10-September 2019 2.00

Current Affairs September 2019

1. Dr B. Bala Bhaskar

Senior diplomat B Bala Bhaskar was appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to Norway. Bhaskar will replace Krishan Kumar, who has been heading the Indian mission in Norway since July 2018. Prior to this, the diplomat served as a Joint Secretary of the WANA division of the MEA that deals with all the matters relating to India's trade with WANA region comprising 19 countries.

2. Sunil Arora

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora assumed Chairmanship of Association of World Election Bodies, AWEB for the term 2019-21 as India takes over the Chair from Romania. India was unanimously nominated to be the Vice-Chair of AWEB at the last General Assembly held at Bucharest in 2017. The AWEB Flag was handed over to the new Chairman, Sunil Arora and it will remain with Election Commission of India for the two-year term till 2021.

3. 5 States get new Governors

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been appointed as the new Governor of Maharashtra while former Union Minister Arif Mohammed Khan will take the responsibility of Kerala governor. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Bandaru Dattatraya will be the new Governor of Himachal Pradesh in place of Kalraj Mishra who has been given the charge of Governor of Rajasthan. Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan is the new Governor of Telangana. President Ram Nath Kovind approved these appointments.

4. Anil Chauhan

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan assumed charge as Eastern Army Commander. He succeeds Lt Gen MM Naravane who took over as Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). The General Officer was given a traditional Guard of Honour at Fort William, Kolkata on his assumption as Army Commander, Eastern Command. Prior to assuming charge as Eastern Army Commander, he was Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO). He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

5. Shireen Mathews

President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Shireen Mathews as a judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of California. Currently, Matthews is a partner at Jones Day, the fifth-largest law firm in the country, in San Diego. Article III judges "hold their office during good behaviour", which means they have a lifetime appointment, except under very limited circumstances.

6. President Ram Nath Kovind gives away Swachh Bharat Mission Awards

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred awards for outstanding contribution to the journey of Swachh Bharat Mission during a function in New Delhi. Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir received the Best Swachh Iconic Place award. The Shrine was selected on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation. Railways Ministry was given Swacha Award in the category of Swachhta Action Plan.

7. States, districts honoured for improved sex ratio under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign

States and districts were honoured today for improved sex ratio and awareness generation under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh received honours for improving sex ratio at birth. Nine districts were also awarded for better sex ratio at birth. During the event, 10 districts were also awarded for good work in awareness generation and outreach activities under Beti Bachao Beti padhao campaign. India has made a remarkable jump in the national sex ratio of 13 points from 918 to 931 in the last 5 years. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign was launched in 2015 and is, now, being implemented in 640 districts.

8. President Kovind confers National Awards to teachers

On the occasion of Teachers' Day, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred National Awards to teachers for the year 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the 61st year of the National Teachers' Award, the President felicitated around 46 teachers from across the country. The awards are given to honour those teachers who have not only contributed to improving the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students. The prestigious award carries a silver medal and cash reward of Rs 50,000.

9. Prof Muhammad Yunus conferred 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis ' award by Vatican

Nobel Laureate from Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus was conferred the 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis ' award by the Vatican. He was awarded for his contribution towards establishing peace and harmony. The award is a recognition for distinguished work by an individual for promoting peace and dialogue among people. The Lamp of Peace award was first given to the Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa in 1981. Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev and Angela Merkel are a few other prominent persons who received this award earlier.

10. DAY-NULM conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), a flagship mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has been conferred the prestigious SKOCH Governance Gold Award. The award was given for its Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest Subvention Access (PAiSA). Launched in November 2018, PAiSA is a centralized IT platform which simplifies and streamlines the release of interest subvention under the Mission. It offers end to end online solution for processing, payment, monitoring and tracking of interest subvention claims from banks on a monthly basis. The portal has been designed and developed through the Allahabad Bank.

11. PM Modi to be honoured by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Swachch Bharat Abhiyan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with the prestigious 'Global Goalkeeper Award' by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for his leadership and commitment to the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan. Modi will be honoured for his leadership of the Swachch Bharat Mission, which he had launched on October 2, 2014. The ambitious mission aims at accelerating the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage in the country by this year as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. The annual awards, in five categories, are presented to leaders and individuals for their efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

12. Vice President releases Second Volume of ‘Loktantra Ke Swar’ and ‘The Republican Ethic’ - Compilation of Selected Speeches of President of India

Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu released the books ‘Loktantra Ke Swar (Khand 2)’ and ‘The Republican Ethic (Volume 2)’ in a function organized at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi. The books are a compilation of 95 speeches delivered by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind during his second year in office (July 2018 to July 2019). They have been brought out by Publications Division under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Shri Naidu highlighted several key areas from the books, quoting the speeches of the President given on key occasions in his second year in office.

13. Kiran Nagarkar

Novelist Kiran Nagarkar passed away at the age of 77 after a brief illness. Nagarkar published his first novel, 'Saat Sakkam Trechalis', in Marathi in 1974 at the age of 32. He won the 2001 Sahitya Akademi Award for his epic novel 'Cuckold' (1997).

14. Steve Smith becomes 2nd Australian to score 500 in Ashes series

Steve Smith has become the second Australian after Allan Border to score 500 and more runs in the consecutive Ashes series in England. Smith reached this milestone after he added 122 runs in the ongoing fourth Ashes Test. In 2015 Ashes which took place in England, Smith scored 508 runs while this time in his third match he crossed the 500 run mark. The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia at least once every two years.

15. Mithali Raj announces retirement from T20Is

Indian women's cricket great and ODI captain Mithali Raj announced her retirement from T20 Internationals. The 36-year-old said she wants to focus on her ODI career, keeping in mind the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand. Mithali ended her T20 career with 2,364 runs from 89 matches at an average of 37.5 and the highest score of 97 not out. She made her T20 International debut in 1999 and played her last match in March against England in Guwahati. Mithali is also the first Indian woman to reach the landmark of 2000 T20 runs. In 203 ODIs, she scored 6,720 runs at an average of 51.29, with seven hundred. She has also played in 10 Tests, with 663 runs including a hundred.

16. Kohli surpassed Dhoni to become India's most successful Test skipper

Virat Kohli has surpassed Mahendra Singh Dhoni to become India's most successful Test skipper. It came after the Indian team recorded its 28th win under Kohli's leadership in the second and final test against the West Indies at Kingston. The 28 wins have come from 48 matches for Kohli as captain. His predecessor Dhoni led India to 27 wins from 60 Test matches during his tenure. Sourav Ganguly with 21 wins and Mohammad Azharuddin with 14 wins are third and fourth in the list of successful Indian Test skippers. Overall, former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith remains the most successful skipper in the world with 53 Test wins.

17. India finishes ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship at the top

India finished at the top of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol Championship in Rio De Janeiro with 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Indian pair of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Choudhary of India defeated their compatriot rivals Yashaswini Deswai and Abhishek Verma in the summit clash of 10-Metre Air Pistol mixed team event. India has now finished as the leading nation in the ISSF Senior World Cup events in 2019 with 16 gold, 4 silver and 2 Bronze medals. Earlier, World number one Apurvi Chandela, partnered with Deepak Kumar to win India their fourth gold medal in 10-Metre mixed team air rifle event.

18. FIFA unveils official emblem for Qatar World Cup 2022

FIFA unveiled the official emblem of the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup which is scheduled to be hosted in Qatar. The official emblem of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 shapes like number 8 and symbol infinity. The eight represents the number of stadiums that will host the football tournament while the infinity symbol reflects the interconnected nature of the event. The unveiling took place in Qatar's capital, Doha.

19. Yashaswini Deswal wins gold at ISSF World Cup

Young shooter Yashaswini Singh Deswal won gold in the women's 10meter Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup at in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. With the win, she has also secured an Olympic quota for India. This is India's ninth quota in shooting for 2020 Tokyo Games. World no.1 Olena Kostevych of Ukraine claimed the silver, while Serbia's Jasmina Milavonovic bagged the bronze.

20. Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinches silver in Czech Republic

Shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinched a silver medal during an athletic meet at Decin in the Czech Republic. The Asian Games gold medallist came up with the best throw of 20.09m in his last attempt at the event. Tajinder has been awarded the Arjuna Award this year. The 24-year-old Indian has already qualified for the World Championship being the Area champion following his gold-winning feat at Asian Athletics Championships in April this year.

21. India beat Nepal 7-0 to lift SAFF Under-15 title

India lifted the SAFF Under-15 title at Kalyanai, West Bengal with a 7-0 win over Nepal. The victory also meant that India are now the most successful team in the tournament's history. They won the title for a record third time after previous wins in 2013 and 2017, both of which came in Nepal.

22. Indo-Lanka Joint Naval Exercise SLINEX 2019

The annual Joint Indo-Lanka maritime fleet exercise - SLINEX 2019 is scheduled to be held from 07 September 2019. Sri Lankan Navy is sending two ships to India to participate in the exercise with the Indian Navy. The offshore patrol vessels, SLNS Sindurala and Suranimala left Trincomalee on are scheduled to arrive at the port of Visakhapatnam. The week-long exercise will be attended by 323 Sri Lankan navy personnel including the commanding flag officer of the naval fleet.

23. INS Tarkash at Lagos, Nigeria

As part of Indian Navy's Overseas Deployment to Africa, Europe and Russia, Indian Naval Ship Tarkash made a port call at Lagos, Nigeria for a three-day visit. The port call has been scheduled to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Nigeria. INS Tarkash, commanded by Captain Sathish Vasudev, is one of the most potent frontline frigates of the Indian Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors. The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet and under the Operational Command of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, based at Mumbai. Tarkash will also undertake a Passage Exercise at sea with NNS Unity on 08 Sep 19, which will enhance interoperability between both navies.

24. The US and 10 ASEAN navies begin first joint military exercises in Southeast Asia

The United States and 10 Southeast Asian countries kicked off maritime drills. The first ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX) between the regional bloc and Washington will last for five days, starting September 2 at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand and ending in Singapore. The drills come at a time of stepped-up U.S. engagement in the region and tensions between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations over the South China Sea.

25. 8 US made Apache attack helicopters inducted into IAF to enhance combat capabilities

United States-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters were inducted into the Indian Air Force, at the Pathankot Air Force station. The addition of the Apache fleet will bring in lethal firepower with great accuracy and significantly enhance the IAF's combat capabilities. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters. The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US Government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for purchase of 22 Apache helicopters.

26. Bangladesh signs agreement with Reliance Power of India to set up the gas-based plant in Meghnahat

Government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with Reliance Power of India to set up 750 Mega Watt gas-based power plant in Meghnahat near Dhaka. The construction of the plant will be completed by 2022. A Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed with Petro Bangla to set up 500 Million standard cubic feet per day LNG terminal at Kutubdia Island near Chittagong in Bangladesh.

27. India announces 1 Billion Dollar line of credit for the development of Russia's Far East

India announced a line of credit worth one Billion US dollars for the development of the Far East region of Russia. Addressing the Plenary Session of 5th Eastern Economic Forum, EEF, in Vladivostok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this announcement will prove to be a take-off point for India's 'Act Far East' policy. Russian region is full of resources which provide an opportunity for Russia and its friends. The Prime Minister thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for inviting him as the chief guest at the EEF for his love for India.

28. India, South Korea sign two major agreements

India and South Korea have signed two major agreements to further defence educational exchanges and extend logistical support to each other’s Navies. The agreements will help enhance defence co-operation between the two countries. The agreements were signed after the talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeongdoo in Seoul. The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest. Mr Singh also paid homage at the National Cemetery of Korea to the brave martyrs who had laid down their lives for the Korean nation.

29. WHO and South-East Asia Region plans to banish measles, rubella by 2023

Member-countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region has resolved to eliminate highly infectious childhood killer diseases measles and rubella by 2023. A resolution to eliminate the diseases was adopted at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi. Measles elimination and rubella control have been a regional flagship priority since 2014. India continues to grapple with 39,299 cases, ranking fourth among 194 countries in the number of measles cases registered between July 2018 and June 2019.

30. 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue

The 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue(SED) will be held in New Delhi from 7-9 September 2019. The Dialogue will comprise of round table meetings of Joint Working Groups (JWG) on Infrastructure, Energy, High-Tech, Resource Conservation, Pharmaceuticals and Policy coordination followed by technical site visits and closed-door G2G meetings. The Indian side will be led by Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and the Chinese side by Chairman, NDRC. The 5th SED was held in Beijing on April 14, 2018, right before the informal Wuhan Summit between the leaders of the two countries.

31. Edelweiss, SBI sign pact for co-origination of loans to MSMEs

ECL Finance Limited, a subsidiary of Edelweiss Financial Services Limited and State Bank of India (SBI) have signed a co-origination agreement, which aims to increase access to credit for micro, small and medium enterprises. It plans to provide business loans, machinery loans and SME asset-backed loans ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 50 lakh at a blended rate of interest. This is the third co-origination agreement for Edelweiss, after Bank of Baroda and Central Bank of India.

32. Country's first 'Fun Zone' for children at Visakhapatnam railway station

With an aim to cut down the monotony of prolonged waiting periods on railway stations and to make it an enjoyable experience, particularly for children, a fun zone has been set up by the Railways at the Visakhapatnam railway station. The gaming zone has various sets of interesting games to enthral children as well as adults. According to the South Coast Railway Zone, the Fun Zone is the first of its kind in the country. The games ranging from video shooting to other indoor games aim to keep children engaged during long waiting hours at platforms. The Fun Zone will have all the high-tech gaming activities at par with game parlours.

33. Mini Conclave of First Investor Summit-2019 held in Leh

After the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, the Mini Conclave of First Jammu and Kashmir Investor Summit-2019 is held in Leh. Despite the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are going to be the Union Territories from 1st November onwards. The First-ever Global Investors Summit is to be held in Jammu & Kashmir from 12 to 14 October this year.

34. Gujarat Govt, Delaware State of America sign MoU for sister-state

Gujarat Government and the Delaware State of America signed MoU -Memorandum of Understanding for sister state. MoU was signed in Gandhinagar when a delegation of Delaware State of America called on Gujarat Chief Minister Delaware’s Vijay Rupani. MoU was signed by Gujarat Chief Minister and Delaware’s Secretary of state. This is the first sister-state MoU signed by Gujarat with any state of America.

35. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves

India has pipped the Netherlands to move into the list of top ten countries in terms of total gold reserves. According to the World Gold Council, India has gold reserves totalling 618.2 tonnes, which is marginally higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of 612.5 tonnes. International Monetary Fund (IMF) occupies the third position after the U.S. and Germany. Indian ranked 9th in individual country ranking, excluding IMF, and ranked 10th including IMF.

World Gold Council Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
CEO: David Tait

36. PM Modi arrives in Vladivostok to hold India-Russia Annual Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Vladivostok on a two-day visit to Russia. PM Modi will attend the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) beginning in Vladivostok. Prime Minister will also hold the 20th India-Russia Annual Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi will the chief guest at the Eastern Economic Forum.

37. Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2019

As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training, Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2019 is being conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mc Chord, Washington, the USA from 05-18 September 2019. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavours between India and USA. This will be the 15th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries. Exercise Yudh Abhyas will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at Battalion level with joint planning at Brigade level.

38. Asia's only 5th Generation - VR based simulator centre launched at Chennai by AASI

Asia's first 5th Generation Virtual Reality based Advanced Driver Training Simulator Centre was launched at the Automobile Association of Southern India Centre (AASI), Chennai. In the first 6 months, AASI will train 200 Ambulance drivers free of cost, under 'Safe Drivers Campaign'. The patented simulator was ideated, designed and developed by Chennai based Red Chariots Technologies Pvt Ltd. The training session is a combination of level-based practical learning modules coupled with self-learning theory modules through an interactive e-learning quiz app built in-house.

39. ESIC Signs an Agreement with SBI for Payments To ESIC Beneficiaries on Real-Time Basis

A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and State Bank of India. In accordance with the agreement, the SBI would provide e-payment services directly to the bank accounts of all ESIC beneficiaries and payees without any manual intervention as an integrated and automated process. The e-payment integration would affect statutory benefit payments to ESIC beneficiaries as well as other payees on a real-time basis. The new system will benefit all stakeholders of ESIC.

40. Vaishno Devi Shrine tops the list of 'Swachh Iconic Places'

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged as the Best Swachh Iconic place in the country in the 'Swachh Iconic Places'. The list was released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The Shrine has been adjudged on the basis of the overall improvement in sanitation. The Shrine was in direct competition with dozen other iconic places including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Maharashtra), Taj Mahal (Uttar Pradesh), Tirupati Temple (Andhra Pradesh) Golden Temple (Punjab) Manikarnika Ghat (Varanasi), Ajmer Sharif Dargah (Rajasthan) among others. In 2018, the Shrine was also declared as the cleanest religious place by the IndiaToday Group.

41. UNCCD COP14 begins in Greater Noida

The 14th Conference of Parties, COP14 to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification began at Greater Noida. As India assumed COP presidency for two years, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar expressed optimism towards restoring land ecology and environment. The COP14 is to discuss various issues of land such as sustainable land management, reversing land degradation, mitigating drought, halting desertification, addressing sand and dust storms.

42. Western Odisha districts celebrating Agrarian festival 'Nuakhai'

The much-awaited day, Nuakahi, for the people of western Odisha districts came with much pomp and gaiety. The major agrarian festival of this region is being celebrated in every nook and corner collectively with much fanfare and religious fervour. People offer the newly harvested crop called Nabanha to their respective presiding deities.

43. Haryana govt announces about Rs 5,000 cr interest, penalty waiver on crop loans

The BJP-led Haryana Government has announced a 4,750 crore rupees waiver on interest and penalty on crop loans. This will benefit around 10 lakh farmers of the state. The farmers whose bank accounts were declared Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) by these banks and were unable to renew their loans will now be able to do so. The five per cent penalty imposed on farmers who failed to repay loans taken from PACS will now be completely waived.

44. Varun Dhawan's 'Coolie No.1' first Bollywood film set to go plastic-free

Bollywood has taken lead to promote India’s plastic-free movement with Varun Dhawan's upcoming movie "Coolie No. 1" becoming the first Bollywood film to go plastic-free. The movie’s producer Deepshikha Deshmukh announced that the movie is going plastic-free and urged her peers to do the same. This comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged usage of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment.

45. India hits out at Pakistan on raising Kashmir issue during South Asian Speakers’ summit

India hit out strongly at Pakistan when the latter tried to raise the Kashmir issue during the fourth South Asian Speakers’ summit which began in Maldives capital Male. The two-day meeting focuses on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. India is being represented by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and other senior officials. The summit is due to end with the adoption of the Malé Declaration with a summary of conclusions and recommendations.

46. VP M Venkaiah Naidu dedicates country's longest electrified rail tunnel to nation

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu dedicated the country's longest electrified rail tunnel between Cherlopalli and Rapuru in Andhra Pradesh and the electrified railway line between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli.

The length of the rail tunnel is 6.6 kilometre.
The tunnel, built at a cost of Rs 437 crore.
Besides inaugurating the re-modelled yard at Guduru railway station, the Vice-President also flagged-off a new intercity super fast express train between Guduru and Vijayawada.

47. Get ready to pay higher penalties for traffic violations

The amended provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, which hike the penalty for traffic rules violation have come into force. As many as 63 clauses of the Act, which correspond to an increase in the fine for traffic rule violation came into force at midnight on 1 September. The fine for jumping red-light has been revised from 1,000 rupees earlier to 5,000 rupees now. Driving without wearing a seat belt, which earlier invited a fine of 100 rupees will now attract a fine of 1,000 rupees. The fine for rash driving has also been revised from 1,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees. And if caught for drunken driving, one needs to cough up a hefty fine of 10,000 rupees.

48. GST collection in August stands at Rs 98,202 cr

GST collection in the month of August stood at 98 thousand 202 crore rupees. The Finance Ministry said the total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for the month of July up to 31st of August is around 76 lakh. The total revenue earned by the Central Government and the State Governments after regular settlement in the month of August 2019 is 40 thousand 898 crore rupees for CGST and 40 thousand 862 crores for the SGST.

49. New Delhi slips 6 notches in world's most liveable cities ranking

The national capital has dropped by six places to rank 118th on a list of the world's most liveable cities. It is mainly due to an increase in cases of petty crimes and poor air quality, according to an annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Mumbai also fell two places since last year to rank 119th on the list topped by Vienna (Austria) for the second consecutive year.

50. India jumps to 34th rank on world travel and tourism competitiveness index

According to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report, India has jumped six places to claim 34th spot on world Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019. In 2015, India had been ranked at 52nd and at 40th in 2017. Spain tops the ranking index followed by France and Germany. According to the WEF report, over 1.5 crore international tourists arrived in India while the share of travel and tourism industry was 3.6 per cent and that of industry employment was 5.1 per cent.

51. Teachers' Day: 05 September

Teacher’s Day is celebrated every year on September 5 to honour Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as India’s first Vice President from 1952-1962 and as India’s second President from 1962-1967. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan believed that "teachers should be the best minds in the country". World Teachers' Day, established by UNESCO in 1994, on 5 October

52. CBI's 1st national conference on cybercrime investigation inaugurated

CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla inaugurated the 1st National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics at CBI Headquarters in New Delhi. The two-day conference covers one of the mandates of CBI which is to investigate crimes with inter-state and international ramifications. The conference is aimed at creating the platform and bringing together investigators, lawyers, forensic experts and academia to discuss challenges related to cybercrime and ways to find solutions.

53. Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Masood Azhar declared terrorists under UAPA

India's most wanted Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Masood Azhar have been declared terrorists under the recently amended - Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act. They have been declared individual terrorists under the amended terror law by the government. Masood Azhar is designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on the 1st of May this year.

54. Delhi to include OBC, General category students in Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana

The Delhi Cabinet has decided to include other backward class (OBC) and general category students in its 'Jai Bheem Mukhyamantri Yojana'. The government also enhance financial assistance from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. one lakh for coaching for various competitive exams. Earlier, the scheme was only for the scheduled caste category students under which financial assistance of up to Rs. 40,000 would be provided.

55. September month to be celebrated as 'Rashtriya Poshan Maah'

The entire month of September will be celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah. This year the theme is ‘Complementary Feeding’. POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi- ministerial convergence mission with the vision to address malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022. Under the Poshan Abhiyaan, the government has set a target to reduce the stunting rate in children from 35 per cent to 25 per cent. The programme aims at achieving improvement in the nutritional status of children up to six years of age, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

56. Centre approves Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the approval for the new Gorewada International Zoo to be inaugurated in Nagpur district of Maharashtra. The Zoo will have attractions like Bio Park, Indian Safari, African Safari, Night Safari, Research, Education and Training, facilities for tourists, etc. The Government of Maharashtra has accorded permission for establishing the International Zoo, through Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (FDCM. Ltd.), Nagpur.

57. Mumbai ranked 45th, Delhi 52nd on world’s safe cities list

According to a report by Economist Intelligence Unit, Mumbai has been ranked as the 45th safest city on the Safe Cities Index (SCI), while Delhi stood at the 52nd position. Cities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region made up six of the top-10 safest cities with Tokyo taking the top spot. Singapore and Osaka came second and third, while Sydney and Melbourne also made it to the top-10 cities list.

58. Google Doodle honours Amrita Pritam on 100th birth anniversary

The 100th birth anniversary of Indian novelist, essayist and poet Amrita Pritam was celebrated with a Google Doodle. Google has honoured the day with a doodle, which is a reference to her autobiography Kala Gulab, which revealed many details of her personal life. Amrita Pritam, considered the greatest 20th-century Punjabi poet, has published 28 novels including Pinjar, a tale set during the time of partition, which was also adapted into a movie. She is the first woman recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956 and also won the Jnanpith Award and the Padma Vibhushan.

59. September month to be celebrated as 'Rashtriya Poshan Maah'

60. Centre approves Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur

61. Mumbai ranked 45th, Delhi 52nd on world’s safe cities list

62. Google Doodle honours Amrita Pritam on 100th birth anniversary

63. Growth of eight core sectors slows to 2.1% in July

Growth of eight core industries dropped to 2.1 per cent in July mainly due to a contraction in coal, crude oil, natural gas and refinery products. The eight-core sector industries, coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity, had expanded by 7.3 per cent in July last year. The output of coal, crude oil, natural gas and refinery products recorded negative growth in July. During April-July, the eight sectors grew by 3 per cent compared to 5.9 per cent in the same period the previous year.

64. Cabinet approves recapitalisation of IDBI

The Central government approved Rs 9,300 crore capital infusion into IDBI Bank to increase the lender's capital base. The Union Cabinet cleared the recapitalisation plan with a one-time infusion of funds by both the government and the LIC. LIC, which has a controlling stake in IDBI, will infuse Rs 4,743 crore. The government will provide Rs 4,557 crore as a one-time re-capitalisation.

65. IDBI Bank launches repo-linked home, auto loans

LIC owned IDBI Bank has launched a home and auto loan product linked to the repo rate. It has also introduced bulk deposits linked to the repo rate in select buckets. The lender is offering home loan for up to Rs 75 lakh with a tenor of up to 35 years. The interest rate on home loan will be from 8.30 per cent per annum onwards. The bank's customers will have the twin option of selecting either the MCLR linked product or the newly launched repo rate linked product.

66. Google signs a pact with IT ministry for 'Build for Digital India'

Tech giant Google has signed a statement of intent with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) for rolling out 'Build for Digital India' programme. The programme will offer a platform for engineering students to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems. As part of the program, engineering students across the country will be invited to present their ideas and solutions in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, women safety, smart mobility and transportation, environment, accessibility and disability and digital literacy. Google will also offer mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and prototypes.

67. Government announces mega-merger of public sector banks

The government has announced the merger of ten public sector banks into four banks. United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce will be merged with Punjab National Bank, making the proposed entity the second largest public sector bank (PSB). Syndicate Bank will be merged with Canara Bank, while Allahabad Bank will be amalgamated with Indian Bank. Similarly, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be consolidated with Union Bank of India. The Finance Minister said, after the merger of banks, the country will now have 12 public sector banks instead of 27.