Current Affairs August 2019 3rd Week-Check Now

22-August 2019...........

Weekly Current Affairs August 2019

1. Ravinder Takkar

Vodafone Idea’s CEO Balesh Sharma has stepped down due to "personal reasons". The company has accepted Sharma's resignation and replaced him with the representative of Vodafone Group, Ravinder Takkar. Sharma was the representative of Vodafone in the Joint Venture between British telecom giant Vodafone and Aditya Birla Group's Idea that was formed to fight the onslaught of free calls and dirt cheap data plans unleashed by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio. Takkar will be appointed as his successor with immediate effect.

2. Qamar Bajwa's

The term of Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been extended for a period of three years. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved the extension of Bajwa's term. The move had been taken taking into view the security environment in the subcontinent. The extension of Qamar Bajwa's tenure comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Qamar Bajwa was appointed the chief of the Pakistani Army in November 2016 by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

3. Madhur Deora

Paytm has elevated its CFO Madhu Deora as President of the company. Madhur joined the digital payment firm in October 2016. Earlier, Deora has served as Managing Director in Citigroup's investment banking business in New York, London and Mumbai.

4. Russell Domingo

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed South African Russell Domingo as national team head coach for a two-year term. Domingo had played junior cricket for Eastern Province before moving into coaching at an early age. He became South Africa U19 coach for the 2004 ICC U19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The 44-year-old is expected to arrive in Dhaka on August 21 to take charge of the team.

5. Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was re-appointed head coach of the Indian men's team by the Kapil Dev-led Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). The three-member CAC also comprised former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad and ex women's captain Shantha Rangaswamy. This will be Shastri's fourth stint with the national team, having served briefly as the Cricket Manager (2007 tour of Bangladesh), Team Director (2014-2016) and head coach (2017-2019). India has won 11 out of 21 Tests, 43 out of 60 ODIs and 25 T20 Internationals out of 36 on his watch.

6. Harshad Pandurang Thakur

Harshad Pandurang Thakur has been appointed as the Director of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed him for a period of five years. The NIHFW, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, acts as an apex technical institute as well as a think tank for the promotion of health and family welfare programmes in the country.

7. Brendon McCullum

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed Brendon McCullum as its new head coach. Former New Zealand batsman McCullum was closely associated with the KKR as a player first from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2012-13. He was part of the IPL Championship squad in 2012. KKR finished at the fifth spot in the latest edition of the IPL. KKR lifted the IPL title two times in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

8. Babulal Gaur

Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur died in Bhopal. Babulal Gaur served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from August 2004 to November 2005 and represented Govindpura Assembly seat for 10 times. Born on 2nd June 1930, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader was credited with expanding party's foothold in Madhya Pradesh. Babulal Gaur retired from electoral politics in 2018 citing old age.

9. Jagannath Mishra

Veteran Congress leader and three-time Bihar Chief Minister Dr Jagannath Mishra passed away after a prolonged illness. Dr Mishra became Chief Minister in 1975, 1980 and 1989. He was also Union Minister. Bihar Governor Phagu Chouhan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and several leaders expressed grief over the demise of Jagannath Mishra.

10. Khayyam

Veteran music director-composer Khayyam, best known for his music in classic films such as 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Kabhi Kabhi', passed away. He was 92 and his complete name was Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi. Besides ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ and ‘Umrao Jaan’, the musician's other notable works include films such as "Trishul", "Noorie" and "Shola Aur Shabnam".In 2007, Khayyam was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Creative Music by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Four years later, he was conferred with Padma Bhushan.

11. Neelum Sharma

Doordarshan news anchor, Neelum Sharma passed away. Neelum Sharma was known was her programmes like ‘Tejaswini’ and ‘Badi Charcha’. She had been awarded the Nari Shakti Puruskar by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018. As part of her ‘Tejasvini’ programme, Sharma highlighted the achievements of woman achievers from the remotest parts of India who went on to become role models for the society.

12. Damodar Ganesh Bapat

Eminent social worker and Padma Shri awardee Damodar Ganesh Bapat passed away. He dedicated his life to the treatment and service of leprosy patients. Bapat was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.

13. Rizia Rahman

Renowned Bangladeshi novelist and the Ekushey Padak winning author Rizia Rahman passed away in Dhaka. She wrote in all genres of creative work including short stories, poems, essays and children's fiction but she was renowned for her novels. Bong Theke Bangla, Rokter Okshor and Ghar-Bhanga-Ghar are among some of his more well-known novels. She was born in Kolkata in 1939 and migrated to East Bengal after the partition. She received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and was awarded Ekushey Padak this year.

10. VB Chandrasekhar

Former India opener and national selector VB Chandrasekhar passed away in Chennai on following a massive cardiac arrest. Chandrasekhar played 7 ODIs between 1988 and 1990, scoring only 88 run. At the domestic level he was prolific for a few seasons, aggregating 4999 runs in 81 games with the highest score of 237 not out.

11. Vidya Sinha

Veteran actor Vidya Sinha, famed for her roles in 'Rajnigandha' and 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' among others died on at the age of 71. As per the media reports, the actor was suffering from lung and heart disorder. The actor who spread her magic on the silver screen was also popular on television where she essayed roles in daily soaps like 'Bahu Rani,' 'Hum Do Hain Na,' 'Bhabhi' and 'Kavyanjal'. Vidya who began her career at the age of 18 as a model and actor were loved and admired by many in the industry. After a break in her career, she made a comeback to films with Salman Khan's 'Bodyguard'.

12. Prasar Bharati to soon introduce two awards - Neelum Sharma Tejaswini award & Achyutananda Sahoo Award

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. The awards will be launched to remember Senior DD News anchor Neelum Sharma who passed away on the 17th of August. Neelum Sharma was remembered with fondness and great affection as friends, colleagues and acquaintances from across the networks of Doordarshan paid her glowing tributes.

13. Dhyanchand award-2019

The Selection Committee for sports awards 2019 recommended names of five sportspersons for the Dhyanchand award this year. They are Manuel Fredricks (hockey), Arup Basak (table tennis), Manoj Kumar (wrestling), Nitten Kirrtane (tennis), and C Lalremsanga (archery). Dhyanchand award is presented to sportspersons for their lifetime achievements and contribution to sport during both their active career and following retirement. The committee also nominated 19 names for Arjuna award including cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav. Bajrang Punia and Deepa Malik have been picked for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by the committee.

14. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award-2019 Wrestler Bajrang Punia nominated

Asian and Commonwealth Games gold-medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia has been nominated for the country's highest sporting honour - the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. His name was finalised by a 12-member selection committee on the opening day of a two-day meeting. The panel comprises the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia and MC Mary Kom among others and is headed by Justice Mukundakam Sharma. Bajrang had last year won the gold medal in the 65-kg freestyle event at the Asian Games held in Jakarta. He had also won the gold medal in the same category at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

15. ISRO Chief K Sivan With APJ Abdul Kalam Award

In recognition of his stellar work in the promotion of science and technology, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Sivan was awarded the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Award by the Tamil Nadu government. The Kalam award is to honour those who work for promoting scientific growth, humanities and students' welfare and the awardees should hail from Tamil Nadu. The award carries 8 gm gold medal, Rs. 5 lakh in cash and a citation. Under his tutelage, ISRO successfully launched Chandrayan 2, the second mission to the moon on July 22 and he was the chief architect of SITARA, a 6D trajectory simulation software.

16. Rajasthan gets an award at the World Education Summit

Rajasthan has bagged the “best innovation and initiative leadership award” for its achievements in higher education in the World Education Summit-2019 held in New Delhi. Minister of State for Higher Education Bhanwar Singh Bhati received the award at the summit. Representatives of eight countries and 17 States of India attended the two-day summit. The third higher education and human resource conclave would be organised in Rajasthan in November this year.

17. Indian-American teen wins South Asian Spelling Bee competition

An Indian-American teenager from New Jersey, Navneeth Murali won the 2019 South Asian Spelling Bee (SAS Bee). He won after correctly spelling the word ‘flipe’ and earned the national title and $3,000 grand prize. The South Asian Spelling Bee (SASB) is an annual spelling bee platform in the US for children of South Asian descent.

18. Madhya Pradesh para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia crosses 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. Gwalior born Satendra led the Indian Para Relay team along with five teammates and crossed the Catalina Channel in 11 hours 34 minutes. At that time, the water temperature was around 13 degrees Celsius. Satyendra has also honoured with the Vikram Award, the highest sports award in Madhya Pradesh.

19. India's junior women boxers win 4 gold medals at Serbian tourney

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. Tamanna clinched gold in 48 Kilogram category along with Ambeshori Devi in 57 Kilogram, Preeti Dahiya in 60 Kilogram and Priyanka in 66 Kilogram category. Over 160 boxers from 20 countries participated in this tournament, for which India sent a 13-member squad.

20. Hima Das, Mohammad Anas win gold at Athleticky Mitink Reiter event

Top Indian sprinters Hima Das and Mohammad Anas have won a gold each in 300m races at the Athleticky Mitink Reiter event in the Czech Republic. While Hima won the gold in women's event, Mohammad Anas claimed the gold medal in the men's category. This was Hima's sixth gold in 2019 in European races since last month. India’s Nirmal Tom clinched a bronze medal in the same event by clocking a timing of 33.03 seconds.

21. India win gold at Under- 12 Asian Tennis Team championship in Kazakhstan

India has 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 double 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. Manas and Rethin won their singles matches.

22. Liverpool beat Chelsea to win Super Cup

Liverpool won the UEFA Super Cup for a fourth time following a penalty shoot-out defeat of Premier League rivals Chelsea in Istanbul. After an enthralling contest that finished at 2-2 after extra time, it was Liverpool that prevailed 5-4 on spot-kicks.

23. Deepak Punia Becomes India's 1st Junior Wrestling World Champion in 18 Years

Grappler Deepak Punia became India's first junior World Champion in 18 years after he claimed a gold medal at the junior worlds with a win over Russia's Alik Shebzukhov at Tallinn, Estonia. The score was tied 2-2 at the end of the 86kg men's freestyle bout but the Indian was declared champion because he had scored the last point. Vicky Chahar, on the other hand, won bronze in the 92 kg category by beating Mongolia's Batmagnai Enkhtuvshin. Deepak is the first Indian in 18 years to win a Junior World Championship title.

24. India beat England to win Physical Disability World Series 2019

India won the Physical Disability World Series 2019 in England after defeating the hosts in the final at the New Road Stadium in Worcester. The Indian team defeated England by 36 runs in the final on to clinch the elusive trophy. The six-nation tournament was organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Ravindra Sante scored a quickfire half-century to star in India's victory.

25. World Humanitarian Day: 19 August

World Humanitarian Day is an international day observed every year on 19 August. The day aims to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes. This year’s focus salutes the efforts of women humanitarian workers across the world who rally to people in need and are often the first to respond and the last to leave. The world humanitarian day 2019 theme is ‘Women Humanitarians’.

26. World Photography Day: 19 August

August 19 is observed as World Photography Day. The day is observed so that people around the world can communicate their feelings and express themselves through the art of photography. The prelude to this announcement was that on January 9, 1839, where the French Academy of Sciences proclaimed the Daguerreotype process. The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process (1839-1860) in the history of photography.

27. Iceland's Okjokull glacier commemorated with a 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 atop a volcano. The plaque reads "Okjokull is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier”. Iceland loses about 11 billion tonnes of ice per year, and scientists fear that all of the island country's 400-plus glaciers will be gone by 2200.

28. 5th Meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission to be held in Kathmandu

The 5th Meeting of India-Nepal Joint Commission will be held in Kathmandu on 21- 22 August. Minister for External Affairs of Dr S. Jaishankar and Nepal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will co-chair the meeting and lead their respective delegations. The Joint Commission Meeting will review the overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of cooperation. India-Nepal Joint Commission was established in June 1987. Its meetings are held alternately in Nepal and India. The last meeting of the Commission was held in New Delhi on October 2016.

29. Zambian President arrives in New Delhi

President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India. Mr Lungu will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The discussion is likely to focus on cooperation in defence, security, geology and mineral resources, energy, health, education, infrastructure, culture, trade and investment-related issues. The bilateral trade between India and Zambia has grown steadily. With investments of over 5 billion US dollars, India is one of the largest investors in Zambia.

30. DRDO hands over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp to Indian Army

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army. With a load-bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), the MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory, Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES). The ramp will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured and Mechanized units and formations of the Army. It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.

31. Railways' second double-decker Uday Express to run between Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada

Railways' second double-decker Uday Express will run between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to cater to the busy route in the East Coast Railway zone. The first Uday or Utkrisht double-decker Yatri Express was a specially-designed air-conditioned chair car which started service between Coimbatore and Bangalore in June 2018.They are equipped with WiFi facility, have striking interiors, cushioned seating, and display screens.Another Uday Express is proposed between Bangalore City and Chennai Central. The train consists of nine double-decker coaches and two power cars.

32. Hollongi Airport will be completed by March 31, 2022

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri announced that the Hollongi Airport in Itanagar will be completed by March 31, 2022. Mr Puri made the announcement while reviewing the status of Civil Aviation in Arunachal Pradesh through a video conference with Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near Itanagar on 9th of February this year.

33. Wipro inks pact with IISc for research in robotics, 5G

Wipro announced a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru to conduct advanced applied research in autonomous systems, robotics and 5G space. The two organisations have jointly set up the Wipro IISc Research and Innovation Network (WIRIN), an industry-academia collaboration unit. The institute would benefit from advancing its research goal and capacity-building besides the commercialisation of the research outcome.

34. PM Narendra Modi to visit France, UAE, Bahrain from Aug 22 to 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a three-nation state visit to France, UAE and Bahrain from 22nd to 26th August. The Prime Minister's bilateral visit to France will be between 22nd and 23rd of this month. On the second leg of the visit, Mr Modi will be in the United Arab Emirates from 23rd to 24th of this month. Mr Modi will receive the Order of Zayed, the highest civil decoration of UAE which was conferred on him earlier this year in recognition of Prime Minister's leadership for giving a big boost to bilateral relations between the two countries. Mr Modi will return to France to attend the G7 Summit. The 45th G7 summit will be held on August 24-26, 2019, in Biarritz, France.

35. ISRO successfully places Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into lunar orbit

Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully placed Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into lunar orbit as planned. After this, four more orbit manoeuvres will be carried out till September 1st to bring it closer to Moon’s surface in the proximity of 100 km of lunar orbit. Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22 by GSLV Mark III-M1 launch vehicle. Lander Vikram and rover Pragyan soft-land on the south pole of the moon on September 7.

36. Nation pays homage to former PM Rajiv Gandhi on 75th birth anniversary

The nation is paying homage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary on 20 August 2019. Several programmes are being organised in different parts of the country to mark the occasion. Rajiv Gandhi served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989. This day is also observed as Sadbhavna Diwas to promote national integration and communal harmony among people of all religion and languages.

37. NGT forms a panel to examine allegations of illegal sand mining in River Yamuna

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. The NGT action follows a move by the Delhi Jal Board which alleged illegal sand mining in the Yamuna river. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the panel consisting of Delhi District Magistrate, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Central Pollution Control Board to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

38. Manipur CM launches ‘School Fagadaba’ scheme

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched a scheme to improve the infrastructure of government schools in the state. The scheme named ‘School Fagadaba’ (Make education better) was launched at the cabinet hall of Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The objective of the scheme is to ensure better infrastructure, quality education and overall improvement of government schools to make them model schools. The state government is also installing biometric attendance machines in government schools to ensure the presence of teachers in their posting places.

Points to remember: Manipur

Capital: Imphal
Governor: Padmanabha Acharya

39. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates Bunker museum

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the underground 'Bunker Museum' at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. 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. Also, President unveiled the foundation stone for the proposed reconstruction of Jal Bhushan, the Governor's office-cum-residential building.

40. HRD Minister inaugurates two-day international conference on teacher education

Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated an international conference on teacher education in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, he said that India has traditionally been known for leadership in education and teacher preparation. He said for thousands of years, Indian teacher was considered as Vishwa Guru or world’s teacher. The two-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.

41. Gujarat to get the country's first chemical engineering & technology institute

The country's first Central Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology (CICET) will be set up in Gujarat to give a boost to the chemical industry. The CICET will come up either at Ahmedabad or Surat. The proposed CICET will help the chemical industry with research and innovations.

42. Five new fish species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Researchers of the Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh have discovered five 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 in Lower Dibang Valley district and Exostoma kottelati, found in Ranga river in Lower Subansiri district. Other discovered species are Creteuchiloglanis tawangensis, found in the Tawangchu river in Tawang district, Garra ranganensis, found in Ranga river and Physoschistura harkishorei, found in Dibang and Lohit rivers. Majority of the water bodies in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh are still not easily accessible to the researchers due to a difficult terrain that includes rain forests, steep hills besides communication problems.

43. PM Modi and Bhutanese PM jointly inaugurated 720 Megawatt Mangdechu hydroelectric plant in Thimphu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Dr Lotay Tshering jointly inaugurated the 720 Megawatt Mangdechu hydroelectric plant in Thimphu. This is the fourth plant built by India in Bhutan. They also inaugurated the Ground Earth Station of South Asian Satellite, developed by Indian Space Research Organization. The first phase of Rupay card was also launched. India and Bhutan also signed 10 Memorandum of Understanding in science, technology, engineering and maths and judicial sectors.

44. Vice President embarks on a three-nation visit to Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has embarked on a three-nation visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation. Vice President's visit will be the first-ever high-level visit to the three Baltic countries. The visit takes place in the context of increasing political engagement, as well as intensified trade and commercial ties.

Lithuania Capital: Vilnius
Latvia Capital: Riga
Estonia Capital: Tallinn

45. Navy to host multi-lateral exercise ‘MILAN’ in Visakhapatnam

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. Last year’s edition was conducted for the first time on the mainland at the eastern naval command (ENC).

46. Vellore district to be trifurcated; Ranipet, Tirupattur to become new districts

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that Vellore district will be trifurcated and two new districts, Ranipet and Tirupattur, will be formed. Vellore will be the headquarters of these two new districts. The Chief Minister also announced that a new taluk will be formed with K V Kuppam as its headquarters. With the creation of two more districts, the total number of districts in Tamil Nadu mounts to 37.

47. Assam gets its first-ever CNG fuel station in Dibrugarh

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first-ever CNG fuel station of the state in Dibrugarh. 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.

48. ANZ slashes forecast for India's GDP growth in 2019-20 to 6.2%

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) slashed its forecast for India's economic growth to 6.2% in the financial year ending next March. The bank's estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth is now well below the expectations of other banks. The forecasts all badly lag the government's longer-term target of getting the economy humming at rates above 8%.India's quarterly GDP growth slowed to a five-year low of 5.8% in January-March as a result of sluggish domestic and global demand and little growth in private investment. The chief economist for Southeast Asia and India at ANZ: Sanjay Mathur

49. Finance Commission to visit Rajasthan

The 15th Finance Commission headed by Chairman, N.K. Singh and including Members of the Commission will visit the State of Rajasthan from 16th August to 19th August 2019. The Commission will hold the other meeting with the representatives of the State’s Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies, representatives of the Urban Local Bodies and the representatives of the Political Parties of the State. The Commission will also have a meeting with the representatives of Trade and Industry bodies in the State.

50. Prakash Javadekar announces the launch of a campaign to make India free of single-use plastic

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that a massive campaign will be launched to make India free of single-use plastic. In this regard, a series of meetings will be held with all stakeholders including state governments to chalk out a concrete plan to make it a people's campaign to realise the ultimate target. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar made this announcement at Sau Paulo in Brazil, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech.

51. National tribal festival 'Aadi Mahotsav' begins in Leh-Ladakh

Aadi Mahotsav, the national tribal festival, started at Polo Ground in Leh-Ladakh. The nine-day event was inaugurated by the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik. The theme of the festival is - A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture and Commerce. Around 160 Tribal artisans from more than 20 states across the country will actively participate and showcase their masterpieces in this event.

52. PM Modi announces the creation of Chief of Defence staff post

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, the Prime Minister announced that the country will now have a Chief of Defence Staff, CDS. CDS will ensure synergy among the three Services and provide effective leadership to them. The post of CDS was first recommended by a Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to examine the findings of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) in 2000. The CDS is meant to be a single-point military advisor to the government who will coordinate long-term planning, procurements, training and logistics of the three services. The CDS will also act as the military advisor to the Prime Minister on nuclear issues.

53. 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. Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala are the latest additions to the list of registered GIs. GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

54. INS Tarkash participates in KONKAN bilateral exercise

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, the Indian Navy's stealth frigate 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. The thrust of the KONKAN this year is on Anti-Air warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Flying Operations and Seamanship Evolutions of varying complexities.

55. India’s first space museum inaugurated in Hyderabad

India’s first Space Science Museum opened in Hyderabad. It is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the BM Birla Science Centre. The BM Birla Science Centre has given 9000 square feet of space in its Science Museum building. This museum exhibits scale models of Indian Launch vehicles GSLV Mark III, GSLV Mark II and PSLV, Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter spacecraft, APPLE, Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Rohini RS-1 and a model of the International Space Station (ISS). Among the biggest models on display would be the giant GSLV Rocket which would be approximately 60 feet tall.

56. Indian Army wins International Army Scout Masters competition

The Indian Army won the 5th International Army Scout Masters competition. The games were held at Rajasthan's Jaisalmer's Military station under the aegis of Southern Command of Indian Army. A total of eight teams from India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Belarus participated in the competition. This was the first time the Indian Army participated in the competition.

57. Odisha CM announces 'Mo Sarkar' initiative for transparency in governance

In a bid to ensure transparency in governance, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the "Mo Sarkar" initiative during Independence Day celebration in the state. 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. The program, in its first phase, will be implemented for all police stations and district headquarters hospitals and will later take up all other departments by March 5, 2020.

58. PM announces Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure safe drinking water to all households

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence day, he announced 'Jal Jivan' mission to make drinking water available to all households. The government will spend 3.5 lakh crore rupees for the mission. He said that the movement towards water conservation has to take place at the grassroots level and it should not be limited to mere a Government programme.

59. Inter-State Council reconstituted with PM Modi as chairman

The government has reconstituted the Inter-State Council and the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council. 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. While ten Union Ministers including Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan, S Jaishankar and Piyush Goyal are the permanent invitees in the Council.

60. Jal Shakti Minister launches Swaccha Survakshan Grameen

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the country's largest sanitation survey Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2019. The aim of this survey is to engage rural communities in improvement of the sanitation status of their districts and states through the intensive campaign. The 45-day long survey will take place in 18 thousand villages of 698 districts. Swachhata activities have also been planned at around 87 thousand public places where community meetings will be organized. People can also directly give their feedback through the mobile app.

61. RPF Launches “Operation Number Plate”

Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways launched a Special Drive with a Code Name - Operation “Number Plate”. It has been launched to identify and verify all vehicles parked in Railway premises, circulating area, parking and even in the ‘No Parking’ areas for a longer duration. The unidentified vehicles are considered as a serious threat to the security and safety of passengers and other stakeholders of railways. 3943 Vehicles were found parked unattended/unclaimed for more than 05 days in the authorized parking lots of Railway stations. A fine of Rs. 59000/- have been recovered as the charges for unauthorized parking.

62. Mumbai all set 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 next month. Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey announced that the institute is likely to be operational by next year. Mr. Pandey informed that the project will be executed on a Public-Private Partnership basis, wherein Tata Educational and Development Trust will build the infrastructure and run the centre at an investment of 300 crore rupees. The IIS will have a capacity to train 10,000 trainees in traditional as well as new-age skills like factory automation, digital manufacturing, cybersecurity, additive manufacturing, data analytics, digital design, smart mechatronics among others.

63. Panchamritham of Palani temple in Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

The famous Panchamritham, an offering of the Palani Dandayuthaswamy temple, in Tamil Nadu, has been granted the Geographical Identity (GI) tag. This is the first temple offering - Prashad - from Tamil Nadu - to be conferred this honour. Earlier, the Tanjavoor Veenai, Madurai Malligai, Neelgiri Tea leaves as well as Turmeric from Erode from Tamil Nadu have been bestowed with Geographical Identity tags. The unique Panchamritam of Palani temple is prepared using five sweet substances including plantains, jaggery, grapes, forest honey and ghee.

64. Ola acquires Bengaluru-based AI startup Pikup.ai

Indian ride-hailing giant Ola has ‘acquihired’ Pikup.ai, an artificial intelligence start-up from Bengaluru, for an undisclosed amount. As part of the deal, Ola will hire Pickup.ai’s team following the acquisition. Pickup.ai is co-founded by Inder Singh and Ritwik Saikia. The start-up uses autonomous technologies like artificial intelligence, computer vision and sensor fusion to provide seamless AI-powered solutions for businesses.

65. RBI asks banks not to count failed transactions, balance enquiry as free ATM transaction

Reserve Bank of India has asked banks not to count failed transactions at ATMs due to technical reasons as part of "free ATM transactions" permitted every month. Use of ATMs for balance enquiry and fund transfers too should not be part of the free transactions facility given to a customer. Banks provide a certain number of free transactions at ATMs to their customers and beyond that impose charges. The RBI clarified that transactions which fail on account of technical reasons, non-availability of cash, and any other reason attributable to the bank should not be counted as valid ATM transactions for the customer. Consequently, no charges will be levied on such transactions.

66. Retail inflation eases marginally to 3.15% in July

Consumer price index-based retail inflation eased marginally to 3.15 per cent in July on the back of softening fuel prices. Retail inflation was 3.18 per cent in June 2019, while it stood at 4.17 per cent in the year-ago period. Currently, the retail inflation is well below the RBI's comfort level. The government has asked the central bank to keep inflation in the range of 4 per cent.

67. Ola acquires Bengaluru-based AI startup Pikup.ai

68. RBI asks banks not to count failed transactions, balance enquiry as free ATM transaction

69. Retail inflation eases marginally to 3.15% in July