Current Affair of August 2019

National

1. A fisheries and aquatic ecology research team from zoology department of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) discovered 5 species of fish from various districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The team was led by RGU Professor DN Das. Details of discovery have been published in various journals of international repute.

2. A peace agreement was signed between Government of India, State government of Tripura and Tripura’s banned insurgency group National Liberation Front of Twipra led by Sabir Kumar Debbarma (NLFT-SD). As per the agreement NLFT-SD has agreed to abjure path of violence and join mainstream.

3. A recent research paper has claimed that majority of Indus Valley inscriptions were written logographically (by using word signs) and not by using phonograms (speech sounds units). This paper titled Interrogating Indus inscription to unravel their mechanism of meaning conveyance was published in Palgrave Communications, a Nature group journal. It mainly focused on understanding how Indus inscriptions conveyed meanings, rather than on deciphering what they conveyed.

4. According to recent information provided by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to Parliament, Northeast crowds list of states with most dense tree and forest cover in the country. It was based on assessment of forest and tree cover are done by Forest Survey of India (FSI), whose findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The last report was published in 2017.

5. According to recent study published in Threatened Taxa, tigers face glooming threat from Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) transmitted from CDV-infected dogs living in and around wildlife sanctuaries. It has found that 86% of tested dogs around Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan carried CDV antibodies in their bloodstream. This finding points out that there is increased risk of disease transfer from the dogs to tigers and leopards that live in the park. In 2018, over 20 lions from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary had died due to canine distemper virus infection.

6. According to recently released report by Greenpeace India, India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the world. The findings of report were based on data obtained from NASA’s Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite.

7. After passing a statutory resolution on scrapping special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by diluting Article 370, Rajya Sabha has now passed voting on J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019 which will effectively bifurcate state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature and Ladakh without legislature. A statutory resolution on Article 370 and J&K reorganisation bill were passed by Rajya Sabha and will be put to vote in Lok Sabha next.

8. After the suspension of annual Amarnath Yatra, ‘Machail Mata Yatra’ in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was suspended due to security reasons. Concerned authorities have asked people not to start yatra and those on way to leave and go back. Yatra started on 25 July and was scheduled to end on 5 September.

9. After the suspension of annual Amarnath Yatra, ‘Machail Mata Yatra’ in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was suspended due to security reasons. Concerned authorities have asked people not to start yatra and those on way to leave and go back. Yatra started on 25 July and was scheduled to end on 5 September.

10. Aishwarya Pissay became first Indian to claim a world title in motorsports by winning FIM World Cup ( Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) in women’s category after the final round of the championship at Varpalota in Hungary. She also finished 2nd in FIM Junior category.

11. Amazon India has launched a Military Veterans Employment programme in country. This initiative of e-commerce giant will create employment opportunities for military veterans as well as their spouses across company’s sort centres, delivery centres and fulfilment centres in India.

12. Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved handing over of additional charge of post of Director General Narcotics Control Bureau to Director General of Civil Aviation Security (DG CAS) Rakesh Asthana. He is appointed for next 6 months or till a new incumbent is appointed.

13. As per a recent order issued by Union Home Ministry, all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel will now retire at a uniform age of 60 years instead of 57 years for certain rank of officials. All these forces come under ambit of Union Home Ministry and are deployed across India to render a variety of internal security duties including border guarding, counterterrorism, anti-Naxal operations, and maintenance of law and order.

14. As the world recently marked warmest July ever on record, Iceland held funeral for Okjokull glacier, country’s 1st glacier lost to climate change. Nation commemorated the once huge Okjokull glacier with plaque. The commemoration ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdottir.

15. Australian Aboriginal site ‘Budj Bim Cultural Landscape’ in south-west Victoria has been added to UNESCOS’s World Heritage List. It was added to UNESCOS’s World Heritage List at a meeting in Baku, in Azerbaijan following a decades-long campaign by traditional owners.

16. Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex bar body has imposed 3 year moratorium on opening of new institutions except for national law universities (NLUs), if proposed by a state. This decision has been taken to curb mushrooming of law colleges in the country and laying stress on improvement of standard of existing institutions. BCI can only approves or gives recognition to LLB degree and LLM and Ph.D degrees are not under its control.

17. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced setting up Pashmina testing centre in Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir to check the quality of pashmina collected. It will be set up in partnership with lab of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh. The centre will have standards testing lab, machines and scientists to check the quality of pashmina collected. It also released BI Standards of Pashmina. BIS will also train the locals, with cooperation of LAHDC in marking of the standards to save the time and money.

18. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced setting up Pashmina testing centre in Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir to check the quality of pashmina collected. It will be set up in partnership with lab of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh. The centre will have standards testing lab, machines and scientists to check the quality of pashmina collected. It also released BI Standards of Pashmina. BIS will also train the locals, with cooperation of LAHDC in marking of the standards to save the time and money.

19. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of 75 additional Government Medical Colleges by 2021-22. These colleges will be attached with existing district/referral hospitals under Phase-III of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored scheme. These wew medical colleges will be set up in under-served areas having no medical college with at least 200 bedded District Hospital. Moreover, preference will be given to aspirational districts and district hospital having 300 beds.

20. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched his government’s flagship programme called ‘Village Volunteers System’ aimed at providing government services at doorsteps of people. The announcement in this regard was made during CM’s Independence Day address in Vijayawada.

21. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA), a high-performance centre for hockey at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha for grooming best hockey talent in State. Academy is named in honour of Naval H. Tata to commemorate his contribution to hockey in India as well as his achievements as a sports administrator.

22. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that Vellore district of state would be trifurcated into Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts. Vellore will be headquarters of these 2 new districts. With creation of two more districts the total number of districts in state would become 37.

23. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that Vellore district of state would be trifurcated into Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts. Vellore will be headquarters of these 2 new districts. With creation of two more districts the total number of districts in state would become 37.

24. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved procurement of indigenous Software Defined Radio (SDR Tactical) and Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (NGMMCB – Long Range) for Indian Navy. This was the first DAC meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh since assuming office. Both of these indigenously developed equipments are of latest generation and their procurement will give fillip to Make-in-India initiatives of the Government.

25. Defence minister Rajnath Singh has approved extension of benefits of Child Care Leave (CCL) to single male service personnel as well as certain relaxations of CCL provisions in case of women officers of defence forces. Currently Child Care Leave (CCL) is granted only to women officers in defence forces.

26. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) transferred the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to Indian Army. The designs of were handed over by Chairman of DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy to Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu at an event held at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi.

27. Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted two back-to-back flight tests of its state of the art Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM) from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in Odisha. The test was conducted against live aerial targets.

28. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is organizing exhibition on ‘DAE Technologies: Empowering India through Technology’ at New Moti Bagh recreation club, New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Shri Rakesh Gupta, Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The 2-day exhibition on DAE’s spin-off technologies for Non-Power Applications (NPAs) is open to public for 11-12 August 2019.

29. Department of Social Justice (DSJE), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced outreach On HIV/AIDS Prevention.

30. Every year 10 August is observed as World Biofuel Day with aim to create awareness about importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. It is being observed by Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas since 2015.

31. Every year 13 August is observed as Organ donation day, to create awareness about organ donation and to remove the myths about organ donation from people’s mind. Organ donation day urges people of all communities to come forth and donate organs to save precious lives.

32. Every year 20 August is celebrated as Sadbhavana Diwas or Communal Harmony Day to commemorate birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. This day is observed to encourage national integration, peace, affection and communal harmony among Indian people of all religions.

33. Every year 8 August is celebrated in India as August Kranti Din, in which tribute is paid to revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives in freedom struggle against rule. Also teachings given by Father of the Nation (Bapu), Mahatma Gandhi are remembered.

34. Every year National Handloom Day is celebrated across India on 7 August 2019. The year 2019 marks 5th National Handloom Day. To mark the occasion, Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, will preside over a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi

35. Film Actor Aamir Khan launched Mission Shakti, a Maharashtra government’s initiative to train athletes from tribal areas for international sports events such as Olympics. It will help Maharashtra government to hunt for talented athletes in remote areas of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.

36. For 1st time after Independence (1947), ‘Nagar Kirtan’ carrying Guru Granth Sahib which was taken out from Nankana Sahib district of Punjab province of Pakistan, arrived at Attari in Amritsar, India. Nagar Kirtan is a religious procession. It will culminate at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district of Punjab in India after passing through various cities and towns.

37. Former Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in New Delhi. She was 67, She had started her political career under Janata Party and was elected to the Haryana assembly in 1977 and became a state minister at age 25.

38. France’s Franky Zapata successfully crossed English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard for 1st time. The journey took just over 20 minutes. The French inventor reached speeds of 110 mph to complete 22-mile journey on his flyboard. He took off from Sangatte, northern France and landed in St. Margarets Bay, near Dover in southeast England. This was his 2nd attempt after a failed attempt in July 2019.

39. Girraj Prasad Gupta took over as Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Union Ministry of Finance with effect from 1 August 2019. He is 1983-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) Officer. He is highly credited for his work in development and implementation of Public Financial Management System (PFMS), a backbone IT infrastructure for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and other financial management modules in Central Government.

40. Government has notified that ceiling price of orthopaedic knee implants will be monitored to ensure that their cost does not increase beyond 10% in a given year.

41. Gujarat topped in 2017-18 in the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0) report released by NITI Aayog. CWMI 2.0 ranked 25 States and 2 UTs for the reference year 2017-18 as against base year 2016-17. On an average, 80% of states assessed on CWMI 2.0 over e last three years have improved their water management scores, with average improvement of +5.2 points.

42. Harshad Pandurang Thakur was appointed as Director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare. Decision in this regard was taken by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was appointed on direct recruitment basis for period of five years. Prior to this appointment, he was professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.

43. In a bid to give a fillip to tribal economy in Ladakh, Aadi Mahotsav or National Tribal Festival will be organised at Polo Ground, Leh-Ladakh. It is a 9 day festival that will start from 17 August till 25 August 2019. The event will be inaugurated by Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik. Until 2018 Ladakh did not figure on list of places where Aadi Mahotsav is held every year.

44. In a landmark reform, Saudi Arabia has allowed women above 21 years of age to receive passports (issue or renew) and travel abroad without permission from a male guardian. Saudi Arabian Women have for long required permission from their male guardians (which includes husband, father and other male relatives) for these tasks. These restrictions have drawn international censure also.

45. In a move to curb use of plastics, Union Ministry of Railways has directed all regional offices to ensure complete removal of single-use plastics from all railways stations effective from 2 October 2019. The move is an effort by Indian Railways to shield the environment from menace of plastic.

46. In order to provide quality housing to army personnel, a historic milestone was reached with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indian Army and Tata Realty & Housing.

47. India and United Kingdom launched two-year joint initiative- Innovating for Clean Air (IfCA) n Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka. It is aimed at providing unique air quality measurement system by integrating satellite and sensor data and support India’s transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs).

48. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has handed over its Kochi Cyclone Detection Radar (CDR) building to Indian Navy. In this regard, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Navy (IN) and IMD. The MoU will enable Indian Navy to utilise CDR building within naval premises at Kochi for meteorological purposes.

49. India’s first Central Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (CICET) will be set up in Gujarat to give boost to the chemical industry. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Chemical and Fertilizers. He also announced that Central Government is also planning to set up Plastic Waste Management Centre in Ahmedabad to find out solutions to systematicsegregation and recycling of plastic waste.

50. India’s first Central Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology (CICET) will be set up in Gujarat to give boost to the chemical industry. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Chemical and Fertilizers. He also announced that Central Government is also planning to set up Plastic Waste Management Centre in Ahmedabad to find out solutions to systematicsegregation and recycling of plastic waste.

51. Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Wing Commander Shalija Dhami scripted history by becoming country’s 1st female officer to be appointed as flight commander of a flying unit. She took over as flight commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

52. Indian Army has launched Mission Reach Out in Jammu to ensure basic essential services and necessities are available in region after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. In this regard, high level “Mission Reach Out” conference was held in the Nagrota Military Station to review the prevalent situation in the region.

53. Indian Army in partnership with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has launched ecological initiative of employing E Cars for use of its officials in New Delhi. Under this ecological initiative, first lot of 10 e-Cars was flagged off by Indian Army. Now, Indian Indian Army is planning to further increase number of E Cars in Delhi to ensure economy, efficiency and minimal emissions. The introduction of e-cars in Army was visualized on World Environment Day and in lines with government policies on environmental protection.

54. Indian Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was felicitated with ‘Excellence in Cinema’ honour at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2019. He was felicitated at iconic Palais Theatre in Melbourne, which is one of city’s heritage landmarks.

55. Indian Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was felicitated with ‘Excellence in Cinema’ honour at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2019. He was felicitated at iconic Palais Theatre in Melbourne, which is one of city’s heritage landmarks.

56. Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) has set up a waste plastic to diesel plant in Dehradun (capital of Uttarakhand) as a step towards ensuring freedom from plastic. It was inaugurated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.

57. Indian Railways’ 2nd UDAY (Utkrisht Double Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to cater to busy route in East Coast Railway zone (ECoR), one of 18 railway zones of Indian Railways. The 1st double-decker UDAY Express started service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in June 2018. Another Uday Express is proposed between Bangalore City and Chennai Central.

58. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan, was awarded Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award by Tamil Nadu government. He was awarded in recognition of his stellar work in promotion of science and technology.

59. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is globally observed every 9 August with aim to promote and protect rights of indigenous population. Observance of this day seeks to recognize the contributions and achievements of indigenous people to improve world issues such as environmental protection.

60. Iran has unveiled three precision-guided air-to-air missiles dubbed as Yasin, Balaban and new series of Ghaem. These missiles were unveiled at the time when tensions between Iran and US and its allies are at its peak.

61. It is an historic step towards promoting adventure tourism in the country, Government of India has allowed access to 137 mountain peaks to foreigners desirous of obtaining Mountaineering Visa (‘MX’) for mountaineering and trekking. These peaks are located in States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

62. Lalit Kala Akademi celebrated its 65th Foundation Day on August 5th, 2019. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Culture & Tourism inaugurated the celebrations in New Delhi.

63. Lok Sabha has passed Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from the present 30 to 33 (excluding Chief Justice of India). The Bill amends Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Ac, 1956. It helps to meet long standing demand of increasing strength of Supreme Court judges to resolve number of pending cases can be brought down substantially.

64. Lok Sabha passed Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by a voice vote and amendments moved by members of opposition parties were also defeated. The bill ends automatic nomination of Congress President as trustee of Jallianwala Bagh Memorial trust. It was introduced in Lok Sabha by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Culture on 8 July 2019 that.

65. Lok Sabha passed Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 that aims to ban commercial surrogacy in India by a voice vote. The bill aims to ensure effective regulation of surrogacy, prohibit commercial surrogacy, and allow ethical surrogacy. It also seeks to prohibit exploitation of surrogate mothers and children born through surrogacy

66. Lok Sabha passed Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 which seeks to prohibit discrimination against transgender persons, including in matters of employment. This bill that lays emphasis on educating, skilling and making transgenders employable was moved by Union Minister for State for Social Justice and Empowerment Kishan Pal Gurjar.

67. Maharashtra became first state in the country to adopt an Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) i.e. digital fingerprint and iris scanning system to help police investigations. This system will soon be replicated by police forces of other states in the country.

68. Maharashtra became first state in the country to adopt an Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) i.e. digital fingerprint and iris scanning system to help police investigations. This system will soon be replicated by police forces of other states in the country.

69. Northeastern state of Manipur has topped rankings in Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in India. The report card on Breastfeeding was released by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister. Union Heath Minister also appealed influential personality on social media to spread message of benefits of breastfeeding to masses.

70. On 22 August 2019 for the first time the world is observing ‘International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief’ with aim to honour victims and survivors of heinous acts who often remain forgotten. The international Day comes right after International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which is observed on 21 August.

71. On the occasion of 73rd Independence Day, Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh dedicated 3rd phase of ‘Jung-E-Azadi’ memorial to people who were killed in Jallianwala Bagh massacre and unsung heroes who were incarcerated in Andaman Cellular jail during freedom struggle.

72. Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, Country in Oceania has highest number of ‘living’ indigenous languages in world (840). Living languages stands for languages that are still being used and spoken by people. India stands fourth in list with 453 languages.

73. Pakistan and China are conducting joint bilateral aerial exercise Shaheen VIII (Eagle VIII) in Chinese city of Holton, close to the Indian border near Ladakh. It was eight edition of this aerial exercise, which is conducted annually by India’s two neighbours since 2011.

74. Pakistan successfully conducted night training launch of hypersonic surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf-III Ghaznavi from Sonmiani test range in Balochistan.

75. Parliament has passed Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 that seeks to repeal certain enactments and to amend certain other enactments. The bill provides for repealing 58 old and obsolete laws which have no relevance at present and makes minor amendments to two other laws. It was introduced in Lok Sabha on 25 July 2019 by Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.

76. Parliament has passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 to empower Central Government to designate an individual as a “terrorist”. It was first passed by Lok Sabha on 24 July 2019 and later by Rajya Sabha on 2 August 2019.

77. Parliament passed Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to provide stricter punishments for child sex abuse. It was first passed by Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2019 and then by Lok Sabha on August 1, 2019. The Bill amends Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 which provides legal framework to protect children from offences such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography.

78. Parliament passed Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 for speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from government residential accommodations. The Bill amends Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 which provides for eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases.

79. Parsi New Year, also known as Navroz or Jamshedi Navroz, is celebrated every year on August 17 to mark the beginning of the new Iranian calendar. In Persian, Nav means new and Roz means day and together translating to ‘new day’. It is celebrated for health, wealth, prosperity and productivity. The central feature of this festive day is visiting Fire Temple and offering prayers to deities Khorshed and Meher, who are considered the presiding deities of sun and moon respectively.

80. Prabhakar Singh, Director General, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been chosen for elite and prestigious Eminent Engineer Award for Year 2019 by Institution of Engineers (India). He is chosen for his distinguished and exemplary Service in field of Engineering and Technology. The award shall be conferred to him on Engineers Day observed on 15 September 2019 in New Delhi.

81. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated underground 'Bunker Museum' at the Raj Bhavan (official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra) in state capital Mumbai. The 15,000 square feet museum has virtual reality (VR) booths in which visitors can time travel to 19th century. It will be opened for general public with online booking facility later this year.

82. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Dynamic Facade Lighting of Parliament House Estate in presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Union Ministers including Hardeep Puri and Jitendra Singh.

83. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched $4.2 million redevelopment project of 200-year-old Shreenathji or Lord Sri Krishna temple in Manama, capital of Bahrain, during his two-day visit to Gulf nation. This is 1st ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Bahrain.

84. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was honoured with prestigious ‘Order of Zayed’, United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) highest civilian award at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital) for PM’s contribution in strengthening relations between India and UAE.

85. Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajasthan Assembly by a voice vote. Bill was introduced by Shanti Dhariwal Parliamentary Affairs Minister in State Assembly on 30 July 2019.

86. Rajasthan Assembly passes Bill against honour killing, titled Rajasthan Prohibition of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2019. It makes honour killing punishable by death penalty or life imprisonment. This Bill was passed after making a few amendments on basis of suggestions given by some MLAs during discussion.

87. Rajasthan Assembly passes Bill against honour killing, titled Rajasthan Prohibition of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2019. It makes honour killing punishable by death penalty or life imprisonment. This Bill was passed after making a few amendments on basis of suggestions given by some MLAs during discussion.

88. Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Defence has approved setting up of a Committee to review Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 and Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2009 as DPP 2016 and DPM 2009 have been due for revision for a while.

89. Rajya Sabha has passed National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Now it has to be passed by Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend National Institute of Design Act, 2014, which declares National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad as an institution of national importance.

90. Renowned biologist Chandrima Shaha became first woman to get elected as President of Indian National Science Academy (INSA). She will head INSA from 2020 to 2022 after taking over as president from incumbent Ajay K. Sood. She was formerly Director of the National Institute of Immunology, Delhi.

91. Researchers have sighted critically endangered species of tarantula- Peacock Parachute Spider for first time beyond its known habitat in the Eastern Ghats. Its known habitat is in degraded forests near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh. Recently, it was spotted in a cave in Pakkamalai Reserve Forests (in Eastern Ghats) near Gingee in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu.

92. Scientists from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered seven new species of water treaders belonging to genus Mesovelia. Water treaders are semi-aquatic insects that can walk or run on surface of water. These new discoveries include Mesovelia andamana is from Andaman Islands, M. isiasi and M. bispinosa are from Meghalaya, M. tenuia and M. occulta from Tamil Nadu and M. dilatata and M. brevia live both in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.

93. Scientists of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered 2 new species of freshwater fish from north-eastern and northern parts of country. Both fish are hill stream fauna, measures less than 7 centimetres (cm) and are equipped with special morphological features to suit rapid water flow.

94. State government of Punjab launched a mega health insurance scheme title ‘Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’ (MGSSBY) for poor by clubbing Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) plan with its own. The PMJAY was unveiled in September 2018 by the Centre and kept on hold so far by Punjab government.

95. State government of Rajasthan has launched a new higher education model titled - Resource Assistance for Colleges with Excellence or RACE, for distribution of faculties and movable assets among government colleges at district level so as to rationalise availability of resources.

96. Supreme Court has cleared decks for Chardham highway project, which will connect four holy places of Uttarakhand through 900 km all-weather roads. The apex court had also directed Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to form high-powered committee by 22 August 2019 so as to look into environmental concerns.

97. Tamil Nadu Government launched its exclusive education TV channel named Kalvi Tholaikkatchi (Education TV). It is an initiative of the School Education Department aimed at benefiting students of classes I to XII.

98. Tamil Nadu has officially declared Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) as the state butterfly to symbolise its rich natural and cultural heritage. This move aimed at boosting conservation efforts of attractive insects. It will also help channelising government funds towards a particular environmental cause.

99. The 12th India Security Summit was held in New Delhi. It was organized by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and is officially supported by Union Ministry of Communications & Information Technology. The theme of this edition of summit was “Towards New National Cyber Security Strategy”. During the summit, many issues were discussed such as protection of critical national infrastructure, emerging cyber threats: incidents, challenges and response. It was attended by senior officers from various law enforcement agencies. In his address, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy announced that Government has taken various measures to counter cyber threats. Union Home Ministry has launched scheme ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)’ to combat cyber crime in the country, in coordinated and effective manner. Governance also has rolled out “Cyber Swachhta Kendra” as part of Digital India initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

100. The 18th Conference of the Parties (CoP18) of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was recently held in Geneva, Switzerland.

101. The 1st session of 17th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, a day ahead of scheduled conclusion, as 99% of government business has been completed. The announcement in this regard was made by Speaker Om Birla after adopting resolution and a Bill related to Jammu and Kashmir.

102. The 2019 Indo Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference will be held in Thailand’s capital city Bangkok. In this conference, India will be represented by Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of the Air Staff- Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

103. The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2019 successfully concluded at Shillong, capital of Meghalaya with the adoption of ‘Shillong Declaration’ on e-Governance.

104. The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2019 will be held in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya. This will be for first time this mega knowledge sharing event will be organized in the north-eastern region of the country.

105. The 24th Meeting of Western Zonal Council held was held in Panaji, capital of Goa. It was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Goa being host state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was its vice-chairman. It was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and representatives of Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

106. The 26th Ladakhi-Kisan-Jawan-Vigyan Mela was recently inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Leh, Jammu and Kashmir. It was organised by Leh-based Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

107. The 7th Community Radio Sammelan7th Community Radio Sammelan was held at Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhawan, New Delhi from 27th to 29th August, 2019. It was organized by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The theme of this year’s sammelan was ‘Community Radio for SDGs’.

108. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved appointment of Ajay Kumar as Secretary, Union Ministry of Defence. He is currently serving as Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Union Ministry of Defence.

109. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narrendra Modi has approved appointment of Rajiv Gauba, as India’s new Cabinet Secretary for a tenure of two years. His term will start from 30 August 2019 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

110. The book ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ (1943-44), edited and translated by Tridip Suhrud, was launched by Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism, at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. The book has been brought out on occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by National Archives of India in collaboration with Oxford University Press.

111. The book titled ‘Listening, Learning and Leading’, based on M. Venkaiah Naidu’s two years in office as Vice President of India was launched by Union Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The function was hosted by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.

112. The famous Palani panchamirtham, given as ‘prasadam’ at Murugan temple in Palani, Tamil Nadu has been granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag. This is first temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu that has been bestowed with coveted GI tag. It takes total number of such indigenous products from Tamil Nadu that have been accorded GI tag to 29.

113. The first woman Director General of Police (DGP) Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya passed away following illness in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was 1973 batch IPS officer, who had scripted history when she was appointed DGP of Uttarakhand in 2004.

114. The first World Youth Conference for Kindness was recently held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind. It was organised by UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP).

115. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) held a High-Level Meeting (HLM) with Sri Lanka Coast Guard at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi to discuss issues of mutual safety and security. The Indian side was led by K Natarajan, Director General, Coast Guard while Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge. A four member delegation of Sri Lanka Coast Guard is on an official visit to India from 19–23 August 2019.

116. The International Day Against Nuclear Tests is observed across every year across the world on 29 August with aim to raise awareness about the effects of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions.

117. The International Youth Day is observed every year across world on 12 August to bring youth issues to attention of international community and celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

118. The one-day National Conference of Tourism Ministers organized by Union Ministry of Tourism was concluded successfully in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel and was attended by State Tourism Ministers of 19 States, Secretaries of Tourism and senior officials from States and Union Territories (UTs). Participants deliberated on various issues related to development and promotion of Tourism.

119. The World Humanitarian Day is observed every year on August 19 across the world to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service.

120. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved increasing the number of judges in Supreme Court from the present 31 to 34 (i.e. by 10%), including Chief Justice of India (CJI). In this regard it has approved bill to amend Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. At present, the full sanctioned strength of SC is 31 (including CJI). Once this bill gets parliamentary nod, the number of judges would go up to 34, including the CJI.

121. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that India has set target to restore 50 lakh hectare of its degraded land by 2030. He made this announcement at curtain raiser event for 14th meeting of Conference of Parties to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP14) to be held in India for first time from September 2-13, 2019. India will take President of COP14 for two years from China.

122. Union Information & Broadcasting Ministery launched e-version of Rozgar Samachar, to spread awareness about job opportunities. This e-Journal is expected to meet emerging challenge of young readers switching to electronic modes of communication

123. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar released a patriotic song titled Watan in New Delhi to mark the occasion of Independence Day 2019. The special song has been created by public service broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) and Prasar Bharati for Independence Day.

124. Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani launched Project SURE, a move towards sustainable fashion at Lakmé Fashion Winter/Festive 2019 held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The project aims to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean environment.

125. Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh has approved certain decisions regarding re-organisation of Army Headquarters. This approval for restructuring of Army headquarters was part of four studies conducted by Army for a leaner and more efficient force.

126. Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has unveiled draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for coastal zone management. It was prepared by Society for Integrated Coastal Management, an MoEFCC-affiliated body as part of a World Bank-funded project.

127. Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a one day National Workshop Cum Exhibition on Sustainable Sanitation at Vigyan Bhawan on 19 August 2019. The Chief Guest of event was Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E). It is being organized as part of year long celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

128. Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved proposal to declare ocean energy as Renewable Energy. It has clarified to all stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) will be considered as Renewable Energy. The decision will give boost to ocean energy in the country. It will make ocean energy eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

129. Union Ministry of Railways launched CORAS (Commando for Railway Security) of Indian Railways. It is separate Commando Unit of Railway Protection Force (RPF). It has been carved out from motivated and willing young staff of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF).

130. Union Ministry of Tourism launched the integrated NOC (No Objection Certificate) Online Application Processing System for National Monuments Authority (NMA) to seek approval for construction around protected monuments in 6 states.

131. Uttarakhand Government has decided to for Special Tiger Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). This decision was taken by State Cabinet meeting. The force will have 85 posts and will help serve as the much needed second layer of protection for the big cat.

132. Veteran actor Anupam Kher’s autobiography titled “Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly” was launched at a special event at Consulate General of India in New York. It was unveiled by Rishi Kapoor, along with wife Neetu Kapoor and cast of NBC’s show New Amsterdam.

133. Virasat-e-Khalsa museum located in Anandpur Sahib town in Punjab is set to find a place in Asia Book of Records for becoming most visited museum in Asian sub-continent on a single day. Museum witnessed a record footfall of 20,569 visitors on a single day on 20 March 2019.

134. World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is being observed throughout world from 1-7 August 2019 in more than 120 countries with theme – Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding. Focus of this year is on protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding.

International

1. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) along with its supporting Secretariat Office in New Delhi. CDRI is proposed to be launched at United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit scheduled to be held in New York, US on 23rd September 2019.

2. India and Nepal have launched Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and Siliguri in West Bengal. The first bus service on this route was flagged off by Nepal’s Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation Raghubir Mahaseth and Indian Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri rom Kathmandu. It is overall 11th route for bus service between Nepal and India, of the total 13 routes that have been approved for operating regular bus services between the two countries.

3. The Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put Pakistan in Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List (Blacklist) for its failure to meet its standards. Decision in this regard was taken at FATF APG plenary meeting held in Canberra, Australia.

4. The Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put Pakistan in Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List (Blacklist) for its failure to meet its standards. Decision in this regard was taken at FATF APG plenary meeting held in Canberra, Australia.

5. Iran unveiled its new home-grown air defence system called Bavar-373 during a ceremony held on Iran’s ‘National Defence Industry Day’. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has ordered to add Bavar-373 to country’s missile defence network.

6. In a landmark reform, Saudi Arabia has allowed women above 21 years of age to receive passports (issue or renew) and travel abroad without permission from a male guardian. Saudi Arabian Women have for long required permission from their male guardians (which includes husband, father and other male relatives) for these tasks. These restrictions have drawn international censure also.

7. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced successful testing of a medium-range ground-launched cruise missile, just weeks after withdrawing from Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a Cold War-era pact with Russia eliminating that class of nuclear-capable weapons.

8. India will introduce a flexible e-tourist visa regime for more than 160 countries based on tourist footfall. As per this the e-tourist visa fee would be higher for peak season of July to March and a considerably lower fee during lean period of April to June. The objective behind the move is to encourage foreign tourists to visit India.

9. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Maldives on Training and Capacity Building Programme for Maldivian Civil Servants became operational. This comes following discussions between senior officials of National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) from India and Maldives Civil Service Commission at Male (capital of Maldives)

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to neighbouring country Bhutan to explore ways to further strengthen and diversify bilateral partnership across several sectors. This is PM Modi’s 2nd visit to Bhutan and 1st since his re-election in May 2019. On reaching Thimphu (Capital of Bhutan), he was welcomed by Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Bhutan and received a Guard of Honour.

11. BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) held their 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate Change recently in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was held in the run-up to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet scheduled to be held in December 2019. In this meeting, India was represented by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

12. Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has embarked on a 3-nation visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation. This visit will be Vice President’s 1st ever high level visit (from India) to 3 Baltic countries.

13. India suspended weekly Jodhpur-Munabao Thar Link Express amid the ongoing tension with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. This move comes days after India cancelled Samjhauta Express from its side after Pakistan had announced suspension of all train services to India.

14. India has contributed $1 million to United Nation Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) for Resident Coordinator System showing India’s willingness and happiness to tangibly contribute to reform of UN Development system.

15. Newly discovered Kajin Sara lake in Nepal is likely to set a new record of being the world’s highest lake. It is located at Singarkharka area of Chame rural municipality in Manang district of Nepal.

16. India signed United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements (UNISA) also known as Singapore Convention on Mediation. It was signed by India’s High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf, representing Government of India (GoI). So far 46 countries have signed this international treaty on settlement agreements.

17. India has contributed US $5 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The contribution was provided in support of UNRWA’s core programmes and services, including education, health care, and relief and social services.

18. United States has designated China a “currency manipulator”, after country’s central bank allowed Yuan (Chinese Currency) to fall against dollar. This move could escalate tense trade relations between two nations.

19. Bangladesh signed deal with Russia for lifetime supply of uranium for its 2,400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) in Bangladesh. Under the deal, Russia will supply nuclear fuel needed for plant during its entire life cycle. RNPP will come into operation by 2022.

20. The 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand. India was represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. During this meeting, new MGC Plan of Action 2019-2022 was adopted.

21. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing of United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements (UNISA) resulting from mediation by India. It is scheduled to be signed in Singapore on 7th August, 2019 or at the United Nations.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has created five-member special cell to address grievances of startups with relation to angel tax and other tax-related issues. It will be headed by member (Income Tax and Computerisation) of CBDT. This initiative is the latest amongst the recent initiatives taken by the CBDT to further ease the compliance issues pertaining to startups.

2. Government portal for public procurement GeM (Government e-marketplace) has inked MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost MSME ecommerce sales. The MoU aims to enable promotion of special initiatives of GeM, such as Womaniya and Start-up Runway, with SIDBI stakeholders. It also seeks to promote MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, and Self Help Groups (SHGs).

3. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for sugar export policy for evacuation of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-20. The policy provides lump sum export subsidy of Rs. 10,448 per Metric Tonne (MT) to sugar mills for season 2019-20.

4. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) to examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action. It is reconstituted and rejigged version of erstwhile Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.

5. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is planning to launch Bharatcraft portal, a desi version e-commerce marketing platform. It will be based on the lines of e-commerce behemoths such as Alibaba and Amazon. It will provide platform for MSMEs to market and sell their products and in turn boost the overall sector. It has potential to achieve revenues of around Rs 10 lakh crore in the 2-3 years.

6. Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC) has decided to waive off or relax mandatory charging of lease rent of Rs.30,000 per Mega Watt (MW) for wind power projects. This decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and further enhances government’s commitment towards providing clean and green energy at cheaper rate.

7. It is an historic step towards promoting adventure tourism in the country, Government of India has allowed access to 137 mountain peaks to foreigners desirous of obtaining Mountaineering Visa (‘MX’) for mountaineering and trekking. These peaks are located in States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

8. Indian Railways’ 2nd UDAY (Utkrisht Double Decker Air Conditioned Yatri) Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to cater to busy route in East Coast Railway zone (ECoR), one of 18 railway zones of Indian Railways. The 1st double-decker UDAY Express started service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in June 2018. Another Uday Express is proposed between Bangalore City and Chennai Central.

9. Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has amended provisions relating to issue of shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs) provisions under Companies Act. This move is aimed at enabling 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 from global investors.

10. According to latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves surged to new life-time high of US $430.572 billion in week to August 9, 2019. It was on account of rise in foreign currency assets, the major component of the overall reserves. In the previous reporting week ended on August 2, 2019 forex reserves had declined by US $697.2 million to US $428.952 billion.

11. Geographical Indications Registry under Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has accorded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Tirur betel leaf from Kerala, Tawlhlohpuan fabric and Mizo Puanchei shawl/textile from Mizoram. GI product is recognised as originating from specific geographical origin possessing qualities or reputation related to its origin. This tag is exclusive and similar item originating from different location is not allowed to use it.

12. Every month banks provide certain number of free transactions at ATMs to their customers and exceeding which charges are imposed. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks not to count failed transactions at ATMs due to technical reasons as part of ‘free ATM transactions’ permitted every month.

13. A rare variety of tea named ‘Golden Butterfly’ from Upper Assam’s Dikom Tea Estate set a new record on as it was auctioned for Rs.75,000 per kg at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC). It broke the record for highest price fetched by a tea at a public auction for 3rd time in a fortnight.

14. High Level Committee (HLC) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) constituted by Ministry of Corporate Affairs recommended making CSR expenditure tax deductible and to make compliance violations as a civil offence that attracts penalties. Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas presented the Report of the High Level Committee on CSR to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

15. Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy organised Curtain Raiser ceremony for 3rd Edition of Global Renewable Energy Investors’ Meet and Expo (RE-INVEST 2019). RE-INVEST 2019 is scheduled to be held in 30th October to 2nd November 2019 in India. It is coinciding with Second Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA).

16. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US $200 million loan for Road Infrastructure Improving project in Maharashtra’s 34 districts for better connecting rural areas with markets and services. The proceeds of loan from ADB will be used for upgrading roads in rural areas of these districts to all-weather standards for boosting links between local residents and economic centres across the state.

17. National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institution of Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE) signed an agreement with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to initiate a skill development programme for different levels of beneficiaries in solar thermal energy sector.

18. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its third Bi-monthly Monetary Policy review for financial year 2019-20 has reduced its key policy rate (repo rate) by an unorthodox 35 basis points to 5.40%. This takes the benchmark lending rate to a nine-year low. It was overall fourth consecutive interest rate cut this year, bringing down repo rate (rate at which the RBI lends funds to banks) — by total of 110 basis points from 6.50%.

19. Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) has published draft e-Commerce Guidelines for consumer protection 2019. These guidelines will be applicable on all business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platforms.

20. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened fit-and-proper criteria for directors on boards of state-run Public Sector Banks (PSBs). In this regard, it has issued RBI (‘Fit and Proper’ Criteria for Elected Directors on the Boards of PSBs) Directions, 2019.

21. The housing sector regulator National Housing Bank (NHB) opened a liquidity infusion facility of Rs.10000 crore for Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) to improve liquidity in sector. The move is taken to unveil measures to boost lending and accelerate growth.

22. Union Ministry of Mines has set up joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to Indian domestic market. This new company is mandated to ensure mineral security of the country and help in realizing the overall objective of import substitution.

23. Department of Revenue, under Union Ministry of Finance, is conducting India’s 1st National Time Release Study (TRS) for enabling faster movement of cargo across borders to benefit traders. TRS is an internationally recognized tool advocated by Brussels based World Customs Organization (WCO) to measure efficiency and effectiveness of international trade flows.

24. Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart launched Samarth, an initiative to bring Indian artisans, weavers, and makers of handicrafts to its platform. It was launched by Anurag Thakur, Minister of State, Finance and Corporate Affairs, along with Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart Group.

25. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms for corporates, non-banking lenders by relaxing end-use restrictions with regard to working capital, general corporate purpose and repayment of rupee loans. This decision was taken after receiving feedback from stakeholders for easing liquidity in the domestic market.

Government Schemes

1. Union Ministry of Shipping has launched Biometric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID) to ne issued for Indian seafarers. With this, India became world’s first country to launch facial biometric data-based identity document (ID) for seafarers.

2. Tamil Nadu Government launched its exclusive education TV channel named Kalvi Tholaikkatchi (Education TV). It is an initiative of the School Education Department aimed at benefiting students of classes I to XII.

3. Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched National Digital Library of India project under its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT). The project seeks to develop framework of virtual repository of learning resources with a single-window search facility.

4. Union Government has decided to prepare detailed roadmap for nationwide distribution of fortified rice through ration shops. Instructions also have been given to Department of Food and Public Distribution to implement distribution fortified rice. Decision in this regard was taken in meeting between Union Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan reviewed and NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar for reviewing progress of rice distribution

5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to celebrate September 2019 as a month of nutrition. The announcement was made in his latest Mann Ki Baat programe in which he laid emphasis on creating awareness to fight malnutrition among children, particularly girl child.

6. Union Finance Ministry has notified Sabka Vishwas-Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2019, a dispute resolution and amnesty scheme to reduce legacy service tax and central excise cases. It will become operational from September 1, 2019 four months till December 31, 2019. It can be availed by taxpayers for closing their pending disputes relating to legacy Service Tax and Central Excise cases that are now subsumed under Goods and Services Tax (GST) so they can focus on GST.

7. RK Singh, Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC) launched SARAL-State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index during Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities, held in New Delhi. SARAL evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development. Karnataka has been placed at 1st rank in Index followed by Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh which got 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively.

8. Union Minister of Human Resources Development (HRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the Integrated Teachers’ Training Programme, NISHTHA or National Initiative for School Head’s and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement in New Delhi. HRD Minister also launched NISHTHA initiative’s Website, Training Modules, Primer Booklet and Mobile App built for purpose.

9. State government of Punjab launched a mega health insurance scheme title ‘Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’ (MGSSBY) for poor by clubbing Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) plan with its own. The PMJAY was unveiled in September 2018 by the Centre and kept on hold so far by Punjab government.

10. Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently released Draft National Resource Efficiency Policy, 2019. It has invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders including public/private organizations, experts and concerned citizens on the draft policy.

11. A two-day International Conference titled ‘Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global’ was inaugurated by Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) in New Delhi. The two-day event is organized by National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee (25 years) celebration of its establishment in 1995.

12. 40 Indian Origin youth have taken part in 54th Edition of Know India (KIP) Programme. This edition is scheduled from 1st August to 25th August, 2019. Punjab and Harayana are partner sates for this edition. These 40 participants are from 9 countries, namely Fiji (7), Trinidad & Tobago (7), Mauritius (7), Guyana (6), Suriname (5), Myanmar (3), South Africa (2), Israel (2) and Reunion Island (1) out of which 26 are female and 14 are male.

13. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched his government’s flagship programme called ‘Village Volunteers System’ aimed at providing government services at doorsteps of people. The announcement in this regard was made during CM’s Independence Day address in Vijayawada.

14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government will launch a Jal Jeevan Mission to bring piped water to households. The announcement was made dueing his 6th Independence Day (August 15) address from Red Fort.

15. 16 states out of 18 selected states have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Ministry of Textiles for skilling about 4 lakh workers as part of Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SAMARTH).

16. According to Union Government there has been a 41% reduction in stubble burning incidents in 2018 as compared to 2016. Recently, Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General, ICAR Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra highlighted considerable reduction in crop residue burning incidents in 2018 through various government efforts under Central Sector Scheme (CSS) on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the State of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & NCT of Delhi’.

17. Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has rolled out registration for the PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana to provide old age pension cover to farmers. It is new Central Sector Scheme envisioned with an aim to improve life of small and marginal farmers of the country. It is first of its kind pension coverage scheme since independence that s has been envisioned for farmers.

18. Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched inter-State portability of ration cards i.e. public distribution in four adjoining states in two clusters (i.e. pairing two states) -Andhra Pradesh and Telangana & Gujarat and Maharashtra. It has been launched in a bid to implement major plan to roll out ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ by June 2020.

19. Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched Samagra Shiksha-Jal Suraksha drive to create awareness about Water Conservation among all school students in the country. This mega drive is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s impetus to Jal Sanchay as part of Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA).

20. Centre Government has sanctioned 5595 electric buses in 64 cities for intracity and intercity operations under Phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-India) Scheme. As per Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, this move would give a further push to clean mobility in public transportation.

21. State government of Rajasthan has launched a new higher education model titled- Resource Assistance for Colleges with Excellence or RACE, for distribution of faculties and movable assets among government colleges at district level so as to rationalise availability of resources.

22. Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajasthan Assembly by a voice vote. Bill was introduced by Shanti Dhariwal Parliamentary Affairs Minister in State Assembly on 30 July 2019.

23. Union Government has approved Rs 4,900 crore Kosi-Mechi Interlinking project for interlinking of Kosi and Mechi rivers of Bihar. This is the second major river interlinking project in the country to be approved by Central Government after the Ken-Betwa project in Madhya Pradesh. This approval comes after this project secured the last remaining mandatory technical-cum-administrative nod from Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

24. In a major boost to national food security Government of India launched One Nation-One Ration Card scheme on pilot basis in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra and Gujarat. The pilot project is effective from 1 August 2019. One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme seeks to allow portability of food security benefits.

25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired his 30th interaction through ‘PRAGATI’ (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform. It is Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based, multi-modal platforms.

26. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister has approved proposal for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers for the year 2019-20. This proposal was forwarded by Department of Fertilizers.

Awards & Honors

1. President Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of National Sports day (on August 29) ceremony presented Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2018 to winners at Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is highest national award for adventure sports in India, at par with the Arjuna award.

2. Shashi Shanker, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was honoured with Distinguished Fellowship of Institute of Directors (IOD), 2019 during 29th Institute of Directors (IOD) Annual Day Ceremony held in New Delhi.

3. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has been conferred King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in Manama, capital of Bahrain. He was conferred this prestigious honour in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with Bahrain, the key Gulf nation. As of now, it is overall the 7th international award conferred on PM Modi since he assumed office in 2014 (List Below).

4. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was honoured with prestigious ‘Order of Zayed’, United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) highest civilian award at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi (UAE Capital) for PM’s contribution in strengthening relations between India and UAE.

5. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh presented ANUBHAV awards, 2019 in New Delhi. This was fourth annual award in the series.

6. Unlike in past, Ministry of Sports for year 2019 had formed a single selection committee for evaluating and deciding on all awards including both performance and coaching. The final list of sportsperson for annual sports awards for 2019 across various disciplines and achievements was recently released.

7. President of India Ramnath Kovind awarded Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman to following scholars of Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Pali, Prakrit, Classical Kannada, Classical Telugu, Classical Malayalam and Classical Odiya for year 2019: –

8. Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced fourth edition of National Entrepreneurship Awards, 2019 with aim to honour outstanding young 1st generation entrepreneurs as well as ecosystem builders for their exceptional contribution in entrepreneurship development. They will reward the most innovative, inspiring and accomplished micro entrepreneurs to scale up their business.

9. NITI Aayog launched fourth edition of Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards. Nominations for the awards will be opened immediately after the launch. The theme for this year’s award is ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’, in continuation of the theme for WTI Awards 2018. WhatsApp has collaborated with NITI Aayog for WTI Awards 2019 and will be providing support amounting to US $100,000 to award winners. Nominations for the awards will be opened immediately after the launch

10. National Film Awards 2019 awards were announced by Rahul Rawail, head of Jury for feature films. The year 2019 marks 66th edition of National Film awards. Usually recipients of annual National Film Awards are announced in month of April and presentation takes place on May 3 every year but it was delayed this time owing to the 17th Lok Sabha polls.

11. President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presented Bharat Ratna Awards to Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously), Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika (posthumously) and Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

12. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has instituted two categories of awards in journalism- Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research. These awards were instituted as part of centenary year celebrations of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, father of Indian space programme.

13. Indian journalist Ravish Kumar (44) of NDTV news channel was chosen for 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award. He has been given this prestigious award in recognition for harnessing journalism to give voice to voiceless. He is among 5 individuals who were chosen for this years’ award. The award will be presented to all recipients at a ceremony in Manila (Capital of Philippine) on 9 September 2019.

Science & Technology

1. Five Girls from Amity International School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh developed a mobile application called ‘Maitri’ that connects children at orphanages with senior citizens in old-age homes. The innovation by this all-girls team called “Tech Witches” fetched them a bronze medal at global tech competition called ‘Technovation Challenge’ held in San Francisco, United States.

2. Russia launched world’s first floating nuclear reactor called Akademik Lomonosov, sending it on epic journey across the Arctic. It was launched and loaded with nuclear fuel from Arctic port of Murmansk for its 5,000 kilometre voyage to Pevek in northeastern Siberia. On arriving in Pevek, it will replace local nuclear plant and closed coal plant. It will go in full operations by end 2019 and it will mainly serve region’s oil platforms in Arctic. One of its targets is also to power Chaun-Bilibin mining complex in Chukotka region, which also includes gold mine.

3. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated regulator Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s (FSSAI) National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. It was inaugurated on the occasion of 13th anniversary of enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act, (FSSA) 2006.

4. Russia launched life-size humanoid robot called Fedor to International Space Station (ISS). It is the first ever life-size humanoid robot sent into space by Russia. It was launched onboard of unmanned Soyuz MS-14 rocket from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

5. NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission took first high-resolution measurements of an interplanetary shock. These shocks are made of particles and electromagnetic waves launched by Sun. These interplanetary shocks provide ideal test beds for learning about larger universal phenomena.

6. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has finalized India’s first National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL). With this, India has become the first country to compile such list that will provide guidance to government for deciding kind of diagnostic tests that different healthcare facilities in villages and remote areas require.

7. United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new drug-Pretomanid for treating drug-resistant strain of Tuberculosis (TB). Pretomanid is novel compound developed by New York-based non-profit organisation TB Alliance. It is used alongside two other antibiotics (bedaquiline and linezolid) to treat extremely drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. This three-drug regimen is collectively known as BPaL regimen and it can cure highly drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis by drastically shortening treatment period.

8. Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, have developed process of synthesizing bone implant materials from eggshells. Through this process bone substitute materials such as tricalcium phosphate, a commonly-used bone substitute material can be produced from natural sources.

9. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a year-long programmes and functions from 12 August 2019 to commemorate birth centenary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, founder and eminent space scientist of ISRO. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is also known as father of Indian Space Program. Starting from 12 August the centenary celebration programmes were organized across 100 selected cities all over India and the yearlong centenary celebration will conclude at Thiruvananthapuram on August 12, 2020.

10. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to expand Rotavirus vaccine to the entire country from September 2019. It will provide Rotavirus vaccine to every child across all 36 states/UTs by September, 2019. This decision was taken as per an ambitious plan of Health Ministry under the 100-days agenda of the newly elected government.

11. Chinese telecom giant Huawei launched its own operating system called HarmonyOS or HongMeng in Chinese. It was revealed by Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business at a press conference in Dongguan.

12. Researcher from Mexico has discovered way to turn cactus leaves into non toxic and biodegradable material with similar properties to plastic. This innovation offers a promising solution to one of the world’s biggest pollution conundrums caused by toxic and non-biodegradable plastics.

13. A team of researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) has developed portable diagnostic device to detect bacteria without cell culture or microbiological assays. Researchers team work has been patented as well as published in July 2019 issue of Journal of Materials Chemistry of Royal Society of Chemistry.

14. Mohali traffic police in Punjab have launched India’s first wireless 3-D Smart Traffic Signal System called Intelights. It proposes a Intelligent Traffic Timer Control to regulate traffic signals with smart bird’s eye view using wireless sensor system. It has been installed at traffic crossing near the Airport Road in Mohali on a pilot project basis.

15. NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission has discovered GJ 357 d, a super-Earth planet located 31 light years away from our own solar system. Researchers claim that it is the first nearby “super-Earth” planet that could possibly support life as it orbit within its star’s “habitable zone or Goldilocks Zone”.

16. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) laid foundation stone for Space Situational Awareness Control Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka to protect Indian satellites from space debris. It will facilitate intensified activities foreseen for Space Situational Awareness & Management (SSAM), in view of the increasing debris population and operational space assets.

17. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) launched India’s first large-scale trial for two new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines named IMMUVAC and VPM1002. These vaccines aim to prevent infection (pre-exposure) or prevent primary progression or reactivation of latent TB infection (post-exposure), all of which have critical role to play in India’s big fight against TB. Both vaccines have been manufactured by Indian pharmaceutical companies.

18. IIT-KGP (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur) researchers develop new technology- Hydro Thermal Carbonization (HTC) for solid waste management. This Hydro Thermal Carbonization Technology can convert municipal solid waste to biofuel, soil amendment and absorbents.

19. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved setting up of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow, Russia. It is mandated to collaborate with Space agencies and industries in Russia and neighbouring countries for mutually synergetic outcomes. It will enable effective technical coordination for timely interventions on diversified matters with Russia and neighbouring countries for realization of the programmatic targets of ISRO.

Sports

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nation-wide Fit India Movement from event held in Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi. It was launched on the occasion of National Sports Day (observed on 29 August) observed to commemorate birth anniversary of hockey doyen Major Dhyan Chand.

2. PV Sindhu became 1st Indian to win a Badminton World Championships gold by beating familiar rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan. Sindhu crushed Okuhara with 21-7, 21-7 in just 38 minutes in a one-sided final held at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. Sindhu’s gold is second medal that India won at BWF World Championships in 2019 edition with Sai Praneeth winning a bronze in men’s singles category.

3. India’s B. Sai Praneeth settled for bronze after losing (13-21, 8-21) to Kento Momota of Japan in men’s singles semifinal in BWF World Championships 2019 held at St. Jakobshalle in Basel in Switzerland. Kento Momota is world No.1 and defending champion of Badminton World Championship.

4. Gokulam Kerala FC won Durand Cup 2019 football tournament by beating Mohun Bagan in final held at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Gokulam Kerala FC beat Mohun Bagan with 2-1 as captain Marcus Joseph scored a goal in each half to lead his side to Durand Cup glory. This was Gokulam Kerala FC’s debut season.

5. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspended accreditation of National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) for six months. This suspension was imposed due to non-conformities with International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) by NDTL as identified during WADA site visit.

6. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended Paytm’s association as title sponsor for Indian cricket team for all cricket matches, domestic and international, played in India for 5 more years. Paytm bagged the title sponsorship rights by signing the deal for Rs.326.80 crores which it will pay to BCCI over a period ranging between 2019 and 2023, starting October 2019.

7. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) sports personnel won 10 medals, at recently-concluded World Police and Fire Games 2019 (WPFG-2019) held at Chengdu, China’s southwestern Sichuan province.

8. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) beat Army XI with 5-0 to win Dolo-650 Bangalore Cup All India Hockey Tournament 2019 held at the Field Marshal KM Cariappa Hockey Arena, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The year 2019 marks the 4th edition of Bangalore Cup Invitation. Previous edition of tournament was held in 2017 in which ONGC won and South Central Railway ended as runners-up.

9. Ravi Shastri has been re-appointed head coach of Indian men’s cricket team till 2021 by Kapil Dev-led Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC unanimously felt that incumbent’s communication skills and understanding of team issues stood out. Ravi had the public backing of captain Virat Kohli even before the short-listing was initiated.

10. Indian men’s cyclist team created history by clinching the Team Sprint gold medal at World Junior Track Cycling Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. The team comprised of Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh, James Singh and Rojit Singh. This is India’s 1st-ever gold in a global cycling competition.

11. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA), a high-performance centre for hockey at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha for grooming best hockey talent in State. Academy is named in honour of Naval H. Tata to commemorate his contribution to hockey in India as well as his achievements as a sports administrator.

12. The 26-year-old Sourabh Verma claimed men’s singles title in final over Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in summit clash at Hyderabad Open BWF Tour Super 100 tournament held at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. He entered the finale after registering a straight-game win over Malaysia’s Iskandar Zulkarnain earlier in semifinals.

13. Chennai Lions glided away to one-sided victory over Dabang Delhi in final to win Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) crown. Chennai Lions led by Sharath Kamal defeated Sathiyan-led Dabang Delhi with 8-1 in final to lift UTT Season 3 Trophy.

14. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed to come under the ambit of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). In this regard, BCCI has given in writing that it will adhere to anti-doping policy of NADA. Till now, Sweden-based International Dope Testing Management (IDTM) was collecting cricketers’ samples on behalf of BCCI and submitting them to the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).

15. Film Actor Aamir Khan launched Mission Shakti, a Maharashtra government’s initiative to train athletes from tribal areas for international sports events such as Olympics. It will help Maharashtra government to hunt for talented athletes in remote areas of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.

16. The 2019 Thailand Open, a badminton tournament is officially named as TOYOTA Thailand Open 2019. It took place at Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok in Thailand from 30 July to 4 August 2019. It had a total purse of $350,000.

17. Former India cricketer and Bengal captain Arun Lal conferred with Karthik Bose Lifetime Achievement award of the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB’s) in Kolkata. Former Bengal captain Raju Mukherjee was also considered for 2019 Lifetime Achievement but CAB eventually picked Lal.

18. Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat won gold in women’s 53kg category at Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw (capital of Poland). The 24 year old prevailed 3-2 over wrestler Roksana of Poland in final of competition. This is her 3rd consecutive gold in women’s 53kg category after Spain and Turkey.

References:
gktoday.in

Share with your Friends

Join The Discussion

Comments ( 0 )

  1. Be the first one to review.