency on a trial period of 6 months.
About BCCI in India:
Founded: 1928
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra,
CEO: Rahul Johri
About NADA:
Director-General & CEO: Navin Agarwal
It is mandated for Dope free sports in India. Its objectives are to implement anti-doping rules, regulate
dope control programme, to promote education and research and creating awareness about doping and
its ill effects.
Bajrang Punia wins gold in 65kg at Tbilisi Grand Prix 2019

Indian Wrestler Bajrang Punia won gold in 65kg men’s freestyle competition at Tbilisi Grand Prix
2019against Iran’s Peiman Bibyani by 2-0. The event was held at the New Sports Palace, Tbilisi,
Georgia and was organised by the Georgian Wrestling Federation. It is the fourth gold medal for Punia
after winning gold at Dan Kolov, Asian Championship and Ali Aliev tournament.
Bulgarian Junior International Championship 2019: Indian junior shuttlers won 3 Gold, 1 Silver
& 2 Bronze
Indian junior shuttlers won 6 medals- 3 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze at the Bulgarian Junior
International Championships 2019 held at Sports Hall “Vasil Levski”, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria from
August 8-11, 2019. It was organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Winners:
i. In the women’s single’s category, India’s Samiya Imad Faruqui won gold by defeating Anastasiia
Shapovalova of Russia by 9-21, 21-12, 22-20 points.
ii. Mixed doubles pair of Edvin Joy and Shruti Mishra of India won gold after defeating British pair of
Brandon Zhi Hao and Abbygael Harris by 21-14, 21-17.
iii. In women’s doubles, Indian pair of Tanisha Crasto and Aditi Bhattwon clinched gold by beating
Bengisu Ercetin and Zehra Erdfm from Turkey by 21-15, 18-21, 21-18.
iv. In Men’s doubles, Indian pair of Ishan Bhatnagar and Vishnuvardhan settled for silver against British
pair of William Jones and Brandon Zhi Hao by 19-21, 18-21.
v. In Women’s singles, India’s Malvika Bansod lost to Anastasiia Shapovalova of Russia and settled for
bronze.
vi. In Men’s Singles, India’s Meiraba Luwang lost to Georgii Karpov of Russia and settled for bronze.
About BWF:
♦ Formation: 1934
♦ President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
Thailand women’s cricket team rewrites world record for most consecutive wins in T20I
The Women’s Cricket team of Thailand rewrote a world record by winning 17th successive T20
international match and surpassed the record held by Australian Women (16 victories). They won the
match against the Netherlands in the fifth match of an ongoing Women’s T20I Quadrangular Series
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2019 in the Netherlands. The other 2 teams of the quadrangular series are Ireland and Scotland.
i. England and Zimbabwe (14), and New Zealand (12) are the 3 other teams who have registered 10 or
more successive wins in the T20 format.
Overview of 2019 Rogers Cup/Canadian Open

2019 Rogers Cup/ Canadian Open presented by National Bank of Canada was held from August 5-
11, 2019. The Men’s tournament was held at IGA Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Women’s
tournament was held at Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the 139th edition of Men’s
tournament with prize money of $5.7 million and 128th Edition of Women’s tournament with prize
money of $2.8 million. It was a part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour Masters
1000 of the 2019 ATP Tour, and of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Premier 5 tournaments of
the 2019 WTA Tour, and 2019 United States (US) Open Series event.
List of Winners:
Men’s Singles Rafael Nadal (Spain) Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev
(Russia)
Women’s Bianca Vanessa Andreescu (Canada) Serena Williams (America)
Singles
Men’s Doubles Marcel Granollers (Spain) & Horacio Zeballos Robin Haase & Wesley Koolhof
(Argentina) (Netherlands)
Women’s Barbora Krejčíková & Kateřina Siniaková Anna-Lena Groenefel (Germany) &
Doubles (Czech Republic) Demi Schuurs (Netherlands)
About ATP:
♦ Founded: September 1972
♦ Chairman: Chris Kermode
About WTA:
♦ Founded: June 1973
♦ Chairman: Steve Simon
Overview of Hyderabad Open (Badminton) 2019

The Hyderabad Open (Badminton) 2019, officially known as IDBI Federal Life Insurance Hyderabad
Open 2019, was held at G.M.C. Balayogi SATS Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, India from August 6 -11,
2019. The total prize money of the tournament was $75,000. The 5th Super 100 tournament of 2019
BWF World Tour was organized by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), sanctioned by
Badminton World Federation (BWF).List of Winners:
Men’s Singles Sourabh Verma (India) Loh Kean Yew (Singapore)
Women’s Yeo Jia Min (Singapore) An Se-young (South Korea)
Singles
Men’s Doubles Muhammad Shohibul Fikri & Bagas Na Sung-seung & Wang Chan
Maulana (Indonesia) (South Korea)
Women’s Baek Ha-na & Jung Kyung-eun (South Ashwini Ponnappa & N Sikki Reddy
Doubles Korea) (India)
Mixed Doubles Cheah Yee See & Hoo Pang Ron (Malaysia) Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso & Adnan
Maulana (Indonesia)
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About BAI:
♦ President: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Chennai Lions beats Dabang Delhi in final to lift UTT Season 3 Trophy 2019
On August 11, 2019, Chennai Lions has captured the title for the 1st time by defeating defending
champions Dabang Delhi with (8–1) scores in the final of the 3rd edition of Ultimate Table Tennis
(UTT) 2019 played at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. Chennai Lions team was led by Sharath Kamal
where Dabang Delhi led by Sathiyan Gnansekaran.
The list of winners:
Women’s Singles Petrissa Solja(Germany) Bernadette Szocs(Romania)
Men’s Singles Tiago Apolonia(Portugal) Sathiyan G (Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
Mixed Doubles Sharath Kamal(Chennai, Tamil Nadu) and Sathiyan G and Bernadette Szocs
Petrissa Solja
The league awards awarded to the following players which include:
Category Won By
Super Server of League Jon Persson of Dabang Delhi
Standout Player of League Sutirtha Mukherjee of U Mumba
Most Valuable Player of League (Female) Doo Hoi Kem of U Mumba
Most Valuable Player Of The League (Male) Sathiyan G of Dabang Delhi
The Ultimate One Petrissa Solja of Chennai Lions
About UTT:
It is the country’s first-ever professional level table tennis league and contested by 6 teams. It was
launched in 2017.
Three new sports including Women’s T20 cricket included in the CWG 2022
The Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 which is to be held in Birmingham, England will be the first
major multi-sport event to give additional spot to women’s medal thus making more Women’s medal
than men’s medal.
i. The medal classification are- 135 medals for women and 133 medals for men
Newly added women’s sport
The three newly added sports are
• Women’s T20 (twenty-twenty) cricket.
• beach volleyball and
• Para-table tennis.
i. Birmingham will also have the largest Commonwealth Para-table programme. There are a total of 7
mixed events with the additional confirmed programme.
Women’s T20 cricket
A total of 8 international teams will be participating in the CWG 2022, with all matches to be Held at
Edgbaston cricket stadium, England. The game was added to CWG after joint bid by ICC (International
Cricket Council) and the England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB).
i. The last time cricket was included in the CWG was in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia when South
Africa won the gold in men’s cricket of 50over competition.
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Shooting excluded from the CWG:

Commonwealth Games Chief Louise Martin announced that Shooting will not be part of the 2022 CWG
even despite India’s threat of boycotting the entire event in form of protest.
Key points
i. The protest was suggested by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra and had
also got assent from union sports minister Kiren Rijiju.
ii. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) turned down the offer by Briningham that
wanted to conduct two shooting events where the ISSF wanted a full programme.
iii. Louise Martin reported that Shooting will not be a part of the CWG 2022, as there is no anymore
space. It is the first time since 1974, shooting has been excluded.
About commonwealth games 2022
♦ The overall cost of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will be £778million making it the most expensive
sports event hosted by Britain ever since the 2012 London Olympics.
♦ Upto 45000 athletes are expected to compete across 19 sports from 27july to 7th August 2022.
About Commonwealth Games Federation(CGF)
♦ Headquarters- London, England
♦ Formed- 1932
♦ Motto- Humanity-Equality-Destiny
♦ President- Dame Louise Martin
♦ Patron- Queen Elizabeth II
Aishwarya Pissay creates history by becoming the first Indian woman to win FIM Bajas World
Cup 2019
23-year-old Indian motorsport rider, Aishwarya Pissay from Bengaluru became the first woman from
India as well as the first Indian to win the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) Bajas
World cup 2019 with a tally of 65 points. The final round of the championship was held at
Varpalota, Hungary.
Key points
i. Aishwarya Pissay also finished second in the FIM junior category with 46 points.
ii. She was the only one to compete for all the four rounds over her rivals and represented TVS
(Thirukkurungudi vengaram Sundaram) motors.
iii. She finished 4th in the final level of the 2019 Bajas world cup to win the championship-leading
with four points.
iv. A total of 5 participants competed in the 2019 FIM Bajas World cup with Portugal’s Rita Vieira (61
points) finishing in the second spot.
India’s U-19 cricket team wins U-19 Tri-series 2019 by beating Bangladesh
India’s U-19 cricket team defeated Bangladesh in finals by 6 wickets at the County Ground, Hove in
the United Kingdom (UK) and clinched the Under-19 Tri-Series 2019 Title. Tri-nation series between
India, Bangladesh and England was held from July 21-August 11, 2019 in England.
Key Points:
i. Bangladesh had scored 261 runs, all out in 50 overs and India reached the target and scored 264 runs
for 4 wickets in 48.4 overs.
ii. The captain of Indian U-19 team was Priyam Garg and of U-19 Bangladesh team was Akbar Ali.
iii. In the tournament, India U-19 team finished in second place with 8 points, behind Bangladesh U-19,
who secured 11 points. England U-19 secured 5 points.
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About ICC (International Cricket Council):

♦ Motto: Cricket for good
♦ Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
♦ Chairman: Shashank Manohar
♦ CEO: Manu Sawhney
Vinesh Phogat settled for silver in final of Medved event 2019

On August 11, 2019, Indian woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat (53kg), aged 24, settled for silver in the
final of the Medved event 2019 in Minsk, Belarus. She suffered a 0-10 (technical superiority) defeat
against N Malisheva of Russia. She had won 3 consecutive gold medals at the Grand Prix of Spain,
Yasar Dogu International and Poland Open in 2019.
BWF World Senior Badminton Championship 2019: Ajith Haridas and Vijay Lancy won men’s
doubles 40-plus title
In the 2019 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Senior Championships, officially YONEX
BWF World Senior Badminton Championships Katowice 2019, Ajith Haridas and Vijay Lancy of India
won the men’s doubles 40-plus title by defeating Danish pair of Esben Kaempegaard and Morten
Rasmussen by 19-21, 21-17, 21-19. The 9th Edition of BWF World Senior Badminton Championship
2019 was held from August 4-11, 2019 at Spodek, Katowice, Poland. The duo is members of the
Madras Cricket Club, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. About BWF:
♦ Formation: 1934
Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic remain at top of ATP rankings

According to the recently released ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) rankings as of August 12,
2019, Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic remains at the top position by
collecting 12,325 points in the list, a huge lead over the 2nd placed Rafael Nadal on 7,945 points.
i. Ranked on 2nd, though the Rafael Nadal secured his 35th Master’s title after beating Russian Daniil
Medvedev with (6-3, 6-0) scores in Montreal, Canada.
ii. Daniil Medvedev, Russia with 3,230 points was rewarded for his appearance in a one-place jump to
8th.
The top five players in the latest ATP rankings:
Rank Player Points
1 Novak Djokovic, Serbia 12,325
2 Rafael Nadal, Spain 7,945
3 Roger Federer, Switzerland 7,460
4 Dominic Thiem, Austria 4,925
5 Kei Nishikori, Japan 4,040
About ATP:
i. The ATP is the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits
ii. Chairman: Chris Kermode
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Netherlands most capped footballer Wesley Sneijder announces retirement

On August 13, 2019, Former Real Madrid professional footballer, Wesley Sneijder (35)
of Netherlands has announced his retirement from football after arranging a business deal with Dutch
football club FC Utrecht.
Key points:
i. Since he left Al-Gharafa in Qatar (18-month deal) in July 2019, Sneijder has been without a club. He
has signed a contract with Utrecht’s business arm and he will be able to watch the team play from a
private box in the upcoming season.
ii. He had started his career in 2002 with football club Ajax and played 134 times from 2003 to 2018 for
the Netherlands.
iii. In 2007 he moved to Real Madrid, followed by Internazionale, Galatasaray and OGC Nice. With the
Real Madrid club, he was able to win the La Liga title in the 2007-08 season & at Inter, he won Serie A,
the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League, the FIFA(Federation
Internationale de Football Association) World Cup 2010(where he won the Silver Ball as the
tournament’s second-best player),and two Coppa Italia.
Simone Biles becomes the first woman to make ‘triple-double’ twist

22-year-old American Artistic gymnast Simone Arianne Biles became the first woman in the world to
make a “triple-double” floor exercise landing which is a finale featuring two flips and three twists at
the 2019 US (United States) Gymnastics Championships held at Kansas City, Missouri, flips and
three twists in the air( only 2 men in the world have done the move successfully).
iii. Biles was part of the “final five” gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
New transgender-inclusive policy to include transgender player in cricket unveiled by cricket

Australia
On August 8, 2019, cricket Australia took a revolutionary move announcing new guidelines with the
International Cricket Council’s (ICC) gender recognition policy to include transgender players to play
cricket.
Key points
i. The transgender players willing to play for the state and national women’s team will have to undergo
a test to verify the testosterone level limit set out in the policy.
• The testosterone concentration should be less than 10 nanomoles per litre over at least for 12
months and players should demonstrate consistency in their elected gender on a daily basis.
ii. Cricket Australia’s chief executive, Kevin Roberts announced that this initiative was taken to support
the players to participate in elite cricket irrespective of gender identity allowing the players to
experience Australian Cricket’s inclusive culture.
Ireland women’s cricket team makes record-breaking performance-makes two records against
the Netherlands
Ireland women’s cricket team made two records in the 2019 Netherlands Women’s Quadrangular
seriesagainst the Netherlands held at Sportpark Het Schootsveld cricket ground in Deventer, the
Netherlands from August 8-14, 2019.
Key points
First record
Ireland which won the toss and elected to bat first made the highest opening stand in the T20
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Internationals.
i. Openers Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast’s partnership scored 112 runs making the highest
partnership for any wicket for Ireland women in T20Is.
Second record
i. It also made history by posting the highest T20Internationals score made by a team. They scored
213-4 from 20 overs.
ii. Other records: It is also the second-highest T20I team score for Ireland (men or women) and 7th
highest team score in T20I history.
iii. Irish Opener Gaby Lewis made her second ever T20I half-century with a total score of 71 runs from
41balls marking her highest T20I score.
India wins Physical Disability T20 World Cricket Series 2019 by defeating England by 36 runs
India won the T20 Physical Disability (PD) World Cricket Series 2019 after defeating England by
36 runs in the final held at the New Road Stadium in Worcester, England. The tournament was
organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). 6 teams- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
England, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe had participated in the tournament.
i. The Indian team had scored 180/7 in the first innings, while England could only score 144/9. The
team was coached by former Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.
Uttarakhand gets full member status in the BCCI by CoA

The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) have been granted full membership in the BCCI (Board of
Control for Cricket in India) by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) on August 13, 2019.
Key points
i. The association has been inducted as member association and as a full member with amendments
that are required to be communicated by CoA.
ii. This membership grant brought an end to long-standing dispute among Uttarakhand Cricket
Association(UKCA), United Cricket Association ( UTCA), Uttaranchal Cricket Association (UCA) and the
CAU vying for BCCI affiliation.
iii. The Uttarakhand cricket association was also asked to appoint an electoral officer by September 14,
2019, in accordance with the approved constitution.
About BCCI
♦ Headquarters- Wankhede stadium, Mumbai.
♦ Chief executive officer- Rahul Johri.
♦ Men’s coach- Ravi Shastri.
♦ Women’s coach- W.V. Raman.
♦ President- CK Khanna (interim)
Wrestler Deepak Punia wins gold at the Junior World Championships 2019 in Estonia
On August 14, 2019, Wrestler Deepak Punia won gold in 86-kg junior freestyle category by beating
Alik Shebzukhov of Russia at the Junior World Championships 2019 at Tallinn, Estonia. With this, he
became the first Indian in 18 years to win the title.
i. The last Indians to emerge gold medallists at the junior world championship were Ramesh Kumar
(69 kg) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (130 kg) in 2001.
ii. In the 92kg, Vicky Chahar defeated Mongolia’s Batmagnai Eenkhtuvshin and claimed the bronze
medal.
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Indian Army emerged as the winner in 5th ‘International Army Scout Masters Competition’2019
On August 16, 2019, The Indian Army team participated for the 1st time& has emerged as the winner
among 8 teams in five stages of the 5th edition of ‘International Army Scout Masters Competition
2019’ held in Jaisalmer Military Station, Rajasthan from August 6-14,2019. Indian Army was trained
under the aegis of Southern Command.
Key points:
i. Organizer: Indian Army’s ‘Konark Corps’ was organized this event.
ii. Teams: Besides India, the teams from Armenia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Sudan, and
Uzbekistan participated in this prestigious event.
iii. Stages: The 5 stages of the competition include infiltration and ambush, scout specialist course,
scout trail obstacle course, small arms firing, floatation, and exfiltration.
iii. Infrastructure: world-class infrastructure was created for the event, which included a challenging
obstacle course for the infantry combat vehicles spread over 6.7 km with 15 obstacles and another
tough obstacle course for the scout masters teams with 22 obstacles over 1.3 km.
iv. Closing ceremony: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest at the Closing
Ceremony & it was attended by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General SK
Saini, General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command, officials from participated nations and
members of the International Organising Committee.
v.Previous editions: The previous four editions of the competition were held in Russia.
Army Scouts Masters Competition:
i. It is a part of International Army Games directed by Russia.
ii. The aim of this event is to foster military co-operation between the participating nations, develop
trust between the armies for establishing a peaceful society, improving professional training and
sharing of best practices being followed by participating nations.
About Indian Army:
India’s Men’s team clinched first cycling gold at UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships
2019
Cyclists Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and Rojit Singh of India won the first cycling gold by
defeating Australiain men’s team sprint event at UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Junior
Track Cycling World Championships 2019 held in Frankfurt, Germany. Bronze was won by Great
Britain. The event was held from August 14-18, 2019.
i. The women’s team of Triyasha and Nikita finished 5th in the women’s team sprint event.
ii. 2020 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships will be held in Cairo, Egypt.
Liverpool crunches Chelsea to win UEFA Super Cup 2019

On August 15, 2019, Football club, Liverpool produced their best to win the 44th UEFA Super Cup
2019 by beating Chelsea with 5–4 on penalties at the Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey. i. The match
was the first all-English UEFA (Union of European Football Associations ) Super Cup & it was
Liverpool’s 4th Super Cup victory with the previous victories in the year of 2005, 2001& 1977.
About UEFA Super Cup:
It is an annual super cup football match organized by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of
the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
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Ravi Shastri re-appointed as head coach of Indian men’s cricket team

On August 16, 2019, Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) headed by Kapil Dev, former Indian cricketer,
unanimously re-appointed Ravi Shastri as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team for 2
years, ending with the 2021 T20 (Twenty 20) World Cup in India.
Key Points:
i. It will be Shastri’s fourth stint with the national team, earlier, having served as the Cricket Manager
(2007 tour of Bangladesh), Team Director (2014-2016) and head coach (2017-2019).
ii. Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, Australian Tom Moody and former India teammates Robin
Singh and Lalchand Rajput were the other people who were in the list for the selection to the post.
Former West Indies and Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons had withdrawn from the race, citing personal
reasons.
iii. The members of the CAC were former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad and ex women’s captain
Shantha Rangaswamy along with Kapil Dev.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI:
♦ Headquarters: Wankhede stadium, Mumbai
♦ CEO: Rahul Johri
♦ President: CK Khanna (interim)
♦ Women’s Cricket team coach: W.V. Raman
FIFA bans former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia for lifetime

On August 16, 2019, FIFA’s (Federation Internationale de Football Association) adjudicatory chamber
of the independent ethics committee banned former Nigeria coach of Nigeria Football Federation
(NFF), Samson Siasia, aged 52, for a lifetime as he was found guilty of a violation of the FIFA Code of
Ethics.
i. He had breached Article 11 (Bribery) of the 2009 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
ii. He has been banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at
both national and international level. A fine of 50,000 Swiss Francs has also been imposed.
India clinched gold at Under- 12 Asian Tennis Team Championship 2019 in Kazakhstan
In the Under- 12 Asian Tennis Team Championship 2019 held
in Kazakhstan, India defeated Chinese Taipeiby 2-1 in the summit clash and clinched the gold medal.
The final was a tie of three matches – 2 singles and one double. India won both the singles matches but
lost the doubles match.
Key Points:
i. Manas Dhamme and Tamil Nadu’s Pranav Rethin won their singles matches.
ii. Manas Dhamme & Arnav Paprakar lost in the doubles match. They are trained at the Adar
Poonawalla Maharashtra Tennis Academy under coach Aditya Madkekar and trainer Kaifi Afzal.
About U-12 Asian Tennis Team Championship 2019:
U12 Asian Team Championship is a team based event with every tie consisting of three matches
including 2 singles and 1 doubles.
AIG Ashish Kapoor strikes 2 gold medals for India at WPFG 2019 held in Chengdu, China
On August 17, 2019, Ashish Kapoor, an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in Vigilance Bureau
of Punjab has clinched 2 gold medals for India in both singles and doubles Tennis events during
the 18th edition of World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) 2019, held at Chengdu in China from
August 11-17,2019.
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Key points:
i. In his debut in 2009 in WPFG games at Vancouver, he had won a bronze medal in tennis singles. In
New York games, 2011 he got Silver whereas in Belfast, Ireland (2013), Fairfax USA (2015), and Los
Angles USA (2017) he grabbed Gold medals.
ii. He is an all India police champion in Tennis singles events for the last 15 years and a top-seeded in
this event.
About WPFG:
It is a biennial sporting event, in which officers or officials from police and Fire Departments from all
over the world compete in the different events.
2019 Bombay Gymkhana Youth Snooker Open title won by Kreishh Gurbaxani
Mumbai based Kreishh Gurbaxani who is currently at the no. 2 spots in the India junior snooker
rankings won the 2019 Bombay Gymkhana Youth Snooker Open title on August 14, 2019. He defeated
Odisha’s Asutosh Padhy for 5-4 in the 4-hour final contest.
Key points
i. The winner, Kreishh, was awarded the champion’s trophy and a cheque of Rs 30,000.
ii. The runner up trophy and a cheque of Rs 20,000 were given to Asutosh Padhy.
NZ’s Tim Southee equals India’s Sachin Tendulkar’s record

New Zealand’s fast bowler Tim Southee now equaled former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s
record tally of sixes in Test cricket, on the first day of the Test match between Srilanka and New-
Zealand that was held at Galle, Srilanka. Both Tendulkar and Southee have made 69 sixes in the Test
cricket.
Key points
i. Tendulkar had 69 sixes in 329 innings. But Tim Southee made it in just 89 innings. They both are now
tied at the 17th spot.
ii. Tim Southee who came to bat at no.10 scored 14 off 19 balls and achieved the feat by hitting off-
spinner Dhananjaya de Silva for a six.
iii. Southee is just one six away to equal former Pakistan batsman Younus Khan who made 70 sixes in
213 innings.
iv. The record is topped by former New Zealand captain and currently appointed coach of Kolkata
Knight Riders(KKR) team Brendon McCullum. He made 107 sixes in 176 innings. KKR is a team in the
Indian Premier League(IPL).
v. The only cricketer apart from McCullum to score century of sixes in test series is Former Australian
wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist who has 100 sixes in 137 innings.
vi. Others following Gilchrist are west Indies’s Chris Gayle(98), South Africa’s Jacques Kallis(97) and
India’s Virender Sehwag (91).
Mumbai to host 2019 World Youth chess meet

The 2019 World Youth chess championship is to be held in Mumbai from October 1-13, at the
Renaissance Hotel in Powai, Mumbai under the aegis of All-India Chess Federation and organized by the
All-Marathi chess Association. World’s second youngest GrandMaster(GM) R.Pragganandhaa(14) from
Chennai and Nagpur’s Divya Deshmukh will take part in the event.
Key points
i. India’s challenge in the girls’ category will be led by Divya Deshmukh.
ii. Players from 62 countries including Russia, America, France, Italy, and Azerbaijan have confirmed
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their participation.
iii. Players will be seen in three age group for boys and girls: under(U)-14, U-16 and U-18.
iv. Pragganandhaa is the sibling of Vaishali.R, the youngest International Master(IM) and the fourth-
youngest GrandMaster in history.
Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne becomes first concussion substitute

Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne born in South Africa became the first person to replace as a concussion
substitute in Test cricket. He replaced Steve Smith who suffered a delayed concussion caused by a
blow on the back of the neck by England’s Jofra Archer’s bowling during the second match of 2019
Ashes Series in Lord’s, London.
Key points
i. Smith passed a series of concussion tests after the incident and was cleared to resume his innings but
was dismissed for 92 runs.
ii. The concussion tests taken are SCAT5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) which involves
answering a series of questions and fill out forms and the CogSport test before being cleared to train
and play.
About concussion tests and concussion substitutes
Concussion is an injury to the brain that results in temporary loss of normal brain function. The
concussion tests are used to assess brain function after a head injury.
i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the use of concussion substitutes across all formats
in the international and first-class cricket during the ICC Annual Conference held in London following a
2 year trial period in the domestic test (Big Bash League 2016-17).
ii. Concussion substitutes came into effect from the Ashes series between England and Australia
scheduled in England from August 1, 2019.
iii. The decision on replacement should be approved by the match referee and the player should be a
like-for-like replacement.
Hima Das and Mohammad Anas clinched gold in 300m races at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter
Event 2019 in Czech Republic
In the 300m races held at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter Event 2019 in the Czech Republic, Indian
sprinters Hima Das and Mohammad Anas won gold in the women’s and men’s category respectively.
i. It was the sixth gold in European races by Hima Das since July 2, 2019.
Former Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole retires from football

On August 18, 2019, Former Chelsea, Arsenal, and England football player Ashley Cole aged 38,
announced his retirement from football, ending his 20-year playing career. It is expected that he would
be pursuing a career in coaching.
Key points
i. Born on 20 December 1980 in London, Cole began his youth career at Arsenal making his debut in
1999. He won two Premier League(PL) titles, three FA cups(The football association challenge cup).
ii. He made a transfer to the Chelsea team in 2006 winning 2009-10PL, four FA cups, one Football
League cup, one UEFA(Union of European Football Associations) Champions League and one UEFA
Europa league.
iii. He had won 107 caps making him England’s most capped player by England.
iv. In 687 games throughout his career, he scored 20 goals and made 69 assists and won UEFA team of
the year twice for Arsenal and Chelsea.
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India’s junior women boxers win 12 medals including 4 gold at 3rd Nations’ Cup 2019 held in
Serbia
India’s junior women boxers team has clinched 12 medals(4 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals) at
the 3rd Nation’s Cup 2019 held in Sports Hall, Vrbas, Serbia from August 14-18,2019. Indian team
claimed the runners-up trophy.
Key points:
i. Here’s the list of winners at the 3rd Nation”s Cup 2019:
4 Gold medal winner:
Winners Category
Tamanna(Haryana) 48 kg
Ambeshori Devi(Manipur) 57 kg
Preeti Dahiya(Haryana) 60 kg
Priyanka (Haryana) 66 kg
4 Silver medal winners:
Winners Category
Anju Devi (Karnataka) 50 kg
Simran Verma (Maharashtra) 52 kg
Manshi Dalal (Haryana) 75 kg
Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (Punjab) 80kg
4 Bronze medal winners:
Winners Category
Aashreya Naik(Goa) 63 kg
Neha (Haryana) 54 kg
Khushi (Punjab) 70kg
Alfiya Akram Khan Pathan +80kg
(Maharashtra)
Key highlights:
i. The gold medal winner, Tamanna won the ‘Best Foreign Boxer’ award. She got the victory over
russia’s opponent Alena Tremasova with 5-0 scores.
ii. Overall, 160 boxers from 20 countries had participated in this tournament, for which 13 Indian
boxers participated & Ragini (46 Kg) was the only Indian who failed to win a medal.
Virat Kohli retains top spot in the latest ICC Test batsmen’s rankings
On August 19, 2019, The latest test batsmen rankings were released by the ICC (International Cricket
Council). The list was topped by India’s Virat Kohli followed by Australia’s Steve Smith at the second
spot overtaking New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
Key points
i. Smith is just 9 points behind Kohli where Kohli has 922 points and Smith has 913 points.
Other players’ spots(batsmen rankings):
• England all-rounder Ben Stokes improved by six places to achieve the 26th position while
wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow(England) moved seven places up to take the 30th spot.
• Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne, climbed four places to the 8th position.
• England bowlers Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes gained two places in the bowler’s list, and are
currently positioned at the 14th and 27th spots respectively.
• Pacer Jofra Archer also entered the rankings and was placed in 83rd position after ending up
with five wickets in his debut Test.
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In the bowlers’ rankings, Australia’s Pat Cummins retained the top spot. He is followed by South Africa’s
Kagiso Rabada and England’s James Michael Anderso in the second and third spot respectively.
IOCL clinched Dolo-650 Bangalore Cup All India Hockey Tournament 2019 by beating Army XI
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) won the title in the Dolo-650 Bangalore Cup All India Hockey
Tournament 2019 by beating Army XI by 5-0. It was the second title for IOCL in a fortnight after
Bangalore Super Division 2019. It was the 4th Edition of the tournament held at the Field Marshal KM
Cariappa Hockey Arena, Bangalore.
Key Points:
i. IOCL received the cash prize of Rs. 4 lakh whereas the runners were awarded Rs. 2 lakh.
ii. Affan Yousaf of IOCL was named as the Best Player of the tournament and Talwinder Singh of IOCL
with 7 goals was the highest scorer in the tournament.
iii. Hockey Karnataka honoured former India goalkeeper Manuel Frederick, aged 71, after he was
recommended for the Major Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement. He was part of the Indian
team which won a bronze medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
Overview of Cincinnati Masters/ Western & Southern Open 2019

The Cincinnati Masters/ Western & Southern Open 2019 was held from August 12-18, 2019 at
the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, a northern suburb of Cincinnati, in the United States. It
was the 118th men’s edition and the 91st women’s edition. It was the ATP (Association of Tennis
Professionals) World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for men with the prize money $6,735,690
and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier 5 Tournament for women with the prize money
$2,944,486.
List of Winners:
Men’s Singles Daniil Medvedev (Russia) David Goffin (Belgium)
Women’s Madison Keys (America) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)
Singles
Men’s Doubles Ivan Dodig (Croatia) & Filip Polášek (Slovakia) Juan Sebastián Cabal &
Robert Farah (Colombia)
Women’s Lucie Hradecká (Czech Republic) & Andreja Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Doubles Klepač (Slovakia) (Germany) & Demi Schuurs
(Netherlands)
About Cincinnati Masters:
♦ First held: 1899
Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been made an honorary life member of MCC
On August 19, 2019, The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) stated that Former Australian fast
bowler Mitchell Johnson (37) has been elected as an Honorary Life Member of the MCC, the custodian
of the rules of cricket, during the second Test between Australia and England of 2019 Ashes Series at
Lords’s London.
Key points:
i. Johnson took 313 wickets for Australia in 73 Tests at an average of 28.40.
ii. The fast bowler made his Australian debut in 2005 and retired in 2015 after playing for a decade.
iii. He was a part of Australia’s 2007 & 2015 World Cup-winning teams. He took 239 wickets in 153
ODIs (One Day Internationals ) for Australia and 38 wickets in 30 T20(Twenty 20) Internationals.
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About MCC:
♦ Founder: Thomas Lord
♦ Founded: 1787
♦ Ground: Lord’s Cricket Ground
♦ Honorary Life Membership is awarded by the MCC Committee to individuals in recognition of the
service.
BCCI announces a reduction in ban period to 7 years ending in 2020 for cricketer S Sreesanth
On August 20, 2019, BCCI Ombudsman DK Jain has ordered for the reduction in the ban of Indian
cricketer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (S. Sreesanth), who was alleged in a match-fixing scandal in 2013.
His ban period is now lowered to 7 years by the Supreme Court (SC) which will end by September 2020
setting aside the BCCI disciplinary committee’s order banning him for a lifetime.
Background: The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) banned Sreesanth, for a lifetime in
August 2013 after he, along with his Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammates of the 6th IPL (Indian Premier
League) Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were caught for spot-fixing in the match. They were arrested
by the Delhi police in 2013.
i. There were allegations that Rs 10 lakh was paid to Sreesanth for conceding 14 runs in his second over
of the IPL match between RR and Kings XI Punjab team in 2013.
ii. After this, Sreesanth moved the top court (SC) challenging the Kerala High Court order upholding the
life-time ban on him by the BCCI.
iii. The case of his ban was reviewed within three months (reviewed since April) and reduced the life
ban on him.
About Supreme Court
♦ Formed – 6th January 1950.
♦ Location- Tilak Marg, New Delhi.
♦ Chief Justice(CJ) of India- Ranjan Gogoi (46th CJ)
♦ Act- Government of India act 1935.
Indian para-swimming team crossed Catalina Channel of US in 11 hours 34 min

Indian para-swimming team of 6 members comprising Para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia from
Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) has created history by becoming the 1st from Asia to cross the Catalina
Channel (42 km )of US(United States) in just 11 hours 34 minutes. Rohan More was the coach of the
team.
Key points:
i. The temperature of water in the channel was around 13 degrees Celsius.
ii. Satendra was the recipient of “ Vikram Award”(2014), the highest sports award from Chief Minister,
Madhya Pradesh government in recognition of excellence in sports. He has crossed the English Channel
in 12 hours 26 minutes in 2018 & entered Limca Book of Records with his best effort.
iii. Besides Satendra, others in the Indian team include, Rimo Saha (Bengal), Jagdish Chandra
(Rajasthan), Chetan (Maharashtra), Anjani Patel (Chhattisgarh) and Gita Choudhary (Maharashtra)
were involved to cross the channel.
Russell Domingo appointed as the new head coach of Bangladesh Cricket Team
On August 17, 2019 Russell Domingo was appointed as the head coach of Bangladesh Cricket Team
(Men), replacing Steve Rhodes(English cricket coach and former cricketer) by the Bangladesh Cricket
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Board (BCB). Russel will remain as the head coach for the next two years. Key points
i. The BCB replaced steve with Russel without an extension, following the team’s eighth-place finish at
the recently concluded 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.
ii. It is expected that Domingo, who earlier served as the South Africa coach, will serve the team from
August 21, beginning with the lone Test against Afghanistan from September 5, followed by an ODI tri-
series involving Zimbabwe as well.
India’s Hockey team wins Olympic test event 2020 in Tokyo, Japan
Indian Hockey teams (Men & Women) has won the Olympic test event for hockey held from 17-21 Aug
2019 held at Oi Hockey Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, during Tokyo 2020 Games test events. “READY
STEADY TOKYO” is the official brand name and logo for the test events Tokyo 2020. The name of the
hockey test event was “READY STEADY TOKYO – Hockey”. It was organized by the Tokyo Organising
Committee of the Olympic & Paralympic Games. A test event is a dress rehearsal to confirm and
improve the competition and Games operation capabilities in order to ensure a successful operation
during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Men’s Team
Indian men’s hockey team registered a win over New Zealand by 5-0 to win the Olympic Test Event
2019. The goals for India were scored by Harmanpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma,
Gursahibjit Singh, and Mandeep Singh.
Women’s Team
Indian Women’s Hockey team won the Olympic Test Event 2019 by beating Japan by 2-1 in the final at
Oi Hockey Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. Navjot Kaur and Lalremsiami scored the goals for India whereas
Minami Shimizu scored the only goal for Japan.
About Coaches:
♦ Men’s team coach: Graham Reid (Australia)
♦ Women’s team coach: Sjoerd Marijne (Netherlands)
CISF sports personnel felicitated with 10 medals in 18th World Police & Fire Games 2019 held at
Chengdu, China
CISF (Central Industrial Security Force ) have won 10 medals (5 Gold, 3 Silver & 2 Bronze medals) for
India at the recently-concluded 18th edition of World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) 2019, held
at Chengdu in Chinafrom August 8-18, 2019.
CISF DG Rajesh Ranjan felicitated the sports personnel for their excellent performance at the games.
The list of winners in WPFG 2019:
S.No Winners Event Medal won
1 Kuheli Gangulee Rifle (Shooting) Gold(1) Bronze(1)
2 Jina Devi Chongtham Judo (78 kg) Silver(1)
3 Harmeet Judo (60 kg) Gold(1)
4 Meena Kumari Devi Boxing (54 kg) Gold(1)
5 Himani Discuss Throw Silver(1)
Shotput Bronze(1)
6 Sangeeta Pole Vault Gold(1)
High Jump Silver(1)
7 Ankit Rathi Javelin Throw Gold(1)
About WPFG:
It is a biennial sporting event, in which officers or officials from police and Fire Departments from all
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over the world compete in the different events.

WPFG 2019 was an Olympic-style competition with 10,000 athletes representing law enforcement, fire-
fighters, and officers from corrections, probation, border protection, immigration, and customs from
over 70 countries participated in more than 60 sports.
• WPFG-2021: World Police and Fire Games 2021 will be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
• WPFG-2023: Winnipeg, Canada.
“Op-Blue Freedom” flagged off by KirenRijiju and BaichungBhutia

Op-Blue Freedom’ a first of its kind in Asia, a nation-wide adaptive scuba diving programme for people
with disabilities as well as for able-bodied persons. It was launched by sports minister (independent
charge) Kiren Rijiju and former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia at Talkatora garden, New
Delhi.
Key points
Aim: To train adventure enthusiasts in special forces skills like survival techniques, emergency first
response skills, unarmed combat, endurance, and fitness by a group of armed forces veterans.
About sports ministry:
Constituency of Kiren Rijiju- West Arunachal Pradesh.
The Ministry was set up as the Department of Sports at the time of organization of 1982 Asian Games in
New Delhi.
Paytm to continue as BCCI title sponsor till 2023 for Rs 326.8 crore
On August 21, 2019, The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI), Rahul Johri announced that Paytm will continue as the title sponsor of the Indian cricket
board’s domestic and international matches for the next five years i.e till 2023. The bid from One 97
Communications, holding company of Paytm, was the winning bid for Rs 326.80 crore. At Rs 3.80 crore
per match, Paytm’s bid was at 58% incremental value in comparison to the previous per match value of
Rs 2.4 crore.
About Paytm
♦ Founded: 2010
♦ Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
♦ Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
♦ Parent Organization: One97 Communications Ltd
28-member Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of sports minister Kiren Rijiju for Fit
India Movement formed
The 28-member Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of sports minister Kiren Rijiju was
formed for Fit India Movement which aims to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and
sports in their everyday lives. It will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019.
Key Points:
i. It comprises of government officials, members of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), National Sports
Federations (NSF), private bodies and fitness promoters.
ii. It has 12 members from the government, including secretaries of Sports, Secondary Education,
Ayush, Youth Affairs, among others.
iii. IOA President Narinder Batra and seven NSF heads, including those of boxing, athletics, football and
cycling are also the part of the committee.
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iv. Representatives of private bodies include Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Reliance
Foundation, JSW Cement and JSW Paints, SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd., Tata Trusts, Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) India, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce &
Industry (FICCI), and actors Shilpa Shetty and Milind Soman.
About Ministry of Sports:
♦ Child Agency: Sports Authority of India (SAI)
♦ Constituency of Sports Minister: Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh
Vikram Rathour is India’s new batting coach

Former opener Vikram Rathour, aged 50, was appointed as India’s new batting coach. He
succeeds Sanjay Bangar. Bharath Arun and R Sridhar retained as bowling and fielding coaches
respectively.
i. The senior national selection committee headed by MSK Prasad recommended 3 names each for all
the support staff positions and the top names in each category will be appointed after the formalities
with regards to Conflict of Interest declaration is complete.
WADA suspends India’s NDTL for 6 months

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspended the accreditation of the National Dope Testing
Laboratory (NDTL) of India for 6 months due to non-conformities with the International Standard
for Laboratories (ISL), as identified during a WADA site visit in New Delhi, with effect from August 20,
2019.
Key Points:
i. The disciplinary proceedings were initiated by WADA’s Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) in May
2019 and the process was carried out by an independent disciplinary committee as per the procedure.
ii. It prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and
blood samples.
iii. Pursuant to Article 13.7 of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA), NDTL can appeal this decision in
the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, within 21 days of receipt of the notice.
About WADA:
♦ Formed: November 10, 1999
♦ Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
About NDTL:
♦ Parent Organization: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
♦ CEO: Radhey Shyam Julaniya
Haryana ASI wins gold in wrestling at 2019 WPFG in China

On August 22, 2019, Assistant-Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Haryana, Manjit, won a gold medal in wrestling
(86kg category) at the 2019 World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) held in Chengdu, China.
Key points
Previously Manjit has won two gold medals at the WPFG-2011 held at New York (America) and WPFG-
2015 at Virginia.
MonaliJadav also wins medals in WPFG:
i. Constable Monali Jadhav of Jalamb police station in Buldhana district of Maharashtra had also won
three medals (2 golds & 1 bronze), at the WPFG International Championship.
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She also created record scoring 716 out of 720 points in the game representing Indian Police Force. She
previously secured 9th position at the Shanghai 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup stage 2
in Shanghai held in May 2019.
ii. She won the gold in target and field archery and settled for a bronze medal in the ‘3D Archery’ in
WPFG.
India wins two gold at the 2019 World Archery Youth Championships held in Madrid, Spain
The 2019 World Archery Youth Championships took place from 19-25 August 2019 in Madrid, Spain.
India had totally won 2 golds and 1 bronze in this recently concluded championship.
Key points:
Gold to India:
i.Raginee Markoo and Singh Sukhbeer won India’s first gold medal by beating Switzerland’s Janine
Hunsperger and Andrea Vallaro, 152-147, to win India’s first compound junior mixed teamgold medal
at the Madrid. Switzerland’s silver medal is the first podium finish at a world championship since 2006.
ii.The second gold to india was earned by Komalika Bari, becoming therecurve cadet world champion
at the World Archery Youth Championship by defeating higher-ranked Sonoda Waka of Japan 7-3 in
the final. The bronze medal was won by Jang Mi of Republic of Korea.
Komalika Bari: Jamshedpur-born Tata Archery Academy cadet, Komalika(17 years) ranks second in
the recurve cadet of India’s world champion (under-18) category after Deepika Kumari who won the
title in 2009.
Bronze medal:
i.India clinched the bronze medal in the compound junior men’s teamevent by beating Colombia in the
play-offs. The trio Sangampreet Bisla, Sanjay Phadtare including gold medalist Singh Sukhbeer,defeated
Colombia’s Singh Mejia, Felipe Zuluage and Manuel Toro Vasquez with a score of 234-231.
Event Name Medal
Recurve Cadet-Women Komalika Bari Gold
Compound junior mixed team Raginee Markoo and Singh Sukhbeer Gold
Compound junior men’s team Sangampreet Bisla, Sanjay Phadtare and Bronze
Singh Sukhbeer
Gokulam Kerala FC wins 129th edition of Durand Cup (2019) defeating Mohun Bagan to win the
title
On August 24, 2019 the Gokulam Kerala Football club(FC) defeated Mohun Bagan team at the finals of
the 2019 Durand cup (129th edition) match held at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Kerala lifted the title
for the second time in the 131year history of the oldest football tournament in Asia by defeating Mohun
bagan team with a 2-1 score.
Key points
Gokulam Kerala FC becomes the 2nd club from Kerala to win the title after 22 years. In 1997, the first
club to claim the title was FC Kochin led by I.M. Vijayan.
i. Owners of Gokulam Kerala FC: the club is owned by Gokulam Gopalan, Indian businessman, film
producer and distributor from Kerala and owner of Gokulam Group of Companies.
ii. Coach and highest goal scorer:
The coach of Gokulam Kerala FC is Fernando Santiago Valera from Spain and the highest no. of goals
were scored by Trinidad & Tobago star Marcus Joseph who scored an overall total of 11 goals in the
tournament including 2 in the final.
Mohun Bagan coach: The coach of the Mohun Bagan team is Jose Antonio Vicuna of Spain.
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iii. This is Mohun Bagan’s 29th Durand Cup final (most in the tournament’s history), which had totally
won 16 times out of 29 finals,while Gokulam Kerala FC is playing in the title showdown(event) in its
debut season.
Awards:
• Marcus Joseph (Gokulam Kerala FC)- Golden Boot and Golden Ball award for top goal scoring
and best player category respectively.
• CK Ubaid (Gokulam Kerala FC)- Golden Glove award for outstanding performance.
About Durand cup:
♦ It is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament. The Tournament is named after its
founder, Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary in charge of India from 1884 to 1894.Initially
it was effectively an Army cup, and largely the preserve of the British Indian Army troops in India, but
over the years it was opened up to civilian teams.
♦ The 129th edition of Durand Cup (2018) takes place after a gap of 2 years.
♦ Co-Hosts-Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and Osians.
♦ First edition winners- Royal Scouts Fusiliers-1888.
♦ First indian club to win Durand Cup: Mohammedan Sporting Club from Kolkatta-1940.
♦ Most successful teams: Mohun Bagan (oldest existing association football club in India) and East
Bengal, winning it 16 times each.
♦ 3 trophies presented to the winning team- The President’s Cup, The Durand Cup and the Shimla
Cup.
Overview of Total 2019 BWF World Championships

Total 2019 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships, an annual tournament was
held from August 19-25, 2019 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. It was the 25th Edition.
List of Winners:
Men’s Singles Kento Momota (Japan) Anders Antonsen (Denmark)
Women’s PV Sindhu (India) Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
Singles
Men’s Doubles Mohammad Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan Takuro Hoki & Yugo Kobayash (Japan)
(Indonesia)
Women’s Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara Yuki Fukushima & Sayaka Hirota (Japan)
Doubles (Japan)
Mixed Doubles Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong (China) Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree
Taerattanachai(Thailand)
Key Points:
i. B. Sai Praneeth became the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to secure a medal in the BWF World
Championships. He lost to Kento Momota in the semifinal and settled for bronze.
ii. PV Sindhu became the first Indian to win gold in the BWF World Championships.
iii. Kento Momota, Wakana Nagahara and Mayu Matsumoto became the first Japanese to repeat as
badminton world champions.
About BWF:
♦ Formation: 1934
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Dream 11, Hyundai and ACC Cement secure BCCI Partners’ Rights for the next 4 years
On August 23, 2019, The National governing body for cricket, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in
India, Mumbai) has stated that Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Dream11), LafargeHolcim (ACC
Cement and Ambuja Cement) and Hyundai Motor India Ltd. have acquired the official partners’
rights for its international and domestic matches set to take place from 1st September 2019 – 31st March
2023.
Key points:
i. They will pay ₹2.59 crores per match under the new Partners’ rights cycle, which is 72% higher
value in comparison to the previous value of ₹1.5 crore paid by PepsiCo, Jana Bank, and Hyundai Motor
per match.
ii. The consolidated winning bids were at a price of Rs 222.74 crore to be paid for the 2019-2023
India’s home season.
iii. Earlier, an e-learning platform, Byju’s signed a big deal with BCCI to get the sponsorship of the
Indian jersey for a period of 3 years from 5th September 2019 until 31st March 2022.
About Dream 11:
♦ Founded: 2008
♦ CEO & Co-founder: Harsh Jain
About Hyundai Motor India Ltd:
♦ Formation:6 May 1996
♦ Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
♦ CEO: Mr. Seon Seob Kim
About ACC Limited:
♦ MD & CEO and Non-Independent Director: Mr. Neeraj Akhoury
Lt Gen Anil Puri becomes 1st serving general to complete France’s oldest Marathon cycling event
Lieutenant General Anil Puri (56) has become the first serving Lieutenant General-rank officer of the
Indian Army to complete 1200 km of France’s oldest and toughest cycle competition. He achieved this
feat by cycling non-stop for 90 hours without sleeping on the 19th Paris Brest-Paris circuit (PBP)
2019 held from 18-22 August 2019. The race started from the Paris suburb of Rambouillet and ended
at the Brest Military Port in France.
Key points:
i. The event was organized by the Audax Club Parisien , a cycling club founded in Paris, France in
1904.
ii. About 31,125 riders have managed to complete Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur ever since the long-
distance cycling event started in 1931.
AFI ropes in Nestle Milo’s association as NIDJAM- 2019 title sponsor

On August 23, 2019, The Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has unveiled a multi-national food and
beverage company, Nestle Milo’s association as title sponsor for the National inter-district junior
athletics meet 2019 (NIDJAM) to be held on November 24 -26, 2019 in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
Key points:
i. NIDJAM, which will be organized by AFI (Athletics Federation of India), the world’s largest talent
hunt programmes for a single sport, with over 50,000 young athletes participating in it every year.
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ii. The initiative is a platform for boys and girls in the under-14 and under-16 age groups to showcase
their talent across 10 disciplines.
About Nestle S.A:
♦ Founded: 1866
♦ Headquarters: Vevey, Switzerland
♦ CEO: Mark Schneider
About AFI:
♦ Founded: 1946
♦ President: Adille J Sumariwalla
Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Ground in Delhi is set to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium
The governing body of Cricket activities in the Delhi state, the Delhi and District Cricket Association
(DDCA) has decided to rename the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the
memory of the cricket body’s former president who passed away on August 24, 2019. He served as the
president of the DDCA from 1999 to 2013.
Key points:
i. The rechristening will take place on September12, 2019, at a function, which will be held at the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and will be graced by the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports
Minister Kiren Rijiju.
ii. Jaitley, the former Minister of Finance is credited with renovating the Kotla ground into a modern
facility with increased capacity to accommodate more fans and also world-class dressing rooms.
Alex Rins wins 2019 British MotoGP race

On August 25, 2019, Spain born motorcycle racer Alex Rins of Suzuki motors won the 2019 GoPro
British Grand Prix MotoGP race at Silverstone circuit, United Kingdom(UK) overthrowing Honda’s
Marc Marquez to second place by 0.013 seconds.
Key points
i. The third place was sealed by Maverick Viñales Ruiz(Yamaha) of Spain.
ii. Recently Alex Rins had also won the 2019 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas held in Austin,
Texas in April.
Overview of 2019 BWF Para-Badminton World Championships

The 2019 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Para-Badminton World Championships was held
from August 20-25, 2019 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. It was the 12th edition of the
tournament. It was the first time that Para-Badminton World Championships is held together with
World Badminton Championships in the same venue, as 2019 BWF World Championships was held
from 19 to 25 August at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.
i. China topped the list of the medal with a total of 13 medals (7 Gold, 3 Silver & 3 Bronze), followed by
Indonesia with 10 medals (4 Gold, 2 Silver & 4 Bronze) and India with 12 medals (3 Gold, 4 Silver & 5
Bronze).
ii. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju handed over 1.82 crore rupees to the medallists of the Para-Badminton
World Championships 2019. Gold medal winners have given Rs 20 lakh, the silver medallists were
given Rs 14 lakhs and bronze winners Rs 8 lakhs each, Winners in the doubles events were given Rs 15
lakh each for gold, Rs 10.5 lakh each for silver and Rs 6 lakhs for bronze.
Winners- Gold medal
i. In the Men’s Singles Standing Sport Classes – SL 3, Pramod Bhagat won gold.
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ii. In the Men’s Doubles Standing Sport Classes – SL 3, SL 4 Pramod Bhagat & Manoj Sarkar clinched
gold.
iii. In the Women’s Singles Standing Sport Classes – SL 3, Manasi Girishchandra Joshi won the gold.
Silver & Bronze medals
Category Winner Medal
Men’s Singles SL4 Tarun Silver
Men’s Doubles SL3-SL4 Kumar Nitesh & Tarun Silver
Men’s Doubles SS6 Nagar Krishna & Raja Magotra Silver
Women’s Singles SL3 Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar Silver
Men’s Singles SL3 Manoj Sarkar Bronze
Men’s Singles SL4 Sukant Kadam Bronze
Men’s Singles SS6 Nagar Krishna Bronze
Men’s Doubles SL3-SL4 Umesh Vikram Kumar with Chawarat Bronze
Kitichokwattana
Men’s Doubles SU5 Raj Kumar & Rakesh Pandey Bronze
About BWF:
♦ Formation: 1934
Virat Kohli tops & Jasprit Bumrah enters top 10 in latest ICC test rankings
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli ranks 1st in the latest ICC (International Cricket Council) Test
rankings released on August 27, 2019, with 910 points whereas Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah made
his maiden entry into the top 10 rankings placed at 7th spot with 774 points.
Key points
i. Indian Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja Ranks 4th in the Test All-Rounder Rankings with 395 points.
ii. The Test Bowling Rankings is topped by Australian cricketer Pat Cummins with 908 points.
iii. It is also to be noted that Bumrah is currently the world no.1 One Day International(ODI) bowler.
Rank ICC test batsmen ICC test bowler ICC test all-rounder
1 Virat Kohli (India) Pat Cummins (Australia) Jason Holder (West Indies)
2 Steve Smith (Australia) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Ben Stokes (England)
3 Kane Williamson (New James Anderson (England) Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Zealand)
4 Cheteshwar Pujara (India) Vernon Philander (South Africa Ravindra Jadeja (India)
About ICC:
Headquarters- Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE)
Chairperson- Shashank Manohar.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Manu Sawhney.
Motto-Cricket for good.
Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium gets provisional clearance to be the 1st venue for 2020 FIFA U-17
Women’s World Cup
On August 27, 2019, Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneswar, Odisha was named as the first venue for the
upcoming Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-17 Women’s World Cup India
2020after getting provisional clearance. The U-17(under 17) World Cup will be held in India in 2020.
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Key points
i. The stadium will be ratified by FIFA at the final inspection by the end of this year and then the city
will be confirmed as a Host City for the World Cup.
ii. The U-17 Women’s World Cup will be the first FIFA competition for women in India as well as the
second overall to be held in India.
iii. The other venues after getting the infrastructure clearance would be Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai,
and Goa.
About FIFA:
English abbreviation– International Federation of Association Football.
Motto-For the Game. For the World.
Headquarters- Zürich, Switzerland.
President- Gianni Infantino.
Founded- 21 May 1904.
West Indies bowler Cecil Wright announces retirement at the age of 85

On August 27, 2019, West Indies cricket player Cecil Wright with a career spanning 60 years,
announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 85. He will play his last match
representing Uppermill cricket club (England), against Pennine League Side Springhead cricket club of
England on September 7, 2019.
Key points
i. Familiarly known as ‘Cec’, Wright made his first-class debut for Jamaica against Barbados in 1998.
Also he is claimed to have played over two million games taking over 7,000 wickets in professional
cricket.
ii. He moved to England in 1959 and launched a career in professional cricket in the Central Lancashire
League for Crompton(England).
45th World Skills International Competition for 2019 held at Kazan, Russia
The 45th Edition of the World Skills International Competition for the year 2019, a biennial event,
was held at Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre, Kazan, Russia from August 22- 27, 2019. It
was inaugurated by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. This global-level skills competition
was held for the first time in Russia. It was a grand event in the arena of vocational skills.
i. Classification: Skills are classified into 6 sectors: Manufacturing and Engineering Technology,
Information and Communication Technology, Construction and Building Technology, Transportation
and Logistics, Creative Arts and Fashion, and Social and Personal Services.
ii. Organizers: WorldSkills International, WorldSkills Russia, and the Directorate for Sports and Social
Projects (Russia) were the organizers of the Competition.
iii. Participants: More than 1,350 competitors participated from 63 countries across 56 skills and
trades.
iv. Medal tally: China topped the list with 16 Gold, 14 Silver, 5 Bronze & 17 Medallions of Excellence,
followed by Russia and Korea.
Indian team won 19 medals in Worldskills Kazan competition
i. The Indian team won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals along with 15 Medallions of Excellence at
the competition. It is India’s best performance since it first participated at the event in 2007. 48-
member Indian team had participated in the event.
ii. India finished 13th out of 63 countries that participated at the global competition.
The names of the winners are as follows:
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Sl Candidate State Medal Skill

no represented
1 Aswatha Narayana Sanagavarapu Odisha Gold Water Technology
2 Pranav Udayark Nutalapati Karnataka Silver Web Technologies
3 Shweta Ratanpura Maharashtra Bronze Graphic Design
Technology
4 Sanjoy Pramanik West Bengal Bronze Jewellery
5 Sumanth Santemavathuru Karnataka Medallion of Mechatronics
Chikkabettiah Excellence
6 Manjunatha Desurakara
7 Mohammed Rabith Kunnampalli Kerala Medallion of Wall and floor
Excellence tiling
8 Govind Kumar Sonkar Uttar Pradesh Medallion of Car Painting
Excellence
9 Faruk Ahmed Tripura Medallion of Bakery
Excellence
10 Tushar Tukaram Phadatare Maharashtra Medallion of Automobile
Excellence Technology
11 Shubham Singh Punjab Medallion of Cyber Security
12 Swapnil Delhi Excellence
13 Nidhin Prem Kerala Medallion of 3D Digital Art
Excellence Game
14 Thasleem Mohideen Tamil Nadu Medallion of Health and Social
Excellence Care
15 Suraj Uttarakhand Medallion of Autobody Repair
Excellence
16 Omkar Shivaling Gurav Maharashtra Medallion of Mobile Robotics
17 Rohan Ravindra Hanagi Excellence
18 Koteshwar Reddy Golipally Telangana Medallion of Welding
Excellence
19 Md Ramjan Momin West Bengal Medallion of Bricklaying
Excellence
20 Saurabh Baghel Uttar Pradesh Medallion of Patisserie and
Excellence Confectionary
21 Ankit Anand Bihar Medallion of Visual
Excellence Merchandising
22 Gursheesh Singh Chawla Chandigarh Medallion of IT Software
Excellence Solutions for
Business
i. S Aswatha Narayana who won a Gold medal in Water Technology was also awarded as ‘Best of
Nation’amongst the Indian competitors. He was trained by Rajat Kumar Samantaray, Professor, CV
Raman Institute, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
ii. Shweta Ratanpura who won the Bronze medal in Graphic Designing earned the distinction of being
the only female candidate to win a medal for India at WorldSkills Kazan 2019. She was trained by
Narayanan Sathish, Founder, Design Media, Pune.
iii. Pranav Nutalapati who won Silver in Web Technologies was trained by Ruchi Pareek, Technical
Director, Smalt & Beryl. Sanjoy Pramanik who won Bronze in Jewellery was trained by Anupam
Karmakar, Creative Head, Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers.
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Ministers’ Summit 2019

Ministers’ Summit 2019 was organised along the sidelines of Worldskills Kazan competition at Kazan,
Russia. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) was the representative from India.
i. Participants at the Ministers’ Summit included Ms. Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister of the
Russian Federation; Ms. Olga Vasilyeva, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation; Mr. Jos de
Goey, Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Chair of the Strategic Development Committee at
WorldSkills International; Mr. Tang Tao, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, People’s
Republic of China, among others.
ii. Dr Pandey inaugurated Skill India Pavilion at WorldSkills, Kazan in Russia, showcasing the
multicultural experiences of India and unity in diversity.
Upcoming Competition Venue
i. The 46th WorldSkills Competition will be held in September 2021 in Shanghai, China.
ii. Lyon, France will host the 47th WorldSkills Competition in 2023.
About WorldSkills India
WorldSkills India is an initiative of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis
of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), which has been leading India’s
participation at WorldSkills International competitions since 2011. This was done to create an
aspiration around the pursuit of skills training in India and benchmark the skillsets of our youth against
their counterparts in other parts of the world.
About WorldSkills Competitions
WorldSkills hosts the world skills competition which attracts more than 1,300 Competitors from more
than 60 countries. At this event, young people from all corners of the globe gather together for the
chance to win a prestigious medal in their chosen skill. There are competitions in 56 skills across a wide
range of industries — from joinery to floristry; hairdressing to electronics; and autobody repair to
bakery. The Competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions that
are held in WorldSkills Member countries and regions.
Ashish Kasodekar became the 1st Indian by winning 555 Kms long 10th edition of ‘La Ultra’
marathon 2019 event in Ladakh, J-K
Ashish Kasodekar from Pune flashed the flag by becomeing the 1st Indian to complete the 555
kms long 10th edition of ‘La Ultra The High’ marathon 2019 held in Ladakh, Jammu, and
Kashmir(J&K). Ashish came in 3rd at 126 hrs 18 min to finish the distance.
Key points:
i. The tournament started from Karakoram Range in Nubra Valley and moves towards the mighty Indus
river after crossing Khardung La, which is the highest motor-able road in the world at 18,380 feet. The
distance was extended to 555 km from 333 km for 2019 edition, had to be completed in five and a half
days.
ii. 5 people participated in the marathon including 2 Indians.
iii. The contestants had to pass 5 mountains ranges with 1700 feet height.
iv. The 5 challenges given by the ultrahigh marathon are, lack of oxygen, temperature variations(from
40 °C to -15 °C), 14 cut-offs, the climbs, and the distance.
v. Jason Reardon (Australia) became the first man to cross the finish line with the time of 120 hours 19
minutes followed by Matthew Maday (US) coming in at 123 hrs 35 min.
vi. In 2018, Ashish completed the 333km La Ultramarathon in Ladakh in 72 hours, becoming the
3rd Indian and 1st Maharashtrian to do so.
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SL cricketer Ajantha mendis retires from all forms of cricket

Srilankan cricketer Ajantha Mendis (34), who made his debut in 2008, announced his retirement from
all forms of cricket on August 28, 2019.
Key points
i. He was famous for his “carrom ball”. He snapped 70 wickets in 19 Tests, 152 in 87 ODIs and 66 in 39
T20Is. Currently, he is the only bowler to take 6-wicket-hauls in T20s twice.
V K Vismaya wins gold in women’s 400m held at MJS athletics, Czech Republic
Indian sprinter VK Vismaya, aged 22, clinched gold in women’s 400m race which was held at the
International Athletic Meeting – Josef Seckar Memorial (MJS) in Brno, Czech Republic. She finished
the race in 52.12s which was her personal best.
i. Poovamma Machettira and Subha Venkatesan finished second and third with timings of 53.47s and
53.67s respectively.
Kerala all-rounder Jalaj Saxena has become the 1st Indian cricketer to set rare record in Indian
first-class cricket history
Jalaj Saxena (32), an Indian cricketer who plays as an all-rounder for Kerala has set a big record in
first-class cricket.
i. The record was made during the 58th season of Duleep Trophy 2019–20 match between India Red
and India Blue played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ii. Saxena took 3 wickets for India Blue with which he completed his 300 wickets in first-class cricket.
With this, he became the only cricketer to score 6044 runs in first-class cricket, as well as 305 wickets
and still not have played for Team India.
Key points:
i. The Indore-born cricketer Saxena started his career in Madhya Pradesh. Then, he moved to Kerala for
better opportunities.
ii. He has been the recipient of prestigious Lala Amarnath award for best all-rounder by BCCI(Board of
Control for Cricket in India) in January 2016.
Mizoram’s Saidan Secondary School clinched U-14 Subroto Cup International Football
tournament title 2019 by beating Unique Model Academy, Manipur
On August 29, 2019, Saidan Secondary School of Mizoram clinched their maiden Subroto Cup
International Football tournament title 2019 by defeating defending champions Unique Model
Academy, Manipur by 2-0 in the U-14 boys’ category at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi. It is
Asia’s largest youth football tournament.
i. The winning team was awarded Rs 3,00,000 while the runners-up team was awarded Rs 1,75,000.
ii. B Romalsawma and Hunmawia scored the goals for the Mizoram school.
iii. Other awardees:
Award Awardee Prize money
Best Player Award B Romalsawma of Saidan Secondary School, Mizoram Rs 50,000
Best Goalkeeper Award Bijando of Unique Model Academy, Manipur Rs 50,000
Best school Award Saidan Secondary School, Mizoram Rs 25,000
Best coach Lalbulliana, Saidan Secondary School, Mizoram Rs 15,000
Fair Play award Our Lady Mount Carmel High School, Goa Rs 50,000
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Allahabad HC imposes ban on playing DJs (Disk Jockey) in Uttar Pradesh

On August 21, 2019, The Allahabad High Court (HC) bench comprising Justice P.K.S. Baghel and Justice
Pankaj Bhatia has prohibited the permission to play DJs (Disk Jockey) all across Uttar
Pradesh(UP),considering noise pollution as a threat to human health. Along with this, the court also
ordered to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh & will face a 5-year jail term, if he/she disobeyed this
instruction.
Key points:
i. The court has also directed the state government to ensure that no noise pollution rules are violated
in the state. The decision has been taken after public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by an Allahabad
advocate Sushil Chandra Shrivastava.
ii. The HC of Uttar Pradesh has termed the violation of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control)
Rules, 2000, a violation of the basic right of citizens & directed the DMs (district magistrates) of all
districts to provide toll-free numbers to listen to complaints of noise pollution and take action against
those who violate the law.
OBITUARY
Malcolm Nash, who was famously hit for six sixes in an over passed away
Former England cricketer Malcolm Nash, who was best known for being hit by Sir Garfield Sobers for
six sixes in an over has passed away after he collapsed while attending a dinner at Lord’s Cricket
Ground in London. He was 74.
i. He was born on 9 May 1945 in Abergavenny, United Kingdom(UK).
ii. He took 993 first-class wickets in a 17-year career between 1966 and 1983 and was Glamorgan’s
leading wicket-taker when they won the County Championship in 1969.
iii. His name was forever linked with that of Sobers after the sober went on the attack during a County
Championship in 1968. It was the first time any batsman had hit six sixes in a six-ball over in first-class
cricket.
iv. He also played 271 List A matches between 1967 and 1985 & helped Glamorgan defeat Australia in
1968.
Harold ‘Hal’ Prince, broadway legend and 21-time Tony winner passed away in Reykjavík,
Iceland
On July 31, 2019, Broadway legend Harold ‘Hal’ Prince, aged 91, passed away in Reykjavík, Iceland
after a brief illness. He was an American theatrical producer and director.
i. Born on January 30, 1928 in Manhattan, New York, United States, he had won 21 Tony Awards over
the course of his career.
ii. He was a producer and director known for his work on many classic musicals including, “Damn
Yankees,” “West Side Story,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cabaret,” and “Sweeny Todd.”
Indian coffee tycoon, V. G. Siddhartha Hegde found Dead

Indian billionaire and a founder of the largest coffee chain in India, Cafe Coffee Day(CCD), V. G.
Siddhartha Hegde has been found dead on the banks of the Netravati river near Mangaluru.
i. Siddhartha was the son-in-law of former Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna.
ii. Hailing from the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, he established Cafe Coffee Day in 1996, which
is an Indian café chain owned by Coffee Day Global Limited serves 1.8 billion cups of coffee, annually, in
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six countries like Malaysia, Egypt, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
iii. He was in talks with Coca-Cola about selling a large stake in Cafe Coffee Day. The business had come
under pressure and in 2017. As on March 31, 2019, the borrowings of Coffee Day Enterprises stood at
Rs 6,547.38 crore.
Cafe Coffee Day names S V Ranganath as interim chairman
Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd, which owns the Café Coffee Day (CCD) chain named S.V. Ranganath(a
1975-batch IAS officer from Karnataka), who has been a non-executive independent director
as interim chairmanafter founder V.G. Siddhartha was confirmed dead.
i. Nitin Bagmane, who was one of the coffee day’s early investors appointed as the Interim chief
operating officer(COO).
ii. The company has also set up a committee, which will have chief financial officer R Ram Mohan,
Ranganath and Bagmane to manage operations.
iii. Bagmane is a director on the board of Tanglin Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of Coffee Day
Enterprises.
About CCD:
Founded: 1993
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace warrior & a founder of Global Wind Energy Council passed away
On July 31, 2019, Steve Sawyer, famed wind energy campaigner and a founder of the Global Wind
Energy Council (GWEC) has passed away in an Amsterdam (Netherlands) hospital due to lung cancer.
He was 63.
i. He spent over ten years between 2007 and 2017 as a general secretary at GWEC.
ii. Known for stubborn courage and an ability to inspire others, Sawyer came into the global spotlight
after the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior vessel by the French agents in Auckland harbor on July 10,
1985.
iii. Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira was killed by French secret service which blew two
holes in the Rainbow Warrior’s hull, sinking the vessel, when Sawyer was on board celebrating his 29th
birthday.
iv. He spent 30 years at Greenpeace International, where he rose to become executive director from
1988 to 1993 and served in various leadership positions at the environmental activists’ organization.
v. He was one of the environmental activists & create awareness about climate change.
Madhubani painting and Sujni artist Karpuri Devi passed away in the Madhubani district of
Bihar
On July 30, 2019, Madhubani painting and Sujni artist Karpuri Devi, aged 94, passed away at the Heart
Hospital at Mangarauni village in Madhubani district of Bihar where she was undergoing treatment. She
hailed from Ranti village of Bihar and belonged to the first generation of Mithila painting artists.
i. The National Award recipient contributed towards setting up of the Mithila Museum which is located
in Tokamachi hills in Japan’s Niigata region.
ii. She was the recipient of several state awards and national merit certificate given by the Ministry of
textiles, Union government.
National Bravery Award winner Situ Mallick passed away in a road accident in Odisha
On August 2, 2019, Situ Mallick, aged 16, passed away in a road accident near Jarimula under Rajnagar
area of Kendrapara district, Odisha. He had saved his uncle from the jaws of a crocodile and was
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awarded National Bravery Award 2019 instituted by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) from
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Situ Mallick and his cousin Bapu Mallick were the 2 persons killed in a
road accident.
Oscar-winning documentary maker D.A. Pennebaker passed away at Long Island, New York, US
On August 1, 2019, D.A. Pennebaker, the Oscar-winning documentary maker of America, passed away
at Long Island, New York, the US due to natural causes. He was 94.
i. Born on July 15, 1925 in Evanston, Illinois, United States, he was the recipient of honorary Academy
Award/ Lifetime Oscar in 2013 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Veteran Gujarati journalist Kanti Bhatt passed away in Mumbai

On August 4, 2019, Veteran Gujarati journalist, author, and columnist Kanti Bhatt, aged 88, passed
away in Mumbai, Maharashtra after a long illness.
i. Born on July 15, 1931 in Sachra village in erstwhile Bhavnagar state of Gujarat, he had joined
journalism in 1966 in Mumbai.
ii. He worked as a journalist, writer, columnist, and editor in various Gujarati publications like
Chitralekha, Mumbai Samachar, Janshakti, Sandesh, Yuva Darshan, Jansatta, Vyapar and Abhiyan.
Veteran cricket commentator of All India Radio, Anant Setalvad passed away
Long term member in Cricket Club of India and veteran cricket commentator, Anant Setalvad from
Mumbai, passed away at the age of 84 due to old age ailments. He is survived by his two sons.
Key points
i. He was a cricket commentator for All India Radio (AIR) in Ranji Trophy, BCCI (Board of Control for
Cricket in India) tournaments and also for some test matches from the mid-1960s13 to 1980s.
ii. He shared the mike with former test opener and ex-selection panel Chief Vijay Merchant on AIR
iii. His last rites would take place at Worli crematorium,Mumbai.
About AIR
founded- 1930
Motto- Bahujanahitaya Bahujanahitaya
Owner- Prasar Bharati
Renowned journalist, educationist YG Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed away

Noted educationalist, journalist and social worker YG Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed away in
Chennai due to cardiac arrest. She was 93.
i. Born on 8 November 1925 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Rajalakshmi played a major role in setting up of
the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan(PSBB) group of schools.
ii. She received the Padma Shri award in 2010 for her contribution to the field of education and
literature.
iii. She also worked as a journalist with The Hindu and Tamil-weekly Kumudam. Her husband, the late
Y.G. Parthasarathy, was an actor and theatre personality and the founder of the theatre group United
Amateur Artists.
Jean Arasanayagam, Srilanka’s famous poet- writer passes away

Renowned Srilankan contemporary poet and fiction writer Jean Arasanayagam passed away at the age
of 88in Kandy, Sri Lanka due to old age ailments. The author has written over 50 books focused mainly
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on civil wars, ethnic and religious turmoils in Sri Lanka as her subject. She was survived by her husband
and two daughters.
Key points
She was born in December 1931 to a Dutch Burghers family in Kandy, Sri Lanka and completed her
Master degree in literature in Literary linguistics from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
i. Some of her poetry works include- Kindura, Poems of Season Beginning and a Season Over,
Apocalypse ’83, The cry of the Kite.
Awards
i. She was awarded National Award for literature in 1984 and Gratiaen Prize 2017.
ii. She was also honoured with doctorate in letters by Bowfin College in USA.
iii. The Sri Lankan govt. honoured her with SahityaRatna award for her lifetime contributions as well as
Premchand Fellowship of Sahityaakademi, India in 2014.
Former external affairs minister and BJP stalwart, Sushma Swaraj passed away
The senior BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) leader and India’s former external affairs
minister(EAM) Sushma Swaraj passed away in All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New
Delhi due to a massive heart attack. She was 67.
i. Born on 14 February 1952 in Ambala Cantt town of Haryana, Sushma started her political life with
the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS’(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) student wing, and
later joined the BJP.
ii. She was the external affairs minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet from 26 May 2014 to
30 May, 2019, only the 2nd woman in the role after Indira Gandhi.
iii. Swaraj was known for her active presence on social media, often replying to calls and messages of
distress from Indians abroad.
iv. The BJP stalwart, Sushma got her credit such as being country’s youngest-ever Cabinet Minister(at
the age of 25 in 1977), first woman Chief Minister of Delhi(13 October, 1998 to 3 December, 1998).
v. Swaraj, a law graduate who practiced in the Supreme Court(SC), was served as a seven-time
MP(Member of Parliament) and as MLA(Member of the Legislative Assembly) for three terms. In the
2014 Indian general election, Sushma won from the Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh for a
second term (MP), retaining her seat by a margin of over 400,000 votes.
vi. In 1996, She was the Information and Broadcasting (I&B)Minister in the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee
government & she also contested against the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Bellary,
Karnataka in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls.
vii. She served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting from 30 September 2000 – 29 January
2003 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt. Then from 29 January 2003 – 22 May 2004, she served as the
Minister of Health and Family Welfare. She also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the 15th Lok
Sabha 21 December 2009 – 26 May 2014. From 26 May 2014 – 7 January 2016, she was the Minister of
Overseas Indian Affairs. Then her last post was as the well-respected Minister of External Affairs 26
May 2014 – 30 May 2019 in Narendra Modi govt.
Nobel Prize winning novelist Toni Morrison dies at the age of 88

Famous novelist Toni Morrison who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993, passed away at the age
of 88, due to old age ailments. She was born as Chloe Ardelia Wofford on 18 February 1931 in Ohio,
America.
Key points
i. She was the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Most of her work focused on
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the African community, African women and their struggles in life.

ii. She had written over 11 novels, 5 children’s books, 2 plays, a song cycle, and an opera. Some of her
notable novels are The Bluest Eyes, Song of Solomon, Jazz, Paradise, etc. Her last novel was ‘God Help
the Child’ in 2015.
Recognitions
i. She won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, “Beloved” in 1988.
ii. She was made an officer of the French Legion of Honour in 2010.
iii. She was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 by the then-president Barack
Obama.
Veteran Bollywood filmmaker J. Om Prakash passed away aged 92

On 6 August 2019 veteran Bollywood filmmaker and also the maternal Grandfather of Bollywood actor
Hritik Roshan, J. Om Prakash, passed away at his residence in Mumbai at the age of 92.
Key points
i. He was born on 24 January 1927 in Punjab’s Sialkot.
ii. Om Prakash made his debut in with actor Rajesh Khanna’s “Aap ki Kasam” in 1974 which became a
huge success. His other notable films include Aakhir Kyon and Aadmi Khilona Hai.
iii. He served as President of Film Federation of India (FFI) from 1995-1996.
iv. He also produced many films like Aas Ka Panchhi, Ayee Milan Ki Bala, Aaye Din Bahar Ke.
Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht passed away after a crash in Tour of Poland 2019
On August 5, 2019, Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht, aged 22, passed away after a crash in the third
stage of the Tour of Poland 2019. A Lotto-Soudal (Professional team) rider was born on April 2, 1997, in
Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium. He was named in the start list for 2018 Vuelta a España in August 2018.
Harley Race, better known as “King of The Ring” passed away

Born on April 11, 1943, in Missouri, America, Eight-time National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) world
heavyweight champion, Harley Race died at the age of 76 due to lung cancer. He hailed from the USA.
Key points
i. Known as King of the Ring, Harley wrote his autobiography named “King of the Ring: The Harley Race
Story” in 2004.
ii. He also had other nicknames such as Handsome, Mad dog, greatest wrestler on God’sGreen Earth etc.
iii. His wrestling career came to an end after he met with a car accident in 1961.
iv. He was inducted into the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) hall of fame, NWA hall of fame and
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Greek sculptor Takis, known for kinetic artworks passed away at the age of 93
Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis), a Greek artist known for his kinetic sculptures, that made use of
technology, motion, and light and were displayed in art galleries and museums around the world has
passed away in Athens, Greece at the age of 93.
Key points:
i. He was born on 25 October 1925, Athens, Greece. Over a 70-year career, Takis created some of the
most innovative art of the 20th century.
ii. He was the founder of Takis Foundation, a research Center for the Art and the Sciences that contains
a museum, garden, and the sculptor’s studio, and aims to promote the appreciation of the visual arts.
iii. His works adorn the most important museums of the world which include George Pompidou Center
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for Contemporary Art (Paris), the MOMA and the Guggenheim Museum (New York), the De Menil
Collection (Houston), the Tate Modern (London), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice).
Freedom Fighter Dayanidhi Nayak passed away at Panimora, Odisha

On August 10, 2019, Renowned freedom fighter Dayanidhi Nayak, aged 95, passed away after
undergoing treatment at a private hospital for old age-related ailments at Panimora village, Bargarh,
Odisha. He had struggled against the British Government during the Quit India movement (8 August
1942). He was also jailed for 9 months and he was one of the 32 freedom fighters from Panimora.
Dorothy Olsen, a pioneering pilot in World War II, passed away in University Place, Washington,
US
On July 23, 2019, A member of a group of civilian volunteers who flew planes during World War
II, Dorothy Eleanor Olsen, aged 103, passed away in University Place, Washington, United States. Born
on July 10, 1916 in Woodburn, Oregon, US, she flew about 60 missions as part of the 6th Ferry Group of
the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
i. She was the recipient of Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.
Former ASG Amarendra Sharan passed away

On August 12, 2019, former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and senior advocate Amarendra
Sharanpassed away at the age of 69 due to a heart attack in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
Key points
i. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
ii. Sharan served as ASG in the supreme court during UPA-I (United Progressive Alliance) regime from
2004-2009. He also served as special counsel for CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) in coal block
allocation scam case.
iii. He was appointed as an amicus curiae (an impartial adviser to a court of law in a particular case) by
the apex court that heard a petition seeking fresh investigation of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
iv. He enrolled as a lawyer in 1975 after doing his LLB (law degree, Legum Baccalaureus) from Patna
University and started practising at Patna High court. He was later designated as a senior advocate after
when he shifted to Delhi in 2000.
Ivory Coast music star DJ Arafat passed away in a road crash in Abidjan
On August 12, 2019, Ivorian musician DJ Arafat (Real name: Ange Didier Huon), aged 33, passed away
in a road crash at a hospital in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Born on January 26, 1986 in Yopougon, Ivory coast,
he had issued 11 albums, mainly of “coupe-decale” – a dance music form combining rapid percussion,
choppy rhythms with hip hop-style vocals.
i. He was named as the “Best Artist of the Year” at the Ivorian “Coupé-décalé” Awards in 2016 and
2017.
ii. He was the recipient of 2 WatsUp TV Africa Music Video Awards in the year 2016.
Nepal’s veteran Journalist Madan Mani Dixit passed away in Kathmandu

On August 15, 2019, Nepal’s veteran Litterateur and Journalist, Madan Mani Dixit, aged 96, passed
away in Kathmandu. He was suffering from pneumonia. Born on February 17, 1923, in Kathmandu, he
was the first photojournalist of Nepal.
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i. He is the author of Nepali literary masterpieces, namely “Madhavi”, “Meri Nilima” and “Rigveda”.
ii. He was awarded the Madan Puraskar for his literary masterpiece “Madhavi” and won the prestigious
Madan Puraskar of Nepal.
Argentina’s football legend José Luis Brown passed away

Argentina’s 1986 World Cup winner José Luis Brown passed away on August 12, 2019, at the age of 62
in La Plata, Argentina after suffering from Alzheimer’s for a long time.
Key points
i. Born on November 10, 1956, in Ranchos, Argentina, José made 36 appearances for his country and
scored the first goal of 1986 World Cup final led by Diego Maradona, against West Germany(Argentina
won 3-2).
ii. Commonly known as Tata, José worked as coach of the U-23 team of Argentina that won a gold medal
in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
iii. Before joining as a coach, he represented Argentine, Spanish and French clubs.
Veteran actress Vidya Sinha passed away at the age of 71

Veteran Bollywood actor Vidya Sinha, aged 71 years passed away at Criticare Hospital in Mumbai, due
to lung and heart disorders.
Key points
i. Born on 15 November 1947 in Bombay to film producer Rana Pratap Singh, Vidya Sinha is popularly
known for her roles in movies like Rajnigandha(1974), Chhoti Si Batt(1976) and BR Chopra’s Pati, Patni
Aur Woh(1978).
ii. She last featured in actor Salman Khan’s Bodyguard. Later she was engaged in television shows such
as Ekta Kapoor’s Kaavyanjali, besides Kulfi Kumar Bajewala.
Dutch Princess Christina, sister of former queen of Netherlands Beatrix, passed away at the
Noordeinde Palace in The Hague
On August 16, 2019, The youngest sister of former Queen of the Netherlands- Beatrix, Dutch Princess
Christina, aged 72, passed away after a battle with bone cancer at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague,
Netherlands.
i. She was born on February 18, 1947 at Soestdijk Palace, Netherlands.
ii. Former Queen Beatrix had reigned as the Queen of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until her
abdication on 30 April 2013.
Former Indian cricketer VB Chandrasekhar died at the age of 57

The former opening batsman of India, VB Chandrasekhar, popularly known as VB, died at the age of 57
at his house in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The death is suspected to be suicide as he was found hanging at his
home. He is survived by a wife and two daughters.
Key points
i. The former cricketer owned “V B Kanchi Veerans” team in the TamilNadu Premier League. He
invested Rs.3 crores in the Kanchi Veerans. it is expected that financial burdens and liabilities were the
reasons for his death.
ii. Born on 21 August 1961, the Chennai born cricketer represented India in seven ODIs(One Day
Internationals) between 1988 and 1990 and also played a key role in the Ranji trophy making it as the
last TamilNadu team to triumph in the 1987-88 season with 551 runs.
iii. He scored 4999 runs at domestic level in 81 games with the highest score of 237 not out.
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iv. He hit a 56-ball century – the then fastest hundred in India’s first-class competition in the 1988-
1989 Irani Cup in Chennai.
v. He served as a national selector from 2004-2006 after retirement and coached the Tamil Nadu team
during the 2012-13 season.
vi. He was appointed as manager of Chennai Super Kings(CSK) at the start of the Indian Premier League
(IPL) in 2008 and was instrumental in getting the iconic M.S. Dhoni to the team.
Neelam Sharma- Former DD news anchor passed away

Neelam Sharma, one among the founding anchors of Doordarshan News (Former anchor) for more than
2 decades, passed away after battling with cancer on August 17, 2019.
Key points
i. Sharma, a strong advocate for women empowerment started her career in Doordarshan in 1995 and
was known for her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’ and ‘Badi Charcha’.
ii. She was awarded the 2018 ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Govind.
iii. Apart from anchoring, she was also a widely acclaimed documentary filmmaker with more than 60
films under her name.
iv. She won various other awards like Best News anchor award, Aadhi Aabadi Award and KPS Gill
Fearless journalist award.
Padma Shri awardee Damodar Ganesh Bapat passed away in Chhattisgarh

On August 16, 2019, Padma Shri awardee and renowned social worker Damodar Ganesh Bapat, aged
84, passed away at a hospital in Chhattisgarh. He had dedicated his life to the treatment and service of
leprosy patients at Bhartiya Kushta Nivarak Sangh in Janjgir-Champa district. He was known for his
social work in tribal areas in Chhattisgarh.
i. He was the recipient of Padma Shri in 2018 from the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind for his
service to the society.
ii. He was born in Amaravati district of Maharashtra.
Noted Bangladeshi novelist Rizia Rahman passed away

Noted Bangladeshi novelist, Rizia Rahman passed away due to cancer & kidney ailments in Dhaka,
Bangladesh. She was 79.
i. Born on 28 December 1939, Kolkata & moved to Bangladesh, then known as East Bengal, after the
1947 Partition of India.
ii. She began writing stories at the age of 8 & got her credit with a number of novels and short stories.
iii. She had received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and was awarded Ekushey Padak in
2019, the 2nd -highest civilian award in Bangladesh.
iv. Some of her acclaimed works include Bong Theke Bangla(1978), Rokter Okshor(1978) Ghar-
Bhanga-Ghar(1984), and Shilay Shilay Agun(1980).
Hollywood actor Peter Fonda passed away at the age of 79

On August 16, 2019, Renowned Hollywood actor Peter Fonda died at the age of 79 at his home in Los
Angeles, America, due to Respiratory failure from lung cancer.
Key points
i. Born on 23 February 1940 in New York, America, Peter Fonda is best known for his role as Wyatt in
1969 movie “Easy Rider”.
ii. He was nominated for an Oscar (Academy Awards) in the Best Actor category in 1997 for his
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portrayal of a beekeeper in movie ‘Ulee’s Gold’. He also won the Golden Globe award for the role.
iii. He was awarded the Golden globe again for best-supporting actor for his role in “The Passion of Ayn
Rand” in 1999.
iv. He was the son of actor Henry Fonda and also a brother of actress and activist Jane Fonda.
Roger Rabbit creator, Richard Williams passed away in Bristol, UK

On August 16, 2019, Triple Oscar-winning and triple BAFTA-winning animator who was best known for
creating Roger Rabbit, Richard Williams, aged 86, passed away in Bristol, United Kingdom (UK). He
was born in Toronto, Canada on March 19, 1933.
i. He was best known for serving as an animation director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) and
for his unfinished feature film ‘The Thief and the Cobbler’ (1993).
ii. His works include What’s New Pussycat? (1965), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
(1966), The Charge of the Light Brigade and Pink Panther.
iii. For the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, he won two Oscars for Best Visual Effects and a Special
Achievement Oscar. He also won a visual effects British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Award.
iv. For his first film, “The Little Island”, he won a BAFTA in 1958. The first Oscar was received by him in
1971 for his animated adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.”
v. He published “The Animator’s Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles, and Formulas for
Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators” in 2001.
Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra passes away at 82

Jagannath Mishra, former Bihar chief minister and JD(U) i.e., Janata Dal (United) leader passed away
after battling cancer on August 19, 2019. He was undergoing treatment in New Delhi and breathed his
last there. He hailed from Balua Bazar in Supaul district, Bihar.
Key points
i. Born on 24 June 1937, Mishra served as the chief minister of the state thrice. He was the last Congress
chief minister of the state. He also served as a Union minister in the P V Narasimha Rao cabinet. In
1980, he declared Urdu as the second official language of the state.
ii. Mishra served as an economics professor at Bihar University before joining politics and also
authored some books.
iii. A three-day state mourning was announced condoling the former chief minister’s demise.
Veteran Odisha based journalist and columnist Ranjit Guru passed away
Senior journalist & editor of Odia daily Sambad, Ranjit Guru passed away following a brief illness in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was 61.
i. After completing post-graduation and M Phil degree, Ranjit started his career in journalism as
correspondent of Sambalpur for the language daily Sambad & with over 30 years long career, he
promoted to the rank of the senior editor.
ii. He got his credit by highlighting important issues through his writings and columns.
iii. He was also associated with popular newspapers of Anandabazar Patrika and The Asian Age.
NS Tasneem- Sahitya Akademi winner passed away at 91

Eminent Punjabi writer and Sahitya Akademi (1999) award winner Professor Niranjan Singh Tasneem
passed away at his residence in Ludhiana, Punjab due to old age ailments on August 17, 2019. He is
survived by wife, two daughters and a son.
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Key points
i. Born in Amritsar on May 1, 1929, Tasneem served as a professor in Satish Chander Dhawan(SCD)
government college in Ludhiana and was also a research fellow at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies,
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in 1998-1999.
ii. He has written 12 books in English and two Urdu novels, 10 novels and literary books in Punjabi
each. Some of his famous novels are the widely acclaimed ‘Ikk Hor Nawan Saal (Another New Year)
which was part of the class 10 syllabus of Punjab School Education Board(PSEB) for almost 15 years,
‘Jado Sawer Hoyi’(When Dawn Happened) about Indo-Pak partition, and ‘Red Chall’.
iii. His first Punjabi novel was ‘Parchawein’. He wrote in Urdu initially before switching to English and
Punjabi.
iv. His last Punjabi novel was ‘Talaash Hoyi Sadeevi’ (year 2000) and his last published work was
‘Sahitkaari Atey Sahitik Paripekh’(2014).
Awards: He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for his book “Gawache Arth” (The Lost
Meaning) in 1999. The book was based on the life of Punjabis in 1984 Anti Sikh riots. He was also
awarded Punjab’s highest literary honor- Punjabi Sahit Rattan in 2015.
Veteran music director-composer Khayyam passed away aged 92

On August 19, 2019, Veteran composer Mohammed Zahur ‘Khayyam’ Hashmi passed away aged 92.
Suffering from lung infection he was admitted at a hospital in Mumbai where he died of cardiac arrest.
Key points
i. Born in Rahon, Punjab, Khayyam served in the army during World War II for a short period after
which he moved to Bombay and started his music career.
ii. He started his career at the age of 17 and composed music for many hit films like ‘Kabhie
Kabhie’,’Umrao Jaan, ‘Trishul’, ‘Noorie’ and ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’.
iii. He was honoured Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for creative music by the Sangeet Natak
Akademi in 2007 and the Padma Bhushan (third highest civilian award) in the year 2011. In 1977, he
won 3 Filmfare awards for Best Music for “Kabhie Kabhie” and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a lifetime
achievement award in 2010.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur passed away

Former Chief Minister (CM)of Madhya Pradesh & and BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Babulal
Gaurpassed away in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh after a prolonged illness. He was 89.
i. Gaur, born on June 2, 1930, at Naugeer village in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, was served as
the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005.
ii. He was the only BJP leader who won 10 consecutive elections in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative
Assembly.
iii. Before joining politics, Gaur worked as a laborer in Bhopal’s textile mill. He also participated in
several national-level movements such as the agitation against the Emergency and for Goa
Independence
Former finance minister Arun Jaitly passed away at the age of 66

On August 24,2019, former Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley passed away at the age of 66 due to
health related ailments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi where he underwent
treatment several weeks after suffering from breathlessness and restlessness.
Key points
i. Lawyer by profession, Arun Jaitley, who was born on 28 December 1952, was a member of the
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political Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and held various portfolios during the Government of Atal Bihari
Vajpayee and Shri Narendra Modi government’s first term. They were
• Additional Solicitor General (1989-1990)
• Finance (2014-2019)
• Defence (2014-2017)
• Corporate Affairs (2014-2019)
• Law and Justice (2003-2004)
• information and broadcasting (1999-2000 and 2014-2016)
• Department of disinvestment (1999)
• Minister of shipping (2001)
• Leader of opposition,rajyasabha(2009-2014).
ii. He directly contested and lost his first parliamentary election in 2014 from Amritsar constituency of
Punjab.
iii. Being a finance minister under Modi’s first government, ArunJaitley stepped down from contesting
in the 2019 loksabha election citing health issues.
iv. He also served as a member of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank(ADB).
Initiative & Reforms:
He introduced many key reforms and initiatives like establishment of the monetary policy committee
and demonetising high value notes in November 2016, liberalisation of foreign direct investment
framework and abolition of Foreign Investment Promotion Board(FIPB) which is now replaced as
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and implementation of the Goods and Service Tax(GST).
Treatments underwent:
i. Jaitly who served as Finance Minister(FM) from 2014-2019 underwent a renal transplant in 2018
May, and his post as FM was replaced by the then railway minister Piyush Goyal in his absence.
ii. He returned back to office on August 2018.
iii. Previously he had also undergone bariatric surgery in 2014.
David Hamilton Koch of Koch Industries passed away in US

On August 23, 2019, World’s 11th richest person (As on June 2019) with a net worth of $42 billion
(about £34billion), an American philanthropist & co-owner of Koch Industries, David Hamilton Koch,
aged 79, passed away in Southampton, United States. He struggled with prostate cancer. Koch
Industries was known for refining crude oil, making fertilizer, producing Dixie cups and Quilted
Northern toilet paper. He was born on May 3, 1940, in Wichita, Kansas, US.
India’s first woman DGP Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed away in Mumbai
On August 26, 2019, India’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP), Kanchan Chaudhary
Bhattacharya, passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra after an illness. She was born in Himachal
Pradesh and lived in Amritsar, Punjab and Delhi. She was the second woman IPS (Indian Police Service)
officer of India after Kiran Bedi.
i. She is a 1973 batch IPS officer.
ii. She was appointed the DGP of Uttarakhand in the year 2004 and retired as the DGP on October 31,
2007.
iii. She also contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on an Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) ticket from
Haridwar constituency. But failed to win.
iv. She was awarded President’s Medal for long and meritorious services in 1989, President’s Medal for
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distinguished services in 1997 and Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2004 for excellent all-round performance
and as an outstanding woman achiever.
Former Indian Navy Commander Noel Kelman, passed away

On August 23, 2019, Goa born Kirti Chakra(peacetime gallantry award) awardee, Commander Noel
Kelman,passed away at the age of 92 in Porvorim, Goa due to old age ailments.
Key points:
i. Kelman who was a founder member of the Goa Branch of the All India Anglo Indian Association was
awarded Kirti Chakra in 1962 for his valour in 1961 Goa liberation to oust Portuguese from the Anjadip
island.
ii. He was also awarded the king’s commendation (for brave conduct) in the Second World War (WW
II), for sinking a Japanese submarine.
Architect of Volkswagen’s global expansion- Ferdinand Piech, passed away

On August 27, 2019 Austria born Ferdinand Karl Piëch, the engineer known for creating a revolution
in German automaker Volkswagen in the 1990s passed away at the age of 82.
Key points
i. Piëch who was the great grandson of Ferdinand Porsche,founder of German automobile Porsche, was
the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Volkswagen Group in 1993 during which he turned it
into a large conglomerate (large corporation) now.
Veteran Bengali actor Nimu Bhowmik passed away in Kolkata

On August 27, 2019, Veteran Bengali actor Nimu Bhowmik, aged 84, passed away at his home in
Kolkata due to cardiac arrest. He was born on November 14, 1935, in Dinajpur district of undivided
Bengal.
i. He played major roles in Bengali classics such as ‘Ganadevata’ (1979), ‘Baghini’ (1968), ‘Dadar Kirti’
(1980), ‘Guru Dakshina’ (1987) and ‘Dash Mash Das Diner Galpo’ (2019) which was his last film.
ii. He has acted in over 60 films.
iii. He had also contested the Lok Sabha election from Raiganj constituency in 2014 as a candidate from
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Ex-South American Football Boss Nicolas Leoz passed away in Asuncion, Paraguay
On August 28, 2019, Former South American football chief Nicolas Leoz, aged 90, passed away in
Asuncion, Paraguay after heart failure. He was a key suspect in the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de
Football Association) corruption scandal investigated by the United States (US) Justice Department in
2015. He had served as the President of the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL)
from 1986 to 2013.
i. He was born on September 10, 1928 in Pirizal, Paraguay.
ii. He was under house arrest in Asuncion in connection with the scandal and was suspected of
receiving millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for marketing and TV rights for games.
4-time Emmy award winner Valerie Harper passed away in US

On August 30, 2019, Veteran comedian and four-time Emmy winner Valerie Harper, aged 80, passed
away in Los Angeles, United States. She was suffering from different health issues over the years. She
was born on August 22, 1939 in Suffern, New York.
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i. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Tallulah
Bankhead in the play Looped in 2010.
ii. She was the recipient of Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Series 3 times during her time on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the Emmy for Outstanding Lead
Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Rhoda.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Tools and Weapons: The Promise and The Peril of the Digital Age” co-authored by Microsoft
President Brad Smith & Carol Ann Browne set to launch on Sep 11, 2019
The book co-authored by Microsoft President Brad Smith & Carol Ann Browne, a director of
communications at Microsoft, titled “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and The Peril of the Digital
Age” will be released on September 11, 2019. It is published by Hachette Publishers.
i. The foreword is written by Bill Gates.
ii. The book depicts the biggest stories of Microsoft.
Hilary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton teamed up for the book on ‘Gutsy Women’
American politician, diplomat, lawyer, writer and public speaker Hilary Rodham Clinton (called as
Hilary Clinton) and her daughter Chelsea Clinton are teamed up to write a book called “The Book of
gutsy Women” to honour famous women personalities.
Key points
i. This book includes portraits of more than 100 famous women personalities.
ii. The Clintons (Hilary and Chelsea) were represented by Robert Barnett, attorney of Washington DC,
iii. The book will be published by Simon & Schuster publications on October 1, 2019.
iv. Some of the women included in the book are scientist Marie Curie, Activist Greta Thunberg, activist
Manal al-Sharif, entertainer Ellen DeGeneres.
About Hilary Clinton
i. She is the wife of former American president Bill Clinton.
ii. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1993-2001 and 67th United States secretary from
2009-2013.
About the United States (U.S)
♦ The US is a country of 50 states. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) are some
of the International Organisations based in U.S.
♦ Hollywood, the home of U.S film industry is situated in Los Angeles, California.
♦ President- Donald Trump
♦ Capital- Washington DC
♦ Largest city- New York City.
Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan’s new Book ‘Resurgent India’ launched
On August 6, 2019, Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan’s new Book ‘Resurgent
India’launched in New Delhi. The book talks about key priorities that can be implemented by the new
government in the national interest, irrespective of the political agenda of the party that comes to
power. The book has been published by Harper Collins. It is a sequel to Bimal Jalan’s book Emerging
India (2012).
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Key points:
i. During the launch, the author stated that the government should borrow only the long-term funds
from the overseas market, and it shouldn’t exceed more than 1.5 percent of GDP (Gross domestic
product) under any circumstances.
ii. He also stated that the panel to review the Economic Capital Framework was not finalized because of
new finance secretary, Rajiv Kumar was appointed by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) as a new member
of the 6 member committee, which was formed on December 26, 2018. The panel has also got an
extension beyond the three-month term.
iii. Background: The government has already announced that it would start raising a part of its gross
borrowing from external markets in foreign currencies.
Book ‘Oru Manidhan Oru Iyakkam Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi’ released

On August 6, 2019, The book titled ‘Oru Manidhan Oru Iyakkam Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi’ in
Tamil language which depicts the life and work of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Dravidian Progressive
Conference) (DMK) leader Late M Karunanidhi , the former Tamil Nadu chief minister, was launched
by K Veeramani, President of Dravidar Kazhagam in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
i. The book is published by Frontline, a publication of The Hindu group. Frontline is commemorating
35 years in journalism.
ii. The book includes all the articles published in the special issue – ‘A Man and a Movement,’ which was
brought out in August 2018, as a tribute to M Karunanidhi after his demise.
iii. It was launched one day before the first death anniversary of Late M Karunanidhi.
Book ‘Listening, Learning and Leading’ launched by union home minister Amit Shah
The book ‘Listening, Learning and Leading’ marking Shri Venkaiah Naidu’s two years of service as vice
president was launched by Union Home minister Amit Shah at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai during the
function organized by Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Key points
i. Achievements during vice president’s tenure in these two years were discussed. Amit Shah especially
noted about Venkaiah Naidu’s 19countries visit in these two years of which some countries like
Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Malta have been the first ones to have ever been visited by an
Indian vice president.
ii. The book captures few glimpses of vice president’s 330 public engagements across all states and
union territories.
iii. Other members: other officials present in the launch were BanwarilalPurohit, Governor of
Tamilnadu; Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union minister for Information and Broadcasting,
Environment,Forests& climate change; Shri Edappadi K. Palanisamy, Chief minister of TamilNadu;
deputy chief minister of TamilNadu Shri O.Panneerselvam, eminent scientists like Prof.M.S.
Swaminathan, Dr.K.Kasturirangan, former ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation) director and
Members of Parliament from various parties.
Penguin Random House India announces a book on the life of cinema legend Sridevi, titled
“Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar”
On August 13, 2019, Penguin Random House India has announced a book on the life of the actor,
Sridevi titled “Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar” on her 56th birth anniversary. The book is written by
author-screenwriter Satyarth Nayak.
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Key points:
i. The book recalled the life and times(in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema) of the
legendary actor Sridevi will be published under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House in
October 2019.
ii. The book also talks about her innings after her big-screen comeback in 2012 with “English Vinglish”
film.
Book on the History of Jammu & Kashmir from 1889 to 2019 titled ‘Kashmir’s untold story:
Declassified’ to be released
Book titled ‘Kashmir’s untold story: Declassification’ by Bloomsbury publishers was announced on
August 14, 2019. The book portrays the time of political and geographical consolidations of Jammu &
Kashmir(J&K), beginning from the era of Maharaja Gulab Singh till the present day.
Key points
i. The book is authored by Delhi- based filmmaker Iqbal Chand Malhotra and defence analyst Maroof
Raza.
ii. The book will be released on September 18, 2019.
iii. It shares the history of J&K when it first imposed central rule and dispossessed the rule of the then
Maharaja Gulab Singh.
Contents:
i. Some of the contents in the book deals with the scrapping of Article 370 and 35A of J&K, the
formation of two new Territories J&k and Ladakh.
ii. Other pressing issues like China’s interest in J&K, Islamic Jihad and Indus water treaty (IWS) – water
distribution between India and Pakistan will be dealt with.
Former diplomat Rajiv Dogra pens latest novel “Second Night”

Former Indian diplomat, Television commentator, writer, and artist Rajiv Dogra wrote his latest (third)
novel “Second Night” published by Rupa. This novel describes and focuses on friendship, love, and loss
in the life of a woman.
Key points
i. Jabalpur(Madhya Pradesh) born Rajiv Dogra has previously penned two books on the Indo-Pak
relations named “Where borders bleed: An insider’s account of Indo-Pak Relation” and on the Durand
Line (the borderline between Pakistan and Afghanistan) named “Durand’s curse: A line across Pathan
Heart”.
ii. He is currently writing a book on foreign policy and the legacy of Indian prime ministers.
Previous role of Rajiv Dogra
He served as the high commissioner of India to London from 1994-1997 and as Ambassador to Italy
and Romania, Permanent representative to the United Nations Agencies in Rome and as Consul General
in Karachi.
Culture Minister Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched the book called ‘the Diary of Manu Gandhi’ in
New Delhi
On August 22, 2019, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for
Culture and Tourism has launched the book called ‘the Diary of Manu Gandhi ’(1943-44) at a function
in the auditorium of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi.
Key points:
i. Manu Gandhi (Mridula) was a grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi, daughter of his Nephew Jaisukhlal
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Amritlal Gandhi, and stayed with Gandhiji till his assassination. The 1st volume of the diary is a record
of her life and times with M.K. Gandhi between 1943 and 1944.
ii. It has been brought out by National Archives of India, an Attached Office under the Ministry of
Culture on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford
University Press.
iii. The diary was in Gujarati language & it has been edited and translated by Dr. Tridip Suhrud, a
popular scholar engaged in understanding the Gandhian Intellectual tradition.
iv. The author also shares a moment of Kasturba Gandhi’s illness and death and also unravels the deep
emotional bond she develops with Gandhi, whom she calls her ‘mother’.
August 23 observed as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its
Abolition
The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition adopted by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is observed every year on August
23. This day is observed as a remembrance of people involved in the tragedy of the transatlantic slave
trade. The theme for the year 2019 is “Remember Slavery: The Power of the Arts for Justice“. This
Day also marked the 25th anniversary of “UNESCO’s Slave Route Project: Resistance, Liberty, Heritage”
Key points:
Background: The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved transportation by slave
traders of enslaved African people, mainly to America. Later after series of protests, slavery was
abolished in the United States by the 13th amendment passed by Congress (delegates holding a
meeting) on January 31, 1865, and ratified it on December 6, 1865. Similarly, various countries had also
passed slavery abolition laws. The proclaimed by UNESCO Executive Board by adopting resolution 29
C/40 by its General Conference at its 29th session.
About UNESCO:
♦ Headquarters: Paris, France.
♦ Director-General- Audrey Azoulay.
♦ Founded- 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom(UK).
New book describing Flipkart’s untold story launched

A new book recounting the story of how Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal (both-former founders of
flipkart) built e-commerce giant Flipkart written by Mihir Dalal is launched on August 21,2019. The
book is titled as “Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story” and is published by “Pan Macmillan
India”.
Key points:
i. It also depicts the story of big money, power, and hubris (excessive pride or self-confidence), as both
business and interpersonal complexities weakened the founders’ control over Flipkart and forced them
to sell out to American multinational retail company Walmart.
ii. In 2018, Walmart acquired a 77% stake in Flipkart group for a $16 billion. After the acquisition,
Binny Bansal assumed the role of chairman and continued as Group Chief Executive Officer(CEO). His
5.5% stake in Flipkart was valued at $1 billion after the acquisition. He resigned from Flipkart in
November 2018 on allegations of personal misconduct.
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“Obama: The Call of History” written by Peter Baker reveals Barack Obama’s years in office
A book on Barack Obama, former United States (US) President, titled “Obama: The Call of History” has
been written by Peter Baker, the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times. It gives
an in-depth account of Obama’s years in office. It has been published by Penguin India.
Book ‘Jin Dhoondha Tin Paaiyan’ penned by senior IPS officer O P Singh released
On August 30, 2019, Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar released a book titled ‘Jin
Dhoondha Tin Paaiyan’ in Hindi at Chandigarh, written by senior IPS (Indian Police Service) officer O
P Singh, an ADGP (Additional Director General of Police) rank officer in Haryana police, who is
currently Special Officer to the Haryana chief minister. It is the third book of the officer which covers a
wide range of issues including crime, violence, police, sports and social media.
A new book named , “A Short History of Indian Railways”, penned by Rajendra B Aklekar
introduced
A new book called “A Short History of Indian Railways”, written by veteran journalist and
author Rajendra B Aklekar on the history of Indian Railways details the journey of the national
transporter starting from the 1830s(almost 15 years before the official train run of 1853) to the new
high-speed Train 18 and Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi’s ambitious bullet train project has been
introduced in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key points:
i. The preface of the book has been written by eminent journalist Mark Tully(former Bureau Chief of the
BBC- British Broadcasting Corporation, New Delhi), who lauds the book for its interesting story-telling
and carefully-curated topics and its enchanting description on Indian Railways.
ii. The book documented many untold stories of the 1st train, the key roles of Railway Department in the
freedom struggle of India, including incidents like Kakori Train Dacoity, a plan to blow up Mahatma
Gandhi’s Train, and also interesting stories of rail demons, ghosts, and haunted railway lines.
iii. The book has been published by Rupa Publications
IMPORTANT DAYS
World breastfeeding week observed from Aug 1-7 in over 120 nations
To encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world, the first week of
August (aug 1-7),is celebrated as world breastfeeding week in more than 120 countries.
i. The theme for this year is “Empower parents, Enable Breastfeeding”.
ii. The World Health Organisation (WHO)along with UNICEF and their other partners works to promote
the importance of family friendly policies which includes paid maternity leave for min. of 18 weeks to
encourage responsibility of caring
To encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world, the first week of
August (aug 1-7), is celebrated as world breastfeeding week (WBW) in more than 120 countries. It
commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO,
UNICEF and other organizations to support breastfeeding.
• The theme for 2019 is “Empower parents, Enable Breastfeeding”.
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Key points
• This event was first celebrated in the year 1992 and is organised every year by World Alliance
for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
• Awareness programmes like puppet shows, skits, dance and drama, films, slide shows, etc will
be organised.
• This nutrition intervention will help the govt. to achieve Sustainable Development 2030 and
National Nutrition Goals.
Events in India
The focus of this year is protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.
• The food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development has organised no. of
activities like Annaprashan Ceremony and Quiz competition on Infant and Young Child Feeding
(IYCF) are being conducted in all states and union territories through 43 community Food and
Nutrition Extension Units of Food and Nutrition Board.
• The other functionaries involved are Home science colleges, Medical Institutes, NGOs (Non
Government Organisations) and others.
Importance of breastfeeding
• WHO recommends breastfeeding starting after one hour of baby’s birth until the baby is 6
months old.
• Antibodies present in breast milk fights off viruses and bacteria and babies breast-fed for the
first six months have fewer ear infections, respiratory illness, and bouts of diarrhoea.
• Breastfeeding reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and postpartum
depression.
• Continued breastfeeding up to the age of 2 years or beyond will increase the IQ (Intelligence
Quotient) level in infants.
WHO and UNICEF collaboration
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) along with UNICEF and their other partners works to
promote the importance of family-friendly policies which includes paid maternity leave for
min. of 18 weeks to encourage responsibility of caring.
• According to WHO, increased breastfeeding to near-international level can save upto 8 lakh lives
every year( majority being infants under 6 months)
Hiroshima Day 2019 observed on August 6

Hiroshima Day was observed on August 6, 2019. It marks the anniversary of the atomic bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan by the United States (US) in 1945.
Key Points:
i. During World War II, an American B-29 bomber had dropped the first atomic bomb nicknamed ‘Little
Boy’ on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
ii. Three days later i.e on August 9, 1945, a second atomic bomb “Fat Man” was dropped on the city of
Nagasaki.
iii. Hiroshima Day, the annual event is organised by the Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) in Eyre
Square, Ireland.
iv. 2019 marks the 74th anniversary of the disastrous event.
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Nation celebrates 5th National Handloom day on august 7 2019

The 5th National Handloom Day is celebrated on August 7, 2019 to honour the Handloom weavers of
the country and also to highlight the Handloom industry. A function to mark the occasion was held at
Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The function was presided by Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child
Development.
Other ministers present
The other ministers present were
• Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas
• Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State(MoS) for Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries
and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
National Handloom Day
i. The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated in Chennai at the centenary of Madras University
by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 7th August 2015.
ii. August 7 was chosen to commemorate Swadeshi Movement that was launched in Calcutta Townhall
in 1905 protesting against Bengal’s partition by the British govt that ruled the Country.
Focus: This day focuses on socio-economic development contributed by the Handloom industry and
also to increase the income of people working in that handloom sector.
Main event in Odisha
• Bhubaneswar, Odisha having a rich tradition of Handlooms, has been chosen as the venue to
conduct various events.
• Objective: The prime objective to hold the events in Bhubaneswar is for empowering women
and girls.
• More than 50% of weavers in India reside in Eastern and Northern regions. Of them, most are
women.
Activities undertaken:
• Distributing Pehchan cards (health cards for the insured persons) and Yarn passbooks
and MUDRAloans (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd).
• Lighting units and certificates distribution for work shed construction.
• Observing National Handloom Day in different states at Weaver’s Service Centres.
• Workshops, panel discussions, handloom products special stalls to be kept at 16 NIFT(National
Institute of Fashion Technology) campuses.
• Live broadcast discussion session on Twitter from IMG (International Management Group)
Reliance Involving famous personalities from the handloom sector.
• A symposium to be conducted at New Delhi by Fashion Design Council of India which will have
participants from Textile ministry, master weavers, designers, and textile experts.
• Workshops at IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) and NIOS (National Institute of
Open Schooling).
India observes 77th anniversary of Quit India movement on August 8, 2019

The 77th anniversary of Quit India Movement, also known as August Kranti Andolan, was
celebrated across India on 8 August 2019. The Quit India movement aimed to help India attain
complete independence, a historic milestone in the Indian freedom struggle, had begun on 8 August
1942 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. India gained independence 5 years after the
movement.
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Key points:
i. Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu was addressing a gathering in New Delhi after Gandhian, Dr.
Shobana Radhakrishna delivered Gandhi Katha (a narrative on the clarion call given by Mahatma
Gandhi to the British to Quit India)He also stated that the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are
eternally relevant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the valuable contribution of the freedom
fighters and highlighted the significance of August Kranti in the long-drawn struggle.
ii. Background: After the failure of Cripps Mission (British government’s attempt to secure full
Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II), On August 8, 1942, Mahatma
Gandhi launched a mass protest demanding what he called “an orderly British withdrawal” from
India. Gandhiji gave a slogan of ‘Do or Die’ delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. Almost
the entire Indian National Congress leadership was sent to jail without trial within hours after
Gandhiji’s speech.
iii. Supporter: American President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only supporter of India, was
constantly pressurizing the British Prime minister (PM)Winston Churchill to agree on some of the
demands Indians made, but Britishers denied every call and averted everything till the war was
over. Only then Gandhiji was imprisoned at Aga Khan Palace in Pune and almost all leaders were
arrested.
Nagasaki Day 2019 observed on August 9

Nagasaki Day was observed on August 9, 2019. On this day, the United States had dropped an atomic
bomb known as “Fat Man” on Nagasaki city of Japan in 1945 during World War II. The first bomb
nicknamed ‘Little Boy’ was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945. 2019 marks the
74th anniversary of the disastrous event.
International Day of the World’s Indigenous People 2019 observed on August 9

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was observed on August 9, 2019. It is
celebrated to raise awareness about the protection of the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
The theme of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2019 is ‘‘Indigenous Languages”.
Key Points:
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a Resolution (A/RES/71/178) on ‘Rights of
Indigenous Peoples’, proclaiming 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
ii. On 23 December 1994, the UNGA declared August 9 as International Day of the World’s Indigenous
Peoples.
iii. The date marks the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-
Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in 1982.
iv. 2019 Celebrations took place in the ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) Chamber
at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
4 in 10 indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing
United Nations Human Rights Experts have claimed that out of the 7,000 indigenous languages spoken
in the present world, 4 in 10 are in danger of disappearing.
Key Points:
i. The experts included the panels that report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC), along with a UN-appointed investigator known as a Special Rapporteur.
ii. It claimed that “nation-building” was largely responsible for “ongoing discrimination” against native
speakers.
iii. The time frame of 10 years along with the resources required was provided by the experts in order
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to reverse the historic destruction of indigenous languages and reclaim these languages for the future
of indigenous peoples and the world community.
About UNGA:
♦ President: María Fernanda Espinosa (73rd session), Prof. Tijjani Muhammad Bande (designated for
the 74th session, September 2019)
World Biofuel Day celebrated on August 10, 2019

In order to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional
fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector, August 10 is
observed as World Biofuel Day. In India, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas organized the World
Biofuel Day at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Ministers present:
i. The programme was inaugurated by Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas
& Steel.
ii. Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan was
the Chief Guest of the function.
Theme:
The theme for the World Biofuel Day 2019 was “Production of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO)”.
Biofuel
i. Biofuels have the benefits of reduction of import dependence, cleaner environment, additional income
to farmers and employment generation.
ii. Biofuel programme also compliments Government of India’s initiatives for Make in India, Swachh
Bharat and increasing farmers income.
Risk in repeated usage of the same oil
If the same cooking oil is used for repeated frying, it adversely affects the health due to the formation of
polar compounds during frying and would cause diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis,
Alzheimer’s disease, liver diseases among others.
i. The National Policy on Biofuels, released by the Government of India in 2018, envisages biofuel
production from UCO. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is implementing a strategy
to divert UCO from the food value chain and curb current illegal usage. The benefits of transformation
of UCO will help bring employment generation, infrastructural investment in rural areas & cleaner
environment with reduced carbon footprint.
Current statistics
Approximately 850 crore litres of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) is consumed on a monthly basis in India.
i.The National Policy on Biofuels – 2018 envisages a target of 5% blending of Biodiesel in HSD by 2030.
In order to achieve the blending target, 500 crore litres of Biodiesel is required in a year.
Biodiesel plants
To facilitate the production of Biodiesel from UCO, the Oil Marketing Companies shall float an
Expression of Interest (EOI) for procurement of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil across 100 cities. The
purpose of inviting this EOI is to encourage applicants to set up Biodiesel producing plants from Used
Cooking Oil (UCO), processing plants and further utilizing the existing potential of UCO based Bio-diesel
in India.
ii.On this occasion, a sticker on RUCO viz., Repurpose Used Cooking Oil and a mobile app to facilitate
the collection of UCO was also released by FSSAI.
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Founder of ISRO, Vikram Sarabhai’s 100th birth anniversary observed on 12 August,2019

i, On August 12,2019,The founder of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and is known as the
Father of the Indian Space Program, Vikram Sarabhai’s 100th birth anniversary observed on 12
August,2019 across the country.
ii. On August 12,2019, To commemorate the birth centenary of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO has launched
a year-long programmes and functions (include science and space exhibitions, competitions for school
children, journalism awards and speeches by eminent personalities) will end on 12th August, 2020
On August 12, 2019, The founder of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and Father of the Indian
Space Program, Vikram Sarabhai’s 100th birth anniversary observed across the country.
Key points:
i. He was born on 12 August 1919 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He established Physical Research Laboratory
(PRL) in Ahmedabad on 11 November 1947 & Indian National Committee for Space Research in 1962,
which was later renamed the ISRO.
ii. He also founded the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Center for Environmental
Planning and Technology(CEPT), and the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) in Ahmedabad. He
also served as chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission. He died on 30 December 1971, Halcyon
Castle, Thiruvananthapuram.
iii. ISRO launched the Chandrayaan-2 mission having lander called Vikram to honour the late Dr.
Vikram Sarabhai that is scheduled to touch down on the lunar surface on September 7, 2019.
Awards/Honours Received
• In 1966, he received the Padma Bhushan.
• In 1972, was conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
• In 1973, a crater on the moon was named after him i.e. “Sarabhai”. It is located on the Mare
Serenitatis, in the northeast quadrant of the Moon.
• For 2019, Dr. Sarabhai’s doodle was created by Mumbai-based artist Pavan Rajurkar.
ISRO launches programmes to commemorate birth centenary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
On August 12, 2019, To commemorate the birth centenary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO has launched
year-long programs and functions (include science and space exhibitions, competitions for school
children, journalism awards and speeches by eminent personalities), that will end on 12th August 2020.
The inaugural function for the same has been organized at Gujarat University Convention Hall
in Ahmedabad, Gujarat while valedictory function for the year-long program was held
at Thiruvananthapuram.
i. The unique “Space on Wheels” exhibition inside the bus also inaugurated on this auspicious occasion
along with the unveiling of a commemorative coin. ISRO has also released a Coffee Table Book and a
photo album of on life and work of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
World elephant day celebrated on August 12, 2019

Observed every year on August 12, The World Elephant Day is celebrated to create awareness and
bring attention to the urgent plight (dangerous situation) of Asian and African elephants.
Key points
Background: Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clarke of Canazwest Pictures and
SivapornDardarananda, secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand
decided to celebrate world elephants in 2011. It was then officially founded, launched by Patricia Sims
and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12,2012.
i. The day was first launched on August 12, 2012.
ii. Human activities like poaching, human-elephant conflict and mistreatment in captivity have become
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a great threat to both African and Asian elephants’ survival.

iii. Numerous elephant conservation organisations are focusing to curb illegal poaching and trade of
ivory, conserving elephant habitats, better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing captive
elephants into natural, protected sanctuaries.
iv. The African elephants are listed as ‘vulnerable’ and Asian elephants are listed as ‘Endangered’ on the
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list of threatened species.
Singapore to ban sale of ivory from 2021:
Singapore announced on World elephant day that ivory sales will be banned from the country from
2021.
i. This comes as an initiative launched by the Singapore govt. to tighten its campaign against illegal
wildlife trade.
ii. the announcement followed two years of consultation with non Government groups, ivory retailers
and public.
iii. Last month, the authorities seized their largest ivory ever weighing 9tonnes of contraband tusks
from 300 African elephants valued at $12.9 million which was discovered in a container from the
Democratic Republic of Congo being shipped to Vietnam via Singapore. It also included pangolin scales
in huge stash.
Ban in Singapore:
All forms of ivory products are banned since 1990. Traders can however sell ivory only if they prove
that the ivories they sell were acquired prior to the ban by the govt.
i. The national parks in Singapore bans elephant ivory and products with effect from September 1,
2021.
ii. Violators would be jailed up to one year and fined on conviction.
iii. After the elephant populations dropped from millions to about just 6lakhs by the mid 20th century
in Africa, the global trade in elephant ivory had been outlawed since 1989.
World organ donation day observed on August 13

The organ donation day is observed every year on August 13 to create awareness about organ donation.
Aim:
To motivate people to donate organs thus saving lives after their death.
Key points
i. Spain has the highest donor rate in the world at 46.9million people followed by Portugal at 34 million
as of 2017.
Organs that can be donated
i. A donor can donate organs like the heart, liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, eyes after his/her
death irrespective of age, caste, religion and community.
ii. Pledging to donate organs can be done above the age of 18. If someone younger than the age of 18
wants to donate organ then he or she must have an agreement of parents or guardian.
International Left-Handers Day observed on 13th August 2019

International Left-Handers Day was observed on August 13, 2019. The objective of this day is to
promote awareness of the inconveniences faced by left-handers in a predominantly right-handed
world.
Key points:
i. 13 August was designated as the International Lefthanders Day by The Left-Handers Club & it was
first observed on the 13th of August, in 1976. It was started by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the
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Lefthanders International, Inc.

ii. Only 10% of the world’s population is left-handed and this has remained roughly the case for
thousands of years. Men are also more likely to be left-handed.
iii. Historically left-handed people were considered inferior, with the use of the left hand being
associated with witchcraft.
iv. The word sinister comes from the Latin word “sinestra” which originally meant “left” but took on
meanings or “evil” or “unlucky.”
v.The events like left-handed tea parties, left-v-right sports matches, pubs using left-handed corkscrews
as well as pub games with the left hand were performed on this day.
Key points:
Twenty persons conferred with National Youth Award on International Youth day
i. The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju conferred the National Youth Awards on 22
individuals (aged between 15-29) and 3 organizations for great work and contribution in different
fields of development and social service, such as health, promotion of human rights, active citizenship,
and community service in New Delhi.
ii. He also inaugurated a Photo Exhibition on China through Eyes of Indian Youth – 2019, an exhibition
of photos taken by youths who participated in the recent Youth Exchange Program to China. Three
awards were also given to individuals for the photo exhibition.
Pakistan observed its Independence Day as Kashmir Solidarity Day on August 14, 2019
On August 14, 2019, Pakistan observed its 73rd Independence Day as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, after
India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution. The Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Haider
Shah read out the message of Pakistan President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, hosted on
the Chancery’s lawns, by hoisting the Pakistani flag to the tune of its national anthem.
i. Pakistan has announced to celebrate August 15 – India’s Independence Day – as “Black Day”.
ii. Pakistan introduced a special logo for Independence Day which has been created to express
solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. It is based on the “Kashmir banega Pakistan” theme,
with the word ‘Kashmir’, written in red, representing sacrifices rendered during the struggle for
freedom by the Kashmiris.
India celebrates 73rd Independence Day on August 15, 2019

On August 15, 2019, India celebrated its 73rd Independence Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi
unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort, New Delhi. He received a Guard of Honour from a contingent
of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. Flying Officer Preetam Sangwan assisted PM Modi in the
unfurling of the national flag, Flight Lieutenant Jyoti Yadav and Flight Lieutenant Mansi Geda were
positioned on either side of the saluting dais for the Prime Minister.
PM’s Speech on Independence Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at Raj Ghat and addressed the following points in his
speech:
• One nation, one constitution spirit has become a reality after scrapping of provisions of Article
370.
• There is a ‘huge’ scope for improvement in the tourism sector and everyone should visit at least
15 tourist destinations within India by 2022.
• India can become a 5 trillion dollar economy in the next 5 years.
• Government to invest Rs 100 lakh cr in infrastructure building.
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• Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure safe drinking water to all households was announced. Government
will spend Rs 3.5 lakh crore for it.
• Government has an aim is to reach among first 50 nations in ease of doing business.
• Implementation of GST achieved One Nation, One Tax. India achieved One Nation, One Grid in
the energy sector. Arrangements have been made for One Nation, One Mobility Card and India
endorsed the idea of One Nation, One Election emphasizing the need for democratic
discussions on the issue.
• PM gave a motto to boost digital payment- ‘Yes to digital payment, No to cash’.
• A transfer of about Rs. 90,000 crores to farmers’ bank accounts is in progress to those who are
beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
• 1.5 lakh wellness centers will be created at villages.
Creation of Chief Defence Staff
The creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to integrate the efforts, training, operations and
planning of the three defence services was announced by the prime minister.
• CDS will ensure synergy among the three services and provide effective leadership to them.
• Background: A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country’s security system
in the wake of the Kargil War in 1999 had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff as a
single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister. In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task Force
had recommended creating the post of a permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
(CoSC) which comprises Chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most among
them acts as its chairman as per existing norms.
First Independence day in Ladakh after being declared as UT
Ladakh, which will become a Union Territory (UT) after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir,
celebrated its first Independence Day after it was declared UT.
Punjab CM dedicates 3rd phase of ‘Jung-E-Azadi’ memorial to victims of Jallianwala Bagh
massacre
It is a memorial and museum being built in Kartarpur, near Jalandhar city of Punjab. It is built in
memory of sacrifices and contribution made by the community of Punjabi’s in the Indian independence
movement. The 1st and 2nd phase of the memorial had been constructed at a cost of Rs.290 crore and
Rs.20 crore was dedicated by CM to 3rd phase of Jung-E-Azadi memorial. Punjab’s chief minister also
digitally launched a number of other projects for Jalandhar district, as part of Rs.450 crore worth of
development and welfare projects inaugurated across the state.
World photography day celebrated on August 19, 2019

On August 19, 2019, World photography day was celebrated across the world. The aim of this day is to
encourage people to express their feelings, emotions and social thinking through their photography
skills.
Key points:
i. The date of August 19 was chosen to commemorate the invention of the Daguerreotype, a
photographic process developed by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1837.
On January 9, 1839, the French Academy of Sciences announced the Daguerreotype process & then the
French government purchased the patent and announced the invention as a gift free to the world
without copyright.
ii. The first selfie was clicked by US (United States) photo enthusiast Robert Cornelius in the early
months of 1839.
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World Humanitarian Day observed on 19, August 2019

The world humanitarian day (WHD) 2019 was observed on August 19, 2019. The day was observed
to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives for humanitarian services.
i. The Campaign for the 2019 World Humanitarian Day is ‘Women Humanitarians’. It aims to draw
attention towards the work of women in crises throughout the world.
ii. This day marks the death of the then Special Representative of Secretary-General to Iraq, Sérgio
Vieira de Mello and 21 of his colleagues who were killed in the bombing of the UN (United Nations)
Headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003.
iii. This day was instituted by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by passing a resolution
A/63/L.49 in 2008. The resolution was sponsored by Sweden and was passed by UNGA on
Strengthening of Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the UN.
iv. Since 2008, this day is observed annually by the humanitarian community to ensure safety and
security of humanitarian aid workers and for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by
the crisis.
The Parsi New Year ‘Navroz or Jamshedi Navroz’ celebrated on August 17, 2019
On August 17, 2019, Parsis residing in India celebrated their new year ‘Navroz or Jamshedi Navroz’. It
marks the Iranian and Persian New year. The day is dedicated to the beginning of spring. Navroz means
a “new day” and the Parsi New Year is popularly referred as Pateti. Zoroastrians across the globe
celebrated the New Year on March 21, 2019, by following Fasli/Bastnai calendar.
Key Points:
i. In India, it is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Shahenshahi Calendar for health,
wealth, prosperity and productivity.
ii. The day is known as “Jamshedi Navroz” after the legendary King of Persia Jamshed who started the
Parsi calendar.
iii. The sizeable Parsi population of India is lived in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Sadbhavana Divas or Harmony Day observed on 20th August celebrating the 75th birth
anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi
Every year on August 20, Sadbhavana Diwas (harmony day) is celebrated commemorating the birth
anniversary of former Prime Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi. This day is observed to encourage the national
integration, peace, affection and communal harmony among the Indian people of all religions. 2019
commemorates the 75th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Senior leaders paid tribute to him at a
prayer meeting organized at “Veer Bhumi”, a memorial of Rajiv Gandhi in New Delhi.
Key points
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award: Every year on August 20, the Sadbhavana award is given
to an Indian for his/her outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national
integration, and peace. The award carries a citation and a cash award of Rs. 10 lakhs.
Inaugurations during the Occasion:
• Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi along with son Rahul Gandhi inaugurated an exhibition
titled ‘Memories and Archives of Rajiv Gandhi’ in New Delhi.
• Also, Rahul Gandhi inaugurated of Rajiv Gandhi Socio-Technical, Knowledge, Innovation and
Learning Lab at Jawahar Bhawan, in New Delhi.
About Rajiv Gandhi
♦ Born on August 20, 1944, Rajiv Gandhi is the 6th as well as the youngest prime minister of India.
♦ He became the youngest prime minister at the age of 40.
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♦ The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi occurred as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur,

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 21 May 1991.
World Mosquito Day observed on 20 August 2019

World Mosquito Day is observed on 20 August 2019 to raise awareness about the diseases caused by
the female mosquitoes. This day honor the British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’s groundbreaking
discovery in 1897 that, female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.
i. The name, Mosquito comes from Spanish word meaning “little fly”.
ii. They spread diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, dengue, chikungunya, Zika among human beings.
iii. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine holds Mosquito Day celebrations every year,
including events such as parties and exhibitions, a tradition dating back to as early as the 1930s.
2nd International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism observed on 21
August 2019
On August 21, 2019, The 2nd International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of
Terrorismhas observed with the aim to focus on the resilience of victims and their families.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres informed General Assembly that Terrorism continues to pose a
major threat to individuals, families, and communities. The UN has been working to provide resources,
mobilize the international community and better address the needs of victims of terrorism by
sensitizing the States.
Key point:
i.The General Assembly, in its resolution (A/RES/72/165) of 2017, established 21 August as the
International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism in order to honour and
support the victims and survivors of terrorism and to promote and protect the full enjoyment of their
human rights and fundamental freedoms.
World Senior Citizen Day observed on August 21, 2019

The World Senior Citizen Day was observed on August 21, 2019 across the world. The day is
recognized to create awareness of the condition of elder people and support them through senescence.
Key points:
i. This day is observed to thank and acknowledge elders for all that they have done for their children.
They sacrifice their entire life in nurturing their relationships.
ii. The day was first announced on 14th of December in the year 1990, by the United Nations General
Assembly(UNGA) & it was celebrated for the first time on October 1, 1991.
iii. The day originates from the time of 1988. It was formally settled by the former president of the
United States of America i.e. Ronald Reagan. He had marked the 5847 declarations on August 19, 1988,
which showed August 21 as the National Senior Citizens Day.
iv. As per the 2017 census, 47 million senior citizens from India live in the United States of America.
v. Several programs are held throughout the world where elders’ life studies, personal experiences are
shared and solutions are offered to fight the factors that affect their well-being.
World observes first International Day for Victims of Acts of Violence based on Religion or Belief
on 22 August 2019
On August 22, 2019, The world observed ‘International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of
Violence Based on Religion or Belief’ for the 1st time. It aims to honor the victims and survivors of
disgraceful acts who often remain forgotten.
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Key points:
i. On 28 May 2019 United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in a meeting , adopted resolution
A/RES/73/296 & designated 22 August as International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of
Violence Based on Religion or Belief,recognising the importance of providing victims of acts of violence
based on religion or belief and members of their families with appropriate support and assistance in
accordance with applicable law..
ii. By proclaiming the day, the General Assembly recalled that States have the primary responsibility to
promote and protect human rights, including the human rights of persons belonging to religious
minorities, including their right to exercise their religion or belief freely.
iii. Atrocities continue to be stemmed in the regions Myanmar, occupied Kashmir, Syria, and Palestine
among other parts of the world, as per the recent report.
iv. This Day comes right after the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of
Terrorism, which was observed on 21 August 2019.
PM Modi announces to celebrate September as a month of nutrition

On August 25,2019 the Prime Minister(PM) of India Shri Narendra Modi announced in his “Mann Ki
Baat”programme(PM addressing the nation programme) to celebrate September month, as a month
of nutrition as part of ‘POSHAN Abhiyaan’(National Nutrition Mission).
Key points:
Address by Modi:
• Emphasis on creating awareness to fight malnutrition among children, particularly the girl child
were the key topics covered in his Mann Ki baat programme via radio.
• Citizens were asked to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, by starting a movement to make
India plastic-free.
About Poshan Abhiyan:
POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and
Child Development (MWCD), Government of India.
Aim: To achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls,
Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner during the next three years beginning
2017-18.
Target year: It is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the aim to make india free from
malnutrition by 2022.
objective: To reduce stunting in identified Districts of India with the highest malnutrition burden by
improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and improving the quality of Anganwadi Services
delivery.
Previous state projects:
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani(Gujarat) also launched ‘Purna’ project to eliminate malnutrition among the
girls. The project aims to eliminate malnutrition among girls especially in the age group of 14 to 18 in
which the government had also allocated Rs. 270 crores for this pilot project.
About PURNA project:
PURNA project is the abbreviation of ‘Prevention of under Nutrition and Reduction of Nutritional
Anaemia among Adolescent Girls’ launched under the aegis of the State Women and Child Development
Department in 2018. The PURNA project is launched to provide nutritional food to infants for the
first 1,000 days from birth. The awareness campaign during the September will further boost the
Poshan Abhiyan in the state.
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Women’s Equality Day 2019 observed on August 26

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on August 26, 2019. It commemorates the passage of the 19th
Amendment in the United States of America (USA) Constitution by US Congress in 1920 that provides
equal rights to women, including the right to vote. It is an annual event in the US. The amendment for
the same was first introduced in 1878.
i. The colour for Women’s Equality Day is purple.
ii. In 1920, the then US Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed a proclamation at his residence in
Washington, ending a struggle for the right to vote and in 1971, the US Congress designated August 26
as Women’s Equality Day and was first celebrated in 1973.
National Fortnight On Eye Donation 2019 is observed from August 25- September 8, 2019
The National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed every year from August 25- September 8, 2019. It
aims to create mass public awareness about the importance of eye donation and to motivate people to
pledge their eyes for donation after death.
i. According to World Health Organization (WHO), corneal diseases (Damage to the tissue covering the
front of eye called cornea) are among the major causes of vision loss and blindness, after cataract and
glaucoma.
About WHO:
♦ Established: 7th April 1948
♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Director General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
National Sports Day observed on 29th August, 2019

On August 29,2019, National Sports Day was observed across the country to create awareness about
sports in public. August 29, 2019 marks the 114th birth anniversary of India’s hockey legend, Major
Dhyan Chand.
About Dhyan Chand:
• He was the key member of Indian hockey team which earned 3 Olympic gold medals in Hockey
games i.e in 1928 (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 1932 (Los Angeles, United States) and 1936
(Berlin, Germany).
• He was honored with Padma Bhushan by the Government of India (GoI) in the year 1956 for his
great contribution to the field of Indian Hockey.
Modi launches nation-wide ‘Fit India’ Movement
• On August 29, 2019, Prime Minister (PM) Shri Narendra Modi has launched a nation-wide ‘Fit
India’ Movement on the occasion of National Sports Day in New Delhi.
• He urged the people to head the Fit India campaign &stated that this initiative is the need of the
hour & will take India towards a healthier future by preventing lifestyle diseases such as
diabetes, hypertension.
• He also congratulated all sportspersons on the occasion of National Sports Day.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2018 Announced
• The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards, the highest national awards for adventure
sports was announced by the Government on August 27, 2019.
• The award is in 4 category which includes land, water, air adventure &lifetime achievements.
• Totally 6 awardees were felicitated by the President of India Ramnath Kovind along with other
Sports Awardees at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29th August 2019.
The list of awardees who felicitated by the President are as follows,
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Sl. No Name Category

1 Ms. Aparna Kumar Land Adventure
2 Late Shri Dipankar Ghosh Land Adventure
3 Shri Manikandan K. Land Adventure
4 Shri Prabhat Raju Koli Water Adventure
5 Shri RameshwerJangra Air Adventure
6 Shri Wangchuk Sherpa Life Time Achievement
President Ramnath Kovind gave away National Sports Awards 2019
On August 29,2019, President of India Ramnath Kovind gave away the national sports awards in New
Delhi.
The full list of National Sports Awards 2019 winners is as follows
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award:
S.No. Name of the Sportsperson Discipline
1. Sh. Bajrang Punia Wrestling
2. Ms. Deepa Malik(The first Paralympian to receive the Para Athletics
prestigious honour.)
About Khel Ratna Award: This award is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance
in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of 4 years. Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs.
7.5 lakh.
Arjuna Award: It was awarded to 19 sportspersons for 2019.
S.No. Name of the Sportsperson Discipline
1. Sh. Tajinderpal Singh Toor Athletics
2. Mohammed Anas Yahiya Athletics
3. Sh. S. Bhaskaran Body Building
4. Ms. Sonia Lather Boxing
5. Sh. Ravindra Jadeja Cricket
6. Sh. Chinglensana Singh Kangujam Hockey
7. Sh. Ajay Thakur Kabaddi
8. Sh. Gaurav Singh Gill Motor Sports
9. Sh. Pramod Bhagat Para Sports (Badminton)
10. Ms. Anjum Moudgil Shooting
11. Sh. Harmeet Rajul Desai Table Tennis
12. Ms. Pooja Dhanda Wrestling
13. Sh. Fouaad Mirza Equestrian
14. Sh. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Football
15. Ms. Poonam Yadav Cricket
16. Ms. Swapna Barman Athletics
17. Sh. Sundar Singh Gurjar Para Sports (Athletics)
18. Sh. Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth Badminton
19. Sh. Simran Singh Shergill Polo
About Arjuna Award: This award is given for consistently outstanding performance for 4 years. It is
India’s second-highest sporting award after Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Arjuna Awardees will
receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
Dronacharya Award (regular category):
S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline
1. Sh. Vimal Kumar Badminton
2. Sh. Sandeep Gupta Table tennis
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3. Sh. Mohinder Singh Dhillon Athletics

Dronacharya Award (lifetime category):
S.No. Name of the Coach Discipline
1. Sh. Merzban Patel Hockey
2. Sh. Rambir Singh Khokhar Kabaddi
3. Sh. Sanjay Bhardwaj Cricket
About Dronacharya Award: It is meant for coaches. It is given for producing medal winners at
prestigious International sports events. Dronacharya Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and
cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
Dhyan Chand Award:
S.No. Name Discipline
1 Sh. Manuel Fredricks Hockey
2 Sh. Arup Basak Table Tennis
3 Sh. Manoj Kumar Wrestling
4 Sh. NittenKirrtane Tennis
5 Sh. C. Lalremsanga Archery
About Dhyan Chand Award: This award is given for lifetime contribution to sports development.
Dhyan Chand Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (Maka) Trophy, 2019 – Overall top performing university in inter-
university tournaments will be given MAKA Trophy, award money of Rs. 10 lakh and certificate.
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar –A trophy and citation is given to the entity in the Rashtriya Khel
Protsahan Puruskar, 2019.
S. No. Category Entity recommended for
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan
Puruskar, 2019
1. Identification and Nurturing of Budding and Young (i) Gagan Narang Sports
Talent’ Promotion Foundation
(ii) GoSports Foundation
2. Encouragement to sports through Corporate Social —
Responsibility
3. ‘Employment to sportspersons and other welfare —
measures’
4. Sports for Development Rayalaseema Development
Trust
State Governments Celebrations:
AP Sports Minister flags off awareness rally
On August 29,2019, The Arunachal Pradesh Sports Minister Mama Natung flagged off an awareness
rally from Civil Secretariat to Sange Laden Sports Academy in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
MP celebrates Major Dhyanchand’s birthday as Sports Day
On August 29, 2019, The Madhya Pradesh state Government has celebrated the all-time greatest
player of Hockey ‘The Wizard’ Major Dhyanchand’s birthday in the entire state as Sports Day.
Meghalaya CM launches ‘walk to work’ campaign
On August 29, 2019, The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K Sangma has took the lead to launch the
campaign of Fit India Movement by walking two-kilometer from his residential quarters to his office
chamber at Main Secretariat.
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International Day against Nuclear Tests 2019 observed on August 29

The International Day against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) was observed on August 29, 2019. The day
raises awareness about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions.
Key Points:
i. It was established on December 2, 2009 at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) by unanimously adopting resolution 64/35 and it was first observed in 2010.
ii. The resolution was initiated by Kazakhstan together with several sponsors and cosponsors to
commemorate the closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on August 29, 1991.
iii. Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (The Polygon) was the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union’s
nuclear weapons.
iv. The day also calls to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force, which
was adopted by UNGA in 1996. It has been signed by 182 countries but its entry into force depends on
44 specific States that must have signed and ratified the Treaty. Out of these 44 states, 9 States still need
to do so are China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the United States.
About UNGA:
♦ President: María Fernanda Espinosa (73rd session), Prof. Tijjani Muhammad Bande (designated for
the 74th session, September 2019
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances observed on 30 August 2019

The United Nations (UN) jointly with the Amnesty International observes the International Day of the
Victims of Enforced Disappearance every year on August 30. The day aims to increase awareness about
the number of enforced disappearances around the world.
Background:
i. Activists and family of the victim of enforced disappearances in the Philippines country declared
august 30 to be observed as the International day of the disappeared in the year 2007.
ii. Resolution: After increased disappearances globally, the UN expressed its concern in December
20,2010 during the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearances under the resolution 65/209 and declared August 30th of each year to be International
Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance in 2011 onwards.
What is enforced disappearance?
It is a situation where people literally disappeared; from their loved ones and their community when a
person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state (or someone acting with state consent) and then
refuse to say where they are. It is used as a strategy to spread terror within society.
About UN:
♦ Founded- 24 October 1945.
♦ Headquarters- New York, America.
♦ Secretary general-AntónioGuterres.
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STATIC INFORMATION FROM CURRENT AFFAIRS

Indian States
Arunachal Pradesh.
Capital- Itanagar.
Chief Minister- Pema Khandu.
Other names- Land of dawn-lit-mountains; Orchid state of India; Paradise of botanists.
Recently in May 2019, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered that 35% of India’s total graphite
deposits are found in Arunachal Pradesh.
Assam:
♦ Capital: Dispur
♦ Governor: Prof. Jagdish Mukhi
Bihar:
♦ Capital: Patna
♦ Chief Minister: Nitish kumar
♦ Governor: Fagu Chauhan
Chattisgarh:
♦ Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
♦ Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
Gujarat:
♦ Capital: Gandhinagar
♦ Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat
Haryana:
Capital- Chandigarh.
Governor- Satyadev Narayan Arya.
Himachal Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Shimla
♦ Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
♦ Governor: Kalraj Mishra
J&K:
♦ Capital: Srinagar (summer) Jammu (winter)
♦ Governor: Satya Pal Malik
Jharkhand:
Capital-Ranchi.
Chief Minister-Raghubar Das.
Karnataka:
♦ Capital: Bengaluru
♦ Chief minister: B. S. Yediyurappa
♦ Governor: Vajubhai Vala
Maharashtra
Capital: Mumbai
Governor: C. Vidyasagar Rao
Madhya Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Bhopal
♦ Chief minister: Kamal Nath
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♦ Governor: Lalji Tandon

Manipur
Capital- Imphal.
Governor- Padmanabha Acharya.
National park- Keibul Lamjao national park.
New Delhi
♦ Chief minister- Arvind Kejriwal
♦ Deputy Chief minister- Manish Sisodia
♦ Governor- Anil Baijal.
♦ Commissioner of Police- Amulya Patnaik
Odisha:
♦ Capital: Bhubaneshwar
♦ Governor: Prof. Ganeshi Lal
♦ Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
Punjab:
♦ Capital: Chandigarh
♦ Chief minister: Amarinder Singh
♦ Governor: V.P. Singh Badnore
Rajasthan
♦ Chief minister- Ashok Gehlot
♦ Largest city-Jaipur
Tamil Nadu:
♦ Capital: Chennai
♦ Chief minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami
♦ Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
Telangana:
Formed- 2 June 2014.
Capital- Hyderabad.
Chief minister- K. Chandrashekar Rao.
Governor- ESL Narashiman.
Official song- Jaya Jaya He Telangana.
Tripura:
♦ Capital: Agartala
♦ Governor: Ramesh Bais
♦ Chief minister: Biplab Kumar Deb
Uttarakhand:
Capital: Dehradun
Governor :Baby Rani Maurya
Chief Minister: Trivendra Singh
Uttar Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Lucknow
♦ Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
♦ Governor: Anandiben Patel
West Bengal:
♦ Capital: Kolkata
♦ Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
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Festivals:
Karnataka:
♦ Festivals: Ganesha Chaturthi, Hampi Festival, Gowri Festival, Pattadakal Dance Festival,
Mahamastakabhisheka (Shravanabelagola), Kambala Festival
Rivers
Karnataka:
♦ Major Rivers: Krishna River, Cauvery, Pennar, Netravati, Kalinadi, Palar, Sharavati
National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuary:

Arunachal Pradesh.
National parks (NP)- Namdapha NP, Mouling NP.
Wildlife sanctuary(WLS)- Dibang WLS, Kamlang WLS, Talley valley WLS.
Assam:
♦ National Parks: Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park,
Nameri National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amchang WLS, Barail WLS, Chakrashila WLS, Lawkhowa WLS, Marat Longri
WLS, Nambor WLS, Porbitora WLS, Pani-Dihing Bird WLS, Sonai Rupai WLS etc
Bihar:
♦ National Parks: Valmiki National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Barela Jheel Salim Ali Bird WLS, Bhimbandh WLS, Gautam Budha WLS,
Kusheshwar Asthan Bird WLS, Pant (Rajgir) WLS, Udaipur WLS, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin WLS etc.
Chattisgarh:
♦ National Parks: Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park, Guru Ghasi Das
(Sanjay) National Park.
Haryana:
National park-Sultanpur National park, Kalesar National Park.
Himachal Pradesh:
♦ National Parks: Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Inderkilla National Park,
Khirganga National Park, Simbalbara National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bandli WLS, Churdhar WLS, Daranghati WLS, Gamgul Siyabehi WLS, Kais WLS,
Kugti WLS, Lippa Asrang WLS, Majathal WLS,
Pong Dam Lake WLS, Sainj WLS, Sech Tuan Nala WLS, Tirthan WLS etc
J&K:
♦ National Park s: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park,
Kishtwar National Park.
Maharashtra
National Parks: Chandoli National Park ,Gugamal National Park ,Nawegaon National Park ,Pench
National Park .
Manipur:
♦ National Park: Keibul Lamjao
Nagaland:
National Park: Intanki National Park
Wildlife Sanctuaries: Fakim WLS, Puliebadze WLS, Rangapahar WLS.
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Odisha:
♦ National Parks: Bhitarkanika National Park, Simlipal National Park
♦ Wildlife Sanctuaries: Badrama WLS, Chandaka Dampara WLS, Chilika (Nalaban) WLS, Debrigarh
WLS, Karlapat WLS, Kotagarh WLS, Nandankanan WLS, Sunabeda WLS etc.
Punjab:
♦ Wildlife Sancturies: Abohar WLS ,Bir Aishvan WLS ,Bir Bhadson WLS ,Bir Bunerheri WLS ,Bir
Dosanjh WLS ,Bir Gurdialpura WLS, Nangal WLS.
Rajasthan
♦ National parks-Sariska national park, Ranthambore national park, Keoladeo national park.
Tamil Nadu:
♦ National Parks: Guindy National Park ,Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Indira Gandhi
(Annamalai) National Park ,Mudumalai National Park.
Uttar Pradesh:
♦ National Park: Dudhwa National Park
West Bengal:
♦ National Parks: Buxa National Park ,Gorumara National Park ,Neora Valley National Park ,Singalila
National Park ,Sunderban National Park ,Jaldapara National Park.
Dances:
Karnataka:
♦ Dances forms – Yakshagana, Kunitha dance, Veeragase dance, Bayalata dance.
Manipur:
♦ Dances: Dhol cholom, Pung Cholam, Nupa Pala.
Odisha:
♦ Dance forms: Odissi, Chhau, Gotipua, Danda Nata, Sambapuri, Dalkhai, Chaitighoda, and Medha Nacha
Dam
Chhattisgarh
♦ Dams- Gangrel, Murrum Silli, Dhudhawa dam, Mongra Barrage.
Gujarat:
♦ Dams: Dantiwada Dam, Kadana Dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam, Ukai Dam.
Karnataka:
Dams: Vani Vilasa Sagara Dam, Almatti Dam, Bhadra Dam, Tungabhadra Dam, Krishna Raja Sagara
Dam.
Other Countries
Bangladesh:
♦ Capital: Dhaka
♦ Currency: Bangladeshi taka
♦ Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
Bahrain:
♦ Capital: Manama
♦ Currency: Bahraini dinar
Benin:
♦ Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (Administrative)
♦ Currency: West African CFA franc
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Britain:
♦ Currency: Pound sterling
♦ Capital: London
♦ Prime minister: Boris Johnson
Brazil:
♦ Capital: Brasilia
♦ Currency: Brazilian real
♦ President: Jair Bolsonaro
Bhutan:
♦ Capital: Thimphu
♦ Currency: Bhutanese Ngultrum
♦ Official language: Dzongkha or Bhutanese
China:
♦ Capital: Beijing
♦ Currency: Renminbi
♦ President: Xi Jinping
Cook Islands:
♦ Capital: Avarua
♦ Currency: New Zealand dollar, Cook Islands dollar
Estonia:
♦ Capital: Tallinn
♦ Currency: Euro
Fiji
♦ Capital- Suva.
♦ Currency- Fijian dollar.
♦ Continent- Oceania.
♦ President- Jioji Konrote
♦ Prime minister- Frank Bainimarama.
France:
♦ Capital: Paris
♦ Currencies: Euro, CFP franc
♦ President: Emmanuel Macron
Gambia:
♦ Capital: Banjul
♦ Currency: Gambian dalasi
Guinea:
♦ Capital: Conakry
♦ Currency: Guinean franc
Gambia:
Capital- Banjul.
Currency- Gambian dalasi.
Largest city- Serekunda.
Ghana:
♦ Capital: Accra
♦ Currency: Ghanaian cedi
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Guatemala
♦ It is a central American country, south of Mexico and is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient
Mayan sites.
♦ Capital- Guatemala city.
♦ Currency- Guatemalan quetzal.
Guinea:
Capital- Conakry (also largest city).
Currency- Guinean franc.
Official language- French.
Hungary:
Capital: Budapest
Currency: Hungarian forint
Iceland
♦ Capital- Reykjavík.
♦ Currency- Icelandic króna.
♦ President- GuðniThorlaciusJóhannesson.
♦ Country also known as- Land of fire and ice.
Indonesia:
♦ Capital: Jakarta
♦ Currency: Indonesian rupiah
♦ President :Joko Widodo
Iran:
♦ Capital: Tehran
♦ Currency: Iranian rial
♦ President: Hassan Rouhani
Japan:
♦ Capital: Tokyo
♦ Currency: Japanese yen
♦ Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
Lithuania:
♦ Capital: Vilnius
♦ Currency: Euro
Latvia:
♦ Capital: Riga
♦ Currency: Euro
Mongolia:
♦ Capital: Ulaanbaatar
♦ Currency: Mongolian tögrög
♦ President: Khaltmaagiin Battulga
♦ Prime Minister: Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
Maldives:
♦ Capital: Male
♦ Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
Mauritius
♦ It is an Indian Ocean island nation, known for its beaches, lagoons, and reefs.
♦ Capital- Port Louis
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♦ Currency- Mauritian Rupee

♦ President-ParamasivumPillayVyapoori (acting president)
♦ Prime minister-PravindJugnauth
Nepal:
♦ Capital: Kathmandu
♦ Currency: Nepalese rupee
♦ President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
♦ Prime Minister :Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli
♦ Rivers: Koshi River, Gandaki River, Sharda River, Trishuli River.
Netherlands:
♦ Capital: Amsterdam
♦ Currency: Euro, US Dollar
♦ Prime Minister: Mark Rutte
New Zealand
Capital- Wellington
Prime minister- Jacinda Ardern
Continent- Oceania
Currency- New Zealand dollar.
Nigeria
Capital- Abuja
Currency- Nigerian Naira
President- Muhammad Buhari
Recently Nigeria became the fourth African nation to join Global coalition to protect pollinators.
Nauru:
Nauru is a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia.
Capital – Yaren.
Currency – Australian dollar.
Continent- Oceania.
Official languages- English, Nauruan.
North Korea:
♦ Capital-Pyongyang (also the largest city).
♦ Currency- North Korean won.
♦ Official language- Korean.
New Zealand:
♦ Capital: Wellington
♦ Currency: New Zealand dollar
♦ Prime minister: Jacinda Ardern
Pakistan:
Capital: Islamabad
Currency: Pakistani rupee
Prime minister: Imran Khan
President: Arif Alvi
Peru:
Capital- Lima(also the largest city).
Currency- Sol.
Official language- Spanish.
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Republic of Cyprus:
♦ Currency: Euro
♦ Capital: Nicosia
Republic of Congo:
♦ Capital: Brazzaville
♦ Currency: Central African CFA franc
♦ President: Denis Sassou Nguesso
♦ Prime Minister: Clement Mouamba
Russia:
Capital: Moscow
Currency: Russian ruble
President: Vladimir Putin
Saudi Arabia:
♦ Capital- Riyadh (also the largest city).
♦ Currency- Saudi Riyal.
♦ Official language- Arabic.
Srilanka
♦ Capital- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
♦ Currency- Sri Lankan rupee.
♦ Prime minister-Ranil Wickremesinghe.
♦ President- Maithripala Sirisena.
South Africa
♦ South Africa lies in the southernmost tip of the African continent.
♦ Capital- Cape Town(legislative capital), Pretoria (administrative capital), Bloemfontein (judicial
capital).
♦ Currency- South African Rand.
♦ President- Cyril Ramaphosa
Sudan:
♦ Capital- Khartoum.
♦ Currency- Sudanese pound.
Timor Leste:
♦ Capital: Dili
♦ Currency: United States Dollar
♦ President :Francisco Guterres
♦ Prime Minister: Taur Matan Ruak
UAE:
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime Minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
US:
♦ Capital: Washington, D.C.
♦ President: Donald Trump
Virtnam:
♦ Capital: Hanoi
♦ Currency: Vietnamese dong
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♦ President :Nguyễn Phú Trọng

Zambia:
♦ Capital: Lusaka
♦ Currency: Zambian kwacha
Banking Terminologies
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Single Brand Retail Trading (SBRT)
Point Of Sale(POS)
Net Present Value (NPV)
Corporate Social Responsibility( CSR )
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF)
Financial Action Task Force(FATF)
One-Time Settlement (OTS)
SMA-2 (Special Mention Accounts with outstanding not serviced for 60 to 90 days).
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
Marginal standing facility (MSF)
Cash reserve Ratio(CRR)
Statutory Liquidity Ratio(SLR)
Consumer Price Index(CPI)
National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)
Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
White Label ATMs (WLAs).
Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU)
Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF)
Over The Counter (OTC)
Regulatory Sandbox (RS)
Automated Teller Machine(ATMs)
Additional Factor Authenticatio(AFA)
Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs)
Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS)
Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
Economic Capital Framework (ECF).
Contingency Risk Buffer (CRB)
Non Performing Asset (NPA)
Personal identification number(PIN)
Common Service Centres (CSCs)
One-Time Password (OTP)
prepaid instruments (PPIs)
Know your customer(KYC)
External Commercial Borrowing (ECB)
Unbanked Rural Centres (URC)
Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS)
Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF)
Equated Monthly Installment(EMIs)
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Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate(MCLR)

Unified Payment Interface (UPI)
Merchant Discount Rates(MDR)
Direct Tax Code(DTC)
Other Terminologies
Pradhan Mantri shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM)
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement(Supra)
High Risk-High Reward (HRHR)
Innovation for Clean Air(IfCA)
Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS)
National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA)
Food Safety on Wheels (FSW)
Sustainable Resolution(SU.RE)
No Objection Certificate online Application Processing System (NOAPS )
Pradhan MantriAwasYojana-Urban(PMAY(U))
ScooNews Global Educators Fest (SGEF)
Right to Information Act (RTI)
Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI)
National Exit Test (NEXT)
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE)
National Resource Efficiency Authority(NREA)
Public-Private Partnership (P-P-P)
Differential Voting Rights (DVRs)
Maximum Retail Price (MRP)
Antimicrobial Resistance(AMR )
Transmitting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL)
In-Vitro Diagnostic Device (IVD).
High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS)
Wafer Scale Engine (WSE)
Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS)
Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research(Fedor)
364 | P a g e
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MoEFCC approved Rs.4900 Crore project for Kosi-Mechi river interlinking

Cabinet Approvals on August 28,2019

Cabinet Approval with Foreign Countries on August 28, 2019

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan yojana (PM-SYM)

Government of Odisha launched Small Savings Incentive Scheme

outlay is Rs 3000 crore.

SERB’s new scheme called “Supra” will fund cutting-edge research

Launches & Inaugurations

Air Force specification-cum-publicity Pavilion inaugurated by Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”

India’s first underwater train will be launched in Kolkata

Samagra Siksha -Jal Suraksha drive launched by MHRD

installed at Fair Price Shops(FPS)

2 day exhibition on DAE Technologies inaugurated in New Delhi

• Utilised capacity of wet waste processing facilities.

of development of North Eastern Region) were present.

CORAS of Indian railways launched by railway minister Piyush Goyal

About the Indian railways

First ever space museum of India inaugurated at Hyderabad

President Ram Nath Govind inaugurates Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan

The second Uday Express between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to be launched

Government Organisations (NGOs).

National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad inaugurated by Harsh Vardhan

Smriti Irani launches sustainable fashion project,’SU.RE’ in Mumbai

MHRD launched National Digital Library of India

26th Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-VigyanMela inaugurated by Rajnath in Leh

2019 ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ -national tribal festival begins at Leh-Ladakh

Other News Related to Indian Affairs

Rajya Sabha passed Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019

179 Disobedience of the orders Rs 2000

Parliament passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019

Parliament passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Parliament passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019

Cabinet approves Introduction Of Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Parliament passed Code on Wages Bill, 2019

National Medical Commission bill 2019,passed by Rajyasabha.

Parliament passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019

World’s first ultra-fast Hyperloop project granted to Maharashtra

Indus Valley inscriptions were written logographically

Use of child for pornographic purposes resulting in aggravated Minimum: 20 years

Lok Sabha to become paperless from next session

Lok Sabha passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019

Union environment ministry unveiled a draft ‘Nation Resource Efficiency Policy’

Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019

President Ram Nath Kovind approves AERA (Amendment) Bill 2019

Centre unveils coastal zone management plan

Swedish software Urkund to be accessed for free by Indian Universities

4th edition of National Entrepreneurship Awards, 2019 announced by Ministry of Skill

• A total of 45 awards are to be announced with 39 enterprise awards and 6 Entrepreneurship

President Ram Nath Kovind approves J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019

Govt. Makes headgear compulsory for children aged above 4 years

President Ram Nath Kovind approves UAPA Bill, 2019

SC clears Chardham project, which will connect 4 holy places in Uttarakhand

Prices Control Order (DPCO) 2013.

Lucknow’s iconic Hazratganj Chauraha renamed as Atal Chowk

Draft on National Resource Efficiency Policy 2019 released

National Resource Efficiency Authority (NREA)

Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews functioning of IMAC, IFC-IOR

♦ Headquarters- New Delhi