Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I

January 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Table of Contents

Awards & Honours ................................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 8
National Affairs ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Books & Authors ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Government Policies & Schemes ......................................................................................................................... 21
Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 27
Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 28
Business & Economy............................................................................................................................................. 30
Sport ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

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Defence................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Polity .................................................................................................................................................................... 39

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Awards &Honours
Piyush Goyal Presented with Carnot Prize
 Union Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal was
formally presented with fourth annual Carnot Prize at
Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 30th January, 2019.
 The prize was presented by Kleinman Center for Energy
Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
 The Carnot Prize is intended to honour distinguished
contributions to energy policy through scholarship or
practice.
Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 presented
 On January 29, 2019 Sahitya Akademi presented the
Sahitya Akademi Award 2018 at a function in New Delhi
during the Festival of Letters.
 The awards were presented for writings in 24 different
Indian languages.
 Renowned Hindi writer Chitra Mudgal, Dogri writer
Inderjeet Kesar, Kannada writer KG Nagarajappa and
Kashmiri story writer Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq were
among the 24 winners.
India wins Award of Excellence at Travel Show
 India bagged the Award of Excellence for ‘Best in Show’ at
New York Times Travel Show 2019.
 The show was held from 25th to 27th January in New York,
USA.
 Many India centric activities were held at the show
including Indian cultural performances, Indian Culinary
Demonstrations, Food tasting, etc.
 Indian was delegation led by Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism, GoI.
'Kisan Gandhi' tableau wins first prize.
 The Indian Council of Agricultural Research tableau in the
Republic Day Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan
Gandhi theme.
 The ICAR tableau with the theme "Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon
Ki Kheti" portrayed Gandhi with goats and a cow and
Kasturba engaged with charkha and caring animals.
 The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha
Ashram.
SAG awards 2019
 Black Panther has won the top film award in at the 25th
Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.
 The best actor awards for film went to Glenn Close for The
Wife and Rami Malek for his performance as Queen
frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
 Emily Blunt won the award for best female actor in a
supporting role in the horror film, A Quiet Place.
Govt announces Padma Awards 2019
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 On 25 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred
the Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of
the category, to 112 people from various disciplines.
 The awards were conferred in three categories, namely,
Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
 The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan
and 94 Padma Shri awardees.
 Twenty-one of the awardees are women.
NRL receives 'Best Miniratna PSU' award
 Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) was awarded the best
Strategic Performance (Financial Category) at the sixth
edition of 'Governance Now PSU' Awards on 25 January
2019.
 The awards are given out in recognition of the efforts of
Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) who have played a key
role in the country's growth.
 NRL is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum, Oil India
and Govt of Assam.
D N Chakraborty gets journalism award
 Assam government has conferred the 'Republic Day
Journalism Award 2019 to veteran journalist and former
editor Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty on 26 January 2019.
 He has been honoured for his lifelong contribution to
journalism in the state.
 He is the former Editor of Dainik Asom, Dainik
Janambhumi and Ajir Batori group of newspaper.
Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal
 President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal
to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.
 Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe
navigation race in 2018.
 Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western
Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast
broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.
Army Chief awarded 'Param Vishisht Seva Medal'
 On 25 January 2019, Indian Army chief General Bipin
Rawat was conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
(PVSM).
 Fifteen lieutenant generals and three major generals have
also been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).
 Param Vishisht Seva Medal is the highest military medal
awarded in recognition of peace-time services not relating
to gallantry.
Jayant Kaikini wins DSC prize
 On 25 January 2019, Kannada author Jayant Kaikini, along
with translator Tejaswini Niranjana, won the prestigious
'DSC Prize for South Asian Literature' for the book 'No
Presents Please: Mumbai Stories' for 2018.
 The award was presented at the Kolkata Literary Meet.
 The award carries a prize of $25,000.

 This is the first time that a Kannada work and a work in
translation has won the award.
Tamil translation of French book wins award
 The Tamil translation of Andrei Makine's 'La vie d'un
homme inconnu' (The Life of an Unknown Man) was
awarded the 'Romain Rolland' Prize for literary translation
on 25 January 2019.
 The book was translated by SR Kichenamourty.
 The award consists of an invitation to the Paris Book Fair
2019 in March for the publisher of the work and one-
month residency in France for the translator.
Bharat Ratna for Pranab, Deshmukh, Hazarika
 On 25 January 2019, President Ramnath Kovind conferred
the Bharat Ratna on former President Pranab Mukherjee.
 Social activist Nanaji Deshmukh and Assamese musician
Bhupen Hazarika were awarded Bharat Ratna
posthumously.
 Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award.
Govt institutes 'Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'
 The government of India instituted an annual award titled
'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar'.
 The award recognises all Indian Citizens and
organisations who have excelled in areas of Disaster
Management.
 The award will be announced every year on 23rd January
on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
 For 2019, 8th Battalion of NDRF was selected for the
award.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards conferred
 On 23 January 2019, three Indian expats from the UAE
were conferred with the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Award'.
 The award was conferred on Girish Pant, Surender Singh
Kandhari and Dr Zulekha Daud.
 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour
conferred by the President on a Non-Resident Indian (NRI),
Person of Indian Origin (PIOs) or organisation or institution
run by NRIs or PIOs.
VP presents Chhatra Vishwakarma & SAGY Awards
 The Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu presented
the 2nd Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards to students & their
mentors & Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) Awards to
institutions on 21 January 2019.
 The Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards aims to recognise the
innovations and achievements of individuals as well as
institutions.
 SAGY Award was given under the theme 'Developed
Village-Developed Nation'.
Short film from India gets Oscars nomination
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 An Indian short film titled 'Period. End of Sentence' has
earned a nomination in the Documentary Short Subject
category for the 91st Academy Awards.
 The short film was directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.
 Other documentary short films that were nominated are
'Black Sheep', 'End Game', 'Lifeboat', and 'A Night at the
Garden'.
Sitanshu awarded Saraswati Samman 2017
 Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra was awarded
'Saraswati Samman 2017' on 22 January 2019.
 He was awarded for his poetry collection in Gujarati
named 'Vakhar'.
 The award was instituted by K.K.Birla foundation.
 The award is given every year to an outstanding work of an
Indian citizen published during the last 10 years in any of
the languages mentioned in Schedule 8 of the constitution.
Anurag Thakur gets Sansad Ratna Award
 Anurag Thakur, MP, Hamirpur, has been bestowed with
the 'Sansad Ratna Award' for distinguished performance as
a parliamentarian on 19 January 2019.
 The Sansad Ratna Award was started in 2010 on the
suggestion of former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
 The award is given to 12 top performing parliamentarians,
including a standing committee.
Rao chosen for Sheikh Saud International Prize
 Scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna C N R Rao has been
chosen for the first 'Sheikh Saud International Prize for
Materials Research' by the Centre for Advanced Materials
of the United Arab Emirates.
 The award involves a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of 1
lakh US Dollar.
 The award will be presented at the International
Workshop on Advanced Materials in UAE on 25 February
2019.
Ranjani Murali wins 'Woman's Voice Award'
 US-based Indian poet Ranjani Murali received the
'Woman's Voice Award' at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary
Festival (AKLF) on 20 January 2019.
 The aim of the award is to recognise and encourage
creative writing by women in India and to support the
publication of their writing.
 Ranjani Murali's first book of poems 'Blind Screens' was
published in July 2017.
Dr. Rattan Lal honoured with 2019 Japan Prize
 Dr Rattan Lal was honoured with '2019 Japan Prize' on 16
January 2019.
 He was awarded for his research on the processes and
factors of soil degradation caused by inappropriate
biological production.

 He is Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at
The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
 He has been listed among the World's Most Influential
Scientific Minds (2012)
WCD shortlists 26 children for National Award
 The National Selection Committee under the Women and
Child Development Ministry, have finalised the names of
awardees for 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
2019'.
 Maneka Gandhi is the Chairperson of the National
Selection Committee.
 The award is conferred upon children for their bravery,
social service, and exceptional achievement in the fields of
innovation, sports, and arts.
Gandhi Peace Prize announced
 The Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015,2016,2017 and
2018 were announced on 16 January 2019.
 Vivekananda Kendra got the prize for 2015.
 Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International got
the prize for 2016.
 EkalAbhiyan Trust got the prize for 2017.
 Yohei Sasakawa got the prize for 2018.
 The annual prize was instituted by the Government of
India in 1995.
Glenn Close to receive Oscar Wilde Award
 The US-Ireland Alliance has announced that the veteran
actor Glenn Close will receive the 'Oscar Wilde Award' on
21 February 2019.
 She will receive the award at the 14th Annual Oscar Wilde
Awards.
 She also won the 2018 Golden Globe award for Best
Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for the film, 'The Wife'.
PM Narendra Modi receives Philip Kotler award
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first-ever
Philip Kotler Presidential award on 14 January 2019.
 The Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People,
Profit, and Planet.
 He has been selected for his outstanding leadership for the
nation.
 Prof. Philip Kotler is a world-renowned Professor of
Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of
Management.
Namita wins Sushila Devi Literature Award
 Writer Namita Gokhale won the 'Sushila Devi Literature
Award' for her novel 'Things to Leave Behind' on 12
January 2019.
 She was awarded in the 'Best Book of Fiction Written by a
Woman Author' category at the inaugural edition of
Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The literary event was attended by over 70 writers and
artists.
Adi Godrej conferred ICSI lifetime award
 Industrialist and Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej was
conferred with the ICSIs Lifetime Achievement Award for
'Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into
Reality' on 10 January 2019.
 The awards were instituted by The Institute of Company
Secretaries of India (ICSI).
 The ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate
Governance were bagged jointly by Cipla Ltd and Dabur
India Ltd
Golden Globe Awards announced-II
 'Roma' won the award for Best Foreign Language Picture.
 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the award for the
Best animated picture.
 Mahershala Ali won the award for the Best Supporting
Actor.
 Regina King won the award for the Best Supporting
Actress.
 Christian Bale won the award for the Best Actor – Musical
or Comedy
 Olivia Colman won the award for the Best Actress –
Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Awards announced-I
 On 6 January 2019, The Golden Globe Awards for 2018
were announced in the USA.
 'Bohemian Rhapsody' won the award for Best Motion
Picture – Drama
 Rami Malek won the award for Best Actor – Drama
 Glenn Close won the award for Best Actress – Drama
 Alfonso Cuaron won the award for the Best Director
 'Green Book' won the award for the Best Motion Picture –
Musical or Comedy
'Exhibitor of the Year Award' for DRDO
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) pavilion received 'Exhibitor of the Year Award' at
106th Indian Science Congress (ISC) held at Lovely
Professional University (LPU) in Punjab.
 The DRDO Pavillion at ISC was inaugurated on 3 January
2019.
 The pavilion exhibited surface-to-air missile system -
Akash, a model of BrahMos missile, remotely operated
vehicle etc.
Anganwadi workers to be honoured with awards
 Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka
Gandhi conferred National Awards to 97 Anganwadi
Workers (AWWs) on 7 January 2019.
 The awards were given for their Exceptional Achievements
for the year 2017-18

 The award is given to motivate the AWWs and recognise
their exemplary service in the field of child development
and related areas under the Integrated Child Development
Scheme.
Dinu conferred with lifetime achievement award
 Veteran journalist Dinu Randive was conferred with the
lifetime achievement award by the Mantralaya and
Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.
 The Sangh is an association of journalists covering
Maharashtra legislature and secretariat.
 Mr. Randive started his journalistic career in 1956.
 He also participated in the freedom struggle, the Sanyukta
Maharashtra movement, and the Goa liberation
movement.
Farooq to be honoured by Bimal Roy Society
 Farooq Sheikh and Asha Parekh will be honoured by the
Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society to commemorate the
52nd death anniversary of the renowned filmmaker.
 The society was instituted in memory of the late filmmaker
Bimal Roy.
 Its aim is to reward unsung heroes of the film industry.
 Awards will also be given to directors Ananth Mahadevan
and Amit Rai for making socially relevant films.
Wahengbam Singh to get National Bravery Award
 Wahengbam Lamnganba Singh from Manipur was selected
by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) for
receiving National Bravery Award.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 He will be receiving the award from the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on January 23, 2019.
 He saved his cousin brother from drowning in a pond on
16 May 2018.
 The National Bravery Awards are given on every Republic
Day.
AP govt bags CBIP award for Polavaram project
 The Andhra Pradesh government bagged the Central
Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) award for speedy
execution of Polavaram multipurpose project.
 It received the award in the category of 'Best
Implementation of Water Resources Project' for better
planning, implementation, and monitoring.
 Polavaram project multipurpose project on the Godavari
river.
Vijay Kumar won the Ramnath Goenka Award
 S. Vijay Kumar was presented the 'Ramnath Goenka
Excellence in Journalism' Award for Investigative Reporting
(Print category) on 4 January 2019.
 He is Senior Deputy Editor with 'The Hindu'.
 The award has been instituted by the Ramnath Goenka
Memorial Foundation.
 Awards were presented to 29 journalists across India in
various categories.
National Entrepreneurship Awards held in Delhi
 The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
hosted the third edition of the 'National Entrepreneurship'
Awards in New Delhi on 4 January 2019.
 The awards aim to recognize and honor outstanding young
first-generation entrepreneurs and those who have
contributed immensely to building the entrepreneurship
ecosystem.
 A total of 43 awards were presented for 2019.
Jayanta Kumar won 'National Geospatial Award'
 The Indian Society for Remote Sensing (ISRS) conferred the
National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Life Time
Achievement Award) to IIT professor Jayanta Kumar
Ghosh
 The award was given to him for his contribution to the
development of geospatial science and applications.
 ISRS is an organisation known in the area of space science,
remote sensing and geospatial technology.
Days & Events
'Artisan Speak' organised by Textile Ministry
 Ministry of Textiles presented an event named 'Artisan
Speak' at Elephanta Caves near Mumbai on January 28,
2019.
 The event showcased the rich handloom and textile
tradition of India.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 The event will display the potential of GI (Geographical Army Day observed on 15 January
Indication) textiles so as to promote and build awareness
 Army day is observed every year in India on 15 January.
of such products and to strengthen skills and supply chain
 On this day in 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa
capacity of grassroots stakeholders.
took over as the first Indian commander-in-chief of the
8th Annual Pulicat Day to be observed on 2 Feb Indian Army.
 On this day, Indian Army also remembers and pays
 The eighth annual 'Pulicat Day' will be observed on 2
tributes to soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the line of
February at Pulicat in Tamil Nadu.
duty.
 The aim of the day is to create awareness among people
about the importance of protecting the Pulicat lagoon. Armed Forces Veteran Day observed on 14 Jan
 Pulicat lake was once a prominent port of south-east coast
 The Indian Armed Forces Veterans Day is observed every
for cotton export which attracted the Arabs in 700AD,
year on 14 January.
Europeans in 1502 and Japanese in 1619 in AD.
 The day is celebrated as a mark of respect and recognition
International day for Holocaust Remembrance of the services rendered by Field Marshal, who retired
from service on 14 January 1953.
 The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of
 K.M. Cariappa was the first Commander of the Indian
the Victims of the Holocaust is observed every year on 27
Armed Forces.
January 2019.
 The theme for 2019 is The theme of the Holocaust National Youth Day: 12 January
remembrance and education activities this year is
 National Youth Day is observed every year on 12 January.
'Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend Your
 The day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of
Human Rights'.
Swami Vivekananda.
 The theme highlights the 70th anniversary of the Universal
 The aim of the day is to propagate the philosophy and the
Declaration of Human Rights.
ideals of Swami Vivekananda.
National Voters’ Day: 25 January  He was a social reformer, philosopher and thinker.
 National Voters' Day (NVD) is observed in India every year  In 1984, the government of India first declared to
on 25 January 2019. celebrate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as National
 NVD is celebrated to mark the Foundation day of Election Youth Day.
Commission of India, which was established on 25th PM to inaugurate 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
January 1950.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 15th
 The aim of the day is to encourage, facilitate and maximize
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 21 January 2019 at Varanasi in
the enrollment, especially for the new voters.
Uttar Pradesh.
 'My Vote Matters', a Quarterly Magazine will also be
 On 21 January 2019, the inauguration of the 'Youth Pravasi
launched on the occasion.
Bharatiya Divas' will be held in partnership with the
International Day of Education: 24 January Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
 International Day of Education is observed on 24 January.  On 23 January 2019, 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards'
will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind.
 The aim of the day is to celebrate the role of education for
peace & development. World Hindi Day observed on 10 January
 The United Nations General Assembly on December 3
 World Hindi Day is observed every year on January 10 to
adopted a resolution declaring January 24 as International
promote the greatness of the Hindi language.
Day of Education.
 The first World Hindi Conference was held on January 10
 In India, National Education Day is observed on 11
in 1975 and to commemorate this day, World Hindi Day is
November to commemorate the birth anniversary
celebrated every year.
of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
 The first World Hindi Conference was inaugurated by
National Girl Child Day observed on 24 Jan Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Nagpur.
 National Girl Child Day is observed every year on 24 World Braille Day observed on 4 January
January.
 The United Nations observed the first official World Braille
 The theme for 2019 is 'Empowering Girls for a Brighter
Day on 4 January.
Tomorrow'.
 The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the importance
 The aim of the day is to raise awareness on the issue of
of Braille.
declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and create a positive
 It also aims to raise awareness about the human rights of
environment around valuing the girl child.
visually-impaired and partially-sighted people,
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 The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in
November 2018.
DRDO day is observed on 1 January
 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
day is observed on 1 January.
 The DRDO was established in 1958 with just 10
laboratories to enhance the research work in defence
sector.
 Dr. G Satheesh Reddy is the Chairman of DRDO.
 DRDO works under the Department of Defence Research
and Development of Ministry of Defence.
International Affairs
Malaysia crowns Sultan Abdullah as King
 Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of central Pahang
state was crowned as Malaysia’s 16th king on 31 January,
2019.
 The move came nearly a month after the sudden
abdication of Sultan Muhammad V.
 Sultan Abdullah is a council member of the world football
governing body FIFA, president of the Asian Hockey
Federation, and an executive board member of the
International Hockey Federation.
UAE, Saudi Arab launch digital currency
 The central banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency
called ‘Aber’.
 The central bank-based digital currency will make cross-
border financial transactions more secure and financially
efficient.
 Dirham is the currency of UAE while Saudi Riyal is the
currency of Saudi Arabia.
Strategic MoUs between Syria and Iran
 Syria and Iran signed 11 agreements and MoUs including a
"long-term strategic economic cooperation" deal on
January 29, 2019.
 The agreements cover various fields including economy,
culture, education, infrastructure, investment and
housing.
 They were signed during a visit to Damascus by Iran's First
Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.
NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun
 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of
the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.
 Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed
its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.
 The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned
orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest
approach to the Sun, on April 4.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
Tornado hits Cuba
 A huge tornado hit the Cuban capital, Havana, had left four
people dead and 195 injured.
 It is the strongest tornado to hit Cuba in nearly 80 years.
 Miguel Angel Hernandez of the Cuban Center for
Meteorology said the tornado was a Category F3, with
winds between 155 and 199 miles per hour, produced
when a cold front hit Cuba's northern coast.
 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
US imposes sanctions on Venezuela
 In USA, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on
Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA.
 PDVSA is OPEC nation Venezuela's largest source of
revenue and owns US refining arm Citgo Petroleum,
Venezuela's most important foreign asset.
 Nicolas madurothe is the 46th President of Venezuela
since 2013.
Suman Kumari Pak 1st Hindu woman judge
 Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in
Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge.
 She hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her
native district.
 The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice
Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice
for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.
Pak declares Sugarcane juice as national drink
 On 25 January 2019, the Pakistan government declared
sugarcane juice as the 'National Drink' of the country after
a poll on Twitter.
 The government conducted a poll on Twitter at which
people were asked to decide the national drink of
Pakistan.
 Options including orange juice, sugarcane juice and carrot
juice were given in the poll.
Greece ratify Macedonia name change deal
 On 25 January 2019, Greek MPs have ratified a landmark
accord allowing Macedonia to change its name.
 Under the deal, Macedonia changes its name to North
Macedonia.
 Greece will also allow North Macedonia to join the NATO
and eventually the European Union.
 Greece's capital is Athens and its currency is Euro.
61.7 mn affected due to extreme weather
 As per the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR),
earthquakes and tsunamis accounted for most of the
10,373 lives lost in disasters in 2018.
 It also said that weather events accounted for most of 61.7
million people affected by natural hazards.

 The country most affected by disasters was India, where
there were 23.9 million people hit, followed by the
Philippines and then China.
Sultan Abdullah named as King of Malaysia
 Sultan Abdullah was elected as Malaysia's new King on 24
January 2019, following the abdication of Sultan
Muhammad V in January 2019.
 He is the ruler of the Malaysia state of Pahang.
 He will have a five-year term.
 He is the current President of the Asian Hockey Federation
and a council member of FIFA, the world football body.
Nigeria's new outbreak of Lassa fever kills 16
 On 22 January 2019, Nigerian health authorities declared a
new outbreak of Lassa fever that has killed 16 people since
early January 2019.
 Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and
Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with
fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic
bleeding.
 The Lassa was first identified in northern Nigeria in 1969.
Israel, US successfully test 'Arrow 3' system
 The Israeli and US defence ministries have successfully
tested ballistic missile interceptors named 'Arrow 3'
deployed at Israeli airbases on 22 January 2019.
 The Arrow 3 interceptor system is designed to shoot down
missiles above the atmosphere.
 The interceptor system is intended to serve as Israel's
highest-altitude missile interception system.
Christophe appointed as PM of Burkina Faso
 Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore
appointed Christophe Dabire as new Prime Minister on 21
January 2019.
 Dabire was previously Burkina's representative at the
eight-nation West African Economic and Monetary Union
(UEMOA).
 Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in Africa.
 Burkina Faso's capital is Ouagadougou and its currency
is West African CFA Franc.
WEF's annual meeting begins in Davos
 The World Economic Forum's (WEF) 49th annual meeting
began on 22 January 2019 in Davos, Switzerland.
 The main theme of the meeting is 'Globalisation 4.0:
Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution'.
 Several topics will be discussed such as the future of the
economy, environmental issues, the digital economy,
media freedom, and data governance.
Aadhaar cards now a valid travel document
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Aadhaar cards are now valid travel documents for Indians
under 15 and over 65 years travelling to Nepal and Bhutan.
 Indians other than those in the two age brackets will not
be able to use Aadhaar to travel to Nepal and Bhutan.
 Indian citizens going to Nepal and Bhutan don't need a visa
if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card issued
by the government of India.
Nepal bans Indian notes above Rs 100
 Nepal's central bank has banned the use of Indian currency
notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations.
 Under the new regulation, Nepali citizens cannot carry
these denominations to countries other than India.
 Indian notes of 100 or below, however, are allowed for
trading and conversion.
 This move could affect Indian tourists visiting the
Himalayan nation.
US spy satellite launched into orbit
 A US spy satellite named 'National Reconnaissance Office
satellite' was launched into orbit from California on 19
January 2019.
 The satellite was launched on powerful Delta 4 Heavy
rocket.
 The Delta 4 Heavy stands 233 feet (71 metres) tall.
 The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for US
intelligence satellites.
UNESCO: World Capital of Architecture for 2020
 The UNESCO has announced that the Brazilian city of Rio
de Janeiro will be the World Capital of Architecture for
2020.
 Rio will be the first city to receive the title under a
program launched together by UNESCO and the
International Union of Architects (UIA) in November last
year.
 The city will host the World Congress of UIA, in July 2020,
an event that occurs every three years.
Andry sworn in as President of Madagascar
 Andry Rajoelina was sworn in as President of Madagascar
on 19 January 2019.
 The High Constitutional Court of Madagascar had declared
him as the winner of the Presidential election on 8th
January with 55.66%of the votes.
 He was the President of Madagascar from 2009 to 2014.
 Madagascar's capital is Antananarivo and its currency is
Malagasy Ariary
Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven wins second term
 On 18 January 2019, Sweden's parliament elected Prime
Minister Stefan Lofven to a second four-year term.
 The Prime Minister is expected to formally present his new
government and its full programme on 21 January 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 It will be one of the weakest administrations in Sweden in  Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has appointed Su Tseng-
70 years. chang as Prime Minister of Taiwan on 10 January 2019.
 Sweden's capital is Stockholm and its currency is Swedish  Su is a former Prime Minister appointed in 2006 by then-
Krona. President Chen Shui-bian and was a Chairman of
Democratic Progressive Party for two terms.
Satellite launched for meteor shower
 The capital of Taiwan is Taipei and its currency is New
 On 18 January 2019, Japan launched a satellite which aims Taiwan Dollar.
to deliver the world's first artificial meteor shower.
Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
 The satellite was launched on Epsilon-4 rocket.
 ALE Co., a start-up based in Tokyo developed the satellite  The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has
for the celestial show over Hiroshima. announced that Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of
 The satellite will release tiny balls that glow brightly as Nations.
they hurtle through the atmosphere, simulating a meteor  Egypt will be hosting the tournament for the fifth time.
shower.  Egypt will use eight stadiums during the tournament,
hosting in five different cities: Alexandria, Ismailia, Port
Raja appointed as member of a key committee
Said, Suez and the capital Cairo.
 US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was
appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on
Intelligence on 17 January 2019.
 He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful
body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.
 He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the
House.
First human rights TV channel launched
 The world’s first television channel dedicated to human
rights was launched in London on 16 January 2019.
 The channel was launched by the International
Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR).
 The web-based channel would bring human rights issues
to audiences in over 20 countries across Europe, Latin
America and the Middle East.
Macedonia parliament agrees to change its name
 Macedonia's parliament passed an amendment to the
constitution 11 January 2019 to rename the country as
Republic of North Macedonia.
 This in line with an agreement with Greece to put an end
to a 27-year-old dispute.
 The agreement was signed in June 2018.
 Macedonia will start using it only after the parliament in
Athens also ratifies the agreement.
Charles Kupperman appointed as Deputy NSA USA Cricket becomes ICC's 105th member
 US President Donald Trump appointed Charles Kupperman  On 9 January 2019, International Cricket Council (ICC)
as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) on 11 January announced that USA Cricket became its 105th member.
2019.  As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to
 Charles Kupperman is a former Boeing and Lockheed receive funding in accordance with the ICC Funding Policy.
Martin executive.  USA Cricket has become the 93rd Associate Member in
 He also worked as a defence and foreign policy advisor to accordance with the ICC Constitution.
the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign.  It can now sanction domestic and international matches in
 He also held a position in the President's General Advisory the United States.
Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.
Malaysia's king Muhammad V resigns
Su Tseng-chang appointed as Taiwan PM

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 Malaysia's King Muhammad V has abdicated after two
years on the throne on 6 January 2019.
 It is for the first time a king has resigned before completing
their five-year tenure.
 Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and the king
assumes a largely ceremonial role.
 However, the king's assent is needed before the
appointment of a Prime minister or senior public officials.
WB President Jim Yong Kim to step down
 World Bank President Jim Yong Kim will step down from
his position on 1 February 2019.
 He was appointed as President of World bank in July 2012.
 Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO, will assume the role
of interim President from 1 February 2019.
 The United States is the largest shareholder of the World
Bank.
 The World Bank's headquarter is in Washington D.C.
Sheikh Hasina took oath as Bangladesh's PM
 Sheikh Hasina took oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh
on 7 January 2019.
 President Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the oath
of office to her.
 Sheikh Hasina became Bangladesh's Prime Minister for the
fourth time.
 She is the President of Awami League.
 Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats out of
elections held for 299-member Parliament on 30
December 2018.
China tests its ‘Mother of All Bombs’
 China tested its most powerful non-nuclear weapon,
dubbed as the 'Mother of All Bombs' on 4 January 2019.
 The bomb's strength is only second to that of a nuclear
weapon.
 It was dropped by a Chinese H-6K bomber.
 The bomb is five to six meters long but weighs less than
America's 'Mother of All Bombs' which was dropped in
Afghanistan.
Trump signed 'ARIA' into law
 The US President Donald Trump signed the 'Asia
Reassurance Initiative Act' (ARIA) into law.
 ARIA was earlier passed in the US Senate in December
2018.
 The act establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase
US security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-
Pacific region.
 The ARIA will authorise $1.5 billion in spending for a range
of U.S. programs in East and Southeast Asia.
Panj Tirath site declared as National Heritage
 Pakistan has declared the ancient Hindu religious site of
'Panj Tirath' in Peshawar as National heritage.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Panj Tirath got its name from the five pools of water
present there, also contains a temple and a lawn with date
palm trees.
 The five pools of the heritage site now come under
the Chacha Yunus Park and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.
China’s probe lands on far side of moon
 A China's Chang’e-4 lunar probe touched down on the far
side of the moon on 3 January 2019.
 The probe touched down at a targeted area near the
moon’s south pole in the Von Karman Crater, after
entering its orbit in mid-December 2018.
 The tasks of the Chang’e-4 include astronomical
observation, surveying the moon’s terrain, landform,
mineral makeup, and measuring the neutron radiation.
Justice Asif appointed as new CJ of Pakistan
 Justice Asif Saeed Khosa was appointed as the new Chief
Justice of Pakistan.
 He is the senior most judge of Pakistan's Supreme Court.
 Justice Khosa will assume the charge of his office on 18
January 2019.
 The incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar will be
retiring from service on 17 January 2019.
Brazil's Bolsonaro takes oath as President
 Former Army captain, Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as
Brazil's President on 1 January 2019.
 He won the Presidential election of Brazil on 28 October
2018.
 He defeated leftist opponent Fernando Haddad.
 He was declared the winner by the Supreme Electoral
Tribunal after 94% of the votes were counted.
Justice Rana takes over as Nepal's new CJ
 Justice Cholendra Shamsher J B Rana took over as the new
Chief Justice of Nepal's Supreme Court on 2 January 2019.
 President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath to
Justice Rana.
 He will have a tenure of four years.
 He succeeded Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, who
retired on 1 January 2018.
 He was appointed as the permanent judge of the Supreme
Court on May 27, 2014.
Qatar will cease to be a member of OPEC
 Qatar ceased to be a member of the Organisation of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1 January
2019.
 Qatar is the first Gulf country to leave the bloc of oil-
producing countries.
 Qatar is the world's biggest supplier of Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG).

 The OPEC is an intergovernmental organisation of 15
nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad and headquartered in
Vienna, Austria.
US, Israel quit UNESCO citing bias
 The US and Israel had quit the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) with the
close of 2018.
 The countries had announced their decisions in 2017 of
withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against
Israel.
 Israel joined the agency in 1949.
 UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage,
including maintaining a list of World Heritage sites.
Tropical storm 'Usman' strucks Philippines
 A tropical storm named 'Usman' struck the Philippines on
25 December 2018.
 Storm Usman resulted in heavy rain and triggered deadly
landslides in the Bicol region in Manila, Philippines.
 The tropical storm Usman emerged as the deadliest
weather disaster for the Philippines after typhoon
'Mangkhut' in September 2018.
National Affairs
IndiGo to build its 2nd MRO at Bengaluru
 InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., which owns and operates air
carrier IndiGo, has entered into a 20-year agreement with
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
 The agreement is to sub-lease five acres of land at
Bengaluru Airport to build a Maintenance, Repair &
Overhaul (MRO) facility.
 This will be IndiGo’s second MRO, after the one in
Delhi. The facility will become operational by 2020.
Automatic listing of fresh cases in SC
 The Supreme Court launched its new system of automatic
listing of fresh cases within three to seven days on January
30, 2019.
 The step was taken in a bid to do away with the system of
mentioning of matters for urgent listing every day.
 The new mechanism will come into effect from February 4.
World’s biggest cyclothon ends in Delhi
 World’s biggest cyclothon 'The Swasth Bharat Yatra'
concluded in New Delhi on January 29, 2019.
 The aim of this Yatra was to spread the message of ‘Eat
Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Fortified.'
 The Yatra began from six different locations - Leh, Panaji,
Thiruvananthapuram, Puducherry, Kolkota and Agartala.
 This Yatra was led by Food Safety Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI).
New Campus of NMI Inaugurated at Noida
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The new Campus of the National Museum Institute was
inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar in
Noida on 30th January 2019.
 The foundation stone for this 3 acre campus was laid on
31st January, 2015.
 Four new courses namely, Archaeology; Palaeography,
Epigraphy and Numismatics; Structural Conservation and
Cultural & Heritage Management are expected to be
commenced at the campus.
Madras HC Allows Online Sale of Medicine
 The Madras High Court has extended the permission given
for the online sale of pharmaceuticals till 20th March,
2019.
 The HC had earlier banned sale of drugs online, pending
the framing of regulations by the Centre for such sale.
 The Center had sought more time for framing regulations
for the online sale of medicines.
CPRI Regional Testing Lab at Nashik
 Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New &
Renewable Energy, R K Singh laid the foundation of
Regional testing laboratory of Central Power Research
Institute (CPRI) at Nashik, Maharashtra on Jan 30, 2019.
 The lab will test and certify electrical equipment
manufactured in the western region as per national and
international standards.
 CPRI is an autonomous body under Ministry of Power.
LKA Exhibition Commemorating Gandhi
 Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) has organised an exhibition titled
'Mahatma Gandhi and World Peace' at the Lalit Kala
Akademi Art Galleries of in New Delhi.
 This was done to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary
of Gandhi and highlight his principles of non-violence and
peace.
 The show has been organised in association with Sir J.J.
School of Art, Mumbai.
Mahatma Gandhi's 71st death anniversary
 India is paying homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma
Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary on 30th January,
2019.
 He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on this day in
1948.
 The day is also observed as Martyrs' Day.
PM Modi to visit Surat and Dandi in Gujarat
 PM Narendra Modi will lay the Foundation Stone for
extension of Terminal building at Surat Airport on 30
January, 2019.
 The terminal is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 354
Crore.
 PM will also interact with the youth at the New India
Youth conclave in Surat.

 In Dandi, he will dedicate the National Salt Satyagraha
Memorial to the nation on Mahatma Gandhi's death
anniversary.
Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0: New Delhi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked students to stay
focused, manage time well and not to succumb to stress.
 He was interacting with 2000 students, parents and
teachers in the 2nd edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha in New
Delhi.
 The PM said students should focus on acquiring knowledge
to enrich their lives, without worrying about examination
results.
Beating the Retreat ceremony: 29th January
 Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of
four day long Republic Day celebrations, will be held at the
historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on 29th January.
 As many as 27 performances at Vijay Chowk will enthrall
the spectators with captivating and foot-tapping music of
the bands from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the
State Police and Central Armed Police Force.
Tripura CM inaugurates exhibition centre
 Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday 29th
Jan inaugurated an international indoor exhibition center
here, the largest facility of its kind in the Northeastern
region.
 Built at a cost of Rs 66.52 crore at Hapania with an area of
10,800 sq metre
 The indoor centre has the capacity to house 170 stalls and
accommodate 10,000 visitors.
First Astro Turf Football Pitch inaugurated
 Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio inaugurates state’s first Astro
Turf Football Pitch at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima on
the occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of the legendary
footballer, Dr. T. Ao
 The project was conceived in the year 2013-14 with total
cost of 498 lakh rupees.
 The Astro turf has been installed following specifications
of FIFA.
 The size of the play field is 105x66 meters.
Four highway projects launched in Rajasthan.
 Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari
inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of four National
Highway projects in Rajasthan.
 The project worth over 3 thousand 237 Cr. rupees.
 The Project include three projects in Bikaner and one in
Nagaur District.
1st Geographical Indication Store in Goa
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurates
India's 1st Geographical Indication (GI) Store at Goa
International Airport in Dabolim.
 It is located on the 1st floor on Departure Terminal and set
up by Airports Authority of India and The Cashew Export
Promotional Council of India.
 The products from the self-help groups, artisans and
farmers' produce will be also displayed.
Nari Shakti is the Hindi Word of the year
 On January 26, the Oxford Dictionaries announced ‘Nari
Shakti’ as the 'Hindi Word of the Year 2018'.
 The word, Nari Shakti, has been derived from Sanskrit and
when broken down, the word ‘nari’ means women and
‘shakti’ means power.
 The announcement was made during a session at the
Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).
 Oxford had named 'Aadhaar' as its Hindi Word of the year
2017.
PM Modi inaugurates IREP in Kochi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Limited's Integrated Refinery
Expansion Project Complex (IREP) in Kochi on 27 January
2019.
 IREP will be a modern expansion complex and will be
equipped for production of cleaner fuels for India.
 It will double the production of LPG & diesel and
commence production of feedstock for petrochemical
projects
Ministry of Defence Launches ‘RDP INDIA 2019’
 Ministry of Defence launched a mobile app 'RDP India
2019' on 26 January 2019.
 The aim of the app is to show the highlights of the
Republic Day event, not only to the spectators at Rajpath,
New Delhi but also to the general public all over the world.
 This app contains information about the Parade on
Rajpath, New Delhi, including Order of the March, details
of the tableaux presented etc.
'Atal Setu' inaugurated in Goa
 A 5.1-km long cable-stayed bridge named 'Atal Setu' on
the Mandovi river was inaugurated in Goa on 27 January
2019.
 The bridge was constructed by the Goa Infrastructure
Development Corporation and Larsen and Toubro.
 The bridge has 88 high tensile strength cables in the state-
of-art single place harp type cable stay system and a real-
time force monitoring mechanism.
BIS releases New Standard for Bio-Jet Fuel
 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with
Indian Air Force, research organisations and the industry
brought out a new standard for Aviation Turbine Fuels.

 These specifications will align Indian standards with
current international standards.
 An Indian Standard 'IS 17081:2019' Aviation Turbine Fuel
(Kerosene Type, Jet A-1) containing Synthesised
Hydrocarbons has been formulated.
Dev authority for Anandpur Sahib to be set up
 Punjab government announced that a development
authority for Anandpur Sahib will be set up in the wake of
the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in
November 2019.
 The development authority would be formed to plan and
execute the development plans in a systematic and
planned manner.
 The authority would be established on the pattern of Dera
Baba Nanak Development Authority.
e-Courts services through CSCs launched
 The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice,
decided to deliver e-Courts services to the litigant public
through the 2 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs).
 No fee will be charged from the customers for e-Courts
related services delivered through CSCs.
 The aim of the e-Courts is to provide efficient and time-
bound access to the Courts services to the litigant public.
National Declamation Contest inaugurated
 Union Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurated the
National Declamation Contest on Patriotism and Nation
Building on 24 January 2019.
 The contest is organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
(NYKS).
 The aim of the Contest is to further strengthen the spirit of
Nationalism and Patriotic feeling amongst youth and
masses for wholehearted participation in nation-building.
Trade through the e-NAM portal started
 The first inter-State trade on e-Nam portal was carried
between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 19 January
2019.
 The trade happened between a farmer from Gadwal
mandi in Telangana State, who sold 8.46 quintal of
groundnut to a trader in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
 The e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal to
connect with the existing wholesale market.
ECI will host an International conference
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) will host an
International Conference on ‘Making Our Elections
Inclusive and Accessible’ in Delhi on 24th January 2019.
 During the Conference, the January 2019 issue of ECI’s
quarterly magazine 'Voice International' will be released.
 ECI will also renew the MoU for cooperation in the field of
election management with the Election Commission of
Bhutan.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
Creation of National Bench of GSTAT approved
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
creation of National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax
Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
 The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be
situated at New Delhi.
 GSTAT shall be presided over by its President and shall
consist of one Technical Member (Centre) and one
Technical Member (State).
'Save Tiger Protection Force' in Telangana
 On 22 January 2019, the Telangana government has
decided to form a 'State Tiger Protection Force' (STPF) to
save the tiger population in the State.
 The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by an
Assistant Conservator of Forests to protect tiger
population in Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.
 The State and Central government will share the cost of
the force on 40:60 basis.
IIT-H to launch BTech Program in AI
 Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad is launching a
full-fledged BTech Program in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
from the coming Academic Year (2019-2020).
 It has become the first Indian Educational Institution to
offer such a program in AI.
 It is also the third institute globally after Carnegie Mellon
University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) to offer such course.
Jallikattu event enters world record
 A grand 'Jallikattu' (bull-taming) event held in Tamil Nadu
on 20 January 2019 entered the world record for the
maximum number of bulls released into the sporting
arena.
 The bull taming sporting event saw the participation of
1,354 bulls and 424 tamers.
 Jallikattu is typically practised in Tamil Nadu as a part of
Pongal celebrations.
Microsoft launches online portal for weavers
 In a bid to empower handloom weavers in Telangana,
Microsoft India launched a new e-commerce portal, 're-
weave.in' on 19 January 2019.
 The portal will help the weavers optimise operations and
engage better with customers.

 It will host signature collections created by the weaver
communities, and showcase traditional designs and
products created from natural dyes.
Inter-state bridge in J-K to be inaugurated
 Union minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate the 1.2 km-
long 'Keediyan-Gandiyal' bridge on the Ravi river in Kathua
district of Jammu and Kashmir on 22 January 2019.
 The inter-state bridge will connect the secluded areas of
Kathua district with Punjab.
 The bridge would strengthen the inter-state connectivity
besides giving a boost to the social as well as economic
development of the region.
Irrawaddy dolphin census concludes
 The annual headcount exercise of Irrawaddy dolphins
inhabiting in the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary concluded on 19 January
2019.
 The enumerators covered the Gahirmatha marine
sanctuary, Dhamara coast, estuaries in Bhitarkanika,
Hukitola, Paradip and Kujang coast.
 In 2018, the census teams had sighted 250 dolphins in the
sea and deltaic zones.
15th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 21-23 January
 The 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was inaugurated
at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on 21 January 2019.
 The theme for the 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is,
'Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India'.
 Several world leaders of Indian origin, including Prime
Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will take
part in the event.
Uttarakhand CM flags off the air services
 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat flagged
off the air services from Dehradun to Amritsar from Jolly
Grant Airport in Dehradun on Jan 21, 2019
 Jolly Grant Airport/Dehradun Airport is a domestic
airport located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
 The main objective of this air services is to connect several
cities of the country with Dehradun.
UP approves quota for poor among upper castes
 Uttar Pradesh became the third state to implement 10%
reservation for economically poor among the general
category in government jobs and educational institutions.
 It comes into effect from 14 January 2019.
 The decision in this regard was taken by the UP cabinet on
18 January 2019.
 Gujarat and Jharkhand were the first and second states to
implement 10% quota for the economically weak.
UP government renames Mughalsarai tehsil
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 On 18 January 2019, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet gave
approval to a proposal on renaming Mughalsarai tehsil in
Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh after Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhyay.
 In August 2018, the Mughalsarai railway station was
renamed after Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
 In October 2018, the government also renamed Allahabad
as Prayagraj and Faizabad division and district as Ayodhya.
BHEL & LIBCOIN will build Lithium Ion Factory
 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN will
build India's first 1GWh lithium-ion battery plant.
 The plant's capacity will be scaled up to 30GWh in due
course.
 This project will bring energy independence by replacing
oil imports with abundant renewable energy.
 It will also create an integrated manufacturing ecosystem
resulting in self-reliance and lower cost.
Streaming services sign self-regulatory code
 Eight video streaming services have signed the 'Self-
Regulatory Code of Best Practices' that establishes guiding
principles for these platforms.
 The eight video streaming services are Hotstar, Voot, Zee5,
Arre, SonyLIV, ALT Balaji, Netflix, and Eros Now.
 The code broadly prohibits content that deliberately and
maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national
flag.
PM Modi will inaugurate the NMIC in Mumbai
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the
'National Museum of Indian Cinema' (NMIC) in Mumbai on
19 January 2019.
 The visitors will be able to enjoy the century-long journey
of Indian cinema via visuals, interactive exhibits and
multimedia.
 The creation of the Museum has been guided by the
Museum Advisory Committee headed by Shri Shyam
Benegal.
Health Ministry bans 80 more FDC drugs
 The Union Health Ministry has banned 80 more fixed-dose
combinations (FDC) drugs.
 It includes antibiotics, painkillers, medicines used for
treating fungal and bacterial infections, hypertension and
anxiety.
 An FDC contains two or more drugs combined in a fixed
ratio of doses, available as a single dose.
 Drugs like Cefglobe OZ, Taxim -OZ etc have been banned
by the health ministry.
Finance min starts 'Know your Budget' series
 The Ministry of Finance has started the 'Know Your
Budget' series on Twitter on 15 January 2019.

 'Know you Budget' series seeks to educate the general
public about the budgetary process.
 The series also explains the importance of Union Budget
and its making.
 The government on 1 February 2019 would unveil the
interim Budget for 2019-20.
ECI launches Voter Awareness Forums
 Voter Awareness Forum(VAF) was launched by Election
Commission of India on 16 January 2019.
 Voter Awareness Forums are informal Forums for
generating awareness around the electoral process
through activities like discussions, quizzes, competitions
and other engaging activities.
 VAF is part of the Electoral Literacy Club programme of
Election Commission of India (ECI).
PM inaugurates 13-km, two-lane Kollam bypass
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kollam
bypass on National Highway-66 in Kerala on 15 January
2019.
 The 13 km-long two-lane bypass road will cut travel time
between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts of
Kerala.
 It will help in decongesting the traffic in Kollam town.
 The bypass includes three major bridges over the
Ashtamudi Lake, having a total length of 1540 metres.
DD Science and India Science channels launched
 On 15 January 2019, Department of Science and
Technology along with Doordarshan launched two science
communication initiatives - 'DD Science' and 'India
Science'.
 The two channels will have science-based documentaries,
studio-based discussions, and virtual walkthroughs of-of
scientific institutions.
 India Science is an internet-based science channel.
Green nod for Sita Ram Irrigation project
 The Union Environment Ministry has given the final
environment clearance (EC) for the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation
Project in Telangana.
 The project aims to divert Godavari river water to three
districts of Telangana.
 The objective of the project is to provide water for
irrigation as well as to supplement some of the existing/
proposed irrigation schemes.
Kerala: Spiritual Circuit project inaugurated
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project
'Development of Spiritual Circuit: Sree Padmanabha
Swamy Temple-Aranmula-Sabarimala' in Kerala on 15
January 2019.
 The project is implemented under the Swadesh Drashan
Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The Sree Padmanabaswamy Temple is one of the 108
divyadesams of Lord Vishnu.
Commemorative coin of Rs 350 introduced
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative
coin of Rs 350 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru
Gobind Singh on 13 January 2019.
 Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh Guru.
 On 5 January 2017, commemorative postage was released
during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru
Gobind Singh.
Robots introduced for traffic management
 The Chennai Traffic Police inducted a road safety robot
into service on 14 January 2019.
 The name of the robot is 'ROADEO'.
 The robot will help police in traffic management and assist
pedestrians in Chennai roads.
 It will also ease the work of traffic police, as these robots
can be integrated with the traffic signals, as well as can be
operated manually, through a Bluetooth app.
Special weather services for Kumbh launched
 A mobile application named 'Kumbh Mela Weather
Service' has been developed to disseminate the live
weather information.
 It will provide information about the prevailing weather
condition and forecasts to the people visiting Prayagraj
during Kumbh Mela.
 For this purpose, four Automatic Weather stations have
been installed at four locations at Prayagraj.
Single-use plastics banned in Puducherry
 On 13 January 2019, the Puducherry government
announced a total ban on manufacture, sale, and storage
of single-use plastics in the Union Territory.
 The ban on single-use plastics such as paper cups,
disposable plates and straws would come into effect from
1 March 2019.
 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the
Cabinet chaired by Puducherry's Chief Minister V.
Narayanasamy.
4th Meeting of CTDP held in New Delhi
 The 4th meeting of the Council for Trade Development and
Promotion (CTDP) was held in New Delhi on 10 January
2019.
 It was chaired by the Union Minister for Commerce &
Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu.
 CTDP was constituted in July 2015, to create a framework
for making States/ UTs active partners in boosting India’s
export.
NIC Command & Control Centre inaugurated

 NIC’s Command & Control Centre (CCC) and Centre of
Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by NIC was
inaugurated at National Informatics Centre (NIC) on 10
January 2019.
 The aim of the CCC is to increase the performance of ICT
infrastructure in the country.
 The AI centre is designed to promote innovation in the
application of AI to take e-Governance services to the next
level.
Airboat service from Varanasi to Prayagraj
 The government of India will launch an airboat service
from Varanasi to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela from 26
January 2019.
 The airboat will have an engine of a vehicle and carry 16
people in one go. It can cruise up to 80 kilometers per
hour and requires a depth of only 10 centimeters.
 The Kumbh Mela will begin in Prayagraj on 15 January
2019.
Longest cable suspension bridge inaugurated
 Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Minister, Pema Khandu
inaugurated India’s longest single lane steel cable
suspension bridge over River Siang in Upper Siang district.
 The name of the bridge is Byorung Bridge.
 The 300-meter-long Bridge was funded by the
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry
under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources.
Private FM channels allowed to carry AIR news
 Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan
Rathore launched 'Sharing of All India Radio News with
Private FM broadcasters' on 8 January 2019.
 Private FM channels can now carry All India Radio News
free of cost on trial basis up to 31st May 2019.
 The commercials which are broadcast during news
bulletins have to be carried along with news in too.
PM launches various projects in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched road and
underground sewerage system projects in Maharashtra on
9 January 2019.
 He also laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,811 crore
housing project of 30,000 units under the Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana.
 The housing project will benefit the homeless poor like rag
pickers, rickshaw pullers, textile and beedi workers.
A stretch of NH 211 inaugurated in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the four-laned,
Solapur – Tuljapur – Osmanabad section of NH-211 (New
NH-52) in Solapur in Maharashtra on 9 January 2019.
 It will improve the connectivity of Solapur with the
Marathwada region.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The project is part of Solapur-Yedashi section in
Maharashtra.
 The Prime Minister had laid the foundation for this project
in 2014.
App to alert police on traffic violators
 The Coimbatore city police launched the 'Police-E-Eye'
mobile application on 7 January 2019.
 The app will enable the public to take photographs of
traffic rule violators and upload them to the police.
 Based on this, the traffic department would issue photo
challans to the violators' place to collect the fine amount.
AAI bans single-use plastic items
 Airports Authority of India (AAI) imposed a ban on single-
use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country.
 Single-use plastic items like straws, plastic cutlery, plastic
plates etc have been banned by AAI.
 Single-use plastic items are used only once and then
thrown in the trash.
 Guruprasad Mohapatra is the Chairman of Airports
Authority of India.
Raisina Dialogue to begin in New Delhi
 The fourth edition of the Raisina Dialogue began in New
Delhi on 8 January 2019.
 The Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with
Observer Research Foundation is organising the annual
geopolitical and geostrategic conference.
 The theme of the Dialogue this year is 'A World Reorder:
New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes'.
Monkey fever in Karnakata
 At least six people have died due to Kyasanur forest
disease (KFD), also known as ‘monkey fever’, in
Shivamogga district of Karnakata.
 KFD is a re-emerging zoonotic disease endemic in
Karnataka.
 It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a
member of the virus family Flaviviridae.
 The disease can be transmitted to human via contact with
a sick or recently dead monkey.
Polavaram project created a World Record
 The Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project entered
the Guinness Book record in terms of using the highest
volume of concrete in a given day.
 The project contractor Navayuga Engineering Company
poured 32,100 cubic meters of concrete in the spillway
channel within 24 hours.
 The project beat the existing record set in Dubai while
building a hotel in May 2017.
Orange alert for Andaman due to cyclone Pabuk

 The government of India issued an 'Orange' alert for the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands due Cyclonic storm 'Pabuk'
on 6 January 2019.
 'Pabuk' is now over the Andaman sea and its
neighbourhood.
 An 'orange' weather warning means people should be
prepared and there is an increased likelihood of bad or
extreme weather which may disrupt road and air travel
and threaten life and property.
Results of World Toilet Day Contest announced
 Salem District is one among the top 12 winners of the
World Toilet Day Contest 2018.
 The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation organised
contests from 9 to 19 November 2018.
 The aim of the contest was to encourage the districts to
re-intensify the sanitation movement, with a special focus
on open defecation free (ODF) sustainability.
NGT imposes Rs 100 Cr fine on Meghalaya govt
 The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine of 100 crore
rupees on Meghalaya government for its failure to curb
illegal coal mining in the state.
 The amount of the fine has to be deposited with the
Central Pollution Control Board.
 The action comes after a high-level committee submitted
an adverse report to a bench headed by NGT chairperson
AK Goel.
Organic Festival to be organised in Chandigarh
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The 6th 'Women of India Organic Festival' will be held
from 12 to 14 January 2019 in Chandigarh.
 The festival will be organised by the Ministry of Women
and Child Development.
 The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote women
farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the
remotest parts of India.
New Delhi World Book Fair begins
 The 27th New Delhi 'World Book Fair' was inaugurated in
New Delhi on 5 January 2019.
 The theme of 2019 'World Book Fair' is 'Readers with
Special Needs'.
 All India Radio (AIR) is the radio partner for the fair.
 To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, there
will be a special book exhibition of books on and by
Mahatma Gandhi.
East Siang Dist. achieves 100% electrification
 In Arunachal Pradesh, East Siang District has achieved
100% electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli
Har Ghar Yojana- Saubhagya Scheme.
 Pasighat Electrical division, which falls under the East Siang
district, has electrified 2,662 households.
 The power department has electrified 1,483 villages under
'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Gram Jyoti Yojana' in the state.
Veer Savarkar Airport declared as checkpost
 The Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair was
declared as an authorised 'Immigration Check post' for
entry into/exit from India.
 This will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct
international flight and immigration facilities.
 The Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar
Police was appointed as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the
purpose of the immigration check post.
IOC to commission Ennore LNG terminal
 Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will commission its first liquefied
natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu
in January 2019.
 This is the first LNG import terminal IOC has built on its
own.
 The company holds 12.5% stake in Petronet LNG Ltd,
which operates import facilities at Dahej in Gujarat and
Kochi in Kerala.
 Sanjiv Singh is the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation.
Renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj approved
 The Union Home Ministry approved a Uttar Pradesh
government proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.
 In October 2018, the UP government had proposed the
change in name of Allahabad to Prayagraj.
 The Home Ministry clears the name change proposals after
the Ministry of Railways, the Department of Posts and the

Survey of India confirm that no city, town or village has
similar names.
Personalities in News
T Gehlot in Port Blair on one day visit
 Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri
Thaawarchand Gehlot, is on one day visit to Port blair.
 The Minister will distribute Aids and Assistive Devices to
the Divangjans and Senior Citizens under Assistance to
Disabled Persons and 'Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana' during
the visit.
 "RVS" provides Physical Aids and Assisted-living devices for
Senior Citizen belonging to BPL category
All-Men Contingent lead by Lt. Bhavana Kasturi
 On 26 January 2019, Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi became
the first woman officer to lead an all-men Army contingent
in the Republic Day parade.
 She led the Army Services Corps contingent.
 An all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles was led by
Major Khushboo Kanwar.
 Captain Shikha Surbhi of the Army Signals Corps
performed a standing salute on a moving motorcycle.
Johan Botha retires from all forms of cricket
 South Africa cricketer Johan Botha has announced his
immediate retirement from all forms of cricket on 24
January 2019.
 He played for South Africa in five test matches, 78 one-day
internationals, and 40 T20 Internationals from 2005 to
2012.
 He captained South Africa in 10 ODIs and took the team to
the No. 1 ranking after they defeated Australia 4-1 in
Australia in 2009.
Tomy Abhilash awarded with Nao Sena Medal
 President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nao Sena Medal
to Commander Tomy Abhilash on 25 January 2019.
 Tomy Abhilash had participated in the Golden Globe
navigation race in 2018.
 Abhilash was stranded 3,200 km off the coast of Western
Australia after his sailing vessel, INSV Thuriya's mast
broken during a severe storm in the Indian Ocean.
Karthyani appointed as Goodwill Ambassador
 The Commonwealth of Learning appointed 96-year-old
Karthyayani Amma as their goodwill ambassador on 22
January 2019.
 She bagged the first rank in the ‘Aksharalaksham’ literacy
exam conducted by the Kerala government in November
2018.
 Commonwealth of Learning is a Canada-based
organisation which works for the promotion of education
in Commonwealth countries.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
Nazir Ahmad to be conferred with Ashok Chakra
 Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani will be conferred with the
Ashoka Chakra.
 He was a militant but later joined the Indian Army in 2004.
 He was killed during an anti-terror operation in November
2018.
 He was also awarded the Sena Medal.
 Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime military decoration
for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from
the battlefield.
First female IPS officer to reach South Pole
 Aparna Kumar has become the first woman Indian Police
Service (IPS) officer to successfully complete the South
Pole expedition.
 She reached the South Pole on 13 January 2019 where she
unfurled the National and ITBP flags.
 Ms Kumar is a 2002 batch UP Cadre IPS officer, who has
been posted at the Northern Frontier Headquarters of
ITBP in Dehradun.
World's oldest man Masazo Nonaka dies at 113
 The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka of Japan, has died
at the age of 113 on 20 January 2019.
 He was officially recognised as the oldest male in the world
by Guinness World Records in April 2018.
 He was born on 25 July 1905.
 Japan has one of the world’s highest life expectancies and
was home to several people recognised as among the
oldest humans to have lived.
Gurinder got 'Rosa Parks Trailblazer' award
 An Indian-American philanthropist and entrepreneur,
Gurinder Singh Khalsa was presented with the prestigious
'Rosa Park Trailblazer' award on 18 January 2019.
 He was awarded for his continued demonstration of
courage and compassion.
 He started a campaign that forced US authorities to
change their policy towards headgear of the Sikh
community.
Raja appointed as member of a key committee
 US's Democratic lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi was
appointed as a member of a Congressional committee on
Intelligence on 17 January 2019.
 He became the first South Asian to serve in the powerful
body tasked to strengthen U.S.’s national security.
 He represents Illinois’s 8th Congressional District in the
House.
Vinesh Phogat nominated for Laureus Award
 Wrestler Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian to be
nominated for the prestigious 'Laureus World Sports
Award'.

 She has been nominated in 'Laureus World Sporting
Comeback' category for the year 2019.
 Vinesh had a stellar 2018 in which she won gold at the
2018 Commonwealth Games, a silver in the 2018 Asian
Championships in Bishkek and a gold at the Asian Games in
Jakarta.
Satyarup Siddhanta scaled Mount Sidley
 Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta scaled the Antartica's
highest point, Mount Sidley.
 With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest
man to climb the seven highest peaks and volcanic
summits across all continents.
 He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days.
 On 5 December 2019, he scaled Pico de Orizaba which is
the highest volcanic peak in North America.
Stephen gave his resignation as football coach
 Stephen Constantine gave his resignation as the Head
Coach of the Indian National Football team on 14 January
2019.
 His resignation came after the exit of Indian Football team
from the Asian Football Cup.
 He was appointed as the coach in 2015 for an initial two-
year tenure.
 It was his second stint as India coach after serving as
the coach in 2002-05.
Yu Wensheng wins human rights award
 Chinese lawyer Yu Wensheng won the 'Franco-German
Human Rights' award on 14 January 2019.
 Yu Wensheng is best known for suing the Beijing
government over the city's once chronic pollution.
 He was detained by China in January 2018.
 He was among 15 winners of the Franco-German Prize for
Human Rights and the Rule of Law for 2018, announced in
November 2018.
Narayanan quits as Myntra-Jabong CEO
 Myntra's Chief Executive Officer, Ananth Narayanan gave
his resignation from the post on 14 January 2019.
 Amar Nagaram has been named as head of Myntra and
Jabong.
 Amar will report to Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan
Krishnamurthy.
 Narayanan had joined Myntra in 2015 as its CEO.
Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master
 Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest
Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian
to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.
 He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing
17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.
 Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the
youngest Grandmaster.
Shakil sets world record in indoor rowing
 On 14 January 2019, Asian Cup gold medallist Shakil
Ahmed created a world record in indoor rowing by
completing one lakh meters in above-40 years category in
Kolkata.
 He achieved the milestone of covering one lakh meters of
simulated distance in 10 hours.
 He began his record-setting indoor rowing feat in Salt Lake
stadium complex on 13 January 2019.
Nepal Army Chief conferred honorary rank
 On 12 January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred
the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army to
General Purna Chandra Thapa, the Army Chief of Nepal.
 He was honoured with honorary rank of General of the
Indian Army for his military prowess and contribution to
fostering Nepal’s long and friendly association with India.
 He became Nepal Army Chief in September 2018.
Kohli and Shastri receive membership of SCG
 Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi
Shastri received the honorary membership of the Sydney
Cricket Ground (SCG) on 11 January 2019.
 The received the membership for their contribution to the
sport of cricket.
 Apart from Kohli and Sashtri, the only other international
cricketers to be granted the honorary membership of the
SCG are Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
Alok Verma reinstated as CBI chief by SC
 On 8 January 2019, the Supreme Court reinstated Alok
Verma as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director.
 The court ruled that he not to take any policy decisions till
the statutory committee meets within a week and decides
further on the matter.
 The committee comprises the Prime Minister, CJI and the
Leader of the Opposition.
Vijay Mallya named Fugitive Economic Offender
 Vijay Mallya became the first tycoon to be charged under
the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018.
 According to the new law, a fugitive economic offender is
a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued
for his or her involvement in economic offences involving
at least Rs. 100 crore or more and has left India to avoid
prosecution.
 The new law came into effect from August 2018.
Arunima Sinha climbs Mount Vinson
 Arunima Sinha has now become the first woman amputee
to climb Mount Vinson (highest peak of Antarctica).

 She was the world’s first woman amputee to climb Mount
Everest in 2013.
 She was a national level volleyball player who had one of
her legs amputated in 2011.
 She had earlier scaled five peaks including Mt Everest, Mt
Kilimanjaro, Mt Elbrus, Mt Kosciuszko, and Mt Aconcagua.
Books & Authors
Indian Diplomat launches bilingual anthology
 A new anthology of poems titled 'New Brazilian Poems'
was launched on 24 January 2019.
 It was translated and edited by Indian poet-diplomat
Abhay Kumar.
 He is India's current Ambassador-Designate to
Madagascar.
 In 2018, the University of Sao Paulo had published the
Portuguese translation of 100 Great Indian Poems, which
was edited by Abhay Kumar.
'We are Displaced' released in India
 A book titled 'We are Displaced' was released in India on 9
January 2019.
 The author of the book is Malala Yousafzai.
 The book gives a description of her experiences of
traveling around the world and visiting refugee camps.
 Malala Yousafzai got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Government Policies & Schemes
4,78,670 Houses Sanctioned Under PMAY
 Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the
construction of 4,78,670 houses under Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban).
 This approval was given in the 42nd meeting of the Central
Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi
on January 30, 2019.
 The total number of houses sanctioned under PMAY(U) so
far is 72,65,763.
GST on Haj reduced to 5%
 Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
announced that the GST on Haj has been reduced from 18
per cent to 5 per cent.
 The move will save Haj pilgrims’ Rs 113 crore this year
by lowering the airfare.
 He also inaugurated a new conference hall and passport
section at the Haj House in Mumbai.
Hike in Research Fellowship
 Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of
Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research
personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per
month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead
of ₹25,000.
 Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining
tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from
previous ₹28,000.
Maha Govt scheme to curb infant deaths
 Maharashtra government launched a special scheme to
curb infant deaths on January 29, 2019.
 The scheme involves distributing baby-care kits to the
children born in primary health centres and government
hospitals.
 The scheme is only applicable for the first child and it is
expected to benefit around four lakh women across the
state.
 The government has allocated ₹ 20 crore for the scheme.
Alphons inaugurated tourism project in Sikkim
 Union Minister for Tourism K.J. Alphons inaugurated first
“Development of North East Circuit” project in Gangtok,
Sikkim on 30th January 2019.
 This project was sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme by the Ministry of Tourism in June 2015.
 Swadesh Darshan Scheme is one of the flagship schemes
of Ministry of tourism for development of thematic circuits
in the country in a planned manner.
₹7,214.03 Cr For States Hit By Disasters
 A High Level Committee approved Central assistance of
₹7214.03 crore from National Disaster Response Fund
(NDRF) to 6 States and one UT affected by natural
disasters.
 These included Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and
Puducherry.
 The Committee was headed by Union Home Minister, Shri
Rajnath Singh.
CIAL donated Rs.10 crore to CMDRF
 Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has donated
Rs.10 crore to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund
(CMDRF).
 CMDRF is an emergency assistance release mechanism
granting immediate relief to families and individuals
distressed by calamity, loss of life due to accidents and
chronic diseases.
MHRD grant Rs 50 crores to Madras University
 The University of Madras has received ₹50 crore from the
Ministry of Human Resource Development for upgrading
its research capabilities.
 A total of 10 universities belonging to category I will get
₹100 crore and 17 universities falling into category II will
receive of ₹50 crore.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 University of Madras is one of the oldest educational  The government of India unveiled new guidelines for Jan
institutions in India established in the year 1857. Shikshan Sansthans (JSS) on 24 January 2019.
 The new norms are expected to help identify and promote
Employment scheme launched in Madhya Pradesh
traditional skills in a district.
 The government of Madhya Pradesh launched the 'Yuva  It will also help in the training of trainers to develop skills
Swabhiman Yojana' on 26 January 2019. through National Skills Training Institutes.
 It aims to provide employment to the youth belonging to  JSS comes under the Ministry of Skill Development &
the weaker section of the society mainly in urban areas of Entrepreneurship.
the state.
PM launches 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana'
 Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be
provided to youngsters from economically weaker sections  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Pravasi
of the society in urban areas. Teerth Darshan Yojana' on 22 January 2019.
Kerala to launch NRI pension scheme  Under 'Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana', a group of Indian
diaspora will be taken on a tour of religious places in India
 On 25 January 2019, Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam twice a year.
announced that the Kerala government will soon launch a  The government will bear all the expenses including the
'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme'. airfare from their country of residence.
 It will provide regular pension to Non Resident Keralites on  All people of Indian-origin aged 45 to 65 can apply for the
a one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh tour.
 The one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh will be deposited with
KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board) for
financing infrastructure projects.
Govt to develop 400 abandoned airstrips
 The government of India has decided to renovate and
develop around 400 abandoned airstrips across the
country to strengthen air-connectivity.
 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.
 Jharkhand is the first state in the country where the MoU
was signed to develop one such abandoned airstrip at
Dhalbhumgarh.
Govt awards 235 routes under UDAN scheme
 On 25 January 2019, the government of India awarded 235
routes to the operators under the third round of the Ude
Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN-III).
 SpiceJet, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Air India subsidiary Alliance,
and Turbo Aviation are among the operators that have
bagged the routes.
 UDAN scheme seeks to connect unserved and underserved
airports as well as make flying affordable.
'Operation Olympics' commences in Kerala
 'Operation Olympics', an expert programme to train
athletes in 11 disciplines was launched in Kerala on 25
Odisha hiked social security pension
January 2019.
 The objective of 'Operation Olympics' is to provide  On 19 January 2019, the Odisha government announced a
international standard training with the help of eminent hike of Rs 200 per month in the social security pension
trainers from both India and abroad. under 'Madhu Babu Pension Yojana'.
 The programme includes athletics, boxing, cycling,  About 48 lakh elderly, widows and destitute women will
swimming, shooting, wrestling, badminton, fencing, be benefited from the scheme.
rowing and archery.  The pension holders will get a revised pension of Rs 500
per month against Rs 300 while people aged over 80 years
Government launches new norms for JSS
will get Rs 700 per month instead of Rs 500.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Women to get 20% jobs in Military Police employment generation has crossed the milestone of one
crore beneficiaries as on January 14, 2019.
 The government of India has decided to induct women for
 PMRPY is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour
the first time in Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) role
and Employment through the Employees’ Provident Fund
in Corps of Military Police.
Organization (EPFO).
 The women will be inducted in a graded manner to
 PMRPY was announced on 7 August 2016.
eventually comprise 20% of total Corps of Military Police.
 Their role would range from probing rape and molestation Forest management project launched in Tripura
cases to assisting the Army wherever required.
 A Rs 1,000 crore 'Sustainable Catchment Forest
1.37 crore Rural Homes completed Management' (SCATFORM) project was launched in
Tripura on 16 January 2019.
 The Ministry of Rural Development has completed 1.37
 The project will help improve forests in the targeted
crore Rural Homes since April 2014.
catchment areas.
 The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) was
 It would also create livelihood of the people living in and
launched on November 20, 2016.
around the forest areas.
 PMAY-G has focused on deprived households and the
 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will
poorest of the poor who live in kutcha houses.
bear 80% cost of the project.
 So far 66.6 lakh homes have been completed under PMAY-
G. Cabinet approves integrated e-filing project
 The remaining 33.4 lakh homes will be completed by
 The Union Cabinet approved an expenditure sanction of
March 2019.
over 4200 crore rupees for 'Integrated E-filing and
Haryana students to get 'Shaurya Award' Centralized Processing Centre 2.0 Project' of the Income
Tax Department.
 On 17 January 2019, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal
 It will help in improving taxpayers' awareness and
Khattar announced 'Shaurya Award' to students.
education through continuous engagement.
 The award will be given to a student in the memory of a
 It will also help in faster processing of returns and issue of
police martyr for courageous deeds every year in a village
refunds to the taxpayers' bank account directly.
block where the school is located and where a martyr
studied during his childhood. 'Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar' campaign launched
 This award carries a prize money of Rs 11,000.
 Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) will launch the second
Odisha extends free health services phase of the Web Campaign ‘Sanjhi Mujh Mein Kalakar’.
 It is an initiative to document and promote the Intangible
 Odisha government announced the extension of free
Cultural Heritage (ICH) and diverse cultural traditions of
health services under 'Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana' (BSKY)
the country by direct public-participation.
to all government medical college and hospitals from 1
 The first phase of this campaign was launched in
February 21.
November 2018.
 Earlier, the free treatment facility for all was available at
 SNA is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Culture.
sub-centres in villages and district headquarters hospitals.
 All patients, irrespective of APL or BPL category, will be Numaligarh refinery capacity to be tripled
able to avail of this facility.
 On 16 January 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Regional conference on 'DDRS' held in Mumbai Affairs approved tripling the capacity of the Numaligarh
Refinery in Assam to 9 million metric tonnes per annum.
 Regional Conference on 'Deendayal Disabled
 It also approved the setting up of a crude oil pipeline from
Rehabilitation Scheme' (DDRS) was held in Mumbai on 17
Paradip to Numaligarh and a product pipeline from
January 2019.
Numaligarh to Siliguri.
 It was organised by the Department of Empowerment of
 The expansion of the refinery will meet the deficit of
Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and
petroleum products in the northeast.
Empowerment.
 DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme for providing financial List of sites under Tirthatan scheme expanded
assistance to NGOs working for education and
 The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council has
rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
expanded the list of pilgrim centres under the 'Deendayal
PMRPY achieves one crore Milestone Matri Tirthatan scheme' on 15 January 2019.
 The new additions to the list include Kaliyar Sharif,
 Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY), the
Tadkeshwar, Kalimath, Jageshwar, Baijnath, Gairad Golu,
flagship scheme of the Central Government for

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Gangoli Hat, Mahasu Devta Mandir Hanol, Kalinka and
Jwalpa Devi.
 The scheme earlier included Badrinath, Gangotri, and
Ritha Sahib.
Govt unveils national air cargo policy
 The government unveiled the 'National Air Cargo' policy on
15 January 2019.
 The policy seeks to make India among the top five air
freight markets by 2025.
 It also aims to create air transport shipment hubs at all
major airports over the next six years.
 The policy document released during the two-day Global
Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai.
Farm debt-waiver scheme launched in MP
 Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched the
Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan
Rin Mukti Yojana' on 15 January 2019.
 The state cabinet gave its nod to waive crop loans of 55
lakh small and marginal farmers on 5 January 2019.
 The loan waiver forms could be submitted till 5 February
2019 and farmers would start getting the benefits from 22
February 2019.
'Maha Agritech' project launched
 Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched
‘Maha Agritech' project on 14 January 2019.
 Under the project, an area under cultivation from sowing
to harvesting, climate, and diseases on crops will be
monitored digitally using satellite and drone technology.
 The project is supported by Maharashtra Remote
Application Centre (MRSAC) and ISRO.
Commerce Min launches 'Womaniya on GeM'
 Government eMarketplace (GeM) launched an initiative
named 'Womaniya on GeM' on 14 January 2019.
 The initiative will enable women entrepreneurs and self-
help groups to sell different products at the platform.
 GeM is an online platform of the Ministry of Commerce for
the procurement of goods and services by government
departments, public sector units, and other agencies.
Govt prepares Action plan on drug abuse
 The government has drafted a five-year action plan to
address the problem of drug and substance abuse in the
country.
 The 'National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction'
(2018-23) aims to employ a multi-pronged strategy to
address the issue of drug abuse.
 It involves education, de-addiction, and rehabilitation of
affected individuals and their families.
Youth Parliament Festival 2019 launched
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was launched
on 12 January 2019.
 The themes for National Youth Parliament Festival 2019
are 'Be The Voice of New India' and 'Find solutions and
contribute to policy'.
 It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
 The Festival will encourage the youth to engage with the
public issue and understand the common man's problem.
'One Family One Job' scheme launched in Sikkim
 Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling launched
the 'One Family One Job' scheme on 12 January 2019.
 The scheme envisions employment to a member of every
family which does not have a government job in the state.
 Under this scheme, all loan debts in the farming and
agriculture sector would be revoked.
Government to launch a tech challenge
 The government of India will launch the 'Global Housing
Technology Challenge' on 14 January 2019.
 The initiative will be launched under the Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
 It will address issues related to housing shortage in a time-
bound manner and focus on the need for emerging, cost-
effective and speedy construction technologies
Government fixes price for gold bonds
 The government of India has fixed the price at Rs 3,214 per
gram for the new series of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB).
 The Sovereign Gold Bonds 2018-19 (Series V) will be
opened from 14 January 2019.
 The bonds are being sold through banks, Stock Holding
Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), designated post
offices, and stock exchanges NSE and BSE.
 The SGB scheme was launched in November 2015.
'Ama Ghare LED' scheme launched in Odisha
 The government of Odisha launched the 'Ama Ghare LED'
scheme on 11 January 2019.
 Under the scheme, about 95 lakh families in the state will
each get four LED bulbs free of cost.
 The LED bulbs (9-watt each) will be distributed to the
beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security
Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSC).
Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook released
 NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) released the
'Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook – Nayee Dishayen, Naye
Nirman, Naya Bharat' on 11 January 2019.
 The Handbook captures the experiences of the young
innovators of the country with the Atal Tinkering Lab.
 The AIM is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to
promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in
the country.
Four projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan

 The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned four new projects
for Rs.190.46 Crores under Swadesh Darshan and
PRASHAD schemes in 3 states.
 The 3 states are Meghalaya, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
 Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes were launched
for the development of tourism infrastructure in the
country.
 The project includes the development of Gorakhnath
Temple in Gorakhpur.
Cabinet Approves 3 New AIIMSs
 The Union Cabinet gave approval for the establishment of
three new AIIMS at Samba in Jammu, Pulwama in Kashmir
and Rajkot in Gujarat.
 TheseAIIMSs will be set up under Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
 The objective is to establish the new AIIMS is to
provide quality tertiary healthcare, medical education,
nursing education and research in the region.
Govt launches National Clean Air Programme
 The government of India launched the 'National Clean Air
Programme' (NCAP) on 10 January 2019.
 The aim of the programme is to reduce particulate matter
(PM) pollution by 20-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.
 It will provide the States and the Centre with a framework
to combat air pollution.
 The NCAP will be a mid-term, five-year action plan with
2019 as the first year.
Andaman to be 1st Island to operate seaplanes
 The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation approved operations
on 13 water aerodromes under Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik-3
(UDAN-3).
 The very first seaplane could run within Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
 Four different islands from Andaman and one island from
Nicobar have been selected to fly seaplanes.
 These are Havelock, Long Island, Neil Island and Hutbay
Island in Andaman and Car Nicobar in Nicobar.
'Gangajal Project' inaugurated in Agra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Gangajal
Project' in Agra on 9 January 2019.
 The programme will provide a supply of better drinking
water which will benefit the residents as well as tourists.
 Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water
to Agra.
 He also launched civic projects worth Rs 2,980 crore in
Agra.
'Web- Wonder Women' Campaign launched
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched
an online campaign, ' #www: Web- WonderWomen' on 9
January 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The Campaign aims to discover and celebrate the
exceptional achievements of women, who have influenced
and impacted society through social media.
 The Ministry in collaboration with 'Breakthrough' and
'Twitter India' has started this campaign.
First Swadesh Darshan project inaugurated
 Meghalaya's Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated
the project 'Development of North East Circuit: Umiam
(Lake View) - U Lum Sohpetbneng- Mawdiangdiang -
Orchid Lake Resort' on 9 January 2019.
 The project was implemented under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
 Under this project, various facilities like Multipurpose Hall,
Log Huts, Cafeteria etc have been developed.
Maharashtra Cabinet approves SMART project
 On 8 January 2019, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the
‘State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural
Transformation (SMART)’ project assisted by the World
Bank.
 The project will boost the agriculture sector and agri-allied
businesses.
 The project will have an investment of ₹2,200 crore, of
which 70% will be from the World Bank while the State
government’s share will be of 26.67%.
Govt relaxes norms for fertiliser exports
 The government of India relaxed norms for exports of
fertilisers, including urea, potassic and phosphatic.
 The export policy of fertilisers have been revised and items
under the 'restricted' category moved to 'free' category.
 These exports are subject to prior permission/no objection
certificate to be obtained by the manufacturers/exporters
from the Department of Fertiliser.
5,000 additional seats for JNVs approved
 On 7 January 2019, Ministry of Human Resource
Development approved an increase of 5,000 seats at
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country.
 The total number of seats has increased from 46,600 to
51,000 at the JNVs.
 JNVs are run by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, New Delhi, an
autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Human
Resource Development
Odisha announces interest-free loans for WSHGs
 On 5 January 2019, Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
announced interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh for
Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in the state.
 There are around 6 lakh WSHGs in Odisha.
 The initiative will benefit about 70 lakh women.
 He also distributed financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 each to
six lakh WSHGs as part of the state government's efforts to
digitally empower women.

HRD introduces 70-point grading index
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development has
introduced a 70-point grading index to assess the quality
of school education offered by states.
 A state performance grading will be done wherein the
states will be marked out of 1,000 on 70 parameters.
 This will give the correct picture of where every state
stands.
NCR launches mobile app for Kumbh Mela
 The North Central Railway (NCR) launched a mobile
application to help people navigate through Prayagraj city
during Kumbh Mela starting from 15 January 2019.
 The name of the app is 'Rail Kumbh Seva Mobile App'.
 It will also provide information regarding all the 'Mela
special' trains that will be run during the period.
 The app will provide a link to the user to buy the train
tickets.
Every district covered under BBBP scheme
 According to the government of India, all the 640 districts
of the country have been covered under the Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBP).
 The scheme is aimed at addressing the declining Child Sex
Ratio and enabling girl child education.
 The scheme is implemented by the Ministries of Women
and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and
Human Resource Development.
'Swachh Survekshan 2019' launched
 Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri
inaugurated the 'Swachh Survekshan 2019' on 4 January
2019.
 The cleanliness survey will cover 40 crore people across
over four thousand towns and cities.
 For the first time ever, inspection will be conducted
without giving any prior information to the concerned
official for real-time check and survey will be based on
people’s feedback.
States to rollout ‘Parivesh’ by January 15
 The web-based ‘Parivesh’ will be rolled-out at state levels
by 15 January 2019.
 ‘Parivesh’ (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by
Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
Hub) is a single-window integrated environmental
management system, developed under the ‘Digital India’
initiative.
 It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
August 2018 on World Biofuel Day.
Haryana govt approves 11 projects
 The Haryana government approved 11 projects for the
rejuvenation of the Saraswati river on 2 January 2019.
 These include the construction of Somb Saraswati barrage,
Saraswati reservoir and Adi Badri dam on Somb river, a
tributary of the Yamuna that originates in the Shivalik Hills.
 The projects were approved by the Haryana Saraswati
Heritage Development Board chaired by the Chief
Minister.
Continuation of family welfare scheme approved
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its
approval for the continuation of five schemes under the
'Umbrella Scheme for Family Welfare and Other Health
Interventions' from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
 The scheme will be funded 100% by Central Government.
 The five schemes listed in the proposal are crucial to
attaining the goals and objectives laid in National Health
Policy (NHP) 2017.
Union Cabinet approves restructuring of NHA
 The Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of existing
National Health Agency (NHA) as 'National Health
Authority' for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri -
Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
 National Health Authority will be chaired by Union Health
Minister to enable the decision making at a faster pace.
 The authority will be working under the Ministry of Health
& Family Welfare.
Amendment to Trade Unions Act, 1926 approved
 The Cabinet has approved amendment to the Trade
Unions Act, 1926 to make provisions regarding recognition
of trade unions.
 The approval will facilitate the recognition of Trade Unions
at Central and State level.
 The proposed Bill will ensure that the nomination of
workers’ representatives in tripartite bodies by the
government will become more transparent.
Continuation of Scheme for youths approved
 The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of 'Rastriya
Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Scheme' for the Period
2017-18 to 2019-2020.
 The total budget outlay for the scheme is Rs.1160 crore.
 The scheme is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme of the
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
 The Scheme aims to develop the personality and
leadership qualities of the youth.

Merchant exporters to get Rs. 600 crore sops
 The government of India decided to provide 3% interest
subsidy to merchant exporters to enhance the flow of
funds for them with a view to boosting outbound
shipments.
 The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs.
 The proposal will entail benefits of around Rs. 600 crores
to exporters on interest equalisation for the remaining
period of the scheme.
Govt releases 6-crore LPG connection
 The government of India gave 6-crore free cooking gas
(LPG) connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala
Yojana (PMUY) on 2 January 2019.
 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu handed over the 6
croreth LPG connection under PMUY to Jasmina Khatoon
from Delhi.
 The PMUY was launched on 1 May 2016, with a target to
give 5 crore connections by March 2019.
100% houses in 25 states electrified
 India achieved electrification in 100% households in 25
states at the end of 2018.
 Now, only about 10.48 lakh households are left to be
electrified in 4 states - Assam, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and
Chhattisgarh.
 The 'Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana'
(Saubhagya) in September 2017 to achieve the goal of
universal household electrification in the country by 31
March 2019.
Govt. notifies new GST return forms
 The government of India notified new annual GST return
forms which are required to be filed by businesses
registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
by June 30, 2019.
 It notified GST form GSTR-9, GSTR-9A, and GSTR-9C on 31
December 2018.
 In the forms, businesses have to provide consolidated
details of sales, purchases and input tax credit (ITC)
benefits accrued in 2017-18.
Defence items not covered under Arms Act
 The government of India announced that manufacturing of
items of defence aerospace and warships will now be
covered by Industries (Development and Regulation) Act.
 The defence items now do not require licence under the
Arms Act.
 In May 2017, the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion was allowed to process applications for grant of
licence for manufacture of defence items.
CLSS on home loans for MIG extended
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The government of India extended the Credit Link Subsidy
Scheme (CLSS) on home loans for the Middle Income
Group (MIG) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana till
March 2020.
 The last extension was up to March 31, 2019.
 Under CLSS, the government provides a subsidy of up to Rs
2.67 lakh on the home loan.
 Till 30 December 2018, around 3,39,713 beneficiaries have
availed loans under CLSS.
WB govt announces two initiatives for farmers
 The West Bengal government announced two welfare
initiatives for farmers on 31 December 2018.
 Both initiatives are part of the 'Krishi Krishak Bondhu'
scheme and will come into effect from 1 January 2019.
 The 1st initiative will provide Rs 2 lakh to the family of a
deceased farmer.
 Under the 2nd initiative, farmers will get Rs 2,500 twice a
year for growing a single crop on an acre of land.
Science & Technology
AI That Translates Thoughts Into Speech
 Scientists have created an artificial intelligence (AI) based
system that directly translates thoughts into
understandable, recognisable speech.
 The AI system will help people who cannot speak regain
their ability to communicate with the world.
 The technology has been created by researchers at
Columbia University in the United States of America.
Hike in Research Fellowship
 Central Government has enhanced the fellowship of
Science & Technology Ph.D students and other research
personnel w.e.f. January 1, 2019.
 Junior Research Fellows will now receive ₹31,000 per
month in the first two years of Ph.D programme instead
of ₹25,000.
 Fellowship for Senior Research Fellow in the remaining
tenure of Ph.D is increased to ₹35,000 per month from
previous ₹28,000.
Artificial Pancreas App for Diabetics
 Scientists, including those from Harvard University have
developed an artificial pancreas smartphone app that will
help in regulating blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.
 The app is effective in regulating glucose levels under
challenging conditions and is suitable for use in
unconstrained environments.
 The study was published in the journal Diabetes
Technology & Therapeutics.
NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun
 NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of
the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star.

 Just 161 days after its launch, the Parker probe completed
its first orbit of the Sun on January 19.
 The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned
orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest
approach to the Sun, on April 4.
Opportunity rover completes 15 years on Mars
 NASA's Opportunity rover has completed 15 years of its
touchdown on the surface of Mars.
 The rover landed in a region of Mars called Meridiani
Planum on 24 January 2004.
 The solar-powered rover went silent since a global dust
storm in June 2018.
 The rover was designed to travel 1,006 metres and
operate on the Red Planet for 90 Martian days.
Technology Mission Centre launched by govt
 Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched three important
centre’s set up by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) at IIT Madras on 25 January 2019.
 The first one is the 'DST –IITM Solar Energy Harnessing
Centre'.
 The second centre is the 'DST-IITM Water –IC for SUTRAM
of EASY WATER'.
 The third centre is the 'Testbed on Solar thermal
desalination solutions'.
Satellites successfuly launched by ISRO
 India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44)
successfully injected Microsat-R and Kalamsat-V2 satellites
into their designated orbits.
 The satellites were launched on 24 January 2019 from
Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
 Microsat-R is a defence application satellite.
 It is the first Indian satellite which was placed by ISRO in a
low orbit at an altitude of 274 km
App developed to detect new currency
 The Indian Institute of Technology at Ropar in Punjab has
developed an Android App 'Roshni'.
 The app was launched on 23 January 2019.
 The app will assist visually impaired people to easily
determine the denomination of currency notes using
image processing and analytics.
 It works well in a broad range of light conditions and
holding angles.
ISRO launches 'Young Scientist programme'
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched
the 'Young Scientist programme' on 18 January 2019.
 The programme is for school students who want to
explore themselves in space research.
 Under the programme, three students from each state and
Union territory will be selected.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 They will be given access to R&D labs and practical
experience of building a small satellite.
ISRO to launch Kalamsat & Microsat satellite
 ISRO will launch a student satellite called 'Kalamsat' and an
imaging satellite known as 'Microsat-R' on 24 January
2019.
 Both the satellite will be carried by 'PSLV C-44' rocket.
 PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle.
 In PSLV-C44, the fourth stage (PS4) of the vehicle would be
moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an
orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
ISRO will set up Human Space Flight Centre
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
announced setting up of Human Space Flight Centre in
Bengaluru.
 It will be headed by Unnikrishnan Nair.
 ISRO also announced that R. Hutton will head the
Gaganyaan project.
 The Gaganyaan project will send three astronauts to orbit
the Earth for three to seven days.
 The project is slated to happen before December 2021.
NASA probe discovers new planet
 NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
discovered a new planet.
 The planet has been named 'HD 21749b'.
 It orbits around a bright dwarf star about 53 light years
away from the earth, in the constellation 'Reticulum'.
 It is the third planet discovered by TESS.
 The other two planets discovered by TESS are 'Pi Mensae
b' and 'LHS 3844b'.
 TESS was launched in April 2018.
Telescope to detect cosmic X-rays launched
 US scientists have successfully launched a telescope from
Antarctica that analyses X-rays arriving from distant
neutron stars, black holes, and other exotic celestial
bodies.
 The name of the telescope is 'X-Calibur' instrument.
 It is carried by a helium balloon and will reach an altitude
of 130,000 feet.
 Neutron stars are objects of very small radius.
Committees & Recommendations
Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents
 On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home
Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters
related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight
insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful
activities.

 The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
 It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S.
Sistani.
IRDAI sets up a panel
 On 23 January 2019, the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDAI) has set up a panel to
identify Systemically Important Insurers (SII).
 The panel will be headed by Pravin Kutumbe, Member-
Finance & Investment, IRDAI.
 The panel will also develop a paper on assessment
methodology for SIIs in India and recommend enhanced
supervision for them.
Tribunal to decide ban on insurgents
 On 24 January 2019, the Ministry of Home
Affairs reconstituted a tribunal to adjudicate matters
related to the extension of the ban imposed on eight
insurgent groups in Manipur for involvement in unlawful
activities.
 The tribunal has been set up under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
 It will be headed by Delhi High Court's judge Justice G.S.
Sistani.
Committee to monitor pricing of drugs
 The government of India has constituted a standing
committee to monitor the pricing of medicines and
healthcare products.
 The committee will be headed by a Niti Aayog member
(Health).
 The committee will be the recommending body to the
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
 NPPA is a government regulatory agency that controls the
prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India.
IBBI sets up committee under UK Sinha
 The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has
set up an 11-member working group to look into the
concept of ‘Group Insolvency’ and suggest a suitable
framework.
 The working group will be headed by the former SEBI chief
UK Sinha.
 It will recommend a complete regulatory framework to
facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of
corporate debtors in a Group.
GoM constituted on issues relating to lottery
 A Group of Ministers (GoM) on issues relating to the
lottery was constituted by the GST Council on 10 January
2019.
 Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister, Government of
Maharashtra was appointed as the convener of GoM.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The GoM will decide if the disparity existing on tax rates
on the lottery will continue or not.
 It will also see if there is a misuse of the lower tax rate on
the lottery.
Govt forms GoM for GST issues in real estate
 On 15 January 2019, the government of India constituted a
Group of Ministers (GoM) to boost the real estate sector
under the GST regime.
 Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel will be the
convener of the GoM.
 It will analyse the tax rate of GST and suggest a
composition scheme for residential construction units.
 Currently, GST on the under-construction flats and houses
is 12%
Assam govt forms GoM on ST reservation
 Assam Government has set up a Group of Ministers (GoM)
headed by Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on 14 January 2019.
 The GoM will recommend measures for the protection of
rights of existing tribal communities as well as to decide on
the benefits to be given to new Scheduled Tribes.
 The GoM was formed after the introduction of the
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order on 9 January 2019.
HC forms committee to remove alien species
 On 11 January 2019, the Madras High Court constituted an
expert committee to suggest ways and means to remove
the alien species from the Western Ghats.
 The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra
Babu, the Chairman of the expert committee on invasive
species in Chennai National Biodiversity Authority.
 The committee will study all aspects related to the forests.
GoM constituted to look into revenue shortfall
 On 12 January 2019, the GST Council had decided to set up
a Group of Ministers (GoM).
 The GoM will be headed by Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister
Sushil Kumar Modi.
 The GoM will look into the revenue shortfall being faced
by states following the rollout of Goods and Services Tax
(GST).
 The committee will suggest steps for increasing the
revenue of states.
EC panel submits report on digital media
 The Election Commission appointed panel submitted its
report on digital media and campaigning during last 48
hours before polls to the Chief Election Commissioner
Sunil Arora.
 The panel was constituted under the Chairmanship of Sr.
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha.
 The panel was mandated to review and suggest
modifications in the provisions of the Representation of
the People Act.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

SEBI constitutes 'Research Advisory' committee term solutions for the revival of the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
 The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
 The committee will be headed by former SEBI chairman
constituted a 'Research Advisory' committee.
U.K. Sinha.
 It will be headed by Dr. Sankar De.
 The committee will examine the factors affecting the
 The committee will assist in formulating policy to
timely and adequate availability of finance to the MSME
undertake research relevant for the development and
sector.
regulation of capital markets.
 The committee would comprise prominent financial Govt approves Central assistance to Tamil Nadu
economists and market practitioners.
 On 31 December 2018, the government of India approved
RBI constitutes a committee on digital payment the release of Rs 1,146 crore to Tamil Nadu for the people
affected by cyclone 'Gaja'.
 On 8 January 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
 The approval was given by High-Level Committee (HLC)
constituted a high-level committee that will work towards
chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
deepening digital payments in India.
 The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister
 The committee will be headed by Nandan Nilekani.
for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh and Vice Chairman,
 It will submit a report to the RBI every three months.
Niti Ayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar are the members of HLC.
 It will suggest measures to strengthen the safety and
security of digital payments.
Govt notifies High-Level Committee for Assam
 The government has notified a High-Level Committee for
implementation of Clause six of the Assam Accord on 6
January 2019.
 The committee is headed by former IAS officer M.P.
Bezbaruah.
 It will assess the appropriate level of reservation of seats
in the Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese
people, besides providing employment opportunities.
Committee formed to look into the JNV suicides
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development constituted
a Task Force to look into the reasons of suicides reported
in the JNVs.
 The Task Force will be headed by Psychiatrist, Dr. Jitendra
Nagpal.
 The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are fully
residential schools managed and run by the Navodaya
Vidyalaya Samiti, an autonomous organisation under the
Ministry of Human Resource Development.
New panel to protect Assam’s heritage
 The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a high-level
committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam
Accord. Committee formed for implementation of RERA
 The Accord provides for constitutional, legislative and  The government of India constituted a committee to
administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and suggest recommendations to strengthen the 'Real Estate
promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage Regulatory Authority' (RERA) and to remove difficulties in
of Assam. its implementation.
 It also recommended reserving Assembly seats for  It will be headed by the Union Housing & Urban Affairs
indigenous communities in the State. Joint Secretary, Shiv Das Meena.
U.K. Sinha to head RBI panel on MSME revival  RERA, which protects the interest of home buyers,
empowers states to notify their rules & appoint regulatory
 The RBI has appointed an eight-member expert authorities.
committee to comprehensively review and propose long-

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Business & Economy
Indian Oil Q3 profit down by 91%
 Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) reported a net profit of
₹716.82 crore in the third quarter of financial year 2018-
19.
 The net profit was down 78% from the previous quarter
and down 91% from the same quarter of the previous
year.
 The variation was majorly due to inventory losses arising
out of falling crude oil prices
 Revenues of IOC grew 6% to ₹1.6 lakh crore against ₹1.5
lakh crore.
ICICI Bank sacks Chanda Kochhar
 ICICI Bank terminated the contract of former managing
director and CEO Chanda Kochhar for violating the bank’s
code of conduct.
 In June last year, the bank formed the one-member panel
to look into the allegations of conflict of interest against
her for a loan given to Videocon Industries.
 Ms. Kochhar, assumed charge as MD and CEO of ICICI Bank
on May 1, 2009 and resigned in October 2018.
SEBI: Relaxed Norms for REITs, InvITs
 Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed a
new set of relaxed norms for Real Estate Investment Trusts
(REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) on
30th Jan, 2019.
 This new framework will provide flexibility for fund raising
and will boost investments in REITs and InvITs.
 REITs and InvITs are listed entities that invest in income-
producing assets like infrastructure.
New Packaging Norms Mandatory By July 1
 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said
that food businesses need to comply with new packaging
regulations by July 1.
 The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of
recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging,
storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
 Pawan Agarwal is the CEO of FSSAI.
Steel Min to set up Safety Directorate
 Union Steel Ministry announced to set up a 'Safety
Directorate' to oversee safety standards in steel industry
on January 28, 2019.
 This decision was taken during the Consultative
Committee Meeting of the Ministry in Goa which was
chaired by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender
Singh.
 It also plans to draft the 'National Scrap Policy' to make
available nearly 7 MT scrap in the country.
RBI to inject ₹37,500 in February
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The Reserve Bank of India will inject Rs 37,500 crore into
the system through purchase of government securities in
February to increase liquidity.
 The purchase will be done under Open Market Operations
(OMOs) for an aggregate amount of ₹375 billion.
 Three auctions of ₹125 billion each will be held during the
2nd, 3rd and 4th week of February.
Anti-dumping duty imposed on MPDA
 The government of India has imposed an anti-dumping
duty on Meta Phenylenediamine (MPDA) imported from
China.
 The duty has been imposed for five years to protect
domestic producers of the chemical intermediate from
cheap shipments.
 MPDA is a chemical intermediate used for manufacturing
dyes, engineering polymer and in photography and
medical applications.
Centre’s debt-to-GDP falls, States’ rises
 According to the Status Paper on Government Debt for
2017-18, the Centre’s total debt as a percentage of GDP
reduced to 46.5% in 2017-18 from 47.5% as of March 31,
2014.
 The total debt of the States rose to 24% in 2017-18 and is
estimated to be 24.3% in 2018-19.
 The Centre’s total debt increased from Rs. 56,69,429 crore
in March 2014 to Rs. 82,35,178 crore in 2017-18.
Status Paper on Government Debt released
 The Ministry of Finance released the Eighth Edition of the
'Status Paper on the Government Debt' on 18 January
2019.
 It provides a detailed analysis of the Overall Debt Position
of the Government of India.
 As per the status paper, the total liabilities of the
government has increased by 49% to Rs. 82 lakh crore in
the last four-and-half years.
Rs 1 crore fine on Bank of Maharashtra
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed an Rs 1-crore fine
on Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) on 16 January 2019.
 The fine was imposed for non-compliance of 'Know Your
Customer' guidelines and fraud-classification norms.
 In 2018, the RBI had imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on BoM
on account of delay on the part of the bank to detect and
report fraud in an account.
India's GDP growth at 7.5% in next fiscal
 According to Fitch Group firm India Ratings and Research
(Ind-Ra), the gross domestic product (GDP) of India is
expected to grow at 7.5% in 2019-20.
 It expects wholesale and retail inflation to average 3.4%
and 4.3%, respectively, in FY20.

 The current account deficit (CAD) is likely to decline to
1.9% of GDP in FY20 from 2.4% of GDP, helped by
softening of crude oil prices in FY19.
SBI, other banks to finance Samruddhi Corridor
 A consortium of banks led by State Bank of India has
agreed to provide finance for Nagpur-Mumbai 'Samruddhi
Corridor' expressway project.
 Other lenders include Punjab National Bank, Bank of
Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra as well as the Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) of India.
 SBI has agreed to lend the highest amount, 8,500 crore
rupees.
RBI eased ECB norms
 In a bid to improve ease of doing business, the Reserve
Bank of India has decided to liberalise external commercial
borrowing (ECB) norms.
 It allowed all companies that are eligible for receiving
foreign direct investment, to raise funds through the ECB
route.
 The RBI has decided to keep the minimum average
maturity period at 3 years for all ECBs, irrespective of the
amount of borrowing.
Cabinet approves capital infusion in Exim Bank
 On 16 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved fund
infusion of Rs 6000 crore in Export-Import Bank of India
(Exim Bank).
 The infusion would help the EXIM bank in expanding its
business.
 The government had infused Rs 500 crore in Exim Bank
last financial year.
 David Rasquinha is the Managing Director of EXIM Bank.
RBI will purchase govt. securities on 17 jan
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will inject 10,000 crore rupees
into the banking system through the purchase of
government securities on 17 January 2019 to increase
liquidity.
 The purchase will be made through Open Market
Operations (OMOs).
 OMO refer to the buying and selling of government
securities in the open market in order to increase or
decrease the amount of money in the banking system.
WPI inflation at 3.80% in December 2018
 Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to an 8-month low
of 3.80% in December 2018 due to reducing prices of fuel
and some food items.
 The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at
4.64% in November 2018, and 3.58% in December 2017.
 The deflation in food articles stood at 0.07% in December
2018, against 3.31% in November 2018.
IDFC Bank renamed as IDFC First Bank
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Private sector lender IDFC Bank's name has been changed
to 'IDFC First Bank Ltd' with effect from 12 January 2019.
 IDFC Bank and Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
'Capital First' completed their merger on 18 December
2018.
 V Vaidyanathan, Founder of Capital First Ltd, was
appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer of the IDFC First Bank Ltd.
Industrial growth falls to 17-month low
 Industrial output growth dropped to a 17-month low of
0.5% in November 2018 on account of contraction in the
manufacturing sector.
 Industrial output is measured in terms of the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP), had grown by 8.5% in
November 2017, as per data released by the Central
Statistics Office.
 The manufacturing sector constitutes 77.63% of the Index
of Industrial Production (IIP)
GST burden on small businesses eased
 The 32nd meeting of GST council was held on 10 January
2019.
 In the meeting, it was decided that the companies with
annual turnover up to Rs. 40 lakh will stay out of the GST
net (Rs. 20 lakh earlier).
 The annual turnover limit for eligibility for the Composition
Scheme was raised to Rs.1.5 crore from 1 April 2019.
Deferment of capital buffer norms notified
 On 10 January 2019, the RBI deferred the implementation
of the last tranche of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB)
from 31 March 2019 to 31 March 2020.
 The CCB is the capital buffer that banks have to
accumulate in normal times to be used for offsetting
losses during periods of stress.
 Currently, the CCB of banks stands at 1.875% of the core
capital.
RBI allows 'tokenisation' services
 The RBI allowed the card payment providers to offer
tokenisation services.
 'Tokenisation' will ensure the safety of digital transactions
and reduce the chances of fraud.
 It involves a process in which a unique token hides the
sensitive card details.
 The token is used to perform card transactions in
contactless mode at Point Of Sale (POS) terminals, Quick
Response (QR) code payments, etc.
RBI made changes in Gold Monetisation Scheme
 On 9 January 2019, the RBI made some changes in Gold
Monetisation Scheme (GMS).
 Apart from the individual and joint depositors, GMS has
been extended to charitable institutions, Central

Government, State Government or any other entity owned
by the Government.
 The government of India had launched the GMS in 2015 to
mobilise the gold held by households and institutions in
the country.
NABARD sets up venture capital entity
 On 7 January 2019, NABARD announced that it will provide
early-stage capital to agriculture and rural enterprises
through its venture capital entity, 'NABVENTURES Ltd'.
 NABVENTURES Ltd has been incorporated by NABARD
under the Companies Act.
 It will launch its maiden fund offer by the middle of
February 2019.
 NABARD's headquarter is in Mumbai and its Chairman is
Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
Indian economy expects to grow at 7.2%
 Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the first advance
estimates of National Income for 2018-19.
 As per the CSO, the Indian economy is expected to grow at
7.2% in 2018-19 against 6.7% in 2017-18 due to
improvement in the performance of agriculture and
manufacturing sectors.
 The growth of the manufacturing sector is expected to
accelerate to 8.3% this fiscal, up from 5.7% in 2017-18.
Net direct tax grew by 13.6%
 As per the Ministry of Finance, revenue from direct tax
grew by 13.6% to Rs 7.43 lakh crore in the first nine
months of the current financial year 2018-19 (April-
March).
 Gross tax collection grew by 14.1% to Rs 8.74 lakh crore.
 Corporate Income Tax (CIT) grew 14.8%, while personal
income tax (PIT) grew 17.2%.
 The government also collected Rs 3.64 lakh crore advance
Tax.
Government merges three regional rural banks
 The government of India merged three Regional Rural
Banks- Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank, and
Sutlej Gramin Bank.
 The single RRB will come into effect from 1 January 2019.
 The sponsor banks of the RRBs are NABARD, the
Government of Punjab and Punjab National Bank, SBI, and
Punjab and Sind Bank.
SEBI tweaks norms for commodity exchanges
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed
commodity derivatives exchanges to disclose the quantum
of trading done by farmers and other commodity market
participants.
 Market participants include millers and wholesalers.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Currently, commodity derivatives exchanges disseminate
turnover data for only two broad categories of participants
— clients and proprietary.
RBI limits customer liability
 The RBI decided to limit the liability of customers in case of
unauthorised electronic payment transactions in Prepaid
Payment Instruments (PPIs) issued by non-banks.
 If the fraud is reported between three and seven days,
customer liability will amount to the transaction value or
Rs. 10,000.
 For over seven days, the liability of the customer will be
according to the policy of the PPI issue.
Custodial services in commodity market allowed
 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed
custodial services in the commodity derivatives market.
 The move is aimed at enabling the participation of
institutional investors such as mutual funds and portfolio
managers in the commodity derivatives market.
 Under the new framework, existing custodians will be
permitted to add commodities as an asset class.
HDFC MF becomes the largest AMC in India
 HDFC Mutual Fund surpassed the ICICI Prudential MF to
become the country's largest asset management company
on 3 January 2019.
 HDFC manages assets of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, while those of
ICICI Prudential MF stood at Rs 3.08 lakh crore.
 SBI MF is at the third place with Rs 2.64 lakh crore,
followed by Aditya Birla Sun Life MF (Rs 2.42 lakh crore)
and Reliance MF (Rs 2.36 lakh crore).
Manufacturing PMI slows in December
 Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slowed
down a bit to 53.2 in December 2018 as against 54 in
November 2018.
 This index is prepared on the basis of a survey which is
conducted among purchasing executives in over 400
companies.
 The index is prepared by 'IHS Markit' and it is widely to
explain the latest industrial situation in a country.
Union Cabinet approves merger of 3 banks
 On 2 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
merger of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda
(BoB).
 Following the merger of these banks, BoB will become the
third largest bank in India after the State Bank of India and
HDFC Bank in terms of assets.
 The government of India in September 2018 had
announced the merger of these three banks.
Direct tax-GDP ratio in FY18 best in 10 years

 The Ministry of Finance said that the direct tax-to-GDP
ratio of 5.98% achieved during 2017-18 fiscal is the best in
the last 10 years.
 It was 5.57% in 2016-17 and 5.47% in 2015-16.
 The growth rate for corporate income tax (CIT) and
personal income tax (PIT) stood at 17.7% and 18.3%
respectively.
 The number of individuals filing return of income has also
increased by about 65% in 2017-18.
Anti-Dumping duty imposed on chemical
 The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has
recommended anti-dumping duty on a chemical used in
paint and printing industries, imported from Brazil,
Indonesia, and Thailand.
 The name of the chemical is 'non-plasticised industrial
grade nitrocellulose damped in isopropyl alcohol having
nitrogen content in the range of 10.7-12.2%'.
 The duties have been imposed for three years.
Paytm Payment Bank to restart account opening
 The Reserve Bank of India allowed the Paytm Payments
Bank to restart opening accounts for its customers.
 The bank started 'Know Your Customer' formalities for its
wallets as well as its bank accounts from 31 Dec 2018.
 The RBI had asked the bank to stop adding new customers
in June 2018.
 Satish Gupta is the head of the Paytm Payments Bank.
RBI gives relief to MSME sector
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The RBI allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt
of up to 25 crore rupees for the MSMEs which have
defaulted on payment of loans.
 The restructuring of loans will be implemented by 31
March 2020.
 It will help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) which are facing cash crunch due
to demonetisation and GST implementation.
Provision coverage ratio of banks increases
 Public sector banks' Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) has
increased to 66.85% as of September 2018.
 In 2015, the PCR was less than 50%.
 The provision coverage ratio (PCR) gives an indication of
the provision made against bad loans from the profit
generated.
 Higher the PCR, lower is the unexposed part of the bad
debts.
Fund raising via NCD surges in 2018
 As per the Security and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI)
report, Indian companies raised over Rs 29,300 crore by
issuing Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) to retail
investors in 2018.
 The companies raised money for funding expansion plans
and other general purposes.
 NCDs are loan-linked bonds that cannot be converted into
stocks and usually offer higher interest rates than the
convertible.
Govt infuses Rs 10,882 crore capital in 4 PSBs
 The government of India has infused 10,882 crore rupees
in four Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
 It is a part of 28,615 crore rupees capital infusion to be
done in about half a dozen public sector lenders.
 The four PSBs are UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra,
Syndicate Bank, and Central Bank of India.
 The recapitalisation would enhance the lending capacity of
the PSBs.
Core sector growth slows in Nov 2018
 The Core sector growth slowed to 3.5% in November from
4.8% in October 2018, due to a slowdown in the coal,
cement, and electricity sectors.
 Coal production increased by 3.7% in November 2018 over
November 2017.
 The cement sector saw growth in November 2018 slowing
to 8.8% from 18.4% in October.
 The electricity sector grew 5.4% in November 2018 as
compared with 10.9% in October 2018.
Allahabad Bank & SBI Life signed a pact
 Allahabad Bank signed a bancassurance pact with SBI Life
Insurance on 31 December 2018.

 Under the pact, the SBI Life Insurance will be able to sell its
products through various branches of Allahabad Bank.
 Sanjeev Nautiyal is the CEO & MD of SBI Life Insurance.
 Bancassurance is an arrangement through which an
insurance company can sell its products through a bank.
Govt sets up export promotion cell for MSMEs
 The MSME ministry has established an export promotion
cell to create a sustainable ecosystem for Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
 It will help in the integration of MSMEs into the global
value chain.
 It will also look into the areas where improvements are
required in order to be able to export effectively and
efficiently.
RBI: NBFCs balance sheet grew by 17.2%
 As per the RBI, the balance sheet size of Non-Bank
Financial Companies (NBFCs) grew by 17.2% to Rs 26
trillion in September 2018 from Rs 22.2 trillion in
September 2017.
 The NBFCs Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)
decreased to 21% in September 2018 from 22.8% in March
2018.
 Loans and advances in the NBFC sector increased by 16.3%
and investments increased by 14.1%.
Bank GNPAs improved to 10.8%
 The 'Financial Stability Report' was released by the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) on 31 December 2018.
 As per the report, banks showed improvement with Gross
Non-Performing Assets' (GNPAs) ratio declining to 10.8% in
September 2018 from 11.5% in March 2018.
 The Net Non-Performing Assets (NNPAs) ratio also
witnessed a fall at 5.3% in September 2018 as against 6.2%
in March 2018.
Sports
Viswanathan Anand finishes joint third
 Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand played out
an exciting draw with Ding Liren of China to move to joint
third spot.
 Viswanathan Anand finished with 7.5 points at the Tata
Steel Masters chess tournament.
 Anand registered three victories, one defeat and nine
draws in the tournament.
 Magnus Carlsen won a super tournament for the seventh
time.
Ambati Rayudu banned from bowling by ICC
 India's Ambati Rayudu has been banned from bowling in
international cricket because of a suspect action.
 The suspension was done in "accordance with clause 4.2 of
the ICC regulations" which deals with the legality of
bowling actions.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 He is a right-handed middle-order batsman, who
occasionally keeps the wicket, and a right-arm off break
bowler.
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open title
 Tennis player Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open
Men's Singles title at Melbourne on 27 January 2019.
 He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final match.
 It was his 7th Australian Open Men's Singles title.
 He won the Australian Open Men's Singles title in 2008,
2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
 He also broke a tie with Pete Sampras, for third-most
Grand Slam trophies.
Saina Nehwal wins Indonesia Masters title
 Badminton player Saina Nehwal won her first Indonesia
Masters title 2019 on 27 January 2019.
 She won the finals after Spain's Carolina Marin limped out
of the final due to a leg injury.
 Saina had won a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth
Games and the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
Kartik Sharma won the Golf Championship
 India's Kartik Sharma won the New South Wales men's
Amateur Golf Championship in Australia.
 He defeated Australia's Nathan Barberie in the scheduled
36-hole final to emerge as champion.
 He had also won the Indian golf 'Union Western India
Amateur Golf Championship 2018'.
Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open title
 Naomi Osaka won the Women's Singles Final of the
Australian Open on 26 January 2019.
 In Tennis, Japan's Naomi Osaka has become the first player
since 2001 to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles.
 She also won the US Open in 2018.
 She also became the first Japanese player to achieve the
world number one ranking.
Shami becomes fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets
 Indian cricket bowler Mohammed Shami became the
fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-day
Internationals on 23 January 2019.
 He took 100 wickets in 56 ODI matches.
 Before Shami, Irfan Pathan reached the 100-wicket mark
in 59 ODIs, while Zaheer Khan achieved this mark in 65
matches, Ajit Agarkar got it in 67 matches and Javagal
Srinath in 68 matches.
Virat Kohli named Captain of ICC's Test & ODI
 On 22 January 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC)
announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year
2018.
 Virat Kohli has been named the captain of both sides
following a remarkable 2018 as a batsman and captain.

 Three players, each from India and New Zealand, were
named in Test team while four players, each from India
and England, were named in ODI squad.
Virat declared ODI & Test player of the year
 Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was named 'Men's Test
Cricketer of the Year' and 'Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year'
by International Cricket Council (ICC) on 22 January 2019.
 He also won the 'Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy' for ICC Men’s
Cricketer of the Year.
 Rishabh Pant has been named the 'Emerging Player of the
Year' by the ICC for 2018.
Cosmas & Worknesh clinch men’s, women’s titles
 Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia
won the men's and women's titles in the Tata Mumbai
Marathon in Mumbai on 20 January 2019.
 Lagat, winner of the Sevilla Marathon in 2016, completed
the 42.195-kilometre race in 2 hours 9 minutes and 15
seconds.
 In women's race, Worknesh Alemu completed the race in 2
hours 25 minutes and 45 seconds.
Khelo India Youth Games concludes in Pune
 Khelo India Youth Games concluded in Pune on 20 January
2019.
 Maharashtra topped the Medal tally with 228 medals,
whereas Haryana and Delhi claimed the second and third
spot.
 Maharashtra bagged 'General Championship of Khelo India
2019' with 85 Gold Medals.
 The Khelo India Youth Games was organised by Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports.
Ankita wins ITF's tournament in Singapore
 India's Ankita Raina has won the International Tennis
Federation's $25,000 Women's tournament in Singapore
on 20 January 2019.
 She defeated world number 122 Arantxa Rus of the
Netherlands in the final match.
 It was the first title of the season and eighth singles title of
her career.
Srihari Nataraj bags 7 Gold medals
 On 15 January 2019, Karnataka's swimmer Srihari Nataraj
has emerged as the most prolific gold medal winner at the
Khelo India Youth Games.
 He has won 7 Gold medals in swimming events.
 P Likith from Karnataka won five gold medals and a bronze
medal in swimming at the Khelo India Youth Games.
 They both were the most decorated gold medalists of the
Games.
Gukesh is world's second youngest grand master
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 Chess player D Gukesh became the second youngest
Grand Master (GM) in the world and the youngest Indian
to achieve the feat at age of 12 years and 7 months.
 He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing
17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi.
 Gukesh became India's 59th Grand Master.
 Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin holds the record of being the
youngest Grandmaster.
1st EMRS Sports Meet inaugurated in Hyderabad
 The '1st Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) Sports
Meet 2019' was inaugurated in Hyderabad on 14 January
2019.
 The National Sports Meet is being held from 14th to 16th
January 2019.
 The Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions
Society is organising the sports meet.
 There will be 13 events including Athletics and in Athletics
there will be 13 different competitions.
Ali Qamar named women's boxing coach
 Mohammed Ali Qamar has taken over as Chief Coach for
the country's women boxing on 14 January 2019.
 He won India's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in
boxing.
 He replaced the veteran Shiv Singh.
 Ali Qamar has been an assistant coach in the national
camp for more than a year.
Rudra won Gold Medal in weightlifting
 Weightlifter, S. Rudra Mayan won the gold medal by lifting
a total weight of 269 kgs at the Khelo India Youth Games in
Pune, Maharashtra.
 He is from Tamil Nadu.
 Tamil Nadu's S. Darshini won the gold medal in
weightlifting in girls Under -21 category.
 She managed a lift a total weight of 192kgs.
Akshata reaps Gold in Weightlifting
 Akshata Basvani Kamati of Karnataka has won a gold
medal in the under-21 age 71 kg category in weightlifting
at the Khelo India Youth Games.
 Kamati comes from Halaga near Belgaum and her coach is
Virpal Kaur.
 The 2nd edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held
from January 9 to January 20, 2019, at Shree Shiv
Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, Maharashtra.
Abhinav Shaw won gold medal in shooting
 On 14 January 2019, 10-year old Abhinav Shaw became
the youngest gold medallist in the shooting at the Khelo
India Youth Games in Pune.
 He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win
the 10m air rifle mixed team event.

 Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls 25m
pistol event.
Bengaluru Raptors win Premier Badminton League
 Bengaluru Raptors won the Premier Badminton League
(PBL) title on 13 January 2019.
 They defeated Mumbai Rockets in the final match.
 Bengaluru Raptors consists of Kidambi Srikanth,
Mohammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan, Sai Praneeth,
Mithun Manjunath, Lauren Smith, Sanjana Santosh,
Marcus Ellis, Vu Thi Trang, and Nguyễn Tiến Minh.
 It is owned by Matrix Badminton Teamworks Pvt. Ltd
Harendra Singh removed as India's hockey coach
 Indian men's hockey coach Harendra Singh was removed
from the position on 9 January 2019.
 The team will be overseen by Hockey India High-
Performance Director David John and current Analytical
Coach, Chris Ciriello.
 Harendra Singh was brought in as men's coach in May
2018 after Sjoerd Marijne was moved back to the women's
camp.
Mary Kom attained number one position
 Boxer MC Mary Kom attained number one position in the
International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest world
rankings.
 She won the gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth
Games in Australia.
 She also won a silver at the prestigious 'Strandja Memorial'
in Bulgaria.
 She successful boxer in the history of World Championship
after she won the gold medal in the World Boxing
Championship in 2018.
Bavleen won gold medal in gymnastics
 Jammu and Kashmir's Bavleen Kaur won the gold medal in
the women's Under-17 all-around rhythmic gymnastics
event at the Khelo India Youth Games 2019.
 Maharashtra's Shreya Bhangale and Krisha Chheda took
silver and bronze medals.
 The 2019 Khelo India Youth Games are being held in Pune,
Maharashtra.
Salah named Caf African Player of the Year
 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was named 2018
Confederation of African Football's (Caf) 'Player of the
Year'.
 He won the award for the second time.
 Houston Dash and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana
was named Women's Player of the Year.
 Salah was voted the 'BBC African Footballer of the Year' for
the second time in December 2018.
Khelo India Youth Games begins in Pune
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games was
inaugurated in Pune on 9 January 2019.
 Students from colleges and Universities will be allowed to
compete in the games.
 Tennis and table tennis will also be a part of the games.
 The 1st edition of Khelo India games was held in Delhi in
January 2018.
 The Khelo India games is organised by the Ministry of
Youth Affairs & Sports.
National billiards & snooker meet in Indore
 The 86th National Billiards and Snooker Championship will
be held in Indore from 18 January 2019.
 The event will be hosted by Madhya Pradesh Billiards and
Snooker Association.
 Top cueists, including Pankaj Advani, will take part in the
event.
 The prize money of the event is 10 lakh rupees.
 The event will conclude on 10 February 2019.
Sydney to host new ATP World Team Cup
 Sydney will host the finals of inaugural 24-team ATP Cup
men’s tennis tournament.
 The tennis tournament will be played from 3 January 2020.
 Sydney, Brisbane, and one other Australian city will co-
host the tournament.
 The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which runs
the men's tennis tournament, voted in London to award
the tournament to Australia.
Bopanna and Sharan won the Tata Open title
 Rohan Bopanna's and Divij Sharan have won the ATP tour
Tennis title at the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune on 5
January 2019.
 The defeated Britain's Luke Bambridge and Jonny O'Maara
in the final match.
 It was Bopanna's 18th ATP tour title while Sharan won his
fourth tournament.
 Before this, Bopanna won the Vienna event in October
2017 with Pablo Cuevas.
Rani won gold medal in National's Judo C'Ship
 Lady head constable, Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion
of Himachal Pradesh Police won a Gold medal in the Senior
National Women's Judo Championship on 5 January 2019.
 The championship was held in Visakhapatnam.
 She won the gold medal in the 78 kg category.
 She was also declared the best Judoka at the
Championship.
Roger Federer clinched Hopman Cup
 Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic won the
Hopman Cup on 5 January 2019.
 They defeated Germany's Angelique Kerber and Alexander
Zverev in the final match.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 Roger Federer is the first player to win three Hopman Cups  Rajendra Singh is the Director General of ICG.
- twice with Bencic and once with Martina Hingis, in 2001.
Successful Flight Test of LRSAM
 The Hopman Cup will be replaced by an ATP tournament in
2020.  The Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) was
successfully test fired from INS Chennai on 24 January
Vadodara to host 8th International Marathon
2019.
 Vadodara will host the eighth International Marathon on 6  LRSAM was jointly developed by Defence Research and
January 2019. Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace
 The marathon will be held across four categories: 42 km, Industries (IAI) for the Indian Navy.
21 km, 10 km and 5 km.  LRSAM will help in enhancing the Navy's anti-air warfare
 Other categories include 'divyang paralympic run', capability.
'swachhata run', 'pledge run' and 'jawan run'.
Naval Air Base 'INS Kohassa' commissioned
 The marathon is accredited to the Association of
International Marathon and Distance Races.  Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned the new
Naval Air Base ‘INS Kohassa’ in Andaman and Nicobar
National Table Tennis Championship begins
Islands on 24 January 2019.
 The 80th National Table Tennis Championship began at  The airbase will be used to handle operations of
Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha on 4 helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier.
January 2019.  INS Kohassa will be India’s fourth air base and the third
 Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) is hosting naval air facility in the Andamans that overlooks key sea
the National Table Tennis Championship. lanes of communication and strategic points.
 The event will conclude on 9 January 2019.
 As many as 35 teams, including 550 players from different
parts of the country are participating in the championship.
Jasprit becomes highest wicket taker of 2018
 Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-
taker across all formats in 2018.
 He took 78 wickets in 2018.
 He took 48 wickets in 9 Tests, 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and 8
wickets in 8 T20I matches.
 South Africa's bowler Kagiso Rabada is at second place,
who took 77 wickets in 2018. 'India-Africa Field Training' in March 2019
 The Indian Army will conduct the joint exercise named
'India-Africa Field Training' with African nations in March
Defence
2019 in Pune.
Successfully testing of Anti-Radiation Missile  Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal,
Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, and
 The Defence Research and Development Organisation
Uganda will participate in the exercise.
(DRDO) successfully conducted the test of New Generation
 The focus will be training in anti-terror operations,
Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) on 24 January 2019.
humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
 The missile is capable of destroying the enemy radars,
tracking system and communication facilities. Defence exercise 'Sea Vigil 2019' begins
 The NGARM has a strike range of over 100 km.
 The Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and
 This missile is first of its kind in India and can be launched
other stakeholders will conduct a two-day defence
from a range of altitudes.
exercise codenamed 'Sea Vigil 2019' from 22 January 2019.
Exercises held b/w India & Japan coast guards  The exercise is being conducted under the aegis of
Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, Southern Naval
 Coast Guards of India and Japan held their disaster control,
Command, Kochi.
search and rescue exercises off the coast of Yokohama in
 The aim of the exercise is to test the country's
Japan on 23 January 2019.
preparedness against any attack through the sea route.
 Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ICGS Shaunak is the main
Indian ship taking part in the drills. TN Defence Industrial Corridor launched
 The ICGS Shaunkak is an Offshore Patrol Vessel and is one
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the 'Tamil
of the largest ships in the Indian Coast Guard.
Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor' on 20 January 2019.

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 The Corridor will connect leading military manufacturing
units in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore, and
Tiruchirappalli.
 It will also help the industry to integrate with the global
supply chain of Defence manufacturing.
 The first defence corridor was established in Uttar
Pradesh.
Armoured Systems Complex inaugurated in Hazira
 The Larsen and Toubro's (L&T) 'Armoured Systems
Complex' was inaugurated at Hazira in Gujarat on 19
January 2019.
 It is the first private facility in the country where the 'K9
Vajra' self-propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured.
 L&T had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the
Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T to
the Indian Army.
India's 2nd innovation hub in Maharashtra
 Union Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre said
that Nashik in Maharashtra will be the site of the country's
second defence innovation hub.
 The defence innovation hub at Nashik will help local
industries and entrepreneurs and further the Centre’s
Make in India push in the country’s defence sector.
 India's first defence innovation hub is in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu.
Three new naval air squadrons approved
 On 18 January 2019, the government of India approved
setting up of three new naval air squadrons in Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu.
 The three new air squadrons will increase the overall
strength of the Indian Navy.
 The government also sanctioned recruitment of
manpower for manning additional aircraft in existing
Dornier surveillance squadrons in Kerala and Andaman
Islands.
'IMBEX 2018-19' inaugurated on 14 January
 The second India-Myanmar bilateral Army exercise named
'IMBEX 2018-19' commenced at Chandimandir military
station in Haryana on 14 January 2019.
 The aim of this joint training event is to train the Myanmar
delegation for participation in UN peacekeeping
operations.
 The exercise includes participation of 15 officers from
Myanmar Army and 15 officers from Indian Army
Lt Gen JS Nain is Rising Star Corps Commander
 On 12 January 2019, Lt Gen JS Nain took over as the 14th
Corps Commander of the strategic Rising Star Corps.
 He took over from Lt Gen YVK Mohan.
 The Rising Star Corps was raised in 2005 and is the Indian
Army’s youngest corps.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019
 It has its area of operation in three districts of Jammu
region including Jammu, Samba, and Kathua.
Two interceptor boats inducted into navy
 On 11 January 2019, the Indian Navy inducted two Fast
Interceptor Craft (FIC) into its fleet at Nagapattinam in an
effort to increase the coastal security.
 They can carry a variety of armament like heavy machine
guns.
 FICs are capable of operating in shallow waters and were
acquired for 'Sagar Prahari Bal'.
 Sagar Prahari Bal is a unit of the Navy created post-26/11
Mumbai terror attacks.
Navy to set up new air base in Port Blair
 The Indian Navy will commission a new airbase 100 miles
north of Port Blair in the strategically located Andaman
and Nicobar islands.
 The base, INS Kohassa, will be commissioned by Navy Chief
Admiral Sunil Lanba on 24 January 2019.
 This will be India’s fourth air base and the third naval air
facility in Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
Polity
Cabinet approves amendment to article 280
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase
powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of
North East.
 The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous
District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, &
Tripura.
 The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend
the devolution of financial resources to the councils.
Cabinet approves amendment to article 280
 On 23 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved the
amendment to Article 280 of the Constitution to increase
powers of Autonomous Councils in Sixth Schedule areas of
North East.
 The amendment will give more powers to Autonomous
District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, &
Tripura.
 The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend
the devolution of financial resources to the councils.
10% EWS quota comes into force
 The Act providing 10% reservation in government jobs and
educational institutions to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) among upper caste came into effect from 14
January 2019.
 The President gave his assent to the Bill on 12 January
2019, after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament.
 The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

Gujarat implements new 10% quota law  The law commission will identify the redundant and
obsolete laws that can be repealed and suggest measures
 Gujarat has become the first state to provide a 10%
for quick redress of public grievances.
reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the
 The term of the Jammu and Kashmir State Law
economically weaker sections in the general category.
Commission will be for three years.
 It will be applicable from 14 January 2019.
 The eligibility of the new quota will be applicable only for Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill passed in LS
which the announcement for jobs and admissions have
 The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed in
been made but the process has not yet begun.
Lok Sabha on 7 January 2019.
Parliament passes 124th Amendment Bill  It seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce in five
personal laws: Hindu Marriage Act, Dissolution of Muslim
 On 9 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the 124th
Marriages Act, Divorce Act (for Christians), Special
Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.
Marriage Act and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance
 The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation in government
Act.
jobs and admission in educational institutions to
 The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2018.
economically backward people among upper castes.
 The Bill will amend the article 15 and 16 of the Quota for economically backward upper castes
constitution of India.
 On 7 January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved a 10%
 The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 8 January 2019.
reservation for 'economically backward' upper castes in
LS passes 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill government jobs.
 The reservation will be applicable for those belonging to
 On 8 January 2019, the Lok Sabha has passed the 124th
the upper castes and earning less than Rs 8 lakh per year.
Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019.
 A bill to amend Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution will
 The bill seeks to provide a 10% reservation to Economically
be moved in the Parliament to this effect.
Weaker Sections (EWS) in the General category.
 The bill facilitates reservation for EWS in direct Bills passed in Parliament (1-5 Jan 2019)
recruitments and admission in higher educational
 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was
institutions.
passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.
 The Bill amends Article 15 of Constitution of India.
 On 3 January 2019, the Rajya Sabha passed the Right of
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill passed in LS Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment)
Bill, 2018. The Bill empowered the states to detain weak
 The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on
students in the same class.
8 January 2019.
 The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was
 The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make
passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.
illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains,
Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Companies (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha
Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.
 On 4 January 2019, the Lok Sabha passed the Companies
 It will apply to those migrants who have entered India (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
before December 31, 2014.
 The Bill seeks to improve ease of doing business, reduce
DNA (Use and Application) Bill passed in LS the burden on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)
and prescribe strong action against non-compliant
 The Lok Sabha passed the 'DNA Technology (Use and
companies.
Application) Regulation Bill, 2019' on 8 January 2019.
 The Companies (Amendment), Bill, 2018 replaces the
 It seeks to provide regulation for the use and application
Ordinance promulgated in November 2018.
of DNA technology for the purpose of establishing the
identity of a certain category of persons. New Delhi Arbitration Centre Bill passed in LS
 The bill also seeks to establish a 'National DNA Data Bank'  The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill was
and 'Regional DNA Data Banks'. passed in Lok Sabha on 4 January 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir sets up law commission  The Bill seeks to establish an independent and
autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration.
 The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a law
 It also seeks for acquisition and transfer of undertakings of
commission on 7 January 2019.
the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution
 Justice (Retd) M K Hanjura was appointed as its
(ICADR).
Chairperson.
 ICADR works under the aegis of the Supreme Court.
Parliament approves NCTE amendment bill
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
January 2019

 Rajya Sabha passed the 'National Council for Teacher

Education (Amendment) Bill' on 3 January 2019.
 The bill seeks to provide retrospective recognition to
central and state government funded institutions offering
B.Ed and related courses that are not recognised under the
National Council for Teacher Education Act.
 The Lok Sabha has already passed this bill on 23 July 2018.
RTE (Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed
 On 3 January 2019, the Parliament passed the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment)
Bill, 2018.
 The Parliament empowered states to detain weak
students in the same class if they fail to pass annual
exams.
 As per the current provisions of RTE Act, no student can be
detained up to class 8th.
 The bill also allows the reintroduction of examinations for
primary schools.
Bill to amend Arunachal's ST list approved
 The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of a bill to
modify the list of Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
 The bill proposes the deletion of the 'Abor' tribe from the
state's ST list as it is the same as 'Adi' tribe.
 The bill seeks to include the Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi),
Idu (Mishmi) and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi) tribes in the list.
Aadhaar Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
 On 2 December 2018, the government of India introduced
the Aadhar amendment bill in Lok Sabha.
 The bill seeks to provide legal backing for voluntary
seeding of biometric Aadhaar ID with mobile numbers and
bank accounts after the Supreme Court barred mandatory
use of the Aadhar by private firms.
 In December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amending
the existing Aadhaar law.
Medical Council (Amendment) Bill passed in LS
 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was
passed in the Lok Sabha on 31 December 2018.
 The bill aims to run the Medical Council of India (MCI)
through a panel of eminent professionals.
 The powers of the council have been vested in a Board of
Governors (BoG).
 It will continue to perform till a Council is constituted.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

Table of Contents
Awards & Honours.................................................................................................................................................. 3
Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 7
National Affairs ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 22
Books & Authors ................................................................................................................................................... 23
Government Policies & Schemes.......................................................................................................................... 23
Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 31
Business & Economy............................................................................................................................................. 31
Sport ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Defence................................................................................................................................................................. 36
Polity .................................................................................................................................................................... 40

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Awards &Honours
Nuvoco won FICCI CSR Award 2017-18
 Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. (formerly Lafarge India Limited)
bagged the FICCI CSR Award for 2017-18 in the Women
Empowerment category in New Delhi.
 They were awarded for their project 'Aakriti'.
 The project has been implemented in the Nimbaheda
block of Chittorgarh, where, 400 women from
neighbouring villages have been trained in tailoring and
associated skills.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes conferred
 PM Narendra Modi attended the award ceremony for the
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology
at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 February 2019.
 He conferred the prizes for 2016, 2017 and 2018 to the
awardees.
 The prize, named after Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, is
given each year to recognize outstanding Indian work in
various disciplines of Science and Technology.
Alastair Cook recieved knighthood
 Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New Year’s
Honours.
 He received the honour at a ceremony in the Buckingham
Palace and has become the 11th Englishman to be
knighted for services to cricket.
 Enid Bakewell, a legend of the women’s game received an
MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter Wynne-Thomas
were both recognised with a British Empire Medal.
Indore and Bhopal won Saubhagya award
 The Central Zone Power Distribution Company, Bhopal and
West Zone Power Distribution Company, Indore were
awarded the Saubhagya award on 26 February 2019.
 It was presented under Pradhanmantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar
Yojana at the National Conference of Energy Ministers.
 The award carries a cash prize of 100 crore rupees each.
IRCTC Rail Connect won National Award
 Railway's ticket booking mobile application, IRCTC Rail
Connect, has been chosen for National e-Governance
Awards 2019.
 The app was launched in January 2017 to facilitate the
booking of train tickets in a faster and easier way.
 Chhattisgarh government's 'Khanij online' and 14 such IT
projects will also receive the award.
Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement
 G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards function
on 25 February 2019.
 He is the father of India’s first Formula One driver Narain
Karthikeyan.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming Motorsport
Person of the Year award for the Raymond Gautam
Singhania Trophy.
Gandhi Peace Prize presented
 President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the
Gandhi Peace Prize on 26 February 2019.
 It was presented for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 at
Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. The
awardees were:
 Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari - 2015
 Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sulabh International - 2016
(Jointly)
 Ekal Abhiyan Trust - 2017
 Sh Yohei Sasakawa - 2018.
Mahesh to be honoured with META lifetime award
 Eminent Indian playwright, Mahesh Elkunchwar has been
chosen for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards
(META) Lifetime Achievement Award 2019.
 The award will be given on 12 March 2019.
 He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
and has over 30 plays and essays to his credit including
works like 'Sultan', 'Holi', 'Garbo', 'Yatanaghar', and
'Atmakatha'.
PM Modi to confer Youth Parliament Awards 2019
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will confer the 'National
Youth Parliament Festival 2019' awards to the winners on
27 February 2019.
 The National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 was launched
on 12th January 2019.
 The aim of the festival was to encourage the youth in the
age group of 18-25 years to engage with public issues and
understand the common man’s point of view.
‘Period. End of Sentence’ won Oscar
 A film on menstruation, set in rural India, titled ‘Period.
End of Sentence’, has won the Oscar in the Documentary
Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards.
 Rayka Zehtabchi directed the short film and Guneet
Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment produced it.
 The film is a part of ‘The Pad Project’, started by students
at the Oakwood School in Los Angeles and their teacher,
Melissa Berton.
Oscars 2019: Part 2
 Best Supporting Actress - Regina King for If Beale Street
Could Talk.
 Best Original Song - Lady Gaga, Mike Ronson, Anthony
Rossomondo and Andrew Wyatt for A Star Is Born.
 Best Animated Feature - Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse.
 Best Foreign Language - Roma.
 Best Animated Short - Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
for Bao.

Oscars 2019: Part 1
 The 91st Academy Awards were presented at the Dolby
Theatre, in Los Angeles, California.
 Best Picture - Green Book.
 Best Actor in a Leading Role - Rami Malek for Bohemian
Rhapsody.
 Best Actress in a Leading Role - Olivia Colman for The
Favourite.
 Best Directing - Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.
 Best Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali for Green Book.
Divya Karnad won the Future For Nature Award
 Dr Divya Karnad won the prestigious Global Future For
Nature Award 2019 for her work on marine conservation.
 She is the first woman and the second Indian to won the
award.
 The first Indian who won the award is Dr Charudutt
Mishra.
 The Future For Nature Award is a an international award
that celebrates tangible achievements in protecting wild
animal and plant species.
PM Modi recieved Seoul Peace Prize 2018
 PM Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace
Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international
cooperation and fostering global economic growth.
 The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize
Foundation at a grand ceremony.
 A short film on the life and achievements of Prime
Minister Modi was also screened at the event.
 He is the 14th recipient of the award.
Deshpande won Shiv Chhatrapati awards
 Noted Mallakhamb coach, Uday Deshpande and aggressive
opening batswoman Smriti Mandhana were
conferred with Shiv Chhatrapati awards on 17 February
2019.
 The awards were presented by Maharashtra Governor C
Vidyasagar Rao.
 Among the other award recipients are Suraj Karkera, Sanil
Shetty, and Siddhant Thingaliya.
NGO Yuwa won Laureus Sport
 Yuwa, a Jharkhand-based NGO won the Laureus Sport for
Good award.
 The NGO works for the girl empowerment.
 The NGO, founded by Americans Franz Gastler and Rose
Thomson Gastler in 2009, runs a football program in rural
Jharkhand covering 450 girls.
 4 girls out of the 450 will receive the award on behalf of
Yuwa at The Laureus World Sports Awards.
Sunil Chhetri got Football Ratna
 Sunil Chhetri was conferred the first ever Football Ratna
honour by Football Delhi.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The award was presented by Football Delhi President Shaji
Prabhakaran, a former player, and administrator at the All
India Football Federation and FIFA.
 Football Delhi also honoured Shubham Sarangi, youth
player from Delhi, currently the player of Delhi Dynamos
squad for ISL.
Abdul Aziz won major human rights award
 Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a Sudanese refugee won the
prestigious Martin Ennals human rights prize.
 He has been held in Australia’s notorious offshore Manus
Island processing centre for over 5 years.
 Muhamat, from the Zaghawa ethnic group of Darfur, in
north-western Sudan, was granted refugee status in early
2015.
President presented Tagore Award
 The President of India presented the Tagore Award for
Cultural Harmony on 18 Feb 2019 at Pravasi Bhartiya
Kendra, New Delhi.
 The award was presented to Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh;
Chhayanaut, and Shri Ram Sutar Vanji for the years 2014,
2015 & 2016 respectively.
 The award was instituted from 2012.
 It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs.1 crore,
citation, and Plaque.
Binish won the Entrepreneur of the Year award
 Binish Chudgar was awarded the prestigious Ernst & Young
'Entrepreneur of the Year 2018' Award in the Life Sciences
& Healthcare category.
 He is the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Intas
Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award is the world's most
prestigious business award for entrepreneurs.
President of India to present Tagore Award
 The President of India will present the Tagore Award for
Cultural Harmony on 18 February 2019.
 The award will be presented to Rajkumar Singhajit Singh;
Chhayanaut (a cultural organisation of Bangladesh); and
Shri Ram Sutar Vanji for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.
 The award was instituted by the Government of India in
2012.
 It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs. 1
Crore.
Swachhata Excellence Awards announced
 Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapur and
Kumbakonam won the first, second and third prizes
respectively of 'Swachhata Excellence' Awards 2019.
 A total of 40 awards were distributed to the Area Level
Federations (ALFs), City Livelihoods Federations (CLFs) and
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
 28 ALFs received Swachhata Excellence Awards for 2019.

Bradley Cooper won the best director from PETA
 Bradley Cooper was awarded the ‘Oscat’ by People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
 The animal rights organisation awarded the best director
award to Cooper for his enlightened decision to cast his
own canine companion in ‘A Star Is Born’.
 PETA is an American animal rights organisation based in
Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its
international president.
Siddhartha Lal: Entrepreneur of the Year
 Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors, was awarded
the 'EY Entrepreneur of the Year' for 2018.
 He will now represent India at the 'EY World Entrepreneur
of the Year Award' in Monte Carlo from 6-8 June 2019.
 Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro was honored with the
Lifetime Achievement Award.
 The WEOY award programme is celebrated across 60
countries.
BAFTA Awards 2019 held
 The British Academy Film Awards 2019 were held on 10
Feb 2019 at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK.
 'Roma' won the Best Film and Best Director was won
by Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.
 Best Leading Actor was won by Rami Malek for "Bohemian
Rhapsody".
 Best Leading Actress was won by Olivia Colman for "The
Favourite".
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
Sanjay Subrahmanyam won Dan David Prize 2019
 Noted Indian historian, Sanjay Subrahmanyam won Israel's
prestigious Dan David Prize for 2019.
 He was awarded for his work on inter-cultural encounters
between Asians, Europeans, and people of North and
South America during the early modern era.
 He won it under the category 'past time dimension' and
shared his $1 million award with Prof Kenneth Pomeranz
of the University of Chicago.
Pat Cummins won Allan Border medal
 Pat Cummins won the coveted Allan Border Medal at the
Australian Cricket Awards on 11 Feb 2019.
 Nathan Lyon became the first specialist finger spinner to
win the Test Player of the Year award.
 Glenn Maxwell took the T20I award and Matthew Wade
bagged the Domestic Player of the Year award.
Jimmy carter won Grammy award 2019
 Former US President Jimmy Carter won his second
Grammy Award for spoken word album for his biography
"Faith A Journey For All".
 The 39th president of the US won his first Grammy award
in 2016 for one of his works, "A Full Life: Reflections at
90".
 He is not the only US President to win a Grammy, Bill
Clinton and Barack Obama have also won Grammy's in
2005 and 2008 respectively.
John Morris Ajax Fire Engine won trophy
 John Morris Ajax Fire Engine, a proud possession of Indian
Railways was awarded the Statesmen Challenger Trophy
2019.
 It is preserved at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi and
regularly bags trophies every year in various categories.
 The fire engine was built by famous fire engineers M/s.
John Morris and Sons Ltd., of Salford, Manchester, in 1914.
Grammy Awards 2019 - II
 'Masseduction', by Jack Antonoff & Annie Clark won the
Best Rock Song at the 61st Grammy Awards 2019.
 Best Rock Album was won by 'From the Fires' of Greta Van
Fleet.
 Chris Cornell won Best Rock Performance for 'When Bad
Does Good'.
 Kacey Musgraves won album of the year and Cardi B
became the first woman to win best rap album as a solo
artist.
Grammy Awards 2019 - I
 The 61st Grammy Awards were held on 10th Feb 2019 at
Staples Centre in LA.
 The Song of the year was won by 'This is America'
by Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper won the Best Pop Duo for
'Shallow'.
 Ariana Grande won the Best Pop Vocal Album for
'Sweetener', while Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album was
won by Willie Nelson for 'My Way'.
Francois conferred with Légion d'Honneur
 Father Francois Laborde, a 92-year-old priest from West
Bengal, was conferred the Légion d'Honneur (Legion of
Honour).
 The award was given to him for his work for specially-
abled children.
 Father Laborde had set up Howrah South Point, an
organisation working for the development of specially-
abled children.
 Légion d'Honneur is the highest civilian award of France.
PMAY (U) awards instituted for Implementation
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has instituted the
‘PMAY (U) awards for Implementation and Innovation’.
 The Awards will identify and reward the 'Top Performers'
in different categories and will encourage others to
compete and attain the goal of ‘Housing for All’.
 A few Special Category awards to give special recognition
to States / UTs have also been instituted.
Yes Bank won Data Science Innovation Award
 Yes Bank was announced as the winner of the 9th edition
of Aegis Graham Bell Award 2018 for its ‘Yes Engage Enrich
Excel (EEE)’ project in data science.
 Its EEE program is an industry-first analytics tool that aids
the Bank’s relationship managers with top 3 talking points
to engage with their customers.
 Aegis Graham Bell Award promotes innovations and
entrepreneurship in the ICT domain.
Sanjiv Chadha awarded in UK
 The State Bank of India’s UK Chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha has
been honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of London’.
 The award was given by the city of London Corporation in
recognition of his contribution to promoting bilateral
relations.
 The previous Indian recipient of the honour is Jawaharlal
Nehru, the first PM of India. Other recipients include
author J K Rowling and actor Dame Judi Dench.
CPSEs felicitated by Ministry of MSME
 Some Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) were
felicitated by the Minister of State (I/C) for MSME, Giriraj
Singh on 5th Feb 2019.
 They were recognised for their exemplary work under the
Public Procurement Policy for the promotion of SC/ST
entrepreneurs.
 14 CPSEs were felicitated under various categories and
around 70 participated in the event.
NFDC won award
 The National Film Development Corporation of India has
been declared winner under the Mini ratna category by
the Ministry of MSME.
 This was done as a part of the Ministry to felicitate CPSEs
to recognise their exemplary work towards promotion of
SC/ST entrepreneurs.
 NFDC was incorporated in the year 1975 and was formed
for the integrated development of the Indian Film
Industry.
Uniphore won Aegis Graham Bell Award 2019
 Uniphore was announced the winner of the Aegis Graham
Bell Award 2019 in 'Innovations and Data Science' category
for innovating 'auMina'.
 It was the 9th edition of the award ceremony and was
hosted in Panaji, Goa on 4th February, 2019.
 The Aegis Graham Bell Award has been promoting
entrepreneurship and innovations since 2010 in
Information and Communication Technology field.
Aribam Shyam returns Padma award in protest
 Noted Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma
returned his Padma Shri Award on February 3, 2019.
 He received the award in 2006 and returned it to mark a
protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill.
 Sharma is a recipient of several national awards for his
films Sangai, Ishanou, Imagi Ningthe, etc.
Tamil Nadu won the Swasth Bharat Yatra award
 Tamil Nadu won the 'Swasth Bharat Yatra' award under
‘The Best Performing State’ category on 29 January 2019.
 Madurai and Sivakasi were also recognised as the ‘Best
Performing Cities’.
 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
organised the Swasth Bharat Yatra to commemorate the
150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from October
2018 to January 2019.
Days & Events
28 February: National Science Day
 National Science Day is celebrated across India on
February 28 every year.
 Famous Indian scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata
Raman or CV Raman discovered the Raman Effect on this
day in 1928.
 The theme for this year is Science for people and people
for science.
 Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in
1930 for his discovery.
International Mother Language Day: 21 Feb

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 The International Mother Language Day is observed every
year on 21 February.
 The aim of the day to promote awareness of linguistic and
cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
 The day is known as Bhasha Dibas or Shahid Dibas in West
Bengal and Bangladesh.
 The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day
was an initiative of Bangladesh.
20 Feb: World Day of Social Justice
 20 February is observed annually as the World Day of
Social Justice to promote equal rights and opportunities
among people within a country and between nations.
 The day was approved on 26 November 2007 by the UN
General Assembly.
 The theme of 2019 World Day of Social Justice is ‘If You
Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice’.
Feb 13: World Radio Day
 World Radio Day is observed every year on the 13th of
February to celebrate radio as a forum for information and
entertainment.
 The theme of this year is Dialogue, Tolerance, and Peace
Broadcasts.
 The day was proclaimed on 3rd November 2011 by
UNESCO's 36th General Conference.
Deworming day observed on February 8
 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conducted its eighth
round of National Deworming Day (NDD) across the
country on 8 February 2019.
 The aim of the NDD was to reduce the prevalence of
parasitic intestinal worms among children.
 During the programme, Albendazole tablets were orally
administered to pre-school and school-going children in
the age group of 1 to 19 years.
Mega Silk Event held in New Delhi
 Ministry of Textiles in association with Central Silk Board,
organised an event, 'Surging Silk - Accomplishment and
way forward', in New Delhi on 9 February 2019.
 The event is being organised to highlight the growth of the
silk industry in India over the past 4 years.
 It focusses on the distribution of Buniyaad Tasar Silk
Reeling Machines to women reelers from tribal areas.
National Road Safety Week launched
 The National Road Safety Week was launched on February
4, 2019 by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways.
 The aim is to generate awareness and sensitize people
about safe road usage.
 A motor car rally covering a distance of 7250 km will also
be flagged off to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi.
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February 2019
4th February: World Cancer Day
 World Cancer Day is observed every year on 4th February
to raise awareness and encourage prevention and
treatment of cancer.
 It was founded by UICC with an aim to significantly reduce
deaths and illness caused by cancer.
 Nearly 9.6 million people die every year because of cancer.
 Theme for 2019 - 'I Am and I Will'.
UN declares 2019 as Year of the Periodic Table
 The United Nations announced 2019 as the International
Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) of the Chemical Elements.
 IYPT commemorates the 150th anniversary of the
establishment of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements,
 The periodic table was first published in 1869.
 It was first designed by the Russian scientist Dmitri
Ivanovich Mendeleev.
World Wetlands Day: 2 February
 World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2
February.
 It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention
on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar
Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.
 The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2019 is
'Wetlands and climate change'
 World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997.
International Affairs
Alastair Cook recieved knighthood
 Alastair Cook received the knighthood in the New Year’s
Honours.
 He received the honour at a ceremony in the Buckingham
Palace and has become the 11th Englishman to be
knighted for services to cricket.
 Enid Bakewell, a legend of the women’s game received an
MBE, while Alvin Kallicharran and Peter Wynne-Thomas
were both recognised with a British Empire Medal.
Zimbabwe started trading new currency
 Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency as it
tries to ease a shortage of dollars that’s crushed the
economy.
 The initial rate for the southern African nation’s currency,
known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US dollar.
 The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less than
4% a year ago.
Princess Reema appointed as Ambassador to U.S
 Saudi Arabia appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar bin
Sultan as its new Ambassador to the United States on 23
February 2019.
 It is the first time that Saudi Arabia named a woman to
such a post.

 Princess Reema will replace Prince Khalid bin Salman who
took the post in 2017.
Israel's first lunar lander launched
 Israel's first lunar lander, Beresheet, was launched by a
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on 21 February 2019.
 If successful, Israel will be the fourth country to achieve a
controlled touchdown on the moon's surface.
 Beresheet will reach its destination on the near-side of the
moon in mid-April following a two-month journey through
4 million miles (6.5 million km) of space.
Year-long state of emergency decalred in Sudan
 On 23 February 2019, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
has declared a year-long state of emergency.
 He also dissolved his cabinet and local governments
throughout the country.
 President Omar al-Bashir's term ends in 2020.
 The capital of Sudan is Khartoum and its currency is
Sudanese pound.
Australian rat becomes extinct
 The Australian government officially listed the Bramble
Cay melomys as extinct.
 The small brown rat has not been seen since 2009.
 It was thought to be the only mammal native to the Great
Barrier Reef.
 It was found only on a small sand island near the coast of
Papua New Guinea.
China unveiled first female AI news anchor
 China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, unveiled the
world's first female AI news anchor to read alongside its
male AI news presenters on Feb 21, 2019.
 It was developed jointly by Xinhua and search engine
company Sogou and was shown off in a video on social
media.
 It is remarkably lifelike, complete with hand adjustments
while on camera, and just enough on-cue blinking.
World's largest bee rediscovered in Indonesia
 The world’s largest bee, Flying Bulldog, was rediscovered
in a remote part of Indonesia in its first sighting in nearly
40 years on 21 February 2019.
 It was discovered in the 19th century by British naturalist
Alfred Russel Wallace and nicknamed the 'flying bulldog'.
 The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed the bee
as vulnerable.
Iran launched a submarine
 Iran launched a new locally-made submarine capable of
firing cruise missiles on 17 Feb 2019.
 Named the Fateh, the new submarine is Iran's first in the
semi-heavy category.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The near 600-tonne underwater vessel is equipped with
torpedoes and naval mines in addition to cruise missiles.
 It can operate more than 200 metres below sea level for
up to 35 days.
JP Morgan: first to create cryptocurrency
 US investment bank, JP Morgan Chase became the first US
bank to offer its own cryptocurrency.
 The cryptocurrency, called 'JPM Coin' will always have a
value equivalent to one US dollar.
 It will be initially used internally between JPMorgan
Chase's wholesale business clients.
 The bank had also built an Ethereum-based blockchain
platform for business customers in 2018.
Japan to recognise indigenous Ainu people
 Japan's government introduced a bill on 15 February 2019
to recognise the country's ethnic Ainu minority as an
'indigenous' people for the first time.
 The Japanese government in the late 19th century banned
them from practising their customs and using their
language.
 The government will also allow the Ainu to cut down trees
in nationally-owned forests for use in traditional rituals.
'AMAN-19' kicks off
 Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-19 formally
commenced on Feb 11, 2019, at Pakistan Navy Dockyard.
 AMAN-19 is a multinational Naval Exercise conducted
biennially by Pakistan Navy since 2007.
 The current one is the 6th in the series having 45 nations
as participants.
 Commander Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Muhammad
Amjad Khan Niazi graced was the Chief Guest.
Egypt's President: New Chairman-African Union
 Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as
the chairman of the African Union at the continental
body's summit in Ethiopia.
 African Union chairman sets agendas of issues to be
addressed during their one-year tenure.
 It is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the
continent of Africa and was founded on 26 May 2001.
Macedonia joined NATO
 Macedonia signed an accord to join the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation.
 By this, it became the 30th member of NATO.
 The Macedonia-NATO accord followed a deal with Greece,
which ended a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonia’s
name.
 NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between
North American and European countries.
 Macedonia Capital: Skopje.
 Currency: Macedonian Denar.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

Pope and Grand Imam sign historic pledge  This special payment system will help save the Iran nuclear
deal by allowing Tehran to keep trading with EU
 Pope and Grand Imam of al-Azhar have signed a historic
companies.
declaration of fraternity, calling for peace between races,
 US had reimposed sanctions on Iran after US President
religions, and nations.
Donald Trump abruptly quit the nuclear accord in 2018.
 Sheikh Ahmed al Tayeb is the head of Sunni Muslim's most
prestigious seat of learning and Pope Francis is the leader National Affairs
of the world's Catholics.
 The document pledges that Vatican and al-Azhar will work 42 cancer drugs under price control
together to fight extremism.  The government brought 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer
Pope Francis visits UAE drugs under price control, capping trade margin at 30%, on
27 February 2019.
 Pope Francis made his historic visit to UAE on 4th February  The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has
2019. invoked extraordinary powers under Para 19 of the Drugs
 Francis attended an inter-religious meeting and held Mass (Prices Control) Order, 2013 to control prices.
at Zayed Sports City.  As NPPA, the MRP for 105 brands will be reduced up to
 Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to visit Arabian Gulf. 85%, entailing minimum savings of Rs. 105 crore.
 His visit to UAE has highlighted religious freedom.
Iran successfully tests a new cruise missile
 Iran has announced a successful test of a new cruise
missile having a range of 1,350 km.
 The Hoveizeh cruise missile was successfully tested at a
range of 1,200 km. It also accurately hit the set target.
 It flies at a very low altitude and can be ready in the
shortest possible time.
 The test coincided with the celebrations of the 1979
Islamic revolution of the country.
'Africa Centre for Climate' launched in Rome
 The 'Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable
Development' was launched in Rome on 29 January 2019.
 The centre has been set by the government of Italy and
the United Nations.
 The centre will develop innovative solutions for
sustainable development, implement the goals of the UN's
2030 Agenda.
 It is located near the headquarters of the Food &
Agriculture Organisation in Rome.
UNSC extends sanctions against CAR
 The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a
resolution to extend sanctions against the Central African
Republic (CAR) for another year.
 The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15- Anthem on plastic-free India launched
member council on Jan 31, 2019.
 Union Minister Harsh Vardhan launched an anthem as a
 These sanctions include an arms embargo, a travel ban
part of a campaign to make India plastic-free by 2022 on
and an asset freeze till January 31, 2020.
28 February 2019.
Germany, France, UK set up INSTEX  'Plastic Waste-Free India' is prepared and produced by
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Manch (PDUSM).
 Germany, France and the UK have set up a payment
 It has been launched in seven languages -- Hindi, Marathi,
channel with Iran called INSTEX.
Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Malyalam and Kannada.
 This was done to help continue trade with Iran and
overcome US sanctions. India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

 India’s 1st Indigenous Semiconductor Chip was unveiled by India Smart Utility Week 2019 begins March 12
semiconductor company, “SIGNALCHIP” for 4G/LTE and 5G
 Upcoming Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy,
NR MODEMs in New Delhi.
Smart Grid and Smart Cities India Smart Utility Week
 4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are- SCBM3412,
(ISUW 2019) will be held from 12-16 March 2019, New
SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.
Delhi.
 The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to 6GHz and
 ISUW 2019 will be inaugurated by Shri AK Bhalla,
these chips also support positioning using India’s own
Secretary, Ministry of Power.
satellite navigation system, NAVIC.
 More than 40 International Organisations and experts
15,000 acres forest under fire in Bandipur from more than 55 countries and 300+ utility officials will
participate in the event.
 A fire has ravaged Bandipur, Karnataka, which burnt over
15,000 acres of forest. Bihar: 1st state to have special dog squad
 Bandipur National Park is a 874-sq.-km forested reserve in
 Bihar has become the first state in India to have a special
the Karnataka.
dog squad for detecting liquor consignment.
 It is known for its small population of tigers.
 The state also imposed a complete ban on liquor 2 years
 The 14th-century Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple offers ago.
views from the park's highest peak.
 20 trained dogs are a part of the squad at present and
10% quota for weaker sections in Bihar were provided 9 months of intense training in Hyderabad.
 The dog squads are handled by Crime Investigation
 Bihar government issued a notification to provide 10%
Department (CID).
quota for weaker sections in general category in jobs and
educational institutions. 6 bronze murals created by Ram Sutar
 The reservation is meant for individuals whose annual
 The 6 bronze murals located in the Veerta Chakra zone at
earning is below 8 lakh rupees and who possess less than 5
the National War Memorial, have been created by Ram
acres of agriculture land.
Sutar, credited with designing the Statue of Unity.
 Quota allocation for weaker sections in general category
 Its design draws inspiration from the ''Chakravyuh''
would help in providing more employment.
formation.
Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled  The Noida-based sculptor, a Padma Bhushan-recipient
also created the busts of 21 awardees of the Param Veer
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared
Chakra (PVC).
by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion
of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019. Smriti Irani inaugurated Titanwala Museum
 It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.
 Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the
 It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses ‘Titanwala Museum’ in Bagru, Rajasthan on 25 February
of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary. 2019.
Web Portal launched in Kolkata  The museum showcases the Chhipa community’s hand-
block printing.
 West Bengal Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee
 It will be open from Monday to Sunday between 9 a.m.
inaugurated a web portal, 'Banglar Shiksha'.
and 6 p.m.
 The portal will provide real-time data on state-run and
aided schools. NID inaugurated at Bhopal and Jorhat
 It will be up and running in two months and is probably
 National Institutes of Design (NID) at Bhopal in Madhya
the first-of-its-kind online initiative in the state as well as Pradesh and Jorhat in Assam was inaugurated.
in the country.
 Both institutes are autonomous under the Department for
Delhi Declaration on digital health adopted Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry
of Commerce and Industry.
 The Delhi Declaration on digital health was adopted at the
 NID Bhopal will begin its academic journey from July 2019
concluding session of the ‘4th Global Digital Health
with 60 students in 4-year undergraduate courses.
Partnership Summit'.
 The summit was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Rail Drishti Dashboard launched
Family Welfare and WHO.
 Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal launched 'Rail
 The declaration will engage citizens in partnering with the Drishti Dashboard' on 25 February 2019.
government for planning and management of digital
 The url of the dashboard is 'raildrishti.cris.org.in'.
health interventions in health services delivery and
improving governance.

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 The Dashboard has been launched to keep people
informed about the work going on in the Railways across
the country.
 It can be accessed using a desktop/laptop or mobile
devices.
National War Memorial inaugurated
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National
War Memorial in Delhi on 25 February 2019.
 It will thereafter become the place for wreath-laying of all
designated events such as Republic Day.
 The National War Memorial will commemorate the
soldiers who died in wars and operations, including
counter-terrorism, since Independence.
MSME Ministry's conclave on Women Entrepreneur
 The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
organised a conclave on 'Empowering Women
Entrepreneurs 2019, Financing and Enabling Women from
Marginalised Sections' in Mumbai on 25 February 2019.
 It was organised under the National SC-ST initiative of the
MSME Ministry.
 Entrepreneurs and inspirational women achievers were
awarded with 'Enterprising Women of the Year 2018
Awards'.
EVMs are 'information' under RTI Act
 The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that
an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is 'information' under
the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
 This implies the Election Commission has to respond to an
RTI application seeking the EVM either by providing it or
refusing it under exemption clauses in the Act.
 The CIC is the highest adjudicating authority in RTI
matters.
Government of India to host construction expo
 The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will hold a
two-day construction expo and conference - 'Construction
Technology India' (CTI) in New Delhi from 2 March 2019.
 The expo will be organised under its Global Housing
Technology Challenge (GHTC) initiative.
 Stakeholders across the world will showcase their best
technologies to build houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
Rapid transit system approved
 On 19 February 2019, the government of India approved
the construction of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional
Rapid Transit system (RRTS).
 The corridor is expected to connect the cities to the centre
with a high-speed dedicated rail connector.
 The proposed RRTS will be implemented as a joint venture
by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation
(NCRTC) and the state governments.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
KP-BOT launched in Kerala
 Kerala police has become first police department in the
country to use a humanoid 'robocop' for police work.
 The name of the robot is KP-BOT and it has been given a
Sub Inspector or SI ranking.
 It was developed by Kerala Police Cyberdome.
 It will be stationed to perform front office duties at the
police headquarters.
OMCs to appoint women as 'Ujjwala Didis'
 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will appoint more than
10,000 rural women as 'Ujjwala Didis' in Odisha.
 'Ujjwala Didis' will act as grassroot energy ambassadors
across Odisha to ensure sustainability of LPG use.
 They will act as a bridge between existing and prospective
LPG consumers and the distributors in the state of Odisha.
Aero India 2019 celebrates Women’s Day
 Highlighting the achievements of Women in Aviation,
‘Women’s Day’ was celebrated on 23 February 2019 at the
biennial Aero India 2019 expo.
 It was held at the Yelahanka base of the Indian Air Force
(IAF).
 Women achievers in the aviation sector were felicitated on
the occasion and a book and film on 'Women in Aviation'
was also released.
 Aero India show will continue till 24 February 2019.
Suresh Prabhu inaugurates various projects
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation,
Suresh Prabhu inaugurated projects worth Rs. 1000 crore
on 22 February 2019.
 He inaugurated skilling Common Facility Centre (CFC) in
Udupi, Karnataka.
 Two spices parks at Kota in Rajasthan and Raebareli in
Uttar Pradesh were also inaugurated.
 He also inaugurated National Institute of Design campus in
Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu gets 2 Coast Guard districts
 Tamil Nadu became the first state in the country to get a
second Coast Guard district headquarters in Thoothukudi.
 The first district headquarters are in Chennai.
 The Thoothukudi district headquarters were set up with an
aim to augment security mechanism on the eastern coast.
 It will function under the administrative and operational
control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
Medical Fair India 2019 began in New Delhi
 A 3-day medical trade show, Medical Fair India (MFI)
2019, kickstarted on 21 February 2019.
 It will see the participation of global medical device
manufacturers, healthcare experts, industry bodies, think
tanks and policymakers from over 25 countries.

 The MFI is being organised by Messe Dusseldorf India, the
world's leading trade fair organiser and exhibitions service
provider.
Home Ministry ordered pan-India survey
 Ministry of Home Affairs commissioned the Bureau of
Police Research and Development to conduct a pan-India
survey called, All India Citizens Survey of Police Services.
 The survey will be conducted through the National Council
of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.
 The 9-month survey will cover a representative sample of
1.2 lakh households spread over 173 districts across the
country.
BEL unveiled its new product
 Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL)
unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water
Generator (AWG) at Aero India 2019 on 21 Feb 2019.
 It was inaugurated by the Chief of the Army Staff General
Bipin Rawat.
 The AWG can be used to generate water straight from the
humidity present in the atmosphere.
 It is configurable in static and mobile (vehicular) versions.
'Waste to Wonder' Park inaugurated
 The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated
the “Waste to Wonder” Park under the South Delhi
Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in New Delhi on 21 Feb,19.
 He also lauded SDMC for improving its rank from 202 to 32
in Swachh Sarvekshan, 2018 ranking.
 Some of the main attractions of the “Seven Wonders Park”
are the different sized tall replicas of Taj Mahal, the Great
Pyramid of Giza, etc.
Virtual Experiential Museum inaugurated
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Virtual
Experiential Museum (VEM) in Man Mahal in Varanasi on
19 February 2019.
 VEM will show a glimpse of various cultural aspects of
Varanasi.
 VEM was established by the National Council of Science
Museum (NCSM) working under the Ministry of Culture.
 Man Mahal is a Centrally Protected Monument under
Archeological Survey of India.
Ranking on Startup initiatives launched
 The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT) released second edition of 'Startup Ranking
for 2019' on 20 February 2019.
 The Startup Ranking framework aims to rank the
States/UTs for establishing a robust ecosystem for
supporting Startups.
 The Ranking Framework 2019 comprises of 7 pillars and 30
action points.
12th edition of 'Aero India 2019' inaugurated
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 'Aero India 2019' was inaugurated by the Defence Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman at Yelahanka Air Force station in
Bengaluru on 20 February 2019.
 It showcased India’s air defence prowess and
manufacturing capabilities.
 It is organised by the Ministry of Defence.
 This edition of Aero India, for the first time, combines the
defence and civil aviation segments into a holistic event.
1st Mega Food Park of Tripura inaugurated
 Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti inaugurated Sikaria Mega Food Park
Pvt Ltd in Agartala on 20 February 2019.
 This is the first Mega Food Park in the state of Tripura.
 The food park is having facilities of fully operational Dry
warehouse, Quality Control, Research and Development
Centre etc.
 The food park is the 18th of its kind in the country.
3-day International Conference inaugurated
 An International Conference and Exhibition on Energy and
Environment - Challenges and Opportunities (ENCO-2019),
is being held from 20th to 22nd February 2019 in New
Delhi.
 It aims to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to
innovate new techniques, technologies and applications.
 The conference was inaugurated by the President of India,
Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
Dept of Fisheries: New posts approved
 The Union Cabinet approved one post of Secretary and
one post of Joint Secretary in the in the Department of
Fisheries on a permanent basis.
 Newly created posts would enable the Department of
Fisheries to undertake/monitor number of
projects/schemes for development of the sector.
 The department of fisheries was recently introduced in the
interim budget of 2019.
Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, inaugrated
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited BHU in
Varanasi on 19 Feb 2019.
 He inaugurated Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer
Hospital and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Lahartara.
 PM also dedicated first New Bhabhatron with precision
technology, to the nation.
4 projects launched by Textile Minister
 Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani, launched 4 projects
in North East for development of silk sector through video
conference in New Delhi on 19 February 2019.
 She inaugurated Muga silk seed production centre in Tura,
Meghalaya and silk printing and processing unit in
Agartala.

 New office buildings of Weavers Service Centres (WSC) in
Indore, MP and Kannur, Kerala were also inaugurated.
Eco Circuit project inaugurated
 K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the
project ‘Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta –
Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ in Kerala.
 This Eco Circuit project was sanctioned in December 2015.
 Major works carried out under the project includes Eco-
Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at
Kadamanitta, and more.
Cyber crime fighting facility inaugurated
 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a state-
of-the-art national cyber forensic lab (NCFL) and the Delhi
Police's cybercrime unit 'CyPAD' on 18 Feb 2019.
 With this initiative, law enforcers will be able to
proactively address cyber threats.
 Both the cybercrime fighting units are based in a complex
at Dwarka, Sector 16C.
Number 112 launched for women safety
 Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Emergency
Response Support System, ERSS, for women's safety in 16
states and Union territories.
 Persons in distress can dial a pan-India number: 112.
 The Home Minister also launched 2 portals - Investigation
Tracking System for Sexual Offences and Safe City
Implementation Monitoring Portal.
3 initiatives on women safety launched
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development has
conceptualised 3 initiatives to promote the safety of
women in their living, working, and public spaces.
 These were launched jointly by the Home Minister, Shri
Rajnath Singh and WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay
Gandhi in New Delhi on 18 Feb 2019.
 These 3 include Panic Button, SCIM portal, and DNA
Analysis Facilities in States.
Steel Minister dedicates SPU to nation
 Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh
dedicated SAIL’s Steel Processing Unit (SPU) at Bettiah in
West Champaran, Bihar to the nation on 18 Feb 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 This unit will produce high-quality steel tubes and pipes.
 With an installed capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, this
Unit will play an important role in the development of the
predominantly agriculture intensive area.
International Vision Zero Conference held
 A 3-day Conference on the VISION ZERO and its relevance
to Occupational Safety and Health is being held from 18-20
Feb,19 in Mumbai.
 The Conference is been organised by Directorate General
Factory Advice and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI).
 The Vision is based on principles of Controlling Risks,
Ensuring Safety and Health in Machines, Equipment and
Workplaces and Skill Upgradation of Workforce.
Conference on Pharma inaugurated
 The 4th edition of India’s biggest Global Conference on
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices was inaugurated in
Bengaluru on 18 Feb 2019.
 The theme of ‘India Pharma 2019’ is ‘Enabling Quality
Affordable Healthcare & that of ‘India Medical Device
2019’ is ‘Accelerating Growth to Achieve Universal
Healthcare’.
 The event was organized by the Department of
Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and FICCI.
Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched
 A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti
Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West
Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.
 The book is written by Famous Industrialist and
Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.
 It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and
guidance to lead a content and happy life.
Drainage-cleaning robot introduced in Chennai
 A drainage-cleaning robot has been introduced for the first
time in Chennai as part of efforts to get rid of manual
scavenging.
 The robot named Bandicoot was introduced at a cost of 18
lakh rupees and was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Minister
Kadambur Raju.
 Drainage cleaning can be detected by viewing the
blockages on the screen.
Tabreed to build cooling system
 A UAE-based international cooling provider entered into a
30-year concession with Andhra Pradesh government to
build India's first district cooling system in Amaravati.
 The agreement was signed between the National Central
Cooling Company (Tabreed) and Andhra Pradesh Capital
Region Development Authority (APCRDA).
 This will be the company's first plant outside its GCC
market.
Banned Punjabi poem will be published

 A poem on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, 'Khooni
Vaisakhi', by Punjabi writer Nanak Singh has now been
translated into English.
 It was banned by the British in 1920.
 Singh was present at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919,
and was 22 years old at the time.
 It will be published by Harper Collins India in March to
mark the centenary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Odisha CM inaugurated development projects
 Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated and laid
foundation stones for development projects in Kalahandi
district on 16 Feb 2019.
 He inaugurated the Red Medium Irrigation Project which
will benefit 79 villages and provide irrigation facility for
8500 hectares of agricultural land.
 Apart from this, he laid foundation stones for 38
development projects and launched 23 projects.
DEPWD organised conference on DDRS scheme
 A Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled
Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was held at Kolkata, West
Bengal on 18 Feb 2019.
 It was organised by the Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).
 Under the scheme, every year more than 600 NGOs are
provided with financial assistance for running their
projects for the rehabilitation of persons with disability.
IBBI organised 2-day workshop
 The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI),
organised a 2-day workshop on “Committee of Creditors:
An Institution of Public Faith” on 15-16 Feb,19 in Mumbai.
 It was the first of its kind organised jointly with State Bank
of India (SBI) & Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA).
 Dr. MS Sahoo (Chairperson-IBBI) & Mr. Rajnish Kumar
(Chairman-SBI) were some of the faculty members.
PM visited Dhule in Maharashtra
 PM Modi visited Dhule in Maharashtra to unveil multiple
projects in the state.
 He inaugurated Lower Panazara medium Project under
PMKSY, which will irrigate about 7585 hectares area of 21
villages of Dhule.
 He also flagged off Bhusaval- Bandra Khandesh Express
Train through a video link.
 He laid the foundation stone of the Water Supply Scheme
and Underground Sewer Project under AMRUT.
PM unveiled development projects in Bihar
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled projects in Barauni on 17 Feb
2019 to boost development in various sectors.
 He laid the foundation stone of Patna Metro Rail Project
and inaugurated the Phulpur to Patna stretch of the
Jagdishpur-Varanasi Natural Gas pipeline.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 He also inaugurated the 1st phase of River Front
Development at Patna and laid foundation Stone for the
Karmalichak Sewerage Network.
PM visited Hazaribagh
 PM Narendra Modi visited Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on 17
February 2019 to unveil several development projects.
 He inaugurated the Medical Colleges at Hazaribagh,
Dumka, and Palamu.
 He also inaugurated 4 Rural Water Supply Schemes in
Ramgarh and Hazaribagh districts.
 He e-inaugurated the Only Women Engineering College at
Ramgarh.
PM launched projects worth 20000 cr in Jhansi
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched various
development projects worth over Rs 20000 crore at Jhansi
in Uttar Pradesh on 15 January 2019.
 He laid the foundation stone of the Defence Corridor.
 Jhansi is one of the six nodal points of the UP defence
corridor.
 He also inaugurated the Pahari dam modernisation
project.
 Pahari dam is a water storage dam on the Dhasan river in
Jhansi district.
Income norm relaxed for judge posts
 The Supreme Court Collegium removed the need for
lawyers to have a minimum income limit of Rs. 7 lakh in
order to be considered for appointment as High Court
judges.
 The threshold has been relaxed for government lawyers
and judicial officers who belong to the Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Communities.
 The collegium took the decision on 12 February 2019.
PM inaugurated several projects in Maharashtra
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Maharashtra on 16
February 2019.
 At Yavatmal in Vidarbha, he inaugurated the Eklavya
Model Residential School for tribal students.
 He also inaugurated Ajni (Nagpur)-Pune Train service.
 In Dhule district, he inaugurated the Lower Panazara
medium project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchan
Yojana (PMKSY).
Government liberalised the e-Visa regime
 The e-Tourist Visa which was introduced in September
2014 with 46 countries has now been made applicable to
166 countries.
 E-Visa is valid for entry through two more designated
Airports (Bhubaneswar and Port Blair) raising the total
number of such airports to 28.
 Duration of stay in India of e-Visas is maximum up to 1
Year with multiple entries subject to the stay stipulations.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

IWAI launched a new portal- 'LADIS'  It was unveiled at the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan.
 The Inland Waterways Authority of India launched a new Tenure of NCSK extended
portal named 'Least Available Depth Information System'
 The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for extension of
(LADIS) on 15 February 2019.
the tenure of the National Commission for Safai
 LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available
Karmacharis (NCSK) beyond 31-3-2019 for 3 years.
depths is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners.
 The NCSK was established in the year 1993 as per the
 This will help in better planning for the movement of ships.
provisions of the NCSK Act 1993.
 It will be available for NW-1, NW-2, Indo-Bangladesh
 The major beneficiaries would be the SafaiKaramcharis &
Protocol route, and NW-3.
persons engaged in manual scavenging.
Rajasthan forms committees to review textbooks
 The Rajasthan government has set up two committees of
experts and educationists to review the syllabus of school
textbooks from class 1 to 8 and from class 9 to 12.
 The committee to review the syllabus of class 1 to 8 will be
coordinated by I V Trivedi.
 The coordinator for the four-member committee for class
9-12 is the former Chairman of Rajasthan State Public
Service Commission BM Sharma.
CRPF men attacked in Pulwana, J&K
 At least 37 CRPF personnel were martyred on 14 February
2019, when a convoy in which they were traveling was
attacked by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber.
 Bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into one of
the convoy’s buses in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-
Jammu highway.
 It was the deadliest attack in terms of casualties in the last
three decades of militancy in the State.
India's 1st Aqua Mega Food Park commissioned
 Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park was commissioned at
Tundurru Village in Andhra Pradesh.
 It is promoted by Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Pvt. Ltd.
 It is the 1st Mega Aqua Food Park operationalised
exclusively for fish and marine products processing.
 It has been set up in 57.81 acres of land at a cost of Rs. UNICEF join hands with Goa WCD
122.60 crores.  The UNICEF in Maharashtra joined hands with Goa
NKAFC inaugurated at Dharwad Women and Child Development (WCD) to focus on and
support in the area of child protection in the State.
 "North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research  A training programme on Integrated Child Protection
Centre (NKAFC)”, Dharwad was inaugurated on 14 Feb Scheme (ICPS), was organised by WCD on Feb 12, 2019.
2019.  The government of India and UNICEF have worked on a 5-
 It will act as a center of excellence having multi-functions year Action Plan.
like observations, forecast, and research in Agro-
Meteorological services in Karnataka. Conference on Unani Medicine concluded
 12 District Agro-meteorological Units (DAMUs) will be  The 2-day National Conference on Unani Medicine
established in Karnataka by March 2019. organized by the Central Council for Research in Unani
Environment Minister released publication Medicine (CCRUM) in New Delhi concluded on 12 Feb
2019.
 Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan released a  It witnessed the exchange of MoU for scientific
publication titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions' collaboration in Unani Medicine between the CCRUM and
on 12 Feb 2019. Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi.
 This coffee table book highlights actions taken by the
country to combat climate change.
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 AYUSH Awards for Unani Medicine were also conferred on
the occasion.
1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference 2019 held
 LAWASIA, in association with the Bar Association of India,
hosted its 1st LAWASIA Human Rights Conference in New
Delhi.
 The theme of the conference was “State Power, Business
and Human Rights: Contemporary Challenges”.
 The President of LAWASIA is Mr. Christopher Leong, while
the President of Bar Association of India is Dr. Lalit Bhasin.
Government takes steps to revive Maithili
 The HRD Ministry asked to apply the recommendations of
a committee constituted in 2018 for the promotion and
protection of Maithili language and its scripts.
 Establishment of a Script and Manuscript Centre at
Darbhanga has been recommended.
 Mithilakshar or Tirhuta is the script of broader cultural
Mithila. It is an ancient script and is one of the scripts of
the broader North Eastern India.
National Cancer Institute inaugurated
 PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation
stones for 6 projects in Haryana on 12 Feb 2019.
 He inaugurated National Cancer Institute (NIC) at Badhsa
in Jhajjar district, Haryana.
 He also laid foundation stones for National Institute of
Ayurveda, Sri Krishna Ayush University, Battles of Panipat
Museum, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay University of
Health Sciences in Karnal.
2-day EarlyEd Asia 2019 held in Jaipur
 The two-day ‘EarlyEd Asia 2019’ conference began on 12
Feb 2019 at City Palace, Jaipur.
 It is aimed at providing a platform for learning, networking
and sharing the best practices of early childhood
education in Asia.
 This is Asia's biggest conference on early education being
conducted in India.
Special National Standard Conclave held
 A Special National Standards Conclave was organised by
the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, Government of India in Mumbai.
 It also saw the launch of voluntary certification and rating
scheme for private security services developed by QCI.
 Separation of roles for the avoidance of conflict of interest
in regulatory framework was one of the
recommendations.
I&B Ministry organised 1st Annual Conference
 Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organised the First
Annual Conference of Media Units on 13th Feb 2019 at
Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The opening session was chaired by Col. Rajyavardhan
Rathore, Union Minister of State for Information &
Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports.
 The Conference aims to strengthen synergy between the
Media Units in order to ensure last mile delivery.
5th Dam Safety Conference being held
 The 5th International Dam Safety Conference–2019 is
being held from 13-14 February 2019 in Bhubaneswar.
 It is a joint initiative of the Government of India,
Government of Odisha and the World Bank.
 India ranks 3rd after China and the USA globally in terms of
the number of large dams with 5264 large dams in
operation and 437 large dams under construction.
PM addressed CREDAI YouthCon-19
 PM Narendra Modi addressed CREDAI YouthCon-19 on
13th Feb 2019 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.
 YouthCon is the annual Youth Conclave of CREDAI which is
held to bring together the future of the real estate
Industry in India.
 CREDAI was established in 1999 and is the apex body
representing real-estate developers from over 200 cities in
India.
Outreach Programme to be organised
 Ministry of Textiles will organise an outreach programme
for Textiles Sector MSMEs on 13th February 2019 in New
Delhi.
 Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles, will preside over the
function and Dr. Thawar Chand Gehlot will be the Chief
Guest.
 The support and outreach 100 days programme for
MSMEs was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 2nd
November 2018.
8 new medical devices notified as drugs
 The Centre notified eight new devices as “drugs”.
 They include - all implantable medical devices, CT scan
equipment, MRI equipment, defibrillators, dialysis
machine, PET equipment, X-ray machine, and bone
marrow cell separator.
 Their import, manufacture, and distribution are now
regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
 27 types of devices were notified as drugs until last year.
IAV inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram
 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the
Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in
Thiruvananthapuram.
 It is first of its kind research institute linked to the Global
Virus Network (GVN) and will operate from the Bio 360
Life Sciences Park at Thonnakkal in the capital city.
 It can confirm the viruses causing infectious diseases and
detect new ones without any delay.

Dera Baba Nanak land: Immigration check point
 The Centre designated Dera Baba Nanak land post in
Gurdaspur district of Punjab as an immigration checkpost.
 It is now an authorised immigration checkpoint for entry
and exit of Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.
 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation
stone of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at
an event at Mann village in Gurdaspur district on 26
November 2018.
Light House Projects challenge launched
 The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs instituted a
challenge for constructing the Lighthouse projects under
GHTC-India on 11th Feb 2019.
 The challenge is for states/UTs and 6 sites which score the
highest will be selected from the challenge.
 The MoHUA also already launched Global Housing
Technology Challenge-India.
PM visited Kurukshetra
 PM Narendra Modi visited Kurukshetra, Haryana on 12th
Feb 2019 to participate in Swachh Shakti 2019 and
distribute its awards.
 Swachh Shakti is a national event which aims to bring in to
focus the leadership role played by rural women in Swachh
Bharat Mission.
 The Swachh Shakti program was first launched in 2017 in
Gandhinagar, 2nd in Lucknow, and 3rd edition in
Kurukshetra.
KJ Alphons lays foundation stone
 Union Tourism Minister, KJ Alphons laid the foundation
stone for Sree Narayana Guru spiritual pilgrimage circuit in
Varkala, Kerala on Feb 10, 2019.
 The project covers all the places where the Guru spent
most of his life.
 The project, in Thiruvananthapuram district, was
sanctioned last month and will help improve the
infrastructure and facilities at these centers.
Great Indian Bustard chosen as mascot
 The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) has been announced as the
mascot for the 13th UN Convention on the Conservation of
Migratory Species.
 It will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 15-22 Feb
2020.
 The mascot was launched by Union Minister Harsh
Vardhan.
 The CMS COP-13 is a global platform for the conservation
and sustainable use of migratory animals and has 120
countries as participants.
PM inaugurates PETROTECH 2019
 PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the PETROTECH-2019 on
11th Feb 2019 at Indian Expo Centre, Greater Noida, UP.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 It is India’s flagship hydrocarbon conference, being
organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum &
Natural Gas.
 It will showcase the recent market and investor-friendly
developments in India’s oil and gas sector.
 Delegates from around 70 countries participated in the
event.
PM visits Hubli in Karnataka
 PM Narendra Modi visited Hubli, Karnataka on 10th Feb
2019 to unveil several development projects.
 He laid the foundation stone for IIT-Dharwad and IIIT –
Dharwad.
 City Gas Distribution Project 1.5 MMT Mangalore Strategic
Petroleum Reserve facility was dedicated to the nation.
 He also witnessed the E-Griha Pravesh of 2350 housed
constructed in Dharwad PMAY(U).
PM visits Tiruppur
 PM Narendra Modi visited Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu to
unveil several development projects on 10th Feb 2019.
 He laid the foundation stone of Employees’ State
Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) multi speciality Hospital at
Tiruppur.
 He also laid the foundation stone for the new building of
Trichy airport and also inaugurated the new Crude Oil
Pipeline in Chennai.
1st Mega Food park of HP inaugurated
 Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Smt
Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Cremica Mega Food
Park through a video conference on 10 Feb 2019.
 This is the first Mega Food Park of Himachal Pradesh
located at Singhain village, Una district.
 The park has been set up at a cost of Rs. 107.34 crores and
will provide facilities such as frozen storage, dry
warehouse, deep freeze, QC lab, etc.
Ladakh became third administrative division
 On 8 February 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir government
approved the creation of a separate Administrative
Revenue Division for Ladakh.
 This division will comprise Leh and Kargil districts with its
headquarters at Leh.
 Two posts of Divisional Commissioner and Inspector
General of Police (IGP) were created.
 Now J&K will have three divisions - Jammu, Ladakh, and
Kashmir.
IITM establishes new AI & data science centre
 The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has
inaugurated the Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and
Artificial Intelligence.

 The mission of the new centre is to create a societal
impact on core challenges in data science (DS) and artificial
intelligence (AI).
 It will be done through multidisciplinary interactions with
government, academic, research and industrial
collaborators.
ECI launched VVIP for General Elections 2019
 The Election Commission of India has launched a Voter
Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) on 8
February 2019.
 The VVIP programme is for citizens for verifications of their
names, new registrations, changes in the voter details and
corrections in the Voter Id Cards for the upcoming General
Elections 2019.
 ECI has also set up Contact centres in all districts across
India.
PM laid the foundation for NH Project
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone
for the four laning of the Falakata-Salsalabari section of
NH-31 D in the northern part of West Bengal on 8
February 2019.
 This 41.7 Km long section of the National Highway falls in
the Jalpaiguri district.
 It will have 3 railway over bridges, 3 underpasses, 2
flyovers, 17 minor bridges, and 8 bridges.
Chennai Police launches 'DigiCop' app
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Chennai Police Commissioner launched 'DigiCop' mobile
app on 6 February 2019.
 The user can lodge mobile theft complaints using the app
and can check if the user’s mobile is in the police list of
retrieved mobiles.
 Through the app, the user can also know the traffic
condition in the city and also information about nearby
police stations.
Nitin Gadkari laid foundation of NH project
 Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin
Gadkari, laid the foundation for 5 National Highway
projects of length 632 km in Ayodhya on 8 Feb 2019.
 The estimated cost is Rs. 7195 crore and the project will
establish direct connectivity from Ayodhya to
Ambedkarnagar and Chitrakoot.
 He will also visit Prayagraj to inaugurate Phase 2 of River
Information System on National Waterway-1.
Suresh Prabhu addresses interactive session
 An interactive session on the Indo-Africa Strategic
Economic Co-operation was held in New Delhi on 6th Feb
2019.
 It was organised by the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
 The bilateral trade between Africa and India has increased
from $7 billion in 2001 to $78 billion in 2014 and then $60
billion in 2017.
 Suresh Prabhu is the Union Minister of Commerce &
Industry and Civil Aviation.
India's oldest elephant died at 88
 'Granny Dakshayani', India's oldest elephant in captivity
died at 88 in Kerala.
 She was awarded with the title 'Gaja Muthassi' and also
took part in the temple processions and rituals for
decades.
 India has around 2,454 elephants in captivity as per a
survey released last month.
Establishment of Circuit Bench approved
 The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra
Modi approved the establishment of Circuit Bench of
Calcutta High Court on 6th Feb 2019 at Jalpaiguri.
 It will have jurisdiction over 4 courts, which are Cooch
Behar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling.
 The decision came against the backdrop of the decision of
the Calcutta High Court Full Court Meeting in 1988.
CCEA approves 12,000 MW power projects
 The CCEA chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the
proposal for setting up 12,000 MW Solar PV Power
Projects.

 The proposal was by the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy for the implementation of the CPSU scheme Phase-
II for setting up these projects.
 The power projects will be set up in 4 years at a cost of Rs.
48,000 crores.
4th conference of AYUSH inaugurated
 The 4th conference of UTs / AYUSH / Health Ministers of
States was inaugurated by Shripad Naik, Minister of State
of AYUSH on 6th February 2019.
 The conference was organised to provide an opportunity
to UT/States to interact with each other for the
development of AYUSH sector.
 It also reviewed progress made by States and UTs in the
implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the
NAM.
Amitabh Bachchan stars in national campaign
 The Swachh Bharat Mission launched the 'Darwaza Band-
Part 2' campaign on 6th Feb 2019 in Mumbai.
 The campaign was produced by the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation was launched in the presence of
iconic actor Amitabh Bachchan.
 The campaign focuses on sustaining the open defecation
free status of village across the country.
Swine flu claimed 226 lives across the country
 Swine flu has claimed 226 lives across the country, with
the worst hit in Rajasthan claiming 85 deaths.
 2,263 patients have been found positive with influenza as
per the NCDC report.
 A meeting was held on 6th February 2019 by the Ministry
of Health headed by Preeti Sudan to take action to deal
with it.
 Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus and has symptoms
similar to the regular flu.
PM to flag off Vande Bharat Express
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag-off Vande Bharat
Express on 15th February, 2019 from the New Delhi
Railway Station.
 It is India's first engineless train.
 The train has been manufactured by the Integral Coach
Factory, Chennai and has become India's fastest train.
 It hit the speed of over 180 kmph during a trial run at the
Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani route.
 Earlier, it was named Train 18.
Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen banned: MHA
 J&K-based Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen has been banned by
the Home Ministry.
 The group that came into existence in 1990 has been
fighting for the liberation of Kashmir, and was also
involved in a series of terror acts.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 A lot of cases have been registered by the J&K police in
which TuM has played a major role in the commission of
terror acts.
Bullet train to pass through Sanctuary
 A committee chaired by Union Environment Minister
Harsh Vardhan has accorded wildlife clearance to the
Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train corridor.
 The corridor encroaches upon the Sanjay Gandhi National
Park and flamingo sanctuary, the home to leopards, in
Mumbai.
 The project for India's first bullet train was inaugurated in
September 2017 by PM Narendra Modi.
Develop app to help the blind: Bombay HC
 The Bombay High Court asked the RBI to develop a mobile
app to help the blind identify the denomination of various
currency notes of India.
 Justice NM Jamdar and Justice Naresh patil also directed
RBI to develop a hardware-driven device to help the blind
identify Indian currency denominations.
 RBI has been granted 4 weeks to look into the suggestions.
Bhoomipoojan of 3 National Highway Projects
 Nitin Gadkari did Bhoomipoojan of 3 National Highway
projects in Odisha.
 132 km long Highways will be constructed with worth Rs.
2345 crores.
 He also inaugurated port projects worth Rs. 431 crores.
 The National Highway projects will ensure better
connectivity of the mineral-rich Angul and Dhenkanal
districts of Odisha.
Kerala:1st state to set price monitoring unit
 Kerala has become the first state to set up a Price
Monitoring and Research Unit to track the violation of
prices of medical devices and essential drugs.
 The move came more than 5 years after NPPA proposed
such a system for the states and UTs.
 Pinarayi Vijayan is the CM of Kerala and Palaniswamy
Sathasivam is the Governor of Kerala.
New project approved by Union Government
 A new project to control pollution in the river Sal in Goa
was sanctioned by the Union government on 4th February
2019.
 The project will have a cost of Rs, 61.74 crores and will be
borne by the Centre and state on 60:40 basis.
 It will significantly reduce the pollution in the river and
improve its water quality.
Women allowed to work in underground mines
 Women have been allowed to work in opencast and
underground mines, as a part of the government's efforts
to create more employment opportunities for women.

 New rules have been issued by the labour ministry
allowing to work from 7 pm - 6 am in opencast mines.
 The employment of women in underground mines was
restricted earlier under the Mines Act, 1952.
Meeting of IORA in Delhi
 A meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association will be
organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and National
Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi on 5-6
February 2019.
 The aim is to help strengthen cooperation in disaster
response.
 IORA is an inter governmental organisation which has 22
disaster-prone countries as its members.
 Headquarters: Mauritius
 Founded: 1995
Air India's first Flight Simulator ready
 Air India's first ever Flight Simulator, Boeing-747-200 is
ready for public view at Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai.
 It was extensively used by the pilots and was
manufactured and designed by CAE, Canada.
 It was acquired by Air India in 1980 and was in service for
about 21 years.
 A Memorandum of Agreement was also signed between
AAI and National Council of Science Museums for worth 2
crores.
Development of MSMEs
 Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for MSME said that MSMEs
have supported inclusive development and growth across
the country.
 It reduces the regional imbalance.
 He said that 117 aspirational districts have been identified
in the country by NITI Aayog and the Ministry has taken
measures to accelerate MSME development efforts in
these districts.
Foundation stone laid for new terminal in Leh
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone
for construction of new terminal building of the KBR
airport in Leh.
 The new terminal will have all the modern amenities and
will provide a seamless passenger movement.
 Apart from this, he also inaugurated several other
development projects including the University of Ladakh
and hydroelectric projects.
Development projects unveiled by PM in J&K
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a series of
development projects in Jammu and Kashmir in order to
give a boost to the infrastructure in the state.
 He also laid the foundation stone of AIIMS at Vijaypur in
Samba and announced that 500 seats in the state medical
colleges will be added soon.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Apart from these, he also laid the foundation stone for
construction of 2 hydroelectric projects.
Centre to install 1500 manual stations by 2024
 The Centre has aimed to install 300 real time air quality
monitoring systems and 1500 manual stations by 2024
across the country.
 Around 731 manual and 150 real time stations are
currently installed in 70 cities, of which 48 are in the
national capital.
 A few of these installations will also be a part of the
National Clean Air Programme recently launched to
reduce 20-30% pollution by 2024.
Dolphin declared as state aquatic animal
 On 1 February 2019, the endangered Indus River dolphin
was declared as Punjab's State aquatic animal.
 In Punjab, the Indus River Dolphins are found mainly in the
Sutlej and Beas rivers.
 The decision was taken in the Punjab State Wildlife Board
presided over by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
NAHEP launched by ICAR
 The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
launched the National Agricultural Higher Education
Project (NAHEP) to attract talent and strengthen higher
agricultural education in the country.
 This project will be funded by the World Bank and the
Indian Government on a 50:50 basis.
 The second Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
was established in Barahi, Jharkhand.
Two Railway projects launched in West Bengal
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
electrification project of 294 kilometres long 'Andal-
Sainthia-Pakur-Malda' and 'Khana- Sainthia' railway
sections in West Bengal on 2 February 2019.
 Electrification of these sections will ease the
transportation of coal, stone chips and ballast to North
and North East India.
 He also inaugurated the Hijli-Narayangarh railway line.
'Road Safety Week' will be launched on 4 Feb
 The 30th 'National Road Safety Week 2019' will be
inaugurated in New Delhi on 4 February 2019.
 It will be attended by a host of school children, NGOs, and
stakeholders in road safety from Government and
industry.
 A Motorcar Rally will also be flagged off on the occasion to
commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi.
Interim Budget 2019-20: Allocation
 The Railways has been allocated Rs.64,587 Cr in the
Interim Budget 2019-20.

 Infrastructure allocation for north eastern areas was
increased by 21% to Rs. 58,166 Cr in 2019-20.
 Rs 1330 Cr was provided for the Mission for Protection and
Empowerment for Women for 2019-20.
 Defence budget was hiked to Rs 3,05,296 Cr
Interim Budget 2019-20:Rural development
 Government has allocated Rs 60000 crore for the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA).
 Rs 19000 crore has been allocated for Gram Sadak Yojana
for construction of more rural roads.
 Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 2.5
crore rural households were electrified.
No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh
 Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual
income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.
 Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have
to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed
methods.
 This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class
people.
 He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in
24 hours and refund initiated.
Bharat Parv concluded on Jan 31 in Delhi
 The closing ceremony of ‘Bharat Parv’ took place in Delhi
on 31st Jan, 2019 in the presence of Union Tourism
Minister K.J. Alphons.
 The Parv was organized by the Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India at the Red Fort, New Delhi from 26th
to 31st January, 2019.
 27 States participated in the event by setting up of Stalls,
Showcasing their food, handicrafts and tourism products.
PETROTECH-2019 from 10-12 Feb, 2019
 13th International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition
'PETROTECH-2019' will be organised from 10th to 12th
February, 2019 in New Delhi.
 It is being organised under the aegis of the Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas, GoI.
 The PETROTECH-2019 Exhibition will see participation of
over 13 country pavilions and about 750 exhibitors from
over 40 countries
OPD Wing of ESIC Hospital inaugurated
 Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment S.K.
Gangwar, inaugurated OPD Wing of ESIC AYUSH Hospital,
Narela in Delhi.
 This is the first dedicated Ayush Hospital of Employees'
State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and is being
constructed with a cost of Rs. 30 crores.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 All the facilities under Ayush such as Ayurvedic,
Homeopathic, Siddha, Unani and Yoga will be provided in
this hospital.
DAC Approves 6 Project 75(I) Submarines
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved
indigenous construction of six submarines for the Indian
Navy on 31st January, 2019.
 This is the second project under MoD’s Strategic
Partnership (SP) model and will cost over Rs 40,000 crores.
 The DAC also approved the acquisition of approximately
5000 Milan Anti Tank Guided Missiles for the Army.
Budget session of Parliament Begins
 The budget session of Parliament started on 31st January,
2019 with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the
joint sitting of both the Houses.
 The Budget will be presented on 1st February, 2019.
 The session will conclude on the 13th February, 2019.
Books & Authors
Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared
by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion
of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019.
 It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.
 It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses
of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.
Book launched by Venkaiah Naidu
 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled
'Quality, Accreditation and Ranking - A Silent Revolution in
the Offing in Indian Higher Education'.
 The book is edited by (Education Promotion Society for
India) EPSI's Alternate President, Dr. H Chaturvedi.
 It consists of articles & essays authored by some of the
prominent educationists and policymakers on Indian
Higher Education.
Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched
 A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti
Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West
Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.

 The book is written by Famous Industrialist and
Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.
 It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and
guidance to lead a content and happy life.
Environment Minister released publication
 Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan released a
publication titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions'
on 12 Feb 2019.
 This coffee table book highlights actions taken by the
country to combat climate change.
 It was unveiled at the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan.
'Law, Justice & Judicial Power' book launched
 The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, received the first
copy of the book 'Law, Justice and Judicial Power – Justice
PN Bhagwati’s Approach' on 8 February 2019.
 The book is written by Mool Chand Sharma.
 Justice Bhagwati has been called the father of Public
Interest Litigation in India.
Personalities in News
Sanath Jayasuriya banned for 2 years
 Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain, Sanath Jayasuriya has
been banned from cricket for two years.
 He admitted breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-
Corruption Code.
 Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by ICC for
last few years.
Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle
 Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's
10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in New
Delhi.
 This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.
 She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9
points in the final match.
 Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver and
bronze medal respectively.
Hindi author Namvar Singh died
 Celebrated Hindi author and literary critic, Namwar Singh
died on 19 February 2019.
 He received the Sahitya Akademi award for literary
criticism in the year 1971 for `Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'.
 He was the first chairman of JNU’s Centre of Indian
Languages.
 He has authored over a dozen works including Kavita Ke
Naye Pratiman, Chhayavaad, and Dusari Parampara Ki
Khoj.
Mary Kom became women's training ambassador
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 World amateur boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom signed a
2-year deal with Puma to be their ambassador for
women’s training in India.
 She is a bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics and won
her record 6th gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing
Championships in November 2018.
 Puma India’s managing director is Abhishek Ganguly.
Saudi Prince in India
 Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman arrived in New Delhi on visit on 19 February 2019.
 He is being closely watched after his 2-day stint in
Pakistan, where he praised Islamabad's efforts for
"regional peace and security" just days after Pulwama
attack.
 He announced investments worth 20 billion dollars at the
end of his two-day visit to Islamabad on 18 February 2019.
IAF gets its first woman flight engineer
 Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal became the first woman
flight engineer.
 She was commissioned in January 2015 to the IAF's
engineering branch.
 She created history when she was chosen as the first
woman candidate to pursue the elite course.
 A flight engineer is a member of an aircraft’s flight crew
and requires special skills for constantly monitoring and
operating its complex systems.
Manfred Eigen passed away
 Manfred Eigen, who was awarded a one-half share of the
1967 chemistry Nobel prize died.
 He developed techniques to determine the rates of
reactions and processes and also pioneered a process
called relaxation.
 He founded the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical
Chemistry by merging the Max Planck Institute for Physical
Chemistry in 1971.
Jamie Chadwick: First female to win MRF
 Jamie Chadwick became the first female winner of the
MRF Challenge Series at the final event of the season.
 She won 3 of the 5 races in Chennai, India, to close an 18-
point margin on Belgium's Max Defourny and take the
title.
 She became the first woman to win a British F3 race in
August 2018.
 The last woman to start Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella
Lombardi in 1976.
Egypt's President: New Chairman-African Union
 Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as
the chairman of the African Union at the continental
body's summit in Ethiopia.

 African Union chairman sets agendas of issues to be
addressed during their one-year tenure.
 It is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the
continent of Africa and was founded on 26 May 2001.
Actor Mahesh Anand dies at 57
 Noted Bollywood actor Mahesh Anand passed away at 57
in Andheri, Mumbai.
 He is suspected to have died a few days ago and his
decomposed body was sent for autopsy to ascertain the
time and cause of his death.
 He has been a part of major films like Majboor,
Shahenshah, Thanedaar, Coolie No.1, Vijeta, Pyaar Kiya
Nahin Jaata, and more.
Sanjiv Chadha awarded in UK
 The State Bank of India’s UK Chief Mr. Sanjiv Chadha has
been honored with the ‘Freedom of the City Of London’.
 The award was given by the city of London Corporation in
recognition of his contribution to promoting bilateral
relations.
 The previous Indian recipient of the honour is Jawaharlal
Nehru, the first PM of India. Other recipients include
author J K Rowling and actor Dame Judi Dench.
Parmanu Tech 2019
 Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of the DoNER, delivered a
keynote address at the 'Parmanu Tech 2019' conference
on 6th February 2019.
 It was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and
Department of Atomic Energy in Delhi.
 The conference also discussed issues related to Radiation
Technologies and Nuclear Energy.
Sana Mir: 1st woman cricketer to play 100 T20s
 Sana Mir from Pakistan became the first Asian woman
cricketer to play 100 T20 international matches.
 She achieved the milestone during the final T20 against
West Indies in Karachi.
 Overall, she is the 6th woman cricketer to complete a
century of T20 internationals. Daendra Dottin from West
Indies ranks first with a total of 109 T20Is to her name.
Aribam Shyam returns Padma award in protest
 Noted Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma
returned his Padma Shri Award on February 3, 2019.
 He received the award in 2006 and returned it to mark a
protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill.
 Sharma is a recipient of several national awards for his
films Sangai, Ishanou, Imagi Ningthe, etc.
Vani becomes 1st Indian to get a LPGA card
 On 1 February 2019, golfer Vani Kapoor became the first
Indian to earn a card for the Australian Ladies PGA Tour
(LPGA).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 She earned the card in the Qualifying Tournament at the
Ballarat Golf Club.
 The top-20 from a field of 81 earned playing rights on the
Australian LPGA.
 Other Indian girls in the Australian LPGA Qualifying were
Diksha Dagar, Astha and Ridhima.
Books and Authors
Bhagavad Gita at ISCKON unveiled
 PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Bhagavad Gita prepared
by ISKCON Temple devotees in New Delhi on the occasion
of Gita Aradhana Mahotsav on 26 February 2019.
 It measures over 2.8 meters and weighs more than 800 kg.
 It is one of its kind in the world and has the original verses
of the Bhagavad Gita along with commentary.
Book launched by Venkaiah Naidu
 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled
'Quality, Accreditation and Ranking - A Silent Revolution in
the Offing in Indian Higher Education'.
 The book is edited by (Education Promotion Society for
India) EPSI's Alternate President, Dr. H Chaturvedi.
 It consists of articles & essays authored by some of the
prominent educationists and policymakers on Indian
Higher Education.
Book dedicated to Swami Pragyanandji launched
 A book dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti
Swami Pragyanandji was launched by Governor of West
Bengal H.E Keshari Nath Tripathi.
 The book is written by Famous Industrialist and
Philanthropist Mr. Dinesh Shahra.
 It is primarily aimed at offering saintly wisdom and
guidance to lead a content and happy life.
Environment Minister released publication
 Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan released a
publication titled 'India - Spearheading Climate Solutions'
on 12 Feb 2019.
 This coffee table book highlights actions taken by the
country to combat climate change.
 It was unveiled at the Indira Paryavaran Bhawan.
'Law, Justice & Judicial Power' book launched
 The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, received the first
copy of the book 'Law, Justice and Judicial Power – Justice
PN Bhagwati’s Approach' on 8 February 2019.
 The book is written by Mool Chand Sharma.
 Justice Bhagwati has been called the father of Public
Interest Litigation in India.
Government Policies & Schemes
Schemes - II

 Karnataka is set to launch a major water conservation
scheme titled ‘Jalamrutha’, which focusses on drought-
proofing measures, including protection and rejuvenation
of water bodies.
 Haryana CM, Manohar Lal Khattar announced the
"Mukhyamantri Parivar Samman Nidhi" scheme for
farmers of the state cultivating up to five acres of land and
families having income less than R 15,000 per month.
Schemes - I
 Tamil Nadu CM, Edappadi K. Palaniswami launched the
'Athikadavu-Avinashi Groundwater Recharge Scheme' in
Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode districts.
 Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik sanctioned an additional
amount of Rs 1,000 crore for drinking water supply
projects under the Basudha scheme.
Jammu and Kashmir government launched portal
 Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik launched an
official portal, State Infrastructure Monitoring System
(SIMS).
 It will provide a single platform for all the state
departments to upload the information of their respective
languishing projects.
 The portal will deal with the management, monitoring,
information and payment system of infrastructure
projects.
HRD ministry launched new scheme
 The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship
and Skills (SHREYAS) was launched on 27 February 2019.
 It has been launched for providing industry apprenticeship
opportunities to fresh graduates.
 The scheme is a programme basket comprising the
initiatives of 3 central ministries-HRD, Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship, and Labour & Employment.
MSP for minor forest produces launched
 The Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produces
and the Value Addition component of Van Dhan was
launched on 28 February 2019 in New Delhi.
 The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is now scaling up the 'Van
Dhan Scheme' and is ready to extend it to all tribal Districts
of the country.
 Friends of Tribes Scheme for sourcing of CSR funds from
Public Sector Organisations (PSUs) was also launched.
Assam launched PRANAM Commission
 Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal launched the
'Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and
Monitoring' (PRANAM) Commission in Guwahati on
February 26, 2019.
 It is a panel set up to look after the issues concerning a Bill,
for protection of parents of state government employees.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 It is an effort to protect elderly parents of government
employees in their times of need.
Nua Odisha inaugurated
 Nua Odisha - Dharmapada Samvaad-Skill Saathi Youth
Conclave was inaugurated at Rail Auditorium in
Bhubaneswar on 25 February 2019.
 The first-ever Skill Saathi Youth Conclave was aired live
across 427 locations in Odisha.
 More than 2 lakh candidates were mobilized for career
counseling under Skill Saathi initiative.
7-NH projects to come up in Kangra
 Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for seven National
Highway projects in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on
24 February 2019.
 The projects are likely to benefit the local people by way of
increased tourism, safe journey, reduced travel time etc.
 The projects include four-laning of Punjab-Himachal
Pradesh Border to Sihuni.
Action plan for viral hepatitis launched
 The government of India launched the 'National Action
Plan - Viral Hepatitis' in Mumbai on 24 February 2019.
 The aim of the programme is to combat hepatitis and
achieve countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030.
 The action plan takes forward the National Viral Hepatitis
Control Program launched by the Union Health Minister in
July 2018.
PM-KISAN scheme launched from Gorakhpur
 Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) from Gorakhpur in Uttar
Pradesh on 24 February 2019.
 Under the Scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given per year to small
and marginal farmer families having a combined land
holding of up to 2 hectares.
 The amount will be transferred directly to the bank
account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefits Transfer.
Sweet Revolution scheme launched in Jharkhand
 Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das launched the first
phase of the Rs 100-crore ‘Meethi Kranti’ or Sweet
Revolution Scheme on 21 February 2019.
 As per the scheme, 1,207 farmers will be given Rs 1 lakh
for bee keeping.
 Of the amount, Rs 80,000 grant will be given by the
government of Jharkhand, while the payment of Rs 20,000
will be done by the beneficiary.
100-day job guarantee scheme launched in MP
 Madhya Pradesh government launched its flagship
‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana’ on 22 February
2019.

 The scheme guarantees 100 days of employment every
year to urban youth from economically weaker sections.
 Under the new scheme, each youth will get Rs. 4,000
stipend per month during 100 days of period.
Two silk projects launched in Assam
 Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated two silk projects
under the Ministry of textiles at Udalguri district in Assam
on 22 February 2019.
 The two projects are: Integrated 'Soil to Silk' Project and
Eri Spun Silk Mill.
 The projects are aimed at the economic uplift of the
people below the poverty line by Eri silk farming.
Odisha govt approves 'Khushi' scheme
 Odisha government approved a Rs 466 crore 'Khusi'
scheme on 22 February 2019.
 The aim of the scheme is to improve menstrual hygiene
among adolescent girl students in the state.
 Under the scheme, free sanitary napkins will be provided
to 17.25 lakh adolescent girl students of Class-VI to XII
studying in government and non-government aided
schools of the state.
Eri Farming project launched in Arunachal
 The Integrated Large Scale Eri Silk Farming project under
North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS)
was launched in Arunachal Pradesh on 22 February 2019.
 The Project will cover five districts: Papumpare, East
Kameng, Siang, East Siang and West Siang.
 The project is funded by the government of India.
 Eri silk is derived from a silk worm which feeds mainly on
castor plants.
Smart India Hackathon to be held in March
 The Ministry of Human Resource Development will
conduct the Grand Finale of third edition (Software) of
Smart India Hackathon (SIH) - 2019 on 2 and 3 March
2019.
 SIH is an initiative to identify new and disruptive digital
technology innovations for solving the challenges faced by
our country.
 It is the largest ever Hackathon in the world and the only
one to be held at the national level.
Scheme for adolescent girls launched in UP
 UP CM, Yogi Adityanath launched a scheme for adolescent
girls on 21 February 2019.
 It will focus on girls aged between 11 to 14 years who have
left studies and will take steps for proper nutrition and
special care for them.
 The state will also observe Adolescent girls day on 8th of
every month at Anganwadi centers across the state.
Grid Connected Solar Programme-II approved
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 On 19 February 2019, the Union Cabinet gave its approval
for the Phase-II of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar
Programme.
 Through this programme, a cumulative capacity of 40,000
MW from Rooftop Solar (RTS) Projects will be achieved by
the year 2022.
 The programme will be implemented with total central
financial support of Rs.11,814 crore.
Cabinet approves new Electronics Policy
 The Union Cabinet approved the new National Electronics
Policy 2019 on 19 February 2019.
 The aim of the policy is to achieve a turnover of $400
billion for the electronics system design and
manufacturing (ESDM) sector by 2025.
 The new policy proposes to provide interest subsidy of 4%
on loans up to Rs. 1,000 crore for setting up plant and
machinery.
Government relaxes norms for startups
 The government of India raised the investment limit for
angel tax exemption to Rs 25 crore and extended the
period of availing benefits to 10 years for startups.
 Earlier, the investment limit for a startup to seek
exemption was Rs 10 crore.
 An entity will be considered as a startup up to a turnover
of Rs 100 crore as against the earlier limit of Rs 25 crore.
MHRD launches Operation Digital Board
 On 20 February 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD) launched Operation Digital Board
(ODB) to provide better digital education in schools.
 The digital board will be introduced all over the country in
government and government aided schools from class 9th
onwards as well as in higher education institutions.
 ODB aims at converting a class room into a digital class
room.
‘SWAYATT’ launched on GeM
 Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation,
Suresh Prabhu launched 'SWAYATT' on 19 February 2019.
 SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women
and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions on
Government e Marketplace (GeM).
 This will bring together the key stakeholders within the
Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-

Marketplace.
Nyaya Bandhu mobile app launched
 Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Nyaya Bandhu mobile
application and dashboard.
 It will enable the para legal volunteers (PLV)’s to perform
on field pre-registration of cases.
 This is a pro bono app.
 It is integrated with a dashboard to enable online interface
between beneficiary and the panel lawyer through video
conferencing and telephone facility.
Kalia scholarship for farmer's children
 Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled a
scholarship programme for the children of the
beneficiaries of the Kalia scheme on 19 February 2019.
 Kalia scholarship or 'Kalia Chhatra Brutti' will ensure that
not a single eligible child of Kalia beneficiaries be deprived
of his/her dream.
 The state government will bear all expenditure including
course fees, hostel fees, and mess fees.
KUSUM approved for launch
 The Cabinet approved the launch of Kisan Urja Suraksha
evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM).
 Its objective is to provide financial and water security to
farmers.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The scheme would comprise of 3 components A, B, and C,
which when combined aims to add a solar capacity of
25,750 MW by 2022.
 The total central financial support provided under the
scheme would be Rs. 34,422 crore.
Government launched NRETP project
 The Union Cabinet approved the Implementation of
National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP).
 It is under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National
Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) through loan
assistance (IBRD Credit) from World Bank.
 DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest
of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and
their financial inclusion.
Government increased MSP of Sugar by 2 Rs/Kg
 The government of India increased the Minimum Selling
Price (MSP) of sugar by two rupees per kilogram to 31
rupees a kilogram.
 This move will help sugar mills, which will enable them to
pay the sugarcane farmers on time.
 MSP is the rate below which the mills cannot sell sugar in
the open market to wholesalers and bulk consumers like
beverage and biscuit makers.
Pension scheme announced by Bihar Government
 Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar announced a Universal
Old Age Pension scheme, named Mukhya Mantri Vriddha
Pension Yojana.
 It is available to all irrespective except for those who are
retired from government organisations.
 The scheme facilitates the amount of Rs. 400 monthly
pension for all in the state above the age of 60.
 He also launched Bihar Patrakar Samman Yojana for
journalists.
PMAY(U) Mobile App launched
 Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State for Housing and Urban
Affairs launched the PMAY (U) Mobile App on 14 Feb 2019.
 The app will allow beneficiaries to capture and upload
high-resolution photographs of completed houses along
with their families.
 The PMAY (U) mission was launched on 25th June 2015
with an aim to provide houses to every eligible urban
household in India by the year 2022.
PM-SYM scheme implemented
 Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) Scheme
was implemented by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment on 15 Feb 2019.
 The features of the scheme are family pension and
minimum assured pension.

 The unorganised workers whose monthly income is Rs
15,000/per month or less and belong to the entry age
group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme.
Cabinet approved the continuation of CLCS-TUS
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the
Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation
Scheme (CLCS-TUS).
 It will facilitate technology up-gradation to MSMEs.
 The scheme through 'Zero Defect & Zero Effect' will
promote the reduction in emission level of greenhouse
gases.
e-AUSHADHI portal launched
 Minister of State for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik
launched the e-AUSHADHI portal, on 13 Feb 2019 at New
Delhi.
 It is launched for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha,
Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters.
 AUSHADHI is an acronym for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and
Homeopathy Automated Drug Help Initiative.
'Sarthi Sandesh Vahini' vehicles flagged off
 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off
33 'Sarthi Sandesh Vahini' vehicles in Gorakhpur.
 It is a mission started by the State's Family Welfare
department with an aim to spread awareness regarding
family planning in urban and rural areas.
 The campaign will have 3 phases, the 1st till 28 Feb, the
2nd from 15 May-15June 2019, and the 3rd from 1-30 June
2019.
Suresh Prabhu launches 2 schemes in Mumbai
 Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Suresh Prabhu
launched two schemes on 9 Feb 2019 in Mumbai.
 Under the Hirkani Maharashtrachi, 10 groups will be
selected from each taluka and Rs. 50,000 will be given to
each to implement their idea.
 Under the District Business Plan Competition, 5 ideas will
be selected from different categories and Rs. 5 lakh will be
given to them.
Assam government announces 'Arundhati' scheme
 Assam government has announced a scheme named
'Arundhati' scheme on 6 February 2019.
 Under the scheme, one 'tola' of gold will be presented to
brides from communities where it is customary to provide
gold at the time of the wedding.
 The scheme will benefit poor families of the state who
cannot afford to gift gold ornaments to their daughters at
their wedding.
Delhi govt launched 'Zero Fatality Corridor'
 Delhi government launched the 'Zero Fatality Corridor' to
examine the cause for accidents and crashes on the
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
stretch between Burari Chowk and Bhalswa chowk in
Delhi.
 The initiative will be run in partnership with SaveLIFE
Foundation, a leading road safety NGO.
 The stretch of road selected for the project is three
kilometers long and is considered one of the most
dangerous areas.
PMAY (U) awards instituted for Implementation
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has instituted the
‘PMAY (U) awards for Implementation and Innovation’.
 The Awards will identify and reward the 'Top Performers'
in different categories and will encourage others to
compete and attain the goal of ‘Housing for All’.
 A few Special Category awards to give special recognition
to States / UTs have also been instituted.
Asiatic Lion Conservation Project launched
 A dedicated 'Asiatic Lion Conservation Project' was
launched on 8 February 2019.
 The Asiatic Lion, endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, is
one of the 21 critically endangered species identified by
the Environment Ministry.
 Asiatic Lion, being listed in Schedule-I of Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972, has been accorded the highest
degree of protection.
PM-KISAN scheme speedy implementation
 Union Minister of Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh asked
all states to support the PM-KISAN scheme.
 Under the scheme, all Small and Marginal farmers (SMF)
families having cultivable land up to 2 hectares will be
provided income support of Rs.6000 per year.
 The amount will be provided in three equal instalments of
Rs 2000 to farmers.
Ujjwala Utsav observed by Oil industry
 Ujjwala Utsav was observed by the Oil industry in New
Delhi on 7th Feb 2019.
 It was observed to celebrate the stellar role played by all
stakeholders in making PMUY scheme a success.
 PMUY anthem - 'Ujjwala Bharat Ujjwala' composed by
Kailash Kher was also launched on the occasion.
 The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana aims to provide free
cooking gas connections to 80 million families by 2020.
Cabinet approved scheme for Prasar Bharti
 The Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal to launch
Prasar Bharati's 'Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network
Development' scheme.
 It will cost Rs 1,054.52 crore for 3 years from 2017-18 to
2019-20.
 It will help in strengthening broadcast infrastructure and
network development.

 The Cabinet also approved the launch of DD ArunPrabha
Channel from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana app launched
 Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) App is
launched on Google play store.
 Ayushman Bharat Yojana or PM-JAY is a centrally
sponsored scheme launched in 2018.
 It was launched under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
 This scheme aims to provide health care facilities at
primary, secondary and tertiary levels to address
healthcare holistically.
Mobile app launched by NTA
 The National Testing Agency has launched a mobile app
with the help of which students can take or practice mock
tests on their smartphones.
 A network of more than 4000 Test Practice Centres has
been established to help aspirants, especially from rural
areas, with computer-based tests.
 The students can register themselves online through the
NTA website or app.
New pharma policy approved by Haryana
 Haryana government approved the Haryana
Pharmaceutical Policy 2019.
 It envisages to establish a state-of-the-art pharma park at
Karnal.
 It aims to develop Haryana into a hub of pharmaceutical
manufacturing.
 Haryana MSME policy 2019 has also been given a nod by
the cabinet with an aim to create globally competitive
MSMEs in Haryana.
Programme on Agri Export Policy held in Pune
 The first state-level awareness programme on agriculture
export policy held in Pune on 2nd February 2019.
 The Agriculture Export Policy was recently released by the
Government of India which aims to reinvigorate the entire
value chain.
 It is framed with a focus on export promotion and
agriculture export-oriented production.
Development projects unveiled by PM in J&K
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a series of
development projects in Jammu and Kashmir in order to
give a boost to the infrastructure in the state.
 He also laid the foundation stone of AIIMS at Vijaypur in
Samba and announced that 500 seats in the state medical
colleges will be added soon.
 Apart from these, he also laid the foundation stone for
construction of 2 hydroelectric projects.
DIPP renamed by Government of India
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
was renamed as the Department for Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade.
 It will look into matters related to promotion of internal
trade, the welfare of traders and their employees,
facilitating ease of doing business and start-ups.
 The matters related to internal trade were earlier under
the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
'Jiban Sampark' project launched in Odisha
 Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the
'Jiban Sampark' project in partnership with UNICEF India
on 27 January 2019.
 The aim of the project is to generate awareness about the
development and welfare initiatives of state government
among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of the
state.
 The project's focus areas will include skill development
and empowering communities.
Interim Budget 2019-20: Allocation
 The Railways has been allocated Rs.64,587 Cr in the
Interim Budget 2019-20.
 Infrastructure allocation for north eastern areas was
increased by 21% to Rs. 58,166 Cr in 2019-20.
 Rs 1330 Cr was provided for the Mission for Protection and
Empowerment for Women for 2019-20.
 Defence budget was hiked to Rs 3,05,296 Cr
Panel for Nomadic Communities
 A Committee under NITI Aayog will be set-up
to identify De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic
communities not yet formally classified.
 The Govt will set up a Welfare Development Board under
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
for implementing welfare programmes for these
communities.
 Govt also proposed increase in allocation for welfare of
the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
Interim Budget 2019-20: Initiatives
 Govt announced to set up the ‘Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog’
for production and productivity of cows on Feb 1, 2019.
 Rs 750 crore was allocated for Rashtriya Gokul Mission in
the current year.
 It also announced setting up a ‘Department of Fisheries’ to
boost the fisheries sector.
 The interim budget proposed to provide 2% interest
subvention for farmers pursuing animal husbandry and
fisheries.
Interim Budget 2019-20:Rural development
 Government has allocated Rs 60000 crore for the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA).
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

 Rs 19000 crore has been allocated for Gram Sadak Yojana  The app is available both in Hindi and English and can be
for construction of more rural roads. used in the offline mode.
 Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and 2.5
crore rural households were electrified.
No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh
 Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual
income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.
 Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have
to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed
methods.
 This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class
people.
 He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in
24 hours and refund initiated.
Interim Budget 2019-20: Pension Scheme
 Center has announced its proposal to launch a pension
scheme for workers in the organised and unorganised
sectors who have a monthly income below ₹15,000.
 The scheme called Pradhan Mantri Shramyogi Maandhan
Yojana will assure a monthly pension of ₹3000 on
retirement.
 It is expected to benefit 10 crore workers in
the unorganized sector.
Interim Budget 2019-20: Agriculture
 Union Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal presented
the Interim Budget 2019-20 on Feb 1, 2019.
 Govt. has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman India's 1st indigenous chip unveiled
Nidhi (KISAN) scheme to provide assured income to small  India’s 1st Indigenous Semiconductor Chip was unveiled by
and marginal farmers. semiconductor company, “SIGNALCHIP” for 4G/LTE and 5G
 Under the scheme, vulnerable farmers with 2 hectares of NR MODEMs in New Delhi.
land will get direct income support of ₹6000 per year.  4 chips were unveiled at the event, which are- SCBM3412,
 It is expected to benefit 12 crore farmer families. SCBM3404, SCRF3402, and SCRF4502.
Science & Technology  The RF sections cover all LTE/5G-NR bands up to 6GHz and
these chips also support positioning using India’s own
New NASA mission selected satellite navigation system, NAVIC.
 NASA has selected a $42 million mission, Atmospheric Andhra coast: New energy source discovered
Waves Experiment, that will help scientists understand
and, ultimately, forecast the vast space weather system  Methane hydrate, a potential fuel of the future was
around our planet. discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin off the coast of
 It will be launched in August 2022, attached to the exterior Andhra Pradesh in Bay of Bengal.
of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).  The discovery was reported by scientists from the National
 AWE will focus on colourful bands of light in Earth's Institute of Oceanography in Goa and the National
atmosphere, called airglow. Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad.
 Methane hydrate is a solid crystal structure of water which
Khelo India app launched by PM traps a large amount of methane gas.
 PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of India's China unveiled first female AI news anchor
(SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application, 'Khelo India App'
on February 27, 2019.  China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, unveiled the
 The app will create awareness about sports and fitness in world's first female AI news anchor to read alongside its
the country. male AI news presenters on Feb 21, 2019.
 The app has 3 unique features that will make it convenient
for youngsters to take up a sport.
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 It was developed jointly by Xinhua and search engine
company Sogou and was shown off in a video on social
media.
 It is remarkably lifelike, complete with hand adjustments
while on camera, and just enough on-cue blinking.
ATL Drone Module released
 The ‘ATL Drone module: Get, Set, Go’ for Atal Tinkering
Labs was launched at the ongoing Aero India 2019 in
Bengaluru.
 It was launched by NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission
(AIM) and Drona Aviation, an IIT Bombay start-up.
 With the ATL Drone Module, young students of India will
learn how to create their own drones and use them for
solving community problems in India.
1st fulldome 3D digital theatre inaugurated
 India's first fulldome 3D Digital Theatre was inaugurated at
the Science City on 18 Feb 2019 in Kolkata.
 It has a 23 meter titled dome to offer a fully immersive
experience to the visitors.
 It is capable of screening high resolution, full dome, and
digital 2D/3D content by utilising 6, high-end projectors.
Anupama: Astronomical Society President
 Dr.G C Anupama became the first woman of the country to
be elected President of the Astronomical Society of India
(ASI).
 She is presently the Dean and Senior Professor at the
Bengaluru based Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
 She is also a recipient of the Sir C V Raman award for
young scientists in 2000.
AntBot: The First Walking Robot
 AntBot is the first walking robot to have navigational
capabilities without GPS or mapping.
 It has been designed by Centre for Scientific Research
(CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University researchers at ISM.
 It is designed on lines similar to desert ants who use
polarised lights and UV radiation to navigate.
 It consists of an optical compass which determines its
movements.
Nitin Gadkari launched a portal
 Shri Nitin Gadkari launched PCS1x at the Regional
Maritime Safety Conference in Mumbai on 19 Feb 2019.
 PCS1x is an upgraded version of the e-commerce portal
Port Community System.
 It has been developed in record time by the Indian Ports
Association.
 The platform allows improvement in payment cycle,
transparency of transaction cycles, detailed tracking of
vessels and berthing schedules.
Infosys launches app for engineering students
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Infosys announced the launch of a digital platform, InfyTQ,
offering learning and engagement experiences for
engineering students.
 It is a free platform open to all engineering students in
their third and fourth year and encourages holistic
development.
 It will be available on both mobile and desktop and is
equipped with a plethora of content, courses, and news.
NASA telescope to explore origins of universe
 NASA will launch a new space telescope in 2023 that could
provide a glimpse of the first moments in the history of the
universe.
 'The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe,
Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx)' mission
is a planned two-year mission.
 Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more
than 300 million galaxies.
'Crying' snake discovered by zoologist
 A new species of ‘crying’ snake was discovered in Lepa-
Rada district of Arunachal Pradesh.
 The discovery of the non-venomous crying keelback with
zoological name Hebius lacrima, has been published in
Zootaxa, a New Zealand-based mega-journal for animal
taxonomy.
 Globally there are 3,709 species of snakes.
 The northeast is home to some 110 species, with
Arunachal Pradesh having 55.
New observatory in Tehri
 A Himalayan Cloud Observatory was set up in Tehri district
of Uttarakhand on 8th Feb 2019.
 It is set up to receive forecast and monitor cloud burst
incidents in the Himalayan region.
 It is established in the SRT campus Badshahithaul and is
currently in the testing period.
 This is the 2nd observatory in the country to monitor cloud
activities.
NASA's first mini-spacecraft goes silent
 NASA has lost touch with the first mini-spacecraft named
MarCO CubeSats that ventured into deep space.
 The MarCO CubeSats, nicknamed EVE and WALL-E, were
launched in 2018 to test if such low-cost technology can
operate in deep space.
 They served as communications relays during the InSight’s
Mars landing and have travelled well past Mars.
NASA: 2018 4th warmest year on record
 The global surface temperatures on the Earth in 2018 were
the 4th warmest since 1880.
 This was found in an independent analysis by NASA and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).

 The global temperatures in 2018 were 0.83 degree Celsius
warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean.
 2018’s temperatures rank behind those of 2016, 2017 and
2015.
India successfully launched GSAT-31
 India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-31 was
successfully launched.
 It was launched by European launch services provider -
Arianespace’s rocket from French Guiana.
 The Ariane-5 vehicle injected GSAT-31 into the orbit.
 It is a “high power” communication satellite with Ku-band.
 Its weight is about 2,536 kg.
NGT panel: AI and drones to monitor pollution
 A committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal
has said that satellite imagery, AI, & drones can be used to
monitor pollution level of Yamuna caused because of
dumping debris.
 These can also keep a track of location and quantum of
debris being dumped, as said by the committee.
 The committee was set up in July 2018 by NGT
Chairperson Justice A.K. Goel to monitor the cleaning of
river.
Arianespace to launch GSAT-31 on February 6
 India will launch its communication satellite, GSAT-31, on 6
February 2019 from French Guiana.
 The satellite will be launched by European launch services
provider Arianespace's launch vehicle named Ariane-5.
 GSAT-31 will be used for supporting VSAT networks,
Television uplinks, Digital Satellite News Gathering, DTH-
television services.
 GSAT-31 is India’s 40th communication satellite.
Committees & Recommendations
Committee to help bring down tax litigation
 The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has formed a
four-member committee to address taxation-related pain
points and cut down the number of tax litigations.
 It will be headed by Income Tax Commissioner Sanjeev
Sharma.
 It will also focus on some of the major issues that may lead
to revenue generation.
 It will submit its final report and recommendations by mid-
March 2019.
Govt forms committee for sale of enemy shares
 The government formed a committee for sale of 'enemy
shares' worth Rs 3,000 crore.
 The move came two years after Parliament amended the
Enemy Property Act.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 The 'enemy property' refers to any property belonging to,
held or managed on behalf of an enemy, an enemy subject
or an enemy firm.
Rajasthan forms committees to review textbooks
 The Rajasthan government has set up two committees of
experts and educationists to review the syllabus of school
textbooks from class 1 to 8 and from class 9 to 12.
 The committee to review the syllabus of class 1 to 8 will be
coordinated by I V Trivedi.
 The coordinator for the four-member committee for class
9-12 is the former Chairman of Rajasthan State Public
Service Commission BM Sharma.
Punjab govt sets committee to boost dairy
 The Punjab government announced setting up a high-
powered committee to boost the dairy sector to
supplement farmer's income in a result-oriented manner.
 The committee will consist of the Directors of Animal
Husbandry and Dairy Development and Chairman of State
Farmers Commission.
 It will suggest measures to promote diversification of
agriculture.
Panel to explore prepaid payments by discoms
 The government of India has constituted a panel under the
Central Electricity Authority (CEA) on 1 February 2019.
 The panel will look into problems of delayed payments
from distribution companies to power generators.
 The committee constitutes Chairmen of distribution
companies of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra,
representatives from Union Power Ministry and power
associations.
Business & Economy
3 banks out of RBIs weak-bank watch
 The RBI lifted lending curbs from Allahabad Bank and
Corporation Bank and removed them from its weak-bank
watch list after the government infused capital in them.
 Private sector Dhanlaxmi Bank too has been taken out of
the Prompt Corrective Action Framework.
 Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of
Commerce were also taken out of the PCA Framework,
earlier on 31 January 2019.
Zimbabwe started trading new currency
 Zimbabwe began formal trading of a new currency as it
tries to ease a shortage of dollars that’s crushed the
economy.
 The initial rate for the southern African nation’s currency,
known as RTGS dollars, will be 2.5 per US dollar.
 The official inflation rate has soared to 57% from less than
4% a year ago.
ICICI Lombard ties up with AnyTimeLoan.in

 ICICI Lombard entered into a strategic tie-up with
AnyTimeLoan.in (ATL), a peer-to-peer lending platform on
25 February 2019.
 The partnership aims to de-risk exposure of its lenders and
borrowers arising from uncertainties such as accidents,
critical illness, death, disability, etc.
 ATL facilitates loans as small as ₹ 1000 to ₹10 lakh for a
minimum period of 1 day to a maximum of 3 years.
GST on under-construction homes slashed to 5%
 On 24 February 2019, the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Council slashed tax rates on under-construction housing
properties to 5% from the existing 12%.
 It also cut GST rates on affordable housing to 1% from 8%.
 The new tax rates will come into effect from 1 April 2019.
 GST is not levied on real estate properties for which
completion certificate has been issued at the time of sale.
Merger with BoB to be effective from April 1
 Bank of Baroda's proposed merger with Dena and Vijaya
Bank will be affected from 1 April 2019.
 The scheme has been named as 'Amalgamation of Vijaya
Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda'.
 As per the Scheme, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get
402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held.
 Dena Bank will receive 110 equity shares of BoB for every
1,000 equity shares held.
RBI merges NBFCs into one category
 On 22 February 2019, the Reserve Bank of India created a
single category of Non Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
by merging their present three-tier structure.
 Asset finance, loan, and investment companies have been
merged into a new category called NBFC- Investment and
Credit Companies.
 This will provide greater operational flexibility to NBFCs.
EPFO hiked interest rate
 Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO decided to
provide 8.65% interest on Provident Fund deposits for
2018-19 against 8.55% in the last year.
 Members of the Central Board of Trustees of EPFO agreed
to give a higher interest for subscribers for the current
fiscal.
 The proposal will now go to the Finance Ministry for
approval.
Govt to infuse Rs 48,239 crore in 12 PSU banks
 On 20 February 2019, the Ministry of Finance announced
the final recapitalisation tranche amount of Rs 48,239
crore for 12 public sector banks.
 This will take the banks tout of Reserve Bank of India’s
(RBI) prompt corrective action framework.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Corporation Bank will get the highest infusion of Rs 9,086
crore while Bank of Maharashtra gets the lowest at Rs 205
crore.
FDI during Apr-Dec 2018-19 falls 7%
 According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry's data,
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India contracted by
7% to US$ 33.49 billion during April-December in the
current fiscal.
 The key sectors that received the maximum foreign
investment were services, computer software and
hardware, and telecommunications.
 Singapore was the largest source of FDI during April-
December 2018-19.
3% hike in DA approved
 The Union Cabinet approved 3% hike in Dearness
Allowance to central government employees and Dearness
Relief to pensioners with effect from January 1, 2019.
 The combined impact of the hike in dearness allowance
and dearness relief will amount to Rs 9,168.12 crore per
annum.
 Dearness allowance is provided as an adjustment to
compensate for the increase in the cost of living due to
inflation.
RBI to pay Rs 28,000 cr as interim dividend
 The Reserve Bank will pay an interim dividend of Rs 28,000
crore to the government.
 This is the second successive year when the RBI will be
transferring an interim surplus.
 RBI had given Rs 30,663 crore as dividend to the
government in 2017-18.
 The central bank transfers its surplus amount to the
government, under Section 47 of the RBI Act, 1934.
RBI to inject Rs 12,500 crores
 The RBI would inject Rs 12,500 crore into the system
through purchase of government securities on Feb 21,
2019, to increase liquidity.
 The purchase will be made through open market
operations (OMOs).

 The eligible participants should submit their offers in
electronic format on the RBI core banking solution (E-
Kuber) system on February 21.
RBI released a warning
 RBI has released a warning regarding an app called
AnyDesk.
 You should not download this app through social media or
any other channel, doing so might empty your bank
account within minutes.
 RBI alerted banks about potential fraudulent transactions
on the unified payments interface (UPI) platform.
JP Morgan: first to create cryptocurrency
 US investment bank, JP Morgan Chase became the first US
bank to offer its own cryptocurrency.
 The cryptocurrency, called 'JPM Coin' will always have a
value equivalent to one US dollar.
 It will be initially used internally between JPMorgan
Chase's wholesale business clients.
 The bank had also built an Ethereum-based blockchain
platform for business customers in 2018.
BI lifts cap on FPI investments
 The Reserve Bank of India withdrew the 20% limit on
investments by FPIs in corporate bonds of an entity.
 It was stipulated in April 2018 that no FPI should have an
exposure of more than 20% of its corporate bond portfolio
to a single corporate.
 This has been done with a view to encourage more foreign
investments.
Merchandise trade deficit widens
 India’s merchandise trade deficit widened to $14.73 billion
in January 2019.
 The major commodity groups exhibiting growth in exports
were engineering goods, gems and jewellry, organic and
inorganic chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and
ready-made garments of all textiles.
 Silver imports grew by 104% in January 2019.
WPI inflation hits 10-month low
 Inflation based on wholesale prices fell to a 10-month low
of 2.76 percent in January 2019.
 The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation stood at
3.8 percent in December 2018.
 Inflation in kitchen essentials like potato, onion, fruits, and
milk softened in January over the previous month.
 The retail inflation released earlier this week too declined
marginally to 2.05 percent in January.
RBI imposed penalty on 3 PSU banks
 The RBI imposed Rs 3.5 crore penalties on 3 public sector
banks, for violation of various banking norms.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 A penalty of Rs 1.5 crore was imposed on Oriental Bank of
Commerce (OBC) and Rs 1 crore each on Punjab National
Bank (PNB) and Bank of India.
 The monetary penalty was imposed for non-compliance on
monitoring of end-use of funds and on the restructuring of
accounts.
Retail inflation declined to 2.05% in January
 Retail inflation declined marginally to 2.05% in January
2019 over the previous month on the continued decline in
food prices, including vegetables and eggs.
 The inflation was 5.07% in January 2018.
 The inflation in the 'fuel and light' category also fell to
2.2% in January 2019 from 4.54% in December 2018.
Industrial growth remained subdued at 2.4%
 Industrial output growth remained subdued at 2.4% in
December 2018 on account of contraction in the mining
segment and poor show by the manufacturing sector.
 13 out of 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector
showed positive growth during December 2018.
 The manufacturing sector constituting 77.63 % of the
index, recorded a low growth of 2.7 % in December 2018.
RBI changes threshold for bulk deposit
 RBI has decided to alter the definition of bulk deposits in
the recent monetary policy review.
 It has been revised as single deposits of Rs 2 crore and
above.
 Final guidelines regarding this will be issued by the end of
Feb 2019. Banks have also been asked to maintain their
bulk deposit card rates.
 This indicates that the interest rates are expected to go
down.
Mukesh Ambani tops Hurun India list
 Mukesh Ambani topped the Hurun India Philanthropy List
2018 on Feb 9, 2019, with the highest contribution of Rs
437 crore between October 2017 and September 2018.
 He was followed by Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal
who made Rs 200 crore donations.
 The list ranked individuals from India who donated Rs 10
crore and above between October 1, 2017, and September
30, 2018.
RBI raises collateral-free farm loan limit
 The Reserve Bank of India raised the limit for collateral-
free agriculture loans to ₹1.6 lakh from ₹1 lakh.
 The increased limit will enhance coverage of small and
marginal farmers in the formal credit system.
 Presently, the banks are mandated to extend collateral-
free agriculture loans up to ₹1 lakh.
 This limit of ₹1 lakh was fixed in 2010.
IRDAI imposes fine on United India Insurance
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) Swiggy acquihires Kint

imposed a fine of Rs 9 lakh on state-owned United India
 Swiggy has acquihired a Bangalore-based AI startup Kint.io
Insurance Co (UIIC) Ltd for violating certain procedures.
for an undisclosed amount.
 3 violations were found during the inspection, of which 2
 The founding members of Kint.io Jagannathan and
attracted the fine.
Pavithra will join the Swiggy team as per the deal.
 UIIC is headquartered in Chennai, while IRDAI is in
 Kint.io was founded in 2014 and specializes in applying
Hyderabad.
deep learning and computer vision for object recognition
SBI fined by RBI in videos.
 RBI slapped Rs 1 crore penalty on SBI, country's largest Fitch Group projects fiscal deficit to slip
lender on 7th Feb 2019 for violating norms.
 Fitch Solutions, an arm of the Fitch group has projected
 RBI levied the penalty in the exercise of powers conferred
the government's fiscal deficit to slip to 3.6% of GDP in
under Section 47 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
2019-2020 fiscal.
 SBI was charged for not monitoring the end use of funds in
 It said that 2019-20 Budget will show a strong populist
respect of one of its borrowers.
bent in the run-up to the General election due by May
Indirect Tax Ombudsman abolished 2019.
 The central government is planning to spend a total of Rs
 The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for Abolition of
27.8 lakh crore in fiscal 2019-20.
Institution of Income-Tax Ombudsman and Indirect Tax
Ombudsman on 6 Feb 2019. Fino Bank partners with Suryoday Bank
 The Cabinet was chaired by PM Narendra Modi.
 Fino Payments Bank partnered with Suryoday Small
 The Institution of Income-Tax Ombudsman was created in Finance Bank on 4th February to launch a sweep account
the year 2003 in order to deal with the grievances of
facility.
public related to the settlement of complaints relating to
 The partnership will help FPB address the issue of deposit
Income Tax.
limit that the payment banks are facing at the moment.
RBI lowered repo rate to 6.25%  This would also allow customers to seamlessly transfer
excess amount from their account in FPB to SSFB.
 The Reserve Bank of India lowered the repo rate by 25
basis points to 6.25% on 7th February 2019. Increase in steel export by 16.7% in 2017-18
 This is the first time in 17 months that the central bank has
 The total steel export has seen an increase by 16.7% in
cut the rate.
2017-18.
 The reverse repo rate, too, was lowered to 6%, and the
 The export of the finished steel was 8.245 MT in 2016-17
bank rate to 6.25%.
and 9.620 MT in 2017-18.
 The repo rate is the interest rate at which RBI lends to
 The contribution of non-alloy steel segment was 8.727 MT.
commercial banks.
19% growth in India's tourism sector
CCEA approves creation of Agri-Market Fund
 India's tourism sector has registered growth over 19% in
 The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs chaired by PM
2018, as told by the Union Minister KJ Alphons.
Narendra Modi approved the creation of Agri-Market
 India has been ranked third in the tourism sector as per
Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) on 6th Feb 2019.
the World Travel and Tourism Council report 2018.
 It is being created for the up-gradation and development
 The tourism sector fetched 234 billion US $ from both
of agricultural marketing infrastructure in Regulated
domestic and foreign tourists.
Wholesale Markets and Gramin Agricultural Markets.
 A corpus of Rs. 2000 crore has been approved for the New FDI norms for E-commerce policy
creation of the fund.
 India’s new e-commerce policy came into effect From
Axis, Syndicate, UCO Banks penalised by RBI February 1, 2019.
 A new set of policy rules had been formed for the e-
 The RBI imposed monetary penalties on UCO, Axis, and
commerce companies.
Syndicate Banks over deficiencies in complying with
 It bars online retailers from selling products through
different regulatory norms.
vendors in which they have an equity interest.
 A penalty of Rs 2 crore each was imposed on Axis and UCO
 It also bars them from entering into exclusive deals with
bank and an additional penalty of Rs 20 lakh was imposed
brands for selling products only on their platforms.
on Axis Bank.
 A penalty of Rs 1 crore was imposed on the Syndicate Government revises FY18 GDP growth rate
Bank.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

 According to the first revised estimates of GDP, the Indian  The top sources of FDI included Mauritius, Singapore,
economy grew at 7.2% in 2017-18, as compared to earlier Netherlands, the US and Japan.
estimates of 6.7%.
GST collections in Jan over ₹1 lakh cr
 The Nominal GDP or GDP at current prices for 2017-18 has
been revised to 11.3% from 10.0%.  The GST collections in January 2019 have crossed one lakh
 The real GDP growth rate has been revised to 8.2% from crore rupees mark.
7.1% for 2016-17।  In January 2018, the GST collection was 89 thousand crore
rupees.
BoM, BoI and OBC removed from PCA framework
 Finance Ministry said that this is a significant improvement
 The RBI removed Bank of India (BoI), Bank of Maharashtra in comparison to GST collection over 94 thousand crore
(BoM) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) from Prompt rupees during December 2018.
Corrective Action (PCA) Framework.
Sports
 BoI and BoM have met the regulatory norms including
Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) and have Net NPAs Khelo India app launched by PM
(non-performing assets) of less than 6%.
 PM Narendra Modi launched Sports Authority of India's
 In case of OBC, the net NPA has come down to less than
(SAI) first-of-its-kind mobile application, 'Khelo India App'
6% after the government's capital infusion.
on February 27, 2019.
Manufacturing PMI rises to 53.9 in January  The app will create awareness about sports and fitness in
the country.
 The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’
 The app has 3 unique features that will make it convenient
Index (PMI) increased from 53.2 in December 2018 to 53.9
for youngsters to take up a sport.
in January 2019.
 The app is available both in Hindi and English and can be
 This is the 18th consecutive month that the manufacturing
used in the offline mode.
PMI remained above the 50-point mark.
 A mark above 50 means expansion, while a mark below 50 Saurabh and Manu clinched Gold
denotes contraction.
 Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker won the gold medal
No Income Tax for incomes up to ₹5 lakh in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event of the ISSF
World Cup 2019.
 Govt. announced that individual taxpayers with annual
 The Chinese duo of Ranxin Jiang and Bowen Zhang won
income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any Income Tax.
silver with, while the bronze went to the Korean pair of
 Those with gross income of up to ₹6.5 lakh also won't have
Minjung Kim and Daehun Park.
to pay any tax if they make investments in prescribed
methods.  Earlier, Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal in his first
senior World Cup in the same event.
 This will give ₹18,500 cr tax benefit to 3 cr middle class
people. First Indian player to score 8000 runs - Raina
 He also said that Income Tax returns will be processed in
 Suresh Raina became the first Indian player to score 8000
24 hours and refund initiated.
runs in T20.
Fiscal Deficit will be 3.4% of GDP in 2019  He achieved this feat when he scored 12 runs for UP
against Puducherry in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match
 Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the fiscal deficit will be
in Delhi.
at 3.4 per cent of GDP in 2019 while presenting the interim
 He also became the 2nd Indian player to have played 300
budget on Feb 1, 2019.
T20s after MS Dhoni.
 He also said that current account deficit is likely to be 2.5
per cent of GDP this year.  Rohit Sharma is 3rd in the list with 299 matches.
 He added that capital expenditure is pegged at 3.36,292 Abhijeet Gupta won Cannes Trophy
lakh crore.
 Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes
FDI worth $ 239 bn in last 5 years International Open trophy on 25 February 2019 for chess.
 He won the tournament with 7.5 points over nearest rivals
 India has received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $
Nikita Maiorov of Belarus, Nasuta Grzegorz of Poland and
239 billion in the last five years.
Yuri Solodovnichecko of Ukraine.
 The main sectors that received the maximum foreign
inflows were services, computer software and hardware,
telecommunications, trading, automobile, construction,
and power.

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 He took an easy draw with Pier Luigi Basso of Italy in the
ninth and final round.
Karthikeyan received Lifetime Achievement
 G.R. Karthikeyan was honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement award at the FMSCI annual awards function
on 25 February 2019.
 He is the father of India’s first Formula One driver Narain
Karthikeyan.
 Raghul Rangasamy received the Upcoming Motorsport
Person of the Year award for the Raymond Gautam
Singhania Trophy.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran: 94th in Tennis
 India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran achieved his career-best
ranking, rising three places to 94th in the latest list on 25
February 2019.
 Ramkumar Ramanathan dropped 9 spots to 137, while
Yuki Bhambri further slipped to 171.
 Ankita Raina continued to be the top-placed Indian at 164
in women's ranking, followed by Karman Thandi at 207
and Pranjala Yadlapalli at 293.
Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m rifle
 Apurvi Chandela has won the gold medal in the women's
10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in New
Delhi.
 This is India's first medal of the ISSF World Cup 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 She set a new world record by registering a score of 252.9
points in the final match.
 Zhao Ruozhu and Xu Hong of China won the silver and
bronze medal respectively.
Manpreet Singh: Player of the Year
 The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has honoured Indian
men's hockey team captain, Manpreet Singh with the
'2018 Player of the Year Award'.
 Women hockey team's striker, Lalremsiami bagged the
'2018 Rising Player of The Year' award.
 Manpreet led the Indian hockey team at the Asian
Champions Trophy in Muscat where the team was
declared joint winners with Pakistan.
Nikhat and Meena won gold medals
 Nikhat Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi became the first
Indian women boxers to win gold medals at the Strandja
Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.
 Zareen claimed a 5-0 win in the 51kg category finals
against Filipino Irish Magno.
 Meena defeated Filipino Aira Villegas 3-2, in the
bantamweight (54kg) summit clash.
 India won 11 medals including two gold at the 2018
edition.
ISSF Shooting World Cup held
 The ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation) World
Cup 2019 began in New Delhi on February 21, 2019.
 Various events in the World cup will start from February
23rd and end on 27th at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting
Range.
 Around 503 shooters from 58 countries will be competing
for top honours with 8 of the 10 events offering Olympic
quota places.
Mary Kom became women's training ambassador
 World amateur boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom signed a
2-year deal with Puma to be their ambassador for
women’s training in India.
 She is a bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics and won
her record 6th gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing
Championships in November 2018.
 Puma India’s managing director is Abhishek Ganguly.
Jitendra Singh won 50km event
 Jitendra Singh Rathore of Rajasthan won the 50 km event
in the 6th Open National Race Walking Championship in
Chennai on 17 Feb 2019.
 He completed the race in a time of 4:23:23.00, pushing
Joshi Sagar of Gujarat (4:24:21.00) to second place.
 Boys 10 km was won by Suraj Panwar, while Rogi Patel
won the Girls 10 km.
Sunil Chhetri got Football Ratna

 Sunil Chhetri was conferred the first ever Football Ratna
honour by Football Delhi.
 The award was presented by Football Delhi President Shaji
Prabhakaran, a former player, and administrator at the All
India Football Federation and FIFA.
 Football Delhi also honoured Shubham Sarangi, youth
player from Delhi, currently the player of Delhi Dynamos
squad for ISL.
Saina Nehwal beats PV Sindhu
 Saina Nehwal beat P V Sindhu to retain her women's
singles crown at the 83rd Yonex Sunrise Senior Badminton
Nationals on 16 Feb 2019.
 She registered a 21-18 21-15 against P V Sindhu.
 Saina Nehwal won her fourth Senior Nationals title.
 It was held in Guwahati.
Vidarbha won Irani Cup
 Vidarbha defended its Irani Cup title on 16 Feb 2019 at the
Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur.
 The Irani Cup tournament was conceived during the 1959-
60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji
Trophy championship.
 It is related to cricket.
Elise Mertens won Qatar open
 Belgium's Elise Mertens claimed the Qatar Open by
beating top seed Simona Halep by 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, in tennis.
 This is her first-ever WTA Premier-level crown, and the
fifth title of her career overall.
 Mertens is world number 21.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran: Ranks 97 in ATP
 Prajnesh Gunneswaran broke into men's singles top-100
for the first time in his career.
 A jump of six places took him to 97th position.
 He is only third Indian player to break into the top-100
barrier in the past decade after Somdev Devvarman and
Yuki Bhambri.
Clouded Leopard: Mascot of National Games
 Clouded Leopard, the state animal of Meghalaya, will be
the mascot of the National Games, 2022.
 This was finalised in a meeting chaired by Banteidor
Lyndoh, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs on 11 Feb
2019.
 The stadium for the event will be constructed on 50 acres
of land at a cost of Rs 300 crore in Mawdiangdiang.
Pat Cummins won Allan Border medal
 Pat Cummins won the coveted Allan Border Medal at the
Australian Cricket Awards on 11 Feb 2019.
 Nathan Lyon became the first specialist finger spinner to
win the Test Player of the Year award.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Glenn Maxwell took the T20I award and Matthew Wade
bagged the Domestic Player of the Year award.
Jamie Chadwick: First female to win MRF
 Jamie Chadwick became the first female winner of the
MRF Challenge Series at the final event of the season.
 She won 3 of the 5 races in Chennai, India, to close an 18-
point margin on Belgium's Max Defourny and take the
title.
 She became the first woman to win a British F3 race in
August 2018.
 The last woman to start Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella
Lombardi in 1976.
Railways won Senior Men's Hockey Championship
 Railway Sports Promotion Board lifted the 9th Senior
National Men's Hockey Championship crown at Gwalior.
 They claimed the gold medal by defeating Punjab by 3-2.
 The bronze medal was clinched by Petroleum Sports
Promotion Board, beating Punjab and Sind Bank, 4-1.
Shane Warne: Brand ambassador of RR
 Shane Warne has been named as the brand ambassador of
Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming IPL.
 He captained RR for 4 seasons of IPL till 2011, after which
he took retirement from all forms of cricket.
 Rajasthan Royals has also decided to change its jersey
color from blue to pink this year.
Corentin Moutet clinches Chennai Open
 France’s Corentin Moutet clinched the Chennai Open ATP
Challenger tournament title on 10th Feb 2019.
 He beat Andrew Harris of Australia 6-3, 6-3 in the singles
final.
 This is the second Challenger title for Moutet, who
received 80 ATP points, while Andrew got 48 ATP points.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga won silver medal
 On 8 February 2019, Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the silver
medal in men's 67- kilogram category at the EGAT's Cup
International Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai,
Thailand.
 Ruben Katoatau of Kiribati took the bronze with a total lift
of 285 kilograms.
 Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women's 48-
kilogram category with a total lift of 192 kilograms.
Mandhana scored India’s fastest T20I Fifty
 Indian opener Smriti Mandhana made the fastest fifty for
India in Women’s T20Is.
 The left-handed batswoman struck a half-century in just
24 balls.
 She made the history in the 1st T20I against New Zealand
at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

 New Zealand’s Sophie Devine holds the record of the
quickest half-century in women’s T20Is. She set the record
in 2005 against India in just 18-balls.
Ramit Tandon wins Seattle Open
 Ramit Tandon won the final of the Seattle Open, a Squash
event by defeating Egyptian Mohamed Al Sherbini on 2nd
February, 2019.
 This is his fourth overall title in his career and first PSA title
in 2019.
 He was ranked 58th in the world but was seeded for the
Seattle Open.
Sana Mir: 1st woman cricketer to play 100 T20s
 Sana Mir from Pakistan became the first Asian woman
cricketer to play 100 T20 international matches.
 She achieved the milestone during the final T20 against
West Indies in Karachi.
 Overall, she is the 6th woman cricketer to complete a
century of T20 internationals. Daendra Dottin from West
Indies ranks first with a total of 109 T20Is to her name.
Haryana Hammers won PWL
 Haryana Hammers won the 4th edition of the Pro
Wrestling League defeating Punjab Royals by 6-3 in the
summit clash.
 Padma Shri and Asian Games gold medalist Bajrang scored
11-0 win over Rajneesh.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Aleksander Khotsianivski of Ukraine put Haryana on the
road of victory by winning the 125 kg super heavyweight
bout against Korey Jarvis by 3-0.
World No. 1 ODI Batswoman: Smriti Mandhana
 Smriti Mandhana has attained number one ranking in the
ICC ODI batting rankings.
 She is now above the Australians Meg Lanning and Ellyse
Perry after scoring an unbeaten 90 in 3 match series and
her fourth ODI century.
 Among the bowlers, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma
have secured 8th and 9th rankings respectively.
INS Dronacharya won the Regatta trophy
 The INS Dronacharya team won the Regatta trophy in the
'Kochi Area Pulling Regatta 2019' of the Southern Naval
Command (SNC) on 31 January 2019.
 The Boat Pulling Regatta is one of the most prestigious and
traditional naval sporting activities conducted by the Navy.
 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) School got second position
& Diving School secured the third position.
Mithali is first woman to play 200 ODIs
 Indian captain Mithali Raj has become the first female
cricketer to play 200 ODIs on February 1, 2019.
 The 36-year-old achieved this feat against New Zealand at
Hamilton.
 Mithali made her ODI debut in 1999 and has also played
10 Tests and 85 T20s.
Defence
DAC approved aquisition of defence equipment
 The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave approval for
the acquisition of defence equipment for about Rs 2700
Crores on 27 February 2019.
 The council was chaired by Defence Minister Smt Nirmala
Sitharaman.
 Approval was granted for procurement of 3 Cadet Training
ships for the Indian Navy.
 The ships would be capable of undertaking Hospital Ship
duties, providing Humanitarian Assistance etc.
QRSAM missile successfully test fired
 DRDO successfully test fired indigenously developed Quick
Reach Surface-to-Air missiles (QRSAMs) from ITR
Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast on 26 February 2019.
 The two missiles were tested for different altitudes and
conditions.
 The missile has a strike range of 25-30 km.
 QRSAM will significantly boost the defence capabilities of
the armed forces.
India-Bangladesh Joint Exercise to be held

 A joint military exercise, Sampriti-2019 will be conducted
between India and Bangladesh at Tangail, Bangladesh from
2 March to 15 March 2019.
 This will be the eighth edition of the exercise which is
hosted alternately by both countries.
 The exercise is aimed to strengthen and broaden the
aspects of interoperability and cooperation between both
the Armies.
IAF commissions aerial surveillance
 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the 'Hyper-
Spectral Imagery Programme' for the first time in the
country.
 The programme is an aerial surveillance system for
monitoring suspicious moments under dense foliage cover
along the international border and some parts within the
country.
 It is expected to be operational in the next two years.
HAL hands over three ALH to Indian Army
 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over first
three ALHs as part of the 22 ALH MK III contract to the
Indian Army on 22 February 2019.
 HAL had entered into a contract with the Indian Army for
40 ALH in August 2017.
 The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is a multi-role, new
generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight class,
indigenously designed and developed by HAL.
Defence Ministry approves torpedo acquisition
 On 22 February 2019, the Defence Ministry has approved
the acquisition of more than 100 heavyweight torpedoes.
 The torpedoes will be equipped on Indian Navy's six
Scorpene-class submarines being built at Mazagon
Dockyards in Mumbai.
 Torpedo is a self-propelled weapon with an explosive
warhead, launched above or below the water surface and
propelled underwater towards a target.
Iran announced 3-day Navy Drill
 Iran launched a 3-day annual navy drill, Velayat 97, in a
vast area of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean on 22 Feb 2019.
 The drill will be held in the waters of Strait of Hormuz,
Makran coast, Oman Sea and the north of the Indian
Ocean.
 It aims to evaluate the navy's equipment, practice
launching weapons and enable the troops to gain
readiness for a real battle.
'Exercise Vayu Shakti' held in Rajasthan
 Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted 'Exercise Vayu Shakti-
2019' at Pokhran in Rajasthan on 16 February 2019.
 The aim of the Exercise is to demonstrate the IAF's combat
and fire capabilities.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 Several indigenous aircraft weapons and types of
equipment were showed at the Exercise.
 Some of these are the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas,
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Akash missile etc.
PTT Operation performed by all women crew
 The Indian Air Force's pilots, Sqn Ldr Kamaljeet Kaur and
her co-pilot Sqn Ldr Rakhi Bhandari carried out successful
Parallel Taxi Track (PTT) landing and take-off operations at
Sirsa.
 In a first, the 'OTTERS' squadron of Western Air Command
undertook the PTT Operations with a full women crew in
the Dornier 228 aircraft.
 PTT Operations are carried out when the runway is not
available.
Vice Admiral SN Ghormade: Takes over as COS
 Vice Admiral SN Ghormade assumed the charge as Chief of
Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam on 14 Feb
2019.
 He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1984
and is a graduate of National Defence Academy (NDA).
 He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan
2017 and Nau Sena Medal in 2007 by the President of
India.
Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand
 One of the Asia-Pacific region's largest multinational
military exercises, Cobra Gold began in Thailand with
around10,000 personnel and 29 countries as participants.
 It is aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening
relationships among participating nations.
 This year's exercise is the 38th of its kind.
Rocket dispaly at Army's Exercise Topchi
 Indian Army demonstrated its artillery firepower at the
annual ''Exercise Topchi'' held near Nashik using ultralight
Howitzers and Swathi weapon-locating radar.
 The event took place at the Deolali Camp.
 The aviation assets included the advanced light helicopter,
light combat helicopter, Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
India signed 700 crore deal to buy rifles
 The Indian government signed a contract to equip the
Indian Army with new assault rifles.
 As per the deal, India will buy 72,400 rifles costing Rs 700
crore.
 The rifles will be supplied by US arms maker Sig Sauer.
 They will be made in the US and will be supplied within a
year.
 These will replace the Indian-made 5.56x45mm Insas rifles.
INS Trikand participated in Cutlass Express

 A front-line warship of the Indian Navy, INS Trikand
participated in Cutlass Express 2019, a multinational
training exercise held from 27 Jan-6 Feb 2019.
 The exercise was conducted in 2 phases - CPX and FTX.
 INS Trikand was commanded by Captain Srinivas Maddula.
'AMAN-19' kicks off
 Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN-19 formally
commenced on Feb 11, 2019, at Pakistan Navy Dockyard.
 AMAN-19 is a multinational Naval Exercise conducted
biennially by Pakistan Navy since 2007.
 The current one is the 6th in the series having 45 nations
as participants.
 Commander Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Muhammad
Amjad Khan Niazi graced was the Chief Guest.
Chief of the Air Staff visits Bangladesh
 Air Chief Marshal, Birendra Singh Dhanoa, Chief of the
Indian Air Force, went on a 4-day official visit to
Bangladesh from 11-14 Feb 2019.
 He will visit operational and training units of Bangladesh
Air Force. This is a bilateral goodwill visit to a SAARC
nation.
 He will also meet the PM and Chiefs of 3 defense services
in Bangladesh. The visit will increase defence cooperation.
Successful Flight Test of SFDR
 Defence Research and Development Organisation
successfully flight tested the second indigenously
developed ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion
based missile system from Chandipur, Odisha on 8
February 2019.
 The missile accelerated to achieve ramjet Mach number
successfully.
 DRDO is responsible for the development and production
of defence systems for the Indian military.
NWM to be inaugurated on Feb 25
 The National War Museum will be inaugurated on 25th
February 2019 at India Gate by PM Narendra Modi.
 It is built in the memory of 26,000 war heroes of the Indian
Forces and is built on the sprawling lawns of India Gate.
 The NWM was first proposed by the armed forces in 1960.
'Exercise Rahat' to be conducted soon
 Sapta Shakti Command will conduct 'Exercise Rahat' on 11-
12th February 2019 on behalf of the Indian Army.
 It is a Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
Exercise.
 Its curtain raiser was organised on 4th February 2019 at
the Jaipur Military Station.
 The exercise will be conducted in 3 places simultaneously,
Jaipur, Alwar, and Kota.
Polity
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
Home Ministry ordered pan-India survey
 Ministry of Home Affairs commissioned the Bureau of
Police Research and Development to conduct a pan-India
survey called, All India Citizens Survey of Police Services.
 The survey will be conducted through the National Council
of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.
 The 9-month survey will cover a representative sample of
1.2 lakh households spread over 173 districts across the
country.
President promulgated 4 Ordinances
 President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated 4 Ordinances on
21 Feb 2019.
 The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage)
Second Ordinance is one of those, declares the practice of
instant triple talaq to be void and illegal.
 It will also make the offence punishable with
imprisonment up to three years and fine.
Bhopal to host History Congress
 After Pune University backed out, the Congress
government in Madhya Pradesh has decided to host the
79th Indian History Congress (IHC) beginning on February
26, 2019, in Bhopal.
 The 79th session was earlier supposed to be held at
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) from December 28.
 Over 1,000 delegates including prominent historians are
expected to participate in the IHC in Bhopal.
Himachal Pradesh assembly passed Bill
 The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to make
Sanskrit the second official language of the state.
 The Himachal Pradesh Official Language Bill, 2019
(Amendment) was introduced by Irrigation and Public
Health Minister Mahender Singh Thakur.
 It was passed without any discussion.
16th Lok Sabha session concluded
 The last session of 16th Lok Sabha concluded on 14 Feb
2019.
 There were a total number of 331 sittings for Lok Sabha.
205 bills were passed and the productivity was 85%.
 For Rajya Sabha, 154 bills were passed and the
productivity was 68%.
 The Interim Budget for 2019-20 was presented on 1 Feb
2019.
LS passed the unregulated deposit Scheme Bill
 The Lok Sabha passed the Unregulated Deposit Scheme Bill
2018 on 13 Feb 2019.
 The Bill will protect the poor people who work in
unorganised sector and invest small amounts of money in
different schemes.

 It provides for a comprehensive mechanism to ban the
unregulated deposit scheme and to protect the interests
of depositors.
Parliament passed Personal Laws Bill 2019
 Parliament passed the Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill,
2019 with Rajya Sabha's approval on 13 Feb 2019.
 The Lok Sabha had passed the bill in the last session.
 The Bill seeks to uphold the rights of people with leprosy,
as the disease is curable.
 The Rajya Sabha also passed the Constitution (Scheduled
Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2019.
Railway to release 1.3L vacancies in February
 February 2019 is a month of opportunities.
 The railway will be releasing 1.3L vacancies for NTPC &
other posts.
 The application starts from 28th February 2019.
 If you want a secured Govt Job then starting your
preparation with the best faculties from Testbook.com is
crucial.
 Practice with 1000s of questions for free.
Registration of marriage of NRI Bill approved
 The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of
Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019.
 It provides amendment of the legal framework to act as a
deterrent to the erring NRI spouses and offers protection
against exploitation of Indian Citizens married to NRIs.
 Once it is passed, marriages performed by NRIs would be
registered in India or Indian Missions & Posts abroad.
Revision in the list of ST of Chhattisgarh
 The Union Cabinet approved official amendments in the
Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes)
Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
 It will modify the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) of
Chhattisgarh.
 Along with others, the following shall be inserted in the
new act - Bhuinya, Dhanwar, Nagesia, Sawar, Binjhia.
Government introduced Bill in Rajya Sabha
 The government introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha on 12
Feb 2019 to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and
impose a strict penalty to combat the menace of film
piracy.
 The film piracy offense will have imprisonment of up to
three years and a fine of ₹10 lakh.
 The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
introduced by Minister of State for Information and
Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.
Bill on North East introduced
 A Constitution Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha was
introduced.
41 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019
 This was done to increase the financial and executive
powers of the 10 Autonomous Councils in the Sixth
Schedule areas of the northeastern region.
 It will impact one crore tribal people in Assam, Meghalaya,
Tripura, and Mizoram.
Cabinet approves unified regulator for IFSCs
 The Cabinet has approved the setting up of a unified
authority that would regulate all the financial services in
International Financial Services Centres (IFSC).
 Currently, the banking, capital markets and insurance
sectors in IFSCs are regulated by multiple regulators, i.e.
RBI, SEBI and IRDAI.
 This will be done through the International Financial
Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019.
NIFTEM Bill, 2019 approved by the Cabinet
 The Cabinet has approved the introduction of National
Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and
Management Bill, 2019.
 Its objective is to confer the status of institutions of
national importance to the NIFTEM, Kundli, Haryana and
IIFPT, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
 The Cabinet was chaired PM Narendra Modi and the bill
was approved on 6th February 2019.
Develop app to help the blind: Bombay HC
 The Bombay High Court asked the RBI to develop a mobile
app to help the blind identify the denomination of various
currency notes of India.
 Justice NM Jamdar and Justice Naresh patil also directed
RBI to develop a hardware-driven device to help the blind
identify Indian currency denominations.
 RBI has been granted 4 weeks to look into the suggestions.
Women allowed to work in underground mines
 Women have been allowed to work in opencast and
underground mines, as a part of the government's efforts
to create more employment opportunities for women.
 New rules have been issued by the labour ministry
allowing to work from 7 pm - 6 am in opencast mines.
 The employment of women in underground mines was
restricted earlier under the Mines Act, 1952.
New Andhra Pradesh High Court inaugurated
 New building of the Andhra Pradesh High Court was
inaugurated by CJI Ranjan Gogoi at Amravathy on February
3, 2019.
 The 2-storied building has a building cost of Rs. 150 crore,
16 court halls, and houses 2.70 lakh square feet office
space.
 Andhra Pradesh has finally got its own court after four and
a half years of state bifurcation.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
February 2019

Table of Contents

Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 9
International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 20
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 24
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 29
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 42
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 50
Polity .............................................................................................................................................................. 55
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 56

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Awards &Honours
Indian origin scientist awarded
• Dr. Rajendra Kumar Joshi was awarded the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) for his contributions in
the field of science, education, and medicine.
• Dr. Joshi is a scientist of Indian origin and is based in
Switzerland.
• The PBSA is the highest honour conferred on Non-resident
Indians by the President of India for their significant
contributions towards bringing honour and glory to India.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/indian-origin-scientist-
awarded-119032801159_1.html
NRAI won the best sports federation award
• The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was
presented the 'Best Sports Federation' Award in the
country by the Association Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (ASSOCHAM).
• The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded
in 1951 with a view to promote and popularize the
shooting sports in India.
• Raninder Singh is the president of NRAI.
Source
Link: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/shooting/nrai-best-
sports-federation-award-assocham/article26665342.ece
Rita to get Career Achievement award
• Veteran actor Rita Moreno will receive the '2019 Peabody
Career Achievement Award' in May 2019.
• The Peabody Career Achievement Award is for individuals
whose work and commitment to electronic media has left
an indelible mark on the field.
• She is one of the 15 people to win the coveted EGOT
quartet of elite awards.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rita-moreno-to-be-
honoured-with-peabody-career-achievement-award-
119032900578_1.html
Manu Gulati gets Martha Farrell Award 2019
• Delhi government school teacher, Manu Gulati was
honored with the Martha Farrell award for Excellence in
Women’s Empowerment 2019 in the Most Promising
Individual category.
• She won prize money of INR 1,50,000 for promoting
gender quality and women’s empowerment.
• The Awards were first awarded in 2017 in the memory of
Dr. Martha Farrell, a prominent activist for gender
equality.
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March 2019
Source Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-
today/news/story/delhi-govt-school-teacher-manu-ulati-
gets-martha-farrell-award-2019-for-women-
empowerment-1488761-2019-03-28
Turing Awards presented
• Three pioneers in AI, Geoffrey Hinton, Yann LeCun,
and Yoshua Bengio has been honored with the Turing
Award.
• It is an annual prize awarded by the Association for
Computing Machinery (ACM) since 1966.
• It is given to the individuals who’ve made contributions of
lasting and major technical importance to the computer
field.
• Hinton has been referred to by many as the ‘Godfather of
AI.’
Source
Link: https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/27/18280665/ai
-godfathers-turing-award-2018-yoshua-bengio-geoffrey-
hinton-yann-lecun
Amartya Sen to be honored Bodley Award
• Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen was awarded
the prestigious Bodley Medal.
• It is the highest honor granted by the University of
Oxford’s world-famous Bodleian Libraries.
• The medal is awarded to individuals who have made
outstanding contributions to the fields in which the
Bodleian is awarded are, including literature, culture,
science, and communication.
Source Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-
today/notification/story/nobel-prize-recipient-amartya-
sen-to-be-awarded-with-oxford-university-s-bodley-
award-1488592-2019-03-28
Croatia honored President Kovind
• President Ram Nath Kovind was honoured with Croatia's
highest civilian award, the Grand Order of the King of
Tomislav on 26 March 2019.
• He is on an 8-day visit to Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile to
further strengthen bilateral ties between India and the
three countries.
• It is awarded to heads of state for their important
contribution towards the development of relations with
Croatia.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/croatia
-honours-president-kovind-with-highest-civilian-award-
3704631.html
Cyrus Poonawalla and Rahat Khan to be honored

• Cyrus Poonawalla and singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are
among 8 people, who will be honoured by the University
of Oxford at a ceremony on June 26, 2019.
• The university will also confer the honorary degrees on
academics Jennifer Doudna, Andrea Ghez, Shafi
Goldwasser, Daniel Kahneman and Simon Wessely, and
cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
• Cyrus Poonawalla is the Founder and Chairman of Serum
Institute of India.
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-
news/oxford-university-to-honour-cyrus-poonawalla-
rahat-fateh-ali-khan/story-
tJ9K1cnAI3xXV1G4PLmGWK.html
Indian Oil companies won ADNOC awards
• A consortium of 2 Indian oil companies, Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited
have been awarded the exploration rights for Abu Dhabi
Onshore Block 1.
• The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, signed
agreements awarding the exploration rights on 25 March
2019.
• The award has been endorsed by Abu Dhabi’s Supreme
Petroleum Council.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=ADNOC-
awards-onshore-block-to-Indian-consortium&id=361416
Meghna Gulzar won Best Director
• Meghna Gulzar won the Best Director at Filmfare Awards
for her film Raazi, starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
• Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh won Best Playback Singers
for Padmaavat and Raazi respectively.
Source Link: https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-
awards-2019/winners
Filmfare awards 2019 announced
• 64th Filmfare Awards were held at Jio Garden, Mumbai on
23 March 2019.
• Raazi won the Best Film and Alia Bhatt received the Best
Actress for Raazi.
• Ranveer Singh won Critics Best Actor for Padmaavat.
• Ranbir Kapoor won Best Actor for Sanju.
• Andhadhun won Critcs Best Film.
Source Link: https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-
awards-2019/winners
‘World of Women’ awards presented
• The Hindu World of Women 2019 Awards were given
to recognise women who have excelled in various fields.
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March 2019
• Ms. Menon was given The Hindu Lifetime Achievement
Award2019.
• Preethi Srinivasan, founder, Soulfree, who became
paralysed below the neck after a freak accident received
'The Hindu Inspiration Award 2019'.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/wo
rld-of-women-awards-presented/article26614494.ece
Awards and Honours
• Sociologist and political psychoanalyst Ashis Nandy was
named the recipient of 2019 Hans Kilian Award.
• The Hans Kilian Award was instituted by the Köhler
Foundation in Germany.
• Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagudi will be honoured with the
Vyas Samman 2018 by the KK Birla Foundation for his
collection of poems 'Jitne Log Utne Prem'.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/hindi
-writer-leeladhar-jagudi-to-be-honoured-with-vyas-
samman/article26538279.ece
Annual TSJA awards announced
• Saina Nehwal was named ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ at the
annual Telangana Sports Journalists Association (TSJA)
Awards on 19 March 2019.
• P.V. Sindhu was given the ‘Outstanding Performer’ Award.
• P. Gopichand was presented the ‘Coach of the Year’
Award.
• The Indian badminton team was adjudged the ‘Team of
the Year’.
• The Badminton Association of Telangana was named
‘Association of the Year’.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-
sports/saina-named-sportsperson-of-the-year-at-tsja-
awards/article26587228.ece
Raghu Karnad won the Windham-Campbell Prize
• Journalist and writer Raghu Karnad won the $165,000
Windham-Campbell Prize in the non-fiction category for
his debut book, The Farthest Field: An Indian Story Of The
Second World War.
• Karnad is the second Indian to receive the prestigious
prize, since Jerry Pinto won it for his novel, Em And The Big
Hoom, in 2016.
• The Windham-Campbell Prize was established in 2013.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/mint-
lounge/features/karnad-s-indian-story-gets-him-
windham-campbell-prize-in-uk-1552562401820.html

Kane Williamson gets Sir Richard Hadlee Medal
• Kiwi captain Kane Williamson got Sir Richard Hadlee Medal
for Men’s Player of the Year on 21 March 2019.
• Williamson also got the Test Player of the Year award and
the Redpath Cup for First Class batting.
• Kerr also bagged three awards — the Women’s ODI Player
of the Year, Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic
bowling and the Venus Cup for Secondary Schools Female
Player of the Year.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/kane-
williamson-gets-sir-richard-hadlee-medal-for-mens-
player-of-the-year/article26601010.ece
Vymo won FICCI Award
• Vymo was recognized by FICCI (The Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry) at the recently
concluded 2nd Edition of the FICCI PICUP Conference for
'Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics'.
• Vymo was earlier awarded the 'AI for All' award in the
category 'Empowering Employees with AI' by Microsoft.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/vymo-wins-ficci-award-for-innovation-
in-artificial-intelligence-and-data-analytics-
119032000219_1.html
Karen becomes 1st woman to win Abel Prize
• Mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck has become the first
woman to win the Abel prize.
• Sometimes called the Nobel prize of mathematics, is given
to her for the impact of her work on "analysis, geometry
and mathematical physics".
• She is also an advocate for gender equality in science and
mathematics.
• Abel Prize is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels
Henrik Abel.
Source
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/1
9/american-professor-first-woman-wins-abel-prize-math
President confers Padma awards
• Folk Singer Teejan Bai, scientist S. Nambi Narayanan were
among the 54 noted citizens to be conferred with the
Padma award by President Ram Nath Kovind on 16 March
2019.
• Teejan Bai and Naik received the Padma Vibhushan Award.
• The awards were conferred in two ceremonies with 47
dignitaries receiving the honour on March 11, while 54
were honoured on 16 March 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pre
sident-confers-padma-
awards/article26553849.ece?homepage=true
Ved Rahi won the Kusumagraj literature
• Film director and novelist Ved Rahi was selected for
prestigious 'Kusumagraj' national award for literature.
• The award was instituted by the Yashwantrao Chavan
Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) in Nashik,
Maharashtra.
• Ved Rahi has penned seven novels in Dogri language. He
was given Sahitya Akademi award for his Dogri novel,
'Aale' in 1983.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/kusumagraj-literature-
award-for-ved-rahi-119031300347_1.html
BusinessLine Changemaker Of The Year presented
• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the
'BusinessLine Changemaker Of The Year' award to Union
Minister Arun Jaitley on 15 March 2019.
• The award was given to him for successfully introducing
the Goods and Services Tax.
• The award was shared by petitioners against Section 377
of the Indian Penal Code, who managed to get the law
against same-sex relations quashed in September 2018.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/businessline-changemaker-of-the-year-after-arun-
jaitley-gets-award-from-manmohan-singh-for-gst-a-bjp-
2008383
Kent RO receives best purifier award 2018-19
• Kent RO Systems Pvt. Ltd. received the Best Domestic
Water Purifier Award 2018-19 for its RO+UV+UF
technology at the Water Digest Water Awards event.
• Water Digest Water Awards is backed by the Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation and UNESCO.
• The award honours the Organisations/NGOs/Corporate
that has worked to ensure that the efficient use of water
resources.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ani/kent-ro-receives-the-best-
domestic-water-purifier-award-2019-
119031400677_1.html
President gives National Grassroots Awards
• President Ramnath Kovind on 15th March 2019, awarded
National Grassroots Innovators at Grambharti near
Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

• Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi from UP has been awarded
lifetime achievement award for his innovations in new
varieties of agriculture crops.
• The first prize in Veterinary, Herbal medication for
coccidiosis was presented to Periyasami Ramasami of
Salem, Tamil Nadu.
Source Link: http://www.newsonair.com/Main-News-
Details.aspx?id=361016
Awards and Honours
• Swati Shingade of Pune, Maharashtra won the first prize of
DD Mahila Kisan Award for 2018-19.
• Renowned Kathak dancer Seema Mehta was given the
'Nari Shakti Puraskar' award for her contribution towards
women empowerment over the last 15 years.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Swati-
Shingade-bags-first-prize-of-DD-Mahila-Kisan-
Award&id=361036
Padmanaban won Commonwealth Youth Award
• Padmanaban Gopalan, the founder of No Food Waste, was
named the winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for
the Asian region in London.
• His initiative runs a geo-mapping platform, which allows
users to drop food at located 'hunger spots'.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• It has so far recovered over 650,000 meals across 14 cities
and the platform has been used by over 12,000
volunteers.
Source
Link: https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/padmanaban-
gopalan-wins-the-commonwealth-youth-award-for-the-
asian-region/
Gallantry awards conferred
• President Ram Nath Kovind conferred 3 Kirti Chakras and
15 Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel on 14
March 2019.
• Two Kirti Chakras and one Shaurya Chakra were given
posthumously.
• Fifteen Param Vishisht Seva Medals, one Uttam Yudh Seva
Medals and twenty-five Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior
officers of the Armed Forces were also conferred.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568803
Sona Yukti won SEN award
• Skill development and training institute Sona Yukti was
given the Social Enterprise Network (SEN) sustainability
award for education.
• The award was presented by Young Presidents
Organisation to CEO of Sona Yukti Chockalingam
Valliappa in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Sona Yukti is the only Indian organisation to be selected as
part of the SEN awards for 2018.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/sona-yukti-gets-global-
award-for-equipping-youth-with-skills-
119031200636_1.html
VP Naidu to receive doctorate from UN
• The University of Peace honoured Vice President Venkaiah
Naidu with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in San Jose.
• He was honoured for his contribution to the Rule of Law,
democracy and sustainable development in India.
• He was the chairman of UN Habitat previously, that seeks
to promote affordable housing under the Sustainable
Development Goals.
Source Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-
today/news/story/vp-venkaiah-naidu-becomes-first-
indian-to-receive-honorary-doctorate-from-un-peace-
university-1475132-2019-03-11
MEIL in Limca Records
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019

• Infrastructure giant Megha Engineering Infrastructure India won 1st prize at at ITB, Berlin
Limited (MEIL) has won a place in Limca Book of National
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has won the
Records and Asia Book of Records.
First Prize in the category of 'TV Cinema Spot' at the
• It was awarded for its outstanding achievement of
prestigious international 'Golden City Gate Tourism
completing Power Sub Station in a record time of 7
Awards 2019'.
months.
• The Awards are given annually in various categories
• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
related to the Tourism and Hospitality sectors.
appreciated MEIL and awarded 'Best Debutant Award'
• The annual award ceremony took place at ITB Berlin, the
with a Memento and Citation.
world’s leading tourism trade show.

Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-

Source
amp/pti-stories/meil-in-limca-records-for-the-fastest-
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
execution-of-power-sub-station-119031100223_1.html
68436
Padma awards conferred on 47 personalities
TVS Motor won sustainability award
• 47 prominent personalities were conferred the Padma
• TVS Motor Company won the 'Green Era Award for
awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on 11 March 2019.
Sustainability' on 4 March 2019 at Lisbon in Portugal.
• Kuldip Nayar, Sukhdev Singh, and S Jaishankar were some
• It also won the 'Quality and Business Excellence Award'.
of the recipients of the award.
• The awards are based on the conclusion of the research
• The Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of
team of Otherways Management and Consulting in France.
the country, are conferred in 3 categories: the Padma
• The companies chosen were ranked against criteria such
Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri.
as investment attraction, high technologies,
and management methods.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/president-confers-padma-awards-on-47-
inspiring-personalities-119031100287_1.html
Acko wins Golden Peacock Award Source Link: https://www.business-
• ACKO General Insurance was awarded the coveted Golden standard.com/article/news-ani/tvs-motor-wins-
Peacock Innovative Product Award – 2019, for their international-sustainability-award-
contextual microinsurance product -Ola Ride Insurance. 119030400650_1.html
• The award was presented to Biresh Giri, Appointed Assam government announces cultural awards
Actuary & CRO, Acko in the presence of global business
leaders in Dubai. • Assam government announced that the 'Srimanata
Sankardeva Award 2017' will be conferred on Satriya
• Acko introduced the revolutionary Ola Ride Insurance, a
exponent Basistha Dev Sarma of Barpeta Satra.
first of its kind in the Indian market in March 2018.
• It also declared that the 'Madhavdev Award' 2016 will be
given to Jugadananda Chandra Goswami of Mayamora
Source Link: https://www.siasat.com/news/acko- Dinjoy Satra.
conferred-golden-peacock-award-innovative-product-
• The 'Kalicharan Brahma Award' 2018 will be given to the
1475530/
Satradhikar of Borongajuli Srimanta Sankardev Satra
Priyanka Dubey gets Chameli Devi Jain Award
• Priyanka Dubey, a bilingual correspondent with the BBC, Source Link: https://www.business-
was named for the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an standard.com/article/pti-stories/assam-government-
Outstanding Woman Journalist for the year 2018. announces-awards-in-the-field-of-culture-
• She was chosen for her multi-faceted, investigative and 119030800812_1.html
interrogative reportage. 'Ratnagarbha' conferred on 10 mothers
• The Chameli Devi Jain Award has been awarded to women
• On the occasion of International Women's Day, Ten
journalists for the past 37 years for upholding standards of
successful mothers, whose children have become
excellence through a sustained body of work.
achievers in their fields of work, have been awarded
'Ratnagarbha' award on 8 March 2019.
Source Link: https://www.business- • The mothers of billiards icon Sourav Kothari, filmmaker
standard.com/article/pti-stories/bbc-journalist-priyanka-
Kaushik Ganguly were among those who were given the
dubey-gets-chameli-devi-jain-award-
award.
119030700881_1.html

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• The award was instituted by the Bengal Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/ratnagarbha-conferred-
on-10-mothers-119030900184_1.html
Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018 awarded
• President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari
Shakti Puraskar 2018, in New Delhi, on International
Women’s Day, i.e. 8 March 2019.
• Nari Shakti Puraskar is the highest civilian honor for
women in India held in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• This year, 44 awardees were selected out of around a
thousand nominations received by the Ministry.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67726
Indore: Cleanest city 3rd time in a row
• Indore bagged the cleanest city award for the 3rd straight
year under Swachh Survekshan 2019.
• President Ram Nath Kovind presented Swachh
Survekhshan-2019 Awards in New Delhi.
• New Delhi Municipal Council area got the cleanest small
city award.
• Uttarakhand's Gauchar was adjudged as the Best Ganga
Town in the survey.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Indore-
adjudged-cleanest-city-in-Swachh-Survekshan-for-3rd-
year-in-row&id=360650
Nobel prize in literature to be awarded twice
• 2 Nobel prizes in literature will be awarded in 2019, to
make up for the lack of one in 2018, as announced on 5
March 2019.
• Last year’s Nobel was withheld for the first time since 1949
after the Swedish Academy was hit with a sexual
misconduct scandal.
Source
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/05/
nobel-prize-in-literature-twice-swedish-academy
Arata won Pritzker Architecture Prize
• Japanese architect Arata Isozaki was awarded this year’s
Pritzker Architecture Prize, known internationally as the
highest honour in the field, on 5 March 2019.
• Founded in 1979, the prize honours each year a living
architect or architects whose work demonstrates talent
and vision.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Isozaki is credited with bringing together the East and
West in his innovative designs.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/arata-
isozaki-of-japan-wins-pritzker-architecture-
prize/article26440746.ece
Indian Bank received Best Bank Award
• Public sector Indian Bank bagged the Best Bank Award
from the Tamil Nadu government on 3 March 2019.
• It was awarded for meeting the needs of women's self-
help groups (SHGs).
• Chief Minister of the state K Palaniswami handed over the
award to the executive director of the bank M K
Bhattacharya.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/co
mpanies/indian-bank-receives-best-bank-award-
3603451.html
Abhinandan will be awarded Mahavir Award
• IAF Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman will be
the 1st recipient of the ‘Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa
Puraskar’ instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain
Mahasamiti.
• He shot down a Pakistani Air Force jet F-16 with an R-73
air-to-air missile in a dogfight on February 27.
• He will be awarded on April 17, 2019. The award has a
cash prize of Rs. 2.51 lakh, citation, and memento.
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-
news/iaf-pilot-abhinandan-varthaman-to-be-awarded-
with-bhagwan-mahavir-ahimsa-puraskar/story-
GiK9UnxsuTL9hlqAfA46SM.html?utm_campaign=full
article&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts
DRDO Chief got Missile Systems Award 2019
• DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy was conferred with the
prestigious 'Missile Systems Award 2019' for his leadership
role in the Indian missile programmes.
• The award was conferred by American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
• The award recognises excellence in developing or
implementing missile systems technology, and for inspired
leadership of missile systems programs.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/drdo-
chief-receives-american-award-for-missile-technology-
development-2001716
OSDMA won the SKOCH Award

• The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority
(OSDMA) won the SKOCH Award 2018 for its achievements
in the field of disaster management.
• The award covers the areas of finance, governance,
banking, disaster management, technology, economics,
and inclusive growth.
• The OSDMA also received an Order-of-merit in the Gold
category for constructing 879 multipurpose cyclone and
flood shelters.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/osdma-bags-skoch-
award-119030200103_1.html
Thanga gets AB Vajpayee Life Time award
• Thanga Darlong was conferred Atal Bihari Vajpayee Life
Time Award by the Tripura government on 1 March 2019.
• He is a tribal musician, who plays Rosem, a flute like tribal
musical instrument made of bamboo.
• In January 2019, he was conferred the prestigious Padma
Shri award for his contribution to the field of music.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/nonagenarian-tribal-
musician-gets-ab-vajpayee-life-time-award-
119030200141_1.html
25th Prime Minister's Trophy presented
• 25th Prime Minister’s Trophy for Excellence in
Performance of Integrated Steel Plants for 2016-17 was
presented in New Delhi on 1st March 2019.
• The objective of the award is to give recognition to
outstanding performance in integrated steel plant sector
of the national economy.
• The award is presented in 4 categories, of which the best
performance gets Rs.2 crore as prize money.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566603
Days & Events
World Tuberculosis Day: 24 March
• World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on 24
March.
• The aim of the day is to raise public awareness about the
devastating health, social and economic consequences of
TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
• The theme of World TB Day 2019 - ‘It’s time’.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a joint
initiative 'Find. Treat. All. #EndTB'.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source Link: https://www.who.int/news-
room/events/detail/2019/03/24/default-calendar/world-
tb-day-2019
World Down Syndrome Day observed: March 21
• Recognizing the need to support people suffering from
Down Syndrome, the WHO on 20th December 2007,
recognised March 21st as ‘World Down Syndrome Day’.
• World Down Syndrome Day 2019 theme is “Leave no one
behind”.
• Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder causing delayed
physical and mental growth in individuals.
• Children or adults suffering from Down Syndrome have
lower IQ.
Source
Link: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/down-
syndrome-day
International World Water Day
• International World Water Day is held annually on 22
March.
• It focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and
advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater
resources.
• The theme for World Water Day 2019 is ‘Leaving no one
behind,’ which is the central promise of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
Source Link: https://www.worldwaterday.org/
April: Delaware Sikh Awareness Month
• Delaware Governor John Carney signed an executive
proclamation naming April 2019 as the 'Delaware Sikh
Awareness and Appreciation Month'.
• This was done in recognition of the contribution of the
small but influential Sikh community in the economic and
social milieu of the state.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/delaware-declares-april-2019-as-sikh-
awareness-and-appreciation-month-
119032000130_1.html
• Important Days
• World Sparrow Day is observed every year on 20 March to
raise awareness to save sparrow and other common birds.
• International Day of Happiness is observed every year on
20 March. The theme for 2019 is 'Happier Together'.
Source
Link: https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/international-
day-of-happiness-20-march/
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019

Global Recycling Day Source

Link: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/3/
• Global Recycling Day is held on March 18 every year.
statement-ed-phumzile-international-womens-day-2019
• Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help
recognise, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in Janaushadhi Diwas: 7 March
preserving our precious primary resources and securing
• Janaushadhi Diwas is being celebrated across the country
the future of our planet.
on 7th March 2019.
• It is a day for the world to come together and put the • PM Narendra Modi addressed 5000 Janaushadhi stores
planet first. across the country through video-conferencing on the
• The theme of 2019 as ‘Recycling into the Future’. occasion.
• More than 5050 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi
Source Pariyojana Kendras are functional in 652 districts.
Link: https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/about/
World Consumer Rights Day: 15 March Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
• World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on 15
D=1567601
March as part of an initiative by Consumer International.
• It was inspired by President John F Kennedy, who was the
first leader in the world to address the issue of consumer
rights in a special message sent to the US Congress on 15
March 1962.
• The theme for World Consumers day 2019 is 'Trusted
Smart Products'.

Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/india/world-
consumer-rights-day-2019-know-your-rights-this-years-
theme-and-more-2067193.html
World Kidney Day celebrated
• World Kidney Day (WKD) is observed annually on the
second Thursday in March.
• It is celebrated to create awareness on the importance of
the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of
kidney disease.
• The theme of WKD 2019 is 'Kidney Health for Everyone
Everywhere', which calls for universal health coverage for
prevention and early treatment of kidney disease.

Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568777
8 March: Women's Day
• International Women's Day is observed across the world
on March 8.
• It is a global day that celebrates social, economic, cultural
and political achievements of women.
• International Women’s Day 2019 campaign Theme
- #BalanceforBetter.
• International Women’s Day 2019 Theme: Think equal,
build smart, innovate for change.
World Wildlife Day : 3 March
• World Wildlife Day is observed every year on 3 March.
• The theme for 2019 is 'Life below water: for people and
planet'.
• The aim of the day is to celebrate and raise awareness of
the world's wild fauna and flora.
• On this day, the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was
adopted.

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Source
Link: http://www.un.org/en/events/wildlifeday/backgrou
nd.shtml
1 March: Zero Discrimination Day
• Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1 and it
aims to address the issue of discrimination faced by people
across the world.
• The theme for Zero Discrimination Day 2019 is 'Act to
change laws that Discriminate'.
• It was launched by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel
Sidibé on February 27, 2014, with a major event in Beijing.
Source
Link: https://www.latestly.com/lifestyle/festivals-
events/zero-discrimination-day-2019-theme-
significance-of-the-day-that-promotes-equality-and-
denounces-discrimination-668956.html
International Affairs
EU approves ban on single use plastics
• The European Parliament has approved a law banning a
wide-range of single-use plastic items, such as straws,
cotton buds, and cutlery, by 2021.
• The law stipulates that 10 single-use plastic items will be
banned in order to curb ocean pollution.
• The new plans come after it was found that plastics make
up more than 80% of marine litter, which has disastrous
effects on wildlife and habitats.
Source
Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/28/europe/eu-
single-use-plastics-ban-intl-scli/index.html
Tesla builds its largest energy storage system
• In a bid to reduce energy demand and provide emergency
backup power to trains in Japan, Tesla has developed its
largest power storage system in Asia.
• According to Tesla, it has installed a bank of 42
Powerpacks at a train station in Japan's Osaka that can
provide sufficient backup power to safely move a train.
• The power storage system is also the fourth largest in the
Asia-Pacific region.
Source Link: https://www.businessinsider.in/tesla-
builds-its-largest-energy-storage-system-in-
asia/articleshow/68607466.cms
Oslo: First city to get charging stations
• Norway's capital Oslo will become the first city in the
world to install wireless charging systems for electric taxis.
• The project will use induction technology, with charging
plates installed in the road at taxi ranks linking to receivers
installed in the vehicle.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• From 2023 onward all taxis in Oslo will have to be zero
emission.
Source Link: https://auto.ndtv.com/news/oslo-becomes-
the-first-city-in-the-world-to-get-wireless-charging-
systems-for-evs-2012267
Shanghai: World's first district with 5G
• Shanghai has become the world's first district using both
5G coverage and broadband gigabit network.
• 5G is the next generation of cellular technology with
download speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than 4G
LTE networks.
• 5G also enables high-definition transmissions in real time
and will bolster development in the internet of things
industry.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/shanghai-becomes-
world-s-first-district-with-5g-coverage-
119033000289_1.html
Worlds longest salt cave found in Israel
• Israeli cave explorers discovered the cave named Malham,
the world’s longest salt cave with striking stalactites near
the Dead Sea.
• Previously, Iran's N3 cave held the record.
• The cave named Malham is stretched over 10 km.
• It runs through Mount Sodom, Israel’s largest mountain,
and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent
Dead Sea.
Source Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-
east-47731943
Saudi arms export ban extended
• Germany has extended by six months an embargo on
weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, instituted in October
2018.
• It is extended by six months from March 31 to September
30, 2019.
• Berlin reacted to Khashoggi's murder at the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul last October by declaring a freeze on
weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and other countries
involved in the Yemen war.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Germany-
adds-six-months-to-Saudi-arms-export-ban&id=361545
Venezuela Juan barred from public office
• Venezuela has barred opposition leader Juan Guaido from
holding public office for 15 years.
• The decision was taken following an investigation that
shows irregularities in his financial records.

• The decision will be for the maximum period established in
the decree with the scope, courage and strength of the
law against corruption.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Venezuela
%E2%80%B2s-Juan-Guaido-barred-from-public-office-
for-15-years&id=361544
UNSC's resolution to fight terrorist financing
• UNSC has unanimously passed the first-ever resolution
ordering members to enforce laws against terror financing.
• UNSC resolution demands all states "ensure that their
domestic laws and regulations establish serious criminal
offenses" to collect funds or financial resources to terrorist
groups or individual criminals.
• Nations that fail to carry out the resolution would face
U.N. sanctions.
Source Link: http://www.newsonair.com/Main-News-
Details.aspx?id=361543
Nepal Investment Summit to be organised
• The Government of Nepal is organizing Nepal Investment
Summit 2019 on March 29 -30, 2019 in Kathmandu.
• The main objective of the event is to project Nepal as a
favourable investment destination.
• 77 projects worth 31.93 billion dollars in various sectors
will be showcased and 12 MoUs will be signed during the
summit.
• KP Sharma Oli is the PM of Nepal and will inaugurate the
summit.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Nepal-
Investment-Summit-to-be-organised-on-March-29-
30&id=361496
US circulated draft resolution
• The US circulated a draft resolution to UN Security Council
to blacklist Masood Azhar, Chief of Pakistan-based
terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad.
• The draft resolution condemns the Pulwama attack and
says that Azhar will be added to the UN Al-Qaeda and
Islamic State sanctions blacklist.
• The resolution is backed by France and Britain which
joined the US in pushing for sanctions against Azhar.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=US-
circulates-draft-resolution-at-UNSC-to-blacklist-JeM-
chief-Masood-Azhar&id=361506
Lakes beneath Antarctic glacier found
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Australian researchers have discovered huge underwater
lakes beneath the largest glacier in east Antarctica.
• The lakes were detected by scientists setting off small
explosives 2m below the surface of the Totten glacier and
listening to the reflected sound.
• The Totten glacier is 30 km wide and up to 2 km thick, and
has the potential to raise sea levels by 7 m.
Source
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/26/
australian-researchers-find-huge-lakes-beneath-largest-
east-antarctic-glacier
Apple partnered for Apple Card
• Apple announced a new credit card called the Apple Card
recently.
• The company has partnered with Goldman Sachs and
Mastercard for payment handling and processing.
• Apple’s partner Goldman Sachs would not sell data to the
third party for marketing and advertisement. The service
would only be available in the US, starting summer.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/apple
-partners-with-goldman-sachs-and-mastercard-for-apple-
card-3701551.html
World's largest e-waste recycling hub opened
• The world's largest e-waste recycling facility has opened
in Dubai.
• Located at the Dubai Industrial Park, the 280,000 square
feet plant will process Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE), IT asset disposition (ITAD), and
refrigerant gas.
• It has a processing capacity of 100,000 tonnes of total
integrated waste per year, of which 39,000 tonnes is e-
waste.
Source
Link: https://www.thehansindia.com/technology/tech-
news/worlds-largest-e-waste-recycling-hub-has-opened-
in-this-city--515351
Comoros President re-elected
• Comoros President Azali Assoumani was re-elected on 27
March 2019 according to results published by the electoral
commission of the Indian Ocean archipelago.
• Azali was way ahead of his closest rival Mahamoudou
Ahamada, who garnered only 14.62% of the ballots cast.
• Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africa’s east coast, in
the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique
Channel.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Comoros-

President-Azali-Assoumani-re-elected-with-over-
60%25-of-votes&id=361468
Apple announced Apple TV Plus
• Apple announced its Apple TV Plus streaming service along
with a handful of original TV shows that are in the works,
on 25 March 2019.
• However, it left key details such as price, a release date, or
a real sense of the company’s strategy.
Source
Link: https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/25/18281333/ap
ple-tv-plus-streaming-many-questions-missing-details-
event-2019
Apple Card introduced
• Apple announced Apple Card on 25 March 2019, an
innovative, new kind of credit card created by Apple.
• It has been designed to help customers lead a healthier
financial life.
• It is built into the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone, offering
customers a familiar experience with Apple Pay and the
ability to manage their card right on the iPhone.
Source
Link: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/03/introd
ucing-apple-card-a-new-kind-of-credit-card-created-by-
apple/
Thailand held its first election after 5 years
• Thailand held its first general election after five years of
military rule.
• The military ousted an elected government in a coup in
2014.
• About 51.4 million people voted in the election.
• It will appoint 500 members to the House of
Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/voti
ng-underway-in-thailands-first-election-since-2014-
coup/article26624569.ece
Oman signs agreement with USA
• Oman has signed an agreement with the USA that allow
American ships and warplanes to take advantage of his
ports and airports.
• The framework agreement is aimed at bolstering Omani-
American military relations.
• The agreement will allow the US forces to take advantage
of the facilities offered at some of the Sultanate’s ports
and airports during visits of the US military vessels and
aircraft.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/oman-
signs-agreement-allowing-us-military-to-use-its-ports-
1.840991
Italy signs new Silk Road protocol with China
• Italy signed a “non-binding” protocol with China to take
part in Beijing’s new “Silk Road”.
• Italy became the first G7 country to sign up for the massive
project.
• The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or the Silk Road
Economic Belt is a development strategy adopted by China
involving infrastructure development and investments in
152 countries.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/italy
-signs-new-silk-road-protocol-with-
china/article26621435.ece
Islamic State group loses Syria
• The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) says the
Islamic State's control is over after the militants were
defeated in Syria.
• IS retains a presence in the region and has affiliates in
several other countries such as Nigeria, Yemen,
Afghanistan, and the Philippines.
• The Kurdish-led SDF alliance began its final assault on IS in
March 2019.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/intern
ational/world-news/white-house-islamic-state-territory-
in-syria-eliminated/articleshow/68528134.cms
Pak to receive a loan of $2.1 billion
• Pakistan will receive over US$ 2 billion loans from China by
25 March 2019 to provide a boost to its ailing economy.
• The funds will be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan.
• The loan facility will further strengthen foreign exchange
reserves and ensure the balance of payment stability.
• Pakistan has received USD 1 billion each from Saudi Arabia
and the UAE.
Source
Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/world/pak-
to-receive-a-loan-of-usd-21-billion-from-
china/story/329969.html
European Union delays Brexit
• The European Union has agreed to postpone Brexit from
29 March 2019.
• EU leaders agreed to delay Brexit after the UK Parliament
twice overwhelmingly rejected the deal that was agreed

with the EU on how to withdraw from the bloc and voted
against a no-deal exit.
• More than 17 million Britons voted in favor of leaving the
EU in a 2016 referendum.
Source Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-
47665289
US will recognise Israel's Golan Heights
• US President Donald Trump announced that the US will
recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
• Golan Heights was captured by Israel from Syria in 1967.
• Previous US administrations have treated Golan Heights as
occupied Syrian territory, in line with UN security council
resolutions.
Source
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/22/t
rump-provokes-global-anger-by-recognising-israels-
claim-to-golan-heights
Oxford Dictionary includes word 'chuddies'
• Chuddies, the Indian English word for underwear, is among
650 new entries recognised as official English words by the
definitive Oxford English Dictionary' (OED) in the latest
update.
• Chuddies made popular in the UK by the popular sitcom
starring British Indian actors.
• It is defined as short trousers, shorts.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/oxford-english-dictionary-includes-
chuddies-in-latest-update-119032100504_1.html
New Zealand Bans Assault Weapons
• New Zealand has imposed an immediate ban on assault
weapons following the Christchurch massacre that claimed
the lives of 50 mosque-goers.
• Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern announced
assault rifles and military-style semi-automatic weapons
would be banned with immediate effect.
• It is done to ensure that nothing like Christchurch
massacre ever occurs in the nation again.
14 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacif
ic/in-new-zealand-broad-support-for-ban-on-assault-
weapons-following-massacre/2019/03/21/ca58d25a-
4b4c-11e9-8cfc-
2c5d0999c21e_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c
1f707fe7049
UAE announced pan-Arab body
• 11 Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and
Morocco signed on to the first regional team to cooperate
on a space programme.
• The pan-Arab team's first project is 'a satellite that Arab
scientists will work on from here in the UAE'.
• The astronaut programme would make the UAE one of
only a handful of states in the Middle East to have sent a
person into space.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/uae-announces-pan-arab-body-for-space-
programme-119031901091_1.html
Astana to be renamed as Nursultan
• Kazakhstan's Parliament voted to rename the country's
capital Astana as Nursultan in honour of longtime ruler
Nursultan Nazarbayev, a day after he resigned as
President.
• Kazakhstan's new interim President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev proposed renaming the capital.
• Astana replaced Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty as the
capital in 1997.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Kazakhsta
n-to-rename-country%26%2339%3bs-capital-Astana-as-
Nursultan&id=361224
Hawaii to ban plastics at restaurants
• Hawaii would be the first state in the US to ban most
plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut
down on waste that pollutes the ocean.
• In the US, 500 million plastic straws are used and thrown
out every day.
• 95 percent of plastic packaging worldwide is thrown out
after being used once.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/hawaii-weighs-first-in-nation-plastic-
bans-at-restaurants-119031900285_1.html
U.K. lifts cap on PhD-level work visas

• The United Kingdom has lifted the 'restricted cap' which
was imposed in 2011 by the government has been lifted
for student visas.
• Currently, Ph.D. holders who apply for Tier 2 work visas
are limited by a restriction of only 20,700 visas per year.
• It will be implemented from the beginning of September
2019, but the cap of 20,700 will stay till 2021 for official
reasons.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/uk-
lifts-cap-on-phd-level-work-visas/article26536679.ece
Mozambique city of Beira hit by Cyclone Idai
• Cyclone Idai, which is carrying heavy rains and winds of up
to 177 km/h, made landfall at the port city of Beira on 14
March 2019.
• The cyclone has now moved west towards Zimbabwe.
• Beira is the fourth-largest city in Mozambique and its port
sits on the mouth of the Pungwe River, that runs to
Zimbabwe.
• Mozambique is the third most at-risk country in Africa
when it comes to extreme weather.
Source Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-
47576831
Australia to launch military exercises
• Australia will launch a seven-nation Indian Ocean military
exercise from 18 March 2019.
• The exercise will start in Sri Lanka.
• Some 1,000 Australian security personnel in four naval
ships and a military aircraft will participate in the biggest
joint exercise yet with their Sri Lankan counterparts.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/australia-to-launch-
indian-ocean-military-exercises-from-colombo-
119031500779_1.html
General Wolters new NATO supreme commander
• US Air Force General Tod Wolters was nominated to
become the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO)
Chief.
• The North Atlantic Council has approved the nomination of
General Tod Wolters.
• General Wolters is currently serving as Commander,
United States Air Forces Europe, United States Air Forces
Africa and Allied Air Command.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/us-general-wolters-new-
nato-supreme-commander-119031501113_1.html
Argentina, Colombia to co-host Copa America
15 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Argentina and Colombia are poised to co-host the 2020
Copa America after South America's ruling body
CONMEBOL once again ruled out a US proposal to host the
tournament.
• The decision marks the first time in the modern Copa
America era that the tournament will be split between two
countries.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/argentina-colombia-set-
to-be-co-hosts-of-2020-copa-america-
119031400211_1.html
Russia issued a commemorative coin
• The Bank of Russia has issued a commemorative coin to
mark five years since Russia staged a disputed referendum
in Ukraine’s Crimea.
• The Bank of Russia has issued a base metal coin in
denomination of 5 rubles.
• The face value of the coin also features an illegally-built
bridge to connect the peninsular to mainland Russia.
Source Link: https://bnn-news.com/russia-
commemorates-annexation-of-crimea-with-coin-worth-
eur-0-07-198253
10 countries added in tax blacklist
• The European Union expanded its tax haven blacklist by 10
countries, adding the UAE and Bermuda on 12 March
2019.
• The list, now 15 countries long, was first drawn up in 2017
in wake of several scandals, including the Panama Papers.
• 7 countries will be moved back from a greylist because
reform commitments had not been met. These are Aruba,
Belize, Bermuda, Fiji, Oman, Vanuatu and Dominica.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/eu-adds-10-countries-
including-uae-to-tax-blacklist-119031200656_1.html
US set to become net exporter of oil: IEA
• The USA will become a net exporter of oil from 2021, a
development which should reinforce global energy
security.
• New technology that allows for extracting oil and gas from
shale rock formations has led to a boom in oil production
in the US in recent years.
• The IEA forecasts the US will account for 2/3rds of the
increase in global oil production.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/us-
set-to-become-net-exporter-of-oil-iea-
1552320835523.html
International News

• Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas appointed
Mohammad Shtayyeh as Prime Minister on 10 March
2019.
• An Ethiopian Airlines flight, 'Boeing 737 Max' from Addis
Ababa to Kenya's capital Nairobi crashed early on 10
March 2019 with 149 passengers and eight crew members
on board.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/palestinian-president-appoints-ally-
shtayyeh-as-new-pm-119031000483_1.html
Malaysia becomes a member of ICC
• Malaysia has become the 124th member of the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
• The ICC is the world's only permanent war crimes court
and aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national
courts are unable or unwilling.
• The headquarters of International Criminal Court is in The
Hague, Netherlands.
• Malaysia's capital is Kuala Lumpur and its currency
is Malaysian Ringgit.
Source
Link: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/mala
ysia-joins-international-criminal-court-icc-11312826
Sadiq Khan named UK Politician of the Year
• London Mayor Sadiq Khan was named the Politician of the
Year at the Annual Political and Public Life Awards
presented by Britain's 'Asian Voice' weekly newspaper.
• He was awarded for his ongoing contribution to the
political life.
• UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson was named as
Cabinet Minister of the Year and Indian-origin politician
Priti Patel named as Conservative Party MP of the Year.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/london-mayor-sadiq-
khan-named-uk-politician-of-the-year-
119030900164_1.html
Marshall Islands to launch digital currency
• The Marshall Islands will launch a digital currency named
'SOV' this year.
• The Marshall Islands government partnered with Neema,
the Israel-based company, to develop the digital currency.
• The Marshall Islands, a tiny Pacific atoll nation with a
population of just 55,000, passed legislation in 2018 to
develop digital currency as legal tender.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/marshall-islands-to-
launch-digital-currency-this-year-119030900117_1.html
OECD cut global growth forecast
16 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
lowered its forecast for global economic growth to 3.3%
for 2019.
• It is down from 3.5% it predicted in November.
• High policy uncertainty, ongoing trade tensions, and
further erosion of business and consumer confidence
contributed to the slowdown.
• OECD revised growth estimates lower in almost all of the
countries in the G20 group.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/oecd-cuts-global-growth-forecast-over-
trade-brexit-uncertainty-119030600687_1.html
U.S. closed Jerusalem consulate
• The US officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem,
downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to
the Palestinians by folding it into the US Embassy to Israel.
• The consulate functioned as a de facto embassy to the
Palestinians for decades.
• The symbolic shift hands authority over U.S. diplomatic
channels with the West Bank and Gaza to Ambassador
David Friedman.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-
closes-jerusalem-consulate-demoting-palestinian-
mission/article26428169.ece
Senegal's President Macky Sall won second term
• On 28 February 2019, Senegal's President Macky Sall won
a second term of five years.
• He got 58% of the vote in the poll in which he faced four
candidates from other parties.
• He was first elected as President of Senegal in 2012.
• Senegal is an African country and its capital is Dakar and
currency is West African CFA Franc.
Source
Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/electoral
-commission-senegal-macky-sall-wins-term-
190228142430894.html
United States slaps new sanctions on Venezuela
• The United States has imposed new sanctions on
Venezuela.
• The sanctions were imposed a day after Russia and China
vetoed a US and European resolution at the UN Security
Council.
• The US imposed sanctions on the members of President
Nicolas Maduro's security forces.
• The US also revoked the visas of 49 Venezuelan officials
and their family members.

Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=United-
States-slaps-new-sanctions-on-Venezuela&id=360446
UNSC designates Hamza under its sanctions list
• The United Nations Security Council has designated Hamza
bin Laden under its sanctions list.
• He is the son of Osama bin Laden and is now subject to a
travel ban, assets freeze, and an arms embargo.
• A reward of a US$ 1 million was announced for
information leading to his capture.
• Saudi Arabia revoked the citizenship of Hamza bin Laden
via a royal decree in November 2018.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=United-
Nations-Security-Council-designates-Hamza-bin-Laden-
under-its-sanctions-list&id=360445
7th RCEP ISSM was held in Cambodia
• The 7th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Intersessional Ministerial Meeting (7th RCEP ISSL MM) was
held on 2 March 2019 in Cambodia.
• The meeting was chaired by Chutima Bunyapraphasara,
Acting Minister of Commerce of Thailand.
• RCEP is a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between
10 countries of ASEAN and their six FTA partners.
• Cambodia's capital is Phnom Penh.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566835
Books & Authors
'Indian Fiscal Federalism' book launched
• N.K. Singh, Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, launched
the book 'Indian Fiscal Federalism.
• The book is written by Dr. Y. V. Reddy, former Governor of
RBI and Chairman of the 14th Finance Commission of India
along with Dr. G. R. Reddy, Advisor (Finance) to the
Government of Telangana.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569807
Navin Chawla's new book launched
• Former Chief Election Commissioner of India Navin
Chawla’s book ‘Every Vote Counts’ was launched by
former Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.
• This book is about how the electoral machinery works in
India.
• The book explains about India is on the cusp of change.
17 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/elections
-uphold-values-of-democracy-hamid-
ansari/article26621476.ece
Suresh Prabhu released a coffee table book
• Minister for Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu released a Coffee
Table Book- Cruising New Heights- Flying For All on 7
March 2019.
• The Publication throws light on the outstanding
achievements made in the civil aviation sector during
2018.
• It brings out various innovative policy initiatives like drone
ecosystem roadmap, green aviation policy, Rupee Raftar
for financing and leasing of aircrafts.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67943
Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas released
• A compilation of selected speeches of PM Narendra Modi,
titled Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was released by Arun Jaitley
on 8 March 2019.
• Spanning 5 volumes, the books, brought out by
Publications Division, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting, were released both in Hindi & English.
• It reflects the vision of the PM of seeing all citizens of the
country as one.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67884
Book on 'Mann Ki Baat' released
• A book titled, 'Mann Ki Baat - A Social Revolution on Radio'
was released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi
on 2 March 2019.
• The book is a compendium encompassing 50 editions of
the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on All India Radio.
• The book is published by Rupa, in collaboration with
BlueKraft Digital Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation.
Source Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-
style/books/features/now-a-book-on-mann-ki-baat-
uncovers-modis-thinking/articleshow/68214794.cms
Personalities in News
Sanath Jayasuriya banned for 2 years
• Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain, Sanath Jayasuriya has
been banned from cricket for two years.
• He admitted breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-
Corruption Code.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019

• Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by ICC for origin-Jagmeet-creates-history%2c--enters-Canada-
last few years. parliament&id=361205
Naresh Goyal and Anita Goyal exit Jet Airways
• Jet Airways founder and principal promoters Naresh Goyal,
and his wife Anita Goyal stepped down from the board
and left the airline they founded nearly 25 years ago.
• The current CEO Vinay Dube is expected to stay on and
steer Jet out of the current crisis.

Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/tra
nsportation/airlines-/-aviation/naresh-goyal-his-wife-
anita-goyal-to-exit-jet-airways-
today/articleshow/68554990.cms
Jimmy is the longest-living U.S. President
• Former President Jimmy Carter became the longest-living
president in United States history on 22 March 2019.
• Jimmy Carter is the USA’s 39th President.
• He has broken the previous record held by the late
President George H.W. Bush, who died in November 2018.

Source
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/us/pol
itics/how-old-is-jimmy-carter.html
Nirav Modi arrested by London Police Gauri Sawant: 1st transgender ambassador

• A UK court remanded the fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, in
custody till March 29, 2019.
• Nirav was arrested in Holborn on 20 March 2019. He is the
main accused in the 13,500 crore rupees PNB scam case.
• His arrest came days after a London court issued an arrest
warrant against him in response to a request by the
Enforcement Directorate for his extradition in a money
laundering case.
• The Election Commission appointed transgender social
activist Gauri Sawant as one of the 12 election
ambassadors from Maharashtra.
• Following the Supreme Court order, transgenders got the
right to vote for the first time in 2014.
• There are 113, 184, and 123 registered transgenders in
constituencies of Bhiwandi, Kalyan, and East Mumbai
respectively.

Source Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Nirav- Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Mumbai-
Modi-arrested-by-London-Police%3b-remanded-in- social-worker-Gauri-Sawant-becomes-first-transgender-
custody-till-Mar-29&id=361219 election-ambassador&id=361202
Jagmeet Singh entered Canada Parliament Kazakhstan President resigned

• Indian-origin Jagmeet Singh created history in Canada by
making debut in the House of Commons as the first non-
white leader of a major opposition party in the country.
• Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party, was
elected in federal by-elections held on February 25, 2019.
• His arrival coincided with the induction of a senior woman
member into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Indian-
18 | P a g e
• Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced
his resignation after nearly 30 years in power.
• He had ruled the country since it emerged from the
collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Kazakhsta
n-President-resigns-after-nearly-30-years-in-
power&id=361198
Japan's Uncle Olympics passed away

For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"


• Businessman Naotoshi Yamada, known as 'Uncle
Olympics', passed away due to heart failure recently.
• He attended all 14 summer Olympics from the 1964 Tokyo
Games to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
• He stood out among the audience as he often wore a
traditional Japanese jacket and a golden hat while
cheering loudly and waving the Japanese flag.
Source
Link: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190318/p2a/0
0m/0na/012000c
MP appoints its first transgender govt officer
• In a first in Madhya Pradesh, the state has appointed a
transgender government officer.
• Sanjana Singh recently joined as the personal secretary of
the director of social justice and disabled persons welfare.
• Before her present posting, Sanjana had become the first
para-legal volunteer of District Legal Services Tribunal and
was also a nominated member of the Lok Adalat of the
tribunal
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/india/madhya-
pradesh-appoints-its-first-transgender-government-
officer-2064805.html
Neomi Rao to become federal judge: US
• The US Senate has voted to confirm Indian-origin Neomi
Rao as a judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Rao will replace Brett Kavanaugh who was confirmed to
the US Supreme Court in October last year.
• The 45-year-old, who was nominated by US President
Donald Trump, currently heads the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ani/us-senate-confirms-
indian-american-neomi-rao-as-judge-of-appeals-court-
119031400130_1.html
Supreme Court set aside ban on Sreesanth
• The Supreme Court has set aside the life ban on cricketer S
Sreesanth, imposed by the BCCI.
• The disciplinary committee of the BCCI may reconsider
within three months the quantum of punishment to be
given to Sreesanth.
• The disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for
Cricket in India, BCCI imposed the ban on Sreesanth for his
alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=SC-
overturns-life-ban-on-cricketer-S-Sreesanth&id=361014
Greta nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
19 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who has inspired
an international movement to fight climate change, has
been nominated to receive Nobel Peace Prize 2019.
• If she wins, she would be the youngest recipient since
Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 when she
received the prize.
• She was nominated by three Norwegian MPs.
Source Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-
47568227
Japanese woman officially named oldest person
• A 116-year-old Japanese woman named Kane Tanaka was
honored as the world's oldest living person by Guinness
World Records.
• She was born on 2 January 1903.
• The previous oldest living person was another Japanese
woman, Chiyo Miyako, who passed away in July 2018,
aged 117.
Source Link: https://news.sky.com/story/worlds-oldest-
person-is-116-year-old-japanese-woman-11659795
Sadiq Khan named UK Politician of the Year
• London Mayor Sadiq Khan was named the Politician of the
Year at the Annual Political and Public Life Awards
presented by Britain's 'Asian Voice' weekly newspaper.
• He was awarded for his ongoing contribution to the
political life.
• UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson was named as
Cabinet Minister of the Year and Indian-origin politician
Priti Patel named as Conservative Party MP of the Year.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/london-mayor-sadiq-
khan-named-uk-politician-of-the-year-
119030900164_1.html
World's youngest self-made billionaire: Kylie
• Kylie Jenner was named the youngest self-made billionaire
of all time by Forbes magazine.
• Jenner, 21, made it onto the annual Forbes list of
billionaires after debuting her Kylie Cosmetics online in
2015.
• Forbes said she is both the world's youngest billionaire and
also the youngest self-made billionaire ever.
Source
Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/201
9/03/05/at-21-kylie-jenner-becomes-the-youngest-self-
made-billionaire-ever/
Mukesh Ambani is 13th richest in world: Forbes
• Richest Indian, Mukesh Ambani jumped six positions to
rank 13th on Forbes World's Billionaire list.

• Amazon founder Bezos with $131 billion remained the
world's richest person followed by Bill Gates and Warren
Buffett.
• Ambani saw wealth soar from $40.1 billion in 2018 when
he was placed 19th richest in the world, to $50 billion to
be rank at 13th in 2019.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/muk
esh-ambani-is-13th-richest-in-world-forbes-
1551800293643.html
Abhinandan will be awarded Mahavir Award
• IAF Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman will be
the 1st recipient of the ‘Bhagwan Mahavir Ahimsa
Puraskar’ instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Digambar Jain
Mahasamiti.
• He shot down a Pakistani Air Force jet F-16 with an R-73
air-to-air missile in a dogfight on February 27.
• He will be awarded on April 17, 2019. The award has a
cash prize of Rs. 2.51 lakh, citation, and memento.
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-
news/iaf-pilot-abhinandan-varthaman-to-be-awarded-
with-bhagwan-mahavir-ahimsa-puraskar/story-
GiK9UnxsuTL9hlqAfA46SM.html?utm_campaign=full
article&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts
Abhinandan Varthaman returns home
• Indian Air Force Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthman
arrived in India on 1 March 2019.
• He was handed over to Indian authorities by Pakistan at
Attari-Wagah border.
• He was captured by Pakistani authorities on 27 February
2019 after an aerial engagement between the 2 countries.
• A suicide bomb attack was carried in Pulwama, J&K in
February 2019 that killed approx 40 paramilitary troops.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/iaf-
pilot-abhinandan-varthaman-shifted-to-indian-air-force-
hostel-after-medical-check-up-2001645
Naresh Goyal resigns as Chairman
• Jet Airways' founder Naresh Goyal has agreed to step
down as chairman of the airline's board.
• Mr. Goyal, who founded the full-service carrier 25 years
ago, has also agreed to reduce his 51% stake.
• He would continue to be a part of the company in some
capacity even after stepping down as chairman.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/business/jet-
airways-founder-naresh-goyal-agrees-to-step-down-as-
chairman-report-2000820
20 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Government Policies & Schemes
Telengana govt. unveils portal for MSMEs
• A digital portal named Telangana State GlobalLinker (ts-
msme.globallinker.com) was launched by Telangana
government on 27 March 2019.
• The portal for micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) will provide them a digital profile, including an
online product catalog and e-commerce store.
• It will also allow access to global networking opportunities
towards identifying buyers and suppliers.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/
govt-unveils-portal-for-msmes/article26657168.ece
UMMEED launched by Care Hospitals
• CARE Hospitals in association with Piramal Swasthya
announced the launch of community-based cancer
screening programme UMMEED.
• It has been launched to detect early cancer and reduce
mortality due to it.
• It is expected to reduce the impact of cancer burden in the
state of Telangana through early detection of oral, breast
and cervical cancers in rural areas.
Source
Link: https://www.expresshealthcare.in/news/care-
hospitals-in-association-with-piramal-swasthya-
launches-ummeed/410452/
Bharat Consumption scheme launched
• ICICI Prudential AMC launched ICICI Prudential Bharat
Consumption Scheme on 26 March 2019.
• The scheme aims to benefit from the Indian consumption
story, considered as one of the fastest growing
consumption markets globally.
• The offer will open on March 26 and close April 9, 2019.
• The scheme is an open-ended equity scheme following the
consumption theme.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/sto
cks/news/icici-prudential-amc-to-launch-bharat-
composition-scheme/articleshow/68567225.cms
Schemes and Campaigns
• System for TB Elimination in Private Sector (STEPS) scheme
was launched on 24 March 2019 to mark the World TB
Day.
• YSR Congress party launched the Jagan Anna Kanuka
campaign on 24 March 2019 to make voters aware of
Navaratnalu, nine promises made by YSRCP and its
benefits.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019

Source • The poll observers will get all the important notifications
Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/ysr and alerts through the ‘Observer App’.
cp-launches-jagan-anna-kanuka-campaign-to-make- • It will also help them get their deployment status and
people-aware-of-navaratnalu20190324205437/ download the ID card.
CBSE launches app Shiksha Vani
Source
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) launched its Link: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/india/mobile-
podcast app, 'Shiksha Vani'. app-for-poll-observers-launched.html
• It will be used to send out major announcements made by
the board and is expected to be the quickest way to
information.
• The first official circular on the app confirmed the
beginning of the evaluation process of the 2019 Board
Examinations.

Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/cbse-
launches-podcast-app-shiksha-vani-available-in-play-
store-5636923/
Bill for total liquor prohibition in Mizoram
• Mizoram assembly passed a bill to bring back total
prohibition of liquor in the northeastern state after four
years.
• The state government decided to prohibit the
manufacture, import, sale, and consumption of liquor for
the common people for their general health.
• Earlier total prohibition was in force in Mizoram from 1997
to 2015.

Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-

amp/pti-stories/bill-passed-to-bring-back-total-
prohibition-in-mizoram-119032100478_1.html
'Conquer Exam, Be a Warrior' App launched
• Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar has
developed a mobile application called as ‘Conquer Exam,
Be a Warrior’.
• It is made in collaboration with the National Mental Health
Program, Department of Health and Family Welfare,
Gujarat.
• This application creates awareness as well as help students
to analyze their weak points and overcome from the exam
pressure by providing assistance.
Pulse Polio Programme for 2019 launched
• On 9 March 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind launched
the Pulse Polio programme for 2019.
• Children of less than five years across the country will be
given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of
India to sustain polio eradication from the country.
• The programme was launched on the eve of National
Immunisation Day which is observed on 10 March 2019.

Source Source
Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/business/mobile- Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=President-
app-developed-by-iiphg-phfi-to-combat-exam- Kovind-launches-Pulse-Polio-programme-for-
pressure20190318170846/ 2019&id=360790

ECI to launch Observer App Yuvashree Arpan scheme launched in West Bengal

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) will launch the
Observer App, a mobile application, that will help poll
observers to submit reports.
21 | P a g e
• 'Yuvashree Arpan' scheme was launched in West Bengal
on 6 March 2019.
• Under the scheme, 50000 youth in the state will receive
financial assistance of Rs 1 Lakh for setting up an
enterprise.

For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"


• The MSME department of the state government will be
funding the scheme.
Source Link: http://www.uniindia.com/yuvashree-arpan-
mamata-announces-new-scheme-for-employment-of-
youth/east/news/1520180.html
Free milk scheme launched in Uttarakhand
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat
launched the 'Mukhyamantri Anchal Amrit Yojana' in
Dehradun on 7 March 2019.
• Under the scheme, 2.5 lakh children at 20,000 Anganwadi
kendras in the state will be given 100 ml milk twice a week
for free.
• Flavoured, sweet, skimmed milk powder will be made
available to the 20,000 Anganwadi kendras across the
state under the Amrit Yojana.
Source
Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttarakhand-
cm-launches-free-milk-scheme-for-anganwadi-children-
1472485-2019-03-07
Scheme for construction workers launched
• The Maharashtra government launched 'Atal Aahar Yojna'
for construction workers in the state on 7 March 2019.
• Under the yojana, construction workers will be provided
nutritious and hygienic food at their workplace for just Rs
5.
• The Yojana will be implemented in some areas of the state
on a pilot basis and later its scope will be expanded.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/maharashtra-govt-
launches-scheme-for-construction-workers-
119030701142_1.html
Centre approves strategy to create carbon sink
• The government of India approved a strategy for creating
an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree cover by
2030.
• The strategy will help in fighting against climate change.
• Carbon sinks are natural or artificial reservoirs that absorb
and store the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide through
physical and biological mechanisms.
Source
Link: https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science
/centre-approves-strategy-to-create-carbon-sink-of-3-
billion-tonnes-from-forests-by-2030/1509824/
Strategy document UNNATEE launched
22 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) launched a strategy
document titled 'UNNATEE' (Unlocking National Energy
Efficiency potential) on 8 March 2019.
• It describes a framework and implementation strategy to
establish a clear linkage between energy supply-demand
scenarios and energy efficiency opportunities.
• The document addresses India’s environmental and
climate change mitigation action plan.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68321
India Cooling Action Plan launched
• Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
launched 'India Cooling Action Plan' (ICAP) on 8 March
2019.
• ICAP is a 20-year road map (2018 to 2038) to address the
cooling requirements for all sectors such as buildings, cold
chain, transport and refrigeration.
• It aims to reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to
25% and reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by
2037-38.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68328
e-Dharti app launched
• e-Dharti app, a new online system where all the 3 main
modules- Conversion, Substitution, and Mutation have
been made online, was launched recently.
• The public can now submit their applications online by
visiting L&DO website.
• e-Dharti Geo Portal, another important application on
which L&DO has started working, is GIS-based mapping of
approx 65000 properties.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67945
Scheme to rebate state embedded taxes
• The Union Cabinet approved the scheme to rebate state
and central embedded taxes to support the textile sector.
• This will enable the Government to take various measures
for making exports of apparel and made-ups zero-rated.
• At present, apparel and made-ups segments are supported
under the Scheme for Rebate of State Levies (RoSL).
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67806
Government to launch I-STEM portal

• The center is all set to launch a national portal 'I-STEM' of
publicly-funded research facilities and equipment.
• It will enable easy and timely access of resources to
researchers working anywhere in the country.
• The web portal is developed by scientists from the Indian
Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and is expected to be
officially launched soon.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/govt-to-
launch-portal-of-publicly-funded-research-facilities-
1551895341867.html
Bharat Electronics launches SWAGAT
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), presented SWAGAT – the
Automatic Fare Collection Gating System.
• Modi launched the system as part of the inaugural of
Phase-I of the Ahmedabad Metro.
• SWAGAT is an initiative by the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs in collaboration with BEL and Centre for
Development of Advanced Computing with the support of
DMRC, NPCI, and SBI.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/l
ogistics/bharat-electronics-launches-swagat-automatic-
fare-collection-gating-system/article26437351.ece
NABL launched Quality Assurance scheme
• NABL launched a scheme called Quality Assurance Scheme
(QAS) for Basic Composite (BC) Medical Laboratories (Entry
Level) in February 2019.
• The scheme will help to bring quality at the grass root level
of India’s health system.
• The base criterion of the scheme is based on the
requirements enlisted in Gazette notification dated 18th
May 2018 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MOHFW).
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1567599
Government introduced transport scheme
23 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The government introduced the Transport and Marketing
Assistance (TMA) scheme on 5 March 2019.
• It will provide financial assistance for transport and
marketing of agriculture products.
• Under the scheme, the government would reimburse a
certain portion of freight charges and provide assistance
for marketing of agricultural produce.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/govt-brings-transport-scheme-to-boost-
agri-exports-to-reimburse-freight-cost-through-dbt-
119030500980_1.html
PM Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana launched
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan
Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana at Gandhinagar.
• This is a national pension scheme for workers and
labourers of unorganised sector.
• It will provide a monthly pension of 3000 rupees to the
employees of the unorganised sector after 60 years of age.
• The scheme will benefit 10 crore workers in unorganised
sector.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=PM-Modi-
to-launch-Pradhan-Mantri-Shram-Yogi-Mandhan-
Yojana%2c-other-projects-in-Gujarat-today&id=360566
PM on 2-day visit to Gujarat
• PM Narendra Modi is on a 2-day visit to Gujarat from 4
March 2019.
• He will launch the Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan
Yojana (PM-SYM) and inaugurate the first phase of 6-km-
long Ahmedabad Metro service.
• He will also lay foundation stones for Umiya Dham temple
and launch SAUNI water scheme.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/pm-
narendra-modi-to-launch-several-projects-in-gujarat-
during-his-2-day-visit-starting-today-2054421.html
Rice Knowledge Bank launched
• ‘Rice Knowledge Bank - Assam’, an agriculture web portal
was launched on 28 February 2019.
• The portal is a part of the World Bank funded project-
Assam Agri-business and Rural Transformation (APART).
• The portal dedicated to enhancing knowledge on rice
production techniques and technologies, best production
practices and state agriculture facts.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/econo
my/agriculture/rice-knowledge-bank-launched-under-

world-bank-funded-assam-agribusiness-rural-
transformation-apart-project/articleshow/68206606.cms
STARS Scheme launched by HRD Ministry
• Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)
launched STARS – Scheme for Translational and Advanced
Research in Science to fund science projects.
• The ministry has approved funds worth Rs 250 crore for
the scheme.
• These funds will be utilised to sponsor about 500 science
projects.
• The project will be coordinated by the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bangalore.
Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/nationa
l-science-day-hrd-ministry-launched-rs-250-crore-
scheme-stars-to-fund-science-projects-5604639/
Cabinet approves phase 2 of FAME scheme
• The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA)
approved a Rs 10,000 crore package for the second phase
of Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Electric (and
hybrid) vehicles (FAME) scheme on February 28.
• Phase 2 will continue for three years till 31 March 2022.
• FAME II will focus on the electrification of public
transportation including 'shared transportation'.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/cabine
t-approves-rs-10000-crore-package-for-phase-ii-of-
fame-scheme-3596961.html
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Jl-VAN yojana
• The Union Cabinet approved the 'Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN
Yojana' (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal Awashesh
Nivaran) on 28 February 2019.
• The aim of the scheme is to provide financial support to
Integrated Bioethanol Projects using lignocellulosic
biomass and other renewable feedstock.
• The Yojana will be supported with total financial outlay of
Rs.1969.50 crore for 5 years.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRI
D=1566711
Scheme for knitwear sector launched
• Textile Minister, Smriti Irani launched a scheme for
development of Knitting and Knitwear Sector under
PowerTex India in New Delhi on 28 February 2019.
• Yarn bank scheme, solar energy scheme, group work shed
scheme, and creation of new service centers are few of its
components.
24 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Combined SFC of PowerTex India Scheme and Knitwear
Scheme were approved with an outlay of Rs. 487.07
crores.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566646
Science & Technology
Google launches global council for AI
• Google launched a global advisory council to consider
ethical issues around artificial intelligence and other
emerging technologies.
• The 8 member council includes technology experts, digital
ethicists, and people with public policy backgrounds.
• The group is meant to provide recommendations for
Google and other companies and researchers working in
areas such as facial recognition software.
Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-
news-technology/google-launches-global-council-to-
advise-on-ai-and-tech-ethics-5646568/
Electric potential of thundercloud measured
• For the first time in the world, researchers at the GRAPES-
3 muon telescope facility in Ooty have measured the
electrical potential, size, and height of a thundercloud that
passed overhead on 1 December 2014.
• At 1.3 gigavolts, this cloud had 10 times higher potential
than the previous record in a cloud.
• Clouds have negative charges along with their lower side
and positive charges on top.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
tech/science/ootys-muon-detection-facility-measures-
potential-of-thundercloud/article26619932.ece
C-DAC announces Tech Conclave 2019
• Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
will host 2 days 'Technology Conclave' on 4 and 5 April
2019 at Pune.
• Exascale Computing, Microprocessor and Quantum
Computing, AI & Language Computing, IoE, and
Dependable and Secure Computing and Next Generation
Applied Computing will be discussed at the conclave.
• C-DAC is the implementing agencies of the National
Supercomputing Mission.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ani/c-dac-announces-tech-
conclave-2019-119033000181_1.html
IIT Delhi developed AI system for malaria

• Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed an AI-based
electronic hardware system to detect malaria,
tuberculosis, intestinal parasite, and cervical cancer in
milliseconds.
• The system can be used for healthcare access in resource-
constrained areas with limited access to human specialists.
• The long-term impact would be to enable future
deployment of the platform in rural areas.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/iit-
delhi-develops-ai-based-system-to-detect-malaria-other-
diseases/article26647656.ece
A-Sat missile destroyed live satellite
• India has entered its name as an elite space power. An
anti-satellite weapon A-SAT, successfully targeted a live
satellite in 3 minutes on a low earth orbit.
• Till now only the US, Russia and China have achieved this;
now India is the 4th country to achieve this feat.
• Mission Shakti was a difficult target to achieve which was
completed successfully within 3 minutes of launch.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-
narendra-modi-address-to-nation-1553666395099.html
Apple partnered for Apple Card
• Apple announced a new credit card called the Apple Card
recently.
• The company has partnered with Goldman Sachs and
Mastercard for payment handling and processing.
• Apple’s partner Goldman Sachs would not sell data to the
third party for marketing and advertisement. The service
would only be available in the US, starting summer.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/apple
-partners-with-goldman-sachs-and-mastercard-for-apple-
card-3701551.html
Chandrayaan 2 to carry laser instruments
• India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan 2, scheduled to launch
in April, will carry NASA’s laser instruments that allow
scientists to make precise measurements of the distance
to the Moon.
• In Chandrayaan - 2 Mission, a 3,890-kg Chandrayaan-2
spacecraft will orbit around the Moon to study its
conditions and collect data of its topography, mineralogy
and exosphere.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
tech/science/chandrayaan-2-will-carry-nasas-laser-
25 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
instruments-to-
moon/article26640826.ece?homepage=true
DRDO satellite to be launched on April 1
• ISRO will launch an advanced electronic intelligence
satellite EMISAT, developed by DRDO on April 1, 2019.
• It will be used to sniff out enemy radars and for collecting
imagery and communication intelligence.
• Its characteristics are - help monitor the activities of
enemy radars and sensors deployed along the border and
know the exact topography of enemy areas.
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/drdo-sat-
that-will-sniff-out-enemy-radars-to-be-launched-on-
april-1/articleshow/68551896.cms
Device developed to detect the temp drop
• A bracelet, Bempu, has been developed which gives out
alerts whenever newborn's body temperature drops, a
condition called hypothermia seen in newborns with low
birth weight.
• Bempu, an acronym for baby temperature, is a made in-
India hypothermia alert device and was innovated in 2016
by Ratul Narain.
• When worn by a newborn, the blue light on the bracelet
flashes if the temperature is normal.
Source
Link: https://www.newsrain.in/news/68506811/Bracelets
-from-Bengaluru-saving-babies-in-Papua-New-Guinea
NASA discovers pulsar speeding through space
• NASA discovered a pulsar hurtling through space at nearly
4 million km/h.
• It is so fast that it could travel the distance between Earth
& the Moon in just 6 minutes.
• Pulsars are super dense, rapidly spinning neutron stars left
behind when a massive star explodes.
• This one, dubbed PSR J0002+6216, has a radio-emitting tail
pointing towards the expanding debris of a recent
supernova explosion.
Source Link: http://www.ddinews.gov.in/sci-tech/nasa-
discovers-pulsar-speeding-through-space
Evidence of water found on asteroid Bennu
• Scientists have discovered evidence of abundant water-
bearing minerals on the surface of the near-earth asteroid
Bennu.
• Data from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that is currently
orbiting the asteroid confirm the presence of aqueously
altered, hydrated minerals on its surface.
• Scientists say similar objects may have seeded the earth
with water and organic materials.

Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/scien
ce/evidence-of-water-particle-plumes-found-on-asteroid-
bennu-nasa/article26592859.ece
UAE announced pan-Arab body
• 11 Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and
Morocco signed on to the first regional team to cooperate
on a space programme.
• The pan-Arab team's first project is 'a satellite that Arab
scientists will work on from here in the UAE'.
• The astronaut programme would make the UAE one of
only a handful of states in the Middle East to have sent a
person into space.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/uae-announces-pan-arab-body-for-space-
programme-119031901091_1.html
Google unveiled Stadia
• Google unveiled a video-game streaming platform called
Stadia, positioning itself to take on the traditional video-
game business.
• The platform will store a game-playing session in the cloud
and lets players jump across devices operating on Google's
Chrome browser and Chrome OS.
• Google made the announcement at the Game Developers
Conference in San Francisco.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
tech/technology/gadgets/google-unveils-stadia-a-video-
game-streaming-platform/article26592293.ece
Scientists successfully levitate objects
• Scientists have designed a way to levitate and propel
objects using only light, by creating nanoscale patterns on
the objects' surfaces.
• Though still theoretical, the work is a step toward
developing a spacecraft that could reach the nearest
planet outside of the solar system in 20 years, powered
and accelerated only by light.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Scientists-
successfully-levitate-objects-with-light&id=361203
Water-resistant electronic skin created
• Scientists have created a self-healing electronic skin that
could be used in to develop a range of devices from water-
resistant touchscreens to aquatic soft robots.
• The material has been developed by researchers from the
National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University
of California.
26 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The electronic skin is created by printing the novel
material into electronic circuits.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/water-resistant-electronic-skin-with-self-
healing-abilities-created-119031900442_1.html
A gel to selectively remove oil or water
• A natural biopolymer, chitosan, which is water-soluble, has
been chemically modified by researchers at the
IIT Guwahati.
• It can selectively remove either an oil or water phase from
an oil-water mixture.
• The researchers have also made it possible to switch the
chitosan-based material’s property from being extremely
water-repelling to extremely oil-repelling and vice-versa.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
tech/science/a-gel-to-selectively-remove-oil-or-
water/article26556540.ece
Device which creates water from thin air
• Scientists have developed a novel solar-powered
harvesting system that absorbs moisture from the air and
converts it into clean, usable water.
• It relies on hydrogels, gel-polymer hybrid materials
designed to be 'super sponges' that can retain large
amounts of water.
• The technology could be used in disaster situations, water
crises or poverty-stricken areas and developing countries.
Source Link: http://ddnews.gov.in/sci-tech/new-solar-
powered-device-creates-water-thin-air
83 supermassive black holes discovered
• Astronomers discovered 83 quasars powered by
supermassive black holes 13 billion light-years away from
the Earth.
• The finding is published in The Astrophysical Journal.
• Supermassive black holes, found at centers of galaxies, can
be millions or even billions of times more massive
than Sun.
• A supermassive black hole becomes visible when gas
accretes onto it, causing it to shine as a quasar.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Astronome
rs-discover-83-supermassive-black-holes-13-billion-

light-years-away-from-Earth&id=360985
Indian Ocean exploration: Live broadcast
• A British-led scientific mission to document changes taking
place beneath the Indian Ocean has broadcast its first live,
television-quality video transmission from a 2-person
submersible.
• The first transmission came from 60 meters (200 feet)
down. The new broadcast uses cutting-edge wireless
technology.
• Monsoon storms and underwater current continued to
present a challenge at greater depths.
Source
Link: https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/indian-
ocean-exploration-mission-makes-historic-
broadcast/cid/1686686
Gender-neutral AI voice developed
• A Denmark-based team created a voice nicknamed Q that
was presented at the South by Southwest (SXSW) creative
festival in Texas and is designed to be perceived as neither
male or female.
• Barking orders at a digital device that responds in a
woman's voice can reinforce sexist stereotypes, according
to the team.
27 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/maga
zines/panache/breaking-sexist-stereotypes-experts-
develop-gender-neutral-ai-voice-for-digital-
assistants/articleshow/68372775.cms?from=mdr
Water molecules observed on Moon
• Scientists, using NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
(LRO), observed water molecules moving around the
dayside of the Moon.
• This would help them learn about the accessibility of water
that can be used by humans in future lunar missions.
• Scientists have hypothesised that hydrogen ions in the
solar wind may be the source of most of the Moon's
surface water.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Scientists
%2c-using-NASA%26%2339%3bs-Lunar-
Reconnaissance-Orbiter-(LRO)-observe-water-
molecules-moving-around-dayside-of-
Moon&id=360882
IBM to train 1m female students in India
• IBM will collaborate with Central and State governments
to upskill around 1 million female students over a period
of 3 years.
• They will be trained in the fields of Maths, Engineering,
and Science and Technology.
• As part of its engagement with the government, around
4,000 mentors and 6 Lakh mentees will benefit from IBM's
AI-powered mentor platform which will include 5 lakh
women students.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/ibm-to-
train-over-1-million-female-students-in-india-in-3-years-
1552318751717.html
Guided PINAKA sucessfully test fired
• Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO)
successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Pokhran
ranges on 11 March 2019.
• The weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art
guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and
control system.
• The indigenously developed Guided Pinaka by DRDO will
significantly boost the capability of the artillery to make
precision hits.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568552
First exoplanet spotted by Kepler confirmed

• The scientists have confirmed the existence of the
exoplanet named Kepler-1658 b.
• The exoplanet was the first spotted by NASA’s Kepler
space telescope in 2011.
• It is a massive hot Jupiter that rotates around its star every
3.85 days.
• Kepler-1658 b is 50% more massive and three times larger
than the Sun.
Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/scien
ce/first-exoplanet-kepler-spotted-finally-confirmed-
5615155/
ISRO and CNES signed agreement
• ISRO and its French counterpart CNES signed an
agreement on 6 March 2019 to set up a joint maritime
surveillance system in the country in May.
• The 2 nations will explore putting up a constellation of
low-Earth orbiting satellites that will track the movement
of ships globally.
• The 2 agencies have put up 2 climate and ocean weather
monitoring satellites Megha-Tropiques & SARAL-AltiKa.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-national/isro-french-agency-seal-agreement-on-
maritime-security/article26451948.ece
ISRO to receive training for Gaganyaan
• ISRO experts will receive training for the 'Gaganyaan'
project at Toulouse Space Centre, France from March
2019.
• The experts will also be trained at CADMOS, the center for
development of microgravity applications and space
operations, and MEDES Space Clinic in France.
• The space agencies of India and France signed an
agreement to build a constellation of satellites for
maritime surveillance.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/isro-
experts-to-receive-training-for-gaganyaan-project-in-
france-cnes-1551884273560.html
CERN approved new experiment
• CERN Research Board approved a new experiment
designed to look for light and weakly interacting particles
at the LHC.
• FASER (Forward Search Experiment), will complement
CERN’s ongoing physics programme, extending its
discovery potential to several new particles.
• It will search for a suite of hypothesised particles including
dark photons.
Source
Link: https://home.cern/news/news/experiments/faser-
28 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
cern-approves-new-experiment-look-long-lived-exotic-
particles?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=refer
ral&utm_source=inshorts
Ajit Kumar appointed BARC chief
• Scientist Ajit Kumar Mohanty was appointed Director of
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on 6 March 2019.
• He has been appointed for a period of 3 years and is at
present Director, Physics Group in BARC and Director, Saha
Institute of Nuclear Physics.
• The BARC is India's premier nuclear research facility based
in Mumbai.
Source
Link: https://repository.inshorts.com/articles/en/PTI/907
f5927-3c5c-4382-b7c5-
f31a0dead8a3?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium
=referral&utm_source=inshorts
Google launched new app
• Google unveiled a new app 'Bolo' on 5 March 2019 that
aims to help children in primary school learn to read in
Hindi and English.
• The free app, which is being launched in India first, uses
Google's speech recognition and text-to-speech
technology.
• The app features an animated character 'Diya', who
encourages children to read stories aloud and helps if the
child is unable to pronounce a word.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/google-launches-bolo-to-tutor-children-
to-read-hindi-english-119030600314_1.html
ISRO launched Young Scientist Programme
• ISRO launched a special programme for School Children
called “Young Scientist Programme” “YUva VIgyani
KAryakram” (युविका).
• It is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on
Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications
to the younger ones.
• It will be of around two weeks duration during summer
holidays and students of the 9th standard are eligible for
it.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1567344
Crew Dragon Rocket launched
• SpaceX launched an unmanned Crew Dragon craft from
Florida to the International Space Station on 2 March
2019.
• It is a milestone for Elon Musk's goal of enabling humans
to live on other planets.

Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/spacex-
launches-crew-dragon-rocket-in-first-test-of-craft-to-
carry-humans-1551522940946.html
Committees & Recommendations
MHA sets up Terror Monitoring Group
• On 29 March 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed a
Terror Monitoring Group (TMG).
• The TMG will take coordinated action in all registered
cases that relate to terror financing and terror-related
activities and bring them to a logical conclusion.
• The TMG will be chaired by Additional Director General of
Police, CID of J&K Police.
Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mha-sets-
up-terror-monitoring-group-to-check-flow-of-illegal-
funds-in-kashmir-5649526/
DDC constitutes a 17-member committee
• The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) has set-
up a 17-member high-level committee on reforming higher
education in Delhi.
• The committee will be chaired by DDC vice-chairperson
Jasmine Shah.
• It will recommend goals, metrics, policies, and actionable
plans for reforming Delhi's higher education system within
a year.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/india/dialogue-
commission-sets-up-high-level-panel-to-reform-higher-
education-in-delhi-2062785.html
RBI Governor chaired the panel of regulators
• Markets regulator SEBI, insurance regulator IRDAI, and
Pension Fund Regulator PFRDA, along with senior officials
of the finance ministry discussed key issues faced by the
economy.
• The meeting of the sub-committee of the Financial
Stability and Development Council was chaired by RBI
Governor Shaktikanta Das.
• They also reviewed the functioning of state-level
coordination committee.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-guv-headed-panel-of-
regulators-discuss-issues-concerning-economy-
119031401119_1.html
Panel formed to keep tab on fake news
• Several committees are formed to keep watch on
instances of paid and fake news.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The committees have been formed in coordination with
Information and Public Relations Department.
• Pre-certification is mandatory for any political party or
candidate to advertise in electronic media or e-papers.
• Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)
will be formed in all 33 districts of Rajasthan.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/panels-formed-to-keep-
tab-on-fake-news-media-ads-in-rajasthan-
119031401162_1.html
IRDAI and NHA form a joint working group
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) and the National Health Authority (NHA) has
formed a Joint Working Group (JWG).
• The joint working group will be chaired by Dinesh Arora,
Deputy CEO of NHA.
• The JWG will recommend measures to help improve the
implementation of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/irdai-
nha-form-joint-working-group-on-ayushman-
bharat/article26450028.ece
3-member panel to mediate in Ayodhya dispute
• A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court appointed 3-
member panel to mediate in Ayodhya dispute on 8 March
2019.
• The panel consists of former Supreme Court judge F.M.I.
Kalifulla as Chairman, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar, and Sriram Panchu, a senior advocate with
experience in alternative dispute resolution.
• The mediation will start in Faizabad district of Uttar
Pradesh.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/sc-appoints-3-member-panel-to-mediate-in-
ayodhya-dispute/article26477403.ece
Committee formed to examine insurance scheme
• The government of India has set up a 5 member
committee to examine issues related to framing of a
structured scheme for providing insurance cover to
advocates.
• The committee will be headed by Legal Affairs Secretary
Alok Srivastava.
• The committee will also have one representative each
from the Bar Council of India and the State Bar Councils.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/legal-affairs-secretary-
to-head-committee-on-insurance-scheme-for-lawyers-

119030801260_1.html
RBI constitutes task force under Usha Thorat
• The RBI announced a task force to examine issues related
to offshore rupee markets and recommend policy
measures to ensure the stability of the external value of
the domestic currency.
• It will be headed by its former deputy Governor Usha
Thorat.
• The eight-member task force will assess the causes behind
the development of the offshore rupee market.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/rbi-
constitutes-task-force-under-usha-thorat-on-offshore-
rupee-markets-1551361002549.html
Business & Economy
Adani port handles 200 million tonnes cargo
• Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has become
the first Indian port operator to handle cargo movement
of 200 million tonnes (MT) in 2018-19.
• APSEZ, a part of globally-diversified Adani Group, is the
largest port developer and operator in India.
• APSEZ's includes Mundra, Dahej, Kandla and Hazira,
Dhamra in Odisha, Mormugao in Goa, Visakhapatnam ,
and Kattupalli and Ennore in Chennai
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/ad
ani-becomes-first-indian-port-operator-to-record-200-
million-tonnes-cargo-movement-in-2018-
19/story/331493.html
BoB to develop agri-digital platform
• Bank of Baroda will develop an agri-digital platform called
'Baroda Kisan' in order to provide solutions for all major
agricultural requirements.
• Six companies -- Skymet Weather Services, Weather Risk
Management Services, BigHaat, Agrostar India, EM3 Agri
Services and Poorti Agri Services -- have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the bank for
this project.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/bob-to-develop-agri-
digital-platform-inks-6-mous-119032600707_1.html
Interest rate on small-savings unchanged
• The Finance Ministry has decided to keep the interest rate
unchanged on small savings schemes for the 3 month
period beginning 1 April 2019.
• The announcement covers small-saving schemes such as
the Post Office Saving Accounts, Post Office Time Deposits,
National Saving Certificates (NSC) etc.
• The unchanged interest rate means the NSC (5 years) and
the PPF (15 years) will fetch 8% interest.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/govt-keeps-small-savings-schemes-rates-
unchanged-for-q1-fy20/article26675893.ece
RBI clears Rs 19,240 crore CCL for Punjab
• The RBI cleared Rs 19,240.91 crore towards Cash Credit
Limit (CCL) for Punjab for the purchase of wheat in the
Rabi marketing season.
• The release of the CCL would facilitate the state
government in making timely payments to farmers against
purchases of food grains in the current season.
• The central government has fixed the minimum support
price (MSP) of wheat at Rs 1,840 per quintal.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-clears-rs-19-240-
crore-ccl-for-punjab-for-rabi-marketing-season-
119032901248_1.html
RBI sets NBFC-MFIs' average base rate
• The RBI has set the average base rate to be charged from
borrowers by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)
and Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs) at 9.21% for the first
quarter of the next fiscal.

• The RBI comes out with the average of the base rates of
the five largest commercial banks for the purpose of
arriving at the interest rates to be charged by NBFC-MFIs
to its borrowers.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-sets-nbfc-mfis-
average-base-rate-at-9-21-for-apr-jun-
119032901125_1.html
In Q3, current account deficit narrows to 2.5%
• As per the Reserve Bank of India's data, India’s current
account deficit (CAD) for the third quarter narrowed to
2.5% of the GDP compared with 2.9% in the preceding
quarter.
• In absolute terms, CAD was $16.9 billion in Q3 compared
with $19.1 billion in the second quarter.
• However, on a year-on-year basis, CAD in the October-
December period widened from 2.1% or $13.7 billion.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/in-q3-current-account-deficit-narrows-
to-25/article26683012.ece
RBI set to bring back ‘exotic currency bets’
• After a decade, the Reserve Bank of India is set to lift the
ban on ‘exotic currency derivatives’.
• They are the double-edged, fancy products that were
banned in 2007-08 amid allegations of mis-selling.
• Shaktikanta Das is the Governor of RBI.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/for
ex/das-led-rbi-set-to-bring-back-exotic-currency-
bets/articleshow/68607216.cms
Government to infuse Rs 5,042 crore into BoB
• The Finance Ministry has decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore
into state-owned Bank of Baroda.
• It is done ahead of the merger of two other public sector
lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda.
• The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of
Baroda would be effective from April 1, 2019.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/govt-to-infuse-rs-5042-cr-into-bank-of-
baroda/article26661452.ece
NTPC raised $ 450 million
• NTPC launched a medium-term notes (MTN or bond) issue
to raise $450 million as a part of its $6 billion (approx
₹41,400 crore) MTN programme.
31 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The MTNs are also known as bonds in the overseas
markets. The issue would close on 3 April 2019.
• The funds raised through this issue will be used for capital
expenditure by the company.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-
market-news/ntpc-launches-medium-term-bonds-to-
raise-rs-3-105-crore-1553683168165.html
Shares can be transferred in only demat
• Transfer of shares of listed companies can be done only in
the demat form from 1 April 2019, as said by SEBI on 27
March 2019.
• Shares in the demat form would help in maintaining a
transparent record of shareholding at companies amid
rising concerns over beneficial ownership of entities.
• The move does not prohibit an investor from holding the
shares in physical form even after April 1.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-
market-news/from-1-april-shares-can-be-transferred-in-
demat-form-only-sebi-1553705414813.html
SEBI defers implementation of norms
• Sebi deferred implementation of revised norms pertaining
to royalty payment by listed companies to related parties
by 3 months, on 27 March 2019.
• The implementation of a provision of the amended norms
has been deferred till June 30, 2019.
• The amendments were made to Sebi (Listing Obligations
and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 -
payment relating to royalty and brand usage.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-
market-news/sebi-defers-implementation-of-amended-
norms-for-royalty-payment-1553699075565.html
Tata to invest in GMR unit
• The Tata group has made its first investment in India's
burgeoning airports sector by buying 20% stake in the
GMR group's airports vertical.
• GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL) announced that it has
raised ₹8,000 crore from 3 investors in its airport vertical,
GMR Airports Limited (GAL).
• The investment brings multiple strategic benefits and will
pave the way for restructuring of the business.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/tatas-
enter-airports-business-to-invest-in-gmr-s-unit-
1553662412490.html
ITC sold John Players to Reliance
• ITC has sold its John Players apparel brand and related
trademarks and intellectual property to Reliance Retail.

• Launched about 2002, the apparel brand started with
men’s shirts and was later extended to jeans, tees, and
trousers.
• ITC will now focus on the premium-end through its WLS
stores.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/itc-
sells-john-players-brand-to-reliance-
retail/article26646203.ece
Rail Vikas Nigam to launch IPO
• Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a Miniratna
company incorporated by the Ministry of Railways, will
open its initial public offering for subscription on March
29, 2019.
• The price band for public issue, which will close on April 3,
2019, is fixed at Rs 17-19/share.
• A discount equivalent to 50 paise per share on the final
offer price will be offered to retail investors and
employees, respectively.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo
/rail-vikas-nigam-to-launch-ipo-price-band-fixed-at-rs-
17-19share-3702311.html
RBI slapped Rs 2 crore penalty on PNB
• The Reserve Bank of India slapped a penalty of Rs 2 crore
on Punjab National Bank for non-compliance of regulatory
directions with regard to SWIFT operations.
• SWIFT is a global messaging software used for sharing
information on inter-bank transactions by financial
entities.
• RBI had earlier imposed penalties worth 71 crore rupees
on 36 public, private and foreign banks for non-
compliance.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=RBI-slaps-
Rs-2-crore-penalty-on-PNB&id=361450
Stakes sold
• Prudential Corp. Holdings Ltd will sell a 3.7% stake in ICICI
Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd, on 26 & 27 March 2019.
• Fortis Healthcare Ltd is facilitating the sale of stakes
owned by private equity investors in its SRL Diagnostics
unit.
• Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd (KPTL) signed an
agreement to acquire a 85% equity stake in Linjemontage I
Grastorp AB (LMG) for a value of $24 million.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/pruden
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
tial-to-sell-3-7-stake-in-icici-prudential-via-an-offer-for-
sale-1553544073430.html
SEBI modified commissions
• Sebi reviewed and modified the commission as well as
disclosure norms for the mutual fund industry on 25
March 2019.
• The move came after Sebi in October 2018 asked the asset
management companies (AMC) to adopt full trail model of
commission in all schemes.
• The commission will be paid from AMC’s books and only
the first SIP(s) purchased by the new investor will be
eligible for upfronting.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/mutual-
fund/mf-news/sebi-modifies-commissions-disclosure-
norms-for-mutual-fund-industry-1553528778104.html
Delhivery gets $413 million funding
• Logistics startup Delhivery Pvt. Ltd has secured $413
million in a funding round led by the SoftBank Vision Fund.
• Delhivery plans to use it to expand its presence to 20,000
pincodes by the first quarter of FY20 from 15,000
pincodes.
• Delhivery was founded in 2011 by Barua, Mohit Tandon,
Bhavesh Manglani, Suraj Saharan and Kapil Bharati.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-
ups/-413-million-funding-helps-delhivery-enter-coveted-
unicorn-club-1553426910855.html
India gold imports dip 5.5%
• India's gold imports dipped about 5.5% in value terms to
$29.5 billion in April-February 2018-19, which is expected
to keep a lid on the current account deficit.
• Total gold imports in the corresponding period of 2017-18
stood at $31.2 billion, according to commerce ministry
data.
• India is one of the largest gold importers in the world.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-
market-news/india-gold-imports-dip-5-5-during-
apr-feb-to-29-5-billion-1553440448813.html
Government garnered Rs 700 crore
• Sale of 'enemy shares' and buyback of stocks by CPSEs
together yielded the government over ₹11,300 crore.
• This helped the exchequer mop up ₹85,000 crore from
disinvestment in the current fiscal- the second highest
receipt ever.

• Enemy property refers to the assets left behind by people
who migrated to Pakistan or China and are no longer
citizens of India.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-
market-news/govt-garners-rs-700-crore-through-first-
ever-sale-of-enemy-shares-1553445197910.html
EverSource Capital to invest $ 1 billion
• EverSource Capital is looking to invest over $1 billion in
renewable energy investments through its Green Growth
Equity Fund.
• The National Investments and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of
India and the UK government are anchor investors in
Green Growth Equity Fund.
• EverSource made an investment, jointly infusing $330
million along with NIIF and UK’s CDC, into Ayana
Renewables in February 2019.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/eversou
rce-capital-to-invest-1-billion-in-india-s-renewable-
energy-sector-1553448516881.html
Yarn Bank set up for weavers
• A yarn bank has been set up at the Mysore Powerloom Silk
Manufacturers Cooperative Society on Avenue Road to
benefit the state’s weavers.
• The bank will supply pure silk yarn and zari to weavers
who subscribe.
• The bank, regardless of the price rise in the open market
and the menace of middlemen, ensures a steady supply of
yarn to the weavers from southern Karnataka.
Source
Link: https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-
infrastructure/yarn-bank-set-up-to-help-weavers-in-
crisis-724963.html
Foreign investors to pay higher taxes
• Changes in the Sebi listing and prevention of insider-
trading regulations, revisions in the double-taxation
avoidance agreements with Mauritius and Singapore are
set to come into effect from April 1.
• The changes in DTAAs give India the right to tax capital
gains arising on Indian equity shares sold by a Singapore or
Mauritian resident.
• India amended DTAAs with Singapore and Mauritius in
2016
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/foreign-
investors-to-pay-higher-taxes-starting-from-april-1-
1553402525553.html
Ola cabs back on Bengaluru roads
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The Karnataka government announced that it had revoked
the suspension handed to Ola.
• It is done two days after it issued a notice banning the cab-
hailing service from operating in the state for six months.
• Ola services were suspended by Karnataka transport dept
for running bike taxis without permission.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-
ups/ola-cabs-back-on-bengaluru-roads-as-karnataka-
govt-lifts-ban-1553429188161.html
SIB to raise up to ₹250 crore
• On 20 March 2019, South Indian Bank said it will raise up
to ₹250 crore by issuing Basel III-compliant bonds.
• The bonds will be rated, unsecured, redeemable, non-
convertible, Basel III is compliant and lower tier 2 bonds up
to ₹150 crore.
• The bonds would bear face value of ₹1 lakh each.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/south-indian-bank-to-raise-up-to-250-cr-
via-basel-iii-compliant-bonds/article26590773.ece
MCCIL recognised as a Third-Country CCP
• Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (MCCIL), an
arm of Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India, received
recognition as a Third-Country Central Counterparty (TC-
CCP) by Bank of England.
• It will enable MCCIL to offer clearing services to UK-based
entities.
• There are currently seven clearinghouses recognized by
SEBI including BSE's Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd and
NSE Clearing Ltd.
Source
Link: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/44
8191-metropolitan-clearing-corporation-of-india-ltd-
first-to-receive-recognition-as-tc-ccp-by-boe
RBI to reform WMA system for states
• Reserve Bank of India has proposed a rule-based approach
in fixing new Ways and Means limits for the state

governments, replacing the previous expenditure-based
system.
• It will set up a panel to recommend parameters of the new
system which is aimed at preventing automatic
monetisation of deficits.
• RBI acts as debt manager for state governments and
provides a short-term loan to them.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/sto
cks/news/rbi-to-reform-wma-system-for-
states/articleshow/68469530.cms
ICICI Lombard partners with MobiKwik
• ICICI Lombard General Insurance entered into a
partnership with MobiKwik to provide cyber insurance
cover for the mobile wallet users.
• It aims to provide protection against unauthorised and
fraudulent transactions online, across bank accounts, and
mobile wallets.
• The insurance can be availed digitally through the app at
only ₹99 per month and with a sum insured of ₹50,000.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/icici-lombard-mobikwik-join-hands-to-
provide-cyber-insurance-cover-of-
50000/article26568366.ece
Bank in News
• Canara Bank launched an issuance of 5-year senior
unsecured bonds (Medium Term Notes) to the extent of
US$ 400 million under Medium Term Note (MTN)
programme, through its London branch on 21 March 2019.
• The RBI rejected IDBI Bank's proposal to change its name
following the transfer of controlling 51% stake to LIC from
the government of India.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/canara-bank-issues-
bonds-from-london-branch-to-raise-up-to-usd-400-mn-
119032200627_1.html
RBI forms panel to make currency notes
• The RBI informed the Bombay High Court that it
constituted a 4 member committee to look into the issue
of currency notes, which will be helpful to blind people.
• Bombay HC was hearing a petition filed by the National
Association of the Blind.
• RBI said that it was in the process of developing a mobile
application to help the visually impaired identify the
denomination of currency notes.
Source
Link: http://www.asianage.com/metros/mumbai/230319/
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
rbi-forms-panel-to-make-currency-notes-blind-
friendly.html
RBI defers launch of IndAs again
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has postponed the rollout
of the new accounting standards (IndAS) for the second
time.
• It is awaiting amendments to the banking laws before
adopting the norms.
• The loan-loss provision under the IndAS is recognised
based on the expected credit loss (ECL) model.
• The IndAS will further add to banks’ compliance burden,
especially for loan-loss provisions.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/finance/rbi-defers-launch-of-indas-
again-awaits-amendments-to-the-banking-laws-
119032300059_1.html
Banks and Business
• State Bank of India (SBI) raised Rs. 1,251.30 crore by
issuing Basel III-compliant bonds.
• State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) will acquire
the entire 52.63 percent shares of the government in REC
for Rs 14,500 crore by the month-end, a move that will
help the center to meet its disinvestment target.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/sbi-raises-rs-1251-cr-via-tier-i-
bonds/article26615030.ece
Employment generation in formal sector high
• According to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation
(EPFO) payroll data, net employment generation in the
formal sector touched a 17-month high of 8.96 lakh in
January 2019.
• The EPFO has been releasing payroll data from April 2018,
covering the period starting September 2017.
• The EPFO manages social security funds of workers in the
organised and semi organised sector in India.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/job-
generation-in-formal-sector-touches-17-month-high-
epfo-data-2011532
Government exceeds disinvestment target
• According to the Ministry of Finance, the government has
overshot its disinvestment target for the second
consecutive year.
• The disinvestment proceeds this financial year crossed Rs.
85,000 crore against Revised Estimate of Rs. 80,000 crore.

• In 2017-18, the government had earned a little more than
Rs. 1 lakh crore from disinvestments against a target of Rs.
72,500 crore.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/govt-earns-rs-85000-crore-from-
disinvestment-overshoots-target/article26615021.ece
Xiaomi launches 'Mi Pay' App
• Xiaomi has launched the 'Mi Pay' App.
• The Mi Pay app will be available on Xiaomi devices that
run on the Android-based MIUI.
• App is seamlessly integrated across SMS, contacts,
scanner, app vault and settings within the MIUI
environment.
• Xiaomi has tied up with ICICI Bank for the role of the
payment service provider while the NPCI monitored
UPI will be the digital wallet interface.
Source
Link: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/xiaomi-
launches-mi-pay-india-take-google-pay-paytm-98662
Vodafone Idea board approved rights issue
• Shares of Vodafone Idea (VIL), tumbled after its board
approved Rs 25,000-crore rights issue, one of the largest in
Indian markets.
• The stock recovered after falling as much as 7.6% to Rs
29.6 a piece (close to a 52-week low of Rs 28.8), ending at
Rs 33 a piece, up 3% from the previous close.
• VIL shareholders would be able to buy 87 shares for a 60%
discount to the current stock price.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/companies/vodafone-idea-board-
approves-rs-25-000-crore-rights-issue-at-60-discount-
119032001036_1.html
Exim Bank gave $ 83 million to Congo
• Exim Bank gave a loan of $ 83.11 million to Congo to
finance three solar power projects in the central African
country.
• The loan will be utilised for financing 3 solar photovoltaic
power projects with a total capacity of 35 MW in 3
provinces -- Karawa, Mbandaka, and Lusambo.
• Projects covered under the LOCs extended to Congo
include hydroelectric power projects, power transmission,
and more.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/exim-bank-gives-83-mn-line-of-credit-
to-congo-to-finance-3-solar-power-projects-
119031900643_1.html
EFIs can trade in commodity derivatives
35 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Eligible Foreign Investors (EFIs) can participate in
commodity derivatives trading on stock exchanges located
at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
• This statement was released by SEBI on 18 March 2019.
• The contracts would be cash-settled on the settlement
price determined on overseas exchanges.
• Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is the 1st
IFSC in India.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/efis-can-trade-in-commodity-derivatives-
on-ifsc-exchanges-119031800852_1.html
Hyundai, KIA to invest $ 300 million in Ola
• Hyundai Motor Co and KIA Motors Corp will together
invest $300 million in Ola, playing catch-up in the global
race to invest in mobility firms.
• Hyundai, Kia, and Ola will collaborate to develop fleet and
mobility solutions, electric vehicles and infrastructure
specific to the Indian market.
• Ola's other investors include SoftBank Group Corp and
Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/business/hyundai-
motor-kia-to-invest-300-million-in-ola-2009645
Net direct tax collection crossed Rs10 lakh cr
• The net direct tax collection figure crossed the Rs 10 lakh
crore mark as on March 16, 2019.
• The net direct tax collection during April-January of this
fiscal stood at Rs 7.89 lakh crore as against Rs 12 lakh crore
targeted for the entire fiscal of 2018-19.
• The government in the interim Budget revised customs
collection target from Rs 1.12 lakh crore to Rs 1.30 lakh
crore.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/net-direct-tax-collection-crosses-rs-10-
lakh-cr-mark-119031800972_1.html
India’s first REIT
• India’s first real estate investment trust (REIT) is going to
come up.
• It is backed by Embassy Office Parks, a Bangalore-based
real estate developer.
• The first REIT initial public offering (IPO) is open for
investment between March 18 and 20, 2019.
• The Embassy Office Parks REIT plans to raise ₹4,570 crore
through the IPO.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-
finance/india-s-first-reit-is-finally-here-should-you-
invest-1552826505402.html

RBI relaxes norms for trade credit
• On 13 March 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed
norms for imports of capital and non-capital goods by
raising the trade credit limit to USD 150 million under the
automatic route.
• Oil and gas refining & marketing, airline and shipping
companies can avail trade credits under the automatic
route.
• For others, the limit is up to USD 50 million or equivalent
per import transaction.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-relaxes-norms-for-
trade-credit-119031300949_1.html
Aviva Life Insurance launches Wings Programme
• Aviva Life Insurance has announced the launch of ‘Wings'
programme on 13 March 2019.
• It is a specially designed mentorship program to empower
the female workforce.
• The program is an initiative of the SHE division of the
company, for mentoring all the women employees.
• SHE was conceptualised in 2016 by Aviva India’s Women
Network
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/ba
nking/finance/insure/aviva-life-insurance-launches-
36 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
wings-to-empower-women-at-the-
workplace/articleshow/68388851.cms?from=mdr
Brookfield to buy East-West gas pipeline
• Canadian investor Brookfield-led India Infrastructure Trust
(InVIT) agreed to buy Mukesh Ambani's East-West gas
pipeline for Rs 13,000 crore.
• The East-West pipeline originates at Kakinada in Andhra
Pradesh and travels 1,460-kilometers up to Bharuch in
Gujarat.
• It transports Reliance Industries Ltd's eastern offshore KG-
D6 gas to various customers.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/brookfield-led-invit-to-
buy-ril-s-east-west-gas-pipeline-for-rs-13-000-cr-
119031500416_1.html
SBI launches cardless ATM withdrawal
• State Bank of India (SBI) launched YONO Cash on 15 March
2019.
• YONO cash is designed to help SBI customers withdraw
cash without a physical debit card.
• ATMs enabled for this service will be termed YONO Cash
Point.
• ATM cash withdrawals using SBI's YONO will be secured
with two-factor authentication.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/sbi-
atm-debit-card-launch-yono-cash-1552646639403.html
New guidelines on price-sensitive information
• On 15 March 2019, the Reserve Bank of India came out
with guidelines to prevent misuse of price-sensitive
information by participants in markets for financial
instruments.
• Market participants shall not undertake any action with
the intention to manipulate the calculation of a
benchmark rate or a reference rate.
• The guidelines have come into effect from 15 March 2019.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-issues-guidelines-to-
prevent-market-abuse-119031500963_1.html
India's trade deficit narrows
• According to data released by the Commerce Ministry,
India's exports grew by 2.44% year-on-year to 26.67 billion
dollars.
• India's imports declined by 5.4% to 36.26 billion dollars.
• The exports grew on account of higher shipments in
sectors such as pharmaceuticals, engineering, and
electronics.

• The gap between imports and exports was 12.3 billion
dollars in February 2018.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=India%26
%2339%3bs-trade-deficit-narrows%3b-exports-up-by-
2.44%25%2c-imports-decline-by-5.4%25&id=361033
RBI Governor chaired the panel of regulators
• Markets regulator SEBI, insurance regulator IRDAI, and
Pension Fund Regulator PFRDA, along with senior officials
of the finance ministry discussed key issues faced by the
economy.
• The meeting of the sub-committee of the Financial
Stability and Development Council was chaired by RBI
Governor Shaktikanta Das.
• They also reviewed the functioning of state-level
coordination committee.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-guv-headed-panel-of-
regulators-discuss-issues-concerning-economy-
119031401119_1.html
IDBI categorised as private bank
• IDBI Bank has been categorised as a private sector bank by
the Reserve Bank of India, with effect from January 21,
2019.
• The move came following the acquisition by Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC).
• SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank will continue to be
identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-
SIBs).
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/sto
cks/news/rbi-categorises-idbi-as-a-private-
bank/articleshow/68410964.cms?from=mdr
SBI launched doorstep banking service
• SBI launched a doorstep banking service for senior citizens
over 70 years of age and differently-abled customers.
• Eligible customers can avail this service at a nominal fee of
100 rupees per transaction for financial transactions and
60 rupees for non-financial transactions.
• Cash pickup and deliver, check pickup, and checkbook
slip, are some of the services that will be provided.
Source Link: http://www.ddinews.gov.in/business/sbi-
launches-doorstep-banking-service-senior-citizens-over-
70-differently-abled
Karur Vyasya Bank raised Rs 487 crore
37 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Karur Vysya Bank raised Rs 487 crore through Basel III
compliant bonds to fund its growth plans, on 13 March
2019.
• Basel III is an international regulatory framework with a
set of reforms to improve the regulation, supervision and
risk management within the banking sector.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/marke
ts/stocks/news/karur-vysya-bank-raises-rs-487-
crore-via-bonds/articleshow/68391762.cms
RBI to inject $5 billion liquidity
• RBI will conduct a US dollar /Indian rupee buy/sell swap
auction of $5 billion for a tenor of 3 years on March 26 to
inject rupee liquidity for longer duration.
• Under the buy/sell foreign exchange swap, a bank will sell
US dollars to the RBI and simultaneously agree to buy the
same amount of US dollars at the end of the swap period.
• This will support credit growth and soften bond yields.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/rbi-to-inject-5-bn-equivalent-long-term-
rupee-liquidity-via-buysell-swap-
auction/article26524061.ece
HDFC Bank crossed Rs 6 trillion
• HDFC Bank Ltd crossed the ₹6 trillion market capitalisation
for the first time on 13 March 2019, making it only the
country's third firm to achieve the milestone.
• HDFC Bank's stock gained for the fifth session in a row,
rising as much as 6% during the period.
• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) and Reliance Industries
Ltd (RIL) are the other 2 companies to cross it.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/hdfc-
bank-crosses-rs-6-trillion-market-cap-mark-as-shares-
hit-record-high-1552464519259.html
BoI raises Rs 660 crore by selling shares
• Bank of India (BoI) raised Rs 660.80 crore by issuing shares
to employees under Employee Share Purchase Scheme
(ESPS) on 12 March 2019.
• The bank issued 6,25,52,188 shares of Rs 10 each to
eligible employees.
• It offered a discount of 24.28% on the applicable price to
the employees and about 94.70% of total employees
participated in the scheme.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/bank-of-india-raises-rs-

660-cr-by-selling-shares-to-employees-
119031200375_1.html
76% Indian businesses hit by cyber attacks
• 76% of organizations were hit by online attacks in 2018, as
revealed by a new survey '7 Uncomfortable Truths of
Endpoint Security' released on 13 March 2019.
• IT managers discovered 39% of the most significant cyber
attacks on their organization’s servers and 35% on its
networks.
• The survey polled more than 3,100 IT decision makers
from mid-sized businesses in 12 countries.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-
news/76-indian-businesses-hit-by-cyber-attacks-survey-
1552446467488.html
Retail inflation rose by 2.57%
• Retail inflation rose to a 4-month high of 2.57% in
February, mainly driven by higher food prices.
• The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI)
stood at 1.97% in January and 4.44% in February 2018.
• Food inflation based on CPI, however, was in negative at
0.66%.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/retail-inflation-rises-to-
4-month-high-of-2-57-pc-in-feb-119031200684_1.html
SEBI lifted foreign investment cap
• Markets regulator SEBI withdrew the 20% limit on
investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors in corporate
bonds of an entity on 12 March 2019.
• In June 2018, SEBI had mandated that no Foreign Portfolio
Investors (FPIs) shall have an exposure of more than 20%
of its corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate.
• The restriction is being withdrawn in accordance with a
circular issued by RBI.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/sebi-lifts-foreign-
investment-cap-in-corporate-bonds-
119031200732_1.html
Industrial growth slowed down to 1.7%
• Industrial output growth stood at 1.7% in January on
account of slowdown in the manufacturing sector.
• Factory output as measured in terms of the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP) had grown by 7.5% in January
2018.
• During April-January 2018-19, industrial output grew at
4.4% as against 4.1% in the same period previous fiscal, as
per the data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
38 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/industrial-growth-slows-
to-1-7-pc-in-january-119031200765_1.html
DRT transfers UBL shares
• Liquor firm United Breweries Ltd said the Debt Recovery
Tribunal (DRT) in Bengaluru has transferred 2.80 percent
stake held by Vijay Mallya-linked United Breweries
(Holdings) in the company.
• It is worth Rs 1,025 crore.
• According to the BSE data for the December 2018 quarter,
United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd (UBHL) held 2.80 per cent
stake in UBL.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/sto
cks/news/drt-transfers-ubl-shares-worth-over-rs-1025-
cr-held-by-ubhl/articleshow/68358676.cms
RBI to become 10th largest holder of gold
• The RBI is set to become the tenth largest holder of the
gold worldwide, displacing the Netherlands.
• It added 6.5 tonnes of gold to its reserves in January,
taking its total holding forming part of its foreign exchange
reserves to 607 tonnes.
• According to the World Gold Council, India’s share of gold
held globally has been rising steadily to stand at 6.2% at
the end of 2018.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/economy-policy/rbi-inching-
towards-becoming-tenth-largest-holder-of-gold-
worldwide-119031100641_1.html
Russian arms export in India fell by 42%
• Russia's arms export to India, fell by 42% between 2014-18
and 2009-2013, according to a SIPRI report.
• Russia accounted for 58% of total Indian arms imports in
2014-2018, compared with 76% in 2009-2013, according
to the report.
• The five largest exporters in 2014-18 were the United
States, Russia, France, Germany and China.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/russian-
arms-exports-to-india-fell-by-42-between-2014-18-and-
2009-13-report-1552330101285.html
FMCG sales grew 22% in 2018
• Country’s organized grocery stores registered 22% growth
in sales, according to Reformatting Retail in India report by
Nielsen India released in March.
• The market for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sold
through modern retail stores stood at ₹41,416 crore as of
August 2018.

• However, the overall contribution of supermarkets and
organized grocery stores remained 10% of overall FMCG
sales.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/retail/fmcg-
sales-at-organized-retail-stores-grew-22-in-2018-
nielsen-india-report-1552350779531.html
PNB sanctioned debt worth Rs 689 cr.
• Punjab National Bank sanctioned loans worth ₹689 crore
to over 1,600 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) through the psbloansin59minutes.com portal.
• Under the Mudra Yojana, the bank has offered loan to
over 2.69 lakh small entrepreneurs this fiscal, till Feb 14,
2019.
• In November 2018, PM announced the launch of the 59
minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for
MSMEs.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/pnb-
sanctions-debt-worth-rs-689-cr-to-1-600-msmes-via-
59minute-loan-portal-1552229424139.html
IDBI Bank to sell Rs. 100 bn of bad loans
• IDBI Bank Ltd., the lender with India’s worst-bad loan ratio
will sell 100 billion rupees of stressed assets.
• It will be out of the RBI's prompt corrective action
framework by September as bad-loan ratio narrows and
profits rise.
• IDBI’s gross bad loan ratio stood at about 30 percent as of
December 31, 2018.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/the-
bank-with-india-s-worst-bad-debt-will-sell-1-4-billion-
of-loans-1552273019464.html
LIC hunts synergies
• Life Insurance Corporation of India and IDBI Bank Ltd. set
up a task force to implement synergies.
• This came four months after India’s biggest insurer agreed
to put more than 200 billion rupees into the troubled
lender.
• Sales of insurance policies through bank branches are
among immediate areas where gains can be made.
• Hemant Bhargava is acting chairman of LIC.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/lic-
hunts-synergies-with-troubled-idbi-bank-
1552279756705.html
RBI notifies 2% interest subsidy scheme
39 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• On 7 March 2019, RBI notified the norms for banks with
regards to 2% interest subvention or subsidy for short-
term crop loans during 2018-19 and 2019-20.
• It will be calculated on the crop loan amount from the date
of its disbursement up to the date of actual repayment of
the crop loan by the farmer.
• For such farmers, the effective rate of short-term crop
loans works out to be 4% per annum.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/econo
my/agriculture/rbi-notifies-2-interest-subsidy-scheme-
for-short-term-crop-loans/articleshow/68308544.cms
RBI relaxes norms for white-label ATMs
• The Reserve Bank of India relaxed norms for white label
ATM (WLA) operators and allowed them to buy wholesale
cash directly from the Reserve Bank of India.
• The RBI also permitted WLA operators to source cash from
any bank, including cooperatives and regional rural banks.
• WLAs are owned and operated by non-bank entities on
behalf of the banks.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/white-label-atm-
operators-allowed-to-source-cash-directly-from-rbi-
119030701170_1.html
RBI slaps penalties on 36 major banks
• The RBI imposed penalties worth Rs 71 crore on 36 public,
private and foreign banks on 9 March 2019.
• It imposed penalties for non-compliance with various
directions on time-bound implementation and
strengthening of SWIFT operations.
• The banks include Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, SBI and YES
Bank.
• SWIFT is a global messaging software used for transactions
by financial entities.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/rbi-slaps-penalties-on-
36-major-banks-for-non-compliance-in-swift-
operations-119030801243_1.html
Govt liabilities rise to ₹83.40 lakh crore
• As per the government report, the total liabilities of the
government increased to ₹83.40 lakh crore at the end of
the December 2018 quarter.
• Public debt accounted for 89.5% of total outstanding
liabilities by December 2018.
• During the October-December 2018 period, the central
government issued dated securities worth ₹1.27 lakh
crore.

Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/total-
government-liabilities-rise-to-rs-83-40-lakh-crore-in-q3-
finmin-report-1552051051964.html
SBI links short term loan rates to repo rate
• In a first of its kind, State Bank of India has decided to link
the interest rate paid on the savings bank balance of over
Rs. 1 lakh to the repo rate.
• It will also link cash credit accounts and overdrafts, with
limits above Rs. 1 lakh, to the repo rate.
• The new system will come into effect from 1 May 2019.
• The aim of the system is to increase the effectiveness of
monetary transmission.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/sbi-links-savings-account-short-term-
loan-rates-to-repo-rate/article26477263.ece
Government doubled income tax exemption
• The government doubled the income tax exemption limit
for gratuity to Rs 20 lakh on 6 March 2019.
• It will benefit lakhs of salaried employees, who are now
retiring as well as those who retired over the last 12
months.
• Gratuity Act applies to all employees working in an
organisation that employs 10 or more employees during a
year.
40 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-
business/govt-doubles-income-tax-exemption-for-
gratuity/articleshow/68295937.cms
Government announced new 20 rupee coin
• The government announced new Rs 20 coin on 7 March
2019 which will be shaped like a 12-edged polygon
(dodecagon).
• The composition of the coin is 65% copper, 20% nickel,
and 15% zinc for the outer ring.
• PM Narendra Modi also released the new series of visually
impaired friendly circulation coins (Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10
and Rs 20).
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-
business/government-announces-new-rs-20-coin-things-
to-know/articleshow/68298122.cms
Grasim bought Soktas India for Rs 165 crore
• Grasim Industries Ltd signed an agreement to acquire
100% equity shareholding of Soktas India Pvt Ltd (SIPL) for
₹165 crore on 6 March 2019.
• SIPL will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Grasim
after the completion of the transaction.
• SIPL is currently a wholly owned unit of 'SOKTAS Tekstil
Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S', a global producer and marketer of
fabrics, with its main facilities in Turkey.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/grasim
-buys-soktas-india-for-165-crore-1551899776784.html
CBDT announced relaxed norms for startups
• The income tax department notified the modified norms
for startups to enable them to seek 'angel tax' exemption
for investments of up to Rs 25 crore.
• The modified norms are aimed at encouraging budding
entrepreneurs.
• To avail the exemption a startup will be required to submit
a self-declaration about the use of the raised amount to
the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/cbdt-notifies-relaxed-norms-for-start-
ups-119030600838_1.html
3 banks fined by RBI
• RBI imposed a fine of ₹2 crore on Allahabad Bank, Rs 1
crore on ICICI Bank, and Rs 1 crore on Yes Bank for non-
compliance of norms.
• Yes Bank was fined for non-compliance of directions on
Swift.

• Allahabad Bank was fined for non-compliance of directions
with regard to Nostro accounts.
• ICICI Bank was fined for delay in compliance with
directions related to global messaging software Swift.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/rbi-
fines-allahabad-bank-icici-bank-yes-bank-for-non-
compliance-of-norms-1551781587968.html
RBI slapped fine on 4 banks
• RBI imposed a total monetary fine of Rs 8 crore on 3 banks
- Karnataka Bank, United Bank of India and Karur Vysya
Bank.
• Banks were charged for non-compliance of directions on
Swift messaging software.
• Rs 4 crore fine was imposed on Karnataka Bank, United
Bank faced a penalty of Rs 3 crore, and Rs 1 crore fine on
Karur Vysya Bank.
• Rs 1 crore was also charged on Yes Bank for the same
reason.
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/rbi-
imposes-rs-8-crore-fine-on-3-banks-for-non-
compliance-in-swift-operations-3606861.html
Essar got nod for shale exploration
• Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL)
received environment clearance for exploring shale gas
reserves in its Raniganj block in West Bengal.
• The expert appraisal committee (EAC) allowed Essar to
drill 20 wells to explore shale gas in its Raniganj CBM
block.
• It has been awarded an exploration lease for shale gas,
CBM, and hydrocarbons in the Raniganj block.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/essar-
oil-gas-gets-green-nod-for-shale-exploration-in-
raniganj-block-1551649952836.html
Adani Power's Jharkhand SEZ project
• The government has approved Adani Power's ₹14,000-
crore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project in Jharkhand.
• It will export power generated to Bangladesh.
• The group had sought approval for setting up the project
over an area of 425 hectares.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/
govt-approves-adani-powers-rs-14000-cr-jharkhand-sez-
project/article26423296.ece
4 banks fined by RBI
41 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 3 crore on Union
Bank, Rs 2 crore on Dena Bank and Rs 1 crore each on IDBI
and the SBI on 2 March 2019.
• They were charged for non-compliance with various
directions.
• The penalty on the Union Bank was imposed for delay in
adherence to its directives on 'Time-bound
implementation and strengthening of SWIFT-related
controls'.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/ba
nking/finance/banking/rbi-imposes-penalties-on-idbi-
dena-bank/articleshow/68234802.cms
One Nation One Card launched by PM
• PM Narendra Modi launched 'One Nation One Card' in
Ahmedabad on 4 March 2019.
• It can be used for paying for travel on any mode of
transportation.
• It will enable people to use them either in PoS machines
deployed at ticket counters or just use them like Metro
Rail smart cards to enter a platform.
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-
modi-to-launch-one-nation-one-card-for-all-modes-of-
travel-today/articleshow/68247992.cms
RBI to infuse Rs 25,000 crore into banks
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will infuse Rs 25,000 crore
into the banking system through Open Market Operations
(OMO).
• The RBI will conduct the purchase of government
securities through multi-security auction using the
multiple price method.
• The decision on OMO is based on a review of the evolving
liquidity conditions in the banking system.
Source
Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/banks/reserv
e-bank-of-india-to-infuse-rs-25000-crore-into-banks-via-
omo/story/322660.html
Manufacturing PMI at a 14-month high in Feb
• According to the Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing
Managers’ Index, the manufacturing activity expanded to a
14-month high of 54.3 in February 2019.
• The rise is due to an increase in sales, output, and
employment, according to a private sector survey.
• A reading over 50 denotes an expansion in activity and one
below 50 shows a contraction.

Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/manufacturing-pmi-at-a-14-month-
high-of-543-in-feb/article26414062.ece
SEBI slashes regulatory fee for brokers
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has
lowered the regulatory fee that it charges from market
intermediaries.
• The move is expected to bring down the overall trading
costs for investors.
• The fee that brokers have to pay to SEBI has been reduced
by 33.33%, while the fees levied on agri-commodity
brokers has been cut by 93.33%.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/sebi-slashes-regulatory-fee-for-
brokers/article26414064.ece
20,000 crore GST evasion detected
• The government detected ₹20,000 crore worth GST
evasion so far this fiscal.
• Between April-February 2018-19, GST evasion worth
₹20,000 crore had been detected, of which ₹10,000 crore
was recovered.
• A fake invoice worth ₹1,500 crore was detected which was
used to claim illegal GST credit of ₹75 crore.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gov
t-detects-20000-cr-gst-evasion-10000-cr-
recovered/article26391476.ece
GDP growth at 6.6% in December
• India's GDP or gross domestic product growth stood at
6.6% in the quarter ended December 31, 2018,
government data showed on 28 February 2019.
• This is the slowest rate of GDP expansion recorded since
the quarter ended September 2017, and lower than
economists' estimate.
• The growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7.0% as
compared to the growth rate of 7.2% in 2017-18.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/business/gdp-
growth-data-government-releases-gdp-growth-data-for-
december-quarter-2000417
Amalgamation of DBS bank approved
• RBI approved the amalgamation of 'DBS Bank, India' with
'DBS Bank India' on 28 February 2019.
• DBS used to operate in the 'branch model' and is among
the first foreign lenders to come forward and operate as a
WOS (wholly owned subsidiary).
• The scheme of amalgamation between the two entities
has been sanctioned under the provisions of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949.
42 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/rbi-
approves-amalgamation-of-dbs-bank-3596451.html
2nd advance estimate released
• The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Second
Advance Estimates of National Income at Constant (2011-
12) and Current Prices for the financial year 2018-19.
• Quarterly Estimates of GDP for the third quarter October-
December (Q3), 2018-19 was also released.
• The growth in GDP during 2018-19 is estimated at 7% as
compared to the growth rate of 7.2% in 2017-18.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566663
Sports
Air Staff Chief felicitated sportsmen
• A ceremony was held at Air Force Station New Delhi on 28
March 2019 to felicitate meritorious sportsmen of IAF who
have excelled at National and International arena.
• Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC,
Chief of the Air Staff felicitated 21 sportsmen and seven
teams of IAF and gave away the mementos.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69800
Savita to lead Indian Women's Hockey team
• Goalkeeper Savita will captain an 18-strong Indian
women's hockey team for the five-match series against
Malaysia starting from 4 April 2019.
• She will stand in for regular skipper Rani Rampal, who is
nursing an injury.
• The 8-day tour to Kuala Lumpur will have defender Deep
Grace Ekka as Savita's deputy.
• Rajani Etimarpu has joined the squad as the second
goalkeeper.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Savita-
Punia-to-lead-Indian-women%E2%80%99s-hockey-
team-in-Malaysia-tour&id=361497
Breakdancing to be added to Olympic 2024
• The Executive Board of the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) recommended adding breakdancing,
skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the 2024 Paris
Olympics.
• The addition of these 4 sports to the Paris medal program
offers the opportunity to connect with the young
generation.

• All 4 sports will be assessed in terms of how they are
managed, the integrity of competitions and judging.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Breakdanc
ing-makes-next-move-to-Olympic-status-at-Paris-
2024&id=361517
Manu and Saurabh bagged gold medal
• Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary bagged a Gold
medal in the 10 m Air Pistol Mixed team event at the 12th
Asian Airgun Championship at Taoyuan in Taipei.
• The teenage Indian duo went on to win the five-team final
with a score of 484.8 points.
• The duo won the ISSF World Cup stage gold at the same
event in Delhi in February 2019.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Manu-
Bhaker-Saurabh-Chaudhary-bag-Gold-medal-in-10m-
Air-Pistol-Mixed-event-at-Asian-Airgun-
C%E2%80%99ship&id=361486
Seamaster 2019 ITTF concluded
• Seamaster 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus, Oman Open,
concluded at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on
25 March 2019.
• Chinese Taipei Lin Yun-Ju, in the title-deciding contest,
beat Sweden’s Mattias Falck (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11,
11-8).
• Japan’s Hina Hayata, the no.9 seed, beat Chinese Taipei’s
Cheng I-Ching, the top seed, in the final (11-3, 11-5, 7-11,
11-9, 11-8).
Source Link: https://timesofoman.com/article/1031388
India's G Sathiyan won bronze medal
• India’s top-ranked paddler G Sathiyan won a bronze medal
at the ITTF Challenge Plus Oman Open on 24 March 2019.
• It was disappointing for India in women singles as both
Madhurika Patkar and Riti Shankar failed to go past the
first round of the main draw.
43 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• In men’s doubles, Sathiyan and Sharath lost their
quarterfinals to the Russian pair of Denis Ivonin and
Vladimir Sidorenko 2-3.
Source Link: https://scroll.in/field/917715/oman-open-
table-tennis-sathiyans-impressive-run-earns-him-bronze-
archana-kamath-bags-u-21-silver
Peter Tabichi won Global Teacher Prize 2019
• Peter Tabichi won the Global Teacher Prize 2019.
• Peter was chosen from our top 10 finalists who come from
all corners of the globe.
• Peter has dedicated his life to helping others.
• He gives 80% of his teaching salary to local community
projects, including education, sustainable agriculture, and
peace-building.
Source Link: https://www.globalteacherprize.org/
Edin Dzeko reached 100 Bosnia caps
• Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko became the
first player from his country to reach 100 international
caps in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier against Armenia
on Saturday.
• The 33-year-old was presented with a shirt bearing the
number '100', and a bouquet of flowers.
• He made his Bosnia debut on June 2, 2007.
• Dzeko is currently playing his club football for Italian giants
Roma.
Source
Link: http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/football/2
019/mar/24/edin-dzeko-becomes-first-player-to-reach-
100-bosnia-caps-1955220.html
Annual TSJA awards announced
• Saina Nehwal was named ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ at the
annual Telangana Sports Journalists Association (TSJA)
Awards on 19 March 2019.
• P.V. Sindhu was given the ‘Outstanding Performer’ Award.
• P. Gopichand was presented the ‘Coach of the Year’
Award.
• The Indian badminton team was adjudged the ‘Team of
the Year’.
• The Badminton Association of Telangana was named
‘Association of the Year’.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-
sports/saina-named-sportsperson-of-the-year-at-tsja-
awards/article26587228.ece
ESPN CricInfo ties up with IIT Madras
• Sports news website ESPNcricinfo in a partnership with the
IIT Madras launched a tool called ‘Superstats’ for
analyzing cricket statistics on 20 March 2019.

• Superstats use data science to give a context to every
event in a game, for forecasting and to explore the idea of
assessing luck.
• It will analyse data to reveal trends and patterns during
different periods of play.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/scienc
e/espncricinfo-and-iit-madras-collaborate-on-data-
science-tool-that-analyses-the-game-of-
cricket/articleshow/68497423.cms
Sports
• Formula One racer Valtteri Bottas won the Australian
Grand Prix on 17 March 2019.
• Bengaluru FC won the maiden Indian Super League
Football title.
• Lasith Malinga will retire from international cricket after
2020 T20 World Cup.
• FIFA banned former Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF)
President Luis Chiriboga for life.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/valtter
i-bottas-wins-australian-grand-prix-for-
mercedes/article26560155.ece
Hockey India launches its Coaching Education
• Hockey India launched its ambitious 'Hockey India
Coaching Education Pathway' on 22 March 2019.
• It aims to provide certification to those candidates who
are already coaches or wish to pursue coaching as a career
option.
• The program consists of a combination of web-based
modules and face-to-face interactive courses.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/hockey-india-launches-
its-ambitious-coaching-education-programme-
119032200561_1.html
Sports
• According to the Chennai SuperKings' director, the entire
ticket proceeds of the inaugural match will be given to the
families of CRPF personnel killed in the February 14 terror
attack in Pulwama.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allowed Test-
playing nations to have the players sport their names and
numbers on their jerseys.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/icc-gives-green-light-to-
name-and-jersey-number-in-tests-119032201019_1.html
India won SAFF Women's C'ship for fifth time
44 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• On 22 March 2019, in football, India won the SAFF
Women's Championship for the fifth time in a row.
• India defeated Nepal in the final match.
• India's Indumathi Kathiresan and Sabitra Tamang of Nepal
remained top scorer of the tournament, both scored four-
goal each.
• This is India's 23rd straight victory in the championship
since the inception of the tournament in 2010.
Source Link: http://www.ddinews.gov.in/sports/india-
clinches-saff-womens-championship-5th-time-row
CCFC was crowned the I League champion
• Chennai City Football Club (CCFC) was officially crowned
the I-League champion.
• Special awards were given to:
• Fair play award: Shillong Lajong
• Top goal scorer: Pedro Manzi (CCFC) and Willis Plaza
(Churchill Brothers) (21 goals each)
• Best goalkeeper: Bilal Khan (Real Kashmir)
• Best defender: Roberto Eslava (CCFC)
• Best midfielder: Nestor Gordillo (CCFC)
• Hero of the League: Manzi
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/ccfc-
officially-crowned-champion/article26593289.ece
Special Olympics World Games
• Special Olympics World Games concluded on 21 March
2019.
• India has bagged 368 medals - 85 Gold, 154 Silver, and 129
Bronze at Special Olympic Games 2019 in Abu Dhabi.
• The next Special Olympic Games are set to take place in
Sweden in 2021.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=India-bag-
368-medals-at-Special-Olympics-World-
Games&id=361241
RR launched academy in England
• Rajasthan Royals tied up with the Star Cricket Academy in
Surrey, England to re-launch the facility as the 'Rajasthan
Royals Academy'.
• The centre has a state-of-the-art cricket centre named the
Jarrett Centre.
• It is an indoor cricket training centre run by former
professional batsman Siddharth Lahiri, along with his team
of coaches.
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/i
pl/top-stories/rajasthan-royals-launches-academy-in-
england/articleshow/68476538.cms

Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch unveiled
• Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics unveiled a cherry-
blossom shaped torch for the Games.
• The shiny rose-gold torch is 71 centimetres (28 inches)
long and weighs 1.2 kilograms (2 pounds 10 ounces).
• Fukushima was chosen as the starting point for the
Olympic torch relay.
• The passing of the flame is scheduled to start on March 26,
2020.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Tokyo-
2020-Olympics-torch-unveiled&id=361234
Special Olympics World Games
• In Judo, Sonu Kumar from Rohtak, Haryana won the gold
medal by winning all three bouts.
• Muskan bagged a silver each in squat and bench press. She
also won a gold in deadlifting.
• India has sent a 378-strong contingent that is participating
in the 15th edition of the Games.
• The closing ceremony of Special Olympics World Games is
scheduled for March 21.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=India-
bags-188-medals-at-Special-Olympics-World-
Games&id=361165
Abu Dhabi to host T10 league for five years
• Abu Dhabi Cricket, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Sports
Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism-Abu
Dhabi, has signed a five-year agreement with the
organisers of the T10 Cricket League.
• The shortest form of the game will now be played
exclusively at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
• The first match of the T10 League 2019 will be held on
October 23.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Deal-
signed-to-host-T10-league-for-five-years-in-Abu-
Dhabi&id=361188
BWF badminton rankings
• Lakshya Sen and Riya Mookerjee broke into the top-100
among Men’s and Women’s singles players in the latest
World Badminton Rankings.
• Lakshya Sen is placed 76th while Riya Mookerjee is placed
at 94th.
• In the women's singles rankings, P V Sindhu and Saina
Nehwal are at 6th and 9th position respectively.
• Kidambi Srikanth is the best placed Indian in the men's
rankings at 7th.
45 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=BWF-
badminton-rankings%3a-Lakshya%2c-Riya-break-into-
top-100&id=361192
Prajnesh Gunneswaran rose to 84th position
• In Tennis, India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran rose to career-
high rank of 84 in the latest men's rankings of the
Association of Tennis Professionals(ATP).
• In the Women's Tennis Association rankings, Ankita Raina
continues to be India's top-ranked player at 168.
• She was followed by Karman Kaur Thandi, who jumped
seven places to 203.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=ATP-
Rankings%3a-Prajnesh-Gunneswaran-rises-to-career-
best-84th-position&id=361155
McIlroy secured 15th title on PGA Tour
• Rory McIlroy secured his 15th PGA Tour title by winning
The Players tourney, coming in two under par at 70 at the
TPC Sawgrass.
• It was McIlroy's 23rd career title worldwide, earning him
the $2.25 million purse and getting him into the top slot of
the FedEx Cup standings.
• So far in his career, he has won four majors - the 2011 US
Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA and the 2014 British Open.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/mcilroy-secures-15th-
title-on-pga-tour-119031800139_1.html
Military bands to perform in CSK-RCB opener
• Military bands will perform at the M. A. Chidambaram
Stadium ahead of the opening fixture of the Indian
Premier League (IPL).
• BCCI will also contribute Rs. 20 crore for the welfare of the
armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack,
where 44 CRPF personnel were killed.
• Indian players had also paid their respects by sporting
Army camouflage caps in the third ODI in Ranchi.
Source
Link: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-
news/ipl-2019-csk-rcb-military-bands-coa-ms-
dhoni/article26570528.ece
Gopi Thonakal qualified for World Athletics
• Gopi Thonakal qualified for the World Athletics
Championships in marathon, to be held in Doha in
September-October 2019.
• He achieved it after finishing 11th in the Seoul
International Marathon, clocking his personal best time of
2 hours 13 minutes 39 seconds.

• This was the 2nd best ever by an Indian after the 4-decade
old national record of 2 hours 12 minutes held by Shivnath
Singh.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Gopi-
Thonakal-qualifies-for-World-Athletics-
Championships&id=361141
Thiem won his Maiden Masters Title
• Dominic Thiem claimed the biggest title of his career by
defeating Roger Federer in the BNP Paribas Open final.
• He secured his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy in his third
final appearance.
• Thiem denied Roger Federer a record sixth BNP Paribas
Open crown.
Source Link: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/indian-
wells-2019-final-federer-thiem
Special Olympics
• In Special Olympics, in Roller Skating, Supreet Singh from
Haryana in 1000-meter, Rishabh Jain from New Delhi in
1000-meter and Priya Prakash Gada from Maharashtra in
100-meter won a Gold Medal each.
• Amanjot Singh won gold in the squat contest after lifting
385 kg.
• Indian roller skaters bagged 29 medals comprising nine
golds, 13 silver, and two bronze.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Special-
Olympics%3a-India-bags-70-medals&id=361100
Kohli retains top spot in ICC ODI rankings
• Indian skipper Virat Kohli and pacer Jasprit Bumrah have
retained top positions in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
• Kohli remained at the number one spot in the list of
batsmen.
• Rohit Sharma remained number two.
• In the team rankings, India is second, behind England.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Kohli%2c-
Bumrah-retain-top-spots-in-ICC-ODI-
rankings&id=361117
India came second at Asian Youth C'ships
• In Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Hong Kong,
boys medley relay team won a gold medal for India.
• Indian youth team finished second in the overall medals
tally with a total of 26 medals including eight gold, nine
silver, and nine bronze medals.
• China topped the overall medals tally with 31 medals that
included 12 gold, 11 silver, and 8 bronze medals.
46 | P a g e
For Best PDF, Search on Google - "Nitin Gupta PDF"
Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Athletics%
3a-India-finishes-second-in-medal-tally-at-Asian-Youth-
C%26%2339%3bships&id=361141
K T Irfan qualified for Tokyo Olympics
• A 29-year-old Indian athlete from Kerala, K.T. Irfan
qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
• He finished fourth in the men’s 20-kilometer category at
the Asian Race Walking Championships in Nomi, Japan.
• He got qualified for next year's Tokyo Olympics.
• The Two other Indian race walkers, who qualified for the
World Championship are Devinder and Ganapati.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/sport
s/k-t-irfan-becomes-first-indian-athlete-to-qualify-for-
tokyo-olympics/article26559504.ece
Sports
• Diksha Dagar became only the second Indian woman
golfer to win the Ladies European Tour.
• China's Badminton player Shi Yuqi won the Swiss Open
Badminton tournament in Basel on 17 March 2019.
• Javelin thrower Annu Rani qualified for the Asian
Championships to be held in Doha next month.
Source Link: https://www.thequint.com/sports/other-
sports/diksha-dagar-wins-south-african-open-golf-
second-indian-to-win-on-ladies-european-tour
Dream11 to be official partner for IPL
• On 15 March 2019, the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) announced Dream11, Indias biggest sports game, as
the official partner for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• This four-year exclusive partnership will begin with the
upcoming IPL 2019 season.
• Additionally, the 'Official Fantasy Game' of IPL will also be
powered by Dream11.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/dream11-to-be-official-
partner-for-ipl-119031501030_1.html
Sports
• In Athletics, Kamalpreet Kaur won a gold medal in the
women's discus throw event. Kaur also qualified for the
Asian Championships in the process on the opening day of
Federation Cup in Patiala.
• Shivpal Singh also booked a berth in the next month's
Asian Championships in Doha in men's javelin throw by
crossing the qualifying standard set by Athletics Federation
of India.

Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Kamalpree
t-Kaur-wins-gold-in-women%26%2339%3bs-discus-
throw-event&id=361038
Asian Youth Athletics Championships
• India bagged 5 medals, including two gold, on the opening
day of the Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Hong
Kong.
• Philip Maheswaran Thabitha grabbed the first gold for
India by winning the boys' 110 metres hurdles.
• Vipin Kumar added the second gold medal for India in the
boys' hammer throw.
• Harshita Sherawat, Deepak Yadav, and Ajay are the other
three who won silver and bronze medals.
Source Link: http://www.newsonair.com/Main-News-
Details.aspx?id=361034
India to host U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020
• On 15 March 2019, International Football Federation
(FIFA) President Gianni Infantino announced that India will
host the U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020.
• This will be the second FIFA tournament India will be
hosting, after the U-17 Men's World Cup in 2017.
• As the host country, India automatically qualified for the
U-17 Women's World Cup event.
47 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/india-to-host-u-17-
women-s-world-cup-in-2020-119031600009_1.html
Karnataka won Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
• Karnataka defeated Maharashtra by 8 wickets in the finals
of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
• It was played at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore.
• Mayank Agarwal scored an unbeaten 85 off 57 balls to
help Karnataka win their first ever Syed Mushtaq Ali
Trophy.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/news/agarwa
l-shines-as-karnataka-clinch-their-maiden-syed-
mushtaq-ali-trophy-2066963.html
Anthem of Special Olympics World Games 2019
• The official song for Special Olympics World Games Abu
Dhabi 2019 is titled Right Where I’m Supposed To Be.
• It was revealed for the first time at the Opening Ceremony
of the World Games.
• Avril Lavigne's song ‘Fly’ was the official anthem for the
2015 World Games.
Source
Link: https://filipinotimes.net/news/2019/03/14/special-
olympics-launch-new-anthem-right-im-supposed-avril-
lavigne-luis-fonsi-music-artists-tonight/
Renedy Singh named Neroca FC Coach
• Former India midfielder Renedy Singh was named head
coach of Neroca FC, succeeding Spaniard Manuel
Retamero Fraile, on 13 March 2019.
• He had a stint as assistant coach of Indian Super League
side Pune City FC in the 2015-16 season. He is an AFC - A
Licence holder.
• Neroca lost to Real Kashmir 2-3 at home in their final
match of the 12th I-League to finish with 26 points (from
20 matches).
Source
Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/former-
india-international-renedy-singh-named-neroca-fc-
coach/story-jFPN7dkN9RxjTO6PjAxjrK.html
Rohit Sharma: 3rd to cross 8000 ODI runs
• Rohit Sharma became the 3rd fastest player to cross 8000
runs in ODI cricket.
• He is also the 9th Indian batsman to do so after Virat Kohli,
Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul
Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed
Azharuddin.
• He surpassed MS Dhoni as the player to record for most
ODI sixes for India.

Source
Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/roh
it-sharma-sourav-ganguly-8000-odi-runs-india-vs-
australia-5th-odi-
5625029/?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=refe
rral&utm_source=inshorts
Indian Oil won Gold Cup
• Indian Oil retained their Bombay Gold Cup Hockey crown
on 13 March 2019.
• They defeated Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) 9-7 via penalty
shootout in the summit clash.
• Bharat Petroleum's Darshan Gawkar was adjudged as the
most promising player of the tournament and received a
cheque of Rs 10,000 awarded by the Sports Journalists'
Association of Mumbai.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/indian-oil-retain-gold-cup-hockey-
crown-raghunath-shines-119031300814_1.html
Special Olympics Worlds Games 2019 began
• Special Olympics World Games 2019 is being held from
March 14-21, 2019 in UAE.
• It made history by welcoming a record-breaking 200
nations ahead of the Games.
• Of the 200 nations, 195 will compete in the Games and 5
will observe.
• It is being held in West Asia for the first time. 7,500
athletes will take part in 24 Olympic-style sports over 7
days.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Special-
Olympics-World-Games-2019-makes-
history&id=360960
Zinedine reappointed as coach of Real Madrid
• Zinedine Zidane has been re-appointed as the coach of
Spanish football club Real Madrid till 2022.
• He replaced Santiago Solari, who was sacked after less
than five months in charge.
• Zidane resigned from the club after leading it to three
consecutive Champions League titles.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Zinedine-
Zidane-re-appointed-as-coach-of-Spanish-football-club-
Real-Madrid-till-2022&id=360886
India to take on Maldives in 5th SAFF
• Defending champion India will take on the Maldives in the
5th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's
Championship in Biratnagar, Nepal on 13 March 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• In the 6-team competition, India has been drawn in Group
B with Maldives and Sri Lanka. Host Nepal has been kept in
Group A with Bangladesh and Bhutan.
• India remained unbeaten in 19 matches from last 4
editions of the championship.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=5th-
SAAF-Women%26%2339%3bs-Championship-begins-
in-Nepal&id=360898
GoDaddy partnered with ICC
• GoDaddy announced its partnership with International
Cricket Council (ICC) as the official sponsor for the
upcoming men's cricket World Cup on 12 March 2019.
• The 2019 World Cup will be held in the UK from May 30 to
July 14, 2019.
• Under the partnership, GoDaddy will get visibility on the
ground, perimeter of the boundary, side screen during the
matches.
• MS Dhoni is its brand ambassador.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/godaddy-partners-with-
icc-as-official-sponsor-for-cricket-world-cup-2019-
119031200660_1.html
Tejaswini won women's 50m rifle event
• Tejaswini Sawant of Maharashtra won the 4th national
selection trial in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event
on 12 March 2019.
• She defeated Punjab's Anjum Moudgil and scored 458.0,
while Anjum scored 457.1.
• Army's Sandeep Singh won the men's 10m air rifle (T4
trial) with a score of 250.0.
• In the men's 25m centre fire pistol, Gurpreet Singh,
representing Army, won with 583.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/tejaswini-wins-women-s-
50m-rifle-3-positions-ahead-of-moudgil-
119031200729_1.html
Molinari won the Arnold Palmer
• Francesco Molinari of Italy topped an international
leaderboard at Bay Hill.
• He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in fine style, with
three Englishmen, a Spaniard, a Northern Irishman and
two South Koreans all within the top-10.
• He is 36-year-old and world number 10 player.

Source Link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/47519239
Ronnie O’Sullivan breaks record
• Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan (UK) has become the
first snooker player to make 1,000 competitive centuries.
• The five-time world champion reached the landmark
during the last frame of the Players Championship final in
Preston, UK.
Source
Link: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/
3/ronnie-o-sullivan-becomes-first-snooker-player-ever-
to-reach-1000-century-breaks
Kavinder fetched gold in GeeBee
• Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg) struck gold at the 38th GeeBee
Boxing Tournament in Helsinki, Finland on 10 March 2019.
• Shiva Thapa (60kg), Govind Sahani (49kg), Mohammed
Hussamuddin (56kg) and Dinesh Dagar (69kg) claimed
silver medals in the event.
• Sumit Sangwan (91kg), Sachin Siwach (52kg) and Naveen
Kumar (+91kg) claimed bronze medals.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/kavinder-fetches-gold-4-silver-medals-
for-india-at-finland-boxing-tourney-
119031000410_1.html
AICF recognised as National Sports Federation
49 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports granted
provisional recognition to All India Carrom Federation
(AICF) as National Sports Federation with immediate
effect.
• It will facilitate the participation of Indian Athletes in the
forthcoming National/International competitions.
• The recognition means granting a major role to AICF for
development of the Carrom sport in India.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68270
KIFI recognised as NSF by Sports Ministry
• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports granted provisional
recognition to Kudo International Federation India (KIFI) as
National Sports Federation with immediate effect.
• The recognition means granting a major role to KIFI
Association for promotion and Development of Kudo sport
in India.
• Kudo is an official Japanese Cultural Budo sport under the
same category as Judo, Aikido, and Kendo.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1567658
Shikha, Jhulan in top 5 women's ODI rankings
• 2 Indian bowlers, Jhulan Goswami, and Shikha Pandey
joined the top 5 club in the latest ICC women's cricket
rankings for ODI bowlers issued on March 4, 2019.
• Shikha Pandey was placed joint 3rd along with South
Africa's Dane van Niekerk.
• Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami topped the latest ICC
women's cricket rankings.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Jhulan%2c
-Shikha-in-top-five-in-women%26%2339%3bs-ODI-
rankings&id=360554
ICC's Cricket Committee head: Anil Kumble
• The ICC has reappointed former Team India captain Anil
Kumble as the chairman of ICC's Cricket Committee during
its quarterly meet in Dubai.
• Kumble, who has been the chairman of the committee
since 2012, will be serving for a final three-year term.
• Kumble had replaced former Windies' captain Clive Lloyd
in 2012.
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/
news/anil-kumble-reappointed-as-chairman-of-the-icc-
cricket-committee/articleshow/68237078.cms
Bajrang Punia won gold in Bulgaria

• Wrestler Bajrang Punia won a gold medal in 65 KG
freestyle in Bulgaria.
• The tournament, Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov was held in
Ruse.
• He overpowered Jordan Oliver of USA by 12-3 in the final
on March 2, 2019, and secured the maximum ranking
points from the tournament.
• This is his 10th medal in international tournaments since
the 2017 World Championships in Paris.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Wrestler-
Bajrang-Punia-wins-gold-in-Bulgaria&id=360518
Roger Federer claims 100th title
• Roger Federer won the Dubai Tennis Open for the 8th time
on 2 March 2019.
• He defeated Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final match.
• With this win, he claimed the 100th title of his remarkable
career.
• He is the second male player to win 100 singles titles after
American Jimmy Connors, who won 109 titles.
Source
Link: http://www.espn.in/tennis/story/_/id/26119203/rog
er-federer-defeats-stefanos-tsitsipas-claim-100th-
singles-title
K.L. Rahul only Indian in top 10 batsmen
• K L Rahul was the only Indian to feature in the top 10
batting list in the latest ICC T20 International Players
Rankings released on 27 February 2019.
• Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai jumped 31 spots to be
placed at career-best seventh position.
• In the ICC Men's T20 International Team Rankings, India
has retained their second position.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=K.L.-
Rahul-only-Indian-in-top-10-batsmen-in-T20-
rankings&id=360380
Defence
Suraj Berry took over the eastern command
• Rear Admiral Suraj Berry took over the Command of
Eastern Fleet of Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam on 30
March 2019.
• Rear Admiral Suraj Berry was commissioned on 01 January
1987 and is a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Warfare.
• He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (Meritorious
Service Medal) in 2006 for services during the Tsunami
Relief operations in Sri Lanka/ Maldives.
50 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69877
GRSE: 1st shipyard to build 100 warships
• Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE)
became the first Indian shipyard to build and deliver 100
warships.
• GRSE Chairman and Managing Director, Rear Admiral
(Retd) V K Saxena, formally handed over the 100th
warship, 'IN LCU L-56', to the Indian Navy.
• GRSE had handed over its 99th warship, 'ICGS
Priyadarshini' -- an advanced 'Fast Patrol Vessel' -- to the
Indian Coast Guard.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defen
ce/grse-becomes-first-indian-shipyard-to-deliver-100-
warships/articleshow/68649651.cms
INS Magar departed with relief material
• INS Magar, an amphibious warfare vessel, departed from
Mumbai for Port Beira in Mozambique with essential relief
material for the cyclone ravaged areas.
• It is carrying 300 T of relief supplies including essential
medicines, anti – epidemic drugs, food provisions, repair
and rehabilitation equipment, and temporary shelters.
• It is also carrying a naval Chetak Light Utility Helicopter.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69773
Malaysian PM interacts with IAF team
• Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad interacted with the
Indian Air Force team and sat in a Tejas aircraft during the
ongoing Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace
(LIMA) Exhibition.
• The Indian Air Force is participating in LIMA with LCA-Tejas
aircraft for the first time.
• Along with the Tejas, the Indian Navy's Anti-Submarine
Warfare (ASW) Corvette INS Kadmatt is also participating
in LIMA.
Source
Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/malaysia
n-pm-interacts-with-hal-iaf-teams-at-lima-
1920190327231530/?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_m
edium=referral&utm_source=inshorts
AUSINDEX to be held from April 2 to 16th
• Third Installment of the Joint Naval Exercise of India and
Australia AUSINDEX is to be held off the coast of
Vishakhapatnam from April 2 to 16, 2019.

• The exercise will focus on anti-submarine warfare, as part
of efforts to ramp up bilateral naval cooperation in the
strategic Indian Ocean region.
• The exercise will feature the deployment of Australian
personnel on Indian ships and vice versa.
Source Link: https://www.thestatesman.com/india/india-
australia-hold-joint-exercise-maritime-security-2-april-
1502741322.html
INS Kadmatt to participate in LIMA 2019
• Indian Navy's INS Kadmatt will participate in the 15th
edition of Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace
Exhibition, LIMA-19.
• Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief, Eastern Naval Command, and the Chief of Naval
Staff designate, would lead the Indian delegation.
• INS Kadmatt was commissioned into the Indian Navy
in January 2016.
Source
Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/econo
my-politics/ins-kadmatt-to-participate-in-
maritime-and-aerospace-exhibition-in-
malaysia/story/331025.html
1st Indian Army Expedition flagged off
• 1st Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to Mt Makalu
(8485m) was flagged off by Director General Military
Training on 26 March 2019.
• It comprises five Officers, two JCOs and eleven OR.
• Mt Makalu, situated in the Himalayas is considered
amongst the most dangerous peaks.
• The team will embark for it from New Delhi and will set up
6 camps en route to summit point on Mt Makalu.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569493
Rajesh Pendharkar: Flag Officer
• Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, VSM assumed the charge
as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area
on 25 March 2019.
• His notable sea appointments include Executive Officer of
missile corvette INS Kirpan and missile destroyer INS
Mysore and command of missile corvette INS Kora.
• He is a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal for
distinguished service.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69498
51 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Exercise Al Nagah 2019 concluded
• The 3rd edition of Exercise AL NAGAH 2019 concluded at
Jabel AI Akhdar training camp, Oman on 25 March 2019.
• It was a joint military exercise between the Indian Army
and the Royal Oman Army.
• The two-week long exercise had commenced on 12 March
2019.
• 60 Soldiers of the Indian Army took part in the exercise
along with similar strength of pers from the Royal Army of
Oman.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569437
ABHEDYA facility commissioned at Lonavala
• Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned a Nuclear, Biological,
Chemical Training Facility - ABHEDYA, at INS Shivaji,
Lonavla on 25 March 2019.
• It will assist the Indian Navy in providing a realistic
simulation of NBC warfare to its personnel.
• The steel structure of the simulator represents the
relevant NBC compartment of the ship such as upper
decks, citadels, cleansing stations, etc.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569459
IAF to induct 4 Chinook helicopters
• The Indian Air Force inducted the first 4 heavy-lift Chinook
helicopters on 25 March 2019.
• They are capable of transporting howitzers and troops to
forward and high-altitude areas across the country.
• The Chinook is considered one of the most modern heavy
lift choppers in the world and can carry goods and cargo of
upto 9.6 tonnes.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/iaf-
to-induct-four-chinook-helicopters-today-
1553488396713.html
Govt clears proposal for grenade purchase
• Defence Ministry cleared a major project for the Indian
Army for the acquisition of 10 lakh 'Made in India' multi-
mode hand grenades on 20 March 2019.
• The new hand grenades will replace the existing inventory,
HE-36 grenades manufactured by the Ordnance Factory
Board.
• The multi-mode grenades have been developed by the
DRDO.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019

Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india- • The aim of the exercise is to build and promote close
news/proposal-cleared-to-buy-10-lakh-made-in-india- relations between the armies of both countries.
hand-grenades-for-army-2010571
ICG Vijit visits Sabang Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
• Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Vijit' became the first-ever Coast D=1569085
Guard ship to visit Sabang, Indonesia on 17 March 2019.
• This visit of the coast guard ship follows from the first-
ever-visit of Naval Ship INS Sumitra to Sabang in July 2018.
• Vijit's visit also highlights strengthening cooperation in the
area of maritime security and safety between India and
Indonesia.

Source Link: https://www.business-

standard.com/article/news-ani/vijit-becomes-the-first-
indian-coast-guard-ship-to-visit-indonesia-
119031800437_1.html
Indian Air Force to participate in LIMA 2019
• Indian Air Force, for the first time, will participate in
Langkawi International Maritime Aero Expo (LIMA-2019) in
Langkawi, Malaysia from 26 to 30 March 2019.
• It will showcase its indigenously developed LCA fighter
aircraft.
• Participation of IAF in LIMA-2019 will provide an
opportunity to air-warriors to interact with their Royal
Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) counterparts.

Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69270
Indian Navy to provide aid to Mozambique
• The Indian Navy was requested to provide Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to the local
population post-cyclone 'IDAI'.
• INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul are providing
necessary support to the local administration.
• Cyclone 'IDAI' made landfall at Beira, causing widespread
damage and loss of human life in the Central and Northern
provinces.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?utm_campaign=
fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&id=361206&title=Ind
ian-Navy-to-provide-humanitarian-aid-to-cyclone-hit-
Mozambique&utm_source=inshorts
India- Sri Lanka joint exercise to be held
• Exercise MITRA SHAKTI, between armies of India and Sri
Lanka, will be conducted from 26 March-8 April 2019 in Sri
Lanka.
• Troops from 1st Battalion of the BIHAR Regiment of the
Indian Army and Gemunu Watch Battalion of Sri Lankan
Army would be jointly undertaking the exercise.
33rd India-Indonesia Corpat commenced
• The 33rd edition of the India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol
(IND-INDO CORPAT) is being held from 19 March- 4 April
2019 in Port Blair.
• The ship and aircraft from both the countries would
undertake patrolling on the respective sides of 236
nautical miles long International Maritime Boundary line.
• The 33rd IND-INDO CORPAT is coinciding with 70 years of
India-Indonesia diplomatic ties.
Source Link: The 33rd IND-INDO CORPAT, also
coinciding with 70 years of India-Indonesia diplomatic
ties, will contribute towards the Indian Navy’s efforts to
consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of
friendship across the seas.
Operational Readiness Exercise reviewed
• The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Sunil Lanba
debriefed the recently concluded annual Theatre Level
Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) in Kochi.

52 | P a g e

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• Commanders-in-Chief of all the three naval
Commands, attended and participated in the discussions
held at the Naval Base, Kochi.
• The review of TROPEX 2019 was undertaken to assess
operational readiness of the Indian Navy.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569041
AFINDEX-19 to begin from March 18
• A 10-day long Africa-India Joint Field Training Exercise
(AFINDEX-19) between the Indian Army and 16 African
nations will be conducted from 18 to 27 March 2019.
• The exercise will be conducted in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The aim of the exercise is to train the participating
contingents in Humanitarian Mine Assistance (HMA) and
Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) under the United Nations
Charter.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ani/india-africa-joint-field-
training-exercise-to-kick-off-on-march-18-
119031400624_1.html
MPATGM successfully test fired
• DRDO successfully test fired Man Portable Anti-Tank
Guided Missile (MPATGM) for the second time on 14
March 2019 in the ranges of Rajasthan desert.
• It is an indigenously developed, low weight, fire and forget
missile.
• MPATGM is incorporated with advanced features including
state-of-the-art Imaging Infrared Radar (IIR) Seeker with
integrated avionics.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68837
US-India joint exercise to be conducted
• As a part of the US-India security partnership, the US
military forces and the Indian National Security Guard
(NSG) will carry out joint exercises in Hyderabad.
• The key intent is to be well prepared and deploy actions to
tackle crisis that may endanger public health and safety.
• The exercise will be overseen from the US Embassy, New
Delhi and US Special Operations Pacific Command in
Hawaii.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/us-
army-nsg-to-conduct-joint-exercises-in-
hyderabad/article26524573.ece
Indo-Oman Joint Exercise began
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Indo Oman Joint Exercise Al Nagah III 2019, a joint military
exercise between Indian and Royal Army of Oman (RAO),
commenced on 13 March 2019 at Nizwa, Oman.
• The Omani contingent was represented by Jabel Regiment
of the RAO while the Indian side was represented by
troops of 'Tenth Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles Regiment'.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568781
Admiral Sunil Lanba on a visit to UK
• Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM AVSM ADC Chairman COSC and
Chief of the Naval Staff is on an official tour to UK from 12-
15 March 2019.
• His visit will consolidate existing maritime cooperation
initiatives as well as explore new avenues.
• He will hold discussions with the Chief of Defence Staff, UK
in London and the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval
Staff of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568527
Indian defence lab developed combat drugs
• DRDO's medical laboratory has come up with a range of
'combat casualty drugs' that can extend the golden hour
till the trooper is shifted to hospital.
• The spectrum includes bleeding wound sealants, super
absorptive dressings, and glycerinated salines.
• Chances of survival and minimum disability are highest
when effective first aid care is given within the golden
hour.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Indian-
defence-lab-develops-%26%2339%3bcombat-
drugs%26%2339%3b-to-reduce-casualties-in-Pulwama-
type-attacks%2c-warfare&id=360855
Russian arms export in India fell by 42%
• Russia's arms export to India, fell by 42% between 2014-18
and 2009-2013, according to a SIPRI report.
• Russia accounted for 58% of total Indian arms imports in
2014-2018, compared with 76% in 2009-2013, according
to the report.
• The five largest exporters in 2014-18 were the United
States, Russia, France, Germany and China.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/russian-
arms-exports-to-india-fell-by-42-between-2014-18-and-
2009-13-report-1552330101285.html
Guided PINAKA sucessfully test fired

• Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO)
successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Pokhran
ranges on 11 March 2019.
• The weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art
guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and
control system.
• The indigenously developed Guided Pinaka by DRDO will
significantly boost the capability of the artillery to make
precision hits.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568552
India signed a pact with Russia
• On 7 March 2019, India signed a US$ 3 billion deal with
Russia for leasing of a nuclear-powered attack submarine
for the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years.
• Under the pact, Russia will have to deliver the Akula class
submarine, to be known as Chakra III, to the Indian Navy
by 2025.
• It will be the third Russian submarine to be leased to the
Indian Navy.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defen
ce/india-signs-pact-with-russia-on-chakra-3-attack-
submarine/articleshow/68307218.cms
Permanent Commission to women
• Ministry of Defence has taken steps to ensure
implementation of grant of Permanent Commission to
Women officers in the Armed Forces.
• Women officers will be granted Permanent Commission in
the Indian Army in all the 10 branches where women are
inducted for Short Service Commission.
• All branches, in IAF, including Fighter Pilots are now open
for women officers.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=1
89205
India and Oman to begin joint exercise
• The 3rd edition of the bilateral joint exercise between
India and Oman, Al Nagah 2019 will begin from 12 March
2019 at Jabel Al Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
• It will continue till 25th of March and both the armies will
exchange expertise and experience in tactics, weapon
handling, and firing.
• The aim of this exercise is to enhance interoperability in
counter-terrorist operations.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Bilateral-
54 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
joint-exercise-between-India%2c-Oman-to-begin-from-
Mar-12&id=360600
Project BOLD-QIT inaugurated
• Project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT
Interception Technique) on India-Bangladesh border in
Assam was inaugurated on 5 March 2019.
• I&T Wing of BSF undertook the project in January 2018
and completed it in record time.
• Implementation of this project will help BSF to curb all
types of cross border crimes and provide respite to the
troops from round the clock human surveillance.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Rajnath-
Singh-to-inaugurate-project-BOLD-QIT-on-India-
Bangladesh-border-in-Dhubri%2c-Assam-
today&id=360574
India-Bangladesh began joint exercise
• The 8th edition of joint military exercise Sampriti between
India and Bangladesh began on 3 March 2019 in Tangail,
Bangladesh.
• 'Sampriti' aims to increase mutual cooperation between
the armies of two countries.
• Bangladesh side was represented by 36 East Bengal
Battalion, while Indian side was represented by 9th
Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=India-
Bangladesh-begin-joint-military-exercise&id=360532
Deal with Russia to produce AK-203 rifles
• India signed a deal with a Russian firm to manufacture 7.5
lakh AK-203 rifles, the latest derivative of the AK-47 rifles.
• The AK-203 rifles will be produced at the Indian Ordnance
Factory at Amethi's Korwa.
• The new rifles will replace the indigenous INSAS rifles in
the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/made-in-
amethi-ak-203-to-help-jawans-fight-terrorists-pm-modi-
at-his-1st-rally-in-ragas-bastion-2054115.html
India & Bangladesh held a joint exercise
• Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh
(BGB) held a three-day ‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’
at Tripura-Bangladesh Border.
• The exercise concluded on 28 February 2019.
• The exercise is a part of ‘Confidence Building Measures’
between the two border guards.

• The exercise was named after a hill range situated 8 km
west of Comilla township in Bangladesh.
Source Link: https://indianexpress.com/article/north-
east-india/tripura/bsf-bgb-joint-mainamati-exercise-
tripura-border-rohingyas-refugees-5605517/
Defence Appointments
• Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar was appointed as Air
Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command of
the Indian Air Force on 1 March 2019.
• Rajiv Dayal Mathur was appointed as the Air Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command of the
Indian Air Force on 1 March 2019.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/air-marshal-nambiar-
decorated-for-gallantry-in-kargil-ops-appointed-aoc-in-
c-of-western-command-119030101124_1.html
Polity
Deposits ordinance does not cover gold schemes
• The Centre’s recent ordinance banning unregulated
monthly deposit schemes will not affect the ongoing
monthly schemes operated by jewelry and chit fund firms.
• Called the ‘Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme
Ordinance’, it was promulgated by President Kovind during
the last week of February 2019.
• It is done to save gullible investors from losing money to
Ponzi and fake deposit schemes.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/deposits-
ordinance-does-not-cover-gold-
schemes/article26656425.ece
Goa government passed floor test
• The Goa government, under the new CM Pramod Sawant,
passed the floor test in the legislative assembly by 20 to 15
votes.
• The support of at least 19 MLAs was required to pass the
test.
• The BJP-led coalition government garnered support of 20
MLAs -- 11 from the BJP, three MLAs each from the MGP
and the GFP and three independents.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Goa-govt-
under-new-CM-passes-floor-test&id=361195
Goa CM Pramod Sawant to face floor test
• Newly-appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will
face a floor test in the Assembly on 20th March 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Governor Mridula Sinha has convened a special session of
the Assembly for the government to prove its strength.
• A floor test is primarily taken to know whether the
executive enjoys the confidence of the legislature.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Goa-CM-
Pramod-Sawant-to-face-floor-test&id=361195
Mizoram Assembly passed a bill
• The Mizoram Assembly passed the Mizoram Maintenance
of Household Registers Bill, 2019 on 18 March 2019.
• The bill seeks to detect foreigners illegally residing in the
northeastern state, that shares an over 700-km border
with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• The measures proposed under the legislation are intended
to provide a credible individual identification system.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/mizoram-assembly-
passes-bill-to-detect-illegal-foreigners-
119031800879_1.html
2 Amendment Regulation approved by Cabinet
• The Union Cabinet approved Promulgation of the Daman
and Diu Civil Courts (Amendment) Regulation, 2019 and
the Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Courts and
Miscellaneous Provisions)Amendment Regulation, 2019
under Article 240 of the Constitution.
• The move will be helpful in bringing uniformity in Judicial
Service.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568706
Reservations in Odisha and MP
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced 33%
quota for women in the allocation of Lok Sabha tickets of
BJD party.
• Madhya Pradesh Congress government issued an
ordinance to raise the reservation for Other Backward
Classes (OBCs) from 14% to 27%.
Source
Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/nav
een-patnaik-declares-33-quota-for-women-in-allocation-
of-bjd-lok-sabha-
tickets20190310130833/?utm_campaign=fullarticle&ut
m_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts
Lok Sabha polls from 11 April- 19 May
• Elections to the 17th Lok Sabha will be conducted in 7
phases across the country from April 11 to May 19.

• The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, a
total of 17.4 lakh units, will be used for the first time at all
stations.
• The Model Code of Conduct came into effect immediately
on the announcement of the schedule.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/lok-sabha-polls-from-april-11-to-may-
19/article26491453.ece
Bhagwan Lal Sahni to head NCBC
• Bhagwan Lal Sahni, a BJP leader from Bihar's
Muzaffarpur, assumed charge as the chairman of the
newly constituted National Commission for Backward
Classes (NCBC).
• The NCBC was given constitutional status by Parliament in
2018.
• Kaushalendra Singh Patel, Sudha Yadav, and Achary Talloju
have been appointed as members of the commission.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/bjp-leader-from-
muzaffarpur-bhagwan-lal-sahni-to-head-ncbc-
119030100699_1.html
National Affairs
Tashigang is world’s highest polling station
• Tashigang, a small Himachal Pradesh village at an altitude
of 15,256 feet, is now the highest polling station in the
world.
• The polling station falls in Buddhist-dominated Lahaul-
Spiti, one of the 17 assembly segments that form the
Mandi Lok Sabha seat, the second largest constituency in
India.
• The polling station covers two villages— Tashigang and
Gete.
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-
sabha-elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-at-15-256-ft-
tashigang-in-himachal-pradesh-is-world-s-highest-
polling-station/story-6zVzCy2JmQ6SdbPnH285rL.html
Union Cabinet approves continuation of BRCP
• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the
Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP).
• BRCP has made it attractive for high-quality Indian
scientists working abroad to return to India.
• BRCP has increased the number of locations geographically
within India where world-class biomedical research is
undertaken.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69633
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Facebook launches tools for general elections
• Facebook launched two new India-specific tools called
'Candidate Connect' and 'Share You Voted' on 26 March
2019.
• Both the tool will help to boost civic engagement during
the general elections.
• While 'Candidate Connect' will help people learn more
about candidates, the 'Share You Voted' will provide
people with polling information and enable them to
announce and celebrate their vote.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/tech/facebook-
candidate-connect-and-share-you-voted-tools-to-boost-
engagement-ahead-of-lok-sabha-elections-2079125.html
EC comes up with PWD app
• In Maharashtra, the Election Commission has come up
with a mobile application called 'PWD' for making voting
easier.
• The app would facilitate Divyang voters special facilities
including wheelchairs, ramps, and transport from home at
polling booths during the Lok Sabha elections.
• The largest group among Divyang voters across
Maharashtra are those suffering from visual impairment.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=EC-
comes-up-with-PWD-app-for-over-two-lakhs-Divyang-
voters-in-Maharashtra&id=361387
NTPC to set up floating solar power plant
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is setting up a
25 MW floating solar power plant in its water storage
reservoir at NTPC-Simhadri in Visakhapatnam.
• The floating solar power plant is being set up as part of the
company’s efforts to diversify into the solar segment.
• NTPC is also setting up a Flue-Gas Desulphurisation plant
(FGD).
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/ntpc-to-set-up-25-mw-
floating-solar-power-plant-at-simhadri-
119032901083_1.html
Govt gives GI tag to five coffee varieties
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade has awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to
five varieties of Indian coffee.
• The coffee varieties are Coorg Arabica coffee from
Karnataka, Wayanad Robusta coffee from Kerala,
Chikmaglur Arabica from Karnataka, Araku Valley Arabica
from Andhra Pradesh, and Bababudangiris Arabica coffee
from Karnataka.

Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/govt-gives-gi-tag-to-
five-coffee-varieties-119032901101_1.html
ECI collaborates with Indian Railways
• Election Commission of India (ECI) and Indian Railways
have collaborated for Voter Awareness campaign for Lok
Sabha Election 2019.
• ECI will utilize four long-distance Trains to carry voter
awareness and motivational messages.
• The Train displays Voter Helpline number and the National
Voters’ Services Portal besides motivational messages
urging people to Vote.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69856
Assam CEO launches 'Enajori' initiative
• Assam Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Sahu launched the
'Enajori' initiative in Guwahati.
• It is a joint initiative of CEO Assam and Social Welfare
Department with an objective to make Lok Sabha Elections
accessible to Persons with Disability (PwD) voters.
• In Assam, the Bongaigaon district administration has
developed a mobile app Sankalp to particularly reach out
to the first-time voters.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Assam-
CEO-Mukesh-Sahu-launches-Enajori-initiative-in-
Guwahati&id=361552
Coffee Board activated marketplace
• Commerce Secretary, Dr.AnupWadhawan, launched
blockchain based coffee e-marketplace through video
conferencing in New Delhi on 28 March 2019.
• This pilot project will help integrate the farmers with
markets in a transparent manner.
• It will also reduce the number of layers between coffee
growers and buyers and help farmers double their income.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569797
Assam launched initiatives to educate voter
• Assam State government has launched initiatives to
educate voters.
• Folk song competitions, quiz programmes and appeals by
celebrities are some of the initiatives being undertaken by
the election office in Assam for attracting peoples.
• Polling stations with low female voter turn-out have been
identified and ‘mahila voter rallies’ are being held.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-
states/assam-launches-initiative-to-educate-
voters/article26657756.ece
IIT Delhi developed AI system for malaria
• Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed an AI-based
electronic hardware system to detect malaria,
tuberculosis, intestinal parasite, and cervical cancer in
milliseconds.
• The system can be used for healthcare access in resource-
constrained areas with limited access to human specialists.
• The long-term impact would be to enable future
deployment of the platform in rural areas.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/iit-
delhi-develops-ai-based-system-to-detect-malaria-other-
diseases/article26647656.ece
Indo-Ger Dev Corp help in waste segregation
• The Indo-German Development Corporation, GIZ, will help
the North Delhi Municipal Corporation carry out waste
segregation activities.
• The tie-up is for a five-year period during which time the
development corporation will provide technical assistance
such as training.
• The company is already engaged in a waste segregation
project called ‘Alag Karo’ in Gurgaon.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/indo-
german-development-corporation-to-help-in-waste-
segregation/article26647684.ece
Vedanta reported oil discovery
• Cairn Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta
Ltd, announced an oil discovery in its Krishna Godavari
basin block in the Bay of Bengal on 27 March 2019.
• Cairn India had won the KG-OSN-2009/3 block in June
2010 during the edition of the New Exploration Licensing
Policy (NELP).
• The first exploration well A3-2 drilled in the block was a
gas discovery.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/vedanta
-reports-oil-discovery-in-kg-basin-1553695879135.html
Mentioning of caste in FIRs barred
• Punjab and Haryana High Court barred the mentioning of
caste in the FIRs.
• The court directed its judicial officers and the governments
of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh,

to not mention the caste of the accused, victims or
witnesses in any of the proceedings before it.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Punjab-
%26-Haryana-High-Court-bars-mentioning-of-caste-in-
FIRs&id=361485
Distance programmes in agriculture prohibited
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has prohibited
imparting distance degree programmes in agriculture.
• As per UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations, 2017,
professional programmes such as medicine and
engineering are not permitted to be offered in distance
mode.
• YCMOU and IGNOU are among the institutions offering
degree and diploma programmes in agriculture science.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=UGC-
prohibits-imparting-distance-degree-programmes-in-
agriculture&id=361491
Creation of additional posts approved
• The Union Cabinet approved the creation of additional
posts of 3 Judicial Members and 3 Technical Members in
the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
• The posts will be created in Level 17 (Rs.2,25,000/- fixed)
plus allowances as admissible.
• This will ensure to meet the mandate provided to NCLAT
by the Finance Act, 2017, and the Companies Act, the IBC,
2016.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69524
CWC land to be acquired by Telangana govt
• The Union Cabinet approved the acquiring of 372 sq. yards
out of 10 acres of land including the compound wall in the
eastern side of Central Water Commission land by the
Telangana Government.
• This would be done for improvement of Radial Road No.30
by widening of road with nil charges.
• A Center of Excellence is proposed to be constructed over
the allotted land.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69528
A-Sat missile destroyed live satellite
• India has entered its name as an elite space power. An
anti-satellite weapon A-SAT, successfully targeted a live
satellite in 3 minutes on a low earth orbit.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Till now only the US, Russia and China have achieved this;
now India is the 4th country to achieve this feat.
• Mission Shakti was a difficult target to achieve which was
completed successfully within 3 minutes of launch.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-
narendra-modi-address-to-nation-1553666395099.html
No clinical trials in India for new drugs
• New drugs approved for use in select developed markets
will be automatically allowed in India if the global trials
included Indian patients.
• The new Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, has done
away with the formality of conducting local trials.
• It will reduce the time taken by the company to introduce
the drug in India and prevent duplication of studies.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/manufacturing/
no-clinical-trials-in-india-for-new-drugs-approved-in-
select-developed-markets-1553553711444.html
Gandhi's health records published
• Mahatma Gandhi’s health files, published for the first
time, reveal that he ailed from high blood pressure,
weighed 46.7 kg at a height of 5 feet 5 inches (recorded in
1939).
• These facts related to his health have been published for
the first time in a special edition the Indian Journal of
Medical Research (IJMR) on ‘Gandhi and Health @ 150’ by
the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gandhis-
health-records-are-published/article26636345.ece
RBI appointed 5-member committee
• RBI appointed 5-member committee under the
chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani to further deepen digital
payments and enhance financial inclusion through Fintech.
• The RBI has requested the committee to give
recommendations in 3 months in this regard.
• This was announced at the inaugural event of Fintech
Conclave organized by Niti Aayog in New Delhi on 25
March 2019.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=RBI-
appoints-five-member-committee-to-deepen-digital-
payments&id=361367
Vijaywada Railway station got gold rating
• Vijayawada railway station, one of the busiest railway
junctions in the country, has received Gold Rating by the
Indian Green Building Council.

• Council Chairman Meka Vijaya Sai presented the gold
rating shield to Divisional Railway Manager R
Dhananjayulu on 25 March 2019.
• The station boasts of 100% LED lighting, five star rated
fans, pumps and motors, and solar water heating systems.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/vijaywada-railway-station-gets-gold-rating-for-
green-measures-2012813
CBSE to introduce AI,Yoga as new subjects
• The CBSE will introduce artificial intelligence (AI), early
childhood care education and yoga as new subjects in
school curriculum from the upcoming academic session.
• The CBSE is introducing AI as an optional 6th subject at
Class IX from the session 2019-2020 onwards.
• yoga and early childhood education as elective subjects
will be introduced at senior secondary level.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/cbse-to-
introduce-artificial-intelligence-yoga-as-new-subjects-
1553438844479.html
Yarn Bank set up for weavers
• A yarn bank has been set up at the Mysore Powerloom Silk
Manufacturers Cooperative Society on Avenue Road to
benefit the state’s weavers.
• The bank will supply pure silk yarn and zari to weavers
who subscribe.
• The bank, regardless of the price rise in the open market
and the menace of middlemen, ensures a steady supply of
yarn to the weavers from southern Karnataka.
Source
Link: https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-
infrastructure/yarn-bank-set-up-to-help-weavers-in-
crisis-724963.html
Karnataka Bank reported fraud to RBI
• Karnataka Bank reported a fraud to RBI amounting to Rs
13.26 crore in the fund-based working capital facility
extended to SRS Finance.
• The fraud was on account of diversion of funds.
• SRS Finance is a non-banking financial corporation (NBFC)
with focus on corporate finance and investments, and the
consumer finance business.
Source
Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/ka
rnataka-bank-reports-rs-13-crore-fraud-to-
rbi/story/330403.html
FinTech Conclave 2019 held
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• NITI Aayog organised a day-long FinTech Conclave at Dr.
Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi on 25th March
2019.
• The objective is to shape India’s continued ascendancy in
FinTech, build the narrative for future strategy and policy
efforts.
• It hosted more than 300 representatives from the leading
Financial Institutions including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI
Card, Tata Capital and FinTechs.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69350
84% reduction in TB deaths in India
• India achieved an 84% reduction in tuberculosis deaths
among people living with HIV by 2017.
• It is the highest recorded decline among over 20 nations
and it is also three years ahead of the 2020 deadline.
• World Health Organisation estimates have shown that
globally, TB deaths among people living with HIV have
fallen by 42% since 2010.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=India-
achieves-84-%25-reduction-in-TB-deaths-among-HIV-
patients%3a-UN&id=361356
Threats to bumphead Parrot Fish in Andaman
• Bumphead parrotfish, Bolbometopon muricatum, is an
important component of coral reef ecosystem but is highly
endangered globally.
• It is categorized as ‘vulnerable’ in the Red List of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• A group of researchers recently studied the distribution,
abundance, and dangers to this species in the waters of
Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-
tech/science/protected-areas-matter-to-bumphead-
parrotfish/article26619712.ece
SAIL launches smart garbage bins
• Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has launched smart
garbage bins made of SAIL Salem stainless steel.
• These smart garbage bins will be able to send a signal to
the garbage collection vehicle about the ‘fill-up’ position of
the bin, aiding better cleaning and lower human
intervention.
• These will be installed in underground Reinforced Cement
Concrete (RCC) pits at the Smart Garbage Station.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/

sail-launches-smart-garbage-bins-made-of-
steel/article26567992.ece
Karnataka govt bans Ola Cabs for 6 months
• The Karnataka government's transport department
suspended app-based Ola Cabs's aggregator license for 6
months.
• The Ola is charged with running bike taxis in violation of
license conditions and violated government rules.
• Aggregator means a person who is an aggregator or
operator or an intermediary/market place who canvasses
or solicits or facilitates passengers for travel by taxi.
Source
Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/karnatak
a-transport-department-ola-cabs-suspend-bans-6-
months-1484105-2019-03-22
President Kovind to visit Croatia
• President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Croatia, Bolivia, and
Chile from 25 March 2019.
• He will participate in India-Bolivia business forum meeting
and interact with students.
• He will meet President and Prime Minister of Croatia and
discuss the issues of mutual interest.
• The capitals of Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile are Zagreb, Sucre,
and Santiago.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=President-
Kovind-to-visit-Croatia%2c-Bolivia-and-Chile-from-
Mar-25&id=361286
Intain Fintech to launch blockchain product
• Intain Fintech, an AI and block chain-based software
products firm, will be launching 'eMulya', an intelligent
block chain.
• It facilitates efficient, secure and trustworthy asset
securitisation transactions for NBFCs in India by end-2019.
• Intain has its global AI Lab in Pune with 10 people and it
will hire 15 more staff in Chennai for this purpose.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/intain-
fintech-to-launch-software-product-in-
india/article26601090.ece
Deepest shaft cave discovered in Meghalaya
• India's deepest shaft cave Krem Um Ladaw has been
discovered in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district.
• The cave has a 105 m deep shaft entrance passage.
• This comes a year after the world's longest sandstone cave
Krem Puri was discovered in Meghalaya.
• With all these discoveries, Meghalaya has become one of
the top caving regions of the world.
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March 2019
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-
news/india-s-deepest-shaft-cave-discovered-in-
meghalaya/story-Rq3CvusaKJXHXFe6BRZnzM.html
15th Finance Commission to visit Mizoram
• The Fifteenth Finance Commission shall be visiting the
State of Mizoram on 25-26 March 2019.
• This will be the 20th State that the Commission will be
visiting.
• As part of its visit, the Commission will be holding detailed
meetings with Chief Secretary and Senior officers of the
State and will be given a presentation by the State
Department of Finance, Urban Development, and Rural
Development.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
69175
Gauri Sawant: 1st transgender ambassador
• The Election Commission appointed transgender social
activist Gauri Sawant as one of the 12 election
ambassadors from Maharashtra.
• Following the Supreme Court order, transgenders got the
right to vote for the first time in 2014.
• There are 113, 184, and 123 registered transgenders in
constituencies of Bhiwandi, Kalyan, and East Mumbai
respectively.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Mumbai-
social-worker-Gauri-Sawant-becomes-first-transgender-
election-ambassador&id=361202
Ice Stupas created
• Over 12 villages in Ladakh have built Ice Stupas in various
villages.
• In each Ice Stupa, at least 30-50 lakh litres of water is
saved. This is apart from the naturally saved water in the
slopes of mountains.
• With the technical and material support by the Himalayan
Institute of Alternatives Ladakh ( HIAL), village
youths enthusiastically participated in building the ice
Stupas.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Special-
Stamp-on-Ice-Stupa-released&id=361166
Spicejet got IATA membership
• SpiceJet joined global airlines' grouping IATA as a member,
becoming the first Indian low-cost carrier to get the
membership.

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
represents more than 290 airlines, including Air India, Jet
Airways and Vistara.
• The IATA membership is significant on account of
SpiceJet's plans for rapidly expanding its international
footprint.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/spicejet-becomes-first-indian-low-cost-
airline-to-join-iata-119031900840_1.html
Conclaves concluded
• The 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project
Partnerships concluded in New Delhi on 19th March
2019. The three-day conclave was organised by the
Ministry of Commerce in association with Confederation of
Indian Industry and EXIM Bank of India.
• Ministry of Steel organised a two-day Vigilance Conclave in
New Delhi which concluded on 19th March 2019.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1569116
Military bands to perform in CSK-RCB opener
• Military bands will perform at the M. A. Chidambaram
Stadium ahead of the opening fixture of the Indian
Premier League (IPL).
• BCCI will also contribute Rs. 20 crore for the welfare of the
armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack,
where 44 CRPF personnel were killed.
• Indian players had also paid their respects by sporting
Army camouflage caps in the third ODI in Ranchi.
Source
Link: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-
news/ipl-2019-csk-rcb-military-bands-coa-ms-
dhoni/article26570528.ece
Mizoram Assembly passed a bill
• The Mizoram Assembly passed the Mizoram Maintenance
of Household Registers Bill, 2019 on 18 March 2019.
• The bill seeks to detect foreigners illegally residing in the
northeastern state, that shares an over 700-km border
with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• The measures proposed under the legislation are intended
to provide a credible individual identification system.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/mizoram-assembly-
passes-bill-to-detect-illegal-foreigners-
119031800879_1.html
Name change of Nagaland village
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• The Centre gave its consent for changing the name
of Mangkhi village in Tuensang district of Nagaland to
Mungankhun village.
• The central government has given its 'no-objection' to
rename 22 villages, towns and railway stations across the
country since December 2017.
• Some of the cleared proposals are Arikkod as Areekode in
Malappura, Kerala and Laxman Garh as Adawala in
Rajasamand, Rajasthan.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/centre-s-nod-to-name-change-of-
nagaland-village-119031800926_1.html
i-help launched in Assam
• The ‘i-help’ initiative to promote digital electoral literacy in
Assam was launched in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha
poll.
• It is a joint initiative of the office of the Chief Electoral
Officer (CEO) and Common Service Centres (CSC).
• The CSCs are internet-enabled access points spread
throughout the country delivering various government and
non-government digital services to the citizens.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-national/i-help-initiative-launched-in-
assam/article26574359.ece
EC sets pre-poll deadline for manifestos
• Election Commission barred political parties from releasing
election manifestos 48 hours before both single and
multiphase polling.
• In a multi-phased poll, the silence period of the last 48
hours may be on in certain constituencies while the
campaign is ongoing in other constituencies.
• It also said that during the silence period, political leaders
should refrain from addressing the media.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-
sabha-2019/election-commission-bars-parties-from-
releasing-manifestos-in-last-48-hours-before-
polling/article26555792.ece
GI tag for Coorg Arabica Coffee & four others
• The Geographical Indications Registry has granted the
Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Coorg Arabica Coffee,
Wayanad Robusta Coffee, Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee,
Araku Valley Arabica Coffee, and Bababudangiris Arabica
Coffee on 1 March 2019.
• Coorg Arabica Coffee is grown specifically in Karnataka.
• GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific
geographical origin.

Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/gi-
tag-for-coorg-arabica-coffee-four-
others/article26538215.ece
Health ministry calls for ban on e-cigarettes
• The union health ministry has called for Juul Labs Inc's
electronic cigarettes to be blocked from entering the
country.
• Juul has plans to launch its products in India by late 2019.
• In February 2019, drug regulator told all states to ensure
that e-cigarettes were not sold or manufactured in their
region.
• More than 900,000 people die each year in India due to
tobacco-related illnesses
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/health-
ministry-calls-for-blocking-e-cig-maker-juul-s-entry-
into-india-1552662975625.html
NGT suspends expansion of thermal plant
• The Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has
suspended the expansion plan of the thermal plant of
Udupi Power Corporation Ltd. (UPCL) at Yellur in Udupi
district on 15 March 2019.
• The thermal power plant got the Environmental Clearance
of 1 August 2017.
• The thermal plant project was challenged in 2004 by
the Nandikur Janajagrithi Samithi, an NGO.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/national-green-tribunal-suspends-expansion-of-
thermal-plant/article26550791.ece
IIT Kharagpur to adopt AWS Educate Programme
• The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will adopt
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Educate programme.
• This will help students gain cloud computing skills in
artificial intelligence (AI).
• The programme is Amazon's global initiative to provide
students and educators with the resources needed to
accelerate cloud-related learning.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/iit-kharagpur-to-adopt-
amazon-web-services-educate-programme-
119031600188_1.html
West Nile Virus fever patient reported
• The government of India sent a special medical team to
Malappuram district of Kerala from where a confirmed
case of West Nile Virus (WNV) fever, a mosquito-borne
disease was reported.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Birds are the natural hosts of WNV and it spreads to
human by Culex mosquitoes.
• The symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body
aches, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph glands.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/science/health/centre-
sends-medical-team-to-malappuram-to-assess-west-nile-
virus-situation-1552565535973.html
A task force to address mental health issues
• Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has formed a task force to
tackle mental health issues of college-going students.
• As India is set to have a large population below 25 years by
2020, experts predict a spurt in cases of depression,
anxiety, and suicides.
• The task force consists of three senior psychiatrists: Dr.
Kersi Chavda, Dr. Avinash Desouza, and Dr. Amrit
Pattojoshi
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/a-
task-force-to-address-college-students-mental-health-
issues/article26525922.ece
Dolphin numbers dropped in Gandak
• A count of the Ganges River Dolphin in rivers, Gandak and
Ghaghara, has revealed the presence of 280 dolphins.
• The number of dolphins recorded in a 324-km stretch of
Gandak river was 155.
• The last survey carried out in 2009-10 had recorded the
presence of 257 dolphins in the same stretch.
• In a 99-km stretch of Ghaghara river in Bihar, researchers
found the presence of 125 dolphins.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-
and-environment/dolphin-numbers-drop-in-
gandak/article26537009.ece
FINE inaugurated by President
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Festival of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) in Gandhinagar in
Gujarat on 15 March 2019.
• FINE is an initiative to recognise, respect, showcase,
reward innovations and foster supportive ecosystem for
innovators.
• It is aimed at providing a platform for innovators for
building linkages with potential stakeholders.
Source
Link: http://www.smetimes.in/smetimes/news/top-
stories/2019/Mar/14/prez-entrepreneurship43800.html
First workshop on IEMF held

• The NITI Aayog and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) organized the first
workshop on development of the India Energy Modelling
Forum.
• it has been envisaged as a pan-stakeholder platform for
debating ideas, scenario-planning & discussing India's
energy future.
• The 2-day workshop was held with the support of the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68841
MCA released national guidelines
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) came up with
national guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct
(NGRBC).
• For this purpose, the National Voluntary Guidelines on
Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of
Business, 2011 (NVGS) have also been revised.
• MCA is also in the process of developing India’s National
Action Plan on Business & Human Rights (NAP) by 2020.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/
mca-releases-national-guidelines-on-business-
conduct/article26523904.ece?homepage=true
Airbus India launched programme for women
• Airbus India launched an ambitious programme for women
professionals who want to return to corporate careers
after a sabbatical or maternity leave.
• ‘Fly Again’ was launched on International Women’s Day
(March 8, 2019).
• It will support Airbus India in meeting its requirement for
talent as well as increase diversity and inclusion at the
workplace, contributing to long-term business success.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/
airbus-india-launches-programme-for-women-to-return-
to-careers-after-sabbatical-maternity-
leave/article26520338.ece
2 Amendment Regulation approved by Cabinet
• The Union Cabinet approved Promulgation of the Daman
and Diu Civil Courts (Amendment) Regulation, 2019 and
the Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Courts and
Miscellaneous Provisions)Amendment Regulation, 2019
under Article 240 of the Constitution.
• The move will be helpful in bringing uniformity in Judicial
Service.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1568706
BoB launched child daycare facility
• Bank of Baroda launched Crèche – Child Daycare facility
within its Mumbai Corporate Office premises on 12 March
2019.
• It will bear 60% of costs for each child, the rest to be borne
by parents.
• The larger objective is more representation of women
employees in senior positions.
• The daycare is an initiative in creating an environment that
is conducive to working women and parents.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-
and-banking/bank-of-baroda-launches-child-daycare-
facility-at-hq/article26508649.ece
YouTube launched music streaming services
• YouTube launched its paid service, YouTube Premium and
music streaming app, YouTube Music, in India.
• It will be available for Rs 129 a month, and will also include
membership to YouTube Music Premium.
• The service will offer an ad-free experience with
background play and offline downloads for millions of
videos on YouTube, as well as access to all YouTube
Originals.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/me
dia/entertainment/media/youtube-launches-music-
streaming-services-in-india/articleshow/68382420.cms
Facebook to support start-ups
• Facebook launched Facebook Hubs, an initiative to foster
innovation and offer support for budding entrepreneurs
on 12 March 2019.
• It will extend support for start-up community by hosting
mentor hours and conducting trainings, workshops,
discussions across 20 locations in India.
• The locations are Delhi, Goa, Gurugram, Noida, Bengaluru,
Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune,and Navi Mumbai.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-
tech/facebook-hubs-to-support-start-
ups/article26514402.ece
Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to be grounded
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation decided to
ground Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with immediate effect.

• The decision came in the wake of Ethiopian Airlines crash
on 10 March 2019 in Addis Ababa killing all 157 people on
board.
• Spice Jet has around 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts in its
fleet, while Jet Airways has five in the country.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=DGCA-
decides-to-ground-Boeing-737-Max-8-aircraft-with-
immediate-effect&id=360924
76% Indian businesses hit by cyber attacks
• 76% of organizations were hit by online attacks in 2018, as
revealed by a new survey '7 Uncomfortable Truths of
Endpoint Security' released on 13 March 2019.
• IT managers discovered 39% of the most significant cyber
attacks on their organization’s servers and 35% on its
networks.
• The survey polled more than 3,100 IT decision makers
from mid-sized businesses in 12 countries.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-
news/76-indian-businesses-hit-by-cyber-attacks-survey-
1552446467488.html
12 states banned e-cigarettes
• Following an advisory from the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare issued in 2018, 12 states in India have
banned Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).
• These include Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala,
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Jharkhand.
• ENDS emits nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco
products.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/12-
states-ban-e-cigarettes-health-ministry-urges-all-to-
follow-1552447122172.html
New frog species found in Kerala
• A star-speckled frog species with several features
resembling frogs found in South America and Central
Africa was discovered in the Western Ghats in Wayanad,
Kerala.
• The frog has been named Astrobatrachus Kurichiyana after
the indigenous community living of Kurichiyarmala.
• An analysis revealed that the frog separated from its near
relative almost 60 to 70 million years ago.
Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-
news/found-new-frog-in-old-hot-spot/story-
d1p2wCJsDOUZ054yOfUodM.html
IoT India Congress 2019 to be held
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• IoT (Internet of Things) India Congress, will be held in
Bengaluru from August 22-23, 2019.
• It will include tracks on segments such as healthcare,
manufacturing, smart cities, energy, cybersecurity, skills
and development, IoT Standards, and agriculture.
• The announcement of the 4th edition of it was made by
the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) IoT
Panel at a conference.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/internet-of-things-india-
congress-2019-to-be-held-on-aug-22-23-
119031200313_1.html
J&K got its 1st palliative care centre
• Jammu & Kashmir got its first centre for palliative care
programme and treatment of cancer patients on 12 March
2019.
• It has been set up under the national palliative care
programme by AIIMS, New Delhi and the Union health
ministry and the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care
Network, Singapore.
• Palliative care focuses on relieving and preventing the
suffering of patients.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/j-k-gets-its-first-
palliative-care-centre-for-cancer-patients-
119031200745_1.html
Arecanut got its first GI tag as Sirsi Supari
• For the first time in the arecanut sector, ‘Sirsi Supari’
grown in Uttara Kannada has received the Geographic
Indication (GI) tag.
• It is cultivated in Yellapura, Siddapura and Sirsi taluks.
• The arecanut has unique features like a round and
flattened coin shape, particular texture, taste.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnatak
a/arecanut-gets-its-first-gi-tag-for-sirsi-
supari/article26503635.ece
Wood snake rediscovered by scientists
• A species of wood snake that wasn’t seen for 140 years
has resurfaced in a survey conducted by scientists in the
Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The species, endemic to the Meghamalai forests and the
Periyar Tiger Reserve landscape, was rediscovered by R.
Chaitanya.
• It was last spotted and recorded by British military officer
and naturalist Colonel Richard Henry Beddome in 1878.

Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-
and-environment/wood-snake-last-seen-in-1878-
rediscovered-by-scientists/article26505577.ece
Harappan trove discovered
• Archaeologists have stumbled upon a massive burial site
dating back to the Harappan civilization, around 360 km
from Dholavira in Kutch district, Gujarat.
• The excavation was done jointly by the Kutch University
and Kerala University near Khatia village of Lakhpat
taluka.
• Estimated to be around 4,600-5,200 years old, the burial
site is 300 m x 300 m-big with more than 250 graves.
Source
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/experts-
discover-harappan-trove/articleshow/68366282.cms
India's Internet base crossed 500m mark
• The internet user base in India exceeded 500 million mark
and is likely to reach 627 million by end 2019, according to
the Kantar IMRB ICUBE report.
• The number of internet users is estimated to be 566
million as of December 2018, registering annual growth of
18%.
• Bihar showed the highest growth in new internet user
additions across urban and rural areas; registering growth
of 35% over 2018.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/intern
et-users-exceed-500-million-rural-india-driving-growth-
report-1552300847307.html
Collection of 3 lakh clothes made record
• A campaign by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, member of
erstwhile royal family of Udaipur, has received a donation
of over three lakh clothing items.
• It created a Guinness World Record for the largest
collection of clothes for donation.
• Over 76,000 people donated the clothes, which were
distributed to the needy.
• The campaign reached out to over 120 schools, 15
colleges, and 30 NGOs.
Source
Link: https://repository.inshorts.com/articles/en/PTI/302
78cdd-ccf8-4c6c-a627-
0d4aedfef815?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium
=referral&utm_source=inshorts
Reservations in Odisha and MP
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced 33%
quota for women in the allocation of Lok Sabha tickets of
BJD party.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Madhya Pradesh Congress government issued an
ordinance to raise the reservation for Other Backward
Classes (OBCs) from 14% to 27%.
Source
Link: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/nav
een-patnaik-declares-33-quota-for-women-in-allocation-
of-bjd-lok-sabha-
tickets20190310130833/?utm_campaign=fullarticle&ut
m_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts
India's 1st LGBTQ clinic inaugurated
• India's first HIV treatment centre and holistic clinic for the
LGBTQ community was inaugurated by Humsafar Trust in
Mumbai.
• The centre will give free counseling and provide Anti-
Retroviral Therapy (ART).
• ART is the use of HIV medicines to treat the infection and
is recommended for everyone who is infected with virus
and delays the progression of the disease.
Source Link: https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-
now/society/article/humsafar-trust-inaugurates-indias-
first-lgbtq-clinic-one-stop-hiv-treatment-centre-in-
mumbai/379881?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_mediu
m=referral&utm_source=inshorts
CBDT paved way for offshore managers
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has started
paving way for offshore fund managers to relocate to India
for managing their offshore funds.
• This is being done for the public markets space, mainly
foreign portfolio investors (FPI) structures.
• This will also boost flows into India as fund managers will
be closer to the ‘deal ecosystem’.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/c
bdt-allows-offshore-fund-managers-to-operate-from-
india/article26488491.ece
3 special observers appointed for J&K
• The Election Commission formed a 3-member committee
to assess the situation on the ground in Jammu and
Kashmir.
• The 3 members of the committee are two retired IAS
officers Noor Mohammed and Vinod Zutshi and a retired
IPS officer, A.S. Gill.
• EC will be regularly and on a real-time basis monitoring the
situation in the state and the decision of holding Assembly
elections will be taken soon.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=EC-

appoints-three-special-observers-for-Jammu-and-
Kashmir&id=360839
11 new regional DD channels launched
• Prasar Bharati launched 11 state Doordarshan channels,
including five for northeast through DD Free Dish, on 9
March 2019.
• This was done to widen the reach and accessibility of the
government broadcaster.
• Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and
Uttarakhand got their own DD channels on satellite
network through DD Free Dish.
Source Link: https://www.zeebiz.com/companies/news-
prasar-bharati-launches-11-new-regional-dd-channels-
89500/amp
Data usage in India to grow by 2022
• India’s data consumption is expected to grow at a
compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 72.6% to
10,96,58,793 MB by 2022.
• Video streaming constitutes roughly 65-75% of the traffic,
as per the Nokia Mobile Broadband Index 2018.
• Internet penetration is increasing in India, and mobile
internet penetration is set to reach 56.7% in 2022 from a
mere 30.2% in 2017.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-business/data-usage-in-india-to-grow-at-73-
cagr-by-2022-study/article26491291.ece
Pulse Polio program launched in Nagaland
• The Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Department
launched the first round of 'Intensive Pulse Polio
Immunization’ programme on 10 March 2019.
• It is targeting to administer polio drops to all eligible
children upto 5 years throughout the state in 2274 polio
booths.
• More than 17 cr. children below 5 years across the country
will be given polio drops as part of the central
government's drive.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-
paper/tp-national/intensive-pulse-polio-immunization-
prog-launched-in-nagaland/article26491701.ece
Doon-Mussoorie ropeway project foundation laid
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat laid the
foundation stone for the Dehradun-Mussoorie ropeway
project on 6 March 2019.
• Poma, a French company which manufactures cable-driven
projects, will provide the technical support to the project.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• It will shorten the one-hour zigzag drive to just 15 minutes
from Purkul village the base camp at Dehradun to
Mussoorie.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/cm-rawat-lays-
foundation-stone-for-doon-mussoorie-ropeway-project-
119030601261_1.html
‘One Delhi’ mobile app launched
• The Delhi government launched 'One Delhi' mobile
application on 5 March 2019.
• The application will provide a real-time location of bus
stops and buses through which commuters can easily
locate the nearest bus stops, number of buses, and routes.
• The app will be updated every 45 minutes with
information related to bus and metro routes.
Source Link: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-
editions/one-delhi-to-give-you-real-time-dtc-bus-
info.html
Marayoor jaggery received GI Tag
• The Marayoor jaggery, the traditional and handmade
product from Idukki district, received the Geographical
Indication (GI) tag from the government of India.
• This jaggery is made from sugarcane and no chemicals are
added during the manufacturing process.
• It is dark brown in colour, high in sweetness and iron, with
less sodium content and insoluble impurities.
Source
Link: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/sweet-
victory-idukki-s-marayoor-jaggery-gets-gi-tag-97960
PM Modi inaugurated PDUIA in Greater Noida
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Pandit
Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology (PDUIA) in
Greater Noida on 9 March 2019.
• The Institute of Archaeology (IA) is an academic wing of
Archaeological Survey of India under the Ministry of
Culture.
• The aim of this Institute is to provide an opportunity for
students to achieve excellence in the field of archaeology.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68268
Andhra and Madhya Pradesh got new NCLT benches
• The Government of India has approved the establishment
of two new benches of National Company Law Tribunal
(NCLT) for the faster disposal of cases.
• The benches will be established at Amaravati in Andhra
Pradesh and the other at Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

• The jurisdiction of the Bench at Amaravati will be the state
of Andhra Pradesh and that of Indore will be the state of
Madhya Pradesh.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68287
Foundation stone for KV corridor laid
• PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of corridor
and beautification at Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi
on 8 March 2019.
• This temple corridor will be a role model for all temples
and their safety and security.
• All rules, standards and ethical values mentioned in our
Shastras have been kept in mind while preparing the
model of this corridor.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=PM-Modi-
lays-foundation-stone-of-Kashi-Vishwanath-
corridor&id=360721
Creation of post of Technical member approved
• The Union Cabinet approved the creation of the Post of
Technical Member in Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT),
Mumbai.
• The post will have a pay scale of Rs. 2,25,000/- (fixed) or
Level 17 of the Pay Matrix as per the 7th Pay Commission.
• Creation of the post will facilitate the creation of an
additional bench in SAT, thereby allowing speedy disposal
of the increased number of appeals in SAT.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67816
Cabinet approved Kiru Hydro Electric Project
• The Cabinet Committee approved the investment sanction
for construction of Kiru Hydro Electric (HE) Project (624
MW) in Jammu & Kashmir.
• The project is located on River Chenab in Kishtwar district
of J&K and will be implemented at an estimated cost of
Rs.4287.59 crore.
• The project is envisaged as a Run of River (RoR) Scheme,
designed complying with the requirements of Indus Water
Treaty 1960
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67751
Advanced braking systems mandatory
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways mandated
advanced braking systems and technologies for improved
road safety and reducing accidents.
• The provision will be binding on all vehicles with 9 seats
and above as per a notification issued on 7 March,19.
• The existing vehicles will be required to adopt new
provisions from April 2021, while new vehicles, from April
2022 will have these pre-fitted.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
68007
FMBAP approved by the Cabinet
• The Union Cabinet approved the Flood Management and
Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) for Flood Management
Works in the entire country.
• River Management Activities and works related to Border
Areas were also approved for the period 2017-18 to 2019-
20 with a total outlay of Rs.3342.00 crores.
• FMBAP Scheme will be implemented for effective flood
management, erosion control, and anti-sea erosion.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67798
400 acre wetland became dust bowl in 6 months
• A wetland habitat in Uran, near Mumbai that drew a
variety of birds, has been completely flattened with dirt
and debris.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) was accused of carrying
out illegal reclamation at the Dastan Phata wetland.
• A huge biodiversity area has been lost in 6 months and
action against JNPT officials will be taken.
Source
Link: https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cov
er-story/400-acre-wetland-becomes-a-dust-bowl-in-6-
months/articleshow/68295106.cms
Govt banned import of solid plastic waste
• The Centre amended the Hazardous and Other Wastes
(Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules,
2016.
• This was done to include a prohibition on the import of
solid plastic waste even in special economic zones (SEZ)
and by export-oriented units (EOU).
• The amendment has been done keeping into consideration
the 'Ease of Doing Business' and boosting 'Make in India'
initiative.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/govt-bans-

import-of-solid-plastic-waste-by-sezs-eous-
1551881532014.html
Web Wonder Women felicitated
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development hosted a
felicitation event for Web Wonder Women in New Delhi
on 6 March 2019.
• It was organised to celebrate the exceptional
achievements of women, who have been driving social
reforms via social media.
• 30 women, who were selected after an extensive research
process, were honoured by the Minister for Women and
Child Development, Maneka Gandhi.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1567639
Sonbhadra tops NITI Aayog's ranking
• Sonbhadra, Sahibganj, and Chatra topped the ranking of
aspirational districts by Niti Aayog for the December-
January period of 2018-19.
• The rankings measured the incremental progress made by
112 aspirational districts in December 2018-January 2019
across six developmental areas.
• Of 115 aspirational districts, only 112 participated in the
survey.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/3-jharkhand-districts-top-in-niti-s-
development-ranking-119030600562_1.html
Odisha announced assistance for craftsmen
• As a token of appreciation towards the craftsmen, the
Odisha government launched a scheme Mukhya Mantri
Karigar Sahayata on 6 March 2019.
• The scheme will provide them with monthly assistance.
• Craftsmen with over 10 years of experience and annual
income below Rs 1 lakh would be eligible to get an
assistance of Rs 800 a month.
• Those above 80 years would get Rs 1,000 monthly
allowance.
Source Link: https://wap.business-standard.com/article-
amp/pti-stories/odisha-govt-announces-financial-
assistance-for-craftsmen-119030600549_1.html
65% hate crimes against Dalits
• 65% hate crimes against Dalits were documented by
Amnesty India’s interactive Halt the Hate website.
• Of the 218 documented incidents, 142 were against Dalits,
50 against Muslims, and 8 each against Christians, Adivasis
and transgender people.
• For the 3rd straight year, Uttar Pradesh recorded the
highest number of reported crimes, with 57 such incidents.
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March 2019
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/65-of-
hate-crimes-against-dalits-amnesty/article26440412.ece
PM visited Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
• PM Narendra Modi visited Kalaburagi in Karnataka and
Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu on 6 March 2019 to launch
various development projects.
• He dedicated to the nation the Income Tax Appellate
Tribunal Terminal and ESIC Hospital and Medical College,
Bengaluru.
• He also unveiled multiple projects in roadways, railways,
and energy sector at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=PM-Modi-
to-visit-Karnataka%2c-Tamil-Nadu-
tomorrow&id=360590
Azadi Ke Diwane museum inaugurated
• Minister of State for Culture and Environment, Dr. Mahesh
Sharma inaugurated ‘AzaadikeDiwane’ museum at Red
Fort, Delhi on 5 March 2019.
• It is created by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and
pays homage to all unsung heroes of freedom struggle of
the nation.
• The museum is 5th in the series of recently inaugurated
museums in the Red Fort Complex including Subhash
Chandra Bose museum.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1567364
Handloom Haat at Janpath inaugurated
• Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the refurbished
Handloom Haat at Janpath in New Delhi on March 5, 2019.
• The main objective of the Haat is to provide infrastructure
support to handloom agencies to augment their sales of
handloom products.
• She also launched 3 projects besides this, which are Trend
Forecasting, Design Innovation Incubator and Textiles, and
Crafts Repository.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Smriti-
Irani-inaugurates-refurbished-Handloom-Haat-at-
Janpath%2c-New-Delhi&id=360578
Uttarakhand to set up CoE for Himalayan Fibre
• The Uttarakhand government has decided to set up a
center of excellence for Himalayan fiber in Almora district
of Kumaon.

• It will be set up with support from the Northern India
Textile Research Association (NITRA) - Ghaziabad.
• NITRA, under the Union Ministry of Textile, will set up a
training institute for developing fiber products at the
Centre.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/news-ians/uttarakhand-to-set-up-
centre-of-excellence-for-himalayan-fibre-
119030400325_1.html
Project BOLD-QIT inaugurated
• Project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT
Interception Technique) on India-Bangladesh border in
Assam was inaugurated on 5 March 2019.
• I&T Wing of BSF undertook the project in January 2018
and completed it in record time.
• Implementation of this project will help BSF to curb all
types of cross border crimes and provide respite to the
troops from round the clock human surveillance.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Rajnath-
Singh-to-inaugurate-project-BOLD-QIT-on-India-
Bangladesh-border-in-Dhubri%2c-Assam-
today&id=360574
1000 MW NTPL project dedicated to nation
• Coal Minister Piyush Goyal dedicated to the nation a
1,000-megawatt (MW) thermal power project of Neyveli
Tamil Nadu Power Ltd (NTPL) on 4 March 2019.
• He also dedicated 150-MW solar power projects of NLC
India Ltd (NLCIL) in Tamil Nadu.
• The 1,000-MW coal-fired thermal power project of NTPL is
a joint venture between NLCIL and TANGEDCO with equity
participation of 89:11.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/ene
rgy/power/piyush-goyal-dedicates-to-nation-1000-mw-
thermal-power-project-of-
ntpl/articleshow/68256244.cms
BHEL to set up EV charger network
• BHEL will be setting up a network of solar-based electric
vehicle chargers on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway.
• The project will be covered under the Department of
Heavy Industry's FAME scheme (Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of (Hybrid) & Electric Vehicles in India).
• EV chargers would allay range-anxiety among the electric
vehicle users and bolster their confidence for inter-city
travel.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/ind
69 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
l-goods/svs/engineering/bhel-setting-up-solar-based-ev-
charger-network-on-delhi-chandigarh-
highway/articleshow/68251480.cms
96% usage of toilets under Swachh Bharat
• The National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS)
2018-19, found that 96.5% of the households in rural India
who have access to a toilet use it.
• The survey also re-confirmed the Open Defecation Free
(ODF) status of 90.7% of villages.
• The survey was conducted between November 2018 and
February 2019, covering 92040 households in 6136 villages
across the country.
Source
Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politic
s-and-nation/96-usage-of-toilets-under-swachh-bharat-
shows-survey-by-an-independent-verification-
agency/articleshow/68265399.cms
Air pollution costing India $30 billion/year
• Air pollution due to crop stubble burning in northern India
causes an economic loss of $30 billion annually, as per a
study unveiled on 4 March 2019.
• Researchers from the US-based International Food Policy
Research Institute found that living in districts with air
pollution from crop stubble burning can cause acute
respiratory infection (ARI).
• This is first of its kind study.
Source Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-
pollution-from-crop-stubble-burning-costing-india-
billion-annually-study-1551682436123.html
New airports inaugurated
• PM Narendra Modi will launch civilian flight operations
from Hindon airbase on 8 March 2019. He will also
inaugurate the 9.4 km-long Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda
section of Delhi Metro's Red Line.
• Sindhudurg airport in Parule-Chipi area of Maharashtra's
Konkan region was inaugurated by Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis and Union Civil Aviation Minister
Suresh Prabhu on 5 March 2019.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/delhi-s-
second-airport-at-hindon-metro-s-new-corridor-to-start-
from-friday-1551759022871.html
Guinness Book of World Record for Kumbh Mela
• The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 secured a place in the
Guinness Book of World Records.
• It set the record for the largest crowd management,
largest sanitation drive and largest painting exercise of
public sites.

• The festival began on January 14 and concluded on March
4, 2019, with the sixth and final Shahi Snan on the
occasion of Maha Shivratri.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/prayagraj-kumbh-mela-enters-guinness-book-of-
world-records-2002131
Hailakandi: Top aspirational district
• Assam's Hailakandi district has shot up to number 1 from
the 52nd position, among the aspirational districts of the
country as per a new report by the Niti Aayog.
• It ranked 1st among the 112 aspirational districts of India
based on the performance during November-December
2018 and January 2019.
• Deputy commissioners of awarded districts would receive
an additional allocation on 6 March 2019.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/assam-s-hailakandi-top-
aspirational-district-niti-aayog-study-
119030100953_1.html
Essar got nod for shale exploration
• Essar Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Ltd (EOGEPL)
received environment clearance for exploring shale gas
reserves in its Raniganj block in West Bengal.
• The expert appraisal committee (EAC) allowed Essar to
drill 20 wells to explore shale gas in its Raniganj CBM
block.
• It has been awarded an exploration lease for shale gas,
CBM, and hydrocarbons in the Raniganj block.
Source
Link: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/essar-
oil-gas-gets-green-nod-for-shale-exploration-in-
raniganj-block-1551649952836.html
2 New Rail projects flagged off
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis flagged off 11.28 km
long 2nd phase of the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle of
Mumbai monorail network on 3 March 2019.
• PM Narendra Modi flagged off the Tejas Express between
Madurai and Chennai, with two commercial stops.
Source Link: https://www.businesstoday.in/top-
story/pm-modi-flags-off-new-tejas-express-the-fastest-
train-between-chennai-madurai/story/323654.html
CISF set new Guinness World Record
• Central Industrial Security Force achieved a Guinness
world record feat in single line bicycle parade to mark the
50 years of the paramilitary force on March 3, 2019.
• The new record was created at the Yamuna Expressway in
Noida.
70 | P a g e
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
• Personnel of CISF rode 1,327 bicycles non-stop with a
uniform distance between bicycles in a single line.
• The parade covered 3.2 km distance non-stop.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/with-
parade-of-over-1-300-bicycles-cisf-sets-new-guinness-
world-record-2002047
Aadhar, voluntary ID proof in banks
• President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to an
ordinance that allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as ID proof
for opening bank accounts and buying SIM cards.
• The ordinance will omit Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act
relating to the use of Aadhaar by private entities.
• The changes entail a civil penalty of up to Rs. 1 crore on
entities that violate the provisions of the Aadhaar Act.
Source Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-
news/president-nod-to-ordinance-for-use-of-aadhaar-for-
bank-accounts-sim-2002055
PM on 2-day visit to Gujarat
• PM Narendra Modi is on a 2-day visit to Gujarat from 4
March 2019.
• He will launch the Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan
Yojana (PM-SYM) and inaugurate the first phase of 6-km-
long Ahmedabad Metro service.
• He will also lay foundation stones for Umiya Dham temple
and launch SAUNI water scheme.
Source
Link: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/pm-
narendra-modi-to-launch-several-projects-in-gujarat-
during-his-2-day-visit-starting-today-2054421.html
Gwalior: Centre for Disability Sports
• A Centre for Disability Sports will be set up at Gwalior in
Madhya Pradesh.
• It will ensure the effective participation of Persons with
Disabilities in sports activities.
• It is being developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.
• It will have an Outdoor Athletic Stadium, Indoor Sports
Complex and Aquatic Centre.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Centre-
for-Disability-Sports-to-be-set-up-at-
Gwalior&id=360514
Kalashnikov rifles unit inaugurated in Amethi
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Kalashnikov
rifles manufacturing facility at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on
3 March 2019.
• The facility has been set up by Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd.

• Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd is a joint venture between India's
Ordnance factory and a Russian firm.
• The facility will produce the last series of Kalashnikov rifles
in the Korwa Ordnance Factory.
Source Link: https://www.business-
standard.com/article/pti-stories/pm-modi-to-launch-
kalashnikov-rifles-unit-in-amethi-119030200390_1.html
Heat Wave 2019: Workshop on Preparedness held
• A National workshop on Preparedness, Mitigation, and
Management of Heat Wave was conducted in Nagpur on
27 and 28 February 2019.
• It was conducted by the National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) and the Government of Maharashtra.
• The workshop aims to sensitise States on the need of
preparing and implementing specific Heat Action Plans in
line with NDMA’s national guidelines on Heat Wave.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=1
88997
Government extends ban on SIMI
• The government of India has extended the ban on the
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
• It was involved in a series of terror acts in the country, for
five years.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs termed the SIMI as an
unlawful association.
• The decision has been taken as the organisation continues
to indulge in subversive activities.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Governme
nt-extends-ban-on-SIMI&id=360415
2nd Edition of ISL Dictionary launched
• The 2nd Edition of Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary
was launched in New Delhi on 27 February 2019.
• The dictionary was developed by Indian Sign Language
Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) under the
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
• The first edition of the dictionary with three thousand
words was launched in March 2018.
Source Link: http://newsonair.com/Main-News-
Details.aspx?id=360327
Guiness Book of World Record created by DEPwD
• A National Conference on “Deendayal Disabled
Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)” was inaugurated in Gujarat
on 1 March 2019.
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March 2019
• '7th Guinness Book of World Record' was created by
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
(DEPwD) on 28 February 2019 at Bharuch, Gujarat.
• The record was created for implanting 'Modern Artificial
Limbs (Legs)' on 260 Divyangjans within eight hours.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Shashank-
Shekhar-wins-10-km-race-of-Nepal%26%2339%3bs-
COAS-Open-Marathon-and-Run-for-Fun-in-
Kathmandu&id=360455
Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue to be held
• The second edition of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue
(IPRD) - 2019 will be held on 5 and 6 March 2019 in New
Delhi.
• The aim of the IPRD is to focus attention on the Indo-
Pacific, as a maritime geographical-entity.
• It is organised by the Indian Navy and the National
Maritime Foundation.
• The IPRD 2019 is based on five themes would be
addressed in five sessions spread over two days.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
67131
IRCTC launches IRCTC iPay
• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC) launched its own payment aggregator system,
iPay.
• It will provide an improved online digital payment
convenience and ease of doing business to passengers
availing online travel services through the IRCTC website.
• This will help reduce the gap between IRCTC and banks
which will lead to a substantial reduction in payment
failures.
Source Link: https://www.thehindu.com/business/irctc-
launches-payment-aggregator-irctc-
ipay/article26397228.ece
Government to celebrate ‘Poshan Pakhwada’
• The Government of India will celebrate the first
anniversary of 'POSHAN Abhiyaan' by organising Poshan
Pakhwada across the Country.
• The Pakhwada will be launched on International Women’s
Day, 8th March, 2019.
• The Ministry of Women & Child Development is the nodal
ministry for coordinating activities during the month.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566901
Blast-proof LPG cylinders to be launched

• A new breed of blast-proof composite Liquified Petroleum
Gas (LPG) cylinders will soon be available in India.
• Confidence Petroleum India Limited and Time Technoplast
Limited announced the launch of their brand ‘GoGas Elite’
in Mumbai.
• The lightweight cylinders are manufactured using
composite material and are non-corrosive, UV-protected
&100% recyclable.
Source
Link: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/yo
ur-kitchen-will-soon-be-safer-with-blast-proof-lpg-
cylinders/article26391862.ece?homepage=true
Foundation stone laid for NIUM
• AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik laid the foundation
stone of National Institute of Unani Medicine, NIUM at
Ghaziabad on March 1, 2019.
• Once established, the 200-bedded hospital will be one of
the largest institutes of Unani Medicine in North India.
• The institute is an extension of the existing NIUM at
Bengaluru and will be developed on a 10-acre area, costing
about 300 crore rupees.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=AYUSH-
Minister-to-lay-foundation-stone-for-National-Institute-
of-Unani-Medicine&id=360373
Aadhaar Amendment Bill cleared
• The Cabinet approved the promulgation of an ordinance to
allow voluntary use of Aadhaar as identity proof for
opening bank account on 28 February 2019.
• It was necessitated as the Aadhaar Amendment bill,
passed by the Lok Sabha on January 4, 2019.
• It will give effect to changes in the Aadhaar Act such as
giving a child an option to exit from the biometric ID
programme after 18 years of age.
Source Link: https://thewire.in/government/modi-govt-
clears-aadhaar-amendment-bill-through-ordinance-route
PM launched projects in Tamil Nadu
• PM Narendra Modi launched 5 National Highways projects
worth 3000 crore rupees in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on
March 1, 2019.
• He also launched a Road Safety Park and Transport
Museum.
• He dedicated to the nation the 2 and 4 laning of the
Madurai-Ramanathapuram section of NH-87.
• In Visakhapatnam, he addressed a public meeting "Praja
Chaitanya Sabha" at the Railway grounds.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
March 2019
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=PM-Modi-
to-launch-various-projects-in-Tamil-Nadu&id=360387
J&K approved 10% reservation for general sect
• The Union Cabinet has approved the Constitution
(Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order,
2019.
• It will serve the purpose of application of a relevant
provision of the constitution as amended through the
constitution (77th Amendment) act, 2019 for J&K.
• It will extend the reservation of up to 10% for the
economically weaker section.
Source
Link: http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Cabinet-
approves-10%25-reservation-for-general-category-poor-
in-J%26K&id=360391
4-lane bridge approved on Brahmaputra
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved
construction of 4-lane bridge on South Bank on NH-127 B
in the State of Assam/Meghalaya.
• The total length of the bridge will be 19.282 km.
• The bridge will be built under the scheme of North-East
Road Network Connectivity Project Phase-03.
• Its construction over river Brahmaputra will save huge
travel distance from 205.3 km to only 19.282 km.
Source
Link: http://pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=15
66783
DDRS organised by DEPwD
• A National Conference on Deendayal Disabled
Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was organized on 1 March
2019.
• It was organized by the Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New
Delhi.
• Its objective was to sensitize the stakeholders of the
scheme.
Source
Link: http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRI
D=1566642
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

Table of Contents
Awards &Honours .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
International Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Personalities in News ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Government Policies & Schemes.......................................................................................................................... 18
Science & Technology ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Committees & Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 23
Business & Economy............................................................................................................................................. 24
Sports .................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Defence................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Polity ..................................................................................................................................................................... 44
National Affairs ..................................................................................................................................................... 44
Environment ......................................................................................................................................................... 52

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Awards &Honours
Jacques received Ikhamanga Award 2019
 Jacques Kallis was honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga
in the Silver Division.
 The national honour is bestowed by the President of South
Africa on citizens who have made significant contributions
to arts, literature, music, journalism, culture, and sports.
 He was rewarded for his successful cricket career.
 He played 166 Tests, 328 ODIs and 25 T20Is, returning 62
hundreds and 577 wickets.
Helen get Deenanath Mangeshkar Award
 Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, scriptwriter Salim Khan,
and Helen were honoured with the prestigious Master
Deenanath Mangeshkar Award on 25 April 2019.
 The award has been instituted by Master Deenanath
Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, a charitable trust.
 The award is given to legends from the fields of music,
drama, art and social work.
Cyril Almeida won IPI's award 2019
 Dawn editor and Columnist Cyril Almeida from Pakistan
won the IPI’s (International Press Institute) World Press
Freedom Hero award in 2019.
 He was awarded for his critical and tenacious coverage of
the civil-military relations in Pakistan.
 Mada Masr, an Egyptian news site, has won Free Media
Pioneer Award 2019 of the IPI and International Media
Support (IMS).
Rana Dasgupta won Literary prize
 Author Rana Dasgupta was awarded the Rabindranath
Tagore Literary Prize 2019 for his 2010 novel Solo.
 It is the second edition of the Rabindranath Tagore Literary
Prize.
 The Prize aims to revive poetry and books that can change
lives.
 The prize consists of an amount of $10,000, a Tagore
statue and a certificate for contribution to literature will
be given to the awardee.
Goswami received best sportsperson award
 Jhulan Goswami, world's leading wicket-taker in women's
one-day internationals, was awarded the Best
Sportsperson' award by the Calcutta Sports Journalists'
Club.
 Sambaran Banerjee and former India winger Sukumar
Samajpati won the Lifetime Achievement awards.
 Promising Sportsperson of the Year was given to Neelash
Saha.
 Best footballer was given to Pritam Kotal.
WB Govt's scheme won UN award
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 West Bengal government's 'Utkarsh Bangla' scheme was
awarded the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) award of the United Nations.
 Out of 1062 nominations in 18 categories from all over the
world, #UtkarshBangla emerged No 1 in the Capacity
Building category.
 The WB government had received another UN award in
2017 for its 'Kanyashree' project.
AIR receive Swacchta Pakhwada Award 2019
 All India Radio, Publication Division and Children's Film
Society of India were given Swacchta Pakhwada Awards-
2019 in New Delhi on 23 April 2019.
 Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry
Amit Khare gave away the awards.
 Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar and
Director General (News) Ms. Ira Joshi received the Award
for All India Radio.
KAU IPR Cell won National IP Award 2019
 The Intellectual Property Rights Cell (IPR Cell) of Kerala
Agricultural University (KAU) has been selected for the
National Intellectual Property Award 2019.
 The award, comprising a prize money of ₹1 lakh, will be
presented at in New Delhi on World IP Day on April 26,
2019.
 It is conferred on persons and organisations working in the
field of patents, trademarks, and Geographical Indications.
Benny Antony won National IP Award
 Benny Antony, Joint Managing Director, Arjuna Natural
Ltd, has been conferred with the National Intellectual
Property Award for 2019 in the category of Top Individual
for Patents and Commercialization.
 Along with the National IP Award, the Intellectual Property
Office India and the World Intellectual Property
Organisation (WIPO) also conferred the ‘WIPO Medal for
Inventors’ to Antony.
Indian-American scientist in Hall of Fame
 An Indian-American scientist and social activist has been
inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of fame for
his contribution in applications in systems biology, global
issues and sustainable development.
 Prof Sree Sreenath was inducted into it, along with five
other inductees Dr. Akram Boutros, Ingrida Bublys, Paul
Burik, Richard Fleischman, and Marilyn Madigan.
UN honoured Indian peacekeepers
 United Nations honoured 150 Indian peacekeepers serving
with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) with medals
of honour for their dedicated service and sacrifice.
 UNMISS is working to deter violence against civilians by
providing a safe and secure environment for South
Sudanese people.

 UNMISS is committed to helping build durable peace in
South Sudan.
Police officers awarded for writing book
 A Delhi Police officer has been awarded 'Pandit Govind
Ballabh Pant Award' for his book 'Samvidhan Kavya'.
 Bureau of Police Research and Development gave the
award to Special Commissioner of Police (Operations) Sunil
Kumar Gautam for 2018-19.
 The book presents the provisions of the Constitution in a
simple and poetic form.
SFB awarded Clement Model 2019 Award
 Fincare Small Finance Bank (SFB) has been awarded
the Celent Model Bank 2019 Award in the category of
Financial Inclusion, for 'Redesigning Lending to Reach
Small Businesses'.
 The award recognizes LAP (Loans Against Property) D.Lite,
a tab-based solution designed and developed in-house by
Fincare SFB.
 LAP D.Lite is one of the 22 initiatives from around the
world to receive this award.
Aretha Franklin's posthumous win
 Aretha Franklin received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation
honor.
 She became the first individual woman to earn a special
citation prize since the honor was first awarded in 1930.
 Franklin died on August 16, 2018, at her home in Detroit
from pancreatic cancer.
NASA awarded 3 Indian teams
 NASA awarded 3 teams from India as part of its annual
Human Exploration Rover Challenge,
 The team from KIET Group of Institutions, Uttar Pradesh,
won the AIAA Neil Armstrong Best Design Award.
 The Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and
Engineering, Mumbai, Maharashtra, won the Frank Joe
Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award.
 A team from LPU, Punjab, won the STEM Engagement
Award.
Datamatics won IMC award
 Datamatics Global Services Ltd. (DGSL) won IMC Digital
Technology Awards 2018 under the Excellence in Emerging
Technology category for TruBot, its Robotic Process
Automation product and TruAI, its AI platform.
 The award ceremony was held on 12th April 2019 at St
Regis, Mumbai.
 The IMC Awards recognize achievements across all areas
of the IT industry.
UNESCO Cano Press Freedom Prize announced
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize 2019
has been awarded to Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw
Soe Oo.
 The prize carries a reward of $25,000 Prize.
 It recognises the exceptional courage in reporting on
alleged human rights violations in Myanmar's state of
Rakhine.
 The award was established in 1997 and named after
Guillermo Cano Isaza
Budenholzer received NBCA Coach of the Year
 Budenholzer was named the 2019 recipient of the Michael
H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year honors.
 He, in his first year as head coach of the Bucks, led the
franchise to the top record in the entire NBA.
 Budenholzer also led the Bucks to their first divisional title
since the 2000-2001 season.
Digital Sukoon receives Best Digital award
 Digital Sukoon founder, Sudhanshu Kumar was honoured
with the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel Award by
International Human Rights Council on 10 April 2019.
 Digital Sukoon received the Best Digital Agency of the Year
2019.
 Digital Sukoon provides a comprehensive 360-degree
solution to their clients for the promotional needs by
creating innovative campaigns and optimum usage of
technology tools..
NMCG awarded at Global Water Summit
 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) or Namami
Gange was given the ‘Public Water Agency of the Year’
award by Global Water Intelligence at the Global Water
Summit in London.
 It is an integrated mission for Ganga rejuvenation, and was
approved by the Union Government in June 2014.
 Global Water Summit is the major business conference for
the water industry worldwide.
PM Modi to receive Order of St Andrew
 Russia will confer the Order of St Andrew the Apostle on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 The award is being given for Mr. Modi’s exceptional
services in promoting special and privileged strategic
partnership between the Russian Federation and India.
 The award is Russia’s highest state decoration.
64th Railway Week of Railway Board
 The 64th Railway Week Function of Railway Board was
organized in New Delhi on 13 April, 2019.
 45 officials of Railway Board were presented with awards
for their outstanding performances in the year 2018-19.
 V K Yadav is the Chairman of Railway Board.
Siva Reddy selected for Saraswati Samman 2018
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

 Telugu poet K Siva Reddy has been selected for the  The Global Water Awards are presented at the Global
prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2018 for his collection of Water Summit, the major business conference for the
poetry titled Pakkaki Ottigilite. water industry worldwide.
 The award carries a cash prize of 15 lakh rupees, a citation,
and a plaque.
 The award, instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991,
is given annually for an outstanding literary work written
in any Indian language, published during the last 10 years.
GIC India Chief awarded
 The Chairman and Managing Director of the General
Insurance Corporation (GIC) of India, Alice G Vaidyan was
awarded the Freedom of the City of London.
 She was awarded in recognition of her work to promote
insurance ties between India and the UK.
 The Freedom of the City of London dates back to the 13th
century and is bestowed upon individuals who make an
impact in the financial hub of London.
Image of toddler won World Press Photo
 The haunting image of a little girl crying helplessly as she
and her mother are taken into custody by US border
officials has won the prestigious World Press Photo Award.
 The picture of the wailing toddler was published
worldwide and caused a public outcry about Washington's
controversial policy to separate thousands of migrants
from their children.
 The picture was taken by John Moore.
2 Bengal government schemes won UN awards
 Two schemes of the West Bengal government for skill Indian Oil bagged AIMA award
development and distribution of bicycles to students have  Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) bagged the prestigious 'AIMA
won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Managing India Award 2019 for outstanding PSU of the
Society awards of the United Nations. year.'
 The 2 schemes are the Utkarsh Bangla and Sabooj Sathi  The award was presented by former President Pranab
projects for youngsters. Mukherjee to Sanjiv Singh, Chairman, Indian Oil.
Dost Education bagged Tech prize  The AIMA awards declared under 11
categories, shortlisted 11 eminent enterprises and
 India's education tech startup 'Dost Education' bagged a personalities of the country for their contribution to
$25,000 tech prize along with 2 other winners from nation-building.
Tanzania and Egypt.
 The Next Billion Edtech Prize 2019 recognises the most Vice President conferred awards
innovative technology destined to have a radical impact on  Vice President Venkaiah Naidu conferred President’s
education in low income. Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas
 Dost was awarded for its ability to empower parents to Samman Awards at New Delhi, recently.
take charge of their child's early education.  The award of the Certificate of Honour was introduced in
Namami Gange got global recognition the year 1958 to honour the scholars of Sanskrit, Arabic
and Persian Languages.
 The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was
 Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman was introduced in the
awarded the distinction of 'Public Water Agency of the
year 2002.
Year'.
 It was awarded by the Global Water Intelligence at the Virat Kohli: Wisden's Leading Cricketer
Global Water Summit in London on April 9, 2019.  Team India captain Virat Kohli has been named as the
Wisden Almanack’s ‘Leading Cricketer of the Year’ for the
third time in a row.

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 He smashed 2,735 runs in 47 international innings at an
average of 68.37 in 2018, including 11 hundred and 9
fifties.
 Smriti Mandhana has been named the Women’s Leading
Cricketer of the Year for 2018.
Neeraj and Sindhu won the ESPN award
 P V Sindhu and star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra were
named as female and male sportsperson of the year in the
ESPN India Multi-Sport Awards for their achievements in
2018.
 Neeraj was picked for the top men's award for his gold at
2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
 Saina Nehwal won the award for the 'Comeback of the
Year' after bagging the bronze at the 2018 Asian Games.
Tata Steel gets Global Slag award
 Tata Steel has been named as the 'Global Slag Company of
the Year' at the 14th Global Slag Conference and Exhibition
2019.
 The award was presented to Tata Steel for its innovative
practices in the development of new applications for Steel
by-products (Slag).
 The conference was held in Germany and was attended by
major steelmakers, steel mill service providers &
associated companies.
Shah Rukh conferred with Honorary Doctorate
 Eminent Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan conferred with
an honorary doctorate in Philanthropy by the University of
Law, London.
 He was awarded this for his efforts to give back to society.
 He has received the merit during a graduation ceremony
which had more than 350 students in attendance.
Coimbatore student entered Guinness Book
 Sridhar Muthukrishnan, a 2nd-year student of BSc Visual
Communications entered the Guinness Book of World
Records in light painting photography with 1,350 light
orbs.
 His work was submitted to the Guinness Book officials on
February 13, 2018, and the certificate was issued in March
2019.
Vikram Patel got Global Health Award
 Vikram Patel, a psychiatrist and professor of global health
at Harvard Medical School, has won the prestigious John
Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award.
 Laureates receive a $100,000 cash honorarium and will be
formally presented with their awards on October 24, 2019
at the annual Canada Gairdner Awards Gala in Toronto.
UAE honoured PM Narendra Modi
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 UAE honoured PM Narendra Modi with its highest
decoration in recognition of the 'pivotal role' played by
the PM in strengthening ties between the two nations.
 He was presented the Zayed Medal by the UAE President.
 The Zayed Medal is the highest decoration awarded to
Kings, Presidents, and heads of states.
ET Prime Women Leadership Awards 2019
 GIC India's Alice Vaidyan wins ETPrime 'Woman CEO of
the Year'.
 Indra Nooyi wins ETPrime 'Global Indian Woman of the
Year'.
 Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw wins ETPrime 'Business Woman of
the Year'.
 Anu Aga honored with ET Prime 'Lifetime Achievement'
Award.
 Meera Sanyal won ET Prime 'Lifetime Achievement' award
posthumously.
 Aarthi Subramanian gets ET Prime 'Technology Leader of
the Year' award.
Days & Events
World Veterinary Day: 28 April
 The World Veterinary Day is observed on 28th April.
 It celebrates the contributions of veterinarians to the
health of animals and society.
 The theme for 2019 is Value of Vaccination.
 The day was initiated by the World Veterinary Association.
World Day for Safety and Health: 28 April
 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a UN
international day that is celebrated every April 28.
 It is an annual international campaign to promote safe,
healthy and decent work.
 It has been observed by the International Labour
Organization (ILO) since 2003.
International Dance Day: 29 April
 April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day annually.
 It aims to bring people together with a common language -
dance.
 In 1982, the Dance Committee of International Theatre
Institute founded International Dance Day.
 The theme for 2019 is Dance and Spirituality.
Days and Events
 World Day For Animals In Laboratories (WDAIL) (also
known as World Lab Animal Day) is observed every year on
24 April.
 International Girls in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) Day was observed on 25 April 2019.

 World Immunization Week 2019 is observed from 24 to 30
April 2019 and the theme of this year's campaign is
'Protected Together: Vaccines Work!'.
National Fire Service Day observed
 The Fire Service Week (FSW) was observed nation-wide
from 14 to 20 April 2019.
 FSW is observed under the guidance of the Fire Adviser,
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
 This is in remembrance of the lives lost in the devastating
fire that erupted and the explosions that followed on 14
April 1944 at the Victoria Dock in the Bombay Port and
also to prevent fire in all industries.
World Intellectual Property Day: 26 April
 World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on
26th April.
 The theme for 2019 is Reach for Gold: IP and Sports.
 The event was established by the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000.
 The aim is to raise awareness of how patents, copyright,
trademarks and designs impact on daily life.
National Panchayati Raj Day: 24 April
 The National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated every year in
India on 24th April.
 The Constitution of India recognizes Panchayats as
'Institutions of self-government'.
 This day marks the passing of Constitution (73rd
Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect
from 24 April 1993.
 The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in
2010
World Malaria Day: 25 April
 World Malaria Day is observed every year on 25 April, to
spread awareness about malaria disease globally and to
promote efforts to prevent malaria around the world.
 The theme of World Malaria Day 2019 is 'Zero malaria
starts with me'.
 World Malaria Day was developed from Africa Malaria Day
which was first held in 2008.
Int. Day of Multilat and Diplomacy for Peace
 April 24 is observed as the International Day of
Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace every year.
 It was officially approved on 12 December 2018 through
resolution A/RES/73/127.
 The day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its
principles of resolving disputes among countries through
peaceful means.
World Book Day: 23 April
 World Book Day is celebrated by UNESCO and other
related organisations every year on the 23rd of April.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Also called the World Book and Copyright Day, it is an
occasion to promote the joy of books and the art of
reading.
 The theme for this year is Share A Story.
World Earth Day: 22 April
 World Earth Day is observed every year on 22 April.
 On 22nd April 2009 the United Nations General Assembly
adopted a resolution declaring 22nd April as the
'International Mother Earth Day'.
 World Earth Day 2019 theme is ‘Protect Our Species’.
 It will mainly focus on saving species which are on the
verge of extinction due to climate change, deforestation,
pollution and illegal poaching.
World Liver Day: 19 April
 The World Liver Day (WLD) is observed every year on April
19.
 The aim of the day is to build awareness and
understanding the importance of liver in the human body
and how liver ailments are treated.
 The liver, which measures about 1,00 grams in weight and
15 cm in length, is the second largest organ and is a key
player in our body’s digestive system.
World Heritage Day: 18 April
 April 18 is annually observed as the International Day for
Monuments and Sites (IDMS), also known as World
Heritage Day.
 This day is celebrated to remind the citizens about
beautiful places or heritage sites in our country.
 The theme for 2019 is Rural Landscapes.
 The day was proposed by the International Council on
Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on 18 April 1982.
Mujibnagar Day observed in Bangladesh
 In Bangladesh, the historic Mujibnagar day is being
observed on 17 April 2019.
 The day marks the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh's
first government in 1971 at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur.
 The day is being observed by political parties and social
and cultural organisations through various programs
across Bangladesh.
World Haemophilia Day: April 17
 April 17 is observed as the World Haemophilia Day every
year.
 It was started in 1989 by the World Federation of
Hemophilia (WFH) which chose to bring the community
together on April 17 in honour of WFH founder Frank
Schnabel’s birthday.
 World Hemophilia Day theme for the year 2019 is
‘Outreach and Identification’.
Important days

 National Safe Motherhood Day (NSMD) is observed
annually on 11 April.
 The theme of 2019 NSMD is "Midwives for Mothers".
 The aim of the day is to raise awareness about the proper
healthcare of women and maternity facilities to pregnant
and lactating women.
 International Day of Human Space Flight is observed on 12
April
World Allergy Week 2019 : 7-13 April
 World Allergy Week 2019 was observed from 7 to 13 April
2019.
 The theme for World Allergy Week 2019 is “The Global
Problem of Food Allergy”.
 World Allergy Week is a global campaign of the World
Allergy Organisation (WAO), which aims to raise
awareness of the impact of allergy in our communities.
Baisakhi festival being celebrated today
 The festival of Baisakhi is being celebrated with
enthusiasm in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh today.
 It is a spring harvest festival for the Sikhs.
 Baisakhi also commemorates the formation of Khalsa
Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary
 The nation is paying homage to martyrs of Jallianwala
Bagh massacre on its hundredth anniversary on 13 April,
2019.
 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will release a
Commemorative Coin and Commemorative Postage
Stamp.
 Hundreds of innocent people were killed by Brigadier
General Dyer during a peaceful meeting at the Jallianwala
park on this day in 1919.
Rama Navami being celebrated in the country
 Sri Rama Navami is being celebrated with great
enthusiasm across the country on 13 April, 2019.
 The festival marks the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh
incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
 President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi wished people on the occasion.
World Homeopathy Day: 2-day convention
 World Homeopathy Day is observed on 10 April to
commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of
Homeopathy, Dr Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann.
 On the occasion, the Central Council for Research in
Homeopathy, CCRH, organized a two-day convention in
New Delhi.
CRPF celebrated 54th Valour Day
 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) celebrated its 54th
Valour Day on 9 April 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 On this day, in 1965, a small contingent of 2nd Battalion of
CRPF successfully fought and repulsed an attack by a
Pakistani Brigade on Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch in
Gujarat.
 On the Occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind paid homage
to the martyrs of police at National Police Memorial in
New Delhi.
World Health Day: 7 April
 World Health Day is observed every year on 7 April under
the sponsorship of WHO.
 The theme for World Health Day 2019 is ‘Universal
Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere’ to ensure that no human
being will ever have to make a choice between the two.
 The day celebrates the establishment of the WHO and this
year it marks the end of the World Health Organization’s
70th-anniversary celebrations.
National Handloom Week: April 7-14
 The National Handloom Week is being observed from April
7-14, 2019.
 National Handloom Day is observed every year on 7
August to mark a 1905 movement that boycotted British
products in favour of the revival of domestic ones.
Int day of sports development: 6 April
 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is
observed on 6 April.
 The adoption of this Day signifies the increasing
recognition by the UN of the positive influence that sport
can have on the advancement of human rights, and social
and economic development.
 This date commemorates the inauguration, in 1896, of the
first Olympic games of the modern era, in Athens (Greece).
April 5: National Maritime Day of India
 In India, the National Maritime Day is celebrated every
year on April 5.
 On this day in 1919, navigation history was created when
SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation
Company Ltd travelled to the UK.
 The day was first celebrated on April 5, 1964.
 The theme of the 56th edition of the National Maritime
Day is 'Indian Ocean-An Ocean of opportunity'.
Prevention of Blindness Week 2019
 Prevention of Blindness Week 2019 is being observed from
1st of April to 7th of April 2019.
 It is celebrated for increasing the awareness towards the
blind people.
 There are 10 million people who are suffering from
blindness in India. The worldwide number of blind people
is approximately 37 million.
 It was first started by the Jawaharlal Nehru and Raj Kumari
Amrit Kaur in the year 1960.

International Mines Awareness Day: 4 April
 International Mines Awareness Day is observed every year
on 4 April.
 The theme for IMAD 2019 is 'United Nations Promotes
SDGs – Safe Ground – Safe Home'.
 On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that
4 April of each year shall be observed as the International
Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
World Autism Awareness Day: 2 April
 World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally
recognized day on the second of April every year.
 The United Nations General Assembly unanimously
declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day to
highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of
those with autism.
 The theme for this year is ‘Assistive Technologies, Active
Participation’.
Earth Hour 2019 celebrated worldwide
 Earth Hour 2019 was celebrated in 188 countries
worldwide
 To mark this day, cities worldwide turned their lights off
for one hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.
 It was the 13th edition of Earth hour and the campaign of
Earth Hour 2019 was ‘Connect2Earth’
 It was aimed at building mass awareness on the
importance of nature and create an unstoppable
movement for nature.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
International Affairs
Twitter announced premium content deals
 Twitter has announced premium content deals with
Univision, The Wall Street Journal, NFL, ESPN, and Viacom
for live-streaming videos on its platform.
 The deals will showcase new live and on-demand premium
video programming, offering advertisers new
opportunities to connect with influential and receptive
audiences.
China hosted 2nd Belt and Road Forum
 The second edition of Belt and Road Forum (BRF) was held
in Beijing, China from April 25th to April 27th, 2019.
 The theme of this event was 'Belt and Road Cooperation:
Shaping a Brighter Shared Future'.
 The Belt and Road Forum is a part of the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI).
 The idea of BRI was first proposed by Chinese President Xi
Jinping in 2013.
New species of crab found
 Scientists have discovered a new species of crab that
swam the sea 95 million years ago.
 The small, pocket-size crab, named Callichimaera perplexa,
was very different from its modern-day cousins.
 The crab fossils were discovered in 2005 in the Andes
Mountains in Colombia.
Sumatra floods killed 17: Indonesia
 In Indonesia, at least 17 people have been killed and nine
are missing after days of heavy rain triggered floods and
landslides on the island of Sumatra.
 Some 12,000 people have been evacuated, and hundreds
of buildings, bridges and roads damaged.
 The severe weather has affected nine districts across
Bengkulu province.
International News
 Srilankan President has banned the National Thawheed
Jamath (NJT) and Jamathei Milathu Ibrahim (JMI) two of
the fundamentalist terror networks linked with attacks.
 Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has issued an
order for a ban on burqa, veil or covering of the face in a
manner which prevents anyone from being identified.
Floating nuclear power plant launched
 A floating nuclear power plant that is also known as
'Chernobyl on ice' is ready to begin supplying the
electricity in Russia.
 The Akademik Lomonosov is reportedly destined to
provide power for a region in Russia’s far east.
 The ship’s 70-megawatt reactors could power a city of
200,000 people.
 China is constructing a similar floating power station.

USA secure ODI status for first time
 The United States secured the One-Day International (ODI)
status.
 There will be 20 ODI nations after the end of the
tournament, with the top four sides to join Scotland, the
United Arab Emirates, Nepal, and the Netherlands in
having temporary status.
 Oman has also secured their ODI status, leaving Namibia,
Papua New Guinea, Canada, and Hong Kong to fight it out
for the remaining two places.
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary resigned
 Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned
on 25th April after the Easter attacks.
 He took the responsibility for the deadly serial bombings.
 The new Secretary is yet to be named.
 Mr.Fernando is the first official to step down after both
President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil
Wickremesinghe said they were unaware of the imminent
threat.
Etihad: 1st to operate plastic-free flight
 Etihad Airways has become the 1st airline in the Gulf
region to operate a flight EY484 without any plastics on
board, in a bid to raise awareness about pollution on Earth
Day (April 22).
 Etihad identified that over 95 single-use plastic products
are used across its aircraft cabins.
 By the end of 2019, it will have removed 100 tonnes of
single-use plastics from its inflight service.
2 new bird species found in Indonesia
 Zoologists at Trinity College Dublin discovered 2 new bird
species named as the Wakatobi white-eye and the Wangi-
Wangi white-eye in the Wakatobi Archipelago of Sulawesi,
Indonesia.
 Details of their discovery were published in the Zoological
Journal of the Linnean Society.
 In the same journal, Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin
published their original ideas about speciation in 1858.
Russia and North Korea held first summit
 Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un held
first summit talks in Vladivostok.
 Its aim was to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet
Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's
grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Sri Lanka banned drones after Easter bombings
 Sri Lanka banned the use of drones and unmanned aircraft
following the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people
and injured more than 500.
 The ban will be in effect until further notice.
 Ranil Wickremesinghe is the PM of Sri Lanka,
while Maithripala Sirisena is its President.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
UAE's sewage plant inaugurated
 The UAE's biggest sewage treatment plant, Jebel Ali STP,
built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has been inaugurated.
 The 3,75,000 cum/day Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) Jebel
Ali (Phase 2) is the biggest in the UAE, built by L&T for the
Dubai Municipality.
 The Jebel Ali treatment facilities have a total treatment
capacity of 675 MLD which includes existing 300 MLD of
Phase - 1.
Archaeologists uncovered an ancient tomb
 In Egypt, archaeologists have uncovered an ancient tomb
with mummies believed to date back about 2,000 years in
the southern city of Aswan.
 The tomb is from the Greco-Roman period, which began
with Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.
 Archaeologists found artefacts, including decorated masks,
statuettes, vases, coffin fragments and cartonnages-
chunks of linen or papyrus glued together.
US recorded 695 measles cases in 2019
 The United States has recorded 695 cases of measles in
2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared
eliminated in 2000.
 The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of
a few large outbreaks in Washington State and in New
York that started late 2018.
 Outbreaks in the US have been confined to tight-knit
communities where vaccination rates are lower.
Malawi to undertake the RTS
 Malawi, the African Nation, is to undertake large scale
pilot tests for the world's most advanced experimental
malaria vaccine in a bid to prevent the disease.
 The RTS, S vaccine, the first to give partial protection to
children, trains the immune system to attack the malaria
parasite.
 RTS, S vaccine under the trade name Mosquirix has been
developed by GlaxoSmithKline.
Arab League pledged $100 mn to PA
 The Arab League has pledged $100 million per month to
the Palestinian Authority (PA) to make up for funds
withheld by Israel.
 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Arab
League in Cairo, as part of a diplomatic effort to rebuff the
Trump administration’s Middle East peace plan.
 Israel collects taxes on behalf of the PA but withheld
$138m in transfers in February.
Indonesia's Mount Agung erupted again
 The active volcano of Indonesia Mount Agung has erupted
again to a height of 2km.

 Two other volcanoes popular with tourists Mount Bromo
in East Java and Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta also
continues to erupt.
 Mount Agung is an active volcano in Bali of Indonesia.
New community in Golan be named after Trump
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a
new community in the Golan Heights would be named
after US President Donald Trump.
 Israel has also stated it intends to name a proposed train
station near Jerusalem’s Western Wall after him.
 Israel captured the Golan from Syria in a 1967 war and
annexed it, in a move not recognized internationally.
Pak Navy successfully test fired missile
 Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired an indigenous cruise
missile in the Arabian Sea on 23 April 2019.
 The indigenously developed cruise missile has anti-ship
missile and land attack capability.
 Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Kaleem Shaukat
witnessed the live firing, which was conducted by the
Navy's fast attack craft.
Iran brands US military as terrorist
 Iranian lawmakers approved a Bill that labels U.S. military
forces as terrorist.
 173 out of 215 lawmakers at the Parliament session in
Tehran voted for the new Bill.
 The Bill also demands the Iranian government take
unspecified action against other governments that
formally back the U.S. designation.
 Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Israel have all supported the
Trump administration’s designation.
Sri Lanka declared emergency
 Sri Lanka enforced a state of emergency from 22 April
2019 in the wake of the deadly Easter blasts that killed 290
people and wounded more than 500 others, enhancing the
counter terrorism powers of the security forces.
 The decision was made during a meeting of the National
Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Maithripala
Sirisena.
Iran, Pakistan declare joint border reaction
 Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran and
Pakistan will create a joint ‘reaction force’ on the border
between the two countries, for combatting terrorism.
 The announcement came during a two-day visit to Iran by
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the first of his
tenure.
 Iran and Pakistan share a 959 km land border.
US to end sanction waivers to India
 The United States announced that all buyers of Iranian oil
will have to end their imports shortly or face sanctions.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 In November, the US reimposed sanctions on exports of
Iranian oil after President Trump unilaterally pulled out of
a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers.
Saudi Aramco to acquire Royal Dutch Shell
 Saudi Aramco will acquire Royal Dutch Shell's 50% stake in
their Saudi refining joint venture SASREF for $631 million.
 Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Co (SASREF), based in Jubail
Industrial City in Saudi Arabia, has a crude oil refining
capacity of 305,000 barrels per day (bpd).
 Shell has sold over $30 billion of assets in recent years as it
shifts its focus to lower carbon businesses.
290 dead in Sri Lanka bomb blasts
 A series of 8 devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-
end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri
Lanka on 21 April 2019.
 The blasts killed 290 people, including dozens of foreigners
and injured 500.
 At least two of them involved suicide bombers, including
one who lined up at a hotel breakfast buffet before
unleashing carnage.
Zelensky won Presidential elections
 In Ukraine, comedian and political newcomer Volodymyr
Zelensky secured a victory in the Presidential election.
 Exit polls indicated that he is going to take 73% of the
votes while incumbent Petro Poroshenko securing 25%.
 His victory will open a new chapter in the history of a
country that has gone through two popular uprisings in the
last 20 years.
Saudi Arabia to host G20 leaders' summit
 Saudi Arabia will host the annual G20 leaders' summit on
21-22 November 2020 in Riyadh.
 The G20 is made up of 19 of the world's biggest
economies, as well as the European Union.
 It was formed in 1999 to discuss policy matters and
financial stability.
 Japan will host the 2019 G20 summit in Osaka.
 In 2018, the conference was held in Buenos Aries,
Argentina.
World’s first armed amphibious drone boat
 China has successfully tested the world’s first armed
amphibious drone boat.
 It could be used in land assault operations and is capable
of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other
drone ships.
 The drone ship has been named Marine Lizard.
 The Marine Lizard can be remotely controlled via satellites.
 It can reach a maximum speed of 50 knots while
maintaining stealth.
Asian Tea Alliance launched in China

 The Asian Tea Alliance, a union of 5 tea-growing and
consuming countries, was launched in Guizhou, China on
19 April 2019.
 The members of the alliance are the Indian Tea
Association, China Tea Marketing Association, Indonesian
Tea Marketing Association, Sri Lanka Tea Board and Japan
Tea Association.
 It plans to work towards enhancing tea trade, cultural
exchanges and globally promoting tea.
Walmart, Amazon kicked off pilot program
 Amazon and Walmart kicked off a 2-year government pilot
program allowing low-income shoppers on government
food assistance in New York to shop and pay for their
groceries online for the first time.
 ShopRite will join the 2 retailers on the program.
 The pilot program will test both online ordering and
payment.
7th China Int Tech Fair kicked off
 The 7th China International Technology Fair opened on 18
April 2019 in Shanghai, a national-level professional fair
focused on international technology trade.
 With an exhibition space covering 35,000 square meters,
the fair has five exhibition areas including professional
technologies, technological innovation, and trade services.
WHO issued guidelines on digital health tech
 The WHO has released new recommendations on 10 ways
countries can use digital health technology, accessible via
mobile phones, tablets and computers, to improve
people’s health and essential services.
 The guidelines demonstrate that health systems need to
respond to the increased visibility and availability of
information.
Nepal launched its first satellite from USA
 Nepal successfully launched its first satellite NepaliSat-1
into space from America on 18 April 2019.
 The satellite developed by the Nepalese scientists was
launched from Virginia in the US, according to Nepal
Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
 Nepali scientists, Aabhas Maskey and Hariram Shrestha
developed the satellite under the BIRDS project of their
institute.
IMF and WB launched learning coins
 The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
have together launched a private blockchain with a
pseudo-token.
 The new token, called 'Learning Coin' and only accessible
within the IMF and World Bank, has a purpose to teach
relevant individuals within the organizations about
blockchain.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Though the coin has no real value, hence the description
pseudo-token.
Scientists elected fellows of Royal Society
 51 eminent scientists have become Fellows of the Royal
Society, as well as ten new Foreign Members and one
Honorary Fellow for their exceptional contributions to
science.
 This year’s newly elected Fellows and Foreign Members of
the Royal Society have been drawn from diverse fields of
enquiry - epidemiology, geometry, climatology.
Boeing conducted test flight of 737 MAX
 Boeing has conducted a final test flight of a 737 MAX
model with an updated anti-stall system prior to its
certification by aviation authorities.
 Test pilots have completed 120 flights totaling more than
203 hours of airtime with the software fix for the
Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System
(MCAS).
Mt Everest to get an eco-friendly toilet
 Mount Everest will get an eco-friendly toilet at a Chinese
campsite 7,028 m above sea level in an ongoing campaign
to deal with the peak’s waste problem.
 Decades of commercial mountaineering have turned
Mount Everest into the world’s highest rubbish dump.
 The toilet will make it easy to collect the human waste
produced by the climbers.
Mujibnagar Day observed in Bangladesh
 In Bangladesh, the historic Mujibnagar day is being
observed on 17 April 2019.
 The day marks the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh's
first government in 1971 at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur.
 The day is being observed by political parties and social
and cultural organisations through various programs
across Bangladesh.
Notre Dam in Paris caught fire
 A major fire engulfed the medieval cathedral of Notre-
Dame in Paris, one of France's most famous landmarks.
 The 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof have
collapsed but the main structure, including the two bell
towers, has been saved.
 Notre-Dame has stood tall above Paris since the 1200s.
 A Unesco World Heritage site, it was built in the 12th and
13th centuries.
Uber to launch IPO
 Uber revealed the paperwork for its giant IPO.
 This paperwork doesn't yet include key details, like how
much the company expects to charge for each share of its
stock, or how many shares it will sell.
Unique oil-eating bacteria discovered

 At the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of
the Earth’s oceans, scientists have discovered unique oil-
eating bacteria.
 But the new research reveals the Mariana Trench is home
to the greatest concentration of these life forms anywhere
in the world.
 The 2,550km long ocean trench is located in the western
Pacific Ocean and reaches a maximum depth of about
11,000 metres.
World's biggest airplane took flight
 The largest airplane ever created and its record-breaking
385-foot wingspan took off for the very first time on 13
April 2019.
 The aircraft, from the company Stratolaunch, has been
eight years in the making.
 By 2022, the company hopes to use the twin-fuselage, six-
engined, catamaran-style aircraft to launch satellite-
bearing rockets into space.
Last female of rare turtle species died
 The only known female member of one of the world’s
rarest and most endangered turtle species died on 13 April
2019. It was more than 90 years old.
 The female Yangtze giant softshell turtle died at the
Suzhou Zoo in Suzhou, China.
 The death means only three giant softshell turtles remain
in the world.
IMO’s new rule on information exchange
 A new global rule mandated by the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) for national governments to introduce
electronic information exchange between ships and ports
took effect from 8 April 2019.
 The rule seeks to make cross-border trade simpler.
 The rule is mandatory under IMO’s Convention on
Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL
Convention).
Abdelkader: Interim President of Algeria
 The Algerian Parliament on 9 April 2019 confirmed upper
house Speaker Abdelkader Bensalah as the interim
President of the country.
 The interim President has to conduct the elections within
90 days and cannot legally contest in the polls.
 On 2 April 2019, Bouteflika resigned as Algeria's president
before his mandate was to end on April 28, after
remaining in power for about 20 years.
Lapin confirmed as Haiti’s new Prime Minister
 Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise confirmed Jean-Michel
Lapin as the country’s new Prime Minister.
 Lapin, the former culture and communications minister,
was named acting prime minister on 21 March 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Lapin is the third head of government under president
Moise, who has led the Caribbean island nation since
February 2017.
UAE & Saudi Arabia agencies to help Iran
 UAE & Saudi Arabia relief agencies announced a joint
initiative to help people in flood hit Iran.
 The Emirates Red Crescent will coordinate with its Saudi
counterpart on the best ways of implement the initiative.
 The operation is being undertaken within the framework
of Islamic brotherhood and in solidarity with the Iranian
people.
SpaceX carries first commercial launch
 SpaceX carried out its first commercial launch with its
Falcon Heavy rocket which took a Saudi satellite in orbit.
 The launch took place in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
 The rocket carried a Saudi Arabian satellite operated by
Arabsat.
 Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX.
UNSC votes to end peacekeeping in Haiti
 The UN Security Council voted unanimously to completely
end its peacekeeping operations in Haiti by October 15,
2019.
 It will continue to support government efforts to promote
order and development in the country.
 Haiti is Latin America's poorest country and its capital is
Port-au-Prince.
Image of toddler won World Press Photo
 The haunting image of a little girl crying helplessly as she
and her mother are taken into custody by US border
officials has won the prestigious World Press Photo Award.
 The picture of the wailing toddler was published
worldwide and caused a public outcry about Washington's
controversial policy to separate thousands of migrants
from their children.
 The picture was taken by John Moore.
EU, UK agreed to delay Brexit
 Britain didn't leave the EU on April 12, 2019, after Britain
and the EU agreed to an extension till the end of October
2019.
 The period is longer than the extension till June 30 that
Prime Minister Theresa May had sought.
 Leaders made clear that the onus was very much on
Britain to find a solution and deliver within this period.
UK introduced online safety regulations
 The UK government introduced the world’s first
framework designed to hold internet companies
accountable for the safety of those using their services.

 The Online Harms whitepaper is a joint proposal from the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
and the Home Office.
 Various technology companies will be subject to the laws,
including social media platforms.
Cyclone Idai's death toll rose to 1000
 The death toll from the cyclone Idai is now above 1,000.
 Mozambique has reported 602 deaths while 59 people
have died in Malawi.
 Cyclone Idai smashed into the coast of central
Mozambique in March 2019. It unleashed hurricane-force
winds and rains that flooded the hinterland and drenched
eastern Zimbabwe.
 Around 2 million people have been affected in
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
Dogs can sniff out cancer with 97% accuracy
 Dogs can pick out blood samples from people with cancer
with 97% accuracy, as per a study.
 Dogs have smell receptors 10,000 times more accurate
than humans', making them highly sensitive to odours we
can not perceive.
 For the study, the team used a form of clicker training to
teach four beagles to distinguish between normal blood
serum and samples from patients with malignant lung
cancer.
London implemented pollution charge zone
 London became the first city in the world to implement a
special Ultra Low Emission Zone that would charge an
entry fee for older vehicles if they do not meet the
emission standards.
 In an attempt to reduce air pollution and protect public
health, the ULEZ will be operational for 24 hours and
7 days a week.
 A vehicle that does not meet the new emission
standard will have to pay daily charge.
Alphabet launched public drone service
 Wing, the drone delivery company owned by Google’s
parent company Alphabet, is launching its first public
drone delivery service in Canberra, Australia.
 Around 100 homes in the suburbs of Crace, Palmerston,
and Franklin will initially have access to the service.
 Drones will not be allowed to fly over main roads, they will
only be allowed to fly between 7 am and 8 pm from
Monday to Friday.
Dream 11 entered Unicorn Club
 Dream11, online gaming firm, announced the completion
of a secondary investment by Steadview Capital, an Asia-
focused alternative asset manager.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The investment takes Dream11’s valuation at over $1
billion making it first Indian gaming company to enter the
Unicorn club.
 In terms of total user base on a fantasy sports platform,
Dream11 is the market leader with over 50 million users.
Etihad Airways to seek loan
 Etihad Airways PJSC is seeking a loan of about $600 million
to help make initial payments for planes.
 Etihad Airways has 43 unfilled orders from the Boeing
Co.’s 787 family, according to a Boeing January report.
 The airline is also being sued over an August 2017
decision.
US to designate IRG as terrorist organization
 The US will designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRG) as
a terrorist organization.
 The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was formed
after the 1979 Islamic revolution with a mission to defend
the clerical regime.
 IRGC is in charge of Iran's ballistic missiles and nuclear
programmes.
 The IRGC has an estimated 125,000-strong military with
army, navy and air units.
Global coalition for clean cooling launched
 The first-ever global coalition on clean and efficient
cooling was launched at the First Global Conference on
Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement,
which concluded on April 3, 2019, in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
 The Global Coalition links action across the Kigali
Amendment, Paris Agreement and Sustainable
Development Goals.
 India has developed its National Cooling Action Plan.
First secure link between India, US navies
 India & the US have set up the first ever secure
communication link between the Indian Navy & US
Central.
 US has also activated the Selective Availability Anti-
Spoofing Module GPS system in some of C-130 and C-17
transport aircraft
 COMCASA - COMmunications, Compatibility And Security
Agreement is the Indo-US military-information sharing
pact and was signed at the 2+2 bilateral summit in 2018
Japan names new imperial era as 'Reiwa'
 'Reiwa' will be the name for the new era when Prince
Naruhito succeeds his father Emperor Akihito, whose
abdication on April 30 will end the 31-year 'Heisei' era
(Since 1989).
 While 'Rei' means "good" and "beautiful" as well as
"order" or "command", 'Wa' means "peace" or "harmony".

 Japan imported the imperial calendar system from China
about 1,300 years ago.
Arab leaders condemn U.S. move on Golan
 Arab leaders condemned on Sunday a U.S. decision to
recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and
said West Asia’s stability depended on creating a
Palestinian state.
 Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz told Arab
monarchs, Presidents and Prime Ministers at the meeting
that his country ”absolutely rejects” any measures
affecting Syria’s sovereignty over the Golan Height
Books & Authors
Konkani version of Constitution released
 A Konkani translation of the Indian Constitution was
released by the Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha.
 The translation has been done by Professor Stephen
Quadros Permude, author of several books in Konkani.
 The book was brought out by the Mangaluru Diocesan
Commission, led by its convener Father J.B. Crasta.
Police officers awarded for writing book
 A Delhi Police officer has been awarded 'Pandit Govind
Ballabh Pant Award' for his book 'Samvidhan Kavya'.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Bureau of Police Research and Development gave the
award to Special Commissioner of Police (Operations) Sunil
Kumar Gautam for 2018-19.
 The book presents the provisions of the Constitution in a
simple and poetic form.
Book on Khooni Vaisakhi released in UAE
 India's Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri has
commended the launch of a book containing the english
translation of the Punjabi poem, Khooni Vaisakhi.
 The poem was translated by Suri whose grandfather
Nanak Singh, a Jallianwala Bagh survivor, wrote it after
witnessing the events.
 The book was released in New Delhi on April 13, 2019,
marking 100 years of the massacre.
Atul Jalan's book hit the stands
 Entrepreneur, technologist and science storyteller, Atul
Jalan launched his new book titled, 'Where will man take
Us? - A Bold story of the Man Technology is creating'.
 It is published by Penguin Random House Books.
 Authored by Atul Jalan, CEO of Manthan Systems, the
book looks at the immediate future of mankind and what
lies in wait.
Prasar Bharati Chairman releases booklet
 Prasar Bharati Chairman, A Surya Prakash released a
booklet of the 'Selected speeches of Dr. Bhimrao
Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly', in New Delhi on
12 April 2019.
 The event was organised to commemorate the
contributions of Baba Saheb in the upliftment of
underprivileged in the country.
 The event was organised to mark the 128th birth
anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar.
Autobiography of social worker released
 'Ashakiranam,’ an autobiography of noted social worker
Sankurathri Chandrasekhar, was released on 10 April 2019.
 Penned by Dr. Chandrasekhar in English with the title ‘A
Ray of Hope’ the autobiography was translated into Telugu
by Godavarthi Satyamurthy.
 Religious scholar Chaganti Koteswara Rao released the
book while writer and literary critic Vadrevu Veeralakshmi
Devi reviewed the work.
Jeff Kinney out with new book
 Renowned author Jeff Kinney has come out with a new
book 'Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley
Jefferson's Journal',
 It was announced by publishers Puffin, the children's
imprint of Penguin Books on 11 April 2019.
 It is written from the point of view of Rowley Jefferson, the
best friend of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' protagonist Greg
Heffley.

'Game Changer' to hit stands on April 30
 Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi's biography 'Game
Changer' will hit the stands on April 30, 2019.
 The biography is written by well-known TV anchor and
broadcaster, Wajahat S Khan.
 He retired from all cricket in April 2016 after a 20-year
international career in which he appeared in 27 Tests, 398
ODIs and 99 T20 internationals.
Garuda Prakashan launches ‘Saffron Swords’
 The Indian Publishing company, Garuda Prakashan Private
Limited, launched its book ‘Saffron Swords- Centuries of
Indic Resistance to Invaders’.
 Written by Manoshi Sinha Rawal, it is a book on 52 unsung
warriors of India from the last 1300 years.
Personalities in News
Dominic won Barcelona Open Title
 Dominic Thiem clinched the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
2019 title held at Barcelona, Spain which was held from
April 22- 28, 2019.
 He secured 6-4, 6-0.
 He became just the fourth player in the past 15 years to lift
the title in Barcelona, joining Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori,
and Fernando Verdasco.
 He’s also the first Austrian winner at this event since
Thomas Muster in 1996.
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary resigned
 Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned
on 25th April after the Easter attacks.
 He took the responsibility for the deadly serial bombings.
 The new Secretary is yet to be named.
 Mr.Fernando is the first official to step down after both
President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil
Wickremesinghe said they were unaware of the imminent
threat.
Uber Asia Pacific head Amit Jain resigned
 AmitJain, Uber’s Asia-Pacific region Head, announced his
resignation at the end of May 2019 after four-year service
to spend time with his family.
 Uber’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Pierre-
Dimitri Gore-Coty will take over the additional charge of
APAC.
Uday Kumar resigned from Assocham post
 Uday Kumar Varma resigned from the post of The
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(Assocham) Secretary-General.
 Currently, Assocham’s Deputy Secretary-General Saurabh
Sanyal is discharging the duties of secretary general.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Assocham was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in
New Delhi.
Yogi won assembly elections in Japan
 An Indian-origin Japanese has been elected to Tokyo's
Edogawa Ward assembly, becoming the first Indian to win
an election in Japan.
 Puranik Yogendra, a naturalised Japanese, secured 6,477
votes, the fifth highest of the 226,561 valid ballots cast, in
the April 21 poll.
 Over 34,000 Indians live in Japan.
Britain's youngest accountant: Ranveer Singh
 A 15-year-old Indian-origin boy has been lauded as
Britain's youngest accountant after setting up a successful
accountancy firm while still at school.
 Ranveer Singh Sandhu, based in south London, has set
himself a goal of becoming a millionaire by the time he
turns 25 after he set up his first business when he was
aged just 12 years.
 He charges between 12-15 pounds per hour for his
services.
Vijender Singh: Congress Candidate
 The Congress fielded champion boxer Vijender Singh, who
won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, from
the South Delhi constituency.
 He will take on BJP’s sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri and AAP’s
Raghav Chadha.
 In all, the Congress has so far declared candidates for 422
Lok Sabha seats.
Nasim Zaidi quit Jet Airways board
 The non-executive and non-independent director of Jet
Airways, Nasim Zaidi has quit the board, citing personal
reasons and time constraints.
 Zaidi, the former Chief Election Commissioner and ex- civil
aviation secretary, joined the Jet Airways board in August
last year.
Hardik, Rahul fined Rs. 20 lakh
 Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K.L. Rahul were fined
20 lakh rupees each by the BCCI ombudsman Justice D.K.
Jain.
 They were fined for their sexist comments on a popular TV
chat show.
 Pandya and Rahul have already served a provisional
suspension and tendered an unconditional apology for
their loose comments on women.
Maldivian President visited Bangalore
 Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih visited
Bengaluru on 21 April 2019 to attend an IPL match on the
invitation of BCCI.

 He was accompanied by two of his cabinet members
including foreign minister Abdulla Shahid.
 He watched the match between the Royal Challengers
Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings.
Longest spaceflight by a woman
 A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
astronaut is all set to set a record for the longest
spaceflight by a woman.
 NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission
on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to 328
days.
 This would set a record for the longest single spaceflight
by a woman.
 Christina Koch will remain in orbit until February 2020.
Hamied receives UK Royal Society honour
 Prominent scientist and businessman Yusuf Hamied was
honoured in the 2019 list of new fellows of the UK's Royal
Society.
 He is Chairman of pharmaceutical major Cipla.
 The Royal Society is an independent scientific academy of
the UK and the Commonwealth, dedicated to promoting
excellence in science.
Indian-American scientist in Hall of Fame
 An Indian-American scientist and social activist has been
inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of fame for
his contribution in applications in systems biology, global
issues and sustainable development.
 Prof Sree Sreenath was inducted into it, along with five
other inductees Dr. Akram Boutros, Ingrida Bublys, Paul
Burik, Richard Fleischman, and Marilyn Madigan.
Rakesh Suryakant resigned as Adani CFO
 Adani Enterprises' CFO Rakesh Suryakant Shah has
resigned.
 Rakesh Suryakant Shah has tendered his resignation as
chief financial officer (CFO) with effect from April 16, 2019.
 Adani Enterprises is a diversified conglomerate with
business interests across integrated coal management and
mining, solar cells and module manufacturing, agri-storage
infrastructure and food products.
FIFA banned former football President
 FIFA banned former Brazilian Football Confederation
president Jose Maria Marin from all football-related
activities for life.
 In August 2018, Marin who led Brazil’s organizing
committee for the 2014 World Cup, was sentenced to 4
years in prison for racketeering, money laundering, and
wire fraud.
 Earlier Marin was arrested at a luxury Zurich hotel in May
2015.
Time 100 most influential people report
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The Time 100 most influential people of 2019 includes
lawyers Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswamy.
 They were instrumental in the Supreme Court partly
striking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
 Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani
also featured in the TIME magazine's list of 100 most
influential people.
MS Dhoni: Brand ambassador of redBus
 Bus ticketing platform redBus has appointed cricketer icon
MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador.
 He will drive all major campaigns for the brand across
media platforms and will soon appear in his first
promotional concept for the brand.
 The CEO of redBus is Prakash Sangam.
 redBus commands a strong foothold in the Indian online
bus ticketing segment.
Julian Assange arrested in London
 Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested at
the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
 He took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition
to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been
dropped.
 He will face up to five years in US prison if convicted on
the charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.
Cairn India CEO and CFO resigned
 Vedanta-owned Cairn India’s CEO and CFO, Sudhir Mathur
and Pankaj Kalra have resigned in quick succession.
 The frequency of exits in the company since Anil Agarwal’s
Vedanta took over it in 2011 has raised many questions.
Varun Dhawan: Navratna brand ambassador
 Emami has roped in Varun Dhawan to endorse Navratna
Cool brand.
 Emami will launch Dhawan as its new brand ambassador
of Navratna Cool and he would feature in the new
commercial.
 Navratna brand, over the years, has been endorsed by
leading actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh
Khan, Govinda, and Shilpa Shetty.
 Some of its products are Navratna Oil and Navratna Cool.
Isaak Hayik set new record
 Isaak Hayik became the world's oldest player to take part
in a professional game at the age of 73.
 He set the record by playing as a goalkeeper for Israeli
team Ironi or Yehuda recently.
 He received the Guinness World Records prize at a
ceremony after the match, just days ahead of his 74th
birthday.
US Homeland Secretary stepped down

 US President Donald Trump announced that US Homeland
Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is stepping down.
 She would be temporarily replaced by Customs and Border
Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.
 Ms. Nielsen's department was responsible for
implementing the proposed border wall and the
separation of migrant families.
Coimbatore student entered Guinness Book
 Sridhar Muthukrishnan, a 2nd-year student of BSc Visual
Communications entered the Guinness Book of World
Records in light painting photography with 1,350 light
orbs.
 His work was submitted to the Guinness Book officials on
February 13, 2018, and the certificate was issued in March
2019.
London exhibition paid tribute to Mary Quant
 Mary Quant was the subject of a major retrospective
opening at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum this week.
 She was the fashion queen of Britain’s Swinging Sixties.
 The 85-year-old has gone down in history for popularising
the mini-skirt and for making women’s clothes fun and
affordable.
'Game Changer' to hit stands on April 30
 Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi's biography 'Game
Changer' will hit the stands on April 30, 2019.
 The biography is written by well-known TV anchor and
broadcaster, Wajahat S Khan.
 He retired from all cricket in April 2016 after a 20-year
international career in which he appeared in 27 Tests, 398
ODIs and 99 T20 internationals.
Sana Dua: Brand ambassador J&K election dept
 Lawyer-turned-model Sana Dua would be the brand
ambassador of the Jammu and Kashmir election
department for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
 She was the first runner-up in the Femina Miss India 2017
contest and has also participated in the Miss United
Continents 2017 and figured among the top 10
contestants.
Lori Lightfoot: First black woman Mayor
 Chicago created history by electing an African-American
woman as its mayor for the first time.
 She will take over office from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who
previously served as chief of staff under former President
Barack Obama.
 She will also be Chicago's first openly gay mayor.
Algerian President resigned
 Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned after
weeks of mass protests.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 He was in power for 20 years and was under mounting
pressure to step down since his decision to seek a fifth
term.
 Mr. Bouteflika was rarely being seen in public after
suffering a stroke in 2013.
Malaysia's ex-PM went for trial
 Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak went on trial
on 3 April 2019 over a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal.
 He faced the first of several trials over his alleged
involvement in the looting of sovereign wealth fund.
 In the trial, Najib faced seven charges of corruption and
money laundering over the alleged theft of some 10.3
million dollars.
Government Policies & Schemes
SBI launched Green Car Loan
 State Bank of India (SBI) launched ‘Green Car Loan’ to
encourage customers to buy electric vehicles (EVs) in the
country.
 The interest rates on the loan will be 20 basis points (0.2%)
lower than SBI’s existing auto loans.
 Thus, the equated monthly instalment (EMI) per Rs 1 lakh
will be lower at Rs 1,468 for 96 months.
 The scheme comes with the longest repayment period of
up to 8 years.
Farmers received 1st tranche under PM Kisan
 Around 3.10 crore small farmers have so far received the
first tranche of Rs 2,000 each under the PM-Kisan scheme.
 2.10 crore peasants have got the second installment as
well, costing Rs 10,500 crore to the exchequer.
 The government had announced that 12 crore farmers
would be covered under the Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
WB Govt's scheme won UN award
 West Bengal government's 'Utkarsh Bangla' scheme was
awarded the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) award of the United Nations.
 Out of 1062 nominations in 18 categories from all over the
world, #UtkarshBangla emerged No 1 in the Capacity
Building category.
 The WB government had received another UN award in
2017 for its 'Kanyashree' project.
Jan Dhan Bank deposits to cross Rs 1 lakh cr
 The total deposits in bank accounts opened under the Jan
Dhan scheme are set to cross Rs 1 lakh crore soon.
 The cumulative balance in 35.29 crore accounts under the
flagship programme of the Modi government reached Rs
97,665.66 crore as on April 3, 2019.
 The Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) on August 28, 2014.

New Urea Policy 2015 extended
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved to
extend the duration of New Urea Policy 2015 for existing
gas-based urea unit from 1 April 2019 until further orders.
 The move will facilitate the continuation of operations and
regular supply of urea to farmers.
 At present, there are 31 urea units in the country of which
28 units are gas-based.
2 Bengal government schemes won UN awards
 Two schemes of the West Bengal government for skill
development and distribution of bicycles to students have
won the prestigious World Summit on the Information
Society awards of the United Nations.
 The 2 schemes are the Utkarsh Bangla and Sabooj Sathi
projects for youngsters.
85% Ujjawala beneficiaries use earthen stoves
 A study from the Research Institute for Compassionate
Economics shows that 85% of Ujjwala beneficiaries in rural
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh still use solid fuels
for cooking.
 The survey, conducted in late 2018, covered a random
sample of 1,550 households in 11 districts of the four
States, which collectively have two-fifths of the country’s
rural population.
App launched to facilitate elderly voters
 Sahulat, a mobile app aimed to facilitate voting by elders
was launched in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on 3
April 2019.
 District Election Officer Mohammad Aijaz Asad launched
the Android-based application to reach out to the voters
who are 90 years old or above.
 The app has a simple and user-friendly interface with very
simple login operation making it convenient for everyone.
Science & Technology
BepiColombo mission completed tests
 The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s BepiColombo
mission has successfully completed a series of test.
 It has completed its near-Earth commissioning phase.
 It is now ready for the operations that will take
place eventually for its scientific investigations at Mercury.
Skyroot to test Vikram series of rockets
 Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad startup, is gearing up to
test-launch its 'Vikram' series of rockets to send satellites
into space by mid-2021.
 The aerospace company is betting big on the proposed
Space Activities Bill-2017 which is under discussion at the
Cabinet-level.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Once the Bill is passed, it would enable and regulate the
activities related to space by the private players.
Japan created 1st artificial crater
 Japanese scientists succeeded in creating the first-ever
artificial crater on an asteroid, a step towards shedding
light on how the solar system evolved.
 The crater from images captured by the probe is located
1,700 metres (5,500 feet) from the asteroid's surface.
 NASA's Deep Impact probe succeeded in creating an
artificial crater on a comet in 2005, but only for
observation purposes.
NASA's InSight detected quake on Mars
 NASA's robotic Mars InSight lander has recorded a likely
mars quake for the first time ever.
 The US space agency said the faint seismic signal, detected
by the lander's Seismic instrument, was recorded on April
6, 2019.
 This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have
come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused
by forces above the surface, such as wind.
Dark matter search: Xenon unstable
 In a spectacular discovery, the XENON collaboration
publicly announced the discovery that xenon-124, an
isotope of the element Xenon, is fundamentally unstable.
 Its half-life is 1.8 × 1022 years: more than 1 trillion times
the present age of the Universe.
 It’s the longest half-life humanity has ever measured
directly, and its implications for the nature of reality
couldn’t be more profound.
Mercury has solid inner core
 The smallest planet in our solar system, Mercury, has a
massive solid inner core.
 Mercury has a solid inner core about 2,000 kilometers in
diameter, making up about half of Mercury’s entire core.
 The planet has a weak magnetic field generated by
circulation of molten metal in that liquid core.
 The solid inner core makes up about half of the total core.
The entire core is 85% of the planet.
New level of complexity in dolphins: Study
 A new study has found that there are hundreds of sound
that the dolphins use to communicate.
 The study was published in the Journal ‘PeerJ’.
 The Araguaian dolphins, also called botos, are hard to find
and difficult to study.
 They identified 237 different types of sounds that the
dolphins make.
PIO-led team's CubeSat to be launched by NASA

 A team led by Keshav Raghavan has been chosen by NASA
to have their CubeSat flown into space on future missions
of NASA.
 CubeSats are miniature satellites intended as a standard,
inexpensive design that can easily fit alongside larger
satellites aboard launch vehicles.
 The team's CubeSat BLAST (Bouchet Low-Earth Alpha/Beta
Space Telescope) is named for physicist Edward A Bouchet.
Sri Lanka’s 1st satellite ‘Raavana-1’ launched
 Sri Lanka’s first satellite ‘Raavana-1’ was launched into
space from NASA’s Flight Facility on 18 April 2019.
 ‘Raavana 1’ weights around 1.05 kg and the lifespan of the
satellite is around one and a half years.
 The launch marks Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space
age.
 Its mission is to capture images of Sri Lanka and its
neighbouring countries.
Universe’s first molecule detected in space
 Scientists have detected the most ancient type of
molecule in our universe in space for the first time ever.
 Helium hydride ion (HeH+) was the first molecule that
formed almost 14 billion years ago.
 It was detected by NASA's flying observatory SOFIA
towards a planetary nebula.
 Helium combined first with free electrons to form the first
ever neutral atom.
Antares launches Cygnus on ISS cargo mission
 A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket successfully
launched a Cygnus spacecraft on 17 April 2019 carrying 3.5
metric tons of cargo bound for the International Space
Station (ISS).
 The Antares lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport.
 The Cygnus is scheduled to be captured by the ISS’s
robotic arm.
 It will remain at the station for about 90 days.
220 million yr old dinossaur fossils found
 A site containing the 220-million-year-old fossilised
remains of nearly a dozen dinosaurs has been discovered
in western Argentina.
 There are almost ten different individuals, it's a mass of
bones, there's practically no sediment.
 This discovery is doubly important because there are at
least seven or eight individuals of dicynodonts, the
ancestors of mammals, the size of an ox.
Scientists identified green material
 Researchers have identified an eco-friendly solid that
could replace the inefficient and polluting gases used in
most refrigerators and air conditioners.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 When put under pressure, plastic crystals of
neopentylglycol yield huge cooling effects, and are
competitive with conventional coolants.
 The material is inexpensive, widely available and functions
at close to room temperature.
Nepal launched its first satellite from USA
 Nepal successfully launched its first satellite NepaliSat-1
into space from America on 18 April 2019.
 The satellite developed by the Nepalese scientists was
launched from Virginia in the US, according to Nepal
Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
 Nepali scientists, Aabhas Maskey and Hariram Shrestha
developed the satellite under the BIRDS project of their
institute.
IMF and WB launched learning coins
 The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
have together launched a private blockchain with a
pseudo-token.
 The new token, called 'Learning Coin' and only accessible
within the IMF and World Bank, has a purpose to teach
relevant individuals within the organizations about
blockchain.
 Though the coin has no real value, hence the description
pseudo-token.
Mars based simulator unveiled in Gobi Desert
 In the middle of China’s Gobi desert sits a Mars base
simulator, the facility is full of teenagers on a school trip.
 Surrounded by barren hills in northwestern Gansu
province, Mars Base 1 opened on 17 April 2019
 Its aim is to expose teens and soon tourists to what life
could be like on the planet.
SpaceX to fly its DART mission
 NASA announced that SpaceX will fly its Double Asteroid
Redirection Test (DART) planetary-defense mission.
 The total launch cost for NASA is estimated to be about
$69 million.
 DART - Double Asteroid Redirection Test.
 It is a planned space probe that will demonstrate the
kinetic effects of crashing an impactor spacecraft into an
asteroid moon for planetary defense purposes.
IDRBT set up 5G lab for banking sector
 The Institute for Development and Research in Banking
Technology (IDRBT) has launched a 5G Use Cases Lab for
banking and financial sector.
 The 5G technology, along with blockchain, will be
progressively adopted by banks.
 The use of 5G will change a range of technologies and
applications including point of sale machines in the
banking sector which were now using 2G.
Deepest radio images of sun created

 Scientists have captured the deepest radio images of the
Sun, an advance that may help reliably predict space
weather and its possible effects on Earth.
 Sun's emission can change within a second and can be very
different, even across nearby frequencies.
 The Sun has some of the most powerful explosions in the
solar system.
Titan has 100 m deep methane lakes
 Saturn's largest moon Titan has small liquid lakes that run
more than 100 metres deep, perched atop hills and filled
with methane.
 This was founded by scientists using data from NASA's
Cassini spacecraft.
 The findings are published in the journal Nature
Astronomy.
 They provide new information about the way liquid
methane rains on, evaporates from and seeps into Titan.
Earth's surface heating up: NASA study
 Satellite measurements by NASA researchers have verified
the ground-based data which shows the Earth's surface
has been warming globally over the past 15 years.
 The team used measurements of the 'skin' temperature of
the Earth taken by a satellite-based infrared measurement
system called AIRS from 2003 to 2017.
 The study was published in the journal Environmental
Research Letters.
Google opened AI lab in Ghana
 Ghana and Google have cooperated to open Africa’s first
AI research laboratory, which, experts hope, will take on
some of the region’s struggles.
 Africa has many challenges where the use of AI could be
beneficial, sometimes even more than in other places.
 The AI research lab will work to create solutions for
healthcare, educations, and agriculture.
NASA found Alien World
 NASA's newest planet hunter has discovered its first Earth-
size alien world.
 The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) spotted
the planet, as well as a weird sub-Neptune world, circling
the star HD 21749, which lies about 53 light-years from
Earth.
Astronomers discovered 3rd planet
 Astronomers have discovered a third planet in the Kepler-
47 system, securing the system’s title as the most
interesting of the binary-star worlds.
 Using data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, a team of
researchers, led by astronomers at San Diego State
University, detected the new Neptune-to-Saturn-size
planet orbiting between two previously known planets.
Electricity from falling snow created
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Scientists have designed a first-of-its-kind 3D-printed
device that can produce electricity from falling snow.
 The device designed by researchers at the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US is inexpensive,
small, thin and flexible like a sheet of plastic.
 The device can work in remote areas because it provides
its own power and does not need batteries.
New sensor can detect dangerous chemicals
 Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the
US have developed a spectrometer that can be used in
smartphone-sized devices to detect dangerous chemicals.
 Spectrometer could be integrated with the camera of a
typical cellphone.
 The device collects information about each individual pixel
in an image to identify materials or detect specific objects
Impact of space travel on astronauts revealed
 Scientists have found no major epigenetic differences in
astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year in space aboard
the International Space Station, and his twin brother, Mark
Kelly, who remained on Earth.
 Epigenetic changes involve chemical tweaks to DNA that
can influence gene activity.
 The changes affect when and how a gene is read, or
expressed, for its protein-encoding instructions.
A new human ancestor species discovered
 Scientists have identified a new human ancestor species
named 'Homo luzonensis' in the Philippines.
 They are classified as a separate species on the basis of 13
bones and teeth from two adults and one child found in a
cave on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
 They are estimated to be three to four feet tall.
SpaceX carries first commercial launch
 SpaceX carried out its first commercial launch with its
Falcon Heavy rocket which took a Saudi satellite in orbit.
 The launch took place in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
 The rocket carried a Saudi Arabian satellite operated by
Arabsat.
 Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX.
First ever image of black hole released
 Scientists have taken the first ever image of a black hole
located in the distant galaxy.
 The image has been captured by a network of eight
telescopes across the world, known as the Event Horizon
Telescope Project.
 The feat was achieved by global collaborators at Center for
Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.
SpaceX carried out first commercial launch

 SpaceX has carried out its first commercial launch with its
Falcon Heavy rocket tasked with placing a Saudi satellite in
orbit.
 The rocket exerts 5.1 million pounds of thrust -- that of
more than a dozen jetliners.
 The rocket carried a Saudi Arabian satellite operated by
Arabsat.
Google launched new cloud platform
 Google launched Anthos, a new open platform from
Google Cloud, that lets users run applications from
anywhere, on 10 April 2019.
 It allows users to run applications, unmodified, on existing
on-premise hardware or on the public cloud and is based
on the Cloud Services Platform.
 It is a complete software-based solution. Users can set it
up on existing hardware.
Yutu travelled 170 m on Moon
 China's lunar rover Yutu-2 traveled 170.92 meters on the
far side of the Moon, as per the Lunar Exploration and
Space Program Center of the China National Space
Administration (CNSA).
 It has run a total of 163 meters during the previous three
lunar daytime periods.
 During the third one, the rover conducted scientific
examination over stones and tracks on the Moon.
Black Hole photograph released
 The first ever photograph of a black hole was released on
10 April 2019.
 Scientists working in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)
Collaboration presented their observations at 6:30 PM IST.
 Sagittarius A, a supermassive black hole site is 26,000 light
years away, while the second is at the centre of the
supergiant elliptical M87 galaxy in the Virgo constellation.
DEO Puducherry app launched
 The Elections Department of Puducherry has launched
DEO Puducherry, an IT application.
 This will help voters with details of all polling stations in 25
Assembly constituencies in Puducherry district
 The new app was launched by Senior Superintendent of
Police (Law and Order) Apoorva Gupta.
 The app features messages from the DEO, propaganda,
law and order regulations.
IIT Madras tied up with GE
 IIT Madras and General Electric (GE) have collaborated for
establishing a ‘Cold Spray’ SMART (Surface Modification
and Additive Research Technologies) Laboratory.
 This is the first of its kind High-Pressure Cold Spray (HPCS)
facility that is being installed in any academic institute in
India.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 IIT Madras will be developing advanced coatings meeting
specifications of the aerospace standard.
Elements can be solid and liquid at same time
 Scientists have discovered a new state of physical matter
in which atoms can exist as both solid and liquid
simultaneously.
 Until now, the atoms in physical material existed typically
in one of three states – solid, liquid or gas.
 A team led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh
used powerful computer simulations to study the
existence of the state – known as the chain-melted state.
New feature of Whatsapp tested
 In a bid to minimize fake news on its platform, WhatsApp
is now testing a new feature within its Groups Settings to
help users stop sending 'Frequently Forwarded' messages.
 It is working on 2 features that will help over 1.5 billion
users know how many times a message has been
forwarded.
 When the feature is enabled, nobody will be able to send a
Frequently Forwarded message in the group.
CCMB scientists make major breakthrough
 Researchers at the Center for Cellular and Molecular
Biology (CCMB) proclaimed new discovery on new
antimicrobial approaches.
 They are studying the cell growth in bacteria and have
discovered a new enzyme 'Murein EndopeptidiaseK' which
would cut the bacteria cell wall.
 The researchers had identified a new enzyme which would
act on the protein of cell wall in Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Scientist discovers 'death-switch' in plants
 Chinese scientists have discovered a possible "death
switch" mechanism in the plant's immune system that
triggers infected cells to self-destruct.
 This will limit the spread of the disease and keeping other
parts of the plant healthy.
 Scientists said the discovery provides clues to cell death
control and immunity for plants.
Japan's probe drops explosive on asteroid
 Japan's space agency has said its Hayabusa2 spacecraft
released an explosive onto an asteroid to make a crater on
its surface.
 It will also collect underground samples to find possible
clues to the origin of the solar system.
 The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that
Hayabusa2 dropped a "small carry-on impactor" made of
copper onto the asteroid and safely evacuated and
remained intact
Vacuum assisted airplane toilet invented

 Scientists have invented a vacuum-assisted toilet that is
about half as loud as the regular airplane commode.
 It took researchers at the Brigham Young University (BYU)
in the US two years of trial and error, three academic
publications and thousands of flushes to figure out how to
make toilets quieter.
 An air-water mix in vacuum-assisted toilets travels more
than 483 kilometres per hour.
China deployed new missile destroyer
 China deployed its latest guided missile destroyer and
frigate in the fleet of naval ships participating in anti-piracy
operations in the Gulf of Aden and Somalian coast in the
Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
 China's 32nd convoy fleet to the Gulf of Aden and Somali
waters set sail from a military port in Zhoushan, East
China's Zhejiang Province on 4 April 2019.
Study: Dark matter not made of black holes
 Scientists have put the Stephen Hawking theory to its most
rigorous test to date, saying dark matter is not made up of
primordial black holes smaller than a tenth of a millimetre.
 About 85% of the matter in the universe is believed to be
made up of dark matter.
 Its gravitational force prevents stars in our Milky Way from
flying apart.
South Korea to launch 5G network
 South Korea launched the world's first fully-fledged 5G
mobile networks.
 The superfast communications heralded by fifth-
generation wireless technology will ultimately underpin
everything from toasters to telephones; from electric cars
to power grids.
 It will bring smartphones near-instantaneous connectivity -
- 20 times faster than the existing 4G.
ISRO to launch defence satellite
 Starting May 2019, ISRO plans to send up at least eight
earth observation (EO) satellites of varied hues and at the
rate of almost one a month.
 Communication satellite GSAT-32 is also in the offing next
year to replace GSAT-6A, which was lost in a failed launch
and was meant to mainly serve the ground forces.
FB launches ‘Why am I seeing this post'?
 Facebook has introduced a new feature titled “Why am I
seeing this post”
 This will help users understand and control the kind of
posts surfacing on their News Feed from friends, Pages,
and Groups.
 This means people will be able to tap on posts and ads in
News Feed, get context on why they’re appearing and
further take action to personalize what they see.
China launches 2nd gen relay satellite
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 China launched its first data relay satellite, the Tianlian I-
01
 China has successfully launched the first of its new-
generation data relay satellites into orbit that will provide
data relay, measurement, and control services for its
manned spacecraft.
 The satellite is developed by the China Academy of Space
Technology under the China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corporation.
ISRO’s PSLV-C45 launched today
 ISRO’s PSLV-C45 has successfully put the electronic
intelligence satellite EMISAT in the 749 km orbit.
 PSLV-C45 took off from Satish Dhawan Space Center in
Sriharikota with EMISAT as well as 28 satellites from
Spain (1), Lithuania (2), Switzerland (1) and the United
States (24) as part of its payload.
 This will be the 47th mission for ISRO’s PSLV programme
Hyper local connectivity app - Bhonga
 The Mumbai-based company Linkus Infratech has
launched a hyper-local connectivity app called "Bhonga" to
connect users to people in their neighborhood in the city
even without an Internet connection.
 Bhonga" is a word in the Marathi language that translates
to meaning megaphone or loudspeaker.
 The app is in the process of collaborating with partners like
blood-banks, ambulances.
Committees & Recommendations
CPWD set up committee
 The Central Works Public Department (CPWD) constituted
an expert committee to formulate a design policy for
building construction and infrastructure development.
 The committee has been set up under the chairmanship of
CPWD’s Additional Director General M K Sharma.
 The move is aimed at reviving building construction and
infrastructure development at all levels in the CPWD.
Anti-hijack panel revamped
 The government of India has revamped its high-level anti-
hijack panel to include top officials of the Prime Minister’s
Office, especially National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
 He will be empowered to coordinate any immediate
military response.
 The panel will be called the Committee of Secretaries on
Aircraft Hijack (COSAH).
 The panel will be headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.
All public payments digital: RBI panel
 A RBI committee may recommend that all government
payments to citizens should be made digitally, one person
aware of the matter said, requesting anonymity.

 The move seeks to ensure higher adoption of digital
payments among the masses.
 The 5-member panel called Committee on Deepening of
Digital Payments was led by former Unique Identification
Authority of India chairman Nandan Nilekani.
Jalan Panel report in June
 A 6-member panel looking into the appropriate capital
reserves the RBI should maintain is likely to submit its
report by June.
 The committee, headed by former RBI governor Bimal
Jalan, was appointed on December 26, 2018, to review the
RBI’s economic capital framework (ECF).
 It was to submit its report in 90 days from the first day of
its meeting held on January 8.
NGT set central monitoring panel
 The National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted a Central
Monitoring Committee to ensure the implementation of
action plan meant for reducing pollution stretches across
the country.
 It will undertake a national initiative by way of preparation
and enforcement of a national plan to make river stretches
pollution-free.
 The panel will coordinate with States to oversee the action
plans.
NGT formed committee
 The National Green Tribunal formed a committee to look
into the alleged erosion of Yamuna floodplain in Haryana's
Sonipat district.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The nodal agency for coordination and compliance will be
the principal secretary of the Haryana Irrigation and Water
Resources Department.
 The joint report may be furnished within 1 month by e-
mail so that matter can be taken up before monsoon.
Panel set up to oversee Essar Steel
 Essar Steel’s committee of creditors (CoC) has set up a
monitoring committee to oversee the operations of the
steel firm and ensure a smooth transition to ArcelorMittal.
 The monitoring committee is headed by resolution
professional Satish Gupta.
 The lenders — SBI, IDBI Bank, ICICI and Edelweiss Asset
Reconstruction Company — have their representatives as
members of the monitoring committee.
Business & Economy
India raised import duty on wheat to 40%
 India has raised its import duty on wheat to 40% from 30%
to support local farmers.
 India is the world’s No. 2 producer of the grain.
 Local wheat prices have fallen over 11% in 2019 due to
ample supply from last year’s crop and forecasts of record
output.
RBI proposed strict rules
 India’s Central Bank, the RBI would tighten rules on
opening and operating current accounts of corporate
borrowers
 This would be done to prevent the diversion of funds.
 The rules would be applicable to corporates who have
borrowed and used credit facilities of more than Rs 50
crore from the banking system.
Wirecard expands partnership with RBL Bank
 Wirecard, a digital financial technology provider,
announced an expanded partnership with RBL Bank to
promote financial inclusion in India.
 This partnership will make digital payment and banking
transactions more readily accessible to all Indian citizens.
 Wirecard will empower its retail agents, who serve as
customer service representatives in various areas across
the country,
IndusInd Bank & BFI merger approved
 National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the
merger of IndusInd Bank with Bharat Financial Inclusion
(BFIL).
 The merger will be completed within 2-4 weeks.
 Post-merger, BFIL will become a subsidiary of the Bank.
 Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited BFIL is a non-banking
finance company, licensed by the Reserve Bank of India.

Platform for Cryptocurrency Trading launched
 BuyUcoin, the second oldest Cryptocurrency Exchange in
India, has announced the launch of a new and unique
platform for wholesale cryptocurrency trading.
 The platform allows its users to trade on a large scale with
low price fluctuations.
 It currently works on free trading model i.e. charges zero
fees on any trade.
 The platform is aptly described and known as OTC (Over-
the-counter) desk.
RBI first to begin interest rate easing cycle
 The Reserve Bank of India is the first central bank in the
Asia-Pacific region to begin an explicit interest rate easing
cycle buoyed by benign food inflation and easier global
financial condition.
 The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has cut rates in
February and April 2019.
 The RBI has cut policy interest rates twice by 0.25% each
to a one-year low of 6%.
Kotak Bank launches debit card-based e-mandate
 Kotak Mahindra Bank launched a debit card-based
authentication solution on NPCI’s e-Mandate API platform.
 With this, the bank has become the first Destination Bank
to go live with Net Banking and Debit Card-based e-
mandate authentication.
 It will enable its customers to create electronic mandates
via both the Debit Card and Net Banking channels.
Global warming shrank economy by 31%
 According to a Stanford study, global warming has caused
the Indian economy to be 31% smaller than it would have
been.
 The study shows how Earth's temperature changes have
increased inequalities.
 It showed that growing concentrations of greenhouse
gases in Earth's atmosphere since the 1960s have enriched
cool countries like Norway and Sweden.
'Total Health Secure Goal' plan launched
 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Bajaj Allianz Life
Insurance in collaboration launched their first product
'Total Health Secure Goal'.
 The new insurance product is a combination of two
existing plans: Health Guard policy by Bajaj Allianz General
Insurance, and iSecure from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.
 A customer can opt for a Plan with a sum insured that
ranges from Rs 1.5 to Rs 50 Lakh
Microsoft topped trillion-dollar mark
 Microsoft hit the trillion-dollar value mark for the first
time, becoming the third technology giant to reach the
symbolic milestone.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Shares in Microsoft rallied some 5% to USD 130.59 in early
Wall Street trade after a robust earnings report a day
earlier.
 That gave Microsoft a market capitalization of just over
USD 1 trillion, before dipping back slightly.
Textile Ministry
 The Union Ministry of Textiles is in talks with the Japanese
Government and some companies in the U.S. to support
the Indian textile industry with technology for speciality
fibre and related products.
 Two committees have been formed in regard to this: One
for speciality fibre and one to see how to take the segment
forward.
RBI asked banks to disclose NPA results
 RBI has asked banks and financial institutions to disclose
the non-performing assets (NPA) stemming from their
exposure to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services
Limited (IL&FS) in their upcoming results announcements.
 An account becomes non-performing if repayment is due
for more than 90 days.
 Banks have to set aside capital as provisions for NPAs.
'Plaints to RBI ombuds increased 25% in FY18
 The number of complaints by bank customers to the
RBI's banking ombudsman increased by 24.9% in the
financial year 2017-18 as compared to the previous year.
 The major grounds of complaints received during the year
were non-observance of fair practices code (22.1%), ATM
and debit card issues (15.1%), credit card issues (7.7%),
failure to meet commitments (6.8%).
Agriculture prices to fall 2.6%: World Bank
 Agriculture prices are projected to fall 2.6% this year but
are estimated to rebound in 2020 due to lower crop
production and higher costs for energy and fertilisers.
 Agricultural and food prices are expected to remain stable
over the medium term.
 The outlook by the World bank also adds that in 2020,
agricultural prices are expected to rise by 1.7%.
RBI sold entire stake in NHB
 RBI has exited the National Housing Bank (NHB) and the
National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development
(Nabard), by selling its entire stakes to government for Rs
1,450 crore and Rs 20 crore.
 With this divestment, the government now holds 100
percent stake in both these financial institutions.
RBI has Rs.3 lakh cr in excess reserve
 Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) notified the
excess reserves that RBI holds could be up to Rs.3 lakh
crore ($43 billion) or 1.5% of the GDP (Gross Domestic
Product).

 This also includes the excess capital in contingency
reserves and revaluation reserves.
 The BofAML report stated that capping overall reserves at
20% from 25.5% will release Rs. 1.96 lakh crore.
ICRA estimated 7-7.5 GW solar power addition
 Rating agency ICRA has estimated 7-7.5 GW solar power
capacity addition during the current financial year, which
includes 1 GW of rooftop solar power.
 Solar capacity addition is estimated to have remained
subdued at around 6 GW to 6.5 GW in the financial year
2018-19.
 Tendered project awards for solar PV (photovoltaic)
projects during CY 2018 stood at about 11 GW against 4.5
GW in CY 2017.
Money Loji launched app to offer loans
 Money Loji, has launched its App, which offers quickest
and the most secure loans to salaried professionals for an
immediate requirement.
 It has flexible repayment options starting from 7 days to a
maximum of 90 days.
 The eligibility criterion is a minimum in-hand salary of Rs
20,000 per month and a minimum age of 23 years.
Pharma exports rose to 11% in 2018-19
 The country's pharmaceutical exports rose by 11% to USD
19.2 billion in 2018-19, mainly driven by higher demand in
regions such as North America and Europe.
 The pharma exports in 2017-18 stood at USD 17.3 billion
and USD 16.7 billion in the previous fiscal.
 North America constitutes about 30% of Indian pharma
exports, followed by Africa and the European Union with
19% and 16% share.
Authorised capital of Allahabad Bank raised
 State-owned Allahabad Bank said the government has
increased its authorised capital by ₹5,000 crore to ₹8,000
crore.
 The central government increased the authorised capital
of the bank from ₹3,000 to ₹8,000 through Gazette
Notification.
 The increase in authorised capital will help enable the
bank to raise further fund up to a maximum ceiling of
₹8,000 crore.
Import of milk products from China banned
 The government extended the ban on import of milk and
its products, including chocolates, from China.
 Food regulator FSSAI had recommended extending the
ban until all labs at ports are modernised to test the
chemical.
 The ban was first imposed in September 2008 and
extended subsequently from time to time.
RBI swap auction got bid more than thrice
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The second dollar-rupee buy/sell auction saw healthy
demand with the RBI getting 255 bids worth $18.65 billion
compared with the notified amount of $5 billion.
 The cut-off premium was 838 paisa compared with 776
paisa the last time.
 The liquidity injected in the first leg was Rs. 34,874 crore.
Leather exports rose 8% in FY19
 India registered about 8% growth in export of leather,
leather products and footwear during 2018-19 and is
aiming to achieve 9% to 10% growth during the current
fiscal.
 In rupee terms, exports during 2018-19 grew to Rs.
36,562.34 crore from Rs. 33,894.71 crore in the
corresponding year-earlier period.
 For the current year, CLE is aiming to achieve 9% to 10%
growth.
SEBI tweaked norms for REITs, InvITs
 SEBI has reduced the minimum subscription requirement
as well as defined trading lots for Real Estate Investment
Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts
(InvITs).
 REITs have to offer their units in lots worth at least Rs.
50,000 in initial and follow-on public offers.
 The minimum value of a single lot should be Rs. 1 lakh in
the case of InvITs.
HDFC to hold 9.9% stake in Bandhan Bank
 The RBI has given its nod to HDFC Ltd. for acquiring up to
9.9% stake in Bandhan Bank following the Gruh Finance
deal.
 Gruh Finance, the affordable housing finance arm of HDFC
Ltd., was taken over by Bandhan Bank in a share-swap deal
in January 2019.
 After the announcement of the deal, an application was
made by HDFC to the RBI for holding shares in Bandhan
Bank, HDFC Ltd.
SBI GI launched cyber defense insurance
 SBI General Insurance launched its new product – cyber
defence insurance to protect businesses from financial and
reputational losses due to cyber attacks.
 The main focus on SMEs and mid-market businesses to
larger businesses.
 This offers protection against the growing threat of cyber
breaches like hacking attacks, identity theft, and business
interruption.
Sixth Sense Ventures invested in MyHealthcare
 MyHealthcare, a digital integrated healthcare ecosystem
has raised $3 million from Sixth Sense Ventures, as part of
its ongoing Series A fundraise.

 MyHealthcare works with hospitals, diagnostics, and
speciality health institutions in building their digital health
business.
 It had raised $2 million in 2018, led by Hunch Ventures and
Ajay Nanavati.
IL&FS to sell wind portfolio to GAIL
 Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS)
has agreed to sell its 874 megawatts (MW) operational
wind energy portfolio to GAIL (India) Ltd for ₹4,800 crore.
 GAIL’s offer of ₹4,800 crore at 100% enterprise valuation
implies that the accumulated debt of ₹3,700 crore on the
wind power special purpose vehicles (SPVs) will be fully
repaid.
ZestMoney raised $20 million funding
 ZestMoney has raised $20 million in its Series B round led
by Quona Capital, a venture capital firm focused on
financial technology products.
 Australian fintech investor, Reinventure, and existing
investors Ribbit Capital, Omidyar Network and PayU also
participated in the round.
 The new funding will support the company’s expansion
plans for 2019.
Saudi Aramco to acquire Royal Dutch Shell
 Saudi Aramco will acquire Royal Dutch Shell's 50% stake in
their Saudi refining joint venture SASREF for $631 million.
 Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Co (SASREF), based in Jubail
Industrial City in Saudi Arabia, has a crude oil refining
capacity of 305,000 barrels per day (bpd).
 Shell has sold over $30 billion of assets in recent years as it
shifts its focus to lower carbon businesses.
BoM joins M1Xchange TReDS platform
 Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) partnered with M1Xchange
Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform
for MSME bill discounting.
 TReDS is a digital platform to support micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) to get their bills financed at
a competitive rate through an auction where multiple
registered financiers can participate.
 TReDS platform facilitates a smooth flow of liquidity.
Cholamandalam Insurance gets ISO certification
 Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited
has been certified with ISO 31000:2018.
 ISO 31000:2018 is an international risk management
standard.
 The standard provides guidelines, principles, framework,
and a process for managing risk.
 It can be used by any organization regardless of its size,
activity or sector.
 The Certificate is valid for a period of 3 years.
CRISIL to transfer rating business
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 CRISIL Ltd, a diversified global analytics company, will
transfer its rating business to its proposed new wholly-
owned subsidiary.
 The board of CRISIL gave the nod for the transfer, which is
being done to comply with SEBI norms of last year.
 SEBI modified its regulations for credit rating agencies and
mandated the segregation of rating and non-ratings
businesses of credit-rating agencies.
Non-life insurers witness 13% rise in premium
 According to data from IRDAI, Non-life insurance firms
registered a rise of 13% in their collective premium income
to Rs 1.70 lakh crore in March 2019.
 The 34 non-life insurers had a gross premium of Rs 1.51
lakh crore in 2017-18.
 Among these insurers, as many as 25 are categorised as
general insurers, seven private sector insurers while the
rest of the two are government-owned insurers.
Reliance retail crosses Rs 1L cr revenue
 Reliance retail has become the first Indian retail company
to clock more than Rs 1 lakh crore in annual revenues.
 The retail venture of Reliance Industries reported an
income of Rs 1,30,556 crore for 2018-19, 89% more than
the previous year.
 It reported Rs 6,201 crore as profit before depreciation,
interest, and taxes (PBDIT) for the year against Rs 2,529
crore in FY18, an increase of 145%.
Tata Sponge to shift base to Kolkata
 Tata Sponge Iron Ltd has decided to shift its registered
office from Keonjhar in Odisha to Kolkata.
 Tata Sponge has recently acquired Kolkata- based Usha
Martin's steel business at a cost of Rs 4,090 crore.
 In 1991, Tata Steel acquired Ipicol's entire stake and Tata
Sponge became an associate company of Tata Steel.
Gold imports dipped 3% in FY19
 The country’s gold imports dipped about 3% in value terms
to $32.8 billion during 2018-19, which trend is expected to
keep a lid on the current account deficit.
 Total imports of the precious metal in 2017-18 had stood
at $33.7 billion, according to data from the Commerce
Ministry.
 After recording negative growth in February, the imports
grew 31.22% to $3.27 billion in March.
Funds to implement 10% EWS quota approved
 Union cabinet approved the sanction of Rs 4315.15 crore
for the 158 Central Educational Institutions for
implementation of reservation in admission to students
belonging to Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
 Over 2 lakh additional seats will be created in 158 CEIs
across the country to implement 10% reservation for the
Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

Fintech startups to test regulatory sandbox  It is the first public sector bank to shift to EMV chip and
PIN for card present transactions across the country’s vast
 RBI proposed that fintech start-ups could set up a
ATM network.
regulatory sandbox or live-testing of innovative products
 The EMV shift is aimed at reducing lost and stolen card
and services.
fraud and making counterfeit card fraud more difficult.
 This would be done in segments such as retail payments,
money transfer, artificial intelligence and data analytics in Mitsui to buy Reliance ethane carrier fleet
the financial sector.
 Reliance Industries Ltd' wholly owned subsidiary Reliance
 A regulatory sandbox (RS) refers to live-testing of new
Ethane Holding Pte. Ltd is selling its fleet of six very large
products or services in a controlled and test regulatory
ethane carriers (VLECs) through an investment deal with
environment.
Japanese shipping group Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.
Exim Bank funded projects in Rawanda  RIL has 100% holding in six limited liability companies
(LLCs) which own the VLECs.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said Exim Bank has
provided soft loans of USD 266.60 million to Rawanda for FMCG growth to slow down in 2019
various projects.
 India's fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry is
 The funding is done in 3 separate tranches to support
likely to grow at a slower pace at 11-12% in 2019, almost
agricultural projects, development of special economic
2% lower than that in 2018, as per a report.
zones (SEZs) and for financing road projects.
 The industry is also expected to grow at 12-13% during the
 USD 66.60 million will be funded for the Base-Butaro-
April to June quarter of the calender year 2019, according
Kidaho Road Project.
to Nielsen.
I-T Dept proposes new norms for taxing MNCs  In line with the FMCG growth forecast for Q1 2019 at 13-
14%, this sector grew at 13.6%.
 The income tax department proposed a change in the
methodology for taxing multinational companies (MNCs). Govt bonds issuance jumped to Rs. 64,192 cr.
 This includes digital firms, having permanent
 The issuances of government-fully serviced bonds (GoI-
establishment in India by giving weightage to factors like
FSBs) rose to ₹64,192 crore in the year ended March 2019
domestic sales, employee strength, assets and user base.
as compared to ₹15,095 crore during the last fiscal.
 MNCs that are incurring global losses or a global profit
 These borrowings are estimated to have accounted for
margin of less than 2% will be deemed to have made a
0.34% of GDP for FY19 as compared to 0.09% of GDP for
profit of 2%.
FY18.
UPI payments now live on ETMONEY app  The total outstanding value of these GoI-FSBs stood at
₹88,454 crore at the end of FY19, according to Icra.
 ETMONEY has integrated Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
as a payment option on the application. Govt targetes IRCTC, IRFC IPOs
 The company hopes to simplify the user journey through
 The government is targeting to raise about ₹1,500 crore
the app, especially for making payments for mutual funds.
from initial public offerings (IPOs) of two railway
 It has set a target to grow to Rs 5,000 crore in mutual fund
companies, IRCTC and IRFC, by September 2019.
transactions in the next 12-18 months and is targeting 10
 Earlier in April 2019, the government raised about ₹480
million users by the end of the current year.
crore by selling 12.12% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd
Uber won $1bn investment from Toyota (RVNL).
 The government has budgeted to raise ₹90,000 crore by
 Toyota and SoftBank Vision Fund unveiled an investment
way of CPSE disinvestment in the current financial year.
of $1 billion in U.S. company Uber to drive forward the
development of driverless ridesharing services. IDRBT set up 5G lab for banking sector
 Toyota has already invested $500 million in Uber as the
 The Institute for Development and Research in Banking
firm races Google-owned Waymo and a host of other
Technology (IDRBT) has launched a 5G Use Cases Lab for
companies, including major automakers, to develop self-
banking and financial sector.
driving vehicles.
 The 5G technology, along with blockchain, will be
Canara Bank: 1st to meet RBIs EMV mandate progressively adopted by banks.
 The use of 5G will change a range of technologies and
 Canara Bank has successfully rolled out major new
applications including point of sale machines in the
functionality to support EMV card acquiring across its ATM
banking sector which were now using 2G.
network and Aadhaar Authentication.
Banks must flag bad loans

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 RBI told the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal
(NCLAT) that banks had an obligation to mark bad loans as
non-performing asset (NPA) after the default of 90 days.
 The banking sector regulator has moved the NCLAT
seeking a modification of its February 25 order.
 An asset is tagged as non performing when it ceases to
generate income for the lender.
China's GDP grew by 6.4%
 China's economy grew 6.4% in the first quarter of 2019,
slightly more than expected.
 China's GDP reached 21.343 trillion yuan in the first 3
months of 2019, and the growth pace was the same with
that of the fourth quarter of 2018.
 The first quarter GDP growth was in the range of 6% to
6.5% target fixed by the Chinese government for this
year.
Commerce industry laid down new procedure
 The commerce ministry has laid down a procedure for
import of a few varieties of pulses for the current fiscal
and has invited applications from millers.
 According to the ministry's foreign trade arm DGFT, millers
and refiners of these pulses need license for imports.
 Procedure for import of 2 lakh tonne pigeon peas/toor dal,
1.5 lakh tonne urad dal, & 1.5 lakh tonne moong dal, is laid
down.
Eligible NBFCs to get license
 Systematically important non-deposit taking NBFCs
offering foreign exchange transactions on individual
accounts will be eligible to obtain Authorised Dealer (AD)
Category-II licence from it.
 AD-Cat II means entities that are authorised by the RBI to
deal in foreign exchange for specified purposes.
 These include upgraded full-fledged money changers
(FFMCs), and select regional rural banks.
ADB provided loan to India
 ADB committed to provide $3 billion in sovereign loans to
India in 2018, the highest level of assistance since
sovereign operations began in the country in 1986.
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB), owned by 68 member
countries, committed a total of USD 3.88 billion.
 New commitments included USD 21.6 billion in loans,
grants and investments from ADB's own resources.
RBI put Rs 50 notes into circulation
 The RBI has put into circulation 50 rupees denomination
banknotes signed by its Governor Shaktikanta Das.
 The design of these notes is similar in all respects to 50
banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi new series.
 All banknotes in the denomination of 50 issued by the
Reserve Bank in the past will continue to be legal tender.
Volkswagen to expand corporate business
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Volkswagen announced the expansion of its corporate
business centre (CBC) programme in India with the
addition of 10 more such outlets across its sales network
over the next three months.
 The company had first introduced CBC as a pilot project in
Kochi. It was further introduced in Coimbatore.
12 months to sell non-crore assets
 State-run companies will have 12 months to monetise
non-core assets identified by a ministerial panel, failing
which the finance ministry may restrict budgetary
allocations to the CPSEs.
 The Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management (DIPAM) issued the guidelines for
monetisation of non-core assets of CPSEs and immovable
enemy properties, following a Cabinet decision in
February.
India's service exports rose 5.5%
 India's services exports rose 5.5% to $16.58 billion in
February 2018-19 from $15.71 billion in the same month a
year ago, as per the data from RBI.
 However, the exports during February 2019 were lower
than January's USD 17.75 billion.
 Services imports in February 2018-19 declined by 3.3% to
USD 9.81 million, as per the RBI data on 'India's
International Trade in Services: February 2019'.
Exports outspace imports at 11%
 India’s exports rose to a five-month high of 11% in March
on account of higher growth mainly in pharma, chemicals
and engineering sectors.
 It marked the outbound shipments at $331 billion for FY
2018-19.
 Merchandise exports in March stood at $32.55 billion as
against $29.32 billion last year.
 This is the best growth rate for exports since October
2018, when shipments grew by 17.86%
NBFCs raised Rs. 26,000 crore
 Non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and microfinance
companies (MFIs) raised about Rs. 26,200 crore through
securitisation in FY19, a growth of 170% over FY18.
 In FY18, NBFCs and MFIs raised Rs. 9,700 crore through
securitisation.
 The sectors faced tight liquidity conditions in FY19 after a
series of defaults by Infrastructure Leasing and Finance
Services (IL&FS).
India narrowed trade deficit with China
 India cut its trade deficit with China by the most in more
than a decade.
 India's exports to China jumped 31% year-on-year to $17
billion in the financial year ended March 31, 2019.

 In the process, it cut the bilateral trade deficit by $10
billion to $53 billion.
Major decline in India's steel export
 India's steel export to the US in 2018 declined by 49% to
USD 372 million, while that of aluminum increased by 58%
to USD 221 million.
 The Report was given by the independent Congressional
Research Service (CRS).
 In 2018, the US imports of steel and aluminum products
totaled USD 29.5 billion and USD 17.6 billion respectively.
WPI inflation spiked to 3.18% in March
 Wholesale price-based inflation rose for the second
consecutive month to 3.18% in March on costlier food and
fuel, as per a government data.
 The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation was at
2.93% in February. It was 2.74% in March 2018.
 Inflation in ‘Fuel and power’ category also spiked to 5.41%,
from 2.23% in February.
Industrial growth declines to 20-month low
 Industrial growth slowed In February 2019 to 0.1%, driven
by an across-the-board slowdown, especially in key sectors
like manufacturing, mining, capital goods, and
infrastructure.
 Growth in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) slowed in
February from 1.44% in January.
 Within the Index, the mining and quarrying sector saw
growth slowing to 2% from 3.92% over the same period.
Banks close FY19 with 13.24% credit growth
 According to the Reserve Bank data released on 11 April
2019, bank credit rose 13.24% to Rs 97.67 lakh crore for
the fortnight to 29 March 2019.
 The deposits grew by 10.03% to Rs 125.72 lakh crore
during the same period.
 In FY17, aggregate deposits in the banking system grew a
mere 6.7% in 2017-18, while credit grew still lower at
4.54%, the lowest since fiscal 1963.
Hong Kong is third-largest stock market
 Hong Kong beat Japan to become the world's third-largest
stock market.
 It is now only behind the US and mainland China.
 Hong Kong’s market cap was $5.78 trillion compared with
$5.76 trillion for Japan.
Jet Airways halts international flights
 Jet Airways cancelled all international flights until 15th
April.
 This includes flights from London, Paris and Amsterdam.
 Jet Airways is saddled with more than $1billion of debt.
 Vinay Dube is the CEO of Jet Airways.
Retail inflation up to 2.86% in March
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Retail inflation rose to 2.86% in March this year due to
increase in prices of food articles and fuel.
 Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
reported that the inflation based on Consumer Price Index
was 2.57% in February 2019.
 It was 4.28% in March 2018.
RBI issues norms for currency chests
 Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines for banks to
set up new currency chests.
 These guidelines include a minimum area of 1,500 square
feet for strong room and a processing capacity of 6.6 lakh
pieces of banknotes per day.
 For banks situated in hilly or inaccessible places, this
capacity should be 2.1 lakh pieces of banknotes per day.
SEBI came up with system audit framework
 Sebi came out with revised guidelines for system audit to
be conducted by mutual funds and asset management
companies (AMCs).
 Besides, mutual funds (MFs)/ AMCs have been directed to
constitute a technology committee entrusted with the task
of reviewing the cyber security and cyber resilience
framework for MFs and AMCs.
Indian foreign investment rose by 18%
 Foreign investment of Indian companies grew 18% to USD
2.69 billion in March as compared to the year-ago period,
according to an RBI data.
 The domestic firms made investment of USD 2.28 billion in
their subsidiaries and wholly-owned units abroad during
March 2018.
 In February 2019, the investment by Indian firms stood at
USD 1.71 billion.
Reinsurance brokers can open FC accounts
 Reinsurance brokers have been permitted by RBI to open
non-interest bearing foreign currency accounts with banks
for undertaking transactions.
 Foreign currency account refers to a bank account held or
maintained in currency other than the currency of India or
Nepal or Bhutan.
 Earlier, the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India had issued a notification in this regard.
GPF interest retained at 8% for April-June
 The government has retained the interest rate for General
Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes at 8% for
the April-June quarter.
 The interest rate will be applicable on provident funds of
central government employees, railways and defence
forces.
 The rate is in line with that of the Public Provident Fund.
EI launched banking via Whatsapp

 Emirates Islamic announced the launch of Chat Banking
services for customers via WhatsApp, marking a global first
in the Islamic banking sector.
 The bank’s customers will now be able to conduct daily
banking activities via WhatsApp in a seamless and hassle-
free manner.
 It is supported by Infobip and allows customers to use
features such as checking account balances and more.
HDFC AMC ranked 1st
 HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd has claimed the top spot
with an average AUM of Rs.3.42 trillion.
 It overtook ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co. Ltd
with an average AUM of at Rs.3.20 trillion.
 India’s asset management companies (AMCs) own assets
under management (AUM) worth Rs24.46 trillion,
according to data released by the Association of Mutual
Funds in India (Amfi).
GlowRoad got $10 mn funding
 Social commerce platform GlowRoad has raised $10
million in a Series B funding round led by China’s CDH
Investment.
 CDH Investment's other investments in India include
Mayfair and Cashify, an online platform for selling used
electronic products.
 GlowRoad was founded in 2017 by Sonal Verma, Kunal
Sinha, Nitesh Pant, Shekhar Sahu, and Nilesh Padariya.
BSNL collected Rs 6500 crore revenue
 BSNL has collected a record revenue of ₹6,500 crore from
enterprise segment, making it sufficiently funded, which
will help in meeting its various requirement.
 BSNL has been ailing because of a high revenue-to-wage
ratio as a large number of government employees were
transferred by the telecom department to the telecom
PSU.
SC to pay $1.1 billion for violations
 Standard Chartered agreed to pay $1.1 billion to US and
British authorities for illegal financial transactions.
 A former banker at the Dubai branch pleaded guilty in New
York state court in connection with the conspiracy to
violate sanctions.
 SC paid US authorities $667 million in 2012 for illegally
moving millions of dollars through the US financial system.
SBI cut interest rates on home loans
 The State Bank of India has re-priced home loans up to Rs
30 lakh by 10 basis points.
 Accordingly, the interest rate on housing loans of such size
will now be in the range of 8.6 to 8.9%.
 The bank has also lowered its lending rates by a nominal
five basis points across all tenors.
IMF forecasts dipped in global growth
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that
global growth will be 3.3% in 2019, down from 3.6% in
2018 and 4% in 2017.
 This lower projection is due to lower global expansion in
the second half of 2018 caused because of factors
like U.S.-China trade tensions.
 India’s growth is projected to pick up (from 7.1% in 2018)
to 7.3% in 2019 and 7.5% in 2020
India's gold reserves increased
 India has marginally increased its gold holding in February
while maintaining the tenth position among countries in
terms of yellow metal reserves, as per the World Gold
Council.
 India added 1.7 tonnes in February 2019 while most other
countries, barring Russia and China, saw their reserves
unchanged in the recent past.
 As per WGC, India had total gold reserves of 608.7 tonnes
in February.
YouTube's largest growing market: India
 India has become YouTube’s largest and fastest growing
market with 265 million Indians watching the video-
sharing website every month.
 In the last one year, YouTube’s consumption on mobile has
increased to 85%, with 60% of the watch time coming
from outside the six largest metros in India.
 YouTube has more than 1,200 Indian creators crossing the
million subscriber-milestone.
Avaada Energy raised Rs.1000 crore from ADB
 Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd raised ₹1,000 crore from investors
such as the Asian Development Bank on 9 April 2019.
 The equity raised is for financing Avaada Energy’s 2.4
gigawatt (GW) renewable energy portfolio.
 Avaada Group is targeting a 5 GW capacity and has
executed 2 GW of renewable energy project in India.
PNB Housing Stake sale to boost PNB capital
 The PNB's 13% stake sale in PNB Housing Finance for ₹18.5
billion will strengthen the bank's capital, as per Moody's.
 The report said that it estimates the sale will increase
PNB's Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio by about 40 basis
points from the 6.9% reported in December 2018.
 The bank's pro forma CET1 ratio exceeds the Basel III
March 2019 regulatory requirement of 7.375%.
Singapore sold 6.8 crore shares of DLF
 Singapore government sold 6.8 crore shares of DLF for
₹1,298 crore through open market transaction, with its
stock price tumbling sharply by over 8%.
 Singapore government held around 7.32 crore shares in
DLF as on December 31, 2018 quarter, which were worth
4.11% stake in the realty company.

 Shares of the company closed at ₹184.60, 8.43% lower on
the NSE.
Coffee Day formed joint venture with Impact
 Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd, along with its subsidiary Coffee
Day Global Ltd, announced that Japanese company Impact
HD will acquire a 49% stake Coffee Day Consultancy
Services Pvt. Ltd for $15 million.
 Post subscription of equity shares by Impact HD, CDEL and
CDGL will hold 51 % of the paid-up equity capital of
CDCSPL.
 Coffee Day group will have 51% stake in the joint venture.
PVs grew 2.7% in FY19
 The passenger vehicle (PV) segment grew 2.7% in 2018-19,
the slowest pace in the last five years, according to the
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
 According to SIAM data, passenger vehicle sales in the last
fiscal stood at 33,77,436 units, compared to 32,88,581
units in 2017-18.
 This is the slowest pace of growth for the industry since
2013-14, when sales declined 6.7%.
RBI issued norms for banks
 The Reserve Bank of India came out with guidelines for
banks to set up new currency chests, which include a
minimum area of 1,500 square feet for a strong room.
 Besides, the new chests should have a processing capacity
of 6.6 lakh pieces of banknotes per day.
 For those situated in the hilly/ inaccessible places, a
capacity of 2.1 lakh pieces of banknotes per day.
SEBI gave nod for Airport fund
 SEBI has approved an ‘Airport’ specific fund of capital up
to Rs 10,000 crore as a Category II AIF.
 Chennai-based ‘Taking Off To The Future Investment
Management LLP’ is the sponsor and the investment
manager of the fund.
 The management and operation of ‘Sponsor/Investment
Manager’ is led by its designated partner Gigi George.
Coal import rose to 8% in Apr-Feb FY 2019
 India's coal import increased by 7.8% to 212.11 million
tonnes in the April-February period of FY19 as per a
report.
 The country produced 196.59 million tonnes (MT) of coal
in the April-February period of fiscal 2017-18, according to
the report by mjunction services.
 Coal imports in the month of February was at 18.31 MT
(provisional) as compared to 21.15 MT (revised) in January
2019.
BPEA to acquire 30% stake in NIIT Tech
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) agreed to buy a 30%
stake in NIIT Technologies Ltd for about ₹2,627 crore
($381 million).
 Funds affiliated with BPEA have signed definitive
agreements to purchase the stake totalling 18.85 million
shares of NIIT Technologies from NIIT Ltd and other
promoter entities.
 Baring will acquire the shares at ₹1,394 apiece.
India's eco growth driven by domestic demand
 According to World Bank India's economic growth has
been driven by domestic demand and its exports were
about one-third of its potential.
 According to World Bank the next government needs to
focus on export-led growth in India.
 In the last five years, India's overall growth was "too
much" driven by domestic demand.
Fitch affirms India's rating at BBB-
 Fitch Ratings kept India's sovereign rating unchanged at
the lowest investment grade of BBB- with a stable outlook.
 Fitch expects growth of 6.8% in the fiscal year ending
March 2020 (FY 20) and 7.1% in FY 21.
 Gross FDI inflows into India of 1.4% of GDP in the year
through the third quarter of FY 18 were below 1.7% of
GDP four years earlier.
RBI sets WMA Limit for Government
 The Reserve Bank of India has decided that the limits for
Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the first half of the
financial year 2019-20 will be Rs 75000 crore.
 The interest rate on WMA will be Repo Rate and overdraft
will be 2% above the Repo Rate.
 RBI may trigger fresh flotation of market loans when the
Government of India utilises 75% of the WMA limit.
L&T gets CCI approval
 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved
Larsen and Toubro Ltd's (L&T's) takeover bid for Mindtree
Ltd.
 The L&T-Mindtree deal is the first hostile takeover bid in
the Indian IT industry.
 The L&T will purchase up to 66.32% stake in the
Bengaluru-based IT services firm for around ₹10,700 crore.
RBI lowered GDP growth forecast to 7.2%
 The RBI lowered the GDP growth forecast for the current
fiscal to 7.2% from the earlier estimate of 7.4% amid
probability of El Nino effects on monsoon rains and
uncertain global economic outlook.
 It had projected the GDP growth for 2019-20 at 7.4%,
RBI tweaked LCR norms to boost liquidity
 RBI provided additional 2% liquidity window to the lenders
by tweaking liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) norms.

 The LCR indicates the proportion of highly liquid assets
held by banks to ensure their ability to meet short-term
obligations.
 NBFCs-NDSI in the category of Investment and Credit
Companies (ICCs) will be made eligible to apply for
Authorised Dealer Category II licence.
IL&FS arm’s gross NPAs stand at 90%
 IL&FS Financial Services Ltd. (IFIN), reported a gross non-
performing asset (NPA) ratio of 90% as at end December
2018.
 The gross NPAs were around 5% in March 2018.
 IFIN’s total exposure as on March 31, 2019 was ₹18,805
crore, of which external exposure was ₹10,656 crore and
exposure to the group, ₹6,949 crore. About ₹1,300 crore is
categorised as ‘other assets.’
BSNL got license for in-flight connectivity
 BSNL has received in-flight and maritime
connectivity (IFMC) license from the department of
telecommunications (DoT).
 People will soon be able to surf the net and send mails and
WhatsApp messages while flying in and over Indian
airspace.
 BSNL has partnered with Inmarsat, a leading global mobile
satellite communications player.
SCUF to raise Rs 750 crore
 Shriram City Union Finance plans to raise up to ₹ 750
crores through non-convertible debentures (NCD).
 The base size of the issue is ₹ 100 crore with an option to
retain oversubscription of ₹ 650 crore.
 The company is offering three bonds maturing in 2, 3 and
5 years with coupons ranging between 9.55% to 9.75 %, on
an annual basis.
RBI cut policy rates by 25 basis points
 RBI has reduced its key policy rate by 25 basis points in
order to boost private investments and support domestic
growth.
 It has left the cash reserve ratio unchanged despite a
downward revision to growth outlook.
 For FY21, the RBI expects inflation to move in the range of
3.8-4.1 %.
Paytm to offer insurance by June
 Paytm Payments Bank is planning to launch risk-free
insurance and mutual fund products by June 2019.
 As on date, the Paytm Payments Bank has 4.4 crore
savings bank account with a deposit of over Rs 400 crore;
and there are as many as 26 crore wallet accounts.
 Paytm Payments Bank was incorporated in August 2016
and formally began its operations in May 2017 from a
branch in Noida.
Govt permitted import of maize at 15% duty
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The government permitted import of feed grade maize at
a concessional import duty of 15% with a view to meet the
shortage of the poultry feed in the country.
 The import of up to 1 lakh tonne of it will be allowed on
actual user condition.
 Keeping in view the urgency, the feed grade maize is
proposed to be imported under TRQ (tariff rate quota)
with certain relaxations and conditions.
ADB cut India's growth by 7.2% in 2019-20
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered India’s growth by
40 basis points to 7.2% in fiscal year 2019-20.
 It will still be the fastest growing economy in the world.
 For entire Asia, the growth will soften to 5.7% in 2019 and
5.6% in 2020.
RBI circulars to banks
 The Supreme Court struck down a February 2018 Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) circular giving lender banks six months
to resolve their stressed assets or move under the
Insolvency Code against private entities who have
defaulted in loans worth over Rs. 2000 crore.
 The judgment ranges from power to telecom to steel,
infrastructure, sugar, and fertiliser.
Manufacturing at 6-month low
 Manufacturing activity slowed to a six-month low of 52.6
in March 2019 due to lower levels of new orders and
production, according to a private sector survey.
 The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’
Index came in at a lower reading in March from 54.3 in
February 2019
 A reading over 50 implies expansion while one below that
denotes a contraction in activity.
4th session of IU-WGTEC held
 The 4th Meeting of India-Ukraine Working Group on Trade
and Economic Cooperation (IU-WGTEC), was held on 2
April 2019 in New Delhi.
 A protocol was signed at the end of the meeting which
deals with the review of trade, and cooperation in the field
of small and medium entrepreneurship and more.
 The Indian delegation was led by Bidyut Behari Swain,
Additional Secretary, Foreign Trade (CIS).
Kotak Mahindra Bank to Charge For UPI Use
 Kotak Mahindra Bank (Kotak) stated that it will charge
customers for UPI transactions starting 1st of May 2019.
 For each Kotak Bank account, the first 30 UPI fund
transfers will be free, after which a charge will be levied on
all fund transfers from the bank account.
 This will be applicable across all platforms, including
Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay or Truecaller Pay among
others.
Hyundai unveils BlueLink connectivity in India

 Hyundai will soon roll out the ‘BlueLink’ connectivity
feature in India.
 This will allow users to interact with their cars using voice.
 BlueLink is Hyundai’s global technology which will be
introduced in the Indian market with 33 features, of which
10 would be India-specific features such as a panic button,
for most practical and holistic connectivity.
RBI tweaks NPA divergence disclosure rules
 RBI asked banks to disclose bad loan divergences in their
financial statements if the additional provisioning exceeds
10% of profit before provision and contingencies.
 Earlier, banks were to make suitable disclosures if the
additional provisioning requirements assessed by RBI
exceeded 15% of the published net profits.
 RBI will inject long-term liquidity worth $5 bn into the
banking system.
Reliance MF launched Voice-Based Transactions
 Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) has
joined hands with Google to enable the customers of
Reliance Mutual Fund to carry out voice-based financial
transactions.
 With this, RNAM became the first company in India, to
provide a conversational interface that would help
customers regarding funds transactions.
 Sundeep Sikka is the CEO of Reliance Nippon Life Asset
Management.
GST recorded highest collection in FY 2018-19
 Total Gross GST revenue collected in the month of March,
2019 is Rs. 1,06,577 crore
 CGST is Rs. 20,353 crore, SGST is Rs.27,520 crore, IGST is
Rs.50,418 crore (including Rs. 23,521crore collected on
imports) and Cess is Rs. 8,286 crore (including Rs. 891crore
collected on imports).
 The total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for the month
of February up to 31st March, 2019 is 75.95 lakh.
PNB sells 13.01% stake - housing finance
 PNB is selling part of its stake in PNB Housing Finance to
global private equity firm General Atlantic Group and
investment firm Varde Partners for Rs 1,851.60 crore.
 PNB will sell 10.89 million equity shares each to General
Atlantic and Varde Partners at Rs 850 per share,
aggregating to Rs 1851.60 crore.
 PNB is an Indian multinational banking and financial
services founded in 1894
Sports
India to bid for 2024 World TTC
 Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has decided to bid
for the 2024 edition of the biennial World Team
Championships.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The last time India hosted a World Championships was
way back in 1987.
 The last big ITTF event was staged in India was in 2012
when Hyderabad hosted the World Junior Championships.
Indian para-athletes clinched medals
 Indian para-athletes secured a silver and two bronze
medals at the Asian Road para-cycling championships at
Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
 Divij Shah clinched silver while Asian Para Games bronze
medallist Gurlal Singh and Hand cyclist Sudhakar Marathe
claimed bronze.
Petra won Maiden Grand Prix 2019
 World number three tennis player Petra Kvitova (Czech
Republic) beat Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) to win Stuttgart’s
Porsche Grand Prix for her second title of the year.
 Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon champion.
 The championship was held at Stuttgart, Germany.
Dominic won Barcelona Open Title
 Dominic Thiem clinched the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
2019 title held at Barcelona, Spain which was held from
April 22- 28, 2019.
 He secured 6-4, 6-0.
 He became just the fourth player in the past 15 years to lift
the title in Barcelona, joining Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori,
and Fernando Verdasco.
 He’s also the first Austrian winner at this event since
Thomas Muster in 1996.
Eliud Kipchoge won London Marathon tilte
 Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge clinched his fourth London
Marathon 2019 crown on 28th April 2019 at London, UK.
 Kipchoge strode clear of the field to win with the second
fastest-ever time of 2:02:37.
 He set the world record time of 2:01.39s at Berlin in 2018.
 In the women’s section, Brigid Kosgei won the title.
 She finished the course in 2:18:20 and defeated Vivian
Cheruiyot and Roza Dereje.
Valtteri Bottas won Azerbaijan Grand Prix
 Valtteri Viktor Bottas of Mercedes won Formula 1 State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) Azerbaijan
Grand Prix 2019.
 He defeated Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at the
Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
 Bottas finished the race 1.5 seconds ahead of Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished with 3rd position and
Max Verstappen Red Bull gained 4th position.
NZ Open Badminton Tournament began
 The New Zealand Open Badminton tournament began in
Auckland on 30 April 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

 Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will be aiming to win her  India wrapped up their campaign at the Asian Wrestling
second title this year. Championships at Xi'an, China, on a resounding note with
 Parupalli Kashyap, B Sai Praneeth, HS Prannoy, Subhankar 16 medals.
Dey and Laskshya Sen will be seen in action in the Men's  Men's freestyle wrestlers bagged eight medals comprising
section. one gold, three silver and four bronze. Women wrestlers
claimed four bronze.
Raheem: Footballer of the year 2019
 These included Harpreet Singh's silver in 82kg and bronze
 Raheem Sterling has been named the 2019 footballer of by Gyanender in 60kg on the final day of the competitions.
the year by the Football Writers' Association (FWA).
 The Manchester City and England forward topped the poll
of the 400-strong FWA membership as a winner, with
62% of the votes.
 He was more than 100 votes ahead of Liverpool defender
Virgil Van Dijk.
Claire to become first women umpire
 Australia’s Claire Polosak created history as the first
woman umpire ever to stand in a men’s One-Day
International
 She took the field in the final of the ICC World Cricket
League Division 2.
 She was the first woman to stand in a men’s domestic
fixture in Australia in her first List A match in Australia in
2017.
Hima Das included in World Relays team
 Hima Das was named in India's women 4x400m relay team
for the World Relays to begin in Yokohama, Japan next
month.
 Hima made the cut despite pulling out of the Asian
Athletics Championships in Doha earlier this month due to
lower back pain.
 She was dropped out midway through her 400-metres
heats and was later ruled out of the Women's 4x400m
relay and Mixed 4x400m relay races. India ends with 13 medals at ABC
ISSF World Cup: India won 3 golds, 1 silver  India has won 13 medals, including two gold, four silver
 India topped the standings at the International Shooting and seven bronze at the Asian Boxing Championships.
Sport Federation, ISSF World Cup on the final day in  Boxer Amit Panghal picked up his second successive gold
Beijing, bagging four medals- 3 Gold and a Silver. medal of the year, claiming the top honours in the 52-
 Anjum Moudgil and young Divyansh Singh Panwar won a kilogram category.
gold in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team competition.  National champion Deepak Singh and Kavinder Singh Bisht
 Abhishek Verma won India's third gold in men's 10m Air in 56-kilogram category signed off with silver medals after
Pistol event. close losses.

Kento Momota won Badminton Championship Ajinkya Rahane to join Hampshire

 World number one Kento Momota retained his Badminton
Asia Championships title in Shanghai.
 He defeated Shi Yuqi of China 21-12, 11-11, 21-18.
 Yamaguchi, a silver medallist two years ago, won the
women's crown with a victory over He Bingjiao 21-19, 21-
9.
India ended with 16 medals at AWC
 Ajinkya Rahane became the first overseas player from
India to join Hampshire as South Africa batsman Aiden
Markram's replacement.
 With this, Rahane becomes the first Indian cricketer to
represent Hampshire.
 Rahane will feature in eight county matches from May to
July, subject to visa clearance
Stephanie Frappart first woman referee

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 French official Stephanie Frappart will become the first
woman to referee a Ligue 1 football match.
 She has been selected for the game by the French Football
Federation.
 She will officiate at her second Women's World Cup later
this year.
 Frappart, 35, was the first woman to referee a Ligue 2
fixture in 2014.
Fabio Fognini won Rolex Montecarlo Masters
 Fabio Fognini became the first Italian to win an ATP
Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
 He defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 38
minutes.
 Fognini is the eighth player to win his first Masters 1000
title over the past 17 events at the elite level.
 In the 92 ATP Masters 1000 events prior to 2017 Rome,
only eight players won their first Masters 1000 crown.
ICF won Arjan Singh Int Hockey Tournament
 Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai beat South Central
Railway, Hyderabad via penalty shootout in the final to win
the 2nd Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh
Memorial International hockey tournament title.
 A total of 16 teams participated in this tournament.
 ICF Chennai won 7-5 in the penalty shootout after the two
sides were tied 2-2 at the end of the regulation time.
Advani won Asian Snooker Tour title
 India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani defeated Ehsan Heydari
Nezhad of Iran 6-4 to claim the inaugural Asian Snooker
Tour title.
 Advani, a 21-time world snooker and billiards champion,
beat Nezhad 52-40, 66(58)-0, 1-63(62), 78-4, 35-47, 0-51,
47-35, 38-39, 53(49)-35, 51(50)-20 in the final.
 Advani had earlier won the second leg of the Tour in
China.
Divya, Manju won bronze medals in AWC
 In Wrestling, India's Divya Kakran and Manju Kumari
bagged bronze medals for the country in the women's
competition of the Asian Championships in Xi'an, China.
 It was double delight for India as Manju also secured a
bronze medal earlier in the day by beating Vietnam's Thi
Huong Dao 11-2.
 Kakran defeated Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia via
fall in the playoffs of the 68-kilogram category.
India bagged 2 gold at ISSF World Cup
 In Shooting, India opened its medal account with gold each
in 10 m Air Rifle Mixed Team and 10 m Air Pistol Mixed
team events on the 3rd day of ISSF World Cup in Beijing.
 Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary took the top spot in
the 10 m Air Pistol Mixed Team.
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April 2019
 Anjum Moudgil and Divyansh Singh Panwar opened the
country's gold account in the 10 metres Air Rifle Mixed
Team event.
International Hockey Tournament 2019 held
 2nd Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial
International Hockey Tournament was held at Astro Turf
Hockey Ground, Chandigarh from 15-25 April 2019.
 A Total of 16 teams participated in this tournament.
 Air Force teams from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also
participated in this edition, making it truly an international
event.
Goswami received best sportsperson award
 Jhulan Goswami, world's leading wicket-taker in women's
one-day internationals, was awarded the Best
Sportsperson' award by the Calcutta Sports Journalists'
Club.
 Sambaran Banerjee and former India winger Sukumar
Samajpati won the Lifetime Achievement awards.
 Promising Sportsperson of the Year was given to Neelash
Saha.
 Best footballer was given to Pritam Kotal.
Jadhav bagged bronze: AAC
 Asian Games gold medallist heptathlete Swapna Barman
and the 4x400m mixed relay team clinched a silver each on
the 3rd day of the Asian Athletics Championships.
 Sanjivani Jadhav won a bronze in 10000m race on 23 April
2019.
 Barman logged 5993 aggregate points from the seven
events to finish second behind Ekaterina Vornina (6198
points) of Uzbekistan.
Bajrang Punia won gold in AWC
 India clinched one gold, one silver and bronze at the Asian
Wrestling Championship in China's Xian on 23 April 2019.
 World number one Bajrang Punia claimed a gold medal in
it.
 He defeated Kazakhstan's Sayatbek Okassov 12-7 in a nail-
biting 65kg men's freestyle final.
 In 97 Kg category Satywart Kadian, picked a bronze medal
defeating Haobin Gao of China by 8-2.
AWC: Jhili won silver
 Youth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga went on
a record-smashing spree at the Asian Weightlifting
Championship.
 Jeremy secured second place in group B of the 67Kg men’s
event. During his record-smashing spree, he claimed three
world marks.
 Jhili Dalabehera opened India’s medal account, claiming a
silver medal in the women’s 45kg category.
BCCI shifted finals to Hyderabad

 The IPL final scheduled on May 12 was shifted from
Chennai to Hyderabad after the Tamil Nadu Cricket
Association (TNCA) failed to get requisite permission from
the government to open the three closed stands.
 The 3 stands make up for more than 12,000 tickets and
BCCI would have lost out on a few crores of the gate
money.
Asian Badminton Championships began
 The Asia Badminton Championships began at Wuhan in
China on 23 April 2019.
 It will continue till 28 April 2019.
 India will be represented by Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer
Verma in men's singles and P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal
in women's singles.
India bagged 5 medals in the opening day: AAC
 India won five medals on the opening day of the Asian
Athletics Championships on 21 April 2019.
 Annu Rani and Avinash Sable led the charge with a silver
medal.
 M P Poovamma, 5000m runner Parul Choudhary and
10000m runner Gavit Murali Kumar bagged a bronze each.
Asian Weightlifting Championships began
 The Asian Weightlifting Championships began in Ningbo,
China on 20 April 2019.
 The competition will continue till the 28 April 2019.
 As many as 278 participants from 28 nations and regions,
including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Iran and North
Korea have registered for the competition.
 Former World Champion, Mirabai Chanu will spearhead
India’s challenge at the Championship.
Services lifted Santosh Trophy
 In Football, the Services lifted the Santosh Trophy, beating
Punjab 1-nil in the final at Ludhiana on 21 April 2019.
 In the first half, both the teams were goal-less.
 In the second half, Services scored the lone goal and held
on till the final whistle.
 Services beat Karnataka 4-3 in the semis via a penalty
shootout to book a place in the title clash for the 11th
time.
Christian Garin claimed his first ATP title
 Christian Garin claimed his first ATP title at the US Men's
Clay Court Championships.
 With this, Garin becomes first Chilean ATP champion in a
decade.
 He defeated Casper Ruud in the final match.
 Garin also won their only previous career meeting last
month in Sao Paulo, Brazil and earned his first title in just
his 11th career tournament.
Bajrang at top spot in world wrestling
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April 2019
 Bajrang Punia regained the world number one spot in the
men’s 65kg freestyle category in the rankings issued by
United World Wrestling.
 He won gold in the Asian Games and Commonwealth
Games as well as a silver in the World Championships
2018.
 He won a gold at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament
in Bulgaria in March 2019.
Mirabai to superhead India's campaign
 Former World Champion, Mirabai Chanu will spearhead
India’s challenge at the Asian Weightlifting Championship,
2019 that began at Ningbo, China on 20 April 2019.
 She will be competing in the 49kg category from 48kg
following the International Weightlifting Federations’s
rejig of weight categories.
 Among male weightlifters, India’s hopes will be on Jeremy
Lalrinnunga.
Int. Hockey Fed imposed fine on Pakistan
 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) imposed a fine
of 1,76,000 Euros on Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for
not honouring the Pro League commitments.
 The FIH has given the Pakistan sports body time until 20th
June to pay the fine or else the penalty would be doubled.
 PHF was fined for not sending the national team for the
Pro League matches in Argentina, Australia, and New
Zealand.
Karnataka, Punjab win in Santosh Trophy
 Punjab defeated Sikkim 1-0 while Karnataka thrashed
Assam 5-1 in Group B matches on the 8th day of the 73rd
National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy.
 In the first match of the day, Karnataka proved too good
for Assam in a lopsided match.
 Punjab skipper Taranjit Singh scored the all-important goal
in the 20th minute.
Harsheel Dani won Dutch Title
 India’s Harsheel Dani defeated Mads Christophersen of
Denmark, world no 149, to clinch the 20th Victor Dutch
International Badminton title in Wateringen.
 He won the Ghana international crown in 2018 and Karvy
All India junior-ranking badminton tournament in 2012.
 The Victor Dutch International is the Netherlands’ second
biggest badminton event Prize money of $10.000.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran rose to ranking 80
 In tennis, India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran achieved a career-
high ranking of 80 in the latest ATP rankings released on
15 April 2019.
 He broke into the top 100 in February 2019, improved
2 places to become the sixth highest in terms of singles
ranking in the history of Indian tennis.

 Another Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan dropped 16 spots
to slip out of the top 150. He is now at the 157th position.
Lewis Hamilton won Formula One's 1,000th race
 In motor racing, Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand
Prix for a record sixth time on 14 April 2019.
 He seized the overall lead from his Mercedes teammate
Valtteri Bottas in Formula One’s 1,000th world
championship race.
 Valtteri Bottas was second for his team’s third one-two
finish in as many races this season. Ferrari’s Sebastian
Vettel took third place.
Meena Kumari clinched gold in Boxing World Cup
 India finished with 5 medals in the Boxing World Cup
which concluded at Cologne, Germany on 13 April 2019.
 Meena Kumari Maisnam won gold in the 54 kg category.
 Sakshi (57 kg) and Pwilao Basumatary (64 kg) settled for
the silver.
 Pinki Rani (51 kg) and Parveen ( 60 kg) won bronze.
Tiger Woods clinched his 5th Masters
 Golfer Tiger Woods clinched his fifth Masters and a 15th
major title.
 He is just three majors behind the all-time record of Jack
Nicklaus.
Burka and Milaw won Paris Marathon
 Ethiopians Abrha Milaw and Gelete Burka won the men
and women’s races to end Kenya’s dominance at Paris
Marathon on 14 April 2019.
 Milaw won it in 2 hours, 07 minutes and 04 seconds.
 Clémence Calvin of France settled fourth in a personal best
of 2:23:36.
Kento Momota won Singapore Open
 Japan's Kento Momota won the Singapore Open final 10-
21, 21-19, 21-13 on 14 April 2019.
 The World champion dug deep to fight back from 16-11
behind in the second game to force a decider.
 In the women's final, Tai Tzu-ying claimed her second
Singapore Open title with a 21-19, 21-15 victory over
Japan's Nozomi Okuhara.
Anand secured 5th place in chess
 Viswanathan Anand secured 5th place in the Shamkir
Chess 2019 tournament, Shamkir, Azerbaijan.
 He drew with Veselin Topalov in the ninth round to finish
fourth with 4.5 points, the same as Alexander Grischuk
and Teimour Radjabov.
 He was placed fifth in the rankings behind Magnus Carlsen,
Ding Liren, Sergey Karjakin, and Grischuk.
Inzamam become MCC Honorary Life Members
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mark Boucher, the former South
Africa wicketkeeper, were made Honorary Life Members
of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on 12 April 2019.
 The two have been included in recognition of their
outstanding achievements in cricket.
 Inzamam is now the fifth Honorary Life Member of the
MCC from his country, after Imran Khan, Wasim Akram,
Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi.
Eni Nuraeni: Best Athletic Coach in Asia
 Indonesian Eni Nuraeni was named by Asian Athletic
Association (AAA) as the best athletic coach in Asia for the
short-haul run category in 2019.
 It was announced by Indonesian athletic sports association
(PB PASI).
 Eni coaches young sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri to win
the 100m gold medal in 10.20 seconds in the 2019 Grand
Prix Malaysia Open athletics championships.
Paralympics medallist won Fellowship
 Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik was named as
the recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Sir
Edmund Hillary Fellowship for 2019 in recognition of her
'inspiring achievements'.
 She will work to promote sporting, cultural as well people-
to-people relationship between India and New Zealand.
 She is a recipient of India's civilian honour Padma Shri and
the Arjuna Award.
Virat Kohli: Wisden's Leading Cricketer
 Team India captain Virat Kohli has been named as the
Wisden Almanack’s ‘Leading Cricketer of the Year’ for the
third time in a row.
 He smashed 2,735 runs in 47 international innings at an
average of 68.37 in 2018, including 11 hundred and 9
fifties.
 Smriti Mandhana has been named the Women’s Leading
Cricketer of the Year for 2018.
Muguruza claimed Monterrey Open Title
 Garbine Muguruza of Spain successfully claimed back-to-
back Monterrey Open title 2019 as Victoria Azarenka
succumbed to injury in the final.
 Asia Muhammad & Maria Sanchez claimed women's
doubles title in Monterrey Open.
 The Monterrey Open is a professional women's tennis
tournament played on outdoor hard courts.
Kushagra Rawat qualified for 2020 Olympics
 Indian swimmer Kushagra Rawat qualified for 2020
Olympics on 7 April 2019.
 He did so after achieving the B standard of the 800m
freestyle event at the Speedo Thailand Age Group
Championships in Bangkok.

 Rawat clocked 08.07.99 to cross the Olympic Games B
standard qualifying time of 08:08.54 for the men's 800m
freestyle event.
Lin Dan clinched Malaysia Open
 Chinese badminton ace Lin Dan clinched the Malaysia
Open in Kuala Lumpur on 7 April 2019.
 After an electric performance, he beat countryman Chen
Long 9-21, 21-7, 21-11.
 The title is Lin's first win this year, and also his first major
success since taking the Malaysia Open in 2017.
Rasikh: 2nd cricketer from J&K to play in IPL
 Rasikh Salam Dar has become second ever cricketer from
Jammu & Kashmir to play in Indian Premier League.
 He made his debut for Mumbai Indians in the tournament.
 Parvez Rasool is the first player from Jammu and Kashmir
to play in the Indian Premier League.
Indian women's team registered win: Football
 In Football, the Indian women's national team registered a
2-0 win over Indonesia in its opening match of the Olympic
Qualifiers Round two in Mandalay, Myanmar on 4 April
2019.
 With this win, India went a step closer to making it to the
2020 Tokyo Games.
 India will face Nepal in the second match of the group
stage on 6 April 2019.
India won ICC Test Championship mace
 India has won ICC Test Championship mace for the third
year in a row after finishing at the top of ICC Test team
rankings on the cut-off date of April 1.
 India has also been awarded $1-million cash prize.
 New Zealand, who are ranked second, won $500,000 prize
money after finishing with 108 points, eight behind India.
 South Africa finished 3rd with 105 points.
India Open 2019 concluded
 The 2019 India Open, officially the YONEX-SUNRISE India
Open 2019 badminton tournament concluded.
 It took place in New Delhi, India.
 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won in the men’s singles
category while India’s Srikanth Kidambi became the
runners-up.
 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand won in Women’s singles
category.
Lewis Hamilton won Bahrain Grand Prix 2019
 Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton won Bahrain
Grand Prix 2019.
 He defeated Valtteri Bottas of Finland who secured the
second position.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Charles Leclerc was finished at the third position and
became Ferrari’s youngest ever race winner at the age of
21.
Asian Airgun Championships
 India ended the 12th Asian Airgun Championships 2019 in
Taiyuan, Taipei, with an overall tally of 25 medals including
16 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze.
 On the concluding day of the championship, Yash Vardhan
and Shreya Agrawal struck gold in the men’s and women’s
junior 10m air rifle event respectively.
 They also won the team gold in the events with their
respective partners.
South Korea won Azlan Shah Hockey Cup
 South Korea won the Azlan Shah hockey cup 2019 by
defeating India.
 South Korea won this for the 3rd time, earlier in 1996 and
shared with India in 2010.
 The host country for Azlan Shah hockey cup was Malaysia
which finished 3rd after defeating Canada by 4-2 goals.
Sports
 Sanju Samson became the first player to hit a century in
the twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League.
 England's Football captain Harry Kane received an MBE
award from Prince William at Buckingham Palace following
the Three Lions' World Cup heroics.
 Roger Federer wins Miami Open with 6-1 6-4 victory over
John Isner.
Sports
 Elavenil Valarivan dominated the women’s air rifle in
winning the gold in the 12th Asian Airgun championships.
 Divyansh dominated the men’s air rifle in winning the gold
in the 12th Asian Airgun championships.
 Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain has announced his
retirement from the Argentina national team.
Defence
GRSE to build 8 ASWSWCs for Indian Navy
 Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) has
been awarded a ₹6,311 crore contract to build 8 anti-
submarine warfare shallow watercraft for the Indian Navy.
 These crafts are designed for a deep displacement of 750
tons, speed of 25 knots and complement of 57.
ICF won Arjan Singh Int Hockey Tournament
 Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai beat South Central
Railway, Hyderabad via penalty shootout in the final to win
the 2nd Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh
Memorial International hockey tournament title.
 A total of 16 teams participated in this tournament.

 ICF Chennai won 7-5 in the penalty shootout after the two
sides were tied 2-2 at the end of the regulation time.
Army to induct women as military police
 In a historic first, the Army began the process to induct
women in the military police, nearly two years after Army
Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said women will be recruited as
jawans.
 The Army started the online registration for recruitment in
the Corps of military and the last date for filing application
has been fixed as June 8.
International Hockey Tournament 2019 held
 2nd Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial
International Hockey Tournament was held at Astro Turf
Hockey Ground, Chandigarh from 15-25 April 2019.
 A Total of 16 teams participated in this tournament.
 Air Force teams from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also
participated in this edition, making it truly an international
event.
Indian Coast Guard Vessel commissioned
 A new Coast Guard vessel was commissioned by Chief
Secretary, Government of Kerala Sri Tom Jose at Vizhinjam
harbour, on 24 April 2019.
 Indian Coast Guard Ship C-441 is capable to undertake
multifarious tasks such as close coast surveillance, and
interdiction.
 The ship is commanded by Assistant Commandant Amit K
Choudhary and has 13 crew onboard with specialisation in
various fields.
Pak Navy successfully test fired missile
 Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired an indigenous cruise
missile in the Arabian Sea on 23 April 2019.
 The indigenously developed cruise missile has anti-ship
missile and land attack capability.
 Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Kaleem Shaukat
witnessed the live firing, which was conducted by the
Navy's fast attack craft.
Medical assistance to ANA
 Vinay Kumar, Ambassador of India presented 100
motorized wheelchairs to the Afghan National Army on 22
April 2019.
 India also remains committed to extending medical relief
and assistance to the ANA personnel.
 Till date, Indian Army has also trained 4880 ANA personnel
in various professional, educational and military training
programs, including training ANA doctors & medical
technicians.
Indian battleships arrived in China
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 Battleships from India and countries like Singapore and
Australia arrived in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao on
21 April 2019.
 They will be taking part in a maritime parade to mark the
70th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
 China will display new warships, including nuclear
submarines, destroyers, warplanes and the country’s first
aircraft carrier, at the parade.
Naval Commanders Conference to begin
 The first edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of
2019 is scheduled at New Delhi from 23 to 25 April 2019.
 The Chief of the Naval Staff will review major activities
undertaken during the previous 6 months.
 The themes of 'Functional Reorganisation of Indian Navy
towards improving Operational Efficiency' and 'Optimal
Manning' will form the core of discussions.
Guided missile destroyer INS Imphal launched
 The Indian Navy launched its third guided missile destroyer
'INS Imphal' as part of its Project 15B on 20 April 2019.
 The Navy had launched INS Vishakhapatnam, the first
Project 15B ship, in April 2015, while the second ship, INS
Mormugao, was launched in September 2016.
 The INS Imphal was designed indigenously by the Indian
Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design.
IN seek access to French base in Djibouti
 After operationalising the Mutual Logistics Support
Agreement (MLSA) signed with France, the Indian Navy is
looking for access to French naval base in Djibouti.
 Indian Navy Mig-29K fighters and French Navy Rafale-M
fighters operating off their aircraft carriers will exercise
together off Goa coast in May under the bilateral exercise
Varuna.
2nd edition of IN – VPN BILAT EX concluded
 The 2nd edition of 'Indian Navy-Vietnam Peoples’ Navy
Bilateral Exercise' (IN – VPN BILAT EX) off Cam Ranh Bay,
Vietnam from 13-16 April 2019.
 The exercise was undertaken as a part of the ongoing
Overseas Deployment of Eastern Fleet ships to South East
Asian countries.
 IN Ships Kolkata participated in the exercise, comprising a
harbour and a sea phase.
Sunil Lanba on a visit to Thailand
 Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba will be on a 3-
day bilateral visit to Thailand from 17 April 2019.
 The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance the
maritime bilateral relations between India and Thailand
and also to explore new avenues of defence cooperation.
 He will visit the Royal Thai Navy and Royal Thai Armed
Forces Headquarters in Bangkok.
Coast Guard ship Veera commissioned

 Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat commissioned the
Indian Coast Guard Ship Veera at a ceremony held at Naval
Jetty, Visakhapatnam.
 Veera, third in the series of offshore patrol vessels of the
Coast Guard, was built by L&T at its shipbuilding facility at
Kattupalli in Chennai.
 Its induction will give a fillip to the maritime protection of
India’s vast coastline of Eastern Seaboard.
Govt granted financial powers to buy weapons
 In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, the government
has granted emergency powers to the three services to
procure weapons and military hardware.
 This would enhance their operational preparedness along
the border with Pakistan.
 The threshold granted to the three forces a couple of
weeks ago for each proposal is around Rs 300 crore.
Army to hold joint exercise with coast guard
 Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat said the army is
planning to carry out joint training and exercise with the
Indian Coast Guard.
 He said the coast guard and the Indian Navy maintain
coastal security and maritime surveillance.
 After commissioning the coast guard's offshore patrol
vessel (OPV) Veera, he said Veera would help the coast
guard monitor maritime boundaries more effectively.
INS Magar reached Mozambique
 Another Indian naval ship INS Magar reached
Mozambique's Beira city loaded with suitable relief
material.
 The ship handed over 250 tonnes of rice and 500 kg of
epidemic medicines for the population of Beira affected by
Cyclone Idai.
 The material was received by Mozambican Minister of
Agriculture Higino Francisco de Marrule.
Marshal Arjan Singh's anniversary celebrated
 A bust of the late Marshal of the Indian Air Force, Arjan
Singh, was unveiled at the Vayu Bhawan by Air Chief
Marshal B S Dhanoa to mark the birth centenary of the
celebrated war hero.
 Various events have been planned over a period of one
year to commemorate the occasion.
 As a tribute to his vision, a seminar on 'Air Power in the
2040: Impact of technology' was also held on 15 April
2019.
India, UK renewed MoU
 In an effort to further expand defence cooperation, India
and the U.K. have renewed the Defence Equipment
Memorandum between the two countries.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The Memorandum of Understanding renews a previous
Defence Equipment Cooperation MoU signed on April 1,
1997 which was renewed on April 20, 2007.
INS Kozhikode decommissioned
 Indian Naval Ship Kozhikode was decommissioned in a
grand ceremony conducted at Naval Jetty in
Visakhapatnam.
 Vice Adm S N Ghormade, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval
Command was the chief guest for the occasion.
 INS Kozhikode was commissioned on 19 December 1988 at
Riga (erstwhile USSR) and was the sixth and the last of the
modified NATYA class of minesweeper.
DRDO successfully test-fired Nirbhay
 India successfully test-fired its first Sub-sonic cruise
missile, Nirbhay on 15 April 2019.
 The launch was conducted from a test range in Odisha at
11:44 am.
 The missile can be deployed from multiple platforms and
was launched by DRDO from complex-3 of the Integrated
Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
 The last successful trial of ‘Nirbhay’ cruise missile was
conducted on November 7, 2017.
Half Marathon organised by IAF
 A Half Marathon was conducted in Delhi on 14 April 2019
to mark the 100th birth centenary of the legendary
Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF) Arjan Singh.
 A total of 800 air warriors from all the Air Force Stations
and Units of the IAF in the Delhi NCR participated in the
event.
 The Half Marathon was flagged off by Air Marshal R
Nambiar, from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 0530h.
Virtual Reality Centre launched by Indian Navy
 Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba inaugurated a new state-
of-the-art, Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) in New Delhi.
 It will provide a major boost to indigenous warship design
capabilities of the Navy.
 The project will facilitate collaborative design reviews to
improve design and ergonomics onboard warships.
AFC Conference inaugurated
 The first bi-annual Commanders’ Conference of IAF for the
year 2019 began on 11 April 2019 at the Air Headquarters
(Vayu Bhawan).
 Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S
Dhanoa welcomed the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala
Sitharaman to the conference.
 The theme of the conference is ‘Enhancing our operational
capability in the short and long term’.
Procurement of 464 T-90 tanks cleared

 The government has cleared the procurement of 464 T-90
tanks from Russia in a deal worth over Rs 13,500 crore,
despite the tensions with Pakistan.
 Under the new deal, the tanks would be provided to the
Armoured Corps of the force which will use them for
deployment along the border with Pakistan.
 The new deal would increase the number of T-90s in the
Army to close to 2,000.
INS Shikra hosted Naval Investiture Ceremony
 The Naval Investiture Ceremony was held at the naval
helicopter base INS Shikra of Western Naval Command
(WNC), Mumbai on 10 April 19.
 Admiral Sunil Lanba conferred Gallantry and non-Gallantry
Awards to meritorious personnel, as well as citations to
Naval units which have distinguished themselves during
the past year.
 A 50-men Guard of Honour was paraded during the
ceremonial parade.
India-Singapore joint exercise conducted
 Armed forces of India and Singapore kicked off a joint
military exercise, ‘Bold Kurukshetra–2019’, in Jhansi’s
Babina Cantonment on 8 April 2019.
 The 3-day exercise is aimed at bolstering cooperation
against terrorism, developing defence technology and
improving maritime security.
 India and Singapore entered into an official agreement in
November 2017 to strengthen defence ties.
Indo-Sri Lanka joint exercise concluded
 The 6th edition of the joint military training exercise
between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army,
Exercise Mitra Shakti concluded in Sri Lanka on 8 April
2019.
 The 2-week long training had commenced on 26th March
2019
 The 2 army contingents also shared the best practices of
each other to further enhance their learning experiences.
Army gets more fire power with Dhanush
 The Indian Army received the first batch of six 'Dhanush'
artillery guns from the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
 The guns were handed over by Saurabh Kumar, Director
General, Ordnance Factories and the OFB chairman, at a
ceremony organised in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
 The 155mm x 45 calibre modern artillery gun system was
developed by the Ordnance Factories jointly with the
Army.
CRPF celebrated 54th Valour Day
 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) celebrated its 54th
Valour Day on 9 April 2019.
 On this day, in 1965, a small contingent of 2nd Battalion of
CRPF successfully fought and repulsed an attack by a
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
Pakistani Brigade on Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch in
Gujarat.
 On the Occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind paid homage
to the martyrs of police at National Police Memorial in
New Delhi.
Expedition to Karakoram Pass flagged off
 The Himalayan Heights Expedition was flagged off on 7
April 2019 from Karu Military Station.
 14 days, 11 bikes and 1 dream expedition, the expedition
from Leh to KK Pass will cover over 1,000 km and is likely
to qualify for inclusion in the record books.
 The expedition is led by Indian Army team comprising
riders from Army Service Corps, Royal Enfield, and
Himalayan Motorsports.
NC won air weapon championship for 4th time
 Udhampur-based Northern Command has won the 15th
edition of General J J Singh air weapon championship for
the fourth consecutive time.
 The championship was conducted at Army Marksmanship
Unit, Mhow between March 25 and April 3, 2019.
 Over 100 male and female young shooters from across the
Indian Army competed in the 10-meter air rifle and air
pistol categories.
INS Shakti to take part in Chinese celebration
 Two Indian naval ships INS 'Kolkata' and 'Shakti' would
take part in the Chinese Navy's 70th anniversary of
celebrations later in April 2019.
 The two ships are scheduled to visit Chinese port of
Qingdao from 21 to 26 April to participate in an
International Fleet Review to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.
India evacuated CRPF contingent from Libya
 India evacuated its entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel
from Tripoli after the situation suddenly worsened in
Libya.
 The CRPF contingent was deployed as a peacekeeping
force in Tripoli.
 The military conflict in Libya escalated after forces of Field
Marshal Khalifa Haftar launched an air strike in an area in
Tripoli.
 Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of
Libya.
BAC Conference began
 The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference began in
New Delhi on 8 April 2019.
 Important issues were discussed such as the management
of the extant security dynamics, mitigation of future
security threats and enhancement of combat edge over
potential adversaries.

 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her
opening address at the conference.
Battle of Kangla Tongbi: Platinum Jubilee
 The Battle of Kangla Tongbi, considered one of the fiercest
battles of World War II, was fought by Ordnance personnel
of 221 Advance Ordnance Depot (AOD) on the night of 6/7
April 1944.
 The Platinum Jubilee of the Battle of Kangla Tongbi War
was commemorated on 7 April 2019 by Army Ordnance
Corps at Kangla Tongbi War Memorial near Imphal.
Army Commanders' Conference: April 2019
 The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference shall
commence on 8 April 2019.
 Army Commanders’ Conference, chaired by Chief of the
Army Staff is held biannually for formulating important
policy decisions through collegiate deliberations.
 It is an important event for the planning and execution
process of the Indian Army.
Indian Navy to acquire 6 lethal submarines
 Indian Navy will acquire 6 lethal submarines under Project-
75.
 Under Project 75-India, the Navy wants to build six
conventional diesel-electric submarines.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The submarines should have the ability to carry and launch
18 heavyweight torpedoes in the sea.
 For the Indian Navy, the Project 75I-class submarine is a
follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarines.
New tug Bahadur in Navy fleet
 To meet the growing needs of Indian Naval ships, a new
10-tonne bollard pull tug 'Bahadur' was inducted into
service at the naval ship repair yard (NSRY) on 4 April
2019.
 The vessel has been designed and built at Hindustan
Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam, and has steerable rudder
propulsion (SRP) with advanced remote control.
 The NSRY provides technical and services support to all the
ships.
Indian Army discovered wreckage of aircraft
 A 12-member Indian Army patrol along with a police
representative recovered wreckage of a World War II US
Air Force aircraft in Roing district of Arunachal Pradesh
recently.
 The patrol located the aircraft debris covered by thick
undergrowth and buried under five feet of snow.
 Its discovery and other warlike stores will definitely lead to
revelation of some historical inputs.
US approved sale of 24 helicopters
 The US approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH-60 Romeo
Seahawk helicopters to India at an estimated cost of 2.4
billion US dollars.
 It is considered the world's most advanced maritime
helicopter.
 The choppers will provide the Indian defence forces with
the capability to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine
warfare missions.
AUSINDEX-19 set to begin
 The 3rd edition of AUSINDEX ( Australia India
Exercise) commenced at Visakhapatnam on 2 April 2019.
 The aim of the exercise is to strengthen and enhance
mutual cooperation and interoperability between the IN
and RAN.
 The arrival of HMAS Canberra (L02), a Landing Helicopter
Dock, and HMAS Collins, a conventional submarine
plenishment oiler, was also seen.
Sri Lankan Navy Commander visited India
 Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, Commander of the Sri Lanka
Navy visited India from 30 March to 02 April 2019 on an
official visit.
 This is the first visit of the Admiral to India after taking
over as Commander, Sri Lanka Navy.
 The aim of the visit was to consolidate bilateral naval
relations between India and Sri Lanka as also to explore
new avenues for naval cooperation.

Polity
15th FC met Ministry of Panchayati Raj
 The Ministry of Panchayati Raj made a presentation to the
Chairman of 15th Finance Commission, Shri N.K. Singh, its
Members and senior officials of the Commission.
 The Ministry has proposed an allocation of Rs. 10,00,000
crores to Panchayats by the 15th Finance Commission.
 It is a hike of 399% from that given by the 14th Finance
Commission.
Vijender Singh: Congress Candidate
 The Congress fielded champion boxer Vijender Singh, who
won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, from
the South Delhi constituency.
 He will take on BJP’s sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri and AAP’s
Raghav Chadha.
 In all, the Congress has so far declared candidates for 422
Lok Sabha seats.
Voter Park inaugurated in Gurugram
 India's first-of-its-kind 'Voter Park' was inaugurated in
Gurugram on 11 April 2019.
 It is aimed at increasing voter awareness and educating
people about the electoral process.
 Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Rajeev Ranjan inaugurated
the park in Vikas Sadan building complex.
Lok Sabha elections 2019 begin
 Voting began in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across
18 states and 2 union territories in the first phase.
 In Odisha, voting for 28 out of 147 assembly seats and four
Lok Sabha seats was also held on 11 April 2019.
 Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven
phases: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12
and May 19. Counting will be done on May 23, 2019.
DEO Puducherry app launched
 The Elections Department of Puducherry has launched
DEO Puducherry, an IT application.
 This will help voters with details of all polling stations in 25
Assembly constituencies in Puducherry district
 The new app was launched by Senior Superintendent of
Police (Law and Order) Apoorva Gupta.
 The app features messages from the DEO, propaganda,
law and order regulations.
EC to raise random sampling of EVMs
 The Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission to
increase random sampling of EVMs using VVPAT from the
current one EVM per assembly segment to 5.
 The order came on a plea filed by 21 Opposition parties
that have sought directions to the poll body to randomly
verify at least 50% of electronic voting machines (EVMs)
using voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
National Affairs
DD-Kashir launched kashmiri version of KBC
 DD-Kashir launched the Kashmiri version of 'Kaun Banega
Crorepati' at the Doordarshan Kendra's Srinagar Studios on
29 April 2019.
 The show is named, 'Kus Bani Koshur Karorpaet'.
 The broadcast will be at 8 PM from Monday to Saturday
and will be repeated the following day at 7 am and 2 PM.
IGNOU to launch course on GST
 The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will
launch an awareness programme on Goods and Services
Tax (GST) in collaboration with Bombay Stock Exchange
Institute Limited.
 The programme will be launched from its July 2019
session.
 It aims to impart the basic knowledge and skills required to
fulfill various requirements under the GST Act.
Aurobindo got environmental nod
 The ₹250-crore expansion plan of Aurobindo Pharma's
manufacturing facility in Srikakulam district of Andhra
Pradesh has been accorded environmental clearance.
 The project also involves installation of a captive power
plant of 8.85 MW.
 The project is expected to create jobs for 600 people
directly and 120 indirectly.
India to develop certification facility
 The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is developing
India’s own certification facility for air pollution monitoring
equipment.
 The move could boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
 At least 40,000 such machines are being used by the
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and other
government agencies to monitor air pollution levels,
including both ambient and source-based emissions.
IRDAI formed 13 member panel
 Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) has set up a 13 member committee under IRDAI
Executive Director Suresh Mathur.
 It will review the regulatory framework on microinsurance
& recommend measures to increase the demand for such
products.
 It has been formed in the backdrop of a less-than-desired
offtake of microinsurance products despite their inherent
benefits.
Cyber Exercise conducted in New Delhi
 Directorate of Indian Defence University organised a 2-day
Cyber Exercise on Scenario Building & Response on 29-30
April,19 at Purple Bay, New Delhi.

 The Exercise was represented by Services, NSCS, NTRO,
CERT-in, DRDO, NIC, CSRC, Academia and Industry.
 The scope of the exercise would encompass the threat
landscape and its impact, incident reporting & response
framework, and more.
Dentists can practice as Gen. physicians
 Niti Aayog has agreed to the proposal of the Dental
Council of India which had sought to allow dentists to
practice as general physicians after a bridge course.
 The proposal was made to explore unconventional
methods to address the shortage of doctors in the country,
particularly in rural areas.
 Indian Medical Association vehemently opposed the
proposal.
ICMR launched MERA India
 The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has
launched the Malaria Elimination Research Alliance
(MERA) India.
 It is a conglomeration of partners working on malaria
control in order to eliminate the disease from India by
2030.
 The National Vector Borne Diseases Control Program
(NVBDCP) of India has also developed a framework to
achieve the target of Malaria free India by 2030.
Cyclone Fani likely to intensify
 The Cyclone Fani in South East Bay of Bengal is expected to
intensify into a severe cyclonic storm.
 India Meteorology Department said it will further intensify
into a very severe cyclonic storm by tomorrow morning.
 It is moving in a north westwards direction at a speed of
21 kilometres per hour.
New Rs. 20 notes to be issued soon
 The RBI would soon issue new Rs 20 notes in greenish-
yellow colour.
 The banknote in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series will
have a motif of Ellora Caves on the reverse, depicting the
country’s cultural heritage.
 The dimension of the new Rs 20 note will be 63 mm x 129
mm.
Mr. Naidu visited National Museum of Cinema
 The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu visited the
National Museum of Indian Cinema, in Mumbai on 26 April
2019.
 Exhibits at the museum would take the visitors down the
memory lane of their favorite movies, actors and the
music.
 Cinema being the most loved and watched platform by the
almost every Indian can act as an instrument of social
change.
Regional language on the medicine labels
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommended
that the government should take necessary steps to
include the regional language in the medicine labels.
 The aim is to curb fake, sub-standard and expired drugs.
 Initially, the proposal will be implemented for Iron tablets
and polio drops as they are the drugs most commonly
administered to children at government centres.
Vedanta to expand its plant in Rajasthan
 Mining firm Vedanta Ltd. has received environment
clearance for the expansion of its oil and gas operation in
Rajasthan.
 This would entail the company an investment of Rs.12,000
crore.
 The proposal is to expand onshore oil and gas production
from 3,00,000 BOPD (barrels oil per day) to 4,00,000 BOPD
in Barmer and Jalore districts.
DPIIT proposed Startup India Vision 2024
 The Commerce and Industry Ministry has proposed a host
of measures such as tax incentives to promote budding
entrepreneurs as part of the 'Startup India Vision 2024'.
 The vision document aims at facilitating setting up of
50,000 new start-ups in the country by 2024 and creating
20 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities.
SC asked RBI to disclose information
 The Supreme Court directed the RBI to disclose
information pertaining to its annual inspection
report under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
 A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao also directed
it to review its policy to disclose information relating to
banks under RTI.
 In January 2019, SC had issued contempt notice to RBI for
not disclosing annual inspection report of banks under RTI.
2.9 mn children missed measles vaccine
 India has 2.9 million children who have missed out on the
first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017
despite over 80% of immunisation coverage.
 India, with its large annual birth cohort of 25 million, is
followed by Pakistan and Indonesia - 1.2 million each.
 In 2017 Nigeria had the highest number of children under
1 year of age who missed out on the 1st dose of vaccine.
Meghalaya to augment fish production
 The Meghalaya government will invest Rs 378 crore in fish
production for meeting a supply deficit of 15,000 metric
tonnes.
 The state has been able to produce 12,000 MT of fish
annually against the demand of over 27,000 MT.
 An investment of Rs 161 crore was made in the first
edition of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission
(MSAM) that had benefited 21,000 persons in 2012.
Centre invested in cell based mutton project

 The Centre has approved a Rs. 4.5 crore grant to two
premier Hyderabad-based institutions for research into
technology that involves growing animal cells in a
laboratory to produce slaughter-free meat.
 The grant, from the Department of Biotechnology, is for an
18-month project, which will look into developing
methods to cultivate stem cells from tissue samples of
sheep, to produce mutton.
Gujarat Govt to pay Rs 50 lakh to Bilkis Bano
 The Supreme Court directed the Gujarat government to
make a payment of ₹50 lakh as compensation to Bilkis
Bano, who was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
 She was 21 years old when the horrific incident happened
with her.
 In January 2008, a special court sentenced 11 men for
raping Bano and killing her family members, but acquitted
seven people.
Online courses to be offered in 482 schools
 University of Cambridge approved worldwide assessment
system, which will offer 482 schools across India the
chance to use a wider new range of online courses.
 Pamoja Education has received its approval by Cambridge
Assessment International Education.
 The market for online learning in India is currently growing
at 20% per year.
Tata Global to acquire Dhunseri Tea
 Tata Global Beverages Ltd (TGBL) has entered into a non-
binding agreement to acquire the branded tea business of
Dhunseri Tea and Industries Ltd, for up to Rs 101 crore.
 The proposed acquisition will be subject to due-diligence,
signing of definitive binding agreements and applicable
approvals.
 Dhunseri's branded tea business include 'Lalghoda' and
'Kalaghoda' brands in Rajasthan.
J&K: Campaign Sweep inaugurated
 In J&K, under a unique Initiative under SVEEP, District
Election Officer Kargil Baseer Ul Haq inaugurated the
Campaign Sweep for voters education and awareness from
TFC Kargil.
 Under the initiative, more than 1000 employees
conducted a sanitation drive along the banks of River Suru
covering an area of more than 4 Km.
 The campaign will continue till 5th of May 2019.
Operation Night Riders began
 The Motor Vehicles Department’s Operation Night Riders
began on 24 April 2019.
 It will keep tabs on 500 tourist omnibuses operating from
key cities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to
the State.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 State Transport Commissioner Sudesh Kumar asked all
Enforcement Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) to form 3-
member squads under a Motor Vehicles Inspector.
BCCI shifted finals to Hyderabad
 The IPL final scheduled on May 12 was shifted from
Chennai to Hyderabad after the Tamil Nadu Cricket
Association (TNCA) failed to get requisite permission from
the government to open the three closed stands.
 The 3 stands make up for more than 12,000 tickets and
BCCI would have lost out on a few crores of the gate
money.
Himalayan expedition flagged in Leh
 The 14 days, 11 members Himalayan Heights Motorcycle
Expedition from Leh to Karakoram Pass was flagged in at
Leh by Lt Gen YK Joshi.
 The expedition began on 7 April 2019 and traversed over
1000 Km in the forbidding landscape of Eastern Ladakh.
 The expedition team comprised six motorcyclists from the
Army Service Corps.
Chennai central station's name is not longest
 The Chennai Central railway station, officially known as
Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway
Station, lost the distinction of having the world’s longest
railway station name by an alphabet.
 The record for the longest railway station name, which is
58 letters long, is held by
‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogog
och’ in Wales.
Election Commission launches Voter Turnout app
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the
Voter Turnout app on 19 April 2019.
 The mobile app is for the voters across the country to see
the real-time availability of voter turnout during the
election season in the country.
 The app captures the real-time information gathered by
the Returning Officers following which it calculates the
estimated totals.
Chemists and druggists are passe
 First coined in 1945, the words ‘chemist’ and ‘druggist’ are
headed for a change, with the Union Health Ministry
replacing them with ‘pharmacy’.
 The phrase ‘chemists and druggists’ was coined over seven
decades ago, is quite old, and has lost its relevance in the
current scenario.
 The matter was deliberated upon by the Drugs Technical
Advisory Board (DTAB).
14 products receied GI tags
 Himachali Kala Zeera, Jeeraphool from Chhattisgarh and
Kandhamal Haldi from Odisha are among the 14 products
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

that have received Geographical Indication (GI) tag from Indiabulls got IRDAI approval
the government for 2019.
 Indiabulls General Insurance has received preliminary
 The other products which received this tag include Coorg
approval from regulator Irdai to foray into non-life
Arabica coffee from Karnataka, Wayanad Robusta coffee
business.
from Kerala, Araku Valley Arabica from Andhra Pradesh,
 In January, another subsidiary Indiabulls Life Insurance
and Sirisi Supari from Karnataka.
Company had received R1 approval from Insurance
Delhi Police launched 2 helpline numbers Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
 The company is in the process of moving ahead with the
 The Delhi Police launched 2 helpline numbers as a
next step of filing its application for registration with Irdai.
precautionary measure to curb noise pollution and
incidents of mob lynching in the national capital. Thunderstorm leaves 50 dead in 4 states
 The 2 helpline numbers 155270 and 155271 are operated
 Over 50 people were killed as rain, coupled with
by the Police Control Room.
thunderstorm and lightning, hit several parts of Rajasthan,
 These will remain operational 24x7 to ensure quick
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra overnight.
response and action into complaints of mob violence or
 The unseasonal rain and storm also caused damage to
calls related to noise pollution.
property and crops in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
20 states joined helpline number 112  Rajasthan witnessed 25 deaths, followed by Madhya
Pradesh with 15 and10 people were killed in Gujarat, three
 20 states and UTs have so far joined a pan-India network
were killed in Maharashtra.
of single emergency helpline number '112' on which
immediate assistance can be sought by anyone in distress. Jet Airways seek Rs. 400 crore
 The '112' helpline is an integration of police (100), fire
 The Jet Airways board authorised its management to
(101) and women (1090) helpline numbers and the project
engage with lenders to secure at least a few hundred crore
is being implemented under the Nirbhaya Fund.
rupees of interim funding to continue operations.
 It is similar to '911' in the United States.
 The CEO approached the lenders to release Rs.400 crore
HAL resumed tests of jet trainer for the sake of the employees and to prevent a shutdown.
 Jet requires at least Rs.1,000 crore to meet its immediate
 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has resumed test-flying
needs.
its intermediate jet trainer (IJT) in a modified version after
a gap of almost 3 years. IDBI Bank launched paperless account
 It had halted flight tests of the IJT in 2016 after the aircraft
 The NRIs living in nearly 40 countries will now be able to
encountered problems while undergoing critical spin tests.
open an account in IDBI Bank without submitting paper
 The trainer aircraft, called the HJT-36, is being
documents.
developed for new pilots of the Indian Air Force and the
 IDBI Bank has launched 'NRI-Insta-Online' account opening
Indian Navy.
process for NRIs residing in the Financial Action Task Force
Guwahati fuel stations go cashless (FATF) member countries.
 The person will not be required to furnish physical
 In a major step towards Digital India, the petrol pump
documents as well as KYC proofs for opening an account
owners of Guwahati, have decided to go cashless
with the bank.
completely from 18 April 2019.
 The petrol pump owners have been facing trouble over Durjanpur to be renamed as Shivdham
cash transaction after the enforcement of Model Code of
 The MHA approved a proposal to change the name of a
conduct (MCC) for the Lok Sabha Elections.
village in Madhya Pradesh from 'Durjanpur' to 'Shivdham'.
 The owners expressed that they had to face numerous
 The move came after the Home Ministry got no objection
hassles during cash deposits into the banks.
from the Geographical Survey of India (GSI), the
Govt targetes IRCTC, IRFC IPOs Department of Post, the Ministry of Railways.
 Some of the name change proposals cleared by the Home
 The government is targeting to raise about ₹1,500 crore
Ministry in recent past include Arikkod as Areekode and
from initial public offerings (IPOs) of two railway
Laxman Garh as Adawala.
companies, IRCTC and IRFC, by September 2019.
 Earlier in April 2019, the government raised about ₹480 BBC India launched Chatbot
crore by selling 12.12% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd
 BBC India launched an experimental interactive election
(RVNL).
chatbot in Hindi and English on Facebook's Messenger
 The government has budgeted to raise ₹90,000 crore by
platform as part of a series of Indian General Election-
way of CPSE disinvestment in the current financial year.
related content.
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 The chatbot allows users to interact with the BBC, ask
questions and get regular updates as the elections unfold.
 The special election coverage will be available on
smartphones.
TikTok blocked by Google in India
 Google has complied with an Indian court order to block
access to the popular app TikTok over government
concerns with illicit content.
 The move could handicap the app's owner, China's
Bytedance Ltd., the world's most highly valued startup, in
one of its most promising markets.
Home Expo India 2019 began
 The 8th edition of HOME EXPO INDIA 2019 opened at India
Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida on 16 April 2019.
 The 3-day exhibition has been organized by the Export
Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
 Buyers from more than 50 countries including USA,
Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, UAE, Lebanon,
Iran, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, will be visiting the
home expo.
Workshop on Loss & Damage conducted
 A 1-day National Consultation on Loss and Damage was
hosted by the Ministry of Environment in New Delhi on 16
April 2019.
 India has been experiencing weather and climate-related
loss and damage, the Kerala floods and Ockhi being the
rarest of the rare events.
 The workshop had 2 technical sessions on topics including
‘Strengthening response to address loss and damage’.
SC banned mining activities in Kaziranga park
 The Supreme Court has banned all mining activities along
the Kaziranga National Park and catchment area of rivers
originating in Karbi Anglong Hills in Assam.
 A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak
Gupta issued a notice to the Assam government and
sought its reply within 3 weeks.
100 sanitary pad machines to be installed
 As part of a police welfare scheme, Mumbai Police is set to
install over 100 sanitary pad vending machines and
incinerators for women police officers across the city.
 Action Committee Against Unfair Medical Practices along
with Brihan Mumbai police have launched a project "Smart
Maitrin".
 Under this project,140 sanitary pad machines will be
installed at 93 police stations across the city.
Greenam Energy set up power plant
 Greenam Energy has set up its first floating solar power
plant at Tuticorin.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019
 AM International Group Founder-Chairman Ashwin
Muthiah laid the foundation stone for the power plant,
which would lead to significant energy savings.
 The 24 MW floating solar power plant would be one of its
kind and the first floating renewable energy initiative to
optimise energy production in industrial plants.
Himachal Pradesh celebrated 72nd state day
 The 72nd Himachal Day was celebrated with gaiety and
fervour in the state on 15 April 2019.
 Governor Acharya Devvrat unfurled the national flag at an
event on the historic Ridge maidan in Shimla to mark the
day.
 He inspected an impressive parade led by Parade
Commander Deputy Superintendent of Police Shakti Singh.
Rotary Club of Madras North started project
 Project Kannamma is the initiative of the Rotary Club of
Madras North to provide sanitary napkins to the students.
 It was started in August 2018 by providing free,
biodegradable sanitary napkins to 82 students at the
Government High School in Uthandi of Tamil Nadu.
 The sanitary napkins are provided by the Irula Tribal
Women's Welfare Society (ITWWS).
4th RC Asia-Pacific Congress began
 The 4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific Congress 2019 started
in New Delhi.
 It is organised by the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and co-hosted by South
Delhi Municipal Corporation.
 It will conclude on 17th April 2019.
 It offers a lot of innovative solutions that build resilience to
climate change at the sub-national level.
Bamboo rice in Odisha after four decades
 Bamboo rice has shown up in Odisha nearly after four
decades.
 Odisha had last witnessed Bamboo rice in 1979.
 The Forest Authorities of Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife
Sanctuary in Cuttack district have opened up the gates for
the forest dwellers to collect the Bamboo rice.
 The rare rice grows out of a dying bamboo shoot.
Medical devices to get CDSCO certification
 All imported, as well as locally manufactured medical
devices sold in India will soon be required to clear specific
safety and quality standards.
 The move is aimed at preventing fiascos such as the one
involving Johnson and Johnson hip implants.
 The import, manufacture, and sale of all medical devices
will need to be certified by the Central Drugs Standard
Control Organisation (CDSCO).
RBI employees not government servants

 The Madras High Court observed that the employees of
RBI cannot be referred to as 'government servants' while
identifying their employment status.
 The observation came after an RBI employee, E. Manoj
Kumar, moved the High Court seeking the declaration of
his result in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
(TNPSC).
Essel World launched bird park
 Essel World launched an interactive bird park in Gorai
recently.
 The first-of-its-kind rain forest-themed park spread across
1.4 acres is home to over 500 exotic birds from more than
60 species.
 The park is equipped with small ponds for aquatic birds,
dense cover of trees for birds to incubate their eggs and a
water stream that offers drinking water to birds.
Apollo Hospitals launched advanced centre
 On World Parkinson’s Day, Apollo Hospitals launched an
advanced centre for movement disorders.
 It will offer medical and surgical treatment for patients
affected by various movement disorders including
Parkinson’s Disease.
 The centre would offer Deep Brain Stimulation surgeries
and other services to treat a wide spectrum of diseases
such as Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, and dystonia.
Jet Airways halts international flights
 Jet Airways cancelled all international flights until 15th
April.
 This includes flights from London, Paris and Amsterdam.
 Jet Airways is saddled with more than $1billion of debt.
 Vinay Dube is the CEO of Jet Airways.
Retail inflation up to 2.86% in March
 Retail inflation rose to 2.86% in March this year due to
increase in prices of food articles and fuel.
 Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
reported that the inflation based on Consumer Price Index
was 2.57% in February 2019.
 It was 4.28% in March 2018.
64th Railway Week of Railway Board
 The 64th Railway Week Function of Railway Board was
organized in New Delhi on 13 April, 2019.
 45 officials of Railway Board were presented with awards
for their outstanding performances in the year 2018-19.
 V K Yadav is the Chairman of Railway Board.
Parties to share info on electoral bonds
 SC has directed all political parties to provide receipts of
electoral bonds to the Election Commission.
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 The apex court also directed all political parties to share
details of the amount and bank accounts of donors by 30th
May.
 The Centre had notified the Electoral Bond Scheme in
January 2018.
 Bonds may be purchased by any person, who is a citizen of
India or established in India.
69.43% voter turnout: phase 1 of LS election
 A voter turnout of 69.43 per cent was recorded in phase
one of Lok Sabha elections held on 11 April, 2019.
 A total of 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 18
states and two Union territories had gone for polls in the
first phase.
Reinsurance brokers can open FC accounts
 Reinsurance brokers have been permitted by RBI to open
non-interest bearing foreign currency accounts with banks
for undertaking transactions.
 Foreign currency account refers to a bank account held or
maintained in currency other than the currency of India or
Nepal or Bhutan.
 Earlier, the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India had issued a notification in this regard.
National Symposium held in Delhi
 A national symposium on evidence synthesis began in
Delhi on 11 April 2019.
 Its focus was on making science and synthesised
knowledge the bedrock of all societal and policy
interventions in the areas of public health, medicine, and
social development.
 The symposium is being organised by The George Institute
for Global Health and the Campbell Collaboration.
WB Govt fined for virtual ban on a film
 The West Bengal government was slapped with a fine of
Rs. 20 lakh by the Supreme Court for imposing a
'virtual' ban on the public screening of a Bengali film.
 The court had asked Mamata Banerjee's government in
March to ensure that the satirical film is screened without
obstruction.
 The film, 'Bhobishyoter Bhoot' had disappeared from
movie halls a day after its release on February 15, 2019.
CRPF Veer Pariwar app launched
 President Ram Nath Kovind launched ‘CRPF Veer Parivar’
app, a mobile application for families of CRPF personnel
killed in the line of duty.
 He also paid homage to the martyrs at National Police
Memorial in New Delhi on the occasion of 54th Valour Day
of Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF.
 The app will render all assistance to the families of the
martyred CRPF personnel.
River Periyar witnessed decolorisation
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

 The River Periyar in Kerala is witnessing decolorization.  Six colleges of the Delhi University have figured in the top
 The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has attributed the 10 rankings by the HRD Ministry.
change in colour to the poor quality of water as a result of  Miranda House scored a hattrick in bagging the first rank.
eutrophication.  Hindu College has been ranked second.
1500 Indian railway stations WiFi enabled  IIT Delhi has been ranked third in the overall ranking of
higher education institutions and the second best among
 RailTel has provided free high-speed Wi-Fi services to as the engineering institutions.
many as 500 stations in just seven days.
India Rankings - 2019 released
 Sahibabad has become the 1500th station in the country
to get free Wi-Fi facility provided by RailTel, as per an ANI  The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, released the
report. India Rankings – 2019 on 8 April 2019.
 RailTel Corp. of India is a PSU under the Ministry of  He also presented the India Rankings awards to the top
Railways which focuses on providing broadband and VPN eight institutions in different categories at a function held
services. in New Delhi.
ICMR's ethical guidelines mandatory  He also released the Atal Ranking of Institutions on
Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) and presented the ARIIA
 The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) National awards to the top two institutions.
Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research is now
mandatory and needs to be adhered to for all biomedical
research in India.
 This was decided as per the New Drugs and Clinical Trials
Rules 2019.
 This will help bring about much-needed transparency and
accountability.
Adani Power received LoI
 Adani Power received the Letter of Intent (LoI) to acquire
the insolvent Korba West Power Company (KWPCL) on 8
April 2019.
 The LoI dated April 6, 2019, was issued by the resolution
professional appointed by the Ahmedabad bench of the
National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
 KWPCL owns and operates a 600 megawatt (MW) thermal
power plant in Raigarh District, Chhattisgarh.
NGT formed committee
 The National Green Tribunal formed a committee to look
into the alleged erosion of Yamuna floodplain in Haryana's
Sonipat district.
 The nodal agency for coordination and compliance will be
the principal secretary of the Haryana Irrigation and Water
Resources Department.
 The joint report may be furnished within 1 month by e-
mail so that matter can be taken up before monsoon.
BARC resumed viewership data publication
Tata Motors launched initiative for drivers
 Television viewership monitoring agency BARC (Broadcast
 Tata Motors Monday launched an initiative to promote Audience Research Council) has resumed the publication
driving profession in the trucking space. of viewership data on its websites.
 Under the Tata Motors Samarth initiative, the company  On 1 April 2019, TRAI had issued a show-cause notice to
plans to address four critical areas -- health and wellness, BARC for not complying with its direction on the release of
insurance, education and financial planning for the drivers' TV viewership data.
well-being.  It is related to the sector's migration to the new tariff
 The auto major aims to reach to five lakh drivers every regime.
year under the programme.
Café Scientifique to be launched in Kerala
Delhi scored high in HRD rankings
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 A group of science experts of the Hume Centre for Ecology
and Wildlife Biology will launch ‘Café Scientifique’ in
Kerala.
 Café Scientifique, the first such initiative in the State, aims
to promote science among the public in an interesting
way.
 Café Scientifique is a grassroots public science initiative
based on the French Café Philosophique model.
India's first A.I enabled motorcycle
 Revolt Intellicorp will manufacture India's first AI-enabled
electric motorcycle in June 2019.
 Revolt Intellicorp has been founded by Micromax's co-
founder Rahul Sharma.
 The headquarters of the company is at Gurgaon.
 The manufacturing facility of the company is located in
Manesar.
Roadis, NIIF to invest $2 billion
 Roadis, a private investor and operator of transport
infrastructure worldwide and the National Investment and
Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) have jointly set up a platform to
invest in road projects in India.
 The platform would invest up to $2 billion of equity
targeting toll-operate-transfer models, acquisitions of
existing road concessions and investment opportunities in
the road sector.
WhatsApp launches tip line feature
 WhatsApp launched an India-focused fact-checking
feature called tip line feature on 2 April 2019.
 It was developed to combat fake news and rumors starting
with the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
 The tip line feature will help create a database of rumors
to study misinformation during elections.
 It has been developed in collaboration with India-based
media skilling startup PROTO.
Chennai Central railway station renamed
 The Chennai Central railway station has been renamed as
Dr. MG Ramachandran Chennai Central railway station.
 Dr. MG Ramachandran is the former state chief minister
and founder of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK).
 The no-objection certificate was issued by the Ministry of
Home Affairs for renaming the railway station.
Rinzin Dwar inaugurated in Shimla
 Army's Western Command chief inaugurated Rinzin Dwar,
the entrance to Pirthi Military station, named after a slain
Army officer, in Shimla district.
 It is situated at Averipatti in Rampur and is named after
late Sub Rinzin Dorje of Dogra Scouts.
 He was an accomplished mountaineer who summited Mt
Everest and several other prominent peaks.
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April 2019
TRAI asks Telcos to submit plan details
 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has
directed operators to submit before it all tariff plans that
they offer to select segments of customers at the end of
every month.
 TRAI also directed service providers to share with it the
number of subscribers at the end of each month who have
availed the segmented offer.
Tata Projects bagged $321 million order
 Tata Projects has received order worth USD 321 million
(around ₹2,182 crore) from Nuclear Power Corporation of
India (NPCIL).
 This 2x700 MW power plant order is the company's third
contract in the nuclear power sector.
 The scope of work involves construction of main plant
buildings, structures and other associated works of
Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana.
1.2 M deaths in India due to air pollution
 Over 1.2 million people died in India due to air pollution in
2017, as per a global report on air pollution.
 As per the State of Global Air 2019, overall long-term
exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution contributed
to nearly 5 million deaths in 2017.
 The report was released by the US-based organisation
Health Effects Institute.
Odisha received GI tag for Kandhamal Haldi
 'Kandhamal Haldi', a variety of turmeric indigenous to
southern Odisha, has earned the Geographical indication
(GI) tag from Intellectual Property India.
 The recognition coincided with the state's Foundation Day
(Utkal Divas).
 Odisha, on April 1 1936, was carved out as a separate state
in the then British India on a linguistic identity.
Centre to set up TMG in J&K
 The Union Home Ministry has announced setting up of a
Terror Monitoring Group to ensure synergised and
concerted action against terror-related activities in Jammu
and Kashmir.
 TMG will act against all registered cases related to terror
and bring them to a logical conclusion.
 It will identify all key persons including leaders of the
organisations who are involved in supporting terrorism.
Deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar extended
 The government has extended the last date to link
Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar number
by six month till 30th of September.
 Earlier, March 31st was the last date.
 The CBDT has also made it clear that it is mandatory to
quote and link Aadhaar number from April 1, 2019 in filing
the Income Tax Return.

ISRO opens its 1st visitors gallery
 In a first, ISRO opened a visitors' gallery with 5,000
capacity at Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota island on Sunday.
 The gallery has a clear line of sight to two launch pads and
large screens to explain launcher and satellite features,
ISRO said.
 This comes as ISRO launched defence satellite EMISAT
along with 28 foreign satellites.
Supply of Euro-VI grade fuels begins in NCR
 Supply of ultra-clean Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel has
begun in cities adjoining the national capital.
 Delhi in April 2018 became the first city in the country to
leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI
fuels.
 Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020.
Tribunal to adjudicate ban on Jamaat-e-Islami
 The Centre has set up a tribunal to adjudicate if there
exists sufficient cause to ban the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu
and Kashmir and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front-
Yasin Malik faction.
 The tribunal will be headed by Justice Chander Shekhar of
the Delhi High Court.
 The decision to constitute a tribunal was taken while
exercising the powers conferred under the Unlawful
Activities Act.
IAF MIG-27 (Upgrade) Crash
 An Indian Air Force MiG-27 (Upgrade) aircraft got airborne
from Air Force Station Uttarlai, Rajasthan for a routine
sortie.
 The aircraft crashed approximately 120 km south of
Jodhpur.
 The pilot ejected safely and has been recovered by Search
and Rescue helicopter.
 A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the
cause of the accident.
Int airport in goa suspended by SC
 SC suspends eco clearance for an international airport in
Goa.
 The health of the environment is key to preserving the
right to life, the Supreme Court has observed in a recent
judgment and suspended the environmental clearance
granted for an international airport at Mopa in Goa.
Odisha statehood day, Utkal Diwas
 Utkala Dibasa or Odisha Day is celebrated on 1 April across
the state with great fervor and gaiety in the memory of
the formation of the state. The Indian state of Odisha
came into being on April 1, 1936.
 It is also called Orissa Foundation Day and Vishuva Milan.
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April 2019
 President, Vice President, and Prime Minister have greeted
the people of Odisha on the occasion of statehood day,
Utkal Diwas.
Environment
Global warming shrank economy by 31%
 According to a Stanford study, global warming has caused
the Indian economy to be 31% smaller than it would have
been.
 The study shows how Earth's temperature changes have
increased inequalities.
 It showed that growing concentrations of greenhouse
gases in Earth's atmosphere since the 1960s have enriched
cool countries like Norway and Sweden.
East Asian birds make Andaman stopover
 Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) was sighted
at the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
 It is distinguished by the green and brown plumage on its
back, the diminutive Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites
basalis) is a native of Australia and New Guinea.
 The sighting was the first recorded instance of the bird in
India.
India, ASEAN to boost maritime ties
 India and ASEAN have vowed to strengthen ties by
deepening cooperation in the maritime sector and
boosting connectivity.
 The two sides met at the 21st ASEAN-India Senior Officials’
Meeting (SOM) held in New Delhi on April 11-12.
 The two sides also decided to hold an ASEAN-India
Conference on Renewable Energy in 2019.
River Periyar witnessed decolorisation
 The River Periyar in Kerala is witnessing decolorization.
 The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has attributed the
change in colour to the poor quality of water as a result of
eutrophication.
Yellow weather warning for Himachal Pradesh
 The Meteorological Department issued a yellow weather
warning for rain in Himachal Pradesh.
 The weather department forecast thunderstorm with hail
in isolated places of mid hills, including Shimla, Mandi,
Kullu, Chamba, Solan, and Sirmaur.
 Yellow is the least dangerous of the weather warnings - it
indicates the possibility of severe weather over the next
few days that could affect people.
Melting of Arctic ice impacts India
 Researchers found that rising temperatures in the region is
causing the sea-ice to melt faster than expected.
 The study was conducted by Germany-based Alfred
Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and
Marine Research.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
April 2019

 The faltering of Transpolar Drift could lead to weather

implications across countries, including India.
Global coalition for clean cooling launched
 The first-ever global coalition on clean and efficient
cooling was launched at the First Global Conference on
Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement,
which concluded on April 3, 2019, in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
 The Global Coalition links action across the Kigali
Amendment, Paris Agreement and Sustainable
Development Goals.
 India has developed its National Cooling Action Plan.
CO2 levels highest in 3 million years
 The levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere were higher on 4 April 2019 than ever before
in the past three million years.
 A study found that ice age onset, and the start of the
glacial cycles from cold to warm and back, was mainly
triggered by a decrease of CO2-levels.
 Global mean temperatures never exceeded by more than
2 degree Celsius in the past 3 million years.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

Table of Contents

Awards &Honours ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Days & Events ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
International Affairs ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
National Affairs .....................................................................................................................................................................14
Personalities in News ............................................................................................................................................................22
Government Policies & Schemes ..........................................................................................................................................24
Science & Technology ...........................................................................................................................................................25
Committees & Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................29
Business & Economy .............................................................................................................................................................29
Sports ....................................................................................................................................................................................35
Defence .................................................................................................................................................................................40
Polity .....................................................................................................................................................................................43
Appointments .......................................................................................................................................................................45
Environment .........................................................................................................................................................................48

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Awards &Honours
6 Indian origin students win US Spell Bee
• Six Indian-origin students are among the eight participants
who won the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee,
taking home more than USD 50,000 in cash and prizes,
after defeating over 550 other contestants in an
unprecedented competition in the US.
• It is the first time in the 94-year history of the competition
that more than two co-champions have been named. It is a
high profile test.
Pune scientist wins German chemistry prize
• Ankur Patwardhan from Pune has bagged the second prize
of €25,000 for a project at the ‘Elsevier Foundation-ISC3
Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge’.
• His project named ‘Butterfly attractant for pollination and
ecosystem health’ is about the relationship between
chemistry and ecosystem.
• He is also the president of a committee on
Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani Eco-Sensitive Zone.
Bharti AXA Claims Excellence Award
• Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a private life insurer, has been
conferred with the FICCI Claims Excellence Award.
• The award was given for its customer-friendly claims
services in the life insurance sector.
• The insurer improved its individual claim settlement ratio,
the number of claims paid to the number of claims
received, to 96.85% in the financial year 2017-18.
Nalini Malani wins Joan Miró Prize for 2019
• Indian artist Nalini Malani has won the biennial Joan Miró
Prize for 2019.
• The award is named after Spanish painter and sculptor
Joan Miró, one of the most influential artists the 20th
century.
• The award is given by Fundació Joan Miró, the Spanish art
museum along with the bank La Caixa.
• La Caixa will provide Malani a €70,000 (Rs 54.5 lakh)
award.
Shyam Saran to be conferred with Award
• Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran will be conferred
with Japan's second highest national award.
• He will be awarded for his contributions to strengthen the
strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding
between India and Japan.
• The Government of Japan announced that in its 2019
Spring Imperial Decorations, it will confer Saran, 'the Order
of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star'.
Bengaluru doctor got Global Asian award
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May 2019
• Bengaluru-based medical doctor Hema Divakar was
honoured with the 'Global Asian of the Year 2018-19'
award in Dubai recently.
• She was awarded for her yeomen services and
contributions to the women's healthcare ecosystem, in
India,
• She received the award at the Asian Business & Social
Forum 2019 under the 'In Service of the Society and the
Nation' category.
PCT Humanity entered Guinness World Records
• PCT Humanity, a charity run by an Indian, in the UAE has
entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
• It got recognised for its hunger relief efforts during the
holy month of Ramzan in Abu Dhabi.
• The charity set the new Guinness World Records for
'Longest Line of Hunger Relief Package' in Abu Dhabi.
Indian short film wins Nespresso Talents award
• Indian filmmaker, Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, 'Seed
Mother', won the third prize in the international section of
Nespresso Talents Awards 2019 in Cannes.
• The awards are held annually as part of the Cannes Critics'
Week to encourage new perspectives in filmmaking.
• The theme for the 2019 awards was 'We Are What We
Eat'.
Awards and Honours
• Antano & Harini – Legacy Accelerators received the ‘Award
of Honour’ from the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, Government of India.
• Actor Sunny Pawar has bagged the Best Child Actor award
for Chippa at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival.
Dr. P.K. Mishra conferred with Sasakawa Award
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
conferred Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk
Reduction to Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra.
• He is the Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister
of India.
• The award was announced during the ongoing 6th Session
of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR)
2019 at Geneva.
Johnson Bird to get lifetime Achievement
• Former rivals Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are to receive a
joint Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 National
Basketball Association (NBA) Awards.
• The two previous recipients of the award are Bill Russell
(2017) and Oscar Robertson (2018).
• The NBA Awards is an annual awards show presented by
the NBA to honor and recognize the league's top
performers and accomplishments.
Anil Kapoor to be honoured

• Council of European Chambers of Commerce (CEUCC) in
India and European Union (EU) delegation will felicitate
Indian actor Anil Kapoor.
• He will be honoured for promoting Children’s Rights and
his effort to protect the rights of girls in collaboration with
Plan India and the European Union.
• He will be accompanied by the EU Ambassador to India
Tomasz Kozlowski.
Virat Kohli bagged cricketer of the year
• India captain Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer
and Batsman of the Year award during the CEAT Cricket
Rating (CCR) International awards 2019.
• Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as International
Bowler of the Year.
• Ashutosh Aman was awarded Domestic Cricketer of the
Year.
• Mohinder Amarnath was bestowed with the 'CCR
International Lifetime Achievement Award'.
2 Indians among 115 UN staff honoured
• An Indian police officer Jitender Kumar and a consultant
Shikha Garg are among 115 UN peacekeepers and staff
honoured by UN for their sacrifice.
• They lost their lives in the service of peace between
January 2018 and March 2019.
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres paid tribute to 115
peacekeepers from 43 nations, who sacrificed their lives in
the line of duty at the solemn ceremony.
Tiger Woods awarded Presidential medal
• US President Donald Trump bestowed Tiger Woods with
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest
civilian honour.
• Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to
have received the highest American civilian award.
• Mr. Trump praised Mr. Woods as one of the greatest
athletes in the history of sports.
G D Robert honored with V K Menon Award
• Indian-origin journalist G D ‘Robert’ Govender was
conferred with V K Krishna Menon Award 2019 in the UK
for his contribution as a pioneer of decolonised journalism.
• The award is given to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of
V K Krishna Menon, Indian diplomat and politician.
• He is the first person who has been awarded the V K
Krishna Menon posthumously.
Article on coalgate wins ACJ Award
• The article titled Coalgate 2.0' published in The Caravan
magazine in March last year has won the ACJ Award for
Investigative Journalism, 2018.
• It is authored by Nileena M S.
• The final jury comprising Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Nilita
Vachani and Dr A R Venkatachalapathy Friday unanimously
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
decided on Nileena's work as the winner, says an ACJ
release.
Kiran Kumar gets France’s Highest Honour
• Former ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar was conferred with
France’s highest civilian honour, Chevalier de l’Ordre
national de la Legion d’Honneur.
• He was awarded for his contribution to India-France space
cooperation.
• He currently holds the Chair of the ISRO Committee on
Earth Observation Satellites.
Alfred won Golden Environmental Prize
• Alfred Brownell, an environmental lawyer, and activist was
awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize.
• He was awarded for exposing alleged abuse by the palm
oil company Golden Veroleum Liberia and helping to
prevent it from converting about 50 km2 of the forest.
• He won the Goldman prize along with five others for
grassroots environmental activism.
Niramai won gold prize at Hack Osaka
• Niramai, the Bengaluru-based health tech startup nailed
gold prize at the Hack Osaka event, Japan, imprinting
India’s technology at the global level.
• The startup is developing an AI-based solution for early
detection of breast cancer.
• The concern is the brainchild of Geetha Manjunath and
Nidhi Mathur, marking their inception in 2016.
BCCI recommended Bumrah for Arjuna Award
• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recommended
4 Indian cricketers - Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah,
Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav for the Arjuna Award
2019.
• Bumrah is currently the world number one ODI bowler,
while Jadeja is the world number three Test all-rounder.
• Poonam Yadav is ranked second in women's T20I rankings
for bowlers.
Gurpreet Singh recommended for Arjuna Award
• All India Football Federation (AIFF) recommended the
names of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Jeje Lalpekhlua for
the prestigious Arjuna award 2019.
• The federation had been pushing the cases of the two
footballers since 2017 but the Arjuna award committee
continued to ignore their claims.
• In 2017, the AIFF recommended the two along with
Bembem Devi but only the last name was conferred with
it.
Days & Events
World No Tobacco Day- 31st May
• The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco
and lung health."

• The campaign will increase awareness on the negative
impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from
cancer to chronic respiratory disease, the fundamental
role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people.
• The campaign also serves as advocating for a effective
policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
Chaudhary Charan Singh's death anniversary
• Former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh's death
anniversary is being observed on 29th May.
• Also known as the champion of peasants, Charan Singh
died in 1987.
• He played a critical role in politics post-independence
and served as the 5th Prime Minister of India.
• His cremation site is remembered as Kisan Ghat,
memorializing the work he did for the farming
communities of India.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 29 May
• The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on
29th May 1948.
• The objective is to pay tribute to the invaluable
contribution by the uniformed and civilian personnel and
to honour more than 3,800 peacekeepers who have lost
their lives while rendering peacekeeping services.
• The theme of 2019 is “Protecting Civilians, Protecting
Peace”.
Days and Event
• International Commonwealth Day was observed in
Commonwealth countries on 24 May.
• International Missing Children's Day is observed every year
on 25 May.
• International Day to End Obstetric Fistula was observed on
23 May.
Days and Events
• World turtle day is observed on 23rd May.
• It is sponsored yearly since 2000 by American Tortoise
Rescue.
• May 24 is observed as National Brother’s Day in the United
States to honor the brothers in one’s life.
World Biodiversity Day: 22 May
• The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World
Biodiversity Day) is observed on May 22 every year.
• The theme for 2019 is 2019 - Our Biodiversity, Our Food,
Our Health.
• It is a United Nations-sanctioned international day to
increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity
issues.
Anti-Terrorism Day in India: 21 May
• Every year May 21 is observed as Anti-Terrorism day in
India.
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• The day is observed in the memory of former Indian PM
Mr. Rajiv Gandhi who passed away on this day.
• Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at an
election rally near Chennai by a suicide bomber from the
LTTE on 21 May 1991.
World Metrology Day: 20 May
• World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May.
• It commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the
Metre Convention in 1875.
• The theme for World Metrology Day 2019 is The
International System of Units - Fundamentally better.
Days and Events
• World Hypertension Day (WHD) is observed every year on
17 May.
• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is
observed on 17 May.
• The Second International Day of Light was observed on 16
May.
• The International Day of Living Together in Peace was
observed on 16 May.
International Museum Day: 18 May
• International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated on 18th
May every year.
• It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums
(ICOM).
• The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to
raise awareness that, Museums are an important means of
cultural exchange.
• The theme for International Museum Day (IMD) 2019 is
Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition.
National Dengue Day: 16 May
• National Dengue Day is observed every year of 16 May.
• It aims to spread awareness about dengue and to increase
preventive measures as well as find out ways to prevent
and control the disease across the country.
• A viral disease caused by the dengue virus, it is transmitted
by the Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti) bite infected with
any one of the four dengue viruses.
International Day of Families: 15 May
• The International Day of Families (IDF) is observed on the
15th of May every year.
• The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in
1993.
• The day reflects the importance the international
community attaches to families. It was first observed in
1996.
• The theme for IDF 2019 is 'Families and Climate Action:
Focus on SDG 13'.
International Nurses Day: 12 May

• International Nurses Day (IND) is an international day
observed around the world on 12 May each year.
• It marks the contributions that nurses make to society.
• It was first observed in 1965.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Nurses: A voice to lead -
Health for All.
World Migratory Bird Day: 11 May
• World Migratory Bird Day is observed every year on 11
May.
• The theme for this year's World Migratory Bird Day is
‘Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.’
• The aim of the day is to highlight the need to protect
migratory birds and their habitats.
Road Safety Week: 6-12 May
• UN Global Road Safety Week was observed from 6 to 12
May 2019.
• It is celebrated every two years and highlights the need for
strong leadership for road safety.
• The theme for 2019 is 'leadership for road safety'.
National Technology Day: 11 May
• National Technology Day is observed every year on 11t
May in India.
• It acts as a reminder of the anniversary of Shakti, the
Pokhran nuclear test which was held on 11 May 1998.
• The aim of the celebration is to highlight the achievements
of the scientists and engineers of India in the field of
science and technology.
World Red Cross Day: 8 May
• World Red Cross Day, also known as World Red Cross and
Red Crescent Day is observed every year on May 8.
• It is a gentle nod to all the volunteers who have made
unparalleled contribution to people in duress or need.
• The 2019 theme is, ‘#Love’ and aims to broaden the
public’s understanding of the society by highlighting the
diversity and universality of its work and approach.
Days and Events
• International Firefighters' Day (IFFD) is observed every
year on May 4.
• Coal Miners Day is observed every year on 4 May to
highlight the conditions of coal miners as it is the toughest
profession known.
• National Space Day is observed annually on the first Friday
in May which was 3 May.
• World Tuna Day is observed on 2 May every year to raise
awareness about tuna fish globally.
World Press Freedom Day 2019
• World Press Freedom Day is observed annually on May 3
to inform the international community that freedom of
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May 2019
the press and freedom of expression are fundamental
human rights.
• The main celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2019 is
taking place in Addis Ababa, from 1 to 3 May 2019.
• The overall theme of this year's event is the role of media
in elections and democracy.
Ayushman Bharat Diwas: 30 April
• As part of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat Diwas
was celebrated across the country on April 30, 2019.
• During the event, information regarding Ayushman Bharat
Scheme was provided to people during health camps
organised in rural areas.
• The Ayushman Bharat -National Health Protection Mission
(AB- NHPM) was launched by PM Narendra Modi on April
14, 2018, at Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.
International Labour Day: 1 May
• International Labour Day, also known as International
Worker's Day or May Day is celebrated every year on 1
May.
• The day is celebrated to honour the contribution of
working men and women.
• The theme of Labour Day 2019 is - Uniting Workers for
Social and Economic Advancement.
• In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in
1923 in Chennai.
International Affairs
Four allies to hold fourth quadrilateral meet
• India, US,Japan, and Australia are set to meet for the
fourth time and with the latest quadrilateral meet set to
occur in Bangkok.
• India has said the quadrilateral meeting is a consultative
process, not a military alliance.
• The issues for discussion during the last meeting were on
expected lines centered on the Indo-Pacific. It means free
passage for ships and a free and open Indo-Pacific.
UN extends sanctions against South Sudan
• The UN Security Council has extended an arms embargo
and sanctions on South Sudan for a year, despite
resistance from African countries, Russia and China.
• A US-drafted resolution was adopted by a vote of 10 in
favor with five abstentions. Resolutions in the 15-member
council require a minimum of nine votes for adoption.
US warns India on missile deal with Russia
• India's decision to buy the long-range S-400 missile
defense system from Russia will have serious implications
on defence ties, the Trump administration has warned.
• The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range
surface-to-air missile defence system.

• China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-
government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal
missile system.
Trump announces new Mexican tariffs
• President Trump announced that he is slapping a 5% tariff
on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the
country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central
American migrants trying to cross the US border.
• Trump has accused the Mexican government of failing to
do enough to halt the flow of Central American migrants
from countries like El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
PM's to meet President of the Kyrgyz Republic
• President of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E Sooronbay
Sharipovich Jeenbekov, graced the Swearing-in Ceremony
of PM Shri Narendra Modi.
• Kyrgyzstan is the current Chair of Shanghai Cooperation
Organization and is an important partner of India in
Central Asia.
• President Jeenbekov reiterated the invitation for him to
visit Kyrgyzstan for the SCO Summit and a bilateral visit
during 13-15 June 2019.
US to end India's GSP trade program
• President Donald Trump announced in March he would
end India's access Generalized System of Preferences
(GSP) trade program over what the U.S. said was lack of
access to India's market.
• The program allows emerging countries to export goods to
the US without paying duties.
• The official said the benefits could be restored if India gave
U.S companies fair and equitable access to its markets.
Food delivery apps drowning China in plastic
• The food delivery apps in China have become the major
reason for the astronomical growth of plastic in China.
• People in China generate less plastic waste, per capita,
than America, a report said, but researchers predict that
nearly three-quarters of China’s plastic waste ends up in
badly managed landfills or out in the open, where it can
easily make its way into the sea.
US jets are in China’s rare earth firing line
• China’s grip on the global market for rare-earth metals
gives it the ability to target American weaponry in its trade
war with the US.
• Everything from Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter jet to guided missiles and lasers used to determine
targets rely on the elements to perform key functions.
China DB leaks 42.5m records from dating apps
• As many as 42.5 million records of users of different dating
apps were found in a single Chinese database that doesnt
have a password protection, a security researcher has said.
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• Jeremiah Fowler on May 25 discovered a non password
protected Elastic database that was clearly associated with
dating apps based on the names of the folders.
Israel to hold fresh polls
• It is the first time in the country's history that a Prime
Minister-designate has failed to form a coalition.
• In an unprecedented development, Israeli lawmakers have
voted to dissolve Parliament after Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government
before a midnight deadline, triggering a fresh general
election to be held on September 17.
Rupee rises 12 paise to 69.71 against Dollar
• The rupee opened strong at 69.76 at the Interbank Forex
market then gained further ground to touch 69.71 per
dollar amid positive opening in domestic equities,
displaying gains of 12 p against the greenback.
• The rupee appreciated by 12p to 69.71 against the
U.S dollar in opening trade on may 30,driven by positive
opening in domestic equities and weakening of the
greenback in overseas markets.
Mahathir urges US to talk with China
• Mr. Mahathir warned that conflict between the U.S. and
China would only lead to “greater destruction.”
• Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on
Thursday called for talks to resolve the ongoing trade
dispute between Washington and Beijing and urged the
world to accept China’s technological prowess.
Taiwan military trains for a Chinese invasion
• Taiwanese tanks and soldiers have fired at simulated
Chinese forces in an anti-invasion drill on the island’s
coast.
• The live-fire drill in southern Taiwan is part of an ongoing
annual exercise designed to showcase the military’s
capabilities and resolve to repel an attack from across the
Taiwan Strait.
Legislation to protect work permits for H-4
• H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a
significant number of high-skilled professionals from India.
• H-4 visa holders had obtained work permits under a
special order issued by the previous Obama
administration.
• The H-1B offers temporary US visas that allow companies
to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas
with shortages of qualified American workers.
US Rules Out Exemptions from Iranian Sanctions
• The US has ruled out giving any exemption from its
punitive sanctions to some countries for buying oil from
Iran, saying America's maximum pressure campaign was

working and the Trump administration remains
unwavering in its tough policy on Tehran.
• US President Trump l refused to give waivers to countries
like India from buying oil from Iran in an attempt to reduce
Iran's oil exports to zero.
Papua New Guinea PM resigns
• Papua New Guinea’s embattled Prime minister stepped
down capping a months-long political crisis and calling a
multi-billion-dollar French and US-backed gas deal into
question.
• Apart Facing a string of cabinet resignations and a vote of
no confidence he looked sure to lose, veteran leader Peter
O’Neill told parliament he had handed his letter of
resignation to the country’s governor general.
US removes India from its currency watch list
• India maintains ample reserves according to the IMF
metrics for reserve adequacy, the US treasury department
said in a report.
• India for the first time was placed by the US in its currency
monitoring list of countries with potentially questionable
foreign exchange policies in May 2018 along with five
other countries i.e Switzerland, China, Japan, South Korea
and Germany,
Nasheed nominated as new Speaker
• In Maldives, former President Mohamed Nasheed has
been nominated as speaker of new parliament or Majlis.
• Mr. Nasheed leads the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP).
• Another MDP MP Eva Abdulla has been nominated for the
post of deputy speaker.
• As per the constitution of Maldives, the new MPs are
supposed to elect a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from its
members by secret ballot.
Malaysia's last male Rhino died
• Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhinoceros died on May 27,
dashing efforts to save the critically endangered species in
the country.
• The rhino, named Tam, was about 30 years old and lived at
a wildlife reserve in Sabah state on Borneo island since his
capture in 2008.
• Another female rhino, Puntung, died in captivity in 2017.
New bullet train model hit record speed
• A new model of bullet train set to enter service ahead of
the Tokyo Olympics hit a record speed of 360 kilometers
(224 miles) per hour in a test run.
• The N700s is the first new model of bullet train on Japan’s
busiest line for almost a decade.
• The train is lighter and uses less energy than current
designs, as well as boasts additional safety features in case
of earthquakes.
Whatsapp to put ads on status in 2020
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• WhatsApp Status will start displaying ads from 2020, the
messaging platform's parent firm Facebook has confirmed.
• Its already monetized WhatsApp Business app will get
richer messaging formats, including viewing text alongside
image or PDF in a single message.
• European elections: EPP won 178 seats
• European Parliament published the provisional results for
this year's elections.
• The European People's Party group won 178 seats and
remained the largest political group in the legislature.
• The second largest group is the Progressive Alliance of
Socialists and Democrats (S&D) with 152 seats, in the 751-
member legislature.
Trump meets Japan's emperor
• US President Donald Trump made history, becoming the
first world leader to meet with the new emperor of Japan.
• Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne on May 1, 2019,
opening what is called the era of Reiwa or beautiful
harmony.
• Trump will go to the Japanese state guest house later for
meetings and joint news conference with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe.
Facebook to launch cryptocurrency in 2020
• Facebook, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, is
gearing up to launch its own cryptocurrency in 2020.
• Called 'GlobalCoin', the cryptocurrency would work with a
new digital payments system in about a dozen countries
starting in the first quarter of 2020.
• Facebook has been in contact with US and British financial
regulators to launch it.
SpaceX launched satellites for internet serv.
• Elon Musk's SpaceX company launched a Falcon 9 rocket
from Florida on a mission.
• It carried the first batch of five dozen small satellites into
low-Earth orbit for his new Starlink internet service.
• The new Starlink venture is an important new revenue
stream for SpaceX.
New Zealand PM's giant mural unveiled
• A giant mural depicting New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern embracing a Muslim woman in the wake of
the Christchurch terror attack has been unveiled in
Australia.
• The mural is 25 meters tall or just over 80 feet and shows
the two figures towering across a silo in the suburb of
Melbourne's Brunswick.
• It has been created by street artist Loretta Lizzio.
WHO unveiled plan to tackle global snakebite
• WHO unveiled a new strategy to dramatically cut deaths
and injuries from snakebites.

• Each year, nearly three million people are bitten by
poisonous snakes, with an estimated 81,000-138,000
deaths.
• Another 400,000 survivors suffer permanent disabilities
and other after-effects, according to WHO figures.
• WHO categorised snakebite envenoming as a Neglected
Tropical Disease 2 years ago.
Pakistan successfully test fired Shaheen-II
• Pakistan successfully test-fired surface-to-surface ballistic
missile Shaheen-II.
• It is capable of hitting targets as far as 1,500 kilometers
away, bringing major Indian cities under its range.
• The launch was aimed at ensuring operational readiness of
the Army Strategic Forces Command.
China delivered fighter jet to Pakistan
• China has delivered the first overhauled multi-role JF-17
fighter jet to Islamabad.
• This is a part of a project undertaken by the two countries
over a decade ago for the development and manufacture
of the aircraft.
• China and Pakistan had begun joint development and
manufacture of the single-engine light JF-17 jets over a
decade ago.
Traffic Jam-like situation at Mt. Everest
• Mt Everest witnessed a traffic-jam like situation as over
200 mountaineers attempted to reach the summit point.
• Climbers from many countries reached above the Camp IV
early morning and complained of waiting for more than
two hours in queues.
• The government issued a record number of 381 climbing
permits to the mountaineers representing 44 teams this
spring season.
Bedbugs evolved 50 million years ago
• It turns out bedbugs are older than bats – a mammal that
people had previously believed to be their first host 50-60
million years ago.
• Bedbugs in fact evolved around 50 million years earlier, a
recent study suggests.
• Bedbugs rank high among the list of most unwanted
human bedfellows but until now, little was known about
when they first originated.
Bangladesh stopped Visas for Pakistanis
• The Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad has
stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals for one week.
• This is a mark of protest as a Bangladeshi diplomat's visa-
extension application has not been cleared by the Pakistan
government for the last four months.
• In 2018, Dhaka denied a visa to the Pakistan High
Commissioner.
The kilogram to be redefined
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• The kilogram will be redefined by a fundamental property
of nature known as Planck's constant.
• For 130 years, this golf-ball-sized hunk of 90% platinum
and 10% iridium has served as the international prototype
kilogram.
• The microscopic contaminants in the air caused Le Grand K
to grow a bit heavier, thus the kilogram itself grew a bit
heavier.
Facebook registered new cryptocurrency firm
• Facebook Global Holdings registered a new cryptocurrency
firm named ‘Libra Networks LLC’ in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It will provide financial and technology services by
developing related hardware and software components.
• Facebook has been very secretive about its new
cryptocurrency project.
• Facebook has hired 2 cryptocurrency compliance experts
who formerly worked at Coinbase.
US approved sales of missiles to Japan
• The U.S. State Department has cleared $314 million in
possible sales of air defense missiles to South Korea.
• Also, the DSCA reported that separately, Japan was also
cleared to buy $317 million worth of medium-range air-to-
air missiles from Washington.
Sri Lanka marked10 years to the civil war
• Sri Lanka marked 10 years since the end of a decades-long
civil war that left more than 100,000 people dead.
• The United Nations has urged Sri Lanka to investigate
alleged war crimes committed by both sides.
• The Sri Lankan Civil War was an armed conflict fought on
the island of Sri Lanka. It began on 23rd July 1983 and
ended on 18 May 2009.
Starbucks opened 'silent cafe' in China
• Starbucks has opened a silent cafe in the Chinese city of
Guangzhou, where about half of the staff are hearing
impaired.
• This is a part of an initiative to support the employment of
disabled people.
• This might be the quietest Starbucks of over 3,800 shops
on the Chinese mainland.
• The shop has a specially-designed ordering system that
allows people to place orders without saying a word.
Google to shut down Jump VR in June
• A dwindling user base has forced Google to shut down its
Jump virtual reality (VR) platform.
• It would go offline by the end of June 2019.
• The company is telling users to download their data before
it shuts down the video stitching platform completely.
• Launched in 2015, Jump is Google's professional VR video
solution.
Rohingya refugees got identity cards

• Over 2.7 lakh Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been
registered by the United Nations, several getting identity
cards as their first-ever proof of documentation.
• The Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar have not been
able to acquire formal citizenship, leaving them stateless
and deprived of basic rights.
• The cards are aimed at improving the accuracy of data on
refugees in Bangladesh.
Claude Monet's 'Mueles' sells for $110.7 mn
• Claude Monet's 1890 work 'Mueles' sold for a record-
breaking price of $110.7 million on 14 May 2019.
• Mueles is regarded as the finest example from Monet's
acclaimed 'Haystacks' series.
• The artwork also became the first impressionist work to
cross the $100 million thresholds at auction.
• Monet's 'Haystacks' series was created in the early 1890s.
Jeffrey confirmed as US' next Deputy AG
• Jeffrey Rosen was confirmed as the United States' latest
Deputy Attorney General by the US Senate.
• He has previously served at the Department of
Transportation as the deputy secretary.
• He will replace Rod Rosenstein who oversaw Robert
Mueller's investigations into Russian collusion in the 2016
Presidential elections.
• US President Donald Trump nominated Rosen for the job
in February 2019.
India signs Christchurch Call
• India signed 'Christchurch Call To Action', an international
call initiated by the governments of France and New
Zealand along with top social media companies after the
Christchurch attacks.
• The document was signed by 26 countries.
• Among the social media companies and IT enterprises
were: Microsoft, Qwant, Daily Motion, Google, YouTube,
Twitter, Facebook and Amazon.
Taiwan legalises same-sex marriage
• Taiwan's parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise
same-sex marriage following a vote on 17 May 2019.
• In 2017, the island's constitutional court ruled that same-
sex couples had the right to legally marry.
• Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was
required to pass the changes by 24 May 2019.
• It will take effect after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen
passes it into law.
Sri Lanka celebrates Vesak festival
• In Sri Lanka, the Vesak festival is being observed with
religious fervour amid tight security in the wake of Easter
attacks.
• The day is celebrated to mark the birth, enlightenment
and death of Lord Buddha.
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• In view of security restrictions, the number of food camps
during Vesak is limited to 92 compared to around 6,000
last year.
Green cards replaced with 'Build America' visa
• Donald Trump has said he will replace the existing green
cards with 'Build America' visa.
• The US President unveiled a new merit and points-based
immigration policy that seeks to increase the quota for
highly-skilled workers.
• Every year, the US issues nearly 1.1 million green cards,
which gives foreign nationals life-time permission to live
and work in US and a path to citizenship in 5 years.
Int. aid for education to India down by 26%
• International aid to India for education has fallen by more
than 26%, compared with a global downturn of 2%, data
from United Nations showed.
• India received $464 million in 2017, as against $634 million
in 2016.
• This is according to data compiled by the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a global
education aid monitoring report.
Saudi Arabia approved permanent residency
• The Saudi government has approved a scheme that gives
permanent residency to certain expatriates.
• It will allow them to own real estate in the kingdom and
reside with their families without a Saudi sponsor.
• The 'Privileged Iqama' system will offer a permanent
residence scheme.
• It can be renewed annually to highly skilled expatriates
and owners of capital funds.
Eiffel Tower Celebrates 130th Birthday
• The Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th birthday in Paris.
• Built for the 1889 World's Fair, the tower is 324 metres in
height and weighs 7,300 tonnes.
• The tower was the tallest structure in the world for 41
years until the construction of the Chrysler Building in New
York in 1930.
3 COP meetings held - I
• The joint meetings of three conventions on chemicals and
waste were held in Geneva.
• An Indian delegation of Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change, with other ministries participated in
the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 29 April to
10 May 2019.
• The theme of the meetings this year was “Clean Planet,
Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and
Waste”.
Global oil prices jump over 1%

• Oil prices rose after Saudi Arabia said explosive-laden
drones had attacked two pumping stations belonging to
state oil company Aramco.
• Brent crude futures were at $70.79 a barrel at 1035 GMT.
• Aramco had halted pumping on the East-West pipeline
until the damage was evaluated.
US lawmakers brought bill
• A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced identical
resolutions that would require the US government to
develop a list of scientific and engineering institutions
affiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
• The bill seeks to prohibit individuals employed or
sponsored by these Chinese military institutions from
receiving student or research visas to the United States.
Fully recyclable plastic created
• The scientists have created a next-generation plastic that
can be fully recycled into new materials of any colour,
shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality.
• A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy's
(DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
has designed it.
• All plastics are made up of large molecules called
polymers, which are composed of monomers.
New fish species discovered
• A team of researchers led by Professor Walter Salzburger
from the University of Basel recently analysed fish living in
deep-sea habitat and discovered that certain deep-sea fish
have expanded their rhodopsin genes.
• The deep-sea fish have adapted to detect a certain
wavelength of light.
4 ships subjected to sabotage operations
• Four commercial ships were subjected to sabotage
operations near UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman,
east of Fujairah.
• There had been no injuries or fatalities on board the
vessels and that there had been no spillage of harmful
chemicals or fuel.
• Such irresponsible acts increase tension and conflicts in
the region and expose its peoples to great danger.
Global Health Security Strategy unveiled
• The US unveiled the 'Global Health Security Strategy'.
• The strategy is a first of its kind strategy to prevent, detect
and respond to threats from infectious diseases occurring
naturally or accidentally.
• Under the new Strategy, it will work to ensure that every
partner country has a plan to achieve self-reliance in the
critical area of health security.
UN to hold 2020 Ocean Conference In Lisbon
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will hold its
2020 high-level conference early June in Portugal’s Lisbon
to support the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and
marine resources.
• The Conference will support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development in Lisbon.
Cannes Festival to roll out new initiative
• This year, the Cannes film festival is rolling out an initiative
called Le Ballon Rouge – named after a children’s film by
Albert Lamorisse.
• The innovations are part of the festival’s modernisation
process, in response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal and
the #MeToo movement.
Bezos unveiled lunar lander
• Jeff Bezos unveiled a mockup of a lunar lander being built
by his Blue Origin rocket company.
• The lander will be able to deliver payloads to the lunar
surface, deploy up to four smaller rovers and shoot out
satellites to orbit the moon.
• Bezos unveiled a model of roughly the size of a golf cart,
and presented a new rocket engine called BE-7, which can
blast 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg) of thrust.
First vaccine for dengue fever approved
• The Food and Drug Administration approved the first
vaccine against dengue fever.
• The agency ruled that Dengvaxia, manufactured by Sanofi
Pasteur, can only be used in individuals aged 9 to 16 living
in parts of the United States where the dengue virus is
endemic.
• The vaccine can only be given to children and teens who
have had one previous laboratory-confirmed case of
dengue.
Trump raised tariffs on imports from China
• US President Donald Trump has ordered his top officials to
begin the process to raise tariffs on almost all the imports
from China.
• This amounts to about $ 300 billion.
• This is in addition to the Chinese imports worth $200
billion on which Trump increased the import duty from
10% to 25%.
Ireland declares climate emergency
• Ireland has become only the second country in the world
to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency.
• It happened after the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) report
on Climate Action was accepted by the government and
opposition parties without a vote.
• The United Kingdom became the first country to declare
the emergency on 1 May 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

Singapore reports first case of monkeypox • They were released under a presidential amnesty for 6,520
prisoners.
• Singapore has reported its first case of the rare
monkeypox virus. Microsoft unveiled its Blockchain service
• Monkeypox, a virus similar to the human smallpox which
• Microsoft has unveiled Azure Blockchain Service that
was eradicated in 1980.
would simplify the formation, management and
• Human monkeypox infections have only been documented
governance.
three times outside of Africa, in the United States, the
• Azure Blockchain Service will let businesses develop their
United Kingdom and Israel, according to the U.S.-based
applications on its Cloud-based platform.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Microsoft has also announced a partnership with J.P.
World's fastest bullet train starts test run Morgan to make "Quorum" (an enterprise-focused version
of open-sourced platform Ethereum).
• Japan is testing the fastest-ever shinkansen bullet train,
capable of speeds of as much as 400 kilometers (249 Google to launch privacy tools
miles) per hour.
• Alphabet Inc's Google is set to roll out a dashboard-like
• Called the Alfa-X, the train is scheduled to go into service
function in its Chrome browser to offer users more control
in 2030.
in fending off tracking cookies.
• Rail company JR East plans to operate it at 360 kilometers
• Cookies are small text files that follow internet users and
per hour. That would make it 10 kph faster than China’s
are used by advertisers to target consumers on the specific
Fuxing Hao, which links Beijing and Shanghai and has the
interests they have displayed while browsing.
same top speed.
Apple, Google removed 3 dating apps
US imposes sanctions on Iran
• Apple and Google have removed 3 dating apps from their
• The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iran's
online stores after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
iron, steel, aluminum and copper industries.
alleged the apps allowed kids as young as 12 to access
• This comes a year after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the
them.
Iran nuclear deal.
• In a recent letter, the FTC warned Ukraine-based Wildec
• Trump said his announcement "puts other nations on
LLC, which operates the apps Meet24, FastMeet, and
notice that allowing Iranian steel and other metals into
Meet4U.
your ports will no longer be tolerated."
• These apps appeared to be in violation of the Children's
London: Base for WhatsApp payments Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
• Facebook has chosen London as the centre for the global Mali President named new government
roll-out of WhatsApp pay.
• In Mali, the president has named a new government after
• Facebook chose London because it attracts a multicultural
its predecessor resigned in April 2019.
workforce from many of the countries.
• President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced the new
• Out of WhatsApp user base of 1.5 billion people, more
executive of 37 members under Prime Minister Boubou
than 200 million people are in India -- the single largest
Cisse.
market for the popular messaging platform.
• He was appointed on April 22, 2019, to oversee the
Singapore passes new law to police fake news formation of a broad-based government.
• Singapore's parliament has passed a sweeping "anti-fake N Korea fires several short-range projectiles
news" bill.
• North Korea has fired several short range projectiles into
• It includes ability to demand corrections, order the
the Sea of Japan.
removal of content, or block websites deemed to be
• State media confirmed that North Korean leader gave the
propagating falsehoods contrary to the public interest.
order of firing to increase the combat ability of the
• Penalties for not complying with orders include steep fines
country.
and jail time.
• It said the purpose of the drill was to test the operating
2 reporters freed in Myanmar ability and accuracy of multiple rocket launchers and
tactical guided weapons by the defence units.
• Two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar after they were
• North Korean leader - Kim Jong-un.
convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act walked free
from prison after more than 500 days behind bars. Russian plane crash
• Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been convicted in
• Around 41 people were killed when a Russian passenger
September and sentenced to seven years in jail.
plane made a fiery crash-landing at a Moscow airport.

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• Two children are among the dead.
• Russian Superjet 100 was flying from Moscow to
Murmansk when a fire broke out on board.
• Aeroflot Flight SU1492 returned to Moscow's
Sheremetyevo Airport, making a hard landing.
• Russian President - Vladimir Putin.
Sri Lanka blocks social media platforms again
• In Sri Lanka, several social media platforms were blocked
again following a tense situation in Negombo which led to
overnight police curfew.
• The access to social media was restricted soon after the
Easter bombings.
• At least 257 people including 42 foreigners were killed
when nine suicide bombers attacked eight locations
including five-star hotels and churches all over the
country.
1st Japanese monarch to abdicate in 200 years
• Japan's Emperor Akihito formally abdicated on 30 April
2019 in Tokyo.
• He is the country's first monarch to step down from the
Chrysanthemum Throne in two centuries.
• Akihito's reign and the Heisei era officially ended at
midnight on 30 April 2019.
• Hereafter the 85-year-old will be known as Emperor
Emeritus Akihito.
Putin signs Russian sovereign internet law
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law new
measures that would enable the creation of a national
network, able to operate separately from the rest of the
world.
• The new law aims to protect Russia from foreign online
restrictions by creating a 'sustainable, secure and fully
functioning' local internet.
• The legislation takes effect in November 2019.
New initiative measuring violent deaths
• SIPRI has set up a new initiative aiming to establish the
annual number of violent deaths worldwide.
• SIPRI’s Global Registry of Violent Deaths (GReVD) will
count deaths caused by all forms of violence and display
these in the database.
• The database will allow researchers, policymakers and the
general public to track trends in violence at global,
regional, national, city and municipal levels.
WB gives $545 mn for cyclone-hit SA
• The World Bank will extend more than half-a-billion dollars
in grants for cyclone-ravaged southern African countries.
• A total of up to USD 545 million will be disbursed to
Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi - the three countries
hit by Cyclone Idai in March.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Cyclone Idai caused catastrophic damage earlier this year
that affected millions of people.
Japan's MOMO-3 rocket reaches outer space
• A Japanese aerospace startup funded by a former internet
maverick has successfully launched a small rocket into
space.
• Interstellar Technology Inc. says the unmanned MOMO-3
rocket has exceeded 100 kilometers (60 miles) in altitude
before falling into the Pacific Ocean.
• The rocket, about 10 meters (32 feet) long and 50
centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameter, weighs about 1 ton.
UK passes Environment Emergency declaration
• UK Parliament became the first national government to
pass a national declaration of an Environment and Climate
Emergency.
• This move marks a serious emergency in dealing with
climate change.
• The declaration was preceded by a visit by teenage activist
Greta Thunberg (to the Parliament), the feature of David
Attenborough’s documentary movie titled ‘Climate
Change: The Facts’.
Afghanistan peace summit ends in Kabul
• A huge peace meeting aimed at finding an exit from
Afghanistan's war concluded in Kabul on May 3, 2019.
• It saw about 3,200 religious and tribal leaders, politicians
and representatives gather to negotiate a peace deal with
the Taliban.
• The meeting comes as the Taliban, who were not at these
talks, are this week separately meeting in Doha with US
peace envoy.
Pakistan to freeze assets of Masood Azhar
• Pakistan has issued an official order to freeze the assets
of and impose a travel ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief
Masood Azhar.
• This move comes after the United Nations declared him a
“global terrorist” after China lifted its hold on a proposal
by the U.S., the U.K. and France to blacklist him.
• Pakistan-based Azhar is also banned from selling or
purchasing arms and ammunition.
Press freedom globally under intense pressure
• Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) released a
report saying that governments across the world are
increasingly clamping down on press freedom by enacting
new laws.
• It also reported that as many as 55 journalists have been
killed since May 2018.
• With 139 journalists in prison, Turkey remains the world's
top jailer of journalists, the IPI said.
Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist

• US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has hailed the listing of
Pakistan-based Jaish e Mohammed group chief Maulana
Masood Azhar as a terrorist.
• Designating him a global terrorist is a big diplomatic win
for India.
• The task was accomplished when China relented and
dropped its technical hold on a French proposal to ban
Azhar at the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee.
Beirut set new Guinness World record
• Lebanon's capital Beirut has set a new Guinness World
Record for the number of national flags raised in a city for
24 hours.
• The Beirut Alive Association, on 28 April, raised a total of
26,852 Lebanese flags breaking New York's Waterloo
record of 25,599 flags.
• The event was organised under the patronage of Prime
Minister Saad Hariri.
US to withdraw from U.N Arms Trade Treaty
• US is withdrawing from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, in
response to concerns from gun rights activists that it could
impinge on Americans’ right to bear arms.
• Former US President Barack Obama signed the treaty in
2013 and sent the treaty to the Senate for ratification.
• The Trump administration has withdrawn from a number
of international agreements including the Iran nuclear
deal.
3000 kg waste collected from Mt. Everest
• A total of 3,000 kg of solid waste has been collected
from Mt. Everest, since April 14, 2019, as a part of a
campaign launched by Nepal.
• The campaign seeks to bring back and safely dispose of a
total of 10,000 kg of waste.
• The 45-day 'Everest Cleaning Campaign', led by
Solukhumbu district's Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural
Municipality began on April 14, 2019.
National Affairs
Modi changes 40% of Ministry
• In the Union cabinet, 2019 Modi changes the 40% of
Ministry; debutants hog the show.
• In Modi's new Cabinet, one-third of the total ministers are
debutants, including BJP president Amit Shah and former
foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
• While G S Shekhawat and Giriraj Singh have been
promoted, Anurag Thakur is a replacement for JP Nadda
from Himachal Pradesh.
Science books released by Secretary DST
• Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof.
Ashutosh Sharma released four popular science books
published by Vigyan Prasar.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Books were released at a function held at Indian National
Science Academy (INSA) in New Delhi.
• The books released were ‘Voyage to Antarctica’, ‘Story of
Consciousness’, ‘An Autobiography of Moon’ and 'Sambhu
Nath De - The Discovery of Cholera Toxin’.
'Hawa Aane De' launched to spread awareness.
• Union Environment Ministry on 29th May launched the
song 'Hawa Aane De' to spread awareness about Air
pollution.
• The song was launched by Secretary, Ministry of
Environment C K Mishra ahead of the World Environment
Day on 5th of June.
• The theme of Environment Day for 2019 is Air Pollution.
Narendra Modi to take oath as PM for 2nd term.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the oath of Office
and Secrecy along with a new Council of Ministers for his
second consecutive term.
• The function will be attended by Governors, Chief
Ministers, Opposition leaders, a galaxy of leaders from
BIMSTEC countries and foreign envoys.
• Over 6,000 guests are expected to attend the ceremony.
Jagan Reddy sworn in as Andhra Pradesh CM
• YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken oath as Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh on 30th May 2019.
• Governor ESL Narasimhan administered him the oath of
office and secrecy at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in
Vijayawada.
• In his maiden address as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh,
he announced that he would create one lakh 60,000 jobs
by October in 2019.
Tribunal for adjudicating ban on LTTE est
• The government has constituted the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is
sufficient cause for declaring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) as an unlawful association.
• The Tribunal is comprised of Delhi High Court Justice
Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.
• The government of India has extended ban on LTTE in
India for a period of five years.
Telangana to have 1st blockchain district
• Telangana will have 1st blockchain district.
• Land at subsidised rates, funding of research and
regulatory and policy support are among the features of
Telangana government's draft Blockchain Policy.
• It is aimed at wooing firms and startups in the field to set
up shop in the state.
Rs. 1 cr. fine on 25 states, UTs
• More than 25 states and Union Territories face
environmental compensation of ₹1 crore each.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

• They were fined for not submitting action plans on Craftsvilla up for sale after 8 years
systematic disposal of plastic waste to the Central
• Eight years after being launched in 2011 and raising about
Pollution Control Board.
$58 million to date, Mumbai-based ethnic wear e-tailer
• The National Green Tribunal had ordered them to submit
Craftsvilla is looking to get acquired.
action plans by April 30, failing which they would have to
• Craftsvilla reportedly approached Snapdeal for the same,
pay compensation at the rate of ₹1 crore/month.
which is highly unlikely to do so.
DPIIT to cut startup compliance time to 1 hr • The company is now looking at Future Group or Reliance
Industries as possible avenue of acquisition.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT) has proposed to reduce compliance time for 17th Lok Sabha to witness 78 woman MPs
startups to one hour per month.
• Seventy-eight seats have been won by women candidates
• Currently, startups comply with requirements like GST
in the 17th Lok Sabha elections, the highest since the first
filings, tax returns and local laws every month.
Lok Sabha in 1952.
• Reduction in compliance time can enable startups to focus
• Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are sending the highest
on their core work.
number of women to the house, 11 each.
5th Smart Cities India 2019 expo inaugurated • A total of 724 women candidates contested, with Congress
fielding the maximum 54 women, followed by BJP at 53.
• The 5th Smart Cities India 2019 expo, including Transport
India, Solar India, Buildings India and Water India expos, Ola shut food delivery business
was inaugurated by Durga Shanker Mishra on 23 May
• Ola has shut down the delivery business of Foodpanda,
2019.
terminated 1,500 delivery executives and 40 mid-level
• It is organised by India Trade Promotion Organization
staff.
(ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group.
• The company, however, has retained the cloud kitchen
• The event displays a vast array of products and solutions
business operating under private labels- the Great Khichdi
relevant to building smart cities in India.
Experiment, FLTR brands and Lovemade.
Liquid hydrogen storage tank launched • Ola had acquired Foodpanda in 2017 for an approximated
$30 million from German-based hero company.
• ISRO Chairman K Sivan flagged off the shipment of India's
largest liquid hydrogen storage tank at the VRV Asia 1.37 cr. formal sector jobs created in FY2019
Pacific's manufacturing plant at Sri City in Chittoor district
• Around 1.37 crore jobs were created in the formal sector
of Andhra Pradesh.
during the financial year 2018-19, according to data
• VRV Asia Pacific manufactured the storage tank with a
released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Liquid Nitrogen shield, in a collaborative effort with Satish
• The CSO used addition to the Employees' Provident Fund
Dhawan Space Centre.
(EPF) subscriber base to derive employment generation in
• Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for satellite launch vehicles.
the formal sector.
Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh banned • As per the latest data, in the month of March 2019,
around 8.27 lakh EPF subscribers were added.
• Bangladesh-based terror outfit — the Jamaat-ul-
Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) — was banned by the Chandrani Murmu became youngest Lok Sabha MP
government of India under the anti-terror law UAPA.
• BJD’s Chandrani Murmu became the youngest ever Lok
• JMB was involved in the 2016 terror attack at a cafe in
Sabha MP.
Bangladesh's capital city Dhaka.
• The 25-year-old BTech graduate won the reserved
• The outfit has committed and promoted acts of terrorism
Keonjhar, Odisha's seat by defeating a two-time MP.
and has been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of
• The Keonjhar Lok Sabha seat is reserved for Scheduled
youths for terrorist activities in India.
Tribes.
NewSpace India officially inaugurated
Int seminar on noise organised
• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of
• International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was officially
organized an international seminar-cum-workshop on
inaugurated in Bengaluru on 23 May 2019.
Automotive Noise, Vibration and Harshness (iNVH).
• NSIL's main objective is to scale up industry participation
• It was held on 23-24 May 2019 at ICAT, Manesar.
in Indian space programmes.
• This event was the fifth in a series of biennial training
• NSIL will act as an aggregator for all space-related activities
programmes on Automotive NVH, organized by ICAT.
in industry and develop private entrepreneurship in space-
related technologies. Al Qaeda affiliate Zakir Musa killed

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• In Jammu and Kashmir, Zakir Musa, the so-called chief of
Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind was killed in an encounter with
security forces in Pulwama district on 23 May.
• Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hinda is a group affiliated with Al-
Qaeda.
• Security forces had launched a cordon and search
operation at Dadsara village in Tral and a gunfight broke
out when the terrorists tried to escape.
NPPA reduced prices of 9 cancer medicines
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has
reduced the prices of 9 non-scheduled cancer drugs by up
to 87%.
• This decision is in continuation of nodal agency's efforts to
bring down drugs prices.
• In February 2019, the government had capped about 42
cancer drugs at 30%.
BCCI elections to be held on 22 October
• The Committee of Administrators (CoA) announced that
the elections of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) will be held on October 22, 2019.
• The CoA was appointed by the Supreme Court in January
2017 to oversee the sweeping reforms recommended by
the Lodha panel.
Noida to become Zero Discharge City
• Noida is all set to outdo Nagpur by recycling 100 percent
of the sewage water generated in the city.
• Nagpur, till now, is leading the efforts with recycling more
than 90 percent of the sewage water it generates.
• Noida has a total of six STPs across Sectors 54, 50, and 123,
168, with the capacity to treat a total of 231 MLD of
sewage, which is beyond the 175 MLD the city currently
generates.
AI system in MCA 21 to be introduced
• The government plans to introduce artificial intelligence
system in the MCA 21 portal.
• This would make the compliance process easier as well as
ensure routine enforcement activities are done round-the-
clock on autopilot basis.
• MCA 21 is the electronic backbone for the dissemination
of information to all stakeholders.
Centre issued drought advisory
• The Centre has issued a drought advisory to Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil
Nadu, asking them to use water judiciously.
• The drought advisory is issued to states when the water
level in reservoirs is 20% less than the average of live
water storage figures of the past 10 years.
Ordinance on Maratha quota approved
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Maharashtra Cabinet approved to circulate an ordinance
to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
(SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018.
• It also approved to recompense the fees to the general
category-students, who will be affected after the
promulgation of the ordinance.
Kerala to go paperless
• The Kerala State Assembly is undertaking E-Vidhan, an
initiative to digitize all records.
• The first phase of the project is expected to be completed
in 14 months. The project is expected to cost around Rs.40
crore.
• Once the project is completed, all the Assembly
proceedings will go paperless.
Union Ministry of Envt to undertake a project
• Union Ministry of Environment announced a project to
create DNA Database for Indian Rhinos.
• This is done in order to curb poaching and collect evidence
for wildlife crimes including Rhinos.
• The deadline to meet this project is 2021.
• The database will be kept in the Wildlife Institute of
India(WII) headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Advisory Council of the 15th FC held
• The third meeting of the Advisory Council of the 15th
Finance Commission was held in New Delhi on 17 May
2019.
• The Council Members were informed about the
progress made in terms of State Visits by the Commission
and consultations with the RBI, bankers and financial
institutions.
CBIC introduced weightage system
• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
introduced a weighting system for appointments under
compassionate grounds.
• It will be based on nine criteria like family income,
dependents, remaining service period of the deceased,
etc.
• The main objective is to ensure objectivity, transparency,
and uniformity in the selection process for appointments
on the compassionate ground.
35% graphite reserves found in AP
• About 35% of India's total Graphite reserves are found in
Arunachal Pradesh, as per the GSI report.
• This is the highest found in the country.
• With 35% of India's Graphite deposits being found in
Arunachal Pradesh, the State could now be developed as
the leading producer of graphite in the country.
NSE penalised 250 companies

• The National Stock Exchange (NSE) penalised around 250
companies for non-compliance with the SEBI Listing
Obligation and Disclosure Requirement Regulations (LODR)
2015.
• Violations include non-appointment of woman director,
compliance officer, share transfer agent and delay in
intimation of board meeting.
BSE launched a mobile app
• BSE has launched 'BSE StAR MF' app to enable more
participation and help mutual fund distributors process
transactions faster.
• BSE StAR MF mobile app supports real-time client
registration and paperless transactions, creates and
uploads mandate for SIPs, generates the basket of multiple
orders, and more.
• Its launch would further provide the comfort of doing
business to its 24,000 members.
Electoral Bonds worth Rs. 3600 crore sold
• Electoral bonds worth over Rs 3,500 crore were sold to the
donors of India’s political parties in just the last two
months, an RTI response from the SBI noted.
• Sales then shot up by 65% in April 2019, with bonds worth
Rs 2,256.37 crore being purchased, making it a total Rs of
3,622 crores.
• Electoral bonds are a transparent way to raise money.
Fine imposed on Nainital Bank
• RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1 crore on
Nainital Bank for its failure to fully automate the non-
performing asset (NPA) identification process.
• The penalty was imposed under the provisions of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory
compliance.
ICICI Bank, Goibibo launched new travel card
• ICICI Bank along with online travel booking portal Goibibo
launched co-branded multi-currency card- Goibibo ICICI
Bank Travel Card.
• Customers can use one card for multiple currencies and
enjoy discounts on flights and hotel bookings.
• The card is accepted across 200 countries and 4.6
merchants globally and can be dealt in 15 currencies.
Govt to mandate QR code based payments
• The Indian government is planning to mandate a quick
response (QR) code based payment method option using
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at all shops.
• The prime idea is to make digital payment more popular
and bring a behavioral change in the ecosystem.
• The GST council approved the proposal. The move will also
provide a GST benefit to both shops and consumers.
Workshop on Artifical Bio Organs held
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) recently organized
a 1-day workshop on Organ Bio Printing at the Kalam
Convention Center, AMTZ Campus in Visakhapatnam.
• The workshop explored 3D printing, an innovative
technology that covers all medical disciplines and offers
new opportunities in diagnostics and therapy.
Project SPARROW-CBIC implemented
• Project ‘SPARROW-CBIC’ for Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ Officers of
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) was
implemented.
• It is online writing of Annual Performance Appraisal Report
(APAR) in SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report
Recording Online Window) .
• It is one of its kind in terms of Scale/number of employees
covered as far as Central Government Departments are
concerned.
Ban on LTTE extended for 5 years
• The central government has extended the ban on the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for five years with
immediate effect.
• The ban has been extended under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
• The notification stated that the LTTE's continued violent
and disruptive activities are prejudicial to the integrity and
sovereignty of India.
Maruti Suzuki set up skill training centre
• Maruti Suzuki India has opened a skill training centre at
ITI-Becharaji, in Gujarat, that can provide training to over
7,000 trainees annually.
• The Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Becharaji was set up in
collaboration with Gujarat government.
• It will be used to train and improve the level of technical
education of ITI students in the state and effectively
contribute to Skill India initiative.
Yamaha Motor achieved new milestone in India
• Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Yamaha Motor has
achieved 10 million production milestone in the country.
• The company has three manufacturing facilities at Surajpur
(Chhattisgarh), Faridabad (Haryana) and Chennai (Tamil
Nadu).
• It also achieved a milestone of producing five million units
between 2012 and 2019.
NGT directed 18 states to submit action plan
• The National Green Tribunal directed 18 states and
2 Union Territories to submit an action plan within three
months to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• This is being done to ensure utilization of treated waste to
reduce pressure on the groundwater resources throughout
the country.

• The states which have not submitted action plans include
Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, and Punjab.
Doordarshan launched a souvenir store
• Public service broadcaster Doordarshan has launched a
souvenir store on online shopping website Amazon India.
• A range of merchandise with the tagline 'I am in your
DNA, I am your Doordarshan' will now be available on the
store.
• The idea is to establish an even stronger relationship with
viewers who have grown up on shows like Malgudi Days,
Ramayana and Mahabharat in the 1980s and 90s.
Infosys' FCRA licence cancelled
• The Home Ministry has cancelled the FCRA licence of
Infosys Foundation after a request was made by the not-
for-profit initiative of it.
• The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) enables an
association or an NGO to receive foreign funds, and they
have to mandatorily register under it to receive such
funds.
ABHYAS successfully tested
• DRDO conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-
speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from Interim Test
Range, Chandipur in Odisha on 13 May 2019.
• The flight test was tracked by various RADARS & Electro
Optic Systems and proved its performance in a fully
autonomous waypoint navigation mode.
• The configuration of ABHYAS is designed on an in-line
small gas turbine engine.
Odisha CM demanded special category
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik demanded special category
status from Centre for his disaster-prone state, saying it
faces natural calamities almost every year.
• He said special category status is the need of the hour due
to the massive loss to infrastructure which may stall
growth of the state.
• In the last five years, Odisha has witnessed Phailin,
Hudhud, Titli and now Fani.
Thrissur ‘Pooram’ festivities began
• An unprecedented crowd gathered to witness
Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran of 36-hour-long Pooram
celebrations at Thekkinkadu maidan on 12 May 2019.
• The elephant Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, fondly
called as ‘Raman’, opened the Thekke Gopura Nada of
Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple.
• The Vilambaram ritual declares the pooram celebrations
open.
Chennai to get its first unmanned substation
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation
(Tangedco) has identified a substation to be upgraded into
an unmanned substation- the first of its kind in the city.
• The 33 (KV)/11 KV substation is located right at the heart
of the central business district of Anna Salai, near the
Express Mall on Woods Road.
• It has been chosen for the upgrade.
Assam produced an orchid link to the Orient
• An Assam forest officer’s chance discovery has given India
one of its smallest orchids in terms of size and duration of
bloom to be recorded botanically.
• Lecanorchis taiwaniana is a mycoheterotroph, one of two
types of parasitic plants that have abandoned
photosynthesis.
• The Japanese Journal of Botany has published it as a new
record for the flora in India in its latest issue.
Kerala linked Aadhaar to attendance
• Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has made
Aadhaar-based attendance mandatory for all government
offices in the state.
• All government offices are to install Aadhaar-based
biometric attendance systems within six months,
according to the 6 May order.
• 560,000 officials, from those in the secretariat to
government school staff, will need an Aadhaar number to
draw their salaries.
WTO meeting began in Delhi
• The World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting of
developing countries began in New Delhi on 13 May 2019.
• The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Ministers
to discuss various issues and way forward.
• 16 developing countries and 6 Least Developed Countries,
LDCs are participating in the meeting including China,
South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and
Bangladesh.
WHO for eliminating industrial trans fats
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has partnered with
the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA).
• Trans fat could be eliminated from the industrially
produced global food supply by 2023 if the World Health
Organization (WHO) has its way.
• Trans fat is also called the worst form of fat in food,
responsible for over 5,00,000 deaths globally from
coronary heart disease each year.
2019 to be observed as ‘Year of next of kin’
• The Indian Army is commemorating 2019 as the ‘Year of
Next of Kin’.
• It plans to reach out to the next of kin of battle casualties,
ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to inform them of

entitled financial benefits, welfare schemes and help
resolve pension-related problems.
• The issue gains importance in light of most next of kin of
deceased soldiers being unaware of the financial benefits.
Non venomous snake species discovered
• Taxonomists have discovered a non-venomous species of
snake in Mizoram.
• The findings about the snake were published in the
taxonomic journal, Zootaxa, by a team of scientists from
India and abroad.
• The Mizo rain snake (Smithophis atemporalis) has been
named after eminent British herpetologist, Malcom A
Smith, for his contribution to Indian herpetology.
India to add 3 million tech jobs
• The Indian tech industry will add another 3 million new
jobs by 2023, as per the Indian Staffing Federation (ISF).
• With the additions, the size of the country’s tech army will
be 7 million by 2023.
• All these new jobs would come up in digital technology
areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning,
Internet of things (IoT), data science, analytics, big data,
and blockchain.
NDDB developed 1st genome assembly of buffalo
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has developed
the world's first complete parent-wise genome assembly
of buffalo.
• Named as 'NDDB ABRO Murrah', the genome assembly of
riverine buffaloes would provide more insights about
buffalo genome.
• The estimated population of buffaloes in the world is
224.4 million, of which 219 million (97.58%) are in Asia.
Fiscal deficit touched 4.52% at end-February
• Finance Ministry told that the country's fiscal deficit at
₹8.51 trillion at the end of February 2019 had touched
4.52% of the GDP.
• The government's has pegged its fiscal deficit target for
2018-19 at 3.4% for which was revised upwards from the
earlier 3.3%.
Genetic study conducted on Lakshadweep
• For the very first-time scientists carried out a genetic study
on people of Lakshadweep Islands.
• It was conducted by a team of researchers at CSIR's
(Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
• It found the close genetic link of Lakshadweep islanders
with people from the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and India.
India's first mega science exhibition
• India’s first ‘mega-science’ exhibition ‘Vigyan Samagam’
was inaugurated in Mumbai.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• It is organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE),
the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the
National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).
• After Mumbai, the exhibition will move to Bengaluru from
7 July, and on to Kolkata and then New Delhi.
New system to monitor rowdy-sheeters
• Hyderabad Police has launched a new monitoring system
on the activities of rowdy-sheeters, assuring its citizens of
a safe and secure environment.
• The new monitoring system is known as 'rowdy-sheeters
module,' which is incorporated in 'TSCOP' mobile
application.
• Through this system all the rowdy-sheeters data is
available police station-wise.
India CEO forum organised on climate change
• India CEO Forum on Climate Change was organized by
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC)on 8 May 2019.
• The Forum consisted of high-level discussions across
several sessions covering topics from India’s Nationally
Determined Contributions.
• The sessions voiced deliberations from the government on
India’s international commitments to fighting climate
change.
FAW outbreak affects over 5,000 farmer
• An outbreak of 'Fall Armyworm' has affected at least 5,636
farming families in over 200 villages in Mizoram.
• The outbreak caused by the crop pest has affected maize
cultivation in 2,055 hectares in 227 villages of all the eight
districts.
• Agriculture experts said that FAW is a lepidopteran pest
feeding on multiple plants (polyphagous).
Thrust to make State thalassaemia-free by 2020
• The Thalassaemia Welfare Association (TWA) launched a
campaign to spread awareness among doctors on
screening pregnant women to find out if they were
thalassaemia (a genetic blood disorder) carriers.
• Revathi Raj is the honorary president of TWA.
• This was done on the World Thalassaemia Day i.e. 8th May
2019.
Odisha sought Rs.7000 crore under PMAY Scheme
• The Odisha State government demanded special allotment
of Rs.7,000 crore under the Prime Minister Awas Yojna
with 90:10 funding ratio.
• Provision of five lakh disaster-resilient affordable houses
which would require Rs.7,000 crore was sought by the
State.
• Centre will provide further assistance to cyclone-hit Odisha
after the assessment by an inter-ministerial Central team.
Odisha’s wildlife sanctuaries ravaged by Fani

• Cyclone Fani, packing wind gusts of up to 240 kmph,
rendered not only millions of people homeless but also
dealt a body blow to wildlife and forest resources in the
region.
• On May 3, the storm swept across several wildlife
sanctuaries as it crossed the Odisha coastline.
• The sanctuary has been reduced to a wasteland with
hardly any tree left untouched by Fani,
Desert Storm 2019 began
• Desert Storm 2019, touted to be the longest Cross-Country
Rally in India kicked off on 8 may 2019.
• The four-day-long Rally will see over 100 teams competing
in high temperatures, treacherous dune crossings and fast
technical gravel straights.
• It comprises 600 km of extremely harsh Special Stages in
addition to over 900 km of Transport Stages.
NEET-PG cut-offs reduced by 6 percentile
• The government has decided to reduce the qualifying
marks for NEET-PG for 2019-20 by six percentile.
• General category candidates with minimum marks of 44
percentile, persons with disabilities category with a
minimum of 39 percentile and SC/ST and OBC category
candidates with 34 percentile will become eligible for
admission to postgraduate medical courses.
Mahashakti temple to be relocated
• The Madras HC directed the State government to relocate
the Mahashakti Mariamman Temple following its removal
last year from the ‘Girivalam’ path in Tiruvannamalai.
• Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu directed the Tiruvannamalai
Collector to assign the temple at about 270 metres from
the original location.
Notto nod must for organ allocation
• In the last one year, the number of Indian patients
receiving organs from brain-dead donors has gone up by
56% in Tamil Nadu.
• The number of lungs transplanted on Indians went up
from 43 in 2017 to 84 in 2018.
• The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation
(Notto) has mandated that an organ could be allocated to
a foreign national only after it gives its approval.
PM announced Rs 1000 cr assistance for Odisha
• PM Narendra Modi announced to provide manpower,
machine, material and money for restoration work in
cyclone FANI affected areas in Odisha.
• Rs 1000 crore financial assistance will be given to Odisha.
• Before the cyclone, 381 crore rupees assistance in advance
was declared by the Prime Minister.
• Eastern Command of the Indian Navy is also providing
relief materials in Puri and Khurda districts.
Mumbai's last captive white tiger died
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Bajirao, the last captive white tiger, died recently at Sanjay
Gandhi National Park, in Borivali, Mumbai.
• He was 18 years and died due to old age related issues.
• Bajirao was born at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in
2001.
• There are six remaining Royal Bengal tigers at the park,
four female and two male, all above 10 years of age.
T.N. gives ₹10 crore to cyclone-hit Odisha
• Extending a helping hand to cyclone-hit Odisha, the Tamil
Nadu government has announced financial assistance of
₹10 crore as an immediate relief contribution.
• Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the Chief Minister of Tamil
Nadu.
• Severe cyclonic storm Fani has caused unprecedented and
extensive damage in certain districts of Odisha, especially
in Puri.
PM Narendra Modi visits Odisha
• Narendra Modi reached Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar on
6th May to visit districts hit by Cyclone Fani.
• The Prime Minister was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal,
CM Naveen Patnaik and Union minister Dharmendra
Pradhan at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in
Bhubaneswar.
• Modi undertook an aerial survey of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack,
Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak & Balasore
district.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ crossed ₹300 crore mark
• Marvel’s blockbuster superhero flick Avengers: Endgame
has closed its second weekend in India by crossing the
₹300 crore mark to earn ₹311 crore.
• This is the first Hollywood film to cross the ₹300 crore
mark in the country, besides having emerged as the
highest Hollywood grosser already.
• It has beaten the ₹227 crore earnings of previous
installment Avengers: Infinity War by a long margin.
Geological display boards set up at 2 places
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) North Eastern Region
(NER) installed two geological display boards at two
important sites -- Mawmluh cave and Therriaghat, Sobhar
in East Khasi district in Meghalaya.
• GSI is the organisation that studies various aspects of the
Earth forming processes and evolution of life.
• GSI is also the primary custodian of the rocks and fossils of
the country.
BSNL launches 'Bharat Fibre' broadband service
• BSNL has become the first operator to start optical fiber-
based high-speed broadband service in Pulwama with the
launch of 'Bharat Fibre'.
• This is the first such FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) service
deployment in the (Kashmir) Valley.

• The Bharat Fibre services are generally not affected even
during adverse weather conditions.
Buddhist sculptures unearthed in Telangana
• Archaeologists excavated a rare life-size stucco Buddhist
sculpture in Phanigiri, Suryapet district in Telangana.
• The figurine represents one of the Bodhisattvas belonging
to the Jathaka Chakra.
• The sculpture is also one of the largest Buddhist stucco
sculptures unearthed in India till date.
LIC HFL launches Udyam centre
• LIC Housing Finance (LIC HFL) has launched ‘Udyam’, a
skilling center in Bengaluru.
• It was launched in association with Lok Bharti Education
Society, the implementing partner.
• The Centres of Excellence will provide training to
marginalised youth in the BFSI, retail, and IT/ ITES sectors.
• Centers of Excellence (CoE) have been launched in Delhi
and Bengaluru.
All EVs to use green number plates
• The Central government has made mandatory for all
Electric Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates.
• All EVs should use green number plates wherein the
private electric vehicles will get white lettering on a green
background and commercial EVs will get yellow lettering.
• The aim is to help distinguish green vehicles to provide
easy identification for preferential treatment.
TB is India's Deadliest Infectious Disease
• Tuberculosis is one of India's deadliest infectious diseases.
• It claimed close to three lakh lives between 2012 and
2016,
• Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh registered a high number of
deaths per one lakh of the population.
• Sikkim recorded the highest deaths per lakh of the
population (66 per 1 lakh population) due to TB.
BHEL commissions 2 lift irrigation projects
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully
commissioned 2 motor pump set units for the
Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in Telangana.
• Under the scheme, 89 cumecs of water will be used for
irrigation and water supply in nearby drought prone areas.
• BHEL is presently executing hydro-electric projects of more
than 2,900 MW across the country, and 3,904 MW in
Bhutan & Nepal.
FANI Cyclonic Storm moves north-northeastwards
• Cyclone FANI is expected to cross Odisha Coast between
Gopalpur and Chandbali around Puri during forenoon of
3rd May.
• The cyclone constitutes maximum sustained wind speed of
170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph and continued landfall.
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May 2019
• Extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) has been forecasted
in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Arunachal
Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya.
Govt. and IIT-D to set up Centre of Excellence
• GoI and IIT-Delhi will set up a Centre of Excellence for
Waste to Wealth Technologies to commemorate the 150th
birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• This will be done to implement sustainable, scientific and
technological solutions for waste management.
• This will provide an effective platform to bring together
integrated approaches for effective recycle, reuse &
resource recovery of waste.
Water Storage Level in Reservoirs Down by 1%
• The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the
country for the week ending on May 02, 2019 was 40.592
BCM.
• This is 25% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs.
• Storage during current year is less than storage of last year
and is also less than average storage of last ten years
• 37 Reservoirs out of these 91 have hydropower benefit
with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.
750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a postage
stamp to commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Sri
Vedanta Desikan in New Delhi on May 2, 2019.
• He was a poet, devotee, philosopher and master-teacher
(desikan) in the post-Ramanuja period.
• The stamp was released by the Indian postal department
to commemorate the great philosopher's life and highly
valued works.
Hyderabad's Charminar damaged
• From the 428-year-old Charminar, a huge chunk of lime-
plaster from its south-west minaret broke and fell to the
ground.
• Pictures from the site showed that the lime-plaster
comprising eight flower-petals, sized about 2.5 meters/0.8
meters, came-off the minaret.
Naxal attack in Gadchiroli killed 15
• A reinforcement party of the Quick Response Team (QRT)
of the Kurkheda police travelling to Purada was attacked in
a landmine blast.
• Gadchiroli is a district in Maharashtra.
• Devendra Fadnavis is the CM of Maharashtra, while C.
Vidhyasagar Rao is the governor.
India's growth forecast lowered to 7.3%
• India Ratings & Research (A Fitch Group Company) has
lowered the country’s growth forecast for the current
fiscal to 7.3%, from the earlier projection of 7.5 %.

• The agency has listed three key reasons for lowering its
projection.
Government to take over NHB from RBI
• The government will be taking over the National Housing
Bank (NHB) after buying entire stake for Rs 1,450 crore
from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The RBI has exited the NHB, thus making it a fully
government-owned entity.
• RBI was holding 100% stake in the NHB, the housing
finance regulator.
CBSE announced new internal exams
• CBSE will conduct 2-level exams for Class 10 mathematics
and English exams in which 20 marks internal exam will be
conducted by respective schools and 80 marks will be
given to theory.
• The circular has been sent to schools with proper
guidelines and will be implemented from board 2020.
• A total of 20 marks will be assigned for school-based
assessment in each of the exams.
Personalities in News
Papua New Guinea's PM resigned
• Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill resigned
following a string of high-profile political defections that
threatened his leadership.
• Neill - who had been in power since 2011 - handed over
the reins to Julius Chan, who has twice been prime
minister.
Sagar Kasana scaled Mt. Everest
• A Ghaziabad-based mountaineer, Sagar Kasana, has scaled
Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
• He unfurled the Indian flag at the summit at 10.15 a.m. on
May 22, 2019.
• Sagar, along with Krick Wood from Australia, Alexander
from Russia and Evan Tommo from Bulgaria, reached the
third base camp on May 4.
• On the way to the peak, Tommo died due to altitude
sickness.
Priyanka Mohite scaled Mount Makalu
• Priyanka Mohite, a mountaineer from Satara, Maharashtra
became the first Indian woman to successfully scale
Mount Makalu.
• Mount Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world at
8,481 metres.
• In 2013, Mohite had become the youngest girl from her
state to have conquered the 8,848m Mount Everest — the
highest peak in the world — becoming only the third-
youngest Indian to do so.
Jitender Kumar posthumously with UN medal
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Police Officer Jitender Kumar posthumously was honoured
with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal by the United Nations
on 24 May 2019.
• He made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the UN
Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
• India is the fourth largest contributor of uniformed
personnel to the UN peacekeeping.
Naveen to take oath for 5th term as Odisha CM
• Naveen Patnaik is all set to take oath as chief minister of
the State for a record fifth term in a row.
• The Biju Janata Dal headed by him has won a decisive
victory in the assembly polls bagging 112 of the 146
assembly seats.
• The 15th State Assembly which was formed on June 12,
2014, will complete its term on 11th June 2019.
HK Patil resigned from Congress Campaign
• In Karnataka, senior Congress leader HK Patil has resigned
as President of state Congress Campaign Committee.
• He took the responsibility for the party's disastrous defeat
in Lok Sabha polls.
• He said the results have shocked all Congressmen and the
outcome in Karnataka is contrary to their expectations.
Theresa May to resign as PM
• British PM has announced that she would resign as the
UK's Conservative leader on June 7, 2019.
• The decisions came after she failed to win over her
ministers with a revised strategy to withdraw Britain from
the European Union.
Remya: Kerala's only Dalit woman MP
• Remya Haridas has created history by becoming the only
woman to have elected to parliament from Kerala.
• She is also the second ever Dalit woman MP to have
elected from Kerala.
• She was one of the toppers of Gandhi's 'Talent Hunt' in
search for upcoming leaders held in 2010.
• She has won against nearly insurmountable odds from
Alathur, Kerala.
1st Kashmiri woman to summit Everest
• Nahida Manzoor created history by becoming the first
Kashmiri woman to successfully summit the World’s
highest peak, Mount Everest.
• Nahida Manzoor went with her Sherpa Guide Nima
Kancha.
• On March 4, 2019, she had started crowdfunding to
support her dream journey as she required Rs 30 lakh for
the adventure.
Kenya's Olympic coach banned for 10 years

• The coach of Kenya’s Olympic track team in 2016, Michael
Rotich, has been banned for 10 years for corruption.
• He asked for $12,000 to give athletes advance notice to
help them beat doping tests.
• Rotich was banned by the IAAF ethics board following a
three-year investigation.
• Rotich promised to help British runners dope with EPO.
Indra Nooyi received doctorate from Yale
• Former PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi was
presented with the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
by Yale University.
• She was presented the doctorate for her achievements in
business.
• Nooyi received a degree in Master of Public and Private
Management from the university's Yale School of
Management in 1980.
Keval scaled highest mountains in 6 days
• A 28-year-old Indian climber has scaled two mountains
above 8,000 metres, including the Mt. Everest, in just six
days.
• Keval Hiren Kakka touched the peak of Mount Lhotse,
world's fourth highest mountain on 21 May 2019.
• He had scaled Mt. Everest on 16 May 2019.
Joko Widodo elected President of Indonesia
• Indonesia’s Joko Widodo has been re-elected as President
of the country.
• He beat his rival Prabowo Subianto, a retired general.
• Widodo and his vice-presidential running mate Ma’ruf
Amin won the election by a 55.5% to 44.5% margin over
Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.
• The next top parties by the number of votes are Golkar,
and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Kapil Sharma: Most viewed stand-up comedian
• Kapil Sharma named as most viewed stand-up comedian in
India and abroad by World Book of Records London.
• He had started his career as a stand-up comedian from
different comedy shows and got fame from Comedy Nights
with Kapil.
Saray: 1st black woman to climb Mt. Everest
• Saray Khumalo became the first black African women to
conquer Mt. Everest in her fourth attempt.
• She has also conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa,
Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Elbrus in Russia.
• She is on a hunt to conquer the highest peaks on each
continent.
J&K youth selected for AYIMUN Conference
• Bandipora youth Mudasir Nazir Wani has been selected for
the Asia Youth International Model United Nations
(AYIMUN) conference.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• He was selected from more than 33,000 applicants across
the globe.
• Mudasir is one of the 2,500 delegates who would be
participating in the conference.
Virat Kohli: 1st cricketer with 100 mn foll.
• Virat Kohli is the first cricketer in the world ever to break
into the 100 million category for followers on social media.
• Virat Kohli has Facebook (37.1 million), Twitter (29.4
million) and Instagram (33.5 million) to his name.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is the most popular sportsperson on
social media with 77 million followers on Twitter, 122
million on Facebook and 166 million on Instagram.
TIME's top 10 'Next Generation Leaders'
• Indian YouTuber Ajey Nagar has been named by Time
magazine in its list of top 10 'Next Generation Leaders'
2019.
• The 'Next Generation Leader' is a list of 10 young people
from around the world who are establishing new paths in
politics, music and other areas.
• He has a YouTube channel, named as CarryMinati.
Brazilian Bishop resigned
• Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Brazilian
bishop who is under investigation by local authorities.
• The Vatican announced the resignation of Bishop Vilson
Dias de Oliveira and named Archbishop Orlando Brandes
of Aparecida as a temporary replacement.
• de Oliveira is being investigated for extortion, illicit
enrichment and the coverup of alleged cases of sexual
harassment.
Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for 23rd time
• A Nepalese Sherpa climber Kami Rita has scaled Mount
Everest for 23rd time.
• He broke his own record for the most successful ascents of
the world's highest peak.
• Rita is a native of Thame village located in the shadow of
Mount Everest.
Anil Kapoor to be honoured
• Council of European Chambers of Commerce (CEUCC) in
India and European Union (EU) delegation will felicitate
Indian actor Anil Kapoor.
• He will be honoured for promoting Children’s Rights and
his effort to protect the rights of girls in collaboration with
Plan India and the European Union.
• He will be accompanied by the EU Ambassador to India
Tomasz Kozlowski.
Aarohi: 1st woman to fly solo across Atlantic
• Aarohi Pandit has become the world’s first female pilot to
fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a Light Sport Aircraft
(LSA).

• She completed the feat when she landed at Iqaluit Airport
in Canada on 13 May, having flown there from Wick in the
UK.
• It also made Pandit the first female pilot in the world to
successfully complete a solo flight across the Greenland ice
cap in an LSA.
Jet Airways CEO resigned
• CEO of Jet Airways Vinay Dube has resigned with
immediate effect due to personal reasons.
• Dube's resignation comes just a day after chief financial
officer (CFO) and deputy chief executive officer (deputy
CEO) Amit Agarwal quit from his positions with effect from
14 May 2019.
Jet Airways CFO resigned
• Jet Airways (India) Ltd's CFO and deputy CEO Amit Agarwal
has resigned from his positions at the airline.
• Amit Agarwal, who joined the airline in December 2015, is
a chartered accountant with over two-and-a-half decades
of experience.
• Considered close to founder Naresh Goyal, Agarwal was
responsible for all financial and fiscal management aspects
of the company’s business.
Pt. Swapan Chowdhury conferred with D. Litt
• Noted writer Sanjib Chattopadhyay, Classical dancer Sonal
Mansingh and Tabla Maestro Pt. Swapan Chowdhury were
conferred with D.Litt degrees by the Rabindra Bharati
University (RBU) in Kolkata on 8 May 2019.
• The Chancellor of the University and West Bengal
Governor Mr. Keshari Nath Tripathi presented the
degrees.
• Noted educationists Professor V. N. Jha delivered the
convocation address.
2 reporters freed in Myanmar
• Two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar after they were
convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act walked free
from prison after more than 500 days behind bars.
• Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been convicted in
September and sentenced to seven years in jail.
• They were released under a presidential amnesty for 6,520
prisoners.
Nepali teenager created new record
• Bandana Nepal danced continuously for 126 hours to set a
Guinness World Records on Longest Dancing Marathon by
an Individual, a feat previously hold by an Indian.
• Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli honoured the 18-year-old
girl, Bandana Nepal, for achieving the feat.
• Bandana Nepal beat the record set by Kalamandalam
Hemlatha, who danced continuously for 123 hours and 15
minutes in 2011.
Myntra appoints Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Flipkart-owned fashion e-commerce platform Myntra
announced that it had appointed celebrity couple Virat
Kohli and Anushka Sharma as its first brand ambassadors.
• This is couple’s second big brand endorsement deal after
men’s ethnic wear brand Manyavar, which they have been
associated with since 2017.
King Vajiralongkorn crowned Rama X of Thailand
• King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X of Thailand, was
crowned on 4th May.
• King Vajiralongkorn is the tenth monarch of the Chakri
dynasty, which has reigned since 1782.
• He ascended the throne over two years ago following his
the death of his beloved father, but waited until after a
long mourning period before setting his coronation date.
Eric Schmidt left Google board
• Google-parent Alphabet said that Eric Schmidt, who was
chief of the internet giant for a decade, will leave the
board in June.
• Mr. Schmidt stepped down as chairman of the Alphabet
board at the start of 2018, remaining a member but
shifting to a role as a technical advisor.
Government Policies & Schemes
Karnataka Bank launched savings bank product
• Karnataka Bank launched a new savings bank product
called 'KBL SB Salary' for salaried class with three variants
of Executive, Prime, and Classic.
• All these 3 variants of KBL SB Salary Scheme are available
for the Salaried People with a host of Digitally Powered
features and without any Minimum Balance Criteria.
• No annual charge on Debit Cards is a major feature.
Rajasthan govt to revamp Ujala clinics
• Rajasthan Government set to revamp ‘Ujala Clinics’ for
adolescents.
• It will appoint peer educators for counseling the
youngsters in order to ensure coordination with other
medical and health schemes.
• Ujjala Clinics function under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya
Karyakram (RKSK) in 10 districts of the state.
Universal debt relief scheme on cards
• India has begun work on a universal debt relief scheme for
small borrowers aimed at micro enterprises, small farmers
and artisans.
• Individuals below a specified income and asset threshold
will be eligible for debt relief.
• People with annual income of Rs 60,000 or less,
outstanding loans of Rs 35,000 or less, and assets worth Rs
20,000 or less may be eligible.
SAIL introduced new pension scheme

• Steel maker SAIL has introduced a pension scheme for its
current as well as former employees.
• Under this scheme, all executive employees who were on
rolls of the company on or after January 1, 2007, as well as
non-executive employees on rolls on or after January 1,
2012, shall be covered in the scheme.
• The scheme will extend coverage to more than 55,000 ex-
employees.
Science & Technology
Young scientists to advise apex council
• The principal scientific advisor to the PM is putting
together a team of young researchers who would act as
sounding boards for new ideas and help implement the
country’s scientific missions.
• The Prime Minister’s Science,Technology and Innovation
Advisory Council (PMSTIAC) has 21 members including
senior researchers and government officials, who help
develop and implement various missions.
Tech gaint slam UK proposal on encrypted chat
• Top tech giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft
have slammed a proposal by the UK intelligence agency
GCHQ to snoop on users' encrypted chats.
• In an open letter published on Lawfare, a group of 47 tech
firms on Thursday criticised the move, asking the agency
to abandon its plans for a so-called "ghost protocol".
Pasta-like rocks best bet for life on Mars.
• Rocks on the surface of Mars that look like layers of pasta
may be the most obvious sign of life on the Red Planet, a
NASA-funded study suggests.
• The bacterium that controls the formation of such rocks
on Earth is ancient and thrives in harsh environments that
are similar to conditions on Mars, according to the study
published in the journal Astrobiology.
World’s tiniest surviving baby born in US.
• A California hospital on 29th May 2019 disclosed the birth
of the world’s smallest baby ever to survive, weighing a
mere 245 gms the same as a large apple when she was
born.
• The girl, nicknamed Saybie by hospital staff in San Diego.
• The father was told by doctors that he would have about
an hour with his daughter before she passed away.
Sundar Pichai turned down a big stock award.
• The Google CEO hasn’t received an equity award in more
than two years. A key reason is that Pichai turned down a
big new grant of restricted stock in 2018 because he felt
he was already paid generously, according to a person
familiar with the decision.
• Since 2016 big stock award, Sundar Pichai has collected a
$650,000 annual salary and typical CEO perks such as the
cost of personal security
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
TCS bats for FMCG-like valuation
• Peers say tech spending tied to global growth and any talk
of re-rating sector is premature.
• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd believes that it is time
money managers re-look at how they have valued the
company, which in the year ended March 2019 overtook
DXC Technology Co., to become the world’s third largest IT
services firm.
Software helps unearthen illegal abortions
• Every pregnant woman has to register on a software
PICME (Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and
Evaluation) It was one such registration in Kadaladi
Primary Health Centre PHC that helped officials zero in on
illegal abortions in Tiruvannamalai.
• It is a project implemented by the Directorate of Public
Health and Preventive Medicine. It is mandatory for
pregnant women to register.
Ancient supernova led humans to walk
• Cosmic energy bombarded by supernovae eight million
years ago may have triggered a chain of events that
eventually led to ancient humans walk on two legs, a study
claims.
• The research, published in the Journal of Geology,
suggests that the supernovae initiated an avalanche of
electrons in the lower atmosphere.
AI adoption to double productivity by 2021
• Adoption of AI is expected to help double the rate of
industrial innovation and may result in over two times
jump in employee productivity in India by 2021.
• The study was conducted by research firm IDC on behalf of
Microsoft.
• Organisations that have adopted AI saw tangible
improvements in the range of 8-22% in areas like customer
engagement, margins, and competitiveness.
DRDO successfully test fired AKASH-MK-1S
• DRDO successfully test fired AKASH-MK-1S missile from
ITR, Chandipur, Odisha on 25 and 27 May 2019.
• AKASH-MK-1S is an upgrade of existing AKASH missile with
indigenous Seeker.
• AKASH-MK-1S is a surface to air missile which can
neutralize advanced aerial targets.
• The Akash weapon system has combination of both
command guidance and active terminal seeker guidance.
Motilal AMC launches WhatsApp trans. platform
• Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company launched its
WhatsApp transaction platform for new as well as existing
investors.
• It is the first of its kind initiative by any fund house in India
to do mutual fund transactions through the messaging
app.

• The investor through his/her registered number can
initiate a transaction in Motilal Oswal MF funds just by
typing a salutation.
Octopus-inspired wearable sensors
• Scientists from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea
have developed flexible wearable sensors.
• They stick to the skin, paving the way for novel health
trackers that could monitor a variety of human activities.
• It could monitor an array of human activities, including
electrocardiogram signals, pulse and speech patterns.
NASA unveils schedule for 'Artemis'
• NASA unveiled the schedule for the 'Artemis' program that
will return astronauts to the Moon, including eight
scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by
2024.
• Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed mission around the Moon
planned for 2020.
• Artemis 2 will orbit the moon with a crew around 2022;
followed finally by Artemis 3 that will put astronauts on
lunar soil in 2024.
Fungi that oxidise gold particles
• Australia's national science agency CSIRO has discovered
new thread-like fungi that oxidise tiny particles of gold
from their surroundings and attach the gold to their
strands.
• The fungi, Fusarium oxsporum, were found to grow larger
and spread faster than those that don't interact with gold.
• Gold is so chemically inactive that this interaction is both
unusual and surprising.
18 hidden planets uncovered by NASA
• German scientists have discovered 18 Earth-sized planets
beyond solar system.
• Scientists re-analysed part of NASA's Kepler Telescope
data using new method developed by them.
• They estimate the method may lead to over 100 more
exoplanet discoveries from entire Kepler dataset.
Scientists broke superconductivity record
• International researchers have broken the record for
superconductivity at the highest temperature recorded to
date at around -23°C.
• They created a new material, called lanthanum
superhydrides, to achieve the same.
• The material was, however, placed under extremely high
pressure ranging between 150-170 gigapascals to reach
the new record.
NASA ordered 1st seg. of lunar space station
• NASA has chosen its first commercial partner for a
proposed space station, known as the Lunar Gateway, to
be built near the Moon.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Maxar Technologies would build the first component of
the Gateway—the power and propulsion element.
• It will provide electricity to the Gateway and help move it
around.
SpaceX launched satellites for internet serv.
• Elon Musk's SpaceX company launched a Falcon 9 rocket
from Florida on a mission.
• It carried the first batch of five dozen small satellites into
low-Earth orbit for his new Starlink internet service.
• The new Starlink venture is an important new revenue
stream for SpaceX.
Radial Rib antenna demonstrated
• Radial Rib antenna (RRA) is a world-class technology
demonstrated in-orbit in RISAT-2B spacecraft.
• This 3.6 metre antenna was folded & stowed during launch
and later successfully unfurled & deployed in-orbit.
• The deployment was completed in 7 mins and 20 seconds.
• The antenna was realised indigenously by ISRO team in a
record time of 13 months.
Study: Moons' formation brought water
• A cosmic body that hit the Earth and led to the formation
of the Moon about 4.4 billion years ago may have also
delivered large quantities of water to our home planet,
scientists have found.
• The Earth is the only terrestrial planet with a large amount
of water and a relatively large moon, which stabilises the
Earth's axis.
• Both were essential for Earth to develop life.
Oldest fungus fossil found in Arctic
• In a new study published, a team of scientists detailed how
the multicellular fungus, which they named Ourasphaira
giraldae, lived in an estuary environment about 900 million
to 1 billion years.
• Until now, the oldest-known fungus fossil was one about
410 million years old from Scotland.
• The discovery sheds light on the origins of an important
branch in the Earth's tree of life.
Send names to fly on Mars
• The US space agency has invited public to submit their
names to fly abroad the next rover to Red Planet in 2020.
• Souvenir boarding passes will display names submitted by
the people which will also be on microchips aboard the
Mars 2020 rover.
• The rover is scheduled to launch as early as July 2020, with
the spacecraft expected to touch down on Mars in
February 2021.
Human brain genes added into monkeys

• Scientists in China have created a new kind of monkey
using human brain genes in an attempt to understand how
human brains develop.
• As per the Beijing’s National Science Review journal,
researchers took human copies of the MCPH1 gene.
• They introduced it into monkey embryos by means of a
virus that carried the gene.
• The gene is believed to play an important role in our brain
development.
PSLV-46 successfully launched RISAT-2B
• India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46)
successfully launched the RISAT-2B satellite on 22 May
2019.
• It was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• This was the 72nd launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR,
Sriharikota and 36th launch from the First Launch pad.
Facebook released maps
• In a bid to fight disease outbreaks, Facebook has built new
maps that can help its health partners better understand
where people live, how they are moving and whether they
have connectivity.
• All of these maps, when combined with information from
health systems, can improve the way organisations deliver
supplies and respond to outbreaks.
AI-model developed to detect lung cancer
• Alphabet’s Google team has reported a new research
which can use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict lung
cancer risks.
• Lung cancer results in over 1.7 Mn global deaths per year
— even more than the combined number of cases of
breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.
• In 2018, 2.09 million cases of lung cancer have been
reported worldwide.
Evidence of water found on Ultima Thule
• NASA has found evidence for a unique mixture of
methanol, water ice, and organic molecules on Ultima
Thule’s surface-the farthest world ever explored by
mankind.
• Researchers are also investigating a range of surface
features on Ultima Thule, such as bright spots and patches,
hills and troughs, and craters and pits.
ISRO announced 7 missions in next 10 years
• ISRO has announced to conduct 7 Mega Missions for the
upcoming 10 years and also prepared a roadmap for the
next 30 years.
• The 7 Mega Missions includes India’s second moon
mission Chandrayaan-2, XPoSaT and Aditya L-1.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• ISRO categorized its six Mega Missions (excluding
Chandrayaan-2) in two broad categories- Defined Missions
and Undefined Missions.
NASA's new robot got 1st hardware check
• Astrobee, a free-flying robot system has had its first
hardware checks on the International Space Station.
• The system is actually a trio of robots, named Honey,
Queen, and Bumble, which are propelled by electric fans.
• They can return to their docking station to recharge their
batteries.
1st women astronaut to go on Moon
• Mission Artemis will likely carry the first woman astronaut
to the Moon.
• The mission has been named after the Greek Moon
goddess who was also the twin sister of the Apollo.
• The first men to walk on the Moon did so under the Apollo
missions between 1960 and 1972.
• Now, 50 years later, NASA has planned to send the first
woman to the Moon in a manned lunar mission in 2024.
Carbon dioxide levels hit historic high
• Scientists in the US have detected the highest levels of
planet-warming carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere
since records began.
• The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked
atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, detected
415.26 parts per million (ppm).
• It was also the first time on record that the observatory
measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm.
ABHYAS successfully tested
• DRDO conducted a successful flight test of ABHYAS - High-
speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from Interim Test
Range, Chandipur in Odisha on 13 May 2019.
• The flight test was tracked by various RADARS & Electro
Optic Systems and proved its performance in a fully
autonomous waypoint navigation mode.
• The configuration of ABHYAS is designed on an in-line
small gas turbine engine.
Yuvika 2019 inaugurated
• The Young Scientist Programme ‘Yuvika2019’ was
inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan, through video
mode in Bengaluru on 13 May 2019.
• The two-week residential summer vacation programme is
spread over four ISRO centres in Bengaluru,
Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, and Shillong.
• It will be attended by 110 students.
Microsoft launches 'ElectionGuard'
• In a bid to help countries ensure secure and verifiable
voting, Microsoft announced 'ElectionGuard', a free open-
source Software Development Kit (SDK).

• ElectionGuard is verifiable, allowing voters and third-party
organisations to verify election results.
• It is also secure, auditable and open source -- free and
flexible with the ability to be used with off-the-shelf
hardware.
Highest-resolution image sensor unveiled
• Samsung Electronics Co introduced the world's highest-
resolution image sensor, with 64 megapixels for
smartphones to meet the growing demand for mobile
devices with better image quality.
• Samsung unveiled two new 0.8-micrometre pixel image
sensors: the 64-megapixel ISOCELL Bright GW1 and the 48-
megapixel ISOCELL Bright GM2.
Extinct bird species came back from the dead
• A previously extinct species of bird returned from the
dead, reclaiming the island it previously lived on and re-
evolving itself back into existence.
• The white-throated rail colonized the Aldabra Atoll in the
Indian Ocean and evolved to become flightless.
• It was completely wiped out when the island disappeared
below the sea around 136,000 years ago.
Bezos unveiled lunar lander
• Jeff Bezos unveiled a mockup of a lunar lander being built
by his Blue Origin rocket company.
• The lander will be able to deliver payloads to the lunar
surface, deploy up to four smaller rovers and shoot out
satellites to orbit the moon.
• Bezos unveiled a model of roughly the size of a golf cart,
and presented a new rocket engine called BE-7, which can
blast 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg) of thrust.
First indigenous microprocessor AJIT developed
• Engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
have developed a microprocessor called AJIT.
• It is the first to be conceptualised, designed, developed
and manufactured in India.
• The project was funded by the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) and IIT Bombay.
NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 2022
• In a first, NASA will launch a spacecraft that will collide
with an asteroid in 2022 to demonstrate a planetary
defense technique.
• The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will get one
chance to hit its target, a small moonlet in the binary
asteroid system Didymos.
• The asteroid poses no threat to Earth.
India’s newest pit viper found in Arunachal
• India now has a fifth brown pit viper but with a reddish
tinge.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Scientiscts have described a new species of reddish-brown
pit viper, a venomous snake with a unique heat-sensing
system from a forest in West Kameng district of Arunachal
Pradesh.
• The team of herpetologists was led by Ashok Captain.
SpaceX successfully launched cargo mission
• SpaceX successfully launched a Dragon spacecraft on a
cargo mission for NASA to International Space Station
(ISS).
• This is SpaceX's fifth launch of the year.
• The launch was rescheduled earlier due to some electrical
problem on ISS.
• It was launched on a 'Falcon 9' rocket, from Cape
Canaveral in Florida. It is being used for the first time.
ISRO to launch RISAT-2BR1 on 22 May
• ISRO is set to launch its Radar Imaging Satellite, the RISAT-
2BR1, on May 22, 2019 from Sriharikota in Andhra
Pradesh.
• The RISAT, a remote sensing satellite, provide all-weather
surveillance using synthetic aperture radars (SAR).
• RISAT's are the first all-weather observation satellites from
ISRO and are designed to provide a continuous view of
earth either at day or night.
SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket
• Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (Space X) launched
its 17th commercial resupply mission to the International
Space Station by using Falcon 9 rocket with Dragon
Spacecraft.
• The 213-foot-tall rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station in Florida.
• This mission is a part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply
Services program, which uses commercial spacecraft to
deliver cargo to the ISS
'God of Chaos' asteroid to pass near Earth
• In 2029, a massive asteroid called 99942 Apophis will fly
past earth at an approximate distance of 19,000 miles
within the distance of some orbiting spacecraft.
• Apophis is named after the Egyptian god of chaos.
• The asteroid was originally discovered in 2004 by
astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, which
is located in Arizona.
Researchers identify drugs that block CRISPR
• Scientists have discovered the first small-molecule
inhibitors of the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9)
protein.
• The discovery could enable more precise control over
CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing.
• They disrupt the binding of SpCas9 to DNA and thereby
interfere with their ability to cut DNA.

• These first small-molecule CRISPR-Cas9 inhibitors readily
enter cells
ISRO planning to study sun
• Indian Space Research Organization is planning to send a
probe to study the sun early next year.
• Scientists are exploring possibilities to study more about
Sun and the probe named Aditya-L1 will be sent to
observe the solar corona, the outer layers of the Sun.
• He said, the satellite would be added in a halo orbit
around the L1 (Lagrangian point 1) of the Sun-Earth
system.
‘mySuger’ App to Manage Diabetes
• Roche Diabetes Care (RDC) has unveiled an integrated
Diabetes Management Solution (IDMS) in India, by
introducing the ‘mySuger’ App.
• It is accompanied by ‘Accu-Chek Instant’ blood glucose
monitoring system and is aimed at effective management
of the disease.
• This will offer a collaborative, integrated and personalised
approach for optimal therapy for people with diabetes.
TB is India's Deadliest Infectious Disease
• Tuberculosis is one of India's deadliest infectious diseases.
• It claimed close to three lakh lives between 2012 and
2016,
• Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh registered a high number of
deaths per one lakh of the population.
• Sikkim recorded the highest deaths per lakh of the
population (66 per 1 lakh population) due to TB.
Chandrayaan-2 modules to be launched in July
• All modules of India's second moon mission 'Chandrayaan-
2', are scheduled for launch in July 2019.
• They are getting ready and the lander is expected to touch
down on the lunar surface in early September 2019.
• The three modules- Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover
(Pragyan) -- of Chandrayaan-2 are getting ready for July
launch.
Committees & Recommendations
High-level panel pitches for 'Elephant Bonds'
• A government-appointed advisory group has suggested
issuance of 'Elephant Bonds' wherein people declaring
undisclosed income will have to mandatorily invest half of
that amount in these securities.
• These recommendations are part of a report prepared by
the 12-member group, set up by the commerce ministry in
September 2018.
Panel on digital payments submitted reports
• A Reserve Bank-appointed committee headed by Aadhaar
architect Nandan Nilekani submitted its suggestions on
promoting digital payments to Governor Shaktikanta Das.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• In January, a five-member panel was set up by RBI on
deepening digital payments.
• The RBI will examine the recommendations of the
committee and will dovetail the action points, in its
Payment Systems Vision 2021 for implementation
Committee constituted for clean air programme
• The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a
committee to implement the National Clean Air
Programme (NCAP).
• The committee will be chaired by the Secretary, Union
Environment Ministry.
• The NCAP unveiled in January 2019 is envisaged as a
scheme to provide the States and the Centre with a
framework to combat air pollution.
CEA included in finance panel’s council
• Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian has
been included in the Advisory Council of the 15th Finance
Commission as its member.
• The Advisory Council was set up in April 2018 to advise the
commission on any issue or subject related to the terms of
reference (ToR) of the commission.
• The council had also been mandated to help in broadening
the 15th Finance Commission’s ambit.
Business & Economy
Goldman Sachs invests $250 mn in India
• New York-based investment and financial services major
Goldman Sachs has pumped in $250 million to construct
one of its largest global workspaces in Bengaluru.
• The Bengaluru office has grown in size and technological
sophistication to become an incubator of talent for our
businesses around the globe - David M. Solomon (The
global investment bank’s chairman and CEO).
FICCI forecasts India's GDP at 7.1% for FY20
• The country's median GDP is forecast at 7.1 percent for
FY20 and 7.2 percent for FY 21.
• The industry body FICCI's economic outlook survey said
that the minimum and maximum growth estimate stood at
6.8 percent and 7.3 percent, for 2019-20.
• The survey was conducted in May 2019 among economists
belonging to the industry, banking, and financial services
sectors.
P-notes investments rises to ₹81,220 crore
• Till April-end, ₹58,820 crore was invested in the equities
segment
• There is a rise of 3.98% in the total value of P-notes
investment from the previous month.
• Participatory notes(P-notes) are issued by registered
foreign portfolio investors(FPIs) to overseas investors who
wish to be a part of the Indian stock market without

registering themselves directly going through a due
diligence process
RBI extends last cut-off timing for RTGS
• The Reserve Bank of India has extended the last cut-off
timing for customer transactions through Real Time Gross
Settlement Systems (RTGS) from 4.30pm to 6pm on all
working days, effective June 1, 2019.
• The transactions will now take place under three
windows.No Charges for first window and for second and
third additional charges has been set at Rs.2 and Rs.5
respectively.
FY20 to be SBI's turning point
• The use of technology in delivering banking services has
become more broad-based.
• This financial year, FY20, will be a turning point for State
Bank of India (SBI) as the bank will direct its efforts to
achieve a more sustainable mix of business, domestically
and in overseas operations.
• SBI posted a profit of Rs. 838.40 crore for the fourth
quarter of FY19.
CIC directed RBI to provide loan defau. names
• The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the
RBI to disclose the list of big loan defaulters it had sent to
banks for resolution.
• The CIC’s directive came while deciding on a plea by
Lucknow-based activist Nutan Thakur.
• The RBI had accordingly directed banks to file insolvency
applications against 12 large accounts comprising about
25% of the total NPAs.
Govt projected rise in non-GST revenue
• The Centre has projected a sharp increase of 26.6% in non-
Goods and Services Tax collection in 2022-23.
• In the same year, total GST collection is expected to gross
Rs 9,80,807 crore, a growth of just 2.3% compared to
12.1% and 12.3% in FY21 and FY22, respectively.
• The government has estimated to mop up Rs 7.61 lakh
crore in GST collection during 2019-20.
SEBI and IRDAI set up regulatory sandbox
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI) set up Regulatory Sandbox (RS) for fintech
innovations.
• RS is an infrastructure that helps fintech players live test
their products or solutions, before getting the necessary
regulatory approvals for a mass launch.
• It saves start-ups time and cost.
Modern currency chests to hike service charges
• The Reserve Bank of India allowed large modern currency
chests to increase the service charges on cash deposited
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
by non-chest bank branches from the existing rate of ₹5
per packet of 100 pieces to a higher rate subject to a
maximum of ₹8 per packet.
• For this, only a currency chest (CC) that fulfils the
minimum standards will be eligible to be classified as a
large modern CC.
Corporation Bank launches ‘Corp SME Suvidha’
• Corporation Bank has launched ‘Corp SME Suvidha’, a
product for GST-registered MSMEs.
• The product has been designed as part of the bank's
efforts to provide best products to MSME sector.
• PV Bharathi is the Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer of the bank
Paytm Bank turned profitable in 2nd year
• Paytm Payments Bank has turned profitable within its
second year of operations, posting a ₹19-crore profit for
the financial year 2018-19.
• It had reported a ₹20.7-crore loss for the financial year
2017-18.
• Paytm Payments Bank formally began operations in 2017
and claims to have over 19% of mobile banking
transactions' market share as of March 2019.
India allowed refurbished mobile exports
• India allowed the import of refurbished mobile phones or
second mobile phones only if they are certified by the
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
• Earlier, the Government of India didn’t give its assent to
refurbished mobile imports with the fear of dumping and
negative effect to Make In India initiative.
Reliance Industries: Biggest company by rev.
• Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has
become the country’s biggest company by revenue.
• Reliance, in the 2018-19 fiscal year that ended on March
31, reported a turnover of Rs.6.23 lakh crore.
• Reliance has achieved the number one position in terms of
all three parameters - revenue, profit, and market
capitalisation.
Bank credit to infra sector grew 18.5%
• Bank credit to infrastructure sector grew by 18.5% to
₹10.55 lakh crore as of 2018-19, the highest since 2012-13
fiscal, as per the RBI data.
• Outstanding bank credit to the sector was ₹8.91 lakh crore
as at March 2018.
• In FY18 and FY17, growth in bank credit to the sector was
negative at 1.7% and 6.1%, respectively.
Tripura Gramin Bank under top 3 rural banks
• Tripura Gramin Bank received India’s top three Regional
Rural Banks (RRBs) in terms of profit, business, and
growth.

• Currently, India has 46 Regional Rural Bank out of which
Tripura Gramin Bank ranked 3rd in the country.
• Tripura Gramin Bank posted a profit for 7 successive years
to Rs 125.45 crore in fiscal 2018-19.
Insurance for vector borne diseases launched
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company announced the
launch of 'Mosquito Disease Protection Policy'.
• This new policy will cover an individual against common
mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue Fever, Malaria,
Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Filariasis
and Zika Virus.
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is India's third-
largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector
SIDBI’s pilot scheme for fintech NBFCs
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
launched a pilot scheme to extend financial assistance of
up to ₹10 crore to fintech Non-Banking Finance Companies
(NBFCs).
• Fintech NBFCs are digital loan companies.
• They should have minimum capital risk-weighted assets
ratio of 15%.
• Their non-performing assets should be less than or equal
to 4%.
Insurance cover to local train passengers
• Bajaj Finserv launched a specialised insurance cover for
passengers travelling in local trains in Mumbai.
• The travellers will get an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh
against a payment of Rs 399 per annum.
• The 'Mumbai Local Train Cover' insurance policy was
introduced through lending arm Bajaj Finance and will
provide coverage in case of a mishap during a train
journey.
Debit card PoS swipes rose 27%
• As per data from the RBI, debit card swipes on Point of
Sales (PoS) terminals jumped more than 27% in March
2019 compared to 2018.
• In contrast, ATM withdrawals grew at a slower pace of
15%.
• In absolute terms, debit card swipes for March stood at
407 million almost half of ATM withdrawals at 891 million.
BoI reported Rs.252 crore profit
• Bank of India reported a net profit of ₹252 crore for the
quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of ₹3,969
crore in 2018.
• The Gross NPA ratio improved from 16.58% in March 2018
to 15.84% in March 2019.
• Net NPA ratio declined from 8.26% to 5.61%.
• Provision coverage ratio improved from 65.85% in March
2018 to 76.95% in March 2019.
RBI mandated Chief Risk Officers for NBFCs
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May 2019
• The RBI has mandated all the Non-Banking Financial
Company's (NBFC) with a size of over Rs.5,000 crore to
appoint Chief Risk Officers (CROs).
• With the increasing role of NBFCs in direct credit
intermediation, there is a need for NBFCs to augment risk
management practices.
• RBI’s move comes in the wake of ongoing rating
downgrades of non-banks which has raised fears
of liquidity crisis.
Exports growth slid to 4-month low
• India's export growth slid to a four-month low of 0.64% in
April as shipments of engineering goods, gems and
jewellery, leather and other products declined.
• Imports increased by 4.5% to $41.4 billion, the highest
growth in the last six months as crude oil and gold
shipments shot up in the month.
• Merchandise exports stood at $26 billion in April while
imports at $41.4 billion.
RBI released 'Vision 2021'
• The RBI released a vision document for ensuring a safe,
secure, convenient, quick and affordable e-payment
system.
• It expects the number of digital transactions to increase
more than four times to 8,707 crore in December 2021.
• The 'Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision
2019 - 2021', has its core theme of 'Empowering
Exceptional (E)payment Experience'.
RBI to push up digital transactions to 15%
• The RBI aims to push up digital transactions to about 15%
of gross domestic product over the next two years from
nearly 10% now.
• Cash as a percentage of GDP is at 11.4% compared to
11.8% before cash ban.
• RBI hopes to Increase digital payment transaction turnover
as a percentage of GDP to 14.80% in 2021 from about
10.37% in 2019.
NABARD announced rs 700 cr capital fund
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
announced a Rs 700-crore venture capital fund for equity
investments in agriculture and rural-focused startups.
• NABARD has been contributing to other funds till now and
this is the first time that the rural development bank has
launched a fund of its own.
• The fund has been launched by Nabventures with a
proposed corpus of Rs 500 cr.
Global oil prices jump over 1%
• Oil prices rose after Saudi Arabia said explosive-laden
drones had attacked two pumping stations belonging to
state oil company Aramco.
• Brent crude futures were at $70.79 a barrel at 1035 GMT.

• Aramco had halted pumping on the East-West pipeline
until the damage was evaluated.
Union Bank posted Rs. 3369 crore loss
• Union Bank of India reported a net loss of ₹3,369 crore in
the March quarter of FY19, owing to higher operational
expenses, and provisions on account of bad loan
divergences.
• The losses in Q4 of FY19 was wider than the ₹2,583-crore
loss in the same period in 2018.
• The bank said that RBI has found gross non-performing
asset (NPA) divergence for FY18 at ₹867 crore.
HDFC Bank wholesale book increased 32%
• HDFC Bank grew its wholesale book by 32% in 2018-19.
• As a result, the wholesale lending book is now 46% of the
total book compared with 43% a year ago.
• This came at a time when most lenders are shying away
from lending to the corporate sector.
Sebi issued notice to Kotak, HDFC MF
• Sebi has sent show-cause notices to Kotak Mutual Fund
and HDFC Mutual Fund, seeking details about their
investments in the debt instruments of Essel Group
companies.
• Essel Group promoters have sought time to repay their
lenders.
• Both fund houses had exposure to Essel Group companies
in their fixed maturity plans (FMPs).
Retail inflation at 6-month high in April
• India's retail inflation touched a six-month high in April to
2.92% on high food prices, compared with 2.86% in March.
• As per the Ministry of Statistics and Program
Implementations, despite a slight increase in inflation,
consumer price index remains below the target of 4 (+/-
2)%.
• The consumer price index (CPI)-based retail inflation was
at 2.57% in February 2019.
Asian economies to dominate 7%
• The 2020s are set to be the Asian decade, with the
continent dominating an exclusive list of economies
expected to sustain growth rates of around 7%.
• Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire are also likely to reach the 7%
growth pace.
• India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines
should all meet that benchmark, according to a research
note.
Universal debt relief scheme on cards
• India has begun work on a universal debt relief scheme for
small borrowers aimed at micro enterprises, small farmers
and artisans.
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May 2019
• Individuals below a specified income and asset threshold
will be eligible for debt relief.
• People with annual income of Rs 60,000 or less,
outstanding loans of Rs 35,000 or less, and assets worth Rs
20,000 or less may be eligible.
SBI cuts lending rates
• The SBI and ICICI Bank posted quarterly results with both
their managements exuding confidence that the worse is
over in terms of asset quality.
• SBI has cut its marginal cost-based lending rates (MCLR) by
five basis points across tenors.
• RBI has withdrawn its circular asking banks and financial
institutions to declare details of their exposure and
provisions related to the (IL&FS).
RBI proposed new mobile app
• The RBI proposes to come out with a mobile application to
aid visually impaired persons in identifying Indian currency
notes.
• At present, banknotes in the denominations of ₹ 10, 20,
50, 100, 200, 500 and 2,000 are in circulation, besides Re 1
notes issued by the Government of India.
• The mobile application shall provide multi-lingual support
as well as audio notifications.
India's industrial output in March falls 0.1%
• Industrial output contracted 0.1% in March 2019 due to
slowdown in the manufacturing sector.
• Factory output as measured in terms of the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP) had expanded 5.3% in March
2018.
• During the entire 2018-19 fiscal, industrial output
witnessed a 3.6% growth as against 4.4% in the previous
fiscal.
Morgan Stanley downgrades RIL
• Morgan Stanley has downgraded Reliance Industries
Limited’s (RIL) stock to ‘equal weight’ (EW), leading to a
3.41% fall in the company’s shares to ₹1,255.15.
• With this fall, the company has again lost the tag of India’s
most-valued firm to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
• RIL’s market capitalisation fell to ₹7,98,628.55 crore
compared with TCS’s ₹8,13,779.67 crore.
Govt prohibits imports of electronics goods
• The government of India has prohibited Import of second-
hand or refurbished electronics and IT goods without
registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards.
• Under the Electronics and IT Goods (Requirement of
Compulsory Registration) order 2012, imports of these
goods is allowed through the registration with the BIS or
on specific exemption letter from the ministry of IT and
electronics.
TCS reclaims most valued firm status

• On 9 May 2019, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reclaimed
the status of the country's most valued firm by market
valuation surpassing Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
• TCS is the country's most valued firm followed by RIL,
HDFC Bank, Hindustan Unilever and ITC.
• The m-cap figure of companies changes daily with stock
price movement.
Thresholds for class action lawsuits notified
• The Corporate Affairs Ministry has notified the thresholds
for filing class action -- a provision aimed at providing a
redressal mechanism for small and minority investors.
• Under Section 245 of the Companies Act, investors can file
a class action suit.
• An application for class action can be filed by a member or
members representing 5% of the total members of a
company.
Bank credit grows 13.2% in FY19
• Bank credit grew by 13.2% in financial year 2018-19 as
compared to 10.3% in the previous financial year, mainly
aided by loans to services and retail sector.
• Credit growth in services sector till the middle of February
was 23.7% and in retail sector it was 16.7%.
• Credit growth in the industry sector was 5.6%.
L&T buys Mindtree shares worth ₹368 crore
• Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro bought shares of
Mindtree worth about ₹368 crore through open market
transactions.
• According to bulk deal data available with the NSE, L&T
bought over 37.53 lakh shares, or 2.28% stake, worth
₹367.8 crore, with the average price being ₹979.96 per
scrip.
RBI withdraws mandate on IL&FS NPAs
• Following the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s
decision to allow banks to declare NPAs of Infrastructure
Leasing & Financial Services Limited and its group entities,
the RBI has now withdrawn its circular.
• The circular mandated to disclose bad loans of the IL&FS
group in its notes of accounts.
• Previously, RBI had asked banks and financial institutions
to disclose the NPA.
BharatPe launches UPI for merchants
• BharatPe, a fintech startup enabling payments for
merchants through interoperable UPI QR codes, has
announced its foray into merchant services with a new
app.
• The app allows merchants to record their cash/credit
(udhar) sales customer wise, request accounts receivable
from customers via SMS payment links, and keep track of
accounts payable to suppliers.
Yes Bank acquired shares of CG Power
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Yes Bank has acquired eight crore shares in electric
equipment maker CG Power and Industrial Solutions which
were pledged to it by a borrower.
• The acquired shares represent 12.79% ownership in the
company and will be valued at ₹292.56 crore.
• CG Power had a turnover of ₹6,287 crore in fiscal year
2017-18.
NCLT began bankruptcy process
• The lenders to the crippled Reliance Communications
(RCom) moved NCLT to appoint a new resolution
professional (RP) and form a committee of creditors.
• It is the first step to begin the bankruptcy process of the
Anil Ambani group company that owes close to ₹50,000
crores to 31 lenders led by SBI.
• RCom was in trouble for years forcing it to discontinue
operations two years ago.
Exports to Maldives exempted from restriction
• Exports of specified quantity of essential commodities to
Maldives have been exempted from any kind of domestic
restrictions or prohibition in the current fiscal.
• Export of potatoes, onion, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal and
eggs has been permitted to Maldives under bilateral trade
agreement between India and Maldives during the period
2019-20 with effect from April.
100 US firms to join Dept of Commerce
• The U.S. Commercial Service will bring more than 100 U.S.
companies to India as part of the U.S. Department of
Commerce’s largest annual trade mission program, Trade
Winds.
• Trade Winds Indo-Pacific features a three-day business
forum in New Delhi, with additional trade mission stops in
Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, and Bangladesh.
Mastercard to invest $ 1 bn to develop India
• Mastercard will invest $1 billion in India over the next five
years, with plans to make the country a global technology
node for its platforms.
• The company has already invested $1 billion in the Indian
market in the last five years.
• This investment will help foster innovation and increase
Mastercard’s speed-to-market capabilities and value-
added services.
RBI raised caps on home loans by SFBs
• The RBI has increased the eligibility cap on home loans
extended by regional rural banks and small finance banks
to ₹35 lakh in metropolitan areas and ₹25 lakh in other
centres.
• All such loans will be now classified by these banks as
priority sector loans.

• In addition, the existing family income limit of ₹2 lakh per
annum is revised to ₹3 lakh per annum for EWS and ₹6
lakh per annum for LIG.
Business News
• Ride hailing major Ola said Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus
of Tata Sons, has invested in its EV business - Ola Electric
Mobility.
• Hindalco Industries, the country’s biggest aluminium
producer, has tied up with two international
manufacturers of beverage cans — US-based Ball Beverage
Packaging AMEA and CAN-PACK India. The consortium, to
be called the Aluminium Beverage Can Association of
India.
Yes Bank slips to 10th most valuable lender
• Private lender YES Bank Ltd has slipped three notches to
10th spot, in terms of market valuation, for the first time.
• Its shares slumped over 30% in the last two sessions after
the bank reported a surprise net loss in its March quarter
earnings.
• HDFC Bank is the most valued Indian bank with a market
cap of ₹6.45 trillion.
SBI new rules on savings account from May 1
• SBI linked interest rate on large savings account deposits
to RBI's repo rate from 1 May 2019.
• The interest rate on SBI's short-term loans like cash credit
and overdraft facilities will also be linked to the repo rate.
• Interest rates on large SBI savings account deposits and
interest rate on some short-term loans will automatically
change as and when RBI changes its repo rate.
Netherlands got $12.8-b Indian FDI in 2017
• The Netherlands has emerged as the third largest foreign
direct investor in India during 2017-18.
• The Netherlands was also the second largest destination
for foreign investment by Indian companies, after
Singapore, with investments worth $12.8 billion in 2017.
• During 2017-18, the bilateral trade topped $ 8.77 billion
while the Indian exports to the Netherlands grew at 14.7%.
India extends tariff deadline on U.S. items
• The government has again extended its deadline to impose
retaliatory import duties on 29 U.S. products, including on
almonds, walnuts and pulses, till May 16.
• A Finance Ministry notification said that implementation of
increased customs duty on specified imports from the U.S.
has been postponed from May 2 to May 16 this year.
• These deadlines have been extended several times since
June 2018.
Asia-Pacific to grow 5.7% this year: ADB
• The Asia-Pacific region is expected to power ahead
growing at 5.7% this year, but escalating trade tensions are
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
a source of worry, according to Takehiko Nakao, President
and Chairperson, ADB.
• Mr. Nakao said that consumer and investor behaviour
could be undermined by trade tensions between
countries.
• The bank’s lending grew to a record $21.6 billion in 2018,
10% higher compared to 2017.
RBI slaps penalty on 5 PPI
• The Reserve Bank of India said it has imposed penalties on
5 prepaid payment instrument issuers for violation of
regulatory norms.
• A penalty of ₹3.05 crore has been imposed on Vodafone
m-pesa and ₹1 crore each on Mobile Payments, PhonePe,
Private and GI Technology.
• Penalty on Western Union and MoneyGram has been
imposed by the RBI under the Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007.
RBI slaps Rs 11 lakh fine on Yes Bank
• Yes Bank said the Reserve Bank of India has imposed a
penalty of Rs 11.25 lakh on it for violating money transfer
norms.
• RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 11,25,000 under the Payment
and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• The RBI has identified certain violations of its circular of
2011 on Domestic Money Transfer - Relaxations and
master directions issued in October 2017.
PayPal launches One Touch for seamless trans
• PayPal India used Google Smart Lock and launched its
OneTouch experience in India.
• OneTouch feature permits Indian consumers to register
their android device with PayPal and stay logged into
PayPal for further PayPal purchases on that device.
• India becomes the first market where the feature of
Google Smart Lock has been integrated.
London top choice for Indian investors
• London emerged as the top choice for Indian investors
ahead of other cities such as Dubai and Singapore.
• The investments by Indian companies in the British capital
reached an all-time high in 2018.
• The UK emerged as the top most country to attract Indian
FDI with 52 projects, ahead of the US (51) and the UAE
(32) in 2018.
Global Gold Demand Increases 7%
• The WGC’s 2019 First Quarter Global Trends Report said
that worldwide gold demand increased to 1,053 tonnes in
the Q1.
• This is an increase of 7% compared to the first quarter of
2018.
• Central banks continued to dominate the gold market with
global official gold purchase totaling 145.5 tonnes in the

first quarter, a 68% increase compared to the first quarter
of 2018.
Huawei: World's 2nd Biggest Smartphone Maker
• Huawei Technologies Co. overtook Apple Inc. to become
biggest 2nd biggest smartphone maker in the world.
• The networking giant grew shipments 50 percent from a
year earlier according to research firm IDC.
• Samsung is the biggest smartphone maker in the world.
GST Rev collection for April 2019
• The total gross GST revenue collected in the month of April
2019 is Rs 1,13,865 crore of which CGST is Rs 21,163 crore.
• The total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for the month
of March up to 30th April 2019 is 72.13 lakh.
• The government has settled Rs 20,370 crore to CGST and
Rs 15,975 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement.
India's manufacturing sector grew slow
• The country's manufacturing sector performance eased to
an eight-month low in April as new business growth
moderated.
• The Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers'
Index declined from 52.6 in March to 51.8 in April.
• This is the 21th consecutive month that the manufacturing
PMI remained above the 50-point mark.
India's growth forecast lowered to 7.3%
• India Ratings & Research (A Fitch Group Company) has
lowered the country’s growth forecast for the current
fiscal to 7.3%, from the earlier projection of 7.5 %.
• The agency has listed three key reasons for lowering its
projection.
Bharti Axa tied up with Wishfin
• Bharti AXA General Insurance has tied up with Wishfin’s
insurance arm Wishpolicy, to offer two-wheeler insurance
to customers via WhatsApp.
• This service option is an instant and additional customer
service option for policyholders, apart from Bharti AXA
General Insurance’s multiple channels.
SEBI fined NSE over Rs 625 Crores
• Markets regulator SEBI directed National Stock Exchange
to pay more than Rs625 crore in the case of misuse of its
co-location facility.
• SEBI has been probing alleged lapses in high-frequency
trading offered through NSE’s co-location facility.
• The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. is the second
largest in the world by nos. of trades in equity shares from
January to June 2018.
Sports
South Korea U18s stripped of trophy
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• South Korea Under-18s football team have been stripped
of a trophy for "immoral" celebrations after a player posed
for a photo with his foot on it.
• South Korea beat China by 3-0 to win the Panda Cup but
the team was forced to apologize after they were criticized
online for the "unforgivable" images.
• Even the tournament organizers suggested South Korea
would not be invited back.
Del Potro beat Nishiokal in five set battle
• Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro makes the sign of the
cross as he celebrates after winning against Japan's
Yoshihito Nishioka during their men's singles second round
match on day five of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open
tennis tournament in Paris.
• Juan Martin del Potro was pushed to the limit before
eventually taming Japan’s plucky Yoshihito Nishioka to
reach the French Open third round.
India concludes best ISSF WC performance
• In Shooting, India topped the medals tally with five golds
and a silver at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.
• Second-placed China bagged nine medals two gold, two
silver, and five bronze medals.
• India gold medallists included Apurvi Chandela in the
Women's 10 meters Air Rifle, Rahi Sarnobat in the
Women's 25m Pistol and Saurabh Chaudhary in the men's
10m Air Pistol.
Europa League final: Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1
• Chelsea got the better of its English Premier League rivals
to win the Europa League final Wednesday, beating
Arsenal 4-1 in the Baku Olympic Stadium.
• Chelsea won their fifth major Uefa European competition
final, with only Liverpool winning more among eight
English clubs.
FIDE to restore Elo ratings of Indian players
• The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has decided to restore
the Elo ratings of dozens of Indian players, whose ratings
were banned by the All-India Chess Federation
(AICF) nearly a decade ago.
• The country's national chess body (AICF) had banned
several players for taking part in tournaments conducted
by rival chess association and in unrecognised events.
Rahi Sarnobat won gold in WC
• Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat won the gold in 25m Pistol
event at the ISSF World Cup 2019 in Munich.
• She also sealed a quota place for India in the event for the
2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Rahi scored a total of 37, beating Ukraine's Olena
Kostevych, who was champion at the 2004 Athens
Olympics.
Saurabh Chaudhary won gold

• In ISSF shooting World Cup 2019, in Munich Germany,
India's Saurabh Chaudhary has won 10m Air Pistol Gold.
• He scored 246.3 bettering his previous best of 245 points
that was set in New Delhi World Cup Shooting in February
this year.
• He has already secured a berth for the Tokyo Olympics.
• This is India's second Gold in the championship.
Lewis Hamilton won Monaco Grand Prix
• Lewis Hamilton won the Monaco Grand Prix 2019 in a
triumphant tribute to his Mercedes team’s late Formula
One great Niki Lauda.
• Mercedes, who extended their winning run to six, lead
Ferrari by 118 points in the constructors’ standings.
• Hamilton has 137 to 120 for Bottas, with Vettel moving up
to third place on 82.
Odisha govt to sponsor Indian hockey teams
• Both the men and women's Indian hockey team will be
sponsored by the state government of Odisha.
• The announcement was made by Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik in New Delhi.
• The state government has decided to support the team for
a period of five years.
Men's compound team won bronze
• The men's compound team of Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek
Verma and Aman Saini won a bronze medal in the Archery
World Cup Stage III at Antalya in Turkey.
• The trio put up a solid performance to edge out higher
seeded Russian team of Anton Bulaev, Alexander Dambaev
and Pavel Krylov 235-230 in the bronze medal play-off.
Mahesh Mangaonkar won Sekisui Open
• In squash, India's Mahesh Mangaonkar triumphed for the
second time in the Sekisui Open 2019 in Kriens,
Switerzland.
• Sekisui Open is a Challenger tour event of the Professional
Squash Association (PSA).
• Top-seeded Mahesh beat third seed Bernat Jaume of Spain
in four games 11-9, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5 to win his 8th PSA
title.
China won 2019 Sudirman Cup
• China won the badminton world mixed-team
championship, Sudirman Cup 2019 in Nanning.
• They beat Japan in men's doubles, women's singles and
men's singles to clinch the title for the 11th time.
• In the latest Men' singles match Shi Yuqi stunned world
champion Kento Momota 15-21, 21-5,21-11.
• Japan has never won the Sudirman Cup.
Apurvi won gold in ISSF World Cup
• Apurvi Chandela grabbed a gold, winning the women's
10m Air Rifle competition in the ISSF World Cup 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• She shot a score of 251 in the final to outshine Wang
Luyao of China, who shot 250.8.
• Manu Bhaker shot 289 and was a bit behind in 24th spot,
while Chinki Yadav shot 276 to be in 95th place.
Shakib tops ICC ODI all-rounders rankings
• Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan stands 1st now with
359 points followed by Afghanistan's Rashid Khan who has
339.
• Shakib hit 140 runs and picked up 2 wickets in the recent
Tri-nation series.
• Kedar Jadhav is the highest ranked Indian all-rounder at
the 12th position.
Mary Kom, Sarita won gold at India Open
• Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom and Sarita Devi
won gold medals at the second India Open boxing
tournament.
• The tournament concluded on 24 May 2019.
• India won medals in 52 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg and +91 kg men's
categories.
• While, 51 kg, 57 kg and 75 kg in women's to conclude the
campaign with 12 of the 18 gold medals available.
Sethu crowned Indian Women's League champion
• Sethu FC clinched their first ever Indian Women’s League
trophy defeating Manipur Police.
• The match was held at the Guru Nanak Stadium, in
Ludhiana, Punjab.
• The third edition of the Indian Women's League (IWL) was
held in Ludhiana, Punjab.
• The Indian Women's League is the top division women's
professional football league in India.
• The league is ran by the All India Football Federation.
Mary Kom entered 51kg category final
• In Boxing, Mary Kom has entered the women's 51kg
category final by defeating Nikhat Zareen.
• Mary Kom will face Vanlal Duati of Mizoram in the gold-
medal bout on 25 May 2019.
• Sachin Siwach will have a gold medal clash against Asian
Games gold medalist Amit Panghal.
32-team format in 2022 World Cup
• FIFA shrugged off any possibility of expansion from 32 to
48 teams at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
• On January 10, 2017, FIFA Council unanimously decided in
favour of expanding the FIFA World Cup to a 48-team
competition as of the 2026 edition.
Nadal clinched Italian Open 2019
• In Tennis, defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has
clinched the Italian Open 2019 title after beating Novak
Djokovic.

• This is Nadal's ninth Italian Open title. It is the 81st title of
Nadal's career.
• Whereas, in Women's single Czech's Karolina Pliskova
registered two straight-set victory against Britain's
Johanna Konta to claim the Italian Open title.
Anirudh and Niki won ITF Tennis title
• Anirudh Chandrasekar and Niki Poonacha won the 2019
International Tennis Federation (ITF) men’s Futures tennis
tournament title in Kampala, Uganda.
• The pair defeated Simon Carr and Ryan James Storrie and
secured 6-3, 6-4.
• It was the maiden international title for Anirudh, while it
was fourth doubles title for Poonacha.
2 new Badminton formats launched
• Recently, Badminton World Federation (BWF) launched
two new formats of Badminton named as AirBadminton &
Triples.
• BWF launched AirBadminton at Guangzhou with new
dimensions of the court and an innovative shuttlecock
called Airshuttle.
• The AirBadminton will be an outdoor game as compared
to traditional badminton which is indoor games.
Ashish to lead gymnastics team
• A three-member team led by Ashish Kumar will represent
India at the second World Challenge Cup Series gymnastics
tournament in Osijek, Croatia.
• It will be held from 23-26 May 2019.
• Besides Ashish, the Indian contingent will also have Rakesh
Kumar Patra and Shraddha Talekar.
• The World Challenge Cup is a major FIG event with
broader participation of 110 gymnasts from 30 different
countries.
Sneha Sharma shines in F4 SEA Champ.
• India’s top woman racer Sneha Sharma jumped into the
lead in the ladies’ category after Round 3 of the Formula 4
South East Asia Championship.
• Sneha won the leading trophy in each of the 4 races to
grab the Overall Cup for women in the Thailand round.
• She even clocked a best time of 1:46:6 to finish in the Top
Eight against 11 of the finest racers from 10 different
countries.
PV Sindhu to spearhead Indian challenge
• In Badminton, Sudirman Cup tournament began at the
Guangxi Sports Center Gymnasium in Nanning, China on
19 May 2019.
• Top shuttlers PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will spearhead
the Indian challenge at this prestigious tournament.
• Sudirman Cup is a mixed team Badminton Championship
held every two years.
2nd India Open Boxing Tourn. began
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• The Second India Open International Boxing Tournament
began at Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati on 20 May 2019.
• 16 countries will participate in the tournament where
nearly 200 boxers will vying for the podium.
• India has fielded a strong contingent of 38 men and 37
women in the tournament including Mary Kom in 51-
kilogram category.
Female referee team to officiate AFC Cup game
• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that
for the first time an all-female referee team will take
charge of a men’s continental club cup clash.
• Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants
Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi will officiate the AFC
Cup match between Myanmar’s Yangon United and
Cambodia’s Naga World.
ICC Commentary Panel for World Cup 2019
• Former Indian cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Sanjay
Manjrekar are inducted into the International Cricket
Council’s (ICC) commentary panel for World Cup 2019.
• World Cup 2019 will begin from May 30, 2019 in England
and Wales.
• The debut commentary will be made by Michael Clarke, a
former Australian batsman.
China to host 2023 Asian Cup
• China has become the sole contender to host the Asian
Cup Football tournament in 2023.
• The announcement came after South Korea has
announced to withdraw its bid to host the game.
• The 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup
will be the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup.
• It is organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
• The tournament will involve 24 national teams.
Virat Kohli bagged cricketer of the year
• India captain Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer
and Batsman of the Year award during the CEAT Cricket
Rating (CCR) International awards 2019.
• Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as International
Bowler of the Year.
• Ashutosh Aman was awarded Domestic Cricketer of the
Year.
• Mohinder Amarnath was bestowed with the 'CCR
International Lifetime Achievement Award'.
GS Lakshmi on ICC international panel
• India's G.S. Lakshmi has become the first woman to be
appointed to ICC's international panel of match referees.
• She will be eligible to officiate in international games with
immediate effect.
• Claire Polosak had become the first ever woman umpire to
stand in a men's ODI, earlier in May 2019.
India to host Syria, Tajikistan

• The All India Football Federation confirmed the
participation of Syria, DPR Korea, and Tajikistan in the 2nd
edition of the Intercontinental Cup, starting on July 7,
2019.
• The Blue Tigers (Indian football team) come into the
competition as defending champions, having won the
inaugural edition in June 2018 by defeating Kenya.
• New Zealand and Chinese Taipei were the other two teams
in the fray
Manchester City won Premier League Title
• Manchester City won another Premier League title.
• It retained the title after defeating Brighton 4-1 at the
Amex Stadium.
• It's the first time a team has won back-to-back titles since
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2009.
• City's total of 98 points is the second highest haul in
Premier League history.
Mary Kom to debut in Indian Boxing Tournament
• Mary Kom will make her competitive debut in 51kg in the
second edition of the India Open boxing tournament.
• It will be held in Guwahati from 20th to 24th of May 2019.
• India Open will witness 35 men and 37 women boxers
from India vying for glory, even as close to 200 pugilists
from 16 boxing powerhouses will participate in the
tournament.
Sana becomes highest wicket-taking spinner
• Pakistan off-spinner Sana Mir has become the most
successful woman ODI spinner in history.
• She took her 147th wicket, highest ever by any spinner in
One-day International (ODI) cricket.
• It was her 118th appearance for Pakistan and surpassed
West Indies spinner Anisa Mohammed and Australia’s Lisa
Sthalekar, who had accumulated 146 wickets each.
1st women's cricket magazine launched
• World’s first exclusive women’s cricket magazine
CRICZONE has released.
• It has Indian women’s cricket team vice-captain Smriti
Mandhana featured as the cover story.
• The publisher of the magazine is Yash Lahoti.
• The objective of this magazine is to empower young
aspiring women cricketers to take the sport as a profession
and able to make a sustainable living.
Jehan won FIA Formula 3 Championship
• Indian racer Jehan Daruvala, won the inaugural round of
the FIA Formula 3 Championship, one of the support
events to Formula One in Barcelona on 12 May 2019.
• The FIA F3 Championship was created by merging the
erstwhile GP3 Championship and FIA F3 European
Championship.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Jehan is the only Indian to win a Grand Prix when he won
the New Zealand Grand Prix.
Novak won Madrid Open Title
• Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece
6-3, 6-4 to win his third Madrid Open title on 12 May 2019.
• Djokovic lifted the title in Madrid and has now won 33
Masters 1000 titles - the same number as Rafael Nadal and
five more than Roger Federer.
Mumbai Indians won IPL 2019
• Mumbai Indians became IPL champions for the fourth time
after defeating Chennai Super Kings by one run in
Hyderabad on 12 May 2019.
• Last ball dismissal of Shardul Thakur by paceman Lasith
Malinga registered final win for Mumbai over Chennai.
• MS Dhoni became the most successful wicket-keeper in
the history of IPL by taking his dismissals tally to 132,
surpassing Dinesh Karthik.
FIFA announces two new award categories
• FIFA announced two new award categories to promote
women's football across the globe.
• The two new award categories are off Women's
goalkeeper of the year and a women's team of the year.
• This announcement means and both men and women will
be up for receiving accolades in the same categories at the
FIFA Best ceremony in Milan on September 23.
Amul to be sponsor of Afghanistan cricket team
• Dairy major Amul will be the principal sponsor of the
Afghanistan cricket team for the upcoming ICC World Cup
hosted by England and Wales.
• This is the third time that Amul is sponsoring a cricket
team in the World Cup.
• The logo of brand Amul will appear on the team jerseys as
well as on training kits throughout the World Cup.
Esha and Akull won silver in the Shooting
• India’s Esha Singh and Akull Kumar won silver in junior
mixed air pistol event in the International Shooting
Competition at Hannover, Germany.
• They secured 5.4 points and defeated by the German pair
of Jan Luca Karstedt and Vanessa Seeger.
• It was the second mixed medal for Esha, after the one she
won recently with Anmol Jain in Plzen, Czech Republic.
Tiger Woods awarded Presidential medal
• US President Donald Trump bestowed Tiger Woods with
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest
civilian honour.
• Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to
have received the highest American civilian award.
• Mr. Trump praised Mr. Woods as one of the greatest
athletes in the history of sports.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

Indian boxers won 6 medals • Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in the Ali Aliyev
wrestling tournament held in Kaspiisk, Russia.
• Indian boxers finished with six medals, including two gold
• In his final bout, he defeated Russian Viktor Rassadin
at the 36th Feliks Stamm International Boxing Tournament
by 13-8 in men's 65kg freestyle.
in Warsaw, Poland.
• The 25-year-old currently holds the number one spot in
• Gaurav Solanki and Manish Kaushik bagged one gold each.
World Wrestling Rankings.
• Indian boxers also clinched a silver and three bronze.
• The six-day competition saw boxers from all over the G Sathiyan in top 25 of ITTF Rankings
world participating in 10 categories in the men's section.
• India’s G Sathiyan has become the first Indian to break into
Roger climbed 3rd in men's rankings the top-25 of world rankings in Table Tennis.
• Sathiyan rose four spots to be 24th in the latest ITTF
• Former world number one Roger Federer has returned to
rankings, following his impressive sixth place finish in the
third in the ATP Men's rankings released on 6 May 2019.
Asia Cup in Yokohama.
• He replaced Alexander Zverev after he was knocked out of
• India’s number one female player, Manika Batra, slipped
the Munich Open at the quarter-finals stage.
three spots to be 59th.
• Novak Djokovic remains first ahead of Rafael Nadal to
mark the Serb's 250th week as world number one. Kumar Sangakara: 1st Non-British Pres of MCC
Asian Individual Squash Championship • Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was
appointed as the first non-British president of the
• Ace Indian squash players Saurav Ghoshal and Joshna
Marylebone Cricket Club.
Chinappa won their respective Asian Individual Squash
• He will be the first overseas MCC president in the
Championship titles in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
organization's 233-year history.
• Saurav Ghoshal defeated Leo Au Chun Ming of Hong Kong
• His nomination announced by current President Anthony
to win the men's title. He is the first Indian male player to
Wreford will begin with one-year tenure in October.
reach top ten of the world rankings.
• Joshna Chinappa retained her title by beating Annie Au of Sreejesh nominated for Rajiv Gandhi awards
Hong Kong in the women's final
• Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh has been nominated for
Jaipur to host Women Handball Championship the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by Hockey India.
• Chinglensana Singh Kangujam and Akashdeep Singh and
• Jaipur will host the 8th Asian Youth Women Handball
women's team defender Deepika have been nominated
Championship in which 10 teams will be participating.
for the Arjuna Award.
• The tournament would be played in the city from 21 to 30
• Hockey India has also nominated R.P. Singh and Sandeep
August 2019.
Kaur for Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• Earlier Delhi had hosted it in 2015 where the hosts India
had finished seventh. Apurvi attained world number 1 spot
• 2017 edition was held at Jakarta in Indonesia.
• Indian shooting ace Apurvi Chandela attained the world
Semenya wins Doha 800m number one position in the women's 10 metres air rifle
event.
• Caster Semenya won the 800 metres at the Doha Diamond
• Anjum Moudgil rose to number two after consistent
League.
performances in recent years.
• The South African, a two-time Olympic champion, timed
• Among men, Divyansh Singh Panwar reached world
1min 54.98sec to defeat Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba,
number four spot in 10 metres air rifle category.
who clocked 1min 57.75sec and Ajee Wilson of the United
States in 1min 58.83sec. Nitendra finished at 27th in London Marathon
India on top spot in ICC Test rankings • Indian marathon runner, Nitendra Singh Rawat finished
27th in the men’s Elite race of Virgin Money London
• India retained its top position in the ICC Test rankings, and
Marathon 2019 at London, the UK.
gained two points to become the world's second best ODI
• It was won by EliudKipchoge of Kenya for record fourth
team.
time.
• England remained the number one ODI side in the latest
• This was the fourth fastest in his career and his second
annual rankings released in Dubai.
fastest time in this season.
• New Zealand gained three points in the Test rankings to
move two points behind India. Bajrang :1st Indian to fight at Madison sq.
Bajrang Punia Wins Gold In Wrestling • Bajrang Punia is set to become the first wrestler from India
to fight at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York.

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• He is currently the World No.1 in the 65-kg weight
category.
• Bajrang will be up against two-time US national champion
Yianni Diakomahlis at the 'Grapple at the Garden -- Beat
the Streets' event.
Defence
Adm Karambir Singh takes over as Navy Chief
• Admiral Karambir Singh took over as the Chief of Naval
Staff today with a career spanning over 37 years.
• Karambir Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at
the headquarters in New Delhi before moving to
Vishakhapatnam last year as the Eastern Naval
Commander.
New govt's first defence buy to be NUH
• The Rs 21,738-crore procurement of 111 light Naval Utility
Helicopters (NUH) for the Navy is on track to be the first
big procurement of the new (NDA) government.
• At least three international original equipment
manufacturers submitted proposals to build their
helicopters through an Indian industry designated as
strategic partner (SP).
Imbibe skills for techno-driven warfare.
• Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa,on 30May reviewed the
Passing Out Parade of 136th Course at the National
Defence Academy at Khadakwasla.
• This included 218 Army cadets, 34 Navy cadets and 39 Air
Force cadets. 15 cadets from the friendly foreign countries
of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tajikistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Sri
Lanka and Papua New Guinea also passed out from the
academy.
AK Jain: Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief
• Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain takes over as the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command from Vice
Admiral Karambir Singh.
• A Gunnery and Missile Specialist, he has held various
Operational, Staff and Command Appointments in the
course of his distinguished career spanning over 37 years.
• He was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 2009 and Ati
Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015.
Admiral Sunil Lanba retires on 31st May.
• Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will retire on 31st May
after the completion of his tenure.
• During his tenure, he set the tone for several transitions in
operational, training & organizational philosophy of the
Indian Navy.
• He has also steered the implementation of the new
transition cycle which facilitated the improvement of the
overall readiness of ships in undertaking operational
tasking.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
Army Conducts CSA Camp 2019
• Western Command Children Summer Adventure Camp
2019 is being organised at Manali from 27 May to 02 June
2019.
• The seven day camp is being conducted under the aegis of
Rising Star Brigade.
• This camp aims to provide a wholesome outdoor exposure
to young boys and girls through educational, recreational
and adventure activities.
BS Dhanoa will be Chairman COSC
• Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh
Dhanoa received the baton of Chairman, Chiefs of Staff
Committee from outgoing Chairman COSC
• Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, an alumnus of
Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence
Academy, was commissioned in the Flying Branch of Indian
Air Force in June 1978.
IAF all-woman crew flies Mi-17 chopper
• On 27 May 2019, an all-woman crew of Indian Air Force
(IAF) flew a Mi-17 V5 helicopter for the first time in India.
• Flight Lieutenant Parul Bhardwaj (Captain), Flying Officer
Aman Nidhi (co-pilot) and Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal
(flight engineer) were part of the crew.
• The crew flew the helicopter for a Battle Inoculation
Training Mission at a forward airbase in South Western Air
Command.
IAF Chief lead missing man formation
• Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa led a
four aircraft, MiG-21 'Missing Man' formation flypast at
Bhatinda, Punjab.
• It was done to honour the valour and supreme sacrifice of
men killed in action during Operation Safed Sagar at Kargil.
Sahara: A hostel for Veer Naris
• Hon'ble Lt Governor of Delhi Shri Anil Baijal inaugurated
the Sahara Naval Hostel for the ‘Veer Naris’ at Vasant Kunj,
New Delhi.
• The project steered by the Indian Navy for ‘Naval Veer
Naris’ has been built in CSR partnership with National
Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).
• It comprises compact suites equipped with all necessary
amenities for a dignified living.
Brahmos missile successfully test fired
• A BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile was successfully test-
fired by a Unit of Eastern Command, Indian Army from Car
Nicobar Islands as part of joint training by 3 defence
forces.
• The Combat missile was test fired on a specially designed
target chosen at a range of 270 km.

• It validated deep penetration capability by the supersonic
cruise missile and accurate engagement of targets in
depth.
AN-32 certified to operate on Bio-Jet fuel
• IAF’s AN-32 aircraft was formally fleet certified to fly on
blended aviation fuel containing up to 10% of indigenous
bio-jet fuel.
• The approval certificate was received at the aero-engine
test facilities at Chandigarh by Air Commodore Sanjiv
Ghuratia.
• This will promote the ‘Make in India’ mission as this bio-
fuel would be produced from Tree Borne Oils sourced
from tribal areas and farmers.
Guided bomb successfully test-fired
• DRDO successfully flight tested a 500 kg class Inertial
Guided Bomb from Su-30 MKI Aircraft from the Pokhran
test range, Rajasthan.
• The guided bomb achieved the desired range and hit the
target with high precision.
• All the mission objectives have been met. The weapon
system is capable of carrying different warheads.
Naval drills in Western Pacific held
• U.S. Navy ships conducted joint drills with warships from
allies Japan, Australia and South Korea in their first
combined exercise in the Western Pacific.
• The six-day exercise involves two Japanese destroyers, two
Australian frigates and a destroyer from South Korea, with
as many as 3,000 sailors participating.
Fl Lt. Bhawana: 1st woman to fly fighter jets
• Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot of the Indian
Air Force (IAF) to qualify to undertake combat missions on
a fighter jet.
• She has completed operational syllabus for carrying out
combat missions on Mig-21 Bison aircraft during day time.
• Bhawana joined the fighter squadron in November 2017
and flew the first solo on MiG-21 Bison in March last year.
Affiliation signed between AR and ICG
• The Director Generals of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast
Guard (ICG) signed an Affiliation Charter between 3rd
(Naga Hills) Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast
Guard Ship ‘Shaurya’.
• Assam Rifles have 46 Battalions manning the Indo-
Myanmar border.
• ICG, with 142 ships & 62 aircraft is one of the youngest
Armed Force under Ministry of Defence.
Brahmos missile successfully fired
• IAF successfully fired the BrahMos air version missile from
its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• The launch from the aircraft was smooth and the missile
followed the desired trajectory before directly hitting the
land target.
• The air-launched BrahMos missile is a 2.5-ton supersonic
air to surface cruise missile with ranges of close to 300 km.
Brief on SIMBEX-2019
• IN ships Kolkata and Shakti are continuing their stay at
Singapore to participate in the annual Singapore India
Maritime Bilateral Exercise SIMBEX-2019.
• It is being held from 16-22 May 2019.
• The Singapore side will be represented by RSN ships
Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50
(F-50) and F-16 fighter aircraft.
8th Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol
• Myanmar Navy Ship UMS King TabinShweHtee (773) and
UMS Inlay (OPV-54) arrived Port Blair on 20 May 2019.
• The 8th Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol (IMCOR) is
being organised at Andaman and Nicobar Command.
• The Myanmar delegation is led by Commodore Htein Win.
• The CORPAT initiative between the two navies is meant to
address issues inimical to interest of both nations.
US Navy destroyer sailed in South China
• Two U.S. guided missile destroyers sailed near disputed
islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on 19 May
2019.
• The USS Preble and USS Chung Hoon traveled within 12
nautical miles of the Gaven and Johnson Reefs.
• The operation comes amid heightened tensions between
the U.S. and China over a possible trade deal.
Eastern Army Commander visited MISA Camp
• Lieutenant General MM Naravane, Army Commander
Eastern Command visited Misa Camp.
• He was briefed in detail on the Op-preparedness of the
formation.
• He felicitated the meritorious Officers, Junior
Commissioned Officer and Other Ranks by awarding
commendation cards.
Maritime defence exhibition held in Singapore
• Two warships of the Indian Navy-INS Kolkata and INS
Shakti--participated in the International Maritime Defence
Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia-2019) in Singapore.
• IMDEX Asia-2019 commenced on 14 May 2019.
• After IMDEX, Indian Naval ships will participate in the 26th
edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise
(SIMBEX) scheduled from 16 to 22 May 2019.
Indian Navy conducted missile tests
• The Indian Navy conducted significant missile tests
boosting its anti-air warfare capabilities.

• The first cooperative engagement firing of the Medium
Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) or Barak-8 was held
on the Western Seaboard.
• The firing was undertaken on the western seaboard by the
INS Kochi and the INS Chennai.
First NCC girls expedition flagged off
• The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Girls’ Mountaineering
Expedition to Mt. Tenchenkhang in Sikkim was ‘Flagged
Off’ on 17 May 2019.
• The team is led by Lt Col Madhab Boro and constitute
three officers, 17 PI staff and 20 NCC Girl Cadets.
• This is the first NCC cadets’ expedition in Sikkim ever since
1970.
ICGS Vigraha decommissioned
• The Indian Coast Guard ship (ICGS) Vigraha was
decommissioned at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The decommissioning ceremony was attended by eight
former Commanding Officers who had been at the helm of
the ship, along with former and the present crew.
• It was commissioned into service on April 12, 1990.
Defence Ministry to set up 2 units
• The Defence Ministry has announced setting up of two
separate units to handle space and cyber warfare.
• Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta would head the new defence
cyber agency, while Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar would head
the defence space agency.
• Major General A.K. Dhingra was named the head of the
special forces division.
• The three new agencies are expected to become
operational by Oct-Nov 2019.
Defence Space Agency to come up at Bangalore
• India is setting up its military space agency headquartered
at Bengaluru with the ace fighter pilot Air Vice Marshal SP
Dharkar as its likely head.
• The tri-services Space agency is likely to command all the
space assets of the three services including the A-SAT
capability, which can be used to destroy enemy space-
based satellites and other assets.
Indian Defence Forces held joint exercise
• Indian Army, Navy and Air Force held joint exercise Bull
Strike at Teressa Island in Andaman and Nicobar.
• The objective was to enhance their coordination in dealing
with major security challenges and also to showcase joint
operation capability of the three forces.
• 170 troops from all three services participated and carried
out para drop operations in a Combat Free Fall and Static
Line mode.
Jaisalmer to host Int. Army Games
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• International Army Scout Masters Competition as a part of
International Army Games will be organised at Jaisalmer
from 24 July-17 August 2019.
• The event will witness participation of the Mechanised
Infantry Scout Teams of eight countries including Russia.
• The Competition will be conducted in 5 stages, which will
test the overall skills of Mechanised Infantry Scouts.
IN's SSB inaugurated at Kolkata
• Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chief of Naval Staff inaugurated
Indian Navy’s first full-fledged Service Selection Board
(SSB)at Diamond Harbour, near Kolkata on 14 May 2019.
• This is the fifth Service Selection Board of the Indian Navy
and caters for selection of both Permanent and Short
Service Commission officers.
Admiral John of the US Navy visited India
• Admiral John Michael Richardson, Chief of Naval
Operations, US Navy, was on an official tour to India from
12 to 14 May 2019.
• His visit was intended to consolidate bilateral naval
relations between India and the USA and also to explore
new avenues for naval cooperation.
• Indian Navy and US Navy interact regularly and participate
in maritime exercises such as MALABAR and RIMPAC.
Tanjung Datu arrived in Port Blair
• Indonesian Coast Guard ship (BAKAMLA) ‘Tanjung Datu’
arrived in Port Blair along with a high-level delegation led
by First Admiral Eko Murwanto.
• The aim of this goodwill visit is to enhance bilateral
cooperation between the Coast Guards of two countries.
• The ship ‘KN Tanjung Datu’ is a Patrol Vessel.
• The ship has a complement of 25 officers and 40 sailors.
Georgian plane forced to land at Jaipur
• A Georgian AN-12 aircraft was forced to land at Jaipur by
Indian Air Force interceptors on 10 May 2019.
• The aircraft did not follow the authorized Air Traffic
Services (ATS) route and was not responding to Radio calls
from Indian controlling agencies.
• However, when challenged, the aircraft responded that it
was a non-scheduled An-12 aircraft that had got airborne
from Georgia for Delhi.
1st Apache helicopter handed over to the IAF
• First AH-64E (I) - Apache Guardian helicopter was formally
handed over to the Indian Air Force at Boeing production
facility in Mesa, Arizona, USA on 10 May, 2019.
• Air Marshal AS Butola, represented the Indian Air Force
and accepted the first Apache.
• IAF had signed a contract with US Government and M/s
Boeing Ltd in Sep 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters.
Navy joins exercises in South China Sea

• Navy ships INS Kolkata and Shakti carried out Group Sail
with the naval ships of Japan, the Philippines and the U.S.
in the South China Sea (SCS) from 3 to 9 May 2019.
• The group sail exercise showcased India’s commitment to
operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe
maritime environment through enhanced interoperability.
• The ships undertook various exercises.
Sea phase of 'Varuna' exercise begins
• The sea phase of the Indo-French naval exercise 'Varuna'
began on 8 May 2019.
• This year's edition of the Indo-French naval exercise
currently underway off the Goa coast is the largest ever
undertaken by the two navies.
• The exercise, began on May 1, will culminate on May 10
after sea phase operations.
• The first bilateral naval exercise between India and France
was held in 1983.
INS Ranjit decommissioned
• INS Ranjit, a Rajput class destroyer was decommissioned
at Visakhapatnam on 6 May 2019.
• The ship commissioned on 15 September 1983 by Captain
Vishnu Bhagwat has rendered yeoman service to the
nation for 36 years.
• The ship since her commissioning has sailed for 2190 days
covering a distance of over 7,43,000 nautical miles.
Navy launches 4th Scorpene class submarine
• The fourth of Indian Navy’s stealth Scorpene class
Submarines of Project 75 was launched at the Kanhoji
Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited at Mumbai in
Maharashtra.
• The submarine has been named ‘Vela’ after an earlier
submarine, which was the lead submarine, of the erstwhile
Vela class.
• The submarine has completed joining of all its sections.
India to purchase 10 Kamov-31 choppers
• The Defence Ministry approved Indian Navy's proposal to
acquire 10 Kamov-31 choppers from Russia at a cost of
around Rs 3,600 crore.
• It will strengthen its capability against aerial threats to its
aircraft carriers and large warships.
• The Navy already has a fleet of 12 of these Kamov-31
choppers which sanitise the air space around the aircraft
carriers and destroyers operating in open seas.
Indian and French Navies conducted Varuna Ex
• The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise,
Varuna 19.1 is being conducted off the Goa coast from 1-
10 May 19.
• It includes the participation of the French Navy’s aircraft
carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin
and FNS Provence.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• The exercise will be conducted in 2 phases.
• The second part, Varuna 19.2, is scheduled to be held at
the end of May in Djibouti.
Workshop on Space Warfare and Tech held
• Directorate of Indian Defence University (IDU) is organizing
a 2-day workshop on Space Warfare and Technology on 2-
3 May,19 in New Delhi.
• It is being held for senior and middle-level officers from
the three Services.
• The workshop intends to cover Weaponisation and
Militarisation of Space, preparation for Absorption of High-
End Technology for Self-Sustenance in Space Operations,
and more.
Polity
No 10% EWS quota for PG medical courses in MH
• The Supreme Court on Thursday said that 10 per cent EWS
quota cannot be applied to PG medical courses in
Maharashtra for the academic year 2019-20.
• A vacation bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice
Aniruddha Bose said 10 per cent EWS quota cannot be
granted at the cost of others unless additional seats are
created by the Medical Council of India.
Manmohan won't be nominated in Rajya Sabha
• Former PM Manmohan Singh, who has represented Assam
in the Rajya Sabha for the last 28 years, will not be
nominated to the Parliament's Upper House this time.
• The party will not nominate anyone because it does not
have the numbers in the Assam Assembly.
• Manmohan's current term will end on June 14, 2019.
Pema Khandu to take oath as CM of Aru. Pra.
• Pema Khandu will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of
Arunachal Pradesh on 29 May 2019 for the second time.
• After having a landslide victory in the Assembly elections
with 41 seats in the 60-seat house, the BJP held it's
Legislature Party Meeting in Itanagar on 27 May 2019.
• Mr. Khandu met Governor Dr. BD Mishra and staked claim
to form the government.
4 new Delhi HC court judge took oath
• 4 new Delhi High Court judges, including a woman judge,
were sworn in, taking the working strength of the court to
40.
• Justices Talwant Singh, Rajnish Bhatnagar, Asha Menon
and Brijesh Sethi were administered the oath by Delhi High
Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon.
• The Delhi High Court has an approved strength of 60 and
faces a shortage of 20 judges.
European elections: EPP won 178 seats
• European Parliament published the provisional results for
this year's elections.

• The European People's Party group won 178 seats and
remained the largest political group in the legislature.
• The second largest group is the Progressive Alliance of
Socialists and Democrats (S&D) with 152 seats, in the 751-
member legislature.
17th Lok Sabha to witness 78 woman MPs
• Seventy-eight seats have been won by women candidates
in the 17th Lok Sabha elections, the highest since the first
Lok Sabha in 1952.
• Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are sending the highest
number of women to the house, 11 each.
• A total of 724 women candidates contested, with Congress
fielding the maximum 54 women, followed by BJP at 53.
Naveen to take oath for 5th term as Odisha CM
• Naveen Patnaik is all set to take oath as chief minister of
the State for a record fifth term in a row.
• The Biju Janata Dal headed by him has won a decisive
victory in the assembly polls bagging 112 of the 146
assembly seats.
• The 15th State Assembly which was formed on June 12,
2014, will complete its term on 11th June 2019.
Dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha approved
• The Union Cabinet gave its approval to dissolve the
Sixteenth Lok Sabha, which was constituted on 18 May
2014.
• The first meeting of the Sixteenth Lok Sabha was held on
June 4, 2014.
• The life of the present Lok Sabha is, therefore, to expire on
June 3, 2019, unless the President dissolves it earlier.
Chamling lost after 25 years
• Longest serving CM of any state Pawan Kumar Chamling-
led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) lost after 25 years to
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in the state Assembly
elections.
• In the 32-member assembly, SKM gained majority by
winning 17 seats, while SDF won 15.
• Notably, in 2009 Assembly elections, SDF had won all 32
seats in the state.
4 new SC judges to take oath of office
• 4 new judges of the Supreme Court will take oath of office
on 25 May 2019, raising their number to 31.
• Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Aniruddha Bose and A.S.
Bopanna will be administered oath of office by Chief
Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
• The apex court will have its full strength of judges for the
first time since 2008 when Parliament had increased the
number of judges from 26 to 31.
Remya: Kerala's only Dalit woman MP
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Remya Haridas has created history by becoming the only
woman to have elected to parliament from Kerala.
• She is also the second ever Dalit woman MP to have
elected from Kerala.
• She was one of the toppers of Gandhi's 'Talent Hunt' in
search for upcoming leaders held in 2010.
• She has won against nearly insurmountable odds from
Alathur, Kerala.
33,000 voters opted NOTA in Himachal P.
• In Himachal Pradesh, over 33,000 none of the above
(NOTA) votes were polled.
• 0.87% of voters opted for NOTA out of over 38 lakh voters.
• The highest 11,327 voters chose NOTA in Kangra, followed
by Shimla, Hamirpur, and Mandi.
Jagan Mohan to be CM of Andhra Pradesh
• In Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan
Reddy will be sworn in as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh
on 30 May 2019.
• His party achieved victory in the legislative elections for
Andhra Pradesh Legislative assembly held on April 11th.
BJP set to form new government
• BJP led NDA is all set to form a new government at the
Centre bagging 347 and leading in 4 in the 543 member
Lok Sabha elections.
• BJP alone has won an absolute majority and heading for a
landslide victory. It has secured 303 seats.
• The UPA has won 89 and leading in 1 while others got 95
and leading in 6.
• The Congress alone has bagged 52 seats.
New initiative for real time voting results
• Election Commission has come up with a new initiative to
provide real-time trends and results of the Lok Sabha vote
counting across the states and union territories.
• The counting trends and results will be available on the
Commission Website at www.results.eci.gov.in as well as
on the Voter Helpline App.
Lok Sabha Polls at 67.11%
• An estimated 67.11% of the nearly 91 crore electors
turned up to cast their vote in 2019's seven-phase Lok
Sabha elections.
• This is the highest ever turnout recorded in any
parliamentary polls in India.
• The overall turnout in 2014 was 66.40%.
Lokpal website launched in the country
• The website of the Lokpal www.lokpal.gov.in has been
launched in India.
• It was inaugurated by Chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra
Ghose in presence of all the Members of Lokpal in New
Delhi.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

• It provides basic information about the working and • He was administered the oath by Governor Ganga Prasad
functioning of the anti-corruption ombudsman. at Paljor Stadium.
• Mr. Golay is not a member of the State Assembly at
Appointments
present as he did not contest the polls.
Pema Khandu sworn as Arunachal Pradesh CM
L.V. Navaneeth: CEO of The Hindu
• Pema Khandu, who pitchforked into politics after the
• L.V. Navaneeth will be taking over as the new CEO of The
death of his father in a helicopter crash eight years ago,
Hindu from June 1, 2019, on completion of the term of the
was on Wednesday sworn in as the first Chief Minister of
incumbent CEO and MD, Rajiv C. Lochan.
an elected Bharatiya Janata Party government in
• Mr. Navaneeth served this organisation between 1998 and
Arunachal Pradesh.
2006 in a senior position in Advertising and Marketing.
• Apart from Mr Khandu, Governor Brigadier (Retd.) B.D.
Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to TAFE appoints Akshay Kumar as its ambassador
Chown Mein as the Deputy Chief Minister.
• TAFE, India’s second largest tractor manufacturer by
Naveen Patnaik takes oath as Odisha CM volumes, appointed Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as its
brand ambassador for the Massey Ferguson brand of
• Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik was sworn
Tractors.
in as Chief Minister of Odisha for the fifth consecutive
• TAFE is present across 100 countries as of now with a
term in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
cumulative sale of about 2.5 million tractors.
• As many as 20 other members of the new Council of
Ministers were also sworn in at the ceremony held at the Indian appointed as the head of UN Mission
Exhibition Ground. The Council of Ministers has 10 new
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Indian
faces, including two women.
Army officer Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar, as the
Ola Electric appoints Arun Sarin new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS).
• Ola Electric has announced the appointment of Arun Sarin
• He is currently serving as the Commandant of the Infantry
as an independent director on its board.
School since July 2018.
• Arun is the former CEO of Vodafone Group and serves on
• Lieutenant General Tinaikar will succeed Lieutenant
the boards of Cisco Systems, Accenture, Charles Schwab,
General Frank Kamanzi of Rwanda who completes his
and Ola’s parent company ANI Technologies.
assignment on May 26.
• Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, invested in Ola
Electric as a part of the entity's Series A funding. Appointments
Nasheed nominated as new Speaker • The Centre has cleared the appointment of Justice D N
Patel as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
• In Maldives, former President Mohamed Nasheed has
• He will succeed the present Chief Justice Rajendra Menon,
been nominated as speaker of new parliament or Majlis.
who will retire on June 6, 2019.
• Mr. Nasheed leads the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP).
• He hails from Gujarat High Court and is presently at
• Another MDP MP Eva Abdulla has been nominated for the
Jharkhand High Court on transfer.
post of deputy speaker.
• As per the constitution of Maldives, the new MPs are Appointments
supposed to elect a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from its
• Pakistan has appointed career diplomat Mueenul Haq as
members by secret ballot.
the High Commissioner to India.
Pema Khandu to take oath as CM of Aru. Pra. • Haq, the current ambassador to France, has previously
served as chief of protocol at the Foreign Office.
• Pema Khandu will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of
Arunachal Pradesh on 29 May 2019 for the second time. BharatPe appoints Salman as brand ambassador
• After having a landslide victory in the Assembly elections
• Merchant service and UPI payments app BharatPe
with 41 seats in the 60-seat house, the BJP held it's
appointed Bollywood actor Salman Khan as its brand
Legislature Party Meeting in Itanagar on 27 May 2019.
ambassador.
• Mr. Khandu met Governor Dr. BD Mishra and staked claim
• The new brand campaign will be focused towards
to form the government.
educating merchants and users about UPI payments along
P.S. Golay: New CM of Sikkim with driving adoption of BharatPe app for all their business
needs.
• Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) president Prem Singh
• BharatPe offers merchants a single interface for all UPI
Tamang, or P.S. Golay, on May 27 took oath as the Chief
apps like Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, BHIM, Mobikwik.
Minister of Sikkim.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

Appointments • He will render his services as a member of the Tribunal for

a period of four years from 1st of June, 2019 to 31st of
• Ms. Radha Venkataraman, presently Director in the
May, 2023.
Ministry, has been appointed as the next High
• He served as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat and Jammu &
Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Kashmir High Courts before his term in Supreme Court
• Virat Kohli and batsman Rishabh Pant have been
from 2009-2014.
appointed as new official brand ambassadors of the
country's leading wellness firm, the Himalaya Drug Appointments
Company.
• Group Captain Chandra Shekhar Bhatt took over the
Appointments command of Air Force Station Faridabad from Group
Captain Kaushik Das.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank appointed Nitin Chugh as its
• Karnataka Bank Limited has promoted two of its General
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Managers, Balachandra YV and Gokuldas Pai, as Chief
• He has been appointed for a period of 3 years from
Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Business Officer (CBO),
December 1, 2019.
respectively.
Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected President
Muhammad-Bande appointed as President of UNGA
• African National Congress (ANC) won South African
• TIJJANI Muhammad-Bande, a professor and former vice
elections with 57.51% votes and Cyril Ramaphosa elected
chancellor of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has
as South African President.
been appointed the President of the United Nations
• Last year in February 2018, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected
General Assembly (UNGA).
as South African President after President Jacob Zuma
• He was the permanent representative of Nigeria at the
resigned from the post.
UN.
Appointments • When he assumes the role, the professor will become the
second Nigerian to be president of the UN General
• The Retired judge of Indian Supreme Court Justice Madan
Assembly.
B Lokur is appointed as a judge of Supreme Court of Fiji's
non-resident panel. He has been appointed in the new role Ajay Mehta: New Maharashtra Chief Secretary
for a period of three years.
• Mumbai municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta has been
• Former Indian opening batsman Wasim Jaffer has been
appointed as Maharashtra's new Chief Secretary.
appointed as the batting coach for the Bangladeshi men’s
• Ajoy Mehta succeeds UPS Madan who has been named as
team.
the special advisor to Maharashtra Chief Minister
Appointments Devendra Fadnavis.
• RBI has appointed former deputy governor Rama Dia Mirza appointed as SDG Advocates of UN
Subramaniam Gandhi as an additional director on the
• The United Nations appointed 17 global figures including
board of Yes Bank for two years, from 14 May 2019 to 13
Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba chief Jack Ma as the
May 2021.
new advocates for Sustainable Development Goals.
• Former Supreme Court judge A K Sikri has been appointed
• SDG Advocates are influential public figures committed to
as the chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards
raising awareness, inspiring greater ambition and pushing
Authority.
for faster action on the SDGs.
Appointments • SDGs were adopted in September 2015.
• LIC Mutual Fund appointed Dinesh Pangtey as the Hari Menon appointed as Country Director
company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He joined LIC as a
direct recruit officer in 1984. • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has appointed Hari
Menon as the Country Director for India, effective from
• ITC Ltd named managing director Sanjiv Puri as its
May 24.
chairman. He will take over the legacy of Y.C. Deveshwar,
the company’s longest serving chairman who died on 11 • He takes over from Nachiket Mor, who held the position
May 2019. for the past three years.
• Currently, he is the Director, Global Program Advocacy &
KS Radhakrishnan appointed as member of CSAT Communications, based out of the foundation's
• K S Radhakrishnan, former Supreme Court Judge, has been headquarters in Seattle.
appointed as a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat Deborah appointed CEO of Recording Academy
Arbitral Tribunal, London.

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• Deborah Dugan has created history by becoming the first
woman to head Recording Academy.
• She has been appointed as Academy President and CEO
and will replace Neil Portnow.
• She is currently serves as co-chair of the award-winning
storytelling nonprofit The Moth.
• The new president will oversee all affairs of the Academy.
Kalavathi: CEO of Philips Innovation Campus
• Kalavathi G V has been appointed as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the Philips Innovation Campus in
Bangaluru.
• Kalavathi, currently the head of Global Customer Service
and Operations for Philips' Healthcare Informatics
business, will succeed Srinivas Prasad M R.
• Philips Innovation Campus in Bengaluru is a premier
software research and development unit in Philips.
Rakesh Sharma elected as IMMA Vice-President
• Bajaj Auto Executive Director Rakesh Sharma has been
elected as Vice-President of Geneva-based International
Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA).
• He is a representative of the Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers (SIAM).
• Geneva-based IMMA has membership from various
manufacturers associations from across the world.
Jus PR Ramachandran: New CJ HC
• Justice PR Ramachandra Menon was sworn in as Chief
Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.
• Governor Anandiben Patel administered him the oath of
office and secrecy at a function here at Raj Bhawan.
• He was earlier a judge in the Kerala High Court.
ECube ropes in Badrinarayanan
• ECube, an ESG (environment, social and governance)
platform announced the appointment of Chandru
Badrinarayanan as managing partner.
• Early this year, Ecube had announced a fundraise of $1
billion jointly with Quantum Advisors.
• Mr. Badrinarayanan was till recently executive director
and head of MSCI’s India business and has more than 30
years of experience.
Appointments
• Ilapuram Raja has been appointed as member for RTI
Commission.
• India's Jagjit Pavadia was re-elected to the International
Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another term, posting
the highest number of votes at 44.
Appointments
• Visa has announced the appointment of Sujatha V Kumar
as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Reza Baqir, an economist with the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), has been appointed as Governor of the State
Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for three years.
Gregor appointed global ambassador
• Gregor Robertson has accepted an ambassador role with
the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
• The Global Covenant of Mayors is a coalition of over 9,000
cities and is the largest global alliance for climate
leadership.
• In his role as ambassador, the former mayor will be taking
his knowledge of urban climate change strategies to
organizations around the world.
Myntra appoints Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma
• Flipkart-owned fashion e-commerce platform Myntra
announced that it had appointed celebrity couple Virat
Kohli and Anushka Sharma as its first brand ambassadors.
• This is couple’s second big brand endorsement deal after
men’s ethnic wear brand Manyavar, which they have been
associated with since 2017.
Appointments
• Paytm, India’s mobile payment and commerce platform’s
President, Bhushan Patil, has quit the company.
• Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas (IFS:1993), presently Joint
Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic
of Senegal.
• Justice Ravindra Bhat has been appointed as the Chief
Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
Gates Foundation hires Sanjay Ubale
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has hired a senior
executive from Tata Group, India’s largest business group,
for its operations in the country.
• Sanjay Ubale will join Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as
policy director in its India office.
• In his new job, Ubale will oversee the Seattle-based
charity’s healthcare, poverty alleviation and educational
activities in India.
Wolters sworn in as military officer of NATO
• US Air Force General Tod D. Wolters has been sworn in as
the top military officer of the 29-nation NATO military
alliance.
• The former pilot, who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq,
became Supreme Allied Commander Europe at a
ceremony today at NATO's military headquarters in Mons
in southern Belgium.
• Wolters' term is likely to run two to three years.
BSE's first independent woman director
• Bombay Stock Exchange has appointed its first
independent woman director Jayshree Vyas.

• Vyas is a chartered accountant working as the managing
director of Shree Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank, Ahmedabad,
since 1986.
• She helped in launching the first financial literacy
programme in Sewa Bank in 2001.
Appointments II
• Senior IAS officer Dilip Kumar was appointed as the Officer
on Special Duty (OSD) in the office of Lokpal.
• He has been appointed for a period of six months on
additional charge basis or till a new incumbent joins the
post.
• Viacom18 has appointed Gourav Rakshit as the chief
operating officer (COO) for the Viacom18 Digital Ventures
vertical.
Kumar Sangakara: 1st Non-British Pres of MCC
• Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was
appointed as the first non-British president of the
Marylebone Cricket Club.
• He will be the first overseas MCC president in the
organization's 233-year history.
• His nomination announced by current President Anthony
Wreford will begin with one-year tenure in October.
Appointments I
• Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria PVSM AVSM
VM ADC took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 1 May
2019.
• Air Marshal SK Ghotia VSM took over as Air Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of Training Command on 1 May
2019.
Appointments II
• President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Justice Abhay
Shreeniwas Oka of the Bombay High Court as the Chief
Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
• The President of India has appointed Kerala High Court
Judge Justice P.R. Ramachandra Menon as Chief Justice Of
Chhattisgarh High Court.
Benjamin Netanyahu: New PM of Israel
• Benjamin Netanyahu was elected as the new PM of Israel.
• Mr. Netanyahu will seek to form a governing coalition in
the days ahead.
• His Likud party won 35 seats in the election, the same as
his main opponent from the centrist Blue and White
alliance, led by former military chief Benny Gantz.
Appointments I
• President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a former Army
commander General S.H.S Kottegoda to the post of
Defence Secretary.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019
• Japan's new emperor, Naruhito, has formally ascended the
Chrysanthemum Throne, replacing his father, Akihito, who
had abdicated a day earlier.
Environment
New medicinal plants found in Manipur
• Scientists attempting to document indigenous medicinal
knowledge of Zeliangrong ethnic group in Manipur have
found new medicinal plants.
• Scientists identified plants like Gynura cusimbua, Hedyotis
scandens, Mussaenda glabra and Schima wallichii whose
medicinal usage are reported for the first time.
• Zeliangrong ethnic group is one of the 32 tribes in
Manipur.
Coral bleaching near Palk Bay
• The National Centre for Coastal Research has found an
alarming pattern of bleaching in the reefs in Mandapam,
Keezhakkarai and Palk Bay.
• When the sea surface temperature was 28.7°C to 31°C in
the August 2018-February 2019, there was no bleaching
seen.
• However, when the temperatures rose to 32°C and 36°C
between March 2019 and May 2019, researchers observed
a pattern of bleaching in corals.
'Most bird-like' dinosaur ever found
• Scientists in Germany have found a new species of flying
dinosaur that flapped its wings like a raven.
• Archaeopteryx, a small feathered dinosaur, was
considered to be the oldest flying bird.
• Scientists have named the new bird-like dinosaur
Alcmonavis poeschli.
• Alcmonavis poeschli was the most bird-like bird discovered
from the Jurassic.
New vine snake species found in Odisha
• Zoologists have discovered a new vine snake species from
the eastern State of Odisha.
• A new taxon of vine snake is being found after a gap of
over a century.
• The last time a vine snake species was described was in
1906.
• Vine snake is a slender rear-fanged snake with narrow
heads and pointed snouts.
• Seven vine snake species are found in India.
Chinkara sanctuary declared in Bukkapatna
• Nearly 148.45 sq. km of forests in Bukkapatna in Tumakuru
district of Karnataka has been declared as a Chinkara
Wildlife Sanctuary
• The Chinkara sanctuary is the second protected area for
the conservation of the rare antelope in the State after
Yedehalli in Bagalkot.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
May 2019

GRIHA Council launches rating system

• GRIHA Council released a rating tool ‘GRIHA for Existing
Day Schools’ on 6 May 2019.
• The rating will help in evaluating the environmental
performance of existing schools across India.
• The rating familiarises the students with the concepts of
sustainability by involving them, under the guidance of
their teachers, on evaluating the environmental impact of
schools on the environment.
Grizzled giant squirrel spotted near Gingee
• For the first time, researchers have sighted nests of the
grizzled giant squirrel at Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near
Gingee in the Eastern Ghats.
• The squirrel is an endangered species listed under
Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• Owing to habitat loss and poaching, the species has been
categorised as near threatened by the Red List and listed
under Schedule II of CITES.
Bengal tigers may not survive climate change
• According to a report by the UN, Royal Bengal Tiger, which
dominates the marshy areas of the Sundarban forest
reserves, may be pushed into extinction due to rise in sea
levels and climate change.
• The Sunderbans, a 10,000-km area of wet and marshy land
sprawled across Bangladesh and India, is among the
world's richest mangrove forest reserves and supports
species like Bengal Tiger.
First brown bear sighting in Portugal
• The first brown bear sighting in Portugal in more than a
century was confirmed by wildlife experts.
• The bear belongs to a population living in the western
Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain.
• Brown bears have been extinct in Portugal since the 19th
century.
• The animal was spotted in the Montesinho Natural Park
and Braganca commune in northeastern Portugal.
Fani: longest-lasting cyclone in the century
• The powerful Cyclone Fani which ravaged the eastern
coast of India was the longest-lasting cyclone in April over
Bay of Bengal in a century, said the India Meteorological
Department.
• It was the longest-staying system over Bay of Bengal in
April, from 1901.
• Cyclone Fani was one of the strongest since the Super
cyclone 1999 and Cyclone Phailin in 2013, killing at least 16
in India.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

Table of Contents

Awards &Honours ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 5
International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................... 7
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 72
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 26
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 28
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 31
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 32
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 43
Polity ............................................................................................................................................................... 45

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Environment ................................................................................................................................................... 46

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Awards &Honours
Rachna won RedInk award for Aadhaar expose
• Rachna Khaira of The Tribune has bagged the prestigious
RedInk Award for 'Journalist of the Year'.
• She won the award for her expose during 2018 on the
functioning of the UIDAI and its Aadhaar data cache.
• Khaira's investigation confirmed that personal data of
millions of citizens were at risk of being hacked or traded
for a price.
Pullela Gopichand bestowed honorary doctorate
• India's chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand
was bestowed upon an honorary doctorate by IIT Kanpur.
• He received the honour on the occasion of their 52nd
convocation on 28 June 2019.
• The past recipients of the honour are Former President
APJ Abdul Kalam and former Prime Minister Dr.
Manmohan Singh.
Malayalam film won in Shanghai
• Veyil Marangal (Trees Under the Sun), directed by
Bijukumar Damodaran, won the award for ‘Outstanding
Artistic Achievement’ at the 22nd Shanghai International
Film Festival,
• It became the first Indian film to win a major award at the
festival.
• The film was one among the 3,964 entries submitted from
112 countries in the prestigious Golden Goblet Award
competition.
Nitesh Kumar wins Innovation Award in UK
• Nitesh Kumar Jangir won the 2019 Commonwealth
Secretary-General's Innovation for Sustainable
Development Award in London.
• He won the award for breathing support device (Saans) to
tackle avoidable deaths of premature babies from
respiratory distress syndrome.
• Saans is the world's first neonatal Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) device that can be powered in
multiple ways.
Dentsu and Ulka won bronze: Cannes Lions
• 3 Bronze Lions were won by digital agency Dentsu
Webchutney while IPG Group owned creative agency FCB
Ulka won a single Bronze Lion at the Cannes International
Festival of Creativity.
• Dentsu Webchutney won a Bronze Lion for their work on
Swiggy's 'Voice of Hunger' challenge.
• FCB Ulka won a Bronze Lion for their work with The
Millennium School on the 'Open Door Project'.
Awards for promotion of Yoga
• PM Narendra Modi announced the awards for the
promotion and development of Yoga.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Swami Rajarshi Muni, Ms. Antonietta Rozz, Bihar School of
Yoga, and Japan Yoga Niketan are the recipients of the
Prime Minister's Award for outstanding contribution for
promotion and development of Yoga for the year 2019.
• The winners will be felicitated with a Trophy, Certificate
and a Cash Award each.
Indian archers felicitated
• Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri
Kiren Rijiju felicitated the Indian archery contingent.
• They performed superlatively at the World Archery
Championships held in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
• India won one silver and two bronze medals at the event,
making it the best-ever medal haul in an Archery World
Championship.
Cannes Lions 2019: India won 2 bronze medals
• India won 2 bronze medals at the ongoing Cannes Lions
International Festival of Creativity with advertising agency.
• It won in the print & publishing and health & wellness
categories.
• India launched an interactive print tool kit ‘One Mindful
Mind’ which helps every parent turn into a counsellor for
their child.
29 journalists conferred with Matri Awards
• 29 journalists from print and electronic media
were felicitated with Matri Shree Media Awards for their
contribution towards journalism.
• Former mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation Adesh
Gupta was also felicitated for his contribution to social
service.
• The Matri Shree Media Awards was constituted during the
Emergency.
• The first award was presented to journalist Lala Jagat
Narayan.
Chinese President awarded highest honour
• Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov awarded Chinese
President Xi Jinping the 'Manas Order of the First Degree'.
• The award is the highest national honour of Kyrgyzstan.
• President Xi is on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and has
attended the 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organization
summit.
Tilloo receives ‘Save Water Hero Award’
• Social activist Makarand Tilloo received the ‘Save Water
Hero Award’ for his efforts to raise awareness about water
conservation in Pune.
• He started a campaign to save water by replacing leaking
taps with new ones.
• He was felicitated by the HridayMitra Foundation.
• The HridayMitra Foundation is an organisation which aims
to spread awareness about diseases.
Akshaya Patra gets BBC Award

• The Bengaluru-based NGO Akshaya Patra has been
awarded the BBC World Service Global Champion Award.
• The award is presented at the BBC Food and Farming
Awards in Bristol, London.
• The award recognises a project or person who is changing
the way the world produces, processes, consumes or
thinks about food for the better.
Sahitya Puraskar 2019 announced
• Sahitya Akademi has selected 22 writers for the Sahitya
Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 and 23 writers for Yuva
Puraskar 2019.
• For the Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Awards relate to books
first published during the five years immediately preceding
the year of Award.
• Meanwhile, 11 books of poetry, 6 short stories, 5 novels
and 1 literary criticism have won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva
Puraskar.
JNU awards to be presented to Union Ministers
• Jawaharlal Nehru University conferred its Distinguished
Alumni Award to Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
• They will be the first recipients of the Distinguished Alumni
Award.
• Nirmala Sitharaman is the Finance Minister of India.
• Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is the External Affairs minister
of India.
Priyanka Chopra to be awarded by UNICEF
• Unicef will honour Priyanka Chopra with the Danny Kaye
Humanitarian Award at the Unicef Snowflake Ball in
December 2019.
• The event will be held on December 3 in New York.
• Priyanka is a global Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for Child
Rights.
• She promotes various causes such as environment, health
and education, and women's rights and is particularly
vocal about gender equality and feminism.
Amitav Ghosh to be conferred Jnanpith award
• The Jnanpith award for the year 2018 will be given to the
noted English writer Amitav Ghosh.
• Former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi will present the
award to him in New Delhi on 12 June 2019.
• The award is given for outstanding contribution in
literature.
Mahindra won gold award in South Africa
• India's automobile major Mahindra won the Gold Award
for fairing on various indicators.
• The automobile giant, which has more than 60 dealers in
South Africa, secured the top position out of the 29 vehicle
brands surveyed for the awards.
Maldives to confer award to PM Modi
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• PM Narendra Modi was conferred with Maldives highest
award ‘Nishan Izzuddin’.
• The main aim of his visit was to further cement ties with
the Indian Ocean archipelago.
• PM Modi and President Solih held delegation-level talks as
the two countries signed a slew of agreements to
strengthen bilateral ties in a number of key areas including
defence.
DDS women bag UN award
• Women members of Deccan Development Society (DDS)
sanghams have bagged one of the most coveted UN
awards — Equator Prize for 2019.
• DDS sanghams have made a significant contribution
towards environment combating climate change, food and
nutritional security.
• The US$10,000-prize was officially declared on World
Environment Day on June 5.
Tayari Jones wins literary award for her novel
• Tayari Jones won the Women's Prize for fiction on 5 June
with An American Marriage, her story of a family torn
apart by the US judicial system.
• Jones, a professor of English at Emory University in
Atlanta, beat five other finalists including Anna Burns,
winner of 2018's Booker Prize.
• An American Marriage is Jones' fourth novel, but the first
to be published in Britain.
Gajendra gives away Ganga Quest'19 Awards
• Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,Union Minister for Jal Shakti
participated in event organized by National Mission for
Clean Ganga(NMCG) to celebrate World Environment Day
2019.
• During the event, awards were given to the winners of
Ganga Quest 2019,a month-long online quiz organized for
awareness and knowledge dissemination about river
Ganga.
Pichai to receive Global Leadership Award
• Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai and Nasdaq
president Adena Friedman have been chosen for the
prestigious Global Leadership Awards 2019.
• The award will be conferred during the next week's 'India
Ideas Summit'.
• The Global Leadership Awards recognise top corporate
executives from the US and India whose companies play a
major role in catalysing growth in the US-India commercial
corridor.
Annie Zaidi wins Nine Dots Prize
• Indian playwright and journalist Annie Zaidi was
announced the winner of the 2019 Nine Dots Prize for her
essay 'Bread, Cement, Cactus'.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

• The Nine Dots Prize is a book prize for creative thinking • The International Olympic Day is observed every year on
that tackles contemporary societal issues. 23 June.
• Zaidi’s book based on her Nine Dots Prize-winning essay • It is celebrated to promote participation in different sports
will be published by Cambridge University Press in May throughout the world without any discrimination of the
2020. gender, age and athletic ability.
• On 23 June 1894, delegates from 12 countries gathered at
Days & Events
the Sorbonne (Paris), to support 'Pierre de
Important Days Coubertin's' proposal to revive the Olympic Games.
• The ‘Day of the Seafarer' is observed around the world
every year on 25 June.
• International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is
observed every year on 26 June. The aim of the day is to
serve as a reminder to people that torture is a crime.
• International Day of the Tropics is observed every year on
29 June.
Statistics Day : 29 June
• Statistics Day is being celebrated on 29 June every year.
• It is observed to popularize the use of Statistics in
everyday life and sensitize the public as to how Statistics
helps in shaping and framing policies.
• The theme of 2019 Statistics Day is Sustainable
Development Goals.
• The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C
Mahalanobis.
International MSME Day: 27 June
• International Macro Small and Medium Enterprises Day
2019 is observed every year on 27 June.
• Indian MSMEs have stood the test of time, technology and
labour.
• International MSME Day 2019 is not just recognised as a
day to celebrate the growth of MSMEs, but also to identify
the challenges and provide solutions for the sector.
BIMSTEC Day celebrated in Dhaka
• Members of the 7 countries regional grouping Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) celebrated the BIMSTEC Day in Important Days
Dhaka on 25 June 2019.
• Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr A K Abdul Momen was • International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in
the chief guest of the event. Conflict is observed every year on 19 June.
• Acting High Commissioner Bishwadip Dey represented • Autistic Pride Day is observed every year on 18 June.
India in the event. • The Autistic Pride Day is generally observed to celebrate
the neurodiversity of people in the autism spectrum.
Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking • International Picnic Day is observed every year on 18 June.
• The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit World Music Day: 21 June
Trafficking is observed every year on 26 June.
• The day is observed to raise awareness about the major • World Music Day or International Music Day is observed
problem that illicit drugs represent to society. on June 21 every year.
• The theme for 2019 is Health for Justice, Justice for Health, • In India, Exchange4Media & Loudest.in are hosting annual
which highlights that justice and health are two sides of music conference, Music Inc.
the same coin when it comes to addressing drug problems. • The theme for 2019 is ‘Music at the intersections'.
• The first ever music day took place in 1982 in Paris as the
International Olympic Day: 23 June Fête de la Musique.
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• The move was proposed by Jack Lang (French politician)
and Maurice Fleuret.
Int Day of Yoga celebrated in Dhaka
• The 5th International Day of Yoga was celebrated on a
grand scale in Dhaka on 21 June 2019.
• Around 7000 people participated in the programme
organised at the Banga Bandhu stadium by the Indian High
Commission.
• Experts and students of Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre
(IGCC) demonstrated Common Yoga Protocol and yoga
asanas.
International Yoga Day: 21 June
• 5th International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21 June 2019.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in
celebrating yoga day from Ranchi in Jharkhand.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Yoga for Climate Action.
• The idea of the International Day of Yoga was first
proposed by PM Modi during his speech at the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014.
World Refugee Day: 20 June
• World Refugee Day is observed on the 20th of June every
year.
• It celebrates the stories and contributions of refugees.
• The theme this year is Step with Refugees - Take a Step on
World Refugee Day.
• According to the latest annual study released by the office
of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 70.8 million
children, women and men were forcibly displaced at the
end of 2018.
Diamond Jubilee of Naval Air Squadron
• Indian Navy's first Naval Air Squadron 550 celebrated its
Diamond Jubilee on 17 Jun 19 at naval base Kochi.
• It has played a key role in training the Navy's Maritime
Reconnaissance pilots and observers.
• The squadron has been part of several operations, from
the 1971 Indo-Pak war to Humanitarian Assistance and
Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during the December
2004 Tsunami, and more.
Goa Revolution Day: 18 June
• Goa Revolution Day is celebrated on 18 June.
• On this day in 1946, freedom fighter Dr Ram Manohar
Lohia had given a clarion call to Goans to fight for the
state's liberation from Portuguese rule during a speech at
Margao in South Goa.
• The speech provided a fillip to the Goan liberation
movement, with the state finally being liberated in 1961
after around 450 years of Portuguese rule.
World Sickle Cell Day: 19 June
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The World Sickle Cell Day is observed every year on 19
June.
• It is observed each year to raise public awareness about
the sickle cell disease and its treatment methods.
• Sickle cell disease is an inherited form of anaemia in which
red blood cells are not able to carry adequate oxygen
throughout the body.
Autistic Pride Day: June 18
• Autistic Pride Day is being observed every year on 18 June.
• Autistic pride recognises the importance of pride for
autistics and understands it not as a disease but as a
difference.
• Autism is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders
characterized by social impairments, communication
difficulties, restrictive and repetitive pattern of behaviour.
June celebrated as the LGBT Pride month
• June month is celebrated as the Lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) Pride
month all over the world.
• The LGBTQ pride month is celebrated to commemorate
the anniversary of Stonewall riots at Stonewall Inn in New
York, a gathering space for LGBTQ community during the
60s.
• LGBT History Month originated in the United States. It was
first celebrated in 1994.
World Day to Combat Desertification & Drought
• World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is
observed every year on 17 June.
• The day promotes public awareness of international
efforts to combat desertification.
• The theme for 2019 is Let's grow the future together.
• It is an occasion to remind everyone that land degradation
neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong
community involvement and co-operation at all levels.
Important Days
• Green Mizoram Day was observed across the state on 11
June 2019.
• International Albinism Awareness Day was observed on 13
June 2019.
• 'Still Standing Strong' is the theme for the 2019
International Albinism Awareness Day.
20th Anniversary of Kargil victory
• The year 2019, marks the 20th anniversary of victory in
‘Operation VIJAY’ popularly known as the ‘Kargil War’.
• This year, the 20th anniversary is being celebrated with
the theme ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’.
• The celebrations will be spread over 3 days from 25-27 July
2019 and will be organized at Dras and New Delhi.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15 June

• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed on 15 June
every year.
• It is observed to voice opposition to the abuse and
suffering inflicted on elderly people.
• It was officially recognized by the United Nations General
Assembly in December 2011.
• According to the UN, around 1 in 6 older people
experience some form of abuse. It is predicted to rise as
populations age worldwide.
World Blood Donor Day: 14 June
• World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on 14
June to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and
blood products and to thank blood donors.
• The theme for 2019 is - Blood Donation and Universal
Access to Safe Blood Transfusion, as a component of
achieving universal health coverage.
• The slogan - Safe Blood for All - has also been adopted.
Int. Day against Child Labour: 12 June
• June 12 is observed as the International Day Against Child
Labour every year.
• The day brings together governments, employers and
workers organizations, civil society as well as millions of
people to highlight the plight of child labourers and
measures to help them.
• The theme for 2019 is, 'Children should not work in fields
but on dreams'.
Days and Events
• Maharana Pratap Jayanti was observed on 6 June 2019.
• World Brain Tumor Day is observed on June 8 every year
with the objective of spreading awareness and educating
people about the Brain tumor.
• International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is observed on 5 June.
First ever World Food Safety Day celebrated
• The first-ever World Food Safety Day was celebrated by
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on 7
June 2019.
• The theme for this day was ‘food safety, everyone’s
business.’
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan unveiled a statue of ‘Gandhiji on a
Bicycle’ installed at the FSSAI complex.
World Oceans Day: 8 June
• World Oceans Day is celebrated on 8th June every year.
• The day was declared in 2008.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Gender and Oceans.
• It was first proposed in 1992 by Canada's International
Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean
Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit.
World Environment Day - 5 June
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June
every year.
• It is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging
awareness and action for the protection of our
environment.
• It was first held in 1974.
• The theme for 2019 is "Beat Air Pollution".
• 2019 host nation is China.
Telangana celebrates State formation day
• The fifth-anniversary celebrations of the formation of
Telangana State on 2 June, were off to a simple start on
Sunday.
• Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao addressed people to
strengthen the hands of the government in the
implementation of three new legislation in the offing with
focus on weeding out corruption in the administration.
Days
• World Digestive Health Day is observed every year by the
World Gastroenterology Organisation, in collaboration
with the WGO Foundation.
• Nepal celebrates Mt. Everest Day on May 29 every year in
memory of the first summit of Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
• The Global Day of Parents is observed on June 1 every
year.
• World Hunger Day is observed every year on 28 May.
World Milk Day is observed on 1 June
• World Milk Day is a day established by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to
recognize the importance of milk as a global food.
• It has been observed on June 1 each year since 2001.
• The day is intended to provide an opportunity to bring
attention to activities that are connected with the dairy
sector.
RBI to observe fin lit week from June 3-7
• The Reserve Bank of India will observe Financial Literacy
Week across the country from 3rd to 7th June 2019.
• The theme this year is - 'Farmers and how they benefit by
being a part of the formal banking system'.
• In a release, the apex bank said, posters and leaflets will
be used to spread awareness and spread the message of
financial literacy among the farming community.
International Affairs
Priya Serrao crowned Miss Universe Australia
• Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title for
2019.
• She will now represent Australia in the Miss Universe
competition later this year.

• Western Australia’s Bella Kasimba and another Victorian
Marijana Radmanovic rounded out 2019’s top three,
placing second and third.
New unprinting method to recycle paper
• The new 'Unprinting' method, developed and led by a
team of researchers at Rutgers University in the US, can
work with the standard, coated paper used in home and
office printers.
• According to a study in the Journal of Cleaner Production,
this innovation uses pulses of light from a xenon lamp.
• This method makes it possible to unprint and then reprint
on the same paper at least five times.
Italy won the 2026 Winter Olympic Bid
• The prosperous northern Italian regions of Lombardy and
Veneto, representing Team Milan-Cortina has won the bid
to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
• The Italian bid was chosen over the only other candidate, a
dual bid between Stockholm and the ski resort of Are,
Sweden, in a vote of 47-34 by I.O.C. delegates.
IOC stripped AIBA of Olympic status
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped
Olympic status from the troubled world boxing body AIBA.
• As a result, the IOC will now organize qualifying and final
tournaments for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
• AIBA had created very serious reputational, legal and
financial risks for the IOC and its American stakeholders.
• AIBA is near bankrupt with debts of about 17 million US
Dollars.
New headquarters of IOC in Switzerland
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened its
new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, exactly 125
years after the Olympic Games were revived.
• The Olympic House has been built on the site of the
former headquarters, and 95% of the old materials were
reused and recycled.
• The signature feature is a central staircase linking together
the five Olympic rings.
Ethiopian's Army Chief, Reg President killed
• Ethiopia's army chief and the president of a key region
have been shot dead in a wave of violence.
• There is political instability in the country as Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed tries to push through reforms.
• The attack was led by Amhara's security chief Asaminew
Tsige.
• The chief of the staff of the national security forces Seare
Mekonnen was killed by his bodyguard.
Sri Lanka launches first satellite ‘Ravana-1’
• Sri Lanka's first satellite 'Ravana-1', designed and
developed by two local engineers, was successfully
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
launched into orbit from the International Space Station
(ISS) along with two other BIRDS 3 satellites from Japan
and Nepal.
• Raavana-1 is the cube satellite.
• Raavana-1 is expected to fulfil five missions including the
capturing of pictures of Sri Lanka and surrounding regions.
1st iron mine discovered in Bangladesh
• The Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) has discovered
the country’s first magnetite or iron ore mine in Dinajpur.
• The iron in the mine was 65% which indicates the high
quality of the ore.
• The Geological Survey of Bangladesh first took up drilling
of the area in 2013 and the second drilling was started in
April 2019.
1st Bangladesh Int Theatre Festival held
• The first international theatre festival of Bangladesh is
being held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka.
• It was inaugurated by the Bangladesh State Minister for
Cultural Affairs KM Khalid on 20 June 2019.
• Theatre troupes from India, Bangladesh, Russia, China,
France, Vietnam and Nepal are participating in the festival.
Russia temporarily banned its airlines
• Russia has temporarily banned its airlines from flying to
Georgia from July 2019.
• The move came following violent clashes in Georgia after a
Russian lawmaker addressed parliament in Tbilisi.
• President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning Russian
airlines from undertaking flights from the territory of the
Russian Federation to the territory of Georgia from July 8,
2019.
FATF warned Pakistan
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said that Pakistan
failed to complete its action plan on terror financing.
• The FATF strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly complete its
action plan by October 2019 or face consequences.
• Saudi Arabia has become the first Arab country to be
granted full membership of the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF).
Walmart to pay over 282 mn
• Walmart agreed to pay over $282 to various US bodies to
settle charges of violating anti-corruption regulations
while conducting its business in India, China, Brazil and
Mexico.
• These violations were conducted by Walmart's third-party
intermediaries who made payments to foreign
government officials without reasonable assurances.
Int Day of Yoga celebrated in Dhaka
• The 5th International Day of Yoga was celebrated on a
grand scale in Dhaka on 21 June 2019.

• Around 7000 people participated in the programme
organised at the Banga Bandhu stadium by the Indian High
Commission.
• Experts and students of Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre
(IGCC) demonstrated Common Yoga Protocol and yoga
asanas.
Voluntary Euthanasia became legal in Victoria
• Victoria has become the first state in Australia to enact
Euthanasia laws.
• It would now allow terminally ill patients suffering from
intolerable pain to legally ask their doctor for lethal drugs
to end their lives.
• The state's historic laws were effective from 19 June 2019.
• Queensland and Western Australia are now considering
enacting the legislation.
Bangladesh: fastest growing economy
• Bangladesh has emerged as the fastest growing economy
among the 45 countries of the Asia-Pacific region
according to Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• In the financial year, 2018-19 Bangladesh attained a
growth rate of 7.9 % which is its fastest rate since 1974.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Higher public sector investment, stronger consumption
demand, were among the key factors of the high growth
performance of Bangladesh.
Libra: Facebook's cryptocurrency
• Facebook is leaping into the world of cryptocurrency with
its own digital money, designed to let people save, send or
spend money as easily as firing off text messages.
• ‘Libra’, described as a new global currency was unveiled in
a new initiative in payments for the world’s biggest social
network.
• Libra Association debuted with 28 members including
Mastercard, Visa, and Women's World Banking.
Paris Air Show opened
• Aviation executives descended on the Paris Air Show with
pledges to improve transparency over plane safety.
• President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the event at Le
Bourget airport.
• Few blockbuster products or orders are expected at the
world's biggest aerospace show, which brings together
nearly 2,500 firms from 49 countries, and 290 official
delegations
Chinese President awarded highest honour
• Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov awarded Chinese
President Xi Jinping the 'Manas Order of the First Degree'.
• The award is the highest national honour of Kyrgyzstan.
• President Xi is on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and has
attended the 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organization
summit.
Uber, Paypal to back FB's cryptocurrency
• Facebook Inc has enlisted companies including Visa Inc,
Mastercard Inc, PayPal Holdings Inc, and Uber
Technologies Inc to back its new cryptocurrency.
• Each company will invest around $10 million in a
consortium that will govern the cryptocurrency.
• The cryptocurrency, under Facebook's "Project Libra", is
aimed at allowing Facebook's global users to transfer
money across borders.
Bahrain to ban plastic from July
• Bahrain will start phasing out the use of plastic products
from July 2019.
• A Ministerial order will regulate and phase out the use of
plastic bags.
• The first phase will focus on single-use plastic bags as well
as banning the import of non-biodegradable plastic bags.
• Later phases will witness a permanent ban on the use of
plastic bags at certain malls and supermarkets.
Boris Johnson topped first ballot
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

• In UK, Boris Johnson has secured the highest number of Kazakhstan elected new leader
votes in the first ballot to select the Conservative party
• Kazakhstan elected the successor of former president
leader and next Prime Minister.
Nursultan Nazarbayev with 70% of the vote.
• He received 114 votes in the first round of a secret ballot,
• The victory of Kassym Jomart-Tokayev was never in doubt
followed Jeremy Hunt in second place with 43 and
after he received the blessing of powerful Nazarbayev.
Environment secretary Michael Gove third with 37 votes.
• His nearest opposition rival Amirzhan Kosanov had around
• The winner of the contest is expected to be announced in
15% votes.
the week of 22 July 2019.
Prayuth Chan-ocha elected Thai PM
Facebook to launch updated Portal devices
• Thailand's new parliament has elected military
• Facebook is set to launch an updated version of its video
government chief Prayuth Chan-ocha as the country's
chat device 'Portal' later in 2019.
Prime Minister.
• Facebook would also reveal some new form factors,
• Prayuth's appointment becomes official when it is
including Ripley, that Portal would be shipped with.
endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
• The device is also powered by Amazon's voice assistant
• Prayuth Chan-ocha is a retired army general and had led a
Alexa and comes with front cameras.
military coup in Thailand five years ago.
• It was first launched in November 2018.
NASA to open space station for tourists
US diplomat to visit Sudan
• NASA will open up the International Space Station to
• A top US diplomat will visit Sudan to encourage talks
business ventures including space tourism with stays
between Sudan’s military rulers and protesters.
priced at $35,000 a night.
• The US, assistant secretary of state for African affairs,
• It seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research
Tibor Nagy, during his visit plans to meet members of both
lab.
sides.
• There will be up to two short private astronaut missions
• Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called the strike
per year.
after more than 100 protesters were killed by a
paramilitary group on 3 June 2019. Russia launched Arctic train service
Canada to ban plastics from 2021 • In Russia, the first tourist train traveling through Russia's
Arctic region and on to Norway, set off from St. Petersburg
• Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that
station on 6 June 2019.
single-use plastics will be banned in the country from
• It had 91 passengers aboard for the inaugural trial journey.
2021.
• The tourists came from seven countries including the US,
• He declared it a global challenge to phase out the plastic
Germany, Norway, and Russia.
bags, straws and cutlery clogging the world's oceans.
• The train is named Zarengold.
• Single-use items represent some 70 percent of the plastic
waste littering the marine environment. Google Stadia to be launched in November
China to make trade deal with the US • Google is leading the way in the nascent business of
streaming games announcing pricing and a raft of new
• China will enter into a trade deal with the United States, as
titles for its Stadia.
told by US President Donald Trump.
• Stadia, which the Alphabet Inc. unit unveiled in March, will
• Increased tariffs on Chinese products is having an impact
launch in November 2019.
on its economy.
• It will have titles from major game developers including
• China will subsidise their product because there is a need
Ubisoft Entertainment SA and Bungie Inc.
to keep people working, so China is going to pay a lot.
• Access to Stadia’s library of games will cost $9.99 a month.
• The US has put 25% tariffs on 250 billion dollars of Chinese
goods. 10% decline in approval rate of H-1B Visa
Pakistan's economic growth to hit 3.3% • There was a 10% decline in the approval of H-1B visas by
the U.S. in 2018, which is popular among highly skilled
• Pakistan's economic growth in the financial year ending in
Indian IT professionals.
June is expected to hit 3.3%, well below the target of 6.3%.
• The experts attributed to the aggressive policies of the
• According to the Economic Survey, the dip in economic
Trump administration to clamp down on the use of the
growth is expected as the government failed to meet
work visa programme.
targets in nearly all sectors.
• The H-1B visa programme is the main vehicle through
• The manufacturing sector slid by 0.3% and the large scale
which US employers can sponsor skilled foreign workers
manufacturing showed a negative growth of 2%.
for admission.
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India-China Trade to Cross $100 Bn
• India's Ambassador in Beijing has inaugurated an Indian
oleoresin extraction firm's 3rd manufacturing facility in the
country to expand its business in the Chinese food market.
• Economic and commercial engagement between India and
China constitutes a major component of the bilateral
relations with bilateral trade, which crossed $95 billion last
year, is set to cross USD 100 billion this year.
Pramila Jayapal to preside over US House
• Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal held the
Speaker’s gavel becoming the first South Asian American
woman to preside over the US House of Representatives.
• The 116th Congress broke records with women and
lawmakers crossing racial and religious barriers, including
an all time high for Asian American lawmakers.
House passes bill to protect 'Dreamers'
• The House voted to protect so-called Dreamers and
establish a path to citizenship for more than 2 million
immigrants without legal status.
• The bill would grant permanent residency in three
categories-Immigrants who came to the country illegally as
children,Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred
Enforced Departure (DED) programs.
China clamps down on US companies
• Changan Ford Automobile Co. will be fined 162.8 mn yuan
($23.6 million) for restricting retailers’ sale prices in the
southwestern city of Chongqing since 2013.
• The fine amount is equivalent to 4% of Changan Ford’s
annual sales in Chongqing.
• The announcement comes after the Trump administration
declared a ban on business with telecommunications giant
Huawei Technologies Co.
India will make America’s private moon lander
• The first US lunar lander in the 21st century will be
designed in India.
• NASA says it will spend more than $250 million hiring
private companies to transport scientific missions to the
moon.
• Three companies—Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and
Orbit Beyond—have been awarded contracts for missions
into 2021.
UN Security Council meets on Sudan crisis
• The UN Security Council met to discuss the crisis in Sudan.
• This came after Khartoum’s military rulers announced
plans to hold elections following a crackdown that killed
nearly 40 people.
• Germany and Britain requested the urgent talks amid
international alarm over the violence in Khartoum where
security forces broke up weeks of protests against military
rule.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
US house passes USD 19bn disaster relief bill
• After months of negotiations and a week-long recess, the
US House of Representatives cleared a USD 19.1 billion
disaster relief bill aimed at providing funds to areas hit by
earthquake,hurricanes, flooding and wildfire.
• The bill,which passed in the House would provide
approximately USD 900 mn for US unincorporated
territory Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from 2017's
Hurricane Maria.
India in UN marks World Bicycle Day
• India joined the United Nations initiative to acknowledge
"uniqueness, longevity, and versatility" of the bicycle on
the occasion of World Bicycle day.
• UN Headquarters in New York marked the day with a
special outdoor event, which General Assembly President
Maria Fernanda Espinosa observed comes "at a crucial
time" as there are only 11 years left to avoid the worst
impacts of climate change.
Indian tycoon Ali gets first Gold Card in UAE
• The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship of the
United Arab Emirates announced that it had issued its first
gold residence card to Indian business leader Yusuff Ali
MA, the chairman of LuLu Group International.
• Yusuff Ali was awarded the query gold card here by
Brigadier Saeed Salem Al Shamsi, the executive director of
the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs.
Vietnam tops list from US-China trade war
• The Southeast Asian nation,which shares a border with
China, gained orders from trade diversion on tariffed
goods equal to 7.9% of GD in the year through the first
quarter of 2019.
• Taiwan is a distant second among the winners, with gains
equivalent to 2.1% of GDP.
• American and Chinese orders for more than half of the
1,981 tariffed products in the U.S.-China trade.
Govt slams OIC's communiqué on J&K rights
• India slams OIC for references to J-K in its Makkah summit
declaration.
• Indian govt. said it was unacceptable over the
OIC reference to J&K in a communiqué adopted at its
summit meeting.
• Govt. also rejects OIC's decision to appoint a special envoy
for J&K.
US Representative discuss Afghan peace in Pak
• Zalmay Khalilzad,the US Special Representative for
Afghanistan Reconciliation, arrived in Pak to facilitate
peace process that ends the 19 years of war in
Afghanistan.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

• Khalilzad has long been trying to reach a peace deal with • After the training, 1.34 crore have been duly certified by
the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan that has entered authorized 3rd party certifying agencies.
its 19th year.
• He will travel to
Afghan,Belgium,Germany,Pak,Qatar,UAE from May 31 to
June 16, 2019.
Puerto Williams is world's southernmost city
• Puerto Williams, a hamlet in Chile, has been upgraded to
the category of 'city' by Chilean authorities, making it the
world’s southernmost city.
• Puerto Williams has nudged out Ushuaia in Argentina for
the title.
• The capital of Chile is Santiago and its currency is Chilean
Peso.
James Marape elected new PNG Prime Minister
• James Marape, a former finance minister, has been
elected by parliament as the Prime Minister of Papua New
Guinea (PNG).
• His appointment comes after the outgoing leader Peter
O'Neill resigned on 29 May 2019.
• Papua New Guinea, a South Pacific nation of 7.3 million
people, has rich reserves of copper, gold, and oil.
China gave $6.56 billion to Pakistan
• China gave $628.4 million for the construction of two
ongoing nuclear power plants known as K2 and K3 in the
past 10 months.
• China also gave $1.4 billion in financing largely for projects
that form part of the CPEC
• Project loans have largely been disbursed for the Sukkur-
Multan motorway, Havelian-Thakot project of the China-
Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) and the Lahore Orange President's rule in J&K extended
Line project. • The Lok Sabha approved the resolution seeking an
National Affairs extension of President rule in Jammu&Kashmir for a
further period of 6 months with effect from 3rd July 2019.
List of best police stations in India released • The House also passed the Jammu and Kashmir
• An internal survey was conducted by the Ministry of Home Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Affairs to find the best police stations in India. • It proposes to give reservation in educational institutions
• As per the survey, the three best police stations in the and government jobs to people living within 10 kilometres
country are in Rajasthan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands of the International Border in Jammu.
and West Bengal. 5-year vision plan finalised by HRD ministry
• The Kalu police station in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district is
ranked number one. • The Department of Higher Education of HRD Ministry has
• The second in the rank is Campbell Bay in Nicobar district. finalized and released a five-year vision plan named
Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme
2.22 cr villagers given Digital Education (EQUIP).
• Electronics and Information Technology Minister Mr Ravi • The report has been prepared after a detailed exercise
Shankar Prasad has said that around 2.22 crore villagers done by the experts from various areas, including
are given Digital Education under Pradhan Mantri Gramin promoting excellence.
Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA). • They have suggested more than 50 initiatives that would
• He also said that over 2.30 crore beneficiaries have been transform the higher education sector.
enrolled under PMGDISHA. BYPL to launch energy saving app

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• Power distribution company BSES Yamuna Power Limited
(BYPL) will be launching a ‘behavioural energy saving app’
to reduce electricity consumption.
• The app Susthome, developed by BYPL and TERI will track
energy consumption patterns.
• In first phase of the pilot project, the power discom has
selected cooperative housing societies such as Mayur
Vihar to use the app.
2-day North East Conclave 2019 began
• In Meghalaya, a 2-day North East Conclave 2019 on
‘Transforming North East India through Science and
Technology’ began on 28 June 2019 at Shillong.
• It has been organised by the Institute of Bio-resources and
Sustainable Development (IBSD).
• The North Eastern States of the country are a treasure
house of rich biodiversity and their endowments can
contribute to the nation’s progress.
Govt on a mission to clean Ganga by 2022
• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that
the government is working in a mission mode to clean
Ganga.
• The flow of raw sewage into the river Ganga will be
completely stopped by 2022.
• The government is also planning to provide piped water to
a large population.
• India has 18% of the world population and an equal
percentage of livestock, but the share of water is less than
4%.
NDMA conducted mock exercise on earthquake
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
conducted a multi-state mock exercise on earthquake in
Delhi and NCR on 28 June 2019.
• The exercise was aimed to practise the preparedness and
response mechanism of the state governments to mitigate
the impact of a high-intensity earthquake.
• Preparedness activities were reviewed through interaction
with the Chief Secretary and senior officials.
Committee Report and Survey
• The M. Ramachandran committee tasked by the
government to look into the fares being collected by all-
India tourist omnibuses on inter-State routes has
recommended continuation of the fares.
• According to survey conducted by rural media platform
Gaon Connection, loan schemes don't reach almost 60%
people in rural India.
Polity
• The deadline to submit suggestions on draft of New
Education Policy is extended for a month i.e till 31st July.
The draft of Education policy has been put on a public
domain from May 31.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Union government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to
implement for the first time a quota for economically
weaker section in the recruitment of professors in
government-run higher educational institutions.
Miscellaneous News
• The Central government is formulating a detailed strategy
to tackle the problem of drugs in Punjab and Jammu and
Kashmir.
• On the 180th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
the legendary ruler of Punjab, a statue was unveiled at the
Lahore Fort on 27 June 2019.
• Modi attended the Indian community event in Kobe, Japan
on 27 June 2019.
National mission on nat language translation
• The Ministry of Electronics and IT will place before the
Union Cabinet a ₹450 crore proposal for Natural Language
Translation.
• The proposal is part of the 100-day action plan charted out
by MeitY, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
instructions.
• It aims to make science and technology accessible to all by
facilitating access to teaching and researching material
bilingually.
Maratha quota valid but to be cut to 12-13%
• The Bombay High Court upheld the constitutional validity
of reservation for the Maratha community in government
jobs and education.
• A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati
Dangre, however, said the quota percentage should be
reduced from the present 16% to 12-13%.
• The reduced quota is as recommended by the State
Backward Classes Commission.
FSSAI planned labels for packaged food
• Packaged food companies will be required to label high
fat, sugar and salt content levels on the front side of the
package with red-colour-coding.
• Draft regulations have been proposed by the Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI.
• According to it, the packaged food companies will have to
declare nutritional information such as calories, saturated
fat on the front of the pack.
Prithvi-II test fired succesfully
• India successfully test-fired indigenously developed
nuclear-capable missile Prithvi-II as part of a user trial by
the Army from a test range off the Odisha coast.
• The trial was carried out from a mobile launcher from
Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range, ITR
Chandipur.

• The missile is capable of carrying 500 to 1000 kg of
warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin
engines.
Entrepreneurship lessons at Delhi govt schools
• Delhi government is introducing a new curriculum with
compulsory entrepreneurship lessons for classes 9-12 in
1,024 government-run schools from July 1.
• The non-graded subject, for which about 3,000 teachers
are undergoing a week-long training, will comprise a daily
40-minute class.
• Students will get ₹1,000 as 'seed money' to enable them to
develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Bill to fine people for blocking ambulances
• The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has approved
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.
• It proposes ₹10,000 fine for anyone seen blocking the way
of emergency services such as ambulances on roads.
• The same amount of penalty would be levied in case of
drunk driving.
• The Bill is yet to be passed in the Parliament.
International Convention inaugurated
• The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises is
organizing an international convention in New Delhi.
• The theme would be 'Indian MSMEs, Global Aspirations'.
• It is being organized to observe the International MSME
Day on 27 June.
• Further, as part of continued celebrations, the second
edition of the International SME Convention 2019 will be
held from 28th - 29th June 2019.
Meeting of Paris Pact Initiative held
• The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is hosting
a Meeting of Expert Working Group on Paris Pact
Initiative in Afghanistan.
• The Meeting is being held on 27-28 June 2019 and is being
organised with the support of United Nations Office on
Drugs & Crimes (UNODC).
• Paris Pact is a group of 58 countries and 23 International
Organisations affected with drug trafficking of Afghan
Opiates.
Google Maps launched Stay Safer feature
• Google Maps introduced India-first 'Stay Safer' feature for
its users.
• The feature will alert and notify users traveling in taxis,
auto-rickshaws when their vehicle goes off-route and also
share the live status of their trips with friends/family.
• Indian users will be able to use the new feature on their
Android phones with the latest version of Google Maps.
Cauvery board asked Karnataka to release water
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The Cauvery Water Management Authority
(CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 9.19tmcft
(thousand million cubic feet) and 31.24tmcft of water in
June-July, to Tamil Nadu.
• Tamil Nadu is suffering one of its worst dry spells and
acute shortages of drinking water.
• However, the water will be released when there is
sufficient rain and the inflows into the reservoirs in
Karnataka have increased.
WAPCOS celebrated Golden Jubilee
• WAPCOS, which was incorporated as Public Sector
Enterprise in 1969 by the Government of India celebrated
its Golden Jubilee at Siri Fort, New Delhi on 26 June 2019.
• The theme for the event was 'Transcending Boundaries-
Touching Lives'.
• Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria was
the Guest of Honour at the event.
Government to provide broadband connectivity
• Government plans to provide broadband connectivity
under BharatNet Project to all Gram panchayats in the
country.
• 1,28,870 gram panchayats have been connected with
optical fibre till date.
• Under BharatNet project, the last mile connectivity is to be
provided at all the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the
country.
• WiFi spots have been installed in 44,140 Gram panchayats
as of now.
No-confidence motion against Speaker on 1 July
• DMK president M.K. Stalin proposed the motion of no-
confidence against Mr Dhanapal.
• Mr. Dhanpal issued show-cause notices to three AIADMK
legislators asking why they should not be disqualified for
associating themselves with AMMK leader T.T.V.
Dhinakaran.
• No- confidence motion in India can be introduced only in
the Lok Sabha.
New rules to make roads safer
• The Union cabinet approved proposed changes to the
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.
• It aims to address crucial issues such as road safety, with
stiff penalties for violation of rules, strengthening the
public transportation system and curbing corruption.
• According to the amendment, the penalty for drunk
driving has been raised five times to ₹10,000.
Maharashtra to get floating solar plants
• Maharashtra is all set to get floating solar power
generation plants on four dams.

• The backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and
Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating
solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method.
• The estimated investment per megawatt is 4.45 crore
rupees, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW.
Maharashtra govt to set up vigilance mechanism
• The Maharashtra government will soon set up its vigilance
mechanism to ensure fast redressal of grievances
regarding drought mitigation.
• The government will keep strict vigilance through tehsil
and district level committees to ensure officials are
available for farmers.
• The state government will recommend changes in the
parameters for the compensation payment.
Univers. Smart Card Driving Lic to be launched
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to
modify the format of driving licenses to smart card type
driving licences.
• It has prescribed a common standard format and design of
the Driving Licence for the whole nation.
• Its application SARATHI, has a common countrywide
database of all driving license holders.
• It has the feature to identify duplicate records online in
real time.
Central ATFM Complex inaugurated
• Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/c) for Civil
Aviation inaugurated the Air Traffic Flow Management -
Central Command Centre in New Delhi.
• The C-ATFM system is primarily meant to address the
balancing of capacity against the demand to achieve
optimum utilization of the major resources.
• It integrates flight data from various subsystems like ATC
Automation System and flight updates.
Government developed National Strategic Plan
• The government has developed a National Strategic Plan
with the goal for ending Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
• India accounts for 27.4 lakh estimated new TB cases
annually, which is the highest in terms of absolute
numbers.
• India ranks 35th in the world in terms of TB cases per lakh
population.
• Over 5 lakh 62 thousand patients were cured of TB in
2018.
Government set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras
• The Government has set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and
684 Agricultural Technology Management Agencies at the
district level in the country for dissemination of
technologies among the farming community.
• This is aimed at meeting the target of doubling the
farmers' income by 2022.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been constituted to
examine issues relating to doubling of farmers' income.
Air Traffic Flow Management command inagurated
• The Central Command Centre for Air Traffic Flow
Management (ATFM) was inaugurated in Delhi on 22 June
2019.
• The central ATFM system integrates flight data from
various subsystems like ATC Automation System, flight
updates and flight update messages.
• The system also displays weather information along with
static information about airports, airspaces and air routes.
Kolhapuri Chappals gets GI tag
• Maharashtra's handcrafted leather Kolhapuri chappal has
been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The GI tag has been granted for Kolhapuris chappals to
four districts of Maharashtra — Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli
and Satara.
• The artisans producing Kolhapuris in these districts will
now be able to make and market their product in domestic
and international markets.
Water clinic for elephants opens in Mathura
• India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy
treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis, joint pain
and foot ailments in Mathura.
• The new hydrotherapy jumbo pool has 21 high-pressure
jet sprays that create water pressure that massage the
elephants’ feet and body.
• The facility is run in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh
Forest Department and the NGO Wildlife SOS.
NABCB secures international equivalence
• The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies
(NABCB) secured international equivalence for its
accreditation programme for personnel certification
bodies in the annual meetings of the Asia Pacific
Accreditation Cooperation in Singapore.
• NABCB, a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India,
an autonomous body attached to the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
Forex retail platform to roll out
• The currency trading platform for retail trading is ready for
roll-out by the Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) on
August 5, 2019.
• It will enable transparent and fair pricing for retail users,
such as individuals and micro, small and medium
enterprises.
• The customer orders would be bunched up to make
marketable lots of $5 million and above, which can be
directly traded by CCIL platform.
35,000 km highways to be built by 2022

• The government will build 35,000 km of highways, besides
expressways, by 2022.
• Under the 'Bharatmala Project', construction or
upgradation of about 35,000 kilometres of national
highways is to be undertaken by 2022.
• In addition, under the 'Sagarmala Project', a network of
good-quality roads is being constructed in coastal areas
and areas adjoining ports.
Navy issued EOI for building 6 submarines
• The Centre has taken a major step towards building
advanced submarines for the Indian Navy.
• The defence ministry issued an Expression of Interest to
shortlist Indian strategic partners for the construction of
six conventional submarines under Project 75 India (P-75I)
worth about Rs 45,000 crore.
• This is a step towards opening a second production line for
diesel-electric submarines in India.
Capacity Building Program organised
• The India International Institute of Democracy and Election
Management (IIIDEM) (ECI) organized 5-day training
programme on Use of Technology in Elections for Election
Officials of Union Election Commission of Myanmar.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The ongoing Capacity Building Programs on Electoral
technology is the 7th program in the series of the 09
programs scheduled across 2018-2019.
Group constituted to solve e-commerce issues
• A group has been constituted under the secretary of the
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
for ensuring inter-ministerial coordination on resolving
issues related to e-commerce.
• A draft national e-commerce policy has been drafted and
placed in public domain.
• The policy addresses broad areas of the e-commerce
ecosystem such as infrastructure development and market
places.
GST council simplified registration rules
• The GST Council has simplified rules for registration and
Aadhaar will now be used by businesses for registration
under GST.
• In the earlier system, people had to give various
documents and now, several advantages will occur to the
business by using Aadhaar.
• GST Council approved imposing a penalty of up to 10% on
entities not passing on benefits of GST rate cuts to
consumers.
FM chaired 35th GST Council meeting
• The 35th GST Council Meeting was held on 21 June 2019
under the chairmanship of Union Finance & Corporate
Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Altogether, 12 Agenda items were discussed during the
Council meeting.
• Some of these items were of regular nature like
confirmation of the Minutes of the 34th GST Council
Meeting, deemed ratification by the Council of
notifications.
Telangana started project to end water woes
• Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated world’s
largest engineering marvel, Kaleshwaram lift irrigation
project, at Medigadda Barrage in Kaleshwaram of
Bhoopalpally district.
• The total estimated cost to finish this project is Rs 80,000
crores.
• The project will give assurance for employment, crop
production, food security, poverty eradication and
improvement of health.
Insolvency petition against Jet Airways filed
• National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) decided to admit
an insolvency petition against Jet Airways Ltd filed by its
creditors.
• The insolvency process will allow lenders led by SBI to sell
the company as a whole or sell its assets and bring to end
uncertainty over the airline's future.

• NCLT instructed Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to
finish the process for the airline in 3 months.
President announced farmer income support
• President Ram Nath Kovind announced that the
government was working towards a ₹25-trillion farm
productivity spend and ₹900-billion annual spend on
farmers’ income support.
• Fixing problems in the rural economy and giving relief to
farmers was the top priority of the Narendra Modi
government during its second term.
• ₹25 trillion will be invested to improve agriculture
productivity.
Umemployed grad. in Rajasthan to get Rs.3500
• Unemployed youth having graduation or equivalent
degree will be given unemployment allowance up to Rs
3,500 by the Rajasthan government.
• They will get the benefit of the Chief Minister Yuva Sambal
Yojana from February 2019.
• To be eligible for the scheme, applicants should be natives
of Rajasthan.
• The amount will be given for two years or until they get
employed.
HP made GPS device must for trekkers
• The Himachal Pradesh government made it mandatory for
trekkers to carry a GPS device to tackle any exigency.
• A decision in this regard was taken at a review meeting
chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Shrikant Baldi on
preparedness for the monsoon.
• Kullu and Dalhousie have been identified for installation of
early warning systems.
Cancer Institute at GMC Jammu approved
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formally approved
Rs.120 crore Cancer Institute at Government Medical
College, Jammu.
• With the setting up of the facility at GMC Jammu, the
patients now need not move outside the State for
specialized treatment facilities.
• Earlier, one State Cancer Institute was approved for Shere
Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.
2-day workshop on piracy issues held
• A 2-day international workshop on issues related
to piracy began in New Delhi on 19 June 2019.
• The participants are being trained on issues related to
piracy and armed robbery such as international laws,
prosecution process, forensics and emerging threats.
• It was organised by the Indian Coast Guard in cooperation.
PM to set up committee for an issue
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Presidents of all
political parties having representation in Parliament on the
issue of One Nation One Election.
• He will form a committee to look into the various aspects
of this issue in the country.
• The idea of One Nation, One Election envisages a system
where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to
be held simultaneously.
4th National Yoga Olympiad organized
• A 3-day National Yoga Olympiad of school children,
organised by the National Council of Educational Research
and Training is being held at Chacha Nehru Bhawan in New
Delhi.
• This is the fourth edition of National Yoga Olympiad. It was
first started in the year 2016.
• The Olympiad creates awareness about a scientific and
holistic way of living.
2 Jet Airways directors resigned
• Jet Airways informed about the resignation of two
independent directors Ashok Chawla and Sharad Sharma.
• Information that Jet's shares will be removed from daily
trading of futures and options from 28 June, further
accelerated the fall in its shares.
• The airline has a total liability of about ₹25,000 crore,
which includes dues of operational creditors.
Amendments to curb the use of black money
• Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT)
vice chairman Justice Arijit Pasayat suggested appropriate
amendments in existing tax laws to curb the use of money
power to win elections.
• Nearly Rs. 3,800 crore was seized from across the country
during the time of elections in April-May 2019.
• SIT that was formed in 2014 has already prepared its
seventh interim report.
Air India bid adieu to A320 Classic
• Air India’s Delhi-Mumbai flight, AI 865 was the last flight
by Airbus 320 Classic aircraft, which will make way for the
advanced and fuel-efficient Airbus 320 Neo.
• It flew 61,600 hours and carried out 38,000 landings.
• VT-ESL was the last of Air India’s A320 Classic fleet having
been delivered to Air India 25 years back in 1994.
1st floating solar plant to be completed soon
• Vedanta's first pilot floating solar plant will be completed
in the next 2-3 months.
• The plant will be located at Ghosunda Dam, near
Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
• The floating plant will contribute to saving water
evaporation loss, thus resulting in the conservation of
water.

• The solar plant is expected to have an energy yield of
1,993 MWh a year and will be able to power 1,400 houses
a year.
Govt launched pilot project in 5 states
• India has launched a pilot project to restore degraded
forest landscapes in five states over the next 42 months.
• In the first phase, the pilot will be conducted in Haryana,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Karnataka.
• The project launched in partnership with the International
Union for Conservation of Nature.
• It aims to enhance the capacity of forest landscape
restoration (FLR).
Only BS-6 vehicles to be available from 2020
• Only BS-6 vehicles will be available from 2020 onwards,
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
• Vehicles contribute 20-22% of pollution in the country.
• In Delhi, BS-6 fuel was started.
• Vehicles that will be available from next year will support
BS-6 fuel only.
• Today, 60,000 trucks, which do not have any work in Delhi,
now don't enter Delhi.
World Food India to be held from Nov 1
• World Food India will be held in New Delhi from 1st of
November 2019.
• The event which will continue till 4th November will
position India as Food Processing Destination of the World.
• Indian Food Processing Industry has grown tremendously
recording 11% growth rate, which is twice the pace of
Global Industry.
1st semi-open jail for women in Tihar
• The first semi-open prison for women will be inaugurated
on June 20, 2019 in Tihar, Delhi.
• The premises are a 4 minute drive from Jail where 375
women inmates are lodged.
• On the first floor is a work station, where the five women
make seviyan.
• Semi-open and open prisons for men have been
functioning at Tihar Jail for a while now.
NITI Aayog's fifth governing council meeting
• PM Narendra Modi spelt out his government's vision 2024
at the NITI Aayog's fifth governing council meeting at
Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• On the health front, PM Modi said tuberculosis should be
wiped out by 2025.
• He announced a high-level task force to bring structural
reforms in agriculture in the country. It will be formed in
the near future and report will be submitted in the next 2-
3 months.
IGNOU launched 6-month course in Yoga
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has
launched a certificate programme in yoga (CPY) ahead of
the upcoming International Yoga Day.
• The course will begin from July 2019 session.
• It will be imparted in the English language, and anyone
who has passed Class XII from any recognized board,
irrespective of their stream, will be eligible to get enrolled
in the programme.
Skill University to be set up in Darrang
• Assam government will set up a Skill University at the cost
of 850 crore rupees at Darrang district.
• This will be perhaps the first skill university of the country
with a capacity of 10 thousand seats.
• The International Yoga Day will be observed at 459 centers
of the Skill Development Mission.
High level force for agri reforms to be set
• The Centre is to set up a high-level task force for agri
reforms.
• The decision was made in the fifth meeting of the NITI
Aayog governing council.
• The task force is for undertaking structural reforms in
agriculture, including strengthening logistics, produce
marketing, food processing as well as changes to the
Essential Commodities Act.
• The task force will constitute of few chief ministers.
New policy to protect Indian languages
• Rashtriya Siksha Ayog has been proposed to be set up
under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister.
• The member of draft New Education Policy Prof. M K
Sridhar said that the new policy protects the Indian
languages which are on the verge of extinction.
• The new policy will put education on the pedestal of
evaluation and performance and lay emphasis on teachers’
education.
Death toll rose to 83 due to Encephalitis
• In Bihar, the death toll due to Encephalitis in Muzaffarpur
and adjoining districts reached 83.
• Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan asked Bihar
government to establish ICU at primary health centres in
Encephalitis affected areas.
• He emphasized to step up several measures to contain the
disease at the initial stage when symptoms of Encephalitis
detected in children.
New system for research journals launched
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched a
Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE).
• It will identify, continuously monitor and maintain UGC-
CARE Reference List of Quality Journals across disciplines.
• This new list of approved journals will be available at
newly launched website https://ugccare.unipune.ac.in.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

Govt to sign MoU for 300 gaushalas • This year, the 20th anniversary is being celebrated with
the theme ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’.
• MP Government is set to sign a MoU with a company that
• The celebrations will be spread over 3 days from 25-27 July
has promised to build 300 Smart Gaushalas over the next
2019 and will be organized at Dras and New Delhi.
5 years.
• The company will not charge a penny from the
government, but will make money by exporting items
made from gaumutra, gobar and the stiff hairs on a cow’s
tail’.
• The company has sought 50 acres of land for and will
spend Rs 11 crore on each of them.
CBDT issued new norms
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes issued new norms for
compounding of offences on 14 June 2019.
• The new guidelines have exclusion provisions, under
which, offences under the Black Money and Imposition of
Act, 2015, cannot be compounded in normal cases.
• This includes money laundering cases.
• Compounding means that the authorities agree to not
prosecute offenders in return for a consideration.
2 women leading Chandrayaan 2 team
• For the first time, ISRO has 2 women project directors-
Ritu Karidhal and Muthayya Vanitha for its inter-planetary
mission Chandrayaan 2.
• Chandrayaan 2, all set for launch on July 15, is the most
challenging mission for ISRO due to soft landing the
organisation is attempting with its lander.
• The project cost is close to Rs 1,000 crore with the
involvement of close to 600 industries.
Assam Transport Minister launched app
• Assam Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary
launched the State Transport Corporation's Chalo app for
Guwahati on 14 June 2019. ISRO to open its labs for school students
• The app will help commuters to know about the live arrival
time of their bus so they can plan their travel accordingly. • ISRO has, for the first time, opened its laboratories for
• Mr. Patowary also unveiled a one-of-a-kind transport map Indian school students to undergo two-week training from
for the State Transport bus network in Guwahati that has 2019.
been developed by Chalo. • The first batch of 108 students recently completed their
exposure in its laboratories in Bengaluru, Sriharikota,
DG to join hands with Cisco and Accenture Thiruvananthapuram, and other places.
• Directorate General of Training (DGT) joined hands Cisco • The training module has been devised as part of its new
and Accenture, to skill youth for the digital economy, Young Scientists Programme, or Yuva Vigyanik Karyakram,
through its Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). YUVIKA.
• Nearly 15,00,000 students across all the ITIs in India can HCL to roll out TechBee
access the digital learning module via the Bharat Skills
portal. • HCL Technologies is all set to roll out Tech Bee, a company
• Cisco will also provide access to Networking Academy initiative.
courses directly to ITI students across the country. • Under this, it will train and hire students who have
completed Plus Two, across several states.
20th Anniversary of Kargil victory
• As many as 700 students have now become employees of
• The year 2019, marks the 20th anniversary of victory in the company while some of them are pursuing higher
‘Operation VIJAY’ popularly known as the ‘Kargil War’. studies as part of the initiative.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

India to build space station in 7 years • The proposed integrated e-FT IT system will be
implemented across the state for effective monitoring and
• India will build its own space station in low earth orbit to
resolution of cases registered with Foreigner Tribunal.
conduct microgravity experiments in space in 5 -7 years.
• The main objective of the project is to maintain a
• The proposed Indian space station would be much smaller
statewide bio-metric and biographic data, to capture the
than the existing International Space Station (ISS).
illegal migrants’ data.
• The prospects of setting up such a space station at an
altitude of 400 kilometres from Earth would hinge on Cyclone 'Vayu' changed its course
successfully carrying the 'Gaganyaan' human space
• Cyclone 'Vayu' spared Gujarat after changing its course
mission.
towards northwest but the threat of furious wind, dust
ZPCC meeting began in Kohima storm and rainfall still continues.
• The India Meteorological Department issued an orange
• The North-East Zonal Programme Co-ordination
alert over Cyclone Vayu.
Committee, ZPCC Meeting of All India Radio Stations
• A yellow alert signifies moderate danger, followed by an
began on 13 June 2019 in Kohima.
orange alert that means high danger level and a red alert
• The meeting is being hosted by AIR Kohima under the
means maximum level of danger.
aegis of Additional Director General (Programme), North
East Region (NER). ESI contribution rate reduced by govt.
• Heads of Programme and Programme Executives of the
• The Government of India has reduced the rate of
region were all a part of the 2-day meet.
contribution under the ESI Act from 6.5% to 4%.
Mizoram CM presented state budget • Reduced rates will be effective from 01/07/2019.
• This would benefit 3.6 crore employees and 12.85 lakh
• In Mizoram, CM Zoramthanga presented the state budget
employers.
for 2019-2020 amounting to 10,692.30 cr. in the state
• The reduced rate of contribution will bring about a
Legislative Assembly, on 13 June,19.
substantial relief to workers and it will facilitate further
• A provision of 750 crore rupees for implementation of the
enrollment of workers under the ESI scheme.
Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) has been
proposed. Astitva exhibition inauguarated
• The SEDP is the flagship program of the Mizo National
• Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (I/C) of Culture
Front (MNF) government.
& Tourism, Government of India inaugurated the
• The budget proposals have not imposed any new taxes.
exhibition titled 'Astitva: The Essence of Prabhakar Barwe'.
NIRDPR launched training programme • It was inaugurated at National Gallery of Modern Art, New
Delhi on 13 June 2019.
• The National Institute of Rural Development and
• It is the first of its kind to be held in New Delhi that will
Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) launched a training programme.
present his artistic oeuvre in four distinct phases.
• It is of Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaptation to Climate
Change (SLACC) to help Rural Poor Farm Holds adapt to Hypersonic missile successfully test fired
Climate Change and sustain their livelihoods.
• India conducted a successful first test flight of the
• Total 638 drought and flood-prone villages of MP and
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV)
Bihar are being covered on pilot basis under this first of its
from a base off the Odisha coast.
kind initiative.
• The only other countries that possess this technology are
Narendra Singh Tomar chaired meeting the US, Russia, and China.
• The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration
• Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh
vehicle that can cruise up to a speed of mach 6 and rise up
Tomar chaired a meeting with Agriculture Ministers of all
to an altitude of 32. km in 20 seconds.
States and Union Territories via video conference on 13
June 2019. Jail for children abandoning elderly parents
• The implementation of three key schemes were discussed
• The Bihar government has approved the proposal to
in the meeting.
punish sons and daughters, who abandon their elderly
• These are Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM-
parents, with a jail term.
Kisan), Pension Scheme for Small and Marginal Farmers
• Such cases will be registered under the non-bailable
and Kisan Credit Card Campaign.
section after receiving complaints from elderly parents.
E-FT to be set up in Assam
Google Maps' new feature tested in India
• The Centre approved setting up of e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-
FT) in Assam.
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• Google is experimenting with a new off-route safety
feature for Maps, exclusively in India for now.
• It will alert users if their cars or taxis deviate from their
route by more than 500 meters.
• The off-route alerts can be found within the Stay
Safer menu, which is accessible after the user has selected
their destination but before they enter navigation mode.
29 children dead due to encephalitis
• Over 29 children have died in various north Bihar districts
due to symptoms akin to that of acute encephalitis
syndrome (AES).
• A 7-member team of experts from the central government
is arriving here soon to find out exact reasons for the
epidemic.
• About 19 deaths in this season were reported from the
SKMCH in Muzaffapur alone.
RBI constituted a committee
• The RBI has constituted a 6-member committee to review
the entire gamut of ATM charges and fees.
• Chief Executive of Indian Banks’ Association VG Kannan
will chair the committee.
• The committee will review existing patterns of costs,
charges and interchange fees for ATM transactions.
• It is to submit its report within two months from the date
of its first meeting.
UP govt hiked old age pension
• Uttar Pradesh Government has hiked old-age pension in
the age group 60 to 79 years by Rs.100 monthly.
• Now the old-age pensioners would receive 500 rupees per
month from the existing 400 rupees.
• The 100-rupee hike would be enforced from January 2019.
• The newly hiked pension will benefit around 44.21 lakh
people in the state.
VAYU: Cyclone warning for Gujarat coast
• The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ over East-central
Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of
about 13 kmph on 12th June 2019.
• It is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast
between Porbandar and Mahuva as a Very Severe Cyclonic
Storm with wind speed 145-155 kmph gusting to 170
kmph on13th June 2019.
Clean drinking water to be provided by 2024
• The Centre has set a target of providing clean drinking
water to all by 2024.
• In states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand and Odisha, the coverage of clean drinking
water is less than 5%.
• Only in Sikkim 99% of households get tapped water.
• Emphasis will also be laid on water conservation, citing the
widening gap between water supply and demand.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
India's first dinosaur museum in Gujarat
• Gujarat has joined the Jurassic bandwagon with India’s
first ever Dinosaur-Museum-cum-Park in Raiyoli in
Mahisagar district.
• Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated the museum that is
set to give visitors a Jurassic Park feel.
• Located in Raiyoli area of Balasinor, the museum will have
fossil records and remains of various dinosaur species.
Finance Minister held pre budget meet
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held her first pre-
budget consultation meeting with representatives of farm
bodies, Industry and Trade in New Delhi.
• In the meeting, she sought the views of different
agriculture organisations and farm economists on ways to
boost the farm sector growth and double farmers' income.
• Mrs Sitharaman will present the budget on 5th of July
2019.
NDMA conducted training programme
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is
conducting a basic training programme at the Deendayal
Port Trust in Kandla, Gujarat.
• The 5-day training programme is aimed at increasing
awareness and enhancing the preparedness of Seaport
Emergency Handlers (SEHs).
• Earlier this year, three batches of SEHs were trained at
Mangalore, Kochi and Navi Mumbai.
States can now constitute Foreigners Tribunals
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the
Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.
• MHA has empowered district magistrates in all States and
Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a
person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.
• Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested
only with the Centre.
India's 1st BS-VI certificate released
• International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT)
released India’s first Type Approval Certificate (TAC) for
Bharat Stage - VI (BS – VI) norms for the 2-wheeler
segment in New Delhi.
• The certificate was released and handed over by Director
ICAT, Dinesh Tyagi to top officials of the OEM (Original
Equipment Manufacturers).
Govt to procure 2 supercomputers
• The government will procure 2 more supercomputers
whose combined computing powers would be 8 times the
existing capacity.
• Plans are afoot to buy these supercomputers, with a
combined total computing speed of 80 petaflops, at a cost
of approximately ₹1,500 crore.

• The new supercomputers will be set up at the two existing
institutes of the MoES.
JDU not part of NDA outside Bihar
• Janata Dal-United, JD(U) has decided that it will not be
part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) outside
Bihar.
• This decision was taken in the party's national executive
meeting in Patna which was chaired by JD(U) President
Nitish Kumar.
• The party will contest assembly polls separately in four
states-Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Mumbai metro completed five years of operation
• The Mumbai metro completed five years of operation in
June 2019.
• During the last five years of operation, Metro has achieved
running the service without a single case of an accident or
any fatality.
• The metro completed 6.17 lakh trips transporting 54 Crore
commuters.
• The present metro line connects Versova western part of
the metropolis to Ghatkopar in the central line.
Home Ministry issues advisory to WB
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The Centre has strongly advised the West Bengal
government to ensure that all necessary measures are
taken to maintain law and order, peace and public
tranquility in the state.
• Expressing deep concern over the violence even after the
conclusion of General Elections, the Centre has asked the
state to take strict action against officials.
Meeting on water crisis issues to be held
• The Centre will hold a meeting with Water Resources
Ministers of different states on the issue of water
conservation and drinking water on 11 June 2019.
• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will chair the
meeting in New Delhi.
• He will discuss the issue of water crisis and seek states co-
operation to overcome it.
Delhi Metro receives power from waste
• The Delhi Metro has become the first ever project in the
country to receive power generated from a waste-to-
energy plant.
• Delhi Metro has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12
MW capacity waste-to-energy plant set up in Ghazipur.
• The waste-to-energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste
Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL).
Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurates Exhibition
• The Minister of State (I/c) of Culture & Tourism, Prahalad
Singh Patel, inaugurated the exhibition titled 'Unknown
Masterpieces of Himachal Folk Art', in New Delhi on 7 June
2019.
• The Exhibition is being jointly organised by the National
Museum, New Delhi and Home of Folk Art (Museum of
Tribal, Folk and Neglected Art).
• The exhibition was curated by Mr B.N. Aryan, Director,
Home of Folk Art.
Govt to award media houses
• The government has decided to honour media houses for
their contribution towards creating awareness about yoga.
• 33 awards will be given 11 each for newspaper
organisations, TV and radio channels.
• A six-member jury will consider the entries in all 23
languages.
• Media campaigns on yoga from June 10 to June 25 will be
considered for International Yoga Day, celebrated annually
on June 21.
Paytm ahead of major banks in digi transact.
• Paytm Payments Bank has received a target of 501.16
crore digital transactions for the financial year 2019-20.
• It is higher than the targets set for major banks including
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Punjab National Bank.
• Paytm Payments Bank is only behind the State Bank of
India, which has the highest target for digital transactions.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

Shiv Sena to distribute foodgrains to farmers • Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country to have a
27 percent quota for OBCs.
• The Shiv Sena will distribute foodgrains to farmers staying
in fodder camps in nine drought-affected districts of Indore's airport gets 'international' status
Maharashtra.
• Indore's Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport was declared as an
• Shivsena chief Uddhav Thackeray will kick-off the initiative
international airport on 29 May 2019.
in memory of late party supremo Bal Thackeray, in
• The airport, named after Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of
Salegaon village in Jalna district.
Indore, is considered as the busiest airport in Central India.
• There are 34 fodder camps in Jalna and 28 in Aurangabad.
• An international airport has customs and border control
New species of beetles found in Tawang facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries.
• A new species of dung beetle was discovered in Arunachal India's only orangutan dies in Odisha
Pradesh’s Tawang district.
• Binny, India’s only orangutan, has died at Nandankanan
• The new discovery named ‘Enoplotrupes tawangensis’ is a
Zoological Park in Odisha.
27-mm-long insect, relatively bigger than most dung
• Binny was brought from the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park
beetles.
in Pune to the zoo in 2003.
• The shining dark blue insect was first examined by two
• Binny was undergoing treatment for an infected wound on
scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) --
her throat for the last two years.
Kailash Chandra and Devanshu Gupta.
Rajasthan government banned E-cigarettes
CM Yogi unveiled a 7 foot tall statue
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the ban
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled a 7-foot tall statue of Lord
on the sale of e-cigarettes in Rajasthan.
Rama at the Shodh Sansthan museum in Ayodhya on 7
• Gehlot issued the order on the occasion of World No
June, 2019.
Tobacco Day on May 31.
• Adityanath will also inaugurate the event to celebrate
• The government had banned the online or offline sale,
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
storage, production, distribution, and advertisement of e-
• The statue is made out of a single rosewood block statue
cigarettes in the state.
which was from Karnataka.
Science Film Festival to be held in Agartala
Andhra CM to get 5 deputies
• 10th National Science Film Festival of India will be in
• Jagan Mohan Reddy, who took power in Andhra
Agartala, Tripura in January-February 2020.
Pradesh, will have a record five Deputy Chief Ministers.
• This is for the second time the event will be held in a
• He would have five deputies and a full 25-member cabinet,
North-Eastern city. It will be jointly hosted by Vigyan
which would represent the aspirations of all communities.
Prasar of the Central Government, State Government, and
• The deputy Chief Ministers will represent SCs, STs,
Tripura Central University.
Backward Classes, minorities and the Kapu communities.
• Chief Minister of Tripura is Biplab Kumar Deb.
Delhi government plans free rides for women
Personalities in News
• Delhi government has announced its plan to subsidize
Priya Serrao crowned Miss Universe Australia
travel in public transport for women commuters in the
Capital. • Priya Serrao has won the Miss Universe Australia title for
• The announcement was made by Chief Minister Arvind 2019.
Kejriwal. • She will now represent Australia in the Miss Universe
• The government intends to allow women to travel for free competition later this year.
on metro trains and State-run buses by the month of • Western Australia’s Bella Kasimba and another Victorian
August-September. Marijana Radmanovic rounded out 2019’s top three,
• The new scheme, which is to be implemented, is to placing second and third.
encourage the use of public transport.
First black female Bishop appointed
MP passes resolution to increase OBC quota
• The Church of England’s first black female bishop has been
• Madhya Pradesh Cabinet passed a resolution to increase appointed by Downing Street.
the percentage of reservation quota for Other Backward • Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the chaplain to the Speaker of the
Classes from existing 14 percent to 27 percent. House of Commons, was announced as the new bishop of
• The move will lead to the reservation in the state Dover.
breaching the Supreme Court-mandated 50 percent cap to • Hudson-Wilkin will succeed the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott,
reach 63 percent. who retired from the role in May 2019.
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• She will be consecrated in November 2019.
Nirmala Sitharaman among 100 influ women list
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is among the 100
most influential women driving the UK-India relationship
forward.
• The '100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations: Celebrating
Women' list was launched by UK Home Secretary Sajid
Javid to mark India Day in the Houses of Parliament in
London.
• Penny Mordaunt, Britain's Secretary of State for Defence,
is the other politician in the list.
E. Sreedharan resigned as Advisor
• The Principal Advisor to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation
(LMRC) Padma Vibhushan E. Sreedharan submitted his
resignation citing health issues.
• Sreedharan, popularly known as the Metro Man, has years
of experience in handling mega Metro projects in the
country.
• In February 2014, LMRC appointed Sreedharan as its
Principal Advisor for shaping the project in the state
capital.
RBI's Deputy Governor resigned
• Viral Acharya who had made a fervent pitch for autonomy
for the RBI, has quit 6 months before the scheduled end of
his term.
• Acharya, who joined the central bank on January 23, 2017,
was RBI's youngest deputy governor post economic
liberalisation.
• Acharya has been uncomfortable ever since the exit of
Urjit Patel as Governor of RBI.
Virat fined 25% of his match fee
• Virat Kohli has been fined 25% of his match fee for
aggressive appealing during World Cup match against
Afghanistan.
• He was found to have breached ICC Code of Conduct for
Players and Player Support Personnel.
• One demerit point has also been added to the disciplinary
record of the Indian skipper.
• It is his second offence since the introduction of the
revised code in September 2016.
Modi voted 'world's most powerful leader 2019'
• PM Narendra Modi was voted the 'World's Most Powerful
Person 2019' in the reader's poll conducted by UK-based
British Herald magazine.
• PM Modi received 30.9% of total votes to beat US
President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin,
and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• PM Modi will feature on the cover page of the July 15
edition of the magazine.
Fernando Torres announced retirement
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres
announced his retirement from football.
• He scored 81 goals across four seasons with Liverpool and
won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup
with Chelsea.
• A World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, Torres announced
his retirement through social media.
Abhinav Bindra appointed to sort AAI Mess
• Abhinav Bindra was appointed as an independent person
by the World Archery to sort out the ongoing mess in the
national federation (AAI).
• The world body de-listed the Archery Association of India
for violating the constitution by unanimously electing two
parallel bodies in Chandigarh and New Delhi.
• He will be part of the selection panel, also consisting of
IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta.
2 Jet Airways directors resigned
• Jet Airways informed about the resignation of two
independent directors Ashok Chawla and Sharad Sharma.
• Information that Jet's shares will be removed from daily
trading of futures and options from 28 June, further
accelerated the fall in its shares.
• The airline has a total liability of about ₹25,000 crore,
which includes dues of operational creditors.
Ms. Das to head Indian Cultural Centre
• Shrimati C. Das, an academician and a translator from
Hubballi, has been appointed Director of Gurudev Tagore
Indian Cultural Centre in Mexico. The appointment of Ms.
Das is for three years with the diplomatic rank of First
Secretary.
• Former WB Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will be
the Congress party’s leader in the Lok Sabha. K. Suresh
from Kerala will be designated as Chief Whip.
Zuzana: 1st female Slovakia President
• Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as Slovakia's first female
President.
• The swearing-in ceremony took place at Constitutional
Court chair Ivan Fiacan parliamentary session held in
Bratislava, Xinhua.
• She is the fifth president in the modern Slovak.
• She was elected in the month of March. She defeated
Smer-SD candidate Maros Sefcovic.
Suman Rao crowned Miss India 2019
• Suman Rao from Rajasthan won Femina Miss India World
2019 Title.
• The ceremony was held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
• Shivani Jadhav, Chhattisgarh won Femina Miss Grand India
2019 title.

• Shreya Shanker, Bihar won Miss India United Continents
2019 title.
Zonel Sougaijam enters Facebook ‘Hall of Fame’
• Zonel Sougaijam from Manipur has made it to Facebook’s
'Hall of Fame 2019' for detecting a WhatsApp bug that
violated the privacy of a user.
• He found that during a voice call through WhatsApp, the
bug used to allow the caller to upgrade it to a video call
without the authorisation of the receiver.
• He is currently at the 16th positions in a list of 96 people in
Facebook’s list for this year.
2 women leading Chandrayaan 2 team
• For the first time, ISRO has 2 women project directors-
Ritu Karidhal and Muthayya Vanitha for its inter-planetary
mission Chandrayaan 2.
• Chandrayaan 2, all set for launch on July 15, is the most
challenging mission for ISRO due to soft landing the
organisation is attempting with its lander.
• The project cost is close to Rs 1,000 crore with the
involvement of close to 600 industries.
Persons in News
• Cancer-hit Malaysian Badminton star Lee Chong Wei
announced his retirement on 13 June 2019.
• Senior TRS leader and Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Keshav
Rao has been elected as Parliamentary Party leader.
• Virat Kohli is the only Indian on the Forbes World's
Highest-Paid Athletes.
Tokayev took oath as President of Kajakhastan
• In Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took oath as the
new President of the country.
• He was acting President following the surprise resignation
of Nursultan Nazarbayev in March 2019.
• The career diplomat became the country’s second elected
president after succeeding Nursultan Nazarbayev.
2nd resignation in Yes Bank
• Yes Bank's independent director Mukesh Sabharwal has
stepped down from the lender's board of directors to
devote his time to academic pursuits.
• Sabharwal has worked with the private lender for over
seven years.
• The resignation comes a day after non-executive director
Ajai Kumar quit the lender's board due to personal
reasons.
Ashleigh Barty became world no. 2
• Ashleigh Barty has risen to the no. 2 position from number
eight in the latest Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
rankings after winning the French Open title.
• She is now 136 points away from the number one ranked
women's tennis player Naomi Osaka (6486).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Barty is the first Australian woman to win the French Open
since Margaret Court in 1973.
Shikhar ruled out from the World Cup
• In-form senior India opener Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out
of at least two World Cup matches after his left thumb was
found to have a hairline fracture.
• Dhawan will miss the game against New Zealand and the
marquee clash against Pakistan.
• Dhawan was the hero of India's win over Australia with a
knock of 117 off 109 balls.
Yuvraj Singh announced retirement
• Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from all forms of
cricket on June 10, 2019.
• Yuvraj featured in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is, while
also playing a pivotal role in India's two big triumphs - the
2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup.
Ajit Kumar quit Yes Bank Board
• Yes Bank informed that Ajai Kumar, non-executive director
of the bank, has resigned citing personal reasons.
• The former chairman and MD of Corporation Bank was
appointed to Yes Bank board on January 29, 2016.
• Mr. Kumar was appointed as the bank’s interim CEO for a
month after Rana Kapoor’s term ended on January 31,
2019.
3 Indian-origin women among richest in the US
• 3 Indian-origin women have been named by Forbes among
America’s 80 richest self-made women.
• The list has been topped by Diane Hendricks, who chairs
ABC Supply, one of the largest wholesale distributors of
roofing.
• Jayshree Ullal, Syntel Neerja Sethi, and Neha Narkhede are
in the Forbes list of 'America’s Richest Self-Made Women
2019'.
Rihanna: World's richest female musician
• Forbes magazine has named Rihanna as the world’s richest
female musician.
• Rihanna's Fenty Beauty brand business endeavors have
officially made her the richest female musician in the
world.
• Her worth is estimated at $600m (£472m) which includes
revenues made from her fashion and beauty lines in
addition to those from her music career.
First woman fighter pilot to fly Hawk jet
• Flight Lt Mohana Singh has become the first woman
fighter pilot to fly by day on a Hawk advanced jet aircraft.
• Her training involved flying both air-to-air combat and air-
to-ground missions.
• She and two other women officers, Bhawana Kanth and
Avani Chaturvedi, joined the fighter stream in June 2016.

• Flight Lt Bhawana Kanth became the first daytime woman
fighter pilot to fly a MiG-21 Bison.
Government Policies & Schemes
Haryana govt launches Krishi Kiosk
• Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Om
Prakash Dhankar launched 'Krishi Kiosk' at Panchkula for
facilitating the farmers.
• Through this Kiosk, the farmers will not only be able to get
information about the schemes of the Department, but
the formalities related to claims to Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana can also be completed.
• He also flagged off the ‘Suchana Rath’ facility.
WB launches free crop insurance scheme
• West Bengal government has announced a crop insurance
scheme in collaboration with the Agriculture Insurance
Company of India (AIC), for the 2019 kharif season.
• The scheme called Bangla Shashya Bima is applicable for
farmers in 15 districts.
• The crop insurance scheme would be free of cost for the
farmers.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The crops that will come under insurance are Aman paddy,
aus paddy, jute and maize.
Govt cut interest rate on small saving schemes
• The government has reduced interest rate on small savings
schemes, including the National Savings Certificate and
Public Provident Fund, by 0.1% for the July-September
quarter.
• PPF and NSC will fetch an annual interest rate of
7.9% from the existing rate of 8%, while Kisan Vikas Patra
will yield 7.6%.
• The Sukanya Samriddhi Account will fetch a lower return
of 8.4% from 8.5%.
83.62 lakh houses sanctioned under PMAY(U)
• The cumulative number of houses sanctioned under
PMAY(U) now stands at about 83,62,975 after more than
2.5 lakh houses were sanctioned in 10 states.
• These figures were discussed in the 44th meeting of the
Central Sanctioning cum Monitoring Committee (CSMC)
under PMAY(U), held 28 June 2019.
• Secretary, Ministry of Housing& Urban Affairs, Durga
Shanker Mishra was the Chairman of the meeting.
Go Tribal Campaign launched
• Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Renuka Singh launched
the Go Tribal Campaign by Tribes India on 28 June 2019.
• TRIFED has organized this event to institutionalize
collaborations and partnerships with different
organizations to promote tribal products.
• TRIFED is an organization under the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs and is engaged in the marketing development of
tribal products.
Entrepreneurship lessons at Delhi govt schools
• Delhi government is introducing a new curriculum with
compulsory entrepreneurship lessons for classes 9-12 in
1,024 government-run schools from July 1.
• The non-graded subject, for which about 3,000 teachers
are undergoing a week-long training, will comprise a daily
40-minute class.
• Students will get ₹1,000 as 'seed money' to enable them to
develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Chennai to get third desalination plant
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami laid the
foundation stone for the 150 MLD-desalination plant in
Chennai.
• The project involves an outlay of ₹1,259.38 crore.
• Currently, there are two desalination plants each with a
capacity of 100 MLD catering to the 10 lakh residents of
North Chennai and 9 lakh residents of South Chennai.
• The new plant is expected to go on stream in 2021.
Bill to fine people for blocking ambulances

• The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has approved
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill.
• It proposes ₹10,000 fine for anyone seen blocking the way
of emergency services such as ambulances on roads.
• The same amount of penalty would be levied in case of
drunk driving.
• The Bill is yet to be passed in the Parliament.
30.6 lakh people enrolled under PM-SYM scheme
• Over 30.6 lakh persons have been enrolled so far under
the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM)
scheme.
• Under the scheme, Government provides assured monthly
pension of 3,000 Rupees, for workers in the unorganised
sector after 60 years of age.
• The highest number of beneficiaries was reported from
Haryana at over 6 lakh, followed by Maharashtra at 5. 53
Lakh and UP at 5.10 lakh.
Scheme for smokeless kitchens in Maharashtra
• A pilot project aimed at providing a smoke-free
environment in the kitchen for women will be launched by
the Maharashtra government.
• The project, named 'Chullah-free and smoke-free
Maharashtra', will target the women who have not
benefited under the Ujjwala scheme.
• The pilot project will be implemented in Naxal- affected
areas as well as the districts where the farmer suicide rate
is high.
NITI Aayog to convert 2-wheelers to electric
• Government think-tank NITI Aayog has proposed that two-
wheelers with an engine capacity less than 150 cc to be
converted to electric by 2025.
• Moreover, it also aims to make three-wheelers to be fully
electric by 2023.
• Niti Aayog has reportedly asked conventional two-wheeler
and three-wheeler makers to suggest concrete steps
towards transition to electric mobility within two weeks.
Government to widen Khelo India Programme
• The new government has decided to widen the spectrum
of the 'Khelo India Programme' to cover the entire
country.
• Under this programme, 2,500 talented players have been
selected and are being trained.
• This facility will now be provided to 2,500 new players
every year.
Government to revamp Mudra Scheme
• The finance ministry plans to revamp Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojna (PMMY), to ensure better access to credit for
small firms, boost entrepreneurship and promote financial
inclusion.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Under the scheme, collateral-free loan of up to ₹10 lakh
falls under three categories—Shishu, Kishore and Tarun.
• Shishu accounts for loans of up to ₹50,000, while ₹50,001
to ₹5 lakh are disbursed under Kishore.
Maharashtra govt to launch new programme
• Maharashtra government will soon launch the Chief
Minister's Employment Generation Programme for Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• It will create 10 lakh jobs in the next 5 years.
• The flagship programme of the Industries Department will
have 30% reservation for women entrepreneurs.
• The scheme envisages setting up one lakh units in five
years, 40 per cent of them in rural areas.
New policy to protect Indian languages
• Rashtriya Siksha Ayog has been proposed to be set up
under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister.
• The member of draft New Education Policy Prof. M K
Sridhar said that the new policy protects the Indian
languages which are on the verge of extinction.
• The new policy will put education on the pedestal of
evaluation and performance and lay emphasis on teachers’
education.
Bihar launches pension scheme for poor
• On 14 June 2019, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
launched the Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojna for
poor people above 60 years of age in the state.
• Poor people above 60 years of age will get Rs. 400 per
month and those above 80 years will get Rs. 500 per
month.
• The scheme, which is effective from April 1, 2019, will not
cover retired government employees.
Farmers to contribute Rs.100 per month
• Farmers will have to contribute 100 rupees per month
under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana.
• The scheme seeks to provide a minimum fixed monthly
pension of 3,000 rupees on the attainment of 60 years.
• The central government will also contribute an equal
amount to the pension fund to be managed by the LIC,
which will be responsible for the pension payout.
E-gov initiatives for ST schemes launched
• Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs
launched the “e-governance initiatives for ST Welfare
schemes” on 12 June 2019.
• These e-governance initiatives will serve their purpose of
the betterment of tribal communities across the nation.
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed online portals
namely DBT Tribal and NGO Grants Online Application &
Tracking System for the same.
Swachh Survekshan League launched

• Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri launched
Swachh Survekshan League 2020 on 6 June 2019.
• It will be conducted in three quarters of 2019 and the final
quarter in 2020.
• The results of the League will form part of Swachh
Survekshan 2020, the 5th edition of the annual cleanliness
survey of urban India to be conducted in January-February
2020.
PM Modi reconstitutes Niti Aayog
• PM Modi reconstituted the federal policy think-tank
National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog by
introducing key Cabinet ministers as ex-officio members.
• Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala S and Narendra Singh
are now ex-officio members of the think tank that is
headed by Modi.
• Rajiv Kumar will continue to be the vice-chairperson.
Govt. to bolster employment,economic growth
• PM ordered the formation of two new Cabinet committees
that will focus on employment and economic growth.
• The committees are constituted under PM's chairmanship.
• The Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill
Development constitutes of 10 members including Amit
Shah,FM Nirmala,Piyush Goyal,Narendra Singh,Ramesh
Pokhriyal,Dharmendra Pradhan,MahendraPandey,Santosh
Gangwar and Hardeep Singh.
Air India subsidiary commence from Jharsuguda
• Air India's subsidiary,Alliance Air started two new flights
from Odhisha's Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Airport in
Jharsuguda.
• The two new flights will connect Jharsuguda with
Bhubaneswar and Chattisgarh's capital Raipur.
• The two flight were launched under the Centre's aUde
Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' (UDAN) scheme.
Campaign 'SelfiewithSapling' launched
• Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a
people’s campaign #SelfiewithSapling urging all to join and
plant a sapling and post the selfie with the sapling on
social media.
• This year the theme of Environment Day is Air Pollution.
• Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of the
current time.
Cabinet approves Rs 3,000 pension for 60y old
• The Cabinet chaired by PM decided to give monthly
pension of Rs 3,000 to small traders,businessmen and
shopkeepers after they attain the age of 60 years.
• All small shopkeeper with Goods and Services Tax (GST)
turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18 and 40
years can enroll themselves for the scheme.
• The decision is likely to benefit 5 crore small traders in the
coming three years.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
New initiative to control Foot & Mouth Disease
• This initiative pertains to controlling Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis to support the livestock
rearing farmers.
• FMD is very common amongst the livestock.
• If a cow/buffalo gets infected with FMD, the milk loss is
upto 100% which could last for four to six months. Further,
in case of Brucellosis the milk output reduces by 30%,
during the entire life cycle of animal.
PM-KISAN Yojana extended to all farmers
• PM-KISAN Scheme extension to include all eligible farmer
families irrespective of the size of land holdings.
• The key element of PM-KISAN is income support of
Rs.6000/- to the small and marginal landholder farmer
families with cultivable land holding upto 2 hectare across
the country which has been now expanded.
• The amount will be released in three 4-monthly
instalments of Rs.2000/- each year
New Draft Policy for education and RTE
• A committee led by Chairman Dr Kasturirangan submitted
the Draft National Educational Policy 2019 to improve the
education structure and expansion of Right to Education
(RTE)
• The government had initiated the process of formulating a
New Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of
the requirements of the population with regard to quality
education, innovation and research.
Jal Shakti Ministry formed by Modi Government
• A new ‘Jal Shakti’ Ministry in which the Ministries of Water
Resources and Drinking Water and Sanitation will be
merged.
• Shekhawat took charge of the Ministry on Friday, a day
after he was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister.
• The Ministry will encompass issues ranging from
international and inter-State water, the flagship initiative
to clean the Ganga and the provision of clean drinking
water.
Science & Technology
NASA witnessed biggest methane gas emission
• NASA has confirmed that the Curiosity rover recently
detected the largest amount of methane ever measured
during the mission.
• The levels were enough to pause the rover's activities as
scientists sought more answers.
• Curiosity's methane reading came to 21 parts per billion
units by volume, which is thrice the amount it sniffed out
during a surge in 2013.
Astronauts returned to earth from ISS
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

• The first crew to the International Space Station after • The cooling vest is filled with ice packs and features a
Russia's launch accident returned to earth safely on 25 collar that can also cool the neck.
June 2019. • The aim is to cool the athletes' upper-body skin which can
• Anne McClain, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and David decrease heart rate and temperature of their neck and
Saint-Jacques touched down near the Kazakh city of skin.
Dzhezkazgan.
Lander Vikram reached Sriharikota
• The trio's launch on 3rd December 2018 was the first after
a Soyuz rocket carrying Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and US • The lander and rover meant for India’s 2nd lunar mission
astronaut Nick Hague failed. Chandrayaan-2 reached the ISRO’s launch pad at
Sriharikota.
Tech-Mahindra introduced AI Humanoid
• The rover called Pragyan is installed within the lander
• Tech Mahindra Ltd introduced K2, the first Human known as Vikram.
Resource (HR) Humanoid, for its Noida Special Economic • Chandrayaan-2 will be launched GSLV-Mark-3 on July 15th
Zone Campus in Uttar Pradesh. with the aim of making the lander to soft-land on the
• K2 would take over the routine HR transactions to provide South Pole of the moon by September 6, 2019.
constant assistance to the HR team in creating an • India would be the 4th country to do so.
enhanced employee experience.
• It can respond to queries with text display along with
speech and can address general HR-related employee
queries.
June 21 is longest day of the year
• June 21, marks the beginning of summer season solstice,
which is the longest day of the year.
• The summer solstice also called estival solstice or mid-
summer.
• The Summer Solstice is when the tilt of the earth's axis is
most inclined towards or away from the sun and when the
sun reaches its highest position in the sky, it's the day with
the longest period of daylight.
Cancer cell detection ‘dots’ developed
• A team of scientists in Assam has developed a chemical
process that turns ‘dirty’ coal into a 'carbon quantum dots'
(CQDs) to help detect cancer cells.
• CQDs are carbon-based nanomaterials whose size is less
than 10 nanometre.
• Carbon-based nanomaterials are used as diagnostic tools
for bio-imaging, especially in detecting cancer cells, for
chemical sensing and in optoelectronics.
Startups get India's 1st drone certifications
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation has, in a first, certified
one drone model each of two Bengaluru startups, Skylark
Drones and Throttle Aerospace Systems.
• The drones are compliant with the NPNT (no permission,
no take-off) protocol under the new drone policy.
• Under this protocol, a software layer allows drones to fly Fresh crater spied on Mars
only after they get automated permission from • A small space rock crashed into the Mars' surface recently,
authorities. producing a fresh crater that researchers estimate is 49
Japan researchers developed cooling vest feet to 53 feet (15 to 16 meters) wide.
• The dramatic feature is clearly visible in a newly released
• Japanese researchers have developed a new type of image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
cooling vest for sports athletes that may help them
compete safely in sweltering summer conditions.

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• A color image from HiRISE, shows a large black-and-blue
bruise on the landscape amid a flat area of red Martian
dirt.
Highest operating weather stations installed
• The National Geographic Society has successfully
installed the world's highest operating weather stations on
Mount Everest.
• The station will provide researchers, climbers, and the
public with near real-time information about mountain
conditions.
• The Balcony weather station is the first weather station
installed at an elevation above 8,000 metres.
NASAs OSIRIS REx spacecraft creates new record
• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft entered its second orbital
phase around asteroid Bennu, called Orbital B.
• It broke its own world record for the closest orbit of a
planetary body.
• The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was sent to study the asteroid
Bennu and return a sample from its surface to Earth.
• The spacecraft is on a seven-year journey.
Team Indus to build moon lander for NASA
• Team Indus is part of a consortium that has bagged a
contract from NASA to design and build a lander for its
next lunar mission in 2020.
• NASA has awarded the consortium a $97 million contract
to fly four payloads to Mare Imbrium, a lava plain in one of
the Moon’s craters, by September 2020.
Microsoft introduced next-gen Xbox console
• Microsoft introduced its next-generation Xbox console at
its pre-E3 press conference in Los Angeles.
• Codenamed Project Scarlett, the console will be 4x more
powerful than the Xbox One X, Microsoft claimed.
• The device promises faster load times, real-time ray-
tracing capabilities, Xbox One backwards capability and
will support 8K gaming.
NASA to test green fuel for spacecraft
• NASA is planning on testing a new fuel for spacecraft.
• Dubbed the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) it
uses a non-toxic, rose coloured solution that can be a
breakthrough in space exploration.
• The GIPM is a spacecraft which will use the
aforementioned fuel to power the mission.
Remdesivir may help protect against Nipah
• An experimental antiviral drug, remdesivir, designed to
treat Ebola virus disease can effectively help fight off
Nipah virus.
• Remdesivir completely protected four African green
monkeys from a lethal dose of Nipah virus.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Remdesivir, is being developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc. in
collaboration with scientists from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
596 new plant and animal species found in '18
• Scientists and taxonomists have documented 596 new
species of flora and fauna from India in the year 2018.
• The details of the discoveries were made public by the
Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and the Zoological Survey of
India (ZSI).
• Of the 596 species, 372 come under fauna (311
invertebrates and 61 vertebrates).
• The newly identified 224 plant species include seed plants,
lichens, etc.
2 children milk teeth found in Siberia
• Researchers found two children's milk teeth buried deep in
a remote archaeological site in northeastern Siberia.
• This discovery has revealed a previously unknown group of
people who lived there during the last Ice Age.
• The group of people have been named as the Ancient
North Siberians and described their existence as a
significant part of human history.
Taxi aggregators to go electric by 2026
• India plans to order taxi aggregators convert 40% of their
fleet of cars to electric by April 2026.
• Uber and Ola would need to start converting their fleet as
early as next year to achieve 2.5% electrification by 2021,
5% by 2022,10% by 2023 before hiking it to 40%
• Motorcycles for commercial purposes like food delivery or
for use by e-commerce companies will need to be electric
from Apr 2023
FB will launch its Crypto Currency this month
• Facebook reportedly be unveiling this currency this month.
• The social media giant is calling its currency ‘GlobalCoin’
and its testing should probably begin by the end of the
year.
• FB plans to launch a digital payments system using
cryptocurrency in a 12 countries by the first quarter of
2020.
• There is also the possibility of having an ATM like machine
for dispensing of this cryptocurrency.
NASA’s first SpaceX astronauts ready for space
• The first U.S. astronauts chosen to fly aboard a SpaceX
capsule built for NASA.
• Space shuttle veterans Bob Behnken, 48, and Doug Hurley,
52 are slated for blastoff later this year from Cape
Canaveral,Florida.In the debut manned flight of the Crew
Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.
• California-based SpaceX,the privately owned venture
owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
China launches rocket from ship at sea

• China successfully launched a rocket from a ship at sea for
the first time.
• The Long March 11 rocket blasted off from a platform on a
large semi-submersible barge in the Yellow Sea.
• The small rocket designed to be deployed quickly and from
mobile launch sites such as a ship,carried seven satellites
including one that measures sea-surface winds to forecast
typhoons.
Wipro to acquire US-based ITI for ₹312 crore
• IT major Wipro will acquire US-based International Techne
Group Incorporated (ITI) for $45 million (around ₹312 cr).
• ITI provides Computer Aided Design and Product Lifecycle
Management interoperability software services.Founded
in 1983 and headquartered in Ohio,USA.
• ITI has offices in the UK,Italy,Israel and Germany.It has 130
employees as of March 2019.Its revenue stood at $23.2
mn in FY'18
Trai plans to frame network testing rules
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) plans to
frame pre-launch network testing rules for wired
broadband operators on the lines of those in place for
mobile services.
• The Trai recommendations came on the back of criticism
from telecom operators that the regulator had failed to
address network testing rules for wireless services after
the entry of Reliance Jio in September 2016.
Earth recycles ocean floor to diamonds: Study
• Australia's Macquarie University researchers revealed salt
traces trapped in many diamonds show they are formed
from ancient seabeds that got recycled after being buried
deep beneath Earth's crust.
• Researchers carried out experiments at extreme pressures
and temperatures found 200 km underground.
• At 120-180 km depth, results showed salt balance similar
to that found in natural diamonds.
M&M will be ready with BS-VI vehicles by FY20
• Mahindra & Mahindra(M&M) will be ready with BS-VI
compliant petrol and diesel vehicles in 3-4 months or by
end Q2FY20
• The company said it has invested more than ₹1,000 cr in
developing new petrol and diesel engine platforms to
comply with the BS-VI emission norms,which see
implementation from 1 April 2020.
• In Europe the emissions transitioned from Euro stage-IV to
stage-VI in over 10 yrs.
Govt will initiate 5G trials in 100 days
• The department of telecommunications(DoT) will auction
airwaves in fifth generation or 5G and other bands in the
current calendar year, newly appointed Telecom Minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad said after taking charge.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• 5G is seen as the next frontier in machine-to-machine
communication,enabling secure connectivity between
devices other than smartphones such as
sensors,vehicles,robots and drones.
IATA calls on govt. to reduce carbon emissions
• The International Air Transport Association(IATA) has
called on governments to implement the Carbon
Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International
Aviation (CORSIA) as agreed through the UN International
Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO)
• CORSIA is the first global carbon pricing instrument for the
industry sector.It will cap net carbon emissions from
international aviation at 2020 levels.
Apple focus on health apps
• CEO Tim Cook and other leaders will make a keynote
presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference in
San Jose, California, to unveil updates of Apple’s operating
systems and a new approach to apps.
• Apple is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac – Music,
TV, and Podcasts – to replace iTunes
Planet discovered in Neptunian Desert
• Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet with its own
atmosphere in the Neptunian Desert.
• NGTS-4b, nick-named ‘The Forbidden Planet’ is smaller
than Neptune but three times the size of Earth.
• The exoplanet has a mass of 20 Earth masses, a radius 20%
smaller than Neptune, and temperature of 1000 degrees
Celsius.
• It orbits around the star in only 1.3 days.
NASA plan to send equipment to Moon from 2020
• NASA has chosen Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit
Beyond to send equipment to the Moon.
• Donald Trump has accelerated the timetable for putting
humans back on the Moon with 2024 the new target date.
• Each company has developed lunar landers of different
sizes and shapes: one is tall, and the other two are more
compact.
Committees & Recommendations
Centre forms 3 member panel
• The government of India approved the formation of a
three-member dispute resolution committee.
• It will look into the disputes between private solar and
wind power developers and public sector companies.
• The members of the committee under this mechanism will
be former Heavy Industry Secretary M F Farooqui, former
Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and former Sports Secretary A
K Dubey.
Surjit Bhalla Committee on Trade and Policy

• High Level Advisory Group (HLAG) headed by Dr. Surjit S.
Bhalla has been constituted by the Department of
Commerce.
• The HLAG will look into ways for boosting India’s share and
importance in global merchandise and services trade.
• The Committee has recommended 'Elephant Bonds' as a
specialised security product providing funds towards Long
Term Infrastructure.
Govt forms working group for revision of WPI
• On 27 June 2019, the government has set up an 18-
member working group for the revision of the current
series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
• The working group is under the Chairmanship of Ramesh
Chand, Member, NITI Aayog.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade will be the nodal office for the group.
Committee Report and Survey
• The M. Ramachandran committee tasked by the
government to look into the fares being collected by all-
India tourist omnibuses on inter-State routes has
recommended continuation of the fares.
• According to survey conducted by rural media platform
Gaon Connection, loan schemes don't reach almost 60%
people in rural India.
Panel to review margins on derivatives
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has
decided to set up a working group to review the current
framework of margins in the futures and options segment.
• The working group will be headed by NSE Clearing Ltd.
• It will submit its recommendations to the Secondary
Market Advisory Committee.
• The existing margin requirement in the derivatives
segment is increasing the cost of trading.
RBI constituted a committee
• The RBI has constituted a 6-member committee to review
the entire gamut of ATM charges and fees.
• Chief Executive of Indian Banks’ Association VG Kannan
will chair the committee.
• The committee will review existing patterns of costs,
charges and interchange fees for ATM transactions.
• It is to submit its report within two months from the date
of its first meeting.
Defence Minister Rajanth in 4 more committees
• Rajnath Singh's name in only two Cabinet committees -
economic affairs and security.
• The government effected a change,bringing him in four
more panels;those on political affairs,parliamentary
affairs,Investment and growth,empowerment and skill
development.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Official sources said Singh will now head the Cabinet
committee on parliamentary affairs of which Modi is not a
member but shah is in.
Centre reconstitutes eight Cabinet commitees
• PM Modi-led Central government has reconstituted eight
key cabinet committees including appointments
committee,the cabinet committee on economic affairs and
security among others.
• Modi is part of 6 committees,Amit Shah is part of all
cabinet committees.Nirmala is part of all the committees
except the Appointments Committee.
RBI sets up task force on secondary market
• The RBI constituted a task force to suggest policy and
regulatory interventions required for the development of
the secondary market in corporate loans, including loan
transaction platform for stressed assets.
• The task force will be headed by Canara Bank Chairman T
N Manoharan.
• Secondary loan market in India is largely restricted to asset
reconstruction companies.
RBI sets up committee for housing finance
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a committee to
look into the current state of mortgage securitisation in
the country.
• It will identify the issues faced by the securitisation market
and give suggestions to develop it going ahead.
• Bain & Co's senior advisor Harsh Vardhan has been
appointed as the chairperson of the committee.
Business & Economy
Shampoo-sachet health plan launched
• Payments service provider MobiKwik has launched
‘Shampoo-Sachet’ health plan.
• For this, it has partnered with health insurer Max Bupa.
• The idea behind the shampoo-sachet plan in the insurance
sector is to make it extremely affordable and instantly
available to the people.
• As part of its deal with Max Bupa, MobiKwik has launched
a HospiCash plan that has an annual premium of Rs 135.
RBI sets base rate of 9.18% for NBFC-MFI
• The Reserve Bank of India has set an average base rate of
9.18% for Non-Banking Financial Companies and Micro
Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFI) to be charged from their
customers for the quarter beginning 1 July 2019.
• The Reserve Bank of India sets the average base rate for
NBFC-MFIs on the basis of the average of the base rate of
the five largest commercial banks.
RBI relaxed leverage ratio for banks
• The RBI relaxed the leverage ratio (LR) for banks to help
them boost their lending activities.

• The leverage ratio stands reduced to 4% for Domestic
Systemically Important Banks (DSIBs) and 3.5% for other
banks effective from the quarter commencing October 1,
2019.
• The leverage ratio, as defined under Basel-III norms, is
Tier-I capital as a percentage of the bank's exposures.
Business and Economy
• India's automobile retail industry has sought recognition
as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the
Union Budget 2019-20 which will be presented on 5 July
2019.
• India’s current account deficit (CAD) widened to $57.2
billion, or 2.1% of GDP, in FY19 from 1.8% a year ago.
RBI's 13th Annual Conference
• RBI's 13th Annual Conference was held on 28 June 2019.
• The theme of the conference is 'Statistics for the Future -
Select Issues'.
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has cautioned against
cherry-picking of data by experts, saying correlations can
conveniently be used to establish "spurious causality" to
achieve desired results.
SEBI tightens norms for MF investments
• Securities and Exchange Board of India tightened norms on
investments by Mutual Funds (MFs).
• It came as a reaction to a series of credit-related events
that put investor money at risk.
• SEBI said MFs will now be mandated to invest in only listed
non-convertible debentures.
• Ajay Tyagi is the chairman of SEBI.
Payment firms can process abroad: RBI
• The RBI has said foreign payment firms can process
transactions outside of the country but the related data
should be brought back for local storage within 24 hours.
• Such data must be "deleted from the systems abroad", it
added.
• The previous RBI directive in April 2018 didn't specify
whether data can be processed abroad or should only be
done locally.
Gross NPA's of banks may fall to 8% by March
• According to a report by credit rating agency, gross NPAs
in the banking system are set to fall by 350 bps to 8 per
cent by March 2020 from 11.5 per cent in March 2018.
• Since 2016, loans worth Rs 17 lakh crore have been
identified as NPAs (nonperforming assets) with 80 per cent
of these loans held by public sector banks.
RBI panel suggested Rs.5000 cr fund for MSMEs
• An RBI committee has suggested a ₹5,000 crore stressed
asset fund for domestic micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The committee to study the problems faced by MSMEs
was chaired by U.K. Sinha, former chairman of the
Securities and Exchange Board of India.
• India’s 63.38 million MSMEs contribute significantly to the
country’s economic growth.
RBI union moots collegium
• RBI's employees association has called for a collegium of
experts to select a new governor and deputy governors so
as to ensure the autonomy of RBI.
• As per Section 8 of the Reserve Bank of India Act of 1934,
the governor and deputy governors are appointed by the
government.
• Acharya, the youngest ever deputy governor, resigned
from his position a few weeks back.
L&T bagged Rs. 7000 crore project
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) bagged a turnkey contract for
building a power generation project worth over Rs 7,000
crore after a dry spell of three years.
• The company will do engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) for the 1,320 MW ultra-supercritical
power plant in Buxar district in Bihar, for SJVN Thermal
Private.
• This order is the biggest it has received for a power
generation project.
Flipkart shares sold to Walmart
• Binny Bansal, the co-founder of Flipkart, sold around 54
lakh of his equity shares valued at $76 million to Walmart's
Luxembourg entity FIT Holdings SARL.
• Doug Mcmillon is the CEO of Walmart, which is
headquartered in Arkansas, United States.
• Flipkart is headquartered in Bengaluru, India.
Logistics sector to add new jobs
• The logistics sector is likely to add 149,000 new jobs
between April and September of this fiscal.
• This was given in the TeamLease Services' biannual
'Employment Outlook' report.
• The report estimates that the logistics sector will witness a
growth of 3%.
• The logistics sector employs around 8.24 million people as
of second half of 2018-19.
SEBI to allow IPOs by tech companies
• SEBI plans to allow technology companies having superior
voting right shares to launch their IPOs.
• It is planning to issue a new set of norms for differential
voting rights.
• The new norms are particularly aimed at helping new
technology companies with asset light business model.
Nalanda Capital exits Mindtree

• Nalanda Capital sold its entire 10.61% stake in Mindtree
Ltd to Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) for ₹1,707.46 crore.
• The stake purchases from Nalanda, mutual funds and
some index funds have brought L&T’s shareholding close
to 48% in Mindtree.
RBI launched CMS for filing complaints
• The RBI has launched an application on its website for
lodging complaints against banks and NBFCs.
• It will improve customer experience in timely redressal of
grievances.
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launched the Complaint
Management System (CMS) i.e. a software application on
24 June 2019.
• The application also improves transparency by keeping the
complainants informed.
India accounts for 6.3% of fish production
• As per the Fisheries Department, India is the second
largest fish producing country in the world as it accounts
for 6.3% of the global fish production.
• It also said the fisheries sector in the country is growing at
the rate of 7%, sustaining 14.5 million fishermen.
• Fisheries sector is a sunrise sector in India.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
US: India's largest merchandise trade partner
• The US overtook China to once again become India's top
goods trading partner in 2018-19.
• India’s trade surplus with the US declined to $16.8 billion
from $21.2 billion in 2018-19.
• The decline in India’s trade surplus with the US comes
amid a year-long trade war.
• Also, India’s dependence on Chinese imports declined to
$70 billion from $76 billion a year ago.
GST council simplified registration rules
• The GST Council has simplified rules for registration and
Aadhaar will now be used by businesses for registration
under GST.
• In the earlier system, people had to give various
documents and now, several advantages will occur to the
business by using Aadhaar.
• GST Council approved imposing a penalty of up to 10% on
entities not passing on benefits of GST rate cuts to
consumers.
NHB tightened norms on HFC's leverage
• The National Housing Bank (NHB) has tightened its rules
on leverage and capital adequacy ratio for housing finance
companies (HFCs).
• It now mandates HFCs to bring down their total
borrowings to not more than 12 times their net-owned
funds as on 31 March 2022.
• The capital adequacy ratio for HFCs has been increased to
13% by March 2020, 14% by March 2021 and 15% by
March 2022.
Canara Bank updated rules for cash deposits
• From July 1, 2019, Canara Bank customers can deposit
cash of up to Rs 50,000 for free only thrice a month.
• From the fourth transaction or for cash deposits of over Rs
50,000, there will be a service charge of Rs 1 per thousand,
with a minimum of Rs 50 and a maximum of Rs 5,000 plus
GST.
• For current account/overdraft/open cash credit account
holders a minimum Rs. 100 will be charged.
Business and Economy
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) recovered ₹20,000 crore of
bad loans during the financial year ended March 2019,
almost double the recovery amount in the preceding year.
• Yes Bank shares fell as much as 4.3% to ₹98.75 on BSE,
after credit agency Moody's put the company under
review for a downgrade.
RBI fined South Indian Bank
• The RBI has imposed a fine of Rs. 10 lakh on South Indian
Bank for violating norms regarding bank guarantees.

• The penalty follows references from a government
department and a private party alleging non-payment of
invoked bank guarantees by the lender.
• Examination in this regard revealed a violation of RBI
directions on 'Guarantees and Co-acceptances'.
World to get half its power from solar energy
• Nearly half the world’s electricity will come from
renewable energy by 2050 as costs of wind, solar and
battery storage continue to plummet.
• That titanic shift over the next three decades will come as
electricity demand increases 62% and investors pump
$13.3 trillion into new projects.
• Coal will be the biggest loser in the power sector, with its
share of global generation at 12% in 2050.
RBI to infuse Rs. 12,500 liquidity
• The RBI will infuse ₹12,500 crore of liquidity into the
system through purchase of government bonds.
• The Central bank would purchase five government bonds
under open market operations (OMOs) on June 20, 2019.
• On June 11, the RBI had infused ₹15,000 crore into the
system through OMO purchase of six government bonds.
RBI fell short of meeting Basel 3 norms
• RBI has fallen short of meeting the tougher requirements
set under the Basel 3 norms as per a report by Basel
Committee on Bank Supervision (BCBS).
• The committee reports that RBI is yet to publish the
securitization framework and rules on total loss-absorbing
capacity (TLAC) requirements.
• Globally, the norms held in the banking book had come
into effect on 1 January 2018.
RBI fined HDFC bank Rs. 1 crore
• RBI fined HDFC Bank Rs 1 crore for not reporting frauds
and non-compliance with other directions.
• The fine pertains to submission of forged bill of entries
(BoEs) by certain importers to HDFC Bank for remittance of
foreign currency.
• The penalty was imposed in exercise of powers vested in
RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) and Section
46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Black tiger shrimps back in Kerala
• Ending a decade’s slide in the production of black tiger
shrimps, Kerala is experiencing a comeback of it.
• The MPEDA’s efforts to revive the production of black tiger
shrimps on a mass sale of its seeds have been receiving
encouraging feedback.
• The inaugural sale was done by MPEDA chairman K.S.
Srinivas by handing over 1 lakh seeds to former Kerala
Director-General of Police Hormis Tharakan.
Miscellaneous
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Amazon India is the most attractive employer brand in the
country followed by Microsoft India and Sony India, says a
survey. Others in the top 10 include Mercedes-Benz at 4th
position, IBM (5th), and Larsen & Toubro (6th).
• Yes Bank Ltd. plans to raise $1.2 billion over 18 months to
bolster its capital buffer through a mix of public and
private share sales.
Fitch cut India's growth forecast to 6.6%
• Fitch lowered India's growth forecast to 6.6% for the
current fiscal from 6.8% projected earlier.
• In its latest Global Economic Outlook, Fitch retained its
GDP growth forecast for the next fiscal (2020-21) at 7.1%
and 7.0% for 2021-22.
• In the last fiscal, the Indian economy grew at a 5-year low
pace of 6.8%.
• India's GDP growth declined for the fourth consecutive
quarter in January-March.
New income tax rules from June 17
• The new income tax guidelines kicked in from June 17,
2019, and apply to all cases for compounding received on
or after this date.
• Offences forming category 'A' include failure to pay tax
deducted at source under Chapter XVII-B or tax payable
under Section 115-0.
• The category 'B' offences include willful attempt to evade
tax and failure to produce accounts and documents.
'My Protection Quotient' tool launched
• Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd. has launched 'My Protection
Quotient' tool (MyPQ).
• MyPQ tool will gauge the level of an individual's financial
protection and promote awareness and importance of
term plans in protecting the financial future of families.
• The tool will post a set of diverse questions to seek inputs
on their level of preparedness for all possible financial
responsibilities.
Edelweiss & Bank of Baroda to co-lend to SMEs
• ECL Finance and Bank of Baroda signed an agreement to
form a strategic partnership to explore co-lending
opportunities.
• Both entities will jointly offer loans and expertise for the
growing needs of micro, small and medium enterprises
besides self-employed as well as priority sector groups.
• ECL Finance is the flagship non-banking financial company
of Edelweiss Group.
FundzBazar launches 'Selfiewala KYC'
• Online mutual fund investment platform FundzBazar
announces the release of its new feature called 'Selfiewala
KYC' for first-time mutual fund investors.

• The feature is hassle-free and investors can complete their
KYC process from the comfort of their home or office using
mobile or laptop in just a few minutes.
• This feature will speed up the KYC process and save time.
WPI inflation at 2-year low of 2.45%
• Wholesale price-based inflation slipped to 2.45% in May
helped by falling prices of food articles, fuel, and power
items.
• The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was at
3.07% in April. It was 4.78% in May 2018.
• Inflation in food articles basket was 6.99%, down from
7.37% in April.
• However, onion prices spiked during the month with
inflation at 15.89%, against (-) 3.43% in April.
RBI tightened noose around banks
• The RBI asked banks to ensure their ATMs are grouted to a
wall, pillar, or floor by September-end, except those
installed in high secured premises.
• The RBI has told banks that they will have to pay penalty
for keeping ATMs dry.
• Banks can not keep ATMs out of cash for more than 3
hours, doing which will attract penalty and the penalty will
be imposed region-wise.
India to impose retaliatory tariffs
• India has decided to impose retaliatory tariffs on 29 goods
imported from the U.S. from June 16, 2019 onwards.
• The tariffs will place a burden of $220-290 million on the
U.S.
• A Tariff is a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of
imports or exports.
Mizoram CM presented state budget
• In Mizoram, CM Zoramthanga presented the state budget
for 2019-2020 amounting to 10,692.30 cr. in the state
Legislative Assembly, on 13 June,19.
• A provision of 750 crore rupees for implementation of the
Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) has been
proposed.
• The SEDP is the flagship program of the Mizo National
Front (MNF) government.
• The budget proposals have not imposed any new taxes.
TCS has higher market value than IBM
• India's largest software services company Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS) has surpassed IBM in terms of
market capitalisation.
• The market cap of TCS stood at ₹8.37 lakh crore ($120.5
billion) compared to IBM's $119.5 billion.
• TCS reported revenue of $20.9 billion in the previous fiscal
while IBM ended 2018 with $79.6 billion in revenue.
New GST return system to be introduced
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The GST Council has decided to introduce a new GST
return system to facilitate taxpayers.
• A plan has been worked out to ease the transition to the
new return system.
• There are 3 main components to the new return - one
main return (FORM GST RET-1) and two annexures (FORM
GST ANX-1 and FORM GST ANX-2).
• A prototype of the offline tool has already been shared on
the common portal.
NPAs plunge to 9.3% in FY19
• The system-wide non-performing assets stock has declined
massively to 9.3% in March 2019.
• This is much faster than the RBI's estimate and steeply
down from 11.5% in 2018.
• In its half-yearly financial stability report, RBI had
estimated that the gross non- performing assets ratio
might improve to 10.3% by March 2019 from 10.8% in
September 2018.
Finance Minister held pre budget meet
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held her first pre-
budget consultation meeting with representatives of farm
bodies, Industry and Trade in New Delhi.
• In the meeting, she sought the views of different
agriculture organisations and farm economists on ways to
boost the farm sector growth and double farmers' income.
• Mrs Sitharaman will present the budget on 5th of July
2019.
Cheque books for no-frills accounts
• The RBI has allowed banks to offer cheque book facility
and other services to the no-frills account holders.
• But they could not ask such account holders to maintain
any minimum balance for such services.
• As per the norms of no-frills account, account holders are
not required to maintain minimum balance and can get
certain minimum facilities for free.
L&T launches ‘Digital Sakhi’ in Tamil Nadu
• L&T Financial Services’ (LTFS) ‘Digital Sakhi’, an educational
programme aimed at digital financial inclusion of rural
women, was launched in 20 villages of Villupuram district
in Tamil Nadu.
• LTFS in association with Sri Aurobindo Society will train
and develop a team of 100 rural women (Digital Sakhis) as
digital enablers.
Index to measure fiscal performance launched
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a Fiscal
Performance Index (FPI) to assess state and central
budgets.
• The Index incorporates qualitative assessments of revenue
expenditure, capital expenditure, revenues, fiscal
prudence and the level of public debt arrive at a more

holistic picture of fiscal performance than the fiscal deficit
to GDP ratio.
YES Bank conducts e-auction for forest produce
• YES Bank has conducted the first e-auction of forest
produce in Dhanora Mahasangh in Maharashtra.
• The online auction enables the online purchase of goods
aimed at facilitating effective and transparent price
discovery.
• YES Bank said that this was done in April under the A.R.T
approach along with their fintech partner, Sparsh
Technologies.
Fincare SFB included in 2nd schedule
• Fincare Small Finance Bank and Kookmin Bank have been
included in the second schedule of the Reserve Bank of
India Act.
• The Banks can now issue certificates of deposits and get
access to interbank borrowings at competitive interest
rates.
• They can also get deposits from new sources such as
governments, public sector undertakings, corporates, etc.
Paytm ahead of major banks in digi transact.
• Paytm Payments Bank has received a target of 501.16
crore digital transactions for the financial year 2019-20.
• It is higher than the targets set for major banks including
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Punjab National Bank.
• Paytm Payments Bank is only behind the State Bank of
India, which has the highest target for digital transactions.
SBI cut interest rate on CC/OD
• State Bank of India announced introduction of repo rate
linked home loans from 1 July.
• It will pass on the 25 bps repo rate cut, announced by the
Reserve Bank of India, to some cash credit borrowers.
• The effective repo-linked lending rate (RLLR) for CC/ OD
customers is 8% now, while for savings deposits above ₹1
lakh the new rate would be 3%.
RBI relaxed stressed asset norms
• The RBI issued a new prudential framework for resolution
of stressed assets, effectively replacing its controversial 12
February 2018 circular.
• Three major changes mark the new circular.
• The central bank has made it voluntary for lenders to take
defaulters to the bankruptcy court.
• The framework now applies to a larger universe of lenders.
• Penal provisions have been introduced for lenders.
Kotak Mahindra penalised by RBI
• The RBI imposed a penalty of Rs. 2 crores on Kotak
Mahindra Bank for not complying with the central bank's
directions to furnish details of its promoter shareholding.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The bank was directed by RBI to furnish information about
details of the shareholding held by its promoters.
• It also asked the bank to submit details of the proposed
course of action or strategy of the bank.
India's 1st mutual fund side pocket launched
• Tata Mutual Fund has announced plans to introduce
segregated portfolios (side pockets) in three schemes.
• This instance is India’s first formal use of the side
pocketing provisions introduced by SEBI in December
2018.
• This is the first time an AMC is actually proposing to carry
out the procedure.
HDFC Bank appointed new Auditor
• After the RBI restricted audit firm S.R. Batliboi & Co. Llp
from auditing commercial banks for a year, HDFC
Bank cancelled the appointment of the auditor.
• HDFC Bank has now appointed MSKA & Associates as its
new statutory auditor.
• Accordingly, the Bank cannot appoint S.R.B as the
Statutory Auditor of the Bank as was earlier proposed.
RBI removes NEFT, RTGS payment charges
• RBI has removed charges for payments via NEFT and
RTGS.This means that payments via NEFT and RTGS would
become either free or charges would be low.
• RBI levies minimum charges on banks for transactions
routed through its Real Time Gross Settlement System
(RTGS) meant for large-value instantaneous fund transfers
and the National Electronic Funds Transfer System for
other fund transfers.
RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to 5.75%
• RBI Monetary Police Committee unanimously cut repo
rate,the rate at which it lends to banks by 25 basis points
from 6% to 5.75%.
• The bank also changed the monetary policy stance from
neutral to accommodative.
• This is the third straight interest-rate cut under RBI
Governor Shaktikanta Das, who also heads the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC).
DHFL's stake sold to Warburg Pincus
• RBI has approved the sale of DHFL's stake in Avanse
Financial to Warburg Pincus Group.
• DHFL board had approved the divestment of the
company's entire 30% shareholding in Avanse Financial
Services Limited to Olive Vine Investment, an affiliate of
the Warburg Pincus Group.
• Avanse Financial Services is an education-focused NBFC. It
is an associate enterprise of of housing finance firm DHFL.
Govt may announce infusion of ₹4,000cr in PSU

• The government is likely to announce infusion of about
₹4,000 crore in three public sector general insurance
companies to shore up their capital-National Insurance
Company,Oriental Insurance Company and United India
Insurance Company.
• The capital infusion will help them improve their financial
health to an extent that the proposed merger of the
general insurance firms.
Bank Fraud touched Rs 71,500 Crore in 2018-19
• The Reserve Bank of India has revealed that over 6,800
cases of bank fraud involving an unprecedented ₹71,500
crore were reported in 2018-19.
• This is 74% higher than the amount involved in 5,916 such
cases reported in 2017-18.
• The bank frauds were categorised and analysed for 13
sectors, including gem and jewellery.
Airtel Africa to raise $750 million via IPO
• Bharti Airtel on 4th june said its subsidiary Airtel Africa
expects to raise at least $750 million (around ₹5,189 crore)
through a public offering and subsequent listing on the
London Stock Exchange.
• Airtel Africa would proceed with an initial public offering
for admission and listing of its shares on the main market
of the London Stock Exchange (premium segment)
India will be 5th largest economy in 2019
• India is forecast to become the world's fifth largest
economy in 2019, reaching a total GDP size exceeding $3
trillion, and overtaking its former colonial ruler, the United
Kingdom.
• By 2025, Indian GDP is also forecast to surpass Japan,
which will make India the second-largest economy in the
Asia-Pacific region.
ONGC overtakes IOC as most profitable PSU
• ONGC, India's top oil and gas producer, has toppled Indian
Oil Corp (IOC) to regain crown of being the country's most
profitable public sector company.
• According to earnings statements of the listed companies,
Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) reported a 34 per cent
jump in its 2018-19 fiscal net profit to Rs 26,716 crore.
RBI to cut Repo rate by 25BPS on weak growth
• The RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) will cut the
key policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) as inflation cooled
and economic growth slowed to a five-year low,
• Basis point (BPS) refers to a common unit of measure for
interest rates and other percentages in finance.One BPS is
equal to 1/100th of 1%, or 0.01%, or 0.0001, and is used to
denote the percentage change in a financial instrument.
IOB launches ‘Bank on Wheels’ facility
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) launched ‘Bank on Wheels’
facility in 14 of its lead districts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• The mobile van facility will enable the public, especially
senior citizens, conveniently get door-step banking facility
available at identified locations of the lead districts.
• A dedicated banking correspondent will accompany the
vehicle with a micro-ATM inside the van.
RBI allows banks to use Aadhaar for KYC
• The Reserve Bank of India has said that banks can now use
Aadhaar for KYC verification if the customer gives consent.
• RBI also updated Aadhaar to its list of documents eligible
for identification of individuals.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court prohibited the use of Aadhaar
for KYC due to privacy concerns.
RBI proposes new liquidity norms for NBFCs
• RBI has issued draft guidelines on liquidity management
for the NBFCS and proposed a liquidity coverage ratio for
large NBFCs.
• It covers all deposit taking NBFCs and non-deposit taking
NBFCs with an asset size of ₹5,000 crore and above.
• Company fixed deposits (FDs), unlike bank FDs, don’t come
with insurance.
India Per-capita income showing a rise of 10%
• In 2017-18, the monthly per-capita income had stood at
₹9,580.
• The country's per-capita income is estimated to have risen
by 10% to ₹10,534 a month during the financial year
ended March 2019.
• The gross national income (GNI) at current prices is
estimated at ₹188.17 lakh crore during 2018-19, as
compared to ₹169.10 lakh crore during 2017-18, rising by
11.3%.
GDP growth slumps to 5.8% in March quarter
• India’s GDP grew at 5.8% in the January-March 2019
quarter, dragging down the full year growth to a five-year
low of 6.8%.
• The unemployment rate in the country rose to a 45-year
high of 6.1% in 2017-18
• The data showed that 7.8% of the employable urban youth
and 5.3% of employable rural youth was without jobs.
Additionally 6.2% male and 5.7% of females across the
country were jobless.
Nirmala S to present maiden Budget on July 5
• Nirmala Sitharaman, the country’s first full-time woman
Finance Minister, will present the Union Budget on July 5.
• First session of 17th Lok Sabha is slated to begin on 17
June and continues till July 26.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint session of
both the Houses on 20 June prior to budget presentation
in the first week of July.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

Sports • The India captain reached the milestone when he reached

the score of 37 against West Indies at Old Trafford.
Girish Koushik is India’s 63rd Grandmaster
• Rahul Dravid is the third fastest Indian on the list of players
• Girish A. Koushik from Mysuru became India’s 63rd to have score 20,000 international runs.
Grandmaster at the 37th Balaton International Chess • He bettered the time taken by legends such as Sachin
Festival in Hungary. Tendulkar and Brain Lara.
• Girish had completed his second GM norm in Mallorca late
in May, and the third in Budapest the following week.
• He became Karnataka’s third GM after MS Thej Kumar and
GA Stany.
BCCI unveiled India's away jersey
• India's away kit for ICC Cricket World Cup was unveiled by
BCCI on 28 June 2019.
• Virat Kohli's men will be sporting the jersey for their big-
ticket World Cup match against England in Birmingham.
• As both England and India don blue colour jerseys, they
will wear their away kits as per ICC regulations.
• The colour of the new jersey is blue and orange.
India beat England in ODI rankings
• India dethroned England to rise to the top of ODI rankings,
just three days ahead of their blockbuster World Cup
clash.
• As per the latest rankings released by the ICC, India led the
chart with 123 points, followed by England (122) and New
Zealand (114).
• India is also the top-ranked Test side and lie fifth in T20
Internationals.
• Virat Kohli regained top spot in ICC ODI rankings.
SAI withdrew controversial orders
• The Sports Authority of India (SAI) withdrew its
controversial circular to ban parents and personal coaches
of shooters from the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New
Delhi during practice.
• Recently, an order issued at the shooting range restricted
the movement of parents and coaches inside the range. Murray clinched doubles titles
• As per international guidelines, they will, however, be not • Andy Murray won the Queen's Club championships
allowed on Field of Play. doubles title with Feliciano Lopez.
Central Railway, Union Bank emerge champions • He and Spaniard Lopez claimed a 7-6(6) 5-7 10-5 over
Briton Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram.
• In Hockey, the Central Railway beat Western Railway 3-2 in • Murray is a five times singles champion at the grasscourt
an absorbing women's final of the St Peters Youth Centre event and three-time Grand Slam champion.
Open Hockey Tournament in Mumbai on 27 June 2019.
• In the men's final, Union Bank of India prevailed over Breakdance moved closer to Olympic debut
Coorg eleven by a comfortable 2-0 margin to emerge • Breakdancing, known as breaking in Olympic circles,
champions. moved a step closer to the 2024 Olympics.
• Olympian Preeti Yadav was adjudged the Best player of the • The street dance competitions will have 16 athletes in
Tournament. each of the men’s and women’s medal events in Paris.
Virat became fastest cricketer to score 20,000 • IOC members formally endorsed requests from Paris
officials in February 2019 to provisionally add
• Virat Kohli became the fastest cricketer to score 20,000 breakdancing to the program.
international runs.
Junior women's boxing team adjudged best

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• In Boxing, India's junior women pugilists clinched seven
medals, including five gold.
• The team was adjudged the best of the tournament in the
Black Forest Cup in Villingen, Schwenningen, Germany.
• Haryana's Neha (54kg) and Karnataka's Anju Devi (50kg)
claimed the honours of best boxer and promising player of
the tournament.
• Countries including Ukraine and Germany took part in the
tournament.
Indian women's rugby team claimed victory
• The Indian women's rugby team claimed a historic 1st-ever
international Rugby 15s victory with a 21-19 win over
Singapore.
• They finished 3rd in the Asia Women's - Division 1 Rugby
XVs Championship in Manila.
• China won the tournament with a 68-0 victory over hosts
Philippines in a one-sided final.
• It was one of the qualifying rounds for the 2021 Women's
Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Brazil, Venezuela entered Copa America q.final
• In Copa America, Brazil and Venezuela have become the
first two teams to enter the quarter-finals.
• Both teams won their third and final Group-A matches to
advance to the last-eight stage.
• In the other game at Minas Gerais, Venezuela got the
better of Bolivia, three-one to end second in the group.
New headquarters of IOC in Switzerland
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened its
new headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, exactly 125
years after the Olympic Games were revived.
• The Olympic House has been built on the site of the
former headquarters, and 95% of the old materials were
reused and recycled.
• The signature feature is a central staircase linking together
the five Olympic rings.
Indian women's hockey team clinched FIH series
• Indian women's hockey team beat Asian Games
champions and hosts Japan 3-1 in the summit clash of the
FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima 23 June 2019.
• Indian men had won the FIH Series Finals in Bhubaneswar
recently.
• The Indian team qualified for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers
2019 after securing a place in the finals of the competition
with a win over Chile in the semi-final.
Virat fined 25% of his match fee
• Virat Kohli has been fined 25% of his match fee for
aggressive appealing during World Cup match against
Afghanistan.
• He was found to have breached ICC Code of Conduct for
Players and Player Support Personnel.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• One demerit point has also been added to the disciplinary
record of the Indian skipper.
• It is his second offence since the introduction of the
revised code in September 2016.
Maharashtra SSAC to have dope tests
• Maharashtra State Senior Athletics Championship will
have dope tests for the first time ever in a state
championship in Mumbai.
• The two-day Athletics Championship will begin on 25 June
2019.
• The National Anti-Doping Agency-NADA will conduct dope
tests.
• There is zero-tolerance to doping and the association has
pushed the government to have a dope control in every
single state meet.
Women's cricket nominated: Commonwealth 2022
• Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) nominated the
inclusion of women's cricket in the 2022 Commonwealth
Games in Birmingham.
• The inclusion of women's cricket in the Birmingham 2022
Commonwealth Games would be a landmark moment in
the development of the sport.
• This is a part of the global ambition for cricket to inspire
and empower women and girls around the world.
Pranati Nayak won bronze in gymnastics
• In Gymnastics, India's Pranati Nayak clinched a bronze
medal in vault event at the Senior Asian Artistic
Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
• She came up with a score of 13.384 to claim the bronze
medal.
• She had scored 13.400 and 13.367 in the first and second
vault.
• China's Yu Linmin and Japan's Ayaka Sakaguchi won the
gold and silver medal at the event.
Pankaj clinched Asian Snooker Championship
• Pankaj Advani clinched the 35th men's Asian Snooker
Championship in Doha to complete a career grand slam in
cue sports.
• He defeated Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 6-3 in the final to
become the only one to win the Asian and World
championships in all formats.
• He will now take part in IBSF World Cup next week in
Doha.
Abhinav Bindra appointed to sort AAI Mess
• Abhinav Bindra was appointed as an independent person
by the World Archery to sort out the ongoing mess in the
national federation (AAI).
• The world body de-listed the Archery Association of India
for violating the constitution by unanimously electing two
parallel bodies in Chandigarh and New Delhi.

• He will be part of the selection panel, also consisting of
IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta.
India named 23-member squad for AJBC
• India named a 23-member squad to represent the country
at the Asian Junior Badminton Championship.
• The tournament will be held in Suzhou, China from 20 July
2019.
• The boys' singles challenge will be spearheaded by
Manipur's Maisnam Meiraba Luwang.
• The girls' team will be spearheaded by Malvika Bansod of
the Airport Authority of India.
Morgan hit record 17 sixes
• England captain Eoin Morgan created a new world record
for maximum sixes in ODI innings.
• He hit 17 sixes en route to his breathtaking 148 off just 71
balls against Afghanistan in their World Cup tie at Old
Trafford.
• The previous record (16 sixes) was held jointly by Chris
Gayle, Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers.
Srikanth only Indian in Race to Guangzhou
• K. Srikanth is ranked 6th in the HSBC Race to Guangzhou
Rankings, which will determine the qualifiers to the HSBC
BWF World Tour Finals.
• Sindhu and Saina are ranked 13th and 12th in the women’s
singles list headed by Thailand’s Ratchanok Inthanon.
• Srikanth is the only Indian in the HSBC Race to Guangzhou
Rankings which is being headed by Jonatan Christie.
Gary Woodland won US Open
• Gary Woodland won the 119th US Open, capturing his first
major title, in golf.
• He defeated two-time defending champion Brook Koepka
at Pebble Beach, California.
• The two-time defending champion Koepka finished second
with a score of 10-under.
Joshna Chinappa won squash title
• Joshna Chinappa won a record 17th national squash title
after outplaying Tamil Nadu's Sunayna Kuruvilla in the
final.
• She won the match 11-5, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5 and thus broke a
27-year-old record set by Bhuvneshwari Kumari, who had
won 16 titles.
• In the men's category, top seed Mahesh Mangaonkar lived
up to his billing to emerge as the winner.
Naomi, Novak continue as World no. 1
• Japan's Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic of Serbia
continue as World No.1 in the latest WTA and ATP
rankings.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• Naomi Osaka is just 252 points ahead of world No.2
Ashleigh Barty of Australia in unchanged top 20 WTA
rankings.
• Novak Djokovic leads the men's ATP tennis rankings ahead
of French Open champion Rafael Nadal and former world
number one Roger Federer.
Rohit Sharma smashed ton, broke record
• India's vice-captain Rohit Sharma struck his 24th ODI
hundred in the ongoing World Cup.
• He brought up his 3rd century in World Cup.
• He got to his 100 in 85 balls, hitting nine fours and three
sixes.
• He, along with K.L. Rahul broke a 23-year-old record set by
Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu for the highest
opening partnership in a World Cup match against
Pakistan.
Virat became fastest to score 11,000 ODI runs
• Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 11,000
runs in one-day internationals after scoring a fine half
century against Pakistan.
• He broke the record of Sachin Tendulkar, who had reached
the milestone in 276 innings.
• Kohli, who took only 222 innings to achieve the record, has
become the third Indian and ninth overall to reach the
11,000 mark in ODIs.
AWC: Indian men's team bagged silver medal
• The Indian men's recurve team bagged a silver medal in
the Archery World Championships.
• The competition was held at Den Bosch in The
Netherlands.
• Jyothi Surekha Vennam helped India clinch two bronze
medals in the compound women's section of Archery
World Championships in the Netherlands.
Australia to participate in Copa America 2020
• Australia and Qatar will be the guest teams to participate
in Copa America 2020, the South American Football
Federation (CONMEBOL) announced on 13 June 2019.
• The 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar is making its Copa
America debut in 2019.
• The 2020 Copa America tournament will be held jointly in
two countries -- Colombia and Argentina.
India static at 101 in FIFA rankings
• The Indian football team remained static at 101st place in
the FIFA rankings issued on 14 June 2019.
• India had finished third in the King's Cup in Thailand.
• The Indian team is at 18th spot among the Asian countries
led by Iran (20th), Japan (28), Korea (37), who form the top
five in Asia.
• Belgium continued to top world rankings, followed by
France, Brazil, England, and Portugal.

Indian team for Gymnastics Champ announced
• Gymnastics Federation of India announced the Indian
team for the Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics
Championships to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from
19-22 June 2019.
• The four men's team comprises Rakesh Kumar Patra,
Yogeshwar Singh, Debang Dey, and Arik Dey.
• Pranati Nayak, Shraddha Talekar, Pranati Das, and Papiya
Das are in the women's team.
Indian archery team secured Olympic quota
• Indian men's archery team secured the Olympic quota for
the 2020 Tokyo Games by storming into the quarterfinals
of the World Championships with a 5-3 win over Canada in
the Netherlands.
• This is for the first time after the 2012 London Olympics
that Indian men could secure a team quota.
Ashleigh Barty became world no. 2
• Ashleigh Barty has risen to the no. 2 position from number
eight in the latest Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
rankings after winning the French Open title.
• She is now 136 points away from the number one ranked
women's tennis player Naomi Osaka (6486).
• Barty is the first Australian woman to win the French Open
since Margaret Court in 1973.
Shikhar ruled out from the World Cup
• In-form senior India opener Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out
of at least two World Cup matches after his left thumb was
found to have a hairline fracture.
• Dhawan will miss the game against New Zealand and the
marquee clash against Pakistan.
• Dhawan was the hero of India's win over Australia with a
knock of 117 off 109 balls.
US won Women's FIFA World Cup
• In Football, the United States recorded the biggest-ever
victory in the Fifa Women's World Cup.
• They crushed Thailand, 13-nil in a Group-F match at Reims
in France.
• Alex Morgan scored five times for the three-time winners
and defending champions.
• The US has lost just one international game since July 2017
and has now won seven games in a row.
Novak Djokovic tops ATP rankings
• Novak Djokovic topped the ATP rankings released on 11
June 2019.
• Austrian Dominic Thiem is at fourth place behind Roger
Federer.
• Ashleigh Barty leaped six places to world number two in
the WTA rankings released after his win at the French
Open.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
Hamilton won 7th Canadian GP
• Lewis Hamilton secured a record-breaking 7th win at the
2019 Canadian Grand Prix after Sebastian Vettel was
penalised for dangerous driving.
• A five-second race time penalty was given to Vettel.
• Ferrari will appeal against the decision over the five-
second penalty given to Vettel which costed him the race.
Rafael Nadal won French Open
• In Tennis, world number two Rafael Nadal lifted the
French Open Men's Singles title for the 12th time.
• He became the first player to win 12 Singles titles at the
same Grand Slam and has now won 18 majors overall.
• Nadal is now just 2 titles behind Roger Federer's all-time
record of 20 majors and is 3 ahead of world number one
Novak Djokovic.
India announced U-19 squad for ODI series
• All-India Junior Selection Committee announced the squad
for the upcoming U-19 Tri-nation ODI series to be played
against England and Bangladesh.
• The series will begin from July 21 and will be played in
England.
• The first match will be played between India and England
at Worcester.
2019 Women's World Cup began in France
• The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup is the 8th edition of
the FIFA Women’s World Cup which began in France.
• It is being contested by the women’s national teams
between 7 June and 7 July 2019.
• The first time the country will host the tournament, and
the third time a European nation will.
Liverpool's Champions league triumph
• Liverpool overcame Tottenham Hotspur in a cagey game
to win Europe’s biggest club tournament for a historic
sixth time.
• Liverpool has won the Champions League for the sixth
time.
India routed Russia in Int Fed. of Hockey
• In the International Federation of Hockey men's series
Finals, India routed Russia 10-0 in their opening match.
• The match began in Bhubaneshwar on 6 June 2019.
• Harmanpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh scored braces as
six others got on the score sheet.
• Nilakanta Sharma was declared man of the match.
China will host 2023 Asian Cup, confirms AFC
• China will stage the 2023 Asian Cup football after South
Korea, Thailand and Indonesia dropped their bids.
• This was confirmed by the Asian Football Confederation in
Paris on 4 June.

• It will mark the second time for China to host the
quadrennial continental tournament.
• In the 2004 edition, China had finished runners-up to
Japan.
Women's hockey team clinches Fitzgerald U21
• The Indian junior women's hockey team clinched the
Cantor Fitzgerald U21 International 4-Nations title after
beating Ireland 1-0 in the final at Dublin, Ireland on 4 June.
• The win meant India ended the tournament with an
unblemished record.
• With three goals in four games, Mumtaz Khan finished as
the highest goal scorer of the tournament.
Anton re-elected as Badminton Asia President
• Indonesia's Anton Aditya Subowo was re-elected as the
President of Badminton Asia (BA).
• There were seven other people who were selected as the
vice-presidents. They are Wei (China), Kim Jong Soo
(Korea), Darmadji (Indonesia), Chang Kuo-Tso (Chinese
Taipei), Ali Almarri(Kuwait), Himanta Biswa(India),
Mohammad Taqawi (Bahrain)
• BA also got in a new Secretary-General Moosa Nashid
(Maldives)
India won 21st USIC World Railways tennis.
• The Indian team maintained its impressive record of not
dropping a set in 20 matches as it beat Czech Republic 4-0
in the super league and retained the title in the 21st
USIC World Railways tennis championship
• It was a consistently solid performance by Nitin Kumar
Sinha, Mohammed Fahad, P.C. Vignesh and Prithvi Sekhar.
• In the league stage, India had beaten Slovakia and Czech
Republic.
Petrucci wins Italian Grand Prix
• Ducati's Danilo Petrucci fought off a stiff challenge from
Marc Marquez to win the Italian Grand Prix, his first ever
MotoGP victory.
• Petrucci's win comes a day after he recorded the highest
speed in MotoGP history.
• Petrucci, an Italian riding for local team Ducati.
• 5-time MotoGP champion Marquez on a Honda briefly
took the lead in the last lap but Petrucci recaptured first
place and won.
Defence
Defence
• First Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to Mt
Makalu (8485 M) 2019 has been ‘Flagged In’ by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 28 June 2019. Indian
Army has now climbed all eight-thousander peaks in
Nepal.
• All India National Cadet Corps (NCC) Girls’ Mountaineering
Expedition 2019 to Mt Tenchenkhang was ‘Flagged In’ by
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
Lt General Rajeev Chopra, Director General NCC here on
June 27, 2019.
Indian Naval Ship Tarkash reached Alexandria
• Indian Naval Ship Tarkash reached Alexandria on a 3-day
visit to Egypt, as a part of Western Fleet Overseas
Deployment programme.
• Tarkash is a state of the art warship of the Indian Navy
equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors.
• It is a part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet and is under
the operational Command of Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief, Western Naval Command.
Event to commemorate Kargil operation
• An event to commemorate 20 years of high altitude
operations during Kargil conflict was held at Air Force
Station Gwalior on 24 June 2019.
• Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Air
Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa graced the event as
Chief Guest.
• Serving and retired Kargil war veterans were present.
• A static display and a flypast enthralled the audience.
Operation Bandar: Code name of Balakot strike
• The air strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a terrorist
training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, was code-named
‘Operation Bandar’.
• To maintain secrecy till the mission was executed, the
Mirages took off directly from their home base in Gwalior.
• Balakot air strike was carried in response to the Pulwama
terror attack which claimed the lives of 40 security
personnel.
Navy launched operation in Gulf
• Indian Navy has deployed Ships INS Chennai and INS
Sunayna in the Gulf of Oman to re-assure Indian Flagged
Vessels operating or transiting through the Persian Gulf
and Gulf of Oman.
• Aerial surveillance by Indian Navy aircraft is also being
undertaken in the area.
• The Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region is
also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in
the Gulf region.
Diamond Jubilee of Naval Air Squadron
• Indian Navy's first Naval Air Squadron 550 celebrated its
Diamond Jubilee on 17 Jun 19 at naval base Kochi.
• It has played a key role in training the Navy's Maritime
Reconnaissance pilots and observers.
• The squadron has been part of several operations, from
the 1971 Indo-Pak war to Humanitarian Assistance and
Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during the December
2004 Tsunami, and more.
Bharat Dynamics bags contract from Indian Navy

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed a contract
worth of Rs 1,187.82 crore for supply of Heavy Weight
Torpedoes - Varunastra - to the Indian Navy.
• The weapon will be manufactured at BDL Visakhapatnam
Unit under collaboration with the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The Heavy Weight Torpedo is an electrically propelled
underwater weapon and is launched from the ship.
Defence Exchange Programme began
• A group of 160 defence officers and their families reached
Colombo on 15 June 2019.
• The same number of Sri Lankan officers and their families
are on their way to India on a familiarization visit under
defence exchange programme.
• The visit is a part of high-level defence co-operation
between the two neighbours and to show solidarity with
Sri Lanka after Easter Sunday attacks.
Royal Navy delegation visits SNC
• Commodore Stuart Henderson, Safety Director of the
British Royal Navy Safety Centre is on a 2-day official visit
to Southern Naval Command.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The delegation interacted on the matters pertaining to
safe operations at sea and in shore units, as well as areas
for mutual cooperation between the two navies.
• The Safety delegation would also be visiting Water Survival
Training Facility at INS Garuda.
India and France to carry out Garuda exercise
• Indian Air Force and French Air Force have planned to
carry out Garuda, a 2-week-long air exercise, beginning on
July 1 in France.
• The aim is to boost the military-to-military ties between
the two countries.
• A fleet of Sukhoi 30 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will
engage in dogfights with France’s Rafale multirole aircraft
in simulated scenarios as part of it.
Indian Navy deployed P-8I aircraft
• Indian Navy deployed its P-8I long-range maritime
surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah in
Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden.
• It is an expansion of its Mission Based Deployments (MBD)
in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• The P-8I is long-range anti-submarine warfare, surveillance
and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area,
maritime and littoral operations.
Indian Army commissioned air quality monitor
• Under 'Go Green' initiative, a "Continuous Ambient Air
Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS)" was
commissioned at Fort William Military Station in Kolkata
by Indian Army.
• The system monitors air pollution on a real time basis.
• The CAAQMS at the Eastern Command headquarters will
measure air pollution including particulate matter
throughout the year.
US to sell 34 drones to allies in South China
• The Trump administration has moved ahead with a
surveillance drone sale to four US allies in the South China
Sea region.
• The drones would afford greater intelligence gathering
capabilities potentially curbing Chinese activity in the
region.
• The Pentagon would sell 34 ScanEagle drones,made by
Boeing Co. to the govt. of Malaysia,Indonesia,Philippines
and Vietnam for a total of $47 mn.
Raksha Mantri Visits Siachen Glacier
• Honourable Raksha Mantri (RM) Shri Rajnath Singh made
his maiden visit to the world’s highest battlefield.
• The RM accompanied by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of
Army Staff arrived at the Thoise airfield and was received
by Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, GOC-in-C, Northern Command.

• Siachen glacier, located in the eastern Karakoram Range in
the Himalayas falls under the Line of Control, b/w Pak and
India.
Indian Navy steps up anti-piracy patrol
• In an expansion of its Mission Based Deployments (MBD)
in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Navy deployed its P-
8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy
sorties from Salalah in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden.
• Since 2008, India has been conducting anti-piracy patrols
in the commercially crucial Gulf of Aden.
Chief of the Air Staff Visit to Sweden
• Air Chief Marshal B.S Dhanoa,Chairman Chiefs of Staff
Committee and Chief of the Air Staff Indian Air Force is on
a four day official visit to Sweden from 03 to 06 Jun.
• The bilateral goodwill visit is on invitation by the Chief of
the Swedish Air Force.
• The CAS is scheduled to visit various operational and
training units as well as interact with senior functionaries
of the Swedish Air Force.
First Rafale jet to be part of 17 squadron
• The first Rafale combat aircraft would be inducted into the
Indian Air Force's 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron.
• 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron was commanded by Air Chief
Marshal BS Dhanoa during the Kargil war in 1999.
• The 17 Squadron which was earlier located in Bhatinda in
Punjab and will now be shifted to Ambala in Haryana.
• The 17 Squadron used to operate the MiG-21s earlier.
Polity
Polity
• The deadline to submit suggestions on draft of New
Education Policy is extended for a month i.e till 31st July.
The draft of Education policy has been put on a public
domain from May 31.
• Union government introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to
implement for the first time a quota for economically
weaker section in the recruitment of professors in
government-run higher educational institutions.
Lok Sabha passed SEZ Amendment Bill
• Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
passed in the Lok Sabha on 26 June 2019.
• It was initially promulgated as an ordinance in March prior
to the announcement of General Elections.
• NK Premachandran of Revolutionary Socialist Party moved
a statutory resolution to disapprove the Special Economic
Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.
Bills in Parliament
• The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019
was taken up for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha
on 27 June 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019
• The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in
Teachers' Cadre) Bill, 2019 is listed to be introduced the
House.
Aadhar Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
• Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Aadhaar
and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha
on 25 June 2019.
• It will replace an ordinance issued in March 2019 and
proposes stiff penalties for violation of norms.
• It seeks to amend Aadhaar Act 2016, the Indian Telegraph
Act 1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act
2002.
Bill passed for 16% Maratha quota in PG course
• The Maharashtra Legislative Council cleared a bill to
provide 16% reservation to the Maratha community
students in post-graduate (PG) medical courses.
• This comes a day after the bill was unanimously passed in
the Legislative Assembly.
• As both the Houses of the Legislature have cleared the bill,
it will now be sent to the Governor for his approval.
Fresh bill to ban triple Talaq
• A fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq was
introduced in the Lok Sabha on 21 June 2019.
• The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage)
Bill, 2019, which has been listed in the Lok Sabha's agenda,
will replace an ordinance issued in February 2019.
• The Bill proposes to make the practice of instant triple
talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence.
PM to set up committee for an issue
• PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Presidents of all
political parties having representation in Parliament on the
issue of One Nation One Election.
• He will form a committee to look into the various aspects
of this issue in the country.
• The idea of One Nation, One Election envisages a system
where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to
be held simultaneously.
Appointments
• Union Minister for HRD Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
and Minister of State for HRD, Shri Sanjay Dhotre took
oath as Members of Lower house of Parliament in Lok
Sabha.
• Senior BJP leader J P Nadda has been appointed as the BJP
working President. The decision was taken at the BJP
Parliamentary Board meeting held at party headquarters
in New Delhi.
Zuzana: 1st female Slovakia President
• Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as Slovakia's first female
President.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
June 2019

• The swearing-in ceremony took place at Constitutional • The Punjab and Haryana High Court has accorded the
Court chair Ivan Fiacan parliamentary session held in status of “legal person or entity” to animals in Haryana,
Bratislava, Xinhua. granting them the “corresponding rights, duties and
• She is the fifth president in the modern Slovak. liabilities of a living person”.
• She was elected in the month of March. She defeated • The verdict comes nearly a year after Uttarakhand High
Smer-SD candidate Maros Sefcovic. Court passed a similar order “to protect and promote
greater welfare of animals”.
Triple talaq bill cleared
Environment
• The Cabinet cleared a fresh bill to ban the practice of
instant triple talaq. New tortoise species found in India
• The bill will be introduced in the Budget session of
• Wildlife experts have discovered the Impressed Tortoise
Parliament to replace an ordinance issued in February by
also known as the Manouria impressa – a new species of
the previous BJP-led NDA government.
tortoise near Yazali of Lower Subansari district in
• With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha in May 2019,
Arunachal Pradesh.
the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in Rajya
• The species were last found in Gwa in Myanmar.
Sabha.
• The first-ever sighting of the rare Impressed Tortoise or
Aadhar and Other Laws Bill approved Manouria impressa will help to focus on turtle
conservation in Northeast India.
• Union Cabinet approved the Aadhaar and Other Laws
(Amendment) Bill 2019 to replace Aadhaar and Other Laws Scientists discover frog in Assam
(Amendment) Ordinance 2019.
• A team of scientists from Delhi University and the Wildlife
• This will enable UIDAI to have a more robust mechanism
Institute of India have discovered a new species of ‘paddy
to serve the public interest and restrain the misuse of
frog’ in Assam.
Aadhar.
• The frog belongs to the microhylid genus Micryletta, a
• The amendment will also ensure providing
group of narrow-mouthed frogs.
10% reservation to Economically weaker section.
• The new species has been named Aishani.
Special Economic Zones Bill approved • The first known species of this genus was originally
described from Sumatra in Indonesia.
• The Union Cabinet approved a Bill, namely, the Special
Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that is the Bill to New species of wasp identified in Goa
replace the Special Economic Zones (Amendment)
• A new species of wasp from the genus Kudakrumia has
Ordinance, 2019 (12 of 2019).
been identified by scientists in Goa.
• The Bill will be introduced in ensuing session of the
Parliament. • The new species was collected in the forests of Western
Ghats.
Mekathoti: Dalit woman Home Minister of AP • The wasp, Kudakrumia rangnekari, was named after Goa-
• YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh CM YS based researcher Parag Rangnekar.
Jagan Mohan Reddy named a Dalit woman as the home • He is the author of a book 'Butterflies of Goa', which is
minister of the state. perhaps a first field guide with photographs of the species
• Mekathoti Sucharita represents Prathipadu (SC) reserved found in this region.
constituency in Guntur district.
• She was sworn in as a cabinet minister, along with 24
others at a ceremony held at Velagapudi in Amaravati.
JDU not part of NDA outside Bihar
• Janata Dal-United, JD(U) has decided that it will not be
part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) outside
Bihar.
• This decision was taken in the party's national executive
meeting in Patna which was chaired by JD(U) President
Nitish Kumar.
• The party will contest assembly polls separately in four
states-Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Haryana HC grant all animals as living person

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

Table of Contents

Awards & Honours ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 5
International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 15
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 19
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 67
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 68
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 69
Polity .............................................................................................................................................................. 72
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 75

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

Awards &Honours • Nagaswaram player Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman and

vocalist Rajkumar Bharathi will get the TTK awards while
Awards and Honours Aarti N. Rao will get the Musicologist Award.
• DD News was awarded Champions of Empathy Award for NIIT bagged ASSOCHAM awards 2019
spreading awareness about hepatitis. Director General of
DD News, Mayank Agrawal received the Award from Lok • NIIT Limited has bagged the ASSOCHAM Education
Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Excellence Awards 2019 as the 'Best Innovative Brand' in
• International sand artist, Padmashri Sudarsan Pattnaik the Education sector.
won People's Choice Prize at Boston International Sand Art • It received the award for company's continuous effort to
Championship in the US. He was among the 15 top sand offer new-age Career Programs to address the changing
artists selected from across the world. workforce requirements.
• Over the last 38 years, NIIT has contributed extensively to
Meryl Streep to receive Award at TIFF 2019 the IT sector by impacting over 35 million learners in IT.
• Veteran star Meryl Streep will be honoured Tribute Actor 'Find the Incredible You' campaign won award
award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
• She will be the first-ever recipient of the award. • The 'Find the Incredible You' campaign of the Tourism
• Her next film 'The Laundromat', about the Panama Papers Ministry, has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association
scandal, is among the films that will be screened at the (PATA) Gold Award, 2019.
film festival. • The campaign focuses on digital and social media and the
promotion of niche tourism products of the country.
Nishagandhi Sangeetha Awards conferred • The campaign won the award under the 'Marketing -
• Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran presented Primary Government Destination' category.
the inaugural Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram to
musicians Parassala B. Ponnammal and T V.
Gopalakrishnan at the valedictory function of the five-day
music festival Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas at Nishagandhi
Auditorium on 24 July 2019.
• Instituted by Kerala Tourism, the award carries ₹1.5 lakh in
cash, citation and memento.
6 firms honoured with CSR awards
• 3rd Edition of the CSR Journal Excellence Awards
honoured 6 firms for the best practices in Corporate Social
Responsibility.
• The theme of the event was ‘India First’.
• The 6 firms- Tata Power, Renew Power, Hindustan Zinc,
Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., YES Bank Ltd. and Mahindra &
Mahindra emerged as the winners of the awards.
Keshav, Prasun chosen for Mohun Bagan Ratna
• Two-time Olympic gold medallist Keshav Dutt and former
India Football Captain Prasun Banerjee will be conferred
the 'Mohun Bagan Ratna' on 29 July 2019.
• July 29 is celebrated as the 'Mohun Bagan Day' because on
this day in 1911, the Mariners became the first club to
defeat a British club, East Yorkshire Regiment, and lift the
IFA Shield.
S. Sowmya chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award
• S. Sowmya has been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi
award of the Music Academy.
Ustad Bismillah Yuva Puraskars announced
• She will preside over 93rd annual conference of the
Academy to be held between December 12, 2019, and • The Sangeet Natak Akademi has selected 32 artists of India
January 1, 2020. for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2018.

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• In the field of music, there are 8 recipients of Yuva
Puraskar including Sameehan Kashalkar and Ruchira Kedar
for Hindustani Vocal Music.
• The award carries a purse money of Rs 25,000.
• The Yuva Puraskar will be presented at a special ceremony,
by the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Smriti and Rohan received Arjuna Awards
• Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports
gave Arjuna Awards to Smriti Mandhana and Rohan
Bopanna on 16 July 2019.
• Smriti Mandhana and Shri Rohan Bopanna were selected
for Arjuna Awards 2018 for their outstanding
achievements in Cricket and Tennis respectively.
• They could not receive the Awards from President of India
during the Award Ceremony held on 25th September
2018.
RM trophy for best command hospitals
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded Raksha Mantri
Trophy for the Best and Second Best Command Hospitals
of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year
2018, on 16 July 2019.
• Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru was adjudged Best
Command Hospital.
• Command Hospital Central Command Lucknow was
adjudged the Second-Best Command Hospital.
Zakir Hussain selected for Sangeet Natak Fello
• Zakir Hussain and dancer Sonal Mansingh are among the
4 eminent personalities who have been selected for the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships in the field of
performing arts.
• The two other personalities are dancer and choreographer
Jatin Goswami and Bharatnatyam exponent
K.Kalyanasundaram Pillai.
• The awards will be conferred by President Ram Nath
Kovind at a special investiture ceremony.
India bagged 6 awards at SAARC film festival
• Indian entries bagged 6 awards including the Best Feature
Film for the movie Nagarkirtan at the 9th SAARC Film
Festival held in Colombo.
• Kaushik Ganguly got the Best Director Award.
• Riddhi Sen won the best actor award for the movie while
Prabuddha Bannerjee bagged Best Original Score at the
film Festival.
Raghu Ram conferred with Surgeons fellowship
• Padma Shri awardee breast surgeon P Raghu Ram was
conferred honorary fellowship of the Royal College of
Surgeons of Thailand.
• This is the highest recognition bestowed by the institute.
• Raghu Ram is also the President-elect of the Association of
Surgeons of India.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• His surgical career spans 24 years since he qualified to
become a surgeon in 1995.
Shah Rukh Khan to receive honorary doctorate
• Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary doctorate degree
from Melbourne-based La Trobe University for his
contributions through Meer Foundation.
• He will be visiting Australia to attend the 10th edition of
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in August 2019 as
its chief guest.
• La Trobe University is the first Australian university to
award Khan with an Honorary Degree.
Gandhi-Mandela Peace Medal 2019 announced
• The annual Gandhi-Mandela Peace Medal 2019 has been
awarded to Thich Nhat Hanh.
• Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet and
peace activist.
• The first edition of Gandhi-Mandela Peace Initiative was
held in New Delhi.
• The Initiative was organised by Believe Foundation in
association Dr Raman Bhai Patel Foundation (RBF).
Smith & Nephew's NAVIO honoured
• NAVIO has recently been felicitated at the prestigious 'The
Economic Times Best Healthcare Brands 2019'.
• NAVIO is a robotics-assisted surgery system from Smith &
Nephew, a Global medical technology provider.
• This coveted and one of the most prestigious awards in
India honors brands which have shown robust growth by
high customer satisfaction in the healthcare sector.
Awards and Honours
• Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s directorial ‘Gully Boy’ has won
the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award at
the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in
South Korea.
• The amplified version of honey bees sound used by the
Northeast Frontier Railways to ward off elephants from
tracks, thereby preventing any mishap deaths has won
Indian Railways' best innovation of the year award.
AIFF Awards announced
• Indian men's football team captain Sunil Chhetri and
women's footballer Ashalata Devi bagged the top honours
at the All India Football Federation's Awards.
• Development Programme - Jammu & Kashmir Football
Association.
• Best Referee - R. Venkatesh.
• Best Assistant Referee - Joseph Tony.
• Emerging Women’s Footballer 2018-19 - Dangmei Grace.
• Emerging Men’s Footballer of the Year- Abdul Sahal.
Genesis Foundation gets Award

• Genesis Foundation, a Gurgaon based Non-Profit
Organization won the CSR Implementation Partner award
in the leadership category at the 3rd edition of CSR Health
Impact Awards.
• It works towards the treatment of underprivileged children
suffering from congenital heart disorders.
• The CSR Health Impact Awards is constituted to inspire
organizations to drive a nationwide CSR-based health
movement
NALCO to get President's award
• Odisha-based Navaratna Company NALCO has been
selected for President's award for utilisation of Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) fund in social development.
• It started a scheme Aliali Jhia in 2015 to adopt and
promote the poor and talented girls for education.
• Under this scheme, 416 girls from BPL families of 66
villages in Anugul and Koraput districts have been adopted
by Company.
Days & Events
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
• UN observes 30 July every year as World Day Against
Trafficking.
• In 2013, the General Assembly designated July 30 as the
World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise
awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking
and for the promotion and protection of their rights.
• The tagline for 2019 is: Human Trafficking: call your
government to action.
World Hepatitis Day: 28 July
• WHO observes 28 July every year as World Hepatitis Day
to step up national and international efforts on hepatitis.
• It is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch
Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and
developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus.
• The theme for 2019 is 'Invest in eliminating hepatitis'.
• Pakistan is the host country this year.
Global Tiger Day: 29 July
• Global Tiger Day is celebrated across the world on 29 July.
• This day is observed every year to create awareness about
tiger conservation and protection of natural habitat of
tigers.
• Due to concerted efforts under Project Tiger, at present
India has the distinction of having the maximum number
of tigers in the world.
• From 1706 in 2010, tiger population has increased to 2226
in 2014.
20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
• The 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated
on 26 July 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The day is named after the successful Operation Vijay in
1999, when India regained the control of the high outposts
which had been stealthily taken over by Pakistan.
• The celebrations of 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
began in Delhi on 14 July 2019.
National Broadcasting Day: 23 July
• National Broadcasting Day is observed every year on 23
July.
• On this day in 1927, the first-ever radio broadcast in the
country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a
private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.
• On 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service
became All India Radio.
• Since 1927, radio has been an important part in people's
life in India.
World Brain Day: 22 July
• World Brain Day is observed on July 22 every year.
• The day aims at promoting interest of neurology.
Previously, World Brain Day has covered topics like
dementia, epilepsy and stroke, in cooperation with other
societies.
• World Brain Day 2019 theme is Migraine: The Painful
Truth.
• This year, the focus is on migraine, which is known to be
one of world's most common brain diseases.
Important Days
• The Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every
year on July 18.
• Nelson Mandela is remembered as an anti-apartheid
revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist.
• International Justice Day is observed on 17 July.
• World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) was observed on 15 July
2019.
International Chess Day: 20 July
• The ‘International Chess Day’ is observed every year on
20 July.
• It’s a special day for India as Chess is one of the precious
gifts of India to the world.
• Just two days ago, Indian chess got its 64th Grandmaster
Prithu Gupta, a very symbolic day as the chess board is
made up of 64 squares.
• The origin of chess is found in ‘Chaturanga’ – a strategy
game played in India in the medieval era.
14 July: National day of France
• The French prepared to mark their national day on 14 July,
known as July 14th in France and Bastille Day abroad.
• European Union leaders joined the French president for
the world's oldest military parade.

• This year celebrates the 230th anniversary of the storming
of the Bastille prison in Paris, a turning point in the French
revolution that set the stage for the birth of the Republic.
World Population Day: 11 July
• The United Nations observes 11 July every year as World
Population Day.
• This year’s World Population Day calls for global attention
to the unfinished business of the 1994 International
Conference on Population and Development.
• United Nations Headquarters - New York, USA
• Founded - 24 October 1945.
• Secretary General - Antonio Guterres.
International Affairs
Pakistan opens historic Hindu temple in Punjab
• Pakistan has opened a 1,000 year old Hindu temple in
Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the
demand of the local Hindu community.
• The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city’s congested
Dharwad locality, some 100 km from Lahore, is more than
1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of Sialkot’
by the late Rashid Niaz.
• PM - Imran Khan.
• President - Arif Alvi.
China’s Tiangong 2 was Destroyed by China
• On 19 July 2019, China’s Tiangong-2 space laboratory
successfully entered Earth’s atmosphere under controlled
conditions and burned up above the South Pacific Ocean.
• Tiangong-2 was launched into orbit on 15 September
2016.
• In total, the station spent over 1,000 days in orbit,
exceeding its proposed 2-year lifespan considerably, and
orbited Earth 16,209 times.
Underwater museum of military vehicle unveiled
• Jordan has unveiled its first underwater military museum
off the coast of Aqaba.
• The vehicles, including tanks, troop carriers and a
helicopter, imitating a battle formation, have been
stationed at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
• Aqaba is the lone port city of Jordan and is a popular
destination for divers.
Iran test fires ballistic missile
• Iran has test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile
inside its borders.
• The missile, a Shahab-3, is a liquid-fuelled, medium-range
ballistic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.
• It is derived from a North Korean missile called the
Nodong-A and can fly up to 2000 kilometres.
Priti Patel: Britain's Home Secretary
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• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian
origin Priti Patel as the country Home Secretary.
• The Prime Minister named former Home Secretary Sajid
Javid to take over from Philip Hammond as the Finance
Secretary or Chancellor.
• Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab was named as the country's
Foreign Secretary.
Facebook slapped with 5 bn US dollar fine
• US regulators formalized a record 5 billion US Dollar fine
on Facebook for violation of users' privacy in the
Cambridge Analytica data scandal involving 87 million
users.
• The penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company
for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest
penalties ever assessed by the US government for any
violation.
Bangladesh: Scientists developed a new method
• Scientists in Bangladesh have developed a method to
convert Jute fibre into low-cost bio-degradable cellulose
sheets named 'Sonali'.
• It can be used as a wrapping material and carrying bag.
• The Eco-friendly jute poly bags made up of Sonali can be
used in garments and food packaging work and they are
not harmful for human health.
• Its commercial production is likely to start by 2019 end.
Boris Johnson took over as Britain PM
• The new leader of Conservative party Boris Johnson
took over as Prime Minister of Britain on 24 July 2019.
• Mr Johnson is scheduled to meet the Queen at
Buckingham Palace where he will be invited to form a new
government.
• He also announced senior cabinet posts, including
chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary.
NASA prepared to send 1st woman on moon
• The world marked the 50th anniversary of the first Moon
landing recently.
• The US space agency has doubled down on its next giant
leap with the Artemis programme that would take the first
woman and the next man to the lunar surface.
• Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also
the Goddess of the Moon and the hunt.
50th anniversary of Apollo 11
• The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing was
celebrated on 20 July 2019.
• On this day, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon.
• Their lunar module, named Eagle, touched down on 20th
July, 1969.
• Ex-fighter pilot Collins remained in lunar orbit, where he
was in touch with ground control.

Miscellaneous
• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar inaugurated the 10th Jagran Film festival at Siri
Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.
• In yet another European Union move against a US tech
giant, the bloc's antitrust chief on 18 July 2019 fined
chipmaker Qualcomm $271 million, accusing it of
'predatory pricing' to drive a competitor out of the market.
G7 Finance Ministers agree plan for taxing
• G7 Finance Ministers meeting in France agreed a plan for
taxing digital companies such as Facebook and Google that
will set a minimum level of taxation for them.
• G7 looks forward to further progress in the context of the
G20 and a global agreement on the outlines of the
architecture by January 2020.
• Ministers fully supported a two-pillar solution to be
adopted by 2020.
Ebola outbreak: Global health emergency
• The deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo is now an
international health emergency, the World Health
Organization announced on 17 July 2019 after the virus
spread this week to a city of two million people.
• More than 1,600 people have died since August in the
second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
• This is the fifth such declaration in history.
US banned Myanmar Army Chief
• The US has banned visits by Myanmar's Army Chief and 3
other top officers due to their role in the ethnic
cleansing of the Rohingya minority.
• The US is the first government to publicly take action with
respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese
military.
• Also sanctioned were Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe
Win, Brigadier-General Than Oo and Brigadier General
Aung Aung.
Cycle rally in South Africa
• Indian diplomats in South Africa participated in a cycle
rally to promote greater awareness of Mahatma Gandhi's
ideals of non-violence and satyagraha.
• This was done to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary.
• Conceived by Indian Consul-General in Johannesburg Dr K J
Srinivasa, the event was co-hosted by the Gandhi Walk
Committee.
U.S. celebrates 50 years of Apollo 11 mission
• U.S. celebrates the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year
anniversary.
• In the celebrations, new statues of Astronaut Neil
Armstrong were unveiled and an education centre was
dedicated to him in Ohio, US.
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• Present Administrator of NASA - James Frederick
Bridenstine.
• Headquarters - Washington, D.C.
Over 5 bn dollar penalty imposed on Pakistan
• An international arbitration court has imposed a penalty of
over 5 billion dollars on Pakistan for unlawful denial of a
mining lease to a company for the Reko Diq project in
2011.
• The Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) had filed claims for
international arbitration before the World Bank's ICSID in
2012.
• The project stopped in November 2011, when the
Balochistan government rejected its application.
Russia launches space telescope
• Russia launched a space telescope, Spektr-RG, from the
cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on 13 July 2019.
• The Spektr-RG, developed with Germany, is a space
observatory intended to replace the Spektr-R, known as
the 'Russian Hubble'.
• Spektr-R was launched in 2011 to observe black holes,
neutron stars and magnetic fields.
Tropical Storm Barry hits Louisiana in US
• In the United States, Tropical Storm Barry began hitting
Louisiana with wind and rain, building towards hurricane
strength.
• It is the first hurricane of the season.
• The centre of the storm was about 5 miles northeast of
Intracoastal City.
• It has weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical
storm.
France passes GAFA Tax
• France became the first major economy to impose a tax on
digital companies.
• The tax is known as the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook
and Amazon).
• The law will levy a 3% tax on total annual revenues of the
largest tech firms providing services to French consumers.
• GAFA targets digital companies with global sales of more
than 750 million euros and sales in France of at least 25
million euros.
Government banned 'Sikhs for Justice' group
• Union cabinet banned the US Based Pro-Khalistani group
Sikhs for Justice for alleged anti-national activities.
• It propelled the Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its
separatist agenda.
• SFJ openly supported the cause of Khalistan, a Sikh
separatist movement.
• It challenged the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
India.
Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1

• Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1 a carrier rocket
with a hydrometeorological satellite and 32 small
satellites.
• The satellite will provide images of clouds, the surface of
the Earth, ice and snow covers in the visible, infrared and
microwave ranges.
• The ride-share mission lifted off from the Vostochny
Cosmodrome in eastern Russia.
Sri Lanka eliminates measles
• Sri Lanka has become fifth country in the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Southeast Asia region to eliminate
measles.
• The other countries in the region which have achieved this
feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste.
• Measles is a highly infectious illness caused by the rubeola
virus.
• WHO estimate that 2.6 million people who have not had
the vaccine die of measles every year.
France to impose green tax on plane tickets
• France will impose green tax up to €18 on plane tickets
from 2020.
• The move aims to fund less-polluting transportation
projects.
• A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018,
which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the
climate.
Guidelines on self-care interventions launched
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its
first guidelines on self-care interventions for health.
• The guidelines focus on sexual and reproductive health
and rights.
• The guidelines have been launched in response to an
estimate that by 2035 the world will face a shortage of
nearly 13 million healthcare workers.
Iraq Babylon: World Heritage Site by UNESCO
• UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has voted to list the
sprawling Mesopotamian metropolis of Babylon as a
World Heritage Site.
• Iraq had been trying since 1983 to have the site - a massive
10sq-km complex of which just 18% has been excavated
thus far - recognised by UNESCO.
• The city was the centre of the ancient Babylonian empire
more than 4,000 years ago.
Niqab banned in Tunisian Government offices
• Tunisia's Premier banned the Niqab, Muslim face covering
for women in government offices, citing security concerns
after attacks in the country.
• Prime Minister Youssef Chahed banned access to public
administrations and institutions to anyone with the face
covered for security reasons.
• On June 27 double suicide bombing in Tunis left 2 dead
and 7 wounded.
World's largest burn surgery instit. started
• The world's largest burn and plastic surgery institute in
Dhaka started functioning from 4 July 2019.
• About 6 lakh people suffer burn injuries in Bangladesh
every year who will benefit from the institute.
• Named Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery
Institute, the 500-bed hospital with 50 ICU and 12
operation theatres will provide advanced treatment to
burn patients in Bangladesh.
Bahrain & UK first to pilot new AI guidelines
• Bahrain has announced it will pilot new guidelines for the
procurement of Artificial Intelligence in the public sector.
• It partnered with the UK government to help design the
guidelines and assesses them in real-world conditions.
• It is produced by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre
for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• By this Bahrain and UK became first in the world to do so.
Vladimir Putin signed a bill
• Vladimir Putin has signed a bill suspending Russia's
participation in a pivotal nuclear arms pact with the United
States.

• The Russian president’s decree formalises his country’s
departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces (INF) Treaty.
• Russia has denied any violations and accused the US of
breaking the accord.
Rath Yatra celebrated in Bangladesh
• In Bangladesh, the starting of Rath Yatra was celebrated at
a number of places on 4 July 2019.
• In Dhaka ISKCON and other religious bodies celebrated the
Rath Yatra with several programmes in the city.
• The centuries old Rath Yatra started from the Madhav
Temple at Dhamrai in Bangladesh with devotees singing
Kirtans in the praise of Lord Jagannath.
4000 yr old pyramid opened for public in Egypt
• Egypt's 4,000-year-old Lahun pyramid has opened its
doors to the public for the first time, displaying a network
of passageways and an ancient burial chamber.
• A small team of archaeologists from the Egyptian ministry
of antiquities spent around a year clearing out the burial
chamber inside the pyramid.
• A variety of artefacts were excavated including amulets,
scarabs, shells, and chains.
Baloch Liberation Army designated terror group
• The US has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army
(BLA) as a terrorist organisation.
• BLA is an armed separatist group that targets security
forces and civilians, mainly in ethnic Baloch areas of
Pakistan.
• The department has also made it a crime for anyone in the
US to assist the BLA terrorists and freezing any US assets
they may have.
Iran announces breach of nuclear deal
• Iran exceeds its stockpile of uranium in a breach of the
2015 nuclear deal.
• Trump warns Iran while UN asks Iran to respect the terms
of nuclear agreement.
• Iran enriched its uranium stockpile passing the 300-
kilogram limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world
powers.
First battery-powered cruise ship sails
• The world’s first cruise ship propelled partially by battery
power sailed out from northern Norway on its maiden
voyage.
• The hybrid expedition cruise ship, the Roald Amundsen,
can take 500 passengers and is designed to sail in harsh
climate waters.
• It is named after the Norwegian explorer who navigated
the Northwest Passage in 1903-1906 and was first to reach
the South Pole in 1911.
Abu Dhabi hosted first ISALEX19 exercise
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Representatives of 50 law enforcement agencies of the
International Security Alliance took part in the first joint
security exercise in Abu Dhabi which began on 30 June
2019.
• The International Security Alliance is an international
working group to confront organised, transnational and
extremist crimes.
• It comprises 9 countries including the UAE, Bahrain,
France, Singapore, and Morocco.
Pakistan opens historic Hindu temple in Punjab
• Pakistan has opened a 1,000 year old Hindu temple in
Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the
demand of the local Hindu community.
• The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city’s congested
Dhaarowal locality, some 100 km from Lahore, is more
than 1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of
Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Niaz.
• PM - Imran Khan.
• President - Arif Alvi.
China’s Tiangong 2 was Destroyed by China
• On 19 July 2019, China’s Tiangong-2 space laboratory
successfully entered Earth’s atmosphere under controlled
conditions and burned up above the South Pacific Ocean.
• Tiangong-2 was launched into orbit on 15 September
2016.
• In total, the station spent over 1,000 days in orbit,
exceeding its proposed 2-year lifespan considerably, and
orbited Earth 16,209 times.
Underwater museum of military vehicle unveiled
• Jordan has unveiled its first underwater military museum
off the coast of Aqaba.
• The vehicles, including tanks, troop carriers and a
helicopter, imitating a battle formation, have been
stationed at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
• Aqaba is the lone port city of Jordan and is a popular
destination for divers.
Iran test fires ballistic missile
• Iran has test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile
inside its borders.
• The missile, a Shahab-3, is a liquid-fuelled, medium-range
ballistic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.
• It is derived from a North Korean missile called the
Nodong-A and can fly up to 2000 kilometres.
Priti Patel: Britain's Home Secretary
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian
origin Priti Patel as the country Home Secretary.
• The Prime Minister named former Home Secretary Sajid
Javid to take over from Philip Hammond as the Finance
Secretary or Chancellor.

• Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab was named as the country's
Foreign Secretary.
Facebook slapped with 5 bn US dollar fine
• US regulators formalized a record 5 billion US Dollar fine
on Facebook for violation of users' privacy in the
Cambridge Analytica data scandal involving 87 million
users.
• The penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company
for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest
penalties ever assessed by the US government for any
violation.
Bangladesh: Scientists developed a new method
• Scientists in Bangladesh have developed a method to
convert Jute fibre into low-cost bio-degradable cellulose
sheets named 'Sonali'.
• It can be used as a wrapping material and carrying bag.
• The Eco-friendly jute poly bags made up of Sonali can be
used in garments and food packaging work and they are
not harmful for human health.
• Its commercial production is likely to start by 2019 end.
Boris Johnson took over as Britain PM
• The new leader of Conservative party Boris Johnson
took over as Prime Minister of Britain on 24 July 2019.
• Mr Johnson is scheduled to meet the Queen at
Buckingham Palace where he will be invited to form a new
government.
• He also announced senior cabinet posts, including
chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary.
NASA prepared to send 1st woman on moon
• The world marked the 50th anniversary of the first Moon
landing recently.
• The US space agency has doubled down on its next giant
leap with the Artemis programme that would take the first
woman and the next man to the lunar surface.
• Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also
the Goddess of the Moon and the hunt.
50th anniversary of Apollo 11
• The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing was
celebrated on 20 July 2019.
• On this day, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon.
• Their lunar module, named Eagle, touched down on 20th
July, 1969.
• Ex-fighter pilot Collins remained in lunar orbit, where he
was in touch with ground control.
Miscellaneous
• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar inaugurated the 10th Jagran Film festival at Siri
Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• In yet another European Union move against a US tech
giant, the bloc's antitrust chief on 18 July 2019 fined
chipmaker Qualcomm $271 million, accusing it of
'predatory pricing' to drive a competitor out of the market.
G7 Finance Ministers agree plan for taxing
• G7 Finance Ministers meeting in France agreed a plan for
taxing digital companies such as Facebook and Google that
will set a minimum level of taxation for them.
• G7 looks forward to further progress in the context of the
G20 and a global agreement on the outlines of the
architecture by January 2020.
• Ministers fully supported a two-pillar solution to be
adopted by 2020.
Ebola outbreak: Global health emergency
• The deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo is now an
international health emergency, the World Health
Organization announced on 17 July 2019 after the virus
spread this week to a city of two million people.
• More than 1,600 people have died since August in the
second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
• This is the fifth such declaration in history.
US banned Myanmar Army Chief
• The US has banned visits by Myanmar's Army Chief and 3
other top officers due to their role in the ethnic
cleansing of the Rohingya minority.
• The US is the first government to publicly take action with
respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese
military.
• Also sanctioned were Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe
Win, Brigadier-General Than Oo and Brigadier General
Aung Aung.
Cycle rally in South Africa
• Indian diplomats in South Africa participated in a cycle
rally to promote greater awareness of Mahatma Gandhi's
ideals of non-violence and satyagraha.
• This was done to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary.
• Conceived by Indian Consul-General in Johannesburg Dr K J
Srinivasa, the event was co-hosted by the Gandhi Walk
Committee.
U.S. celebrates 50 years of Apollo 11 mission
• U.S. celebrates the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year
anniversary.
• In the celebrations, new statues of Astronaut Neil
Armstrong were unveiled and an education centre was
dedicated to him in Ohio, US.
• Present Administrator of NASA - James Frederick
Bridenstine.
• Headquarters - Washington, D.C.
Over 5 bn dollar penalty imposed on Pakistan

• An international arbitration court has imposed a penalty of
over 5 billion dollars on Pakistan for unlawful denial of a
mining lease to a company for the Reko Diq project in
2011.
• The Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) had filed claims for
international arbitration before the World Bank's ICSID in
2012.
• The project stopped in November 2011, when the
Balochistan government rejected its application.
Russia launches space telescope
• Russia launched a space telescope, Spektr-RG, from the
cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on 13 July 2019.
• The Spektr-RG, developed with Germany, is a space
observatory intended to replace the Spektr-R, known as
the 'Russian Hubble'.
• Spektr-R was launched in 2011 to observe black holes,
neutron stars and magnetic fields.
Tropical Storm Barry hits Louisiana in US
• In the United States, Tropical Storm Barry began hitting
Louisiana with wind and rain, building towards hurricane
strength.
• It is the first hurricane of the season.
• The centre of the storm was about 5 miles northeast of
Intracoastal City.
• It has weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical
storm.
France passes GAFA Tax
• France became the first major economy to impose a tax on
digital companies.
• The tax is known as the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook
and Amazon).
• The law will levy a 3% tax on total annual revenues of the
largest tech firms providing services to French consumers.
• GAFA targets digital companies with global sales of more
than 750 million euros and sales in France of at least 25
million euros.
Government banned 'Sikhs for Justice' group
• Union cabinet banned the US Based Pro-Khalistani group
Sikhs for Justice for alleged anti-national activities.
• It propelled the Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its
separatist agenda.
• SFJ openly supported the cause of Khalistan, a Sikh
separatist movement.
• It challenged the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
India.
Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1
• Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1 a carrier rocket
with a hydrometeorological satellite and 32 small
satellites.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The satellite will provide images of clouds, the surface of
the Earth, ice and snow covers in the visible, infrared and
microwave ranges.
• The ride-share mission lifted off from the Vostochny
Cosmodrome in eastern Russia.
Sri Lanka eliminates measles
• Sri Lanka has become fifth country in the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Southeast Asia region to eliminate
measles.
• The other countries in the region which have achieved this
feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste.
• Measles is a highly infectious illness caused by the rubeola
virus.
• WHO estimate that 2.6 million people who have not had
the vaccine die of measles every year.
France to impose green tax on plane tickets
• France will impose green tax up to €18 on plane tickets
from 2020.
• The move aims to fund less-polluting transportation
projects.
• A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018,
which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every
ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the
climate.
Guidelines on self-care interventions launched
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its
first guidelines on self-care interventions for health.
• The guidelines focus on sexual and reproductive health
and rights.
• The guidelines have been launched in response to an
estimate that by 2035 the world will face a shortage of
nearly 13 million healthcare workers.
Iraq Babylon: World Heritage Site by UNESCO
• UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has voted to list the
sprawling Mesopotamian metropolis of Babylon as a
World Heritage Site.
• Iraq had been trying since 1983 to have the site - a massive
10sq-km complex of which just 18% has been excavated
thus far - recognised by UNESCO.
• The city was the centre of the ancient Babylonian empire
more than 4,000 years ago.
Niqab banned in Tunisian Government offices
• Tunisia's Premier banned the Niqab, Muslim face covering
for women in government offices, citing security concerns
after attacks in the country.
• Prime Minister Youssef Chahed banned access to public
administrations and institutions to anyone with the face
covered for security reasons.
• On June 27 double suicide bombing in Tunis left 2 dead
and 7 wounded.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

World's largest burn surgery instit. started • The department has also made it a crime for anyone in the
US to assist the BLA terrorists and freezing any US assets
• The world's largest burn and plastic surgery institute in
they may have.
Dhaka started functioning from 4 July 2019.
• About 6 lakh people suffer burn injuries in Bangladesh Iran announces breach of nuclear deal
every year who will benefit from the institute.
• Iran exceeds its stockpile of uranium in a breach of the
• Named Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery
2015 nuclear deal.
Institute, the 500-bed hospital with 50 ICU and 12
• Trump warns Iran while UN asks Iran to respect the terms
operation theatres will provide advanced treatment to
of nuclear agreement.
burn patients in Bangladesh.
• Iran enriched its uranium stockpile passing the 300-
Bahrain & UK first to pilot new AI guidelines kilogram limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world
powers.
• Bahrain has announced it will pilot new guidelines for the
procurement of Artificial Intelligence in the public sector.
• It partnered with the UK government to help design the
guidelines and assesses them in real-world conditions.
• It is produced by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre
for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• By this Bahrain and UK became first in the world to do so.
Vladimir Putin signed a bill
• Vladimir Putin has signed a bill suspending Russia's
participation in a pivotal nuclear arms pact with the United
States.
• The Russian president’s decree formalises his country’s
departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces (INF) Treaty.
• Russia has denied any violations and accused the US of
breaking the accord.
Rath Yatra celebrated in Bangladesh
• In Bangladesh, the starting of Rath Yatra was celebrated at
a number of places on 4 July 2019.
• In Dhaka ISKCON and other religious bodies celebrated the
Rath Yatra with several programmes in the city.
• The centuries old Rath Yatra started from the Madhav
Temple at Dhamrai in Bangladesh with devotees singing
Kirtans in the praise of Lord Jagannath.
4000 yr old pyramid opened for public in Egypt
• Egypt's 4,000-year-old Lahun pyramid has opened its
doors to the public for the first time, displaying a network First battery-powered cruise ship sails
of passageways and an ancient burial chamber.
• The world’s first cruise ship propelled partially by battery
• A small team of archaeologists from the Egyptian ministry power sailed out from northern Norway on its maiden
of antiquities spent around a year clearing out the burial voyage.
chamber inside the pyramid.
• The hybrid expedition cruise ship, the Roald Amundsen,
• A variety of artefacts were excavated including amulets, can take 500 passengers and is designed to sail in harsh
scarabs, shells, and chains. climate waters.
Baloch Liberation Army designated terror group • It is named after the Norwegian explorer who navigated
the Northwest Passage in 1903-1906 and was first to reach
• The US has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army the South Pole in 1911.
(BLA) as a terrorist organisation.
• BLA is an armed separatist group that targets security Abu Dhabi hosted first ISALEX19 exercise
forces and civilians, mainly in ethnic Baloch areas of • Representatives of 50 law enforcement agencies of the
Pakistan. International Security Alliance took part in the first joint

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security exercise in Abu Dhabi which began on 30 June
2019.
• The International Security Alliance is an international
working group to confront organised, transnational and
extremist crimes.
• It comprises 9 countries including the UAE, Bahrain,
France, Singapore, and Morocco.
Personalities in News
Tarun Chaudhri: 1st pilot to skydive jump
• Wing commander Tarun Chaudhri became the first pilot of
Indian Armed Forces (IAF ) to do a wingsuit jump.
• The jump was accomplished by Chaudhri from a Mi-17
helicopter from an altitude of 8500 feet.
• This is the first flying wingsuit jump demonstration at an
organised gathering.
• The jump was undertaken during the Kargil Diwas
celebrations at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 21-22 July
2019.
Person in News
• Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar
announced his resignation after the House adopted the
confidence motion moved by Chief Minister B S
Yediyurappa and passed the Appropriation Bill.
• Anandiben Patel took oath as the Governor of Uttar
Pradesh. The Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court,
Govind Mathur, administered her the oath of Office and
Secrecy at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow.
People in news
• IPS officer VK Johri has been appointed as the next
Director General of Border Security Force. He is presently
serving as the Special Secretary in RAW, under the Cabinet
Secretariat.
• Vidisha Baliyan, from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, was
crowned Miss Deaf World 2019. The pageant was held in
Mbombela, South Africa. Vidisha became the first Indian
to bag the title.
Dr Samir Rawat invited to Psychology congress
• Lieutenant Colonel Dr Samir Rawat invited as an eminent
keynote speaker at the 32nd International Congress of
Psychology 2020 (ICP) in Prague.
• ICP is the most prestigious and biggest international event
in the psychological world.
• Dr Samir Rawat is a combat veteran and an ardent
contributor in military psychology space and travels all
over the military world.
Kalraj Mishra: New Governor of Himachal P.
• Former Union Minister Kalraj Mishra took oath as the new
Governor of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Kalraj Mishra replaced Acharya Devvrat, who has been
shifted to Gujarat.
• Kalraj Mishra is an Indian politician and he is also the
former Cabinet Minister of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises in the BJP-led NDA government of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Boris Johnson took over as Britain PM
• The new leader of Conservative party Boris Johnson
took over as Prime Minister of Britain on 24 July 2019.
• Mr Johnson is scheduled to meet the Queen at
Buckingham Palace where he will be invited to form a new
government.
• He also announced senior cabinet posts, including
chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary.
Sanjivani Yadav handed 2-year suspension
• India's runner Sanjivani Yadav has been handed a 2-year
suspension by the IAAF's Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a
doping violation.
• She won the 10,000m bronze at the 2019 Asian
Championships and 5000m bronze in the 2017 edition.
• She admitted to her first violation resulting in
disqualification all past results since June 29, 2018.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat visited Dras sector
• Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, visited Dras
sector on 19 July 2019.
• During the visit, he was briefed by the General Officer
Commanding, 'Fire & Fury' Corps on the prevailing
situation and operational preparedness in the Sector.
• He also interacted with soldiers deployed on the Line of
Control (LC).
• He was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding-
in-Chief, Northern Command.
PT Usha nominated for IAAF veteran pin
• Former Olympic track and field athlete P T Usha has been
nominated for the International Association of Athletics
Federations Veteran Pin for her ‘long and meritorious
service to the cause of World Athletics’.
• She will receive the pin during the opening ceremony of
the 52nd IAAF Congress in Doha.
• Usha is often called the 'queen of track and field'.
Sachin: 6th Indian in ICC Hall of Fame
• International Cricket Council has inducted Sachin
Tendulkar, Allan Donald and Cathryn Fitzpatrick into the
ICC’s Hall of Fame.
• Other Indians on the list are Bishan Singh Bedi, Sunil
Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid.
• Sachin Tendulkar has 34,357 runs across formats and is the
only batsman to have 100 internationals hundreds under
his belt.
Bernard Arnault: World's 2nd richest person

• Bill Gates has never ranked lower than No. 2 in the seven-
year history of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
• But he dropped to No. 3 behind France’s Bernard Arnault.
LVMH, Arnault’s luxury-goods maker, advanced to a record
in Paris and pushed his net worth to $107.6 billion.
• Arnault has added $39 billion to his fortune in 2019 alone.
Warburg Pincus co-CEO resigned
• Joseph Landy is stepping aside from his role of co-chief
executive of Warburg Pincus, after two decades of
managing one of the most renowned private equity firms.
• Warburg Pincus has invested more than $77 billion in
more than 870 companies in over 40 countries around the
world.
• Charles Kaye, co-chief executive and Landy's partner, will
take over as the sole CEO of the PE firm.
Christine resigned as MD of IMF
• International Monetary Fund, IMF MD Christine Lagarde
has resigned ahead of a decision on her nomination to
become head of the European Central Bank, ECB.
• If the European Council approves her nomination, she will
become the central bank's first-ever female leader,
responsible for the Euro and the monetary policy of the
eurozone.
• She has been heading the IMF since 2011.
Appointments and Resignations
• BJP has appointed BL Santosh as its general secretary. He
is presently the party's joint general secretary.
• Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has resigned from
Punjab Cabinet. He sent his resignation to Congress Chief
Rahul Gandhi on 10th June 2019.
• Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli was accorded a farewell at a
ceremony in Gandhinagar on completing his tenure.
Delhi girl bags ICJ internship programme
• Isha Kanth is one of the two persons in the world to have
bagged an internship programme at the International
Court of Justice based in Hague.
• She has earlier worked in rural Bihar spreading awareness
on the right to education and women empowerment
among children belonging to the marginalised sections.
• The ICJ is the principal judiciary organ of the United
Nations.
Isha Kanth bags ICJ internship programme
• Indian girl, Isha Kanth is one of the two persons in the
world to have bagged an internship programme at the
International Court of Justice.
• She has earlier worked in rural Bihar spreading awareness
on the right to education and women empowerment
among children belonging to the marginalised sections.
• Headquarters: The Hague (Netherlands).
• President: Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia).
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
Azim Premji to receive excellence awards
• The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) said
that Mastercard CEO and President Ajay Banga and Wipro
Chairman Azim Premji will receive the 2019 Global
Excellence Awards at its Second Annual Leadership
Summit in Washington on 11 July 2019.
• Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President of the
United States, will present awards during the summit.
Rahul Gandhi resigned as President of Congress
• Rahul Gandhi officially resigned as Congress President on 3
July 2019.
• In his resignation letter, Mr Gandhi said, he is responsible
for his Congress' defeat in Lok Sabha elections.
• The party's working committee should meet immediately
to decide on his successor.
• Accountability is critical for the future growth of Congress
and therefore, he resigned as party president.
Algeria Parliament President resigned
• President of the Algerian parliament Moad Bouchareb
resigned after prolonged demands for his removal by
protesters.
• Terbech Abderazak, a member of parliament, would take
over the job temporarily.
• Bouchareb is a former head of the National Liberation
Front (FLN) party, which has ruled Algeria since
independence from France in 1962.
Aparna scaled North America's Highest Peak
• Aparna Kumar created history by becoming the first civil
servant and IPS officer to achieve the incredible and rare
feat of completing ‘7 Summits’ challenge'.
• Kumar hoisted India's tricolour on Mount Denali in Alaska,
USA.
• Aparna Kumar is an ITBP Dehra Dun Frontier DIG.
• She is also the first woman IPS officer to reach the South
Pole on January 13.
•
Books & Authors
VP Venkaiah Naidu released book
• Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released titled 'New-Age
Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0' book written by
Rajya Sabha Member, Narendra Jadhav on 25 July 2019.
• This book examines and elaborates on various dimensions
of the so-called Industrial Revolution 4.0.
• Narendra Jadhav is an Indian economist, educationist,
public policy expert, professor and writer in English,
Marathi and Hindi.
PM Modi released book on Chandra Shekhar
• PM Modi released book on Chandra Shekhar.

• The book titled 'Chandra Shekhar- The Last Icon of
Ideological Politics’ is written by Deputy Chairman in the
Rajya Sabha, Harivansh and Ravi Dutt Bajpai.
• PM informed that a museum is being built at the Teen
Murti Bhavan complex in New Delhi on Prime Ministers of
India.
Venkaiah Naidu released 'Vivekadeepini' book
• Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu released a
book titled Vivekadeepini.
• It was initially written by Adi Shankaracharya who is one of
India’s greatest spiritual and literary geniuses.
• Vivekadeepini is a summary of Prashnottara Ratnamalika
written by Adi Shankaracharya.
• It contains universal truths and are the starting point for
reflection.
Government Policies & Schemes
PMLVMD Yojana notified by Labour Ministry
• Santosh Kumar Gangwar-led labour ministry has notified
the pension scheme for retailers and traders benefitting
over three crore self-employed workers in the country on
22 July 2019.
• The scheme, which is an extension of the PM Shram Yogi
Maan-Dhan Yojana, will make all beneficiaries eligible for a
monthly pension of Rs 3000 after the age of 60 at a
minuscule monthly contribution.
Government approves national permit scheme
• The government of India has approved the national permit
scheme for inter-state travel for bus operators.
• The move is likely to increase the state revenue by 3-4% as
the money will be directly credited to the states in a
proportionate manner.
• The government will also provide the online facility of
obtaining a permit for the electric vehicles including buses,
car taxis, autos and bike taxis.
Lok Sabha passes Companies (Amendment) Bill
• The Lok Sabha passed The Companies (Amendment) Bill
2019 which seeks to amend the Companies Act 2013.
• It aims to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility
compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National
Company Law Tribunal and categorise certain offences as
civil offences.
• Under the Bill, any unspent annual CSR funds must be
transferred to the funds under Schedule 7 of the Act.
PMAY approved construction of 1.4 lakh houses
• The Centre approved construction of nearly 1.4 lakh more
houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),
taking the number of houses to be built under the scheme
to over 85 lakh.
• A total of 492 projects will cost ₹6,642 crore.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• PMAY is an initiative in which affordable housing will be
provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20
million affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
New India-UK schme to fund students from UK
• A new India-UK bilateral pilot scheme has been launched
to support Britain's universities to collaborate with Indian
partners to send UK students to India to study.
• The “UKEIRI Mobility Programme: Study in India”, an
initiative of Universities UK International (UUKI) and British
Council India, opened on 23 July 2019.
• It aims to generate up to 200 opportunities for
undergraduate UK students.
8 Air Routes Made Functional Under UDAN Scheme
• Eight routes under regional connectivity scheme UDAN
have become functional.
• According to Civil Aviation Ministry, by this the total
number of operational routes have become 194.
• The ministry had launched the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam
Nagrik) scheme on October 21, 2016 to stimulate regional
air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the
masses.
PMKSNY: 7 cr 32 lakh families received install
• Over 7 crore 32 lakh farmer families across the country
have received the first and second instalments of Rs. 2000
each under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
Yojana.
• UP with over 2 crores 20 lakh farmer families topped the
list followed by Andhra Pradesh with 72 lakh and
Maharastra 50 lakh farmers.
• PM-KISAN envisages covering approximately 14 crore 50
lakh beneficiaries.
Indian Cyber Crime Centre launched by MHA
• Ministry of Home Affairs has rolled out a scheme ‘Indian
Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’ for the period
2018-2020, to combat cybercrime in the country, in a
coordinated and effective manner.
• The scheme has seven components.
• The Central Government has launched the Cybercrime
Reporting Portal to enable citizens to report online
content pertaining to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
'Happiness Utsav' begins in Delhi schools
• On 16 July 2019, the Delhi government launched the
'Happiness Utsav' across all 1,031 schools of the
directorate to celebrate the success of the ‘happiness
curriculum’.
• The first 50 minutes of each school day will be dedicated
to the festival with all students of the Delhi government
schools taking part in it.
• The festival will conclude on 31 July 2019.
Bihar: More than 52,000 placements done

• In Bihar, under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna
(PMKVY) more than 52,000 placements have been done
during last 3 years after the training of youths.
• Under the short term courses and training, 1.66 lakh
youths got registered out of which 1.37 lakh trained since
2016 in the state.
• Unemployed youths are getting their skills honed at
several institutions.
Union HRD Minister launched Paramarsh scheme
• The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr.
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched ‘Paramarsh’ – a
University Grants Commission (UGC) scheme on 18 July
2019.
• It will mentor National Accreditation and Assessment
Council (NAAC) Accreditation Aspirant Institutions.
• The scheme will target 1000 Higher Education Institutions
for mentoring with a specific focus on quality.
Internet Saathi to empower rural women
• Google India's 'Internet Saathi' programme is aimed
at empowering rural women on how to use the Internet.
• It has now added two more states -- Punjab and Odisha.
• With this, the programme has now reached 2.6 lakh
villages in 20 states.
• These women, in turn, impart training to other women in
their community and neighbouring villages.
• It was launched as a pilot project in 2015.
30 lakh people enrolled under PM-SYM scheme
• Total 30,85,205 persons have been enrolled under
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme, PM-SYM,
till 10 July 2019.
• The government had launched the PM-SYM a voluntary
and contributory pension scheme for the benefit of
unorganized workers in February 2019.
• The scheme assures the minimum monthly pension of
three thousand rupees to the beneficiaries after attaining
the age of 60 years.
Meghalaya: First state to have water policy
• The Meghalaya became the first state to approve a draft
water policy to address water issues, conservation, and
protection of water sources in the state.
• As per the policy, committees will be formed at the village
level and the issue of groundwater will also be catered
through this policy.
• It will also monitor the quality of the water to check if it
has a high content of iron or if acidic.
WB Govt decides to construct 8.3 Lakh houses
• The West Bengal Government will construct 8 lakh 30
thousand houses under Bangla Abas Yojana for the people
belonging to economically weaker sections.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Rural Development Department is implementing the
project as per the Socio-Economic Census of 2011.
• The centre is giving 60% of the fund while the State
Government is bearing the rest of the expenditure for
implementation of the project.
First train under Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the first
train under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra scheme from
the Safdarjung railway station on 12 July 2019.
• Under the scheme, fully funded by the Delhi government,
the train will ferry 1,000 senior citizens on the Delhi-
Amritsar-Wagah Border-Anandpur Sahib tour circuit.
• The scheme covers five routes of religious importance.
RPF launched “Operation Thirst”
• To curb the menace of unauthorized PDW (PACKAGED
DRINKING WATER) in Railway premises, an all India drive
named 'Operation Thirst' was launched.
• In the drive all the Zonal Principal Chief Security
Commissioners (PCSC) were asked to crackdown these
unauthorised activities.
• During the drive, 1371 persons were arrested for selling of
packaged drinking water of unauthorised brands.
Cabinet approves Transgender Persons Bill 2019
• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019.
• The Bill provides a mechanism for their social, economic
and educational empowerment.
• The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender
persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse
against this marginalized section and bring them into the
mainstream of society.
'Code on Occupational Safety' approved
• The Cabinet has approved for introduction of the Code on
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill,
2019 in the Parliament.
• The decision will enhance the coverage of the safety,
health and working conditions provisions manifold as
compared to the present scenario.
• The New Code has been drafted after amalgamation of the
relevant provisions of the 13 Central Labour acts.
'Banning of Unregulated Deposit Bill' passed
• The Cabinet has approved the banning of Unregulated
Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.
• It will replace the banning of Unregulated Deposit
Schemes Ordinance, 2019.
• The Bill will help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking
activities in the country.
• Illicit deposits, at present are exploiting regulatory gaps to
dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned
savings.

Odisha implemented Witness Protection Scheme
• The Odisha government implemented the Centre’s
Witness Protection Scheme 2018.
• By this Odisha became the first State to implement the
Scheme.
• On December 5 2018, Supreme Court has directed all
States and Union Territories to endorse the scheme.
• The Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 shall be the 'law'
under Article 141 and 142 of the Constitution, till the
enactment of suitable legislation.
One-time settlement scheme launched
• On 1 July 2019, the Uttarakhand government launched a
one-time settlement scheme for those who have taken a
loan of up to Rs 60 lakh from co-operative banks.
• The scheme has been launched to recover co-operative
banks' Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) worth Rs 391.50
crore which has piled up over the last 25 years.
• The 100-day scheme will last until 7 October 2019.
'Jan Choupal' programme inaugurated
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated
'Jan Choupal' program in Raipur on 3 July 2019.
• Under this new 'Jan Choupal' program, public meetings
will be held once every week.
• The people can discuss their issues in the 'Jan Choupal' and
get it resolved.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
AYUSH, MeitY signs MoU
• The Ministries of AYUSH and Electronics and Information
Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding in
New Delhi.
• It is to collaborate on the digitization of the AYUSH sector.
• The Electronics and Information Technology Ministry has
agreed to give technical support to the AYUSH Ministry for
planning and development of AYUSH GRID Project.
• Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha is the Secretary of AYUSH.
Centre constitutes chief ministers’ panel
• Centre has constituted a high powered committee of Chief
Ministers of several states for the transformation of Indian
Agriculture.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will be the convenor
of the committee.
• Union Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
Minister will also be a member of the committee.
• Besides, NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand has been
named the Member Secretary.
UGC approves new initiative STRIDE
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a
new initiative - Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for
India’s Developing Economy (STRIDE).
• It is to boost research culture in the country.
• STRIDE will provide support to research projects that are
socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important
and globally significant.
Campaign to eradicate AES launched in UP
• In UP, a large scale campaign to eradicate deadly Acute
Encephalitis Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis disease
was launched on 1 July 2019.
• Under this state-wide campaign teams will go door to door
in every village of the 75 districts of the state to create
awareness about the communicable diseases as well as JE
and AES.
• Districts sensitive for the vector-borne diseases have been
marked.
Jal Shakti Abhiyaan launched
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched across the country from 1
July 2019 to accelerate water harvesting and conservation
measures.
• The scheme is aimed at making water conservation and
promotion of irrigation efficiency through asset creation
and communication campaigns.
• Over 250 officers have been appointed as in-charge of
water-stressed districts in the country.
One Nation One Card scheme to be implemented
• The Government will implement One nation-one ration
card scheme in the whole country by 30th June 2020.

• This was announced by the Union Minister of Consumer
Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan.
• The Food & PD department will also be implementing a
new Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme for Fortification of
Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System.
Science & Technology
3rd orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan 2
• ISRO was successful in completing the third earthbound
orbit raising manoeuvres of Chandrayaan-2 satellite.
• The satellite is 3 steps closer to the moon.
• Chandrayaan-2 comprising of the orbiter, the lander
Vikram and rover Pragyan was launched by GSLV Mark III
launch vehicle from Sriharikota on July 22.
• The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre will take place on 2
August 2019.
IIT Hyderabad developed solar cells
• Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost,
environment-friendly solar cells by employing a dye used
to make kumkum or vermilion in India.
• The dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New
Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-
free counter electrodes.
• However, there were many drawbacks impeding the
organic photovoltaic technology as organics are less
robust.
ISRO will launch Aditya L-1 solar mission
• After the successful launch of Chandrayaan-2, the ISRO
now looks to launch its solar mission called the Aditya L-1
by 2020.
• The Aditya L-1 solar program will be studying the Sun’s
corona which is basically the outer layers.
• The mission will also try to understand and predict climate
change on Earth.
• The Aditya L-1 satellite will be inserted in a halo orbit
about 1.5 million km from Earth.
IIT Kharagpur develops app for elderly people
• In a move to help geriatric care, students of IIT Kharagpur
have built an app which will inform the caregiver when the
elderly person falls down with the exact location.
• ‘CARE4U’ the android-based app will connect the caregiver
to the elderly person.
• CARE4U can also detect emotions and whenever the
elderly opens the app, the phone takes his picture and a
mood index is calculated.
Earth-bound orbit of Chandrayaan-2 raised
• The earth-bound orbit of Chandrayaan-2 has further been
raised, in preparation of its journey to the South Pole of
the moon.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The orbit has been increased by 9354 kilometres at the
farthest point from the earth, as compared to its initial ion
during the launch.
• On 14th August 2019, it is planned to nudge the spacecraft
away from its earth-centric orbit to begin its trans-lunar
trajectory.
50th anniversary of Apollo 11
• The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing was
celebrated on 20 July 2019.
• On this day, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon.
• Their lunar module, named Eagle, touched down on 20th
July, 1969.
• Ex-fighter pilot Collins remained in lunar orbit, where he
was in touch with ground control.
Chandrayaan-2 launched at 2:43pm
• India’s expedition to the moon was launched on 22 July
2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 was launched by using the heavy-lift
launch vehicle GSLV-Mark-Three.
• The rocket carrying the prestigious probe will be ignited at
2.43 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• Originally Chandrayaan-2 was planned to be launched on
the 15th July 2019.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched on July 22
• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch the
Chandrayaan-2 on July 22, 2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 is India's second Moon mission and aims to
land a rover on the lunar surface.
• The mission was scheduled to be launched at 2:51 am on
July 15, 2019, but had to be called off after ISRO scientists
detected some glitches at the last moment.
U.S. celebrates 50 years of Apollo 11 mission
• U.S. celebrates the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year
anniversary.
• In the celebrations, new statues of Astronaut Neil
Armstrong were unveiled and an education centre was
dedicated to him in Ohio, US.
• Present Administrator of NASA - James Frederick
Bridenstine.
• Headquarters - Washington, D.C.
Chandrayaan-2 launch called off
• ISRO has called off the launch of India's second mission to
Moon - Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLV MkIII-M1 due to a
technical snag.
• The countdown for the launch scheduled was stopped 56
minutes and 24 seconds before lift-off following the
announcement from the Mission Control Centre.

• It was supposed to explore the lunar south pole, 11 years
after ISRO's successful 1st mission - Chandrayaan-1.
Japan lands spacecraft on distant asteroid
• Japanese scientists have successfully landed an unmanned
spacecraft, Hayabusa 2, on the distant asteroid Ryugu for
the second time as part of an ongoing mission to help
explore the origins of the solar system.
• The spacecraft first arrived at the asteroid in June 2018 to
carry out experiments.
• Hayabusa 2 will depart Ryugu in December 2019 and
return to Earth by the end of 2020.
Indian scientists develop 'black gold'
• Scientists at the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research (TIFR) developed a new material
called 'Black Gold'.
• Scientists used gold nanoparticles and by rearranging size
and gaps between them developed a new material.
• It has unique properties such as the capacity to absorb
light and carbon dioxide.
• It could also act as a catalyst and could convert carbon
dioxide into methane.
Mysterious Black Hole Disc discovered
• Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have
discovered a disc very close to a starving black hole.
• The unexpected thin disc of material was found encircling
a supermassive black hole at the heart of the spiral galaxy
NGC 3147, located 130 million light-years away.
• A black hole is a region of space time exhibiting
gravitational acceleration so strong that nothing can
escape from it.
World’s First Interactive Browser Launched
• Popshot, the world’s first ever interactive browser built for
smartphones, launches in India.
• Popshot is a smart app that changes the way people
explore, share, and save the web through a first-of-its-kind
interactive screenshot feature.
• This promises to redefine the users’ digital capabilities in
exploring, bookmarking and sharing content by making it
more visual, organized and direct.
Vertical steep dive version of Brahmos tested
• India has successfully tested the vertical steep dive version
of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile that changes the
dynamics of conventional war fare.
• The CEO of Bramhos Aerospace Dr. Sudhir Mishra said that
the 'Made in India' Brahmos Aerospace is also ready with a
longer 500 km range version of the Brahmos missile.
• It can be fired from Sukhoi 30 fighter jets.
NASA tests launch-abort system
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• NASA carried out a successful test of a 'launch-abort
system' for the Orion capsule designed to take U.S.
astronauts to the Moon.
• It aimed to test in almost real-life conditions the
evacuation of astronauts from the capsule in the event of
an explosion or rocket booster failure.
• In the test, an unmanned Orion capsule was launched by a
mini-rocket.
TESS discovered its smallest exoplanet
• TESS’ (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) most recent
discoveries include a 3-planet system that orbits a star
located 35 light-years from Earth.
• One of the planets, L 98-59b, is between the sizes of Earth
and Mars – effectively making it the smallest exoplanet
discovered by TESS to date.
• The discovery also highlights the sophistication of TESS
and doubles the number of small exoplanets.
Committee & Recommendation
Nepali, Santhali to be included in fellowships
• Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has announced to
include Nepali and Santhali languages in the Sub-Field of
Literature for award of Senior or Junior Fellowships to
Outstanding Artistes.
• The Ministry administers a scheme namely Award of
Senior or Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Artistes in the
Fields of Culture.
• The fellowships are awarded for undertaking research
oriented projects.
Pakistan opens historic Hindu temple in Punjab
• Pakistan has opened a 1,000 year old Hindu temple in
Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the
demand of the local Hindu community.
• The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city’s congested
Dhaarowal locality, some 100 km from Lahore, is more
than 1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of
Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Niaz.
• PM - Imran Khan.
• President - Arif Alvi.
Miscellaneous News
• India has signed a deal worth around Rs 1,500 crore to
acquire R-27 air-to-air missiles from Russia to be equipped
on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft. The R-27 missile is a
medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile for MiG and
Sukhoi series of fighter jets.
• Infosys launched its state-of-the-art Cyber Defence Center
in Bucharest, Romania. CEO and MD of Infosys - Salil
Parekh.
Computer that can predict India's pollution

• With the 'smog season' in just a few months away, US and
Chinese scientists have developed a novel computer
model that can help accurately predict air pollution levels
in the region a season in advance.
• The statistical model, described in the journal Science
Advances, uses certain climatic patterns related to the
ocean which have a regulatory effect on the air pollution
over northern India.
South Asia Air Quality Tech Camp in Kathmandu
• The U.S. Embassy in Nepal has organized a South Asia Air
Quality Tech Camp in Kathmandu.
• The aim of camp is to address political, social, and
scientific facets of the problem and engage governments,
empower the public and take action to improve air quality
in South Asia.
• Participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the camp.
President Kovind reaches Gambia
• President Ramnath Kovind has reached at the Banjul
Airport, Gambia on his second leg of his three Nations
visit.
• This is the first-ever state visit to the Gambia by an Indian
President.
• The National Assembly building complex in Banjul is one of
the prominent projects in west Africa built under the line
of credit extended by India.
• Gambian President - Adama Barrow.
Domestic banks can sell NPAs abroad
• The Reserve Bank of India allowed domestic banks to
directly sell their bad loans in manufacturing and
infrastructure sectors to investors abroad as part of one-
time settlement (OTS) exercises.
• The move will allow overseas investors to take direct loan
exposure to Indian corporates.
• It will also allow companies to raise cheap, long-term loans
easily now.
Appointments II
• The Reserve Bank of India said Economic Affairs Secretary
Atanu Chakraborty has been nominated on its central
board. Last week, former economic affairs secretary Garg
was shunted to the power ministry in a bureaucratic
reshuffle announced by the government.
• Tata Motors said its shareholders have approved
appointment of N Chandrasekaran as director on the
company's board.
Appointments II
• The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to appoint
YCP leader and Telugu comedian Ali as the new chairman
of AP Film Development Corporation (APFDC). Earlier, TDP
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
senior leader Ambika Krishna was heading the APFDC
chairman post.
• Senior BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri is all set to
become the new Speaker of the Karnataka state Assembly.
Parliament passed the Muslim Women Bill 2019
• Parliament passed the Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019.
• This act will free Muslim women from the practice of
Triple Talaq.
• This bill is a historic step to protect the dignity of Muslim
women and keep it intact.
• It will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of
Muslim women.
22nd Nat. Conference to be held at Shillong
• The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 will
be held on 8-9th August, 2019 at Shillong, Meghalaya.
• This is the first time the event is being organized in North-
Eastern region of the country.
• This Conference provides a platform to disseminate
knowledge on effective methods of designing.
• The theme of this Conference is 'Digital India: Success to
Excellence'.
Indian IT companies contributed 57.2 bn $
• Indian IT companies contributed 57.2 billion dollars to the
GDP of the US in 2017.
• India-based global IT services companies employ more
than 175,000 workers in the US accounting for 8.4 per cent
of employment in the computer systems design industry.
• The two-way investments between India and the US have
reached about 60 billion dollars.
RBI relaxed Ext Commercial Borrowing norms
• The RBI has liberalised the end-use stipulations for the
External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) both for
corporates as well as liquidity starved non-banking
lenders.
• The liberalisation will be applicable to ECBs taken for
working capital, general corporate purpose loans or
repayment of rupee loans.
• The RBI also issued a revised circular for bankers capturing
the changes.
Venugopal Rao announces retirement
• Former India batsman and Andhra Pradesh skipper
Venugopal Rao announced retirement from all forms of
the game.
• He made his debut against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on July
30, 2005.
• He played his last ODI against West Indies at Basseterre on
May 23, 2006.
Sports
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Indian Test opener Prithvi Shaw has been suspended by establishing authorities for timely and effective
the BCCI till November 15, 2019, for a doping violation. administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.
Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, • Lok Sabha also passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019 that
which can be commonly found in cough syrups. seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all
• B.Sai Praneeth has jumped four places to enter in the top employments where any industry, trade, business, or
20 players in the latest World Badminton Rankings. manufacture is carried out.
Praneeth is now World No.19 in Men's Singles badminton
Tarun Chaudhri: 1st pilot to skydive jump
ranking.
• Wing commander Tarun Chaudhri became the first pilot of
Atal Mission to launch new program
Indian Armed Forces (IAF ) to do a wingsuit jump.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will launch a new • The jump was accomplished by Chaudhri from a Mi-17
programme for Community Innovation in New Delhi on 31 helicopter from an altitude of 8500 feet.
July 2019. • This is the first flying wingsuit jump demonstration at an
• The new initiative aims to encourage the spirit of organised gathering.
innovation in the country. • The jump was undertaken during the Kargil Diwas
• The Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative set up by celebrations at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 21-22 July
the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and 2019.
entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the
3rd orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan 2
country.
• ISRO was successful in completing the third earthbound
Obituaries
orbit raising manoeuvres of Chandrayaan-2 satellite.
• Founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain V G Siddhartha who • The satellite is 3 steps closer to the moon.
went missing over the Netravati river bridge was found • Chandrayaan-2 comprising of the orbiter, the lander
dead on 31 July 2019. His body was fished out from the Vikram and rover Pragyan was launched by GSLV Mark III
backwaters of the river near Ullal. launch vehicle from Sriharikota on July 22.
• Former RBI Deputy Governor and renowned economist • The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre will take place on 2
Subir Gokarn passed away on 30 July 2019. He served as August 2019.
Deputy Governor of the RBI between 2009 & 2013, during
the tenure of Governor D Subbarao
New Finance Secretary of India: Rajiv Kumar
• Senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar will be the new Finance
Secretary of India.
• Kumar will succeed Subhash Chandra Garg as the Finance
Secretary.
• The Finance Secretary holds the top bureaucratic position
among the five department of the Finance Ministry -
economic affairs, revenue, expenditure, financial services
and department of investment and public asset
management.
Parliament passed Companies (Amendment) Bill
• Parliament has passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill,
2019, as the Rajya Sabha approved it.
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Companies Act, 2013.
• It aims to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility-CSR
compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National
Company Law Tribunal and recategorise certain offences
as civil offences.
Bills passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 that
aims at protecting the interests of consumers by

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

India offered US$ 100 mn to Benin • He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of
Patna High Court Amreshwar Pratap Shahi at the Raj
• India has emerged as the largest trading partner of Benin
Bhavan in Patna.
with 2-way trade crossing US$ 800 million.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil
• Fresh Line of Credit worth US$ 100 million for
Kumar Modi and several other leaders were present
developmental projects in Benin was also announced.
during the ceremony.
• President Ram Nath Kovind reached Cotonou, Benin on 28
July 2019 on the first leg of his state visits to three West India and Myanmar signed MoU
African nations – Benin, Gambia and Guinea.
• India and Myanmar signed a Memorandum of
Odisha Rasagola gets GI tag Understanding on defence co-operation.
• Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (MAH), Commander-in-
• The rasagola, a popular dessert of Odisha, has received the
Chief of Defence Services (CDS) of the Republic of Union of
geographical indication tag from the Registrar of
Myanmar, is currently on an official visit to India from 25th
Geographical Indication after years of controversy around
July-2nd August 2019.
the sweet.
• India has steadily increased defence co-operation with
• The registration was conferred to ‘Odisha Rasagola’ under
Myanmar in recent years.
Section 16(I) or of authorized Section 17(3)(c) of
Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and RBI slapped fine on Mobikwik and Hip Bar
Protection) Act 1999 on 29 July 2019.
• The RBI has imposed a fine of about Rs.26 lakh on 2 online
Sports payment solutions providers for non-compliance of
regulatory guidelines.
• Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice
• Mobikwik Systems Private Limited has been slapped a fine
Evra has announced his retirement. He had played 81
of 15 lakh rupees while Hip Bar Pvt Ltd faced a fine of
times for France and also captained the side at the 2010
10.85 lakh rupees.
World Cup in South Africa.
• Bipin Preet Singh is the CEO of Mobikwik, while Venkata
• American Collin Morikawa has won the US PGA title at the
Prashant Rao Adurty is the CEO of Hip Bar.
Barracuda Championship. This was his 1st win in the US
PGA title. US’s Troy Merritt finished as the runner up of Obituaries
the event.
• In Gujarat, senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Vithalbhai Radadiya passed away in July 2019. The six-time
MLA also served as a Minister in the Gujarat government.
• UN observes 30 July every year as World Day Against
• Telangana's senior Congress leader and former minister
Trafficking.
Mukesh Goud passed away in Hyderabad in July 2019. He
• In 2013, the General Assembly designated July 30 as the
was suffering from cancer.
World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise
awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking Helpline Jeene Do launched in J&K
and for the promotion and protection of their rights.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, District Administration Udhampur
• The tagline for 2019 is: Human Trafficking: call your
has launched a helpline, 'Jeene Do'.
government to action.
• The objective is to improve sex ratio and deal with
India signed MoUs with Benin defaulters of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques or PCPNDT Act under the Centrally sponsored
• India and Benin signed four MoUs on education, health
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
and e-visa facilities.
• A Mobile Number -9469793363 has been dedicated to the
• The agreement was signed on mutual exemption of visa
Public to register complaints regarding this.
requirement of diplomatic and official passports and on
the fresh line of credit of 100 million US $ by India to Person in News
finance development projects in Benin.
• Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar
• 2 more MoUs were signed on tele education program e-
announced his resignation after the House adopted the
vidyabharati and Tele medicine initiative e-Arogyabharati.
confidence motion moved by Chief Minister B S
Fagu Chauhan: New Bihar Governor Yediyurappa and passed the Appropriation Bill.
• Anandiben Patel took oath as the Governor of Uttar
• Fagu Chauhan, a six-time member of the Uttar Pradesh
Pradesh. The Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court,
Assembly, was sworn in as the 29th Governor of Bihar on
Govind Mathur, administered her the oath of Office and
29 July 2019.
Secrecy at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow.
ICC launched World Test Championship

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• ICC officially launched the inaugural World Test
Championship (WTC), which will get underway on 1 August
2019.
• To be played over two years, the World Test Championship
will witness the top 9 Test teams in the world compete in
71 Test matches across 27 series.
• The 2 top teams will then go head to head in the World
Test Championship final to be held in the United Kingdom
in 2021.
12,000 children killed and injured in conflict
• A UN report said that more than 12,000 children were
killed and injured in armed conflicts in 2018.
• Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria and Yemen topped the
casualty list.
• According to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual
report to the Security Council on Children and Armed
Conflict, deaths and injuries were among more than
24,000 grave violations against children verified by the UN.
IN LCU L56 ship commissioned into Indian Navy
• The sixth ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class,
IN LCU L56, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29
July 2019.
• Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Eastern Naval Command
commissioned the ship in Visakhapatnam.
• LCU L56 is an amphibious ship with its primary role being
transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks,
Armoured Vehicles, Troops and Equipment from ship to
shore.
India, Mozambique signed 2 MoUs
• India and Mozambique signed two MoU on sharing white
shipping information and co-operation in the field of
Hydrography.
• The agreement will further strengthen the ongoing Indo-
Mozambican Defence co-operation and India Mozambique
relations in general.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a 3-day visit to
Mozambique.
Report of green ratings released
• Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar released
the latest report of green ratings on fertilizer sector in
New Delhi on 29 July 2019.
• Centre for Science and Environment along with its Green
rating project, prepared the report based on 42
parameters.
• The government is working to boost environmental
protection incentives which are must to encourage people.
Appointments
• The Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), India’s first
and only self-regulatory industry body for the online
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
fantasy sports gaming sector, on July 29, appointed Justice
A K Sikri as its ombudsman and ethics officer.
• Bandhan Bank announced the appointment of Siddhartha
Sanyal as chief economist and head of research who will
spearhead the bank's research and business strategy.
Bill to ban unregulated deposit schemes passed
• Parliament passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit
Schemes Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it
unanimously.
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The bill seeks to provide for a comprehensive mechanism
to ban the unregulated deposit schemes other than
deposits taken in the ordinary course of businesses and to
protect the interest of depositors.
TN girl won gold medal in World Deaf title
• Tamil Nadu girl Jerlin Anika has won the gold medal in the
World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships held in
Taipei.
• Anika bagged four medals in the championship, including
the gold, two silver and one bronze.
• The President of Taiwan is Tsai Ing-wen and the Currency
of Taiwan is Taiwanese Dollar.
Egan Bernal claimed Tour de Title
• Egan Bernal became the first Colombian to win the Tour
de France when he retained the overall leader’s yellow
jersey after 21st and final stage won by Caleb Ewan of
Australia.
• He beat Geraint Thomas of Britain with Dutchman Steven
Kruijswijk coming home third.
• Slovakian Peter Sagan wrapped up a record seventh green
jersey for the points classification.
Sports I
• World number one Brooks Koepka celebrated a three-
stroke victory and claimed his maiden World Golf
Championship. He defeated Rory Mcllory.
• In the Freedom Cup, New Zealand’s All Blacks and the
South African Springboks shared the trophy after the two
teams ended with a 16-16 draw.
Sports II
• Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad set new 400 meter
hurdles record in 52.20 seconds, smashed previous mark
of 52.34 seconds. McLaughlin finished second in
52.88, with Spencer third in 53.11.
• The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held
in Guwahati in 2020. Games to be held from 18th January
next year, will see participation of more than 10,000
athletes and officials.
IIT Hyderabad developed solar cells

• Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost,
environment-friendly solar cells by employing a dye used
to make kumkum or vermilion in India.
• The dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New
Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-
free counter electrodes.
• However, there were many drawbacks impeding the
organic photovoltaic technology as organics are less
robust.
Yediyurappa won trust vote
• Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa sails through successfully
by winning the Trust Vote on BJP's own strength in the
Legislative Assembly on 29 July 2019.
• Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who took up the motion
moved by the Yediyurappa, declared that the motion was
passed by voice vote.
• Congress-JDS Coalition Government failed to sail through
Trust vote since more than 17 MLAs rebelled against.
Tiger estimation report released
• On International Tiger Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi
released the results of 4th cycle of the All India Tiger
Estimation.
• He also presented an award to Sathyamanglam Tiger
Reserve, for showing the highest increment in the four-
year Management Effective Evaluation.
• The report says India, with around 3,000 tigers, is one of
safest habitats for them in the world.
IAF got 1st batch of 4 Apache attack
• US aerospace major Boeing handed over the first four of
the 22 Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force on
27 July 2019.
• Additional four choppers will be delivered to the IAF next
week.
• The AH-64E Apache, also flown by the US army, is one of
the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters.
• This will be the Indian army's first fleet of attack choppers.
President Kovind to visit 3 African countries
• President Ram Nath Kovind left on a state visit to three
African countries Benin, The Gambia and Guinea on 28 July
2019.
• The 7-day visit will be the first high-level tour of any Indian
President to the three West African countries.
• Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State for
MSME/Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, and
Member of Parliament, Dilip Ghosh, accompanied the
President.
Awards and Honours
• DD News was awarded Champions of Empathy Award for
spreading awareness about hepatitis. Director General of
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
DD News, Mayank Agrawal received the Award from Lok
Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
• International sand artist, Padmashri Sudarsan Pattnaik
won People's Choice Prize at Boston International Sand Art
Championship in the US. He was among the 15 top sand
artists selected from across the world.
World Hepatitis Day: 28 July
• WHO observes 28 July every year as World Hepatitis Day
to step up national and international efforts on hepatitis.
• It is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch
Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and
developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus.
• The theme for 2019 is 'Invest in eliminating hepatitis'.
• Pakistan is the host country this year.
Nikoloz won German Tennis Championships
• Nikoloz Basilashvili emerged victorious after a three-set
battle with Andrey Rublev to successfully defend his title
at the German Tennis Championships.
• The reigning champion claimed his 12th straight win in
Hamburg 7-5 4-6 6-3.
• With the win, he has become first player to win the event
in successive years since Roger Federer in 2004-2005.
Himalayan Conclave held in Mussoorie
• In Uttarakhand, a Himalayan Conclave was held in
Mussoorie on 29 July 2019.
• The objective was to discuss various issues related to the
development of the Himalayan States.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the
conclave as the chief guest.
• The main agenda for the conclave was water conservation,
with focus on conserving rivers, glaciers, lakes and water
bodies.
Mary Kom, Simranjit won gold
• Mary Kom in 51kg category and Simranjit Kaur in 60kg
category grabbed a gold each in 23rd President's Cup
Boxing Tournament in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.
• Mary decimated Australian April Franks 5-0 in finals.
• Simranjit Kaur defeated Indonesia's Hasanah Huswatun 5-
0 in the finals.
• Indian boxers finished their campaign in the tournament
with 9 medals. The rich haul comprised 7 gold and 2 silver.
Max clinched German Grand Prix
• Red Bull's driver Max Verstappen clinched the rain-hit
German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on 28 July 2019.
• Verstappen now has the second title of the Formula One
season.
• Four-time former champion Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel
claimed the second spot after starting from the rear of the
grind.

• Russian Daniil Kvyat achieved the third spot for Toro
Rosso.
Chandigarh received affiliation from BCCI
• Chandigarh has finally received affiliation from the BCCI,
thus providing an opportunity for the city cricketers to play
in BCCI tournament.
• Chandigarh cricketers, who were earlier forced to
represent Punjab or Haryana, can now directly represent
the city.
• The city can also now have their own team in the Ranji
Trophy.
• Delhi is the only other Union Territory with BCCI affiliation.
India-Nepal Logistics Summit inaugurated
• Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli inaugurated
the India-Nepal Logistics Summit in Kathmandu on 28 July
2019.
• The theme of the summit was Transforming Logistics
Landscape.
• Nepal and India have a significant volume of trade,
investment, tourism and people-to-people movement for
which smooth and quality logistics including easy transit
facilities is very essential.
Rajnath Singh on a 3-day visit to Mozambique
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Maputo on a 3-
day visit to Mozambique.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• He will hold talks with President, Defence Minister,
Foreign Minister and Interior Minister of Mozambique
during his visit.
• India and Mozambique will sign bilateral agreements to
boost military cooperation.
• During his visit, India will also hand over two fast
interceptor boats and 44 SUVs to Mozambique.
People in news
• IPS officer VK Johri has been appointed as the next
Director General of Border Security Force. He is presently
serving as the Special Secretary in RAW, under the Cabinet
Secretariat.
• Vidisha Baliyan, from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, was
crowned Miss Deaf World 2019. The pageant was held in
Mbombela, South Africa. Vidisha became the first Indian
to bag the title.
Obituaries
• Former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy passed away in
Hyderabad in July 2019.
• Meghalaya Assembly Speaker and former Chief Minister
Donkupar Roy passed away in July 2019.
• Tulu playwright and former chairman of Karnataka Tulu
Sahitya Academy M.K. Seetharama Kulal passed away in
July 2019.
• Veteran actor Russi Taylor, who voiced Disney's Minnie
Mouse for more than 30 years passed away.
Global Tiger Day: 29 July
• Global Tiger Day is celebrated across the world on 29 July.
• This day is observed every year to create awareness about
tiger conservation and protection of natural habitat of
tigers.
• Due to concerted efforts under Project Tiger, at present
India has the distinction of having the maximum number
of tigers in the world.
• From 1706 in 2010, tiger population has increased to 2226
in 2014.
GIIS to launch India's first smart school
• The Singapore-headquartered Global Indian International
School (GIIS) will launch India's first SMART campus in
Pune.
• The SMART Campus has features to enhance learning
outcomes for the students with the use of SMART Campus
pedagogy and to prepare the students for the future.
• Also, for the first time in India, GIIS will introduce Sports
Analytics at the school level.
NPCI ties up with JCB for global RuPay card
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB
International, along with domestic banks, have launched
RuPay JCB Global Cards.

• The cards will be accepted in India at all POS terminals and
ATMs that accept JCB cards.
• NPCI had earlier tied up with Discover for international
cards.
All lanes at toll plazas to be ‘FASTag lanes’
• To ensure seamless traffic and prevent congestion at toll
plazas, the government decided to declare all lanes at toll
fee plaza on national highways as ‘FASTag lanes’ from 1
December 2019.
• Among all lanes, one ‘hybrid lane’ will be allowed at every
toll plaza to facilitate and monitor over-dimensional or
oversized vehicles, where FASTag and other modes of
payment will be accepted.
Government ban on colistin for use in poultry
• The Centre has issued an order banning the last line
antibiotic, colistin, for use in animals.
• Colistin is an antibiotic meant for therapeutic purposes in
veterinary but this drug is highly misused in the poultry
industry as a growth promoter for prophylactic purpose.
• One of the reasons for anti-microbial resistance in India is
due to unwanted use of the drug in poultry industry.
ISRO will launch Aditya L-1 solar mission
• After the successful launch of Chandrayaan-2, the ISRO
now looks to launch its solar mission called the Aditya L-1
by 2020.
• The Aditya L-1 solar program will be studying the Sun’s
corona which is basically the outer layers.
• The mission will also try to understand and predict climate
change on Earth.
• The Aditya L-1 satellite will be inserted in a halo orbit
about 1.5 million km from Earth.
Wipro launches digital product compliance lab
• On 24 July 2019, IT major Wipro announced the launch of
its global Digital Product Compliance lab in Hyderabad.
• The lab will offer integrated digital product testing services
to ensure compliance with international standards for
reliability, safety and security for customers across
industries.
• The new lab is equipped with environment chambers
designed to test products.
RBI launches banking framework 'Utkarsh 2022'
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launched Utkarsh 2022, the
central banks' medium-term strategy framework on 23
July 2019.
• The framework has been launched to achieve excellence in
the performance of RBI's mandates and strengthening the
trust of citizens and other institutions.
• The strategic framework contains, the RBI's mission, core
purpose, values and vision statements.
Kochi hosts global meet on shark trade
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• A four-day global expert meeting on shark trade was
organised in Kochi on 24 July 2019.
• The aim of the meeting was to address deep knowledge
gaps and support the management of existing shark and
ray fishery across the globe.
• The event was jointly organised by the Food and
Agriculture Organisation and the Central Marine Fisheries
Research Institute (CMFRI).
Appointments
• IFS officer Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed the
Private Secretary (PS) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Bandhan Bank has appointed State Bank of India's Sanjeev
Naryani as its head of the business.
• Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Manoj Mukund
Naravane has been appointed the next vice-chief of Indian
Army.
Gujarat tops in solar rooftop installations
• In the area of solar rooftop installations, Gujarat has stood
first in the country with total 261.97 megawatts (MW) of
installed rooftop solar capacity as on 23 July 2019.
• As per the Central government data, total rooftop solar
installations in India is 1700.54 MW.
• Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have solar rooftop
installations at 198.52 MW and 151.62 MW respectively.
Vande Bharat completes trial run
• India's fastest train Vande Bharat Express's trial run from
New Delhi to Katra was successfully conducted by the
Indian Railways' Northern Railway zone.
• Vande Bharat's second trial run was successfully
completed in Kanpur Central Railway station earlier in July
2019.
• Vande Bharat express, also dubbed as 'Train 18', can run
up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
Centre proposes light urban rail 'Metrolite'
• The Centre has proposed light urban rail transit system -
'Metrolite' - in small cities and towns having a lower
projection of ridership, with each train having three
coaches and a restricted speed of 25 kmph.
• 'Metrolite' system which will be developed on the surface
and elevated stretches.
• Metrolite platforms will not have AFC gates, platform
screen doors, X-ray and baggage scanner.
IIT Kharagpur develops app for elderly people
• In a move to help geriatric care, students of IIT Kharagpur
have built an app which will inform the caregiver when the
elderly person falls down with the exact location.
• ‘CARE4U’ the android-based app will connect the caregiver
to the elderly person.

• CARE4U can also detect emotions and whenever the
elderly opens the app, the phone takes his picture and a
mood index is calculated.
China’s Tiangong 2 was Destroyed by China
• On 19 July 2019, China’s Tiangong-2 space laboratory
successfully entered Earth’s atmosphere under controlled
conditions and burned up above the South Pacific Ocean.
• Tiangong-2 was launched into orbit on 15 September
2016.
• In total, the station spent over 1,000 days in orbit,
exceeding its proposed 2-year lifespan considerably, and
orbited Earth 16,209 times.
Agreement signed b/w India and Aireon
• The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a contract
to use the Aireon space-based surveillance system to track
aircraft in the oceanic airspace regions off Mumbai,
Chennai and Kolkata.
• The agreement immediately provides AAI surveillance
coverage of regions in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and
the Indian Ocean, representing 6 million sq km.
• Aireon is based in Virginia in the USA.
Dr Samir Rawat invited to Psychology congress
• Lieutenant Colonel Dr Samir Rawat invited as an eminent
keynote speaker at the 32nd International Congress of
Psychology 2020 (ICP) in Prague.
• ICP is the most prestigious and biggest international event
in the psychological world.
• Dr Samir Rawat is a combat veteran and an ardent
contributor in military psychology space and travels all
over the military world.
UP becomes No. 1 in implementation of PSBY
• Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation
of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PSBY) in the
country.
• 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under
the scheme till 31 march 2019.
• Under PSBY, people between the age group of 18 to 70 get
an accidental insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh at a
premium of 12 rupees annually.
ICMR launches forum to improve data collection
• The Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) National
Institute for Medical Statistics, in partnership with
Population Council, launched the National Data Quality
Forum (NDQF) on 24 July 2019.
• NDQF will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-
based initiatives.
• Its activities will help establish protocols and good
practices of data collection and storage.
Committee formed for issues related to FDI
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• A committee has been constituted under the Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to
examine issues related to FDI in the e-commerce sector.
• The committee will be headed by an additional secretary-
level officer from the DPIIT.
• According to the current policy, 100% FDI is allowed in the
marketplace format of e-commerce retailing.
PMLVMD Yojana notified by Labour Ministry
• Santosh Kumar Gangwar-led labour ministry has notified
the pension scheme for retailers and traders benefitting
over three crore self-employed workers in the country on
22 July 2019.
• The scheme, which is an extension of the PM Shram Yogi
Maan-Dhan Yojana, will make all beneficiaries eligible for a
monthly pension of Rs 3000 after the age of 60 at a
minuscule monthly contribution.
Underwater museum of military vehicle unveiled
• Jordan has unveiled its first underwater military museum
off the coast of Aqaba.
• The vehicles, including tanks, troop carriers and a
helicopter, imitating a battle formation, have been
stationed at a coral reef in the Red Sea.
• Aqaba is the lone port city of Jordan and is a popular
destination for divers.
BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting
• India along with other BRICS nations called on all states to
prevent the financing of terrorist networks and terrorist
actions from their territories during the meeting of the
BRICS Foreign Ministers in Brazil on 27 July 2019.
• India was represented by Minister of State for Road
Transport and Highways VK Singh.
• BRICS consists of five nations Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa.
Iran test fires ballistic missile
• Iran has test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile
inside its borders.
• The missile, a Shahab-3, is a liquid-fuelled, medium-range
ballistic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.
• It is derived from a North Korean missile called the
Nodong-A and can fly up to 2000 kilometres.
Nikhat and Deepak won silver medal in boxing
• In Boxing, former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen in
51 kg and Asian silver-winner Deepak Singh in 49 kg
category won silver medals in the Thailand Open
International Tournament in Bangkok on 27 July 2019.
• Deepak Singh lost to Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon of
Uzbekistan and Nikhat bowed out to Chang Yuan of China.
GST rates reduced on Electrical Vehicles

• The GST Council has decided to reduce GST Rate on
Electrical Vehicles from 12% to 5%.
• The new rates will come into effect from the 1 August
2019.
• The Council also approved an exemption from GST on the
hiring of Electric Buses by local authorities.
• It also decided to reduce the rate on Electric Vehicle
Chargers from 18% to 5%.
Tree Plantation Programme launched Arunachal
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on 25 July
2019 launched the State-wide tree plantation programme
– ‘Clean-Green Arunachal Campaign 2019’ – by kickstarting
the campaign by planting 1 lakh tree saplings within the
next 24 hours.
• The campaign is being held as part of Van Mahotsav
celebration has also set the target of planting 1 crore tree
within the next five years.
Meryl Streep to receive Award at TIFF 2019
• Veteran star Meryl Streep will be honoured Tribute Actor
award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
• She will be the first-ever recipient of the award.
• Her next film 'The Laundromat', about the Panama Papers
scandal, is among the films that will be screened at the
film festival.
IBBI amends norms for liquidation process
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has
amended norms pertaining to insolvency resolution
process for corporate persons and liquidation process.
• The amendments specify the process for withdrawal of
applications before the constitution of Committee of
Creditors (CoC) and other scenarios.
• CoC has to approve a plan providing for contribution for
meeting the liquidation costs
Delhi Cabinet nod for 22 commercial courts
• The Delhi Cabinet approved proposals for establishing 22
new commercial courts and 18 permanent fast-track
courts in the national capital.
• The commercial courts will enable quicker disposal of
disputes and improve the city's ease-of-doing-business
rank.
• Nearly 89,000 civil cases are pending with 59 subordinate
courts in the city.
Nagaland government sets up committee
• The Nagaland government has set up a four-member
committee to compile the customary practices and usages
of all the tribes of the state.
• The committee will be headed by the Chief secretary.
• The other members of the committee are Home
commissioner, secretary of Justice and Law departments.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The commissioner of the Art and Culture department will
be the member secretary.
7th Economic Census to be launched in Tripura
• The fieldwork of the 7th Economic Census will be launched
in Tripura on 29 July 2019.
• The fieldwork in other State/ UTs will be launched in
August/ September 2019.
• The enumerators and supervisors engaged by CSC have
been trained to collect data on a mobile application
developed for data capture, validation, report generation
and dissemination.
High-level committee formed for Olympics
• A high-level 10-member Committee has been constituted
under the Chairmanship of Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to
coordinate and strategise the preparation for the 2020 and
2024 Olympics.
• The objective of the committee is to ensure that the
performance of the Indian athletes is optimised in the
Olympics and other multidisciplinary events.
Government approves national permit scheme
• The government of India has approved the national permit
scheme for inter-state travel for bus operators.
• The move is likely to increase the state revenue by 3-4% as
the money will be directly credited to the states in a
proportionate manner.
• The government will also provide the online facility of
obtaining a permit for the electric vehicles including buses,
car taxis, autos and bike taxis.
B.S Yediyurappa sworn in as CM of Karnataka
• B S Yediyurappa was sworn in as Chief Minister of
Karnataka on 26 July 2019.
• Yediyurappa has the record of taking the oath of office as
Chief Minister for the fourth time.
• He served as Chief Minister of Karnataka from 2008 to
2011.
Lok Sabha passes Companies (Amendment) Bill
• The Lok Sabha passed The Companies (Amendment) Bill
2019 which seeks to amend the Companies Act 2013.
• It aims to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility
compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National
Company Law Tribunal and categorise certain offences as
civil offences.
• Under the Bill, any unspent annual CSR funds must be
transferred to the funds under Schedule 7 of the Act.
New vine snake species discovered
• Researchers from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
have discovered a new vine snake species in the southern
Western Ghats.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• The species 'Proahaetulla antiqua' is believed to have • Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir
evolved around 26 million years ago. Ranjan Chowdhury, was appointed as the chairman of the
• The vine snake species are not only a new species but also Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
belong to a new genus. • Chowdhury is the lone member of the party in the PAC
from the House.
Scaly foot snail declared endangered
• The appointment was made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om
• Researchers of Queen’s University Belfast found that the Birla.
scaly-foot snail is the first species to be declared • The PAC has 15 members from the Lok Sabha and seven
endangered as a result of deep-sea mining. from Rajya Sabha.
• The IUCN has also added the scaly-foot snail to its global
Red List, the international inventory of at-risk species.
• Scaly foot snail was first discovered in 2003. It live at
depths of up to 9,500 feet in the sea.
Appointments
• Sunil Kumar has been given additional charge of chairman
and managing director of the Mahanagar Telephone
Nigam Limited. Kumar is currently Director at MTNL and
takes over from PK Purwar who was recently appointed
chairman and managing Director of BSNL.
• RP Upadhyaya took charge as the new DGP of Arunachal
Pradesh. He succeeded SBK Singh, who has been
transferred to Mizoram.
NGT approves to build mega reservoir in Delhi
• The National Green Tribunal has approved an ambitious
plan of the Delhi government to tap the Yamuna rainwater
by building a 1,000 acre mega reservoir on 25 July.
• The project aims to conserve water in the floodplain
between Palla on the Delhi-Haryana border and
Wazirabad.
• The government's move is to deal with the water shortage
in the capital, particularly during summers.
India creates records in nuclear power sector
• India made huge achievements in the nuclear power
sector during the last 3 years.
• It includes setting of World Record in the continuous
operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Dubai World Expo 2020
Station among nuclear power plants of all technologies. • Dubai World Expo 2020 will take place for six months
• Completion of 50 years of safe operation of Units 1&2 of beginning 20th October 2020 up to 10th April 2021.
Tarapur Power Station, which are currently the oldest • The theme of the Expo is 'Connecting Minds, Creating the
reactors in operation in the world. Future' with 3 sub themes – Opportunity, Mobility and
INS Tarkash arrived in Russia Sustainability.
• At expo, the Indian Pavilion will showcase the 150th birth
• Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrived at St. Petersburg, Russia anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
on 25 July 2019 to participate in the Russian Navy Day • Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways -
Parade. Piyush Goyal.
• INS Tarkash will form part of the mobile column for the
review by the President of the Russian Federation. Dashboard of DDP launched
• During its stay in harbour, the ship will be berthed at Lt • Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched a Dashboard
Schmidt Embankment and remain open for visitors on 26 of Department Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of
and 27 July 2019. Defence, to help in effective monitoring of various
Adhir Ranjan: Chairman of PAC initiatives and schemes of the department.

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• Through this initiative, the Ministry will be able to keep
track of the major components of Defence Production,
including defence exports, defence offsets, and
MissionRaksha Gyan Shakti.
IIM Calcutta inked MoU with foreign univ.
• IIM Calcutta has signed MoU, each, with Carleton
University, Canada and Montpellier Business School,
France for fostering advancement in teaching, research,
cultural understanding.
• The MoUs have been signed under the banner of IIM's
Student Exchange Program.
• It is aimed at providing IIM Calcutta students an
opportunity to have learning experience from
international environment.
VP Venkaiah Naidu released book
• Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released titled 'New-Age
Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0' book written by
Rajya Sabha Member, Narendra Jadhav on 25 July 2019.
• This book examines and elaborates on various dimensions
of the so-called Industrial Revolution 4.0.
• Narendra Jadhav is an Indian economist, educationist,
public policy expert, professor and writer in English,
Marathi and Hindi.
Cars24 got NBFC licence from RBI
• Cars24 has received a non-banking finance company
(NBFC) licence from the RBI.
• It is set to carve out the lending business as a separate
entity within the Cars24 group.
• The company plans to foray into both consumer lending
and business lending, to eventually expand its scope of
operations and help it cater to a larger clientele.
Increase of loan limits to MSME sector
• A Committee was constituted by Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), headed by former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha.
• It has recommended that the limit for collateral free
lending should be increased to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and
Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• The Committee has also recommended revision of loan
limit sanctioned under MUDRA to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10
lakh.
PMAY approved construction of 1.4 lakh houses
• The Centre approved construction of nearly 1.4 lakh more
houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),
taking the number of houses to be built under the scheme
to over 85 lakh.
• A total of 492 projects will cost ₹6,642 crore.
• PMAY is an initiative in which affordable housing will be
provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20
million affordable houses by 31 March 2022.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
GDP growth to be at 6.8% in FY20
• DBS estimates that the Indian economy will not be able to
achieve the official forecast of 7% growth in FY20.
• Singaporean lender DBS estimates FY20 growth to stay at
6.8%, the same as FY19.
• The report expects the focus on fiscal consolidation and
low inflation will help the monetary policy to be more
growth-oriented.
• DBS Headquarters: Singapore.
• CEO: Piyush Gupta.
NTPC, BHEL inked pact
• NTPC Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
have signed a MoU for forming a Joint Venture company.
• An 800 MW Technology Demonstration Plant (TDP) will be
set up at NTPC’s existing power plant in Sipat,
Chhattisgarh.
• The demonstration plant shall be based on the Advanced
Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology.
• It will reduce carbon-di-oxide emission by about 20%.
Home Minister Amit Shah to head a panel
• Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a panel of four cabinet
ministers to examine ways to prevent workplace sexual
harassment.
• The new panel includes Women and Child Development
Minister Smriti Irani and Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman.
• The #MeToo movement triggered a public outcry in the
country, with former junior Foreign Minister M J Akbar
being accused of sexual misconduct.
Int-State River Water Disputes Bill introduced
• A Bill to help adjudicate disputes relating to waters of
inter-State rivers and river valleys at a faster pace was
introduced in Lok Sabha.
• The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill,
2019 seeks to amend the Inter State River Water Disputes
Act, 1956 to streamline the adjudication of inter-State
river water disputes.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister of India is Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat.
Byju's as Team India's official sponsor: BCCI
• The BCCI announced that Byju's has replaced Oppo India
as the official Team India sponsor.
• The deal period will begin from 5 September, 2019 until 31
March, 2022.
• Byju's logo will be seen on the Indian team jersey
September 2019 onwards when the home series against
South Africa begins.
• Byju Raveendran is the founder and chief executive of
Byju's.
Appointments
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and former Parliament passed RTI Bill 2019
Director-General (DG) of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police
• Parliament has passed the Right to Information
(ITBP) Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda is the new Chairman of the
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving
Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).
it amid opposition walkout.
• Pro Kabaddi League outfit UP Yoddha have announced
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
former cricketer and Member of Parliament, Gautam
• The Bill seeks to empower the Centre to make rules to
Gambhir as their official brand ambassador.
decide the tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of
India, Saudi Arabia held discussions service of Information Commissioners of the Central
Information Commission and State Information
• Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra
Commissions.
Pradhan held discussions with Minister of Energy, Industry
and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Falih to Noida to get 100 charging stations
further enhance bilateral hydrocarbon cooperation.
• 100 charging stations for electric vehicles are in the offing
• Minister Al-Falih emphasized the need for capitalizing on
for Noida, where the authority is planning a tie-up with a
the growing momentum in bilateral hydrocarbon
government-backed agency for setting up infrastructure
cooperation.
for mobility based on clean energy.
• Saudi riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia.
• A MoU is expected to be signed between Noida Authority
Obituaries and EESL, a joint venture of public sector undertakings
under the Union Ministry of Power.
• Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, the North African
country's first democratically elected leader, passed away IIT Kanpur partnered with Ericsson
in July 2019. The veteran politician, the oldest head of
• IIT Kanpur and Ericsson will together deploy an NB-IoT
state after Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, came to power in
(narrowband internet of things) based sensor network to
2014,
monitor air pollution in Delhi.
• Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor best known for his role as
• NB-IoT is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) radio
android Roy Batty in film Blade Runner, died in July 2019.
technology standard developed by 3GPP to enable a wide
Triple Talaq Bill passed in Lok Sabha range of cellular devices and services.
• Ericsson will use locally-developed air quality sensors
• The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of
capable of sharing environmental data.
Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 commonly known as Triple
Talaq bill by voice vote. India to launch 1st-ever space war exercise
• It was important to bring in a law banning instant triple
• The Indian armed forces are all set to conduct the
talaq as the practice has continued despite a Supreme
country’s first-ever simulated space warfare exercise
Court verdict passed in 2017.
“IndSpaceEx”.
• The Bill is banned in many countries.
• This excercise will lead to an assessment of the imminent
Earth-bound orbit of Chandrayaan-2 raised threats in the expanse beyond earth and the drafting of a
joint space doctrine for futuristic battles.
• The earth-bound orbit of Chandrayaan-2 has further been
• Ministry of Defence will organize exercise with all three
raised, in preparation of its journey to the South Pole of
forces together.
the moon.
• The orbit has been increased by 9354 kilometres at the Nishagandhi Sangeetha Awards conferred
farthest point from the earth, as compared to its initial ion
• Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran presented
during the launch.
the inaugural Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram to
• On 14th August 2019, it is planned to nudge the spacecraft
musicians Parassala B. Ponnammal and T V.
away from its earth-centric orbit to begin its trans-lunar
Gopalakrishnan at the valedictory function of the five-day
trajectory.
music festival Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas at Nishagandhi
20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas Auditorium on 24 July 2019.
• Instituted by Kerala Tourism, the award carries ₹1.5 lakh in
• The 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated
cash, citation and memento.
on 26 July 2019.
• The day is named after the successful Operation Vijay in India's 1st dragon blood-oozing tree
1999, when India regained the control of the high outposts
• Assam has found a plant that yields dragon’s blood, a
which had been stealthily taken over by Pakistan.
bright red resin used since ancient times as medicine, body
• The celebrations of 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas oil, varnish, and dye.
began in Delhi on 14 July 2019.

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• A trio of researchers led by Assam forest officer Jatindra
Sarma has discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon
tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi
Anglong.
• This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has
been reported from India.
6 firms honoured with CSR awards
• 3rd Edition of the CSR Journal Excellence Awards
honoured 6 firms for the best practices in Corporate Social
Responsibility.
• The theme of the event was ‘India First’.
• The 6 firms- Tata Power, ReNew Power, Hindustan Zinc,
Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., YES Bank Ltd. and Mahindra &
Mahindra emerged as the winners of the awards.
Penalty on Airtel, Vodafone approved by DCC
• The Digital Communications Commission approved
imposing cumulative penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on Bharti
Airtel and Vodafone Idea for not providing points of
interconnection to Reliance Jio.
• The penalty on Airtel and Vodafone works out to be about
Rs 1,050 crore each.
• In case of Idea, it comes to about Rs 950 crore.
Shiva Thapa won gold in Kazakhstan Cup
• 4-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa became India’s first
gold-medallist at the President’s Cup boxing tournament in
Astana, Kazakhstan.
• Signing off with a silver medal was woman boxer Parveen
(60kg) who lost her final bout to local hope Rimma
Volosenko.
• Thapa had lost to Safiullin in the Asian Championship
semifinal earlier in 2019.
Kanungo to run monetary policy portfolio
• With the exit of Viral Acharya, the RBI rejigged portfolios
of the other three deputy governors giving the important
monetary policy and forecasting department to B P
Kanungo.
• Now, all the other 3 deputy governors -- N S
Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and M K Jain have been made
responsible for 12 departments each.
• Viral Acharya resigned in June 2019 as the deputy
Governor of RBI.
HAL delivered Chetak to Indian Navy
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a
Chetak helicopter ahead of schedule to the Indian Navy.
• HAL had entered into a contract with the Indian Navy in
August 2017 for the supply of eight Chetak helicopters.
• Two helicopters were scheduled to be delivered in August
2019 while the remaining were to be delivered in August
2020.
Indian ranked 52nd in Global Innovation Index
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways,
Piyush Goyal, launched the Global Innovation Index (GII)
2019 in New Delhi on 24 July 2019.
• India jumped five places to improve its position from 57th
last year to 52nd in 2019.
• Switzerland remains number one is the GII index followed
by Sweden, the United States of America, the Netherlands,
and the United Kingdom as top 5.
Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Amendment Bill, 2019 on 24 July 2019.
• The object of the proposed amendments is to facilitate
speedy investigation and prosecution of terror offences
and designating an individual as terrorist in line with the
international practices.
• The original law was enacted in 1967.
15th Commission on 3-day visit to Chhattisgarh
• The 15th Finance Commission, headed by Chairman NK
Singh met representatives of the Panchayati Raj
Institutions, Urban Local Bodies and the Political Parties of
Chhattisgarh in Raipur on 24 July 2019.
• The Finance Commission is on a 3-day visit to Chhattisgarh
from 23-25 July 2019.
• It will have a detailed discussion with Chief Minister
Bhupesh Baghel along with his cabinet colleagues.
Appointments 1
• Biswa Bhusan Harichandan took charge as new Governor
of Andhra Pradesh in Rajbhavan in Vijayawada, Andhra
Pradesh. His oath was administered by the AP High Court
Acting Chief Justice Justice C. Praveen Kumar.
• Lalji Tandon will take oath as Madhya Pradesh Governor at
a function at Raj Bhawan in Bhopal on July 29, 2019. He is
the Governor of Bihar at present.
Priti Patel: Britain's Home Secretary
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian
origin Priti Patel as the country Home Secretary.
• The Prime Minister named former Home Secretary Sajid
Javid to take over from Philip Hammond as the Finance
Secretary or Chancellor.
• Brexit hardliner Dominic Raab was named as the country's
Foreign Secretary.
Facebook slapped with 5 bn US dollar fine
• US regulators formalized a record 5 billion US Dollar fine
on Facebook for violation of users' privacy in the
Cambridge Analytica data scandal involving 87 million
users.
• The penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company
for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest
penalties ever assessed by the US government for any
violation.

ADB sanctioned Rs. 1925 cr for projects
• Asian Development Bank has sanctioned Rs.1,925 crore
project for upgradation of power generation and
distribution in Tripura.
• The project has been sanctioned for upgrading capacity of
63 MW Rokhia Project to 120 MW and modernising Gumti
Hydro Electric Project.
• Rokhia project is located at West Tripura district whereas
Gumti project is in Gomati district.
Rajya Sabha passed POCSO Amendment Bill
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by Rajya Sabha.
• The bill seeks to enhance punishment, including a
provision for death penalty, for committing sexual crimes
against children.
• The government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts for
speedy dispensation of pending cases under POCSO and
sexual assault.
National Affairs
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has
approved the creation of buffer stock of 40 lakh Metric
Tonnes of sugar for one year from the 1 August 2019.
• The Cabinet has approved the merger of National Institute
of Miners' Health with ICMR - National Institute of
Occupational Health. This will help both the institutes in
terms of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational
health.
Amendments to Aadhaar Bill approved
• Union Cabinet has approved Official Amendments to the
Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.
• The government has decided to make Aadhaar as
identification document so that people can avail the
benefit of state subsidies directly in their bank account
and to eliminate middlemen.
• There are around 128 crore Aadhaar cardholders in the
country.
PM Modi released book on Chandra Shekhar
• PM Modi released book on Chandra Shekhar.
• The book titled 'Chandra Shekhar- The Last Icon of
Ideological Politics’ is written by Deputy Chairman in the
Rajya Sabha, Harivansh and Ravi Dutt Bajpai.
• PM informed that a museum is being built at the Teen
Murti Bhavan complex in New Delhi on Prime Ministers of
India.
Appointments 2
• Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed as Officer on
Special Duty in the Ministry of Home Affairs with
immediate effect.
• Subhash Chandra Garg will now be the Power Secretary.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Atanu Chakraborty, has been appointed as Secretary in
Department of Economic Affairs.
• Anshu Prakash will now be the Secretary in Department of
Telecommunications in the Ministry of Communications.
Paypal opened new centre in Hyderabad
• American digital payments firm PayPal announced
expansion of its India footprint with the launch of
3rd global technology centre.
• The Hyderabad facility would house around 100 engineers
across roles, including risk management and operations, to
provide cutting-edge digital payments solutions to
customers around the world.
• PayPal's other centres are in Chennai and Bengaluru.
RIL became top ranked Indian company
• Reliance Industries (RIL) has become the top-ranked Indian
company to feature in the latest Fortune Global 500 list.
• The oil-to-retail major has toppled state-run Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) as the top-ranked Indian company.
• RIL has attained a rank of 106 in the latest list, recording
an improvement of 42 positions.
• IOC improved its position to 117th rank, registering a jump
of 20 spots.
AIIB withdrew from Amaravati Project
• After the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) has withdrawn funding for the Amaravati
capital city project in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• The AIIB was to finance the upcoming city by providing
$200 million, while the World Bank was to fund the
Amaravati project with $300 million.
• The World Bank and AIIB were to pump in $500 million,
while the Andhra govt the rest.
Ehsan Mani: Chief of ICC Committee
• Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman Ehsan Mani has been
appointed as the head of the ICC’s influential Finance and
Commercial Affairs committee.
• The F&CA assists the ICC in discharging its responsibilities
in relation to all financial and commercial matters.
• Another PCB official, Salman Naseer, who is its general
counsel and barrister, has been included on the ICC's
Safeguarding panel.
Appointments
• The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has appointed
the Canadian Dejan Papic as the head coach of the Indian
table tennis team. He has signed a one-year contract and
will be the in charge through the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• The U.S. Senate confirmed former soldier Mark Esper as
Secretary of Defense, filling America’s longest-ever
Pentagon leadership vacuum.
Acharya Devvrat: New Gujarat Governor

• Gujarat’s new Governor Acharya Devvrat was sworn in on
22 July 2019.
• He was administered the oath of office by the acting Chief
Justice of Gujarat High Court, Justice Anant S. Dave, at Raj
Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani,
outgoing Governor O.P. Kohli and others.
• Mr. Devvrat, who is the 20th Governor of the State, took
the oath in Sanskrit.
Kalraj Mishra: New Governor of Himachal P.
• Former Union Minister Kalraj Mishra took oath as the new
Governor of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla.
• Kalraj Mishra replaced Acharya Devvrat, who has been
shifted to Gujarat.
• Kalraj Mishra is an Indian politician and he is also the
former Cabinet Minister of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises in the BJP-led NDA government of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Andhra: 1st state to reserve 75% private jobs
• Andhra Pradesh became the first state to reserve 75% jobs
for local youth in industrial units, factories, joint ventures
and projects set up under public-private partnership
mode.
• The assembly recently passed the Andhra Pradesh
Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories
Act, 2019.
• The CM of Andhra Pradesh is Jagan Mohan Reddy.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
Bills introduced in Lok Sabha
• The Code on Wages Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha
to amend and consolidate the laws relating to wages and
bonus and matters connected therewith.
• The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working
Conditions Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha to
amend the laws regulating the Occupational Safety, Health
and Working Conditions of the persons employed in an
establishment.
MP Assembly passed bill raising OBC quota
• MP Assembly passed an amendment bill raising
reservation in government jobs and education for Other
Backward Classes (OBC) to 27% from the present 14%.
• The Bill is now going to the Governor and President for
assent.
• After this amendment, reservation in Madhya Pradesh will
touch 73%, including 10% quota for the Economically
Weaker Section from the general category.
Virat on No.1 in ICC Test Rankings
• Virat Kohli has retained his number 1 position in the latest
ICC Test batsmen's rankings.
• New Zealand's Kane Williamson (913) is second and
Cheteshwar Pujara (881) third in the rankings released on
22 July 2019.
• In the team rankings, India remains in the first place
followed by New Zealand (2) and South Africa (3) with
England (4) and Australia (5) rounding up the top five.
Abhay, Tanvi won Bengal Open Squash
• Abhay Singh of Tamil Nadu and Asian Games medallist
Tanvi Khanna clinched the men's and women's titles
respectively in the 6th Bengal Open squash tournament in
Kolkata on 23 July 2019.
• Singh defeated Abhishek Pradhan 11-6 11-6 11-4, while
Tanvi fought her way past Aparajitha Balamurukan 11-7
11-6 5-11 13-11.
• Shameena recently won the U-15 title at the All India
Squash Open in Mumbai.
Bangladesh: Scientists developed a new method
• Scientists in Bangladesh have developed a method to
convert Jute fibre into low-cost bio-degradable cellulose
sheets named 'Sonali'.
• It can be used as a wrapping material and carrying bag.
• The Eco-friendly jute poly bags made up of Sonali can be
used in garments and food packaging work and they are
not harmful for human health.
• Its commercial production is likely to start by 2019 end.
Boris Johnson took over as Britain PM
• The new leader of Conservative party Boris Johnson
took over as Prime Minister of Britain on 24 July 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Mr Johnson is scheduled to meet the Queen at National Affairs II

Buckingham Palace where he will be invited to form a new
• The government has extended the deadline for filing of
government.
Income Tax returns by individuals for financial year 2018-
• He also announced senior cabinet posts, including
19 to 31st of August from 31st July, 2019.
chancellor of the exchequer and home secretary.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) celebrated the
New India-UK schme to fund students from UK 159th Income Tax Day on 24th July 2019. It was on 24th
July, 1860 that Income Tax was introduced for the first
• A new India-UK bilateral pilot scheme has been launched
time in India by Sir James Wilson.
to support Britain's universities to collaborate with Indian
partners to send UK students to India to study. MMRCL gave order to Blue Star
• The “UKEIRI Mobility Programme: Study in India”, an
• Blue Star Ltd has won an air conditioning and tunnel
initiative of Universities UK International (UUKI) and British
ventilation system order valued at ₹253 crore from
Council India, opened on 23 July 2019.
Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL).
• It aims to generate up to 200 opportunities for
• The scope of work includes installation and commissioning
undergraduate UK students.
of the air conditioning and more for 9 underground
National Affairs I stations.
• MMRCL is a joint venture between the central government
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the increase
and the state government of Maharashtra.
in the number of awards given to the cadets of National
Cadet Corps (NCC) from the existing 143 to 243 and cash Greenko raised $950 million
incentives in various categories.
• GIC Holdings Pte. Ltd and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
• The Supreme Court extended the deadline for publication
(ADIA) backed Greenko Energy Holdings has raised $950
of final National Register of Citizens, NRC, in Assam by a
million.
month, from July 31 to August 31, 2019.
• The bond raise followed after the 2 sovereign wealth funds
Parliament passed Finance Bill agreed to pump in an additional $329 million in Greenko
Energy Holdings.
• Parliament has passed the Finance Bill 2019 and
• Greenko owns operating assets of 4.2 gigawatts (GW) and
Appropriation Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha returning
under-construction assets of 7 GW.
them to the Lower House.
• The Finance bill gives effect to the financial proposals of Paytm to give instant digital loan
the Central Government for the financial year 2019-20.
• Paytm partnered with Clix Finance to offer instant digital
• The Appropriation Bill seeks to authorise payment and
loans to customers and merchants on its platform.
appropriation of certain sums from and out of the
• The company would offer loans to Paytm customers and
Consolidated Fund of India for the FY 2919-20.
merchants through Deferred Payment or Postpaid and
Government to install solar projects by 2022 Merchant Lines facilities.
• Over the next few months, Clix and Paytm will introduce
• The government has set a target for the installation of
several new products to further enhance customer
Rooftop Solar projects of 40,000 MW by 2022 in the
experience and meet customer demand.
country.
• The projects include installation of solar panels on the Shane Lowry won British Open
rooftop of houses.
• Irishman Shane Lowry won British Open to claim his first
• Over 1700 Mega Watt of grid-connected rooftop systems
major golfing title at Royal Portrush.
has been installed in the country till 18 July 2019.
• He became the 2nd player from the Republic of Ireland,
• 1.5 million units per MegaWatt per year are generated
after Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008, to lift the
from solar rooftop plants on an average.
Claret Jug.
Motor Vehicles Bill passed • Players from Ireland and Northern Ireland have won five of
the past 13 Opens, with Darren Clarke (2011) and Rory
• The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles
McIlroy (2014) also hoisting the Claret Jug.
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 by voice vote.
• The bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to LIC to offer 1.25 trillion by 2024
provide for road safety.
• LIC has agreed to offer Rs 1.25 trillion line of credit by
• The Bill proposes a scheme to allow cashless treatment of
2024, to fund highway projects.
victims in a road accident during the golden hour.
• The Rs 8.41 trillion ambitious Bharatmala project aims to
• The Bill proposes to increase the minimum compensation
lay a grid of highways pan-India,
for hit and run cases.

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• The Bharatmala programme will be funded through cess,
toll revenue, market borrowings, private sector
participation, insurance fund, pension funds, masala
bonds and the LIC credit line was one such initiative.
National Broadcasting Day: 23 July
• National Broadcasting Day is observed every year on 23
July.
• On this day in 1927, the first-ever radio broadcast in the
country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a
private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.
• On 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service
became All India Radio.
• Since 1927, radio has been an important part in people's
life in India.
Kanwar Yatra app for pilgrims in Meerut
• A Kawad Yatra Management app has been designed for
facilitating and guiding the Kawariya's on their journey in
the Meerut Zone.
• The app provides all information about the routes,
temples, hospitals, police and 'Shivir' (camps).
• It can be downloaded on Google play store and will
operate on any Android mobile phone like other
applications.
Right to Information Bill passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment)
Bill, 2019 on 22 July 2019.
• In this amendment, it is proposed to amend the Right to
Information Act, 2005 so as to provide that the term of
office of, and the salaries, allowances and other terms and
conditions of service of, the Chief Information
Commissioner and Information Commissioners.
Keshav, Prasun chosen for Mohun Bagan Ratna
• Two-time Olympic gold medallist Keshav Dutt and former
India Football Captain Prasun Banerjee will be conferred
the 'Mohun Bagan Ratna' on 29 July 2019.
• July 29 is celebrated as the 'Mohun Bagan Day' because on
this day in 1911, the Mariners became the first club to
defeat a British club, East YorkshireRegiment, and lift the
IFA Shield.
PV Sindhu to lead Indian in Japan Open
• In Badminton, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will lead
the Indian campaign at the Japan Open BWF World Tour
Super, starting in Tokyo from 23 July 2019.
• B Sai Praneeth faced Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. Sindhu
opens her campaign against China’s Han Yue in women's
singles on 24 July 2019.
• The men's doubles partners Manu Attri and Sumeeth B
Reddy took on Goh Seh Fei and Nur Izzudin of Malaysia.
Harmeet, Ayhika won gold: TT Championship
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• In Table Tennis, host India claimed all the seven gold
medals at the 21st Commonwealth Championships, which
concluded in Cuttack on 22 July 2019.
• Harmeet Desai and Ayhika Mukherjee won the men's and
women's singles titles and claimed gold.
• Anthony Amalraj and Manav Thakkar claimed the men's
doubles gold by stunning top seeds Sathiyan and Sharath
Kamal 3-1.
UP government to install statue of Lord Ram
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath approved the plan to install a 251-
metre-tall statue of Lord Ram at Ayodhya.
• The statue would be taller than the Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel's Statue of Unity in Gujarat, which is 183-meter-tall.
• The statue of Lord Ram would be installed on the 100
hectares of land near River Sarayu in Ayodhya.
Maharashtra topped in ATM frauds
• Maharashtra reported 233 cases of ATM fraud in 2018-19,
the highest in the entire country, Reserve Bank Of India
(RBI) data revealed.
• The data showed that Delhi grabbed the second spot with
179 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 147 cases of ATM
fraud.
• In Maharashtra, people lost Rs 4.8 crore to bank fraud,
while in Delhi people lost Rs 2.9 crore.
Navy Commissions Dornier Squadron INAS 313
• The Navy commissioned its fifth Dornier Aircraft Squadron
- Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 313 in Chennai on 22th
July 2019.
• INAS 313 derives its name ‘Sea Eagle’ from the bird of prey
family Accipitridae.
• The Squadron will be operating from Chennai International
Airport.
• With this Tamil Nadu will have three naval air bases; which
is the highest number for any Coastal State.
Ban on cryptocurrencies in India recommended
• India seems to ban private cryptocurrencies after an inter-
ministerial committee (IMC) suggested outlawing private
cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin.
• The committee comprised of the Secretary (Economic
Affairs) as the chairman, along with the Secretary, Ministry
of electronics and information technology, SEBI chairman
and the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Yukiya Amano passed away
• Former Japanese diplomat and International Atomic
Energy Agency Chief Yukiya Amano passed away in July
2019.
• He had been chief of the key U.N. agency that regulates
nuclear issues worldwide since 2009.

• As Head of the IAEA, Amano also dealt with the aftermath
of the devastating 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in
Japan.
8 Air Routes Made Functional Under UDAN Scheme
• Eight routes under regional connectivity scheme UDAN
have become functional.
• According to Civil Aviation Ministry, by this the total
number of operational routes have become 194.
• The ministry had launched the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam
Nagrik) scheme on October 21, 2016 to stimulate regional
air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the
masses.
World Brain Day: 22 July
• World Brain Day is observed on July 22 every year.
• The day aims at promoting interest of neurology.
Previously, World Brain Day has covered topics like
dementia, epilepsy and stroke, in cooperation with other
societies.
• World Brain Day 2019 theme is Migraine: The Painful
Truth.
• This year, the focus is on migraine, which is known to be
one of world's most common brain diseases.
Protection of Human Rights Bill passed
• Parliament has passed the Protection of Human Rights
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with Rajya Sabha approving it 22
July 2019.
• The bill provides for a reduction in the tenure of
Chairpersons of National Human Rights Commission and
State Human Rights Commissions to three years from the
current five years.
• It amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
NDA government completed 50 days in 2nd term
• The Narendra Modi Government has completed fifty days
in office in its second term.
• PM Narendra Modi has already laid down the vision of
India becoming a Five-trillion dollar economy by 2024-25.
• Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.8% in 2018-19
while maintaining macro-economic stability.
• Measures have been proposed to enhance the sources of
capital for infrastructure financing.
PM to visit Bhutan in August
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day
official visit to Bhutan in August 2019.
• The visit will reflect the importance New Delhi attaches to
its ties with Bhutan and would reiterate the government's
emphasis on its Neighbourhood First policy.
• The two countries share a unique and time-tested bilateral
relationship, characterized by trust, goodwill, and mutual
understanding.
NASA prepared to send 1st woman on moon
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The world marked the 50th anniversary of the first Moon
landing recently.
• The US space agency has doubled down on its next giant
leap with the Artemis programme that would take the first
woman and the next man to the lunar surface.
• Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also
the Goddess of the Moon and the hunt.
Dhoni to train with Parachute regiment
• MS Dhoni’s request to train with a battalion of the Indian
Army’s Parachute Regiment for two months has been
approved by Army chief General Bipin Rawat.
• Some part of his training is expected to take place in
Jammu & Kashmir.
• He holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the
Territorial Army unit of the Parachute Regiment (106 Para
TA battalion).
Indian Army to witness change
• The Indian Army is all set to see a major change in its top
brass as the government is expected to announce the
appointment to the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff and
top Army Commanders anytime soon.
• Eastern Army Commander Lt General MM Narawane is set
to take over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff to replace
incumbent Lt Gen Devraj Anbu who is due to retire on
August 31, 2019.
PV Sindhu clinched silver in Indonesia Open
• Fourth seed Akane Yamaguchi defeated PV Sindhu in
straight games 21-15, 21-16 to lift her maiden Indonesia
Open title at Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta.
• Sindhu had to settle for just a silver medal in her first final
of 2019.
• The last time the Indian lost to the Japanese was at the
semifinals of the All England Championship in 2018.
Manny Pacquiao won WBA welterweight title
• Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao claimed the WBA
welterweight championship after scoring a split-decision
win against Keith Thurman.
• He ended the American Keith Thurman’s undefeated run
at the MGM Grand, where two judges had the fight 115-
112 in favour of the 40-year-old Pacquiao.
• One judge scored the welterweight bout 114-113 to
Thurman, who was knocked down by Pacquiao in the
opening round
S. Sowmya chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award
• S. Sowmya has been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi
award of the Music Academy.
• She will preside over 93rd annual conference of the
Academy to be held between December 12, 2019, and
January 1, 2020.

• Nagaswaram player Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman and
vocalist Rajkumar Bharathi will get the TTK awards while
Aarti N. Rao will get the Musicologist Award.
President appointed new Governors
• President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed new governors
for the states of UP, West Bengal, Tripura, Madhya
Pradesh, Bihar and Nagaland.
• Anandiben Patel will serve as Governor of Uttar Pradesh,
Jagdeep Dhankhar as Governor of West Bengal, Ramesh
Bais as Governor of Tripura, Lal Ji Tandon as Governor of
Madhya Pradesh, Phagu Chauhan as Governor of Bihar and
R. N. Ravi as Governor of Nagaland.
Miscellaneous
• The World Bank continues to support Andhra Pradesh with
an over one billion USD programme that covers the health,
agriculture, energy and disaster management sectors.
• The government has asked Air India to put a freeze on
large-scale promotion and appointments. A new flight has
to be started only when it is extremely necessary and after
due diligence from commercial aspect.
11th DefExpo to be organised in 2020
• The 11th biennial edition of DefExpo India- 2020 is
scheduled to be held for the first time in Uttar Pradesh.
• It will be held from 5th-8th February 2020.
• Main theme of the DefExpo India- 2020 will be ‘India: The
Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ and focus will be
on ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.
50th anniversary of Apollo 11
• The 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing was
celebrated on 20 July 2019.
• On this day, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon.
• Their lunar module, named Eagle, touched down on 20th
July, 1969.
• Ex-fighter pilot Collins remained in lunar orbit, where he
was in touch with ground control.
FDI inflow registered growth of 79%
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has increased
during the last six years from 36.05 billion US Dollars in
2013-14 to 64.38 billion US Dollars in 2018-19.
• The growth registered during this time was 79%.
• The intent is to make the FDI policy more investor-friendly
and remove the policy bottlenecks that have been
hindering investment inflow into the country.
9725 houses to be built under PMAY-U
• In Manipur, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-
Urban(PMAY-U) is being implemented effectively.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Till now, 26,348 beneficiaries for 24 towns have already
been approved by the Union Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs.
• Nearly 9,725 houses will be built by the end of 2019 under
the scheme.
• A target to obtain approval for 46,360 numbers of
beneficiaries has been kept by the Manipur government.
Obituaries
• The senior LJP leader and MP Ramchandra Paswan passed
away in July 2019. He was from Samastipur, Bihar.
• Former BJP Delhi President Mange Ram Garg passed away
in July 2019. He was the former member of Delhi
Legislative Assembly and was elected to the assembly in
2003.
Sports
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced
the three Indian squads (ODIs, T20Is and Tests) for the
upcoming tour of the West Indies. India's tour of the West
Indies will begin on August 3, 2019 in Florida.
• Ravinder Kumar Malik has clinched Mr. South Asia title. He
was crowned the champion at 12th South Asian
Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship held in
Kathmandu.
Hima das won gold in 400 m race
• Hima Das won a gold medal in the 400-meter race with a
season-best time of 52.09 seconds at Nove Mesto in the
Czech Republic on 21 July 2019.
• It was Hima's fifth gold medal since July 2 when she ran
her first competitive race in Europe.
• Hima has already won gold in 200 meters race at the
Poznan Athletics Grand Prix and Kutno Athletics Meet in
Poland earlier in July 2019.
PMKSNY: 7 cr 32 lakh families received install
• Over 7 crore 32 lakh farmer families across the country
have received the first and second instalments of Rs. 2000
each under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
Yojana.
• UP with over 2 crores 20 lakh farmer families topped the
list followed by Andhra Pradesh with 72 lakh and
Maharastra 50 lakh farmers.
• PM-KISAN envisages covering approximately 14 crore 50
lakh beneficiaries.
20,000 wellness centres to be completed
• 20,000 wellness centres will be completed by the end of
the current year under Ayushman Bharat programme.
• A total of 1.5 lakh wellness centres are to be established in
the country under this programme.
• The government has set a target of eradicating
Tuberculosis from the country by 2025.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Ayushman Bharat programme as a successful model in MoneyBack Credit Card for Village-Level Entrepreneurs
implementing universal health. (VLEs) and VLE-sourced customers.
• The credit card will give users easy access to credit for
Chandrayaan-2 launched at 2:43pm
their day-to-day business expenses.
• India’s expedition to the moon was launched on 22 July • CSCs act as access points for delivery of various services.
2019.
Israel Aerospace signs $50 Million deal
• Chandrayaan-2 was launched by using the heavy-lift
launch vehicle GSLV-Mark-Three. • State-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace
• The rocket carrying the prestigious probe will be ignited at Industries has signed a $50 million follow-up contract to
2.43 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at provide complementary missile systems to the Indian navy
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. and India’s MDL Shipyard.
• Originally Chandrayaan-2 was planned to be launched on • The agreement involves a range of maintenance and other
the 15th July 2019. services for sub-systems of Israel Aerospace's naval
medium-range surface-to-air missile.
Appointments
12 beaches selected for 'Blue Flag’ challenge
• Rajya Sabha MP D Raja was appointed as the General
Secretary of CPI on 21 July 2019. • The Union Environment Ministry has selected 12 beaches
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has in India to vie for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
approved the appointment of Shri Ajay Bhadoo, as Joint • These beaches are at Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Bhogave
Secretary to the President for a tenure co-terminus with (Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu), Miramar (Goa), Kasarkod
the President. and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Eden
(Puducherry), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Rushikonda
NSG facility inaugurated at CCMB
(Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha), and Radhanagar
• The Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility was (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
inaugurated at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology in Hyderabad on 20 July 2019.
• The facility includes technology for high genome
sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical
samples.
• The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and
counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data
for diagnosis and therapy.
SIDBI introduces web-based application system
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has
introduced a web-based application system for
contribution from the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS).
• The aim of the system is to improve the turnaround time
and increase transparency.
• Applications for contribution from various Alternative
Investment Funds (AIFs) will now be accepted online.
Government of India cuts interest rate on GPF
• The government of India has lowered interest rate on
General Provident Fund (GPF).
• For the July-September, General Provident Fund and other
similar funds will pay a 7.9% interest rate to its
subscribers, as compared to 8% in the previous quarter.
• This interest rate will be applicable on provident funds of
central government employees, railways and defence
forces.
HDFC bank launches 'MoneyBack' Credit Card
Palau signs ISA Framework agreement
• HDFC Bank and Government of India’s Common Service
Centre (CSC) have launched a co-branded small business

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• Palau signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
Framework Agreement.
• Palau became the 76th country to sign the ISA Framework
Agreement, which till date has been ratified by a total of
54 of the 76 countries.
• The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Modi and
then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate
Change Conference in Paris on November 2015.
ICICI Bank launches InstaBIZ Banking Platform
• ICICI Bank launched ‘InstaBIZ’ a new digital platform for
MSMEs and self-employed customers to enable them to
undertake their business banking transactions digitally and
instantly.
• The programme allows customers to avail as many as over
115 products and services on their mobile phone or
internet banking platform.
• MSMEs, who are not customers of the Bank, can also
download ‘InstaBIZ’
Important Days
• The Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated every
year on July 18.
• Nelson Mandela is remembered as an anti-apartheid
revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist.
• International Justice Day is observed on 17 July.
• World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) was observed on 15 July
2019.
Indian Cyber Crime Centre launched by MHA
• Ministry of Home Affairs has rolled out a scheme ‘Indian
Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’ for the period
2018-2020, to combat cybercrime in the country, in a
coordinated and effective manner.
• The scheme has seven components.
• The Central Government has launched the Cybercrime
Reporting Portal to enable citizens to report online
content pertaining to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Andhra Bank launches AI Chatbot
• Andhra Bank on 15 July 2019 launched its Artificial
Intelligence interactive assistant — ABHi.
• With ABHi, customers will be able to get the information
instantaneously 24x7, anytime they want.
• The Bank's AI-powered chatbot-ABHi uses the latest
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing
(NLP) algorithm to understand the customer query.
India's current account balance deficit grew
• 'The External Sector' Report was released by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 17 July 2019.
• According to the report, India's current account (CA)
balance deficit grew to $68 billion in 2018-19 from $49
billion the previous year.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• India's overall international reserves, though stood at
$411.9 billion at the end of March 2019, down from March
2018 by $12.5 billion.
Gujarat tops in MSME lending potential
• As per TransUnion CIBIL- SIDBI’s MSME Pulse Report,
Gujarat has emerged as the top state, in terms of
performance and credit growth potential for MSME
(micro, small and medium enterprises) Corporate Lending
in India.
• It is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and
Delhi.
• MSME corporate entities are borrowers with aggregate
credit exposure of up to ₹50 crore.
Repco MFI wins award from NABARD
• Repco Micro Finance, an NBFC-MFI promoted by Repco
Bank, has received NABARD’s award for outstanding
performance in terms of Self-Help Group (SHG) linkage in
Tamil Nadu for 2018-19.
• Repco Micro Finance institution currently headquartered
in Chennai and it operates from 90 branches in Tamil Nadu
and Puducherry.
• Repco Micro Finance has provided SHG loans worth ₹3,600
crore.
India & China joint military drill in Dec
• The next edition of India and China military drill will be
held in December 2019.
• The joint military exercise 'Hand-in-Hand' will be held in
Umroi near Shillong, Meghalaya.
• The last exercise, which was the seventh edition, was held
in Chengdu in December 2018.
• In Umroi, the two forces will focus on counter-terror
operations, establishment of the joint command post and
joint combat drill.
India's first garbage cafe launched
• India's first garbage cafe was launched Ambikapur
Municipal Corporation in Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh.
• Under this program, any person fetching a kilo of plastic
waste to the garbage cafe will be assured of a full meal
while those collecting at least 500 grams will get breakfast.
• The city of Ambikapur has been ranked second cleanest
city in India after Indore.
India's first space tech park in Kerala
• The Kerala government will set up India’s first space tech
park at Thiruvananthapuram's Knowledge City.
• The move is aimed at making the city a manufacturing hub
for space-related technology.
• A space museum named after former President of India Dr
APJ Abdul Kalam will also be a part of the infrastructure.
• The entire investment in the park will be made by the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

Sports • The World Bank has pulled out of the Amaravati

Sustainable Infrastructure and Institutional Development
• The Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) has been
Project.
granted the status of a Full Member of the BCCI by the
• The World Bank’s website shows the status of the
Committee of Administrators (CoA).
Amaravati Sustainable Infrastructure and Institutional
• Squash players Anahat Singh won the girls’ U13 title while
Development Project as ‘Dropped’.
Neel Joshi won the boys’ U17 title.
• The Bank has taken into consideration various complaints
• North Korea won the second edition of Intercontinental
from people’s groups about environmental concerns.
Cup football tournament beating Tajikistan in the final
match on 19 July 2019. Exercise Garuda-VI successfully conducted
Obituaries • After successful exercise Garuda-VI, the Indian Air Force
(IAF) Contingent landed back in India from France on 19
• Cesar Pelli, the Argentine designer behind the iconic
July 2019.
Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, passed away on 20 July
• Exercise Garuda provided a unique opportunity for the
2019.
exchange of knowledge & experience in a dynamic warfare
• Three-time Delhi Chief Minister and senior Congress
environment.
leader Sheila Dikshit passed away on 20 July 2019 in New
• This was one of the biggest air exercises that are being
Delhi.
planned between the two Air Forces.
• Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal passed away in
Chennai on 18 July 2019. PingPong launched Global Payment Service
'Happiness Utsav' begins in Delhi schools • PingPong is one of the world's fastest-growing cross-
border B2B payment platforms.
• On 16 July 2019, the Delhi government launched the
• It has announced its launch in the Indian market, providing
'Happiness Utsav' across all 1,031 schools of the
cross-border payment services for Indian sellers.
directorate to celebrate the success of the ‘happiness
curriculum’. • PingPong simply has a 1% fee rate in India, which means
that cross-border sellers who use PingPong can save at
• The first 50 minutes of each school day will be dedicated
least half of the service fee during the payment process.
to the festival with all students of the Delhi government
schools taking part in it. Algeria lifted Africa Cup of Nations
• The festival will conclude on 31 July 2019.
• Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the 2nd time
International Chess Day: 20 July when a freak 2nd-minute goal by Baghdad Bounedjah gave
them a 1-0 win over gallant Senegal in the final.
• The ‘International Chess Day’ is observed every year on
• Algeria committed 32 fouls according to official match
20 July.
statistics.
• It’s a special day for India as Chess is one of the precious
• Senegal was awarded a penalty for handball in the second
gifts of India to the world.
half but the decision was revoked following a VAR review.
• Just two days ago, Indian chess got its 64th Grandmaster
Prithu Gupta, a very symbolic day as the chess board is Defence
made up of 64 squares.
• Indian Army successfully carried out summer user trials of
• The origin of chess is found in ‘Chaturanga’ – a strategy
third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile NAG at Pokhran
game played in India in the medieval era.
Field Firing Ranges, conducted between July 7-18, 2019.
South Asia's first cross border pipeline • INS Tarkash, a frontline warship of the Indian Navy, made
a port call at Karlskrona, Sweden on 19 July 2019. This
• South Asia’s first cross border petroleum pipeline will
marks the first visit of an Indian Naval Ship to Swedish
link Motahari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
shores after a gap of more than 15 years.
• Motihari- Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline will be a game-
changer for Nepal. Miscellaneous
• It has been successfully completed and there is a need to
• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
lay a gas pipeline.
Javadekar inaugurated the 10th Jagran Film festival at Siri
• The 69-kilometre long petroleum pipeline from Motihari in Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.
Bihar to Amelkhgunj in Nepal has been constructed by
• In yet another European Union move against a US tech
India.
giant, the bloc's antitrust chief on 18 July 2019 fined
World Bank dropped Amaravati Project chipmaker Qualcomm $271 million, accusing it of
'predatory pricing' to drive a competitor out of the market.
Sri Lanka signed agreement with India
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• Sri Lanka signed an agreement with India to upgrade tracks
in a key railway segment connecting the north and south
at a cost of $ 91.26 million.
• This is the first time in 100 years that the 130 km-long-
tracks, running from Maho town in the North Western
Province to Omanthai in the Northern Province, are being
upgraded.
Appointments
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Vivek Kumar was
appointed as private secretary to Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 19 July 2019.
• Senior diplomat Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed
as the next Indian Ambassador to Israel.
• Israel Capital - Jerusalem
• Currency - Israeli new shekel
New e-challan system for Delhi Traffic Police
• Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched the
new e-challan system and the e-payment gateway for the
use of Delhi Traffic Police.
• The payment gateway will help the citizens with the
flexibility to login securely at their convenience and settle
the pending violation notices with proof of payment.
• The E-challan devices are enabled with active GPS.
Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 2 bridge projects
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a day-long visit
of Jammu and Kashmir on 20 July 2019.
• During his visit he will pay tributes to the Martyrs on 20th
anniversary of Kargil war and will interact with troops.
• He will also inaugurate 2 bridge projects on the rivers Ujh
in Kathua district and Basantar in Samba district of Jammu
division.
Himachal Pradesh CM received Victory Flame
• In Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur received the
'Victory Flame' at Mandi on 19 July 2019.
• It illuminated from the National War Memorial, New Delhi
on 14 July 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Kargil
Vijay Diwas.
• The Kargil Vijay Diwas is being celebrated across the
country and on this occasion, we renew our resolve to
safeguard the honour of the tricolour.
Bihar: More than 52,000 placements done
• In Bihar, under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna
(PMKVY) more than 52,000 placements have been done
during last 3 years after the training of youths.
• Under the short term courses and training, 1.66 lakh
youths got registered out of which 1.37 lakh trained since
2016 in the state.
• Unemployed youths are getting their skills honed at
several institutions.
Kolkata MC to launch special cleanliness drive
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to launch
special cleanliness drive in Dengue prone 22 wards in the
city.
• The Civic body will form special teams for cleaning of
garbage at Dengue prone areas.
• The State Health Department has earmarked beds for
Dengue affected patients at Government hospitals.
• 132 patients have been attacked by dengue in the
metropolis in 2019 so far.
Sanjivani Yadav handed 2-year suspension
• India's runner Sanjivani Yadav has been handed a 2-year
suspension by the IAAF's Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a
doping violation.
• She won the 10,000m bronze at the 2019 Asian
Championships and 5000m bronze in the 2017 edition.
• She admitted to her first violation resulting in
disqualification all past results since June 29, 2018.
Sports I
• In Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship held in
Cuttack, India made a record by winning gold in both
men’s and women’s category. The Indian women team
won gold for the first time in the history in the
commonwealth games.
• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launched the All India Football
Federation's Golden Baby Leagues handbook 2019-20 on
the sidelines of the Intercontinental Cup in Ahemadabad.
Aishwarya Pratap Singh clinched gold
• In the Shooting Junior World Cup, Aishwarya Pratap Singh
Tomar clinched gold with a junior world record in the final
of rifle 3-position event in Suhl Germany.
• After qualifying in the 4th place with a total of 1171,
Tomar with a score of 459.3 score won a gold.
• India finished the ISSF tournament on top of the table with
10 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze for a total of 24 medals.
Sports II
• The Maharashtra sports department has sought funds of
over Rs one crore for ace shooter Rahi Sarnobat. She has
qualified for the next year's Tokyo Olympics.
• India is in line to get the Asian Games gold in 4x400 mixed
relay as Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain, who was part of the
gold winning team, has been handed a four-year ban for
failing a dope test.
NDRF deployed 124 teams in the country
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has
deployed 124 teams in the various parts of the country to
respond to any type of disaster emergency, natural or
man-made.
• 84 teams have been pre-positioned in 23 states at 71
locations as per the flood vulnerability profile of the states.

• 40 teams have been permanently deployed in 27 Regional
Response Centers (RRCs) for a prompt response.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat visited Dras sector
• Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, visited Dras
sector on 19 July 2019.
• During the visit, he was briefed by the General Officer
Commanding, 'Fire & Fury' Corps on the prevailing
situation and operational preparedness in the Sector.
• He also interacted with soldiers deployed on the Line of
Control (LC).
• He was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding-
in-Chief, Northern Command.
Piyush Goyal to launch Global Innovation Index
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will launch
the Global Innovation Index, GII on 24 July 2019 in New
Delhi.
• The GII has been a charter for assessing the innovation
capabilities of national economies worldwide.
• This year’s theme is Evaluating the Medical Innovation
Scenario of the Next Decade.
Protection of Human Rights Bill passed
• The Protection of Human Rights(Amendment) Bill 2019
was passed by voice vote in Lok Sabha on 19 July 2019.
• The amended Act will enable the appointment of the
retired Chief Justice or retired Judges of the Supreme
Court as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights
Commission.
• It also provides for appointing three instead of two
members from civil society who have knowledge of
Human Rights.
President Kovind to visit 3 African countries
• President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a week-long
visit to Benin, Guinea Conakry and Gambia, beginning 28
July 2019.
• This will be the highest-level visit from India ever to the
three West African countries.
• Since the Modi government took office in 2014, there has
been a rise in high-level visits to resource-rich Africa,
especially since the third India Africa Summit in 2015.
IIT Madras to offer tech MBA to undergrads
• IIT Madras is launching a first-of-its-kind tech MBA
programme for its undergraduate (UG) students from all
the engineering streams.
• The students taking tech MBA programme will be awarded
2 degrees - Engineering UG degree (B.Tech.) and Master's
degree in Management (MBA).
• The Institute is introducing the programme from the
Academic Year 2019-20 and it will have an intake of 25-30
students.
Jio pipped Airtel: 2nd largest operator now
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has overtaken Bharti Airtel to
become the second-largest operator in terms of mobile
subscriber base.
• The data was given by the Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India.
• As of May end, Jio had 322.98 million users as against
Airtel’s 320.38 million users.
• Vodafone Idea continues in the top position with 387.55
million users.
Mergers and Acquisitions
• Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd has signed a definitive
agreement to acquire Lymbyc, a specialist AI company to
strengthen it’s digital and analytics offerings for ₹38 crore.
• Ebix Inc has acquired Yatra Online Inc, for a value of
$337.8 million (Rs 2,323.6 crore) in an all-stock deal. The
two companies have entered into a definitive agreement
under which Ebix will acquire Yatra via merger.
NIIT bagged ASSOCHAM awards 2019
• NIIT Limited has bagged the ASSOCHAM Education
Excellence Awards 2019 as the 'Best Innovative Brand' in
the Education sector.
• It received the award for company's continuous effort to
offer new-age Career Programs to address the changing
workforce requirements.
• Over the last 38 years, NIIT has contributed extensively to
the IT sector by impacting over 35 million learners in IT.
PT Usha nominated for IAAF veteran pin
• Former Olympic track and field athlete P T Usha has been
nominated for the International Association of Athletics
Federations Veteran Pin for her ‘long and meritorious
service to the cause of World Athletics’.
• She will receive the pin during the opening ceremony of
the 52nd IAAF Congress in Doha.
• Usha is often called the 'queen of track and field'.
BSE, Haryana govt signed pact
• BSE has inked a pact with Haryana government to
encourage and support state’s micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) to raise capital.
• The Government of Haryana and BSE intend to facilitate
SMEs in raising funds through BSE’s dedicated platform for
SME’s 'BSE SME'.
• By getting listed on the BSE's SME platform, the
enterprises will get equity financing opportunities.
Appointments
• BharatPe has appointed Pawan Pathak as its senior vice-
president (product) and Abhishek Sharma as its vice-
president (product).
• The company provides merchants interoperable QR codes
that can be used to take digital payments from customers.

• BharatPe has operations in 13 cities and serves over 10
lakh merchants.
Sachin: 6th Indian in ICC Hall of Fame
• International Cricket Council has inducted Sachin
Tendulkar, Allan Donald and Cathryn Fitzpatrick into the
ICC’s Hall of Fame.
• Other Indians on the list are Bishan Singh Bedi, Sunil
Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid.
• Sachin Tendulkar has 34,357 runs across formats and is the
only batsman to have 100 internationals hundreds under
his belt.
2 new districts to be formed in Tamil Nadu
• In Tamil Nadu, two new districts are going to be formed,
taking the total number of districts in the state to 35.
• Tenkasi District would be carved out of Tirunelveli and
Chengalpet District would be established by splitting
Kanchipuram district.
• Special Officers would be appointed for the formation of
the new districts.
Telangana Legislative Assembly passed 3 bills
• Telangana Legislative Assembly passed 3 Bills replacing
ordinances relating to Municipal Laws, Regulation of Age
of Superannuation, and State Commission for Debt Relief.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• They are meant for facilitating more divisions in
Municipalities, increasing the retirement age of professors
in Medical Colleges to 65 years.
• CM Chandrashekhar Rao also introduced the Telangana
Municipalities Bill 2019.
Sports
• In Shooting, extending India's domination at the ISSF
Junior World Cup, Sarabjot Singh shot a 239.6 to bag the
men's 10 metres air pistol gold. This is India's ninth yellow
metal at the event in Suhl, Germany.
• The International Cricket Council, ICC has suspended
Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect over violation of
global body's constitution which doesn't allow any
government intervention.
G7 Finance Ministers agree plan for taxing
• G7 Finance Ministers meeting in France agreed a plan for
taxing digital companies such as Facebook and Google that
will set a minimum level of taxation for them.
• G7 looks forward to further progress in the context of the
G20 and a global agreement on the outlines of the
architecture by January 2020.
• Ministers fully supported a two-pillar solution to be
adopted by 2020.
Union HRD Minister launched Paramarsh scheme
• The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr.
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched ‘Paramarsh’ – a
University Grants Commission (UGC) scheme on 18 July
2019.
• It will mentor National Accreditation and Assessment
Council (NAAC) Accreditation Aspirant Institutions.
• The scheme will target 1000 Higher Education Institutions
for mentoring with a specific focus on quality.
GeM and SAIL signed MoU
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and Steel Authority of
India (SAIL), signed an MoU to set up GeM Organizational
Transformation Team (GOTT)Project Management Unit
(PMU).
• The MoU was signed by S. Suresh Kumar, Additional CEO,
GeM and Harinand Rai, Director (Technical), SAIL.
• SAIL has become the first PSU to establish GOTT PMU for
transforming their procurement landscape through this
MoU.
INS Sagardhwani embarked on Sagar Maitri Misn
• Oceanographic research vessel of DRDO, INS Sagardhwani,
embarked on a 2-month long SAGAR MAITRI (SM) Mission-
2 from South Jetty, Southern Naval Command (SNC) in
Kochi on 18 July 2019.
• INS Sagardhwani has been designed and developed by
Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL),
Kochi.

• SAGAR MAITRI Mission-2 commemorates the Golden
Jubilee Celebrations of ship INS Kistna’s missions.
Indian waterway to transport Cargo
• The first-ever use of an Indian waterway will transport
cargo from Bhutan to Bangladesh via India.
• For this, a shipment of stone aggregates was formally
received at Narayangunj by the Indian High Commissioner
to Bangladesh, Riva Ganguli Das, along with Ambassador
of Bhutan to Bangladesh Sonam T. Rabgye.
• The Indian cargo ship MV AAI arrived in Narayanganj in
Bangladesh on July 16, 2019.
Railways to conduct recruitment drive
• Indian Railways will conduct the largest recruitment drive
for the paramedical categories from July 19, 2019.
• The Computer-Based Test, CBT for recruitment to 1,923
posts of Para-Medical categories will be conducted over
three days.
• This is the first recruitment by Indian Railways in which
reservation for Economically Weaker Sections will be
available to eligible candidates.
National Affairs
• Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
Nishank released the UGC Guide to Student Induction
Programme - Deeksharambh in New Delhi on July 19,
2019.
• The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019
was introduced in Lok Sabha on 19 July 2019. The Bill
provides for a comprehensive mechanism to ban the
unregulated deposit schemes.
Lok Sabha passed Finance Bill 2019
• The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2019 that gives
effect to the proposals of the Central Government for the
year 2019-2020.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that the
said amendments will promote 'Make in India' and
Startups.
• The deduction on the loan interest is to encourage buyers,
keeping in mind the state of the environment.
MoU signed to eradicate TB by 2025
• Union Health Ministry signed an MoU with Ministries of
Ayush, Defence and Railways to strengthen the efforts
towards a TB-Free India by 2025.
• Around 28 lakh people contract the disease every year in
the country and four lakh people die every year.
• TB will be completely eradicated from the country in the
same way polio was, as told by Health and Family Welfare
Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched on July 22
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch the
Chandrayaan-2 on July 22, 2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 is India's second Moon mission and aims to
land a rover on the lunar surface.
• The mission was scheduled to be launched at 2:51 am on
July 15, 2019, but had to be called off after ISRO scientists
detected some glitches at the last moment.
Jalan panel proposed nominal transfer of funds
• The Bimal Jalan committee has proposed a
nominal transfer of surplus to the central government in a
phased manner.
• The report has proposed a formula for a nominal transfer
of a portion of the RBI’s reserves to the central
government in a period of three-five years.
• This is in line with the current practice being followed by
the RBI for transferring dividend annually.
UK's programme to boost Indian start-ups
• The UK government has expanded its Go Global initiative
to India.
• The aim is to give the country's most innovative and
cutting-edge start-ups the skills they need to grow their
business, build links with the UK's digital sector.
• It forms part of the UK-India Tech Partnership announced
by outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May and her
Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in April 2018.
Tata: India's most valuable brand
• The brand 'Tata' has become India’s most valuable brand
for the second straight year in 2019, according to the
Brand Finance India 100 2019 report.
• Tata’s brand value rose 37% to $19.6 billion as compared
to $14.2 billion in 2018.
• The 2nd most valued brand was the government-owned
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) at $7.3 billion and
a close third was Infosys at $6.5 billion.
Microsoft, AT&T signed cloud deal
• Microsoft Corp and AT&T Inc reached a deal under which
the telecommunications company will tap Microsoft's
Azure cloud service for its computing needs and use
Microsoft 365.
• Under the deal, both will also work together on edge
computing, which will see Microsoft technology deployed
alongside AT&T's coming 5G network.
• The multi-year deal is worth more than $2 billion.
Agreement between India and USA approved
• The Inter-Institutional Agreement between India and the
USA in the areas of regenerative medicine and 3D
bioprinting, and more has been approved.
• The objective of the Agreement is to contribute towards
the development of research and education of both the
Institutions through academic collaboration.

• The joint research projects, etc. will be open to all
qualified scientists and technologists.
Appointments
• Bengaluru-based IT services firm Mindtree Ltd., has
appointed A M Naik (the current chairman of L&T) as the
company's new non-executive chairman with effect from
18 July 2019.
• Coca-Cola announced top-level changes in its India and
South West Asia unit with appointment of Sarvita Sethi as
Vice-President-M&A and New Ventures, and Harsh
Bhutani as Vice President - Finance (CFO).
Bernard Arnault: World's 2nd richest person
• Bill Gates has never ranked lower than No. 2 in the seven-
year history of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
• But he dropped to No. 3 behind France’s Bernard Arnault.
LVMH, Arnault’s luxury-goods maker, advanced to a record
in Paris and pushed his net worth to $107.6 billion.
• Arnault has added $39 billion to his fortune in 2019 alone.
ADB cut India's GDP growth forecast to 7%
• Asian Development Bank lowered India's GDP growth
forecast to 7% for the current year on the back of fiscal
shortfall concerns.
• India is expected to grow by 7% in 2019 (FY20) and 7.2% in
2020 (FY21), slightly slower than projected in April
because the fiscal 2018 outturn fell short.
• For the south Asian region, the growth is projected at 6.6%
in 2019 and 6.7% in 2020.
ICJ stayed Kulbhushan Jadhav's execution
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the
execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan.
• Jadhav had been arrested in Pakistan’s restive province of
Balochistan in 2016 and accused of terrorism, spying, and
fomenting trouble in Balochistan.
• He was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in
2017.
Ebola outbreak: Global health emergency
• The deadly Ebola outbreak in Congo is now an
international health emergency, the World Health
Organization announced on 17 July 2019 after the virus
spread this week to a city of two million people.
• More than 1,600 people have died since August in the
second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
• This is the fifth such declaration in history.
India permitted raw sugar export to US
• The government has permitted the export of 1,239 tonnes
raw sugar under its tariff-rate quota (TRQ) to the US,
which enables shipments to enjoy relatively low tariff.
• TRQ is a quota for a volume of exports that enter the US at
relatively low tariffs.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The country enjoys duty-free sugar exports to the US for
up to 10,000 tonnes annually under preferential quota
arrangement.
Doubling of railway line in Assam approved
• CCEA has given its approval to the doubling of 142.97 km
long railway line between New Bongaigaon and Agthori via
Rangiya in Assam.
• The total estimated cost of the project is around Rs.2042
crore and will be completed by 2022-23.
• It will traverse through Bongaigaon, Baksa, Barpeta,
Nalbari and Kamrup districts of the state.
Sports
• At the ISSF Junior World Cup, Anish Bhanwala claimed gold
in 25m rapid fire pistol competition in Suhl, Germany on
17 July 2019. Adarsh Singh came 4th, while Agneya
Kaushik 6th with 9 points.
• Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq has decided to
step down as Pakistan chief selector. He would not seek an
extension or renewal of his contract, which is due to expire
by the end of July 2019.
Hima Das won 4th gold medal in 15 days
• Hima Das clinched her 4th gold in a fortnight as she won
the 200m race with a creditable timing in the Tabor
Athletics Meet in Czech Republic on 17 July 2019.
• Hima won the race in 23.25 seconds, which had a
mediocre field with most of the competitors representing
clubs of Czech Republic.
• In men's 400m, Muhammad Anas won in 45.40 seconds,
KS Jeevan was third with a timing of 46.60 seconds.
Deepika Kumari clinched silver
• India's top-ranked woman archer Deepika Kumari clinched
silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games test event.
• This was Deepika's first individual final in a world event
since she won a gold at the third stage of the World Cup in
Salt Lake City in June 2018.
• In the men's category, Atanu Das made a second round
exit, losing to Bae Jaehyeon of Korea 4-6.
National Affairs
• Union Cabinet approved 1,600 crore rupees for Dibang
Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project is
envisaged as a storage-based hydro-electric project with
flood moderation as the key objective.
• A bill to scrap 58 redundant laws was also approved. The
NDA government in its two terms has sent to the chopping
block 1,824 old laws which had become redundant.
National Medical Commission to be set up
• The Union Cabinet approved National Medical Commission
Bill, 2019.

• The bill provides for setting up of a National Medical
Commission in place of Medical Council of India and repeal
the Indian Medical Council Act 1956.
• The NMC Bill proposes a common final year MBBS exam,
to be known as National Exit Test (NEXT).
Cabinet extended 15th FC's term till Nov 30
• Cabinet has approved the extension of the term of 15th
Finance Commission up to 30th November 2019.
• It will enable the Commission to examine various
comparable estimates for financial projections.
• The 15th Finance Commission was constituted by the
President on 27th November, 2017.
• It was to submit its report by 30th October 2019 covering
a period of 5 years commencing from 1st April, 2020.
'Find the Incredible You' campaign won award
• The 'Find the Incredible You' campaign of the Tourism
Ministry, has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association
(PATA) Gold Award, 2019.
• The campaign focuses on digital and social media and the
promotion of niche tourism products of the country.
• The campaign won the award under the 'Marketing -
Primary Government Destination' category.
National Affairs I
• The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) plans to convert
all electricity meters into smart prepaid meters by 2022. It
is part of the government’s electricity distribution plan
prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
• Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that a
website would be launched listing staff of Jet Airways and
help find employment in other private entities.
Warburg Pincus co-CEO resigned
• Joseph Landy is stepping aside from his role of co-chief
executive of Warburg Pincus, after two decades of
managing one of the most renowned private equity firms.
• Warburg Pincus has invested more than $77 billion in
more than 870 companies in over 40 countries around the
world.
• Charles Kaye, co-chief executive and Landy's partner, will
take over as the sole CEO of the PE firm.
Ustad Bismillah Yuva Puraskars announced
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi has selected 32 artists of India
for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2018.
• In the field of music, there are 8 recipients of Yuva
Puraskar including Sameehan Kashalkar and Ruchira Kedar
for Hindustani Vocal Music.
• The award carries a purse money of Rs 25,000.
• The Yuva Puraskar will be presented at a special ceremony,
by the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi.
UK JETCO meeting held in London
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO)
was held in London on 15 July 2019.
• India and the UK agreed to set up three new bilateral
working groups to tackle barriers in specific sectors
including food and drink, healthcare and data services.
• The India – UK JETCO was established on 13th January
2005, to further develop a strategic economic relationship.
DoT and ICRIER signed MoU
• The Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Indian Council
for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)
signed an MoU to develop a Broadband Readiness Index
(BRI) for Indian States and UTs.
• The first estimate will be made in 2019 and subsequently
every year until 2022.
• The index will appraise the condition of the underlying
digital infrastructure at the State/UT level.
Smriti and Rohan received Arjuna Awards
• Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports
gave Arjuna Awards to Smriti Mandhana and Rohan
Bopanna on 16 July 2019.
• Smriti Mandhana and Shri Rohan Bopanna were selected
for Arjuna Awards 2018 for their outstanding
achievements in Cricket and Tennis respectively.
• They could not receive the Awards from President of India
during the Award Ceremony held on 25th September
2018.
Government to set 4200 Ayush Wellness Centres
• The government plans to set up 4,200 Ayush wellness
centres in the country in FY 2019-20 across several states.
• 2,500 new centres are planned to be opened within the
first four months of the present government.
• The government has also provided financial assistance to
set up integrated Ayush hospitals in 85 districts across
various states, and has plans to add more.
RM trophy for best command hospitals
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded Raksha Mantri
Trophy for the Best and Second Best Command Hospitals
of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year
2018, on 16 July 2019.
• Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru was adjudged Best
Command Hospital.
• Command Hospital Central Command Lucknow was
adjudged the Second-Best Command Hospital.
B Murli Kumar: Special Expenditure Observer
• The Election Commission of India has appointed Ex- DG IT
Chennai Sh B Murli Kumar as Special Expenditure Observer
for 8-Vellore Parliamentary Constituency.
• The then Spl Expenditure Observer Ms Madhu Mahajan
had recommended countermanding of Election to 8

Vellore PC as this organised way of inducement of voters
had vitiated the electoral environment.
Internet Saathi to empower rural women
• Google India's 'Internet Saathi' programme is aimed
at empowering rural women on how to use the Internet.
• It has now added two more states -- Punjab and Odisha.
• With this, the programme has now reached 2.6 lakh
villages in 20 states.
• These women, in turn, impart training to other women in
their community and neighbouring villages.
• It was launched as a pilot project in 2015.
Zakir Hussain selected for Sangeet Natak Fello
• Zakir Hussain and dancer Sonal Mansingh are among the
4 eminent personalities who have been selected for the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships in the field of
performing arts.
• The two other personalities are dancer and choreographer
Jatin Goswami and Bharatnatyam exponent
K.Kalyanasundaram Pillai.
• The awards will be conferred by President Ram Nath
Kovind at a special investiture ceremony.
US banned Myanmar Army Chief
• The US has banned visits by Myanmar's Army Chief and 3
other top officers due to their role in the ethnic
cleansing of the Rohingya minority.
• The US is the first government to publicly take action with
respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese
military.
• Also sanctioned were Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe
Win, Brigadier-General Than Oo and Brigadier General
Aung Aung.
Assam govt to plant saplings across NH
• The Assam Government is to plant sapling spread over one
thousand kilometres across the National Highways.
• This initiative is being taken to improve green coverage in
the state.
• The National Highway Authority of India has sanctioned
the plantation at 810 kilometres area.
• A variety of saplings will be planted near the national
highways.
National Affairs II
• The Centre launched a public awareness campaign in Delhi
on 17 July 2019 to accelerate vector control measures. The
3-day campaign aims to sensitize the community for
prevention and control of diseases like Malaria, Dengue
and Chikungunya.
• Maharashtra government has decided to increase the
compensation from 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore for families of
security personnel hailing from the state.
Sports
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship
began in Cuttack on 17 July 2019. 12 countries including
Australia and England are participating in the event. The
event will conclude on 22 July 2019.
• Vijayveer Sidhu picked up his 3rd gold medal of the
ongoing ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany,
combining with Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu and Adarsh Singh
to clinch the men's 25m pistol event.
Euro Comm. elected 1st female President
• German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been
elected as the European Commission's first female
president.
• Leyen's nomination was approved by 383 votes at the
European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on 16 July
2019.
• She was nominated to become the first woman in Brussels'
top job in June 2019 by the leaders of the bloc's 28
member states, to the annoyance of many MEPs.
Christine resigned as MD of IMF
• International Monetary Fund, IMF MD Christine Lagarde
has resigned ahead of a decision on her nomination to
become head of the European Central Bank, ECB.
• If the European Council approves her nomination, she will
become the central bank's first-ever female leader,
responsible for the Euro and the monetary policy of the
eurozone.
• She has been heading the IMF since 2011.
NGT set deadline of 3 months
• The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central
Pollution Control Board, CPCB, to shut down polluting
industries within 3 months.
• On the basis of a study jointly carried out by the CPCB and
state pollution control boards in 2009-10, industrial
clusters were notified as Polluted Industrial Areas (PIAs).
• They were ranked depending upon Comprehensive
Environmental Pollution Index scores.
Appointments
• President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Anusuiya Uikey as
Governor of Chhattisgarh.
• Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has been named as Governor
of Andhra Pradesh. The appointments will take effect from
the dates they assume charge of their offices.
• Swatantra Dev Singh has been appointed as the new Uttar
Pradesh BJP Chief. Singh is currently a minister in Yogi
Adityanath government.
India bagged 6 awards at SAARC film festival
• Indian entries bagged 6 awards including the Best Feature
Film for the movie Nagarkirtan at the 9th SAARC Film
Festival held in Colombo.
• Kaushik Ganguly got the Best Director Award.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Riddhi Sen won the best actor award for the movie while International Commercial Court. The SICC is a division of
Prabuddha Bannerjee bagged Best Original Score at the the Singapore High Court, dealing with international
film Festival. commercial disputes. It has 16 international judges in its
panel.
India, Italy to set up fast-track mechanism
• Varun Dhawan has made an announcement of his
• India and Italy have decided to set up a fast track association with the fitness brand Reebok India.
mechanism to facilitate investors and companies.
Appointments II
• The fast-track system in Italy aims to identify and solve
problems faced by Indian companies and investors. • Senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra was on July 15 appointed
• Commerce and Industry Ministry said a meeting was held as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. He replaced Acharya
in New Delhi on 16 July 2019 in this regard. Devvrat, who has been transferred and appointed as the
Governor of Gujarat.
India-Uzbekistan held meet
• Dr Kiran Pandya, head of department of human resource
• The 8th meeting of India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group development (HRD), Veer Narmad South Gujarat
on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi on 16 July University (VNSGU), has been appointed as member of
2019. National Statistical Commission (NSC).
• The Group discussed measures to strengthen bilateral
cooperation in the sphere of counter-terrorism.
• Cooperation in multilateral fora including UN, Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation's Regional Anti-Terrorist
Structure and EAG was also discussed.
2 Ind airports in world's best airports list
• Online travel agency Globehunters has compiled a list of
world's 45 most popular airports and ranked them
according to their suitability for business travellers.
• Japan’s Narita Airport, which recorded 81.1% on-time
flight arrivals, was crowned as the world's best business
airport.
• Delhi's IGI Airport is at the 38th spot while Mumbai's
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is at 43rd.
MP: 1st international flight from Indore
• In Madhya Pradesh, the first international flight from Devi
Ahilya Bai Holkar International Airport of Indore left for
Dubai on 15 July 2019 with 153 passengers on board.
• The non-stop flight has fulfilled a long-standing desire
from the travel fraternity and tourists for direct
connectivity to the Gulf.
• Air India is operating 162-seater A-320 Neo aircraft on this
route.
Kerala to get loan from the World Bank
• The World Bank will extend a USD 250 million loan for the
Resilient Programme in Kerala, which had been devastated Raghu Ram conferred with Surgeons fellowship
by worst floods in August 2018.
• The Centre, state government and the World Bank had • Padma Shri awardee breast surgeon P Raghu Ram was
signed the loan agreement of US$ 250 million for the conferred honorary fellowship of the Royal College of
programme in June 2019. Surgeons of Thailand.
• It aims at enhancing the state's resilience against the • This is the highest recognition bestowed by the institute.
impacts of natural calamities and climate change. • Raghu Ram is also the President-elect of the Association of
Surgeons of India.
Appointments I
• His surgical career spans 24 years since he qualified to
• Former Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri has been become a surgeon in 1995.
appointed as an International Judge of the Singapore
Shah Rukh Khan to receive honorary doctorate

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• Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary doctorate degree
from Melbourne-based La Trobe University for his
contributions through Meer Foundation.
• He will be visiting Australia to attend the 10th edition of
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in August 2019 as
its chief guest.
• La Trobe University is the first Australian university to
award Khan with an Honorary Degree.
RBI fined SBI, Union Bank
• The RBI has penalised State Bank of India and Union Bank
of India for violating certain regulatory guidelines.
• SBI was fined ₹7 crore for non-compliance with the
directions issued by the RBI.
• A ₹10-lakh fine was imposed on Union Bank for non-
compliance with the directions on the cybersecurity
framework in banks issued by the RBI.
30 lakh people enrolled under PM-SYM scheme
• Total 30,85,205 persons have been enrolled under
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme, PM-SYM,
till 10 July 2019.
• The government had launched the PM-SYM a voluntary
and contributory pension scheme for the benefit of
unorganized workers in February 2019.
• The scheme assures the minimum monthly pension of
three thousand rupees to the beneficiaries after attaining
the age of 60 years.
NDHB report released by Health Minister
• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family
Welfare released the National Digital Health Blueprint
(NDHB) report on 15 July 2019.
• The report is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister
to reach each individual of this country with services at
their doorstep under Digital India Programme.
• Its vision is to create a National Digital Health Eco-system.
Cycle rally in South Africa
• Indian diplomats in South Africa participated in a cycle
rally to promote greater awareness of Mahatma Gandhi's
ideals of non-violence and satyagraha.
• This was done to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary.
• Conceived by Indian Consul-General in Johannesburg Dr K J
Srinivasa, the event was co-hosted by the Gandhi Walk
Committee.
Wholesale inflation declined in June
• Wholesale price-based inflation declined for the second
consecutive month to its 23-month low of 2.02% in June
2019.
• According to official data, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-
based inflation was at 2.45% in May 2019.
• Inflation in the fuel and power category cooled
substantially to minus 2.20% from 0.98% in June.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
Sports
• Indian youth boxers clinched four Silver and a bronze
medal at the 37th Golden Glove of Vojvodina International
Tournament held in Serbia.
• Novak Djokovic's successful defence of his Wimbledon
crown ensured that he remained at world number one in
the latest ATP rankings. He collected his fifth Wimbledon
title and 16th major on 14 July 2019.
Extinction of 2 birds: SC formed panel
• The extinction of two Indian birds, Great Indian Bustard
and the Lesser Florican has been alarming.
• The Supreme Court has constituted a high powered
committee to urgently frame and implement an
emergency response plan for the protection of these
species.
• The plea has contended that over the last 50 years the
population of the Great Indian Bustard has recorded a
decline of over 82%.
Kohli, Bumrah at top spots in ICC rankings
• Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah retained their number one
position in the ICC batsmen and bowlers' rankings for the
One-Day Internationals.
• Another notable gainer in the rankings for batsmen is
Ravindra Jadeja who has been lifted by 24 places to 108th
position.
• In the team Rankings, England has increased their lead
over India to three points after their maiden World Cup
triumph.
India bagged 2 gold at ISSF Junior World Cup
• India bagged 2 Gold and 1 Silver medal in the Women's 10-
metre Air Rifle event at the International Shooting Sport
Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
• In the Individual section of the category, Elavenil Valarivan
claimed the top honours with a total score of 251.6.
• India remains at the top of the medals tally with 14
medals, six Gold, six Silver and two Bronze. China is 2nd.
PV Sindhu to spearhead at IOB
• PV Sindhu will spearhead the Indian campaign at the
Indonesia Open Badminton tournament beginning in
Jakarta on 16 July 2019.
• Sindhu, seeded fifth, will play her opening game against
Japan's Aya Ohori on 17 July 2019.
• Srikanth will face Japan's Kenta Nishimoto, Praneeth will
take on Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong.
• Prannoy will meet second-seeded Chinese Shi Yuqi.
20 mn children missed vaccination in 2018
• United Nations said almost 20 million children missed out
on potentially life-saving vaccinations in 2018.
• In an annual report issued in Geneva, the World Health
Organization and the UNICEF said, in 2018 19.4 million

children were not fully vaccinated, up from 18.7 million in
2017 and about 18.5 million in 2016.
• Some 350,000 measles cases were reported globally in
2018.
821 mn people suffering from hunger
• A UN report has said, more than 821 million people
suffered from hunger worldwide last year.
• It is the third year in a row that the number has risen.
• The report named, 'The State of Food Security and
Nutrition in the World' is produced by the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization and other UN agencies, including
WHO.
U.S. celebrates 50 years of Apollo 11 mission
• U.S. celebrates the Apollo 11 mission’s 50th year
anniversary.
• In the celebrations, new statues of Astronaut Neil
Armstrong were unveiled and an education centre was
dedicated to him in Ohio, US.
• Present Administrator of NASA - James Frederick
Bridenstine.
• Headquarters - Washington, D.C.
Motor Vehicles Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
introduced in Lok Sabha by road transport and highways
minister Nitin Gadkari.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
Increasing penalties of traffic violations is among the
changes proposed in the amendment.
• The amendment Bill proposes to omit a clause of the
Motor Vehicle Act to decide certain other aspects.
Unicorn India Ventures launched new fund
• Unicorn India Ventures has launched a ₹400 crore fund, its
third venture capital fund, to back companies at the pre-
Series A and Series A stage.
• The fund aims to invest exclusively in business-to-business
technology startups, including software-as-a-service,
artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of
Things (IoT).
• Through this, the firm plans to invest in about 24
companies.
RBI to launch a mobile app
• The RBI will soon come out with a mobile app that will
read out the denomination of currency notes for the
visually-challenged population.
• The mobile app will be able to identify the denomination
of legal tender banknotes of Mahatma Gandhi Series and
Mahatma Gandhi (New) series by scanning the image of
the notes with the mobile phone camera.
• It can also be used to count notes later on.
Vijendra Singh won 11th pro bout
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Boxer Vijender Singh clinched a Technical Knockout over
Mike Snider on his debut in the US professional circuit at
Newark in US.
• He prevailed in four rounds for his 11th consecutive
victory in the circuit.
• This was Vijender's eighth knockout win in all.
• The triumph came in the second minute of the fourth
round when Vijender cornered Snider with a flurry of
straight punches.
Indian House to be set up in Tokyo
• Indian House would be set in Tokyo with all facilities for
the Indian players as a part of preparations of Tokyo
Olympics 2020.
• The nutritional food as per the advice of the coach and
nutritionist would also be made available at proposed
India house.
• The government is now also creating a system to help
those players who had won medals but were not in good
financial condition.
Djokovic claimed 5th Wimbledon title
• In Tennis, Serbian Novak Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon
title after defeating Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer 7-6, 1-
6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12.
• The match had to be decided in the fifth set, as both of
them won two sets each in the longest ever final to be
played so far.
• This is Djokovic's 16th Grand Slam and 5th Wimbledon
title. He is now level with Bjorn Borg as a five-time
Wimbledon winner.
Sports
• Lewis Hamilton made a thrilling victory in the Silverstone
circuit to win his sixth British Grand Prix, his seventh
victory in ten races in 2019.
• India wrestler Vinesh Phogat won gold in the 53kg
category at Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul. Phogat
beat her Russian opponent Ekaterina Poleshchuk 9-5 in the
final match to bag the gold medal.
England lifted ICC World Cup
• England lifted their maiden ICC World Cup cricket trophy
beating New Zealand in a nerve-wracking final that was
decided via a dramatic Super Over in London.
• In the Super Over, England batted first and the duo of Ben
Stokes and Jos Buttler made 15.
• England's Ben Stokes was named player of the
match while New Zealand's Kane Williamson was adjudged
player of the tournament.
Indian won 6 medals on day 2 of ISSF World Cup
• India bagged 6 medals, including two Gold, on day two of
the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior
World Cup at Suhl in Germany.

• In the Men's 50 metres Pistol event, Gaurav Rana claimed
the top honours, while Arjun Singh Cheema settled for a
Silver.
• In Women's 50 metres Pistol event, Priya Raghav won
Silver, while Vibhuti Bhatia claimed the Bronze.
14 July: National day of France
• The French prepared to mark their national day on 14 July,
known as July 14th in France and Bastille Day abroad.
• European Union leaders joined the French president for
the world's oldest military parade.
• This year celebrates the 230th anniversary of the storming
of the Bastille prison in Paris, a turning point in the French
revolution that set the stage for the birth of the Republic.
Obituaries
• Bangladesh's former president Hussain Muhammad
Ershad died due to complications from old age at a
hospital in Dhaka in July 2019.
• Ershad took over the state power in a bloodless coup in
1982 and subsequently ran the country for eight years
until he was forced to quit in a pro-democracy mass
upsurge in 1990.
Over 5 bn dollar penalty imposed on Pakistan
• An international arbitration court has imposed a penalty of
over 5 billion dollars on Pakistan for unlawful denial of a
mining lease to a company for the Reko Diq project in
2011.
• The Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) had filed claims for
international arbitration before the World Bank's ICSID in
2012.
• The project stopped in November 2011, when the
Balochistan government rejected its application.
Consistent decline in left-wing extremism
• There has been a consistent decline in both Left Wing
Extremism violence and geographical spread of its
influence in the country.
• Violent incidents have declined from a high of 2258 in
2009 to 833 in 2018.
• The resultant deaths have also declined steadily from 1005
in 2010 to 240 in 2018.
• The trend of decline in violence has continued in 2019.
2nd round talks between India and Pak held
• The 2nd round of talks between India-Pakistan on the
modalities for operationalisation of the Kartarpur Sahib
Corridor was held at Wagah, in Pakistan on 14 July 2019.
• The meeting discussed the modalities and draft agreement
for facilitation of pilgrims on the corridor.
• It was agreed to allow five thousand pilgrims to visit
Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor everyday.
IFFI's Golden Jubilee to be held in Goa
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of
India, IFFI will be held from 20-28 November 2019 in
Panaji, Goa.
• The business exhibition will showcase the latest
technology, film production and distribution and other
aspects regarding films.
• President of Oscar Academy John Bailey has been invited
for the event.
• Russia will be IFFI partner in this edition.
20th anniversary of Kargil victory celebrated
• The celebrations of 20th Anniversary of the victory in
Operation Vijay at Kargil began in Delhi on 14 July 2019.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General
Bipin Rawat paid tributes to the martyrs at National War
Memorial where a Victory Flame was illuminated.
• It is being celebrated with theme ‘Remember, Rejoice and
Renew’..
Chandrayaan-2 launch called off
• ISRO has called off the launch of India's second mission to
Moon - Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLV MkIII-M1 due to a
technical snag.
• The countdown for the launch scheduled was stopped 56
minutes and 24 seconds before lift-off following the
announcement from the Mission Control Centre.
• It was supposed to explore the lunar south pole, 11 years
after ISRO's successful 1st mission - Chandrayaan-1.
4th anniversary of Skill India Mission
• The 4th anniversary of the Skill India Mission was being
observed on 15 July 2019.
• National Skill Development Mission also known as Skill
India Mission was launched on this day in 2015.
• Nearly One Crore youth are being presently imparted skills
training annually under the mission.
Appointments and Resignations
• BJP has appointed BL Santosh as its general secretary. He
is presently the party's joint general secretary.
• Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has resigned from
Punjab Cabinet. He sent his resignation to Congress Chief
Rahul Gandhi on 10th June 2019.
• Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli was accorded a farewell at a
ceremony in Gandhinagar on completing his tenure.
3 bills introduced in Lok Sabha
• Three bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on 15 July 2019.
• These are Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Bill, and the National Investigation Agency
(Amendment) Bill.
• In Rajya Sabha, the Arbitration and Conciliation
(Amendment) Bill, to further amend the Arbitration and
Conciliation Act, 1996 is scheduled to be introduced.
Ad-hoc committee to run taekwondo affairs

• The Indian Olympic Association has formed an ad-hoc
panel to run the affairs of taekwondo in the country and
conduct the federation's election within six months.
• The five members ad-hoc panel will be headed by IOA joint
secretary Namdev Shirgaonkar.
• The decision to form the ad-hoc committee was taken
during the General Assembly of the IOA in December
2018.
Russia launches space telescope
• Russia launched a space telescope, Spektr-RG, from the
cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan on 13 July 2019.
• The Spektr-RG, developed with Germany, is a space
observatory intended to replace the Spektr-R, known as
the 'Russian Hubble'.
• Spektr-R was launched in 2011 to observe black holes,
neutron stars and magnetic fields.
T
ropical Storm Barry hits Louisiana in US
• In the United States, Tropical Storm Barry began hitting
Louisiana with wind and rain, building towards hurricane
strength.
• It is the first hurricane of the season.
• The centre of the storm was about 5 miles northeast of
Intracoastal City.
• It has weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical
storm.
Sports
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• In Wimbledon Tennis, seventh seed Simona Halep has won
the women's singles Wimbledon title of 2019.
• She defeated Serena Williams in the final match.
• India has secured three Gold Medals in the Yasar Dogu
Ranking series wrestling tournament in Turkey.
• Weightlifter Pardeep Singh created a new Commonwealth
record in the clean and jerk category at the
Commonwealth Championships in Apia.
Meghalaya: First state to have water policy
• The Meghalaya became the first state to approve a draft
water policy to address water issues, conservation, and
protection of water sources in the state.
• As per the policy, committees will be formed at the village
level and the issue of groundwater will also be catered
through this policy.
• It will also monitor the quality of the water to check if it
has a high content of iron or if acidic.
Homicide rate declines by 10% in India
• The Global Study on Homicide 2019 was published on 8
July 2019 by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• The overall homicide rate in India has decreased by 10%
over a period of six years till 2015 but the trend increased
noticeably in some northern states.
• It was also found that the number of female homicide
victims was more than that of males in India.
NHAI inks deal with NIIF for highway projects
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) inked a deal
with quasi-sovereign wealth fund National Investment
Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
• Under the deal, NIIF will provide funds for large greenfield
road projects, which will be executed by the highway
authority in the future.
• In 2015, Centre had set up NIIF to fund commercially
viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects.
Samsung partners with Paisabazaar.com
• Paisabazaar.com, India's largest online marketplace for
financial products, announced its partnership with
Samsung.
• Paisabazaar.com will provide Samsung Pay users with a
one-stop solution to their financial requirements.
• By using the facility, Samsung Pay users can apply for
credit cards and personal loans from the platform.
Walmart Labs acqui-hires two Indian startups
• Walmart Labs, the technology arm of the US retail giant,
has acqui-hired health tech start-up FloCare and B2B
trading platform BigTrade.
• Walmart has brought on-board the teams of the two
Bengaluru-based companies to help strengthen its
customer technology and supply chain.

• FloCare which was co-founded by former Google research
scientist Gagan Goel and former InMobi employee Gaurav
Gupta.
ICSI launches UDIN for corporate governance
• The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has
rolled out an initiative in the form of a Unique Document
Identification Number (UDIN).
• UDIN will provide ease of maintaining a register of
attestation and certification services.
• The ICSI UDIN will be mandatory for every document
except an e-form, signed or certified by a company
secretary with from 1 October 2019.
Port integrity campaign launched in India
• Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) has announced
the launch of a Port Integrity Campaign in India.
• The campaign aims to reduce and (in the long term)
eliminate integrity issues and bottlenecks to trade during
operations in Indian ports.
• MACN is a global business network of over 110 companies
working to tackle corruption in the maritime industry.
Exim Bank inks loan pact with PNG and Senegal
• Exim Bank has signed agreements with Papua New Guinea
(PNG) and Senegal governments for providing USD 124
million.
• The loan amount will be used to finance infrastructure and
health care projects in these countries.
• The agreement under this line of credit is effective from 25
June 2019.
France passes GAFA Tax
• France became the first major economy to impose a tax on
digital companies.
• The tax is known as the GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook
and Amazon).
• The law will levy a 3% tax on total annual revenues of the
largest tech firms providing services to French consumers.
• GAFA targets digital companies with global sales of more
than 750 million euros and sales in France of at least 25
million euros.
Delhi girl bags ICJ internship programme
• Isha Kanth is one of the two persons in the world to have
bagged an internship programme at the International
Court of Justice based in Hague.
• She has earlier worked in rural Bihar spreading awareness
on the right to education and women empowerment
among children belonging to the marginalised sections.
• The ICJ is the principal judiciary organ of the United
Nations.
Japan lands spacecraft on distant asteroid
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Japanese scientists have successfully landed an unmanned
spacecraft, Hayabusa 2, on the distant asteroid Ryugu for
the second time as part of an ongoing mission to help
explore the origins of the solar system.
• The spacecraft first arrived at the asteroid in June 2018 to
carry out experiments.
• Hayabusa 2 will depart Ryugu in December 2019 and
return to Earth by the end of 2020.
Indian scientists develop 'black gold'
• Scientists at the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research (TIFR) developed a new material
called 'Black Gold'.
• Scientists used gold nanoparticles and by rearranging size
and gaps between them developed a new material.
• It has unique properties such as the capacity to absorb
light and carbon dioxide.
• It could also act as a catalyst and could convert carbon
dioxide into methane.
AGCL, OIL, and GGL signed agreement
• Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Oil India Limited (OIL)
and GAIL Gas Limited (GGL) signed an agreement for
setting up a new company for implementation of the City
Gas Distribution (CGD) network in five districts of Assam.
• The joint venture will supply Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to
the domestic, commercial and industrial customers.
• Around 95,000 households will be connected with the
PNG.
India's 1st ethanol-based motorcycle launched
• TVS Motor has launched India's first ethanol-powered
motorcycle, a 'green' version of its popular Apache RTR
200 4V.
• The bike uses 100% ethanol to replace petrol.
• Ethanol is produced domestically from renewable sources,
including remains and alcohol from sugar factories and is
lesser polluting as well.
• The bike will initially be available in Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh and Karnataka.
Gandhi-Mandela Peace Medal 2019 announced
• The annual Gandhi-Mandela Peace Medal 2019 has been
awarded to Thich Nhat Hanh.
• Thich Nhat Hanh is a global spiritual leader, poet and
peace activist.
• The first edition of Gandhi-Mandela Peace Initiative was
held in New Delhi.
• The Initiative was organised by Believe Foundation in
association Dr Raman Bhai Patel Foundation (RBF).
Women Startup Summit to be held in Kochi
• The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) will host the Women
Startup Summit 2019 in Kochi on 1 August 2019.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• The Summit aims at encouraging aspiring women Appointments

professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and
• Yadlapati Raghunath Babu has been appointed as Tobacco
developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the
Board Chairman.
State.
• Rashid Khan has been appointed the captain of
• The summit will be organised in association with the
Afghanistan cricket team in all three formats.
Indian Women Network floated by Confederation of Indian
• Former skipper Asghar Afghan will be the Vice Captain of
Industry.
Afghanistan Cricket team.
India USTR Talks Held in New Delhi
Agri-Business Incubation Centre started
• The bilateral talks were held between India and the United
• An Agri-Business Incubation Centre has started in Raipur.
States Trade Representative(USTR) in New Delhi on 12 July
• The centre is set up by the Union Agriculture Ministry in
2019.
the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University.
• The aim of the meeting was to provide a new impetus to
• The Centre is set up under the National Agriculture
bilateral trade and commercial ties between India and the
USA. Development Scheme- RAFTAAR.
• The Indian delegation was led by Sanjay Chadha, • Under the scheme, guidance, technology and
infrastructure will be provided to youth and entrepreneurs
Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce.
for start-ups in different areas of agriculture.
Film Divisions to launch documentary film club
Rafting Expedition on Indus River flagged off
• Film Divisions of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
• Fire and Fury Corps Chief of Staff Major General Arvind
launched 'KSHITIJ', a documentary film club in Mumbai on
Kapoor flagged off White Water Rafting Expedition on
12 July 2019.
Indus River in Leh on 12 July 2019.
• The initiative was launched in association with Indian
• The expedition is undertaken by the 27 member Parashu
Documentary Producer’s Association. Public screenings
Brigade led by Capt Hrishikesh Ghogare from Nyoma to
will begin at 5:30 PM on the second and fourth Friday of
Nimu.
every month.
• The screenings will be held at Films Division Complex. • The expedition will commemorate the sacrifices of the
brave soldiers to win the Kargil war.
Conference on Media Freedom held in London
WB Govt decides to construct 8.3 Lakh houses
• Indian delegation attended the Global Conference on
Media Freedom in London. • The West Bengal Government will construct 8 lakh 30
thousand houses under Bangla Abas Yojana for the people
• The Conference was attended by Prasar Bharati Chairman
belonging to economically weaker sections.
A Surya Prakash, Member of Parliament Swapan Das
• The Rural Development Department is implementing the
Gupta and Kanchan Gupta, Member, Press Council.
project as per the Socio-Economic Census of 2011.
• The UK government has committed 18 million pounds
• The centre is giving 60% of the fund while the State
towards improving media freedom across the world and
Government is bearing the rest of the expenditure for
announced the creation of a new Global Media Defence
implementation of the project.
Fund.
Sports
Miscellaneous News
• The independent Atlantic League became the first
• 'Ulto Rath Yatra' celebrated in West Bengal.
American professional baseball league to let a computer
• In Madhya Pradesh, continuous rain has damaged Asia's
call balls and strikes.
largest solar Power project in Rewa.
• In Archery, Deepika Kumari finished fourth in the women's
• West Bengal government observed Save Water Day on 12
recurve qualifying round at the Tokyo Olympic Games test
July 2019. The aim of the day is to create awareness
event on 12 July 2019.
among people to check misuse of water.
• In Table Tennis, G. Sathiyan and Anthony Amalraj won the
Obituaries bronze at the World Tour Platinum Australian Open on 13
July 2019.
• Former Secretary of Billiards and Snooker Federation of
India (BSFI), Mr C. Kapur passed away on 12 July 2019. India, Russia hold talks on space cooperation
• Well known Malayalam cinematographer M J
• India and Russia held high-level talks to elevate bilateral
Radhakrishnan passed away on 12 July 2019.
cooperation in the field of space, including assistance in
• Veteran journalist C.M. Ramachandra passed away on 12
India's 'Gaganyaan' mission.
July 2019. He was the Editorial Representative of The
Hindu in Karnataka.

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• NSA Ajit Doval and Dmitry Rogozin, Director-General of
Russia's space agency ROSCOSMOS, led the two sides in
the meeting held on 11 July 2019.
• India shares robust cooperation with Russia in strategic
areas of defence, nuclear and space.
First train under Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the first
train under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra scheme from
the Safdarjung railway station on 12 July 2019.
• Under the scheme, fully funded by the Delhi government,
the train will ferry 1,000 senior citizens on the Delhi-
Amritsar-Wagah Border-Anandpur Sahib tour circuit.
• The scheme covers five routes of religious importance.
Mysterious Black Hole Disc discovered
• Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have
discovered a disc very close to a starving black hole.
• The unexpected thin disc of material was found encircling
a supermassive black hole at the heart of the spiral galaxy
NGC 3147, located 130 million light-years away.
• A black hole is a region of space time exhibiting
gravitational acceleration so strong that nothing can
escape from it.
SBI waives IMPS charges from August 1
• State Bank of India (SBI) decided to remove the charges on
fund transfer through mobile phones using the IMPS
(Immediate Payment Service) from 1 August 2019.
• It has waived charges on NEFT and RTGS transactions
through the Internet and mobile banking from 1 July 2019.
• Before July 1, SBI used to charge between ₹1 and ₹5 for
transactions through NEFT and ₹5 to 50 for RTGS
transactions.
Central Universities Bill passed in Lok Sabha
• The Lok Sabha passed the Central Universities
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 to establish a central university
and a tribal university in Andhra Pradesh.
• Tribal University will provide research facilities in tribal art,
culture and customs.
• The establishment of a Central University and a Central
Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh was obligatory under
the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Microsoft launches AI for Cultural Programme
• Microsoft will now channel $10 million into an AI project
that focuses on tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
• It will use AI to work with nonprofits, universities and
governments around the world to help preserve the
languages we speak, the places we live and the artefacts
we treasure.
• AI for Cultural Heritage was announced by the company's
President Brad Smith.
Anshula Kant is World Bank MD and CFO
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Anshula Kant, Managing Director of the State Bank Of
India, has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief
Financial Officer of the World Bank.
• She will be the first woman CFO of the Bank. She will be
responsible for financial and risk management.
• Her duties will include risk management and financial
reporting and she will work with the Bank’s CEO to
mobilise financial resources.
YouTube Introduces ‘Learning Playlists’
• YouTube is bringing a new education feature “Learning
Playlists” with dedicated landing pages for educational
videos on topics like math, science, music and language.
• YouTube was investing $20 million to fund resources for
educational creators and organisations through a Learning
Fund initiative.
• CEO of YouTube - Susan Wojcicki.
• You Tube Established- February 2005.
Best performing state in education: Chandigarh
• Chandigarh has been ranked best among states and Union
territories in the field of education and is followed by
Kerala and Gujarat, according to HRD Ministry.
• As per the Performance Grading Index 2017-18, Arunachal
Pradesh is the least performing state and has been ranked
36 on the index.
• The information also shared by Union HRD Minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.
IAF to get ASRAAM
• The Indian Air Force plans to adopt Advanced Short Range
Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), a new European visual range
air to air missile, across its fighter fleet.
• IAF aims to expand its Su-30 fleet with a proposal to build
40 more jets under license at HAL’s Nashik facility.
• The adoption is a part of a £250 million IAF contract with
MBDA, UK.
• The contract was signed in July 2014.
The 2019 global Multidimensional Poverty Index
• UN Development Programme has released the 2019 global
Multidimensional Poverty Index.
• India’s MPI value reduced from 0.283 in 2005-06 to 0.123
in 2015-16.
• India has lifted 271 million people out of poverty between
2006 and 2016, recording the fastest reductions in the
multidimensional poverty index.
• In India Child mortality dropped from 4.5% to 2.2%.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga sets records
• In Weightlifting, Youth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy
Lalrinnunga smashed three records at the Commonwealth
Championships in Apia, Samoa.

• Jeremy, competing in the 67 kg category, obliterated the
Youth World, Asian and Commonwealth records in the
snatch category with a lift of 136 kgs.
• Achinta Sheuli lifted a total of 305 kgs to win the senior
and junior men's 73kg gold.
Commonwealth Championships I
• Papul Changmai clinched the silver medal in 81 kg category
by lifting a total of 313 kgs at the
Commonwealth Championships 2019 in Apia, city of
Samoa.
• P Anuradha lifted 221 kg to grab the first place in the
men's 87 kg category.
• Commonwealth gold medallist RV Rahul settled for the
second spot by lifting 325 kg in the 89 kg event.
Commonwealth Championships II
• Indian weightlifter Ajay Singh has won Gold in 81 kg
category at the Commonwealth Championships 2019 in
Apia, city of Samoa.
• He also created a new Commonwealth record in the clean
and jerk category by lifting more than double his body
weight (190 kg) to score vital points at the Olympic
qualifying event.
• He also smashed the national record in the same category.
NMMC launches rental services for e-bikes
• Along with the hugely popular Public Bicycle Sharing
System launched by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
in November last year, the civic body has now introduced
rental services for electric bikes.
• Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has taken a lead in
promoting electric vehicles in Maharashtra
• To hire an e-bike, one has to simply download YULU app
on their mobile phones and scan a code.
Centres for skill development in aviation
• Gujarat Government will develop Centers of Excellence for
skill development in the Aviation industry.
• This was announced by Captain Ajay Chauhan, Director of
Civil Aviation- Government of Gujarat.
• It was said during 2nd Gujarat Aviation Conclave
Conference on Business Opportunities in the aviation
sector held in Ahmedabad.
US-India trade could reach USD 238 billion
• US India Strategic and Partnership Forum has said, the
bilateral trade between the two countries could reach 238
billion Dollars by 2025 from the current 143 billion Dollars.
• In a report released on the occasion of its second annual
leadership summit, the US-based group USISPF said, this
growth will occur if trade grows by 7.5 per cent each year.
India, EU hold high-level talks on migration
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The 5th India-EU High-Level Dialogue on Migration and
Mobility was held in New Delhi.
• External Affairs Ministry said the discussion encompassed
a wide range of issues of mutual interest in the context of
migration and mobility along the India-EU corridor.
• Both sides reaffirmed that migration and mobility are
important dimensions of the strategic partnership
between India and EU.
India-US trade talks held in New Delhi
• India and US held trade talks in New Delhi to discuss
bilateral and economic issues.
• The visiting USTR delegation will also call on Commerce
and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal today.
• This is the first meeting on trade issues after the meeting
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President
Donald Trump in Japan on the sidelines of the G20
summit.
Model Tenancy Act (MTA) drafted
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has drafted a
‘Model Tenancy Act’, 2019.
• It envisages to balance the interest and rights of both the
owner and tenant and to create an accountable and
transparent ecosystem for renting the premises in
disciplined and efficient manner.
• Hardeep Singh Puri - MOS independent charge.
Mansukh Mandaviya to flag off vessel
• Minister of State for Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers,
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya will flag off an inland waterways
vessel containing cargo from Bhutan to Bangladesh via
River Brahmaputra (NW 2) and the Indo Bangla Protocol
Route.
• This is a first of its kind movement where an Indian inland
waterways is being used for connecting two countries –
landlocked Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Bank of Baroda to launch e-commerce platform
• Bank of Baroda plans to launch an online marketplace to
its customers offering banking services and farm-related
products.
• The state-owned lender has invited bids seeking a partner
to supply 'digital commerce platform' to provide assistance
to merchants.
• The bank will offer various kinds of banking services and
farm-related products on its e-commerce platform.
Appointments
• Balbir Singh Dhilon has replaced Rahil Ansari to become
Audi India's new head. Dhilon currently heads dealer
development and will be taking up his new position from
September 1, 2019.
• Accenture has announced that Julie Sweet has been
appointed chief executive officer. David Rowland,
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

currently interim chief executive officer, has been • Union cabinet banned the US Based Pro-Khalistani group
appointed executive chairman. Sikhs for Justice for alleged anti-national activities.
Secretary of Overseas Indian Affairs appointed • It propelled the Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its
separatist agenda.
• Senior diplomat Vikas Swarup has been appointed as • SFJ openly supported the cause of Khalistan, a Sikh
Secretary, Overseas Indian Affairs, according to an order separatist movement.
issued by the Personnel Ministry. • It challenged the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
• Swarup, a 1986-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, India.
is at present India’s High Commissioner in Ottawa.
Oriental Bank of Commerce bank cuts MCLR rate
• He has been appointed as the Secretary, in the External
Affairs Ministry with effect from August 1, 2019, the order • Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has reduced the
said. marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) by up to
Obituaries 10 basis points (bps) for various tenors.
• It is effective from 11 July 2019.
• Former Bengal and Railway leg-spinner Soumendranath • MCLR for overnight has been reduced to 8.20% from
Kundu passed away. Kundu was conferred the CAB Kartick 8.30% and one-month loan tenor has been reduced by 10
Bose life- time Achievement Award 2014. Kundu took 127 bps from 8.35% to 8.25%.
wickets in 30 First Class matches between 1958-59 and
1968-69. He also took 10 wickets in a match thrice.
• Actor Amit Purohit, who starred in the hit Telugu film,
Sammohanam, died.
Rajghat plant to be turned into solar park
• The Delhi government has announced that the Rajghat
thermal power plant will be officially shut and turned into
a solar park and electricity museum.
• A 5,000 KW of solar power will be produced at the 45 acre
plant site.
• The coal-based plant, whose current units were
commissioned in 1989, has been lying in a shutdown mode
from 2014.
Isha Kanth bags ICJ internship programme
• Indian girl, Isha Kanth is one of the two persons in the
world to have bagged an internship programme at the
International Court of Justice.
• She has earlier worked in rural Bihar spreading awareness
on the right to education and women empowerment
among children belonging to the marginalised sections.
• Headquarters: The Hague (Netherlands).
• President: Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia).
India gives pre-fabricated houses to Myanmar
• India handed over 250 pre-fabricated houses to Myanmar
in Maung Daw for use of displaced returnees from
Bangladesh.
• The Indian government had taken up the project under its World Population Day: 11 July
Rakhine State Development Programme for $ 25M for a • The United Nations observes 11 July every year as World
period of five years. Population Day.
• The MoU on RSDP signed between India and Myanmar in • This year’s World Population Day calls for global attention
December 2017 aims to contribute to the socio-economic to the unfinished business of the 1994 International
development of the area. Conference on Population and Development.
Government banned 'Sikhs for Justice' group • United Nations Headquarters - New York, USA
• Founded - 24 October 1945.
• Secretary General - Antonio Guterres.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

Index and rankings CHIK. Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan is the Group Director &
CEO – Personal Care & Alliances.
• Actor Akshay Kumar is the only face from Bollywood to
• FanMojo has appointed cricketer Prithvi Shaw as its brand
make it to Forbes’ annual Highest-Paid Celebrities list.
ambassador. Fanmojo is a fantasy platform where users
Singer Taylor Swift has topped the list, yet again after
play skill-based games to earn money.
2016.
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd., one of India’s leading FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019
life insurance companies, is the only life insurance
• The Estádio Bezerrão in Brasília (Gama) will make football
company to be recognised amongst India’s “Top 100 Great
history on 26 October when it hosts the opening match of
Places to Work For” by Great Place to Work Institute.
the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Smith & Nephew's NAVIO honored • It is the first-ever edition of this prestigious tournament to
be staged in Brazil.
• NAVIO has recently been felicitated at the prestigious 'The
• Three cities and four stadiums will host the FIFA U-17
Economic Times Best Healthcare Brands 2019'.
World Cup Brazil 2019.
• NAVIO is a robotics-assisted surgery system from Smith &
• In the past it has hosted 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cups,
Nephew, a Global medical technology provider.
as well as 2016 Olympics.
• This coveted and one of the most prestigious awards in
India honors brands which have shown robust growth by Bank in News
high customer satisfaction in the healthcare sector.
• RBI working group has suggested calibrated extension of
Govt to establish first Nat. Police University forex market trading hours from 9 am to 9 pm. The RBI
regulates money markets, Government Securities (G-Sec)
• Centre said it has initiated a proposal to establish the first
market, foreign exchange (Forex) market and the markets
National Police University in the country.
for derivatives on interest rate, currency and credit
• It will be dedicated to imparting education in policing and
derivatives.
internal security.
• The RBI cancelled licences of 1,701 non-banking financial
• The university will conduct academic programmes in
companies in the year ended 31 March.
specialized subjects.
• Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have set up dedicated RPF launched “Operation Thirst”
universities for conducting courses in police services and
• To curb the menace of unauthorized PDW (PACKAGED
internal security.
DRINKING WATER) in Railway premises, an all India drive
Lok Sabha passes NDAIC Bill named 'Operation Thirst' was launched.
• In the drive all the Zonal Principal Chief Security
• Lok Sabha passes New Delhi International Arbitration
Commissioners (PCSC) were asked to crackdown these
Centre Bill.
unauthorised activities.
• It seeks to provide for the establishment and incorporation
• During the drive, 1371 persons were arrested for selling of
of New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDAIC) for
packaged drinking water of unauthorised brands.
the purpose of creating an independent and autonomous
regime for institutionalized arbitration. Organized Group ‘A’ Status to RPF
• The legislation has provision to declare the NDIAC as an
• The Union Cabinet has approved Grant of Organised Group
institution of national importance.
'A' status to Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF).
Prasar Bharati signs MoU with IIT Kanpur • It will also give consequential benefits of Non-Functional
Financial Upgradation (NFFU) with effect from 01-01-2006.
• Prasar Bharati and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• Grant of status of Organized Group 'A' service to RPF will
signed a Memorandum of Understanding for research
end stagnation, improve career progression of the officers
collaboration in newly emerging technologies and
and keep up their motivational level.
broadcasting-related areas in New Delhi.
• The move is likely to boost research activities in the Cabinet approves Transgender Persons Bill 2019
broadcasting field.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce
• Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati - Shashi Shekhar
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019.
Vempati.
• The Bill provides a mechanism for their social, economic
• Director, IIT Kanpur - Abhay Karandikar.
and educational empowerment.
CavinKare & FanMojo appoints Brand Ambassadors • The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender
persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse
• CavinKare announced Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha as
against this marginalized section and bring them into the
the brand ambassador for its largest shampoo Brand,
mainstream of society.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

'Code on Occupational Safety' approved • Rakhi Halder and Davinder Kaur won a gold medal each in
the senior women’s section in Commonwealth
• The Cabinet has approved for introduction of the Code on
Weightlifting championship 2019.
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill,
• Kaur lifted a total of 184 kg (80+104) to win the women’s
2019 in the Parliament.
59 kg gold.
• The decision will enhance the coverage of the safety,
• while Halder clinched the yellow metal with a combined
health and working conditions provisions manifold as
effort of 214 kg (94+120) in the 64 kg category.
compared to the present scenario.
• India also won five other gold medals in the junior and
• The New Code has been drafted after amalgamation of the
youth sections.
relevant provisions of the 13 Central Labour acts.
Ukraine inaugurates world’s largest Metal Dome
'Banning of Unregulated Deposit Bill' passed
• Ukraine has inaugurated the world’s largest movable
• The Cabinet has approved the banning of Unregulated
metal dome encasing the destroyed reactor at the
Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.
infamous Chernobyl plant.
• It will replace the banning of Unregulated Deposit
• It is a 108-meter high dome which weighs 36,000 tonnes.
Schemes Ordinance, 2019.
• The Chernobyl nuclear power station was the scene of the
• The Bill will help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking
world's worst civilian nuclear accident on April 26, 1986.
activities in the country.
• Thirty people were killed in an explosion and many
• Illicit deposits, at present are exploiting regulatory gaps to
hundreds died of related illnesses.
dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned
savings. Sports
VNL signs pact with Vietnam • MS Dhoni became the only second Indian player to reach
the 350-game mark in One-Day International cricket (ODI).
• Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL) has inked a pact with Vietnam
The first Indian to set the record was Sachin Tendulkar.
to develop digital villages.
• India physiotherapist, Patrick Farhat’s tenure ended after
• Vihaan Networks Ltd will offer solutions for advancing
India lost to New Zealand in the World Cup 2019.
rural connectivity by developing digital villages in
• Elina Svitolina became first Ukrainian woman to reach
Vietnam’s underserved areas through solar-based cellular
and broadband solution. Wimbledon major semi finals.
• Vietnam Capital -Hanoi. Appointments
• Currency - Vietnamese dong.
• LinkedIn appointed Ashutosh Gupta as its new country
• Prime Minister - Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
manager for India. He will replace Mahesh Narayanan. He
• President - Nguyen Phu Trong.
was the country manager for India from January to June
Duty waived on products for nuclear plants 2019.
• Arun Kumar has been appointed as the Director General of
• Government of India has waived off basic customs duty
aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. He
(BCD) on products imported for nuclear plants.
will replace BS Bhullar.
• "All goods for use in generation of nuclear power” and “all
forms of uranium ores and concentrates for generation of Museum of Indian Cinema launched NMIC Bulletin
nuclear power” will now have to pay no basic customs
• The National Museum of Indian Cinema launched a
duty.
fortnightly bulletin named “NMIC Bulletin“.
• The department of atomic energy (DAE) imports uranium
• It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ore concentrate from firms in Kazakhstan and Canada, and
• It was brought out by the Films Division with veteran
Russia
filmmaker Jahnu Barua.
Deposits in PMJDY crosses Rs 1 lakh crore • The Museum was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister
of India on 19th January 2019.
• Deposits in bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan scheme
have crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark. Defence Ministry signed MoU with IPFC and NRDC
• As per the latest finance ministry data, the total balance in
• IPFC, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of
over 36.06 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
Defence and NRDC, Ministry of Science and Technology
accounts was at Rs 1,00,495.94 crore as on July 3.
signed an MoU with a vision to bridge the capacity
• The PMJDY was launched on August 28, 2014, with an aim
shortfall.
to provide universal access to banking facilities to the
• It will promote a culture of Innovation and Intellectual
people in the country.
Property Rights IPR in Indian Defence industry.
Rakhi Halder & Davinder Kaur won a gold medal

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• The move will be a boost to the Mission Raksha Gyan
Shakti.
India to host 14th COP of UNCCD
• India is set to host the 14th Conference of the Parties
(COP) of United Convention to combat Desertification
(UNCCD) from September 02 to 13.
• The global conference will be hosted at India Expo Mart
Limited in Greater Noida.
• Ahead of COP-14, Minister also launched “Bonn
Challange”, a maiden project to lay emphasis on India’s
capacity for forest landscape restoration.
Art and Culture
• The auspicious Kharchi Pooja started. Kharchi puja is a
Hindu festival in Tripura. The festival involves the worship
of the fourteen gods forming the dynasty deity of the
Tripuri people.
• In Sri Lanka, the fortnight long annual festival at historic
Kataragama temple began. Kathirgamam temple is
dedicated to Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama deviyo
and Hindu War God Murugan.
Commonwealth Weightlifting championship I
• India won 13 medals on the opening day of the
Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in Apia,
Samoa.
• The medals comprised 8 Gold, 3 silver and 2 Bronze.
• Former world champion Mirabai Chanu led the Indian
medal rush in the senior women's 49 kg event to win the
gold medal in the Olympic qualifying event.
Commonwealth Weightlifting championship II
• Jhilli Dalabehra also clinched the first place on the podium
with a lift of 154 kg in the senior women's 45 kg event
which is not an Olympic weight category.
• In the senior women's 55 kg, Soroikhaibam Bindyarani
Devi won the gold while silver went to Matsa Santoshi.
• In the senior men's 55kg category, Rishikanta Singh
grabbed the gold with a total lift of 235 kg.
Dutee Chand clinches gold medal
• Dutee Chand clinched a gold medal in the World
Universiade in 100 m dash event at Napoli in Italy.
• With this, she became the first Indian woman track and
field athlete to win Gold.
• She took 11.32 seconds to finish the race.
• Dutee has now become the second Indian sprinter to win a
gold in a global event after Hima Das.
Madhya Pradesh to produce its own seeds soon
• The Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Seed Federation
will produce seeds.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The decision has been taken in a Board of Directors’
meeting held under the chairmanship of the Minister for
Cooperatives Govind Singh in Bhopal.
• The brand name of seeds will be ‘Sah-Beej’.
• A plan has been made to produce seeds from the next
Rabi season.
NGT asks states to tackle crop burning
• National Green Tribunal has asked states of Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as to how they intend to tackle
the problem of crop burning.
• The bench is headed by NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel.
• The direction by the tribunal came following news reports
on deaths caused in the NCR due to air pollution, and crop
burning being one of the reasons for the poor air quality.
Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1
• Russia successfully launched Soyuz-2.1 a carrier rocket
with a hydrometeorological satellite and 32 small
satellites.
• The satellite will provide images of clouds, the surface of
the Earth, ice and snow covers in the visible, infrared and
microwave ranges.
• The ride-share mission lifted off from the Vostochny
Cosmodrome in eastern Russia.
Sharjah issues 1st permanent residency visa
• Sharjah’s first Golden Card visa was issued to an Indian
expat businessman Lalu Samuel.
• The move is a part of the permanent residency system
tailored for investors.
• The Golden Card is a 10-year long-term visa eligible for
investors and entrepreneurs to engage them in the
renaissance and development of the UAE.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis becomes Greece’s new PM
• Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as the Prime minister of
Greece.
• Mitsotakis is the son of former prime minister Constantine
Mitsotakis, one of the country’s longest serving
parliamentarians.
• Greece Capital - Athens
• Greece Currency - Euro
Sri Lanka eliminates measles
• Sri Lanka has become fifth country in the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Southeast Asia region to eliminate
measles.
• The other countries in the region which have achieved this
feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste.
• Measles is a highly infectious illness caused by the rubeola
virus.
• WHO estimate that 2.6 million people who have not had
the vaccine die of measles every year.
Awards and Honours

• Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s directorial ‘Gully Boy’ has won
the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Award at
the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in
South Korea.
• The amplified version of honey bees sound used by the
Northeast Frontier Railways to ward off elephants from
tracks, thereby preventing any mishap deaths has won
Indian Railways' best innovation of the year award.
Sports
• Magnus Carlsen won the 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour
title. India’s Viswanathan Anand ended up with 4.5 points
and finished 11th.
• Arinjeeta Dey, a 10-year-old girl, has won a silver medal in
the World Youth Cup held in Umag, Croatia. The
tournament was organised by World Karate Federation
affiliated to the International Olympic Association.
Appointments
• Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar of India assumed
charge as Force Commander of United Nations Mission in
South Sudan. Shailesh Tinaikar has been awarded the Sena
Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal for Distinguished
Service.
• BCCI has formally appointed Rahul Dravid as
the Indian National Cricket Academy’s Head of
Cricket. Dravid will oversee all cricket related activities at
NCA.
Obituaries
• Former India football goalkeeper from Tamil Nadu A. U.
Celestine passed away. He played for the Tamil Nadu
men’s team in the senior Nationals as a keeper in the 1965
and 69 National championships.
• Rip Torn, a distinguished actor in theater, television and
movies and an Emmy winner in his 60s for his comedy
piece on TV's 'The Larry Sanders Show has passed away.
AIFF Awards announced
• Indian men's football team captain Sunil Chhetri and
women's footballer Ashalata Devi bagged the top honours
at the All India Football Federation's Awards.
• Development Programme - Jammu & Kashmir Football
Association.
• Best Referee - R. Venkatesh.
• Best Assistant Referee - Joseph Tony.
• Emerging Women’s Footballer 2018-19 - Dangmei Grace.
• Emerging Men’s Footballer of the Year- Abdul Sahal.
2nd India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue
• The 2nd India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue began in
New Delhi.
• The first Dialogue was held in St. Petersburg in November
2018.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The meeting will focus on six core areas of cooperation,
including development of transport infrastructure and
technologies, agriculture and agro-processing sector and
small and medium business support.
France to impose green tax on plane tickets
• France will impose green tax up to €18 on plane tickets
from 2020.
• The move aims to fund less-polluting transportation
projects.
• A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018,
which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every
ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the
climate.
CP 9th most expensive office location in world
• According to property consultant CBRE, New Delhi’s
Connaught Place (CP) is the 9th most expensive office
location in the world.
• Hong Kong’s Central district retained the top spot as the
world’s most expensive market for prime office rents.
• Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point CBD
slipped to 27th and 40th position.
2 new Chinook helicopters arrived in Gujarat
• American aerospace major Boeing announced the arrival
of two new heavy-lift Chinook helicopters for the Indian
Air Force at the Mundra port in Gujarat.
• The Indian Air Force has ordered 15 Chinooks and the first
four helicopters arrived in February.
• The advanced multi-mission helicopter will provide the
Indian armed forces unmatched strategic airlift capability.
Venkaiah Naidu released 'Vivekadeepini' book
• Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu released a
book titled Vivekadeepini.
• It was initially written by Adi Shankaracharya who is one of
India’s greatest spiritual and literary geniuses.
• Vivekadeepini is a summary of Prashnottara Ratnamalika
written by Adi Shankaracharya.
• It contains universal truths and are the starting point for
reflection.
Next session of Heritage Committee in Fuzhou
• The city of Fuzhou (China) will host the next session of the
World Heritage Committee in 2020.
• This decision concluded the work of the 43rd session of
the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Baku since 30
June.
• During this year’s session, the World Heritage Committee
inscribed a total of 29 new sites on the World Heritage
List.
• The committee included Jaipur in UNESCO's cultural list.
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in UNESCO's list

• The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in south-west Victoria
has been included in UNESCO's World heritage list.
• It is the 20th site in Australia to make it to the UNESCO's
List.
• The landscape is marked for its Aboriginal cultural
importance.
• It is considered as one of the oldest aquaculture sites in
the world.
• The site was cared for over 6,600 years and is important to
the Gunditjmara People.
Vinesh Phogat won gold medal
• India’s wrestler Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal
after shifting to 53 kg category at the Grand Prix of Spain
2019 at Madrid, Spain.
• Divya Kakran claimed the top honours in the 68 kg
category.
• In the championship, India finished second with 130 points
in team championship behind Russia which secured 165.
• Vinesh defeated Jessica Blaszka (Dutch) at the finals.
Odisha implemented Witness Protection Scheme
• The Odisha government implemented the Centre’s
Witness Protection Scheme 2018.
• By this Odisha became the first State to implement the
Scheme.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• On December 5 2018, Supreme Court has directed all
States and Union Territories to endorse the scheme.
• The Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 shall be the 'law'
under Article 141 and 142 of the Constitution, till the
enactment of suitable legislation.
Mexico won 8th CONCACAF Gold Cup
• Mexico's men's soccer team have won their record eighth
CONCACAF Gold Cup by defeating the United States 1-0 in
the final.
• The single goal was hit by Mexico’s Jonathan dos Santos.
• CONCACAF is the international men’s football
championship of North, Central American, and Caribbean
region.
• The 2019 CONCACAF was hosted by US, Costa Rica and
Jamaica.
Operation Milap of Delhi Police
• The Delhi Police Crime Branch has rescued 333 children
from Delhi as these children were missing since January
2019 from various parts of the country.
• The operation Milap was launched in December 2014.
• Under this project, the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU)
of the Delhi Police develops information, rescues the
trafficked or kidnapped person and arrests the
kidnappers.
US approves arms sale to Taiwan
• The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale
to Taiwan of M1A2T Abrams tanks, Stinger missiles and
related equipment at an estimated value of $2.2 billion.
• This was done despite China's criticism of the deal. US
said that this will not alter the basic military balance in the
region.
• The United States is the main arms supplier to Taiwan,
which China deems a disloyal province.
Jallianwala Bagh Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
• The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (amendment) Bill
was introduced in Lok Sabha by Culture Minister Prahlad
Singh Patel.
• It seeks to remove the Congress president as a permanent
member in a trust that runs the Jallianwala Bagh National
Memorial trust.
• The members are- PM as the chairperson, President of
INC, Culture Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok
Sabha, Punjab governor & CM.
DEEP-CEE: AI Powered tool launched
• Matthew Chan, a doctoral researcher at Lancaster
University has developed deep learning technology called
'Deep-CEE' (Deep Learning for Galaxy Cluster Extraction
and Evaluation)
• It speeds up the hunt for galaxy clusters by using neural
networks, which mimic the way the human brain identifies

objects i.e. by using specific neurons that can visualise
patterns and colours.
Earth Alliance launched
• Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth
will launch Earth alliance to tackle climate change.
• Caprio has merged his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation into
Earth Alliance.
• The alliance will work globally to protect ecosystems,
climate change, support renewable energy, and secure
indigenous rights to the benefit of all life on earth.
New tranche of gold bonds out
• The government announced a new tranche of sovereign
gold bonds at an issue price of ₹3,443 per gram, with a
discount of 1.45%.
• Sovereign gold bonds track the price of physical gold and
also pay out an interest of 2.5%.
• These bonds are government securities denominated in
grams of gold and come with a maturity period of 8 years
with an exit option from the fifth year.
India's 1st elephant rehabilitation centre
• India's first elephant rehabilitation centre will be situated
in Kottoor, Kerala. It is an ecotourism village.
• It is being planned on the lines of the Pinnawala Elephant
Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
• It will have an elephant museum, mahout training centre,
super-specialty hospital, a retirement home and
crematorium for the animals, will house orphaned, injured
and older elephants.
Sri Lanka inaugurates first model village
• Ranidugama- The 1st Model Village having 2400 houses
and built with Indian assistance in Sri Lanka was
inaugurated.
• This is a part of housing project meant for civil war-
affected people and estate workers.
• India has partnered with Sri Lankan Ministry of Housing
and Construction and Cultural Affairs and will also provide
a grant of Rs 1,200 million (USD 17.5 million) for the same.
RBI's norms stricter than requirements: BCBS
• RBI's norms on large exposures for banks are compliant
with the Basel requirements, infact they are stricter in
some areas, according to the Basel Committee on Banking
Supervision.
• The assessment was conducted by the Regulatory
Consistency Assessment Programme (RCAP) and focused
on the completeness and consistency of the domestic
regulations in commercial banks in India.
Parliament passes Aadhaar amendment Bill
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Rajya Sabha passed the Aadhaar and Other Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 by a voice vote, which was passed
by Lok Sabha on July 4.
• It allows voluntary use of Aadhaar as identity proof to
open bank accounts and get mobile connection.
• It provides for a ₹1 crore penalty and a jail term for private
entities violating provisions on Aadhaar data and also
allows Adhaar's use for KYC authentication.
50 years of partnership of India and UNWFP
• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri
Narendra Singh Tomar launched a Coffee Table Book-50
years of Partnership for Change.
• This was launched along with Dr. Hameed Nuru,
Representative and Country Director, UN World Food
Programme in India, to commemorate 50 years of
partnership between the Ministry and the agency towards
addressing food and nutritional security in India.
Delhi-Lucknow Tejas-first privately run train
• The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express is set to be the first train
to be operated by private players, as a part of the 100 day
agenda of Indian railways to hand over the operation of
two trains to private sector on a trial basis.
• The train was announced in 2016 but was introduced in
the new time table released recently.
• It is currently parked at the Annandnagar railway station in
Uttar Pradesh.
US Congress to vote for Green card bill
• The US Congress will vote for the Green card bill that will
remove the per country cap on the number of green cards
issues by the US.
• This will mainly benefit high-tech professionals on H-1B
work visas from countries like India.
• The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, also known
as HR 1044 is being supported by 203 Democrats and 108
Republicans, and requires 290 votes to be passed.
Facebook to clarify how it makes money
• Facebook is updating its terms and services guidelines to
clarify how it makes money from the personal information
of its users.
• This is an attempt to satisfy regulators in the U.S. and
Europe, which have urged the company to make sure
users know what they are signing up for.
• Even after deleting the information, it might still exist on
Facebook’s servers for 90 days.
Twitter to mark rule breaking tweets
• Twitter would label and deprioritise tweets from officials
and politicians that violates its rules.
• Users will see a notice about a tweet which violates the
rules and must then tap or click through to see the
message.

• It would only apply to verified political candidates and
government officials with more than 1,00,000 followers.
iPhone designer John Ive quits Apple
• Apple's Chief Design Officer, John Ive will quit Apple after
more than two decades.
• He's the man behind the iconic designs of the iPhone, iMac
and iPad.
• He will be starting his own new design firm, LoveFrom,
from which he will cater to Apple.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to visit India
• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will be making a short visit
to India in Sept.
• He was supposed to visit India in Feb which was cancelled
due to elections in both the countries. Earlier, he had
visited India in 2018 which marked 25 years since the
establishment of full diplomatic relations.
• PM Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Israel in 2017.
RBI board finalises Utkarsh 2022
• RBI board finalised the three-year medium-term strategy -
Utkarsh 2022 during its meeting held in New Delhi.
• The issues to be discussed were finalised by the committee
headed by outgoing Deputy Governor Viral Acharya.
• It is a roadmap to improve regulation and supervision,
currency management and payment system etc. The board
also finalised RBI's budget for July 2019-June 2020.
India slams OHCHR's reports on J&K
• India has strongly condemned the report released
by Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human
Rights.
• The report mentions that neither India nor Pakistan have
taken any concrete steps to address the concerns raised by
it last year in its first-ever report.
• India strongly protested that this report is a continuation
of the last year's report, which wasn't favouring India
either.
J&K govt approves Aadhaar-linked payment mode
• Jammu and Kashmir government has approved Aadhaar-
linked payment mode for disbursal of pension to
beneficiaries under various central and state-sponsored
schemes.
• It is done to ensure transparency and avoid delays.
• The move is aimed at ensuring transparency and avoid
delays in disbursement of pension to eligible old-aged,
widows and physically challenged persons.
Operation ‘Sudarshan’ launched
• BSF has launched the operation ‘Sudarshan’ to fortify the
‘anti-infiltration grid’ along the Pakistan border in Punjab
and Jammu.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• It was launched on July 1 and will cover the entire 1,000-
kms length of the India-Pakistan International Border.
• The Border Security Force is the primary force guarding
this frontier as the ‘first line of defence’.
UAE Foreign Minister on India's visit
• Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah
bin Zayed Al Nahyan will held bilateral talks with External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.
• The UAE Foreign Minister is on a three-day visit to India.
• The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and fourth
largest energy supplier.
Deutsche Bank exits from Equities Business
• Deutsche Bank, the German bank, announced that it is to
pull out of global equities sales and trading, scale back
investment banking.
• The decision of the bank will cut down 18,000 jobs for a
global headcount of around 74,000 employees by 2022.
• The move comes after the departure of the chief Garth
Ritchie by mutual agreement.
P Kashyap gets silver medal
• In Badminton, India's Parupalli Kashyap lost to Li Shi Feng
of China in the men's singles title clash of the Canada
Open.
• He got silver medal in the tournament.
• Kashyap entered the final, defeating Taiwan's Wang Tzu-
wei in a semi-final encounter at Calgary.
Govt to set up 3 CoE in Sports at Itanagar
• Youth Affairs and Sports minister, Kiren Rijiju has informed
that central government is going to set-up three Sports
Centre of Excellence in Itanagar.
• The three centre of excellence will be for Martial Arts,
Weight Lifting and Boxing.
• The government will also set up 12 to 15 football stadiums
in the next 3 years.
• He also said that Arunachal Pradesh will host the North
East Youth Festival.
Medals won by India
• Hima Das won her second international gold in women's
200m with a top finish at the Kutno Athletics Meet in
Poland.
• Hima took 23.97 seconds to clinch the gold while VK
Vismaya bagged the silver in 24.06 seconds.
• Muhammed Anas won the gold in men's 200m race in
21.18 seconds.
• MP Jabir won the gold in men's 400m hurdles in 50.21
seconds while Jithin Paul was third in 52.26 seconds.
World’s First Interactive Browser Launched
• Popshot, the world’s first ever interactive browser built for
smartphones, launches in India.

• Popshot is a smart app that changes the way people
explore, share, and save the web through a first-of-its-kind
interactive screenshot feature.
• This promises to redefine the users’ digital capabilities in
exploring, bookmarking and sharing content by making it
more visual, organized and direct.
Indian Army to buy long-range howitzer ammo
• The Indian Army is planning to acquire the Excalibur
artillery ammunition from the Americans under the
emergency procurement procedures.
• It is capable of hitting targets more than 50 Kilometers
away.
• This Excalibur ammunition can be fired from US-made M-
777 ultra-light howitzers which are already in process of
being inducted in the Army.
DRDO carries out successful Nag missile tests
• DRDO carried out three successful test firings of the
Nag missiles in the Pokhran firing ranges.
• The Defence Acquisition Council has last year approved
the procurement of DRDO's designed and developed NAG
Missile System (NAMIS).
• The system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided
Missile, the NAG, along with the NAMICA.
• The NAG missile is a third generation anti-tank guided
missile.
Rohit Sharma made history
• Rohit Sharma made history by making 5th century in 2019
World Cup against Sri Lanka.
• 5 centuries is an all-time record for most tons in a single
edition of the tournament. Kumar Sangakkara, with 4
centuries in the 2015 World Cup, was the previous holder
of this record.
• Rohit became the second Indian batsman after Sachin
Tendulkar to score 600 or more runs in a single World Cup
edition.
Sports I
• Jasprit Bumrah became the second-fastest Indian bowler
to bag 100 ODI wickets.
• JP Duminy and spinner Imran Tahir of South Africa ended
their One-day International careers at Old Trafford.
• Roger Federer created the history by becoming the first
player – man or woman – to win 350 singles matches at
the majors.
Sports II
• The United States won a record-extending fourth FIFA
Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over the
Netherlands. Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle confirmed
their status as the leading power in the women’s game.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Brazil won the Copa America Final 2019. Gabriel Jesus
made one goal and showed exceptional skills. Brazil
defeated Peru by 3-1.
Banks in News
• The Reserve Bank of India announced an additional
liquidity facility to banks for purchase of assets from and
on-lending to non-banking financial companies and
housing finance companies. This will enable banks to avail
additional liquidity of ₹1,34,000 crore.
• Punjab National Bank has reported RBI about a fraud of
more than Rs 3,800 crore by Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd.
PM unveils Lal Bahadur Shastri statue
• The Prime Minister unveiled the statue of former Prime
Minister Sh. Lal Bahadur Shastri at the Lal Bahadur Shastri
International Airport in Varanasi.
• He then launched the tree-plantation drive at Anand
Kanan Vatika in Varanasi.
• He also visited the virtual museum at Man Mahal.
• The museum is a cultural landmark in the city of Varanasi,
showcasing the various aspects of our cultural heritage.
Assam to develop over 300 tourist spots
• Assam government has taken a step to develop 316
tourists spot in the state.
• 150 crore rupees will be spent to develop these locations
under Axom Darshan.
• MD of Assam Tourism Development Corporation Phukan
added that river tourism is one of the sought after sectors
in Assam and the state government will utilise the mighty
Brahmaputra to develop the sector.
Obituaries
• Joao Gilberto, the legendary Brazilian musician and
songwriter died. He was a pioneer of the lilting, melodious
music known as bossa nova.
• Cameron Boyce, a young actor who starred in the Disney
Channel series Jessie and played a major role in the
Descendants series of Disney crossover movies, has died.
• R. Ramakrishnan, a member of the Rajya Sabha between
1981 and 1987, passed away.
Appointments
• J&K Bank announced the appointment of Rajni Saraf as the
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank. Having
experience of more than three decades in the banking
industry, Saraf currently heads the Supervision and Control
Division of the bank.
• Kartik Aaryan is Manyavar’s new brand ambassador
and Katrina Kaif is Reebok's new brand ambassador.
Miscellaneous News
• To serve the underprivileged children, Bring a Smile
Foundation along with Cyberabad Police, SCSC and GHMC,

launched Smile Box campaign aimed at bringing a 'smile'
on their faces.
• As part of celebrations of 20 years of Kargil victory,
commemorative treks were organised by 13 Jammu and
Kashmir Rifles and 18 Grenadiers battalion of the Indian
Army to Batra Top and Tiger hill.
Vertical steep dive version of Brahmos tested
• India has successfully tested the vertical steep dive version
of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile that changes the
dynamics of conventional war fare.
• The CEO of Bramhos Aerospace Dr. Sudhir Mishra said that
the 'Made in India' Brahmos Aerospace is also ready with a
longer 500 km range version of the Brahmos missile.
• It can be fired from Sukhoi 30 fighter jets.
One-time settlement scheme launched
• On 1 July 2019, the Uttarakhand government launched a
one-time settlement scheme for those who have taken a
loan of up to Rs 60 lakh from co-operative banks.
• The scheme has been launched to recover co-operative
banks' Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) worth Rs 391.50
crore which has piled up over the last 25 years.
• The 100-day scheme will last until 7 October 2019.
Guidelines on self-care interventions launched
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched its
first guidelines on self-care interventions for health.
• The guidelines focus on sexual and reproductive health
and rights.
• The guidelines have been launched in response to an
estimate that by 2035 the world will face a shortage of
nearly 13 million healthcare workers.
Business & Economy
Indian IT companies contributed 57.2 bn $
• Indian IT companies contributed 57.2 billion dollars to the
GDP of the US in 2017.
• India-based global IT services companies employ more
than 175,000 workers in the US accounting for 8.4 per cent
of employment in the computer systems design industry.
• The two-way investments between India and the US have
reached about 60 billion dollars.
RBI relaxed Ext Commercial Borrowing norms
• The RBI has liberalised the end-use stipulations for the
External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) both for
corporates as well as liquidity starved non-banking
lenders.
• The liberalisation will be applicable to ECBs taken for
working capital, general corporate purpose loans or
repayment of rupee loans.
• The RBI also issued a revised circular for bankers capturing
the changes.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
RBI slapped fine on Mobikwik and Hip Bar
• The RBI has imposed a fine of about Rs.26 lakh on 2 online
payment solutions providers for non-compliance of
regulatory guidelines.
• Mobikwik Systems Private Limited has been slapped a fine
of 15 lakh rupees while Hip Bar Pvt Ltd faced a fine of
10.85 lakh rupees.
• Bipin Preet Singh is the CEO of Mobikwik, while Venkata
Prashant Rao Adurty is the CEO of Hip Bar.
NPCI ties up with JCB for global RuPay card
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB
International, along with domestic banks, have launched
RuPay JCB Global Cards.
• The cards will be accepted in India at all POS terminals and
ATMs that accept JCB cards.
• NPCI had earlier tied up with Discover for international
cards.
RBI launches banking framework 'Utkarsh 2022'
• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launched Utkarsh 2022, the
central banks' medium-term strategy framework on 23
July 2019.
• The framework has been launched to achieve excellence in
the performance of RBI's mandates and strengthening the
trust of citizens and other institutions.
• The strategic framework contains, the RBI's mission, core
purpose, values and vision statements.
GST rates reduced on Electrical Vehicles
• The GST Council has decided to reduce GST Rate on
Electrical Vehicles from 12% to 5%.
• The new rates will come into effect from the 1 August
2019.
• The Council also approved an exemption from GST on the
hiring of Electric Buses by local authorities.
• It also decided to reduce the rate on Electric Vehicle
Chargers from 18% to 5%.
IBBI amends norms for liquidation process
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has
amended norms pertaining to insolvency resolution
process for corporate persons and liquidation process.
• The amendments specify the process for withdrawal of
applications before the constitution of Committee of
Creditors (CoC) and other scenarios.
• CoC has to approve a plan providing for contribution for
meeting the liquidation costs
India creates records in nuclear power sector
• India made huge achievements in the nuclear power
sector during the last 3 years.
• It includes setting of World Record in the continuous
operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating
Station among nuclear power plants of all technologies.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Completion of 50 years of safe operation of Units 1&2 of
Tarapur Power Station, which are currently the oldest
reactors in operation in the world.
Cars24 got NBFC licence from RBI
• Cars24 has received a non-banking finance company
(NBFC) licence from the RBI.
• It is set to carve out the lending business as a separate
entity within the Cars24 group.
• The company plans to foray into both consumer lending
and business lending, to eventually expand its scope of
operations and help it cater to a larger clientele.
Increase of loan limits to MSME sector
• A Committee was constituted by Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), headed by former SEBI Chairman UK Sinha.
• It has recommended that the limit for collateral free
lending should be increased to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and
Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• The Committee has also recommended revision of loan
limit sanctioned under MUDRA to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10
lakh.
• ICC officially launched the inaugural World Test
Championship (WTC), which will get underway on 1 August
2019.
• To be played over two years, the World Test Championship
will witness the top 9 Test teams in the world compete in
71 Test matches across 27 series.
• The 2 top teams will then go head to head in the World
Test Championship final to be held in the United Kingdom
in 2021.
TN girl won gold medal in World Deaf title
• Tamil Nadu girl Jerlin Anika has won the gold medal in the
World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships held in
Taipei.
• Anika bagged four medals in the championship, including
the gold, two silver and one bronze.
• The President of Taiwan is Tsai Ing-wen and the Currency
of Taiwan is Taiwanese Dollar.

Sports
Venugopal Rao announces retirement
• Former India batsman and Andhra Pradesh skipper
Venugopal Rao announced retirement from all forms of
the game.
• He made his debut against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on July
30, 2005.
• He played his last ODI against West Indies at Basseterre on
May 23, 2006.
Sports
• Indian Test opener Prithvi Shaw has been suspended by
the BCCI till November 15, 2019, for a doping violation.
Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance,
which can be commonly found in cough syrups.
• B.Sai Praneeth has jumped four places to enter in the top
20 players in the latest World Badminton Rankings.
Praneeth is now World No.19 in Men's Singles badminton
ranking.
Sports
• Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice
Evra has announced his retirement. He had played 81
times for France and also captained the side at the 2010 Egan Bernal claimed Tour de Title
World Cup in South Africa. • Egan Bernal became the first Colombian to win the Tour
• American Collin Morikawa has won the US PGA title at the de France when he retained the overall leader’s yellow
Barracuda Championship. This was his 1st win in the US jersey after 21st and final stage won by Caleb Ewan of
PGA title. US’s Troy Merritt finished as the runner up of Australia.
the event. • He beat Geraint Thomas of Britain with Dutchman Steven
ICC launched World Test Championship Kruijswijk coming home third.

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• Slovakian Peter Sagan wrapped up a record seventh green
jersey for the points classification.
Sports I
• World number one Brooks Koepka celebrated a three-
stroke victory and claimed his maiden World Golf
Championship. He defeated Rory Mcllory.
• In the Freedom Cup, New Zealand’s All Blacks and the
South African Springboks shared the trophy after the two
teams ended with a 16-16 draw.
Sports II
• Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad set new 400 meter
hurdles record in 52.20 seconds, smashed previous mark
of 52.34 seconds. McLaughlin finished second in
52.88, with Spencer third in 53.11.
• The third edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held
in Guwahati in 2020. Games to be held from 18th January
next year, will see participation of more than 10,000
athletes and officials.
Nikoloz won German Tennis Championships
• Nikoloz Basilashvili emerged victorious after a three-set
battle with Andrey Rublev to successfully defend his title
at the German Tennis Championships.
• The reigning champion claimed his 12th straight win in
Hamburg 7-5 4-6 6-3.
• With the win, he has become first player to win the event
in successive years since Roger Federer in 2004-2005.
Mary Kom, Simranjit won gold
• Mary Kom in 51kg category and Simranjit Kaur in 60kg
category grabbed a gold each in 23rd President's Cup
Boxing Tournament in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.
• Mary decimated Australian April Franks 5-0 in finals.
• Simranjit Kaur defeated Indonesia's Hasanah Huswatun 5-
0 in the finals.
• Indian boxers finished their campaign in the tournament
with 9 medals. The rich haul comprised 7 gold and 2 silver.
•
Defence
Tarun Chaudhri: 1st pilot to skydive jump
• Wing commander Tarun Chaudhri became the first pilot of
Indian Armed Forces (IAF ) to do a wingsuit jump.
• The jump was accomplished by Chaudhri from a Mi-17
helicopter from an altitude of 8500 feet.
• This is the first flying wingsuit jump demonstration at an
organised gathering.
• The jump was undertaken during the Kargil Diwas
celebrations at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 21-22 July
2019.
IN LCU L56 ship commissioned into Indian Navy
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The sixth ship of the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) MK IV class,
IN LCU L56, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29
July 2019.
• Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Eastern Naval Command
commissioned the ship in Visakhapatnam.
• LCU L56 is an amphibious ship with its primary role being
transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks,
Armoured Vehicles, Troops and Equipment from ship to
shore.
IAF got 1st batch of 4 Apache attack
• US aerospace major Boeing handed over the first four of
the 22 Apache attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force on
27 July 2019.
• Additional four choppers will be delivered to the IAF next
week.
• The AH-64E Apache, also flown by the US army, is one of
the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters.
• This will be the Indian army's first fleet of attack choppers.
INS Tarkash arrived in Russia
• Indian Naval Ship Tarkash arrived at St. Petersburg, Russia
on 25 July 2019 to participate in the Russian Navy Day
Parade.
• INS Tarkash will form part of the mobile column for the
review by the President of the Russian Federation.
• During its stay in harbour, the ship will be berthed at Lt
Schmidt Embankment and remain open for visitors on 26
and 27 July 2019.
Dashboard of DDP launched
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched a Dashboard
of Department Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of
Defence, to help in effective monitoring of various
initiatives and schemes of the department.
• Through this initiative, the Ministry will be able to keep
track of the major components of Defence Production,
including defence exports, defence offsets, and
MissionRaksha Gyan Shakti.
20th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
• The 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas was celebrated
on 26 July 2019.
• The day is named after the successful Operation Vijay in
1999, when India regained the control of the high outposts
which had been stealthily taken over by Pakistan.
• The celebrations of 20th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
began in Delhi on 14 July 2019.
India to launch 1st-ever space war exercise
• The Indian armed forces are all set to conduct the
country’s first-ever simulated space warfare exercise
“IndSpaceEx”.

• This excercise will lead to an assessment of the imminent
threats in the expanse beyond earth and the drafting of a
joint space doctrine for futuristic battles.
• Ministry of Defence will organize exercise with all three
forces together.
HAL delivered Chetak to Indian Navy
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a
Chetak helicopter ahead of schedule to the Indian Navy.
• HAL had entered into a contract with the Indian Navy in
August 2017 for the supply of eight Chetak helicopters.
• Two helicopters were scheduled to be delivered in August
2019 while the remaining were to be delivered in August
2020.
Navy Commissions Dornier Squadron INAS 313
• The Navy commissioned its fifth Dornier Aircraft Squadron
- Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 313 in Chennai on 22th
July 2019.
• INAS 313 derives its name ‘Sea Eagle’ from the bird of prey
family Accipitridae.
• The Squadron will be operating from Chennai International
Airport.
• With this Tamil Nadu will have three naval air bases; which
is the highest number for any Coastal State.
Dhoni to train with Parachute regiment
• MS Dhoni’s request to train with a battalion of the Indian
Army’s Parachute Regiment for two months has been
approved by Army chief General Bipin Rawat.
• Some part of his training is expected to take place in
Jammu & Kashmir.
• He holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the
Territorial Army unit of the Parachute Regiment (106 Para
TA battalion).
Indian Army to witness change
• The Indian Army is all set to see a major change in its top
brass as the government is expected to announce the
appointment to the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff and
top Army Commanders anytime soon.
• Eastern Army Commander Lt General MM Narawane is set
to take over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff to replace
incumbent Lt Gen Devraj Anbu who is due to retire on
August 31, 2019.
11th DefExpo to be organised in 2020
• The 11th biennial edition of DefExpo India- 2020 is
scheduled to be held for the first time in Uttar Pradesh.
• It will be held from 5th-8th February 2020.
• Main theme of the DefExpo India- 2020 will be ‘India: The
Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ and focus will be
on ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.
Israel Aerospace signs $50 Million deal
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• State-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace
Industries has signed a $50 million follow-up contract to
provide complementary missile systems to the Indian navy
and India’s MDL Shipyard.
• The agreement involves a range of maintenance and other
services for sub-systems of Israel Aerospace's naval
medium-range surface-to-air missile.
India & China joint military drill in Dec
• The next edition of India and China military drill will be
held in December 2019.
• The joint military exercise 'Hand-in-Hand' will be held in
Umroi near Shillong, Meghalaya.
• The last exercise, which was the seventh edition, was held
in Chengdu in December 2018.
• In Umroi, the two forces will focus on counter-terror
operations, establishment of the joint command post and
joint combat drill.
Exercise Garuda-VI successfully conducted
• After successful exercise Garuda-VI, the Indian Air Force
(IAF) Contingent landed back in India from France on 19
July 2019.
• Exercise Garuda provided a unique opportunity for the
exchange of knowledge & experience in a dynamic warfare
environment.
• This was one of the biggest air exercises that are being
planned between the two Air Forces.
Defence
• Indian Army successfully carried out summer user trials of
third Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile NAG at Pokhran
Field Firing Ranges, conducted between July 7-18, 2019.
• INS Tarkash, a frontline warship of the Indian Navy, made
a port call at Karlskrona, Sweden on 19 July 2019. This
marks the first visit of an Indian Naval Ship to Swedish
shores after a gap of more than 15 years.
Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 2 bridge projects
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a day-long visit
of Jammu and Kashmir on 20 July 2019.
• During his visit he will pay tributes to the Martyrs on 20th
anniversary of Kargil war and will interact with troops.
• He will also inaugurate 2 bridge projects on the rivers Ujh
in Kathua district and Basantar in Samba district of Jammu
division.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat visited Dras sector
• Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, visited Dras
sector on 19 July 2019.
• During the visit, he was briefed by the General Officer
Commanding, 'Fire & Fury' Corps on the prevailing
situation and operational preparedness in the Sector.
• He also interacted with soldiers deployed on the Line of
Control (LC).

• He was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding-
in-Chief, Northern Command.
INS Sagardhwani embarked on Sagar Maitri Misn
• Oceanographic research vessel of DRDO, INS Sagardhwani,
embarked on a 2-month long SAGAR MAITRI (SM) Mission-
2 from South Jetty, Southern Naval Command (SNC) in
Kochi on 18 July 2019.
• INS Sagardhwani has been designed and developed by
Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL),
Kochi.
• SAGAR MAITRI Mission-2 commemorates the Golden
Jubilee Celebrations of ship INS Kistna’s missions.
RM trophy for best command hospitals
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded Raksha Mantri
Trophy for the Best and Second Best Command Hospitals
of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year
2018, on 16 July 2019.
• Command Hospital Air Force Bengaluru was adjudged Best
Command Hospital.
• Command Hospital Central Command Lucknow was
adjudged the Second-Best Command Hospital.
20th anniversary of Kargil victory celebrated
• The celebrations of 20th Anniversary of the victory in
Operation Vijay at Kargil began in Delhi on 14 July 2019.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General
Bipin Rawat paid tributes to the martyrs at National War
Memorial where a Victory Flame was illuminated.
• It is being celebrated with theme ‘Remember, Rejoice and
Renew’..
IAF to get ASRAAM
• The Indian Air Force plans to adopt Advanced Short Range
Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), a new European visual range
air to air missile, across its fighter fleet.
• IAF aims to expand its Su-30 fleet with a proposal to build
40 more jets under license at HAL’s Nashik facility.
• The adoption is a part of a £250 million IAF contract with
MBDA, UK.
• The contract was signed in July 2014.
Operation ‘Sudarshan’ launched
• BSF has launched the operation ‘Sudarshan’ to fortify the
‘anti-infiltration grid’ along the Pakistan border in Punjab
and Jammu.
• It was launched on July 1 and will cover the entire 1,000-
kms length of the India-Pakistan International Border.
• The Border Security Force is the primary force guarding
this frontier as the ‘first line of defence’.
Indian Army to buy long-range howitzer ammo
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Indian Army is planning to acquire the Excalibur
artillery ammunition from the Americans under the
emergency procurement procedures.
• It is capable of hitting targets more than 50 Kilometers
away.
• This Excalibur ammunition can be fired from US-made M-
777 ultra-light howitzers which are already in process of
being inducted in the Army.
DRDO carries out successful Nag missile tests
• DRDO carried out three successful test firings of the
Nag missiles in the Pokhran firing ranges.
• The Defence Acquisition Council has last year approved
the procurement of DRDO's designed and developed NAG
Missile System (NAMIS).
• The system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided
Missile, the NAG, along with the NAMICA.
• The NAG missile is a third generation anti-tank guided
missile.
Kargil tribute song released
• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has released a Kargil
Tribute Song to honour, salute and pay homage to the
Kargil martyrs and war veterans.
• It was released at a function organized in New Delhi as
part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Kargil
Vijay Diwas.
• The song, a tribute to the soldiers has been composed by
eminent Hindi lyricist Sammer Anjaan and sung by
Shatadru Kabir.
India seeks to buy $2.2 billion warships
• India sought bids for purchase of warships and support
vessels for its navy and coast guard.
• It is done to ramp up security of its maritime border in the
Indian Ocean region.
• The government asked 7 shipyards to submit proposals for
the construction of six missile warships and other smaller
vessels.
• The tender includes 8 fast patrol vessels, 12 hovercrafts
and 8 missile-cum-ammunition barges
India signs ₹200 crore anti-tank missile deal
• India has signed a deal to acquire 'Strum Ataka' anti-tank
missile from Russia for its fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers.
• The deal for the missiles is worth around ₹200 crore and
would give an added capability to the Mi-35 attack
choppers to take out enemy tanks and other armoured
elements.
• Recently, the IAF has acquired the Spice-2000 stand-off
weapon system.
Special Camp to mark Kargil Diwas anniversary

• Special national integration camp under the aegis of
national cadet corp is being organised in Ladakh region of
Jammu and Kashmir.
• It marks the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Kargil
Vijay Diwas.
• The theme is 'Rejoice, Renew, Remember'.
• More than 500 cadets from all over the country are
participating in the special national integration camp at
the Ladakh scout regimental centre.
Polity
Parliament passed the Muslim Women Bill 2019
• Parliament passed the Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019.
• This act will free Muslim women from the practice of
Triple Talaq.
• This bill is a historic step to protect the dignity of Muslim
women and keep it intact.
• It will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of
Muslim women.
Parliament passed Companies (Amendment) Bill
• Parliament has passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill,
2019, as the Rajya Sabha approved it.
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Companies Act, 2013.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• It aims to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility-CSR
compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National
Company Law Tribunal and recategorise certain offences
as civil offences.
Bills passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 that
aims at protecting the interests of consumers by
establishing authorities for timely and effective
administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.
• Lok Sabha also passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019 that
seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all
employments where any industry, trade, business, or
manufacture is carried out.
Bill to ban unregulated deposit schemes passed
• Parliament passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit
Schemes Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it
unanimously.
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The bill seeks to provide for a comprehensive mechanism
to ban the unregulated deposit schemes other than
deposits taken in the ordinary course of businesses and to
protect the interest of depositors.
Int-State River Water Disputes Bill introduced
• A Bill to help adjudicate disputes relating to waters of
inter-State rivers and river valleys at a faster pace was
introduced in Lok Sabha.
• The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill,
2019 seeks to amend the Inter State River Water Disputes
Act, 1956 to streamline the adjudication of inter-State
river water disputes.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister of India is Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat.
Triple Talaq Bill passed in Lok Sabha
• The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of
Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 commonly known as Triple
Talaq bill by voice vote.
• It was important to bring in a law banning instant triple
talaq as the practice has continued despite a Supreme
Court verdict passed in 2017.
• The Bill is banned in many countries.
Parliament passed RTI Bill 2019
• Parliament has passed the Right to Information
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving
it amid opposition walkout.
• The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The Bill seeks to empower the Centre to make rules to
decide the tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of
service of Information Commissioners of the Central
Information Commission and State Information
Commissions.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill passed • The Appropriation Bill seeks to authorise payment and
appropriation of certain sums from and out of the
• Lok Sabha passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Consolidated Fund of India for the FY 2919-20.
Amendment Bill, 2019 on 24 July 2019.
• The object of the proposed amendments is to facilitate Motor Vehicles Bill passed
speedy investigation and prosecution of terror offences
• The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles
and designating an individual as terrorist in line with the
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 by voice vote.
international practices.
• The bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to
• The original law was enacted in 1967.
provide for road safety.
Rajya Sabha passed POCSO Amendment Bill • The Bill proposes a scheme to allow cashless treatment of
victims in a road accident during the golden hour.
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
• The Bill proposes to increase the minimum compensation
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by Rajya Sabha.
for hit and run cases.
• The bill seeks to enhance punishment, including a
provision for death penalty, for committing sexual crimes Right to Information Bill passed
against children.
• Lok Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment)
• The government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts for
Bill, 2019 on 22 July 2019.
speedy dispensation of pending cases under POCSO and
• In this amendment, it is proposed to amend the Right to
sexual assault.
Information Act, 2005 so as to provide that the term of
Amendments to Aadhaar Bill approved office of, and the salaries, allowances and other terms and
conditions of service of, the Chief Information
• Union Cabinet has approved Official Amendments to the
Commissioner and Information Commissioners.
Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.
• The government has decided to make Aadhaar as Protection of Human Rights Bill passed
identification document so that people can avail the
• Parliament has passed the Protection of Human Rights
benefit of state subsidies directly in their bank account
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with Rajya Sabha approving it 22
and to eliminate middlemen.
July 2019.
• There are around 128 crore Aadhaar cardholders in the
• The bill provides for a reduction in the tenure of
country.
Chairpersons of National Human Rights Commission and
Bills introduced in Lok Sabha State Human Rights Commissions to three years from the
current five years.
• The Code on Wages Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha
• It amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
to amend and consolidate the laws relating to wages and
bonus and matters connected therewith. Protection of Human Rights Bill passed
• The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working
• The Protection of Human Rights(Amendment) Bill 2019
Conditions Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha to
was passed by voice vote in Lok Sabha on 19 July 2019.
amend the laws regulating the Occupational Safety, Health
• The amended Act will enable the appointment of the
and Working Conditions of the persons employed in an
retired Chief Justice or retired Judges of the Supreme
establishment.
Court as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights
MP Assembly passed bill raising OBC quota Commission.
• It also provides for appointing three instead of two
• MP Assembly passed an amendment bill raising
members from civil society who have knowledge of
reservation in government jobs and education for Other
Human Rights.
Backward Classes (OBC) to 27% from the present 14%.
• The Bill is now going to the Governor and President for Telangana Legislative Assembly passed 3 bills
assent.
• Telangana Legislative Assembly passed 3 Bills replacing
• After this amendment, reservation in Madhya Pradesh will
ordinances relating to Municipal Laws, Regulation of Age
touch 73%, including 10% quota for the Economically
of Superannuation, and State Commission for Debt Relief.
Weaker Section from the general category.
• They are meant for facilitating more divisions in
Parliament passed Finance Bill Municipalities, increasing the retirement age of professors
in Medical Colleges to 65 years.
• Parliament has passed the Finance Bill 2019 and
• CM Chandrashekhar Rao also introduced the Telangana
Appropriation Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha returning
Municipalities Bill 2019.
them to the Lower House.
• The Finance bill gives effect to the financial proposals of Lok Sabha passed Finance Bill 2019
the Central Government for the financial year 2019-20.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2019 that gives Aadhar and Other Laws Bill passed
effect to the proposals of the Central Government for the
• Lok Sabha passed Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment)
year 2019-2020.
Bill, 2019.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that the
• The Bill seeks to amend Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of
said amendments will promote 'Make in India' and
Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act
Startups.
2016.
• The deduction on the loan interest is to encourage buyers,
• It also seeks to further amend the Indian Telegraph Act
keeping in mind the state of the environment.
1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.
National Affairs • It proposes giving a child an option to exit from the
biometric ID programme after 18 years.
• Union Cabinet approved 1,600 crore rupees for Dibang
Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project is Indian Medical Association Bill passed
envisaged as a storage-based hydro-electric project with
• Parliament has passed the Indian Medical Council
flood moderation as the key objective.
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it
• A bill to scrap 58 redundant laws was also approved. The
on 4 July 2019.
NDA government in its two terms has sent to the chopping
• Lok Sabha has already passed it.
block 1,824 old laws which had become redundant.
• The Bill seeks to supersede the Medical Council of India
Cabinet extended 15th FC's term till Nov 30 (MCI) for a period of two years with effect from 26
September, 2018.
• Cabinet has approved the extension of the term of 15th
Finance Commission up to 30th November 2019. • The bill aims at ensuring transparency, accountability and
quality in the governance of medical education.
• It will enable the Commission to examine various
comparable estimates for financial projections. Int Arbritration Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
• The 15th Finance Commission was constituted by the
• The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2019
President on 27th November, 2017.
was introduced in Lok Sabha on 3 July 2019.
• It was to submit its report by 30th October 2019 covering
• The Bill replaces an Ordinance which was promulgated in
a period of 5 years commencing from 1st April, 2020.
March 2019.
Motor Vehicles Bill introduced in Lok Sabha • It seeks to provide for the establishment and incorporation
of New Delhi International Arbitration Centre for the
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was
purpose of creating an independent and autonomous
introduced in Lok Sabha by road transport and highways
regime for institutionalized arbitration.
minister Nitin Gadkari.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. Code on Wages Bill approved
Increasing penalties of traffic violations is among the
• The Union Cabinet approved the Code on Wages Bill.
changes proposed in the amendment.
• It seeks to subsume existing laws related to workers
• The amendment Bill proposes to omit a clause of the
remuneration and enable the Centre to fix minimum
Motor Vehicle Act to decide certain other aspects.
wages for the entire country.
3 bills introduced in Lok Sabha • The Code on Wages is one of the four codes that would
subsume 44 labour laws with certain amendments to
• Three bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on 15 July 2019.
improve the ease of doing business and attract investment
• These are Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, Motor Vehicles
for spurring growth.
(Amendment) Bill, and the National Investigation Agency
(Amendment) Bill. Medical Council (Amendment) Bill passed
• In Rajya Sabha, the Arbitration and Conciliation
• Lok Sabha passed the Indian Medical Council
(Amendment) Bill, to further amend the Arbitration and
(Amendment) Bill 2019 by a voice vote.
Conciliation Act, 1996 is scheduled to be introduced.
• The main aim of the legislation is to enhance quality of
Model Tenancy Act (MTA) drafted education imparted in medical colleges.
• It provides for supersession of Medical Council of India for
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has drafted a
a period of two years with effect from September 26,
‘Model Tenancy Act’, 2019.
2018.
• It envisages to balance the interest and rights of both the
• It also proposes to increase the number of members in the
owner and tenant and to create an accountable and
board of Governors to 12 from 7.
transparent ecosystem for renting the premises in
disciplined and efficient manner.
• Hardeep Singh Puri - MOS independent charge.

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National Affairs
22nd Nat. Conference to be held at Shillong
• The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 will
be held on 8-9th August, 2019 at Shillong, Meghalaya.
• This is the first time the event is being organized in North-
Eastern region of the country.
• This Conference provides a platform to disseminate
knowledge on effective methods of designing.
• The theme of this Conference is 'Digital India: Success to
Excellence'.
Atal Mission to launch new program
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will launch a new
programme for Community Innovation in New Delhi on 31
July 2019.
• The new initiative aims to encourage the spirit of
innovation in the country.
• The Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative set up by
the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and
entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the
country.
3rd orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan 2
• ISRO was successful in completing the third earthbound
orbit raising manoeuvres of Chandrayaan-2 satellite.
• The satellite is 3 steps closer to the moon.
• Chandrayaan-2 comprising of the orbiter, the lander
Vikram and rover Pragyan was launched by GSLV Mark III
launch vehicle from Sriharikota on July 22.
• The fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre will take place on 2
August 2019.
Odisha Rasagola gets GI tag
• The rasagola, a popular dessert of Odisha, has received the
geographical indication tag from the Registrar of
Geographical Indication after years of controversy around
the sweet.
• The registration was conferred to ‘Odisha Rasagola’ under
Section 16(I) or of authorized Section 17(3)(c) of
Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act 1999 on 29 July 2019.
Helpline Jeene Do launched in J&K
• In Jammu and Kashmir, District Administration Udhampur
has launched a helpline, 'Jeene Do'.
• The objective is to improve sex ratio and deal with
defaulters of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic
Techniques or PCPNDT Act under the Centrally sponsored
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
• A Mobile Number -9469793363 has been dedicated to the
Public to register complaints regarding this.
IIT Hyderabad developed solar cells
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost,
environment-friendly solar cells by employing a dye used
to make kumkum or vermilion in India.
• The dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New
Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-
free counter electrodes.
• However, there were many drawbacks impeding the
organic photovoltaic technology as organics are less
robust.
Yediyurappa won trust vote
• Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa sails through successfully
by winning the Trust Vote on BJP's own strength in the
Legislative Assembly on 29 July 2019.
• Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who took up the motion
moved by the Yediyurappa, declared that the motion was
passed by voice vote.
• Congress-JDS Coalition Government failed to sail through
Trust vote since more than 17 MLAs rebelled against.
Himalayan Conclave held in Mussoorie
• In Uttarakhand, a Himalayan Conclave was held in
Mussoorie on 29 July 2019.
• The objective was to discuss various issues related to the
development of the Himalayan States.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the
conclave as the chief guest.
• The main agenda for the conclave was water conservation,
with focus on conserving rivers, glaciers, lakes and water
bodies.
GIIS to launch India's first smart school
• The Singapore-headquartered Global Indian International
School (GIIS) will launch India's first SMART campus in
Pune.
• The SMART Campus has features to enhance learning
outcomes for the students with the use of SMART Campus
pedagogy and to prepare the students for the future.
• Also, for the first time in India, GIIS will introduce Sports
Analytics at the school level.
All lanes at toll plazas to be ‘FASTag lanes’
• To ensure seamless traffic and prevent congestion at toll
plazas, the government decided to declare all lanes at toll
fee plaza on national highways as ‘FASTag lanes’ from 1
December 2019.
• Among all lanes, one ‘hybrid lane’ will be allowed at every
toll plaza to facilitate and monitor over-dimensional or
oversized vehicles, where FASTag and other modes of
payment will be accepted.
Government ban on colistin for use in poultry
• The Centre has issued an order banning the last line
antibiotic, colistin, for use in animals.

• Colistin is an antibiotic meant for therapeutic purposes in
veterinary but this drug is highly misused in the poultry
industry as a growth promoter for prophylactic purpose.
• One of the reasons for anti-microbial resistance in India is
due to unwanted use of the drug in poultry industry.
Wipro launches digital product compliance lab
• On 24 July 2019, IT major Wipro announced the launch of
its global Digital Product Compliance lab in Hyderabad.
• The lab will offer integrated digital product testing services
to ensure compliance with international standards for
reliability, safety and security for customers across
industries.
• The new lab is equipped with environment chambers
designed to test products.
Gujarat tops in solar rooftop installations
• In the area of solar rooftop installations, Gujarat has stood
first in the country with total 261.97 megawatts (MW) of
installed rooftop solar capacity as on 23 July 2019.
• As per the Central government data, total rooftop solar
installations in India is 1700.54 MW.
• Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have solar rooftop
installations at 198.52 MW and 151.62 MW respectively.
Centre proposes light urban rail 'Metrolite'
• The Centre has proposed light urban rail transit system -
'Metrolite' - in small cities and towns having a lower
projection of ridership, with each train having three
coaches and a restricted speed of 25 kmph.
• 'Metrolite' system which will be developed on the surface
and elevated stretches.
• Metrolite platforms will not have AFC gates, platform
screen doors, X-ray and baggage scanner.
UP becomes No. 1 in implementation of PSBY
• Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation
of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PSBY) in the
country.
• 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under
the scheme till 31 march 2019.
• Under PSBY, people between the age group of 18 to 70 get
an accidental insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh at a
premium of 12 rupees annually.
ICMR launches forum to improve data collection
• The Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) National
Institute for Medical Statistics, in partnership with
Population Council, launched the National Data Quality
Forum (NDQF) on 24 July 2019.
• NDQF will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-
based initiatives.
• Its activities will help establish protocols and good
practices of data collection and storage.
Tree Plantation Programme launched Arunachal
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on 25 July
2019 launched the State-wide tree plantation programme
– ‘Clean-Green Arunachal Campaign 2019’ – by kickstarting
the campaign by planting 1 lakh tree saplings within the
next 24 hours.
• The campaign is being held as part of Van Mahotsav
celebration has also set the target of planting 1 crore tree
within the next five years.
Delhi Cabinet nod for 22 commercial courts
• The Delhi Cabinet approved proposals for establishing 22
new commercial courts and 18 permanent fast-track
courts in the national capital.
• The commercial courts will enable quicker disposal of
disputes and improve the city's ease-of-doing-business
rank.
• Nearly 89,000 civil cases are pending with 59 subordinate
courts in the city.
7th Economic Census to be launched in Tripura
• The fieldwork of the 7th Economic Census will be launched
in Tripura on 29 July 2019.
• The fieldwork in other State/ UTs will be launched in
August/ September 2019.
• The enumerators and supervisors engaged by CSC have
been trained to collect data on a mobile application
developed for data capture, validation, report generation
and dissemination.
Dashboard of DDP launched
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched a Dashboard
of Department Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of
Defence, to help in effective monitoring of various
initiatives and schemes of the department.
• Through this initiative, the Ministry will be able to keep
track of the major components of Defence Production,
including defence exports, defence offsets, and
MissionRaksha Gyan Shakti.
VP Venkaiah Naidu released book
• Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released titled 'New-Age
Technology and Industrial Revolution 4.0' book written by
Rajya Sabha Member, Narendra Jadhav on 25 July 2019.
• This book examines and elaborates on various dimensions
of the so-called Industrial Revolution 4.0.
• Narendra Jadhav is an Indian economist, educationist,
public policy expert, professor and writer in English,
Marathi and Hindi.
PMAY approved construction of 1.4 lakh houses
• The Centre approved construction of nearly 1.4 lakh more
houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),
taking the number of houses to be built under the scheme
to over 85 lakh.
• A total of 492 projects will cost ₹6,642 crore.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• PMAY is an initiative in which affordable housing will be • The 15th Finance Commission, headed by Chairman NK
provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20 Singh met representatives of the Panchayati Raj
million affordable houses by 31 March 2022. Institutions, Urban Local Bodies and the Political Parties of
Chhattisgarh in Raipur on 24 July 2019.
Home Minister Amit Shah to head a panel
• The Finance Commission is on a 3-day visit to Chhattisgarh
• Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a panel of four cabinet from 23-25 July 2019.
ministers to examine ways to prevent workplace sexual • It will have a detailed discussion with Chief Minister
harassment. Bhupesh Baghel along with his cabinet colleagues.
• The new panel includes Women and Child Development
Minister Smriti Irani and Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman.
• The #MeToo movement triggered a public outcry in the
country, with former junior Foreign Minister M J Akbar
being accused of sexual misconduct.
India's 1st dragon blood-oozing tree
• Assam has found a plant that yields dragon’s blood, a
bright red resin used since ancient times as medicine, body
oil, varnish, and dye.
• A trio of researchers led by Assam forest officer Jatindra
Sarma has discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon
tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi
Anglong.
• This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has
been reported from India.
Penalty on Airtel, Vodafone approved by DCC
• The Digital Communications Commission approved
imposing cumulative penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on Bharti
Airtel and Vodafone Idea for not providing points of
interconnection to Reliance Jio.
• The penalty on Airtel and Vodafone works out to be about
Rs 1,050 crore each.
• In case of Idea, it comes to about Rs 950 crore.
Kanungo to run monetary policy portfolio
• With the exit of Viral Acharya, the RBI rejigged portfolios
of the other three deputy governors giving the important
ADB sanctioned Rs. 1925 cr for projects
monetary policy and forecasting department to B P
Kanungo. • Asian Development Bank has sanctioned Rs.1,925 crore
• Now, all the other 3 deputy governors -- N S project for upgradation of power generation and
Vishwanathan, B P Kanungo and M K Jain have been made distribution in Tripura.
responsible for 12 departments each. • The project has been sanctioned for upgrading capacity of
• Viral Acharya resigned in June 2019 as the deputy 63 MW Rokhia Project to 120 MW and modernising Gumti
Governor of RBI. Hydro Electric Project.
• Rokhia project is located at West Tripura district whereas
HAL delivered Chetak to Indian Navy
Gumti project is in Gomati district.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a
Rajya Sabha passed POCSO Amendment Bill
Chetak helicopter ahead of schedule to the Indian Navy.
• HAL had entered into a contract with the Indian Navy in • The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
August 2017 for the supply of eight Chetak helicopters. (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by Rajya Sabha.
• Two helicopters were scheduled to be delivered in August • The bill seeks to enhance punishment, including a
2019 while the remaining were to be delivered in August provision for death penalty, for committing sexual crimes
2020. against children.
15th Commission on 3-day visit to Chhattisgarh
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• The government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts for
speedy dispensation of pending cases under POCSO and
sexual assault.
National Affairs
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has
approved the creation of buffer stock of 40 lakh Metric
Tonnes of sugar for one year from the 1 August 2019.
• The Cabinet has approved the merger of National Institute
of Miners' Health with ICMR - National Institute of
Occupational Health. This will help both the institutes in
terms of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational
health.
Paypal opened new centre in Hyderabad
• American digital payments firm PayPal announced
expansion of its India footprint with the launch of
3rd global technology centre.
• The Hyderabad facility would house around 100 engineers
across roles, including risk management and operations, to
provide cutting-edge digital payments solutions to
customers around the world.
• PayPal's other centres are in Chennai and Bengaluru.
AIIB withdrew from Amaravati Project
• After the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) has withdrawn funding for the Amaravati
capital city project in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• The AIIB was to finance the upcoming city by providing
$200 million, while the World Bank was to fund the
Amaravati project with $300 million.
• The World Bank and AIIB were to pump in $500 million,
while the Andhra govt the rest.
Andhra: 1st state to reserve 75% private jobs
• Andhra Pradesh became the first state to reserve 75% jobs
for local youth in industrial units, factories, joint ventures
and projects set up under public-private partnership
mode.
• The assembly recently passed the Andhra Pradesh
Employment of Local Candidates in Industries/Factories
Act, 2019.
• The CM of Andhra Pradesh is Jagan Mohan Reddy.
National Affairs I
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the increase
in the number of awards given to the cadets of National
Cadet Corps (NCC) from the existing 143 to 243 and cash
incentives in various categories.
• The Supreme Court extended the deadline for publication
of final National Register of Citizens, NRC, in Assam by a
month, from July 31 to August 31, 2019.
Government to install solar projects by 2022
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The government has set a target for the installation of
Rooftop Solar projects of 40,000 MW by 2022 in the
country.
• The projects include installation of solar panels on the
rooftop of houses.
• Over 1700 Mega Watt of grid-connected rooftop systems
has been installed in the country till 18 July 2019.
• 1.5 million units per MegaWatt per year are generated
from solar rooftop plants on an average.
National Affairs II
• The government has extended the deadline for filing of
Income Tax returns by individuals for financial year 2018-
19 to 31st of August from 31st July, 2019.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) celebrated the
159th Income Tax Day on 24th July 2019. It was on 24th
July, 1860 that Income Tax was introduced for the first
time in India by Sir James Wilson.
MMRCL gave order to Blue Star
• Blue Star Ltd has won an air conditioning and tunnel
ventilation system order valued at ₹253 crore from
Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL).
• The scope of work includes installation and commissioning
of the air conditioning and more for 9 underground
stations.
• MMRCL is a joint venture between the central government
and the state government of Maharashtra.
Kanwar Yatra app for pilgrims in Meerut
• A Kawad Yatra Management app has been designed for
facilitating and guiding the Kawariya's on their journey in
the Meerut Zone.
• The app provides all information about the routes,
temples, hospitals, police and 'Shivir' (camps).
• It can be downloaded on Google play store and will
operate on any Android mobile phone like other
applications.
UP government to install statue of Lord Ram
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath approved the plan to install a 251-
metre-tall statue of Lord Ram at Ayodhya.
• The statue would be taller than the Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel's Statue of Unity in Gujarat, which is 183-meter-tall.
• The statue of Lord Ram would be installed on the 100
hectares of land near River Sarayu in Ayodhya.
Maharashtra topped in ATM frauds
• Maharashtra reported 233 cases of ATM fraud in 2018-19,
the highest in the entire country, Reserve Bank Of India
(RBI) data revealed.
• The data showed that Delhi grabbed the second spot with
179 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 147 cases of ATM
fraud.

• In Maharashtra, people lost Rs 4.8 crore to bank fraud,
while in Delhi people lost Rs 2.9 crore.
NDA government completed 50 days in 2nd term
• The Narendra Modi Government has completed fifty days
in office in its second term.
• PM Narendra Modi has already laid down the vision of
India becoming a Five-trillion dollar economy by 2024-25.
• Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.8% in 2018-19
while maintaining macro-economic stability.
• Measures have been proposed to enhance the sources of
capital for infrastructure financing.
Miscellaneous
• The World Bank continues to support Andhra Pradesh with
an over one billion USD programme that covers the health,
agriculture, energy and disaster management sectors.
• The government has asked Air India to put a freeze on
large-scale promotion and appointments. A new flight has
to be started only when it is extremely necessary and after
due diligence from commercial aspect.
9725 houses to be built under PMAY-U
• In Manipur, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-
Urban(PMAY-U) is being implemented effectively.
• Till now, 26,348 beneficiaries for 24 towns have already
been approved by the Union Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs.
• Nearly 9,725 houses will be built by the end of 2019 under
the scheme.
• A target to obtain approval for 46,360 numbers of
beneficiaries has been kept by the Manipur government.
20,000 wellness centres to be completed
• 20,000 wellness centres will be completed by the end of
the current year under Ayushman Bharat programme.
• A total of 1.5 lakh wellness centres are to be established in
the country under this programme.
• The government has set a target of eradicating
Tuberculosis from the country by 2025.
• Ayushman Bharat programme as a successful model in
implementing universal health.
Chandrayaan-2 launched at 2:43pm
• India’s expedition to the moon was launched on 22 July
2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 was launched by using the heavy-lift
launch vehicle GSLV-Mark-Three.
• The rocket carrying the prestigious probe will be ignited at
2.43 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• Originally Chandrayaan-2 was planned to be launched on
the 15th July 2019.
NSG facility inaugurated at CCMB
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) facility was
inaugurated at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology in Hyderabad on 20 July 2019.
• The facility includes technology for high genome
sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical
samples.
• The NSG would help prenatal genetic screening and
counselling, thereby generating large scale genomic data
for diagnosis and therapy.
12 beaches selected for 'Blue Flag’ challenge
• The Union Environment Ministry has selected 12 beaches
in India to vie for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
• These beaches are at Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Bhogave
(Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu), Miramar (Goa), Kasarkod
and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Eden
(Puducherry), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Rushikonda
(Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha), and Radhanagar
(Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
India's first space tech park in Kerala
• The Kerala government will set up India’s first space tech
park at Thiruvananthapuram's Knowledge City.
• The move is aimed at making the city a manufacturing hub
for space-related technology.
• A space museum named after former President of India Dr
APJ Abdul Kalam will also be a part of the infrastructure.
• The entire investment in the park will be made by the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
South Asia's first cross border pipeline
• South Asia’s first cross border petroleum pipeline will
link Motahari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
• Motihari- Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline will be a game-
changer for Nepal.
• It has been successfully completed and there is a need to
lay a gas pipeline.
• The 69-kilometre long petroleum pipeline from Motihari in
Bihar to Amelkhgunj in Nepal has been constructed by
India.
Miscellaneous
• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash
Javadekar inaugurated the 10th Jagran Film festival at Siri
Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.
• In yet another European Union move against a US tech
giant, the bloc's antitrust chief on 18 July 2019 fined
chipmaker Qualcomm $271 million, accusing it of
'predatory pricing' to drive a competitor out of the market.
New e-challan system for Delhi Traffic Police
• Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik launched the
new e-challan system and the e-payment gateway for the
use of Delhi Traffic Police.

• The payment gateway will help the citizens with the
flexibility to login securely at their convenience and settle
the pending violation notices with proof of payment.
• The E-challan devices are enabled with active GPS.
Rajnath Singh to inaugurate 2 bridge projects
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a day-long visit
of Jammu and Kashmir on 20 July 2019.
• During his visit he will pay tributes to the Martyrs on 20th
anniversary of Kargil war and will interact with troops.
• He will also inaugurate 2 bridge projects on the rivers Ujh
in Kathua district and Basantar in Samba district of Jammu
division.
Himachal Pradesh CM received Victory Flame
• In Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur received the
'Victory Flame' at Mandi on 19 July 2019.
• It illuminated from the National War Memorial, New Delhi
on 14 July 2019 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Kargil
Vijay Diwas.
• The Kargil Vijay Diwas is being celebrated across the
country and on this occasion, we renew our resolve to
safeguard the honour of the tricolour.
Bihar: More than 52,000 placements done
• In Bihar, under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna
(PMKVY) more than 52,000 placements have been done
during last 3 years after the training of youths.
• Under the short term courses and training, 1.66 lakh
youths got registered out of which 1.37 lakh trained since
2016 in the state.
• Unemployed youths are getting their skills honed at
several institutions.
Kolkata MC to launch special cleanliness drive
• The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to launch
special cleanliness drive in Dengue prone 22 wards in the
city.
• The Civic body will form special teams for cleaning of
garbage at Dengue prone areas.
• The State Health Department has earmarked beds for
Dengue affected patients at Government hospitals.
• 132 patients have been attacked by dengue in the
metropolis in 2019 so far.
NDRF deployed 124 teams in the country
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has
deployed 124 teams in the various parts of the country to
respond to any type of disaster emergency, natural or
man-made.
• 84 teams have been pre-positioned in 23 states at 71
locations as per the flood vulnerability profile of the states.
• 40 teams have been permanently deployed in 27 Regional
Response Centers (RRCs) for a prompt response.
President Kovind to visit 3 African countries
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a week-long
visit to Benin, Guinea Conakry and Gambia, beginning 28
July 2019.
• This will be the highest-level visit from India ever to the
three West African countries.
• Since the Modi government took office in 2014, there has
been a rise in high-level visits to resource-rich Africa,
especially since the third India Africa Summit in 2015.
IIT Madras to offer tech MBA to undergrads
• IIT Madras is launching a first-of-its-kind tech MBA
programme for its undergraduate (UG) students from all
the engineering streams.
• The students taking tech MBA programme will be awarded
2 degrees - Engineering UG degree (B.Tech.) and Master's
degree in Management (MBA).
• The Institute is introducing the programme from the
Academic Year 2019-20 and it will have an intake of 25-30
students.
2 new districts to be formed in Tamil Nadu
• In Tamil Nadu, two new districts are going to be formed,
taking the total number of districts in the state to 35.
• Tenkasi District would be carved out of Tirunelveli and
Chengalpet District would be established by splitting
Kanchipuram district.
• Special Officers would be appointed for the formation of
the new districts.
National Affairs
• Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
Nishank released the UGC Guide to Student Induction
Programme - Deeksharambh in New Delhi on July 19,
2019.
• The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019
was introduced in Lok Sabha on 19 July 2019. The Bill
provides for a comprehensive mechanism to ban the
unregulated deposit schemes.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched on July 22
• The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch the
Chandrayaan-2 on July 22, 2019.
• Chandrayaan-2 is India's second Moon mission and aims to
land a rover on the lunar surface.
• The mission was scheduled to be launched at 2:51 am on
July 15, 2019, but had to be called off after ISRO scientists
detected some glitches at the last moment.
Jalan panel proposed nominal transfer of funds
• The Bimal Jalan committee has proposed a
nominal transfer of surplus to the central government in a
phased manner.
• The report has proposed a formula for a nominal transfer
of a portion of the RBI’s reserves to the central
government in a period of three-five years.

• This is in line with the current practice being followed by
the RBI for transferring dividend annually.
Doubling of railway line in Assam approved
• CCEA has given its approval to the doubling of 142.97 km
long railway line between New Bongaigaon and Agthori via
Rangiya in Assam.
• The total estimated cost of the project is around Rs.2042
crore and will be completed by 2022-23.
• It will traverse through Bongaigaon, Baksa, Barpeta,
Nalbari and Kamrup districts of the state.
National Affairs
• Union Cabinet approved 1,600 crore rupees for Dibang
Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project is
envisaged as a storage-based hydro-electric project with
flood moderation as the key objective.
• A bill to scrap 58 redundant laws was also approved. The
NDA government in its two terms has sent to the chopping
block 1,824 old laws which had become redundant.
National Medical Commission to be set up
• The Union Cabinet approved National Medical Commission
Bill, 2019.
• The bill provides for setting up of a National Medical
Commission in place of Medical Council of India and repeal
the Indian Medical Council Act 1956.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The NMC Bill proposes a common final year MBBS exam,
to be known as National Exit Test (NEXT).
National Affairs I
• The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) plans to convert
all electricity meters into smart prepaid meters by 2022. It
is part of the government’s electricity distribution plan
prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
• Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that a
website would be launched listing staff of Jet Airways and
help find employment in other private entities.
Government to set 4200 Ayush Wellness Centres
• The government plans to set up 4,200 Ayush wellness
centres in the country in FY 2019-20 across several states.
• 2,500 new centres are planned to be opened within the
first four months of the present government.
• The government has also provided financial assistance to
set up integrated Ayush hospitals in 85 districts across
various states, and has plans to add more.
Assam govt to plant saplings across NH
• The Assam Government is to plant sapling spread over one
thousand kilometres across the National Highways.
• This initiative is being taken to improve green coverage in
the state.
• The National Highway Authority of India has sanctioned
the plantation at 810 kilometres area.
• A variety of saplings will be planted near the national
highways.
National Affairs II
• The Centre launched a public awareness campaign in Delhi
on 17 July 2019 to accelerate vector control measures. The
3-day campaign aims to sensitize the community for
prevention and control of diseases like Malaria, Dengue
and Chikungunya.
• Maharashtra government has decided to increase the
compensation from 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore for families of
security personnel hailing from the state.
NGT set deadline of 3 months
• The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central
Pollution Control Board, CPCB, to shut down polluting
industries within 3 months.
• On the basis of a study jointly carried out by the CPCB and
state pollution control boards in 2009-10, industrial
clusters were notified as Polluted Industrial Areas (PIAs).
• They were ranked depending upon Comprehensive
Environmental Pollution Index scores.
MP: 1st international flight from Indore
• In Madhya Pradesh, the first international flight from Devi
Ahilya Bai Holkar International Airport of Indore left for
Dubai on 15 July 2019 with 153 passengers on board.

• The non-stop flight has fulfilled a long-standing desire
from the travel fraternity and tourists for direct
connectivity to the Gulf.
• Air India is operating 162-seater A-320 Neo aircraft on this
route.
Extinction of 2 birds: SC formed panel
• The extinction of two Indian birds, Great Indian Bustard
and the Lesser Florican has been alarming.
• The Supreme Court has constituted a high powered
committee to urgently frame and implement an
emergency response plan for the protection of these
species.
• The plea has contended that over the last 50 years the
population of the Great Indian Bustard has recorded a
decline of over 82%.
RBI to launch a mobile app
• The RBI will soon come out with a mobile app that will
read out the denomination of currency notes for the
visually-challenged population.
• The mobile app will be able to identify the denomination
of legal tender banknotes of Mahatma Gandhi Series and
Mahatma Gandhi (New) series by scanning the image of
the notes with the mobile phone camera.
• It can also be used to count notes later on.
Consistent decline in left-wing extremism
• There has been a consistent decline in both Left Wing
Extremism violence and geographical spread of its
influence in the country.
• Violent incidents have declined from a high of 2258 in
2009 to 833 in 2018.
• The resultant deaths have also declined steadily from 1005
in 2010 to 240 in 2018.
• The trend of decline in violence has continued in 2019.
IFFI's Golden Jubilee to be held in Goa
• The Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of
India, IFFI will be held from 20-28 November 2019 in
Panaji, Goa.
• The business exhibition will showcase the latest
technology, film production and distribution and other
aspects regarding films.
• President of Oscar Academy John Bailey has been invited
for the event.
• Russia will be IFFI partner in this edition.
Chandrayaan-2 launch called off
• ISRO has called off the launch of India's second mission to
Moon - Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLV MkIII-M1 due to a
technical snag.
• The countdown for the launch scheduled was stopped 56
minutes and 24 seconds before lift-off following the
announcement from the Mission Control Centre.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• It was supposed to explore the lunar south pole, 11 years
after ISRO's successful 1st mission - Chandrayaan-1.
4th anniversary of Skill India Mission
• The 4th anniversary of the Skill India Mission was being
observed on 15 July 2019.
• National Skill Development Mission also known as Skill
India Mission was launched on this day in 2015.
• Nearly One Crore youth are being presently imparted skills
training annually under the mission.
ICSI launches UDIN for corporate governance
• The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has
rolled out an initiative in the form of a Unique Document
Identification Number (UDIN).
• UDIN will provide ease of maintaining a register of
attestation and certification services.
• The ICSI UDIN will be mandatory for every document
except an e-form, signed or certified by a company
secretary with from 1 October 2019.
Port integrity campaign launched in India
• Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) has announced
the launch of a Port Integrity Campaign in India.
• The campaign aims to reduce and (in the long term)
eliminate integrity issues and bottlenecks to trade during
operations in Indian ports.
• MACN is a global business network of over 110 companies
working to tackle corruption in the maritime industry.
India's 1st ethanol-based motorcycle launched
• TVS Motor has launched India's first ethanol-powered
motorcycle, a 'green' version of its popular Apache RTR
200 4V.
• The bike uses 100% ethanol to replace petrol.
• Ethanol is produced domestically from renewable sources,
including remains and alcohol from sugar factories and is
lesser polluting as well.
• The bike will initially be available in Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh and Karnataka.
Film Divisions to launch documentary film club
• Film Divisions of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
launched 'KSHITIJ', a documentary film club in Mumbai on
12 July 2019.
• The initiative was launched in association with Indian
Documentary Producer’s Association. Public screenings
will begin at 5:30 PM on the second and fourth Friday of
every month.
• The screenings will be held at Films Division Complex.
Miscellaneous News
• 'Ulto Rath Yatra' celebrated in West Bengal.
• In Madhya Pradesh, continuous rain has damaged Asia's
largest solar Power project in Rewa.

• West Bengal government observed Save Water Day on 12
July 2019. The aim of the day is to create awareness
among people to check misuse of water.
Rafting Expedition on Indus River flagged off
• Fire and Fury Corps Chief of Staff Major General Arvind
Kapoor flagged off White Water Rafting Expedition on
Indus River in Leh on 12 July 2019.
• The expedition is undertaken by the 27 member Parashu
Brigade led by Capt Hrishikesh Ghogare from Nyoma to
Nimu.
• The expedition will commemorate the sacrifices of the
brave soldiers to win the Kargil war.
Central Universities Bill passed in Lok Sabha
• The Lok Sabha passed the Central Universities
(Amendment) Bill, 2019 to establish a central university
and a tribal university in Andhra Pradesh.
• Tribal University will provide research facilities in tribal art,
culture and customs.
• The establishment of a Central University and a Central
Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh was obligatory under
the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
NMMC launches rental services for e-bikes
• Along with the hugely popular Public Bicycle Sharing
System launched by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
in November last year, the civic body has now introduced
rental services for electric bikes.
• Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has taken a lead in
promoting electric vehicles in Maharashtra
• To hire an e-bike, one has to simply download YULU app
on their mobile phones and scan a code.
Rajghat plant to be turned into solar park
• The Delhi government has announced that the Rajghat
thermal power plant will be officially shut and turned into
a solar park and electricity museum.
• A 5,000 KW of solar power will be produced at the 45 acre
plant site.
• The coal-based plant, whose current units were
commissioned in 1989, has been lying in a shutdown mode
from 2014.
Govt to establish first Nat. Police University
• Centre said it has initiated a proposal to establish the first
National Police University in the country.
• It will be dedicated to imparting education in policing and
internal security.
• The university will conduct academic programmes in
specialized subjects.
• Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have set up dedicated
universities for conducting courses in police services and
internal security.
Organized Group ‘A’ Status to RPF
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• The Union Cabinet has approved Grant of Organised Group
'A' status to Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF).
• It will also give consequential benefits of Non-Functional
Financial Upgradation (NFFU) with effect from 01-01-2006.
• Grant of status of Organized Group 'A' service to RPF will
end stagnation, improve career progression of the officers
and keep up their motivational level.
Museum of Indian Cinema launched NMIC Bulletin
• The National Museum of Indian Cinema launched a
fortnightly bulletin named “NMIC Bulletin“.
• It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It was brought out by the Films Division with veteran
filmmaker Jahnu Barua.
• The Museum was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister
of India on 19th January 2019.
India to host 14th COP of UNCCD
• India is set to host the 14th Conference of the Parties
(COP) of United Convention to combat Desertification
(UNCCD) from September 02 to 13.
• The global conference will be hosted at India Expo Mart
Limited in Greater Noida.
• Ahead of COP-14, Minister also launched “Bonn
Challange”, a maiden project to lay emphasis on India’s
capacity for forest landscape restoration.
Madhya Pradesh to produce its own seeds soon
• The Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Seed Federation
will produce seeds.
• The decision has been taken in a Board of Directors’
meeting held under the chairmanship of the Minister for
Cooperatives Govind Singh in Bhopal.
• The brand name of seeds will be ‘Sah-Beej’.
• A plan has been made to produce seeds from the next
Rabi season.
NGT asks states to tackle crop burning
• National Green Tribunal has asked states of Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as to how they intend to tackle
the problem of crop burning.
• The bench is headed by NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel.
• The direction by the tribunal came following news reports
on deaths caused in the NCR due to air pollution, and crop
burning being one of the reasons for the poor air quality.
2 new Chinook helicopters arrived in Gujarat
• American aerospace major Boeing announced the arrival
of two new heavy-lift Chinook helicopters for the Indian
Air Force at the Mundra port in Gujarat.
• The Indian Air Force has ordered 15 Chinooks and the first
four helicopters arrived in February.
• The advanced multi-mission helicopter will provide the
Indian armed forces unmatched strategic airlift capability.
J&K govt approves Aadhaar-linked payment mode

• Jammu and Kashmir government has approved Aadhaar-
linked payment mode for disbursal of pension to
beneficiaries under various central and state-sponsored
schemes.
• It is done to ensure transparency and avoid delays.
• The move is aimed at ensuring transparency and avoid
delays in disbursement of pension to eligible old-aged,
widows and physically challenged persons.
Govt to set up 3 CoE in Sports at Itanagar
• Youth Affairs and Sports minister, Kiren Rijiju has informed
that central government is going to set-up three Sports
Centre of Excellence in Itanagar.
• The three centre of excellence will be for Martial Arts,
Weight Lifting and Boxing.
• The government will also set up 12 to 15 football stadiums
in the next 3 years.
• He also said that Arunachal Pradesh will host the North
East Youth Festival.
Miscellaneous News
• To serve the underprivileged children, Bring a Smile
Foundation along with Cyberabad Police, SCSC and GHMC,
launched Smile Box campaign aimed at bringing a 'smile'
on their faces.
• As part of celebrations of 20 years of Kargil victory,
commemorative treks were organised by 13 Jammu and
Kashmir Rifles and 18 Grenadiers battalion of the Indian
Army to Batra Top and Tiger hill.
India's 1st Design Development Centre launched
• India's first Design Development Center 'Fashionova' was
launched in the Textile city Surat.
• The aim of the centre is to promote the city in the field of
the fashion design sector.
• Fashionova has been named in the Start-up scheme of the
Government.
• The main objective of this studio is to provide a strong
platform to all those who have a flair of the apparel
business.
India's first highway corridors for e-vehicles
• India's first highway corridors with charging stations for
electric vehicles are expected to come up along the Delhi-
Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways by 2020.
• The e-corridors are proposed to be the first under the Ease
of Doing Business Programme (EODB) of the Advance
Services for Social and Administrative Reforms (ASSAR).
• Eighteen charging stations will be set up on the two
routes.
Hong Kong approves over $9 million for Odisha
• The Hong Kong government has approved over $900,000
for relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone-hit Odisha.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• Odisha was hit by 'Very severe cyclonic storm' Fani in May
2019.
• The grants will benefit around 45,100 cyclone victims and
will be used to provide hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water,
education, household items and shelter kits.
Sports News
• The government will set up a National Sports Education
Board under Khelo India to popularise sports at all levels.
Sports minister Kiren Rijiju thanked Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and the finance minister for the initiative.
• Shoaib Malik, a veteran of 35 Tests, 287 ODIs and 111
T20Is for Pakistan, has announced his retirement from ODI
cricket.
National Affairs
• Ministry of I&B has set up FM Radio Transmitter on 103.7
MHZ frequency at Baltal, on the Amarnath
route. Amarnath Yatra program is being generated from
Baltal base camp.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said an exclusive
television channel will be set up for startups that will serve
as a platform for discussing issues affecting their growth
and match-making with venture capitalists.
WB govt to increase daily allowances
• The West Bengal Government has decided to increase
daily allowances of Ministers and MLAs for their presence
in the State Assembly.
• The daily allowances for the Ministers will be Rs.3000
while Legislators will get Rs. 2000 per day for their
attendance in the House.
• Additional 15 crore rupees will be spent from the State
exchequer to implement the decision.
Damanganga-Pinjal River Linkage project
• In Maharashtra, the state government has decided to
inter-link rivers to solve the crisis of drought.
• For Mumbai, the best option is the Damanganga–Pinjal
river inter-linking project, which is seen as an ideal, long-
term solution for Mumbai’s water needs.
• This will fulfil Mumbai’s water needs till 2060.
UP govt promised piped water to households
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that every household in the
state will receive piped water within two years.
• This project will start from Bundelkhand region by the end
of August 2019.
• As many as 15 rivers, which have gone dry, will also be
rejuvenated in the coming months.
• To make Ganga clean, committees have been constituted
in the district near the bank of the river.
UP govt launched toll-free CM helpline 1076
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• The UP government launched a toll-free Chief Minister • The strong points of the State are tourism, horticulture
helpline number 1076. and handicrafts. The stress would be on the power sector
• It will enable people from across the state to register their and manufacturing as well.
complaints and will ensure a time-bound action on the
Athi Varadar: Idol that emerges every 40 years
complaints also.
• The CM helpline number 1076 will work 24x7 and anyone • The Kanchi Athi Varadar festival began on July 1, 2019.
from any part of the state can call on this number anytime. • The temple of Varadar is in Kancheepuram.
• The 500-seater call centre has been established for the • The deity is made of fig tree and hence the name Athi
helpline. Varadar. He is immersed in Anantasaras, the temple tank.
• He is brought out once in 40 years, pujas done for 45 days
Rural sanitation coverage jumped to 99%
and restored to his water bed.
• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), 9 crore 62 • The last time he came out was on July 2, 1979, and earlier
lakh individual household toilets have been constructed so on July 12, 1939.
far.
• The sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the country
has increased to more than 99%, which was over 38% on
2nd October 2014.
• 632 Districts, 30 States, over 2.50 lakh Gram Panchayats
and 5 lakh 67 thousand 498 villages have been declared
open defecation Free.
National Affairs
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the
increase in the Minimum Support Prices, MSP for all Kharif
crops for 2019-20 Season.
• In Mizoram, drug abuse has gone up to an alarming
level. The official record reveals that more than 300
people lost their lives last year in drug abuse related
incidents.
Miscellaneous I
• Chief of Defence Force of Maldives National Defence
Force, Major General Abdulla Shamaal is on a 3-day visit to
India.
• Merck Foundation in partnership with The First Lady of
Ghana, Rebecca Akufo-Addo launched an inspiring children
story of Kofi and Ama for children to strengthen family
values of love and respect since young ages.
Miscellaneous II
• National Cadet Corps (NCC) has undertaken a pan-India
Mega Pollution Awareness Pakhwada (fortnight) from July
01-11 2019. The pakhwada aims to sensitise the people
Workshop on Glacial Hazards conducted
against various kinds of pollution and their effects.
• The government said that the recruitment examination of • National Disaster Management Authority in partnership
Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will now be conducted in 13 with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
regional languages in addition to English and Hindi. organized a 2-day meeting on the assessment of glacial
risks and GLOFs.
First investors summit to be held in J&K
• GLOFs refer to the sudden discharge of a water reservoir
• Jammu & Kashmir will host its first-ever investor summit in that has formed either underneath, at the side, in front,
September-October 2019 in Srinagar, with a chapter in within, or on the surface of a glacier.
Jammu, to attract investment and counter perceptions • The 2013 Kedarnath disaster was a result of the same.
about the State.
HDFC, Manipal Academy launched a programme
• The State is presently under President’s Rule.

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• HDFC Bank along with Manipal Global Academy of BFSI has
launched a future bankers programme for training and
grooming candidates.
• The bank plans to hire 5,000 such professionals over the
next two to three years who will be posted as personal
bankers.
• The starting salary for the job is ₹4 lakh per annum plus
allowances depending on the category of town or city of
posting.
50 lakh trees to be planted by 2020: J&K
• In Jammu and Kashmir, the Governor’s Administration has
approved the launch of Green Jammu and Kashmir drive
from July 8, 2019.
• Under this major environment-friendly initiative 50 Lakh
trees will be planted by June 2020.
• In the 1st phase, the plantation activities will primarily be
focussed in Jammu and 9 Lakh trees over 2300 Hectare
area are targeted for plantation this Monsoon season.
Miscellaneous News
• Odisha is all set to organise the 21st Commonwealth Table
Tennis Championship at Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in
Cuttack from July 17 to 22, 2019.
• The world-famous Jagannath Rath Yatra began on4 JUly
2019 at Puri in Odisha. Lakhs of people are gathering in
Puri to witness Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi
Subhadra riding three giant wooden chariots.
Delhi, Vijayawada get UIDAI centres
• The UIDAI has operationalised the first 'Aadhaar Seva
Kendra' in Delhi and Vijayawada.
• It is part of an ambitious plan to set up 114 such centres by
the year-end.
• These Aadhaar centres, meant to facilitate enrolment,
updation and other activities, will be UIDAI’s own and
operate in addition to thousands of centres, currently
being run by banks and post offices, and in government
premises.
Mekadetu project to take land away
• More than 60% of land needed for the Mekedatu
Balancing Reservoir project will be in the core area of the
Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Of the 52.52 sq. km needed for the project, 31.81 sq. km
comes in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, while another
18.69 sq. km is adjacent forest land.
• The project will also see the displacement of the Iruliga
tribals and other residents of five villages.
SC slapped fine on Meghalaya Government
• The Supreme Court directed the Meghalaya government
to deposit the ₹100 crore fine imposed on it by the
National Green Tribunal
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019
• It failed to curb illegal coal mining with the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• The National Green Tribunal had fined the Meghalaya
government on January 4, 2019.
• It admitted that a large number of mines were operating
illegally in the northeastern state.
Tax Treaty to be implemented
• India has ratified the Multilateral Convention to
Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base
Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI).
• It was signed by the Finance Minister at Paris on 7th June
2017 on behalf of India, alongwith representatives of more
than 65 countries.
• The Multilateral Convention/MLI is an outcome of the
OECD / G20 Project to tackle Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting.
2.5 lakh new jobs to be created in IT sector
• About 2 lakh 50,000 new jobs will be created in the IT
sector in the coming months through the comprehensive
skill development programme.
• Rapid advances made in the digital technology in the
country can take this sector to the tune of 7.2 billion
dollars from 2.5 billion in 2018.
• Transforming the world's largest youth force into a truly
skilled force is the vision of the NDA government.
WB: 10% reservation to backward section
• The West Bengal Cabinet has decided to give 10%
reservation in Education and Employment to the
economically backward section people of the state.
• The State Cabinet took the decision under the
chairmanship of Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee in
Kolkata.
• People who get reservations under caste system will not
get the benefit.
First ever IICTF fair to be held in October
• The First Ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair
(IICTF) is going to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
from 11th till 13th October, 2019.
• Steered by NCDC, the Fair is being conducted with the
support of one international organization (NEDAC), 3
Ministries, 4 State Governments.
• The Trade Fair is aimed at promoting cooperative to
cooperative trade within India and abroad.
Project of planting 33 crore saplings launched
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launched the state’s
ambitious project of planting 33 crore saplings within the
next two months.
• The aim was to create a record of planting over 50-crore
saplings during the tenure of the current BJP-led State
Government.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I July 2019

• Maharashtra Government has successfully planted 2.82 • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on a visit to Eastern
crore saplings in 2016, 5.17 crore saplings in 2017 and Naval Command.
15.17 crore in 2018. • He was briefed on the operational readiness of the
Command and other aspects of maritime and coastal
Mann Ki Baat
security on the Eastern Seaboard on 30 Jun 19.
• PM Narendra Modi called upon people to start a mass • He also visited Indian Navy’s indigenously conceived
movement for water conservation and resolve to save design and constructed frontline stealth frigate INS Shivalik
every drop of water amidst water scarcity in several parts and Indian Naval Submarine Sindhukirti at Visakhapatnam.
of the country.
• Keeping the importance of water in mind, a new Jal Shakti
ministry has been created in the country.
• He was addressing the nation through Mann Ki Baat for
the first time after resuming office for the 2nd term.
Inaugation of Chabra's Thermal Station Unit
• In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated 5th
and 6th Unit of Chabra Super Critical Thermal Power
Station on 30 June 2019.
• This is the state’s First project based on Super Critical
Thermal Power Technology and the estimated cost of this
project is 9 thousand 550 Crore Rupees.
• 3 crore additional units of power daily will be generated
and 78 lakh new consumers will get benefited.
Jal Shakti Abhiyaan launched
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched across the country from 1
July 2019 to accelerate water harvesting and conservation
measures.
• The scheme is aimed at making water conservation and
promotion of irrigation efficiency through asset creation
and communication campaigns.
• Over 250 officers have been appointed as in-charge of
water-stressed districts in the country.
Government to introduce new system for GST
• The government introduced the new return system on a
trial basis on the second anniversary of Goods and Services
Tax (GST) on 1 July 2019.
• It will come into force from 1st of October this year on a
mandatory basis.
• The government will rationalize a single cash ledger in
such a manner that earlier 20 heads are merged into 5
major heads.
Commemoration of Digital India initiative
• Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad launched the commemoration of four
years of Digital India initiative in New Delhi.
• The aim of this initiative is to bridge the digital divide and
create awareness about Information Technology.
• The Project aims to connect all gram panchayats by
broadband connectivity under BharatNet Project to
promote e-governance.
Defence Minister visited Visakhapatnam

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

Table of Contents

Awards &Honours ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 6
International Affairs .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 13
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 18
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 23
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 29
Polity............................................................................................................................................................... 31
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 32

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Awards &Honours
DAY-NULM conferred SKOCH Governance Gold Award
• Deendayan Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods
Mission (DAY-NULM), a flagship mission under the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been conferred
the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award.
• It was awarded for its Portal for Affordable Credit and
Interest Subvention Access (PAiSA).
• PAiSA is a centralized IT platform which was launched in
November 2018.
PM Modi presented Yoga Awards
• PM Narendra Modi presented Yoga Awards to the winners
for Outstanding Contribution for Promotion and
Development of Yoga in New Delhi on 30 August 2019.
• He also released 12 commemorative postal stamps to
honour eminent scholars, practitioners and Great Master
Healers of AYUSH Systems.
• Japan Yoga Niketan and Bihar School of Yoga
were awarded in the institutional category.
ONGC CMD honoured with Distinguished F'ship
• ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker was honoured with the
Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors (IOD)
2019.
• He was honoured during the 29th Institute of Directors
(IOD) Annual Day Ceremony for his distinguished
contribution to business and society.
• The theme of this year’s IOD Annual Day Ceremony was
‘Future Boards: Leading Strategy to Embrace
Sustainability’.
‘I’m Jeeja’ won award at We Care Film Festival
• Indian documentary film I’m Jeeja won the award at the
14th edition of the ‘We Care Film Festival on Disability
Issues’.
• It won the award in the ‘Under 30 minute’ category.
• The documentary directed by Swati Chakraborty attempts
to explore the lives and battles of people living with the
disability.
• Another Indian film 'Post Dark' received a jury mention in
‘Under 5 minutes’ category.
Tenzing Norgay National Award 2018 Announced
• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards are given
every year to recognize the achievements of persons in the
fields of adventure.
• The award is given in 4 categories namely, Land
Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure and Life Time
Achievement.
• The awardees will receive their awards from the President
of India along with other Sports Awardees at the
Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29 August, 2019.
Prabhakar Singh chosen for Engineer Award
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Prabhakar Singh, DG, CPWD has been chosen for the
‘Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019’ by the
Institution of Engineers (India).
• He will be awarded for his distinguished and exemplary
Service in the field of Engineering and Technology.
• This Elite and Prestigious Award shall be conferred to him
on the ‘Engineers Day’ on September 15, 2019, in New
Delhi.
Vivek Menon wins Clark Bavin Award
• Conservationist Vivek Menon, head of Delhi-based
conservation non-profit, Wildlife Trust of India was
awarded the prestigious Clark R Bavin Wildlife Law
Enforcement Award for the year 2019 on 20 August 2019
in Geneva.
• He was presented the award by Ivonne Higuero, the
secretary-general of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Smart Policing Awards presented
• Haryana Police received two Smart Policing awards-2019
instituted by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI) in a function held in New Delhi on 23
August 2019.
• Haryana Police was awarded for best practices under ‘Apki
Sangini’ in the category of community policing.
• 35 Smart Policing awards were given to the officers for
working in the areas of child safety, etc.
POSHAN Abhiyaan Awards conferred
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti
Irani gave away the Poshan Abhiyaan Awards for the year
2018-19 in different categories on 23 August 2019.
• The awards were given to the States, Districts, Blocks and
Anganwadi Workers for their contributions in scaling up
the Abhiyaan and ensuring that it reaches every household
in the country.
PM Modi to be honoured with the order of Zayed
• Prime Minister Modi arrived in UAE on 23 August 2019 in
the second leg of his tour.
• This is the third visit of PM Modi to UAE in four years.
• During the two day visit, the Prime Minister will be
honoured with the highest national award of UAE - the
order of Zayed.
• The Highest National Award to PM Modi is a mark of
special relationship between India and UAE.
Meeta Narain conferred the Pushkin Medal 2019
• JNU Professor Meeta Narain was conferred the ‘Pushkin
Medal – 2019’.
• This award is the highest honour given to an Indian scholar
by the Russian government.

• Pushkin Medal is given to a scholar of Russian language
and literature for outstanding contribution to Russian
studies abroad.
• She was awarded the medal at an event organised at the
Russian Center for Science and Culture.
Winners- National Sports Awards 2019
• Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik won Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award for wrestling and para athletics respectively.
• 6 Dronacharya awards were presented to
coaches including Vimal Kumar and Sandeep Gupta.
• 19 awardee were presented Arjuna Awards including
Ravindra Jadeja and Anjum Moudgil.
• Dhyanchand Awards were conferred upon 5 including
Manuel Fredricks and Manoj Kumar.
National Sports Awards 2019
• Selection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019 has
announced the National Sports Awards 2019.
• National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize
and reward excellence in sports.
• The awardees will receive their awards from the President
of India at a specially organized function at the Rashtrapati
Bhawan.
• Selection Committee was headed by Justice Mukundakam
Sharma.
IIT-Delhi won start-up award
• An IIT-Delhi-incubated start-up working on the design and
development of inclusive learning resources for visually
impaired people won the award for developing a
multisensory kit.
• The device narrates the content in the picture when a
visually impaired person touches it.
• Ankita Gulati, founder of TouchVision was awarded the
NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2019.
100 Years of Chrysostum
• A function was held to celebrate the Guinness Book of
World Records entry of 100 Years of Chrysostum.
• It is a biographical documentary on Metropolitan Emeritus
of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar,
Philipose Mar Chrysostum.
• The documentary has found an entry in the Guinness Book
as the longest documentary film.
• It was scripted and directed by filmmaker Blessy.
Rajdeep Sardesai bags Prem Bhatia Award
• Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai has been awarded the
2019 Prem Bhatia Award for Outstanding Political
Reporting.
• The annual award was established in the memory of
veteran journalist Prem Bhatia, who was well known for
his political reporting.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The 2019 award for environmental reporting went to
Down to Earth's Ishan Kukreti and independent journalist
Sharada Balasubramanian.
12-year-old Karnataka boy awarded
• A 12-year-old boy in Karnataka has been awarded for
bravery for guiding an ambulance, which was deeply stuck
over a flooded bridge after incessant rainfall in the area.
• Venkatesh was awarded by the Raichur District Collector
for helping the driver take his ambulance out of the
flooded bridge safely.
• Karnataka CM - B. S. Yediyurappa.
• Karnataka Governor - Vajubhai Vala
Short film by Indian Railways won award
• A short-film –'Madhubani- The Station of Colours', bagged
the ‘Rajat-Kamal’ award at the 66th National Film Awards
for 2018.
• It narrates the beautification of a remote railway station
belonging to the East Central Railway (ECR).
• The Madhubani railway station located in a remote part of
Madhubani district of Bihar was earlier ranked as the
country’s second most dirty railway station.
ISRO chairman conferred APJ Abdul Kalam Award
• Chairman of ISRO K. Sivan was awarded Tamil Nadu
government’s Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award on 15 August
2019.
• Under his leadership, the organisation launched its
Chandrayaan-2 mission.
• Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami handed over the
State government’s Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage
and Daring Enterprise to P. Ramyalakshmi, Assistant
Director of Fisheries posted in Cuddalore.
President awarded scholars
• The President awarded the Certificate of Honour to
the scholars of Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Pali, Prakrit,
Classical Kannada, Classical Telugu, Classical Malayalam
and Classical Odiya for 2019.
• The distinction is conferred once a year on the
Independence Day in recognition of substantial
contribution in field of these languages.
• The Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman was also
announced.
Gallantry awards conferred
• President Ram Nath Kovind approved 132 Awards to
Armed Forces Personnel and members of Paramilitary
Forces.
• The awards include two Kirti Chakras, one Vir Chakra, 14
Shaurya Chakras, eight Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 90
Sena Medals (Gallantry), five Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry),
seven Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Yudh Seva
Medals.

• The Army has been awarded 8Shaurya Chakra awards.
Medal of excellence to 96 police personnel
• 96 police personnel, including 15 Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) officers, have been awarded the Union
Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation for
2019.
• 11 are from Maharashtra Police, 10 are from UP Police, 9
are from Kerala Police, 8 are from Madhya Pradesh Police,
6 are from Delhi Police and Karnataka Police.
• The recipients also include 13 women officers.
Wg Cdr Abhinandan honoured with Vir Chakra
• Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been
conferred the Vir Chakra, India's third-highest war time
gallantry medal.
• The defence ministry announced the military awards on
the eve of Independence Day celebrations.
• From the Army, Sapper Prakash Jadhav of the Rashtriya
Rifles will be posthumously awarded Kirti Chakra, the
second highest peacetime gallantry award.
National Youth Awards conferred
• The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju
conferred the National Youth Awards on 12 August 2019.
• They were conferred upon individuals and organizations
for excellent work and contribution in different fields of
development and social service.
• During the National Youth Awards Function he also
inaugurated a Photo Exhibition on China through Eyes of
Indian Youth - 2019.
French envoy confers Indian chef
• French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler conferred
Indian chef Priyam Chatterjee with the distinction of
Chevalier de I'Ordre du Merite Agricole, also known as the
Order of Agricultural Merit on August 12, 2019.
• He is the first Indian chef to be conferred this honour.
• He is known to honour French cuisine by revisiting the
traditional dishes of his native place.
Gujarati Film Hellaro won Best Feature Film
• Gujarati Film Hellaro wins the best feature film at the 66th
National Films Awards.
• Keerthy Suresh wins the best Actress award
• Sanjay Leela Bhansali won Best Music Direction (Songs)
award for Padmaavat.
• Uttarakhand won the National Award for most film
friendly state.
• ‘The World's Most Famous Tiger' won the Best
Environment Film award.
• Andhadhun won Best Hindi Film award.
66th National Film Awards for 2018 announced
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The 66th National Film Awards were announced on 9
August 2019.
• Ayushman Khurana and Vicky Kaushal jointly won Best
Actor Award for their performances in ‘Andhadhun’ and
‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. ‘
• 'Badhai Ho’ bagged the award for Best Popular Film
Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
• Hindi movie ‘Padman’ was declared Best Film on Social
Issues.
MS Swamianathan award to Kenneth M Quinn
• The Rotary Club of Madras East conferred the MS
Swamianathan Award for Environment Protection upon
Kenneth M Quinn, President of the World Food Prize
Foundation.
• The award was presented for his contribution to global
food security and sustainability.
• Quinn is globally renowned for his works on Food &
Agriculture with a particular focus on the supply of
nutritious food.
Awards and Honours
• The NITI Aayog launched the 4th Edition of Women
Transforming India (WTI) Awards on 9 August 2019. The
theme for 2019 is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’.
• The 4th edition of the National Entrepreneurship Awards,
instituted to recognize and encourage outstanding Indian
Entrepreneurs by the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has been announced.
ISRO announced Vikram Sarabhai Award
• ISRO has announced its Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award
in Space Science, Technology and Research.
• It recognizes and rewards journalists who have actively
contributed towards the field of space science,
applications, and research.
• The articles published from 2019 to 2020 will be
considered.
• The nominations are open to all Indians who have a good
experience in journalism.
Pranab Mukherjee honoured with Bharat Ratna
• Former President Pranab Mukherjee, was honoured with
India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.
• He served as India's 13th President from 2012-2017, prior
to this he also served as the Union Finance Minister from
2009 to 2012.
• The other Presidents, who had been conferred the Bharat
Ratna include Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Rajendra Prasad, Zakir
Hussain and V.V. Giri.
PMAY(U) Awards for Beneficiaries instituted
• Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has instituted
PMAY(U) Awards for Beneficiaries for the first time to

recognise the contribution of States/UTs, Urban Local
Bodies and Beneficiaries.
• This award is in addition to CLSS Award for recognising the
contribution of PMAY (U) Banks and Housing Finance
Companies.
• The winners will be awarded during a National level Event.
States & Districts felicitated under BBBP
• The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development felicitated those Districts and States who
have successfully implemented the Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao (BBBP)scheme in the country.
• The function was held on 7th August, 2019 in New Delhi.
• The BBBP scheme launched on 22 January 2015 has been
implemented in phases.
• Currently, it is being implemented in 640 districts (as per
census 2011).
Priya receives 'Indian Woman influence award'
• Eminent fashionista, social entrepreneur and
philanthropist Priya Priyadarshini Jain has been felicitated
with the prestigious 'Indian Woman of Influence' award at
the House of Lords, the United Kingdom Parliament,
London.
• The award recognised the power of Indian women residing
in different parts of the world.
• This award assures that women are the leaders in their
respective fields.
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August 2019
Order of Merit given to Indian President
• President Ram Nath Kovind has been awarded the
National order of Merit by the President of Guinea.
• He was awarded for his exceptional contribution to the
advancement of overall relations and development of
mutual cooperation between India and Guinea.
• This is the highest award of Republic of Guinea.
• Three MoUs were also signed between the two countries.
Ravish Kumar won Ramon Magsaysay award 2019
• Indian journalist Ravish Kumar has been awarded the 2019
Ramon Magsaysay Award for harnessing journalism to give
voice to the voiceless.
• The award was started in 1957 and celebrates the
leadership example of the former Philippine President
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay.
• The awardees are presented with a medallion with a right
side facing profile image of Ramon Magsaysay and a
certificate.
Days & Events
Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
• UN observes 30 August every year as International Day of
the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
• The day is observed to prevent enforced disappearances
and bring to justice those responsible, as enforced
disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to
spread terror within the society.
• 2011 marked the inaugural commemoration of this day.
International Day Against Nuclear Tests
• UN observes International Day Against Nuclear Tests on 29
August every year.
• It is observed to increase awareness about the effects of
nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear
explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the
means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free
world.
• 2010 marked the inaugural commemoration of the
International Day against Nuclear Tests.
National Sports Day: 29 August
• National Sports Day 2019 is being celebrated on 29
August across India.
• It marks the birth anniversary of the legendary hockey
player Major Dhyan Chand, who was born on August 29 in
the year 1905.
• The day is observed every year to spread awareness about
the importance of sports and games in the life of every
individual.
• 29 August was proclaimed as the country’s National Sports
Day in 2012.
Int. Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade

• United Nations observes 23 August every year as
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade
and its Abolition.
• The Day is observed to inscribe the tragedy of the slave
trade in the memory of all peoples.
• The day was designated by UNESCO to memorialize the
transatlantic slave trade.
• Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA
• Founded: 24 October 1945.
Int. Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence
• United Nations observes 22 August every year as
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of
Violence Based on Religion or Belief.
• The day is observed to strongly condemn continuing
violence and acts of terrorism targeting individuals,
including persons belonging to religious minorities, on the
basis of or in the name of religion or belief.
International Day of Remembrance: 21 August
• United Nations observes 21 August every year as
International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the
Victims of Terrorism.
• This year, the 2nd commemoration of the day focused on
the resilience of victims and their families.
• A photographic exhibition was launched on August 21,
2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to
observe the day.
World Humanitarian Day: 19 August
• World Humanitarian Day is observed across the world on
August 19 to pay tribute to workers who risk their lives in
humanitarian services and to gather support for people
affected by crises around the world.
• The day was designated by the UN General Assembly to
commemorate the 19 August 2003 bombing of the United
Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
• WHD 2019 campaign: #WomenHumanitarians.
International Youth Day: 12 August
• The International Youth Day 2019 is observed across the
world on 12 August.
• The theme for 2019 is Transforming education.
• International Youth Day 2019 will examine how
Governments, young people and youth-led and youth-
focused organizations, as well as other stakeholders, are
transforming education so that it becomes a powerful tool
to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
World Biofuel Day: 10 August
• World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th of
August.
• It is observed to create awareness about the importance
of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
fuels and highlight the various efforts made by
Government in the biofuel sector.
• The theme of the World Biofuel Day 2019 is Production of
Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO).
Int Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
• United Nations observes 9th August every year as
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
• The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the needs of
these population groups.
• This year’s observance is dedicated to Indigenous Peoples’
Languages in view of 2019 being marked as the
International Year of Indigenous Languages.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Indigenous Languages.
5th National Handloom Day: 7 August
• The 5th National Handloom Day was celebrated on 7
August across the country.
• The day is observed annually to honour the handloom
weavers in the country and also highlight India’s handloom
industry.
• The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated on 7th
August 2015 by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at the
centenary of Madras University in Chennai.
World Breastfeeding Week- 1 to 7 August
• The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is being observed
from 1st to 7th August 2019.
• The Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and
Child Development, is organizing a number of activities on
the theme 'Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding'.
• The focus this year is on protection, promotion, and
support of breastfeeding.
International Affairs
Trump to launch Space Command
• US President Donald Trump announced that it is to launch
the space Command to defend America's interests in the
next war-fighting domain.
• The US is to unveil the new Space Command called
SPACECOM.
• It will be the US's 6th branch of the military, U.S. Space
Force, for space defense.
• SPACECOM is expected to defend America's vital interests
in space in the next warfighting domain.
Peru proposes emergency Amazon summit
• Peru and Colombia have proposed an emergency Amazon
summit for countries in the region on September 6,
2019 in Colombia to protect the vast rainforest.
• The Summit's aim is to establish a pact to conserve,
develop and sustainably use the Amazon rainforest while
also benefitting the communities that live there.

• No mention, however, was made of which other countries
would be invited.
Serbia becomes 73rd country to join AIIB
• Serbia officially became the 73rd non-regional member of
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• The membership allows the country access to favourable
loans for priority projects.
• The AIIB started operations in 2016, and besides Serbia,
non-regional members included Great Britain, Germany,
France, Italy, Spain and other.
Abdalla Hamdok appointed as PM of Sudan
• Sudan has appointed a new prime minister as the country
embarks on a three-year transition to civilian rule.
• His appointment comes as Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah
Abdelrahman Burhan was sworn in as leader of the new
Sovereign Council.
• The new Sovereign Council replaces the Transitional
Military Council (TMC) that took charge after the Islamist
ruler was toppled after mass protests.
Iran unveiled new missile defence system
• Iran has unveiled new missile defence system Bavar-373.
• This is also Iran’s first domestically produced long-range
missile defence system which has been inducted into the
country’s missile defence network.
• The system was unveiled at an occasion of Iran’s National
Defense Industry Day.
• With a range of more than 200km, the long-range missile
system is suited to the country's geography.
Pakistan blacklisted by Asia-Pacific Group
• The Asia-Pacific Group of the global watchdog for terror
financing and money laundering has put Pakistan in the
Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List for its failure to meet
its standards.
• Pakistan was non-compliant on 32 of the 40 compliance
parameters of terror financing and money laundering.
• On 11 parameters of terror financing and money
laundering, Pakistan was adjudged as low on 10.
Okjokull glacier commemorated with plaque
• In Iceland, people gathered to commemorate the loss of
the glacier Okjokull, which was officially declared dead in
2014 at the age of 700.
• The glacier was officially declared dead by the Icelandic
Meteorological Office when it was no longer thick enough
to move.
• What once was glacier has been reduced to a small patch
of ice.
• The people will lay a plaque which carries a letter to the
future.
World’s first negative interest rate mortgage
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Denmark’s third-largest, Jyske Bank, launched the world’s
first negative interest rate mortgage – handing out loans
to homeowners where the charge is minus 0.5% a year.
• 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.
• Anders Dam is the CEO of Jyske Bank.
China launches rocket for commercial use-CCTV
• A Chinese government space agency successfully launched
on 17 August 2019 its first rocket meant for commercial
use.
• Smart Dragon-1 rocket, which weighs 23 tonnes and was
developed by a unit of China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corp.
• China envisions constellations of commercial satellites that
can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for
aircraft to tracking coal shipments.
Iran unveils 3 new precision-guided missiles
• Iran unveiled three precision-guided missiles on 6 August
2019.
• The new line-up of air-to-air missiles are named as the
'Yasin', 'Balaban' and 'Ghaem' and was developed jointly
by the ministry and Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics
Industries.
• The Yasin is a guided-missile with folding wings that can be
fired from a range of 50 kilometres of its target from
manned or unmanned aircraft.
PNG has most number of languages
• The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has
the highest number of 'living' indigenous languages in the
world (840), while India stands fourth with 453.
• 2019 is the United Nations' International Year of
Indigenous Languages.
• Ethnologue, a directory of languages, lists 7,111 living
languages worldwide.
• Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi and Arabic are the widely
spoken languages.
US designated China as currency manipulator
• The US has designated China a currency manipulator.
• China is intent on continuing to receive the hundreds of
Billions of Dollars they have been taking from the US with
unfair trade practices and currency manipulation.
• China has a long history of facilitating an undervalued
currency through protracted, large-scale intervention in
the foreign exchange market.
Aman announced new destination
• Aman announced its forthcoming debut in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in 2023.
• Following a partnership with the Royal Commission for
AlUla (RCU), Aman will develop three distinct resorts of
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

architectural excellence in North West Saudi Arabia, in • ASEAN leaders at their summit meeting in June adopted an
AlUla, a place of extraordinary natural and human Indo-Pacific engagement framework that sought to keep
heritage. on the good side of both Washington and Beijing.
• The 3 resorts will offer an incomparable insight into the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Books & Authors
French inventor crossed English Channel Book on Flipkart to release in October
• French inventor Franky Zapata is 1st person in history to
• Big Billion Startup, a book on Flipkart will be (Pan
cross the English Channel on Flyboard Air, a jet-powered
Macmillan India), releasing in October 2019.
hoverboard.
• It is the riveting and revealing account of how the Bansals
• Zapata completed the crossing in 22 minutes, reaching
built and sold India's largest internet company.
speeds of up to 110mph (177km/h) flying 15-20 metres
• Established in October 2007, Flipkart began as an online
(50-65ft) above the water.
bookstore and soon came to be known for its ‘customer
• Zapata made the 35-kilometre (21.5 miles) crossing from obsession'.
the French seaside town of Sangatte to St. Margaret’s Bay
• Founders: Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal
in Dover, England.
Books and Authors
Israel 'Successfully Tests' Arrow 3 Missile
• The Story of Babri Masjid (Babri Masjid ki Kahani), a
• Israel successfully conducted a series of tests of the Arrow
pictorial history book in English, Hindi and Urdu was
3 missile defense system in Alaska, in cooperation with the
released in New Delhi on 20 August 2019. Advocate A.
American Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
Mohammad Yusuf released the book on Babri Masjid.
• This is the first time the Arrow 3 system managed to
• At the same event, two other relevant books Warriors of
intercept a real missile, one that simulated a ballistic
Malabar: Muslim Religious Scholars (English) and Badr:
missile.
Lessons of the Battle (English) were also released.
• The Arrow 3 is meant to intercept ballistic missiles outside
the atmosphere. 'Second Night' Novel launched
Nigeria to join coalition to save pollinators • Former diplomat Rajiv Dogra's third novel 'Second Night'
was launched on 16 August 2019.
• Nigeria became the fourth African country to join the
• He has penned two books on Indo-Pak relations and the
Global Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators on 25 July
Durand Line.
2019.
• He was India's Ambassador to Italy and Romania.
• Ethiopia was the first African nation to join the coalition in
• 'Second Night', published by Rupa, is about a woman
2017.
determined to escape and a man who has vowed to find
• The organisation was formed to follow up on the findings
her.
of IPBES Assessment on Pollinators, Pollination and Food
• It is a story of friendship, love and loss.
Production, which found that many of the world’s
pollinator species are on the decline. Penguin announced book on Sridevi
Netherlands banned face-covering clothing • On cinema legend Sridevi's 56th birth anniversary, Penguin
Random House India have announced a book on the life of
• The Netherlands banned face-covering clothing, such as a
the actor.
burqa or niqab, in public buildings and on transport as a
• The book, titled 'Sridevi: Girl Woman Superstar', is written
contentious law on the garment came into force.
by author-screenwriter Satyarth Nayak and approved by
• Between 100 and 400 women are estimated to wear a
the actor's producer husband Boney Kapoor.
burqa or niqab in the European country of 17 million
• The book will be published under the Ebury Press imprint
people.
of Penguin Random House in October 2019.
• The legislation also applies to other face coverings such as
full-face helmets, balaclavas or ski mask. Amit Shah launched book based on Vice President
52nd ASEAN summit held • Union Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah launched the
book ‘Listening, Learning and Leading’ in Chennai on 11
• Foreign Ministers from South East Asia are attending the
August 2019.
52nd ASEAN summit in Bangkok.
• This book is based on Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah
• ASEAN also plays host to a series of foreign ministers from
Naidu’s 2 years in office.
key strategic and dialogue partners, including US, China
• The book captures glimpses of his 330 public engagements
and Russia.
across the country during this period.

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• It gives a glimpse of his life after assuming the office of the
Vice President.
Personalities in News
Harish Chandra: Acting CJ of Jharkhand HC
• The Government has notified the appointment of Justice
Harish Chandra Mishra as the Acting Chief Justice of the
Jharkhand High Court.
• The appointment was made in view of the demise of
Acting Chief Justice Prashant Kumar.
• Justice Mishra commenced his practice at the Patna High
Court, dealing with both civil and criminal matters.
• Justice Prashant Kumar passed away on 30 August 2019.
Amrita Pritam honoured by Google Doodle
• Google doodle honoured Punjabi poetess Amrita Pritam
with a doodle, marking her 100th birthday.
• A renowned poetess, Amrita was born on 31 August 1919
in Gujranwala, Punjab of British India, which now fall in
Pakistan.
• Amrita is considered a path-breaking woman, who rose to
fame with her literary works like Pinjar, Suneray and
Nagmani.
Person in news
• Rating agency Moody’s Indian arm ICRA terminated its
Managing Director (MD) and Group Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) Naresh Takkar’s employment.
• Veteran actor Nimu Bhowmik who essayed major
character roles in Bengali classics such as 'Ganadebata',
'Baghini' and 'Dadar Kirti' passed away in August 2019. His
last film, 'Dash Mash Das Diner Galpo', was released last
month.
Person in news
• Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner from Sri
Lanka, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
He played 19 Tests, 87 ODIs and 39 T20Is for Sri Lanka,
taking 70 Test wickets, 152 ODI wickets and 66 T20I
wickets.
• Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected
Pramod Agarwal as the next chairman of Coal India. He will
take over after the present chairman A K Jha.
Person in News
• 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. He is now
the 15th President of Nauru succeeding the outgoing
President Baron Waqa.
• The tenure of CBDT Chairman P C Mody has been
extended by an year. Mody, took over as the Central Board
of Direct Taxation (CBDT) chief in February 2019.
Person in News
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• West Indies pacer Cecil Wright announced his retirement
from all forms of cricket at old age of 85. He claims to have
played over two million games taking over 7,000 wickets in
professional cricket.
• Former Manchester United forward player Eric Cantona
will be honoured with the 2019 UEFA President’s Award.
The award recognises outstanding achievements and
professional excellence of the player.
Person in News
• Mobil India has announced its association with wrestling
champion Bajrang Punia as the new brand ambassador for
its commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment.
• Veteran batsman-wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was named
captain of the Tamil Nadu team for the upcoming Vijay
Hazare Trophy. This was announced by the Tamil Nadu
Cricket Association's (TNCA) State Senior Selection
Committee.
Person in News
• Ferdinand Piech, Volkswagen AG's former chairman and
chief executive passed away in August 2019. During his
nine-year tenure Piech turned a loss equivalent of 1 billion
euros into a 2.6 billion euro profit.
• Noida-based digital payments company Paytm has
appointed ex-Goldman Sachs executive Amit Nayyar as a
president of the company, in a bid to strengthen its
leadership team.
PV Sindhu created history at WBC
• P V Sindhu became the first Indian to win badminton
World Championships gold on 25 August 2019.
• She beat Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the final.
• It was Sindhu’s fifth World Championships medal.
• Sindhu has also won an Olympic silver in 2016 Rio Games,
a silver at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, an Asian
Games silver at Jakarta and the BWF World Tour Finals in
2019.
Person in News
• Suparna Singh, interim CEO of NDTV has resigned with
immediate effect. She became interim CEO of NDTV in
2017 with a approval from the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting.
• One of the political luminaries of the country Professor
Muzaffar Ahmed passed away in August 2019. He was the
president of Bangladesh National Awami Party (Pro-
Moscow NAP) for over five decades.
Akshay Kumar: World's 4th highest paid actor
• Actor Akshay Kumar has made it to the fourth position on
the Forbes magazine’s Worlds Highest-Paid Actors Of 2019
list.
• Akshay has raked in $65 million.

• Hollywood star Dwayne ‘Rock’ Johnson tops the Forbes list
of the 10 highest-paid actors collecting $89.4 million
between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.
• Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. are at 2nd and
3rd respectively.
P. Chidambaram arrested in corruption case
• CBI arrested India's former finance minister,
P. Chidambaram, on suspicion of involvement in
corruption and money laundering.
• This came a day after the Delhi High Court rejected his
application to seek exemption from arrest.
• The CBI and Enforcement Directorate have alleged that
Chidambaram was involved in money laundering and
conspired around the approval of a telecommunications
deal in 2006
Person in News
• The Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed former South
African Coach Russel Domingo as the Head Coach for the
national cricket team. Russel Domingo has served as the
Head Coach for South Africa’s T20 side in 2012.
• Doordarshan Anchor and Nari Shakti Award Winner
Neelum Sharma passed away in August 2019. She was
known for her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’ and ‘Badi
Charcha’.
Virat Kohli: 1st batsman to score 20,000 runs
• Indian captain Virat Kohli has become the first batsman to
score 20,000 international runs in a single decade.
• Kohli has aggregated 20,502 runs across three formats out
of which he has scored 20,018 in the ongoing decade.
• Kohli made his Test and T20 Internationals debut in 2010.
• He had already scored 484 runs in ODI cricket after making
his debut in 2008.
Wesley Sneijder announced retirement
• The Netherlands' player Wesley Sneijder announced his
retirement from football, bringing down the curtain on a
trophy-laden career that spanned 17 years.
• He played 134 times for his country.
• His displays earned him the Silver Ball for the
tournament's second best player behind Uruguay's Diego
Forlan.
• He made his international debut in 2003 and picked up a
World Cup runners-up medal in 2010.
Person in News
• As Reliance Industries (RIL) held its 42nd Annual General
Meeting, one of its veteran board members and the first
independent director of the company M.L. Bhakta retired.
He has been on the RIL board since 1977.
• Fitness and lifestyle brand Reebok recently announced
Varun Dhawan as its new brand ambassador.
Person in News
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice
Madan Lokur moved up taking oath as a judge of the
Supreme Court of Fiji. He retired as Supreme Court judge
on December 31, 2018, after a tenure of more than 6
years.
• Guatemalans have voted in Alejandro Giammattei of the
Vamos party as the country's next president. He had spent
several months in prison in 2008.
Freedom fighter Dayanidhi Nayak passed away
• Freedom fighter Dayanidhi Nayak, who struggled against
the British Government during the Quit India movement
passed away in August 2019.
• One of the 32 freedom fighters from Panimora, he joined
the Quit India movement against the British government
and was a devout follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
• He was one of the last two surviving of the 32 foot soldiers
from Panimora.
Person in News
• Senior Advocate and former Additional Solicitor General
Amarendra Sharan passed away in August 2019. He
enrolled with the Bihar State Bar Council in 1975 and
started practice in Patna High Court.
• India's Congress party appointed Sonia Gandhi to serve as
interim president until it elects a new party chief. The
party accepted the resignation of Rahul Gandhi, who quit
in July 2019.
Valentina: Green Ambassador of Manipur
• Valentina Elangbam, a 9-year-old girl from Manipur, has
been appointed as the brand ambassador for the Chief
Minister's Green Manipur Mission.
• The young child was seen weeping profusely in a viral
video after two trees that she had planted were cut down.
• She will be involved with several government-sponsored
tree plantation programmes that include World
Environment Day and Van Mahotsava.
SBI extended tenure of MD by 2 years
• SBI has extended the term of office of its Managing
Director Dinesh Kumar Khara for further period of two
years.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the
proposal of the Department of Financial Services for
extension of his tenure.
• He was appointed MD of SBI on 10 August 2016 for a
period of three years which was extendable by two years
after review of his performance.
Person in News I
• Actor Steve Coogan will be felicitated with the Charlie
Chaplin Award by the British Academy's Los Angeles
branch. He will receive the honour during the 2019
Britannia Awards.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

• Nobel Prize-winning US author Toni Morrison passed away • Dr Vinayak S Hiremath, known for his exemplary work in
in August 2019. In 1993, Morrison won the Nobel Prize for the field of medicine and is the youngest doctor of
Literature. Her 1987 novel 'Beloved' earned her a Pulitzer Gulbarga, has been felicitated with the 'Pride of the Nation
Prize. Award'.
• The Award is given to the people who have made a
Person in News II
notable contribution in their fields and in the process
• State-owned Power Grid Corporation Director (Finance) made India proud.
Kandikuppa Sreekant assumed the charge of the chairman • Dr Vinayak is the first South Indian doctor to offer free
and managing director of Power Grid Corporation of India. insulin consultation and treatment.
• Legendary Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has announced his
retirement from professional football. He had won the
Golden Ball award after being adjudged the best player of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Naaz Joshi won Miss World Diversity title
• India's transsexual woman Naaz Joshi has made
history with a third successive victory in the beauty
pageant Miss World Diversity.
• Naaz was crowned Miss World Diversity 2019 on August 3
in Port Louis, Mauritius.
• The Miss World Diversity 2019 was held in Port Louis,
Mauritius.
Person in News
• Former Padma Shri award winner and educationist
Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed away in August 2019.
She received the Padma Shri award in 2010 for her
contribution to the field of education.
• Australia’s reigning world-champion hurdler Sally Pearson
announced her surprise retirement due to injury. She is an
Olympic gold-medallist in 2012 and 2-time world
champion over 100 metres hurdles.
French inventor crossed English Channel
• French inventor Franky Zapata is 1st person in history to
cross the English Channel on Flyboard Air, a jet-powered
hoverboard.
• Zapata completed the crossing in 22 minutes, reaching Person in News I
speeds of up to 110mph (177km/h) flying 15-20 metres • Well-known character artiste Devadas Kanakala passed
(50-65ft) above the water. away in August 2019. One of his last outing as an actor was
• Zapata made the 35-kilometre (21.5 miles) crossing from in Bharat Ane Nenu starring Mahesh Babu in 2018.
the French seaside town of Sangatte to St. Margaret’s Bay • EU governments picked Bulgaria’s Kristalina Georgieva as
in Dover, England. the bloc’s candidate to lead the International Monetary
Person in News Fund. She got the backing of a majority of the 28 EU
states, defeating the Dutch candidate Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
• Congress's Rajya Sabha MP and chief whip Bhubaneshwar
Kalita resigned from the membership of the House Person in News II
opposing the party's stand on the abrogation of Article • Bhasha Mukherjee, a 23-year-old Indian origin doctor was
370. crowned Miss England 2019. Bhasha holds two different
• South African bowler Dale Steyn announced his retirement medical degrees, has an IQ of 146 and is fluent in 5
from Test cricket. He has played 93 Tests for South Africa, different languages.
finishing with 439 wickets, the most in the long format by • The government appointed IRS officer Saurabh Kumar as
a South African bowler. the Private Secretary to Union minister Ravi Shankar
Dr Vinayak felicitated with an Award Prasad. He will serve in the post for a period of four years
and 10 months.

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Government Policies & Schemes
HUA launched 'Angikaar campaign'
• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched
the 'Angikaar campaign'.
• It is aimed at bringing beneficiaries of PMAY (urban) into
the fold of other central schemes such as Ujjawala and
Ayushman Bharat.
• The convergence would especially focus on Ujjwala for gas
connection and Ayushman Bharat for health insurance to
the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(U).
Delhi government to launch a 10-week campaign
• Delhi government will launch mega 10-week campaign
against dengue and chikungunya.
• The campaign has been titled as '10 Hafte, 10 Baje 10
minute Har Ravivar, Dengue Par War'.
• As per the campaign, people of Delhi are requested to give
10 minutes every Sunday at 10 a.m. to check all sources of
stagnant water at their homes as the dengue mosquitoes
breed only in clean water.
IRCTC has came up with a new scheme
• Indian Railways' ticketing and catering arm IRCTC has
come up with a new scheme for passengers.
• If Tejas Express (IRCTC has bagged the rights to run the
train) is late by more than hour then passengers may be
eligible for compensation.
• IRCTC is planning to start the first of the two trains from
Delhi to Lucknow from October 2019.
• The ticket prices will be in the line of Shatabdi Express.
5 lakh local water conserv. infra. developed
• Over 3 crore 70 lakh people have joined the nationwide Jal
Shakti Abhiyan.
• The government had launched the ambitious initiative on
1 July 2019 to enhance water security, especially in water-
stressed districts.
• During the past two months, the initiative has delivered
over five lakh local water conservation infrastructures in
256 districts.
Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna launched in Punjab
• The CM of Punjab launched a universal health insurance
scheme Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana benefiting nearly 46
lakh families.
• Punjab has become the first state in the country to offer
medical insurance cover to the maximum number of its
people.
• The scheme would entitle beneficiaries to avail annual
cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year,
including pre-existing diseases.
Manipur CM launched a scheme
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Manipur CM N Biren Singh launched the School
Fagadaba (Make education better) scheme to improve the
infrastructure of government schools.
• The objective of the scheme is to ensure better
infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement
of government schools to make them model schools.
• Biometric devices would be installed in schools for
ensuring regular attendance of teachers.
Pb Govt brought 4500 journalists into SSBY
• Punjab Govt brought around 4500 journalists into the
ambit of its recently launched universal health insurance
scheme Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (SSBY).
• All journalists holding yellow cards, will be eligible to be
covered under the scheme.
• The State Government will bear the entire premium under
the scheme, for nearly 400 private hospitals in Punjab
have been empanelled.
‘Uber for tractors’ launched
• The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare
has launched ‘Uber for Tractors’ app.
• The app will help rural farmers to access cutting-edge
technology at an affordable price at their doorsteps.
• Farmers can book and hire all the expensive agricultural
equipment.
• There is also a rating system in the app which will register
feedback from both the Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) and
the farmers.
'Village Volunteers System' launched in Andhra
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
launched government's flagship programme Village
Volunteers system on 15 August 2019.
• The scheme, aimed at providing governance services at
doorsteps of people, will involve over 2.8 lakh volunteers.
• Under the scheme, one volunteer will cover 50 families in
each village.
• Each volunteer will get an honorarium of Rs 5,000 per
month.
Online land revenue payment system launched
• Odisha has launched the online land revenue payment
system in the state on 15 August 2019.
• Developed by NIC Bhubaneswar, the system will enable
farmers to make payments within minutes and get rent
receipts.
• This is the first of its kind initiative by the state Revenue
department under the Odisha government's '5-T
mantra' to provide better services to the people.
MCA amends provisions of Companies Act
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended the
provisions relating to the issue of shares with Differential
Voting Rights (DVRs) provisions under the Companies Act.

• The objective is to enable promoters of Indian companies
to retain control of their companies in their pursuit for
growth and creation of long-term value for shareholders,
even as they raise equity capital.
Centre launches San-Sadhan Hackathon
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
(DEPwD), under Swachh Bharat Mission, launched San-
Sadhan Hackathon on 17 August 2019.
• The DEPwD has launched San-Sadhan Hackathon with an
aim to enhance sensitivity and develop an ecosystem for
creating a barrier-free environment.
• Startups, student innovators, technology enthusiasts,
academicians and industry experts have been invited.
Naveen announces 'Mo Sarkar' initiative
• Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 15 August 2019
announced the 'Mo Sarkar' initiative.
• The new initiative will commence from October 2 on the
occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
• Under the new initiative, the chief minister and other
ministers will call common citizens to seek their feedback
on the kind of response and service they received when
they visited the government facilities.
80 lakh farmer families to benefit from PMKSNY
• In MP, about 80 lakh eligible farmer families will benefit
from the Pradhanmantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in the
state.
• Under the scheme, total Rs 6,000 that is Rs 2,000 each in
three installments are being deposited every year directly
in the accounts of the eligible farmer families.
• Scheme has been envisioned with an aim to improve the
life of small and marginal farmers of the country.
Swachh Nagar app launched
• Swachh Nagar app was launched by the Union Housing
and Urban Affairs Ministry.
• It will allow users to have waste collected by their urban
local bodies along with a new protocol on wastewater
treatment that would become a part of cleanliness
rankings of cities.
• The app had been tested in Gurugram and in some of the
General Pool Residential Accommodation colonies for
government staff.
Scheme regarding partial credit guarantee
• The Government has issued a scheme regarding partial
credit guarantee.
• It would enable the public sector banks (PSBs) to purchase
pooled assets of financially sound NBFCs amounting to Rs.
one lakh crore.
• The objective is to address temporary asset liability
mismatches of otherwise solvent NBFCs/HFCs without
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
having to resort to distress sale of their assets for meeting
their commitments.
Venkaiah Naidu launched a scheme in Jharkhand
• VP Venkaiah Naidu launched the Jharkhand government's
'Mukhya Mantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana'.
• Under this scheme, money would be directly transferred
into the bank accounts of farmers in the state.
• Beneficiaries having farm land of less than one acre to five
acres, will get Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 in their bank accounts.
• CM of Jharkhand- Raghubar Das
• Governor of Jharkhand- Draupadi Murmu
Punjab govt to provide 28000 agro-machines
• The Punjab Agriculture Department has initiated a massive
drive to provide more than 28000 agro-machines/farm
equipment to farmers.
• Subsidy component of Rs.278 crore will be provided for
the scheme during the current fiscal year under the first
phase for in-situ management of paddy residue.
• Subsidy ranging from 50%-80% is being provided to the
farmers under the scheme.
Krishi Ashirwad Yojana inaugurated
• 'Mukhya Mantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana' was inaugurated
in Jharkhand on 10 August 2019.
• Under the scheme, farmers holding land of an acre or less
would be eligible for receiving Rs 5,000 and farmers with
five acres of land would be eligible to receive Rs 25,000 in
two fixed instalments.
• The scheme was incorporated in the state budget from the
financial year 2019-2020.
1st State to Release Bio-Fuel Policy
• The Rajasthan government on 9 August 2019 released
biofuel rules-2019 on the eve of the World Biofuel Day.
• Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said Rajasthan is the
first state in the country to bring the policy for biofuel
after the notification of the Centre.
• Promotion of biofuel will reduce the need for fossil fuel in
the interest of the environment, and also generate
employment.
Air India launched 'Discover India' scheme
• Air India introduced a 'Discover India' scheme valid for sale
and travel up to March 31, 2020.
• The scheme is rolled out to meet the growing demand of
passengers to fly to different places of tourist and religious
interest within the country by the Indian diaspora and
foreign tourists.
• 10 domestic economy class tickets are also on offer for Rs
75,000 with a validity period of 30 days.
Haryana government to roll out new scheme

• Haryana Government announced the roll-out of 'Mukhya
Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna' on 9 August 2019.
• Under the scheme, Rs 6000 per year will be given to each
eligible family.
• Families having an annual income less than Rs 1,80,000 or
a total landholding of fewer than two hectares are eligible.
• Each beneficiary family will be entitled to get Rs 500 per
month.
Odisha small savings incentive scheme launched
• The Odisha government launched a small savings scheme
for 2019.
• It will stop people from transacting with 'suspicious' non-
banking private financial institutions.
• Under this scheme, any eligible person who deposits a
minimum amount of Rs 2,000 in any small savings scheme
during 2019 in any post office or bank in the state, can
obtain a free web based coupon from the office of
collectors.
Govt sanctioned over 5,000 electric buses
• Government has sanctioned 5,595 electric buses in 64
cities for intracity and intercity operations under the
second phase of FAME India scheme.
• The objective of the scheme is to encourage faster
adoption of electric and hybrid vehicle by way of offering
upfront incentives on purchase of electric vehicles.
• This will give a further push to clean mobility in public
transportation.
HIV to be reduced by 2020: Health ministry
• Health ministry has set target to reduce HIV cases by 2020.
• Its aim is to bring down incidence of HIV/AIDS by 20,000
per year for the next two years.
• As of now, there are about 2.1 million patients suffering
from the disease, however, only 1.3 million are registered
with Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres and getting the
treatment as per the National Aids Control Organization
(NACO).
States & Districts felicitated under BBBP
• The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development felicitated those Districts and States who
have successfully implemented the Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao (BBBP)scheme in the country.
• The function was held on 7th August, 2019 in New Delhi.
• The BBBP scheme launched on 22 January 2015 has been
implemented in phases.
• Currently, it is being implemented in 640 districts (as per
census 2011).
35 lakh people benefited from ABY scheme
• Chhattisgarh is one of the best performing state under
Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• About 35 lakh people have so far benefited from the
scheme in the country of which five lakh are from
Chhattisgarh.
• The scheme was launched with a vision to provide the
poor, and the underprivileged with better healthcare and
treatment.
• This scheme envisions health assurance of Rs. 5 lakh per
family per year.
Mumbai Police gets criminal tracking system
• The Maharashtra government has set up the Automated
Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) - the
first-of-its-kind in India.
• The AMBIS system can collect demographic and biometric
data of criminals including finger and palm prints; IRIS and
face recognition and can be stored in the system.
• This system would be useful in quickly providing
information about criminals.
Gujarat CM launched ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’
• Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani launched the ‘Vhali Dikri Yojna’ in
Rajkot on 2 August 2019.
• According to scheme, the State Government will pay Rs.
4,000 to every girl child at the time of admission to
Standard 4th, Rs. 6,000 at the time of taking admission to
Standard IX, Rs. 1-lakh at the time of taking admission for
higher education at the age of 18 and another Rs. 1-lakh at
the time of marriage.
ONORC scheme implemented on pilot basis
• Government launched the One Nation-One Ration Card
scheme on a pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Gujarat from 1 August 2019.
• Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized
rice and wheat from any ration shop in these states.
• Their ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to
avail this service.
Mobile library buses launched
• The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism,
Prahlad Singh Patel launched the Mobile Library Buses
procured under C.S.R assistance from Airports Authority of
India.
• The Programme was organized by Delhi Public Library of
Ministry of Culture in New Delhi on 31 July 2019.
• It was launched under 'Ghar-GharDastakGharGharPustak'
Scheme which aims to provide books to the citizens of
Delhi.
Science & Technology
Astra Rafael opened facility
• An Indo-Israel joint venture’s Astra Rafael Communication
System was inaugurated in Hyderabad.
• The system will design, develop and manufacture tactical
communication systems for Indian armed forces.

• The Joint Venture between Astra Microwave and Israel’s
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has become India’s first
private sector firm to manufacture software-defined
radios in multiple variants.
Cartosat-3 satellite to be launched
• India will launch its advanced cartography satellite,
Cartosat-3, towards the end of October or early November
2019.
• Cartosat-3 will be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) rocket.
• An earth observation or remote sensing satellite, Cartosat-
3 is an advanced version with better spatial and spectral
characteristics as compared to the Cartosat-2 series
satellites.
ISRO releases photos of Moon craters
• ISRO released a set of pictures showing the surface of the
Moon using the Terrain Mapping Camera installed on
Chandrayaan-2.
• The pictures shows craters such as Jackson, Mitra, Mach
and Korolev.
• The Mitra crater was named after Professor Sisir Kumar
Mitra, an Indian physicist and a Padma Bhushan recipient
who was known for his pioneering work in the field of
ionosphere and Radiophysics.
NASA confirmed Europa Clipper mission
• NASA confirmed the next phase of development of the
Europa Clipper Mission.
• It is an interplanetary mission to Jupiter’s smallest moon
Europa with the target.
• It is conducting an in-depth exploration of Jupiter’s moon
Europa whether the icy moon can have suitable conditions
for sustaining life and increase our insights into
astrobiology.
Rocket carrying life-sized robot launched
• Russia launched a rocket carrying life-sized robot to the
International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur
cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
• The robot, named Fedor is the first-ever sent into space by
Russia.
• In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot
was the Soyuz rocket's only passenger.
• During its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills
such as connecting electric cables.
World’s largest computer chip revealed
• Cerebras Systems has unveiled the world’s largest single
silicon-based processor named Cerebras Wafer Scale
Engine(WSE).
• This chip has 1.2 trillion transistors, the basic on-off
electronic switches that are the building blocks of silicon
chips.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The rectangular shape chip measures 21.5cm sq (8.5in sq),
comes with 400,000 AI (Artificial Intelligence) cores and 18
gigabytes of on-chip memory.
NCPCR & IIT Kanpur developed kit
• IIT Kanpur has developed a kit in collaboration with the
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to
spread awareness about sexual abuse among children.
• The kit can be used in classrooms for kids aged between 8-
12 and in a group of 30-35 students in one session.
• The kit constitutes a set of cards, posters, short animation
clips and games, which can be used by teachers or an
NGO.
5 new fish species discovered in Arunachal P.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, researchers of the Rajiv Gandhi
University have discovered 5 new fish species in various
districts of the state.
• The scientific names of the newly-discovered fish species
are Mystus prabini, found in Sinkin and Dibang rivers and
Exostoma kottelati.
• Other discovered species are Creteuchiloglanis
tawangensis, Garra ranganensis, and Physoschistura
harkishorei.
FDA approves new drug for tuberculosis
• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved
a new oral three-drug regimen for the extensively-drug
resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), estimated to have a
mortality rate of 60 per cent.
• The treatment involves 'Pretomanid' tablets in
combination with bedaquiline and linezolid, collectively
referred to as the BPaL regimen.
• It has an efficacy rate of 90%.
Scientist discover pain sensing organ in skin
• Researchers have discovered a new sensory organ in the
skin that is able to detect painful mechanical damage, such
as pricks and impacts, an advance that may help develop
novel painkillers.
• Almost one person in every five experiences constant pain
and there is a considerable need to find new painkilling
drugs, according to research published in the journal
Science.
Albama: Moon spacecraft Headquarters
• NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced that
Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will serve as
headquarters for NASA's programme to build a spacecraft
to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024.
• The programme has been named Artemis.
• The new lunar mission is likely to cost $20 billion to $30
billion dollars over five years.
ISRO chairman conferred APJ Abdul Kalam Award

• Chairman of ISRO K. Sivan was awarded Tamil Nadu
government’s Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award on 15 August
2019.
• Under his leadership, the organisation launched its
Chandrayaan-2 mission.
• Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami handed over the
State government’s Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage
and Daring Enterprise to P. Ramyalakshmi, Assistant
Director of Fisheries posted in Cuddalore.
WhatsApp brought fingerprint authentication
• One of WhatsApp's most awaited features, fingerprint
authentication, is finally rolling out to Android users.
• The feature is currently available to those who have
registered in WhatsApp's beta programme for Android.
• This is the first time the feature has made its way to a
stable WhatsApp beta build for Android.
IIT Kg researchers developed blood test device
• Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have developed a low-cost
diagnostic device.
• It can perform various pathological tests by using blood
taken from a fingerprick.
• The device requires only a paper strip based kit integrated
with a smartphone to enable analytics and readout
functions and LED light for imaging.
• The key aspect of the kit, developed by a research team
led by Prof Suman Chakraborty.
NASA Demos Water-Powered Spacecraft Abilities
• NASA demonstrated the first coordinated manoeuvre
between 2 tissue box-sized water-powered spacecraft in
the low Earth orbit.
• They were orbiting Earth about 9 km from one another.
• The two spacecraft established a radio frequency
communication cross-link to talk with each other.
• One spacecraft issued a command to the second to
activate its thruster and close the gap between the two.
Trans-lunar injection to move Chandrayaan-2
• ISRO will undertake on August 14, 2019, the crucial
process of trans-lunar injection to move Chandrayaan-2
from earth's orbit towards the moon.
• By this manoeuvre, Chandrayaan-2 will leave earth's orbit
and move towards the moon.
• It will finally land near the south pole of the moon on
September 7, 2019.
• ISRO is expecting a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Largest parrot discovered in New Zealand
• Fossils of the largest parrot ever recorded have been
found in New Zealand.
• The fossils are estimated to have weighed about 7kg, it
would have been more than twice as heavy as the kakapo,
previously the largest known parrot.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Palaeontologists have named the new species Heracles
inexpectatus to reflect its unusual size and strength and
the unexpected nature of the discovery.
IIT-M student designed system to recycle urine
• A student specialising in environmental engineering at the
Indian Institute of Technology Madras has come up with a
method to recycle human urine.
• Project Water Chakra won the Indian Innovation Growth
Programme 2.0 award in July 2019.
• The concentrated urine is stored for three days to allow
the urea to get converted to ammonia.
• Through electrochemical process, 90% of water can be
recovered.
SpaceX launched Falcon 9
• US carrier rocket Falcon 9 loaded with Israeli AMOS-17
communication satellite successfully lifted off from a space
center in Florida, on 7 August 2019.
• Falcon 9 launch marked this booster's third flight and
SpaceX's 25th reflight of an orbit class rocket.
• Amos-17 will provide Ka, Ku and C-band signal
transmission and expand Spacecom's coverage in Africa,
the Middle East and Europe.
World's thinnest '2D' gold
• Scientists have developed '2D' gold so fine that even a
human fingernail is thicker in comparison.
• The scientists at the University of Leeds, have created the
world's thinnest gold measuring two atoms thick or million
times thinner than a fingernail.
• In its 2D form, gold becomes flexible that adds to its
potential of being used more efficiently such as in
bendable screens, etc.
IIT Guwahati developed portable device
• A team of researchers at IIT Guwahati has developed a
portable device to detect bacteria without cell culture.
• The hand-held device, with a bio-compatible sensor, can
also diagnose time-critical illnesses such as meningitis.
• The teamwork has been patented and published in the July
2019 issue of 'Journal of Materials Chemistry of the Royal
Society of Chemistry'.
AI used to detect fast radio bursts
• Scientists have developed an automated system that uses
artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and capture fast radio
bursts (FRBs) in real-time.
• FRBs are mysterious and powerful flashes of radio waves
from space, thought to originate billions of light-years
from the Earth.
• The system, described in the journal Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society has already identified
5 bursts.
ISRO released first set of earth pictures

• ISRO released the first set of pictures of the earth,
captured by Chandrayaan 2, the country's second Moon
mission.
• The pictures were captured by L 14 camera onboard
Chandrayaan II.
• The pictures show the earth in different hues.
• The LI-4 camera onboard the lander Vikram of the
spacecraft show the crystal clear and panoramic view of
the earth, around which it is still revolving.
World's smallest monkey fossil found
• Scientists have uncovered remains of the smallest fossil
monkey ever found in Peru's Amazon jungle.
• The specimen is important because it helps bridge a 15-
million-year gap in the fossil record for New World
monkeys.
• The new fossil was unearthed from an exposed riverbank
along the Ro Alto Madre de Dios in southeastern Peru.
NASA satellite discovers first super-Earth
• NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has
discovered the super-Earth planet — named GJ 357 d.
• The exoplanet is more massive than the earth.
• With a thick atmosphere, the planet GJ 357 d could
maintain liquid water on its surface like Earth.
• The planet, GJ 357 d, orbits a dwarf star in the Hydra
constellation.
US scientists announce 3D heart printing
• Scientists in US have successfully built functional heart
parts out of collagen using a 3D bioprinter, a breakthrough
they say could one day create entire organs.
• Their technique replicates the body's own complex
biological scaffolds that provide the structure and
biochemical signaling organs need to function.
• Collagen is an ideal biomaterial for the task.
IIT-KGP researchers develop tech
• A research team at IIT Kharagpur has developed a
technology which can generate energy from solid waste
with high moisture content.
• The new technology - Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) -
can convert municipal solid waste to biofuel, soil
amendment and absorbents.
• The moisture in the waste is used to the advantage of the
process which uses water for the reaction.
Committees & Recommendations
RBI accepts recommendation of Jalan Committee
• RBI implemented the recommendations of Bimal Jalan
Committee and decided to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore
dividend and surplus reserve fund to the government.
• Bimal Jalan committee was asked to decide how much
reserve money the central bank should have.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar was included in this
committee on behalf of the government.
• The committee had finalized its report on 14 August
9TH Session of India-Kenya JTC held
• The 9th Session of the India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee
(JTC) was held on 19-20 August 2019 in New Delhi.
• The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of
Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal.
• Both sides reviewed the developments in their bilateral
trade and noted the trends since the last session of the
India-Kenya JTC held in August 2018.
Committee to review defence procurement
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the setting up of
a Committee under the chairmanship of Director General
(Acquisition) to review the Defence Procurement
Procedure 2016 and Defence Procurement Manual 2009
to strengthen the 'Make in India' programme.
• The Committee will revise and align the procedures with
the aim of ensuring a seamless flow from asset acquisition
to life cycle support.
CSR non-compliance should be a civil offence
• A high-level committee has recommended that non-
compliance with CSR norms be made a civil offence and
moved to a penalty regime.
• This is a departure from the recent policy change which
had provided for a three-year jail term for violating CSR
norms.
• The committee chaired by Injeti Srinivas, secretary,
corporate affairs ministry, submitted its recommendations
to Sitharaman.
Amit Shah to head panel on mob lynchings
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will head the panel
constituted to combat incidents of mob violence and
lynching across the country.
• The government had formed a Group of Ministers (GoM)
in 2018 to deliberate on incidents of lynching and make
recommendations.
• When constituted, the panel was headed by then Home
minister Rajnath Singh.
Business & Economy
Ind-Ra cuts GDP growthforecast in FY20 to 6.7%
• India Ratings and Research has revised downwards its
projection of the country’s GDP growth in financial year
2019-20 to 6.7%.
• It is a six-year low, from its earlier forecast of 7.3%.
• The agency expects growth in the first quarter of the
current financial year to decline for the fifth consecutive
quarter to 5.7%.
Indian Bank opened MSME processing centre

• Indian Bank has opened MSME CPC (centralised processing
centre) in Chennai.
• The centralised processing centre will give a boost to the
bank’s MSME portfolio and will lead to speedy disposal of
micro, small and medium enterprises’ loans.
• The bank has also deployed skilled manpower in the CPC
to improve credit quality and shorten transaction
processing time.
Govt permitted 100% FDI in coal mining
• The Union Cabinet relaxed Foreign Direct Investment rule
for foreign single-brand retailers and permitted foreign
investment in contract manufacturing and coal mining.
• 100% FDI under automatic route in coal mining and
associated infrastructure has been approved.
• 26% FDI has also been allowed under government route
for uploading and streaming of News and Current Affairs
through Digital Media.
Canara Bank launched OTP facility
• Public sector lender Canara Bank has launched the first
OTP facility for ATM withdrawals.
• In order to offer a more secured and safe system, Canara
bank will activate OTP facility for cash withdrawals of Rs
10,000 or more in a day.
• This move is in line with banks trying to take security
measures to safeguard customers who use debit cards to
withdraw cash at ATMs.
Bimal Jalan panel report
• The Bimal Jalan panel of the Reserve Bank has
recommended that the revised economic capital
framework will be reviewed every five years.
• The RBI, under the revised framework, decided to transfer
52,637 crore rupees excess provisions to the government.
• The panel's report also recommended that the RBI
accounting year may be brought in sync with the fiscal
year from the next financial year.
Bandhan Bank launched co-branded credit card
• Bandhan Bank launched a co-branded credit card in
association with Standard Chartered bank.
• This credit card would be offered to 40 lakh savings bank
account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan
Bank.
• As part of the tie-up, while Standard Chartered bank will
take the credit risk, Bandhan Bank will be responsible for
identifying and issuing cards to its customers.
Government removes DRR requirement
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the
Companies (Share Capital & Debentures) Rules by
removing Debenture Redemption Reserve requirement for
Listed Companies, NBFCs and HFCs.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Debenture Redemption Reserve for unlisted companies
reduced to 10% of outstanding debentures from the
present level of 25%.
• The decision has been taken in pursuance of the Budget
announcements for 2019-20.
RTGS System To Open At 7 AM
• In order to promote digital transactions, the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) has extended the customer transactions
timing for Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system by
an hour.
• Funds can be transferred through the RTGS system from 7
am instead of 8 am from 26 August 2019.
• At present, RTGS system is available for customer
transactions from 8 am to 6 pm.
SEBI eases FPI norms
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 21
August 2019 eased the process for onboarding overseas
investors.
• SEBI also introduced an ‘informant mechanism’ to gather
better evidence and crackdown on insider-trading cases.
• FPIs would no longer be required to meet the ‘broad-
basing’ criteria, under which at least 20 investors were
required to establish a fund.
Moody's cuts India GDP growth forecast
• On 23 August 2019, Moody's Investors Service has cut
India's GDP growth forecast for 2019 calendar year to 6.2%
from the previous estimation of 6.8%.
• For 2020 calendar year, it reduced the estimate by a
similar measure to 6.7%.
• Moody's said the weaker global economy has stunted
Asian exports and the uncertain operating environment
has weighed on investment.
RBI allowed e-mandate for cards
• The RBI has permitted processing of e-mandate on credit
and debit cards for recurring transactions (merchant
payments).
• The maximum limit for such a transaction will be Rs 2,000.
• While processing the first transaction in e-mandate-based
recurring transaction series, additional factor
authentication (AFA) validation should be performed.
SEBI announced reward of Rs.1 crore
• SEBI has announced a reward of upto Rs.1 crore for
informants willing to provide credible information
regarding insider trading cases.
• This will be a part of the detailed set of rules for the new
'Informant Mechanism' under Prohibition of Insider
Trading Regulations.
• The norms also propose a possible amnesty or settlement
for minor wrongdoings in return for cooperation in the
probe.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

ANZ slashes forecast for India's GDP growth • The solution will help eliminate unnecessary friction and
enhance the security of online transactions.
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) slashed
• It combines the latest technology, including device
its forecast for India's economic growth to 6.2% in the
intelligence and behavioural biometrics, with the latest
financial year ending next March from a previous estimate
EMV 3-D Secure and FIDO authentication standards
of 6.5%.
• India's quarterly GDP growth slowed to a five-year low of NBFCs to receive more liquidity support
5.8% in January-March 2019.
• The RBI has allowed banks’ lending to Non-Banking
• ANZ also downgraded its forecast for the year to March
Financial Companies (NBFCs) for on-lending to agriculture,
2021 to 6.5% from 7.1%.
micro and small enterprises, and housing to be classified
Free ATM transactions not for failed transac. as priority sector lending, up to specified limits.
• The RBI raised any bank’s exposure limit to a single NBFC
• The RBI asked banks not to count failed transactions at
from the existing 15% to 20% of tier-1 capital.
ATMs due to technical reasons as part of “free ATM
• The idea is to ease liquidity pressure in NBFCs.
transactions” permitted every month.
• Besides, use of ATMs for balance enquiry and fund LIC launches Jeevan Amar protection plan
transfers too should be not part of the free transactions
• LIC has launched a new term insurance plan called Jeevan
facility given to a customer.
Amar.
• Banks provide certain number of free transactions at ATMs
• It is a non-linked, without profit, pure protection plan, and
to their customers and beyond that impose charges.
is available for sale offline.
RBI to issue revised norms • It offers the flexibility to choose from two death benefit
options – the level sum assured and increasing sum
• Housing finance companies (HFCs) will be treated as a
assured.
category of non-banks, as per RBI.
• The minimum sum assured under the plan is ₹25 lakh with
• It will release a revised regulatory framework for these
no maximum limit.
entities.
• This comes after the Finance Act, 2019 amended the NCAER sees GDP growth at 6.2%
National Housing Bank Act, 1987, conferring certain
• Economic think tank NCAER (National Council of Applied
powers for regulation of HFCs with the Reserve Bank of
Economic Research) expects the agriculture gross value
India.
added (GVA) to remain flat in 2019-20, pulling down the
Centre amended National Housing Bank Act country’s economic growth rate to 6.2% in FY20, from
6.8% in FY19.
• The government has activated two Budget proposals laid
• The NCAER’s projection for the economic growth rate is
out to provide relief to the Non-Banking Finance
the lowest among the various estimates that have come so
Companies (NBFCs).
far.
• The National Housing Bank Act has been amended to bring
housing finance companies (HFCs) under the RBI's ambit. 'Speed Dial - your partner for life' launched
• Also, banks can now classify the credit provided to NBFCs
• Max Life Insurance launched the one-of-its-kind initiative,
(for example, HFCs) for on-lending as priority sector
'Speed Dial Max Life Insurance - Your Partner for Life'.
lending.
• Under this initiative, Max Life will assign every customer a
UCO, Allahabad bank slashed MCLR dedicated relationship manager, known as the 'Partner for
Life' for all their policy-related service needs.
• Allahabad Bank and UCO Bank slashed marginal cost of
• The initiative will provide a quick and easy resolution of
funds- based lending rate (MCLR) across all tenors.
policy servicing needs to customers.
• Allahabad Bank has reduced its MCLR by 15 to 20 basis
points (bps) for different tenors, effective from August 14, PNB Housing Finance raises Rs 522 cr via ECB
2019.
• PNB Housing Finance raised fresh equity of Rs 522 crore
• UCO Bank has cut the same by 15 bps across all tenors.
($75 million) as External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) from
• The one-year MCLR is the rate based on which the retail
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) of
loans such as home and car advances are linked.
Singapore.
Mastercard launches identity check express • The ECB is under the Reserve Bank of India's automatic
route of approval and the proceeds will be used by the
• Mastercard announced the launch of Identity Check
company as per the applicable RBI guidelines.
Express, a next-generation, mobile-first authentication
• Sanjaya Gupta is the Managing Director of PNB Housing
solution.
Finance.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

Extended hours for forex market recommended • Oriental Bank of Commerce has decided to decrease its
MCLR by up to 10 basis points across various tenors.
• The Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets, headed by
• IDBI Bank announced a reduction of 0.10 percentage point
Usha Thorat, former RBI Deputy Governor has
in its one-year MCLR to 8.95%.
recommended that onshore market hours may be suitably
extended to match the flexibility provided by the offshore Business and Economy
market.
• Within hours of a steeper 35 basis points reduction in the
• It was constituted in view of the sharp growth in offshore
repo rates by the Reserve Bank, the State Bank of India
trading volumes in the rupee Non-Deliverable Forwards
announced a 15 basis points reduction in its lending rates.
(NDF) market.
The new rates of 8.25 will be effective from August 10,
Jana SFB gets Scheduled Bank status 2019.
• PNB has recovered ₹278.66 crore as penalty in the
• Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd, which commenced banking
financial year 2018-19 from the poor account holders for
operations in March 2018, has got the status of a
not maintaining a minimum balance.
Scheduled Bank.
• The Government notified this on 27 July 2019, putting Jana RBI cuts repo rate by 35 basis points
Small Finance Bank on the list of the banks included in the
• The RBI's monetary policy committee lowered its repo rate
second schedule of RBI Act 1934.
by an unconventional 35 basis points to 5.4%.
• Ajay Kanwal is the MD & CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank.
• This is the fourth reduction in a row of its key policy rate
EnKash launches corporate credit card for SMEs since Shaktikanta Das took over as the governor of the
central bank in December 2018
• Business-to-business payments startup EnKash on 9
• The path of CPI inflation is now projected at 3.1% for the
August 2019 launched the country's first corporate credit
second quarter of FY20 and 3.5-3.7% for second half of
card called 'Freedom Card' for small and medium
FY20.
enterprises (SMEs).
• The Freedom Card would give SMEs and startups the RBI opened liquidity tap for stressed NBFCs
freedom to avail credit facility for immediate needs and to
• The RBI announced 2 key measures to help non-bank
manage their liquidity.
financial companies.
• The card caters to the varied billing cycles as per the
• The first initiative deals with harmonisation of single
working capital cycles.
counterparty exposure limit for banks’ exposure.
CAIT launches digital payments initiative • The second initiative deals with credit to the priority
sector.
• Traders body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)
• Detailed guidelines on the above measures will be issued
launched an initiative -- Digi Vyapari-Safal Vyapari -- to
by the end of August 2019.
accelerate acceptance of digital payments among
merchants across the country. Business and Economy
• CAIT has partnered with HDFC Bank, Mastercard, Common
• The RBI plans to make the online payment system, the
Service Centres (CSCs) of Ministry of Electronics and
National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), available 24x7,
Information Technology (Meity) and Global Linkers for the
in what may provide a boost to the government’s digital
initiative.
payments plan.
RBL Bank launched 1st health credit card • The RBI has decided to set a Central Payment Fraud
• RBL Bank and digital healthcare platform Practo have Registry to track frauds in the payment systems. Payment
system participants will be provided access to this registry
partnered to launch an industry-first co-branded health
for near-real-time fraud monitoring.
credit card.
• The card is powered by Mastercard and is available on SGX and NSE to operate jointly in GIFT City
both Practo and RBL mobile apps and websites.
• SEBI approved Singapore Stock Exchange and National
• It offers benefits like unlimited and round-the-clock online
Stock Exchange of India Ltd to operate jointly in Gujarat
consultations with experienced doctors and
International Finance Tec-City, Gandhinagar.
2 complimentary domestic airport lounge accesses every
• The two entities will create a new platform for trading
quarter.
called NSE International Financial Service Centre (IFSC)-
OBC, IDBI Bank cut MCLR up to 15 basis points SGX Connect.
• Oriental Bank of Commerce and IDBI Bank announced a • NSE-IFSC will allow trading in Nifty index derivatives and
cut in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 percentage point in the single-stock derivatives of Nifty’s 50 constituent.
marginal cost of funds based lending rates (MCLR). RBI imposed penalty of Rs 8.5 cr on 11 banks
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• The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty on 11 banks for
non-compliance with certain provisions frauds
classification and reporting by commercial banks.
• The banks are Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal
Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank,
Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab
National Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank and United
Bank of India.
RBI updated fit & proper norms for PSB boards
• Members of Parliament, state legislatures, or local bodies
such as municipal corporations cannot be on the boards of
public sector banks, as per RBI.
• Also, partners of chartered accountancy firms engaged as
statutory central auditors at any public sector bank cannot
join the boards of these banks.
• Candidates for the post of board members should also not
be a member of any rival bank.
Deloitte quit as auditor of crisis-hit DHFL
• Deloitte has quit as the auditor of cash-strapped DHFL.
• Cash-strapped DHFL sits on a debt pile of ₹90,000 crore
and has defaulted on its various repayment obligations in a
serial manner in the recent past.
• DHFL in mid-July posted its biggest-ever quarterly loss of
₹2,224 crore for the quarter ended March of 2018-19
fiscal.
• The financial results were delayed due to the ongoing
concerns.
RBI imposed ₹50 lakh fine on SBI
• The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on
SBI for non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
• RBI has slapped penalties on eight commercial banks,
including, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda, for a
host of violations.
• RBI imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on PNB for delay in
reporting of fraud in the account of Kingfisher Airlines.
Crisil cuts FY20 GDP growth forecast to 6.9%
• Ratings agency Crisil has cut its forecast for GDP growth in
2019-20 to 6.9% from its earlier forecast of 7.1%, citing
weak monsoon, slow global growth and poor high-
frequency data for the first quarter of the financial year.
• Crisil also expects corporate sector growth to slow to 8% in
2019-20.
• It also said that banking sector NPAs are expected to come
down to about 8% by the end of 2019-20
Flipkart launches 'Samarth' initiative
• E-commerce company Flipkart launched ‘Samarth’, an
initiative to bring weavers, artisans and makers of
handicrafts to its platform.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Flipkart Samarth will support such artisans, weavers, etc,
by on-boarding them and helping them in the process of
selling on the internet.
• This includes support for cataloguing, account
management, seller support, and warehousing support.
SBI:1st bank to link up with China pay. sys.
• The SBI's Shanghai branch is now connected to China's
National Advance Payment System (CNAPS), becoming the
first Indian Bank to operationalise it.
• The CNAPS was launched in 2008 by People's Bank of
China (PBOC).
• It provides real-time settlement services for all payments
cleared in mainland China, as well as in all clearing banks
in offshore yuan centers, such as Hong Kong.
NBFCs won't charge loan foreclosure penalties
• The Reserve Bank barred non-banking finance companies
from charging pre-payment penalties or foreclosure
charges from individual borrowers.
• Foreclosure charges are part of the fee income for any
lender and adds to its bottomline.
• These direction covers both deposit-taking and non-
deposit-taking NBFCs which are considered systemically
important ones.
RBI imposed fine on 7 PSBs
• The Reserve Bank has imposed a collective penalty of ₹11
crore on seven public sector banks for violating norms on
current account opening.
• Allahabad Bank and Bank of Maharashtra have been
imposed a fine of ₹2 crore each, Bank of Baroda, Bank of
India, Indian Overseas Bank and United Bank of India have
been fined ₹1.5 crore each, while Oriental Bank of
Commerce with a penalty of ₹1 crore.
Government approved proposal given by RBI
• The government has approved a proposal given by the RBI
on draft modalities of the guarantee to operationalize the
Budget announcement.
• This is in regard to one-time partial credit to the Public
Sector Banks for purchase of high-rated assets of
financially sound Non-banking financial companies.
• The Department of Financial Services would put in place
an oversight mechanism for this scheme.
BoC to offer regular banking services in India
• The RBI has allowed Bank of China to offer regular banking
services in India.
• All commercial banks, like SBI, HDFC Bank, PNB and ICICI
Bank, are in the Second Schedule.
• Banks falling under this schedule have to adhere to the
norms of the RBI.
• The name of 'The Royal Bank of Scotland plc' has been
changed to 'NatWest Markets Plc' in the Second Schedule.

8 core sectors growth drops to 0.2% in June
• Growth of 8 core industries dropped to 0.2% in June
mainly due to a contraction in oil-related sectors as well as
in cement production.
• The 8-core sector industries - coal, crude oil, natural gas,
refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity -
had expanded by 7.8% in June 2018.
• During April-June, the 8 sectors grew by 3.5% compared to
5.5% in the same period in 2018.
Sports
Virgil van Dijk, Lucy Bronze won UEFA Award
• Liverpool Football player Virgil van Dijk has won UEFA’s
Player of the Year award.
• He beat Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Juventus
superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, while England footballer Lucy
Bronze took the Women’s Player of the Year award.
• UEFA also handed out positional awards for male players,
with Van Dijk for Champions League Defender of the
Season.
Sports News
• India and Nepal secured the top two spots in the Under-15
SAFF Football Championship at the Kalyani Stadium in
West Bengal on 29 August 2019. India beat defending
champions Bangladesh 4-0, while Nepal trounced Bhutan
6-0.
• In shooting, Abhishek Verma won the gold medal and
Saurabh Chaudhary the bronze, in the men's 10m air pistol
event of the World Cup at Rio de Janeiro.
25th Sr Women’s Nat Football C'ship to be held
• The 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship
will be held in Arunachal Pradesh for the first time from
September 10-24, 2019.
• The tournament will be held in the oldest town of the
state Pasighat in East Siang District.
• A total of 30 teams from across the country, representing
various States, Union Territories and Indian Railways will
participate in the tournament.
Person in News
• West Indies pacer Cecil Wright announced his retirement
from all forms of cricket at old age of 85. He claims to have
played over two million games taking over 7,000 wickets in
professional cricket.
• Former Manchester United forward player Eric Cantona
will be honoured with the 2019 UEFA President’s Award.
The award recognises outstanding achievements and
professional excellence of the player.
Sports Minister gave Rs 1.82 cr to medallists
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju handed over 1.82 crore rupees
to the medallists of the Para-Badminton World
Championship.
• He amended the policy for para-athletes to make them
eligible for more cash awards.
• As per the amended guidelines, medal winners in world
events and world championships, organised by
International Paralympic Committee will be eligible for
cash awards from the government.
Sports News
• The Indian team created history by winning one gold, one
silver and two bronze medals at the 45th World Skills
Kazan 2019 competition, in Russia on 27 August 2019.
• Virat Kohli maintained his lead over Australia's Steve Smith
in the latest ICC Cricket Test rankings released in Dubai on
27 August 2019. Top-ranked Kohli has 910 points while
Smith, with 904, is placed second.
Manasi secures maiden gold
• India had a world champion in Basel (Switzerland) even
before the whole nation trained its attention on champion
shuttler, P.V. Sindhu, taking on Japanese Nozomi Okuhara
in the women’s singles final.
• 30-year-old Manasi Joshi clinched the gold in women’s
singles SL3 final defeating World No. 1 and compatriot
Parul Parmar 21-12, 21-7 to pick her maiden title in Para
World badminton championship
India's Sumit Nagal gave Roger Federer a scare
• World No. 190 Sumit Nagal of India became the 1st Indian
to take a set off Roger Federer in Tennis.
• Nagal will rise to a career-high ranking of 175 following his
maiden Grand Slam appearance.
• Sumit Nagal won the 2015 Wimbledon boys' doubles title
with his Vietnamese partner Lý Hoàng Nam.
• He became the sixth Indian player to win a junior Grand
Slam Title.
Person in News
• Mobil India has announced its association with wrestling
champion Bajrang Punia as the new brand ambassador for
its commercial vehicle lubricants’ segment.
• Veteran batsman-wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was named
captain of the Tamil Nadu team for the upcoming Vijay
Hazare Trophy. This was announced by the Tamil Nadu
Cricket Association's (TNCA) State Senior Selection
Committee.
Virat: India’s most successful Test captain
• Virat Kohli added yet another feather to his cap but this
time as the captain of India after leading his team to a 318-
run win over the West Indies in the first Test in Antigua.
• This was India's biggest margin of victory in away Tests in
terms of runs.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

• The victory saw Virat Kohli equal MS Dhoni's record of 27 • B.N.S. Reddy, a current member of the BCCI’s Anti-
Test wins, making him the joint-most successful captain for Corruption Unit won the gold medal at the World Police
India in Test cricket. and Fire Games in Chengdu, China, recently.
• He beat Bruce Barrios of the U.S. 7-6, 6-3 in the men’s
PV Sindhu created history at WBC
singles final.
• P V Sindhu became the first Indian to win badminton • This is the third consecutive time Reddy has won a gold
World Championships gold on 25 August 2019. medal at the World Police and Fire Games.
• She beat Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the final.
• It was Sindhu’s fifth World Championships medal.
• Sindhu has also won an Olympic silver in 2016 Rio Games,
a silver at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, an Asian
Games silver at Jakarta and the BWF World Tour Finals in
2019.
Sports News
• In football, Gokulam Kerala FC won the 129th Durand Cup,
defeating heavyweights Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake
Stadium in Kolkata on 24 August 2019.
• India's Komalika Bari became recurve cadet world
champion at the World Archery Youth Championships in
Madrid, Spain on 25 August 2019. She defeated Sonoda
Waka of Japan 7-3 in the final and earned India's second
gold.
India won bronze medal in archery
• In Archery, the Indian team of Sukhbeer Singh,
Sangampreet Singh Bisla and Tushar Phadtare clinched a
bronze medal in the junior compound men's team event in
the World Youth Championships in Madrid on 23 August
2019.
• The compound junior mixed team of Raginee Markoo and
Sukhbeer Singh also assured India of a second silver medal,
beating their Iranian opponents.
PM Modi to launch Fit India Movement
Delhi leg of Op-Blue Freedom flagged off
• PM Narendra Modi is set to launch Fit India Movement.
• The nation-wide campaign aims to encourage people to • Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and former India football
inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday captain Baichung Bhutia flagged off the Delhi leg of Op-
lives. Blue Freedom on 21 August 2019.
• A 28 member committee headed by Sports Minister, Kiren • This is an initiative in which a group of armed forces
Rijiju has been formed to advise the government on the veterans train sports enthusiasts in survival training and
movement. self-defence.
• Actors Shilpa Shetty and Milind Soman will also be • Op-Blue Freedom is a nation-wide adaptive scuba diving
involved. programme for people with disabilities as well as the able
bodied.
Sports News
Indian hockey teams won Olympic Test event
• Constable Monali Jadhav won 3 medals, including 2 golds,
at the recently concluded World Police and Fire Games • Both the Indian Women's and Men's hockey teams won
International Championship held in China. the Olympic Test event in Tokyo on 21 August 2019.
• The World Anti-Doping Agency has suspended the • Women's team defeated Japan 2-1 in the finals. Navjot
accreditation of India's National Dope Testing Laboratory Kaur hit a goal at the 11th minute while Lalremsiami struck
(NDTL) for 6 months. The suspension has been imposed winning goal at 33rd minute of the game for India.
due to non-conformities with the International Standard • Indian men's hockey team also won the Olympic Test
for Laboratories (ISL). event beating New Zealand 5-0.

India won gold in World Police and Fire Games Paytm strikes bumper new deal with BCCI

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• Paytm strikes bumper new deal with BCCI to continue
association as India's title sponsors.
• In per match terms, BCCI will now get 3.8 crores per match
from title rights as opposed to Rs 2.42 crores which Paytm
was last paying them.
• BCCI awarded title sponsorship rights to Paytm for five
more years.
• Previously, Star India got the rights at a heavy discount, 2
crore per match for 2013-14.
Sports News I
• The Ombudsman of the BCCI has ordered that S
Sreesanth's ban for alleged spot-fixing will end in August
2020. The BCCI banned Sreesanth for life in August 2013
along with Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.
• Lee Duckhee became the first deaf player to win an ATP
Tour main draw match. He defeated Henri Laaksonen 7-
6(4) 6-1 in the first round of the Winston-Salem Open.
Sports News II
• Sushil Kumar sealed his berth in the India squad for the
World Championship defeating Jitender Kumar 4-2 in a 74
kg final here on 20 August 2019.
• The current fielding coach of the Indian team, R Sridhar, is
all set to be reappointed to the position for the next 2
years. Recently, Ravi Shastri was reappointed as the team's
coach till the end of T20 World Cup in 2021.
Satendra crossed America's Catalina Channel
• Divyang Satendra Singh Lohia from Madhya Pradesh has
become the first Asian swimmer to cross the Catalina
Channel of America.
• Satendra holds the Asian record of crossing both the
English and Catalina channels.
• Satendra led the Indian Para Relay team along with five
team mates and crossed the Catalina Channel in 11 hours
34 minutes.
Mumbai to host World Youth chess meet
• For the first time ever, India is to host the World Youth
Chess Championship 2019.
• The All India Chess Federation (AICF) won the bid to
conduct the World Youth and Junior Chess championships
2019 in the country.
• The championship will be held from 1-13 October 2019 in
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The championship aims to produce many young stars and
aspire to take part in such world events.
Sports News I
• India finished its campaign at the World Junior Track
Championship in Frankfurt with three medals, including
two individual medals from Esow Alben.
• Three archers of the Assam Rifles archery team bagged
five Gold, three Silver and one Bronze medals at the World
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
Police and Fire Games held in Chengdu, China. The team
was trained by 9 Sector Assam Rifles.
Stand for Virat Kohli: DDCA
• The best age-group cricketers will be recognised and
awarded by the Delhi and District Cricket Association on
September 12, 2019.
• Virat Kohli will become the third cricketer from Delhi to
have a stand named at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium after
him, following Bishan Singh Bedi and Mohinder Amaranth.
• September 12 marks 11 years since he made his
international debut.
Sports News II
• Former Tamil Nadu and South Zone all-rounder D Vasu
was appointed head coach of the state senior cricket
team. Vasu would be the head coach for the season 2019-
2020, while former Tamil Nadu batsman R Prasanna would
be the assistant coach.
• Aishwarya Pissay of TVS clinched the Fim Baja World Cup
2019 Women’s Category. She recently became the first
Indian ever to win a world title in Motorsport.
Sports News III
• Former Chelsea, Arsenal and England football player
Ashley Cole announced his retirement from football. He
won 3 Premier League titles and seven FA Cups.
• Former Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson has been
elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone
Cricket Club (MCC). Johnson represented Australia in 153
One Day Internationals picking up 239 wickets.
Sports News IV
• India's junior women boxers clinched 12 medals at the
third Nation's Cup in Vrbas, Serbia. The team won four
gold, four silver and four bronze medals and claimed the
runners-up trophy.
• Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained the top spot in the
latest Test batsmen's rankings released by the
International Cricket Council in Dubai. Australia's Steve
Smith moved to the second position.
India won gold in Asian Tennis Team c'ship
• India won gold at the Under 12 Asian Tennis Team
championship held in Kazakhstan.
• India defeated Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the summit clash to
win the title.
• The final was a tie of three matches - 2 singles and one
doubles and India won both the singles matches while lost
the doubles encounter.
• The team comprised Manas Dhamme, Arnav Paprakar and
Tamil Nadu's Pranav Rethin.
Sports News
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

• In Badminton, BWF World Championships began on 19 Simone Biles made history

August 2019 at Basel in Switzerland. Sai Praneeth B will
• Simone Biles made history with a never-before-seen
clash with Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada, while
'triple-double floor exercise landing.
HS Prannoy will take on Finnish Eetu Antti Oskari Heino.
• She performed the landing featuring two flips and three
• Hima Das and Mohammad Anas won a gold each in 300m
twists in U.S. Gymnastics Championships held in Kansas
races at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter event in Czech
City.
Republic.This was Hima's 6th gold in 2019 in European
• Biles already has a vault skill and a floor exercise maneuver
races since last month.
named for her as their originator.
Sports News
Sports News
• India's Prithviraj Tondaiman shot a 47 on the first day
• The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has
qualifiers of the men's trap event in the International
suspended Five Russian weightlifters, including a 2012
Shooting Sport Federation Shotgun World Cup in Lahiti,
Olympic bronze medallist, provisionally after doping tests
Finland. He was the best placed Indian at sixth.
on samples recovered from the Moscow lab.
• Wrestler Bajrang Punia has been nominated for the
• A new sports policy was under consideration where every
country's highest sporting honour - the Rajiv Gandhi Khel
player would be supported by government. This policy will
Ratna award. His name was finalised by a 12-member
be introduced after consultations with various sports
selection committee.
organisations.
Liverpool won UEFA Super Cup
Wesley Sneijder announced retirement
• Liverpool beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties and won the UEFA
• The Netherlands' player Wesley Sneijder announced his
Super Cup in Istanbul,
retirement from football, bringing down the curtain on a
• It is Liverpool’s 4th Super Cup victory, with their last
trophy-laden career that spanned 17 years.
coming in 2005 in Champions League triumph, also in
• He played 134 times for his country.
Istanbul.
• His displays earned him the Silver Ball for the
• They have now won 13 European trophies overall.
tournament's second best player behind Uruguay's Diego
Virat Kohli: 1st batsman to score 20,000 runs Forlan.
• He made his international debut in 2003 and picked up a
• Indian captain Virat Kohli has become the first batsman to
World Cup runners-up medal in 2010.
score 20,000 international runs in a single decade.
• Kohli has aggregated 20,502 runs across three formats out Women's cricket to be part of CW Games
of which he has scored 20,018 in the ongoing decade.
• Women's T20 Cricket has been confirmed for inclusion at
• Kohli made his Test and T20 Internationals debut in 2010.
the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.
• He had already scored 484 runs in ODI cricket after making
• Eight teams will compete across eight match days.
his debut in 2008.
• Edgbaston will host all the matches.
Deepak Punia became jr world wrestling champ • The 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place in England
from 27th July to 7th August, 2022.
• Deepak Punia etched his name into the history of Indian
sports by being the first Indian in 18 years to win a title at Bianca Andreescu won Rogers Cup 2019
the Junior World Championships in Estonia.
• Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu wins Rogers Cup
• He won the final of the 86-kg junior freestyle category on
tennis tournament 2019 held in Toronto, Canada.
14 August 2019, beating Alik Shebzukhov of Russia.
• She was the first Canadian to win the event in 50 years.
• The final ended 2-2 on scores, but Deepak was awarded
• Serena Williams was the runner-up in the final.
the bout as he had registered the last point-scoring move.
• Serena Williams retired with a back injury in the final
India won Physical Disability World Series of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
• India beat England by 36 runs to win Physical Disability Sports News
World Series 2019.
• Aishwarya Pissay became the first Indian to claim a world
• Ravindra Sante scored a quickfire half-century to star in
title in motorsports, annexing the FIM World Cup in the
India's victory.
women's category after the final round of the
• The Indian team defeated England by 36 runs.
championship at Varpalota in Hungary.
• The six-nation tournament was organized by the England
• Novak Djokovic remained at the top of the ATP rankings,
and Wales Cricket Board.
released on 12 August 2019. Roger Federer stayed third
• India posted a huge total of 180 runs on the board before
and Dominic Thiem fourth. Stefanos Tsitsipas dropped two
successfully defending it to win the game comfortably.
places.
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Virat Kohli created record
• India captain Virat Kohli surpassed Pakistan great Javed
Miandad to become the highest run-scorer against the
West Indies in ODI cricket.
• He needed 19 runs before the start of the second ODI
against the West Indies to surpass Miandad's tally of 1,930
runs against the two-time World Cup winners.
• Miandad took 64 innings to reach his tally while Kohli has
taken just 34 innings to surpass that.
Chennai Lions beat Dabang Delhi to win UTT
• Chennai Lions won the Ultimate Table Tennis league on 11
August 2019.
• They defeated Dabang Delhi in the finals by 8-1.
• Chennai Lions collected the winner’s share of Rs. 75 lakh
while Delhi settled for Rs. 50 lakh.
• Petrissa Solja, Tiago Apolonia, Sharath Kamal and Petrissa
starred for the Chennai Lions.
• Petrissa Solja and Portugal's Tiago Apolonia proved to be
the stars of the grand finale.
Sports News I
• Hockey India named 33 players for the junior men's
national camp, beginning 12 August 2019 at the Sports
Authority of India centre in Bengaluru.
• In Badminton, Indian junior shuttlers won six medals at the
Bulgarian Junior International Championships which
concluded in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria on 11 August 2019. The
medals comprised of three gold, a silver and two bronze.
Sports News II
• Bajrang Punia defended his title at Tbilisi Grand Prix and
Vinesh Phogat reached her fourth final at Medved event.
Bajrang prevailed 2-0 over Iran's Peiman Bibyani in the 65
Kilogram category.
• In Badminton, Sourabh Verma clinched the Men's Singles
title in the Hyderabad Open on 11 August 2019. He beat
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-13, 14-21, 21-16 in a 52-
minute final clash.
PV Sindhu: Only Indian in Forbes List
• P.V. Sindhu is tied for 13th place in Forbes list of highest-
paid female athletes.
• She is the only Indian and one of just three non-tennis
athletes to be named in the list which is topped by
American tennis great Serena Williams.
• She became the first Indian to win the season-ending BWF
World Tour finals in 2018.
• Serena tops the list with total earnings of USD 29.2 million.
Sports
• Chess Surya Shekhar Ganguly won the Belt and Road China
Hunan International tournament.
• South African spinner Colin Ackermann becomes the 1st
player in T20 cricket history to claim a 7-wicket haul.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Bangalore will host the 10th AASF Asian Age Group
Championships 2019 from 24 September to 2 October
2019.
BCCI to come under the ambit of NADA
• The BCCI agreed to come under the ambit of the National
Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
• This decision makes it a sports federation as per
government norms despite being financially autonomous.
• The implication of this development is expected to be
massive as BCCI now becomes a designated National
Sports Federation and will face more pressure to come
under the government's Right to Information Act.
Sports News I
• The World Archery (WA) suspended the Archery
Association of India (AAI) for defying its guidelines by
electing two parallel bodies, asking the federation to put
its house in order by the end of August 2019.
• South African batsman Hashim Amla retired from all
international cricket with immediate effect. Amla played
124 Tests, 181 ODIs and 44 T20Is between in his 15-year-
long cricketing career.
Sports News II
• Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a tri-nation 20-20
tournament in September despite the African nation being
suspended by the International Cricket Council.
• In Boxing, veteran L. Sarita Devi (60kg) will be gunning for
her first world championship medal in more than 10 years
after she was named in India's 10-strong women's squad
today along with five debutants.
Sports News I
• Rishabh Pant became the first Indian batsman to register
two T20I half-centuries before turning 22. The
wicketkeeper-batsman’s 42-ball 65 is also the highest by
an Indian wicketkeeper in T20I cricket.
• The first match of the T20 series will always be
remembered in which the Haryana-born Navdeep Saini
took 2 wickets in his first over. In his four overs, he
conceded 17 runs and took 3 wickets.
Sports News II
• Saudi Arabia will host the world’s richest horse race in
Riyadh at the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in 2020, with a
purse of $20 million. It will have a maximum 14 runners,
with the winner set to land $10 million.
• Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam title wins at the U.S. and
Australian Opens has put her up at 2nd, behind Serena
Williams, in Forbes’ list of the highest-paid female athletes
over 2018.
Mary, Lovlina selected for world boxing C'ship

• M C Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain have been selected
for the upcoming women's world boxing championships
based on their recent performances.
• Mary Kom, who has already claimed two gold medals in
2019 in India Open and in Indonesia, has been selected in
the 51kg category.
• Lovlina will be competing in the 69kg category.
• The world championships are scheduled from October 3 -
13, 2019 in Russia.
Sports News
• Fiona Kolbinger won the mixed annual 4,000km cycling
Transcontinental Race in France. She became the 1st
woman to win one of the world’s toughest cycling races.
• Ravichandran Ashwin was named as Professional
Cricketers Association’s Player of the month of July 2019.
He hit 197 runs and picked up 23 wickets from just 3
matches for Nottinghamshire.
Rankireddy-Shetty jumped 7 spots in badminton
• In Badminton, Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj
Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty jumped 7 places to enter the
top 10 of the latest world rankings.
• This follows their historic win at last week's Thailand Open.
They are placed ninth in the doubles rankings.
• In the women's singles rankings, Olympic medallists P V
Sindhu managed to hold on to her fifth place and Saina
Nehwal the eighth spot.
India topped latest ICC Test rankings
• India topped the latest ICC Test team rankings while New
Zealand is placed 2nd and South Africa is in 3rd position.
• India skipper Virat Kohli retains his number one position in
the latest ICC Test batsmen’s rankings.
• In rankings for Test all-rounders, Jason Holder of the West
Indies tops the list while Ravindra Jadeja is placed 3rd and
Ravichandran Ashwin is in sixth place.
Mahesh Bhupathi named captain for Davis Cup
• All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced Mahesh
Bhupathi as the skipper for the India-Pakistan Davis Cup
tie.
• It will be held on September 14 and 15, 2019 in Islamabad.
• Six players have been named by the association, who will
be taking part in Davis Cup.
• Mukund has been named as the reserve and Zeeshan Ali
will be the coach of the team.
Hinako Shibuno won Women’s British Open
• Hinako Shibuno of Japan won the Women’s British Open
by one shot over Lizette Salas on 4 August 2019.
• She played for the first time outside of her country and
birdied five of the final nine holes in a 4-under 68 and 18-
under 270 overall.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Morgan Pressel (67) finished fourth at 15 under, just
ahead of former leader Ashleigh Buhai (70).
Virat, Rohit broke records
• Rohit Sharma became the most prolific six-hitter in T20
Internationals while Virat Kohli attained pole position
among Indians.
• Rohit hit three maximums on his way to a 51-ball 67 in the
second T20 International against West Indies.
• On the way to his 28 off 23 balls, Kohli bettered Suresh
Raina's record to become the highest run-getter among
Indians in T20 cricket.
Sports News
• Vinesh Phogat bagged gold in women's 53kg category of
the Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw.
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first
Indian pair to win a BWF Super 500 badminton
tournament.
• Formula One Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton hunted
down Max Verstappen to win the Hungarian Grand Prix for
a record-extending seventh time.
Indian boxers end their campaign with 6 medals
• Indian boxers have ended their campaign at the Magomed
Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing
Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia with a rich haul of six
medals.
• These comprised two gold, one silver and three bronze.
• World Championships bronze-medallist, Lovlina Borgohain
(69kg) and India Open gold-medallist champion Neeraj
(57kg), clinched gold medals.
Sports
• Soccer body CONMEBOL suspended Lionel Messi from
international matches for three months because of
accusations of corruption he made at the latest Copa
America. He was also fined USD 50,000 for his comments.
• In the ongoing World Cadet Wrestling competition in Sofia,
Bulgaria, Indian wrestler Sonam Malik won Gold in 65kg
category; She beat Binbin Xiang 7-1 in the final.
Sports News
• At the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Russia, India
was handed a bronze medal upgrade. The Indian team of
KT Infra, Babubhai Panucha and Surinder Singh had
finished 4th in the men's 20 km team event in May 2012.
• In Shooting, Adarsh Singh won the gold medal in both men
and junior 25 metres rapid fire pistol event in the Sardar
Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters competition.
Sports News
• In Shooting, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar clinched a gold
medal in Men's Rifle 3 Positions (3P) at 12th Sardar Sajjan

Singh Sethi Memorial Masters competition in New Delhi
on 1 August 2019.
• Football Giant East Bengal Club turned 100 years on 1
August 2019. On this day in 1920 East Bengal Club was
established at Kumartuli Park in North Kolkata.
Defence
India's NDC delegation visits Nepal
• A delegation from the 59th course of National Defence
College (NDC) India comprising 15 senior officers from civil
services and defence forces of India, UK, Japan, Mongolia
and Bangladesh visited Nepal.
• The delegation was briefed about various functions of the
Nepali Army during its visit to Nepali Army headquarters.
The team also visited Western Division Headquarters at
Pokhara.
Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat visited Srinagar
• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat visited Srinagar on 30
August 2019.
• He will review the security situation and preparedness of
security forces in the Kashmir valley.
• This is the first visit of Gen Rawat to the valley after the
abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under
Article 370.
• Authorities have restored mobile phone services in five
sensitive districts of Jammu region.
Military Veterans Employment programme
• Amazon India has launched a Military Veterans
Employment programme in the country.
• This programme will create employment opportunities for
military veterans and their spouses across the company’s
fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery centres in
India.
• It is partnering with the office of the Director-General of
Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement
Organisation (AWPO).
Indian Army established 45 Army schools
• As a part of this goodwill initiative, the Indian Army has
established 45 Army Goodwill schools in J&K wherein over
14 thousand students are studying at present.
• Children belonging to low-income group families are given
admission for pursuing their studies free of cost in these
schools.
• The Goodwill Schools are also providing employment to
qualified youth of the State.
BS Dhanoa embarked on 3-day visit to Thailand
• Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa embarked
on a three-day visit to Thailand on 26 August 2019.
• During his visit, he will attend the Indo Pacific Chiefs of
Defence Conference in Bangkok.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The conference will provide perspectives on common
challenges faced by attending nations.
• The theme for the conference is Collaboration in a free
and Open Indo - Pacific.
India to receive first Rafale jet on Sept 20
• Rafale is set to handover its first fighter jet built for the
Indian Air Force.
• Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa and Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh will be in France on September 20 to receive the first
Rafale jet manufactured for the Indian Air Force.
• 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.
DRDO hands over design of Mobile Metallic Ramp
• DRDO handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp
(MMR) to the Indian Army on 20 August 2019.
• With load bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), the
MMR has been designed and developed by Centre for Fire,
Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) on the
requirements projected by Army.
• The ramp will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured
and Mechanized units and formations of the Army.
Navy to host multi-lateral exercise in Vizag
• The Indian Navy would be hosting 'MILAN', a multilateral
naval exercise, in Visakhapatnam in March 2020.
• The MILAN series of biennial exercises, which commenced
in 1995 and conducted at Andaman and Nicobar
Command (ANC)until last year, was being conducted for
the first time on the mainland at the Eastern Naval
Command (ENC).
Eastern Air Command Commanders' Conclave began
• A 2-day Commanders Conclave of the Eastern Air
Command (EAC) was inaugurated by Indian Air Force Chief
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa on 16 August 2019 at HQ
EAC in Upper Shillong.
• He discussed the prevailing security scenario and
emphasised on the need for all air warriors to remain ever
vigilant.
• He also conveyed appreciation on successful completion of
various exercises conducted by HQ EAC.
INS Tarkash participated in Konkan Bilat Ex
• The 14th Edition of KONKAN series of annual bilateral
exercises between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Britain is
currently underway off the South Coast of UK.
• INS Tarkash is exercising with the Royal Navy's Daring Class
Destroyer, HMS Defender with integral helicopter Wildcat.
• KONKAN-19 will involve Gunnery Shoots, Manoeuvres,
Cross Deck Flying, ASW Screening and Air Defence
exercise.
Indian Army continues to lead in Scouts Comp

• Indian Army team continued its outstanding performance
and has come first amongst 8 teams in Stage IV of the
ongoing International Army Scout Masters
Competition held in Jaisalmer.
• Stage IV of the competition primarily included Timed
Reflex Shooting, Breaching of the Mine Field and checking
of Close Quarter Battle capability of all the teams under
simulated battle field conditions.
Chief of defence staff post to be created
• PM Narendra Modi announced the government would
create the post of a chief of defence staff (CDS).
• It will integrate the operations of the three forces--the
Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
• The CDS was to be a five-star rank general – a rank above
the chiefs of the army, navy and air force.
• Speculation is that army chief Bipin Rawat, could be
named to the post.
Motorcycle Expedition from Dras to Pune
• An Adventure Bike Expedition was undertaken from Dras
on 26 July, 2019.
• The expedition comprising of 2 Officers and 11 other ranks
of Bombay Sappers after traversing approx 2000kms had
reached Delhi on 11 Aug 2019.
• On 13 Aug 2019 the Team was flagged off by the Vice Chief
of Army Staff, Lt Gen D Anbu.
• The rally will be flagged in at Pune, Bombay Engineer
Group Centre on 21 Aug 2019.
Japanese Self Defence Ship visited Kochi
• A missile destroyer, JS Sazanami of the Japanese Maritime
Self Defense Force (JMSDF), is on a two-day goodwill visit
to Kochi from 13 August 2019.
• During the stay at Kochi, various activities such as visit of
IN personnel onboard JS Sazanami and professional
interaction between the two navies were conducted.
• JS Sazanami is planned to depart for Bahrain on 14
August 2019.
Army launched 'Mission Reach Out' in Jammu
• The Army launched Mission Reach Out in Jammu to ensure
that basic necessities and essential services are available in
the region post the abrogation of the provisions of Article
370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.
• A high level conference to review the prevalent situation
in the region was held in the Nagrota Military Station,
which was chaired by Lt Gen Paramjit Singh.
INS Tarkash at Bergen, Norway
• Indian Naval Ship Tarkash, entered the port of Bergen,
Norway on 9 Aug 2019 for a 3-day visit as part of Western
Fleet Overseas Deployment 01/ 2019.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet and is
under the operational Command of Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief/ Western Naval Command.
• The port call by Tarkash at Bergen is a demonstration of
India's warm ties with Norway.
Indian Army team 1st in Stage 1 of AISMC
• Indian Army team secured 1st position followed by
Kazakhstan & Russian Army teams in Stage 1 of the
ongoing International Army Scout Masters Competition at
Jaisalmer Military Station.
• A total of 7 teams from friendly foreign nations-Armenia,
Belarus, China, Uzbekistan, Russia, Sudan, Kazakhstan are
participating.
• Indian Army is participating in the competition for the first
time as hosts.
Rajnath Singh chaired Roundtable
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the Make in India
in Defence Industry Roundtable on 9 August 2019 in New
Delhi.
• It was organised by the Department of Defence
Production, Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• It aims to explore ways to attract investment, address the
concerns of the industry and promote innovations in
Defence sector.
• The MoD has taken several steps to promote FDI in this
sector.
DAC approved procurement of indigenous SDR
• Defence Acquisition Council approved procurement of
indigenous Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Next
Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries for the
Indian Navy.
• The SDR is a complex and state of art communication
system which will enable information sharing.
• The Batteries will be fitted with supersonic BrahMos
surface-to-surface cruise missiles and would be deployed
along the coast.
India to participate at SCO exercise in Russia
• Indian army will participate in an anti-terrorism military
exercise in Russia.
• The exercise, an initiative under the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation, is to be held from September 10 to
September 21 at Orenburg in Russia.
• This year, Russia has asked Mongolia, Turkmenistan,
Belarus and Iran to send their troops as special guests to
take part in the anti-terrorism military exercise.
Int. Army Scout Masters Competition began
• The fifth edition of International Army Scout Masters
Competition was kicked off in Jaisalmer on 5 August 2019.

• A total of 8 countries comprising of China, Russia, Belarus,
Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Sudan are participating
in the event including the Indian Army team.
• The event commenced on August 5 and will continue till
August 16, 2019.
India test-fired SAR from Chandipur
• India successfully test-fired its all weather tracked-chassis
Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) at
Chandipur in Odisha on 4 August 2019.
• It was the second developmental trial of the missile in this
year from the same test range.
• QR-SAM system can engage multiple targets within a
range of around 25 to 30 km with two vehicle
configuration for area air defence.
Army launched E-car to combat pollution
• The Indian Army has launched an ecological initiative with
employing E Cars for use of its officials in New Delhi in
partnership with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
• The introduction of E-Car in Army at Delhi was visualised
on World Environment Day and launched on 01 Aug 2019
with flagging off the first lot of E-Cars for Indian Army by
QMG, Lt Gen Gopal R.
Spanish ship Mendez Nunez visited Goa
• Spanish Navy Ship Mendez Nunez arrived at Mormugao
Port, Goa on 1 August 2019.
• A number of activities between Indian Navy and the
Spanish warship are planned during the ship's three-day
stay at Goa.
• Mendez Nunez, with pennant number F-104, is a
Multipurpose Frigate in service with Spanish Navy.
• A Seahawk Lamps III helicopter is also carried onboard.
Polity
Consumer Protection Bill passed
• Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019,
with the Rajya Sabah approving it on 7 August 2019.
• The bill aims at protecting the interests of consumers by
establishing authorities for timely and effective
administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.
• It has a provision to set up a Central Consumer Protection
Authority to promote, protect and enforce the rights of
consumers.
Rajasthan Assembly passed bills
• Rajasthan legislative assembly passed two important bills
to curb honour killings and Mob Lynching in the state on 6
August 2019.
• 'The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019' and
‘The Rajasthan Prohibition of Interference with the
Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances in the Name of Honour
and Tradition Bill, 2019’ was passed by the assembly with
a voice vote.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill passed
• The Upper House passed the Jammu and Kashmir
Reorganization Bill, 2019 by voice vote.
• The Bill seeks to make Jammu and Kashmir a Union
Territory with the legislature and Ladakh Union Territory
without legislature.
• The government also announced the repealing of Article
370 which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir on
5 August 2019.
Transgender Persons Bill passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of
Rights) Bill, 2019.
• The Bill prohibits discrimination against a transgender
person, including denial of service or unfair treatment in
relation to education, employment, healthcare, etc.
• The Bill defines a transgender person as one whose gender
does not match the gender assigned at birth.
Bills passed
• Lok Sabha passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019
that prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows altruistic
surrogacy. It will prevent exploitation of surrogate
mothers and children born out of surrogacy.
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill
was passed in the Lok Sabha. It proposes an increase
in number of judges in SC from 30 to 33 excluding the
Chief Justice of India.
AERA Bill passed
• Parliament has passed the Airports Economic Regulatory
Authority of India, AERA (Amendment) Bill- 2019.
• The bill increases the threshold of annual passenger traffic
for major airports from 15 lakh to over 35 lakh passengers.
• The threshold has been increased as the number of air
traffic passenger has been increased 117 million from
2008 to 345 million now.
Bills passed
• Rajya Sabha passed The Code on Wages Bill, 2019 on 2
August 2019. It will ensure statutory protection for
minimum wages and timely payment of wages to
approximately 50 crore workers of organized as well as
unorganized sector.
• Rajya Sabha passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Amendment Bill, 2019. It gives powers to DG, NIA to attach
properties acquired from proceeds of terrorism.
NIA (Amendment) Act came into force
• National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 has
come into force on 2 August 2019.
• Parliament had approved the bill giving more powers to
NIA on 17th July 2019.
• The act aims at enhancing the jurisdiction of National
Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate scheduled

offences committed outside India targeting Indians as well
as Indian assets abroad.
• The NIA was set up in 2009.
Bills passed
• Parliament passed the Arbitration and Conciliation
(Amendment) Bill 2019 with the Lok Sabha approving it on
1 August 2019. The bill provides for a time-bound
settlement of disputes as well as accountability of the
arbitrator.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the National Medical Commission
Bill, 2019 with few amendments. The Bill seeks to repeal
the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
POCSO (Amendment) Bill approved
• Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences (Amendment) Bill, POCSO, 2019 with the Lok
Sabha approving it unanimously.
• The Rajya Sabha has already passed the bill.
• The bill seeks to enhance punishment for sexual offences
against children, with a provision of death penalty.
• Sexual harassment is covered under POCSO.
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill passed
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment)
Bill, 2019 with some amendments.
• The bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to
provide for road safety.
• Provisions related to increasing penalties of traffic
violations, addressing issues on third-party insurance,
regulation of cab aggregators and road safety are
proposed in the amendment.
National Affairs
Call for expansion of aquaculture sector
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called for expansion of
India's aquaculture sector through diversification, value
addition and penetration in the hinterland and non-coastal
states.
• He addressed the fifth edition of Aqua Aquaria India (AAI)
recently.
• During 2018-19, India exported 14,37,445 tonnes of
seafood worth $6.8 billion. The US is the major market
followed by the European Union.
Delhi cabinet approved free travel for women
• The Delhi cabinet approved free travel for women in buses
in the national capital.
• The scheme, announced by chief minister and Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, will be
effective 29 October 2019.
• There will be a single-journey pass issued by the conductor
for women travellers.
• The scheme is voluntary and women travelers can choose
to not avail the plan.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
Air India to ban single-use plastic
• Air India, India’s national airline, will ban the usage of
single-use plastic aboard its flights from October 2, 2019.
• The ban will come into effect on all flights of Air India
Express and Alliance Air flights.
• Air India will replace plastic teacups and tumblers with
sturdy paper cups and tumblers.
• Chairman and MD of Air India Ltd: Ashwani Lohani.
Lifeline Express inaugurated at CSMT, Mumbai
• The Lifeline Express, also known as Hospital on Wheels,
was inaugurated at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
by the Central Railway (CR) for its latest project, which
involves providing medical treatment to poor patients.
• The train will now move to Sahibganj in Jharkhand from
Mumbai for its next project.
• The Indian Railways had launched the Lifeline Express on
July 16, 1991.
Govt announced mega merger of pub. sec. banks
• The government has announced the merger of ten public
sector banks into four banks.
• It announced the merger of Oriental Bank of Commerce
and United Bank with Punjab National Bank as well as the
merger of Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank.
• The merger of Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and
Corporation Bank and the consolidation of Indian Bank
with Allahabad Bank was also announced.
Government to set up 12,500 AYUSH centres
• The government has set a target of setting up 12,500
AYUSH centres across India.
• The government is trying to set up 4000 such centres this
year itself.
• 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres are being opened
across the country.
• During a ceremony held recently, PM Modi released 12
commemorative postal stamps to honour eminent
scholars, practitioners and Great Master Healers of AYUSH
Systems.
CBDT constituted special cell
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes -CBDT has constituted a
five-member special cell to address grievances of start-ups
with relation to angel tax and other tax-related issues.
• The cell will work towards redressal of grievances and
mitigate tax-related issues in case of start-up entities with
respect to the administration of Income-tax Act,1961.
Rare tarantula sighted in Villupuram district
• Researchers sighted a critically endangered species of
tarantula for the first time beyond its known habitat in the
Eastern Ghats.

• The spider belonging to the genus Poecilotheria is
commonly known as the Peacock Parachute Spider or
Gooty Tarantula.
• It was spotted by a team of researchers of Indigenous
Biodiversity Foundation (IBF) in the Pakkamalai Reserve
Forests in Villupuram district.
Gorewada Int. Zoo to be set up at Nagpur
• The Government planned to establish an International
Standard Zoo and Biopark on the forest land at Gorewada,
Nagpur.
• The main aim is to protect forests.
• The Zoo will have attractions like Bio Park, Indian Safari,
African Safari, Night Safari, Research, Education and
Training, facilities for tourists.
• The Government agreed to provide Viability Gap Funding
(V.G.F) of Rs. 200 crore for it.
Dindigul lock, Kandangi saree got GI tag
• Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul locks and Kandangi sarees have
received Geographical Indication (GI) tags.
• The famous Dindigul locks are known throughout the
world for their superior quality and durability, that's why
the city is called Lock City.
• The hand-woven Kandangi sarees also have a 150-year-old
tradition, and its history is related to the business
community of Chettiars.
India launched world’s first ever facial BSID
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• India became the first country in the world to issue
Biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing
the facial biometric data of seafarers.
• The new facial biometric technology is a marked
improvement over the two-finger or iris-based bio-metric
data, with modern security features.
• The project was taken up in collaboration with the Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).
Air India to be privatized
• The government is determined for the privatization of Air
India and people are interested in buying it.
• Total privatization will be done in the shortest possible
time and with the best deal.
• A web portal was launched recently.
• Aviationjobs brings together job seekers and prospective
employers in the Indian civil aviation sector.
Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat visited Srinagar
• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat visited Srinagar on 30
August 2019.
• He will review the security situation and preparedness of
security forces in the Kashmir valley.
• This is the first visit of Gen Rawat to the valley after the
abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under
Article 370.
• Authorities have restored mobile phone services in five
sensitive districts of Jammu region.
‘Walk to work’ campaign in Meghalaya launched
• Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma launched the campaign of Fit
India Movement on 29 August 2019.
• He launched the #WalktoWorkMeghalaya which is a part
of the ‘Fit India Campaign’.
• The idea of 'walk to work' will have multiple benefits, cuts
the cost of fuel including reduction of CO2 emission,
reduce congestion in the city and more importantly for
health and fitness.
Rs 47,000 cr released to increase green cover
• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate
Change Prakash Javadekar handed over Rs 47,000 crore
from Compensatory Afforestation Fund to various states.
• This was done as a major step towards increasing
afforestation in the country.
• The fund will be utilized for the compensatory
afforestation, catchment area treatment, wildlife
management, natural regeneration, etc.
Establishment of CDRI approved
• The Union Cabinet approved 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 UN Climate
Action Summit in New York, USA on 23rd September 2019.
Indian Bank opened MSME processing centre
• Indian Bank has opened MSME CPC (centralised processing
centre) in Chennai.
• The centralised processing centre will give a boost to the
bank’s MSME portfolio and will lead to speedy disposal of
micro, small and medium enterprises’ loans.
• The bank has also deployed skilled manpower in the CPC
to improve credit quality and shorten transaction
processing time.
Astra Rafael opened facility
• An Indo-Israel joint venture’s Astra Rafael Communication
System was inaugurated in Hyderabad.
• The system will design, develop and manufacture tactical
communication systems for Indian armed forces.
• The Joint Venture between Astra Microwave and Israel’s
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has become India’s first
private sector firm to manufacture software-defined
radios in multiple variants.
NOAPS-single window clearing system launched
• The Minister of State for Culture & Tourism launched an
integrated NOC online Application Processing System for
National Monuments Authority in New Delhi.
• This will help in online processing of applications
requesting NOC for construction-related work in the
prohibited and regulated area of ASI protected
monuments.
• 6 new states will be part of it including MP, Haryana,
Punjab, and Telangana.
ONGC CMD honoured with Distinguished F'ship
• ONGC CMD Shashi Shanker was honoured with the
Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors (IOD)
2019.
• He was honoured during the 29th Institute of Directors
(IOD) Annual Day Ceremony for his distinguished
contribution to business and society.
• The theme of this year’s IOD Annual Day Ceremony was
‘Future Boards: Leading Strategy to Embrace
Sustainability’.
Govt permitted 100% FDI in coal mining
• The Union Cabinet relaxed Foreign Direct Investment rule
for foreign single-brand retailers and permitted foreign
investment in contract manufacturing and coal mining.
• 100% FDI under automatic route in coal mining and
associated infrastructure has been approved.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• 26% FDI has also been allowed under government route
for uploading and streaming of News and Current Affairs
through Digital Media.
Vigyan Mela in Ladakh inaugurated
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Ladakh to
inaugurate a Vigyan Mela on 29 August 2019.
• It will showcase crops and grains suitable for growing in
high altitude areas.
• His visit to Ladakh was his first to the UT after it was
carved out from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• He inaugurated the 26th Ladakhi Kisan Jawan Vigyan Mela
at Defence Institute Of High Altitude Research( DIHAR).
National Sports Day: 29 August
• National Sports Day 2019 is being celebrated on 29
August across India.
• It marks the birth anniversary of the legendary hockey
player Major Dhyan Chand, who was born on August 29 in
the year 1905.
• The day is observed every year to spread awareness about
the importance of sports and games in the life of every
individual.
• 29 August was proclaimed as the country’s National Sports
Day in 2012.
PM Modi launched Fit India Movement
• PM Narendra Modi launched a nation-wide Fit India
Movement on the occasion of National Sports Day on 29
August 2019.
• The campaign is aimed at encouraging people to inculcate
physical activity and sports in their day to day life.
• President Ramnath Kovind gave away the national sports
awards in New Delhi.
• Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik were conferred with Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
J&K Governor announced 50,000 govt jobs
• J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik announced that in coming 2-
3 months, about 50,000 government jobs will be provided
to the youths of the State.
• The Administration is opening mobile phone connectivity
in Kupwara and Handwara districts of Kashmir and soon it
will be opened in other districts as well.
• 50 more degree colleges will be set up in the state.
National Affairs I
• Leh District Deputy Commissioner, Sachin Kumar Vaishya,
launched Rotavirus vaccine on 28 August 2019. Rotavirus
is one of the cause of Diarrhoea in infants.
• 200 Foreigners Tribunals will become functional from 1st
of September 2019 in Assam. If someone's name doesn't
appear in the NRC, he or she can appeal before the
Foreigners Tribunals.
National Affairs II

• The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of 75 new
Medical Colleges by 2021-22. The move will add 15,700
more MBBS seats in the country.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the first fleet
of eco-friendly electric buses in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 29
August 2019. He also inaugurated the country's first
automated battery charging and swapping station for e-
buses in Ahmedabad.
India to host UNCCD COP-14
• India will host 14th Conference of Parties of the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification between 2-
13 September 2019.
• The government aims the restoration of 50 lakh hectares
of land in next 10 years.
• The conference of Parties will focus on desertification and
degradation of land.
• Over 3000 representatives from over 200 countries will
participate in it.
All villages to be linked with Wi-Fi
• The Government reiterated its commitment in providing
Wi-Fi in all the villages through GramNet with connectivity
between 10mbps to 100 mbps speed.
• BharatNet also plans to provide 1 GBPS connectivity,
which can be expanded up to 10 GBPS and C-DOT’s XGS-
PON will help in a great way to achieve this.
• C-Sat-Fi technology of C-DOT will empower Indian People
especially in rural and remote areas.
IRCTC has came up with a new scheme
• Indian Railways' ticketing and catering arm IRCTC has
come up with a new scheme for passengers.
• If Tejas Express (IRCTC has bagged the rights to run the
train) is late by more than hour then passengers may be
eligible for compensation.
• IRCTC is planning to start the first of the two trains from
Delhi to Lucknow from October 2019.
• The ticket prices will be in the line of Shatabdi Express.
Commencement of 10th CGD bidding round
• Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel
Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the commencement of
work for 10th City Gas Distribution (CGD) bidding round.
• It will cover 50 Geographical Areas (GAs) in 124 districts.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the 10th CGD
bidding Round on 22 November 2018.
• 2.02 crore PNG domestic connections will be provided and
3578 CNG stations will open.
Canara Bank launched OTP facility
• Public sector lender Canara Bank has launched the first
OTP facility for ATM withdrawals.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• In order to offer a more secured and safe system, Canara
bank will activate OTP facility for cash withdrawals of Rs
10,000 or more in a day.
• This move is in line with banks trying to take security
measures to safeguard customers who use debit cards to
withdraw cash at ATMs.
Mobile application- Janaushadhi Sugam launched
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, D.V.
Sadananda Gowda launched a mobile application
Janaushadhi Sugam.
• He also announced that Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-
Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin will now be available at
only One Rupee per pad.
• The Janaushadhi Sugam will enable people to search
Janaushadhi generic medicines and the stores at the tip of
their fingers.
Indore set a record
• After holding the top position in Swachhata Abhiyan since
the last 3 years, the citizens of Indore have taken a rapid
step to become number one in Jal Shakti Abhiyan too.
• A record has been set by installing 1500 water harvesting
system in a day in Indore Municipal Corporation area.
• Water harvesting system capsules are being given free of
cost under CSR on first come first serve basis.
Feroz Shah Stadium to now be Arun Jaitley St.
• Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi will be renamed as Arun
Jaitley Stadium in memory of its former president who
passed recently.
• The renaming will take place on 12 September 2019 at a
function where a stand at the Stadium will also be named
after India captain Virat Kohli.
• Though the Stadium will be named Arun Jaitley Stadium,
the name of the ground will remain as Ferozeshah Kotla
Ground.
Microsoft to train government employees on AI
• Microsoft India launched a program under which it will
train 5000 government employees over the next year on
AI and cloud computing skills.
• The program, called ‘Digital Governance Tech Tour’, will
comprise of physical and virtual workshops.
• The program will be open for technocrats and IT
professionals across the government, including employees
of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
IIP set up plant to turn plastic into diesel
• Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh
Vardhan and CM of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat
inaugurated a waste plastics to diesel plant in Dehradun.
• The plant has been set up in the Indian Institute of
Petroleum whose scientists will process waste plastics into
fuel.

• It has the capacity to produce 800-litre diesel from one
tonne of plastic.
Prakash Javadekar inaugurates Toy Bank classes
• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar congratulated the "THE
TOY BANK" on completion of its 5000 centers in the
country.
• 'A world where all children are empowered through
healthy play' is the motto of "THE TOY BANK".
• Union Minister Praksash Javadekar inaugurated the
classes.
• 'The Toy Bank' director - Vidyun Goyal.
Military Veterans Employment programme
• Amazon India has launched a Military Veterans
Employment programme in the country.
• This programme will create employment opportunities for
military veterans and their spouses across the company’s
fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery centres in
India.
• It is partnering with the office of the Director-General of
Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement
Organisation (AWPO).
National Digital Library of India launched
• HRD Ministry has launched the National Digital Library of
India project.
• It has been launched under the National Mission on
Education through Information and Communication
Technology, NMEICT.
• Currently, there are more than 3 crore digital resources
available through the National Digital Library.
• National Digital Library is also integrated with UMANG
App.
Integrated Texti. Tourism Complex in Meghalaya
• In Meghalaya, the Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin
Irani laid the foundation stone of the Integrated Textiles
Tourism Complex at Nongpoh, Ri Bhoi district.
• She also announced that under the ‘Samarth’ scheme
which plans to skill 7,200 youth in apparel and garments,
textiles and handloom sectors has now been extended,
after the request of the Chief Minister.
TN: Edu. Dept launched TV channel for students
• The Education Department in Tamil Nadu has launched an
exclusive 24-hour television channel for the school
students.
• Interviews and motivational programmes on joining civil
services, defence forces and banks would be aired by the
television as a form of career guidance.
• It was launched by the state Chief Minister Edappadi K
Palaniswamy at a function in Chennai.
Indian Army established 45 Army schools
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• As a part of this goodwill initiative, the Indian Army has
established 45 Army Goodwill schools in J&K wherein over
14 thousand students are studying at present.
• Children belonging to low-income group families are given
admission for pursuing their studies free of cost in these
schools.
• The Goodwill Schools are also providing employment to
qualified youth of the State.
Miscellaneous
• A bus service between Nepal's capital Kathmandu and
India's Siliguri in West Bengal has started. The 44-seater
air-conditioned deluxe bus will complete 650 Kilometre-
journey between Kathmandu and Siliguri in 18 hours.
• There has been more than 80% decline in new HIV
infection cases in the country since its peak in 1995. The
global average of decline in new infection is estimated at
47%.
5 lakh local water conserv. infra. developed
• Over 3 crore 70 lakh people have joined the nationwide Jal
Shakti Abhiyan.
• The government had launched the ambitious initiative on
1 July 2019 to enhance water security, especially in water-
stressed districts.
• During the past two months, the initiative has delivered
over five lakh local water conservation infrastructures in
256 districts.
7th Community Radio Sammelan began
• The 7th Community Radio Sammelan began in New Delhi
on 27 August 2019.
• The three-day Sammelan, being organized by Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, will witness participation of
all operational Community Radio Stations across the
country.
• The theme of this year’s event is Community Radio for
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
India to have 10,000 CNG stations in 5 years
• India will have 10,000 CNG stations in the next 5 years.
• By 2050, India's incremental energy needs will be primarily
met by CNG.
• India is the 3rd largest energy consumer of the world and
will become top consumer in a decade.
• The present share of gas in the energy mix in the country is
6.2% compared to 24% globally and the aim is to increase
share of natural gas to 15% by 2030.
Bandhan Bank launched co-branded credit card
• Bandhan Bank launched a co-branded credit card in
association with Standard Chartered bank.
• This credit card would be offered to 40 lakh savings bank
account holders across the 1,000 branches of Bandhan
Bank.

• As part of the tie-up, while Standard Chartered bank will
take the credit risk, Bandhan Bank will be responsible for
identifying and issuing cards to its customers.
SRK launched heritage postal stamp
• Shah Rukh Khan launched heritage postal stamp of Bandra
station on the completion of 150 years of the railway
station.
• He urged the people present at the launching event to use
the postal stamps instead of online texting.
• Ashish Shelar, Minister of School Education, Sports and
Youth Welfare of Maharashtra was also present at the
Bandra station.
2 lakh bio-toilets installed in train coaches
• Over 2 lakh bio-toilets have been installed in 60,906 train
coaches of Indian Railways.
• The 'Bio-Toilet project' of Indian Railways is an innovative
and indigenous development of technology.
• The technology for Bio-toilets have been innovated,
designed and is 'Made in India'.
• It has been developed jointly by Indian Railways' Engineers
& DRDO's scientists.
Sept. to be celebrated as a month of nutrition
• PM Narendra Modi announced to celebrate September as
a month of nutrition.
• In his Mann Ki Baat programme, he laid emphasis on
creating awareness to fight malnutrition among children,
particularly the girl child.
• Gujarat Government launched a pilot project, Poshan
Abhiyan, last year, which is a statewide mission to
eradicate malnutrition among children.
CVC constituted panel to examine bank fraud
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted
Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) to examine bank
fraud of over 50 crore rupees and recommend action.
• The panel was previously known as the Advisory Board on
Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.
• The ABBF headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M
Bhasin has been formed in consultation with the RBI.
Nicotine is now a class A poison in Karnataka
• The Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka
Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015, notifying
nicotine as Class A poison under the rules.
• This will strengthen the enforcement of the ban on
production and sale of electronic cigarettes.
• Highly toxic chemicals, which even in very small quantities
as gas or vapour in the air are dangerous to life are
notified under Class A.
National Food Laboratory of FSSAI inaugurated
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated FSSAI's
National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad on the occasion of
13th anniversary of the Food Safety and Standards Act,
2006.
• The lab is a result of a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the
first-of-its-kind in the food laboratory sector.
• It houses the Food Safety Solution Centre and the Centre
for Microbiological Analysis Training (C-MAT).
Composite Water Management Index 2.0 Report
• NITI Aayog has prepared the second Round of Composite
Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0).
• The Report was launched on 23 August 2019 by Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti.
• The CWMI is an important tool to assess and improve the
performance of States/ Union Territories in efficient
management of water resources.
• CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-
18.
Jaipur Hunar Haat organised
• Jaipur is organising the Hunar Haat from 24 August 2019.
• This will be the first Hunar Haat of the Government.
• Earlier, lakhs of artisans and craftsmen have been
provided employment and employment opportunities
through more than a dozen Hunar Haat in last 3 years.
• More than 200 master artisans and culinary experts
including a large number of women artisans participated in
it.
Dr Jitendra Singh presented ANUBHAV awards
• The Union Minister of State for the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Jitendra Singh
presented the ANUBHAV Awards, 2019.
• The Anubhav portal was created in 2015 with a vision to
preserve rich experience of retired official in digital form.
• He also inaugurated the All India Pension Adalat organised
on the occasion.
First World Youth Conf on Kindness inaugurated
• President Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the first World
Youth Conference on Kindness in New Delhi on 23 August
2019.
• The first World Youth Conference on Kindness is being
organised by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of
Education for Peace and Sustainable Development,
Ministry of Human Resource Development.
• The aim is to impart critical competencies in global youth
to inspire them.
Modernized AOPC inaugurated
• Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice
and Empowerment inaugurated the ‘Renovated ALIMCO
Orthotics and Prosthetic Centre (AOPC) and Residential
complex building of ALIMCO Headquarters at Kanpur.

• The concept of Make in India is beginning to take shape in
the precincts of ALIMCO, Kanpur.
• Two of the Projects under the modernization plan of
ALIMCO have been completed.
India to launch Bharatcraft for MSMEs
• Union Government is planning to launch an e-commerce
portal named Bharatcraft for MSME’s.
• The portal is based on other e-commerce portals like
‘Alibaba’ and ‘Amazon’.
• The portal will provide a platform for MSMEs to market
and sell their products and in turn boost the sector.
• The Bharatcraft portal has a huge potential to generate
revenue worth ₹10 lakh crore in next 2-3 years.
Bihar government to ban single use of plastic
• Bihar government has taken several measures following
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to ban single use
of plastic.
• The government has banned single-use carry bags
throughout the state.
• Licence of those factories has been cancelled who
produces single-use of carry bag.
• Milk co-operative federations have been asked to collect
milk pouch from customers for recycling.
Centre announced series of measures
• The government has unveiled a series of measures to
achieve higher economic growth.
• It has withdrawn enhanced surcharge on Foreign
Portfolios Investors FPIs, restoring the pre-budget
position.
• Surcharge on domestic investors in equity markets has
also been withdrawn.
• The government has also decided to withdraw angel tax
provisions for startups and their investors.
Nitin Gadkari launched new website for MoRTH
• Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari launched New
website of the Ministry of Road Transports and Highways
in Delhi.
• The revamped website will be important to share critical
information about the ministry and its policies.
• The 63 clauses of Motor Vehicle Act will be implemented
from September 1 in which penalties will be increased in
cases of drunken driving, over speeding and overloading.
Union HRD Minister launched NISHTHA
• Union HRD Minister launched the training programme
NISHTHA, (National Initiative for School Heads and
Teachers Holistic Advancement) to improve Learning
Outcomes at the Elementary level across the country.
• This is the largest teachers training programme of its kind
in the world.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The basic objective of it is to motivate and equip teachers
to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.
Super 50 programme launched in Maharashtra
• Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department in
association with the Pace Educational Trust launched an
academic programme Super 50.
• The programme has been launched for young tribal
students aspiring to be doctors and engineers.
• The Super 50 programme will mentor 50 most meritorious
tribal students from the State and prepare them for
engineering and medical exams.
Amazon’s largest campus inaugurated in Hyd.
• Amazon has opened its largest campus in the world in
Hyderabad.
• The campus covers 1.8 million square feet and can
accommodate 15,000 workers.
• This is Amazon’s first owned-building outside of the US
and is also its largest tech base outside the Seattle
headquarters, which has about 155,000 contract
employees.
• Telangana is home to one-third of Amazon’s total Indian
employees.
5th UIDAI Aadhaar Seva Kendra operational
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) 5th stand-
alone Aadhaar Seva Kendra has become operational at
Hisar in Haryana.
• Till now, four Aadhaar Seva Kendras are operational and
three more will become operational by next week.
• This is part of the UIDAI’s plan to open 114 such centres in
53 cities across the country for providing hassle-free
Aadhaar enrollment and services.
R K Singh approved a proposal
• Minister of New and Renewable Energy R K Singh
approved a proposal to declare ocean energy as
Renewable Energy.
• The decision will give a boost to ocean energy in the
country.
• He has also clarified to all stakeholders that energy
produced using various forms of ocean energy such as
tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy conversion will be
considered as Renewable Energy.
24th meeting of Western Zonal Council held
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 24th meeting
of Western Zonal Council at Panaji in Goa on 22 August
2019.
• It is a forum for the Centre and states to exchange ideas
on issues like health, security and social welfare.
• Modalities for allocation of surplus land of Central
Government for housing for poor, utilisation of funds for
police modernisation, etc. were discussed in the meeting.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019

EC introduced a programme for electors • Both sides reviewed the developments in their bilateral
trade and noted the trends since the last session of the
• The Election Commission of India introduced a programme
India-Kenya JTC held in August 2018.
for the electors to crosscheck their details registered in the
voters' list. NAREDCO 15th National Convention inaugurated
• The move is to ensure a cent per cent error-free electoral
• The Housing for all 2022: NAREDCO 15th National
roll.
Convention: Real Estate Reflection Point: Readying for the
• It is in connection with the special summary revision of the
future was inaugurated on 20 August 2019.
roll with 1 January 2019 as the qualifying date.
• The event was organised by National Real Estate
• The verification programme would be from the first to the
Development Council (NAREDCO).
30th of next month.
• NAREDCO was established as an autonomous self-
National Affairs I regulatory body in 1998 under the aegis of the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
• Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launched the book -
the Diary of Manu Gandhi at a function in New Delhi. The 3000th railway station gets Wi-Fi
book has been brought out by National Archives of India,
• Ellenabad railway station under Bikaner Division of North
on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Western Railway became the 3000th station in the country
• The Centre has asked all the Cooperative Milk Federations
to have free public Wi-Fi.
and Private Dairies to at least halve the use of plastic by
• A town in Haryana, Ellenabad is situated at the north of
Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 2019.
the Ghaggar- Hakra river, and serves as a port of entry into
National Affairs II Haryana from Rajasthan.
• Incidentally, the 2000th station to get Wi-Fi was Rana
• FASTags will become mandatory for all vehicles from
Pratap Nagar, also under the North Western Railway.
December 2019. FASTag enabled vehicles can cruise
through the dedicated FASTag lane without stopping at toll Uday Exp to run between Vizag and Vijaywada
plazas on National Highways.
• Indian Railway’s 2nd double-decker Uday (Utkrisht Double-
• Centre has notified new sets of health warnings for all
Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between
tobacco products by making an amendment in the
Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Rules, 2008,
• The train would consist of 9 double-decker coaches and 2
which will come into effect from September 1, 2019.
power cars.
Lok Sabha Secretariat bans use of plastic • The trains are primarily allocated to routes with heavy
passenger traffic.
• The Lok Sabha Secretariat has prohibited the use of non-
• They are equipped with WiFi facility, have striking
reusable plastic water bottles and other plastic items
interiors, cushioned seating, and display screens.
within the Parliament House Complex from 20 August
2019. Live tracking system for MSRTC buses launched
• All officers/staff of the Secretariat and other allied
• Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar Raote launched a
agencies working in the Parliament House Complex have
tracking system for MSRTC buses which will allow people
been advised to use environment-friendly/biodegradable
to have real-time information about their commute.
bags/materials instead.
• The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has
OSDMA to launch special cell for PwDs over 18,000 buses in its fleet and carries more than 67 lakh
• Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) passengers daily.
has decided to open a cell for PWDs. • At present, it is ready on Mumbai-Nashik route for all
• The cell would look into special needs of the persons with Shivneri buses, the premium brand of MSRTC.
disability during Evacuation, Search & Rescue, National Affairs
Rehabilitation and Resettlements.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the issues
• It will make networking with both Government & Private
related to final publication of the National Register of
organizations and prepare a database of Persons with
Citizens (NRC) in Assam. The review meeting was held in
Disabilities.
New Delhi on 19 August 2019.
9TH Session of India-Kenya JTC held • The J&K Government has constituted 3 high-level
committees for the formal establishment of UT of Jammu
• The 9th Session of the India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee
(JTC) was held on 19-20 August 2019 in New Delhi. and Kashmir and Ladakh. These Committees will deal with
financial matters and other issues.
• The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of
Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal. President Kovind launched plantation drive
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• President Ram Nath Kovind planted a sapling of Maulsari
in the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate and launched a
plantation drive as part of Van Mahotsav celebrations.
• Over the next few weeks, the President's Secretariat will
be planting over three thousand trees and around three
thousand shrubs.
• The President’s Estate is spread over 330 acres of harbours
rich biodiversity.
State Tourism Ministers Conference inaugurated
• The Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture Prahlad
Singh Patel inaugurated the State Tourism Ministers’
Conference in New Delhi on 20 August 2019.
• It was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government
of India.
• The Conference provided a platform for the Ministry of
Tourism to apprise the States / UTs about new initiatives
taken and those in the pipeline.
Odisha approved conservation plan of lakes
• The Odisha Wetland Authority has approved
implementation of an integrated management plan of
lakes Chilika and Ansupa.
• The Chilika lake is India’s largest brackish water lagoon and
Ansupa is the Odisha’s largest freshwater lake.
• The 5-year management plan of lakes is intended at
strengthening livelihood of thousands of fishermen relying
on the two water-bodies.
National Affairs I
• Prasar Bharti Chairman A Suryapakash has announced that
Prasar Bharati would soon be introducing two awards - the
Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award and the Achyutananda
Sahoo Award.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has approved various
infrastructure projects for Mumbai and its adjoining
areas. The 3 projects would be constructed by the Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
National Affairs II
• All personnel working in the Central Armed Police
Forces will now retire at a uniform age of 60 years. A
Home Ministry order corrected the anomaly where
personnel superannuated at the age of 57, instead of 60.
• The nation paid homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary. Several programmes
were organised in different parts of the country to mark
the occasion.
HP broke record, received highest rainfall
• The local Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
informed that Himachal Pradesh recorded highest ever
rainfall on 18th August 2019 by breaking the record of last
70 years.
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August 2019
• According to the IMD, rains across different places in the
state will continue for the next 24 hours.
• Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 360 mm and
Shimla recorded 153 mm of rainfall.
Pretomanid: A new drug to treat TB
• The USFDA approved a new drug called Pretomanid.
• It is only the third new anti-TB drug approved for use by
USFDA in over 40 years.
• Pretomanid is part of the same class of drugs as delamanid
-- one of the other two TB drugs approved in the last half
century, developed by pharmaceutical corporation Otsuka.
• The drug is used over a six-month period in concert with
two other TB mediciations.
HRD Minister inaugurated 2-day int. conference
• Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
inaugurated an international conference on teacher
education in New Delhi on 17 August 2019.
• The 2-day event was organized by the National Council of
Teacher Education as part of silver jubilee celebration of
its establishment in 1995.
• The Ministry will launch the world's biggest project for
teacher training on August 22, 2019.
President inaugurated Bunker Museum in Mumbai
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the underground
Bunker Museum at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on 18 August
2019.
• The 15,000 square feet underground bunker museum has
virtual reality booths in which visitors can time travel to
the 19th century.
• The bunker was created in the 19th century to fire
cannons at approaching enemy ships.
• The museum will be opened for the general public later in
2019.
National Affairs
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a
committee to examine allegations of illegal sand mining in
the Yamuna River and sought a report within a month.
• Union Minister of State for Chemical & Fertilizers Mansukh
Mandaviya announced that the first Central Institute of
Chemical Engineering & Technology (CICET) will be set up
in Gujarat.
Debt waiver for 'small distressed borrowers'
• The government plans to give debt waiver for small
distressed borrowers under the insolvency law framework.
• The proposed waiver would be offered as part of 'Fresh
Start' provisions under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code (IBC).
• The IBC provides the framework to deal with distressed
assets through a market-driven and time-bound process.
1st museum on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu opened

• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated
the world's first museum dedicated to the life and
teachings of a 16th-century saint and social reformer
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Kolkata.
• The museum was constructed by Gaudiya Mission.
• The Gaudiya Mission, a spiritual and philanthropic
organisation established in 1935, propagates the teachings
of Sri Chaitanya and the Vaishnava faith.
SC clears Chardham highway project
• Supreme Court has cleared the decks for the Chardham
highway project.
• The project will connect four holy places of Uttarakhand
through 900-km all-weather roads.
• The apex court also asked the Union Environment and
Forest Ministry to form the high-powered committee by
August 22 to look into environmental concerns.
India gets its first NEDL
• India has got its first National Essential Diagnostics List
(NEDL) finalised by the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR).
• NEDL aims to bridge the current regulatory system’s gap
that does not cover all the medical devices and in-vitro
diagnostic device (IVD).
• The list is meant for facilities from the village till the
district level.
Four New Products get GI Tag
• The Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has recently
registered 4 new GIs.
• Palani Panchamirtham from Palani Town in Dindigul
District of Tamil Nadu State, Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo
Puanchei from the state of Mizoram and Tirur Betel leaf
from Kerala are the latest additions to the list of registered
GIs.
National Workshop on Sustainable Sanitation
• The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs will organize a one
day national workshop cum exhibition at Vigyan Bhawan
on 19 August, 2019.
• Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment will be the Chief Guest of
the event.
• The workshop on sustainable sanitation is being organized
in order to bring relevant stakeholders to strategize on
mitigating the risks.
Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurates ABVIMS
• On the first death anniversary of former Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Union Health Minister of India
Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the medical college named
after the late Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at the
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi on August 16.
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August 2019
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences
(ABVIMS) started with 100 MBBS seats this year.
Scheme to involve school eco clubs launched
• In Delhi, a scheme to involve school eco clubs in the DDA's
plantation drive was launched at a green belt in Rohini's
sector 37 on 16 August 2019 by Union Minister for
Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
• As part of an afforestation drive of the Delhi Development
Authority, 4 lakh indigenous trees will be planted this year
across various biodiversity parks in the national capital.
Assam got 1st ever fuel station
• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated
the first ever CNG fuel station of the state in Dibrugarh on
17 August 2019.
• With the inauguration of this clean and green fuel station,
it will reduce environmental pollution.
• Mr. Sonowal has given much emphasis to make the state
free from pollution.
• Since CNG is an affordable fuel it will be cost effective for
the users.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee resi. schools to be set
• In UP, state government will set up Atal Bihari Vajpayee
residential schools for children of labourers in all 18
divisions of state.
• CM Yogi Adityanath announced many projects in
state including a memorial in Bateshwar, the former prime
minister's native village in Agra.
• A 25-foot-tall statue will be stalled at the Secretariat Lok
Bhawan on Vajpayee's birth anniversary on December 25,
2019.
Municipal Corporation of Lucknow fixed penalty
• In UP, municipal corporation of Lucknow has fixed the
penalty on keeping plastic bags from 16 August 2019.
• Now keeping plastic bags or throwing them on roads will
attract a penalty of maximum Rs.25,000 from any group or
institute and one thousand rupees from individual in the
city.
• Corporation has launched a drive against the use of plastic
and it will run for next two months.
IIHM Initiative on Independence Day
• Supporting the 17 goals of Sustainable
Development, International Institute of Hotel
Management launched an initiative.
• On 15th August, 2019, students of IIHM across the country
have visited, children's homes and old age homes where
they distributed fruits and cooked food among the
inhabitants.
• The name of this initiative is 'Freedom from Hunger'.
Short film by Indian Railways won award

• A short-film –'Madhubani- The Station of Colours', bagged
the ‘Rajat-Kamal’ award at the 66th National Film Awards
for 2018.
• It narrates the beautification of a remote railway station
belonging to the East Central Railway (ECR).
• The Madhubani railway station located in a remote part of
Madhubani district of Bihar was earlier ranked as the
country’s second most dirty railway station.
Air India flew over the North Pole
• Air India became the first Indian airline to fly over the
North Pole while connecting New Delhi and North
America.
• The inaugural flight over the Polar region took on August
15, 2019 and flew from New Delhi to San Francisco.
• This was one big achievement for the civil aviation in India
as none of the Indian airlines has ever done this.
• It was piloted by Capt Rajneesh Sharma and Capt Digvijay.
Largest rural sanitation survey launched
• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the
Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 (SSG 2019) on 14
August 2019.
• To be instituted from August 14-September 30, 2019, SSG
2019 will cover 17,450 villages in 698 districts across India
and include 87,250 public places.
• Around 2,50,000 citizens will be interviewed for their
feedback as part of the survey.
Rare tea variety sold for Rs 75,000 per kg
• A rare variety of tea from Upper Assam's Dikom Tea Estate
set a new record today after it was auctioned for Rs.
75,000 per kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).
• The tea, 'Golden Butterfly', was purchased by city-based
Assam Tea Traders.
• An exotic tea is judged by its aroma, taste and colour and
this tea is characterised by extremely mellow and sweet
caramel flavour.
‘Panchamirtham’ got GI tag
• The famous Palani panchamirtham, given as ‘prasadam’ at
the Murugan temple, Tamil Nadu, has been granted the
Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu
has been bestowed with the GI tag.
• The panchamirtham is a combination of five natural
substances — banana, jaggery, cow ghee, honey and
cardamom.
Gujarat govt to open Army schools
• Gujarat government will open Army schools in tribal-
dominated areas to provide required training to youths
and to help them get selected to serve in defence forces.
• The government has set up medical colleges in the tribal-
majority districts of Dahod, Tapi, Surat and Valsad.
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August 2019
• The government has taken adequate steps to ensure that
tribal population is not deprived of higher education.
Mumbai to get first Indian Institute of Skills
• Mumbai is all set to get the first Indian Institute of Skills -
IIS, the foundation stone of which will be laid in September
2019.
• Union Minister for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey announced
that the institute will be operational by 2020.
• The project will be executed on a Public-Private
Partnership basis.
Tripura got direct flight service
• Tripura gets its direct flight service from 14 August 2019.
• In a new development in air transportation for Tripura
state, the Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb flagged off
Delhi -Agartala direct flight service at Maharaja Bir Bikram
Airport.
• The direct flight would be helpful in attracting more
tourist, enhancing business and all other sectors.
PM announced Jal Jeevan Mission
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 'Jal Jivan'
mission to make drinking water available to all households.
• The government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees for it.
• The movement towards water conservation has to take
place at the grassroots level and it should not be limited to
mere a Government programme.
• People from all walks of life have to be integrated in this
movement.
Inter-State Council reconstituted
• The government has reconstituted the Inter State Council
and the Standing Committee of the Inter State Council.
• According to the notification, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is the Chairman of the Inter State Council.
• Chief Ministers of all States and six Union Ministers
including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Nirmala
Sitharaman are the members of the Council.
Swachh Survekshan 2020 launched
• Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State for Housing & Urban
Affairs launched the Swachh Survekshan 2020.
• It is the fifth edition of the annual cleanliness survey
conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA).
• SBM Water PLUS Protocol and Toolkit, Swachh Nagar – an
integrated waste management app and AI-enabled mSBM
App were also launched.
Watan - a patriotic song by DD - released
• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar released patriotic song
Watan produced by Doordarshan to mark the occasion of
Independence Day, 2019 in New Delhi on 13 August 2019.

• The song pays tribute to New India.
• It highlights several path-breaking initiatives of the
government including the determination and vision behind
the recent successful launch of Chandrayaan 2.
Railways to launch its commando unit
• The Commandos for Railway Safety (CORAS) will be
deployed in Naxal-prone belts, Jammu and Kashmir and
North East after its launch on 14 August 2019.
• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and MoS Railway Suresh C
Angadi will launch CORAS in New Delhi.
• CORAS is headed by the Director General of the RPF and is
armed with special uniforms with bullet-proof jackets,
helmets and sophisticated weapons.
State of Art Gallery inaugurated
• Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child
Development, Smriti Irani, inaugurated Textiles Gallery at
National Crafts Museum in New Delhi on 13 Aug 19.
• The gallery will serve to be a resource centre for the
students of fashion technology, apparel sciences and
textiles designing.
• It consists of more than 230 different types of textiles
collections divided into categories of 30 traditions.
CSR non-compliance should be a civil offence
• A high-level committee has recommended that non-
compliance with CSR norms be made a civil offence and
moved to a penalty regime.
• This is a departure from the recent policy change which
had provided for a three-year jail term for violating CSR
norms.
• The committee chaired by Injeti Srinivas, secretary,
corporate affairs ministry, submitted its recommendations
to Sitharaman.
RPF launched Operation Number Plate
• Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways launched
a Special Drive with a Code Name – Operation Number
Plate.
• It will identify and verify all vehicles parked in Railway
premises, circulating area, parkings and ‘No Parking’ areas
for longer duration.
• The unidentified vehicles are considered as a serious
threat to security and safety of passengers and other
stakeholders of railways.
National Affairs
• The legislative party of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF)
merged itself with BJP on 13 August 2019. Out of 13, 10
MLAs of the SDF joined BJP in the presence of party
general secretary Ram Madhav in New Delhi.
• Maharashtra government will conduct disease-wise survey
of the flood-hit areas. The aid surveys are also being
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
conducted on the basis of diseases like fever, diarrhoea
and jaundice.
Global Investors Summit to be held in Srinagar
• Jammu and Kashmir government will host a 3-day Global
Investors Summit from 12th October 2019 in Srinagar.
• The first ever summit in the state will provide J&K an
opportunity to showcase its strengths, strategies and
potential.
• The summit will also provide an opportunity to allay fears
and apprehensions in the minds of outside trade and
business community.
Headgear mandatory for children above 4 years
• Protective headgear of prescribed standards has been
made mandatory for children above four years while
travelling on a motorcycle.
• The safety measures for the children travelling on
motorcycles have been included in the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Act 2019 that is passed by Parliament.
• The President of India gave assent to the Act recently.
Gandhi's 150th birth anniv as Community Day
• The railways will mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth
anniversary as Community Day, according to an action
plan of the Railway Board.
• A special exhibition titled From Mohan Das to Mahatma
would also be held.
• 150 small nurseries are to be set up on railway land
adjacent to tracks, especially around metro areas.
Vikram Sarabhai's celebrations kick off
• The year-long centenary celebration of the birth
anniversary of Vikram Sarabhai, father of India's space
programme, was kicked off in Ahmedabad on 12 August
2019.
• The centenary programme includes exhibitions,
competitions to school children, journalism awards and
speeches by eminent personalities.
• The programme will be conducted across 100 selected
cities and will end on August 12, 2020.
Government to start special hospitals
• Special hospitals offering Indian Systems of Medicines like
Siddha and Ayurveda will be started in 150 districts across
the country.
• This was stated by Union Minister of State for AYUSH
Sripad Yesso Naik, while inaugurating an Ayurveda medical
College in Tamil Nadu.
• A six months course in basic medicine has been started
with the intention of providing basic healthcare in rural
areas.
Chhattisgarh locals formed 15-km long chain

• Thousands of students and members of several social
organisations unfurled a 15-km long national flag by
forming a human chain in Raipur on 11 August 2019.
• The event, organised by Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam
Foundation, entered the Champions Book of World
Records (for the longest tricolour).
• Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel felicitated the families of
martyrs during the event.
GRSE launched fifth FPV for Coast Guard
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) launched
a fifth Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) for the Indian Coast Guard
(ICG).
• Named Kanaklata Barua after a freedom fighter from
Assam, the vessel is the last of the five FPVs built by GRSE
for the Coast Guard.
• The vessel is 50 metres long and 7.5 metres wide with a
displacement of around 308 tonnes.
• It is equipped with three main engines.
2-day exhibition on DAE Technologies
• The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) organized a 2-day
exhibition on DAE spin-off technologies for non-power
applications at New Moti Bagh recreation club, New Delhi.
• The exhibition is open to public for two days (Aug 11-12,
2019).
• It is covering technologies developed by the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Raja Ramanna Centre for
Advance Technology, Indore and other Units of DAE.
Plan for coastal zone management unveiled
• The Environment Ministry has unveiled a draft plan that
will dictate how prospective infrastructure projects
situated along the coast ought to be assessed before they
can apply for clearance.
• The draft Environmental and Social Management
Framework (ESMF) is part of a World Bank-funded project.
• The document lays out guidelines out for coastal States.
Universities get access to Urkund software
• All universities in India, public and private, have been
given trial access to anti-plagiarism software 'Urkund'.
• Final subscription to access the Swedish software will
begin from 1 September 2019.
• It will be available to teachers, students, and researchers.
• The Urkund software was chosen through a global tender
process.
Hyderabad Police created green corridor
• Hyderabad Traffic Police created a green corridor on 9
August 2019 to facilitate the transportation of a live heart
here.
• The organ was transported from Care Hospital in Banjara
Hills to Care Hospital, Nampally.
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• The 6-kilometre journey was completed within ten
minutes, 10-15 minutes earlier than in regular traffic.
• The ambulance reached Care Hospital, Namapally at 8.18
PM.
Website for COP14 launched
• Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a
website 'unccdcop14india.gov.in, which contains all the
information related to COP14 .
• The 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
(COP14), will take place on 2-13 Sept 2019 in Delhi.
• Over 3,000 participants from all over the world are
expected to participate in COP14.
TRAI proposed third party apps
• TRAI proposed having a channel selection system
developed by a third party to make the process easy.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, in March 2017,
had notified the 'New Regulatory Framework' for
Broadcasting and Cable services.
• It issued a draft amendment to the Telecommunication
Services Standards of Quality of Service and Consumer
Protection Regulations, 2017 on 9 August 2019.
Cochin Shipyard launched two ro-pax vessels
• The Cochin Shipyard launched two ro-pax (roll-on roll-off
passenger) vessels designed and built by it for the Inland
Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
• The vessels were the third and fourth in a series of 10
vessels, eight ro-pax and two ro-ro vessels, ordered by the
IWAI.
• The vessels would be operated in National Waterways 1
and 2.
• They are capable of accommodating 200 passengers each.
Inter-State portability inaugurated
• The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan inaugurated the inter-State
portability in two clusters of adjoining States of Andhra
Pradesh & Telangana and Gujarat & Maharashtra.
• This will enable beneficiaries from either States’ cluster to
avail the benefits accruing to them under the National
Food Security Act from any of the two States.
3rd Int. Electric Vehicle Conclave inaugurated
• The 3rd International Electric Vehicle Conclave was
inaugurated in Manesar, Gurugram on 9 August 2019.
• The Conclave was held to create a knowledge-sharing
platform to ensure flow of information at all levels in the
automotive sector.
• It has grown and transformed itself into a global event
since 2017.
• It focuses on new trends and challenges in the field of
electric mobility.

UP created record
• In UP, 4 world records were made in the massive
plantation drive Vriksharopan Mahakumbh on the
occasion of 77th anniversary of Quit India Movement.
• More than 22 crore saplings were planted at 12.2 lakh
locations under the drive.
• Free distribution of saplings in Prayagraj district created a
world record and was certified by the Guinness as the
largest distribution of saplings in the world.
25% cargo through coastal shipping
• The government has set a target of transporting nearly
25% of cargo through coastal shipping and inland
waterways over the next 10 years.
• Increase in exim cargo will help reduce inflation by nearly
2.5%.
• Logistics cost is still 5% more than global cost.
• The port-led development initiatives taken by the
government will help achieve this target.
India's first underwater train to be launched
• India's first underwater train project in Kolkata is almost
complete.
• The metro will soon be operational.
• India's first underwater train will soon get started in
Kolkata under the Hubli river. This train is proof of the
progress made by Indian Railways.
• The 16-kilometer long Kolkata Metro project will connect
Salt Sector 5 with Howrah Maidan.
Rajnath Singh chaired Roundtable
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the Make in India
in Defence Industry Roundtable on 9 August 2019 in New
Delhi.
• It was organised by the Department of Defence
Production, Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• It aims to explore ways to attract investment, address the
concerns of the industry and promote innovations in
Defence sector.
• The MoD has taken several steps to promote FDI in this
sector.
Workshop on Tribal Enterprise inaugurated
• Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs inaugurated
a National Workshop on Tribal Enterprise with focus on
Honey, Bamboo and Lac on 8 August 2019.
• He also released the Flyers and Reports on (1) Bamboo and
Bamboonomics ; (2) Lac; and (3) Honey on the occasion.
• National Workshop was organized to fine-tune its action
plan on the Promoting Tribal Enterprise on Bamboo,
Honey and lac.
National Affairs I
• Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched
‘Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha’ drive on 9 August 2019 in
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
New Delhi to create awareness about Water Conservation
among all school students in the country.
• The Central Information Commission held a seminar on
Human Resource Development and Right to Information
Act 2005 on 9 August 2019 in New Delhi.
National Affairs II
• A special Postage Stamp and First Day Cover was released
to commemorate the Golden Jubilee Edition of
International Film Festival of India. The festival will take
place from the 20-28 November 2019 in Goa.
• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy organised Curtain
Raiser ceremony for the 3rd Renewable Energy Investors'
Meet and Expo which will be held from 30 October-2
November 2019 in India.
Odisha police station in top 10 in India
• Tarava police station in the Subarnapur district of Odisha
has been adjudged as one of the 10 best police stations in
India in the annual ranking for the year 2018.
• The certificate of excellence and a trophy were handed
over to Tarava police inspector Dulamani Bhoi by Odisha
DGP R.P. Sharma.
• Tarava P.S. got this award on the basis of smart policing,
citizen-centric policing, and more.
National Affairs
• A day-long NHRC National Level Review Meeting on
Mental Health concluded at India International centre,
New Delhi on 7 August 2019.
• The e-version of Rozgar Samachar has been launched
recently by Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting
Shri Prakash Javadekar. It will make aspirants aware of job
opportunities in government sector including public sector
enterprises.
Mountaineering Exp. flagged off to Mt. Elbrus
• Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik flagged
off an Expedition Team of Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute, Darjeeling to Mt. Elbrus, Russia on 6 August
2019.
• The expedition team of 8 professional mountaineers, led
by HMI Principal, GpCapt Jaikishan, plans to summit Mt.
Elbrus, on August 15, 2019, and hoist India's flag atop the
mountain to coincide with 73rd Independence Day.
22nd National Conference on e-Governance
• The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG)
2019 will be held on 8-9th August 2019 at Shillong,
Meghalaya.
• The theme of this Conference is 'Digital India: Success to
Excellence'.
• The Conference is a part of the DARPG’s 100 days
initiatives in the new Government.

• This is the first time the event is being organized in North-
Eastern region of the country.
PMAY(U) Awards for Beneficiaries instituted
• Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has instituted
PMAY(U) Awards for Beneficiaries for the first time to
recognise the contribution of States/UTs, Urban Local
Bodies and Beneficiaries.
• This award is in addition to CLSS Award for recognising the
contribution of PMAY (U) Banks and Housing Finance
Companies.
• The winners will be awarded during a National level Event.
National Affairs
• Chandrayaan-2 successfully completed its fifth and final
earth-bound orbit-raising manoeuvre on 6 August,19. The
manoeuvre led the spacecraft to reach an orbit of
substantial apogee, that is the farthest point from the
Earth.
• The 4th session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly
began on 6 Aug 2019. CM Neiphiu Rio introduced the
Nagaland Protection of Interests of Depositors Bill, 2018.
National Affairs I
• Aamir Khan attended the launch function of Mission
Shakti, an initiative by Maharashtra Minister Sudhir
Mungantiwar to train athletes from Chandrapur and
Gadchiroli for international events like the Olympics.
• Arunachal Pradesh State Home Minister Bamang Felix
flagged of 5 Anti-Riot police vehicle, also known as Vajra,
from Police Headquarter in Itanagar.
Workshop organized by NCRB
• A 1-day Workshop on ‘Role of Technology in Reuniting
Missing Children & Trafficked Persons’ was jointly
organised by National Crime Records Bureau and Indian
Police Foundation on 5th August, 2019.
• The workshop deliberated on the use of biometrics by law
enforcement agencies for the identification of persons.
• Use of biometrics has become a necessity in today’s
complex world.
Second All India Annual Conference organized
• The Second All India Annual Conference of Indian
Information Service Officers was organized in New Delhi
on 5 August 2019.
• It was organized with a view to attain greater integration
of all Media Units under the Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting in order to further amplify government
communication.
• A Performance Review of Media Units was also conducted
during the Conference.
Mohali got first 3-D traffic signal
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August 2019
• Mohali traffic police launched 3-D Smart Traffic Signal
devised by the students of a Chandigarh university.
• The wireless system, called 'Intelights', has been installed
at the traffic crossing near the Airport Road, on a pilot
project basis.
• It will regulate traffic signals with a smart bird's eye view
wireless sensor system.
• It uses existing CCTV cameras to gather live traffic video
feed.
National Affairs II
• Competition Commission of India imposed a penalty on
SAAR IT Resources Pvt. Ltd., CADD Systems and Services
Pvt. Ltd. and Pentacle Consultants (I) Pvt. Ltd for doing bid-
rigging.
• Lalit Kala Akademi celebrated its 65th Foundation Day
on August 5th, 2019, at the Lalit Kala Art Galleries of
Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi. ‘Mithila Ki Lokchitrakala’ a
book by Avdhesh Aman was also launched here.
Udaipur to host largest education brainstorm
• The 3rd edition of the ScooNews Global Educators Fest
(SGEF) will be held on the 9-10 August 2019, Udaipur.
• It will bring together over 500 educators to discuss the
way towards establishing India as the next global
education powerhouse.
• The theme is ‘Education for Sustainability: Moving on from
Conformity to Creativity’.
• Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur Royalty is the patron
for 2019.
RBI imposed ₹50 lakh fine on SBI
• The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on
SBI for non-compliance relating to reporting of frauds.
• RBI has slapped penalties on eight commercial banks,
including, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda, for a
host of violations.
• RBI imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on PNB for delay in
reporting of fraud in the account of Kingfisher Airlines.
Amit Shah moved RS to scrap Article 370
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved the Rajya Sabha to
scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, removing the
special status granted to the state.
• The order, which has been signed by President Ram Nath
Kovind, comes into force immediately.
• Shah also proposed the reorganization of the state, with
Jammu and Kashmir to be declared a Union Territory with
an Assembly.
Nat. Popu. Register data to be collected
• The next round of recording biometric and family-tree
details of Indian citizens under the National Population
Register (NPR) will be conducted in September 2020.

• The exercise is different from the decennial Census and is
not linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive
identity database of every usual resident in the country.
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated TechEx
• Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
inaugurated the TechEx - technology exhibition at IIT Delhi
on 4 August 2019.
• He also released TechEx Volume containing abstracts of all
the IMPRINT and UAY projects.
• TechEx is a unique effort, which offers an excellent
platform to the researchers to showcase their work and
inspire them to do their best in their respective domains.
Elephant population estimated at 29,964
• Elephant population in the country is estimated at 29,964
as per the census conducted in 2017.
• The South Region accounted for 14,612 followed by North
East with 10,139 elephants.
• As per the India State of Forest Report 2017, there has
been an increase of 6,778 kilometres of forest cover at the
national level as compared to the assessment of 2015.
5th Dharma-Dhamma conference held in Rajgir
• The fifth international Dharma-Dhamma conference was
inaugurated in Rajgir on 27-28 July 2019.
• The main purpose of this conference was to address
people about the terror, violence and global warming
prevalent in the world.
• This two-day conference addressed the subjects of Sat-
Chit-Ananda and Nirvana which are the pivotal topics of
Buddhism.
Odisha Secretariat renamed Lok Seva Bhawan
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced in the
State Assembly that the Sachivalaya or Secretariat building
in Bhubaneswar will now be called ‘Lok Seva Bhavan’.
• The Odisha secretariat building was inaugurated on
November 12, 1959, by the then Home Minister Govind
Ballabh Pant.
• Ganeshi Lal is the Governor of Odisha.
Govt to set up National traders Body
• The commerce and industry ministry will soon notify the
constitution of a National Traders’ Welfare Board.
• The Board will identify ways to improve access to funds for
this unorganised sector.
• It will also make recommendations to reduce the
compliance burden of traders as well as to ensure social
security benefits such as insurance, pension, and
healthcare for traders and their employees.
Tamil Nadu to get Silk Samagra
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Tamil Nadu will receive about Rs 6.22 crore under the 'Silk
Samagra' — an Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk
Industry (ISDSI) implemented by the Union government
through the Central Silk Board (CSB).
• Tamil Nadu has been ranked among the leading silk-
producing States in the country.
• Tamil Nadu has registered a production of 2,072 metric
tons of raw silk up to March 2019.
PM chairs 30th interaction through PRAGATI
• On 31 July 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired his
thirtieth interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT-based
platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely
Implementation.
• The Prime Minister reviewed the progress in the resolution
of grievances under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• He underlined the resolve of his government to ensure
that no family will be left without a home by 2022
IFFI celebrated Golden Jubilee
• Year 2019 marks the Golden Jubilee edition of
International Film Festival of India which will be
organised from 20th-28th November 2019.
• International Film Festival of India (IFFI) started way back
in 1952, is an 'A' grade film festival accredited to the
International Federation of Film Producers' Associations
(FIAPF) and is one of the oldest and most prestigious
festivals in Asia.
Regional Conference on Good Governance
• The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public
Grievances (DARPG) will organize the Regional Conference
on Good Governance on 14-15 November, 2019 at Jaipur,
Rajasthan.
• The theme is Strengthening State Institutes of Public
Administration.
• It will bring National and State level organizations on the
same platform to share experiences and implementation
of good governance initiatives.
National Affairs
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a
list of 20 institutes - 10 public and 10 private for the grant
of the status of Institutions of Eminence (IoE).
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated a 2-day workshop for all
BJP MPs in New Delhi on 3 August 2019. Multiple sessions
on various subjects took place aimed at enhancing
parliamentary behaviour among the newly elected BJP
lawmakers.
1st Nat. Time Release Study to be conducted
• The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance is
conducting India’s first national Time Release Study (TRS)
between 1-7 August 2019.

• Exercise will be institutionalized on an annual basis, during
the same period every year hereafter.
• The TRS is an internationally recognized tool advocated by
World Customs Organization to measure the efficiency and
effectiveness of international trade flows.
KABIL set up to ensure supply of minerals
• Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) is to be set up with the
participation of National Aluminium Company
Ltd.(NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd.(HCL) and Mineral
Exploration Company Ltd. (MECL).
• The objective of constituting KABIL is to ensure a
consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to
Indian domestic market.
World’s first ultra-fast hyperloop project
• Maharashtra has granted infrastructure project status for
a $10-billion plan.
• It will build the world’s first ultra-fast hyperloop project,
aiming to link the financial hub of Mumbai with Pune.
• Hyperloops use magnets to levitate pods inside an airless
tube, creating conditions in which the pods can shuttle
people and freight at speeds of up to 750 miles (1,200 km)
per hour.
West Bengal launched awareness campaign
• The West Bengal Government has launched an awareness
campaign for preserving the greenery and keeping the
environment clean.
• CM Mamata Banerjee launched the campaign named as
‘Save Green, Stay Clean’ in Kolkata on 1 August 2019.
• The State Government will distribute more than 1 lakhs
saplings throughout the state for spreading of greenery.
BIS to set up Pashmina testing centre in Leh
• Bureau of Indian Standards would set up a Pashmina
testing centre in Leh, in partnership with the lab of Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
• 'Drive for Pashmina', a Motor bike expedition to create
awareness and promote Pashmina was flagged by the Hill
council CEC Gyal P Wangyal and BIS DG Surina Rajan.
• Setting up of a lab in Leh would take two months time.
Gujarat Gas to set up 200 CNG stations
• Gujarat Gas Ltd is planning to set up 200 compressed
natural gas (CNG) stations across India in the next two
years.
• Last financial year, the company added 69 CNG stations,
the highest ever to its tally of over 344 CNG stations.
• Gujarat Gas Ltd (GGL) is present across 23 districts
in Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Thane Geographical
Area (GA), including Maharashtra's Palghar district.
Prakash Javadekar launched e-projects
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Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
August 2019
• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launched several e-
projects of Publications Division on 31 July 2019.
• The projects include redesigned dynamic website, mobile
app 'Digital DPD', e-version of Rozgaar Samachar and e-
book 'Satyagrah Geeta'.
• The mobile app for Publications Division would help in
improving the reading habits of people in the era of e-
books and Kindle.
Inauguration of FCP and launching of Mob App
• Minister of HRD, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
inaugurated the ‘Facilitation cum Publicity Pavilion (FCP)’
at the National Bal Bhavan, New Delhi.
• Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa launched the upgraded 3D Air
Combat Mobile Game 'Indian Air Force: A Cut Above' at
the same venue.
• The FCP is an endeavour to connect to more than 7.5 lakh
children that visit the Bal Bhavan annually.
National Affairs I
• The six-time MLA from Sirsi Assembly constituency and
senior BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri was
unanimously elected as the new Speaker of the Karnataka
state Assembly on 31 July 2019.
• Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani formed 10 Task Forces to
examine, review and suggest inputs for formulating New
Industrial Policy of the state. The Task Force Committee
will be headed by Chief Secretary JN Singh.
India Post Payments Bank to convert into SFB
• The Postal Department has decided to convert the India
Post Payments Bank (IPPB) into a small finance bank (SFB),
enabling it to offer small loans to customers.
• Besides, the department also looks to open one crore
accounts for IPPB in 100 days.
• The decisions were taken at the annual Heads of Circles
Conference held at Srinagar.
National Affairs II
• The Government has allowed the task force, formed to
draft new direct tax law, to submit its report by August 16,
2019. Earlier, the force had to submit its report by July 31,
2019.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that the Lower
House will become paperless from the next session. The
move will save crores of rupees to the exchequer.
 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

Table of Contents

Awards &Honours ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................. 11
International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 21
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 24
Committees & Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 26
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 30
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 41
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 47

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

Awards &Honours
Thanu got MP Birla Memorial Award
• Physicist Thanu Padmanabhan received the M P Birla Memorial Award 2019 for his contributions to the
world of cosmology.
• He is a professor of Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune.
• The award was introduced in 1993 in recognition to the excellence in research in Astronomy, Astrophysics,
Space Science and related areas.
Greta Thunberg wins 'alternative Nobel Prize'
• Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg was named as one of four winners of the 2019 Right
Livelihood Award, known as Sweden's alternative Nobel Prize.
• Thunberg won the award for inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting
scientific facts.
• She shares the award with Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa of the Yanomami people.
CIAL won an international award
• Cochin International Airport Ltd has been selected as the best airport in terms of services it offered to
passengers, based on a survey conducted by Airport Council International (ACI).
• CIAL was emerged the topper in 5-15 million passenger category among the airports in the Asia-Pacific
region.
• It ranked amongst the best airports in the 5-15 mn category in the Asia Pacific region for 2018.
National Tourism Awards 2017-18 presented
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu presented the National Tourism Awards 2017-18 on World Tourism Day
in New Delhi on 27 September 2019.
• A total of 76 Awards under various categories were presented.
• On this occasion, a workshop on ‘Tourism Jobs of the Future’ was also organized by UNWTO in
collaboration with its affiliate member in India, Outlook Responsible Tourism Initiative.
Infosys bagged UN Global Climate Action Award
• Infosys has received the United Nations Global Climate Action Award in the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ category.
• Infosys is the only corporate from India to earn the recognition for its efforts to combat climate change.
• The announcement of the winners was made after the UN Climate Summit in New York convened by UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Payal Jangid received the Changemaker Award
• Payal Jangid became the 1st Indian to receive the Changemaker Award 2019 at the Goalkeepers Global
Goals Awards 2019.
• The Award was presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at a ceremony held in New York, US.
• She is the President of her village’s Bal Panchayat.
• She was awarded for her work towards the abolition of child marriage in her village and other neighbouring
areas.
National Water Mission Awards 2019 presented
• NWM, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti
has initiated the ‘National Water Mission Awards’ to recognize excellence in water conservation, and
efficient water use.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• NWM has 5 goals and 39 strategies prescribed in the Mission Document.

• The awards are given in 10 categories defined under 5 goals of NWM.
PT Usha honoured with IAAF Veteran Pin
• International Association of Athletic Federations, (IAAF) honoured the Indian track and field legend PT Usha
with a Veteran Pin in recognition of her contribution to the growth of the sport.
• IAAF chief Sebastian Coe presented her the Veteran Pin during the 52nd IAAF Congress at Doha.
• At the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, she won silver medals in 100m and 200m events.
National unity award named after Sardar Patel
• The Centre has instituted the highest civilian award for contribution to the unity and integrity of India, in
the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• The award seeks to recognize notable and inspiring contributions to promote the cause of national unity
and integrity and to reinforce the value of a strong and united India.
• The award will be announced on National Unity Day on 31 October 2019.
Ramanujan prize for U.K. mathematician
• The SASTRA Ramanujan prize for 2019 will be awarded to Adam Harper.
• Mathematician Adam Harper is an Assistant Professor with the University of Warwick, England.
• The prize is conferred annually on mathematicians from across the world who are less than 32 years of age
and working in an area influenced by the genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.
• The prize carries a citation and an award of $10,000.
Amitabh named for Dada Sahab Phalke award
• Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has been named for the prestigious Dada Sahab Phalke award for his
outstanding contribution to the film industry.
• The award is conferred by the Government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of
Indian Cinema.
• It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of ten lakh rupees.
PM Modi received Global Goalkeeper award
• PM Narendra Modi was conferred the "Global Goalkeeper" award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by his government.
• Over 11 crore toilets were built in the country in the last five years, which is a record.
• The cleanliness campaign was launched by the Modi government during its first term on October 2, 2014.
Messi won FIFA player of the year awards
• Lionel Messi won his 6th FIFA player of the year award, while Megan Rapinoe won her first at Milan’s iconic
Teatro all Scala on 24 September 2019.
• Rapinoe was rewarded at the FIFA Best awards for leading the US to the women’s World Cup title in July
2019.
• She scored six goals in the tournament, earning her the Golden Boot for the tournament’s top scorer and
the Golden Ball as the top player.
71st Emmy Awards 2019 declared- I
• The 71st Emmy Awards were held in Los Angeles on 22 September 2019.
• Game of Thrones wrapped up its run with an Emmy for best drama series -- and 12 total for its final season.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Outstanding Comedy Series was won by Fleabag.

• Bill Porter received Lead Actor, Drama for Pose.
• Jodie Comer received Lead Actress, Drama for Killing Eve.
• Bill Harder received Lead Actor for Comedy for Barry.
71st Emmy Awards 2019 declared- II
• Chernobyl won Outstanding Limited Series.
• Black Mirror: Bandersnatch won Outstanding Television Movie.
• Phoebe Waller won Lead Actress, Comedy for Fleabag.
• Peter Dinklage won Supporting Actor for Drama for Game of Thrones.
• Julia Garner won Supporting Actress for Ozark.
• Jharrel Jerome and Michelle Williams won Lead Actor and Actress for Limited Series or Movie.
Ravish received Gauri Lankesh National Award
• Senior journalist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee, Ravish Kumar has received the 1st Gauri Lankesh
National Award for Journalism.
• The award was conferred by the Gauri Lankesh Memorial Trust.
• The award was presented to him by freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy.
• Three books, Neera Nade by Vinaya Okkunda, Dehali Nota by D. Umapathy, and Maatige Enu Kadime, by
Harshakumar Kugwe, were released.
Nigam won Magnificent Performing Arts Award
• Sonu Nigam was honoured with the Magnificent Performing Arts Award at the annual 21st Century Icon
Awards in London.
• Nigam was among a host of winners across a range of categories at a gala awards ceremony.
• The 21st Century Icon Awards were initiated by UK-based Indian-origin entrepreneurs and co-founders of
Squared Watermelon Ltd. Tarun Ghulati and Preeti Rana.
Raghu Rai wins international photography award
• Renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai has been chosen as the first recipient of the inaugural edition of
the 'Acadmie des beaux-arts Photography Award - William Klein'.
• The award is in honour of the photographer and filmmaker William Klein, best known for his unusual
photography techniques.
• The prize is intended to reward a photographer for their entire career
Greta Thunberg wins human rights award
• Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future youth movement received
Amnesty International’s ‘Ambassadors of Conscience’ award.
• The award was given for their work highlighting the need for urgent action to avert climate disaster.
IIFA awards held-II
• Best Debut Actor and Actress was given to Ishaan Khatter for Dhadak and Sara Ali Khan for Kedarnath,
respectively.
• Best Playback Singer was given to Arijit Singh, Harshdeep Kaur, and Vibha Saraf.
• Saroj Khan was honoured for her Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema.
• Best Story was awarded to the film Andhadhun.
• Best Lyrics was given to Amitabh Bhattacharya for Dhadak.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

IIFA awards held- I

• The IIFA (The International Indian Film Academy Awards) were held in Mumbai recently.
• Alia Bhatt received the Best Actor (Female) award for Raazi and Ranveer Singh bagged the Best Actor (Male)
Award for 'Padmaavat'.
• Sriram Raghavan won Best Director for AndhaDhun.
• Best Supporting Actor and Actress was given to Vicky Kaushal for Sanju and Aditi Rao Hydari for Padmaavat,
respectively.
National Geoscience Awards conferred
• The National Geoscience Awards for the year 2018 for outstanding contributions in the field of geosciences,
mining and allied areas were presented to 22 scientists from across the country.
• Prof. Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), received the Award for
Excellence.
• Dr Sohini Ganguly of Goa University was conferred with the Young Scientist Award-2018.
Anand Kumar felicitated with an award
• Super 30 founder Anand Kumar was felicitated in the US with Education Excellence Award 2019.
• The Foundation For Excellence (FFE) awarded him on the occasion of the organisation’s 25th anniversary.
• Anand has been running a highly innovative Super 30 programme for the last 18 years.
• He mentors 30 students free off cost through a year-long residential coaching for India’s premiere IIT-JEE.
Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar presented
• Labour and Employment Minister, Santosh Kumar Gangwar gave away the Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar
& National Safety Awards for the Year 2017 in New Delhi.
• 28 awards were given for Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puruskar while 81 winners bagged the National Safety
awards.
• The Minister said, his ministry has planned to set up regional offices of technical wing of the Ministry in
Kashmir.
Neena Gupta won two awards
• Bollywood actress Neena Gupta has won 2 awards at Indian International Film Festival of Boston.
• The actress won the Best Actress award for ‘Badhaai Ho‘ and her film ‘The Last Color‘ emerged victorious in
Best Feature Film category.
• ‘The Last Color’ was directed by chef Vikas Khanna.
• The film deals with taboo surrounding widows in Vrindavan and Varanasi in India.
Agnes Kharshiing conferred Hrant Dink Award
• Meghalaya-based rights activist Agnes Kharshiing, who survived an assault by the coal mafia almost a year
ago, received the 11th International Hrant Dink Award.
• She received the award along with Turkish activist against male violence, Nebahat Akkoc.
• The Hrant Dink Award is presented every year to individuals, or groups that work for a world free from
discrimination, racism and violence.
IIFA comes home with first ceremony in India
• The international Indian film academy awards are to be held in India for the first time in their history.
• Mumbai will host the 20th IIFA awards ceremony on 18 September 2019.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The event has been held in countries around the world since it began in 2000, with previous host cities
including London, Toronto and Singapore, and most recently Bangkok.
Bangladesh: PM Hasina received Award
• PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh was conferred the Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in
Dhaka on 16 September 2019.
• The award has been instituted in the memory of former Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
• The award citation lauded Prime Minister Hasina for her vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia,
free of tension, conflicts and terrorism.
Eminent Engineers Award conferred
• Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman, Railway Board was awarded with Eminent Engineers Award.
• The award was presented at the special event to mark the 52nd Engineers’ Day organised by the Institution
of Engineers in New Delhi on 15 September 2019.
• The award was given for his outstanding contributions in the field of engineering.
• The theme of 52nd Engineers’ Day was Engineering for change.
Ambassador Navdeep Suri honoured by UAE
• UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has bestowed the First Class Order of Zayed II award on
Ambassador, Navdeep Singh Suri.
• The award was given in recognition of his efforts during his tenure and his contribution to the development
and strengthening of friendly relations and co-operation between the two friendly countries.
• It is a rare honour given to any diplomat.
Bangladesh School project wins Aga Khan Award
• An innovative project for constructing a floating school for marginalised children in Bangladesh has been
awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Architecture Award 2019.
• The award was given to the Republic of Tatarstan for the Arcadia Education Project in South Kanarchor of
Bangladesh.
• The project involved the construction of a school in an area which is underwater during the monsoon
months.
5 Indian women police officers honoured by UN
• 5 Indian women police officers were honoured by the United Nations for their commendable services in UN
mission in South Sudan.
• These are Reena Yadav, Gopika Jahagirdar, Bharati Samantray, Ragini Kumari, and Kamal Shekhawat.
• The women officers were honoured with medals by the United Nation for upholding the UN mandate of
protection of civilians in conflict-ridden South Sudan.
CBSE Teacher Awards - 2018 presented
• Union HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal ' Nishank' presented CBSE Teacher Awards - 2018 to 34 teachers of the
country on 12 September 2019.
• He also launched CBSE's portal 'Vidyadhan' on Diksha App, a Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge
Sharing (National Forum for Teachers) and released CBSE's annual activity calendar.
• He also released 10 CBSE Manuals on various subjects like art integration.
Pawan Munjal to be honoured

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• MD and Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, Pawan Munjal will be inducted into the 2019 Asia Pacific Golf Hall of
Fame.
• He will be inducted for his support to Golf in India and around the world.
• The induction ceremony will be held at the 2019 Asian Golf Awards Gala Banquet.
• With the honour, he will join the legendary players such as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player who were
bestowed with the same.
Boycott & Strauss honoured with knighthoods
• England cricket greats Geoffrey Boycott and Andrew Strauss have been given knighthoods by Theresa May
in her resignation honours list.
• Both received the honour for their services to sport after outstanding careers for England.
• Geoffrey played 108 tests between 1964-1982 for England and scored 8,114 Test runs.
• Andrew played 100 tests for England from 2004-12, scoring more than 7,000 runs.
Recipients of Visitor’s Awards 2019 announced
• Recipients of Visitor’s Awards 2019 were announced on September 09, 2019 by the President’s Secretariat.
• This year Visitor’s Awards will be presented for Research in - Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Physical
Sciences; and Biological Sciences and Technology Development.
• The Visitor’s Award for Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences will be presented to Prof. Sibnath
Deb.
Joker won Golden Lion at Venice film festival
• Film Joker won the Golden Lion Award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2019.
• Jury president Lucretia Martel announced the winners of the prestigious award during a ceremony on the
Lido.
• Roman Polanski’s Dreyfus affair film, An Officer and a Spy, won the grand jury prize.
• Roy Andersson won best director for About Endlessness.
'Oscar Of Science' Award announced
• The team from the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration project won the ‘Breakthrough Prize in
Fundamental Physics’ - an award considered the ‘Oscars of Science’.
• The team won a prize of $3 million for their work.
• The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration project published the first image of a supermassive black hole.
Railways won award
• Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented an award to Indian Railways as the best ministry for implementation of
Swachhata action plan for 2018-19.
• He also presented the best Swachh iconic Place award to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai
under the Swachh Bharat Mission initiative.
• The three best stations as per Cleanliness Ranking Survey for 2018 were Jodhpur, Jaipur & Tirupati.
Institute of Eminence status to 5 institutions
• The HRD Ministry awarded the Institute of Eminence status to 5 public institutions.
• The status was awarded to the following institutions: IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, Delhi University, Benares
Hindu University, University of Hyderabad.
• Each of the above university has to sign a MoU with the HRD Ministry and will lay out its plan to achieve the
objective of becoming a world-class institution.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

Odisha won the IT Excellence Award

• Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has won the IT Excellence Award, 2019.
• It has won the award for its innovative conception of app by using information technology in the field of
disaster management.
• The app is named SATARK - System for Assessing, Tracking and Alerting Disaster Risk Information based on
Dynamic Risk Knowledge.
Annual Kaushalacharya Awards announced
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organized Kaushalacharya Samadar 2019
to felicitate trainers from different sectors.
• A total of 53 trainers from diverse backgrounds were honored.
• The Ministry also announced the Kaushalacharya Awards would be an annual event to recognize the
contribution made by skill trainers in the vocational training ecosystem.
States felicitated under BBBP Scheme
• The Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani felicitated districts
and states which have successfully implemented the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
• The felicitation and award function was held in New Delhi on 6 September 2019.
• The BBBP scheme was launched on 22nd January, 2015. Now it is being implemented in 640 districts.
Muhammad Yunus conferred Lamp of Peace award
• Nobel Laureate from Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus was conferred the 'Lamp of Peace of Saint
Francis ' award by the Vatican for his contribution towards establishing peace and harmony.
• The award is a recognition for distinguished work by an individual for promoting peace and dialogue among
people.
• The award was first given to the Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa in 1981.
National Award to Teachers-2018 conferred
• President Ram Nath Kovind conferred National Award to Teachers-2018 in New Delhi on 5 September 2019.
• The national level awards are given to teachers on Teachers' Day to celebrate the unique contribution of
some of the finest teachers in the country.
• The award carries a Silver Medal, Certificate and Rs. 50,000/- as award money.
Vaishno Devi topped in ‘Swachh Iconic Places’
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged as the“Best Swachh Iconic place in
the country in the ‘Swachh Iconic Places’.
• It has been adjudged on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the award to its board during the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ to be
organised by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on 6 September 2019.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus won top honours
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) has won the best Swacch Iconic Place award for 2019,
topping the charts in cleanliness.
• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has declared phase I of
the Swacch Icon Awards.
• The award will be given at a ceremony during the Swacch Mahotsav in Delhi on September 6, 2019.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

PM Modi to be awarded by Bill & Melinda Found.

• PM Narendra Modi will be conferred with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for the PM's ambitious pet
project, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was one of the first few ambitious projects that PM Modi launched in his first
term in 2014.
• The project was launched as an ode to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary on October 2, 2014.

Noida girls win U.S. tech prize

• The all-girl team ‘Tech Witches’ from Noida have developed a mobile App, called Maitri, that connects
children at orphanages with senior citizens in old-age homes.
• ‘Maitri’ clinched the bronze medal at the Technovation Challenge, the world’s largest technology and
entrepreneurship programme for girls, held in San Francisco.
• Maitri allows old-age homes and orphanages to organise meetings.
BBC journalists win Kalinga-FCC Awards
• Journalists from media organisations such as Reuters, BBC, and Germany-based European Press Photo
Agency (EPA) won awards at the Kalinga-FCC Awards for Excellence in Journalism for 2019.
• The awards are aimed at encouraging extensive and informed coverage in the global media of India and
seven other countries in South Asia.
• Each awardee received a cheque for Rs 1,00,000 and a trophy.
HPCL Bags ‘Best Navratna’ Award
• HPCL bags ‘Best Navratna’ award in ‘Manufacturing Category’ at Dun & Bradstreet PSU Awards 2019.
• The award ceremony was held on 22 August 2019 at New Delhi.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Dun & Bradstreet PSU Awards have been instituted to recognise and felicitate the top-performing PSUs in
India for business excellence and acknowledge their contribution in the socio-economic development of the
country.
Days & Events
World Heart Day 2019: September 29
• World Heart Day (WHD) is observed annually on 29 September across the world.
• The day which is celebrated annually creates awareness of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) including heart
disease & stroke and highlights the preventive and control measures.
• It was launched in 2000 by the World Heart Federation as an annual event.
• The theme for the World Heart Day 2019 is My Heart, Your Heart.
Days and Events
• WHO observes World Rabies Day on 28 September every year. The day is celebrated annually to raise
awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease.
• The UN observes International Translation Day on 30 September every year. International Translation Day is
meant as an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals.
Int. Day for Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
• The UN observes 26 Sept every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
• The day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear
disarmament as a priority.
• It provides an opportunity to educate the public – and their leaders – about the real benefits of eliminating
such weapons.
World Maritime Day: 26 September
• The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the World Maritime Day.
• The theme for 2019 is: Empowering women in the maritime community.
• It provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and to highlight the important yet under-utilized contribution of
women within the maritime sector.
World Tourism Day: 27 September
• The United Nations observes 27 September every year as World Tourism Day.
• The UN World Tourism Organization expects that tourism will continue to grow at an average of 3%
annually until 2030.
• The sector also represents an estimated 10% of the world’s GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally.
• Theme for 2019: Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future For All.
World Rose Day 2019: 22 September
• Every year Sept 22 is observed as World Rose Day.
• This day, celebrated in the memory of 12-year-old Melinda Rose from Canada, aims at introducing sparks of
happiness into the lives of people who are fighting cancer.
• Melinda Rose was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, Askin’s Tumour.
• While doctors said she wouldn’t survive more than a couple of weeks, she lived on for 6 months.
International Day of Sign Languages: 23 Sept

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• International Day of Sign Languages is observed on 23 September globally.

• The day aims to create awareness to bring out the importance of sign language in the full realization of the
human rights of people who are deaf.
• It also aims to preserve the sign languages as a part of linguistic and cultural diversity.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Sign Language Rights for All!
World Alzheimers Day: 21 September
• World Alzheimer's Day is observed on 21 September every year.
• The month of September is dedicated to bringing awareness about Alzheimer's and other dementia
conditions.
• As per 2018 World Alzheimer Report, over 50 million people worldwide suffer from the disease.
• The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2019 is Raising awareness and challenging stigma.
International Day of Peace: 21 September
• Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September.
• The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within
and among all nations and peoples.
• The theme for International Day of Peace 2019 is Climate Action for Peace.
• The UN Headquarters: New York, United States.
World Bamboo Day: 18 September
• World Bamboo Day is observed every year on 18 September by the World Bamboo Organization to
generate awareness about conserving and promoting the bamboo industry.
• Known as poor man’s timber, bamboo is omnipresent in tribal cultures and community living.
• From artifacts to sustainable architecture, bamboo remains a favourite as it’s fast to grow, low on
maintenance and has versatile potential.
Int Day for the Preservation of Ozone Layer
• The United Nations observes 16 September every year as International Day for the Preservation of the
Ozone Layer.
• The ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of
the sun and thus help in preserving life on the planet.
• The Theme of the day for 2019: 32 Years and Healing.
• Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA
International Day of Democracy:15 September
• The International Day of Democracy is observed on 15 September.
• The day aims to provide an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.
• The day urges all governments to respect their citizens' right to active, substantive and meaningful
participation in democracy.
Hindi Diwas celebrated on 14 September
• Hindi Diwas is observed every year on 14 September to mark the popularity of Hindi as an official language
of India.
• On the occasion, International Hindi Conference was also organised by World Hindi Council in New Delhi.
• On this day in 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi, written in Devanagari script as
one of the official languages of the Republic of India.

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September 2019

International Day for South South Cooperation

• International Day for South-South Cooperation is observed on 12 September every year.
• The day celebrates the political, social and economical developments made by regions and countries in the
south in recent years.
• The theme for the year 2019 South-South Cooperation is 'From Commitment to Action — Follow up to
Buenos Aires Plan of Action+40'.
World Suicide Prevention Day: 10 September
• The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) observes World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD)
on 10 September every year.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
• The number of countries with national suicide prevention strategies has increased in the five years since the
publication of WHO’s first global report on suicide.
International Literacy Day: 8th September
• International Literacy Day celebrated annually on 8 September.
• It is an opportunity for Governments, civil society and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world
literacy rates, and reflect on the world’s remaining literacy challenges.
• The Theme of International Literacy Day 2019 is Literacy and Multilingualism.
International Day of Charity: 5 September
• The UN observes 5 September every year as International Day of Charity with the objective of sensitizing
and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and
philanthropic activities.
• The date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa.
• She also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
ICMR-NIN conducted programmes
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) is going to conduct
programmes to implement the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle intervention with respect to lifestyle
diseases like Hypertension and diabetes.
• This will be done through information, education and communication through Anganwadi Workers on the
occasion of the National Nutrition Week.
Sept to be celebrated as Rashtriya Poshan Maah
• The entire month of September will be celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah.
• This year the theme is Complementary Feeding.
• Prime Minister's Scheme for Holistic Nourishment - POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi- ministerial convergence
mission with the vision to address malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022.
• Both poor and affluent families are affected the most by it.
International Affairs
Nepal Rastra Bank issued commemorative coins
• The Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, Dr Chiranjibi Nepal & Indian Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri released
3 coins (100, 1000 and 2500 Nepali rupees) bearing the Sikh symbol to commemorate the 550th Birth
Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
• A book titled Sikh Heritage of Nepal based on the Sikh heritage of Nepal was also launched.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The book has been published by BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation.

Saudi Arabia to offer tourist visas
• Saudi Arabia will offer tourist visas for the first time.
• Saudi Arabia opened applications for online tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries on 28 September 2019.
• It will also ease its strict dress code for foreign women,
• Visas are currently restricted to expat workers, their dependents and Muslim pilgrims travelling to holy sites
in Mecca and Medina.
BIS launches Green Bond
• The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) launched a fund to enable central banks around the world to
invest in 'green bonds', citing a growing demand for climate-friendly investments.
• The new fund would help central banks to incorporate environmental sustainability objectives in the
management of their reserves.
• The open-ended fund is denominated in US dollars.
Bangladesh lifted ban on Hilsa export to India
• Bangladesh will allow 500 tonnes of Hilsa fish to be exported to India as a goodwill gesture during the Durga
Puja.
• Export of the popular Hilsa or 'Ilish' fish from Bangladesh was banned in 2012 after local business
establishments called for controlling the price of fishes.
• Bangladesh accounts for nearly 75% of world Hilsa production.
World’s biggest transport space ship launched
• Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station.
• The H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• The launch took place from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tanegashima Space Center in
southwestern Japan.
• This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship.
Tripartite mechanism for Rohingya Repatriation
• Bangladesh, Myanmar and China have agreed to form a tripartite joint working mechanism to oversee the
repatriation process of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
• Myanmar and Bangladesh already have a joint working group and China is only helping the two countries in
implementing the agreements they already have.
• Bangladesh has more than nine lakh Rohingya refugees.
1969 moon landing lab to be demolished in 2020
• NASA has said that the Houston building where Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong and his colleagues
emerged from quarantine after their 1969 moon mission has fallen into disrepair and will be demolished.
• The Lunar Receiving Laboratory at Johnson Space Center hasn't been used for two years and will likely be
torn down in 2020.
• It was designed to isolate the astronauts and lunar rock samples.
DCD awarded licences to 18 places of worship

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi awarded licences for the existing 18 non-
Muslim places of worship in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; 17 churches and the BAPS Hindu Mandir which is
under construction in Abu Dhabi.
• Pujya Brahmavihari Swami and Dr B. R. Shetty on behalf of the Board of Directors accepted the license
TH001 at a formal ceremony at the Emirates Palace.
Saudi Arabia wins membership in IAEA Board
• Saudi Arabia has won a membership in the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) for a period of two years 2019-2021.
• The election was held in the 63rd session of the IAEA General Conference held in Vienna, Austria.
• The board is responsible for making most of the policy of the IAEA and makes recommendations to the
General Conference on IAEA activities.
Amazon vows to be carbon neutral by 2040
• Amazon.com Inc CEO Jeff Bezos committed the company to being carbon neutral by 2040 and said part of
that pledge is an order for 100,000 electric delivery vans from a start-up the online retailer has invested in.
• The first electric delivery vans for Amazon will be on the road by 2021, and all 100,000 will be deployed by
2024.
South Asia’s tallest tower in Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka unveiled South Asia’s tallest tower, costing over $100 million, 80% of which has been funded by
China under the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• The 350-metre-tall 17-storey Lotus Tower is located in the heart of Colombo city.
• The tower is spread over an area of 30,600 sq. metres.
• The project began in 2012 under the then-president Mahinda Rajapakse.
Mongolian Prez in New Delhi on 5 day visit
• President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga arrived in New Delhi on 19 September 2019 on a 5-day state
visit.
• The visiting dignitary will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
• Both sides will hold discussions on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues and will review ongoing
cooperation in fields of infrastructure, etc.
New York: 2nd US State to ban E-Cigarettes
• New York became the second US state to ban flavored e-cigarettes, following several vaping-linked deaths.
• A health council passed emergency legislation proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo outlawing flavored
vaping products amid an outbreak of severe pulmonary disease that has killed seven people and sickened
hundreds.
• Michigan became the first state to declare a ban on it.
38th Sharjah Intl. Book Fair to be organized
• The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will be organized from 30th of October to 9th
of November 2019.
• UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World Book Capital City for the year 2019 in recognition of the city’s
continuous efforts in promoting books and literacy.
• Aligning itself with the title, the SIBF will be organized under the theme 'Open Books, Open Minds'.

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September 2019

Iran inks deal to develop gas field in Gulf

• Two Iranian companies, Pars Oil and Gas Company and PetroPars, have signed a 440-million Dollars
agreement to develop a gas field in the sensitive Gulf.
• Under the agreement, the companies will develop the Balal field in the gulf.
• The Balal gas field is located at Lavan island in the Gulf.
• The deal aims to reach a production rate of 500 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Thailand to roll out plain cigarette packaging
• Thailand became the 1st Asian nation to unveil plain cigarette packaging to reduce the appeal of smoking
and complied with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines.
• In 2012, Australia became the first country to require tobacco products to be sold without colourful brand
logos.
• Capital of Thailand: Bangkok
• Currency of Thailand: Baht.
S.East Asia's largest solar power farm opened
• Vietnam has inaugurated Southeast Asia's largest solar power farm which has the capacity to produce 688
million kWh of electricity annually.
• The Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex occupies 540 hectares in Tay Ninh province and has an investment of
more than $391 million.
• The complex, was constructed on the Dau Tieng Reservoir - the largest artificial lake in Vietnam.
Noor Wali Mehsud designated global terrorist
• The US has slapped sanctions on the chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Noor Wali
Mehsud and designated him as a global terrorist.
• Noor Wali Mehsud was designated as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' by the US Department of
State, on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
• Noor took over the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in June 2018.
24th World Energy Congress commenced
• The 24th World Energy Congress commenced on 9 September 2019 in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.
• The 4-day World Energy Congress aims to bring together international energy stakeholders, including
governments, private and state corporations, academia and media.
• It is set to welcome over 250 high-level speakers, 72 Ministers, 500 CEOs.
WHO to eliminate measles and rubella
• WHO South-East Asia Region has resolved to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023.
• The resolution to eliminate the highly infectious childhood killer diseases measles and rubella was taken at
the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi.
• The member-countries resolved to strengthen the immunisation systems against the two diseases to
achieve the new targets.
YouTube fined $170 million
• The US’s Federal Trade Commission has fined Google’s YouTube with $170 million.
• YouTube will have to pay $170 million to settle allegations of collecting personal information about
children.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• It has been accused of tracking viewers of children’s channels using cookies without parental consent.
Qatar unveiled 2022 FIFA World Cup logo
• Qatar unveiled the logo for the 2022 World Cup which will be hosted by the Gulf emirate, displaying it in
public spaces in Doha and cities around the world on 2 September 2019.
• The design is a stylised Arabic white unisex shawl with maroon patterning, which is displayed in a figure-of-
eight symbolising infinity while creating a heart shape above the words FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022.
Nankana station to be named after Guru Nanak
• The Nankana Sahib railway station in Pakistan's Punjab province will be named after Guru Nanak Dev, the
founder of Sikhism.
• It will be one of the best stations in Pakistan and will play a vital role in promoting religious tourism in the
country.
• A new train, namely Baba Guru Nanak train, would also be started from Lahore to Nankana soon.
Borneo: Site of new capital of Indonesia
• Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has said that capital city will be relocated to the province of East
Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
• The site in the province of East Kalimantan is at “minimal” risk of natural disasters.
• The current capital, Jakarta, home to more than 10 million people, sits on swampy land.
• No name was given for the capital's planned replacement.

Books & Authors

Pranab Mukherjee launched a book
• Former president Pranab Mukherjee released a book written by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that tracks
the country's economic development over the years and offers solutions for future growth.
• The book is titled 'Reset: Regaining India's Economic Legacy'.
• Swamy is an outspoken figure who has often criticised the economic policies of the Modi government.
'Professor Ayushman' comic book released
• A new comic book series ‘Professor Ayushman’ conceived by the National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB)
was unveiled by the Ayush ministry in New Delhi.
• This book will raise awareness in children about the importance of medicinal plants and their usage.
• The comic book, conceived by the NMPB talks about plants like Aloe Vera, Tulsi, Amla, Giloy, Neem,
Ashvagandha and Brahmi.
Book on spin quartet launched
• ‘Fortune Turners: The Quartet That Spun India To Glory’, book on India’s spin quartet has been launched.
• The book is on India’s 4 spin legends: Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar and S.
Venkataraghavan.
• It has been written by Aditya Bhushan and Sachin Bajaj.
• The book has been published by Global Cricket School.
Books and Authors
• Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu released the Coffee Table Book titled 'Glorious Diaspora- Pride of
India' containing brief profiles of the recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards from 2003 to 2019 in
New Delhi on 5 September 2019.
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September 2019

• A new book, 'Phoolpur: Indian Flowers, Their Myths, Traditions and Usage', written by Jhelum Biswas Bose
will be released on 8 September 2019.
Volume 2 of ‘Loktantra Ke Swar' released
• Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu released the books ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ and ‘The
Republican Ethic (Volume 2)’ in a function organized at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi.
• The books are a compilation of 95 speeches delivered by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind during
his second year in office (July 2018 to July 2019).
Book on the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• The book, India’s Lost Frontier the Story of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, has been penned
by veteran civil servant Raghvendra Singh and was released recently.
• He was the Director-General of the National Archives of India.
• This book is based on the history of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, earlier known as the North-West
Frontier Province (NWFP).
Personalities in News
Greta Thunberg wins 'alternative Nobel Prize'
• Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg was named as one of four winners of the 2019 Right
Livelihood Award, known as Sweden's alternative Nobel Prize.
• Thunberg won the award for inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting
scientific facts.
• She shares the award with Brazilian indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa of the Yanomami people.
Person in News
• Former India Captain Mohammad Azharuddin was elected President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
He polled 173 votes while his opponent Prakash Chand Jain got 73 votes. The victory marks his entry into
cricket administration.
• Boman Rashid Kohinoor, senior partner at the iconic Britannia & Co (Mumbai) passed away in September
2019.
Person in News
• Visa has signed up world badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu as its brand ambassador for two
years. Sindhu has also become an athlete member of Team Visa for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
• Telugu comedian Venu Madhav passed away in September 2019. Venu got his first major break with
Sampradayam (1996), which also marked his debut in the Telugu film industry.
Person in News
• National women’s badminton coach Kim Ji-Hyun has stepped down from her post of National women’s
coach of India. She has played a vital role in helping P.V. Sindhu win the 2019 badminton World
Championship gold.
• Animation producer J. Michael Mendel, known for his work on 'The Simpsons' and 'Rick and Morty' passed
away in September 2019. He was a four-time Emmy award-winner.
Ponung Doming created history
• Ponung Doming, created history after she became the first woman officer from Arunachal Pradesh to hold
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army.

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September 2019

• She was elevated to the post of a Lieutenant Colonel on 23 September 2019.

• Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force to be elevated as
the Flight Commander of a flying unit in August 2019.
Anushka Sharma on Fortune India’s list
• Actress Anushka Sharma has been named in the Fortune India’s top 50 list of Most Powerful Women of
2019.
• The actress is the youngest woman on the list and ranks at 39.
• She is also the only Bollywood actor to feature on the list.
• Co founder of AZB & Partners, Zia Mody topped the list.
Raghu Rai wins international photography award
• Renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai has been chosen as the first recipient of the inaugural edition of
the 'Acadmie des beaux-arts Photography Award - William Klein'.
• The award is in honour of the photographer and filmmaker William Klein, best known for his unusual
photography techniques.
• The prize is intended to reward a photographer for their entire career
Appointments and Resignations
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao has announced his resignation. He became the
president of ADB on April 28, 2013. He expanded the operations of the funding agency from USD 14 billion
in 2013 to USD 22 billion in 2018.
• Robert O’Brien has been appointed as the National Security Adviser of United States of America. Robert
O’Brien will replace John Bolton as the NSA of US.
Person in News
• Former Indian Cricket all-rounder Dinesh Mongia announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. His
first-class record of 121 matches included 21 centuries.
• Veteran journalist Cokie Roberts, winner of three Emmys and a legend and trailblazer in broadcasting,
passed away in September 2019. Roberts worked in television, public radio and publishing for over 40
years.
Leader of Opposition of Haryana: Bhupinder
• Days after Congress decided to elect former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as Congress Legislative
Party (CLP) leader, Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar also recognised him as Leader of
Opposition (LoP) on 10 September 2019.
• Congress presently has 16 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly.
• Abhay Singh Chautala had held the post of Leader of Opposition but lost it in March 2019.
Appointments and Resignations
• Urmila Matondkar and former Maharashtra Minister Kripashankar Singh announced their resignations from
the Congress. Matondkar unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election in April 2019 from Mumbai.
• Rajasthan born freedom fighter of India Heeralal Sharma has passed away in September 2019. He took
active participation in the freedom struggle and was jailed for two years.
Person in News
• Nissan Motor CEO Hiroto Saikawa is stepping down after an internal investigation revealed falsified
documents that boosted his compensation in 2013.
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September 2019

• John Wesley, best known for playing Dr.Hoover on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, passed away in September
2019. Wesley had more than 100 acting credits to his name, working alongside stars like Denzel
Washington.

Rohit Sharma launched Campaign to save Rhinos

• Indian Cricket team vice-captain Rohit Sharma is launching Rohit4Rhinos campaign, in partnership with
WWF India and Animal Planet.
• This campaign will help to build awareness for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or
the Indian Rhino.
• The Indian rhinoceros faces several threats, including poaching, habitat loss and mass mortality from
inbreeding and disease.
Person in News
• Maharashtra’s Governor-designate Bhagat Singh Koshyari was accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honour at
Raj Bhavan. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Governor was held on 5 September 2019.
• Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza announced to retire from international cricket after conclusion of
Bangladesh & Afghanistan T20I Tri-series. He represented Zimbabwe in 38 Tests, 209 ODIs and 62 T20Is.
Shweta Ratanpura created history
• Shweta Ratanpura became the first Indian woman to get a medal a the World Skills event.
• The event was held in Russia and was attended by 63 countries.
• India ended on number 13 with 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.

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September 2019

• Apart from Shweta's bronze in graphic designing, Indian won silver in web technologies, another bronze in
jewellery and gold in water technology.

Government Policies & Schemes

Agri Min launches app based CHC services
• The government of India launched a multilingual app-based service - CHC Farm Machinery for Custom
Hiring Centres (CHCs) and Krishi Kisan App.
• This service will facilitate local farmers the use of shared resources including tractors and other farm
machinery at affordable prices.
• Krishi Kisan app will provide farmers with the information of high-yielding crops and seeds in their nearby
area.
Power scheme for tenants launched
• Delhi government announced a new scheme under which people residing as tenants in Delhi will be able to
avail power subsidy.
• The name of the scheme is 'Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojna'.
• Under the scheme, there is no charge for the electricity consumption of up to 200 units.
Odisha launches mascot 'Tiki Mausi'
• Odisha's Women and Child Development (WCD) department unveiled a mascot ‘Tiki Mausi’ to popularise
programmes and schemes of the department.
• Tiki Mausi will also disseminate information about various services like Sakhi centres and schemes like
‘Mamata’, ‘Biju Sishu Surakhya Yojana’ and nutrition programmes with the active help of panchayat
representatives and women self-help groups.
UP govt announced aid for triple talaq victims
• CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath announced an annual support of ₹6,000 to the victims of triple talaq
till their rehabilitation and they will get free legal aid.
• The victims of triple talaq come under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).
• Govt will give rights over waqf properties and also call for several welfare measures that should be
undertaken for their rehabilitation.
Housing loan subsidy scheme launched in Assam
• The Assam Government launched a housing loan subsidy scheme to provide financial assistance on
purchase or construction of the first house for a family.
• Subsidy up to 2 lakh 50 thousand rupees will be provided for loan amounts from 5 lakh to 40 lakh rupees.
• This scheme is meant for the loan sanctioned in this financial year.
• This initiative would provide impetus to the economy.
J&K issued highest number of golden cards
• J&K has become the 1st state in India to issue highest number of golden cards under Ayushman Bharat-
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
• Over 11 lakh golden cards have been generated within first 90 days.
• Under the scheme, 155 Hospitals including 126 public and 29 private hospitals have been empanelled to
provide free and cashless treatment to the entitled beneficiaries.
Ministry of HRD announced NEAT Scheme
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Ministry of HRD announced a new PPP Scheme, National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) for
using technology for better learning outcomes in Higher Education.
• The objective is to use Artificial Intelligence to make learning more personalised and customised as per the
requirements of the learner.
• MHRD proposed to launch and operationalise NEAT in early November 2019.
Airtel Payments Bank launched new scheme
• Airtel Payments Bank launched 'Bharosa savings account' which enables customers to withdraw cash, check
their balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000 Aadhaar-enabled payment
system (AePS) enabled outlets across India.
• These services have been designed for deepening financial inclusion in the country.
• It will be available at over a quarter-million banking points.
Centre to give support of Rs 8,500 cr to ECGC
• The Central government will give support of Rs 8,500 crore to Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India,
ECGC, in the next five years.
• Interest rates will now be just close to 3.5 per cent.
• ECGC has introduced a scheme called Niryat Rin Vikash Yojana - NIRVIK to enhance loan availability to
exporters.
• The scheme will also help ease the lending process.
‘Mukhyamantri Dal Poshit Yojana’ launched
• ‘Mukhyamantri Dal Poshit Yojana’ was launched in Uttarakhand on 13 September 2019.
• Under the scheme, two kilogrammes of pulses per month would be made available to 23.32 lakh ration card
holders.
• Under the Dal Poshit Yojana, chick pea is being made available at a rate of Rs 44 per kg this month.
• The current market rate of this pulse is Rs 65 to 70 per kg.
Govt notifies e-assessment process
• The central government has notified the ambitious e-assessment scheme also called the faceless
assessment for income-tax payers.
• The centre will serve notices to the assessees specifying the issues for selection of their case for assessment
and after a response is received from them within 15 days, the centre will allocate the case to an assessing
officer using an automated system.
Odd-even scheme to be implemented in Delhi
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that odd-even road rationing scheme will be implemented in Delhi
from November 4 to 15, 2019.
• The move was aimed at combating high levels of air pollution in winters when crop stubble burning takes
place in neighbouring states.
• Under the scheme, odd and even-numbered vehicles ply on alternate days. Delhi has earlier also
experimented with Odd-Even plan.
Maritime communication services launched
• Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad launched
maritime communication services.
• He also launched a web portal for reporting stolen mobiles to help trace them.

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September 2019

• Maritime connectivity will enable high-end support to those travelling on sailing vessels, cruise liners and
ships in India.
Haryana launched two insurance schemes
• The State government of Haryana launched 2 insurance schemes for registered small and medium traders.
• The schemes are Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna Beema Yojana and Mukhyamantri Vyapari
Kshatipurti Beema Yojana“.
• An insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh would be provided under the former one.
• An insurance cover ranging from Rs 5 lakh-Rs 25 lakh would be provided under the latter one.
CHC Farm Machinery App launched
• Minister of State for Agriculture, Parshottam Rupala has launched a multilingual Mobile App CHC Farm
Machinery during a conference on Crop Residue Management in New Delhi.
• The app will allow farmers to avail custom hiring services of CHCs located in a radius of 50 km.
• With the help of it, the farmers will now be able to get affordable access to cutting-edge technology at their
doorsteps.
J&K govt to roll out MISP Scheme
• In J&K, the Special Market Intervention Price Scheme (MISP) will be rolled out to procure nearly 12 Lakh
Metric Tons of Apple from farmers of Kashmir on remunerative prices.
• Nearly 60% of the estimated annual Apple production will be procured from the Apple growers nearer their
doorsteps.
• The period of procurement would be for six month beginning 1st of September 2019.
Kisan Man Dhan Yojana to be launched on 12 Sep
• PM Narendra Modi will launch Kisan Man Dhan Yojana (KMDY) scheme during his visit to Jharkhand on
September 12, 2019.
• It will secure the lives of 5 crore small and marginal farmers by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3,000
per month to those who have attained the age of 60.
• He will also inaugurate 400 Ekalvya Model Residential schools.
Rs 125 crore allotted to IIT-Kharagpur
• IIT Kharagpur has been selected for setting up a Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute
(SATHI), a Department of Science and Technology initiative of the Centre, for which Rs 125 crore has been
earmarked over a period of three years.
• The primary objective of the SATHI will be to extend help to the academic institutes in the neighbouring
regions.
Govt launches updated CLSS Scheme
• The government of India launched the updated Credit linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) to allow micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access to capital.
• The scheme provides an upfront subsidy of 15% on institutional credit up to Rs 1 crore for MSMEs in the
specified 51 sub-sectors.
• The government will also prepare a final report on the recommendations of the U K Sinha committee.
First Mega Food Park in Telangana
• Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the first Mega Food
Park in Telangana.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• It is situated at Village Lakkampally, Nandipet Mandal of Nizamabad District, Telangana.

• Mega Food Park is a scheme to establish a direct linkage from farm to processing and then to consumer
markets through a network of collection centres and primary processing centres.
UDAN regional connectivity scheme launched
• Hisar, Haryana has entered into the civil aviation map after the launch of the air shuttle service between
Hisar and Chandigarh.
• SpiceJet has started the air shuttle service between Hisar and Chandigarh under the Ude Desh Ka Aam
Nagrik (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Service scheme.
• SpiceJet would provide the service of two flights between Hisar and Chandigarh daily.
Electors Verification Programme launched
• The Election Commission launched a new mega Electors Verification Programme across the country.
• It will go on till the 15th October 2019.
• Under the programme, a voter from each family will get a username and password, allowing a person to
upload all documents related to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or her family
members.
• Chief Election Commissioner - Sunil Arora.
Union HRD Minister launches 'Shagun'
• Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched one of world’s largest
Integrated Online Junction for School Education ‘Shagun’ in New Delhi on 28 August 2019.
• School Education Shagun is an over-arching initiative to improve the school education system by creating a
junction for all online portals and websites relating to various activities of the HRD Ministry.
Science & Technology
NASA launches miniature satellite
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a miniature satellite designed by
Aabhaas Sikka from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
• The satellite is named 'RamanSat 2' and measures 4 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm.
• The satellite is made to measure radiation from the sun and space reaching the Earth.
The Second Interstellar Object detected
• The second interstellar object has been officially detected in the Solar System.
• According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the comet is 'unambiguously' interstellar in origin,
and it has now been given a name: 2I/Borisov.
• In 2I, I stands for 'interstellar', and 2 for being the second interstellar object ever discovered, after
'Oumuamua, which was detected in October 2017.
World's Biggest Amphibian discovered
• A newly-identified amphibian is possibly the world's biggest, new research of museum specimens shows.
• According to Phys.org, researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and London's Natural
History Museum identified new species of giant salamander using DNA from museum specimens.
• The species that is probably the largest has now been given a new name: Andrias sligoi.
Astronomers discover water vapor in atmosphere

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Astronomers have for the first time discovered water vapour in the atmosphere of a distant planet called
K2-18b.
• Astronomers at the University College London used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to make the
discovery.
• They published their findings in the journal Nature Astronomy on 12 September 2019.
• The exoplanet, K2-18b, is eight times the mass of Earth and known as a super-Earth.
Cryodrakon boreas: The largest flying animal
• Scientists have unveiled a newly discovered species of a pterosaur, the largest ever flying animal according
to a study conducted by Queen Mary University in London.
• These species come from the Azhdarchid group of pterosaurs.
• The pterosaur’s name Cryodrakon boreas roughly translates to ‘frozen dragon of the north wind’.
India to launch deep sea research project
• India will launch ‘Samudrayaan’ project in 2021-22.
• The project proposes to send a submersible vehicle with three persons to a depth of about 6000 metres to
carry out deep underwater studies.
• The vehicle is capable of crawling on the sea bed at a depth of six-kilometre for 72 hours.
• The 'Samudrayaan' project undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
Lander Vikram lost its communication
• The lander of the lunar craft Chandrayaan 2 went incommunicado just minutes before its planned soft
landing near the moon's South Pole on 7 September 2019.
• Vikram Lander descent was initiated as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of
2.1 km.
• Subsequently, the communication from the Lander to the ground stations was lost.
• The data is being analyzed.
NASA and the European Space Agency to meet
• NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will meet in Rome to discuss their plan for planetary defence
against asteroids.
• The two-part mission dubbed Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment plans to collide with Asteroid
Didymoon- the smaller of the Didymo's binary system.
• NASA is in charge of conducting the actual impact while ESA will analye the aftermath.
World's First iPS Corneal Transplant
• A Japanese woman has become the first person ever to receive an iPS corneal transplant.
• In an incredible feat of medical advancement, a team from Osaka University in Japan conducted the first-
ever corneal transplant in July, using reprogrammed stem cells.
• The woman, who is in her forties, was suffering from corneal epithelial stem cell deficiency, which can lead
to blindness.
Malaria linked to 30% risk of heart failure
• Malaria infection is linked to 30 per cent higher risk of heart failure, a new research has warned.
• The mosquito-borne infection affects more than 219 million people worldwide each year, according to the
2018 statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO).

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Malaria can also affect vascular pathways that cause inflammation in the heart, which could lead to fibrosis
and then heart failure.
Carbon nanotube computer chip developed
• Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed the biggest-ever computer
chip using carbon nanotubes (CNT).
• The 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.
Committees & Recommendations
Govt reconstitutes EAC-PM till 2021
• The government of India reconstituted the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister for a period of
another two years.
• Part-time member Ashima Goyal of Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and full-time
members Bibek Debroy of Niti Aayog and Ratan Watal will continue to be part of the EAC-PM.
• Bibek Debroy retains his role as chairman of the EAC-PM
SEBI sets up committee for stock exchange
• SEBI has set up a high-level panel to suggest possible structures and regulations for creating 'social stock
exchanges' to facilitate listing and fund-raising by social enterprises as well as voluntary organisations.
• The committee will be headed by Ishaat Hussain (Director at SBI Foundation and former Finance Director at
Tata Sons).
Government constitutes a task force
• The central government has set up a task force to draw up plans for building infrastructure worth Rs 100
lakh crore over the next five years.
• The task force under the chairmanship of Secretary (DEA) has been constituted to draw up a 'national
infrastructure pipeline' from 2019-20 to 2024-25.
• The national infrastructure pipeline project would include greenfield and brownfield projects.
Panel to look into insurance guidelines
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has decided to review its 3-year-old
guidelines on trade credit insurance.
• Trade credit insurance policy provides coverage to a supplier of goods and services against delay in
payment or non-payments of trade credit.
• The panel will be headed by New India Assurance CMD Atul Sahai.
Steering Committee submitted report
• A government constituted Committee has recommended for putting in place a comprehensive legal
framework for consumer protection keeping in mind the rise of Fintech and digital services.
• The Steering Committee on Fintech related issues submitted its report to Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman in New Delhi on 2 September 2019.
• It recommended the adoption of regulation technology.
Business & Economy
PNB launches Preventive Vigilance portal
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched a Preventive Vigilance portal on 25 September 2019.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The PV portal will facilitate all staff members to contribute towards arresting procedural lapses and
unhealthy practices.
• Sunil Mehta is the Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab National Bank.
RBI places Lakshmi Vilas Bank under PCA
• The Reserve Bank of India has placed the Laxmi Vilas bank under its prompt corrective action (PCA)
framework.
• Under PCA, banks are mandated to cut lending to corporates and focus on reducing the concentration of
loans to certain sectors.
• They are also restricted from opening new branches and paying dividends.
Facebook to invest in tech start-ups in India
• Facebook will make substantial investments in technology start-ups in India.
• Around 1.95 start-ups are getting registered every hour in the country.
• There are 22,895 registered start-ups in the country as per the records till September 2019.
• Around 45 per cent of start-ups have come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
• About 9 to 10 per cent start-ups have women as founders.
SEBI penalised Aurobindo Pharma
• SEBI has imposed a penalty of over Rs 22 crore on Aurobindo Pharma and its promoters.
• They have been penalised for violating insider trading norms.
• The regulator had conducted an investigation into the trading in the scrip of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.
• SEBI found that these entities purchased shares while in possession of the UPSI pertaining to Aurobindo,
and made unlawful gains.
RBI tightens norms for failed transactions
• The Reserve Bank of India prescribed a turnaround time (TAT) for banks to settle failed transactions for
customers and also notified compensations payable for various types of customer complaints.
• The timeline for auto-reversal has been set at between one day after the transaction to five days.
• Most financial compensations have been set at ₹100 per day if the reversal does not happen.
Govt waives lock in period for IDF bonds
• The government of India has waived the three-year lock-in period on investments made by non-residents in
Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDFs), to promote funding in the infrastructure sector.
• To attract off-shore investments into IDFs, any amount of interest received by non-resident or foreign
company from investment in such IDFs is charged at a reduced tax rate of 5%.
UAE tops in investments by non-residents
• According to the Reserve Bank of India’s, ‘Survey of Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Mutual Fund
Companies, 2018-19’, Non-residents’ (NRIs’) investments in Indian mutual funds are up by nearly a tenth
and is now approaching Rs 1 trillion.
• The UAE, the UK and the US were the largest investors together accounting for one-third of the MF units.
OECD slashes India's economic growth
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has projected the Indian economy to
grow by 6.3%.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The OECD predicted that the global economy will see its weakest growth since the 2008-2009 financial
crisis, slowing from 3.6% last year to 2.9% this year.
• The OECD's growth forecast, however, is higher than 5.5 per cent in 2012-13
8.65% interest rate for EPFO members
• Government has approved 8.65% interest rate on deposits in Employees Provident Fund for 2018-19.
• Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified 8.65% rate of interest on EPF deposits for its over six crore
subscribers.
• The EPFO has been settling EPF withdrawal claims at 8.55% interest rate, approved for 2017-18.
• Now, the EPFO will settle accounts on higher rate of 8.65% for 2018-19.
Scope of Bharat Bill Payment System expanded
• The RBI has expanded the scope of the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) by adding other categories of
recurring payments through the portal.
• BBPS is an interoperable platform that enables a customer to pay bills such as telephone, water, gas, at a
single location.
• With the expansion of the scope of the payment facility, other recurring payments such as school fees can
also be paid via BBPS.
RBI increases banks' loan exposure limit
• The RBI increased loan exposure limit of banks to a single Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
- excluding gold loan companies - from 15% to 20% of its capital base.
• This move will help increase credit supply to the crisis-ridden shadow banking sector.
• NBFC are establishments that provide financial services and banking facilities without meeting the legal
definition of a Bank.
FDI grows to $16.33 bn in Q1 FY20
• According to government data, Foreign direct investment into India grew by 28% to $16.33 billion during
the first quarter of the current fiscal.
• The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) during April-June of 2018-19 stood at 12.75 billion.
• Singapore emerged as the largest source of FDI in India during the first quarter of the fiscal with $5.33
billion investments.
MCX and Zhengzhou Exchange sign MoU
• The Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE), one of the
leading commodity exchanges in China, have signed an MoU.
• The MoU will facilitate cooperation between the two exchanges in areas such as knowledge sharing,
education & training, organizing events.
• MCX offers commodity futures contracts in bullion, base metal, energy and agricultural commodities.
Standard Chartered launched DigiSmart card
• Standard Chartered Bank has launched a DigiSmart credit card that is focussed on millennials.
• The card is available for a monthly fee of ₹49, which will, however, be waived off if the customer spends
more than ₹5,000 in the previous month.
• In the initial phase, Standard Chartered has partnered with marquee brands such as Myntra, Grofers, Yatra,
Zomato, Ola and INOX
UPI Transactions jumped 6 Times In 2018-19
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• UPI or Unified Payments Interface transactions surged nearly six times in the year to June 30, 2019.
• In value terms, UPI transactions soared nearly eight times during the year, according to RBI data.
• Instant payment system UPI is developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which is
regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
Equitas SFB misses RBI mandate of listing
• Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB), which completed three years of operations on 4 September 2019, has
missed its listing timeline.
• Equitas Financial Holdings, which owns 100% stake in Equitas SFB — is a listed entity, the RBI rules mandate
that the SFB be listed separately within three years of launch of business.
• Equitas SFB, the first such bank, began operations on September 5, 2016.
India to go ahead with $3.1 billion US deal
• India is set to go ahead with a $3.1-billion deal with the US to acquire maritime aircraft for the Navy that
will add to its surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.
• The procurement of 10 Boeing P8I maritime patrol aircraft is likely to be cleared at a key acquisition
meeting.
• The deal will include a mandatory clause for at least 30% offsets to domestic companies.
Crisil lowers India's GDP growth forecast
• Crisil cut India's GDP growth forecast to 6.3 per cent for fiscal year 2020 from its earlier forecast of 6.9 per
cent.
• This comes after the GDP growth was at its slowest in almost 6 years and grew only at 5 per cent in the first
quarter.
• Earlier, Moody's too had revised India's GDP growth forecast for the current year to 6.2 per cent.
Banks to link lending rate to ext benchmark
• The RBI made it mandatory for banks to link their retail and MSME loans to external interest rate
benchmarks.
• Home, car and personal loans for travel are expected to fall benefiting borrowers.
• This new norm will be effective October 1 where banks have to migrate from the Marginal Cost of Lending
Rate regime to external benchmarking and will have the freedom to choose which one to follow.
B K Modi launched OCI investment platform
• Businessman B K Modi announced the setting of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Investment Forum with a
proposed fund size of $100 billion.
• As its first project, the OCI investor forum will undertake investment in the region of Kashmir to develop
100 Global Wellness Hotels in Kashmir.
• Other key sectors of investment will include healthcare, real estate and education.
PAN for people filing ITR with Aadhaar
• The Income Tax Department will automatically issue PAN to a taxpayer using Aadhaar number for filing
returns as part of a new arrangement to link the two databases.
• A person who furnishes Aadhaar, as they do not have PAN, shall be deemed to have applied for allotment
of PAN and they will not be required to apply or submit any more documents.
• The rule has come into effect from Sept. 1, 2019.
RBI panel recommended self-regulatory agency
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• A task force set up by the RBI submitted its report on the development of a secondary market for corporate
loans on 3 September 2019.
• The task force headed by Canara Bank chairman T.N. Manoharan recommended setting up of a self-
regulatory body (SRB).
• The SRB may be set up as an association by scheduled commercial banks, public financial institutions.
IRDAI sets up single point of contact for RS
• Insurance regulator, IRDAI has set up a single point contact for its Regulatory Sandbox (RS) initiative.
• Now financial technology firms can seek permission to experiment with innovative approaches for the
growth of the sector.
• Regulatory sandbox (RS) usually refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test
regulatory environment.
RBI releases annual report
• According to the RBI's Annual Report, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) balance sheet expanded by
13.42% to Rs 41.03 lakh crore while its income soared by 146.59% to Rs 1.93 lakh crore in 2018-19.
• Interest income grew 44.62% to Rs 1.06 lakh crore.
• The RBI's holding of government securities grew by 57.19%.
Samsung India ties up with Mastercard
• Mastercard, RBL Bank and Samsung India have announced the launch of Samsung Pay for RBL Bank’s credit
cardholders.
• The partnership will allow RBL Bank Mastercard credit cardholders to make contactless mobile payments
using their Samsung Pay-enabled phones.
• These payments can be made via any PoS (Point of Sale) machine where a card can be dipped, swiped or
tapped, both in India and abroad.
NPCI caps BHIM UPI discount rate
• To drive digital payments in both small and large merchants’ transactions, the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) said the BHIM UPI merchant discount rate (MDR) for large ticket transactions
has been capped at a maximum of Rs 100 and made zero at offline merchants for transactions up to Rs 100.
• Currently, MDR is capped at 0.25% for transactions up to Rs 2000.
GDP growth at 5% in Q1 FY20
• India’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth slumped to a 25-quarter low of 5% in Q1 FY20.
• The slowdown in investment and consumer demand derailed manufacturing, which grew just 0.6%.
• A meagre 2% rise in farm sector added to the demand slowdown.
• Private Consumption collapsed to an 18-quarter low of 3.1% from 10.6% in the March quarter.
TDS on cash withdrawal above ₹1 crore
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that the 2% tax deduction at source (TDS) on cash
withdrawals of over Rs 1 crore will come into effect from 1 September 2019.
• The government had made the provision of levying 2 per cent TDS on cash withdrawals exceeding Rs 1
crore in the Union Budget with an aim to discourage cash transactions and move towards a less-cash
economy.
Sports
India lifted SAFF U-18 C’ship title
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• In Football, India defeated Bangladesh by 2-1 in the final of SAFF Under-18 Championship 2019 to lift the
title in Kathmandu.
• India's Ninthoinganba Meetei was declared Most Valuable Player of the championship.
• This is India's maiden SAFF U-18 trophy.
• Host Nepal had lifted earlier two editions of the Championship but could not qualify for semi finals this
time.
Kaushal Dharmamer clinched men's singles title
• In Badminton, Kaushal Dharmamer clinched the men's singles title at the Maldives International Challenge
with a win over Siril Verma in Male.
• He registered a comfortable 21-13, 21-18 victory over his compatriot in a match that lasted 35 minutes.
• In the women's doubles event, the duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy ended as runner-up after
going down 10-21, 21-17, 12-21.
Sports News
• The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after reaching the finals in the
World Athletics Championships in Doha. The finalists top 8 in the World Championships are automatic
qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics.
• In Table Tennis, Indian junior boys Raegan Albuquerque and Yashansh Malik won the bronze medal at the
Serbia Junior and Cadet Open in Mumbai.
Sports News
• Sumit Nagal won the Buenos Aires ATP Challenger clay event. This is the first ATP Challenger title by an
Indian this season. This is the second Challenger title in Nagal’s career.
• Vikram Pratap Singh scored the opening goal for the Indian U-18 team against Bangladesh in the final match
of the SAFF U-18 Football Championship at Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sports News
• India’s Bhavani Devi won the silver medal in women’s individual category in the Tournoi Satellite Fencing
competition at Ghent, Belgium on 29 September 2019. In the final, she lost to Bashta Anna of Azerbaijan.
• Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix in a Mercedes one-two on 29
September 2019. Valtteri Bottas took second place.
Deepak Punia claims world no. 1 spot in 86 kg
• In the latest rankings issued by the international wrestling federation, World Championship silver medallist
wrestler Deepak Punia has jumped to world number 1 position in 86kg category.
• But, Bajrang Punia lost the top rank in the 65kg category.
• In 57kg, world bronze medallist Ravi Dahiya has entered the top-five bracket.
• Vinesh Phogat jumped to number 2 in 53kg category.
Facebook bagged digital content rights for ICC
• The International Cricket Council has inked an agreement with Facebook.
• Under this, the social media platform will get exclusive digital content rights for select cricket matches in
the Indian subcontinent including the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020-22, Men’s T20 World Cup 2020-21.
• The social media platform also bagged the rights for match recaps for rest of the world for the next 4 years.
Pankaj Advani-Aditya Mehta won Snooker title

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The Indian duo of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta won the IBSF World Snooker Team title at Mandalay,
Myanmar on 25 September 2019.
• The Indian pair beat Thailand's team comprising C.Pongsakorn and D.Poramin by 5-2 in the final.
• This takes Advani's world title tally to a phenomenal 23 while Aditya claimed his maiden title.
• He had also won the world billiards event at Mandalay recently.
Malvika claimed her maiden title
• Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod has won the Maldives International Future Series held in the Maldives, in
badminton.
• She defeated Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar by 21-13, 21-11 to win the Maldives International Future Series.
• Also, Vaibhav and Prakash Raj claimed the men’s doubles title after beating Thailand’s Pakkapon
Teeraratsakul and Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul by 21-16 and 21-15.
Koneru Humpy won Grand Prix
• Koneru Hampi of Gudivada clinched Fide World Grand Prix 2019 title with 8 points from 11 rounds in
Skolkovo, Russia.
• In the final round, Hampi just needed a draw with top seed Ju Wenjun of China to win the title.
• She is the third strongest female player of all time, behind Judit Polgar and Hou.
• She is ranked fourth in the world at the moment.
Manipur clinched 25th Senior Women's NFC
• Manipur clinched the title of the 25th Senior Women's National Football Championship.
• It is their 20th title.
• In the final on 24 September 2019, Manipur defeated Railways 1-0 in a thrilling contest.
• Bala Devi is the highest scorer in the tournament with 20 goals.
• Railways’ Sanju was declared the Player of the tournament.
• Arunachal Pradesh hosted the tournament for the 1st time.
India won 1 gold, 2 silver in Swimming C'ships
• In Swimming, India won a gold and two silver medals at the Asian Age Group Championships in Bengaluru
on 24 September 2019.
• Men's relay team opened India's account with a gold.
• In the women's 4x100m freestyle relay for open category, the Indian team won the silver medal with a total
time of 4 mins and 00.76 sec.
• India's 2nd silver medal came in the 4x100m freestyle relay for group II boys.
Kiren Rijiju felicitated Amit and Manish
• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju felicitated boxers Amit Panghal and Manish Kaushik with cash awards for their
medal winning performances in the Men’s World Championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
• Panghal was handed a cash award of Rs 14 lakh for his silver medal winning effort in 52kg category, Kaushik
received Rs 8 lakh for winning the bronze in the 63kg.
Sports News
• Indian tennis player Divij Sharan clinched the men's doubles title in the St. Petersburg Open with partner
Igor Zelenay on 22 September 2019, defeating Matteo Berrettini and Simone Bolelli.
• Daniil Medvedev won a sixth career title as he defeated Borna Coric in the final of the St Petersburg Open,
Russia. World no. 4 Medvedev won his third title of the year and sixth of his career.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

Sports News
• Carolina Marin defeated Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying 1 in the women’s badminton singles final match to lift the
China Open title. She returned to the court after 8 months.
• Ferrari Sebastian Vettel has won the Singapore Grand Prix. The event was held at the Marina Bay Street
Circuit, Singapore. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen finished the race at 2nd and 3rd position
respectively.
20 Nat. Centres of Excellence to be created
• Ministry of Sports will create 20 National Centres of Excellence to groom athletes for 2024 and 2028
Olympics.
• Each Centre of Excellence will offer funds for four to six specific sports.
• The new scheme will ensure that athletes in the same premises have access to similar facilities unlike
before.
• Standardising training will enable athletes to attain much higher performances.
Rahul Aware won bronze in 61 kg category
• Rahul Aware won a bronze medal in men's 61 kg freestyle category at the World Championship in Nur-
Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• he beat American Tyler Lee Graff 11-4.
• This, however, was not an Olympic category and thus the bronze did not help Aware qualify for the Tokyo
Games.
• It was India’s fifth medal at this edition of the World Championships with a total haul of 1 silver and 4
bronzes.
Meghalaya wins Subroto Cup U-17 Category
• Meghalaya's Hopewel Elias Higher Secondary School won the U-17 junior boys Subroto Cup football
tournament.
• They defeated Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) of Bangladesh in the final match.
• The winning team will take home a sum of Rs 4,00,000 and the runners-up will be walking away with prize
money of Rs 2,50,000.
Akila Dananjaya banned from bowling for 1 year
• The International Cricket Council announced that Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya has been banned from
bowling in international cricket for 12 months following an independent assessment of his action.
• He was assessed after the legality of his bowling action came under question by match officials in the first
Test against New Zealand in Galle from 14-18 August.
Amit entered World Men's C'ship finals
• In Boxing, Asian Champion Amit Panghal became the first Indian to make to the finals of the World Men's
Championship while Manish Kaushik signed off with a bronze medal.
• In 52 kg category, Panghal prevailed 3-2 against Kazakhstan's Saken Bibossinov.
• The past Indian medal-winners at the world meet are Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan (2011), Shiva
Thapa (2015) and Gaurav Bidhuri (2017).
Bajrang, Ravi won bronze at World C'ships
• In Wrestling, Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya have won bronze at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan,
Kazakhstan.
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September 2019

• This is Bajrang's second consecutive medal at the Worlds and third overall while Dahiya has managed to win
bronze in his very first appearance at the senior championships.
• Bajrang defeated Mongolian Tulga Tumur Ochir while Dahiya beat Iran's reigning Asian champion Reza.
India slipped to 104th spot in FIFA ranking
• The Indian football team slipped a place to 104th position in the latest FIFA rankings released.
• Indian Football Team in recent times is playing under the leadership of new coach Igor Stimac.
• Belgium managed to hold on to the top position, while France has surpassed Brazil to reach the second
spot.
Bajrang, Ravi qualified for 2020 Olympics
• Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics winning their respective quarterfinal
matches in World Wrestling Championships at Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan.
• Bajrang lost the semi-final to the wrestler Daulet Niyazbekov while Ravi Dahiya lost his match to world
champion Zaur Uguev from Russia.
• Vinesh Phogat already booked an Olympic quota for India in women's 53 kg.
Sarah Thomas crossed English Channel in 54 hr
• American breast cancer survivor Sarah Thomas became the first person to swim across the English Channel
four times non-stop in a 54-hour feat of endurance.
• She was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
• She said the hardest part of the swim was dealing with the saltwater, which left her throat and mouth sore.
• Only 4 swimmers have previously completed the channel crossing between Britain and France.
Paralympic and Olympic mascots unveiled
• A smiling panda and a walking Chinese lantern will be the mascots for the 2022 Winter Olympics and
Paralympics in Beijing, China.
• The mascots were revealed at a ceremony at the Shougang Ice Hockey Arena in the Chinese capital.
• Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda was revealed for Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
• Chinese lantern Shuey Rhon Rhon was declared the official mascot for Winter Paralympics 2022.
Sports News
• India was assured of 2 medals at the AIBA World Men's Boxing Championships after Amit Panghal and
Manish Kaushik entered the semifinals of the marquee event at Ekaterinburg in Russia.
• Asian Games Championship gold-medallist Panghal defeated Filipino Carlo Paalam in the 52-kg category.
• Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Kaushik beat Brazil's Wanderson de Oliveira in the 63-kg category.
Vinesh qualifies for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
• India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat qualified for the 2020 Olympics.
• She beat American Sarah Hildebrandt in the World Championships in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• She scored an impressive 8-2 win over the world championship silver medalist to secure her place at the
Tokyo Games.
Sumit Nagal rose to ATP Ranking of 159
• India's Sumit Nagal jumped 15 places to achieve a career-high ranking of 159 in the latest ATP rankings
released on 16 September 2019.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• He ended runners up in the Banja Luka ATP Challenger following a first round appearance at the US Open in
August 2019.
• .Meanwhile, Prajnesh Gunneswaran continued his run in the top-100. He rose three places to be world no.
82.
ICC Test Rankings: Virat Kohli on second spot
• India cricket captain Virat Kohli has managed to hold on to his second position in the ICC Test Rankings for
batsmen, released in Dubai on 16 September 2019.
• Kohli, with 903 rating points, is 34 points behind Australia's Steve Smith who tops the position with 937
points.
• Smith's compatriot Pat Cummins has also retained his number one position in the ICC Test bowlers'
rankings.
Spain won FIBA World Cup
• Spain won its first FIBA World Cup since 2006.
• It was also its 25th victory in 28 meetings with Argentina.
• The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's
national basketball teams.
• The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019.
Pankaj Advani clinched 22nd world title
• Pankaj Advani clinched a record 22nd world title by winning a fourth straight final in the 150-up format at
the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Myanmar.
• He defeated Nay Thway of Myanmar.
• He has brought home a world trophy every year ever since returning from a professional stint in the UK in
2014.
• In the short format of billiards, this is Advani's fifth title in the last six years.
Sports News
• India clinched the Under-19 Asia Cup title, with a win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring final at Colombo on
16 September 2019. Defending a total of 106, India dismissed Bangladesh for 101 in 33 overs.
• In badminton, Kaushal Dharmamer clinched the Myanmar International Series with a win over Indonesia's
Karono Karono in a thrilling men's singles final in Yangon on 15 September 2019.
Sports News
• In Badminton, Sourabh Verma clinched the Vietnam Open Super 100 title, defeating China’s Sun Fei Xiang
in Men's Singles summit clash at the Ho Chi Minh City on 16 September 2019. This victory marks his second
Super 100 win in this year.
• In Badminton, Lakshya Sen clinched men's singles title at the Belgian International Challenge on 14
September 2019. He defeated Victor Svendsen of Denmark.
First Indian to complete Enduroman triathlon
• Mayank Vaid has become the 44th person in the world and the first Indian to finish the Enduroman.
• Enduroman is considered to be one of the most toughest endurance competitions in the world.
• Vaid also broke the record for the fastest time in which the triathlon has been completed.
• Enduroman is a triathlon from England to France.
India jersey with new sponsor logo unveiled
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September 2019

• India will sport a new-look jersey when they take on South Africa in the 1st T20I in Dharamsala on 15th
September 2019.
• The jersey will have the logo of Byju’s, Bengaluru-based educational technology and online tutorial firm, in
place of Chinese mobile manufacturer Oppo.
• BYJU’S will be the official Team India sponsor from 5th September, 2019 until 31st March, 2022.
Megan Schutt entered record books
• Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt scripted history by becoming the first woman to claim two hattricks in
white-ball cricket.
• The right-arm medium-pacer claimed an ODI hat-trick to become the first Australian woman to achieve the
feat.
• She became the first Australian women to claim a hattrick in ODIs.
• Schutt had claimed her first hattrick in a T20 game against India.
2020 Women's U-17 World Cup to be held
• The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, to be hosted by India, will be held from 2nd to 21st November 2020.
• The age group showpiece event of the FIFA will be held in four cities across the country.
• The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar has been provisionally confirmed as a venue, pending FIFA approval.
• India was announced as the host country in March 2019.
Lasith Malinga makes new records - I
• Lasith Malinga, 36, took 4 wickets in 4 consecutive balls in the 3rd T20I against New Zealand.
• He passed Shahid Afridi to become highest wicket-taker in T20Is.
• Malinga is the second bowler after Rashid Khan to take four wickets in four consecutive balls in T20I cricket.
• In T20s, Andre Russell and Al Amin Hossain are the others to have taken four wickets in four balls.
Lasith Malinga makes new records - II
• Malinga is also the only bowler to have taken two hat-tricks in T20I cricket. He had picked up a hat-trick in
2016/17 against Bangladesh before this.
• This was Malinga’s fifth hat-trick in international cricket, the most by any bowler.
• Malinga also reached his 100th T20I scalp in the course of his record-scripting spell, a mark no other bowler
has reached as of now.
Indian cyclists top medal tally at Track Cup
• India picked up three medals on the concluding day of the Track Asia Cup cycling competition and emerged
as champion.
• Ronaldo Laitonjam won his four gold in the meet. He had earlier collected a gold each in sprint, 1km time
trial and team sprint junior events.
• India topped the medal tally with 10 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze medals as the tournament came to an end
at the IGI Sports Complex.
Mary Kom added to TOPS scheme for Olympics
• MC Mary Kom, shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal and shuttler Sai Praneeth were among 12 top sports
persons who were included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) of the government.
• The TOPS is a flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which is an attempt to provide
assistance to India’s top athletes.
• It looks to add a premium to the preparations of these athletes.

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September 2019

Sports Mstry derecognised Paralympic Committee

• The Sports Ministry has de-recognised the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), citing a violation of the
National Sports Code in the body's decision to sack President Rao Inderjit Singh.
• In the suspension order issued, the Ministry wrote that the PCI has been penalised for misgovernance.
• The Ministry had received a complaint from Mr. Singh, who was removed by a majority vote.
Brigid Kosgei ran fastest-ever half-marathon
• Kenya's Brigid Kosgei ran the fastest half-marathon ever by a woman on 8 September 2019, winning the
Great North Run in a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 28 seconds.
• Her time was 23 seconds quicker than the world record set in 2017 by fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei but
the course in the northeast of England is not eligible for records.
• Mo Farah won the men's race for 6th successive year.
Senior Women’s National Football C'ship began
• The 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship kicked off on 10 September 2019 at Pasighat in
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Altogether 30 teams from across India are participating in the 15-day event.
• Teams have been divided into eight groups.
• Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana are in group H.
• The inaugural match will be played between Railways and Mizoram.
Sports News
• Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defended their US Open mixed doubles title, defeating Taiwan’s
Chan Hao-Ching and New Zealand’s Michael Venus in straight sets, in tennis.
• Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka won their first career Grand Slam title with a hard-fought 7-5 7-5 win
over Ash Barty and Victoria Azarenka in the US Open doubles final in tennis.
Sports News
• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has won the Italian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes
finished the race at 2nd and 3rd position respectively.
• In boxing, India opened their campaign at the ongoing men's World Championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia,
on 10 September 2019. India's Brijesh Yadav (81 kg) will take on Poland's Maleusz Goinski in the opener.
Nadal clinched 4th US Open Tennis title
• In tennis, Rafael Nadal won US Open Men's singles beating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 on 9
September 2019.
• This is his fourth US Open title and 19th Grand Slam trophy.
• He won his 19th career Grand Slam singles title, in his 27th Slam final.
Eighth edition of Ladakh Marathon held in Leh
• The eighth edition of Ladakh Marathon was held on 8 September 2019, in Leh.
• It is the highest marathon in the world as it is held at over 11, 000 feet above the mean sea level.
• The Marathon was held in the categories of 42KM Full Full Marathon, 21KM half marathon and 7 km long
Run for Fun.
• The 9th Edition to be held in 2020 will be a qualifying race for the Abbot World Marathon Majors.
Payas Jain won silver medal

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• India's Payas Jain settled for a silver medal in the 25th Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships
which concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 7 September 2019.
• Jain lost to top-seed and world number 1 Yuanyu Chen of China 0-4.
• India's campaign at the championship ended with two silver medals -- one by the junior boys team and
another by Jain.
Sports News
• The Indian men's hockey team was static at number 5 while the women's team climbed a place to number
9 in the FIH rankings released on 8 September 2019. The fresh list was released following the conclusion of
the Oceania Cup.
• Russian tennis player Oksana Selekhmeteva and Latvian player Kamilla Bartone won junior doubles trophy
at US Open. They won over Aubane Droguet and Selena Janicijevic.

Anupama won bronze in Martial Arts M'ship

• Indian woman athlete Anupama Swain won a bronze medal in the recently concluded World Martial Arts
Mastership Jiu-Jitsu 2019.
• The event was held in Chungju, South Korea.
• Now she has qualified for the 2022 Asian Games.
• She was the only Indian to participate in the championship.
• Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial art and combat sport.
Bianca: 1st teen to reach US Open semi-finals
• Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu became the first teen US Open semi-finalist in a decade.
• She defeated Belgium's Elise Mertens.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• She will fight with Belinda Bencic in the final.

• Andreescu, a winner this year at Indian Wells and Toronto, is the first teen in the US Open's last four since
Caroline Wozniacki in 2009.
• Serena Williams will face Elina Svitolina in the other semi-final.
Steve: 2nd Australian to score 500
• In Cricket, Steve Smith has become the second Australian after Allan Border to score 500 and more runs in
the consecutive Ashes series in England.
• Smith reached this milestone after he added 122 runs in the ongoing 4th Ashes Test.
• The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia once every 2 years.
• Before Smith only Border had scored 500 plus runs in the Ashes.
Rashid Khan became youngest Test Captain
• Rashid Khan scripted history as he became the youngest ever Test captain on 5 September 2019 leading
Afghanistan against Bangladesh in the one-off Test.
• The record was earlier held by Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu who was 20 years and 358 days old when he led
his side against Sri Lanka in 2004.
• Rashid is 20 years and 350 days old.
Qatar unveiled 2022 FIFA World Cup logo
• Qatar unveiled the logo for the 2022 World Cup which will be hosted by the Gulf emirate, displaying it in
public spaces in Doha and cities around the world on 2 September 2019.
• The design is a stylised Arabic white unisex shawl with maroon patterning, which is displayed in a figure-of-
eight symbolising infinity while creating a heart shape above the words FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022.
ICC Test ranking: Steve Smith top batsman
• Steve Smith dethroned India captain Virat Kohli to reclaim the top spot in ICC Test rankings.
• Kohli was dismissed for a first-ball duck in the second innings of the final Test against the West Indies, which
saw him slip to the No.2 spot.
• Steve Smith (904) and Virat Kohli (903) are separated by a single rating point in the latest Test rankings.
Sports news
• In Table Tennis, the Indian boys team has settled for a silver medal after losing the final 0-3 to top seed
China at the Asian Junior and Cadet Championships held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
• Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as head coach and chief selector of Pakistan’s cricket
team. Waqar Younis will join him as the team’s new bowling coach.
Mithali Raj announced her retirement
• Indian women's cricket great and ODI captain Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20
Internationals on 3 September 2019.
• She ended her T20 career with 2,364 runs from 89 matches at an average of 37.5 and the highest score of
97 not out.
• She made her T20 International debut in 1999.
• Mithali is also the first Indian woman to reach the landmark of 2000 T20 runs.
Rishabh Pant beat another Dhoni record

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Rishabh Pant became the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket, surpassing MS
Dhoni.
• He claimed his 50th victim in his 11th Test while Dhoni had taken 15 Tests to touch the milestone.
• Pant took an easy catch to dismiss West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite off an Ishant Sharma delivery in the
second innings of the hosts in the second Test.
Apurvi Chandela, Deepak Kumar bagged gold
• World number one in women’s 10M Air Rifle, Apurvi Chandela, partnered with Deepak Kumar to win mixed
10m air pistol gold in the ISSF World Cup.
• Anjum Moudgil and Divyansh Singh Panwar won a bronze medal.
• India now has a total of four gold, one silver and two bronze for a total of seven medals in the Rio World
Cup.
India beat West Indies
• India beat West Indies by 257 runs at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica on 2 September 2019 to complete a
2-0 whitewash over the hosts.
• The victory gives Virat Kohli and Co. their first series win in the ICC World Test Championship, thus taking
them to the top of the table with 120 points.
• The win was 28th in Tests for Virat Kohli, which made him the most successful Indian captain.
Virat: India’s most successful Test captain
• Leading India in the 257-run win over West Indies in the second Test of the series, India captain Virat Kohli
became the most successful Test captain of the nation on the same ground he had made his Test debut in
2011.
• Virat Kohli now has the most Test wins as India captain (28 wins in 48 matches), who is followed by MS
Dhoni (27 wins in 60 matches), Sourav Ganguly (21 wins in 49 matches).
India finished at top at ISSF Shooting C'ship
• India finished at the top of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol Championship in Rio De Janeiro with 5 gold, 2
silver and 2 bronze medals.
• Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Choudhary won gold in the summit clash of 10-Metre Air Pistol mixed team
event.
• India has now finished as the leading nation in the event in 2019 with 16 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Jinson Johnson bettered own national record
• Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson from India bettered his own 1500m national record while
clinching a silver in the ISTAF Berlin event.
• He clocked 3 minute 35.24 seconds to finish second behind Joshua Thompson of United States at the
Olympic Stadium.
• His earlier national record was 3:37.86 which he had set at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Sports News
• Charles Leclerc fended off Lewis Hamilton to claim a bittersweet first Formula One win on 1 September
2019. It was also Ferrari’s first win this year.
• The Indian selection committee led by M.S.K Prasad chose Nick Webb as the top candidate for the Indian
team’s Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Sports News

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Lasith Malinga became the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket in the first T20I of the three-match series
against New Zealand at Pallekele International Stadium. He surpassed Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.
• Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert died after a crash during the Belgium Grand Prix. Hailing from France,
Hubert was last season’s GP3 champion.
Bodybuilder S Bhaskaran felicitated
• Bodybuilder S Bhaskaran who was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award was felicitated by the Indian
Body Builder Federation on 31 August 2019.
• He became the first bodybuilder to win the Arjuna award since T Pauly in 1999.
• He won the Asian championship and the world championship in Thailand in 2018.
Yashaswini Deswal wins gold at ISSF World Cup
• Young shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won gold in the women's 10meter Air Pistol event at the ISSF
World Cup at in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
• With the win, she has also secured an Olympic quota for India.
• This is India's ninth quota in shooting for 2020 Tokyo Games.
• World no.1 Olena Kostevych of Ukraine claimed the silver, while Serbia's Jasmina Milavonovic bagged the
bronze.
Tejinderpal Singh Toor won silver
• Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor won a silver medal during an athletic meet at Decin in the Czech
Republic.
• He came up with the best throw of 20.09m in his last attempt at the event.
• Tajinder has been awarded the Arjuna Award this year.
• He has already qualified for World championship being the Area champion following his gold-winning feat
at Asian Athletics Championships.
Sports News
• Hockey India named a 33-member probables list for the senior men's national coaching camp, beginning
September 2, 2019 at the Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru.
• In football, India lifted the SAFF Under-15 title at Kalyanai, West Bengal with a 7-0 win over Nepal. They
won the title for a record third time after previous wins in 2013 and 2017, both of which came in Nepal.
Sports
• Ashish Kasodekar from Pune in Maharashtra has become the first Indian national to complete the ‘La Ultra
The High’ marathon, which is 555 km long, in Ladakh.
• Indian sprinter V K Vismaya won the gold medal in the women 400m run at the International Athletic
Meeting -- Josef Seckr Memorial (MJS) in the Czech Republic.
Mizoram wins U-14 Subroto Cup title
• Mizoram's Saidan Secondary School won the Under-14 boys champions of Subroto Cup International
Football tournament.
• The defeated Unique Model Academy of Manipur by 2-0 in the final match.
• It was the Mizoram school's maiden title win in the tournament.
Defence
Indo-Kazakhstan JME KAZIND - 2019

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September 2019

• Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2019 between India and Kazakhstan will be conducted at Pithoragarh from 2
to 15 October 2019.
• Exercise KAZIND-2019 is the fourth edition of an annual event which is conducted alternatively in
Kazakhstan and India.
• The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorism
operations in mountainous terrain.
INS Khanderi commissioned in Mumbai
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned submarine INS Khanderi in Mumbai on 28 September 2019.
• Khanderi is inspired by the fish name Kanneri found in the Arabian sea.
• Key features of the submarine include a state-of-the-art stealth technology which reduces its noise under
the sea.
• Defence Minister also commissioned, INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P-17A frigates.
INS Tarkash At Maputo, Mozambique
• As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to Africa, Europe and Russia, Indian Naval Ship Tarkash
arrived at Maputo, Mozambique on 25 Sep 19 for a 3-day visit.
• INS Tarkash, commanded by Captain Sathish Vasudev, is a potent frontline frigate of the Indian Navy
equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors.
ICG Ship ICGS Varaha commissioned
• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh formally commissioned the Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel
‘Varaha’ at the Chennai Port Trust.
• The vessel includes Integrated Bridge System, automated power management system, high power external
firefighting system, etc.
• It also carries 4 high speed boats including two rigid hull inflated boats for boarding operation.
Malabar 2019 trilat. maritime exercise began
• The 23rd edition of the trilateral maritime exercise of India, Japan and the United States(US) named
Malabar 2019 began at Sasebo, Japan on 26 September 2019.
• 2 frontline indigenously designed and built Indian naval ships -- multi-purpose guided-missile frigate
Sahyadri and ASW Corvette Kiltan arrived at Sasebo to participate in the exercise.
Exercise Tiger Triumph to be held In November
• India and the United States are set to hold their first tri-services exercise code-named Tiger Triumph at
Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh in Nov 2019.
• The plan for this exercise was discussed during the Final Planning Conference for India-US Tri-Services
Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief.
• For the first time, the US and India will be holding the tri-service military exercise.
Ponung Doming created history
• Ponung Doming, created history after she became the first woman officer from Arunachal Pradesh to hold
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army.
• She was elevated to the post of a Lieutenant Colonel on 23 September 2019.
• Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force to be elevated as
the Flight Commander of a flying unit in August 2019.
Second Scorpene submarine Khanderi launched

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• India's second Scorpene submarine Khanderi was handed over to the Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on 19 September 2019.
• Khanderi is a Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarine.
• Khanderi has been Designed by French company Naval Group (earlier known as DCNS).
• It will become the 17th submarine of the Navy after it is commissioned.
Indian army conducted exercise ‘Chang Thang’
• The Indian Army conducted a massive rare exercise ‘Chang Thang’ in Eastern Ladakh bordering China.
• The exercise involved the use of infantry, mechanised forces, T-72 tanks, with force multipliers such as
artillery guns and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
• The Indian Air Force was also roped in the exercise.
• This is the first time such kind of exercise has happened in the region.
Indian successfully flight-tested Astra
• Indian Air Force has successfully flight-tested air-to-air missile Astra off the coast of Odisha.
• The missile was launched from a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI combat aircraft on 16 September 2019 as a part of User
trials.
• The missile was tracked using radars, electro-optical tracking sensors and struck its target successfully.
• The missile has been developed by DRDO.
Anjali Singh: India's 1st military diplomat
• Wing Commander Anjali Singh has become India's first female military diplomat to be posted in any of the
Indian missions abroad.
• Singh has joined the Indian Embassy in Russia as the Deputy Air Attache.
• Singh, who is trained on MiG-29 fighter aircraft, joined her new assignment on September 10, 2019.
• An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission.
Wargaming software handed over to Indian Navy
• Institute for Systems Studies and Analysis (ISSA) Delhi, has designed and developed a new generation
Wargaming Software in collaboration with Maritime Warfare Centre, Visakhapatnam to meet the
contemporary operational and tactical level wargaming requirement for the Indian Navy.
• It was handed over to Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar at ISSA, on 16 September
2019.
IN-RSN-RTN Trilateral Exercise commenced
• A maiden trilateral exercise, involving Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand Navy (RTN) and
Indian Navy (IN) commenced at Port Blair on 16 September 2019.
• The five-day-long exercise is aimed at bolstering the maritime inter-relationships amongst Singapore,
Thailand and India.
• This would also strengthen the mutual confidence amongst three navies in terms of interoperability.
Exercise TSENTR 2019 started off
• The opening ceremony of Exercise TSENTR 2019 was conducted at the DONGUZ Ranges near Orenburg in
Russia's Central Military District on 15 September 2019.
• It aims at countering the threat of international terrorism
• As many as 2,500 personnel and 500 vehicles from all participating nations took part in the ceremony.
• India is also taking part in the exercise along with Pakistan and China.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

BNS Somudra Avijan arrived in Visakhapatnam

• Bangladesh Naval Ship (BNS) Somudra Avijan arrived Visakhapatnam on a four-day visit to the Eastern Naval
Command (ENC) on 14 September 2019.
• The Bangladesh Navy ship was accorded a warm welcome by officials from the ENC and Eastern Fleet.
• A series of activities are scheduled between the two navies which include professional interactions
and sporting events.
IAF receives first batch of Spice 2000 bombs
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has started receiving the supply of Spice 2000 bombs from an Isreal firm, the first
batch of which was delivered recently.
• The first batch of Spice 2000 bombs, with Mark 84 warheads and bombs, arrived in Gwalior, Madhya
Pradesh, which is the main base of the Mirage 2000 fighter planes.
• The new version of these bombs has the capacity to completely destroy buildings.
INS Tarkash at Walvis Bay, Namibia
• Indian Naval Ship Tarkash made a port call at Walvis Bay, Namibia, on 15 September 2019 for a three days
visit.
• The port call is a demonstration of India’s warm ties with Namibia and its commitment to enhance
operational reach, maritime security and its solidarity with friendly nations.
• It is a state of the art warship of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons.
Indian Army will conduct 'HimVijay'
• The Indian Army is scheduled to conduct a major Exercise ‘HimVijay’ with the Chinese Army in October
2019 in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• The Panagarh based 17 Mountain Strike Corps will conduct Exercise HimVijay spread over a month and a
half with three newly created Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) from October.
• The concept of the IBG was war-gamed and tested by the 9 Corps early this year.
DRDO handed over ‘Netra’ aircraft to IAF
• The DRDO has handed over the second airborne warning plane, Netra, to the Indian Air Force.
• The Netra, an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft, is useful for surveillance, tracking,
identification and classification of airborne and sea surface targets and is useful in detecting incoming
ballistic missile threats.
• It had played a stellar role during the Balakot airstrikes.
DAC approved procurement of Rs 2,000 crores
• The Defence Acquisition Council accorded approval for Capital Procurement for the Services amounting to
approximately Rs 2,000 crores.
• The decision was taken during the Defence Acquisition Council meeting held under the chairmanship of
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
• Focussing on the ‘Make in India’ initiative, DAC approved procurement of DRDO developed Mechanical
Mine Layer (Self Propelled).
Visit of Indian Naval Ships to Malaysia
• As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to South East Asia and Western Pacific, Indian Navy ships
Sahyadri and Kiltan made a port call at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on 12 September 2019, for 3 days visit.
• The port call is a demonstration of India's warm ties with Malaysia.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• IN Ships Sahyadri and Kiltan are the latest, indigenously designed and built multi-role ships of the Indian
Navy.
'Rudrashila' Flagged off at Jaisalmer
• The white water Rafting Expedition christened 'RUDRASHILA' being undertaken by Kalidhar Battalion was
Flagged Off on 11 September 2019 at Jaisalmer.
• 'Rudrashila' has been organised to commemorate the 75th Raising day of the Kalidhar Battalion.
• 'Kalidhar Battalion' was raised on 01 November 1943 and has participated in all major operations of the
Indian Army.
Indo-Thailand Joint Exercise Maitree - 2019
• Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2019 between India and Thailand will be conducted at Foreign Training
Node, Umroi (Meghalaya) from 16-29 Sep 2019.
• Indian and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) comprising 50 soldiers each will participate in the exercise.
• Exercise MAITREE is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India
since 2006.
2nd Scorpene-class sub to be commissioned
• India's second Scorpene-class attack submarine INS Khanderi will be commissioned into the Navy by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Mumbai on September 28, 2019.
• The conventional diesel-electric submarine has been manufactured by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in
Mumbai.
• The first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari had been commissioned into the Indian Navy in December
2017.
Rajnath Singh to visit France in October
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to receive the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets in Paris on October 8, 2019
-- the foundation day of the Indian Air Force.
• He will travel to Paris on October 7 on a three-day visit.
• India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36
Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
MPATGM successfully test fired
• DRDO successfully flight tested indigenously developed low weight, fire and forget Man Portable Antitank
Guided Missile (MPATGM) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh on 11 Sept 2019.
• The missile hit the target in top attack mode and destroyed it with precision.
• All the mission objectives were met.
• This is the third series of successful testing of MPATGM.
India to spend $130 bn to modernise military
• India has finalised to spend $130 billion in the next 5-7 years to modernise the armed forces and bolster
their combat capabilities over rivals in the region.
• The plan includes procurement of a range of weapons, missiles, air defence systems, fighter jets,
submarines and warships, drones, surveillance equipment and developing infrastructure for extensive use
of artificial intelligence.
IAF resurrects 17 Squadron 'Golden Arrows'

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The IAF resurrected the Air Force Station Ambala-based 17 Squadron 'Golden Arrows', which will operate
the first squadron of Rafale fighter jets in the near future.
• The ceremony was presided over by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa.
• The squadron was formed at Ambala on 01st Oct 1951 under the command of Flight Lieutenant D L
Springett and was then equipped with Harvard-II B aircraft.
28th Indo–Thai CORPAT
• 28th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy (IN) and the
Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 5 to 15 September 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.
• INS Kesari and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship Kraburi are participating in the CORPAT.
• The Objectives of the exercise is to ensure effective implementation of United Nations Conventions on Laws
of the Sea.
Indian Army to participate in TSENTR 2019
• Indian army will participate in a multilateral exercise TSENTR 2019 to be held in Russia.
• Armies of Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia will also participate in
the exercise.
• This will be the first time that forces from India and Pakistan will participate in a multilateral exercise
together since the Balakot airstrikes conducted by Indian forces.
IAF pilots clear test for Mission Gaganyaan
• The Indian Air force announced the completion of level-1 selection of Indian astronauts for Mission
Gaganyaan, the country's first human mission to space.
• Level-1 of Indian Astronaut selection was conducted at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
• Selected Test Pilots underwent extensive physical exercise tests, lab investigations, radiological tests, and
clinical tests.
SLINEX 2019 to be held from 7 September
• Sri Lankan Navy is sending two ships to India to participate in the SLINEX 2019, the joint maritime naval
exercise with the Indian Navy.
• The annual Joint Indo-Lanka maritime fleet exercise - SLINEX 2019 is scheduled to be held from 7
September 2019.
• The week-long exercise will be attended by 323 Sri Lankan navy personnel including the commanding flag
officer of the naval fleet.
INS Tarkash at Lagos, Nigeria
• As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to Africa, Europe and Russia, Indian Naval Ship Tarkash made
a port call at Lagos, Nigeria, on 5 Sep 19 for a 3-day visit.
• The port call has been scheduled to celebrate the 60th anniversary of establishing of diplomatic relations
between India and Nigeria.
• INS Tarkash is one of the most potent frontline frigates of the Indian Navy.
Visit of Indian Naval Ships to Cambodia
• As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to South East Asia and Western Pacific, Indian Navy ships
Sahyadri and Kiltan are making a port call at Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 5-8 Sep,19.
• The ships are part of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet under the Operational Command of Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The two ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2019 to be held
• Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2019 is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, USA from 5-18
September 2019.
• It is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavors between India and
USA.
• This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.
Indian Army Team Summit Mt. Leo Pargyil
• An Indian Army team successfully summited Mount Leo Pargyil (6773M) on 20 Aug 2019, hoisting the
National Flag atop it.
• The expedition was flagged in by Lieutenant General PM Bali, AVSM, VSM, COS, Western Command on 31
Aug 2019..
• The expedition was flagged off on 10th August 2019.
• Leo Pargyil is the third highest peak of Himachal Pradesh.
Army to train 1st batch of Women Soldiers
• Army is preparing to receive and train the first batch of women soldiers.
• The training of the selected 100 is likely to start in Dec 2019 in Bengaluru.
• Duration of the training will be for 61 weeks just as male soldiers.
• Every year, a batch of 100 will be inducted till there will be 1700 cadre strength.
Joint Naval Annual Quality Conclave to be held
• The Joint Naval Annual Quality Conclave (JNAQC) will be hosted by the Naval Quality Assurance
Establishments under the aegis of Director General Quality Assurance (DGQA), Ministry of Defence in
Visakhapatnam on September 5, 2019.
• Its theme would be ‘Transformation of QA Paradigm: Opportunities and Challenges’.
• Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain will be the Chief Guest for the annual event.
Apache AH-64E inducted into IAF
• 8 US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters were inducted into the Indian Air Force on 3 September
2019.
• The addition of the Apache fleet will significantly enhance the IAF's combat capabilities.
• The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters.
• The IAF had signed a contract with the US and Boeing Ltd in Sept. 2015 for purchase of 22 Apache
helicopters.
Boeing delivers 11th C-17 Globemaster to India
• American aerospace major Boeing delivered the 11th C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft to the Indian
Air Force, boosting its strategic airlift capabilities.
• The C-17 Globemaster III is a premier transport aircraft.
• The massive, sturdy, long-haul aircraft can carry large combat equipment, troops and humanitarian aid
across long distances in all weather conditions.
National Affairs
IPCC Meet on Climate Change began in Delhi

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• India is hosting the Second Lead Author Meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Working Group III Sixth Assessment Report at New Delhi, beginning 30 September to 4 October 2019.
• IPCC authors and scientists are working to deliver the most relevant and up-to-date research on climate
change mitigation.
Real Kashmir FC nominated for BAFTA Awards
• A documentary on Srinagar-based football club Real Kashmir FC has been nominated in the British Academy
Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards.
• The documentary has been nominated in two categories.
• Its director Greg Clark has picked up a nod for the ‘Director Factual’ category, while the show will battle it
out in the ‘Single Documentary’ category.
UP CM inaugurated mobile hospital
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Shri Kashi Vishwanath Arogya Mandir, a mobile hospital in the
Varanasi.
• A team of doctors and paramedics will be available here and after stabilizing serious patients, they will be
shifted to the district or Banaras Hindu University Hospital.
• He also dedicated to the devotees the incense sticks made up of flowers offered to the deities.
Delhi-Meerut Package-3 inaugurated
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Delhi-Meerut Package-3
connecting Dasna in Ghaziabad to Hapur.
• The package is a 22 kilometre-long stretch built with a cost of 1989 crore rupees.
• The package has six-lane section with two plus two lane service road on either sides.
• The 82 kilometre-long Delhi-Meerut Expressway connects Delhi with Meerut in UP.
Jitendra Singh launches CPGRAMS
• Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension Dr Jitendra Singh launched Centralized Public
Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) of Department of Posts on 25 September 2019.
• CPGRAMS primarily aims to enable submission of Grievances by citizens from anywhere and anytime.
• CPGRAMS is an on-line web-enabled system developed by National Informatics Centre.
Government launched new framework
• The Union Jal Shakti Ministry’s Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), launched a 10-year
national rural sanitation strategy to sustain India’s 100 per cent Open Defecation Free (ODF) status claimed
by the Centre.
• The framework, to be in place from 2019 to 2029, will ensure that people sustain their usage of toilets. It
will also focus on solid and liquid waste management.
West Bengal Government To Set Up Museum
• West Bengal government plans to set up a museum at the north Kolkata house of 19th century social
reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
• The museum will come up at Vidyasagar's residence at Badur Bagan area where pictures and models,
chronicling his life from his birth place will be put on display.
• Some items used by Vidyasagar will be brought out for public viewing at the museum.
Renuka Singh inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Renuka Singh, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav being organised by Ministry of
Tribal Affairs in Noida.
• The theme of the festival is: A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and Commerce.
• The festival will feature exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings fabric, jewellery and much
more through 70 stalls.
First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched
• President Ramnath Kovind unveiled the first Indigenous High-Temperature Fuel Cell System.
• This system is developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under New Millennium
Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI).
• The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol / bio-methane, with heat
and water as bi-products for further use.
President to visit Odishs, WB and Jharkhand
• President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal from September 27-October 1,
2019.
• On September 28, 2019, he will present Colours to Corps of Army Air Defence at Gopalpur, Odisha.
• On September 29, 2019, he will visit Vikas Bharti, Bishunpur, Gumla in Jharkhand.
• On September 30, 2019, he will grace the 33rd convocation of Ranchi University.
UP to launch industrial projects
• After laying the foundation of industrial projects worth more than Rs 1.25 trillion over the past 15 months,
Uttar Pradesh government is planning to launch additional projects totalling Rs 65,000 crore in December
2019.
• Projects worth Rs 65,000 crore were in pipeline and the government will decide the dates for holding their
groundbreaking ceremony sometime in December.
Govt approved construction of 1.23 lakh houses
• Centre has approved construction of 1.23 lakh more houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• The 47th Central Sanctioning And Monitoring Committee approved 630 proposals from participating states
for construction of 1.23 lakh houses with an overall investment of 4,988 crore rupees.
• The commitment from government as central assistance will be 1,805 crore rupees.
Delhi HC launched mobile app for lawyers
• The Delhi HC launched an official mobile application for providing digital access of its services to lawyers
and litigants.
• The application provides details of case status, display board, cause list and access to other important links
of the high court website.
• The advocates registered with the High Court's e-filing software will also be able to apply for e-inspection
and online gate pass.
112 emergency helpline no. launched in Delhi
• A single emergency number -112- was launched for police, fire and ambulance emergency services.
• Now, the citizens of Delhi can avail the facility of all these three emergency services by dialing the number -
112.
• This call immediately passes to the Control Room.
• Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the Emergency Response Support System.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

India committed to eradicate TB before 2025

• Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched 'TB HAREGA DESH JEETEGA' campaign in
New Delhi on 25 September 2019.
• India is committed to eradicate TB before 2025.
• One-third of the people in the world have TB bacteria, and 10 per cent of them can become a victim of TB
at any time.
• People who have been cured of TB will be made campaign ambassadors.
Pink tickets for women for free travel in DTC
• Pink tickets will be issued to women passengers under the Delhi government’s scheme for free travel in DTC
and cluster buses which was approved by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) board.
• The scheme has been approved till March 2020 and it will be rolled out on Bhai Dooj on 29 Oct 2019.
• Women travelling in DTC and cluster buses will be given pink tickets having a face value of ₹10 each.
Swachhata hi Seva Abhiyan to be observed in MP
• Madhya Pradesh government launched a month-long Swachhata hi Seva Abhiyan from September 25 till
October 25, 2019, against the single-use plastic.
• During the campaign, various awareness programmes will be conducted in urban bodies.
• The campaign will encourage alternatives by eliminating single-use plastic and non-standard polythene in
markets, malls and shops etc.
Amit Shah launched a new portal
• Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Private Security Agency Licensing Portal at a function in New Delhi
on 25 September 2019.
• The portal will become functional in all official languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu and Tamil within three
months.
• The number of licensed agencies in the states will also be available on the portal so that people do not fall
prey to the fraudulent agencies.
India's 2nd largest railway overbridge in WB
• The Indian Railways has completed the construction of the giant four-lane cable-stayed railway overbridge
(RoB) at Burdwan Junction in West Bengal.
• The RoB, considered to be the second largest in the country will be inaugurated by Railway Minister Piyush
Goyal.
• The railway overbridge was completed in 197 days without affecting traffic for even a single day.
‘India Tourism Mart 2019’ inaugurated
• Nitin Gadkari and Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the India Tourism Mart (ITM) 2019 in New Delhi on 23
September 2019.
• The Ministry of Tourism and the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) have
jointly organized this Mart.
• Over 240 international delegates from 51 countries and 160 exhibitors from across the country are taking
part in the second edition of ITM.
Govt announced new medical college in Leh
• The Central government on September 23, 2019, announced a new medical college for the Leh district of
Ladakh region.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The Health and Medical Education Department has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for
construction of government medical college as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare for the opening of 75 new medical colleges throughout the country.
HDFC Bank to organise 1,000 grameen loan melas
• HDFC Bank plans to organise 1,000 Grameen Loan Melas over the next six months.
• The Grameen Loan Melas or village loan fairs will be held across more than 300 districts and cover around
6,000 villages across India and will be a one-stop shop for people from five to six nearby villages.
• Local residents can avail tractor loans, auto loans, two-wheeler loans, agri loans, etc.
‘Tejas Express’ ready to hit tracks on Oct 4
• In Uttar Pradesh, country's first corporate-run train from Lucknow to Delhi, Tejas Express is all ready to hit
the tracks on 4th of October 2019.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off the train from Lucknow which will be run by IRCTC.
• The train will run 6 days in a week with advance coaches and it will be the fastest train between Lucknow
and Delhi.
Muzaffarpur Administration launched drives
• In Bihar, Muzaffarpur District Administration launched several drives for nutritional, sanitation needs and
medical facilities for Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) affected blocks.
• 5 blocks of the district Mushari, Bochahan, Motipur, Kanti and Minapur are said to be epicentre of AES,
which claimed lives of 160 children.
• Affected families are being given facilities at their doorsteps.
Government launched ‘UMMID’ initiative
• Science and Technology and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle
inherited genetic diseases of newborn babies.
• The new initiative aims at creating awareness about genetic disorders amongst clinicians and establish
molecular diagnostics in hospitals.
• He also inaugurated NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras.
Bihar inaugurated 1st all-women employee PO
• The state of Bihar got its first all-women employee post office on 21 September 2019.
• Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the post office on the campus of Bihar Public Services
Commission (BPSC).
• Sub-post office of BPSC has been upgraded to the status of Bihar's first all-women employee post office.
• Postal accounts will also be linked with Aadhaar for greater transparency.
Arvind Kejriwal launched ‘champions campaign’
• CM Arvind Kejriwal launched Champions Campaign to fight dengue and urged citizens to become
‘champions’ and encourage 10 friends to check their homes for mosquito larvae.
• Earlier, he had also launched 10Hafte 10Baje 10Minute campaign.
• He had urged the Delhi residents to give 10 minutes every Sunday to check the surroundings to prevent the
breeding of dengue-carrier mosquitoes.
CBDT sets up NeAC in New Delhi
• Central Board of Direct Tax(CBDT) has newly set up National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) in Delhi.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• CBDT has also appointed 1984 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Krishna Mohan Prasad as the first
Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax of NeAC.
• The Centre will have 16 officials and will be headed by a Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax (PCCIT)
as its chief.
Gully Boy is India’s entry for Oscars
• Bollywood film, Gully Boy was selected as India's official entry in the International Feature Film category at
the Oscars.
• The film is directed by Zoya Akhtar and stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles.
• It is a coming-of-age drama centred around the life of a rapper Murad, portrayed by Ranveer.
• The film was inspired by the real-life stories of Mumbai rappers Divine and Naezy.
UP celebrated first anniversary of PMJAY
• Uttar Pradesh celebrated the first anniversary of PM Jan Arogya Yojna, as Ayushman Bharat Day on 23
September 2019.
• Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath felicitated the beneficiaries and volunteers called Ayushman Mitra in a
function in Lucknow.
• Under the scheme, more than 36 lakh golden cards have been issued in the last one year in the state.
Special schedule for Heritage Hill Railway
• In Tamil Nadu, the Southern Railways announced a special schedule for the Heritage Hill Railway from
Udhagamandalam to Mettupalayam.
• Special trips of the mountain train will be run on all weekends from October 5 to November 29, 2019.
• This coincides with the second flower season in the world-renowned hill station.
• It will have halts at Kallar, Hill Grove, Aruvankadu, Wellington and Coonoor.
National workshop on Post Disaster organized
• National Institute of Disaster Management organized a day-long National Workshop on Post Disaster Needs
Assessment in New Delhi on 23 September 2019.
• Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was the Chief Guest on this occasion.
• The workshop discussed the issues and challenges faced by states in the assessment of damage and loss.
'ERSS- Dial 112' launched
• Union Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah launched three citizen-centric services of the Chandigarh Police
on 20 September 2019.
• The services include the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS - Dial 112), ‘E-Beat Book’ System and
the ‘E-Saathi App’.
• ERSS is one of the key projects of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the Nirbhaya Fund.
Sardar Patel National Unity Award constituted
• The Union Home Ministry said that Sardar Patel National Unity Award, a new honour for outstanding efforts
to further national integration on the pattern of Padma awards will be bestowed annually to an individual
or any institution or organisation.
• It said that any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex shall be eligible for the award.
Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp helpline launched

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched Mukhya Mantri Seva Sankalp Helpline '1100' for the
speedy and time-bound redressal of public grievances.
• The people of the State would now be able to register their complaints online and also monitor the
progress of the complaint.
• 56 departments of the State has been involved in this helpline by geo-mapping and geo-tagging.
National Police University to be set up in UP
• India ’s first central police university, 'National Police University', will be set-up in Greater Noida, Uttar
Pradesh.
• It will offer the students formal education programmes leading to the award of bachelor's, masters' and
doctoral degrees as well as PG Diploma in policing sciences.
• States like Rajasthan, Gujarat and Jharkhand already have dedicated police universities.
Maha to set up Swachh Bharat World University
• The Government of Maharashtra has decided to set up ‘Swachh Bharat World University’ in Wardha to
mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
• The University will focus on research studies in sanitation, cleanliness and environment.
• The State has formed a committee headed by the Minister of Education Vinod Tawde to look into the
requirements of the University.
Punjab, Haryana to ban e-cigarettes
• In Punjab and Haryana the people and the governments have welcomed the ordinance brought by Central
government to ban the e-cigarettes.
• According to the ordinance, first time violators will face a jail term of up to one year and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
• The storage of e-cigarettes shall now be punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up
to Rs 50,000 or both.
UP: Screening of malnourished children easy
• In UP, Mobile App of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram has made screening and referral of malnourished
children easy.
• During the first fortnight of Poshan Maah in the state, a total of 8,405 children have been identified and
referred using this App.
• Majority of these identified children were suffering from Vitamin A deficiency while some were having low
hemoglobin and Vitamin D.
Wipro launched startup venture fund
• Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting launched Wipro Consumer Care–Ventures, a startup venture fund to
invest in startups in the consumer brands space.
• The venture will focus on companies with a differentiated approach where both parties can learn by
leveraging their strengths and add value to each other.
• Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting is a $1 billion plus arm of Wipro Enterprises.
Public Sector Banks to organise loan melas
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Public Sector Banks will organise ‘loan melas’ in 400
districts.
• The meetings will be organised to provide loans to NBFCs and retail borrowers, including homebuyers and
farmers.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• PSBs will focus on giving loans to the ‘RAM‘ category: retail, agriculture and MSMEs.
• The open house public meetings will be held in two tranches.
1st Jammu Int. Film Festival to be held
• The first-ever Jammu International Film Festival will be held in Jammu from 26 September 2019.
• 37 short films and documentaries from 11 countries will be screened at the inaugural edition of Jammu
International Film Festival.
• The festival will also present an annual ‘Inspiring Icon Award‘, which will be given to a person, who hails
from the region and has made it big in the film industry.
Ola drivers to get healthcare benefits
• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has partnered with Ola, to extend the
welfare to its drivers.
• The partnership will provide comprehensive health insurance for secondary and tertiary care to tens of
thousands of drivers working with the cab aggregator and their families.
• Eligible drivers and employees will obtain an Ayushman Bharat card at a minimal cost of Rs 30.
Telecom body approved projects
• The Digital Communication Commission has approved multiple projects worth over Rs 8,500 crore.
• The projects aim to set up mobile towers and laying of optical fibre, to provide improved connectivity.
• A special scheme to cover upto 12,000 uncovered villages in aspirational districts was also approved.
• The approved infra projects include laying of BharatNet fibre in Tamil Nadu and Telangana,
NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park
• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) plans to set up a 5-gigawatt solar park in the western
state of Gujarat, which would be the biggest in the country.
• The plan is part of NTPC’s aim to reduce the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix to 70% from around 96%
by 2032.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is targeting 175 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2022.
Ladakhi Shondol dance created history
• Ladakhi Shondol dance has created history by breaking into the Guinness book of world records as the
largest Ladakhi dance.
• 408 women artists in traditional dresses performed gracefully the Shondol dance on the occasion of the
Annual Naropa Festival.
• It is a famous dance which used to be performed by artists for King of Ladakh on special occasion.
• It was organised by the Live to Love India.
DoNER Ministry approved more than 200 projects
• DoNER Ministry has approved more than 200 projects worth Rs 3,000 crores in the North East including
Assam.
• Out of these megaprojects, 110 projects worth Rs.1699 cr. were sanctioned for the development of the
North East states where 66 projects costing 820 crores have been completed.
• Construction of double-lane road from Lanka to Umrangso, Digboi town water supply scheme are amongst
others.
Anurag Thakur announced sports academy for Leh

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur announced that a cricket and
sports academy will be set up in Ladakh.
• This cricket and sports academy will ensure that talented athletes of the region get the required training to
excel.
• He also joined Army personnel in Leh to carry out a cleanliness drive to mark Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s 69th birthday.
Lord Buddha's statue unveiled
• PM Narendra Modi and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga jointly unveiled the Lord Buddha's
statue at Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar through video-conferencing on 20 September 2019.
• The Mongolian President also met President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
• This is the first State Visit by a Mongolian President in last ten years.
Google announced new AI research lab in India
• Google has announced that it will open an artificial intelligence (AI) based research lab Google Research
India.
• The lab will be opened in Bengaluru.
• The Indian AI lab will be led by Dr. Manish Gupta, a renowned computer scientist in the country.
• Google has various AI research labs across the world, under its Google Artificial Intelligence arm.
• The Bengaluru lab will be the first in India.
Telangana to celebrate 2020 as Year of AI
• The Telangana government has decided to declare 2020 as Artificial Intelligence year by organising various
activities related to the emerging technology.
• A lot of hackathons and meetings will happen and the government agencies will give challenges and make
available data sets on which companies can run algorithms.
• CM of Telangana: K Chandrashekhar Rao
• Capital of Telangana: Hyderabad
Rajnath Singh: First to fly in Tejas
• Union minister Rajnath Singh became the 1st defence minister to fly in the indigenously-built aircraft Tejas
from the HAL airport in Bengaluru.
• He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari, who is also the Project Director, National Flight Test
Centre.
• Tejas is a multi-role fighter with several critical capabilities.
• It is meant to strengthen India’s air defence capabilities.
Waste Management Accelerator launched
• Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched several initiatives of
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)in New Delhi.
• It includes Facilitation through Margadarshan and Margadarshak, Model Curriculum for Diploma Courses,
Waste Management Accelerator for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs (WAWE Summit 2019) and 360-degree
Feedback of Faculty.
Delhi Police’s launched Tatpar app
• ‘Tatpar’ app, developed by the Delhi Police was launched recently.
• It is a one-stop destination for access to over 50 citizen-centric services.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• It amalgamates all the websites and mobile apps of Delhi Police, and over 50 services which can now be
accessed with a single touch.
• Through the app, citizens can navigate to their nearest police station, traffic pit and prepaid taxi booth.
Home Minister to chair a meeting in Chandigarh
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 29th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council.
• The grouping comprises states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan besides UTs of Jammu
and Kashmir, Ladakh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• 5 zonal councils were set up in 1957 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
• Amit Shah is the chairman of each of these 5 councils.
Int. Workshop for National Water Museum
• The Jal Shakti Ministry is planning to develop a National Water Museum to increase awareness among
people on the conservation of water.
• The Ministry is also organising an International Workshop which will be attended by experts from India and
abroad.
• The outcome of the workshop will be a blueprint for establishing the proposed National Water Museum
under the aegis of Jal Shakti Ministry.

Govt inaugurated 15 power projects in J&K

• Union Power Minister RK Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik jointly inaugurated 15
power projects and laid the foundation stone for 20 others worth 10,000 crore rupees in the state.
• The government is working to ensure 24 hours electricity supply to all the citizens of the country.
• Development works in J&K will prompt People of POK to revolt against Islamabad and join India.
MIS launched by Union Minister Gehlot

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
September 2019

• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, has developed a Management Information System, MIS for stakeholders of Accessible India
Campaign.
• It will bring all the nodal ministries and States and Union Territories on a single platform for monitoring the
progress being made against each target of Accessible India Campaign.
Green signal for writing Indian border history
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has given approval for initiating work of writing the history of the
country’s borders.
• It is proposed that the work will cover various aspects of borders including tracing its making; making &
unmaking and shifting of borders; role of security forces.
• The project is expected to be completed within two years.
Moti Bagh nominated for Oscars
• A documentary film based on life of a Uttarakhand farmer has been nominated for Oscars.
• The documentary film named Moti Bagh is based on the life of Vidyadutt, a farmer living in Pauri Garhwal
region of the state.
• The state CM Trivendra Singh Rawat congratulated the director, Nirmal Chander Dandriyal, and said it will
inspire youths to stay in their villages and work for their communities.
San-Sadhan Hackathon organized for Divyangjan
• A San-Sadhan Hackathon was organized by Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in association with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and NITI Aayog.
• It came out with thought-provoking ideas for accessible toilets for Divyangjans.
• The three day long Sansadhan hackathon is the latest initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
Hyderabad-Karnataka region renamed
• Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that the Hyderabad-Karnataka region has been
renamed as ‘Kalyana Karnataka’ and a separate secretariat would be established for its development.
• Hyderabad Karnataka region comprising six north-eastern districts of the State — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir,
Raichur, Koppal and Ballari.
• Karnataka Governor - Vajubhai Vala.
Scope of Bharat Bill Payment System expanded
• The RBI has expanded the scope of the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) by adding other categories of
recurring payments through the portal.
• BBPS is an interoperable platform that enables a customer to pay bills such as telephone, water, gas, at a
single location.
• With the expansion of the scope of the payment facility, other recurring payments such as school fees can
also be paid via BBPS.
Steel Import Monitoring System launched
• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce &
Industry, Hardeep Singh Puri launched Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) in New Delhi
• The system has been developed in consultation with Ministry of Steel on the pattern of US Steel Import
Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system.
• It will provide advance information about steel imports.

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September 2019

National Centre for Clean Coal R&D inaugurated

• Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the National Centre for Clean Coal
Research and Development at Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru.
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan also dedicated an Interdisciplinary Centre for Energy Research(ICER) to the Nation which
is India’s first of its kind centre equipped with state-of-art facilities.
New govt portal to find lost stolen phone
• The Central government has launched a portal which will help the users to detect their lost or stolen mobile
phones.
• Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad unveiled a portal where a user can report a complaint of lost or
stolen phones.
• The project has started on a pilot basis in Maharashtra and later it will be implemented across the country.
PM Modi to visit Sardar Sarovar Dam
• PM Narendra Modi is on a 2-day visit to Gujarat.
• He visited Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district to mark the historic moment of
overflowing of the Dam.
• The Narmada water at Sardar Sarovar Dam was completely filled up for the first time after raising its height
to 138.68 metres.
• He will also visit various ongoing projects of tourist attractions near the statue of unity.
Uttar Pradesh: Children's week to be observed
• Under the nutrition month campaign, children's week will be observed at all angan wadi centers across the
state from 16 September 2019 in Uttar Pradesh.
• Poshan Abhiyaan is a mission with the vision to address malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, and
pregnant ladies.
• On the first day, Mamta divas is being observed under which mothers will bring homemade food to the
angan wadi centres.
Udhampur: First women marathon organised
• In an innovative initiative, a women-only marathon with an aim of spreading social message regarding drug
addiction was organised in Udhampur district on 15 September 2019.
• The marathon witnessed the participation of attendees from all different age groups.
• This is the first time that a marathon specifically for girls and women has been organised.
• This was on the theme of Drug Awareness.
Government to offer 1000 PhD fellowships
• The government is set to launch a major programme offering 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at
IITs in India.
• The admission portal for the programme is being executed by IIT Delhi for offering PhD fellowships to
ASEAN students in all IITs in India.
• The launch ceremony of the ASEAN PhD fellowships at IITs was held on 16 September 2019.
Great Ganga Run-2019 flagged off
• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off Great Ganga Run-
2019 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on 15 September 2019.
• It was organized to create awareness about the river Ganga.
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September 2019

• Participation of the people in the run corroborates the fact that people are not only aware of the
importance of water but are active to conserve it.
Neermahal Jal Utsav concluded in Tripura
• In Tripura, the 3-day-long traditional Neermahal Jal Utsav concluded on 15 September 2019 with a boat
race and swimming competitions at Rudrasagar lake.
• Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb flagged off the boat race.
• Neermahal is a water palace built at the middle of Rudrasagar lake by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya
in 1930 as his summer resort being inspired by Mughal style of architecture.
118 new Community Radio Stations to be set-up
• Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that 118 new Community Radio Stations (CRS) are in the
process of being set-up.
• Community Radios are small (low power) FM radio stations with a coverage area of around 10-15 Km
radius, depending on the geography of the area.
• CRSs act as essential communication channels for enhancing the last mile of the outreach of government.
Government inducts first batch of ISDS
• The government has inducted the first batch of the Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS), the newest
central government Group A services on 9 September 2019.
• The ISDS has 263 all India posts.
• This service has been specially created for the training directorate of the ministry of skill development and
entrepreneurship.
Rajasthan launches information portal
• The first-ever public information portal - Jan Soochna Portal-2019 - was launched in Rajasthan on 13
September 2019.
• The portal will provide information about government authorities and departments suo motu to the public
in the true spirit of the Right To Information Act.
• The State government has collaborated with the civil society groups to develop the portal.
Jaldoot vehicle flagged off in Pune
• Union Minister for Environment and Forest and Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar flagged off a
Jaldoot vehicle in Pune.
• The van carrying the 'SAVE WATER' message will travel to different parts of the state.
• An exhibition on 100 days of Union Government has also been organized on the occasion by Regional
Outreach Bureau in Pune.
NGT constituted committee
• The National Green Tribunal has constituted a committee to formulate steps to cease illegal groundwater
extraction.
• The committee aims to ensure that groundwater is not illegally extracted and to monitor manning and
functioning of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
• The committee comprises joint secretaries of Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Water
Resources.
J&K: Rs 827-crore plan approved
• In J&K, a plan of 827 crore rupees has been approved under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
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September 2019

• State Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam reviewed the implementation of the schemes during the last
fiscal and subsequently approved the Action Plan for the current financial year.
• Meanwhile, as part of Mission Reach Out, the Indian Army has been conducting various people-friendly
campaigns.
WB to implement 6th Pay Commission from Jan 1
• The recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for West Bengal Government Employees will come into
effect from January 1, 2020.
• The Commission has submitted its first report to the Government and her Government will accept of its
recommendations.
• As per recommendations of the Pay Commission, the Minimum Gross Pay of an Employee will stand at 20
thousand 146 rupees.
ESIC plans 100 bedded hospital for Srinagar
• Employees' State Insurance Corporation, ESIC, will set-up 100 bedded hospital at Srinagar and 30 bedded
hospital at Leh.
• The approval has also been accorded to provide cashless Secondary and Tertiary medical care services
under Ayushman Bharat package rates to entitled ESI Beneficiaries.
• The treatment will be given in the newly implemented area of 102 designated Districts.
Amit Shah launched 'Seva Saptah'
• Home Minister Amit Shah launched a week-long programme 'Seva Saptah' to mark the birthday of PM
Narendra Modi on 17 Sept. 2019.
• He launched the campaign by joining cleanliness drive and distributing fruits among the patients at AIIMS in
Delhi.
• Three pledges will also be administrated among the people related to Swachata Abhiyan, save water and
shunning single-use plastic.
Centre to set up 12,500 Ayush Wellness Centres
• Union Government has set a target of setting up 12,500 Ayush Health and Wellness Centres across the
country.
• Out of which four thousand will be set up during 2019.
• The Unani Medical Centre and Siddha Clinical Research Unit will provide holistic health care to patients
visiting Safdarjung Hospital from different parts of the country.
Curriculum for Life Skills launched
• Union Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre, launched the Curriculum for Life Skills (JeevanKaushal)
designed by University Grants Commission (UGC), in New Delhi on 11 September 2019.
• The curriculum covers the set of human talents acquired by an individual via classroom learning or life
experience that can help them to deal with problems encountered in day to day life.
Rs 1680 cr water supply scheme for Aurangabad
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis approved a 1680.50 crore rupees water supply scheme for Aurangabad
in Marathwada region.
• Around 16 lakh people of Aurangabad will be benefitted by the scheme which envisages supply of water
directly from the Jayakwadi dam.
• \Marathwada comprising eight districts has traditionally been a low-rainfall area.

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September 2019

• It was reeling under drought conditions since 4 years.

Wi-Fi at 6 railway stations inaugurated
• Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated Wi-Fi facility at 6 railway stations
including Amethi, on 11 September 2019.
• Mrs Irani was on a two-day visit to her parliamentary constituency Amethi.
• She inaugurated the kitchen garden at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and held a chaupal in Cheda village on
12 September 2019.
Miscellaneous News
• President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Indian community and friends of India in Berne at Switzerland on
12 September 2019. He is visiting Switzerland as part of his 3-nation tour.
• India has begun exporting bulletproof jackets as per its own standards to over 100 countries including
European nations. India is the fourth country after the US, UK and Germany to have its own national
standards.
Leader of Opposition of Haryana: Bhupinder
• Days after Congress decided to elect former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as Congress Legislative
Party (CLP) leader, Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar also recognised him as Leader of
Opposition (LoP) on 10 September 2019.
• Congress presently has 16 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly.
• Abhay Singh Chautala had held the post of Leader of Oppostion but lost it in March 2019.
Kerala to set up India’s 1st iWTC in Kozhikode
• Kerala will set up India’s first international women’s trade centre (iWTC), in consonance with the United
Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Kozhikode.
• It is envisaged as a safe space away from home for women to harness their entrepreneurial capabilities.
• The first phase of iWTC, being executed under the gender park’s Vision 2020, is scheduled to be completed
by 2021.
Niti Aayog, McKinsey to launch DCC
• Niti Aayog has selected McKinsey & Company to set up India’s first Digital Capability Centre (DCC).
• McKinsey supports five such digital capability centres across the globe – Aachen, Chicago, Singapore,
Venice, and Beijing.
• DCC is a unique digital manufacturing learning centre offering company leaders and their workforces hands-
on experience and workshops in next-generation technology.
Union HRD Minister launched initiatives
• Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ attended the First Annual Innovation Festival of the
MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC).
• MIC organized the first Annual Innovation Festival in coordination with AICTE on 11 September 2019.
• He also launched the Smart India Hackathon 2020, Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements
(ARIIA) 2020, and Institution’s Innovation Council 2.0.
PM Modi launched Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2019
• PM Narendra Modi launched Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2019, a massive countrywide awareness and
mobilization campaign on Swachhata at Mathura on 11 September 2019.

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September 2019

• SHS 2019, with special focus on ‘plastic waste awareness and management’ is being organized from 11
September to October 2, 2019.
• It was launched by the Departments of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Gujarat government reduced traffic fine
• The Gujarat government reduced fine amounts stipulated in the new Motor Vehicles Act passed recently.
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed by Parliament in July and its steep fines were to
come into effect from 1 September 2019.
• The penalty for driving without a licence has been brought down from ₹5,000 to ₹2000 for two-wheelers
and ₹3000 for four-wheelers.
UP govt announced Agriculture Export policy
• Uttar Pradesh Government has announced it's maiden Agriculture Export policy, 2019.
• The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting on 10 September 2019 chaired by Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath.
• Cabinet also cleared a proposal to compensate victims of lynching as directed by the Supreme Court.
• The policy will target to augment farmers’s income and promote export of farm commodities.
Campaign against plastic began in Bihar
• In Bihar, the campaign against single used plastic began on 11 September 2019.
• Mass Awareness Campaign was launched by holding Swatchha Hi Seva campaign from 11 September till 1
October 2019 from Urban areas to villages.
• Under this campaign, single used plastic will be collected at ward level and it will be sent to collection
centres of local bodies for recycling.
MP: 313 Anganwadi centres developed
• In Madhya Pradesh, 313 Anganwadi centres have been developed as Child Education Centre under
Rashtriya Poshan Maah - National Nutritional Campaign.
• These centres are now providing primary education along with distribution of nutritious food.
• 27 thousand smartphones have also been provided in the state for monitoring of nutritional food
distribution in Anganwadi centres.
J&K: 85,000 LPG refills distributed
• In Jammu and Kashmir, 85,000 LPG refills have been distributed through home-deliveries to consumers in
Srinagar in last three weeks.
• The number includes 60,000 refills distributed in the last two weeks of August and 25,000 distributed in the
first week of September 2019.
• Moreover, since September 1 around 50 thousand quintals of rice has been distributed among consumers
in Srinagar.
Centre set up 3-member panel
• Centre has set up a three-member panel to oversee the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union
Territories.
• The committee will look into the distribution of assets and liabilities of Jammu and Kashmir between two
successor Union territories, which will come into existence on 31 October 2019.
• The committee will be headed by Former Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.
2nd Multi-Modal Terminal to be inaugurated
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September 2019
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• PM Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation India’s second riverine Multi-Modal terminal (MMT) built at
Sahibganj in Jharkhand on 11 September 2019.
• It has been built at a cost of 290 crore rupees in a record time of about two years.
• This is the second of the three Multi-Modal Terminals being constructed on river Ganga under Jal Marg
Vikas Project.
ANGAN- A 3-day Conferencen began in New Delhi
• An international conference ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New-habitat) focussed on
Energy Efficiency in Building Sector began on 9 September 2019.
• The Conference is being organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government
of India.
• It will provide a platform to deliberate on interdependence between organizations and systemic
sustainability.
Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated PRA-KASHI
• Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the exhibition PRA-KASHI on
the finest trends of contemporary weaving, in New Delhi on 9 September 2019.
• The National Museum in collaboration with Devi Art Foundation has organized this exhibition.
• The exhibition will remain open for general public till 8th October 2019 between 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesday
to Friday.
1st SCO conference on military medicine
• India will host the first conference on military medicine for member nations of the Shanghai Co-operation
Organisation (SCO) in New Delhi from 12-13 September 2019.
• It will be the first military co-operation event to be organised in India under the SCO after it joined the
organisation in 2017.
• The objective of the conference is to share best practices in the field of military medicine.
India to raise target to restore degraded land
• India will raise target of restoring land with degraded status from 21 million hectares to 26 million by 2030.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this while addressing the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) of the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD) in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 9 September 2019.
• Desertification affects over two-thirds of the countries of the world.
DPIIT to launch a campaign
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of Commerce Ministry will launch plastic
waste management campaign under Swachhta Hi Sewa 2019 on 11 September 2019.
• Under the campaign, DPIIT will ensure recycling of plastic waste collected on 2nd October 2019 in cement
kilns.
• It will also collect plastic waste through nationwide shramdaan on 2nd October 2019.
Aadhaar-enabled payment services rolled out
• The government announced the rollout of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System Services by India Post
Payments Bank.
• With this launch, IPPB has become the single largest platform in the country for providing interoperable
banking services to customers of any bank by leveraging the last mile unprecedented reach of the Postal
network.

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September 2019

• 1st anniversary celebrations of IPPB were held on 9 September 2019.

PNB put up 11 NPA accounts for sale
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has put up for sale nearly a dozen non-performing assets (NPA) to recover dues
of more than 1,234 crore rupees.
• It has invited bids from asset reconstruction companies non-banking financial companies, banks, financial
institutions for 11 NPA accounts.
• The bank is set to merge two peer banks - Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India with itself.
UTs of J&K, Ladakh to have common High Court
• The UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will have a common High Court.
• The Legislative Assembly will be formed in J&K as UT but there will be no Legislative Assembly in the UT of
Ladakh as it will be directly controlled by the Union Government.
• 108 Central Laws will be applicable on the two UTs while 164 State laws will be repealed and 166 State laws
will continue to be applicable.
Eighth edition of Ladakh Marathon held in Leh
• The eighth edition of Ladakh Marathon was held on 8 September 2019, in Leh.
• It is the highest marathon in the world as it is held at over 11, 000 feet above the mean sea level.
• The Marathon was held in the categories of 42KM Full Full Marathon, 21KM half marathon and 7 km long
Run for Fun.
• The 9th Edition to be held in 2020 will be a qualifying race for the Abbot World Marathon Majors.
PM Modi to address segment of COP-14
• PM Narendra Modi addressed the High-Level Segment of the 14th Conference of Parties of the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 9 September 2019.
• The Conference is being held at a time when India has assumed the COP Presidency from China for two
years.
• Around 30 decisions will be taken at the Conference that aim to strengthen land-use policies worldwide.
3.5 lakh cr to be spent on Jal Jeevan Mission
• PM Narendra Modi has announced that the central government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees in the next
five years on 'Jal Jeevan Mission'.
• He also announced that under the MUDRA scheme, one woman in every SHG will get a loan of 1 lakh
rupees and this will help them start new ventures and grow their business.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in August 2019.
Ashok Leyland meets BS-VI emission norms
• Ashok Leyland Ltd has become the first Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to meet the BS-VI
emission norms.
• It met the BS-VI emission norms across the full range of heavy-duty trucks – Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
16.2 tonnes and above.
• The company received the certificates, confirming compliance to BS-VI emission standard, from Automotive
Research Association of India (ARAI).
World Bank to fund tourism projects in UP

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September 2019

• World Bank will fund ‘pro-poor tourism’ (PPT) development projects worth more than $57 million in top
tourist hotspots of Agra and Braj-Mathura regions in Uttar Pradesh.
• While the World Bank will incur 70% of the project cost, the remaining 30% will be borne by the UP
government.
• Pro-poor tourism is a holistic tourism concept aimed at poverty alleviation.
An exhibition organised by Culture Ministry
• The exhibition ‘Superbugs: The End of Antibiotics?’ was inaugurated on 6 September 2019 at National
Science Centre, New Delhi.
• The Exhibition explores how society is responding to the enormous challenge of antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) and antibacterial resistance (ABR) in particular featuring scientific research from across the globe
and personal stories of those waging war on Superbugs.
Uttar Pradesh Launches 'C-Plan' App
• The Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a ‘C-Plan’ smartphone application that will help them keep a tab on
anti-social elements to counter their nefarious designs in time.
• The app will not only help police to be informed of simmering communal tensions or other disputes taking
place even in far-flung villages by common people but also help them verify the received information.
Food ministry to ban single-use plastic
• Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry has decided to ban single-use plastic in its various departments as well
as the public sector units under its administration from September 15.
• The decision was taken at a meeting held by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
• Cloth or jute bags, locally tailored and produced, can be a viable alternative.
PM Modi to launch a programme
• PM Narendra Modi will be launching National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth
Disease and Brucellosis on 11 September 2019 in Mathura.
• He will also launch National Artificial Insemination Programme during the event.
• He will visit Pashu Vigyan Evam Arogya Mela and launch Babugarh Sex Semen facility and simultaneous
countrywide workshops in Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
Sex ratio improved from 918 to 931 in 5 years
• States and districts were honoured on 6 September 2019 for improved sex ratio and awareness generation
under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
• Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh received honours for improving sex ratio at birth.
• The country has made remarkable 13 points jump in national sex ratio from 918 to 931 in last 5 years.
PM Modi to visit Mumbai
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mumbai and Aurangabad on 7 September 2019 to inaugurate a slew
of new projects.
• He laid the foundation stone for three Metro corridors worth over 19,000 crore rupees.
• He inaugurated the first coach for Mumbai Metro built under the 'Make in India' programme.
• In Aurangabad he inaugurated the Aurangabad Industrial City’s Shendra project.
Conference on Cybercrime Investigation

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September 2019

• The first National Conference on Cybercrime Investigation and Forensics was organized by the CBI on 5
September 2019 at CBI Headquarters in New Delhi.
• Union Minister of State of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Jitendra Singh
addressed the conference.
• Around 50 Officers including DGPs, ADGPs, IGPs, DIGPs and SPs dealing with cybercrime participated in the
Conference.
PM Modi to visit Aurangabad on Sept 7
• PM Narendra Modi will visit Aurangabad on 7 September 2019 for inauguration ceremony of Aurangabd
Industrial City (AURIC) and address the Woman Self Help Group (SHG).
• Nearly 2,500 police force including top brass police officials have been deputed at AURIC of Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor (DMIC) at Shendra MIDC.
• This is Modi's second visit to Aurangabad city after becoming Prime minister.
Jio Fiber: India's latest broadband service
• A high-speed broadband service, Jio Fiber was launched on 5 September 2019.
• Jio Fiber's annual plans include free TVs, set-top boxes and subscriptions to premium streaming services.
• Reliance will charge subscribers $10 to $118 a month for speeds ranging from 100Mbps-1Gbps.
• The free services are coupled with low-cost internet.
Mobile Science Exhibition flagged off
• The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel flagged off the first-ever Mobile
Science Exhibition (SCIENCE EXPLORER) for the entire Ladakh Region in Leh on 5 September 2019.
• The Union Culture Minister simultaneously launched 25 new Mobile Science Exhibition buses for
Aspirational Districts of India.
• Topics for the exhibition are measurement, food & health, etc.
IGI Airport gets India's tallest ATC Tower
• The tallest ATC tower in the country was inaugurated at the IGI Airport.
• The Delhi Air Traffic Service Complex, which is the tallest Air Traffic Control tower in India with a height of
102 metres.
• The new complex comprises of three buildings - the Aerodrome Control Tower, Area & Approach Control
Services Building and the Administrative Block.
• Mumbai Airport's tower was the tallest till now.
NYKS to prepare Disaster Response Teams
• In collaboration with National Disaster Response Force, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan under Dept of Youth
Affairs of MoYAS will prepare Block Level Disaster Response Teams.
• The team has been constituted for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• The trained NYKS Youth Volunteers will work as DRTs and will be called ‘NDRF- friends’.
• They will act as first responders in NDRF selected hazard prone districts.
Joint India-New Development Bank Workshop held
• A joint India- New Development Bank workshop was held in New Delhi.
• The workshop was organized to enhance the NDB’s engagement with the India’s private and public sector.
• The NDB is the first Multilateral Development Bank established by developing countries and emerging
economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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September 2019

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

Int. symposium on buckwheat being organised
• In Meghalaya, a four-day international symposium on buckwheat is being organised by North Eastern Hills
University, Shillong from 3-6 September 2019.
• The theme for it is diversifying food systems for health and nutritional security.
• The flour of buckwheat can be used either as food or as medicine.
• Buckwheat is used to improve blood flow by strengthening veins and small blood vessels.
CBI's 1st national conference inaugurated
• CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla inaugurated the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and
Cyber Forensics in New Delhi on 4 September 2019.
• The two-day conference covers one of the mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with inter-state
and international ramifications.
• The conference is aimed at creating a platform to discuss challenges related to cybercrime.
UP to have Atal B. Vajpayee Medical University
• By the end of this year, Uttar Pradesh will start work on a medical university in memory of former prime
minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• State Cabinet on 3 September 2019 approved the transfer of 50 acres of land for the proposed Atal Bihari
Vajpayee Medical University to be set up in Lucknow.
• It will serve as an umbrella institution for all medical and dental colleges in the state.
Mahakaleshwar temple to be developed
• In Madhya Pradesh, Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain will be developed on the lines of the ongoing
development works at Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which
are the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva.
• The development and expansion plans include Mahakal theme park, Mahakal corridor, etc.
IDBI Bank to be recapitalised
• The Cabinet cleared recapitalization of IDBI Bank with a one-time infusion of funds by both the government
and the LIC.
• It has approved 9,000 crore capital infusion into IDBI Bank, including 4,557 crores by the government as
one-time re-capitalisation.
• This will help both IDBI and LIC, and it shows the government's commitment to take banking to a sound
level.
National Afffairs
• India has announced a contribution of 22 million US Dollars to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria
(GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle (2020-22).
• Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar released a report on Status of Tiger Habitats in high altitude
ecosystems in New Delhi on 3 September 2019. It reveals that even ecology at high altitude is compatible
for the tiger growth.
KVIC launched 'Terracotta Grinder'
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched first-ever 'Terracotta Grinder' at Sewapuri in
Varanasi.
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September 2019

• This machine can be used to grind wasted and broken pottery items for re-use in pottery-making.
• It will make grinding of wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar and pestle.
• It will also lessen the cost of production.
Steering Committee submitted report
• A government constituted Committee has recommended for putting in place a comprehensive legal
framework for consumer protection keeping in mind the rise of Fintech and digital services.
• The Steering Committee on Fintech related issues submitted its report to Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman in New Delhi on 2 September 2019.
• It recommended the adoption of regulation technology.
Police academy to be set up soon in Lucknow
• A police academy of international standards will be set up very soon in Lucknow for training cops which will
be the first of its kind of institute in the state.
• State Police Headquarter's ‘Signature’ building in Lucknow was inaugurated on 2 September 2019.
• It was running from a camp office established as make-shift arrangement in 1937.
Garvi Gujarat Bhavan inaugurated
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Garvi Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi on 3 September 2019.
• He listed out series of measures taken by the Gujarat government for the development of the state.
• Gujarat is doing well in terms of water harvesting.
• He expressed confidence that every household will get drinking water by 2024.
0

Electors Verification Programme launched

• The Election Commission launched a new mega Electors Verification Programme across the country.

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September 2019

• It will go on till the 15th October 2019.

• Under the programme, a voter from each family will get a username and password, allowing a person to
upload all documents related to electoral registration and tag similar details about his or her family
members.
• Chief Election Commissioner - Sunil Arora.
Sept to be celebrated as Rashtriya Poshan Maah
• The entire month of September will be celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah.
• This year the theme is Complementary Feeding.
• Prime Minister's Scheme for Holistic Nourishment - POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi- ministerial convergence
mission with the vision to address malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022.
• Both poor and affluent families are affected the most by it.
4000th railway station to get free public WiFi
• Tinsukia Junction in northeast region has become the 4000th railway station in the country to have free
public WiFi.
• According to the Indian Railway, on average they have been rolling out WiFi in 83 stations everyday.
• The journey started from Mumbai Central in January 2016 and in the coming few weeks all railway stations
over Indian Railway will have fast and free Railwire WiFi.
Country's longest electrified rail tunnel
• In Andhra Pradesh, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu dedicated the country's longest electrified rail tunnel
between Cherlopalli and Rapuru and the electrified railway line between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli
on 1 September 2019.
• The length of the rail tunnel is 6.6 kilometre.
• He also flagged-off a new inter-city super fast express train between Guduru and Vijayawada.
Projects inaugurated in Dadra & Nagar
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah dedicated a series of developmental projects at Silvassa the headquarters
of Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
• He also laid the foundation stone for education hub at Zanda Chowk and Tokarkhada in Silvassa.
• He also flagged off mobile vans for delivering Mid-day meals to school children. It will be operated by
Akshaypatra Foundation.
COP14 to UN Convention began in Greater Noida
• The 14th Conference of Parties, COP14, to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will get underway
in Greater Noida on 2 September 2019.
• The Conference will focus on desertification and degradation of land and will go on till 13 September 2019.
• The objective is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing
serious drought or desertification.
EC to host 4th A-WEB at Bengaluru
• Election Commission of India is scheduled to host the 4th General Assembly of Association of World
Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 2 September 2019.
• India will take over as A-WEB’s Chair for the 2019- 2021 term.
• An International Conference on Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in
Elections will also be held on 4 September 2019.

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September 2019

CGHS services to be available in 100 cities

• Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a new scheme of Annual Health Check-up for Central
government health schemes (CGHS) beneficiaries who are pensioners of the age of 75 years and above.
• He also inaugurated state-of-the-art CGHS Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The CGHS services will be available in 100 cities by 2022.
• The CGHS services were started in 1954 in Delhi.
National Affairs
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Tokyo for a bilateral visit. As part of his visit to Japan, he is going
to chair the Annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue with Takeshi Iwaya, Minister of Defence of Japan.
• Bollywood has taken lead to promote India’s plastic-free movement with Varun Dhawan's upcoming movie
'Coolie No. 1' becoming the first Bollywood film to go plastic-free.
National Affairs
• A statue of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be installed in Patna. Jaitley’s birthday on
28th of December would be celebrated as state function every year.
• The elite Fire and Fury Corps celebrated its 20th raising day at Leh on 1 September 2019. It was on
September 1, 1999, in the aftermath of the Kargil War that this elite Corps was raised.
National Affairs
• Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin Gadkari announced the decision to use tiny
earthen pots or kulhad for serving tea at around 400 railway stations across the country.
• The stage is all set for the crucial separation of lander Vikram from Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter. The separation
will allow the lander to travel towards the lunar surface.
App launched to help Paralympians
• A mobile app was launched to help para-athletes to look up accessible places in Tokyo during their visit to
the city for the 2020 Paralympics Games.
• The application -- IndTokyo -- which was launched by Arhan Bagati, Awareness and Impact Ambassador of
Paralympic Committee of India, at the 'Countdown to Tokyo 2020'.
• The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics was inaugurated 25 August 2019.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

Table of Contents

Awards &Honours ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Days & Events ................................................................................................................................................... 7
International Affairs ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Personalities in News ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Government Policies & Schemes ..................................................................................................................... 18
Science & Technology ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Business & Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Sports.............................................................................................................................................................. 25
Defence........................................................................................................................................................... 34
National Affairs ............................................................................................................................................... 38

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

Awards &Honours
28th Vyas Samman conferred
• The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was conferred on Leeladhar Jagoori on 30 Oct 2019 for his poetry collection- Jitne Log
Utne Prem.
• The Vyas Samman, started in 1991, is given by K K Birla Foundation for an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an
Indian citizen published during the last 10 years.
• It carries an award money of four lakh rupees along with a citation and plaque.
President Kovind confered first CSR awards
• President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the first National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards to the companies for their
outstanding contribution in the area of CSR on 29 Oct 2019.
• These awards will be conferred every year on 2nd October from now on.
• Every fiscal year since 2014-15, the corporate sector has set aside more than Rs. 10,000 crore for social welfare.
Varun Jain won Businessworld 40 Under 40 Award
• udChalo, a brand of Upcurve Business Services Pvt. Ltd, an online travel portal for the Defence Forces, announced that its
Founder, Director & CEO, Varun Jain was recently named as India's Most Definitive List of Young Achievers, by Businessworld 40
under 40 in association with BW Disrupt.
• BW 40 under 40 summit is a quest for the most influential leaders of the year.
Gandhi Mandela Award 2019
• The Gandhi Mandela Foundation has constituted India's first International Award, The Gandhi Mandela Award.
• The award was announced on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The award honours exemplary work and achievements of the Heads of State and Government and other distinguished
persons/organizations around the world.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mandhana won Wisden award
• Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batswoman Smriti Mandhana are the two Indian names among the five winners of the
prestigious Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Year award.
• Mandhana is the third woman to be named Cricketer of the Year, after Mithali Raj and Deepti Sharma.
• Stalwarts Gundappa Viswanath and Lala Amarnath were inducted into the Wisden India Hall of Fame.
BharatPe won award at Meity
• BharatPe, India's largest merchant fin-tech company has won the DigiDhan Mission Fin-tech Award 2018-2019 for 'Innovation in
Digital Payments through Emerging Technology' at the MeitY Start-up Summit 2019 held in Delhi.
• The award was presented by Chief Guest, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communication, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice.
Rajbhasha Awards presented
• CEO, Prasar Bharati, Shashi Shekhar Vempati gave away Rajbhasha Awards to the winners of Hindi Pakhwada competition held at
Prasar Bharati secretariat.
• Winners, who received awards, are employees at Prasar Bharati Secretariat.
• The theme of the competition was Plastic Free India and Cleanliness drive.
• The competition was conducted in 10 categories, including essay writing.
Ilham Tohti won Sakharov Prize
• The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti.
• He has been awarded the Sakharov Prize for his attempts to foster dialogue between Chinese people and the Uighur.
• Ilham Tohti, who is from the Uighur minority, has been a fierce critic of China’s treatment of the Uighur people.
• The former Professor of economics was sentenced in 2014.
President to present National CSR Awards
• The President of India Ram Nath Kovind, will present the National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards (NCSRA) to select
companies for their outstanding contribution in area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on 29th October 2019 in New Delhi.
• These awards are the highest recognition in the domain of CSR by the Government of India.
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October 2019

Homen Borgohain awarded Lifetime Achievement

• Eminent writer Homen Borgohain was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 6th edition of the Sadin-Pratidin
Achievers Award 2019 on 23 October.
• The Sadin-Pratidin Achievers Award is presented by the Guwahati-based media group Sadin-Pratidin group.
• It recognizes the eminent person and luminaries who have excelled in their chosen area of activities.
Graeme elected as MCC Honorary Life Member
• Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has been elected as Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club.
• He has an impressive record in One-Day International, scoring 6,989 runs including ten centuries and also became South Africa’s
youngest ever captain at 22.
• Tim May was also awarded Honorary Life Membership in recognition of his outstanding achievements in cricket.
Gully Boy & Delhi Crime won award
• Gully Boy & Delhi Crime have won awards at the Asian Academy Creative Awards.
• Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-starrer Gully Boy won the best film from India award in the regional finals at the Asian Academy
Creative Awards ceremony.
• Netflix series Delhi Crime won for Best Actress, Best Direction, Best Drama Series, Best Editing and Best Original Programme.
National Panchayat Awards 2019 conferred
• Minister of Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar conferred the National Panchayat Awards 2019 at a function in New Delhi on
23 Oct 2019.
• The Awards were given to awardee Panchayats and States in various categories.
• These categories are Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha
Puraskar, Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award, etc.
Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award presented
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award to legal luminary and former Attorney General K.
Parasaran in New Delhi on 20 October 2019.
• He was honoured on the occasion of the Elder’s Day celebration of Age Care India, an organization working for the welfare of the
elderly.
• Throughout his distinguished career, Mr Parasaran had handled a wide array of cases.
15 films to compete for Golden Peacock Award
• Fifteen films representing 20 Countries will compete for the Golden Peacock Award at the 50th International Film Festival of India
(IFFI).
• This will be the golden Jublee edition of the festival.
• The selection of the films has been made from over 700 entries.
• Mr. John Bailey will chair the International Jury of 50th International Film Festival of India.
Hong Kong’s orchestra won Gramophone Awards
• Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been named orchestra of the year at the 2019 Gramophone Awards.
• The group is the first Asian orchestra to win the award.
• Dutch-born conductor Van Zweden is its Music Director since 2012.
• The category is the only one of the classical music magazine’s awards open to the public vote.
Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman presented
• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee presented Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman to 79 community Durga Pujas that received awards
in different categories.
• Durga Puja festival helps in community development, building relations among people to people besides generating income.
• UNESCO has agreed to recognize Durga Puja as World Cultural Heritage.
GoAir received the Best Airline award
• GoAir has received the ‘Best Airline’ award by Andaman Tourism Award - 2019 in its first edition for its leadership in attaining on-
time performance for 12 consecutive months.

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October 2019

• Andaman Tourism Award was organised at Port Blair.

• According to the data released by the DGCA, GoAir has emerged as the most punctual airline in August 2019, thereby creating
history in the Indian aviation sector.
TCS named India's most outstanding company
• Tata Consultancy Services has been voted as the overall most outstanding company in India and the most outstanding company
in India's IT services sector in Asiamoney's 2019 Asia's outstanding companies poll.
• Additionally, TCS was recognised as the most awarded company of the decade in India for topping Asiamoney's various investor
surveys and awards like the best-managed companies award.
Director Priyadarshan got Kishore Kumar award
• Noted director and producer Priyadarshan, who has made several blockbuster Malayalam and Hindi films, was conferred the
Madhya Pradesh government’s National Kishore Kumar Samman for 2018-19 at a function in Khandwa, MP.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation.
• Khandwa is the birthplace of the legendary singer-actor Kishore Kumar.
India won four UNESCO heritage awards
• The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were announced on 14 Oct 2019.
• The four winners from India, include one from Ahmedabad -- Award of Distinction for Vikram Sarabhai Library, Indian Institute of
Management (IIM); and three from Mumbai -- Award of Merit for Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and Our Lady of Glory Church;
while Honourable Mention for Flora Fountain.
Margaret and Bernardine won Booker Prize
• Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo have jointly won the 2019 Booker Prize after judges flout the rules by declaring a tie.
• British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie's tragicomic 'Quichotte' was among the six books shortlisted for the prize.
• Evaristo is the first black woman to win the prestigious award since its creation in 1969.
Abhijit Banerjee won Nobel Prize for Economics
• The 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics has been jointly won by Indian-American Abhijit Banerjee, his wife, Esther Duflo, and
Michael Kremer of the United States for their experimental approach for alleviating global poverty.
• Abhijit is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Deepika Padukone's foundation honoured
• Actress Deepika Padukone's The Live Love Laugh Foundation has been honoured with the Dr. Guislain's Breaking The Chains of
Stigma Award for 2019 in Ghent, Belgium.
• The organisation has received the award for its positive dialogue around mental illness in India.
• The award is an initiative by the Dr. Guislain Museum in Ghent, Belgium.
Kayakalp Awards given to hospitals
• Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan gave away Kayakalp Awards to different Central Government institutions, district
hospitals, community health centres and private hospitals.
• The awards were given for their work in maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene in public health facilities.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi bagged a cash prize of three crore rupees.
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 given
• The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 is awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
• He has been awarded for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to
resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
• He will receive a full cash prize, valued this year at 9-million kronor ($918,000), a gold medal and a diploma.
Nobel Prize in Literature announced
• The 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature has been announced along with the 2018 Prize.
• Austrian author Peter Handke has won the 2019 Prize while Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk has received the 2018 Prize.
• Handke's notable works include Short Letter, Long Farewell and A Sorrow Beyond Dreams.
• Tokarczuk was awarded for a narrative imagination with encyclopedic passion.

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October 2019

The US to award Pepsico India

• The United States has named PepsiCo India for the 2019 Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE).
• The award will be presented in a ceremony on 31 October 2019.
• The award recognizes the company's efforts to save more than 17 billion litres of water.
• The company saved water through community water programmes which positively impacted 60,000 community members.
Spirit Of Kerala won People’s Choice Award
• Short film from Kerala Spirit Of Kerala has won the People’s Choice Award at the recently concluded My Rode Reel film
competition.
• The film won the honour beating 1,680 entries.
• The short film is based on a boat race and directed by Arun Joseph.
• My Rode Reel film competition is touted as the ‘world’s largest short film competition’.
2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry announced
• The 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been announced.
• Three scientists, John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino, have been jointly awarded the coveted prize for
their development of lithium-ion batteries.
• John Goodenough of the University of Texas is the oldest laureate ever awarded a Nobel prize.
• M Stanley Whittingham is from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Army Aviation Corps in Nashik presented
• President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the prestigious Presidents Colour to the Army Aviation Corps (AAC) in Nashik on 10 October
2019.
• The personnel in the Corps have been excellent ambassadors of India while operating overseas in countries like Somalia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, while on United Nations Peace Keeping Missions.
Nobel prize in physics awarded
• Nobel Prize 2019 for Physics were announced.
• Three scientists, James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have won the Prize for their contribution to the understanding
of the evolution of the universe and earth's place in the cosmos.
• They will share a 9-million kronor cash award, a gold medal and a diploma.
• The laureates will receive them at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, 2019.
2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded
• The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists William G Kaelin, Jr, Peter J Ratcliffe and Gregg L
Semenza.
• The Nobel Committee announced that they received the award jointly for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to
oxygen availability.
• The three will share the Nobel prize sum of nine million Swedish kronor or about 9 Lakh 14 thousand US dollar.
Ramesh selected for Asia Environmental Award
• Senior Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey has been selected for the Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by the
United Nations Environment Programme.
• He is known for his investigation and intelligence gathering on poachers.
• Pandey will receive the award on November 13, 2019 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
Shanti Raghavan, Dipesh Sutariya won Award
• Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya of EnAble India were awarded the 10th Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2019, for
building an ecosystem of skilling, employment and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
• EnAble India has changed the mindset of 729 business houses and built frameworks of inclusion in universities and government
agencies,
Azizbek Ashurov won Nansen Refugee Award

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October 2019

• Human rights lawyer from Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Ashurov was awarded the 2019 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
prestigious Nansen Award.
• He will receive the award comprising of a commemorative medal and a cash prize of USD 150,000 prize money at a ceremony in
Geneva on Oct 7, 2019.
• He has helped Kyrgyzstan become the world’s first country to end statelessness.
President conferred Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019
• President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 on the eminent senior citizens and institutions in
recognition of their services towards the cause of the elderly persons.
• The Vayoshreshtha Samman is a Scheme of awards instituted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and are presented
as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October.
Sachin Tendulkar received award
• President Ram Nath Kovind presented the most effective Swachchta Ambassador award to Sachin Tendulkar on 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• In the past 5 years, the sanitation drive launched in the country had truly become a mass movement.
• The UN has set sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030, but India would be achieving them 11 years ahead of the
schedule.
Kalli Purie gets award
• India Today Group Vice-Chairperson Kalli Purie was awarded India's Most Powerful Women in Media award.
• She received the award at the British Parliament.
• She is the Vice-Chairperson of the India Today Group.
• Kallie Purie began working with the India Today Group in 1996 as a marketing executive and reporter for their flagship magazine,
India Today.

Days & Events

World Cities Day: 31 October
• The UN General Assembly has designated the 31st October as World Cities Day.

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• The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization and contributing to
sustainable urban development around the world.
• The theme for 2019 is Changing the world: innovations and better life for future generations.
National Unity Day: 31 October
• National Unity Day - Rashtriya Ekta Diwas - was observed across the country 31 Oct, on the occasion of the 144th birth
anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Since 2014, October 31st is observed as the National Unity Day and people from all walks of life participate in the 'Run For Unity'.
• PM Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Patel at the 'Statue of Unity'.
International Animation Day: 28 October
• The International Animation Day (IAD) was observed on 28 October.
• The day marks the main global event to celebrate the art of animation.
• The day recognizes and celebrates the artists, the scientists, and the technicians behind animated art, including animated movies.
• International Animation Day was proclaimed in 2002 by the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (ASIFA).
World Day For Audiovisual Heritage: 27 October
• World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated all over the world on 27th of October.
• The theme for World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2019 is “Engage the Past Through Sound and Images”.
• In 2005, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) General Conference declared October 27 as
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.
Ayurveda Day: 25 October
• The Ayurveda day is observed on 25 October 2019.
• Every year, the National Ayurveda Day is celebrated on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras).
• The government is to organize the fourth Ayurveda Day at the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• Dhanwantari Pujan and National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards 2019 ceremony are to be held at NIA.
Vigilance Awareness Week: 28 Oct-2 Nov
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will observe the Vigilance Awareness Week from 28 Oct to 2 Nov 2019.
• The week will be observed with the theme of Integrity- a way of life.
• The week will be observed as per directions of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
• CVC observes Vigilance Awareness Week every year to promote probity in public life and to achieve a corruption free society.
National Unity Day to be celebrated on Oct 31
• National Unity Day will be celebrated on 31st October 2019 to mark the birth anniversary of Ironman Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kevadia in Gujarat to pay homage to the great leader at the Statue of Unity.
• Home Minister Amit Shah will flag off the commemorative Run For Unity from New Delhi's Major Dhyanchand National Stadium.
United Nations Day: 24 October
• 24th October is being celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
• The United Nations was founded in 1945 to support collective action to realize peace, development and human rights for all.
• United Nations will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020 with inclusive global conversation on the
role of global cooperation in building the future we want.
World Development Information Day: 24 October
• The UN observes World Development Information Day on 24 October every year.
• The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to
development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
• The General Assembly decided that the date for the Day should coincide with United Nations Day i.e. 24 October.
World Statistics Day: October 20, 2020
• World Statistics Day is to be observed on 20 October 2020.
• The day aims to show that good data and statistics are indispensable for informed decision-making by all actors in society.
• The United Nations celebrates the event every five years.
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• The day was instituted by the United Nations in 2010.

• The theme of the 2015 World Statistics Day was Better Data, Better lives.
Int. Day for the Eradication of Poverty
• The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year since 1993.
• It promotes people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
• 2019 Theme: Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty.
International Day of Rural Women: 15 October
• The International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15th October.
• The day recognizes the crucial role of women and girls in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities,
improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing.
• The theme for 2019 is Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience.
World Students’ Day 2019: 15 October
• World Students’ Day is celebrated every year on October 15 on former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s birthday.
• The day is commemorated on his birth anniversary since he was a dedicated teacher and identified himself foremost in that role
before anything else.
• In 2010, the United Nations declared October 15 to be World Students’ Day.
World Food Day: 16 October
• World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and
Agriculture Organization in 1945.
• The theme for WFD 2019 is Our Actions Are Our Future, Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World.
• This day generates awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious
diets for all.
World Standards Day observed on 14 October
• World Standards Day is observed on 14th October every year.
• The day is observed to raise awareness of the significance of standardization to the global economy.
• The theme for 2019 is Video Standards create a global stage.
• The day pays tribute to the efforts of the experts all over the world who developed the voluntary technical agreements that are
published as International Standards.
Int Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: 13 Oct
• The United Nations observes International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October every year.
• The day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising
awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.
• Theme for 2019: Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.
World Migratory Bird Day: 12 October
• World Migratory Bird Day is observed on 12 October every year.
• It is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
• It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds.
• The Theme for 2019 is 'Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!'.
International Girl Child Day: 11 October
• International Day of the Girl Child is globally observed on 11 October every year.
• The day aims to meet the needs and challenges faced by girls.
• It also aims to promote girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
• The theme for the year 2019 is Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable.
World Obesity Day: 11 October
• World Obesity Day is observed globally on 11 October every year.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the prevalence, severity, and diversity of weight stigma.
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• The obesity often reinforces inaccurate and negative stereotypes about the weight which can lead to weight stigma.
• World Obesity Day was initiated by the World Obesity Federation in the year 2015.
World Mental Health Day: 10 October
• World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year.
• It is observed with an aim to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world.
• It also aims to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
• The theme for World Mental Health Day 2019 is Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention.
October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• The month of October is observed as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month every year.
• The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease.
• It also helps to increase attention and support for awareness, early detection, and treatment as well as palliative care of this
disease.
• WHO aims to promote breast cancer control programmes as part of national cancer control plans.
World Post Day: 9 October
• UN celebrates World Post Day every year on 9 October.
• The purpose of World Post Day is to bring awareness to the Post’s role in the everyday lives of people and businesses, as well as
its contribution to global social and economic development.
• The day marks the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern.
• It was declared World Post Day in 1969.
Indian Air Force to marked 87th anniversary
• Air Force Day is being celebrated on 8 October 2019, marking 87th anniversary of Indian Air Force.
• IAF is the fourth largest air force in the world after the US, China and Russia.
• The IAF has over 60 airbases all over India.
• The Hindon Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force is the largest in Asia and 8th largest in the world.
World Habitat Day: 7 October
• World Habitat Day is observed on 7 October 2019 every year.
• The day aims to reflect on the state of the towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter.
• It also aims to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.
• Theme: The theme for 2019 is Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste into wealth.
World Animal Day: 4 October
• World Animal Day is celebrated on 4 October every year.
• The day aims to raise awareness about the protection of animals all over the globe.
• On this day, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, is also celebrated.
• The day is dedicated to spread awareness and improve the welfare standards of animals around the world.
World Space Week: October 4-10
• World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the
human condition.
• The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4-10.
• The theme of World Space Week 2019 is ''The Moon: Gateway to the Stars".
Gandhi Jayanti: 2 October
• Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated across India on 2 October every year.
• It marks the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who was born 2 October 1869.
• It is one of the three national holidays of India.
• The UN General Assembly announced on 15 June 2007 that 2 October will be celebrated as the International Day of Non-
Violence.
International Day of Older Persons: 1 October

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• The UN observes 1 October every year as International Day of Older Persons.

• The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to
society and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing in today’s world.
• 2019 Theme: The Journey to Age Equality.

International Affairs
Facebook launched healthcare tool
• Facebook has unveiled a ‘Preventive Health’ tool that connects people to health resources and sends check-up reminders.
• Facebook has launched the tool in the United States.
• The tool is designed to help users to find affordable places to receive care, set reminders to schedule tests and mark when tests
are completed.
• The recommendations will be provided on the basis on their age and sex.
Pakistan released commemorative coin
• The government of Pakistan released a new coin to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.
• The coin worth Pakistan Rupees 50 will be available at the Kartarpur Sahib along with a postal stamp worth Pakistan Rupees 8 to
the travelling pilgrims.
• Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan
• President: Arif Alvi.
• Currency: Pakistani rupee
• Capital: Islamabad.
Twitter to ban all political advertising
• Twitter will ban all political advertising worldwide from 22nd November 2019.
• This is in response to growing criticism over misinformation from politicians on social media.
• Twitter's rival Facebook recently ruled out a ban on political ads.
• According to the BBC, news of the ban has divided America's political camps for the 2020 election.
Sharjah International Book Fair inaugurated
• The 38th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019 was inaugurated on 31 Oct 2019 by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al
Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
• Nearly 1800 exhibitors from 77 countries are participating in the Fair.
• The fair will showcase 987 activities presenting scientific, knowledge and literary themes.
• The theme for 2019 is Open Books Open Minds.
First phase of Bishwa Ijtema on Jan 10-12
• The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslim community after Hajj, will be held from January 10 to
January 12 in 2020.
• The second phase will take place from January 17 to January 19 in 2020.
• The decision was taken at a preparatory meeting for holding the Bishwa Ijtema at the Home Ministry conference room.
China, Russia, Pakistan call for peace talks
• Representatives of Pakistan, China, and Russia called on the US and the Taliban to return to the negotiation table at the earliest
and reach an agreement with an aim to end the 18-year long war in Afghanistan.
• The discussion in this regard was held during the four-party consultations between representatives of US, China, Pakistan and
Russia on the Afghan peace process.
World’s first guitar-shaped hotel
• Hard Rock opens world’s first guitar-shaped hotel.
• The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is built in South Florida.
• The guitar-shaped hotel features the recognizable body of an guitar.
• Its aqua-glass tones reflect the Florida sunlight during the day.
California declares state-wide emergency

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• California's Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state-wide emergency due to the unprecedented high winds that have led to the
Kincade Fire in the state.
• The blaze has destroyed dozens of homes and wineries, including the iconic Soda Rock Winery built in 1869.
• The Kincade Fire ignited on 23rd October 2019 and spread quickly due to powerful wind gusts up to 145 kilometres per hour.
Colombo Declaration
• On October 24, 2019, the member states of United Nations endorsed a proposed road map for action on nitrogen challenges
called Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
• It was organized by Sri Lanka with the support of UN and its member nations.
• The aim of the Declaration is to halve nitrogen waste by 2030.
• The event endorsed UN plans for a campaign called “Nitrogen for Life”.
Justin Trudeau wins Canada's general election
• After the elections in Canada Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party will return to power, but as a minority government.
• The victory ensures that Trudeau will serve as Prime Minister for a second term.
• Canada Capital - Ottawa.
• Canada Currency - Canadian dollar.
Indian tourists to be exempted from visas
• Indian and Chinese tourists will be exempted from visas to enter Brazil for tourism or business purposes.
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that there will be no reciprocity in the beginning.
• US, Australia, Japan, and Canada are already exempt from short-term tourist and business visas.
• Both India and China are part of BRICS.
2024 Olympic Games logo unveiled in Paris
• The logo for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled at a ceremony in the French capital Paris.
• The circular design with Paris 2024 in the art deco style which was in vogue in 1924 when Paris last hosted the Games, also
incorporates the lips and outline of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since the revolution in 1789.
Joko Widodo re-elected as the President
• Joko Widodo has been re-elected as the President of Indonesia.
• This will be his second Presidential term in Indonesia.
• Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia.
• Indonesian Rupiah is its currency.
Sri Lanka removed from FATF's Grey List
• Sri Lanka has been removed from the "Grey List" of the international terror financing watchdog FATF.
• It will no longer be subject to the Financial Action Task Force's monitoring.
• The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related
threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
UN elects 14 Member States to UNHRC
• The United Nation General Assembly has elected 14 States to the 47 member body of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
• The UNHRC is responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe.
• The Assembly elected Armenia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Namibia, Netherlands,
Poland, Republic of Korea, Sudan and Venezuela.
First all-female pairing to spacewalk
• Two Female Astronauts of USA, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir became the first all-female to carry out a spacewalk on 18 Oct
2019.
• The US sent its first female astronaut into space in 1983 and has now had more women astronauts than any other country.
• But the first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, followed by compatriot Svetlana Savitskaya in
1982.
India-Bangladesh rail links will reopen

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• Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina announced on 16 October 2019 that all the rail links with India closed after the 1965
war will be reopened.
• The first rail line between India and Dhaka was opened in 2008 when Maitree express between Dhaka and Kolkata was started.
• In 2017 Bandhan express was also started between Kolkata and Khulna.
World’s 1st AI university in UAE
• UAE announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence( MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi.
• This is the first graduate-level, research-based AI university in the world.
• MBZUAI will enable graduate students, businesses and governments to advance the artificial intelligence field.
Italy to introduce web tax on digital giants
• Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, including U.S. tech giants, as part of its 2020 draft budget on October 16, 2019.
• The levy, due to be introduced from 2020, will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, to pay a 3% levy on
internet transactions, according to a text of the draft budget.
• The Italian scheme is expected to yield about 600 million euros a year.
WHO Launches its first World Report on Vision
• The World Health Organisation launched its first 'World Report on Vision'.
• It provides new data on the global magnitude of vision impairment and seeks to generate greater awareness as well as increased
political will and investment to strengthen eye care globally.
• The report estimates that US$14.3 billion is needed to address the backlog of 1 billion people living with vision impairment.
Singapore to ban ads on sugary drinks
• Singapore is set to become the first country in the world to ban ads for unhealthy drinks with high sugar content.
• The ban, which will apply to 'the least healthy' sugar-sweetened beverages, will cover all media platforms including print,
broadcast and online.
• In addition to an ad ban, sugary drinks would also be required to display a colour-coded, front-of-pack nutrition label.
U.K. to issue coin in honour of Mahatma Gandhi
• The UK government has decided to issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• This was announced at the annual GG2 ceremony in London to celebrate the British Asian success.
• Sajid Javid has topped the power list released annually by the Asian Media Group (AMG), UK-based publishers behind the GG2.
U.S. pulled back troops in northeast Syria
• In Syria, US troops have begun withdrawing from positions in northern part, paving way for a Turkish operation against Kurdish
fighters in the border area.
• U.S. forces had withdrawn from an area between the towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.
• The withdrawal will leave Kurdish-led forces in Syria that have long allied with Washington vulnerable to a planned incursion by
the Turkish military.
WTO to host first World Cotton Day celebration
• World Trade Organisation, WTO hosted the first World Cotton Day (WCD) celebrations in Geneva on 8 October 2019
• This event stems from the application by the Cotton-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) to the United Nations
General Assembly for its official recognition of a World Cotton Day.
• Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani is representing India in the five-day event.
Scotland to ban the smacking of children
• Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban the smacking of children.
• The country introduced a law that makes smacking the children a criminal offence for parents and carers to use physical
punishment against a child.
• The law change is aimed to give children the same protection from assault as adults.
• The law has brought Scotland into line with United Nations recommendations.
Dharmendra Pradhan on 3-day visit to Mongolia
• Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will pay a three-day visit to Mongolia beginning 7 October 2019.
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• The Minister will participate in the opening ceremony of infrastructure that Mongolia has already constructed for the Indian
funded, Mongol Refinery project.
• The Mongol Refinery project is being developed under a line of credit of 1.236 billion US dollars extended by India.
U.S. claims successful ICBM tests
• On 2 October 2019, the U.S. military had tested an unarmed 'Minuteman III' intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with
reentry vehicle from a base in California across the Pacific Ocean.
• It was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the re-entry vehicle travelled about 6,750km across the Pacific Ocean to the
Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
World Teachers' Day: 5 October
• World Teachers' Day or International Teachers' Days is celebrated on 5 October every year.
• Its aim is to acknowledge the significant role of educators across the world.
• It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of UNESCO's 1966 recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
• This year's theme is 'Young Teachers: The future of the Profession'.
WTO cuts global trade growth forecast
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday trimmed by more than a half its 2019 global trade growth forecast to just 1.2%
• The WTO had in April projected a 2.6% rise in the volume of merchandise trade for 2019.
• It also cut its forecast for 2020 to 2.7% from 3% predicted in April. World merchandise trade volume grew 3% in 2018.
Ecuador to quit OPEC in 2020
• Ecuador, one of the smallest members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said it will leave the 14-
nation bloc from January 2020 due to fiscal problems.
• Ecuador produces about 545,000 barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil.
• Ecuador joined OPEC in 1973, withdrew in 1992, then rejoined in 2007.
First UAE astronaut returned safely
• NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Soyuz Commander Alexey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and visiting
astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) safely returned to Earth on 4 October 2019 after an eight-
day stay.
• The crew landed safely in Kazakhstan.
• On 14 March Hague and Ovchinin along with NASA astronaut Christina Koch started their mission to ISS.
China unveiled DF-41 missile
• China unveiled the Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) intercontinental-range ballistic missile, the most powerful missile on the planet at the
National Day parade, as China observed its 70th anniversary of Communist rule.
• It has a range of up to 9,320 miles, more than any missile on Earth.
• It is capable of carrying 10 independently targeted nuclear warheads and could theoretically, hit the US in 30 mins.
Russia marked 100th birthday of Kalashnikov
• Russia is preparing to mark the centenary of the birth of Mikhail Kalashnikov, maker of the legendary rifle.
• At Victory Museum in western Moscow, visitors including the young cadets are invited to assemble Kalashnikovs and pose for
selfies at the exhibition.
• Russia will celebrate the life of Kalashnikov, designer of the AK-47 with a number of events including the museum display and a
biopic.
An iceberg broke off from the Amery Ice Shelf
• The Australian Antarctic Division said that a new iceberg has broken off from the Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica.
• It is more than half the size of the Australian Capital Territory.
• Amery Ice Shelf was located at Mac. Robertson Land.
• It is a broad ice shelf in Antarctica located at the head of Prydz Bay.
Books & Authors
India in a Warming world book released

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• A new book titled 'India in a Warming World: Integrating Climate Change and Development' is set to release on November 2019.
• This book is featuring a collection of articles by climate experts including Sunita Narain, Anil Agarwal, Dr Friederike Otto & Shibani
Ghosh, edited by Navroz K Dubash.
• It is published by Oxford University Press.
Book penned by Viswanathan Anand
• Indian Chess player, Viswanathan Anand has penned a book titled “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life”.
• The book, published by Hachette India, is releasing on December 11.
• The book is based on the experience he had in the game of Chess.
• In the book, he revisits his greatest games and worst losses, his unique experiences of playing against the best minds.
A new book The Tech Whisperer released
• A new book entitled The Tech Whisperer, written by digital transformation expert Jaspreet Bindra was released recently.
• The book has been published by Penguin India.
• The book will describe and simplify emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, Internet of things, virtual reality, and talk about
how companies can employ these to drive their digital transformation.
Personalities in News
Nirmal climbed 14 highest peaks in 189 days
• The mountaineer from Nepal, Nirmal Purja, created a new speed record by climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks over 8,000
metres in just 189 days.
• The 14th peak which he climbed was Shishapangma, located at Nyalam County, China.
• The other 13 peaks are Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum
II, K2, Broad Peak, Cho Oyu and Manaslu.
Person in News
• Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde was appointed as the 47th Chief Justice of India. Justice Bobde will take oath as the CJI on November
18, 2019. He will have a tenure of 17 months and would demit office on April 23rd, 2021.
• Bangladesh Test and T20 Captain Shakib Al Hasan has been banned by ICC from all cricket for two years. He accepted three
charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
Person in News
• Bollywood actor Yami Gautam will be the brand ambassador for Rising Himachal Global Investors’ Meet-2019 to be held in
Dharamsala on November 7 and 8, 2019.
• Chakravarthula Raghavachari, an eminent Telugu journalist who had served as editor of the Communist Party-sponsored
Visalandhra Telugu daily for over 32 years, passed away in October 2019.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dead
• The fugitive leader of the Islamic State (IS) group killed himself during a US military operation in north-west Syria, President
Donald Trump has said.
• Baghdadi came to prominence in 2014, when he announced the creation of a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria.
• The jihadist group imposed a brutal rule in the areas under its control and was behind many attacks around the world.
Justin Trudeau wins Canada's general election
• After the elections in Canada Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party will return to power, but as a minority government.
• The victory ensures that Trudeau will serve as Prime Minister for a second term.
• Canada Capital - Ottawa.
• Canada Currency - Canadian dollar.
Bill Gates overtook Jeff Bezos
• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates overtook Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest person.
• Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos lost the title as the world’s richest man, after losing nearly $7 billion in stock value leaving
his net worth to $103.9 billion.
• Bill Gates' current worth is $105.7 billion.

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• He debuted on Forbes’ first ever billionaire list in 1987 with a net worth of $1.25 billion.
Person in News
• Kais Saied, a political outsider and retired law professor, was sworn in as Tunisian president. He took the oath before the National
Assembly on 23 Oct 2019.
• Marieke Vervoort, Belgian Paralympic athlete has ended her life through euthanasia (the practice of intentionally ending a life to
relieve pain and suffering). She won gold in the 100 meters at the 2012 London Games.
Person in News
• Godavarthi Venkata Srinivas has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cabo Verde. He
will replace Rajeev Kumar.
• Abhishek Nayar has announced his first-class cricket retirement after 13 long years of first class cricket playing for Mumbai and
Puducherry. He is known more for his contribution to Mumbai’s successive Ranji Trophy triumphs.
Army Wife achieved Guinness World Records
• Kiran Uniyal, wife of a serving Colonel of Indian Army has created Individual Guinness World Records for The most full contact
knee strikes in three minutes (one leg) (female), 263 strikes & The most full contact knee strikes alternate legs in one minute
(female),120 strikes.
• The earlier records were of 177 strikes and 102 in female category respectively.
Person in News
• P.C. Sharma has taken over as Member (Material Management), Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India on 11th
October, 2019. Prior to this, he worked as General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata.
• Boxer Patrick Day passed away in October 2019. He won two Nationals titles, the New York Golden Gloves tournament and an
Olympic Team alternate, all in 2012.
Miscellaneous News
• Manyavar announced Ranveer Singh as their brand ambassador. He will be seen endorsing the brand’s latest festive collection
through a slew of commercials spread across television, digital, and social media.
• Rajendran, a 70-year-old temple elephant belonging to Paramekkavu Devaswom, who was a regular presence in the famed
Thrissur Pooram festivities for over 50 years, passed away.
Apeksha made a record
• A post-graduate student from Mangaluru, Apeksha Kottary, has entered the India Book of Records for making the longest gift
item, an explosion box, designed on the theme Incredible India.
• She has made over 35 varieties of unique gift items so far.
• The measurement of this box is 25x25 cm when closed and when opened, its length is around 1,000 cms.
First blind IAS officer: Sub-collector
• India's first visually-impaired IAS officer Pranjal Patil has taken charge as Thiruvananthapuram sub-collector.
• This is her second assignment since her appointment into service in 2018.
• Pranjal lost her vision at the age of 6. Hailing from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra, she completed her postgraduation in internal
relations from JNU.
Person in news
• Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will be the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Jay Shah is likely
to be the new secretary, while Arun Dhumal could be the new treasurer.
• First female head of Nobel’s Literature Award Body, Sara Danius passed away. She served as the first female permanent secretary
of the Swedish Academy between 2015 and 2018.
Indian nun Mariam, 4 others declared Saints
• Indian nun Mariam Thresia and four others were declared Saints by Pope Francis at a grand ceremony at the Vatican City on 13
October 2019.
• Mariam Thresia founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Thrissur in May 1914.

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October 2019

• She was canonised along with Cardinal John Henry Newman, laywoman Marguerite Bays, Sister Dulce Lopes and Sister
Giuseppina Vannini.
Narendra Modi: Most-followed world leader
• PM Narendra Modi has become the most-followed world leader on Instagram with over 30 million followers.
• He is now the only world leader to reach the 30 million followers milestone on the social media platform.
• He has 50.7 million followers on Twitter and has over 44.4 million likes on his Facebook page.
• He has his own YouTube channel as well.
• He made his Instagram debut in November 2014.

Muslim Man of the Year- Imran Khan

• Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been declared as Muslim Man of the Year 2020 by Jordan’s Royal Islamic Strategic
Studies Centre.
• Imran won the title in the recent list of the most persuasive Muslims in the world issued by the Centre.
• He has also become the sixth most popular world leader on Twitter, boasting 10.5 million followers on the social media platform.
Bastian Schweinsteiger announced retirement
• World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger announced his retirement at the age of 35, following the end of the American MLS
season.
• Schweinsteiger, who has played for Chicago Fire since 2017, is among the most decorated German footballers, having won many
titles with Germany’s Bayern Munich and the national team over a 17-year professional career.
Salford University honoured Asha Bhosle
• Ace singer Asha Bhosle, has added yet another feather to her cap.
• She was conferred with an honorary doctorate on 7 October 2019 by the University of Salford in Greater Manchester, England.
• She has won several other prestigious awards including the Guinness Book of World Records.
• She is also a recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Person in News
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• US actress Diahann Carroll, who won Golden Globe and Tony awards and was nominated for an Oscar passed away. She was also
the first black woman to win the Tony Award for best actress.
• The Punjab government has appointed Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma as the new Lokpal. Justice Sharma had served as Punjab and
Haryana high court judge from March 22, 2006, to October 26, 2010.
Koneru Humpy climbs to world No 3
• India’s Koneru Humpy has jumped to world No 3 in the latest rankings released by the International Chess Federation.
• Grandmaster Humpy accumulated 17 ELO points to rise to the third spot with a global rating of 2,577.
• Chinese players Hou Yifan (2,659 points) and Ju Wenjun (2,586 points) occupied the first and second spots in the latest ranking.
Appointments and Resignations
• Kapil Dev has resigned from the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of BCCI. He resigned as the chief of the CAC days after Shanta
Rangaswamy stepped down from the 3-member committee.
• SS Mallikarjuna Rao was appointed as the Managing Director(MD)and Chief Executive of the Punjab National Bank(PNB). He is
currently serving as chief executive of the Allahabad Bank.
Person in News
• Air Marshal S K Ghotia took over as the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command (SWAC) of the
Indian Air Force (IAF). He replaced Air Marshal H S Arora, who moved to Air Headquarters as the Vice-Chief of Air Staff.
• The doyen of nutrition research in India, Colathur Gopalan, passed away in October 2019. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri
and the Padma Bhushan.

Government Policies & Schemes

Nagaland govt launched Ex-gratia Scheme
• Nagaland Govt launched the Nagaland Ex-gratia Scheme for Students Studying outside Nagaland belonging to any recognized
scheduled tribes and indigenous inhabitants of the state.
• The scheme is targeted for students who die outside the state while pursuing secular, technical, professional, diploma and
theology courses.
• Corpus Fund of 5 crore rupees will be kept in a fixed deposit for the same.
Odisha launched new initiative
• In an effort to raise awareness about the perils of using plastic, the Kotpad Notified Area Council (NAC) in Koraput district Odisha
is providing free meals to the poor in exchange for a kilogram of plastic waste.
• The programme entails a meal for anyone who brings a kilogram of used polythene bags, plastic bottles and cups.
• It is being carried out under the State government’s ‘Aahar’ scheme.
Odisha Mo Parivar programme launched
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched a social service initiative aimed at encouraging environment protection, blood donation,
and the welfare of Odias in distress.
• The initiative will also come to the rescue of Odias stranded in foreign countries.
• The programme is a tribute to late Biju Patnaik.
• The BJD President appointed party leader Arup Patnaik as its convener.
UP CM launched Kanya Sumangala Yojana
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath launched its flagship scheme Kanya Sumangla Yojna on 25 October 2019.
• The scheme will provide an amount of 15 thousand rupees in a phased manner to every family in which a girl child takes birth.
• Funds will be released in instalments when a girl child completes various achievements, like vaccination, admission in class 1, 5
and 9, graduation.
Assam govt started scholarship scheme
• The Assam government has decided to start a scholarship scheme for children of tea tribe community, studying in 10th and 12th
classes.
• It would cover students of all tea gardens in the state.
• An amount of 10 thousand rupees will be provided to each student.

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October 2019

• ‘Shramik Mitras’ would be appointed in every tea garden to make people aware of the scheme.
No govt jobs for those with more than 2 kids
• The Assam Cabinet decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after January 1,
2021.
• The important decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting that also adopted a New Land Policy, which will give three bighas of
agricultural land to landless indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 opened
• The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2019-20 (Series-6) opened from 21 Oct 2019.
• It will continue till 25th Oct 2019.
• The issue price of the Bond during this subion period will be three thousand eight hundred and 35 rupees per gram, with the
settlement date of 30th of this month.
• The Centre has decided to allow a discount of 50 rupees per gram to those investors who apply online.
The second phase of GOAL Programme announced
• The second phase of GOAL Programme was announced recently by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda.
• GOAL stands for Going Online as Leaders.
• The programme aims for digital skill training of Tribal Women.
• For this programme, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has partnered with the Niti Aayog and Facebook.
Food Safety Mitra scheme launched
• On the occasion of World Food Day, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra
Scheme, Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced this scheme.
• Eat Right Jhola is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag.
‘YSR Kanti Velugu’ launched in Andhra Pradesh
• Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘YSR Kanti Velugu’, a comprehensive, sustainable and universal eyecare
scheme.
• Under the scheme, eye check-up will be conducted for all people in the State.
• Beginning from schoolchildren in the first phase of the programme, nearly 5.40 crore people will undergo a screening test under
the medical scheme.
‘mHariyali Mobile App’ launched by MoHUA
• Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep S Puri launched a mobile App, 'mHariyali', which is aimed to encourage
public engagement in planting trees and other such green drives.
• The App provides for automatic geotagging of plants.
• This app will also enable nodal officers to periodically monitor the plantation.
• The App is user-friendly and works on any android mobile phone.
Rajasthan govt increases monthly allowance
• The Rajasthan government has increased the unemployment allowance for transgenders in the state from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500
per month.
• The Rs 500 monthly increment has been made under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Sambal yojna.
• A person availing the benefit should be a graduate from a recognised university.
Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated ‘AngiKaar’
• In Tripura, CM Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated the ‘AngiKaar’ campaign for the state in a formal function held at the city’s town
hall on 10 October 2019.
• The objective of the ‘AngiKaar’ campaign is to bring the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) under one
fold of other central government implemented scheme.
Delhi govt launched Farishte Dilli Ke scheme

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October 2019

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched 'Farishte Dilli Ke’, a new initiative aimed at felicitating citizens who take accident
victims to hospitals.
• The government will bear all the expenses related to a road accident.
• More than 3,000 lives have been saved during the trial run of this project in the past one and a half years.
• 'Farishte Dilli Ke’ scheme was launched in February 2017.
1.34 crore street lights to be replaced
• The number of LED street lights in the country has doubled from 49 lakh in March 2018 to 1 crore on 1 October 2019.
• These lights are being installed under the Street Lighting National Programme that was launched on 5 January 2015 with the
objective to replace all conventional street lights with smart and energy-efficient LED street lights by March 2019.
• This has been fixed for March 2020.
CM of Andhra Pradesh launched YSR Vahana Mitra
• CM of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the YSR Vahana Mitra scheme on 4 October 2019.
• The amount of Rs 10,000 is for the recurring expenses like insurance and maintenance of the vehicle to procure fitness
certificate.
• The allowance of Rs 10,000 would be given every year and the amount will be credited into the bank accounts directly.
Telangana became fully electrified state
• Telangana has become one of the fully electrified states in the country after providing electricity to over 5 lakh 15 thousand
households under the Soubhagya Yojana introduced by the Centre in October 2017.
• During the last two years, the entire state has been covered and the households in remote areas have been provided electricity
under the Sahaj Bijili Ghar Yojana (Soubhagya).
Science & Technology
1st ever Indian Brain Atlas created
• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H), Telangana have created the first-ever ‘Indian
brain atlas’(IBA).
• The study has revealed that the Indian brain, on an average, is smaller in height, width and volume when compared to Western
and other Eastern populations.
• This will help in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related ailments.
MIT researchers developed new technology
• Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have developed a new technology to capture carbon
dioxide from a stream of air, virtually at any concentration level.
• This may pave the way for new strategies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas levels.
• The new method could take out the gas even when it was present in very low concentrations.
Bio Bricks from Agri waste
• The researchers from IIT Hyderabad and School of Architecture, Bhubaneswar have developed bio-bricks from agricultural waste.
• The product serves dual purposes of development of eco-friendly sustainable material and also waste management.
• The bricks are made from agro-waste like wheat straw, paddy straw, sugarcane bagasse and cotton plant.
• Bio-bricks are more sustainable than clay bricks.
ISRO to launch 14 Satellites
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 14 small satellites.
• The payloads will launch on PSLV’s C47, C48 and C49 missions, scheduled to launch in November and December 2019 from Satish
Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• In each of the three PSLV flights, ISRO will have one of its earth observation satellites as the larger primary payload.
NASA To Launch Golf Cart-Sized Rover
• NASA will send a golf cart-sized robot to the moon in 2022 to search for deposits of water below the surface.
• This is an effort to evaluate the vital resource ahead of a planned human return to the moon in 2024 to possibly use it for
astronauts to drink and to make rocket fuel.

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• The VIPER robot stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.
Male white bellbird is the world’s loudest
• The male white bellbird is the world’s loudest bird which hits 125.4 decibels.
• This study was published in the journal Current Biology.
• This was recorded by Biologist Jeff Podos at Brazil in the mountains of the northern Amazon.
• The call by the bird is made as part of their mating rituals and it’s mating call is about three times louder than screaming phias.
Researchers developed new catalyst
• Researchers have developed a new catalyst that can help turn carbon dioxide from car exhaust pipes and other sources into fuels
like natural gas or propane.
• The latest approach from engineers at Stanford University in the US yields four times more ethane, propane and butane than
existing methods that use similar processes.
• It could significantly reduce the near-term impact on global warming.
DRDO is manufacturing a hypersonic missile
• The DRDO is working on manufacturing a hypersonic missile, that would be capable of travelling at a speed five times faster than
that of sound.
• The next generation hypersonic weapons will have the capacity to move at a speed of about a mile per second.
• A wind tunnel is being worked on at the moment where the weapon will be tested and fine-tuned, before it is put to operational
use.
Mars once had salt lakes: Study
• Mars once had salt lakes similar to those on the Earth, according to a study which indicates that its climate 'dried out' over a long
time.
• The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
• It noted that over 3 billion years ago the lake that was present in Gale Crater underwent a drying episode.
• The Gale Crater formed about 3.6 billion years ago when a meteor hit Mars.
IIT Kharagpur graduate developed unique device
• IIT Kharagpur graduate Debayan Saha has invented a device called PM 2.5 which he claimed when fitted near the silencer pipe in
vehicles will curb air pollution.
• The technology uses a combination of electric energy and wave energy to influence the pollutants like PM 2.5 such that they act
like a magnet attracting other particulate pollutants from the ambient atmosphere to get attached to it.
World’s oldest known natural pearl discovered
• The oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered by Abu Dhabi archaeologists working at a Neolithic site on
Marawah Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
• Dubbed the ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’, it was found in layers that have been radiocarbon dated to 5,800-5,600 BCE, during the Neolithic
period.
• The earliest known pearl in the UAE came from a Neolithic site in Umm Al Qaiwain.
Renewable energy storage device developed
• Researchers have developed a new dielectric capacitor- a device that stores energy like a battery, taking inspiration from a
French pastry.
• The croissant is made by folding multiple layers of dough.
• The researchers found that by pressing and folding a polymer film capacitor, they were able to store 30 times more energy than
the best-performing commercially available dielectric capacitor.
NASA unveils space-suit for Moon mission
• NASA has unveiled its next-generation space-suits for upcoming Artemis programme.
• Artemis is scheduled to launch by 2024.
• It will be NASA’s first woman mission on the Moon.
• This space-suit will be more flexible and easy to wear, NASA reported.
• NASA announced that it will allow astronauts to squat to pick up rocks and move more easily.
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October 2019

Scientists discovered the worlds fastest ant

• Scientists have discovered the world’s fastest ant which runs at speeds equivalent of 360mph in humans.
• The Saharan silver ant, named after where it lives, can put in 50 strides a second, covering a distance of nearly a metre (85.5cm).
• The length of their strides quadrupled from 4.7mm to 20.8mm as their speed accelerated, according to a paper published in the
Journal of Experimental Biology.
Swiss glaciers melt rate reached record level
• Switzerland's glaciers have lost a 10th of their volume in the past 5 years alone, a melting rate unmatched during observations
stretching back more than a century.
• Measurements on 20 Swiss glaciers have shown that melt rates in 2019 have reached record levels, according to the annual study
on the state of the glaciers, published by the Cryospheric Commission, Swiss Academy of Sciences.
DNA barcoding of spiders in India
• Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India undertook a barcode of at least 100 species of spiders based on their DNA.
• It is the largest exercise on DNA barcoding of spiders from India.
• DNA barcoding is a method used to quickly identify any species based on extracting a DNA sequence from a tiny tissue sample of
any organism.
A new species of giant Dinosaur found
• A new species of dinosaur that was 4 times bigger than a velociraptor and lived around 145 million years ago has been unearthed
in Thailand.
• The 26 feet long dinosaur is an early member of a widespread group of dinosaurs called Carcharodontosaurids.
• Carcharodontosaurids included some of the largest land predators ever known.
Saturn: The planet with most moons
• A team of astronomers has discovered a haul of 20 new moons orbiting the ringed planet, Saturn.
• This discovery has brought its total to 82 moons, while Jupiter, by contrast, has 79 natural satellites.
• The moons were discovered using the Subaru telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii.
• Each of the newly discovered objects in orbit around Saturn is about 5 km in diameter.
IIT Madras students developed new service
• IIT Madras students have developed an AI-based solution called ‘Eye in the Sky’ for disaster management and aid services.
• A team of engineering students is building drones enabled with AI and computer vision to develop an end-to-end solution for
identifying accurate and critical information on people trapped in disaster-hit areas and communicate them to relief task force.
A drug to prevent heart failure
• The researchers have developed a potential drug to treat heart attack and prevent heart failure -- for which no cure currently
exists.
• The study was published in the journal Nature Communications Biology,
• The drug works based on our body's natural clock called the circadian rhythm found in all cells of the body.
• The discovery might ultimately help find other heart therapies.
Scientists create world's strongest silver
• Scientists claim to have developed the strongest silver ever—42% sturdier than the previous world record.
• The team used a copper impurity -- a form of doping or 'micro-alloy' as the scientists style it -- to control the behaviour of defects
in silver.
• It can overcome a traditional trade-off in industrial and commercial materials between strength and ability to carry electrical
current.
Business & Economy
RBI imposes fine on 2 banks
• The RBI has imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on Pune-based Janata Sahakari Bank and Rs 25 lakh on Jalgaon Peoples Co-operative
Bank.
• The fine is imposed for violating income recognition, advances management and asset classification norms.
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October 2019

• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in the RBI under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
RBI imposes Rs 35 lakh penalty on TMB
• RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 35 lakh on Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for violating norms on frauds classification and notification.
• It imposed the fine via an order dated October 24, 2019.
• It stated that the bank has been penalised for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issued by RBI on frauds
classification and reporting by commercial banks and select FIs directions 2016.
ICICI Bank sold entire stake in GST Network
• ICICI Bank has exited the GST Network by selling its entire 10 per cent stake to as many as 13 state governments.
• The stake sale is for aggregate cash consideration of ₹1 crore.
• The stake transfer to various stake governments will be completed by the end of March 2020.
• The bank will transfer 0.14 per cent stake to the Assam government and 0.81 per cent stake to the Telangana government.
Vreedhi Financial Services received licence
• Vreedhi Financial Services has secured a non-banking finance company licence from the RBI.
• It’s objective is to provide credit and other services to micro-enterprises operating in tier two-three cities and small towns.
• The company will create a digital lending model by the next financial year.
• It will address the gap between the addressable and viable credit in the micro-enterprises space.
India Post launches mobile banking facility
• The Department of Post announced that it has launched mobile banking for its savings account customers.
• The facility will be available on all the post office savings account holders of the CBS (core banking solutions) post offices.
• The launch of the mobile banking facility comes almost a year after the Department of Post launched Internet banking facility for
its savings account holders.
RBI imposed Rs 1 crore fine on LVB
• The RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore on Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions of
directions issued by RBI on 'Income Recognition and Asset Classification' (IRAC) norms.
• A monetary penalty of Rs 75 lakh has been imposed on Syndicate Bank for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on
frauds classification and reporting.
World Bank slashed India growth forecast
• The World Bank has sharply cut India’s growth forecast for current fiscal to 6%, down from 7.5% forecast in April.
• However, the bank in its latest edition of the South Asia Economic Focus said the country was expected to gradually recover to
6.9% in 2021 and 7.2% in 2022.
• Moody’s Investors Service recently lowered its growth forecast for India to 5.8% for the current fiscal year from 6.2%.
India to invest $60 bn in developing gas supp.
• India is investing over $60 billion in developing natural supply and distribution infrastructure as it chases the target of the share
of natural gas in its energy base to 15 per cent by 2030.
• Natural gas currently constitutes 6.2 per cent of all energy consumption in the country.
• Natural gas is gradually becoming a bridging fuel for low carbon economy in India.
RBI introduces new reporting system
• The Reserve Bank of India has introduced a new reporting system – the Central Information System for Banking Infrastructure
(CISBI) – for all co-operative banks.
• Under this system, these banks are required to submit information pertaining to opening/closing/ conversion of branches,
offices, and non-administratively independent offices in a single proforma online on the CISBI portal.
RBI slaps fine on Toyota Financial
• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹12.88 lakh on Prepaid Payment Instrument issuer Balancehero
India Private and ₹5 lakh on Toyota Financial Services India.
• RBI imposed a penalty under Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• It has imposed the monetary penalty on Balancehero India Private Ltd for non-compliance of regulatory guidelines.

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Credit Saison India gets NBFC licence

• Credit Saison India has received a non-banking financial company (NBFC) licence from the Reserve Bank of India.
• It is the domestic subsidiary of Japanese financial services leader Credit Saison.
• The company, which operates in the country under its registered name of Kisetsu Saison Finance India, has also received $30
million from the Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed parent entity.
India Ratings lowers its growth forecast
• India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) revised its forecast of India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in current financial year
downward to 6.1%.
• This is Ind-Ra's second downward revision.
• Ind-Ra had cited a slowdown in both urban and rural consumption demand growth as one of the key reasons for the downward
revision.
Moody’s cuts India’s GDP growth forecast
• Moody, the rating agency has lowered its 2019-20 GDP growth forecast for India to 5.8% from 6.2%.
• It stated that the Indian economy is experiencing a pronounced slowdown partly due to long-lasting factors.
• It expects growth to pick up to 6.6% in FY21 and around 7% over the medium term.
• India’s economic growth slumped to a six-year low of 5% in the April-June quarter.
Shubh Loans gets NBFC licence from RBI
• Fintech start-up Shubh Loans has received a licence from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a non-banking financial company.
• The licence has been received through the subsidiary -- Ekagrata -- of its parent company Datasigns Technologies.
• It has already raised series A2 funding of Rs 34 crore from Omidyar Network India.
• Shubh Loans is set to implement NBFC compliant frameworks and gove.
Current account deficit narrows to 2% of GDP
• As per the data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed to $14.3 billion or 2% of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during April-June quarter.
• However, on a sequential basis, CAD widened from $4.6 billion or 0.7% of GDP.
• CAD measures the difference between the value of the goods and services a country imports and the value of its exports.
CBDT inks 300th advance pricing agreement
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed the 300th advance pricing agreement (APA) in September 2019.
• The APA scheme provides tax certainty to multi-national enterprises and is in line with the government's commitment towards
fostering a non-adversarial tax regime.
• Three APAs were entered into in September which has taken the total number of APAs signed by CBDT to 300.
Bajaj Finance overtakes SBI in market cap
• On 1 October 2019, Bajaj Finance Ltd surpassed state-run lender State Bank of India (SBI) in terms of market capitalisation for the
first time.
• Bajaj Finance has a total loan book of ₹1.25 trillion, whereas SBI’s loan book stood at ₹22.40 trillion.
• Rajeev Jain is the CEO of Bajaj Finance.
• It is headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra.
SBI, Bank of Baroda limit cash withdrawals
• State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) have limited the number of cash withdrawals for customers using micro-ATMs
of other banks to just up to four times a month.
• Micro ATMs are the handheld point of sale terminals used to disburse cash in remote locations where bank branches cannot
reach.
• Through micro-ATMs, banks can remotely connect to their core banking system.
RBI cut repo rate by 25 bps to 5.15%
• The RBI slashed the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 5.15% from 5.40% with
immediate effect.

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October 2019

• The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands reduced to 4.90%, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to
5.40%.
• RBI has revised the GDP outlook for 2019-20 to 6.1%, from 6.9% in previous Monetary Policy committee meet.
DGTR launched an online system named ARTIS
• The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has launched an online system - ARTIS - for filing of anti-dumping applications
by domestic industry with an aim to facilitate speedy resolution of dumping issues.
• ARTIS (Applications for Remedies in Trade for Indian Industry and other Stakeholders) is developed for filing of applications,
responses with respect to trade remedial measures.
Axis Bank launched Express FD
• Axis Bank launched the Express FD, a digital fixed deposit (FD) product that allows a customer to open an FD account in 3 minutes
through the digital mode without opening a savings account with the bank.
• ‘Express FD’ offers attractive interest rates and zero issuance fees.
• A customer can open an Express FD account by investing a minimum Rs 5,000 up to Rs 90,000, for a tenure of 6-12 months.
S&P slashed India growth forecast
• S&P Global Ratings reduced India’s growth projection for 2019-20 from 7.1% to 6.3%.
• In the April-June quarter, the economy expanded by just 5%.
• Data released by IHS Markit showed the India Manufacturing PMI at 51.4 in September and the lowest since May 2018.
• The output of India’s eight infrastructure sectors contracting for the first time in more than four years in August at 0.5%.
Core sector growth slips to 52-month low
• Growth in the eight core sectors in August slumped to the lowest in four years and four months.
• That is, the -0.5% registered in August 2019 was the lowest since April 2015.
• Growth in five out of the eight sectors of the Index of Eight Core Industries fell into the negative zone in August.
Sports
Ravinder settled for silver
• At the Under-23 World Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Indian grappler Ravinder settled for a silver medal after going down
to Kyrgyzstan's Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov in the final.
• He suffered a 3-5 loss to Ulukbek in 61 kg category.
• Ulukbek is the current Asian U23 champion.
• This was India's first medal at the 2019 edition and overall fifth silver at the Championships.
Satwiksairaj, Chirag Shetty reclaim top 10
• Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reclaimed its position in the top 10 of the latest BWF
Badminton rankings.
• Satwik and Chirag, who became the first Indian pair to enter the finals of a BWF World Tour Super 750 event at the French Open
last week, gained two places to grab the ninth place.
• Lakshya Sen moved up a place to 51, while Shubankar Dey to no. 38.
Swastika, Kavya Sree Baskar clinched bronze
• India's Swastika Ghosh and Kavya Sree Baskar have secured bronze medals in the Oman Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Open in
Muscat.
• Swastika beat Wan-Hsuan Lee in the quarters 4-3 to advance to the medal round.
• Kavya Sree lost 1-3 against eventual champion Pu-Syuan Cheng of Taipei in the Cadet Singles to be content with the bronze
medal.
Swaroop Singh completed Ironman Malaysia
• Indian Army’s officer Lt. Col. Swaroop Singh Kuntal became the fastest Indian to complete Ironman Malaysia in a record timing of
12 hours and 14 minutes.
• Ironman event consists of sea swimming followed by cycling and running.
• The triathlon is required to be done in a cut- off time of 17 hours.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• During cycling, the maximum temperature reached 380C, and while running, it reached 350C.
India's First Day-Night Test to be held
• The Bangladesh Cricket Board has agreed to India's proposal to play a day-night Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the
upcoming two-match series.
• The game, starting on November 22, 2019, will be the first day-night Test for both teams and second of the series.
• The first day-night Test took place in 2015 between Australia and New Zealand.
Simona Halep beat Bianca Andreescu
• Simona Halep of Romania beat Canada's Bianca Andreescu 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 in their purple group round-robin clash at
the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals.
• Simona Halep is a Romanian professional tennis player.
• She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles twice between 2017 and 2019.
• The WTA is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis.
Payas Jain bagged team gold
• Indian paddler Payas Jain teamed up with South Korea’s Seongil Jang and Sora Matsushima of Japan to win the gold medal at the
ITTF World Cadet Challenge played in Wladyslawowo, Poland.
• In the girls team event, Yashaswani Ghorpade led the Asian challenge to help them earn a bronze medal with a 3-0 win over
Poland.
Boxer Deepak won silver
• Deepak won a silver medal while tennis player N Sriram Balaji claimed a bronze medal in their respective events at the ongoing
seventh Military World Games in Wuhan, China.
• Deepak settled for the silver in the men’s light flyweight (46-49kg) category after losing to Zhussupov Temirtas of Kazakhstan.
• Balaji defeated Uzbekistan’s Fomin Sergey 6-2 6-3 in the men’s singles bronze medal contest.
Tiger Woods won the Zozo Championship
• Tiger Woods won the Zozo Championship by three strokes matching Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour victories. Snead was 52
years old when he recorded his final tour victory in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1965.
• Lewis Hamilton won the Mexican Grand Prix for Mercedes on 27 October 2019. Hamilton’s 10th win of the season, and 83rd of
his career, was also a 100th for Mercedes as a constructor.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag lost French Open final
• The Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finished second best at the French Open Super 750.
• They lost the finals in straight games against top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo of Indonesia.
• Satwik and Chirag, had won their maiden Super 500 title at the Thailand Open in August 2019.
Papua New Guinea qualify for World T20
• Papua New Guinea secured their place in the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2020.
• ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2020 will be held in Australia.
• Papua New Guinea secured a 45-run win over Kenya in Dubai.
• Assad Vala is the captain of the Papua New Guinea men's cricket team.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mandhana won Wisden award
• Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batswoman Smriti Mandhana are the two Indian names among the five winners of the
prestigious Wisden India Almanack Cricketer of the Year award.
• Mandhana is the third woman to be named Cricketer of the Year, after Mithali Raj and Deepti Sharma.
• Stalwarts Gundappa Viswanath and Lala Amarnath were inducted into the Wisden India Hall of Fame.
SAI facilities to be made free of cost
• The Sports Ministry announced that sports facilities and stadia across the country under the auspices of the Sports Authority of
India (SAI) would be made free of cost from November 1, 2019.
• Facilities would be free for national sports federations, clubs and various leagues.
• The facilities can be availed for free only for sports events.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

Karnataka crowned Vijay Hazare Trophy champs

• Karnataka was crowned the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Champions as they beat Tamil Nadu by nine wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
at Bengaluru.
• Abhimanyu Mithun and Mayank Agarwal put on a masterclass performance as Karnataka won their fourth Vijay Hazare Trophy
title with a dominant display against Tamil Nadu via VJD method.
• As per VJD method, Karnataka should have been 86/1 in 23 overs.
Abhijit Banerjee conferred life membership
• The Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has conferred life membership to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee.
• The club handed him the First Day Cover of 1911 and the maroon green jersey with his name written on it.
• In 1911, Mohun Bagan became the first Indian club to win the Indian Football Association (IFA) Shield beating the East Yorkshire
Regiment of the British Army in the final.
Rohit Sharma reached top 10 in all formats
• Rohit Sharma has become the third Indian batsman to reach the top 10 in all three formats after series against South Africa.
• Rohit's player of the series effort of 529 runs helped him make huge strides from 44th place before the series.
• He has held a career-high ranking of second in ODIs in February 2018 and seventh in T20 in November 2018.
Praveen: 1st Indian to win gold in Wushu
• Praveen Kumar became the first Indian man to win a Wushu World Championships gold, beating Russel Diaz of Philippines in the
48kg category in Shanghai.
• India finished third overall in the championship in event with a gold, two silvers and a bronze.
• Wushu is a Chinese martial art which combines full-contact kickboxing, including close-range punches and kicks.
Anandan won gold in Military World Games
• Para-athlete Anandan Gunasekaran won two gold medals in the disabled men's 100m and 400m IT1 events to open India's medal
account at the 7th CISM World Military Games.
• Gunasekaran clocked 12.00 sec to win the 100m event, India's first medal in the ongoing Games.
• Peru's Casas Jose was second with a timing of 12.65 while Fajardo Pardo Teodicelo of Colombia took the bronze with 12.72 sec.
Raunak Sadhwani: India’s 65th Grandmaster
• Raunak Sadhwani became India’s 65th Grandmaster.
• He defeated Russian GM Alexander Motylev to become the Grandmaster at the age of 13 years.
• Sadhwani’s first GM norm came in the 2019 Aeroflot Open and the 2nd in the 2019 Porticcio Open and the final norm at FIDE-
Chess Grand Swiss.
• He has joined the growing list of country’s teenaged GMs that includes Nihal Sarin and D. Gukesh.
Bengal Warriors won 7th Pro Kabaddi League
• In the final of 7th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League 2019, Bengal Warriors won their first title by defeating Dabang Delhi by 39-
34 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Most Valuable Player award of the League was bagged by Naveen Kumar from Dabang Delhi, Best raider to Pawan Kumar
Sherawat from Bengaluru Bulls; Best defender award to U Mumba’s Fazel Atrachali.
Riya Bhatia won ITF title in Nigeria
• India's Riya Bhati has won the ITF women’s tennis tournament in Lagos, Nigeria.
• She defeated Slovenian player Nastja Kolar of Slovenia 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 in the summit clash of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis
tournament.
• This was the 3rd singles title in the professional circuit for Riya, who had won her last two titles in 2016 and 2017.
Denis Shapovalov won the Stockholm Open
• Canadian Denis Shapovalov won his first ATP Tour title.
• The fourth-seeded Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, Ont., captured the Stockholm Open on 20 October 2019 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over
Serbian Filip Krajinovic.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Not only was it Shapovalov's first ATP title but he also became the first Canadian Tour winner since Milos Raonic of Thornhill,
Ont., in Brisbane in January 2016.
Sports News
• Andy Murray won the men's singles title at the European Open 2019 on 20 October 2019. He defeated Switzerland's Stan
Wawrinka by scoring 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. This is his 1st ATP title since March 2017.
• Virat Kohli broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s record for being the Indian skipper who has enforced the most number of follow ons.
He beat Azharuddin’s record of seven matches.
Rohit Sharma hit maiden double hundred
• Rohit Sharma is the first Indian opener to register two 150-plus scores in a single Test series and also the fourth Indian batsman
to score a double century against South Africa.
• He scored 212 runs from 255 deliveries before losing his wicket to Kagiso Rabada.
• His stellar innings had 28 fours and six sixes.
Kuhoo Garg-Dhruv Rawat won Egypt title
• In badminton, Kuhoo Garg and Dhruv Rawat won the mixed doubles title at the Egypt International 2019 in Cairo on October 20,
2019.
• They showed excellent understanding as they had accounted for the second seeds Ahmed Salah and Hadia Hosny 21-16 21-15 of
Egypt in the second round and 16-21 21-16 21-9 win over fourth seeds Koceila Mammeri and Linda Mazri of Algeria in the semi-
finals.
Amit Panghal won in World Military Games
• In Boxing, Amit Panghal won his opening bout in the men's flyweight (52kg) category as the boxers gave India a good start in the
7th CISM World Military Games in Wuhan, China on 20 Oct 2019.
• Panghal beat Douglas Andrade of Brazil 4-1, while Chirag (56kg) defeated Zambia's Katanga Christopher 5-0.
• A total of 9308 military personnel from 109 countries are competing in the World Military Games.
Shahbaz Nadeem makes test debut
• Shahbaz Nadeem has made debut in India vs South Africa test series on October 19.
• Shahbaz was selected in the team because fast bowler Ishant Sharma is on rest.
• He has a rich experience of 15 years as a cricket player.
3rd SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship
• The Indian football team won the 3rd Edition of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championships 2019 by beating Bangladesh by 5-3 in
the penalty shoot-out.
• The tournament was organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and was held at Changlimithang Stadium in
Thimpu, Bhutan.
• Indian captain is Shilky Devi.
Indian boxers clinched 21 medals
• Indian boxers at the Asian Junior Championships, clinched 21 medals, including six golds and nine silvers, to end with the best
medal haul among 26 competing countries in Fujairah, UAE.
• The Indian men's squad fetched two golds, three silvers and an equal number of bronzes, while the women claimed four gold, six
silver and three bronze medals.
Veerjeet clinched gold in Junior Nationals
• Weightlifter Veerjeet Kaur has won a gold medal in the 49kg weight category at the ongoing Junior National Weightlifting
Championship 2019 in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
• Veerjeet lifted a total of 160kg — 70kg (snatch) + 90kg (clean and jerk) — to beat her closest opponent by a margin of 15kg.
• Earlier, Veerjeet had won a bronze medal in the Khelo India Games.
PV Sindhu 13th highest paid woman sportsperson
• PV Sindhu is the most marketable Indian woman sportsperson and also the most marketable woman badminton player in the
world, according to the Forbes list of highest paid women sportspersons for the year (June 1, 2018 to June 1, 2019).

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Sindhu is ranked 13th in the world with a total earning of 5.5 million USD for the year.
• Serena Williams tops the list.
Lionel Messi won 3rd straight Golden Shoe
• Barcelona captain Lionel Messi received his 6th Golden Shoe as the top scorer in the European leagues.
• Messi won the trophy for a 3rd straight year after scoring 36 goals, 3 more than his closest challenger, Kylian Mbappe of Paris
Saint-Germain.
• Messi now has two more Golden Shoes than his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
• The award was created in 1967 when it was won by Eusebio.
Int. level chess tournament inaugurated
• International chess tournament for chess players whose FIDE rating is below 1600 was inaugurated on October 15, 2019 at the
grounds of Koteshwara Karnataka Public School.
• This tournament is organized by Kashvi Chess School (KCS).
• The tournament ended on October 17, 2019.
• The tournament was inaugurated by gold medal winner of Commonwealth Games of 2018, Shriyana S Mallya of Mangaluru.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Youngest to score 200
• Yashasvi Jaiswal created history as he became the youngest cricketer in the world to score a double century in One Day cricket.
• His is the ninth instance of an Indian scoring a List A double-ton.
• Playing in his debut Vijay Hazare season, the 17-year-old scored 203 off 154 balls against Jharkhand at Alur, Karnataka.
• His score comprised 12 sixes and 17 fours.
ICC changed super over rule
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has changed the super-over rule for all its major events following the uproar over the
outcome of the men’s World Cup final in 2019 when England was declared winners against New Zealand on boundary count.
• As per new rule, in case of a super over tie, there will be a repeated super over until one team has more runs than the other.
Sports News
• Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas won the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka in Mie
Prefecture, Japan. Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were ranked at the 2nd and 3rd respectively.
• India beat Bangladesh 5-3 via a penalty shoot-out to win the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship title after the summit clash
ended goalless in regulation time.
India won the 3rd and final ODI
• In Women's cricket, India won the series against South Africa by 3-0.
• India scored 146 runs in 45.5 overs.
• For India, Harmanpreet Kaur scored a brilliant 38 runs and Shikha Pandey 35.
• Mithali Raj became only the second captain with 100 wins in women's cricket.
Brigid Kosgei broke marathon world record
• Brigid Kosgei of Kenya has broken the world record for the women’s marathon with a time of 2:14:04 hours at the Chicago
Marathon on 13 October 2019.
• Kosgei has broken a record that has been undisturbed for 16 years.
• The previous existing world record had been held by Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe.
• The earlier record had been 2:15:25 hours.
Sports News
• Priyanshu Rajawat claimed the men's singles title at the Bahrain International Series Badminton at Isa Town on 14 Oct 2019. He
beat Jason Anthony Ho-Shue from Canada in the finals.
• India’s double Asian Games silver medallist Fouaad Mirza bagged the top honours at the CCI3*S, an Olympic qualifying event,
held in Strzegom, Poland.
Sports News

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Lalitha Prasad Polipalli successfully defended his 52kg national title. Prasad is a national champion at sub-junior, junior and thrice
at seniors.
• Zimbabwe and Nepal were re-admitted as ICC members in a meeting held in Dubai on 14 October 2019. Zimbabwe will now be
able to take up their place in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in January and the ICC Super League later in 2020.
Sports News
• Daniil Medvedev lifted his second Masters 1000 title to continue his scintillating run on the ATP Tour. This was Medvedev's 9th
straight sets victory as he has not dropped a single set since St Petersburg Open in Sept 2019.
• Dutee Chand completed a sprint double in the 59th National Open Athletics Championships, clocking the fastest time in 200m by
an Indian in 2019 with a 23.17 second burst.
Gauff: Youngest American woman to win WTA
• Coco Gauff won the Linz Open title on 13 October 2019 in Austria.
• She became the youngest American woman to win a tour singles title since 1991 to win the Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
title.
• Because of this win, Coco Gauff is set to become World No. 71.
• The previous record was set by Jennifer Capriati in 1991.
• Venus and Serena Williams won their first WTA titles when they were 17.
India won Test by innings and 137 runs
• India won the second Test against South Africa in Pune by an innings and 137 runs.
• India made history by their 11th consecutive win.
• India had won the series-opener in Bengaluru by 203 runs.
• India scored a mammoth 601 for five in their first innings with skipper Virat Kohli leading the side with a majestic double
hundred.
Sanju Samson set international record
• Sanju Samson eclipsed Pakistan’s Abid Ali 209 to score the highest-ever List A score by a wicketkeeper as he smashed an
unbeaten 212 runs off just 129 deliveries against Goa in Alur.
• He was playing for Kerala.
• He scored 20 fours and ten sixes in his sublime knock of 212 runs.
Sports News
• Manju Rani settled for silver medal in World Women's Boxing Championships at Ulan-Ude in Russia. Ekaterina Paltceva defeated
Rani 4 -1 in 48 kg category in the final match of the tournament.
• Simone Biles broke the all-time record for most medals by any gymnast at the world championships by winning the balance beam
competition at the World Gymnastics Championship in Stuttgart, Germany.
Sports News
• M C Mary Kom settled for a bronze medal in the World Women's Boxing Championships after losing to Turkey's Busenaz
Cakiroglu in an intense semifinal bout at Ulan Ude in Russia.
• Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge has successfully completed the first-ever marathon under two hours in the Austrian capital of Vienna. He
ran forty-two kilometres in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Women’s Cricket: India clinch series 2-0
• In Women's cricket, India defeated South Africa by five wickets in the Second One-Day International at Vadodara and clinched
the three match series by 2-0.
• India women overwhelmed the victory target of 248 in 48 overs losing only five wickets.
• The third and final ODI between India and South Africa women will be played at Vadodara on 14th October 2019.
Dutee Chand breaks her own national record
• Star sprinter Dutee Chand smashed her own national record, clocking 11.22 seconds, in the women's 100m semifinals at the 59th
National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi.
• The 23-year-old surpassed her previous timing of 11.26 second which she had set at the Asian Championships in April this year.
• Later she won the gold, leaving Archana Suseendran and Himashree Roy behind.

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October 2019

Virat Kohli creates history

• Virat Kohli scripted history as he scored a record seventh double hundred of his career and became the first Indian captain to
score 250 plus in a single Test inning.
• Kohli became the fifth Indian batsman to score 250 in a Test innings after Virender Sehwag, Karun Nair, VVS Laxman, and Rahul
Dravid.
• He also became the first Indian to smash 40 international hundreds as Indian captain.
Annu Rani won gold at Athletics Championships
• Javelin thrower Annu Rani won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw event at the 59th National Open Athletics
Championships in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• She defeated Sharmila Kumari to win the title.
• In October 2019, the 25-year-old set the national record at 62.43m at the World Championships in Doha.
Ashleigh Barty wins ‘The Don’ Award
• Ashleigh Barty has been awarded Australian sport’s highest individual honour ‘The Don’ Award at the annual Sport Australia Hall
of Fame.
• With the award, she has joined legends like Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe in lifting the prestigious prize.
• Barty was the first Australian to win the French Open in 46 years.
Virat became 2nd to Captain India in 50 Tests
• Virat Kohli became just the second Indian captain to lead India in 50 Test matches as he walked out for toss in the second Test
against South Africa in Pune.
• MS Dhoni is the only other player who has completed this milestone.
• Dhoni captained the side 60 times between 2008 and 2014 while Sourav Ganguly is third on the list, having led the side 49 times.
Mithali Raj: 1st female to complete 20 yrs
• Indian women's cricket captain Mithali Raj became the first female player to last more than 20 years in international cricket.
• She achieved the feat while leading India to an emphatic eight-wicket win over South Africa Women in the first ODI at Vadodara.
• Mithali, who made her ODI debut against Ireland on June 26, 1999, completed 20 years and 105 days in the 50-over format.
Bastian Schweinsteiger announced retirement
• World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger announced his retirement at the age of 35, following the end of the American MLS
season.
• Schweinsteiger, who has played for Chicago Fire since 2017, is among the most decorated German footballers, having won many
titles with Germany’s Bayern Munich and the national team over a 17-year professional career.
India to host 3×3 baskeball Olympic qualifiers
• India will host the Tokyo Olympic Games 3×3 basketball qualifying tournament in March 2020.
• The event will be held under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and will be organised by the International
Basketball Federation (FIBA).
• Six spots (three each for men and women) for 2020 Olympics will be up for grabs at the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying
Tournament.
Simone Biles won 15th world title
• Simone Biles has clinched a record-extending 15th World Gymnastics Championship title in Stuttgart, Germany.
• With the victory, she has become the event’s most decorated woman.
• Simone Biles won a record 21st medal at the world gymnastics championships as the United States retained their women’s team
all-around title.
• She earned the most points in the vault, balance beam and floor.
Christine Wolf won Hero Women’s Indian Open
• Austria’s Christine Wolf has won the Hero Women’s Indian Open at Gurugram, Haryana.
• It was Christine’s first title after six years on the Ladies European Tour.
• Norway’s Mariaane Skarpnord finished as runner-up while England’s Meghan MacLaren finished third in the competition.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Among the Indian players, Anika Varma finished at fifth position while Tvesa Malik was at 6th position.
ICC women's ODI rankings: India at second
• In the latest ICC women's ODI rankings, India maintained their second position but increased the points lead over third-placed
England.
• The Indian women's team is now three points ahead of England.
• India now has 125 points against England's 122.
• In the T20 International ranking, India is placed at the fifth position.
Naomi Osaka won second straight WTA title
• Japan’s Naomi Osaka beat Australian world number one Ash Barty in the final of the China Open in Beijing.
• It was world number four Osaka’s second title in the Asian swing after clinching the Pan Pacific Open in Japan in September 2019.
• Osaka broke the reigning French Open champion Barty three times and dropped serve only once in the one-hour-50-minute
encounter.
Sumit achieved career best ranking of 129
• Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal achieved a career-best ranking of 129 after jumping six places in the latest men’s singles
rankings.
• Nagal had attainted his career-best ranking of 135 after jumping 26 spots, riding on a title finish at the Buenos Aires ATP
Challenger clay event in Argentina in September 2019,
• He was in the limelight after he made his Grand Slam debut.
Harmanpreet Kaur: 1st Indian to play 100 T20Is
• Harmanpreet Kaur has become the 1st Indian to play 100 T20 International matches.
• She has joined the club of 10 female players who have reached the three figure mark in terms of appearances.
• New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Australia”s Ellyse Perry are on top of the list with 111 appearances.
• Harmanpreet Kaur has 2 more appearances in T20Is than MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
Sports News
• Novak Djokovic clinched the Japan Open tennis title defeating Australian qualifier John Millman 6-3, 6-2 in straight sets. Djokovic,
playing in his first Japanese competition, dominated throughout the game.
• Surender Singh of India created three world records at the ongoing World Powerlifting Championship in Berlin, Germany.
Surender bagged gold medal in 110 kg category.
Sports News
• In the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship, Niki Poonacha and Sowjanya Bavisetti were crowned champions in the men's
and women's singles events in New Delhi. Niki beat Aryan Goveas 6-2, 7-6 in the men's singles final.
• India's Avinash Sable qualified for Tokyo Olympics in men's 3000m steeplechase event by shattering his own national record for
the second time in three days.
Koneru Humpy climbs to world No 3
• India’s Koneru Humpy has jumped to world No 3 in the latest rankings released by the International Chess Federation.
• Grandmaster Humpy accumulated 17 ELO points to rise to the third spot with a global rating of 2,577.
• Chinese players Hou Yifan (2,659 points) and Ju Wenjun (2,586 points) occupied the first and second spots in the latest ranking.
Katarina Johnson won Heptathlon gold
• Katarina Johnson-Thompson won Heptathlon gold at the World Championships 2019 in Doha, Qatar.
• She won with a British record of 6,981 points.
• She defeated 2017 champion Nafissatou Thiam by 304 points.
• Austria's Verena Preiner took third.
• Johnson-Thompson secured Britain's third medal in Doha, after Dina Asher-Smith's 200m gold and 100m silver.
Maj AQ Khan Won Silver Medal
• Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals brought laurels to India by winning a Silver Medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building
and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam, Indonesia on 2 Oct 19.

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October 2019

• His accomplishment in the sport has also brought glory to the Indian Army and Corps of Signals.
• He was commissioned in June 2014.
India got its first Floating Basketball Court
• India got its first-ever Floating Basketball Court in the Arabian Sea near Bandra Worli Sealink.
• It was installed by the National Basketball Association on 2 October 2019.
• On 20 December 2018, NBA India had announced that the first-ever NBA game would be organized in the country in October in
Mumbai.
• The NBA India Games 2019 will feature the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.
Ben Stokes named PCA player of the year
• Ben Stokes has been voted Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year at the Professional Cricketers’ Association
awards.
• Tom Banton of Somerset picked up the PCA young player of the year, while England bowler Sophie Ecclestone collected the
women’s player of the summer award.
• The 50th NatWest PCA Awards were held at the Roundhouse in Camden.
Dina Asher-Smith wins world 200m gold
• Dina-Asher Smith became the first British woman to win a major global sprint title as she stormed to victory in 200m at the World
Championships.
• She won silver in the 100m and outclassed the field to take gold in a British record of 21.88 seconds.
• Brittany Brown took silver (22.22) and Swiss Mujinga Kambundji bronze (22.51).
World Women's Boxing Championship began
• The World Women's Boxing Championship began at Ulan Ude in Russia on 3 October 2019.
• The best female boxers in the world will compete in the 11th edition of the championships.
• M C Mary Kom will start as a strong medal contender for India yet again in 51 kg category.
• Spotlight will also be on former champion and Mary Kom's contemporary L Sarita Devi in 60 kg category.
Fit India Plog run to mark Gandhi Jayanti
• Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju flagged off 'Fit India Plog run at in New Delhi on 2 October 2019 to mark Gandhi Jayanti.
• Member of Parliament and Singer Manoj Tiwari, Wrestler Bajrang Punia, Poet Ashok Chakradhar among others were present on
the occasion.
• The run was organised at over 2,000 places all over the country including 225 places in the national capital.
India registers fourth win in Belgium tour
• In Hockey, the Indian men's team won over reigning World and European champions Belgium to register their fourth consecutive
win of the tour in Antwerp, Belgium on 1 October 2019.
• Amit Rohidas and Simranjeet Singh scored for India while Belgium's lone goal came from captain Felix Denayer.
• India will again face Belgium on 3 October 2019.
Sports News
• In Tennis, Andy Murray beat Matteo Berrettini 7-6, 7-6 at the China Open on 1 October 2019 to set up a second-round tie against
fellow Briton Cameron Norrie.
• In athletics, Avinash Sable qualified for the finals of the men's 3000-meter steeplechase after bettering his own national record at
the World Championships in Doha. He also became the 1st Indian man to qualify for a track event final.
Fraser-Pryce won World Championship 100m gold
• Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won gold medal in 100m race of 2019 IAAF World Championships held in Doha.
• This was her 4th women’s 100 metres world title.
• She defeated Britain’s European champion Dina Asher-Smith who took silver medal while Marie-Josee Ta Lou finished 3rd.
Annu Rani qualified for Javelin Throw Final
• Annu Rani has become the first Indian to qualify for Women's Javelin Throw Final at World Athletics Championships in Doha.
• She smashed her own national record during the qualification round of the Championships with best attempt of 62.43 metres.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Annu Rani finished fifth in the qualifying round, a place above the current World Record holder Barbora Spotakova.
Wilson Singh-Satish Kumar pair won gold
• In Swimming, India's N Wilson Singh and Satish Kumar Prajapati won a gold medal in 10 metres platform synchronised event at
the ongoing 10th Asian Age Group Championships in Bengaluru.
• India, thus, extended their total tally to 60 medals (17 gold, 23 silver and 20 bronze) in the championships.
• The bronze medal went to Mojtaba Valipour and Masood Vakili of Iran with a score of 266.16.

Defence
Border Personnel Meeting organized
• Border Personnel Meeting between the Indian Army and People's Liberation Army was conducted by the People 's Liberation
Army on 30 October 2019 on the Chinese side at Bum La.
• The BPM on 30th Oct every year is in vogue since the signing of Border Peace and Tranquility agreement between both the
Nations on 7 September 1993.
Indo-French bilateral exercise to be conducted
• The bilateral 'Exercise SHAKTI' between the armies of India and France will be conducted from 31st October to 13th November
2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
• The joint exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain.
• The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two armies.
Security partnership between India and France
• French President Emmanuel Macron announced a three-pronged security partnership with India in the southern Indian Ocean in
the backdrop of China’s growing ambitions in the region.
• These will help in maritime surveillance, protection of marine areas, construction of a joint agenda to avoid any form of
hegemony or intrusion.
• France is the 2nd largest maritime power in the world.
White water rafting expedition flagged off
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• The white water rafting expedition ‘Rudrashila’ undertaken by Kalidhar Battalion was flagged in by Lieutenant General VS
Sreenivas, on 25 October 2019 at Jodhpur Military Station.
• The white water rafting expedition was organized by Kalidhar Battalion to commemorate its 75th Raising Day.
• The team covered a total distance of over 140km from Rudraprayag to Rishikesh in the mighty Ganges River.
Indian Army to conduct Sindhu Sudarshan ex
• The Indian Army will conduct exercise Sindhu Sudarshan for the year 2019 in the deserts of Rajasthan from November 29 to
December 4, 2019.
• The aim of this exercise is to evaluate the capability of the defence services in an integrated air-land battle.
• The operational efficiency of the Strike Corps fighting in the desert terrain will be assessed during the exercise.
IAF fired two BrahMos missiles at Trak Island
• 2 BrahMos surface to surface missiles were fired by Indian Air Force at Trak Island in the Andaman Nicobar group of islands.
• The missile engaged the designated mock targets close to 300 km away.
• The firing of the missiles has enhanced Air force capability to engage the grounds targets with pinpoint accuracy from a mobile
platform.
India-Myanmar Naval Exercise: IMNEX-2019
• The India-Myanmar Naval Exercise called IMNEX-2019 is being organised in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The opening ceremony of the second edition of Indo-Myanmar joint naval exercise was conducted onboard INS Ranvijay.
• Myanmar naval ships UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14) and UMS Tabinshweti (773) arrived at Visakhapatnam.
• The exercise would be conducted in two phases: Harbour phase and Sea Phase.
Sudarshan Chakra Vahini began at Jaisalmer
• Two-day long manoeuvres by Sudarshan Chakra Vahini of Indian Army Started at Jaisalmer, field firing range in Rajasthan.
• In this war exercise, the army is going to exhibit its strength regarding Agni Missile and artillery.
• Artillery, Arms and mechanized forces, Army air defence and helicopters of army aviation are participating in this exercise to test
mutual coordination.
Sangam Youth Festival organised by Indian Army
• Over 1,500 students from 32 different colleges and university participated in the ‘Sangam Youth Festival’.
• It was organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with Jammu University Campus in a bid to spread the message of peace,
prosperity, communal harmony and national integration.
• During this festival, several events were held so the students can showcase their talents and skills.
DANX-19 exercise conducted
• Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has conducted the 2nd edition of Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2019 (DANX-
19).
• The Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard carried out mobilisation and field manoeuvres.
• It was done to validate defensive plans of Headquarters ANC towards pursuance of the Command’s responsibility and ensuring
the territorial integrity of the islands.
6th Edition of Seapower Seminar Concludes
• The sixth edition of the Dilli Series Seapower Seminar on Role of Sea Power in Shaping of Nations concluded on 18 October 2019
at the Indian Naval Academy (INA).
• Eight papers were presented during the seminar centered on the theme.
• The INA christened the Annual Seminar as the ‘Dilli’ series after Mount Dilli located at Ezhimala.
‘Shinyuu Maitri’ 2019 began in West Bengal
• IAF and Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) are carrying out a joint military air force exercise ‘Shinyuu Maitri’ October 17-23,
2019 in West Bengal.
• C-130 J aircraft of the Special Operations Squadron of IAF and C-130 H of Tactical Airlift Squadron of JASDF will participate in the
exercise.
• Its focus is to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

IAF began Joint Exercise with Oman

• Indian Air Force is participating in a Bilateral Joint Exercise with Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), named EX-EASTERN BRIDGE-V,
from 17 Oct 2019 in Oman.
• The last exercise, EX-EASTERN BRIDGE-IV was held in 2017 at Jamnagar.
• For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an International Exercise outside India.
• The IAF contingent comprises of MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft.
Defence exports grown by 7 times in 2 years
• India's defence exports have grown 7 times in the last two years, reaching a value of two billion dollars.
• 440 companies in the private sector have taken up defence production in the last five years.
• These companies have been given contracts worth five lakh crore rupees for the supply of defence equipment.
• AI is one of the areas in which the startups are going to play an innovative role.
India handed over 2nd pair of Mi-24V
• India handed over the second pair of Mi-24V helicopters to Afghanistan, boosting the capability of the Afghan Air forces.
• The helicopters were officially handed over by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar to Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister
Asadullah Khalid in Kabul.
• These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016.
10th edition of JME ‘Vajra Prahar 2019‘ began
• The 10th edition of the joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar 2019’ between India and the US began on 13 Oct 2019 at Joint Base
Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle, US.
• It is a Special Forces joint training exercise conducted alternately in India and the US.
• These exercises will enable the sharing of best practices and experience in areas such as joint mission planning capabilities.
Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN – 2019
• Joint Military Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN-2019 between India and Japan will be conducted at counter Insurgency and Jungle
Warfare School, Vairengte from 19 Oct to 02 Nov 2019.
• Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces comprising 25 soldiers each will participate in the exercise.
• Its aim is to share experience gained during various Counter Terrorism Operations in respective Countries.
2nd edition of India-Bangladesh CORPAT begins
• The 2nd edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) of the navies of India and Bangladesh begun in Northern Bay of Bengal.
• Guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and missile Corvette INS Kuthar are participating in the exercise along with BNS Ali Haider
and BNS Shadinota from Bangladesh.
• The exercise aims at development of mutual communication and sharing of best practices between the two navies.
IAF Squadrons awarded citations
• 2 squadrons of the Indian Air Force, which played a key role in the Balakot air strike, were decorated with citations at the Hindon
base on the 87th IAF Day on 8 Oct 2019.
• IAF chief RKS Bhadauria decorated the 51 Squadron and the 9 Squadron.
• Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and fighter pilots, who were a part of the Balakot operation, participated in the
flypast.
First Rafale Fighter Jet Delivered to India
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets and flew a sortie in the MMRCA fighter jet from a
French airbase in Paris to gain first-hand experience of the aircraft.
• Rafale was handed over to Singh on the foundation day of the Indian Air Force.
• The first Rafale bears a tail number ‘RB 01', where 'RB' stands for Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria.
First Training Squadron at Mombasa, Kenya
• Indian Naval Ships Tir, Sujata and Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, arrived at Mombasa Kenya 7 Oct, 19 for a three
day visit.
• The Senior Officer of First Training Squadron is Captain Varun Singh, who is also Commanding Officer of INS Tir.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• The training curriculum includes subjects like Seamanship, Navigation, Shiphandling, Boat Work and Engineering, etc.
Indian Army organized Veer Kutumb Rally in J&K
• In J&K, Crossed Swords Division organized a VEER KUTUMB RALLY at Tanda, Akhnoor with an aim to reach out to veterans, veer
naris, widows and their families.
• The Rally was organised by the Indian Army as part of its activities to observe 2019 as the 'Year of the Next of Kin'.
• General Officer Commanding (GoC) Crossed Swords Division, Maj Gen R. Dewan, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Indian Army to hold Him Vijay exercise
• Indian Army will hold Him Vijay exercise, the biggest ever mountain combat exercise, in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The exercise borders the Chinese controlled Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Hence, China has raised concerns about the exercise.
• Three battle groups each comprising of 4,000 soldiers will be participating in the exercise.
• It will end on 25 October 2019.
Name of Sq. Leader added to Nat. War Memorial
• The name of Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna has been added to the National War Memorial after it was approved by the Indian Air
Force.
• Squadron Leader Khanna and three other IAF personnel were killed in January 1990 in Kashmir allegedly by JKLF founder Yasin
Malik.
• Twenty-seven bullets were pumped into Khanna's body.
• The trial against Malik had resumed last month in Jammu.
Army inducts Israeli Spike missiles
• The Indian Army inducted the Israeli 'Spike' anti-tank guided missiles or ATGMs on 3 October 2019.
• The Spike missile integrates a top attack capability which means it is able to fly over its target and knock it out from above.
• The long-range Spike missile has a range of 4km and can be guided by an operator mid-flight, in case course correction is
required.
12-day India-Kazakhstan JME began
• A joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan with focus on counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain began
on 3 October 2019.
• The 12-day exercise named KAZIND-2019 will conclude on October 15, 2019.
• The aim of the exercise is to conduct company-level joint training with an emphasis on counter-terrorism operations in the
mountainous terrain.
Indian Air Force released promo video
• The Indian Air Force released a promotional video featuring the story of the Balakot airstrike.
• The video was released by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria ahead of the Indian Air Force Day, which falls on October 8.
• The promotional video features shots of fighter jets taking off, dropping missiles and radars zooming in to targets.
Goa Maritime Conclave began
• Goa Maritime Conclave started in Goa on 4 October 2019.
• National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was the chief guest for the inaugural event of the Conclave.
• Indian Navy through the Naval War College, Goa is hosting this Conclave.
• The Theme for the Conclave is Common Maritime Priorities in Indian ocean Region and need for Reginal Maritime Security.
Aqua Stallions rafting team created record
• Lieutenant Colonel Pravin Grewal and paratrooper Ganpat Singh who were part of the Indian Army's Aqua Stallions rafting team
have created the national record for fastest rafting in high altitude areas.
• The team created the record at Zanskar river in Ladakh in September 2019.
INS Tarkash at St Denis, France
• As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to Africa, Europe and Russia, INS Tarkash arrived at St Denis, Reunion Island,
France on 3 Oct 19 for a 3-day visit.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• INS Tarkash, commanded by Captain Sathish Vasudev, is a potent frontline frigate of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile
range of weapons and sensors.
• The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet.
Maj AQ Khan Won Silver Medal
• Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals brought laurels to India by winning a Silver Medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building
and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam, Indonesia on 2 Oct 19.
• His accomplishment in the sport has also brought glory to the Indian Army and Corps of Signals.
• He was commissioned in June 2014.
Indo-Mongolian Joint Ex Nomadic Elephant 2019
• 14th edition of Indo-Mongolian joint military training, Exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV, will commence from 5 Oct 2019.
• The exercise will be conducted from 5 Oct 19 to 18 Oct 19 at Bakloh.
• The Mongolian Army is being represented by officers and troops of the elite 084 Air Borne Special Task Battalion while Indian
Army is being represented by a contingent of a battalion of RAJPUTANA RIFLES.
Exercise Ekuverin to be organised
• 10th edition of the Joint Military Exercise Ekuverin between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force will be
organised from 7-20 October 2019 at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in the
Dhivehi language since 2009.
First aircraft carrier dry dock inaugurated
• The Indian Navy's largest dry dock to date was inaugurated at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in a ceremony presided over by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• Named 'Aircraft Carrier Dry Dock', the 281m long, 45m wide, and 17m deep facility is capable of accommodating INS
Vikramaditya, the service's sole 44,750-tonne refurbished Kiev-class carrier, as well as ships of up to 90,000 tonnes.
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test-fired
• DRDO successfully test-fired a land-attack version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile off the coast of Odisha from the
Integrated Test Range in Chandipur on 1 October 2019.
• The missile, with a strike range of 290 km, can be fired from land as well as sea-based platforms.
• It has been fitted with increased indigenous equipment and is a version used by the Army.
National Affairs
India now has 28 states and 9 UTs
• According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the appointed day for the two Union Territories J&K and Ladakh
was October 31, 2019.
• This is for the first time that a state is converted into two Union Territories.
• The total number of states in the country will now be 28 while the total Union Territories will go up to nine.
National Unity Day: 31 October
• National Unity Day - Rashtriya Ekta Diwas - was observed across the country 31 Oct, on the occasion of the 144th birth
anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Since 2014, October 31st is observed as the National Unity Day and people from all walks of life participate in the 'Run For Unity'.
• PM Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Patel at the 'Statue of Unity'.
Amit Shah flagged off Run For Unity
• Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off Run For Unity from New Delhi's Major Dhyanchand National Stadium.
• The run started from the main gate of the Major Dhayanchand National stadium and ended at Amar Jawan Jyoti.
• Around 15,000 people participated in the event.
• To facilitate people taking part in the Run for Unity Metro services began at 4 am from terminal stations of all lines.
TN: 1st state to enact law on contract farming

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Tamil Nadu has become the first State in the country to enact a law on contract farming.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion
and Facilitation) Act.
• The law would safeguard interests of farmers during times of bumper harvest or fluctuating market prices.
• They would be paid at a pre-determined price.
EU Parliamentary delegation visited Srinagar
• A delegation of 23 Members of Parliament from different European countries which is on a two-day visit to Srinagar met
students, women, traders, fruit growers besides panchs & sarpanchs.
• The delegation is the first international group to visit Kashmir after scrapping of J&K’s special status.
• The delegation also visited Army’s 15 Corps Headquarters at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.
Nirmala Sitharaman releases special coin
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has released a special commemorative coin on Paramahansa Yogananda to mark his 125th
Birth Anniversary.
• Paramahansa Yogananda was a great son of India, who was recognized globally.
• His universal message was to bring harmony among mankind and making it so acceptable globally even when communications
modes were limited.
Nagaland partnered with Madhya Pradesh
• Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' programme has brought in the states of Nagaland and Madhya Pradesh as one to celebrate the
spirit of national integration.
• The Directorate of Higher Education of Government of Nagaland as the nodal department of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' has
conducted various activities undertaken in partnership with Madhya Pradesh.
Mastercard to launch solution for smartphones
• Mastercard is set to launch a solution in India where a smartphone can become a contactless acceptance device.
• If your phone has NFC, then it can become a point-of-sale (POS) device.
• A customer can tap the contactless card on the phone.
• With this innovation, a retailer doesn’t need to invest in the hardware for accepting contactless payments. The phone will be
sufficient.
‘Right to Health Conclave’ to be inaugurated
• A 2-Day Right to Health Conclave will be inaugurated on Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day, November 1, 2019.
• The Subject Experts connected to health and social works from across the country will participate in the conclave.
• They will hold deliberations on issues related to the health during various sessions during the conclave.
• The first session will be on the subject ‘Spirituality and Health’.
Thotlakonda Buddhist site to be renovated
• Thotlakonda Buddhist site will be renovated as a meditation place for Vizagites and tourists.
• It was a sacred place of Buddhists during 300 BC to 300 AD.
• The 2,000-old Maha Stupa at Thotlakonda collapsed on one side due to heavy rains,.
• Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex is situated on a hill near Bheemunipatnam about 15 kilometres from Visakhapatnam in Andhra
Pradesh.
Women in Delhi to get free rides in buses
• Women in Delhi will get free rides in public buses starting from 29 Oct 2019.
• As per the plan, conductors will distribute pink tickets having face value of 10 rupees each to women passengers for free-travel.
• The government will then reimburse the transporters based on the number of such tickets issued.
• Currently, 3,400 bus marshals are already working.
Air India depicted 'Ik Onkar' on tail
• In a unique gesture to mark 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, Air India has depicted Sikh religious symbol 'Ik
Onkar' on the tail of one of its aircraft.
• The flight is set to fly from Amritsar to Stansted in the United Kingdom on 31 Oct 2019.
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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• Air India will fly its aircraft thrice a week on the Mumbai-Amritsar-Stansted route.
IOB launched health care plus insurance policy
• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in association with Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd. has launched upgraded health care
plus insurance policy.
• It is a co-branded insurance scheme exclusively designed for IOB customers with a sum insured starting from ₹50,000 and going
up to ₹15 lakh.
• The policy issuance will be made on a real-time basis at the IOB branches to its customers.
‘Kyarr’ will become a super cyclone
• The Meteorological Department said the situation in the Arabian Sea could become very bad in the next 24 hours following the
condition of the Kyarr cyclone turning in to a super cyclone.
• The storm could affect the coastal areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.
• According to the weather department, the center of Cyclone Kyarr is currently about 540 km from the west-southwest coast of
Mumbai.
UP CM launched new emergency helpline no. 112
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath launched an all-encompassing emergency helpline number '112' to access police, fire brigade, ambulance
and other services under the Emergency Response Support System.
• He also launched a senior citizen safety initiative 'Savera'.
• This single helpline number 112 will reduce the response time.
Lucknow school bagged Guinness World Record
• Lucknow-based school has won the Guinness World Record for becoming the 'world's largest school' in terms of strength of
students.
• City Montessori School (CMS) has won the global award for having 55,547 students in 2019-20, as stated by CMS founder, Jagdish
Gandhi.
• Currently, the CMS has 18 branches and approximately 56,000 students all over the city.
‘Maharatna’ status granted to HPCL & PGCIL
• ‘Maharatna’ status has been granted by the Government to state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Power
Grid Corporation of India Limited.
• The status also comes with greater operational and financial autonomy.
• The grant of Maharatna status to the PSUs will impart enhanced powers to their Boards to take financial decisions.
CBSE & NCERT launched ‘Tamanna’ test
• CBSE and NCERT have launched an online aptitude test called ‘Tamanna’.
• Tamanna stands for Try And Measure Aptitude And Natural Abilities.
• Tamanna is an aptitude test that aims to help students of Class 9 and 10 to make a better choice of subjects, eventually helping
them in making an informed decision while choosing subjects in Class 11 and 12.
First kerosene-free district of Gujarat
• Gandhinagar has become Gujarat’s first Kerosene-free district.
• Home Minister Amit Shah allotted 1,000 LPG connections to the people in Gandhinagar.
• Amit Shah said that rural women have been allotted LPG connections under the Ujjwala Yojana.
• It was also announced that ONGC completed this scheme with a cost of Rs. 6.13 core.
• This scheme is covering more than 75,000 rural women.
PM KISAN call centre to be set up
• The government is planning to set up a call centre to respond to farmers’ queries about the PM Kisan minimum income support
scheme.
• It plans to have a dedicated round-the-clock interactive voice response (IVR) system.
• At present there is a helpline number for farmers to register complaints and seek information, but there have been complaints
galore that farmers do not getting any response.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

ICICI Bank sold entire stake in GST Network

• ICICI Bank has exited the GST Network by selling its entire 10 per cent stake to as many as 13 state governments.
• The stake sale is for aggregate cash consideration of ₹1 crore.
• The stake transfer to various stake governments will be completed by the end of March 2020.
• The bank will transfer 0.14 per cent stake to the Assam government and 0.81 per cent stake to the Telangana government.
Delhi recorded season's worst air quality
• Delhi's air quality dropped to season's worst on 25 Oct 2019, with the decreased wind speed leading to accumulation of
pollutants and affecting dispersion.
• The city's overall air quality index (AQI) fluctuated between 315 and 284.
• Most of the places in Delhi recorded the AQI in the "very poor" category, while the situation inched towards "severe" in some
areas.
6 new medical institutes for Tamil Nadu
• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave its approval to Tamil Nadu’s proposal to establish six new medical colleges.
• The institutes will come up in Tiruppur, the Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Dindigul and Virudhunagar at a cost of ₹1,950
crore and will be attached to existing hospitals in these districts.
• The Centre would sign MoU with the Tamil Nadu govt for the same.
CSIR conducted genome sequencing
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has done genome sequencing of over one thousand persons from different parts of
India.
• The initiative called IndiGen has enabled benchmarking the scalability of genome sequencing and computational analysis at
population scale in a defined timeline.
• The outcome will be utilized towards understanding the genetic diversity on a population scale.
Indian Railways launched One Touch ATVM
• Indian Railways has launched ‘one touch ATVM’ at 42 suburban stations of Central Railway to render fast ticketing to millions of
commuters over Mumbai Suburban Network.
• Railway passenger can avail the service of this new machine at 42 suburban stations.
• This new machine will reduce the waiting time of the passengers and allow passenger to avoid standing in long queues.
Vijaya Bank Museum inaugurated in Bengaluru
• The Vijaya Bank Heritage Museum has been inaugurated at the headquarters of the Vijaya Bank i.e. Bengaluru.
• The museum has a rare collection of photos through which the growth of the bank is showcased.
• Vijaya Bank was one of the premier nationalised banks in the country.
• The erstwhile Vijaya Bank, along with the erstwhile Dena Bank, was amalgamated with Bank of Baroda on April 1, 2019.
J&K Governor announces new initiatives
• Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik announced several new initiatives to further empower the urban local bodies and
fulfil the demands of elected representatives.
• He announced delegation of financial powers to each Municipal Council/Committee to the tune of 25 lakh rupees.
• The Governor also announced life and health insurance coverage to all Safai Karmcharies.
Amit Shah on a four-day visit to Gujarat
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a four-day visit to Gujarat from 25 October 2019.
• During this visit, he will dedicate and lay foundation stones of series of development projects in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha
constituency.
• On the 1st day, he distributed financial assistance to the beneficiaries of various government schemes at a programme held at
Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
President Kovind visited Rajgir
• President Ram Nath Kovind visited Rajgir in Bihar on 25 October 2019.
• He inaugurated day long golden jubilee celebrations of Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) in Rajgir.

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October 2019

• The Vishwa Shanti Stupa has completed 50 years of its establishment.

• Situated on Ratnagiri hillock, this iconic structure was constructed by Japanese Buddhist monk popularly known as Fujii Guruji in
1969.
IRDAI imposed penalty on Cholamandalam MS GIC
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has imposed penalties of Rs 1.01 crore on Cholamandalam MS GIC.
• The insurer was penalised for violations observed during an inspection.
• The penalty of Rs 1 crore is for violation of Clause 15 of Schedule I of IRDA (Health Insurance) Regulations, 2013.
• The other penalty of Rs 1 lakh is for motor insurance.
Vreedhi Financial Services received licence
• Vreedhi Financial Services has secured a non-banking finance company licence from the RBI.
• It’s objective is to provide credit and other services to micro-enterprises operating in tier two-three cities and small towns.
• The company will create a digital lending model by the next financial year.
• It will address the gap between the addressable and viable credit in the micro-enterprises space.
Appointments
• Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and Indian badminton player PV Sindhu were named the ambassadors for Bharat Ki Laxmi
on 22 October 2019. It is an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Ashok Malik has been appointed as the policy advisor in the Ministry of External Affairs with the rank of additional secretary. He
was press secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind for a two-year term.
First national protocol launched
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the first national protocol to enumerate the snow leopard
population in the country on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day.
• The Day is celebrated on October 23 every year to protect and conserve the snow leopards and preserve the beautiful wildlife of
the Himalayas.
• India is believed to have 400 to 700 snow leopards.
First all women-run automobile service station
• India’s first all-women-run automobile service workshop in Jaipur was inaugurated by Mahindra & Mahindra recently.
• This move is part of the company’s initiative called ‘Pink Collars’ to promote the recruitment of women in core productive roles.
• The Compact Qwik workshop has women in roles including technicians, service advisors, drivers, part managers and security
guards.
No govt jobs for those with more than 2 kids
• The Assam Cabinet decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after January 1,
2021.
• The important decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting that also adopted a New Land Policy, which will give three bighas of
agricultural land to landless indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.
Hunar Haat to be held in November 2019
• The next 'Hunar Haat', an initiative of the Minority Affairs Ministry, will be organised from November 1-10, 2019 in Prayagraj,
Uttar Pradesh.
• More than 300 master artisans and culinary experts including a large number of women artisans will participate in it.
• All the 'Hunar Haats' to be organised in 2019 and 2020 will be based on the theme of Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat.
MeitY launched MeitY Startup Hub
• MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), a platform to connect the startup ecosystem, has been formally inaugurated by Ravi Shankar Prasad,
Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, at the MeitY Startup Summit 2019.
• It will work like a social media platform for all the stakeholders of the ecosystem, including incubators, accelerators, mentors,
angel funds, and venture capitalists.
DRDO is manufacturing a hypersonic missile

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October 2019

• The DRDO is working on manufacturing a hypersonic missile, that would be capable of travelling at a speed five times faster than
that of sound.
• The next generation hypersonic weapons will have the capacity to move at a speed of about a mile per second.
• A wind tunnel is being worked on at the moment where the weapon will be tested and fine-tuned, before it is put to operational
use.
50 IFFI announced films for Open Air Screening
• The 50th International Film Festival of India announced the films in Open Air Screening section of the festival.
• The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa celebrates its Golden Jubilee Edition from 20th-28th November 2019.
• Every year IFFI organises Open Air Screenings to bring the best of Cinematic experience to the Cine enthusiasts.
• The theme would be ‘The Joy of Cinema’.
Siachen now opened for tourists: Rajnath Singh
• Siachen glacier, known for its arduous climate and difficult terrain, is now open for tourism.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 21 Oct 2019 announced that the Siachen area is now open for tourists and tourism.
• The Kumar Post is at height of more than 15,000 ft.
• Tourists will be able to travel from the base camp at Partapur at 11,000 feet to the Kumar Post.
United Nations WFP launched campaign
• The UN World Food Programme (WFP) launched a cinema advertisement campaign 'Feed Our Future' to raise awareness and
take steps against hunger and malnutrition in India.
• The campaign launch event included a panel discussion hosted by TV host Mini Mathur.
• Actor-director Nandita Das and filmmakers Neeraj Ghaywan and Anubhav Sinha shared their perspectives over cinema and social
change.
DAC approved procurement of equipments
• The Defence Acquisition Council has accorded approval for Capital Procurement for the Defence forces for indigenously designed
and developed equipment.
• The first two projects include third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and the Auxiliary Power Units for the T-72 and T-90
Tanks.
• The third project pertains to discrete Electronic Warfare systems for the mountain and High-Altitude terrain.
IIT Kharagpur graduate developed unique device
• IIT Kharagpur graduate Debayan Saha has invented a device called PM 2.5 which he claimed when fitted near the silencer pipe in
vehicles will curb air pollution.
• The technology uses a combination of electric energy and wave energy to influence the pollutants like PM 2.5 such that they act
like a magnet attracting other particulate pollutants from the ambient atmosphere to get attached to it.
Multimedia exhibition organized in Frankfurt
• A multimedia exhibition as part of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was organized in the India Pavilion at the
Frankfurt International Book Fair.
• The life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi were celebrated by performing Dandi Yatra on 19 Oct 2019.
• The Frankfurt International Book Fair is the largest and most important book fair which is held annually in the month of October.
AIR National Sangeeth Sammelan concerts began
• All India Radio National Sangeeth Sammelan concerts, a major series in the music calendar, began in 26 centres, including
Thanjavur, in Tamil Nadu.
• The concerts, recorded live in front of an invited audience will be broadcast as a national programme overall stations of AIR from
November 9 to December 15, 2019.
• Some of the prominent performers include Dr N Rajam and Malladi Suri Babu.
100 more Mohalla Clinics inaugurated in Delhi
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated 100 more Mohalla Clinics in Delhi on 19 Oct 2019.
• With these new health clinics, a total of 302 Mohalla Clinics are now functional in the city.
• These clinics are part of the city government's push to set up 1,000 neighbourhood clinics
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• Facilities of diagnostic tests such as lipid profile, kidney and liver function test are available free of cost.
Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu inaugurated
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Col. Chewang Rinchen Setu which has been constructed at an altitude of 14,650
feet in the forward area of Ladakh region.
• This bridge has been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
• This Bridge is built on the strategically important road Durbuk Shyok Daulat Beg Oldie in sub sector north in eastern Ladakh.
Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated CCRT e-portal
• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated e-portal of Centre for Cultural Resources and
Training and YouTube Channel in New Delhi on 21 Oct 2019.
• The aim is to take India to newer digital pinnacle and to promote Indian culture.
• He attended the “Digital Bharat - Digital Sanskriti” program organised by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training.
Miscellaneous News
• PM Narendra Modi released a book titled 'Bridgital Nation' in New Delhi. The book has been authored by Chairman, Tata Sons, N
Chandrasekaran and Roopa Purushothaman.
• Mahindra & Mahindra announced the inauguration of India’s first all-women-run automobile service workshop in Jaipur. This is
part of the company’s larger initiative named ‘Pink Collars’
Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council abolished
• Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council was abolished on October 18, 2019, making the way for the bifurcation of Jammu &
Kashmir State into two Union Territories - Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The J&K Council was dissolved under Section 57 of the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019.
• With this, the tenure of all the Members of the Legislative Council has come to an end.
Bio methane plant inaugurated in Coimbatore
• Swiss Minister for Environment, Energy Simonetta Sommaruga inaugurated bio methane plant in Coimbatore.
• The Swiss-funded Rs.45 lakh project will generate bio methane from 1.5 ton solid waste collected from Ward 22 in West Zone,
which can generate about 150 units of power.
• The power will mainly be used for electrification of street lights in the area.
11th Nuclear Energy Conclave
• Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 11th Edition of Nuclear Energy Conclave 2019 in New Delhi.
• It was organized by India Energy Forum.
• A nuclear plant is coming up in the Gorakhpur of Haryana.
• A 'Hall of Nuclear Energy' was also opened at Pragati Maidan in Delhi.
• The theme of the Conclave: 'Economics of Nuclear Power- Innovation towards Safer & Cost-Effective Technologies'.
NIN centenary stamp released
• A special commemorative postal stamp of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad was released by Union Minister for
Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan.
• The stamp has been brought out under the Corporate My stamp scheme of India Posts.
• These stamps are of limited edition and are made to order.
• Alongside these, the NIN also opted for printing its centenary logo.
Goa Electricity dept ties up with HDFC Bank
• The Goa electricity department tied up with the HDFC Bank for online payment of electricity bills wherein consumers in Goa can
pay their bills digitally using the additional payment gateway.
• Consumers will have an option to make payments through various modes such as credit or debit card of any of the bank, net
banking by visiting the department’s website – www.goaelectricity.gov.in.
First Robotic restaurant of Odisha
• A restaurant in Bhubaneswar opened its doors to customers claiming to be the first eatery in eastern India where two
indigenously developed robots will serve customers.

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October 2019

• Named ‘Champa’ and ‘Chameli’, the two humanoid robots rolled on the floor of the Robo Chef restaurant and served food to the
waiting customers.
• After serving, the two robots even chimed “Apana mane khushi to” (Are you happy).
Maharashtra police ties up with AI firm
• The Maharashtra Police has tied up with Logically, an extended intelligence (artificial and human intelligence)-powered tech firm,
to detect and prevent the spread of fake news.
• The company helps detect fake news, logical fallacy, and inaccuracies.
• It has been monitoring various social media platforms since 20 days to monitor cases of violation under the Model Code of
Conduct (MCC).
Odisha's biggest trade fair to begin on Nov 12
• Baliyatra, one of the biggest trade fairs of Odisha, is scheduled to begin on November 12, 2019.
• The trade fair will continue for eight days.
• This year’s Baliyatra will be jointly organized by the Cuttack District Administration, District Cultural Council, and the Cuttack
Municipal Corporation.
• There will be separate vending zones for small traders and vendors.
Girls to be admitted in Sainik Schools
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal for admission of girl children in Sainik Schools from academic session 2021-
22 in a phased manner.
• The decision is in line with the objective of the government towards greater inclusiveness, gender equality, enabling greater
participation of women in Armed Forces and strengthening the motto of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.
Kerala extends maternity leave benefits
• Kerala is extending maternity leave benefits to teachers and other staff of private educational institutions, including those in the
unaided sector.
• When the amendment to the Act comes into force, Kerala would become the first state in the country to provide maternity
benefits in the private educational sector.
• Employees covered under the law can avail 26 weeks’ maternity leave with salary.
India's livestock population increased
• India's livestock population has increased to over 535 million showing an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census-2012.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the 20th Livestock Census -2019 on 16 Oct 2019.
• As per the livestock census, the share of cattle is around 36%, goat is over 27%, buffaloes is over 20%, sheep around 14% and pigs
around 2%.
Magnificent MP Conference inaugurated
• CM of MP Kamal Nath formally inaugurated the 2-day Magnificent Madhya Pradesh Conference on 17 Oct 2019 in Indore.
• He also inaugurated the Global Trade Exhibition at the Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore.
• 223 industries are investing in Madhya Pradesh.
• Foreign investment proposals worth 4,385 crore rupees are in the process of consideration.
Miscellaneous News
• The road starting from Kapurthala connecting Goindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in Punjab has been declared as
new National Highway - 703 A A and named as Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg.
• A two-day international conference on biosciences, BIOSUMMIT’19, was inaugurated at Vellore Institute of Technology.
Digital museum inaugurated
• Lok Sabha MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary inaugurated a three-day spiritual fest in form of a digital museum to showcase the life
and philosophy of Guru Nanak via ultra-modern technology at Lyallpur Khalsa College.
• It was a humble effort of the Punjab government to commemorate the 550th Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak.
• The museum had brought together various technologies such as LFD screens and RFID.
Colour themed Kalam library inaugurated

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October 2019

• Colour themed Dr Kalam Library was inaugurated by The Arc Foundation India and Rotary Club of Coimbatore Heritage as a mark
of love and tribute to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary at the Government High School, Koundampalayam.
• The Joint Managing Trustee of The Arc Foundation India, M.A. Aparna addressed the children on the purpose of inaugurating
such a library.
Textiles Secretary inaugurated IHGF-Delhi Fair
• Textiles Secretary, Ravi Capoor, inaugurated the 48th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) at the India Expo
Centre & Mart at Greater Noida on 16 October 2019.
• The Fair is being held from on 16-20 October 2019.
• The IHGF-Delhi Fair 2019 will have knowledge seminars on various topics by expert faculties, fashion shows and ramp walks by
models.
Assam govt to host two-day stakeholders' meet
• The Assam government will be hosting a 2-day stakeholders' meeting between India and Bangladesh from 22 October 2019 in
Guwahati.
• A 70-member delegation from Bangladesh, including two Central ministers will be participating in the meet.
• The idea of the meet is to put Assam at the centre point of India’s trade expansion with ASEAN and Bangladesh, Bhutan and
Nepal or BBN countries.
UP Culture Dept to organise programme
• The Culture Department of UP government is going to organise the country’s first training and performance programme of world-
famous KHON Ramlila, a masked form of Ramlila art of Thailand in collaboration with the Thai government.
• KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance
depicting the scenes of Ramlila.
41st DRDO Directors Conference inaugurated
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi.
• Chiefs of the three forces & DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy were also present on the occasion.
• The discussion included efforts taken by DRDO to ensure technological advancement of the Indian forces to safeguard the
country.
9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains flagged off
• Railways Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 9 ‘Sewa Service’ trains.
• These trains will connect small towns to major cities.
• The Vadnagar-Mehsana train was gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The trains are – Delhi-Shamli, Bhubaneswar-Nayagarh town, Murkongselek-Dibrugarh, Coimbatore-Palani, Coimbatore-Pollachi,
Vadnagar-Mehsana, Asarya-Himmatnagar, Karur-Salem, Yesvantpur-Tumkur.
Mastercard and MS Dhoni partnered
• Mastercard, along with cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, launched a nationwide initiative ‘Team Cashless India’ to accelerate the
acceptance and adoption of digital payments.
• The initiative brings consumers and merchants to the forefront of the digital payments dialogue.
• The campaign encourages all Indians to nominate one or more merchants who currently do not accept digital payments.
Miscellaneous News
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a 2-day international seminar at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi.
• Chenani- Nashri Tunnel on NH 44, in Jammu and Kashmir will be named after Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. It is the humble
homage to Mukherjee whose battle for Kashmir, One Nation One Flag has immensely contributed in national integration.
Mylan along with DCGI to launch new TB drug
• Multinational pharmaceutical company Mylan is working with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch pretomanid, a
medicine used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB),
• Non-profit drug developer TB Alliance and Mylan NV had in April 2019 announced a global collaboration to make the
experimental drug pretomanid for the cure of pulmonary tuberculosis.
MoS Organized the 17th Meeting of MSDC
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October 2019

• The Ministry of Shipping is working on a plan to develop a national port grid based on the synergy between major and minor
ports in the country.
• The 17th Meeting of Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) was held on 15 October 2019.
• The government is looking at developing synergy between the major and minor ports so that together they can bring port-led
development in the country.
DPIIT launches website, mobile app for IPR
• Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra launched the website and
mobile application L2Pro India (Learn to Protect, Secure and Maximize Your Innovation) on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
• The website and app will be very useful to the startup community which holds great promise for India and its economy.
2nd phase of LOTUS-HR launched in New Delhi
• The 2nd phase of an Indo-Dutch project called Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse, or LOTUS-HR was
launched at Barapullah drain in New Delhi.
• This project was launched by Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan and the Dutch Royal couple, Netherlands King
Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
• The (LOTUS-HR) project was set up in 2017 at the Sun Dial Park.
Air India becomes first airline to use Taxibot
• Air India became the first airline in the world to use a TaxiBot on an Airbus A320 aircraft operating a commercial flight with
passengers onboard.
• A TaxiBot or a Taxiing Robot is a pilot-controlled semi-robotic towbar-less aircraft tractor used as an alternate taxiing equipment.
• It is used for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice versa.
Bengaluru to have dedicated ATS from Nov 1
• Bengaluru will have a dedicated Anti-Terror Squad from November 1, 2019.
• The decision was taken after National Investigation Agency warned that at least 20 sleeping cells of terrorist groups exist in
Bengaluru.
• Anti Terror Squad will work in coordination with NIA, cybersecurity cell and Psychotropic drug control cells.
CBIC launched programme
• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has launched a programme to attract investments into India and strengthen Make in
India.
• This would be done under the bond scheme, of Customs Act, 1962.
• The Section enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a customs bonded warehouse.
• The scheme has been modernized with clear and transparent procedures.
UP govt makes women as nodal officers
• UP government has made women officers as nodal officers and directed them to go to their respective districts and review the
implementation of welfare schemes for women.
• 3-member teams of women officers will visit their allocated districts on October 18, 19 and 20, 2019.
• They will make women aware about the various government schemes such as Ujjwala Yojna, Mission Indradhanush.
14 skills training centres to be set up
• 14 Authorized World Skills India Training Centres will be set up across 9 cities for media and entertainment sector.
• These cities are Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Shillong and Trivandrum.
• The institutes will be set up for advanced skill training of candidates in media and entertainment sector and to further develop
skilling eco-system for training candidates.
India’s first 5G powered ‘connected music’
• Ericsson and Airtel enabled a 5G powered Connected Music performance during the inauguration of the India Mobile Congress
(IMC) 2019.
• A first for India, the show involved connecting two parts of a musical performance using a live 5G network and presenting it as
one, for live audiences at both locations.
• The ultra-low latency of the 5G network powered the connected music showcase at the IMC.

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Andhra Pradesh launched water grid project

• The Andhra Pradesh government has launched an ambitious project to provide a drinking water connection to every household
in the state by 2022.
• The statewide water grid project would ensure supply of clean drinking water to every household from 2022 for at least the next
30 years.
• Groundwater levels in the state have fallen to below 1,100 feet in districts like Anantapur and Chittoor.
ICICI Bank launches new FD scheme FD health
• ICICI Bank launched a fixed deposit scheme called FD Health, that comes with an in-built critical insurance policy.
• The FD Health – Critical illness Cover will be provided to only the primary holder of the FD account.
• Anyone between of 18-50 years, will get complimentary insurance cover for a year on 33 critical illnesses.
• Free of cost insurance cover will be provided for 1st year.
Nitin Gadkari to inaugurated a Conference
• Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME inaugurated a conference on One Nation One FASTag in
New Delhi.
• The conference saw the signing of MoUs with state departments / other agencies for bringing in a unified electronic tolling
solution across the country.
• Another MoU between the Indian Highways Management Company Ltd. and GSTN was also signed.
‘Sabse Pehle Life Insurance’ to be launched
• Life Insurance Council has decided to launch the Indian life insurance industry’s first joint mass media campaign with the slogan
‘Sabse Pehle Life Insurance’.
• The slogan will encourage Indian households to opt for adequate life insurance cover as the fundamental necessity in their lives.
• The campaign represents joint efforts of all 24 Indian life insurance companies.
National Cultural Festival to be held in MP
• In MP, the 10th edition of the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-National Cultural Festival is being organized by the Union Ministry of
Culture from 14-21 October 2019 under the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' campaign.
• The National Cultural festival will display diverse forms of folk, art and culture of 22 states.
• Its concept was conceived in the year 2015.
Tripura gets its first-ever SEZ
• The government of India has given in-principle approval for setting up of Tripura's first-ever SEZ at Sabroom.
• The estimated investment in the project will be around Rs 1550 Crore.
• Rubber based Industries – Tyres, Threads etc, Textile and Apparel Industries, Bamboo Industries and Agri-Food Processing
Industries are the industries which will be set up at the SEZ.
WHO India Cooperation Strategy launched
• The Union Health Ministry has launched the ‘World Health Organisation (WHO) India Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2019–
2023: A Time of Transition on 9 October 2019.
• The strategy will provide a strategic roadmap for the WHO to work with the Indian government towards achieving its health
sector goals.
• It will help in improving the health of its population of India.
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research
• President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone for the campus of JSS Academy of Higher Education and
Research at Varuna Village, Mysuru.
• The Global Campus of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research at Varuna Village is a tribute to Sri Shivarathri Rajendra
Mahaswamiji whose 104th Jayanti is being celebrated this year.
Delhi's second airport begins operations
• The first commercial flight from the Hindon civil airport started from 11th October.
• A private aircraft with nine passengers on board took off from Pithoragarh's Naini-Saini airport at 11.30 am.

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• The Hindon airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8.
• Hindon Airport will serve as the ‘second’ airport.
• The air force station is located close to Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Government to introduce POSHAN atlas
• The government is to introduce POSHAN atlas under POSHAN Abhiyan.
• The announcement was made by Union Minister of WCD Smriti Irani at the 5th National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges.
• POSHAN atlas is developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and Deendayal Research Institute.
• The atlas aims to tackle malnutrition.
DNA barcoding of spiders in India
• Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India undertook a barcode of at least 100 species of spiders based on their DNA.
• It is the largest exercise on DNA barcoding of spiders from India.
• DNA barcoding is a method used to quickly identify any species based on extracting a DNA sequence from a tiny tissue sample of
any organism.
National Postal Week is being celebrated
• The Maharashtra and Goa Circle of the India Post is celebrating National Postal Week which will end on 15 October.
• The week is being celebrated to spread awareness about services provided by the department and efforts made to meet
changing requirements of customers.
• The week also commemorates the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss capital Berne.
SARAS Aajeevika Mela being held
• The Ministry of Rural Development is organising SARAS Aajeevika Mela at India Gate Lawns from 10-23 October 2019.
• SARAS Aajeevika Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• Its objective is to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under one platform to showcase their skills and sell their
products.
GEMINI system to aid fishermen
• GEMINI, a new system, is launched to aid fishermen.
• It is a portable receiver developed to avoid communication blackouts.
• It linked to ISRO-satellites and is fail-proof and warn fishermen of danger.
• GEMINI is an India-made global positioning system.
RBI approves merger of DCBs
• The RBI has given approval to the Kerala government to amalgamate 13 district cooperative banks (DCBs) with the Kerala State
Cooperative Bank to form Kerala Bank.
• Except the Malappuram District Cooperative Bank, all district banks had approved the scheme of amalgamation proposed by the
State government at their respective general body meetings.
38th India Carpet Expo began in Varanasi
• The 38th India Carpet Expo is being held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• The expo is organized by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC).
• It aims to promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made carpets and other floor coverings for the visiting
overseas carpet buyers.
• It is being held from 11-15 October 2019.
1st National Hindi Science writers conference
• In Uttar Pradesh, the first 2-day long National Hindi Science writers conference started on 11 October in Lucknow.
• Its aim is to release science writing from the clutches of English and to promote use of Hindi and other Vernacular languages.
• More than one thousand science writers from across the country are expected to take part in this conference.
Govt launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan

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• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan, SUMAN initiative in
New Delhi.
• It was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare.
• The initiative aims at assuring dignified, respectful and quality health care at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for
every woman and newborn.
HRD Minister inaugurated programme ‘DHRUV’
• Union Minister for Human Resources Development Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank launched DHRUV programme in the headquarter
of ISRO in Bengaluru on 10 October 2019.
• DHRUV is a unique programme to identify talented students and mentor them in the centre of excellence for 14 days so that they
can reach their full potential and work for the society.
BSE joins hands with FICCI
• BSE and FICCI organised a brainstorming session to identify gaps in the existing policies and make suggestions for robust policies.
• Besides, the session was organised to promote Udyam Saathi and Udyam Sakhi initiatives to foster the MSMEs sector.
• The MSMEs were invited to present their summary of ideas and suggestions as well as discuss their main issues of concern to the
ministry.
1st Day Care Recreation Centre in Leh
• A day-care cum recreation centre for senior citizens has been inaugurated in Leh.
• The first Government-sponsored and operated day-care cum recreation centre for senior citizens was inaugurated by Supreme
Court judge, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer.
• It will also be equipped with computer learning and a library and the aged citizens can entertain themselves with recreational
activities.
Reliance MF renamed: Nippon India Mutual Fund
• Reliance Mutual Fund has been renamed as Nippon India Mutual Fund.
• The organization was renamed following the purchase of 75% stake in Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management by Nippon Life
Insurance.
• Nippon India Mutual Fund has become the largest foreign-owned Asset Management Company in India.
• Sundeep Sikka will continue to lead the company as the CEO.
Infosys bagged digital transformation deal
• Infosys has been selected as the main supplier to deliver Volvo Cars’ digital transformation services for its enterprise digital
commercial operations applications and products.
• Infosys will offer next generation application services leveraging its global delivery model (GDM), agile delivery, automation and
other service optimisation levers to deliver effective service operations.
‘Garbage Cafe' in Chhattisgarh commenced
• The first-of-its-kind 'Garbage Cafe' commenced in Ambikapur city of Chhattisgarh.
• The café is being run by the Ambikapur municipal corporation.
• In this unique Cafe, poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one kilogram of plastic, while breakfast will be
provided if half a kilogram of plastic is brought to the cafe.
India to get BS-VI fuel from next April
• Bharat Stage (BS)-VI fuel will be available in several big cities of the country, including Jaipur, from April 1, 2020 and the initiative
will reduce vehicular pollution by 80-90%
• An investment of Rs 60,000 crore has been made for this.
• The government has prepared a national clean air programme for 122 cities of the country under which schemes for reducing
pollution will be made.
India International Cooperative Trade Fair
• A 3-day India International Cooperative Trade Fair will be held in New Delhi from 11 October 2019.
• The fair is aimed at promoting cooperative to cooperative trade within India and abroad leading to enhanced rural and farm
prosperity.

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• This will be India's first and the largest international cooperatives trade fair promising to usher in a new era of cooperative
excellence.
eDantseva website and mobile app launched
• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched the eDantseva website and mobile application.
• It is the first ever national digital platform on oral health information and knowledge dissemination.
• This marks an important milestone as e-DantSeva will reach out to more than one billion people with one click in the form of a
dedicated website and mobile application.
National e-Assessment Centre of IT Department
• Revenue Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey inaugurated National e-Assessment Scheme (NeAC) on 7 October 2019.
• In the first phase, the Income Tax Department has selected 58,322 cases for scrutiny under the faceless e-Assessment Scheme
2019 and the e-notices have been served before 30th of September 2019 for the cases of Assessment Year 2018-19.
Nagpur to host 5th international conference
• The fifth international conference on sleep disorders is being hosted in Nagpur from 12 October to 13 October 2019.
• The conference is held under the aegis of the Southeast Asian Academy of Sleep Medicine(SEAASM).
• It is conducted by the Department of Respiratory, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine & Interventional Pulmonology at Getwell Hospital
& Research Centre at Chitnavis Centre in Nagpur.
AIM NITI Aayog & UNDP launched Youth Co:Lab
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India jointly launched Youth
Co:Lab.
• The lab aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India and to recognize young people as critical
drivers of sustainable development.
• During the launch, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between AIM, NITI Aayog and UNDP India.
63rd Dhammachakra Pravartan Din celebrated
• In Maharashtra, 63rd Dhammachakra Pravartan Din was celebrated at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on 8 October 2019.
• Buddhist followers from the different parts of the country and abroad reached at the venue to pay homage to Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar.
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti along with District Administration and Nagpur Municipal Corporation are organizing this
mega event.
Stone laid for IIM campus in Amritsar
• Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank laid the foundation stone of the campus of the IIM in
Amritsar's Manawala.
• The IIM campus would come upon 60,000 square metres and have state-of-the-art facilities in the library, academic block and
hostels.
• The allocation of 350 crore rupees has been sanctioned for the first phase of the construction.
Government launched Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan
• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched a unique initiative called 'Ganga Amantran' to connect with the
stakeholders of the river.
• It is a pioneering exploratory open- water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga river to begin on 10 October till 11
November 2019.
• The expedition will start at Devaprayag and culminate at Ganga Sagar.
50th IFFI, 2019 to witness over 200 best films
• The 50th International Film Festival of India, 2019 will witness over 200 best films from 76 countries, 26 feature films and 15 non
feature films in Indian panorama section.
• This was announced by Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.
• 12 prominent films in different languages that have completed 50 years in 2019 ,will also be showcased from 20th to 28th
November.
GoI launches eco-friendly crackers
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October 2019

• Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan launched eco-friendly green firecrackers which have been manufactured in India.
• Environment-friendly fireworks have been developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs and
manufactured by licensee-manufacturers.
• A green logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed for their differentiation.
India’s first e-waste clinic to be set up
• The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have joined hands to set up the
country’s first e-waste clinic.
• It would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units.
• The electronic waste will be collected door-to-door or can be deposited directly at the clinic in exchange for a fee.
Health Minister launched trans-fat free logo
• Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched the Trans Fat Free logo of Food Safety & Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI), at the 8th International Chefs’ Conference (ICC VII).
• This marked an important milestone in the movement against Trans-Fats and also provided a momentum to accelerate the ‘Eat
Right India’ movement of FSSAI.
Finance Minister inaugurated NeAC
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) for better taxpayer service and
promotion of ease of doing business in New Delhi.
• Income Tax Department's NeAC, will avoid face-to-face interaction between taxpayers and tax officials.
• Setting up of NeAC is a step to reduce taxpayer grievances in line with the prime minister's vision of 'Digital India'.
CBDT launches document identification number
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) implemented a computer-generated Document Identification Number (DIN) which will
ensure greater transparency and accountability in tax administration.
• The DIN system, which becomes operative from 1 October 2019, will apply to all kind of communications from the income tax
department.
• This will also help taxpayers detect fake notices and letters.
App to register consumer grievances launched
• The government of India launched the 'Consumer App' that would help consumers register their grievances online as well as give
suggestions on consumer-related issues.
• This will serve as a one-stop solution for consumer grievance redressal and complaints filed on the app can be tracked by
consumers to know the progress.
• The App is available in both English and Hindi.
Rajasthan to create pneumoconiosis fund
• Rajasthan has announced the creation of a Pneumoconiosis Fund, which will be majorly financed by money from the District
Mineral Foundation (DMF).
• This Fund will be used to finance a comprehensive policy on the disease released by the Rajasthan government on 3 October
2019.
• Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease, mostly affects workers who work in the mining and construction sectors.
NHSRC to be WHO collaborating centre
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the re-designation of the National Health Systems Resource Centre
(NHSRC) as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Priority Medical Devices and Health Technology Policy.
• NHSRC as a collaborating centre has supported WHO in formulating technical specifications for medical devices such as oxygen
concentrators and resuscitation devices.
Village Secretariat system launched in Andhra
• The Andhra Pradesh government launched 'Village Secretariat programme' on 2 October 2019.
• Under the new system, one Village Secretariat has been set up for every population of 2,000, with each one comprising close to
a dozen village officials.
• The idea behind it, according to the state government, is to ensure that its services reach people on the ground

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October 2019

Interest on house building advance reduced

• The Centre has reduced the interest on House Building Advance from 8.5% to 7.9% for its employees
• According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the new interest rate has come into force from October 1.
• The House Building Advance is admissible to permanent employees and all those temporary employees who have rendered five
years of continuous service.
Portability of Ration cards started
• An inter-State portability for ration cards has been launched for Rajasthan and Haryana to facilitate the distribution of foodgrains
to beneficiaries of the National Food Security scheme.
• Labourers in the unorganised sector, migrating from one State to the other state, will mainly benefit from the scheme.
• The Centre would implement the portability of ration card all over the country soon.
India's 1st plastic to diesel conversion plant
• Mathura MP Hema Malini inaugurated the country's first plastic to diesel conversion plant in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
• Notably, a model of this plant had been placed for a demonstration before PM Modi when he had arrived in Mathura some time
back as a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• This model is now working on a full scale at the Mathura Municipal Corporation's (MMC) trenching grounds.
CM of HP launched Pragati Rath of HDFC bank
• CM of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur launched Pragati Rath of the HDFC bank.
• It is a month-long initiative where the van would move to different parts of Himachal to provide financial and digital literacy to
the people.
• The bank announced adopting of 15 villages of the State under Holistic Rural Development Programme and also launch of
Sustainable Livelihood Initiative in the State.
Tourism Ministry launches App for 12 sites
• Tourism Ministry launched the Audio Guide facility Audio Odigos for 12 sites of India on the occasion of Paryatan Parv 2019.
• An MoU for Gol Gumbad, Delhi with Government of Delhi and Resbird Technologies was also exchanged for the development of
Tourism Amenities.
• Audio guide odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support.
UCO Bank launched UCash, Digilocker and an App
• UCO Bank launched three new digital products called, UCash, Digilocker and an app in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• UCash enables customers to withdraw money from ATMs through mobile banking without using a debit card.
• Digilocker aims to eliminate the use of physical documents and enables sharing of verified electronic documents.
• The new mobile app integrates four existing apps of the bank
CM of Andhra Pradesh launched YSR Vahana Mitra
• CM of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the YSR Vahana Mitra scheme on 4 October 2019.
• The amount of Rs 10,000 is for the recurring expenses like insurance and maintenance of the vehicle to procure fitness
certificate.
• The allowance of Rs 10,000 would be given every year and the amount will be credited into the bank accounts directly.
Goa Maritime Conclave began
• Goa Maritime Conclave started in Goa on 4 October 2019.
• National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was the chief guest for the inaugural event of the Conclave.
• Indian Navy through the Naval War College, Goa is hosting this Conclave.
• The Theme for the Conclave is Common Maritime Priorities in Indian ocean Region and need for Reginal Maritime Security.
Uttarakhand CM launched awareness campaign
• Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched an awareness campaign -- Urjagiri, which aims at stopping power theft and
saving.
• The campaign is a good start towards spreading awareness in the society.
• The government is committed to ending power theft.

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October 2019

• He also instructed the officers of UPCL Vigilance Cell to effectively stop the power theft.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched initiative
• CM Naveen Patnaik rolled out ‘Mo Sarkar’ programme on 2 October 2019.
• The objective of ‘Mo Sarkar’ is to improve governance by collecting feedback on behaviour and professionalism displayed by the
Government officers.
• It has been launched in 21 district headquarters hospitals and medical colleges at Cuttack, Sambalpur and Berhampur.
Sarbat Da Bhala Express train flagged off
• Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Harsh Vardhan and Harsimrat Kaur Badal flagged off 'Sarbat Da Bhala Express' train at New Delhi
railway station on 4 October 2019.
• The renamed New Delhi-Ludhiana Intercity Express will ply from New Delhi to Lohian Khas via holy city Sultanpur Lodhi.
• A 6-metre skywalk is being constructed to connect New Delhi station to airport metro and yellow line.
Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express flagged off
• UP CM Yogi Adityanath flagged off the country's first corporate train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express on 4 October 2019.
• The train will run 6 days in a week with advance coaches which will have tea-coffee vending machines, call bell and toilet
indicator facilities.
• High-quality food and beverages will be provided to passengers.
• The commercial run of the train will start from 5 October 2019.
Portal for monitoring coal supply launched
• Power Minister RK Singh and Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi have jointly launched PRAKASH -
Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony- portal in New Delhi.
• The portal aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders.
• The portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring the entire coal supply chain for power plants.
PM Modi declared India open defecation-free
• Declaring India ‘Open Defecation-Free’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on removing single-use plastic and optimum use
of water as next steps of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• He stressed upon the need of water recharge and water recycle and pointed out that the government has earmarked 3.5 lakh
crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Digital Gandhi Gyan-Vigyan inaugurated
• Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma inaugurated an exhibition titled Digital Gandhi Gyan
Vigyan Exhibition.
• The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with a technology start-up under incubation by IIT, namely, M/s Vizara
Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• The Dept has also engaged IIT Gandhinagar for organising a workshop for children on 3 and 4 Oct 2019.
PM Modi Inaugurated Swachh Bharat Diwas 2019
• PM Modi inaugurated the Swachh Bharat Diwas 2019 in Ahmedabad on 2 October 2019.
• He released postage stamp and silver coin to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• He also distributed the Swachh Bharat Puraskar to the winners.
• He paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram.
• He visited the Magan Niwas (Charkha Gallery) and interacted with the children there.
Rajasthan: 3rd state to ban pan masala
• Rajasthan became the third state in India after Maharashtra and Bihar to ban certain categories of pan masala containing
magnesium carbonate, nicotine, tobacco, mineral oil and flavoured ‘supari’.
• All such products will now be banned in the State under the Food Safety Act.
• Production, storage, distribution and sale of these products will not be allowed in the state.
Nationwide ‘Paryatan Parv 2019’ kicked off
• The Paryatan Parv, 2019 kicked off on 2 October 2019 to promote tourism in the country.

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October 2019

• It will continue till 13 October 2019.

• The aim is to propagate the message of Dekho Apna Desh to encourage people to visit tourist destinations of the country and
also spread the message of Tourism for All.
• The govt is developing 17 tourist sites into world-class destinations to attract more tourists.
2,600-year-old walls discovered at Keeladi
• The fifth phase of the ongoing excavation at the archaeological site in Keeladi in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu has unearthed a
total of four brick walls dating back to the Sangam age.
• The State Archeology Department unearthed four walls which are 2,600 years old at the site.
• Excavation work in Keeladi village has been conducted on behalf of the Central Archeology Department since 2015.

India's Largest 'Charkha' inaugurated

• India's largest 'charkha' made of used plastic waste was inaugurated on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary in
Noida.
• The 1,650-kg spinning wheel was inaugurated by Union Minister Smriti Irani.
• The 'charkha', which symbolises Gandhi's dream of Swadeshi, measures 14ft, 20ft and 8ft and is made of 1,250 kg of used plastic.
Rita, India's Oldest Chimpanzee died
• India's oldest chimpanzee, Rita, which had been battling old age-related health problems and was on a liquid diet, died at the
Delhi zoo on 1 October 2019.
• Born on December 12, 1960, in Amsterdam Zoo and acquired by the Delhi zoo in 1990, Rita was the oldest chimp in India and
probably the oldest in Asia.
• On an average, a chimpanzee has a lifespan of around 50 years.
Nitin Gadkari launched cow dung soaps
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched soaps made of cow dung and bamboo water bottles manufactured by Khadi and Village
Industries Commission.
• The bamboo water bottle is priced at ₹560 and the soap variant of 125 grams costs ₹125 each.
• The ministry proposed a scheme which entails 10% equity participation by the Central government in such listed micro, small and
medium enterprises.
Union Government launched unified portal
• Union Minister G Kishan Reddy launched a single-window online system for licensing of eating and lodging houses.

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 Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I
October 2019

• The portal is a step in the direction to achieve PM Narendra Modi's vision to establish a corruption-free economy by bringing in
welfare-oriented economic reforms.
• India has progressively improved its ease of doing business ranking.
Telangana became fully electrified state
• Telangana has become one of the fully electrified states in the country after providing electricity to over 5 lakh 15 thousand
households under the Soubhagya Yojana introduced by the Centre in October 2017.
• During the last two years, the entire state has been covered and the households in remote areas have been provided electricity
under the Sahaj Bijili Ghar Yojana (Soubhagya).
Bongaigaon District Admin launched Campaign
• In Assam, the Bongaigaon District Administration has launched Plants for Plastic Campaign to remove the harmful plastics from
the eco-system.
• The campaign aims to encourage people to collect and remove plastic from their houses, commercial establishments and
educational institutions.
• Any person can deposit 1kg plastic in the municipality office and get a valuable sapling for free.
Global Student Solar Assembly to be organised
• To commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in association with IIT
Bombay is organizing the Global Student Solar Assembly on 2nd October 2019.
• 2 Guinness world records will be attempted during this workshop, (a) sustainability lessons to the largest number of participants
at a single place (b) largest number of solar lamps lit together.
UNESCO, DD Join Hands for TV Show
• UNESCO and Doordarshan have joined hands to telecast TV bilingual programme ‘Mahatma Lives‘ or ‘Bapu Zinda Hain’ on 1-2
October 2019.
• UNESCO and Doordarshan will telecast TV bilingual programme to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the
Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
• The objective of the programme is to celebrate his ideas and teachings.
Gandhi Film Festival to be organised in Mumbai
• Film Division in association with India Tourism will organise a Gandhi Film Festival in Mumbai from 2-6 October 2019.
• The festival as part of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary will showcase select films focussing on Swachh Bharat and non-
violence.
• Movies to be screened include ‘Gandhi’ by Richard Attenborough, ‘The Making of Mahatma’ and ‘Maine Gandhi ko Nahi Maara’.
RBI announced contests to promote innovations
• RBI has announced two contests to promote innovations and ideas in the payment and settlement systems.
• Shortlisted participants will get an opportunity to present their ideas before a jury of eminent persons while outstanding
innovators will be awarded prizes and citations.
• The contest will be organised through Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), Hyderabad.
PM Modi addressed function of Arogya Manthan
• PM Narendra Modi presided over the valedictory function of Arogya Manthan in New Delhi on 1 October 2019.
• It is a two-day event organized by the National Health Authority to mark the completion of one year of Ayushman Bharat, PM-
JAY.
• He launched a new mobile application of Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Bharat Start-Up Grand Challenge and also released a
commemorative stamp.

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